Chapter 1791: Blood Style
In the mystical lands of Yen-Lu, the Heavenly Demon was an enigma.
He had appeared out of nowhere, with no origin, no past, and no one knew of his true identity.
Then, in a single generation, he shook the entire world.
He single-handedly sparked the Fourth Great War, founded the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and challenged the Nine Great Sects and Clans.
All the clans feared him, and the sects cursed his name. Countless warriors worshipped him like a god.
He carved his name into the history of Yen-Lu through blood and fire, creating a legend that would endure for countless generations to come.
Then, just as suddenly as he appeared, he vanished without a trace.
When the Fourth Great War ended, the one to benefit the most from it had been the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. It had emerged as a formidable force that was feared by both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions.
But the man who had led the Cult through victory was nowhere to be seen. In his place, a new Mana Core Magus had taken the mantle of the Heavenly Demon.
As for where the first Heavenly Demon went...
No one knew.
The more learned scholars believed they had uncovered his identity.
They claimed the Heavenly Demon was none other than the Ghost of Hoshigane, the mythical figure spoken of in the prophecy of the legendary seer, Lao Ren.
According to the prophecy, the Ghost of Hoshigane would appear during an age of unrest and bring about great change to the lands.
And that was exactly what the Heavenly Demon had done.
War followed in his footsteps. Powerful factions rose and fell because of him. Entire groups vanished from history after opposing him.
To many, the signs were too perfect to ignore.
But no one could truly confirm it.
The Heavenly Demon had revealed too little of himself during his lifetime.
But there were two things that everyone always associated with him.
The first was the red oni mask he never removed, a symbol feared across Yen-Lu. The second was his pair of twin short swords, the world came to know as... the Blades of Fulgrim.
Strange weapons forged from an unknown metal, covered in mysterious runes that burst into flames whenever they were drawn.
The Hermit stared at the infamous twin blades in utter shock. Those flaming weapons with chains attached to the pommels were unmistakable. There was no way he could mistake something like that.
But what shocked him even more than the weapons themselves...
Was the person wielding them!
His eyes slowly widened as his gaze locked onto the figure standing behind the Stone Lord. For a brief moment, the old man even forgot about the pain coursing through his body as he witnessed the stunning scene unfolding before him.
Overcome by numbness and disbelief, the Hermit was unable to form words. Forget speech, he couldn’t even think straight.
Marden Benton... the Blood Lord... the Heavenly Demon leaned forward, his lips curling into a crafty smirk.
"Do you regret it?" he whispered to Leland. "Do you regret saving me that day... my friend?"
"Y-You..." Leland’s eyes were bloodshot, and blood relentlessly spilled from his mouth. "M-Marden... w-why..."
Perhaps what pained him even more than the blade piercing his heart was the betrayal.
He stared blankly at the man behind him, as if unable to believe what he was seeing. The flaming blade continued to ravage his heart as countless memories flashed through his mind.
The battles they had fought together, the trust they had built, the countless times he had stood beside him without hesitation, and now... the very person he had once called a friend, a brother, was the one holding the blade in his chest.
"Isn’t it obvious?" The Heavenly Demon scoffed. "The traitor..."
His lips curled into a savage grin as he violently twisted the blade.
"It was me all along."
He viciously ripped the blade out, tearing open a bloody wound across Leland’s chest and shoulder. But the Stone Lord was already dead. His heart had been pierced and burned and destroyed long before the blade left his body.
Thud.
His lifeless body collapsed to the ground. For a brief moment, an ominous silence descended upon the battlefield. And then, the Heavenly Demon slowly turned to the azirai devil.
"You..." The azirai finally snapped out of the shock of having his hand severed and quickly retreated. "What is the meaning of this?!"
The Heavenly Demon ignored him. He gave the chain a sharp yank, and the other short sword immediately flew back toward him before landing neatly in his hand.
At the same time, the blazing flames surrounding the Blades of Fulgrim began to fade. With a single thought, the raging fire vanished completely, leaving behind only the faint glow of the runes carved across the twin blades.
He then cast a spell, accelerating his blood circulation and forcefully increasing the flow of oxygen throughout his body. His body became stronger and faster and deadlier.
The azirai immediately sensed danger, and he quickly flapped his wings to escape.
But the Heavenly Demon was faster.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived before the devil and drove a brutal elbow to the stomach.
The azirai’s body bent forward as blood gushed out of his mouth. But the next moment, his eyes turned feral, and he roared in fury.
"Damn you, human!!"
He lashed out with his remaining hand, his claws aiming straight for the man’s throat.
The Heavenly Demon swiftly spun aside and gracefully avoided the strike. In a single motion, he moved behind the devil.
His hands transformed into blood-coated claws as he grabbed the devil’s wings and...
Ripped them apart!
A piercing, blood-curdling scream thundered across the battlefield. Fear crept into the azirai’s heart, but it was quickly consumed by infernal rage and ruthless fury.
Gritting his teeth, the devil spun toward the human with madness burning in his eyes. Mana erupted violently from his body, and he roared:
"You think you can kill me?!!"
Ignoring the blood pouring from his wounds, the azirai charged forward like a crazed beast.
The Heavenly Demon did not retreat.
Instead, he continued to silently pour mana into the spell from the School of Enchantment that had driven the devil into a frenzy and stripped away his rationality.
And then blood mana gathered around his hand.
It may not have been tyrannical, but it was violent and insidious in its own way.
His figure blurred as he shot toward the devil.
The Heavenly Demon’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the azirai and struck.
At the very last moment of impact, he twisted his palm.
Hand of Doom: Blood Style.
COILING PALM STRIKE!!!
