149 - Blue Dragon Rain Dance Society (19) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

As the match began, the referee retreated to a far-off distance. One should scream, if possible, yet it remained an impossibility. "Kwaaang!" All of a sudden, Kang Oh-seol's ferocious punch came crashing in, explaining why no sound could escape. No, there was a far greater reason. "...My throat." It felt as though it was burning up. My breathing grew rapidly more ragged. The Heavenly Murderous Star was reacting. The Extreme Demonic Body was screaming. Proclaiming the presence of something demonic here. Of blood too sweet. That's what it was shouting. "That's not all." A sense of déjà vu, a feeling of familiarity and comfort, began to well up inside. Mok Riwon had felt such emotions only once before. "A snake...!" This was the sensation felt from the first murderous entity encountered within the secret chambers of the Tang Sect—the snake. Incomprehensible as the situation was, there was no time to focus on it. "Kwaaaaang!" Thanks to Kang Oh-seol's relentless assault, not a moment’s breath was spared. In an instant, Mok Riwon’s eyes met with Kang Oh-seol’s. In his dark, bloodshot eyes, Mok Riwon read an indescribable murderous intent and rage. And madness. Who exactly was this man, and what relation did he have with the Heavenly Murderous Star? Mok Riwon was dying to know. "How mediocre." Even amidst this, Kang Oh-seol spoke. Stomping down, "Thump!" he swung his fist with a power unlike any before. Mok Riwon activated Thousand-Mile Perception. Splitting moments indefinitely to read Kang Oh-seol’s fist's trajectory. Endeavoring ceaselessly to comprehend where it aimed, what power, and what technique it would unleash. Soon, Mok Riwon realized. "...Gone?" His fist had no designated target, no technique, no form or structure at all. As if it mirrored the swordsmanship Mok Riwon himself had practiced. Moreover, it contained a mystique unparalleled by any other fist technique Mok Riwon knew. Fortunately, there remained a way for Mok Riwon to evade his punches. Mok Riwon’s sword spun, deflecting Kang Oh-seol’s fist. And then he lunged at him. "Read the murderous intent!" Born with the Heavenly Murderous Star, this inherent mark within him. Utilizing it to exchange blows. The aura clashed. Within, fist and sword vied for dominance. Amidst it all, Mok Riwon was certain. Kang Oh-seol’s fist had surely reached transcendence. * Kang Oh-seol, appearing under such a name, Wi Gwang-cheon tsked while dominating Mok Riwon. "Like an eel." Could something within this worthless shell actually be the Heavenly Murderous Star? Despite its supposed inability to interpret the trajectory of the Heavenly Demon Divine Power through conventional means, they were still exchanging blows, leading Wi Gwang-cheon to ponder the reason behind the effectiveness of the Heavenly Murderous Star’s slaughter path. The ability to translate all murderous intents aimed at him into power. Facing the ability he once possessed, Wi Gwang-cheon’s rage grew. "Waaaaaah!!!!!" The ignorant masses of the Central Plains erupted in cheers. The swine before him had no intention of falling. Wi Gwang-cheon found none of this to his liking. "If only I had demonic energy." Had he not taken the medicine, had he ignored Sama’s advice, the fight would have ended already. Using Kang Qi, he could have shattered the puppet’s limbs and escaped regardless of what the Central Plains could muster. That rage further empowered his fist. Once again, it transformed into a huge force. "Kwaaaaaang!!!" The collision resounded deafeningly. Kang Oh-seol stomped down. "Thump!" Along with the sound, the technique diffused Qi was the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step. Aiming precisely, the palm strike was the Heavenly Demon Sky-Breaking Palm. However, it was all in vain. Without demonic energy—since that very energy forms the foundation of all Heavenly Demon Divine Power techniques—its potency was reduced to a mere tenth of its full strength. Drowning in water felt preferable to this. Wi Gwang-cheon, having lived more than 15 years in such a state, began to feel his head grow faint. "Enough." He lunged a fist, and Mok Riwon retaliated. "Die!" Pass on the star! Ignoring the risk, Wi Gwang-cheon thrust his fist into Mok Riwon’s ribcage. Crack― A satisfying crunch was felt. "Cough!" Blood splattered from Mok Riwon’s mouth, his eyes wide open in a rather foolish sight. Yet, Wi Gwang-cheon was not unscathed. "Thunk!" A black sword blade lodged into Wi Gwang-cheon’s left shoulder. However, there was a reason Wi Gwang-cheon could remain unaffected. The myriad drugs infused into his body for so long had blurred even the pain. "I’ll tear off his limbs." But the referee would intervene before it came to that. Nevertheless, it didn’t matter. "There’s no transcendence in a martial competition." Several supreme experts who'd come to watch. Martial warriors of the Central Plains Martial Alliance guarding the competition venue. It mattered not; beating them senseless was all there was to it. Yes, by following Sama Gong's words, the rest would be handled by him accordingly. At that thought, Wi Gwang-cheon hesitated. "Handle it himself?" It was anxiety. The same anxiety that had clung to Wi Gwang-cheon over the past 15 years, the same impulsivity and thirst that emerged only when grasping fruits of labor. There was something lost in this place from where I punch. At this rate, grabbing it and returning to the congregation seemed possible. But think about it. If these matters were entrusted to Sama Gong, would they be resolved properly? No. That lunatic, posing as the heir to the Demonic Mind while engaged in espionage for the Wudang Sect, has shown nothing. No, that's not accurate; he has shown how the congregation's forces had been greatly depleted, floundering like a mudfish. How much of what had been