Chapter 488 – Personal Desires Defy Heaven's Laws (1)

Everything happened like lightning.

The moment Eum Yu-kyung declared Geom Yul-cheon as the new Cult Leader, the heads of the Thirteen Streams made declarations of support one after another as if they'd been waiting.

"We Blood Blade Stream acknowledge that Geom Yul-cheon is the new supreme being who will lead the thousand-year Divine Cult."

"We Ice Moon Gate acknowledge that he has the qualifications to be Cult Leader and support him."

"Nine Demon Stream supports him…"

At the successive declarations of support, the Demon Cult's martial artists couldn't collect themselves. Because most of the Thirteen Streams agreed to Geom Yul-cheon becoming the new Cult Leader.

Until now, the Thirteen Streams had thoroughly remained apart from the Demon Cult's mainstream. As the term branch implied, they had faithfully fulfilled their role as bystanders in the tributaries.

For them, who rarely raised their voices, to unanimously support Geom Yul-cheon was truly a major event. Most martial artists in the Demon Cult's mainstream didn't know of Geom Yul-cheon's existence.

That there was no resistance despite a complete stranger being confirmed as Cult Leader was because the situation was turning so urgently.

The rampaging Cheok Gwan-hyeol was massacring both Blue Sky Alliance and the Demon Cult indiscriminately. It was judged far better for a new person to assume the position of Cult Leader than leaving him as such.

If even Sang Han-cheon had been intact, it might be different, but he was rolling on the ground turned to charcoal. Though he still held onto the thread of consciousness, he wasn't in any condition to issue orders.

'It's… over.'

Sang Han-cheon felt chills.

Only then did he recall the eyes of the Thirteen Streams martial artists who'd looked at him with contempt before the clash with Blue Sky Alliance. They'd probably been connected to Geom Yul-cheon since then.

Though Dan Un-hyang didn't acknowledge the sacred object's authority, not everyone was like that. Geom Yul-cheon had met the masters of the Thirteen Streams and subdued them with martial arts. And by showing the sacred object, he gained acknowledgment of his authority.

It was the Demon Cult where only the strong received respect. Having the sacred object on top of that, they had no choice but to acknowledge him. If they hadn't been humiliated by Sang Han-cheon while participating in this war, the story might have been different. The decisive reason they changed their minds was precisely that day's humiliation.

If Cheok Gwan-hyeol had maintained his authority as Cult Leader to the end, they would have remained bystanders, but with him running wild like this, they had no choice but to install Geom Yul-cheon as the new Cult Leader.

Geom Yul-cheon seized power within the cult in an instant like lightning.

Not only was the Holy Maiden's authority added, but he received installation from the Thirteen Streams. On top of that, Shin Mu-wol and Myeong-cheon secretly infiltrated inside and drew out cooperation.

However, despite becoming the new Cult Leader, Geom Yul-cheon's expression was by no means bright. He had to restore the Demon Cult that suffered crushing defeat to Blue Sky Alliance, and above all, he had to eliminate the rampaging Cheok Gwan-hyeol. If they withdrew leaving him behind, he would definitely become a source of future discord, and above all, there couldn't be two Cult Leaders under Heaven.

Kwakwang!

Explosions burst forth continuously around Cheok Gwan-hyeol. Each time, dozens of martial artists died.

Cho Yeon-woon and others desperately tried to stop Cheok Gwan-hyeol but it was useless. Right now, Cheok Gwan-hyeol's martial prowess far transcended human limits.

'He is definitely not normal.'

Geom Yul-cheon gritted his teeth.

He could tell instinctively. There must be Heavenly Evil Cult's machinations behind Cheok Gwan-hyeol ending up like that. The Heaven Encompassing Demonic Art that Cheok Gwan-hyeol learned maximizes demonic energy, but doesn't make one lose reason like that. If it did, it couldn't have been the Demon Cult's supreme martial art.

"Come to your senses."

Geom Yul-cheon flew forth with a lion's roar.

For a moment, Cheok Gwan-hyeol's pupils wavered and he seemed to regain reason briefly. But that was only momentary, as Cheok Gwan-hyeol ran wild again.

Chuwahak!

Dense demonic energy stretched out like a viper and covered Geom Yul-cheon. Geom Yul-cheon deployed Thunder Striking Art, Thunder Palace Style's secret martial art.

