novelraw Chapter 210
Chapter 210
Chapter 210. Heavenly Emperor Cult (3)
"What is this...?"
It was an absurd thing. It was probably a coincidence.
Even with that thought, a strange sense of unease swirled in his mind.
The Heavenly Emperor Cult leader muttered as if to drive away that unease.
"Hmph. With what means can a mere brat like him break through my formation?"
The Ghost Sword and the brats were approaching the depths of the mountain.
Naturally, they were falling deeper into the mire of the formation.
Hallucinations would fill their vision and lead them to cliffs and traps.
Also, various illusions would appear and attack them.
Moreover, they were illusions and yet not illusions at the same time.
If one were hit by the attack of an illusion, a wound would actually appear on their body. It could be called a tangible illusion.
"Heheheh. As expected."
It was as the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader had expected.
The brats could not come straight up in a line and were approaching by twisting their paths here and there.
Moreover, as if they were being tormented by illusions, they each swung their weapons at the empty air.
After a moment of heartily laughing at their foolishness.
The Ghost Sword, who had been swinging his sword at the empty air, suddenly threw himself to the side.
The Ghost Sword swung his sword at a huge tree there.
CRACK!!
A strange sound burst out as the tree was cut down.
Soon after, the energy that had been swirling in that vicinity was shaken all at once.
One of the ritual objects that formed the core of the formation had been destroyed with absurd simplicity.
At the unexpected situation, the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader's eyes widened as if they would burst.
"Th-this can't be......"
At that moment, the Ghost Sword, who had driven away the surrounding illusions, quickly used his movement technique.
He was running exactly in the direction of where the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader was.
SWISH!
His companions quickly followed behind the Ghost Sword.
After running at an incredible speed for a moment, they were caught in the formation again.
But the effect of the formation did not last long.
CRACK!!
Once again, one of the ritual objects that maintained the formation was cut down by the Ghost Sword's hand.
"H-how on earth does that brat know about my formation?"
It was a series of incomprehensible events.
But he couldn't just stand there in surprise.
The Heavenly Emperor Cult leader began to chant an incantation and shake the cursed object.
At that, a change occurred in the formation.
In the first place, the formation laid out over the entire mountain was designed by him personally.
The Heavenly Emperor Cult leader, who had reached a high realm, could freely cause changes even in a formation that had already been formed.
As the flow of qi was twisted, the terrain of the mountain visible to the Ghost Sword's party kept changing.
A barrage of illusions flew in from all directions.
But the real thing was something else.
"Oh, Heavenly Emperor!!"
"Please send us to paradise!!"
People shouting crazed screams from all over the mountain.
The fanatics of the Heavenly Emperor Cult began to gather toward the Ghost Sword's party.
Already intoxicated by the illusion shown by the formation and the drugs, they were no different from a part of the formation itself.
A few fanatics who were near the Ghost Sword's party reached close range.
In the eyes of the fanatics intoxicated by the formation, the Ghost Sword's party looked like demons that had risen from hell.
"You bastards!!"
"I will never let you reach the Heavenly Emperor, even if I die!!"
"I will protect the Heavenly Emperor! So please send my daughter who is in hell to paradise!!"
They each shouted their vows and wishes and rushed at the Ghost Sword's party.
The figures of those fanatics were not visible to Jin Yuseong's party.
To be precise, they could not be distinguished from the illusions they had seen before.
Except for one person, Jin Yuseong, who had special eyes.
He quickly shouted.
"There are people mixed in with the illusions! Do not kill them under any circumstances!"
As he shouted that, he quickly turned his eyes in all directions.
He had to find a ritual object nearby.
Even just to escape the influence of the formation.
After running around and looking for a ritual object for a moment.
He finally managed to find a rock where energy was swirling.
SLASH!
Immediately after Jin Yuseong split the rock, the artificially twisted flow of the surroundings returned.
The illusions that had filled all directions also disappeared.
Only then were the figures of the fanatics who had been attacking them revealed.
But even though the formation had dissipated, the fanatics did not come to their senses.
They were already steeped in drugs and illusions.
"Oh, Heavenly Emperor!!!"
"Paradise! Please send us to paradise!!"
"You devils from this hell!!"
At the sight of the ordinary commoners with crazed eyes, my companions wore confused expressions.
