The Return of the Sword God

Chapter 134: We Have Reinforcements Too? -02

At the heavy air-rending resonance, the Demonic Fiendess turned her head, and her eyes widened like oil lamps.

Jeong I-ryong, whose gaze had been unfocused just moments ago, was now throwing a punch toward her.

Moreover, the dull, vacant look that had filled his eyes had vanished, replaced by the same sharp vitality as before.

But the Demonic Fiendess had no leisure to meet that gaze.

Tuuuung!

Though not a trace of Fist Energy was imbued within it, the blow that struck her Protective Energy was heavy.

So heavy that her Protective Energy wavered violently for a brief instant.

Yet more than the vibration, what truly shocked her was the fact that Jeong I-ryong had broken free from the Demonic Enchantment Soul-Stripping Art.

She had clearly confirmed that he was properly ensnared—she could not understand how he had escaped.

“It didn’t work from the start.”

“What?”

“The Demonic Enchantment Soul-Stripping Art is certainly among the highest tier of Soul-Capturing Arts. In the Central Plains, it ranks within the top three. But if you broaden the scope to all under heaven, that changes. Well, putting that aside, it simply didn’t work because they’re incompatible. I-ryong’s martial arts are particularly strong against unorthodox arts.”

“Eek!”

At Ban Hojin’s tone—as though asking why she was surprised by something so obvious—the Demonic Fiendess bit her lower lip.

Without delay, she simultaneously unleashed the Demonic Enchantment Soul-Stripping Art toward Seo Jo-woon, Seonwu Bang, and Murong Cheok.

Since Jeong I-ryong had failed, this was no time to be picky.

If even one of them fell under her spell, the tide would change. She locked eyes with the three of them in succession.

“Our elder brother already told you it wouldn’t work.”

“…How?”

But astonishingly, every single attempt failed.

Once their eyes met—even the slightest favorable impression toward her would normally suffice. Such was the Demonic Enchantment Soul-Stripping Art.

It was not called a technique that stripped the soul for nothing.

And yet, to fail against brats who had only just stepped into the Jianghu—she could not believe this situation.

“Did you think we’d come to capture the Demonic Fiendess without any preparation?”

“The Demonic Enchantment Soul-Stripping Art is not something that can be blocked with preparation!”

“Normally, sure. But our Righteous Mind isn’t so lacking.”

“You can’t block it with something like that!”

At Murong Cheok’s irritating grin and taunting words, the Demonic Fiendess shrieked sharply.

Just as he intended, her insides churned.

Like any martial artist, she took pride in her martial arts, and thus the shock was proportionate.

Especially the fact that those newly emerged into the Jianghu had resisted her—this made it all the more humiliating.

“Believe it or not. I’ve got no confidence in persuading a stubborn old hag.”

“Kyaaaak!”

At the word old hag—one of the things she hated most—her eyes flipped.

At that instant, her figure shot toward Murong Cheok like a streak of lightning.

She unleashed the Lightning Blood Claws, the art that, along with the Demonic Enchantment Soul-Stripping Art, had made her who she was.

So swift that blood burst forth the moment one saw it—that was why it was called Lightning Blood Claws. The technique aimed precisely at Murong Cheok’s throat.

“Gasp!”

Though he had been sufficiently on guard, Murong Cheok momentarily lost track of her movement and reflexively drew his sword to guard his neck.

Though he had not consciously perceived it, his senses—sharpened through countless real battles—warned him, allowing him to barely block the Demonic Fiendess’s strike.

Drip.

Cold sweat formed at the nape of his neck.

Had he failed to react instinctively, his throat would have been pierced by her crimson nails.

“Hmph!”

But that was not the end of it.

Murong Cheok had merely blocked the first attack by fortune.

As if to prove it, her opposite hand shot toward his chest.

For the sake of Yang-Gathering Yin-Replenishing, she had to preserve her cultivation. Thus, her aim was subjugation rather than instant death.

Kaaang!

Yet once more, she failed to achieve her goal.

