CHAPTER 69

Laughter burst from the lips of the Blood Flame Cult Leader, and it did not stop.

The exhilaration flowing out grew darker and thicker, soon turning into mad laughter.

The Blood Flame Cult Leader pushed aside his silver hair and began to laugh like a lunatic.

Amidst this, Jung Yeonshin stared straight at Go Jonghak. His complexion was ghastly.

He stood awkwardly, unable to decide what to do.

"You are defying my command."

Jung Yeonshin spoke quietly.

He stepped forward, deliberately radiating the true energy waves of the Demon Roaring Blood Art.

No one could stop him. At this moment, Jung Yeonshin exuded authority. At least within the Blood Flame Cult, that was the case.

A Grand Master who had fulfilled an ancient wish.

There was no one above Jung Yeonshin, who had manifested a miracle, except for the Cult Leader.

The echoing laughter of the Blood Flame Cult Leader in the silence bore witness to that fact.

Facing Go Jonghak, Jung Yeonshin looked up slightly at him.

"I commanded you."

"······."

"Offer it."

Go Jonghak could not answer. His trembling hand slowly gripped the pendant around his neck.

All the high-ranking members of the cult watched in silence.

The son of the Third Apostle, one of the cult's renowned Blood Master Swordman, was about to present his treasure to the new Envoy of the Desolate Fortress with his own hands.

"A precious tribute."

Jung Yeonshin grasped it.

The smooth touch of jade wrapping around his fingers felt new. They said poison was more terrifying than even the greatest martial artist.

The value of the Anti-Poison Pearl was said to be immeasurable in terms of money. This was the most valuable possession he had acquired in his life.

"Grand Master!"

The Blood Flame Cult Leader shouted, his face full of smiles. His voice was exuberant.

It was the first time he had shown such an expression since Jung Yeonshin's capture. The cult's elites seemed equally astonished.

As they failed to conceal their bewilderment, Jung Yeonshin and the Cult Leader locked eyes.

The Cult Leader's crimson lips stretched wide.

"Come here! I permit you to stand by my side!"

Gasps burst out across the room. These were not people who practiced deep indifference through rigorous training unique to the cult.

The breakthroughs continued. Jung Yeonshin's display of altering martial formulas wielded that much power.

"Such a bizarre occurrence······."

"Indeed. Is it not a marvel?"

A servant with jet-black hair like the Apostles divided the gazes of the crowd alongside the Grand Master.

"······Then."

As the Grand Master of the Blood Flame Cult, Jung Yeonshin ascended the thirty-six steps.

In the meantime, servants with flowing red hair moved swiftly, preparing the adjacent seat.

Their faces, which occasionally glanced at the Grand Master, all seemed to harbor the same fervor. They, too, desired black hair.

"Come quickly!"

The Blood Flame Cult Leader spread his arms wide, his lips twisted in madness.

"Music! Let the music resound!"

The scene of purging transformed. It turned into a grand celebration of praise.

It was said that music that struck the human spirit was an incredibly effective tool of governance.

Even in the Blood Flame Cult, which did not revere heaven or hold ancestral ceremonies, this was no different.

Performers emerged, carrying all kinds of instruments, including zithers and flutes.

"Take it."

The Blood Flame Cult Leader smiled as he lifted a jade bottle containing the finest liquor. His touch was exceedingly delicate.

It gave the impression that a strand of consideration lingered within his grandiose demeanor.

When Jung Yeonshin merely brought his hand near his cup, the Cult Leader smiled faintly.

"You will need to learn the doctrines now. Teaching the Grand Master requires more than ordinary standards. I will assign an elder to guide you."

"······."

"However, as imparting the cult's ideology to your mind bears great significance, I wish to personally teach you the first tenet. Listen well. The essence of the doctrine can be summarized in one phrase."

Jung Yeonshin remained silent, and the Blood Flame Cult Leader continued speaking alone.

"Our cult burns away the chaos and suffering of the mortal world."

"Chaos and suffering."

Jung Yeonshin's murmuring drew a satisfied expression from the Cult Leader.

His white hair tilted slightly with a smile.

"Indeed. The monks of Buddhism refer to them together as 'affliction'. These thirty-six steps carry great meaning."

