The Heavenly Demon Goes to See the Plum Blossoms (13)
The moment I heard that the plum blossoms of Mount Hua were in full bloom, I wondered what kind of nonsense that was. So this is what they meant. How amusing.
“You have come.”
“You are managing to hold onto your sanity quite well.”
“I must.”
Indeed. Though your talent was meager, your will was always strong. Even now, twisted beyond recognition as you are, you still refuse to let go of that will.
“I thought you would come. Will you stop me?”
“I must.”
I had no desire to watch the Blood Cult Leader rejoice over his completed masterpiece. Besides, I needed to repay the resentment of those watching my stream right now. Most of all, I had promised Baru that I would win.
“Do you truly believe you can stop me?”
“Of course.”
When I nodded, the Mount Hua Sect Leader smiled.
“Go back. You seem excited at having reached first-class, but that level alone cannot stop me.”
He drew his sword and swung it lightly. The sword energy brushed past my side. A portion of the hair I had tied back was sliced away and fluttered in the air. The wall that had stood behind me just moments ago shattered and vanished. In the path the sword had traveled lingered a thick, heavy scent of blood.
How curious. For a martial art to carry a fragrance. I wonder what principle makes this possible. It cannot be a characteristic of blood sorcery. Nor does it align with the principles of the Gale Swift Sword. Should I consider it a trait of the Purple Mist Divine Art? No. That cannot be it either. I have fought against those who reached the pinnacle of my Purple Mist Divine Art, and this phenomenon never occurred.
My interest is piqued.
“If you attack me now, you will only meet a dog’s death. I show you this consideration because you have learned the Golden Dragon Sword Technique, so return quietly.”
Having said that, the Mount Hua Sect Leader sheathed his sword to show he had no will to fight.
He considers me beneath him. Moreover, because I revealed the Golden Dragon Sword, he seems to regard me as no more than his junior disciple. How blind.
He succeeded in gaining immense internal energy through blood sorcery, yet his realm has not caught up. This is troublesome. I was just beginning to grow interested in the sword you swung earlier.
There is no choice. I must force you to use your full power.
I circulated the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, revealing its unique energy on the surface. As the dark crimson inner energy of the divine art surged, the Mount Hua Sect Leader’s eyes widened.
I knew you would recognize it. After all, the very thing you consider your mortal enemy is the user of this Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
“How… How can you wield the Heavenly Demon’s martial arts?”
“Even if you ask why, the root of my being lies in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.”
“Nonsense! There is no way a practitioner of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art could inherit Tae Hang-woon’s will!”
“I have no idea what you are talking about. When did I ever say I learned from that man?”
I simply took it for myself.
At my words, the Mount Hua Sect Leader’s expression began to rot.
“You deceived me.”
“Was it not you who misunderstood on your own? No matter what you say to me, it is merely troublesome.”
Just as you arbitrarily assumed the users had become members of Mount Hua, you also arbitrarily judged my past. If anything, I believe this is closer to your own fault than mine.
“Huu… It is better this way. The first life I cut down with this power shall be a subordinate of the Heavenly Demon.”
“I am not a subordinate, though.”
“If I send the head of one who wields the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to the Heavenly Demon, it will serve as an excellent warning.”
He is not listening to me.
With the Mount Hua Sect Leader’s words, the entire room we stood in filled with his internal energy. The aura flowing from him was so sharp it seemed capable of slicing through everything in the world, perfectly reflecting the nature of his mind. On top of that, the thick scent of blood carried within the pale violet energy was unsettling enough to send a shiver down the spine.
It seems you finally feel like fighting.
When I smiled faintly, the Mount Hua Sect Leader ground his teeth and charged at me. He is fast, but he is still clumsy at handling the power he has obtained. Moving so honestly is no different from begging me to dodge.
The Mount Hua Sect Leader’s sword reached me in an instant. I was about to evade, but upon sensing the density of the internal energy within it, I changed my mind. If I dodged clumsily, I would get caught up and die. Fortunately, the sword he thrust was linear. Since the flow of power was straightforward, disturbing that flow was simple.
I wrapped my hand in strong energy and placed the back of it against the flat of the incoming blade, altering its path. The sword shot upward and sliced through the ceiling. No. “Sliced” would be inaccurate. It completely demolished the entire building above, so it would be better to say it destroyed it.
Looking at the back of the hand that had pushed the sword away, I saw the flesh beginning to burn. The intense yang energy unique to the Purple Mist Divine Art had pierced through my strong energy and affected my hand. Even though he is clumsy at handling power, it is still this potent? Interesting.
I wonder what kind of scenery he could show if he fully mastered the power he possesses. Shall I play with him for a while? I am curious about the sword he uses, and I want to see how far he can push his lacking talent.
The Mount Hua Sect Leader pursued me, launching a continuous barrage. The principle behind his sword was the Gale Swift Sword he had originally used, but what blew from it was not the wind the Mount Hua Sect Leader usually wielded—it was a storm. Even the one creating the wind could not measure the storm’s power and was being swept along by it. Nevertheless, a storm was still a storm.
Every time the Mount Hua Sect Leader swung his sword, marks were carved into the surroundings. The ground was gouged, other buildings of Mount Hua were destroyed, and even my body, which received the swords, accumulated small cuts. The words of someone who once said that sufficient strength itself is no different from a martial art came to mind. That statement was correct. With this much power, one could crush half-baked principles with brute force.
