Chapter 353 Final Battle-5

Chapter 353: Final Battle-5

Hae Cheong-yeon, his eyes bloodshot, grabbed the blade of the Hongyeon Sword embedded in his chest and shouted.

“Did you think you could kill me with such a thing?!”

Then, Seon Woo-jin, who had approached unnoticed, seized the hilt of the Crimson Flame Sword and declared.

“No, I already told you—I have no intention of killing you.”

“…What?”

“I plan to seal you.”

“?!”

At that moment, the Demon Sealing Mark engraved on the blade of the Crimson Flame Sword emitted a crimson glow.

Simultaneously, a fierce suction force engulfed the soul of the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon.

Waaaaaah!

“Kaaaaaaaah!”

The Rebellious Heavenly Blood Demon was horrified.

An unprecedented, immense force was sucking in his soul.

It tried desperately to resist, but it was futile.

It was a force so overwhelming that even her soul, pushed to the very edge of the Flaming Realm, could not withstand it.

“No! No! Gaaaaah!”

Like a child clinging to a rock to avoid being swept away by the fierce current, Yeokcheon Hyeolma clung to Hae Cheongyeon’s body.

But her soul was gradually shattering and being sucked into the Hongyan Sword.

Then, she tried with all her might to pull the Hongyan Sword from her chest.

“Gah!”

But even that was impossible.

Not only was the hilt gripped by Sunwoo Jin, but attempting to pull the sword out felt like her very soul was being torn out with it.

Her soul was already firmly bound to the Crimson Flame Sword.

She screamed in despair.

“No, no!”

Seon Woo-jin gripped the Hongyeon Sword’s blade tightly, glaring at her with a savage grin.

‘Success, my lord!’

– Yes! You did it!

Then, the others around them also stopped fighting and turned their gaze toward her.

The wounded Sword Saint also returned to Seon Woo-jin’s side, watching his daughter with wide eyes.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Hae Cheong-yeon let out a horrifying scream and wailed.

But everyone who heard that voice could instinctively sense it.

Her power was steadily waning.

The soul of the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon was leaving Hae Cheong-yeon’s body.

Now, all the companions could clench their fists with eyes brimming with joy.

‘It’s done!’

‘Just a little more!’

It was at that very moment.

Something enormous was hurtling toward Hae Cheong-yeon and Seon Woo-jin from the distant sky.

It possessed tremendous speed and mass.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!

The first to detect its presence were Seol Pung and Seon Woo-jin, who used their inner vision.

Both men simultaneously snapped their heads up toward the sky and shouted.

“Jin!”

“Something’s coming!”

It was a massive sphere radiating a deep crimson glow.

A red orb the size of a house-sized boulder was hurtling toward them like a meteor.

At that moment, Seon Woo-jin could only stare in panic at Hae Cheong-yeon, who was still writhing in agony.

To avoid that light sphere, he had to retreat, but the situation was difficult—neither could he retreat while carrying Hae Cheong-yeon, nor could he abandon his sword and flee alone.

Then, Sword Saint Hae Un-baek gritted his teeth, leaped over their heads, and shouted.

“Stay right there! I’ll block it for you!”

“Master!”

Sun Woo-jin was startled and tried to stop him.

But the swordsman had already drawn his sword and was swinging it with all his might toward the falling light sphere.

“Gahhhhh!”

At that moment, a massive explosion erupted.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

“Kwaaaaah!”

Sunwoojin watched as the swordsman, spewing blood, was helplessly flung away.

His blade had shattered into pieces from the collision, and he himself flew through the air like a ragdoll, seemingly unconscious.

The others who witnessed this cried out in shock.

“Master Hae!”

At that moment, Bi Sa-yeong, who had stayed far back, transformed into a beam of light and flew toward them.

Then he caught Haeunbaek’s body midair and landed safely on the ground.

“Ouch!”

Thud!

‘Saryeong!’

It was fortunate.

But Seon Woo-jin had no time to worry about his safety now.

