Chapter 180 Choice (2)

Chapter 180 Choice (2)

A short while later.

Having weighed the pros and cons, Crow rose from his seat.

“We abandon the demonic path.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the White Robe Sect members, who had been kneeling, changed into the night robes they had prepared.

It was unavoidable.

Having already exposed their identities to the Huashan Sect, how could they commit such folly again?

Above all, Ma Yi didn’t possess the deep loyalty of the White Robe Sect. If he was someone they had to rescue yet remain wary of, Crow wasn’t interested either.

He had promised to save them, so they would keep their mouths shut for now, but that would only last a few days.

The Crow moved toward Hogwangseong.

* * *

Swoosh!

The Immortal Demon God stepped back, clutching his deeply slashed abdomen.

No matter how powerful his protective aura, maintained by demonic energy, there were things it couldn’t block.

‘Damn it!’

The first was the Charm Sword wielded by Gu Yangji, the second the occasional fist strike unleashed by the nameless one.

The last was the divine sword technique deployed by Yu Jangmyeong.

Grit.

An unpleasant sound echoed from the Immortal Demon’s shoulder.

‘I wish I could properly kill even one of them, but these flies keep buzzing around…’

The Immortal Demon glared at Pang Cheon-woo, tightening his fist.

Then, the Demon Master sent a telepathic message.

-The Crow says he’s coming to help.

-Hmph. Did he lose his mind after getting hit a few times?

A sneer flashed across the Immortal Demon’s face.

-You’ve watched the Crow for so long, you should know better. That Palm is the harshest to losers, isn’t it?

-……

As Ma Yi clamped his mouth shut, the Immortal Demon forced his body to twist, realigning the broken bones.

Pain instantly blanketed his vision in white, and in that moment, Yu Jang-myeong lunged forward.

Too intricate to be mere Hwasanpa swordsmanship.

‘Guess I’ll have to abandon the counter.’

Bulsasinma parried the Cheonyok Sword with one hand and stepped into a Jinjak stance.

Not to gather power by rolling his foot, but to shoot his demonic energy at Moo-myeong, who was aiming for his back.

“You’re struggling hard!”

Moo-myeong deployed the Cheondun Simyeogong, unleashing the Hotaembyeokjo (Tiger Probe Thunder Claw).

The strike plunged down like a thunderbolt, causing the Immortal Demon to violently shake his shoulder.

CRACK!

The strike collided with the Immortal Demon’s shoulder, producing a loud sound.

Disbelief settled on Myeong’s face.

‘Is his skin harder than diamond?!’

The demonic art the Immortal Demon had unleashed, the Iron Demon Divine Art, was on an entirely different level from mortal martial arts.

Above all, he was starting to get bored.

Faced with such a body that fought without hesitation, its madness and astonishingly strong willpower, Myeong-ui felt himself gradually being crushed.

‘You have to be pretty damn crazy to make this fight worthwhile…’

It was practically like beating a corpse.

As Myeong-ui frowned, Gu Yang-ji sent a telepathic message.

-Need to use the restroom?

-Bullshit!

He almost reflexively cursed, that single phrase allowed Myeongui to release the pressure.

‘It strikes me anew, but that guy really acts his age, doesn’t he.’

Even though it was an impromptu joint attack, he responded immediately. And though he didn’t know how he’d dealt with the demonic energy, it was Gu Yangjeok who had crippled it.

If a seasoned veteran were to turn back the clock, wouldn’t it look like that?

Feeling deep trust in Gu Yangji, Muming thrust his fist forward.

CRASH!

An explosion reminiscent of gunpowder erupted on the back of the Immortal Demon of Fire.

It was the profound internal energy unique to the Heavenly Dull Heart Piercing Palm, violently shattering the air pressure. The spine, barely held together by demonic energy, felt like it was being crushed to pieces.

The Unkillable Demon’s vision burned white. Despite numbing the pain, the tingling sensation made his fingertips tremble violently.

Clang.

As even his prosthetic leg swayed precariously, the Unkillable Demon clasped his hands together.

The demonic energy, forged by consuming all his life force, darkened the surroundings like the night sky.

