Chapter 237 : Chapter 237
237. Wuji (2)
“Keuk.”
For the first time, the True Light Cult Leader let out a groan as his chest was slashed.
It was a blow that should have pierced his heart.
But at the last moment, the True Light Cult Leader had twisted his body and reacted.
Blood spurted from the deep gash.
The True Light Cult Leader hurriedly used his hand to staunch the bleeding.
Soon after, his gaze turned toward Jin Yuseong.
“Cough.”
As if in payment for unleashing such a taxing technique, Jin Yuseong was vomiting blood.
The True Light Cult Leader wanted to finish him off immediately.
But he could not.
“Haaah!”
“Die, you monster!!”
Chivalrous heroes were still charging at him from all directions.
“How dare you!!”
Demonic energy surged from the enraged True Light Cult Leader’s body.
The bodies of those who touched the demonic energy were torn apart.
Some among them had their vital energy absorbed, turning into mummies before crumbling to dust.
It was then that a change occurred.
A sharp pain shot through the chest wound he had hastily staunched.
Simultaneously, the energy he had absorbed through his demonic arts began to convulse.
“Keuk.”
A minuscule opening was created by the pain.
Because of it, a small problem arose in his control of the demonic energy.
It was a tremor that he would normally have been able to quell in an instant.
However.
“The Demonic Cult Leader is faltering!”
“Now is the time!!”
He was currently surrounded by enemies.
He had to deal with them while simultaneously calming the rampaging energy.
CRACK!
The chivalrous heroes were once again crushed by the black energy erupting from him.
Beyond the corpses, dozens of monks revealed themselves.
“Amitabha!!”
The surviving Arhat Monks of Shaolin.
A portion of them formed the Thirty-Six Arhat Formation and thrust out their palms in unison.
A massive, golden wave of energy flew toward the True Light Cult Leader.
“Hyaaaah!!”
When the True Light Cult Leader swung his sword, the massive wave of energy was torn apart like a piece of paper.
But aiming for that gap, a gray energy shot forward like lightning.
It too was blocked by the demonic energy flowing around the True Light Cult Leader’s body.
Furthermore, a stream of sword qi that had flown in stealthily was also extinguished in vain.
But they had bought a fleeting moment of opportunity.
“Hah!”
Baek Hyang, having closed the distance with the True Light Cult Leader again, swung her sword, and Nam Geon also swung the Azure Heaven Sword with all his might.
The True Light Cult Leader, after dodging Baek Hyang’s sword, swung his own to block the Azure Heaven Sword.
A faint groan escaped his lips.
“Keuk.”
Nam Geon’s immense strength had aggravated his injury.
Furthermore, the demonic energy began to seethe once more.
“You vermin!!”
With a roar, demonic energy burst forth like a tidal wave.
Nam Geon, caught in the demonic energy, was sent flying far away.
The blow left his clothes in tatters, and blood streamed from all over his body.
It was a power that he could not withstand, even with his Diamond Indestructible Body.
Nam Geon had managed to protect his vitals, but he was in such a state that it was difficult to even get back up.
In the meantime, the Arhat Monks of the Thirty-Six Arhat Formation launched another assault.
Hwangbo Ak had also closed in on the True Light Cult Leader, and a variety of martial arts embroidered the air.
Jin Yuseong had planted the Myungin Sword into the ground and was leaning on it, barely managing to stand as he watched the fight.
But he was not just watching with a vacant mind.
“Inhale. Exhale.”
Forcibly calming his breathing, he waited for one last chance.
While his left hand gripped the Myungin Sword, he extended his right hand and sent forth a single thread.
Weaving through the crowd of people, the strand of silk advanced.
As the silk drew near, the True Light Cult Leader predictably reacted.
“How dare you!!”
Demonic energy erupted from his entire body.
But it was different from before.
The total amount of demonic energy had decreased considerably.
Sensing this, the True Light Cult Leader’s demonic energy once again bared its black fangs at the chivalrous heroes.
“Kuaaaahk!!”
Along with the people’s screams, their prenatal qi was sucked into the True Light Cult Leader.
Furthermore, its color began to turn black.
As if they could not let this stand, several masters unleashed their signature techniques toward the True Light Cult Leader.
BOOM!!
An explosion erupted.
As expected, the True Light Cult Leader withstood all of their attacks.
But he was not as unscathed as before.
“Keuk.”
The newly absorbed energy was shaken violently by the impact.
Faint trickles of blood began to flow again from the chest wound he had barely managed to staunch.
Aiming for that opening, the strand of silk that Jin Yuseong had sent forth advanced toward the True Light Cult Leader.
