Chapter 218 The End of the Demon Path (3)

Chapter 218: The End of the Demon Path (3)

…….

A gray world enveloped in silence.

No, it wasn’t truly quiet. Sounds echoed all around.

Beep-

It was merely a deafening roar beyond human perception.

How could I know if I couldn’t hear it?

The scene unfolding before my eyes explained it all.

A mass of rock that had burst open in an instant caused a massive explosion.

The earth was overturned, and rocks turned to sand.

Its power was enough to shatter mountains and cleave seas.

But the true power of the Hell’s Eye lay not in expansion, but in contraction.

The immense power that had once been unleashed did not return to its natural state, but began to gather once more into a single point.

Whoosh.

Kukukuku… Grunt. Grunt.

A gravitational force, the kind one might expect to see in the Earth’s inner core, emerged and swallowed everything around it.

Weapons forged from steel were reduced to tiny spheres.

Trees embedded nearby were uprooted and blown away, reduced to dust.

The surrounding Ten-Fold Magic Mages became nothing but a handful of bloody pulp.

Witnessing this scene, which sucked everything in like a black hole, sent shivers down my spine.

‘Is this… the Hell’s Mirror?’

The elders of the Jeongdo Sect were equally stunned.

“Did you take care of it?”

A flag-worthy remark reached my ears, but I was too stunned to respond.

“Ugh!”

My body felt like it would shatter at any moment, forced open before reaching true mastery.

Not only had I drained every last thread of my vital energy, severing the flow of qi, but I’d also unleashed too much force within my body, severely damaging my blood vessels.

Thud.

Especially around my solar plexus, where I’d unleashed my inner force—my entire sternum was shattered.

And yet.

“Damn it!”

The Ten Demon King, struck squarely by the Hell’s Eye, did not die.

“Impressive.”

Despite the absurd power unleashed by the Hell’s Mirror, he showed only a hint of fatigue, not a single broken bone in sight.

“I acknowledge it as a martial art worthy of being compared to the Heavenly Demon Art.”

“……!”

Seeing the Ten Demon King appear completely unscathed, the seven elders pounced on him like ravenous beasts.

They seemed intent on seizing the moment while he was even slightly fatigued.

Whoosh!

The peerlessly dazzling Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique of Huashan pierced through, unleashing a purple-hued energy.

The softness of the Wu Tang Sect’s Younun Sword emitted white mist, enveloping the Ten Demon King.

The peerlessly fierce Shaolin Hundred-Step Divine Fist pierced the chest of the Ten Demon Lotus Master.

Though it was a strike built upon the lifetime of seven supreme masters, their attacks failed to reach the Ten Demon Lotus Master.

Flash.

The moment he drew his sword, the world turned black, and all those attacks vanished into nothingness.

As if they had never existed from the start.

Annihilation.

It was the very concept of death emanating from him.

“Gah!”

As the attack, laden with their full wager, vanished, the seven elders retreated, spitting blood.

The Ten Demon Lord glanced at them indifferently before shifting his gaze again.

“How about it?”

“Cough, what, what are you talking about? Cough.”

“The imagery contained within the Cheonma’s pulse.”

“What the hell… the hell are you talking about… Cough. I don’t get it.”

He shook his head as he coughed up blood and replied with incomprehensible words.

“You’ve released the imagery without understanding it. Yet you’re still alive. Seems the West Wave Martial Arts has found a worthy successor after all.”

Thump, thump.

He continued speaking as he walked slowly.

“Though today will be the end of that.”

A jade-colored hand reached toward my head.

Facing his hand, brimming with destructive energy, I instinctively knew the moment of death was upon me.

“Phew… Huh. Cough! Ugh!”

He turned around, laughing unnecessarily.

Even though we’d agreed to flee if we failed to stop the Ten-Armed Demon, the warriors were charging straight toward us.

“You… bastards.”

At least you guys should survive.

You fools.

I looked up at the Ten-Armed Demon King, begging him to spare them.

“Got anything left to say?”

Facing the Almighty’s arrogant gaze, a pointless stubbornness flared up inside me.

