The palm strike that came rushing in like a storm collided with the upright great blade.
Despite the loud boom and the impact, the great blade did not break.
“Do not be afraid! The moment you fear is the moment you die!”
The one who shouted was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and the one who had held up the great blade like a shield to block the palm strike was Seo Daeryong.
The great blade he used was the very one the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had gifted him, the same one he had used in his youth.
“Now, here I come again!”
An even more powerful palm strike was unleashed from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's hand.
Seo Daeryong infused his inner energy into the great blade and once again held it upright before him.
CRASH!
It was more powerful than before, but he held his ground this time as well.
Behind the upright blade, Seo Daeryong was gripped by fear.
This attack alone felt as if it would tear his arms off.
The thought that a more powerful strike might kill him crossed his mind.
What if his Master was overestimating him? Should he admit he couldn't block any more?
Just then, the characters engraved on the blade’s edge caught his eye.
Peerless.
These were the characters the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had carved in his youth.
He could feel the spirit with which his Master had trained back then.
The will to never lose to anyone was contained in those two words.
‘Yes, I will endure! I will endure even if my arms break!’
The moment he grit his teeth and drew upon his inner energy, an even more powerful palm strike flew at him.
SWOOOOSH!
The merciless palm strike flew with even greater force, clashing with Seo Daeryong’s will.
A moment later.
Knock, knock.
The sound of tapping on the blade brought Seo Daeryong to his senses, and he lifted his head.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was standing beside the blade, looking down at him.
Had he actually lost consciousness while standing?
“Are you alive?”
“I think so.”
Seo Daeryong’s face was pale, and his arms were trembling violently.
“Did I block it?”
“You did.”
Overjoyed, he tried to raise both hands but ended up screaming.
Not only his arms, but his entire body ached so much he couldn't move.
It hurt so much he felt like he was going to die.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon pressed down on the handle of the blade that had been blocking the way.
The great blade slid smoothly into the ground.
He then had Seo Daeryong lean against the great blade and infused inner energy into his chest to heal his injuries.
If he had blocked one more time, he would have truly died.
“You were afraid the blade would break, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Seo Daeryong answered honestly.
“It is natural to be afraid. But you must believe. You must have faith that you can block any attack with my blade. The Heaven-Slaying Demon Blade Form begins with that faith and ends with it.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon took a pill from his robes and offered it to Seo Daeryong.
“Take this.”
“What is this?”
“It’s a Demon Essence Pill.”
Seo Daeryong was startled at the words ‘Demon Essence Pill.’ The Demon Essence Pill was one of the elixirs that represented the Demon Sect.
It was the very elixir Geom Mugeuk had obtained from the Little Heaven Grotto.
“I asked the Cult Master and got one specially.”
“Something so precious! I can't accept this.”
At that, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon glared at Seo Daeryong and spoke coldly.
“Then is my disciple not precious?”
Seo Daeryong flinched in that moment.
“No, that’s not it!”
“Then take it.”
Surprised and flustered, Seo Daeryong could no longer refuse and took the Demon Essence Pill.
He circulated his heart technique, absorbing the medicinal effects of the pill.
The energy of the Demon Essence Pill, which had been circulating through his meridians, became a great surge of inner energy and settled in his energy core.
When Seo Daeryong slowly opened his eyes, his gaze had deepened.
A vast and powerful inner energy, incomparable to before, stirred within his energy core.
Seo Daeryong was so moved he couldn't tell if this was a dream or reality.
He had thought he would never be able to take an elixir like the Demon Essence Pill in his lifetime.
Seo Daeryong rose from his spot and gave the Blood Heaven Blade Demon a deep bow.
“I will never forget the grace you have shown me until the day I die.”
He had given him the blade from his youth, and now even a Demon Essence Pill.
He truly considered him his successor.
This was all the result of clinging to his trousers while drunk at the Flowing Wine Tavern.
He resolved to never let go of that hand until he died.
“You need at least this much inner energy to handle the latter forms of the Heaven-Slaying Demon Blade technique. And from now on, the training will be much harder and more difficult.”
“I will see it through, no matter what.”
Knowing well that his disciple was one who even cut back on his duties as the Underworld Pavilion Lord and his sleep to train, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon nodded with a look of pride.
Once he overcame this hurdle, Seo Daeryong would truly join the ranks of the masters.
The two left the training grounds.
As the two men, each with a great blade on his back, walked side by side, they exuded an overwhelmingly powerful aura.
“Is there still no news from the Young Cult Master?”
“I received word that he is on his way back, but I don't know exactly when he will arrive.”
Seo Daeryong missed Geom Mugeuk dearly.
He missed him so much that he had even appeared in his dreams a few days ago.
He needed to meet him quickly and boast about his Master gifting him a Demon Essence Pill.
Just then, a Blade Ghost from the Southern Path Sect came and reported to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“It is said the Young Cult Master has arrived.”
Seo Daeryong’s expression brightened instantly.
“Go on.”
“Yes.”
