Dark Heaven Village
“Why are you so confident?”
“Even Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong are geniuses who would take second place in the Central Plains, yet they couldn’t master it! I can’t even imagine how you’ll meet the conditions to learn it.”
“That’s something you can only find out by trying.”
“Right~ Let’s see how it goes~”
I spent a whole hour receiving the key movements and techniques of the Demon-Extinguishing Technique from Geuk Ho. The technique wasn’t very long, so after listening to it three or four times, I was able to memorize it. After chanting the last part of the Demon-Extinguishing Technique, Geuk Ho said,
“Alright, done! Now all that’s left is to use the Demon-Extinguishing Technique according to the key points.”
“Is that really it? It seems too simple for a secret technique.”
Geuk Ho replied gruffly.
“Whatever. Everyone else said the same, but no one managed to master it.”
With a doubtful heart, I tried to perform the Demon-Extinguishing Technique just as he had taught. However, as he said, it simply wouldn’t activate, and I even felt my Neural Flow getting tangled up. After taking just two steps, I looked like a disabled person trying to dance.
I was clearly doing it according to the key points, so this was truly bizarre.
What kind of martial art is this?
As I wore a confused expression, Geuk Ho said,
“Your master has arrived.”
The three who had gone to negotiate with the Han Clan had returned. However, their expressions were far from pleasant, indicating something had gone awry. Mangnyang murmured with a distraught look,
“Things went wrong…”
“From the beginning, there was no way it would work. We must relocate our base.”
“Phew…”
According to Mangnyang, they had succeeded in entering the Han Clan and talking with Han Baek-ryeong. However, Han Baek-ryeong had firmly stated that the debts of the past didn’t matter and demanded a [treasure] of his satisfaction. Naturally, there was no way they could possess any treasure appealing to someone like Han Baek-ryeong, who held the world’s wealth, so they had returned.
Mangnyang bitterly remarked to me,
“We should take comfort in the fact that Lee Kwang managed to hold back his anger there. If he had confronted the Thunder God Sect, it would have truly been the end.”
“So where do you plan to relocate?”
Mangnyang looked around and said,
“We should go to Zhang Ling Valley.”
“Zhang Ling Valley?”
“Another supporter of the Bancheon Alliance is waiting there.”
We packed our belongings and set off towards Zhang Ling Valley. Since it was quite far from Luoyang, moving stealthily was tough. However, by using the Sacred Storage, we managed to hide all our unnecessary items, allowing us to travel incognito, and we successfully escaped from Luoyang after about three days of careful disguising.
Yet, even as we left Luoyang, I still felt uneasy. With this level of strength, it seemed we could strike a good result against the Golden Eagles if only the surrounding circumstances would support us, but I felt as if I was being driven away.
When we were almost at Zhang Ling Valley, we encountered Bancheon Alliance and Thunder God Sect warriors resting in the mountainous region. I asked Mangnyang,
“I heard that Zhang Ling Valley gives gold bars if you answer three questions correctly?”
“That’s right. It’s also a secret hideout for martial artists.”
“What kind of person is the lord of Zhang Ling Valley?”
“The lord is originally named Gui Guo Zi, one of the smartest strategists in the martial world.”
“Gui Guo Zi? Why would someone like that help us?”
I was slightly surprised by the answer that followed.
“Because he’s my uncle.”
“Really?”
“Indeed.”
Mangnyang gave a wry smile.
“It’s just the way of my family, known for their intelligence throughout martial history.”
Gui Guo Zi is Mangnyang’s uncle!
Just as I was about to dig deeper into this interesting fact,
Guruguruguru…
Guruguru…
“…?!”
The martial artists resting in the shade suddenly jumped up in surprise upon seeing five swirling whirlwinds approaching from the plains. Instantly, everyone scrambled to grab their weapons and prepared to flee. With such a scale of whirlwinds, it was no surprise that they might face death.
But just then, a fearsome lion’s roar echoed, shaking the earth.
[ Hahahahaha!! I have come to deal with the remnants of the Thunder God Sect!!]
In the center of the whirlwinds, something was soaring through the air unnervingly. It was astonishing that a mere human could stand against such whirlwinds without apparent distress, but soon I recognized the voice and felt despair.
