I opened my eyes to find the dojo completely gone, replaced by a different location.
It looked like a dark space, reminiscent of an astronomical observatory, with constellations drawn in the void.
And in the midst of this space was a colossal black dragon.
“Whoa….”
Seeing it up close, the impact was no joke.
In the past, I thought it was just a dragon because people kept saying “black dragon,” but now I had encountered many entities—from the scritchable Seo Gong to a spider the same height as a person, and even Saber Beasts over ten feet tall, or Black Armored Dragons over lengths of thirty feet.
And also the Black Serpent that was similar in length to the Black Armored Dragon but vastly different in mass.
Among all the entities I had met, this one undoubtedly emitted the strongest presence.
Unlike the dinosaurs we usually find in today’s world, whether the Dragon Species existed in this Martial World’s past or it was simply a fable about a serpent ascending to become a black dragon, one thing was clear: the black dragon before me was truly on another level.
Its eyes narrowed into slits.
Kyaaaahhh!!
It let out a threatening roar.
I couldn’t quite pinpoint why it suddenly felt the need to threaten me, but I had a rough idea.
It probably didn’t appreciate that I wasn’t scared despite seeing its black dragon form.
So, I raised my hand casually.
“Eat this.”
The black dragon, fueled by mockery, flapped its wings in a fit of rage and took flight. Its four limbs kicked off the ground while its two massive wings spread wide, shooting into the air like a fired arrow.
Smart move on its part.
If it were angry, it could have just lunged at me, but it chose to feign anger while opting for the aerial advantage.
I watched it carefully, pulling out my great sword.
Am I now a heavenly martial artist?
As I gripped my weapon, I could feel my racing heart gradually slow down.
Kyaaaahhh!!!
Forget what I just said.
As the black dragon began to descend, my heart started pounding like crazy again.
I poured every ounce of effort into deploying the Seven Thunder Defense Technique. I used the Single Lightning and Twin Light techniques to confuse the dragon while dodging its front paw with the Triple Shade Block. To avoid its next attack, I invested in the Past and Present Trust and, to avoid its absurdly long tail sweeping through the space, I unleashed the Five Shadow Pursuit and the Six Star Chen without hesitation.
Finally, I wanted to scratch the tip of its tail with my last chance, the Seven Thunder Shadow Strike, but the black dragon yanked its long tail back, not giving me even a tiny opening.
Wow, this is impossible.
Kyaaaahhh!
Thinking it had regained its power, the black dragon rose in spirit while I felt my confidence wane.
How did the heavenly demons manage to tackle such a beast alone?
Having only sparred with the black dragon, it was like dipping only my toes in water, yet I completely lost my confidence against it.
Well, I guess that’s only natural.
Although it had been a while since I decided to fight the black dragon, if merely having that determination were enough to defeat it, I wouldn’t have had the chance to even challenge the creature.
The absolute embodiment of nothingness: the Heavenly Demon.
There must be countless individuals in this Xin Gang and across the world who aspire to be that heavenly demon by mastering the Heavenly Demon Arts.
So, I decided to choose my own path.
A haze began to rise within the cosmic space as it started to change. Gazing at the vaguely forming shapes, I pondered.
How have past heavenly demons defeated the black dragon?
Did they truly reach a transcendent level similar to the first heavenly demon?
Well, obviously not.
If past heavenly demons had reached the same level as the first, then why would they continue this bloody succession rite?
After all, weren’t heavenly demons, accustomed to creating techniques just to fill the Heavenly Demon Library with martial arts?
If they had truly grasped the celestial principles of the first, they would have created a new Heavenly Demon Art filled with those principles.
Yet, how have past heavenly demons triumphed against the black dragon and passed down the Heavenly Demon Arts?
The answer is simple.
The black dragon before me is not a ‘real’ entity. The black dragon is dead and merely an embodiment of the energy infused within the principles of the Heavenly Demon Arts.
Kyaaaahhh!
The true identity of the black dragon, howling in confusion amidst the rising haze, is a manifestation of the heart demon that was born from within me.
Though calling that black dragon a mere heart demon isn’t entirely accurate. It was simply the closest word that described the essence of the black dragon’s poison embedded within the principles of the Heavenly Demon Arts.
What does it mean to master martial arts?
It refers to the process of internalizing the technique presented by its founder and accepting the principles into one’s heart.
Embracing principles within the mind leads to transformation and, during that transformation, what ignites within oneself is precisely the heart demon.
In essence, the heart demon is merely proof of one’s inability to properly govern oneself amidst the accepting process of those principles.
However, the black dragon that appears while inheriting the Heavenly Demon Arts is not a reflection of my inadequacies but rather the poison that exists within those principles.
What principle does the Black Dragon Qi embody?
It is merely an obsession wanting to rip apart humanity.
The principle of the black dragon’s poison embedded within the Heavenly Demon Arts. Twisting and bending that principle filled with poison to consider oneself as an exception.
That is the way to master the Heavenly Demon Arts.
The haze in the space gradually transformed into familiar shapes.
Some were iron spheres, others were massive harpoons, and yet others were long bundles of iron chains.
But those weren’t the only things appearing.
There were also ballistae and launchers that would fire those projectiles.
The principle encapsulated within the Heavenly Demon Arts concerning the Black Dragon Qi.
Where does that Black Dragon Qi dwell?
