Chapter 135: Turning Point
Chapter 135
Turning Point
'Corpse Explosion. They intend to blow this entire place sky-high.'
Se-woon recognized the technique the moment he saw the state of the Jiangshi.
If this many Jiangshi detonated simultaneously, most of the Beast Palace warriors here would be wiped out.
There was only one way to stop it.
Whoosh—
"To contain all the gaps and anomalies of this world within oneself—"
Reciting the forbidden mantra of Reverse Heaven Energy in his mind, Se-woon secretly drew upon his power.
A savage resonance erupted within him as Reverse Heaven Energy surged like a storm through his body.
But this time, it was different.
Unlike before, where Reverse Heaven Energy would run rampant through his entire body like a starving beast until it was sated—
Grrrl—
Now, it gathered solely in his palms, obedient to his will.
'To think I can control it with such precision now.'
Vwoom—
The violent nature of Reverse Heaven Energy remained unchanged, but through the fusion of the Black Blood's power and the unity of his essence, spirit, and divine energy, he had finally taken his first step toward mastering it.
Even now, it growled restlessly, as if displeased, but its control was flawless.
Thud-thud-thud!
Just then, two Jiangshi lunged at him, arms spread wide.
Their entire bodies—faces included—were not pale with death but flushed crimson, bloated like balloons ready to burst at any moment.
In that critical moment—
'Pathetic.'
Se-woon found himself smirking.
The Reverse Heaven Energy blazing in his palms made all worries vanish.
Sssshhk!
With a sound like tearing air, Se-woon's twin daggers shot forward like vipers striking prey.
Crunch!
The moment his fingers touched the Jiangshi's faces—
Crack-crack-crack!
Whoosh—
The necrotic energy fueling their Corpse Explosion—the very essence Qilian Demon had poured into them—was instantly siphoned away by Se-woon.
The moment he drained them dry, he clenched his fists tighter.
Crunch!
Squelch!
With grotesque sounds of crushing bone and flesh, the Jiangshi's heads crumpled like rotten fruit.
'Now, let's clean up.'
Se-woon hurled the limp corpses into the oncoming horde before charging forward like lightning.
'......What in the—what is this?!'
Qilian Demon's jaw hung slack—partly because Se-woon had shattered it earlier, but mostly out of sheer disbelief.
BOOM!
CRASH!
The ground trembled under the force of explosions—but not from his Jiangshi.
The source of the blasts was none other than Se-woon himself.
He was single-handedly tearing through dozens of Jiangshi.
Whoosh—
Se-woon pivoted on his right foot, spinning like a cyclone, before unleashing a devastating double-fisted strike.
Sssshhk!
The air itself screamed as it split apart.
BOOM!!
A deafening explosion followed, shaking the earth.
Thud.
One Jiangshi collapsed to its knees, its face mangled as if struck by a thunderbolt.
That's right—the explosions were erupting from Se-woon's fists.
Qilian Demon couldn't comprehend the phenomenon before him.
'How—how is he wielding the power of Corpse Explosion?!'
Others might mistake it for explosive martial arts, but Qilian Demon knew better.
Sssshhk!
BOOM!
Another Jiangshi's chest caved in under Se-woon's fist.
That was undeniably the power of Corpse Explosion.
Se-woon was mocking him—turning his life's work against him.
'That energy was so corrupt it could only be contained within the dead. The only one who should be able to control it is—him.'
As Qilian Demon stared in shock—
"Hah! You dare threaten the warriors of the Beast Palace with these filthy puppets?!"
Se-woon roared like a raging beast.
ROOOAR!!
With every word he spat, the Beast Palace warriors erupted in cheers.
To them, Se-woon was nothing short of a war god incarnate.
And for warriors who despised sorcery even more than internal energy techniques, Se-woon's divine might—fighting alone against an army of Jiangshi—ignited their pride.
But Qilian Demon was dumbfounded.
Because the power Se-woon wielded was unmistakably not of the Beast Palace.
'No secret technique of theirs could achieve this. That power is rooted in demonic arts.'
No matter how Se-woon tried to hide it, Qilian Demon sensed the demonic energy lurking beneath his display.
A sensation only a true demonic practitioner of the Blood Cult could perceive.
