Chapter 611: The Return of the Demon Sect
Rumble. Boom…!
Crash…!
The distant sound of thunder echoed faintly.
And a wailing that seemed to pierce the soul.
But it wasn’t the sound of real thunder from clashing clouds.
It was the sound of power and magic colliding.
The clash of sword against sword.
The impact of energy against energy.
And the wailing wasn’t the cries of the dead.
It was the desperate screams of the living.
Sabi Kang and the Demon King were locked in a fierce battle on an island surrounded by lava, while the Great Demon rampaged through the humans without mercy.
Mu Rang, who hadn’t mastered martial arts, could only watch helplessly from afar as people perished.
Sabi Kang hadn’t even reached the area he had marked.
Everything was on the brink of failure.
He had arrived at Mount Giryeon earlier than the others for one reason.
To choose a better position for Sabi Kang to fight.
And he had planted a flag there.
It was something he had already discussed with Sabi Kang.
But Sabi Kang couldn’t reach the spot where the flag was.
Perhaps it was impossible for him to get there.
If it weren’t, Sabi Kang would have fought at the location he had indicated.
The place he had chosen was strategically advantageous for Sabi Kang, considering the terrain’s energy.
But with the Demon King watching with sharp eyes, there was no time to wander around looking for that spot.
It was something he had considered, but it was still regrettable.
For someone who hadn’t reached the pinnacle of martial arts, it was the only way to create a fighting chance against the Demon King.
There was something else that hadn’t gone as planned.
The spell he had cast on the battlefield where a million warriors fought.
Until just before the canyon collapsed, there were hardly any human casualties.
The spell he had cast was working effectively.
But after the Great Demon appeared, everything fell apart.
The Great Demon’s size and energy were too overwhelming to be caught by the spell.
A massive creature, as large as a ten-story building.
And as it absorbed and devoured humans indiscriminately, it grew even larger.
Now it was bigger than most hills.
A dire situation.
Even with a million warriors gathered, tens of thousands had already fallen to the Great Demon.
If things continued, the death toll would reach hundreds of thousands, and total annihilation wouldn’t be surprising.
“Is this how the end of the world comes?”
Mu Rang muttered with a heavy heart.
Just then, Gu Yoon returned with Bi Ryeong to the hill where he stood.
His face was gaunt.
There was no need to ask what had happened.
He could already guess.
Gu Yoon had gone to meet Neung Unpa around the cliff corner.
Whatever had happened there, it hadn’t been something to make him smile.
But Gu Yoon spoke first.
“I’ve… sent the leader off.”
His voice was slightly choked.
Mu Rang quietly looked at Gu Yoon.
What words could he offer?
After a moment of thought, he finally spoke simple words.
“You did well.”
Gu Yoon lifted his head.
His eyes were filled with tears.
“I’ve learned that regretting the past is useless. But what should I do when all I feel is regret?”
Mu Rang let out a deep sigh.
After a pause, he spoke.
“Then carve it into your heart. Etch the traces of that regret deep into your bones so you never regret again. It may be a simple answer, but the truth of the world often lies in simplicity.”
“As a senior in life, please tell me how to engrave it into my bones.”
“Isn’t it simple? Even now, you’re creating things to regret. Just facing that might be enough to engrave it.”
Mu Rang spoke calmly and turned to look at the dying people in the distance.
Following his gaze, Gu Yoon flinched as if struck.
That’s right.
Even now, many were losing their lives because of his strategy.
‘Yes, now is not the time to drown in sorrow. Instead of shedding tears, I must face reality. That’s how I’ll engrave regret into my bones.’
Gu Yoon bit his lip hard.
Though sorrow surged within him, even feeling it seemed a luxury at the moment.
When everything was over, then he would weep endlessly.
He would build a grave for the leader, honor their memories, and cry his heart out.
But for now, he had to hold back his tears, grit his teeth, and endure.
And he had to solve the task at hand.
Did Mu Rang read his resolve?
He smiled faintly.
“I thought you’d understand my words quickly, being as smart as you are.”
“I’m sorry. I was being childish for a moment.”
“Sometimes, being human is good. Isn’t this a time when too many inhuman things are running rampant?”
Gu Yoon cast his gaze into the distance.
“The situation isn’t good.”
“It’s not. Everything we prepared has gone awry.”
Mu Rang nodded.
Gu Yoon suddenly recalled words his master had once told him long ago.
“No plan is guaranteed to succeed. But every situation in life has a realm of response. A true strategist’s talent lies in that ability to respond. So we must always consider the best, the second best, and the worst.”
Gu Yoon murmured quietly with a bitter smile.
“I didn’t wish for this, but it seems we’ve reached the worst-case scenario.”
“Indeed. It’s time to implement the measures we prepared for the worst, as the strategist advised.”
Mu Rang looked at Gu Yoon.
Gu Yoon nodded and responded.
“To do that, above all else…”
“Jo Gakju must do well.”
Mu Rang turned his gaze toward the Demon Palace.
He was thinking of one person.
The last hope remaining in the Demon Palace, Shin Su Gakju Jo Shinryang.
