Red Light District's Martial God Chapter 117

About half a shijin later.

"Huff... huff...."

Jaseong gasped for breath.

All around him were the endless bodies of Blood Cult warriors strewn across the ground.

"I barely managed to defeat them all...."

Just as Jaseong muttered, he had taken down all of the thousand Blood Cult elites.

About two hundred of them had fled, crushed by Jaseong's overwhelming presence, but regardless, this was an astonishing feat.

However—

Thud—

Regrettably, that was Jaseong's limit.

After the fight, his eyes gently closed and his knees buckled.

This was the price for using every last bit of his internal power.

His dantian was already completely empty.

Watching this, the Wicked Fla Sword murmured.

—I thought I'd t an interesting human for the first ti in five hundred years... but that wasn't quite right. Never have I t a human quite like this.

The Wicked Fla Sword had passed through the hands of successive Evil Path Association Leaders—those worthy of being called supre masters—but none of them had satisfied it.

Not even the most powerful among them t the sword's standards.

And yet, the Wicked Fla Sword acknowledged Jaseong.

The reasons were many:

His innate martial talent, celestial realm-level martial arts, and exceptionally pure internal power, among others.

But what stood out most was his determination—so fierce it could overturn heaven and earth.

—It is exceedingly rare, in this world, for one to risk their own lifespan in pursuit of sothing. So many claim to stake their lives, but in reality, there's always hesitation deep down. Yet this one committed himself without a shred of doubt. Even knowing I was draining his vital energy, he let take even more. All to uphold his own intent....

To the Wicked Fla Sword, this was a sight to make its eyes burn.

Only one such as this could offer up lifespan to the sword and awaken it.

—But it's regrettable that, as of yet, this one's level is too low to truly summon .

In truth, the Wicked Fla Sword was a divine artifact created for celestial beings with lifespans of thousands of years.

It was only natural that soone like Jaseong was still far from being able to use its full power.

—I shall wait until you can summon this blade not by force, but naturally.

Whispering in Jaseong's ear as he slept, the sword bid its farewell.

Looking forward to the ti they would et again, soon.

* * *

At that sa mont, the battle at the black market had also just ended.

"Haa... haa...."

At the center of the black market stood Lee Rin and Gu Janghu, gasping for breath.

Their martial robes were soaked with blood and sweat, faces etched deep with exhaustion.

Beside them stood Heuk Muguk, Kang Ryong, and Dokgo Yeon.

These three had also nearly exhausted their internal power, utterly spent.

All the Guardian Generals of the Northern Sea and Ansun branch martial force, along with the experts from the three unorthodox sects, lay strewn across the ground, worn out to their limits.

But for all that, they had managed to defeat a thousand Blood Cult warriors, sorcerers, and even seven elders of the cult.

If they included the ones Jaseong dealt with outside, they had practically shattered the Blood Cult—a major sect among the Evil Path Association.

"Huff... huff... Are you alright, great hero Gu?"

Lee Rin asked, panting for breath.

"More or less."

"You were cut on your flank, weren't you?"

"It's not bad enough to die."

As Gu Janghu replied curtly, Dokgo Yeon cut in.

"You look half-dead. Yet you're putting on a brave front as if it's nothing, just because you're a man."

Dokgo Yeon's tone was laced with sarcasm, but her face was much paler than before.

She had used almost all her internal power controlling the Thousand Snake Formation.

"Kehaha... That was one thrilling battle... it's been a while...."

Even exhausted, Kang Ryong let out a wild laugh.

The gray tint on his massive muscles was now gone, his body returned to normal.

Heuk Muguk sat collapsed to one side, coughing up blood.

His injuries were particularly severe—he had fought two Blood Cult elders alone.

If Kang Ryong hadn't stepped in, he might not have survived the day.

"By the way, young Palace Lord, didn't you hear sword sounds outside?"

"Yes. It sounded as if fighting broke out there too. Who could have been fighting outside?"

"The branch leader hasn't co yet."

"Then—could it be great hero Jaseong?!"

Despite being drained, Lee Rin and Gu Janghu used lightness skills to dash outside the black market.

They were worried about Jaseong.

Seeing this, Dokgo Yeon, Heuk Muguk, and Kang Ryong followed after, sensing trouble.

At that mont—

"What, what is this...?!"

All of them stared in shock.

Jaseong, eyes closed and slumped against his blade,

and surrounding him, nearly a thousand Blood Cult warriors sprawled in a great circle.

Even two elders of the cult were among them.

It looked like a single, crimson flower in bloom.

"How... is this even possible...?"

Lee Rin muttered in a trembling voice.

"That the branch leader's martial arts were at this level...."

Gu Janghu's voice was full of disbelief.

Even the others, heirs of unorthodox sects, were speechless.

'Singlehandedly defeated a thousand enemies... and not just any, but Blood Cult elites....'

Heuk Muguk wiped cold sweat as he muttered.

Not even he, known as the top prodigy of the unorthodox factions, could imagine doing such a thing.

"... A madman."

Kang Ryong let out a hollow chuckle.

He seed not the least bit resentful about his loss to Jaseong at the Dark Path Duel Banquet.

'Taking down a thousand with a single blade... is such a thing even humanly possible?'

With a look of shock, Dokgo Yeon gazed at Jaseong.

It was then—

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!

A myriad of footsteps echoed from afar.

Imdiately, Lee Rin and the others' eyes sharpened.

'Could there still be Blood Cult forces left?!'

'We can't handle another battle like this....'

Extending their ki sense, they felt hundreds of energy signatures approaching.

But as Lee Rin's group tensed and gripped their weapons, it turned out the newcors were not from the Blood Cult.

