Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 33
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 33
“What are you?”
“Son of Byeongjudang Master Zhuge Doyun, Zhuge Munhyeon.”
At his confident attitude in revealing his name, Jang Hongsik examined him with sharp eyes.
Young age.
But the momentary chill he felt lingered in his senses, creating a strange unease.
Wait, but why from behind?
Could it be?
“You perhaps…”
“Looking at your expression, you seem to have caught on.”
When he grinned, Jang Hongsik clenched his mouth so tightly that the muscles around his jaw showed.
A surprise attack.
He must have attacked the main base while taking advantage of the frontal battle beginning.
But Sa Hoin and fifty Bangdo remained.
Did the Yanghyeon Branch have forces to spare?
According to Sayo…
Suddenly Jang Hongsik’s eyes flashed wide.
The thoughts created by anxiety connected into one and flashed through his mind.
Sayo who had come to find him.
What if all those words about wanting to inform him of the Yanghyeon Branch’s movements in advance were lies?
“That bitch Sayo…”
“Oh? Getting warmer? You’re not a Bang Leader for nothing, I suppose?”
“…”
“That’s right. I agreed to cooperate in exchange for rescuing the Beggar Sect Branch Leader you bastards captured.”
“Th, this… I’ll tear that bitch apart! I was graciously going to take her in!”
“Take her in?”
His face scrunched up at those words filled with lewdness.
However.
“Well, that’s fortunate.”
“What?”
“Those words mean you haven’t done anything unspeakable yet, and she’s still alive.”
“…”
“But getting angry won’t help. There weren’t many guys at the Honyeon Sect Manor. I cleaned up most of them, and our guys are probably finishing up. They’ve probably rescued Sayo and the Beggar Sect Branch Leader by now.”
“What did you say?”
“Most importantly, you can’t go back. Because you’re going to die here.”
“Kill me?”
“Yes. I will, right here.”
Zhuge Munhyeon grinned and cast a cold gaze as he slowly drew his sword.
“By the way, no matter how much the world has changed, how can someone like you lead a sect that opposes the Zhuge Family? In the old days, there were many capable people even among the Unorthodox Sects.”
“What?”
“You should have done things in moderation. Even when collecting protection fees, there’s such a thing as reasonable limits, and even when lending money, there are set interest rates… but you guys don’t have any of that, right? You deliberately make it impossible to repay and even sell people, right? No wait, you also kidnap people, didn’t you?”
“So what?”
“So what do you mean so what? There’s simply no need to keep third-rate scum like you alive.”
Amusement appeared in Jang Hongsik’s gleaming eyes as he looked at the sword pointed at him.
What a ridiculous situation.
Meanwhile, he could see Zhuge Cheong stepping back.
Does this mean they trust this little brat?
His presence is quite impressive.
When he first felt that chill, he had felt a strange unease.
But now that he faced him, he understood.
Tan Qi.
Impressive for his young age.
But if he thought reaching the Tan Qi level meant he could fight absolute masters, he was mistaken.
Some people get confused about this, but absolute mastery and Tan Qi are completely different concepts.
Even if one’s internal energy deepened to reach the Tan Qi level, to truly be called absolute, one must accumulate corresponding experience.
Only when all learned martial techniques become skillful and one can perfectly control internal power does one earn evaluation as entering the ranks of absolute masters.
Therefore, absolute mastery is created by time.
Yet this young fool thinks he can face him just because he achieved the Tan Qi level – it’s simply absurd.
What determines victory isn’t internal power alone.
Anyway, both the brat who stepped forward boldly and the adults who trust and leave it to him.
“Haha, this is really…”
Jang Hongsik shook his head as if incredulous and drew his sword.
“Well, what would the Zhuge Family bastards know? They don’t know shit about martial arts.”
“Huh?”
“Little brat, how unfortunate for you. Your talent seemed exceptional and you might have become something… but you’ll be trampled before your flower can properly bloom.”
“…”
Zhuge Munhyeon blinked at that mocking appearance.
What bullshit is this?
