Seo Mun-ryeon held the teacup and held it out to Gung Ma-yeop. Gung Ma-yeop took the teacup without a word.

"Drink."

Although he heard Cheon Yu-myeong's command, Gung Ma-yeop just stared at the teacup.

As he frowned, Cheon Yu-myeong smiled and placed his foot on Dokgo Hye's stomach.

If he applied even a little force, Dokgo Hye's stomach would burst.

"Are you disobeying my command?"

"This body is loyal to the Cult Leader. Even without the Soul-Stealing Grand Technique, I would have followed the Cult Leader's command."

Gung Ma-yeop placed the teacup full of blood on the floor. His expression was one of indifference, as if he didn't care whether Dokgo Hye's stomach burst and she died or not.

The true qi of the Soul-Stealing Grand Technique that Cheon Yu-myeong had implanted had all flown away three years ago when he reached the state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit.

Because his internal energy was deep, Gung Ma-yeop was free from the sound of Cheon Yu-myeong's Soul Sound Bell and could resist the hypnotic fragrance that filled the floor.

Nevertheless, the reason he followed Cheon Yu-myeong's command as if he were under the spell of the Soul-Stealing Grand Technique was because he recognized him as the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.

"I will not forget Brother Gung's loyalty."

At Cheon Yu-myeong's words, Gung Ma-yeop bowed his head slightly without answering.

Cheon Yu-myeong smiled and then exhaled a strong qi towards the center of the main hall, which was filled with dozens of corpses.

"Now, show yourself."

As his voice echoed in the main hall, the pile of corpses stirred and moved.

Cheon Yu-myeong's gaze turned to the pile of corpses.

Gung Ma-yeop also opened his eyes wide as if surprised.

'They should all be dead.'

If there was a living person, it would be an absurd thing.

Seuk!

From the pile of corpses, a young man wearing a red martial arts uniform stood up. The young man with long black hair and a pale complexion was Jin Sa-wol.

Jin Sa-wol stared at Cheon Yu-myeong's face for a long time and then threw out a word.

"You've gotten very old."

At Jin Sa-wol's words, Cheon Yu-myeong burst out laughing.

"Hahahahaha!"

The main hall shook with the loud laughter. Seo Mun-ryeon covered her ears and sat down, and Gung Ma-yeop also frowned.

Jin Sa-wol's eyes met the lying Dokgo Hye's. Dokgo Hye's mouth moved slightly.

-Kill me.

Although her voice was not heard, Dokgo Hye's bloodshot eyes were saying so.

Jin Sa-wol moved his gaze from Dokgo Hye, looked at Seo Mun-ryeon, who was staring with wide, rabbit-like eyes, and then looked at Gung Ma-yeop, who was sitting on one side.

Finally, he looked at Cheon Yu-myeong again. He met Jin Sa-wol's eyes with a cold face.

Just then, Ma Chung entered with cautious steps from the left door and bowed his waist.

"Cult Leader."

"What is it?"

"The outside has been roughly cleaned up."

"Good work."

Cheon Yu-myeong did not even glance at Ma Chung. His eyes were examining Jin Sa-wol from head to toe.

Ma Chung cautiously took half a step back and stuck to the wall.

Cheon Yu-myeong tried to find a child he knew from his childhood in Jin Sa-wol's appearance.

"I heard you killed Yuk Sam-yuk in the Esoteric Cult."

At those words, Gung Ma-yeop was startled and stood up from his seat. Seo Mun-ryeon and Ma Chung also opened their eyes wide.

Jin Sa-wol recalled that the only person in the Demonic Cult who knew that fact was Dokgo Hyeon.

"Did Dokgo Hyeon say it?"

"Of course not. I pulled the truth out of his head."

It was something possible for Cheon Yu-myeong.

In this main hall, with the Soul-Stealing Grand Technique, the Soul Sound Bell, and the hypnotic fragrance, there was nothing that did not go according to his will.

Of course, it was meaningless to Jin Sa-wol.

"How did you remove the Soul-Stealing Needle?"

"Jo Han-yu took it out."

"So you killed Jo Han-yu too."

"Yes."

A conversation that would make an ordinary person faint in surprise passed between the two.

"What about Yeon Jeok-sim?"

When Cheon Yu-myeong asked, a smile hung on Jin Sa-wol's lips. That smile had a resemblance to Cheon Yu-myeong's.

Yeon Jeok-sim was killed by Jo Han-yu, and Jo Han-yu died from the aftereffects. That was the fact that the people of the martial world knew.

