Chapter 350: Heavenly Demon (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 350: Heavenly Demon (4)
Heat.
That was the first sensation to greet me after my transformation into a Demonic Human. A scorching fire burned through every part of my being, from the tips of my toes to the crown of my head.
This was a different kind of heat than the one I knew from my flame arts.
Demonic Qi was even more violent than flame Qi, which was already infamous for its ferocity. It blocked and corroded other forms of Qi, as if refusing to share its host with any other power. The Heavenly Demon had said as much, and thousands of Demonic Humans accepted it as absolute truth.
Becoming a Demonic Human allowed one to wield this Qi, merging it with their martial arts to unlock power greater than anything they had known before. The potential of Demonic Qi seemed limitless. With such energy flooding one's body, this intense heat was inevitable.
"Phew."
Heat radiated from me without any conscious effort. It felt strange, this heat pouring from my body—not generated by flame Qi, but emanating from raw, potent strength alone.
Those who experience this sensation for the first time often succumb to madness. I had witnessed it countless times in my past life. I was determined to ensure it would not happen to me.
Stay still if you don’t want to die.
Ssss…
The Qi within me fell silent under my pressure.
There was only one reason the Demonic Qi would run wild: it possessed a will of its own, stubbornly refusing to obey its host. This Qi originally belonged to the Heavenly Demon; perhaps it recognized only its original master as its true owner.
Because of this, I had to make my position clear. I forced it to know its place, to understand that I was its master now. The clash between my own Qi and the Demonic Qi nearly tore my body apart, but in the end, I prevailed.
Did it snap?
A faint line had connected me to the Heavenly Demon. Now, I could neither see it nor feel the resonance that had been there before.
Was it really this easy?
The line had appeared the moment I began my transformation. Something had fundamentally shifted the instant I severed it. Could it truly have been so simple?
Of course not.
The thought was absurd. If it were that easy, I would not have endured such agony in my past life. The idea that I could have simply snapped the line back then was ridiculous. This time was different. Not only was this life drastically altered from my last, but it felt as though some unseen force had guided this change. At least, that was the impression I got.
"...N-No."
I turned toward the source of the trembling, terrified voice. It was Wi Seol-Ah, her face pale with shock, hands covering her mouth. I observed the white aura and the power enhancing her sword, then let my gaze settle on her face.
She looked like the Wi Seol-Ah I knew in this life, but I frowned at the sight of her pupils. There was a subtle difference in her eyes that unsettled me.
"Stay right where you are."
"…"
Wi Seol-Ah flinched at my words.
"We have a lot to talk about."
"...Ah."
I saw her large eyes quiver. The motion was very noticeable.
It made me wonder about my own eyes. Were they red now? Or violet? I touched my face, but there was no way to tell. Another difference I noticed was the temperature of my skin. Despite the inferno raging within my body, my skin felt cold to the touch. The Demonic Qi made my core sear with heat, yet my exterior remained chilled. It was a strange, contradictory sensation, one I hadn't felt in a long time.
Swish.
I turned my head toward the presence approaching me. There stood the Heavenly Demon, looking up at me with radiant violet eyes.
"...Ah."
It wasn't that I hadn't sensed its approach. I had allowed it to draw near because I felt no hostility emanating from it. This, too, was a change. I could sense the immense power the Heavenly Demon concealed, yet as it neared, I felt no fear.
"How did you do it?"
Its voice was slow, each word pronounced with deliberate firmness. Had the Heavenly Demon always spoken this way? Or was this its current state?
"What?"
"That."
The Heavenly Demon pointed a finger toward my dantian.
"Mine… How did you?"
At first, I was confused, but it seemed to be referring to the connection I had severed between us. Or perhaps it meant my Demonic Absorption Art. Judging by its reaction, it was safe to assume I had indeed snapped the tether.
"What makes you think that belongs to you?"
"It is mine."
A strange emotion washed over me as I spoke to the Heavenly Demon. I had never addressed it like this before. Now, I could see its face clearly. Before, it had merely borne a resemblance to Wi Seol-Ah, but now I saw this was unmistakably the Heavenly Demon. Its hollow eyes and furrowed brows gave it a perpetually displeased expression. And then there were those violet eyes.
Had it always been like this? The being I once feared now felt oddly familiar. Was it because it looked so much like Wi Seol-Ah? Probably not.
- I am the Heavenly Demon.
They were very different. Whether it was the Heavenly Demon, or my current self.
Had it always felt like this?
The Heavenly Demon I remembered embodied the word absolute, its presence capable of piercing the heavens. Yet, this one felt entirely different.
"That's mine."
Its pestering tone and the way its hair shifted with each word…
- Captain.
It looked nothing like the entity that had looked down on me.
How is this even possible?
I recalled the Heavenly Demon's appearance in my past life. It was around the time I was just over twenty, a difference of only a few years. Yet, in that short time, could this childlike being have changed so drastically?
Could this not be the Heavenly Demon?
The thought flickered through my mind, but I knew I was wrong. I could feel it even now—an incredible power concealed within that small frame, a presence so potent it had to be hidden to avoid detection.
I looked into the Heavenly Demon's eyes. Its annoyed expression was oddly reminiscent of Wi Seol-Ah's face when I'd stolen her yakgwa. So, this child would one day grow into the terrifying Heavenly Demon. Maybe it was simply putting on an act. That was certainly possible.
But it didn't matter to me.
"It's yours? No."
I willed my Demonic Qi to flow. It surged instantly to my upper dantian, faster and more powerful than ordinary Qi. It merged with my martial arts, amplifying their strength exponentially. This was the power granted by Demonic Qi.
My Qi rose above my shoulders and poured out into the air.
"What… is that…?"
The Palace Lord, who had been watching, wore an expression of sheer disbelief.
The Heavenly Demon's eyes widened. Was it because this Qi leaving my body was familiar to it? The Demonic Qi flowing from me revealed its true nature—its instinct for greed and domination. With a will to dominate everything around it, the Qi shot skyward and merged with the black barrier overhead.
Crack… Crunch.
It began to gnaw away at the black barrier.
Watching this, I turned to the Heavenly Demon and spoke.
"Now it's mine."
The Demonic Qi coursing through me no longer belonged to the Heavenly Demon. Its origin might have been demonic, or a product of the Heavenly Demon's authority via the Demonic Absorption Art, but I had embedded it in my heart, stripped it of its will, and made it my own.
"…"
The Heavenly Demon remained silent after my response.
Reach.
Then, it extended a pale hand toward me. I wondered at its intent, but I had no intention of allowing it to proceed.
Clench.
Before its hand could reach me, I seized its thin wrist. My hand wasn't particularly large, but my fingers wrapped fully around its slender arm.
The instant I made contact,
Roaaaar-!
The Demonic Qi within me erupted in a furious scream. This time, it wasn't trying to return to its former master. Instead, it radiated such intense hostility that I was taken aback. Moments ago, you tried to go back to your master, and now you act like this? For fuck's sake. It was utterly baffling.
Sigh.
I exhaled in disbelief at the absurdity, yet I sensed it wasn't just my Qi reacting this way.
Kyaaaaaa!
The Heavenly Demon quickly pulled its hand back, startled by the unexpected recoil. The shock on its face was definitely something new. I hadn't known the Heavenly Demon was capable of such an expression.
"…"
It rubbed its wrist and stared up at me. Locking eyes with it, I channeled more Demonic Qi. I expanded my energy, devouring the black barrier. Its power far surpassed the Red Heaven technique I had wielded before. Half of the barrier was already consumed.
But beyond the barrier, I didn't see a red sky. I saw a darkness deeper than the black barrier itself. The fusion of my Qi with the Demonic Qi had created this ominous appearance. Should I call it Black Heaven now, instead of Red Heaven?
Anyway.
I never understood why the word black in martial arts always felt so unsettling. I had felt the same in my past life. I really hated seeing it.
Blaaaze.
Defying my own sentiment, I surrounded myself with black flames. It was time to begin my battle against the Heavenly Demon standing before me.
Can I truly defeat the Heavenly Demon here and now?
Honestly, I had never even considered the possibility. I knew I would face it one day—that much was certain. If I was to take the place of the Celestial Sword, I would have to stop the Heavenly Demon in her stead. But was that moment already here?
It feels too early.
It was much sooner than I had anticipated, yet I felt no hesitation. In fact, it felt like fortune was on my side. Fighting this childlike form of the Heavenly Demon should be far easier than facing its perfected self.
