Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 254

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 254
Ching! Ching!
Jimeol Magoon walked forward, leaning on the Dochulseok Staff—a divine artifact and dharma tool personally forged by the Jeongheol Sect’s master artificer, using it like a walking cane.
“….”
As Jimeol Magoon limped along, he frequently glanced back over his shoulder.
Dawn was breaking slowly, pushing back the darkness. In the gaps of that retreating darkness, it felt as though someone was following him.
Even though what had happened was already done.
Yet the fact that I kept looking back meant regret lingered.
‘That relentless bastard. Even in that chaos, he still came at me.’
He glanced up at the sky for a moment, recalling Dokgo Myeong’s final appearance.
It was the instant when the Reverse Taboo Blood Spirit Explosion shattered the ground, sending flesh fragments and debris flying into the air.
Even as the blast’s shock wave engulfed his entire body, that opponent charged straight at me.
Remembering those piercing cyan eyes glimpsed through the flames, my heart grew cold even now.
“The losses are… far too severe.”
A sigh escaped unbidden.
Even if we had clashed in skill, I had intended only to glimpse his true energy once. The original plan was to exchange words, quickly learn what needed to be learned, and then withdraw.
But what was this?
Jimeol Magoon’s expression, which had remained composed and unhurried throughout, flashed with rage.
Merely observing true energy and a brief conversation.
How much had I surrendered to that opponent for that?
‘I gave away information.’
The sect’s situation, the Black Bloodfiend’s status, and revealed my own existence.
‘I gave away generals and disciples.’
Five First Generals who had infiltrated the Cheonma Sect, including Secheon, the superior general, and more than ten ordinary soldiers.
An entire unit was lost establishing the encirclement, and several mid-tier generals I had brought as contingencies were killed.
‘I even surrendered the foundation itself.’
If the infiltrated disciples’ traces were investigated, the network organizations would surface.
Would the Dokgo Household truly leave those organizations untouched? They would tear everything apart ruthlessly.
‘Perhaps it would have been better to fight to the death right there.’
A murderous intent flickered in Jimeol Magoon’s eyes.
That opponent’s martial prowess was indeed formidable, but he had not unleashed his full strength either.
Crack! Whoosh!
Suddenly, Jimeol Magoon noticed the surrounding ground had turned blackened and dead.
Had I unconsciously activated the Jimeol Technique in my heightened emotions?
“Hmm… there were internal injuries remaining. My true energy seems to be damaged.”
He took a deep breath, regulating his vital force.
At the same time, he deliberately turned away from the thought that had surfaced unbidden in his mind.
The question of whether killing him would have even been possible.
Thud thud.
He resumed walking.
Traveling day and night, crossing rivers and mountains, I eventually encountered an old couple making charcoal in a remote mountain.
“Namo Amitabha Buddha. Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva.”
Mistaking me for a Buddhist monk because I wore a bamboo hat and carried a staff, the old couple clasped their hands in greeting.
“Venerable monk, what brings you to such a remote place? Your robes are torn and there’s blood on them…”
“Amitabha Buddha, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I encountered some minor trouble during my mountain pilgrimage.”
“Oh my, did you encounter a wild creature?”
“A wild creature… yes, something similar.”
Jimeol Magoon smiled as he recalled Dokgo Myeong.
The old couple was startled.
“How can you laugh about such a thing… The nearest physician is quite far from here.”
“Please wait here for a moment. I believe we have some medicine somewhere… Let me offer you some food and water.”
The old woman placed her hand on her back and tried to turn away. Jimeol Magoon had to break into a cold sweat trying to stop her from insisting on providing more hospitality.
Indeed, they were people with a rare kindness in this modern age.
“Water and food aren’t necessary, but might I ask for directions?”
“Of course! I’m a native of this region, so I know the paths very well.”
“Is this direction correct to cross over into Hubei?”
The old man’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected me to cross not just cities but entire provinces.
Hubei was in the right direction, but it was a distance that would take at least two days on horseback.
“Ah, yes. If you continue this way, you’ll reach Tongcheng. But it will take quite some time…”
“That’s fortunate. Then I’ll be on my way.”
“At least have a cup of water. Why leave so soon?”
