Chapter 310: Heavenly Demon (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 310: Heavenly Demon (1)
Inside the small cabin, the survivors were still fighting for their lives.
"B-Block them!"
"If they get in, we're finished!"
"Hieeeek!"
They had piled up wood and were desperately swinging sickles and pickaxes. Rather than a proper defense, it looked more like a final, desperate struggle.
It was a truly touch-and-go situation.
A Blood Jiangshi's hand grabbed a man's head.
"S-Save me!"
Right then.
Boom!
So Yu-myeong kicked off the ground and leaped forward.
"How dare corpses raised by dark arts try to harm humans!"
Streams of blue Aura erupted along his sword.
"Kwek!"
As he unleashed the forms of the Taiji Sword, the heads of the Blood Jiangshi were instantly shattered to pieces.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
His title as a first-generation disciple of the Wudang Sect was certainly no exaggeration. The Blood Jiangshi were being swept away without even being able to mount a proper counterattack.
One exchange. Two exchanges... Three exchanges.
Having cleared out over seven Blood Jiangshi in the blink of an eye, So Yu-myeong flicked the blood off his sword.
"Wow, not bad, newbie. It's like watching my contractor in his early days."
"He's quite useful. We can leave the clean-up to him from now on."
"As expected of someone chosen by Jinhyuk."
Though praises poured in, a dark shadow hung over So Yu-myeong's face. The joy of saving people was short-lived, replaced by the grim realization of the reality he was in.
"T-Thank you."
"I thought we were doomed..."
"Sob, sob..."
Perhaps out of sheer relief of survival, the tension broke, and the survivors collapsed to the floor.
In a village that once housed hundreds, fewer than thirty people had survived. If only ten jiangshi could cause this much devastation... Depending on their path, the damage could grow exponentially.
"First, please share this. Once you've caught your breath, I'd like to ask a few questions."
Jinhyuk pulled water and barley bread from his subspace inventory and distributed them to the people. After a brief respite, a bit of life returned to their gaunt faces.
"I am the elder who serves as the chief of this village. First... I must express my deepest gratitude once again for saving our lives. If not for you, esteemed guests, not a single soul would have survived."
The old man bowed deeply to show his gratitude.
"But what brings such esteemed guests to a remote corner like this?"
"We came partly to deal with the bastards who attacked this place... and also because I'm looking for someone."
"Looking for someone?"
Jinhyuk glanced around. Everyone was busy tending to the wounded and preparing for any potential follow-up attacks by the jiangshi. A brief chat wouldn't draw any unwanted attention.
"Among the survivors, do you know of anyone who recently arrived in this village?"
If the Heavenly Demon had left the Heavenly Demon Cult and come to Luoyang, it must have happened fairly recently. To those who had lived together all their lives, an outsider would inevitably stand out.
"...Actually, there is one. A young man who arrived here five days ago."
The old man nodded.
"Is he here right now?"
"Yes... he is."
As expected.
He had come here to recover his internal qi. After all, this was the only place in the entire Murim where the harmony of Yin and Yang clashed.
"Who is it? Ah, don't point. Just describe his appearance while making it look like we're having a casual conversation."
"This description alone should be enough for you to recognize him. A man with a peculiar sword scar on the back of his neck. He is the one you are looking for."
A scar on the neck.
Jinhyuk's eyes scanned the room like lightning. Among the people eating...
Found him.
Though he looked dusty, gaunt, and half-starved... his eyes were still sharp and full of life. In fact, the fierce light gleaming through his disheveled hair was even sharper than his master's.
The wound on his neck also looked more like a beast's claw mark than a sword scar.
"Thank you."
Jinhyuk stood up.
* * *
The Heavenly Demon.
A title referring to the calamity of ten thousand demons and the supreme leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
'The only reason the Heavenly Demon Cult could wage the Great War of Orthodox and Unorthodox against the entire Nine Sects and Five Great Clans as a single force was because of the absolute existence known as the Heavenly Demon.'
