Boom--!
A massive bolt of lightning struck down from the darkened clouds above.
Thud! Thud, thud!
Not just once, but again and again, lightning crashed, leaving a crackling energy in the air. Each strike shattered trees and rocks, leaving nothing but charred remnants in its wake. The twisted, dry trees of Sichuan ignited from the recoil of the lightning, flames spreading along their limbs.
In this chaotic scene, the old man continued to wield his sword.
Whoosh, whoosh--!
His sword sliced through the air with relentless speed, moving so quickly that an ordinary person wouldn’t even catch his movements.
And with each passing second, countless slashes and bolts of lightning rained down in tandem.
Boom! Boom--!
The air was thick with the smell of burning flesh—a nauseating stench of scorched meat. Yet, the old man didn’t stop.
Lightning continued to flash without pause, and when the old man finally lowered his sword, all that remained was a scorched wasteland.
“…”
Heavenly Lord, the last of the Namgung bloodline and master of lightning, sheathed his sword, hiding any sign of fatigue.
Focusing his attacks on a single target had drained a good portion of his energy.
After catching his breath, Heavenly Lord turned his gaze to a particular spot—a place that stood out amid the charred surroundings.
The ground there was still molten, bubbling from the residual lightning energy. Heavenly Lord squinted, looking through the thick smoke.
As he fixed his gaze, he sensed a faint movement within the smoke.
“Click.”
He clicked his tongue in irritation and swung his sword again.
Whooosh--!
A powerful gust of wind swept away the smoke, revealing the ground beneath.
Amidst the melted, seething earth lay something hunched over, its skin as blackened as the ground itself, surrounded by flames.
Still…
That blue flame hadn’t gone out.
Heavenly Lord furrowed his brows, looking at the slumped, breathless figure, clearly in a daze.
What is that thing?
It defied explanation, no matter how he looked at it.
He had cut off its limbs, struck it with lightning, and subjected it to countless attacks. And yet, the body that Heavenly Lord now looked upon was as intact as ever.
It regenerated without hesitation.
He had slashed it countless times, but the body returned to its original form each time.
How was this possible?
What is it?
It didn’t quite fit the description of a demon, but calling it human was equally impossible. He tried to analyze it, but to no avail.
Strange and grotesque.
That was how Heavenly Lord viewed the creature.
To withstand lightning and remain unscathed—it was disturbingly resilient.
However…
Srrng.
Heavenly Lord shook his sword, noticing something important.
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No matter how much he struck it, the creature endlessly regenerated. Yet, he realized it had a weakness.
There was one spot it consistently protected, one area it seemed to avoid exposing.
The neck.
Yes, the neck.
In battle, it had shielded its neck, making him suspect it was a vulnerable point.
Additionally…
There was a gaping hole in the left side of its chest. That was likely the spot where he had stabbed it in the heart earlier.
Though he wasn’t sure why that wound had remained visible.
Grrrr…
A low growl, bestial and raw, grated on his ears, making Heavenly Lord shift his stance.
It was coming.
Screeech!
The creature, still struggling to breathe, let out a guttural roar and lunged at Heavenly Lord.
Its speed remained incredible.
Blue flames erupted from its back, splitting and spreading to close in on Heavenly Lord from all sides. Heavenly Lord’s expression tightened as he observed.
The mere sight of it made his shoulder ache.
That flame…
The wound he’d received earlier still throbbed.
It wasn’t just an ache.
After being hit, his shoulder felt numb, and his arm refused to move.
Neither channeling energy nor willing it to move helped; it was as if his arm had turned to stone.
It wouldn’t loosen.
What in the world was this flame?
Whoosh--!
A flame brushed past Heavenly Lord’s side.
It barely grazed him, yet he felt his body grow heavy. He clicked his tongue.
Annoying.
The fact that an attack like this had even touched him was unacceptable.
There was something wrong with that flame.
Throb.
Feeling the pain in his shoulder, he grimaced. This was undoubtedly the biggest problem.
