Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Clash with the Heavenly Demon
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“Come down.”
The Heavenly Demon's voice echoed quietly. It carried an irresistible power.
Though the Sword Demon had recently risen to a much higher level thanks to Dan Hyeong-u, there was still a vast gap between him and the Heavenly Demon.
The Sword Demon's body floated lightly into the air before dropping down beside the carriage. He stood gracefully before the Heavenly Demon, gazing at him with eyes full of lingering turmoil.
“Your heart has already wandered away.”
The Heavenly Demon muttered as he stared into the Sword Demon's eyes. His words brimmed with conviction.
The Sword Demon gave a faint nod. The Blood Path Guest standing beside him looked shocked but didn't dare step forward. Demonic energy began to roil from the Heavenly Demon's body in thick waves.
“I can't fathom what the Henan Escort Bureau has that could steal your loyalty. Did you think the Heavenly Demon Fortress was some place you could come and go as you please?”
Muttering to himself, the Heavenly Demon swept his gaze over the people atop the carriage. His impassive eyes lingered on the Tang Family Elder and the envoy without interest, but they sharpened when they fell on the Sword King. Then they locked onto Dan Hyeong-u and stayed there.
The moment he laid eyes on Dan Hyeong-u, the Heavenly Demon felt a colossal shock.
“H-How can a human...!”
The Heavenly Demon sensed the immense power contained within Dan Hyeong-u. It was a force so vast and overwhelming that he couldn't even compare it to his own—and utterly pure, beyond words.
In response to the Heavenly Demon's reaction, Dan Hyeong-u shot him a curious glance. The Heavenly Demon was the first to sense even a fraction of the power he held. Naturally, it piqued his interest.
Dan Hyeong-u's figure appeared before the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon recoiled in startlement, taking a step back.
He had never been so shocked in his life—not once, but twice in quick succession.
He had been startled upon first seeing Dan Hyeong-u, and now again because he hadn't even detected the movement. Dan Hyeong-u had shifted from atop the carriage to right in front of him as if he'd been standing there all along. The space in between had simply vanished.
No matter the difference in skill, this was impossible for any human.
Standing before the Heavenly Demon, Dan Hyeong-u nodded. Among all the people he'd encountered since returning to this world, the Heavenly Demon was the strongest. He surpassed even the Sword King and Sword Demon by an unfathomable margin.
A familiar aura.
It was the owner of that familiar energy he'd once sensed from the Sword Demon. The energy most familiar to Dan Hyeong-u was demonic qi—the very same that had filled the gray hell.
The Heavenly Demon's legs trembled under Dan Hyeong-u's gaze. Before that colossal power, everything felt futile. Yet he desperately fought to resist it.
I am the Heavenly Demon. Lord of the Heavenly Demon Fortress, pinnacle of all demonic cultivators. I cannot yield.
He repeated it to himself incessantly, as if brainwashing his own mind.
If his opponent weren't Dan Hyeong-u, the Heavenly Demon would have signaled the Illusion Demon and Demon Archer to loose their arrows with Phantom Demon Art and Demon Bow. But he couldn't.
The instant an arrow flies—or even the moment I think it—we all die.
Cold sweat beaded on the Heavenly Demon's face. He gritted his teeth as if to shatter them. It was unbearable.
Dan Hyeong-u's head turned to the side. The Heavenly Demon's heart plummeted. Far in that direction, where his gaze lingered, lay the hiding spots of the Illusion Demon and Demon Archer. Over three hundred jang away, but he knew Dan Hyeong-u would spot them effortlessly.
Dan Hyeong-u turned and took a single step.
The Heavenly Demon's eyes bulged. He felt the same as the Sword King had before—like Dan Hyeong-u had vanished right before his eyes.
Then he reappeared. Grasping the throats of the Illusion Demon and Demon Archer in each hand.
A primal fear surged from the depths of the Heavenly Demon's heart, making him flinch. Fear? He, of all people—the Heavenly Demon!
He ground his teeth until his molars began to crack. Glaring at Dan Hyeong-u with bulging eyes, it was his final act of defiance.
