Chapter 812: Extreme Evil Does Not Cross the Line
The Drunken Demon floated up into the air.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon had noticed that his injuries were severe and stretched out his hand, using Void Telekinesis. A gentle force wrapped around him and carried him over.
“Ah, this is nice. So comfortable!”
That was what he said, but the Drunken Demon gritted his teeth to endure the pain. No matter how gently he was moved, there was not a single part of his body that did not hurt.
The Demonic Buddha and the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, whose injuries were relatively lighter, walked over toward the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
The Dark Palace Master merely watched the scene.
Even if he wanted to act, he could not.
The Evil Smiling Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme were observing his movements with cold eyes.
Although it looked as though they were merely staring at each other, an invisible, taut current flowed between them. If even a single finger twitched, sword energy and internal energy would erupt in a storm.
Although they held the advantage in numbers, the Demon Supremes could not recklessly attack him. Their side had injured people as well, and the Dark Palace Master still had composure left. His presence was far from ordinary.
Cutting through that tense atmosphere, the Drunken Demon flew over and landed in front of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“How did you know and come here?”
After parting with Geom Mugeuk, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme had gone to Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province.
The two stood beneath a willow tree and gazed at the lake. So much had changed that they thought it might feel like their first time here again, but unexpectedly, it looked exactly as it had before.
Their memories of meeting the Cult Leader and the Fist Demon King here surfaced vividly.
—Everything is the same, yet only we have grown old.
At the One-Slash Sword Supreme’s wistful words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon silently gazed at the lake. He thought that if this had been in the past, he would have felt far more regret.
But now his heart had changed.
He had lived all the way here bearing the weight of long years, and lately that weight no longer felt so heavy.
—Doesn’t that make it even better?
Honestly, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon liked the present more than when he had been young. These days of reading books under the sunlight were better than those days when the Heaven-Extinguishing Saber was never dry of blood. His relationship with the One-Slash Sword Supreme was the same.
The only regret was that this good present would not last much longer.
Yet even that had been extended by Geom Mugeuk through the Stalactite Immortal Moss and the Immortal Peach Spirit Fruit.
So what was there to regret?
The One-Slash Sword Supreme understood exactly what he had meant. Her feelings were not very different.
She pointed toward a tavern built along the distant lakeshore.
—Do you remember that tavern over there? The Cult Leader bought us drinks there.
—I remember. It was a day when the Cult Leader was furious.
—So you do remember.
—Now that I’ve come here, everything comes back to me.
—Shall we go there once?
The two slowly walked along the lake and went there. Reminiscing about the past, they drank together. The owner had changed, and the taste of the food had changed, but the two spent a pleasant time immersed in old memories.
Starting from Taihu Lake, they toured various places.
Both of them mainly visited places they had never been to before. They sought out famous scenic spots and even lined up at inns where skilled chefs worked. Now they could even enjoy the act of standing in line itself.
While traveling around the Central Plains like that, they heard through the Heavenly Communication Pavilion that Demonic Flames had begun to rise.
Even while traveling, the two had periodically visited branches of the Heavenly Communication Pavilion to check whether anything had happened to the cult. The organization behind the scenes had not yet been completely eradicated.
“Why did you come here instead of going to the Main Division?”
At the Drunken Demon’s question, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon showed unwavering faith in one person.
“Wouldn’t the Cult Leader handle things just fine?”
That alone would have been enough.
“And besides, the Poison King is there, and the Fist Demon King too.”
When the Drunken Demon made a face that seemed to say, ‘Then what about this side?’, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon poked his broken arm with his finger.
“Uaaagh! That hurts!”
Of course, he had not pressed it to cause pain. After examining the arm carefully, he pressed several pressure points and treated it properly.
“Fortunately, it broke cleanly. If you rest and recuperate for a while, the bone will set.”
“What about my butt, my side, my knee, my neck, and my elbow?”
“Seeing how thoroughly you found all those places, it seems your head is fine.”
The Drunken Demon smiled and bowed his head in gratitude.
“It’s good that you came here.”
If they had not come, they would all have died. These three Demon Supremes had saved their lives.
The reason the Drunken Demon could converse leisurely with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was because the One-Slash Sword Supreme and the Evil Smiling Demon were standing in a tense confrontation with the Dark Palace Master.
The Dark Palace Master, as if lost in thought, merely observed the situation in silence.
In the meantime, the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme came over and handed the Drunken Demon some internal injury medicine.
“It’s far inferior to the one you gave me earlier, but please take this.”
Earlier, the Drunken Demon had given her his treasured internal injury medicine when she had risked her life to protect the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress.
“Thank you, Seop-hon.”
While drinking the medicine, the Drunken Demon added awkwardly,
“If someone saw this, they’d think I fought alone.”
Then the Demonic Buddha held out some Golden Wound Medicine and said,
“You did fight alone.”
As the Drunken Demon accepted it, he replied,
“If that were true, I’d already be a corpse.”
While applying the medicine to his body, he said,
“You must buy me a drink.”
“Once you recover, I’ll invite you to the Tower of Drunken Dreams.”
“Alcohol is medicine!”
At that moment, the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme spoke carefully.
“Please invite me as well when that happens.”
“Of course.”
During this expedition, the Drunken Demon had formed a deep connection with the Demonic Buddha and the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. Indeed, for martial artists, there was no better way to grow close than fighting together with their lives on the line.
The Evil Smiling Demon, who had been silently watching the Dark Palace Master, asked the Drunken Demon,
“Where is the Young Cult Leader?”
The Drunken Demon’s gaze shifted toward the Secret Box placed to one side.
“It may be hard to believe, but I heard he was absorbed into that Secret Box. I didn’t see it myself.”
Naturally, the three Demon Supremes who had arrived later turned their gazes toward the Dark Palace Master.
“Then did that man do it?”
They had assumed he had trapped him there with dark sorcery.
“No. They said the Secret Box absorbed him on its own.”
The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress nodded, confirming that the statement was true.
Which meant the life or death of the Young Cult Leader was still uncertain.
Naturally, the Demon Supremes’ gazes toward the Dark Palace Master grew colder.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon slowly walked forward and asked,
“Yet even in this situation, you’re not thinking of running away.”
Someone like the Dark Palace Master surely had some method of escape. Three of the Demon Supremes were injured, but there were still six Demon Supremes gathered here.
Six Demon Supremes facing a single enemy—this was probably almost unprecedented in the history of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Even so, the Dark Palace Master showed no intimidation. Rather, he spoke with a meaningful smile that suggested hidden confidence.
“Do you think the situation changes just because more Demon Supremes arrived?”
His gaze moved toward the Evil Smiling Demon.
Because there was a certain intent in that look, the Demon Supremes became tense.
The moment the Dark Palace Master’s gaze deepened, a dark demonic art unfolded.
Evil Heart Subjugation Art.
It was the Dark Palace Master’s ultimate martial art, capable of controlling only those who were evil.
He cast the Evil Heart Subjugation Art on the Evil Smiling Demon, who was called the incarnation of evil.
‘The Evil Smiling Demon, the incarnation of evil, has come—so now you belong to me.’
Of course, he could not control the opponent completely. Depending on the target, control could last from a brief moment to several days.
Naturally, it consumed enormous internal energy, and if it failed, it would inflict severe internal injuries.
‘I don’t even need a moment. Half a moment will suffice!’
The three Demon Supremes earlier had exhausted their internal energy, so they were no concern. If he and the Evil Smiling Demon killed the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme, it would be over.
At the moment the Evil Heart Subjugation Art was cast, time did not flow in reality.
The instant it was activated, he entered a cave that belonged only to that person—into the deepest part of the mind, into the instinctive space of desire. After subjugating the evil heart there, he would bring the person out.
Until now, the places he had seen were spaces filled with corpses, rooms filled with treasures, or places overflowing with gluttony and lust.
But this time was different.
The Dark Palace Master stood in a completely white room.
The Evil Smiling Demon was also standing alone in the center of the room, facing the wall.
‘As expected! You’re different from ordinary villains!’
The longer he delayed, the more internal energy would be consumed, so he spoke immediately.
“Your darkness has called me. I command you as your master—follow me!”
As the Evil Heart Subjugation Art unfolded, the Evil Smiling Demon turned toward him.
The greater the evil within the target, the easier it was for the technique to take effect. And this was none other than the Evil Smiling Demon.
‘You can never refuse me.’
The Dark Palace Master rejoiced and stepped out of the room.
Now the Evil Smiling Demon only had to follow.
But the Evil Smiling Demon stood at the doorway and did not come out.
“Come out at once!”
Despite the command, he did not move.
It was the first time someone who had formed a subjugation contract had disobeyed.
At that moment, something caught the Dark Palace Master’s eye.
A single line was drawn across the floor in front of the door.
‘What is this?’
It was literally just a line.
The Dark Palace Master realized that the Evil Smiling Demon was not leaving the room because of it.
When he carefully touched it, the line could be felt. It had a strange texture he had never experienced before in his life.
He tried pulling the line to snap it.
But it did not break.
Even when he pushed his internal energy to the limit, it would not snap.
Next, he formed a blade of internal energy and tried cutting it.
But that thin line would not be severed. No matter what he tried, it would not break. The line was stronger than millennial cold iron.
“What on earth is this?”
That line was the very same line the Evil Smiling Demon had once drawn on the white wall of his room.
Once, Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Smiling Demon had drawn lines while confirming their relationship—asking how far their relationship had progressed.
