Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 223

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 223. The Proper Attitude Toward the Divine (3)
“…?”
Neung Hyeong, who had been lost in thought with his arms crossed, lifted his head.
“Has it begun?”
There was no sound, but he felt the tremor in the air.
The shockwave of sword striking sword created ripples like waves through the Empty Air.
A subtle discord that even an accomplished Master would fail to perceive—Neung Hyeong’s Qi Sensitivity responded acutely.
‘I suspected a fight would break out.’
But it happened faster than expected.
‘That cursed mouth of his must be responsible.’
Frankly, if men of that caliber had decided to eliminate him outright, they would have simply attacked in the dead of night rather than summoning him separately like this.
Yet the fight had erupted, and considering the time from confrontation to combat, it was remarkably swift.
In other words, this battle was one orchestrated by Moyong Bi.
‘I cannot match him.’
Neung Hyeong closed his eyes.
Whoooosh.
The Heavenly Dragon Demon Subduing Technique gradually unfurled.
A subtle golden radiance pushed back the External Energy. A sacred aura filled his entire body, driving out all malevolent forces.
‘Malevolent forces, is it.’
A laugh escaped him unbidden.
Recalling his past, when he was called the patriarch of all demons and the master of every Demonic Art, it was almost absurd.
Yet Neung Hyeong felt no displeasure whatsoever.
‘If something is a malevolent force to me now, then it is evil, regardless of what it is.’
He had severed his connection to his former self even faster than Moyong Bi had.
He recited the Incantations of Divine Art, deepening his concentration.
Whooooom! Whooooooom!
The tremor in the air sounded almost like the groans of demons.
‘Indeed, I have grown.’
Just as Moyong Bi had advanced, he too was approaching the essence of the Heavenly Dragon Demon Subduing Technique.
And so Neung Hyeong was certain.
‘This is not my true Martial Art.’
For top-tier Martial Arts, regardless of what they are, they can become Number One Under Heaven or remain mediocre depending on the practitioner’s enlightenment and compatibility.
For Neung Hyeong, the Heavenly Dragon Demon Subduing Technique was clearly the latter. While this art alone could earn him renown across the realm, surpassing his former realm was impossible—even approaching it would be difficult.
‘There is no need to obsess over raw strength.’
But life ahead seemed likely to become quite difficult because of those damned juniors.
Then it was better to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
‘I should conduct some research, after all.’
If learning Demonic Arts would only waste my body, it would be better to create and master a supreme Divine Technique with my own hands.
Contemplating his future, Neung Hyeong extended his hands in all directions.
Crash!
A violent explosion erupted from empty air.
It was the White Lotus Vajra Palm from the Heavenly Dragon Demon Subduing Technique. The destructive power of the palm strike, said to rival Shaolin’s Great Strength Vajra Palm, twisted the flow of the Formation Technique that encircled the hill.
“So it was indeed a Formation Technique similar to the Soul Riding Demonic Formation.”
The Soul Riding Demonic Formation utilized reverse fields within the formation to accelerate movement or amplify attacking power.
Conversely, enemies trapped within suffered interference in executing Martial Forms or found it difficult to release their Internal Energy due to the distortion of the reverse field.
In other words, it was a Formation Technique that weakened opponents while amplifying the power of allies.
“At my current level, that one might struggle considerably.”
Releasing palm force in all directions once more, Neung Hyeong gazed toward the hilltop.
“But when one of the cards you’ve prepared disappears, the one you’re facing will become a monster.”
* * *
Clang clang clang!
With a single sword strike, more than a dozen blades were sent flying outward.
‘Intriguing.’
The Circular Reflection Single Blade of the Golden Shadow Sword was both a foundational Martial Form and the ultimate technique that defined the Golden Shadow Sword.
My mastery of the Golden Shadow Sword had already reached near perfection. Though there were shortcomings since I hadn’t refined it perfectly to suit this body, I could cleave through mediocre fighters with a single sword strike.
Yet the impact seeping through my blade as it collided with their swords was considerable.
‘My Internal Energy application feels somewhat constrained.’
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Evading the Sword Energy descending from all directions, I noticed enemies approaching from behind, targeting my Dead Blood Meridians.
