Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Capture (3)
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Just what kind of being was Liu Zhangming?
‘Just what are you…?’
The Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon shook off the chill that crept up his spine.
He had now encountered Liu Zhangming three times.
At the Shaolin Temple, in the Sword Immortal's Cave, and now.
Each time, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon had been forced to face a formidable master.
At the Shaolin Temple, it had been the high monks who had mastered orthodox martial arts; in the Sword Immortal's Cave, it was his old nemesis, Seo Mun-hwi; and now, it was the Martial Alliance's subjugation force, led by Nameless.
But this was the first time he had ever been so shaken that it showed plainly on his face.
He had to dredge up memories from hundreds of years ago just to find someone barely comparable.
‘Lü Dongbin. Yes, this man resembles Lü Dongbin.’
From his talent, as if favored by the martial gods, to that old-fashioned adherence to chivalry, even when facing a villain.
Drip, drop.
The Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon stared blankly at the blood flowing from the severed stump.
Then, a sarcastic remark slipped out.
“Was being one-armed not enough? Do you plan to make a cripple of me now?”
“You should consider yourself fortunate that I did not strike you from behind.”
Liu Zhangming lightly flicked his Dragon's Tear Sword, shaking off the blood.
“I do not know what circumstances led you to this state… but I regret that we must fight like this.”
“Regret, you say.”
At those words, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon glanced around.
The countless warriors gathered to kill him radiated thick killing intent, not bothering to hide their rage over their fallen comrades.
But Liu Zhangming was different.
He saw him as a demon that had to be killed, same as the others… but he seemed to find the current situation distasteful.
A demon, yes, but a powerful one.
As Liu Zhangming showed genuine regret, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon’s eyes narrowed.
“Haha, regret, you say…”
Before anger could even rise, a sense of futility surged in his chest.
To think the name of the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon would fall to such depths.
Never imagining a warrior would appear who genuinely pitied him, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon wiggled his fingers.
His right foot had been severed by Seo Mun-hwi, his left arm sliced off by Liu Zhangming. Now, the ring finger of his right hand also lay rolling on the ground.
To any observer, it was a wretched sight.
No matter how peerless a master he was, he couldn't possibly display his full prowess in such a state.
No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't win. The Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon admitted this to himself.
Just then, Liu Zhangming spoke.
“Surrender.”
“...?”
“I will ensure you are spared public execution, at the very least.”
With those words, the briefly relaxed atmosphere instantly froze over.
Depending on how the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon answered, the situation would shift to one extreme or the other.
Meanwhile, the members of the Martial Alliance were in awe that Liu Zhangming, a mere member of the younger generation, was commanding a greater presence than the Alliance Leader himself.
Seeing this, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon clenched his fist.
“Are you telling me to bow to you if I want a clean death?”
“To be frank, I do not wish to lie.”
Liu Zhangming stared at the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon with a cold expression.
Respect for a strong warrior was one thing, but it was undeniable that the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon was the worst monster in the history of the martial world.
He had to be killed when the opportunity arose.
As Liu Zhangming made his intentions clear, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon let out a short, sharp laugh.
“Don’t get the wrong idea, you insects.”
*Thud!*
The Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon stomped his right foot hard on the ground. The vibration that shot up through the sole of his foot seemed to ring inside his head.
With that, his mind seemed to clear.
“No one has ever broken my will. That is why they call me the Divine Demon!”
*Fwoosh!*
The demonic energy the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon unleashed instantly began to corrupt the surroundings.
* * *
Phantom Demon Body.
It was both a spell and a martial art, created from the Demonic Doctor’s desperate wish to reach the realm of the Eight Evils.
*Clang-clang-clang!*
The internal energy condensed in his staff was fired toward Ouyang Jue all at once.
Not only did each blast possess a force comparable to sword energy, but the Demonic Doctor’s own talisman arts also confounded Ouyang Jue’s vision.
*Crackle!*
A talisman floating idly in the air suddenly tore apart, erupting with lightning.
The lightning the Demonic Doctor wielded was too far beyond the norm to be dismissed as mere sorcery.
Any first-rate warrior who couldn't handle sword energy would have been instantly turned to ash by those talismans alone.
Ouyang Jue’s eyebrows twitched at the Demonic Doctor’s martial prowess.
“With martial arts like these, why do you obey the Eight Evils?”
