You want to live differently?
"What is this nonsense now?"
His words had no effect on Jin Hyu.
"So? Are you satisfied with your life now, giving up the Cult Master’s seat to run errands for the Young Cult Master?"
He must have wanted to see a denial, must have been certain that it couldn't be true.
But the Wind Heaven Sect Leader answered with a bright smile.
"I am truly satisfied. The heavens have given me a gift."
Jin Hyu could tell that the Wind Heaven Sect Leader truly thought so.
How could one fake such overwhelming joy?
"Why are you telling me this? Are you suggesting I live like a fool too?"
Whether this Wind Heaven Sect Leader had dementia or was wallowing in belated sentimentality, he somehow felt he was about to be told to live the same way.
But the Wind Heaven Sect Leader's next words were cold.
"What are you talking about? You're going to die by my hand today."
"Then why did you say it?"
"Why else? I was boasting."
A curse automatically escaped Jin Hyu's lips.
"This crazy fat bastard, really."
"If you call me fat one more time, you'll regret it. Ah, wait a moment."
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader, who was standing at the bow, turned around.
The Demon Slaying Branch warriors were locked in a desperate battle with tentacles that had appeared from all sides, and one of them was in peril.
A tentacle wrapped around the warrior was trying to rip his leg off, and there was no one nearby to help him.
Boom!
The tentacle that was about to tear off the warrior's leg exploded from the Wind Heaven Sect Leader's palm strike.
It vanished without a trace, so no blood splattered on the warrior.
The warrior bowed his head in gratitude, then limped back to swing his sword again.
Without looking back, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader spoke softly.
"Don't be impatient, old man. You're going to die today anyway."
A thick killing intent, as if a strike would fly at any moment, was directed at the back of the turned Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
"When you die today, my disciple's era will begin."
After all, a master of the Soul-Devouring Art like Jin Hyu appeared only once or twice in a generation.
Of course, Jin Hyu sneered coldly.
He planned to kill them both today and become the greatest master of the Soul-Devouring Art himself.
"When you two die, my era will begin."
"If that happens, the Soul-Devouring Art will be lost for a very long time."
At Jin Hyu's questioning gaze, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader mentioned one person.
"Because you will die at the hands of the Young Cult Master."
"Even you two couldn't kill me, and you're saying the Young Cult Master will? Did you perhaps fall for his Soul-Devouring Art?"
A strange smile formed on the Wind Heaven Sect Leader's lips.
"It's because you haven't experienced it. Yes, we can never know with our poor imaginations. It was the same for me."
"You say that so easily after sending your disciple to her death."
At that, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader shook his head.
"She won't die."
"How can you be so sure?"
"You saw it earlier. The young ones jumping into that water without a moment's hesitation. Can you do that? I can't either."
"That's just how the world is. The foolish ones are always the first to die."
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader slowly nodded.
"But this is my world, isn't it?"
To say something so shameless in a world he created.
"You crazy fatso! This is my world!"
"I warned you, yet you do it again."
Jin Hyu frowned.
Although he was the one mostly spewing curses, he strangely felt worse.
He didn't like that look in the other's eyes, as if he had realized something.
It was at that moment.
Boom! Pow! Boom! Boom!
Tentacles began to explode from all directions.
They were the kind that regenerated endlessly no matter how many were killed, but just as the guardians had burst into water droplets, these too exploded, creating beautiful showers of light.
Just as the warriors on the ship were finally catching their breath in relief!
Pshaaa.
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign emerged from the water.
Soon after, Jin Ha-gun came up for air, followed by the Demon Slaying Branch warriors.
Some were injured, but thankfully, they had avoided any fatal wounds.
"We've broken through."
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader smiled fondly and praised her.
"Well done, my disciple."
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign beamed.
She was happiest when she received her master's acknowledgment.
She looked at Jin Ha-gun floating beside her.
"Demon Slaying Branch Master Jin's help was invaluable."
When the Wind Heaven Sect Leader looked at Jin Ha-gun, he shook his head.
"Your disciple did everything. We only played a supporting role."
Though he said that, it would have been much more difficult to break through without Jin Ha-gun.
They leaped up onto the ship.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader said to Jin Hyu.
"See? In my world, they don't die."
Jin Hyu no longer said it was his world.
If only they had died, it would have shut that annoying mouth.
Jin Hyu gathered his inner energy.
A blue energy began to radiate not only from his body but also from his eyes.
Chwaaaaaaaaaak!
The waves began to rise dramatically.
Jin Hyu, standing atop them, looked small.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader looked up at him and shouted.
"Hey, old man, if you push yourself like that at your age, you'll collapse!"
The angry waves rose even higher.
Jin Ha-gun and the Demon Slaying Branch warriors stared at the towering waves.
It seemed that if those waves crashed down, even this large ship would be helpless.
And if they fell into the water, there was no telling what else might attack them.
"Disciple, what should we do in a situation like this?"
"I think we should first try to avoid it."
At the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign's reply, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader shook his head.
"Waves aren't for avoiding, they're for riding over."
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader stomped his foot where he stood.
Kwang!
A shockwave spread out in all directions from his foot.
