Chapter 157
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Return, and... (3)
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Seo Ryang's eyes hardened.
*‘He hasn’t changed.’*
One hand was clasped behind his back, while the other he raised and beckoned with a finger. It was a gesture brimming with confidence.
*‘But it’s different from what I’m sensing.’*
Now that his body had reached the pinnacle of demonic arts, he could see things he hadn't before.
In his previous spar—if it could even be called that—with Lee Cheonsang, he had perceived the man’s stance as flawless.
A perfected warrior, with nothing to add and nothing to take away. He occasionally revealed openings, but strictly speaking, they weren't openings at all.
They were merely extensions of the natural posture created by the warrior known as Lee Cheonsang.
Now, it was different.
*‘He’s riddled with openings.’*
Back then, he had been so perfect that Seo Ryang had been at a loss as to how to face him. Now, there were so many openings he didn't know where to begin his attack.
*Whoosh.*
A gust of wind blew past, rustling Lee Cheonsang’s hair.
*‘Like the wind.’*
A frame as large as a mountain. He was taller than Seo Ryang, with a much broader build.
And yet, he didn't look clumsy in the slightest. He was a man who could exude an aura as serene and gentle as a breeze one moment, and as flowing water the next.
And that gentleness constantly tempted Seo Ryang. It revealed its flaws without reservation, urging an immediate attack.
*Ziiiing.*
From a corner of his mind, he heard the low hum of his supersense.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
*‘If I attack recklessly just because there are openings, I’ll be devoured instantly.’*
*Woooong.*
The Nine Hells Demonic Energy gathered in the Dragon Scale Saber swirled at its tip before slowly spreading across the entire blade.
*‘But if I just stand here...’*
This match would end before he could even do anything.
*‘What should I do?’*
In that brief moment, Seo Ryang’s mind raced.
*Tap.*
His eyes wavered.
A leaf, carried on the wind, brushed against his cheek. The day was hot, but the leaf was strangely cold.
Seo Ryang let out a small, unconscious laugh.
*‘What am I doing?’*
Whether he was flawlessly perfect or so full of openings it was confusing, this was a lesson. And before it was a lesson, it was a contest; before it was a contest, it was a test.
*‘No matter what I do, I can’t win. In that case, I should start by delivering a proper strike…’*
Seo Ryang shook his head.
No. Even that wasn't enough.
*‘I must attack with the intent to split his head in a single blow. That level of resolve has to be the baseline.’*
Perfection and openings are separated by a razor’s edge.
With a soft rustle, Seo Ryang closed his eyes.
*Wooooooooong!*
The hesitating demonic energy began to flow with majestic grace.
Following the command from his upper dantian, the true energy in his lower dantian surged upward. This surging energy then rose to his middle dantian, generating an even more potent demonic energy.
*Flash!*
A beautiful crimson radiance emanated from the area around his solar plexus. It was a sphere of light, sinister and ferocious, yet so beautiful one couldn't look away.
And from that radiant sphere, a thick killing intent began to seep out.
*‘Indeed.’*
The corner of Lee Cheonsang’s mouth twitched.
*‘He really is different.’*
He had engaged in similar sparring sessions with the Nine Great Demonic Lords several times.
The result was always the same. Even as time passed, the Demonic Lords couldn't bring themselves to attack and eventually knelt.
They would praise the greatness of a god, admit their own shortcomings, and depart.
It was only natural. The demonic path had a strict hierarchy; one who possessed a superior demonic energy could easily suppress a lesser one if they chose.
Seo Ryang was different.
*‘He’s not just trying for the sake of trying; he genuinely intends to kill me.’*
The boy was still weaker than the Demonic Lords. It wasn't just a matter of being a step or two behind; they were on completely different levels.
There was a reason the Nine Great Demonic Lords were considered equals to the Ten Grandmasters of the Martial World.
Yet, this boy, weaker than even the Demonic Lords, was preparing to attack with the resolve to kill him.
He had realized that he needed at least that much concentration to land a single blow on him.
A small difference in will. But all change stems from small differences.
*‘He’s grown closer to the Demonic than to Death, but deep within his soul, the instincts of a God of Death still live on.’*
This young God of Death, who understood the principles of life and death, was showing the exceptional quality of defying the flow of the demonic, even after reaching its pinnacle.
