A fierce aura erupted from So Baek-ta’s body.
The words, "The Main Sect does not permit your war," did not anger him much.
He had expected them.
However, the comment about washing his face was an unspeakable insult.
It had truly wounded his pride.
‘Are you that strong?’
A ghostly wail echoed all around, pressing down on Geom Mugeuk with ghostly energy.
Though he had not yet achieved Great Mastery, it was the Heaven-Gazing Great Demon Art.
The Heavenly Demon Body-Protecting Art activated, shielding Geom Mugeuk’s body.
As Geom Mugeuk stood with a calm expression, So Baek-ta drew out even more of his inner energy.
‘I asked, are you really that strong?!’
He was, in fact, very strong.
Far from being crushed by the ghostly energy, he began to stride confidently toward So Baek-ta.
“What do you possess to cause such a commotion? This isn’t some back-alley ruffians’ fight over a courtesan house."
"What do you have that makes you speak of unifying The Outlands and dream of unifying the Martial World?”
Geom Mugeuk walked right up to So Baek-ta.
“I doubt those distracting markings on your face will lead you to victory in war.”
The moment a certain resolve flickered in So Baek-ta’s eyes, another of his cards was turned over.
A crimson energy flowed from his eyes and began to merge with the ghostly energy he had previously released.
In that instant, Geom Mugeuk knew.
‘That energy is not from the Heaven-Gazing Great Demon Art!’
The next moment, a blood-red energy engulfed Geom Mugeuk, and his surroundings changed.
Geom Mugeuk was no longer standing in the Cult Master’s Hall.
The walls and floor around him rippled as if alive.
It felt like being inside the entrails of a beast.
He had been here before.
Yes, it was the space created by the Illusion Maiden, the woman from the Flower Garden!
But this felt different from the space the Illusion Maiden had created.
The color was different, and the shape was different.
He could feel both the energy of the Wind Heaven Sect Leader’s Heaven-Gazing Great Demon Art and the energy of the Illusion Maiden he had felt before.
‘The two martial arts have merged!’
The combined energy was even more powerful.
Of course, the person who enabled the fusion of the two arts would be the Illusion King.
The reason So Baek-ta felt different was not because he had fallen for the Soul-Devouring Art.
The fusion of two powerful martial arts had affected his personality.
To that, the Illusion King's persuasion and brainwashing must have been added.
The Illusion King had offered his own martial art to make him stronger?
Nonsense! If it had such an effect, he would have stolen So Baek-ta’s martial art and absorbed it himself.
‘The end of this combined martial art is death.’
Geom Mugeuk was certain.
The man known as the Illusion King had already shown in his past life that he was someone who acted only for himself.
In front of this space was the Ten-Thousand-Mile Transmission Wall from which a person's face had emerged.
From the other side, someone thrust his face through.
“Young Cult Master, did you ask me to show you?”
The face that popped out from behind the thin membrane was So Baek-ta’s.
His voice echoed eerily.
“I may not be able to kill you, who has mastered the Nine Calamities Demon Art. But I can trap you here forever.”
His confidence in unifying the Martial World came from this.
From this powerful martial art that he believed could even imprison the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect.
Naturally, his final card became clear.
If the Illusion King had passed on this martial art, he must also believe that he would help him.
With the Illusion King aiding this combined martial art?
Now, his excitement and confidence were understandable.
“What martial art is this?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, So Baek-ta answered confidently.
“The Heaven-Gazing Blood Spirit Technique!”
An energy powerful enough to warrant his confidence could be felt.
But this was no different from taking the unstable inner energy stimulant, Berserk, which the Unorthodox Alliance had sold before.
“Do you not know that growing stronger in this way will surely come at a price?”
So Baek-ta laughed.
In his expression, revealed on the rippling membrane, there was not a hint of anxiety.
“Isn’t it you people who should pay the price? You who have grown complacent, trusting only in the Nine Calamities Demon Art! How is it? Have you seen enough of my power now?”
Geom Mugeuk gave no answer.
As he was lost in thought, So Baek-ta asked him.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
How can I get you to tell me about the Illusion King?
“I was wondering how I could get out of here.”
As Geom Mugeuk drew his Black Demon Sword, So Baek-ta sneered.
“The membrane looks thin, so you must think it will tear easily.”
So Baek-ta, shaking the membrane with a relaxed laugh, would never know.
To the eyes of Geom Mugeuk, who had activated his Blood Essence Crystal and Divine Eye Technique, a bluish line that could break through the membrane was visible.
Of course, not all solutions could be found this easily.
