Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Second Leap
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I recalled my duel with Ak Jin-sam.
I had known from the start that his body was not in a normal state. I also knew that some demonic art had twisted his demonic ki, forcing him to draw upon his innate true energy, which was how he had become so abnormally strong.
The Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon was also a demonic art.
However, this art was one that defied the heavens.
If one succeeded in mastering it, they could reach the pinnacle faster than anyone else. But if they failed to maintain a perfect balance of ki, their dantian would explode, resulting in death.
It was a dangerous demonic art, impossible to learn without innate talent, one that required risking one's life just to attempt.
However, Ak Jin-sam’s art was different from the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon. It was nothing more than a temporary measure to become stronger for a fleeting moment.
It didn't matter to me, as I just needed to shatter everything, including that.
But if even I knew this, how could the Cult Leader not?
No, he definitely knew. Although his eyes, looking down from his lofty position, showed no wavering, his gaze was fixed on Ak Jin-sam’s crimson face.
And it probably wasn't just the Cult Leader. Most of the heads of the various factions, including the Gwangmyeong Cheondae, must have noticed as well.
The reason they didn't restrain the Red Demon Pavilion was simple.
First, they knew my martial prowess would overwhelm Ak Jin-sam. This premise would have been clear to those with a keen ability to perceive ki, including the Cult Leader.
Second, they wanted me to be killed by Ak Jin-sam. Whether he used demonic arts or not was unimportant. Those who wished for me to die or suffer a terrible injury at his hands would have been cheering him on.
As long as the target wasn't one of their own, they couldn't care less if the Red Demon Pavilion used a forbidden demonic art.
"Well… it doesn't matter either way."
More important than that was Ak Jin-sam's twisted demonic ki.
*Slurp.*
Perhaps due to the influence of the Heavenly Demon’s Ki, my mouth watered.
When I blew away Ak Jin-sam's saber and launched the Eight Demons Explosive Arts at him.
I had deliberately used only thirty percent of its original power.
Had I used its full power, Ak Jin-sam's head would have exploded on the spot.
So, I intentionally held back at the last moment, just enough to knock him out and send him flying.
Then, I dove in to rescue Ak Jin-sam after he had been flung into Cheonji Lake. In truth, it wasn't simply to save him, but to devour his twisted demonic ki.
After diving into the lake, I grabbed hold of Ak Jin-sam.
Instantly, the Heavenly Demon’s Ki surged and lunged forward as if it were alive. The menacing demonic ki then swallowed all of Ak Jin-sam’s twisted ki.
Since it wasn't the right situation to absorb it immediately, I stored it in a corner of my dantian and got out of the lake.
What was now writhing in my dantian, trying to run wild, was the ki of the Crimson Sky Demonic Arts that I had taken then.
"Hoo—"
I steadied my breath.
‘The time has come to cross over.’
I would now transcend the peak level and enter the realm of the Transcendent Demon.
I checked my body's condition. Despite having just finished a duel, I was completely unscathed. Soon, I used the eight strands swimming in my dantian to seize the ki of the Crimson Sky Demonic Arts.
It was like a red crystal orb, which I shattered into pieces by sharpening my Heavenly Demon’s Ki.
As the crystal orb broke, it surged like a crimson wave.
The Heavenly Demon’s Ki ferociously consumed the formless Blood Heaven Demonic Arts. The strands, having swelled in size, signaled that they were now ready.
I focused all my senses and began to circulate my ki.
This was about splitting the eight strands that swam within my dantian. The difficulty was on a different level from when I had previously split four strands into eight.
But I could do it.
It was because I had already done it once with the Heavenly Demon master.
*Zzzzt.*
The eight strands that filled my dantian soon split into sixteen. The sixteen strands split into thirty-two, the thirty-two into sixty-four, and the sixty-four became one hundred and twenty-eight.
"Kuaargh!"
A radiant light burst from my entire body.
My dantian throbbed as if it would explode.
"Keuk!"
I coughed up black blood. Impurities were expelled from my body, and an energy several times stronger than before surged through my eight extraordinary meridians.
‘I must… proceed to the next stage.’
This process required no healing formation. Success meant Divine Ascension—conquering the realm of the Transcendent Demon. Failure meant only death.
The one hundred and twenty-eight strands each bifurcated into sixty-four, becoming needles and threads.
The needles and threads began to move with delicacy and grace, as if embroidering a dragon pattern on cloth.
The energy within my dantian was meticulously sculpted. The needles and threads soon became an ancient loom, and the one hundred and twenty-eight strands each became long warp and weft threads.
