“Waaah! Blood-Under-Heaven!”

“Blood-Under-Heaven!”

Below, the Blood Cult warriors were flooding in through the collapsed rampart like a tide.

Because Mother Hoja’s sonic ability did not distinguish friend from foe, it could not be used.

As Hwa-eun, from atop Mother Hoja’s back, was thinking she had to somehow block off the broken entrance of the rampart, it happened.

Far away, the Blood Demon—seated on a chair made of naked women—began to move forward together with the palanquin carrying that chair.

He halted when he was only about two hundred paces from the rampart.

That made it inevitable for Mother Hoja to retreat backward.

At that range, even a spear could fly to reach them.

Its power was terrifying enough that Mother Hoja could be hurt.

Because she was large, she couldn’t maneuver quickly in flight; she probably wouldn’t be able to dodge the Blood Demon’s spear.

Though the relationship between spirit creature and human was that of comrades, Mother Hoja’s heart was true—and hadn’t even So-ryong always treated her with respect?

If Mother Hoja were hurt, So-ryong would grieve.

“Mother! Fall back! A spear could fly this way!”

[Understood, child.]

Just as she was having her mother retreat toward the rear—her eyes caught sight of Cheongwol below.

After finishing off the Wind Scorpion, Cheongwol was glancing around the area.

Seeing that, Hwa-eun quickly shouted to her.

“Cheongwol! Block the breach!”

—Growl. “Understood!”

Wasn’t Cheongwol the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone-Shelled Scorpion that rendered attacks made with inner energy null?

It seemed she could block the entrance without being threatened by the Blood Demon’s spear.

—Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

—KWAANG!

Cheongwol charged forward and slammed into the Blood Cult warriors pouring through the broken embankment.

When she collided with the oncoming ranks, the crash sent Blood Cult warriors flying in all directions.

“Gyaaaah!”

“B-back off!”

“Back off! It’s a scorpion!”

As the formation was crushed, Cheongwol spread her arms wide and roughly shoved the red tide pressing in.

Dozens were swept away at once, perishing on the spot, and the remaining troops began to backpedal.

The towering figure of the giant scorpion advancing with arms spread was enough to make anyone retreat.

Hundreds who had crossed the rampart were being driven back helplessly.

Then, among the Blood Cult warriors retreating backward, voices cried out.

“Don’t fall back! Fight back!”

“Hold the line!”

—Ting.

—Clang.

But even when they swung their weapons, the blows only bounced off; even hidden weapons had no effect.

Cheongwol was the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone-Shelled Scorpion.

A spirit creature that could block even attacks made of inner energy.

“Follow the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone-Shelled Scorpion!”

At the Alliance Leader’s shout, the warriors behind him found courage and followed.

“Waaah!”

“Waaahhh!”

Following Cheongwol’s lead, the Murim Alliance and Central Plains warriors surged forward, driving the Blood Cult back.

At the front, the Alliance Leader shattered Blood Cultists’ heads with his fists and palms.

Thrown weapons and blades bounced off him like off Cheongwol’s shell.

The overwhelming presence of Cheongwol and the Alliance Leader together.

All pressed forward, pushing the Blood Cult warriors back—until the moment when Cheongwol advanced and blocked the broken opening of the rampart.

—Swiish!

—BOOM!

Something flew at tremendous speed and struck the stone pillar that had grown on Cheongwol’s back.

Or rather—it looked as though it struck, but shattered upon hitting her solid shell.

Only a red mark remained.

Though uninjured, Cheongwol stepped back a pace from the impact.

Far away, the Blood Demon wore a startled expression.

—Growl. “Hmph!”

—Swiish. Swiish.

—KWAANG! BOOM!

Two more projectiles came flying at her snort, but when Cheongwol raised her pincers and pointed them forward, the Blood Demon’s spears could no longer even make her retreat.

The two that followed after were deflected by the Alliance Leader himself.

“How dare you!”

Now ignoring the flying spears altogether, Cheongwol swept down those climbing up the rampart with her tail, striking them off.

Hwa-eun thought she’d have to rely on Cheongwol to hold the defense for a while—but just then.