Overwhelmed by Dan Hyeong-u's aura—imperceptible to the others—the Heavenly Demon teetered on the brink of qi deviation. Just as he was about to vomit blood, Dan Hyeong-u's presence suddenly vanished.
The Heavenly Demon stared at him in bewilderment. The crushing pressure on his body—no, his very spirit—had lifted entirely. The Dan Hyeong-u before him now seemed nothing more than an ordinary man, no more, no less.
He was utterly confused. What was going on? He'd clearly sensed an irresistible power at first. It had nearly driven him to qi deviation under its weight. Yet now it was gone—as if it had never existed, leaving no trace, like it had all been his imagination.
“Interesting.”
Dan Hyeong-u muttered, eyes gleaming. To him, the Heavenly Demon was a fascinating specimen. He possessed more demonic qi than anyone he'd met, wielded it masterfully, yet it was still impure.
Dan Hyeong-u couldn't comprehend it.
The demonic cultivators here all used demonic qi, without exception—and it was invariably impure.
The Sword Demon was the same. Without Dan Hyeong-u replacing his qi, he never would have advanced further.
Impure demonic qi carried inherent risks. The contaminants disrupted its growth and flow. Mishandled, the qi itself could dissipate entirely.
In that light, for the Heavenly Demon to amass so much and wield it so adeptly was truly remarkable.
Dan Hyeong-u glanced at the Illusion Demon and Demon Archer gripped in his hands.
They were in utter panic. Like the Black Warriors of the Demonic Alliance that Dan Hyeong-u had subdued before, they weren't sealed in their dantian or struck at acupoints—yet they couldn't move.
Being masters themselves, they understood why. It made it all the more absurd. No human could do this.
Dan Hyeong-u casually tossed the struggling pair aside.
An ordinary person would have tumbled awkwardly, but they weren't ordinary. They twisted midair and landed lightly beside the Heavenly Demon.
The four from the Heavenly Demon Fortress—led by the Heavenly Demon—stared at Dan Hyeong-u with expressions taut with tension. Having experienced him firsthand, they knew their fates hung on his whim.
As the four failed to hide their strain, the Sword Demon beside Dan Hyeong-u let out a quiet sigh.
“Haa... What do you plan to do with them?”
Dan Hyeong-u didn't bother answering the Sword Demon's question. He had no particular intentions. As long as they didn't bother him, what the Heavenly Demon did was none of his concern.
“Just go.”
At Dan Hyeong-u's words, the Heavenly Demon inwardly sighed in relief. He'd confirmed there was no intent to kill them. But that didn't resolve everything. There was more to be done.
Leaving empty-handed would negate the purpose of coming here. They had something they absolutely needed.
The Heavenly Demon glanced at the Sword Demon. He no longer entertained any thought of taking him back. He'd decisively abandoned him. The Sword Demon belonged to Dan Hyeong-u now.
“How did you escape the Golden Demon Art? Confirm that, and we'll leave.”
The Sword Demon quietly shook his head at the Heavenly Demon's words. Then he looked to Dan Hyeong-u. That said it all.
The Heavenly Demon tilted his head in puzzlement, but the Illusion Demon understood the implication from the gesture.
The Illusion Demon addressed Dan Hyeong-u as deferentially as possible.
“Can you truly free us from the Golden Demon Art?”
His words sent a shockwave through the group. Not just the Heavenly Demon, but the Blood Path Guest, Demon Archer, and even those watching from atop the carriage felt it.
“I don't know what the Golden Demon Art is.”
The Blood Path Guest's face fell in disappointment at Dan Hyeong-u's reply. But the Heavenly Demon's eyes lit up.
“Then, if I just tell you what it is, you'll do it? You did it for the Sword Demon, didn't you?”
Only then did Dan Hyeong-u grasp their desire from the mention of the Sword Demon. He didn't know what the Golden Demon Art was, but what he'd done for him was simple: he'd extracted the impure demonic qi and replaced it with pure qi.
“Is this what you mean?”
Dan Hyeong-u casually raised a hand.
“Cough!”
The Illusion Demon beside the Heavenly Demon suddenly spat blood. He couldn't hide his bewilderment. His demonic art had shattered in an instant. This was no Golden Demon Art. No version of it could demolish a demonic art so swiftly.
