Hwa Ryeon took a stance upon hearing Na Rin’s signal.

In the moment Hwa Ryeon pulled the blade, which was inserted in the opposite direction using the modified scabbard as a support, her calm gaze flickered sharply.

‘I will hit it. Definitely.’

The tilted center of gravity, like a taut bowstring, rushed forward.

Thud!

With the sound of Hwa Ryeon’s right foot stomping on the ground with her body weight, her arm holding the scabbard drew a large semicircle.

Swish!

The blade flew forward with the force of a crossbow and the speed of an arrow simultaneously.

The moment the blade, which flew like a predator targeting its prey, touched the monster’s body.

Keeeeek!!

A terribly loud noise that seemed to tear the eardrums shook the cave.

“Haa…… Haa……!”

Hwa Ryeon’s knees trembled uncontrollably as she hid her body behind a stalactite.

It was an instinctive fear.

A very natural fear felt as a human being and a proper creature of God.

‘Scary!’

Thousands of breathing holes pulsating like a heartbeat, countless tentacles protruding from them convulsing like screams, and slug-like pus gushing out like a flood.

A sight I never want to see again even in my dreams.

Fear of the unknown creature, whose origin cannot be understood by the laws of nature, overwhelmed Hwa Ryeon.

At that moment.

Na Rin leaped into the air as if she had been waiting.

Her small body shot up like a comet with a trail, and the glass-like blade extending from her fingertips aimed at the heavens.

A picturesque pose.

As if receiving the authority given from heaven and using that power to judge the monster, the softness and ephemerality of plum blossoms pulled the sunlight of the sky into the underground cave.

Onto the back of that filthy monster.

“Strike!”

Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

Plum Blossom Dropping Sunshine.

A brilliant light entered the darkness of the cave where even the voice of God might not be heard.

“……!”

The white light leaking from beyond the stalactite where Hwa Ryeon hid her body.

The light poured over everything at once like sunlight breaking through waves.

It was dazzling.

How could it be?

From where did it draw the light to illuminate this dark land so brightly?

‘Could it be Na Rin?’

Curiosity beyond fear infused strength into Hwa Ryeon’s loosened legs.

Step by step, her arms and legs supported and stood up.

Finally, Hwa Ryeon saw with her own eyes the scene unfolding beyond the stalactite.

‘The monster is being erased.’

It wasn’t cutting.

It was the Samadhi True Fire that completely burned each and every piece of the monster’s flesh.

Na Rin’s body itself was a sword and a flame, and at its end was a blade flashing with white light.

Hwa Ryeon had an intuition.

She would never forget this moment until the day she died.

[This is the timeline separator]

The leaders of the Sword King Hall, who were conducting rescue operations until late, couldn’t help but be startled. It was because a big shot who rarely walks in Bongma-dong appeared.

The Hwa Ta of the Demon Cult. The Healer King of the Medicine King Hall, Moo Sa Pyeong.

The Guardian Lion of the East. The Second Horse Under Heaven. The Earth Heavenly King, Gong Son Wu.

Both were incomparably outstanding individuals, but they could not dare to compare with the person who appeared last.

The owner of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. The Cult Leader. The Heavenly Demon, Dokgo Cheon.

‘Why are these people in Bongma-dong……?’

It was clear that it was a situation that was difficult to understand.

“The person in charge.”

At Dokgo Cheon’s words, Jeon Si Yeol, the Guardian, bowed with a start.

“Ten thousand demons bow before the Heavenly Demon’s presence!”

“Are you the person in charge?”

“Yes, yes! Oh, the Exalted One! That is correct!”

“Ju Na Rin is…….””

“Leader, wait a moment.”

Gong Son Wu approached and stopped Dokgo Cheon.

[Let me handle this instead. It’s not good for the Leader to intervene personally… And we shouldn’t make them faint again.]

“……”

Although Dokgo Cheon was emotionally reluctant, he understood that he had to listen to Gong Son Wu.

Especially since it hadn’t even been an hour since he made all the maids in the main palace faint from being surprised and releasing his energy upon hearing that Bongma-dong had collapsed.

‘If the rescue personnel faint, it will be difficult to save Ju Na Rin.’

[I understand.]

