The Demonic Supreme Sword Novel - Chapter 59

Chapter 59
## Chapter: 59

### Chapter Title: Blood Evil Cult (1)

—

“Urk!”

With a ragged, deep groan, the frame of Jo Ryong pitched forward.

“True Martial Guard!”

At the piercing command of Joo Moon-seong, the First Royal Uncle, Jo Ryong forced his legs to lock into a stable position.

“Can you remain standing?”

Throughout this nightmare, Joo Moon-seong had clung to his regal composure, yet his complexion had turned ghost-white. The defensive soldiers had been slaughtered, and the majority of the high-ranking Imperial Guards were already lifeless. Jo Ryong stood as the final barrier. But even that wall was beginning to fracture.

“I can… continue…”

The words left his lips, but the state of Jo Ryong’s flesh was so mangled that his continued consciousness seemed a defiance of nature.

Lacerations of every size mapped his skin, and the volume of blood he had surrendered turned the earth beneath him into a crimson mire. Though he leaned heavily upon his blade, which wept a steady stream of red, his gaze remained ignited with an unyielding ferocity.

“Ho! Your talent with the blade is quite something. I had noticed you, but this performance exceeds my guesses.”

The resolve in Jo Ryong’s eyes flickered violently at the sound of the chilling, ethereal voice that made the skin crawl.

Jo Ryong shifted his weight slowly to face the source.

An elderly man stood there, casually gripping a still-dripping heart with a mocking grin. His features were remarkably plain—the kind of face that vanished in a crowd—but his sharp eyes radiated a malicious pressure that seemed to pierce through one’s internal organs.

This was the man who identified himself as the Blood Flame Lord.

He was the nightmare that had systematically butchered the elite Imperial Guards and the Shaolin warrior monks who had accompanied them—going so far as to harvest their very life essence.

“I harbored great anticipation for your prowess, but what a disappointment. Tangling with a dried-up old vixen like her lacks any thrill. There was no spirit in it.”

He let out a dry laugh as he pulverized the organ in his palm.

‘Even Master Yeonhwa was defeated by him?’

Shock flooded Jo Ryong’s vision.

The master and guardian of the princess, Yeonhwa Master, was a grandmaster whose reputation spanned the North Sea. No one understood the depth of her power better than he. Having watched the Blood Flame Lord massacre the Imperial Guards and Shaolin practitioners without breaking a sweat, he knew the odds were grim. Yet, the speed of her downfall was beyond his worst fears.

Jo Ryong surveyed the area. Only five of their number remained, himself included. And not one of them was capable of a true counterattack.

‘The end has come.’

A wave of hopelessness crashed over him. His singular prayer had been to buy enough time for Eom Ak, who had been dispatched for help at the onset of the slaughter, to return with reinforcements. But with the death of Yeonhwa Master at the hands of the Blood Flame Lord, that final thread of hope snapped.

Even if help arrived this second, survival was a distant dream. The defected Imperial Guards had circled back, and the demonic forces were still numerous. Most critically, the direct subordinates of the Blood Flame Lord remained fresh and ready.

These were warriors wrapped in an aura of blood qi that was darker than any sunset.

Though few in number, the martial skill of each individual was staggering. It was only through the desperate sacrifice of the Emperor’s personal Royal Guards that the group had lasted this long. Had they not thrown their lives away during the first strike, everyone would have perished in the opening moments.

The tragedy was that those brave Royal Guards were now all gone.

“Ready to surrender? I thought you might struggle a bit longer.”

A middle-aged man, who had been observing the carnage with amusement from the periphery, walked forward with a boastful smirk.

“You treacherous snake!”

Murderous intent erupted from Jo Ryong’s stare.

Had that man been within a sword’s length, the sheer pressure of that rage might have unraveled him.

Dong Cheon, the commander of the Imperial Guards who had betrayed his oath, felt his confidence falter. He tried to maintain his mask of indifference, but the terror was visible in his eyes.

“You pathetic waste! I might show mercy to the others, but I will see you in hell.”

