Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Although a little time had been delayed due to Hyeonu sightseeing the world, Youngho’s group arrived at Mount Wudang.

Though it had been a short journey together, Hyeonu had learned quite a lot about the world.

If he had traveled with members of the Orthodox Sect, he would not have learned this much. Rather, because Youngho was from the Unorthodox Faction, he had come to understand the cruelty of the world even more clearly.

To put it simply.

‘It means he had been stained by the world.’

Of course, for now he only knew it in theory, but before long, the day would come when he would have to face the world himself.

Upon arriving at Mount Wudang, Youngho’s group each offered their farewells to Hyeonu.

“Then this is where we part ways as well.”

Hyeonu nodded and said,

“I have something to say regarding that matter.”

“You wish to follow us further, is that not so?”

Hyeonu’s eyes widened.

“How did you…?”

“It was obvious, seeing that you still seemed to want to see more of the world. As the disciple of the Sword Immortal, you would probably hold the rank of Elder in terms of generation, but even so, as a disciple of the main mountain, if you went out, the only place you could visit within the same Hubei would be the Zhuge Clan.”

Youngho spoke as if he had already known, his tone almost scolding Hyeonu for asking something so obvious.

Hyeonu cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Then…?”

As Hyeonu looked to Youngho for guidance, Horyeung instead smiled kindly and said,

“If no words of refusal come from the Young Master’s mouth, it usually means approval. You may follow us.”

Hyeonu’s expression brightened.

“Thank you!”

“We have not yet reached the Sword Sea at Mount Wudang, so it should be fine. Let us hurry.”

Youngho nodded, then as if something had occurred to him, he opened his mouth.

“Come to think of it, at this rate we might run into the Asura Squad.”

“I think so as well. If this continues, we may meet them in the mountains near Zhongnan or Mount Hua.”

“Is our next destination Shaanxi?”

At the sight of Hyeonu approaching with sparkling eyes, Youngho made a weary expression.

“Do you like the outside world that much?”

“Of course. Stay in the mountains for ten years and your body will itch to go outside.”

“Well, that is understandable.”

“By the way, is the Asura Squad like your direct guard unit, Young Master?”

At that, Youngho smiled pleasantly.

“Yes. They are the hands and feet I personally raised.”

“They must be quite skilled?”

“Yes. Since I trained them myself, after all. Though their numbers are few, they are worthy of being called elite.”

“I would like to see them once.”

“You will be surprised.”

Soon, Youngho’s group kicked off the ground and unfolded their Lightness Skill.

And there were those who watched them from behind with gloomy eyes.

“It seems the target is heading toward Shaanxi.”

“That works out perfectly.”

“How many bandits are there in that place?”

“One thousand. At the very least, they can buy us some time. If the other bandits arrive as reinforcement, there will be ten thousand in total.”

“Not bad.”

“Then we follow behind them.”

“Invincible Divine Cult, Ten Thousand Demons Bow in Submission.”

At the man in black’s incantation, the others also let their chilling gazes gleam and repeated,

“Invincible Divine Cult, Ten Thousand Demons Bow in Submission.”

***

“We are almost there.”

At Horyeung’s words, Youngho looked at the map leisurely even while running and said,

“That is Mount Hua, right?”

At Youngho’s question, everyone looked at the mountain peak rising above even the clouds and answered,

“If this is not Mount Hua, it would be strange.”

“As expected of the most treacherous mountain path among the Five Great Mountains.”

Youngho’s group continued to employ their Lightness Skill, talking about how anyone could possibly live in such a place.

At that moment.

“Hmm?”

Youngho stopped in his tracks. As he stopped, the others naturally came to a halt as well.

“What is it, Young Master?”

Instead of answering Kang Chowon’s question, Youngho closed his eyes.

The group instinctively felt that they must not disturb him right now.

Soon, Youngho’s eyes snapped open as he said,

“It is the enemy.”

