Chapter 270

Chapter 270

Yokai power surges.

“What on earth is that……!”

Everyone who felt Heukya’s yokai power suddenly begin to grow enormous stared up at the air with wide eyes in shock. The tail that was already giant now grew immense enough to literally cover the world, surging.

“Wh-what’s suddenly happening? Why is that yokai suddenly growing stronger!”

“……Sinseongok.”

“What?”

“She must have flooded Sinseongok. That would have been the most likely possibility.”

“Flooded……?”

“Yes. It means she drove the yokai out of their demon realm.”

At Ilryun’s shock, I answered while biting my lip and glared at Heukya. I roughly grasped what this situation was about.

‘She plans to go all the way.’

Contrary to people’s common perception, yokai rarely leave their demon realms.

That’s because there’s a huge difference between the power a yokai can exert inside their demon realm and the power they can exert outside it.

The better a yokai has constructed their demon realm, the more dramatically their combat power increases in the demon realm they’ve inhabited. In martial artist terms, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they’re at minimum half a level ahead, at maximum three levels ahead.

Especially Central Plains yokai tend even more strongly toward not wanting to leave their demon realms because they live in an environment without yokai power. Unless it’s a situation where they’re fine even leaving their demon realm, Central Plains martial artists are always keeping their eyes peeled to catch and kill yokai. No matter how good the harvest, it’s far too dangerous to go out and shoulder that risk.

“What kind of place is this?”

“Well…… it’s where the Blood Cult, Central Plains, and the Demonic Cult are mixed together fighting.”

“Yes. Six of the Sipcheon are here. Of the four Sipcheon who didn’t come here, it’s even hard to know the whereabouts of about two of them. Then how many masters remain in the Central Plains?”

“Almost none. Meaning it’s practically an empty house.”

Sinseongok Master.

When people call Heukya, such a title always precedes it. One of the Three Great Demon Realms, and the master of Sinseongok, the foremost among them—that was Heukya’s true identity. That vast demon realm was entirely under Heukya’s dominion.

Of course, though Heukya reigned over Sinseongok, she didn’t have command authority over each and every one of those yokai. Unless directly leading a Hundred Demons Night Parade, yokai who could exercise dominion over other yokai were rare.

What if Heukya withdrew the demon realm called Sinseongok itself?

What if she stripped away the nest called a demon realm from the yokai—what would happen?

“The moment the nest called a demon realm disappears, the yokai scatter. Because Sinseongok no longer exists.”

“……I can understand that. But what does that have to do with that yokai growing stronger?”

“It’s simple. When Sinseongok suddenly disappears and Sinseongok’s yokai are released, what will people say?”

“……Ah.”

“They’ll say Sinseongok’s yokai burst out.”

No matter how many martial artists came here, were Sinseongok’s yokai strong enough to threaten all of the Central Plains?

Not quite. Many martial artists didn’t come here in the first place, and yokai without a focal point were merely a disorganized rabble. If the Sipcheon and Sword Saint still remaining in the Central Plains stepped forward, they could exterminate all the scattered yokai before long.

However, the fear of those who were attacked or in positions to be attacked in the meantime all directed toward Sinseongok. And fear of Sinseongok would be converted to fear of Sinseongok Master Heukya—

“Eventually, Heukya will grow stronger.”

“……She abandoned the future and focused on the present.”

“Yes.”

At least two or three days.

Until the yokai were successfully suppressed and that story spread, Heukya’s state would continue. That much time would be more than sufficient to end this fight.

“We must block her.”

The moment the judgment was made, I rose from my seat and gripped the Uicheon Sword tightly. And at that moment, all the advance party members rose together.

“My body was getting restless. How should we distribute personnel? Will everyone attach to Heukya?”

“……No.”

Even if we all attached to Heukya in the current situation, could we handle Heukya?

Perhaps it might be possible. However, there’s no certainty. I can’t intuit the martial prowess of Heukya who has absorbed that much yokai power.

There’s no certainty of victory. Then there’s one thing to do.

“Taeak. Manwang. Would you two please help the search party quickly clean up the yokai and Blood Cult’s remnants.”

“Clean up the remnants…… What about Heukya?”

“Ilryun and I will engage her.”

If Taeak and Manwang engaged, the balance of power would clearly tilt to our side. The only question was whether just attaching two people could stop Heukya from running wild.

“Will you be alright?”

“It’s possible. If it’s just holding out.”

Watching Manwang, who looked at me while asking with implicit meaning, I nodded. Because I had some thoughts.

‘Currently, those fighting in our camp are Father, the Sword Sovereign, and Bulgoe and Eungryong. One person is missing.’

Originally, four Sipcheon were attached to the main force. Sword Emperor, Sword Sovereign, Bulgoe, and Daesageom. However.

Daesageom’s figure wasn’t visible on the current battlefield. What did that mean? Did it mean Daesageom met his death in the meantime?

‘No.’

It meant they thought coordination would work to some degree even without Daesageom’s involvement, so they pulled Daesageom out as a separate unit. Meaning he was hiding somewhere so they could expect breakthrough power when needed.