He turned his head to look ahead, and there he stood before him.

The Blood Demon of the Age, Jeon Moo-kwang, who somehow seemed even larger than before…

Jeon Moo-kwang, whose whereabouts had been unknown all this time, had finally appeared.

He stared at Hae Cheong-yeon with greedy eyes, then swiftly shifted his gaze to Seon Woo-jin.

At that moment, Seon Woo-jin felt a chill run down his spine.

“!”

Mukrang shouted.

– Dodge!

Seon Woo-jin abandoned the sword wave of the Hongyeon Sword and threw his body forward with all his might.

It was at the exact moment Muk-rang shouted.

Thud!

Seon Woo-jin retreated outside the five organs with a movement approaching that of a divine transformation.

The sword blade flickered.

Then, Jeon Mookwang, who had just grabbed the spot where he had been, let out a small exclamation with an expression that seemed to say, “Not bad.”

“Hoo!”

It was a hair’s breadth difference.

He had survived only because he had thrown his body forward with all his strength the instant he sensed the danger.

Sunwoo Jin’s body, having barely escaped the danger of death, was still trembling faintly.

But that trembling wasn’t solely due to the peril of death.

The overwhelming presence of the Blood Demon he now sensed was simply too immense.

Seon Woo-jin spoke to Mok Rang in a voice filled with utter bewilderment.

“Master, that thing…”

Mukrang replied in a voice thick with dread.

– …A monster, indeed.

Jeon Mookwang was now naturally revealing his aura.

He seemed to think there was no need to hide it.

And Seonwoo Jin, sensing that aura, could state with certainty.

That thing is a monster. Even the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon and the Four Kings were human compared to it.

Overwhelmed by that terrifying presence, Seon Woo-jin’s entire party stared blankly, their expressions filled with horror, watching his every move.

Seon Woo-jin suddenly asked.

“Elder, is that the Mythic Realm?”

Mukrang replied.

-No, that is absolutely not a Divine Martial Realm cultivator. But… it seems capable of fighting even a Divine Martial Realm warrior.

Seon Woo-jin could immediately guess why Jeon Mook-kwang had become such a monster.

‘He became a Blood Demon, didn’t he?’

– Yeah, that seems about right.

It was nothing short of astonishing.

I thought I’d barely managed to deal with the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon, but now an even more monstrous being has appeared.

And to think it rendered the Sword Saint incapacitated the moment it appeared.

It was so utterly absurd it made me laugh hollowly.

The only silver lining was that Jeon Mookwang’s attention was currently focused on Hae Cheongyeon rather than Seon Woo-jin’s group.

Had they attacked the moment he appeared, they would have been slaughtered in an instant.

And Seon Woo-jin could guess the reason why.

‘So we’re not even worth the trouble. Seems we’re not worth their attention.’

– …….

Jeon Mookwang stared at Hae Cheong-yeon with a greedy gaze.

She was still clutching the blade of the Crimson Flame Sword, unable to do anything but thrash about.

“Aaaaaah!”

Then, Jeon Mookwang gave her a sickening smile and said.

“Shall I help you? I’ll break it for you.”

His tone was no longer respectful like before.

But the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon had no energy left to be offended by his attitude.

Her soul was shattering continuously, being sucked into the Crimson Flame Sword.

She screamed in terror.

“No, no! If you break this, I’ll be destroyed too! Aaaah!”

The Blood Demon of Rebellion felt it.

His soul was perfectly bound to the Crimson Flame Sword, so if he were to shatter this sword now, his soul might shatter as well.

Then, Jeon Mookwang frowned slightly and asked again.

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

Despite the agony, the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon was desperately searching his memories.

He had to find a way out of this situation, no matter what.

‘I can’t be sealed inside this sword like this…’

It was then.

Suddenly, a certain spell surfaced in her memory.

‘The Dark Abyss?!’

It was an incomplete spell.

A technique that tears open space, pulls the target through the gap, and banishes them to an unknown location.

