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It was a classic case of sending a lion to do a messenger’s job, and Mangnyang had chosen just that. The alchemist had collapsed, but Zhuge Bu’s barrier still loomed ominously, so first things first, let’s see what he was thinking.

After about a moment, the lion returned, staggering into Mangnyang’s tent and suddenly rolling its eyes back. A deep voice emerged from the lion’s throat.

“Do you truly believe you’ve secured dominance?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

It seemed Zhuge Bu was using the lion as a medium to convey his thoughts from a distance—probably some kind of sorcery. After a brief silence, Zhuge Bu spoke again.

“I don’t know how you managed to steal the Portrait Immortal, but that was a grave mistake. You’ve poked at the reverse scale.”

“Reverse scale, you say? Who’s the dragon here? You? Well, you were called the Human Dragon, so I suppose there’s truth in that.”

Mangnyang replied casually, and Zhuge Bu countered.

“There are dreadful truths in this world that humans can hardly fathom. What you’ve done has caught the attention of the master of that truth. From here on out, even I can’t predict how this situation will unfold.”

Mangnyang’s expression shifted.

“Are you saying that the Old Ruler is directly involved?”

“That’s unlikely. But you shall soon pay the price for your actions.”

“…”

“I’ve given you a heads-up out of familial affection, Hyun Ah. I’ll find my own way forward, and you should find a place to survive too.”

Suddenly, the lion swayed, its color returning to normal. With its eyes back to normal, it seemed that some kind of possession or spirit invocation had occurred. After sending the lion away, Mangnyang immediately went to visit General Hwang Yeon with the experts from the Thunder God Lineage.

Bowing to General Hwang Yeon, Mangnyang said,“General, you must withdraw even to Eunsa.”

“Withdraw to Eunsa? Does that even make sense?”

General Hwang Yeon looked incredulous. They were practically at the gates of Luoyang, besieging it with a mighty army, and Eunsa was a key location over a hundred miles away. Retreating a hundred miles when they could seize the Emperor was like throwing away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so it’s no wonder Hwang Yeon was bewildered.

But Mangnyang spoke gravely, “We’ve done everything humanly possible until now. It’s time for the heavens to intervene, and we need to avoid calamity at all costs. Please consider that.”

“But Mangnyang, if we withdraw to Eunsa, it gives the Emperor time to regroup and escape. Are you really suggesting that?”

“At this point, that’s not important. If mythical beings start to move, our human forces will mean nothing. We could incur irreversible damage.”

General Hwang Yeon pondered deeply. Then he shook his head.

“I can’t accept that.”

“General!”

“I trust you, but I can’t compromise on this. The troops defending Luoyang are barely three to four thousand. If we lay siege for just half a day, it will fall into our hands. We can discuss it once the Emperor’s life is secured.”

“No! That’s the worst choice…”

General Hwang Yeon glanced at Lee Kwang, who stood nearby.

“Lee Kwang, you owe me a debt.”

In that instant, Lee Kwang’s face paled. But he quickly regained his composure and replied, “Yes.”

“Repay that debt now. Bind Mangnyang and have him step down momentarily.”

“…Understood.”

At that moment, I jumped in front of Mangnyang, spreading my arms and stepping back while glaring at the Thunder God experts.

“Master Lee Kwang! Didn’t we agree to share our fate with the Bancheon Alliance? Trust Mangnyang until the end!”

“…”

Lee Kwang, holding his spear tightly, remained silent. Then he spoke.

“I owe my life to General Hwang. I made a promise to return that life whenever needed. Since you’ve asked me to repay that debt, I must comply.”

“You’re crazy…!! Even you know which side is right, don’t you?! Mangnyang has never made the wrong choice!!”

“Enough.”

Lee Kwang looked at me coldly.

“A soldier follows orders. If you don’t back down, I’ll cut you down.”

I gritted my teeth. Slowly, I reached for my Golden Lamp tucked away, but at that moment, Lee Kwang’s resonance hit me, freezing my movements. It didn’t hold any real coercive force, but if I touched the Golden Lamp even slightly, an onslaught of retaliation would follow immediately.

Lee Kwang’s voice echoed, “Yield this spot. Even I think retreating to Eunsa is foolish. You need to ensure General Hwang Yeon’s lifelong gamble succeeds.”

Lee Kwang knew well that if mythical beings intervened, a great disaster would follow. Yet, as a martial artist, he felt compelled to repay his past debt. I was baffled and opened my mouth.

‘Why live such a tiring life?’

But now wasn’t the time to contemplate that. I could only grit my teeth and summon my fighting spirit.

“Master, if we’re to die either way, I’ll have to choose a mutual destruction.”

In that moment, potential surged within me, shaking the inside of the tent. The experts surrounding me—Jin So-cheong, Lee Kwang, Jeongwol, and Nokwol—stood rigid, startled. As I released my internal energy, it crossed the threshold of humanity. Noticing my raised power, Jeongwol’s expression turned pale.