"One strike."
*Thud.*
Seo Ryang pulled his right foot back and lowered his stance.
"I'm coming."
"Come."
*Flash!*
Before the word "Come" had even left his lips, the Dragon Scale Saber had already reached an inch from the crown of Lee Cheonsang's head.
It was a terrifyingly fast strike. A technique powerful enough to sever the current of a great river.
A flash of killing intent. To that strike, like a bolt of light, Lee Cheonsang responded with nothing but a gentle gesture.
*Wooooong! Wooooong!*
The Dragon Scale Saber trembled violently.
Lee Cheonsang had caught the Dragon Scale Saber. Unlike before, when he had responded only with his energy without using his hands, this was the first time he had raised a hand to block.
A fire blazed in Seo Ryang's eyes.
*Sizzzle!*
The Dragon Scale Saber, hovering half an inch above Lee Cheonsang's head, instantly turned red. The Nine Hells Demonic Energy was being explosively channeled into it.
*Squeeze.*
The edge of the Dragon Scale Saber began to dig into Lee Cheonsang's palm, little by little.
Lee Cheonsang's eyes flashed.
*BOOOOM!*
With a deafening boom, Seo Ryang was sent flying. It was an explosive release of power, but he managed to hold onto his saber.
*Thump!*
The moment his feet touched the ground, Seo Ryang, who was about to launch a follow-up attack, froze.
*‘…Damn it.’*
He couldn't use the Ground-Shrinking Step. He had forgotten all the incantations.
Even if he had remembered them, it would have been difficult to create the same natural flow as before. His body and his martial arts were no longer compatible with the Ground-Shrinking Step.
Seo Ryang took a deep breath.
*‘No need for regrets. There will always be another chance.’*
He looked at Lee Cheonsang.
*‘Huh?’*
Lee Cheonsang wasn't looking at Seo Ryang. He was gazing down at his own hand.
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
"Um..."
"..."
"Cult Leader?"
Lee Cheonsang looked up.
"Shall we continue?"
"Very well."
"Yes, then."
"No, let's try something different this time."
Seo Ryang, who had been getting into his stance, blinked.
Lee Cheonsang raised his right hand. It wasn't a gesture beckoning him forward.
"You try to block."
"...Me?"
Lee Cheonsang didn't answer.
*Ssssk.*
Seo Ryang's eyes widened.
A faint demonic energy had begun to gather in Lee Cheonsang's hand. A black mist swirled around his large, firm hand.
*‘…!’*
Seo Ryang swallowed unconsciously.
*Rumble!!*
His vision twisted erratically. He had the illusion that all of space was distorting.
*Whoooosh!*
The blowing wind, the scorching heat, the beating sun—none of it reached him.
Seo Ryang suddenly found himself in a world filled only with darkness. Lee Cheonsang's demonic energy was on such a different level that it tricked all of his senses.
*‘He wants me to block… that?’*
*Creeak.*
He gasped.
All his joints creaked. He pushed his Nine Hells Demonic Art to its absolute limit to stop his body from collapsing.
*‘Insane!’*
Incredible? It was beyond that. Terrifying? That word wasn't enough to describe it.
The moment he seriously channeled his demonic energy, Seo Ryang couldn't even breathe properly. This was a realm he had never witnessed before, the true power of the Grandmaster of the Demonic Path, Lee Cheonsang, a man comparable to the Seventh Heavenly Demon.
"This is the Heaven-Overwhelming Demonic Hand."
*Ssssss.*
It was as if dozens of black specters were circling Lee Cheonsang's entire right arm.
"Receive this."
Lee Cheonsang extended his hand.
*Whoom.*
A lightly extended hand.
In that instant, Seo Ryang felt the darkness before his eyes grow even blacker.
*WHOOOOOSH!*
This wasn't a technique on the level of projecting palm energy or launching a fist wind.
*‘Ghhhk!’*
He felt like every muscle in his body was about to tear. He felt like every joint was about to shatter.
It was a truly terrifying pressure.
*‘He’s not just releasing his energy.’*
Seo Ryang’s distorted eyes became bloodshot. Red tears streamed from his bloodshot eyes and scattered.