On the other hand, sparks flew in Jin Yuseong's eyes.
Because he had memories of his past life, he knew.
The proselytizing methods of the Heavenly Emperor Cult. Furthermore, why they had ended up in such a state.
"They are pitiful people who have been brainwashed by drugs and the formation! Do not kill them under any circumstances!"
Jin Yuseong, who had shouted that, turned his head with a whip-like motion.
Toward where the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader was.
In his eyes, the will-o'-the-wisp named killing intent was burning.
'I will kill him. By any means necessary.'
He had intended to kill him anyway, but seeing the state of the brainwashed people, his anger welled up.
Jin Yuseong and his companions continued to advance.
When an illusion attacked, they focused on evasion and defense instead of launching an offense in vain.
Then, when the formation was released, they would press the blood vessels of the brainwashed commoners or strike the nape of their necks to knock them out.
In the first place, they were ordinary people who had not learned a single martial art.
As long as it wasn't the illusion of the formation, subduing them was not difficult.
SLASH!
Then, when Jin Yuseong destroyed another nearby ritual object, they would advance again.
Slowly, the distance with the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader narrowed.
Looking down at the scene, the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader frowned.
"Hmm... It seems there is something about those eyeballs after all."
He too had now more or less noticed.
That the brat could see the flow of the formation.
He was even starting to think that it was for the better.
He intended to subdue the brat, use him as a slave, and test those eyeballs in various ways.
The Heavenly Emperor Cult leader turned his head and gave a command to his disciples.
"Send down the followers immediately."
At his instruction, the disciples all began to chant an incantation at once.
At that, the followers connected to the disciples jumped down the mountain one by one.
Although they might be lacking compared to the four martial artists carrying the four-person palanquin, they were all quite capable martial artists.
At least at the first-rate level, and there were also several masters at the beginning of the supreme realm mixed in.
There were nearly a hundred of such people.
"Strike!"
Surprisingly, they scattered and advanced.
Even though it was a place where the formation was still maintained, there was no hesitation in their movements.
Because the shamans connected to them by shamanism were showing them the way.
- Kill them!
They were moving according to the command that echoed in their minds.
To be precise, they had no choice but to obey that command.
Even the mere thought of wanting to disobey was followed by a terrible pain.
It was a pain as if some bug inside their head was eating their brain.
A terrifying sight came into the eyes of those who had gotten closer.
"Haat!"
When the man called the Ghost Sword swung his sword, dozens of strands of sword qi swirled.
Furthermore, a few strands of sword qi even cut down the ritual object of a nearby formation.
SLASH!
The formation was shaken.
He was a master of a completely different level.
The followers also knew.
The fact that if they confronted them, they would not be able to escape a dog's death.
But they could not dare to flee.
The followers thought.
'Just kill me instead.'
'Let's die with a single stroke.'
It seemed better to die without pain instead.
At that moment, the Ghost Sword, who had discovered the approaching martial artists, shouted.
"They are similar to Chun-gae. They are also pitiful people who have been subdued by shamanism, so for now, subdue them all, leaving them alive!!"
At the unexpected shout, the followers' eyes widened like lanterns.
Soon, the shouts of the Ghost Sword's companions were heard.
"Don't worry, Senior Brother!"
"I understand."
"I-it's hard to control my strength, but I-I'll try!"
"Hmm. I'm curious. Whether the paralysis poison will work even if they are under shamanism."
"Just leave it to me, Great Hero!!"
"Tsk. For some reason, they all look like weaklings!"
Soon after, the followers of the Heavenly Emperor Cult and the Ghost Sword's party clashed.
THWACK!
The battle was completely one-sided.
Every time Jin Yuseong swung his sword, those who blocked his path collapsed.
Baek Hyang and Choyeon were no different.
"Hoh. The paralysis poison works even if they are under shamanism!"
Those who were hit by Dang Sopyeong's hidden weapons and poison were also continuously collapsing.
In the case of Hwangbo Ak, Nam Geon, and Paeng Daecheol, it was rather more difficult to control their strength to subdue their opponents alive.
After observing the battle situation and breaking down the formation further for a moment.
The energy of a few figures gathered in the distance was reflected in Jin Yuseong's eyes.
He had gotten quite close to the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader.
Jin Yuseong swung the Master's Blade toward the right.
