Chapter 335: The End of the Evil Demon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 335: The End of the Evil Demon
Twitch, twitch.
Kang-pae’s body, his head having been driven into the ground, began to twitch.
Sshhh.
As he slowly pushed himself up, a thick layer of dust and dirt fell from his frame.
Thud, thud, thud.
Kang-pae brushed the dirt off his clothes and turned his gaze forward. He wanted to identify the person who had just slammed him into the earth.
Boom!
At that moment, a thunderous explosion erupted from the private house where the Evil Demon had been thrown.
"You son of a bitch!"
Fuming with rage, the Evil Demon burst out of the wreckage, spewing curses. He immediately began scanning his surroundings, searching for the culprit who had sent him flying into the building.
It didn't take long for him to spot a man standing a short distance away, holding the girl the Evil Demon had been using as a shield. His face contorted into a deep scowl.
He recognized that face.
It was the reckless brat who had suddenly joined forces with Bukgung Yeon to pressure Lee Yeon.
Shit.
The Evil Demon cursed inwardly. He vividly remembered the skill the man had shown when he landed a blow on Lee Yeon.
He realized the situation was dire. Being pursued by Kang-pae alone was a nightmare, but if that reckless brat joined the fray, escaping would be nearly impossible.
He couldn't help but swear.
The Evil Demon stole a glance at Kang-pae, who was not far away. Kang-pae was staring at the brat with bloodshot eyes, looking absolutely livid.
Let’s run.
Seeing this, the Evil Demon made his decision. He would just bolt. Kang-pae was fixated on the newcomer, and the newcomer was looking down, busy comforting the girl in his arms.
This was his chance. No one was paying attention to him.
Shuffle, shuffle.
The Evil Demon began to back away slowly. He intended to maintain the appearance of a confrontation while widening the gap so he could make a clean break.
"Hey."
The man comforting the girl spoke up.
Flinch.
The Evil Demon’s body jerked, and he froze in his tracks.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Sun-woo asked, his eyes fixed on the Evil Demon who had been trying to sneak away.
"..."
The Evil Demon remained silent. He knew he’d been caught red-handed.
"Even if you're leaving, shouldn't we settle some old grudges first?" Sun-woo continued in a calm tone.
"I have no grudge against you!" the Evil Demon snapped.
"Well, I have plenty against you. A whole lot, actually," Sun-woo replied, his eyes turning cold. "Enough to make me want to kill you."
"We’ve only just met today! What possible grudge could you have against me?"
"You kidnapped the martial artists of the Sichuan Alliance. You tortured and humiliated them. You also wounded Un-jeok-ja and the members of the search party."
Sun-woo continued his indictment in a level voice.
"And you made Seol-hyang cry."
Wrooooooom.
As Sun-woo finished speaking, a massive surge of energy began to ripple around him.
"I believe you deserve to die."
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Why are you the one seeking vengeance for them?"
"My name is Jang Sun-woo. I am an ally to those you have harmed."
Sun-woo glared at the Evil Demon with chilling eyes and began to slowly circulate his Yin-Yang Harmony Qi.
Wrooooooom.
A vast amount of Yin-Yang Harmony Qi swirled around his body before surging toward the Evil Demon.
"Urgh!"
Exposed to Sun-woo’s pressure, the Evil Demon let out a pained groan. The sudden weight of the immense force felt like a crushing burden.
Wrooooooom.
The Evil Demon quickly channeled his internal energy to resist. A foul, repulsive aura erupted around him, momentarily dispelling the pressure Sun-woo had exerted.
"Whew."
Once the suffocating pressure vanished, the Evil Demon finally breathed a sigh of relief. He realized then that the man before him was certainly not his inferior.
This is turning into a total clusterfuck!
The Evil Demon’s face crumpled. He had sensed the man was extraordinary ever since he landed that hit on Lee Yeon, but experiencing his energy firsthand made the man's strength terrifyingly clear.
How could someone so young possess energy that rivaled his own?
I need a plan.
The Evil Demon thought frantically. He needed a way to safely eliminate this threat. His gaze shifted to Kang-pae, who was standing nearby.
"Hey, Kang-pae."
The Evil Demon called out in a steady voice.
"What?"
"How about we work together?"
"Work together?"
"Yes, a joint attack. Isn't that guy a villain who dared to point a blade at General Lee Yeon, whom you respect so much? I’ll help you get your revenge."
"To me, you’re just as bad for defying the General’s orders and running away."
"I won't deny that. But no matter how confident you are in your martial arts, you won't be able to handle both of us at once, will you?"
"..."
Kang-pae fell silent. He knew the Evil Demon was right. The man had broken his arm and slammed his head into the ground so fast he couldn't even react. He was at least a master of the same caliber as himself.
Even for someone called the Ghost of the Battlefield, facing such a master and the Evil Demon simultaneously would be a daunting task.
"Let's form a temporary alliance. Just until we take that bastard down. After that, we can settle our own score, come what may," the Evil Demon pressed, sensing that Kang-pae was wavering.
"Fine."
Perhaps the Evil Demon’s persuasion worked. Kang-pae gave a slight nod.
"That man is certainly more dangerous than you, whose strength I’ve already gauged to some extent."
"Exactly my point!" the Evil Demon chimed in gleefully.
"But remember this, Evil Demon. You’re next after him."
"Sure, sure. Kill me or do whatever you want later."
The Evil Demon gave a dismissive nod and turned his attention back to Sun-woo. Now that he had an ally, he felt fearless. No matter what tricks the brat had up his sleeve, winning against two masters at the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm was impossible.
The boy was destined for a gruesome death.
The Evil Demon slowly gathered his internal energy.
Wrooooooom.