“Now… there’s no choice.”

“……?!”

“We have no choice but to die together… Only then will I have something to say to the Black Dragon and the Goblin who died first.”

At those words, Gu Yangjeok’s eyes flashed.

‘Goblin?’

It was a word he’d never heard before, yet the Immortal Demon had said he was dead.

If his words were true, it was undoubtedly a stroke of luck.

‘If the Immortal Demon dies, that makes three out of the eight dead.’

And hadn’t Jiao Gangtian, whom he met last time, shown an attitude so lax it was hard to call him one of the Eight?

Having sorted his thoughts to that point, Gu Yangjie held his breath. He didn’t know what demonic arts the Immortal Demon would unleash, but it would surely be the most dangerous he had ever faced.

Gulp.

Pang Tianwei’s Adam’s apple bobbed. No matter how much experience he had accumulated as the Martial Alliance Leader, a monster like the Eight Palms was unprecedented.

Just as the three martial artists finished their preparations.

“Step aside.”

A strange light flickered in Yoo Jang-myeong’s eyes.

* * *

“You intend to vanish like this?”

Tongcheonong demanded in a fierce voice. Jin Muwol nodded heavily.

“Even I would want to go. My heavenly fortune has simply run out.”

“Didn’t you say you had ten years left!”

“What can I do if the law of karma moved more swiftly than I anticipated?”

Jin Muwol looked at his choking friend, at a loss for how to comfort him.

Moreover, this was the first time Tongcheonong had ever shown such a side, making it all the more difficult.

“Understand me.”

“Understand? …For whose sake have I lived in seclusion all this time!”

“Who doesn’t know the hardships you endured? Even the Hundred Sect Masters knew it well.”

Wuuuuu…

The sound echoing within Plum Blossom Valley made Jin Muwol turn his gaze backward.

Originally, it should have been seven to eight years.

Only after that time passed would Plum Blossom Valley have been liberated. But that time gradually sped up, and preparations to move were already underway.

The time had come for the blessing of eternal life bestowed upon Jin Muwol to be taken back.

At this, Jin Muwol couldn’t hide a bitter smile.

“That I, who should have died long ago, have lived this long was a miracle granted by Heaven. Thanks to that, I was even able to raise a young disciple for once.”

Hearing those words, Tongcheonong felt a warmth surge in a corner of his heart.

The blessing—or rather, the curse—bestowed upon Plum Blossom Valley continued unabated.

Until the darkness lurking across the entire Zhonghua Continent vanished completely, until the very moment his soul was worn away.

Even if that were resolved, the duty of being a Plum Blossom Valley disciple remained.

Who would willingly accept that?

Jin Muwol gazed southward and exhaled a deep sigh.

“You’re too young to endure this pain. Could you help in my place, before I vanish?”

“……”

“That bastard Gu Yangjeok, heh heh heh… He had so many questions about me, but I won’t be able to answer them before I go.”

“That doesn’t mean I’ll speak for you.”

When Tongcheonong answered seriously, Jin Muwol dropped his head as if resigned.

“Are you afraid that Jie will live like you?”

“He seems too impatient for that, though?”

“That’s true, but…”

Jin Muwol wore a lonely smile.

“Thank you for everything. I won’t forget.”

“…Damn it.”

Tongcheonong couldn’t contain his rage and roared.

“I won’t let Jangmyeong live without receiving his due like you did!”

“…Huh.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Jin Muwol’s entire body scattered and vanished.

* * *

‘My head feels hot.’

How had it happened?

Yoo Jang-myeong felt the spiritual energy mingling within the Jiahejin Qi and shuddered violently.

The biggest problem wasn’t the spiritual energy.

Memories, once faint and dust-like, were now gradually coming back to life.

Memories he had never experienced before.

“The enemy… secretly descended the mountain?”

“That’s what they say. Goodness, we should have destroyed his dantian and meridians to preserve the prestige of the Huashan Sect. The Sect Leader is far too kind-hearted.”

“Even so, he is a fellow disciple. If he descends and commits excessive killings, we can judge him then, can’t we?”

These were things he had never spoken of before.