But the two were saying that all those facts were lies.

Cheon Yu-myeong, seeing the silent Jin Sa-wol, spoke as if he had heard the answer.

"Come to me. I will give you the world."

Although it was a very arrogant statement, Cheon Yu-myeong's expression was serious.

But Jin Sa-wol, without realizing it, sneered.

Cheon Yu-myeong was a greedy person. He would never share what was his with anyone.

The him he had seen as a child was that kind of person.

"Say that when you have the world. To talk about the world when you have nothing, how ridiculous."

"Hahaha! The Demonic Cult is mine, so what do I not have? With my martial arts, it is not difficult to get the martial world in my hands."

"You childish person."

At Jin Sa-wol's words, Cheon Yu-myeong's expression hardened.

"It's nice to meet after a long time, but you must also die."

Jin Sa-wol grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"Stealing what others have achieved, stealing things others have made, and snatching the power others have accumulated is your specialty. Do you know what people call a guy like that?"

"What do they say?"

"Not a person, but a parasite. A worm."

Sreung!

The voice of Jin Sa-wol, who was holding the Yuseom Sword, echoed around.

"Don't you have any pride? To steal what others have achieved and pretend you made it. That thing between your legs is a waste."

Jin Sa-wol raised his sword and pointed at Cheon Yu-myeong's groin.

Cheon Yu-myeong stroked his beard as if it were amusing. But his eyes were overflowing with killing intent.

"I'll have to pull out your tongue too."

"I hear you're being called impotent in the Demonic Cult. Why is that?"

As Cheon Yu-myeong's expression hardened, Jin Sa-wol stated his guess.

"Because that face changes when you sleep. It must be tiring for you to operate the Half-Skin Demonic Art all day. You have to sleep comfortably when you sleep."

As Jin Sa-wol said, Cheon Yu-myeong returned to his original face when he slept. But when he woke up, he would naturally unfold the Half-Skin Demonic Art and become Cheon Yu-myeong.

"When did you become Cheon Yu-myeong, Esoteric Cult Leader?"

The moment Jin Sa-wol's words ended, a deep silence shook the main hall.

It was a silence created by the question of the Esoteric Cult Leader.

Cheon Yu-myeong's face turned cold. Gung Ma-yeop glared at Cheon Yu-myeong with wide eyes.

Seuk!

Seo Mun-ryeon, breaking out in a cold sweat, moved next to Gung Ma-yeop. Fortunately, Cheon Yu-myeong did not grab Seo Mun-ryeon.

Cheon Yu-myeong nodded.

"You know a lot."

Whoosh!

Cheon Yu-myeong flew towards Jin Sa-wol as fast as a viper.

In a flash, a white tiger pounced on Cheon Yu-myeong.

It was Gung Ma-yeop.

His half-moon saber flashed with dozens of saber lights.

As his long white hair was swept up in the air, it was as if a large white tiger was rampaging fiercely.

"Gung Ma-yeop!"

Boom!

With an explosion, the strong qi swirled and scattered.

The corpses lying on the floor were pushed to the outer walls of the main hall, and the pooled blood was also swept to the outskirts of the main hall.

Gung Ma-yeop, with a hardened expression, glared at Cheon Yu-myeong, who was now standing on the grand master's chair.

Cheon Yu-myeong was radiating killing intent.

"Are you interfering with me? Gung Ma-yeop. Do you dare to stand in the way of the Cult Leader?"

"Is this child's story true?"

When Gung Ma-yeop asked, Cheon Yu-myeong nodded as if he had no choice.

"That's right."

At that one word, Gung Ma-yeop's figure flew towards Cheon Yu-myeong.

Pit!

The empty air was split in half, and a light seeped from Cheon Yu-myeong's forehead to his groin.

It was the first form of the Life-Stealing Saber Art, the Soul-Stealing Slash.

In that instant, Cheon Yu-myeong blocked the half-moon saber with his right hand and struck Gung Ma-yeop's chest with his left hand.

It was a single move as fast as lightning. Only an afterimage of the right hand Cheon Yu-myeong had made was visible.

As a thwack! sound echoed, Gung Ma-yeop flew back and landed next to Jin Sa-wol's right side.

"Keuk!"

Gung Ma-yeop, clutching his chest, frowned. He had been hit once, but it was not difficult to endure.

As he raised his saber again, his heart twitched.

"Ugh!"

Gung Ma-yeop staggered and took a step back.

Seo Mun-ryeon was startled and supported Gung Ma-yeop.