A hundred years ago, the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon had researched that formation to deal with the Thunder God and Sword God.

However, upon realizing that only lifeless objects could be banished this way, he ultimately abandoned it…

‘It’s possible! If I use that spell, which can only banish inanimate objects, to banish this sword!’

The Heaven-Defying Blood Demon now began forming the hand seals with all his might.

He had to deal with this sword somehow before it was too late.

As she traced a formation in the air with her finger, crimson energy materialized along the lines, forming a three-dimensional red figure.

Jeon Mookwang watched the scene unfold with an expression of interest.

Sun Woo-jin and his group could only watch it unfold.

They simply couldn’t bring themselves to charge at Jeon Moo-kwang.

The Demoness of the Crimson Mist, Son Eun-sang, and the Holy Maiden of the South Sea, Shi Seo-woo, asked Seon Woo-jin telepathically.

– Younger brother, what should we do now?!

– Young Master Seonwoo, is there no way?!

Seonwoo Jin gritted his teeth.

And in this situation, there was no other way.

Moreover, it seemed the situation still had room to worsen.

Seon Woo-jin and Seol Pung, sensing something else approaching from the distant sky, looked up in horror.

Smaller than Jeon Mookwang, yet possessing an equally immense presence, someone was flying toward them.

“Ji-joo-o-on!”

His physique and voice.

Seon Woo-jin instantly recognized who it was.

“Cheokgang?!”

He was Chek Kang, one of the Blood Cult’s Five Great Demons.

Once a martial artist ranked among the top thirty-six in the world, he now flew toward them, radiating a presence rivaling that of the Sword Saint himself.

And the reason why that was possible was obvious.

‘He’s become a Blood Demon too!’

The situation was deteriorating relentlessly, with no bottom in sight.

They had gained the monstrous Jeon Mook-kwang, who surpassed the Fire Realm, and the Fire Realm-level warrior Cheok Kang to their original forces, while Seon Woo-jin’s side had actually lost the Sword Saint from their ranks.

It seemed utterly impossible to do anything about it now.

As this thought reached him, Seonwoo Jin gritted his teeth and urgently sent out a telepathic command.

– Launch a surprise attack! We must reduce the enemy’s strength!

Upon hearing his telepathic command, Son Eun-sang immediately launched a surprise attack on the monstrous Ga Chu-hak.

He was staring blankly toward Hae Cheong-yeon.

Puff!

“Gah!”

Son Eun-sang’s crimson spear pierced through Gachuhak’s back, straight through his heart.

Gachuhak, who had been momentarily lost in thought, staring only at Haecheongyeon, had been struck down utterly helplessly.

Almost simultaneously, the sword of the Southern Sea Saint, Shi Xiu, severed the neck of the Blood Demon, Ma Yuanweng.

Sssshhh!

“!” The deaths of the two enemy Fire Realm masters happened in an instant.

It was both a sudden surprise attack and only possible because Sohn Eun-sang and Shi Seo-woo had been deliberately controlling their strength to maintain balance.

Caught off guard by the sudden acceleration of their attack, the opponents were utterly unable to defend themselves.

This startled the opposing Fire Realm masters, including Murong Jian, snapping them back to their senses.

They immediately leapt away, hastily taking cover behind Jeon Moo-kwang.

POW!

Pabak!

Sun Eun-sang and Shi Xiu couldn’t bring themselves to pursue them all the way behind Jeon Moo-kwang.

It was because I couldn’t even bring myself to approach that overwhelming presence.

He had killed two while they were off guard, but that seemed to be the end of it.

“Damn!”

“What a pity.”

And in that instant, Iron-Soul Madman Cheokgang landed beside Jeon Mookwang like a shooting star.

CRASH!

Bending one knee from the impact of his landing, he slowly rose to his feet.

His steel-like physique now radiated a presence that seemed poised to burst through his clothing.

Once merely a massive, muscular beast, he was now a complete monster.

A monster possessing the same level of power as the Blood Demon Jeon Moo-kwang of the past.

