The earth screamed loudly, and the sky trembled.
From the successive impacts flying through the air, not only the cultists but even the disciples of Mount Hua were thrown back and pushed backward. Considering the distance between the fierce battle site and them, it was an absurd situation.
"Ch-Chung Myung…"
Baek Cheon's hand trembled.
No matter how strong Chung Myung was, could he survive taking such an attack head-on? If so…
Faced with a conclusion he dared not even imagine, Baek Cheon's reason wavered faintly.
"Sasuk! Over there!"
At the voice that came then, Baek Cheon's head turned sharply.
The one who reached out was Jo Gul. And what he pointed at was… Chung Myung, half-sitting, supporting himself on one hand on the ground.
"Ah…"
For a moment, it felt as if all the strength drained from his body.
But it was not the time to be relieved.
"What kind of internal qi…"
Cold sweat poured down Baek Cheon's forehead like rain.
There are usually two factors to discuss a martial artist's strength. One is how perfectly they have mastered their martial arts. The other is how strong their internal qi is.
According to Chung Myung's theory, elements like technique, improvisation, and mental strength would be added, but basically these two are the measures that determine a martial artist's strength.
It is not good if one side clearly outshines the other. The most important thing is the harmony between martial arts and inner strength. At least Baek Cheon had believed so.
But after seeing this scene, he could not bring himself to say that.
The destructive power emanating from the overwhelmingly strong internal qi shattered Baek Cheon's common sense about martial arts.
'Th-this is why…'
The Demonic cult members knew how strong their high priest was, what kind of strength he was hiding.
That is why even when their high priest was being overwhelmed unilaterally, they could remain unshaken.
"Sa, Sasuk…"
Tang Soso's frightened voice reached him.
"Can we really win this? Against that monster?"
Baek Cheon could not answer. He could not recklessly say he believed in Chung Myung. That would be recklessness, not faith.
Instead, Baek Cheon clenched his teeth and said.
"…Listen carefully, Soso."
"…"
"That guy must not be allowed to live, absolutely not."
"Sa-Sasuk."
"If… if even Chung Myung or Jang Ilso cannot handle that guy… then everyone here must rush and somehow kill him."
It was truly a ruthless statement to say. But on reflection, it was not wrong at all. Once those two lose, those left here have no future. The cult members would never let them go peacefully.
Then at least they must find value in that death.
But…
'When will that time come?'
Baek Cheon clenched his fist tightly and pondered.
Is it really right to delay more time here? Are we putting too much burden on Chung Myung? Maybe we should join him right now…
Just as Baek Cheon nervously stepped forward unknowingly, someone grabbed his sleeve tightly.
"…Samae?"
Yu Yiseol shook her head with a stern expression.
"Wait, elder brother."
"…"
"Sajil is still fighting."
At those words, Baek Cheon's gaze turned back to Chung Myung.
Even from this distance, he could clearly see the bright light flowing from Chung Myung's lowered eyes.
"…Alright."
Baek Cheon finally nodded heavily.
"But I can't wait long. I don't plan to take revenge after he dies."
"Then I will be the first to rush out."
Yu Yiseol's voice was firm. Baek Cheon nodded with difficulty and stared at Chung Myung with bloodshot eyes.
'Chung Myung…'
"Hoo… hoo…"
Blood-mixed sweat dripped down Chung Myung's chin. His whole body ached as if it would shatter and felt unbearably heavy. It was as if all the moisture in his body had drained away.
Chung Myung glanced down at his feet. His right foot was half crushed.
At the moment the demonic qi flew in, he threw his sword into the air and used the recoil to escape successfully. But by a hair's breadth, his right foot was swept by the demonic qi.
'…Is it fortunate that it's the right foot?'
For a user of the right-hand sword, the left foot is where weight is placed for sword strikes. If the left foot is injured, the sword cannot exert its full power. The right foot also affects, but at least it's better than the left.
But… the important thing was not the power applied to the sword. Being hit in the foot means a problem with mobility. He lost one of his greatest weapons that allowed him to press Dan Ja-Kang until now.
Why? Why did this result happen?
Crack!
He stabbed his sword into the ground and struggled to stand, then spat arrogantly toward the approaching Dan Ja-Kang.
"…You, have you also mastered the Absorbing Demonic Arts?"
At those words, Dan Ja-Kang's eyes flickered.
"It seems you are quite knowledgeable about the cult."
"…Looks like you're practically a cult member. To give a rookie like you the Absorbing Demonic Arts."
Chung Myung bit his lip.
It was not a mistake. Just something he hadn't thought of.
The current cult is different from the past. In the past, the cult would not have given such a rookie young high priest the Absorbing Demonic Arts.
Among demonic skills, the most incomplete and dangerous is the Absorbing Demonic Arts, which absorbs others' internal qi to increase one's own, but drives the user's mind into chaos.
Those who enter the Heart Demon through Absorbing Demonic Art do not become cult fanatics or believers, but truly madmen who rampage indiscriminately like beasts.
So even the cult, which pursues only power and fanaticism, does not easily allow learning this skill. But…
'I was stupid.'
He should have thought that the current cult is different from the past.
A hundred years ago, wars never ceased, so some who absorbed inner strength recklessly could not handle the Absorbing Demonic Arts.
But in the current cult, where cult members live only among themselves, there is only one target for absorption.
"…That bastard like a viper has now even devoured his own cultists."
