Red Light District's Martial God Chapter 114

Gal Seo-ryeong's movent form vanished without warning.

That was how fast she moved—so much so that even most experts could not track her with their eyes.

"Hmph."

But Chu Hyul-gwang was not surprised; rather, a slight sneer appeared on his lips.

He then stabbed the Blood Demon Sword into empty air to his right.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

At that instant, Gal Seo-ryeong's movent form, which had disappeared, reappeared before everyone.

Chu Hyul-gwang had lightly received her sudden, wind-like assault.

"That makes three moves I've let you have."

Chu Hyul-gwang spoke with a twisted smile.

This was astonishing, too.

To everyone watching, it looked as if there had only been a single clash, and yet he was saying that the two had already exchanged three rounds.

"Well then, shall we begin for real?"

Soon, Chu Hyul-gwang's Blood Demon Sword and Gal Seo-ryeong's Black Forest Flower Sword started colliding in midair in a dazzling display.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!!! Chae chae chae cheng!!!!

The sound of supre peak masters' internal power clashing vibrated throughout the entire forest.

The speed was so trendous that to the untrained eye, it looked as if only two shadows were crashing against each other.

Yet wherever the shadows collided, the ground was deeply scarred, trees shattered, and rocks were blown to pieces.

'A-amazing...! So this is the battle of heavenly experts...!'

'But contrary to expectations, the guardian general isn't being pushed back at all...?!'

'Could it be that the guardian general will defy everyone's expectations and topple the Blood Cult Leader...!'

Gal Seo-ryeong exchanged over a thousand moves with Chu Hyul-gwang.

Her sword art, Ei Wind-Splitting Sword (峨嵋披風劍法), was an illusion sword technique perford with a thin blade.

The path of the sword was so unpredictable that one sword appeared as dozens.

As a result, countless illusion swords surrounded Chu Hyul-gwang.

At a glance, it seed as if Gal Seo-ryeong was matching, or even surpassing, the Blood Cult Leader Chu Hyul-gwang in combat.

Unfortunately, Chu Hyul-gwang still had moves he had not revealed.

Specifically, Chu Hyul-gwang was not only skilled in swordsmanship but also in kicking techniques and palm arts.

Papapat!!

In a flash, a kick from Chu Hyul-gwang shot through a gap in Gal Seo-ryeong's flowing sword path.

Gal Seo-ryeong twisted her body to dodge, but in the next instant, Chu Hyul-gwang spun around—swish!—and unleashed a palm technique.

Thud!!

Gal Seo-ryeong hastily raised one hand to block.

But the power of the palm technique was so considerable that her forearm throbbed with pain.

"Kuh!"

A faint groan escaped Gal Seo-ryeong's lips.

Seeing this, Chu Hyul-gwang sneered. He looked as if he had finally found a breakthrough.

Afterward, he kept up a similar pattern of attack.

He and Gal Seo-ryeong would cross swords in prolonged exchanges,

Clang, clang, clang, clang!! Chae chae chae cheng!!!!

And then, at a certain mont, a kick would dart through the gap in her sword path,

Papapat!!

If Gal Seo-ryeong dodged, swish!

He would spin to deliver a palm strike.

Thud!!

"Kuh?!"

Gal Seo-ryeong's groans grew more pronounced.

As befitting an old expert, Chu Hyul-gwang had mastered countless martial arts over the years.

"We must aid the guardian general at once!"

Lord of Moon Castle Hall Jang Baekwoon shouted as he unsheathed his sword—srrng!

Although he had reached the peak, it was uncertain whether he could cut into the struggle of supre peak experts.

Still, he could not just stand by and watch the defeat of the Hao Sect's guardian general.

Unfortunately, at that mont, the Cult Leader's left and right guardian generals stepped in to block the way.

"How dare you try to ddle in the Cult Master's fight!"

Blood Cult's Left Guardian General, Blood Palm Blade (血掌刀) Yeo Hyeon-gwi. Blood Cult's Right Guardian General, Iron Blood Envoy (鐵血使) Jin Hyeol-gwi.

Worthy of their reputations as the second and third-in-command of the Blood Cult, their presence was that of true experts.

"The two of us are more than enough to deal with the likes of you."

Blood Cult's Right Guardian General Jin Hyeol-gwi muttered in a low voice.

He drew his sharply curved blade—srrng—and charged at the Lord of Moon Castle Hall.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!!!!

Jin Hyeol-gwi's blade drove the Hall Lord back at incredible speed.

With that as the cue, left Guardian General Yeo Hyeon-gwi also began his attack.

Lord of the Heavenly King Vajra Heaven and Lord of the Five Dragons Hallmaster Guo Wencheng broke out in a sweat as they struggled to fend off his assault.

But it was not easy.

