Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 197

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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 197

 

Grrrrrr.

 

A low rumble filled with primal rage approached once again along with the mist that had been pushed back.

 

He could immediately tell that this was the culprit who had torn apart the Beast Palace warriors.

 

Grrrrrrrr….

 

The beast’s characteristic threatening cry echoed in all directions like the legendary Six Harmonies Voice Transmission.

 

It seemed to possess the power to subdue opponents with sound like a master of Sound Arts, making Zhuge Munhyeon’s body stiffen.

 

This was a type of overwhelming presence he had never felt from the countless masters he’d met since his rebirth. No, even in his previous life, he could count on one hand the masters who possessed such aura.

 

Above all, the killing intent touching his skin was completely different from what humans possessed.

 

Something more instinctual.

 

This wasn’t killing intent created by emotion or will, but something born naturally that way.

 

Like the sword aura of a blade forged by a craftsman.

 

‘Is this thing… the mysterious creature Jeong Haeryong suspected?’

 

He could feel goosebumps rising, making his skin rough like chicken skin.

 

The tension from meeting those golden eyes seemed to make his mouth go dry.

 

In that state, he couldn’t move.

 

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa.

 

Even as the waterfall continued to pour down creating majestic noise, even as the foam created by hitting the pond that had widened over long years from the waterfall’s force became wind that blew and shook the tree branches, even as the sound of rapids flowing and winding below rang in his ears.

 

The world was moving noisily as always, but Zhuge Munhyeon and the golden eyes in the foam remained frozen as if stuck in stopped time, glaring at each other.

 

They were looking for an opening.

 

Both the beast and himself.

 

They could only glare, not knowing what results a hasty movement might bring.

 

‘Damn… should I be happy about this?’

 

A bitter smile emerged at the fact that he had been recognized as a strong opponent by the mysterious creature.

 

But he couldn’t stay frozen forever.

 

He had to prepare.

 

Like clothes getting wet in drizzle, the foam soaked his body.

 

Wet hair stuck to the back of his neck, and moisture flowed down his face as if he’d been caught in rain.

 

In that time when moments felt like eons, without even blinking, Zhuge Munhyeon slowly gripped the Silver Cold Staff.

 

Wooooong!

 

As he pushed in his internal energy, the Silver Cold Staff responded to the spirit energy, emitting a faint cry and glowing.

 

In that moment, his mind became calm as if he had employed Shaolin’s Immovable Diamond Heart Technique.

 

The rough breathing created by rising tension gradually found its place, and the subtle divine light emitted from his eyes illuminated the vision that had been blurred by mist.

 

In the foam, the form of the beast emitting terrifying aura became clear.

 

The beast’s cry that had been faintly echoing in all directions gradually gathered in one place.

 

Both sight and hearing were finding their place.

 

Focused entirely on the beast glaring at him.

 

Had it sensed this change?

 

The golden eyes finally revealed their proper form toward the enemy who had pushed back its aura.

 

It was a tiger.

 

One with golden fur as lustrous as those domineering eyes.

 

‘Th-this is too much…’

 

It was big.

 

No, it was enormous.

 

Enough to make him realize that the expression “as big as a house” actually existed.

 

The white cat that the Heavenly Demon kept by her side could be dismissed as a kitten in comparison.

 

Meanwhile, its aura had become stronger than before.

 

The expanded aura from just rising to its feet approached like a sudden gust of wind.

 

But why was it?

 

Though he couldn’t possibly understand a beast’s expression, in that moment he felt like he knew what it was thinking.

 

Like a hungry beast…

 

‘Is this bastard drooling?’

 

It was regarding him as prey.

 

Me?

 

Living long enough, all sorts of things happen.

 

No matter how much of a mysterious creature it was, it was just a tiger cub.

 

Even with anger slowly rising, he maintained the sharp standoff while watching for an opening.

 

His senses raced toward their limits.

 

He could see each strand of the beast’s bristling fur, and his hearing became so sensitive he could hear the wing beats of flying insects passing by his ears.

 

But all those senses were focused on just one thing – the enormous tiger before him.

 

He etched each minute movement into his eyes as if carving them.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Suddenly the beast’s ears perked up, and its eyes that had been focused on him rolled to the side.

 

Why?

 

Question and answer.

 

In an instant, that process flashed through his mind at tremendous speed.

 

“Damn it!”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon launched his body much faster than the beast.

 

The cry of an intruder who had barged into the tense standoff where neither could miss the other’s movements for even a moment.

 

“Young Master Munhyeon!”