From the first form Thunder Layer upon Layer to the second form Blood Killing Rain, Thunder Striking Art's techniques were unleashed one after another.

Kwarrrung!

Thunder sounds echoed through the clear sky and lightning burst forth.

After learning Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the Cult Protecting Divine Art, Geom Yul-cheon's Thunder Striking Art had gained at least twice more powerful might. But it was insufficient to fell Cheok Gwan-hyeol.

"Keu! I'll kill everyone."

His attack rather only amplified Cheok Gwan-hyeol's killing intent.

Geom Yul-cheon dodged Cheok Gwan-hyeol's attack and approached Cho Yeon-woon.

Cho Yeon-woon glanced at Geom Yul-cheon and opened his mouth.

"You kept your promise."

"I told you. I always keep my promises."

At Geom Yul-cheon's indifferent answer, Cho Yeon-woon smiled faintly. But soon his expression hardened.

Because even in that moment, Cheok Gwan-hyeol was running wild.

Kukwagak!

Black demonic energy swirled like a storm. And countless people died. He was a massive calamity. If they couldn't stop him, everyone present would die.

'If only Ho were here… No!'

Cho Yeon-woon started thinking of Dam Ho but shook his head.

He couldn't rely on him forever.

Dam Ho had his own battle.

This place was not Dam Ho's battlefield but his own. Even if a conclusion was reached, he had to reach it.

Watching Cho Yeon-woon burning with fighting spirit, Geom Yul-cheon extended his fist.

"This is the first and last time. Joining hands with you."

Cho Yeon-woon was the Alliance Leader of Blue Sky Alliance, a pillar of the orthodox martial world, and Geom Yul-cheon was the Demon Cult's new Cult Leader. They were destined to run on parallel tracks forever.

There would never again be an opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder facing the same enemy like this.

Thunk!

Cho Yeon-woon lightly struck Geom Yul-cheon's fist.

The Blue Sky Alliance Leader had accepted the Demon Cult Leader's proposal.

Cho Yeon-woon said to Hae So-wol and others.

"Stand back."

"But…"

"From now on, we'll handle it. If there are more people, we'll only be obstacles to each other. Stand back."

"Understood."

Hae So-wol ultimately had no choice but to accept Cho Yeon-woon's order.

As he said, though they coordinated attacks together with So-cheon, rather than doubling their power, they became obstacles to each other.

Hae So-wol, So-cheon and others withdrew. Geom Yul-cheon filled that empty space.

Kwarung!

Eight Desolations Divine Fist and Thunder Striking Art were deployed simultaneously.

As they clashed with Cheok Gwan-hyeol's Heaven Encompassing Demonic Art, the earth cried out in pain and the air convulsed madly.

At the scene like the world's last day had come, Blue Sky Alliance and the Demon Cult's martial artists just held their breath watching them fight.

Among them was Won Seol-hwa.

"Eek!"

She had participated in battle together with Divine Flower Merchant Group's martial artists. She'd thrown herself into the fight to avenge her father's killer, but Dam Ho's form was nowhere to be seen.

'Where did you go? Dam Ho.'

She bit her lips until they bled. Though her tender lips burst and blood flowed, she didn't even feel the pain.

It was unclear whose victory the battle between Cho Yeon-woon, Geom Yul-cheon and Cheok Gwan-hyeol would end with. But she could sufficiently guess which way the scales were tilting.

Though she'd run wild crazily, blinded by grief over losing her father, now was the time to judge coldly as a merchant.

She saw Geom Yul-cheon's comrades and the Thirteen Streams' martial artists seizing the Demon Cult at rapid speed.

In the Demon Cult they seized, there was no place for Won Seol-hwa to stand.

Blood dripping from Won Seol-hwa's lips stained her chest. She looked up at the sky.

"It seems Heaven does not permit my revenge in this lifetime."

Her eyes were filled with the light of resentment.

Not only Dam Ho but Geom Yul-cheon and the Thirteen Streams were mortal enemies to her.

To take revenge on them all, she had to survive.

Won Seol-hwa gathered her surviving subordinates and quietly left the battlefield. The martial artists whose minds were captivated by the three people's earth-shaking battle didn't notice her departure.

***

"Good!"

