Chapter 139. Trying to Row a Boat On Land (10)

Ma-Ra had already slaughtered more than half of the Martial Heaven warriors. Then, Woo-Moon also broke through their ranks, swinging his sword as if it were a broad saber.[1]

Before the time it took to drink a cup of tea passed, all of the Martial Heaven warriors in their path had been cut down.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“Let’s go, Ma-Ra!”

"Mmm."

***

As Si-Hyeon arrived in the third chamber and walked before the sapphire it hosted, she was attacked by Martial Heaven warriors.

They had found their way to the chamber from the other side of the path that she and the others of the Heavenly Demon Cult had entered through.

“The order has been given! We can’t stop the process, so she has to die! No matter what happens, kill the Demonic Maiden! The Heavenly Demon must not be allowed to appear again! Attack!”

Those of Martial Heaven’s Great Justice Palace rushed toward Si-Hyeon.

“S-stop them!”

Because they were on the other side, the White Blood Demon Master and the others weren’t able to reach her in time.

Worried, the Blade Clan Lord was about to lead forward. However, he soon found that there was no need for him to get involved.

“...”

Transparent and dainty Empty Hands weaved a strange pattern in the air.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

The seven Martial Heaven warriors who leaped in front of her hand had their heads smashed and chests torn open simultaneously, thick blood gushing everywhere.

“It really is incredible. She wasn’t much at first—to think she would become this much stronger after breaking just two seals! As expected of the Heavenly Demon Cult... they really are unnatural scum that shouldn’t exist.”

Three people appeared in the chamber, stepping on the corpses of their subordinates.

They were the Saber Martial Minister, the Whip Martial Minister, and the Bow Martial Minister, another three of the Twelve Martial Ministers.

The Bow Martial Minister drew his bow taut and let loose of the string.

Twang!

Though there had been no arrow nocked, something flew toward Si-Hyeon with a rippling shockwave.

“Ha!”

In an instant, a black shadow appeared before her, pushing out both hands with a slight grunt.

Bang!

The Bow Martial Minister’s Formless Arrow pierced through the double palms of the Blade Clan assassin and even penetrated through his body.

Immediately after seeing the first assassin fail to block the arrow, two more shadows appeared behind him in the same manner.

Squelch, squelch!

It was only after penetrating both of them as well that the Formless Arrow dissipated.

“...”

The blank-eyed Si-Hyeon showed no change in expression.

‘She’s only just opened the second seal. The Heavenly Maiden can’t compete with an Absolute Master yet!’

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the White Blood Demon Master shouted, “Light and Darkness Battalion Leader!”

“Understood!”

The Light and Darkness Battalion leader flew like the wind with his subordinates in tow and landed directly in front of Si-Hyeon.

“Please just wait for a moment. I will definitely eradicate those bastards who stand in the way of the Heavenly Maiden!”

The Light and Darkness Battalion leader could still remember the tears of sorrow he had shed when he had failed in his duty to protect the previous Heavenly Demon—the despair he had felt when he had survived when his master hadn’t.

Although Si-Hyeon was just a girl who

might

become the new Heavenly Demon, he had already pledged his loyalty to her.

He refused to lose his lord again.

No matter what.

“Take down our enemies!”

Following the orders of the Light and Darkness Battalion leader, his subordinates began attacking the enemy.

The Light and Darkness Battalion leader and his vice-leader combined forces to deal with the Blade and Whip Martial Ministers. At the same time, the four strongest members of the Light and Darkness Battalion joined forces to hold the Bow Martial Minster back.

Meanwhile, Si-Hyeon reached out for the sapphire and began to absorb the power within.

“Ahh...!”

Just like with the amethyst, her body floated into the air, engulfed in a black aura.

“Protect the Heavenly Maiden until she can release the third seal!”

However, as other experts from the Great Justice Palace joined in, the Light and Darkness Battalion gradually began to be pushed back.

“Blade Clan Lord! Please help the Light and Darkness Battalion!”

“Understood!”

The Blade Clan Lord’s assassins took action and began to attack from within the shadows. Their assistance was timely, bolstering the Light and Darkness Battalion until both sides were roughly even in strength.

A little more time passed, and the sapphire lost its light and turned into stone.

Si-Hyeon had broken the third seal and fully absorbed its powers.

She walked toward the following location, now exuding an even more powerful aura.

“Heavenly Maiden! You must not move now! Please, wait a moment!” the White Blood Demon Master shouted. However, Si-Hyeon continued to walk as if she didn’t hear a thing, straight into the battlefield where swords and sabers were swinging and stabbing here and there, blood spewing everywhere.

