Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 406 – Heavenly Demon (3)

It was a fragment of the future seen through the energy left in the Holy Fire Spirit.

It might be a moment from one of the many branching paths that may or may not come to pass.

However, among those many potential branches, there was one sight that gave him a fresh shock.

That intensity made him recreate something that was nearly impossible.

-Pa pa pa pa pak!

Numerous swords rose into the air.

The pupils of the Society members looking up at this sight shook as if an earthquake had occurred.

This was the same for the subordinates under Mok Gyeong-un, who could be considered allies.

‘H-How can he control so many swords?’

‘Can he really control this many swords?’

Simply lifting desired objects into the air through void manipulation is possible even for masters at the Transcendent Realm.

And when one becomes a master of the Transformation Realm, their understanding of energy increases, allowing them to handle it more delicately.

And the realm of swords that peerless masters vaguely guess at.

It’s called the Sword Riding Technique or the Technique of Riding Swords with Energy.

When one reaches the Profound Realm, called the supreme realm in handling energy beyond the Wall of Walls, they can handle swords with internal energy as if riding horses.

As their realm increases, masters broaden their thinking through enlightenment.

And depending on the breadth of that thinking, the detailed handling of energy also changes, but techniques as precise as the Sword Riding Technique, which can even recreate sword movements, were inevitably limited in number.

‘!?’

The pupils of the Society Leader, who had been watching the situation like an observer, trembled.

The number of swords floating in the air slightly exceeded a hundred at a glance.

He too could lift that many swords.

However, handling them delicately would be limited to at most twelve swords.

Any more than that exceeds the level that internal energy consumption and mental power can handle.

‘……Is this just for show to gain the upper hand? Or is it really possible?’

Whatever it is, there will be tremendous mental consumption.

Does he have confidence in dealing with the aftermath?

Or is it possible because it’s the will of a spirit that has endured 100 years?

-Cha cha cha cha cha chak!

While even the Society Leader was amazed, Mok Gyeong-un pointed his sword at the Society members following Na Yul-ryang who were facing off.

Then,

-Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha chak!

The numerous swords that had risen immediately aimed at them.

But it didn’t end there.

Mok Gyeong-un’s pupils turned golden, just like when Na Yul-ryang had opened his demonic eye, and then the swords were imbued with black sword energy.

-Woooong!

‘!!!!!!!!’

The Society members under Na Yul-ryang couldn’t help but be even more shocked as they watched this.

“I-Is this Sword Riding Energy?”

“M-Monster. Is this really possible with so many swords?”

“……Impossible.”

“Wh-What kind of internal energy is unlimited?”

They were already overwhelmed by just the Sword Riding Technique state, but the moment they saw the swords imbued with incredibly vicious black sword energy, they couldn’t help but be seized by trembling and fear, beyond just hostility.

Is this the true power of the Heavenly Demon of the Seven Heavens?

‘What in the world?’

Young Master Na Yul-ryang was surprised to see the sky covered not just with the Sword Riding Technique but with Sword Riding Energy, but he was even more shocked to see Mok Gyeong-un’s golden pupils in the void beyond.

That was clearly almost identical to when he had opened his demonic eye.

‘……It can’t be.’

It was hard to believe.

That bastard had eaten his eye.

But had he not only eaten the eye, but also absorbed the power contained within it?

It’s not like he had the eye transplanted through a technique like himself.

The words of Yul-myeong, the messenger from the Elder Council, flashed through Na Yul-ryang’s mind.

[Hu hu hu. Don’t compare such things. This is a spirit beast…… Moreover, it’s the demonic eye of the Lion-Grasping King, one of the Six Demons, a being infinitely close to a divine beast]

[Lion-Grasping King? You mean the Two-Tailed Demon?]

[Yes.]

[The conclusion is that this eye belongs to one of the stronger Two-Tailed Demons, isn’t it?]

[You’re enjoying tremendous luck, but your evaluation is quite disappointing.]

[It’s still just an eye. Of course, thanks to this eye, my blind spots will disappear. I’m grateful for that.]

[It’s not just blind spots. You must have had many strengths with your previous eye, but the eye you have now is on a completely different level.]

[A different level?]

[You might have difficulty handling it properly because it’s just been transplanted, but when you can properly absorb and internalize the power this eye possesses in the near future, I can tell you one thing for certain.]

[What is that?]

[You’ll be able to compete with the Society Leader not in his current ill state, but in his prime.]

‘Able to compete with Master in his prime?’

Although Master is said to be ill, he is one of the six pinnacles in the Central Plains.

Is such a thing possible even with the eye of a Two-Tailed Demon, a being different from humans?

