Chapter: 344
Kuuuu-!
After a massive wave of heat swept through.
The heat quickly dissipates in the still chilly spring breeze.
To be precise, it was returned to the danjeon before the heat could spread out.
Knock… Knock.
I could hear the sound of burning ashes.
Traces of the remaining flames lingered on the ground, quietly flickering away.
As I calmed down the betting that had been running wild.
I checked my physical condition.
‘There’s more than half a bet left.’
Unlike in the past, when using a secret technique would usually lead to disaster.
Even after firing off the Flame Pearl continuously while utilizing the Jade Red Bird, there was still more than half of my bet remaining.
This was thanks to my realm having reached Hwagyeong, opening the upper chamber, and expanding the vessel, making it much easier to apply energy effectively.
I surveyed the surroundings.
A dark curtain still stretched ominously across the sky.
The spots where I had used the Jade Red Bird were quickly sealed, filling every possible gap.
‘What the hell is that power?’
I stared intently, but I couldn’t confirm anything right away.
It feels strange.
Too subtle to be called a technique, and too alien to be considered martial arts.
Could it perhaps be the power of a spirit?
That might be a possibility.
I shifted my gaze.
Knock, knock.
The Shinryongwong building was cracked and on the verge of collapsing.
Now, half of it was blown away, making it hard to consider it still a building.
It had been destroyed due to being swept away by the explosion of the Great Flame Jade.
‘…’
I started to sweat a bit, wondering if I had gone too far.
You’re not going to ask me to pay compensation later, right?
Crisp.
I walked forward, stepping on the charred branches.
In the place where the explosion had taken place.
It was filled with dirt and dust.
I waved my hand to create a pressure wave.
Phew-!
The wind blew through, clearing all the dust away.
A massive crater appeared, brimming with traces of flames.
I walked toward it.
In the center of that crater.
There was something black writhing around.
It was the unmanned member from Hwagyeong who I had just faced moments ago.
‘He’s not dead.’
Fortunately, it looked like he wasn’t dead.
After all, I hadn’t thrown it with the intention to kill him in the first place.
If there was any slight mistake…
It was simply that I hadn’t been able to control my power properly because I had used it right after reaching a new level.
It would be a problem if he died.
I haven’t even figured anything out yet, you know!
“Cough… Huh… Huh…”
The old man kept coughing up blood.
Fortunately, it seems he managed to dodge the fatal blow.
Even though he was surrounded by the Qi, he didn’t look too good due to the explosion’s impact.
“…Th-this… brat…”
The old man, whose face was partially melted, glared at me with a life-filled gaze.
Was this old man weak?
The answer is no.
The old man is quite strong.
I wonder if there are really any weaklings among those who reach Hwagyeong.
After seeing the mess he made of the Cheonghae Ilgeom, I could tell right away he was no ordinary fighter.
Just as there are considerable differences even among the same realm.
When you reach Hwagyeong, those differences become even more pronounced.
Considering the gap between me and the old man, the difference was quite significant.
Even so.
The reason I could reduce the old man to this state ultimately was…
‘Even those in Hwagyeong can be affected by evil energy.’
The evil energy buried in the corner of my danjeon had seeped into him.
‘…I’m also not entirely fine, though.’
Back when I fought that secret assassin from the Hwangbo family.
It turned out that the old man was someone who had recently reached Hwagyeong.
So, it wasn’t too difficult for the evil energy to infiltrate.
But, this time, things were a bit different.
‘That was a close call.’
I had to mix in some evil energy without being noticed during the battle.
But because of the old man’s strong level, it was difficult for my energy to penetrate.
What’s more, if the barrier hadn’t been breached, then my evil energy wouldn’t have been able to invade easily.
This means…
‘As I ascended to a higher realm, my evil energy grew stronger.’
Crossing that threshold had made the energy inside me even more potent.
Should I be viewing this positively?
‘No, that’s not something to celebrate.’
Thanks to that, I managed to win the fight.
But the greater reason for my victory was that I had relied on the evil energy.
It meant that the uneasy feeling lingered.
Moreover, the aftermath of using the energy was still swirling around in my body.
‘There’s no internal injury, but I can’t shake this muddled feeling.’
Even though it hadn’t mixed with my Qi, it could easily invade if I’m not careful.
Especially since it was on the verge now.
I feel like the corrupting influence of the evil energy is particularly potent.
What happened to the purification speed of the Guyeonhwaryun Technique?
I’ll need to ensure I investigate that thoroughly later.
For now, I approached the old man.
“What are you?”
“Cough…”
I grabbed the old man by his hair and forced him to look up.
There’s no respect for the defeated.
Especially not if they’re part of the Sapa.
“What are you doing here?”
“…You…”
I noticed a long array of scars lining the old man’s neck.
Is it from a blade? It looks severe.
It seems like it was a rather serious wound.