“Crap! Why is he here of all places?!”
“Baek Woong! What’s going on?! Do you know his identity?”
“That guy is the lawman of the Wind Spirit Sect!”
Kwakwang
And then the lawman of the Wind Spirit Sect unleashed a whirlwind of nature, crashing into the mountain. Amazingly, the entire mountain seemed to shed its skin as thousands of trees were uprooted and sent flying into the sky.
“Wahh!”
Clearly, this was beyond what a human could withstand; over 30% of the martial artists were sent flying, flailing in the air. Some who were caught in the whirlwind’s trajectory were torn apart, dying instantly.
In fierce battle-ready mode, Lee Kwang‘s eyes blazed with flames.
“Adversary! You dare to show yourself before me, Yong Bichun!!”
Yong Bichun, the lawman of the Wind Spirit Sect, laughed heartily as he stood with his arms crossed in midair, declaring his readiness.
[ Hahaha… that little brat from back then has grown quite a bit… Is being the big shot of the Central Plains fun?]
“Shut up! I will face you myself!!”
Lee Kwang shot forth like a beam of light, and Yong Bichun drew his sword in response. Moments later, I witnessed Lee Kwang’s spear piercing Yong Bichun‘s heart while the devastating technique of the Wind Spirit Sect, Divine Wind, erupted from Yong Bichun’s sword, releasing a formidable illusion.
After the collision of these exceptional experts, everything around seemed to turn white for a moment. Then at last, the aftershock swept through the land.
Kwatakakwang…!!
The rotation of Neural Destruction tore through the blazing heat, sharply breaking through Yong Bichun’s defenses. As Lee Kwang’s spear surged forward with tremendous force, Yong Bichun concentrated energy on his sword. The densely packed wind-based sword energy clashed once again with Neural Destruction.
Kuugung
“Urrgh…!!”
As I watched their duel from a relatively close distance, I thought,
‘So the main technique of the Wind Spirit Sect is sword technique; indeed, it is formidable.’
It seemed Yong Bichun was simply using martial arts as a supplementary method. In fact, while fighting the protector of Moonlight, Yong Bichun had utilized the Wind Sword Technique to engage. It appeared Yong Bichun was acknowledging Lee Kwang as a significant opponent.
I turned to Jin So-cheong, who was watching alongside me, and said,
“Brother! Is there no way to intervene?”
“… It’s impossible. It’s too perilous to join in now. If I rashly intervene, my master will surely be in jeopardy.”
The desire to intervene seemed even stronger for Jin So-cheong, as he bit his lip until it bled. He muttered absently,
“Why did he have to charge in there…? He’s only going to suffer losses at this point.”
“Then should we just wait to see how it unfolds?”
“Don’t worry, master. I’ll find a way to assist him. More importantly, you need to help everyone evacuate.”
“Understood.”
Currently, anyone who wasn’t at Lee Kwang or Jin So-cheong’s level would only become a hindrance amidst their fight. I gathered Mangnyang and others to move away from the epicenter of the battle. Behind us, the dreadful sound of thunder echoed violently as the storm raged, but I tried hard not to pay it any mind.
Following me, Miho remarked with irritation,
[ Is that guy the one who killed me in my previous life?]
“Yeah.”
[ I can’t figure out where to escape against such a monster.]
“… There’s no need to worry about that.”
Eventually, we encountered the elite of the Golden Eagle Guards and the palace army, blocking our escape. It seemed like the Golden Eagle Guards brought their remaining forces, roughly five units, while the palace army awaited with about five thousand troops. The sounds of clashing weapons rippled through the mountains.
Clangkak!
Clang!
“Die!”
“Whoa!!”
The warriors of the Bancheon Alliance were also no slouches; despite overwhelming odds, they managed to hold their ground. Just as I prepared to leap into the battlefield and strike down the enemies with a single blow of my amassed inner strength,
Kwakwang
“You’re the one who cut my leg, you brat? Hehehe.”
There stood a man in a silver mask with a sinister smile, blocking my attack. He easily deflected the full force of my sword strike using a Ring Block. Astonishingly, despite facing me directly, he didn’t take a single step back, indicating he possessed powers or defenses that matched my attack.