He smiled brightly.

He'd once been called Blood Elder, and before that had been called Ho Cheon-san. But his real name was Ho Cheon-myeong.

Blood Light Death God Ho Cheon-myeong was his true identity.

He'd been a member of the Four Divine Emperors and a hero who saved the martial world during the First Orthodox-Demon War. But he stood alone, having cast off all those cumbersome identities.

Just now, his intermediary had lost her life.

An intermediary named Dan Un-hyang.

Not satisfied with planting the seed of heart demons through a book called Heavenly Evil Heart Demon Art, he'd used her as an intermediary like Nok Su-bing. Thanks to that, he could know everything happening on the plain like looking at his palm.

Everything was proceeding according to his intentions. That's why he felt good.

Ho Cheon-myeong looked around. Then the devastated landscape entered his view. Until just now, it had been a place where numerous pavilions boasted majestic grandeur. But everything had collapsed and burned, leaving only ruins.

Under Ho Cheon-myeong's feet lay a signboard split in half.

Though divided into two pieces, the letters carved on it were too clear.

Zhongnan Sect.

The ruins were precisely the traces of Zhongnan Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects.

While sect leader Go Il-won left to fight the Demon Cult with the elite, Zhongnan Sect was trampled by Ho Cheon-myeong. In the ruined Zhongnan Sect, no survivors existed.

If Go Il-won and Zhongnan Sect's elite had known this fact, they would have shed bloody tears.

Despite committing such a tremendous deed, Ho Cheon-myeong was smiling. Such a bright, pure-seeming smile.

Before Ho Cheon-myeong, someone knelt powerlessly. The one kneeling with disheveled hair was precisely Gi San-wol.

Gi San-wol looked at the ruined Zhongnan Sect with a blank face.

The time it took for Zhongnan Sect's numerous martial artists to be massacred was only half an hour. Over several hundred martial artists were massacred by Ho Cheon-myeong alone. And through an unimaginably horrific method at that.

Tremble!

The trembling throughout his body still hadn't subsided.

Such powerful aftereffects and presence remained, weighing down his shoulders.

Before entering the Avici Hell, he hadn't realized Ho Cheon-myeong was such a terrifying existence. He'd merely offered loyalty because he was the Cult Leader. But as one knows, one sees, and thanks to abilities that had risen dramatically after returning from the Avici Hell, he could feel Ho Cheon-myeong's terror even more clearly.

'He is not human. He's already become an existence that can't be defined as human.'

Gi San-wol bit his lips hard. Because he couldn't endure otherwise.

Ho Cheon-myeong's gaze turned toward Gi San-wol.

"The world's cause and effect is truly mysterious. That you who entered the 'gap' returned in such intact form. How was it, did you enjoy the sightseeing?"

"Sightseeing, I experienced hell there."

"What's a paradise experience to some may feel like hell to others."

Ho Cheon-myeong's smile deepened. Seeing that, Gi San-wol felt something hot surging up from deep in his chest.

What he saw and experienced was definitely not something that could be expressed as 'paradise'. To him it was a time of hellish pain worse than death, and until meeting Dam Ho, days of despair with not a shred of hope visible.

"Because of you, what hell I went through…"

"I envy you."

"What? Envy?"

"That's right. I envy you. Your insignificant presence, your karma small enough not to be caught in the web of cause and effect."

"What crazy talk is that? How can that…"

"Tell me. How was it? The Six Paths…"

"I…"

"Your feelings don't really matter. What's truly important is your experience."

Saaaak!

Suddenly wind blew. And Gi San-wol screamed desperately.

"Kraaak!"

Before he knew it, a fountain of blood was spurting from his left shoulder. Though he hadn't felt any sign, he was wounded.

Unable to endure any longer, Gi San-wol rose from his seat muttering something. Then the energy in the area rapidly dropped and a snowstorm swirled toward Ho Cheon-myeong.

In an instant, thick snow piled on Ho Cheon-myeong's shoulders.

It wasn't ordinary martial arts or sorcery. Nor an illusion created with formations. An actual snowstorm was swirling.

Gi San-wol had been captured by Gwi-sa not because he lacked strength. It was precisely to meet Ho Cheon-myeong, the root cause of all this.

Gi San-wol deployed all the power he'd kept carefully hidden until now.

