Chapter 564: Why is this old man here?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 564: Why is this old man here?
It swept through everything.
KWWAAAAA-!!
The gale erupting from his fist transformed into a typhoon, ravaging the earth. It was too brutal, too vicious to be a mere wind conjured from Qi. It was far too horrifying to have been unleashed by a single human fist.
CR-CR-CRACK-!!
The ground was uprooted and twisted. In terms of sheer range alone, the destructive power was immense. The storm raged for a long moment before finally beginning to die down as it reached the mountains in the distance.
Whoosh….
The dust and dirt settled with the wind. Silence reigned. That brief, heavy silence was only broken as the dust-choked view began to clear.
Thud!
It was the sound of the old man’s body collapsing to the ground.
“E-Elder!”
“Nooo!”
The Taoists of the Wudang Sect cried out in despair.
An Elder of Wudang—the Flying Star Sword, Woobaek—lay dead on the ground. His body was a mangled mess, looking as if he’d been hacked to pieces. One look at the scattered blood and the state of the old man’s remains made it clear: there was no hope.
Woobaek was dead.
He had been killed by the masked man, utterly and brutally, without a chance to even resist. And it had taken just a single blow. Without putting up a proper fight, one of the Hundred Masters of the Central Plains had closed his eyes for the last time.
The masked figure who had killed Woobaek simply stood there, looking down at the fallen man. A few seconds passed. After briefly observing Woobaek, the man spoke in a light, airy tone.
“How pathetic.”
His voice was dry and withered.
“Is this truly the sword of Wudang? If so, it is disappointing beyond measure.”
His voice was filled with an unconcealable sense of letdown.
“To think that the sword of a noble clan, rooted in the Central Plains for so long… could be this crude.”
Seeing the brutally murdered Woobaek, the veins on the Wudang Taoists’ necks bulged with rage. But they could not move. Their bodies felt crushed, completely immobilized by an invisible weight.
However, there was one person. There was one person present who could move through this pressure. The figure spoke as he looked at her.
“Ah, yes. There was you.”
Flinch.
The woman who had been about to move, the Sword Queen, Soi, froze at his words. His glowing blue eyes turned toward her. Seeing them, a cold sweat ran down her back.
‘I can’t read him.’
She couldn’t see what was behind that mask. She couldn’t gauge her opponent’s level. She could see nothing at all.
The Sword Queen’s own level was by no means low. She was confident she could easily defeat Woobaek in a duel to the death. But…
‘I couldn’t do it like that.’
She could never have ended Woobaek in a single exchange.
‘Who in the world…?’
Who was this man who had appeared out of nowhere?
‘Did he call himself the Heavenly Demon?’
The man had certainly claimed that title. But it was a name the Sword Queen had never heard before. It was truly bizarre for a martial artist of such power to have no known history whatsoever.
“Sword Queen.”
“…!”
As the Sword Queen’s tension reached its peak, the Heavenly Demon’s call sharpened her senses. Perhaps sensing this, a hint of a smile touched his voice.
“You are different from this Wudang vermin. You seem to know your place.”
Tap. Tap.
He nudged Woobaek’s corpse with the tip of his foot, causing the Wudang Taoists to let out cries of outrage.
“You bastard!! How dare you… to our Elder!!!”
“I’ll kill you!”
Their screams were filled with raw rage. Hearing them, the Heavenly Demon turned his head toward them. He raised his index finger to his lips.
“Shhh.”
It was a light warning, but the energy radiating from him was anything but light.
KWAAAAA-!!
A heavy energy enveloped the area, crushing everything.
“Gaaah…!”
“Grrck…!!”
Knees that had just begun to straighten were forced to bend again. The Wudang Taoists let out ragged groans.
“This one does not appreciate noise. Especially the cries of insects.”
Jolt! The Sword Queen clenched her fists as she felt the energy. It was a power she had never felt before. It was too noxious to be Combat Qi, and too heavy to be mere killing intent.
Once the area fell silent again, save for the sound of trembling bodies, the Heavenly Demon turned his gaze back to the Sword Queen. Then he asked:
“Will you come?”
The question, accompanied by a slight tilt of his head, was a clear provocation.
“…”
Hearing this, the Sword Queen frowned and replied, “If you’re going to say that, you should at least release the ones you’ve captured.”
“Haha!”
The Heavenly Demon burst into laughter. She was right. The energy emanating from his feet had spread in all directions. It carried a chilling air as it hovered near the necks of the surrounding martial artists.
This was why the Sword Queen hadn’t been able to intervene when Woobaek was struck down. The Heavenly Demon was issuing a silent warning: If you move, the others will die.
The Sword Queen felt a cold sweat trickle down her back. In other words…
‘Does this mean he did that to Elder Woo while still maintaining this pressure?’
It meant that even while exuding such terrifying power, he had toyed with Woobaek. Realizing this, the Sword Queen was certain.
