◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 460: Uncertain Conviction (2)
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Before Yong Soa stood a seed.
The Seed of Evil, and the tragedy of a predetermined future.
The future culprit that would turn thousands of White Path martial artists into madmen.
He was bleeding.
For the sake of his people.
According to the dream, he was fighting to stop a demonic being that would become his future comrade.
There were times when the course of a future made no sense.
That did not mean Yong Soa could look away.
Most things that happened in this world lay beyond the bounds of human imagination.
This was the past he had bitterly regretted.
Therefore, Yong Soa could never look away.
Gu Songbaek was bleeding.
Though his life hung by a thread, he had still stepped forward first.
The slightest movement would have been enough to take his life.
Yet…
Yong Soa could not move.
It was not because Gu Songbaek’s illusion art frightened him.
It was not because Jin Sowoon, who was trying to save Gu Songbaek, was someone to fear.
Certain words…
[If I were Sect Leader Gu, I’d want to throw myself into the Demonic Cult and wipe out the Martial Alliance too.]
…sent a small tremor through Yong Soa’s heart, which had been as calm as clear mirror and still water.
[If you’re so certain, kill him.]
[Your actions may be what turns Sect Leader Gu into that!]
That small tremor reminded Yong Soa of Jade Needle Powder.
“…”
Had someone who knew nothing about him said such things, he would have ignored them.
The price of ignorance was painful.
Yet the one who had caused that tremor knew about him.
More than that, Jin Sowoon had even stopped Yong Soa’s attack, something no one else had ever been able to do.
Jin Sowoon’s words did not end as mere words.
They stirred Yong Soa’s heart.
The tremor became ripples, and those ripples soon turned into upheaval.
Though he could have killed the future culprit in a single stroke, Yong Soa stood still and watched the situation unfold without sheathing his sword.
#
Boom! Boom!
Kwakakakakakak!
With every sweep of the giant’s claws, the terrain around Geoncheong Hall changed by the moment.
Buildings vanished, and the marble-paved training ground became a jagged expanse of broken rock.
The smoke giant’s presence was growing stronger.
Everyone’s expressions worsened by the second, but I felt relieved instead.
‘Fortunately, there are no signs of a Unified Body.’
Heo Gwanjung looked more than ever like a man who had lost his soul.
A Demon Spirit Flower that had bloomed at an unplanned moment could run wild at any time.
And a rampage meant it could never advance beyond a Descending Body.
For someone so young to become a Black Officer, even a commander, he must have been a spy the Mad Demon Sect had invested heavily in.
I couldn’t be more relieved that his identity had been exposed here, before he could rise any higher within the Martial Alliance.
Given enough time, we could eliminate him without suffering major losses.
The problem lay elsewhere.
Yong Soa stepped out of the Myriad Illusion Formation.
He still had not sheathed his sword.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Gu Songbaek was injured and bleeding. I should have pulled him away and had him treated immediately.
But if Gu Songbaek moved away from me, Yong Soa might attack him. I couldn’t easily tell him to step back.
In that case, it would be better to fight Heo Gwanjung together at close range.
‘End this quickly.’
We didn’t have the luxury of taking our time.
“Sect Leader!”
The Mount Mao Sect and Taeul Sect disciples joined forces to attack Heo Gwanjung.
My fellow Taeul Sect disciples tried to block him, but they couldn’t completely stop Heo Gwanjung as he pressed forward with overwhelming strength.
Naturally, the damage fell upon the Mount Mao Sect members.
“Argh!”
“Cough!”
I drew up the Jade Clarity Celestial Phenomenon Force.
Then I immediately unleashed the Twin Heavens Sword Art, drawing their attention away from the Mount Mao Sect.
Shrrrng.
Golden sword qi spread like the ribs of a fan, enveloping the smoke giant like falling petals.
Amid the blazing sword forms and storm of sword qi, the giant and Heo Gwanjung turned their attention toward me.
Grrraaaah!
Demonic qi pricked at my skin.
As if my attacks meant nothing to it.
‘So you’re feeling confident.’
I drew up the Jade Clarity Celestial Phenomenon Force again.
Golden light flashed from the Scarlet Radiance Sword.
I unleashed the Greater Heaven Sword Art.
Dozens of illusion swords appeared, but the giant and Heo Gwanjung strode closer as though they didn’t care in the slightest.
