Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 174
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Chapter 174. A Time for the Exorcist Sword
The sun began to set.
The battle, which had been raging for over two hours, remained fierce as if it had just started.
The fight between Yeon Jeokha and the monsters was so fast that it was almost impossible to see clearly.
However, Yeon Jeokha was being pushed into a corner.
The chain attacks from the monsters, which seemed to possess intelligence, were becoming increasingly precise.
Yeon Jeokha’s relaxed expression vanished.
Though his body still reacted instinctively, the accumulated fatigue was starting to take its toll.
‘Damn it! This has gotten out of control.’
Yeon Jeokha cursed his own negligence.
He had unleashed too much without fully understanding the monsters’ habits.
The result of the monsters’ obsession and intelligence towards their target was the worst possible outcome.
Honestly, killing a single monster wasn’t difficult.
But to do so, he would have to endure attacks from the other monsters.
For him, that would be nearly suicidal.
Buuuum.
The hand of the Flame Demon grazed the ground as it approached.
Yeon Jeokha, who had just deflected the claws of the One-Horned Demons, quickly moved aside.
When the Flame Demon’s strike missed, it opened its mouth.
Fwoooosh!
An inextinguishable infernal flame burst forth.
Yeon Jeokha leaped into the air to avoid the flames.
Anticipating this, the claws of the One-Horned Demons flew at him from both sides.
Clang.
After deflecting two claws, the Flame Demon’s hands aimed for his legs.
Yeon Jeokha used the Nine Divine Dragons Turning in the Sky Technique to change position mid-air.
Crrunch.
The sound of the Flame Demon’s fists grabbing at the empty space was chilling.
A drop of sweat on Yeon Jeokha’s forehead rolled down his temple.
“Huff! Huff!”
Finally, Yeon Jeokha began to pant.
“Damn it!”
He cursed without thinking.
If someone could distract the monsters for just a moment, he could fight better.
At times like this, he missed the presence of Old Shim.
Of course, Old Shim would probably be torn apart by the monsters in an instant, like Musangwi.
Three old monks ran like the wind through the forest.
They were the Three Immortals of Kunlun, also known as the Three Sages of Kunlun, traveling across the continent following the octagonal compass.
The first, the Immortal Taiyi, asked as he ran, his long beard fluttering in the wind.
“Younger brother, is the compass still vibrating?”
The third immortal, the Immortal Tairyong, responded with excitement.
“It’s vibrating intensely. Could it be the monster they speak of?”
“We’ll find out when we get there. I hope we can see who has moved Kunlun’s treasure.”
“The needle has never vibrated this much before. I have a feeling that today we’ll see Elder Brother Taimu’s Exorcist Sword.”
The second, the Immortal Taimu, spoke calmly.
“For the sake of the world, it’s better if the Exorcist Sword isn’t necessary. Isn’t it terrifying to think that we might need the Exorcist Sword?”
Taiyi and Tairyong nodded.
It was true.
The Exorcist Sword was made to fight demons, so not needing to use it would be a blessing.
Suddenly, the octagonal compass in Tairyong’s hands began to tremble.
Rrrrrr.
“Elder brother, the compass is…”
Taiyi and Taimu’s faces grew serious.
The compass was trembling? Not just the needle?
Though this had never happened before, they had never heard of such a phenomenon.
Taiyi gathered his internal energy.
“It seems something has happened nearby. Let’s hurry before it gets any darker.”
The Three Immortals flew towards the mountain, illuminated by the setting sun.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Crescent-shaped claws flew in pairs.
Yeon Jeokha swung his sword, disintegrating the claws, but two enormous fists fell from the sky.
He barely dodged the gigantic fists of the Flame Demon.
Boom~
The ground shook as if there was an earthquake.
At that moment, filled with rage, Yeon Jeokha shouted.
“Enough! I can’t stand this anymore!”
He decided to take down at least one of the monsters.
Even if he suffered some damage, that would satisfy him.
So enraged was he that the thought of fleeing didn’t cross his mind.
Yeon Jeokha infused the Nine Heavens Energy into his sword and struck the Flame Demon’s arm with all his might.
Clang.
The sound of a chisel striking rock echoed as sparks flew.
“Kyaaa!”
The Demon, in agonizing pain, spat flames.
Fwoooosh.
“Ow!”
Contrary to his determination, Yeon Jeokha desperately dodged the flames.
The claws of the One-Horned Demons flew at him as he frantically avoided the flames.
Before he knew it, he was in the center of the courtyard.
The monsters had surrounded him in the shape of the character 品 (pin).
Yeon Jeokha stared at the Flame Demon with determined eyes.
“I’ll kill you first. Cha!”
With a battle cry, Yeon Jeokha lunged forward.
The Flame Demon opened its mouth and spewed flames.
Fwoooosh.
Unlike before, Yeon Jeokha faced the flames head-on.
With his sword pointed forward, he charged.
He used the Wind from Heaven Technique.
The wind accumulated at the tip of his sword turned into a typhoon and pushed the flames back.
Rumble.
But the One-Horned Demons didn’t stay idle.
They rushed towards Yeon Jeokha, slashing their sharp claws at his sides and back.
Swish. Swish.
Yeon Jeokha used a movement technique so fast that it almost seemed like he was duplicating himself.
He used the “Use Barbarians to Control Barbarians” technique.
The same technique he had used against Musangwi.
But the One-Horned Demons were much faster than Musangwi.
In the blink of an eye, the One-Horned Demons moved.
Boom.
The spot where Yeon Jeokha had been a moment before turned into a sea of flames.
The fight restarted from square one.
“Elder brother, what is that?”
Immortal Tairyong put away the octagonal compass and asked.
