〈 Chapter 564 〉 Why is this old man here?
It sweeps through.
Kuaaaaaaaah-!!
The gale erupting from his fist became a typhoon, sweeping across the ground.
Far too rough and savage to be called wind created by internal qi.
Moreover, that a human's single fist strike had accomplished this was simply astonishing.
Deudeudeudeudeuk-!!
The ground was torn asunder and twisted.
Judging by the range, the destructive power was tremendous.
The storm raged for quite some time, and by the time it reached the mountain behind them, it gradually subsided.
Huaaaaah….
Dust settled along with the wind.
Silence continued until that very moment.
This brief silence ended the moment the vision obscured by dust cleared away.
Thud-!
It was when the old man's body collapsed to the ground.
"E-Elderrrr!"
"Noooo!"
The screams of the Wudang Taoists who witnessed this rang out.
The Wudang Elder, Ubaek of the Flying Star Sword, lay collapsed on the ground, having breathed his last.
His body was a mess as if he had been ravaged by blades.
With blood scattered about, examining the old man's body left no room for hope.
Ubaek was dead.
He had died miserably at the hands of that masked man, unable to offer even the slightest resistance.
And that, too, with merely a single strike.
A master among the Hundred Great Experts of the Central Plains had closed his eyes without offering a proper struggle even once.
And the masked figure who had killed Ubaek merely stood still, gazing down at the fallen man.
A few seconds.
The one who had briefly examined Ubaek spat out words in a light tone.
"This is absurd."
A dry, parched voice. Moreover.
"Is this truly the sword of Wudang? If so, it is truly beyond disappointing."
His voice was filled with disappointment that could not be concealed.
"For the sword of such a renowned sect, so deeply rooted in the Central Plains for so long… to be this crude."
The Wudang Taoists looked upon Ubaek, who had been killed tragically, their veins bulging in fury.
However, they could not move.
Because their bodies still felt weighed down, rendering them immobile.
However.
Only one person.
One who could move despite such pressure was present in this place.
The figure spat out words as he looked at her.
"Yes, you were here."
She flinched.
The woman who had been about to move at the figure's words—Soi, the Plum Blossom Sword Empress—had to stop herself.
Glowing blue eyes turned toward the Sword Empress. Seeing this, she broke out in a cold sweat.
'I cannot see.'
What lay beyond that mask.
What realm the opponent was in. She could see nothing.
The Sword Empress's level was by no means low.
Even if she had fought a life-or-death battle with Ubaek, who had just died, she was confident she would win easily.
But.
'I couldn't do it like that.'
She could never have brought Ubaek to such a state with a single exchange.
'Just what…'
What in the world was the identity of this person who had suddenly appeared?
'Didn't he call himself the Heavenly Demon?'
He had definitely called himself by that name.
It was an epithet the Sword Empress was hearing for the first time.
It was truly bizarre.
That there was not a single known record of such a powerful martial artist.
"Sword Empress."
...!
While the Sword Empress was raising her tension to the extreme, the Heavenly Demon's call stimulated her wariness.
Perhaps realizing this, a hint of laughter seeped into the Heavenly Demon's voice.
"You are different from these vermin of Wudang. It seems you know your place."
Tap, tap.
He nudged Ubaek's corpse with his toes, and the Wudang Taoists who saw this let out exclamations of horror.
"You bastard!! How dare you to the Elder...!!!"
"I'll kill you!"
Screams filled with rage.
Hearing this, the Heavenly Demon turned his head toward them.
He raised his index finger and brought it to his lips.
"Shh."
A light warning.
However, the aura emanating from him was anything but light.
Kwaaaaah-!!
A heavy aura enveloped the surroundings and pressed down mercilessly.
"Kuaaa...!"
"Krrrk...!!"
Knees that had barely tried to straighten buckled again.
The Wudang Taoists let out rough groans.
"This Lord does not like noise. Especially the cries of insects, that is."
A sharp sensation! The Sword Empress clenched her fist at the aura she felt.
It was an aura she had never experienced before.
Too vicious to be called fighting spirit, yet too heavy to be called killing intent.
In the situation that had quieted down once more, save for the trembling presence of the people.
The Heavenly Demon turned his gaze toward the Sword Empress.
And he asked.
"Will you come?"
The question, asked with a slight tilt of his head, was clear provocation.
"..."
Hearing this, the Sword Empress furrowed her brow and spoke.
"If you are going to say such things, you should at least release those you have caught."
"Haha-!"
The Heavenly Demon burst into laughter upon hearing the Sword Empress's words.
She was right.
The aura emanating from his feet had spread in all directions.
The aura took on an eerie hue, poised at the necks of the martial artists.
This was also why the Sword Empress had been unable to intervene when Ubaek was struck moments ago.
The Heavenly Demon had been issuing a warning.
If you move, the others die too.
That kind of warning.
The Sword Empress felt cold sweat running down her back.
In other words.
'He emitted such an aura, and still managed to do that to Elder Wu.'
