Chapter 319: The War of Dragons (1)
The burning pavilion.
The dying people.
It only took a few minutes for the once splendid capital to fall.
“Argh!”
“Ahhh!”
“Someone, help!”
People plunged into chaos ran in every direction, searching for an escape.
But there was no way out of Luoyang, which was now perfectly sealed off.
This place would become a giant tomb.
“W-what is happening?”
The Murim Alliance was in a state of emergency.
Though Luoyang was protected by various barriers and formations to fend off external threats, the massive spatial transference formation that now spread across the sky mocked those defenses, growing even larger in scale.
At that moment.
From the sky…
Jiangshi drenched in blood began to fall along with the lightning.
Boom!
“Kieeeek!”
“Keeeeh!”
The warriors and Taoists of the Murim Alliance, who had been pushing their front lines further up due to their continuous victories, had left Luoyang almost defenseless.
Now, with the heart of the city struck, the damage was inevitable and catastrophic.
Although a significant number of supreme masters remained…
“What is that white Jiangshi?”
“Could it be…?”
“Yes. It’s undoubtedly the one mentioned in the reports!”
Baekryeong. [1]
The strongest Jiangshi of the Heavenly Demon Cult, which had single-handedly dealt with Jong Muyang at Unmugwan.
In this desperate situation, they encountered an enemy of immeasurable strength.
Step.
A weightless step followed.
White claws extended from even whiter hands.
Screech!
The representatives of each sect drew their swords.
And at that moment.
Swoosh!
“…Huh?”
Baekryeong vanished.
Their leap was too fast to track with the naked eye.
“Watch out!”
As the warning shout echoed and the warriors heightened their senses, the head of the elder from the Gongdong sect had already been severed.
Splat! Splat…!
A long stream of blood gushed from the severed neck.
“This… This is impossible.”
“Huhmugong!”
This wasn’t just speed.
It was an overwhelming speed that could only be comprehended after being hit.
“Disperse!”
Ha Ryeohwa unleashed the Twelve Plum Blossom Sword Formation.
Plum blossoms scattered in the air, and the blades began to dance.
Clang! Clang!
Swords clashed with claws, creating dazzling sparks.
But.
“Ugh!”
A sharp groan escaped Ha Ryeohwa’s lips.
It’s overwhelming.
Not only was it fast, but each strike carried a terrifying energy.
Thud!
“Ack!”
Another companion fell beside her.
Just like that.
“Guh.”
“Aaagh!”
The supreme warriors of the Murim Alliance fell one by one, in order of their strength.
Who could have imagined a Jiangshi would be this powerful?
At this rate…
They wouldn’t last much longer.
＊＊＊
Everyone in the bamboo forest watched the burning Luoyang.
The situation was so shocking that they were all at a loss for words.
“You were caught off guard, it seems. Judging by those bewildered expressions, it appears that the frustration of being bested by you is finally easing. Oh! Don’t do anything rash. It’s too late to help now.”
A satisfied smile formed on Sama-ja’s lips.
Yes. It was already too late.
There was nothing an individual could do against thousands of Jiangshi.
“More importantly, this isn’t the time for you to worry about those people over there.”
[Azure Dragon ‘Cheongryong’ activates ‘Innate Holy Chant’!]
“Groooar!”
A radiant light began to condense in the mouth of the enormous blue dragon.
There’s no need to explain what that is.
Breath.
Unlike a Western dragon, it uses the qi in the atmosphere.
Of course, it possesses unimaginable destructive power.
1 second. 2 seconds… 3 seconds.
The magic compressed to the extreme grew larger and larger.
Jinhyuk glanced behind him.
‘Even if the Heavenly Demon has recovered his inner power, he needs to practice energy circulation to refine it.’
Moreover, his body wasn’t yet ready to freely use the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Both his master and Chuhon Sayoung had exhausted their energy in the previous duel.
Every factor seemed to be in Sama-ja’s favor.
This too must have been part of his plan.
“You’ve struggled this far. Now, die.”
Sama-ja’s fingertip pointed forward.
That was it.
Boom!
The energy made of rain and wind burst towards a single point.
Blades formed from the atmosphere began to turn everything to ash.
No matter what it touched.
Nothing could withstand that breath.
Indeed, no one could stand against such a natural disaster.
But at that moment.
Dark Emperor and Chuhon Sayoung stepped forward.
“Fighting only humans was getting boring. A dragon, you say? I’m curious to see how strong you are!”
“You really are mad. How can you say that seeing this?”
The Black Heavenly Demon Emperor’s Art and the Soul-Chasing Sword were unleashed to their utmost limits.
Simultaneously.
“I shouldn’t have come on this walk! I should have just stayed and eaten more meat dumplings!”
Alice threw a giant harpoon made of blood.
Wooooom!
The three skills combined into one.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
As they collided with the breath, the entire vision turned white.
It felt as if the entire mountain was being blown away.
＊＊＊
When the vision returned, many things had changed.
What was once a mountain was no longer a mountain.
The giant crater behind the bamboo forest.
The charred traces left by the breath slicing through the clouds.
All these showed just how absurd the previous attack had been.
“Ugh…”
“Nngh.”
Dark Emperor and Chuhon Sayoung had exhausted all their energy, blocking the breath after the duel.
“Ouch…”
Alice was equally strained.
“Ho. To withstand that. As expected of the Uho-beop of the Heavenly Demon Cult. The others also possess unimaginable strength.”
Sama-ja genuinely admired.
Humans surviving against the power of a dragon.
How could he not be impressed?
But.
That was all.
Blocking one attack was far from enough.
