Chapter 177
Chapter 177
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Capture (2)
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"I have many questions for you."
Ouyang Jue took a step forward. That single movement was enough to turn the air hostile, surging as if to tear at the skin.
As he did, Ouyang Jue thought.
What exactly are the Demonic Doctor's martial arts?
Having only seen them a few times even in his past life, the Demonic Doctor was an unprecedented existence to Ouyang Jue.
'The Eight Evils are the same, in truth.'
While the Eight Evils openly revealed their goals, the Demonic Doctor was a relentless schemer who maintained a sinister smile to the very end.
His heart pounded relentlessly against his chest. His veins, heated by the summer wind, bulged crudely.
Ignorance bred caution, and the ensuing prudence slowed Ouyang Jue's movements.
The Demonic Doctor stared blankly at Ouyang Jue before uttering a single phrase.
"Are you afraid?"
"...What?"
At the absurd words, Ouyang Jue almost let out a hollow laugh.
'Afraid?'
Two of the Eight Evils were dead, and another had an arm severed by the Omniscient One.
Judging by the current situation, the Eight Evils could turn on each other at any moment.
So what was there to fear from the Demonic Doctor, who wasn't even one of the Eight Evils?
Just as Ouyang Jue gripped the hilt of Severing Manifestation, the Demonic Doctor smirked.
"Have you ever thought things were too easy?"
"..."
"Unintended fortune. A fantastic opportunity where the justification you need is instantly created!"
As if seized by some emotion, the Demonic Doctor's clenched fist trembled.
Seeing this different side of the ever-calm, scheming Demonic Doctor, Ouyang Jue frowned slightly.
The Demonic Doctor then continued.
"Ouyang Jue... do you believe in fate or heaven's will?"
"..."
At those words, Ouyang Jue maintained an indifferent expression.
But inside, his mind was a tangled mess of complex emotions.
The events since his return to the past, the new relationships he'd formed, the steep growth of his own martial prowess.
He had even obtained legendary divine artifacts like Severing Manifestation and the Diamond Fist-Seal Armor.
Having reached that point in his thoughts, Ouyang Jue parted his lips slightly.
"No, I don't."
*Fwoosh!*
The sword energy swung from Severing Manifestation sliced off the Demonic Doctor's forelocks.
*Ssss...*
The hair turned to dust and scattered, so close that his head would have been blown off had the fierce energy of the Purple Mist True Ki penetrated just a little deeper.
A few strands clung to the corner of the Demonic Doctor's eye... but he didn't even blink.
He simply waited for Ouyang Jue's answer with a cold expression.
"Luck."
Ouyang Jue spat out the word with a pained expression, as if chewing on the raw liver of a beast.
"I never had such a fate."
*If heaven's will had truly favored me as the Demonic Doctor claims...* Ouyang Jue muttered quietly to himself.
"Even if such a thing existed, nothing would change."
Ouyang Jue didn't believe in things like heaven or fate. That was true in his past life and this one.
He simply struggled to avoid the worst, weighing profit and loss.
To make his life even a little better than his last, Ouyang Jue had always been selfish.
At times, he even deceived others.
He made mistakes along the way. Still, he didn't despair.
Because he knew the road ahead was longer than the one he'd traveled.
*Grip.*
Ouyang Jue's knuckles turned white.
To protect himself, he had killed the innocent Jeok Sang and driven Seo Mun-hwi into a corner. Even now, the memory steeped his bones in guilt.
For that reason, Ouyang Jue hardened his resolve.
His jaw clenched, wrinkles forming around his tightly gritted teeth.
"No matter how much you chatter like a magpie, there's only one thing I have to do."
"..."
"I'm taking you in. That's all."
At those words, the Demonic Doctor gazed blankly at Ouyang Jue.
His lips were firmly sealed with resolve, and his muscles were tensed, ready to strike at the slightest movement.
With that, the Demonic Doctor cooled his mind, sinking it deep within.
"What if I were to take my own life here?"
"You wouldn't."
Ouyang Jue declared without a hint of hesitation.
"A man like you would never choose death without putting up a fight."
"..."
"I'll say this now."
*Crackle.*
A more menacing sword energy filled the air. Even the birds flitting about sensed the danger and flew far away.
Ouyang Jue looked at the Demonic Doctor and spoke in a cold voice.
"Move an inch, and I'll kill you."
Ouyang Jue had seen the Demonic Doctor act indecisively until now.
