Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 468 – The Great Battle (1)

Lacking immunity to women, he was easily embarrassed, his face turning bright red at the slightest touch.

However, at the mention of the great ritual tool from Yeo Su-rin’s mouth, his flushed face instantly cooled.

“No. That’s absolutely not allowed.”

“Aww, Senior Brother.”

“You’ve already been punished for sneaking into the Divine Origin Hall and damaging Master’s ritual tool before, yet you dare say such things again?”

“That was when I was still inexperienced. Now…”

“Even now, Master would have forbidden entry to the Divine Origin Hall.”

“That’s why I need your help, Senior Brother.”

“Aren’t you being too brazen?”

Yeo Su-rin’s senior brother was dumbfounded.

Master had originally forbidden even leaving Harmonious Immortal Pavilion, let alone touching Master’s great ritual tool. If he found out about this, it would be grounds for immediate expulsion.

“This time it’s absolutely not allowed. With the White Great Peng Demon King’s seal broken and diviners disappearing, ominous events are unfolding. If you try to do something so foolish, I’ll have no choice but to lock you in the facing-wall room…”

“What if it’s not just one of the Six Demons being released?”

“What? What do you mean…”

“Exactly what I said. What I’m trying to do may be disobeying Master’s orders, but it’s definitely not a foolish act.”

Her suddenly serious tone made her senior brother furrow his brow and ask:

“What do you mean it’s not just one of the Six Demons being released?”

“Exactly that. You don’t know what mission I’ve been on, do you, Senior Brother?”

“It’s a rule of our pavilion that missions from Master must be kept secret from other disciples. Surely you’re not thinking of breaking that rule?”

“Does it look like I can keep following rules in this situation?”

“Well…”

As her senior brother looked troubled, she touched her forehead and said:

“You remember the heavenly signs Master read? That the Three Eyes would bring chaos to the world?”

“…Are you saying the current events are related to that?”

To his question, Yeo Su-rin replied in a meaningful tone:

“That’s right. If we don’t act now because of Master’s orders, there could be even more sacrifices than what’s happening now.”

“Sacrifices…”

“If we stand by and do nothing, countless people in the Central Plains could die.”

“…”

“That’s why I desperately need your help, Senior Brother.”

“Haah.”

At her words, her senior brother sighed, his troubled expression deepening as he struggled with what to do.

***

Three days later.

The complexion of Mok Gan’s avatar, in the form of an old man, had become quite haggard.

Though he was enduring thanks to the overflowing original energy from absorbing the blood of spirit beasts, the ancient forbidden technique Supreme Void Sealing Reversal Technique required the practitioner’s sacrifice, slowly becoming overwhelming.

At most, this avatar would only last a few more days before its lifespan ran out.

Of course, even then, the Supreme Void Sealing Reversal Technique wouldn’t be dispelled.

A complete true seal couldn’t be broken by external or internal forces unless the dispelling technique was activated.

What a tenacious bunch they were.

Mok Gan’s avatar clicked his tongue, glaring at Mok Gyeong-un, who remained trapped in the Supreme Void Sealing Reversal Technique.

He had been constantly trying to take his life with his gaze, but each time Mok Gyeong-un countered with his mind sword, causing even more damage to himself.

‘How can he maintain such mental strength after regressing to a human?’

It had been nearly nine days, yet his spirit remained intact.

Originally, this technique was meant to trap beings like spirit beasts or immortals who tried to defy the natural order, rather than humans.

Thus, ordinary humans would typically go mad after just a few days, unable to endure the stagnant time.

Yet this guy’s eyes were still alive, and even in this situation, he was struggling to break free.

‘But it’s useless.’

The mind sword is exactly what it sounds like – a sword of the mind.

It only worked on living beings, so it couldn’t do anything against the Supreme Void Sealing Reversal Technique that bound the entire space.

‘Huhuhu. You will die here. In the agony of having everything precious taken away from you.’

Kwakwakwakwakwakwang!
Just then, the sound of explosions reached even inside the Supreme Void Sealing Reversal Technique.

Mok Gan frowned.

“Ha…”

That woman was unbelievably persistent.

Despite her slowed recovery due to the wound from the formless sword, she had fought tirelessly day and night for nine days to stop them.

In the end, she had managed to prevent them from capturing Ryu So-wol’s hun.

Mok Gan clicked his tongue.

‘To actually hold off dozens of Demonic-level Beast or higher Imaemangnyang while injured.’

Was her obsession with revenge this intense?

But it seemed that even that was coming to an end now.

There were four Imaemangnyang left.

All of them were Demonic Beasts.

For her, exhausted and having depleted most of her demon power, this was the limit.

He could tell just by looking at her pale face.

“Haa… Haa…”

As Mok Gan judged, Chunchu was beyond exhausted, hanging on by sheer obsession for revenge alone.

With that last attack, she had taken out three Imaemangnyang, but now she truly had no strength left.

Without energy, her body was gradually falling downwards.

Noticing her condition, the remaining four Demon Beasts simultaneously opened their mouths and fired demonic energy bullets.

Papapapang!
Looking at the approaching demonic energy bullets, she stretched out her trembling hand and muttered softly.

“Father… I’ll see you soon.”

With that, her body was engulfed by the demonic energy bullets.

Kwakwakwakwang!
***

Around the same time.

Mok Gyeong-un’s confidants, returning to Heaven and Earth Society headquarters on Heumwon, were being chased by an Imaemangnyang in the form of an insect even larger than Heumwon.

“Persistent bastard.”

