Chapter 95
In the Heavenly Demon Cult, regardless of status, there are two keywords that make them see red.
Namely, Heretic and Heavenly Demon.
Heretics are literally traitors, they throw a fit at the mere mention of the word, so they must be eliminated unconditionally, and the Heavenly Demon is…
‘Because it’s sacred.’
…Too sacred.
Since they dare not speak that sacred title, if anyone mentions the Heavenly Demon, the commoners lose their minds.
But from their perspective, I am a Heretic. Not only am I a Heretic, but I also just cursed the Heavenly Demon.
So what happens then? The result was right before my eyes.
“I will kill youuuuu-!!”
The Blood Demon Corpse King, currently surrounded by a massive amount of Demonic Qi, was charging at me in a frenzy.
‘It’s been a while since I saw this.’
It was Demonic Transformation.
The last time I saw it was when I faced that Demonic Cult Spy bastard who had infiltrated the Shanxi Yu Family.
However, the Demonic Transformation of that mere believer and the Blood Demon Corpse King, an elder of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s Main Headquarters, were on completely different levels, beyond comparison.
It was Demonic Qi that seemed to condense all the hostility and malice in this world into one. Under its influence, the Blood Demon Corpse King’s body bulged and deformed, coming to resemble an Asura.
-Uuuugh-!
Every time the Blood Demon Corpse King drew closer, the Imugi curled its body as if in pain. Since it was a creature sensitive to energy, it seemed to suffer even more from the evil Demonic Qi radiating mercilessly into the surroundings.
I could understand the Imugi’s weakness because I was suffering too.
Standing against the Demonic-transformed Blood Demon Corpse King with a Saber in hand…, I continued to stare straight ahead without turning my back…
It was an incredibly agonizing task. I felt the urge to run away that very instant.
But…
Kiiing-.
…The moment I circulated my energy and countless familiar grains of Gang formed on my Saber, I felt relieved.
Miji Pageom (Unknown Sword-Breaking).
I used this to remove the Poisonous Qi of the Sichuan Tang Family’s Grand Elder and the Haomun Leader. I also used it to block formless attacks.
But that was wrong.
Miji Pageom (Unknown Sword-Breaking) is not a Martial Art created for such uses.
It is not for cutting away poison. It is not for cutting away Formless Energy.
The reason Miji Pageom (Unknown Sword-Breaking) was created is for this very moment…
RUMBLE-!!
…To cut away that terrible Demonic Qi.
“You bastard-!!!!”
CRACK-!
From the hands of the Blood Demon Corpse King, who had reached me before I knew it, nails resembling those of a mythical monstrous bird sprouted.
It was a gruesome thing created by combining the Blood Demon Corpse King’s Blood Art and the Demonic Qi that had been further amplified through Demonic Transformation.
The Blood Claw, which looked like it could cut through anything in this world, rushed toward my neck.
It was a more dizzying situation than ever before, but… my preparations were also complete.
“…Divine Art, Miji Pageom (Unknown Sword-Breaking).”
KWA-A-A-A-!!
Countless fragmented pieces of Gang dyed the Saber black. It was black just like the Demonic Qi, but compared to the overly evil and deep black of the Demonic Qi, the black on my Saber looked like it would shatter upon impact.
However…
CLANG-!!
…The Blood Demon Corpse King’s nails actually shattered like glass as soon as they touched my Saber.
The infinitely small but harder-than-anything grains of Gang bravely charged at the evil Demonic Qi and literally smashed it to pieces.
“…!”
At this, the Blood Demon Corpse King’s surprised expression caught my eye.
Of course.
What I was demonstrating then was similar to what they knew, but different.
What I am wielding right now… was created solely to kill these bastards.
CHWAAAK-!!
No longer protected by Demonic Qi, the Blood Demon Corpse King’s body was sliced away by my Saber as easily as cutting tofu.
Having first smashed the Blood Claw, I moved past his left hand, cut his arm, and advanced toward his heart.
If it had been a duel with an ordinary Martial Artist, the match would have been decided around here.
Because the pain of having one’s left hand and arm sliced off is hard to bear, no matter how much of an Absolute Master one is. One would lose one’s balance and concentration, suffer a finishing blow, and it would be over.
But the Blood Demon Corpse King was already in a state of Demonic Transformation.
There was no way mere pain would interfere with his faith.
PAAAT-!
Unable to use his severed left hand, a Staff Aura formed on the staff held in his right hand.
‘Damn it.’
It was the flaw of Miji Pageom (Unknown Sword-Breaking).
Maintaining the already hard Gang, divided into countless pieces, required a high level of concentration, so I couldn’t use other Martial Arts while casting Miji Pageom (Unknown Sword-Breaking).
Normally, I would have used fist and leg techniques to block it, but I didn’t have the leeway for that then.
If that Staff Aura pierced my Temple, I would be the one to fall instead.
But…
-Aang-!!
