Chapter 14: The Late Move That Subdues First
Crunch.
It felt as if that very sound had echoed out, as the surroundings were crushed down as though pressed beneath the palm of a gigantic giant.
An overwhelming pressure poured forth from the Vice Cult Leader—who had taken just a single step forward—so immense that even the shoulders of Flashing Light Blood and Cold Blade Blood, who had been about to kick off the ground and rush out, shrank back under the sheer weight of his accumulated force.
Startled by it, a strangled cry of shock burst from Cold Blade Blood’s mouth.
“Th-the Heavenly Demon Descends!”
As Cold Blade Blood cried out in alarm, within the Bright Cult this technique was more commonly called the Heavenly Demon Descends, but the name actually attached to the martial art was Sovereign’s Stride.
As one could tell from it being called the Heavenly Demon Descends, its creator was the Heavenly Demon, the progenitor of the Bright Cult.
In truth, this martial art was practically the Heavenly Demon’s exclusive domain.
In fact, Sovereign’s Stride had not been passed down in practice since the era of the second Cult Leader, the Blood Demon.
Yet now, borrowing the body of Yul Han, it had reappeared in the world after a thousand years.
This absurdly powerful martial art—said to place the energy of the heavens into a human’s feet—was, in essence, a kind of energy cultivation.
By spreading one’s internal force wide like a net, it crushed everything within the range that force could reach.
Naturally, no ordinary internal force could even imitate it.
Since it was a martial art that not even past Cult Leaders—those who had surpassed the terrifying threshold of ten cycles of inner power—had been able to manifest, the amount of internal force required to realize it was impossible to even guess.
And yet, Yul Han had unfolded it.
If even Flashing Light Blood and Cold Blade Blood, standing more than ten zhang away, felt their shoulders being crushed, then the pressure bearing down on the Red Dragon Eighteen Blades who stood encircling him at close range was beyond imagination.
So much so that some blade wielders had to draw their sabers and stab them into the ground, using them as supports just to endure it.
Casting a glance over the Red Dragon Eighteen Blades, Yul Han took another step.
Even as they watched Yul Han stroll calmly out of their encirclement, the Red Dragon Eighteen Blades were so overwhelmed just resisting the crushing pressure that not a single one of them could stop him.
Having escaped the encirclement of the Red Dragon Eighteen Blades with almost absurd ease, Yul Han came face to face with a Taoist whose flustered expression was unmistakable.
He was the Master of Taiyi Hall and the foremost expert of Mount Dian of the age—the Ghost Immortal, Clear Bright One.
“I am Yul Han of the Bright Cult. If Mount Dian’s welcome begins with blades, then I will accept it. So then—shall you receive me, or not?”
This was not the usual manner of speech Yul Han used, one that was polite even to half-naked commoners.
In the voice of Yul Han, who had discarded all courtesy, there swirled a killing intent colder than cold.
The Ghost Immortal slowly swept his gaze around, his eyes darkening.
The Flying Heaven Twelve Predators who had stood at the forefront had already collapsed, and the Red Dragon Eighteen Blades looked hard-pressed just to remain standing under the massive force pouring from the Vice Cult Leader’s entire body.
The situation was no different for the Taiyi Hall Sun-Shooting Sword practitioners who were blocking Cold Blade Blood and Flashing Light Blood at a distance.
Experts amounting to fully half of Mount Dian’s total strength had been halted by a single man.
And that man had accomplished it without even drawing his sword. Facing Yul Han like this, the Ghost Immortal fell into despair.
Moreover, just standing against the pressure crushing down on the surroundings while facing Yul Han was already pushing him to his limits.
Even so, he forcibly circulated all the internal force he possessed, straightened his shoulders, and lifted his eyes.
Even if he were to be crushed, he was still a martial artist. Even if he could not cut his foe, once he had drawn his sword, should he not at least swing it once? That was the resolve he steeled himself with.
He wanted to roar out at least once to show Mount Dian’s spirit, but he conserved even that strength, staking everything on this single act. Thus, the Ghost Immortal’s sword—into which he had poured everything—was drawn faster than a ray of light……
Clack.
The blade did not even come halfway out.
That was because Yul Han’s hand—though he had clearly moved later—was pressing down on the Ghost Immortal’s sword hilt.
For the Ghost Immortal, who had mastered the very essence of the Sun-Shooting Sword, the fastest among fast blades, and who had never once encountered anyone who could even see the moment he drew his sword, this was an utterly unbelievable example of the late move that subdues first.
As the Ghost Immortal stared with eyes wide in shock and confusion, Yul Han spoke in an icy voice.
“If you draw it, you die. You—and your companions over there as well.”
After tossing out those words, Yul Han slowly removed his hand from the sword hilt he had been pressing down, but the Ghost Immortal ultimately could not bring himself to fully draw his sword.
Click.
In the end, after agonizing over it, the Ghost Immortal sheathed his sword and asked with a miserable expression.
“Why… why did you come to Mount Dian?”
Judging from the other’s reaction that a fight would not break out for now, Yul Han withdrew Sovereign’s Stride. From all directions, sighs of relief that sounded almost like groans burst forth.
It was because the binding pressure that had been crushing them had been released.
Unlike the commotion filling the field, Yul Han—his expression calm—answered the Ghost Immortal’s question in a voice tinged with disappointment.
“I came to borrow some rice, but people are this stingy. Don’t go around calling yourselves a Taoist sect. You’ll only smear the name of the Taoist path.”
The rebuke that followed, little different from an outright insult, barely even registered in the Ghost Immortal’s ears. What seized his attention was the reason for the visit itself.
“R-rice? You say you came to b-borrow rice?”
“And would anything come of it if I hadn’t? Why else would I come all this way?”
“You truly mean… you came to borrow rice?”
As the Ghost Immortal asked again, Yul Han furrowed his brows.
“Does Mount Dian only understand words after hearing them two or three times?”
“It’s n-not that, but it’s simply too hard to believe……”
“I came by way of Mount Kunlun. You should have received the news.”
“We d-did receive it, but……”
Seeing the Ghost Immortal’s flustered state, Yul Han realized that the reason for his visit had not been conveyed and let out a small chuckle.
“Well, there’s not much space to write everything on a message hawk. Fine. I came to borrow some rice. But judging by the reaction, it seems you don’t want to lend it.”
He did not bother to continue, but he was already thinking of leaving if they refused. If the one being asked did not wish to lend, there was nothing the borrower could do.
However, the other side did not see it that way.
There was no precedent of the Bright Cult withdrawing politely after being refused. And moreover, the envoy they had sent was the Vice Cult Leader himself.
They could not possibly think that after sending such a powerful expert—one who had single-handedly driven the Kongtong Sect to the brink of annihilation—he would simply leave because they said no.
And so……
“It seems we were unaware of the situation. I will report it up and receive an answer. It should not be too difficult.”
“You’ll l-lend it…… to me?”
Hearing the ‘me’ creep into Yul Han’s tone at the mere possibility of being lent rice, the Ghost Immortal felt puzzled.
According to rumor, the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was not someone who would ever use honorifics toward anyone, even as a joke.
“Th-that is so.”
“Hm hm. It seems there was a problem with communication, and my patience was short. My apologies. I am Yul Han of the Bright Cult.”
Thud.
Not only did he offer an apology, but the Vice Cult Leader formally clasped his fists and bowed his head.
Startled, the Ghost Immortal met Yul Han’s gaze as he raised his head, then hurriedly returned the salute and bowed as well.
With that frost-edged expression and eyes from which killing intent radiated in strands, it looked as though he might swing his blade at any moment if displeased.
“I-I am Clear Bright One of Mount Dian.”
Having answered in shock, he realized too late that he had also used honorific speech.
Addressing a demonic overlord with honorifics—he regretted it, but spilled water could not be gathered again.
“Then I will wait here until you report and receive an answer.”
