Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Un-pyo vs. Wi Gun-seong
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Arts of the Red-Eyed Blood Demon.
‘A little should be fine.’
That was Wi Gun-seong's judgment. But to use the Red-Eyed Blood Heaven Powder in his possession, he first needed an opening. Thus, Wi Gun-seong had to unleash a technique to push Un-pyo back.
“Red Demon Nine Sword Style. Fifth Form. Blood Explosion Art!”
Wi Gun-seong condensed a red energy at the tip of his sword and instantly detonated it. The red energy erupted as if it were a liquid, creating a grotesque spectacle that resembled an explosion of blood.
It was a hideous sight, but its power was formidable, forcing Un-pyo to retreat for a moment.
At that moment, Wi Gun-seong dipped his thumb into the Red-Eyed Blood Heaven Powder he had kept in his robe. He had decided to use the demonic art.
‘A desperate measure!’
Lowering his head to avoid Gu Yeom's gaze, he swept the powder under both of his eyes.
*Smear.*
“Kuh… Kuaaaargh!”
The Arts of the Red-Eyed Blood Demon were truly worthy of being called a demonic art. Wi Gun-seong was able to draw out his internal energy to its absolute limit—no, beyond its limit.
By drawing upon even his Innate True Energy, he gained power that surpassed normal bounds. Wi Gun-seong's eyes turned a faint red, and crimson veins bulged on his neck and wrists.
“Hoo—”
Exhaling, Wi Gun-seong lifted his head again and spoke to Un-pyo.
“Things will be different now.”
“Blade Leaf Great Wind Slash.”
“……!”
Just then, Un-pyo’s slash came flying.
Sensing that something was amiss, Un-pyo had immediately used a powerful technique.
*Swhoooosh!*
A massive slash, reminiscent of a strike from the Blade Leaf Demon, flew toward Wi Gun-seong in an arc.
*KABOOM!!*
A thick cloud of dust rose. The sudden surprise attack threw Wi Gun-seong off balance, and Un-pyo did not miss the opportunity.
Like a leopard leaping through the clouds, he swiftly charged in and tore at Wi Gun-seong.
In that moment, Wi Gun-seong's energy certainly surpassed Un-pyo's, but what Un-pyo had learned from Mu-heun was how to fight those with stronger internal energy than himself.
Just as Mu-heun had done, Un-pyo focused his energy solely on the edge of his blade and relentlessly pressed his attack.
*CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!*
A flurry of attacks. A relentless barrage.
‘Condense internal energy and use it precisely where needed, without waste.’
Un-pyo's concentrated blade energy seemed to be on par with Wi Gun-seong's sword energy, which was enhanced by the Arts of the Red-Eyed Blood Demon.
But he couldn't swing his great blade with full force forever; the powerful attacks were only at the beginning.
Before long, Un-pyo shifted to a defensive stance, nimbly dodging Wi Gun-seong's attacks. Whenever his opponent tried to regain his momentum, Un-pyo would provoke him by sending a gust of blade wind his way.
“You… you little rat!”
“Not a rat cub, a leopard cub!”
The Arts of the Red-Eyed Blood Demon made it difficult for Wi Gun-seong to track the evasive Un-pyo.
If it had been a proper demonic art, his senses would have been heightened, allowing him to catch Un-pyo with animalistic instinct, no matter how erratically he moved.
But his demonic art was incomplete and crude; aside from increasing his internal energy, his other senses had actually grown duller.
“Blade Leaf Wind!”
Realizing this after the first exchange, Un-pyo quickly changed his tactics to disorient Wi Gun-seong.
*Clang!*
Wi Gun-seong was helpless as they exchanged dozens of blows.
Like a leopard playing among the clouds, Un-pyo continued to confuse Wi Gun-seong, whose internal energy was gradually weakening.
Watching Un-pyo, Mu-heun smiled with satisfaction.
“His instincts are truly remarkable.”
‘On the other hand, that Wi Gun-seong fellow… It seems he's even resorted to a forbidden demonic art, but it's nothing more than a stopgap measure that will only make things worse.’
*Clang! Clang!*
*Slice!*
“Argh!”
And so, the exchange came to an end.
*Thud.*
Finally, Wi Gun-seong lost consciousness and collapsed to his knees.
His body was riddled with numerous blade marks and stained with blood. Gu Yeom, who had been observing the match, declared Un-pyo's victory, and the entire audience erupted in cheers.
“The winner is Un-pyo of the Heavenly Dance Family!”
“Woooooaaaaah!”
