Baek Woon-ho pointed at the black flames still flickering around Lee Tae-sung, trying to change the subject.
“By the way, that black flame looked incredibly strong. It seems to be a form that amplifies the destructive power of your existing Flame Emperor techniques… Am I right?”
“You’re exactly right. It’s called the Black Lotus Divine Skill.”
Ding!
[You have acquired a new skill.]
Skill: Black Lotus Divine Skill
This was the notification Lee Tae-sung had seen earlier inside the seal area.
There had been a single book and two items inside.
‘Good thing I’ve been saving my skill points.’
Since the Black Lotus Divine Skill was a Grade 7 Hybrid, it required 64 skill points.
Luckily, Lee Tae-sung hadn’t learned any new skills recently—he’d been accumulating points through leveling up and quests.
If he’d been careless, it would have taken a long time to learn it now.
‘And on top of that, there are other related skills my master taught me. Considering those, I need to keep saving skill points.’
Just like he no longer used the Solar Star Power Art he’d learned before, other skills were similar.
The Heavenly Net Flame Hand, Flying Flower Explosive Shadow, and even the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art and Flame Tide Wave Sword weren’t the Flame Emperor’s ultimate techniques.
The Black Lotus Divine Skill was only the first step toward learning what came after.
Thinking ahead, he would need a massive number of skill points in the future.
“Black Lotus Divine Skill… Techniques with the character ‘black’ in them are usually ominous and difficult to handle.”
“That’s right. It’s said the principles were derived from demonic arts of the Evil Sect. By mixing demonic energy, the power of the flames is enhanced.”
“Then doesn’t the demonic energy rush into your marrow?”
“Yes. However, I learned the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art, so I can barely withstand it.”
The Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art was a Hybrid mental technique that maximized the purifying power within the nature of flames.
That allowed it to cover a significant portion of the Black Lotus Divine Skill’s side effects.
“Then I won’t be able to learn it.”
Baek Woon-ho wore a troubled expression.
Since the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art could only be learned by the Flame Emperor’s direct successor, Baek Woon-ho had cultivated a lesser technique.
Although it was also created by the Flame Emperor, its purifying ability wasn’t maximized, so he couldn’t avoid the side effects of the Black Lotus Divine Skill.
“It’s fine. You just need to eat this.”
What Lee Tae-sung pulled from his bosom was a red pudding-like object the size of a fist.
[Essence of Magma]
– Magma flows majestically deep within the earth over countless ages.
This was created by drawing out the purest energy from it and condensing it into a powerful force.
– Upon consumption, you acquire a strong resistance to demonic energy.
The Essence of Magma.
This was the reason Lee Tae-sung had come all this way.
“Apparently, the reason the Flame Emperor was here in the past is because there’s magma underneath. He created a hideout here to gather and refine that energy.”
If he only intended to learn the technique, it would have been faster to just summon the Flame Emperor and learn it directly.
Summoning him just to talk was manageable, and he’d been steadily collecting Ascendant Summon Maintenance Tickets.
But learning the Black Lotus Divine Skill that way was difficult.
Upon starting it, he needed the Essence of Magma to strongly suppress the demonic energy.
Even Lee Tae-sung, who had learned the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art, needed the help of such an item.
He ate one himself and gave the other to Baek Woon-ho.
He certainly deserved to receive it.
“I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“You’re welcome. You can take it with pride.”
Baek Woon-ho chuckled, accepted the Essence of Magma, and stored it carefully.
At that moment.
“Grrk… I… will not die like this!”
Ju Rip, engulfed in black flames, rose to his feet.
Despite the fatal wound on his side and the fire burning his entire body, his eyes were wide open, and he exploded with blood light.
He once again drew upon the Golden Blood Secret Art.
“Submit to the god.”
The Golden Blood Secret Art was still incomplete, so it had been consuming his own life force.
Now even that wasn’t enough.
