Chapter 134
Chapter 134
Qilian Demon (4)
Aura was the most formidable force a martial artist could produce.
Unlike sword energy that spread like a heat haze, aura was the result of compressing energy to its extreme, forming a tangible blade. The only way to counter it was with an aura of equal power.
That was common knowledge in the martial world.
But...
At this very moment, that common knowledge had been completely shattered.
CRACK!
BOOM!
The sound of something shattering and a deafening explosion erupted simultaneously.
RUMBLE!
One side of the arena's wall collapsed in a cascade of debris.
Dust clouds billowed up from the explosion, thick and suffocating.
"...Ghk, ugh."
From within the wreckage, faint groans of pain escaped.
Unable to even scream, Qilian Demon's body had been sent flying like a meteor and embedded into the arena wall.
The result of Seoun's single punch—a strike that tore through the aura barrier like a storm—had smashed into Qilian Demon's face.
Half of his face was crushed beyond recognition.
Seoun, who hadn't even reached the Mystic Realm, had shattered his enemy's defense and landed a direct hit.
CRUMBLE.
The fragments of the shattered aura barrier scattered like starlight before fading into gray ash and disappearing.
The eyes of every Beast Palace warrior locked in combat with the Jiangshi trembled violently at the sight.
'W-what the hell?'
'He broke through aura with a single punch...?'
'H-how is that bastard wielding the power of the Beast Fighting God?!'
They were so stunned that Jiangshi took advantage of their distraction, wounding several warriors in quick succession.
Yet, despite the danger, their gazes kept drifting back to Seoun.
Though he had seemed frail, the body revealed beneath his burning clothes was nothing like they had imagined.
Muscles compressed to their absolute limit, so dense they inspired awe at a glance.
And the blazing tattoos etched into his skin reminded them of none other than their mythical ancestor—the first Beast Palace Lord, Chuk Yeo-un.
WHOOSH!
SLASH!
At that exact moment, Seoun's body arched backward like a drawn bow before snapping forward like an arrow.
A near-perfect Bow-Body Spring Shadow technique.
Naturally, his target was Qilian Demon, still embedded in the debris.
HUM!
A ripple of energy pulsed from Seoun's left fist—the same force that had shattered the aura barrier moments ago.
Like a gale, Seoun lunged forward and swung.
SHIIING!
The moment the air split with a sharp, tearing sound—
"—!!"
Qilian Demon's consciousness, dazed from the impact, finally snapped back.
Dodge.
Or die.
Seoun's fist was already closing in.
Qilian Demon activated the Thousand Evil Bone Shrinking Technique.
SHWIP!
His body shrank instantly, becoming as small as a child's.
Simultaneously, he twisted mid-air like a donkey rolling on the ground, flinging himself sideways.
Seoun's fist struck empty air—or rather, the arena wall behind where Qilian Demon had been.
BOOOOM!
Another deafening explosion, as if dozens of thunderbolts had struck at once.
"Hah... hahk!!"
H-he survived.
Qilian Demon, barely having evaded the attack, gasped for breath as he steadied himself.
His trembling eyes turned toward the spot where he had stood moments before.
'W-what kind of power is that?!'
Horror settled into his pupils.
RUMBLE!
Like an earthquake, not only the outer wall but even the spectator stands behind it crumbled into ruin.
Had he dodged even a fraction slower, that would have been him.
A chill ran down Qilian Demon's spine.
But he quickly regained his composure.
If he faltered now, death would claim him for sure.
His mind raced, swiftly arriving at an answer.
'He's a perfected Mystic Realm expert, just like me!'
There was only one reason he could have mistaken Seoun for a Mystic Realm master.
'Because nothing below that level can shatter Formed Energy Aura.'
Upon reaching the pinnacle of the Mystic Realm, aura underwent a transformation.
No longer bound by the limitations of weapons or attributes, it evolved into Formed Energy Aura—a manifestation of the martial artist's will, capable of altering its shape and properties at will.
Like the countless stars in the night sky, aura varied as much as the warriors who wielded it.
Qilian Demon's will imbued into his aura was absolute, unbreakable defense.
Hiding behind thick barriers, watching his enemies get torn apart by his Jiangshi—that was his greatest joy.
THUD. THUD.
"...!!"
Then, from within the rising dust clouds, Seoun's footsteps echoed.
An intense pulse of energy radiated from his faintly visible silhouette.
Seoun locked eyes with Qilian Demon and smirked.
"A half-crushed dwarf face suits you well, Qilian Demon."
"!!"
Belatedly realizing he was still in his shrunken form, humiliation twisted Qilian Demon's expression.
Damn it! How could I make such a mistake in the heat of battle?!
CRUNCH!
The crushed half of his face reconstructed itself, and his body returned to its original height.
"Shut your mouth, you bastard!! Pretending to be a mere Fire Realm expert to catch me off guard?!"
"Hah. A Blood Cult worm calling me underhanded? Even a stray dog would laugh at that."
"You dare...!!"
Qilian Demon gnashed his teeth.
Then, secretly, he began circulating the Demon Blood Qi he had refined—not for defense this time, but for something else entirely.
'You broke through my Thousand-Corpse Tortoise Armor and got cocky?! That arrogance will soon strangle you!'
WHOOSH!
Eyes blazing with murderous intent, Qilian Demon shot toward Seoun like a streak of light.