Yu Zhangming felt reality warping. Unbelievable memories burrowed into his mind.

It was as if fragments scattered within his body had suddenly converged in his head.

When Yu Zhangming suddenly began to groan, Ma Yi’s eyes widened.

“No… surely not…”

Meihua Pavilion had been opened?

This quickly?

Ma Yi twisted away from Heukpungdae and immediately lunged at Yoo Jang-myeong.

In his grasp was an amulet bearing the image of a mandala.

Thud.

Yoo Jang-myeong clutched his forehead. The pain squeezing his mind brought on chills.

Simultaneously, nausea surged up.

‘My spiritual energy… was never there to begin with.’

Wasn’t it absent from the start?

Yu Jang-myeong’s head tilted back. His dazed mind could no longer control his body.

But his vision remained clear.

Ma-ui, rushing at him, attempting some trick.

The talisman clutched in his hand was imbued with an ominous aura.

In short, it bore the mark of an absorption spell, designed to siphon the opponent’s energy.

This was not knowledge Yu Jang-myeong originally possessed.

He had never learned it from Master Man Tong, and besides, he believed wielding such sorcery was contrary to the path of a Taoist.

‘But then, why do I know such a thing?’

He staggered.

Yu Jang-myeong gripped the Yongru Sword with his swaying body.

He then lightly waved his hand.

Swish!

The demon’s arm was cleanly severed. The pine tree behind it also crashed to the side with a tremendous roar.

The cut surface showed no wound at all.

“Guhh…!”

Seeing Ma Yi groan, Seo Mun-yeol was startled and halted his cultivation technique.

‘Is Young Master Yu advancing his cultivation realm by the hour?’

With Ma Yi thus incapacitated, Yu Jang-myeong’s gaze shifted elsewhere.

The Unkillable Demon God, squeezing out every last drop of demonic energy even at the cost of his own vitality.

His face seemed unusually large.

“Step aside.”

Casually pushing Gu Yangjie aside, Yu Zhangming gripped the Dragon Roar Sword and unleashed the Plum Blossom Palm.

Seeing this, Gu Yangjie’s lips parted slightly.

It was far too swift and exuberant to be called the Plum Blossom Palm. It resembled the Kunlun Mountain’s Cloud Dragon Eight Palms.

The Immortal Demon also sensed Yu Zhangming’s unusual expression and stiffened his own countenance.

“You…!”

“……”

The Purple Mist Qi surged up Yu Zhangming’s spine. But Gu Yangjie could see clearly.

The faint, whitish spiritual energy overlaid upon the Purple Mist Qi.

Gu Yangjie’s gaze immediately turned northward.

‘I feel like I’ve sensed this before, on Huashan.’

First, he must calm Yu Zhangming. After killing the Immortal Demon, it wouldn’t be too late to go investigate.

That was Gu Yangjie’s thought, but Yu Zhangming’s hand was faster.

“Enemy, look.”

“…Huh?”

Chill!

Yu Zhangming’s unusual demeanor made Gu Yangjie tense up instantly.

He even wondered if he’d been affected by the Demon Slayer’s demonic arts.

Above all, a foolish smile was spreading across Yu Zhangming’s face.

The Yu Zhangming Gu Yangjie knew wasn’t that kind of warrior.

No matter how fierce the foe, he was a serious cultivator when it came to taking a life.

“Senior Brother!”

Yu Zhangming did not respond to Gu Yangji’s call.

Instead, he infused the Zixia Jinqi into the hand gripping the Dragon Roar Sword.

“This is the sword that cuts demonic beings—the Sword of Heavenly Severance.”

Swish!

The light coiled around the Dragon Roar Sword tore through the demonic energy, the sound of it cleaving the Unkillable Demon.

Three days later.

Yu Zhangming began to be called Plum Blossom Heavenly Sword.

But strangely, Huashan Sect, which should have been bustling, was filled with silence.

They refused even guests they had never turned away before, and the only visitors were those from the Golden Ring Trading Company, who could be considered family.

Rumors swirled about this, but nothing was revealed.

Only one fact was passed on.

The expressions of the two brothers returning to the Huashan Sect were not bright.