Chun Woo-myungâs eyelids flickered. It was surprising that the rotten corpse spoke, but it was more surprising that he recognized his sword technique.
âWhat is it?â
He wasnât alive. His skin was rotting, and his eyes were dazed like the others.
The monster shouted.
âDâŚDe⌠Demon Godddd!â
âDemon God?â
Phat!
There was no time to talk; the monster went straight for Chun Woo-myung.
âShit!â
Hu Bong managed to move forward.
Wheik!
Hu Bong used his Sword and Flame Qi simultaneously, and the monster was engulfed in flames.
âAmazing.â
Yun Ja-seo, who was watching, admired it. How many people in the world could wield their sword so greatly?
âAs expected of the Flame Emperor!â
That was Hu Bongâs title.
Yun Ja-seo had identified him. There werenât many people who could use Flame Qi and Illusion Sword technique in Murim. As a result, he was surprised, yet he wasnât relieved. This was because the Sky Demon Order was their enemy.
Chachacha!
At that time, the monster looked at the trajectory of the flames. His blade cut the trajectory of the flames by drawing a line with subversive momentum.
âHuh?â
As a result, Hu Bong's eyes widened as the monster spread the technique. It was the same with Chun Woo-myung.
âThis blade technique?â
Surprisingly, the blade technique that monster was unleashing was something they knew all too well. It had disappeared into history now, but even 20 years ago, it was called the strongest blade technique.
Phat!
Hu Bong avoided the sharp blade flying through the gaps in his technique by spreading his footwork. But the monster continued to unleash his form at Hu Bong.
âDamn it!â
Hu Bong was experienced, but the monster's blade technique was so exquisitely aimed at the neck. At that moment, a sharp sword pierced into the monster's side.
Chasl!
With that, he changed the direction of the blade to block it.
âDemon⌠God!â
The monster's expression contorted with anger.
It was none other than Chun Woo-myung who spread the sword towards him. He intervened to save Hu Bong.
âWhat are you? Why are you saying my fatherâs nameâŚ.â
Shh!
Before Chun Woo-myung could even finish his words, the monster's blade came for his head.
Bang!
But then the floor sank, and both missed their balance.
âYou need to be careful, Young Master!â
It was Ko Wang-suk who made the floor sink. If she were a little late, Chun Woo-myung would have been beheaded.
âMouse like⌠things⌠always⌠around!â
Pak!
Furious, the monster slammed the blade to the ground. Sharp eight-pointed energy rose from the bottom and aimed for Chun Woo-myung.
Hu Bong and Ko Wang-suk shouted at the same time.
âThat is!â
They knew this well.
It was of the Blade God Six Martial clanâs 7th formation, the Eightfold Blade. Knowing this meant knowing the gap.
Phat!
The three of them moved back at the same time. However, the changes in the energy points were so fast that they couldnât avoid altogether.
Chachang!
Hu Bong and Chun Woo-myung responded with swords simultaneously, and Ko Wang-suk used her hand with internal energy.
Chachahca!
âWhat sharp control!â
Despite knowing what was being done, they couldnât help but feel inferior to it. One of the rogues watching them said,
âLeader. Letâs run away.â
âRun?â
âWell, they are the Demonic Cult members. If they die fighting that one, we have nothing to lose. Letâs run now.â
What was said was true, but Yun Ja-seo frowned.
Wasnât it nice for the cult that they hate to lose people? Besides, this monster was too strong.
âThere is no hope.â
Instead, they might be dragged into danger if they stated they couldnât help.
âPlease! Leader!â
At their words, Yun Ja-seo hesitated.
âWe need to goâŚ.â
However, he couldnât move. Despite what happened, these people helped them till here. And they were definitely companions for a short while.
âLeader!â
Another yelled.
âYou people run.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âI am Yun Ja-seo! Although my clan is closed, at least the teachings of the clan havenât been erased from my heart!â
âN-No way!â
âI have received grace so I will repay it!â
Phat!
With that, Yun Ja-seo desperately moved, trying to use the sword of the Qingcheng sect.
âBrother Chun! Brother Hu! I will help!â
Chachachak!
He aimed at the back of the monster, which was focusing on the three people simultaneously. And since he was looking from afar, he knew how to move. No matter how strong the monster was, he couldnât defend himself when battling three people.
HoweverâŚ
Bang! Papapak!
âKuak!â
As the monster took a step, the rocks flew up, blocked the sword, and struck him on the chest.
âKuak!â
Blood gushed from his mouth!
âBrother Yun!â
Chun Woo-myung, who was dealing with the monster, shouted. To which he smiled.
âFoolish bastard. How can he be that kind?â
After all that had happened, the child still looked for him. At least, he felt like he didnât deviate from the clanâs teaching, and that felt fine to Yun Ja-seo.