Moyong Bi stepped on the Eun Lim Pyo Bo.
Huff!
Cutting through the space between the sword blades, he firmly stepped on the formation point.
It was the Jin San Ho Bo.
Boom! Crunch!
The moment he secured the rear position, the pair of swords descending diagonally split one Demon Person’s body in a single strike.
Pale smoke rose from the fallen Demon Person’s corpse. Decay was beginning.
‘The blade feels dull.’
He didn’t blink an eye even as his comrade fell.
Rather, as if that one had never existed, he charged forward burning with Killing Intent, each attack targeting only vital points.
Moyong Bi wielded the pair of swords held in both hands in a chaotic blur.
Clang clang clang clang!
Defending against so many Sword Strikes with a single blade—a Divine Technique.
Watching from a distance, surprise flickered across So Gwang’s face.
‘Is such defense possible even within the flow of the Soul Riding Demonic Formation?’
He gazed into Moyong Bi’s eyes.
The transparent eyes were extremely composed.
A Master of that caliber should have recognized the abnormality of his state, yet he showed no panic. As if to say—if the state is like this, then apply Martial Arts befitting this state—he moved his limbs without concern.
Clang clang! Whoosh!
Not only defending and evading the attacks of so many Demon People, but finding gaps to slip through.
As he brushed past, Moyong Bi seized the collar of one Demon Person and rotated his body.
Crash!
The Demon Person’s eyes rolled back white as his head struck the ground. With the back of his skull caved in from the brief fall, instant death was inevitable.
Ting!
Moyong Bi deflected the dagger that had flown from afar and stepped onto the Eun Lim Pyo Bo.
Flash! Flash!
Twin blades spinning in circular arcs unleashed menacing Sword Energy in all directions.
It was the realm of a swordmaster who wielded Sword Energy as naturally as breathing. What made it remarkable wasn’t merely reaching that level, but the freedom and mastery with which I wielded it—as if handling a real sword.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Demon People retreated in all directions.
Standing in the center, Moyong Bi steadied his breathing quietly.
‘The net tightens.’
The air writhed of its own accord, becoming invisible chains that bound my limbs.
My brow furrowed involuntarily.
‘These wretches are infuriating.’
I knew Formation Techniques and mechanisms well enough, but knowing them was hardly the same as being able to break them.
Moreover, Formation Techniques and mechanisms evolved far more rapidly than Martial Arts. My knowledge was from twenty years past, and these dogs employed Demonic Path methods on top of that.
‘I could find a way to break it given time, but these bastards won’t grant me that luxury. One mistake and my head rolls.’
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Using the counter-rebound technique of the Three Pure Infinite True Formula, I pushed back the twisting air with minute precision.
My breathing eased and my limbs grew lighter.
‘The problem is, I can’t maintain this indefinitely.’
Clang!
I deflected the incoming blade and immediately closed in, unleashing the Pyo Hyeong Gwon from the Moyong Three Forms.
The Demon Person struck between jaw and throat with a flat fist flew backward, eyes bulging from their sockets.
Scrape!
A Sword Strike seized the opening, carving a long scar across my thigh. It was a wound negligible enough to ignore, but what mattered was that I’d been wounded.
Moyong Bi showed no alarm.
Such wounds could be sustained anytime, anywhere. When even Super First-Rate Masters fell to the hidden weapons of Third-Rate Warriors, this was acceptable.
Of course, his heart wasn’t kind enough to let an enemy who’d drawn his blood go unpunished.
Crack!
My spinning upward Leg Technique shattered the Demon Person’s jaw.
Not dead, but consciousness had fled. On a battlefield, such a man was as good as corpse.
Flash! Flash!
At that moment, the Demon People surrounded me again, launching a flawless assault.
Moyong Bi’s eyes deepened.
‘Well-trained.’
Judging by their Internal Power and posture, their level should never produce such speed and sharpness.
Yet they’re faster and keener than expected. They must be attacking along the flow of the Formation Technique.
‘Even accounting for that, their footwork is exceptional. It’s like facing the inner-castle Warriors of the old Martial Alliance.’