patiently accumulated over the past 15 years was lost? Unreliable. No, from the beginning, the only one to be trusted was myself. “Heaven and earth, I alone am honored.” Wi Gwang-cheon knew he was the man meant to sit in such a position. A heat surrounded my eyes. My breath transformed into something deeper than before. And the remnants in the path dissolve. “I was not wrong.” Suddenly, a black hue started blending into the blood-red Qi. “I was not incorrect.” No, even the wrong path could be made right. Such was the mindset befitting a man destined to stand within the hierarchy of the Heavenly Demon. Demonic energy was gathered once more. The medicinal energy that had long steeped my body prickled my brain. Attempting to amass the demonic energy, my heart clenched tight, making it felt as if blood ceased to flow. “Disappear.” Denying it all. I envisioned a man who declared his every step as the truth. Thump! And thus, I took another step. The Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step. Black demonic energy swept across the martial arts platform, bringing Mok Riwon to his knees. “Gheuk...!” Although he tried blocking it with Qi, Wi Gwang-cheon knew. Between one who had reached transcendence and one who had not, lay a gap as vast as the heavens. Having already experienced this realization, there was no hesitation. Stretching out the palm for another strike. Heavenly Demon Sky-Breaking Palm. The force apt for its name, capable of shattering the heavens, finally manifested as it was imbued with demonic energy. Mok Riwon extended his sword forward. Wrapped his body with Qi. Laughable. Even that was swept away by the demonic energy. Kwaang! Not only Mok Riwon was sent flying. “Attack!!!” There were those who charged from beneath the martial platform. Remember their names, Kwon Pyowol, and the White Sword Faction. And one more, a girl from the Tang Sect. “What a foolish act.” Wi Gwang-cheon scoffed, inflating his demonic energy further. He wielded the burgeoning energy with a jolt. Consequently, even those classified as supreme experts in the audience leaped in. “Good.” Wi Gwang-cheon smiled broadly, tearing the corners of his mouth. Pathetic creatures who hadn't reached transcendence. Just one move was enough. And then, he would secure the Heavenly Murderous Star and return to the congregation. Thus, demonic energy was gathered. Palms came together. What was contained within was undoubtedly the essence of divine arts, and more importantly, the emblem of supreme demonic prowess. Kiiiing―! The gathered demonic energy spiraled and ignited into black flames. Only then did the Central Plains rush in, perhaps sensing the crisis. A smile so broad it threatened to tear Wi Gwang-cheon’s face emerged. Immediately after, his hands faced the heavens. Heavenly Demon Great Annihilation. The power grasped only upon ascending to transcendence immediately exploded upon the earth. ―――――! All martial artists charging in were simultaneously shaken, vomiting blood, and collapsed. Screams and dust were all that remained. Those left in the audience descended into chaos, attempting to flee. “Just this much.” It was just this much that Sama Gong and the once-feared Baekdo Murim accounted for. It proclaimed a land of pathetic weaklings where only vermin teetering on the brink of collapse existed. Wi Gwang-cheon turned his gaze towards Mok Riwon who had almost lost consciousness. “You are...!” Gasping for breath, he tried to rise. Wi Gwang-cheon quietly observed him for a moment before approaching. He then grabbed his collar and lifted him. He recited the answer he sought. "The rightful owner of the star you possess." At that moment, Mok Riwon’s body jolted to a stop. Wi Gwang-cheon felt a sense of delight. A 15-year wait. That was finally the end. No, considering the day the star was lost was 18 years ago, even saying 15 years was a shorthand. The elation of fulfilling a desire, the exhilarating feeling of reclaiming a suppressed realm—surely, that was the source. Wi Gwang-cheon, normally not much for words, found himself with much he wanted to say to Mok Riwon at this moment. If spoken, it would be a complaint filled with sentiment. Words commemorating the reunion with the long-missed star. Regrettably, there wasn’t much time for that. Even amidst Sama Gong's panic-driven warning, Wi Gwang-cheon recognized one thing. That which had silenced him for 15 years. “Transcendence is a burden.” It wasn’t a matter of winning or losing. In the situation where the Heavenly Murderous Star had not yet been reclaimed, Wi Gwang-cheon needed to return to the congregation as soon as possible. The journey back would be as long as the distance traversed, and he had to prepare for the possibility of encountering a transcendent warrior of the Central Plains along the way. It was an unpleasant thought. Thus, Wi Gwang-cheon tried to leave the martial competition arena, still clutching the unconscious Mok Riwon by the collar. That's when it happened. "Halt." Plans went awry. A massive resonance spreading across the entire martial competition field, enveloped by Qi, also reached Wi Gwang-cheon's ears. Wi Gwang-cheon turned around, murmuring the source of the voice with a demonically murderous expression. "League Master." The Martial League Master, Spear Star Sa Baekwoon. He was approaching, his face deeply furrowed, wielding his iconic great ji, which served as his symbol. "Demonic being." Sa Baekwoon spoke. Simultaneously, a platinum-colored Qi enveloped his body. And then, the Kang Qi, the exclusive hallmark of transcendent beings, covered the great ji. "How dare you." Thud! With each step Sa Baekwoon took, space quivered. "Think you can set foot." Sa Baekwoon gripped the great ji with both hands. "Here." No sooner had he spoken, Sa Baekwoon was already within arm's reach of Wi Gwang-cheon. Immediately after, the great ji was swung, and a thunderous noise erupted.