Pak!
â!?â
But someone suddenly came and supported him.
And a shadow appeared in front and spread a sword which stopped the stones.
Chachacha!
âKuak!â
Since the level was low, the stones pierced, and the three fell down. Yun Ja-seo was shocked at the faces he saw.
âYou people!â
They were the ones who wanted to run. Holding the aching stomach, one of them said,
âUgh⌠Leader⌠you were turning us into cowards.â
Yun Ja-seo said in a trembling voice.
âYou have to rebuild the clanâŚ.â
âI donât know about that, and like the leader said, those Demonic Cult ones seemed like nice people. So letâs do this together.â
Nangin, whoâs one of them, reached for Yun Ja-seo.
âLetâs helpâŚ.â
He took his hand and stood up.
âItâs them!!â
The three were ready to run when Chun Woo-myung shouted.
âDonât come!â
With their level, handling the monster would be tough. Chun Woo-myung was able to deal with the monster because they knew about the monster's techniques.
âWe cannot do that. We will all live!â
If they hadnât helped, the rogues would have run, but not anymore, which moved Chun Woo-myung.
Even if their relationship started off weirdly, they all felt righteous for some reason.
âThey will die.â
And Chun Woo-myung didnât want that to happen. So he decided to do his best.
The Unification of Energy induced into the Sword Force of the Sky Demon.
âToo tough!â
Crack!
All the energies were gathered, which made the wind rise around, and all concentrated on the tip of Chun Woo-myungâs sword.
âThe Young Lord is trying to win! Then!â
Hu Bong, who understood it, began to use the Illusion Sword technique and Ko Wang-suk, too, did the same.
The three used the best of theirs at the same time.
It was then.
âKiâŚdsâŚ!â
Something hazy appeared in the hand of the monsters. It wasnât sword energy, butâŚ
âInvisible Blade!â
Something which could only be achieved by those at the Divine Master level. The Blade God Six Martial clan technique would now unfold more strongly.
Papapa!
Six people were thrown out at once.
âKuak!â
âAck!â
Two rogues were torn into a pile of meat, and Yun Ja-seo couldnât be much greater. He, too, tried to block it, but his right arm was cut off while trying.
âKuck!â
Chun Woo-myung coughed blood and looked at Hu Bong and Ko Wang suk. Ko Wang-suk looked terrible, but Hu Bong took most of the attack, trying to protect them.
âUncle Hu!â
âYoung Lord⌠coughâŚ.â
Thud!
Hu Bong was on his knee. Fortunately, he had regenerative power, so he didnât lose his life.
âMy arms donât have the strength anymoreâŚ.â
Ko Wang-suk had blocked it with her arms. She used energy on it to protect her body. However, she knew that she couldnât move like that again.
âIf only I wasnât stubbornâŚ.â
Chun Woo-myung regretted it. If only he wasnât after the thoughts of some adventure.
Step!
The monster walked towards them. Looking at it, he knew that there was no hope.
Then the monster said,
âYou⌠are.. not⌠Demon⌠God⌠kidâŚâ
It seemed like the monster knew he wasnât the Demon God, and Chun Woo-myung shouted,
âWho are you? How do you know that technique?â
From what he knew, that clan was already annihilated, and whoever was alive was in hiding. Everyone from that clan who survived hated his father. Then who is this one?
The monster answered him.
âI⌠am⌠the⌠Blade⌠Lord⌠of theâŚ.â
âWhat?â
HU Bong was shocked.
â⌠no way.â
The Blade Lord represents the clan, and he already died at Chun Yeowunâs hands. There was no way that man could have survived.
âNo. You are the Blade Lord?â
At Hu Bongâs words, the monster smiled weirdly.
âI left⌠and⌠came⌠back⌠fromâŚ.â
âBack from the dead?â
Shh!
Whether they were shocked or not, the monster declared itself as the Blade Lord and lifted the Invisible Blade, ready to take them down.
âStop. Blade Lord.â
A voice from somewhere was heard, and the blade that was about to strike stopped.
Step! Step!
At that moment, a black figure moved into the misty forest, and it was a middle-aged man giving out some weird cold energy.
âTremendous.â
Clench!
Hu Bong clenched his hand, ready to jump in. With this power alone, this man had surpassed the Blade Lord. He couldnât understand why the man wasnât famous in the Murim.
âWhy⌠am⌠i⌠asked⌠to⌠stop?â
The white-haired man smiled.
âThese are sacrifices to draw out the Demon God.â
âWhat?!â
At that, both Hu Bong and Chun Woo-myung stood up in anger. They said they were going to be sacrificed to bring out Demon God.
âIdiots.â
Shh!