“How on earth do you amass such internal energy?”

Lee Kwang replied tersely, “Combat isn’t solely about internal energy. If you think your skills can counter us in a reciprocal demise, that’s a delusion.”

“Of course. But I can truly do it.”

I held confidence. If I initiated Baek Woong’s Formation and Thunderclap while waiting for the right moment, my combat power would multiply several times. At that point, I believed I could achieve mutual destruction with the masters around me. As doubt faded from my voice, Lee Kwang’s eyebrows twitched.

When all of a sudden, Mangnyang sighed behind me.

“I understand. I lose; bind me up.”

“Mangnyang!”

Mangnyang sent me a thought, [If it’s an unchangeable current, we must first follow it.]

[But…]

[You will seek me out again soon. Don’t worry.]

I lowered my weapon and relaxed my fighting spirit. Moments later, soldiers rushed in, binding Mangnyang and me with ropes. Soon, we found ourselves confined in a dark temporary military supply store.

Bang!

Once the door to the supply store shut, Geun-ho lit a torch. As the light flared, Geun-ho stuck the torch on the wall and sat down in front of Mangnyang and me, keeping a watchful eye.

“Don’t worry, they seem harmless. It’s just a disagreement of opinions.”

“I think so too.”

Mangnyang replied casually and then continued, “Geun-ho, if chaos unfolds outside, release us. Please.”

“Sorry, but all Thunder God disciples must follow military orders right now. I can’t release you until the master or General Hwang arrives.”

“I trust your judgment.”

Geun-ho merely smirked. Despite seeming frivolous and capricious, he was quick-witted, cold-headed, and strong-willed. He was the perfect choice for the watchman.

“Just so you know, it would be best not to try escaping with that Golden Lamp.”

“Why, Master?”

“If you try, I can’t stop you, but you’ll never regain our trust.”

“That’s a valid point. But what can trust achieve when it’s already shattered?”

“Shattered, you say? If that were the case, I would have placed Jin So-cheong here with you.”

“Uh…”

“You’re still being kept here because I believe you’re on our side. Otherwise, we would have killed you two back at the site.”

“What are you trying to say?”

As I replied grumpily, Geun-ho shot me a stern glance.

“Don’t provoke me unnecessarily. I’m neither gullible nor particularly patient.”

“……”

With such words, I had no choice but to bide my time. As a Thunder God disciple, Geun-ho harbored a violent nature, and a careless move could lead to serious trouble.

Bound as we were, we began waiting silently. I contacted Mangnyang mentally.

[Mangnyang, what did that Zhuge Bu fellow mean?]

[Zhuge Bu has escaped. The barrier protecting the palace has likely faded.]

[Why did he flee…?]

[It means a formidable being has appeared in Luoyang, one capable of effortlessly killing him. And that being will soon attack our forces.]

[Even if they’re powerful, our army boasts over a hundred thousand soldiers…]

[I can’t even begin to guess what kind of being that is. We can only leave it to fate.]

About half a day passed. Geun-ho, being a peak expert, sat unwaveringly, guarding us. Just as he mentioned, I could escape with the Golden Lamp right now, yet it seemed Mangnyang didn’t desire that. I was similarly forced to restrain myself.

Then it happened.

Rumbling sounds outside suggested something was happening. Geun-ho sensed something amiss and sprang up, telling us, “Wait here a moment.”

He dashed outside without wasting any time and returned just moments later. Swiftly he swung his spear, cutting our bindings, and tossed us each a sword.

“Hurry! There’s trouble. We need to find General Hwang Yeon!”

“What’s going on?”

Geun-ho clenched his jaw. “You were right. An unusual monster has appeared!!”

Suddenly, a blue haze enveloped the surroundings, as if everything were covered in a translucent fog. Visibility shrank significantly, resembling a fog that seemed alive. Yet, Geun-ho managed to lead us through and reached General Hwang Yeon’s tent.

Hwang Yeon and the Thunder God experts were gathered in the tent, looking pale as they spoke.

“Mangnyang, a monster has appeared in Luoyang and our army is all but immobilized.”

Mangnyang sighed, “What’s the extent of the casualties?”

“Over ten thousand have perished already. I issued a retreat order, but this strange fog is preventing proper transmission of commands…”

“What’s the monster like?”

“That’s… a ground soldier.”

“What?”

“Soldiers made of dirt who rise like the undead keep attacking, and they’re controlled by some white, foam-like thing…”

“A foam-like thing.”

Mangnyang mumbled and then said, “We’re about to witness tens of thousands of our troops perish in that fog.”

“What exactly is that?”

“A mythical being… I fear.”

Mangnyang said in distress, “Survival probability is only about 30%. Prepare yourselves mentally.”

