Chapter 228

Chapter 228

White breath colors the void.

“Huuu.”

Geomhu, who had unfolded her martial art and exhaled deeply, looked at the sky overflowing with a strange energy. An ominous and sinister feeling that anyone who could read intention would notice.

“What on earth……?”

Geomhu, who confirmed the encroaching dark clouds, exhaled white breath deeply and gripped her sword hilt tightly. The sense of unease rushing over was by no means trivial.

This situation is not an intended situation in the opening ceremony.

It wasn’t that long ago that Geomhu realized this. In fact, until just a while ago, only situations within the normal range had been continuing.

Catching the gathering martial artists, earning points, recovering internal power with that, catching zone masters, and advancing to the central zone.

During that time, Geomhu had never doubted the opening ceremony. The moment she understood the structure of the opening ceremony, she naturally guessed it would flow that way.

If everyone advances to the central zone like this, they would separate the gems from the stones among them, defeat the Sadoryeon Lord at the central altar, then conclude the opening ceremony. That’s what she thought was the natural order. Actually, the direction of events was flowing that way. 

—Daesageom. That young lady next to you…….

The moment she saw the black-robed woman accompanying Daesageom, who had advanced to the central zone, Geomhu had no choice but to realize.

—It’s Heukya.

That something is wrong with this opening ceremony.

“What situation is this?”

“I don’t know.”

As Geomhu, who had shot out streams of starlight sword energy toward the gathering dark clouds and was gasping for breath, asked Daesageom, Daesageom also shook his head. Heukya’s figure had already disappeared from the side.

It’s extremely suspicious. Geomhu, who furrowed her brow, threw a question at Daesageom.

“As expected, we shouldn’t have trusted the yokai. This dark cloud is also that fox yokai’s doing…….”

“There’s a possibility, but my intuition says it’s not. In the first place, wasn’t it that fox yokai who informed us about the dark clouds’ appearance?”

“That yokai said the Heavenly Demon would descend. Though I don’t know what on earth this Heavenly Demon means, there must have been something originally. Most likely…….”

“The Demonic Cult.”

“That’s right. We can’t separate the Demonic Cult and Heavenly Demon.”

“Haa.”

Geomhu, who sighed deeply, pressed her forehead and furrowed her brow. Just thinking about it being a Demonic Cult scheme made her head hurt.

—I have something to tell Geomhu-nim.

The day Geomhu was recognized as Sipcheon.

The Murim Alliance’s strategist who visited Geomhu said that. That there’s a secret history of the Demonic Cult, Murim Alliance, and Sadoryeon not known to the world.

The story that followed was shocking. The reason the Demonic Cult hid in Xinjiang of all places, the reason they can’t stir despite having such powerful strength, why they’re called the Demonic Cult, why their stirring must not be permitted.

She could understand it all.

“What do you think they want?”

“Isn’t it obvious? They want to break free from the restrictions. That oath not to step on Central Plains soil.”

“……Restrictions.”

“They’ve carried too heavy a burden for too long.”

The Demonic Cult’s burden. Being unable to leave Xinjiang.

Central Plains people say Demonic Cult martial artists are evil, but to those who know all the secret history, Demonic Cult people weren’t evil. Rather, they were desperate if anything.

“Their duty is extremely arduous and heavy. It’s understandable that they want to throw off the duty. Even after experiencing such adversity, if they don’t break, can that be called human? It should be called a type of yokai.”

“But it must not happen. Because that story is nothing but saying let’s all die together.”

Daesageom, who shook his head, crossed his arms. If the burden could be shared, would the Central Plains leadership have made the discussion public?

Perhaps they would have. If the Demonic Cult and Central Plains martial world could have a symbiotic relationship, the martial world’s leadership wouldn’t have tried to provoke these people who are like powder kegs that could explode at any moment. Even if they themselves had to sacrifice somewhat, if they could just postpone the destruction that will eventually come, they would have thought it’s a necessary sacrifice.

But that’s an impossible assumption. Central Plains humans cannot share the burden of Demonic Cult followers. They have no choice but to force sacrifice upon them. Literally because they can’t do it even if they want to.

“If this is the Demonic Cult’s scheme, we must block it no matter what. You know the reason without me saying it.”

“……I know. It means if we’re not careful, it won’t end with just one or two people here dying, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Huuu.”

Geomhu, who sighed deeply, raised her sword and glared at the dark clouds. Dark clouds so dark they seemed ready to spew streams of lightning at any moment.

“This is the last time.”

She doesn’t know where the Demonic Cult follower is. Doesn’t know what they disguised themselves as. 

Destroy the formation itself.

Eunha Cheonrin Geomgyeol

The sword dyes white, then blue, then red.

Geomhu, who contained the twinkling like the night sky’s starlight in her sword, half-opened her eyes and slowly extended her sword toward the sky. What’s contained is the mental image. A martial art more arbitrary and selfish than anything, trying to imprison the stars and universe in the sword and unfold them.

Eunharyu

Starlight flows.

‘Not yet.’

Confirming that the world-opening realm martial art encroaches on the sky and splits the dark clouds, Daesageom raised his sword blade. The martial art unfolding simultaneously.

Hyeolhae Surajgeom Oui

Hyeolra

A blood-red net covers the world.

At Daesageom’s martial art completely fragmenting the dark clouds Geomhu had split and distorting space, Geomhu widened her eyes. Space distorting as if it would break at any moment.

‘It’s insufficient……!’

Though it looks that way, the output is far from enough—extremely insufficient. No matter how you look at it, two people aren’t enough in this situation.

At least one more person needs to join. If the Sadoryeon Lord notices this anomaly and unleashes his full power.

With such thoughts, Geomhu, who was looking at the gradually recovering formation, narrowed her eyes.

Pajik!

Because a strange movement was being observed from beyond space.

Cheonroesin

“That martial art is…….”

A martial art in her memory.

Geomhu, who recalled the scene she saw in the battle with Geomwang, held a glimmer of hope then shook her head. Though Baengri Un’s joining is welcome, no matter how she thought about it, this was a difficult situation.

‘It’s true that Un-i’s talent is outstanding. However…….’

A formation that won’t break even with two Sipcheon giving their all.

Unless someone like the Sadoryeon Lord, Geomseong, or at least Bulgoe properly positions themselves and unleashes a strike, the formation won’t break. Though Geomhu doesn’t know about formations, she at least knew this much. To break this formation’s framework, power tremendous enough to shake heaven and earth must emerge.

‘This time is also a failure…….’

What’s felt is insufficient.

If this happens, there’s no choice but to cut the bracelet and go outside the formation to seek a way out. Either destroying the formation itself or releasing it somehow.

Geomhu, who slowly lowered her shoulders with such thoughts and shook her head. And at that moment.

Yeonsokcheongae

The lightning energy.

Doubled.

“What is this……?”

“Insane.”

Daesageom, who involuntarily let out a hollow laugh at the tremendously increased storm of lightning energy, stared directly at the sky. Lightning ascending toward the sky from beyond the zone that normally wouldn’t even be visible.

“Colliding yin energy and yang energy to create lightning, then colliding it once more?”

“Even a slight mistake would burn all the blood pathways, yet that fellow doesn’t seem to find risking his life very difficult.”

“……It’s not that it isn’t precious.”

“Hm?”

“It’s just that even knowing it’s a gamble, there are times when you must do it.”

The intention covers the sky.

As if the sky was enraged, white lightning streams out continuously, turning the dark sky into a white night. An unrefined, unrefinable destructive feast of lightning energy.

Thunder and white lightning devour the sky and incinerate the dark clouds. The silence that soon follows.

The white lightning that seemed ready to cover the world at any moment devoured the sound and condensed into one place. 

Gaebyeok Cheongeomryu Oui

The next moment.

Jeongcheon

The sky split in two.

Ppiiiii—!!!

Ringing in the ears.

“The formation is…….”

Geomhu, who involuntarily spoke upon confirming space being instantly sucked in and shattering into fragments, hurriedly looked around. The gradually changing scene.

One, two.

Those who were inside the formation reveal themselves. Those who had been contending against each other with weapons aimed while wearing bracelets, and those who seem to have been hiding somewhere, crouching while employing concealment arts, manifest their forms into reality. And among them, the man standing at the very top, extending his sword into the void.

“……The formation has broken.”

Indeed, the reputation is well-deserved.

Daesageom, who involuntarily let out a hollow laugh, approached Baengri Un to praise his martial prowess. 

“Uicheonmunju. Amazing. What on earth was the name of that strike just now…….”

The moment Daesageom approached in front of Baengri Un, who stood frozen with his sword extended.

Daesageom had no choice but to stop the motion of speaking.

“……Uicheonmunju?”

Because Baengri Un’s face was frighteningly hardened.

Why do martial artists learn martial arts?

Some for fame and status, someone for revenge for relatives, someone just not wanting to live miserably, someone wanting fame.

Originally, the reasons martial artists learn martial arts are all different. While there are those who learn simply because learning martial arts is fun, there are also those who learn martial arts to cultivate the martial way and become immortals. You could say the martial world is a form created by all kinds of eccentrics and extraordinary people entangled and intertwined.

In my case too, it wasn’t one reason at first.

I was born into a martial family, and I had talent in martial arts.

The martial arts my father and mother showed seemed beautiful, and I think I wanted to resemble that. Many such reasons pushed me onto the path of martial arts. 

In the present, the reason I learn martial arts, and the reason I still try to develop martial arts, is only one.

To leave my traces in this world.

Because I raised disciples and wanted to create something I could teach those disciples, even one more thing.

“Sect Leader. Did you cough?”

Hearing the voice from outside the door, I opened my eyes and pushed away the bedding. Though the dark clouds clearly gathered, the weather outside is clear as if such a thing never happened.

“……Is it Gang?”

“Yes. Breakfast.”

“I’m fine.”

I spoke in a completely hoarse voice then quietly closed my eyes. Something boiling up from the depths of my heart.

—Missing persons. Three hundred twenty-seven people.

Three days since the opening ceremony formation was destroyed.

Despite destroying the formation, numerous people went missing along with the formation.

—Missing persons list.

—Seohwa

—Wangpal

—Baengri San

—Seomun Cheok

—Baengri Seon

—Namgung Yeon

Right.

Along with my disciples.