Sama-ja’s gaze turned to one side.
There stood a dignified figure.
“Hahaha! To see the great Heavenly Demon in good health. This deputy law is overwhelmed. It seems you’ve recovered about halfway.”
“Had I another half a day, you wouldn’t have dared come here.”
After half a day, his energy circulation would have ended, and he could fully absorb his inner power.
Just… half a day more.
“Of course. At your peak, even with Cheongryong, I wouldn’t have dared this. But at this moment, you should praise my strategy for accounting for that half a day.”
Kukukuku!
Once again, the sky rumbled.
Dark clouds gathered around Cheongryong, and a thunderstorm began.
For a dragon controlling the weather, there was no risk of running out of magic.
Nature itself was the source of its power.
In other words.
It could unleash infinite breaths.
“Bow before me. Who knows? I might show mercy and spare you.”
“You want me to bow?”
“Isn’t life more important than pride?”
“You’ve become quite talkative. Stop babbling and come at me.”
The Heavenly Demon extended his hand calmly.
[Heavenly Demon Divine Art…]
Even if it meant entering a state of qi deviation.
Even if it meant dying a miserable death, spitting blood as his energy twisted.
There was no thought of kneeling.
He’d rather die fighting.
He’d live as the Heavenly Demon to the very end and then fall.
But at that moment.
“Can I say something while you’re having fun?”
Jinhyuk intervened.
“It’s not your turn yet. Wait a little. After I kill the Heavenly Demon, I will end your life too.”
Sama-ja drew a line.
Jinhyuk was not his top priority.
But at the following words, Sama-ja’s eyebrows furrowed.
“I knew you’d use the Jiangshi to draw a formation.”
“Bluffing, are we? Saying you knew after the fact is just an excuse.”
Sama-ja pointed to Luoyang with a smug expression.
Seeing the city turning into a sea of fire, Sama-ja’s grin widened.
“Look carefully. This is the result. That inferno proves whose strategy was superior.”
“No, you look carefully.”
Jinhyuk raised his right hand towards the sky.
A flame shot from his fingertip, piercing the barrier and soaring high.
Boom!
The flame exploded, creating a rune about 10 meters in size in the air.
“Ridiculous. A fireworks display before you die?”
Sama-ja scoffed.
It looked like a signal.
But the elite sects of the Murim Alliance were too far to reach Luoyang in time.
He had already seen through their movements.
But at that moment.
An unexpected event occurred.
Bwoooo!
A deep horn sound, ill-suited for Murim.
“Could it be…?”
Sama-ja hastily turned his head.
To the west.
A massive force was rising from the west.
And as if in response, torches lit up along the western plains of Luoyang.
In the thick fog, the torches multiplied rapidly, soon numbering in the thousands.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
A thunderous roar shook the ground.
Imperial flags fluttered.
Heavy cavalry in full armor rapidly closed the distance to the city.
“I thought I’d die getting here within a week. At least we weren’t too late.”
At the forefront was the Grand Sword Master, Abraham.
Beside him was Penheimer.
“There are many undead monsters. Be cautious. We can’t expect much firepower support from the wizards after using concealment magic for so many troops.”
“Are you talking to me?”
“…True, with Sir Abraham and the Sword Master knights, the undead are no threat.”
At that moment.
“Hmm?”
Abraham sensed a powerful presence.
A pure white Jiangshi with pale skin.
Its claws were red, almost black, stained from killing countless people.
“I’ll handle that one.”
[Abraham activates ‘Aura Blade’!]
A blue-white aura over 2 meters tall enveloped his sword.
Abraham spurred his horse forward.
Boom!
The acceleration created the illusion of a bullet cutting across the battlefield.
＊＊＊
“This… can’t be.”
Sama-ja’s pupils quaked.
He had accounted for every possible variable.
How was this happening?
Why had the Empire, an enemy, come to aid Murim? He couldn’t understand.
But no matter how much he denied it, he couldn’t make the reality before him a lie.
Heavy cavalry swept through the Jiangshi, reclaiming the city.
The sight was undeniable reality.
“It’s a bit early to be surprised… I haven’t even revealed my trump card.”
Jinhyuk opened his subspace inventory.
Crack!
Purple sparks flared from the rift.
Dragon Slayer Sword ‘Balmung.’
The holy relic of Siegfried, the mythical dragon slayer.
Finally revealed itself.
A weapon of unmistakable significance.
“Graaaa!”
Cheongryong roared.
It instinctively recognized the threat Balmung posed.
“Damn it!”
Sama-ja tried to send Cheongryong back to the sky.
No matter how powerful a sword, it would be useless from such heights.
Once more, he would reduce everything to ashes with his breath!
Vwoooom!
Cheongryong gathered rain and clouds in the sky.
But.
There was one more thing Sama-ja overlooked.
He wasn’t the only one with a dragon.
“Come forth.”
Jinhyuk infused magic into his bracelet.
[You have used ‘Returnee’s Bracelet’!]
[The second ability of the bracelet is activated!]
[Dimensions are connected.]
A returnee who had been to another dimension.
And the resulting dimensional link.
This was the legacy left by that returnee.
Vwoooom!
From beyond the connected dimension, a pure white aura emerged.
[Ancient species ‘???’ manifests!]
The clouds parted.
From the gate emerged.
“Groooar!”
Another being beyond common sense and reason.
***
Footnotes:
[1] Baekryeong: 백령 (白靈), literally translating to “White Spirit” or “White Ghost.” In Korean folklore, terms like this often refer to supernatural entities, evoking imagery of spirits or ghosts.