CHAPTER 399: THE DIVINE DEMON DESCENDS (2)

The Divine Demon Bridge is collapsing.

The Divine Demon Bridge is by no means a small bridge.

It connects a massive river over three hundred jang wide with Sky Shattering Island.

It is a gigantic bridge that has never collapsed even once in 300 years.

The Heavenly Demon, who has possessed Yi-gang’s body.

His footsteps caused the collapse of this enormous bridge.

Crack—crack!

With a thunderous roar, the pillars and the arches supporting the bridge’s weight split apart.

The signs of collapse were loud and grand, but the actual falling happened in an instant.

The cracks spread over roughly sixty meters.

That entire length suddenly sank down.

Kugugugung—

The Demon Sect members on top were also doomed like the collapsing bridge.

They could not use their movement techniques on the collapsing floor.

Only a very few agile and lucky ones escaped; most fell along with the Divine Demon Bridge’s ruins.

The same fate befell the Heavenly Demon, Yi-gang, who was at the center of the collapse.

The Heavenly Demon’s possession ended at the moment the bridge collapsed.

Yi-gang staggered and wavered before disappearing.

Ha-jun, who was looking back, also saw it.

It was truly a desperate cry, as if screaming.

Even Ha-jun, who rarely lost his composure, could not help it.

Beneath the collapsed bridge, the dark blue water rippled.

The river greedily licked its tongue, swallowing the Divine Demon Bridge’s debris.

A fierce splash rose up.

One by one, the Demon Sect members sank into the water.

Splash!

Compared to them, Yi-gang sank beneath the surface leaving only a small, humble splash.

Ha-jun saw it clearly with his own eyes.

Ha-jun suddenly lifted his head.

Across the collapsed bridge, the Demon Sect members who lost their leader, Yo Dae-soon, stood in panic.

Ha-jun turned his head back again.

The group was looking only forward despite the commotion behind.

Demon Sect members were running from across Sky Shattering Island as well. They were cutting them down to find a way out.

Gal Dong-tak was carrying the dying Noh Shik.

Go Yo-ja and Dam Hyun were leading the way at the front.

Peng Mu-ah… approached Ha-jun’s side.

She was shouting something.

Her lips moved, but for some reason, Ha-jun heard no sound.

Ha-jun grabbed Peng Mu-ah’s wrist firmly.

“…Go quickly.”

When those words came out, the sounds of the world finally returned to his ears.

Peng Mu-ah suddenly got angry.

“What? You can’t hear me? Hurry…”

“Go! I’ll save my brother.”

Peng Mu-ah frowned.

But Ha-jun was serious.

Not everyone can stay to save Yi-gang.

But they can’t all leave Yi-gang behind.

If someone stays, it must be the younger brother, Ha-jun.

Moreover… Ha-jun felt his body breaking down moment by moment.

The demonic energy was consuming him.

“At this rate…”

Yi-gang will die.

Ha-jun knew now, though he didn’t before.

That Yi-gang gets possessed by others.

And after possession, he always faced death’s crisis.

He was the brother who risked his life to come here and save him and others.

He couldn’t let such a brother drown and die so tragically.

“Still…”

“Go!”

A surprisingly loud voice came from Ha-jun’s mouth.

Peng Mu-ah was startled and gritted her teeth.

Then she punched Ha-jun’s chest.

“If you don’t come back, be prepared to die… both of you.”

Then she turned without looking back and joined Go Yo-ja and Dam Hyun.

Ha-jun looked back at the dark, rippling water.

Yi-gang’s body floated up and sank again.

Ha-jun jumped into the water without hesitation.

‘It’s cold.’

The flowing river water was very cold.

He heard that because it mixed with melted glaciers and perennial snow from the north, the water was so cold.

The river’s name was quite grand too, but that was not important.

He had to survive.

First, he had to tread water, then swim and sneak back onto Sky Shattering Island.

The Heavenly Demon knew several secret passages and safe houses hidden in Sky Shattering Island.