“Go for the Demonic Maiden! Attack her when she gets close!”

“Ugh! Stop them, no matter what!”

Now that the situation had escalated to this degree, the White Blood Demon Master stepped forward himself and began to battle the enemies.

As his Frigid Yin Palm Force cascaded over the stone chamber, the situation changed quickly.

“You’re quite impressive... you old geezer!”

The Saber and Whip Martial Minsters were unable to withstand the White Blood Demon Master’s palm and were forced to take a step back, eyebrows frozen white.

As the experts began to be pushed back, the other warriors who were weaker than them began to fall helplessly.

However, no matter how advantageous the situation grew for the Heavenly Demon Cult, it was difficult for them to fight and protect Si-Hyeon on all sides at the same time as she continued to walk forward.

Thwip!

An arrow fired by the Bow Martial Minster left a long wound on Si-Hyeon’s cheek, causing a streak of blood to splatter. Then, the Saber Martial Minster was able to graze her forearm with his blade.

Even though Si-Hyeon had become stronger with the release of another seal, she was still too weak compared to these powerful Absolute Masters.

Although she instinctively used the Empty Hand Demonic Art to defend herself, the number of injuries littering her body gradually grew.

Suddenly, they fell into an even more desperate situation.

A middle-aged man wearing a golden robe entered the chamber.

“White Blood Demon Master, it’s been a while. This time, I’ll put an end to your troubles with my own hands.”

“You...!”

He overwhelmed everyone just by sheer force of his presence.

He was none other than the Forgetful King, one of Martial Heaven’s Three Heavenly Martial Kings.

The Forgetful King stretched out a hand toward the White Blood Demon Master.

Ring, ring, ring.

A strange sound rang out, and the ground, walls, and even the air around the White Blood Demon Master began to collapse into itself and compress.

The White Blood Demon Master was forced to push both hands outward, finally halting the compression of whatever invisible membrane that surrounded him. Quickly, the White Blood Demon Master blasted Frigid Yin True Qi with his palms and turned the membrane white.

“Ha-a-eup!”

With a roar, the invisible membrane finally burst open, and a chill that made everyone’s body quickly filled the room.

“Oh ho, you got out faster this time than before. It looks like you’ve grown quite a bit, White Blood Demon Master.”

“Shut up!”

Rushing toward the Forgetful King, the White Blood Demon Master desperately sent a voice transmission to Bright Sword and Dark Sword, the two Protectors.

–I’m going to try to keep the Forgetful King here as long as possible. Please take the Heavenly Maiden to the final chamber!

–Understood, White Blood Demon Master. Your sacrifice will be remembered forever.

The Forgetful King was strong. No... he was far more than just strong.

Even the White Blood Demon Master, who was a veteran of the Absolute Stage, had to put his life on the line just to hold the Forgetful King back and buy time.

Bright Sword was pretending to be an ordinary member of the Light and Darkness Battalion, guarding Si-Hyeon’s side. With the other members of the battalion and Dark Sword, he escorted Si-Hyeon out of the chamber and onto the path.

Now, only one final seal remained.

The closer they got, the more intense Martial Heaven’s attacks became.

“You can’t go any further.”

Standing in front of Si-Hyeon and the Heavenly Demon Cult members were the Sword Martial Minister, Fist Martial Minister, Axe Martial Minister, Poison Martial Minister, and the members of the Great Evil Palace.

The Heavenly Demon’s Dark Soul Squadron stepped forward to fight against them. However, they were unable to deal with four Absolute Masters properly and were continuously pushed back, eventually losing one of their members.

“I’ll help you, too.”

It was only with Bright Sword’s intervention that the balance was somewhat restored. However, even that only lasted for a moment.

“I hope this time, we can properly root out the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

It was the rest of the remaining Martial Ministers.

The Staff Martial Minister, Baton Martial Minister, and Leg Martial Minister appeared one by one.

“Ugh...”

It was a truly hopeless situation, yet Si-Hyeon continued to move forward as if she didn’t feel any fear.

Bang!

The Baton Martial Minster’s two-section baton flew toward Si-Hyeon with the force of a natural disaster.

Thwip!

Si-Hyeon was barely able to avoid the attack using the Demonic Moon Steps. However, she still stumbled under the tremendous pressure.

Squelch!

Suddenly, the Sword Martial Minister’s sword pierced through Si-Hyeon’s stomach.

A black radiance flashed in Si-Hyeon’s eyes as a red aura in the shape of a hand emerged out of thin air and attacked the Sword Martial Minister.

It was the Demon Tribulation Blood Moon Edge.

“Eeek!”