With Dokgo Cheon’s permission, Gong Son Wu said to Jeon Si Yeol,

“I heard the situation. You say my disciple is trapped in Bongma-dong. Have you identified the location?”

“According to the children who came out first, it seems to be close to the exit.”

“There are trainees who survived?”

Gong Son Wu’s eyebrows twitched.

“Are you saying only the path my disciple entered collapsed?”

“Yes. Although they are taking the same test, the paths are different.”

Only the path Na Rin entered collapsed in an intact cave.

Gong Son Wu cleared his throat, saying “Hmm,” while trying to hide his perplexed appearance.

Why are bad premonitions never wrong?

‘That Na Rin brat must have broken it.’

In front of Gong Son Wu, who was thinking that she would jump with a sense of injustice if she knew, an old man with a splendid gray beard appeared.

“Ten thousand demons bow before the Heavenly Demon’s presence.”

Wearing a white martial arts uniform no different from the Sword King Hall trainees, this old man bowing in front of Dokgo Cheon was named Baek Mu. He was the Sword King.

“Raise your head.”

“As you command.”

“It’s been a long time. Baek Mu.”

As soon as Baek Mu bowed to Dokgo Cheon and then to Gong Son Wu, he spoke in a respectful tone.

“I was hasty. Oh, Earth Heavenly King. But a noble person is trapped in Bongma-dong.”

“Yes. My disciple is inside.”

“Congratulations on the Crimson Fortune of the Eastern Sky Palace, although it’s late.”

“It’s really late. At this rate, that Crimson Fortune will be buried alive.”

At Gong Son Wu’s grumpy tone, Baek Mu showed a kind smile.

“Bongma-dong does not collapse so easily. So there’s no need to rush, is there?”

“……”

“The Crimson Fortune of the Eastern Sky Palace will return to its place intact.”

In fact, Baek Mu was right. Gong Son Wu was not at all worried about Na Rin’s safety.

Although Bongma-dong is currently being used as a testing ground for low-level warriors, its essence was a relic of the Demon Cult that had been in existence for thousands of years.

In Chinese terms, it is the Tomb of the Asura Sword.

Following the old name as it is, it is the Sword of Ahura Mazda.

The main god that the Demon Cult believed in and followed even before it was called the Demon Cult.

The owner of light and wisdom. Ahura Mazda.

The divine sword that Ahura Mazda bestowed upon the first Heavenly Demon is none other than the Asura Sword, and the Heavenly Demon used that very sword to slay Indra, the adversary of the gods.

Right here. In Bongma-dong.

“Yes. A place where the battle of the gods took place is unlikely to collapse easily.”

“That’s exactly it.”

Baek Mu laughed, pretending to be at ease.

However, Baek Mu’s gaze hidden beneath his grayed eyebrows was sharper than ever.

‘I knew the Earth Heavenly King would come, but… I never expected the Exalted One to walk together.’

It wasn’t an ordinary matter. When Jeon Si Yeol came running and said something terrible had happened, he didn’t think such a big incident would occur.

‘It’s a great fortune that we didn’t overreact.’

There was a reason why Baek Mu appeared a bit late.

He had gone to find someone who could serve as a foothold against the big shots whose procession he could not dare to face alone.

“Ten thousand demons bow before the Heavenly Demon’s presence.”

If you drag an iron chain on a gravel field, would it make this kind of sound?

Low, rough, and somewhat distorted, the owner of the strange metallic sound that grated on the ears revealed himself.

Red hair sticking up like needles and gray skin.

It was the Guardian Lion of the North. The Vaisravana Heavenly King, Jeok Gun Ak.

As soon as he saw Jeok Gun Ak’s face, Gong Son Wu’s expression distorted in an instant.

“Why is this fellow here…!”

“I requested it. Since Bongma-dong originally belongs to the territory of the Northern Sky Palace.”

Gong Son Wu was flabbergasted by Baek Mu’s brazen words.

Yes. If we consider the location, it’s not wrong. Bongma-dong is located in the northern part of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, so it’s not impossible to say it’s the territory of the Northern Sky Palace.

But is there anyone who doesn’t know that the place managing Bongma-dong is the Sword King Hall?

‘It’s not even covering your eyes and pretending.’

