Emotionless eyes and a gloomy demeanor. A man like a sword, exuding an unchecked, razor-sharp aura.

Though his level appeared somewhat unstable, the Sword Ghost had reached the Flowering Stage. His rate of growth was vastly different from my previous life.

But what truly shocked me was something else entirely.

“So it was you, Sword Demon.”

“You can’t mean…!”

A shock like having my heart snatched away. I instinctively drew my sword and stepped in front of Tang Sowol, just as a figure emerged from behind the Sword Ghost.

Long black hair, jet-black martial robes fluttering in the wind, and hollow black eyes fixed on us.

If the Sword Ghost had a gloomy presence like his ashen qi, then the man who had just appeared was simply black—utterly and completely.

Just meeting those bottomless eyes gave one the sensation of being endlessly drawn in, or plummeting downward.

Everything became muddled, meaningless. And in the end, all was dyed black.

I knew this damned sensation all too well.

Judging from the unease in the air, it wasn’t just me who felt it. All eyes were now focused on the man who had appeared.

Four warriors at the Flowering Stage were present. On top of that, several Sub-Perfection level elders from the Black Lotus Sect had gathered for the banquet.

A force even an emperor would be wary of. And yet, the one drawing their shock and hostility was this black-clad man.

He wore an expression beyond calm—bordering on boredom.

How could I possibly forget that face?

“Heavenly Demon.”

The word escaped my mouth before I realized it. The Heavenly Demon tilted his head slightly, as if acknowledging me.

“So, you do know who I am.”

“What the hell are you talking about…!”

I almost shouted reflexively at the nonsense, but paused.

The Heavenly Demon had called me Sword Demon—not the Bloodflower Sword Demon, just Sword Demon.

And now, he asked whether I knew who he was.

Could it be that he too—

“Yes. How could you destroy all of my plans without knowing me? Of course, you must know.”

Ah.

Well, it was true.

I had destroyed no small number of the Demonic Cult’s schemes. If I were him, I’d want to see the face of the one who’d foiled me too.

Now that I looked closer, the Heavenly Demon wasn’t as overwhelming as he had been before my regression.

His aura was powerful—far stronger than mine, certainly—but not to the point where he seemed untouchable.

When I discovered the Demonic Cult was behind Tang Sowol’s attack, I had interrogated a captured cultist. From him, I’d heard that the Heavenly Demon had reached the Extreme Demon Realm, which meant the Flowering Stage.

So, the current Heavenly Demon had only reached the Flowering Stage a few years ago.

To reach this level in just a few years was astounding, but… it might be an opportunity.

A chance to defeat the Heavenly Demon right here.

Alone, I couldn’t do it—but here, there were four warriors at the Flowering Stage. If we all worked together…

I forced out a deep breath to dispel the fear accumulated from my past death and lingering trauma.

“Huu.”

What I needed to do was clear, and cutting through hesitation was easy. In the void left behind, I filled it with resolve.

Uuung—

My sword responded with a low hum, then became cloaked in pale qi.

Lowering my blade slightly, preparing to lunge, I bent one leg and braced my stance—

“That’s enough.”

A broad back blocked my view. It was the Black Lotus Sect Leader.

“I don’t know what grudge lies between you. I don’t care. But this much is certain.”

He had long since drawn twin spears, now in both hands. Even through his robes, I could tell his back had swelled with power.

“Those two dared to ruin a banquet I prepared. And that Sword Ghost even harmed members of my sect.”

“P-please wait a moment! Let me also—!”

“No matter how I think about it, I see no reason to hold back.”

With those words, the Black Lotus Leader kicked off the ground.

Boom!

A thunderous roar. The earth shook. And where he’d stood, only a gust of wind remained.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Loud, clear steps left indents in the ground, his movement so blatant that no one could miss his location.

It wasn’t because he didn’t know silent footwork. This was his footwork.

With every stomp, the Black Lotus Leader’s aura swelled exponentially.

An overwhelming presence shook the area, and deep crimson qi erupted from his body and twin spears.

It was as if he had lit himself like firewood, burning alive. And in the next instant, that enormous figure came barreling forward with a deafening roar.

Those who disliked the Black Lotus Leader often compared him to a flaming boar—but no one could deny his strength.

His martial path, one of burning himself for victory and domination, mirrored his own life.

That was why it was so unrelentingly demonic.

A clear longing appeared in the eyes of all Black Lotus martial artists present. Regardless of age, they all believed in his victory.

However—

“Huuurgh!”

A towering figure easily over seven cheok tall, muscles rippling, swung his twin spears at the man before him.

Empowered qi. Spear techniques that never missed.

Before the two, the Sword Ghost calmly took a step back. The Heavenly Demon, by contrast, stepped forward.

Yes. Just one step.

Boom!

