Chapter 375: Treason (3)
Near Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.
"Never back down!"
"Slaughter the Evil Faction bastards!"
"Maintain the formation to the end! Don’t lose focus!"
Three thousand versus one thousand.
It was truly a battlefield worthy of being called a clash of armies.
Mount Hua, symbolized by the plum blossom.
And Jongnam Sect, symbolized by the blue cloud.
A thousand martial artists formed by the union of these two sects were fighting against uninvited guests who had come all the way from Qinghai Province.
"Sect Leader! Their organizational strength is beyond expectations!"
"If this continues, we’re at high risk of being defeated one by one!"
Though Mount Hua and Jongnam were both pillars of the Nine Orthodox Sects, they were ultimately Taoists, not soldiers.
Their individual martial prowess was outstanding, but they had nearly no experience in group combat.
Because of this, the sect leaders of the two sects had ordered their disciples to spread out and fight rather than gather in one place.
That strategy had certainly worked well at the start, but...
"Wouldn’t it be better to gather the disciples in one spot…?"
Jo Gongmyeong, the current strongest of Mount Hua, known as the Plum Blossom White Sword, shook his head.
"No, doing that would only make things worse."
"But the frontlines are clearly collapsing. If it continues like this, we are doomed to defeat."
Just as he said, even though the two sects had joined forces, their lines were deteriorating rapidly.
Originally, their forces shouldn't have been pushed this far.
"Unidentifiable elites are lurking all around and hunting our disciples."
"More than elites… I heard they were monsters that have abandoned the form of humans."
"……"
"What the hell have those bastards of the Evil Overlords of Heaven done…! Even those from the Demonic Cult wouldn’t resort to such things!"
"……"
"……"
Among the leadership of both sects, a handful of individuals who knew the truth chose silence.
Bringing it up now wouldn’t help in the slightest.
The Plum Blossom White Sword clenched his beloved sword and his eyes shone with chill.
"In the end, this fight ends once we take down the leader."
Just as he said, twenty of the highest-ranking experts from both sects, gathered around the Plum Blossom White Sword, were moving to capture the Evil Overlord, Blazing Heavenly King Lee Jaseong.
"For whatever reason, the Evil Overlord didn’t keep the Yaksha Heavenly Blade Unit at his side and sent them to the battlefield."
One of the reasons the Mount Hua and Jongnam alliance was being pushed back was precisely because of the mysterious monsters hidden throughout the battlefield.
Of course, a crisis often came with opportunity.
Thanks to the strongest unit being sent out, the headquarters where the Evil Overlord resided was nearly undefended.
"Will it be alright? I heard the new Evil Overlord killed the King of Ten Thousand Evils…"
A Mount Hua elder looked at the Plum Blossom White Sword with concern.
Even though the Plum Blossom White Sword was said to be among the best of the Eight Armies, there was still a clear difference between those of the same Transformation Realm when comparing an Eight Army member to one of the Five Kings.
"Do not worry, Elder Maejulgeom. I heard he didn’t defeat the King of Ten Thousand Evils alone."
The Plum Blossom White Sword held confidence of his own.
According to the reports, three people had taken on the King of Ten Thousand Evils.
If that was the level, then as long as he could force a one-on-one, he believed he could win.
And so, the elites of Mount Hua and Jongnam pierced through the battlefield and arrived at the Evil Overlord’s headquarters.
"Is that him? Blazing Heavenly King Lee Jaseong?"
The Plum Blossom White Sword held back a gasp upon seeing the young man ahead.
"He’s much younger than I thought."
He had heard the man was young, but had at least expected him to be nearing thirty.
But standing before him was someone closer to twenty—a mere fledgling.
"Well now, isn’t that the Plum Blossom White Sword of Mount Hua?"
Even with supreme masters at the peak of perfection standing before him, Lee Jaseong’s expression did not waver in the slightest.
"By the way, is it really fine for your collaborator from the Association to show themselves so openly?"
The Association.
A collaborator.
The implications behind those words were massive.
But the Plum Blossom White Sword's attitude was resolute.
