Chapter 131: Qilian Demon (1)
Chapter 131
Qilian Demon (1)
Among the greatest crises Se-woon faced after being captured as a slave by the Blood Cult in his past life, the incident involving Qilian Demon stood out the most.
It was because of that bastard that his entire plan for revenge against the Blood Demon nearly unraveled before it could even begin.
After finishing his training with Poison Demon Yayul Seung and returning to his quarters, a Blood Cult attendant informed him that an accident had occurred among his servants.
He rushed over immediately, setting everything else aside.
The prisoners from the Tang Clan, who had been captured alongside him, had been blinded and had one of their limbs severed by the Blood Cult. Without his help, they could barely survive a single day.
A young servant, barely fifteen years old, was writhing in agony, vomiting blood. The wounds were life-threatening—far beyond what ordinary treatment could heal.
The Blood Cult's demonic warriors had swung their swords for amusement.
With death looming, Se-woon had no choice but to use both the Reverse Heaven Energy and his innate divine qi simultaneously to save them.
The only stroke of luck was that he sensed something amiss before activating his techniques.
The child, who had been coughing up blood just moments ago, flashed a chilling smile as if nothing had happened.
It was Qilian Demon—one of the Blood Cult's Ten Elders—who had always been suspicious of him.
Had Se-woon let his guard down even slightly, his entire plan would have been ruined.
That memory remained vividly etched in his mind.
Which was why, in preparing for this decisive battle, Se-woon had poured the most effort into identifying Qilian Demon's disguised form.
Even if he saved Umun Gol and took control of the Beast Palace, letting Qilian Demon escape would only be a half-victory.
After all, it was that bastard who had created the Thousand-Corpse Brigade—a force that accounted for thirty percent of the Blood Cult's military strength.
But the process wasn't easy.
Qilian Demon was the most meticulous and cunning among the Ten Elders.
'...Originally, I planned to attach a tracking technique to him during the winner's match.'
In the second round of the Heavenly Battle Festival, where only eight challengers remained, Qilian Demon had disguised himself as one of the participants. However, after Se-woon killed Mangyong, the bastard switched to a new identity.
Even the Insight Eye couldn't detect him.
With the Thousand Evil Bone Shrinking Technique—which allowed him to perfectly mimic anyone's face and physique—combined with the Nine-Heaven Corpse Armor Art pushed to its limits, Qilian Demon could conceal his demonic energy almost flawlessly.
Had Se-woon surpassed the peak of the Fire Realm and stepped into the threshold of the Mystic Realm, his Insight Eye might have pierced through the disguise. But as things stood now, it was an impossible task.
So Se-woon pushed the power of Silent Blood to its absolute limit, examining the condition of every martial artist present in the arena.
His senses sharpened to the point where time itself seemed to slow.
It wasn't difficult.
And finally, he found Qilian Demon—the only one who reacted differently.
'So you were wearing that bastard's face.'
Even if he stole another's appearance, he couldn't hide his gaze.
That filthy glint of greed and desire.
Whoosh.
A frigid silence settled over the arena.
...What in the world just happened?
No one could immediately process the bizarre scene unfolding before their eyes.
A single agonized scream snapped them back to reality.
On the left, Pae Tae-un's fist had caved in the wrinkled face of an old man. On the right, Umun Gol's punch had shattered it completely.
Patamun—the wise chieftain of the Ape Tribe—had been reduced to a gruesome mess by the Beast Palace Lord and a challenger.
The shock of this unimaginable turn of events left everyone frozen.
Then, Patamun's lifeless eyes rolled back as his body collapsed limply to the ground.
Dead.
The warriors of the Ape Tribe and those allied with Patamun surged forward—
BOOM!
Umun Gol stomped the ground, stopping them all in their tracks.
The Palace Lord's eyes burned with the ferocity of a wild beast, making it clear that anyone who dared disobey would not be spared.
Fraternal slaughter.
Kinslaying.
Both were capital crimes in the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
Even the most loyal warriors couldn't suppress their fury this time.
Yet Umun Gol remained utterly unmoved.
The demeanor of a tournament fighter had vanished—now, he stood like a guardian executioner.
"So you'd rather lie flat like a cockroach and assess the situation?"
The one who spoke was none other than Pae Tae-un.
...What the hell is he doing?
Strangely, he was addressing Patamun's corpse.
Naturally, the lifeless body didn't respond.
Se-woon's icy gaze swept across the scene as he spoke.
"Fine. Then I'll help you up myself."
SNAP!
The Thousand-Thread Bindings were still coiled around the corpse.
Se-woon clenched his fist and yanked backward—and the body jerked upright like a marionette on strings.
THUD!
Then, gripping the corpse by the throat, Se-woon leaned in and whispered words meant only for Qilian Demon:
"Enjoy your meal, Qilian Demon."
"...!"
At the same time, he flooded the bastard's body with the full force of Demon-Suppressing Energy.
While this energy purified Umun Gol and amplified his strength—
For a fiend like Qilian Demon, who had devoted himself solely to demonic arts—
"GAAAAAHHH!!"
"...!!"
"?!?!"
It was nothing short of excruciating poison.
Patamun's lifeless eyes suddenly flared back to consciousness as a scream of pure agony tore from his throat.
