Chapter 216 The End of the Demon Path

Chapter 216: The End of the Demon Path

I’ve heard wild animals possess the instinct to instantly recognize beings stronger than themselves.

That’s why they have the instinct to avoid predators.

And at this very moment, I realized with my own body that humans are animals too.

That was the emotion I felt the instant I first laid eyes on the Ten Demon Ranks.

‘Death.’

If death were a physical entity, it would be exactly like that.

Shiver, shiver, shiver.

Gripping my trembling knees, I stood stiffly, barely holding onto my wits, when the leader spoke.

“The phrase ‘remarkable progress’ comes to mind. It seems you’ve achieved something significant lately.”

“As you can see.”

“I wish to ask the reason for causing this bloodshed.”

“Does one need a reason to kill a bug?”

“The disciples of the Ten Demons are dying too.”

“They are vermin too.”

The unexpected reply made the leader’s eyebrows twitch.

“There are many powerful figures in the world.”

A threat using the scattered, sand-like figures of the righteous martial world as an example.

But the Ten-Fold Lotus Master merely gave a sneer bordering on derision.

“Strength is relative. Those you speak of are not strong to me.”

“Didn’t the past Demon Sect Leaders who ultimately perished share the same thoughts as you?”

“That remains to be seen.”

With that, he took a step forward.

Kwoong!

Though no sound actually echoed, his footsteps carried a pressure as heavy as a mountain.

At that very moment, the Mighty Lord’s telepathic command flew in.

[Run!]

[I refuse.]

[You must live so the people of Hanjung may live.]

[Lord Myeong!]

[Hurry!]

“For a youngster, you sure had a sharp edge to you. So you were the former head of the Jeonwang Sect.”

“……!”

Eavesdropping on telepathic communication.

Even experiencing it firsthand, he couldn’t believe the news, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Gulp.

“Gah!”

He unleashed the Transcendent Transformation and seized my neck.

That was when the leader moved.

“Lian-ju!”

Hwaak!

The same sword technique as before.

His sword, blooming myriad changes from simplicity, drew a great plum blossom.

Boom!

The Ten-Fingered Lotus shattered that plum blossom with a simple gesture.

“Ugh!”

“As expected of Huashan. Sharp.”

Having released my neck, he shifted his steps toward the leader.

Pah!

Body shift.

With all my strength, I could barely unfold the supreme technique once. Yet he unfolded it with just a single step.

Swish.

The sword of the leader moved, slicing through space.

The Ten Demon Chain stood halted right before the undulating space.

“To scatter the natural barrier. Truly, the martial arts of the righteous faction are remarkable.”

As his jade-colored hand touched it, the severed space instantly closed.

Whoosh.

A violet sunset began to settle upon the Lord’s body.

Jiaxiang Qi.

“Gah!”

“Kie…!”

As the final vision of the volcano unfolded, the bodies of the surrounding mages melted away in an instant.

Has humanity lost its heart?

Despite his subordinates being slaughtered en masse, the Ten-Fold Alliance Lord never lost his consistently amused smile.

“This is quite entertaining too.”

“This will cease to be amusing!”

His voice carried a sense of resolve, even a touch of grim determination.

Kwaaang!

The two unleashed their techniques at each other.

Puff! Bang bang bang bang!

Purple-hued swords, enveloped in the sunset glow, whirled and filled the air, while the jade-colored hands of the Ten Demon Chain Master struck at those blades.

‘This is…’

Could this be what a battle between demigods looked like?

Each attack, moving at an unseen speed, carried enough power to cleave a mountain.

Kyaaah-!

S-save me…

The shockwave spread, reducing the surroundings to ruins as they began to stain crimson with blood.

Kwaaah!

I too summoned the Dragon’s Might to withstand that shockwave.

‘Is that even human?’

This wasn’t my first time seeing an absolute master.

I’d seen the City Lord and Master North Palace.

But witnessing a battle like this was a first.

More precisely, it was my first time witnessing the full power of a supreme master unleashing their martial arts.

