Chapter 130
Chapter 130
The Beast Heavenly King (2)
Se-woon charged toward Umun Gol with lightning speed.
Whoosh!
Just like his opponent, Se-woon's movements left behind vivid afterimages—an identical display of Shifting Form Changing Position.
The moment gasps erupted from the audience—
Crack!
Se-woon had already closed the distance to where he could feel Umun Gol's breath.
The Beast Heavenly King's eyes, completely devoid of reason, burned with nothing but murderous intent directed at Se-woon.
"GRAAAH!"
CRACK!
The instant he recognized Se-woon, Umun Gol swung a fist brimming with terrifying force.
If struck, Penetration Force would have obliterated Se-woon's internal organs—
Swish!
But Se-woon calmly shifted his footwork and evaded the attack.
Yet he didn't retreat. Instead, he pressed forward.
Hwoom!
His fist, infused with the surging spirit of his soul, shot out from half a step away.
'First Strike.'
His fist slammed squarely into Umun Gol's chest.
BOOM!!
"......!"
The collision between flesh and fist produced a sound like a hammer striking an iron ingot.
For the first time, Umun Gol's expression twisted.
The pain must have been as intense as the dull, thunderous impact.
Even though Umun Gol's body, reinforced by explosive latent energy, had reached near-indestructible levels—
Vwoom!
Se-woon had also unleashed Penetration Force, ensuring the energy whirled violently within his opponent's body.
CRACK!
But the Beast Palace Lord was still the Beast Palace Lord.
Unlike Mang-yung, Umun Gol didn't collapse. He endured the pain instantly and lunged at Se-woon without hesitation.
Twisting his waist halfway, he aimed an uppercut straight for Se-woon's jaw—
A devastating punch surged upward like a dragon ascending to the heavens.
WHOOSH!
CRASH!!
Dozens of fist winds coiled around the rising strike, tearing through the air in a spectacle of destruction.
Yet once again, Se-woon didn't retreat.
He planted his left foot firmly, making it his pivot.
CRUNCH!
The floor of the arena cratered beneath Se-woon's stance.
Swish!
At the same time, he spun his body like a top.
Before anyone realized it, he had seized Umun Gol's wrist with one hand while swinging his other arm like a spear.
SMASH!
'Second Strike.'
His elbow, sharp as a blade, collided with Umun Gol's rising fist.
BOOOOOOM!!
CRACKLE!
An explosive roar reverberated through the arena.
It sounded like thunder crashing from the heavens or a bomb detonating.
RUMBLE!
The shockwave from their clash rippled outward in concentric circles, shaking the surroundings before dissipating.
The audience, stunned by the unexpected spectacle, blinked in disbelief before—
BOOM!
CRACK!
Their attention was stolen once more by the battle between these superhumans.
The two were locked in an evenly matched exchange of offense and defense—
At least, that's how it appeared to the untrained eye.
'......This is impossible. What is this??'
Qilian Demon's eyes trembled violently as he watched the fight.
He hadn't given Umun Gol the Blood Awakening Pill to create a balanced struggle.
The goal was for him to overwhelm his opponent effortlessly, ensuring Se-woon's corpse remained unharmed.
But look at this spectacle before him.
Without a single internal energy technique, relying solely on physical prowess, Se-woon was steadily pushing back Umun Gol—who was under the influence of the Blood Awakening Pill.
Qilian Demon's eyes now burned with insatiable greed.
'......I want him! No—I will have him!'
But in his obsession, he failed to notice one crucial detail.
While Umun Gol's outward aura was fading—
The murderous haze in his eyes was gradually clearing.
Dark clouds blotted out the sky.
Umun Gol stood alone on a desolate land shrouded in darkness.
Where was this?
Why was he here?
He tried to answer these questions, but his thoughts dissipated like mist.
It was as if thick fog clouded his mind.
Trapped in the darkness, unable to act—
His eyelids grew heavy. It was peaceful.
A tranquility he hadn't felt in so long.
Under the Blood Cult's control, he had lived in hell every day.
For his brother's safety, he had forsaken his pride.
The guilt of betraying his brethren gnawed endlessly at his spirit, feeding his Heart Demon.
It hurt. It was agony.
Just remembering made the pain return.
He wanted to forget everything and sleep.
But then—
[Lord...!]
A faint voice reached him.
So soft he had to strain to hear it—yet it grew louder.
......What?
Whoosh!
At the same time, a crack split the dark clouds overhead.
A single beam of light pierced through the darkness.
[Lord, can you hear me?!]
A warrior's booming voice jolted his spirit awake.
The drowsiness vanished as if it had never been.
Finally, he responded.
[I... hear you.]
FLASH!
Light flooded the world in an instant.
"Lord! Stay strong!!"
"You must not lose!!"
Suddenly, the arena came into view—along with the faces of his brethren filling the stands.
Ah, right. He was in the middle of a fight.
'......Huh?'