I opened my palm wide.
Blaze!
Black flame gathered in my hand, coalescing into a dark sphere of fire. I could feel its immense power. It was far stronger than any ordinary Flaming Sphere I had ever wielded. This sphere held enough destructive force to obliterate everything around me if I handled it recklessly.
Isn't it unfair for me to change this much just by becoming a Demonic Human?
I was already more than halfway to the level I had reached at the end of my past life. Simply undergoing this transformation had granted me such power. This is why so many power-hungry bastards had flocked to the Demonic Cult in my previous life.
I looked toward the Heavenly Demon as my Flaming Sphere neared completion. It looked up at me with a strange expression, as if it had noticed my hostility. It moved its hand, just like before.
"…!"
It was reaching for my Flaming Sphere. I hesitated for an instant at its unexpected action, but quickly launched the sphere toward the Heavenly Demon.
Clench.
"Huh?"
The Heavenly Demon squeezed the Flaming Sphere effortlessly, snuffing it out. My attack had grown immensely stronger after I reached the Fusion Realm and became a Demonic Human, yet it extinguished it with a single, casual squeeze?
Slam-! Craaash-!
The recoil from the extinguished sphere shattered our surroundings into chaos. Trees were uprooted effortlessly. I managed to hold my ground—I wasn't so weak as to be blown away—but I couldn't calm my shock.
What just happened?
What the hell just happened? I stared at the Heavenly Demon in disbelief. It returned my gaze with a sullen expression. I noticed a mark on its hand. The recoil had left a small scratch, a slight trickle of blood. That was all.
The Heavenly Demon glanced at the minor injury, then looked back at me and spoke.
"…Now."
"What did you say?"
"I'm leaving now. It's boring."
I questioned it again, thinking I had misheard, but the Heavenly Demon simply turned and walked toward the Palace Lord. As it spoke, the very fabric of dimension began to tear behind the Palace Lord. It was the same gate to the Abyss I had seen back in the Black Palace.
What were they planning? It had appeared so suddenly, and now it was leaving just like that? Should I really let them go?
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
Blaze.
I wrapped myself in flames. There was no way I would let them leave so casually. Did they think I was a joke? I engulfed my fist in fire and struck out.
Fiery Fangs of the Beast.
Kwaaaaa-!
A beast-shaped Qi, infused with Demonic Qi, surged violently toward them. The heat of the attack scorched the area dry, but the Heavenly Demon, still walking away, turned slightly and waved a hand dismissively. I wondered what such a slight movement could achieve, but it shattered all my expectations.
Swoooosh-!
Rumble!
"What…!"
As if revealing its true strength, the Heavenly Demon unleashed an overwhelming surge of aura. The black energy swallowed my flames and then redirected itself toward me. A black tidal wave of aura surged forward. The powerful force struck the ground beneath me with staggering speed.
Craaaack-!
The ground around me fractured and shattered. Nearby rocks cracked like paper, and the land crumbled effortlessly. The entire terrain was altered. All of this was caused by a mere flick of the Heavenly Demon's hand.
Surprisingly, I emerged unscathed from the incredible attack. It had been aimed to miss me. I realized instantly that this was the Heavenly Demon's intention—a signal for me to stop interfering.
Had it been playing around this whole time? Had it been toying with Wi Seol-Ah?
I stared at the Heavenly Demon, horror written across my face, as it turned and spoke.
"Let's meet again… next time."
"What…?"
"You are fun. I want to see you again."
It almost seemed like the Heavenly Demon was smiling as it spoke. With those words, it turned and walked away as if nothing had happened. As it passed the Palace Lord, his body lifted and began to float in the air.
"M-My heaven…"
The Palace Lord spoke as if trying to gauge the situation, but the Heavenly Demon didn't even grant him a glance. The Heavenly Demon and the Palace Lord vanished into the Abyss.
Slam.
The gate closed instantly, leaving no trace behind.
Watching this, I felt the strength drain from my legs, and I collapsed to the ground.
"…!"
Wi Seol-Ah rushed over, trying to support me. I took a deep breath, staring at the desolation surrounding me.
I corrected myself. Had I called that an imperfect form of the Heavenly Demon? I was wrong. The small creature I had just encountered was already in its perfected form.