**
The Shin Su Gak of the Demon Palace was filled with an intense heat like never before.
Jo Shinryang hurriedly urged his disciples.
“More! Faster! At this rate, we can’t make anything worthwhile! This isn’t just any rock! To process it, we need more intense heat!”
One exhausted disciple, who had been working the bellows, plopped down and grumbled.
“Master, shouldn’t it be over by now?”
“What are you talking about?”
Jo Shinryang frowned and looked at the disciple.
The disciple shrugged and said.
“Well, the palace lord is incredibly strong, right? Maybe he’s already defeated the Demon King and is on his way back in triumph…”
“You fool!”
Jo Shinryang shouted angrily, striding over to grab the disciple by the collar.
“Do you think the strategist was crazy to give us such a burdensome task? Don’t you know that even Mu Rang did his best to make this?”
“I just thought maybe we’re doing all this for nothing… and you seemed so anxious, Master…”
“Grr…!”
Jo Shinryang clenched his fist and raised it.
He glared at the disciple with eyes that seemed to burn.
After a moment, he tossed the disciple aside and drew a dagger.
“Master!”
The startled disciples rushed to stop him.
Slice!
Everyone in Shin Su Gak gaped at Jo Shinryang.
He had cut off his own pinky finger.
“Master!”
“I punished myself for teaching you so poorly!”
“Master, let us stop the bleeding!”
“No need! Move aside! I’ll work the bellows myself!”
Jo Shinryang approached the furnace and began working the bellows himself.
The disciples swallowed hard, watching him.
The disciple who had been grabbed by the collar fell to his knees and shouted.
“I’m sorry, Master! Please forgive me!”
But Jo Shinryang didn’t look back.
“If we’re late, it’s all over. We mustn’t be late. Please…!”
Seeing him, the disciples scattered back to their positions.
The disciple who had begged for forgiveness bit his lip and returned to his place, focusing intently.
“Don’t even think about wiping your sweat until the Qi Compression Device is complete!”
“Yes, sir!”
Everyone in Shin Su Gak shouted in unison.
‘You fools, this simple task you’re doing could be humanity’s hope!’
Jo Shinryang gritted his teeth.
**
Whoosh!
A blood wind.
The scent of blood carried on the breeze.
Step by step…!
A man climbed the hill, inhaling the bloody air.
From afar, the warriors locked in battle looked as small as ants.
A middle-aged man stroked his beard and spoke softly.
“There… lies the disaster.”
“Master, do you really have to do this?”
A man beside him, with a bamboo hat hanging behind his neck, spoke with a voice full of concern.
The middle-aged man smiled faintly.
“Do you remember the first time you saw him?”
“You mean Sabi Kang, the palace lord?”
“Yes.”
“How could I forget? He left such a strong impression.”
“Indeed. I misunderstood him. But he truly possesses remarkable abilities. And now, he’s leading all the martial artists as the Demon Palace Lord. Back then, I underestimated him. I tried to suppress him with the family’s reputation alone.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“Long ago, yes… but he taught me much. He made me realize the mistakes of the past. Instead of just flaunting the family’s prestige, isn’t it the duty of a great family’s head to do something for the martial world?”
“But for the sake of the young lady…”
“Even Danhwa would be proud of me for this.”
”…”
“Don’t worry. Our family will endure. Just look at how well Danhwa has grown.”
”…Understood. I will follow your lead, Master.”
The middle-aged man was none other than Mok Cheol-woo, the father of Mok Danhwa.
Just as he nodded and was about to walk away, a voice called out to him.
“Isn’t that Master Mok?”
Mok Cheol-woo turned to see a familiar face.
In the next moment, his expression lit up with recognition.
“Is that Master Yeon?”
The man who had called out was Yeon Gang-baek, the head of the Paegeom Yeon family and father of Yeon Woo-gyeong.
The two men exchanged respectful bows.
“So, you received the letter as well, Master Mok?”
“Did you receive it too, Master Yeon?”
“Indeed. The one with the seal, among the two letters.”
“Yes, I was referring to the sealed letter as well.”
Indeed, there were two types of letters circulating in the martial world.
One was an unsealed letter sent to the masses, and the other was a sealed letter sent to select clans.
The sealed letter had been arranged by Gu Yoon when he briefly returned to Myeolma Palace, instructing his deputy, Dam Woo-gi, to handle it.
Dam Woo-gi then informed Yoo Jeong, who promptly dispatched the letters to various clans across the martial world.
And so, those who received the letter were gathering here at Mount Giryeon.
“It seems many who received the letter have made up their minds.”
Yeon Gang-baek glanced back over his shoulder.
Following his gaze, Mok Cheol-woo was inwardly astonished.
Leaders of renowned clans, recognizable by name alone, were ascending the hill in a line.
Each of them held a sealed letter in their hands.
Mok Cheol-woo’s eyes grew moist with emotion.
“It’s truly moving. They’ve made significant decisions.”
“Hahaha. Aren’t you in the same position, Master Mok?”
“Indeed. But I never expected so many to come.”
“This is the true power of Lady Sabigang, isn’t it?”
Yeon Gang-baek smiled warmly.