Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: The Demons' Withdrawal
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“Kuh… ugh…!”
Blood sprayed from the gaping maw of the Bloodpoison Demonfiend. Wi Seongcheon gritted his teeth, pushing forward with his feet while driving his fist ahead. But it wouldn’t advance any further.
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s staggering body suddenly tensed rigidly. His bulging eyes glared at Wi Seongcheon. He forced his open mouth shut and clenched his fist.
“You bastard…!”
The Heavenly Demon had commanded not to kill anyone who wasn’t weak. By those words, he shouldn’t kill Wi Seongcheon.
He was the only one who had ever made the Bloodpoison Demonfiend feel a sense of crisis.
But right now, the Heavenly Demon’s orders were nowhere in the Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s mind.
Just moments ago, he had truly felt that crisis. That brat from the Heavenly Flower Sect had pierced the Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s body—untouched even by the Dragon-Phoenixes—and made him vomit blood.
How many times had he spat blood in the last few decades?
“Insolent… fool!”
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s face twisted in rage.
Crack!
Wi Seongcheon’s hand, still pressed against his chest, was seized by the Bloodpoison Demonfiend.
Savoring the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, the Bloodpoison Demonfiend spat out,
“It’s been seven years…!”
“Ugh…!”
Wi Seongcheon hurriedly unleashed Heavy Hand Divine Might, but he couldn’t free the hand already gripped tight.
Crunch!
Wi Seongcheon’s wrist was crushed.
“Seven years since I last spat blood. Since that cursed monster Hwangan—seven years! To a mere brat like you!”
Roaring ferociously, the Bloodpoison Demonfiend tried to unleash his Demonic Bloodpoison Gang. But the poison qi that should have flowed freely had hardened, refusing to move.
That panicked the Bloodpoison Demonfiend greatly. Even without teeth, one could chew with gums, as they said. Though his poison qi wouldn’t stir, his fist alone held enough power to smash Wi Seongcheon’s skull.
“Let go!”
It was then that Paeng Yeonhwa leaped in.
She would create an opening. It was the gamble Wi Seongcheon had proposed, and he had succeeded.
Paeng Yeonhwa’s movements as she charged were incomparable to before. In an instant, she transformed into a beast-man, elongating her right hand’s nails into a long blade.
Fierce Tiger Single Heaven Blade, Fierce Tiger Frenzy Slash.
Paeng Yeonhwa’s right arm vanished, leaving a flickering afterimage, and sharp sword qi slashed toward the Bloodpoison Demonfiend.
An attack that normally wouldn’t even register as a threat—but the Bloodpoison Demonfiend was far from his peak state. Grinding his teeth, he staggered back.
As she unleashed Fierce Tiger Frenzy Slash, Paeng Yeonhwa stepped into her footwork.
The Fierce Tiger Soul-Seizing Step, honed since childhood, unfolded more perfectly than ever.
Slipping through the Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s opening, Paeng Yeonhwa’s sword path shifted in a flash.
Tiger Fang Blood Greed.
A technique she didn’t particularly like, but now was no time to care.
Paeng Yeonhwa’s claws shot forward. The Bloodpoison Demonfiend twisted his body in alarm, thrusting his arm out straight.
Slash!
Paeng Yeonhwa’s claws thinly sliced the Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s forearm as they passed.
His loosened grip released Wi Seongcheon’s wrist. Paeng Yeonhwa hurriedly flung herself forward, pulling Wi Seongcheon into her arms.
Crash!
Paeng Yeonhwa and Wi Seongcheon tumbled across the ground together. The Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s eyes bulged as he glared at his slashed arm. Blood was flowing. Blood!
“You mongrel freak bitch!”
Bellowing, the Bloodpoison Demonfiend charged at Paeng Yeonhwa as she tried to lift Wi Seongcheon.
In that moment, the Bloodpoison Demonfiend realized his carelessness. Here, the one he needed to guard against most wasn’t that Heavenly Flower brat or the Paeng freak.
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend whipped his head around.
‘…Well done.’
Mu Yeonjun thought it sincerely. Everyone had done well.
Especially Wi Seongcheon—what he’d accomplished was unbelievable, even as a witness.
He couldn’t waste such a hard-earned chance.
Boom!
A brilliant blue light engulfed the Bloodpoison Demonfiend. He thrust out both palms in desperation, resisting the dazzling assault.
His robe tore to shreds, and his feet were pushed back.
Inner power too profound for someone past thirty. Yet the Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s eyes held no despair.
Mu Yeonjun hung azure energy spheres on both hands and kicked off the ground.
Explosive Full Moon.
The two rigid qi orbs detached from Mu Yeonjun’s hands and shot forth fiercely.
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend leaped high, drawing up his poison qi. This was no time to test the young ones. Cornered like this, he had to go all out, regardless of who died.
Whoosh!
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s Demonic Bloodpoison Gang swallowed Mu Yeonjun’s qi orbs. Mu Yeonjun dashed straight through the glow.
Boom-boom-boom!