“I have urgent matters to attend to. I pray that Maitreya’s compassion will bless you patrons. True emptiness, home village, birthless old mother.”
Jimeol Magoon pressed his palms together and slowly turned to leave.
The old couple tilted their heads, unfamiliar with this mantra.
Ching!
The metallic sound from the staff grew increasingly distant.
The old couple bowed deeply toward Jimeol Magoon’s departing figure, their palms pressed together. The aura and impression he gave off felt like that of a highly accomplished Buddhist master.
And then.
Thud!
The old couple collapsed without even straightening their backs.
The color drained gradually from the couple’s pallid faces.
Conversely, the healthy color was slowly returning to Jimeol Magoon’s face, which had appeared exhausted.
* * *
Throughout his journey, Jimeol Magoon’s appearance continued to change.
Sometimes he became a farmer, sometimes a fastidious martial artist from a prestigious clan or a ronin, and occasionally a fisherman.
Continuing forward in this manner, I soon reached a cave deep in the mountains of Hubei.
The moment I entered the cave, someone greeted me.
“True emptiness, home village, birthless old mother. I greet the Righteous General.”
A faint scent of blood lingered—a Jeongheol Disciple.
Jimeol Magoon nodded.
“How is the Black Bloodfiend’s condition?”
“He regained consciousness not long ago. That person came personally and treated his internal injuries.”
Jimeol Magoon paused for a moment.
“That person?”
“Yes.”
“…I see.”
Jimeol Magoon let out a hollow laugh.
“It seems this matter was more important than I thought.”
Jimeol Magoon walked deeper into the darkness.
As he followed the dimly lit cavern, his vision suddenly opened up to reveal a vast underground chamber.
Surprisingly, several buildings had been constructed within the cavern, and numerous people moved about in all directions.
It was the Hubei branch of the Jeongheol Sect—a secret sanctuary they had created to preserve their faith despite being cast out.
“This way.”
“No need for guidance. He’s calling for me directly, I see.”
“Understood.”
Jimeol Magoon opened the door to a small shrine-like building.
Whoosh!
For a moment, he felt as though darkness itself had weight, pressing toward him like a wave.
Jimeol Magoon carefully crossed the threshold.
The last time he had been here, the Black Bloodfiend lay unconscious, reeking of blood and medicinal herbs.
But now, an old man stood with his back turned, gazing up at a hanging scroll depicting the Blood Buddha.
Jimeol Magoon bowed deeply.
“Jimeol pays respects to the Grand General.”
Impossibly, the air around them felt heavy as water.
Then, a voice echoed.
“You have come.”
If the Sect Leader was the symbol of faith and the incarnation of Maitreya, then this man was the sharpest blade of that incarnation.
The pinnacle of the Jeongheol Sect’s martial power.
The man who had raised both the Black Bloodfiend and Jimeol as left and right generals, and who once served as the Protector of the Divine Blood Divine Sect.
This man was the Grand General.
“Why have you left the headquarters unguarded and come to this place?”
“It was the Sect Leader’s command.”
“The Sect Leader’s command, you say?”
Then, another presence stirred in the darkness.
“Cough! Cough! So you’ve finally arrived.”
“Black Bloodfiend! You really did wake up.”
“What, were you hoping I’d die?”
Though he spoke with composure, the Black Bloodfiend’s breathing remained unsteady. It was clear he had only barely regained consciousness.
Regardless, the Black Bloodfiend was here.
All three divine generals of the Jeongheol Sect had gathered in one place.
“Jimeol Magoon.”
The Grand General called to him.
“Yes.”
Jimeol Magoon knelt and lowered his head.
Though their official authority within the sect was roughly equal among the three, the Grand General was the same as the Sect Leader who had taught him and the Bloodfiend.
“The disciples you took with you are nowhere to be seen.”
Jimeol Magoon’s body trembled.
“I apologize.”
“What happened?”
“That is….”
Jimeol Magoon explained everything.
The Black Bloodfiend, who had been listening calmly, muttered in a voice like phlegm rattling in his throat.
“So you’re saying he grew to the point where you had to deploy the Reverse Wheel Blood Spirit Explosion?”
Deep resentment and lamentation were evident in the Bloodfiend’s voice. Jimeol Magoon exhaled silently.
