Chapter 156
Chapter 156
Baekji held his bamboo staff and gestured with a flick of his wrist.
"Come down and talk."
"I can hear you just fine from here."
The Blood Demon had no intention of coming near Baekji.
"Where is Senior Oh?"
"He's not dead. But if I don't go back, he will die."
It meant that he shouldn't think of killing him.
"Why on earth are you following me?"
"You also saw the ritual of 'Zhong Yue' that day, didn't you?"
"'Zhong Yue'? Is that the Blood Cult Leader's name? I saw something that day. What was it?"
Baekji asked, feigning ignorance.
"Don't pretend you don't know. You also know what it is, don't you?"
"I don't know for sure. I just saw it sucking your soul."
"'Zhong Yue' has already surpassed the 'harmony realm' and has entered the 'limitless realm'. It was a realm where he could perform the 'soul-sucking art' with his consciousness."
The 'limitless realm'? He couldn't even fathom what kind of realm that was. As expected... he was a tremendous brat.
"Why would a brat like that flee at the Alliance Leader's single blow?"
"Because he hasn't completed the 'limitless realm' yet, so he can't move his true body. His consciousness must have also been split when he came. That's why Alliance Leader Zheng was able to break it."
The Blood Demon, while speaking, looked around. Because Baekji might have his subordinates surround the area.
"I came alone. And I have no intention of killing you. Because there is someone else who will kill you."
The Blood Demon frowned.
"There's a brat who will kill me?"
Now that he had achieved the 'Blood Demon God', there was no risk of dying unless the Demonic Cult Leader, the Young Lord, the Martial Alliance Leader, or the Blood Cult Leader came in person.
"The martial arts you have achieved now! How many people's blood was it achieved with? And you still hope to live, isn't that too shameless?"
"Their souls will live forever with me. They should be grateful!"
"You crazy old man... that's an even greater pain. To have to live forever with the one who killed you... there's one more reason why you have to die."
Baekji had not killed anyone since his reincarnation. At first, he had followed Yang Soryeong's will, but later, he had avoided killing on his own.
Reaching a higher realm was not necessarily a good thing.
Although it was not known up to the profound realm, from the moment one surpassed the life-and-death realm, one could be caught up in the calamity of defying heaven if one was not careful.
After entering the 'natural realm', he could see cause and effect. He was being careful after learning that the act of taking someone's life would return as several times the karma, and if it accumulated, one could be struck by the calamity of defying heaven and one's original spirit could be extinguished.
"Anyway, I have no intention of killing you today... so just tell me the reason why you came to see me and hand over Senior Oh. I'm very busy right now."
"Hehe... a brat whose day of death is not far off is busy doing useless things."
The Blood Demon clicked his tongue.
"The day of the 'Blood Heaven's Descent' is not far off. When that day comes... the Blood Cult Leader will kill you first."
"Heok! Me? Does that brat know me?"
Baekji, without realizing it, stroked the back of his neck. He somehow felt uneasy that the Blood Cult Leader was targeting him.
It was the law that I should know the enemy, and the enemy should not know me.
"Kehehe... you will find out when the time comes."
The Blood Demon, who thought he had the upper hand, acted leisurely.
Baekji's expression crumpled.
"Hmm... I think you're misunderstanding something... just because I'm not killing you doesn't mean I can't beat you."
Baekji readjusted his grip on his bamboo staff.
"...!"
The Blood Demon, without realizing it, put strength into his legs, and the pine branch swayed.
"Are you saying it's okay for your disciple to die?"
"The moment he was captured by you, it was as if he were already dead. Isn't that what the life of a martial artist is like? Senior Oh always used to say. That you have to live with the thought of leaving the world the moment you are defeated. Since he said it with his own mouth, he won't be disappointed..."
The Blood Demon was flustered. Did he capture the wrong hostage? No wonder, he seemed like an unimportant brat.
"No, that brat is fine. If I just go back, he will be released without any problems."
"It's okay. I'm still young. I can raise about a hundred disciples in the future."
The Blood Demon became urgent. He flew and moved his body to a high pine branch behind him.
"Wait! I came to have a sincere conversation! I just captured that brat because you were ignoring me. So, let's talk."