“A-ah! Th-then you will…? Very well. I will immediately send someone to the main sect to deliver the report. The Flying Heaven Twelve Predators should be hurriedly—”
Mid-sentence, the Ghost Immortal shut his mouth, his expression turning awkward.
The Flying Heaven Twelve Predators had already been dealt with by the Vice Cult Leader when they stood at the forefront.
Until now, no one who had clashed with the Vice Cult Leader had survived. It was not for nothing that he bore the epithet Emperor Salyejin.
It was regrettable, but if he pressed the issue here, the damage would spiral out of control.
The abilities of the Vice Cult Leader, which the Ghost Immortal had personally witnessed, were beyond what Mount Dian could handle alone.
Thus, as the Ghost Immortal cast regretful glances at the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators sprawled about, his eyes suddenly widened.
Groan.
Some of the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators were moving, letting out groans.
“They’re a-alive!”
Realizing he had spoken aloud in his shock, the Ghost Immortal wore a startled expression as Yul Han spoke awkwardly.
“They suddenly charged at me……. I am sorry.”
Though the content was an apology, combined with his icy voice, expressionless face, and eyes full of killing intent, it sounded more like, ‘Then why did you charge at me?’
And so……
“It was our fault for failing to a-announce our visit in advance……. We apologize.”
The Ghost Immortal had no choice but to bow his head.
At this point, he could not very well confess outright that they had come to launch a surprise attack.
In the ways of the martial world, matters that could be glossed over by pretending ignorance could not be so easily brushed aside once revealed as fact.
As a result, those who had rushed in to carry out a sudden assault were transformed into mere visitors.
Naturally, the Sun-Shooting Sword practitioners of Taiyi Hall who had been blocking Flashing Light Blood and Cold Blade Blood also found themselves in an awkward position.
Some quietly sheathed the swords they had half-drawn, while others used those same swords—drawn for no good reason—to trim stray branches sticking out near their resting area or to sweep away fallen leaves from the ground.
In their own way, they were trying to show that they had not drawn their swords in order to attack.
At those clumsy displays, Flashing Light Blood and Cold Blade Blood let out small laughs and sheathed their own sword and blade.
The Red Dragon Eighteen Blades, who had surrounded their target only to lose him before their very eyes, wore even more awkward expressions.
After all, they were now standing there with drawn blades, encircling nothing but empty space.
The place where the most embarrassed coughs rang out was where the Red Dragon Eighteen Blades had gathered, and their mortification was easy enough to imagine.
Moving those awkward Red Dragon Eighteen Blades to tend to the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators, the Ghost Immortal let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
Though they were injured, he confirmed that none were dead or crippled.
Selecting the one with the lightest injuries, the Ghost Immortal ordered him to go to the main sect, explain the situation here and the reason for the other party’s visit, and bring back an answer.
Among the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators, the speed of the one who vanished using the Flowing Cloud Movement Art—said to resemble clouds drifting on the wind—was astonishingly fast.
Upon receiving the Ghost Immortal’s message from one of the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators who had fled the scene as if flying, Mount Dian was thrown into shock.
It was because the ambush force—formed by pouring in nearly all of the sect’s top experts—had been stopped without even managing to properly exert its strength.
Moreover, they were utterly bewildered that the opponent they had met after even dispatching an ambush force had come merely to borrow rice.
In the end, by deploying a large number of experts against someone who had only come to borrow some rice and being, in effect, “subdued,” Mount Dian had not only exposed its incompetence but also earned the shame of being stingy.
At the urgently convened elders’ council, a fierce debate broke out between those who argued that, having already come this far, they should commit additional forces and see it through, and those who insisted that it was not too late to give what was demanded and try to smooth things over.
At that moment, one of the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators who had rushed in with the news relayed the Ghost Immortal’s words.
“The sword draw of the Sun-Shooting Sword was stopped.”
At that single, simple sentence, the elders’ council chamber of Mount Dian—which had been as noisy as a marketplace—fell instantly silent, so still that one could hear a pin drop.