Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 155

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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 155

 

“It seems those bastards are still at the summit.”

 

“Right.”

 

At Zhuge Mungi’s words, still unable to calm his excitement as he clutched the signal flare, Zhuge Munhyeon glanced toward the summit.

 

The mountain was high.

 

Deep and densely wooded.

 

Looking around, the thick smell of blood spread ominously, and corpses were scattered throughout the thicket beneath trees darker than the darkness itself.

 

The sight of the corpses, as if attacked by beasts and torn apart all over their bodies, made even Zhuge Munhyeon furrow his brow.

 

They had all died in a single strike.

 

Their bodies had been sliced and killed instantly by flying sword strikes or beast-like claws.

 

Due to the sudden attackers, the perimeter that had surrounded Silver Flower Mountain in layers had been breached, and the warriors must have chased after them up the mountain.

 

The fact that no sounds of clashing weapons or screams could be heard meant that the demonic path practitioners had already reached the summit or gotten close to it.

 

The Tang Family workshop nestled in the basin.

 

‘Has it become poison instead?’

 

In that sunken place, sounds couldn’t spread outside and only echoed within. The terrain chosen to reduce the noise of metalworking would have instead concealed the screams of those being attacked.

 

It would have also made it difficult to prepare for surprise attacks.

 

In large-scale battles, to achieve victory, one must occupy higher ground than the enemy and create a situation where you fight against enemies climbing up.

 

Therefore, in fortress battles, defense is always much more advantageous than offense.

 

However, if the perimeter was breached and the demonic path warriors seized the ridges surrounding the basin, it would be no different from having the fortress walls captured.

 

“Damn it, they’re completely trapped.”

 

With the ridges captured and surrounded, they were like trapped mice.

 

“What should we do?”

 

“Hmm…”

 

At Mujin’s question, deep furrows appeared on Zhuge Munhyeon’s brow.

 

There were two choices.

 

Go up now and strike the rear of the demonic path practitioners, or wait while assessing the situation and then attack after joining with the Tang Family’s support forces.

 

“The problem is we don’t have time to spare.”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon clearly understood the demonic path’s strategy.

 

They don’t drag things out.

 

Once they achieve their objective, they’ll immediately withdraw.

 

If their purpose was indeed the craftsmen of Silver Flower Mountain as he predicted, they would seize only their target and leave Silver Flower Mountain without engaging in total warfare.

 

“Mujin.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Let’s go up.”

 

“…Understood.”

 

Mujin readily agreed to Zhuge Munhyeon’s decision.

 

However.

 

“You’re going with just the two of you?”

 

Zhuge Mungi looked at the two men in shock.

 

Just the two of them?

 

Do these guys have no fear at all?

 

Their opponent is the Demonic Sect.

 

Moreover, they’re skilled enough to have broken through the five-layered perimeter around Silver Huashan, and their numbers are still unknown.

 

Going to the summit would be no different from throwing oneself into a pit of fire.

 

What could just two people possibly accomplish?

 

It was nothing but reckless bravado from hot-blooded young warriors overestimating their own abilities.

 

“Munhyeon, that won’t do. The situation at Craft Bang is unfortunate, but…”

 

“Mungi.”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon cut off Zhuge Mungi’s words as he tried to dissuade him, knowing there was no chance of victory, and smiled while raising the corners of his mouth.

 

“You’re from the Tang Family, aren’t you?”

 

“What?”

 

“Then don’t think like a Zhuge, think like the Tang Family.”

 

“Wh-what do you mean by that?”

 

“Do you think the Tang Family would hesitate and calculate when their family is in danger? Do you think they’d only move after analyzing advantages and determining there’s a possibility of victory?”

 

“…”

 

He couldn’t answer.

 

He shut his open mouth tightly and grimaced.

 

“I know what you’re thinking. To win a war, one must first examine the Way , justification and public sentiment, then Heaven , climate and timing, and Earth , securing geographical advantages. Also, the General should be capable, Laws should establish proper organization and discipline to boost morale, and Knowledge and Wisdom should know both enemy and self to devise clever strategies.”