 

It was Mujin.

 

He had followed him here.

 

Krooooong!

 

With a wild roar that shook the mountain, the tiger immediately swung its front paw toward the direction Mujin was approaching from.

 

Kwa-deu-deu-deuk!

 

Thick trees shattered one after another as they touched the sharply extended claws.

 

It was truly relentless.

 

Rather than slowing down its swinging speed, it was getting even faster toward the end.

 

If left like this?

 

He would be torn to shreds like the Beast Palace warriors discovered earlier.

 

“Mujin! Lean back!”

 

“…?!”

 

A cry to make up for movements he couldn’t catch up to.

 

Fortunately, Mujin had such faithful trust that he would jump up and respond even if woken from sleep by Zhuge Munhyeon’s words.

 

And the tiger’s paw wasn’t faster than sound.

 

Whoooong!

 

The tiger’s paw, as large as a child, swept over Mujin’s body as he quickly leaned back and fell.

 

“Kugh!”

 

His clothes tore.

 

Blood spurted from that spot.

 

Mujin’s body, caught in the wind pressure created by the tiger’s sweeping paw, twisted like a spinning top.

 

Unable to control his body, Mujin rolled on the ground.

 

That much was fortunate.

 

If his dodge had been even slightly delayed, his body would have been torn into several pieces like the Beast Palace warriors he’d seen earlier.

 

However, there was one problem – tigers were naturally ambidextrous.

 

Krooong!

 

The tiger that failed in its first attack let out an angry cry and immediately launched a second strike.

 

Its heavy paw pressed down vertically on Mujin, who was still lying down, unable to fully recover from the shock.

 

There was no way to avoid it.

 

Even though Mujin had achieved tremendous accomplishments by storing demonic nature from the Mad Soul Art within his body, he was exposed to an unexpected strike.

 

In a state where he couldn’t properly draw out his energy, he wouldn’t be able to avoid the fate of being beaten to a pulp.

 

However.

 

“You! Damn beast, how dare you bare your claws at someone!”

 

By his side!

 

Though treated as an Evil Seed, there was a reliable master with him.

 

The master’s fury to protect his disciple was contained in the Silver Cold Staff and burst forth.

 

Thwaaang!

 

The target was the back leg joint of the beast standing on the ground.

 

The tiger, whose leg suddenly buckled, lost its balance and staggered, its front paws striking the ground.

 

Kuuuung!

 

The ground shook.

 

For a brief moment, it seemed like the world bounced up.

 

“…Huh.”

 

Startled, Mujin exhaled the breath that had been stuck in his throat with wide eyes.

 

Fortunately.

 

Due to its lost balance, the tiger’s paw narrowly missed.

 

Right beside Mujin’s body…

 

“Get it together, you bastard!”

 

Though he said that, there was no way Mujin could properly get it together.

 

Not only was the sudden strike surprising, but there was a massive tiger’s head right before his eyes that he’d never seen before in his life.

 

Zhuge Munhyeon immediately embraced Mujin’s body and rolled away from the tiger’s range.

 

Grrrrrrr…

 

It seemed very angry.

 

Whether it was because the attack failed, or because its hind leg was throbbing enough to make it limp, he didn’t know.

 

“Mu, Master Munhyeon. What on earth is this?”

 

“…”

 

At Mujin’s question while still wearing a dazed expression, Zhuge Munhyeon’s face contorted.

 

What that thing was wasn’t important right now.

 

The traces left by the first attack they had narrowly avoided.

 

Zhuge Munhyeon’s body, which had embraced Mujin’s body, was covered in blood.

 

It was Mujin’s blood that had spread.

 

The bleeding was severe.

 

He seemed too shocked to realize it yet.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I’m asking if you can move.”

 

“Well…”

 

He asked even though he knew there was no way he could be okay.

 

Mujin, who was about to answer as if it were obvious, finally realized the change that had occurred in his body.

 

“Why is this…?”

 

He should have been making a pained expression, but he still looked completely bewildered.

 

Soon Mujin’s hands began trembling violently.

 

The tiger’s strike hadn’t just left external wounds but had also shocked his internal body.

 

As if to prove this, blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

 

‘Damn, did he even suffer internal injuries?’

 

Zhuge Munhyeon’s face contorted even more.

 

Whether they caught this tiger cub or not wasn’t important right now.

 

Mujin was in a state where it was difficult to even control his own body.

 

Before he could even demonstrate his true abilities, he had suffered wounds that would be difficult to recover from.