And at the end, the Evil Smiling Demon had personally drawn a line on the wall of his room, a wall that seemed like it would never be damaged, and asked Geom Mugeuk.
—Young Master, how far have we come?
That very line was blocking the Evil Heart Subjugation Art.
Extreme Evil no longer crossed the line.
The Dark Palace Master looked at the Evil Smiling Demon standing beyond the line.
When their gazes met through the mask, the Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes smiled coldly.
At that moment, the open door slammed shut.
Simultaneously, the Evil Heart Subjugation Art shattered.
Crack.
As the dark demonic art failed, the Dark Palace Master’s blood and energy twisted violently. The more powerful the technique, the greater the backlash upon failure.
He swallowed the blood rising in his throat.
Desperately, he concealed the fact that he had suffered internal injuries.
The Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes, facing him in reality, were also smiling coldly.
Even at this moment of failure, the Dark Palace Master remained curious about that line.
‘What on earth was it?’
The Demon Supremes sensed that something had occurred between the two, even though it had happened in the span of an instant.
The Dark Palace Master’s gaze turned toward another Demon Supreme.
Now, in his injured state, facing the three newly arrived Demon Supremes was impossible.
His original plan had failed.
But he still had one more chance.
Fortunately, there was someone here who had once been known as even more terrifying and cruel than the Evil Smiling Demon.
The Dark Palace Master’s gaze turned toward the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
This attempt was a great gamble.
Not only would it consume enormous internal energy, but if it failed again, the previous injuries would worsen into severe internal damage.
Nevertheless, he attempted the Evil Heart Subjugation Art on the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
He had to turn at least one person to his side.
Again, the Dark Palace Master stood inside a room.
This time, it was a room filled with books.
A room that should have been filled with corpses was instead filled with books.
‘Where is this place?’
Books were stacked everywhere—along the walls and even around where he stood.
‘Could these be martial manuals?’
He picked up the book on top of a pile before him.
‘A poetry collection?’
The book beside it was about growing flowers, and the one below it was about how to officiate weddings.
‘Did I fall into qi deviation?’
For a moment, he wondered whether he had forced the technique while injured and fallen into deviation.
Just then, he heard a sound from the corner.
Rustle, rustle.
The Dark Palace Master turned his head.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon sat in the corner reading a book.
The sight felt incredibly unfamiliar and strange.
‘Why are you reading a book in a place like this?’
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was fully absorbed in his reading. Only the sound of pages turning could be heard.
The Dark Palace Master spoke quietly.
“Your darkness has called me. I command you as your master—follow me!”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stood up and followed him.
Now they just had to leave the room.
Fortunately, the line that had existed in the Evil Smiling Demon’s room was not here.
But when he tried to leave with him, he could not find the exit.
When he knocked over the stacks of books, more piles of books appeared behind them.
Beyond those were more books.
It was truly a room where books were piled endlessly.
The longer time dragged on, the more internal energy he consumed.
Panicking, the Dark Palace Master frantically searched through the books.
Then a pile of books collapsed over him.
At that moment, the Evil Heart Subjugation Art shattered.
Crack!
This time the Dark Palace Master could not hide his injuries.
“Keugh!”
As he vomited blood, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said,
“What are you doing there all by yourself?”
The Dark Palace Master raised his head, his face flushed red with humiliation.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked down at him coldly. There was no trace of mercy in his eyes.
It felt like a completely different person from the one who had been reading earlier.
‘What on earth are these people?’
He had never even imagined that his ultimate demonic art would fail twice in succession.
The Dark Palace Master stretched his hand to the side.
His palm was aimed at the Secret Box.
“If you don’t leave immediately, the Young Cult Leader will die.”
The threat worked.
If Geom Mugeuk had truly been absorbed into that thing, it could not be destroyed carelessly.
“Get out of here.”
Silence filled the area.
When the Dark Palace Master drew up all his remaining internal energy, the dark force gathered in his hand grew even stronger.
“I’ll really smash it.”
If he was going to die anyway, he had no intention of dying alone.
“If I go together with the Young Cult Leader, it won’t be such a regret.”
At that moment, one of the Demon Supremes said something completely unexpected.
“Break it.”
It was the Demonic Buddha.
“Stop bluffing!”
“Break it! Smash it to pieces!”
There was a clear reason for the Demonic Buddha’s arrogance.
“At last, the Great Young Master will become the successor!”
Seeing the genuine joy on his face, the Dark Palace Master’s hand trembled violently.
It seemed as though the force might fly out at any moment.
At that critical instant—
Something astonishing happened.
Someone suddenly popped out of the Secret Box.
“Ouch!”
The person spat out by the Secret Box was Geom Mugeuk.
As he came out, he had clearly heard what the Demonic Buddha had said.
“This is exactly why I can’t leave my position even for a moment!”