The excommunicated monk Ja Geum-jeong tried to drive away the Imaemangnyang using his vajra and ritual tools, but the cunning creature skillfully avoided them while attacking Heumwon.

As a result, Heumwon’s wings and body were covered in wounds.

Weeeeeing!
Chwachwachwach!
“Haa… Haa… Damn bug bastards.”

Seop Chun swung his poison sect weapon, the Mad Dance Sword, ceaselessly cutting down the flying insects.

Not just him, but the others were also dealing with the numerous poisonous insects sent by the Imaemangnyang.

Even the injured Mong Mu-yak fought hard but lost consciousness after being stung by a poisonous insect.

If Eight Poison Snake Staff Guyang Sa-oh, the expert in poisons, hadn’t been there, he might have lost his life.

“Just hold on a bit longer.”

Papapapapak!
Guyang So protected Mong Mu-yak while striking down the incoming poisonous insects with his staff.

Papapat!
Even Ma Ra-hyeon, who had initially been splitting himself into two or three bodies to climb onto Heumwon’s back and deal with the insects, was now breathing heavily, seemingly exhausted.

“Huu… Huu… Seop Chun!”

“Speak!”

“Can you see the headquarters?”

At Ma Ra-hyeon’s shout, Seop Chun looked down below the carriage and let out a sigh.

Originally, since they had been flying, they should have been close to the headquarters by now, but it seemed they had gone in a different direction while being chased by that giant insect-like Imaemangnyang.

What was visible below was a river.

“Damn it. Where the hell are we?”

It was impossible to determine their location.

At this rate, it seemed they might die before reaching the headquarters.

Just then, the carriage tilted suddenly, lurching to the side.

“Whoa?”

As the startled Seop Chun grasped the carriage, he saw the Heumwon’s massive feathers falling in droves before his eyes.

“What, what’s going on?”

Looking up, he saw that the feathers on one of Heumwon’s wings were falling out, revealing wounds.

‘Why?’

That area had been healed by Chunchu, the First-rank of Secret Society.

She had cut her wrist, poured blood on the wounded area, and chanted what seemed like a spell, causing the pierced wound to close and feathers to regrow.

But now, he couldn’t understand what was happening.

Why were the feathers suddenly…

At that very moment,

Kiiiiiiiiiii!
The Heumwon tried to delay the fall by flapping with one wing, but the insect-form Imaemangnyang, seizing this opportunity, swooped in and attacked, causing them to plummet downwards.

Shuuuuuuuu!
“Aaaaargh!”

“Grab onto something tight!”

“Below! There’s a river below! Jump to match it!”

Was it a stroke of luck?

The place they were falling towards happened to be a river.

Splash! Chwaaaaa!
As the massive Heumwon fell into the river, the water surged, creating waves as high as a tsunami.

Mok Gyeong-un’s confidants, who had fallen into the water, began to surface one by one.

“Puah!”

“Gasp, gasp. Dammit. I almost went to Buddha’s side.”

“Mu-yak? Is Mu-yak alright?”

Guyang So, who had surfaced, held the unconscious Mong Mu-yak by the nape of his neck, keeping his face above water while struggling to kick his legs.

Splash splash!
Paat!
Just then, Ma Ra-hyeon emerged from the water, taking off his broken mask and grabbing Mong Mu-yak, saying:

“I’ll take care of Mu-yak.”

“Haa… Haa… Thank you.”

Guyang So, already struggling with his old body and injuries, expressed his gratitude.

Meanwhile, they weren’t sure if the Heumwon was alright.

It had sunk deep into the river and wasn’t resurfacing.

As getting out of the middle of the river seemed to be the most urgent matter, they all started swimming without hesitation.

But then,

Wooaaaang!
The sound of flapping wings reached their ears, and the river water around them began to churn violently like a storm, with winds so strong it was hard to keep their eyes open.

“Ha…”

Seop Chun was dumbstruck as he saw the insect-form Imaemangnyang appear above them.

The others felt the same way.

They no longer had the strength to face this creature.

Is this how it ends?

At that moment,

Krrrrrrrumboom!
Thunder and lightning struck from the clear sky, and dark clouds suddenly began to gather all around.

Everyone was bewildered by this sudden change.

Chwaaaaa!
Then they heard the sound of water parting, and the currents became more violent.

The giant insect-form Imaemangnyang, which had been flapping its wings as if about to pounce on them, suddenly turned its gaze elsewhere.

A massive ship was approaching.

Countless vengeful spirits stood on the deck, and even clung to the sides of the ship.

“Huh?”

The renegade monk Ja Geum-jeong’s face lit up as he saw someone standing majestically at the bow of the ship with their hands behind their back.

It was the vengeful spirit Ha Yoon, who had helped them cross the flooding river during the heavy rain before.

The vengeful spirit Ha Yoon shouted loudly at the giant insect-form Imaemangnyang:

You bastard! Will you not back away from my friends!
***

Four days later, around noon.

In front of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, a range filled with countless peaks, a vast crowd could be seen approaching in formation.

At the front of the line, a banner bearing the name “Righteous Alliance” fluttered.

“Finally… They’ve come.”

Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang, who had been watching from the highest peak, raised his axe.

The warriors behind him made hand signals, and in response, the Society’s warriors waiting on each mountain peak simultaneously raised their flags.

Among the black flags with red emblems, large characters could be seen:

天魔 (Heavenly Demon)

As the numerous flags were suddenly raised over the mountain peaks, the advancing Righteous Alliance’s procession came to a halt all at once.