Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 162

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

Chapter 162

“Is, is that even possible?”

“….”

On a bamboo raft (boat) that had just departed.

Tang Ihwa and Mujin, who had seized what the last Demonic Sect members were trying to escape on and started rowing, couldn’t close their mouths at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

It was natural that they stopped rowing.

Zhuge Munhyeon had deployed his water-walking technique and crossed the river using the trailing boats as stepping stones.

Then with amazing light body technique, he caught up to the leading boat, but was struck by enemy attacks and fell into the water.

They couldn’t help but feel regret.

Far from surfacing, he hadn’t even shown his face above the water once, making them feel despair.

Was he dead?

Could even that monster, who seemed to be the strongest among the younger generation of both Orthodox Faction and Demonic Path, not stand against the Demonic Sect’s masters?

But the next moment, something unexpected happened.

He was like a carp swimming upstream through the Dragon Gate in the upper reaches of the Yellow River to become a dragon.

He suddenly shot up from the very end, saved Tang Muncheong, and turned the charging Demonic Sect members into blood and flesh in an instant.

In their lingering despair, they could only gape in amazement.

How could he do that without even breathing?

Don’t tell me he swam underwater that entire distance to avoid being detected by the Demonic Sect members? Can a human do that? He’s not a fish.

“He never came out of the water even once… just who exactly is he?”

“….”

“How can he do that? I’ve been watching continuously since the moment he fell into the river…”

Tang Ihwa muttered with an expression of disbelief, but Mujin had no words to answer her.

How would I know?

He couldn’t understand it either.

What kind of miracle had that monster performed this time?

But if it was Zhuge Munhyeon, he would have done anything without doubt.

He was someone who knew many things, so there was no reason he wouldn’t have learned water techniques as a pastime.

‘Damn, now that I think about it, I don’t really know much about him either.’

A bitter feeling washed over him for no reason, but Mujin quickly came to his senses.

He had already reached across the river, and a fight had begun with what appeared to be the leader of the Demonic Sect group.

He had no doubt about his abilities.

But looking at how the fight was going, it didn’t seem easy. No, even from this distance, his movements looked uncomfortable and he was being pushed back.

It was probably because it was a fight where he had to protect someone.

That wasn’t something that could be accomplished just by swinging a sword well.

Throughout the fight, he would have to protect Tang Muncheong from the energy waves generated by their clashes.

Then he himself should help so that Zhuge Munhyeon could display his true abilities.

“Miss Tang!”

“Yes.”

“Let’s hurry. We need to rescue Bang Leader first.”

“Ah….”

She, who had been unable to shake off her surprise at Mujin’s words, suddenly snapped to her senses and gripped the oar tightly.

Creak, creeak.

But the speed didn’t increase several times over at once.

As a craftsman, she might possess excellent skills, she might have the strength to swing that giant hammer like a reed stalk, but she had no talent for rowing.

And the same was true for Mujin.

Neither of them could ride the flow of water like experienced boatmen, only rowing frantically fast.

What should they do?

There was still quite a distance left to reach across the river.

It was impossible for Mujin to leap a distance that even Zhuge Munhyeon couldn’t cross.

‘The fourth seal….’

It was a thought that briefly occurred to him, but it couldn’t be considered an answer.

Rather, it might have the opposite effect.

If he were carelessly consumed by demonic nature, not only would he be in trouble, but he would come to regard everyone around him as enemies.

“Damn it….”

His heart was urgent but the boat was slow.

Tang Ihwa was rowing while sweating profusely, but….

Just a little more and they would make it.

If only there were a sail to catch the wind blowing across the river, if only large waves would surge to push the boat with force.

At the very least, if their position had been higher, they could have leaped a much greater distance….

“Miss Tang!”

At a thought that suddenly occurred to him, Mujin turned to Tang Ihwa and shouted.

“Yes?”

“By any chance, do you have fire bombs among the items you brought?”

“Fire bombs?”

“Yes!”

“Well, I do have some, but….”

An appropriate answer came back to his hopeful question.

And.

“Only small heat bombs. The distance is too far to throw them. Even if it were close, Young Master Zhuge fighting the Demonic Sect members might be in danger.”

Tang Ihwa took out a small pouch and opened it.

It was filled with fire bombs the size of small orbs.

As expected of the Tang Family.

Gunpowder was strictly forbidden by the government, making it difficult to manufacture even for martial families.

Well, there were more important matters than committing illegal acts right now. It was night so the government wouldn’t see, and even if they did, the Tang Family would handle the aftermath.

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to throw them across the river.”

“Pardon?”

“How much destructive power do they have?”

“Um… About two of them would be enough to destroy a small boat like this. But why do you ask?”

“Two for one boat… Then if we detonate all of them, could we make the water surface surge greatly?”

“A-all of them?”

“Yes! There’s no time. Right now, Master Zhuge won’t be able to use his full strength.”

“Ah…”

Dang Ihwa immediately understood what Mujin was trying to say.

Her grandfather was becoming an obstacle.

Because he wanted to save him…

Because I want to seek it out….

“You’re planning to create a large current to push the boat forward, right?”

“You’re planning to create big waves to push the ship forward, aren’t you?”

“I’m fine with it. As long as we can save Grandfather.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m fine. As long as I can save Grandfather.”

With those words, Tang Ihwa removed the protective gear she was wearing.

“I don’t have time.”

“Do you know how to swim?”

“Don’t worry about me.”

This is to reduce weight in case they might fall.

“Then I’ll ask you this favor. I’m embarrassed that I can only ask you to save my grandfather.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

She put down the oar.

And gripped a pouch full of small explosive pills.

“Then I’ll ask for your help. I’m embarrassed to have to ask you to save my grandfather.”

They wouldn’t explode if they touched water.

She put down the oar.

The oar in her hand would be difficult to expect rebound force from when it exploded.

Then what?

A type of incendiary grenade that explodes when subjected to external impact.

“Get ready. I’ll aim for the brief moment before the scale armor thrown onto the water surface sinks underwater.”

There had to be something to collide with.

“Nothing is more precious than Grandfather’s life.”

At her resolute words and expression, Mujin smiled faintly and nodded.

Then what?

They couldn’t miss the moment when the current rose and the boat was pushed forward vigorously before stopping.

“Prepare yourselves. We will strike in that fleeting moment before the Neungringap thrown onto the water’s surface sinks beneath.”

“Huuu…”

As he regulated his breathing and accumulated Primordial Unity energy again and again until his breath became short, Mujin sent her a look to signal that his preparation was complete.

“Nothing is more precious than grandfather’s life.”

It wasn’t far from the boat.

A fleeting opportunity.

Whiiiik!

The current rose and the boat was pushed forward powerfully—we must not miss the moment to stop.

Because you have to reach the other side of the river in one go.

“Phew….”

As he steadied his breathing and accumulated the primordial energy over and over until his breath grew short, Mujin sent her a look to signal that his preparations were complete.

Immediately after, the Neunglin armor was thrown.

It wasn’t far from the ship.

Having gauged the power of the gunpowder, she calculated the maximum distance the ship could move, and the moment the dragon scale armor touched the water, she hurled the pouch like a throwing knife.

Whoosh!

The moment the Neungrin armor sank to a level similar to the water surface, the flying Soyeoltan pouch struck and caused an explosion.

KWAAAAAAAANG!

River water shot up with a deafening roar that made their ears ring.

The boat that had been pushed back with its rear end rising high from the resulting current began to shatter into pieces, unable to withstand the shockwave.

It was as if it had been violently hurled.

“Master!”

“…?”

Mujin, who was preparing to leap, discovered that she had a hammer in her hand.

She would soon fall into the water, but there was no time to think.

Mujin leaped toward her instead of across the river, and she finished preparing to swing her hammer.

Their intentions were aligned.

Wudang’s Cloud Ladder Technique, the pinnacle of light body movement, unfolded as Mujin’s foot gently landed on the hammer.

“Go!”

Her swollen forearm swung as if uprooting a giant tree by its roots, and at the moment it reached its peak, Mujin kicked off with all his strength.

Crack!

Tang Ihwa felt the pain of her arm breaking from the counter-force created by Mujin’s strength pressing down on the hammer, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.

It was enough that she had become the stepping stone for Mujin to fly across the river.