Though the Hao Sect had one more person on their side, in this three-against-two fight, they were instead being pushed back by the two Blood Cult Guardians.

Chu Hyul-gwang sneered as he watched.

"Klkl. Gal Seo-ryeong, even your subordinates are being utterly crushed by my Cult's guardians."

"Tch...!"

"And you, a disciple of the Buddhist Nun of Mount Ei, are still far from escaping her shadow. Hlhlt."

"You yourself are not what you once were, Cult Leader. I can now see why you beca the Demonic Cult's dog."

Gal Seo-ryeong snapped back, twisting the tip of her sword. At that instant—

"The Demonic Cult's dog?"

A shift ca over Chu Hyul-gwang. Though he wore a smile, his eyes turned cold as ice.

"Dog of the Demonic Cult, you say... Perhaps that's how commoners see it. But..."

"...?"

"I joined hands with the Demonic Cult to beco a Blood Demon."

... A Blood Demon?

"Gal Seo-ryeong, you know, don't you? Just as the Demonic Cult had the Heavenly Demon, the Blood Cult had the Blood Demon."

"You still believe that ludicrous legend? You really have grown feeble."

"Klkl. Foolish one. In return for bowing to the Demonic Cult, I received back a manual that our sect lost during the Great Heavenly Demon War. Do you know what that manual was? It's the Blood Sacrifice Grand Art (血祭大法)."

"...!"

Gal Seo-ryeong's face hardened at Chu Hyul-gwang's words.

The Blood Sacrifice Grand Art (血祭大法).

A forbidden sorcery said to grant imnse power by sacrificing countless people.

It was so ancient that no one knew the details, but it was whispered to be the cruellest sorcery in the martial arts world's history.

"The Demonic Cult dismisses it as re savagery, thinking it useless. But that's a mistake. In truth, it's a spell manual for creating 'jiangshi'—the reanimated dead—from ancient tis."

"Jiangshi...?!"

"That's why this campaign against the Tianxia Association ans so much. If I make sacrifices of all the commoners from Tianxia Association's pleasure district using the Blood Sacrifice Grand Art, wouldn't I have a legion of ten thousand jiangshi at once?"

Chu Hyul-gwang shouted, overco by madness. Seeing him, Gal Seo-ryeong clenched her jaw tight.

'Everyone in the Central Plains knows the Blood Cult are lunatics, but to think they'd try to sacrifice ten thousand lives...!'

Gal Seo-ryeong gritted her teeth and steeled herself for her final move—the secret ultimate move of the Buddhist Nun of Ei: Ei Heavenly Flower Sword (峨嵋神天花前劍).

The reason she had kept this ultimate move in reserve was that, if she failed, she would lose seventy percent of her internal energy at once.

'But if it succeeds, I'll be able to inflict a serious wound upon Chu Hyul-gwang—this is the move that will turn the tide...!'

But just as Gal Seo-ryeong was calling up her inner power—

Gwooooo―

Suddenly, an aura even more overwhelming than Chu Hyul-gwang's filled the battlefield.

Both Gal Seo-ryeong and Chu Hyul-gwang flinched, simultaneously turning toward the source.

There stood an old man wearing a black bamboo hat.

* * *

"Tsk. So it was the Blood Cult causing all this commotion."

The old man in the black bamboo hat spoke suddenly.

Chu Hyul-gwang's arrogant smile vanished in an instant.

"Heavenly Black Sword Venerable. I never expected you to show up here."

At the nickna that spilled from Chu Hyul-gwang's lips, all weapons froze as everyone turned to look at the old man with the black bamboo hat.

'Heavenly Black Sword Venerable...!'

'The Sect Leader of the Black Star Sect has appeared!'

'Two of the Five Great Evil Ones from the unorthodox faction are here together...!'

Heavenly Black Sword Venerable, Sect Leader of the Black Star Sect.

He was an object of both terror and awe in the martial world.

Thirty years ago, in a single day, he had slain nine elders from three of the Nine Great Sects.

Since then, the orthodox factions had called him a demon, trembling in fear, while the unorthodox hailed him as an honored lord.

Chu Hyul-gwang addressed Heavenly Black Sword Venerable.

"Did you co here because you want the Evil Path Association Leader's Seal as well?"

"Why bother asking when you already know?"

"Tsk. Your lack of manners hasn't changed. When this Cult Leader was making a na for himself in the martial world, you could barely walk, yet you now dare..."

Heavenly Black Sword Venerable ignored Chu Hyul-gwang with ease.

His gaze fell to Gal Seo-ryeong.

"You're from the Hao Sect, aren't you?"

It was Gal Seo-ryeong's first ti facing Heavenly Black Sword Venerable, so she felt sowhat tense.

"That's right."

"I'm torn."

"Torn about what?"

"Whether to cut you down first, or that mad old bastard over there."

