Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 405 – Heavenly Demon (2)

“Kneel.”

Young Master Na Yul-ryang and Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein, who had been intimidated and shrinking under the pressure, had their expressions turn hideously distorted.

Where could there be such humiliation?

Although he had given them justification by declaring war himself, the two masters who had reached the extreme of the Transformation Realm had briefly joined forces, yet were still pushed back.

And now, not content with that, he was telling them to kneel?

-Grind!

This was something they had never heard even in the war against the Righteous Alliance.

‘……He’s changed.’

On the other hand, Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates couldn’t help but be inwardly surprised at this imposing aura and changed manner of speech that exuded authority.

Mok Gyeong-un had always spoken politely with his unique manner of speech, regardless of who he was addressing.

This could be taken lightly, but with this change, those who supported Mok Gyeong-un realized that he truly intended to walk the path of hegemon.

‘Hehehe. Yes, this is it.’

Go Chan, possessing the body of the second young master Jang Neung-ak, couldn’t hide his elation.

Even though he had become a spirit servant, until now he couldn’t even guess what purpose Mok Gyeong-un was moving towards.

However, on the other hand, he had thought:

What if this monstrous master, whose true intentions were unfathomable and unpredictable, decided to walk the path of hegemon?

What kind of waves would each of his steps cause in the martial arts world?

And now, as it was really becoming a reality, Go Chan felt exhilarated, like when he first stepped into the martial arts world a long time ago.

This feeling wasn’t his alone.

Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilating Poison King, spoke to Ho Tae-gang, the Axe-Destroying King, in a somewhat excited voice.

“Axe-Destroying King. My blood is boiling after a long time.”

“It seems you haven’t just rejuvenated your face. But, I feel the same.”

After the great war between the orthodox and unorthodox sects, there had been small conflicts for a long time, but a period of calm had arrived where the three divided forces maintained the status quo while balancing each other.

This was largely due to the fact that the Society Leader had remained in seclusion for well over ten years, citing illness.

But now, seeing Mok Gyeong-un’s appearance with dignity and authority that evoked thoughts of hegemony, they began to feel their long-buried fighting spirit stirring.

“Ha!”

‘……Was this what he meant?’

Vice Society Leader Mong So-cheon, who was watching this through the window of the Society Leader’s quarters at the top of the main platform, was at a loss for words.

Even when he had seen him to assign a confidential mission, just before entering the Corpse Blood Valley, he had shown an incredible increase in capability to the point where one might wonder if this was the same person who had almost no martial arts skills.

But now, to overwhelmingly dominate two peerless masters who had reached the extreme of the Transformation Realm, who could be said to be almost at the level of the Eight Stars, simultaneously?

This was a rate of progress that simply couldn’t be explained by innate martial talent alone.

[Vice Society Leader. No, Father. From now on, he will create the era.]

Now he finally understood why his son Mong Mu-yak, who had been as cold and rational as himself, had changed to become so blindly devoted to that Mok Gyeong-un.

‘I thought there would be some exaggeration……’

Perhaps the anecdote about destroying the Shaolin’s One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation in one step, or the rumor about single-handedly subjugating the Tang Family of Sichuan, a pillar of the Righteous Alliance, might be somewhat close to the truth.

Of course, he still couldn’t believe the former anecdote about the incident at Shaolin.

-Flinch!

At that moment, Vice Society Leader Mong So-cheon seemed to realize something and looked at the Society Leader in front of him.

Although he hadn’t given any definite answer to his son Mong Mu-yak, he was a member of the Heaven and Earth Society and the right-hand man of the Society Leader.

It wasn’t a situation where someone like him should be admiring such overwhelming martial talent.

At this, he hurriedly said,

“Society Leader, right now……”

-Swish!

Before his words could finish, the Society Leader raised his hand.

As Vice Society Leader Mong So-cheon looked puzzled, the Society Leader opened his mouth.

“For now, we observe.”

At these words, Mong So-cheon frowned.

If he could push back even when two peerless masters who had reached the extreme of the Transformation Realm joined forces, it meant he was truly a master of the Profound Realm who had crossed the Wall of Walls.

In reality, the only one in the Society who could face him alone was the Society Leader, who had received the same title of Heaven.

He couldn’t understand why such a person wanted to observe this situation.

“But Society Leader. If even those who support that guy join in and rise up, it could lead to a massive internal war.”

The forces that had said they would support Mok Gyeong-un, who was to participate in the Ritual of the Three Veins, already exceeded half of the Society.

The only hope was that now that they knew Mok Gyeong-un’s true ambition was to destroy the Heaven and Earth Society, they would not cooperate and defect.

But if even more than half of them there cooperated, an uncontrollable situation would unfold.

