The creature was intelligent.
The Flying Blood Snake, which had been continuously attacking his heart, changed its strategy.
It began to bite at Geom Mugeuk’s meridian pathways.
At first, it bit at unimportant meridians to gauge Geom Mugeuk’s reaction.
When Geom Mugeuk paid it no mind, it started biting more and more important meridians.
It was a strategy that exploited the fact that if he divided his inner energy to protect his meridians, the power protecting his heart would ultimately weaken.
Of course, it didn't attack to the point of killing Geom Mugeuk.
It knew that if Geom Mugeuk died, it would die too.
The creature was truly akin to an intelligent spiritual creature.
It moved so quickly that he couldn't catch it.
In the end, he had no choice but to pretend to give up his heart in order to trap it.
He gave up half of his heart and mobilized all his inner energy to block it from entering the other half.
Once the Flying Blood Snake entered his heart, it did not leave again.
At first, it simply coiled up and remained still.
He thought it was a relief, but that was not the case.
The creature absorbed power through the heart, becoming even stronger than when it was roaming his meridians.
Conversely, Geom Mugeuk became that much weaker.
Having replenished its power, the Flying Blood Snake began to attack the remaining half of his heart.
It pushed its way in with a power incomparable to before.
Geom Mugeuk poured all his inner energy into stopping the Flying Blood Snake.
He endured and endured.
At first, it was to keep his meridians from being harmed; now, it was to keep his heart from being harmed.
The consumption of mental energy was immense.
Enduring with every ounce of his strength and concentration was truly difficult.
He wanted to scream, but he didn't.
Cha Iran was surely doing her best as well.
If she learned of his condition, she would make a mistake in her haste.
Therefore, Geom Mugeuk endured and endured.
When the pain reached its peak, Geom Mugeuk saw an illusion.
He was single-handedly holding back a massive, advancing wall.
Little by little, he was pushed back.
It felt as if the muscles and bones in his entire body were melting away.
He wanted to let his arms go limp and give up.
But Geom Mugeuk did not give up.
He was not the type of person to quit just because things were difficult.
How long had he endured like that?
Thud.
At the sign of someone next to him, Geom Mugeuk turned his head.
For a moment, he was startled.
Someone was pushing the wall alongside him; it was the handsome evil spirit among the East, West, South, North of the Nine Calamities Demon Art.
‘How are you here?’
Thud.
Just then, another evil spirit appeared on the opposite side.
This time, it was a frightening-looking evil spirit.
It glanced at Geom Mugeuk with its scary face and then began to push the wall.
Thud.
This time, a mysterious-looking one appeared next to the handsome evil spirit, and finally, a clever-looking one joined the frightening one.
With the four of them pushing the wall together, he was no longer pushed back.
Geom Mugeuk was overjoyed.
And at the last moment, something blocked the light, casting a giant shadow over Geom Mugeuk.
When Geom Mugeuk raised his head and looked up, something huge began to push the wall.
The Heavenly Demon Soul?
Yes, it was the Heavenly Demon Soul.
It was too dark to see clearly, but it was definitely the Heavenly Demon Soul.
With the evil spirits and the Heavenly Demon Soul working together, the wall began to move forward again.
‘Ah! Since even the Heavenly Demon Soul has come, I can let go now.’
The strength in Geom Mugeuk's arms gradually faded.
However, this illusion was an inner demon created by Geom Mugeuk's subconscious because he was struggling so much.
In reality, the wall was being pushed back.
Inner demons often shake a person's heart by using those the target trusts the most.
Yes, I can rest a little now, right?
It was right at that moment, when the strength was about to leave his hands completely.
From the darkness, he heard a voice calling him.
"Young Cult Master."
This voice? A familiar voice, heard as if whispered from afar.
The first time the voice called him, it sounded faint, but the next words came through loudly, like Sword Qi imbued with light piercing through the darkness.
"I have arrived, so please open your eyes!"
The moment he clearly recognized it as the voice of the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
The things around him began to disappear.
The evil spirits vanished one by one.
Lastly, the Heavenly Demon Soul disappeared.
As the shadow created by the Heavenly Demon Soul vanished, his surroundings brightened.
It was the moment the inner demon was shattered.
"Young Cult Master!"
At the call of the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, Geom Mugeuk’s eyes shot open.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon was truly there, looking at him.
Only then did Geom Mugeuk realize that everything he had seen in the illusion was an inner demon.
"Are you all right?"
The two eyes behind the mask, directed at Geom Mugeuk, were filled with worry.
He had sensed that Geom Mugeuk was not in good condition.
Geom Mugeuk squeezed out his last bit of strength.
"Pierce my heart!"
At those words, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's eyes widened.
He could tell that the moment of the prophecy had found them.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon had also thought a lot about the prophecy.
Would he only have to pretend to kill the Young Cult Master? Or would he have to kill a fake disguised as the Young Cult Master?
But he had never imagined that he would have to pierce the real Geom Mugeuk's heart.
Geom Mugeuk’s hand grabbed the Evil Heart Laughing Demon’s wrist.
Then, he pulled that hand toward his heart.
‘Trust yourself and pierce it.’
