Chapter 322: Demonic Faction Lord Competition (2)
I scanned Ma Chulsoo’s entire body with my eyes.
A man who had obtained the position and power of the Young Cult Leader, which he had so desperately desired, but at the cost of losing his beloved younger sibling.
After he had returned to the Cult, I had seen him briefly once with the Sword Demon, but this was the first time I had truly taken a close look at him.
‘Calm and sharp.’
Perhaps the Sword Demon had once been like this in his younger days?
Ma Chulsoo’s presence felt like a perfectly tempered blade, sharp and unwavering.
"How curious. Did the demonic nature of Heaven-Slaying Star not affect you?"
Both Ma Seoyeon and Ma Jinyoon had suffered from it.
Most of those who inherited the blood of Heaven-Slaying Star had often fallen victim to its uncontrollable demonic nature.
Ma Chulsoo let out a bitter smile at my words.
"Well, I’m not really sure."
"…What do you even know?"
"I’ve spent the past few years training constantly, and not once did I feel the demonic nature trying to take control of me. Rather, the Memory of Blood seemed to guide me along the path I was meant to take."
Whether that was Ma Jinyoon’s will or some other unknown factor, I couldn’t say for certain.
"So, in short, you lucked out."
Ma Chulsoo nodded without hesitation.
"You could say that."
Even though I had mocked him, he remained unshaken.
I couldn’t help but feel a little impressed.
‘Not bad at all.’
One of the most crucial elements in combat was an unshakable mind.
Unlike the reckless way he had charged at me like a wild boar in the past, Ma Chulsoo now calmly assessed the distance between us.
‘He hasn’t yet fully mastered the use of Sword Intent, but….’
At the pace he was growing, it wouldn’t be long.
He made the first move.
Flash!
His sword extended in multiple directions, drawing dazzling arcs.
‘Blood Stream Demonic Spirit Sword Art?’
It was the very technique he had once tried to use against me, only to be overpowered before it could land.
Now, it came flying toward me, aiming precisely for the vital points of my body.
I grinned and moved my sword.
"Not bad at all!"
It was on a completely different level of refinement compared to before.
In the past, I could have grabbed it barehanded, but now I would have to use Sword Intent to do the same.
However, using Sword Intent on Ma Chulsoo at this level would only damage my own reputation.
Zzzzzz!
In an instant, the blade of the Ten Heavenly Record Immortal Sword began to dance, tracing the exact same trajectory as Ma Chulsoo’s Sword Qi.
Seeing that, Ma Chulsoo’s expression finally began to crack.
"How… how do you know the Blood Stream Demonic Spirit Sword Art of the main clan?!"
"Do you really think that’s all I know? Take this as well."
In a flash, I unleashed the Blood Dragon Heaven-Slaying Sword Art, the Crimson One Demon Source Sword Technique, the Twelve Blossoms of Crimson Chaos—all ancestral techniques developed by Ma Seoyeon and the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan began to pour out one after another.
"…Kgh!"
As each technique, worthy of being called an ultimate art, came flooding at him, Ma Chulsoo’s arms began to move more frantically.
And then….
"Here, consider this a gift."
The stream of demonic qi that had been swirling around like a barrier began to spiral, gradually forming the massive figure of a black dragon.
Blood Dragon Ascension (血龍昇天)
"Th-The Blood Demon Dragon Sky Sword Technique?!"
Ma Chulsoo’s eyes began to tremble.
Though what I had manifested was a black dragon rather than a blood dragon, there was no way he didn’t recognize this form.
The flow of qi, the way the dragon’s spiral storm was formed, and the movement of the dragon itself!
"So Father’s words were true after all… He said you seemed to have mastered the martial arts of the main clan to a deep level, but I didn’t believe it so easily…."
"Stop babbling and show me what you’ve got already."
Just as the enormous black dragon was about to engulf Ma Chulsoo entirely…
He began to fully unleash the abilities of Heaven-Slaying Star.
Rumble!
In an instant, a massive current of blood-red qi began to swirl around him.
Blood Demon Dragon Sky Sword Technique
Nine Heavens Blood Sea
‘The Nine Heavens Blood Sea, the predecessor to the Ten Thousand Violent Blood Seas!’
It might seem inferior compared to Ma Seoyeon’s overwhelming Ten Thousand Violent Blood Seas, but at Ma Chulsoo’s current level, pulling this off was nothing short of a feat.
