Chapter 258

Dan Ryeong-gyeong had raised her internal energy considerably, causing her hair to shoot upward toward the sky. The sleeve of her empty arm fluttered endlessly.

For a moment, Baek Li-jung’s gaze went to Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s arm and returned.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong said.

“Spare… him.”

Baek Li-jung sneered.

“How convenient. Everything that needs to die has gathered in one place.”

Baek Li-jung put strength into the hand gripping Heavenly Vermillion Blade.

Venerable Woo-am spurted blood violently.

“Cough!”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s face turned bright red with anger.

“Stop. Isn’t this enough?”

“I don’t know what you mean by enough. After meeting for the first time in decades, is that all you wanted to say?”

Baek Li-jung raised his head to the sky, then spoke as if suddenly remembering.

“Right. Come to think of it, you once said that to me. My wife said that if she had chosen Woo-am instead, it would have been better than now.”

“…”

Venerable Woo-am chuckled softly.

“Hey now, didn’t you just say… that I was drawing water with a broken gourd? That Ryeong-ryeong had never even dreamed of a future with me.”

Baek Li-jung said without changing his expression.

“You only choose to believe what you want to believe. Since when did you trust my words so well?”

“Well, look at this son of a bitch.”

“You’ve aged uselessly. The truth comes from the mouth of the living, not the dead. That’s the truth of the world.”

Venerable Woo-am looked at Dan Ryeong-gyeong with a bitter expression.

“Ryeong-ryeong, I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong sighed.

“The one who knew about the existence of Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art and approached me, who used me to steal the remaining incantation from you, all of that was him. And I… rather should apologize to you.”

“Don’t do it.”

“No, if not now…”

Venerable Woo-am smiled faintly.

“I already know.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong closed her mouth. Baek Li-jung’s lips contorted and his eyebrows rose.

“You know everything? Did you just say you know everything?”

“Yes. I know you told Ryeong-ryeong to meet the Enlightened Teacher and obtain the latter half incantation. You used Ryeong-ryeong because you were afraid to face me.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong nodded.

“You threatened Ryeong-ryeong by saying you’d spread rumors about her meeting the Enlightened Teacher. Conversely, you threatened the Enlightened Teacher by saying you’d reveal to the martial world that he was meeting me, right?”

“That’s right.”

“He was very saddened that I couldn’t settle my heart and wavered because of Ryeong-ryeong. And he was also angry. About me secretly passing Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art to Ryeong-ryeong.”

At that time, Dan Ryeong-gyeong, unable to resist Baek Li-jung’s threats, went to meet Enlightened Teacher Yelu Huan.

Yelu Huan didn’t look favorably upon Dan Ryeong-gyeong. He thought she had seduced Venerable Woo-am to steal secret techniques while being married to another man.

Moreover, she had even come to threaten him…

Tragedy occurred there.

Yelu Huan later learned the truth and blamed himself greatly, but couldn’t bring himself to tell Venerable Woo-am and lived hiding it.

Venerable Woo-am struggled to raise his head and look at Baek Li-jung.

“Since you say you know, something suddenly comes to mind. Ten years ago, Yelu Huan suddenly left saying he would wait for my forgiveness out of the blue. Was that also related to you?”

Baek Li-jung spoke with a furrowed brow.

“I merely told him to choose. Whether he wanted the Qingcheng sect to be exterminated like the Dan family for the crime of collaborating with the Demon Cult, or whether he wanted his friend to know that he had violated the woman he admired. Then he came over to our side on his own.”

“Yes. So I kept thinking for ten years. What did that friend do wrong… And after thinking, I came to a conclusion. Probably that was…”

Venerable Woo-am couldn’t finish his words and closed his mouth. Instead, he glared at Baek Li-jung and said.

“It’s all your fault! If not for you, none of this would have happened!”

Baek Li-jung twisted his sword. The blade embedded deep in Venerable Woo-am’s shoulder scraped bone as it turned.

Venerable Woo-am gasped and gritted his teeth as he spoke.

“You bastard! If you were going to resent someone, wouldn’t it have been enough to resent just me alone!”

“Resent?”

Baek Li-jung laughed “heh heh.”