“General!!”
The general of the Golden Eagle Guards declared.
“This is your grave!!”
“Do you think I’m the same as I was back then? Go ahead and give it your best shot.”
I charged at the general with my Neural Flow. In response, the general dodged my attack using a Black Crow Formation, and I moved straight toward him, unleashing a series of flame strikes.
Ka-Kang!
As my sword clashed violently against the general’s weapon, after a round of exchanges, the general remarked in astonishment,
“Hooh… Impressive… For your age, that’s really commendable.”
The blade of the sword in the general’s hand had a slight crack in it.
It seemed the current difference in our levels wasn’t as significant as I thought. He was superior to me, but the gap could definitely be closed by strategy and the potency of my attacks. I felt a strong sense of victory and taunted,
“Cutting off your head will make me even more impressive, so please cooperate!”
“Haha, that’s impossible.”
As I parried his attacks, I noticed the general’s eyes turning red.
“I’m about to wield invincible power and attain immortality…”
Boom!
Before he could finish speaking, flames erupted around the general’s body. When I turned to look, Miho had half-transform into a fox demon, secretly releasing fox flames. The general, engulfed in blue flames, looked utterly incapable of rising as a human. Miho coldly declared,
[ Hmph! Whether it’s immortality or not, you’ll just be well-cooked meat.]
For an ordinary human, this would be a fatal blow. However, even as the general was ablaze, he laughed within the flames.
“Haha, haha…!!”
Pieces of charred skin flaked off like sweet potatoes being peeled. Then, red lines appeared all over the general’s body, followed by fleshy tendrils writhing out from within.
“I have transcended humanity!!”
Kurrurrrk
In an instant, the body of the general, sunk into the flesh, began to expand. Eventually, he shot into the sky, half hovering in the air, while the now monstrous General suddenly extended hundreds of tentacles, rapidly thrashing around as they held us at bay, before disappearing beyond the clouds.
‘What the hell?’
Suddenly transforming into a bipedal creature and escaping the battlefield was incomprehensible.
Just then, I felt a presence of Lu Dongbin.
[ Yoon Gi, it’s extremely dangerous right now! That demon is preparing a powerful spell!]
‘Why didn’t you say anything last time?’
As I snapped back to consciousness and asked, Lu Dongbin replied,
[ You were too easy to deal with back then! The more battles you face, the easier you grow! But this time, it’s different! With your skills, you have a 100% chance of dying!]
Lu Dongbin hurriedly communicated in my mind,
[ So open your potential according to the second key of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique!]
The key of “Opening.”
This involved opening some of the Eight Gates of the human body, making it easier for my sword master, Lu Dongbin, to exert his powers. Realizing that the Golden Eagle Guards‘ general had transformed into an extraordinary demon, I understood that I had to activate this technique.
‘If I open all the gates, I’ll die.’
As I hesitated, Lu Dongbin persuaded me.
[ You don’t need to open them all. I’ll open them in sequence.]
“Please!!”
I entrusted my body to follow his guidance. At the same time, I adjusted my body to facilitate the opening of the gates.
Wooooo!
[ I have come to annihilate the demon!]
A sacred aura flowed from my eyes. As Lu Dongbin descended once more, he rummaged through my storage and pulled out a pair of jade-green twin swords that were stashed away. After feeling them out for a moment, he marveled,
[ These are the twin blades of Emperor Shao Li from the Three Kingdoms era!! This is perfect.]
It seemed these weapons had far more potential than the Muramasa sword. Lu Dongbin floated the female sword beside him using sword techniques, gripping the male sword in his right hand to create a stance. The demon lurking beyond the clouds, thinking it was an enemy, seemed to regard him as a target and waited patiently.
Then, he shouted like thunder,
[ Ha-ab!!]
ZzZZz!
It felt as though time had frozen. The female sword floated beneath Lu Dongbin’s feet, and he soared high into the heavens riding it. I couldn’t believe that I was witnessing such a thing, and in the blink of an eye, I soared skyward, rising above the clouds.
This was – the legendary Sword Flying Technique!
