The Pinnacle of Martial Arts (9)
The chat exploded the moment the three rulers of Sleepless City appeared on the Heavenly Demon’s stream.
If a stock kept hitting its daily upper limit day after day, people would eventually believe the price had to fall.
After all, no stock rises forever.
Moreover, if its value suddenly multiplied hundreds of times over, suspicions of market manipulation would surely arise.
Yet in the broadcasting world, such miracles occasionally occur—the appearance of an ecosystem disruptor that defies commercial logic.
◎[Who Is the Greatest Under Heaven?]◎
The moment the Three Emperors who ruled Sleepless City appeared, the viewer count skyrocketed. Sang-hyun had also changed the stream title at the perfect time, drawing in curious passersby who would otherwise have scrolled past.
The sudden ceiling they had broken through now approached seventy thousand, far beyond sixty thousand. Considering that real-time viewers rarely exceed five percent of a channel’s subscriber count, Myeong-yun was setting an extraordinary record. The stream had only just passed its first week, yet it continued its unbroken upward trajectory. To the ever-struggling YouTubers, Myeong-yun had become an inexhaustible wellspring.
And now, something even more astonishing was unfolding in real time.
“So the greatest recluses of Sleepless City have finally crawled out of their holes.”
Dozens of martial artists surrounded Myeong-yun. At their head stood the leaders of each faction.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with long hair clad in a black robe—Hyeon-jeong, the Demonic Cult Leader, the Heavenly Demon, radiating an icy presence akin to Myeong-yun’s own.
A dignified middle-aged man in immaculate azure-white robes that resembled a formal suit—Namgung Cheon, head of the Namgung Family and chairman of Namgung Group.
A bewitching woman with flowing crimson hair, draped in a golden-embroidered robe as though she were an empress—Mi-ryeo, Lord of Sarocheon.
The Three Emperors, the strongest in the Four Evil Factions and the Sleepless City worldview, had arrived with their subordinates in tow. Every gaze fixed upon Myeong-yun, trying to discern what kind of man had summoned them all at once.
Yet they found nothing. Unlike the other martial artists, Myeong-yun bore no cybernetic modifications and carried no inner-energy storage implant. Normally, one would gauge a martial artist’s realm by measuring the quantity of inner energy stored within, but Myeong-yun possessed none of that.
“Was it you who summoned this lady?” Mi-ryeo asked.
Myeong-yun gave a slight nod. “Not only you. Demonic Cult Leader, Namgung Family Head… I summoned all of you. How long do you intend to continue this sluggish war, gnawing at one another bit by bit?”
Hyeon-jeong spoke. “So you are the insolent fool who dares to call himself the Heavenly Demon. How utterly arrogant.”
“A mere imitator who can only copy others—what could you possibly understand? You do not even seem worthy of the title.”
Myeong-yun brushed the remark aside and turned his gaze to Namgung Cheon, the man known as Sleepless City’s Sword God. It was said that no one in the city could match his swordsmanship. Namgung Cheon, hand resting on his sword hilt, met Myeong-yun’s eyes and tightened his grip.
“The righteous Namgung Clan that once commanded the martial world has vanished. All that remains is a toothless tiger with neither hide nor muscle.”
“What did you say?”
“Can one without self call himself a sovereign?”
Having provoked every faction in turn, Myeong-yun closed his eyes and continued. “I had some expectations of Sleepless City’s greatest experts, yet none of you reach even my shadow. It would be fortunate if even one among you truly understood martial arts.”
Still, he had more or less expected this outcome, so he felt no great disappointment. From here on, it was simply a matter of filtering out those among them who possessed the talent to learn true martial arts—though whether any such person existed among those who had replaced their bodies with machines remained doubtful.
“Come, let us determine who is the greatest under heaven. With Sleepless City’s finest gathered and the weather so fine… today shall surely be the greatest of days.”
“You summoned me for something so trivial?” Namgung Cheon’s fury erupted. At his signal, the Namgung forces radiated murderous intent, prompting the Demonic Cult and Sarocheon forces to respond in kind.
