Chapter 365
Chapter 365
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 365
Chapter Title: The Ghost of the Battlefield
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In the chaotic battlefield, Ye-ryeong was truly a ghost.
Puuk, puk-.
Unlike Soo-hyuk or Si-woo's skills, her daggers were not flashy.
In the dizzying battlefield where those two were fighting? She would quietly approach and stab the heart. That was Ye-ryeong's way of fighting.
A futile death so vain that even renowned high-rankers met no different end—wondering if it was okay to die like this.
That was why all the Murim warriors feared the Dark King.
“Cough!”
“Gurgle!”
“Aaah! My, my leg!”
“Take down the Dark King first!”
If they left the hidden Ye-ryeong alone, defeat was certain. Realizing this, the warriors began searching for her.
They too were rankers representing Murim.
One or two might be manageable, but when they seriously hunted for her, completely concealing herself became difficult.
Ting-!
Shiiik-.
Sword energy flew by, slicing her hair. A dangerous attack that she dodged by flexibly arching her waist.
Instead of thrusting, Ye-ryeong retreated while hurling a dagger.
Kakang-!
Another warrior deflected the thrown dagger. Right after, he tried to charge at the retreating Ye-ryeong.
But.
Tok tok-.
Ye-ryeong, meeting his eyes, tapped her own forehead with her finger.
What does that mean?
With that as his final thought, the warrior who had deflected the dagger collapsed backward. By then, one undeflected dagger was embedded in his forehead.
“Whew, tough.”
Ye-ryeong paused for a moment and straightened her back. Contrary to her grumbling, she was quietly dominating this battlefield from the shadows.
Kkang, kkang-.
Some warriors dropped their weapons to the ground and raised their hands. Ye-ryeong's overwhelming skill played a part, but those who discarded their arms were people deeply disappointed by Jin Do-ha's escape.
Namgung Hwa-young spared those who dropped their weapons. She sealed the acupoints of the surrendered and held off on their disposal.
After catching her breath, Ye-ryeong's gaze turned to Unhyang and Uncheon-geuk, who were fighting on one side.
‘They've started.’
Ye-ryeong had observed Unhyang's training more than anyone. Thanks to that, they had the most conversations, and she knew how much Unhyang had prepared for this moment.
Thus, she worried but knew she must not interfere.
That fight belonged to Unhyang.
For her to advance further, she had to overcome two things.
One was Uncheon-geuk.
And the other was herself.
Joy bloomed on Uncheon-geuk's face. No one else might know, but he clearly recognized what that haze was.
‘Heavenly Demon Divine Art.’
When the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was unleashed, that phenomenon manifested.
This was the second time he had seen it in person. Just facing it made his body tremble, his heart feeling like it would burst from fear.
And the one wielding it was not the Heavenly Demon himself.
The true daughter of the Heavenly Demon.
A child who would one day become another—the second Heavenly Demon.
“Impressive.”
Even with the sword tip aimed at him, Uncheon-geuk wore an ecstatic expression. Toward such a Uncheon-geuk, Unhyang's sword surged.
Cheeng-!
The two swords clashed, shoving Uncheon-geuk straight back. He flew like a弹, soaring over several walls one after another.
Kwang-!
Crunch-.
Uncheon-geuk's flying body demolished a building. Before he could steady himself upon landing, sword energy flew at him.
Dodging the sword energy while flapping his robes, Uncheon-geuk arrived at the Murim Alliance's training grounds. The low-rank warriors gathered there by the alert were startled.
“My Lord—.”
Puuk-.
For some reason, Uncheon-geuk pierced the low-rank warrior's heart with his sword. The low-rank warrior looked down at the blade in his chest with a face wondering what was happening.
“Lo, Lord……”
The low-rank warrior's head fell off as he perished. He was stood up like skewered meat on Uncheon-geuk's sword.
Unhyang hesitated momentarily at the sight. As if seizing that opening, Uncheon-geuk immediately unleashed a technique.
Night Slash Blood Path.
Sword-dark red energy flew like a blood-red line slicing through the night. It was blocked by the red haze behind Unhyang.
Watching the sword energy disperse like a mirage, Uncheon-geuk exclaimed in admiration.
“As expected, the Heavenly Demon's soul.”
“Uncheon-geuk!”
Incensed, Unhyang charged at him again.
Uncheon-geuk kept getting pushed back. Arms and legs, waist and shoulders—wounds piled up from the ceaseless incoming swords.
Dozens of exchanges passed in an instant. The one accumulating wounds was Uncheon-geuk.
Unhyang swung her sword as if to kill him outright this time. Dodging the inescapable sword energy by a hair's breadth, whoosh.
Seizing that split-second gap, Uncheon-geuk escaped Unhyang's sword dance.
In that moment.
Chaak-!
A long gash appeared on Uncheon-geuk's chest from Unhyang's sword energy, which he failed to fully evade.
A wound born from forcibly dodging the sword to create distance. Blood dripped thickly from Unhyang's blade.
“Excellent.”
Bleeding profusely like the red clothes he wore, Uncheon-geuk laughed.
His bloodshot eyes saw nothing around him. Only Unhyang, and the red haze of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art behind her.
Kkang-.
Uncheon-geuk dropped his sword from his hand. Seeing this, Unhyang made a puzzled face.
What trick is this?
Uncheon-geuk extended his hand forward. From his forearm to wrist, then palm—black letters crawled like wriggling worms.