Kwaaak! Crack!
The ship's deck shattered all around, sending pieces flying into the air.
What fell back to the floor were wooden planks, each just big enough for one person to stand on.
"Alright, everyone, time to disembark!"
The moment he finished speaking.
Fwaaat!
The large ship they were on vanished in an instant.
On the churning sea, everyone had landed on the wooden planks created by the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
Jin Ha-gun took care of Gwak Ju, who didn't know martial arts.
"Now, when the waves come, you have to ride them."
Whoooosh!
The wind and waves generated by the Wind Heaven Sect Leader pushed everyone on their planks into the surf.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader led the way, advancing toward the oncoming waves.
His excited laughter echoed thunderously.
Chwaaaaaak.
Everyone following behind saw it.
They saw the Wind Heaven Sect Leader climbing the massive wave, cutting across it diagonally.
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign, Jin Ha-gun, and the Demon Slaying Branch warriors rode the waves together on their planks.
The wind raised by the Wind Heaven Sect Leader pushed them powerfully from behind.
They had truly never imagined they would be surfing in the world of the Soul-Devouring Art.
Instead of fear, Jin Ha-gun's heart pounded.
Gwak Ju, clinging tightly to him, was also sure this would be a moment he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Though, of course, no one would believe him.
Pshaaaaaa.
And then everyone saw it.
They saw the Wind Heaven Sect Leader rise to the very top of the great wave.
They saw him kick off from that peak and soar into the sky with Jin Hyu.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader's red energy and Jin Hyu's blue energy clashed in mid-air.
It looked as if two immortals were clashing in the sky.
Kwaaang!
The two colors spread across the clear sky as if it were paper, the red and blue light decorating the heavens.
The first thought that came to Jin Hyu's mind at the moment of their first clash was this.
'He's strong!'
Perhaps his foolish words had made him seem weak.
But with just one move, he could tell.
He was astonishingly strong.
As the two men clashed in the air, the waves subsided as if by magic.
Everyone stood on their wooden planks, watching the fight.
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign, in particular, did not miss a single one of her master's movements.
Chwa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-ak!
Jin Hyu's body instantly split, creating clones.
They quickly formed a circle around the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
True Soul Clone Technique.
They weren't just clones that looked the same.
They were clones that could actually attack with a third of Jin Hyu's power.
It was truly one of Jin Hyu's secret techniques.
But none of them attacked.
Slice, slice, slice, slice!
Jin Hyu's split bodies were cut into dozens of pieces.
Dozens of lines had suddenly appeared in the air.
The formless force created by the Wind Heaven Sect Leader was spread out in all directions like a spiderweb.
Liquid dripped from the clones as they were sliced by those lines.
Among them was real blood.
Jin Hyu, his head thrown back and a look of surprise on his face as he stared at the Wind Heaven Sect Leader, had his shoulder soaked in blood.
If he had raised his protective energy just a little later, if he had tilted his head back just a little slower, his neck would have been severed instead of his shoulder.
"Formless Energy?"
It was the Wind Heaven Sect Leader's martial art, using invisible energy as a weapon.
The Formless Energy he had shown when fighting the Illusion King in the past was now on display again.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader's cool gaze was fixed on him.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader from before and the Wind Heaven Sect Leader now were completely different people.
The next moment.
Hwoooong.
The surrounding space began to spin and distort.
Those standing on the sea felt dizzy and fell from their planks.
It was a dizziness that could not be resisted with mental energy.
But they did not fall into the water.
They had suddenly arrived in a new space.
Looking around, they were in a room full of mirrors on all sides.
The reflection of the Wind Heaven Sect Leader appeared in those mirrors.
A single mirror floated in front of the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader was staring blankly at the mirror, which emanated a chilly aura.
Jin Hyu's signature martial art, the Soul Demon Mirror, had been unleashed.
The ultimate martial art for dominating an opponent.
The moment one falls into the Soul Demon Mirror, they are compelled to follow the user's commands.
Deeming the situation serious, the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign immediately tried to find her master, but there was nothing but mirrors all around.
The Demon Slaying Branch warriors appeared and disappeared in the mirrors, and she couldn't tell where her master was.
This place was a maze of mirrors.
'Master!'
Now, Jin Hyu's image appeared in the mirrors.
"Let the deep darkness in your heart lead you to a new world. Now, obey my command!"
Jin Hyu's formula echoed through the space.
Jin Hyu wore a satisfied expression.
"Kill everyone here and then kill yourself!"
At that command, the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign, Jin Ha-gun, and the Demon Slaying Branch warriors were all shocked.
What if the Wind Heaven Sect Leader obeyed his words?
No one here would survive.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader, having received the command, slowly opened his mouth.
Normally, he should be looking at Jin Hyu as he spoke, but the Wind Heaven Sect Leader's gaze was still fixed on the mirror.
"When did I get so many white hairs? This is all the Young Cult Master's fault."
In that instant, Jin Hyu's eyes widened in astonishment.
His expression twisted.
'He saw the Soul Demon Mirror, but it didn't work?'
He couldn't believe it.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader, from beyond the mirror, turned his head and looked at Jin Hyu.