Mu Yeonjun and the Bloodpoison Demonfiend tangled, exchanging fists and kicks. At some point, his punches became the Demon-Subduing Six Harmonies Palm, pressing the Bloodpoison Demonfiend relentlessly.
‘Incredible…! For a kid just past thirty to corner me like this…!’
Though his qi flow wasn’t perfectly smooth yet, Mu Yeonjun—no, the Heavenly Person’s skill was undeniable.
But that was it. He wasn’t fully ripe. Right now, he could definitely be killed.
Though not at full strength himself, forcing it as the Bloodpoison Demonfiend would take a toll—but if he ignored his body’s condition…
‘I can kill him.’
But there, he hesitated. Was it necessary to go that far?
No.
Only now did the Bloodpoison Demonfiend recall the Heavenly Demon’s command.
Don’t kill if they’re not weak.
Those brats were strong. The Heavenly Person, Dragon-Phoenix, Tiger Fang, Apex Edge, Twin Moon Wheels. All far beyond their years.
Even the instructors were the same. Deathsentence Sword, Golden Capture Whip Flash. He’d subdued them quickly only because he’d unleashed Demonic Bloodpoison Gang from the start.
If he’d held back as he did with the students, he wouldn’t have taken them down in one go.
‘Especially… that one…!’
Pushed back powerlessly by Mu Yeonjun’s Demon-Subduing Six Harmonies Palm, the Bloodpoison Demonfiend checked Wi Seongcheon’s position.
Wi Seongcheon hung limp in Paeng Yeonhwa’s arms.
His internals still throbbed. When that fist connected, the thunderous drumbeat echoing from deep within lingered in his ears.
More dangerous than even the Heavenly Person.
Here, if anyone, that one had to die.
He was the one who inflicted this pain. He absolutely couldn’t be spared.
‘Kill…’
A chilling sensation crept over him.
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s and Mu Yeonjun’s eyes met. He was still unleashing his arts. Observing the opponent mid-technique was basic.
Mu Yeonjun had been staring at the Bloodpoison Demonfiend the whole time. Earlier, and now.
But this gaze felt different. As if it pierced through everything. That eye—
“…Hah!”
For a moment, his mind was stolen by that stare. The foreboding that followed wasn’t mere threat.
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend twisted his body sharply.
An invisible sword bisected the space where the Bloodpoison Demonfiend had stood. And it didn’t end there.
He hurriedly drew out his poison gang.
Crackle!
Dizziness hit with nosebleed pouring down.
Staggering, the Bloodpoison Demonfiend spewed Demonic Bloodpoison Gang.
“Tai Chi Sword Lord!”
Roaring, he glared upward.
Atop the cliff stood the Tai Chi Sword Lord. Not a trace of his usual benevolence remained.
The current Tai Chi Sword Lord was the ferocious Sword Ghost who had wandered the Demonic Realm decades ago, pursuing only the pinnacle of the sword.
The Tai Chi Sword Lord leaped down from the cliff. Someone pursued him.
Falling alongside was the Sword Demon, one of the Demonic Cult’s Ten Demons. Unlike the unscathed Tai Chi Sword Lord, the Sword Demon’s robes were slashed everywhere.
No blood flowed, at least, but wounds to pride stung worse than flesh as his face twisted.
“Step back.”
The Tai Chi Sword Lord didn’t spare a glance at the Sword Demon landing behind him.
Shing!
A chilling sword cry rang from the blade in the Tai Chi Sword Lord’s grip.
The command to withdraw was directed not at the Bloodpoison Demonfiend, but at Mu Yeonjun.
Mu Yeonjun glared at the Bloodpoison Demonfiend before slowly retreating.
The Tai Chi Sword Lord fixed bloodshot eyes on the Bloodpoison Demonfiend. He’d grasped what had transpired here just from looking down from the cliff.
“I was too late.”
“…Keh heh! Plenty fast enough, you long-nosed bastard. Damn Sword Demon. Said you’d bring back that long-nose’s head… Lucky your neck’s still attached!”
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend sneered at the Sword Demon. The Sword Demon bit his lip without retort.
The Sword Demon took position behind the Tai Chi Sword Lord’s back, while the Bloodpoison Demonfiend faced him head-on.
Mu Yeonjun stood in front, but… he was confident he could target the Tai Chi Sword Lord.
“You long-nose. Think you can handle two of the Ten Demons alone?”
“Shall we see?”
The Tai Chi Sword Lord spat. The Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s brow twitched.
Rage boiling to his scalp cooled sharply at the Tai Chi Sword Lord’s sharpness.
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend rationally assessed the situation.
Those who could still move… Excluding the Tai Chi Sword Lord, the Heavenly Person and Tiger Fang.
Bi Yeon had lost her weapon but bore no wounds.
Dang Heeran, invaded by poison qi, couldn’t move smoothly, and beside her, Dang Seona heaved ragged breaths.
Hwangbo Seongu and Ha Ji-tae, properly struck, had lost consciousness.