Moreover, what would an unmanned fighter of this caliber be doing assaulting the Shinryonggwan?
“Aren’t you going to speak?”
At my question, the old man’s body trembled slightly.
Is he angry or scared?
From my observation, it doesn’t seem to be fear, but anger.
This isn’t good.
This might require some torture.
‘He’s probably not the only one who was involved in this raid. I need to figure out the situation.’
The fact of the matter is, this isn’t a relaxed situation.
To be honest, I don’t really care what happens to the others.
‘…But not the kids.’
I couldn’t afford to disregard those around me.
The reason I scrapped and cultivated to improve my skill in the Demon Realm is for them.
It was for me.
It was for them.
Now, everything seems so chaotic.
I must find out what situation the kids are in.
Even contemplating that makes me frown.
‘Having too many things to protect isn’t necessarily good.’
Contrary to my initial plans.
This means that there are now more people around requiring my protection.
On one hand, while I view this changed life favorably compared to my past.
Thinking about the future tends to feel a bit suffocating.
Time is running short.
‘Should I torture him?’
Due to the time constraints, torture feels impractical.
Above all, controlling this newfound strength is still quite challenging.
Thus, delicately torturing him now seems somewhat difficult.
Especially for someone left in this state.
So as I pondered on what to do.
“…Hehe… Hehe…”
The old man suddenly started laughing.
“Why are you laughing?”
Are you losing your mind as you are dying?
Well, that cannot be! You should say what you need to and then die!
“…You have such frightening eyes.”
“What?”
“Your eyes wonder how you could kill me… I’ve seen many individuals with eyes like yours. It couldn’t be helped; they were all part of the Sapa.”
“So?”
Is he attempting to attack me for having fierce eyes?
“Those who carry that kind of gaze… They were all buried in the ground by my hand, yet here I am in that exact state. Tsk tsk…”
“Well, what of it? Are you saying your pitiful state makes me want to save you?”
Has he lost his sanity?
The old man is rambling nonsense.
Hwaruk
Flames began spinning around my hands.
Contrary to peak intensity, they were distinctly recognizable in color and intensity.
The old man gazes at the swirling fire with despair.
“Are you really the child of a righteous sect?”
“Then, where else can you find someone as diligent in righteousness as I am?”
Who else does the dirty work of cleaning up the Sapa bastards if not me?
After a moment of thought, I gathered my determination.
‘I’ll kill him.’
I’d rather kill him than torture.
Not only is the situation unfavorable, but he doesn’t seem like someone worth saving.
I figured it would be better to deal with him cleanly than waste time holding on to him.
Even without that, amidst the countless energies I could feel in the air, one was poking at my scalp.
I reached out.
“This Black Dragon Sword is no one to be killed by a mere filthy being like the Weihyo Army.”
Black Dragon Sword…?
I almost stopped upon hearing those words whispered into my ear but didn’t halt my actions.
Instead, I accelerated.
My hand reached the old man’s face.
Or rather, it was mere inches from making contact.
“That cannot be.”
Crack.
“…!”
I felt a change.
I retracted my outstretched hand and stepped back to create distance.
I raised my tension to the maximum, pulling up my Qi.
An unknown energy, caught within my awareness, reacted in my danjeon.
[…Rrr…rrrng…]
“You…?”
My eyes widened at the sound of a moan that I finally picked up on.
The guy who hadn’t shown up in the real world nor during my time in the Demon Realm suddenly opened his eyes.
[Grrr…]
The growling noise was rather rough.
It was clear this thing was baring its teeth at something.
And that something was…
‘…Is that it?’
It was likely the old man who calls himself the Black Dragon Sword.
“The Black Dragon Sword?”
I feel like I’ve heard that name once, but I can’t quite recall it clearly.
If it were a famous nickname, I would’ve remembered it immediately.
I wonder why someone of that caliber would possess a nickname I didn’t know.
But now is not the time to ponder something like that.
“What is that?”
Changes were occurring within the old man’s body.
“Cough… Argh…”
Starting from the scar at the back of his neck,
Something began to ooze out.
Simply watching it writhe and squirm was enough to make me feel nauseated.
If I had to express the sensation, it kind of resembled a gigantic earthworm.
Whirysh-!
Flames whipped up to gather at my fingertips.
It’s evident that it would be dangerous to leave it as is, meaning I couldn’t just stand around idly.
Simultaneously, I sensed the Qi I had saved in my danjeon was rapidly being depleted.
While casting my martial arts, I continued observing the old man’s transformation.
‘What the heck is that… Is it a monster?’
It was my first time witnessing something monstrous in such a way.
A parasite preying on humans?
I don’t know what it is, but it was evident that this isn’t a good situation.
I focused energy into my palm.
This was to unleash the Flame Pearl technique I had used previously.
I planned to incinerate everything in its path.