At that moment, Jin Hyu felt as if he were standing before a giant cliff.
He had thought it would be a fight he could win, but the real Wind Heaven Sect Leader was far stronger than he had imagined.
'I can't win like this!'
There was only one method left.
The next moment!
Cracks began to form on all the mirrors, and the surroundings started to change.
And they were all standing in that great hall from the beginning.
Now, the look in Jin Hyu's eyes changed.
The killing intent that had filled them was replaced by an unknown sense of tragic beauty.
"So it comes to this in the end."
As Jin Hyu chanted an incantation, the surrounding objects began to move.
The picture frame on the wall tilted, and the flowers in the vase withered.
The window opened by itself, and incense began to rise.
"The Mad Soul Art has been activated."
The Mad Soul Art was a technique that displayed far greater power than the Demon-Slaying Soul Art he had activated earlier.
But it had a fatal problem.
Once the Mad Soul Art was used, the user could not survive.
And it wasn't just death.
One would die after experiencing truly excruciating pain.
"Dammit! I didn't endure all this time just to end it like this. Damn it all!"
Jin Hyu shouted as if it were unfair.
But without the Soul Demon Mirror working, he had no other way.
"Damn that Young Cult Master!"
He thought this was all Geom Mugeuk's fault.
He was the one who had sent them here.
At that moment, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader roared.
"Shut up! You are not worthy to speak his name!"
The thundering roar surprised even the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign and Jin Ha-gun.
It was the Wind Heaven Sect Leader who was always badmouthing the Young Cult Master.
Jin Hyu raised all his power with the Mad Soul Art.
He was about to explode all his energy at once to take everyone down with him.
Jin Hyu's expression hardened.
The Mad Soul Art did not activate.
He was shocked and bewildered.
He tried to summon the energy of the Mad Soul again, but the Mad Soul Art wouldn't activate at all.
What did that mean?
"You broke the Mad Soul Art? How on earth?"
He hadn't been interfered with at all while activating the Mad Soul Art.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader slowly walked toward him.
"If it were the old me, I would have made the same choice. Even if it meant dying in excruciating pain, I would never have wanted to die alone. That's who we are. Selfish beings who only think of ourselves."
"Shut up!"
Just as Jin Hyu tried to activate the Mad Soul Art once more.
Gulp.
Blood gushed from his mouth.
Jin Hyu slowly looked down at his own chest.
Something invisible was lodged in the hole blown through his chest.
"Formless Spear?"
He had been too agitated by the thought that his Mad Soul Art had been broken.
How could he be so careless in front of a master who could take his life with a single wrong breath?
"... What happened?"
At Jin Hyu's question, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader flicked his fingers.
Flick!
And the surroundings began to change.
Surprisingly, it was the space with the mirrors.
The most surprised person was the dying Jin Hyu.
This space was the one he had opened earlier.
He hadn't opened it again.
"Why is this place...?"
With an incomprehensible expression, he looked at the Wind Heaven Sect Leader, who was silently staring at him.
At that very moment, a thought flashed through his head.
"Don't tell me!"
Jin Hyu could tell.
The great hall they had returned to earlier was not his original space.
"Yes, the place earlier was one I opened."
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader had used the Space-Time Displacement Art to open a place identical to the great hall outside.
The appearance was the same, but it was a completely different space.
That was why no matter how he moved the artifacts there, the Mad Soul Art wouldn't activate.
And because the Mad Soul Art didn't activate, his surprise and confusion prevented him from giving his all in the final battle.
If he had just kept his wits about him, he could have at least killed the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign, whose inner energy was depleted, or those Demon Slaying Branch lackeys.
Blood gushed from Jin Hyu's mouth.
Even though he was the one who had fallen for it, he couldn't believe it.
"... You even knew the Mad Soul Art was prepared, and you calculated this entire situation?"
"I told you beforehand that this is my world, didn't I?"
"!"
Could it be that he had been planning this moment from the very beginning?
Only at the moment of his death did Jin Hyu realize that he was an opponent he could never have defeated.
His dying eyes filled with anger and regret.
"Living a different life, my ass. You, who have lived your whole life in an illusion!"
He wanted to insult the Wind Heaven Sect Leader, but it had no effect.
"That illusion was my world. And it is still my world."
Then he said something unexpected.
"Shall I tell you why I've become so strong?"
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader's gaze was not on Jin Hyu, but on the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign.
He passed on his enlightenment to his disciple.
"Because I tried to live differently, my world within the Soul-Devouring Art became stronger."
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign's eyes trembled.
It was a moment when her master was setting a milestone on the path she had to walk.
On the other hand, Jin Hyu's eyes trembled with anger.
He was even angrier because he could feel that the words were spoken with sincerity.
Going on about a different life until the very end.
He didn't want to hear such words at the moment of his death.
He really hated it.
"... Such nonsense till the end."
No, this is nonsense.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader forcefully opened Jin Hyu's slowly closing eyelids.
The last thing Jin Hyu saw and heard before his breath stopped was this.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader patted his own belly and asked cheerfully.
"I should probably lose some of this belly fat, right?"