Even while emanating such a chilling aura, he had toyed with Ubaek like that.
Recalling this, the Sword Empress was certain.
'He has reached Transcendence.'
He had reached the Transcendence Realm, which only an extreme few among the Hundred Great Experts of the Central Plains had attained.
The Sword Empress judged so.
If not for that, he would not have been able to create such a materialized aura.
This was something only possible by reaching the domain of the mental image.
Tension permeated her entire body.
'Just what… is he… No.'
Where did they appear from?
The Sword Empress's gaze turned behind the Heavenly Demon.
It was directed at the giant kneeling behind him.
While all attention was focused on the Heavenly Demon, to the Sword Empress, that giant was also no easy opponent.
At minimum, a master of the Perfected Realm.
Judging by his physique, a master of external arts.
Like the Heavenly Demon, he too was someone she had never seen before.
The situation was utterly hopeless.
By what means she did not know, but the surrounding martial artists were unable to rise.
Despite such aftereffects erupting, for some reason reinforcements were not coming.
'Is this black aura the problem?'
The black aura spread in all directions. It did not look like a qi barrier, but this could be the issue.
If not that.
The Sword Empress's gaze turned slightly upward.
There was something emitting light—the only thing shining in this dark world.
Could that be the problem?
The Sword Empress bit her lip.
Though it appeared to shine brilliantly, she could feel a vicious aura radiating in all directions.
It was a power she had never seen before.
It seemed faintly familiar somewhere, yet was filled with a subtle, alien air.
A crisis.
She desperately gripped her sword hilt, but no proper method came to mind.
Was she afraid of death? She was not.
Even if they were stronger than her, she had no fear of such things.
The problem was.
'There are children.'
The current Sword Empress had something she must protect.
And it was not far from here.
That was why.
She could not rashly swing her sword.
And that was also why she could not retreat.
Then.
"Your gaze trembles."
...!
The Heavenly Demon spoke as he looked at the Sword Empress.
"It is not the eyes of one frightened by fear, but it seems something is making you hesitate. What could it be?"
Keuk keuk.
A laugh was heard.
"Could it be because of the young ones trapped in the prison?"
The Sword Empress's eyes widened. The Heavenly Demon had noticed.
Heat surged to the Sword Empress's head at this fact.
"Hmmm…."
The Heavenly Demon observed the Sword Empress and adjusted the mask he wore.
What should she do? Should she fight even now?
What about the martial artists around her? What about the children underground?
Grrrkd.
The moment the Sword Empress bit down hard at the gradually worsening situation.
"This is no fun."
The Heavenly Demon spat out those words in a deflated voice.
"I had wondered if I might taste the famous sword of Mount Hua, but your eyes dampen this Lord's interest."
"What… do you mean by that?"
"It means a sword filled with distracting thoughts is of no interest. As you are now… you do not even appear worth killing."
The coldly piercing words were enough to tear apart the Sword Empress's pride.
However, she did not bother to refute them.
Because the children's lives were more precious than such pride.
"I came with great expectations, but this was a meaningless step."
Saying so, the Heavenly Demon turned his back.
Surely, he wasn't thinking of leaving just like this?
The moment the Sword Empress thought that.
Hwoooook-!!!
A sound came from the empty air.
Kuuuuung-!!!
Something of enormous size thudded! down onto the ground.
It was that demonic beast which had been floating in the air moments ago.
Seen up close, it was even more majestic in size.
Large enough to swallow a residence whole.
It was a frame rivaling the Red Grade demonic beasts the Sword Empress had encountered several times.
The Heavenly Demon gradually walked toward such a demonic beast.
The Sword Empress knew.
If left alone, the Heavenly Demon would disappear.
Should she just let him go? A villain who had assaulted a righteous sect and killed a sect's elder?
Was she to send him off this easily?
When complex hesitation rose to the tip of her throat.
"Ah."
The Heavenly Demon stopped walking and spoke.
"If perchance you wish to stop this Lord's steps, then I shall respect your choice. However."
His head turned slightly to look back.
Faintly glowing blue eyes turned toward the Sword Empress.
"There will be no second time."
If she tried to stop him.
This time, he would kill them all.
The Heavenly Demon's words contained such a meaning.
For a few seconds like that.
"..."
The Sword Empress ultimately showed no reaction upon hearing those words.
Having confirmed that, the Heavenly Demon turned his head back and approached the demonic beast with the giant.
When he stretched his hand toward the demonic beast.
Huaaaaaah-!!!
The dark sky began to twist.
That sight was as if the sky itself was descending.
Jjeojeok-!
An abnormality occurred in the sphere floating in the air as well.
Cracks began to form gradually.
Toodook…!
The sphere that had begun to break slowly.
The Sword Empress's eyes widened upon seeing it.
Because cracks formed on the sphere and aura began to spew forth.
It was a precursor.
The precursor seen right before an aura explosion.
Seeing this, the Sword Empress immediately raised Taoist Qi in her body.
Huaaaak-! The scent of plum blossoms spread in all directions.
In that gap.