But.
The bird that flew the highest had its wings clipped one day. The king who was once the object of everyone's awe and envy... was no longer to be found on his throne.
Why did he fight the 50th Floor?
Why did he throw away everything he possessed?
The reason remained unknown. He simply intended to find out everything from now on.
Jinhyuk slowly approached the man.
"Mind if I sit next to you?"
"……."
The man did not respond to Jinhyuk's words. However, Jinhyuk took the silence as a form of permission.
Thud. As Jinhyuk sat down beside him, the man finally reacted.
"I didn't say you could sit."
"If you didn't want me to, you should have said so."
"What an impudent fellow. Or does this mean you think you can ignore the wishes of someone who barely survives on grass?"
"I took care of the jiangshi and even provided a meal, so surely this much is fine, isn't it?"
Jinhyuk offered a reasonable justification while wearing a sly grin. Unable to find a retort, the man let out a soft sigh.
"……Do as you please."
In the past, Jinhyuk had never seen his bare face due to the Heavenly Slaughter Aura, so he hadn't known.
'He looks much more normal than I expected.'
The Heavenly Demon's appearance was also similar to any other ordinary person. No, thanks to his Rebirth, it was more accurate to say he possessed clear skin and sharp features.
Jinhyuk activated 'Gluttony's Eye' and carefully examined him.
Ring!
——————————————————
Name: Baek Il-ha
Gender: Male
Age: ??
Level: ???
Strength: ??? / Agility: ??? / Stamina: ??? / Mana: 7 / Internal Qi: ???
Stat Points Available: 0
Unique Ability: Heavenly Demon Divine Art
Skills: 'Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step' Lv??, 'Heavenly Slaughter Aura' Lv??, 'Heavenly Demon Great Annihilation Calamity' Lv??, 'Heavenly Demon Rebound Qi' Lv??... The number of skills is too vast to display. Minimizing list.
——————————————————
[Copy Condition: The Heavenly Demon has currently exhausted almost all of his Primordial Qi due to his battle with the entity on the 50th Floor. It is impossible for him to regain his past internal qi on his own. However, if you help the Heavenly Demon recover his internal qi, you will be able to copy one of his unique abilities or skills.]
[Special Condition: You can enter the Heavenly Demon's memories once. The completeness of the copied Heavenly Demon Divine Art will vary depending on your prior understanding of the Heavenly Demon and the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. (Maximum 10 Stars)]
To climb the upper floors of the Tower smoothly and eventually reach the 50th Floor, he absolutely had to acquire the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. This was not an option, but a necessity.
'With or without the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the speed of clearing the 40s floors differs by more than seven times.'
In particular, the Norse deities and the divine beasts within their domains were specialized in single-combat based on overwhelming strength and absurd amounts of mana. Naturally, fighting them would require a power suited for the task.
'While the Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art or Supernatural Strength are highly helpful, the most efficient one is undoubtedly the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.'
Normally, one would acquire higher-tier abilities through Fusion. However, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was a flawless ability with no higher tier above it.
'It also has great synergy with Fenrir and Jormungandr...'
Above all, putting the Heavenly Demon in his debt would be helpful in many ways for the future. Although the copy conditions were tricky, he had to find a way somehow.
"Can we stop pretending we don't know each other? You must have heard about me from my master anyway."
Jinhyuk ended the tiring psychological warfare first.
Samaja had betrayed the Heavenly Demon, but the Dark Emperor had not. Because he had genuinely believed in and followed the Heavenly Demon, rather than simply riding his coattails for power, he remained loyal to the Heavenly Demon even now, having lost everything.
In the end...
"……I heard that the Right Dharma Protector took a disciple. He claimed he would never take one in his life, yet here we are in his later years. And against an outsider from beyond the Tower, who is neither of the Demonic Cult nor the Murim."
