Episode 604: Return of the Demon Sect Leader
A man was climbing a hill, braving the biting wind.
Though it was still autumn, the air on Mount Giryeon was cold enough to chill one to the bone.
Crunch, crunch…!
The man moving steadily with unwavering steps was none other than Deung Bu-hyeong.
At his waist hung the Ghost Blade, which occasionally let out a low, resonant hum.
“Almost there,” he thought, glancing up at the hill’s summit.
Once he reached the top, he expected to see something significant.
For some time now, he had sensed a powerful energy emanating from beyond the hill.
Crunch, crunch…!
Finally, as he reached the summit, a fierce wind howled.
“Yaaahhh!”
With the wind came the sound of battle cries, and before him lay a scene of warriors clashing with demons.
Though the battlefield was some distance away, the intensity of the combat was palpable even from where he stood.
In the distance, beneath a sky heavy with dark clouds, the Black Star loomed ominously.
“That’s where the Demon King resides…!”
At that moment, the Ghost Blade began to tremble violently.
Deung Bu-hyeong glanced at it and muttered, “Alright, alright. I came all this way because of you, didn’t I? Soon, you’ll have your chance to shine.”
The Ghost Blade fit perfectly in his hand, as if it were an extension of himself.
Was this the manifestation of his obsession with swords?
The blade moved as he willed it. When he wanted to cut, it cut; when he wanted to unleash energy, it surpassed his expectations.
Indeed, he had reached a new level.
Where once he could only form sword energy, traveling with the Ghost Blade had elevated him to the realm of sword aura.
Vroom…!
Deung Bu-hyeong grasped the hilt of the trembling Ghost Blade.
In the next instant—
Shing!
As he drew the sword, its sleek blade gleamed with a chilling light, exuding a fierce aura.
“Let’s make some noise!”
With a powerful leap, Deung Bu-hyeong dashed down the hill at breakneck speed.
**
The battlefield was thick with the cries of the wounded and the stench of blood.
“Arrogant humans! Wipe them all out!”
Demon knights charged forward, shouting.
“Who said you could wipe us out?”
A booming voice rang out, and there stood Gok Bo-ok.
He swung his sword, reaching out toward an oncoming demon knight.
Clang!
Astonishingly, the knight’s sword bounced off Gok Bo-ok’s arm.
“What the…?”
The demon knight stared in disbelief.
Gok Bo-ok smirked, “I was trained by the master of Sabigang Palace! Don’t underestimate me!”
Wham!
His fist crashed into the knight’s helmet, shattering it and sending the knight flying, blood spraying.
“Get that pig!”
Nearby demon knights converged on Gok Bo-ok.
Surrounded, Gok Bo-ok clicked his tongue.
“Tsk! So now you realize how strong I am.”
Though he boasted, being surrounded was a bit daunting.
One or two knights he could handle, but nine?
‘This is a bit tricky.’
Just then—
Whoosh!
A gust of wind heralded the arrival of another.
“Hey, who called my friend a pig?”
It was Jo Mun-tak.
The demon knights exchanged confused glances, surprised that someone had breached their ranks so easily.
In a flash—
Bam!
The knights lunged at the two men.
Swoosh!
As dark magic exploded around them—
“Haaah!”
Jo Mun-tak let out a battle cry, and the black spikes embedded in his belt shot out in all directions.
Whizz, whizz, whizz!
The spikes, infused with powerful energy, pierced through the demon knights, flying chaotically.
Moments later—
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
The spikes returned to Jo Mun-tak’s belt as if nothing had happened.
The demon knights, who had been charging at them, suddenly froze as if time had stopped.
And then—
“Ugh…!”
One knight groaned, collapsing to the ground, forehead hitting the dirt.
Soon, the others followed, blood pouring from the holes in their bodies as they fell.
“Phew, overdid it a bit,” Jo Mun-tak said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Gok Bo-ok shouted, “You idiot, you use it once and you’re done? Do I have to carry you again?”
“Hey, I saved your life. Can’t you do that much?”
“What good is it if I have to save you every time?”
“Come on, let’s not be picky. We help each other out, right?”
“Ugh! If only you couldn’t talk!”
“Heh. Just let me lean on you.”
“Hold on tight. I won’t pick you up if you fall.”
“Don’t worry.”
With that, Jo Mun-tak leapt onto Gok Bo-ok’s back.
To an outsider, it might have looked odd, but this was how they fought together on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, a little distance away, Yeon Woo-gyeong and Yeom Ja-ryang were fighting back-to-back against demon knights.