In my own body and spirit; thus, the celestial space I am standing in now is my very heart. And the landscape within my heart where the black dragon is supposed to be means…
A challenging field filled with massive entities, dedicated to hunting entities within the game’s martial world.
Thwuahhh!!!
The ballistae that once dropped flying entities onto the ground began to act automatically, launching arrows the size of a spear.
Kyaaaahhh!!
Along with the black dragon’s roar mingled with confusion and rage, it began performing erratic aerial maneuvers.
From the perspective of the black dragon, it must feel utterly baffled by the situation.
What are the aims of those challenging the divine trials?
To master the Heavenly Demon Arts.
To master such arts, they must accept the black dragon that is part of the principles of the Heavenly Demon Arts. To do so, they must engage in combat against the principles of the black dragon, subdue them, and ultimately seize the Heavenly Demon Arts.
No challenger in history would have escaped this premise.
Even Jeong Cheol would have sought to master the Heavenly Demon Arts to survive.
Kyaaaahhh!!
The furious gaze of the black dragon met mine. Its eyes seemed to convey this:
“Do you think you can gain my recognition and comprehend the principle of the Heavenly Demon Arts with such foolish tactics?”
And it was accurate.
How could one ever grasp the Heavenly Demon Arts’ principle with such ridiculous antics?
Thus, I raised my hand once again towards the black dragon.
I wasn’t here to master the Heavenly Demon Arts.
I came here to obtain the ‘original’ of the Heavenly Demon Arts.
What does the original of the Heavenly Demon Arts mean?
Although I can’t grandly express what the original might be, since I hardly even know the Heavenly Demon Arts, there’s one thing I know for sure.
The original of the Heavenly Demon Arts must not include that dark creature wailing from the sky.
Sssss!
Once again, the haze around me swirled. Within that haze appeared five figures.
Black Cat. Miss Yeo Il-ye. Hyeok Gi-rin. Dokgo I-seol. And Moyong Yeon-hwa. They were undoubtedly my companions.
Naturally flowing, nurtured by the rhythm practiced together in the training sessions, we were united again.
With all preparations in place, I gazed at the tumbling black dragon.
You’ve been toying with heirs who seek the Heavenly Demon Arts, using the principles as hostages all this time, haven’t you?
But there are madmen in this world for whom hostages mean nothing.
Madmen who would forgo the opportunity to master the world’s greatest martial art, solely to hunt and kill the black dragon.
And that madman is me.
So.
As a veteran of the game’s martial world, I was wholly immersed in entity-hunting fields.
With countless entity-hunting raids under my belt, I gained a wealth of strategies and tactics.
The realm of Hwa-gyeong I built while living as Ho Cheon-an.
And the bonds formed with my comrades who’ve toiled alongside me in practicing Six Star Chen.
I will pour everything into hunting you down.
Kyaaaahhh!!
Did it sense my intention? Or did it simply conclude that the sky was now no longer favoring it?
The black dragon began to descend towards me.
Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.
As I watched its descent with resolve, the dragon’s trajectory sharply altered.
What it aimed for wasn’t me, but the ballista that had been bothering it.
Squelch!!
Despite being robust enough to serve as a siege engine, the ballista crumbled like a twig in front of the black dragon’s jaws.
As I observed the incredibly easy devastation of the ballista, I thought:
Just as expected.
Crash!!
The moment the ballista shattered, nets sprang up from all around.
That was because I had set traps around the great ballista.
The black dragon, unaware of that fact, attempted to twist its body in surprise, but there was no way it could avoid the nets shot from such close range.
Thud!!
The nets barely ensnared one of the dragon’s wings, and though I heard the sound of it tearing apart soon after,
WHAMMMM!!!
Kyaaaahhh!!
It succeeded in slamming the black dragon into the ground.
Having long anticipated this situation, I seized the opportunity to activate Thunderous Strike while the dragon was dazed from the impact.
Boom!!
As much as I wanted to unleash all-out attack on the dragon’s neck, my target was its wings.
Cutting straight through its swinging tail, I approached without hesitation to release my strength.
BOOM!!
I couldn’t pour all my power into it, landing only about 30% of my strength, but even that was enough for the unique and unparalleled attacking prowess of Six Star Chen to strike the black dragon’s wings.
Kyaaaah!!
With the blow to its wing, the black dragon let out a cry filled with pain and began to thrash about violently. As I distanced myself to avoid getting caught in its frenzy, the black dragon glared at me with simmering anger, ripping apart the nets ensnaring its wings with its limbs and jaws.
After breaking free from the net, it spread its two wings wide.
The wing I struck might seem slightly crumpled, but it was neither torn nor fractured, so calling it incapacitated would be a stretch.
Though I didn’t unleash my full power, it disappointed me that I couldn’t even break a bone with a Thunderous Strike.
The black dragon shot a glance at the various equipment turning towards it with annoyance before soaring back up into the air.
Despite choosing to dive, unable to withstand the siege weapon’s pressure, there was an undeniable determination to fly.
It seemed to click its tongue at me.
Did I move too overtly?
Having set traps and slammed it to the ground, I inadvertently revealed to the black dragon that I considered its flight a significant threat.
Hence, it would most likely try to fully engage with me from the air.
Kyaaaahhh!
As I watched the black dragon screech sharply from the sky, I had a hunch.
This battle.
It felt like it would turn into a protracted struggle.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.