“Society Leader!”

“I said we observe.”

However, the Society Leader was utterly resolute.

Vice Society Leader Mong So-cheon simply couldn’t understand this judgment of his.

He prided himself on knowing him better than anyone else, not just as his right-hand man but as a childhood friend, but at some point, it had become difficult to read his thoughts.

Even now, in a situation where the Society itself could be shaken, why was he saying he would observe? Wasn’t this tantamount to neglect?

‘Could it be that even in this situation, he’s trying to test them?’

‘Them’ referred to Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein, and Young Master Na Yul-ryang.

Although Mok Gyeong-un had suddenly declared war and revealed his fangs, defecting, these two were still strong candidates for succession.

The fact that the Society Leader hadn’t stepped forward yet, despite the somewhat dangerous situation, might be to watch how they deal with the crisis.

It could be said to be both bold and magnanimous, but this was a dangerous gamble.

It was a situation where he could potentially lose those successor candidates.

It was at that moment.

-Rumble!

Then, about a hundred martial artists wearing red fox fur cloaks rushed in in perfect unison, surrounded Mok Gyeong-un, and formed a sword formation.

“What are you all doing?”

Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein, shouted at the Earth Vein’s Red Wind Squad, who had come forward without his order.

He was already caught up in shame because they, who had not only crossed the Wall but reached its extreme, had been pushed back by Mok Gyeong-un’s momentum even when they attacked simultaneously, and now with them stepping forward, his pride could only be further damaged.

Then Jin Mu, Yang Jeong’s aide and the captain of the Red Wind Squad, shouted.

“How can we, as subordinates, stand by and watch an enemy who disrupts our Society and threatens our lord? Please forgive our rudeness. Red Wind Squad!”

-Chak!

As they took their sword stances, the energy in the surroundings began to rise.

The energies aligned through the sword formation began to interlock and multiply.

-Gooooo!

The Red Wind Squad, composed solely of masters at the Peak Realm, was the Earth Vein’s finest military force, consisting of martial artists with extensive real combat experience.

To nurture them, Yang Jeong had lived in the battlefield in the northern regions for over ten years.

As a result, the skills of the Red Wind Squad and their joint attack through the sword formation could be said to rival even the Shaolin’s One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation or the Wudang Sect’s Taiji Sword Formation.

“Everyone, let’s help the Young Master repel this enemy of our Society!”

At that moment, Mo Yak’s shout rang out.

Having judged that Na Yul-ryang, who had already lost his demonic eye and been injured in the brief confrontation, and Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein, had no chance of victory, her only recourse was to mobilize all available forces.

The executives and martial artists under Na Yul-ryang responded to her cry.

“Waaaaaah!!!!”

“Follow the Young Master!”

As Na Yul-ryang had built up a force amounting to about 40% numerically, when they moved to act, their numbers were so great that the ground shook and trembled.

However,

-Bang!

Ho Tae-gang, the Axe-Destroying King, slammed his axe down in front of them and shouted.

“If you want to face our lord, you’ll have to get past this old one first!”

-Hissss!

“The same goes for this old man.”

Beside him, Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilating Poison King, stepped forward, scattering poison energy.

At the momentum of these two masters of the Transformation Realm, Na Yul-ryang’s forces, who were about to step forward, flinched for a moment, but being numerically far superior, they tried to ignore this and push through.

“They’re shielding a traitor who has bared his fangs at the Society! They are no longer allies of our Society! Attack!”

Jonggak, the Void Clan Master, shouted.

But then,

“Oh ho ho. Is that so? But if we attack like that, which side do you think will be more numerous?”

-Shing!

As Hwan Ya-seon, the Shadow Clan Master, stepped forward drawing his sword, the executives and Society members who had been silently watching and supporting Mok Gyeong-un began to step forward.

Seeing their actions, the Society members under Na Yul-ryang couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

They had believed that at least these people wouldn’t side with a traitor trying to overthrow the Society.

“N-No. Are you lot trying to rebel?”

“How is it rebellion for subordinates to follow their lord?”

-Whoosh!

Lee Ji-yeom, the Corpse Blood Valley Master, came forward menacingly, holding a sword with flickering flames.

After refining the improved Crimson Flame Sword Art and gaining complete control over his Fiery Yang Qi, his capabilities had increased dramatically, reaching the early stages of the Transformation Realm.

Because of this, even the executives couldn’t hide their surprise at his changed aura.

‘So it’s come to this……’

Vice Society Leader Mong So-cheon’s expression darkened.

He had thought that even if they supported Mok Gyeong-un because of the Moon Vein, since the period wasn’t that long, loyal Society members would defect to some extent.