“Pardon? The enemy?”

“Yes.”

Hyeonu was about to ask what Youngho meant, but at the Killing Intent he felt from behind, he unconsciously turned around.

“……!”

Only then did Horyeung also sense the presence, and by the time even the others—who were not experts of the Transformation Realm—felt it, they were already surrounded.

Looking at those who had encircled them, Youngho said,

“Judging by their attire… they are bandits.”

“People always call us bandits. Wouldn’t it be nicer if they called us the Green Forest?”

Someone laughed heartily as he stepped forward and spoke.

“It is our first meeting, Fifth Young Master.”

Seeing the man’s face, Horyeung’s eyes widened as he said,

“Green Forest King!”

“Oh? So you truly were together with the Fifth Young Master, Blood Wolf. I heard that the old wolf of the Gold-Blood Hall had regained his youth—so it was true.”

The Green Forest King said with a sinister smile,

“Well, even so, a wolf is no match for the mountain lord.”

“Just as you are no match for the Alliance Lord.”

Saaa—

For an instant, silence fell. The Green Forest King forced his stiff expression to relax and said,

“I thought only your body had grown young again, but it seems your mind has as well. The vicious wolf of old has resurfaced.”

With a sneer, Horyeung replied,

“Must I speak politely even to an enemy?”

“That is true. But if you speak politely, I might let you die comfortably.”

As he listened to the fierce exchange between the Green Forest King and Horyeung, Youngho thought,

‘Horyeung, you have become quite the master of venomous words. I am proud!’

As the conversation threatened to drag on, Youngho cut in and said,

“Stop flapping your lips. If you are going to attack, then come at us.”

Crack.

His teeth ground together on their own. The Green Forest King glared at Youngho with bloodshot eyes and said,

“You will regret this. I…!”

“You have colluded with the Demonic Cult.”

“……!”

The Green Forest King’s pupils trembled violently. Youngho paid no attention to his reaction and continued speaking.

“I do not sense Demonic Energy from you. Still, I can feel the Demonic Energy from the ones beside you.”

The Green Forest King flinched. Unable to hide his shock, he met Youngho’s gaze.

Deep. No matter how powerful a light might be, if it touched the abyss within Youngho, even that light would sink into it. It was that deep.

For an instant, a chill ran down the Green Forest King’s spine, and he unconsciously took a step back. Realizing what he had just done, he roared.

“You damned bastard!”

The Lion’s Roar infused with Internal Energy grated on Youngho’s group’s nerves.

“How loud.”

At that moment, a gloomy and low voice pierced the ears of Youngho’s group.

Youngho bared his white teeth in a grin.

“So you have finally come out?”

“It seemed you had noticed our presence.”

At some point, ten Demonic Practitioners stood before Youngho. He looked at them and laughed.

“Heh heh heh. Did the Demon Brain send you?”

“Do not dare to speak of that person so carelessly.”

As the Demonic Practitioner failed to conceal his displeasure, Youngho formed a grotesque smile that would give anyone chills.

“Ten experts of the Extreme of the Transformation Realm at the Absolute Being level… If the Demon Brain sent you, that is overly cautious.”

Hyeonu also seemed to feel the strength of the Demonic Practitioners before him, repeatedly swallowing dryly.

“Each and every one of you is far superior to that one called the Green Forest King. And it does not seem the Demonic Cult sent only you either.”

At that, fifty more Demonic Practitioners surrounded Youngho’s group.

Each one had reached the Peak Master Level.

‘Eleven at the Absolute Being level, fifty Peak Masters, and the bandits… far too many.’

Youngho finished calculating swiftly and said,

“Did you set up a formation?”

“We did. But if it is you, you could probably break through it with brute force.”

“Is it fine to give information so freely to the enemy?”

“What does it matter what we tell someone who is about to die?”

“That is recklessness.”