A sinister aura cloaked his entire body, wrapping around him like a thin, cicada-wing membrane—an ultra-condensed version of his Thousand-Corpse Tortoise Armor.
But the Nine Thousand Corpse Armor Technique had more than one secret.
If the Tortoise Armor was purely defensive, then this—Thousand-Corpse Lockwheel—was its offensive counterpart.
Though its form had shifted from shield to blade, its durability remained unchanged. If Seoun took a direct hit, he wouldn't just break—he'd be crushed beyond recognition.
SHIIING!
"DIE!!"
With a sound like tearing air, Qilian Demon's hand blade twisted through the air like a living serpent, striking from impossible angles.
His joints and bones seemed nonexistent, making his attacks nearly impossible to predict.
Unlike before, he held nothing back—treating Seoun as a true equal, a perfected Mystic Realm expert.
Yet Seoun showed no intention of dodging.
Because I've already seen it.
With his Observing Eye, honed beyond limits through the unity of essence, energy, and spirit, he had already foreseen every move Qilian Demon would make.
An attack whose trajectory and intent were fully known held no threat.
Seoun extended his hand toward the point where Qilian Demon's strike would ultimately land—
CLAMP.
"Got you."
"?!"
Qilian Demon's fist was caught squarely in Seoun's palm.
Compared to the flamboyant arcs it had traced through the air, the end was pathetically anticlimactic.
How?!
Seoun grinned savagely at Qilian Demon's stunned expression.
"Let's see if you really have no bones."
"!!"
Then, like interlacing fingers, Seoun forced his own digits between Qilian Demon's clenched fist and—
CRUNCH!
SNAP!
—squeezed with all his might. A sickening crunch echoed as Qilian Demon's fingers were pulverized and ripped out at the roots.
"GAAAAAH!!"
The aura membrane surrounding his body dissipated uselessly.
Though Qilian Demon's martial prowess was at the peak of the Fire Realm, Seoun's newfound enlightenment—forged through the unity of essence, energy, and spirit—was on an entirely different level.
Qilian Demon's half-baked Formed Energy Aura, hastily crafted through the borrowed power of Demon Blood Qi, was utterly ineffective against Seoun.
SPURT!
Blood gushed like a fountain from Qilian Demon's ruined hand.
SWISH!
Seoun's hand darted out again, this time seizing Qilian Demon's wrist like a viper's strike.
"What use is an arm without fingers, right?"
"N-no...!!"
TWIST!
RIP!
Before Qilian Demon could even finish his plea, Seoun yanked his arm backward over his own shoulder.
Like uprooting a weed, Qilian Demon's arm tore free from its socket.
"Ghk...!!"
White filled Qilian Demon's vision—pain unlike anything he had ever known.
And it wasn't just physical.
The violent tearing of his aura membrane sent a backlash through his spirit, as if his very soul were being drawn and quartered.
But this wasn't the end.
It was only the beginning.
Seoun tossed the severed arm aside carelessly and lunged again.
HUM!
Sinister black light poured from his fists, woven from Heaven's Net.
The overwhelming energy swirling within them made the black in Qilian Demon's eyes roll back.
"G-GAAAH!!"
SHIIING!
Desperately, Qilian Demon flailed his remaining arm in a wild strike.
But Seoun intercepted it with a crushing blow to the elbow.
CRACK!
SNAP!
"?!"
The bone shattered into fragments.
Ignoring the arm now bent at an unnatural angle, Seoun drove forward—
WHAM!
CRUNCH!
—and unleashed a frenzy of punches across Qilian Demon's body.
A rising left fist caved in his ribs.
A spinning elbow strike, pivoting like a top, shattered his spine.
There was no specific technique.
Only the movements of a perfected body, honed to godlike efficiency—striking along the shortest paths, exploiting every weakness in Qilian Demon's inferior physique.
Yet with these very movements, Chuk Yeo-un had once conquered the martial world.
This was the Beast Fighting God's legacy, reborn.
CRUNCH!
BOOM!
Finally, Seoun brought both hands together and swung downward like an axe splitting firewood—straight into Qilian Demon's mouth.
"Ugh... gah."
CLATTER.
Black blood and shattered teeth spilled from Qilian Demon's lips.
The pain was so overwhelming his consciousness began to fade.
Like darkness descending, his vision dimmed.
"Tch. Trying to die already?"
"...!!"
But unfortunately for him, rest was not granted.
Because the shadowy figure gripping his throat refused to let him die.
Monster... MONSTER!!
To Qilian Demon, Seoun was a demon incarnate.
"G-GYAAAAH!!"
HUM!
Without even realizing it, Qilian Demon issued his final command to the Jiangshi.
Even in death, as a master of the Blood Cult's undead, he activated a forbidden technique—one never to be used without explicit permission.
Every Jiangshi in the vicinity (except the Soul Jiangshi controlled by Wumun Tak) underwent a drastic change.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Simultaneously, all Jiangshi locked in combat with Beast Palace warriors broke away and charged toward Seoun.
The energy within their bodies destabilized, twisting violently.
Corpse Explosion.
The worst of the Jiangshi arts—where each corpse detonated with the force of a thunderbolt.
"NO!!"
"GET BACK!!"
"BEAST FIGHTING GOD—!!"
Realizing the danger, the Beast Palace warriors rushed toward Seoun—too late.
HUM!!
Within Seoun's body, Reverse Heaven Energy began to glow ominously.
Four Sichuan Tyrant.