So Ju Rip began absorbing the energy of the nearby Blood Cult followers.
“Kyaaaa!”
“Please spare me!!”
No matter how fanatical the zealots were, having their life force drained while still alive terrified them.
As they screamed, the power of the Golden Blood Secret Art filled up again.
Ju Rip unleashed that power.
Kwa-rung!
With a sound like thunder, a strike flew that even a Transcendental Realm expert couldn’t ignore.
Hwa-reuk!
Behind Lee Tae-sung’s head, a black lotus bloomed again, and the Flame Tide Wave Sword, dyed jet-black, shot forth.
A single wave couldn’t block Ju Rip’s strike, but the waves of the Flame Tide Wave Sword repeated without pause.
The Black Lotus Flame waves gradually eroded Ju Rip’s attack, just as before.
“You bastard!”
At that moment, Ju Rip detonated his own strike. Instead of focusing on a single point, the power spread in all directions.
Riding that force, he threw himself outward with all his might.
“Damn it!”
“He’s trying to escape!”
Startled, Lee Tae-sung and Baek Woon-ho quickly used their Lightfoot Techniques to chase him.
But they were a step too late, so a considerable distance opened up.
As he chased, Lee Tae-sung looked toward the fork in the path.
He wondered if Volkran and Lucy had spotted the bastard and stopped him, but unfortunately, the two still seemed busy rescuing survivors.
Eventually, Lee Tae-sung and Baek Woon-ho emerged outside.
What they saw was Ju Rip leaping off the cliff.
Quickly following, the two unleashed the Air-shattering Palm of the Heavenly Net Flame Hand at Ju Rip, who was slowly vanishing into the air.
Thwack!
Thwack!
Hit by two palm strikes, Ju Rip coughed up blood with a drum-like sound in midair, but even so, he didn’t lose his smile as he disappeared.
—
The investigation team moved to Demenmark.
The achievements of the Second Investigation Team of the Nameless Blood Cult were remarkable.
From the start, the team’s purpose was to confirm whether the Nameless Blood Cult had revived.
They secured evidence of their revival, and on top of that, they even saved people who had been kidnapped and were about to have their life force drained.
A perfect investigation and hostage rescue.
Before leaving the ruins, Lucy had sent a message ahead, so various major factions had already arrived at Demenmark via spatial teleportation magic circles.
“My goodness! Is it true that you discovered traces of the Nameless Blood Cult?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Lee Tae-sung nodded at Serena’s words, who was at the front.
Ding!
[You have completed the quest.]
[You obtain 95 gold coins and a massive amount of experience.]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
A series of successive notifications. And that wasn’t the end.
“You told us. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have stopped their schemes. Lord Volkran said so too. On behalf of the continent, I thank you.”
Serena bowed deeply.
This was the highest courtesy a Responsible Mage of a major Magic Tower could show!
“Regarding the request, I will give you an opportunity to enter our magic tower’s warehouse. Drop by when you have time later.”
Ding!
[You obtain the Red Magic Tower’s Treasure (Item). Receive it later.]
[Your reputation with the Red Magic Tower, which entrusted the request, increases.]
[Your reputation with the Dragon Knights, who heard the rumor of the successful request, increases.]
[Your reputation with the Blue Cheoltap, who heard the rumor of the successful request, increases.]
[Your reputation with…]
Since this was no ordinary request, notifications of additional rewards and reputation increases kept appearing.
The major factions related to this request—like the Red Magic Tower that had commissioned it—saw Lee Tae-sung’s reputation rise significantly.
Along with his skill at Peak Realm, he was now seen as someone reliable to entrust with work.
From now on, he would be able to receive requests easily even from high-ranking officials of major factions.
Lee Tae-sung spent time going around various factions as a member of the investigation team, repeatedly explaining and proving what he had seen.
Each time, the arrogant major factions showed a friendly demeanor.
“Ah, I’ve heard of your reputation. Lee Tae-sung-nim of the Flying Dragon Clan.”
