Chapter 300: Raging Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi - 2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 300: Raging Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi - 2
Woooooom.
The Yin-Yang Harmony Qi enveloped the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi, spreading through her fine meridians and blood vessels.
Soon, it began its first full circulation.
Woooooooooom.
Once it had completed a full circuit of her body, the power of the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi began to grow even larger.
It seemed the seal was designed to weaken further with every full circulation completed.
The now-strengthened Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi began to push back against the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi surrounding it. It looked as though it intended to devour the harmony qi entirely.
'Not on my watch!'
Sensing the demonic qi’s intent, Sun-woo immediately crushed it with sheer force.
Though it had grown stronger, it was still nothing more than a drop in the bucket compared to his Yin-Yang Harmony Qi. How dare such a trivial thing overstep its bounds?
Woooooom.
Crushed by his power, the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi gradually shrank in size and began to submit to the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi once more.
'What an insidious bastard, just like its master,' Sun-woo thought.
He realized the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi was far more cunning than he had expected. The moment it regained even a bit of strength, it had expanded and rebelled. Yet, as soon as it was suppressed by force, it shrank back and acted submissive.
It was clearly feigning submission after sensing the power gap, waiting for its next chance. Sun-woo shuddered at its craftiness.
'I have to be careful.'
Sun-woo vowed over and over not to let his guard down.
His Yin-Yang Harmony Qi held the upper hand for now, but the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi would only grow stronger as the seal continued to break. If he grew complacent just because he was currently in control, his Yin-Yang Harmony Qi would be devoured in an instant.
He couldn't let that happen.
Sun-woo suppressed the shrunken demonic qi even further and began to guide it into the next circulation.
Ssssssssss.
The Yin-Yang Harmony Qi and the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi spread through Neung So-hwa’s fine meridians and blood vessels once again.
After some time had passed, the second full circulation was finally complete.
Woooooooooom.
Immediately, the energy of the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi more than doubled.
With its increased bulk, the demonic qi rebelled once more, attempting to swallow the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi.
"Urgh."
An involuntary groan escaped Sun-woo’s lips. The suddenly massive demonic qi was raging wildly to eclipse his harmony qi.
Sun-woo pushed his Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art to its absolute peak.
In response, the power of the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi clashing with the demonic qi surged. Sun-woo began to hammer the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi back down.
This time, however, the demonic qi seemed determined and did not yield easily.
Woooooom.
But soon, unable to overcome the sheer difference in magnitude, the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi began to subside once more.
'Phew.'
Sun-woo let out a silent sigh of relief. He had managed to subdue it somehow.
'What now?'
Despite his relief, worry began to cloud his mind. The Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi was doubling in power with every completed circulation. If he finished the next one, it would surely be twice as large as it was now.
That would make it roughly the same size as the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi he was currently operating at full capacity. He couldn't help but be concerned.
'Damn it.'
Sun-woo cursed inwardly.
Neung So-hwa had told him that the seal would only break after four full circulations following a specific mnemonic. There were still two more to go.
'This is driving me crazy.'
Sun-woo was in a bind. He might be able to endure the next one, but the one after that was the problem. He wasn't confident he could handle a demonic qi that was twice as large as his own energy. He was forced into a deep dilemma.
'Wait, didn't she say she originally planned to have Guard Ma break the seal?'
A sudden question occurred to him. She had definitely intended to ask Guard Ma to release the seal. But if the energy went berserk like this every time a circulation was completed, how could Guard Ma have possibly handled it?
This made him doubt whether he was even performing the release correctly.
Sun-woo stole a glance at Neung So-hwa. Her eyes were squeezed shut in agony. She seemed to be doing her best to maintain control.
He wanted to ask her about his doubts right then and there, but if he stopped operating the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art now, the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi would surely run wild.
'Damn it.'
He cursed again, frustrated by the catch-22 situation.
'I'll just have to keep going.'
Sun-woo began the next circulation, guiding the now-enlarged demonic qi through Neung So-hwa’s body. The die was cast. There was no turning back now.
When the third full circulation was finally completed—
Fwoooooosh!
Sun-woo felt the palm he had placed over her dantian grow searingly hot.
'Shit!'
The Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi, now twice as large as before, was radiating intense heat. It was now equal in size to his Yin-Yang Harmony Qi.
The demonic qi immediately lunged to overwhelm the harmony qi.
Sun-woo pushed his Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art to its ultimate limit to counter it. The two massive energies grappled within Neung So-hwa’s dantian, locked in a fierce struggle for dominance.
'Fuck!'
Sun-woo spat out another curse. The energy was already incredibly violent by nature, and now that it had grown so large, it was becoming a massive headache to manage.
'Just die already!'
Sun-woo pushed the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi in the dantian even further beyond its peak, finally managing to gain a slight edge over the demonic qi.
Sensing it was losing the battle of strength, the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi began to settle down again.
'Shit...'
Sun-woo cursed as he barely managed to calm the demonic qi. The process had drained a significant amount of his mental energy.
'What do I do?'
He fell into deep thought. He had calmed it for now, but the final circulation was the problem. If it doubled in size again, his Yin-Yang Harmony Qi wouldn't be able to withstand it. He would be swallowed whole.
He had to find a way. Sun-woo thought and thought, searching for the best move to escape this predicament.
Flash.
Suddenly, a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
'I really am an idiot.'
He realized just how foolish he had been. Why was he trying to wrestle with the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi in the first place?
