“Hmm?”
“What is it, Brother?”
“Wait.”
When Beomo stopped, Lee Cheolgyeong halted his movement art as well.
Lee Cheolgyeong spoke.
“Foshan is just ahead. Unless this is extremely urgent, shouldn’t we meet the masters first...?”
“That isn’t it.”
Beomo’s piercing gaze swept across their surroundings.
“This fighting spirit...?”
Killing Intent and fighting spirit were, at their core, manifestations of a person’s will projected beyond the body through qi.
Even a Peak master would find it difficult to distinguish the unique qualities of another person’s fighting spirit or Killing Intent. If it was being released directly before their eyes, that was one thing. Once any meaningful distance separated them, identifying its source became extraordinarily difficult.
But someone of Beomo’s caliber was different. As a practitioner of Shaolin martial arts in particular, he could infer the source from the remnants of fighting spirit alone.
Naturally, that was only possible if he had sensed the same fighting spirit at least once before.
“It feels familiar. I’m certain I sensed it somewhere...”
Beomo suddenly exclaimed.
“The field forces. I cannot tell whether it came from the Evil-Smiting Corps or the Demon-Sweeping Corps, but this unquestionably belongs to one of the field forces.”
He had sensed it once or twice while moving through the Martial Alliance. Things had been too hectic for him to determine which unit it belonged to, but he knew it had been released during one of the field forces’ training exercises.
And the remnants were still remarkably vivid.
That meant they had passed through this area only recently.
“Brother.”
“Yes?”
Beomo’s expression hardened.
“There is something unusual about this fighting spirit. I will follow the trail. You should continue to Foshan ahead of me.”
Lee Cheolgyeong’s eyes wavered.
“Did you sense something?”
“...I don’t know. I cannot be certain, but something about it feels urgent.”
WOOOOONG.
A subdued golden True Qi flowed from Beomo’s body.
“I’ll see you later.”
Lee Cheolgyeong had no opportunity to stop him. Beomo had already unleashed the Vajra Immovable Movement Art and was racing in the direction from which the fighting spirit had come.
Lee Cheolgyeong smacked his lips.
“He truly has changed. Not only his martial arts, but even his personality.”
Naturally, the foundations of a person’s character would not have changed entirely.
Even so, the current Beomo certainly seemed more solemn and deliberate than before.
Lee Cheolgyeong lightly slapped his cheeks.
“This is no time to stand around. I suppose I should run as well.”
WHOOSH!
And so the two brothers parted ways with Foshan just ahead of them.
*****
Fire blazed in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.
WOOOOONG!
Mad Dragon howled like a beast gone mad. It was not caused by True Qi, but by Yeon Hojeong’s murderous will flowing directly into the axe.
Had it been a sword, this would have been the realm of sword resonance.
It was the exalted state of true unity between weapon and self—the wielder breathing new life into a weapon by imbuing it with his own heart.
Yayul Jeok’s gaze deepened.
“...This truly is remarkable.”
The martial arts of the Central Plains differed from those beyond the frontier.
Yet although their paths varied, all martial ways ultimately converged at the same destination. The murderous resonance Yeon Hojeong now drew from his axe was a realm fewer than ten people in the Perverse Lust Cult had attained.
It had nothing to do with the relative strength of one’s martial arts. It belonged to what was commonly called the realm of enlightenment.
Moreover, if he could manifest it so naturally while his emotions were inflamed, it would not be unreasonable to place the young man’s enlightenment at the level of a half-divine apostle.
That was truly astonishing.
The power of the True Qi pouring from him was clearly inferior to Yayul Jeok’s own, yet the force of his aura was enough to make even Yayul Jeok’s bones ache. Beyond that, his enlightenment had created a domain that transcended even his aura.
This was no longer something that could be dismissed with mockery about a lack of harmony between mind and body.
Just how deeply had this man contemplated martial arts to attain such enlightenment before the age of thirty?
