Chapter 233
“The Wind Spirit Sect has been wiped out?”
News hit like a bomb after I returned to the Shadowless Gate with the Sword Demon. Probably, Lee Kwang had jumped in and eliminated the whole sect. Sure, two people pulling off such a feat was impressive, but I could easily predict the downfall of the Thunder God Lineage.
‘They won’t make it till the end.’
Even when Mangnyang and I gave our all, we were ultimately stopped by the Demon King Daji of the Imperial Palace. Would we even be able to handle the Dharma Protectors before dealing with her? At this rate, it seemed guaranteed that Jin So-cheong would meet her demise somewhere unexpected within the next few years.
As my expression grew heavy, the Sword Demon seemingly read my thoughts.
“Now’s not the time to worry about others. If you don’t help me, the Shadowless Gate will have nowhere to go.”
“Understood.”
“Before moving to Liaodong, we should check if there’s anything we can negotiate with the Twelve Joules.”
As the Sword Demon muttered, an idea popped into my head.
“What if we offer the Black and White Lotus to the Master of the Twelve Joules?”
“Hmm. Not a bad thought.”
I’d stockpiled a pile of Black and White Lotus in the wooden armor I had, and the Sword Demon, having trained with me for six years, had dramatically boosted his internal power by consuming it. While the Black and White Lotus didn’t quite measure up to the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng as a mere power amplifier, it was still a legendary spiritual pill.
The Sword Demon furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
“…I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“I just can’t get a grasp on what kind of person the Master of the Twelve Joules is.”
With that seed of doubt planted, the Sword Demon continued.
“The only time you’ve encountered the Master of the Twelve Joules was during the sparring match with the Twelve Joule Sect Leaders. And you were beaten.”
I felt my face flush at the embarrassing memory. But the Sword Demon waved his hand, dismissing my shame.
“Losing to the Master of the Twelve Joules isn’t something to be embarrassed about. He’s probably at least equivalent to the Dharma Protectors of the Eastern Martial World. The real issue lies elsewhere.”
“What issue?”
“Even speculating on your conversations with him doesn’t give us clarity on his character or what he desires. Even if he claims to protect the East from otherworldly races, understanding such grand concepts doesn’t help us infer his personal traits. Plus, he fed you false information before.”
“Hmm…”
The Sword Demon’s statements rang true. That’s why Mangnyang had advised me: “Don’t trust the Master of the Twelve Joules.” The Sword Demon added,
“I may have been thinking too simply. That was my mistake.”
“No worries. We can’t just be used by the White Lotus Sect for eternity, can we?”
“Of course, if you offer the Black and White Lotus to integrate into the Twelve Joules, they’ll probably accept. But before we do that, I really need to learn more about the Master of the Twelve Joules.”
“How should we proceed?”
“We need to think about that.”
As the Sword Demon and I leaned our heads together, brainstorming intensely, I regretted not having someone with a genius level intellect like Mangnyang around; he would have offered brilliant strategies or given judgments about the Master of the Twelve Joules in this situation.
After about half a moment, a brilliant idea struck me.
“The Self-Controlled Moon Blade!”
“Hmm?”
I continued, “The Master of the Twelve Joules went all the way to the Central Plains to claim the Self-Controlled Moon Blade, the prize for winning the martial arts tournament. The reason he needed it could be crucial, don’t you think?”
This felt like a chance to grab a clue about the Master of the Twelve Joules.
“Hmm…”
The Sword Demon seemed taken aback, crossing his arms in contemplation. Finally, he replied, “There’s a rumor that the Self-Controlled Moon Blade holds the supreme martial skill. I thought he took it because of that rumor. Are you suggesting there might be another reason?”
“Yes.”
I nodded vigorously. “The Self-Controlled Moon Blade might be a demon artifact like my Thunderclap or my wooden armor!”
“……!!”