However, it is truly unfortunate for the Mount Hua Sect Leader. The realm I have reached is by no means half-baked. Even though my body had only just risen to first-class, the principles I possessed had already surpassed the heavens. Even if a storm raged, I had the leisure to ride atop its winds and frolic freely.
By the time the continuous barrage had not only devastated the grounds of the Mount Hua Sect but also blown away the gate that guarded its entrance, the Mount Hua Sect Leader finally seemed to realize something was wrong. He stopped his attacks and shouted at me.
“Why are you not attacking?!”
“Your attacks are so threatening that I am too busy receiving them.”
“Do not lie! Do you think I cannot tell you are holding back?!”
It seems your head has finally cooled. I had wondered if you might remain consumed by hatred until the fight ended.
“Answer me!”
“Because defeating you in your current state would be far too boring.”
What I desire is a struggle, not a hunt. How could facing a Mount Hua Sect Leader who has lost his reason, swept up in the power he wields and swinging his sword wildly, be called a struggle? A warrior who has lost his reason is no different from a beast. Inflicting defeat upon the current Mount Hua Sect Leader would be more accurately called a hunt.
“How dare a pawn of the Demonic Cult insult me?!”
“Are you not a pawn of the Blood Cult?”
When I answered indifferently, the Mount Hua Sect Leader shut his mouth.
“If you wish to draw out my true sincerity, fight me as a warrior. Surely you are not afraid that the martial arts of Mount Hua will crumble before the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?”
“…Very well. I shall do as you wish.”
The moment he answered, the Mount Hua Sect Leader ground his teeth and charged at me once more. I had worried he might lose his reason again and swing wildly, but that was an unnecessary concern. The storm still moved on its own, but it was different from before. Little by little, will was beginning to reside within it.
The Mount Hua Sect Leader’s talent was meager, but the years of martial pursuit he had accumulated throughout his life did not betray him. Direction was born within the storm that had only rampaged recklessly, and intent was engraved into it. Before long, principles took form within.
Yes. This is how it should be. What I came to fight was not a beast without reason, but a warrior who wields the martial way.
I no longer need to simply receive.
The ceaseless Gale Swift Sword was like a storm blowing madly, appearing to have no gaps at all. But in reality, it was different. The reason no gaps could be seen was because one was only looking at the surface of the storm and had become frightened. If a storm stands before you and you cannot avoid it, you should not retreat. You must advance instead. Only then can you see the gaps.
The Mount Hua Sect Leader’s sword, which was slowly taking the form of true martial arts, burned hotter than before. As if refusing to allow my approach, the sword that thrust dozens of times in an instant was certainly threatening. However, the Mount Hua Sect Leader’s sword was still honest. He was trying to unfold his original martial arts, but he had not yet adapted to the newly gained power. That was why openings could be seen.
The moment the Mount Hua Sect Leader thrust his sword, I stepped forward with a firm stance. I can see the foot he advanced. He chose an even fiercer attack. I can see the path of the moving sword. He intends to slash diagonally from my left shoulder. I can see the power put into the arm supporting the sword. He believes that if he attacks faster, he can reach me.
Since his intended attack was completely visible, the method to counter it was clear. At times like this, overwhelming strength to crush the enemy’s attack was not necessary. All that was needed was enough power to create a hole in the opponent’s attack. And with a first-class body, that much was more than possible.
Sword and fist collided.
What was repelled was the sword. The blade that had been heading downward was pushed back and rose upward again. No matter how much the Mount Hua Sect Leader valued swift swords, he could not move his blade again immediately. A gap had been created.
It seems you do not know how to use the power you possess. Allow me to demonstrate once, especially for you. Watch and learn.
The greater the power one possesses, the more one must not wield it lightly. Otherwise, you cannot utilize all of the power you have. You must always use every part of your entire body. Like this.
BOOM!
The instant my fist connected with the Mount Hua Sect Leader’s face, his body flew far away and crashed into the debris of a collapsed building.
Perhaps it was because I had faced Geomseon earlier, but the martial arts the Mount Hua Sect Leader displayed were disappointing in many ways. Even if one searched the entire world, few would possess more internal energy than him, yet because the realm he had reached was so low, he could not use it properly. For someone who had expected a fiercer fight, it was simply disappointing.
Still, it was not without gains. While receiving the Mount Hua Sect Leader’s sword, I had roughly figured out why his swordsmanship carried the scent of blood. It was a phenomenon caused by the grudge contained in his mind seeping into the blade. Having surpassed the wall by embracing immense malice, he was unconsciously drawing his own mindscape outward without realizing it.
Just how long had he dreamed of revenge against me for blood to flow from his very heart? If one were to compare, it was a degraded technique compared to the Mind Sword that Geomseon had used. It was merely interesting and nothing more. If I tried to replicate it, I could do so without much difficulty.
“Just what are you?”
When I turned my head toward the voice, the Mount Hua Sect Leader, who had crawled out from the building debris, was staring at me.
“Are you the Heavenly Demon’s chief disciple? How can you resemble the Heavenly Demon so closely?”
Horror filled his eyes. So you have finally begun to see what realm you have reached.