 

“You know all that…”

 

“But what overwhelms all of that is Strength .”

 

“…”

 

“I’m much stronger than you think.”

 

Zhuge Mungi was left speechless at the sight of him gripping his shoulder firmly and grinning wickedly.

 

“Mungi, you’ve done quite well. Preventing the signal flare from being fired was really good work. You’ve done your part, so now wait.”

 

“Wait? Just me?”

 

“Someone needs to inform the Tang Family Warriors who came as support about the current situation.”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon patted the shoulder he had been gripping and took the signal flare, putting it in his chest.

 

“If you end up pursuing fleeing enemies, fire the signal flare immediately. I don’t know how it will explode, but tell the Tang Family that if something explodes, I’ll be there.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

“Not fighting together doesn’t make you a coward. Each person just needs to do their best in what they can do. Right now your role isn’t fighting, but delivering messages. Remember that.”

 

“Munhyeon…”

 

“Don’t worry. What you should worry about isn’t me, but those Demonic Path bastards.”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon’s eyes emitted an eerie light as he made a grotesque smile, curling up the corners of his mouth until his cheekbones protruded. They gleamed as if emitting their own light despite the moon not being bright.

 

And then.

 

“Mujin! Run at full power.”

 

“Yes!”

 

The two immediately turned around.

 

They shot up swiftly, stepped on tree branches, and disappeared in an instant.

 

Zhuge Mungi, who had been staring blankly at their figures, gritted his teeth and grimaced.

 

His words echoed in my ears, and one of them carved itself into my heart like a chisel on stone.

 

Like the Tang Family…

 

If I had wanted to blend in, I shouldn’t have existed as a Zhuge like an impurity in water, but should have thought like the Tang Family and acted like the Tang Family.

 

“Damn bastard, scratching at my insides until the very end.”

 

Along with those bluntly spat words, Zhuge Mungi let out a sigh.

 

And what was contained in his heart was not envy, jealousy, or blame… but worry for his younger brother.

 

‘You must be safe, Munhyeon.’

 

* * *

 

Snap!

 

The tree branch stepped on swayed so greatly it made a twang sound, and the figures of Zhuge Munhyeon and Mujin flew faster than night birds.

 

There was no need to hide their footsteps and approach stealthily.

 

They needed to arrive as quickly as possible.

 

‘Amazing. Even though I’m using Cloud Ladder Technique at full power, I can’t catch up.’

 

It was named so because it felt like stepping on clouds and flying through the sky.

 

Despite low internal energy consumption, it was light and fast.

 

But far from catching up to Zhuge Munhyeon, he couldn’t even run alongside him and was falling behind.

 

‘He’s a monster, a monster. Is this the power of that energy circulation method that forcibly maintains a state equal to a Gang Qi martial artist?’

 

Above all, his eyesight was excellent.

 

Unlike himself, who had to concentrate on which tree branch to step on since a misstep at such speed would send him tumbling to the ground immediately, Zhuge Munhyeon ran as if it were flat ground.

 

Not only his internal energy, but his light body technique proficiency and familiarity were worlds apart from his own.

 

‘How enviable.’

 

Mujin increased his speed even more.

 

Thanks to that, he had to put even greater effort into watching the ground rushing beneath his feet… Huh?

 

At a scene that flashed by for an instant, Mujin’s eyes widened like oil lamps.

 

It was a scene only Mujin could discover, since unlike Zhuge Munhyeon who leaped over it in one bound, he had to continuously look for places to step.

 

A clearing created by trees broken hideously as if there had been a great battle.

 

And among the corpses scattered in that clearing, he saw the figure of someone wearing a face mask.

 

“Y-Young Master!”

 

“…?”

 

Mujin, who had cried out as if startled by something, suddenly dropped onto flat ground with a thud.

 

It was an urgent voice.

 

Since he must have discovered something, Zhuge Munhyeon immediately changed direction.

 

“It’s a Demonic Sect member.”

 

“…”

 

So it appeared.