Na Yul-ryang acknowledged that the power of the transplanted eye was much greater than his previous one, but he considered this as just flattery from the Elder Council to create a debt.

But is that the power of the demonic eye?

‘This can’t be……’

Someone was watching this from afar.

It was Grand Divination Master Myeong-ryul.

Myeong-ryul couldn’t help but be inwardly shocked to see Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes becoming similar to the demonic eye of the Lion-Grasping King.

How can a mere human, even if he learned sorcery, eat the eye of a Two-Tailed Demon and internalize its power?

It would be difficult to properly utilize it unless it was transplanted through a technique or refined into a magical tool.

Is that guy really human?

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un, floating in the air, opened his mouth.

“Someone from sometime called this Heaven’s Work Flash. Ah. Of course, this probably won’t be that bright.”

The sword energies imbued with black color filling the sky.

It was darkness itself.

“……”

“The time for mercifully talking things out is over. This is the last chance. Kneel. Those who do not submit will die.”

An imposing voice echoing and resonating in all directions.

At Mok Gyeong-un’s final warning, the crowd was enveloped in silence.

If those flew towards them, it would be no different from hell unfolding.

Pale-faced, they seemed to have lost their will to fight against Mok Gyeong-un’s absolute power, looking around here and there, gauging the situation.

No matter how afraid they were, no one had knelt yet, so being the first to submit would inevitably draw attention.

However, someone took that courage.

-Thud!

It was a martial artist at the level of a branch head.

“Branch Head Yun Myeong!”

“No, how could you!”

At this, other branch heads nearby quietly rebuked him.

But his mind didn’t change.

Having spent forty years in the Society, he had experienced numerous battlefields.

Even he had never seen such a sight before.

Even the Heaven and Earth Society Leader, one of the Six Heavens, seemed to have never shown such a thrilling and overwhelming majesty.

“I’m sorry. I…… I don’t think I can do this.”

“Huh! Branch Head Yun Myeong!”

It was then.

-Thud! Thud!

Branch Head Yun Myeong’s action literally became the starting point.

Various Society members from Na Yul-ryang’s side who had been gauging the situation began to kneel here and there.

Seeing this sight, the pupils of the executives and subordinates under Mok Gyeong-un trembled with excitement.

Even they felt inwardly fortunate that he was their lord and on their side, given Mok Gyeong-un’s overwhelming majesty.

Amidst this, seeing people kneeling noticeably here and there, they felt not just proud of their lord but as if their own shoulders were rising.

-Thud! Thud!

The speed and sound of people kneeling increased gradually.

Nearly 30% of the opposing forces had knelt, and those around them were bewildered as they tried to stop this by rebuking them here and there, but to no avail.

It was then that someone stepped forward and shouted.

“Kal!”

The shout that spread like a lion’s roar was so strong that it shook eardrums, causing those with weak inner power to cover their ears and look at the source.

It was Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein, walking towards where Mok Gyeong-un was while raising sword energy.

“All members of our Society, grit your teeth and come to your senses! We are martial artists of the great Heaven and Earth Society! How can we so easily submit to a group of rebels, even if the enemy is strong? On the battlefield, anyone can die whether the enemy is strong or weak. It’s a matter of resolve. Everyone, raise your fighting spirit. I will lead the charge!”

The role of a general or leader doesn’t come simply from strength alone.

Their role is to lead everyone while also drawing out their morale and fighting spirit.

An army full of fighting spirit and high morale can sometimes create miracles, defeating large armies with small numbers.

Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein, who had extensive battlefield experience even in recent times, knew this and tried to raise their morale somehow to prevent them from submitting.

And his stepping forward like this was also to show everyone, including the Society Leader, that he was the most suitable candidate as the next successor.

His cry had a surprisingly significant effect.

“Head Yang Jeong’s words are right! Everyone, come to your senses!”

“Let’s follow Head Yang Jeong and protect the Heaven and Earth Society!”

“Waaaaaah!!!!”

The Society members shouted, burning with fighting spirit.

Seeing them like this, Mok Gyeong-un said with a dry gaze.

“Truly moths to a flame.”

“You don’t know until you try!”

With those words, Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein, flew towards Mok Gyeong-un.

Before he stepped forward like this, someone’s voice had rung in his ear.

It was Hang Yeo-ryang, the Sound Valley Master, one of the three Valley Masters.

-Head.

‘Hm?’

-This is Hang Yeo-ryang, the Sound Valley Master. I’m speaking to your ear with a small technique so only you can hear, so please don’t show any reaction.