“…”
The Demonic Doctor offered no reply. To be precise, he had a good guess as to what Ouyang Jue was after.
‘This man has a similar disposition to my own.’
Not necessarily brilliant, but calmer than anyone.
A tendency to constantly devise escape plans even in the direst situations, and to feign danger to make his opponent talk.
Even now, though he seemed to be pushed back by the Phantom Demon Body, there was a sense of ease in Ouyang Jue’s movements.
If he had the arrogant mindset of the Eight Evils, he might have opened his mouth, thinking he was going to kill his opponent anyway.
The Demonic Doctor knew that difference well.
‘Die blabbering like an idiot, or die in silence.’
The Demonic Doctor did not think he could definitively defeat Ouyang Jue.
The enemies Ouyang Jue had defeated were too powerful, and too numerous, for that.
Take Yan Yang-gun, the former head of the Zhenzhou Yan Clan; though slightly inferior, his martial skill was comparable to his own.
To look down on Ouyang Jue because of his age would be no different from the countless grunts who had died at his hands.
The Demonic Doctor tightened his grip on the staff. His skin turned white, as if screaming under the pressure.
In that instant, Ouyang Jue’s form vanished.
‘He’s coming.’
Just as the Demonic Doctor assumed a combat stance.
*Craaaash—!*
Clashing with Severing Manifestation, the Demonic Doctor was pushed back more than three steps, spitting out a mouthful of dark blood.
“Kugh…”
*Drip.*
The blood flowing from the corner of his mouth soaked his chin and drenched his collar. The gritty sensation on the tip of his tongue told him he had broken his front teeth.
And that was after just a single exchange.
The Demonic Doctor could see no chance of victory against Ouyang Jue. No, he had erased such thoughts entirely.
“Are you afraid?”
At those words, the Demonic Doctor raised his head. A dark sneer was plastered on Ouyang Jue’s face, one corner of his mouth twitching upward.
“I have a habit of not forgetting words I've heard and paying them back in kind.”
“...Hmph.”
The Demonic Doctor snorted, shaking off the fear that had crept into him.
Just for a single moment.
If a chance to escape or turn the tables presented itself, he just had to seize it. As the Demonic Doctor’s eyes grew cold, Ouyang Jue frowned.
“How foolish.”
*Does he really believe he still has a chance?*
Ouyang Jue inwardly scoffed at the Demonic Doctor’s ignorance.
Just as he knew nothing of the Demonic Doctor’s spells, the Demonic Doctor knew nothing of his martial arts.
A problem born from always observing from a distance. Ouyang Jue spotted an opening in the Demonic Doctor’s abdomen and circulated the Path Towards the Extreme of Light.
*Crackle!*
In an instant, crackling lightning enveloped Ouyang Jue’s left hand.
Bafflement clouded the Demonic Doctor’s face.
His expression showed he had never expected it, not only because he had never seen such a martial art before, but also because it was so far removed from the Mount Hua Sect.
Seeing this, Ouyang Jue smiled in satisfaction and spoke.
“Heaven-Shaking Thunderclap Strike.”
A fist technique created by the previous Divine Demon Fist, who was in seclusion in the Hundred Thousand Mountains—a martial study that condensed lightning energy to the realm of purity.
Sensing danger, the Demonic Doctor crossed his hands and lightly shook his staff.
Soon, as the Demonic Doctor muttered something.
*Fwoosh.*
The talismans plastered to the left side of his chest burst into flames.
‘With this level of defense…’
Nothing short of the power to demolish a castle wall could even scratch it.
The Demonic Doctor stared at Ouyang Jue's left fist, pondering how to counter it.
But the result was far different, arriving as despair for the Demonic Doctor.
*KABOOM, CRACKLE!*
The thunderclap summoned by the Heaven-Shaking Thunderclap Strike shattered the staff into dozens of pieces, and the protective barrier of talismans collapsed with a monstrous screech.
And what of the Demonic Doctor himself?
Half of his face was covered in dark red burns.
The chest pain from the superheated air was so agonizing he could no longer maintain the Phantom Demon Body.
“Keuk, kegh.”
As the Demonic Doctor gasped for breath, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, Ouyang Jue grabbed him by the hair.
The problem was that it was the same left hand that had just unleashed the Heaven-Shaking Thunderclap Strike.
“Gyaaaack!”
As the lightning energy coursed through his entire body, the Demonic Doctor couldn't bear the pain and let out a scream.
