Chapter 265 – The Descent Of The Divine Demon (3)

The restriction placed on the spirit originates from demonic arts.

In the era when the Heavenly Demon was alive, he wasn’t just the cult leader of the Demon Cult.

A living god, a Demon God.

He was someone befitting such a title.

The martial artists who followed him in the Demon Cult were powerful enough that in another era, they could have been contenders for being the best in the world.

When an exceptional figure was born who could change the order of the world, exceptional followers naturally arose as well.

Just as new trees sprouted from the ashes left behind by the Fire Demon burning down the forest, the very existence of the Heavenly Demon was nothing short of creative destruction.

Those followers of Heavenly Demon placed restrictions on the demonic arts that the cult members would practice.

To force them to obey the authority of the Heavenly Demon, to make them kneel before their god.

The object that symbolized this authority was the Heavenly Demon’s Plaque.

Even after the Heavenly Demon disappeared, hundreds of years passed.

But that restriction lived on in the spirit of the Seven Great Immortals.

“To conquer… the world…”

In the brief moment when the spirit became distorted—

If Yi-gang had been someone who knew nothing, he would have merely raised his guard and hesitated.

But Yi-gang remembered the effectiveness of the Heavenly Demon’s Plaque that the Forest Lord had shown him.

From the moment Yi-ryong’s expression became blurred, he made a quick decision.

He threw the Shooting Star Fang and pierced through Heuk Seok-gye’s chest.

Simultaneously with the sword throw, he ran and kicked Wi Mi-hyeon’s jaw.

Puh-beok! Ppeok!

The opening created among the Seven Great Immortals was extremely brief.

However, in the world of Supreme Peak masters, even a momentary opening could determine life and death.

As soon as they were incapacitated, Yi-gang charged towards Yi-ryong.

Like a creature with a will of its own, the Shooting Star Fang flew back into Yi-gang’s hand.

And the moment his hand touched the sword, Yi-gang, without hesitation, sliced toward Yi-ryong’s neck.

The sharp black blade dug halfway into Yi-ryong’s neck.

At that moment, Yi-ryong’s paused right hand intercepted the sword.

Kwaaang!

It should have been right for both Yi-ryong’s neck and hand to be severed at the same time.

However, the Shooting Star Fang was pushed back by Yi-ryong’s raised hand.

It was because of the radiant Hand Aura that enveloped his hand.

「No matter how I look at it… it’s the Shaolin Fist…!」

Even without Zhang Sanfeng’s exclamation, Yi-gang had guessed it.

Surprisingly, Yi-ryong, a member of the Demon Cult, was using Shaolin martial arts.

Unless the exclusive techniques of Shaolin had been leaked, Yi-ryong must have had some secret circumstances.

Of course, Yi-gang didn’t care and wasn’t interested.

Although he couldn’t decapitate him in one strike, the momentum was already Yi-gang’s.

The Shooting Star Fang struck Yi-ryong’s body like a storm.

Quang—! Kwaaang, Quang!

Indeed, Yi-gang’s sword was enveloped in Sword Aura.

Yi-ryong managed to block it well.

But during that time, his body was gradually being pushed back.

“Kheok!”

Yi-gang’s Sword Aura pierced more than half an inch into Yi-ryong’s palm, which was wrapped in Hand Aura.

He could feel the blade hitting bone.

“Y-you bastard, what the hell are you doing…!”

Yi-ryong, determined to sacrifice his right arm, gripped Yi-gang’s sword tightly.

But that was a horrible mistake.

Yi-gang mercilessly twisted the sword.

As the sword spun, the rotating energy surged through Yi-ryong’s arm.

What would happen when such internal energy clashed directly with the forearm? Yi-ryong’s sleeve was torn to shreds as he tried to resist.

Soon, along with the sound of muscles tearing and joints bursting, the arm twisted.

“Kraaaagh!”

Yi-ryong screamed but stubbornly refused to let go of the sword.

Yi-gang boldly closed the distance between them.

Maintaining distance was crucial when fighting against a master of fist techniques.

At a range shorter than the extended sword hand, the martial artist would have an overwhelming advantage.

As proof, Yi-ryong swung his unharmed left fist at Yi-gang.

Whooong!

The force of the fist, filled with Aura Qi, was fierce.

Yi-gang’s response was equally bold.

He dropped the Shooting Star Fang and charged barehanded.

Yi-ryong’s twisted lips clearly showed mockery.

However, Yi-gang wasn’t acting thoughtlessly.

He had also learned the art of using his hands and feet.

He possessed the superior technique Azure Forest’s Wisteria Hand and the Wudang Taiji Fist taught directly by Zhang Sanfeng.

Unlike the Shaolin Fist, which focused on sheer strength, Yi-gang’s hands were fluid.

By a hair’s breadth, he deflected the immense force contained in Yi-ryong’s left hand.

Then, he pressed the Quchi acupoint on the elbow with his thumb.

Pook!

As if pressing into tofu, Yi-ryong’s muscle caved in smoothly.

The energy imbued in Yi-gang’s fingers must have severed Yi-ryong’s nerves.

