Chapter 40 – A Fateful Encounter (4)

Yu-jin unleashed the Black Heaven Divine Palm from the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts. The ink-black palm energy he fired collided with the Heavenly Demon’s pitch-black palm energy, triggering a massive explosion.

*Boom!*

The ground gave way under the immense force, collapsing completely. At the point of impact, the lifeless creatures were incinerated, vanishing into ash.

The two palm energies clashed for a moment, then nullified each other and vanished completely.

The Heavenly Demon launched another wave of palm energy at Yu-jin.

The palm energy, a condensed mass of deathly aura, aimed for Yu-jin—a sight so terrifying that all the women who cared for him instinctively shut their eyes.

“It won’t work.”

He once again unleashed the Black Heaven Divine Palm, blocking the Nether Jade Divine Palm.

*RUMBLE!*

A deafening roar shook the area. The Heavenly Demon’s Nether Jade Divine Palm, which had claimed countless lives, was completely neutralized by Yu-jin.

Having parried the Heavenly Demon’s attacks twice, Yu-jin seized the opportunity and immediately unleashed a wide expanse of the Green Phosphorus Poison Flame, a fire that would not extinguish until its target was completely incinerated.

“Burn!”

Shouting, Yu-jin clenched his fist. The spreading, dark-green flames instantly engulfed the Heavenly Demon, who was shrouded in darkness.

*ROOOOAR!*

“Is he dead? The Heavenly Demon!”

Dokgo Jun, sensing the immense power of Yu-jin’s flames with a warrior’s instinct, couldn’t help but cry out.

The warriors of the Cheonsan Lee Clan and the young men of the Eight Dragons stared blankly at Yu-jin. But Yu-jin himself frowned and muttered a curse.

“Damn it.”

From within the dark-green fire, a crimson flame erupted. The crimson flame pushed back Yu-jin’s Green Phosphorus Poison Flame, and both dissipated into the air.

“Dark Devouring Flame…”

The Dark Devouring Flame, a demonic fire that greedily consumes all things. The Heavenly Demon had summoned it to shield himself from within Yu-jin’s Green Phosphorus Poison Flame.

But as the Heavenly Demon slowly reappeared, his face was etched with confusion. There was something he could not comprehend.

“How curious. Your martial arts are remarkably similar to my Nine Nights Demonic Arts.”

Yu-jin flinched involuntarily at those words. The truth was, his Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts had been created based on the Heavenly Demon’s Nine Nights Demonic Arts, so the similarity was inevitable.

No matter how he combined the thousand martial arts of the Martial Progenitor, none could surpass the Heavenly Demon’s. In the end, Yu-jin had simply created a martial art similar to the Heavenly Demon’s.

Of course, the Nine Nights Demonic Arts lacked any ‘practically’ useful techniques like the Yin-Yang Lust Arts.

‘Still, I thought I would overwhelm him, yet we’re merely on equal footing?’

The master of the Demon of Demons who defied the heavens was truly fearsome.

“I suppose you could say that. But in that case, how about this?”

With those words, Yu-jin executed the Flying Heaven Dance of the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts, soaring into the sky toward the Heavenly Demon. His speed was so immense that he left no shadow behind.

In a mere instant, Yu-jin reached the Heavenly Demon and swung his sword. The Dark Devouring Flame and the shadows protecting the Heavenly Demon’s body were rendered meaningless before his blade.

*BOOM!*

A massive explosion erupted, sending Yu-jin reeling back through the air. Yet, despite being caught in the blast, he was unscathed. Landing on the ground, he gazed at the Heavenly Demon, who had now fully revealed his true form.

“Indeed! Such power is worthy of one I have acknowledged. Then I shall face you in earnest!”

The Heavenly Demon’s figure multiplied into nine in mid-air, and the apparitions unleashed a variety of demonic arts upon Yu-jin. But such an assault was not enough to faze him.

“If this is you fighting in earnest, I am disappointed!”