Desperate, Qilian Demon focused his remaining energy, searching for a weakness.
If he didn't find one, this would be his end.
Whoosh—
Then—
"......!!"
Qilian Demon froze like a statue the moment he realized what Se-woon was channeling.
Thump-thump!
His heart hammered as if about to burst.
This was impossible.
Unthinkable.
His pupils trembled like an earthquake had struck.
There was only one explanation.
'How—how does he possess the master's power?!'
He had recognized it—Reverse Heaven Energy, the signature power of the Blood Demon himself.
His mind went blank.
The Beast Palace no longer mattered. He had to report this immediately.
If he didn't, the Blood Cult's grand plan—one they had never doubted—could be jeopardized.
Half the Jiangshi still remained.
If he abandoned them and fled alone, he could still make it.
Fwip!
Qilian Demon reached for his Return Pearl—
Ssshk!
—only for a chilling slash to sever his wrist.
"Where do you think you're sneaking off to?"
"GAAAH!!"
Se-woon had closed the distance in an instant, his hand-blade slicing clean through flesh and bone.
Splurt!
Blood gushed from the stump as Qilian Demon screamed in agony.
'H-how?'
Just moments ago, the Jiangshi had been intact—now, their shattered remains littered the ground.
Shudder.
Fear consumed him. His will to fight was gone.
Only one question remained:
How could this bastard wield the power of the one who ruled above all demons?
Trembling, he looked up—
[So curious, are you? How I possess the Blood Demon's power?]
Se-woon's icy grin reached him via Sound Transmission.
Death was inevitable now.
Rather than beg, Qilian Demon listened for the truth.
But—
"Go ahead and wait in the underworld. The Blood Demon will follow soon enough to explain."
"You—! G-guhk!"
Se-woon mocked him to the end.
Gripping Qilian Demon's throat, he lifted him high—
Crunch!
—and flooded him with Reverse Heaven Energy, turning his face purple.
Then, Se-woon bellowed:
"BEHOLD, MY BROTHERS!!"
"!!!"
Like thunder, his voice commanded the attention of every warrior—including Umun Gol.
"I, Tang Se-woon, heir to Chuk Yeo-un's legacy, shall personally execute this wretched pawn of demons who dared threaten us!!"
Vwoom!
Se-woon drew more Reverse Heaven Energy, intent on draining every last drop of necrotic power from Qilian Demon's body.
"G-guhk! Aaack!!"
Qilian Demon convulsed in agony, his end undeniable.
But then—
Vwoom.
The thrashing stopped.
Slowly, Qilian Demon's head lowered—his eyes now pitch-black, devoid of whites.
'This—!'
For the first time, Se-woon felt a flicker of shock.
Because those eyes no longer belonged to Qilian Demon.
From the depths of an abyss, their true owner gazed back—
'Blood Demon.'
In Qilian Demon's final moments, a pre-embedded technique had activated.
The Blood Demon had seen him.
But Se-woon's shock swiftly morphed into something else.
Pure, unadulterated killing intent.
'How nice to see you.'
And overwhelming vengeance.
Listen well, Blood Demon.
Locking eyes with the abyssal gaze, Se-woon's lips moved silently.
Then—
Sssshhk!
BOOOOM!!
His fist obliterated Qilian Demon's head in a spray of gore.
Same time.
Blood Cult's main palace.
Blood Heaven Hall.
A forbidden sanctum where none dared tread without permission—not even the Ten Elders or the Twin Guardians.
The domain of the Blood Demon himself.
The chamber held no opulence—only darkness so thick it suffocated the air.
Within it burned two hellish flames:
The Blood Demon's eyes.
From his throne, gazing upon legions of demons, the Blood Demon glimpsed Se-woon's face—half a world away—before it vanished.
"'This time,' the turning point came the fastest."
Breaking the silence, he murmured words no one could decipher.
His gaze remained fixed on the now-empty space.
"Wait for me."
The other—Tang Se-woon—had unmistakably uttered those words.
Huuu.
For the first time in his existence, an unfamiliar emotion stirred within the Blood Demon.
His eyes gleamed with an eerie light.
"Then let us move."
With his final words, an even deeper darkness descended upon the Blood Heaven Hall.
Chapter 136: The Four Sichuan Overlords