Immediately after, Yi-gang’s hand struck Yi-ryong’s solar plexus, throat, and chin in succession.

Bbeo-beo-beok!

With the sound of a drum being hit, Yi-ryong was pushed back.

Yi-gang pulled out a small blade from his waist and extended his arm.

If he were to stab a vital point now, Yi-ryong would die.

That would solve the urgent problem.

The resurrection of the Heavenly Demon would be delayed, and the imperial family wouldn’t fall into the hands of the Demon Cult.

However, Yi-gang stopped his extended hand.

It was because of the look in Yi-ryong’s sunken eyes.

It was the kind of gaze only those who were calm in the face of death could have.

How could Yi-ryong do that?

A man trying to sacrifice his life and his brother’s to resurrect the Heavenly Demon wouldn’t give up so easily.

Instead, Yi-gang struck Yi-ryong’s paralysis acupoint.

Puh-beo-beo-beok!

Yi-ryong’s entire body, along with both arms, had its paralysis acupoint struck.

Though his body stiffened like a log, surprisingly, he didn’t fall but stood upright.

“Kuh, kukuk…”

Was it due to regret? Or perhaps the emptiness of knowing the grand spell he had prepared had completely failed?

Yi-ryong laughed in such a way.

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

“You seemed like you wanted to die.”

“Haha, hahahaha!”

As Yi-ryong burst into laughter, Yi-gang wiped the blood off his sword beside him.

“Don’t worry. Even if not right now, you’ll die soon.”

Whether Yi-gang finished him off or not, the Seven Great Immortals were all going to die.

After all, they had played with the Emperor, so it was inevitable.

“To think a grand plan would crumble this much because of a mere boy. I’ve lived long enough, anyway,” Yi-ryong scoffed, but Yi-gang didn’t pay any attention to him.

He was already looking for a way out.

It was difficult to find a way to undo the barrier from the inside.

“It’s the Heavenly Dark Barrier. Even if you’re quite skilled, you won’t easily escape. We didn’t design it with deconstruction in mind, not even for ourselves.”

“Then how do you get out when the Heavenly Demon resurrects?”

“Something as trivial as a barrier wouldn’t be a problem for him.”

“I see.”

Wi Mi-hyeon had already lost consciousness, and Heuk Seok-gye was wriggling like an insect.

After setting the Crown Prince in a safe place, Yi-gang checked his pulse.

Given what could happen next, it was better for the young prince to remain unconscious.

Yi-gang muttered, “The resurrection of the Heavenly Demon, huh. Precious lives have been sacrificed for something so unusual.”

“Haha, what do you know? Do you have any idea how rotten this world, ruled by the orthodox Murim, truly is? How hypocritical the world is with a Shaolin monk as the leader of the Murim Alliance! Only he will purify this decaying world!”

Yi-gang remembered Yi-ryong using Shaolin martial arts.

He must really have been an excommunicated Shaolin monk.

“Shaolin? What’s this have to do with Shaolin?”

“That Divine Monk must know the darkness within Shaolin as well. But he pretends not to!”

Honestly, Yi-gang didn’t care much.

It was common for excommunicated disciples to hold grudges against their sect.

It’s also common for the orthodox sects to be called hypocrites.

“Shaolin is raising a monster on Mount Song. A hideous monster…!”

“A monster? Did they seal away a yokai or something?”

“Yokai, huh… Heh, if it were only that, it would be fortunate,” Yi-ryong spoke as if he had been waiting for this, “Shaolin, hiding someone who is neither human nor monster, pretending to be virtuous… I will surely…”

Yi-ryong, whose emotions seemed to flare, suddenly stopped speaking and bit his lips tightly.

“It doesn’t matter. When the Heavenly Demon resurrects, Mount Song will be burned to ashes too. He will gather all the fragments of his soul.”

“So, Shaolin has a fragment of the Heavenly Demon’s soul as well.”

Yi-ryong didn’t answer.

Yi-gang, as if losing interest, spoke, “If you die, I’ll find out for myself.”

“Heh heh…”

Yi-ryong smiled.

That smile somehow bothered Yi-gang, causing him to furrow his brow.

Yi-ryong’s gaze initially turned toward the Emperor, but then shifted to the Guardian above.

“That one.”

“The Guardian?”

“Yes, apparently, it was once a great master from hundreds of years ago. But he fell into the trap of the Ming Imperial family and ended up like that, a puppet. He’s practically dead, his soul long gone.”

“…”

Yi-gang had seen figures resembling a jiangshi before, but he hadn’t expected it to be someone from such an ancient era.

Perhaps it’s because of that appearance that he managed to stay alive without dying.

“That thing isn’t a puppet meant to protect the Emperor. To be precise, it was originally designed to protect Zhu Yuanzhang. After Zhu Yuanzhang died, later Emperors started using it…”

People nearing death tended to talk a lot.

Since Yi-ryong’s rambling was somewhat interesting, Yi-gang listened quietly.

“I only found out recently. That’s probably why it’s so flawed. It doesn’t have any rationality, only reacting to killing intent aimed at the Emperor. That’s why, even with all the experiments done on the Emperor’s body, it doesn’t react.”

