Indeed, there is no great master from the main sect.
Jeong Yeon-shin once again scanned his allies.
The powerful aura unique to the black sect was absent.
It was only natural.
The Central Plains were vast, as wide as a dozen foreign lands combined.
The size was overwhelming for seventeen martial forces.
Moreover, three of them were concentrated in the Hwangbo family, so it was inevitable that the main sect would be greatly diminished.
This was due to the forces already scattered across various regions of the Central Plains.
Even the leader of the Divine Sword Sect rarely entered the main sect in Yangyang.
This meant he was fulfilling his duties in Iphwangseong.
Even if a couple of great masters had come, they would be keeping an eye on the absent disciples of the Blood Flame Sect.
There were quite a few in blue.
They primarily commanded the martial artists drawn in by reputation and power.
They were fiercely clashing with the main sect's forces.
"Have you thrown yourself into the Blood Flame Sect?"
Amidst this, a strangely familiar shout rang out.
It was a young Taoist who had rushed to the front.
The plum blossom embroidery on his Hwasan sect robe fluttered in the wind.
"Yoo Hyun."
He was the main disciple of the Hwasan sect, who had become a close friend of Jeong Yeon-shin.
There was an air of ease that was not fitting for the situation.
It was just like the first day they met.
The successor of Jongnam, Wi Ji-myo-hwa, and the monk of Shaolin, Gak Jeong, were also present.
The connections from the Gu sect had brought along their brothers.
The moment he saw them, he understood.
They had come purely out of friendship and a sense of righteousness.
They must have had to obtain permission from the elders of their sect.
"We discussed the disappearance of the righteous hero."
The leader of the Blood Flame Sect, who had spoken of famine and drought, came to mind.
Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head inwardly.
Could he speak the same words even knowing them?
"These guys are quite strong, huh?"
The swift movement of Cheongmyeong was the fastest.
With a graceful landing, the blue robe of Iphwangseong fluttered elegantly.
His movements were incredibly light as he stepped beside Jeong Yeon-shin.
Whoosh!
Jeong Yeon-shin's hair was blown by the unique blue wind of the noble clan.
Cheongmyeong patted his shoulder and smiled, looking more reliable than anyone else at that moment.
Baek Mi-ryeo and Wi Ji-myo-hwa also arrived, creating a strong headwind.
It was not over yet.
Yoo Hyun and five Plum Blossom Sword disciples, Gak Jeong, and four extraordinary martial monks, along with ten familiar masters from Jongnam, and even Heon Won-chang.
They exchanged glances with others, as the situation was not relaxed.
"The main sect of the Blood Flame Sect... is indeed as famous as ever."
One of the Plum Blossom Sword disciples murmured.
A standoff began.
In the center were Jeong Yeon-shin and the martial artists of the Central Plains, surrounded by the senior members of the Blood Flame Sect who were starting to encircle them.
"They opened the space for us. They did it on purpose."
Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
He could see the intentions of the Blood Flame Sect's disciples, including the six masters.
It seemed that the swiftest intruders had raised their martial arts to a high level.
They intended to draw them in all at once and eliminate them first.
"We have secured the new soldiers of the sect."
Baek Mi-ryeo spoke.
"The problem is getting out. We cannot know how many exchanges the lord will need to kill the leader of the Blood Flame Sect."
While speaking, Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at his pure-blood robe, as if checking whether his body was in good condition.
"Isn't that guy a disciple?"
Heon Won-chang pointed at the six masters, startled.
The elite who had arrived first had been observing him from the beginning.
Among the enemies, he was surrounded by the most powerful aura.
The stronger the master, the more sensitive their perception.
They had no choice but to be on guard.
"Hwasan, Jongnam... Shaolin. Has the Gu sect also come?"
The six masters laughed.
Their cheeks, devoid of flesh, were sunken.
"Were you afraid of future troubles? Your forces are clumsy. Without a single elder."
No one answered his words.
The Blood Flame Sect was large.
The combined strength of its branches might be stronger than the main sect.
The scattered forces of the Ilsa and Isada were said to rival the leaders of considerable factions.
The relationships among the large factions belonged to the realm of politics.
The thirteen factions of the evil sect and the righteous sect were like that.
It was rare for a high-level elder of the Gu sect to step forward.
It was equivalent to a declaration of war in the martial world.
Would they fight like Jongnam and the Paegum sect, who had vowed to annihilate each other? Anyone would want to avoid that.
Even if the righteous sect cried out for righteousness, the reality of human life took precedence.
Swoosh.
Meanwhile, the disciples of the sect began to set their formations.
The pressure of their explosive momentum was immense.
It was just before the battle of the masters began.
Perhaps due to the tension, Heon Won-chang's voice suddenly rang out.
"Why do those disciples of the sect look so strong?"
It was a telepathic message.
Jeong Yeon-shin immediately replied.
"You're right."
He had been in the main sect for a long time.
Many had sought his teachings.
There were not a few blood demons who had offered living people as tributes, among whom the disciples of the Blood Flame Sect were particularly powerful.
"There is a brain prison where those who were almost robbed of their essence are gathered. We must win to save them."
He had spoken to the seventh master and received a brain prison to allocate.
He had gathered those who were about to be sacrificed in an underground prison.
He wanted to protect at least those who had been offered as tributes.
Heon Won-chang's expression changed.
He silently tightened his grip on his sword, and a well-honed aura spread out.
It was the aura of a killing sword.
Jeong Yeon-shin once again raised his inner strength.
He filled the energy points on both sides of his neck and just above his vocal cords with true energy.
He was particularly careful.
"I can kill all the disciples of the sect."
It was a telepathic message sent to Baek Mi-ryeo.
"Will you lend me your protection?"
"…You are a blue disciple who has completed a long-term mission. You deserve respect."
Baek Mi-ryeo answered calmly, showing a hint of surprise, even as the enemies were rushing in.
The masters of the Gu sect were on guard in all directions, while the masters of Ma Gwang-ik quietly observed him.
Whoosh!
Jeong Yeon-shin immediately cast the Demon Extermination Clear Sound Technique.
The blue-hued capital was different from before.
A strange wave began to spread out.
It seemed that the six masters were the first to notice something unusual, but Jeong Yeon-shin was already unraveling the mysteries of the Demon Extermination Clear Sound Technique.
Whoosh!
It was a martial art that carried the explosive true energy into the sword's name.
Now it was different.
It contained not just sound but also the power of the law.
The power of the Demon Extermination Clear Sound Technique began to spread in all directions.
It was a movement that awakened the energies embedded like thunderbolts.
Having witnessed the sunrise of the Blood Flame Sect more than thirty times, the powers he had planted responded.
The sound of resonance did not cease.
In the meantime, the six masters' new forms flashed.
The speed of their protective energy was like rays of light.
Boom!
Fragments of marble from the inner courtyard exploded in all directions.
The Shaolin monks, including Gak Jeong, stood in defense.
A righteous aura spread out in unison.
For a moment, it seemed as if the form of the Buddha appeared.
It was the embodiment of true energy.
A display that multiplied their strength through cooperation.
Were they barely able to unfold the Shaolin Eighteen Arhats Formation with just five people?
"The will of the Tathagata is upon your heads!"
The monk Gak Jeong was at the center.
He used the martial arts he had shown when sparring with Jeong Yeon-shin to block the punch of the six masters.
From the crossed fists surged a powerful force.
It was the Shaolin Dragon Fist.
Even so, he was pushed back.
Gak Jeong let out a lion's roar.
"Ahhh!"
The shout was tremendous.
The four martial monks supporting Gak Jeong were the same.
They carried the righteous energy with the same martial arts.
It was said that the martial arts of the world originated from Shaolin.
Their foundation was truly immense.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt immensely grateful.
He immediately closed his eyes.
He could sense the auras of Cheongmyeong, Baek Mi-ryeo, and Heon Won-chang nearby.