"O bond continuing from eons past. Join with me to defeat my enemy."

Zzzzzt!

Suddenly the moisture in the air rapidly froze, creating hundreds of ice spears. The ice spears generated in midair struck down toward Ho Cheon-myeong along with the snowstorm.

Kukwagagak!

Holes the size of a child's forearm were punched in the spot where Ho Cheon-myeong had stood. But Ho Cheon-myeong's form was nowhere visible. It was when Gi San-wol was hurriedly looking around for Ho Cheon-myeong.

"Is that the power you gained there? Interesting."

Ho Cheon-myeong's voice was coming from behind. Gi San-wol hurriedly turned around spreading both hands wide. Then a translucent membrane spread like a shield. Beyond it, Ho Cheon-myeong's smiling face was visible.

He tapped the membrane with his finger. Then the translucent membrane rippled and shattered in an instant.

"Kuurk! This can't be!"

Gi San-wol vomited blood from the shock. The translucent membrane he deployed wasn't created with internal energy like protective qi but made through a higher-dimensional method. Naturally, its protective power also far exceeded ordinary protective qi.

Ho Cheon-myeong approached Gi San-wol muttering.

"Interesting magic. The system and method of manifesting power are completely different from Central Plains'. Is this the Six Paths' magic?"

"Uuu!"

"Now tell me. About the Six Paths…"

"You think I'll talk?"

"Oh my, you seem to have forgotten you're a soul sorcerer. Soul sorcerers can never defy me. Because they were raised that way."

"Uuu!"

Gi San-wol shuddered. He instinctively realized Ho Cheon-myeong's words were true. In reality, contrary to his will, his mouth was trying to open. His will was being eroded by Ho Cheon-myeong's will.

With the last remaining will, he barely conveyed his intent.

"My lord will come. Monster."

"Your lord? Ah, you mean Dam Ho?"

"That's right. He will come here soon."

"That wouldn't be bad either. He has sufficient qualifications to witness the scene of a new world opening."

"A new world? Don't tell me you're bringing the Six Paths here…"

He hurriedly looked around. Then he saw Heavenly Evil Cult's soul sorcerers had appeared and were building an altar on Zhongnan Sect's ruins.

"The conditions are already sufficiently prepared. If Dam Ho comes, he'll be able to see a truly grand spectacle. Of course, that's if he can come."

Ho Cheon-myeong smiled brightly. That appearance didn't look like the same human's smile at all.

Gi San-wol's eyes lost focus.

"How can a human…"

"The idle chatter has gotten long. Hurry and tell me. What you saw…"

"I…"

A clear voice began flowing from between Gi San-wol's lips. Ho Cheon-myeong listened to his story with an interested expression.

Beom-bon continued speaking.

“So Benefactor Poison Dragon essentially presented me with ten days. A time when Benefactor Poison Dragon can leisurely go to the main temple, or a time when returning becomes difficult if time is wasted attacking the Namgung Family here.”

“Are you saying to abandon the Namgung Family?”

“That’s correct.”

“But we also can’t return from right in front of the Namgung Family.”

“Of course. The Namgung Family that didn’t respond to our temple’s summons must be destroyed.”

“Then it will be too late to return.”

Beom-bon smiled.

“If Benefactor Poison Dragon travels north from Yuelu Mountain to Zhengzhou, there are two methods: returning through the waterway of Dongting Lake or riding along the Wuling Mountain Range and crossing the treacherous Mufu Mountain Range. Whichever way he goes, the early part of the journey takes a long time and he must pass through Wuhan. On the other hand, from this side, once we descend Mount Huang, there’s nothing blocking us to Wuhan while traveling northwest.”

“Then…”

“Benefactor Poison Dragon will pass through Wuhan within eight days. If we capture the Namgung Family within two days, it means we can reach Wuhan within six days to meet Benefactor Poison Dragon.”

“Fifteen hundred li in six days…”

He would have to run day and night, but for Beom-bon it was a distance he could cover without great difficulty.

Beom-bon shifted his gaze to the Namgung Family’s estate and said.

“Benefactor Poison Dragon’s intention wasn’t bad. No, it was quite good. He wanted to make me abandon the Namgung Family by setting the time tight. However, Benefactor Poison Dragon’s calculation didn’t consider ‘me’. Unfortunately, that’s why Benefactor Poison Dragon’s calculation became completely wrong.”

