Chapter 192 – The Last Wraith (1)

Yu-jin and the Heavenly Demon looked at each other. At a glance, the outcome of their battle was unclear.

Yu-jin’s hand, which had pierced the Heavenly Demon’s chest and destroyed his heart, had already withdrawn from his body. The complexions of both men were utterly serene.

The members of the Demonic Cult and the warriors of the Central Plains martial world watched Yu-jin and the Heavenly Demon with anxious faces, their gazes shifting back and forth.

But Yu-jin and the Heavenly Demon ignored the stares of the people below.

The Heavenly Demon’s fist was extended, frozen in the act of striking Yu-jin. And his eyes still blazed with fighting spirit.

At first glance, he looked as if he could still fight, but Yu-jin knew better. He knew that the Heavenly Demon was in no condition to fight any longer.

No, it was beyond being unable to fight; the Heavenly Demon’s breath had already stopped. The immortal demon who had reigned as the worst and strongest warrior in the Central Plains and beyond for hundreds of years had finally found eternal rest.

“Even though the divine demonic energy has destroyed your body from within, you can still maintain your physical form. That is so like you. If I hadn’t accepted your demonic energy, I would have been the one to meet my end.”

Gack!

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu-jin coughed up a mouthful of black blood. He may have killed the Heavenly Demon, but his own body was in shambles.

He had accepted the jet-black demonic energy to kill the Heavenly Demon, and that same energy was still destroying his body from the inside.

With no divine demonic energy left to block the jet-black demonic energy, Yu-jin was utterly helpless against it. Yet, even as he faced death, Yu-jin was smiling.

“You will forever be remembered in the history of the martial world as its strongest warrior, Heavenly Demon. Leave what you sought to protect to me. I will protect it in your stead. So, Heavenly Demon, may you close your eyes in peace.”

Yu-jin spoke to his rival, whom he would never meet again.

Ssshhhhaaa…

The moment Yu-jin’s words ended, the Heavenly Demon’s body began to turn to ash and slowly fade away. The ash swirled around Yu-jin’s body. And finally, the Heavenly Demon’s form vanished completely.

“Woooooaaaaah!”

With the disappearance of the Heavenly Demon, the greatest enemy who had threatened the Central Plains martial world countless times, all the warriors of the Central Plains roared in celebration.

It was a natural reaction, for the one who had been the very personification of fear for hundreds of years was gone.

In contrast, the members of the Demonic Cult stared at Yu-jin with vacant eyes, consumed by despair. There were no leaders left to command them.

The four Vice-Lords had lost their lives one after another, and now even their spiritual pillar, the Heavenly Demon, was dead. Their god, who had seemed eternally invincible, was gone.

As the Central Plains warriors looked upon the cultists, a murderous intent gradually rose in their eyes.

They had lost countless family members, friends, and comrades to the cultists. Their rage was immense, and upon realizing they now completely dominated the battlefield, their fury and bloodlust reached a crescendo.

However, they were unable to unleash that rage.

“The war is over!”

As Yu-jin’s voice spread in all directions, both the cultists and the warriors turned to look at him. Yu-jin looked down upon them and shouted again.

“The war is over! I will not permit any further slaughter of the enemy. Any more death is meaningless. If there is anyone who dares to defy my words!”

Kra-ka-koom!

Blue lightning began to strike from the clear sky. It was a phenomenon born from the resonance between Yu-jin’s emotions and the heavens. Witnessing this impossible event, the cultists who had braced for annihilation and the Central Plains warriors drunk on the joy of victory could only stare at Yu-jin with dumbfounded eyes.

Yu-jin was a warrior who existed in a heaven above the heavens. No, at this point, it would not be wrong to call him a god.

The fight between the Heavenly Demon and Yu-jin had been a battle of gods, and now that he had defeated the Heavenly Demon, it was no exaggeration to call Yu-jin the one true god.

In the end, the Demonic Cult members and the Central Plains warriors lowered their weapons. Yu-jin descended from the sky and selected warriors he could trust.

Under the watch of these handpicked warriors, the members of the Demonic Cult returned to their homeland.

* * *

After confirming that all the Demonic Cult members had departed, Yu-jin did not return to the True Dragon Sword Clan. Instead, he went to the Martial Alliance headquarters.

By the time he had sent the cultists away, Yu-jin’s face had grown deathly pale, and he could barely stand. He was, in every sense, on the verge of death.

Yu-jin formed a barrier within the Martial Alliance that no one could enter and wearily lay down inside it.

This entire process was conducted in secret, as he could not let anyone see his condition.

“Master…”

“Yu-jin…”

The six women who had followed Yu-jin with all their hearts—Ran, Eun Seol-rin, Na Ye-jin, Bukri Eun, Han So-un, and Hwa Un-wol—gazed at him with sorrowful eyes.

They knew instinctively. They knew that Yu-jin truly did not have much time left.

At this point, it wouldn’t be strange if Yu-jin died at any moment. His entire body was torn to shreds, blood seeping out continuously. Even when regeneration mended his wounds, the healed flesh would just tear open again.

“Don’t all look so sad. I’ve lived a life with no regrets.”

Even as he was dying, Yu-jin spoke in a cheerful tone. Just from his voice, one would never think he was a man on his deathbed.

But this side of Yu-jin was all the more heart-wrenching for the women. They knew he was trying not to worry them.

The women took turns placing their lips on Yu-jin’s, a kiss filled with all their feelings. It was the only thing they could do for him.

As if calmed by their kisses, Yu-jin closed his eyes peacefully. Judging by his breathing, he was not dead yet.