A foul, disgusting aura began to shimmer around his body.
"You'll regret picking a fight with the wrong people!" the Evil Demon snarled, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Oh, I'm so scared," Sun-woo retorted sarcastically.
"You brat! Let's see if you can keep up that sarcasm after you taste my Dark Eagle Claw!"
Enraged by the mockery, the Evil Demon pushed his internal energy to the limit, channeling it into his fingernails.
Wrooooooom.
The energy flowing into his nails formed blades of black Astral Qi, which he then began to compress further.
Sshhhhhhh.
Before long, the Astral Qi on his nails grew as long as any sword. From that state, he began to condense the energy even more.
Sssssss.
The elongated blades of Qi gathered at the tips of his nails, compressing once... twice... three times... four times.
After a few moments, five circular spheres formed at the tips of his nails, rotating at a ferocious speed.
...Astral Spheres.
Sun-woo was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected the man to be able to form Astral Spheres. Compressing Astral Qi required a level of mental strength and an understanding of internal energy far beyond the norm. Usually, one could only begin to mimic or form them upon reaching the Transcendent Realm.
Yet, the vulgar Evil Demon had created them. And ten of them at that, counting both hands. It was genuinely impressive.
A master is still a master, I suppose.
Sun-woo briefly reflected on his tendency to underestimate the man. Though he was a crude and wicked person, the realm he had achieved was the real deal.
Whirrrrrrr!
Suddenly, the sound of a gale erupted from his side. Sun-woo glanced over. There stood the rock-like man, his fists enveloped in a massive whirlwind.
Sun-woo was taken aback. The sheer force radiating from the man's fists was beyond imagination.
Once you hit the Upper Stage, it’s nothing but monsters everywhere.
Sun-woo allowed a faint smile to play on his lips as he looked at them. The Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm was considered the limit of human potential. And now, two humans who had reached that limit were targeting him.
Normally, this was a situation where one would be paralyzed with fear. These were realms that once seemed infinitely high and unreachable.
And yet, he wasn't afraid. Far from it—a chuckle escaped him, and he felt a strange sense of composure.
Was he going crazy? No. Sun-woo knew instinctively. He knew that their best moves posed no real threat to him.
Sun-woo pushed his Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art to its peak. Simultaneously, he began to operate the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth.
Wrooooooom.
Sun-woo felt his senses sharpen to a razor's edge. He could feel everything—the entire flow of their energy.
"I'll be right back."
Sun-woo spoke as he looked down at Seol-hyang, who was still in his arms.
"...Can't you just not go?" Seol-hyang asked, looking up at him with wide, trembling eyes.
"And just leave them be?"
"Maybe the Ice Palace Master... or Un-jeok-ja... we could call for reinforcements..." Seol-hyang’s voice was thick with worry.
"You know we can't do that."
"......But... I'm afraid you'll get hurt, Brother."
Tears welled up in Seol-hyang’s eyes. She was terrified for him. She could tell, just by sensing the atmosphere, that the Evil Demon and Kang-pae were masters of the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm.
She couldn't fathom how Sun-woo could possibly hold his own against two such absolute masters alone. No matter how strong he was, how could he gain the upper hand?
The tears began to spill over.
Wipe, wipe.
"Why are you so full of tears?" Sun-woo chuckled softly and wiped her eyes with his hand.
"Uuu... but..."
"Seol-hyang." Sun-woo’s expression turned serious. "I promise you. I won't get hurt."
"..."
"So, will you trust me and wait?" Sun-woo asked, his voice brimming with confidence.
"You... you have to keep that promise..." Seol-hyang whispered, looking up at him through her tears.
Sun-woo gave her a small smile. He found her concern touching and her tearful face strangely adorable.
Pat, pat.
He gave her head a few gentle strokes before setting her down on the ground.
Step, step.
He turned around and began to walk slowly toward his opponents.
Step, step.
The Evil Demon and Kang-pae watched him intently, narrowing the distance. They intended to strike the moment he entered their range.
Step, step.
Finally, Sun-woo stepped perfectly into their strike zone.
Swoosh!
Whirrrrrrr!
The two men unleashed their sect's secret techniques simultaneously.
From the right, the Evil Demon’s claws lunged toward Sun-woo. The five rotating Astral Spheres on his nails radiated an aura so intense it felt as if they would pulverize anything they touched.
From the left, Kang-pae’s fist hurtled toward Sun-woo. The massive whirlwind rotating around his fist roared with a momentum that threatened to tear his entire body apart.
Sun-woo smiled faintly. He slowly reached out with both hands.
The Evil Demon’s claws and Kang-pae’s fist flew toward his palms. In that instant, Sun-woo felt it—the flow of those two gargantuan energies.
Sun-woo pushed the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to its absolute limit.
"Twist."
He spoke the word calmly.
In an instant, the Evil Demon’s claws, which had been heading for Sun-woo’s right hand, veered sharply to the left, toward Kang-pae.
Similarly, Kang-pae’s fist, which had been aimed at Sun-woo’s left hand, was redirected to the right, toward the Evil Demon.
What?!
What the—?!
Startled by the sudden change in direction, the Evil Demon and Kang-pae tried to pull back their energy, but it was futile. They were already too close to stop.
Crunch!
Kang-pae’s fist slammed into the Evil Demon’s head, shattering his skull instantly.
Squeltch!
The Evil Demon’s claws tore into Kang-pae’s chest, skewering his heart.
Thud.
As if by design, the two absolute masters collapsed to the ground at the same time. They would never rise again. They were dead.
The two absolute masters who had reached the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm—the supposed limit of human potential—met their end at the exact same moment.
And it was all by the hand of the rising master, Jang Sun-woo.