Chapter 77: A Glimpse of the Myth (3)

I deliberately played dumb.

“Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden? What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. If you’re really the one behind all of this, there’s no way you wouldn’t know.”

The Yin-Yang Fist Demon growled like a beast.

I decided to play dumb one more time.

“I know this place is the tomb of Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden… but I don’t see why you’re bringing up someone who ascended to immortality hundreds of years ago.”

“Keh keh keh, still pretending you don’t know, huh.”

Hwaak!

This time, it really was hard to withstand—the overwhelming energy surged out like a storm.

“If you were able to stab us in the back like this, then the only explanation is that you reached the deepest part first and obtained Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden’s arrangements in some form.”

‘Huh, sharp guy.’

The Yin-Yang Fist Demon was indeed a seasoned master with years behind him.

“They say Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, Yoo So, mastered the Main Hall’s Left Path Techniques and was quite skilled in sorcery. She must have left her will behind in some form.”

The “Main Hall,” huh? Not even hiding it anymore.

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

“The piles of treasure on the altar? All just decoys. So answer me. What did you obtain?”

“Well? If you ask what I got from there…”

Might as well give him an answer.

“I obtained peerless martial arts, firm skin, and solid internal energy?”

“Enough. If you’re not going to answer seriously, there’s no reason to continue.”

Unfortunately, I had told the truth—but the Yin-Yang Fist Demon clearly didn’t believe me.

“Die.”

The energy that came at me was on a completely different level from Han Muyeon’s earlier Sun-Moon Splitting Demonic Art.

I quickly pulled a marble from my sleeve and shook it.

“Aigoo, if I’m not careful, this might break.”

“…!!!”

In an instant, the red-and-blue internal energy rushing toward me swerved desperately.

The angle of evasion was almost ninety degrees—an exquisite feat of internal energy control only a top-tier master at the pinnacle of cultivation could perform.

The orb I took out was a kind of Qi-Absorbing Orb.

“Y-You! How do you have that?!”

The Yin-Yang Fist Demon’s eyes widened to the point of almost popping out.

‘So he does know what this is.’

This orb was said to be the key to open a ruin hidden somewhere in the Central Plains.

And the Heaven-Defying Society had been desperately searching for it for hundreds of years.

‘Wasn’t it called the key to Heaven of the Holy Spirit?’

Even Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden herself reportedly didn’t know the exact details of what Heaven of the Holy Spirit truly was.

Only the Great Heaven Lord knew its nature—it was said to be the sole key capable of awakening a being known as the “Primordial Heavenly Evil.”

“G-Give that to me right now! No, let’s make a deal! I’ll give you everything I can offer!”

His voice trembled, clearly panicked.

“Stay where you are. Take one more step, and I’ll smash this.”

Flinch!

The Yin-Yang Fist Demon’s steps halted instantly.

“W-Wait! What are you trying to do?”

“This… it feels like even a little pressure might shatter it into pieces.”

Truthfully, I wasn’t sure how durable the key was.

But it didn’t seem unbreakable either.

‘Should I break it into hundreds of pieces and scatter them across the Central Plains like that other marble?’

Not a bad idea.

They’d likely spend decades wandering the realm searching for the fragments.

Of course, I’d definitely die in return.

Completely overwhelmed, the Seventh Elder gritted his teeth and asked,

“What do you want?”

“Seventh Elder, your life.”

It was a line I threw out to provoke him—but to my surprise, he gave an unexpected answer.

“If I kill myself, will you hand over the orb without resistance?”

‘Huh?’

“Answer me. Swear it upon your family’s honor and in the name of your father, the Asura King!”

I was taken aback by how readily he offered up his life.

‘Is this thing really that valuable?’

Valuable enough for someone who reached the rank of Elder in the Cult to throw away his life so easily?

‘I kinda want to swear on it, honestly.’

Family honor? The Asura King’s name?

To me, they were meaningless. I could swear anything for the sake of deceit.

However…

I glanced at the burly red giant behind him and shook my head.