He could hide, recover, and then escape.

Yi-gang was clearly a master of the Absolute Realm.

If there was no one to protect, he could manage his own body well.

Escaping through the Great Desert would not be difficult either.

‘I can endure this.’

Moreover, the Yi-gang now is different from before.

He had undergone body transformation with Bodhidharma’s help and even overcame the heavenly curse of the Great Yin Meridian Blockage.

The aftereffects of possession were still harsh but bearable.

Above all, the Heavenly Demon was considerate.

Because the possession was brief and he had taken an elixir, he still had enough stamina to maintain his body.

If he recovered just a little…

Yi-gang, circulating energy underwater, opened his eyes wide.

Ha-jun was glaring at Yi-gang from atop the collapsed bridge.

‘Hey, I told you to run away…’

Even from below, his face showed firm determination.

‘Go, you brat! Go!’

He had gone this far to save him and others, so what nonsense was this?

But now, submerged in water, he couldn’t convey that meaning.

In the end, Ha-jun jumped into the water.

Yi-gang finally spat out a curse.

But the single curse dissolved with the bubbles from his mouth.

Ha-jun sank with bubbles.

He looked around as if to regain consciousness, then found Yi-gang and swam toward him.

Ha-jun reached out to save his brother but hesitated when Yi-gang glared at him.

Yi-gang scanned Ha-jun’s body.

Some wound had burst, and bright red blood spread around.

His condition was worse than Yi-gang’s.

「Your younger brother’s condition is more critical than yours. He is infected by my demonic energy; if not treated in time, he will die.」

Perhaps the current situation was better.

The journey through the Great Desert wouldn’t be easy either… Ha-jun might actually need time to hide and recuperate.

Even thinking that, Yi-gang felt a surge of anger.

Seeing that confused face checking if Yi-gang was okay made him feel frustrated to the point of bursting.

Smack!

In the end, Yi-gang gave Ha-jun a sharp flick on the forehead underwater.

Then he gestured.

‘Follow me.’

He mouthed those words.

Ha-jun, puzzled, rubbed his forehead and swam after Yi-gang.

Demon Brain looked down at the ruined Divine Demon Bridge.

Those who escaped were no longer visible.

The last confirmation was that they fled on horseback leaving Sky Shattering Island.

He felt tremendous rage.

His head felt like it would explode, and flames seemed to spew from his mouth.

“Send the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad! No need to capture them, kill them on the spot!”

He gave that order.

The Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad would cross the river by boat to pursue them.

“Damn it! Stupid pig!”

The target of his curse was none other than Yo Dae-soon.

Demon Brain did not rush directly to the Divine Demon Bridge.

At that time, he was searching the underground space where the great ritual was conducted.

Because the karmic hellfire burned half of High Spirit Palace, the path to the underground prison where the great ritual was held collapsed.

After clearing it immediately and entering, all the test subjects inside were gone, only demon corpses lay around.

They had escaped.

For some reason, that information had not reached Demon Brain.

When the Absolute Master expressed extreme anger, objects around fell and broke on their own.

Suddenly, Demon Brain crouched tightly.

His whole body was trembling.

Cold sweat dripped down.

Demon Brain took something from his bosom and chewed and swallowed it.

Then the convulsive trembling stopped.

Yo Dae-soon saw this and asked if his old internal injury flared up.

Because he had returned with an internal injury from when he went to kill the Great Desert Yellow Dragon.

Of course, the cause of the convulsion was not that.

Demon Brain’s gaze cooled down coldly.

‘My first plan has failed.’

The attempt to use the Heavenly Demon’s soul was clearly a failure.

Their sole remaining soul fragment was lost, so there was no way to find other fragments.

‘It wasn’t the top priority anyway…’

The sect leader would be very angry, but it couldn’t be helped.

There was something more important than researching the great ritual.

‘Second… I will start the Heavenly Earth Offering plan.’

Demon Brain’s resolve hardened.