"I cooperated with you lot only for Mount Hua’s benefit. Now that you've dared to invade Shaanxi, do you think that cooperation means anything anymore?"
At his words, Lee Jaseong shrugged his shoulders.
"Hahaha, well, that’s fair."
"What I see with my own eyes… is disappointing. Are you saying someone like you brought down the King of Ten Thousand Evils?"
The new Evil Overlord’s martial prowess was close to the peak of perfection.
Considering his apparent age, it was an achievement that might place him among the greatest prodigies of the Central Plains.
Still, a prodigy was only a prodigy.
There was no way he could surpass that frame and aim for the Five Kings.
"Hahaha, of course I didn’t do it alone."
Snap!
As Lee Jaseong snapped his fingers, a dozen men and women stepped forward in front of him.
All of them, without exception, were as young as he was.
"It would’ve been better if Gwanggeun and the others were here, but this should be more than enough to handle the likes of you."
"You bastard. Are you mocking us… huh?"
The Plum Blossom White Sword’s sentence was cut short.
Crunch! Crackle!
The dozen men and women suddenly lost their human forms and all began to grow massively in size!
The Plum Blossom White Sword was horrified at the sight.
"Are those… the monsters from the reports?!"
Beings so dangerous that even Peak Master Levels couldn’t escape them.
The very monsters that even those at the peak of perfection couldn’t guarantee victory against had now appeared before the Plum Blossom White Sword and his unit!
But the Plum Blossom White Sword did not flinch.
"Hmph, even so, we still have the numerical advantage."
The unit, composed entirely of those at the peak of perfection or beyond, lacked nothing in both quality and quantity compared to the enemy.
However—
"Kuh, kuhuhuh! Numbers? You think you outnumber us?"
Lee Jaseong covered his mouth and burst into wild laughter.
"Obviously, with our Mount Hua and Jongnam..."
The Plum Blossom White Sword’s sentence was once again cut off.
"……"
Focused on the enemy, he hadn’t noticed it earlier.
Before he knew it, more than ten masters of Jongnam Sect, including their Sect Leader, had completely vanished.
"Se… Sect Leader? Where did they…"
Lee Jaseong began to laugh maniacally.
"Ha, kuhahahaha! You think this king would’ve let you bastards in here so easily?"
"Don’t tell me… they betrayed us?!"
"You think we pushed all the way into Shaanxi without preparation?"
-Krrrgh!
-Krrrk!
Before anyone realized it, the Awakened Bodies of the Heaven-Defying Society began surrounding the remaining masters of Mount Hua.
The sudden betrayal of Jongnam.
And the monsters, far more massive and intimidating than expected.
Just these two reasons were enough to crush the fighting spirit of Mount Hua.
"If we wipe out you lot, cleaning up the scattered remnants on the frontlines will take no time."
"You son of a bitch…!"
"Kill them all."
The moment Lee Jaseong raised his hand to sentence Mount Hua to death—
"Ah, so it’s you bastards? The rotten ones who crawled all the way to my front yard."
"……!!"
Without any warning—
Something black shot toward Lee Jaseong, aiming for his neck.
Splat!
Lee Jaseong twisted his body desperately in that brief instant to protect his throat, but in return, he lost one of his arms to the enemy.
"Who… are you?!"
An arm could be regenerated later, but for someone like him to allow such close approach—unthinkable!
"Still, you’re better than the ones who came before. So, you’re the Blazing Heavenly King?"
"…A woman?"
Lee Jaseong narrowed his eyes and glared at the mysterious intruder.
She was a pitch-black woman wielding dark twin swords and wearing a black mask.
And across all the Central Plains, there was only one person infamous for appearing like that.
"Master of the Black Lotus Union… Demonic Sword Flower?!"
"That’s right."
Wearing the Black Sky Master Mask and appearing on the battlefield in Shaanxi, Baek Sang-ah glared menacingly at Lee Jaseong.
"Because of you, my plan for a peaceful retirement is in ruins."
"R-Retirement? What are you talking about…?"
To Lee Jaseong, who didn’t know the circumstances, the words made no sense.