‘If only the Left Guardian weren’t here… tch.’

The worst possible witness had to be nearby.

‘Unless I kill the Left Guardian too, there’s no way I can make that oath here.’

Truly a shame.

“There’s no need for that.”

Whether he understood my thoughts or not, the Left Guardian slowly stood up.

“If we deal with this traitor of our Cult here, the problem will be solved.”

“Wang Cheongeol, a loser like you has no right to speak.”

“It’s not your place to decide that, traitor.”

The Left Guardian snapped back and then turned toward me.

“Your entire aura has been refined to the thinness of a sheet of paper. I can hardly believe it… but have you broken through the wall of Peak Master Level?”

“I have.”

“So the part about gaining peerless martial arts and firm internal energy wasn’t a lie.”

“And I also gained firm skin.”

He ignored my final quip and continued.

“If you’ve crossed into the Super Master realm, you should be able to use Qi Projection without the aid of specific techniques.”

“That’s right.”

At the Master Level, one could only use Qi Projection by forcibly merging internal energy through specific techniques.

But at Peak Master Level, simply infusing internal energy into a blade would be enough to project Qi.

“Good. I’ll risk my life to create an opening in him. You must strike in that moment and kill him.”

The Left Guardian had already reached his limit. When someone like him said he’d risk his life, it essentially meant he was throwing it away.

I shook my head.

“There’s no need for that.”

“What?”

“Just relax here. I’ll finish this and come back.”

The Left Guardian shouted in dismay.

“You! Do you have any idea how strong he is—”  

“Ah, I know.”

I waved my hand, cutting off the Left Guardian.

“Don’t go thinking about dying just yet. Shouldn’t we smile and retire after watching the Young Cult Leader ascend to the position of Cult Leader?”

“……”

The Left Guardian stared blankly at the back of my head.

The Yin-Yang Fist Demon seemed to share similar sentiments—he shook his head with a hint of despondence in his voice.

“Peak Master Level… So that’s the reason you overestimate yourself?”

“That’s not the only reason.”

Srrng!

The Jade Green Heavenly Net Divine Sword, which I had permanently borrowed from Baek Sang-ah, made its appearance.

“W-Wait! That sword…?!”

The Yin-Yang Fist Demon recognized the jade-green sword and gaped in astonishment.

“H-How in the world do you have that sword?!”

“So what if you know?”

“H-Heh heh heh! Unbelievable. There were tales of a green monster from ancient times who collected all kinds of treasures—turns out they were talking about you!”

The Yin-Yang Fist Demon’s fighting spirit exploded with intensity.

It made sense. If he killed me here, he’d achieve all his goals at once.

“Hahahaha! To be blessed with luck in a situation like this!”

In a flash, the Yin-Yang Fist Demon was right in front of me.

And his fist, brimming with Qi Projection, flew straight at my head.

Kwaaang!

The Jade Sword blocked his punch, but I was still forced back nearly ten paces by the impact.

‘Tch! A true monster awakened at the peak of Extreme Demon—this guy is insanely strong.’

Of course, being an Awakened One didn’t necessarily align with Martial Realm levels.

The strength of an Awakened One was determined by how deeply they carried the blood of the Mythic Era.

But the Yin-Yang Fist Demon, wielding both a supreme martial realm and the body of an Awakened One, was undeniably a massive threat.

“Even Wang Cheongeol couldn’t withstand more than ten seconds face-to-face! What makes you think someone like you can?”

“I think I can.”

“You insolent…!”

Furious, the Yin-Yang Fist Demon unleashed a barrage of punches like whips.

The aftershocks alone turned the devastated terrain into a demonic land, filled with dense demonic energy.

“W-What in the world is he thinking…!”

The Left Guardian groaned at the recklessness of a youth.

Sure, reaching Peak Master Level at such a young age was astonishing, but the opponent didn’t even need the power of an awakened body to rank in the top ten of the Cult’s elite.

Five seconds passed.

Soon, his stance would falter.

Ten seconds.

He had endured—barely—but the end was near.

