Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 233
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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Not long after returning to the Shadowless Gate with the Sword Demon, word arrived that the Wind God Corps had been completely wiped out. It was probably Lee Gwang who had intervened and destroyed them right there. It was an impressive feat for just two people, but I could easily predict the downfall of the Thunder God Corps.
'There's no way they can keep winning until the end.'
Even when Mang-ryang and I had done our utmost to assist them, they had ultimately been blocked by the Demon King of the Imperial Palace, Dalgi. Forget Dalgi—they might not even be able to handle the Guardian Lions before that. At this rate, it seemed certain that Jin So-cheong would meet his end somewhere within a few years.
As I wore a grim expression, the Sword Demon seemed to guess my thoughts and spoke.
"It's not the time to worry about others. If you don't help me, the Shadowless Gate will have nowhere to go in the future."
"Yes."
"Before relocating to Liaodong, we should first look into something to negotiate with the Twelve Laws Leader."
As the Sword Demon muttered, a thought popped into my head, and I spoke up.
"How about offering the Black-White Lotuses to the Twelve Laws Leader?"
"Hmm. Not a bad idea."
I had already harvested a ton of Black-White Lotuses and stockpiled them in my wooden armor. And the Sword Demon had also dramatically increased his inner energy by consuming Black-White Lotuses during our six years of training together. While the Black-White Lotuses fell short of the Millennium Snow Ginseng in terms of pure inner energy amplification, they were still elixirs of the highest caliber.
The Sword Demon pondered deeply before saying,
"...No, I don't know."
"Pardon?"
"I can't get a read on what kind of person the Twelve Laws Leader is."
With that opener, the Sword Demon continued.
"In your memories, the only time you directly faced the Twelve Laws Leader was that one spar with the Twelve Laws Sect Masters. And you lost to him."
It was an embarrassing past, so I flushed red. But the Sword Demon waved it off.
"Losing to the Twelve Laws Leader isn't shameful. As the supreme figure of the Eastern Murim, he's at least on the level of a Guardian Lion or higher. The problem lies elsewhere."
"What problem?"
"Even inferring from your conversations with him, his personality, character, and desires aren't clear. Saying he protects the East from other races is too grand and abstract to deduce his personal inclinations. Plus, the Twelve Laws Leader fed you false information."
"Hmm..."
The Sword Demon was right. That's why Mang-ryang had advised me not to trust the Twelve Laws Leader. The Sword Demon said,
"I think I was being too simplistic. My mistake."
"No. We can't keep being used by the White Lotus Cult forever, can we?"
"Of course, as you say, if we offer the Black-White Lotuses and seek to join the Twelve Laws, he'll accept us. But I feel the need to learn more about what kind of person the Twelve Laws Leader is first."
"What should we do?"
"We need to think about that."
I racked my brains alongside the Sword Demon, groaning in frustration. If it had been Mang-ryang, he would have come up with some brilliant scheme or given his judgment on the Twelve Laws Leader in a situation like this. It was regrettable that we lacked someone specialized in strategizing.
Had about half a shichen passed like that? A sudden flash of insight hit me.
"The Spirit Severing Moon Blade!"
"Hm?"
"The Twelve Laws Leader went out of his way to the Central Plains' Dark Scripture Martial Tournament and took the grand prize, the Spirit Severing Moon Blade. Isn't the reason he needed it the key?"
In my view, this seemed like our chance to grasp a clue about the Twelve Laws Leader.
"Hmm..."
The Sword Demon crossed his arms, deep in thought as if caught off guard. He soon replied.
"There were rumors that the Spirit Severing Moon Blade contained the world's greatest martial art. I thought he took it because of that. Are you saying there might be another reason?"
"Yes."
I nodded and continued.
"What if the Spirit Severing Moon Blade is some kind of demonic artifact, like the flying swords or wooden armor I possess?"
"......!!"
"The Twelve Laws Leader's martial prowess was extraordinary. For someone like him to risk coming to the Central Plains for the Spirit Severing Moon Blade, that's the only reason I can think of."