“They call the Green Mountain Tiger Commander the greatest younger-generation master under heaven, but this surpasses anything I imagined. With enlightenment at that level, he may become capable of standing beside the great masters of the Supreme Heavens within ten years.”
Soh Bang muttered coldly.
“Don’t overestimate him. He merely looks impressive—”
“You are the one underestimating him. That axe looks ready to come alive at any moment and cleave us both in half. Aside from our elders, no one in our cult has attained a realm like his.”
Soh Bang bit her lip.
She was one of the most talented among the Cult Leader’s illegitimate children.
In other words, she was a genius.
Yet the world was vast.
A young man far younger than herself had already reached the realm of a half-divine apostle in enlightenment alone.
“None of that matters. We need only kill him here today.”
“That is true.”
Yeon Hojeong stepped forward.
“‘Our cult,’ you say. You named it quite openly.”
Yayul Jeok smiled bitterly.
“You recognized Soh Bang’s Blood-Drinking evil qi and dismantled every path of the Blood-Drinking Palm. It is already clear that you know of our cult. What purpose would hiding it serve?”
“Fair enough.”
Yeon Hojeong soothed the murderous urge boiling within him.
He wanted nothing more than to charge forward and swing his axes. His Killing Intent raged so violently that he wanted to disable the pair, then mince them like slabs of meat in a butcher’s shop.
But Yeon Hojeong restrained himself.
His hatred for the Perverse Lust Cult had not diminished in the slightest, but he now knew how to control that hatred. More importantly, he knew what had to take priority.
After taking a shallow breath, Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“I heard there was an earthquake at your stronghold. According to the report, a shock of that magnitude could only have been caused by a battle between supreme masters.”
“So that was it.”
Yayul Jeok’s eyes turned frigid for an instant.
Combined with his pallid complexion, his gaze radiated the Killing Intent of a bitter winter.
“It was your scheme. You intended to make us fight.”
“I regret that it failed. Judging by your condition, it appears that the earthquake itself was also a trick meant to lower our guard.”
“You are clever.”
“I thought everything was going far too smoothly.”
Yeon Hojeong pointed the White Dragon Axe at Soh Bang.
Her face twisted.
Simply being pointed at with the axe sent her Killing Intent soaring. Losing to that accursed bastard was bad enough, but she had even been forced to consume a Carnal Crystal Pill. How could she not be furious?
“Judging by that woman’s temperament, I doubted she would live to old age. Still, no matter how vile her personality may be, reaching such a level requires more than talent. It demands judgment. I did intend to sow discord between you, but when I heard you had clashed so soon, something felt wrong.”
“.......”
“My suspicion was correct. It was a trap. And the fact that you appeared here means...”
Yeon Hojeong glanced at Sima Hyeon.
“That reckless brat must have made some mistake.”
Yayul Jeok gave an exclamation of admiration.
“You truly are clever.”
His mind worked with extraordinary speed.
It was impressive enough that he had inferred the causal relationship from the facts before him, but his ability to see through the entire chain of events bordered on divine skill.
Yayul Jeok spoke.
“That is correct. I have known for some time that the reckless brat broke free of my Soul-Seizing Art.”
Sima Hyeon’s eyes wavered.
That single statement told him everything.
Yayul Jeok had been watching his movements for a long time.
I fell for it.
Sima Hyeon ground his teeth inwardly.
Yeon Hojeong was right. The Martial Alliance did not make a mistake. I did. The Yin God was watching me, and he sent his forces here after seeing what I was doing.
He had undoubtedly intended to catch them all in a single net.
He had probably intercepted one of the letters Sima Hyeon had sent to the Martial Alliance.
...Damn it.
Sima Hyeon felt the agony of utter defeat.
He had believed he had deceived Yayul Jeok perfectly.
Instead, he had been dancing obliviously in the palm of Yayul Jeok’s hand.
“I knew he was plotting something, but I could not determine what. Naturally, his ultimate goal was to kill me, his enemy, but I could not tell how he intended to arrange matters...”
“That’s enough of that.”
Yeon Hojeong cut Yayul Jeok off sharply.
