In a pristine, snow-covered field, the landscape shimmered under a blanket of white, enveloping the trees, the ground, and even the sky. Into this serene, untouched world, a figure emerged, almost alien in its sudden appearance. It was Jeok-Myung Jin, his body draped in flowing black garments, moving through the snow as if an illusion, leaving no footprints, no sound of steps in the soft snow.
Jeok-Myung Jin halted abruptly, his gaze lifting to the sky as he exhaled a long breath. In a swift motion, his sword, until now sheathed at his back, soared skyward. With a swift, vertical descent, it cleaved the air in front of him. A deathly scream echoed, blood spraying from an unseen source, as a ten-meter radius around him quaked at the sword's power.
As he stood firm, a barrage of memories, sharp as arrows, assailed him, blanketing the heavens and earth. Jeok-Myung Jin remained stoic, unchanging in expression. His sword returned to his grasp in a blink, and with an indifferent swing, he unleashed a flurry of red light. The light obliterated not only the flying memories but also the surrounding snowscape.
Screams of agony pierced the air wherever the red light touched, staining the once-pristine world crimson. But Jeok-Myung Jin was not finished. Gathering his energy, he readied for another strike. That's when he heard it: "Stop it. Are you really planning to split Daecheon Mountain to pieces?"
A languid voice rode a gust of wind toward him. Without hesitation, Jeok-Myung Jin directed his sword towards the source. The heavens and earth roared in response, the snow evaporating instantly as figures emerged from the white void. His eyes locked onto the middle-aged man clad in blue at the center of the newcomers.
The man, with a kind smile yet imposing presence, returned the glare. "Even with your extreme Cheongeumhyeolmaji, you can't defeat me, Jeok-Myung Jin. As expected, you are the finest in martial arts among our executioners."
Jeok-Myung Jin's eyes flickered at these words, his heart stirring, not from the betrayal he sensed but from a dawning realization of his misplaced trust in the treacherous world of Kang-ho.
"That's right, I tricked you like a fool," admitted the middle-aged man, known as the Cheongeum Demon Lord in Gangho. Jeok-Myung Jin's gaze steadied. No need for anger or excitement against a traitor. Just cut him down.
But then, a nauseating, blood-like smell caught his attention. His eyes darted to an elderly man in black standing behind the Demon Lord. Their eyes met, and Jeok-Myung Jin immediately recognized the danger in the man's blood-red gaze.
"I'm really sorry, Jeok-Myung Jin, but you should disappear now," the Demon Lord's voice echoed. Black-clad figures, about a hundred in number, emerged from the snow, surrounding Jeok-Myung Jin in a tight siege.
"You can't escape from here! Today will be your last day," the elderly man with blood-red eyes murmured ominously. Black smoke began to rise from the bodies of the encircling assailants.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
Suddenly, the mountain shook violently as if about to collapse. Sensing an abnormal force, Jeok-Myung Jin raised his sword. A crushing pressure bore down on him, his body almost buckling under the unforeseen power. "This... sorcery?" he thought, struggling to breathe under the oppressive force. His eyes turned red with fury, a beast ready to unleash his techniques.
***
"Everything shatters when a strong forces comes in contact with it, sorcery isn't an exception!" Jeok-Myung Jin thought as he hoisted his sword high, repelling the formidable energy unleashed by over a hundred assailants. A cluster of dazzling red lights erupted skyward. "Unbelievable!" exclaimed the startled elderly man, rushing toward Jeok-Myung Jin with a strange energy radiating from him. His hands, now as black as night, resembled the claws of a hellish demon.
Jeok-Myung Jin turned his gaze towards this approaching menace. Yet, the moment their eyes locked, a wave of disorientation overcame him, his mind clouded with a blood-red haze. Staggering, holding his head in disarray, he barely noticed the elderly man's black hand striking hard against his chest.
The elderly man's mouth curled into a brief smirk, only to widen in shock the next moment. Jeok-Myung Jin, eyes burning with an infernal fury, stood unscathed. Sensing imminent danger, the elderly man recoiled, but not quickly enough. Jeok-Myung Jin's sword, swift and merciless, severed the man's left wrist. His agonized scream shattered the silence.
As the elder clutched his bleeding stump, Jeok-Myung Jin raised his sword for another strike. But then, a blast of exquisite blue wind collided with his chest. Groaning, hesitating under its force, he saw Cheongeum Demon Lord rush to aid the injured elder.
The Demon Lord's spell pressed down on Jeok-Myung Jin with overwhelming might, forcing him to his knees. "That's enough. Rest in peace now," the Demon Lord whispered. Jeok-Myung Jin, bloodshot eyes glaring with defiance, could only watch as the Demon Lord and the elder retreated, leaving him to the mercy of the collapsing ground beneath him.
An irresistible force pulled Jeok-Myung Jin into a distant abyss. He wouldn't go quietly. "Kaaah, YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" His sword, a beacon of light, soared upwards. The Cheongeum Demon Lord, for the first time, showed a flicker of alarm as the blade hurtled towards him. The sword, powered by Jeok-Myung Jin's desperate force, narrowly missed, grazing the Demon Lord's arm before crashing into a massive rock behind him.
Panting heavily, the Demon Lord watched as a huge avalanche engulfed Jeok-Myung Jin. Silence fell like a shroud over the mountain. "How do you feel?" the Demon Lord finally asked the elder with blood-red eyes.
"He is dangerous," the elder replied, his voice heavy. "Even the master said Jeok-Myung Jin was a difficult disciple to handle."
The Demon Lord chuckled. "Exactly. It's fortunate we could subdue him with this much damage."
"Who are you kidding?" the elder retorted, anger evident despite his wounded state. "To activate that technique, we lost about a hundred elites. Was it worth it?"
The Demon Lord simply shrugged. "Of course. We've removed a grave threat. No one can stop our plans now."
The elder sighed coldly and departed, leaving Cheongeum Demon Lord alone. He gazed at the Qi of Jeok-Myung Jin, Jeok-Myung Jin's youngest disciple, embedded in the rock, reflecting on the end of the Heavenly Demon Cult. "With this, the Cult of the Heavenly Demon comes to an end," he murmured before vanishing into the snow.
The peak of Daecheon Mountain, eternally covered in snow, preserved everything beneath its icy mantle, including Jeok-Myung Jin's Qi. It became indistinguishable from the rocks, a mere anomaly in the landscape. Yet, as time passed, subtle changes began to stir in this seemingly unchanging world.