Chapter 441: Chapter 441
Kwakwakwang-!
The continuous explosions sounded like a disaster had struck. The large cave had already completely collapsed, and the two people who soared upwards turned the ruins into even more of a hell.
“This… It was a Jiangshi I painstakingly made, but you tore it to shreds so easily…”
Kakakang!
Facing the swung blade, Tae Gong-jin frowned. To be precise, it wasn’t the Blood Demon who had disappeared and died. It was a fake created using a different corpse and the blood he had left behind.
However, considering the effort and time put into it, it shouldn’t have disappeared like this.
Seeing the Jiangshi he had painstakingly created torn to pieces and disappearing in an instant, Tae Gong-jin seemed quite angry. Moreover, the one who ordered all this was none other than the Heavenly Martial Emperor.
Feeling guilty for failing to fulfill his command, his irritation was loaded onto his swinging sword.
“This guy…!”
On the contrary, Cheon Mu-gwang frowned.
Dealing with the Blood Demon Jiangshi had drained quite a bit of his energy. However, thinking about the Tae Gong-jin of the past, a fierce battle like this wouldn’t have occurred.
Although he was said to possess quite remarkable skills, Tae Gong-jin was actually the lowest in level among those called the Three Heavens.
“Were you hiding your skills?”
“Doesn’t one usually reveal only seven parts and hide three?”
“It’s not just three parts, though?”
“It was the opposite.”
Tae Gong-jin smiled and swung his sword.
Kaang-!
With a fierce resonance that felt as if the sword would break, Cheon Mu-gwang was pushed back continuously. Chasing after him, Tae Gong-jin threw his body forward and thrusted his sword straight out.
Startled by the fast blade, Cheon Mu-gwang twisted his body.
Chwaak!
Blood splattered as his chest was torn open.
He thought he had dodged, but the aftermath remained.
Realizing this, Cheon Mu-gwang stepped back swiftly, touched his cut chest, and burst into an absurd laugh.
“Well, this is…”
“Aren’t you the same? In truth, none of us have ever shown everything.”
“Because we are friends but also enemies, you bastard. Just like now.”
Cheon Mu-gwang spat.
Tae Gong-jin’s blade could still be felt. He was emitting such a strong momentum, and it was Cheon Mu-gwang’s first time seeing this kind of power.
“One of the greatest orthodox sects… A guy called the Three Peaks of Wudang rated you higher than Bodhidharma, but looking at you now, the Demonic Cult bastards should be the ones following you instead.”
Before he knew it, his hair was disheveled.
Flushed and bloodshot eyes.
Evil qi flowing from his right hand gripping the sword.
No matter how one looked at it, there was no momentum of an orthodox faction member.
If anything, he was worse than the unorthodox factions or the Demonic Cult, not any better.
Cheon Mu-gwang smiled.
“This is why orthodox bastards…”
“Haha, would you like another taste of my sword?”
“Didn’t I tell you? Today is the day I set up your ancestral memorial table.”
Cheon Mu-gwang had no intention of backing down.
He would definitely kill Tae Gong-jin.
Tae Gong-jin, who knew how to hide himself and could sometimes reveal his poisonous fangs, was dangerous.
In a way, even more so than the Heavenly Martial Emperor.
He didn’t know for what reason he started following the Heavenly Martial Emperor, but he felt that if he didn’t kill this guy, it would definitely hold him back in the future.
Demonic qi surged boundlessly.
The power of Cheon Mu-gwang, who was trying his best, was radiating an immense momentum that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine.
Matching that, Tae Gong-jin also released his momentum.
An energy full of sinister qualities. It felt like looking at the Blood Demon, but with an even more terrible poisonous qi permeating it.
The moment he went near Tae Gong-jin, he felt a nauseating sensation, almost giving him the illusion that his entire body would melt from the energy he emitted.
The blades of the two clashed several times.
Every time they did, Cheon Mu-gwang realized one fact.
“You… learned the Martial God’s Dao Scripture.”
“…”
Kakakakakang!
The continuously moving blades were dizzying. Both the one swinging and the one blocking. To an ordinary person, even their footwork, moving their bodies back and forth, would be invisible, making it impossible to see how they were moving.
“Do you know what the Martial God’s Dao Scripture is?”
“It’s the story concerning the Blood Demon bastard and the Martial God. It contains the Heavenly Sun Creation Art and the Blood Demon Divine Art.”
Pakang-!
Tae Gong-jin deflected Cheon Mu-gwang’s blade and dug in. Closing the distance in the blink of an eye, wind gathered on his blade, creating a fierce storm.
A technique of infusing the energy of the Five Elements into the sword.
It was undeniably what Dan Woo-hyun often used.
“It’s a drug that you can’t escape once you fall into it.”
“What are you talking about…!”
“Because if you learn it… it feels like you can undoubtedly become the best.”
Tae Gong-jin chuckled.
He knew it because he had watched the Martial God from by his side. The power he possessed, all those things were something ordinary people couldn’t obtain.
An existence chosen by the heavens.
One must be born with the Heavenly Murderous Star and be able to endure and overcome it; one must understand the principles of all creation and naturally accept the energy.
If such a thing were possible, couldn’t one become not just the best in the world, no, the greatest of all time, but even toy with the heavens?
“And you see… the one who created the Martial God’s Dao Scripture is none other than… me.”
“…!”
The moment Cheon Mu-gwang, startled, opened his eyes wide.
Puuk-!