The evil creature that was there was cut down, and the view was wide open again.
SLASH!
Immediately after, Jin Yuseong sent a sound transmission to his companions.
- Junior Sisters, stay behind and subdue any others who approach.
- You, stay behind and help the Junior Sisters.
He entrusted the role of stopping the innocent people to the three of them.
- If you're frustrated, just follow me straight ahead.
He told the remaining three to follow him.
- It's okay to kill the shaman bastards.
Everyone nodded at Jin Yuseong's instruction.
Except for Hwangbo Ak.
"Kuhahahaha!! A very good idea, Brother Jin!!"
Jin Yuseong, who had entrusted the rear to Baek Hyang, Choyeon, and Dang Sopyeong, advanced without rest.
Nam Geon, Hwangbo Ak, and Paeng Daecheol quickly followed behind him.
After subduing those who occasionally blocked their path and destroying the ritual objects of the formation two more times.
SLASH!
A steep slope appeared before Jin Yuseong's eyes.
Jin Yuseong used his movement technique to climb the slope with ease, and the trio also followed behind him.
Tap.
Jin Yuseong, who had landed lightly on the ground.
He could see the figures of the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader and his disciples.
Looking at the four-person palanquin that the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader was on, Jin Yuseong muttered.
"......There are still only four of them."
Compared to the eight-person palanquin he would be carried in in the future, the number was half.
Moreover, at that time, there were more spare martial artists.
On the other hand, now, it seemed those four were all there were.
But that fact did not feel entirely pleasant.
In addition to those four, and the people he had seen on the mountain earlier.
There were already more than one or two people who had suffered at the hands of the Heavenly Emperor Cult.
He only regretted that he had not found them sooner.
"Hoh. Still only four, you say. You seem to know a thing or two."
The Heavenly Emperor Cult leader smirked and shook the cursed object.
"Heheheh. Don't worry. After I've captured all of you, that number will double."
Soon after, a strange sight came into Jin Yuseong's eyes.
The four martial artists carrying the four-person palanquin let out a stifled groan.
"Kuuuuuuhk."
Simultaneously, an enormous energy began to surge from their entire bodies.
It was prenatal qi.
He had forcibly exploded the latent potential of those martial artists through shamanism.
Prenatal qi was the foundation of life.
Naturally, a martial artist who had used up all their prenatal qi was bound to die.
This was also the reason why the future Teaching Demon, who was carried in an eight-person palanquin, had more than eight slaves.
Every time a slave whose latent potential had been exploded died, he would replace that spot with another slave.
If time was dragged on, they would be in danger.
"Kill the disciple bastards first!"
Simultaneously with giving the instruction to his companions, Jin Yuseong suddenly swung the Master's Blade.
SWOOOOOSH!
Dozens of bundles of sword qi advanced, cutting through the air.
"Hmph."
The Heavenly Emperor Cult leader who snorted swung his left arm.
At that, a wind swirled, and a barrier made of wind was formed right in front of the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader.
Even in the midst of that, the martial artists of the four-person palanquin were still groaning.
"Kuuuuuuhk."
Looking at the scene, Jin Yuseong frowned faintly.
'I thought the shamanism would be disrupted even a little bit.'
Contrary to his expectations, the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader cast two shamanistic spells at the same time as if it were nothing.
As the sword qi and the barrier of wind clashed, explosions burst out in succession.
PAPAPAPAK!
At that moment, Jin Yuseong used his movement technique to its fullest.
BOOM!!
The ground exploded.
The rapidly closing distance.
The Heavenly Emperor Cult leader smiled with a covetous expression.
"Heheheh. A very useful fellow."
Unlike his future moniker, the King of Slothful Teaching, he personally threw himself into the air and soared up.
It wasn't just because he was afraid of Jin Yuseong.
It was because it was inefficient for the slaves to fight while holding the four-person palanquin.
"Now! Capture that fellow who will replace you immediately!!"
No sooner had the Heavenly Emperor Cult leader, who was floating in the air, given the command than the martial artists threw the four-person palanquin at Jin Yuseong.
SLASH!
At the moment when Jin Yuseong cut that four-person palanquin.
"Kuaaaaaaaahk!"
The martial artists let out a scream full of malice and pain and rushed at Jin Yuseong.