Chapter 251: What Do You Know
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The Heavenly Demon’s sealed secret technique.
Aryun-nan was not unaware of what that was.
‘Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual…!’
An ultimate technique in the form of performing a ceremony by burning incense on a grand scale.
It was a study forbidden by law to elevate absolute worship toward the Heavenly Demon, the only deity in Heavenly Demon Cult doctrine.
In the past, the Heavenly Demon continued to research demonic studies even after claiming the glorious position of the world’s strongest.
He was not satisfied with the fame of being the greatest of his era.
He wished to remain an unrivaled supreme existence throughout all ages, both past and present.
Thus he created several ultimate techniques in his later years, and Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual was one of them.
At that time, the second-in-command directly under First Cult Leader the Heavenly Demon was Grand Prelate Sword Flow Demon Venerable Ga Ya-hwan.
The sealing of the Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual was decided under his leadership.
And that became an unchanging law within the cult, spanning long ages to reach the present day.
The reason Grand Prelate Ga Ya-hwan made such a decision was simple.
The mad devotion of worshipping a god.
A thousand years ago when the Heavenly Demon departed the mortal world, he began the work of worship as his successor.
Because of that, the Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual was sealed so no one could learn it.
What Ga Ya-hwan preached was the sacredness of the ultimate technique.
In other words, he elevated its value by imbuing the Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual with the grandiose meaning that “the one and only demon god who destroyed this world personally performs the ceremony.”
Only the Heavenly Demon who occupied the supreme divine seat could execute an ultimate technique with such meaning…
The fact that the Heavenly Demon Cult had no Cult Leader was also connected to that matter.
The Cult Leader is the deity, and cannot be replaced by anyone.
Only the venerable Heavenly Demon exists.
That is why the Heavenly Demon Cult has had demon practitioners in the Grand Prelate position act as proxies for the Cult Leader throughout the generations.
‘A fellow who isn’t even a Grand Prelate, how on earth…!’
Shock and questions tangled in Aryun-nan’s mind.
To access the sealed incantations of Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual while separated for such long ages, one would need to be at least a Grand Prelate of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
But what is this fellow called Cheol Ryu-heun?
Forget being a Grand Prelate, he’s someone without even a connection to the Heavenly Demon Cult, yet he’s brazenly executing the tremendous power presumed to be the Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual.
Dozens of pillars of dark demonic energy piercing through the ground and soaring upward.
KUKUKUKU, KUKUKUKU…
Terrifying power that seemed ready to shatter heaven and earth vibrated.
“Today is your memorial day, so I’m specially showing you.”
Having recalled those words, Aryun-nan rapidly drew up the energy within his body.
Thus the trembling of the ground and atmosphere intensified.
KUKUOONG, UREURUNG-!
His dantian’s energy sea had expanded even more through the reversal of rejuvenation.
If he utilized the Star-Absorbing Great Art with that, he could mitigate the impact of the Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual.
There was no other way.
He had to try clashing with power.
He couldn’t keep being frightened like this and accomplish nothing.
Now let’s settle this.
BANG!
Having explosively released massive energy through the Bubbling Spring points in both soles, Aryun-nan shot forward like lightning.
The forward space entering his eyes compressed to a single point and hazily streaked past.
It felt like running straight toward the end of a fight to kill or be killed.
Ultimate fighting spirit, extreme concentration were unleashed.
He discarded and forgot.
Everything.
He had to.
Because this fight right now was more important than anything.
Between heaven and earth, only he and Cheol Ryu-heun existed in entirety.
The gap shortened to within one zhang in an instant.
Before he knew it, fierce waves rushed at Aryun-nan from all directions.
KWAAAAAAAA- KWAAAAAAAAA-!
Countless black demonic energies swirled into the center like a whirlwind, spewing heavy pressure.
Aryun-nan could not reach his target Cheol Ryu-heun ahead and deployed a defensive sword technique.
Sun Moon Demon Revolving Wheel Light.
Circular demonic energies symbolizing sun and moon overlapped like a sword barrier, rotating and creating wind.
KKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG-!
An explosive sound that seemed ready to tear his eardrums.
