Riiiiip.
The barrier tore open in a long split.
The two did not miss the opening and hurled themselves inside.
Whoooosh.
As soon as they entered, the torn barrier joined back together in an instant. The force sustaining it was anything but ordinary.
Chwima marveled at Mabul.
“That was truly a dazzling move.”
It had been an intelligent response, and it really had been very dazzling.
If it had been his old self, he would have taken it crookedly, thinking, Are you mocking me for glowing?
The Mabul of now merely wore a faint smile. If the situation had not been so urgent, he might even have slipped in a boast. When the Young Cult Leader sees me, he calls me a “little giant.”
And so the two flew toward the Fugui Ship.
An intense aura of darkness was unfurling from the vessel.
“This is no ordinary smoke.”
Chwima did not know, but Mabul could tell what this dark smoke was protecting.
“The Art of Greed’s Great Annihilation has been deployed on this ship.”
Mabul, too, was well acquainted with the martial arts of the Dark Palace.
He reached out toward the smoke rippling across the surface of the ship.
Paaak.
The smoke gently pushed Mabul’s hand away, yet he felt the tremendous power contained within it.
“This is the first time in my life I have ever encountered dark demonic qi this powerful.”
“It seems to be a demonic art cast personally by the Dark Palace Lord.”
At Chwima’s words, Mabul nodded.
Their expressions hardened. That meant Geom Mugeuk, who was aboard this ship, might be in danger. In fact, they were more worried because he was not alone.
“We must find a way in, no matter what.”
Little brother, just hold on a bit. This elder brother of yours will find a way in, without fail.
It was just as the two were examining the ship.
Sensing an aura behind him, Chwima turned around.
In that instant, Chwima flinched in surprise.
A single droplet of water was floating in midair.
Just as he thought there was something strange about it—
Swaaaak.
The droplet shot toward him like a hidden weapon being released.
Chwima twisted his body in midair and dodged it.
Pung!
What brushed past his face in an instant was unmistakably a water droplet.
It was no ordinary droplet. Had it struck him, it would have torn flesh and damaged bone.
Mabul, too, was staring ahead of him with a stiff expression.
A droplet was floating in front of him as well. This time, there were two.
Pung! Pung!
This time, two streams of water droplets flew toward Mabul. Mabul extended his hand and blocked the incoming droplets.
Puh-eok! Puk!
The droplets burst apart as they struck the internal force spread before his palm. Truly, their power was far from ordinary.
Chwima and Mabul looked at each other.
And then, as if those two attacks had been nothing more than probes—
Swaaaash.
Dozens of droplets sprang up into the air from the calm surface of the water.
Just as the eyes of the two Demon Venerables shone coldly—
Pupupupupupupupung!
The droplets that had leaped from the water flew toward Chwima and Mabul.
At the same time, Mabul’s prayer beads flew through the air.
Shukshukshukshukshukshukshukshuk!
Pukpukpukpukpukpukpukpuk!
The beads shot out and burst every droplet in midair.
Once again, the surroundings fell quiet as though nothing had happened.
“Someone is using a water art.”
At Mabul’s words, Chwima shouted in a drunken voice.
“You bloated water ghost, stop playing tricks and come out at once!”
Then, far away from them, an old man emerged from the water.
Swaaaash.
The old man rose straight up from beneath the water, standing upright. Waves were drawn upon his long robe, and he stood atop the water as though it were solid ground. He was not standing by means of martial arts. He was truly standing on water.
Mabul recognized who he was.
Because there was only one old man who could appear like this in such attire.
“It is the Azure Sea Divine Lord (碧海神君).”
The Azure Sea Divine Lord was a famous figure even Chwima knew of.
He was an absolute master of water arts, a man once called the Water King. An absolute master of water arts who had been confident that if he fought upon water, he would be the greatest under heaven.
When he stopped appearing in the martial world at some point, all sorts of rumors had circulated.