If the target of absorption was a cult member who had learned the same demonic skill, the side effects would have been minimized. Of course, it wouldn't be completely free from side effects, but it could have been minimized.
Because of missing that, even Chung Myung did not realize that the High priest's internal qi far exceeded imagination.
All predictions are based on one's common sense and experience. Therefore, things beyond one's common sense are not predicted. What those opposing Chung Myung often did, Chung Myung now did against that high priest.
"The cult madmen seem to have gotten their bodies right? But in the past, they didn't touch their own cult members. Why? Are they afraid they will rot and decay after the Heavenly Demon died?"
"…"
"Answer me. How did it feel to devour your own cult members? When you absorbed the qi of theirs, when they began to scream, did you properly look at their faces?"
Dan Ja-Kang closed his eyes tightly.
'How did it feel?'
That guy doesn't know at all. He doesn't understand at all. He seems to have knowledge about the cult, but no understanding.
'He can't understand.'
The faces of those who happily offered their internal qi to him as they died. Those who died in ecstasy believing they would be fertilizer when the Heavenly Demon descended.
The one who couldn't endure was rather…
Dan Ja-Kang's gaze darkened.
"Pitiful, Central Plains people."
"…What?"
"Beasts do not show weakness until the moment of death. No matter how painful, they endure until the moment they can bear no more."
"…"
"If not, they are abandoned and become targets again. What on earth have you experienced that you don't show weakness even for a moment despite your condition?"
Grit.
Chung Myung ground his teeth.
"You talk nonsense as you please."
Chung Myung's voice sounded like a groan from someone stabbed in the lungs.
After a few short breaths, the true Chung Myung walked toward Dan Ja-Kang, dragging his wounded foot.
"This is why rookies like you won't do."
"…"
"What, do you already think you've won?"
Chung Myung smiled with a sinister aura.
"Let me tell you something, you fool. There is no victory or defeat on the battlefield. There is only kill or be killed."
Such a trivial wound is nothing. He had fought with wounds many times worse and killed his opponents. It was nothing new now. There was no reason to complain just because one foot was crushed.
But Dan Ja-Kang just calmly looked at Chung Myung.
"We waited for the descent."
"…"
"For all those long years. Just waited… and waited again. Never giving up the faint hope that one day he would answer our faith, we just waited."
Dan Ja-Kang paused and looked up at the sky.
"That waiting is not the hard part. The truly hard part is the lives of those dying without even a single answer. That weight."
"Ugh…"
Chung Myung's shoulders twitched suddenly as he listened quietly.
Dan Ja-Kang's eyes flashed darkly for a moment. He instinctively felt that the laughter was not made to provoke him.
"What's so funny?"
He asked, but Chung Myung, unable to calm down, laughed for a long time and then choked and covered his mouth.
"Ah, sorry."
Still laughing, his blood-stained teeth were fully exposed.
"It's like watching a person fishing for fish above the clouds."
"…What do you mean?"
"It means everything you say is wrong."
Chung Myung gripped his sword.
"You will never be rewarded."
"…"
"Even if the Heavenly Demon descends, your voice won't reach there. At least not to him."
Dan Ja-Kang's face twisted.
Chung Myung returned Dan Ja-Kang's words exactly.
"Pitiful."
"…You…"
"A fool who doesn't even know what he believes in or whom he serves. Your god does not care for you. Your screams mean nothing to your god."
Gnash!
With the sound of grinding teeth, Dan Ja-Kang's face twisted like a demon.
He knew. There was no need to listen to that guy's words. No reason to be shaken by words picked up from someone who knows nothing about the cult or the Heavenly Demon.
Yet the only reason he could not contain his anger now was one.
Because what Chung Myung said was exactly what he least wanted to hear.
Like a dragon whose reverse scale was struck, the qi flowing inside him began to boil uncontrollably.
"You… you filthy unbeliever…"
"Yes. In your eyes, I'm just an unbeliever. Dirty and ugly. But you should know one thing."
Chung Myung chuckled.
"The unbeliever you despise so much and you who risk your lives licking the Heavenly Demon's feet… to that madman called the Heavenly Demon, there's no difference at all."
"You…"
Bloody gaze exploded from Dan Ja-Kang's eyes.
"How dare you! How dare you say that! How dare you!"
"At this point, I'm curious too."
Chung Myung shrugged and laughed, even wiping tears.
"I wonder what expression a fool like you who doesn't even know what the Heavenly Demon is would make when you see the Heavenly Demon with your own eyes. You're just an idiot who doesn't even know what god you believe in."
"BRATTTT!"
Responding to Dan Ja-Kang's rage, demonic qi explosively surged like a huge waterfall shooting into the sky. Overwhelmed by uncontrollable anger, Dan Ja-Kang rolled his eyes back and rampaged.
"I will kill! I will kill! I will crush that cursed mouth leaving not a single piece of flesh! How dare you insult the cult and blaspheme the Heavenly Demon, I will not leave even your soul in peace!"
"Come and try, you idiot…!"
Just as Chung Myung shouted fiercely and tried to rush forward, someone blocked his way.
The man wearing a torn red robe was Jang Ilso.
"Sorry to interrupt your friendly gathering, but you still need to rest more."
"…What?"
"I'm tired of listening to that nonsense now. I'll create a momentary opening, so don't miss it, okay?"
Jang Ilso smiled faintly, clenched his fist tightly, and with the clinking sound of his ring, he charged headlong at the rushing Dan Ja-Kang, radiating tremendous killing intent.