"No, there's no way a sincere conversation can be had with a sly old fox like you."
Baekji took a step forward.
"Calm down! I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you the truth, so ask me anything."
"You'll tell me the truth?"
"What do you want to know?"
"What is the 'Blood Heaven's Descent'?"
"..."
The Blood Demon finally realized his mistake. He had been acting leisurely because he had a hostage, and without realizing it, he had uttered the words 'Blood Heaven's Descent'.
Although he had left the Blood Sect, his fear of the Blood Cult Leader was still there.
But the young brat in front of him...
He didn't want to be hit again.
"The 'Blood Heaven's Descent' is the Blood Cult Leader's grand plan of several decades... the Blood Cult Leader has already planted his forces in the imperial family, the court, the great sects, and the noble families. On the day they awaken, the world of the Blood Sect will arrive."
"Heok! Is that true?"
Baekji was so surprised that he dropped his bamboo staff.
At that, the Blood Demon said triumphantly, "This was part of the grand plan that was already scheduled from the time of the Blood Sect's calamity. Kehehe. The defeat of the Blood Sect... was a temporary deception."
"That's ridiculous. A prince? Even a master of a great sect? Why on earth would they follow the Blood Cult Leader when they lack nothing?"
"Kehehe. I also thought so at first. But... the temptation of eternal youth and long life is stronger than you think. The secret method of being able to live forever without growing old easily won over even a prince of the imperial family or a master of a renowned great sect."
Baekji, with a pale face, hesitated and stepped back. He did his best to put on a fearful expression. There would be no other opportunity to hear the information flowing from the mouth of a high-ranking member of the Blood Sect.
Since the Blood Demon was talking excitedly, he had to play along.
Baekji, with a dazed expression, shook his head strongly.
"That can't be. With what the Blood Sect has done... to follow him..."
"Hehe. The core of the grand plan is to shed the golden cicada shell. When the 'Blood Heaven's Descent' is achieved, the Blood Sect will have fulfilled its role and will disappear... and instead, the 'Spirit Immortal Sect' will rule the world."
"'Spirit Immortal Sect'?"
"'Zhong Yue' has completed the 'Blood Blood Demonic Art'. Now he can train his soul, spirit, and ethereal soul without burning living blood."
"...Hmm, so the 'Blood Blood Demonic Art' until now was incomplete..."
The Blood Demon let out a triumphant, strange laugh.
"Hehehe... are you scared? It seems you're in the mood to talk now."
The Blood Demon acted leisurely again. He was beyond saving.
Baekji, as if he were really curious, said with sparkling eyes, "If the 'Blood Blood Demonic Art' is completed... can you really live forever?"
"..."
The Blood Demon could not answer.
"If so, you wouldn't have betrayed the Blood Cult Leader. You think it's a scam, right?"
The Blood Demon shook his head.
"Rather... it would be more correct to say that the Blood Cult Leader betrayed the Blood Sect first."
"Huh? The Cult Leader betrayed the cult members? What does that mean?"
A light of anger flashed in the Blood Demon's eyes.
"The Blood Cult Leader promised eternal life and immortality, and countless cult members believed and followed him. Countless cult members were sacrificed during the calamity of the Blood Sect, but they willingly died, believing in reincarnation. The cult members, who had numbered in the hundreds of thousands, are now less than ten thousand."
"Yes... a lot of them died."
A look of regret flashed in the Blood Demon's eyes.
"At that time... if it weren't for that brat, the Young Lord of the Demonic Cult... the world of the 'Blood Heaven' might have come to be. If so... there would have been no need for the Blood Cult Leader to carry out the plan of the 'Blood Heaven's Descent'..."
Baekji flinched.
The Blood Demon said in a tone filled with resentment, "That vicious brat... he also died in the end. He must be wandering in the 'Avici Hell' by now. Since he killed so many cult members..."
"..."
Aigoo. The hellish scene I saw in my dream... it must have been something that actually happened.
Baekji sighed inwardly and looked at his own hands. To think that he had killed hundreds of thousands with these hands...
Would that karma have been erased by the reincarnation?
He was secretly worried.
"But... now that the Blood Cult Leader has completed the 'Blood Blood Demonic Art', he is trying to abandon the Blood Sect."