With that action, Geom Mugeuk closed his eyes.
While he had been lost in the inner demon, the Flying Blood Snake had already invaded the other half of his heart.
The more of his heart it occupied, the stronger the creature became.
The moment he heard Geom Mugeuk’s words to pierce his heart, Hwa Do-myeong shouted.
"No! Stop him!"
He mistakenly thought Geom Mugeuk was trying to kill himself.
That he was trying to die rather than be completely dominated by the Flying Blood Snake.
If Geom Mugeuk died, not only would the mission to kill the Unorthodox Alliance Leader fail, but they would also be unable to retrieve the energies contained within his body.
Hwa Do-myeong's twenty-odd subordinates launched themselves forward at once.
The Faceless Ones also drew their daggers in unison to face them.
Swish.
Dodging the sword of the first martial artist to rush in, a Faceless One plunged a dagger into his chest.
Thud!
The martial artist who blocked the attack was no ordinary opponent.
They were clearly more skilled than the ones they had faced in the alley.
However, the ten strongest Faceless Ones from the Valley of the Wicked were a type of enemy they had never faced before.
Just as he thrust his sword again.
Whoosh! Shhhk!
The Faceless One's finger techniques flew toward his face.
Not expecting an attack like that, he barely dodged the first one, but the second one blew his ear off.
Ppak!
The moment the enraged martial artist's movements became larger.
Thump!
The Faceless One’s dagger pierced his agitated heart.
Immediately pulling out the dagger, the Faceless One rushed to the side.
Just as an enemy was about to launch a surprise attack on the back of a fighting female assassin.
Shhhk.
The same Faceless One intercepted the opponent and plunged a dagger into his neck.
Puk.
The martial artist who tried to attack the Faceless One that saved the assassin was felled by the hand of the First Assassin.
The coordination between the Faceless Ones and the assassins was perfect.
They helped each other and fought together like comrades.
Realizing the opponents were stronger than expected, Hwa Do-myeong issued an order to the three people in bamboo hats standing behind him.
"Kill them all!"
At that, two of the bamboo-hatted figures, a man and a woman, launched themselves forward first.
The woman used a sword and the man used a blade; their skills were extraordinary.
Shhhk! Swaaaek!
Fast and powerful Sword Qi and Blade Energy flew in a surprise attack toward the Crescent Moon Faceless One and the spider-marked Faceless One next to him.
It was too late to dodge!
At that very moment!
Fwoosh! Another wave of force raged forward.
KABOOM!
It collided with the incoming Sword Qi and Blade Energy.
The person who landed in front of the Crescent Moon and spider-marked Faceless Ones was Cha Iran.
She had saved the two by thrusting out her twin palms and unleashing the Heavenly Maiden's Night Rain Palm.
"Your opponent is me."
The two Faceless Ones glanced once at Cha Iran before launching themselves forward again.
It was not a situation for exchanging thanks.
Cha Iran’s gaze went past the bamboo-hatted martial artists to Hwa Do-myeong.
His gaze was not on her.
He was looking past her, at Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
She could feel his urgency.
Perhaps the reason he had so often hidden behind his fan in front of her until now was to conceal that urgency.
Hwa Do-myeong personally flew forward and landed in front of Cha Iran.
Then, the last person in the bamboo hat from behind also flew over.
Judging by his movements, he was surely the martial artist tasked with safely escorting Hwa Do-myeong.
Hwa Do-myeong had no intention of talking with her.
He also knew she was not the type to move aside just because he told her to.
Chwaaaak.
A powerful stream of force raged out from his fan.
Just as Cha Iran soared up to evade the force.
The remaining man and woman in bamboo hats flew in again, attacking in concert.
She parried the incoming sword with her dagger and continuously unleashed palm techniques.
With the resolve to not let a single person pass, Cha Iran blocked with all her might.
However, facing three opponents at once, including Hwa Do-myeong, was too much for her.
In the end, amidst the continuous attacks, she failed to dodge a stream of Blade Energy from the bamboo-hatted man.
Thwack!
The Blade Energy struck her body.
She momentarily raised her protective energy, but the impact was tremendous.
But she did not move aside.
Even in that state, she sent a palm technique toward the bamboo-hatted man who had unleashed the blade technique.
It was at that moment.
Fwoop!
The bamboo-hatted woman had flown over in an instant and was floating in the air before her.
It was an incredible movement art, as if she had teleported through space in an instant.
Shhhk!
A sword was already flying toward Cha Iran's face.
If she were in normal condition, she could have dodged it, but right now, she was a mess.
She wouldn't die, but it was a situation where she could not avoid a serious injury to her face.
It was at that moment.
Swish!
A single dagger flew swiftly toward the bamboo-hatted woman.
Clang!
The sword that parried the dagger in mid-air continued on to slash Cha Iran.
But Cha Iran had already escaped her attack.
The one who had thrown the dagger was the spider-marked Faceless One she had saved earlier.
Swaaek! Swaek!
Giving her no time to rest, force rained down on Cha Iran.
Unfortunately, with the assassins fighting behind her, Cha Iran did not dodge and instead unleashed her palm technique.