Wanting to at least see his face before he entered the Cult Master’s Hall, Seo Daeryong dashed off like the wind.
In his haste, he failed to notice that a joy no less than his own had blossomed on the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's face.
Right now, all he could think about was seeing Geom Mugeuk.
*
“What’s with this late-in-life obsession?”
At the Drunken Demon’s question, the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign simply drained her wine cup instead of answering.
“It’s nice to drink after so long.”
The two were drinking at the Drunken Dream Pavilion in the Great Drunken Forest.
“So what’s with the martial arts training? Is the Martial Alliance about to invade? Or is there some handsome swordsman you're trying to impress?”
Even without the rumors that the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign had immersed herself in martial arts, one could tell from her appearance, which would have been unimaginable in the past.
She was in front of the Drunken Demon without any makeup, and the woman who had always worn pure white martial robes was now in gray, dirt-stained robes.
She had been training right up until she came here.
“I hold the title of Sword Sovereign. It’s only right I see it through to the end with the sword.”
“I get that, but why? Why all of a sudden?”
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign poured wine into her own cup.
“What’s the big deal about a martial artist training?”
The words, ‘Because I’m embarrassed,’ rose to her throat, but she couldn't bring herself to say them.
The Drunken Demon would surely pry into every little detail, and she couldn't give him an answer like that.
She was embarrassed about what happened with Sa Yoo-jong, and embarrassed about how she had cared so much for her appearance.
Looking back, her past conflicts with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon were the same.
“Still, you look good.”
The Drunken Demon’s single comment lifted the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign’s spirits.
“I hear you’ve been cutting back on drinking and training these days too?”
The Drunken Demon was no longer just a drunkard who did nothing but drink.
Having started to control his alcohol, his gaze was different from before.
He wasn't one to sit back and drink alone while watching everyone else change.
“This is all because of the Young Cult Master.”
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign smiled faintly.
It was true.
The reason she, and all the Demon Sovereigns, had changed was because of the Young Cult Master.
“It’s about time for him to arrive, isn't it?”
“He’ll get here when he gets here.”
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign could guess why the Drunken Demon was so sulky.
Geom Mugeuk had taken the Demon Buddha with him when he left the sect this time.
He must have been secretly hoping to be asked to go along.
Moreover, wasn't the Demon Buddha someone who had supported the First Young Master? She could see the disappointment dripping from his wine cup.
He was one to talk nonsense when drunk, but he had never been one to show his emotions so openly.
‘Young Cult Master, it seems you really are the cause.’
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign drained her last cup and stood up from her seat.
“What? You’re leaving already?”
“I have to train.”
“No! You came after so long, stay and play a while longer.”
“Next time. I have important training today.”
At those words, the Drunken Demon emptied another cup.
“The Young Cult Master abandons me, and now my friend abandons me. Yes, my only friend is wine.”
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign looked at Yeo Bin, one of the three great drunkards, who was walking towards them, and said.
“Is that really so?”
Although he knew what she meant, the Drunken Demon did not look away from his wine cup.
Yeo Bin approached the two and reported respectfully.
“The Young Cult Master has returned.”
The Drunken Demon shot up from his seat.
“Where are you going?”
“My little brother has returned from a long trip to the Outlands. I have to go see him.”
To the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign, his words sounded like this: Let’s see how well you did going without me!
“Don’t go and make a drunken scene!”
“Am I a child? As if I’d make a scene there.”
The Drunken Demon leaped into the air and crossed the lake using Water Steps.
Yes, everyone else had taken turns leaving the sect with Geom Mugeuk.
It was understandable that he felt left out, having never gone with him despite being sworn brothers.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign boarded the ferry with Yeo Bin.
“He’s a handful, isn’t he?”
Knowing she was talking about the Drunken Demon, Yeo Bin, who was rowing, smiled faintly.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign had never said much to her, but today there was something she wanted to say.
As a woman, and out of her affection for the Drunken Demon.
“I regret my past self. I hope you will not do the same.”
Though many details were omitted, Yeo Bin understood what she was trying to say.
The boat carrying the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign quietly crossed the misty lake.
*
Poisonous smoke rose from various places throughout the Thousand Poison Forest.
Today was a special training day for the poison masters of the Thousand Poison Forest.
Most of those participating in the training wore one to three poison pouches on their waists.
Due to the nature of Poison Arts, training that involved dispersing poison externally like this could not be done often.
There was nothing more dangerous than a poison master with clumsy skills.
So when they did train, it was under the strict supervision of their seniors.
When they administered poison, seniors with at least five poison pouches would immediately detoxify it.
If the poisonous smoke were to be carried away by the wind, a terrible incident could occur.
Detoxifying was always more difficult than administering poison.
A short distance away, others were training to concoct an antidote from various herbs prepared in a poison-filled space and then escape.
It was a perilous training where being too slow meant losing one’s life.
Here, seniors with seven or more poison pouches were personally instructing and managing the session.
In another area, training to throw hidden weapons coated with poison was in full swing.
