novelraw Chapter 73 : Chapter 73
Chapter 73 : Chapter 73
Chapter 73 Ghost Blood Sect (6)
─ Beeeeeeek
As I ascended to the first floor, the thin sound of a flute reached my ears from up ahead.
Sensing the presence of warriors rushing toward the pavilion from all directions, Ice Rakshasa Pan Bing-yeong loosened her neck with a series of cracks.
“Shall I kill them all?”
“No. Most likely, the other warriors of the Ghost Blood Sect don’t even know about the Blood Cult’s ritual. Let’s only capture the Sect Leader and those possessing Demonic Energy. Keep them alive if possible.”
“Fine. So those three up front with the powerful auras are the ones with Demonic Energy?”
“That’s right.”
“Then we’ll take two each. This time, I’ll handle the Sect Leader’s side.”
“No. I’ll deal with all four of them, so please just focus on blocking the other Ghost Blood Sect warriors from approaching.”
At my words, Ice Rakshasa shrugged her shoulders and nodded.
“Understood.”
I gave her a smirk and stepped toward the pavilion’s entrance.
“Let’s go.”
The two of us walked out through the wide-open doors of the pavilion.
****
“Gal Sa-ryeong. What is all this commotion?”
Three men in black approached the pavilion.
The Ghost Blood Sect Leader, Gal Sa-ryeong, ran toward them and bowed deeply.
“Lord Myoan Sura. We have intruders! They appear to be members of the Divine Cult.”
“……Members of the Divine Cult?”
The man in black called Myoan Sura tilted his head in confusion.
“We are the only members of the Divine Cult dispatched to the Ghost Blood Sect. What do you mean there are other members?”
“T-They definitely used the martial arts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult! I could clearly feel the Demonic Energy as well!”
The men in black checked me and Ice Rakshasa as we emerged from the pavilion, then turned to look at the Ghost Blood Sect Leader with pathetic eyes.
“Gal Sa-ryeong. Are you showing such unseemly behavior because you couldn't even handle a couple of brats despite receiving the protection of the Blood God?”
“Lord Myoan Sura. They are no ordinary foes. My sword couldn't even graze that boy’s sleeve.”
At the Sect Leader’s words, one of the men in black clicked his tongue.
“Did I not tell you that internal energy raised solely through pills is useless? I told you time and again to train constantly and make the sword part of your body……”
“……That is.”
The Ghost Blood Sect Leader tried to argue but ended up hanging his head low.
“Enough. We will handle this, so stay out of the way.”
The men in black, who had been staring coldly at the Ghost Blood Sect Leader, turned their bodies toward me and Ice Rakshasa.
Blocking our path, the men in black crossed their arms and observed us.
After surveying the men in black blocking the front and the surrounding situation, I spoke to Ice Rakshasa Pan Bing-yeong.
“Miss. As I mentioned, I’ll leave the Ghost Blood Sect warriors to you.”
Ice Rakshasa nodded at me.
Then, she stuck her tongue out playfully at the men in black before beginning to walk past them.
Watching Ice Rakshasa leisurely walk past them, the men in black laughed in disbelief and turned back to me.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The men in black, watching Ice Rakshasa move further away with blank stares, let out a sigh.
“They are a couple with no sense at all. Or have they simply lost their minds because they are on the verge of death?”
Myoan Sura let out a hollow laugh and cracked his knuckles with a series of thuds.
Meanwhile, as I took a deep breath and slowly drew up my energy, Demonic Energy began to seep out from around my body.
Detecting the thick Demonic Energy spreading around me, Myoan Sura’s eyes widened.
“……Huh? You really use Demonic Energy? You, where did you obtain the energy of the Demon God?”
Myoan Sura’s expression suddenly stiffened as he looked at me.
‘Could it be, a descendant raised by the Mad Demon’s side?’
The faction of the Mad Demon, who participated in the cause of the Divine Cult’s revival but opposed the acceptance of the Blood Cult’s martial arts until the very end, had lost most of its power due to the internal rebellion that occurred not long ago.
After being lost in thought for a moment, Myoan Sura shook his head from side to side.
‘No. That’s impossible.’
If I were a successor raised in secret by the Mad Demon, I wouldn't be committing such a reckless act in a situation like this.
‘Then just who is this child……’
Myoan Sura stared intently at me with narrowed eyes.
I met Myoan Sura’s gaze with eyes that had turned cold as I spoke.
“The quality of your Demonic Energy is so poor that I can't even stand to look at it.”
At my sudden words, Myoan Sura let out a smirk as if he found it absurd.
“Heh. What kind of nonsense are you spouting now? You dare discuss Demonic Energy in front of me?”
After scanning Myoan Sura up and down once more, I shook my head.