“The Master of the Twelve Joules’ martial skills were exceptional. If he bravely sought out the Self-Controlled Moon Blade, that has to be the only reason!”
The Sword Demon’s face reflected admiration as he took in my insight.
“Indeed… I hadn’t thought of it that way. Impressive!”
“Oh, it’s nothing really…”
“No, it’s not. From a martial artist’s perspective, it’s a thought that’s hard to derive. This kind of thinking can only come from someone like you, a reborn person!”
He clapped excitedly, resting his chin on his hand as he spoke.
“Hmm. Also, it’s said that demon artifacts like the Self-Controlled Moon Blade are crafted by those known as Demon Sorcerers among the otherworldly races. This implies that the Self-Controlled Moon Blade is connected to the otherworldly beings or perhaps the [Old Ruler].”
“That seems plausible.”
“…The outline is beginning to take shape.”
The Sword Demon seemed deep in thought for a bit longer before finally saying, “Baek Woong, we need to take action right away.”
“Are we heading to the Twelve Joules?”
“No, we’re going to Tuma.”
Tuma? As I looked at him in surprise, he explained, “We owe him a debt anyway, so this works out perfectly! Let’s head to Luoyang immediately.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Right now isn’t the time to hesitate. The Thunder God Lineage has left the Wind Spirit Sect shaken, leaving an opportunity! This is a golden chance created by the Thunder God Lineage.”
“Ah!”
“We need to gather information from Tuma.”
There was no hesitation in the Sword Demon’s voice. From that, I realized something crucial.
‘Determination…!!’
The Sword Demon wasn’t just smart; once he made a decision, he quickly assessed the situation and acted accordingly. His decisions had never been wrong thus far, allowing him to survive as the dominant figure in the heretical martial world. I promised myself that I needed to learn this quality from him.
With a snap, I instantly teleported to a deserted alley in Luoyang using the Thunderclap.
“Tuma’s base is at the Dragon Cloud Palace.”
“Dragon Cloud Palace? I’ve never heard of it…”
“It’s an abandoned royal palace from long ago. He secretly operates the Shura Sect from there.”
The Sword Demon had detailed information about Tuma. After all, he must have dug deep for information after finding out that his daughter, Seo Mun-hye, went missing during the martial arts tournament. This level of insight proved his point.
Following him, we arrived at the Dragon Cloud Palace. It was located on the outskirts of Luoyang, standing on a low hill that separated the outer city from the inner city. From the foot of the hill, I could see the lonely ruins of the emperor’s former palace, with crows cawing against the setting sun as the Sword Demon said, “Let’s kill them all first.”
“Understood.”
Short and sweet, just as I liked it. I didn’t harbor good feelings towards Tuma either, so slaying him seemed like a no-brainer. With our opinions aligned, we raced towards the hill where the Dragon Cloud Palace stood, wary of any barriers that might be in place. However, I didn’t spot any; it seemed they didn’t want to draw attention by placing barriers at such a true base.
As we crossed the entrance of Dragon Cloud Palace, we stepped into the gloom of the abandoned halls, sensing a sinister aura enveloping us. Though there was little sign of life, my instincts told me there were a few experts lurking nearby, and as if he sensed them too, the Sword Demon transmitted to me.
[Tuma is over there. I’ll go ahead, you follow me.]
His message rang like a thin line. In the next moment, the Sword Demon vanished and with lightning speed dispatched three nearby experts using the Invincible Sword. The slain opponents didn’t even get a chance to scream. The speed of the attack made it clear that the Sword Demon had advanced significantly in his martial capabilities.
When the blood began to flow from an unseen source, Shura experts began to spring up from hiding all around us. They must have thought they were discovered, as they spewed murderous intent toward me.
“You scum.”
“Die!”
With a whoosh, sword qi shot in from all angles, and I quickly narrowed down that there were about a dozen Shura experts surrounding me. Their combined assault was ferocious. They weren’t many, but each one was a trained martial artist.