"Though a somewhat disappointing meeting, it had its own pleasures."
The Heavenly Demon's voice was heard.
"When we meet next time, I hope you will show this Lord an appearance that meets my expectations."
Ending with such words.
Hwarurururuk-!!
The sky descended to the ground and space was torn apart.
Simultaneously.
Jjeojeojeojeojeok-!!!
The sphere exploded and light burst forth. Riding on it, the qi pressure also caused an explosion.
It was a tremendous explosion.
One could tell how powerful the gathered aura had been.
If left as is, the surroundings were in danger of being swept away entirely.
Knowing this, the Sword Empress spread her Taoist Qi to coil around the explosion.
Saaah-!!
Crimson qi created a circular barrier, and thanks to that, the explosion could not escape outward and rampaged within.
However.
"Ugh-!!"
Trying to endure the explosion fully, backlash struck the Sword Empress's body.
She endured it.
Fortunately, the impact was far shallower than expected.
"Haah… ha…."
Just after barely suppressing the explosion, the Sword Empress exhaled in exhaustion.
When she regulated her breathing and turned her gaze.
In the place where the demonic beast had been, nothing at all remained.
******************
Dudududuk-!
The Transformation Art released, and his body's size gradually decreased.
The martial uniform he wore instantly became loose, but he had no time to care about that.
"Keolkeok-!"
Tudududok--!!
He grabbed the wall for support and vomited blood.
Black blood flowed out of his mouth in streams.
"Keok…."
He clutched his chest.
The pain made him feel like he would collapse at any moment.
If he let his guard down like this, he felt he would lose consciousness, so he had to endure somehow.
"Fuck…."
Profanity escaped him naturally.
He couldn't help it. He had almost died just now.
He wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand.
Even so, the pain remained.
'That was close.'
The qi in his heart was already empty.
If he had gone even a bit further, he would have had to draw upon his Innate True Qi.
Enduring the pain, he observed the inside of his body with his faintly remaining internal qi.
Then he immediately realized.
'Fucking hell….'
His insides were already a mess.
Perhaps from the aftereffects he had forcibly endured, his acupoints were in shambles, and his interior was filled with severe internal injuries.
"Should I have held back a little?"
This was likely an internal injury incurred while using the Art of Tuapacheonmu.
'I poured in too much beforehand.'
He had needed to use considerable energy with just Hwaryunseong and Heukcheon.
After that, Dragon's Words and the Mind's Eye.
On top of that, he had materialized demonic qi to restrain the Sword Empress, and had used Tuapacheonmu while maintaining it.
It was only natural, but his body couldn't possibly remain intact.
Moreover.
'If the Sword Empress had truly set out to catch me, it would have been over right then.'
He had been putting on every possible display of strength.
If the Sword Empress had truly tried to catch him without regard for consequences, it could really have been the end.
The reason he had moved despite knowing such risk.
Was his certainty that the Sword Empress would not make such a choice.
'Because Yeongpung and Guryeonghwa are in the prison.'
Because he knew that all too well, he had judged that the Sword Empress would not act rashly. And he had been right.
"Kk… heuuu…."
One knee buckled to the ground.
Tak.
Someone caught him as he was about to collapse and supported him.
He turned his head to check, and it was Nahi, the woman who had released his bindings in the prison moments ago.
"Master, are you alright?"
"...No, I think I'm about to die."
He spoke with a low chuckle.
He might really have died if things had gone even slightly wrong.
Thankfully things had gone well, but the result wasn't exactly clean.
'At this rate, I'll have to lie low for a month or two.'
This was only because his current physique was monstrously outstanding.
Originally, it would have been an internal injury requiring a year of recuperation.
"Tuh…."
He spat out the last remaining blood.
"Still, somehow it went according to plan."
His internal injury was a problem, but the result wasn't bad.
If the Sword Empress had known he was in this state, the result would likely have been different.
He could sigh, recalling the 'mask' tucked in his bosom.
'It's a relief I had this.'
The white mask received from the Dark King.
It was a precious artifact that made his existence hazy and prevented others from properly gauging his condition.
He had heard it was one of the few precious artifacts remaining in the other person's household.
Which meant.
'…It means it's the property of the Yeon family.'
Since the Dark King is a descendant of the Yeon family, this mask too is said to be an artifact of Yeon Il-cheon.
Thinking so made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, but there was nothing to be done.
He was in no position to be picky.
He forcibly raised his body.
Moving his body maximized the pain and blood surged up again, but he had to endure.
Because everything was not yet finished.
He had to quickly collect himself and return to the prison before the Sword Empress appeared.
After that, he needed to sort out the situation, and also judge several pieces of information obtained from this matter.
Moreover, there was the most important thing.
'There's not much time left until he arrives.'
The sect leader of Wudang and current head of the Martial Arts Alliance, who should be flying toward Wudang right now.
One of the Chilcheol Samgwon, the Ten Great Experts of the Central Plains.
He had to prepare to face the Wudang Sword Immortal.
That is, as a victim of this incident.