Chapter 183 : Hall of Subduing Demons
Hall of Subduing Demons
Nonsensical words continued to spill from his mouth.
Stories of how he had stolen the secret treasures of prestigious orthodox factions as if toying with them, and how he had monopolized the inner cores of divine beasts, each of them possessing tremendous value.
On top of that, there was his mad claim to expand the domain of this formation across all of the Central Plains, and ultimately to rob every martial artist under heaven of their martial arts.
Any one of those statements alone would have thrown the entire martial world into chaos.
That's how staggering the things he was saying were.
Even Jeong-un, for a moment, had his eyes wide open as he stared at the man.
'I want to dismiss it all as nonsense...'
But the fact was, all of those words had come from none other than the mouth of the Demonic Cult Leader himself.
Moreover, the power of this masterful formation was, in a way, proving his claims.
It was hard to write off his words as mere delusions.
At length, Jeong-un spoke slowly.
"Did you say the 'Grand Formation Where All Laws Return to Emptiness'?"
"That's right."
It was, unsurprisingly, a formation he had never heard of.
Even someone deeply versed in the study of formations would likely not know it.
If his words were true, this would be a secret art transmitted only within their ranks.
"You said you would take away others' martial arts? How is that possible?"
"Oh, are you finally getting interested?"
The cult leader stretched the corners of his lips into a prolonged smile.
Jeong-un, who had been responding indifferently all along, now showed a hint of surprise—and that reaction seemed to greatly amuse the man.
He continued, staring at Jeong-un.
"There's no need for you to be afraid. I intend to make you a most generous offer."
"Planning to spout more nonsense instead of just answering."
"My every word is an answer to your questions. You would do well to listen closely to each and every one."
"Just answer what I ask."
The muscles in the cult leader's face moved as if painted, drawing a gentle smile.
It was clearly a radiant smile on a handsome face, yet facing him filled Jeong-un with disgust.
The smile was so bizarre, it made one doubt if he was genuinely enjoying himself.
"It means I hold all the energy within the domain of this formation in the palm of my hand. With a mere thought, I can orchestrate all of that energy at my whim. I even hold the power to annihilate it completely."
"... Insane."
Despite his words, Jeong-un slowly mulled over everything the cult leader was saying.
It would be easier to dismiss his words as nonsense, but should they become reality, he would have no way to respond.
'I must keep all possibilities open.'
It would be better to assume all he said was the truth and prepare accordingly.
Is that not what the martial world demands—always preparing for the worst?
Jeong-un asked casually,
"So, what is this place, then?"
"This place?"
The man tilted his head languidly in reply, prompting Jeong-un to look around and ask again.
The place had transformed in an instant from a palace resembling the imperial palace of Beijing to the lavish interior of a pleasure house.
"This formation—this is your doing, isn't it? Is all the energy here within your grasp as well?"
"No, this is not the Grand Formation Where All Laws Return to Emptiness. Why would I waste precious materials to cast such a grand formation in a cramped space like this? This is a formation space I created myself—a masterful formation technique conceived solely to ensure my own safety."
"Your safety—the strange workings of this space."
"Yes, exactly."
The man nodded without hesitation, answering Jeong-un's question without any resistance at all.
He seemed to have no intention of hiding anything.
"..."
While calmly watching his face, Jeong-un recalled the past.
The very first time he had encountered the cult leader at the Divine Physician's tomb.
'He had the same face then.'
It was the face of someone toying with Jeong-un, exuding an air of arrogant composure, as if nothing and no one—near or far—could escape his expectations.
That confidence was now evident again on the cult leader's face.
Jeong-un spoke again.
"You guarantee your safety? Is that even possible? No matter how masterful a formation is, it's still an artifice crafted by man. Before someone more powerful than yourself, it'll end up useless."
At those words, the Demonic Cult Leader curved his lips into an even deeper arc of a smile.
The more Jeong-un doubted his abilities, the more he seemed to revel in it.
Martial world experts were known for their eccentricities, but this man seemed even more extreme.
'Well, he is the head of a heretical cult, after all.'
As Jeong-un mused inwardly, the cult leader began to speak.
"It's not unreasonable for you to think so. You've achieved extraordinary accomplishments in such a short span, so perhaps you think powerful martial skills are everything."
"I was merely pointing out the limits of your great technique."
"A grand technique and martial arts follow different tracks. Even if both use natural energy, you mustn't place them on the same level."
"So you're saying no attack can harm you—not even at this range?"
"Care to test it?"
Whoosh!
Before the cult leader had even finished speaking, ki waves burst out directly in front of his face.
From where he sat, Jeong-un reached out toward the man's face.
Boom!
In that instant, an immense surge of ki waves exploded out like a vortex, tearing up the surroundings.
It was a strike, shot out straight from shoulder to fist in a perfect line.
The rotation of the arm, flowing naturally inward, carried tremendous power.
The attack, aimed right at the face of the cult leader sitting so calmly—
Whoosh─!
It seemed as though the cult leader's face was about to be flattened, but then his body's form simply faded away—turning translucent like dense fog dissipating in sunlight.
The next moment, the man was seated just beside Jeong-un's outstretched fist.
Despite his body not moving, some strange contortion of space seemed to have occurred.
"..."
Jeong-un watched him silently.
There was certainly no sensation of contact.
Not even a single strand of bursting energy, unleashed from such close range, had touched the man.
He didn't so much as tilt his head to the side—his body's form simply slid sideways in an odd manner, at just the right angle to evade Jeong-un's punch perfectly.
Glancing at the fist that had grazed past his cheek, the cult leader spoke.
"Your martial arts become stronger by the day. To channel so much cultivated power into not just weaponry but also your fist-and-palm arts... Did you gain that knack by instinct after traversing the central channel? An extraordinary talent, to be sure."