But I easily avoided all their attacks using the Soul Removal Technique, thinking, ‘So these are the elite of Shura? Their skills are similar to those of the Golden Eagle Guard.’
Surprisingly calm, I processed their martial skills mentally, and during that brief moment, I picked off the accessible foes with precise strikes.
“Ugh!”
Four Shura experts fell, gushing blood as they breathed their last. I hadn’t even needed my sword, striking them down with my bare fists, but the force behind my punches was so overwhelming that they couldn’t possibly hold back the flow of blood. It took me only seconds to wipe out the elite of Shura, and I seized the last expert’s neck, lifting him off the ground.
“Gah… you… expert…”
Looking coldly at the expert, whose neck I clutched, I said, “You’re just unlucky.”
If it had been me from seven years ago, I wouldn’t have finished this without pulling off a Thunderclap and would have taken at least 200 seconds or so. While the Shura elite were extensively trained, to me now, they felt no more daunting than children. There was no need for special techniques.
“Cough… just… kill me…”
“Sure thing.”
As soon as I finished speaking, I tightened my grip and killed him. After tossing his lifeless body aside, I moved promptly along the path the Sword Demon had taken. Having spent only a brief moment here, I figured he was already engaged with Tuma.
I wasn’t mistaken. When I arrived deep within the Dragon Cloud Palace, in front of a broad hall, an explosive burst of sword light erupted.
BOOM!!
A gust of dust swirled up. In the heart of the ruins stood a thoroughly battered Tuma, gripping his weapon tightly, while across from him stood the Sword Demon. The fight had clearly been relentless, evident from the blood covering Tuma as he appeared on the verge of collapse.
Tuma shouted at the Sword Demon.
“Sword Demon! Why are you attacking me?!”
The Sword Demon coldly retorted.
“Have you forgotten about my daughter?”
Tuma seemed taken aback, eyes widening as he processed the words, but then returned to cold composure, likely piecing together that Seo Mun-hye had returned safely after the Pirate Island incident. Still, he feigned confusion.
“Then why now…?”
The Sword Demon took a step closer, mocking Tuma.
“It’s always irritated me how a petty figure like yourself equated to me. I’m going to end this soon.”
Tuma appeared humiliated by those words. He could have been ended long ago by the Sword Demon but was likely toying with him, like a cat plays with a mouse. Yet, Tuma broke into an ugly grin.
“Hehe… you were remarkably strong among the Eight Demons… I envied you… it seemed you had achieved a realm of power I could never reach no matter how much I trained.”
What was Tuma getting at?
As the Sword Demon stared at him quizzically, Tuma continued, “But you came too late! I’ve already gained the power of the Dragon Person!”
T rumble rumbled!
Black light burst forth from Tuma’s body. Surprised by the sudden transformation, the Sword Demon attempted to strike him down with the Invincible Sword, but even as Tuma became engulfed in the attack, he continued to transform.
Like dark clay being molded in midair, his color and form shifted. It became clear that the attack was just passing through him, making no impact.
I suddenly recalled the monstrous creature encountered during the attack on the Huashan Sect!
Jin So-cheong had described how the Dharma Protectors transformed into a dragon-shaped beast while escorting Lee Yong-joon. Despite overcoming it, it had been powerful enough to cause them to lose their target. And Tuma, apparently part of the Wind Spirit Sect, could transform as well.
What is happening? What exactly is this?
I felt flustered.
What does it mean to become a Dragon Person?
As I prepared to act, gathering energy to form a blade, the Sword Demon sent me a message.
[This is a good opportunity. Let’s stop and get out of here.]
“But if he transforms into a Dragon Person, it’ll be dangerous!”
[That’s what we expected. Don’t worry about it; we should get out first.]
Roar…
As the oppressive energy surged from the Sword Demon, I swallowed hard. The white energy swirled around him like a flame coming to life, wrapping around his sword. “If you’re within fifty paces, it’s sure to be dangerous.”