As Jo Ryong limped forward with eyes injected with blood, the panicked Dong Cheon retreated and screamed.

“O-Old man! Slay them now!”

The Blood Flame Lord gave no reply. Dong Cheon shrieked again.

“What are you waiting for? Wipe them out!”

The Blood Flame Lord tilted his head slightly, then reached out toward Dong Cheon. Without touching him, he grabbed Dong Cheon by the back of the neck as if hauling him in with a phantom rope.

“Are you attempting to command me?”

Dong Cheon shook his head with frantic desperation, staring into the Blood Flame Lord’s frozen gaze.

“N-No, sir. I would never dream of it.”

The Blood Flame Lord looked at Dong Cheon with eyes that saw him as nothing more than an insect.

Dong Cheon shivered like a cornered rodent facing its predator.

“You ancient demon! What have you done with my teacher?”

At the sound of the sudden voice, the Blood Flame Lord—who had been deciding whether to end Dong Cheon right then—let go and looked over.

“Ancient demon, is it? You have quite the mouth, girl. If you are asking about that old vixen, didn’t you just watch her die?”

The Blood Flame Lord chuckled, cleaning the blood from his fingers with his tongue. The Blue Orchid Princess, holding her unconscious mother, bit her lip until it bled, her eyes filled with hatred.

“Are you following the instructions of the Grand Tutor?”

At the mention of “instructions,” the Blood Flame Lord’s expression turned sour.

“Instructions? You believe that Grand Tutor possesses the standing to order me around?”

As the Blood Flame Lord’s presence grew cold, Joo Moon-seong, terrified for his daughter, grabbed her arm and gave her a sharp, silent warning. But the Blue Orchid Princess, sensing that death was inevitable anyway, did not back down.

“Then why are you working alongside the Grand Tutor’s lapdog?”

“I am not working with him—I am here to ensure my pet doesn’t fail. It is a necessary piece of a much larger design.”

A heavy breath escaped the Blue Orchid Princess.

“The Grand Tutor has lost his mind. To involve outside powers in the politics of the palace—and martial sects, no less. But you, old demon, do you truly think you will survive the fallout of high treason?”

“High treason? Don’t be absurd. I only let people live because I am bored. The Emperor’s life? I could extinguish it whenever I chose.”

Before the Blood Flame Lord could finish his boast, a mocking voice intervened.

“We could say the same about you.”

From a distance of about ten zhang to the left, Sima Geon and Cheol Woo stepped out, pushing through the thick, tall grass.

The Blood Flame Lord’s eyes narrowed as he focused on them.

Ten zhang was not a short distance, but it was far enough that he shouldn’t have been able to miss two people approaching so perfectly.

“Who are you supposed to be?”

The Blood Flame Lord hid his irritation and questioned them.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re the one who mutilated those Shaolin monks, right?”

“You witnessed that and still chose to show yourselves? You must be eager for the grave. I admire the bravery, at least.”

“Who’s dying? We haven’t decided that yet.”

At Cheol Woo’s sharp comeback, the Blood Flame Lord’s eyebrow arched, and the Blood-Clad Warriors standing in reserve moved forward.

Raising a palm to signal his men to wait, the Blood Flame Lord gave a freezing smile.

“The weak are always so keen to find their deaths, blinded by their own lack of talent.”

“Blinded? That’s you, old man. Are your eyes failing in your old age?”

“You are truly insane.”

As the Blood Flame Lord roared and the Blood-Clad Warriors surged forward again, Sima Geon spoke up.

“Blood Evil Cult, isn’t it?”

The Blood-Clad Warriors stopped in their tracks. Even the Blood Flame Lord’s eyes went wide with shock.

They weren’t the only ones.

Joo Moon-seong, Jo Ryong, and the others, who had felt a spark of hope when Sima Geon and Cheol Woo appeared, were left stunned.

The name of the Blood Evil Cult carried a weight that had terrified the martial world—and even the imperial court—despite the passage of a hundred and fifty years. The revelation was world-shaking.

“H-How do you know that title?”