Fifteen seconds.

His body would soon be torn apart.

Twenty seconds.

???

“…Huh?”

The Yin-Yang Fist Demon was still swinging his fists, and the youth’s feet remained firmly planted.

“W-What is this…?”

The Left Guardian blinked in confusion, unable to understand what kind of trick this was.

Meanwhile—

‘As expected, he can’t go all out!’

Given his current strength, the Yin-Yang Fist Demon could have easily bombarded me from afar with Qi techniques to wear me down.

But instead, he insisted on close-range combat.

That meant he was deliberately trying not to damage the Heaven of the Holy Spirit Key I held in my robe.

‘In that case, he has no choice but to hold back!’

When you consciously restrain your power, even a master of Extreme Demon will inevitably reveal openings.

To hold back power is to create vulnerability.

In a flash, pitch-black Qi surged from my sword.

‘Good, it came out well.’

It was my first time drawing Qi Projection without the help of a form in live combat, but fortunately, it worked.

Ka-ga-ga-gang!

“W-What?!”

The Yin-Yang Fist Demon clearly hadn’t expected me to actually release Qi Projection, and he hurriedly raised his arm to block it.

The resulting force blasted his charging body backward like a rebound shot.

The Left Guardian burst out in admiration.

“Amazing. To think I’d live to see another martial genius equal to the Young Cult Leader!”

He had known Cheon Yura had reached Peak Master Level.

Though, of course, that was now outdated intel.

I clicked my tongue as I stared at the unharmed Yin-Yang Fist Demon.

‘As I thought… tough as hell.’

Awakened Ones.

The strength wielded by direct bloodlines of the Heaven-Defying Society descended from the Mythic Era.

Now that I had experienced it firsthand, I found myself lamenting how unfair the world could be.

“But… it’s not like you don’t have weaknesses.”

“You say the same as Wang Cheongeol.”

“But I heard this straight from Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden herself, so it must be accurate.”

Flinch.

“Weakness one: you can’t maintain the Awakened state under sunlight.”

“…!!!”

A weakness like that—almost vampiric.

It wasn’t a solution I could use immediately, but that intense reaction proved how fatal a weakness it truly was.

That alone was enough to explain why they never stepped into the public eye of Murim in my past life.

“Y-You bastard!”

“Weakness two: after the effects of awakening wear off, you purebloods temporarily lose all access to your internal energy.”

“Shut your mouth!!”

Unlike artificially created hybrids like Myeong-oh, who died as soon as their life force ran out after awakening—

Even this was a critical enough weakness.

“Weakness three: over time, you’ll become unable to control your power, which deteriorates both your body and mind.”

“I told you to shut up!!”

Truly enraged, the Yin-Yang Fist Demon exploded with Qi in all directions.

And then, a strike unlike anything so far erupted.

Sun and Moon Heaven-Shattering Demonic Art  

Primordial Twin Star Qi!

A strange purple Qi, representing his wrath, surged forward with the momentum to engulf my entire body.

“G-Get out of the way!!”

The Left Guardian shouted in concern, shivering at the sheer destructive power imbued in that strike.

Yet, even as I faced it head-on, I didn’t flinch.

“Weakness four: your power has an inherent extreme polarity.”

“What?!”

“If you’d come at me using proper demonic techniques, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

Flash!

The Jade Green Sword was now cloaked in black Qi.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, I angled the blade to point horizontally.

It didn’t look like I was about to slash or thrust—instead, it resembled the initial motion to draw a massive circle.

It may have looked like the same Qi that had been blocked earlier, but the Yin-Yang Fist Demon, who saw beyond appearances, widened his eyes in terror.

Ten Heavenly Record Demonic Sword  

Ninth Form  

Heavenly Earth Spiral Suppression

A strike that coiled like a serpent, breaking apart the power of Primordial Twin Star Qi.

Upon witnessing it, the Yin-Yang Fist Demon instinctively muttered the name of a martial art.

“Th-The Heavenly Demonic Divine Art…?”

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