Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 98

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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 98
Banquet Hall Third Floor.
“Is that Cheon Gang down there?”
“Indeed.”
“Certainly… his aura is remarkably composed.”
The elders nodded silently in agreement.
“A prodigy is a prodigy, I suppose. At his age, he couldn’t possibly have achieved Return to Origin, but he must possess insight comparable to it?”
“Quite so. An unexpected blessing indeed. With someone of his caliber, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for him to exchange moves with the Crown Prince. Surely….”
“I beg to differ.”
At the blunt interjection, the elders’ gazes turned toward one figure.
“In the end, isn’t it merely a momentary distraction?”
Namgung Hwa, dressed in azure martial robes, stood with her arms crossed, gazing down at the arena below.
“What is your plan for what comes after?”
An elder regarded her in silence—a wordless question as to why she was reopening a matter already settled.
“Does it truly matter if the Crown Prince faces this promising talent and then engages in consecutive bouts against Later-Stage Martial Artists scraped together from across Anhui Province? If anything, it will only inflate his confidence, leaving him without caution, and he’ll be driven to reckless folly.”
Gathered around Namgung Hwa were elders relatively young in age—those who had harbored reservations about hosting the banquet until the end—and they nodded in tacit agreement.
“So… what exactly are you trying to say?”
“Reconsider this course, even now.”
“Reconsider?”
The elder’s expression twisted into something harsh and menacing.
“Are you asking me to reverse course at this late hour?”
Namgung Hwa shook her head.
“Since we’ve already chosen the lesser evil, I’m saying we must push forward more boldly.”
“…?”
“This banquet was hastily arranged to restrain the Crown Prince’s ambitions, was it not? Why not extend the timeline generously and invite the successors of all Nine Sects and Five Great Families as well?”
The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy and oppressive. In the elder’s eyes fixed upon her, unmistakable anger blazed forth.
“Nonsense.”
To draw in the Nine Sects and Five Great Families and hold martial contests—such a thing was taboo for the Namgung Family in its current state.
It was because of a past event, one of devastating humiliation.
On that day when the pride of an emperor crumbled beneath the hands of the Eccentric Monk, the family’s glory suffered such grievous shame that it fell into a prolonged period of despair and degradation.
“That humiliation from then still lingers as darkness upon our house. What madness is this? Do you truly not understand that if the Crown Prince were to suffer a similar catastrophe, it would be irreversible?”
For the Namgung Family, the worst scenario was not the Crown Prince’s emergence into the world.
With the Family Head currently secluded in demonic cultivation, the Crown Prince’s own safety becoming endangered—that was the true worst case.
Yet Namgung Hwa did not yield an inch, striking back with equal force.
“He is called the reincarnation of our founder. Why do you assume he must walk the same path?”
“The Family Head of that time was also counted among the greatest swordmasters. Just as things stand now.”
His voice sank lower still.
“Moreover, the martial way the Crown Prince seeks is to embody his own spirit through endless combat. Even if we gather the successors of the great families, he won’t conduct the bouts in any conventional manner. The optimal approach would be to allow a delay and through the resonance of divine techniques….”
Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
“Tsk.”
The one who had maintained silence throughout interjected. Elder Namgung Myeong, clicking his tongue with visible displeasure, stepped forward.
“The martial contest hasn’t even begun, yet you all clamor about as though rushing ahead. What is this commotion?”
At his resolute words, Namgung Hwa exhaled a short breath. Her reaction carried an air of anticipation.
“I’ve heard that Elder Myeong suffered humiliation… but isn’t the outcome of this martial contest as clear as fire?”
“Perhaps. If the match’s direction were truly so one-sided, would the Crown Prince have gone so far as to elevate his senses?”
“…?”
“Simply observe carefully. Forget consecutive victories—this single contest will bring the banquet to its conclusion.”
Deep uncertainty bloomed across the elders’ faces. From him, they sensed a conviction so strong it transcended mere speculation.
At that moment, a tremendous roar erupted from the Training Ground below.
“It begins.”
* * *
“I shall take the opening move!”
Namgung Seon-wi shattered the solid blue stone floor beneath him, surging forward like lightning.
Shrieeeeek!
“…!”
Cheon So-hyun reflexively raised his fist to strike downward, but in that instant, he revised his judgment and retreated. The power infused in the blade was extraordinary.
Boom!
