Chapter 167
Mount Hua’s paths were so rugged that unless it was one of the few pioneered routes, it was absolutely impassable.
The Demonic Cult was aware of this fact and advanced to put pressure on the paths leading through Mount Hua. The one commanding this was none other than the Grand Elder.
“What is the current situation?”
At his question, a shadow emerged from the darkness and knelt before the Grand Elder to report.
“We are striking the Murim Alliance’s formations and advancing, but the Murim Alliance’s Main Force has appeared from Mount Hua, causing a delay.”
“How long do you think it will take to seize the Pass?”
“There is no guarantee.”
Even after hearing that there was a blockage in the situation, the Grand Elder remained Indifferent.
Flames were rising around Mount Hua anyway. Even if they couldn’t Break Through the Pass and merely blocked it, the Murim Alliance would burn to death on its own.
However…
“The movements…, have stopped.”
The Grand Elder’s gaze turned toward the direction where Hwawang’s demonic energy was flowing.
Originally, Hwawang’s mission was to roam Mount Hua and set fire to the widest possible nearby area, but Hwawang’s movements stayed in one place.
Furthermore…
Hwooo-.
Demonic energy was gathering in that direction as if a fierce battle was taking place.
Something must have definitely happened to Hwawang.
“Is it the Pacheon Sect Leader again?”
The only existence capable of cornering an elder of the Demonic Cult like that was the Pacheon Sect Leader.
And the Pacheon Sect Leader…, had a good matchup against Hwawang, so he must have immediately put him in a crisis.
“Huu…”
The Grand Elder let out a sigh.
Considering the potential loss of another elder, Hwawang was the core of this operation in the first place.
If he were to lose his life to the Pacheon Sect Leader, this operation would be severely impacted.
“I should go help.”
Soon, the Grand Elder fell into thought about who he should send.
First of all, it wasn’t him.
Facing the Pacheon Sect Leader without his now-empty right arm would be quite a hardship, and he had to Command the battle from this position.
It was then.
Seureuk-.
As if it had been planned, an elder entered the Grand Elder’s Barracks.
“Ah, you can go.”
The Grand Elder looked at him, smiled, and gestured.
* * *
Huhaaaaaa-!!
Unlike the Black Flames that Hwawang spewed out, the flames coming from Yongyong’s mouth were brilliant red light.
However, its intensity was by no means inferior to Hwawang’s.
The fire spewing from Yongyong-i’s mouth was enough to brightly illuminate the dark evening.
Hwaaaaak-!!
“Aaaaaaak-!!”
Taking those flames head-on, Hwawang let out an agonized scream.
At first, I thought his body might actually recover if he was struck by the flames, but that didn’t seem to be the case either.
The flames that had been pouring out of Yongyong-i’s mouth like a fountain gradually subsided…
Chiiii-.
“…Did we get him?”
“…Yongyong, you spared him with this.”
Hwawang’s body, which had taken a direct hit from the fierce flames, was revealed.
Perhaps thanks to Yongyong-i’s Revival Incantation, the guy was not dead. Since he was a practitioner of Extreme Yang Martial Arts and even spewed fire from his own body, this level of fire must have been fine for him.
However…
“Ugh…”
Perhaps it was difficult To Block all the flames with his already exhausted body, as Hwawang’s clothes were completely burned away, and his skin was charred black and covered in burn marks.
A state clearly on the verge of death.
“Good job, Yongyong-a.”
I set Yongyong-i down and leaped to finish the guy off.
“I’ll handle the finishing blow!”
Paat-!
As I rushed in with my Sword raised, Hwawang freaked out and tried to use his Martial Arts, but…
Chiik-.
“Uuuugh-!! This is dog-like!”
…Perhaps he had already exhausted all his Internal Energy, as only a feeble sound could be heard from his efforts.
Seogeok-!
“Keuaaaaaak-!!”
Still, perhaps not all his stamina was depleted, as the guy immediately moved his body and avoided getting his neck slashed.
Instead, only his right arm was cut.
Pushushu-!
Blood spurted like a fountain from the severed cross-section of Hwawang’s right arm.
At the same time, the balance supporting his body collapsed, and his speed also significantly decreased.
“T-this…! I can’t go out like this…!”
Uwoong-.
It was a Familiar sensation.