‘You’ve improved a lot, Ma Chulsoo.’
With this technique alone, he could easily crush the Thousand Hands Great Guardian that the Cheon Clan’s Fifth Elder had once unleashed.
Kwaaang!
It sounded as if two dragons were exhaling roars of destruction as deafening shockwaves erupted in all directions.
And soon, the two Blood Demon Dragon Sky Sword Techniques collided head-on, as if they were trying to devour each other.
‘If I had used Sword Intent, I could have controlled it more freely….’
Still, the raw power had been more than satisfactory.
As the two dragons vanished simultaneously, Ma Chulsoo and I landed on the ground at the same time.
"Huff… Huff…."
At a glance, it looked like a draw, but unlike me, whose breath hadn’t even faltered, Ma Chulsoo was visibly exhausted.
"…You monster."
He ground his teeth as he glared at me, who hadn’t even broken a sweat.
"Hmm…."
I crossed my arms and confirmed Ma Chulsoo’s current level.
‘He’s capable of putting up a good fight against an Extreme Demon Realm master. But perhaps due to seeking stability, he hasn’t been able to fully unleash the true power of Heaven-Slaying Star.’
His explosive strength in that moment was undeniably impressive.
However, the true strength of Heaven-Slaying Star began with the three stages of its unique abilities.
"Ma Chulsoo, can you use Blood-Eyed Manifestation?"
"…How do you know about that?!"
"You don’t need to know how. Can you use it or not?"
"……."
Ma Chulsoo stood frozen, staring at me in shock.
The true power of Heaven-Slaying Star—its three stages of abilities.
Blood-Eyed Manifestation (血眼跡身), Blood-Eyed Fate Melody (血眼命曲), and finally, Blood God (血神).
If he reached the second stage, the Blood-Eyed Fate Melody, even someone like me wouldn’t be able to easily handle Ma Chulsoo.
The guy hesitated for a moment before finally opening his mouth with difficulty.
“If I prepare thoroughly, I might be able to use it… to about half a degree.”
“Half a degree, huh…”
Not bad.
But as the words implied, it wasn’t bad, just not nearly enough to meet my expectations.
At that moment, one idea flashed through my mind.
‘What if I put him in Ma Jinseong’s position?’
If I recreated both the Heavenly Demon’s True Formation and its Servant Formation, not just the standard formation, and trained him inside…
‘He would surely improve by leaps and bounds compared to now.’
After all, even Sa Biyeon, who had barely reached First Rate, had somehow endured the Demonic Spirit Qi Fusion Formation.
Someone like Ma Chulsoo would be able to endure it without issue.
Moreover, I already had the full theory of the formation perfectly memorized in my head.
‘Still… It’s not the time to recommend it yet.’
Only when I was certain that Ma Chulsoo truly trusted me and stood as my ally. It wouldn’t be too late to suggest it then.
I retrieved my sword and spoke to him.
“Let’s stop here.”
“I can keep going.”
“Sorry, but with your current level, you can’t draw out my true strength.”
“…Kuh!”
At my words, his face twisted with humiliation, and he bit his lip.
“Compared to how you used to be, you’ve improved tremendously, but you’re still lacking a lot. The true power of Heaven-Slaying Star isn’t something like this.”
“You speak as if you’ve experienced the true power of Heaven-Slaying Star.”
“I actually have.”
“What?”
“Watch carefully. I can’t fully replicate it, but I can imitate it to some extent.”
I began to operate my Sword Intent in earnest, taking control of the space spanning dozens of jang around us.
Soon, the sound of waves crashing echoed from all directions.
Swaaa!
“……Huh?”
Ma Chulsoo blankly stared at the darkness surrounding him.
No, that wasn’t darkness.
It was a wave.
Not the crude wave he had managed to stir up earlier, but a true wave with the momentum to swallow everything whole.
“N-No way… Ten Thousand Violent Blood Seas?”
An overwhelming tide of offensive power that trapped the opponent, cut off all retreat, and crushed them to death—
The true essence of the Blood Demon Dragon Heaven Sword Technique,
A final-level ultimate technique found near the very end of that sword art!
It was his first time seeing it, but the moment he saw it, he understood.
That he couldn’t block it.
That he couldn’t dodge it either.
That he would die.
“H-Heok!”
The instant those three thoughts raced through his mind, Ma Chulsoo completely lost his composure.
He didn’t even think to resist. He just shrank down, covering his head with both arms.
