Chapter 86: Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Whispers of the Evil Altar (1)

The Whisper of the Wicked Altar

Jin Geonmu headed toward the mountain range where the Dark Spirit Sect’s altar was located.

The map clearly bore the marks of time, but since he knew these mountains well, he found the correct path with ease.

“Have you walked this road before?”

“A few times. After carrying out assassination missions, I had to hide for a while.”

“Heh! So you killed our own men, not those from the South. No wonder you needed to hide.”

“This path… even back then, it was filled with ominous energy. But it feels worse now.”

Jin Geonmu changed the topic.

The mountain range was a place eternally shrouded in black mist. It was as though the heavens had abandoned this land, for not even a single ray of sunlight reached through. Even the clouds seemed to skirt around these peaks, unwilling to pass above them.

A steep cliff, etched with what looked like a curse, blocked their way. The twisted trees resembled distorted human arms, each branch reaching out like fingers of despair.

“This mountain range…”

Yeon Sohye shuddered as she spoke.

“It feels… alive. As if the trees are watching us.”

Indeed, every time the wind blew, the branches seemed to stretch toward the group.

Yeon Sohye summoned her Silver Spirit Technique, spreading a silver mist to push away the foreboding energy. The silver fog intertwined with the black mist, concealing their presence completely. Yet her face turned pale during the process.

“This mist… it’s trying to absorb my Silver Spirit Technique.”

She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

“Something’s wrong. It’s taking twice the effort it normally does.”

Even Gugwi felt the same ominous dread. His heart began to tremble as it sensed the malevolent aura saturating the entire range.

Thump… thump-thump… thump…!

An erratic heartbeat echoed through his chest.

The entire mountain range was cloaked in a colossal curse it was as if the mountain itself was a gigantic grave.

“The Spirit Flow Core is reacting. Something’s here—something ancient and immensely powerful.”

Gugwi pressed a hand to his chest.

“I heard something during my days in the Intelligence Division,” said Jang Unhyeok, his voice tense.

“They said the altar was trapped. That the seal imprisoning the Manifest Demon Emperor was alive, devouring all who dared intrude.”

Jang Unhyeok continued, recalling the past.

“Even within the Heavenly Sound Cult, information about the altar was classified. Only those of the Twelve True Armies rank and above knew of it… I thought it was just a legend.”

He glanced around at his companions.

“Be careful, everyone. This place is unlike anything we’ve faced before.”

The group moved forward cautiously, every step filled with tension.

Thunder began to roll in the distance—faint at first, but steadily growing closer.

“The weather’s strange. The clouds are gathering too fast,” Yeon Sohye said, looking up.

The sky was suddenly consumed by dark storm clouds, as if someone had draped a black shroud over the heavens.

Lightning tore across the mountains, followed by a deafening boom. Then came the downpour.

Drip, drop… drrrrrip!

What began as a drizzle turned into a torrential deluge. Rain smashed against the rocks with deafening noise.

“This isn’t right! This storm—it’s unnatural!”

Jang Unhyeok shouted.

In an instant, their vision was completely obscured; they couldn’t even see a few steps ahead.

The Spirit Flow Core in his chest flared with an intense blue light. Something was approaching.

He pulled his companions toward him—

The ground beneath them collapsed. The rain-soaked cliff could no longer hold.

Boulders tumbled down with a thunderous roar.

A chilling voice cut through the rain.

Through the storm’s curtain, black figures emerged.

Heuk Yeomjo appeared, leading the Black Blood Unit.

“Kill them all! Don’t bother taking prisoners! We only need their corpses!”

Souls transformed by the Soul Transformation Technique lunged at them alongside the pouring rain.

The black phantoms descended from all directions, riding the streaks of water.

The spirits, drenched in rain, looked even more grotesque—their wet forms appeared sharper, more real.

Gugwi reacted instantly. Blue light erupted from him, repelling the spirits.

But the rain weakened its effect. The downpour scattered the energy of the Spirit Flow Core.

The Black Blood Unit seized the opportunity.

They hadn’t planned it that way, but they immediately sensed that Gugwi’s power had faltered.

Poison darts pierced through the rain as they flew. Within the downpour, the darts were barely visible. Moreover, the Black Blood Unit used feather-thin darts known as Umo Darts, making them even harder to see.

One dart grazed the Red Spearman’s shoulder. Black blood ran down, mixing with the rain.

At the very instant the Red Spearman was hit, Gugwi called for the Physician of the Spirit Union.

Even through the rain, his acupuncture struck with precision.

The needles pierced the Gyeonjeong Acupoint and Gokji Acupoint. The poison was immediately neutralized and expelled as black smoke.

The Red Spearman gritted his teeth.

“Why are these bastards using such strong poison? Even Umo Darts! Do they have any idea how expensive those are?”

He swung his spear in retaliation.

With the Blood Spear Killing Art, his spear tip thrust like lightning, felling two Black Blood Soldiers.

Heuk Yeomjo shouted in fury.

“You fools! Do you think your martial arts are that great to fight one-on-one? Attack all at once!”

More than ten Black Blood Soldiers surrounded them and attacked from all sides.

Yeon Sohye spread a silver mist with the Silver Spirit Technique, but its effect weakened in the rain.

“Tch! The rain’s messing up my spell!”

She bit her lip in frustration.

Jang Unhyeok swung his sword and blade, unleashing the Harmony of Flame and Wind as he shouted,

“Gugwi! We can’t fight here for long! More pursuers will come! We can’t get bogged down!”

