Chapter 322 : You Did Not Fail

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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Chapter 322: You Did Not Fail

A fierce aura erupted from So Baekta's body.

The words ‘Our Cult does not permit your war’ didn’t enrage him. He had expected them.

But ‘Go wash your face first’—those words brought an indescribable sense of humiliation. It struck directly at his pride.

“You really think you’re that strong?”

A ghostly wail echoed in all directions, pressing down on me with demonic energy.

It wasn't a fully mastered martial art yet, but it was Heaven-Shattering Demon Aura.

Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique activated, shielding my body. Seeing me stand calmly, So Baekta drew out even more inner force.

“I asked if you’re really that strong!” 1

He really was strong. Far from being overwhelmed by the ghostly energy, I actually began walking toward So Baekta with bold strides.

“What exactly do you have that justifies all this chaos? This isn’t some back-alley turf war among punks. What is it that you possess to speak of unifying the Wilderness and dreaming of dominating the entire martial world?”

I walked right up to So Baekta.

“I don’t see how the deranged patterns on your face will lead you to victory in war.”

The moment a flicker of resolution crossed So Baekta’s eyes, another one of his hidden cards flipped over.

A crimson energy began to pour from both his eyes, merging with the ghostly aura he had already unleashed.

In that instant, I knew.

‘That energy... it’s not Heaven-Shattering Demon Aura!’

The next moment, a blood-red wave engulfed me, and the surroundings changed.

I was no longer in the Cult Leader’s Hall.

The walls and floor around me squirmed as if alive. It felt like being inside the entrails of a beast. I’d been here before.

Yes, it was the space created by Hwan Yeo, the woman of the Flower Garden!

But this one was different. The colors were different, the shapes were different. I could feel both the Heaven-Shattering Demon Aura of the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, and the aura of Hwan Yeo I’d sensed back then.

‘Those two martial arts have been fused!’ 2

The merged aura was far stronger. And the one who had enabled this fusion was probably Hwan Wang.

The reason So Baekta seemed changed wasn’t because he had fallen victim to the Soul Reaping Art. The merging of two powerful martial arts had affected his very personality. On top of that, there had surely been Hwan Wang’s persuasion and brainwashing. 3

He gave him his own martial art to make him stronger?

Nonsense! If there had been any benefit to be had, Hwan Wang would’ve stolen So Baekta’s martial arts and absorbed them himself.

‘The end of this merged martial art... is death.’ 4

I was certain. Hwan Wang had already shown me in the life before regression. He was a man who existed solely for himself.

At the center of this space stood the Ten-Thousand-Mile Transmitting Wall, the same one where a human face had once burst forth.

And from the other side, someone’s face poked through.

“Young Cult Leader, did you ask to see this?”

The face that popped out from behind the thin membrane was So Baekta’s. His voice echoed with an eerie resonance.

“I can’t kill someone who’s mastered the Nine Calamities Demon Art. But I can imprison you here forever.” 5

This was the source of his confidence in unifying the martial world. A martial art so powerful that he believed he could even trap the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.

Naturally, I could guess what his final hidden card was. If Hwan Wang had passed down a martial art, then he likely also believed Hwan Wang would aid him. If this fused martial art was backed by Hwan Wang’s help?

Now I understood his excitement and certainty.

“What is this martial art called?”

At my question, So Baekta answered confidently.

“Blood Spirits of Heaven-Shattering Art!”

The aura radiating from him was indeed powerful enough to justify his confidence. But to me, it felt no different from someone who had taken Berserk, the unstable internal energy booster sold previously by the Unorthodox Alliance and which I personally stopped production.

“You don’t realize that gaining power like this always comes at a cost?”

So Baekta laughed. There wasn’t even a flicker of anxiety in the expression visible behind the undulating membrane.

“It’s you who’ll pay the price. You, who clung to the Nine Calamities Demon Art and stagnated! So, what do you think? Have you now seen enough of my power?” 6

I didn’t answer. As I stood there lost in thought, So Baekta asked,

“What could you possibly be thinking about?”

How can I get you to talk about Hwan Wang?

“I’m wondering how to escape this place.”

As I drew the Black Demon Sword, So Baekta sneered.

“The membrane looks thin, so you think it’ll tear easily?”

Smirking with confidence, he shook the membrane casually—but he had no idea.

He had no idea that with the Blood Eye Essence and the New Eye Technique activated, I could see faint bluish lines—weak points in the barrier I could exploit to break through.

Of course, not all counter-methods were so easily found. Like during my battle with Yasuo, long ago, there were illusions or dark arts where you had to cross the threshold of life and death to uncover the way out.

But at least the method to slice through the Ten-Thousand-Mile Transmitting Wall’s membrane was clearly visible to my eyes.

Swish!

The Black Demon Sword cut through the air effortlessly.

Riiip.

The membrane tore like fabric. So Baekta, who had been leaning his face into it, suddenly lurched forward.

His eyes widened in shock. Even more so when he saw that I had torn the membrane without leaving so much as a scratch on his face.