Each time the ink-black light of his sword flashed, the demonic arts unleashed by the Heavenly Demon vanished. Yu-jin was proving himself an equal to the Heavenly Demon.

“So, miscellaneous arts will not suffice? My kin, then try and stop this!”

With his cry, all the surrounding darkness gathered and condensed in the Heavenly Demon’s hand. Soon, he formed the Demonic Lord, a sword made of pure darkness.

Unlike the other Twelve Treasures, which were forged from unknown metals, the Demonic Lord was the only one formed from pure demonic energy.

An ordinary human would be unable to withstand the demonic energy of the sword itself, either driven to madness or killed instantly. But the Heavenly Demon commanded the Demonic Lord with natural ease.

‘Here it comes! The Heavenly Demon’s ultimate sword art, the Asura’s Heaven-Annihilating Sword!’

With a tense expression, Yu-jin drew his Ink Dragon Sword and gathered the power of the Profound Heaven Ink Phosphorus Sword.

And so, the two gathered their strength for a final, decisive blow.

*VMMMMMMMM!*

A pitch-black gale groaned as vast demonic energy poured endlessly from the Demonic Lord. The gale spun relentlessly until its power was completely compressed.

The Heavenly Demon swung the Demonic Lord at Yu-jin. The heavens screamed, and the earth trembled.

It was a strike even more powerful than the one he had shown the Hegemon Heaven Saber Emperor, Lee Hwan. A darkness more terrifying and profound than any attack seen before surged toward Yu-jin like a black tide.

*CRASH! RUMBLE! BOOM!*

‘Is the world ending?’

The onlookers could not help but think so.

A tremor that felt as if the world itself was twisting. The black wave distorted space, blasting everything nearby into the void. The Heavenly Demon’s power was literally warping the world—an attack delivered with his full might.

“Aaargh!”

Less-trained warriors died just from the sight of it, their bodies exploding. The Demonic Lord was death incarnate; those of a lesser caliber had no choice but to perish.

The faces of the young Eight Dragons and Five Phoenixes, as well as the renowned masters of the martial world, had turned deathly pale. The Moon Empress and Eun Seol-rin fared slightly better, but even they could not withstand it for long.

‘I was insane. I must have been out of my mind.’

Cursing his past self for creating such a monster, Yu-jin unleashed the true power of the Profound Heaven Ink Phosphorus Sword.

And once again, pitch-black darkness and ink-black darkness clashed in the air.

“Everyone, get back!”

Na Ye-jin had no choice but to scream. The power of both the Profound Heaven Ink Phosphorus Sword and the Asura’s Heaven-Annihilating Sword far surpassed that of any conventional martial art.

Enough to obliterate a mountain peak with ease.

When two such attacks collided, the aftermath was bound to be catastrophic.

At Na Ye-jin’s cry, everyone mustered all their strength, using their lightness techniques to flee for their lives. But one person, Lee Hye-yeon, remained frozen.

“My father and brother are over there!”

The two were still unconscious and couldn’t move. But Na Ye-jin knew Lee Hye-yeon was walking to her death and had no choice but to stop her.

Na Ye-jin rushed to Lee Hye-yeon and pulled her into an embrace.

“No! My father and brother!”

Lee Hye-yeon screamed in despair, but she was no match for Na Ye-jin’s strength and was forcibly dragged away.

It was then that a voice, projected by inner energy, reached the ears of Lee Hye-yeon and Na Ye-jin.

[Do not hesitate! Go!]

This voice projection was an advanced form of sound transmission, a skill only masters of the Transformation Realm or higher could use.

There were few present who had reached a level beyond the Transformation Realm, and two of them were locked in a fierce battle.

To Na Ye-jin, who was unaware of Eun Seol-rin’s presence, there was only one person capable of using such a technique.

“This voice… could it be!”

Lee Hye-yeon was rendered speechless by the familiar voice.

Meanwhile, Na Ye-jin sprinted away at an incredible speed, and a moment later, a massive explosion erupted behind her.

