Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 61
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 61
WHOOOOSH!
The moment the grotesque great blade descended toward Tak Mu-won’s shoulder.
Tak Mu-won swiftly dispersed his inner force. As his left blade reflexively clashed against the great sword, his body was swept backward by the overwhelming power.
CRASH!
Only after carving deep footprints into the ground did Tak Mu-won finally come to a halt. Sharp, bone-grinding pain radiated from his wrist to his shoulder blade.
‘…Far heavier than I anticipated.’
The strength of the grotesque great blade, cobbled together from countless weapons, exceeded all imagination.
This was dangerous. From the start, I would need to unleash my full power to seize even the slimmest chance of victory, Tak Mu-won was certain.
That was when it happened.
WHOOOM!
Do Je materialized before him like a phantom.
“What are you thinking so intently about while standing before someone? You’re embarrassing me.”
The grotesque great blade cleaved through the air once more. Grinding through the wall of air and descending like lightning—it was the first form of the Muryeong Sword Technique: Spirit Severance.
Tak Mu-won countered with a lightning-swift blade draw. As the two swords collided, a deafening boom swept across the arena and thick dust billowed upward.
What unfolded through the haze was completely unexpected.
“D-Do Je!”
The Do-gwi standing below the spectator stands to block the shockwave widened their eyes.
The grotesque great blade gripped by Do Je had been knocked back over his shoulder, and Tak Mu-won was relentlessly pressing forward, unleashing successive blade strikes.
The corners of Tak Mu-won’s mouth gradually rose.
‘It works. The divine technique of the Wuzhong Sect reaches even the Demon Master.’
Inner force surged throughout my entire body. Blocking the Muryeong Sword Technique was no mere luck. Using the divine secret technique granted only to the sect leader of the Wuzhong Sect—the Solitary Sovereign Divine Art—I had attempted a counterattack.
CRASH! CRASH!
My senses sharpened to their peak, and my techniques grew progressively faster, their power visibly intensifying.
Tak Mu-won laughed with a bitter edge.
“If fortune favors me, the Demon Master’s head might fall today.”
Do Je slipped through that storm of offense by the thinnest of margins.
Leaning his upper body back and rotating his form while defending his entire body with the grotesque great blade—a technique approaching artistry in its footwork followed.
After several more exchanges of offense and defense, suddenly sinister tendons bulged across Do Je’s hand.
“This much is woefully insufficient. Scrape together everything from the depths and show me all you have.”
KUUUOOM!
As Do Je and Jin Gak lifted the great blade together, the flowing momentum amplified in an instant.
This form of the Muryeong Sword Technique was Soul Severance.
CRASH AND BOOM!!
Dark blade energy spread in all directions, carving deep blade marks into the ground.
Watching this spectacle from the platform, Cheon So-hyun’s brow furrowed with displeasure.
‘What is that demon doing from the start?’
On the surface, it appeared to be an intense battle worthy of being called evenly matched.
Yet his eyes perceived the truth. Do Je’s martial prowess was clearly several steps ahead of Tak Mu-won’s.
He merely sought openings with some mysterious profound technique to attempt counterattacks—Tak Mu-won’s offense had never landed a single effective blow on Do Je.
‘Does he have some other purpose in mind?’
As I observed the exchange of blows with measured calm, it oddly resembled a seasoned gambler toying with a novice—a calculated game of cat and mouse.
Then Do Je’s movements underwent a dramatic shift.
Despite wielding the massive, unwieldy curved blade, Do Je’s assault was bewilderingly swift. He unleashed a relentless barrage of consecutive strikes, constraining Tak Mu-won’s mobility, strangling his breathing room, and driving him toward the cliff edge.
This left Tak Mu-won with only two options.
Block or evade.
If he maintained a defensive stance, the accumulating impact from each collision would become unbearable, gradually forcing him into a passive position. True to form, Tak Mu-won’s weapon visibly bent and warped under the strain, its fragility laid bare.
Cornered into a defensive posture, creating distance and exploiting gaps seemed like his only viable strategy.
Yet even that path led toward ruin.
The moment the gap widened, Do Je infused his blade technique with rotational force, unleashing it with even greater intensity.
CRASH!
Do Je relentlessly forced binary choices upon his opponent, manipulating the flow of battle entirely to his whim.
As I silently observed this duel, my brow furrowed deeper.
