Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 108

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 108

 

 

Damn it…

I devoured it because of hunger, thinking it was a fortuitous encounter.

But what do you know?

It was spiritual energy.

You might wonder what the problem is, but no matter how good a fortuitous encounter might be, even if you consume the inner core of a legendary spirit beast and chew down spiritual herbs, if your body isn’t prepared or you don’t know how to handle it, it’s no different from deadly poison.

If you can’t dissolve it, your blood vessels will burst and you’ll die.

Even though I had experience handling spiritual energy before, the current Zhuge Munhyeon wasn’t ready to accept it—that is, he hadn’t formed a spiritual body yet.

According to the Ascension Method I learned in the past, one needed to go through the process of Energy Purification to purify one’s energy through cultivation, then use that energy to form a spirit jade.

What was created this way was called ‘Original Spirit Jade’ in the Ascension Method.

It’s the foundation bead for accumulating spiritual energy.

If you contain spiritual energy in your body without creating the Original Spirit Jade, your dantian could shatter. Not only is the magnitude of power a problem, but you can’t withstand a force that runs on a completely different track from internal energy.

And Zhuge Munhyeon, who had swallowed the bamboo shoot, had just accepted such tremendous energy.

Forget about ascension to immortality—he had to worry about dying immediately.

There was only one method.

Since he couldn’t absorb or control it, he had to forcibly push the spiritual energy into a separate space and confine it.

But the human body isn’t a chest of drawers—where would there be so many spaces to store different powers here and there?

He had to create a new space.

Precisely the middle dantian.

The place he couldn’t open yet due to insufficient internal energy.

At minimum, it required the unity of essence, energy, and spirit representing body, mind, and will.

When a martial artist who has reached that stage practices Qi Circulation Breathing, three flower buds appear to bloom above their head, which is why it’s called Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.

I’ve never seen it directly.

How could I see what bloomed on my own head?

It’s not like someone holds up a mirror while you’re circulating qi.

And unless you keep your eyes open while circulating qi, you can’t see it even if they do hold one up.

I just know it because that’s what others say.

And typically at that stage, one experiences Bone Transformation.

New wine goes in new wineskins, after all.

But how could I have such internal energy?

I’m only at the Ui level now…

So I used the spiritual energy that had entered my body.

Chances of success?

I’d have to try it to be sure.

Since that was the only method, I had to try it even if it meant death.

After tremendous effort, I barely managed to open the middle dantian and confine the spiritual energy.

My whole body felt like it would shatter.

Since it wasn’t a normal method, Bone Transformation didn’t occur.

Thank goodness.

Only ignorant fools think Bone Transformation is good—do they even know the pain of bones moving on their own? Have they experienced having their entire skin peel off?

That’s truly hellish agony.

Anyway, I finished my qi circulation after crossing the boundary between life and death several times.

But the world reflected in my unfocused eyes was strange.

‘The bamboo forest…’

It had definitely been lush green, but only a yellowish clay color remained, and within it I could see two figures.

‘Mujin?’

It was him.

But some bastard was standing in front of the kneeling guy, about to strike his head.

At that rate, his head would split open.

In the moment I blinked, feeling an instant like an eternity.

‘Mujin is going to die to some culprit bastard?’

My mind snapped to attention.

This fucking piece of shit bastard is going to kill my last remaining disciple?

Surging with sudden rage, Zhuge Munhyeon swung the Silver Cold Staff he had grabbed without thinking.

A golden flash shot out.

The bastard who was suddenly struck in the torso folded over and was violently flung away.

But what was this now?

The energy that whooshed out.

Stronger than sword energy, weaker than Gang Qi… it had that kind of strange feeling.

Apparently, thanks to the spiritual energy rampaging through my entire body, my internal energy had changed in a peculiar way.

Should I call this… Half Gang Qi?

I can name it later.

Anyway!

“Mujin!”

After striking down the culprit, Zhuge Munhyeon immediately approached Mujin.

“Mu, Munhyeon Young Master?”

“Yes. It’s me.”