“That was a truly refreshing bout, wasn't it?”
“Absolutely! It's like a weight has been lifted off my chest!”
The Elders watching from the guest seats approached the Head of the Heavenly Dance Family one by one.
“Family Head! I was wondering where all the talented young successors of the cult who could handle their energy well had gone! It seems they were all gathered in the Heavenly Dance Family, eh?”
“Indeed. Since you never boast, Family Head, we are only finding out now.”
Elder Yu So-jeong, the Ninth Elder; Mu Hwa, the Tenth Elder; and Ma Yun-chu, the Eleventh Elder, were joined by Jin Baek-yeon, the Eighth Elder, and Cheong Geum-hak, the Seventh Elder, in showering him with praise.
For Baek Gun-hak, the Head of the Heavenly Dance Family, this was the first time in his life he had elevated his family's prestige through martial arts, and the moment felt nothing but awkward.
“Haha, what have I done? It is all thanks to my son. I had no idea he had become the Cult Leader’s disciple.”
“Haha, you are too modest. I doubt the Cult Leader intended for him to compete against his other five disciples, but it is an honor in itself to become the Cult Leader’s disciple.”
“Haha, you are right. For me, my son becoming the Cult Leader’s disciple is an honor beyond words.”
All the Elders present shared the same thought.
*Would the Cult Leader really let that fledgling compete against his other five disciples?*
*He is old, so it must have been a whim, and the Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family was just lucky enough to be chosen.*
And so, the seventh bout began.
***
The match that all the spectators gazing at the Heavenly Lake on Mount Tianshan had been waiting for was just moments away.
Well aware of this, Gu Yeom signaled the drummers.
*BOOM!*
With the beat of the drum, Gu Yeom shouted.
“The next bout! Baek Mu-heun of the Heavenly Dance Family versus Ak Jin-sam of the Red Demon Pavilion!”
A thunderous roar from the stands poured out over the Heavenly Lake. Two small boats were transporting the participants to the dueling platform.
Finally, the two men faced each other.
Unlike Mu-heun, who stood indifferently, Ak Jin-sam's face was not just pale but cast in a deep shadow.
Everyone from the Red Demon Pavilion except him had been defeated, and among them, he was the one who had carried the most expectations.
His martial prowess, having conquered the peak realm and now aiming for the transcendent, was certainly among the strongest of the cult's younger generation.
That should have been an undeniable fact…
‘Where did it all go wrong?’
He had been talented since childhood and had built his martial arts skills with abundant support, wanting for nothing. He had never been lazy in his efforts, so there should have been few who were overwhelmingly superior to him.
That should have been the case…
His opponent wasn't from one of the renowned Five Pavilions or Three Palaces, nor from a family famous for its martial arts. Nor was he a prodigy whose name had been known since childhood.
No, he was the one everyone pointed fingers at, calling him a scoundrel. The one everyone looked down on and ignored.
But…
‘So why is a guy like that so damn strong!’
Ak Jin-sam swallowed the dry lump in his throat and made a decision.
‘Unlike Wi Gun-seong's crude version, I can use the Arts of the Red-Eyed Blood Demon properly. That's the only way I can beat him now.’
Before the match began, Ak Jin-sam applied the Red-Eyed Blood Heaven Powder to the corners of his eyes and suppressed the crimson glow in his eyes and the bulging veins.
His aura was clearly on a different level from Wi Gun-seong's. A faint red glow shimmered in his eyes. Through the gaps in his clothes, fine smoke wafted from the crimson veins visible on his skin.
Just then, Gu Yeom asked.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
“Then! Let the bout between Baek Mu-heun of the Heavenly Dance Family and Ak Jin-sam of the Red Demon Pavilion begin!”
With Gu Yeom’s declaration, the match started.
***
-Sometime before the Divine Dragon Assembly.
‘W-was it always like this?’
While turning the Golden Fang Poison Claw into a Heavenly Demonic Corpse, I discovered something. It was the fact that the ominous yet pure demonic energy residing in my dantian was alive.
‘It wasn't like this when I trained with Master.’
Is it because my will now resides in my dantian? Or is it because I absorbed that violet flame inside the Sun and Moon Palace?
The living Heavenly Demon's Ki was ravenous. Whenever it saw something it liked, it would devour it indiscriminately. Its prey was tainted souls and twisted demonic energy.
As a result, while I was implanting the Soul-Implanting Formation into the Golden Fang Poison Claw's heart, the Heavenly Demon's Ki suddenly devoured the remnant of his soul.
It was not my will.
