I Became the Genius Mage of the Martial Academy

Chapter 176 : Macheon Cult Subjugation (3)

With a loud roar, their figures were pushed back.

‘Now!’

Three flashes of light were shot, aiming for the defenseless Pa Eun-seong.

Although the guy immediately swung his sword and tried to block, he couldn't deflect all three Flame Lightning First Blade Spears.

Soon, Pa Eun-seong, whose side was pierced, lost his balance and fell to the floor.

‘Still not enough.’

I immediately chased after the guy and formed magic. At the tip of the Daoist Scholar's Fan, a burning electric shock in a gust of wind condenses.

Flame Wind Lightning, a triple fusion magic, rushed, aiming for Pa Eun-seong who had landed on the floor.

With an explosion, the area became a mess.

But what appeared after the scorching wind had passed was Pa Eun-seong, standing at the center of it.

‘Is it the power of anti-magic again?’

Magic was scattering around him.

Although it was similar to the Kongtong Sect's Demon-Subduing Sword Art, its range was wider, and its magic resistance effect was greater.

“It’s still a strange power.”

“That’s what I should be saying. For a mere magic art to have this much power. As expected of the power of our sworn enemy.”

“What?”

After a sudden declaration, Pa Eun-seong raised his sword.

“The Heaven-Shattering Faction and the Martial Academy have the same roots. It’s just that the paths we walk are different. So we have no choice but to confront each other.”

“You’re talking a lot of nonsense. For a fake.”

“You guys are the fakes! We, who have inherited the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art, are the true successors!”

With a shout, Pa Eun-seong rushed at me. This time, he was holding two swords.

‘Dual swords?’

I raised my altitude and adjusted the distance with the opponent.

Since magic didn't work, I had no choice but to use other means. I immediately aimed a Flame Lightning Three-Blade Spear.

‘Since his side is injured, I’ll end it with this.’

Three flashes of light that were shot simultaneously.

Pa Eun-seong deflects two of the blades. But there is still one left. The First Blade, imbued with the subtlety of a flying dagger style, bends and pierces the opponent.

So it seemed.

“I won’t be fooled twice.”

Before I knew it, Pa Eun-seong, who had deflected the First Blade with his sword handle, glared at this side.

From using dual swords to defending, it felt like he had planned his strategy with the Daoist Scholar's Fan in mind.

But that much was not enough. Because I hadn't been playing around in the meantime either.

“You think you won’t be fooled?”

In the meantime, I thrust the Demon-Slaying Sword while being close to the guy.

The opponent who was holding on in an unstable posture in the air.

Although he tried to counterattack somehow, it was already a composition where the Demon-Slaying Sword was striking down from above. It would not be easy to block.

In the fierce battle, we soon began to fall towards the ground.

To be precise, it was a shape where Pa Eun-seong was pinned underneath.

“Do you think you can defeat me with just this?!”

As befitting a Transformation Realm master, he was pushing this side back by swinging his dual swords, but it was already too late.

Because the ground was getting closer behind Pa Eun-seong's back.

A Flame Lightning Three-Blade Spear floated around me and then, with a shockwave, three flashes of light struck down on the ground.

“Keo-heok!”

What was revealed after the smoke had cleared was Pa Eun-seong, who was covered in blood and was aiming his sword at this side.

One of his arms was pierced by the First Blade and was burned and drooping, and both of his sides were dug out as if a beast had torn them, and blood was flowing.

“This is the end.”

I floated a Flame Lightning Three-Blade Spear and aimed it at Pa Eun-seong.

The match was already decided.

But an injured beast is the most dangerous. There was no reason to get close.

‘My mana is also starting to run out. I have to deal with him here.’

It seemed the enemy had also realized that this was his last chance. Pa Eun-seong, who had been holding this side in check with one arm, got into a stance to rush.

Just then, there were those who were rushing in after hearing the commotion. They were the believers of the Macheon Cult.

“Young Leader!!”

“What is this?! Catch that demon!!”

In an instant, dozens of martial artists and commoners rushed at me.

‘That’s why I deliberately induced an aerial battle.’

As soon as I had finished preparing to fire, I shot a Flame Lightning Three-Blade Spear. The flash that was shot with a sense of exhaustion pierces the blurred figure of the enemy.

With a sword cry, one arm rotates in the air.

Below it, I could see Pa Eun-seong, still standing with his sword.

He had deflected the First Blade that had been aimed for his neck by thrusting his sword, had sacrificed one arm to block the Second Blade, and had dodged the final Third Blade with just his movement.

Although he couldn't dodge it completely, as his outer thigh was half-blown away.

The fact that the opponent, who should have been a corpse long ago, was still alive was a surprising thing in itself.