*‘He synchronizes with the energy of heaven and earth to dominate space itself.’*
The ability to move objects with his will alone, to destroy or revive a person's spirit with a single glance.
Such supernatural powers didn't just appear out of nowhere. It wasn't some innate talent he was born with, either.
It was simply that his utilization of energy was beyond imagination.
Unlike other martial artists who used the energy stored in their dantian to perform techniques, Lee Cheonsang synchronized his own energy with the energy of nature to interfere with every external object in his field of vision.
*‘To think such a realm exists in the martial arts.’*
A demigod's ability, one that could hardly be contained by the term "martial arts." This was the true face of the man called a god.
The problem was.
*‘How am I supposed to block…’*
*Pshk!*
The skin on his shoulder tore. He had failed to block the crushing pressure.
He couldn't believe this was happening, even if his opponent was Lee Cheonsang. His current Nine Hells Demonic Art was worthy of being called the greatest demonic art under heaven.
His shoulder tore even when he was clad in such a technique like armor?
*‘There’s just no way to block this…’*
Just then, Lee Cheonsang's voice reached him. He couldn't even tell where it was coming from.
"You call that saber the Dragon Scale Saber, I see."
Seo Ryang’s eyebrow twitched.
Lee Cheonsang continued.
"Whatever name you give it is the owner's choice. But before you wielded it, that saber was called the Dragon-Slaying Demonic Saber."
Dragon-Slaying Demonic Saber.
Meaning, the demonic saber that slays dragons.
"It is said to be the saber the First Heavenly Demon used to sever the neck of a dragon, the original master of this Great Mountain, when he established his domain here."
Was it his imagination, or did he hear a hint of amusement in Lee Cheonsang's voice?
"You possess the sabers of two of our ancestral Heavenly Demons."
The mighty Dragon Scale, the personal Seven Nights.
"The Seven Nights Saber, favored by the Seventh Heavenly Demon, is not a demonic weapon. It is treasured only because it was the cherished weapon of an ancestor who wrote an unparalleled history. The Dragon-Slaying Demonic Saber, however, is different."
*Sizzzle!*
The Dragon Scale Saber turned completely red.
This was the first time he had channeled so much demonic energy into it since reaching the pinnacle. The red-hot Dragon Scale Saber was trembling violently, as if it would shatter at any moment.
"Reveal the saber's true form."
*How?*
"Understand the saber's true nature."
*By what means?*
"Feel the saber's madness."
*Is that even possible?*
"The name of a martial art is the first step to understanding it. The same goes for weapons. You have finally learned the true name of the Dragon Scale Saber."
A deeper amusement colored Lee Cheonsang's voice.
"If you can understand the saber, you should also be able to figure out how to block my technique."
Seo Ryang's eyes widened.
*Whoom!*
The Dragon Scale Saber was being corroded by the ultimate demonic energy.
Then, he changed the nature of his demonic energy. Instead of forcing demonic energy into the Dragon Scale Saber, he softened it, allowing his energy and the saber to resonate.
*Wooooooooong!!*
In that instant, a powerful cry erupted from the saber.
It was reminiscent of a dragon's roar. Like the cry of the mythical divine beast from legends and myths—a dragon.
*‘Resonance.’*
And interference.
Demonic energy blazed in Seo Ryang's bloodshot eyes.
"I don't know anything about this saber's true power."
However.
"From now on, I will make it my own demonic saber."
Gripping the Dragon Scale Saber with both hands, Seo Ryang swung it with all his might.
*KRRRRACK!*
The pressure that had been crushing his body vanished as if washed away.
*Whooooooooosh!*
The black world disappeared, and a gust of hot wind brushed past Seo Ryang's body, which was drenched in cold sweat.
"Haa. Haa."
As Seo Ryang panted for breath, Lee Cheonsang spoke.
"Well done."
Just as he had resonated with the energy of space to create his own domain.
Seo Ryang had resonated the Nine Hells Demonic Art with the Dragon Scale Saber to create a small opening in his opponent's domain. That was how he was able to block Lee Cheonsang's hand technique.
"A master can block a sword with a mere twig. This means their utilization of energy is on a completely different level from a novice's."
"..."
"The applications of energy are limitless. As long as you don't forget that, you will be able to advance to greater heights."
Lee Cheonsang turned his body.
"That is all for today."