Seeing this, Ouyang Jue sheathed Severing Manifestation and smashed his right fist into the bridge of the Demonic Doctor’s nose.
*Crack!*
The punch landed, and a sudden gush of blood from his nose stained the corners of his mouth. Yet Ouyang Jue's expression remained unchanged.
If he showed even the slightest mercy, there was no telling what tricks the Demonic Doctor might use to escape.
Ouyang Jue had more than enough experience and patience to avoid ruining things with needless sentiment.
*Squeeze…*
As Ouyang Jue yanked the hand gripping his hair, the Demonic Doctor’s feet dragged across the ground.
‘What kind of strength is this…!’
No matter how profound one's internal energy, external strength was a separate matter. The Demonic Doctor barely held onto his fraying consciousness.
But despite his efforts, Ouyang Jue’s actions once again turned to merciless violence.
*Thwack!*
As a knee infused with Purple Mist True Energy dug deep into his abdomen, the Demonic Doctor’s face twisted grotesquely.
The pressure points he had sealed to endure pain were forcibly released, and his flow of qi and blood was thrown into chaos.
“Gaaah…”
The breath he had been holding rushed out, and his lungs felt like they were shriveling. An unfamiliar pain, the likes of which he had never felt in his entire life, consumed him.
*Grit.*
The Demonic Doctor glared at Ouyang Jue with bloodshot eyes. It was a show of his resolve to never speak, but also an act he had to perform to keep from going mad.
“…”
Ouyang Jue raised his fist with a blank expression.
He could easily capture the Demonic Doctor now, but it would be easier to handle things later if his will was completely broken first.
If the Demonic Doctor had other schemes and fed him false information, he and the Mount Hua Sect would be the ones to suffer.
Purple Mist True Energy gathered in Ouyang Jue’s palm.
“Choose.”
“...Hmph.”
“Unlike some people, I’m not so gentle.”
Ouyang Jue shrugged.
“Ever heard of Five-Limb Ruination?”
At those words, the Demonic Doctor’s expression hardened. He never imagined that Ouyang Jue, a mere member of the younger generation, would know of it. His shock was palpable.
“You… Are you really a warrior of the righteous sects?”
Five-Limb Ruination was a vicious technique that could turn a perfectly healthy person into a living mummy within fifteen minutes.
Who would dream of a life where they could do nothing but breathe?
For the Demonic Doctor himself, who dreamed of standing above all others, to end up in such a state—it was a fate he didn't even want to imagine.
As the Demonic Doctor trembled slightly, Ouyang Jue placed a palm on his face.
“I do hope you’ll be wise.”
“If you thought you could scare me by just mentioning Five-Limb Ruination…!”
“Of course not.”
Ouyang Jue smirked, recalling an event from his past life.
From whom had he learned Five-Limb Ruination?
Was it not from the Demonic Doctor, the man once called the greatest physician under heaven?
‘Using it on the very person who taught it to me is a bit much, I suppose.’
But when he thought of the many people who had suffered at his hands, he felt not a shred of pity.
As Ouyang Jue began to inject Purple Mist True Energy into the Demonic Doctor.
“Guuuh… Gyaaaaaaah…!”
A beast-like scream filled a corner of the forest.
* * *
*Rumble…*
Countless warriors lay sprawled around the blood-soaked Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon.
It was not because their skills were lacking, nor because the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon was too powerful.
It was simply because the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon refused to fall.
Nameless knew it sounded absurd, but he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
‘In that state…’
One leg, one arm.
His remaining hand was no longer in its proper shape. Slashed and mangled countless times, it was barely attached to his body.
And yet, the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon did not retreat. He did not cower in fear of death.
He was simply resolute. Nameless felt a small shiver as he witnessed the intense will burning in the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon’s eyes.
“Aren't you tired?”
The Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon shook his head at Nameless’s blunt question.
“I have already decided where I will die. It is not here.”
“Good grief.”
Just from the blood matted in his hair, it was clear he had long surpassed a lethal dose of blood loss.
Nameless forcefully mended his own broken bones with internal energy, his brow furrowing deeply.
Just then, a telepathic message from Liu Zhangming reached him.
-Fist Star, on my signal…
-Understood.
Just as they were preparing to fight once more.
*Rustle.*
Ouyang Jue and the Demonic Doctor emerged from the bushes.