A monster over three meters tall and another with scythe-shaped claws—what were those creatures?
Immortal Taiyi sighed.
“Ah! For demons to appear in this world. Is it really the end of the world?”
Immortal Taimu, who had been observing the scene, silently unwrapped a large wooden box he was carrying on his back.
An ancient sword, one meter long, was revealed.
It was the Exorcist Sword, the sacred treasure of the Kunlun sect.
With the Exorcist Sword in hand, Immortal Taimu advanced, followed by Taiyi and Tairyong.
“Young friend, allow us to assist you.”
Hearing the voice behind him, Yeon Jeokha turned with a bright expression.
Who were these three old men approaching with the appearance of immortals?
Just when he needed help, he was overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Beware of the Flame Demon’s fire! It’s demonic fire that only extinguishes when it has burned everything. And the claws of the One-Horned Demons are harder than steel.”
“Understood!”
With that response, Immortal Taimu charged towards the nearest One-Horned Demon.
The One-Horned Demon quickly turned, sensing the sinister presence approaching.
It was torn between its enemy and the malevolent sword drawing near.
Finally, it chose the closest threat.
With one of the One-Horned Demons occupied, Yeon Jeokha fixed his gaze on the Flame Demon.
“Now, you’re finished.”
With those words, Yeon Jeokha rushed directly at the Flame Demon.
“Kyaaa!”
The Flame Demon let out a roar, and a torrent of flames burst from its mouth. Yeon Jeokha once again used the Wind from Heaven Technique to repel the flames. At that moment, one of the One-Horned Demons lunged at him.
As the claws aimed for his waist, Yeon Jeokha spun his sword to block them.
Clang.
The claws were blocked, but once again, the Flame Demon’s fire descended upon him.
Fwoosh-
In an instant, the One-Horned Demon retreated like the wind. Yeon Jeokha followed it like a shadow. Earlier, another One-Horned Demon would have attacked Yeon Jeokha from behind. The coordination the One-Horned Demons had became a critical disadvantage. The now-free One-Horned Demon didn’t anticipate that Yeon Jeokha would follow it.
Finally, Yeon Jeokha had the one-on-one confrontation he had longed for. The One-Horned Demon, upon discovering Yeon Jeokha, swung its claws.
Clang.
With a single strike, Yeon Jeokha blocked the claws, and his sword moved smoothly like a butterfly. It was the Heaven Straight Slash Technique. The One-Horned Demon, surprised, swung its hands like lightning, but it couldn’t reach the technique.
Puff.
The tip of Yeon Jeokha’s sword pierced the One-Horned Demon’s heart. Soon, with a dull sound, the sword’s energy pierced through its chest and emerged from its back. The One-Horned Demon, trembling, turned to dust and scattered.
Yeon Jeokha let out a shout of jubilation.
“Yes!”
After an hour of combat, he felt like a child celebrating a great victory. Meanwhile, the battle between Master Taimu and the other One-Horned Demon was also nearing its conclusion. Taimu, being a swordmaster of the Kunlun Sect, had already reached a supreme level in his technique. With the legendary Exorcist Sword, the Demon couldn’t hold out for long. With a single strike, the Exorcist Sword severed the Demon’s neck, which crumbled into dust.
Master Taimu, turning around, was surprised to see the young man driving his sword into the skull of a massive demonic creature. In the time it had taken the three Kunlun Masters to defeat one demon, the young man had eliminated two.
‘Is that sword also a legendary treasure?’
Even if the young man’s sword was a treasure like the Exorcist Sword, the speed with which he fought was impressive. The other two masters, Taiyi and Tairyong, were also perplexed.
After retrieving their weapons, the Three Immortals of Kunlun approached the young man with curiosity. Taiyi was the first to speak.
“Hehe, pleased to meet you. I am the Immortal Taiyi of the Kunlun Sect. These are my brothers, Immortal Taimu and Immortal Tairyong.”
“Oh! Nice to meet you. I’m Yeon Jeokha. Thank you for your help. If it weren’t for you, I would have had to fight those demons all night.”
“Are you the famous Grand Inspector of Nokrim, Yeon Jeokha?”
“Yes.”
With Yeon Jeokha’s response, the Three Immortals of Kunlun nodded in understanding.
Then, with a curious expression, Tairyong asked, “What are those demons? We’ve come from Kunlun Mountain following the demonic energy.”
“Wow! You sensed the demonic energy from that far away?”
Hearing this, Tairyong smiled and pulled out the Demon-Hunting Eight Trigrams Compass.
“It’s not that we sensed it directly. This is a magical compass called the Demon-Hunting Eight Trigrams Compass, which points to the location of demons.”
“Wow! Really? What an amazing object!”
Yeon Jeokha couldn’t take his eyes off the compass. To satisfy his curiosity, Tairyong briefly explained their journey from Kunlun Mountain to this place.
“…When we arrived at this mountain, the compass started vibrating intensely. Seeing this, the three of us ran like mad.”
“Ah! I see.”
Yeon Jeokha nodded in admiration. He thought that if he hadn’t gotten lost for three days, things might have been very different.
Master Taimu, who had been observing Yeon Jeokha, finally spoke.
“What happened with those demons? It seems to be a Stronghold, but why are they here? Do you know anything about it?”
“Oh, those demons used to be the Demon Warriors of the Yoomyung Cult.”
“Wow! Were they really from the Yoomyung Cult?”
Yeon Jeokha recounted to the astonished Immortals the story of how the Yoomyung Cult, the Justice Alliance, and Nokrim were interrelated. He didn’t know that this was a great secret in the history of the Murim. Even if he had known, he would have told it anyway, as he couldn’t hold his tongue.
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