‘He’s truly ruthless.’
This was the first time I had witnessed The Demon Master’s martial prowess in full.
His technique was flawless compared to the renowned masters of Jianghu. He stood shoulder to shoulder with the sect leaders of the Nine Sects—recruiting such a master filled me with joy, yet simultaneously unsettled me.
If such a demon were to harbor malice and venture into the Central Plains, the catastrophe that would unfold was all too vivid in my mind.
CRACK.
I clenched my fist tightly.
‘Even if I must break my own legs, I will stop him.’
CRASH!
Do Je’s left palm struck Tak Mu-won’s ribs with devastating force.
“Ugh!”
“Weren’t you boasting about slitting The Demon Master’s throat? This is rather anticlimactic.”
Unable to withstand the tremendous impact, Tak Mu-won was hurled through the air.
Mid-flight, he twisted his body and unleashed a barrage of blade techniques.
As Do Je swept his massive curved blade to intercept them, the distance between them widened further.
Tak Mu-won’s momentum began to shift.
‘This won’t do. I must break his rhythm.’
Sensing that the flow of battle had slipped into Do Je’s control, he suppressed his frustration and assumed a lower stance.
With the distance now open, he was certain this was his final opportunity to unleash his ultimate technique.
WHOOOOOOSH!
Above his pure white blade aura, five-colored energy flowed. Condensed vital force resonated with a harmonic hum.
At the moment it reached its radiant peak—
“…!”
A bluish blade aura surged directly toward him. That luminous strike pierced into Tak Mu-won’s chest in an instant.
Tak Mu-won reflexively swung his blade in response, but it was already too late to counter.
CRASH!
Tak Mu-won tumbled across the ground before barely managing to rise. His expression twisted with despair and rage.
“This… this abominable…!”
My wrist was severed by a blade that arrived at a speed beyond imagination.
‘How on earth…?
It was a velocity that the Do Je could never achieve with the heavy weapon he wielded.
Do Je let out a soft chuckle.
“I don’t understand why you’re so upset. In a contest, the one who falls for deception bears the blame.”
Somewhere along the way, his hand now held not the grotesque blade, but the Blood Cry Sword that normally hung at his waist.
Whoooosh!
As Do Je closed the distance, Tak Mu-won reflexively unleashed a leg technique.
Without his blade, there was no other way to respond. It was a natural, flowing defense—yet it scattered helplessly under a single sweep of Do Je’s sword.
Crack!
The leg supporting his weight bent in a direction it should never bend. As Tak Mu-won collapsed, losing his balance, sword strikes rained down upon his body.
Boom! Boom! Crash!!
When his protective qi shattered, each blow tore flesh and shattered bone. Tak Mu-won convulsed, spewing blood.
“Cough!”
As his dantian crumbled, his pupils grew dim.
Do Je exhaled deeply and swept his hair back.
“Well, I’d say this was a profitable exchange.”
Then he seized Tak Mu-won by the nape and headed toward the platform. His eyes met Cheon So-hyun’s waiting above.
“Did you observe well?”
“Are you referring to Moon Ju’s martial techniques?”
Do Je nodded.
“They call it the Poison Successor’s Art—a profound technique mastering the principle of striking after the opponent. The final move he was attempting to display was the Ascension to Extinction. Since it requires time to complete, it’s best to destroy it before it manifests.”
“…What?”
The response came from Tak Mu-won. He forced his mouth open, blood streaming down his face.
“You… you deliberately drew out my technique? Why…?”
“Why ask such obvious questions? It’s only natural to keep watch on something I’ll have to stop someday.”
“Stop… stop it? What do you mean…?”
Do Je let out a hollow laugh.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you smuggling away disciples to raise them in secret?”
“…!”
Tak Mu-won’s pupils trembled violently. Even amid the surging pain, a chill ran through him.
How much did this man know? What else did he understand, and what remained hidden?
A heavily suppressed voice leaked from his lips.
“Did you… kill them all?”
Do Je’s eyes flickered with an azure light.
“Of course not. Under the pretext of searching for disciples of the Wuzhong Sect, I could poke around anywhere. Why would I do something so wasteful?”
“Why would an outsider search for disciples of our sect? Could it be… you…!”
Do Je smiled faintly.
“Correct. This is supposedly the Demon Master’s event, but it would be a shame to end it with just one head. Now that I have such justification, the wise move is to gather them all and devour them.”
