Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: The Duel with the Invincible Emperor
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While the Heavenly Demon stopped the carriage and busied himself with something, the women inside pricked up their ears, listening to the voices from outside with eyes brimming with curiosity and tension.
They had been puzzled when the carriage suddenly halted, but their shock deepened upon realizing it was the Heavenly Demon who had stopped it. Yet nothing could compare to the astonishment that followed.
"How could he release the Golden Demon Art..."
The demon they had imagined was no ordinary human. And the sole chain binding those demons was the Golden Demon Art. Yet he had freed them from it. Dan Hyeong-u, of all people.
If things continued like this, Dan Hyeong-u would become a target of the Martial Alliance. No, not just them—he'd be hunted by every martial artist who feared demons.
"At this rate, becoming a public enemy of the martial world is only a matter of time. Sigh, what a mess."
Umun Hye sighed as she spoke, and Jegal Lin and Jo Seol-yeon nodded in agreement. What was he thinking, revealing such a ability here?
As the women fretted, the Martial Alliance and Invincible Castle forces surrounded the carriage. Hearing this, Jegal Lin quickly spoke up.
"It'd be too dangerous to leave it all to the people outside. We should go out too."
At Jegal Lin's words, the women in the carriage sprang into action.
The carriage door opened, and five women emerged one by one. For a moment, a hush fell over the area, followed by a subtle tension.
"Well? In the end, didn't I save you all from danger? Hahaha!"
The five women frowned involuntarily at Jin Guk-ho's laughing words. He truly seemed oblivious to everything.
"Who saved whom..."
Umun Hye muttered softly with a hint of mockery. Jin Guk-ho didn't catch it, but the four women beside her heard clearly. Smiles tugged at their lips.
Seeing their smiles, Jin Guk-ho fell into an even greater delusion. He thought they had been waiting for him.
"Hahaha! You ladies have nothing to worry about! No matter how much of a Heavenly Demon he is, he's still a demon. He's powerless against the Golden Demon Art. Hahaha!"
Jin Guk-ho laughed heartily and glared at the Heavenly Demon.
"Kneel, and I'll spare your life."
As Jin Guk-ho spoke, the Demon Extermination Squad members mixed among the Black Tortoise Unit stepped forward.
Seeing this, Jin Guk-ho grew even more confident.
Ching!
Jin Guk-ho drew his sword and struck a dashing pose. It was all for the five women.
"A trash like you is unnecessary in this world! I'll just sever your head."
After saying that, Jin Guk-ho glanced around, signaling the Demon Extermination Squad members. They began gathering internal energy in their dantians.
"Hold on a moment, Vice Unit Leader Jin."
Jin Guk-ho turned at the sudden voice. Choi Geuk of the Invincible Emperor stood beside him before he knew it.
At the Invincible Emperor's appearance, even the Demon Extermination Squad members faltered, dispersing the gathered Golden Demon Art without fully channeling it.
"What is it?"
Jin Guk-ho was slightly irritated at the Invincible Emperor for interrupting his grand moment, but he spoke as politely as possible. One didn't snap at the Invincible Emperor.
"I've been thinking I should cross swords with the Heavenly Demon at least once."
Jin Guk-ho grumbled inwardly but had no choice but to nod. If the Invincible Emperor handled the Heavenly Demon, he'd be yielding the spotlight. But there was no helping it. With the Invincible Emperor requesting it and all the warriors watching eagerly, he couldn't betray their expectations.
"If you would do that, we'd be grateful. Witnessing a clash between masters is a great fortune, isn't it?"
Jin Guk-ho spoke courteously and stepped back. At his gesture, the Martial Alliance warriors retreated in an instant, and the Invincible Castle warriors followed suit.
A vast open space formed around the carriage in moments.
"Well? Care to have a go at it with me?"
The Invincible Emperor lightly provoked the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon looked at him with an odd expression.
"Fight here, right now? You think you can?"
The Invincible Emperor chuckled at the Heavenly Demon's words.
"Heh. What's to stop us? Worried about your subordinates?"
At that, the Heavenly Demon turned to Dan Hyeong-u beside him with a look of disbelief.
From the moment the Invincible Emperor appeared, Dan Hyeong-u's power had begun leaking outward again. Of course, no one else noticed. Only the Heavenly Demon sensed it.
The immense power buried deep within made the Heavenly Demon struggle to suppress his fear. How could he fight in this state?
The Heavenly Demon glanced at the Invincible Emperor again. He didn't seem to sense the pressure from Dan Hyeong-u. He probably hadn't noticed it at all.
"He has no idea. Truly."
The Heavenly Demon looked back and forth between the Invincible Emperor and Dan Hyeong-u in astonishment. The Invincible Emperor waited calmly.
"How long do you plan to keep me waiting?"
At the Invincible Emperor's urging, the Heavenly Demon nodded.
"Fine. Give me a moment, and I'll oblige."
The Invincible Emperor frowned slightly at the Heavenly Demon's response.
He had envisioned this duel from the first moment he laid eyes on the Heavenly Demon. Truth be told, when he first pursued him, he'd hoped to simply seal him away with the Golden Demon Art.
There was no reason to tangle with a pinnacle expert like the Heavenly Demon unnecessarily. Unless he was certain of victory, he hadn't planned to fight.
But seeing the Heavenly Demon just now had changed his mind completely. This was an opportunity. The Heavenly Demon was clearly suffering from severe internal injuries.
His qi flow was erratic—something that couldn't be faked. The demonic qi in his danjeon churned wildly, and the energy coursing through his body broke off in jagged bursts. These were no ordinary wounds.
Defeating the Heavenly Demon would yield immense gains. The Invincible Emperor couldn't let that slip away.
In any case, he decided to wait. There was nothing the Heavenly Demon could do now. Even if he took an internal injury pill, it wouldn't take effect instantly.
The Heavenly Demon gave the Invincible Emperor a meaningful smile and glanced at Dan Hyeong-u.
He truly couldn't deny it. This was a wall he could never overcome, no matter what. Perhaps even the entire Heavenly Demon Castle couldn't defeat him.
The Heavenly Demon politely cupped his fists toward Dan Hyeong-u.
"Please, withdraw your power."
As Dan Hyeong-u turned to look at the Invincible Emperor in response to the gesture, the latter stared back in shock, his face full of incomprehension.
Dan Hyeong-u gave a faint nod.
The Heavenly Demon sighed in relief as Dan Hyeong-u's presence suddenly vanished. Its absence made him realize just how overwhelming it had been. His qi and blood had felt on the verge of rupture under that colossal pressure; now they surged too vigorously, almost uncontrollably.
The Heavenly Demon slowly moved to a spot far from the carriage. Turning to face the Invincible Emperor, he spoke.
"Well then, shall we begin?"
The Heavenly Demon gazed at the Invincible Emperor with a thick smile.
The Invincible Emperor was stunned. The Heavenly Demon's condition had changed abruptly.
'I've been had!'
He'd been thoroughly tricked. How could he have fallen for it? His gaze shifted to Dan Hyeong-u.
In his mind, Dan Hyeong-u was the culprit. He didn't know what method was used, but the situation pointed to him.
The Invincible Emperor glared at Dan Hyeong-u with fierce eyes. But Dan Hyeong-u had already lost interest in him.
He'd taken notice because he was one of the top ten experts. The Heavenly Demon had at least entertained him, making him think there might be more. But the result was utterly disappointing.
Dan Hyeong-u stood silently, observing the qi vortex swirling around the Heavenly Demon and the Invincible Emperor.
The first to move was the Invincible Emperor. He figured a surprise attack might give him the edge.
Bam!
His fist shattered the ground where the Heavenly Demon had stood. A crater formed in the earth.
The Heavenly Demon evaded with light movements and drew his sword. The sword was his specialty; the fist, the Invincible Emperor's.
Dense sword qi poured from the Heavenly Demon's blade, enveloping the Invincible Emperor.