“When I knew about your relationship with the Demon Cult follower, do you know how much I thought it was a good opportunity? Do you know how happy I was when I overcame fear and realized what I could do?”

“That’s why you’re a son of a bitch.”

“Hmm.”

Baek Li-jung erased his smile and slowly raised his killing intent. Venerable Woo-am’s life hung by a thread.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong gritted her molars and raised her one arm. Long cloth wrapped around her arm stood on edge and slowly unwound.

“If you don’t let him go, you’ll die here.”

Baek Li-jung seemed to think for a moment before speaking.

“I’ll spare him.”

At the unexpected words, Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s eyes flinched.

“What?”

“If you answer my words correctly, both of you.”

Venerable Woo-am, with death already approaching and his eyes turning black, said to Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

“I’m already finished. Don’t be deceived by that bastard’s tricks and quickly take your companions and leave.”

“No, you can live. You will definitely live.”

Baek Li-jung spoke with an amused expression.

“Poison Dragon went to the Guizhou branch and met the Enlightened Teacher. The Guizhou branch is finished. Truly a troublesome fellow.”

It seemed Jin Ja-gang had succeeded in obtaining Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art from Yelu Huan. Since Yelu Huan would also return to the Fire Cult, Venerable Woo-am’s mental burden would be somewhat lessened.

Baek Li-jung asked.

“But why didn’t I go to Guizhou and come here instead?”

Venerable Woo-am felt something strange about Baek Li-jung’s question.

Indeed, if the latter half incantation of Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art was the goal, finding Jin Ja-gang would be much faster. Or perhaps he could catch him anytime so he left him alone?

But it didn’t feel like that was what he was asking.

Baek Li-jung asked again.

“All I know about Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art is up to the Five Light Dikes. So how did I manage to build up to the Seven Light Dikes?”

Chilling.

Venerable Woo-am felt a chilling sensation from Baek Li-jung’s smile.

The Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art that Baek Li-jung knew must have been obtained through Dan Ryeong-gyeong. When Venerable Woo-am taught Dan Ryeong-gyeong the incantation, he deliberately didn’t use Fire Cult terminology.

But why was Baek Li-jung using the term “Seven Light Dikes”!

Even while dying, goosebumps rose all over his body.

He realized that Baek Li-jung had extended his reach deeper and wider than he had thought.

“Ryeong-ryeong! Run away!”

Chuckle.

At the moment when Dan Ryeong-gyeong was bewildered not knowing the reason and Baek Li-jung chuckled softly.

Venerable Woo-am used his last strength to raise the greatest internal energy of his lifetime.

Qingcheng sect’s internal energy became whirlpools boiling in his entire body’s energy channels.

With only his palm remaining without fingers, he grasped Heavenly Vermillion Blade. The startled Baek Li-jung tried to twist and pull out Heavenly Vermillion Blade, but Venerable Woo-am used suction like Baek Li-jung had done to pull Baek Li-jung’s hand and wouldn’t let go.

Venerable Woo-am used Taoist immortal techniques to draw essence to the brain, pulling internal energy to his head.

The method of Returning Essence to Supplement the Brain.

Then without delay, he struck his head against the ground.

BANG!

Cracks instantly spread in all directions from where he struck with his head.

Then all of Elder Sky Peak shook and a huge earth tremor occurred.

CRACK!

The place where Venerable Woo-am had been began to collapse. Baek Li-jung along with it.

“Brother Woo-am!”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong extended her Flying Silk to try to save Venerable Woo-am, but though Venerable Woo-am couldn’t see, he shook his head as if he knew what Dan Ryeong-gyeong was trying to do even while falling. With his head cracked and covered in blood, he even showed a faint smile.

Elder Sky Peak was the highest peak of Qingcheng Mountain. The bottom was unfathomably far. If you fell, it would be difficult to even find the corpse.

Baek Li-jung struck Venerable Woo-am’s body with his palm in mid-air, pulled out Heavenly Vermillion Blade and swung it. Venerable Woo-am’s neck and torso were divided into several pieces.

Baek Li-jung tried to leap upward by stepping on falling rocks.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s eyes turned red with bloodshot veins.

Grind!

