Chapter 177 – The Eve (2)

Despite Grand Master Gak-won’s praise, Yu-jin simply shook his head. Watching him, Grand Master Gak-won gathered all his strength into his right hand.

“Continuing this bout will only bring this humble monk shame, so let us end it with this single strike. This is the Nameless Fist, which I have created to annihilate the Heavenly Demon. It is a technique I can only use against you, Clan Head, as you do not possess demonic power. Please, allow me to see if this art is enough to end the Heavenly Demon’s history.”

Ruuuumble!

Power far beyond anything he had shown before erupted from Grand Master Gak-won’s right hand.

Yu-jin felt the power not as immense, but as sacred. Truly, an art created to destroy evil.

The Yu-jin of the past might have died if struck by the Nameless Fist. But the current Yu-jin had long since transcended the energies of both righteousness and evil.

‘But the same is true for the Heavenly Demon. An energy of pure righteousness or sacredness alone cannot kill him, Grand Master.’

A moment later, a colossal light engulfed Yu-jin.

* * *

Leaving the ravaged mountain behind, Yu-jin descended, carrying Grand Master Gak-won on his back. Just then, Eun Seol-rin appeared before him.

“The Demonic Cult has made its move, Master. Everyone is waiting for you.”

“So it begins? I’ll be there shortly.”

Hearing Yu-jin’s words, Eun Seol-rin vanished into his shadow.

“The final war. The end is not far off.”

Yu-jin muttered to himself and continued walking.

* * *

Hwa Se-un, the Soul Flash Spear, was a renowned master in the martial world, a warrior who boasted a spearmanship as swift as his title suggested. He had built his reputation in the Yunnan and Sichuan regions, and the number of spearmen who admired him exceeded a hundred.

Yet, at this moment, he was utterly bewildered. And so were the people with him.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Hwa Se-un asked, looking at the five warriors before him.

Gi Jeong-jin, the Flying Tiger Saber; Ju Gang-eun, the South Sea Sword Immortal; Cheong Ji-hwan, the Crushing Fist; Pyo Ri-do, the Nine Palaces Sword; and Yong Yeok-se, the Iron Flying Saber.

Like Hwa Se-un, all five were renowned masters in the martial world, famous in their own territories.

But the six of them shared another commonality. They were all aligned not with the Central Plains, but with the Demonic Cult.

They had all been active in the martial world, expanding their connections and persuading some of their friends to join the Demonic Cult.

Although they were aware of each other’s existence, they had never met personally to avoid suspicion. To now find themselves gathered in one place without their knowledge was, naturally, baffling.

“Why have you come here?”

Hwa Se-un asked, looking at Gi Jeong-jin.

“I was summoned by the head of the True Dragon Sword Clan…”

“The same goes for me.”

Hwa Se-un said, holding up the letter sent by Yu-jin. The others then held up their own letters from Yu-jin as well.

Only then did they realize something was terribly wrong.

“Could it be… a trap?”

As Gi Jeong-jin, the Flying Tiger Saber, spoke with a grim face, the expressions of the others darkened.

It was then that a loud voice echoed.

“Capture the traitors who have betrayed the Central Plains and surrendered to the Demonic Cult! If they resist, you have permission to behead them!”

The presence of countless people could be felt from outside. Realizing that everything had been exposed, the six warriors each gripped their weapons. They refused to die like dogs.

* * *

By the time Yu-jin went outside with the five women, the area was already in an uproar.

“Has it started already? I told them to wait until I arrived.”

Yu-jin grumbled with a frown.

“You can’t stop people from being greedy for glory.”

When Na Ye-jin commented, Yu-jin nodded, his frown remaining.

“But these warriors are too ignorant of the fact that excessive greed can cost them their lives.”

Just as Yu-jin said, the hundred-plus warriors of the Martial Alliance were failing to stop the six traitors, who were fighting for their lives.

This was to be expected. All six were masters who had made a name for themselves in their respective regions, possessing martial prowess comparable to the leaders of respectable sects.

Moreover, now that they were using the demonic arts they had kept hidden, it was only natural that the warriors forming the encirclement couldn’t stop them.

“Gaaah!”

“Aaargh!”

Struck by a spear imbued with ominous demonic energy, the warriors’ faces turned black as they collapsed.

“Do you fools think you can block my spear!”

Hwa Se-un roared, glaring at the Martial Alliance warriors surrounding them.

The martial world was a place where sheer numbers did not guarantee victory, a place where a single supreme master could stand against an army of a hundred—no, a thousand.

No matter how many warriors the Martial Alliance had, they could not stop these six.

Realizing this, the Martial Alliance warriors trembled with a sudden fear of death. But soon, the situation was reversed.

“Betraying the Central Plains wasn’t enough, you even dare to attack your fellow warriors. At this point, I can no longer speak in your defense.”

When had he appeared? Yu-jin was watching the six traitors fight, accompanied by his five female escorts.

Only then did the six traitors realize their suspicions had become certainty. Yu-jin had known about them all along and had lured them into a trap.

They bitterly realized how naive they had been to think their identities would never be revealed, and they glared at Yu-jin.

“Oh? To exude such fighting spirit despite knowing you have no chance of winning. It’s truly a shame that such men are followers of the Demonic Cult.”

Yu-jin watched the traitors with the kind of smile that could infuriate a person just by looking at it.

Ignoring Yu-jin’s attitude, the traitors looked at each other and nodded. Then, as if on cue, the six of them moved simultaneously.

An energy far more intense than what they had originally possessed erupted from their bodies.

“Fine. Since you’re staking your lives, I’ll play along properly.”