Tae Hui-myeong, Yeongjin, and Cheong U-bin weren’t in fighting shape either.
‘Three brats… Manageable? No, if the Tai Chi Sword Lord risks mutual destruction…’
The Heavenly Person kid’s skill was unexpected too. And he wasn’t sure he’d seen their full power.
In this situation…
“…Keh heh!”
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend let out a dry laugh. Keeping a sharp eye on the Tai Chi Sword Lord’s reaction, he slowly backed away.
“You look rough… but I’ll withdraw.”
“You think I’ll let you escape?”
The Tai Chi Sword Lord’s eyes flashed.
Ooooo!
The wind swirling through the valley shifted. It felt as if hundreds, thousands of invisible swords encircled the space.
Even as chills ran down his spine, the Bloodpoison Demonfiend smirked viciously.
“Don’t misunderstand, long-nose. This isn’t fleeing—it’s me graciously stepping back. No matter how you rampage, when the Sword Demon and I get serious, do you think you can protect everyone here?”
The Tai Chi Sword Lord didn’t answer.
The frozen demonic beasts began rolling, bisected by unseen slashes.
The Tai Chi Sword Lord’s fury had captured the entire space with his mind sword. But even with that miraculous prowess, he couldn’t cleave the Bloodpoison Demonfiend and Sword Demon.
They too had opened their upper dantian, perfected their ethereal bodies, and reached the divine domain, just like the Tai Chi Sword Lord.
“Our purpose is fulfilled.”
So saying, the Bloodpoison Demonfiend slowly rose into the air.
The Sword Demon, glaring at the five characters “World’s Greatest Sword” etched on the Tai Chi Sword Lord’s back, ground his teeth and ascended as well.
“It’s not your mercy, but the Demonic Cult—and the Sovereign’s will—that spares you. Heh heh! Etch it in your minds, you pathetic worms. The Demonic Cult and Heavenly Demon you so despise have shown you mercy.”
“Get lost.”
The Tai Chi Sword Lord spat.
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend burst into loud laughter and turned away.
Flash!
The Bloodpoison Demonfiend and Sword Demon leaped over the ravine.
As they vanished, the frozen demonic beasts began to stir. Many still alive lunged at the fallen ones.
Splash!
Those beasts were bisected.
The Tai Chi Sword Lord glared beyond the ravine where the Sword Demon and Bloodpoison Demonfiend had fled, then immediately checked on the downed.
“Poisoned…!”
Approaching the nearby Dang Heeran, the Tai Chi Sword Lord knelt, checked her pulse, and sighed.
To save Dang Seona, she had charged straight through the Demonic Bloodpoison Gang and lay unconscious, severely poisoned.
The Tai Chi Sword Lord sprang up to pursue the Bloodpoison Demonfiend and Sword Demon—for the antidote.
“No… need for that.”
Dang Seona grabbed the Tai Chi Sword Lord’s sleeve.
“The Bloodpoison Demonfiend’s Demonic Bloodpoison Gang mixes demonic beasts’ poison with his own demonic qi. There’s no antidote.”
“Then?”
“Beast poison ceases to be poison without demonic qi. With your profound inner power, Sword Lord… you can burn away the demonic qi inside via qi circulation.”
When poisoned by beast toxin, the fastest solution was killing the source beast. That alone greatly weakens the poison qi.
Then consume an antidote tailored to beast poison to control it, and use inner power to incinerate the demonic qi.
Preemptive antidotes existed too, but they only built resistance—not a true cure.
The Tai Chi Sword Lord nodded vigorously, grasping Dang Seona and Dang Heeran’s wrists. He turned to Mu Yeonjun.
Mu Yeonjun was already approaching Wi Seongcheon in Paeng Yeonhwa’s arms.
Whoosh!
Black smoke poured from Dang Seona and Dang Heeran’s bodies. The Tai Chi Sword Lord’s profound power had incinerated the lingering demonic qi within them.
Dang Seona gazed bitterly at the unconscious Dang Heeran.
“…Sorry we were late.”
The Tai Chi Sword Lord gently stroked their hands and bowed his head.
He then moved to the other students, burning out their poison qi. It consumed vast inner energy, but he didn’t care.
Perhaps the Bloodpoison Demonfiend and Sword Demon had intended this.
‘No.’
The Tai Chi Sword Lord was certain. Invoking the Heavenly Demon, the Ten Demons wouldn’t defy that will.
Smiling faintly at the pale-faced Tae Hui-myeong, the Tai Chi Sword Lord said,
“You held out splendidly.”
“…N-no, I…”
“Surviving alone is splendid enough.”
The Tai Chi Sword Lord gripped Tae Hui-myeong’s shoulder.
The fallen students began opening their eyes one by one.
Deathsentence Sword and Seok I-jin, poisoned worst as the first struck, didn’t regain consciousness immediately even after the qi burn.
Nor did Wi Seongcheon.
“He’s… not regaining consciousness.”
Mu Yeonjun muttered blankly.
Tears welled in Paeng Yeonhwa’s yellow eyes.