Chapter 135: The Yellow Buddha, Awakens

A man with a bamboo hat pressed low over his head was climbing the mountain.

The terrain was rugged, but his steps were swift and light as he displayed his lightness skill.

He stopped from time to time to look back, carefully checking whether anyone was following him.

Judging from his Qi, it seemed he could have displayed an even greater level of lightness skill, but he chose instead to use the ordinary kind that martial artists often employed, climbing the mountain without standing out.

It looked as if he didn’t want anyone who might see him to figure out who he was.

Moving up the mountain path in such secrecy, he reached the peak. At the edge of a sheer cliff, another man was waiting.

The man glanced back at him.

His appearance made it hard to guess his age. Depending on how one looked, he could have been anywhere from forty to sixty.

If one had to describe his face in a single word, it would have been “emotionless.” It seemed like even if someone drove in a giant iron spike instead of a needle, not a single drop of blood would come out. There was no trace of emotion in that face.

The truth was, his face suited him perfectly. That was because he was the Elder Demon Lord, the Vice Leader of the Asura Demonic Cult.

He was the second most powerful figure in the Asura Demonic Cult, that horrific place filled with those who had abandoned their humanity. He had risen to the second seat, fighting for years over power with the Grand Elder, the Great Demon.

And here he was, boldly showing himself so close to the Murim Alliance.

What followed was even more astonishing.

“Have you been well?”

At the Elder Demon Lord’s greeting, the man in the bamboo hat removed it. Beneath it was the face of Jang Wonso, the Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance.

The Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance was secretly meeting alone with the Vice Leader of the Demonic Cult.

“I haven’t been well.”

At Jang Wonso’s curt reply, the Elder Demon Lord let out a strange smile. Considering his usual nature, this was almost unthinkable.

Normally, his temper was so violent that whoever displeased him would be turned into a bloody mess on the spot. Yet here he was, smiling and speaking in a soft tone.

“Soon, you’ll be able to stretch out your legs and sleep in peace.”

“I’d like that.”

The two men, who weren’t even supposed to be allowed in the same space, seemed almost close.

And now, through the Elder Demon Lord’s mouth, the name of that mysterious sphere was revealed.

“I heard the Myriad Yin Orb has been completed.”

“It has.”

“When do you intend to carry out the Grand Transplantation Method?”

“Tonight at midnight.”

“Congratulations.”

“It may be too early for that.”

“You sound as if you don’t believe in our cult’s Eternal Life Buddha.”

A flicker of displeasure passed through the Elder Demon Lord’s eyes as Demonic Qi began to rise. The atmosphere turned openly murderous, but Jang Wonso showed no fear at all.

“That’s not it. If I didn’t believe in your cult’s Eternal Life Buddha, I wouldn’t even be here. But the world is full of variables. You know as well as I do, in gambling you only know who truly won when you see who stands up from the table.”

Only then did the Elder Demon Lord withdraw his killing intent.

“Hehe, you’re more cautious than I expected.”

“I’d call it prudence.”

“In any case, don’t worry. As long as the Eternal Life Buddha is guarding it, no one can intrude.”

They exchanged a small clash of nerves, but neither of them took it seriously. Jang Wonso’s attention was focused entirely on what was set to happen at midnight.

“Why did you ask to see me?”

“Once the Grand Method is finished tonight, I need to receive the item on the spot.”

“Of course. I’ll hand it to you as soon as the method is complete. But until then, you mustn’t dismiss the Eternal Life Buddha.”

“Don’t worry. The Grand Method will be completed without issue.”

Just then, a hawk flew to where the two stood. It was a messenger hawk, with a letter tied to its leg, and it landed on Jang Wonso’s wrist.

When Jang Wonso checked the content of the letter, his eyes widened in shock.

“There’s been an intruder at the place where the Myriad Yin Orb is kept.”

The Elder Demon Lord clicked his tongue.

“How did you handle confidentiality?”

“We can’t be certain the information came from our side, can we? No, there’s no time for this. I need to go immediately.”

While Jang Wonso was urgent, the Elder Demon Lord remained calm.

“Don’t worry. The Eternal Life Buddha is one of our cult’s Three Great Demon Protection Arts. Whatever it guards will never be touched. No intruder will be able to lay a finger on the Myriad Yin Orb.”

“Can you guarantee that?”

The Elder Demon Lord grinned and replied.

“Once the Buddha opens its eyes, no one can escape death. Not even you, not even I. Whoever it faces, it will pursue them to the ends of the earth and kill them.”

The Elder Demon Lord added another comment that drove the nail of unease deeper.

“Only my Cult Leader can overcome them.”

* * *

“Haa, haa.”

Lee Jaseung was breathing harshly.

Around him, four statues had collapsed. Their heads and chests were crushed in.

It had been a grueling fight. He had used up more than two thirds of his Qi.

He needed to take the sphere and leave before anyone else came.

But as he approached the sphere lying in the corner of the floor, he froze. Slowly lifting his head, his expression grew darker than it had when the statues first opened their eyes.

The Golden Buddha statue at the center of the hall was opening its eyes.

It was on a completely different level than the statues he had faced before.

It was clearly far stronger.

Light burst from the Golden Buddha statue’s eyes, filling the hall in an instant.

Zzzzzzzz!

The bodies of the fallen statues sparked with thunder, then began to radiate Golden light.

Lee Jaseung’s eyes widened.