In that moment.
Wiiing-.
A ringing echoed in Unhyang's mind. Dizziness hit, and her body swayed.
“Kuueuuh—.”
Unhyang clutched her head in torment. Kkang—she too dropped her sword.
Uncheon-geuk slowly approached and stroked Unhyang's head.
“Thank you.”
The same letters crawled from her head to his palm.
Soul Extinguishing Great Law.
A taboo great law that plundered the target's power and martial arts entirely.
“I planted this great law in you when you were very young. I've prayed ever since. Please, master the Heavenly Demon Divine Art excellently.”
That way, someday he would obtain it.
“You grew up splendidly. Possessing chillingly exceptional talent. But just one thing.”
From childhood, Unhyang endured horrific training. She grew stronger through it all, but there was one regret.
“You did not learn the Heavenly Demon's martial arts.”
After learning what she had been taught was the Heavenly Demon's arts, she distanced herself from them.
But what change of heart was it?
Unhyang had mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art brilliantly and appeared before him again—with power overwhelming the Divine Lian Lord, the completed Heavenly Martial Body.
“I must thank Lee Soo-hyuk. You took up the Heavenly Demon Divine Art again because of him, after all.”
Uncheon-geuk's pupils gleamed with madness.
“With your power, I will become the Heavenly Demon of the next era.”
As he prepared to fully activate the Soul Extinguishing Great Law.
“……?”
Uncheon-geuk wore a bewildered expression. Why was there no reaction at all? By now, the power should have begun absorbing.
Then, from Unhyang—who had bowed her head as if in headache—unexpected words flowed out.
“……So that's what it was.”
Keeeng-.
Unhyang's sword on the ground flew into her hand. Even as she casually performed Void Grasp, Uncheon-geuk stood frozen, not thinking to dodge.
Abandon the Soul Extinguishing Great Law just like that? His lifelong wish, so easily?
It was that brief hesitation.
Puuk-.
That allowed Unhyang's sword to pierce his chest so simply.
“I wondered if maybe you did it truly for my sake. Even if it was twisted, broken love, what if it was still love.”
Chaak—the sword pulled free from Uncheon-geuk's chest.
Blood gushed out in surges. Finally, Uncheon-geuk staggered and dropped to one knee.
Countless wounds had meant nothing before, but now the emptiness of losing the Heavenly Demon's power right before his eyes was too vast.
“Thank you. For erasing even that sliver of guilt. Thanks to you, I feel utterly refreshed.”
“Why……”
The question of why the Soul Extinguishing Great Law hadn't activated.
He seemed more shocked by its failure than the stab to his heart. His obsession, greater than life itself, revealed how desperately he had clung to stealing the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
“In my life, alongside the misfortune that is you, I also met fortune.”
The one who discovered the Soul Extinguishing Great Law was Jin-un.
“Something's implanted in your head.”
“In my head?”
Unhyang was startled by Jin-un's sudden words one day.
Jin-un meticulously examined Unhyang's head. Up to that point, there was no visible anomaly in her head.
Hidden so deeply that even Jin-un couldn't detect it at once—the Soul Extinguishing Great Law planted in Unhyang's head.
But.
“……It's the Soul Extinguishing Great Law.”
After days of persistent attention on Unhyang, Jin-un finally uncovered its existence.
“Soul Extinguishing Great Law? What's that?”
“A great law that steals the target's power and martial arts.”
“Such a thing exists? That's way too overpowered.”
“It takes an extremely long time to implant, and can only be planted in children three or younger—harsh restrictions. Because of them, it's an atrocious great law long used for devouring children.”
From Jin-un's explanation, Unhyang realized who had implanted such a thing in her head.
And why he had trained her so harshly all this time.
“I'll remove it for you.”
From that day, ten days of hellish agony followed to excise the Soul Extinguishing Great Law. It had lingered deep in her mind for so long that removing it was arduous.
Amid the excruciating pain, Unhyang had to fight to stay conscious. Losing it meant starting over from scratch.
With unyielding will, Unhyang endured. Thanks to that, she survived this day.
“You should've died by my hand instead.”
Uncheon-geuk clutched his chest wound and grinned.
“Living will be hell, won't it? Once it's known you're of the Heavenly Demon's bloodline.”
“No. It won't.”
“……?”
“I told several people. They were surprised at first, but soon acted like it was nothing. It's more about who I am than whose bloodline.”
Uncheon-geuk's pupils trembled. He was shocked just like when the Soul Extinguishing Great Law failed.
Daughter of the Heavenly Demon—you'll be despised, unhappy.
Those words might have been a greater curse on Unhyang than the great law itself. How deeply she had sunk into the mire, clawing at her shadowed self because of them.
But no longer.
“Kuh, kuhuhu.”
Uncheon-geuk burst into mad laughter as if deranged. Even with his heart pierced, he howled in frenzy.
In that raucous laugh of utter abandonment, Unhyang severed his head with a single stroke.
Kaat-.
When was the last time the sensation of beheading felt so vivid? Uncheon-geuk laughed maniacally right up to the moment his head was cut.
And soon.
Tok-.
His head fell, frozen in that laughing expression.
“Thought you'd be hated for the Heavenly Demon's bloodline?”
Toward Uncheon-geuk's rolling head, Unhyang spoke in a cold voice.
“Truth is, you were the only one who saw it that way.”