“See you in hell. You cowardly bastard who abandoned your family and ran off alone.”

Of course, I’ll be in heaven.

The Ten-Faced Demon King’s face twisted into the form of a demon.

* * *

They say your whole life flashes before your eyes just before you die.

Some say it passes in an instant, like fast-forwarding a movie reel, while others say a minute feels like a day… An experience only those facing death can have.

I had experienced it in a past life, but this time was different.

‘Sister….’

Only one person’s face came to mind.

Only when death came did I know for sure.

That I, too, had feelings for her.

‘But what’s the point?’

What good does that do now that I’m dying?

I can’t turn back time.

‘If I were to be reborn, I’d want to be a little puppy.’

If possible, a white Maltese.

I was jealous of how they got adored without lifting a finger.

Just then, the shadow of death fell over my head.

Thud.

A small popping sound echoed.

It wasn’t the sound of my head exploding.

Because I felt no pain whatsoever.

“……”

When I opened my eyes, Shimaryeonju was staring down at her chest with a look of utter bewilderment.

Where his gaze fell, a small butterfly made of iron was shallowly embedded.

‘Why is the Iron Butterfly here?’

There was no way it should be here.

The Iron Butterfly was a hidden weapon only the direct descendants of the Green Dragon Sect could wield.

In other words, the existence of iron…

“Yes… Your Majesty!”

“Lord Seongju?”

It meant the Lord was present here.

Moreover, he hadn’t come alone.

Kwaaah!

A white, straight beam of energy shot toward him.

A single beam of energy approached like a ray of light, poised to strike the sun.

Thwack.

“Gah!”

Just as the Ten-Ringed Sword Master raised his blade to defend, the elder of the Volcano Sect grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me out of the blast radius.

Kwaaang!

The swirling energy, filled with a dizzying aura, revealed its master.

“Master Taiching has also arrived… Truly fortunate. This is divine providence.”

“Pfff, cough, that bastard Yeonju… He’s as good as dead now. Cough. Ugh!”

Speaking with such satisfaction, he coughed up blood.

“Are you all right?”

“I think I’m going to die…”

“Let’s retreat for now. Our role seems to be over here anyway.”

I shook my head at his words.

“I can hold out for… another hour.”

I have to see this fight through to the end.

“I’ll stay too. Why don’t you all come over and protect our young hero?”

“Agreed.”

“Of course.”

At his words, the seven elders gathered and surrounded me.

All eyes on the battlefield turned to one place.

It was only natural. The outcome of this battle would determine the winner of the long war.

“Long time no see.”

“Heh heh, if you’ve come back from the dead, you should live quietly. Why stir up bloodshed?”

The Nine Dragon Lord and the Supreme Immortal stood face to face before the Ten Demon Lord.

“Why didn’t you go to Chongta? You clearly slipped away unnoticed, didn’t you?”

It was a question not only the Ten Demon Lords but everyone present had been wondering. At the Lord’s inquiry, the Great Immortal of the Azure Heaven answered with a broad smile.

Before entering the Xinjiang Desert, I observed the celestial signs. The Star of Heaven was moving eastward. That’s how I managed to track you down like this. Though it seems a bit late.

To think he could even pinpoint where a person was in the world.

“Indeed, the heavens cannot be evaded.”

“They say the net of heaven is wide, yet nothing escapes it.”

“It is the grace bestowed by the Buddha.”

“Nothing is as precise as the celestial signs. Cough, cough.”

Before I knew it, I had become a believer in horoscopes.

“…Indeed, worthy of the title ‘Taecheong Jin-in,’ whose Tao reaches the heavens.”

“Not heaven, but perhaps the clouds.”

The Ten-Fold Lotus Master gazed at the two with an indifferent look.

“Planning to attack together?”

“Isn’t that why we came together?”

“Not very befitting of two men called pillars of the righteous faction.”

“If it means killing the sky of the demonic path, what can’t we do?”

“The leader of the Righteous Path Alliance charged alone.”

“……!”

The Nine Dragons Lord and the Supreme Immortal of the Azure Realm widened their eyes.

“……Did you… kill him?”

Heh.

“Forgetting all dignity, he begged for his life.”

“You bastard!”

An explosive surge of energy erupted from the Great Blue Immortal’s body.

Since he had been friends with my grandfather, his connection to the Grandmaster of the Azure Realm must have been deep.

The Ten Demon Lords sneered at such a Taiqing Immortal.

“But how long do you plan to stall? If the battle’s over, why keep attacking?”

The corners of Seongju’s eyes twitched.

He sensed no sign whatsoever.

The phrase colorless and odorless came to mind.

“You hypocrites of the righteous faction.”

As the Ten Demon Lord lowered his black sword, the city lord’s hand moved.

Clang.

An ordinary iron strike.

But its power was anything but ordinary.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

“Hmm.”

A low growl escaped from the mouth of the Ten-Armed Demon King as he blocked the iron spikes moving in different directions and at different speeds.

Kwaaah!

Four-Sword Descendant’s Four Swords.

The legend of Hwaseong, who shot down the sun to save the earth, descended.

Kwaaang!

Black light flashed from Yeonju’s black sword, unleashing a massive shockwave.

Watching such scenes, a single word flashed through his mind.

‘Short-term decisive battle.’

Yes.

Both of them were thinking of a short-term decisive battle.

Otherwise, there’d be no reason to unleash their most powerful techniques right from the start.

As proof, even after one fierce battle, they were preparing to attack again.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

A sound that made one’s ears ring came through.

Over a thousand dark green blades coiled around the city lord’s body.

It was the Green Dragon Sect’s divine martial art, Ten Thousand Flowers in the Sky, which had elevated the Four Heavenly Kings to the core of the Nine Dragons Fortress.

Perhaps finding it too burdensome to leave unchecked, the Ten Demon King attempted to swing his sword.

Taiqing Zhenren’s sword reached him first.

A single beam of light.

The moment he saw it, he understood.

Why the Four-Day Sword was said to hold the legend of Hou Yi.

‘Piercing…!’

The Four-Sword, piercing even the invisible, intangible essence of nature, collided with the black Heavenly Demon Sword.

Paaah. Kwaaaah.

A battle of annihilation and penetration.

The result.

“Gasp. Gasp.”

The Heavenly Demon Sword emerged victorious.

The sword vanished, leaving only a slight scratch on the Heavenly Demon Sword.

Pssst.

The sword spirit of the Immortal of the Azure Sky, who had unfurled the Sairum Sword, also evaporated into thin air.

“Cough.”

Thud.

He knelt on one knee, coughing up blood.

But the attack didn’t end there.

Swoosh. Thud. Thud.

The lord’s Thousand Petals Rain, now fully prepared, poured in.

A thousand darts, each possessing unparalleled ferocity, flew toward Yeonju.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Small droplets spattered from the projectiles, their surfaces coated in potent venom, melting the earthen ground.

‘Freedom.’

Only after witnessing the imagery held within the Ten Thousand Flowers Rain and the Four-Sword Strike did I understand what the Ten Demon Lotus had said earlier.

The dark energy covering the sky descended upon the Ten Demon Lotus.

Zzzzt. Zzzzt. Clang. Clangclangclangclang.

His sword moved without pause.

He struck, and struck, and struck again.

Finally, the final technique of the Heavenly Demon Sword erupted.

Before his sword, which momentarily dyed the world black.

Shhhhh.

A thousand hidden weapons evaporated.

“Guh.”

Blood trickled from the lord’s lips, perhaps from internal injuries.

Despite unleashing all the power he had accumulated over his lifetime, he failed to defeat his adversary. Fuming with frustration, he glared at the Ten-Armed Demon King with bloodshot eyes.

The only saving grace was that the Ten-Armed Demon King was also in poor condition.

His wrist had been broken by the Four-Sword Strike he thought he had perfectly blocked.

Despite unleashing the Heavenly Demon Sword’s final secret technique, a sliver of the Ten Thousand Flowers Rain had embedded itself in his thigh.

Pulling out the hidden blade and setting his wrist back in place, the Ten Demon Lotus raised his black sword.

Gwooooh.