The Sword Demon looked impressed as he listened.
"Indeed... You're right. I never considered that. Impressive!"
"No, it's nothing..."
"No. It's hard to think of from a murim practitioner's perspective. It's an idea only a reincarnator like you could come up with!"
Clapping his hands, the Sword Demon stroked his chin and continued.
"Hmm. And demonic artifacts are made by those called demonic sorcerers even among the other races. That means the Spirit Severing Moon Blade is connected to the other races or their gods, the [Ancient Overlords]."
"I think that's likely."
"...The picture is starting to take shape."
The Sword Demon seemed lost in thought for a while. Then he said,
"Baek Woong. In that case, we should move right now."
"To the Twelve Laws?"
"No. To the Fighting Demon."
The Fighting Demon?
I looked at the Sword Demon in surprise, and he said,
"We owed him a debt to repay anyway—perfect timing! Let's head to Luoyang immediately."
"Won't it be dangerous?"
"If not now, when the Wind God Corps has shaken the Thunder God Corps thanks to Lee Gwang, we'll never get another chance. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity created by the Thunder God Corps. We need to crush the Fighting Demon now."
"Ah!"
"We have to get information from the Fighting Demon."
There was no hesitation in the Sword Demon's firm words. From them, I realized one thing.
'Decisiveness...!!'
The Sword Demon wasn't just smart. He had the ability to quickly weigh the circumstances and decide without delay once his mind was made up. And since his judgments had never been wrong so far, he had survived as the supreme figure of the unorthodox murim. I resolved to learn this quality from him.
Paat!
Using the flying sword, we instantly teleported to a deserted alley in Luoyang. The Sword Demon then said,
"The Fighting Demon's base is in the Dragon Cloud Palace."
"Dragon Cloud Palace? Never heard of it..."
"It's an abandoned imperial palace no longer in use. He's secretly running the Asura Gate from there."
The Sword Demon knew detailed information about the Fighting Demon. He must have dug up everything after learning at the Dark Scripture Martial Tournament that his daughter, Seomun Hye, had gone missing. His confidence was proof.
I followed the Sword Demon to the Dragon Cloud Palace. It was in a remote part of Luoyang city, on the boundary between the outer and inner walls. From the base of a low hill about thirty zhang high, the dilapidated old palace stood desolate. As a crow cawed past the setting sun, the Sword Demon said,
"Kill them all for now."
"Yes."
Straightforward. I had no fondness for the Fighting Demon either, so we could just kill first and see. With our agreement, we raced toward the hill where the Dragon Cloud Palace stood, moving like the wind without needing to decide who went first. We stayed alert for possible barriers along the way, but none appeared. Since this was their real base, they probably avoided barriers to prevent suspicion.
Whiik
Crossing the entrance into the dim, abandoned palace interior, an eerie aura flowed. There was almost no sign of life, but my senses picked up several experts hiding nearby amid the silence. The Sword Demon must have sensed them too, as he sent me a transmission.
[ The Fighting Demon is over there. I'll go first—follow me. ]
A faint, elastic snap like a thread twanging. The Sword Demon vanished the next instant, moving at super speed and dispatching three experts in his path with his energy sword. The dead didn't even scream. The speed was so extreme that I could tell the Sword Demon's martial arts had advanced far beyond his previous level.
Blood sprayed from unseen spots, and Asura Gate experts burst out from everywhere. Realizing their stealth was blown, they glared at me with fierce killing intent.
"You bastard."
"Die!"
Swaeek
Sword energies flew from all directions. I could tell there were about a dozen Asura Gate elites, and their coordinated group attack while surrounding me was formidable. Not a huge number, but each was a seasoned murim warrior.
But using the Soul Annihilation Step, I effortlessly dodged all their attacks while thinking.
'This is the best the Asura Gate elites can do... On par with the Brocade Guard.'
A strangely calm analysis of their martial arts flashed through my mind. In that split second, I pierced their formation gaps with the Soul Annihilation Step, lightly striking and subduing any I could reach.
