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*****
700 years ago.
It was long ago, but Lee Sungmin couldn’t get over those words easily.
The Blood Demon, who spoke those words with a smile, did not have a hint of nervousness.
Was that because of his confidence, or was it experience? Lee Sungmin didn’t know.
Art of the Heaven-Destroying Asura.
The Blood Demon had proclaimed that it was called the pinnacle of the Martial World 700 years ago. Sadly, Lee Sungmin did not know what type of martial art it was.
‘Do you know?’
[I don’t.]
Lee Sungmin asked Heoju hopefully but was met with a dull reply.
[This old man was alive 700 years ago, but I didn’t care much for martial arts. This old man’s opponents were the yokai and other monsters, not humans.]
So he didn’t care about it…
Did it not use a weapon? Lee Sungmin looked at the Blood Demon’s bare hands.
The Blood Demon Ju HuiBaek raised his right hand and gestured to Lee Sungmin. “Since I am older, I will give you the first move.”
“Shouldn’t I be respectful and let you make the first move?”
“Even if I am old, I don’t think I deserve any respect, huhu,” the Blood Demon smiled.
‘Should I try to gauge his strength first?’ Lee Sungmin knew that this fight would not end in just one move.
So he thrust his spear. Accurately and precisely. Without giving any time to react.
5th form of the Nine Heavenly Spear Techniques: Lightning Annihilation.
The spear was already ready to pierce by the time the lightning flashed. The distance between the two was negligible. With one step, Lee Sungmin had closed the gap between them, and the spear qi surrounding the speartip was touching the Blood Demon’s heart.
“Fast.”
The Blood Demon’s evaluation was slower than the spear. His right hand, which was raised, pushed the spear to the side, offsetting the trajectory.
Lee Sungmin stepped forward once more and swung the spear horizontally, spinning his body with it. The spear qi thickened and shot toward the Blood Demon.
It was a simple move but utilized internal energy, the yokai powers, and his unique body.
The corner of the Blood Demon’s lips twitched.
BOOOM!
One of the pillars of the pavilion exploded and disappeared without a trace. Like an acrobat, the Blood Demon twisted his upper body and evaded Lee Sungmin’s attack. The red aura around his hands shot toward Lee Sungmin.
A terrifying feeling overwhelmed his senses.
Lee Sungmin shot backward, spinning his spear in front of him to create a shield. Through the barrier, he saw that the place he was on just a second ago had exploded.
‘What kind of martial arts is this?’
Lee Sungmin couldn’t tell with just one exchange. After all, it took a genius with a heaven-defying talent to do that. Experience and talent… Lee Sungmin had experience but definitely didn’t have incredible talent.
‘It wasn’t that fast.’
Lee Sungmin was much stronger in terms of speed. That was why Lee Sungmin had to be careful. He swung the spear again.
Lightning Strike and Blood River Predation covered the space around them. The Blood Demon raised both of his hands in front of him and pushed forwards and to the side. A blood-red sea split the energy that Lee Sungmin created.
“This is a bad location to fight.”
The Blood Demon muttered; neither side could release their full strength.
Lee Sungmin’s attacks swept the floor, and the supports of the building itself started to collapse.
Lee Sungmin ignored the collapsing building and escaped through the roof. He still needed to figure out what type of martial art the Art of the Heaven-Destroying Asura was. The only thing he knew was…
[It’s incredibly strong.]
Unlike the Blood Demon’s attitude, the his martial technique contained immense arrogance and strength.
“Watch.”
The Blood Demon, who rose to the sky and levitated near Lee Sungmin, spoke. He pointed below them. There was destruction and a one-sided massacre.
The members of the Blood Alliance couldn’t prevent the Black Dragon and Yana’s advances. Many tried to fight back, but their attacks couldn’t pierce the barrier created by Yana.
“The Blood Alliance is crumbling down. Well… there is no reason for it to exist now, anyways. If you work with them, you can capture me quite easily, no?”
Instead of replying, Lee Sungmin moved forward. The Blood Demon smiled genially. He did say it like he was offering it as an option, but he would probably have been confused if Lee Sungmin had accepted it.
After all, there was no need to create any plans or anything.
The Blood Demon wanted to die here. He wanted to fight a stronger martial artist using all his might and die. Any martial artist that lived for hundreds would have such a wish.
Martial Arts.
No matter how much time one spent studying and practicing it, it was impossible to see the end of it. In this world, the Blood Demon knew that the most.
It had been 700 years.
He had studied martial arts for 700 years. Even after he became a Vampire, he did not follow Geniella but studied martial arts. However, he couldn’t break through. It was as if someone had put a barrier to prevent him from breaking through. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t.
Over the years, his pride in his martial arts had become a poison that ate away at his mind.
He couldn’t break through, but he did not want to give up.
That was why he wanted to die. He wanted to die while fighting. He felt it would be worth it if he spent everything he had to fight and die.
‘Yes. Everything. Everything. Everything.’
The smile on his face faded away. The energy that flew in his body was released.
Lee Sungmin’s face hardened.
‘Your everything. My everything.’
The Blood Demon Ju HuiBaek, the greatest martial artist of his time, disappeared.
No one saw him. He had disappeared into a space one could not pierce with sight.
Lee Sungmin had an ominous feeling in his heart; he swung his spear around. The spear found the Blood Demon, but his body slid past the blade like a ghost.
His hands that were slightly balled up was not fast but gave off a strange feeling.
BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!!
His fists hit the barrier surrounding Lee Sungmin. Lee Sungmin backed away but thrust the spear in front of him. Nine dragons made of electricity shot toward the Blood Demon; they roared, lightning coursing through their serpentine body.