At this calm declaration, Tak Mu-won’s face went ashen. Do Je’s purpose was far too clear.
‘To seize the Wuzhong Sect… in the palm of my hand?’
It was something that could never be accomplished through mere power alone. The Wuzhong Sect was among the most prominent factions within the Divine Sect.
Though its history and tradition were shorter compared to the other Three Demon Sects, it boasted an even greater number of elders—the true military strength of the faction.
Yet despite the near-impossibility of such a claim, the Blade Emperor Sect’s words did not sound like empty boasts.
Hwa Do-myung, another Demon Master, the Baek Myun Valley led by the Blade Emperor Sect, and the Third Prince, heir to the Cheon Family.
With those forces as a foundation, swaying the cultists and wielding the Inspector Chief as a blade to rake through them…
‘A complete monopoly.’
It would become a power that even the Four Great Demon Families could not afford to ignore.
As Tak Mu-won’s eyes began to lose their luster, the Blade Emperor Sect dragged him up onto the platform.
The Blade Emperor Sect raised his voice toward the crowd.
“How did you enjoy the final spectacle?”
“It was magnificent!”
Fervent cheers erupted from the masses.
Yet scattered among them were whispers of doubt.
Many wondered why he had clashed with the Wuzhong Sect Master specifically, and why he continued to grip his hair even after victory was assured.
The Blade Emperor Sect opened his mouth to dispel those questions.
“As you know, the criminals displayed on pikes in the Inner City Square were those caught planning and committing human trafficking. And behind such grave crimes, there must surely exist accomplices.”
The spectator stands erupted in greater chaos at this unexpected revelation. The Blade Emperor Sect raised his voice even higher.
“Baek Myun Valley has independently obtained information. A list of those who colluded with the Changeung Trading Company, engaged in shameful corruption, and became stepping stones upon the sacrifices of the cultists.”
The Blade Emperor Sect raised his hand, pointing toward the Alchemy Division above.
“This is evidence certified by the Military Council, and it shall serve the same function as a death register.”
Sa Ma-ryang, dressed as the Inspector Chief, nodded to affirm the truth.
As the Blade Emperor Sect extended his hand into the void, Tak Mu-won’s blade was drawn into his grasp.
“And the first step shall be Wuzhong Sect Master Tak Mu-won.”
Sa Ma-ryang proclaimed Tak Mu-won’s crimes in a voice infused with inner power.
Crimes revealed during the investigation and pursuit of the truth as the Inspection Bureau’s Inspector Chief—the details of corruption committed in collusion with the Changeung Trading Company.
Most abhorrent among them was the fact that he had conspired with various influential figures to frame the Third Prince.
‘…!’
As his secrets were laid bare, Tak Mu-won felt as though he had been stripped naked. The light drained from his eyes.
Amid curses and harsh condemnations, the Blade Emperor Sect declared in an icy voice.
“The Third Prince’s will has always been the salvation of the cultists. He will not rest until all the villains plunging the Sect into chaos are captured and destroyed.”
A cold, bluish gleam frosted the Blade Emperor Sect’s eyes as they shone with chill.
“This is the task of disemboweling the bloated pigs of greed, so naturally all manner of noise and scandal shall erupt. I beseech you—do not be swayed by such trivial matters. Become the blade of the Third Prince. I shall stand at the vanguard.”
The spectator stands trembled greatly.
This was a request from none other than the Demon Master himself. His words pierced into the hearts of the crowd, pulsing through their veins and setting their blood ablaze.
“We shall follow!”
“Seize and execute them all!”
In the next moment, a cold blade carved through Tak Mu-won’s throat.
“Those who oppose shall die, whoever they may be.”
The blade caught on bone, and the sound of severing echoed nakedly through the arena. The spectators rose as one, their roars shaking the heavens.
“This is a pledge made under the name of Baek Myun Valley, and a vow sworn as The Demon Master.”
It was the execution of a sworn enemy who had turned a blade against the Cheon Family.
“Uwaaaaaaaaa!”
A heat more intense than ever before flooded the arena, and deafening cheers erupted so thunderously that ears rang.
Do Je’s lips curved into a long smile.
“Thus concludes the Tuyong Tournament! A seven-day celebration will commence, so I implore you to savor it until the very end!”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————