‘There’s no reason for Daesageom not to come out in the current situation.’

I don’t know what’s happening, but one Great Yokai fighting for our side.

Songbyeok Jinin and Dokgo Cheon, the Sword Sovereign, and Daesageom, plus Ilryun. And me.

Seven martial powers at or above Sipcheon level gathering to oppose Heukya. Of course, even with this, it might not be possible. I can’t yet gauge where Heukya’s limits are.

‘We must do it.’

Red energy covering the entire world—the only visible golden light amid it pointing to something.

‘Blocking Heukya is the only way to break through this situation.’

It’s not something we can do, but something we must do. Because that’s the only way.

“Let’s do it.”

There’s something I’m thinking. If things go as planned, perhaps we might overturn this situation.

I slowly steadied my breathing and took a step forward.

Cheonroesin Ip

Gaesin

The next moment.

Pajik! And.

Lightning sparked.

Originally, a yokai’s power cannot be distinguished by appearance, but certain yokai reveal their power through their appearance.

For instance, some yokai grow larger the more powerful their yokai power becomes, and some yokai become more beautiful the more powerful their yokai power.

That’s simply because the yokai’s essence is like that. Yokai whose origins lie in some quality or form rather than physical body determine their form according to the magnitude of their yokai power. And.

Even among Childeayo, such a case existed.

Precisely, Heukya was such a case.

-Receive this.

Kwang! Kwadeudeudeudeudeuk!

At the gigantic tail’s slash flying through space simultaneously with her words, Nakcheon, who reflexively reacted, gritted his teeth while forcibly planting his feet into the ground. Though he only blocked one light attack, his grip trembled.

‘The yokai power……’

Incomparably tremendous. Power as strong as Heukya from ancient times, literally before she restricted her own power.

So powerful that even himself, who wandered after losing fear following his daughter’s death, struggled to handle. Not just himself—even other Childeayo would probably struggle against the current Heukya.

Then what should he do?

‘Penetrate the gaps.’

–Seueuup.

Nakcheon, a yokai who didn’t need breathing, deliberately took a deep breath. The sensation penetrating deep into his lungs.

-Myeol.

Gripping the sword seal, he infused consciousness.

The explosively amplified energy took sword form and was grasped in Nakcheon’s left hand. Nakcheon’s appearance transforming like a swordsman wielding twin blades.

-Did you learn twin sword techniques?

-I learned something better than that.

He throws them.

-Hae, Jin, Geo.

The swords flying into the air began swimming as if each possessed different will and consciousness. Swords flying through the air with their own free will like the legendary realm of sword mastery where swords move of their own accord.

Cheonmasingong

Yukhapjinsandohae

-Trivial tricks.

Kwaaaaang—!!!

Watching the swords manifested through different sorcery each, Heukya dismissively swung her tail again. However, this time Heukya blocked rather than being pushed back.

-……You blocked?

-Fighting those stronger than me has always been routine.

When he first killed a yokai, was Nakcheon a yokai then?

Of course not. Even with a human body several times, dozens of times more fragile than that yokai, Nakcheon somehow bludgeoned the yokai to death with stones. That’s because Nakcheon was fundamentally born with heaven-sent combat sense.

-Nothing will change. Heukya. I couldn’t kill you when we met before, but this time I’ll kill you.

-Huhhuhu. I thought you’d regained all your memories, but did you forget the memory of fleeing with half your body blown away by my attack? How convenient. Being able to selectively forget terrible memories!

The tail is swung.

It has no law, no form. Just wielding possessed power is sufficient. Because Heukya is an overwhelming powerhouse.

With one strike, space distorts; with two strikes, sound crumples.

The world transforms violently at yokai power exceeding normal bounds. From above to below, from left to right, black tails cover all directions. Like night’s curtain covering a sky where the sun disappeared, covering everything. However.

Gunrimbo

It doesn’t reach.

Nakcheon, who forcibly straightened the crumpled space, reorganizes it with ritual formulas that construct tremendous yokai power. Sorcery assembling solidly like a mechanical device where tens of thousands of parts mesh together and operate without a single error.

Pushing out, releasing, deflecting, scattering, pulling, tearing, breaking through.

Amid the sensation of the world approaching to crush him, Nakcheon, who cast a chilling gaze, gripped his sword firmly. Pressure that would have burst and killed him long ago with a human body. Wounds increasing even with a yokai’s body.

‘I’m losing.’

He could instinctively know. The fact that defeat was approaching.

No matter how much he blocked, the tail’s attacks were endless. No opportunity to break through that overwhelming yokai power and attack the opponent. Attacks rushing like tidal waves.

Variables being shut down one by one.

‘At this rate, I can only lose.’

The burden increased each time a tail not participating in battle joined. Four, five, six.

Udeudeudeuk!

The moment seven tails met his sword, at the shock of his leg breaking, Nakcheon involuntarily fell to one knee. And.

-Look, you can’t do anything.

Swaeeaeaek!

With Heukya’s small mockery, the moment nine tails rushed at him.

Nakcheon’s eyes chased the air.

Lightning surging from the ground bit Heukya’s tail.