Seonwu Bang’s sword—arriving before she knew it—blocked her nails.

“You can’t forget about us!”

Seo Jo-woon and Jeong I-ryong joined in as well.

Naturally, they took up positions on all sides and launched a coordinated assault.

They had not formally learned any joint formation nor practiced in advance, but having sparred for quite a long time, the four knew each other well. Thanks to that high level of understanding, their coordination was far from poor.

Kwaaaang!

The problem, however, was that the Demonic Fiendess’s accumulated Inner Energy overwhelmingly surpassed theirs.

An unofficial estimate claimed she had devoured more than a thousand men. True to that rumor, the aura flowing from her entire body was overwhelming.

Without even compressing it—merely drawing it forth—she unleashed a monstrous storm of Force Energy that swept in all directions. The four men’s faces stiffened simultaneously.

It was unbelievable that such power could erupt simply from expelling cultivation.

“Haaap!”

On the other hand, Seo Jo-woon’s competitive spirit ignited.

After curing his Nine Yang Severed Meridians, he had never felt greatly inferior in cultivation wherever he went.

Aside from the Ten Great Masters Under Heaven and those of similar seniority, he had never once thought himself lacking in Inner Energy.

Yet now, for the first time, he felt himself being pushed back. Thus, he raised his Extreme Yang Energy to its peak and received the Demonic Fiendess’s Force Energy head-on.

Kwaaaang! Kwaaang!

In an instant, the surroundings were reduced to ruins.

As the Force Energies clashed and collided, nothing in the vicinity remained intact.

Yet the advantage gradually revealed itself.

Though the four had grown fearsomely under the title of Dragons, their opponent was one of the Eight Evils, designated a Public Enemy of Murim.

Despite countless pursuits by martial artists, the Eight Evils had brazenly survived for decades.

In other words, they were strong enough to survive.

“Keugh!”

“Hup!”

Compared to the years she had lived and the cultivation she possessed, the Demonic Fiendess’s level was rather crude.

The finesse and technique of her forms were woefully lacking compared to her cultivation.

But the problem was that her overwhelming Inner Energy filled that deficiency.

Rather than tiring, the storm of Force Energy grew increasingly fierce and powerful. Excluding Seo Jo-woon, the other three gritted their teeth.

“It’s not too late even now. Kneel and sincerely apologize to me, and I’ll spare your lives. In addition, I’ll show you every pleasure a man can experience. The stories of adults.”

No matter how excellent one’s martial arts or how deep one’s understanding of forms, before power of a different tier, it was meaningless.

Pure force alone was formidable.

The Demonic Fiendess demonstrated that fact with her entire body.

In sheer technical mastery of martial arts, the four were superior. But one thing—and only one thing—she possessed that they did not: overwhelming Inner Energy.

Kuaaaang!

She displayed that power without reservation.

She made it so that the four could not even approach her.

They had firmly protected their bodies with Protective Energy, and as they poured out Claw Force beyond it, the four men could not rashly approach the Demonic Fiendess.

Even if they did close in, the four of them did not possess the strength to break through her Protective Energy.

“Ohohoho!”

Watching the four young men circle her with troubled expressions, maintaining their encirclement while shifting back and forth, the Demonic Fiendess burst into coquettish laughter.

She felt that if she pressed them just a little more, she would be able to tuck the four adorable youths into the folds of her skirt.

And if the four fell into her hands, Ban Hojin would be finished as well.

Knowing that Ban Hojin cherished the four deeply, the Demonic Fiendess intended to exploit precisely that point and capture them.

‘If it turns out that way……!’

Not only her cheeks but even her earlobes flushed red.

Just imagining the five of them spending a heated night together made her already feel a damp sensation between her thighs.

In all her life she had met countless men, and while there had been many comparable to the five here, she had never spent a single night with all of them together.

On top of that, they were young, and without realizing it, she ran her tongue over her lips.

“It seems this is as far as it goes.”

“I think so too.”

“Tch!”