“...Huh ? How—”

I thrust my hand forward, grabbed So Baekta by the collar from the other side of the wall, and yanked him in.

So Baekta was pulled through to this side.

I looked down at him as he lay sprawled on the ground and spoke coldly.

“You said I could never leave this place? Are you really sure you want to spend forever here—with me?”

So Baekta reflexively dispelled the space. He thought they would return to the Cult Leader’s Hall as the created space collapsed.

Rustle…

Instead, they returned to the same space they had just been in.

“!”

So Baekta was startled.

He had recited the incantation to collapse the space and was certain they had returned to the Cult Leader’s Hall. Yet somehow, it was as if they had been dragged right back into this place.

He chanted the incantation again. But the walls and floor only churned and rippled; the space remained intact.

‘Something’s wrong!’

He was flustered. Since learning how to create this space, he had never once failed to dispel it.

His eyes turned toward the torn section of the wall.

‘Is it because of that?’ 7

Looking around, the space resembled the one he had created—but it wasn’t the same. The color was different. The sensation was different.

‘That tear changed something!’

A chilling sense of dread sank into So Baekta’s chest.

“Stay calm and try again,” said Geom Mugeuk.

So Baekta tried once more, but the space still wouldn’t disappear.

He rushed toward the Ten-Thousand-Mile Transmitting Wall, heading for the place where Geom Mugeuk had torn the barrier. But behind the torn membrane, a new one had formed.

He tried to rip the new membrane by injecting qi into it, but it only stretched without giving way—completely ineffective.

So Baekta turned to Geom Mugeuk and shouted.

“You—try tearing that wall again!”

Geom Mugeuk drew his sword and struck at the membrane. But this time, it didn’t tear. Whether he stabbed or slashed, the membrane only stretched and rippled.

“How did you rip it the first time?”

“I don’t know either. Your face was mocking me, and I got mad and slashed. Does someone have to stick their face through from the other side for it to tear?”

Geom Mugeuk asked, but So Baekta didn’t reply. He didn’t know either.

“We’ll get out somehow. You don’t think we’ll be stuck here forever, do you?”

Unlike the somewhat relaxed Geom Mugeuk, So Baekta’s fear was growing.

That carefree fool didn’t understand how terrifying this space was. If the space couldn’t be collapsed, they would starve to death in here.

“Is your inner energy depleting?”

So Baekta checked his qi and shook his head.

Geom Mugeuk slumped against the wall and said,

“Well, that’s a relief. If it were, we’d be dead once our true innate qi ran out. Rest a bit and try again.”

What Geom Mugeuk said was true. Getting agitated wouldn’t solve anything.

So Baekta calmly studied the wall. The walls, which had been squirming like intestines, were gradually stilling. Their color was slowly darkening too. The wall was dying.

“You really thought combining another martial art with Heaven-Shattering Demon Aura wouldn’t have any side effects whatsoever?”

It was true. So Baekta had truly believed there wouldn’t be any side effects. There hadn’t been—until now. 8

He sat down and began regulating his breath, cycling his qi. He intended to calm his mind and replenish his inner energy before trying again with a clear head.

After completing one full circulation of his energy and opening his eyes, Geom Mugeuk was studying the wall.

So Baekta calmly recited the incantation to dispel the space once more. But again, it failed.

And then it happened.

Drip-drip-drip…

Blood began to pour from every wall.

As if announcing the approach of death, the blood that trickled from the walls showed no sign of stopping.

Baekta scanned the area in alarm—and fell into despair.

“There’s nowhere for the blood to drain.”

Blood began to pool on the floor. If it continued to rise like this, they would eventually drown in it.

To think he would drown in blood inside an illusionary space he had created himself. And with the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, no less?

So Baekta stood there, dumbfounded, too shocked to even react for a moment.

Then, suddenly, a wave of seething hostility surged from within. He drew out his inner energy. Crimson energy began to gather in both his hands.

“This is all your fault!”

So Baekta stretched his hands toward Geom Mugeuk, preparing to release a blast of force—but Geom Mugeuk moved faster. Rushing forward with the Underworld King Step, he struck first. 9

Thud!

So Baekta was hit squarely in the chest. He slammed into the wall before collapsing onto the floor.

Geom Mugeuk grabbed his blood-drenched body and hauled him upright, suppressing his internal energy. By now, the blood had already risen to their knees.

“Why is this my fault? You’re the one who was running your mouth about unifying the Wilderness, and yet you can’t even undo your own illusion.”

Geom Mugeuk struck the back of So Baekta’s head without mercy.

“This one’s from your master! After meeting you, your master came back saying, ‘Damn it, I should’ve smacked that lunatic on the back of the head’.”

So Baekta clenched his teeth. He was furious—boiling with rage—but now wasn’t the time to fight Geom Mugeuk. The blood was rising too quickly.

A deep fear welled up inside him as he stared at the rising pool. It was the first time he had ever truly felt the terror of death.

And Geom Mugeuk goaded him again.