The Blood Flame Lord struggled to stay calm, but his voice was betraying his agitation.

“Bingo.”

“I asked you how you recognized the name!”

A thick aura of murder poured from the Blood Flame Lord as he repeated the question.

“Boss, the Blood Evil Cult… from that time…?”

Cheol Woo looked on with a face of disbelief.

Years ago, during the wars to unify the cult, they had faced off against enigmatic, demonic enemies. He had lost five of his most trusted subordinates in a gruesome fashion.

The broken bodies of those subordinates began to merge in his mind with the withered, heartless husks of the monks.

“It’s been a long time, you filthy rats!”

Cheol Woo squeezed his fists tight.

The agony of those old memories flooded back with vivid clarity.

“It doesn’t matter how we know. But anyone who can speak our cult’s name is not permitted to live.”

“That’s exactly what I was going to say.”

Before the Blood Flame Lord could even stop speaking, the massive form of Cheol Woo exploded toward the Blood-Clad Warriors.

“Interpose him!”

A voice cried out in desperation. But the Diamond Yaksha Cheol Woo was not an entity that could be halted by mere will.

*Thud!*

With a sickening sound of bursting tissue, a Blood-Clad Warrior took the full force of Cheol Woo’s fist to his face and was sent flying like a snapped string, tumbling across the ground.

There was no cry, no movement after the impact. His life had ended the moment the blow landed.

“That’s one. Who wants to be next?”

Cheol Woo grinned, staring down the enemies closing in from all sides without a trace of fear. He looked like he was having the time of his life.

As Cheol Woo prepared to strike again, a blur passed right by his shoulder.

“Huh?”

Spinning around, Cheol Woo was ready to yell about the interference, but Sima Geon’s thrown blade was already whistling toward the Blood-Clad Warriors.

Their instincts were sharp.

“Blood Wall!”

At the command of their leader, the crimson sword qi from their weapons merged into a protective shield.

“Oh ho! A sword barrier? I’m impressed.”

Cheol Woo’s praise was dripping with pure sarcasm.

Sima Geon’s blade slammed into the barrier.

*Boom!*

The violent impact shattered the sword barrier as if it were glass.

There was no struggle, no balance of forces—just absolute, crushing power.

Sima Geon’s weapon pierced through with unstoppable momentum.

The swords that had formed the wall were smashed into pieces. Those who had been part of the formation suffered devastating internal trauma, coughing up blood as they collapsed.

“Urk!”

The leader at the front let out a choked sound.

Looking down in shock, he stared at a massive hole in his chest and the torrent of blood pouring out.

He fell before he could even understand what had happened. As his body hit the dirt, the other seven warriors who had helped form the shield also fell, their chests pierced, hitting the frozen ground.

“Qi-guided sword control?”

The Blood Flame Lord’s face turned grim as he watched eight of his men fall in a single exchange.

This wasn’t just a simple throw.

If his experience served him, his opponent had utilized the legendary technique of controlling a blade with pure qi.

The flow of energy had been unmistakable—perfectly controlled and terrifyingly sharp.

“Dead Soul Blood Wolf Formation!”

At the frantic order, the remaining warriors shifted into position.

‘Ho! Not a bad setup.’

Sima Geon felt a flicker of respect for the heavy pressure now surrounding him.

Even after losing one man to Cheol Woo and eight more in the blink of an eye, the Blood-Clad Warriors showed no signs of breaking.

‘Either they have been trained so brutally that death is a relief, or they have walked through so much slaughter that the loss of their brothers means nothing to them.’

Sima Geon’s mind drifted back to Black Dragon Valley. He and his brothers probably had that same look when they first finished their hellish training.

‘Quite impressive.’

Back in Black Dragon Valley, they had mastered the study of formations. He could see the high level of coordination in the Blood-Clad Warriors’ sword array immediately.

Watching the formation tighten around him, Sima Geon began to move with a slow grace. The moment he truly accelerated, his silhouette seemed to vanish into the left flank of the group.

“Be careful!”

