Chapter 125 – Revenge, and a Trap (7)

Though he spoke casually, Yu-jin knew his opponent was no ordinary foe. He drew upon the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Energy, the power of chaos. This was a master formidable enough to warrant its use.

A deep resonance vibrated through the air.

And then, Yu-jin saw it. A single sword, hovering before his eyes.

A brilliant silver sword that radiated a bright light even in the darkness, asserting its presence.

There was clearly nothing around the sword, yet it floated alone in the air, aimed at Yu-jin.

“First this one, now that one. Everyone’s using the Mind Sword so freely. How absurd.”

The Mind Sword, a legendary art that only a select few among the absolute masters of the Profound Realm could wield.

An art where the sword of the mind manifests merely from intent, a manifested sword said to be capable of destroying anything and killing any living being. That was the Mind Sword.

Of course, the Mind Sword wasn’t invincible. Bukri Hwan, whom Yu-jin had fought, couldn’t use it, yet he was far stronger than Lee Hwan or Hwa Un-wol. Nevertheless, the fact remained that it was dangerous.

“I cannot wield the Mind Sword.”

Yu-jin was an artificially created master. His internal energy was so exceptional that he could handle techniques up to Sword Control with ease, but the realm of the Mind Sword, which required immense enlightenment, was a distant path for him.

He simply didn’t have the mind capable of attaining such a state.

Even the enlightenment of a supreme martial artist was beyond his grasp.

But Yu-jin did not despair over it; instead, he created even more powerful arts.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone flaunt their power before me. Let’s see if you’re as skilled as you are confident.”

Yu-jin channeled the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Energy and extended his hand. Light and darkness converged, condensing to protect his hand as it finally clashed with the Mind Sword.

*Kwwaaaaang!*

The clash between the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Energy and the Mind Sword overturned the earth. All the surrounding trees were uprooted and sent flying in every direction, smashing into other trees.

And at last, a monk revealed himself. What was peculiar was that he carried a sword, unlike a typical monk, and his robes were distinctly different from those of the Central Plains or the Western Regions.

The expression on the monk’s face was one of shock.

“Who are you!”

Hearing such words from the man who had called him out and attacked him first, Yu-jin felt a sense of utter disbelief.

Yu-jin looked at the exotic monk and spoke.

“Didn’t you come looking for me because you knew who I was?”

“You’re Kang Yu-jin?! Don’t make me laugh! You expect me to believe that at your young age, you’ve reached the same realm as me?!”

The exotic monk, Pian, shouted with a face of disbelief. Reaching the Transformation Realm at the age of twenty-five was already an incredible feat, enough to rewrite the history of the martial world.

But to reach the Profound Realm—a state that could be considered godlike in some respects—at twenty-five?

Not even a storyteller would spin such an unrealistic tale. Yet, when that impossible story became reality, even Pian, who had accumulated vast experience traveling between India and the Central Plains, couldn’t help but be astonished.

“I cannot let you live!”

Pian shouted as he looked at Yu-jin. But at his words, Yu-jin just let out a smirk.

“You came here to kill me from the start. It’s ridiculous how you’re acting like you just made the decision now.”

Yu-jin’s words made Pian’s face twist in anger. But he couldn’t make a move. In that instant, a tyrannical aura had erupted explosively from Yu-jin’s body.

Seeing this, Pian, who considered himself the best, contorted his face even more. The energy emanating from Yu-jin’s body was of a foreign nature he had never encountered before.

‘No matter how foreign it is, it cannot defeat me.’

Pian was a monk who could be called the living history of the Great Thunderclap Temple, having mastered all its sword arts, palm arts, and movement techniques. Because of that pride, he didn’t doubt for a moment that he would lose to Yu-jin.

And because of the difference in the years they had spent in the Profound Realm, he thought Yu-jin would be slightly inferior to him.

As Pian gripped his sword tightly, a vivid blue light shimmered over the blade. His Mind Sword: Heavenly Thunder, had been unleashed. This art was the culmination of the Great Thunderclap Temple’s sword techniques.

“Die!”

The Heavenly Thunder imbued in the sword detached from the blade and flew towards Yu-jin. It wasn’t just a simple Mind Sword, but one combined with the principles of Sword Control. This alone showed the profound depth of Pian’s mastery of the sword.

The sword, looking as if it could completely annihilate the forest, shot towards Yu-jin, radiating a vibrant blue light.

“You are a worthy opponent for my martial arts.”

Through his battles with Bukri Hwan, the absolute master of the Northern Sea, and Hwa Un-wol, the greatest female master of the Central Plains, Yu-jin had perfectly awakened his martial arts. And through the previous ambushes, he had completely mastered even the techniques he hadn’t used properly before. It meant he had drawn closer to being a perfect, flawless existence.

But Pian looked at Yu-jin with a baffled expression and shouted loudly.

“You will die with this single move!”

The vivid blue light became a massive bolt of lightning that struck Yu-jin, forming a large crater in the ground. It was a powerful attack that could truly be called a bolt from the heavens.

But Pian frowned. He had felt his attack shatter and scatter in all directions. And then he saw it: Yu-jin’s figure emerging from the cloud of dust.

“What… is that…”

Pian muttered to himself unconsciously. Thirteen wings were protecting Yu-jin’s body. They were the Wings of Light, an art that could be used upon reaching the pinnacle of the Golden Wheel Heavenly Aura. Their original color was a brilliant gold, but the wings Yu-jin now unfurled were a color close to dark violet.

However, it was the power forming the wings, more so than their shape, that bewildered Pian.

‘This is a power that cannot exist in this world.’