A blast of force radiated out from the Heavenly Demon, bearing down on the surroundings like gravity.

Heavenly Demon Lord’s Step.

An arrogant gait meant to make all but oneself kneel, or perhaps a strange martial art that combined qi techniques with footwork.

Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. Even in this incomplete state, the Heavenly Demon had earned the right to be arrogant.

Everyone who hadn’t reached the Flowering Stage began to stagger.

Those lacking in cultivation were forced to one knee, and those who hadn’t trained martial arts at all simply collapsed, gasping for breath.

But the one who bore the brunt of the Heavenly Demon’s pressure was the Black Lotus Leader.

“Kh! You damned—!”

His movements clearly dulled. Yet he rammed his internal energy into his limbs and burned his willpower to force his body to move faster.

It was still enough to trouble a fellow warrior at the Flowering Stage.

The Heavenly Demon moved his hand.

His hand, cloaked in blackened qi, danced through the air, repeatedly clashing with the Black Lotus Leader’s twin spears.

Explosions burst out. Qi collided with qi, devastating the area.

The earth split open, carefully decorated buildings collapsed like sandcastles. The Black Lotus Leader’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You… how?!”

“Twin Extreme Tyrant Spears. A fine martial art. Strong, dazzling. But in truth, a sly technique meant to toy with your foe.”

The Heavenly Demon calmly spoke the name of the Black Lotus Leader’s ultimate martial art. Astonishingly, his movements began to mimic it.

A hyper-focused internal energy use that left no reserves.

A sinister, snake-like strike that slipped through the smallest opening in complex trajectories.

At first, it seemed merely similar. But then, not only did the flow match—the very forms began to align.

After just a few exchanges, his strikes mirrored the Black Lotus Leader’s like a reflection in a mirror.

If he had used his own Heavenly Demon Divine Art, it wouldn’t have been so shocking.

But he didn’t. He met the twin spears head-on and returned the technique after such a short time.

Of course, he couldn’t have copied the full method, like the secret formulas.

But the visible movements were perfect.

No, even more refined.

With every clash, the crimson qi of the Black Lotus Leader began to falter under the inky-black qi.

And then, the Heavenly Demon tapped the man lightly in the chest.

Thwoomp!

The Black Lotus Leader was thrown backward and crashed to the ground in front of me.

The moment his back hit the earth, he sprang to his feet. His defensive qi was intact. His body, forged like steel, was unscathed.

But his eyes trembled like a quake.

He realized it too.

If the Heavenly Demon had wanted, he could have shattered his defensive qi and landed a killing blow.

But he didn’t. He merely pushed him aside.

Gasps escaped from the Black Lotus martial artists, who had revered him like a god.

Seo Mun-Hwarin and Namgung Dowi stepped up beside me, igniting their qi.

The Heavenly Demon wasn’t as overwhelming as before? That maybe we could beat him now?

Bullshit.

A monster is a monster, even in youth. Even without world-shaking internal energy or strange, overpowering techniques—he was still the Heavenly Demon.

This was life or death. I didn’t want to lose everything again, like before my regression.

I forcibly steadied my ragged breathing and spoke.

“You can’t win alone.”

“…So, that’s why you suggested coordinated attacks.”

A brief silence. Seo Mun-Hwarin was the first to speak.

“You seem to know that man well. You called him the Heavenly Demon. Could it be…”

“Yes. He’s the current leader of the Demonic Cult.”

“I see. Now I understand why you’ve always been so wary of them.”

Namgung Dowi, in his usual calm tone, added:

“The Demonic Cult, was it?”

He looked over at the Sword Ghost.

“And that one too?”

“Yes.”

“They only know their own wounds and never hesitate to harm others. Leaving them alone will only lead to catastrophe.”

“That seems likely. The Sword Ghost has already caused plenty of damage.”

I flinched, wondering if even now, someone had gone mad with admiration for his swordsmanship.

“You’ll take on the Sword Ghost.”

“Pardon?”

The unexpected command surprised me. Namgung Dowi gave a faint chuckle.

“You didn’t think I’d be that stubborn in a situation like this, did you?”

“…Maybe a little.”

“Namgung Clan may be obsessed with the sword, but we are also pillars of justice. When duty stands before us, how can we prioritize desire?”

Saying this, Namgung Dowi turned to the Heavenly Demon and casually pointed his sword.

“Besides, aren’t you the weakest among us?”

“…?”

“From the looks of it, that Sword Ghost has just reached the Flowering Stage. You should be able to handle him alone.”

He was right.

I was the weakest among the Flowering Stage warriors here, and the Sword Ghost, still unstable, was someone I could handle alone.

It was logical that the remaining three should focus on the Heavenly Demon.

Everything he said was right…

But still, just a little… I felt choked up.

“I’ll join you shortly.”

And I meant it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep