19.The Blade that Tempted a God, Prelude to His Downfall
Lee So-eun planted a rumor.
At first, it was a mere whisper.
"The Cult Leader intends to completely dominate the martial world."
"He plans to destroy both the righteous sects and unorthodox factions while they are divided."
This tiny spark began to spread across the martial world.
At Shaolin – "We cannot allow someone to destroy the order of the martial world."
At Wudang – "If the Cult Leader moves, we must respond."
At Mount Hua, Kunlun, and the Beggar's Sect – "We must keep a close watch on the movements of the Demonic Cult."
The martial world was beginning to stir restlessly.
And then—
The Cult Leader heard the rumors.
He laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha! So, the time has finally come."
He stared into a mirror and spoke to himself.
"The martial world has always feared me."
"Do they truly believe they can stand against me?"
His eyes gleamed with both arrogance and absolute confidence.
He was powerful.
Many great warriors had come to challenge him,
but not a single one had ever put him in true danger.
He saw himself as an invincible force.
The righteous sects were divided.
The unorthodox factions feared him.
The Demonic Cult worshiped him as a god.
In this situation—
The Cult Leader made a decision.
"Very well. I shall step forward myself."
His command was given.
The elite warriors of the Demonic Cult began to mobilize.
At Wudang, the Grandmaster of the Sect, Qingyun Daoist (青雲道人), took action.
He was one of the most respected figures in the martial world.
And when he heard about the Cult Leader's movement, he personally decided to intervene.
"We cannot retreat from this battle."
"If he truly seeks to conquer the martial world, we must act now."
The Cult Leader faced the Wudang Grandmaster with an overbearing presence.
"So, you've finally come forward."
"Good. I will personally trample Wudang's pride beneath my feet."
The battle between the two strongest warriors began.
The Cult Leader's sword aura vs. The Wudang Grandmaster's Taiji techniques.
Their clash split the heavens and shook the earth.
In the end…
The Cult Leader emerged victorious.
The Grandmaster of Wudang fought to his last breath,
but the Cult Leader's overwhelming strength was too much.
His sword strike shattered the Wudang Grandmaster's defense.
Qingyun Daoist fell, severely wounded and unable to fight any longer.
The Cult Leader slowly lowered his sword and spoke.
"Even Wudang could not stop me."
"It is only a matter of time before I rule the martial world."
His arrogance had reached its peak.
His strength was undeniable.
But at that moment—
The other leaders of the righteous sects could no longer remain silent.
Mount Hua, Shaolin, the Beggar's Sect, and Kunlun Masters united.
if Wudang had fallen, they could not ignore the threat.
If they did nothing, the martial world would fall into the hands of the Demonic Cult.
The greatest warriors of the righteous sects moved forward.
And all the while, watching silently,
Lee So-eun whispered to herself.
"Now… the real battle begins."
The Moment of Arrogance, The Cult Leader Falls
After the fall of the Wudang Grandmaster,
The leaders of Mount Hua, Shaolin, and Kunlun entered the battlefield.
They were the greatest masters of the righteous sects.
And they had one goal.
"We must eliminate the Cult Leader here and now."
Shaolin's Grandmaster quietly pressed his hands together.
"Evil must be eradicated."
Mount Hua's Sect Leader drew his sword and spoke.
"There is no turning back now."
Kunlun's Grandmaster declared with cold precision.
"It ends here."
The strongest warriors of the righteous sects turned their blades toward the Cult Leader.
But—
The Cult Leader did not fear death.
No.
He never even considered the possibility of losing.
With a slow movement, he raised his sword and spoke.
"Do you fools really believe you can kill me?"
He was strong.
He had defeated Wudang's Grandmaster.
He was the absolute ruler of the Demonic Cult.
He was still surrounded by the most powerful warriors of the Cult.
He sneered.
"Even if you attack me all at once, you cannot defeat me."
One by one, he would overwhelm them all.
His confidence reached the heavens.
But—
He had yet to realize.
That all of this… was part of Lee So-eun's plan.
Lee So-eun stood quietly behind him.
The Cult Leader trusted her.
She was now the Third Seat of the Cult.
The Cult Leader believed she would never betray him.
To him, she was merely a loyal bodyguard,
one who had never shown any signs of rebellion.
He let his guard down.
"I am invincible."
That was his fatal mistake.
And—
Lee So-eun gripped her sword tightly.
The battle began.
Mount Hua, Shaolin, and Kunlun's masters attacked the Cult Leader with all their might.
The Cult Leader fought them off with overwhelming swordsmanship.
The battlefield shook under the clash of powers.
But—
The Cult Leader had not prepared for death.
Even as he fought, he was certain.
"I will not die here."
"If I take them on one at a time, I will surely win."
And then—
In the briefest moment of arrogance…
Lee So-eun struck.
Seven Sword Dance (七劍舞) – An unfinished but deadly technique.
A martial art that combined evasion, counterattack, and movement into one.
She found the Cult Leader's opening.
And he had never once suspected her.
That was his final mistake.
Her sword pierced through his body.
"Kuh…!"
The Cult Leader's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had never imagined this was possible.
The one he trusted the most—
The one he never guarded against—
Lee So-eun had betrayed him.
His conviction shattered.
His arrogance crumbled.
As he collapsed, he gasped.
"You… dare…"
His hand trembled.
His sword fell from his grasp.
The absolute ruler of the Demonic Cult had fallen.
The warriors of the Cult were stunned in horror.
The righteous warriors stood in shock.
"The Cult Leader… is dead?"
"That woman…!"
The Demonic Cult fell into chaos.
The righteous sects believed they had won.
But—
Lee So-eun remained calm.
She looked down at her bloodied sword.
And in silence, she whispered:
"…This is only the beginning."