If not, it would be tantamount to rebellion, and he had expected they wouldn’t easily go along with it, but that prediction had been completely off the mark.

Nearly 80% were following him.

The few who hadn’t stepped forward were personnel at the level of branch heads under the second young master Jang Neung-ak, but they had followed Jang Neung-ak’s choice rather than truly pledging loyalty to Mok Gyeong-un, so they couldn’t commit rebellion and had defected.

As a result,

-Rumble!

The forces of both sides facing each other became almost equal in numbers, at least on the surface.

As this many people faced off, the atmosphere became not just heavy, but tense.

No one had expected that the Society Leader’s urgent summons would lead to internal war like this.

But here, no one could back down.

‘In the end……’

‘Are we heading towards a bloody civil war?’

Everyone was maintaining their distance while facing off with tense gazes.

It was then.

-Bang!

-Crack!

At that moment, the sound of someone taking a step was heard from somewhere.

Everyone’s gaze turned in that direction.

But the eyes of the Society members who saw this couldn’t help but widen.

“Kkeuk.”

“Cough!”

“Kek!”

-Thud! Thud! Thud!

The hundred members of the Red Wind Squad who had been surrounding Mok Gyeong-un while forming a sword formation suddenly clutched their chests, coughed up blood, and collapsed.

‘What?’

‘Wh-What is this?’

It happened so suddenly that they all couldn’t understand what was going on.

This was the same for Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein.

How could the Red Wind Squad, who could be called the Earth Vein’s finest elite, collapse so helplessly when all he did was take a step?

At that moment, everyone here recalled one thing.

‘The Heavenly Demon’s Domineering Steps!’

Because it had destroyed the Shaolin’s One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation in a single step, the martial arts world called this one step the Heavenly Demon’s Domineering Steps.

Seeing this, the Society members’ expressions darkened.

They had thought that destroying the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation in one step must have had some exaggeration mixed in, but who would have known they would actually see it with their own eyes?

But then, an even more astonishing sight appeared before their eyes.

-Woong!

Mok Gyeong-un, who had felled the Earth Vein’s elite numbering over a hundred with the Heavenly Demon’s Domineering Steps, rose into the air with his hands behind his back.

“Sky-Soaring Void Path!”

This was the Sky-Soaring Void Path, called the pinnacle of lightness techniques.

It is literally the highest realm of lightness techniques where one can reach the level of flying in the sky.

Mok Gyeong-un, rising into the air like that, opened his mouth.

“Kneel. Those who do not submit will only meet death.”

A voice that resounded in all directions.

No sooner had those words ended than black energy began to flow from Mok Gyeong-un’s entire body.

-Gooooo!

It was demonic energy.

As the immensely ferocious demonic energy was released, it covered all directions, making the entire plaza suffocating.

This appearance of Mok Gyeong-un was truly like that of an absolute being.

Under this pressure, at some point, some of the Society members who had been facing off unknowingly became suppressed and lowered their heads.

Mok Gyeong-un’s momentum had reached its peak to that extent.

‘This won’t do!’

Thinking that morale would be broken before they even fought at this rate, Na Yul-ryang stepped forward.

“No matter how strong you alone may be, our Society will never kneel. And you haven’t yet faced the true strongest of our Society.”

At these words, the Society members under Na Yul-ryang shouted in unison.

“Waaaaaaah!!!!”

That’s right.

Before the Seventh Heaven, they had someone who was called the Six Heavens and ruled over the martial arts world of the Central Plains.

It was the Heaven and Earth Society Leader.

They believed that if he stepped forward, the situation would be reversed.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un smirked.

Then,

-Swish!

He grasped his sword and extended it upwards.

Then,

-Goo! Flutter flutter!

“Wh-What is this……”

“What? How is this……”

The Society members holding swords couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

This was because the swords they were holding began to move on their own, helpless against the powerful internal energy.

Those with weak inner power or who couldn’t withstand it eventually lost their grip on their swords.

-Pa pa pa pak!

Thus, numerous swords rose into the air.

Seeing this sight, the pupils of the Society members looking up shook as if an earthquake had occurred.

This was the same for the subordinates under Mok Gyeong-un, who could be considered allies.

‘Is this…… Flying Sword Technique?’

‘How profound must his internal energy be to control so many swords?’

No, is this even possible in the first place?

As everyone was shocked like this, Mok Gyeong-un pointed his sword at the Society members following Na Yul-ryang who were facing off.

Then,

-Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha chak!

The numerous swords that had risen immediately aimed at them.

But it didn’t end there.

Mok Gyeong-un’s left pupil turned golden, just like when Na Yul-ryang had opened his demonic eye, and then the swords were imbued with black sword energy.

-Woooong!

‘!!!!!!!!’