A smile formed at Beom-bon’s lips.

Not the smile of a compassionate Buddhist, but a lion’s smile before prey.

It was chillingly the relaxed expression of a predator standing at the top of the food chain.

***

Clang, clang!

Urgent bell sounds rang.

“Shaolin Temple has begun the attack!”

The Namgung Family leaders all jumped up from their seats upon receiving the report.

Everyone was greatly enraged.

“Who would have thought they’d attack targeting when the family elder is absent!”

“Since when has Shaolin Temple been doing such cowardly things!”

On top of that, they suddenly received a message from Namgung Rak telling them to surrender, making them all the more confused. Until the letter came, they were divided and fighting over whether to surrender or not, but now that the attack had begun, they had no choice but to fight.

The family head said.

“We sent people to confirm whether the message’s content is certain, so a response will come within a few days. Until then, endure with trap formations so the family home suffers no damage…”

However, before the family head could finish speaking, another report came up.

“Great Buddha has entered the third trap!”

Those words were enough to shock the family head and everyone else.

“What?”

***

On the path from outside the Namgung Family to the estate, a wide formation was spread out. Additionally, traps were installed everywhere to raise the formation’s power several times over.

If one simply thought about just the formation, they could suffer greatly.

Beom-bon carefully entered that path. Beom-bon had the Arhat monks stand by about ten zhang behind him.

Beom-bon looked all around.

Not a single butterfly flew and not a single grass insect cried. It meant he had entered within the formation’s sphere of influence.

“Hmm. So this is the core of this Fear Gate.”

Beom-bon put his hand under a rock that had moss growing on the outside, looking like it hadn’t been touched by human hands for decades, and lifted the rock.

Creak! Squeeeak!

A rock as large as a bear made an incongruous metallic sound as it lifted.

Five zhang ahead from where Beom-bon stood, thick logs studded with iron spikes poured down wildly from the side slope. From ahead of that too, and from ahead of that too!

Crash, crashhh!

Like a landslide, hundreds of trees poured down wildly.

Bang! Rumble! Crash!

If a person had been standing there, even considerable experts would have had difficulty enduring.

However, by destroying the trap’s core, Beom-bon made the entire trap that had been laid out long ahead useless.

Beom-bon dusted off his hands. He lightly rolled his feet to climb on top of the piled tree trunks. Then midway, he pulled out and cleared away entangled trees. Heavy logs twice a person’s height flew around whoosh whoosh.

Beom-bon went down below the piled trees and touched the ground.

Ru… ummm!

With a vibration, a bridge crossing the valley far ahead so distant it could barely be seen collapsed.

If they had continued down that path and the bridge collapsed, they would have had to return, wasting tremendous time.

“Death Gate within Fear Gate. Life Gate outside Death Gate. Layering traps upon traps is the Grand Harmony Total Annihilation Formation that the Namgung Family prides itself on.”

A smile appeared on Beom-bon’s face.

***

The Namgung Family leadership was enveloped in silence.

Not even a full hour had passed since Shaolin Temple started the attack, yet Great Buddha was already destroying five formations and entering.

“Great Buddha perfectly knows the Grand Harmony Total Annihilation Formation’s trap formations.”

“The Grand Harmony Total Annihilation Formation has Life Gates that all change according to time. Yesterday is different, morning and afternoon’s Life Gates are different. Even knowing it, it’s not a path one can enter just like that.”

“That means…”

The Namgung Family leaders reached an unbelievable conclusion.

“Finding the Life Gates of formations that change moment by moment means Great Buddha’s understanding of formations is extremely high.”

Great Buddha had expertise in formations.

At a considerable level too!

“That’s impossible!”

One of the younger ones shouted as if protesting.

“Even if it were the person who made this formation, they couldn’t enter at this speed.”

The Namgung Family head shook his head with a dark face.

“If it’s Great Buddha… it’s possible.”

Everyone looked at the Namgung Family head.

“If it’s Great Buddha with both understanding of formations and… Embracing Sect’s greatest martial power!”

***

A house-sized boulder fell onto Beom-bon’s head.