“Thank goodness. It’s truly fortunate that you woke up in time.”

You bastard, is that what you should be saying right now?

He was already covered in blood.

His hair was disheveled and his dirt-covered clothes were torn to rags. He seemed to lack the strength to even stand, let alone lift his head, as he kept drooping it down.

And yet he said it was fortunate…

My chest stung for no reason.

How could I not know?

Mujin had protected me.

He must have fought that culprit bastard so that I wouldn’t be harmed while circulating qi.

“I released the fourth seal, but it wasn’t enough.”

“What?”

This crazy bastard.

He was determined to die.

How long had it been since he released the third seal, and now he released the fourth?

Even a body of steel couldn’t endure that.

His bones would have shattered piece by piece and his blood vessels would have been seared with pain.

Mujin had endured such pain and fought.

The pain from the demonic nature would have been more severe than the opponent’s strength.

“It was futile. I was powerless. I never knew I was so weak…”

His voice carried a sense of despair.

You’re not weak.

That damn bastard from before was just strong.

He might even be a Half-Immortal.

Yet there was a smile lingering on his lips.

As if he was relieved to have saved Zhuge Munhyeon, even if it meant his own death.

“He’s strong. He didn’t seem human. He was… like a monster or a demon… Even the distinction between good and evil was blurred.”

Mujin tried to describe the opponent he had fought.

“He is…”

Even in a situation where it was difficult to control his body, seeing him struggle to continue speaking made Zhuge Munhyeon frown.

He was trying to be of help in any way he could.

Foolish bastard…

“Rest for a moment.”

“Young Master.”

“That’s enough.”

At Zhuge Munhyeon’s gentle touch accompanied by a faint smile, Mujin quietly closed his eyes.

He pressed the sleep acupoint.

This was a situation where even the strength to speak had to be conserved.

Then he restored the fourth seal once again.

Though the demonic energy was completely depleted, if it rose again, his current body wouldn’t be able to control it.

Crack.

His teeth ground at the peaceful expression of the sleeping man.

This was the first time.

Being saved by someone.

‘Those damn righteous sect bastards, really.’

Both the descendants of the Zhuge family and Mujin alike.

Despite being so weak, what kind of sense of justice overflowed in them that they were all desperate to help and save others?

It made him angry.

The fact that he had relied on someone.

The fact that he had become someone’s concern.

That his own weakness had ultimately become a burden to someone…

Zhuge Munhyeon turned his head with an emotionlessly hardened expression and spoke.

“You… wait there for a moment.”

“…”

The place where he glanced.

The bastard who had been struck and knocked down by the energy emitted from the Silver Cold Staff was now getting up and approaching.

His entirely crimson skin had strange scale-like protrusions, and below his chin grew a long beard…

Whether he was human or immortal was indistinguishable, but he was certainly a target that provoked anger.

Zhuge Munhyeon, who had been coldly staring at the creature, picked up Mujin.

He intended to move him away from what would become a fierce battle ground since he was about to fight.

Fortunately, the crimson creature stopped walking and only watched.

Zhuge Munhyeon laid Mujin down at a distant location and carefully constructed formations with a troubled expression.

He laid a Diamond Formation near the body, added a Nine-Section Defense Formation around its perimeter, and then again…

Zhuge Munhyeon added formation after formation that could protect the interior from physical force.

So that not even a single crawling ant could touch Mujin’s body.

He glanced over occasionally, but the culprit didn’t move an inch and only watched what he was doing.

Thankfully…

Annoyingly…

Having returned with some peace of mind, Zhuge Munhyeon faced the culprit.

“What are you?”

“…”

He asked.

Apparently, he had been waiting for that single question.

“Strange. Seeing that you cannot even perform Embryonic Breathing, you’re not a cultivator, yet how did you control the energy of the spiritual chamber with a human body? And what was that energy from before? To shock my body with something that wasn’t even spiritual energy. You’re truly a bizarre fellow.”

Geumri tilted his head and babbled.

Cultivator?