Some said he had died fighting an absolute master, and others said he had drowned in the sea while recklessly training in water arts. Still others said he had secluded himself alone on an uninhabited island somewhere in the middle of the sea.
But for whatever reason, he had been recruited by the Dark Palace.
“To think that old codger reeking of fish is still alive!”
At Mabul’s mockery, the Azure Sea Divine Lord laughed coldly.
“I heard it too. That some unsightly clown was playing the role of a Demon Venerable.”
Mabul’s expression hardened coldly. If they had met on land, the man would not even have dared meet his eyes.
But in this situation, he did have the right to bluster. There was only water here, and with the barrier in place, there was nowhere to flee.
Chwima turned to Mabul and said,
“I will take him. Lord Mabul, find a way into that ship.”
The gatekeeper preventing them from entering was none other than the Azure Sea Divine Lord.
If so, then inside, an even stronger enemy must be targeting the Young Cult Leader.
They had to get in as quickly as possible.
“No, why leave that to me? I’ll fight, so you find the way.”
“That will not do.”
“Why?”
“Because I cannot entrust a drunkard with a task that requires using his head.”
Chwima’s voice was drunk, but his gaze was clear. Mabul read the meaning contained in that gaze precisely.
Due to the nature of the martial arts they had learned, Mabul understood dark demonic arts better. That was also why he had recognized the Art of Greed’s Great Annihilation just moments ago.
“Understood. I will find it as quickly as possible.”
After nodding, Mabul said to the Azure Sea Divine Lord,
“Don’t die before I find a way in!”
Leaving behind those words, implying he would kill him with his own hands, Mabul lightly launched himself away.
As though he had no concern for the fight on this side, he crossed over to the opposite side of the Fugui Ship.
It had not been long since that dark smoke had risen.
If he hurried and searched, he might be able to find a place where the dark smoke had not fully spread.
Left alone, Chwima grinned foolishly with drunken eyes as he approached the Azure Sea Divine Lord.
“You think we’re the only clowns? An old man who spends his twilight years cleaning up after the Dark Palace is a clown too. Fine, let us clowns have some fun!”
Swaaaak.
Chwima charged toward the Azure Sea Divine Lord.
Tung!
Once again, something blocked Chwima’s path.
Looking closely, this time there was a barrier made of water in front of the Azure Sea Divine Lord.
It was clearly a barrier of water, yet his hand could not pass through it.
“Again?”
Swaaaak.
Pang.
He struck out with a palm, but he could not pierce the water barrier.
“If you lot are such cowards, why did you even come out to fight?”
Beyond the rippling water, the Azure Sea Divine Lord’s smiling face looked distorted.
Chwima plunged into the water with a splash.
But there was a barrier below as well.
He tried to leap over it with lightness skill, but there was a ceiling too.
The protective wall of water was the manifestation of the Azure Sea Divine Lord’s unique martial art.
The Azure Sea Divine Lord’s unique martial art, the Azure Sea Divine Art (碧海神功).
Third Form, All-Seas Water Wall (滿海水壁).
Chwima beat on the water wall like a drunk knocking on the door of a tavern.
Puh-eok, puh-eok.
“It’s not two against one, but one against one, and this place is as good as your own backyard since we’re on water, and yet you still act like this much of a coward? On top of that, I’m lacking internal force because I have to keep myself afloat with inner power! So come out! There’s plenty of water here too!”
Despite Chwima’s provocation, the Azure Sea Divine Lord did not so much as blink.
“For a demon to speak of cowardice—how truly shameless.”
The Azure Sea Divine Lord began drawing up his internal energy.
“Today, you will become fish food in Dongting Lake.”
The Azure Sea Divine Lord began his attack in earnest.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip, drip.
Around the Azure Sea Divine Lord, dozens of round ripples formed on the surface of the water. It was as if circular ripples created by falling raindrops were appearing here and there.
Azure Sea Divine Art, Fourth Form, Raging Current Detonation (激流振爆).