As if he was messing around, the Sword Martial Minister twisted the sword in Si-Hyeon’s abdomen before taking a step back.

Squelch!

The wound opened up, and blood began to spill down.

The Axe Martial Minister didn’t miss the slight gap created by Si-Hyeon using the Threatening Demon Blood Moon Edge, either.

“Ooorah!!”

His double-edged ax was swung with a force not inferior to that of the Baton Martial Minster. Although Si-Hyeon quickly used Illusive Shift, she wasn’t able to altogether avoid the axe qi, and blood exploded from her left arm.

Squelch!

Her delicate arm was nearly severed, barely managing to stay connected through a bit of flesh and skin. It swayed as she stood there, as if it was an odd-shaped willow branch in the wind.

“Heavenly Maiden!”

Bright Sword and the Heavenly Demon Dark Soul Squadron left behind the enemies they were dealing with and ran to save Si-Hyeon, disregarding their own lives.

However, before they could do anything, the Sword Martial Minister’s sword swung down on Si-Hyeon.

“Damned Heavenly Demon, disappear for good now!”

Swish! Clang!

However, the Sword Martial Minister’s sword was deflected off course due to a stone—a stone that flew in out of nowhere and struck the blade with incredible timing.

“She’s my one and only treasured disciple. I advise that you keep your filthy hands off her,” the Palm Martial Emperor said, appearing in the chamber with both hands stained with blood.

“Oh, the Palm Martial Emperor! I could never have imagined that you would help the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

Behind the Palm Martial Emperor, the Night Spear Devil also appeared from the darkness.

The two men narrowly defeated the Palm Martial Minister and the Spear Martial Minster, forcing them to flee, and came all this way while dealing with numerous enemies.

The eyes of Bright Sword and the Dark Soul Squadron brightened at their appearance. They could not believe what they were seeing.

‘Are these two actually helping us?!’

The Palm Martial Emperor and the Night Spear Devil had been at the forefront of the resistance that had stopped the Heavenly Demon Cult in the past when it had set out to conquer the

murim.

In other words, they were lifelong enemies of the Heavenly Demon Cult!

However, the Palm Martial Emperor didn’t dwell on the past.

“What can I do? That child is my disciple. For now, I have to save my disciple, so I guess I’ll have to help you dumbasses!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the Palm Martial Emperor lunged at Si-Hyeon first, followed by the Night Spear Devil.

Thanks to their intervention, Si-Hyeon was able to advance once more, and the battle once again entered a stalemate where neither side could easily eke out a victory.

However, many of Martial Heaven’s experts remained.

Two black, masked shadows burst into the hall and rushed toward Si-Hyeon.

“You dare!”

In order to protect his disciple, the Palm Martial Emperor leaped forward to block the enemy and performed his legendary technique, the Stone-Piercing Stream Palm.[2]

He thrust out a palm, which divided into tens of thousands of palm shadows that covered the sky. With an exquisite flourish, they blasted toward the masked man on the left, finally superimposing into a single stream of palm shadows.

The masked simply raised his sword in response and jabbed forward.

Although it looked simple, that single movement contained titanic power that could even destroy a mountain.

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

The Stone-Piercing Stream Palm’s defining characteristic was a force that multiplied, increasing in pressure with every successive blow. In other words, it was akin to a constantly flowing stream of water, the droplets boring their way through a boulder.

However, the heavy sword that the masked man wielded was harder than any stone.

BOOM!

With a tremendous explosion, Sang-Woon was sent flying away by the aura of the heavy sword, blood spewing like a fountain from his mouth.

The same went for the Night Spear Devil, who had attacked the masked man on the right.

As the Night Spear Devil’s spear thrust forward at a speed that seemed as though it could cut through a beam of light, the other masked man seemed to move the slightest of distances, dodging the spear before quickly drawing and swinging his saber.

The Night Spear Devil tried to block it using his defensive technique, but like the Palm Martial Emperor, he couldn’t withstand the masked man’s force and fell back, blood spewing from his nose.

The Night Spear Devil and the Palm Martial Emperor couldn’t contain their shock.

The two of them were at the very peak even among Absolute Masters—that was why they had been able to defeat the Palm and Spear Martial Ministers and still have more than enough energy to come here.

However, they both could see it.

The two masked men before them were opponents that they couldn’t defeat.

‘No, it can’t be... are they Paragons?’

Although it felt impossible, like a dream, that was the only explanation they could think of.

1. In the Eastern classification of weapons, swords are generally thought to be nimble thrusting weapons, while sabers are heavier and meant for chopping and cleaving. ☜

2. This is an idiom. Even boulders will eventually be pierced by drops of water. ☜