But Baek Sang-ah, now completely enraged, ignored his reaction and swung her twin swords.
"You’re taking full responsibility."
The clash between the old dominant force of the Evil Overlords of Heaven and the newly rising power of the Black Lotus Union—
The battlefield that would eventually bring Baek Sang-ah the new epithet of Heaven-Slaying Sword Empress had just opened its gates.
***
"The Cult Leader has effectively entered closed-door training again."
Cheon Clan, Council of the Seven Elders meeting.
In the dim meeting hall, the faces of the six Elders gathered were mostly filled with joy.
"And according to intel, the Sword Demon is unconscious. That means the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan won’t be able to act."
"When that Demonic Faction Lord brought in the Baekga Trading Company, I nearly lost it, but… hehehe…"
"No need to return now."
"……"
"If the Demonic Clan pulls out, the Sa Clan might also follow. Thunder Commander is a calculating man—give him a fitting price and he’ll revert to neutrality."
"In that case, the real enemies are the Jin Clan and the Pa Clan."
"That’s not bad."
"The Guardian Hall won't move unless someone touches the Cult Leader directly."
"Eliminate that Demonic Faction Lord, force the Jin Clan and the Pa Clan to yield, and the Cult Leader girl will be nothing but a cripple with her limbs cut off."
"Let’s summon our subordinate forces at once. First, we’ll get rid of the thorn in our side, the Jin Clan…"
Just as the Seven Elders were giddy with their treacherous plotting—
Creak.
The door to the meeting room suddenly opened and someone appeared.
"Which insolent bastard dares—hm?!"
The expressions of the Elders scowling at the entrance changed instantly.
The one who appeared was completely unexpected.
"I heard the Elders were desperately looking for me. Was that a misunderstanding?"
Fourth Elder cleared his throat and greeted the visitor.
"Ahem! It’s the Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader."
Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader, Demon Gentleman Cheon Jumyeong.
They had originally planned to unite the faction under him.
But now, his arrival had become rather ambiguous.
"I heard from outside that you gentlemen are plotting something quite interesting…"
"This has nothing to do with you, does it?"
The Seven Elders all emanated killing intent and pressured Cheon Jumyeong.
If their conspiracy leaked out, even the Council of the Seven Elders would have to face consequences.
Cheon Jumyeong naturally took the empty seat meant for Ilro and spoke.
"The Jin Clan and the Pa Clan. Certainly, with the Cheon Clan’s power, you could subdue both families. But what would be left afterward?"
"…What exactly do you mean?"
Even the Cheon Clan would gain little from a full-scale war with those two clans.
But the Elders had already decided to proceed with war despite knowing this.
Then, Cheon Jumun rested his chin on his hand and smiled at them.
"I have a better plan. Would you like to hear it?"
"I heard the rumors. The outside world has turned chaotic."
Inside the cultivation chamber of Dagger Peak, Cheon Yura said this to me upon our reunion.
I sat beside her and looked up at the ceiling.
"Yeah, but there’s nothing to worry about. Everything will turn out fine."
I said it to reassure her.
Yet somehow, Cheon Yura instantly saw through me.
"…You're plotting something, aren’t you?"
"I won’t deny it."
I closely examined Cheon Yura.
Her sharpened insight meant she had finally gained the composure to see beyond herself.
Fortunately, her energy was far more stable than before.
‘She’s caught the sense of the path to Transcendent Demon Realm!’
It was nearly time.
Soon, she would break through the shell and soar for real.
Just then—
Slide.
Suddenly, she leaned her shoulder against me.
"Remember what I said before? I won’t let you carry everything alone."
"……"
"Tell me. What are you planning to do?"
Originally, I had considered hiding it.
Though what I was about to do wasn’t something that could stay hidden for long.
Still, I had wanted to take care of it while Yura was in closed-door training.
Perhaps reading my thoughts—
"Even if you walk into hell."
She placed her hand over mine.
"As I’ve always said, I’ll be by your side."
"…Right."
I closed my eyes at her words.
The same would go for me.
In the end, I confessed my plan to Yura.
"I’m going to erase the Cheon Clan from this world."