Multiple warp threads were connected, and a shuttle moved back and forth between them, weaving the weft and warp together.
*Swish. Swish. Swish.*
After repeating this delicate process, a cloth-like surface was finally created. On the surface of that cloth, a dragon pattern was embroidered.
As the remaining threads and the loom were sucked into the dragon that appeared on the cloth, the surface swelled and took on a complete form.
It was the birth of a truly three-dimensional black dragon. The single dragon created in my dantian was violet, and the violet-black dragon coiled around my innate true energy.
"Hoo."
All the energy in my dantian stabilized, and the black dragon emitted a small pulse of ki, purifying all the turbidity accumulated in my dantian and blood vessels.
"Ugh."
‘Impurities are leaving my body.’
Soon, all the energy subsided and stabilized.
When I opened my eyes, the black dragon from my dantian was outside my body, circling around me.
"Go back in."
*Whoosh.*
The black dragon returned to my dantian.
It was as if it were alive.
‘I have completely conquered the Transcendent Demon realm. Now, I should be able to win even if I fight the Blade Leaf Demon.’
In a word.
I had leaped forward.
This was a necessary advance I had to make before achieving my grand ambition, and the events that would unfold from now on would shake the world.
Just then, a foul smell wafted from somewhere. I lowered my head slightly and couldn't help but grimace.
"First… I need to wash."
The source of the stench was my own body.
***
I soaked my body in a hot bath.
*Splash.*
*Chwa-reu-reu-reu.*
The outside air flowed in through the intentionally opened window.
Clouds drifted with the wind, and a waxing gibbous moon was visible. In a few days, it would be a full moon. Just then, a bird was circling the night sky.
*Peep peep!*
Even though I had surely washed, a foul smell drifted from somewhere. The bird was the one sending the stench.
‘Is it mimicking the stench that was coming from my body just now?’
Indeed…
The Heavenly Fragrance Owl.
A spiritual creature of the Heavenly Mountains I had read about in the Heavenly Dance Family's library, a divine beast that controlled scents.
"Heh heh heh."
So we finally meet.
To meet this creature, I had been spreading a unique fragrance imperceptible to humans. And now, it kept sending a foul smell my way.
‘A foul smell to start… In that case, I’ll offer.’
Durian.
It was probably a rare sight in the Heavenly Mountains.
I enhanced my Thousand-Mile Subtle Fragrance tracking technique and combined the scents I had learned from the Myriad Fragrance Blood Jade Tree fruit to recreate the smell of durian. The scent of rotting garlic and eggs reached the Heavenly Fragrance Owl soaring through the night sky.
*Peep! Peep peep! Pee-bee-bee-beek!*
*Eeeeng—!*
The creature went berserk, emitting ultrasonic waves.
[What is this smell!]
The ultrasound directly injected its thoughts into my head.
I smiled and said.
"You fool, would you judge it by its outer fragrance alone?"
The Heavenly Fragrance Owl was more sensitive to smells than a dog with a superior sense of smell. I once again combined various scents to sublimate the inner taste of durian into a fragrance and sent it over.
Durian, that fruit was called the place where heaven and hell meet. When the rind was split, a soft cream flowed out, and its sweet taste was praised as the taste of angels, but its smell was called the scent of hell.
*Peep peep peep peep!*
The Heavenly Fragrance Owl experienced a moment where heaven and hell intertwined.
It was sensitive to smells, but since it loved fragrances, I would give it a gift. Experience the flavor of durian.
*Peep peep peep!*
*Pee-eek—!*
[Kuaargh! Just you wait!]
The creature flew away as if escaping, soon disappearing beyond the range of my senses. It was fine. It would be back.
"Hehe, what should I let it taste next?"
I washed off the lingering foul stench and stepped out.
I had warmed my body in the hot water, washed myself clean, and was now sipping a cup of chrysanthemum tea.
*Slurp.*
With a sense of mental leisure, I checked the matchups for tomorrow's duels.
Un-pyo versus Lee Baek?
Pa-sun versus Seol Ha-ryeong?
"Ha, hahaha."
***
The next day, the first event of the Divine Dragon Assembly was the match between Un-pyo and Lee Baek.
A battle between a cloud leopard and a white tiger.
Of course, I hoped Un-pyo would win. But…
"Do you think Un-pyo will win?"
Pa-sun asked, sounding worried.
So this guy has a decent eye for things.
"It won't be easy."
"I thought so… It would be a different story if it were me, though."
I take back my assessment of him having a decent eye.
Pa-sun's opponent was Seol Ha-ryeong; he had his own problems to worry about.
"Let's just watch. It will be a good experience for you both."
Just then, a small boat departed from the waiting area, and Un-pyo and Lee Baek walked onto the dueling stage.
With Gu-yeom standing between them, Un-pyo and Lee Baek faced each other. Un-pyo gripped his great saber with both hands and spoke.
"I saw your duel yesterday. It was impressive."
A bead of sweat trickled down Un-pyo's cheek.
He was clearly nervous.
A man with good instincts.
Having good instincts meant it was easy to spot prey and react quickly in various situations. But conversely, when facing a stronger opponent, one might instinctively sense defeat.
That was Un-pyo right now.
Just then, Lee Baek, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
"Thank you. But I don't recall your duel."
Normally, Un-pyo would have been provoked. But the presence of Lee Baek, who was much larger and taller, was not to be taken lightly.
His sharp eyes resembled those of a tiger.
A scowling expression and roughly styled bangs.
Though his martial arts uniform was loose, it seemed to fit snugly over his muscular frame, and with the white bandages wrapped around his hands, Lee Baek's mere presence was enough to send a chill down one's spine.
Gu-yeom asked the two.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
Un-pyo steeled his resolve and raised Black Cloud, the saber he had received from the Blade Leaf Demon. It was a famed blade inscribed with a pattern that amplified destructive power.
*Boom!*
The sound of a drum echoed, and Gu-yeom shouted.
"Then let the duel between Un-pyo of the Heavenly Dance Family and Lee Baek of the Fierce Tiger Family begin!"
The moment it began, Un-pyo kicked off the ground and charged toward Lee Baek. He had poured his internal energy, raised to its absolute peak, into Black Cloud.
Black Cloud responded to Un-pyo's energy, amplifying its power, and Un-pyo, as he had learned from Mu-heun, condensed his ki again and again.
*Whoosh!*
The moment he brought the saber down in an overhead strike!
*Slice.*
Lee Baek was cut. No, it only looked like he was.
What Un-pyo had cut was Lee Baek's afterimage.
Instantly appearing behind Un-pyo, Lee Baek swung a powerful tiger's paw. Un-pyo immediately turned Black Cloud to block, but…
*Kwaang!*
"Kuaargh!"
Even though he blocked the attack, he was pushed back a full ten feet, and Lee Baek did not miss the opening.
"Roar of the Fierce Tiger!"
A powerful sonic wave shot from Lee Baek's mouth, rushing toward Un-pyo.
Un-pyo raised Black Cloud to block Lee Baek's attack, but he couldn't block it properly.
"This is… sonic arts?"
*Kuaaaaaah!*
Un-pyo hastily enveloped his body, including his ears, in a protective aura, but it was too late.
*Piiiiing.*
A ringing filled his ears.
Un-pyo staggered from the tinnitus.
Seeing Lee Baek closing in on him in an instant, all Un-pyo could do was raise Black Cloud to defend.
Lee Baek's fist carried the ferocious momentum of a tiger.
"Keuk!"
Un-pyo found it difficult to even block with Black Cloud, but he gritted his teeth and channeled his internal energy into his legs, stomping on the ground.
"Falling Flower Kick!"
*Crack!*
The dueling stage cracked, and stones flew up. Lee Baek leaped into the air to avoid them, then spiraled down.
"Blade Leaf Great Wind Slash!"
Un-pyo imbued Black Cloud with his internal energy and swung it at Lee Baek.
Un-pyo's blade ki flew toward Lee Baek.
But Lee Baek, like a crouching tiger, advanced low to the ground, dodging the blade ki as he rushed toward Un-pyo.
"You're caught!"
Un-pyo had experienced this situation before.
In his previous duel with Mu-heun in the Blade Leaf Valley. Back then, flustered by Mu-heun's fierce assault, he had used the Falling Flower Kick to create distance and fired his blade ki, only to be countered.
"This time will be different!"
Un-pyo had intentionally not put much energy into the first Blade Leaf Great Wind Slash. It was all for this moment.
Without stopping Black Cloud, which had gained speed from the first swing, he continued its rotation and swung it again at the approaching Lee Baek.
‘One Circle Returning to Heaven, Blade Leaf Great Wind Slash.’
The great saber, its speed increased by the rotation, flew at Lee Baek, who had already lowered his stance and closed the distance.
*Swaeeek!*
The great saber, now right before his eyes, was reflected in the tiger's gaze.