The swung blade of Tae Gong-jin pierced Cheon Mu-gwang’s chest. It was a blade undeniably lodged in his chest.
If he was a human, and a being with a physical body, it was a fatal wound he couldn’t survive.
Tae Gong-jin laughed as he watched Cheon Mu-gwang slowly collapse.
“How… are you…”
“The Martial God’s Dao Scripture, you see… is the martial art closest to the Heavenly Sun Creation Art. Although it is a failure, of course.”
It transformed.
Shaking, Tae Gong-jin’s face began to change in an instant. Engraving those things in his eyes, Cheon Mu-gwang was slowly losing his strength.
Eventually, when everything had changed.
Cheon Mu-gwang couldn’t hide his surprise.
What was in front of his eyes was…
“I tried to surpass it with something this old man invented. Of course, rather than learning it myself, I let others learn it to observe the situation…”
“Hea… Heavenly Martial Emperor… why…?”
Holding onto the sword lodged in Cheon Mu-gwang’s chest, the Heavenly Martial Emperor chuckled. Realizing the slowly fading flame of life, he roughly pulled the sword out and shook off the blood.
Then he continued his words.
“So I sent Bi Cheon-woong and ordered its retrieval. Because if a strong person emerged from learning it properly, there was no way it would be taken away. But there were absolutely no talented individuals… Isn’t it pathetic?”
Stagger, stagger.
Cheon Mu-gwang staggered backward.
The Heavenly Martial Emperor’s voice could no longer be heard in his ears. Just why he was in this place, where Tae Gong-jin went, such complicated things shook his mind.
“Tae… Tae Gong-jin…?”
“Ah, that Tae Gong-jin? Hahaha.”
As if something was so funny, the Heavenly Martial Emperor smiled and stepped in front of Cheon Mu-gwang. Then he gently brought his mouth to his ear and whispered softly.
“That was… me.”
“…!”
“You’ve worked hard. Truly… Do you know how nervous I was to not get caught by him, using a fabricated name and body to observe him from by his side?”
“Keok…!”
Cheon Mu-gwang had an expression of absolute disbelief.
Even his eyes trembled, his emotions becoming even more intense.
He didn’t know despite being together for such a long time. He simply couldn’t believe that the person he laughed, chatted, and exchanged swords with was the Heavenly Martial Emperor.
“It was very enjoyable living as Tae Gong-jin for a long time. By the way, do you know why you followed me?”
“Wh… what does that…?”
“Because I whispered, for a long time. To you, telling you to do so.”
“…!”
“Brainwashing applied over a long period of time makes one move without even realizing it themselves. Unlike that Bi Cheon-woong guy.”
Cheon Mu-gwang’s heart pounded fiercely.
Did that mean everything he had done so far was dancing in the palm of the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s hand?
“But it’s a bit unexpected that you really came this far.”
Vomiting blood, Cheon Mu-gwang glared at the Heavenly Martial Emperor. Still, unbelievable stories circled in his head. No, it was full of things that made him wonder if this was reality.
“Wh… what I saw while chasing the fox last time…”
“That wasn’t me. It was just a clone I created. If that had been this old man… would you still be alive?”
“…”
Speaking thus, the Heavenly Martial Emperor quietly glared at Cheon Mu-gwang.
It was as if he was evaluating the necessity of this person.
Soon, he clicked his tongue, and moved his hand.
Peogeok-!
“Kkeoeok!”
Cheon Mu-gwang’s body flew away like a piece of paper.
Falling into the countless debris with a ‘Bang!’ sound, no matter who looked, it didn’t seem like he could survive.
Especially if it was someone suffering from a heavy injury.
“You are no longer needed…”
Clicking his tongue, the Heavenly Martial Emperor turned his head.
He felt somewhat refreshed.
“If you were going to do that, why didn’t you do it earlier? We only lost a precious Jiangshi.”
Just then, a strange thing happened.
The wind blew.
At the same time, someone who hadn’t been there until now revealed himself. A person with the exact same face as the Heavenly Martial Emperor. However, he soon changed into a completely different person.
Slit-like eyes, sharp corners of the mouth.
Overall, it was a face that looked somewhat dark. If the Heavenly Martial Emperor gave off a gentle impression, this old man was like a single blade.
“Hehe, are you here now?”
“I’ve returned. What you wanted is here…”
The old man handed over a box he was carrying at his waist.
The Heavenly Martial Emperor received it and slowly opened it. The moment he opened the lid, an immense chill rushed out, seeming as if it would freeze everything around.
Feeling the extreme cold qi, the Heavenly Martial Emperor hurriedly closed the box.
“Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal… You’ve worked hard, little brother.”
“Is there anything I wouldn’t do for you, big brother?”
“Hahaha, isn’t that why I only trust you?”
The two men began to walk slowly while chatting amiably. Moving several zhang with a single step, it really looked like immortals were walking around.
“With this, the preparations are over, so the only thing left is…”
“Yes, the beginning… Now, will he become the Heavenly Emperor, or will he fall to the ground? Either way, it will be fun… Martial God.”
Saaaak-!
Soon, the two people disappeared.
Not even a trace was left behind, nor could a single sound be heard.
Cheon Mu-gwang, trembling uncontrollably on the spot, also realized they had disappeared and concentrated his mind. He had to survive somehow.
He absolutely had to survive.
“Heavenly Martial Emperor… this bastard…!”
He ground his teeth audibly.
The fact that he was deceived by him from start to finish, and played in the palm of his hand.
Because of that, his will to survive surged.
To plunge a sword into that bastard’s heart.
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