Those round ripples began to explode.
The explosions were of tremendous power. Water columns surged up in every direction.
Bang! Baaang! Baaang! Baaang!
Chwima’s figure narrowly slipped between the erupting explosions.
“Argh! I’m dying!”
The way he leaped here and there looked just like a drunk man dancing.
Boom! Kwaaang!
Just when it seemed he must have been caught in an explosion, Chwima came tumbling out from behind it, flailing his arms and legs. He had clearly been swept into the blast, yet at some point he was already throwing himself to another side.
Judging by his appearance alone, he looked like a drunk man being chased by a dog, floundering as he ran wildly in every direction. They were the movements of a drunkard who seemed as if he would collapse at any moment.
But Chwima’s movement art was truly astonishing. Each and every motion contained the very essence of movement techniques.
And at this moment, Chwima was putting into practice the martial intent he had pondered while drinking throughout the entire journey.
When every Raging Current Detonation had burst, Chwima shouted.
“Are you insane? Do you have any idea how many fish died because of you just now?”
He acted as though he were truly drunk and spouting nonsense.
“He dodged that?”
It was possible to dodge it. But the Azure Sea Divine Lord had not expected him to do so in such a ridiculous manner. Because he looked so drunk, it was impossible to tell whether it was his true skill or simply luck.
The Azure Sea Divine Lord’s next attack followed.
Azure Sea Divine Art, Fifth Form, Myriad Currents Revolving Wheel (萬派回輪).
The water beneath Chwima’s feet seemed to surge violently.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwa!
A massive vortex formed beneath Chwima’s feet.
“What is this now?”
When he leaped into the air, the vortex whirled and shot upward like a pillar of water.
Whirrrrrrrr!
The vortex chased after Chwima as though it were a living creature about to devour him.
“It’s a snake, a water snake!”
Chwima thrust palm force downward from midair.
Baaang!
The waterspout split apart as though shattered, but soon the water merged again and became an even larger vortex.
As Chwima fled, he struck the All-Seas Water Wall the Azure Sea Divine Lord had set up and was bounced forward, and because of that, he was swept into the vortex that came crashing down upon him.
Within the powerful water vortex that could tear a human body to shreds, Chwima could be seen flailing and spinning. In his helpless state, he looked like a doll.
“Done!”
Once swept into the Myriad Currents Revolving Wheel, no one could come out alive.
But because his opponent was who he was, the Azure Sea Divine Lord increased the speed of the Myriad Currents Revolving Wheel even further.
Whirrrrrrrrrrrrr.
The rotation was so fast that Chwima could no longer even be seen. His entire body would be torn to pieces until not even his shape remained.
“Now, one is dealt with.”
The Azure Sea Divine Lord called out to Mabul.
“You stunted little sack of dung! Now it’s your turn!”
Then Mabul shot up from the far side of the Fugui Ship.
He gave the madly spinning vortex a brief glance, then disappeared from sight again.
The Azure Sea Divine Lord snorted.
“Where are you going, you stunted little sack of dung? Even if you hide in fear, there is nowhere to run.”
At that moment, the speed of the wildly whirling vortex gradually began to decrease.
The Azure Sea Divine Lord flinched in surprise. He had not reduced its speed, yet it had begun to slow.
When the vortex finally came to a complete stop, the Azure Sea Divine Lord’s eyes flew wide open.
Splash.
Chwima landed intact upon the surface of the water.
“Damn, that made me dizzy.”
Chwima staggered.
“How? How on earth?”
The Azure Sea Divine Lord could not hide his shock, as though he had seen a ghost.
“He broke through the Myriad Currents Revolving Wheel with his bare body?”
At the disbelief in his eyes, Chwima drank again from the liquor gourd hanging at his waist.
“This body has lived its whole life dizzy with drunkenness. And no matter how dizzy that was, could it be as dizzying as my life?”
Then Chwima raised his drunken eyes and grinned.
“Want to have a drink and listen to the story of my life?”