Embryonic Breathing?

He had no idea what the creature was talking about.

“A bastard who looks like shit sure talks a lot.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I had a lot I wanted to ask when I met you too.”

The immortal of Dongho Lake.

Perhaps he might know about the Ascension Method.

Perhaps he might be one of the Half-Immortals who had come looking for Hyeoncheon.

So he had wanted to ask.

Why he had to kill him.

And what the true Ascension Method was.

But his insides bubbled like water in a cauldron placed over fiercely blazing flames.

The questions he wanted to ask and his thoughts wouldn’t organize themselves.

Something hot kept surging up, and it seemed his anger wouldn’t subside unless he tore the culprit’s limbs apart and bathed in his blood.

Whatever… he could find someone else to ask.

It didn’t have to be this bastard.

Sparks flew from Zhuge Munhyeon’s eyes as he gripped the Silver Cold Staff tightly.

Hiss.

As he took a step forward, white steam rose as if the ground had been seared.

“Hey, immortal bastard.”

“…?”

“Let’s fight first.”

No questions asked.

I’m known for being calm, but right now I’m very angry. Whether it’s because of your unlucky face or Mujin’s injuries, I don’t know.

Killing intent wrapped around his body like a violent whirlwind before spreading out, and veins bulged along his forearms.

Slowly, step by step.

The energy released without limits pressed down on the space with tremendous pressure, comparable to the Sovereign Step of his previous life.

A symbol of fear.

The sole dignity.

Though it wasn’t as powerful as back then and couldn’t twist space, the fury and presence contained in his maddened eyes were the same as when ten thousand demons prostrated themselves and All Under Heaven trembled in fear.

Thump!

Finally stopping at an appropriate distance, he took a low stance with his sword force ready.

As the internal energy contained in the Silver Cold Staff exceeded its limit, Zhuge Munhyeon’s eyes looking at Geumri became like transparent glass marbles.

However.

“Pfft, what are you trying to do now? Are you trying to get revenge for that guy from earlier?”

Of course.

When a younger brother gets hit, the elder brother steps up; when a son gets hit, the mother steps up; when a disciple gets hit, the master steps up.

“Stand down. Just because an attack happened to succeed by chance, a mere human cannot fight against a cultivator.”

As expected, an unlucky bastard.

He didn’t know what a cultivator was, but to speak as if he’d already won before even fighting.

“You have to measure long and short to know, you bastard!”

Zhuge Munhyeon’s foot that had been pressing down on the ground with a thump lifted off.

The power he had gathered exploded like a volcano erupting after being suppressed.

The Heavenly Mystery Bewildering Steps unfolded to their extreme, and the Silver Cold Staff swung following his hand contained all the martial techniques of the Small Heaven Star Sword.

“Insignificant fool…”

Geumri, wearing a bitter smile, unleashed a Dragon Roar while swinging his hand.

The wind that arose mixed earth and stones thickly, flying toward him like hidden weapons.

His body got cut.

He ached from being struck by stones.

But there was no such thing as winning a battle without injuries.

Zhuge Munhyeon swung the Silver Cold Staff with the force of Single Strike Bisection toward where he felt the creature’s energy.

Thud thud thud!

The wind splits apart.

The stones shatter.

Yet still, my vision remains obscured.

He attacked while stirring up wind, as if hiding within the dust cloud he had created.

Already countless times.

Even though I’ve swung until my arms feel like they’ll fall off, there’s no sensation of touching the Silver Cold Staff.

He dodges well like a little rat.

But if one swing isn’t enough, then I’ll swing twice. I’ll add Flash Strike upon Flash Strike, and if that’s still not enough, I’ll add hands and feet.

Today, no matter what happens, I’m determined to beat this bastard until dust flies on a rainy day.

Whether he’s human or not human.

Whether he’s a monk or a Half-Immortal.

A person who always accomplishes what he sets out to do, a person who knows only straight ahead once he sets a goal!

That is precisely me, Zhuge Munhyeon, who was once the Heavenly Demon!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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