CHAPTER 369: THE RUINED KUNLUN SECT (2)

Standing before him was Go Yo-ja, a Taoist of the Kunlun Sect.

He was someone who had a connection with his master, Yu Jeong-shin. Though their relationship started as hostile, they had grown closer over time.

To be honest, at first he didn’t recognize Go Yo-ja.

With his disheveled hair and crazed expression, he looked more like a demonic madman.

What made him identifiable were two things: the Kunlun Sect’s secret sword technique he used, and the Six-man Wind and Rain Summoning Spell that stirred up a whirlwind.

Go Yo-ja was clearly not in a normal state.

Covered in blood, he began to tremble as though struck by lightning the moment he heard his own name.

“…Are you all right?”

“Priest Yi-gang… You—you’re Priest Baek, aren’t you?”

Tears streamed down Go Yo-ja’s face.

Then he collapsed to his knees.

“Khuhuk, kkuhuhk!”

He scraped the ground with his hands.

Even as his nails cracked and bled, he paid no mind.

The gouged earth seemed to echo the deep frustration in Go Yo-ja’s heart.

Yi-gang waited silently for Go Yo-ja to regain control of his emotions.

When Go Yo-ja rose to his feet again, Yi-gang asked,

“What happened here?”

Dam Hyun and Gal Dong-tak, who stood beside Yi-gang, also seemed eager to know.

Indeed, the defense line that the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance had established at Kunlun was not to be underestimated.

Even the Demon Cult’s hastily-assembled vanguard force couldn’t have pierced it so easily.

Go Yo-ja remained silent, his eyes dark and lifeless, then finally spoke.

“Follow me.”

He staggered, turned his body, and stepped inside the palace where Yi-gang had been heading.

Yi-gang followed behind him.

Inside the courtyard, a familiar place emerged.

It was where Kunlun’s sect leader, Yuk Du-seon, had first welcomed Yi-gang.

But now, the once pristine floor looked like it had been blown apart by explosions, cracked and shattered in many places.

And the building directly ahead had a massive hole torn through it.

The shape of that hole was unmistakably…

“…A handprint?”

It wasn’t as large as something left by Buddha’s Divine Palm, but it was clearly shaped like a human hand.

“That… must be the residual force of the martial technique used by the one who assassinated the sect leader…”

It was astounding.

A palm technique of that magnitude would be impossible even for a divine monk who could unleash shockwaves with a mere wave.

How could a human possibly imitate Buddha’s martial arts?

“He looked like a martial artist from the Demon Cult, but… who knows…”

Go Yo-ja let out a cynical laugh.

If such a man existed within the Demon Cult, he would undoubtedly be on the level of a hall master.

Yi-gang then realized there was a burial mound in front of Go Yo-ja.

“…Is that…”

“My master.”

The burial mound was small.

Far too small. If not for the bodies scattered around, one might not have even guessed it was a grave.

“Only his lower half remained.”

Go Yo-ja’s clenched fists were pale white.

Drops of blood dripped from his knuckles.

What must it have felt like to recover only the lower half of his master’s body?

“I hadn’t intended to touch anything at first. I was hiding, waiting for the right opportunity… For a surprise attack, it’s best to leave no trace.”

Go Yo-ja had suddenly ambushed Yi-gang.

It hadn’t been an impulsive act.

There was a reason he remained alone in such a crazed state.

It seemed Go Yo-ja had mistaken Yi-gang’s group for Demon Cult martial artists—but why had he stayed here, even after the cult’s forces had already swept through?

Before Yi-gang could ask, Go Yo-ja turned his body again.

“Follow me. You asked why this place fell so easily, didn’t you.”

Yi-gang silently followed his lead.

The farther they went in the direction Go Yo-ja was heading, the more Yi-gang noticed a strange smell growing stronger.

“It smells strongly of something burnt.”

“Indeed.”

“It looks like the fire started over here.”

Just as Dam Hyun said.

The acrid stench of something burnt, thick and toxic—it was especially strong in this area.

The ancient buildings of Kunlun had been mercilessly scorched and were half-collapsed.

And then, Go Yo-ja came to a stop in front of the burned Kunlun main gate.

The pungent smoke now stung their noses.

“Take a look.”

Even though Go Yo-ja didn’t point, everyone could tell what he was indicating.

Below the slope, the flames were still flickering.

All the trees had turned to ash.

The nature of fire is that it dies down when there’s nothing left to burn—yet this flame still licked the air with a crimson tongue, as if it remained ravenous.

“That burned down Mount Kunlun. Even before the Demon Cult arrived, the acrid smoke had already rolled in.”

“A fire attack”

But fire attacks are not as easy as they sound.

Especially when the targets were nimble martial masters.

“Indeed. Even dousing it with water wouldn’t extinguish it. If it latched onto someone’s body… even masters were easily consumed.”

“This doesn’t seem like ordinary fire.”

Yi-gang frowned.

There was something unusual emanating from those flames.