As I reached above the clouds with the Sword Flying Technique, I couldn’t even enjoy the sunlight pouring down so calmly. Beyond the sea of clouds, a former lawman turned demon was exuding dark energy. It was clear he possessed far stronger powers than the Malicious Ghost I had encountered at sea, as he released tentacles endlessly, gathering energy.
Lu Dongbin glared at the demon lord from his stance on the sword and shouted,
[ You vile creature! Have you traded your very soul for power, sacrificing your existence to summon the forces of darkness by forcefully opening the dimensional boundaries of Dark Heaven Village?]
Shikkakak!
The demon did not respond. Instead, it extended hundreds of tentacles all around and soon began spewing out lightning and flames in succession. Tremendous flashes of lightning and waves of fire that could cleave the sea of clouds raced toward me like a relentless storm. The sheer force indicated that the demon general was a creature altogether different from those in the underworld.
[ Nonsense!]
Heavenly Escape Sword Technique
Sacred Diagram of the Six Sacred Heavens
Cloud Decision
In an instant, thousands of Energy Swords surged around Lu Dongbin. The radiant swords poured down like a cloud, deflecting the waves of lightning and fire. As timespace folded, the male sword erupted from Lu Dongbin’s hand, severely slashing through a tentacle of the demon.
Pruuk!
But as soon as he saw the terrifying speed of the demon regenerating, Lu Dongbin cried out in genuine fury,
[ You wretch!! You never intended to face me in a true duel, did you? Did you plan to open a gateway for the forces of darkness into the human world? The plot of the Evil God…!!]
Something seemed off.
[ I will not forgive you!! I will never forgive you!]
The emotions radiating from Lu Dongbin felt distinctly different from before; while he had always been powerful and heartfelt, now he was consumed with rage. This overwhelming fury indicated that the battling Lu Dongbin had genuinely lost his composure.
Such terrifying wrath!
[ Haaaaaaaaaa!!]
Suddenly, Lu Dongbin began to open the gates on my body. One gate was already open, but now he hurriedly opened from the Second Gate to the Sixth Gate. The force flowing from Lu Dongbin became overwhelmingly potent, manifesting a brilliant Jade in the air.
It was dizzying.
I felt as if all my own strength and life force were being drawn into the rare Jade. Having experienced this sensation before, I felt my head spinning. No, this feeling was a premonition of death that approached too familiar!
‘ Lu Dongbin! Wait! Please wait!!’
I screamed desperately, but Lu Dongbin paid no heed and roared in a volcanic rage. With that, the power of Great Annihilation sprung forth to open all the gates entirely.
[ Behold, this is the Fire Dragon of the Celestial Realm!!]
Heavenly Escape Sword Technique
Fire Dragon Summoning
Guruguruguru…
The Jade wasn’t an offensive tool by itself. Instead, upon breaking, it revealed a colossal dragon that appeared from the heavens and the earth. The ethereal Red Dragon, made of spirit energy, fixated its gaze on the demon general ahead.
It was a feat impossible for a mere human – a direct summoning of a divine beast of the highest class from the higher realms!
This was equivalent to summoning the phoenix known from the Goryeo era.
Woosh!
The fire dragon twisted its body, gathering forth its divine might. Then it charged forth to rip apart the demon general, and as the tentacles wriggled around in a panic, a titanic explosion occurred, immeasurably greater than any prior.
The sound dulled.
The earth rumbled.
Heavens and earth turned upside down.
Kablam! – !!!
The might of the Fire Dragon! It was truly a natural disaster to behold!
The sea of clouds vanished in an instant as hundreds of miles of explosion radiated into the sky like a stamp of presence. The demon general disappeared without a trace. Despite having exterminated the demon with overwhelming force, I could not relish the victory.
I was falling.
“…”
Wheeeeee!
I wanted to adjust my fall or use my inner power to shield myself, but with Lu Dongbin opening all the gates, my Chi was depleted, and my body was breaking apart. I was in a state where even a Great Immortal couldn’t save me.
I had won, but even so, what kind of victory is this?
‘Aaaaargh… damn it… how is this happening…’
I couldn’t believe that I would die after going through all this.
“Damn you, Lu Dongbin…”
Pruuk!
The pain of falling lasted just a brief moment.
This was my eleventh death.
