Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Blood Tear Valley
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It all began with Hwang Cheol-ung's rampage.
After confronting Law Palace Lord Cheon Ji-gyeong and Killing Palace Lord Cho Seon-neung, Hwang Cheol-ung, whom everyone expected to give up, instead unleashed the ultimate techniques of the Red Demon's Twenty-Four Blade Forms, beginning to tear Blood Tear Valley apart.
“Twenty-Four Blade Forms. Sea of Blood, Rain of Blood.”
An endless torrent of blade energy surged from Hwang Cheol-ung's Red Demon Blade, and like a tsunami triggered by an earthquake, a high, vast, and sprawling sea unfurled.
Boulders shattered like porcelain, the ground buckled like clay, and Blood Tear Valley was laid to waste. Crimson waves crashed not only toward Law Palace Lord Cheon Ji-gyeong and Killing Palace Lord Cho Seon-neung, but also toward the four Elders and Pavilion Lord Mong-o.
The blade energy then swirled into a massive waterspout, ascended, and exploded in the sky, pouring down as a rain of blood.
‘This is my greatest technique. I have to use it to create an opening and escape.’
This wide-area ultimate technique, designed for multiple opponents, was Hwang Cheol-ung's final gambit. Even the Law Palace Lord and Killing Palace Lord could not simply ignore his ultimate attack, which he had amplified by drawing on his innate qi through a forbidden demonic art.
When they moved to block his attack, an opening would surely appear. He had to seize that moment to attempt his escape.
‘Anywhere will do. I have to escape!’
However, Cheon Ji-gyeong and Cho Seon-neung remained composed. The Law Palace Lord seemed thrilled by the first real fight in a long time, while the Killing Palace Lord appeared to be simply enjoying the situation.
“Haha! I was itching for a fight, so this is perfect!”
“A red sea below and red rain from above. A truly fitting spectacle for a place called Blood Tear Valley.”
Cheon Ji-gyeong drew upon his internal energy, and a golden aura surged upward. He then raised his unique weapon, the Golden Ape Staff, unleashing a massive wave of force that made the golden staff look like a pillar the size of a house.
He swung the golden staff at the crimson waves and rain rushing toward him. An explosive golden energy erupted from the staff, relentlessly pouring out force the size of a house. As he churned the earth like water, the sea of blood overflowing before him parted to both sides.
The sight of a giant golden ape mercilessly shattering the ground and parting the sea was enough to inspire myths.
“Golden Ape Eight Trigrams.”
Cheon Ji-gyeong's force spread out in all directions, filling one side of Blood Tear Valley, and Hwang Cheol-ung's sea of blood was blocked by the armor-like golden energy.
“You're struggling quite desperately, Red Demon Pavilion Lord!”
Moreover, Cho Seon-neung remained behind Cheon Ji-gyeong, watching him intently, leaving no opening for escape. In the end, Hwang Cheol-ung even used the Berserk state of the Blood Heaven Demonic Arts, but when it failed to work, he grew increasingly desperate.
‘Ugh, the Law Palace Lord... He's truly a monster.’
Just then.
Cho Seon-neung dodged the blade energy pouring down like a torrential rain with just a few simple steps. He also sliced through the blood-red energy as if cutting paper, thwarting Hwang Cheol-ung's escape.
The Killing Palace Lord's movements and presence were like the pouring rain—impossible to perceive each individual drop. He was visible, yet undetectable, imperceptible. As long as such a man was watching him, shaking him off and escaping was nearly impossible.
Furthermore, although the range of Hwang Cheol-ung's blood rain was quite wide, the Elders and Pavilion Lord Mong-o protected the Azure Dragon Unit, the Moon Spirit Unit, and their respective forces, so no significant damage occurred.
To make matters worse, another wave of blade energy came flying through the blood rain...
“Blade Wind Cleaver!”
The Blade Leaf Demon's greatsword rushed forward, cleaving the wind, but Hwang Cheol-ung blocked it with a defensive form.
“Red Rock!”
The blade energy surging toward the Red Demon Pavilion Lord was soon blocked by a red barrier.
*Swish! Swish!*
But in that moment, the Red Demon Pavilion Lord's right thigh and left shoulder were deeply slashed. When a startled Hwang Cheol-ung looked around, he saw Cho Seon-neung wiping blood from a small dagger.