Pure energy erupted from the Invincible Emperor's fist in all directions.
Kaboom!
Pitch-black energy shot toward the Invincible Emperor's chest. Just before it pierced his heart, a brilliant white light flared up.
Bang!
The Invincible Emperor's protective qi had blocked the Heavenly Demon's sword beam.
Cold sweat trickled down the Invincible Emperor's back. A moment's delay in deploying his protective qi, and his heart would have been pierced.
He hadn't anticipated the sword beam at all. It had come suddenly amid the black sword qi blocking every direction.
The Invincible Emperor gritted his teeth. He had to win, no matter what.
Whoooosh!
All his internal energy concentrated into both fists. A qi whirlwind swirled around him.
The Heavenly Demon smiled faintly at the sight. Finally, the Invincible Emperor was committing his full power. It was only proper to respond in kind.
The Heavenly Demon's sword turned pitch black.
Unlike the Invincible Emperor, calm prevailed around the Sword Demon. The qi whirlwind extending from the Invincible Emperor dissipated into a mere breeze before him.
The Heavenly Demon's body, sword, and qi embodied perfect stillness.
The Invincible Emperor's eyes widened at the sight. It was astonishing. He'd never imagined the Heavenly Demon's martial arts had reached such a realm. But he was already committed—tiger-riding momentum.
"Haaap!"
The Invincible Emperor charged, compensating for his lacking power with a shout. The massive qi vortex centered on him swallowed the Heavenly Demon.
Thud!
For such a colossal clash, the sound was eerily quiet.
And then, everything stopped.
The scene that unfolded was truly shocking. The Heavenly Demon stood tall, sword naturally lowered. Before him, the Invincible Emperor knelt rigidly, glaring up at him.
The Heavenly Demon gazed steadily at him, then turned away. The Invincible Emperor slowly toppled forward.
Thud.
The Invincible Emperor lay motionless.
The Heavenly Demon walked slowly toward the carriage. Despite the massive qi collision, the area around it remained untouched.
In contrast, the Martial Alliance and Invincible Castle warriors' positions were a mess. Not a single person there had intact clothing.
Though silent, the shockwaves radiating outward had been tremendous. Razor-sharp winds had flown threateningly, injuring several Martial Alliance warriors severely.
It had been that intense a clash. Yet the carriage area was pristine—not even a nearby pebble disturbed.
The Heavenly Demon chuckled and shook his head. Dan Hyeong-u hadn't moved a step from his spot, posture unchanged, as if he'd never stirred.
The Heavenly Demon halted before the carriage and looked at the Phantom Demon and Demon Palace.
"You're unharmed."
The Phantom Demon understood the implication and made a troubled face.
"It was as if they deliberately avoided us."
The Heavenly Demon shook his head with a hollow laugh at the response.
"Ha, well, this is..."
He turned to Dan Hyeong-u. His eyes burned with intensity, as if to consume everything.
"How old are you?"
The unexpected question startled those around Dan Hyeong-u. A reply came soon after—not from him, but another.
"He's still twenty."
It was Jo Seol-yeon.
The Heavenly Demon's gaze shifted to her.
"Twenty? Already?"
"In a few more months, he'll turn twenty-one."
The Heavenly Demon couldn't believe it. Such a realm at merely twenty? It made no sense.
Amassing that vast energy would take over a century, even with peerless techniques. No, even a century might not suffice.
"I'm nearly a hundred myself, and I don't even reach his toehold. At twenty? Did he start cultivating in a past life or something?"
As the Heavenly Demon expressed disbelief, Jo Seol-yeon added with an awkward smile.
"He said he began martial arts at ten."
The Heavenly Demon fell silent. That strong in just ten years?
"Not human."
That was his conclusion.
Whatever conclusion he reached didn't matter. What did was that not everything was settled yet.
A few Invincible Castle warriors leaped toward the fallen Invincible Emperor and cried out in horror.
"He's dead!"
The Invincible Emperor was gone—slain by the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon had become the world's greatest. Acknowledged by others, but not by himself.