0077 : Demon Subduing Hall
And then, a strange voice echoed from somewhere.
[Are you an acquaintance of Mangnyang?]
I couldn’t tell if the voice was male or female. I calmly scanned my surroundings but sensed nothing plausible. I shouted out fiercely.
“Who are you? Where have all the villagers gone?”
[Heh heh… I can’t let a Counter-Heaven Alliance human go. This will be your grave.]
Counter-Heaven Alliance?
Before I could comprehend the nonsensical words, plant stems erupted from every direction. Each plant stem was a massive three feet in size, and it appeared that something was buried at the center of the village. The tentacle-like stems were moving at tremendous speed, attacking me.
Swish
I deployed my Thunder Call, slicing through the stems, and the voice sounded startled.
[Oh? Quite the skill, I see.]
“Are you a Sorcerer? What have you done to Mangnyang?”
[Hahaha… Nothing will change. Die!]
A mad laughter echoed, and the plant stems vibrated loudly as they attacked me again. If it had been five years ago, I wouldn’t even have considered facing those vile stems and would have dodged instead.
“H!”
But I sneered, activated my Thunder Call, and immediately sliced directly into the fray. As a flash of light zipped by, the stems erupted, spraying their fluids everywhere.
Swoosh!!
With all my power, I directed my Thunder Cloud Palm towards the bulb at the center of the stems.
Boom!
[Ahhhhh…]
A scream resonated. Just as I had thought, that creature was controlling the stems from within. Transformed into a charred figure due to the Thunder Spirit Technique, it squirmed out from the bulb. Upon seeing the Sorcerer crawling out of the bulb, my eyes widened.
“……!!”
It was no longer a human form!
It had taken on the appearance of an insect, resembling a fly, unmistakably far from human. I could only guess it had human traits due to the presence of two legs, but the rest of its form was a grotesque amalgamation that could hardly be classified as a fly. Tentacles squirmed out from its bright red mouth. Any ordinary human would falter at the mere sight of such a creature.
As I stood there in shock, the Sorcerer cackled.
[You dare look upon this magnificent body gifted by the divine! Dieee!!]
It thrashed about erratically and lunged at me like a spring. Clearly exceeding the limits of human form, I found myself momentarily speechless before slicing it down with a single sword strike. Blue bodily fluid splattered as it finally sprawled lifelessly on the ground.
“What in the world is going on? What the hell is this creature?”
I shook off my confusion and continued towards Jinrang Valley, heading for Mangnyang’s dwelling. On my way up the mountain, I noticed yet more bizarre beings ambushing me.
Kieeeek!!
“Snakes?!”
To be precise, they were humans with snake-like lower bodies and faces. Armed with blades and tridents, they lunged at me with a spring-like motion. It was unclear if they could speak human language, but they possessed a speed that would challenge even seasoned experts. I easily evaded the attacks of the snake-humans and delivered strikes, but to my surprise, they weren’t being severed as I expected.
Thud!
[Kiieeeek…]
The snake-humans proved overly durable, collapsing gruesomely as they met their end. I had anticipated slicing them into dozens of pieces without suffering, but they met their demise rather crudely. Their innate physiques seemed far sturdier than those of normal humans. I realized that, even while the Mangwun Formation was working strongly as it had in the past, the snake-humans continued to attack persistently.
‘No. These creatures are just trying to force their way through the Mangwun Formation in large numbers!’
I was astounded. The Mangwun Formation of Mangnyang was still active and powerful. Yet it seemed the invading snake creatures were relentlessly screeching and attempting to break through the formation! Though it was a foolish and primitive method, there were surely over a hundred of them, so I thought it might eventually succeed if they kept at it for long enough.
However, having studied the Nine Gates Technique, I didn’t need to blunder around like them and could roughly locate the life gate. I moved past the Mangwun Formation and climbed onto a small hut. There, I saw a familiar face.
“Mangnyang!”
“You’ve arrived just in time…”
Mangnyang looked at me with a bittersweet expression. He had changed quite a bit since I last saw him; he was wearing raven-black clothing that covered his entire body. Furthermore, it seemed he had digested the White Lotus and Black Lotus I had given him, as I could sense a considerable amount of internal energy from him.
I gazed at the reddening sky over Jinrang Valley and asked,
“What on earth is going on? What are those creatures?”
