Book 12 Chapter 7

The Suffering of Bysama-gun Mosaryeong

"How already?"

Mosaryeong was astonished. Suddenly, someone had appeared before him from the bottom of the canyon.

He hadn't expected them to close such a distance so quickly. At that moment, a masked man in black, who seemed to be a member of the Twelve Blood Demon Squad, blocked Biryu-yeon's path with spears in both hands. He shouted, pointing the gleaming spearhead at Biryu-yeon's face.

"Stop! I am the leader of the Blood Spear Sect…"

"Get out of the way, you're in the way!"

*Thwack!*

Bravely, the Blood Spear, who had blocked Biryu-yeon's path, couldn't even finish his sentence before he was hit in the left side of his face by Biryu-yeon's violently swung fist. He lost consciousness and flew towards a dead tree on the right, his back hunched like a shrimp, his head buried in the ground in an artistic pose. Seeing him foaming at the mouth with his eyes rolled back, he seemed to be halfway between life and death. He had shortened his life trying to impress Mosaryeong.

However, such trivial matters were not on Biryu-yeon's mind at the moment. He was just a fly that had gotten in the way at a desperate time. His attention was focused entirely on one thing.

'He took down the Blood Spear so easily!'

Mosaryeong's eyes showed wariness as he looked at the Blood Spear, who had been defeated so effortlessly. He himself didn't have the confidence to defeat the Blood Spear, a master of spear techniques, so easily.

"Is it you?"

Eyes like fragments of a scorching sun flew towards him.

"Who are you? You must have a name to reveal, right?"

"I don't have a name I'd waste on a nobody!"

'A nobody?'

Mosaryeong was dumbfounded. He had never been classified as a 'nobody' in his life, not even when he first appeared in the martial arts world. No one had dared to call him a nobody, not even when he appeared with thousands of venomous snakes.

"How insolent!"

His face turned ashen, and his eyes blazed red with hatred. Mosaryeong, flushed red with anger, raised his Man-sa-hyeol-jang high. It resembled a snake coiling for a killing blow.

"You've come to your death willingly! I'll kill you as you wish!"

He began to speak with a hiss, like a snake. It was a terrifying transformation that made people tremble with fear. Having lived with snakes for over a hundred years, he seemed to have assimilated their spirit.

But Biryu-yeon was unconcerned. Instead, he overwhelmed Mosaryeong with his presence. Mosaryeong, outmatched in spirit, could only speak, unable to act. Perhaps intimidated by Biryu-yeon's fierce gaze, Mosaryeong hesitantly took a step back.

At that moment, Biryu-yeon spoke in a confident voice.

"You have committed three crimes!"

Mosaryeong just glared at Biryu-yeon without a word.

"First, for obstructing my path by releasing a swarm of disgusting snakes!"

Biryu-yeon took another step forward. Mosaryeong, as if to match his pace, took another step back.

"Second, for wickedly attempting to take the life of my Yerinn, threatening her very existence!"

Well, no one ever said Na-yerinn was yours… There seems to be some misunderstanding.

"Third, and finally, for having eyes that are too useless to recognize someone stronger than yourself."

Taking his third step, Biryu-yeon declared.

One step, two steps, three steps.

Biryu-yeon, slowly approaching, seemed like the grim reaper to Mosaryeong. He had already lost in spirit before the fight even began. However, he soon regained his composure.

'Wait, did I momentarily lose my mind? What is this pathetic display in front of a mere youngster?'

He was clearly under the influence of something monstrous and grotesque. In any case, he hadn't been in his right mind. He finally regained his senses and looked at Biryu-yeon. By now, this youngster had approached within striking distance.

However, for all his boasts, his body was full of openings.

"Are you done talking? You brat?"

Mosaryeong said in a voice that carried the weight of years. Biryu-yeon raised his finger once more and said,

"By saying that, you have committed one more sin. Well, but I'm too lazy, so let's just say you're done for now."

"Then I have no regrets dying like this! Die now!"

A glint flashed in his sinister eyes, reminiscent of a wicked snake. At that moment, the ground beneath Biryu-yeon turned black and began to writhe.

"Huh?"

At that moment, the black ground surged like a wave and swallowed Biryu-yeon in an instant. What he thought was the moving ground was a swarm of hundreds of snakes.

Even the amulet of Mukrin-hyeolmang was useless at this moment. These snakes were under such powerful control that they were fearless of Mukrin-hyeolmang.

"Kehehehehe! How about it? This is Bysama-gun's Earth Snake Formation! Within it, you shall melt into a handful of blood for daring to disrespect me! Khahahahahaha!"

If the Sky Snake Formation was an attack from above, the Earth Snake Formation was an attack from the ground. No one had ever survived this surprise attack. It was the same formation that had sent the five elders of the Zhongnan Sect to their deaths as a mere puddle of blood a hundred years ago during the Thousand Tribulations Bloody Era.

Only after confirming that Biryu-yeon was completely trapped in the Earth Snake Formation did Mosaryeong feel a sense of liberation from the fear that had been binding him like a net.

"Kahaha! Kahaha! K-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

With the swarm of snakes, like a black silk bundle completely enveloping Biryu-yeon, behind him, Mosaryeong turned around, bursting into triumphant laughter of a victor. However, the laughter didn't last long.

"Are you done laughing now?"

To Mosaryeong, it was a voice that seemed to emanate from the gates of hell. At that moment, Mosaryeong's laughter stopped as if by magic. And his head turned so violently that he worried it might be torn off.

However, the deadly encirclement of the Earth Snake Formation remained unchanged. But Mosaryeong's sharp eyes soon detected something amiss.

There was no movement.

The rocks, which had been writhing like living creatures moments ago, stood still as if time had stopped. Mosaryeong felt the blood in his veins freeze. A chilling shiver ran through him, and his body trembled.

*Swoosh!*

At that moment, a slender silver light cut diagonally through the black curtain, like moonlight piercing the darkness of night.

Flying Thunder Blade, Fifth Style

Sword Qi

Chapter of the Silver Sword Wind Blade

Silver Flash Wind

*Rustle!*

It might have been the blade of starlight tearing the curtain of darkness to shreds. Blood dripped, and flesh rained down like hail. Amidst the downpour of bloody snow, Biryu-yeon stood calmly, his robes fluttering as if nothing had happened.

A wind of shining silver light swirled around Biryu-yeon. The silver wind mercilessly cut down everything. Venomous snakes were no exception.

"This… how foolish. How could this happen… this…"

Mosaryeong was dumbfounded by the nightmarish reality.

"So now you have added five more sins to your list? Your crimes are too great to atone for with death. Unfortunately, your peaceful death has been postponed."

Biryu-yeon's voice remained low, quiet, and calm. But to Mosaryeong, it was already the reading of the Yama King's judgment.

"Ugh, ugh…"

Drawn by the aura of death emanating from Biryu-yeon, who approached like the grim reaper, he stumbled backward, forgetting his predicament of being at the edge of a cliff. It took less than ten steps to realize there was nowhere left to retreat.

The dirt and sand clinging to his heels fell over the cliff with a soft 'poof'. He had never felt such intense fear in his life since meeting *that* person.

"Kyaaaaaak!"

At that very moment, a mournful scream erupted from below the Lightning Valley. It was a different kind of scream than the one that could have split rocks before. But the despair, shock, and grief contained within it were incomparable. Although it was the first time Biryu-yeon had heard this scream, he knew whose voice it was.

It was Lee Jin-seol's scream.