‘……’

-Young Master Na Yul-ryang is injured, so you’re the only one who can face that guy here, which is why I’m telling you this.

‘……’

-As far as I know, no matter how high a realm one reaches and how broad their thinking becomes, there’s a limit to human mental power, so it’s impossible to precisely handle that many Sword Riding Energies.

That was correct.

However, even if he couldn’t handle them precisely, if he just fired them randomly at this dense gathering of allies, the damage would be indescribable.

As if reading his thoughts, Sound Valley Master Hang Yeo-ryang sent a voice transmission.

-Even so, if those fall, the damage will be tremendous. We need to stop it before that.

‘How?’

How could this be stopped?

Then she said,

-I have a secret technique of sound energy. I don’t know if it will work on a great master at the Profound Realm, but it should at least disrupt his mind for a moment.

‘Ah?’

-In that gap, please attack that guy, Head.

At these words, Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein, looked at her with a somewhat puzzled expression.

She was clearly under Na Yul-ryang.

For someone like that to give such an opportunity to him instead of her lord.

If this works, he would likely receive support from many Society members as a hero.

-Honestly, I don’t care whether it’s Young Master Na Yul-ryang or you who becomes the leader. As long as it’s not someone from the Orthodox Sect or related to the Bright Blade King. Hu hu hu.

So that was it.

Anyway, that woman was always hard to understand.

However, now was not the time to suspect whether she was up to something else, as it was a crisis itself.

For whatever reason, at this point when the Society Leader still hadn’t stepped forward, someone had to come forward to reverse this situation.

‘That someone is me!’

-Pat!

Yang Jeong, who had been continuously gathering energy, was about to unleash his secret technique.

At that moment, Sound Valley Master Hang Yeo-ryang put her hands together towards Mok Gyeong-un, leaving a gap in the middle, then expanded her abdomen and,

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

She unleashed her sound energy secret technique.

‘!?’

Those nearby were surprised by her sudden cry, but fortunately, this secret technique was the worst method that concentrated sound waves infused with internal energy on a specific target, causing bleeding from nine orifices and rupturing internal organs.

It was a technique that consumed nearly half of one’s internal energy and took a long time to prepare, making it difficult to use during a fight, but it was fully possible now.

This sound couldn’t be blocked by covering one’s ears.

Even if one blocked all the holes in their body with internal energy, the moment even a little sound entered, it would spread through the body like poison, causing pain.

As the pain disrupted one’s mind, a gap would form, and naturally, one wouldn’t be able to maintain the Sword Riding Energy-

-Puk!

At that moment.

“Kek!”

Sound Valley Master Hang Yeo-ryang’s eyes widened as if they would tear.

Something was seen piercing her swollen abdomen.

It was so transparent that it was almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye, but it was clearly a sword.

‘N-No way…… Formless……’

-Put!

With her abdomen pierced before she could even unleash her secret technique, she spat out blood rising in her throat due to the sharp sword energy spreading throughout her body.

At almost the same instant, Yang Jeong, who was about to unleash the secret technique of the Earth Vein’s sword technique, felt something was off.

According to her words, Mok Gyeong-un should have been disrupted by the sound energy for at least a moment, but there was nothing like that.

Rather,

-Swish!

As he aimed his sword downwards,

-Chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa!

At the same time, black streaks of light began to rain down like a downpour towards the Society members under Na Yul-ryang.

‘!!!!!!’

This was the same for Yang Jeong, who was flying towards Mok Gyeong-un.

The speed of the incredibly vicious black streaks of Ejected Sword Energy was close to divine speed, leaving no time to avoid or defend.

-Cha cha cha cha chang!

“Keheop!”

The Earth Vein’s sword technique secret skill, Earth Dragon Ascending to Heaven, had enough power to blow away a small mountain peak, but the moment the Ejected Sword Energies struck, he couldn’t exert any force.

He was pinned straight to the ground.

-Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

It wasn’t just him.

As the falling black streaks of light raged in all directions, screams of pandemonium erupted here and there.

-Chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa!

-Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!

“Keuak!”

“Kek!”

Some executives thought it was just an empty threat for intimidation, but that was their misconception.

‘M-Monster……’

‘This isn’t human.’

They couldn’t help but be shocked by the Ejected Sword Energies flying ingeniously towards all Society members except those who were kneeling.

-Wudeuk! Wudeuk!

Mok Gyeong-un’s forehead and around his eyes were covered in fine blood vessels, and his golden-dyed pupils were vibrating tremendously in an instant, gazing at numerous people.

It was a level of calculation and spatial awareness ability that was close to impossible even for the breadth of human thought at the peak of enlightenment.