Chapter 446: Resonance (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 446: Resonance (1)
Destruction of the Demon.
That was Wi Seol-Ah’s power—the very power that gave the Central Plains hope, and the means by which she ultimately slew the Heavenly Demon.
I still remember the first time she fought a Demonic Human, back when I was not yet one myself. While others faltered and fell under the influence of the enemy’s Demonic Qi, her sword blazed with an unearthly light.
She was utterly unaffected. In fact, the corrupting energy seemed to recoil from her blade.
How was such a thing possible?
Did this power stem from the Moonlight Dance technique she had mastered?
Many in the Central Plains wondered, but even the Sword Emperor himself admitted that his own Qi could not accomplish what Wi Seol-Ah could.
This power was hers alone.
Why?
The question lingered, but there was no time to dwell on it. What mattered was the result: her ability to annihilate Demonic Qi.
Demonic Qi was a lethal poison to martial artists. And now, a martial artist had emerged who could stand against it.
It didn’t matter that she was young, or a woman, or hailed as a prodigy. For this reason alone, Wi Seol-Ah swiftly became the hope of the Central Plains.
And because her martial talent was so undeniably profound, countless people pinned their hopes upon her.
How ironic.
Just because they found a sliver of hope to cling to, they not only fashioned her into a hero but saddled her with the burden of saving the world.
Damned bastards.
The story filled me with nothing but anger.
Yet, I understood their desperation.
Anyone who had faced Demonic Qi knew its vile nature. Of course they would place their hopes on someone who could oppose it.
I knew this, but I could not sympathize.
Because I knew what happens to those forced to carry such burdens.
They are crushed beneath the weight, slowly forgotten by the very people they saved. That is their reward.
And you know what’s worse?
People already know this will happen, yet they place their hopes on them anyway.
They know she will eventually collapse under the strain, but they pretend not to see it—because they want to live.
That is human nature.
I despised them for it.
And I resented her for accepting that burden, even though she must have known the cost.
It was the same this time.
Knowing full well that they would slowly consume her life, that foolish swordswoman would still hold her head high, sword in hand.
I hated it. It drove me insane.
In the ensuing silence, a sound broke my concentration.
Tap. Tap.
I turned my head toward the noise.
It was the Demon Emperor, tapping his finger against the armrest of his seat—a habit of his when deep in thought.
The air grew heavy, thick with pressure.
Qi poured from the Demon Emperor, pressing down on his surroundings. Even under such strain, the Demonic Humans endured the pain without a single groan.
It was clear the damned bastard was in a foul mood.
To the others, it might seem like their Captain was merely pondering the unexpected ambush. But I knew what was truly on his mind.
He must have a lot to think about.
That head of his was filled with thoughts of only one thing: the Celestial Sword.
Rumble…
The Silent Fist spoke into the uncomfortable atmosphere. “…Captain, your orders.”
As he spoke, the other Demonic Humans knelt as one, including the Demonic Sword.
The enemy had drawn near our territory and was gathering its forces.
They are preparing for war.
I didn’t know the scale, but it was certain the Murim Alliance was mobilizing. And with both the Heavenly Venerable and the Celestial Sword present…
…It will not be a small battle.
One small mercy was that her Destruction of the Demon power could not purify Demonic Qi the way my Gu Flame Wheel Art could.
Should I even be glad about that?
Should I find solace in the fact that she couldn’t cleanse it?
How ironic I had become.
I wonder.
What choice will you make now?
I watched the bastard’s reaction as I knelt with the others.
The logical move would be to report this to the Heavenly Demon immediately. If she learned the Alliance was gathering and that the Heavenly Venerable had appeared, she would either send reinforcements or come herself.
I didn’t know how strong the Celestial Sword was now, but she was certainly no match for the Heavenly Demon. Not even the Three Venerables combined could win that fight.
Whether this was truly meant to be a war or not, reporting it was the fastest solution.
However.
You won’t do that.
The bastard called the Demon Emperor would never make that choice.
I knew better than anyone.
Creak.
The Demon Emperor slowly rose to his feet as the Demonic Humans remained kneeling. He descended from his seat and addressed the Silent Fist.
“…Silent Fist.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Lead me to those bastards.”
The moment he spoke, every Demonic Human rose instantly. The room flooded with their Combat Qi.
Everyone understood what the Demon Emperor meant.
Seeing this, I smiled bitterly to myself.
You retarded bastard.
Just as I expected.
His decision never changed. He would choose her until the very end.
Whether in a past life or in this story.
The future me would do the same.
He would always be an idiot.
He chose this path knowing full well that no one would acknowledge him in the end.
That was who I was.
What would I have done, if I were in his place now?
I watched the Demon Emperor stride outside and asked myself.
I already knew the answer.
Probably.
I would have made the same stupid choice as that dumb bastard.
Knowing that, I couldn’t even curse him properly.
That bastard was a retard, and so was I.
All I could do was hope.
Hope that nothing else would change in this already difficult situation.
The location the Silent Fist reported was a village just beyond the border of Sichuan. It was a remote place, nestled deep in the mountains and sparsely populated.
Of all places, the Murim Alliance had chosen this spot to gather their forces. Was it intentional?
Strange.
The thought lingered as I quickened my pace.
It was right on the edge of our territory, but did they truly believe the Demonic Humans wouldn’t notice? The Alliance might be full of fools, but they weren’t that stupid.
They had a plan. I was sure of it.
He knows this, yet he charges straight toward it.
I stared at the back of my past self, leading the group.
Was that bastard unaware?
Of course not.
He knew. He knew, and he still made the reckless choice to advance.
And more than that…
Bringing a force this size…
I glanced behind me. A horde of Demonic Humans followed—at least a hundred strong. He had brought even the guards from the border.
Whenever I mobilized a force like this…
…it was either to destroy the enemy,
or to destroy our own. One of the two.
After running for some time, the Demon Emperor spoke again.
“Silent Fist.”
“Yes.”
As the Silent Fist looked back, the Demon Emperor gave his order, as if he’d been waiting for the moment. “I will go ahead. Lead the men there.”
“…Understood.”
Ordinarily, leading the army was the duty of the Demonic Sword as Vice Captain. But the Silent Fist was tasked instead; the Demonic Sword would likely get lost if she tried.
Putting that aside, I couldn’t help but frown at his words.
He’s going ahead?
He must be in a real hurry to leave his forces behind like that.
What was this? Why make such a foolish move when he didn’t know what awaited him?
I really didn’t like him.
Blaze.
Oblivious to my feelings, the Demon Emperor wreathed himself in flames.
Crash—!
With an explosive sound, he shot forward. In mere seconds, he had vanished from sight.
Unbelievable.
He’d used a monstrous amount of Qi to achieve that speed. If I tried to mimic him, I’d be drained within an hour.
And yet, back then, I could run like that all day and still be fine.
Even as I criticized his wasteful use of Qi, seeing that display made me feel the need to increase my own reserves.
The moment the Demon Emperor disappeared, the Silent Fist addressed the Demonic Humans, masking his own confusion. “We near our destination. Prepare for battle.”
At his warning, their Combat Qi flared anew.
I swallowed nervously at the sight.
The Silent Fist—and certainly the Demon Emperor—still distrusted me. Yet they brought me along to this battle. That alone showed how dire things were.
As the Demonic Qi leaking from the soldiers began to resonate in the air…
Slaaaam—!
“Ugh!”
The ground shook violently, as if struck by a sudden earthquake. The impact broke everyone’s posture and balance.
I paused, trying to grasp what was happening.
“That’s…” the Silent Fist murmured.
Everyone looked ahead.
Hah…
I let out a disbelieving laugh.
He goes ahead, and this is the first thing he does?
In the distance, on the mountainside, a massive wave had formed—a black wave so immense it seemed ready to swallow the entire mountain. A towering wall of flame that scraped the clouds.
I didn’t need to wonder what it was.
They were black flames.
A tsunami of fire, vast and overwhelming.