"..."
Jeong-un did not respond. That earlier strike had not been performed with the aim of success.
He merely wanted to observe the man's movements up close—more precisely, to examine the currents of energy flowing around him.
'I think I get it.'
It was as though the formation itself, in this place, was alive and actively protecting the man.
Perhaps the space was not moving by his will, but simply reacting like a mechanism that had been set up from the beginning.
The man smiled lightly and continued.
"So, did that address your curiosity? In this place, you can't even touch a hair on my head. Perhaps most things have gone your way until now, but sometimes things don't."
"..."
In short, defeating him would require more than a simple attack.
'I'll need to create an opening.'
But it wasn't about finding an opening in the man himself, but in the massive formation enveloping him—in other words, creating a crack in the very space itself.
Having finished his thoughts, Jeong-un slowly spoke, casually steering the conversation elsewhere.
"So then, the grand technique that seizes martial arts from martial artists and this formation here are separate. You intend to use both at once to achieve your goal?"
"That's right, exactly."
"And what is it you gain from all this?"
"What?"
Jeong-un narrowed his eyes and cocked his head.
He had more or less figured out the outline of the man's schemes, but he remained curious about the cult leader's true intentions.
"You're asking what I gain?"
The man's face was now plainly incredulous, as if he had just heard something utterly preposterous.
Jeong-un pressed, "You would rob all martial artists of their skills? Wouldn't that make you an ordinary person as well? I don't see what good it would do you to bring everyone to the same level as yourself."
"Hahaha!"
The cult leader burst into loud laughter, throwing back his head and turning his gaze up to the ceiling.
"True, I suppose one might think so. As you said, I too am a martial artist, after all."
"So you must have some countermeasures."
"No, nothing like that exists. I have only prepared this grand technique. And that alone more than suffices."
"More than suffices?"
"Yes."
His lips twisted into a grotesque half-smile as he whispered,
"When internal energy disappears from the body, it affects only you all. Not me."
"What?"
Jeong-un shot back.
He himself would not be affected by the grand technique? The surprise made him gasp.
That was when the cult leader, grinning, replied.
"Remove my own internal energy? Ridiculous. I prepared this grand technique precisely to place all of you beneath my feet. I am not among the targets."
"You can choose the targets at will, then?"
"Of course. If I couldn't even do that, what use would any of this be? Do you think the subordinates of this sect—especially the high priests who hold their own positions—endure all this time out of loyalty to me alone? They all share the same dream as I do. The false imperial clan you cling to will be destroyed, and a world I rule will rise."
'Insane.'
Jeong-un muttered inwardly.
If the cult leader's words were true, the world would truly become hell.
Martial artists, reduced to ordinary people, stood no chance against a man who still retained all his martial skills.
All under heaven would be beneath his feet.
Just then, the cult leader cocked his head with a slightly suggestive expression.
"There's no need for such a grim face. At least not for you."
"Is this another ploy?"
"I told you I'd make you an offer, didn't I?"
"...?"
As Jeong-un furrowed his brow in confusion, the cult leader went on.
"When I seize the martial arts of the world's martial artists, I will exclude you. With your rivals gone, you will be unrivaled under heaven. You won't need to train your martial skills any longer. Even your current abilities will more than suffice. You'll be able to enjoy a life of overwhelming power and authority."
"..."
"I'm giving you a rare opportunity. The truth is, I could simply kill you and use you as a cultivation pill. But I just don't feel like it. Even when you first interfered in my game, in hindsight, it was actually rather enjoyable. If everything always went my way, wouldn't that be terribly dull?"
It sounded sweet—almost as though the world he described was materializing before his eyes.
The unrivaled World's Greatest, a world where none could oppose him, everyone looking up in awe at the supreme swordsman...
"No."
"What?"
Jeong-un spoke.
"Not even in my wildest dreams have I ever desired such a world. Least of all beneath you."
"..."
The man's expression froze, as though his rising excitement had just been doused.
Jeong-un stared directly at the cult leader and continued.
"Your pathetic proposal holds no appeal for me. In fact, I find your ideology disgusting. Want to drag everyone down beneath you because you can't climb higher yourself? It makes me want to wash out my ears."
"You..."
"That's my answer."
KWAANG!
The table between Jeong-un and the cult leader shattered into pieces with an explosion.
Jeong-un's palm, raised at some point, slammed down like a bolt of lightning.
The cultivated power from his dantian, traced through the central channel, surged at immense speed to his fingertips.
Even the air around them vibrated from the sheer force, as though the very space was being torn apart.
CRACKLE─!
It was no illusion. In that instant, the air of the formation howled in distress.
Just like when the cult leader had struck the table and space had warped at the start.
That was precisely his intent—to tear apart the flow of true ki forming the very foundation of this space.
Seeing it, Jeong-un realized—instinctively. This was the heart of the true ki, the one place where its flow could be altered.
"...!"
The cult leader flinched reflexively, as if ready to spring away.
SHRIIIIEK!
In that split second, Jeong-un's hand tore through the ripped stream of natural energy, shooting straight forward—this time, right at the cult leader, who was hastily activating his cultivated power.
Whap.
Got him.
For the first time, Jeong-un's hand landed on the cult leader's body, gripping his wrist.
The cult leader's eyes flew wide, as if about to tear.
Their gazes tangled in midair—Jeong-un's hand clutching the cult leader's limp wrist.
"You lunatic...!"
The man's face twisted, and his body jerked back.
Jeong-un could feel the surrounding air belatedly working to transport him away—another attempt to shift his body elsewhere.
"Too late."
Jeong-un instantly pulled with all his might, pouring out all his cultivated power.
Puh-ack!