Drip…
Blood trickled from his shoulder, dripping from his fingers.
He tried to stanch it with energy, but it wouldn’t stop.
“You wretch.”
Kiing.
He gathered his aura and raised his sword higher.
It was disgraceful to struggle against such a creature.
If the Great Demon or Sword Lord had seen him like this, they would undoubtedly have laughed. It was likely that Paejon would mock him as well.
Would he find him pathetic?
Clang, clang!
Heavenly Lord’s sword rang out with ceaseless energy.
“Grrr…!”
The creature’s growl echoed as it continued its relentless attack, not slowing down even for a moment.
Clang!
The creature’s clawed hand clashed with his sword, creating a brutal sound.
Heavenly Lord shoved it back, causing it to stumble. Seizing the opportunity, he swung his sword.
Slash!
“Aaaaargh!”
Its wrist was severed, and the creature howled in agony.
He adjusted his grip, preparing to drive his sword into its chest.
Fwoosh--!
“…!”
Then, he noticed flames gathering in the creature’s open mouth.
Realizing the danger, Heavenly Lord quickly retreated, widening the distance.
Boom!
Flames spewed from the creature’s mouth, engulfing the spot where he had just been standing.
The heat was intense.
Well, well…
Watching the air burn with heat, Heavenly Lord smirked.
He was now convinced.
This is a demon. Only a demon could do this.
Is it a demon masquerading as a human?
Even the Crimson-Rank demon beast he had once fought hadn’t posed this much trouble. Unleashing his energy had been enough back then, but this one required more.
A body that regenerated without end and flames with tremendous heat—there was no way a human could possess these.
It would be more fitting to classify it as a new type or rank of demon.
Perhaps it was a legendary White-Rank demon, the kind spoken of in ancient tales.
If that creature appeared, it would feel just like this, he thought to himself.
Otherwise, there was no reason for him to struggle like this.
That’s how it had to be.
“Aaaaargh!”
A roar erupted, and Heavenly Lord swung his sword in a diagonal arc.
Boom!
Lightning struck from above, binding the creature’s legs.
“Graaaagh!”
The creature’s body seared under the lightning’s force, letting out a shriek.
Heavenly Lord observed it and gave a short nod.
That should be enough.
Srrng.
Adjusting his stance, Heavenly Lord’s aura shifted.
And then—
In his mind, he envisioned a sword.
No, it wasn’t sharp; it was dulled and worn by his inner demons.
But for now, it would suffice.
Even if his movements had slowed and his energy had diminished, Heavenly Lord didn’t consider the possibility of defeat.
Up to now, he had been probing for information about this unknown creature.
“Aaaaagh!”
As the creature writhed in the lightning’s grasp, roaring in agony—
Heavenly Lord aligned his sword and body in a straight line. This was a strike beyond energy and skill.
It was a manifestation of his mastery as a swordsman.
A sword honed by a lifetime of training as a genius, wielded by an old master.
For a creature in human guise, it was more than enough.
Playtime ends here.
Though it pained him to have taken even a single hit, Heavenly Lord dismissed it from his mind.
Now was not the time to dwell on this creature.
The old man still had unfinished business with the girl lying beneath a nearby tree, eyes closed.
She was his final kin.
With his sword aimed at the creature’s throat, Heavenly Lord closed his eyes.
Darkness filled his vision. Within that deep darkness, he sought a single thread of light.
There it was. Blurred by inner turmoil, yet visible—a glimmer of light.
A point only visible with his eyes closed.
Slowly, Heavenly Lord brought his sword down toward it.
His arm trembled.
The strike drew upon his purest mental focus, making it all the more so.
Boom--!
In that instant, a line split the clouds, and light poured through.
The sky parted.
The light that descended was like a translucent sword, its form tarnished and slightly rusted.
Its presence alone inspired awe.
The light began its descent toward the creature.
If it struck the ground directly, it would destroy not just the neck but everything in the vicinity.
Heavenly Lord had aimed for that very outcome.