“How the two of you maneuvered against each other no longer matters. We have heard enough. What matters is this moment, does it not?”
“.......”
“Judging by the situation, it does not appear that only the two of you came.”
Soh Bang sneered.
“Why would we need anyone else to crush the likes of you—”
“The beaten dog should shut its mouth.”
“Wh-What did you say?!”
FWOOSH!
Blood-Drinking evil qi blazed fiercely from Soh Bang’s body.
“You filthy bastard! If it weren’t for that absurd formation of yours, you would already be dead! Do you truly believe that merely knowing the counter to the Blood-Drinking Palm is enough to defeat me—?!”
“I know.”
Yeon Hojeong gave a faint smirk.
“That is why we used the formation.”
“......!”
“And you lost. Regardless of how it happened, you lost, so you deserve to be called the loser. Had I not shown you mercy, you would not be standing here barking now.”
The longer the conversation continued, the calmer Yeon Hojeong became.
He was now able to perceive the two before him not as members of the Perverse Lust Cult, but simply as ordinary enemies.
Soh Bang, however, was different.
“You...!”
ROOOOAR!
The Blood-Drinking evil qi gathered around both her hands and seethed like flames. She looked ready to attack at any moment.
Yayul Jeok raised a hand.
“Calm yourself, Soh Bang.”
“.......”
“He is cunning. Nothing good will come from acting rashly.”
Soh Bang bit her lip.
She wanted to tell him to stop spouting bullshit and demand that they kill Yeon Hojeong immediately, but she could not bring herself to speak.
Instinctively, she understood that losing control here would only place her at a disadvantage.
WHOOOOOM.
Soh Bang forced the Blood-Drinking evil qi back under control.
Then—
“That’s right. A dog has to obey its master if it wants to keep its food bowl.”
“......?!”
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“You should continue listening to him from now on. He seems marginally more competent than you, at least.”
Yayul Jeok’s eyes wavered.
HISSSSS!
The Blood-Drinking evil qi Soh Bang had barely suppressed exploded once more.
Her face twisted like that of a demon.
“You bastard...!!”
BOOM!
Yeon Hojeong was suddenly driven backward.
Surprisingly, it was not Soh Bang who had launched the fist wind at him.
It was Yayul Jeok.
Yayul Jeok spoke in a dark voice.
“There appears to be no purpose in prolonging this conversation.”
“...See? Just as I said.”
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
He had blocked the attack with Mad Dragon, but the blow had been immensely powerful. A thread-thin trail of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
“You’re definitely the smarter one.”
“Enough. I will kill you first.”
FLASH!
Before Yayul Jeok had even finished speaking, pure-white moonlight cut across the air.
It was a cleaving strike unleashed by Yeon Hojeong’s White Dragon Axe.
Yayul Jeok swept his hand blade in a straight line.
CLAAAAANG!
The cleaving strike that had flown across the intervening distance shattered with almost disappointing ease.
FLASH!
Yeon Hojeong appeared above Yayul Jeok’s head.
Yayul Jeok’s eyes gleamed.
He had already read Yeon Hojeong’s every movement. He raised the qi of the Crimson Current of Yin Fire.
At that moment, Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“Your stronghold must be empty right now.”
BOOOOM!
Their martial arts collided head-on.
Yeon Hojeong was sent soaring backward.
Astonishingly, Yayul Jeok was also forced back two steps.
Yeon Hojeong’s power had been far greater than expected, but the implication behind his words was even more troubling. Yayul Jeok’s True Qi had wavered ever so slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“You still don’t understand?”
CLINK-CLINK-CLINK!
Yeon Hojeong landed atop a tree and released the Flood Dragon Chain, spinning the chain with Mad Dragon attached at its end.
“Since ancient times, taking a city without shedding blood has been hailed as the greatest victory.”
“......?!”
“I’m glad you came. Thanks to you, we can seize the high ground first.”
At that very moment—
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE!
All five hundred soldiers of the Demon-Sweeping Corps had reached the very doorstep of the Yin God’s stronghold.
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