Then, with a sweeping glance at the experts of the Thunder God Lineage, he announced, “Engaging the monster is a suicide run. Immediately issue military commands to assist in regrouping the troops. However, you must run from that foam-being that is the source of all sorcery!”

Jeongwol and Nokwol, the protectors of the Thunder God, spoke bluntly.

“You want us to run?”

“You’re saying we shouldn’t fight?”

Mangnyang replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “If that foam-being is beyond reach and is hiding somewhere beyond the fog, what will you do?”

“Then we’ll run.”

“Exactly.”

“……!!”

“Fighting ancient beings is impossible for us, so recklessness is not an option.”

“Ugh…”

Jeongwol and Nokwol appeared dissatisfied. After all, they were top-tier experts, not losing out to Lee Kwang at all. The idea of running from an unknown monster surely didn’t sit well with them.

Shortly after, the Thunder God experts scattered to summon the troops and protect leaders from their respective areas.

I stepped outside and wandered around the mist until I stumbled upon a blood mist-laden spot. As I stepped closer, a horrific scene awaited me.

Drip, drip…

Splat!

“Kraaaah…”

“Ugh…!”

The ground soldiers, those dirt-made monsters, were stabbing corpses with their swords. As blood erupted from the corpses, they gobbled it down greedily. Others dug into the intestines of the corpses, chewing them ravenously.

Some of them weren’t ground soldiers but instead one-eyed tentacle monsters creeping around, sticking their tentacles into the corpses. As the tentacles penetrated the corpses, yellowish ooze oozed out, and soon, tentacles like earthworms began to sprout from those wounds. They turned into mushroom-like forms, gradually lifting the corpses with their filaments.

“…!!”

Such brutality could drive an ordinary human mad. Yet, I remained calm, realizing this scene was reminiscent of human sacrifices. It was akin to otherworldly monsters thrilling in devouring humans.

I charged forth, slicing at the ground soldiers and tentacle monsters.

Swoosh!

“Kiyiii!!”

“Kkeck!”

Though the ground soldiers appeared agile and strong, they crumpled helplessly against my swordplay. They were weaker than I expected, but they would be an unimaginable challenge for common soldiers. Just as I scanned the area to ensure there were no more enemies,

Boom!

Miho suddenly transformed from her necklace, appearing before me. She took on a half-beast form, a transition she used when preparing for battle. With a face full of fear, Miho cried, “Baek Woong! We need to get out of here, now!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you sense the dreadful aura? If we delay, we’ll not have time to escape!”

“What…”

Miho genuinely appeared terrified. She glanced through the ominous fog and exclaimed, “There’s a ridiculous Great Demon on the other side! We have to run!”

“Great Demon? Which one?”

“Ugh… No time to explain! Use the Golden Lamp now!”

This fearful expression from Miho hadn’t appeared since we faced the Guardian of the Moon Sovereign. Given her heightened sensitivity to demonic energies and her resistance, it was alarming to see her like that. With no other choice, I complied and brought out the Golden Lamp.

Bang!

In an instant, Miho and I appeared in Mangnyang’s tent. Mangnyang, busy organizing materials, looked up and remarked, “Looks serious.”

“It’s already too late. We need to run.”

“Understood.”

We resolved to regroup with the experts of the Thunder God Lineage. Although Mangnyang seemed to be using a hardship strategy to increase the survivors, the lives of the Thunder God disciples were at stake in this situation. Luckily, they were strong enough, allowing us to reunite with them easily.

Once all the Thunder God experts, excluding Jeongwol and Nokwol, came together and General Hwang Yeon joined as well, Lee Kwang grimaced and said, “It’s a total defeat. There’s nothing but corpses.”

“That fast…”

“Where are the protectors?”

Just then,

“Kraaaw!!!”

A pierced scream echoed, making us almost turn our heads simultaneously toward the source. Suddenly, immense thunder and fire spread out, slicing through the mist and stretching across the area for dozens of yards.

Bang!

When the destruction sound ended, an unbelievable sight lay before us.

The Thunder God protectors, once hailed as the peerless masters of the world, Jeongwol and Nokwol, hung suspended in air with white hearts pierced through. They were still alive, blood gushing from their mouths, but prospects for survival were dim. After all, they had been impaled through the heart.

“Run!! This creature is on a different level!!”

That was Jeongwol’s parting words. With a flick of its tail, a white, silvery appendage arched violently, tearing Jeongwol and Nokwol’s bodies apart like a child’s plaything. With the mist billowing in the air, pieces of their bodies rained down like some grotesque scene from a nightmare.

Lee Kwang’s eyes flared with fire as he clenched his spear tightly.

“You bastard…!!”

Behind him, Jin So-cheong followed suit, equally enraged by the deaths of Jeongwol and Nokwol. Mangnyang shouted quickly, “Stop! Calm down! If you fight now, you’ll die!”