“Twelve for me,” Yeon Woo-gyeong said.
Yeom Ja-ryang chuckled, “Only twelve? I’ve got sixteen.”
They were counting their kills.
Yeon Woo-gyeong frowned, “Only count the knights.”
“Of course.”
“Hmph! I’ll catch up soon enough!”
With that, Yeon Woo-gyeong launched himself forward like an arrow.
As demon knights swung their swords at him—
“That rat!”
Six knights charged at once.
Whoosh!
Yeon Woo-gyeong spun, rising like a whirlwind.
It was the Rising Dragon Strike, a technique from the Paeryongdancheon Sword.
But this was no ordinary Rising Dragon Strike.
The energy surrounding his sword was bone-chilling.
What Yeon Woo-gyeong had created was an Ice Dragon.
The combination of the Rising Dragon Strike and the energy of the Blue Ice Sword had produced this phenomenon.
He had reached a level where he could wield the Blue Ice Sword freely.
Whoosh!
As the Ice Dragon ascended, the knights caught in its wake screamed, flung aside.
“Ugh!”
“Watch out!”
But those already caught in the Rising Dragon Strike were sluggish from the cold.
Yeon Woo-gyeong seized the opportunity to unleash the Crushing Stone Dragon.
Slash!
The Ice Dragon descended diagonally, sweeping across the ground and taking out the knights in its path.
Slash, slash, slash!
The knights hit by the energy froze, their bodies stiffening.
“Ja-ryang!”
Yeon Woo-gyeong shouted, and Yeom Ja-ryang leapt into the air.
“I was just about to step in!”
Yeom Ja-ryang yelled, slamming his Black Blade into the ground.
“Ground Wave!”
His favorite spell, as always.
The Ground Wave, powered by the Black Blade, surged forward.
Boom, boom, boom!
The frozen ground rippled like waves, and the knights standing on it fell helplessly to the combined force of magic and energy.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
Some of the monsters mixed in with the knights shattered, their frozen bodies exploding.
Boom!
As the fierce battle ended, Yeom Ja-ryang and Yeon Woo-gyeong looked at each other and shouted simultaneously.
“I got that one!”
“No, I did!”
Yeon Woo-gyeong retorted, “What? You just added a spoon to a finished dish!”
“What are you talking about? Finishing is what counts!”
“So all your kills were like this, huh?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I got them all myself before!”
“So you’re admitting this time wasn’t like that!”
“Wha-what? I did get them!”
As they bickered—
Bwooo!
A long horn sounded from the rear.
Both turned their heads.
The signal to retreat!
Gu Yoon had sent the message.
“Tsk! Next time, I’m not teaming up with you.”
“Who are you to talk?”
They scoffed at each other, then turned and ran.
**
Whoosh!
Like the ebbing tide, the warriors began to retreat.
They ran along a wide canyon.
The canyon was spacious enough that even tens of thousands of warriors running together didn’t feel cramped.
Watching from a hill at the rear, Gu Yoon nodded and said, “Send the final signal.”
“Yes, strategist.”
Bi Ryeong replied, pulling out a signal flare.
**
At the forefront, Mae Seol-ran and her guards were the last to exit the canyon.
At that moment—
Whistle, bang!
A signal flare shot up from the rear.
A blaring horn shattered the silence!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
In an instant, archers who had been lying in wait revealed themselves.
“Fire!”
At Dan Lijeong’s command, they released their bowstrings.
Thwack!
The sky darkened as a volley of arrows soared through the air.
Swoosh!
The demons chasing the humans scowled at the sight of the arrows blotting out the sun.
Before they could even think of retreating—
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the earth.
The arrowheads were tipped with explosive charges crafted from volatile materials.
Blare!
The horn sounded again, and more warriors emerged from the cliffs on either side.
They began hurling objects into the fray.
Thud, thud, thud…
The warriors tossed what looked like pinecones and then scattered from the cliff tops.
Moments later—
Bang! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions erupted as the grenades detonated.
The cliffs began to crumble under the force.
Rumble, rumble…
Crash!
As the cliffs collapsed, the demons caught between them were buried beneath the rubble.
“Victory!”
The warriors shouted in triumph.
Though they hadn’t completely annihilated the enemy, they had won the first skirmish.
But then—
Boom!
A sudden explosion echoed from the distant Black Fortress, and part of its structure crumbled, revealing three figures emerging from the shadows.
It was none other than the Demon King Tarant, along with Neung Unpa and Sabi Kang.