“Have you ever heard of the Eight Hot Hells? Or the Extreme Heat Hell?”

“Yes, I have.”

Originally Buddhist concepts, the Eight Hot Hells were well-known—but the Taoists of Kunlun had acquired far broader knowledge than many Central Plains Taoist sects.

Yi-gang, a member of the Azure Forest, knew of them as well.

“Then you must also know about the Karmic Hellfire. That’s what this is. It seems a Demon Cult sorcerer summoned it.”

Karmic Hellfire flames.

The flame that Bodhidharma once obtained by devouring the husk of the Fire Dragon had also been called Karmic Hellfire.

But in truth, that was not the real Karmic Hellfire.

Karmic Hellfire is the fire of hell—flames that burn the souls of the damned.

What Bodhidharma had unleashed was still far from the original form of that Karmic Hellfire.

“The flame surged into the temple like a living creature. No matter how skilled they were, martial masters couldn’t slash through fire. Unless one used an Aura Qi technique, Karmic Hellfire could not be extinguished.”

If that was the case, then chaos was inevitable.

“And with the formation broken, the Demon Cult’s vanguard stormed in…”

Dam Hyun glanced at Yi-gang and Go Yo-ja before quietly descending the slope.

It was exceedingly rare to witness Karmic Hellfire that had only recently emerged from hell.

He must have wanted to see it up close.

Yi-gang and Go Yo-ja left Dam Hyun alone and turned back.

“The vanguard of the Demon Cult was a group called the Demon Surge Thousand Resolves Division. There were some skilled fighters among them, but nothing too impressive. Yet they tore through Kunlun.”

And among their front lines were martial artists of considerable power.

Go Yo-ja began recounting what had happened back then.

A sound like something exploding thundered out.

It was the sound of a human body bursting apart.

The leader of the Demon Surge Thousand Resolves Division was a Transcendent1 master—easily on par with Kunlun’s top masters.

But he wasn’t the one who made that kind of devastating noise.

It was a massive man in black clothing.

The intelligence network of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance wasn’t weak.

They had already identified Demon Surge Thousand Resolves Division as the vanguard and had even anticipated they would not break through Kunlun easily.

But there was no information on that man.

Each time his black hand struck someone, one more person died without fail.

From the looks of it, he was clearly an absolute master.

The Demon Cult’s absolute masters were already being tracked through every possible information network.

So where had someone like him suddenly come from?

There was no absolute master here who could counter another absolute master.

However, that didn’t mean there was no way to deal with one.

There were more than enough Transcendent masters stationed here.

Go Yo-ja shouted with all his might.

“Deploy the Cold Plum Dragon-Slaying Sword Formation!”

As he inhaled, scorching air rushed into his lungs.

His chest felt tight.

The smoke was suffocating, and embers scattered in all directions.

“Deploy the sword formation! Regroup at Sir Iron Dawan Fist’s position!”

The one in charge of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance’s martial artists dispatched here was Iron Dawan Fist, Wang Jae-do.

He was someone who had reached the peak of transcendent martial arts—comparable even to Kunlun’s sect leader Yuk Du-seon.

And he was the one currently facing off against the man in black.

An opponent of such overwhelming strength had to be confronted using a formation.

But the Kunlun martial artists could not easily regroup around him.

The strongest among them had gathered to face the Demon Surge Thousand Resolves Division leader, whom they believed to be the enemy commander.

And the formation had already collapsed, while the Karmic Hellfire disrupted all coordination.

At last, Iron Dawan Fist unleashed his final desperate strike.

But he was struck by the monstrous man in black.

The blow landed on his abdomen—but his back exploded outward.

Instant death.

The leader of the defensive line had been killed by the enemy’s top martial artist.

Amid the chaos of clashing swords and piercing screams, Go Yo-ja had a realization.

“Th-this is…”

Their first battle against the Demon Cult would end in defeat.

Like the suffocating smoke, a dark emotion billowed up from deep within.

And then—it happened. A voice rang out, as clear and powerful as thunder.

“Martial artists of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance, hear me—!”

How could he not recognize that voice?

It was Yuk Du-seon, Go Yo-ja’s master.

“Maintain the formation and fall back! Regroup at the designated location!”

A voice that rang out clear and resolute, even in this hellish battlefield.

It was likely the overwhelming Qi within Yuk Du-seon’s voice that carried such power.

But Go Yo-ja did not retreat immediately.

He was the disciple of the sect leader and the designated successor.

As a Transcendent master of Kunlun, he had a duty to protect the disciples.

Besides, Yuk Du-seon was surely still…

At that moment, as Go Yo-ja was running toward Yuk Du-seon, an iron arrow flew at the back of his head.

Tiiing!

Someone stepped in and deflected the iron arrow with their sword.

In a battlefield this chaotic, an arrow shot from a strongbow could threaten even Transcendent masters.

Go Yo-ja chastised himself for letting his guard down and offered his thanks.