“What nonsense! We just need to take that thing down!”

Suddenly, Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong launched toward the white foam entity. Concealed in the mist, they vanished, releasing a great qi wave as they battled the imposing foe.

Rumbling echoed as I felt a headache creeping in.

“Hah…”

He is coming.

I suddenly sensed the Sword Saint Yeodong-bin was about to descend. Unlike before, Yeodong-bin now approached my soul with utmost caution, and I matched his spiritual waves.

Yeodong-bin spoke to me, [Priestess… I, Yeodong-bin… have exorcised thousands of fiends, but now even I can barely predict the outcome… Will you allow me to entrust my body to you?]

[Sword Saint, what exactly is that white foam entity?]

[It’s not a mere foam. Its power is so overwhelmingly strong that entities of a lower tier aren’t even allowed to observe its form.]

[…?]

[I’ll ask again. That enemy ranks among the most formidable of all powerful beings I’ve encountered in my exorcisms… Do you still wish to entrust your life to me?]

I pondered deeply.

‘Fighting with all I have might lead to my death, right?’

There had been precedents. The likelihood of my death was astonishingly high. If even Yeodong-bin needed to ask me for permission, the danger was beyond words. Yet I sensed that if I stood still, Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong would meet ruin as well.

Lee Kwang or not, I couldn’t allow Jin So-cheong to perish. I clenched my teeth and replied, [I agree.]

[Very well… I shall confront that ancient demon… grant me strength, Heavenly Sovereign!!]

Crack!

Thunder struck amidst heaven and earth, crashing down upon the sword I held. Surprisingly, rather than being electrocuted or fainting, I felt strength surge from my whole body. It seemed Yeodong-bin had utilized sorcery to channel even more power from the heavens.

I transformed, entering a state where Yeodong-bin coalesced with my being. He glanced once at Mangnyang and Miho before addressing Miho, [The Queen Mother has instructed you to return to the Heavenly Kingdom.]

Miho trembled, replying, “What do you mean?”

[You must refrain from further involvement in this matter. If so, you shall return to the Celestial Realm within a hundred years.]

With that, ‘I’ leaped into the battlefield.

Whoosh!

Utilizing the Sword Flying Technique, I dove into the fog, revealing the battlefield in its entirety. Corpses riddled the ground, fallen to the fierce assault of the ground soldiers and tentacle monsters, while Jin So-cheong and Lee Kwang engaged the white foam entity intensely.

“Haah!!”

Smack!

As Jin So-cheong struck fiercely with his thunder spear, the foam trembled, peeling off a layer from itself. This attack seemed to be Jin So-cheong’s lifetime strike, as the foam entity couldn’t simply sit back.

Moments later, a voice of incredulity echoed through the battlefield.

[You made one of my nine tails fall, how laughable…?]

“Shut up, you demon!”

Out of nowhere, a pale mass whipped past, suddenly severing one of Jin So-cheong and Lee Kwang’s arms each. Jin So-cheong narrowly dodged extra strikes, but Lee Kwang was not so fortunate.

It almost felt like a joke—Lee Kwang’s head flew into the air.

This was the end for Lee Kwang, heir of the Thunder God and fellow who had earned the title of Grand Master among peers. Jin So-cheong stared in disbelief at the sight, but Yeodong-bin quickly soared in and landed with Jin So-cheong, controlling his descent.

Thud!

“Aaah…!!”

Jin So-cheong attempted to rise aggressively, ready for an attack, but Yeodong-bin effortlessly subdued him. When Jin So-cheong’s head slumped, he was tossed outside, likely to be caught by other Thunder God experts.

As Yeodong-bin entered the arena, the white foam entity addressed him, [Are you one of the Eight Immortals? Here to scuttle more pointless battles?]

[I know you are the Demon King from the ancient times. Yet, I cannot allow you to disturb the realm any longer.]

[Haha, even if all Eight Immortals attacked, it wouldn’t be sufficient. Just you alone?]

The foam entity smirked as Sword Saint Yeodong-bin raised the Thunder Sword, responding firmly, [I will block it…]

In that moment, I sensed that something was amiss.

Suddenly, as the power of the Thunder Sword surged, the white foam began to recede, unveiling the reality behind it: A massive sinister fox-like beast loomed before us. This evil creature, which looked like a mountainous shape, twisted reality and preyed on all things.

Oooooo—

[Hahaha!!]

It felt like it intended to consume everything beneath the heavens. Simultaneously, I sensed a strength from this opponent unlike any I had faced before. While Miho bore some resemblance, this entity was absolutely malevolent and arch evil, distorting the essence of nature around us.

The Tai Chi twisted.

The Sword Saint Yeodong-bin prepared himself for death, and I could almost feel it.

[Daji (?)]

And so, the battle began.

 

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