The Cult Leader tapped the steps beneath his feet.

His casual demeanor did not match the stature of an absolute ruler of the martial world.

"They were built to overcome the thirty-six afflictions of this world. It signifies that our teachings are no different from the salvation of Maitreya."

"Is death salvation?"

Jung Yeonshin asked abruptly, and the Cult Leader's smile deepened.

"If we are to delve into profound meanings, we would need to discuss it over countless dawns. Do you understand the inherent flaw in the Ming Dynasty? The world has already fallen into despair. You must have noticed the famine spreading across the Central Plains recently."

The Cult Leader's long fingers brushed the rim of his cup.

It was a gesture as if he were sketching the land.

"Famine brings chaos. The martial world, too, is not a realm of immortals but one of men who need food to survive. What follows famine is pillaging. The boundary between the government and the martial world will crumble."

There was an eerie insight within the words of the cult leader of the demonic cult.

It was a perspective fitting someone who had cultivated their martial arts to the pinnacle.

Were all leaders of major sects in the world like this? Jung Yeonshin slowly opened his mouth.

"The Desolate Fortress will be busy."

"Your sect is strong, but it is small compared to the vast Central Plains. The Ming law? The day when the strength of martial artists becomes an omnipotent authority across the land is approaching. Power will rise above the law. Wasn't that already evident in the conduct of the Hwangbo Clan you witnessed?"

"······."

"When Zhu Yuanzhang and his Ming family built this nation, I witnessed the pathetic state of the Central Plains. The world scorns our blood arts, but even the calamities caused by Yuan and Ming's wars pale in comparison."

"You've lived as long as the Ming sect elders."

"I assure you, chaos as great as that era is coming. And in such a time, there will be no heroes. When hunger shrinks the stomach, who will raise the banner of righteousness? It's laughable."

The Blood Flame Cult Leader drank deeply and declared.

"There is no coexistence of martial arts and chivalry as the world proclaims. Only martial arts will remain. That is why our cult must spread widely. With blood arts to suppress hunger and disciples empowered by sacred sacrifices, we shall establish order anew."

"You said you would burn away chaos and suffering."

"The mission of this cult is to trample over the ignorance of fools and press forward. To eliminate affliction, one must first afflict."

His breath carried weight along with his words.

It almost seemed profound, but it wasn't. A sinister aura accompanied it.

This man embodied the insight of a martial world's sovereign and the malevolence of a demonic sect's master. He was close to chaos itself.

Jung Yeonshin grasped only fragments of his twisted belief for convenience.

However, there was no time to ponder the coming chaos at this moment.

'Time's up.'

He sensed the setting sun. It was time.

The moment passed.

Suddenly, a voice filled with rage rang out.

"Oh, almighty Cult Leader!"

Looking down, Go Jonghak was dragging some beggar-like boy by the scruff of his neck. He knew immediately upon seeing.

He was a commoner caught from outside. He seemed to have been beaten a lot. There was no intact place on the boy's severely swollen face.

"The Grand Master has proven his marvelous talent! The momentum of the Demon Roaring Blood Arts he possesses is truly lofty, but I believe he has yet to display the wonder of star absorption! This Swordmaster wishes to enjoy the glory of presenting tribute to the Grand Master, I dare to request permission!"

"Hmm."

Interest seemed to linger on the Blood Flame Cult Leader's lips. He turned to look at Jung Yeonshin.

"This seat also knows it to be so."

"..."

"Go down and add that boy's meager strength to your nourishment. You should understand the marvelous principle of star absorption technique imbued in blood techniques. Go and demonstrate it. You will step into a new world."

The voice tinged with laughter instigated murder.

Star absorption. Absorbing stars. They said fanatics tended to bestow holiness on their own actions.

The martial artists of the Blood Flame Cult referred to the act of seizing energy as the Star Absorption.

Jung Yeonshin sensed that the time had come. An inexplicable feeling allowed him to perceive the gaze of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.

He slowly rose to his feet and began descending the Thirty-Six Steps of Affliction.

Wooong.

He roused his internal energy.

Encircling the power of the Demon-Slaying Azure Steel Palm with the energy of the Demon Roaring Blood Art, he stood in the midst of the demon's Lair.