"Why? Is he abandoning those who followed him with such loyalty?"
A blood light erupted from the Blood Demon's eyes. He ground his teeth and said, "Killing the dog after the hunt! He is trying to erase his past karma. Now that he can perform his training without burning human blood, he is trying to get rid of the Blood Sect and appear with a new face."
"So that's what the 'Spirit Immortal Sect' is!"
Baekji understood what he meant.
"On the day of the 'Blood Heaven's Descent'... those who had trained their souls by burning living blood... their souls will be sucked, and they will become a sacrifice for the Blood Cult Leader to achieve the 'limitless realm'."
Baekji thought for a moment and then asked, "How many Blood Cult Leaders are there?"
The Blood Demon looked at him with eyes that said, 'what are you talking about'. Then, 'ah', he said as if he understood, "When you perform the 'Great Soul Reincarnation Art', the previous physical body dies. So there is always only one Blood Cult Leader."
The Blood Demon did not seem to know that there could be multiple souls of the Blood Cult Leader. It meant that what he knew was also limited.
'You were also just a hunting dog. You played the role of a pushover properly.'
Baekji muttered inwardly. Without knowing that, the Blood Demon, put on a serious face and said in a subtle voice, "I'll tell you something important. The current Blood Cult Leader is a face you also know."
"......?"
"Baek Yeon-do. The sacrifice of the 'Reincarnation Master' became the possession of the Blood Cult Leader."
His expression clearly showed that he was telling a great secret.
There were also many levels to the 'Great Soul Reincarnation Art'. When one obtained a new physical body through the 'Great Soul Reincarnation Art', one's level would temporarily decrease. But thanks to the 'Reincarnation Master's' painstaking efforts to purify Baek Yeon-do's physical body with the 'Blood Exhausting Body Cleansing Soup', the Blood Cult Leader was able to transfer his soul and ethereal soul without any problems and immediately enter the 'harmony realm'.
The Blood Demon, in the middle of speaking, ground his teeth as if a thought had crossed his mind.
"That was all my contribution. I brought Baek Yeon-do's physical body. But... but to take my soul and make it a sacrifice for the 'limitless realm'..."
"Hmm. It's worth betraying. I would also be disappointed."
"Disappointed? Is this something to be disappointed about?"
The Blood Demon's face contorted fearsomely.
"Now, if he doesn't die, I will die. Now that I have achieved the 'Blood Demon God', I can deal with his 'soul-sucking art'. If I achieve the complete 'Blood Demon God'... I will kill him first."
"If you become a complete 'Blood Demon', can you deal with the Blood Cult Leader?"
"..."
"I think you'll be the one to die. I'd appreciate it if you didn't drag me into this."
At Baekji's words, the Blood Demon snorted.
"Hmph! If so... do you think you'll be safe? Ke-ke-ke. You are also on the Blood Cult Leader's kill list."
"You're a traitor, so he'll kill you, but why me?"
"No matter how much you purify with the 'Blood Exhausting Body Cleansing Soup', the loss of martial arts level with the 'Great Soul Reincarnation Art' is unavoidable! But Baek Yeon-do agreed to accept the 'Great Soul Reincarnation Art' while he was alive. In that case, the loss of realm is minimized. In exchange for giving up his body, he asked for you to be killed. Since it is engraved in his soul, perhaps... the Blood Cult Leader will have to kill you to release the curse left by the vengeful spirit."
"...!"
Baek Yeon-do pointed me out and asked for me to be killed? What great enmity do I have with him... ah, it's true that we are enemies.
"He has to harmonize with Baek Yeon-do's soul to release the curse... so he'll try to kill you first."
"Yes... that's why you shouldn't hold a grudge. No. At that time, should I have killed him for sure?"
Baekji grumbled.
The Blood Demon said triumphantly, "How about it? Won't you join hands with me? If it's the two of us, we can deal with the Blood Cult Leader."
Baekji shook his head as if it were not even worth considering.
"I can't do that. I will not hold your blood-soaked hands. More than that... what is the reason for telling me a story like this? The trouble of capturing Senior Oh and meeting me was not to tell me the inside story of the Blood Sect."
(End of Chapter)
novelraw