A black current of energy began to gather.

Sensing the unusual momentum, Taecheong Jin-in and the Sect Leader moved to intervene, but the chain-wielding master struck first.

Flash.

The world was plunged into darkness.

219 The End of the Demon Path (4)

Perhaps from watching the battle of the absolute masters.

Unlike before, I could now discern the essence contained within the Heavenly Demon Sword.

Annihilation.

It truly lived up to its reputation as the Heavenly Demon’s ultimate martial art, the worst and strongest of all.

Patsuts…

Taecheong Jin, his entire right arm gone, spat blood.

He had belatedly deployed the Four-Part Sword, but it was too late to block the strike.

The only silver lining was that he had avoided serious internal injuries.

“Gurgle.”

Meanwhile, the city lord’s life was in danger.

Externally, he appeared unharmed, but the fact that he was coughing up black blood was far from ordinary.

The Heavenly Demon Sword seemed to have delivered a tremendous shock to his core.

Of course, both were absolute masters.

It wasn’t a one-sided affair.

The Four-Sword Strike struck the Ten-Demon Chain Master’s wrist, causing his left hand to vanish without a trace, while iron spikes were embedded in his right eye and abdomen.

Because each iron spike was coated in a deadly poison, blood flowed continuously from his mouth.

But.

‘He’s strong…!’

Shi Ma Lian Zhu’s spirit was equally formidable.

Thud, thud.

Despite such severe injuries, he showed no sign of pain and walked forward to finish off the two.

“Oh, my!”

The seven elders nearby rose from their seats.

I’m no different.

Though my injuries made it hard to move, I had to save them both.

But the castle lord blocked our path.

“Don’t… go!”

His voice was weak, his appearance as if he might die at any moment, yet even in those few words, a great resolve was felt.

We couldn’t disobey him and stopped in our tracks.

“What do you think?”

The castle lord who had held us back smiled faintly as he watched the approaching Ten Demon Rioters.

“What are you talking about? This? Or this?”

The Ten-Armed Demon King pulled out the iron spikes embedded in his eyes and abdomen.

His eyes had already melted away, likely poisoned by the Danhonsan, and yellow pus dripped steadily from his abdomen, yet he merely smiled calmly, showing no sign of pain.

“Surely he didn’t bite it?”

Seongju continued in a voice strained as if boiling over.

“I merely asked what it feels like to gaze upon death.”

“If you’re relying on the Tang Clan’s Danhun San to do this… I’d like to tell you it’s useless.”

Seongju shook his head at Shimaryeonju’s reply.

“I already know Danhunsan alone cannot kill you.”

“Then why ask me about death?”

To anyone watching, the side facing certain defeat is our own.

Even with one eye and one hand missing, there was no one here who could defeat the Ten-Armed Demon King.

Meanwhile, the castle lord was already in a state of dying light.

It was as if he had one foot in the afterlife.

The Immortal of the Azure Palace who could have aided him had already collapsed, unconscious.

Yet they treated the Ten Demon King as if he were already dead.

‘No, surely not?’

It meant he still had one more step left.

Sure enough.

“Seems you haven’t noticed yet.”

The lord chuckled softly, and at the same time.

Kwoong!

The tremor that occurred at the temple shook the ground violently.

“How have you been?!”

An old beggar charged toward the Ten-Armed Lotus Master at lightning speed.

Startled, the Ten-Armed Buddha shouted.

“The former king!”

Indeed.

The final trump card prepared by the city lord was the former king, the most elusive and formidable master in the current martial world.

The King of Swords.

Though his origins, name, and whereabouts were unknown, preventing him from being called one of the Four Kings, he was ranked among the top ten masters and counted as one of the martial world’s greatest.

He was especially renowned for being stronger than anyone else in chaotic battles against large numbers.

Despite mobilizing such a figure, the governor still felt uneasy, so he threw his own life into the fray to create the perfect opportunity.

That is.

‘Seongju…’

It meant he had staked everything on revenge.

Brr.

A satisfied smile lingered on Seongju’s lips as he watched the former king and the Ten Demon Generals fight on the stage he had set.

