Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 404 – Heavenly Demon (1)

[If Cheong-ryeong wants, shall we rebuild the Heaven-Earth Moon Society?]

[Heaven-Earth Moon Society……]

[Yes, what do you think?]

[Hmph, I refuse.]

[You’re quite resolute.]

[There’s no need to consider this one with such things.]

[Does it seem like consideration?]

[You want to resolve my grudge. There’s no need to go to such lengths for the dead.]

[……Is that really true?]

[……]

[The revival of the Moon Vein. The extinction of the Heaven and Earth Society. Is that the end? Will that fulfill everything Cheong-ryeong desires?]

At Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Cheong-ryeong stared blankly at the red sunset with a strange look in her eyes.

Then she turned her gaze to stare directly at Mok Gyeong-un.

After looking at him like that, Cheong-ryeong opened her mouth.

[……You asked if I have no wishes? Then you fulfill them.]

[Me?]

[Yes.]

[Then, the Moon Vein again……]

[There’s no need to be bound by names. What’s important is the will contained within. And you have inherited the Moon Vein and already surpassed this one.]

[……]

[Long ago, this one wanted to become a great master leading a new world and the founder of a new society.]

Though buried in deep resentment, that was once a wish she had wanted to fulfill.

Cheong-ryeong stood up, her back to the sunset, and said with a radiant smile.

[If you fulfill that, I might be pleased.]

***

[Become a great master who embraces all.]

Cheong-ryeong’s wish.

It was no longer just her wish.

“I proclaim to all.”

A strong voice that resonated like an echo.

The internal energy infused in it was so strong that those with weak inner power covered their ears in pain.

“The Heaven and Earth Society will disappear by my hand, by Heavenly Demon’s, today.”

‘!!!!!!’

Everyone’s faces became shocked.

All the people of the Heaven and Earth Society, who thought the Ritual of the Three Veins would soon take place, were so surprised they almost doubted their own ears.

However, they soon came to their senses.

This was because of the title that shocked them even more than the declaration against the Heaven and Earth Society.

“Heavenly Demon?”

“Did he just say Heavenly Demon?”

The plaza stirred more than ever before.

There was a being who was causing a storm in the martial arts world of the Central Plains with his reputation.

A being who single-handedly destroyed the Shaolin’s One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation with just one step, and subjugated and sealed off the Tang Family of Sichuan, one of the Seven Great Families called a pillar of the Righteous Alliance.

And recently, new rumors had begun to circulate.

The rumor that even the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, called the holy land of swordsmanship, had submitted to this being was spreading quickly.

Although the latter rumor hadn’t spread widely yet, the upper-level sects had vaguely heard of it.

Jonggak, one of the Three Clan Masters who had joined urgently after engaging in a fierce battle at Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s estate, muttered in a trembling voice.

“The Seventh Heaven……”

The Heavenly Demon of the Seven Heavens.

The martial arts world of the Central Plains recognized him as the Seventh Heaven and a great master.

But now, is this person claiming to be that being with such an enormous reputation?

Everyone was stirring, but their expressions showed they couldn’t believe it.

‘Heavenly Demon?’

Even the forces under Mok Gyeong-un, who could be considered allies, were equally surprised by this.

The Shadow Clan Master was no longer surprised by anything since the moment he declared Mok Gyeong-un to be the avatar of the Holy Fire, but it wasn’t the same for Baek Sa-ha, the Annihilating Poison King, and Ho Tae-gang, the Axe-Destroying King, who were among the Five Kings.

From their perspective, they couldn’t help but be surprised by this truth they naturally didn’t know.

‘That child is the Heavenly Demon?’

‘Heavenly Demon? The one who subjugated the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation in one step……’

Not only the Heaven and Earth Society, but even they, who had their own reputation in the martial arts world, couldn’t maintain their composure in the face of the title of Heavenly Demon.

‘Good heavens! Master is that… that Heavenly Demon?’

Even Go Chan, the guard possessing the body of Jang Neung-ak, the second disciple of the Heaven and Earth Society Leader, was so surprised that his mouth gaped open and he couldn’t close it.

He too had heard the rumors, given his position as a disciple of the Society Leader.

‘How can this be……’

He couldn’t help but be more shocked than others.

When they first met, Mok Gyeong-un hadn’t learned any martial arts at all – well, he was extraordinary as a person, but he had no martial arts skills.

He had come to know that Mok Gyeong-un had tremendous talent in martial arts while watching him closely, but even so, how could something like this happen?

‘Half a year…… It’s only been half a year.’