Before long, fierce Killing Intent and foul Demonic Energy began to seep from the bodies of the Demonic Practitioners.

Youngho frowned and said,

“This will not do. At this rate, we will lose.”

It was a strange statement. According to what the Sun–Moon Divine Cult had grasped of Youngho’s character, he was not someone who would ever give up.

‘Has he surrendered?’

Certainly, with such a disparity in forces, unless one were the Heavenly Demon, surrender would be understandable.

Yet the Demonic Practitioners felt an odd unease. They did not know why. What was this anxiety?

Youngho transmitted his voice to his group.

Cover your ears with Internal Energy.

Understanding his intent, they immediately protected their eardrums with Internal Energy. Hyeonu, failing to grasp it at first, only did so after Youngho repeated himself.

Youngho drew in a deep breath and unleashed a Lion’s Roar.

“What are the Asura Squad doing not coming here!!”

Kwaaaaang—!

Though it was merely a Lion’s Roar, an enormous Shockwave of Qi erupted from Youngho’s body.

Crash!

With the sound of the formation shattering, the bandits who failed to withstand the Lion’s Roar vomited blood and collapsed.

Fortunately, the Demonic Practitioners had hastily protected their ears with Internal Energy and were mostly unharmed, but only the Absolute Being–level experts remained completely intact; the others suffered varying degrees of shock.

One Demonic Practitioner frowned and said,

“You said Asura Squad? Do you truly think your direct guard unit will come just because you shout so loudly?”

“No, they will not come. Such a shout cannot reach distant places.”

“Hmm?”

As the Demonic Practitioner showed interest, Youngho grinned.

“But this time, whether it is Mount Hua or Zhongnan, or even my direct guard unit nearby, those who should come will come.”

With that, as if he would speak no further, Youngho stretched out both arms and opened his palms.

“What are you doing?”

“What else? I am merely imitating your god.”

“What do you mean—!”

Wooooong—!

Everyone present heard it—the Resonance Sound reverberating from Youngho’s hands. They also felt it—the natural energy gathering into his palms.

The Demonic Practitioners’ eyes widened in disbelief, veins bursting until blood flowed from their eyes.

“For now, this is all I can manage. But one day, will I not stand on equal footing with your god?”

The moment the Demonic Practitioners sensed danger and tried to rush him—

Piiii—!

A ringing filled their ears.

Kwaaaaaaaaaang—!!

A thunderous explosion erupted, as if hundreds of Lightning Bombs had detonated at once.

The Internal Energy bursting from Youngho’s hands unleashed an immense Shockwave of Qi. The air-splitting roar echoed throughout all of Shaanxi.

With Killing Intent spread across his face, Youngho smiled chillingly.

Nine Demonic Practitioners of Absolute Being–level martial might were blasted away by his single strike, flying well over one li.

Fortunately, the Green Forest King and one Demonic Practitioner who had not been caught in the aftermath glared at Youngho with wide eyes.

‘Hardened Force Manifestation!’

Compared to the Heavenly Demon, it was like the sun to a firefly. Yet the firefly Youngho displayed was more than enough to astonish the Demonic Practitioners.

Glancing at his group, Youngho said,

“Be careful. I will be back shortly. And Daoist Hyeonu, please hold off either the Green Forest King or one of the Demonic Practitioners. The force I just released will draw the surrounding sects here with their troops.”

It was only natural. The strike Youngho had just displayed could be called nothing less than a god’s blow.

“Then pray for reinforcements and survive.”

Boom—!

Youngho kicked off the ground and shot forward at a terrifying speed. It was a velocity that someone of the Green Forest King’s level—merely an Absolute Being—could neither see nor perceive.

Boom—!

Soon, from the place toward which Youngho had headed, the earth trembled with a thunderous roar, as though an earthquake had struck.

Even among those of the Transformation Realm, anyone below the Absolute Being level would suffer severe Internal Injury from such a Shockwave of Qi.