“Hmph.”

After dozens of seconds of fierce exchange, the leader stepped back.

This was because the Ten Demon Leader, who had been solely defending, switched to offense.

“Is this the end?”

“How could that be?”

The leader straightened his sword and smiled faintly.

“Why the smile?”

“Because I’m delighted to have found an opponent worthy of giving my all. You who live by the rules of the strong, isn’t it the same for you?”

“I suppose you could see it that way.”

The Ten Demon Lord drew his sword.

“Hmph!”

A different kind of intense aura than before made my breath catch.

The Mighty Lord’s eyes, gasping for breath, turned toward me.

Run.

The meaning in his eyes was crystal clear. I forced my feet, which felt rooted to the spot, to move and ran.

* * *

“Gasp, gasp…”

Gasping for breath, the warriors of the Jeongdo Alliance, myself included, charged forward through the pitch-black darkness.

After three hours, having crossed two mountains, everyone collapsed to the ground without anyone giving the order.

Our strength was completely drained from fleeing after a fierce battle.

Wiping away sweat pouring like rain, we sat haphazardly and stared up at the sky.

“……”

Was this to cool their burning heat?

Crackle, whoosh.

Just then, thunder roared and a torrential downpour began.

Ugh… Ugh…

Cries filled with sorrow echoed from all directions.

The tears I’d held back finally burst forth.

And I was no different.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

Unable to contain the rage surging from deep within, I smashed the tree before me.

I felt powerless, unable to do anything, and I regretted not stopping the leader who was risking his life.

That’s how it was.

We were defeated.

A crushing defeat, losing three hundred warriors for nothing.

Above all, the leader was dead.

He had fought a desperate, life-or-death battle, holding back the Ten Demon Generals to save the warriors.

Had he not ordered a retreat, had he not thrown his life away to block the enemy commander, the Jeongdo Alliance would have been annihilated today.

That’s how formidable the Ten Demon Alliance was.

And.

The final technique of the sword style that drove the leader to his death made one wonder if he was truly human.

Shaking off his fear, he rose from his seat.

“Hanjung is not far off. Let us continue.”

But the warriors of the Jeongdo Alliance, overcome by helplessness, did not heed my words.

“Huuu…”

I took a deep breath and shouted again.

“The Lord has passed away!”

Mentioning the leader’s death drew countless furious stares.

“……”

“Even if I die, shouldn’t I at least try to stab my sword into the belly of the Ten-Armed Demon King before I go?”

It wasn’t something to say to a Taoist priest and his disciple, but it seemed to work—a fierce resolve flashed in the warriors’ eyes.

Only then did the nine elders of the Zhengdemao sect, coming to their senses, urge the warriors on.

“Disciples of the Zhengdemao, rise! Even if we die, must we not die having avenged our enemies!”

Just then, dark clouds parted, revealing Han Jung in the distance.

* * *

Upon arriving at Hanjung, I immediately gathered everyone to share our precarious situation.

“I… I can’t believe it. For the leader of the Jeongdo Alliance to depart so suddenly…”

Though they had not witnessed the strength of the Ten Demon Alliance firsthand, the shock brought by the death of the Great Demon Lord was immense.

Everyone in the Zhenwang Sect was speechless.

Of course, the crucial question now is how to stop the Ten Demon Lord.

And the key to that lies not with me, but with Zheng Demeng.

“Is there no way?”

“……”

After a moment of silence, the representative of Shaolin among the nine elders raised his hand.

“I shall contact Grandmaster Guangya at the Pagoda Forest. Please secure a messenger pigeon to Shaolin.”

“Understood. I will secure it immediately.”

At the mention of the name of the Great Master Guangya, the former abbot of Shaolin, everyone let out a collective sigh.

That wasn’t the end of it.

“If you’re going to save Jeonseogu, save us too. I’ll contact the four hundred elders at Nogunam.”

The shaman’s elder raised his hand.

“Save us Hwasan’s people too.”

Hwasan was no different.