As if aiming for mutual destruction, Hwawang drew up his demonic energy just like Salwang had done right before he died.
It was the preparation for Demonic Transformation.
However…
“Just go already!”
…I extended my Sword without even giving the guy time to gather his final demonic energy.
Seureureung-.
Eventually, my Sword approached right up to Hwawang’s neck…
“…No-!!”
Along with Hwawang’s scream, it was right then that I was certain of the guy’s death.
Shuuk-.
Kwaang-!
“…!”
Right before the Heavenly Demon Sword touched the guy’s body, I was pushed by something thrown at me and was forced to distance myself from Hwawang.
Kudangtang-!
“…Ugh!”
That thing was thrown at me with tremendous speed.
Only after it sent me rolling on the ground once was I able to realize what it was.
It was none other than…
“…Ha Jinseong?”
“…”
…It was the Original Protagonist, Ha Jinseong, who had gone into the forest alone to lure away the other Demonic Cultists.
“Hey, you…!”
Of course, I had thought that dealing with dozens of Demonic Cultists would be quite a hardship at Ha Jinseong’s current level.
Still…
‘I didn’t think he would be defeated like this…’
Had I overestimated Ha Jinseong’s level too much?
I quickly examined the wounds on Ha Jinseong’s body.
There was only a single wound on his body.
It was a Fist mark created by a Fist of tremendous Physical Strength.
“He reduced the Original Protagonist to this state with a single Strike?”
It was that moment when I was briefly filled with astonishment.
“Oh my, am I a bit late?”
“…!”
Seueuk-.
Making stealthy movements unsuited for a massive physique, someone revealed himself from within the forest.
“That’s why I wonder why the Grand Elder entrusted such a task to an old man like me. Tsk.”
“…”
A frivolous voice that didn’t contain a single ounce of tension in this current situation, a sturdy physique reminiscent of a boulder. And…
Flash.
…A shiny bald head.
“…Dharma King.”
“I wondered who beat Hwawang to a pulp, and it was indeed the Pacheon Sect Leader. Haha, it’s nice to meet you again! And that Imugi Young Lady over there too!”
The Dharma King’s appearance as he said that and gladly waved his hand was so bright that one could mistakenly think he had met a comrade.
* * *
“…”
Because I had faced Hwawang, my body wasn’t in perfect condition either.
“Ugh…, my tongue hurts… And I hate that Rogue Monk…”
That was the same for Yongyong-i, who shuddered while looking at the Dharma King.
Moreover, Ha Jinseong was…
“Is he dead…?”
…He was in such a critical condition that I doubted if he was still alive; he was Unconscious.
Seueuk-.
Suspecting Ha Jinseong’s death, as I reached out my hand, the Dharma King noticed this and spoke first.
“Haha, that friend from Mount Hua isn’t dead. Even though I’m an Apostate Monk, I was once someone who devoted myself to the Buddhist Order, you see.”
“…”
When I actually checked his pulse, Ha Jinseong was alive. He had merely fainted for a moment.
He didn’t kill Ha Jinseong. That meant the Dharma King hadn’t been ordered to kill those present here.
“If so, the reason the Dharma King came here is…”
At that moment, my eyes turned to the sprawled Hwawang.
“To save that Bastard…?”
Paat-!
As soon as I realized the Dharma King’s intention, I rushed at the guy to finish Hwawang off.
However…
“No can do, no can do.”
Paat-!
…This muscle-pig old man of a Dharma King was so fast that he immediately rushed over and stomped an Advancing Step.
Kwaang-!
Puhwaaa-!
The wind pressure alone felt like it would blow my body away, but I barely held on and swung my Sword at the Dharma King.
In response, the Dharma King also extended his Fist, and my Sword and the guy’s Fist soon clashed.
Jjeooeoeong-!!
Usually, when a Fist and a Sword clash, nine times out of ten, the Sword has the advantage. However…
“Hueup-!”
“…!”
The Dharma King actually pushed me away along with a massive Fist Wind.
On top of that, demonic energy was forming not in his extended right Fist, but in his left Palm.
Seeing that, I could deduce what the Dharma King was trying to use.
“Black Tathagata Demonic Palm!”