“Kkukhukh, the end… it seems.”

The sorrowful voice struck a chord deep within.

Meanwhile, turning my gaze to the battle between the two, I couldn’t contain my shock.

Kwaa-roong. Kwaaang! Kwaaaah!

The martial arts of the former king, driving the Ten Demon Generals like a storm, felt incredibly familiar.

‘What the hell is this?!’

Except for splitting energy to use as experience, the martial arts the former king was using now were so identical to the former king’s style that they could be considered the same.

It was a situation utterly beyond comprehension.

Surely, Master North Palace had stated that I was the sole inheritor of the Zhenwang style.

The Exploding Star Palm unleashed from the former king’s hands.

Woooooom. Kwaaang!

A massive explosion echoed, generating a tremendous gravitational pull.

Swoosh!

The blade of the Extreme Sword Technique, its energy compressed to the absolute limit, threatened the neck of the Ten Demon Lotus Master.

And then.

Kuuuuu. Grrr. Grrr.

A hellscape of unimaginable scale, incomparable to anything I had ever unleashed, unfolded, sucking in everything around it.

“Gah!”

“Tough, huh? This is getting fun!”

As the Ten-Armed Demon King let out a low growl under the relentless onslaught, the Demon King began to rage even more violently.

Pfft. Pfft-pfft-pfft. Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

He unleashed a series of shape-shifting techniques, circling around him and pouring out attacks.

Ordinary punches and kicks.

While their form resembled those of third-rate thugs plying their trade in the entertainment district, their power was on an entirely different level.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each strike matched the power of a full-force Exploding Star technique I unleashed.

In that instant, the teachings bestowed by the late Grand Master of the Sword Sect, Hwasan, before his death came to mind.

‘When you reach the extreme, everything becomes ordinary.’

‘The simpler it is, the greater power it holds. But if one pursues simplicity without understanding complexity, they will never reach the truth.’

Like the ancient martial world adage that mastery comes from reaching the extreme, the former king’s fighting technique resembled the sword master’s sword.

But there was a fundamental difference.

“Hahahaha! This is fun! So much fun!”

His attacks were free and unrestrained, like a beast unleashing its fury.

Boom!

Boom!

He bent backward to dodge the sword, then lashed out with a kick aimed at the groin.

Thwack!

While relentlessly targeting the spot struck by the lord’s dagger, he suddenly flung sand—who knows where he’d picked it up—and threw a punch.

Thwack!

“Guh!”

“Still unskilled!”

Thanks to that, the Ten-Armed Demon King had no choice but to close the one eye he had left.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

He had no choice but to expose his side, where the dagger was lodged, to the relentless barrage of the Thirteen Piercers.

“Guh!”

It was sheer, mad frenzy.

Watching him strike, lash out, and kick, a single image came to mind.

‘This is…?’

Kill.

Martial arts fundamentally involve acts intended to kill an opponent.

The method of studying this is called martial arts, seeking the Way through martial arts is called the martial Way, and one who masters martial arts is called a martial artist.

However, the martial arts of the late king negated all of that, containing only the truth of killing one’s opponent.

Faster than anyone, more efficient than anything.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Amidst his relentless barrage of attacks, the Ten Demon Fist Master gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

Whoosh!

A black current filled with the aura of annihilation shot toward the former king.

Sssshhh.

He unfolded the Lee Hyeonghwan-wi as if he had known it would happen and dodged it.

“……!”

He hadn’t dodged by seeing it.

He had anticipated such an attack at this point and dodged accordingly.

Even though his sword was slowed by injury, it was astonishing nonetheless.

‘To dodge that like that…’

I understood why he was called the strongest in close combat.

Gwoooh.

The Ten-Armed Demon Lord must have realized he couldn’t keep taking hits indefinitely, for a black current gathered around his sword.

It seemed he was about to unleash the ultimate technique of the Heavenly Demon Sword, the very blade that had defeated the City Lord and the Great Qing Immortal.

One, it couldn’t be helped that his momentum had slowed due to injury.

Drip, drip.

‘Is the poison taking effect?’

As the fight dragged on, a yellowish pus oozed steadily from his eyes and near his abdomen.