‘Is this a master who has reached the Transformation Realm?’

He had survived with minimal damage with a high level of concentration. It was a martial art he had shown as soon as his feet had touched the ground.

“Waaaaaah!”

Just then, the believers began to rush at me.

“Tsk.”

The timing was not good. I could have killed Pa Eun-seong with just one more move.

‘Just in case, I’ll conserve my mana.’

I cut down the rushing enemies with the Demon-Slaying Sword and then rushed forward.

Pa Eun-seong was escaping at a high speed, hiding among the believers.

I jumped up, stepping on the heads of the enemies who were pouring in by the dozens. I could see the back of the guy who was running far away.

‘I’ll finish it here.’

If I let him live, he would surely remain as a future trouble. Immediately after breaking through the encirclement of the believers, I kicked off the ground and then rushed.

The enemies who couldn't keep up with the tremendous speed and were moving away. On the other hand, the distance between me and Pa Eun-seong was gradually narrowing.

It was no use running with one leg not being sound.

In the ensuing pursuit, Pa Eun-seong fled to the pavilion on the hill in the center of the city.

“Here?”

I could feel the presence of Pa Eun-seong, who had jumped over the entrance of the magnificent pavilion, blurring for a moment.

‘Is it a trap?’

I could feel the energy of a naturally formed formation. A situation where I didn't know what kind of enemy was hiding if I entered that interior.

But formations were my specialty.

I immediately jumped into the interior of the pavilion and took control of the formation. At the same time, after grasping the presence of the area, I tracked Pa Eun-seong.

The guy was not far away. He was just passing through the cave behind the pavilion.

‘Is it a secret passage?’

Fortunately, there were only two of the enemy's martial artists guarding this pavilion. And since they were all at the peak level, I could deal with them quickly and enter.

As I ran along the eerie cave, following the bloodstains that Pa Eun-seong had left, a spacious space appeared beyond it.

And on top of that, even the figure of Pa Eun-seong, who had just reached that place and was running away.

“That’s as far as you go.”

When I flew the Demon-Slaying Sword with a powerful qi, the opponent barely turned around and blocked the attack.

Pa Eun-seong, who was staggering from the impact transmitted to the tip of his sword.

Just by looking at him, he was seriously injured. I continued to fly a powerful qi and chipped away at the guy's stamina.

As he was gradually pushed back, he suddenly vomited blood. It seemed he also had a considerable internal injury.

‘In a way, is it natural? Because the flame lightning would have dug into his internal organs and burned them.’

Seeing his two sides deeply dug out and blackened, I decided to finish it.

A Flame Lightning First Blade Spear floated with a clear white afterimage.

Pa Eun-seong also seemed to have sensed his end, as he opened his eyes wide and opened his mouth.

“…The day of judgment is coming. On the day of our god’s advent, the sky of the Central Plains will change! Forever!”

At the end of the crazed shout, a flash flickered.

The sword that Pa Eun-seong had thrust at the last moment was broken by a single flash, and even his heart was pierced.

“Go to hell.”

I retrieved the fan ribs with psychokinesis in front of the guy's collapsing corpse.

I could feel that my mana was almost at the bottom. He was that strong of an enemy.

But because of that, there was also a point I could feel.

‘I’ve definitely gotten stronger.’

I had finally defeated a Transformation Realm master single-handedly. Although it was just the beginning, it meant I had defeated a master at the level of the hundred great masters of the Central Plains alone.

‘Then I should join the battle soon…’

Just as I was about to turn from my seat, something came into view. It was an old mural engraved in the cave.

“Huh?”

It was a shape that depicted a man descending to the ground, and it was a picture I had seen somewhere.

‘The Blood Cult?’

It was similar to the mural I had seen when I had obtained the Black Moon Sword at the Blood Cult's main mountain.

‘What on earth is this?’

Although religious symbols are similar everywhere, this was too similar.

I left the strange feeling behind and headed for the battlefield.

After that, the battle that took place after joining the battlefield was one-sided.

I dealt with the enemy's masters mainly with swordsmanship, and the poison of the Green Wind Unit massacred the believers. In between, the martial artists of the Diancang Sect assisted and swept away the enemies.

‘No matter how many there are, without a command, they’re just a disorderly mob.’

Whenever an enemy executive was seen, Tang Gi-seok's hidden weapon rushed in, so the enemies couldn't gather.

And so, as nearly a thousand corpses were piling up around us, a trumpet sound echoed from a distance.

“It’s the Sichuan Tang family!”

Tang Gi-seok raised his voice. They had dispatched the main force in response to the request for support sent by a carrier pigeon.

