Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 99
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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 99
As his stance crumbled, a brilliant azure force erupted from the hollow of Cheon So-hyun’s chest. The power was truly devastating.
Facing the imminent danger of his entire body being torn asunder, Cheon So-hyun swept across the ground with his footwork, creating distance.
“What?!”
“What in the—!”
The spectators gasped in bewilderment. His form flickered like a candle flame before dissolving into dark smoke, losing all substance.
It was a divine technique almost impossible to believe even with one’s own eyes. From the Later-Stage Martial Artists to the Namgung Elders, all widened their eyes in shock.
Yet Namgung Seon-wi’s reaction was composed.
“Yes, of course.”
He murmured as though it were only natural, spreading lightning qi throughout the VIP Platform.
The Azure Heaven Lightning Wall Heart Technique was the Namgung Family’s supreme lightning cultivation method. By layering lightning qi over the nerves, it accelerated perception to an instant. Though such a supreme technique imposed tremendous burden on the body, Namgung Seon-wi continuously increased his output, weaving a dense net of qi sensation across the platform.
Then.
A piercing shriek split the air!
His sword rushed toward Cheon So-hyun’s face.
Cheon So-hyun’s pupils trembled violently. Not only had Namgung Seon-wi seen through the Eighth-Rank Lotus Formation’s defensive positioning, but he had aimed precisely at the space between his brows.
A sharp whistle!
As Cheon So-hyun barely twisted his head, Namgung Seon-wi’s blade grazed his cheek by the narrowest margin.
Yet the wind pressure tore his skin, and blood began to flow.
Simultaneously, Namgung Seon-wi’s sword, which had come to an abrupt halt, fell vertically downward. A single strike descending toward his shoulder.
‘Amitabha!’
Before that lightning-swift combination, Cheon So-hyun instead stepped forward. He could not retreat any further.
A fist wind coalesced in his left hand, extending like rays of light.
A tremendous explosion!
With the deafening blast, the distance between them widened dramatically. The shockwave drove Namgung Seon-wi back to the edge of the VIP Platform.
He let out a hollow laugh, regarding Cheon So-hyun.
“So you’re willing to sacrifice an arm or so?”
Cheon So-hyun’s shoulder was charred black. Namgung Seon-wi’s blade, having reached extreme speed, had struck down upon it.
But that was all.
“I don’t know. With a blade this soft, I couldn’t give it up even if I wanted to.”
Not a trace of blood, not even the smallest wound was visible.
The protective qi seeping through each muscle fiber allowed him to endure the pain, and he had even managed a counterattack.
Namgung Seon-wi suppressed the recoil in his grip and smiled faintly.
“Certainly a well-tempered body. Now I understand why you displayed such confidence. Having obtained rare talent at the price of suffering, it’s only natural, I suppose.”
Cheon So-hyun rotated his shoulder, regarding him. Since the area was wrapped in the White Silkworm Qi, he felt no particular pain.
“Rare talent?”
“Why pretend otherwise now? No matter what supreme techniques you use to refine your external qi, you cannot contain such extreme yang qi. Whether lightning or fire qi, the pain when channeling through the meridians is an unbearable burden. Clearly—”
“Enough.”
Cheon So-hyun cut him off as though uninterested.
“Stop your rambling and show me more.”
“…What?”
“You’re not planning to throw yourself into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Surely you weren’t spouting off about leaving with just this level of skill?”
Her tone was utterly devoid of emotion. No—unlike before, her flat demeanor now seemed to carry a hint of displeasure beneath the surface.
Namgung Seon-wi laughed as if amused.
“I severely underestimated you. You’re right—we should set aside the pleasantries.”
Whoosh!
Closing the distance in a single step, Namgung Seon-wi’s blade blazed white-hot with incandescent fury.
The Red Palace Unobstructed Technique. The Azure Heaven Sword unfolded at a speed that doubled his previous efforts, instantly embroidering the void as it targeted Cheon So-hyun’s vital points.
“Let’s fight all the way down to the very bottom!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cheon So-hyun’s eyes blazed with fire.
Like a volcano erupting, vitality exploded through every meridian and vessel in his body.
The Red Palace Unobstructed Technique was a supreme art designed to compress an entire vast ocean into a single point.
As he released the true qi he had been compressing all along, the spiritual energy burst forth like a broken dam, drawing forth immense power.