Gugwi unleashed the Cloudfire Spear Slash, cutting down three Black Blood Soldiers at once. But there were simply too many enemies.

“Red Spearman! Break through the path! Chief! Cover the rear! Dark Blood Captain, protect me!”

Their group broke through the encirclement of the Black Blood Unit and ran. A fierce pursuit unfolded under the pouring rain.

Behind them, Heuk Yeomjo shouted,

“Don’t let them escape! Chase them to the end!”

Poison darts and arrows shot through the rain. Yeon Sohye blocked them with her dagger and glanced back.

“They’re persistent!”

Jang Unhyeok swung his sword toward the pursuing enemies.

The blade pierced through one man’s chest, but the rest kept chasing relentlessly.

Gugwi focused solely on his Spirit Flow Core, just as he had when fighting Sa Hyeollin. He left his safety to Yeon Sohye and spread the Spiritless Zone wide. But because he was moving, the technique’s power was weakened.

The one leading the way, Jin Geonmu, spotted a large crevice in the rocks.

“Let’s hide there for now!”

The group slipped into the gap between the rocks. Yeon Sohye cast the Silver Spirit Illusion, completely erasing their presence.

The Black Blood Soldiers passed nearby but didn’t notice them.

“Did they go this way?”

“They vanished right before our eyes! They must be close!”

The voices gradually faded into the distance.

After a long while, the group cautiously emerged from the rocks. The rain had completely stopped, and the sky began to clear.

Gugwi let out a sigh of relief.

“How did the Black Blood Unit know to track us here?” Follow current novels on nοvelfire.net

“They specialize in infiltration, scouting, and tracking. Heuk Yeomjo can even manipulate Living Spirits. The fact that Bloodscent Fiend serves under him proves it.”

Jang Unhyeok spoke grimly.

“So, they’ll all the way to the altar?”

“Most likely. Which means we have to finish our task there and leave fast. If we stay in one place too long, we’ll be discovered for sure.”

“How far is it to the altar?”

Jang Unhyeok pulled out the map to confirm their position.

“It’s still quite far… but if we take this route, we might avoid pursuit—assuming the terrain isn’t as treacherous as before.”

As the rain faded, the group ventured deeper into the mountain range. Their clothes were soaked through, but they had no choice but to keep moving.

“Gugwi, could this… be a trap meant to lure you to the altar?”

Jang Unhyeok glanced behind as he spoke.

“You sense something off?”

“If this map’s right, the altar lies in the heart of the Dark Spirit Sect—where the remnants of the Manifest Demon Emperor still writhe.”

“According to the Intelligence Division, every Soul-Summoner who approached the altar lost their minds. The Eleventh True Army, Ma Ungyeol, said their consciousness was devoured by the Manifest Demon Emperor himself… though I can’t claim to understand such madness.”

“We still have to go. If we’re to uncover the secret of the Spirit Flow Core.”

At the center of the mountain range, a vast cave appeared.

The entrance was veiled in black mist, but beyond it glowed a strange red light. The mouth of the cave gaped wide—like the mountain itself was opening its jaws.

The Red Spearman examined the entrance cautiously.

“Alright. Final choice. This cave leads to the altar—but it’s bound to be filled with traps.”

“Meaning once we go in, it won’t be easy to get out.”

“You already know such words won’t stop us.”

Gugwi placed a hand on Jin Geonmu’s shoulder and stepped inside.

The torchlight illuminated the cavern brightly.

The walls were covered in ancient murals—and their contents were horrifying.

Countless humans were being sacrificed to a colossal black figure. The being, unmistakably the Manifest Demon Emperor, was vividly depicted devouring their souls.

One mural, in particular, was terrifying.

Thousands of people were being sucked into the gaping mouth of the Manifest Demon Emperor.

Gugwi stared at it in shock.

“This… can’t be real, right?”

His gaze moved from Yeon Sohye to Jang Unhyeok.

“Don’t tell me… it is?”

“It looks like a depiction of a sacrificial altar. So yes, it’s real. The victims were mostly enemies, prisoners, or abducted people—hundreds, even thousands, slain here.”

Gugwi’s body trembled.

The expressions of the people in the mural were disturbingly vivid—etched with fear and despair.

Even Yeon Sohye frowned as she looked at them.

“This must be the Manifest Demon Emperor the Dark Spirit Sect worshiped. Or maybe they used his name as an excuse to rule the world in blood.”

Jang Unhyeok pointed to another mural.

“Look there. That’s light coming from the heart, right? Then that must be the leader—the one who holds the Spirit Flow Core. The one fighting him must be the Manifest Demon Emperor… were they enemies even back then?”

Indeed, the mural depicted a figure radiating blue light from his chest, standing against the Manifest Demon Emperor.

After passing through the cave, the altar awaited.

The air grew heavier. Perhaps it was the murals, but the aura of resentment thickened.

A red glow seeped from the end of the cave.

An exit—was that the light of sunset? The rain had stopped; perhaps the sky was clearing.

The group emerged outside.

Then, a small black dot darted across the sky.

Jang Unhyeok shouted.

A hawk trained for reconnaissance had found their location.

Jin Geonmu quickly hurled his spear, striking the bird.

The hawk screamed and plummeted to the ground—but it was already too late. The report had been sent.

“Damn it! Now the Heavenly Sound Cult knows where we are. We don’t have much time. Let’s finish what we came for and get out of here!”

Jang Unhyeok gritted his teeth.