He was probably drawing upon the internal energy that had been blocking the Danhun Mountain poison.

Which meant.

‘He’s hitting rock bottom!’

It also meant death was near for the Ten-Armed Demon King.

“The end is in sight!”

The former king, sensing this too, rallied his momentum to meet the Ten Demon Sword’s blade.

As the Ten Demon King swung his sword.

Flash.

The world was engulfed in black darkness.

Kukukuku.

A gray sphere, presumed to be the Hell’s Mirror, exploded from the former king’s hand.

A battle between the black currents seeking to annihilate everything and the gray sphere that sucked everything in.

The result.

Crunch.

The gray sphere’s victory.

Upon confirming the defeat of the Heavenly Demon Sword, the expression of the Ten Demon Alliance leader instantly darkened.

The Danhun Mountain had spread throughout his entire body.

Thud.

He knelt, spewing crimson blood.

The end of the absolute being was approaching.

“Guh…”

The former king walked, clutching his trembling legs.

“I shall ease your pain.”

The Ten Demon Lords stared blankly up at the former king.

“……Can you give me a little more time? I still have something to say to them.”

“That much is fine.”

The former king nodded, and he shouted toward the mages he had brought with him.

[Children of the Magicians—!]

His booming voice echoed across the battlefield. The Ten Demon Clan mages answered, tears streaming down their faces.

Heavenly Demon Manifestation-! Divine Cult Unconquerable-!

[I shall die now. Yet, the spirit of the sorcerers shall never perish.]

He let out a small sneer and continued.

[All arrangements have been made in the Heavenly Mountains. Return and devote yourself to rebuilding the Demon Path. For a hundred years, for a thousand years—do not emerge into the world until preparations are complete.]

Heavenly Demon Manifestation-! Divine Cult Unconquerable-!

“……?”

At his command, the former king, myself, and all of the Nine Provinces Alliance stared at the Ten Demon Alliance leader with eyes full of doubt.

All of Nine Dragons City’s forces are currently gathered at Mount Cheon.

Even Master Beogung is present. If they return without a central leader, they will almost certainly be annihilated.

As everyone gaped at this incomprehensible order, he looked at the Nine Dragons Castle Lord, who was facing death.

“I’ve dried up the seed of magic as you wished. Are you satisfied now?”

“……Why did you give such a stupid order?”

“Because I wanted to destroy the Demon Realm with my own hands.”

“What?”

“You’re not the only one who lost family to the hands of the Demon Clan.”

“I… suppose so.”

Now all his doubts were resolved.

Having lost his family in the coup, he never intended to unify the realm in the first place.

This war, too, was waged to sever the lifeline of the Demon Path.

To destroy the Ten Demon Clan.

Having heard the entire story, the lord called out the name of the dead Green Dragon with a look of utter despondency.

“Seong-a… Where are you… Grandfather has come…”

Gazing at the dying embers of life, the Ten-Faced Demon King wore an expression of utter satisfaction.

“Born as the successor to the Demon Path, you killed two pillars of the righteous faction. Wasn’t that a life without regret?”

He destroyed the Demon Sect with his own hands, yet he was the Demon Sect’s heir? Bullshit.

‘Crazy bastard.’

It was like looking at a psychopath.

I grabbed my trembling legs and forced myself to stand, walking toward him.

I don’t intend to kill him.

He’ll die anyway if I just leave him be.

“Not two… but… me. Cough.”

It was to wipe out half of his accomplishments.

“……?”

He showed the small pill to the Ten Demon Cultist, whose eyes seemed to say, What the hell is this?

“The Great Revival Elixir. A miraculous medicine said to revive even the dead. I’ll use this to bring the castle lord back to life.”

His expression twisted like that of a demon.

“You, you!”

Whether from the sudden stress or not, he collapsed, blood pouring from his seven orifices.

This was the end of the Ten Demon Cult Leader who had once made the world tremble.

“G-give this to the… Lord… And please… don’t go anywhere… Stay here… I have something to say…”

Handing over the Daerahwal Fleet to the former king was the last thing I remember from that day.