Chapter 129: The Beast Heavenly King (1)
Chapter 129
The Beast Heavenly King (1)
Wooaaah!!
Deafening cheers erupted all around, engulfing the surroundings.
The warriors were in a frenzy—a boiling cauldron of excitement.
And the Beast Palace's ruler, Umun Gol, was no exception.
Without realizing it, he had already shot up from his seat.
His face was etched with shock—an expression he couldn't hide.
'......Meng Yong is dead?'
Before him lay Meng Yong, his body twisted at an angle that should have been impossible. The man who had once stood so confidently, threatening him with the Blood Cult's backing, now lay lifeless, his tongue lolling grotesquely in a horrifying death.
It was a result—and a process—he had never anticipated.
His gaze slowly shifted to the warrior descending from the arena, the one who had accomplished all this.
'Pa Taewoon......!'
The warrior who had returned to his homeland after years of hardship now wielded astonishing martial prowess.
Meng Yong had secretly activated the demonic arts bestowed upon him by the Blood Cult.
Yet, Pa Taewoon had toyed with him effortlessly.
It was clear—this man possessed strength that even Umun Gol couldn't guarantee victory against.
At that moment, a thought struck Umun Gol like lightning.
'If... if he were to aid me......!'
This might be his last chance.
With Meng Yong—the linchpin of the plan—dead, their enemies behind the scenes must be in disarray.
If he seized this moment to launch a surprise attack on their leader......!
He glanced around. Chaos reigned—utter disorder.
The next match hadn't begun yet because Meng Yong had wrecked the arena so thoroughly that repairs were underway.
Yes—now was the time to seek out Pa Taewoon.
Just as Umun Gol resolved to slip away—
"Hm? Where are you going, Palace Lord?"
"......!"
One of the warriors addressed him.
Umun Gol forced his expression to remain neutral as he replied casually.
"I left something in my quarters. I'll retrieve it. Wait here."
"Kihih, why bother lying so poorly, Palace Lord?"
"......!!"
A chill ran down Umun Gol's spine.
The warrior's face was melting—like wet clay sliding off in grotesque rivulets.
The Blood Cult's elder, Qilian Demon, had revealed his true form.
[Stop wasting time. Return to your seat.]
'Ah...'
Umun Gol sighed inwardly at Qilian Demon's sound transmission.
The Blood Cult had anticipated his move and acted first.
Defeated, Umun Gol slumped back into his throne. Qilian Demon approached, his face now reverted to that of the warrior he had impersonated.
[I've come to deliver your orders.]
The sound transmission continued, carrying words that filled Umun Gol with despair.
[You must kill Pa Taewoon when he challenges the Beast Palace's throne.]
"......!!"
His fists clenched so tightly that his nails drew blood.
Meanwhile, Qilian Demon's eyes gleamed with twisted delight.
The elder couldn't care less about Meng Yong's death.
Replacements for such pawns were a dime a dozen.
[And bring his corpse to me without fail.]
Qilian Demon was practically salivating over Pa Taewoon.
His demonic eyes burned with hunger.
A perfect vessel—the ideal material he had been searching for!
His heart pounded uncontrollably.
With that corpse, he could forge the ultimate Ghost Yin Jiangshi.
But when Umun Gol hesitated—
A murderous glint flashed in Qilian Demon's eyes.
[You dare hesitate?]
Without pause, the elder pressed down on the Male-Female Gu Poison hidden in his robes—threatening to crush it with his fingers.
It was the female counterpart linked to the male Gu Poison inside Umun Gol's younger brother.
Kiiii!
"!!"
Umun Gol recoiled in horror.
The image of his brother—vomiting blood in agony under lesser torture—flashed before his eyes.
"Stop! Enough—I'll do it!"
As Umun Gol shouted, his face pale, Qilian Demon grinned viciously.
Swish.
The elder then retrieved a small vial from his robes and handed it over.
[Drink.]
"......!"
Umun Gol's pupils trembled as if shaken by an earthquake.
Qilian Demon smirked.
Watching him, Umun Gol lamented inwardly.
'Ah, ancestors...'
Have you truly abandoned us?
It felt like the end of everything.
Then—
[Palace Lord, don't let Qilian Demon notice. Focus on my words now.]
"......!"
Another voice suddenly echoed in his ears.
He recognized it instantly—how could he not?
It was the voice of Pa Taewoon—the very man he had intended to seek.
How did this man know about the Blood Cult's schemes?
Questions swirled, but they were swiftly forgotten as the shocking content of the transmission overwhelmed him.
His younger brother—Umun Gol—had been rescued.
[Heheh, no need to resist. You're about to taste power beyond anything you've ever known.]
At that moment, Qilian Demon brought the vial to his lips once more.
The liquid inside seethed with malice.
With his brother safe, Umun Gol burned with the desire to snap the elder's neck—even if it meant dying to the Gu Poison.
[Palace Lord, trust me and drink. This will be the beginning of everything.]
But Pa Taewoon's words changed his mind.
Gulp.
In the end, Umun Gol swallowed the mysterious liquid.
The fervor of this Heavenly Battle Festival surpassed all previous ones.
The sight of Meng Yong—the Wolf Tribe's chieftain, hailed as the next Palace Lord—meeting his end had ignited the warriors' blood like never before.
"Pa Taewoon! Pa Taewoon!"
Thud! Thud!
Boom! Boom!
Cheers and chest-thumping erupted explosively throughout the arena.
To the warriors of the Beast Palace, it no longer mattered that Pa Taewoon had only recently joined their ranks or that he was still young.
The divine might he had displayed was unmistakably that of a true Beast Palace warrior.
Kwaaaang!
Whooosh!
Another drum blast roared through the air.
"Guhk!"
A warrior facing Pa Taewoon collapsed to one knee, groaning.
The final match of the Heavenly Battle Festival was underway.
The remaining fighters were no match for Meng Yong's level, so the battles ended swiftly.
"......I concede."
The Ape Tribe's champion bowed his head in defeat.
Taewoon nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Wooaaah!!
Another earth-shaking cheer erupted.
Death wasn't the only way to end a battle—acknowledging overwhelming strength and yielding was equally honorable.
The Ape Tribe champion's eyes, which had once looked down on Taewoon with disdain, now shone with reverence and awe.
Then, Pa Taemun declared the final victor.
"The ultimate champion of the Heavenly Battle Festival is—Pa Taewoon!"
Thud! Thud!
Thud! Thud!
Amidst the rhythmic pounding—the Beast Palace's hymn to their greatest warrior—Taewoon strode forward with dignity.
Tap.
He stopped directly before the throne, locking eyes with Umun Gol.
As all eyes fixed upon him, Taewoon unleashed a roar like that of a lion.
"I, Pa Taewoon—the mighty warrior of the Beast Palace—as the final victor of the Heavenly Battle Festival, hereby formally challenge the Beast Palace Lord for his throne!!"
The moment Taewoon's declaration ended, all eyes turned to the other side.
The challenger had spoken—now, it was time for the Beast King's response.
At that instant—
Whoosh!
Umun Gol kicked off the throne, launching himself forward.
Kooong!!
Like a meteor crashing from the heavens, he landed squarely in the arena.
His blazing eyes locked onto Taewoon as he finally replied.
"......I, Umun Gol... Beast Palace Lord... accept the challenger's valor!!"
Swoooosh!
Whoooom!!
The moment Umun Gol finished speaking, an overwhelming surge of soul force erupted from his body—like a tidal wave.
The sheer ferocity and magnitude of his power instantly filled the vast arena, leaving the spectators stunned.
The excitement over the birth of a new legend—centered around the festival's victor—melted away like snow.
But among the roaring crowd—
'Hold on just a little longer, Palace Lord.'
Only Taewoon remained calm, his gaze steady.
His Insight Eyes had already detected the abnormality within Umun Gol.
Amidst the dazzling blue radiance of his soul force—pushed to its limits through External Martial Arts—
A sinister, blood-red demonic energy coiled around him, clashing violently with his aura.
'As I thought—Corpse Blood Elixir. How vile.'
Corpse Blood Elixir.
A cursed concoction—one of the Blood Cult's most horrific secret drugs, brewed from the sacrifice of ten thousand lives.
For one shichen (two hours), it forcibly unleashed all latent power, pushing the user beyond their limits.
But the price?
Madness—a descent into bloodlust, ending in death.
And the reason they had forced it upon the Palace Lord was clear.
'I'll turn this calamity into fortune.'
Poison and medicine were two sides of the same coin—only their application differed.
Just as Taewoon pondered this cryptic thought—
"......Let the final battle begin!!"
Pa Taemun announced the start of the duel.
Whoosh!
Umun Gol struck first.
"Grrr!"
A bestial roar tore from his throat.
Though he had struggled to retain his sanity, the Corpse Blood Elixir's demonic energy had already taken hold.
Dash!
His speed dwarfed Meng Yong's—closing the distance to Taewoon in an instant.
Swish!
Shockingly, his movements left behind blurred afterimages.
Despite lacking internal energy, Umun Gol had achieved Shifting Form Changing Position—purely through physical prowess.
Even with the elixir's amplification, this was a realm beyond ordinary martial artists.
Swish!
A chilling force grazed Taewoon's left ear.
Instinctively, he twisted aside—a fist like a tiger's paw barely missing him by a hair's breadth.
Swoosh!
The razor-sharp wind pressure severed a few strands of his hair.
Umun Gol's assault continued relentlessly—a torrential downpour of strikes.
"Raaah!"
Bam!
Crash!
Taewoon appeared overwhelmed, barely managing to block the onslaught.
Fists, kicks, knees, elbows—
Every part of Umun Gol's body became a weapon.
Such was the terror of the Corpse Blood Elixir. Even as it drove the user into madness, it allowed them to execute their martial arts flawlessly.
But that wasn't the only frightening aspect.
'It's bypassing my Golden Bell Defense and shaking my internals.'
The technique that had earned Umun Gol the title of Beast Heavenly King—Iron Body Penetration Art.
Despite lacking internal energy, he could manifest Penetration Force in every strike—bypassing defenses to ravage the body from within.
Penetration Force was a supreme martial principle—one capable of destroying the inside of an opponent, no matter how thick their armor.
Among martial artists, it was hailed as the pinnacle of External Martial Arts.
Kwaaang!
Creeeak!
A deafening explosion sent Taewoon skidding backward, carving a trench into the arena floor.
Whoosh!
Umun Gol charged again—showing no signs of fatigue.
But then—
After defending nonstop until now—
'Alright, let's begin.'
Taewoon's aura underwent a sudden, earth-shattering transformation.