Jin Yuseong’s fingertip and the True Light Cult Leader’s nape connected, despite the dozens of zhang separating them.
Without delay, Jin Yuseong swung his right hand.
Though there was nothing in his hand, space itself was severed.
Not the space where Jin Yuseong had swung his hand, but the space at the True Light Cult Leader’s nape.
SLICE!
Blood spurted violently from the True Light Cult Leader’s neck and chest once more.
“Keuk.”
Seeing the groaning True Light Cult Leader, Jin Yuseong grit his teeth.
He had failed to kill him again.
He wanted to unleash Infinite once more, but his head was spinning.
The sky and the earth kept flipping.
Even while holding the Myungin Sword, he felt as if he would collapse at any moment.
‘Again.’
Just as Jin Yuseong was about to unleash Infinite one more time, a strange sight entered his eyes.
“Kraaaaaah!!”
It was a change occurring within the True Light Cult Leader.
The already turbulent demonic energy of the True Light Cult Leader grew even more violent.
The demonic energy that filled his body was rampaging like a mad dragon.
As if its reverse scale had been struck.
As if unable to withstand the immense power, the True Light Cult Leader’s body twisted and contorted.
The people who noticed this shouted.
“The Demonic Cult Leader is going berserk!!”
“It will not be long now!!”
The people began to press the True Light Cult Leader even more fiercely.
Baek Hyang and the Arhat Monks of the Thirty-Six Arhat Formation were holding on tenaciously.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader, who seemed to have barely managed to control his internal injuries, also charged in, swinging his Dog Beating Staff.
“Serves you right, you good-for-nothing scoundrel!!”
The Shaolin Abbot, who had staunched the bleeding from his severed left arm, was with him as well.
“Amitabha.”
As their assault continued, the True Light Cult Leader was slowly crumbling.
- Soon!
- We must execute this villain here!
Their will, their very lives thrown into the fray, was clearly visible to Jin Yuseong’s eyes.
In that festival of countless wills.
A certain line of text captured Jin Yuseong’s gaze.
- Before Senior Brother pushes himself any further!
It was Baek Hyang.
In the midst of his dizziness, Jin Yuseong’s eyes slowly shifted.
- Great Hero Ghost Sword! Just wait a little longer!
He could see Paeng Daecheol’s thoughts.
“Kuuuugh.”
- I-I have to move so b-brother doesn’t have to push himself.
He could also see Nam Geon, forcing his grievously injured body to rise.
At that moment.
He heard a ‘thwack’ sound.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader’s Dog Beating Staff had finally struck the True Light Cult Leader’s forearm.
He did not die immediately, but it was significant in itself.
It was the first time a blow had landed, aside from the Infinite technique that Jin Yuseong had unleashed.
The end was truly approaching.
A voice came from beside him.
“How do you manage to fight until you are in that state every time?”
- Just get some rest now, you crazy Jin family bastard.
A faint chuckle escaped his lips.
“Then I shall rest a bit.”
Was it because his tension had been released?
He could no longer read people’s inner thoughts.
No.
His vision was turning to darkness.
***
Dang Sopyeong hurriedly supported Jin Yuseong as he was about to collapse.
“Hey, you there?”
Jin Yuseong had already lost consciousness.
Dang Sopyeong quickly checked his pulse.
Fortunately, his heart was beating.
But his condition was anything but good.
“Hah.”
Shaking his head, Dang Sopyeong gently laid Jin Yuseong down and took out his needles.
His gaze flickered toward the front.
The various martial arts that the chivalrous heroes were pouring out toward the rampaging black energy embroidered the air.
The dark, turbid energy was diminishing with each passing moment.
Soon, a series of cutting and striking sounds erupted.
The Shaolin Abbot’s right fist struck the True Light Cult Leader’s side.
Baek Hyang’s Restoring Name Sword finally severed the True Light Cult Leader’s left leg.
The True Light Cult Leader crumbled.
A sword, thrust by some unknown chivalrous hero, pierced the True Light Cult Leader’s heart.
CRACK.
Simultaneously, various weapons dug into the True Light Cult Leader’s body.
A moment of silence passed, then cheers erupted.
“Waaaaaaaaah!!!!”
“He’s dead!! The Demonic Cult Leader is dead!!”
“We killed this monster!!”
Through the cheers filled with elation, a few people made their way through the complex crowd toward Dang Sopyeong.
“Is Senior Brother all right?”
Baek Hyang, Choyeon, Nam Geon, and Paeng Daecheol.
At their question, Dang Sopyeong let out a sigh.
“He will not die immediately, so do not worry. I will somehow keep him alive.”
At Dang Sopyeong’s words, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Beyond them, the people were still cheering.