His judgment proved accurate. As Namgung Seon-wi’s sword lashed the ground, the VIP Platform trembled violently, and a deafening explosion erupted.
“Your reaction is quite impressive.”
Before the dust had even settled, Namgung Seon-wi smiled coldly.
“Though what’s unfortunate is your judgment, perhaps?”
His blade vibrated ominously, then three strands of sword energy surged upward from below.
Whoooosh!
Toward the throat, solar plexus, and dantian—vital points assailed by torrents of light. Cheon So-hyun kicked off the ground.
Rotating his body instantly, the three streams of sword energy grazed past his entire form with razor-thin margins.
“…!”
And Namgung Seon-wi’s eyes widened like lanterns. Cheon So-hyun’s foot was aimed directly at his shoulder.
A miraculous counterattack. Rather than losing his posture mid-air, he had channeled his rotational momentum into a direct riposte.
As Namgung Seon-wi raised his blade to block, the landed Cheon So-hyun seized the momentum without pause.
Boom!
“Still can’t tell heaven from earth, I see. Why must you chatter so incessantly?”
Namgung Seon-wi chuckled softly as he deflected the incoming fist.
“Words and conduct—let’s overlook such trivial matters between peers. Aren’t these precious moments for us both?”
Whoooosh!
The VIP Platform shook violently once more. The tremor caused Cheon So-hyun’s balance to falter momentarily.
Namgung Seon-wi had likewise planted his Jin Gak.
“With a single step, one draws up the earth’s qi to suppress ten thousand. Your Main Family Residence’s Jin Gak bears striking resemblance, does it not?”
Where Cheon So-hyun’s Jin Gak was deep and weighty, Namgung Seon-wi’s was tyrannical. Riding the momentum, he thrust his blade forward.
Clang! Clang!
Sharp metallic cries rang out repeatedly. With certainty that the long-awaited moment had arrived, Namgung Seon-wi drew his concentration ever higher.
The Namgung Clan wielded the Emperor’s Sword. Among the countless sword sects scattered across the Realm like grains of sand, the Namgung Family was invariably ranked first when discussing supremacy.
One of the signature sword techniques representing the Namgung Family—the Infinite Azure Heaven Sword Method—unfurled from Namgung Seon-wi’s hands.
Azure sword energy flooded the void in an instant. Like lightning descending from the heavens, the burgeoning blade force engulfed Cheon So-hyun’s entire body.
Azure Ridge Dividing Sword. It was the opening move of the Infinite Azure Heaven Sword Method in which he placed his greatest confidence.
“…!”
Yet Cheon So-hyun responded swiftly, thrusting both hands forward to counter.
With his center of gravity lowered, he rotated his wrists fluidly, dissipating the impact as it came.
But the sword energy did not cease—it carved across his arm and grazed his shoulder, pursuing him relentlessly.
As Namgung Seon-wi drove his blade forward like a piercing spear toward the solar plexus, Cheon So-hyun twisted his torso.
Shrraaack!
A large section of fabric at his flank was severed clean away.
Had he been careless for even a moment, his abdomen would have been pierced. The depth of his inner force far exceeded my expectations.
‘So he’s not merely a madman after all.’
It was not only his martial power that posed a problem. The subtle shifts in his sword forms with each clash were deeply unsettling.
‘This is absurd.’
His reflexes and perception were worthy of awe. The way he grasped his opponent’s movements in a flash and transformed his sword technique into optimal form was extraordinary.
‘A true prodigy.’
It was praise uncharacteristic of him. After all, Cheon So-hyun had always despised the word “prodigy.”
It was a term that dismissed the process—the pain, effort, and resolve—by evaluating only the result.
Yet faced with such transcendent aptitude, the word naturally surfaced in his mind. If time flowed on and he continued to hone his martial way, he would surely become a swordmaster whose name echoed through the annals of Jianghu.
“Of course, that is not the case now.”
Cheon So-hyun’s eyes blazed with fierce light.
“…!”
Namgung Seon-wi instinctively jerked his head back. A fist erupting from an unexpected angle surged toward his jaw.
Had his response been even slightly delayed, his jawbone would have shattered to dust. The explosive wind pressure left his ears ringing with tinnitus.
Cheon So-hyun seized the opening without hesitation. His twin fists tore through the air like an avalanche.
Boom! Boom!
Namgung Seon-wi heightened all his senses, defending relentlessly.
‘Heavy.’