Though not the absolute elite, the Warriors who’d survived the long war were uniformly vicious and quick to react.
Their skill levels were comparable to his.
‘Suction.’
He spun his body while wielding the Heub Seong Gyeol of the Three Pure Infinite True Formula.
In that brief moment, bewilderment flickered across the faces of the Demon People.
The forcefully driven Sword Strike, drawn by an inexplicable suction force, subtly veered off target and was pulled inward. It was only a slight distortion, but enough force to twist the delicate path of the blade.
Clang clang clang clang!
He flicked away the swords ensnared by his vertically raised pair of daggers, then stomped the ground with tremendous force from his position.
Boom!
Billowing dust rose from the earth, obscuring everyone’s vision.
Terrifyingly blazing Internal Energy gathered in Moyong Bi’s left palm. The Infinite True Qi rotated sometimes gently, sometimes intensely, condensing into a colossal force.
So Gwang cried out involuntarily.
“Fall back!”
Moyong Bi’s left palm shot forth like lightning.
It was the Martial Alliance Leader’s exclusive technique—the Golden Gate Five Rings Arena.
Rumble!
It was as if a landslide had occurred.
Five colossal whirlwinds engulfed the Empty Air. Five semi-transparent palm forces rotated wildly, advancing with the momentum to sweep away everything before them.
So Gwang’s hand flashed like lightning across his waist.
A Long Sword was drawn, and at its tip, crimson Sword Energy radiated a viscous aura, forming a massive barrier.
A Sword Barrier—one manifested through Sword Energy itself, a Sword Energy Barrier.
Crash crash boom!!
As the palm forces collided with the Sword Energy Barrier, a violent shockwave erupted.
“Ugh!”
So Gwang retreated with an involuntary groan, his face etched with undisguised shock.
‘Such Martial Arts exist!’
The destructive power was terrifying.
For a moment, I feared my Sword Blade would shatter and my arm would be torn away. Had I lowered the output of my Demonic Art even slightly, I would certainly have become one-armed.
‘It’s not a matter of skill level. The Martial Arts themselves are extraordinary.’
Beyond the arm holding the sword, even the joints of my waist and both legs creaked.
‘Such impossible Martial Arts… it’s like witnessing the Martial Arts of the Apostles!’
The bodies of the five Demon People caught in the explosion were crushed as if struck by a massive iron hammer.
Clang! Whoosh!
Even after unleashing such tremendous power, Moyong Bi did not rest. More precisely, because the Demon People watching for an opening from the opposite side did not rest, Moyong Bi had no choice but to move as well.
Sword Scars were now etched across his body in places.
Not merely scratches, but quite deep cuts as well. The pressure and flow of True Meaning made it difficult to manifest Martial Forms, and his Internal Energy emission had dulled.
‘…!!’
So Gwang felt a chill.
Moyong Bi’s breathing had become ragged. His body, wounded in several places, was stained crimson.
Yet his sword-wielding motions remained resolute, and his gaze had not wavered in the slightest.
Truly, only his breathing had become unsteady; his concentration and mental state remained entirely unaffected.
‘Interest is not merely a strong warrior with extensive experience.’
It was as though a colossal monster, vast as a mountain, dwelled within a human body.
‘Simply recognizing him won’t suffice.’
So Gwang was certain of it.
‘He cannot be allowed to leave alive.’
He would surely return as a grave threat. It was an instinct that defied logic and reason.
He cried out.
“Twin Evil Ones, please step forward!”
That was when it happened.
Whoooosh!
The flow of air shifted.
Clang! Screeeech!
Moyong Bi’s twin sabers, which had been desperately deflecting the enemy’s sword, suddenly shattered several blades in succession and cleaved through their wielder’s torso.
Waaaagh!
As though a seal had been broken, the Infinite True Qi that unraveled completely exposed Moyong Bi’s aura. It was like an invisible giant stretching its limbs.
“Hah, as expected.”
Crack! Pop!
Relief bloomed across Moyong Bi’s face as he loosened his neck and shoulders.
“Stubborn old fool, but quite useful after all.”
The Ascending Soul Demon Seal had been broken.

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