He bowed his head respectfully toward Jeon Mookwang and said.

“Your Highness! I am late! Kill me!”

Even now, transformed into a monster, he still displayed the exemplary loyalty of a devoted subordinate, especially toward Jeon Moo-kwang.

But Jeon Moo-kwang kept his gaze fixed solely on Hae Cheong-yeon, not even turning his head as he replied casually.

“It’s fine. It’s only natural you can’t keep up with me yet at your level.”

He seemed interested in nothing but Hae Cheong-yeon.

Not even Cheokgang’s arrival, nor the deaths of the two Hwa Gyeong masters, could change that.

Meanwhile, Seon Woo-jin coldly compared the current strength of those opponents against his own side.

‘Jeon Mookwang, whose skill is beyond reach, plus three Hwagyeong-level masters: Jeon Mookwang, Murong Geom, Seo Il, and Gyeolheo Satae. Compared to that, we have three Hwagyeong masters who can fight, and the rest of our forces are just me, Brother Pung, and Lord Yong?’

It was an absurd disparity in strength.

It was clear they stood no chance.

Moreover, the bigger problem was that there was still room for the situation to worsen.

Hae Cheong-yeon, who had been drawing some kind of formation with crimson energy since earlier, had finally completed the formation.

Now, a spiderweb-like formation radiating crimson light densely surrounded the Hongyeon Sword in three dimensions.

Her face pale, she let out a battle cry.

“Haahhhhh!”

At that very moment.

The formation she had drawn emitted a brilliant red light from the void, and the Hongyeon Sword vanished as if sucked into the air, disappearing without a trace.

Whoosh!

“!”

“!”

Sunwoo Jin and his companions could only stare in utter shock.

They had struggled so hard to extract the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon from Hae Cheong-yeon’s body, yet their sole hope, the Crimson Lotus Sword, had vanished.

This too was a failure.

‘Even the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon…?!’

Seon Woo-jin felt darkness closing in before his eyes.

Failing to rescue Hae Cheong-yeon was bad enough, but the fact that the Rebellious Heaven Blood Demon had now been added to the enemy’s forces was utterly despairing.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon would be immediately effective for them.

Hae Cheong-yeon was slumped on the ground, gasping for breath as if she were a broken reed.

Then, Jeon Moo-kwang gave a sickeningly sweet smile and asked her.

“Are you alive now, Lady Hae?”

At his words, Hae Cheong-yeon looked up at Jeon Moo-kwang with a vicious expression and spat out the words.

“Overconfidence? You dare to speak to me like that….”

But it was at that very moment.

In an instant, Jeon Mookwang moved beside her like a phantom, grabbed her hair, yanked her face up to his, and said.

“At last, I can have you.”

Jeon Moo-kwang’s eyes burned with greed as he spoke.

“Ugh!”

Whether because Hae Cheong-yeon was utterly exhausted or overwhelmed by his presence, she couldn’t resist his touch.

Instead, her eyes held a faint glimmer of fear as she looked at him.

Then Jeon Mookwang couldn’t hold back any longer and slowly caressed her face with his other hand.

Even her frightened expression was too beautiful to resist.

He wanted to take her right now.

“Ugh… finally…”

That was when it happened.

Someone addressed him.

“How strange. Why is the work of one who has become a beast himself worse than that of a mere beast?”

Jeon Mookwang suddenly turned his head, his gaze fixed on the owner of the voice.

There, the young upstart who had slipped through his grasp like an eel moments before was pointing a sword engraved with a black wolf at him.

It was Seon Woo-jin.

Jeon Mookwang frowned slightly upon seeing him, then spoke with an air of annoyance.

“How annoying. Chek-gwang, you…”

It was at that moment.

Haecheongyeon cried out in horror.

“That voice…! Sword Spirit?!”

At her words, Seon Woo-jin—no, the will of the Sword Spirit manifested as Mok Rang—smiled faintly.

Now was the time to burn away his final moments.