He shattered the sword energy, expelled the thunder qi seeping into his skin with a single step, seized the openings, and continuously accelerated his speed.
The spiritual energy cycling upon itself in endless waves—the terrifying flame energy constricted around the VIP Platform, strangling Namgung Seon-wi’s breath.
Before long, both of Cheon So-hyun’s hands were wrapped in pitch-black flame.
“…Samadhi True Flame?”
Boom!
Namgung Seon-wi’s body shuddered. A fist burrowed into his abdomen—a speed of an entirely different caliber than before.
Namgung Seon-wi’s expression twisted in shock as he twisted his blade to block.
‘…He’s keeping pace with the extreme speed of the Azure Heaven Thunder Wall Heart Technique?’
From the moment the Samadhi True Flame ignited, Cheon Gang’s fist intent spread forth like wildfire, extending like rays of light.
“The Ten Thousand Great Mountains be damned. Have you even considered how many lives might be endangered by your reckless presumption?”
Namgung Seon-wi let out a hollow laugh and shifted his offensive.
“I have. Surely I wouldn’t have spoken of leaving without such deliberation?”
Sword energy crashed down like lightning, striking Cheon So-hyun’s entire body. The Thunder Voice Piercing Sword—the imperial sword strike that numbed sensation with thunder qi, ultimately forcing one to kneel.
“Ugh.”
“The Crown Prince of Namgung dying in dangerous terrain. You know it wouldn’t be a simple matter. Especially if it’s near Demonic Cult Territory—it would be like detonating a powder keg across the entire Realm.”
Boom! Boom!
Their voices were swallowed by the successive explosions. The Thunder Voice Piercing Sword struck Cheon So-hyun’s entire body once more.
Whoosh!
Burning away the thunder qi burrowing into his meridians all at once, Cheon So-hyun fixed his gaze on Namgung Seon-wi.
“And knowing that, you’d still leap into the fire?”
“I’ve said it repeatedly—it’s not recklessness. It’s a task of sufficient worth, a mission I desire deeply. Moreover, if I had merely sat idle and been content within the Family Compound meaninglessly, would such an opportunity have ever come?”
Rumble!
Cheon So-hyun’s words never reached him. His very existence proved that Namgung Seon-wi’s judgment was correct.
An opponent against whom even throwing everything he had could not guarantee victory.
Moreover, a fist master who embodied the profound combat form itself, fighting with relentless offense.
‘An opportunity that will never come again in this lifetime.’
With such conviction, his grip on the sword hilt tightened even further.
“You’ve lost your mind. A little bloodletting might knock some sense into you.”
“Isn’t that equally true for both of us?”
Crash!
The two figures crisscrossed through the air dozens of times, leaving afterimages in their wake.
With each collision of sword and fist, deafening explosions reverberated through the Banquet Hall.
This phantasmagorical exchange of offense and defense captivated every eye in the audience.
“W-what in the world is this….”
The Later-Stage Martial Artists stared blankly, their shoulders trembling as their mouths hung open in shock.
“…It far exceeds all expectations.”
The Elders positioned in the upper tiers shared the same bewilderment.
The luminaries of the Nine Sects and One Faction, treated like immortals among clouds; the masters of the Five Great Families; the Eight Pillars of the Dark Lotus Society who dismissed benevolence and righteousness as mere hypocrisy; and scattered throughout the Realm were eccentric talents, minor sects, and successors of solitary lineages.
Beyond these, countless masters from across the Realm converged and clashed, their martial prowess determining who would claim supremacy in Kangho Murim.
And among this chaotic arena, Namgung Seon-wi was regarded as the most radiant uncut gem.
A swordmaster certain to be hailed as supreme in future generations.
The Family held expectations that Namgung Seon-wi would become an absolute master surpassing even the Founder.
This stemmed from his innate talent—not only did he possess an aura bordering on malevolence, but he had inherited the Founder’s very constitution.
“….”
The pupils of the Later-Stage Martial Artists deepened with profound confusion.
They had heard tales of Namgung Seon-wi’s martial prowess repeated endlessly within their sect, and now it made sense.
The movements too swift for the eye to follow, the endless tempest of true energy, the exquisite swordsmanship—all of it was comprehensible.
“H-how is this possible….”
Crash!
But what in the world was this Cheon Gang?