A power more tyrannical than demonic arts and purer than righteous arts. That was the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Energy that Yu-jin had obtained.

Pian decided not to underestimate Yu-jin any longer. Yu-jin was a monster on par with the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven, whom he had considered his lifelong rival.

The same kind of monster who could take a direct hit from his Mind Sword and emerge without a single scratch.

“Yes, you are a worthy opponent. I will kill you, and then I will kill the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven.”

“We’ll see. Only the outcome will tell who dies.”

Yu-jin replied with a smirk at Pian’s words. It was a ridiculous situation where both men declared the other a test for themselves. But as with all battles, there could be only one victor.

***

A torrent of blue lightning unleashed by Pian surged towards Yu-jin. But Yu-jin protected himself with his newly awakened Wings of Light.

*Kwakwakwang!*

The torrent of lightning exploded against Yu-jin’s wings. But even that immense power could not pierce the Wings of Light protecting him.

Forged from the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Energy, which unified all powers into one, the Wings of Light were harder than an iron fortress.

But Pian did not panic. He rushed towards Yu-jin and swung his sword down. He had the goal of shattering the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven’s Heavenly Light Body Protection. He could not afford to be unable to break through a mere defense like Yu-jin’s.

“Let’s see how long you can hide in there!”

Shouting this, Pian swung his sword fiercely, and dozens of streaks of heavenly lightning struck Yu-jin.

In truth, the Heavenly Thunder Wall Palm that the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven had learned was merely a modification of the Great Thunderclap Temple’s martial arts.

The Great Dharma Master’s martial talent was heavenly, allowing him to create techniques far more profound than the original, but the power of lightning from the Great Thunderclap Temple was truly ferocious.

“But it’s useless against me.”

The Wings of Light protecting Yu-jin formed a hemisphere, and though lightning exploded upon it, it was instantly extinguished.

Pian frowned but was by no means flustered. After all, he had not yet revealed his full power.

Soon, a total of seven more swords formed around Pian. It was an art that applied both the Mind Sword and the Sword Splitting Formation of Sword Control.

“Let’s see just how far that power can protect you! Devour him, heavenly lightning!”

Seven streaks of light fell towards Yu-jin. It was his Heaven-Shattering Thunder technique, created to break the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven’s Heavenly Light Body Protection.

*Kwakwakwakwang!*

An attack of incomparable power. The trees around Yu-jin were all destroyed or melted away, and the ground itself caved in.

It was an attack of such magnitude that it seemed impossible to survive.

When the Wings of Light that had been enveloping Yu-jin’s body finally vanished, Pian smiled.

“As expected, you couldn’t block this attack.”

Seeing his ultimate technique, created to shatter the Great Dharma Master’s Heavenly Light Body Protection, work perfectly, Pian nodded in satisfaction.

Just then, Yu-jin shot up into the air. He stepped continuously on the empty air before landing in front of Pian.

Pian was startled at first, but upon seeing Yu-jin’s condition, he let out a sneer.

“You were lucky.”

Yu-jin’s state was beyond wretched. He had suffered severe burns, his entire body melted away to reveal bone, and his face was unrecognizable. It was no exaggeration to say he looked like a dead man.

But Pian would soon witness it. The greatness of the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Energy.

“What!”

Yu-jin was rapidly returning to his original state. Restored to his former self in the blink of an eye, Yu-jin smiled brightly and spoke.

“As I thought, you were more than capable of being my opponent. But this is where it ends.”

At Yu-jin’s words declaring the end of the fight, Pian roared in fury.

“You bastard! Don’t think you can defeat me with such sorcery!”

Saying so, Pian swiftly swung his sword. A massive bolt of lightning flew to swallow Yu-jin whole.

In that instant, Yu-jin’s figure vanished from the spot. It was a frightening speed, but Pian’s eyes did not lose track of his movement.

“Do you think you can escape from me!”

Pian immediately twisted his body and swung his sword, and a massive bolt of lightning once again flew towards Yu-jin.

But Yu-jin used his Wings of Light to deflect Pian’s attack and immediately swung the wings themselves. The thirteen wings became spears stabbing toward Pian’s entire body, forcing Pian to hastily swing his Mind Sword.

*Bang! Bang!*

However, Pian’s Mind Sword, Heavenly Thunder, could not cut through the reinforced Wings of Light, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face. And in the moment a slight opening appeared in his defense, the Wings of Light struck Pian hard.

*Bang!*

Pian’s body was sent flying backward. But he soon righted himself and stared ahead.

If he had been even a moment late in protecting his body with his protective aura, he would have been torn to pieces.

But surviving wasn’t the end of it. Yu-jin had vanished again. And Pian, having failed to see Yu-jin’s movement, had lost him.

“You cannot defeat me.”

Appearing before Pian faster than an instant, Yu-jin threw a punch wreathed in the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Energy. Pian quickly formed a protective aura condensed with the power of lightning.

But the moment Yu-jin’s Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Energy touched Pian’s lightning energy, the lightning energy vanished instantly. The absorbing energy from the Absorbing Arts contained within the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Energy had sucked it all away.

“This is impossible…”

The astonished Pian raised both arms, but it was too late. He was struck squarely by Yu-jin’s fist and sent flying.

But, befitting an absolute master, Pian quickly got back on his feet. However, blood trickled endlessly from the corner of his mouth, indicating a severe internal injury.

“Are you… that… man called the Heavenly Demon?”

Pian had only heard stories about the Heavenly Demon; he had never met him. But the descriptions he had heard of the Heavenly Demon were very similar to Yu-jin.

“The Heavenly Demon is the Heavenly Demon, and I am me.”

“I see… so… there are… two… of you…?”