“If your master handed down the Cult Leader’s Seat, you should’ve been prepared to protect it. You can’t even protect the fortune given to you—so what do you think you’re doing?”

“Fortune? What fortune?”

The word “fortune” was like a blade to his pride.

“I was meant to inherit the position of Cult Leader from the start!”

“Then it’s a good thing you inherited it earlier, right?”

“Good? Back then, I wasn’t ready to become the Cult Leader! I needed more training, to fully master the Heaven-Shattering Demon Aura. That’s when I should’ve received it. But my master just threw the position at me and left.”

The things he had buried deep in his chest now spilled out.

“He told me, ‘There are many who follow you, so don’t worry.’ Don’t make me laugh! Those people followed him—not me! How could he not know that? How could he not see that what they said in front of him was different from what they said in front of me?”

The blood had already risen to their waists.

“Do you know what I went through after he left? Every single day, I was walking on eggshells. I wondered if someone was eyeing my seat. If they were mocking me behind my back. I couldn’t even sleep for fear of being assassinated. And then what? Everyone else can say it, but not you! You don’t even know how I lived—how dare you say that to me!”

Geom Mugeuk understood now. The immaturity he had sensed flickering from So Baekta stemmed from resentment toward his master.

He should’ve replaced “because of” with “thanks to,” endured it, and overcome it—but regrettably, he hadn’t been able to do so alone.

“The only one who truly understood me… was him.”

Hwan Wang had crept into the cracks left by resentment, anger, and fear—and his poisonous whispers took root.

This is what So Baekta wanted to say. That bastard of a master wasn’t worth even one percent of that man.

“He said he was the last heir of the Blood Sect.”

That wasn’t exactly wrong. After Hwan Wang and Hwan Yeo, no more martial arts of the Blood Sect had surfaced.

“He said he’d planned to live quietly… but when he saw me being cast aside by my master and placed on the Cult Leader’s Seat, he changed his mind.”

Hwan Wang must have pretended to be the greatest strength at the weakest point in a man’s life. While teaching him the martial arts of the Blood Sect, he must have melted his heart.

So Baekta looked into his reflection on the blood that had now risen to his chest. Then, suddenly, using the blood as a mirror, he began painting the final pattern onto his face with it.

Among the three patterns, this one was Wind Decay—the one drawn on the face of the dead. Of course, the blood didn’t draw cleanly.

“I wanted to walk onto the battlefield… with the Heavenly Flower he painted on me.”

At that moment, Geom Mugeuk realized the truth.

“Don’t tell me… that man was the painter of the mural in the Cult Leader’s Hall?” 10

As if admitting it now that the end had come, So Baekta nodded.

“He’s the one who taught me how to draw the facial patterns.”

Finally, the hiding place of Hwan Wang had been revealed.

“He taught me how I should live… and just how amazing I truly was.”

The blood had risen now to their chins.

‘So this is where it ends…?’

So Baekta suddenly locked eyes with Geom Mugeuk. In Geom Mugeuk’s clear and deep gaze, there was a strange joy glimmering.

“What the hell are you smiling about? What’s so great that you have to act smug even now, at the end?”

“If it were me on any other day, I’d probably have bragged a lot. But today, I’ve held back a lot.”

Then came the most baffling words of all.

“Your attempts to dispel the space… didn’t fail. I just succeeded.” 11

“…What?”

“Come to think of it, in this space, I’ve basically become your junior disciple.”

“What nonsense is that?”

“He passed it down to me alone—of course you wouldn’t know.”

The blood had risen to their faces. They had to stand on their tiptoes just to keep talking.

“Every time your master opened and closed this space, he always made a certain gesture.”

Geom Mugeuk raised his hand above the blood’s surface.

So Baekta felt an instinctive sense of something going very wrong. But that thought lasted only a moment—because the blood had risen past their faces.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk’s hand, held above the surface, snapped his fingers with a crisp snap.

1 : Well, yeah. You might be strong, but you’re far from being as deviously evil as some of Mugeuk opponents, those he already killed.

2 : “My Fucking Legs Gricko !!!” *Once Upon a Witchlight - Legends of Avantris flashback*

3 : Yeah, some martial arts, especially those from the demonic side, tend to have a negative impact on the user's personality, slowly influencing them to become more violent, and thus use said martial arts more often. Very rarely, it can go so far as to entirely reshape the user consciousness, and I saw at least one occurrence where someone deliberately created and spread a vicious martial art solely designed to implant the creator consciousness in an attempt for him to live forever through new bodies/vessels.

4 : That’s why you don’t accept strange martial arts from suspicious strangers. Unless you REALLY don’t have a choice and you have plenty of countermeasures in place. If not, F to you.

5 : Again ? It’s the idea of the week apparently.

6 : THe Nine Calamities Demon Art didn’t stagnate. In fact a legacy of a millennia is worthy of respect.

7 : Either that or Mugeuk used his own Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique to mess with you.

8 : A bit naïve.

9 : There you go, finally. Been ages.

10 : The darkest spot is ALWAYS under the lamp.

11 : Knew it.