“Come this way and have a cup of tea.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear what you felt when you encountered the Blood Cult bastards.”
Originally, he had planned to head to the Sky Altar after finishing the request, but time was delayed because people kept seeking him out from all sides.
Still, it wasn’t a bad thing.
It meant his recognition had increased that much. He had also successfully obtained all of the Flame Emperor’s legacy, so everything worked out well overall.
However, a nagging feeling remained in one corner of Lee Tae-sung’s mind.
‘I have a feeling that bastard is still alive.’
Blood Hand Ju Rip, who had thrown himself off the cliff.
Even though the cliff was terrifyingly high and the guy’s condition was near death, Lee Tae-sung couldn’t feel at ease.
Considering that Ju Rip had been smiling at the end and the strange techniques the Nameless Blood Cult used, there was a high probability he hadn’t died.
‘Even if he went back alive, it wouldn’t be a big problem…’
The bastard hadn’t obtained any special information; he was just one Blood Cult executive who had narrowly escaped death.
His skill level was also at Peak Realm.
But if Lee Tae-sung had been at a higher level, he could have finished the bastard for sure. That was the only regret.
‘I need to train harder.’
The next time they met, he planned to turn him to ash without even giving him time to run away.
—
In a mountain somewhere in Cheonoecheon.
“Hehehe. The two of you like this girl so much that you chase after her. I’m troubled over whose heart I should accept.”
The Mad Demon said this, her clothes torn in places and covered in dust.
She was smiling brightly, but contrary to her, the expressions of the Flame Emperor and Goeseung, standing across from her, were not good.
They looked extremely stressed.
“Stop talking nonsense and just hand over the tablet. Then we’ll go back quietly.”
“Uhu huhu.”
The Mad Demon pulled out the tablet PC with a hand as beautiful as jade.
“You came as you pleased, but now you think you can leave just like that? No, no.”
“……”
“……”
At the Mad Demon’s words, the Flame Emperor and Goeseung were frustrated.
Originally, the two had been watching a drama together on the Flame Emperor’s tablet.
And just as they were getting really into it, the battery died.
That was fine.
It was precisely for this occasion that the two had been watching on one tablet.
There was Goeseung’s new tablet, with a full battery, as a spare.
But…
– Uh, it’s gone.
– What’s gone, you bald monk?
– The, the tablet is missing.
– ???
You idiot baldhead!
How can you lose that?
Did you put it somewhere else and forget because of dementia?
– How could that be?
I swore I’d never forget my tablet even if I forgot my Buddhist chanting…
But even after rifling through Goeseung’s meager belongings and searching the thatched house thoroughly, the tablet was not found.
Strange. No one had come to visit this house…
Except the Mad Demon.
– She must have taken it!
After that, the two had dashed out like lightning, tracked down the Mad Demon, and ended up in the current standoff.
“I don’t know what this device is, but it seems to have piqued your interest tremendously. Enough to come running with your eyes spinning?”
The Mad Demon lightly tossed the tablet up and caught it repeatedly.
Each time, the Flame Emperor and Goeseung’s faces turned pale.
“Th-that thing is so expensive and precious…!”
“Stop that, benefactor! If you keep doing that, even the Buddha will not forgive you anymore!”
“Hmmm…”
The Mad Demon pondered what to do.
After stealing it, she had fiddled with it for a few days, trying to figure out how it worked.
But since the fingerprint registration wasn’t set, the lock wouldn’t unlock, so she couldn’t use it.
Naturally, there was nothing she could do, and she lost interest.
She couldn’t understand why the two were so hung up on this strange device.
“What should I do~?”
She dragged out her words and grinned.
At that moment.
“!”
“!”
The three people’s gazes simultaneously turned.
Though invisible, a sparkling thread of fate was descending from the sky.
The activation of the connection.
Lee Tae-sung had used the Ascendant Summoning Skill.