‘Just a little more…’
Their arrogance and my patience intertwined like a spiderweb.
The moment they reached the center of the tightly woven encirclement…
I released my sword qi.
Swoooosh!
As sword qi filled with Jade Clarity Celestial Phenomenon Force burst forth, the smoke giant staggered.
Kwakwang!
Heo Gwanjung gritted his teeth until they bled.
“A sect like Taeul…!”
This bastard…?
“Who are you calling a third-rate sect?!”
“…”
Swoosh!
Golden sword force shot toward Heo Gwanjung.
The smoke giant, which had been restoring its body, wrapped itself around Heo Gwanjung protectively and swung the Heavenly Flower Eighteen Claws with one hand.
Kwang!
The smoke giant’s fingers were blown away by the impact, but they quickly regenerated.
“Damn… Is that thing even alive…?”
Eunho’s mutter had practically seen through the identity of the Demon-Subduing Madman.
You couldn’t kill the host before dealing with the Descending Body, and the Descending Body wouldn’t disappear while the host remained alive.
It was a bomb the Demonic Cult had thrown into the White Path.
Heo Gwanjung swung the Heavenly Flower Eighteen Claws. I drew the Ascending Heaven Dagger to block them, then struck him with the Scarlet Radiance Sword.
Crack!
A dull sound of breaking rang out, but Heo Gwanjung was unharmed.
The smoke giant must have changed its form to protect the host.
“What do you think protecting him will accomplish?!”
I brought down the Scarlet Radiance Sword, once again covered in sword force.
Bang!
I brought it down again.
Bang!
Then I brought it down once more.
Bang!
As though a stake were being driven into the ground, Heo Gwanjung’s lower body sank into the earth up to his knees.
Grrraaaah!
The Descending Body howled like a beast.
Having taken the impacts meant for Heo Gwanjung, the Descending Body had shrunk considerably.
‘It should come out soon.’
I quickly sent sound transmissions to everyone.
-When I give the signal, everyone duck.
The Descending Body’s red eyes flickered as its body shook violently, then its form collapsed in an instant.
“Now!”
At the same time, blade-like smoke swept in every direction.
Shhk!
It had clearly been a light cutting sound.
Boom.
Crash.
Every wall and building pillar within three jang had been sliced apart.
I quickly looked around.
Perhaps because everyone had been tense at the Descending Body’s ominous form, no one had been seriously injured.
Meanwhile, Heo Gwanjung raised the Descending Body over his shoulders again.
The newly formed Descending Body was only half the size of the previous one.
This was the proper way to deal with the Mad Demon Sect’s Demon-Subduing Madman, wearing it down over time.
“But someone won’t give us that kind of time.”
When I attacked Heo Gwanjung again, he retreated.
“Jin Sowoon…”
Clearly half out of his mind, he drooled as he repeatedly called my name.
“Talk! You idiot, say something!”
But Heo Gwanjung showed no intention of blocking my sword.
Instead, he turned and began targeting the Mount Mao Sect members.
“Ha, this bastard…! Guys!”
As if they had been waiting, Geumpyo and Dongryong stepped in front of him.
Heo Gwanjung changed direction again and ran toward Eunho.
“Damn it… Why are you coming this way?!”
Eunho cried out desperately and unleashed sword qi.
The sword qi from the Lesser Heaven Sword Art, drawn out in haste, accurately targeted Heo Gwanjung’s vital acupoints.
Puff, puff, puff, puff.
But the Descending Body’s energy shielded Heo Gwanjung’s key vital acupoints.
His path didn’t change…
“W-What? Don’t come over here! Not this way! Go there, over there!”
That bastard looked like he was pointing in my direction…
Shhk!
At that moment, Saryeon cut through both the Descending Body and Heo Gwanjung.
The Demon-Extinguishing Sword, imbued with sword qi, dealt a greater blow than when Dongryong or Eunho used it.
Grrraaaah!
The Descending Body howled in pain and swung the Heavenly Flower Eighteen Claws at Saryeon.
Kwakakakak!
‘Looks like the effect of demon subjugation is the same as in my previous life.’
The energy imbued in the Demon-Extinguishing Sword must have caused greater damage to the Descending Body.
Dongryong and Geumpyo rushed in and began attacking, and the Descending Body started swaying unsteadily.