As the Blood Demon flicked his hand, Hwa-eun saw from above a group in black martial uniforms rushing out from behind him.

They were different from the red-uniformed Blood Cult warriors—pitch-black uniforms.

A strange black, as if something had been erased from it.

'What in the world...?'

That group sprinted past the Blood Demon and charged forward.

Reaching the front where the Blood Cult warriors in red were blocked by Cheongwol and unable to move, one among them leapt up high.

Stepping on the shoulders of Blood Cult warriors, he began to run swiftly forward.

Using body-lightening arts, he ran, feet tapping the shoulders of his own comrades, racing ahead.

At that moment—a glint of gold flashed above his head.

“Th-that is—!?”

The instant she sensed it, Hwa-eun realized it was a golden needle.

At the same time, she saw the flask in the man’s hand.

Every instinct in her screamed danger.

It had to be Extinction, that cursed poison.

She had to stop it.

Pouring inner energy into her voice, she shouted across the battlefield.

“Gungbong!”

Though normally unreliable, when it came to hitting targets she never missed—so Hwa-eun decided to trust her.

“I see him! That one, right!?”

Apparently already watching, Gungbong loosed a red arrow the moment Hwa-eun shouted, sending it flying past the Blood Cult warriors toward the man. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

—Swiish.

—Clang.

The arrow shot fast and pierced the man’s wrist.

As expected—whatever else, Gungbong was the best marksman in the Central Plains.

But the spot it struck was bad; the flask shattered, and a black sphere burst outward.

—Pwhoosh!

As the black circle expanded, the figures of dozens of Blood Cultists vanished at once.

Alarmed, Hwa-eun swept past over Cheongwol’s back and shouted:

“Cheongwol, back! Fall back! Gungbong, don’t let the black ones approach!”

—Growl. “Understood!”

“Got it!”

There were several more attempts after that, which Gungbong barely managed to stop—but they couldn’t prevent the rampart from being breached.

Because even as the black-uniformed warriors died, they shattered their flasks, creating openings everywhere—the rampart’s perimeter was broken through.

Since Extinction had forced the spirit creatures to retreat and made the Murim Alliance and Central Plains warriors hesitate in fear, the Blood Cult began pouring in through the narrow passage.

Black circles appeared here and there near the rampart entrance, and soon the enemy forces that had rushed in were driving the Murim Alliance and Central Plains martial artists all the way back to the gate.

***

As the Blood Cult poured in, the allied forces of the Central Plains and the Murim Alliance were split in two.

Those who had been pushed inside the Beast Palace, and those who had retreated along with the Spirit Turtle while defending the rampart.

Both sides tried to reconnect their formations, but it was impossible—the enemy filled every space.

The Blood Demon himself appeared, and part of their line suffered heavy losses from his spear and had to fall back.

One of the Murim Alliance elders was killed, two were gravely wounded, and Mo Ji and So Ji had to rush to treat them.

“Hwa-eun should be arriving by now.”

“So she should.”

Gun Hye-rin and the Princess, along with the troops who had retreated under the Blood Demon’s spear assault, were watching from atop the Spirit Turtle’s shell toward the Beast Palace.

The Blood Cult seemed determined not to move on until they had slaughtered the martial artists gathered within the Beast Palace; they were swarming at the entrance, ignoring the spirit creatures.

Over their heads, Hwa-eun flew past on Mother Hoja.

“She’s coming.”

“She’s here.”

When Hwa-eun landed on the deck, Ji-ryong quickly approached and asked,

“What’s the situation?”

“The entrance is well-blocked. The passage is extremely narrow, so only a limited number can get through.”

“I see the retreat went smoothly. But the water worries me.”

“I plan to use the pouch Mother Hoja and Yohwa made to transport water. That should solve the problem. At least we’ll have enough to drink.”

“Oh! A fine idea!”

Water was scarce, but hearing that Hwa-eun could move it using Mother Hoja eased Ji-ryong’s face with joy.

For the moment, it seemed they could hold out without issue.