To receive the title of Heaven, considered the pinnacle, after learning martial arts for just half a year.

This must be unprecedented throughout the history of the martial arts world.

Go Chan, who had watched his entire growth process, couldn’t help but be seized by trembling.

At that moment, someone shouted with a voice like a lion’s roar.

“You dare! How dare you point your blade at the Heaven and Earth Society!”

The protagonist of that shout was none other than Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein.

Like everyone else, he had been momentarily shocked into silence by the title of Heavenly Demon, but soon he couldn’t suppress his rising anger along with his doubts.

Whether or not this guy was really the Heavenly Demon, he had bared his hidden fangs towards the Heaven and Earth Society just before the important Ritual of the Three Veins.

This was absolutely unforgivable, regardless of whether he was a descendant of the Moon Vein or not.

-Ching!

Yang Jeong, drawing his treasured sword, the Earth Force Sword, pointed its tip at Mok Gyeong-un and shouted.

“I’ll ask once more. Are you declaring war on our Society now?”

The crowd held their breath as they watched his outcry.

Then Mok Gyeong-un spoke in a dry voice.

“It’s not a declaration of war, but what will happen from now on.”

‘!?’

The atmosphere rapidly chilled at Mok Gyeong-un’s words, which were beyond arrogant and bordered on madness.

Who would have thought he would show such boldness in the heart of the Great Heaven and Earth Society, which divides the martial arts world into three parts, even after learning his identity and being surprised?

-Woong!

A blue sword energy rose from Yang Jeong’s treasured sword, the Earth Force Sword.

Along with it, his revealed aura even caused a pressure of internal energy in the surroundings.

As Yang Jeong revealed his pent-up energy like this, exclamations flowed from here and there.

Even the executives who had predicted to some extent how strong he had become were amazed, as Yang Jeong’s aura seemed to have reached the extreme of the Transformation Realm.

Yang Jeong, who had revealed his true energy, opened his mouth.

“Regardless of your identity, I thought a talent who could revive the glory of the Moon Vein had appeared, but it turns out you were just a shameless bastard. I’ll behead you right here to our Society’s……”

-Chang!

At that moment, sword energies clashed, and a sword cry that seemed to tear apart rang out along with blue sparks.

Yang Jeong looked with a hardened face at someone standing with their back to him in front of him.

It was Young Master Na Yul-ryang.

-Woong!

Holding the sword hilt with both hands and trembling slightly, he looked quite strained.

Yang Jeong unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

If Na Yul-ryang hadn’t intervened midway, he would have been struck while proudly spewing his anger.

-Swish!

Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s two feet were pushed back little by little.

‘Kuk.’

Na Yul-ryang’s expression wasn’t good.

Although he had reached the extreme of the Transformation Realm and learned the Bright Moon Water Step, one of the greatest lightness techniques in history, allowing him to block it hurriedly with super-high-speed movement, he was clearly inferior in terms of internal energy.

He was exerting all his strength holding the sword hilt with both hands, but that Mok Gyeong-un bastard was holding his sword with one hand, his face expressionless as if he wasn’t exerting any particular effort.

The eyes of the Heaven and Earth Society members, who until now had been expressing doubts about whether Mok Gyeong-un was really that rumored Heavenly Demon, widened.

Na Yul-ryang, being pushed back, shouted.

“He’s truly a master of the Profound Realm. We must join forces!”

At this cry, even those under Na Yul-ryang began to recognize the seriousness of the situation.

This was because Na Yul-ryang was emotionless and cold-blooded, but his pride was so strong that it was extremely rare for him to ask for help from someone with his own mouth.

So if someone like him was saying to attack together, just how strong must the opponent be?

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un said with gleaming eyes.

“Your internal energy has increased from before.”

“What?”

-Swish!

As Mok Gyeong-un immediately stretched out his hand, the surprised Na Yul-ryang hurriedly flew his body backward.

-Papak!

Na Yul-ryang, who had retreated more than ten steps in an instant, rubbed his right eye with a distorted expression.

‘When did he take off the eye patch?’

Somehow, the eye patch he had been wearing was now in Mok Gyeong-un’s left hand.

Mok Gyeong-un, who had removed the eye patch, smirked and then threw it, saying.

“You’ve acquired a new eye.”

Mok Gyeong-un could see it clearly.

The vast demonic energy flowing from Na Yul-ryang’s golden pupil, focused to a point, was further activating his physical abilities and even increasing his internal energy.

On the other hand, Na Yul-ryang, looking at Mok Gyeong-un with his right eye where the demonic eye was revealed, felt his breath catch for a moment.