Yu-jin chuckled, took a step forward, and casually extended a hand. The all-out strikes of the six warriors and Yu-jin’s single hand collided at one point.

Craaaash!

“Ugh!”

The colossal clash of power sent the Martial Alliance warriors flying, forcing them to tumble across the ground.

But Yu-jin’s women all watched the massive dust cloud with intrigued smiles.

“Is this all you’ve got?”

Yu-jin asked, looking at the six traitors, their faces pale from severe internal injuries.

“Keuk!”

Feeling humiliated by Yu-jin’s question, the traitors channeled their demonic energy and swung their weapons at him.

But Yu-jin still blocked all their attacks with just one hand.

“Nothing special.”

With those words, Yu-jin extended his hand once more. It was aimed at Cheong Ji-hwan, the Crushing Fist.

“Damn it!”

Horrified by the powerful energy in Yu-jin’s hand, Cheong Ji-hwan poured all his strength into his right fist. The moment he drew upon his power, he felt a pain as if his body would tear apart from his internal injuries, but he had no time to dwell on it.

A massive fist aura formed around the hand of Cheong Ji-hwan, who had resolved himself to die, and he threw his punch at Yu-jin. But the hand Yu-jin extended easily shattered the fist aura and slammed into his chest.

“Gaaaaah!”

Yu-jin’s hand broke Cheong Ji-hwan’s bones and destroyed all his internal organs. Thrown back by the blow, Cheong Ji-hwan never got up again.

“Damn you!”

Hwa Se-un, the Soul Flash Spear, lunged at Yu-jin and thrust his spear. Hundreds of spear shadows filled the sky, raining down like lightning to swallow Yu-jin.

But the moment Yu-jin gently swept his hand down, all the spear shadows vanished. Not only that, his attack cleaved Hwa Se-un in two.

Yu-jin had finished two of them in an instant. The remaining four warriors used even their prenatal energy and charged at him.

“You’re so weak it’s annoying to even fight you.”

Yu-jin lightly unfurled his Wings of Light and swung them. A colossal light engulfed the four remaining traitors, who were still clinging to life. They vanished without even a scream.

“I heard he was the only one who could stand against the Heavenly Demon… If it’s him, maybe even the Heavenly Demon…”

“Truly the greatest in the Central Plains…”

The Martial Alliance warriors all looked at Yu-jin with admiration. Their faces were filled with respect as they gazed upon the man who had displayed a level of martial prowess they could never even dream of.

They had only heard stories, but seeing it in person was on a completely different dimension. In truth, from Yu-jin’s perspective, he hadn’t even used thirty percent of his power.

“The traitors have all been dealt with, so you can all rest easy.”

Yu-jin left them with those words and walked away with the women. The men he had just killed were the most significant among the traitors, but countless minor ones still remained. However, a single day was more than enough for Yu-jin to clean them up.

Thanks to Yu-jin’s efforts, the Martial Alliance was able to gather its forces smoothly. Furthermore, the morale of the warriors who had witnessed his incredible might soared to the heavens.

In the ten days it took the Martial Alliance to assemble its forces, they gathered over ten thousand warriors.

During that time, news arrived that the Demonic Cult, led by the Heavenly Demon, had passed through Shaanxi Province.

The war was now truly upon them.

* * *

The vanguard of the Demonic Cult passed through Shaanxi Province at a tremendous speed. However, they were unable to pass through Dangcheon Pass, a gateway located on the border between Shaanxi and Hubei, where the Martial Alliance was based. Units from the Martial Alliance had already taken up positions there.

In particular, the Four Saints Brigade, one of the Martial Alliance’s main combat units, stood guard, making it difficult for even the Demonic Cult to break through easily.

Ultimately, the Demonic Cult’s vanguard and the Four Saints Brigade were locked in a tense standoff, separated by Dangcheon Pass.

For the Demonic Cult, if they could just get through Dangcheon Pass, they could quickly reach the Martial Alliance headquarters.

Conversely, for the Martial Alliance, the moment this pass was breached, other fronts would also collapse. Thus, the Demonic Cult’s will to conquer clashed with the Martial Alliance’s will to defend at all costs.

Therefore, they could not remain in a stalemate forever. The Blood Demon Brigade, the Sword Demon Brigade, and the Explosion Demon Brigade, which formed the Demonic Cult’s vanguard, set a day and launched a simultaneous attack.

Each demonic brigade began its advance toward its assigned gate.

“Waaaaaah!”

To overcome Dangcheon Pass, the Demonic Cult followers charged with a thunderous war cry. The eyes of the Martial Alliance warriors watching them were filled with killing intent.

They knew well that the walls would not be a significant advantage. High-level martial artists could scale the walls in just a few steps.

Grip!

Jong Won-gwang, leader of the White Tiger Brigade of the Four Saints Brigade and one of the Wudang Sect’s direct disciples, gripped his sword tightly, thick veins bulging on his hand.

With that, Jong Won-gwang dragged his sword along the ground and charged toward a Demonic Cult follower. Blue sparks flew from the tip of his sword as it scraped against the fortress floor.

Shhhk!

His sword accurately sliced the neck of a demon worshipper who was climbing the wall. The man’s head flew into the air before falling to the ground.

“Stop the Demonic Cult! Do not let them set foot on Hubei soil!”

“Yes, sir!”

The warriors of the White Tiger Brigade responded to Jong Won-gwang’s words. Soon after, the Azure Dragon Brigade, the Vermilion Bird Brigade, and the Black Tortoise Brigade joined in, blocking the Demonic Cult’s vanguard.