The shape was gradually beginning to take form, but the sight was utterly grotesque.
Not to mention, the energy felt somewhat murky and dark.
Should I say it feels a bit different than the energy possessed by demons?
Hwarussh-!
I completed the preparation for the Flame Pearl technique.
I was about to release it right away.
[Crunch!]
Thud-!
“What?”
With the sound of a moan emanating from inside its body.
I felt the energy gathered in my hand vanish in an instant.
“This is insane.”
It seemed the beast had taken control of my energy and released it at will.
Was that even possible?
Could it interfere with the energy I was employing?
Before anything, I had to understand why this thing was causing interference.
“Why did you suddenly wake up and decide to disturb me when I’m in the middle of something…!”
I was about to raise the question when.
Kiiiiaaaaaaaaaah-!
With a noise so piercing, it felt like my eardrums were going to shatter.
Something that had once been an old man shot out a massive tentacle toward me.
The speed was astonishing.
I gathered Qi to counter it but then…
‘…Huh?’
All of a sudden, it felt as if my energy had been completely obstructed, and I couldn’t move. Did I just lose my Qi?
That can’t be the case.
Earlier, I had confirmed that I still had more than half remaining.
Regardless of my confusion, the tentacle sped towards me.
This isn’t ordinary.
If my Qi isn’t functioning, then maybe I should exert another form of energy?
Wham-!
The tentacle that had raced towards my face was severed in an instant and plummeted to the ground with a crash.
The severed tentacle seemed to melt away as if absorbed by the earth.
“What….”
Just when I wondered what had transpired, a reaction seemed to emerge from the crater’s center.
I directed my gaze straight toward the monster.
‘There’s someone there.’
A figure I hadn’t seen before was stabbing that monster with a sword.
It seemed this person had been the one to block the attack that the monster had sent my way moments ago.
‘I didn’t sense their presence.’
Even with my Qi obstructed, my awareness should still spread all around.
But if I didn’t notice this individual, they must be remarkably powerful.
‘Who is it?’
The visibility was poor.
Their presence was vague and hard to recognize.
This meant they were skillfully concealing their energy and presence.
Dressing in pure white garb.
With hair that matched their appearance, pure white.
Cki… Ckiiiiiiiiiiiaak-!
The monster began wailing in agony, its sword lodged in its torso.
Where’s the mouth that is capable of emitting such screams?
The presumed male individual seemed to respond to the creature’s screams.
Chwaak-!
The sword lodged in the beast twisted, lightly cutting through it.
Gasping at such actions, I realized the reason behind it.
Despite physically observing his movements, I couldn’t fully comprehend them.
The white-haired man, who had just sliced through that creature.
With the moment of the monster’s momentary incapacity, he reached forward, laying his hand against the beast’s body.
The sticky, viscous liquid that stuck to him would have been nauseating, but he hesitated not in the slightest.
Soon after,
“…Huh?”
It appeared something other than the man was in motion.
The shadow that was cast from the man began shifting, stretching out and enveloping the monster.
Kkiiiiaak… Arkk….
The not-so-small body found itself comprehensively ensnared in the shadows.
Though it struggled momentarily, it quickly fell silent.
I found myself unable to grasp the situation before me, gazing solely at the man.
What in the world is happening here?
Whether he noticed my gaze or not.
The white-haired figure gradually turned his head in my direction.
His eyes shone as white as his hair.
His skin was equally pale.
It was enough to make one question if he was truly human like me.
His appearance was somewhat mystical, which caused me to get lost in my thoughts for a moment.
“Are you going to keep watching?”
The man directed this question at me.
To my surprise, his voice was surprisingly deep, making my heart race.
“…Who are you?”
It seemed like he had saved me, but since I couldn’t pinpoint his identity, I was on edge.
As if ready to take action at a moment’s notice.
I spoke, layered with tension.
The man fixed his gaze on me and slowly parted his lips.
Just as his answer seemed ready to materialize.
“Hmm…”
“What?”
Out of nowhere, I felt an unsettling energy from behind me.
It was directed toward the vicinity of Mt. Tai.
The energy that emanated from that direction made my body twitch involuntarily.
Was that all?
My forehead began to bead with sweat.
“…Why?”
The words I spat out were unconsciously voiced.
I raised my stakes and leaped forward, aligning myself against the monster and the man.
It was an unexpected and impulsive action, yet…
The white-haired figure didn’t take the effort to stop me.
I quickly accelerated.
There was only one reason for my hasty movements.
From atop that lofty Mount Tai, a familiarity surged that I never wanted to recall.
’No way… that can’t be.’
I wanted to repeat that it couldn’t be true.
Yet the energy embedded in my being had already provided me with undeniable confirmation.
It was evident.
From far away, atop Mount Tai.
I sensed the Demonic Qi of the Heavenly Demon.
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.