Feeling his empty dantian, the Illusion Demon wore a hollow expression. He looked up at Dan Hyeong-u.
Dan Hyeong-u swung his raised hand.
“Hah!”
The Illusion Demon gasped involuntarily. A massive surge of energy flooded his body. The satisfaction drew a ragged breath from his lips.
What filled the Illusion Demon's dantian was demonic qi. Pure demonic qi.
He could scarcely believe it. No one could revoke and restore a demonic art at will—not even the Heavenly Demon.
At first, the Illusion Demon couldn't fathom what this pure demonic qi would do. But regaining his composure, his thoughts shifted.
Dan Hyeong-u had done the same for the Sword Demon. That meant he'd stripped away his demonic art and refilled it with pure demonic qi.
“Pure demonic qi...”
In truth, without this pure qi filling his dantian, he never would have realized just how impure his original demonic art had been.
“I think I have a rough idea of the Golden Demon Art's secret.”
The Heavenly Demon's brow twitched at the Illusion Demon's words. He didn't like it.
“Speak plainly. You've figured out the Golden Demon Art's secret?”
“It's not certain.”
“Just say it.”
Under the Heavenly Demon's urging, the Illusion Demon finally spoke.
“I didn't realize it before, but demonic arts don't seem to be purely clean energy.”
“Obviously. We commit any atrocity to cultivate our power—how could it stay pure? But that's no issue. Under demonic arts, all become one anyway.”
The Illusion Demon shook his head at the Heavenly Demon's retort.
“No. That unified demonic art is already impure. It lacks purity.”
“Then you're saying the demonic art you have now is pure?”
The Illusion Demon gave a faint smile at the Heavenly Demon's question.
“Yes.”
As he answered, he glanced cautiously at Dan Hyeong-u. His eyes overflowed with utmost reverence. Instinctively, he bowed his head to Dan Hyeong-u—a most uncharacteristic act for the ever-rational Illusion Demon.
The Heavenly Demon watched him with complicated eyes. Then he turned to Dan Hyeong-u.
“Hoo, so to overcome the Golden Demon Art, we must rebuild our demonic arts from scratch?”
The Illusion Demon shook his head at the Heavenly Demon's words.
“No. Simply purging the impurities should suffice. But distinguishing them is hard, and even if successful, we'd lose a great deal of inner power.”
It was inevitable. The demonic arts these cultivators practiced were so muddled that separating pure demonic qi from impurities was nearly impossible.
Thus, even if separated and the contaminants removed, it would equate to erasing a massive portion of their established inner power. Some loss was unavoidable.
“Tch, no one could possibly do that.”
Muttering, the Heavenly Demon eyed Dan Hyeong-u. With his help, it would be simple. He didn't know how, but Dan Hyeong-u accomplished it without any loss of inner power.
But bowing his head chafed. And he doubted it would even work. Escaping alone meant nothing. All demonic cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Fortress needed liberation. Only then could they act.
Taking Dan Hyeong-u back to the fortress was a pipe dream.
As the Heavenly Demon pondered, something approached from afar.
The first to notice was the Sword King atop the carriage.
“Hm? Who's that now?”
At the Sword King's words, the Heavenly Demon snapped to attention and focused his senses. He scowled.
“Persistent bastards.”
They were still distant, but unmistakably from the Martial Alliance. And from the opposite direction, warriors from Martial Emperor Castle were closing in as well.
They were surrounded. They could flee if they moved now. But his feet wouldn't budge. With the path to freedom from the Golden Demon Art right there, he couldn't abandon it.
“Damn it. If not for the Golden Demon Art...”
Without it, he wouldn't need to skulk like this. He was confident of victory against anyone.
“Looks like the Martial Alliance is serious this time.”
The Heavenly Demon nodded at the Illusion Demon's words. The Alliance couldn't forever fixate on Shin Gang and Blue Sea. Eliminate the Heavenly Demon, and they'd have breathing room. He alone could unite the demonic cultivators covertly.
As they hesitated, the Martial Alliance and Martial Emperor Castle forces encircled them.
A tense, hair-trigger atmosphere blanketed the area.