Dan Ryeong-gyeong raised her internal energy to the extreme and poured palm strikes down the cliff.

“Die… you cursed evil spirit!”

BANG! BANG BANG!

She smashed all the rocks that looked even slightly suitable for Baek Li-jung to step on.

Rumble.

The peak’s end continued to collapse and dust clouds rose thickly.

When Baek Li-jung no longer had rocks to jump on and step on, even while falling he glared at Dan Ryeong-gyeong with a terrifying expression. He pointed at Dan Ryeong-gyeong with the tip of Heavenly Vermillion Blade and made a gesture with his finger across his throat.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong used all her strength to send another palm strike.

BANG!

Though Baek Li-jung blocked Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s palm strike, the pushing force made his falling speed even faster. Baek Li-jung was soon buried in clouds of dust and could no longer be seen.

“Huff, huff huff. Huff!”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s whole body was soaked with sweat as she stared down blankly.

Her legs trembled and she wanted to collapse immediately, but she gritted her teeth and endured.

If she collapsed like this, it would dishonor Venerable Woo-am’s death.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong bit and bit her teeth to pieces, holding back tears as she turned around.

Venerable Woo-am had said companions were here.

His voice, which had worried about her even while dying, remained echoing in her ears.

However, what was the reason he had suddenly told her to run away?

Why had he said such a thing?

* * *

“Kill any who resist without delay.”

At Thunder Brand Sword Ye Jin-gyeong’s command, White Tiger Earth Emperor Pavilion and Sword Hero Squad warriors attacked the Evil Sect members of Qingcheng Mountain.

Thunder Brand Sword Ye Jin-gyeong didn’t miss the opportunity. Though it felt like picking up food that others had prepared, he had no choice if he wanted to achieve even a little more merit.

The Evil Sect members, already seriously damaged by Baek Li-jung, found it difficult to face the triumphant Martial Alliance warriors.

Though Eight Flying Demon Hero Gu Ryun with one leg and Human Demon Gam Chung were fighting hard, there were limits. The Evil Sect members were continuously driven up the mountain. There had been one landslide-like rumble from up the mountain, but there was no way to know what it was from below.

“Is the Fairy Maiden still not here?”

“At this rate we’ll all die!”

There were barely twenty people left.

Eight Flying Demon Hero Gu Ryun shouted.

“We came prepared from the start! Stop whining and hold on!”

While fighting White Tiger Earth Emperor Pavilion warriors, Gu Ryun’s protruding shinbone caught on the stairs and he fell. White Tiger Earth Emperor Pavilion warriors rushed in like a pack of wolves, stabbing spears and swords at Gu Ryun. He blocked with his shield, but the shield was also torn to shreds. If even that was pierced through, he would die.

“Damn it! To think I’d die to these small fries!”

Gu Ryun shouted as if it were unjust.

Then suddenly blood poured down over Gu Ryun who was lying on his back.

Roll roll.

Heads rolled next to Gu Ryun. The heads of White Tiger Earth Emperor Pavilion warriors who had just been attacking Gu Ryun.

“Huh?”

In Gu Ryun’s eyes, he saw long cloth cutting through the air. It was the Flying Silk that Dan Ryeong-gyeong carried wrapped around her shoulder.

“Fairy Maiden!”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong was stirring up the battlefield, wielding her Flying Silk.

“Sorry for being late!”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong had definitely regained her former physical condition. Though she had lost one arm, her movements weren’t that awkward. Her movements themselves seemed much improved.

Every time the Flying Silk cut through the air, warriors’ necks were severed.

Thunder Brand Sword Ye Jin-gyeong stepped forward. Having had his big prey stolen by Baek Li-jung and feeling bitter, he couldn’t miss this prey called Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

Capturing the Shandong Enchantress would more than make up for all his previous failures.

“Are you the Shandong Enchantress? Your reputation is well known…”

But while Ye Jin-gyeong was stepping forward, suddenly someone called him from behind.

“Wait.”

When Ye Jin-gyeong turned around, it was an elderly female monk from Mount Emei. She had a gaunt build with her left eye covered by an eye patch, and her expression looked extremely sharp.

‘Why is a Mount Emei nun here?’