Puk-puk-puk!
"Argh."
Four Asura Gate elites spewed blood and collapsed, dying. No need for a sword—I subdued them barehanded, but the inner energy in my fists was so devastating they had no choice but to vomit blood from all seven orifices. It took me barely ten seconds to massacre the Asura Gate elites, and I seized the last one's throat, hoisting him up.
"Guh... Ex... Expert..."
I coldly stared at the struggling Asura Gate expert in my grip and said,
"You're out of luck."
If it had been me seven years ago, without using Thunderclap, it would have taken at least two hundred seconds. For unorthodox murim warriors, the Asura Gate elites were exceptional.
But to me now, who could wield intent, they were no different from children. I didn't even need Thunderclap.
"Guh... Ki... Kill... me..."
"Fine."
Crack.
As soon as I finished speaking, I crushed his throat, killing him. Tossing the corpse to the ground, I hurried along the Sword Demon's path. Since I'd taken less than half a gak here, he was probably already clashing with the Fighting Demon.
My guess was spot on. Arriving at the deepest part of the Dragon Cloud Palace, in front of a broad palace hall, a sudden sword light exploded.
Kwarung!!
A massive dust cloud rose. At the heart of the ruins, the Fighting Demon stood holding his cherished sword with a look of utter defeat, while the Sword Demon faced him. The Sword Demon had pressed relentlessly, leaving the Fighting Demon covered in blood from head to toe, on the verge of collapse.
The Fighting Demon shouted at the Sword Demon.
"Sword Demon!! Why are you attacking me?!"
The Sword Demon replied coldly.
"Have you forgotten what you did to my daughter?"
"......!!"
The Fighting Demon looked shocked, as if wondering how he knew, but he quickly pieced it together and hardened his expression. He must have inferred that after Pirate Island was raided, Seomun Hye had safely returned to the Shadowless Gate. But he said, as if puzzled,
"Then why now...?"
"You don't need to know."
"Ugh..."
The Sword Demon stepped forward, sneering at the Fighting Demon.
"I've always been annoyed that trash like you was grouped with me as equals. Time to end it."
"......"
The Fighting Demon seemed to feel deep humiliation at the Sword Demon's words. In truth, the Sword Demon could have finished him long ago but had toyed with him like a cat with a mouse to gauge his strength. But the Fighting Demon soon twisted his lips into a grin.
"Heh heh... Right... You were peerlessly strong among the Eight Demons... I was always jealous of you... No matter how much I fought and trained, there seemed to be a realm I couldn't reach."
What was the Fighting Demon trying to say?
As the Sword Demon stared at him silently, the Fighting Demon continued.
"But... you came too late... I've already obtained the power of the Dragon Human!"
Kugugugu!
Suddenly, pitch-black light poured from the Fighting Demon's entire body. Caught off guard by the abrupt change, the Sword Demon hurriedly unleashed his energy sword to shred him into hundreds of pieces, but even as it pierced and tore him, the Fighting Demon's transformation into 'something' didn't stop.
Churrruk!
It was like black clay emitting dark light, molding itself in midair. He was already in a state where attacks didn't land. Watching, I suddenly recalled something.
'That monster the Thunder God Corps encountered when they attacked Yellow Mountain Sect!'
Jin So-cheong had said that when he went to deal with Yong Jung-il, the Wind God Corps master and Yellow Mountain Sect leader, the two guardians escorting him had suddenly mutated into dragon-shaped monsters. They somehow defeated them, but the monsters were so powerful they couldn't capture Yong Jung-il. And now the Fighting Demon, part of the Wind God Corps, was transforming into a dragon monster too.
'What the hell? What is that thing?'
Bewildering.
What was a Dragon Human?
As I gathered sword gang energy to try something, the Sword Demon transmitted to me.
[ Perfect timing. Stop and let's retreat from here first. ]
[ But if that guy turns into a Dragon Human, it'll be dangerous. ]
[ I expected this. Don't worry—retreat first. ]
Gooo...