Despite being a subordinate of the Eight Evils, he hadn't actively helped the Black Dragon Gang; he had merely lingered quietly nearby.
He hadn't even made a serious effort to block Ouyang Jue's path.
As Ouyang Jue's aura grew even more intense, the Demonic Doctor burst into laughter.
"Haha... hahaha!"
Watching him, Ouyang Jue remained silent.
The Demonic Doctor's center of gravity shifted minutely, and grains of sand scraped beneath his shoes.
From that alone, Ouyang Jue instantly knew what the Demonic Doctor was about to do.
*Swish!*
The Demonic Doctor's figure slid backward.
At the same time, Ouyang Jue flicked his thumb.
It was the Finger-Flicking Arts he had just used to seal the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon's movements.
*Twang!*
The pebble, imbued with a massive amount of Purple Mist True Ki that seemed ready to explode, flew toward the Demonic Doctor's head.
It wasn't a simple threat, but a lethal strike dangerous enough to blow off the top of his head above the eyebrows if it connected.
The Demonic Doctor's expression hardened.
'It seems he wasn't bluffing.'
Indeed, Ouyang Jue's face showed no trace of hesitation. He didn't seem worried about what would happen if he accidentally killed him.
"Kuh."
The Demonic Doctor threw his body back again, twisting his head to the left.
But he couldn't completely evade the Finger-Flicking Arts.
*Spurt!*
Half of his earlobe was torn off, left dangling. The pebble had instantly pulverized the flesh, causing blood to gush out.
The thick scent of blood was like a beacon to a hunter.
*Tuk, tuk.*
The Demonic Doctor pressed his own acupoints with his left hand. Though he stopped the bleeding, the situation was far from optimistic.
*Fwoosh!*
The sharp sword energy from Severing Manifestation swept past his head. If he hadn't used a talisman in advance, his skin would have been thinly sliced.
More importantly, he realized something from the brief exchange.
'For a moment, he aimed for my Geogwol and Gihae acupoints. Despite what he said, he intends to capture me.'
It also meant Ouyang Jue's acupoint-striking technique was skilled enough to achieve the state of 'Plucking a Leaf to Send a Flower Flying'.
Trying to escape with a half-baked movement technique would just be a waste of time.
The Demonic Doctor quickly assessed the situation and grabbed a handful of talismans. Then, he bit his right thumb and sprinkled the blood onto the rings of his monk's staff.
"...!"
Seeing this, Ouyang Jue halted his movement technique.
It was for only a brief moment, but a strange light had flashed in the Demonic Doctor's eyes.
Soon, the blood sprinkled on the staff engulfed the Demonic Doctor's entire body. The talismans he held instantly covered the left side of his chest.
Following that, the Demonic Doctor let out a long breath.
"Guhaaaa..."
In the time it took to blink.
The Demonic Doctor had shed his human form and transformed into something else.
The alien feeling at the edge of his cracked voice prodded at Ouyang Jue's senses.
"..."
Was it demonic energy, or the internal energy he had possessed all along?
As Ouyang Jue tilted his head in confusion, the Demonic Doctor slammed his staff into the ground.
*Jingle.*
Like his transformed skin, the now crimson-black rings of the staff turned toward Ouyang Jue.
"For the sake of my great cause, you must now make your exit."
"We'll see."
Ouyang Jue sneered.
Far in the distance.
An energy that felt like the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon was ferociously encroaching upon the surroundings.
There was someone holding out against such a formidable foe. He had willingly taken on the difficulty because he believed in him.
Faintly sensing Liu Zhangming's energy, Ouyang Jue raised Severing Manifestation.
"Someone is waiting for me, so I'm afraid that's not possible."
*BOOM!*
The two martial artists kicked off the ground and crossed paths.
***
*Drip.*
Liu Zhangming casually wiped away the blood trickling down his forehead.
The sweat that had formed from repeatedly using advanced techniques was now stinging his eyes.
'He truly is a monster.'
Liu Zhangming was genuinely impressed by the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon.
The somewhat clumsy movements, as if he'd lost a leg; the pressure of facing multiple strong opponents.
Above all, despite having just lost a hand, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon was undaunted.
On the contrary, he always moved half a step faster to gain the upper hand.
*THUD!*
The shockwave from a mere stomp of his foot caused the Martial Alliance's subjugation squad, which had formed a defensive formation, to falter.