The Heavenly Demon let out a laugh filled with complex emotions.
"Fate works in mysterious ways."
"It truly seems so. So, what brings the disciple of the Right Dharma Protector all this way to find this seat?"
Now, down to business.
"That day. Could you tell me... what happened?"
At the mention of his past wounds, the corners of the Heavenly Demon's eyes furrowed sharply. But it was only for a moment.
"Because I possessed one of the Crowns... those who should never have crossed over did."
"……!"
This time, it was Jinhyuk's turn to be surprised. To think the word 'Crown' would come out of the Heavenly Demon's mouth.
The holy relics that must be gathered to reach the top of the Tower. He had possessed one of them?
"Judging by your reaction, you seem to know about the Crowns as well."
"I've heard of them."
Jinhyuk did not deny it.
"Since you spoke in the past tense... does that mean you no longer have it?"
"Indeed. But do not worry. It was not stolen by them. At the final moment, I threw the Crown off the floor."
……Huh?
So... He threw away the most important treasure in the Tower? And hurled it straight down to the lower floors?
Seeing Jinhyuk's dumbfounded expression, the Heavenly Demon quickly added:
"Ahem! I know it was a crude thing to do. But wasn't that better than letting them have it?"
It was mind-boggling. To think there was a monster capable of breaching the floors of the Tower with sheer individual strength.
"Do you... regret it?"
He had fought them to the point of losing all his internal qi. He had succeeded in repelling the entities of the 50th Floor, but the price was far too high.
"This seat... does not regret it."
The Heavenly Demon spoke calmly.
Was that the absolute truth? Or was it a lie he told himself to escape despair?
The sun slowly sank behind the mountains. Day faded, and night fell.
* * *
In the deep silence of the night, while everyone was asleep, Jinhyuk pulled out the martial arts manual he had taken from the Cloud-Mist Pavilion.
[The martial arts manual is opening!]
[The conclusion of the 'Blood-Soul Asura Heart Method', a manual written by the second Heavenly Demon, 'Baek Wol-cheon', unfolds.]
[Your understanding of all martial arts of the Demonic Cult increases by 370%!]
[Prolonged use of this heart method may lead to Qi Deviation!]
A double-edged sword that greatly aided in learning demonic arts but could also drive the practitioner mad. It was a manual written by Baek Wol-cheon himself when he reached the state of Ultimate Demonic Realm.
Because it was so abstruse, understanding the written heart method and forms was impossible, but simply absorbing the Demonic Qi within the book would be of immense help in understanding the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
'Whew...'
Jinhyuk controlled the rampaging Demonic Qi inside his body using the 'Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art' and 'Blood Demon Qi'.
As the 'Special Condition' unlocked, cold mana swallowed his entire body.
[Reading the Heavenly Demon's memories.]
Jinhyuk quietly closed his eyes. And when he opened them again...
Rumble!
...the entire landscape around him had changed.
A sky dyed in purple. Amidst floating fragments of stone and rock... the figure of the Heavenly Demon came into view.
Wildly. Arrogantly.
The absolute ruler of the Murim, looking down on all creation, stood with his sword drawn. Like a bamboo stalk standing tall in the middle of a raging hurricane.
His opponent was a primordial entity with countless mouths and teeth.
Shub-Niggurath.
Though her true power was extremely restricted due to manifesting on the lower floors of the Tower, her mere presence was enough to overwhelm all living things. Just looking at her caused cracks in space and warped the terrain.
An out-of-scale deity transcending the laws of physics moved to erode the floor.
But.
The Heavenly Demon did not show a shred of fear or back down in the face of that momentum.
'So that is the Heavenly Demon in his prime...'
He had to engrave this in his memory. Every single movement and action. And what the Heavenly Demon's true feelings were.
[Understanding: 0%]
"Come, Mother of the Black Goats. This seat shall personally measure the depth of your power."
"Kieeeee!"
A battle that would go down in the history of the Tower began.