After vomiting blood once, Gung Ma-yeop's mind became confused.

Cheon Yu-myeong, seeing that Gung Ma-yeop's condition was not good, lowered his right hand and gave a smile.

"It's the Six-Layered Demonic Palm."

Cheon Yu-myeong kindly explained, meaning for him to know before he died.

It was a demonic art known as the Esoteric Cult Leader's ultimate technique. It was a martial art where if you were hit once, you would bleed from the seven orifices and your internal organs would rupture, leading to death.

Since he had revealed himself as the Esoteric Cult Leader, there was no reason to hide it.

Seuk!

Like the wind, Jin Sa-wol's figure headed towards Cheon Yu-myeong. He had stepped forward when he was focused on Gung Ma-yeop.

His speed was incomparable to Gung Ma-yeop's. The moment he was seen, the tip of his sword was stabbing at Cheon Yu-myeong's Tiantu acupoint.

In that instant, Dokgo Hye appeared in front of Cheon Yu-myeong. Seeing Dokgo Hye, who had suddenly appeared, Jin Sa-wol instinctively retreated.

Cheon Yu-myeong grabbed the back of Dokgo Hye's neck and used her as a shield.

"What's wrong?"

Cheon Yu-myeong asked with a smiling eye.

In that instant, Jin Sa-wol's figure disappeared with an afterimage, and he was already at Cheon Yu-myeong's left, stabbing at his temple.

It was a tremendous fast sword.

Cheon Yu-myeong threw Dokgo Hye at Jin Sa-wol without any lingering attachment.

Because of the close distance, he had no room to avoid Dokgo Hye. He had to lower his sword and embrace her.

The moment he embraced Dokgo Hye, a sword blade that had pierced her back stabbed Jin Sa-wol's stomach.

"Keuk!"

Papat!

Jin Sa-wol, who had retreated, leaned against a pillar with Dokgo Hye.

Jureuk!

Blood flowed from Dokgo Hye's abdomen. The blood that flowed from Jin Sa-wol's stomach also soaked his lower body.

The two collapsed at the same time.

Dokgo Hye looked up at Jin Sa-wol for a long time.

"I'm... sorry."

Although he heard her low voice, Jin Sa-wol was indifferent. He just shook his head at Dokgo Hye with a cold face.

Cheon Yu-myeong, holding the blood-soaked sword, looked at the blood on the blade and frowned.

"To hesitate because of just one woman. Tsk!"

He clicked his tongue and smiled as he looked at the collapsed Jin Sa-wol and Dokgo Hye.

"You're not my son."

At those words, Jin Sa-wol's expression turned cold.

Cheon Yu-myeong raised his sword and spoke again.

"If you were my son, you would have cut that bitch and stabbed me. Because I taught you so."

Seo Mun-ryeon, who was looking at Cheon Yu-myeong, trembled her shoulders.

'He's not only high in martial arts, but also despicable.'

Seo Mun-ryeon wondered how to get out of this situation. Just then, she saw Ma Chung.

Seuk!

Ma Chung's sword made almost no sound. His sword, which was close to silent, was stabbing at Cheon Yu-myeong's side.

Puk!

The tip of the sword was slightly embedded in Cheon Yu-myeong's side. In that instant, Cheon Yu-myeong unfolded his sword aura and turned his body.

Flash! Boom!

With a huge light, the right door burst open, and Ma Chung's figure rotated quickly and moved to the center of the main hall.

"Keuk!"

Ma Chung's upper garment was torn. Several sword wounds were also visible on his face.

But no blood flowed from his face.

Small holes were visible here and there on his upper body, and blood flowed from his neck. He had been grazed by the sword aura.

Cheon Yu-myeong looked at Ma Chung with a hardened expression and then sneered as if it were absurd.

"You're not Ma Chung."

At Cheon Yu-myeong's words, Ma Chung touched the sword wound on his neck and took off his human-skin mask.

Ttuduk!

In place of Ma Chung, a young man revealed his face.

It was Na Hyeon-gi.

"What a shame."

Na Hyeon-gi grumbled and looked at the blood on the tip of his sword.

As a faint blue light was visible on the sword's body, Cheon Yu-myeong's expression hardened. The fishy smell of poison brushed his nose.

It was poison.

It was his own mistake for not properly examining Ma Chung because of Jin Sa-wol.

The moment he touched his side, he thought, 'Oops'. He had turned his gaze away from Jin Sa-wol.

A sparkling silver sword blade flickered before Cheon Yu-myeong's eyes.

(End of Chapter)