That must be why the Guardian stood there rigidly, even in this situation.

“I thought about removing the Guardian, but I left it. That was my mistake. After all, that led to Yo Myung-sa’s death.”

“…”

“Revenge… I must get revenge.”

Something cracked inside Yi-ryong’s mouth.

Dduk.

At the moment when Yi-gang heightened his vigilance, Yi-ryong spat something out of his mouth.

Swish—!

It was an odd technique, using internal energy to shoot a broken molar.

Zhang Sanfeng instantly recognized it as a Shaolin martial art.

「Tiny Projectile Art…!」

It was a Shaolin martial art created by a high monk who allegedly killed a demonic figure by spitting apricot seeds.

Yi-gang failed to respond properly to it.

It was because, contrary to expectations, the attack wasn’t aimed at the Guardian.

Yi-ryong, filled with killing intent, shot his molar toward the fallen Emperor.

Naturally, the attack didn’t reach the Emperor.

Ting—!

The Guardian deflected Yi-ryong’s molar with a flying willow leaf blade.

Then, the Guardian glared at Yi-ryong, who dared to attempt regicide.

The punishment was immediate and swift.

The protective Treasure wrapped tightly around his body activated instantly.

What the Guardian threw wasn’t just an ordinary flying leaf blade.

This time, a much larger curved blade was launched, spinning as it flew.

Its chilling speed was something even a supreme master could not easily block.

It cut through Yi-ryong’s neck effortlessly.

Deng-geong—

Yi-ryong’s head spun and flew off, while his body, now without an owner, teetered and collapsed.

Yi-gang felt a shiver run down his spine.

What Yi-ryong had done was unmistakably suicide.

However, the severed head was clearly smiling.

“…!”

When Yi-gang turned to look, Heuk Seok-gye and Wi Mi-hyeon were also no longer breathing.

Blood flowed from their necks, pooling on the floor, as if they had driven daggers into their own throats.

「Priest, this is undoubtedly dark magic…!」

Dark magic? What was dark magic?

Zhang Sanfeng’s warning was immediately understood.

The Emperor, who had been unconscious and collapsed, began to writhe.

Yi-ryong and the Seven Great Immortals must have tampered with the Emperor’s body or spirit in some way. It was likely that a condition had been placed that would activate if they were all slaughtered.

When the Emperor grabbed the black blade that was rolling on the floor, Yi-gang didn’t hesitate and rushed toward him.

His goal was to snatch the black blade from the Emperor’s hand and subdue him.

However, the Guardian, which had been still until now, suddenly descended.

Its alertness had changed following the Emperor’s attempted assassination earlier.

Yi-gang, without hesitation, swung his Sword Aura fully at the Guardian.

Kaaang!

The Guardian blocked it with its curved blade.

Despite the fact that its blade wasn’t enveloped with Aura Qi, it blocked the strike with ease.

It was clearly due to the effect of the protective Treasure wrapped around its body.

Yi-gang frowned deeply.

“Fool!”

While the Guardian was holding back Yi-gang, the Gyeongmun Emperor raised the black blade and slashed his own neck.

“Kkueeeeek!”

With a sound like a pig being slaughtered, the Gyeongmun Emperor bled profusely from his neck.

The blood pooled on the floor.

The pooled blood flowed along a pattern, in line with the ritual the Seven Great Immortals had prepared before their deaths.

Yi-gang was unable to stop it.

The best course of action was to fend off the Guardian’s attacks while keeping an eye on the situation.

The blood pooled on the floor defied gravity, moving as if it were alive.

The objects housing the fragments of the Heavenly Demon’s soul began vibrating on their own.

「…Please, do not blame yourself, Priest.」

Zhang Sanfeng suddenly became calm.

Then, as if finally accepting the inevitable, he stood next to Yi-gang with a composed demeanor.

Kaaang!

As Yi-gang’s Sword Aura clashed once more with the Guardian’s curved blade, the Guardian completely stopped.

It was in that exact moment—when the Gyeongmun Emperor must have fully perished.

Yi-gang raised his sword to strike the Guardian’s neck but then stopped.

It would be nothing more than an act of venting frustration. The damage had already been done.

「The resurrection of the Heavenly Demon is a powerful karma that even the great immortals of the Heavenly Realm refused to intervene in. It was an inevitable event.」

The Emperor’s blood, which had soaked the floor, had vanished entirely. The Gyeongmun Emperor’s body, too, had dried up like an ancient corpse.

The objects that had held the fragments of the Heavenly Demon’s soul were shattered and weathered as if they had faced millennia of time.

And most importantly…

「…That is why I, Zhang Sanfeng, remained on earth—to stop Heavenly Demon Zhao Guang.」

The youngest of the Seven Great Immortals, who had been lying on one of the beds to become the vessel for the Heavenly Demon, twitched and began to move.

「Please, Priest…」

Zhang Sanfeng sighed in sorrow.

Inside this Heavenly Dark Barrier, he couldn’t possess Yi-gang.

「Just block the Heavenly Demon’s single strike.」

Yi-gang gripped his sword tightly.

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