Hwan Ba-ho of the Namgung Clan’s Cheonpung Squad was renowned for his exceptional skills as a guide, making him an indispensable asset on the battlefield.
Following his lead, it was possible to evade enemy forces, ambush their main army, or strike supply lines with stealth.
Truly, he was a godsend of a guide!
Currently, the righteous faction’s forces were advancing north along the Yellow River, aiming to isolate the Giyeon Sect.
The Supreme Commander of the Martial Alliance had declared his intention to secure victory in the west and pierce through the enemy’s main camp in one decisive strike. This made the role of elite units, tasked with launching a surprise attack under the cover of darkness, crucial.
Naturally, Hwan Ba-ho’s role in guiding these elite troops was of utmost importance.
[This way.]
Hwan Ba-ho successfully led the elite unit through the Black Lotus Alliance’s perimeter, bringing them close to the enemy’s main camp.
The night was still long. It was the perfect opportunity to catch the unsuspecting enemies off guard and eliminate their top martial artists.
As Hwan Ba-ho nodded, the leader of the unit, Hyun Geuk, an exceptional martial artist of the Wudang Sect, gave the order.
[Begin.]
The martial artists unleashed techniques capable of striking from a distance. Hyun Geuk concentrated his inner energy into his drawn sword, preparing his attack.
At the moment Hyun Geuk swung his sword, countless attacks rained down upon the Black Lotus Alliance’s main camp.
BOOOOOOM────────!!
Aaargh—! Amidst the thunderous explosions, screams rang out. Hyun Geuk clenched his fist.
“It worked! Sweep them away at once!”
Leading the charge, Hyun Geuk dashed forward, his sword gleaming as he leapt into the Black Lotus Alliance’s camp.
“What the…?”
But what greeted him was a field of countless scarecrows. Each scarecrow had a talisman attached to its head. Realizing what it meant, Hyun Geuk shouted.
“It’s a trap…! Everyone, retreat!”
But he was a step too late. The Giyeon Sect’s formation activated.
[Foolish ones! You couldn’t escape the predictions of the great strategist, Sama!]
As the voice echoed from all directions, the energy in the area began to surge wildly.
[Farewell.]
Wooooooom──────!!
Hyun Geuk’s face turned pale. The unit currently embedded in the Black Lotus Alliance’s camp was made up of elite forces. Losing them all at once would be a catastrophic blow.
“I’ll clear a path!”
Hyun Geuk prepared to unleash the Tai Chi Sword, but before he could act, a massive explosion shook the area.
BOOOOOOM────────!!
The Giyeon Sect’s formation crumbled. Hyun Geuk, who hadn’t yet done anything, looked around in bewilderment.
In that brief moment, the forest had been reduced to ashes. The martial artists of the Black Lotus Alliance, who had seemingly surrounded them, were now fleeing in all directions in panic.
“What on earth…?”
BOOOOOOOM────────!!
This time, Hyun Geuk saw it. A man waved his hand, and the martial artists of the Black Lotus Alliance were swept away in an instant.
Aaargh—!
“Why… why is the Demonic Cult here?!”
Three demonic cultivators followed closely behind the man, launching their attacks.
Though aimed at the man, their strikes missed and obliterated the surrounding Black Lotus Alliance troops instead.
In the chaos, Hyun Geuk discreetly backed away and whispered urgently.
“Hwan Ba-ho! Where’s Hwan Ba-ho?!”
“Here!”
“Retreat immediately.”
“Yes!”
The elite unit of the righteous faction withdrew as if nothing had happened.
At the front, Hwan Ba-ho glanced back briefly.
‘Young master?’
But what he saw was the Demonic Cult’s Grand Archdemon, with extreme-level demonic cultivators causing havoc.
‘Such blasphemous thoughts.’
Shaking his head, Hwan Ba-ho resumed leading the way.
Regardless, the mission was a success.
*****
Unsurprisingly, the Priestess was stronger than anticipated. He had thought her position was purely symbolic, but she used strange sorceries to pressure Seo-jun rather than martial techniques.
“How long do you plan to run? It’s not too late; surrender yourself!”