In the single moment he had been focused on blocking the Blade Leaf Demon's attack, unable to see Cho Seon-neung, the man had swung a dagger at his leg.
“Gah!”
The stinging killing intent Cho Seon-neung had first exuded was nowhere to be found; he was completely imperceptible right up to the moment the blade struck his leg and shoulder.
“Damn it!”
Hwang Cheol-ung immediately unleashed his blade energy like a wave to create distance from Cho Seon-neung. However, the blood flowing from his leg and shoulder told him it was already too late to escape.
Cheon Ji-gyeong was stronger than he'd thought, and Cho Seon-neung was more dangerous. It was a desperate situation with no chance of escape and no allies to rely on.
Just then.
“Meteor Axe!”
The Tenth Elder, Mu-hwa, head of the Star Moon Demonic Family, launched a massive axe like a meteor.
*KABOOM!*
The meteor-like axe caused a massive explosion the moment it reached Hwang Cheol-ung.
“Gah!”
Hwang Cheol-ung blocked the flying axe with his Red Demon Blade, but the attack was so powerful that his blade cracked, and the shockwave sent him reeling back.
“*Cough!*”
His teeth felt loose, and his mouth filled with the taste of blood. Yu So-jeong of the Purple Poison Demonic Family sprayed poison, and Ma Yun-chu of the Sun and Moon Demonic Family launched dozens of sword energies.
“Graaaah!”
More and deeper wounds appeared on Hwang Cheol-ung's body. But the Transcendent Demon master, who had unleashed his demonic energy with the Red Face Blood Heaven Demonic Arts, refused to give up even as defeat loomed, mustering his internal energy once more.
‘A desperate situation... If I'm going to die anyway, I'll take them with me!’
Hwang Cheol-ung poured all his innate qi and life force into the Red Demon Blade, and an immense force gathered on his weapon.
Mu-heun watched the scene from a short distance.
‘He's aiming for mutual destruction. An energy of that magnitude would be manageable for the Elders, Pavilion Lords, and Palace Lords, but if it hits the Azure Dragon Unit or the Moon Spirit Unit, they'll die instantly. No, it could even destroy all of Blood Tear Valley...’
Having made a decision, Mu-heun released various scents from his body. The fragrance traveled as fast as thunder rolling through the clouds, crossing the distance in an instant to reach Cheon-hyang and the Heavenly Demonic Corpse.
[This is it! A signal from Master!]
Cheon-hyang was the first to recognize the signal and sent one to the Heavenly Demonic Corpse.
*Screeeech!*
*Nod.*
Upon receiving the signal, the Heavenly Demonic Corpse immediately drew upon the internal energy in its dantian.
*Wooooong.*
The Heavenly Demonic Corpse absorbed the Red Face Blood Heaven Powder and the antidote it had received from Mu-heun. To be precise, it mixed the powder and antidote with the poison arts it had cultivated for decades.
Mixed and fused within the Heavenly Demonic Corpse's dantian, the Red Face Blood Heaven Powder and antidote condensed densely, as is characteristic of poison arts. A minuscule amount of blue-tinged liquid then seeped from its fingertips.
It then coated a dagger from its robes with the blue liquid.
If the antidote couldn't be ingested, it only needed to touch a wound, mix with the blood, and enter the body. The antidote would then spread instantly, confiscating all the power granted by the Blood Heaven Demonic Arts.
The moment the dagger strikes, the power of the Blood Heaven Demonic Arts will fade, and the user will pay the price for having drawn out too much of their innate qi and life force.
*Screeeech!*
[Throw it!]
Cheon-hyang urged the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, which threw the dagger high into the sky.
*Whoosh!*
Thrown with immense force, the dagger flew in a straight line toward Blood Tear Valley, with the Heavenly Fragrance Owl in hot pursuit. The owl's speed was beyond imagination; it precisely snatched the flying dagger with its talons.
*Clack.*
*Screeeech!*
Flapping with all its might, Cheon-hyang gripped the dagger's hilt with both feet and hurled it directly toward Mu-heun's location.
*Screeeech!*
[Catch!]
Mu-heun simply grinned, catching the flying dagger with one hand without even looking back.
*Thwip.*
Then, he conveyed his thoughts to Cheon-hyang through his scent.
‘Well done.’
Grasping the antidote-coated dagger, Mu-heun used the Heavenly Demon Shadow Technique to approach Hwang Cheol-ung.