* * *

*BOOOOOOM!*

Blocking the Heavenly Demon’s Asura’s Heaven-Annihilating Sword, Yu-jin felt a shock so powerful it felt as if his entire body was shattering.

‘What kind of insane power is this!’

The power of the Heavenly Demon’s attack was so immense it defied his imagination, and Yu-jin instinctively gritted his teeth.

In contrast, the Heavenly Demon still looked down on Yu-jin from the air with a composed expression.

‘Has the Heavenly Demon’s swordsmanship surpassed that of the Sword God?!’

While most of the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts were based on the Heavenly Demon’s techniques, the Profound Heaven Ink Phosphorus Sword was a complete refinement of the Sword God’s art, enhanced with the knowledge of the Martial Progenitor.

Its power should have exceeded that of the original used by the Sword God. And yet, it could not overcome the Heavenly Demon’s Asura’s Heaven-Annihilating Sword.

*Creeaak!*

The Ink Dragon Sword groaned, and Yu-jin’s arm twisted under the strain. But he soon realized his assessment was wrong.

The inherent power of the techniques was equal. When two such arts clashed, the outcome would be decided by stamina and internal energy. The Heavenly Demon, having lived for centuries, possessed a nearly infinite well of internal energy. Yu-jin did not.

“Kugh!”

A groan escaped Yu-jin’s lips. Blood started to trickle from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

“Graaaah!”

Letting out a great roar that was almost a scream, Yu-jin swung his sword upward, sending the clashing energies of both techniques soaring into the heavens.

“So you will not fall in a single blow? Truly befitting the ‘kin’ I acknowledged. But how many more strikes can you endure?”

The Heavenly Demon swung his sword again. The Asura’s Heaven-Annihilating Sword manifested once more, and a torrent of pitch-black darkness rushed toward Yu-jin.

Not to be outdone, Yu-jin deployed his own technique, but he couldn’t gather enough power in time and was helplessly driven back.

“Kugh!”

Using the Flying Heaven Dance, Yu-jin barely managed to evade. The instant he moved, the pitch-black darkness struck the ground, completely obliterating what was left of the estate.

Yu-jin’s body was drenched in blood and cold sweat, his breathing ragged. Yet, he still stared at the Heavenly Demon with unwavering resolve in his eyes, a sight that pleased the demonic master.

“Excellent.”

Masters below the Transformation Realm would lose their will to fight just by gazing upon him. Before the Heavenly Demon, human fighting spirit was meaningless.

Even the Hegemon Heaven Saber Emperor, Lee Hwan, a master of the Profound Realm, had felt his heart waver when he first faced the Heavenly Demon.

Of course, as befitting a master of his caliber, he had immediately steeled his resolve and cast aside that fear, but the Heavenly Demon was an existence so overwhelming as to shake even a master of the Profound Realm.

But Yu-jin was different. Regardless of his inner turmoil, he never once showed any sign of being broken before the Heavenly Demon.

“However, there is no time to rest, my kin.”

The Heavenly Demon extended a hand toward the sky, and boulders the size of houses began to rise, soaring high into the air. He coated the massive rocks in demonic energy and hurled them at Yu-jin.

Yu-jin gritted his teeth, forced to evade. But the sheer size of the boulders made it impossible to completely dodge the downpour with simple movements.

‘This feels like flying straight into a meteor shower.’

Yu-jin pushed his Flying Heaven Dance to its absolute limit, barely escaping the barrage. But the Heavenly Demon, as if anticipating his every move, had already teleported through the shadows and was waiting for him.

As the Heavenly Demon’s fist plunged toward his face, Yu-jin hastily executed the Black Heaven Hand to block it.

*CRACK!*

‘Kugh!’

His left arm, raised to block the Heavenly Demon’s fist, shattered instantly. But Yu-jin had no time to even register the pain. The Heavenly Demon’s left hand slammed squarely into his chest.