It was the duty of protecting the martial artist before the complex operation of true energy.
It was the righteous protection.
Their trust approached him with an unexpected warmth.
Crash! Boom!
The clash of masters erupted.
The pressure of their righteous energy resonated like a drumbeat against the skin.
It was fully felt.
The masters who had been in a standoff became entangled in chaos.
"This fight won't last long."
Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
Was the scale of the battle large? He had put in over thirty days of effort just for preparation.
A very faint aura spread out in the shape of a concentric circle.
It was the sword energy of the Demon Extermination Clear Sound Technique in his right hand.
The response was immediate.
Whoosh!
It started from the thirty-six steps of the railing.
The power of the law suddenly burst forth.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt it even with his eyes closed.
"Huff!"
The breaths of two Blood Flame Sect disciples became disordered.
They were the ones who had been mixing swords with the Plum Blossom Sword disciples while going up and down the steps.
In an instant of vulnerability, it converged into death.
The moment the Plum Blossom Sword flashed, the disciple's neck was severed.
"What...?"
Even after winning, the Plum Blossom Sword disciple muttered in a daze.
It was a glimpse of the event.
Gradually, the same thing began to happen everywhere.
The defeats of the disciples of the sect rapidly increased.
The epicenter was clear.
As blood splattered and the six masters went wild, one by one, the young masters of Iphwangseong began to extend their energy to both friend and foe.
Amidst this, Jeong Yeon-shin slowly took a step forward.
Thud.
He began to ascend the thirty-six steps.
In the protection of his companions from Ma Gwang-ik, he felt peaceful alone.
The disciples of the sect could not approach him.
The waves of the Demon Extermination Clear Sound Technique grew stronger.
Whoosh!
With each step he took, the power of the law grew stronger.
The long preparation had borne the flower of extermination.
From all corners of the main sect, righteous energy was sequentially ignited.
Jeong Yeon-shin reached the edge of the thirty-sixth realm.
He opened his eyes.
It was the place where the leader of the Blood Flame Sect looked down upon everyone.
He lifted his foot to stamp down.
It was hard to endure.
The upper dantian, which had ignited in his mind, was whitening his thoughts.
Boom!
He stomped his foot.
That was the starting point.
Whoosh─!
A pale blue light began to ripple in all directions.
The essence of the Blood Demon Spirit Formation transformed into the formation of subduing demons.
The fragments of the spell formation that the lord of Iphwangseong had carved were all changed.
The power of the Demon Extermination Clear Sound Technique, which had been planted throughout the main sect in the past, surged forth like waves.
Starting from the railing, it spread to the steps and beams, and the shock triggered another explosion in a chain reaction.
The battlefield of the Blood Flame Sect erupted with all kinds of screams.
It was the wailing of the blood demons.
The pain each felt filled the sky vividly.
In an instant, it created a hellish scene.
The disciples of the Blood Flame Sect writhed as if they had fallen into the grasp of the Immovable King.
"Huff, huff."
"What is this...?"
The battlefield of the leader was even more intense.
They were hit directly by the overlapping waves of power.
Those who collapsed on the spot died beautifully.
The fate of the senior members, who had been staggered and then slaughtered by the righteous sect's swords, was tragic.
Compared to the momentum shown at the beginning, it was utterly desolate.
The extermination of demons was a fierce word.
The hands of the righteous martial artists toward the evil sect were merciless.
However, the disciples of the Blood Flame Sect did not see them.
Even as they were dying, they gazed at Jeong Yeon-shin, who stood on the steps.
The young Taisa.
His long black hair, reaching down to his shoulders, swayed in the waves, and his eyes sparkled like a sunlit sea.
In his outstretched hand, he held a deeper blue radiance.
The auspiciously rippling blue light created a strange sight, blending with the blood-red pure-blood robe.
"You shall die...!"
"I have summoned the Grim Reaper..."
"How can a mere creature appear so noble...?"
"If only you had truly become Taisa."
The behavior of the righteous sect was similar.
