Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 54

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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 54
The main stage of the Turyong Tournament.
Unlike the preliminaries where multiple fighters clashed in chaotic melees, the main rounds proceeded as one-on-one duels.
Shwiiiiing!
A chilling sound of displaced air tore through the void. A spear thrust aimed purely at destruction came hurtling toward Kang Hyun’s heart.
Kang Hyun gritted his teeth and crossed his twin blades.
Boom!
A tremendous impact reverberated through the back of his skull.
‘So this is what the main stage truly means.’
In that moment, I finally understood what my Master meant—that only the senior disciples of the Three Demon Sects would be worthy opponents.
“Well, well, you look far younger than me, yet you’ve got some skill? Your future is quite bright.”
Heuk Jin, the spear wielder, laughed with a sinister edge.
“Though that’s not the case right now, is it?”
Heuk Jin was a master who had recorded sixty consecutive victories without defeat as the spear specialist of Chukhon Arena, Baek Myeon Gok’s largest fighting venue.
With nimble hand movements, he thrust toward Kang Hyun’s blind spot.
“Why not concede now? Truth be told, I only need the money, so I’d rather not have to clean up a corpse.”
Whoooosh!
Kang Hyun unleashed the Gwangak Gyeol, suppressing the trembling in his hands. I had confirmed the gap in inner power, but that didn’t mean I was helpless.
“Save your nonsense for home.”
Throughout my preparation for this tournament, I had faced far more monstrous opponents every single day.
Compared to the sparring matches I’d endured, this was nothing more than child’s play.
Kang Hyun advanced one step forward, knocked the spear aside, and hurled his twin blades toward Heuk Jin’s face.
“Die!!”
“How reckless.”
Heuk Jin adjusted his grip on the spear shaft and drew up his demonic energy.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three consecutive strikes combining power and speed. The heavy spear point knocked the twin blades away and aimed for the space between Kang Hyun’s brows.
Shwack!
Kang Hyun twisted his head by a hair’s breadth to evade the spear blade and unfurled his palm techniques. He struck the spear shaft aside, blocked an upward leg strike from below, and delivered a devastating blow to the abdomen.
It was a vicious attack targeting a vulnerable opening, yet Heuk Jin smoothly deflected it by twisting the spear shaft.
Even as he did so, he demonstrated the seasoned skill of launching a counterattack with his free hand.
Crack!
The moment their hands collided, Kang Hyun immediately withdrew and retreated.
The gap in inner power made a contest of strength disadvantageous. I wrapped the Gwangak Gyeol around myself once more and continued the exchange of offense and defense.
Boom! Bang!
With each clash, my fighting spirit surged higher, yet my hands remained cool as ice with unwavering composure.
‘Alright, let’s see who wins.’
Thanks to training that resembled hell itself, my stamina had grown, and confidence filled me.
No matter who the opponent was, if I endured to the end, victory was certain.
Thud! Crack! Crack!
Close enough that a hand’s reach would touch his neck. The fierce close-quarters combat unfolded with their ragged breathing brushing against each other’s ears.
“Uuuaahhh!”
The spectators erupted in cheers at the extreme offensive and defensive exchange.
“Die!”
At a distance where a single mistake would stop his breath, Kang Hyun accelerated relentlessly. He pushed back hands, dodged, and wove footwork techniques between movements to neutralize his opponent’s schemes.
In the midst of exchanging dozens of strikes while pushing speed to its limit.
“Hah, youth truly has its advantages.”
Heuk Jin withdrew as if bored, sweeping his spear horizontally.
With each technique exchanged, the offense grew sharper, so he sought to break the momentum.
That was when it happened.
“Caught you.”
Kang Hyun pulled hard on the chain wrapped around his arm. The pair of twin blades scattered across the ground flashed in a straight line.
“…!”
A move that had vanished from Heuk Jin’s sight during the fierce close-quarters brawl.
His response came too late, and the price was severe.
Two streaks of light like lightning bolts struck his chest and abdomen. With a dull impact, Heuk Jin’s body crashed into the wall.
“Ugh, gasp!!”
“That’s enough!”
Chang Sun’s voice filled the circular arena.
“The winner of the third main stage match is Kang Hyun!”
As the spectators’ cheers erupted, admiration continued from the VIP platform as well.
“Magnificent.”
Tak Mu-won, the Wuzhong Sect Master, spoke with a look of surprise.
“It seems he hasn’t merely polished his techniques. The subtlety of his spear work and the ingenuity to seize openings are truly exceptional.”