‘This man has reached the Transcendent Realm.’
He had reached the Transcendent Realm, a state that only a minuscule fraction of the Hundred Masters of the Central Plains had ever attained. That was the Sword Queen’s judgment. Otherwise, it would be impossible to create such a tangible, manifested form of energy. This was something only possible for those who had reached the domain of the Mind’s Eye.
Tension coiled in her entire body.
‘Who in the world is he… no.’
Where did they come from?
The Sword Queen’s gaze shifted to the space behind the Heavenly Demon. It was directed at the giant man who remained kneeling behind him. Although all eyes were on the Heavenly Demon, the Sword Queen could tell that the giant was also a formidable opponent—at least at the Fusion Realm. Judging by his physique, he was a master of external arts.
Like the Heavenly Demon, she had never seen this man before either. The situation was utterly desperate. For some unknown reason, the surrounding martial artists were unable to get up. And despite the massive commotion, no reinforcements were arriving.
‘Is this black energy the problem?’
The black energy that had spread everywhere didn't seem to be a sound barrier, but it could be the cause. If not that, then…
The Sword Queen’s gaze drifted slightly upward. In the black world, there was something that was the sole source of light. Could that be the problem?
The Sword Queen bit her lip. Though it shone brilliantly, she could feel a noxious energy radiating from it in all directions. It was a power she had never seen before. It felt vaguely familiar, yet it was filled with a subtle, unsettling quality.
A crisis.
She nervously touched the hilt of her sword, but no solution came to mind. Was she afraid of death? No, that wasn’t it. Even if they were stronger than her, she had no fear of such things.
The problem was…
‘The children are here.’
The current Sword Queen had something she needed to protect. And they weren’t far away. That was why she couldn’t rashly swing her sword, nor could she retreat.
Just then.
“Your gaze is wavering.”
“…!”
The Heavenly Demon spoke, looking at the Sword Queen.
“Your eyes are not filled with fear, yet something seems to be holding you back. I wonder what it could be.”
Heh heh.
A low chuckle escaped him.
“Could it be because of the little ones locked in the prison?”
The Sword Queen’s eyes widened. He knew. The realization sent a rush of heat to her head.
“Hmm…”
The Heavenly Demon studied her reaction and adjusted his mask.
What should I do? Should I fight now? What about the martial artists around me? What about the children in the basement?
Grit.
Just as the Sword Queen clenched her teeth in the face of the worsening situation…
“This is no fun,” the Heavenly Demon spoke, his voice devoid of energy. “I had hoped to taste the famed sword of Mount Hua, but your eyes have dampened this one’s excitement.”
“What… do you mean by that?”
“It means I have no interest in a sword filled with distracting thoughts. As you are now, you don’t even seem worth killing.”
His chilling words were enough to wound the Sword Queen’s pride. But she offered no rebuttal. The children’s lives were more precious than her pride.
“I came with high expectations, but it seems it was a meaningless trip.”
With those words, the Heavenly Demon turned his back.
Is he really planning to leave just like that?
The moment the Sword Queen had that thought…
WHOOOOSH-!!!
A sound came from the sky.
THOOOM-!!!
Something of enormous size crashed down to the ground. It was the demon that had been floating in the air earlier. Up close, its size was even more magnificent. It was large enough to swallow a residence whole. Its bulk was comparable to the Red-Grade demons the Sword Queen had encountered a few times before.
The Heavenly Demon began to walk toward this demon. The Sword Queen knew that if she let him, the Heavenly Demon would disappear.
Should I let him go? The culprit who attacked a noble clan of the Orthodox Faction and killed an elder of a sect? Am I supposed to let him go this easily?
As complex hesitation rose in her throat…
“Ah.”
The Heavenly Demon stopped walking and spoke. “If you wish to halt my steps, I will respect your choice. However.”
He glanced back slightly. His faintly glowing blue eyes fixed on the Sword Queen.
“There will not be a second time.”
If you try to stop me, I will kill everyone this time. That was the meaning embedded in his words.
A few seconds passed.
“…”
Hearing this, the Sword Queen ultimately could not show any reaction. Confirming this, the Heavenly Demon turned his head back and, along with the giant, approached the demon. As he reached his hand toward the creature…
FWAAAAAAAH-!!!
The black sky began to twist. It was as if the heavens themselves were descending.
Crack!
An anomaly occurred in the sphere floating in the air. It slowly began to crack.
C-crack…!
The sphere began to shatter. Seeing this, the Sword Queen’s eyes widened. As cracks formed on the sphere, energy began to pour out. It was an omen—the omen that appeared just before an explosion of energy.
Seeing this, the Sword Queen immediately raised her Taoist Qi.
FWAAAH! The scent of plum blossoms spread in all directions. In that moment, the Heavenly Demon’s voice was heard.