Boom! Kaboom! Kwaang!
From the left and right came the bamboo-hatted figures, and from the front, Hwa Do-myeong.
The attacks of the three focused on Cha Iran.
Just as her body, having finally suffered an internal wound from the onslaught, staggered.
Someone threw themselves forward to save her.
This time, it was the Crescent Moon martial artist.
The Crescent Moon Faceless One took the internally injured Cha Iran and retreated.
The female assassins rushed over to protect her.
The Faceless Ones formed a circle around Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
Their eyes, unafraid of death, showed they would not yield a single step.
"Wipe them all out!"
On Hwa Do-myeong's command, just as the two bamboo-hatted figures stepped forward.
Puk!
The sound of a sword tearing through flesh was heard.
The sound came from the place the Faceless Ones were surrounding.
As the Faceless Ones turned around, Hwa Do-myeong could see the scene through the gap between them.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon's dagger was embedded in Geom Mugeuk's heart.
For a moment, Hwa Do-myeong's eyes widened. 'Did he really stab the Young Cult Master?'
He knew that the Demon Sovereign closest to Geom Mugeuk was the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
He might have considered it possible for other Demon Sovereigns, but he had thought the Evil Heart Laughing Demon would never be able to kill Geom Mugeuk.
The Faceless Ones also watched the scene with surprised faces, then turned to face forward again.
The female assassins stared back and forth between the two with expressions of horror.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon had really stabbed Geom Mugeuk's heart.
At that time, while Cha Iran, the Faceless Ones, and the assassins were in the midst of fighting their enemies.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon had placed his palm on Geom Mugeuk's heart and was focusing his mind.
For the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, all surrounding sounds had vanished, and he could only feel Geom Mugeuk's beating heart.
In that moment, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon was a Divine Doctor, and a Demon Doctor.
The foreign energy felt from the heart.
He could feel the Flying Blood Snake dominating the heart.
He knew instinctively.
To kill the Flying Blood Snake, he had to pierce that head—no, that skull—precisely.
But the Evil Heart Laughing Demon hesitated.
If he stabbed incorrectly, Geom Mugeuk would die.
The problem was that the Flying Blood Snake was moving in unpredictable ways, advancing toward the other side of the heart.
There was only one chance.
The very moment the creature occupied the final part of Geom Mugeuk's heart.
The moment it occupied that last empty space!
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon waited for that moment.
Although he knew a fierce battle was raging outside, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon focused solely on the Flying Blood Snake.
And finally!
The moment the Flying Blood Snake completely took over Geom Mugeuk's heart!
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon's dagger sliced through the air without a sound.
The character for ‘laugh’ engraved on the dagger split the air.
With the dagger Geom Mugeuk had given him, with the martial arts Geom Mugeuk had taught him, he pierced Geom Mugeuk's heart.
Thump!
It wasn't a feint; he stabbed deep enough to reach the heart.
A momentary silence flowed through the place.
Everyone stared at the scene.
As the Evil Heart Laughing Demon pulled out the dagger, Geom Mugeuk's head drooped, blood flowing from his chest.
Geom Mugeuk didn't move an inch.
It truly seemed as if he were dead.
The person who belatedly shouted was Hwa Do-myeong.
"No!"
He thought Geom Mugeuk was dead.
But the one that died was the Flying Blood Snake.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon's dagger had succeeded in precisely piercing the Flying Blood Snake's vital points.
Fshhhhhhh.
The Flying Blood Snake, its head pierced, seemed to tremble once, then...
Fshhhhhhhhhh.
The Flying Blood Snake’s body slowly began to dissipate.
The energy of incredible elixirs, rare herbs, and various divine relics filled his heart.
That mysterious energy mended the wound in his heart torn by the dagger.
Geom Mugeuk's body began to absorb that energy.
It was a first.
Never before had any elixir been absorbed starting from the heart.
The energy squeezed out by his heart flowed through his meridians and throughout his entire body.
An incredible energy he had never felt before.
Geom Mugeuk began to convert the energy of the Flying Blood Snake that filled all his meridians into inner energy.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon watched Geom Mugeuk in silence.
Geom Mugeuk's energy was so faint that only he, being close, could barely feel it.
But the Evil Heart Laughing Demon could tell.
Geom Mugeuk's expression had become peaceful.
A faint smile even graced his lips, as if he were having a pleasant dream.
‘It worked.’
He had stabbed correctly.
This was the first time in his life he had been so nervous.
Even if it had been his own heart, he would not have been this tense.
The prophecy was fulfilled.
That unbelievable prophecy of him stabbing Geom Mugeuk had come true exactly as foretold.
The location changing from a stage was likely because of that female assassin.
Because she changed her mind, the stage for choosing the Greatest Beauty Under Heaven had disappeared.
Just then, Hwa Do-myeong's furious voice was heard.
"You crazy bastard! Even so, you killed the Young Cult Master?"
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon slowly turned his head to look at Hwa Do-myeong.
The two eyes behind the mask smiled coldly as he spoke.
"Then you must know now."
From the dagger in the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's hand, Geom Mugeuk's blood dripped steadily.
"That there is no one I cannot kill."