At that moment, as terrifying battle spirit boiled from the Sword Demon's entire body, I swallowed hard. White energy flickered like living flames, enveloping his sword. The Sword Demon chuckled and said,
"Anyone within fifty zhang is in danger."
As per his words, I sprang back with the Soul Annihilation Step, retreating well beyond fifty zhang.
Ku-kwa-kwa-kwang!!
The primary explosion erupted.
[ Kuaaaah!! ]
The Fighting Demon, now transformed into a black dragon, thrashed wildly, charging at tremendous speed. It was no longer human—more like a yokai.
'Incredible speed!'
The Dragon Human's physical abilities far surpassed those of a supreme expert.
As I watched in shock from afar, intent converged.
The Sword Demon swayed as if dancing with his sword.
His form, blended seamlessly with the natural flow of heaven and earth, was the pinnacle of martial arts in itself.
Kukukung
While his rippling formless energy blocked the Fighting Demon's ferocious attacks, the Sword Demon's eyes half-opened. In the space of intent and mental clarity, his low voice echoed.
Sword Control
True
Shadowless Soul Seizer
Shukak!
It was as if the Sword Demon's sword had vanished, turning into a mass of photons. Completely formless, his sword intent soon reversed direction, effortlessly severing the Dragon Human's left arm. Dragon scales tore free into the air, and the Dragon Human hesitated, sensing something amiss.
It was truly bizarre. By speed or power, the Dragon Human overwhelmingly superior—yet it was counterattacked?
But since I could observe intent, I understood what happened. At the same time, I swallowed hard.
'Tens of thousands... hundreds of thousands... Exactly...'
Infinite blade!
Photons floated in the air, encircling the Dragon Human. And per the Shadowless Soul Seizer Sword's sword intent, they could transform into the world's greatest famed sword at the Sword Demon's whim, slashing the foe! However, the photons didn't selectively target—it sliced not just the Fighting Demon but the palace buildings too.
The Fighting Demon tried to attack again but staggered back as if pushed by invisible force. In reality, countless slashes rained down on the Dragon Human, and its sturdy body merely made it look like it was being repelled.
Puk!
Unable to withstand the torrent of light slashes, more dragon scales flew. Sensing imminent death, the Fighting Demon let out a draconic scream, but the Sword Demon ignored it, flicking his fingers to control the controlled sword.
Kwaaang
With an explosion, the Fighting Demon's limbs were torn off. Hundreds of slashes had just passed through. It was a powerless sight, like plucking a bird's wings.
The Dragon Human's power seemed transcendent, but before ultimate martial realm, it writhed helplessly and met death. Watching from afar, I shuddered.
That was the might of intent ultimate technique!
The realization of imagination transcending the physical limits of the human body!
[ Grraaaah... ]
Kung
A heavy thud shook the earth. The Fighting Demon collapsed, deprived of limbs. Blood foam bubbled from his mouth. Now, the Sword Demon could end him with a single blow if he wished.
But instead of finishing him, the Sword Demon withdrew the space of his intent ultimate technique.
As he dispelled the barrier, I approached, getting a close look at the Fighting Demon's state. He had suffered such extreme damage that his Dragon Human form was reverting to human.
"Grrk... Kk..."
As the Fighting Demon writhed, the Sword Demon crossed his arms and said,
"Fighting Demon. Do you want to die?"
"Ki... Kill me. Even Dragon Human form can't win..."
The Fighting Demon seemed genuinely despairing, tears streaming. As a warrior, he had strongly desired to surpass his limits, and after gaining Dragon Human form, he must have thought himself invincible. But defeated by the Sword Demon's pure intent ultimate technique, he despaired in himself.
But the Sword Demon sneered coldly.
"You lost. You know the murim law: the loser's fate lies with the victor."
"Ugh..."
"White Protector. Keep this one alive."
From the Sword Demon's next words, I knew he was a fiend.
"I can't let the one who touched my daughter die easily."
============================ Author's Note ============================
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