There were also Illusion Arts and evil arts that could only be figured out after overcoming life-or-death dangers, like in the past battle with the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign.
But at least the way to cut the membrane of the Ten-Thousand-Mile Transmission Wall was clearly visible to Geom Mugeuk’s eyes.
Swish!
The Black Demon Sword lightly cut through the air.
Riiip.
The membrane tore as if it were cloth.
Because of this, So Baek-ta, who had his face pressed against it, plunged his head inside.
His eyes widened in shock.
Geom Mugeuk had even managed to cut the membrane without leaving a single scratch on his face.
“How?”
Geom Mugeuk thrust his hand through, grabbed So Baek-ta, who was on the other side of the wall, by the scruff of his neck, and pulled him in.
So Baek-ta was dragged into that place.
Geom Mugeuk looked down at him as he lay fallen on the floor and spoke coldly.
“You said I could never leave? Are you confident enough to spend the rest of your life with me?”
So Baek-ta reflexively dispelled the space.
Just as it seemed they were returning to the Cult Master’s Hall as the space disappeared…
Sssst.
They returned to the space they were originally in.
“!”
So Baek-ta was startled.
He had recited the formula to dispel the space and had clearly returned to the Cult Master’s Hall.
Yet, he had been pulled back into that space as if dragged.
He recited the formula again.
But the walls and floor only rippled and quaked; the created space did not disappear.
‘Something is wrong!’
He was inwardly flustered.
Since learning how to create this space, he had never once failed to escape from it.
His gaze turned to the torn wall.
‘Is it because of that?’
Looking around, he saw that the space was similar to the one he had created, but different.
The color was different, and the feel was different.
‘Tearing that has changed something!’
So Baek-ta’s heart sank with an unknown sense of foreboding.
“Calm down and try again.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, he tried again, but the space still did not disappear.
So Baek-ta ran to the Ten-Thousand-Mile Transmission Wall and tried to exit through the spot Geom Mugeuk had torn.
But a new membrane had formed behind the torn one.
He tried to infuse his energy to rip the membrane, but it only stretched without effect.
So Baek-ta turned to Geom Mugeuk and shouted.
“You, try tearing that wall again.”
Geom Mugeuk drew his sword and struck the membrane.
But it did not tear.
Whether he stabbed or slashed, the membrane only stretched and rippled.
“How did you tear it before?”
“I don’t know either. I got angry seeing your face mocking me, so I tore it. Does someone have to stick their face through from that side for it to be torn?”
Geom Mugeuk asked back, but So Baek-ta didn't answer.
He didn't know either.
“We’ll find a way out somehow. Surely we won’t be stuck here?”
Unlike the rather relaxed Geom Mugeuk, So Baek-ta’s fear was growing.
That carefree man did not know how terrifying this place was.
If he couldn’t dispel the space, they would starve to death here.
“Is your inner energy being depleted?”
So Baek-ta checked his inner energy, then shook his head.
Geom Mugeuk leaned against the wall and sat down with a thud.
“That’s a relief, at least. Otherwise, we would have died from innate energy depletion. Rest and try again.”
Geom Mugeuk was right.
Getting agitated wouldn’t solve the problem.
So Baek-ta calmly examined the walls.
The writhing movement of the walls, like entrails, was subsiding, and their color was slowly darkening.
The walls were dying.
“Did you think there would be no side effects from combining another demonic art with a great one like the Heaven-Gazing Great Demon Art?”
That was right.
So Baek-ta had believed there would be no side effects.
There hadn’t been any until now.
So Baek-ta sat down and began his energy circulation.
He intended to calm his mind, replenish his inner energy, and try again with a fresh start.
When he opened his eyes after one cycle of his energy, Geom Mugeuk was examining the wall.
So Baek-ta calmly recited the formula to dispel the space again.
But he still failed.
It was at that moment.
Drip, drip, drip.
Blood began to flow down from all the walls.
As if signaling that death was imminent, the blood flowing down the walls did not stop.
Startled, So Baek-ta looked around and despaired.
“There’s nowhere for the blood to go.”
Blood began to pool on the floor.
If the blood continued to rise like this, they would eventually drown and die.
Drowning in blood within an illusion he himself created? And with the Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect?
So Baek-ta stood stunned for a moment, finding the situation too absurd and ridiculous.
Then, suddenly, a fierce hostility welled up inside him.
So Baek-ta gathered his inner energy.
A crimson energy began to form in both his hands.
“This is all your fault!”
So Baek-ta extended his hands to unleash his force at Geom Mugeuk, but Geom Mugeuk was one step faster.
He rushed forward with the Dark Shadow Step and threw a punch.