…As if sensing this problem, the Imugi immediately approached and bit the Blood Demon Corpse King’s right hand, staff and all.
CRACK-CRACK-!
Of course, no matter how strong the Imugi’s teeth were, they were no match for Demonic Qi, so the sound of the Imugi’s teeth breaking like shattering rocks could be heard, but… it was at least enough to buy time.
“Iyaaaaa-!!”
Taking advantage of that opening, I pushed my Saber deeper into the Blood Demon Corpse King’s body.
The destination was his heart.
“You heretic bastard!!”
But the Blood Demon Corpse King’s resistance was too fierce, so it wasn’t easy.
CRACK-!!
-Ugh-!
“…!”
At that moment, I heard the Imugi’s groan next to me. I also saw the Imugi’s teeth breaking and scattering in all directions.
‘Damn it.’
I had to end this exchange as quickly as possible.
There were no dentures or implants in this world, and I couldn’t let the Imugi live without teeth for the rest of its life!
CHWAAAK-!
Therefore, I changed the path of my Saber from his heart toward the Blood Demon Corpse King’s neck. The neck was also a vital spot that would cause death if cut, and it was closer to my Saber than his heart.
SLASH-! SLASH-!
As I changed direction, my Saber completely sliced off the Blood Demon Corpse King’s left hand and then continued to slice through his shoulder.
And the moment the Saber touched his neck…
“Aaaaaaaah-!!”
…The Blood Demon Corpse King gathered his energy and released it explosively from his body, as if it were his final struggle.
As a result, the Imugi and I were pushed back by the shockwave and fell over.
But…
SLASH-!!!
…I had already felt the familiar sensation from my Saber in my hands.
The sensation of death that an ordinary human could never endure.
* * *
“Uuuugh…”
“Hey, Yongyong!”
As soon as I was blown back by the shockwave, I immediately got up and ran toward Yongyong.
Yongyong’s body had returned to its human form. I lifted the guy lying on the ground and checked inside his mouth first.
“Say ah~! Ah!”
“Aah~…”
Fortunately, Yongyong didn’t seem seriously injured, as he quickly opened his mouth.
And…
“Oh my.”
…I could see that Yongyong’s teeth, which used to be sharp like a shark’s, were all ground down and blunt.
It wasn’t a life-threatening injury, but to someone from the Modern era, it was incredibly pitiful to see his teeth completely ruined.
When I clicked my tongue at this, Yongyong smiled as if to say he was fine.
“…What are we going to do about this?”
“…It’s fine. It’ll get better after I eat some meat.”
…Teeth are made of protein, you know. As if eating meat would heal them.
No, could he even chew meat properly with these teeth in the first place…?
I was worried, but I couldn’t say such negative things in this situation, so I nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll give you lots of meat.”
“…Hehe. Ah, but that guy…!”
Yongyong raised his head as if he had just remembered the Blood Demon Corpse King. I laid Yongyong back down on the ground.
“He’s probably dead. You stay here. I’ll go check.”
“…Only my teeth hurt. I’m fine everywhere else. Let’s go together.”
“Alright, then.”
So we got up together and went to where the Blood Demon Corpse King was.
He was lying on the ground, and even from a distance, he didn’t look human; he was a mess.
I had sliced his neck, blowing away the left side of the Blood Demon Corpse King’s face entirely. If the Blood Demon Corpse King were human, there would be no way he could survive.
However…
“Look. He’s already dead…”
Twitch.
“He’s moving…?”
“…What?”
…Following the Imugi’s gesture, I saw that the Blood Demon Corpse King was indeed moving his body, even if just a little.
‘Is it Rigor Mortis…?’
I soon had to retract that thought.
A corpse couldn’t possibly raise its body just from Rigor Mortis.
Furthermore, a muttering voice could be heard from the Blood Demon Corpse King.
“…Divine Cult Undefeated, Demonic Heaven Under Heaven.”
“…How is that crazy bastard still alive?”
“Divine Cult Undefeated, Demonic Heaven Under Heaven.”
Swish-.
As his face subsequently lifted, I could grasp the situation. Humans die if they lose a lot of blood. That’s the same for anyone.
But the Blood Demon Corpse King was someone who could control blood. He could even gather the blood that had already spilled on the ground and control it to flow through his body.
In reality, the skin and bones of the Blood Demon Corpse King’s face, arm, and shoulder had fallen off, but…
‘Disgusting! Fuck!’
…His blood was floating, connected to the Blood Demon Corpse King’s other blood vessels.
“Divine Cult Undefeated, Under Heaven Demonic Heaven…”
“…”
“…”
The Imugi and I stared blankly at the Blood Demon Corpse King reciting the Demonic Cult’s mantra in that horrific state before snapping back to our senses.
Step-.
Even if he were somehow alive, he wasn’t in a complete state. Just a light swing would be enough to end the Blood Demon Corpse King’s life.
Shing-.
I drew my Saber and approached him.
Even as I approached, the Blood Demon Corpse King was muttering the mantra and doing something while lying face down on the ground.