Flower?
Is he using metaphors?
A mere absolute master acting like he knows everything…
Do you even know what full bloom means?
“I’ve heard enough talk, smooth-talking brat. Now… die!”
As he was inwardly sneering, Jang Hongsik’s sword rose high and was covered with blue energy.
And it fell fiercely as if to split Zhuge Munhyeon’s body.
It was a lightning-fast strike that no one could block.
“Mu, Munhyeon!”
The moment startled Zhuge Cheong shouted, the forcefully struck sword attack flowed along the diagonally raised sword blade.
Clang clang clang clang!
Sparks created by metal clashing decorated the air brilliantly.
As expected… Jang Hongsik’s internal power was still deeper.
There was no need to meet it head-on.
Strong force could simply be deflected.
What mattered was concentration.
Swish!
A sword strike that deflected the attack and simultaneously slashed sharply horizontally.
“Huh!”
Startled by the too-natural combination, Jang Hongsik pulled his waist back and retreated.
Idiot…
His skill was decent but he couldn’t see the next move.
Having played leader of weaklings with no chance to meet strong opponents, he must have grown complacent with his abilities and filled his belly only with grease.
The moment his retreating body settled on the ground, Zhuge Munhyeon wore a strange smile and immediately took another step forward to close the distance.
Swish!
Another sword strike slashed through the air.
“Kuk!”
With a short groan, Jang Hongsik’s face contorted.
His stomach was torn to shreds.
Bright red droplets of blood beaded at the tip of Zhuge Munhyeon’s sword, extended horizontally to the side.
“Hmm, was it too shallow?”
“You, you bastard?”
Jang Hongsik staggered backward, clutching his stomach, and glared at Zhuge Munhyeon who was casually getting up.
“Hey now, it’s just a scratch. Your intestines aren’t even spilling out, so why all the dramatics?”
“…”
“What did you say earlier? That you’d trample the flower before it bloomed? Well then, let’s see you try your best. Once your root and stem are cut off, you’ll realize what you’ve been trampling on.”
The first clash.
Anyone could see it was Zhuge Munhyeon’s victory.
And with Jang Hongsik’s killing intent bursting forth and blooming branch by branch, the martial artists realized a second clash would soon unfold.
“Attack!”
“Waaaah!”
The martial artists who had been facing off launched themselves at each other.
And as if it had nothing to do with him, Zhuge Munhyeon approached Jang Hongsik.
It was normal walking, stepping lightly through the fierce battlefield.
“You bastard!”
Blue energy gathered on the blade of the enraged Jang Hongsik’s sword, stretching out like a tail.
It was sword energy.
Swaaaash!
At a speed that seemed to cut through the air, the sword energy bent like taffy, forming an arc.
Zhuge Munhyeon stopped walking and leaned his body backward.
It was close.
The chill created by the killing intent that swept past just an inch from his neck made him shiver, and a red mark appeared where it grazed.
However.
“Heh heh heh.”
Zhuge Munhyeon’s mouth split so wide it looked grotesque.
This feeling.
This thrilling sensation…
The tremor of possibly dying to an opponent’s sword strike.
The forgotten sensation spread throughout his body again, making his hair stand on end.
“Yes, this is it. This is how it should be. This is what makes fighting worthwhile!”
Zhuge Munhyeon, who had stopped at a certain distance, had his lips curl up coldly, and in those chilled eyes dwelt an indescribably fierce madness.
“Do a little more. Hurry!”
He charged forward, shouting as if asking to be delighted.
The opponent’s sword strikes became more violent, and on Zhuge Munhyeon’s body as he drew closer, wounds that had never been there before were carved, and bloodstains began to stain his snow-white robes.
The aura of the two clashing grew increasingly fierce.
Fragments of sword energy scattered in all directions, breaking and tearing up the ground.
Though it was a battlefield where many were clashing in complex entanglement, a clearing had formed around the two.
This was because they feared being caught up in the sword strikes the two were unleashing.
Claaaang!