As the Demon-Suppressing Energy took effect, every vein in his body bulged grotesquely.
The Beast Palace warriors stood frozen in shock, their faces twisted in horror.
"Guh... Y-You damn... bastard!!"
In that instant, Patamun's voice was no longer that of an elderly man—but a stranger's shrill, mocking tone.
Qilian Demon glared at Se-woon with bloodshot eyes, veins bursting in fury.
"What? You want seconds?"
"...!?"
Se-woon immediately channeled another surge of Demon-Suppressing Energy into his grip.
"KYEEEEEEK!!!"
The bastard convulsed again, limbs twisting unnaturally in unbearable pain.
'Wh-What the hell is this?!
Qilian Demon couldn't suppress his panic.
His entire body felt like it was burning in hellfire.
But the question dominating his mind was—
'How the hell does he know my true identity?!
Pae Tae-un—how did this bastard see through his disguise?
Yet the pain was too overwhelming to dwell on it.
CRACK!
GURGLE!
Struggling against the Demon-Suppressing Energy, Qilian Demon no longer had the strength to maintain the Thousand Evil Bone Shrinking Technique.
His form began shifting like melted clay, reverting to his true appearance.
"Th-That's...!"
"What the...!"
The Beast Palace warriors gasped in shock.
This wasn't Patamun.
Soon, Qilian Demon's grotesque, true face was revealed for all to see.
Se-woon then hurled him into the center of the arena with a contemptuous throw.
WHOOSH!
THUD!
Qilian Demon tumbled across the ground, his body a mangled wreck.
"Guh... You fucking... piece of shit!!"
Filled with humiliation and rage, Qilian Demon forced himself up.
WHOOSH!
Sinister demonic energy erupted from his body like flames.
"Demonic energy?!"
"A demonic cultivator!! A demonic cultivator has infiltrated the palace!"
"All Beast Palace warriors—prepare for battle!!"
Finally snapping out of their stupor, the warriors leaped into combat stances.
Only the Wolf Tribe warriors, who had secretly allied with the Blood Cult, exchanged uneasy glances.
As tensions reached a boiling point—
Se-woon reached up to his face.
RIP!
He tore off the Human-Skin Mask and discarded it.
"!!"
"You...!!"
Qilian Demon's pupils trembled violently.
He recognized that face.
It was the same one listed in the Blood Cult's Most Wanted registry—complete with detailed descriptions of scars and markings.
Yes, that bastard's name was definitely—
"Tang Se-woon...!!"
"Glad you remember. Good."
"!!"
Tang Se-woon.
Those three syllables sent shockwaves through the crowd.
Not just Qilian Demon—even the Beast Palace warriors gasped at the revelation of Pae Tae-un's true identity.
Meanwhile, Qilian Demon's mind raced.
'If that bastard is really Tang Se-woon, this isn't something we can ignore!'
Though Se-woon had severed Dokma's arm and defeated Baek Ya-cha, Qilian Demon had never considered him a serious threat—assuming his victims were simply weak and foolish.
But now, with Se-woon's sudden appearance, he finally grasped the gravity of the situation.
'He knows our plans...!!'
There was no reason for Tang Se-woon to be here.
Yet he had already exposed Qilian Demon's identity.
Umun Gol couldn't have contacted him—his every move was under surveillance.
'Don't tell me... the sudden silence from Pa Eun-bi-ma these past few days...!'
A chill ran down his spine.
This bastard was dangerous.
Even if it meant abandoning the Beast Palace and failing his master's orders, Qilian Demon had to eliminate him.
The moment his thoughts crystallized, he issued a silent command to all his subordinates.
[From this moment onward, all Blood Cult warriors' mission changes!]
[Annihilate Tang Se-woon and every last member of the Beast Palace!]
The Blood Cult warriors hidden among the Corpse Sect and the Wolf Tribe's fighters subtly prepared for an ambush.
They discreetly gathered demonic energy in their dantians, careful not to draw attention.
The arena was still in chaos—if they acted now, they could turn the tide.
'First, kill Umun Gol to maximize the confusion!'
The instant Qilian Demon moved—
CRACK!
He severed the Gu poison controlling Umun Gol.
"Guh...!"
Umun Gol clutched his chest—
SHING!
WHOOSH!
The hidden Blood Cult warriors revealed themselves, drawing their weapons—
The Wolf Tribe fighters simultaneously unleashed lethal attacks on their unsuspecting brethren.
But...
Unfortunately, not a single ambush struck its target.
THUD!
THUD! THUD!
A series of eerie piercing sounds echoed across the battlefield.
Something bizarre was happening.
Every attacker froze mid-motion—as if turned to stone.
"Wh-What...?"
"They're all... dead?"
THUD!
BOOM! CRASH!
The bewildered murmurs of the Beast Palace warriors were drowned out as every assassin collapsed simultaneously.
Drip... drip...
Blood pooled across the ground, forming a macabre mosaic.
Each corpse bore a vertical slash mark on their foreheads.
...What the hell?
This time, even Qilian Demon couldn't comprehend what had happened.
"They say cockroaches lay countless eggs. Seems you've bred quite a few."
Se-woon smirked.
Using the Insight Eye, he had detected the faint ripples of demonic energy from the hidden rats—and slaughtered them all with the Formless Dagger before they could act.