With a gesture, flames erupted around her.
Having inherited the divine blood of the Mara Lord, her upper dantian was abnormally developed. Naturally, she excelled in sorcery, and her divine lineage endowed her with exceptional talent.
Her proximity to the Demonic Cult’s sacred flame, Seonghwa, had infused her sorcery with its divine power, making her all the more formidable.
Not that Seo-jun cared.
“You pests… How far do you intend to chase me—? Damn.”
Shhhk—!
The Sword Demon’s blade grazed Seo-jun’s nose. Bending backward to dodge, Seo-jun leapt into the air.
Buzz—!
The rings of the Five Qi Convergence automatically fired the Reversal Celestial Sun and Moon Art at the Sword Demon.
Swoooooooosh────────
Clicking his tongue, the Sword Demon formed a hand gesture with his thumb and middle finger extended, slashing through the void.
Slash—!
The Reversal Celestial Sun and Moon Art disintegrated midair.
“You’re getting on my nerves.”
The Sword Demon activated the Self-Wielding Sword Technique, sending his sword spinning toward the Greed Demon.
Shhhk—!
Flying along an intricate trajectory, the Greed Demon spread his limbs wide.
“My stomach’s getting full!”
“Shut up and focus on the mission.”
“Damn it!”
The Greed Demon opened his mouth wide. Everything he had devoured so far gathered in his throat before being unleashed.
“Bleeergh…!”
With a disgusting sound, an immense energy wave erupted.
Fwoooosh—!
Horrified, Seo-jun drew a circle in the air.
BOOOOOOM────────!!
The natural energy formed a reverse Tai Chi symbol, gathering and redirecting the Greed Demon’s attack. At the same time, he unleashed the Black Water Great Demon Palm.
BOOM──────!!
The redirected attack struck the Priestess. She furrowed her brow and raised the sacred flame to defend herself.
Even in the chaos, Seo-jun glanced around and smirked inwardly.
‘Whatever it is, it’s working out great for me.’
While fleeing, he had stumbled upon the Black Lotus Alliance. Now, the Demonic Cult was taking care of them for him.
‘Wait, where am I?’
Pulling out a compass, Seo-jun checked his direction and came to a conclusion.
‘I’ve veered off course. This is near Mount Giyeon.’
As Seo-jun adjusted his path, the Sword Demon gritted his teeth while watching him.
“How annoyingly carefree you are.”
Pulling out a compass while being pursued? Even the composed Sword Demon couldn’t suppress his growing agitation.
And yet, there were two main reasons why they couldn’t immediately capture the Seed of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord.
First, that accursed body movement technique was absurdly fast.
Second, as expected of the Seed of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord, his control over demonic energy was overwhelmingly powerful.
Most ordinary attacks scattered before reaching him, and even strong strikes had their power diminished or deflected to some extent.
Watching the Sword Demon swing his blade wildly, the Greed Demon shouted,
“Priestess! Can’t we just use lethal force? He probably won’t die anyway!”
“Absolutely not! If he dies, the Mara Lord will be enraged!”
“Damn it…!”
Whoosh—!
The Priestess, who had fallen slightly behind, summoned sacred flames to hinder Seo-jun’s escape and called out,
“Have you seen the sun cut down recently?”
Seo-jun, now somewhat accustomed to the chase, reattached his severed right leg as he replied. At this point, he was starting to feel a strange sense of camaraderie.
“I saw it.”
He had witnessed it up close, no less.
“It seems another divine bloodline has appeared in the Central Plains. And quite a potent one at that.”
“Is that not possible for you?”
“To embody the Mara Lord requires extensive preparation. Even then, his time in the mortal realm would be brief, and his power severely limited.”
So that’s how it is. Chunbong, on the other hand, had no such restrictions—he’d call upon his grandfather whenever his brother was in danger.
It seemed Chunbong’s divine bloodline was either thicker or had other peculiarities, just as the Priestess suggested.
“Why bring this up all of a sudden? Getting bored?”
Seo-jun unleashed the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword at full strength. A harmony of vertical slashes, horizontal strikes, and thrusts imbued with the balance of heaven, earth, and man imbued each swing with immense power capable of splitting the heavens.