The middle-aged man held out his hand, and the chill spread around, making their bodies freeze.
Jjkkk!
âHuh?â
âIce Qi?â
Their bodies were trapped in it.
âDo you think you have locked me up like this?!â
WheiâŚ
Hu bong tried to melt it, but no matter how much he tried, he couldnât move and almost exhausted his Qi.
âNo.â
Hu Bong was shocked when the white-haired man said,
âIf you have any intention to stay alive, stay till. Hu Bong, Demon Godâs first subordinate.â
The man knew who Hu Bong was, which made him more furious.
âHow dare you bastard!â
âHow long will you be this great in the jaws of a tiger?â
âWhat?â
Thud!
Then, the ground shook.
Thud!
However, it wasnât an earthquake.
ThudâŚ
âT-thisâŚâ
There was something huge that was making the entire place resonate. Eerie energy shook.
Creepy!
The atmosphere was enough to make them feel fear. All three of them were shocked when something huge came from the fog.
âMonâŚster!â
At the palace of the Crown Prince in the Imperial PalaceâŚ
Bang!
The table was broken into two, and the one who did it was the Crown Prince.
He had an irritated face, different from what he had in front of the Emperor.
He spoke to the man in an official robe in front of the table.
âDidnât I suffer shame after doing what you said?â
âI apologize.â
The officer with him dropped his gaze and apologized. The princeâs anger was still there, so he grabbed the man by the collar.
âCan we really deal with the damned cult if we do this?â
âHuhu. It will be done.â
The man comforted him and pulled something from his sleeve. It was a scroll.
âYou need to listen to it clearly. Now, could you let me go?â
âHuh!â
The Crown Prince let go of the collar, and the man smiled as he opened the scroll.
Inside the scroll was some bizarre entity, which made the Crown Prince ask in disgust.
âWhat is that?â
âDo you know of the old legends?â
The Crown Prince asked,
âThat book with legends written in it?â
âWell, you might see it that way. However, didnât the Crown Prince look at the Ghoul with his own eyes?â
Ghoul.
It meant a dead body.
âAre you talking about that ugly thing?â
âYes.â
âWhere did you get such a thing?â
The Crown Prince was curious about it. He wondered how this person got a dead being.
âCrown Prince, various beings were talked about in those records. Do you know which of them is the most?â
â⌠how will I know of it?â
âHuhuhu. My noble Crown Prince.â
âAre you disrespecting this Crown Prince?â
âWhy would I ever? There are three great yokai which are known to have existed for a long time. And are called the Three Yokai.â
âThree?â
Three Yokai. It refers to the evilest beings in the world. And the term yokai wasnât coined for nothing. The Crown Prince took the scroll and said,
â⌠is this that?â
âHuhu. Right. Precisely. Itâs one of the three.â
âOne of the three?â
And the man said,
âNot some mere existence. This being in here is the king of the dead that the dead worships too! A giant monster which is said to be the beginning of end!â
âKing of⌠dead!â
Just the title sent a shiver down his spine. The Crown Prince then asked.
âWhat⌠what after it?â
âThe leader ofâŚ. No, Demon God Chun Yeowun is a human who has crossed normal realm.â
âHuh!â
Right, he witnessed that, so he didnât deny it. With the power Chun Yeowun showed, no wonder the Murim was unified under him, and he was recognized as the strongest by everyone.
The man continued to speak.
âBut this being is on another level.â
âWhat do you mean? This one is going to take care of that man?â
Despite pretending to be bold, the Crown Prince who saw the Demon God couldnât feel that this monster would take him down. However, it didnât matter now.
As a result, it didnât matter if the giant monster was good or bad; he just wanted that man dead.
The man smiled.
âWell, the King of the Dead can easily kill the Demon God.â
âEasily kill?â
âHe is a giant monster known to be the strongest of the Three Yokai. How can a human, called Demon God, handle it? What weâŚâ
âInteresting.â
â!?â
At the unfamiliar voice, the man stopped talking. It was made sure that everyone had moved away from the Crown Princeâs room. So even the Crown Prince went stiff.
âCrown⌠Prince?â
He was looking at the man with a fearful expression. And the man turned his head. Behind him was a man with a black robe and a dragon pattern on it.
âUgh!â
Surprised by that, he tried to move and attack. But nothing happened as the moment his fist touched, it broke.
Crack!
âKuaak!â
The man groaned with an aching hand. The Golden Gumiho with nine tails looked at the scroll that was on the floor.
âStrongest of the three? Since when did he turn as the strongest? Such a joke.â
The golden fox moved around. The Golden Gumiho looked down and smiled.
âDemon⌠GodâŚâ
It was Chun Yeowun. The Crown Prince couldnât shut his mouth, which was opened due to the shock.