“It seems you've lost all the essence of the Divine Cult’s martial arts the moment you mixed Blood Energy into your Demonic Energy. I don't understand why you would accept Blood Energy when you can't even properly combine the two energies.”
As if he found it ridiculous, Myoan Sura shrugged his shoulders while looking at the men beside him.
“Kuku. This fellow has completely lost his mind. What does a piece of trash like you know about Demonic Energy and Blood Energy to be talking such nonsense!”
“Have you forgotten the reason why the Blood Cult was eventually destroyed, even when they were on the verge of conquering the Central Plains in the past?”
Seeing the serious look in my eyes, Myoan Sura frowned and spoke.
“Just what are you trying to say? Back then, it only happened because the Supreme Being of the Divine Cult decided to crush the Blood Cult. What other reason could there be!”
At that response, I cracked my neck.
“Indeed. As you said, the Supreme Being at the time crushed the Blood Cult with pure Demonic Arts alone, and he did it by himself. I simply don't understand why you're doing something as stupid as mixing Blood Energy into your Demonic Arts when you already know the clear fact that Blood Energy cannot defeat pure Demonic Energy.”
“Ignorant fool. The Supreme Being of that time possessed martial power close to that of a demigod, regardless of the classification of his martial arts. The Blood Cult was destroyed solely because of the existence of an absolute being; it’s difficult to say it was because of the superiority of his martial arts. Furthermore, the newly transmitted martial arts of the Blood Cult contain much more profound principles than before. The situation is completely different from back then.”
Myoan Sura wore a fishy smile.
“The Blood Demon is working hard to integrate the hidden masters of the Blood Cult into the Demonic Cult to fully transmit the true martial arts of the Blood Cult. Before long, the perfect Blood Cult martial arts, harmonized with Demonic Energy, will emerge in the Central Plains. When that time comes, everyone in the Central Plains will realize the greatness of this art.”
‘……Has everyone in the Demonic Cult started learning the martial arts of the Blood Cult?’
Listening to Myoan Sura, I couldn't hide my bitterness and let out a sigh.
‘The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult that lost its Heavenly Demon has eventually ended up like this.’
Everything became clear through Myoan Sura’s words.
The Divine Cult had already been completely subverted by the Blood Cult.
The martial arts of the Blood Cult could certainly grant overflowing power in a short period, but its end was ultimately destruction.
Looking at the members of the Demonic Cult who were intoxicated by momentary power and failed to realize that eternal downfall awaited them, I let out another deep sigh.
“Foolish people.”
Seeing me look at them with pity while sighing, Myoan Sura’s expression hardened.
“Do you think you have the right to discuss Demonic Arts with us when you've only learned a half-baked Demonic Art that hasn't even obtained Blood Energy? I will make you realize properly this time that you can do nothing with such a half-baked martial art.”
Drawing his sword from his waist with a metallic ring, Myoan Sura spun it around his wrist.
****
Myoan Sura could not understand what this brat was thinking.
Infiltrating the Ghost Blood Sect with only two people and interfering with the ritual was already a crazy enough act.
But to make matters worse, instead of running away, he was drawing up a half-baked Demonic Energy that wasn't even mixed with Blood Energy right in front of him.
Myoan Sura scanned me once more.
‘I don't know where he learned Demonic Arts, but the concentration of his Demonic Energy is considerable for his age.’
Observing my stable stance, Myoan Sura signaled to the warriors standing to his left and right.
‘He's a brat who hasn't even obtained Blood Energy, but just in case, I should do my best.’
Mang-ryu and Mang-hon.
Receiving Myoan Sura’s signal, the two men slowly began to surround me.
They were members of the Divine Cult’s Biyoung Squad, specializing in infiltration missions and skilled in combined attacks.
‘Even if he has a hidden card, there’s no way he can withstand the combined attack of the three of us.’
Myoan Sura slightly tilted his sword to give a signal, and the two men drew their swords from their waists.
Mang-ryu and Mang-hon took a step forward, and Myoan Sura raised his sword diagonally from behind.
The momentum of the three men, who had taken their promised positions, became even thicker.
Having perfectly formed their formation, Myoan Sura began to mix Blood Energy into his Demonic Energy.
─ Thump, thump
Myoan Sura, savoring the ecstasy of the Blood Energy that was gradually boiling while pounding his heart, raised his sword.
“I’ve given you plenty of time to talk before you die, so you shouldn't have any regrets, right?”
Myoan Sura signaled to the two men.
“Seize him.”
At Myoan Sura’s signal, Mang-ryu and Mang-hon leaped forward. Subsequently, Myoan Sura followed behind them with his sword raised.
Increasing his speed and shooting past Mang-ryu and Mang-hon, Myoan Sura pulled his sword back.
Myoan Sura’s sword, imbued with a bizarre energy that mixed thick Demonic Energy and Blood Energy, lunged toward me.
─ Clang
As soon as I parried Myoan Sura’s sword, the swords of Mang-ryu and Mang-hon, who had been waiting on the left and right, lunged toward me.
It was a combined attack where Myoan Sura’s sword targeted the center of my body while they simultaneously pierced my upper and lower sections.
My dagger swayed elegantly once more, parrying the swords of Mang-ryu and Mang-hon.
My feet, as I took step after step backward while deflecting the constantly pouring sword strikes, began to leave deep marks in the ground.
─ Kwang! Kwang!
My arms trembled as I blocked the fierce sword strikes of the three men.
Watching me be pushed back continuously without being able to launch a single proper attack, the anxiety in Myoan Sura’s heart began to gradually disappear.
‘In the end, it was just a child’s bravado.’
I seemed to have learned a sword art of a fairly high level that didn't match my age, but regardless of my understanding of martial principles, a large gap in accumulated internal energy was bound to exist.
On top of that, the three of them had even amplified their energy with the help of Blood Energy, so no matter how many times he thought about it, there was no way I could handle them.
“Heh. Do you have no more tricks to show?”
Myoan Sura began to push and pressure me bit by bit, like a cat toying with a mouse.
─ Kwang!
My figure shook violently as I once again faced Myoan Sura’s sword.
While I retreated to steady my energy, Myoan Sura briefly turned his gaze toward Ice Rakshasa Pan Bing-yeong, who was blocking the Ghost Blood Sect disciples in the distance.
‘Both of them are quite something for their age, but this is the end.’
Licking his lips while admiring Ice Rakshasa’s sleek back, Myoan Sura turned his head toward me again.
‘I should roughly finish off this brat and go check out that girl.’
As Myoan Sura began to draw up his energy to the fullest, a scent of blood so thick it was unpleasant wafted through the surroundings.
Stimulated by Myoan Sura’s Blood Energy, the red glow in the eyes of Mang-hon and Mang-ryu also began to deepen.
Myoan Sura raised his sword high toward the sky and spoke to me.
“Brat. Stay down now.”
Myoan Sura’s sword, carrying amplified energy, was swung downward in a massive arc.
─ Slash!
In the eyes of Myoan Sura, who was certain he had split my body in half this time, he saw his own sword flying away after being cut in two.
‘Huh? What is this?’
Myoan Sura turned his head toward me with a dazed face.
As an explosive Demonic Energy erupted from my body, Myoan Sura felt as if all the strength was draining out of his entire being.
‘Uh-oh?’
Subsequently, my sword, carrying sticky Demonic Energy, emitted a flash of light.
─ Slash
Feeling a terrible pain in his shoulder, Myoan Sura unconsciously took a step back and retreated.
‘I was cut?’
Confirming that it was my dagger that had slashed through his shoulder, Myoan Sura looked at me with wide eyes, as if he couldn't understand this situation at all.
“Since your Demonic Energy is unstable and even your sword is wavering from being intoxicated by Blood Energy, I simply can't stand to watch it. I waited to see if you had anything to show me, but if this is the level, there's no meaning in watching.”
Without even turning my head, I swung my dagger backward in a rapid motion.
─ Clang!
The swords of Mang-hon and Mang-ryu, which had been rushing in from behind while hiding their presence, were parried away just like that.
Mang-hon and Mang-ryu, clenching their teeth, once again drew up their Blood Energy to the fullest and shot toward me.
“You bastard!”
─ Slash
The dagger I swung while turning my body slashed through Mang-hon’s arm.
I kicked off the ground and lunged toward Mang-hon, who was retreating while clutching his bleeding arm.
The Demonic Energy swirling around Mang-hon’s body began to be sucked into me at a high speed.
─ Thwack
Subsequently, my dagger shot out and pierced Mang-hon’s Dantian without any resistance.
“Gah.”
Demonic Energy and Blood Energy began to leak from Mang-hon’s pierced Dantian with a sizzling noise.
Mang-hon desperately tried to block the leaking energy with his hands in disbelief, but there was no way he could hold energy in a Dantian that had already been punctured.
Then, the Millennium Silk released from my Ink Ring even pierced through the Dantian of Mang-ryu, who was watching with wide eyes from the side.
It was a speed that the two of them couldn't even react to.
Watching the Demonic Energy and Blood Energy scattering in all directions, only then did Myoan Sura notice the existence of the dark ring on my finger.
“……That, could it be?”
Myoan Sura’s eyes widened as he realized something belatedly.
With indifferent eyes, I turned my body and lunged at Myoan Sura.
─ Clang. Clang. Chaeng.
In just three moves, the sword was knocked out of Myoan Sura’s hand.
Myoan Sura bit his trembling lips and flailed his hands.
“N-No!”
─ Slash!
My following sword strike swept across Myoan Sura’s neck.