He firmly believed he was about to die, or at least fall into a state close to death.
And in a way, that expectation was partly accurate.
“You still have a long way to go, Chulsoo!”
The moment Ten Thousand Violent Blood Seas vanished—
My foot slammed into Ma Chulsoo’s ‘precious area’.
Thud!
“Keok!”
For a moment, the veins in his widened pupils popped out.
Thump!
Ma Chulsoo collapsed, clutching his precious area with both hands.
“You… you bastard…”
Unless he reached the Extreme Demon Realm, where one could control the sensation of pain freely, there was no way Ma Chulsoo could escape this agony.
I squatted in front of Ma Chulsoo, who was desperately enduring the pain.
“Looks like you’ve improved a bit, but you still have a tendency to shrink away when faced with an overwhelming crisis. That’s nothing like Heaven-Slaying Star at all.”
“W-What… are you saying…”
“Chulsoo. Heaven-Slaying Star is, fundamentally, the ultimate embodiment of uncontrollable rage.”
“Un… what? What are you saying?”
Seems like he couldn’t understand since I brought over the phrasing from my previous life.
I mercifully explained it more clearly.
“Even if the Heavenly Demon himself stood before you, Heaven-Slaying Star would charge at him like a mad dog. That’s the essence of Heaven-Slaying Star, both its strength and its flaw.”
Well, if you actually charged at the Heavenly Demon, you’d end up as dog meat, but that’s just a figure of speech.
I poked Ma Chulsoo’s forehead repeatedly.
“Right now, you shouldn’t be thinking about flaws. Erase any thoughts of side effects from your mind. Take your rage, your resentment, your demonic nature—explode all your emotions and turn them into your driving force.”
“……”
“Only then can you truly approach the essence of Heaven-Slaying Star.”
Ma Chulsoo said nothing.
No, perhaps he couldn’t.
“Anyway, you do remember the promise we made long ago, right?”
Ma Chulsoo slowly nodded.
“Of course. I remember.”
The promise between me and him was none other than this:
To unconditionally support Young Cult Leader Cheon Yura.
“Good. As long as you keep that promise, I swear I’ll continue to give you guidance for your growth.”
I slowly stood up and looked down at Ma Chulsoo.
“See you again. I hope you bring something that can surprise me next time.”
After finishing my meeting with Ma Chulsoo,
I spent several days holed up in my family’s estate, living like a dead rat.
To be precise, it was to thoroughly rest while also unlocking the secrets of the Ten Heavenly Record Immortal Sword.
Currently, the Heavenly Demon Cult was said to be in utter chaos due to Ilro’s proposed Demonic Faction Lord Competition.
Apparently, all the powerful families were gathering every master they could find to train them.
And ever since the declaration, countless people had been lurking around the territory of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan.
‘With the outside so chaotic and all eyes focused there, there’s no need for me to move unnecessarily.’
As I continued to spend my days like that,
The Chief Steward approached me while I was seated in meditation at the training ground.
“Young Master, someone from the Cheon Clan has arrived.”
I stopped circulating my qi and opened my eyes.
“From the Cheon Clan? Who is it?”
“It’s someone who was just appointed as one of the Three Elders of the Seven Elders’ Council. The name… I believe it was Cheon Rain.”
Twitch!
“…Cheon Rain?”
I stared directly at the Chief and asked again.
“Did you just say Cheon Rain?”
The Chief, sensing that my expression was anything but ordinary, flinched and nodded.
“Y-Yes, I did. Is there some problem?”
“Heh, hehehe… So, it’s Cheon Rain, huh?”
I exerted a tremendous amount of mental effort to suppress the murderous intent that surged the moment I heard that name.
One of the Three Elders… Cheon Rain.
No, Great Guardian Cheon Rain!
‘So in this life, he became one of the Three Elders instead of the Great Guardian?’
Well, since Left Guardian Mujeong had practically accepted my proposal, it was unlikely that Cheon Rain would ever become Great Guardian under Cheon Yura’s rule.
“Alright. If it’s an envoy from the Cheon Clan, I must give them a ‘proper’ welcome.”
“Y-Young Master?”
“Lead the way.”
The very one who had betrayed Cheon Yura in my previous life, causing the Heavenly Demon Pavilion to fall in vain.
One of the top names on my kill list, right alongside Han Mubaek.
Let’s see what kind of face he’s wearing in this life.