The swords that had clashed with full force bounced apart, and the two created distance.
“Huff, huff…”
Jang Hongsik’s face was flushed red with heat as he gasped for breath.
On the other hand.
“Is that all?”
“What?”
At Zhuge Munhyeon’s question asked so calmly, Jang Hongsik responded with a tired face.
“I’m asking if that’s all you’ve got.”
“You little brat…”
As Jang Hongsik glared with a contorted face, Zhuge Munhyeon, who had been watching for a moment, let out a sigh.
“Jang Hongsik, do your absolute best. Otherwise, you’ll die without lasting even one sword strike.”
“Shut up! You little brat!”
Jang Hongsik gathered energy scraped from the very bottom and swung his sword, while Zhuge Munhyeon took a step forward and slid low.
It was Cloud Flow Pursuit Form of the Heavenly Mystery Bewildering Steps, flowing like clouds to penetrate the opponent’s range.
His sword, having approached quickly, was swung as if sweeping the ground.
Star Point First Light, a single star awakening from darkness.
Meteor Single Line, becoming a meteor that cuts across the night sky to extend forth.
A single pale blue energy on the sword blade stretched long, drawing an arc.
“Bastard! Is that all you’ve got!”
At the sword strike flying toward him, Jang Hongsik gripped his sword with both hands and raised it up.
Rummmble!
In an instant, the sword cry transformed into thunder.
“Die!”
With a single shout, it fell vertically downward.
It was the moment when two sword energies would collide forming a cross.
The weaker one would shatter.
But then.
“How foolish.”
As Zhuge Munhyeon stamped his foot and twisted his body, the sword blade instantly changed direction.
Blue Star Falling, a blue star plummeting from the heavens.
But there was no reason it couldn’t surge upward and ascend to the sky again.
“Ugh!”
Jang Hongsik, who had put all his strength into it, cried out in alarm at the suddenly surging blade and tried to change his sword’s direction.
But because his force had been too excessive, his sword, unable to stop in time, struck downward as it was, while Zhuge Munhyeon’s sword surged upward as if drawing a parallel line with Jang Hongsik’s sword.
Very high.
From groin to crown.
Craaack!
Jang Hongsik’s body split in half.
It was a cruel sight, but when an enemy commander dies, cheers are bound to erupt.
“J-Jang Hongsik is dead!”
“Munhyeon has killed the Honyeon Alliance Leader!”
At the shouts of the Zhuge Family martial artists who confirmed Jang Hongsik’s death, fighting spirit began to boil like water in a cauldron.
That is morale.
It breathes new life into tired bodies, giving them strength, and the confidence that they can win draws out power stronger than usual.
On the other hand.
“Aaaah! Run away!”
The Honyeon Alliance martial artists who witnessed their leader’s death lost their fighting spirit and fled the battlefield.
But they were like a snake that had lost its head.
The possibility of survival for those who could only writhe without anywhere to go was nonexistent.
“Chase them! Slaughter them all!”
The Zhuge Family martial artists, their morale greatly boosted, cut down and cut down again the neutralized Honyeon Alliance martial artists.
There was no need for Zhuge Munhyeon to step forward again and add his strength.
The Honyeon Alliance had no martial artist capable of reversing the current unstoppable momentum.
“Waaaaah!”
When all the swords finally came to a stop.
The Zhuge Family’s martial artists, realizing they had won, let out cheers so loud it seemed the plains would shake.
For them, who had never experienced such emotions before, it truly felt like their hearts would burst.
“We won! We brought down the Honyeon Alliance!”
The martial artists of the Yanghyeon Branch, intoxicated by their first real victory, floundered in excitement that wouldn’t easily subside.
Though Zhuge Munhyeon’s performance had been significant, what of it?
This was a result everyone had worked hard to achieve.
The Formation practitioners as Formation practitioners, the martial artists as martial artists.
Since this was a result obtained by each faithfully performing their assigned roles.
“A little celebration is fine.”
Zhuge Munhyeon chuckled softly as he flicked the blood off his sword.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————