Amid the crushing pressure of countless hostile gazes, Myeong-yun felt not oppression but delight. Such scenes were commonplace when wandering the martial world. Those who tried to beat up an inn boy would draw their swords nine times out of ten. Bandits lurked on the roads, pirates on the rivers and seas. The unorthodox factions would pick fights without reason and squeeze the common folk dry, even killing them on a whim. The orthodox factions, though duty-bound to punish them, often accepted bribes and looked the other way. The worst among them used their authority to harass women.
Myeong-yun had never liked that martial world.
“To change the martial world, one must make it an enemy.”
Just like now.
Surrounded by the suffocating killing intent of countless warriors, Myeong-yun continued. “A Demonic Cult Leader unworthy of the title Heavenly Demon, a toothless, skinless tiger of a Namgung Family Head, a Sarocheon Lord corrupted by luxury and indulgence who has lost what matters most.”
“What is there to fear? If you have confidence in your skills, step forward. Unleash your true martial arts and secret techniques—try to bring this Lord down.”
Myeong-yun remained with his hands clasped behind his back. Even surrounded by countless enemies, it was clear he controlled the stage. To the viewers, this was no ordinary bravado. The pressure would have made ordinary people faint.
“This Lord is Myeong-yun, the Eighth Heavenly Demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult from ages past. I shall teach you, who have forgotten both martial arts and chivalry, what true martial prowess truly is.”
As Myeong-yun spoke, a natural yet gentle melody began to flow—rapid strumming of stringed instruments like the gayageum, heightening the atmosphere. It was not the game’s background music; Sang-hyun had lowered the in-game BGM and played a track composed specifically for Myeong-yun.
“Come. As your senior in the martial world, I shall grant you the first move.”
Even in such a critical moment, the viewers could not resist cracking jokes. Myeong-yun suppressed the chat and seized the atmosphere.
Then—
“…How dare you falsely claim the name of the Heavenly Demon. This Lord shall tear you to pieces and feed you to the dogs.”
“So you are the first? If you wish, all of you may come at once. Even if you swarm me like a pack, not a single hair on this Lord’s head shall be touched.”
“I shall shatter that arrogance right now!”
The first to charge was the Heavenly Demon. Hyeon-jeong surged forward, demonic energy billowing crimson-black from his entire body. Yet someone blocked his path.
“Cult Leader, please calm yourself! That man is not our enemy!”
“Move aside, Jeok-wol. He dares to provoke this Lord—how can he not be an enemy?”
“If he is the Eighth Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult, then he is our grandmaster! This will greatly benefit the cult’s development!”
Myeong-yun watched the sudden quarrel between Jeok-wol and Hyeon-jeong. It was likely because Jeok-wol knew his strength. Having seen how easily he had subdued Heo-myeong and Namgung Seong, she must have judged that fighting Myeong-yun would bring no benefit. If the Demonic Cult Leader fought Myeong-yun here and emerged exhausted, Namgung Cheon and Mi-ryeo would surely kill him. Should the leader die, the Demonic Cult would collapse that very day; under the law of the jungle, its businesses would be devoured by Namgung and Sarocheon. Thus Jeok-wol sought to bring Myeong-yun to their side, believing that, as fellow members of the Demonic Cult, he could become a powerful ally.
With that intent, Jeok-wol stood in Hyeon-jeong’s way, but the current Demonic Cult Leader was not so quick-witted.
“If you do not move, I shall kill you as well. How dare you raise your hand against the Heavenly Demon?”
“Cult Leader!”
“…The actions of one who calls himself Cult Leader are no different from those of a thug. Step aside, Jeok-wol.”
Unable to watch any longer, Myeong-yun sighed deeply and told Jeok-wol to move. Reluctantly, she obeyed. Hyeon-jeong stepped forward, demonic energy dripping from him. Disgusted by the sight, Myeong-yun spoke curtly.
“To surpass Extreme Demon and reach Transcendent Demon, one must discard the five desires and seven emotions and shed the shell of humanity. Yet looking at you, reaching Transcendent Demon seems forever impossible.”
“Do not spout nonsense. This Lord’s Cheonma-singong is the greatest divine art under heaven. If you are truly the Heavenly Demon, then you must know how to use it. Let us see whose achievement runs deeper.”
“Hah. You speak of achievement when all you did was download it?”
Myeong-yun asked in genuine disbelief, then stepped forward with unhurried strides.
“I shall show you clearly what true martial arts truly are.”