Naturally, the Sword Demon deflected it without much effort.
Shiiing—!
Rip—!
Reattaching his severed right arm, Seo-jun activated the Mixed Origin Step once more.
BOOOOOOOM──────────!!
The scenery blurred as cold winds grazed his cheeks.
‘Am I near the North Sea yet?’
With his cultivation advancing, the Mixed Origin Step had become ridiculously fast. Not only had its output increased, but by clearing the air in his path using natural energy, his speed had reached a near-unbelievable level.
And yet, the Demonic Cult pursuers weren’t shaken off.
The reasons were simple: constant interference and the Sword Demon, flying with the Self-Wielding Sword Technique, maintaining a speed that, while not quite as fast as Seo-jun’s, was close enough to keep up.
“It’s not boredom…!”
The Priestess’s eyes gleamed as sacred flames swirled in her gaze, filling the entire space around them with fire.
“It’s to ensure that, as the Seed of the Ten Thousand Demonic Lord, you are prepared for any unforeseen threats.”
Seo-jun scattered the three blooming flowers behind him, sending thousands of petals into the air. Crunch—! The mouths on some of the petals began devouring the sacred flames that filled the area.
“That’s…!”
The Greed Demon was horrified.
“Greedy God Devours It All! How did you learn my technique?!”
“With how much you’ve shown me, wouldn’t it be strange if I couldn’t copy it?”
With a smirk, Seo-jun turned the absorbed flames toward the Sword Demon.
Fwoooosh—!
Sacred flames erupted from thousands of petals, engulfing the Sword Demon. Naturally, that madman slashed through all of it as he charged forward.
“Damn it, can’t you stop for once?”
A thrust aimed at Seo-jun’s chest. Seo-jun hastily grabbed hold of heaven and earth, shifting himself to another position.
Great Heaven and Earth Reversal.
The Sword Demon clicked his tongue as his view flipped upside down, stabbing in the opposite direction from where he had aimed.
“I thought I recognized that technique.”
Seo-jun raised an eyebrow, briefly breaking his persona before snapping back into it.
“You recognize it?”
It was his own creation, not something he borrowed.
“I saw it once before. The Cult Leader moved heaven and earth just like that.”
“The Cult Leader… Do you mean the Heavenly Demon?”
“Correct.”
Shiiing—!
Seo-jun caught his severed fingers midair with a technique and reattached them. Scratching his chin, he remarked,
“That’s fascinating.”
It seemed even the Heavenly Demon had similar ideas.
As he glanced around, Seo-jun noticed a dazzling white city in the distance amidst the snow. It was unmistakably the North Sea Ice Palace.
The Priestess, apparently upset at being ignored while Seo-jun sparred verbally with the Sword Demon, shouted,
“As I’ve said before, we have many things prepared for you in the Cult! If you return with us—”
“I think I’ve gained enough already.”
It wasn’t an empty remark. The growth he had achieved during this chase alone was absurd.
Perhaps it was because of demonic cultivation, or simply the life-and-death stakes, but Seo-jun felt confident that he could now defeat his pre-chase self even in a 2-on-1 fight.
“Your talent is already abundantly clear! So please—”
“Hold on.”
“…What now?”
“Let me call a friend.”
In an instant, Seo-jun used the Mixed Origin Step to widen the gap between him and the Sword Demon. Aligning the rings of the Five Qi Convergence into a straight line, he began his next move.
Whoooosh—!
Thousands of petals scattered in the air—half adorned with mouths, the other half with eyes.
The petals with eyes unleashed beams of Reversal Celestial Sun and Moon Art, while Seo-jun launched his own massive attack from both hands.
Swooooooosh──────────!!
A gigantic beam merged with thousands of smaller streams, twisting like the branches of a tree as they passed through the five rings of the Five Qi Convergence one by one.
BOOOOOOOM────────!!
The North Sea Ice Palace—specifically, what appeared to be the main hall—was left with a massive hole.
“Ding-dong!”
The doorbell had been rung. Time for the North Sea Ice Palace Lord to make an appearance!