While cutting off the breath of the evil sect, they looked at the lord of Iphwangseong.
The original plan was different.
It was to withstand the onslaught of the enemy leaders, including the disciples.
The absolute power of the lord of Iphwangseong was the foundation of their trust.
They had made great sacrifices.
However, it was unnecessary.
It felt unreal.
The young genius of Iphwangseong, who had been captured, turned the tide of battle.
"What on earth is happening...?"
"Hey! The evil sect bastards have committed suicide!"
"It is not suicide. It was the method of the righteous sect."
"I have never heard of it. Who in the world...?"
They were the martial artists and military officials gathered from various regions.
There were also other blue martial artists.
Those who had come from the outskirts stopped at the sight of the thirty-six realms.
Silence lingered for a moment.
They too were martial artists who had awakened their energy, and they could clearly feel the power of the law contained in the hands of the blood-robed boy standing at the edge of the thirty-six realms.
Before long, the only enemy standing was the six masters.
A few of the masters of the Gu sect were crushed under the falling blood.
That was all.
Naturally, the fighting ceased.
"Has the Great Sun Tathagata descended...?"
He sighed.
His words did not seem like those of a disciple of the Blood Flame Sect.
"Taisa... No, it is indeed the lord. From the beginning, you..."
"Those disciples."
Jeong Yeon-shin interrupted his words.
He slowly continued.
"You talk too much. They are all like that."
He raised the capital imbued with the Demon Extermination Clear Sound Technique.
The waves of power that had not yet ceased continued to twist and spread.
It was a gesture that spoke of useless dialogue.
The formation that had transformed into the ultimate state was on his side.
He could handle it.
"It's hard."
His body spoke differently.
The recoil of the sword energy was crashing into his upper dantian.
It felt like his head was spinning.
He desperately tried not to show it.
The appearance of the Shaolin monks, who had countered the onslaught of the six masters, was tragic.
Now, he was the only one with the specialized power to confront the evil sect.
"Huh."
In an instant, the expression of the six masters, who had opened their eyes wide, changed to one of despair.
It was a look that had left behind fame and doctrine.
Their expressions showed a hint of pride.
The six masters spoke with admiration.
"Even your head..."
Boom!
As he spoke, his entire body shattered into pieces.
A tremendous gale swept in, sweeping away even the fragments of the corpse.
Sabaak.
There was a woman who lightly touched the ground like petals fluttering from above.
She was beside Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Lord!"
Cheongmyeong and Baek Mi-ryeo, covered in blood, knelt down.
Heon Won-chang also knelt late.
The martial artists of Iphwangseong present in the crowd also took their positions.
Many martial artists knelt or raised their fists in reverence.
On their faces shone extreme awe or fear.
"Lord... it is you."
Jeong Yeon-shin barely opened his mouth.
In an instant, his whole body felt heavy.
The burden he had barely endured poured out like a torrent breaking through a dam.
He moved his head with some difficulty.
Their eyes met.
The emerald green pupils sparkled in the sunlight.
The gaze that looked at him was radiant.
Perhaps it was because she was an extraordinary master.
Whenever he faced the lord of Iphwangseong, it was always like this.
Some blades of grass seemed to tickle even his energy.
There was something dreamlike that swept through his entire being.
She slowly parted her lips.
"Your position will change."
Her voice seemed to echo from afar.
He did not know when his eyelids had closed.
Before long, his vision darkened like a dream.
"I grant you a long sleep first. Rest now."
Rustle.
He felt the soft touch of her robe against his cheek.
His body, which had been tilting and losing balance, stopped.
Had he been embraced? The lord spoke of a long sleep.
He did not know if he would wake up in Iphwangseong.
He truly did not wish for any escort.
"If only you had given me a fruit."
Just a piece.
Even his desperate thoughts slowly fluttered away.
He fell into an abyss that pressed down on him like a swamp.
He did not resist and sank into unconsciousness.
The blade of his heart, sharpened through the arduous journey of the martial world, also dulled.
Jeong Yeon-shin thought it would be just for a moment.