The one who saved him was a young swordsman with a composed expression.

“Thank you, young hero!”

“It’s nothing, Master.”

Though the scent of defeat hung heavy in the air, Ha-jun’s demeanor remained cold and clear.

Though still young and lacking experience, Go Yo-ja found himself encouraged instead.

“Dependable, indeed…!”

As expected, he was Yi-gang’s younger brother.

Even here, there were young martial artists standing firm.

They could no longer be described with the expression prodigies of the future generation.

And among them, the most exceptional was none other than Baek Ha-jun.

Go Yo-ja and Ha-jun dashed toward Yuk Du-seon.

Yuk Du-seon stood among the corpses of demonic martial artists.

When he saw his disciple running toward him, his eyes flared wide.

—You fool! Are you disobeying my orders!?

His master still treated Go Yo-ja like a useless disciple.

At first, it seemed like more of the same, but the content of the voice transmission was different this time.

—With Iron Dawan Fist dead, it is I who must face that monster!

—I will fight with you!

But Yuk Du-seon shook his head.

—You! You must lead the others!

With Iron Dawan Fist gone, command now fell to Yuk Du-seon.

And the one to take command after him was none other than Go Yo-ja.

—Go! Take them and leave this place at once! I will join you later.

Would Yuk Du-seon really be able to do that?

If this had been the old Go Yo-ja, he would never have obeyed his master’s order.

But this was wartime—Go Yo-ja clenched his teeth and turned away.

“Please take care of yourself!”

What had to be done was clear.

Go Yo-ja and Ha-jun raced across the battlefield, aiding the retreat of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance forces.

With two transcendent masters putting their lives on the line, the retreat became far smoother.

Slaash!

Go Yo-ja beheaded a demonic martial artist who blocked his path.

He wiped the blood from his face and shouted,

“Go! Keep moving!”

An unorthodox martial artist, wounded, was carried on the back of an orthodox martial artist as they fled.

The retreat route in case the defense line fell had already been planned.

Further down the slope lay a ravine called Ghost Entry Canyon. Once everyone passed through it, they would collapse the canyon to block the enemy’s advance.

Just as Go Yo-ja was about to run with Ha-jun again—

Ha-jun suddenly grimaced.

Go Yo-ja turned his head, wondering what was wrong—and gasped.

“Th-those bastards!”

Many of the young martial artists of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance had been wounded or killed.

And now, several Demon Cultists were dragging away the injured young martial artists after sealing their pressure points.

Looking more closely, it wasn’t just one or two.

There were people fleeing while carrying young disciples of Kunlun on their backs.

Noh Shik was standing his ground, blocking those Demon Cultists.

“Noh Shik—!”

Go Yo-ja tried to rush over immediately.

But Ha-jun stopped him.

“I’ll stay with Noh Shik and hold them off. You go on ahead!”

On Go Yo-ja’s back was his own disciple who was only fifteen years old.

Moreover, he bore the duty of commanding the remaining alliance martial artists gathering below.

Go Yo-ja’s face hardened as he nodded.

“Join us immediately afterward!”

Ha-jun surged forward, sword force flaring.

Go Yo-ja sprinted down the slope.

When he looked back from the Ghost Entry Canyon, the Kunlun Sect was engulfed in flames.

The disciples of the sect stood in stunned silence, tears flowing down their faces.

Behind them, Demon Cultists were in pursuit along the descending path.

Time was short—but Go Yo-ja waited.

But Ha-jun still hadn’t come.

“Why… Why isn’t he coming?”

“We must go!”

Someone shouted.

And they were right.

“Khugh!”

It was Go Yo-ja’s responsibility to act.

He bit down on his lip, then collapsed the support pillar wedged into the rock.

With a thunderous roar, Ghost Entry Canyon came crashing down.

After the alliance martial artists had retreated—

Go Yo-ja ascended once more toward the Kunlun Sect, joined by the fleet-footed martial artists.

But nowhere could he find Ha-jun or Noh Shik.

The young ones who had been abducted by the Demon Cult were also gone.

Yuk Du-seon’s lower half was all that remained, and the black-clad monster who had killed his master was nowhere to be found.

Go Yo-ja cried out, cutting down Demon Cultists again and again.

Then, nearly killed after being surrounded, he went into hiding.

Hidden within the thorn bushes, he clutched his sword, seething with rage, thinking only of those he had failed to save…

When it reached that point in the story, Yi-gang interrupted.

“Wait a moment.”

“…Ah.”

Go Yo-ja was already shedding tears of bitter resentment.

He wiped the corners of his eyes and looked at Yi-gang.

Yi-gang wore a stunned expression.

“So then… you mean Ha-jun and Noh Shik…”

What followed was something too painful to listen to all the way through.

Yi-gang asked, needing confirmation.

“You mean… they were kidnapped by the Demon Cult?”

“…Yes.”

Go Yo-ja tightly shut his eyes and nodded.

1. TL/N: originally Supreme Peak ️