Each strike carried tremendous weight.
Sharp technique and dense power. Explosive force cascading without end. There was not a single flaw in the martial logic underlying it all.
Most astonishing was the quality of muscle—hard as stone. Inner force was woven through each fiber with silken precision, making counterattacks difficult.
‘The Realm is indeed vast.’
Compared to the renowned Martial Monks of Shaolin, this was a body of steel that yielded nothing.
“…It’s difficult to gauge the end. How many more hidden techniques do you possess?”
“Quite a few remaining. Let’s bring this to a close.”
Whoooosh!
Tremendous heat erupted from Cheon So-hyun’s entire being.
At the searing warmth touching his skin, Namgung Seon-wi’s pupils trembled.
“That aura…!”
But his words never reached completion. Cheon So-hyun’s fist tore through the barrier of air itself.
Like a colossal hammer crashing down, the dull, overwhelming force drew a sharp gasp from Namgung Seon-wi.
“Ugh!”
It was a flawless triple strike—impossible to evade or block. Namgung Seon-wi staggered backward, trying to dissipate the Arhat Fist’s power that had pierced his solar plexus.
“Hnn!”
But before Namgung Seon-wi could even regain his footing, Cheon So-hyun’s fist crashed through empty space.
“Huh?”
“…What?”
“Why did he miss? Is he tiring?”
The spectators, who had been watching in rapt silence, suddenly showed confusion. The distance between them was far too great for a fist to connect.
“…!”
But confusion swiftly transformed into shock. Namgung Seon-wi’s body lurched backward, driven by an invisible force.
“Cough!”
It was the invisible fist technique—the Void-Piercing Fist. Though its power diminished with distance, its precision transcended all expectation.
The relentless targeting of vital points drew admiring murmurs even from the Namgung elders.
“…Hmm.”
“Indeed, no crude technique.”
But that was all. Their expressions remained cold and unmoved.
“Tch. That reckless fool. Playing his twisted games again.”
Several elders frowned as they watched Namgung Seon-wi, their disapproval evident—it was clear he had been testing the waters all along.
Namgung Seon-wi staggered, spitting blood, his eyes blazing with an almost manic exhilaration.
“You… you’re the same breed as me?”
“The same breed?”
“With that much scorching heat contained within you, yet standing unscathed—it’s obvious. A special constitution. Hehe, I never thought I’d find a match of this caliber.”
“…?”
Before Cheon So-hyun could even process the question, azure lightning erupted from Namgung Seon-wi’s entire body.
Crackle!
A different power began to course through his limbs and meridians.
Azure Heaven Lightning Wall Heart Method—he had unleashed the Namgung Family’s supreme secret art, the Thunder Force Technique.
The realm of supreme mastery means that the moment intent arises, technique already unfolds. When thought and judgment occur in an instant, technique likewise approaches that same instantaneous speed.
Thus emerges a supreme velocity that bows to no one.
For Namgung Seon-wi, that realm had been impossibly distant. At least until this very moment.
Boom!
Namgung Seon-wi burst forth with lightning, taking a single step forward.
‘Fast!’
Cheon So-hyun’s gaze sharpened like a honed blade. The speed was twice what it had been before.
Speed begets power, and power draws forth even greater force.
Boom!
Namgung Seon-wi’s strike became a flash of light—full power unleashed without reservation.
And it finally repelled Cheon So-hyun’s fist.
“…!”
Namgung Seon-wi’s opposite hand burrowed into Cheon So-hyun’s chest. It was the Emerald Wind Palm—a devastating technique channeling rampant thunder qi with ferocious intent.
* * *
Within the Heart Chamber of the Namgung Family’s Main Family Residence, in the Family Head Hall.
A space of absolute darkness where not even a sliver of light was permitted.
The sword dance that had ceaselessly scattered thunder qi had long since ceased.
In-yeong, who had remained silent as though dead for some time, slowly lifted his head. Faint ripples stirred in his pupils, which had been submerged in the quagmire of demonic meditation.
It was the tremor from the clash transmitted from outside. His perpetually extended perception sensed every shift occurring throughout the estate.
Whooooom!
As if answering the spark of consciousness, the beloved sword in his hand resonated and cried out.
There was no exertion of force. It merely released a resonant cry. Yet that was sufficient.
Craaaaaack!
The thick chains and bolts binding the stone gate fractured, and the doors of the Heart Chamber opened of their own accord.

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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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