Chwima staggered toward him.
The Azure Sea Divine Lord did not notice. Chwima’s footwork had changed. Before he knew it, he too was walking upon the water as though it were land. Just as the Azure Sea Divine Lord walked upon the water. He had come out of the vortex having realized something.
“You mad drunkard!”
The sight of those drunken eyes sent a chill through him. This was an opponent who had come out alive from a place where he absolutely should not have survived.
The Azure Sea Divine Lord unleashed a powerful move.
Azure Sea Divine Art, Sixth Form, Water-Fire Extreme Heat (水火極熱).
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble.
The surface of the water around them began to boil in an instant.
“Die cooked alive!”
Swaaaash.
Water that had become as hot as lava surged into a wave and crashed over Chwima. This special heat could not be blocked by protective qi. That was why this move had taken the lives of countless masters.
Puaaaak.
The boiling water crashed over him, but Chwima did not dodge.
“Aaaaargh! Hot!”
He made a great fuss about how much it hurt as he came walking closer and closer, until he reached the Manhae Water Wall.
What was protecting Chwima was not protective gangqi, but the alcohol qi that filled the space around his body.
Chiiiiik.
The alcohol qi hissed as it burned in the heat.
Scalding steam rose from Chwima’s entire body, his face flushed red as though cooked, and he began tearing at the Manhae Water Wall with his bare hands.
Riiiiip.
And, astonishingly, it tore.
“When we’re drunk, we don’t even feel pain! We don’t see anything in front of us.”
Seeing Chwima thrust his head through the torn membrane, his bloodshot eyes glaring, Byeokhae Singun felt chills run down his spine. He had fought countless enemies in his life, but this was the first time he had ever faced someone like this.
If his opponent had used some unique martial art to block him, he would not have been this shocked. But his opponent was simply enduring his martial art with his bare body.
Even after taking his martial art head-on, he had not so much as flinched. As wounded as his pride was, fear rose in equal measure.
‘Is a Demon Venerable truly this strong?’
This was not the level of skill he had known the Demon Venerables to possess.
Byeokhae Singun lightly launched himself to the opposite side and escaped outside the Manhae Water Wall.
Chwima staggered toward him again and slurred his words.
“I told you, thanks to you, I made a breakthrough. Now, take a cup of my liquor and let me ride that whirlpool one more time!”
“You crazy bastard!”
Overwhelmed by his momentum, Byeokhae Singun was taking a step back when—
He bumped into something behind him.
Thud.
Startled, Byeokhae Singun turned around, and Mabul was standing there, emitting a faint glow.
Mabul looked at him and said coldly,
“Here you are, you short sack of shit.”
A hand seal had already formed in his hands.
“Why, you……”
There was not even time for a single curse.
Flash!
Golden gangqi fell like a bolt of lightning and struck Byeokhae Singun squarely on the head.
Byeokhae Singun’s skull shattered, and he collapsed, dead on the spot.
Chwima looked down at the corpse and said,
“I understand. Turn around and you forget, turn around again and you forget some more. You forget when you’re old, and you forget when you’re drunk.”
Mabul said to Chwima,
“Let’s go. I found a place to enter.”
“See? A hundred times better than a drunkard!”
It was at that moment.
In the distance, by the lakeshore, an explosion rang out. From the lakeshore where the subordinates of the Ghost Shadow Unit were, came the clash of weapons. Far away, enemies were swarming in from every direction like a cloud of bees.
“Now that I see it, they’d set a net from the beginning and were waiting to devour us.”
At Chwima’s words, Mabul took the liquor bottle from his hand and gulped it down.
Seeing that, Chwima chuckled and said,
“These bastards are bringing back our Lord Mabul’s old temper.”
Mabul launched himself forward.
Chwima followed after him, flying toward the rear of the Fugwiseon. He was not worried about what was happening outside.
Just as this place shone with golden light, over there, a pure white smile would surely be forming.