Flinch!

Hwa Un-wol, who had been watching the sleeping Yu-jin with pity, trembled as she sensed an presence outside the barrier. The other women, sensing it as well, looked at one another.

‘I’ll leave Yu-jin to you.’

After conveying this message to the others via telepathy, Hwa Un-wol gripped her sword and went outside. The remaining women held Yu-jin tightly, trying to feel his presence.

* * *

“Kuaaargh!”

A warrior guarding the barrier outside screamed and collapsed. He was a man handpicked by Yu-jin, but he was powerless before the attacker.

And for good reason. The attacker was Kang Yong-hoon, an absolute master who had reached the Profound Realm.

Kang Yong-hoon ignored the fallen warrior and took a step forward.

“Even if you are the Second Young Master, we cannot forgive this!”

Eleven swordsmen guarding the barrier pointed their swords at Kang Yong-hoon and spoke. Each one was a skilled swordsman, capable of wielding sword energy.

But Kang Yong-hoon simply smiled at them, unfazed.

“A concerned younger brother wishes to see his ailing older brother. For what reason do you block my path? Do you wish to lose your lives for the crime of disobeying your superior’s orders?”

“The Second Young Master is not our superior. The only one who can give us orders is the Clan Head. We will not follow the words of anyone else.”

At the swordsmen’s words, Kang Yong-hoon nodded lightly and aimed his sword at the eleven men. Instantly, they froze as if caught in a spider’s web, completely unable to move. Then, as Yong-hoon lightly swung his sword through the air,

Shhhlick!

The heads of all eleven swordsmen were severed from their bodies, flying into the air as crimson blood erupted, staining the ground. Paradoxically, despite standing on the blood-soaked earth, Kang Yong-hoon remained impeccably clean.

“If you had just opened the way, you could have at least kept your lives. You were bound to become my men soon anyway.”

Kang Yong-hoon grumbled lightly and was about to enter the barrier. But he was stopped. The barrier opened, and a master exuding a fearsome aura emerged. It was someone Kang Yong-hoon knew well.

“I never expected the Sword Empress to emerge from there. To think the noble Queen of Swords has become my brother’s woman. Many in the martial world would be surprised to learn of this. Have you already offered him your body?”

The Sword Empress did not even flinch at Kang Yong-hoon’s venomous words. She merely glared at him with cold eyes.

“Who are you?”

“My, my, how could the noble Sword Empress possibly know a nameless nobody like me? My name is Kang Yong-hoon. I am the younger brother of Kang Yu-jin, the Head of the True Dragon Sword Clan.”

“Stop lying.”

As Kang Yong-hoon spoke with an unpleasant smile, the Sword Empress’s aura intensified as she retorted.

She had lived in the True Dragon Sword Clan for some time. It was impossible for her not to know Kang Yong-hoon, yet she spoke as if she didn’t.

But the Sword Empress was certain. The Kang Yong-hoon before her was Kang Yong-hoon in appearance only; the being inside was entirely different. Some other entity had taken over Kang Yong-hoon’s body.

“As expected of the Sword Empress.”

Realizing that his deception would no longer work, Kang Yong-hoon smiled brightly.

Even as Kang Yong-hoon spoke as if he truly wasn’t himself, the Sword Empress did not panic, staring at him with a composed expression.

Most would have lost their lives under her murderous gaze, but unfortunately, Kang Yong-hoon was not most people. He was an absolute master who harbored the worst of all wraiths.

“It has been a long time, Sword Empress. Though I never expected to meet you like this.”

Kang Yong-hoon spoke as if he had known the Sword Empress for a long time. At this, even the great Sword Empress could not hide her bewilderment. Seeing her reaction, Kang Yong-hoon smirked and revealed his own identity.

“Well, now that it’s clear I’m not Yong-hoon, I suppose there’s no need to hide it. I am Kang Yu-hyeon, Sword Empress.”

The Divine Sword Emperor, Kang Yu-hyeon. The former Head of the True Dragon Sword Clan.

But his true identity was Kang Myeong-un, the founder of the True Dragon Sword Clan, an absolute master who had lived for hundreds of years using the faces and names of his descendants until Yu-jin became the Clan Head.

The Sword Empress, who knew full well that he had been killed by Yu-jin, stared at the man calling himself Kang Yu-hyeon with a bewildered expression.

“But you should be dead…?”

Kang Yu-hyeon, who had clearly died at Yu-jin’s hands, was standing there perfectly fine. Moreover, he had fully recovered his original martial prowess. And he was even wearing the shell of Kang Yong-hoon.

“Ah, I did die once, of course. But as luck would have it, before my soul was completely absorbed by Yu-jin, I was able to place a fragment of it into my favorite sword from when I was alive. However, having already lost my body and with my soul having taken a tremendous blow, I could do nothing. It was during that time of frustration that Yong-hoon picked up my sword. Because of that, I was able to enter Yong-hoon’s body.”

“You stole your son’s body again? Did you have to commit such an evil act even after dying once?”

As Kang Yu-hyeon spoke so brazenly, the Sword Empress couldn’t help but ask. But Kang Yu-hyeon was still smiling as if nothing was wrong.

“It was a body born because of me anyway. What’s the problem with a parent taking back such a body? Besides, accepting me was entirely this child’s will. Despairing over a brother he felt he could never surpass, he accepted me, vowing to defeat Yu-jin. However, his will was quite strong, so it took a considerable amount of time to completely seize his body. If not for the battle between the Heavenly Demon and Yu-jin, it would have taken even longer to take control.”