The berserk Hwang Cheol-ung was battling the Blade Leaf Demon, Cho Seon-neung, and Cheon Ji-gyeong. To step into the middle of that would be impossible for anyone without nerves of steel.
Mu-heun watched for an opening. An opening in Hwang Cheol-ung's defense as he exchanged blows with multiple masters. A single, minuscule gap created amidst the flurry of attacks. He would approach that needle-sized opening and thrust the dagger in.
Cheon Ji-gyeong was the first to approach Hwang Cheol-ung, swinging his staff, which was covered in a house-sized aura of force. Hwang Cheol-ung parried with the last of his blade energy, drawn to its absolute limit.
In that opening, Cho Seon-neung sent hundreds of small sword energies flying to subdue Hwang Cheol-ung. They rushed at him from all different directions like living swallows, forcing Hwang Cheol-ung to execute a large, omnidirectional defensive form.
Completely cornered, Hwang Cheol-ung, thinking it was now or never, focused his energy to prepare one final Twenty-Four Blade Form: Sea of Blood, Rain of Blood. And in that fleeting moment...
*Shunk!*
In his confusion, Hwang Cheol-ung looked down at the dagger that had flown from behind and embedded itself in his side. At the edge of his vision stood Baek Mu-heun, who had been holding the dagger.
“*Cough!* W-what is this!”
As Hwang Cheol-ung reeled in shock, Mu-heun shouted loudly.
“Stand back for a moment!”
“Gyaaaaaah!”
Everyone froze as Hwang Cheol-ung screamed, his demonic arts beginning to fade.
The antidote, having entered Hwang Cheol-ung's body through the dagger, spread instantly throughout him, and smoke began to seep from his skin.
“*Guah!*”
Soon, blood poured from all over Hwang Cheol-ung's body—from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, as well as from his wounds. His muscles shriveled to a visibly noticeable degree, and as he aged rapidly, his hair turned completely white.
In that moment, the Blade Leaf Demon, Killing Palace Lord Cho Seon-neung, and Law Palace Lord Cheon Ji-gyeong were utterly bewildered. The ones fighting had been the Blade Leaf Demon, who had fully mastered the Transcendent Demon level, two Supreme Demon masters, and the berserk Hwang Cheol-ung.
To find an opening in this breathtaking exchange and strike?
The Blade Leaf Demon couldn't help but marvel at Mu-heun, who was several times stronger than when he had last seen him. Cheon Ji-gyeong, too, had to acknowledge his combat sense.
But the most astonished of all was the Killing Palace Lord, Cho Seon-neung...
‘Impossible. A young man who has just come of age accomplished something that even my own disciples, trained in assassination for decades, would struggle with? I can't believe it.’
Erasing one's presence and striking at an opponent's opening is the domain of assassination. Cho Seon-neung was a man who had reached the pinnacle of that field and was now trying to focus on cultivating a successor.
However, he had been searching for a long time without finding any talent that met his standards. But...
Talented children are sent on missions before they even come of age. Most die in the process. By the time they pass twenty and reach thirty, their mission success rate exceeds ninety percent.
And that was only if they continuously gained experience and training, which meant they had to be past thirty. By then, almost no disciples were left alive.
And yet...
‘How is Baek Mu-heun, the Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family, so skilled? He hasn't received any special assassination training, yet he's this proficient at such a young age. It's clear he'll have no rivals in the future.’
Meanwhile, Mu-heun, who had taken in everyone's reactions with a calm expression, spoke in a low voice.
“I would like to entrust his fate to the Tenth Elder, Mu-hwa-nim, and the Blade Leaf Demon-nim. Would that be acceptable?”
“Puhahahaha! Thank you, Fourth Young Master!”
The Tenth Elder, Mu-hwa, had lost his most cherished disciple because of Hwang Cheol-ung, and the Blade Leaf Demon had nearly lost his granddaughter and all his students. Mu-heun's gesture was a consideration, allowing them to settle their grudge.
Grateful for Mu-heun's consideration, Mu-hwa immediately swung his axe and severed Hwang Cheol-ung's left arm.
“This is revenge for my dead disciple.”
Then, the Blade Leaf Demon swung his greatsword and cut off the right arm.
“This is for Blade Leaf Valley.”
Hwang Cheol-ung's arms were severed just as he had taken the arms of Ak Jin-sam and Wi Gun-seong, and a grief as profound as the pain from his severed limbs washed over him.