“Though this meeting was somewhat disappointing, it had its own amusements. The next time we meet, I shall expect you to live up to this one’s expectations.”
With those final words…
FWOOOOSH-!!
The sky descended to the ground, and space itself shattered. Simultaneously…
CR-CR-CR-CRACK-!!!
The sphere burst, and light exploded outward. The pressure erupted along with it. It was a massive explosion. She could tell just how powerful the condensed energy had been. If left unchecked, it threatened to sweep away the entire area.
Knowing this, the Sword Queen spread her Taoist Qi to contain the blast.
SHAAAAA-!!
The crimson energy formed a circular barrier, preventing the explosion from escaping and forcing it to rage within. However…
“Ugh-!!”
As she tried to bear the full brunt of the explosion, a backlash struck the Sword Queen’s body. She endured it. Fortunately, the impact was much weaker than she had anticipated.
“Haa… haa…”
Just after finally quelling the explosion, the Sword Queen gasped for breath, exhausted. By the time she collected her breath and looked around, there was nothing left where the demon had been.
* * *
C-crack!
The Transformation Art wore off, and my body gradually shrank. The uniform I was wearing instantly became loose, but I had no time to worry about that.
“Cough!”
Splat!
I leaned against a wall for support and vomited blood. Black blood trickled down from my mouth.
“Gack…”
I clutched my chest. The pain was so intense I felt like I would collapse on the spot. If I let my guard down now, I felt I would lose consciousness, so I had to endure it somehow.
“Fuck…”
The curse escaped my lips automatically. It was only natural. I had almost died, after all. I wiped my mouth with my hand. The pain was still there.
‘That was close.’
The energy in my heart was already empty. If it had gone on any longer, I would have had to tap into my Innate Qi. Enduring the pain, I used the faint remnants of my internal energy to inspect my body. I knew at once.
‘Damn it…’
My insides were a complete mess. Likely the aftermath of forcing myself to endure, my blood vessels were a wreck, and my body was filled with severe internal injuries.
“Should I have held back a little?”
This was probably the internal damage from using the second form of the Heaven Destruction Art.
‘I used too much beforehand.’
I had already expended a significant amount of energy on the Fire Wheel Star and Black Heaven alone. Then, on top of that, I used Dragon’s Word and the Mind’s Eye. As if manifesting Demonic Qi to keep the Sword Queen in check wasn't enough, I had maintained it while using the Heaven Destruction Art.
It was only natural, but there was no way my body would come out unscathed. Moreover…
‘If the Sword Queen had really decided to come after me, it would have been over.’
I had put on the biggest act of being strong, but if the Sword Queen had thrown caution to the wind and tried to capture me, it really could have been the end. The reason I acted despite knowing the risk was because I was certain she wouldn't make that choice.
‘Because Yung Pung and Gu Ryunghwa are in the prison.’
Knowing that full well, I judged that the Sword Queen wouldn't act rashly. And I was right.
“Ghh… ughhh…”
One of my knees buckled.
Tap.
Someone caught me as I was about to fall, supporting me. I turned my head to see the woman who had released my restraints in the prison earlier. It was Nahi.
“Master, are you alright?”
“…No, I think I’m about to die,” I said with a chuckle.
Seriously, if things had gone just a little bit wrong, I might have died. It was a relief that things worked out, but the result wasn't exactly clean.
‘At this rate, I’ll have to lie low for a month or two.’
And that was only because my current body was freakishly resilient. Normally, an injury like this would have required a year of recovery.
“Ptui…”
I spat out the last of the blood.
“Still, things went according to plan.”
The internal injuries were a problem, but the outcome wasn't bad. If the Sword Queen had known I was in this state, the result might have been different. I thought of the ‘mask’ in my possession and let out a sigh.
‘Good thing I had this.’
The white mask I received from the Dark King. It was a treasure that could obscure one's presence and prevent others from accurately assessing one's condition. I heard it was one of the few treasures left in his clan.
Which meant… it was probably the Yeon Clan’s property. Since the Dark King was a descendant of the Yeon Clan, this mask must also be one of Yeon Il-Cheon’s treasures.
The thought left a bad taste in my mouth, but there was nothing I could do. I wasn't in a position to be picky. I forced myself to stand. The pain intensified as I tried to move, and blood rose in my throat again, but I had to bear it.
My work wasn't finished yet. I had to quickly get my condition under control and return to the prison before the Sword Queen showed up. After that, I had to sort out the situation and analyze the pieces of information I had gained from this incident.
And most importantly…
‘It won’t be long until he arrives.’
The current Sect Leader of Wudang, who was flying toward the mountain as we spoke, and the current head of the Murim Alliance. One of the Ten Masters of the Central Plains, a member of the Seven Steel and Three Fists.
I had to prepare to face the Sword Immortal of Wudang.
As a victim of this incident.