Aryun-nan’s body swayed within the vortex of demonic energy.
Indeed it was overwhelming and domineering.
The power of the Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual.
He protected his body with maximum Sun Moon Demon Revolving Wheel Light and also absorbed a considerable amount of energy with the Star-Absorbing Great Art.
However.
‘UGH!’
Managing the remaining power was too burdensome.
It felt like his skin was being torn apart piece by piece.
Sure enough, blood lines on his entire body were rapidly increasing one by one.
PIT, PIPIT, PIT-
Endlessly spurting blood droplets, and the savage echoes that wouldn’t cease.
KKWAKWAKWANG- KKWAKWAKWAKWANG-!
Aryun-nan, barely holding on, wore an admiring look in his eyes.
Setting aside that he was an enemy, he was an existence worthy of respect.
Where else could one feel such limits of martial arts?
He had already lost the meaning of the fight.
He had only briefly deluded himself.
Even the resolve for a fight to the death was arrogance.
From the start, thinking only of his own survival was correct.
Yes, he missed the chance to flee.
That was the way to live.
He newly realized that even the level of internal power that rose from withdrawing one rejuvenation was insufficient.
KWAKWANG… KKWANG…
As the sound subsided and the shock within his body lessened.
KWAAAAAAAAA-!
The terrifying sound of the Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual rushing in came afterwards.
Immediately the second wave came sweeping in.
Madman, he’s not human.
To be able to use such tremendous power consecutively.
Relying on instinct, Aryun-nan reflexively executed the Star-Absorbing Great Art and the Sun Moon Demon Revolving Wheel Light again.
The roar shook all directions.
The massive cliff beyond trembled from the shockwave of the offense and defense.
At this rate, the peaks of Mount Zhongnan might even collapse.
Aryun-nan’s skin had already become completely reddened.
It was futile.
Both the Star-Absorbing Great Art and the Sun Moon Demon Revolving Wheel Light.
If Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual rushed in one more time like this… that would be the end.
Just as the sound subsided like before.
KWAAAAAAAAA-!
The terrifying third wave approached.
Feeling it was the last, Aryun-nan squeezed out his final strength.
Thus he executed both the offensive ultimate technique Sun Moon Twin Demon Mirror Manifestation and the defensive ultimate technique Sun Moon Demon Revolving Wheel Light simultaneously.
His already cracked and split skin widened even further.
TUDUDUK.
He forcibly broke through the limits of his body.
It was a struggle of desperation.
The wide-ranging Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual swept around and played a tremendous symphony of roars.
KKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG-!
Sun Moon Twin Demon Mirror Manifestation and Sun Moon Demon Revolving Wheel Light swayed precariously before ultimately being ruthlessly destroyed.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPONG…!
Formidable power transmitted directly to Aryun-nan’s body, emitting bursting sounds.
His head spun.
Heaven and earth seemed to flip round and round.
His body spun uncontrollably, swept away by the savagely striking power.
Before long, the dark haze scattered in the wind.
“COUGH!”
Having spewed blood, Aryun-nan collapsed onto the ground.
THUMP.
His body was now completely covered in blood.
Yet in the midst of that, his limbs were still attached.
He hadn’t dropped the sword in his hand either.
Was it proof of his extraordinary martial prowess and tenacity?
Honestly, having endured this much was impressive in itself.
‘EUK… one zhang…’
Lying collapsed on the ground, Aryun-nan soon measured the gap to his opponent and felt bitter.
This fight had concluded without narrowing the gap to less than one zhang.
It was a regrettable distance.
However.
The gap in martial arts was a difference beyond what the eyes could see.
He knew it all too well.
That one jang gap was in reality no different from a thousand li.
CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK…
The sound of footsteps knocked on Aryun-nan’s ears.
It was Cheol Ryu-heun.
As he gradually closed the distance, he spoke indifferently.
“This is the price of overconfidence.”
At that, Aryun-nan wore a peculiar smile.
‘HU… yes… I acknowledge it… I have no choice.’
His complete defeat.
Cheol Ryu-heun was a strong man who could not be easily looked down upon.