But something was strange.
Power surged through every fiber of his being.
Moreover, the constant heartache inflicted by the Blood Cult had vanished completely.
Then, the voice that had guided him to the light spoke again.
[You've suffered, Lord. The poison has been purged.]
"......!"
Following the voice, he looked ahead.
A man stood before him in a combat stance.
Paa Tae-woon.
No—he had called himself Tang Se-woon.
[Lord, don't relax yet. The enemy still watches us.]
"......!"
A chill ran down his spine at the warning.
Right—Qilian Demon was still behind him, eyes burning with scrutiny.
Their gazes met in the air.
Instantly, Umun Gol understood exactly what Se-woon wanted.
Whoosh!
CRACK!
Simultaneously, the two charged at each other.
The halted battle resumed—
To outsiders, it appeared to be a brutal bloodbath.
But in truth, Umun Gol was merely following Se-woon's lead.
[Just follow my guidance. I'll help you reclaim all the latent energy you unleashed.]
"!!"
His words proved true.
Like dancers completing a swordplay, their fists and legs intertwined seamlessly.
The energy of the Blood Awakening Pill, which had gnawed at his mind and body, now merged with him like a divine elixir.
Born into the Beast Palace, Umun Gol had lived his life at the forefront.
He was the finest warrior, the greatest talent, the Palace Lord.
Everyone praised and revered him.
But upon ascending to the throne, he realized—
His ability and worthiness were woefully lacking.
Perhaps that was why, deep down, he had longed for this.
For a true master worthy of the Beast Palace's throne to emerge—and guide him.
And now, at last...
'Ancestor... I understand your will.'
He believed he had found that master.
'Good. One down.'
Se-woon inwardly cheered as he observed Umun Gol's rapid recovery.
Even now, he continued exchanging blows without pause.
And with every passing second, he felt the Beast Heavenly King's soul evolving beyond its limits.
All because he had absorbed every ounce of latent energy unleashed by the Blood Awakening Pill.
Through the Color-Stealing Eye, Se-woon confirmed no trace of demonic energy remained in Umun Gol's body.
He had purged it all during their clash.
And the reason such an impossible feat was possible?
Vwoom!
The demon-subduing power left behind by the Divine Monk resonated wildly within Se-woon.
'The moment I saw Umun Gol, the Extinction Thread went berserk.'
Like a Buddha unable to ignore suffering souls—
The Divine Monk's relic had whispered endlessly to Se-woon upon sensing Umun Gol's corruption.
From there, it was easier than twisting a child's wrist.
Whenever the frenzied Umun Gol attacked, Se-woon first used the Color-Stealing Eye to strip away the tainted energy, then purified the remnants with strikes infused with the relic's power.
Hwoom!
CRASH!
Then, in an instant—
An overwhelming aura erupted from Umun Gol like a tidal wave.
The Beast Palace disciples gaped—his soul's presence now surpassed even the combined might of the entire audience.
But Se-woon's expression remained unchanged.
This sight meant only one thing to him.
It was time to end this charade.
Flash!
Umun Gol's figure vanished like a flickering flame.
But he hadn't disappeared—
He had closed the distance to Se-woon with such speed that it created the illusion of teleportation.
CRACK!
A fist carrying Umun Gol's full power shot forward, tearing through the air.
But then—
Something changed.
Swoooosh!
GRAAH!
To Se-woon's eyes, Umun Gol's fist slowed.
No—the entire world seemed to decelerate.
'Now's the time to claim the Beast Palace.'
GRAAH!
Se-woon activated the full power of Ink Blood.
Just like Umun Gol, he amplified his soul's presence exponentially.
The essence of the Beast Fighting God Chuk Yeo-un's External Martial Arts was being reborn through Se-woon.
As his heightened senses reached superhuman levels, time itself seemed to crawl.
WHOOSH!
CRASH!
Se-woon's soul energy, amplified to its limits by Ink Blood, burned like a raging inferno.
Crack.
In that instant, Se-woon took a single step.
Excruciating pain wracked his entire body.
This movement surpassed human limits.
'Pathetic.'
But Se-woon endured it effortlessly.
Chuk Yeo-un would have laughed. What was a little pain?
He could withstand it a hundred—no, a thousand times over.
If it meant erasing the Blood Demon from this world.
Flash!
In this slowed world, Se-woon extended a hand.
Vwoooom!
His dormant internal energy surged violently.
SHWING!
Like a falcon's talons snatching prey, the Golden Threads of Heavenly Net—hidden until now—lashed out.
In that moment, the decelerated time accelerated rapidly—
SCREECH!!
The black threads reeled in their target at blinding speed.
The captured prey—
Qilian Demon's horrified eyes reflected Se-woon and Umun Gol's approaching forms.
BOOOOOOM!!
CRASH!
A deafening explosion echoed as Umun Gol and Se-woon's combined strike crushed Qilian Demon's face.