“The victories shown in the preliminaries were no mere luck. Ha, truly a prospect worthy of becoming The Demon Master’s disciple.”
Heon Won-mok chuckled in agreement.
“My own disciple suffered considerably caught in that momentum. The boy who’d never caught a common cold was plagued by chills, giving me headaches for several days.”
“What? Chills? Did he suffer internal injuries?”
“Well, not enough to call it internal injury. He recovered quickly. Still, I suppose it was fortunate… After that day, he skipped meals and devoted himself to training, so I’m quite satisfied with the results.”
“A blessing in disguise, as they say.”
“Isn’t that the true purpose of such martial tournaments? Seeing daily progress gave him the conviction that next time the results would differ.”
As Heon Won-mok’s gaze shifted slightly to the side, Yi Ma-je gave a short nod.
“Good.”
“Pardon?”
“Regardless, if he gained something from it, that’s well done. Using failure as a stepping stone for advancement is the very essence of a warrior’s character.”
Heon Won-mok’s brow furrowed slightly.
Failure?
Then, an enormous roar erupted from the spectator stands.
“Ohhh!”
“It’s the Third Prince! The Third Prince!!”
Cheon So-hyun, sitting in the waiting area with a sullen expression, greeted Kang Hyun, and the spectators who recognized him erupted in response.
From the moment he entered to when he took his seat, every trivial movement was met with roaring cheers.
Tak Mu-won narrowed his eyes and muttered.
“Hmm, the crowd’s enthusiasm is quite fervent. It seems most of the spectators came to see the Third Prince.”
Do Je nodded.
“Opportunities to witness the heir are so rare that people would abandon everything else to be here.”
“Indeed. I do hope everything proceeds smoothly without any unforeseen complications.”
Do Je turned his head with an indifferent expression.
“Complications?”
“Ah… watching the matches, I’ve noticed that masters from all regions have gathered in considerable numbers. Since nothing is ever certain, I worry that their blades might somehow threaten the Prince.”
“….”
“As a disciple, wouldn’t such a misfortune be unbearable?”
His tone suggested he was asking whether Do Je could take responsibility if such a situation arose.
Do Je let out a cold laugh.
“Did you leave any words of caution with your disciples?”
“…Yes?”
“There’s nothing to worry about. The Third Prince made the decision to compete of his own accord. He must bear the responsibility for his choice.”
Do Je added, his gaze piercing through Tak Mu-won.
“Of course, the same applies to everyone else.”
“Ah… I see. Ha, it’s difficult to hide one’s true thoughts before you, Master Do Je. I was concerned that I may have encouraged my disciples too excessively, but it seems my worry was unfounded.”
He gazed toward where the disciples of the Wuzhong Sect had gathered, his smile relaxed and composed.
* * *
“Face this with the resolve to die.”
Jong San, the first disciple of the Wuzhong Sect, continued in a calm yet chilling voice.
“Moon Ju said it would be enough if you fought without injury and achieved results, but I think differently.”
“….”
“We could never match someone of his character, and I cannot tolerate our Taoism—honed through blood and sweat all this time—being disparaged in such a place.”
Jong San swept his gaze across his disciples.
“I’m sure you all feel the same.”
His disciples answered with firm resolve, steeling their determination.
“We do!”
“As we experienced at the inn, most of the spectators gathered here are the sort who delight in others’ ruin and love to embellish and spread rumors. Every aspect of your conduct and bearing will directly reflect upon our sect’s reputation.”
A deep intensity flickered in Jong San’s eyes.
“Leave no room for criticism. Whoever you face, meet them with the resolve to die. The championship must come from the Wuzhong Sect!”
“Yes, Senior Brother!”
“We will remember!”
As the disciples answered with eyes burning with determination, Bae Cho-san, whose eyes were long and narrow, rose from his seat.
“I’m heading out.”
“Yes, it’s your turn now. Return without regrets.”
Bae Cho-san stopped and turned his head.
“Hmm, Elder Brother. There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Surely Moon Ju said he would pass down the Poison Sovereign Divine Art to whichever disciple brought glory to the Wuzhong Sect.”
“….”
A heavy silence fell for a moment.
Until now, they had carefully refrained from mentioning the Poison Sovereign Divine Art.
Regardless of their desire for it, claiming the Poison Sovereign Divine Art was tantamount to declaring war—a proclamation that they would surpass Jong San, the first disciple, and claim the position of future sect master.
“So.”