He responded to every strike, unleashing lightning in return. Standing firm at the eye of the storm, he continuously shattered Namgung Seon-wi’s blade with successive counterattacks.
Crack.
And all witnessed it.
Namgung Seon-wi’s sword infused with lightning. And Cheon Gang seizing it with his Threefold Enlightenment Transformation.
That hand, which should have had skin and bone severed, instead crushed the blade as if to obliterate it, tearing open his opponent’s guard.
“Ugh!”
Then came a strike as immense as Mount Tai, hammering across Namgung Seon-wi’s entire body.
Phantom-like footwork, cunning that pierced every gap, ferocious techniques that relentlessly targeted vital points.
“…It’s as if a demon has possessed him.”
To those accustomed to the rigid etiquette and formal duels of the White Path, this merciless combat style evoked the image of a yaksha.
Then.
“Aah…!”
“Get out of the way!”
A blade of light streaked across the air and fell below the VIP Platform. Namgung Seon-wi’s sword energy had torn through the blue stone floor like tofu.
Crash!
A Namgung Elder who had descended to the lower level in an instant shattered the sword energy. A Later-Stage Martial Artist, knocked back by the impact, bowed his head with a pallid face.
“Th-thank you!”
“Everyone, fall back.”
It was Namgung Hwa, an elder of the Family. She narrowed her brow against the sharp, tingling pain radiating through her palm. The Crown Prince was clearly unleashing his full power.
“Why are you all standing there dazed? Move quickly!”
Namgung Myeong descended to stand beside her, his expression hardened.
“Elder Myeong, did you know about this all along?”
“Know about what?”
“That prodigy, the Warrior from Cheon Gang.”
“Hmm, well…”
Namgung Myeong gazed up at the VIP Platform as he continued.
“To be honest, I couldn’t gauge him precisely. I merely suspected he was concealing two or perhaps three more techniques.”
“…I see.”
“What matters now is that the Crown Prince has steeled his resolve. The shockwaves will grow fiercer, so hurry.”
Namgung Hwa nodded silently. The senior members of the Namgung Family had already decided to clear out the spectators.
Beyond the risk of exposing the Crown Prince’s vital points, if casualties occurred from their increasingly fierce duel, it would be a complete disaster.
“The banquet ends here. We shall arrange another gathering later, so let us withdraw for now.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
The Later-Stage Martial Artists’ eyes gleamed, as if they wanted to witness even one more move.
This was a clash between masters beyond the ordinary. Such a rare opportunity would surely prove beneficial merely from observation.
Of course, not everyone shared this sentiment.
“Yes, let’s go, quickly!”
“You there, what are you doing! Don’t just stand there gawking—move back!”
Lingering to watch meant risking one’s life. The shockwaves and successive bursts of internal energy were becoming unbearable to withstand.
“Everyone, this way please!”
Namgung Seon-ah also lent her strength, guiding them outside.
Moving with the discipline befitting warriors, they evacuated in perfect order, and the Banquet Hall emptied in moments.
Only the two exchanging blows on the VIP Platform and the Namgung Elders remained. Then Namgung Hwa, glancing around to ensure no one else lingered, suddenly trembled and gasped.
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
At her inexplicable reaction, Namgung Myeong turned his head. His eyes widened in shock.
“…!”
A towering figure with dark-rimmed eyes and a haggard expression had entered the Hall and stood watching the duel.
Had he been concealing his presence all along? Only upon visual confirmation did they sense his existence.
The deeply sunken cheeks and weathered skin were unmistakably those of a cripple, yet the depth of spiritual essence in his eyes transcended all measure.
Eyes like a dragon awakening from deep slumber. Like a volcano on the brink of eruption, an immense, coiled momentum radiated from him.
“The Family Head!”
Namgung Hu, the Family Head of the Namgung Family and master of the Azure Heaven Sword Army, had revealed himself.
“Sir, are you… are you well? How did you…?”
Namgung Hu waved his hand briefly and gazed upon the VIP Platform. His expression was resolute, as if commanding them not to interfere.
His eyes held a clear, rational light.
The elders’ expressions gradually brightened at that gleam of reason, as if a portion of their inner demons had been lifted.
‘…Has the Crown Prince’s will reached him?’
‘Did that reckless gambit actually succeed?’
Anticipatory gazes converged upon the VIP Platform one by one. The duel between the two was hurtling toward its conclusion.
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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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