“I found the Seven Stars thanks to the Golden Eagle Guard.”
“What?!”
Mangnyang cast a fleeting glance towards the Mangwun Formation.
“Fortunately, you managed to reduce the number of the snake people by nearly half, which buys us some time. Still, if the demon creatures come, the formation will surely be breached, so we must flee quickly.”
“Quickly explain!”
Mangnyang began to slowly elaborate.
“During that time, I cultivated my internal energy using the White and Black Lotus you provided, learned martial arts, and mastered sorcery. As a result of the complementary effects, I enhanced my sorcery skills to the point where I could hold my own and gained the confidence to head to Liaodong.”
“Liaodong?”
“The ancient lands of Balhae were around there. I searched for the clue to the Phoenix Piece there and discovered something astonishing.”
Mangnyang extended his hand. There, laying shattered as if it had always been in pieces, was a silver fragment of the phoenix. After staring at the fragment for some time, Mangnyang spoke,
“This is a formation that is dismantled in a predetermined order. Additionally, it contained the reasons for the fall of the last king of Balhae. Balhae was destroyed by a massive volcanic eruption, but the cause of that eruption was the Seven Stars.”
“Was the Water Element Divine Sword, Makya, located near there?”
I recalled the torrential rain that had poured when I had released Makya from its seal and asked. Mangnyang nodded in agreement.
“The Divine Treasure of the Earth Star was the first Eight Trigrams created by Fuxi. More accurately, it should be termed the Eight Trigrams Diagram. Someone took the Earth Star’s treasure out of its seal, disrupting the veins stabilized by the trigrams, which led to the eruption of the volcano that caused the fall of the Balhae Empire.”
“……!!”
It was truly an unbelievable story. No matter how impressive the treasure of the Seven Stars was, could it really have the power to shift veins and cause a volcanic eruption that could destroy a country? As I stood there with my mouth agape, Mangnyang continued,
“However, while I was investigating, I discovered who exactly took the Earth Star’s treasure.”
“Who were they?”
“It was none other than the Golden Eagle Guard… More precisely, I learned there was a clan operating behind the emperor. They had been obsessed with gathering the Seven Stars while changing dynasties for hundreds of years. It’s very likely that the current Golden Eagle Guard is also being manipulated by them.”
“……”
“I’ve taken to referring to their forces as the Demon Subduing Hall.”
I felt a wave of dizziness from the sudden influx of information. But one thing was certain: the Golden Eagle Guard had not simply been idle while I trained over the past five years; they had been plotting with the treasures of the Seven Stars.
Mangnyang’s words continued.
“I founded a group called the Counter-Heaven Alliance to uncover the true nature of the Demon Subduing Hall and have been active for the past few years. Righteous people have helped me during that time. However, it seems the Golden Eagle Guard and the others have already succeeded in interpreting the Nameless Ritual Book to train Sorcerers, and they now possess a power that is nearly impossible to stop…”
“You don’t mean those bizarre Sorcerers or snake people outside?”
“The demon beings of the Demon Subduing Hall are using the sorcery from the Nameless Ritual Book to summon those powers.”
I was astounded.
“What… Isn’t it impossible for those creatures to interpret the Nameless Ritual Book after the Sorcerers of the Other World escaped?”
“It doesn’t seem that way. It looks like the Demon Subduing Hall has summoned another being from the Other World instead of a Sorcerer.”
“……!!”
I was horrified. Another monstrous being had been summoned?!
As Mangnyang heard the eerie cries of the snake people outside, he muttered in despair,
“It seems they have gained the power from the Other World to such an extent that they no longer need to gather strength through human sacrifices. They must have discovered one of the Seven Stars in the past few years…”
“Just discovering one of the Seven Stars has led to this?”
“Don’t you know how much blessing we received just by offering the Seven Stars’ offerings? If the power of the Seven Stars is fully utilized, this is nothing…”
“………”
I gritted my teeth. I had thought it was all over, but it wasn’t. Mangnyang continued.
“With the pressure from the Golden Eagle Guard acting in the Demon Subduing Hall, I called you to Jinrang Valley to share this information before it’s too late. But it seems they were a step ahead of us.”
“We can still escape. Follow me.”
“… Please.”