Hidden weapon techniques were essential to master before one could use poison freely.
The senior instructing them was explaining the most common cause of death for poison masters.
The number one cause of death for a poison master is dying to their own poison!
After a round of training, all the poison masters gathered in one place.
The Poison King stepped forward to address them.
“In a real battle, martial artists react in one of two ways when they face us. They either run without looking back, or they charge at us fiercely."
"They think they have to kill us before we can spread our poison. Because they attack while holding their breath, most of them are taken down before they can even use their poison properly. The best they can hope for is mutual destruction.”
The Poison King standing before the poison masters was completely different from his usual self.
At least for this moment, he had emerged from his own world to guide his subordinates.
The novices, in fact, didn't fully understand the meaning of the twelve poison pouches on his waist.
As the number of pouches increased, so too would their respect for him.
“The most important martial art for a poison master is neither the art of administering poison nor hidden weapon techniques. It is footwork and lightness arts."
"You must be able to administer poison while fleeing from a pursuer, and you must be able to chase down a fleeing opponent even faster."
"You must evade an opponent who is swinging his sword while holding his breath. Your lives depend on that battle against time. Do you understand?”
A resounding answer echoed from the poison masters.
“Alright, let the training begin.”
At his command, senior poison masters came forward and began the footwork and lightness arts training.
The Poison King stood silently, watching the training.
Just then, Sangseon came to report.
“The Young Cult Master has retur…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the Poison King was gone.
It was a moment when everyone witnessed firsthand what the Poison King’s lightness arts were like.
*
I stood in place and took a deep breath.
The Main Sect has a unique scent.
When you return after being away, smelling this scent brings a sense of relief, a feeling of being home.
The first person to greet us was Seo Daeryong.
“Young Cult Master!”
If it had been just the two of us, he would have run up and hugged me without hesitation.
Seo Daeryong approached with a composed expression and bowed.
“Did you have a good trip?”
“And you, Pavilion Lord, have you been well?”
His true feelings came through a telepathic message.
—I missed you! Please take me with you next time!
—And who will guard the Underworld Pavilion?
—It runs just fine without me! I’m going with you no matter what! I’m making it clear right now!
—Alright, let’s go.
We’ll cross a room filled with a Blood Venom Giant Serpent and thousands of venomous snakes, and pass through a place where a giant evil spirit tries to crush you.
You should also enjoy the thrill of your own shadow rising up to kill you.
"..."
"..."
—Unfortunately, I must protect the Underworld Pavilion.
For some reason, the organization just can’t run without me.
How could I not know? His desire to go out with me.
How he must miss the time we went to the Young Dragon Tournament together.
So, hurry and get stronger, my right-hand man!
If Seo Daeryong was the first to welcome me, the Demon Buddha was first welcomed by the Poison King.
He rushed over like the wind and landed before us.
He urgently asked the Demon Buddha.
“My poisonous herbs! Did you get the poisonous herbs?”
I stepped in front of the Poison King and said.
“I have returned. I have returned safely from the life-threatening Outlands!”
The Poison King pushed me aside and looked only at the Demon Buddha.
The Demon Buddha’s eyes also sparkled with life as he faced him.
Hadn't he endured all that hardship for this very moment?
“Here they are.”
The Demon Buddha set down the box he had been carrying himself.
The Poison King squatted down in front of it, and I and Seo Daeryong squatted down beside him to watch.
As he slowly opened the box, the poisonous herbs were lined up in a row.
“Oh! You dug up so many? Even Cold Venom Grass and Spirit Buddha Grass! This Small Poison Grass is really hard to dig up. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
The Poison King was overjoyed.
It wasn't just him showing happiness because the Demon Buddha had brought them back.
He was genuinely thrilled to have obtained the poisonous herbs.
How could the Demon Buddha have been neglectful in his task of digging for herbs?
“Truly, a talent bestowed by the heavens.”
“I was lucky.”
Only then did the Poison King glance at me.
“What about the ones you dug up?”
His eyes held no expectation at all, and while I would have loved to reply, ‘I dug up more,’…
I pointed to one of the poisonous herbs the Demon Buddha had gathered and said.
“When he was digging that one up, I was the one who said let’s dig on that mountain. If it wasn't for me…”
The Poison King didn't even listen to my pathetic excuse and began to pack up the box, saying to the Demon Buddha.
“Come for a meal later!”
“Let’s do that.”
The gazes of the Poison King and the Demon Buddha met and lingered in the air.
In between them, I shouted.
“I’m going too!”
But the Poison King left without even giving me an answer.
As he watched the Poison King's retreating back, there was no trace of the hardship from all the herb-gathering on the Demon Buddha's face.
“I knew it. You should have just given him one root. You are a heartless Demon Buddha!”
Just then, someone spoke from behind.
“Then next time, you should go with a kindhearted person.”
I turned around to see the Drunken Demon walking towards us.
The Demon Buddha then looked at me with a meaningful gaze and said.
“Now it's your turn to take credit.”
(To be continued)