In that moment, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon's shoulder pulled far back.
*Crack, grrr...!*
The wind was crushed, and the tree branches beyond were mercilessly snapped.
The demonic energy the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon wielded like his own limbs was something that had already deviated from the normal bounds of internal energy.
"Young Master Liu!"
At those words, Liu Zhangming stopped catching his breath and executed the Plum Blossom Steps to their absolute limit.
*Swish, pang!*
He used the ravaged ground as a foothold to leap, then stomped on a branch floating in the air to pivot his body.
It was a movement technique truly beyond the peak level, but even that wasn't enough.
'A little more.'
*If only I could move a little faster.* Liu Zhangming tightened his grip on the Dragon's Tear Sword.
Just then, a memory surfaced in Liu Zhangming's mind.
Ouyang Jue's lightness skill, which allowed him to move freely in the air as if leaping across the moon.
Was it called Moon-Stepping Formless Shadow?
Liu Zhangming circulated his Purple Mist True Ki and looked in the direction Ouyang Jue had disappeared.
'I'll just borrow it for a moment.'
...*Swish.*
As if melting into the sky, Liu Zhangming's figure vanished for an instant.
Had Ouyang Jue seen this, he would have been utterly astonished.
How could he copy and perform a martial art without being taught a single incantation?
But Liu Zhangming could do it. Ever since reaching the peak, it felt as if the 'favor of martial arts' was whispering to him.
He could understand and feel it with a single glance.
That was how he had reinterpreted Jo Hun's Path of Zen Scripture to create the Heavenly Will Training Ground.
By reflecting on past regrets, he had created a new sword art called the Heavenly Jade Sword.
The same went for his newly created ultimate technique, Plum Sword Heavenly Chase.
A sword meant to slay demonic beings like the Eight Evils, and a sword that was the culmination of all the enlightenment Liu Zhangming himself had accumulated.
Liu Zhangming instantly closed in behind Nameless.
"Fist Star!"
At the call, Nameless struck the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon's solar plexus with his elbow, then retreated while executing a leg technique.
It was to check the right leg, which had looked somewhat unstable ever since Ouyang Jue used his Finger-Flicking Arts.
"...Hah!"
Seeing this, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon wore a scornful expression.
The prosthetic leg was just a temporary measure. Now that he was used to it, there was no reason he couldn't replace it with demonic energy.
"I am a divine demon."
The Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon struck Nameless's shin with the top of his foot and spun his upper body.
The upper body of Peng Cheon-u was reflected in his eyes.
"...!"
"Hmph!"
*CRACK!*
The Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon's fist seemed to extend for a moment before slamming into Peng Cheon-u's face.
"Keoheok!"
Peng Cheon-u felt his face cave in from the pain as he was sent flying far back.
It wasn't that Peng Cheon-u was weak.
However, against a perfect body that no fist artist could ever surpass, it was unlikely a fist artist could ever defeat the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon.
Nameless shook his head, clearing away the self-deprecating thought.
More importantly, he couldn't miss the chance now that the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon's back was exposed. Nameless roared.
"Now!"
At his shout, Liu Zhangming raised the Dragon's Tear Sword. But he didn't immediately execute a technique.
He simply waited for the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon to turn and face him.
Seeing this, Nameless couldn't hide his look of exasperation.
"...What, what are you doing?"
"..."
Was this what it felt like to be dumbfounded?
Nameless suppressed the urge to strike Liu Zhangming and sent a telepathic message.
-I asked what you are doing!
"I had resolved not to shy away from any means or methods, as our foe is a demonic being. But not this."
Liu Zhangming frowned.
"To aim for an injured person's back is something I cannot do as a Daoist of the Mount Hua Sect."
"You... you crazy bastard!"
Unable to contain his anger, Nameless's fists trembled. The Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon chuckled.
"I'm quite grateful that you think of me as an injured man, but how can you possibly win with such a mindset?"
"That is not for you to decide."
*Slice! Thud.*
Immediately after the sound stopped, the surroundings fell silent for a brief moment.
It was because an utterly unbelievable sight had unfolded before them.
Nameless was the first to grasp the situation.
"...Were you hiding your true strength?"
"Not at all."
Liu Zhangming swept his bangs back with his left hand.
"My head just cleared up a bit, that's all."
"...Ha."
The Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon let out a hollow laugh as he watched his own ring finger rolling on the ground.
"If it clears up twice, I won't have a life left to spare."