The Arhat monks waiting in the distance saw that Beom-bon had triggered a trap wrong and the boulder was falling. Beom-bon was also large, but the boulder was massive enough to crush about five Beom-bons.

Beom-bon belatedly raised his head to check the boulder, as if he hadn’t noticed.

“Oh my. This one’s an annoying trap to disable.”

The boulder fell directly onto Beom-bon’s head.

Kwang!

With the boulder squarely on his head, Beom-bon’s feet dug deeply into the ground.

Cracks began to run through the center of the boulder that had stopped as if time had stopped.

Creaaak!

The boulder split left and right and fell to the sides.

Crushed stone powder covered Beom-bon’s head where his precepts mark was stamped.

Beom-bon dusted off his head.

Shwaek!

Iron arrows flew from all directions. Beom-bon stood as he was. His iron robe deflected the iron arrows.

Clang! Clangclang!

Black metal pieces shaped like spade handles flew like rays of light and followed.

They were weak coins.

Coin didn’t refer to money but an agricultural tool like a spade, and weak coins in particular were weapons exclusively for great experts made by mixing soft and hard iron. When hitting protective energy, the soft iron crumples to give a blow like being hit with a hammer, and as the soft iron crumples, the hard iron like an awl inside pushes out to pierce protective energy. The power is strong but making them is equally difficult, requiring advanced refining techniques.

Several weak coins hit Beom-bon’s body.

Pyok! Pyok!

With sounds like being hit with a cudgel, the weak coins embedded in Beom-bon’s body.

Beom-bon looked briefly at the weak coins embedded in his body then pulled one out. The soft iron that wrapped the weak coin’s head was crumpled and spread, and in the center, the sharp iron spikes that had been hidden protruded in a bundle.

However, the tips of the iron spikes that were said to pierce even protective energy were surprisingly bent!

Beom-bon looked down at the holes in his red kasaya and clicked his tongue.

“Oh dear.”

However, they hadn’t penetrated through to embed in his body. Only his clothes were damaged. Beom-bon waved his palm to deflect the weak coins flying again.

Without doing much, Beom-bon had instantly neutralized one checkpoint with his body.

Beom-bon patted his kasaya to tidy it then clasped his hands while muttering.

“Namo Amitabha. Today I have greatly reflected on my teacher’s teachings once again. This is all thanks to Teacher.”

Beom-bon was born with a large frame and a slow body, so he was teased daily by the children growing up with him. Beom-bon fought every day to not be ignored, but alone he couldn’t defeat many. Rather, being ignored and teased became even worse.

Then one day, the teacher who had the greatest influence on his life said:

You have a large frame so you look straightforward and slow to others. However, I know how exceptional your mind is. Your frame hides your strengths, so that will rather become your strength.

Remember this. Neither those with the world’s best martial arts nor those with the world’s best minds are frightening. Those with excellent martial arts die in the traps of those with good minds, and those with excellent minds die by the martial power of those with excellent martial arts.

What’s truly frightening is… a person with both the cunning to compensate for lacking martial power and the wisdom to compensate for lacking martial arts.

Don’t reveal it. Without revealing it, become a person with both wisdom and martial arts.

Beom-bon still remembered his warm words.

So from that day, he began reading books. During the day he learned martial arts and at night he read books. As his teacher instructed, he steadily devoted himself without showing it to others.

Just as Taoist Haewol worked hardest at martial arts training after becoming alliance leader, Beom-bon studied scholarship ceaselessly. It was the same even after catching the abbot’s eye and entering Shaolin Temple.

Before turning twenty, Beom-bon was proficient in the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. He reached an erudite level even in fields like astronomy and geography.

Especially regarding formations that often became major headaches for martial artists, he had unparalleled expertise.

“Traps are ultimately just parts of formations.”

Beom-bon calculated the formation’s directions to find paths and destroyed trap devices’ cores. When checkpoints seemed difficult to break through even with his knowledge, he simply smashed through with force and advanced.

Therefore, Beom-bon’s steps encountered no obstacles. As per the affectionate advice of the teacher he remembered, he had become one who possessed both literary and martial arts.

“Poison Dragon, I am not a slow bear. Like others who saw me that way, you also made a mistake due to prejudice about me.”

Beom-bon smiled again.

Before half a day passed, Beom-bon alone destroyed thirty percent of the Namgung Family’s trap formations.