The Blood Flame Lord yelled out of instinct at the sheer velocity of the move. But his warning was redundant—the formation adjusted as one.

The fluid, living motion of the array caused Sima Geon to naturally activate his defensive aura.

The synchronized power of seventeen men was a force to be reckoned with, yet it was not enough to restrain this one man.

*Flash!*

A cold, shimmering light cut through the rhythm of the formation instantly.

*Thud thud thud…*

Seventeen heads were tossed into the sky before crashing back down. The headless torsos sprayed blood like fountains before falling in a heap.

“Simply incredible.”

The words escaped the Blue Orchid Princess, who had been watching with bated breath.

“Beyond incredible. That is just…”

Jo Ryong, his sword now lowered, stared at Sima Geon with total reverence.

From the outside, it appeared as though sword qi had simply radiated out from Sima Geon’s body. The aftermath was a scene of horror.

“Eh? Watch out…!”

Noticing the Blood Flame Lord creeping up from behind, Jo Ryong started to scream but stopped himself.

A man who could wipe out the Blood-Clad in seconds wouldn’t miss a sneak attack.

He was right.

Detecting the Blood Flame Lord’s strike—an attack he had been holding back—Sima Geon’s body blurred out of the way.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The object chasing his phantom image tore through the air with violent speed.

The Blood Flame Lord’s face twisted in rage as he failed to land a blow despite the surprise element.

He hadn’t expected to kill him instantly, but he assumed he’d at least draw blood. Sima Geon’s agility was far beyond his calculations.

Having dodged the strike, Sima Geon studied the weapon the Blood Flame Lord was holding.

It featured a golden grip about a chi in length, with a chain trailing out roughly three zhang.

‘An iron whip?’

Observing the way the chain lay coiled and ready around the Blood Flame Lord, Sima Geon’s eyes sparkled with interest.

It was exceptionally long for such a weapon.

It provided a massive reach advantage against far-off enemies, but it was notoriously difficult to use with precision. To use it as a primary weapon meant one had mastered its flaws. Once mastered, it was an incredibly deceptive tool.

Sima Geon noticed the faint blue tint on the edges of the metal, like morning dew.

‘It’s not just a chain.’

Every single link was sharpened to a razor’s edge. In the middle of the length, there was a round rod identical to the handle, about a chi long—likely used to change the weapon’s length on the fly. The tip was shaped like a deadly dart, and even the base of the handle was sharpened.

“Now that our cult’s presence is known, no one is leaving this place with their life!”

The Blood Flame Lord screamed, beginning to slowly whirl the iron whip.

“You moron, pay attention. If we go by that old man’s logic, you and your men are already dead too.”

Cheol Woo laughed at Dong Cheon, who was clearly losing his composure as the situation spiraled.

“By the look on your face, you had no clue these old farts and their soldiers were part of the Blood Evil Cult.”

Dong Cheon swallowed hard, unable to hide his fear.

Regardless of his skill, as the head of the Imperial Guards, he knew the devastating consequences that name carried.

Jo Ryong looked at the panicked Dong Cheon with utter contempt.

“Pathetic. You don’t even realize who you’ve drawn your sword against? The Blood Evil Cult isn’t your biggest problem right now.”

At Jo Ryong’s thunderous voice, Dong Cheon looked toward the First Royal Uncle and went pale.

He was in a true catch-22.

Trying to kill the Emperor’s uncle meant the end of his entire family line if he failed. If he succeeded under the Blood Flame Lord? The association with the Blood Evil Cult would still hunt him down.

“You brainless coward! Are you really losing your nerve because of what the enemy says?”

“I-It’s just…”

“Do you think the Grand Tutor is ignorant of our cult?”

“Ah!”

Dong Cheon’s face lit up at the Blood Flame Lord’s aggressive questioning.

“Kill them all right now.”

Pointing the tip of the whip handle toward the First Royal Uncle and his survivors, the Blood Flame Lord turned his attention back. At that same moment, the whip, which had been resting on the ground, snapped upward like a venomous snake striking its target.