At that moment, Yohwa came over and tapped Hwa-eun’s shoulder.

—Kissit. “Sister, I think something’s happening inside!”

“What is it?”

—Kishish. “The entrance is being pushed back!”

“The entrance—being pushed back?”

Hwa-eun quickly mounted Mother Hoja and took flight.

Higher and higher—until the bottle-necked entrance of the Beast Palace came into view from above.

When she rose and the narrow bottle-shaped opening came into sight, Hwa-eun’s eyes widened.

The Blood Demon himself was forcing his way through the entrance.

With a single palm strike, dozens of martial artists were blown away like bundles of straw.

Originally, they had agreed to block him together if he appeared, but in this situation, it wouldn’t be strange if the entrance was breached any moment.

It was a strike exploiting the gap created when their forces had split between the two fronts.

Flying swiftly down, Hwa-eun shouted to the Princess and Gun Hye-rin:

“Princess! Hye-rin! We have to go! The Blood Demon is breaking through the entrance himself!”

“What!?”

“What?”

But if that side had exploited their weak point, this side too had a way to reverse the situation.

They could simply fly over and join the fight.

Though their forces were divided, moving a few masters across was no difficult task.

Hwa-eun and the Princess mounted Mother Hoja, while Gun Hye-rin clung to Blood Flower Dream Butterfly Jeokwol, and they sped toward the Beast Palace entrance.

Below, the red tide spread out.

Passing over the crimson waves that looked like blood, they reached the mouth of the bottle, where five were locked in combat.

Murim Alliance Leader Ju Junghak, Geolhwang, the Leg Demon So Su-ryeon, and Xintu Galjihong were barely holding off the Blood Demon.

“I’ll kill you here and avenge my wife’s death—and sever the Blood Cult’s line forever!”

“Heh-heh. The wife’s death, is it? How touching. Her blood may well flow within me, you know. The blood of martial artists is offered to my Blood Crystal. So in a sense, I might be a bit of your wife myself.”

“What!? You—!”

—KWAANG!

Ju Junghak, who had reached the Flame Realm through outer cultivation, blocked all attacks at the front while So Su-ryeon and Xintu struck from the sides in bursts.

Geolhwang joined from behind, jumping in to aid whenever he saw an opening.

But they were being slowly pushed back.

It was only natural.

The saying went that it took at least five masters of the Flame Realm to face one of the Manifestation Realm.

Descending from Mother Hoja, Hwa-eun shouted as she charged in.

“We’ll help! Let’s go, Princess!”

“Yes!”

Hwa-eun’s venomous energy pressed the Blood Demon, and the Princess’s sword released a cutting aura as though to slice through his whole body.

Only then did the six of them reach equal footing.

The fierce exchange of offense and defense continued evenly.

It seemed the rumor that five could contend with one Manifestation master wasn’t exactly true.

Even with six masters of the Flame Realm attacking, they could only fight to a standstill.

While everyone was reeling at that realization, the Blood Demon laughed with satisfaction.

“Ahahaha! Delightful, truly {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} delightful. Especially you two women—you please me immensely. After I capture you both, I might as well use your bodies.”

“Silence! This Princess’s sword will sever your vile head!”

“Heh. Foolish words. I never tire—but can the rest of you say the same?”

As the Princess swung her sword with blinding speed, she glanced in the direction the Blood Demon was watching.

The Alliance Leader was drenched in blood, breathing hard.

He had borne the brunt of the attacks alone, his strength rapidly waning.

At this rate, things would indeed turn out as the Blood Demon said—but then,

the Alliance Leader suddenly hurled himself at the Blood Demon, fists flying, and shouted:

“You there! If you step in now, I’ll strike the Heavenly Demon Cult from the list of martial world’s enemies! I, Ju Junghak, Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance, swear it!”

At those words, black hair like obsidian streamed as someone burst between the six clashing fighters.

—KWA-BOOM!

A tremendous violent wave of energy exploded, engulfing the Blood Demon—and when the dust settled over the trampled grass, Gun Hye-rin spoke with an annoyed expression.

“You’d better keep that promise.”