The broken bone would heal again anyway.

* * *

CLAAAANG!

It had been quite some time since the ear-splitting collision sound had echoed across the sandy beach on the other side of the river.

“You bastard, is that all you’ve got?”

“….”

Zhuge Munhyeon couldn’t help but grimace at the fiercely pressing sword energy.

Great Evil, the leader of the secret camp.

He possessed skills befitting that position.

A level approaching the Gang realm.

In terms of raw power alone, he was similar to himself, who had coincidentally consumed the Death Thread and gained Spirit Energy.

Of course, it wasn’t to the extent that he couldn’t handle him.

The problem was Tang Muncheong.

Since he had to protect him, his movements weren’t free.

He didn’t have time to examine closely what technique had been used on him, so Tang Muncheong was still unconscious.

If he carelessly clashed with excessive force, Tang Muncheong could be endangered by the shockwaves.

He could only use enough strength to block attacks, and since he had to shield against any shockwaves and fragments of energy that might spread, he couldn’t launch proper attacks.

‘Damn, I never knew fighting while protecting someone would be this difficult.’

This was an experience he’d never had before.

He had always only moved forward, regardless of how many of his followers died.

Such strategy had always worked, and he had always won.

Living as part of the Orthodox Sects seemed much more difficult. There were so many things to worry about.

Most of all.

“You bastard! Where did your previous aura go? Were you always such a trembling fool who can’t even block a single attack?”

“….”

He even had to endure the mockery of the Great Evil who had gained the upper hand and was pressing his advantage. Perhaps that was the greatest ordeal of all.

The reason the bastard didn’t flee even though he knew the Tang Family’s encirclement would soon close in was probably because he had gained confidence thinking he could win.

Well, he couldn’t give up.

The bastard’s goal wasn’t just the Thunder Stone but also to take Tang Munqing with him.

Since Milying’s chief had personally stepped forward, he couldn’t settle for half success.

That’s when it happened.

“…!”

The bastard’s eyes suddenly changed as he shifted his attack direction.

Toward where Tang Munqing lay.

This, this bastard?

It was an obvious trick.

He was deliberately exploiting the fact that he was protecting Tang Munqing….

He probably didn’t intend to kill her. Tang Munqing was also a necessary existence for the bastard who wanted to complete his mission.

He must be trying to create an opening.

But even knowing this, he had no choice but to block it.

Even knowing….

The moment he moved quickly to deflect the attack, a sword strike flew at him just as expected.

Clang!

He deflected that as well, but as his body opened up in the process, the Great Evil’s kick struck his side hard.

He protected Tang Munqing, but in return received a breathtaking impact that felt like his waist would break.

“Kekeke, as expected, Orthodox Sect bastards can’t help themselves.”

“You son of a bitch….”

Zhuge Munhyeon grimaced, having been forced to take the hit despite knowing the bastard’s intention.

The deeper the pain grew, the more an impulse surged up to abandon Tang Munqing and smash the bastard’s face.

That’s when it happened.

Kwaaaaang!

A tremendous roar erupted from the direction of the river.

Naturally turning his head, he saw a massive water spout shooting up from the middle of the river and a boat being smashed to pieces.

And a Taoist shooting toward them at tremendous speed.

“…Kekeke. You used your head quite well, Mujin.”

Zhuge Munhyeon gripped his Silver Cold Staff tightly.

“Where are you looking while fighting!”

The Great Evil’s sword, having found an opening, swung down as if it would slice through his body in a single strike.

As if the fight was over….

But at that moment.

Thunk.

Zhuge Munhyeon’s body twisted as he planted his feet deep into the sandy ground.

Wooooong!

The Silver Cold Staff, imbued with both Spirit Energy and Internal Energy, resonated powerfully while pouring out light so intense it made the surroundings appear as bright as broad daylight.

Claaaang!

The moment sword and staff met.

“Kuk!”

Great Evil, whose grip felt like it would tear apart from the intense shock he had never felt before, contorted his face as he was pushed backward.

And Zhuge Munhyeon, emitting fierce Eye Light, spoke with a bizarre smile as if he had become a different person.

“Now I’ll show you exactly who I am.”

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