It was clearly the Heavenly Demon's Ki in my dantian that came out on its own and greedily devoured him.
“What the.”
‘Even Master Heavenly Demon never mentioned this.’
My surprise and shock were brief. Just as I had encountered the residual soul of this body's original owner, Baek Mu-heun, I now met the soul of the Golden Fang Poison Claw.
And unlike how I had soothed Baek Mu-heun's soul and sent it on its way... I tore the Golden Fang Poison Claw's soul to shreds with the Heavenly Demon's Ki. Then, the Heavenly Demon's Ki ferociously consumed it.
“Kugh!”
The eight strands in my dantian suddenly absorbed the tainted soul and tried to consume the Innate True Energy at the very core of my dantian.
I knew it was the will of the Golden Fang Poison Claw. The demonic energy, which had been ominous yet pure, was now imbued with his deep malice and was attacking me.
“You… I may have died once at your hands, but do you think I’ll die a second time?”
I formed a sword seal with my hand and refined my ki.
It took the form of a very thin needle.
*Stab!*
I pressed my dantian acupoint. This time, not as the Heavenly Demon's disciple, but as the Divine Doctor, I directly infused my dantian with ki imbued with my will.
The eight strands that had been swimming inside my dantian like the Golden Fang Poison Claw's poison arts had transformed into snakes.
With the strand of my will, I seized the snakes by the scruff of their necks.
“You wretches… You’ve become snakes after consuming the Golden Fang Poison Claw’s soul.”
Refined ki is the manifestation of will.
*CRUNCH!*
My will, honed for a long time with the Heavenly Demon in that white space, was not something mere snakes could handle.
I smashed the snakes’ heads, tore out their tongues, and shattered their fangs. As the battered snakes reeled in confusion…
*Slice.*
I immediately cut off their heads.
“Hoo—”
My dantian stabilized once again, and my energy grew even stronger.
My internal energy increased as if I had consumed a spiritual elixir.
‘The Heavenly Demon’s Ki…’
It seemed Master Heavenly Demon wasn't called that for nothing. The Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon was a terrifying martial art that grew by devouring the souls of the wicked.
Provided, of course, that one could overcome the soul's counterattack.
This phenomenon didn't happen just once.
Jeok Yeong, the Death Spirit Commander of the Red Demon Pavilion.
He had returned to the Heavenly Dance Family after going berserk while being interrogated at Mong'o Pavilion. When I went to see him in his cell, the Heavenly Demon's Ki once again opened its ravenous maw and devoured Jeok Yeong's twisted demonic energy.
I experienced a situation similar to the one with the Golden Fang Poison Claw.
But I ultimately overcame it, and after defeating Jeok Yeong, I grew even stronger. The Heavenly Demon's Ki, having absorbed the soul of the Golden Fang Poison Claw and the demonic energy of the Death Spirit Commander Jeok Yeong, had made the eight strands of refined demonic energy even more powerful.
I was now in a state where I could reach the Transcendent Demon Realm whenever I chose.
“If I advance to the next realm, even Father or the Blade Leaf Demon…”
But I didn't.
The energy I had absorbed was not yet complete enough to become fully strong using the Myriad Fragrance Blood Jade Tree.
‘I just need one more handful of twisted demonic energy.’
As I thought that, the Heavenly Demon's Ki seemed to lick its lips in anticipation, seething within my dantian.
With that feeling of slight regret, I refined my energy and participated in the Divine Dragon Assembly.
***
-At the Divine Dragon Assembly dueling platform.
Everyone in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was watching the bout between Mu-heun and Ak Jin-sam.
The sixth disciple declared by the Cult Leader.
The fourth son of the Heavenly Dance Family's head, famous for being a recluse.
The one who was called the scoundrel of the Heavenly Dance Family but was said to have made a remarkable improvement after his great contribution in the Blade Leaf Valley.
The many titles attached to him and the unexpected success of the Heavenly Dance Family—all these circumstances drew immense interest to the match he was about to display.
*Thump. Thump. Thump.*
The Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family, the center of everyone's attention, finally stepped onto the stage.
One would think his steps would be heavy…
But Mu-heun's gait was close to that of a conqueror.
And then, a stir went through the entire audience.
“N-No way.”
“Is that really the scoundrel, the Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family?”
“W-What?”
An ominous energy emanated from Mu-heun's body.
The pure demonic energy of the Heavenly Mountains overflowed from his entire being.
Mu-heun unleashed his extremely condensed demonic energy without holding anything back, and everyone in the arena was struck with astonishment.
That's right.
Mu-heun no longer needed to hide.