He just had to blend in.
Sun-woo’s eyes began to sparkle with newfound clarity.
He began to operate the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi again, but this time, he started to reshape it. He made the Yang energy stronger, turning the flow explosive, urgent, and violent.
Just like the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi.
Before long, the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi had transformed so completely that it was unrecognizable. It was now violent, explosive, and urgent—no different from the demonic qi itself.
Sun-woo began to flow this transformed harmony qi back into Neung So-hwa’s dantian. This time, the reaction was different.
His Yin-Yang Harmony Qi began to integrate with the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi.
Soon, Neung So-hwa’s body was filled with a demonic qi that had absorbed even the harmony qi.
Sun-woo rejoiced. They had become one. He had worried there might be a backlash since he was mimicking a demonic art rather than an orthodox one, but it seemed his fears were groundless. The integration had happened without a single hitch.
'I really am a moron.'
Sun-woo blamed himself. He could have done this from the start instead of wasting all that mental energy. He had completely forgotten the greatest advantage of the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art.
Imitation.
The absurdly broken ability to become any kind of energy and to never clash with any other force. He had been doing things the hard way despite having such a perfect tool.
Sun-woo mused that when the head is stupid, the body suffers.
'I should read some books once I get to the Tang Clan.'
After making that vague vow, Sun-woo turned his attention back to the demonic qi in Neung So-hwa’s dantian. Despite being an imitation, the demonic qi seemed to recognize it as its own kind, remaining perfectly harmonized without any resistance.
Sun-woo slowly guided the fused demonic qi. It began to flow smoothly in the direction he led, far more easily than when he had been dragging it along by force.
Woooooooooooooom.
Feeling how compliant the demonic qi had become, Sun-woo increased the speed of the circulation.
Woooooooooom.
In an instant, the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi surged through Neung So-hwa’s entire body, moving at a speed incomparable to before.
Soon, the fourth and final circulation was perfectly completed.
Fwooooosh!
The Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi began to expand its volume at an explosive rate. It grew to a size that was impossible to even estimate.
"Ugh!"
Sun-woo screamed internally at the pain in his palm. It felt as if his hand was being pressed against a red-hot iron, radiating agonizing heat.
Sssssssss.
Smoke began to rise from his palm. It was literally being scorched.
'Shit!'
Sun-woo cursed at the burning pain. He could feel it—the heat was about to erupt.
He looked at Neung So-hwa. Having confirmed that the seal was completely broken, she quickly pulled a wooden box containing the Ice Essence from her robes. She seemed ready to absorb it immediately.
'Hurry... hurry... hurry!'
The problem was that, in Sun-woo’s eyes, her movements seemed agonizingly slow.
'Fuck!'
He cursed again. He didn't think he could hold out until she consumed the Ice Essence.
'Just a little longer!'
Sun-woo did his best to suppress the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi and dampen the heat. But it was useless. The more he tried to suppress it, the stronger the backlash became.
'I can't hold it.'
He realized it was impossible. It was going to explode. He couldn't even buy the few seconds she needed to swallow the Ice Essence.
Sun-woo’s thoughts began to accelerate. Then, he started to pull the integrated demonic qi into his own body. The fused energy began to pile up in his dantian.
'This is the only way!'
He believed this was the best option. This would surely buy her enough time to absorb the Ice Essence.
Bang!
But Sun-woo had miscalculated. As a portion of the energy drained into his body, the remaining Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi went into a frenzy and triggered an explosion.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Caught in the blast, Sun-woo was sent flying backward.
Fwooooosh!
Massive pillars of flame erupted from Neung So-hwa’s body.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"
Neung So-hwa screamed in agony as the flames consumed her. The fire began to devour everything—the ice of the mountain and her own body alike. The clothes covering her were instantly incinerated, turning to ash and vanishing.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"
It was a shameful sight, but Neung So-hwa had no room for shame. The excruciating pain had seized her entire being.
It hurt. It was so painful, so unbearable. The energy of the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art, which had been suppressed for so long, had burst forth all at once, tearing her meridians and blood vessels to shreds.
Neung So-hwa wanted to escape this pain immediately, but the flames only grew larger, showing no sign of subsiding.
That wasn't all. The demonic qi began to seep into her mind.
'No!'
She screamed internally. At this rate, she would lose her sanity. She needed the Ice Essence. Only the Ice Essence could calm the heat of the demonic qi.
Enduring the pain of her body being torn apart, Neung So-hwa slowly began to push herself up.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"
Though screams of agony tore from her throat, she managed to force herself to stand. Once upright, she began to scan her surroundings. She was looking for the Ice Essence that had been blown away in the explosion.
But she soon fell into despair. All she could see around her were chunks of ice. Finding the Ice Essence in this mess was impossible.
Woooooom.
As she despaired, the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi instantly seized control of her mind.
Grit.
Demonic energy always seeps into a weakened heart. Within her despair, the demonic qi took root and began to expand.
After some time had passed, Neung So-hwa’s red eyes turned an even deeper shade of crimson, like pooling blood.
She was no longer in pain. Nor did she try to extinguish the fire.
Thud. Thud.
She simply began to walk forward.
With every step she took, the ice beneath her feet turned to water, then to steam. She was emitting a level of heat capable of sublimating solids into gas in an instant.
The firepower Neung So-hwa unleashed grew larger with every passing second, eventually blanketing the entire iceberg.
A massive conflagration, the likes of which had never been seen before, had begun.