From over a distant hill, a squad in ash-colored martial robes appeared.

At the head was Gal Seo-ryeong, Guardian General of the Hao Sect.

Behind her were three Hao Sect hall lords and over a hundred Hao Sect martial force mbers, running in orderly formation.

And that wasn't all.

Following behind the Hao Sect's martial force, Dark Path warriors wearing black-horned masks surged forward like a rising tide.

Their numbers easily topped five hundred—an overwhelming force.

Like a black tide, these were none other than the Guangxi Province Dark Path warriors summoned by Jaseong.

"Thank goodness! They're allies!"

At Lee Rin's shout, both Heuk Muguk and Dokgo Yeon looked puzzled.

'The ones leading these arriving warriors seem to be top experts... since when did the Tianxia Association have such powerful masters?'

'... As I thought, these aren't actually Tianxia Association mbers, but agents of other sects.'

Only Dokgo Yeon, quick to catch on, now realized the true identities of Lee Rin's group.

More surprisingly, Gal Seo-ryeong and her forces arrived without a single casualty, even after facing Blood Cult Leader Chu Hyul-gwang and his highest-level experts.

About an hour ago, when Gal Seo-ryeong's faction was fighting Chu Hyul-gwang and the cult's top experts, they unexpectedly ran into reinforcents:

Jaseong's Guangxi Province Dark Path warriors.

Though not particularly mighty, led by Little Devil and the Silent Traveler, their numbers were imnse.

Realizing the huge numbers on the enemy side, Chu Hyul-gwang judged there was no hope of victory and withdrew—

especially since Heavenly Black Sword Venerable, the Black Star Sect leader, had appeared as well.

With the Tianxia Association already subdued and the Blood Sacrifice Grand Art completed, there was no longer any point in prolonging the fight.

But when Gal Seo-ryeong and the three hall lords arrived at the black market, what unfolded was utterly different from what Chu Hyul-gwang—or anyone—had anticipated.

'What on earth happened? I expected to find them struggling, yet they've smashed the Blood Cult's power...!'

'Could Ansun branch leader have defeated all these Blood Cult scum alone?!'

'That Ansun branch leader's martial skills...!'

Just as Lee Rin and company had done, everyone reacted with utter disbelief.

To all observers, Jaseong sitting calmly in the midst of a thousand Blood Cult corpses was a sight that sent shivers down their spines.

Then—

Sshhh—

Jaseong, who had fainted, opened his eyes.

As he rose, the blood-soaked human-skin mask on his face slipped away.

His bare face was revealed to all.

Instantly, gasps of a different kind resounded through the crowd.

"That... that youthful man singlehandedly took down all these experts...?"

"Incredible... impossible...."

"With that delicate face, such a violent martial art?!"

"A peerless prodigy has erged...!"

It was Jaseong's first ti revealing his true face before so many.

He didn't mind.

He was planning to reveal his face soon anyway, and beco the head of the Tianxia Association.

But just then—

"A remarkable skill for one so young."

An old man wearing a black bamboo hat stepped toward Jaseong and spoke.

His movent was incredibly mysterious.

Though it seed he only took one light step, he suddenly stood right before Jaseong.

"Disciple Heuk Muguk greets Master!"

The mont the old man in the black bamboo hat appeared, Heuk Muguk, wounded as he was, saluted with a cupped fist and bowed with the proper etiquette.

At the sa ti, Jaseong realized the old man's identity.

'Heavenly Black Sword Venerable, Sect Leader of the Black Star Sect, one of the top-ranked among the Five Great Evil Ones....'

True to his prestigious reputation, his presence was overwhelming.

Even Gal Seo-ryeong, the second-in-command of the Hao Sect, could not compare to the force of Heavenly Black Sword Venerable's aura.

"My head disciple could not have achieved this."

Heavenly Black Sword Venerable spoke again.

"I heard that the new Hao Sect Leader recruited a number of top experts—but I did not expect that he brought in a youngster of such talent."

"......."

"So, to which sect did you originally belong?"

"?"

"I an before you joined the Hao Sect. Or to which family, perhaps."

With eyes full of curiosity, heavenly Black Sword Venerable questioned him.

Jaseong had been asked this several tis already.

"I belonged to no sect before joining the Hao Sect."

"What...?"

"Red Light District. That's my only background."

Heavenly Black Sword Venerable could hardly believe his ears.

Everyone in the area reacted the sa.

"... A martial genius like you erged from the Red Light District?"

In the current martial world, those known as prodigies were fed elixirs from the ti they could walk, purified their veins and bones, and learned martial arts from various experts.

The Black Star Sect's successor, Heuk Muguk, was the sa—as were Kang Ryong and Dokgo Yeon.

In short, they had all been born with every advantage.

For soone from the lowliest Red Light District, with no such support, to show such power in a martial world full of "dragons" like them...!

"......."

Heavenly Black Sword Venerable stared intently at Jaseong for a mont, saying nothing.

Gal Seo-ryeong and the three hall lords watched anxiously, waiting for Heavenly Black Sword Venerable's next move.

[Heavenly Black Sword Venerable might just cut down Ansun branch leader on the spot.]

[What do you an, Guardian General?]

[For the Black Star Sect to thrive and for his chief disciple, Heuk Muguk, to beco the next master of the martial world, heavenly Black Sword Venerable must remove any promising sprouts nearby. And Ansun branch leader is probably the greatest "sprout" he's ever seen.]

[If he does, that would an declaring war with our Hao Sect....]

Not knowing what Heavenly Black Sword Venerable would do, Gal Seo-ryeong and the hall lords quietly reached for their sword hilts.

But just then, unexpected words ca from Heavenly Black Sword Venerable's lips.