This was because,

‘……Is this bastard suppressing his energy?’

He could feel something ferocious that couldn’t be measured from Mok Gyeong-un, but it was visible that he was suppressing it and not revealing it.

Does that mean even that one sword strike just now was minimizing his strength?

-Sss!

Cold sweat began to form again.

As much as he hated to admit it, this was definitely not an opponent he could face alone.

However, if there was one positive thing, the situation had changed from before.

When they were facing off at the estate, it was an internal fight within the Society, so according to the law of the strong, he could fully accept his defeat as the weaker one, but not now.

Mok Gyeong-un had declared war on the Heaven and Earth Society.

This meant he had truly become an enemy, not just an internal power struggle.

‘I don’t know why Master wanted to give opportunities to other Veins besides his disciples, but in this situation, Master will have no choice but to step in.’

An enemy who had surpassed the Transformation Realm.

If that Mok Gyeong-un bastard was really the Heavenly Demon who had caused such a stir in the world, his opponent should be not himself, but the Society Leader, the absolute master who leads the Heaven and Earth Society.

But for some reason, seeing that there was still no reaction, was he still observing the situation?

Or could it be that he was trying to use this as a test?

‘……’

Na Yul-ryang inwardly clicked his tongue.

He didn’t want to admit it, but if it was the Master he knew, he was certainly capable of doing such a thing.

So he might still be observing the situation.

If so, for now, he should try to defeat that bastard through a joint attack with Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein……

It was at that very moment.

-Swish!

Mok Gyeong-un moved.

Na Yul-ryang, who had been keeping his eyes on him, tried to avoid this by using super-high-speed movement with the Bright Moon Water Step.

However,

-Puk!

“Kkeuk!”

A scream burst from Na Yul-ryang’s mouth as fingers dug into his right eye in an instant.

‘How?’

No, it wasn’t a question of how.

It was because that bastard was much faster than him, so he couldn’t avoid it.

-Chwak!

At that moment, Yang Jeong, the head of the Earth Vein, who had also been keeping his eyes on Mok Gyeong-un, flew in like lightning to try and cut off the left hand that was digging into Na Yul-ryang’s eye.

“Haap!”

However,

-Chang!

Mok Gyeong-un lightly blocked Yang Jeong’s sword by moving his right hand in that position.

Not only that, but after blocking the sword, he immediately performed a sword technique change, twisting the sword’s trajectory and stabbing at Yang Jeong’s brow.

‘Huh?’

-Pat!

Yang Jeong hurriedly stamped the ground and flew his body backward to avoid this, and in that moment, he shot sword energy towards Mok Gyeong-un.

-Chwak!

Mok Gyeong-un tried to strike down the incoming sword energy with the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword.

In that gap, Na Yul-ryang, whose eye had been stabbed, simultaneously thrust with a sword technique that raised sword energy towards Mok Gyeong-un’s neck.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un smirked and then,

-Chang!

-Puk!

“Kkeuk!”

Along with striking down Yang Jeong’s ejected sword energy, he kicked Na Yul-ryang in the abdomen, sending him flying back.

A brief confrontation between three peerless masters that occurred in an instant.

The mouths of the Heaven and Earth Society members watching this couldn’t close.

‘This, this can’t be.’

‘How could he… against two masters of the Transformation Realm……’

Even though it wasn’t a proper technique battle, no one had predicted that two peerless masters who had reached the extreme of the Transformation Realm would be pushed back like this.

Now they began to realize that Mok Gyeong-un was indeed the rumored Heavenly Demon.

-Drip drip!

“Kuk.”

Na Yul-ryang, who had been sent flying back and barely regained his posture, glared at Mok Gyeong-un while covering his bleeding right eye area.

In Mok Gyeong-un’s right hand was Na Yul-ryang’s golden pupil, the demonic eye.

‘Damn it……’

He had lost his demonic eye before even properly fighting.

Then Na Yul-ryang frowned.

This was because Mok Gyeong-un looked at the demonic eye he had gouged out with interest, and then proceeded to put it in his mouth.

-Chew chew!

‘!!!!!!’

Everyone watching this scene felt a chill run down their spines.

They were already shocked by the cruelty of gouging out Na Yul-ryang’s eyeball in an instant, but to eat it right there – this kind of vicious madness was unprecedented.

After chewing and swallowing Na Yul-ryang’s eyeball like that, Mok Gyeong-un looked over Na Yul-ryang and Yang Jeong in turn.

-Flinch!

The two who met his eyes couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the pressure, without even realizing it themselves.

Then Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth.

“Kneel.”