Setting aside the questions in his heart, his martial arts were truly Absolute.
Therefore, losing was not something to be ashamed of.
He was just frustrated.
That martial valor was useless… the sense of failure and emptiness arising from that filled his heart.
As he listened to the gradually approaching footsteps, he wanted to raise his body.
Even if he had lost the fight, he didn’t want to lie so pathetically.
But there was no strength in his hands and feet.
“COUGH!”
Having spewed blood again, Aryun-nan recalled his past life.
‘The transience of life…’
From childhood, he had devoted all his fortune to the cult.
Thus he pledged his life to studying doctrine and demonic arts, and was recognized by the previous Cult Leader Sun Moon Demon Fiend Jil Ro-gung.
The joy when he took his first step on a path that had seemed so distant was beyond words.
From then on, he accumulated power, and accumulated more.
Even ignoring the deathbed of his precious parents.
Thus he walked the distant, long path without rest.
Looking only at success…
Family?
He thought it was a luxury.
It was something to think about after first completing his martial attainment.
Love, children, he postponed everything.
Achieving his ambition came first, above all else.
When conditions were eventually met, he planned to adopt a child then.
Finally, he strengthened his martial prowess through two reverse agings and Star-Absorbing Great Art, and even took in an adopted daughter named Yeom Sang-ah.
He walked and walked without looking back, arriving at today.
Now he thought he would use the forward base Zhongnan Sect actively to subjugate the orthodox and unorthodox martial world.
But here, everything went awry.
Because of the variable existence named Cheol Ryu-heun…
Heaven was ultimately not on his side.
Before he knew it, Cheol Ryu-heun had come beside him and looked down with both eyes.
Aryun-nan, lying sprawled helplessly on the ground, looked at those eyes.
The epitome of indifference… even looking again, he was a wondrous fellow.
Was it because death was near?
The pounding in his heart that fear had created quietly disappeared.
Cheol Ryu-heun, fixing his gaze, spoke in a dry tone.
“I met the Asura Demon Cult Leader not long ago.”
“…!”
“He was at a level exceeding your current power. And he’ll become even stronger.”
“What…”
“Even such a fellow is quietly coiled up thinking it’s not yet time, but you foolishly made a reckless move.”
Only then did Aryun-nan realize intuitively.
Asura Demon Cult’s betrayal.
Perhaps Cheol Ryu-heun had displayed some kind of skill.
To make Asura Demon Cult Leader Sal Ma-ha, with whom he had maintained a decent relationship until now, pull out…
SEUK.
The tip of the Gan Jiang touched the center of Aryun-nan’s chest.
Following that, Cheol Ryu-heun’s quiet voice leaked out.
“The rigid orthodox, the inconsistent unorthodox, and the unprincipled demonic – the pinnacle stage where those beliefs clash through force is the chaotic era. But there is no place for you there.”
“HU… so you’re saying… I’m not… the vessel to cause a chaotic era?”
“Well, maybe if it were Heavenly Demon Cult that has been secluded for two hundred years.”
“Heavenly Demon Cult… well… if there’s a group… that surpasses them… on this land… I don’t know how it would be. Truly… the martial world is vast. Cheol Ryu-heun…”
Aryun-nan’s words somehow felt meaningful.
Having sensed that, Cheol Ryu-heun threw a question.
“What do you know?”
At that, Aryun-nan recalled his secretive helper.
‘Once you complete this power, even eternal hegemony is not a dream.’
Thinking of him created a cascading shudder.
At that time, he realized without crossing swords.
That it was an unapproachable martial prowess.
His intangible aura alone bestowed a sense of overwhelming pressure.
“I know… someone who surpasses you… His presence… was like the heavens.”
Cheol Ryu-heun unconsciously conjured the figure of one person in his mind.
It was the very mysterious ronin who had destroyed him, the Divine Martial Sword.
* * *
Around that same time.
On the edge of a cliff on a mountain peak overlooking Zhongnan Sect in the distance, a dark human shadow appeared.
FLUTTER-
Fluttering his black leather cape, the one standing at the cliff’s edge was a subordinate of the wanderer who had visited Zhongnan Sect sometime before.