He had considered the possibility that the neck wasn’t the weak point and wanted a way to erase the creature’s regenerative power all at once.
Having launched his ultimate technique, Heavenly Lord slowly opened his eyes.
He watched the descending light and took a deep breath.
“It’s over.”
He was certain.
He had used the ultimate technique of the heart blade, crafted from his deepest enlightenment.
Only two people had ever survived this attack.
One was the Sword Lord.
The other was the Heavenly Demon.
If neither of them were standing here, then no one else could possibly withstand it. Heavenly Lord was certain of that.
And with that thought—
Boom--!
The radiant light from above descended precisely onto the spot he had aimed for.
Kaaaa-boom!
A deafening explosion shook the air, and smoke billowed high into the sky. Broken debris scattered everywhere as a shockwave tore through the dry trees, nearly uprooting them.
An overwhelming impact.
Satisfied with the results, Heavenly Lord turned away.
It was over. No creature, even one of such abnormal resilience, could have withstood that force.
Though he’d need to verify its remains later, Heavenly Lord’s priority lay elsewhere—for now, he had to eliminate Mageomhu and finally attain peace.
That was the purpose of his permission.
Yes, permission.
Heavenly Lord had been given permission—to enter Sichuan, kill the youth, and then kill Mageomhu.
But then—
His steps came to an abrupt halt.
A wave of dizziness suddenly clouded his mind.
…From whom?
Who had granted him that permission? Who had he sought approval from?
The answer seemed just beyond reach, yet it wouldn’t come to him.
“Ugh…!”
Heavenly Lord clutched his forehead, gritting his teeth. He felt as though he had forgotten something crucial, but he couldn’t recall it at all.
It felt as if someone had intentionally stripped that memory from his mind.
“…What…is this?”
As he struggled with this disturbing sensation—
Rustle.
“…!”
A faint presence stirred behind him, and Heavenly Lord whipped around, his face awash with shock.
What…?
Why was he sensing a presence here?
This was the area where his heart blade had struck. No living being should have survived.
Hum—
He tightened his grip on his sword, certain now that this wasn’t an illusion.
The presence was real.
Did it survive this attack?
Could it have truly endured that power? That was inconceivable.
If it had indeed survived even this, then calling it immortal would be more fitting.
As Heavenly Lord squinted, looking beyond the smoke—
Fwoosh.
There it was, the same blue flame as before.
Fwoosh--!
The blue flame ignited in the distance once again, and Heavenly Lord steeled himself.
It seemed even this attack hadn’t worked.
It’s really testing my patience.
At this point, he’d have to pour every ounce of power he had into destroying it completely. Resolving to end this, he began to gather his energy.
“…Life.”
“…?”
“Is a real pain in the ass.”
A string of unexpected curses came from within the flames.
“Damned thing… Even after giving you a place to take a crap, you’re asking me to wipe it too. They say you shouldn’t take in black-haired beasts…”
“…”
The tone was oddly familiar, causing Heavenly Lord to frown in confusion.
What was happening here? Who was speaking?
With some trepidation, he looked toward the voice.
Tap, tap.
Something was walking toward him in slow steps.
It was the figure from before.
So it had survived. Then, that voice—could it have been coming from this creature?
Its appearance hadn’t changed much from before.
Still shrouded in shadow, it looked like a living silhouette.
The only difference was that the hole in its chest seemed to be mending.
And the flames no longer covered its entire body as they had before.
As it trudged toward him, Heavenly Lord asked,
“…What exactly are you?”
What was it, truly, to exhibit such a grotesque appearance?
With that question, Heavenly Lord waited, and the creature glanced at him.
"Your attitude is the spitting image of a certain bastard."
“…?”
It muttered something incomprehensible.
Whether Heavenly Lord understood or not, the figure continued to speak, its voice tinged with amusement.
“Just looking at your face irritates me.”
Fwoosh. Flames sprang up around it once more.
Was it a trick of the light?
The embers looked oddly like petals.
“You really look like someone who deserves a beating.”