“This is grave. Most grave indeed. So many of the sect’s important generals dying so swiftly. How many generals have fallen in recent years?”
“….”
“It threatens to derail the great undertaking. Jimeol, why did you sacrifice so many disciples?”
Even without recovering from his injuries, his mind continued to work.
The Black Bloodfiend muttered with a darkened expression.
Yet the Grand General asked in a voice that seemed unconcerned.
“And what was the result?”
“The divine command was executed without fault.”
“Did you assess him?”
“Yes. I observed, sensed, and read him. However, Grand General.”
“Speak.”
Jimeol Magoon asked.
“Was it truly necessary to go to such lengths to assess him?”
Only then did the Grand General turn his head halfway.
The Grand General’s mouth opened.
“It was a solemn divine command. Do you question it?”
“Not at all. I merely seek an answer.”
A brief silence.
The Grand General answered tersely.
“He has value.”
That was enough.
With just those words, all of Jimeol Magoon’s doubts were washed away.
“He appeared to harbor the essence of the great southern mountain. The calamity god Taotie was not born, and it seems he absorbed its inner elixir.”
The Grand General’s eyes gleamed.
“Was his spirit intact?”
“Yes. Not only intact, but so powerful that I could not bear the output of his vital force. And….”
Jimeol Magoon’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
“He certainly knows the methods to counter our sect’s martial techniques. Moreover, I detected traces within his martial prowess.”
“Traces….”
The Grand General mulled over Jimeol Magoon’s words.
“Are you certain?”
“I cannot discern how he suppressed it, but I sensed Reverse Heavenly Qi emanating from him.”
The atmosphere grew tense at those words.
“There are unmistakable traces of our sect’s Divine Blood within his upper dantian….”
* * *
Tssssss!
Wisps of pale mist rose from Dokgo Myeong’s entire body.
After completing a cycle of cultivation, Dokgo Myeong’s eyes snapped open.
“Damn it! Just thinking about that bastard makes me want to lose myself to demonic possession!”
Dokgo Myeong shouted with the intensity of spewing fire from his mouth, interrupting his cultivation.
“A man on the verge of reaching the Boundless Realm throws all his subordinates away and flees? Where’s his pride as a man! Damn it!”
The Cheonma Sect Captains simply shook their heads, thinking their commander was having another fit.
“We’ve dealt a significant blow to the Jeongheol Sect’s forces, gained valuable intelligence, and thoroughly purged our own ranks in the process. We’ve achieved our primary objectives—we should be satisfied.”
Geum Seok-du brought water to Dokgo Myeong as he spoke.
Dokgo Myeong gulped down the water and grumbled.
“True, we did accomplish our goals.”
Dokgo Myeong looked toward Jo Ryang-ui.
“But our numbers have dropped significantly. General Jo, so what’s the final count?”
Jo Ryang-ui handed over several sheets of paper and spoke.
“After Cheon I-gak sent updated information and we excluded those additionally eliminated, the final number is eighty-seven.”
“They certainly hid themselves well.”
After the battle ended,
Dokgo Myeong mobilized Cheon I-gak entirely to track down the infiltrators, completing the purge before finalizing the Cheonma Sect’s numbers.
Thus, the final count of Cheonma Sect Members went from one hundred twelve to eighty-seven. The loss of thirty members bore the unmistakable mark of the Jeongheol Sect’s interference.
“But why did they come to see the commander despite suffering such losses?”
Cheolmu-baek voiced the question.
It was everyone’s doubt.
What were they trying to discover, incurring such massive losses?
‘To confirm that he absorbed the Iron Net’s inner core? Could it be just that?’
Dokgo Myeong, lost in thought, soon shook his head.
There were many times when their actions made no sense. When that happened, forcing understanding was pointless.
“Well, never mind. Either way, the sifting is complete. Let’s just wrap things up today.”
“Wrap up?”
“Wrap up?”
The Managers looked at Dokgo Myeong with eyes asking, ‘What else is left?’
Dokgo Myeong spoke.
“The trials and interviews are already finished. I’m not sure why the examiners made that interview so grueling, but…”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
“Now we should officially begin.”
After passing through that long span of the present life.
At last, it was time for the Cheonma Sect to launch.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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