This was the very core of the Blood Flame Cult, a place where demons seemed to breathe. Many of the elite martial artists here could instantly see through ordinary disguises.

Regardless of how one formed their martial arts, both the Cult Leader and Apostles of the Blood Flame Cult were formidable.

Jung Yeonshin could feel the scorching stares of the Three Apostles boring into the back of his head.

Unlike those awed by miracles, some of the elite martial artists who worshipped bloodlines viewed him with suspicion.

It was a den of lunatics. The hostile energy emanating from them suggested they might endure the Cult Leader's wrath just to attempt an assassination.

'It's time to return.'

He had accomplished enough. When it came to evaluating his achievements, the final assessment of the Desolate Fortress' General Affairs Bureau's will be crucial.

He had left his base unattended for too long. With the string of missions, there were many rewards awaiting him back at the Desolate Fortress.

Step.

Before he realized it, Jung Yeonshin had reached Go Jonghak's side.

He cast a quick glance at the boy lying nearby with a swollen face, looking up at him.

The boy was strangely extraordinary. There was a resolute spirit in his eyes.

"Damn, damnable blood demons······ My father will never forgive you······"

The boy mumbled through slurred words, yet his glare at Jung Yeonshin was unyielding.

Go Jonghak no longer struck him. Instead, he smirked and looked at Jung Yeonshin.

"What do you think? I've prepared him well with elixirs for the Grand Master. If you wish to begin the Star Absorption, I will gladly stand guard for you."

His expression seemed to ask whether Jung Yeonshin was even capable.

Without a word, Jung Yeonshin extended his hand. Unstable waves of energy characteristic of the Blood Art rippled from his fingers.

But his technique did not target the boy.

Instead, it stretched toward Go Jonghak's neck.

Smirking, Go Jonghak raised his own energy to defend himself.

A solid protective aura, red like shimmering heat, formed around him. He made no attempt to dodge.

His demeanor suggested he viewed this as nothing more than a childish tantrum.

"Those of noble status can set aside their convictions for the greater cause. Whether the Grand Master is noble, however, is another question—urk!"

The essence of the technique was the Demon-Slaying Azure Steel Palm. In that moment, Jung Yeonshin grasped the true nature of deceptive energy manipulation.

The overlapping layers of energy displayed a power unlike before.

Blood Art and sacred energy—opposing forces—intertwined through his innate senses. It was overwhelming.

He scattered Go Jonghak's protective aura like mist and seized his neck.

Panic flashed across Go Jonghak's face as his energy surged, but Jung Yeonshin clenched his grip.

Crack.

With ruthless force, he crushed it. He felt the distinct sensation of collapsing arteries and vertebrae, tempered by energy, all crumbling together.

He cast the body aside carelessly, like discarding a wooden stick. Go Jonghak's corpse fell with a thud.

The boy, who had been sitting and glaring up at Jung Yeonshin, widened his eyes in shock.

"What a terrible sight!"

"You bastard!"

The martial artists of the Blood Flame Cult reacted with lightning speed.

Even though the situation made no sense, their response did.

A storm of murderous intent rushed toward him, as if he had been thrown into a prison of killing intent.

Jung Yeonshin quietly stood in front of the innocent boy, blocking the attacks.

'I just want to rest for a moment.'

His journey through the martial world, starting from Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, had been exceedingly long.

Calculating his merits was a secondary concern.

The rewards for his missions would surely be immense, but that was not what occupied his mind right now.

Was Heon Wonchang safe? Had Ma Jin and the expedition suffered any losses to the Hwangbo Clan?

His thoughts burned. Heat filled his Baihui Acupoint.

At that moment, a sudden surge of internal awareness traced the exterior of the Twin Flame Blood Spirit Formation.

Hundreds of martial artists surrounded him in ambush. Their aura was anything but ordinary.

The most striking presence was above the center of the formation.

The Lord of the Desolate Fortress floated there, her flowing jade-green robes rippling gracefully.

Standing upon the wind, she exuded the majesty of an absolute master.

She demonstrated effortless mastery of Void-Stepping.

Her long legs moved, pressing down on the formation with merciless precision.

Boom!

The air trembled.

'It's time to go back.'

Jung Yeonshin thought. It was time to return.