At that instant, the two swords at Heavenly Black Sword Venerable's waist unsheathed themselves—srrng—and floated into the air.

This was the Flying Sword Art, a technique only those who had reached the apex of swordsmanship could use.

It was truly a marvelous art, yet Gal Seo-ryeong was not cowed.

"Don't you think you're overestimating yourself? Even if you are the Sect Leader of the Black Star Sect, you look down on the guardian general of the Hao Sect far too much."

"Hmph. Still showing spirit with right in front of you. Quite plucky."

"......."

"I've heard the status of the Hao Sect has changed under its new leader—didn't you recruit expert warriors who once drifted as outcasts among other sects? Which sect did you originally belong to?"

"That, I'll explain in due ti. But if you must insist on a fight, you'd do better to strike the Blood Cult Leader first."

"And why is that?"

"Because he's preparing to enact the Blood Sacrifice Grand Art, a forbidden sorcery."

At those words, heavenly Black Sword Venerable's eyes turned to Chu Hyul-gwang.

From the chilling murderous intent he radiated, it was clear he knew what the Blood Sacrifice Grand Art ant.

Chu Hyul-gwang responded with killing intent of his own, then suddenly turned to Gal Seo-ryeong.

"Disciple of the Buddhist Nun of Ei, you're lucky. A bit longer and I would have taken your head. But I have unfortunate news."

"?"

"No matter how you flap that clever tongue and try to win Heavenly Black Sword Venerable over, it's already too late to stop the Blood Sacrifice Grand Art."

"What do you an?"

"Our Blood Cult's elite force of two thousand has already reached their destination."

"...!"

In that mont, not only Gal Seo-ryeong but even Heavenly Black Sword Venerable's eyes twitched.

Two thousand elites. That was virtually the entire might of the Blood Cult mobilized.

Even for soone who had transcended the human level and reached the supre peak, fighting against that many was impossible.

"Klkl. To perform the Blood Sacrifice Grand Art and create a legion of ten thousand jiangshi, of course I had to bring that many. And I'll get my hands on the Evil Path Association Leader's Seal, too."

"You insane old devil...!"

"Oh! By the way, I've heard that the heirs of the Black Star Sect, Poison Valley, and Twin Dragon Clan are locked up in Tianxia Association's black market. You've truly orchestrated sothing amusing."

Heavenly Black Sword Venerable knit his brows.

"... You're saying disciples of the Black Star Sect are being held captive?"

"That's right. By now, our Blood Cult's elite and sorcerers should have reached them, too. Klklkl. I'll make those heirs into jiangshi as well. Martial artists' vital energy is a rare ingredient for creating stronger jiangshi."

A maniacal smile twisted Chu Hyul-gwang's lips.

In contrast, Gal Seo-ryeong's eyes quaked with shock.

'Two thousand of the Blood Cult's elites... Of course, only a few among them would be first-rate experts. The majority will be second-rate at best.

But... Even Ansun Corps Leader and her current strength at Tianxia Association could not possibly withstand such a force.

Ansun Corps Leader. Will you survive this?'

Gal Seo-ryeong bit her lip hard. When she looked up at the sky, the western heavens were darkening with thick storm clouds rolling in.

* * *

At that hour.

Thousand Martial Pavilion, where the Tianxia Association's black market was located.

In response to Jaseong's order, the Tianxia Association's dark warriors moved busily.

Even though they had been gathered on short notice, their numbers exceeded a hundred.

"By the Association Leader's command! Search every inch of the surrounding thirty li!"

"Find any trace of the Blood Cult bastards!"

"If you see anything suspicious, report it imdiately!"

To the shouts of the Tianxia Association's upper managent, the dark warriors scattered in every direction.

They were scouring the area as Jaseong had ordered, looking for any sign of the Blood Cult.

Near the entrance to Thousand Martial Pavilion, Lee Rin, Gu Janghu, and the guardians from the North Sea were on standby.

Jaseong was not present.

He needed to speak with Association Leader Gun Hanmaek about sothing, and had gone to his secret chamber.

"They say the Blood Cult is readying so sorcery... What kind of sorcery could it be?"

Lee Rin asked anxiously.

Gu Janghu answered her, "Who knows. Whatever it is, we should be cautious. The seniors in Killing Valley always told : when you et the Blood Cult, beware their sinister spellcraft above all else."

"My mother gave similar advice before I left for the Central Plains... This all feels off."

At that mont, Heuk Muguk, locked up behind iron bars, cut in on their conversation.

"What's happening outside?"

Gu Janghu replied coldly, "You're a prisoner. It's none of your concern."

"When I fought with Kang Ryong and Dokgo Yeon, I thought you were quite the experts, but it seems your senses are dull."

"?"

"Can't you hear it? All those screams coming from the forest outside."