I brought Mangnyang down from the Mangwun Formation. As we descended, the snake people lunged at us with metallic sounds, but I continuously struck them down. Normally, I would have had a tough time with this number of foes, but I wasn’t just idly training my martial arts for the past five years after receiving disdain from Lee Kwang at the Qinglong Alliance. Occasionally unleashing Thunder Call, I was able to kill over fifty of them in an instant.
Mangnyang was astonished by my martial arts.
“Truly impressive. Each of these snake people can be a handful even for top-tier experts…”
“Hmph, do you think top-tier experts will faze me right now?”
I threw him a playful retort as I quickly made my way down to Jinrang Valley.
“Let’s go.”
Tatadat.
Then we dashed toward the nearby forest. Seeing Mangnyang using his lightness skill to keep up, it seemed he had also mastered his martial arts quite well in just a few years. He appeared to be at a decent level among the advanced martial artists.
‘It seems Mangnyang has quite the talent for martial arts.’
I felt a pang of envy. Mangnyang was truly a capable person in everything except sorcery. As we ventured deeper into the forest, I noticed grotesque, corpse-like monsters pouring out flames from all over. They seemed to be creatures from the Other World, far from resembling humans.
Kwahwang!
“It’s endless…”
I was already resigned to the fact that the people of Jinrang Valley were lost. They had surely become nourishment for the sorcerers controlling those plant roots. What I needed to do now was save Mangnyang, at the very least, and help him escape.
It was then.
Biiiing –
A strange sound echoed. At the sound, Mangnyang’s face turned pale.
“N-no way… the Flying Intestine Monster?!”
“What is that?”
“Those… triangular-shaped footprints… Ugh… this is bad.”
Seeing the bizarre footprints on the ground, Mangnyang’s face turned a ghastly shade as he hurriedly pushed me forward.
“Leave me behind. The monster that will appear now is even more vile and terrifying than the demon you encountered before. If they swarm together, there will be no solution, so I will hide myself with the Invisibility Technique. You must flee as quickly as possible without looking back!”
“If I take you with me…”
“No! Please, just go. They are truly fearsome beings.”
With those words, Mangnyang took out a talisman and began to set up some sort of formation around him. It seemed that, with his abilities, he could only protect himself. Now seemingly at a loss for words, Mangnyang hastily cast his sorcery, which ignited a stubborn spirit within me.
‘I now have confidence in catching demons. Why should I run from a mere bird-like creature?’
I was reluctant to let go of the five years of hard training. Resolving to escape if necessary, I silently cultivated my Thunder Call breathing technique.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh –
I sensed something approaching. From a distance, I could make out huge, translucent beings charging in swarms. I was awestruck as dozens of monsters, much larger than bulls, seemed to float in the air, almost invisible to the human eye. These creatures were, without a doubt, not something that could be born naturally in this world.
I shouted boldly as I unleashed a wave of sword energy.
“Ha! Take this!!”
Slash!
Executing the Manseung Sword Technique, an advanced skill of the Thunder-Shadow Sword Art, I feverishly struck out with arcs of energy. Hundreds of sword rays surged forth, and I successfully hit one of the creatures known as the Flying Intestine Monster. It looked fast and strong, but indeed it was sliced by the sword energy.
However, my expression darkened.
Kikikikik
Other Flying Intestine Monsters, which were running alongside, suddenly began to unleash a tremendous pressure simultaneously. At the same time, massive, flabby bodies squirmed around, seemingly looking for an opening to attack me, and their appearance was utterly repulsive.
I raised my internal energy significantly and dispersed the Thunder Cloud Palm in all directions. The creatures seemed to stagger momentarily at the might of the lightning, but they quickly returned to their original state, seemingly unharmed. Observing this, I noticed one crucial detail.
‘These creatures… they hardly take physical damage! Only pure energy or natural forces affect them…’
Kwahwang!
Screeeeech –
Without a moment to regret that realization, I had to endure the furious onslaught of countless invisible monsters attacking me one after another. Beams of light rained down from above.
“Ahhhh!”
I did my utmost to resist, but even as I chopped down dozens of them, they just kept coming. Eventually, other creatures from the Other World joined in and began launching their bodily fluids from a distance.
Splatter
About half an hour later, one of the monsters’ tentacles burst my head open.
That was my ninth death.
—————————= Author’s Note —————————=
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