Soon, the flags with the emblem of the Sichuan Tang family began to pour in from a distance.

It was the moment when the destruction of the Macheon Cult's largest branch in Sichuan was foretold.

***

“This victory is all thanks to the great hero, Zhuge Cheonwu!”

“To think you’d win a life-and-death battle against Pa Eun-seong, how amazing.”

At the dinner party after the victory, Tang Gi-seok and Sa Hee-gong approached me and raised their voices.

Since I had swept away hundreds of believers and had even killed the Transformation Realm master, Pa Eun-seong, it was not strange to be treated as the number one contributor.

Sa Hee-gong approached me, half-drunk.

“You’ve fulfilled the long-cherished wish of the Diancang Sect. If there’s anything we can do for you later, just call us. The Diancang Sect will gladly respond.”

Although it seemed to be an extension of social life and a part of networking, I didn't miss the opportunity.

“Since you’ve promised in the name of the Diancang Sect, if something comes up later, I will definitely call you.”

Although it was just one word, such a casual remark could be of more help than expected later.

Of course, unlike with the other forces, since it was just a passing remark, it would be difficult to see a big effect, but it was better than nothing.

While the night was deepening, I additionally enjoyed the banquet, talking with Lee Hee-mun. The next day, after returning to the Sichuan Tang family with the Green Wind Unit, Tang Pung-ok declared.

“I’ll go to the academy too. Because immunity to ten thousand poisons is not something that can be achieved overnight.”

It seemed she was planning to help me achieve immunity to ten thousand poisons for the remaining year.

“Then you should go first. I have a place to stop in the middle.”

“Where, Gaga? I want to go too.”

Tang Surin asked, as if she was curious. But the place I was going this time was not a place she could accompany.

“The Martial Alliance.”

At the end of the answer, after finishing the greetings, I immediately floated up with psychokinesis. And then I headed for the Hubei branch of the Martial Alliance where Seo Won-dal was.

How many shichen had I flown? The Hubei branch was visible below.

After arriving right above the destination, I felt a huge presence from below.

‘The Martial Alliance Leader.’

Even though I hadn't made a presence, I could feel that Seo Won-dal was conscious of this side.

I immediately landed at the main gate and waited for the Martial Alliance Leader to come out.

“Wh-who are you?!”

The gatekeeper's reaction was similar everywhere.

“I am Zhuge Cheonwu of the Zhuge family. I have come to greet the Martial Alliance Leader.”

“The Great Mage?! If you come so suddenly without any notice…”

Before the gatekeeper could finish his words of refusal, the main gate of the Martial Alliance branch opened.

“Huh, Martial Alliance Leader!”

And what appeared was Seo Won-dal.

“They say you can’t recognize a scholar after three days, and you’ve gotten stronger again.”

As expected of the best of the orthodox faction, he immediately grasped my level.

After that, I was guided by Seo Won-dal and headed for the office, and after closing the door, I brought up the main point.

“The reason I’ve come today is because I have a proposal to make.”

“Is it related to your recent meetings with the influential forces of the orthodox faction?”

He was sharp. It meant he was grasping this side's movements.

I nodded my head.

“Yes.”

And I began to explain the plan for the future. Since we both had the thought of dealing with the Demonic Cult, there was a common purpose.

Above all, since the members of the orthodox faction were moving on such a large scale, the Martial Alliance could not stay still.

I had come knowing that.

“It’s certainly strange that the Demonic Cult leader is moving. But even if what you say is true, you’re still not enough.”

Seo Won-dal said. Everyone said the same thing.

But it was also that important of a problem.

“I killed Pa Eun-seong yesterday. Is that still not enough?”

“……!”

Seo Won-dal, who had shown a surprised reaction for a moment at the words that I had dealt with a Transformation Realm master, soon opened his mouth.

“To be the central point, you have to reach the realm of Transformation before the operation. That’s what a representative is.”

“I’ll do it before graduation.”

“It won’t be as easy as it sounds. The difference between a super-peak level and a Transformation Realm is far greater than you can imagine.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

After finishing my promise with Seo Won-dal, I turned around.

It was now time to return to the Martial Academy.

‘All that’s left is to grow.’

While flying back to the academy, I suddenly recalled the battle with Pa Eun-seong. I remembered that my mana had been insufficient due to the rapid consumption of the Flame Lightning Three-Blade Formation.

It was also a time when I needed to replenish my mana.

‘Then shall I see the effect of spiritual medicine?’

Because there was nothing like a spiritual medicine for a mana boost.

Although the cost would be enormous, it didn't matter.

I thought of the Jaejun Merchant Guild.

It was time to reap the seeds I had sown.

(End of Chapter)