“I wondered if the requirement to win the championship was perhaps your own arbitrary interpretation, Elder Brother. Our true objective is the Poison Sovereign Divine Art, is it not?”
Jong San asked in a cool voice.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Don’t you see? Bringing glory doesn’t necessarily mean winning the championship alone. There exists an achievement in this tournament that rivals victory—or perhaps even surpasses it.”
“You speak of the Third Prince.”
“Indeed.”
Since the last tournament, the evaluation of Cheon So-hyun within Baekmiangok had soared to the heavens.
His overwhelming martial prowess and domineering combat style had drawn fervent responses from the disciples.
“Precisely. The sect master is clearly aware of this, so the greatest achievement of this tournament would be to defeat the Third Prince. Should any of you accomplish such a feat, you would surely receive the Poison Sovereign Divine Art.”
Jong San continued with a decisive tone.
“However, there’s no need to be greedy now. It’s not too late to consider such things after you’ve defeated your immediate opponent. When you should be focusing entirely on the match at hand….”
“Again.”
Bae Cho-san cut him off as if tired of hearing it.
“Why do you keep stating the obvious? You’re just deflating the spirits of those about to compete. Are you perhaps anxious after seeing your own bracket?”
“…What?”
“I’m just saying. See you later.”
Bae Cho-san chuckled and headed toward the arena stage.
* * *
“Phew.”
Bae Cho-san drew his blade from his waist and assumed a ready stance. With such a precious opportunity before him, his body naturally tensed with anticipation.
‘This is it.’
According to the bracket, he would face Cheon So-hyun after this match.
Cheon So-hyun hadn’t competed yet, but there was no way he’d lose his first match, so they would certainly meet. And when they did, both the Poison Sovereign Divine Art and the position of future sect master would be his.
Bae Cho-san steadied his breathing and watched his opponent.
“This is our first meeting. I am Bae Cho-san of the Wuzhong Sect.”
“….”
Despite the courteous greeting, his opponent remained absorbed in surveying the spectator stands.
The White-Masked Man muttered to himself.
“Quite the gathering. I could’ve had a field day with all these lunatics assembled here.”
Bae Cho-san’s brow furrowed in displeasure.
“Listen here. Please take this seriously. With that attitude….”
“Shut up.”
Bae Cho-san sighed as he watched the Unnamed Guest absently digging into his ear with his pinky finger as if annoyed.
“How did I end up saddled with this boasting match… Tsk.”
Soon, Chang Sun’s voice rang out across the arena.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this match features Bae Cho-san, regarded as the second-in-command among the Wuzhong Sect disciples, against the Unnamed Guest of unknown origin! Let the battle commence!”
Screeeeeech!
The moment the signal sounded, Bae Cho-san unleashed a lightning-fast draw technique. It was the pride of the Wuzhong Sect—the Forbidden Gold Blade Method. A terrifying demonic aura engulfed his blade as if he had no time to waste in this place.
A jet-black flash of light surged forward with lethal sharpness, piercing toward his opponent’s face in an instant.
“How foolish.”
Crash!
The Unnamed Guest’s finger flicked. A wind blade shot forth, and Bae Cho-san’s sword was sent tumbling away helplessly, followed by the sound of air being torn asunder.
Bae Cho-san’s eyes widened as if they might split.
‘This… this can’t be…!’
It was a level of martial power reminiscent of the sect elders. His hand trembled violently from the searing pain, as if his shoulder blade were shattering.
“Tell me—what sin have you committed to stand before me?”
A hidden blade materialized in the Unnamed Guest’s hand, rising into the air. Soon it began rotating with such ferocity that its form became indiscernible.
The sight of metal grinding and sparks erupting was profoundly ominous.
“This is not something one does unless they’ve fallen deeply out of favor.”
Bae Cho-san cried out urgently as a killing intent froze his entire body.
“Wait, just a moment…!”
“Tsk. Answer the question I pose.”
The Unnamed Guest flicked his finger.
The spinning hidden blade suddenly vanished without a trace.
Kaboooom!
A tremendous explosion erupted.
The vanished blade descended with a tremor that shook the very earth, unleashing a catastrophic shockwave. The spectators cried out in confusion as the blast rocked even the spectator stands.
“What… what just happened?!”
It was a bizarre sight, as if time itself had been severed in chunks. Not only the spectators but even the sect masters on the VIP platform leaped to their feet.
As the thick smoke gradually dispersed…
“Cho… Cho-san!!”
Tak Mu-won’s anguished cry filled the arena. Bae Cho-san was collapsed on the ground, having lost one of his arms.

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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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