Sss—

As she smiled happily, feeling her heart pounding, the four suddenly stepped back.

Even in a situation where they had no method to win, they had never loosened their encirclement to the very end. So when they voluntarily withdrew, the Demonic Fiendess was momentarily flustered.

But whether she was flustered or not, the four paid her no mind.

They simply returned to Ban Hojin’s side.

“You all did well.”

“If it weren’t for the Soul-Capturing Art, I thought we might’ve had a chance.”

“The Eight Evils aren’t called the Eight Evils for nothing. If she were only exceptional at the Soul-Capturing Art, she’d never have become one of the Eight Evils.”

“I felt that keenly.”

Seonwu Bang shook his head.

Truthfully, he had been confident inwardly.

If one excluded the Soul-Capturing Art and considered pure martial strength alone, he believed they would not lose.

But reality was different.

“The Eight Evils truly are the Eight Evils. She seems as troublesome as the Insect Fiend—no, even more so. At least the Insect Fiend had the Poison-Repelling Pearl, but the Soul-Capturing Art…”

Murong Cheok shook his head as if he shared the same thought.

Though they had pretended outwardly to be unaffected, in truth he and the others had been fighting temptation without cease.

Such was the potency of the sensual aura and demonic energy the Demonic Fiendess exuded.

No matter how they feigned indifference, blood had rushed downward to their lower bodies.

“Still, you all fought well. You’ve clearly improved since the Insect Fiend. You were aware of each other’s movements while fighting. To achieve that much in such a short time is impressive.”

“It would’ve been even better if we had captured the Demonic Fiendess.”

Seo Jo-woon showed genuine regret.

In truth, if not for the Soul-Capturing Art that constantly disrupted their concentration, capturing her had not felt impossible.

But therein lay the contradiction: from the beginning, the Demonic Fiendess had become one of the Eight Evils thanks to the Demonic Enchantment Soul-Stripping Art.

In other words, to defeat her, it was not martial arts but the Soul-Capturing Art that needed to be countered.

“That would’ve been ideal, but this alone was well done.”

“Hehehe.”

At Ban Hojin’s praise—rare to hear under ordinary circumstances—Seo Jo-woon scratched the back of his head.

The other three did not show it as openly as Seo Jo-woon, but they too were quietly pleased.

“What are you doing right now?”

“What do you mean? We tried crossing hands with one of the Eight Evils. To see where our limits lie.”

“Against me?”

The Demonic Fiendess made an incredulous expression.

Since becoming one of the Eight Evils, she had never once been treated in such a manner.

Perhaps because of that, for the first time, killing intent erupted explosively from her entire body.

“Don’t take it too badly. From here on, I’ll face you myself. Your friends as well.”

“……How did you know?”

The Demonic Fiendess, who had been emitting killing intent in waves, flinched for an instant.

She was genuinely startled by the unexpected words.

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this. An elite small force, hm. It must have been difficult to receive help from the Ironblood Fortress?”

“…….”

The Demonic Fiendess did not answer.

It was no different from having already revealed everything herself, yet she still held her tongue.

Instead, she stared at Ban Hojin with deeply sunken eyes.

Even so, that did not mean she could see through his intentions.

Swish! Swish!

Conversely, the others busily glanced around their surroundings.

Like the Demonic Fiendess, they too had been surprised by Ban Hojin’s words.

“Heh heh heh! I didn’t believe the talk of the Divine Dragon being extraordinary, but seeing you in person, you surpass the rumors.”

“Certainly not at the level of a mere brat. Though, of course, the Twin Fiends would never be felled by a brat.”

Step. Step.

From behind the Demonic Fiendess, two old men walked forward.

Both appeared well past seventy, yet their physiques were polar opposites.

One was so gaunt he looked almost as if he were skin and bones, while the other was short and hunched over.

Upon seeing the two, Nan Hui-ju turned pale with shock.

“Remnant Fiend and Awl Fiend?”

“Oh? To recognize us at a glance. You have quite the keen eye.”