It was clear that Baek Mu called Jeok Gun Ak as a backer because he didn’t want to be pushed back when Gong Son Wu came.

“Baek Mu. Are you trying to have a political fight in front of the Exalted One?”

“How could that be? I am merely trying to be fully prepared in every way.”

Baek Mu smiled venomously and joked.

“Who knows? The Asura Sword might be found in a corner of the collapsed Bongma-dong. If that happens, the Northern Sky Palace will have to take over Bongma-dong again.”

“Ha!”

Then Gong Son Wu snorted.

There were two meanings to Bongma-dong’s other name, ‘Tomb of the Asura Sword’.

One is literally that the mythical divine sword is buried somewhere. But would the Demon Cult have played for thousands of years? Although it essentially took a form similar to a nation, the essence of the Demon Cult is a religious group.

‘The recorded search operations alone are thousands of times.’

The cost the Demon Cult spent to find the Asura Sword was by no means small.

They conducted search operations while bringing experts in all fields and pouring in the budget for several years at a time. It literally means they searched as if licking. They did everything except digging up the ruins, but in the end, they couldn’t find it.

That’s what the Tomb of the Asura Sword meant.

In reality, it’s no different from being dead.

“Is it true? Jeok Gun Ak? According to Baek Mu, you came all the way here because the Asura Sword might come out of Bongma-dong.”

When Gong Son Wu asked sarcastically, Jeok Gun Ak slowly stroked his chin and said,

“Well. It’s not that there’s no possibility.”

“What?”

“I’m a bit devout, you see.”

Jeok Gun Ak replied, twisting his lips as if Gong Son Wu’s frowning reaction was amusing.

‘Are these guys crazy as a pair?’

When it’s too absurd, even words don’t come out.

If a man rumored to be plotting a rebellion while taking advantage of the Leader’s loss of emotions says he’s a devout follower of the Demon Cult, even a passing dog would laugh. Moreover, the Asura Sword.

“Then, Earth Heavenly King, you seem to be expecting the Asura Sword yourself.”

At that moment, Jeok Gun Ak interjected nonsense into the gap where Gong Son Wu was at a loss for words.

“I heard the Asura Sword can only be held by the bloodline of the Heavenly Demon. Is that why you brought the Exalted One? To use him as a handle.”

“How dare you!”

Gong Son Wu’s hand immediately grabbed the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Even if he dismissed other words as nonsense, Gong Son Wu could not tolerate the insult to Dokgo Cheon.

“Enough.”

The gazes of Baek Mu and Jeok Gun Ak focused on one place at the sudden voice.

‘Did the Leader speak directly just now?’

The atmosphere changed at Dokgo Cheon’s chilling voice flowing out.

“Save the argument for after rescuing the people.”

“As you command.”

Dokgo Cheon turned his gaze to Baek Mu and asked in a calm voice.

“How is the rescue operation progressing?”

“That, that… As the day is getting dark, it’s not easy to dig up the ground… We intend to continue when the sun rises.”

“Denied.”

Baek Mu’s body tensed at Dokgo Cheon’s resolute words.

“Make sure to rescue them before sunrise. If you fail to do so….”

Dokgo Cheon looked around at the influential people standing around him and continued.

“Everyone present here will not be able to escape responsibility. Understood?”

“As, as you command!”

Unable to resist Dokgo Cheon’s pressure, Baek Mu’s knees hit the ground with a thud.

Following this, everyone knelt before Dokgo Cheon. It was a flow as natural as breathing.

Truly, ten thousand demons bow before the Heavenly Demon’s presence.

‘What happened to the scarecrow Leader?’

Jeok Gun Ak bit his lip, looking at Dokgo Cheon and Gong Son Wu alternately with confused eyes.

Jeok Gun Ak was not the only one who had been rude in front of Dokgo Cheon over the past few years.

From the Guardian Lions above to the Hall Masters and Guardians below.

The Demon Cult Leader who had forgotten how to get angry was no different from a toothless tiger, so they did not fear him.

‘Gong Son Wu…… What are you scheming?’

Right at the moment when Jeok Gun Ak ground his teeth indignantly.

Rumble!

From somewhere, the sound of a mountain collapsing was heard.