‘We have to end this before a third Descending Body appears.’
The second division would have an even greater backlash than the first.
To finish him, we had to stop the division and kill the host in the opening it created.
Yet the only people here capable of using demon subjugation techniques to control demonic qi were Yong Soa and me.
‘I’d rather handle this myself.’
If Yong Soa stepped in to help, I’d only grow more suspicious of him.
“Chaah!”
Then I saw Gu Songbaek fiercely swinging his sword at the forefront.
‘Right, that works better!’
I quickly shouted to Eunho.
“Buy us some time!”
“No, why again?!”
“Just buy time!”
“…Ah!”
Because they had seen the aftermath of the first division, Eunho immediately understood what I meant and reduced the intensity of their attacks.
-Sect Leader!
Gu Songbaek flinched, seemingly thinking I had given him a signal.
-Can you use the Binding Spell?
-The Binding Spell… you say?
-Yes.
-I learned it, but against that thing…
I knew what he meant.
It probably made no sense to him that spell arts now used only in ceremonial rites could restrain that terrifying creature.
But the Binding Spell and Demon-Subduing Talismans had originally been spell arts used to fight demonic beings in the past.
-When I give the signal, use it on Heo Gwanjung.
He looked at me, briefly startled by my words, then nodded.
-Very well. Begin.
I nodded and rushed forward with Gu Songbaek.
“Fall back!”
At my signal, my fellow Taeul Sect disciples retreated.
Dozens of streams of sword qi shot from my sword and rained down upon Heo Gwanjung and the Descending Body.
Grrraaaah!
The Descending Body’s scream was so loud that Heo Gwanjung’s cries couldn’t even be heard.
Soon, the Descending Body shook violently and its form collapsed.
“Sect Leader!”
“I understand!”
Sect Leader Gu took talismans from his robes and scattered them.
As he closed his eyes and chanted an incantation, the talismans that had fluttered like falling leaves attached themselves to Heo Gwanjung’s body as though they were alive.
“Ghh!”
Heo Gwanjung couldn’t move at all, as if he had been tightly bound in thick ropes.
“What is this…?”
Even Gu Songbaek, who had invoked the spell arts, was shocked by the effect.
At the same time, the collapsed Descending Body turned into blades and tried to sweep through the surroundings.
Fwoosh!
Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand bloomed from my hands after I sheathed the Scarlet Radiance Sword and Heaven-Ascending Sword.
The golden flames instantly devoured the remnants of the Descending Body.
Shhk!
I burned away the remnants and charged straight at Heo Gwanjung.
“N-No!”
My hands pierced through Heo Gwanjung’s body and began burning him.
Grrraaaah!
The Descending Body, which had been about to form again, began expanding before wrapping itself around Heo Gwanjung once more.
Yet it seemed to feel pain as it covered him. It retreated, unable to advance or retreat any further.
Grrraaaah!
Then it faded away.
Thud.
Heo Gwanjung dropped to his knees and collapsed.
Finally, finally, it was over…
“Sect Leader!”
I spotted Gu Songbaek and froze in shock.
“Young Hero Jin…”
Gu Songbaek was missing one leg.
A portion of the Descending Body that we had missed earlier had clearly taken his leg.
My body trembled with rage for a moment before I turned toward Yong Soa.
“What are you going to do?”
“…”
Yong Soa stared blankly at Gu Songbaek, then shifted his gaze to me.
I asked again.
“I asked you what you’re going to do.”
An even deeper silence fell over the previous stillness.
Others might not have noticed, but I did.
Cracks had formed across his porcelain-like face.
Soon, Yong Soa turned and left the Mount Mao Sect.
I then looked toward the Black Officers.
“One of you used dark arts. Can you honestly say this operation was without even the slightest mistake?”
“…”
Those who had come to condemn a forbidden art had used something similar to a forbidden art themselves.
That alone disqualified them.
The Black Officers left the Mount Mao Sect one by one as well.
“Young Hero Jin…”
“I’m sorry… Sect Leader.”
I lowered my head in shame, but warmth soon spread through my hands.
“Thank you, Young Hero Jin. Because of you, I feel as though I have been shown that righteousness still remains in the martial world. I will never forget this debt.”
Though he had lost an eye and now a leg, Gu Songbaek wore a more satisfied expression than ever before as he lost consciousness.
I silently watched that expression.
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