I quickly leaped away from the spot, using the Soul Removal Technique to get out of the zone, moving well beyond fifty paces.
KA-BOOM!!
The first explosion rang out.
[GUOOO!!]
In the midst of the chaos, Tuma transformed into a massive black dragon, rampaging at blinding speed. His form no longer resembled that of a human; he was akin to a ghoul.
What incredible speed!
Now transformed into a Dragon Person, Tuma’s physical abilities far surpassed even those of an elite martial artist.
While I stood trembling from afar, collecting my thoughts, I focused on the gathering intent.
The Sword Demon gracefully moved, merging with his sword as though dancing.
He resembled a force of nature, perfectly aligned with the flow of the universe.
With a crack!
The swirling intangible energy defended against Tuma’s ferocious assault, and in that moment, I heard the Sword Demon’s quiet voice.
“Master the Sword! Truth realizes the Shadowless Soul Steal!”
With that, it seemed as though the Sword Demon’s blade had vanished, morphing into a mass of light particles.
The completely ethereal sword form suddenly reversed speed, effortlessly slicing through Tuma’s left arm. As Dragon scales flew into the air, Tuma staggered, sensing something was wrong.
This was astonishing. You’d expect the newly transformed Tuma to be unparalleled in speed and power, and yet he was struck back?
But I understood what had just transpired due to my keen intent. I gulped.
‘Tens of thousands… hundreds of thousands… what in the world…’
The blade of the Infinite!
The particles floated in air, surrounding the dragon-shaped Tuma. As the Sword Demon manipulated the Sword Technique, it could transform into the world’s finest sword at his convenience and slay the enemy effortlessly! Yet, it appeared the light particles couldn’t selectively target; they shredded both Tuma and the ruined palace.
As Tuma tried to retaliate, he stumbled backward, seemingly shoved away by forces unseen, while he was continuously being sliced by countless slashes. With his sturdy physique, he merely appeared to be pushed back.
PURGE!
Unable to withstand the relentless barrage of light swords, Tuma’s dragon scales burst away. Realizing he was nearing death, he released a horrifying roar, but the Sword Demon was unfazed, continuing to wave his fingers to control the Sword.
BOOM!
The explosion ripped apart Tuma’s limbs. So many slashes had flown by that it created a pitiful scene, like the tearing of tender wings from a fledgling.
The power of the Dragon, whilst appearing overwhelming, was futile against the pinnacle of martial arts and met its end. I gaped in awe at the scene from a distance.
Now that is the power of the Mind Control Technique!
Immaterial visualization that transcends physical limits within the human body!
[GROOAAARR!!]
THUMP!
A heavy sound shattered the ground. Tuma finally collapsed, having lost his limbs. Blood bubbled at his lips—now, the Sword Demon could finish him with a simple thought.
But instead of sealing the deal, the Sword Demon withdrew the Mind Control Technique’s field.
As he did so, I approached, finally able to get a detailed look at Tuma. Seeing him on the ground, it appeared he had endured too much damage and was returning to his human form.
“Grr… kill… me…”
The moment he started squirming, the Sword Demon folded his arms and replied, “Tuma, do you wish to die?”
“Just… just kill me. I couldn’t even win as the Dragon Person…”
Despair etched genuine tears onto his cheeks, clearly overwhelmed. Like a warrior striving to surpass limits, he’d probably believed after obtaining the power of the Dragon Person that he could claim unmatched strength. But in facing the might of the pure Sword Demon’s technique, he had broken down completely.
Yet the Sword Demon only chuckled冷heartedly.
“You’ve lost. You’re well aware of the martial rules that say the treatment of the defeated rests in the hands of the victor.”
“Haa…”
The Sword Demon turned to me, speaking firmly, “Baek Woong. Spare his life for now.”
I understood what he meant—it was a mark of his being a member of the heretical martial world.
“I can’t kill someone who has harmed my daughter so easily.”