The Blood Demon ran forward.
His art had not changed; it was just as relaxed as before and calm. However, the movements of the Blood Demon were now much more ferocious. His hands, curved into a hook, rose above him. He slashed down.
RIIIPPPPP!
The nine dragons ripped like paper in the hands of the Blood Demon. The remaining remnants of electricity fell like lightning down to the battlefield below.
The Blood Demon shot forward, kicking the air below him. Lee Sungmin didn’t back away but moved his spear as well.
The Blood Demon’s martial art wasn’t fancy but contained unimaginable power. Lee Sungmin prepared the next move.
His internal energy and yokai powers combined with the spear, creating a lightning torpedo.
The Blood Demon did not run away from the bright lightning. The red aura surrounding him became thicker, flowing like blood. He jumped straight into the lightning and spread his hands out. The lightning torpedo split in two.
He pulled it apart.
It could only be described that way. He had pulled apart Lee Sungmin’s attack with his bare hands.
The Blood Demon reached for Lee Sungmin’s heart.
Lee Sungmin did not fall back.
Two Steps: Calamitous End
Three Steps: Destroying Heaven
Four Steps: Hundred Thunders of Hell
Lee Sungmin slid past the Blood Demon’s hand and moved behind him.
More.
The Blood Demon muttered, clenching his hands. He turned, swinging his arms.
KWAANNGG!
He threw out a punch, shaking the space surrounding him.
He crushed Two Steps.
Another punch.
He crushed Three Steps.
[He is different from how he looks! HAHAHA!]
Heoju cackled, looking at the Blood Demon.
Lee Sungmin raised his spear again.
At this point, the Blood Demon had crushed Four Steps and shot toward Lee Sungmin.
The Blood Demon was an enigma.
Lee Sungmin did not know what kind of martial art he used; he did not know who Ju HuiBaek was.
However, the Blood Demon was now the strongest being Lee Sungmin had fought so far.
Even the Spear King, who was much stronger than Lee Sungmin in terms of spear mastery, couldn’t break through Lee Sungmin’s attacks.
The Blood Demon was different. The Art of the Heaven-Destroying Asura looked simple but always aimed at Lee Sungmin’s weaknesses.
The Blood Demon wasn’t just strong. He was smart enough to control that strength and make the most out of it.
If it were night, Lee Sungmin would not be able to get the upper hand, and if it were the night of the full moon, he would definitely lose.
So it didn’t make sense.
The Blood Demon had so much talent and potential… but he was “only” that strong.
Lee Sungmin felt that the Blood Demon was as strong as the Martial God of 10 years ago.
However, he did not compare to the Lord. Was it because of talent? Does that reduce the struggle of 700 years to nothing?
Lee Sungmin thought of the Crazy Heavenly Demon, who died without being able to cross into the world of Transcendents.
He thought of others that had talent. Even they couldn’t…
‘A limit….’
It was like someone placed a limit on them, saying, “You can only grow this much. You, maybe a bit higher, lower”… a limit…
Kim Jonghyun had once said that this world was like a farm. Lee Sungmin understood what that meant.
This world, Eria, brought people from other dimensions to develop new types of martial arts and magic. In the past, this farm had opened many times; every time there was a result, the guinea pigs died due to the “Apocalypse.”
When someone became a true Transcendent, they were exiled from this world.
The Predator of Massacre had said that the Demonic Emperor Yang Il-Chun transcended Transcendence, so he left this world.
‘So unfair.’
So there was a limit to how much someone could grow.
Once in a while, there would be exemptions, such as Yang Il-Chun and Heoju, but most couldn’t jump over the limit.
Just like how the Crazy Heavenly Demon couldn’t get into the realm of Transcendence.
Just like how the Blood Demon, who lived for 700 years, was weaker than Yang Il-Chun.
What about me?
Lee Sungmin thought. His fate and destiny had been freed after the Predator of Massacre died. He had received Heoju’s powers and Yang Il-Chun’s heart, and both had escaped from the limit. Through that, he had gained the “room to grow” that was impossible to get on his own.
Just like you…
When Lee Sungmin slayed Volander, he had heard his master whisper those words.
The Blood Demon had said that his Art of the Heaven-Destroying Asura was the pinnacle of the Martial World under heaven and earth 700 years ago. However, that was 700 years ago.
The Blood Demon was still flying toward Lee Sungmin.
The Blood Demon’s Art of the Heaven-Destroying Asura couldn’t be the pinnacle. From deep inside Lee Sungmin’s body, an ominous power poured out.
“The pinnacle under heaven and earth….”
Lee Sungmin muttered in a small voice. The Blood Demon’s claws, covered in a red aura, reached toward Lee Sungmin.
He had used this technique once before. Then, he failed to use it fully. When he was fighting the Spear King while returning to Hadras…
This technique fit Lee Sungmin incredibly well, but Lee Sungmin back then couldn’t control it.
Nine Heavenly Spear Techniques.
Wijihoyeon had given it to him, and his master had polished it.
Lee Sungmin himself might not be the strongest, but his main martial art technique definitely deserved the title of being the pinnacle of all martial arts.
Because his master, the Demonic Emperor Yang Il-Chun, who had the most extraordinary talent in this world, had done everything he could to improve it.
The space shuddered, and violet mist surrounded the skies.
The heavens seem to open up.
*****
TL Notes: SHEEEESH double chapters? I just couldn’t stop TLing this chapter. Read at betterdaystranslations.wordpress.com for the newest chapters (lol).
It seems like it’s another cliffhanger