Thwack!
So Baek-ta, struck in the chest, flew back and hit the wall before collapsing to the floor.
Geom Mugeuk pulled him up from the blood and suppressed his inner energy.
The blood had already risen to their knees.
“Why is it my fault? It’s your fault for making a fuss about unifying The Outlands when you can’t even dispel what you’ve created.”
Geom Mugeuk mercilessly struck the back of So Baek-ta’s head.
“This is on behalf of your master! Your master came back after meeting you and said this."
"Ugh, I should have smacked that crazy bastard on the back of the head.”
So Baek-ta gritted his teeth.
He was furious, but this was no time to fight with Geom Mugeuk.
The blood was rising quickly.
So Baek-ta felt a sense of terror as he watched the rising blood.
It was the first time he had ever felt the fear of death.
Amidst all this, Geom Mugeuk provoked him.
“If your master passed the position of Cult Master to you, you should have thought about protecting it. What can you do when you can't even protect the blessings given to you!”
“Blessings? What blessings?”
The word ‘blessed’ was like a sore spot for him.
“I was originally the one who was supposed to inherit the Cult Master’s position!”
“You inherited it earlier, so isn’t that a good thing?”
“Good? I wasn’t ready to become the Cult Master back then. It was a position I should have inherited when I had trained more and was about to achieve Great Mastery in the Heaven-Gazing Great Demon Art. But my master just threw the Cult Master position at me and left.”
Things he had kept buried deep in his heart burst out.
“He told me not to worry because many followed him. Don’t make me laugh! Those people follow my master, not me, don’t you get it? Why don’t you understand? Why don’t you know that what they say in front of my master is different from what they say in front of me!”
The blood was already up to their chests.
“Do you know what it was like for me after my master left? Every day was like walking on thorns. I worried if someone was after my position. I wondered if they were looking down on me in their hearts."
"I couldn’t even sleep properly for fear of being assassinated. And then what? You of all people shouldn't say such things, even if everyone else does. You don't even know what I went through.”
Geom Mugeuk could see it.
The childishness he had sensed from him from time to time stemmed from his resentment towards his master.
He should have endured and overcome by replacing ‘because of’ with ‘thanks to,’ but sadly, he could not.
“He was the only one who truly understood me.”
The Illusion King must have wormed his way into the cracks of his resentment, anger, and fear.
So Baek-ta wanted to say this.
That man was a hundred times better than his damn master.
“He said he was the last descendant of the Blood Sect.”
That wasn’t wrong.
After the Illusion King and Illusion Maiden, the martial arts of the Blood Sect no longer appeared.
“He was trying to live quietly, but his mind changed when he saw me being abandoned by my master and ascending to the position of Cult Master.”
The Illusion King must have pretended to be his greatest source of strength at a person’s weakest moment.
He must have melted his heart by teaching him the demonic arts of the Blood Sect.
So Baek-ta looked at his reflection in the blood that had now risen to his chest.
Then suddenly, using the blood as a mirror, he began to draw the final marking on his face with the blood.
It was the Wind Mark, one of the three markings, drawn on the faces of the dead.
Of course, it didn’t draw well with blood.
“I wanted to go to the battlefield with the Heaven Mark he drew for me.”
The moment he heard those words, Geom Mugeuk knew.
“Could it be that man was the painter in the Cult Master’s Hall?”
Perhaps thinking this was the end, So Baek-ta nodded.
“He was the one who taught me how to draw the markings on my face.”
At last, the moment when the Illusion King’s hiding place was revealed.
“He was the one who told me how I should live, how great a person I was.”
The blood had now risen to his chin.
‘Is this how I die?’
So Baek-ta’s eyes suddenly met Geom Mugeuk’s.
In Geom Mugeuk’s clear and deep eyes, an unknown joy was nestled.
“What are you so happy about, laughing? What's so great that you're acting all high and mighty until the very end?”
“The usual me would have been very arrogant, but I held back a lot today.”
The words that followed were even more incomprehensible.
“Your attempt to dispel the space did not fail. I simply succeeded.”
“What?”
“Come to think of it, I suppose I’ll be your martial younger brother in this place.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“He only passed it down to me, so there’s no way you would know.”
The blood had risen to their faces, and they had to stand on tiptoe to talk.
“Your master has a gesture he always makes whenever he deploys and retracts this space.”
Geom Mugeuk raised his hand high out of the blood.
So Baek-ta instinctively felt that something was wrong.
But that thought was brief, as the blood rose above both their faces.
Just as they were being submerged in the blood, Geom Mugeuk’s fingers, extended outwards, snapped.