And the moment I got close to him…!
“Heretic.”
“…Uh, keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll do what I’m doing too.”
…Deeply focused on what he was doing, he spoke without meeting my eyes.
“I know your Sect. Foolish ones. Your long-cherished wish will never be fulfilled. No matter how much you bastards struggle, you will not be able to cut the heavens.”
“Thanks for the advice. I might not be able to cut the heavens, but I can cut your neck, so I’ll cut it for you right now.”
Saying so, I raised my Saber high.
But the Blood Demon Corpse King’s words kept bothering me.
“No, you won’t even be able to cut my neck right now. Because the heavens… - if not the heavens of the current generation, the heavens of the previous generation - will protect me…”
“What is that… wait a minute… you’re doing this…!”
And…, at that moment, I realized he was lying face down on the ground drawing a formation with blood.
I didn’t know what this was. However, if it was something he drew while dying, it definitely wouldn’t be meaningless.
“This son of a bitch wasn’t dying peacefully; he was playing tricks!”
Without wasting any time, I immediately aimed my Saber at the Blood Demon Corpse King’s neck.
And along with the Blood Demon Corpse King’s final cry…
“Heavens of the previous generation! Please look after me!!”
CLAAANG-!!!
…A sharp crashing sound echoed widely across the dark mountain.
* * *
“…”
In conclusion, I failed to cut the Blood Demon Corpse King’s neck.
It was because there was something blocking my Saber. The Blood Demon Corpse King didn’t block it himself.
What blocked my attack was…
THUD-!
…The ground.
Something that suddenly rose from the ground completely blocked my Saber.
As I looked down at this, a hand with dark, dull skin emerged from the ground, holding a greatsword more than half my height in one hand, and blocked my Saber.
“…!”
TAP-!
Feeling something unusual from that hand, I immediately pulled my body back.
Then…
Wiggle, PAAAT-!
…The ground shook, and a human figure rose from the ground.
Rustle-.
“…”
“…”
Naturally, what rose from the ground was not a person.
Dark, rotting skin, worn-out clothes, unfocused eyes.
It was a jiangshi.
Yes, a jiangshi.
This was one of the jiangshis I had killed so far.
But why…
Why, why…
Tremble.
…Was my body trembling?
The face of the jiangshi standing in front of me right now was definitely one I’d never seen before. He was a middle-aged man with an emotionless expression and an impressively large scar on his face.
But the arrogance inherently contained in his attitude…, that gaze that seemed to be looking at an ant…, that atmosphere, that energy…
‘…It’s familiar.’
…It was somewhat familiar.
And I could understand the reason from the Blood Demon Corpse King’s next words.
The Blood Demon Corpse King crumpled his face as if he were about to shed tears upon seeing the jiangshi that rose from the ground, and then immediately bowed at its feet and cried out desperately.
“It has been a long time since I saw the heavens of the previous generation…!!”
“…”
The heavens of the previous generation.
In other words…
The Former Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
It meant the jiangshi in front of me was the Former Heavenly Demon.
“…Haha.”
It wasn’t a situation to laugh at all, but a laugh came out.
And rightfully so, what kind of crazy people would turn their dead Cult Leader into a jiangshi?
They threw a fucking fit at me about being a heretic or whatever…
‘While he was committing Desecration of the Deceased himself.’
If the dead Heavenly Demon’s soul knew his dead body had become like this, he would cry in the underworld.
Tremble.
I tried to control my trembling hands and asked the Blood Demon Corpse King, pretending to be calm.
“…You did this with permission, right? This is almost on the level of Deceiving Master and Destroying Ancestors, isn’t it?”
If turning an Ancestor’s corpse into a jiangshi and desecrating it wasn’t Deceiving Master and Destroying Ancestors, then what on earth would be?
But the Blood Demon Corpse King must have been offended by my words, as he let out a roar.
“Silence! Of course, it is something permitted by the heavens of the current generation! And Deceiving Master and Destroying Ancestors? This is not Deceiving Master and Destroying Ancestors, but…”
And from his next words…
“…It is the greatest mourning I can offer.”
“…”
…I realized once again that the Demonic Cult was full of crazy bastards.
Swish-.
In that moment, while I was dumbfounded, the Former Heavenly Demon moved, as if the Blood Demon Corpse King had started controlling him.
“Former Heavenly Demon! Please eliminate the Heretic in front of you!”
“…”
…At this, I also raised my Saber.
Since the Former Heavenly Demon was currently a jiangshi, he naturally couldn’t say anything, but somehow it felt like he was whispering to me with his eyes.
I wanted to do my best. If I had any hidden tricks, I would bring them all out.
Otherwise, you…
Will die.
“Haa…”
It felt unfair to suddenly have to face a Master-level figure.
“You and I don’t match in generation, you know.”
…I had to quickly enter a response.
The dead do not speak, but…
TAP-!
CHWAAAK-!!
…He swung his Sword.