 

But the moment he saw that demonic practitioner, Zhuge Munhyeon’s pupils trembled finely.

 

A corpse whose entire body had been torn apart by countless strikes and sword attacks.

 

But what was contained in the face of the demon who couldn’t even close his eyes was not fear or pain… but madness.

 

Even at the moment of death, they were filled with pleasure that they willingly accepted.

 

This is impossible.

 

Even demonic practitioners who risk their lives daily cannot maintain composure before death, so what remains after death is ultimately pain or regret.

 

‘These bastards… could it be?’

 

The corpse of a Demonic Path martial artist.

 

There must have been fierce battles, so there’s no law saying demonic practitioners shouldn’t die. However, the moment he saw the state of that corpse, his hands trembled violently.

 

‘…Did they even use the Entering Demon Realm technique?’

 

The process of Demonic Path martial artists falling into demonic nature is divided into four stages: Entering, True, Waste, and Ash.

 

The Demonic Path once studied this process.

 

They regretted losing martial artists they had raised with great expense when they fell into demonic nature while practicing demonic arts.

 

The Seal Heart Art that suppressed Mujin’s demonic nature was also created during that process.

 

But conversely, there was also a method to deliberately awaken demonic nature.

 

Because they had to conduct experiments.

 

What was created then was the Entering Demon Realm technique.

 

A martial art that forcibly incites demonic nature to run wild.

 

Martial artists who lose their reason regard everything they see as enemies and transform into beasts with only destructive instincts remaining in their minds.

 

There were countless deaths.

 

Martial artists who were captured and raised by the Demonic Path in childhood died as test subjects without being able to preserve their honor.

 

It was something that shouldn’t have been done, but it was a necessary evil.

 

The experiment had to be permitted to save martial artists who couldn’t resist the temptation of demonic sounds and fell into demonic nature.

 

Because they thought they could save more martial artists.

 

The experiment succeeded, and the Demonic Path became able to control demonic nature.

 

However, it was never used in combat.

 

Because they wouldn’t tolerate making those who became beasts go mad with slaughter without being able to preserve their honor as martial artists.

 

But.

 

Grind.

 

Zhuge Munhyeon ground his tightly clenched teeth.

 

‘Did they break through the perimeter with demons created using the Entering Demon Realm technique? Did they finally commit that cursed act that should never be done?’

 

Rage surged within him.

 

Whether they wanted it or not, the dead would have had no choice but to fight as demons.

 

It wasn’t honorable sacrifice but consumption.

 

They were used and discarded like beasts rather than humans, like battering rams to break through enemy gates.

 

Anger boiled up at that fact.

 

This is not the Demonic Path.

 

Standing proudly through one’s own strength is the path demons should walk; they shouldn’t use any means necessary just to win.

 

It’s trickery and scheming.

 

And the most cruel and base method at that.

 

“…The Demonic Path has changed.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

At Zhuge Munhyeon’s quiet voice as his whole body trembled, Mujin looked up in surprise.

 

I couldn’t understand what it meant that the Demonic Path had changed, but the intense killing intent that burst from his body in that moment sent chills down my spine. It was enough to make me instinctively step back.

 

“Mujin.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Go ahead first.”

 

“Young Master Munhyeon…?”

 

Without giving him a chance to ask questions, Zhuge Munhyeon kicked off the ground and shot upward, then launched forward in an instant.

 

Only deeply carved footprints remained where he had been standing.

 

It was incomparably faster than before.

 

“But why such anger…”

 

It was strange.

 

The goosebumps that had risen still hadn’t subsided.

 

“Ah, this isn’t the time for this!”

 

Mujin, who had been staring at his arm where all the hair was standing on end, suddenly came to his senses and chased after Zhuge Munhyeon.

 

Zhuge Munhyeon, running ahead, felt an anger he had never experienced before.

 

He had to ask.

 

He had to hear the answer.

 

Why they had attacked the Silver Huashan using such vile schemes, what they were after.

 

Just what kind of bastard had incited them to do such things.

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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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