Dang Sopyeong lowered his head and looked at Jin Yuseong.
‘This is all thanks to you.’
It was not that he was thinking it was thanks to Jin Yuseong repeatedly wounding the True Light Cult Leader.
The technique known as Infinite was something that Dang Sopyeong, at his level, could not even perceive.
Uncovering the existence of the Demonic Cult.
Gathering so many people together in one place.
It was all possible because of Jin Yuseong.
“Tsk. It would have been nice if he had passed out after savoring the victory.”
As Dang Sopyeong muttered in disappointment, Nam Geon scratched his head and said.
“B-brother doesn’t think about things like that.”
“Yes. If it were Senior Brother, he would be satisfied just with succeeding in dealing with the Demonic Cult.”
At Baek Hyang’s subsequent words, Dang Sopyeong could not help but chuckle.
“I suppose that is just like him.”
***
The dream continued.
One day, he was swinging his sword all day at a martial arts academy.
Another day, he was holed up in Heavenly Sun Village, swinging his sword.
Then one day, he left the village.
He witnessed the people’s tears of blood.
There were far too many who tormented people simply because they had learned a martial art.
He had ignored this reality and had just holed himself up, honing his sword.
It was a dream he often had.
The thought, ‘Is it this dream again?’ surfaced, but something had changed.
He was running amok, continuing to fight.
He taught a lesson to the underworld ruffians causing a disturbance at an inn.
He executed the bandits who were tormenting people on the mountain.
He had raided a black market, and he had executed hypocrites who pretended to be on the righteous path.
In between those actions.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you so much, Great Hero.”
Those who had shed tears of blood.
They were now in good health, expressing their gratitude to him.
Ah…
This time, he was not too late.
A sigh of relief somehow escaped him.
At the same time, he heard someone’s voice from far away.
“Senior Brother?”
“Huh? Brother is smiling.”
A very familiar voice.
His consciousness floated up.
Soon, a deep pain was felt throughout his entire body.
“Kuuuugh.”
With a faint groan, he opened his eyes.
It was a ceiling he had never seen before.
He blinked for a moment amidst the pain.
Something came to mind.
“What happened to the Demonic Cult Leader?”
“The fight is over, brother.”
“Yes, we won.”
The answers from Nam Geon and Junior Sister Baek Hyang.
Soon, the sound of urgent footsteps could be heard one after another.
“You sure slept for a long time.”
“Senior Brother, are you all right?”
The voices of that Dang family fellow and Junior Sister Choyeon could be heard.
“Great Hero Ghost Sword!!”
“Hahaha! Brother Jin! How about a duel as soon as you recover!”
He also heard the voices of Paeng Daecheol and Hwangbo Ak.
Hwangbo Ak’s voice was so loud that his head was ringing.
“Kuuuugh.”
Pressing his head, he turned it.
His eyes met with the Dang family fellow’s.
“Are you going to ask where we are? We’ve already returned to the Central Plains. We are in the Shanxi area.”
“Ah…”
“The work is all done anyway, so just go back to sleep.”
All done, he said.
Nodding, he laid his head back down on the bed.
And just like that, he fell fast asleep.
And when he opened his eyes again, the pain in his body had subsided a little.
They had even left Shanxi in the meantime and were entering Hubei.
After exchanging light greetings with his companions again for a moment.
This time, other guests came to visit.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader, the Shaolin Abbot, the Seomoon Clan Leader, Teacher Sama, and in addition, the clan heads and sect leaders of several major factions.
The impatient Beggars’ Sect Leader was the first to speak.
“We may have dealt with the Demonic Cult fellows, but a few minor problems still remain.”
“Are you talking about the seeds they have sown?”
At my question, the Sect Leader nodded.
The Demonic Cult fellows had scattered demonic arts manuals all over the Central Plains.
“The problem is not just those seeds. Apart from the demonic arts, there are more than just one or two groups like the underworld or bandits.”
I nodded at Teacher Sama’s words.
“As soon as my body recovers, I was planning to go and punish them anyway.”
For some reason.
Everyone shook their heads at my words.
“That is not it.”
“There are more than just one or two problems left in the Central Plains, so we are saying we should rather join forces.”
“Since we have all gathered here for the matter of the Demonic Cult.”
“Are you saying we should form something like an alliance or an association?”
At my question, this time everyone nodded their heads.
“That does not sound like a bad idea.”
For some reason.
Right after my answer, they all started exchanging glances with each other.
Then, in the end, the Beggars’ Sect Leader cleared his throat first and spoke.
And the words that came out of the Sect Leader’s mouth were completely unexpected.
“So, what I am saying is, we would like you to take on the role of the first leader of that alliance.”