Its destructive power could be confirmed during the past Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
Of course, I could Slash it away with Unknown Sword-Breaking, but if I did that, the Dharma King’s right Fist that I was currently facing would Strike me.
“Don’t worry about that!”
Still, noticing my situation, Yongyong-i stepped up and blocked the Demonic Palm falling from above.
“Thank you, Yongyong-a.”
Taking advantage of that opening, I slightly pulled back the Sword that was clashing with the Dharma King’s Fist and unfolded the Stance of Unknown Sword-Breaking.
I intended to Slash him right then, taking advantage of the opening when the Dharma King’s attention was diverted to the Black Tathagata Demonic Palm.
“Whoopsie.”
Hwoooh-!
Perhaps sensing the crisis and trying to unfold a Self-Defense Technique, the Dharma King gathered his demonic energy.
“Is he kidding?”
Of course, it was still useless.
No matter how much the Dharma King layered his energy to protect his body, Unknown Sword-Breaking would first Slash away the energy itself before slashing the Dharma King’s body.
Like that, I swung my Sword toward the Dharma King’s fully exposed body.
However…
Deeeeeng-!
“…!”
…I ultimately failed to Slash the Dharma King. No, the Sword couldn’t even cut into him in the first place.
It merely bounced off as if I had struck a massive boulder.
“…Why?”
I slashed with the Stance of Unknown Sword-Breaking…, so why?
As I panicked for a moment, the Dharma King continued speaking.
“The final of the Black Maitreya Three Ultimate Arts is the Black Darkness Indestructible Body.”
“…!”
“Hoho, seeing this work so perfectly makes me proud as its Originator. I don’t have time right now, so I’ll explain the principles later. Well then, goodbye!”
Leaving those words behind, the Dharma King slammed his Fist, wrapped in demonic energy, straight into the ground.
Kwagwang-!!
With a Loud Roar, the ground collapsed, and a Dust Cloud rose around us…
Seureuk-.
…In the meantime, the Dharma King grabbed Hwawang and disappeared.
“Cough, cough, this rat-like Rogue Monk…!”
He hadn’t gone far, and although my vision was obscured, I could feel his presence.
“Yongyong-a! Get ready to fly immediately! We’re in pursuit!”
I couldn’t lose an elder I had gone through all the trouble to catch like this.
At my Command, Yongyong-i immediately transformed into her main body, and I climbed onto her.
* * *
Hwawang barely managed to speak from within the fleeing Dharma King’s massive embrace.
“…Dharma King. You came to save me. Thank you.”
He had almost been killed by the Pacheon Sect Leader and disgraced the name of a Heavenly Demon Cult Elder.
“I just thought he was a crazy Rogue Monk…”
Because the Dharma King jumped in to save him like this, Hwawang felt a sense of camaraderie and gratitude toward the Dharma King.
However…
“Oh, Hwawang! You were conscious!”
“…Yes, although it’s shameful…”
“So about that, can you burn the mountain while we move?”
“…Pardon?”
…The Dharma King made a somewhat Unreasonable Demand to the conscious Hwawang. To burn the mountain, he had to use Martial Arts, but there was no way that was possible in his current physical condition.
“…I apologize, but it’s impossible with my current physical condition…”
“Hmm…, I suppose so. Then I shall help you.”
It was then.
Puuk-!
“…!”
At the sudden sharp pain in his abdomen, Hwawang thought the Pacheon Sect Leader had used some sort of trick.
However…
“…Aaaaaaak-!! Dharma King-!! Why are you-!!”
…The Dharma King was the one who had shoved his hand into Hwawang’s abdomen.
He let out a 'haha' with his usual expression and then…
“Uhaha-! I’m sorry, Hwawang! The order I received wasn’t to save you, but to continue setting fire to the mountain!”
“Keuaaaaaak-!!”
“I will help you with your Demonic Transformation. Then…”
At that moment, the Dharma King grabbed Hwawang’s dantian and forcibly injected demonic energy.
“Along with your death, we will be able to turn Mount Hua into a sea of fire.”
Kwaaaaa-!!
At the same time, Hwawang’s demonic energy went berserk, and he ignited with tremendous flames.
“Oh my, how hot.”
Fleeing from the Pacheon Sect Leader, the Dharma King swung Hwawang, who was covered in Black Flames, back and forth at the trees in the forest.