The Demon Sect had not yet started a true all-out war.

Many warriors still remained within Sky Shattering Island.

Not only that, but three Absolute Masters including the sect leader were still alive.

“We will start the all-out war.”

Now, there was no need for that.

They would leave the foolish Sun Moon Divine Demon drugged, while Demon Brain and the True Demon Palace Lord would advance to the Central Plains.

The time had finally come.

“Palace Lord… the True Demon Palace Lord has returned.”

At that moment, a subordinate’s voice was heard outside the door.

Demon Brain strode out.

Indeed, Yo Dae-soon was there.

Though he had fallen into the river, his large frame was soaked and looked pitiful.

“Ha!”

Demon Brain sneered as if incredulous.

“The High Spirit Palace Lord runs through fire, and the True Demon Palace Lord falls into the river. The divine cult’s prestige has fallen to the ground.”

Originally, the True Demon Palace Lord was hot-tempered, and Demon Brain always remained calm.

But now, the situation seemed reversed.

Demon Brain growled with emotion in his voice.

“You are at the realm of Unrestrained Demon, yet you can’t even chase after the prisoners? You let the Divine Demon Bridge collapse!”

The atmosphere in the hall turned cold.

Demon Brain was not someone to raise his voice like this, and the True Demon Palace Lord was not one to bow quietly.

But for some reason, the True Demon Palace Lord kept his mouth shut quietly.

“I guess you have nothing to say! Like an idiot!”

Even after Demon Brain cursed, it was so.

In fact, Yo Dae-soon did not hear Demon Brain’s words now.

His mind was more complicated than ever.

‘That person, he surely…’

The Yi-gang he met was definitely using the Heavenly Demon’s martial arts.

He was undoubtedly the Heavenly Demon’s Reigning Step and the Asura Sky-Shattering Dance.

Both were the legendary Heavenly Demon’s secret martial arts never passed down until now.

Even the loyalists of the Sky Sealing Blood Wolf Squad near Yo Dae-soon recognized it.

He silenced them first.

‘Certainly…’

The Heavenly Demon. It was the Heavenly Demon.

It was not just because he used his legendary martial arts.

Yo Dae-soon knew by seeing.

He knew by talking face to face.

The one he always prayed to was right in front of him.

‘…It was the Heavenly Demon.’

He thought the Heavenly Demon’s resurrection had failed, but heaven had not abandoned the divine cult.

Overwhelming emotion filled Yo Dae-soon’s heart.

Of course, he should tell everyone about this good news and inform Demon Brain, the cult’s chief military advisor…

“Why are you staring so intensely?”

Yo Dae-soon hesitated.

If the Heavenly Demon returned, why did he appear in the body of such an orthodox novice?

Why did the ritual fail in the first place?

If resurrected, why did no one in the divine cult know?

What about Demon Brain…?

Did he know something?

Yo Dae-soon saw Demon Brain’s figure.

He hoped Demon Brain had faith as a Divine Demon Bridge follower.

But that sly, twisted face was utterly untrustworthy.

“I’m going back.”

“All-out war!”

Demon Brain shouted at Yo Dae-soon who was about to turn.

“I cannot forgive those who took the sect’s sacred relics! True Demon Palace Lord, you will also advance to the Central Plains with me!”

Yo Dae-soon glanced at Demon Brain.

It was true.

It was something that should have been done earlier.

But wasn’t it Demon Brain’s influence that kept them in Sky Shattering Island?

Demon Brain became even more suspicious.

“I will do so.”

Yo Dae-soon would also leave for the Central Plains.

He would pursue the resurrected Heavenly Demon.

Gal Dong-tak made that vow and returned to True Demon Palace.

His tired body and mind felt heavy.

Something caught Yo Dae-soon’s eyes.

“You…”

“Ah, Father!”

His son, Yo Yeon-bi, was pacing with a swollen face for some reason.

Yo Yeon-bi suddenly dropped to his knees.