The four statues that had been destroyed stood back up. Their crushed bodies had been restored as if nothing had happened. He had fought so hard to break them, but the Golden Buddha statue had resurrected them in an instant.

Lee Jaseung’s face twisted.

“Are you kidding me right now?”

The Golden Buddha statue slowly rose to its feet.

Its eyes radiated Golden light, as if to say, “Does this look like a joke to you?”

* * *

Thud!

Lee Jaseung’s body skidded backward. He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the fist that came flying from behind.

He dodged the punch, but now a sword was swinging at him.

Swishhhhhh.

He leapt into the air to avoid the blade, but a spear came flying. Twisting once again, he evaded.

All four statues flew into the air, chasing him.

Bam, bam, bam, bam!

Spinning like a windmill, Lee Jaseung kicked them away.

The battered statues were sent flying back, but they didn’t fall. They landed on the ground and steadied themselves.

The next moment.

Wham!

Lee Jaseung clutched his waist and rolled across the floor. The Golden Buddha statue had struck him.

The Golden statue had attacked barehanded, and its style wasn’t like a traditional fist art, it was closer to the body techniques Lee Jaseung himself practiced.

The situation was completely different from before.

He had been fighting three, now he faced five.

The real problem was the Golden Buddha statue. He could barely evade the four, but the Golden one was faster, stronger, and carried an overwhelming presence.

Worse, it even had excellent judgment. It knew exactly when and how to strike.

Whoosh!

Its fist roared past his face, the wind pressure alone making his skin sting. As he dodged, the Green Buddha statue’s sword grazed his side.

Seeing the White Buddha statue’s attack coming, Lee Jaseung simply flung himself to the ground. Their strikes passed over him.

Bam, bam, bam, bam!

From the ground, he kicked upward in rapid succession. The statues staggered back for a moment, then all struck with their fists at once.

Crack!

The floor shattered and flipped.

But Lee Jaseung was already leaning against a nearby wall, panting.

“Huff, huff, huff!”

He was trying to conserve what little inner Qi he had left. If he had known this would happen, he would have saved much more earlier.

It was one thing for the Golden statue to awaken, but he never imagined it could resurrect the others.

He had no clear solution to this fight.

He had tried to smash their heads and chests, but against five enemies it was nearly impossible.

He needed to strike them continuously, but their flawless teamwork never allowed it. Especially the Golden one, who blocked every opening.

Next he tried to escape.

But that too proved impossible. The statues pursued him relentlessly. Even when he burst out of the building, they chased him outside.

The Golden statue’s movements were unmatched. It was so fast that shaking it off and escaping was impossible.

It was as if some absolute command to kill him was etched into their minds. Lee Jaseung could feel it.

Even if he got out of their sight, they would still track him down. Now that the Golden statue had opened its eyes, there was no escaping it.

This wasn’t just instinct. It was a certainty. He had confirmed through battle just how incredible this Grand Method was.

Not wanting to drag them back to his hideout, Lee Jaseung returned to the temple hall.

It seemed a hopeless situation, without a single solution.

But Lee Jaseung didn’t despair.

He focused completely on the fight, desperate to find a way to win. The stronger the enemy, the more he wanted to rise to the challenge.

That determination had carried him this far.

He wanted to win, even in an unwinnable fight.

And so he tried a third method.

Lee Jaseung’s fists pounded the Golden Buddha statue in a rapid barrage. He took blows from the others but focused all his effort solely on the Golden one.

The other statues became even more ferocious, desperate to protect it. But bracing himself with protective Qi, Lee Jaseung pressed on, aiming to subdue the Golden statue.

If he destroyed it, perhaps the others would all fall with it.

The Golden statue’s fist came crashing toward his face.

Dodging, Lee Jaseung drew both Asura and Dream Phantom at once.

Woom! Wooooom!

Qi coated both daggers.

Slash, slash, slash, slash!

His blades stabbed at the Golden statue’s neck.

Pouring out his Qi in an explosive surge, he struck so fast the statue couldn’t evade. But his own Qi drained away with every strike.

The four other statues hurled themselves at him, but they couldn’t stop him from stabbing at the Golden statue’s throat again and again.

At first, only small holes appeared, but repeated strikes tore its neck ragged.

Thud!

Lee Jaseung staggered from a heavy blow.

But he didn’t give up.

Deflecting the Golden statue’s next strike, he slipped behind it. He moved faster than it could turn. Just as it began to pivot, he leapt onto its shoulder and gripped its jaw.

“Uaaaaaah!”

Lee Jaseung poured every last ounce of his strength into that moment.

Crack!

The Golden Buddha statue’s head flew into the air. He had ripped it off with brute force. His earlier focused attacks with Asura and Dream Phantom had made it possible.

Roll, roll, roll.

The head bounced across the floor.

At last, the other statues froze. Lee Jaseung let out a sigh of relief.

“Whew…”

It had been an incredibly hard battle.

Staggering, he took a step toward the sphere.

But then, the headless Golden statue thrust out its hand.

The severed head flew from the floor back into its grasp.

Like a doll being reattached, the statue placed its head back where it belonged. Golden light flared from the torn area.

With a tremor, its eyes snapped open once more. Not even a trace of the severed neck remained.

As the Golden statue revived, the other four began moving again too.

Rage surged up hotter than fear. For the first time in a long while, a curse burst from Lee Jaseung’s lips.

“You fucking bastard!”