‘Of course.’

This was the only key to stopping the Ten Demon Alliance.

The latent power of the Three Sects, spanning a thousand years of history.

He had anticipated an undiscovered absolute master would exist.

After all, the righteous martial world was teeming with extraordinary individuals like grains of sand.

He felt certain that if he could just stall for time until they arrived, he could protect Hanjung.

“All of us at the Royal Palace Gate will sacrifice our lives to block the Ten Demons.”

“We too shall do our utmost to lend our strength.”

“Then let us begin by dividing the defensive roles…”

“Our Jeongdo Myeong will take this sector…”

“How about this instead….”

* * *

After a meeting lasting over half a day, each person’s role was decided.

The most crucial section of the city wall was assigned to the warriors of Jeongdo-maeng, who boasted the strongest fighting force.

The Hanjung defense force, composed of Black Dragon Sect and Hanjung warriors, would assist them from inside the walls.

Since gates play little role in martial clashes, they would confront enemies breaching through the walls.

If the roles of the previous two forces were shields, then the Zhenwang Gate was the spear.

Having healed their wounds and regained their strength somewhat over the past few days, they would strike the moment they saw an opening in the enemy’s defenses.

‘This is the best we can do.’

Wandering through the empty Jeonwangjeon, he suddenly looked out the window.

Not a single soul remained—neither the guards, nor the servants, nor the citizens who had lived within the walls, nor the merchants who had flocked from all corners of the realm, nor the common folk evacuated from Gansu Province.

All had been sent to safety.

Including Myohyang, Cheongso-so, and Jeokhwaran.

He chuckled.

Thinking of how she had stubbornly refused to go to the end, a hollow laugh escaped me.

I don’t know who’ll take me, but it looks like I’ll have to suffer a bit.

‘Ah… One person…’

He thought of Myohyang, then shook his head.

Because in war, the clearer your reason for living, the greater your chances of dying.

‘I can’t just plant that flag myself.’

He unfolded the map and estimated the time remaining.

‘Keep it simple.’

Since he sent the messenger pigeon with Hao Wen’s help yesterday, news should arrive in about two days.

Assuming the absolute master was racing here at full speed, reinforcements from the Huashan Sect would arrive about three days after the message was received.

Even the most skilled master would be utterly hopeless facing the Ten Demon Generals alone, but for Han Zhong, holding out just until then would be enough to breathe a sigh of relief.

If they could just hold the line for two more days with him at the center, reinforcements would arrive from Hubei and Henan.

That is.

‘Five days.’

The outcome of this war hinges on whether we can hold out for this time or not.

The problem is.

‘There’s no way.’

There’s no way to stop the Ten Thousand Arrows.

The martial prowess he displayed was beyond anything imaginable as human.

Even so, the Nine Elders of the Zhengdemaeng decided to step forward personally and launch a combined attack.

The method for facing a higher-ranked opponent is simple.

Numbers.

It was a widely accepted truth in the martial world that seven peak masters who had truly mastered the art of passing could stand against a supreme master.

Then how does one face an absolute master?

The same principle applies.

If seven supreme masters employ the appropriate passing technique, they can even take on an absolute master.

But the opponent is the Ten Demon King, presumed to have transcended the realm of mortals.

‘No matter how I think about it, it’s impossible.’

The nine elders of the Jeongdo Alliance stand no chance. Not even with me included.

If it had been possible from the start, the late Jeongdo Myeong leader wouldn’t have sacrificed his life to buy us time to escape.

That is.

The elders of the Jeongdo Sect stepping forward meant they intended to buy time at the cost of their own lives.

Until the absolute master from the main temple could reach this place.

It was noble and deeply appreciated.

That they made this choice to protect Hanjung.

If they retreated now and blocked the Ten Demon Army at Huashan, no one from the Zhengdao Sect would die.

As I sat in my chair resting, pondering this,

“Master! The Ten Demon Clan’s sorcerers are approaching from the front!”

“Let’s go.”

The final chapter of this war was approaching.