 

If left alone, the situation would become irreversible.

 

But that crazy beast wouldn’t give them the leisure to tend to Mujin either.

 

It wouldn’t let them escape either.

 

‘Damn, what should I do?’

 

There was only one way to save him.

 

Releasing the fourth seal.

 

If the demonic nature ran wild, he would instantly become tremendous power.

 

But it would be uncontrollable.

 

Unless they could kill that tiger in time and desperately use the Seal Heart Art to suppress it, if the demonic nature completely ran wild and fell deep into the True Demon Realm, Mujin would rush toward death. Until he was completely burned by the flames called demonic nature.

 

‘This is really driving me crazy…’

 

It was a dilemma.

 

A situation where they could neither leave it alone nor release the seal.

 

But heaven did not abandon them.

 

“Zhuge… Huff!”

 

Another figure appeared following behind Mujin.

 

It was Chiljangjja and Dang Ihwa.

 

Startled, they immediately pointed their sword and hammer toward the tiger.

 

Then Dan Yeonhwa in her palanquin and Third Elder Jeong Haeryong arrived as well.

 

“Th, this is…”

 

They opened their mouths wide with round eyes.

 

Fortunately, the tiger couldn’t attack them like before.

 

It was because it couldn’t move its hind leg that had been attacked by Zhuge Munhyeon normally.

 

At the sight of it glaring with its fur standing on end as if angry, Zhuge Munhyeon kept his gaze fixed on the tiger and shouted.

 

“Yeonhwa! Mujin’s treatment is urgent.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Get it together!”

 

“Ah…”

 

“The wounds are severe. Not only external injuries but internal injuries are serious too. You need to quickly take him and treat him.”

 

“Ah, understood.”

 

Even before understanding the situation, Dan Yeonhwa nodded her head.

 

“Third Elder!”

 

“…Yes?”

 

“Stop the Wild Spirit Festival! You need to send all the warriors of Beast Palace outside Aenoe Mountain!”

 

This wasn’t a situation to be respectful and maintain courtesy.

 

He had to hurry and convey his intentions.

 

Unless it was broken, the tiger’s hind leg was still fine. A beast’s recovery ability couldn’t be compared to a human’s, and moreover, this was a spirit beast. Once the shock wore off, it would definitely attack immediately.

 

He had to send them away before that.

 

“Everyone go, I’ll help Munhyeon!”

 

“No, Chiljangjja, you go too! Look after Mujin. Demonic energy is sealed within his body. In his weakened state, the seal might accidentally break, so if you want to suppress the demonic energy with immortal energy, you need to be by Mujin’s side. Yeonhwa will know the method. Get her help to suppress the demonic energy.”

 

“De, demonic energy?”

 

“To be precise, it’s a power called Primordial Unity. Please.”

 

“…Ah, understood.”

 

Knowing that Mujin’s wounds were critical, Chiljangjja nodded without arguing.

 

Fortunately.

 

He had contained Dan Yeonhwa’s spirit energy and taught her the Seal Heart Art.

 

Also fortunately.

 

Chiljangjja, who possessed Taoist immortal energy, was beside them.

 

And.

 

“Ihwa!”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Make that weapon from before and give it to me.”

 

“…?”

 

“Quickly!”

 

“Yes!”

 

At his sharp shout, Dang Ihwa hastily disassembled the hammer with urgent hands and reassembled it.

 

Zhuge Munhyeon issued multiple commands at once, controlling the entire situation.

 

He had to finish this before the beast’s legs returned to normal.

 

To prevent a catastrophe….

 

Receiving the weapon Dang Ihwa had made, Zhuge Munhyeon continuously observed the tiger’s behavior and grinned wickedly.

 

It seemed the beast was also ready.

 

Its stretched hind legs looked ready to leap at any moment.

 

“Now… go.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re all useless.”

 

Everyone grimaced at his cold words spoken without looking back.

 

“I’ll catch that bastard. So you all go save Mujin. Without fail.”

 

The moment he spat out those words.

 

“Go!”

 

At the shout that burst forth again, they had no choice but to turn away.

 

Krrrroooooar!

 

The tiger spread both paws wide as if it had no intention of letting a single person escape, pouncing forward.

 

And.

 

“Spirit beast my ass, you damn tiger bastard thinks people are a joke?”

 

The essence of the Dang Family Workshop, the Formation-Breaking Secret Ring, held in the grinning Zhuge Munhyeon’s hand, spewed fire along with a thunderous roar.

 

Kwarrrrrung!

—————
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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