Chapter 281: Heaven Above Heaven (3)
SzGLQMoyongchan continued speaking.csgZ
r80“Jose, listen carefully. That so-called Heavenly Demon is the kind of guy who, in the Murim, is looked down on like an insect. He hides in a valley called the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, always lying in wait to attack the Murim, but all he’s ever done is get repelled and run away over and over. A pitiful wretch, really. He goes around saying that here in the West no one knows about the East and spouts those lies as if they were the truth… What? You can’t even look me in the eyes?”k21kRD
ZsSHe burst out laughing.2gUP
yLPevSGIn truth, both of them were partly right.twpc
3bBcAs Dan Socheon said, in the Murim the Heavenly Demon is an object of fear.rOQhJ
Ml3tThe Demonic Sect he leads, even as a single unified force, is comparable to the entirety of the Murim, and the Heavenly Demon himself has caused great upheavals generation after generation, remaining engraved as a symbol of fear among warriors.zqRWh
Fv0But, as Moyongchan pointed out, it was also true that most looked at him with contempt.Kql2
5hgQkpSThough the Demonic Sect caused heavy damage to the Murim, it never achieved its goals; the Heavenly Demon was always defeated by the great masters of the Murim. That is why those who practiced demonic arts were singled out and rejected.qWYn
OW4tTTo a taoist master as advanced as Moyongchan, the Heavenly Demon was nothing but something worthy of scorn.XRbE4
AER“Tsk, tsk… You wanted to show off even here in the West? Pathetic.”5SwV
dH3K1Moyongchan was belittling Dan Socheon more than necessary.LKXPr8a
5MfkOyHe was doing it to provoke him.TJy
NOwHFIn the Demonic Sect, the Heavenly Demon is an absolute figure. Treating him like a lying braggart could throw him off balance.Tff1w
KjE01LMoyongchan kept egging on Jose, who was acting as the third voice in the conversation.hXWqMQ
A1j“Isn’t it ridiculous? In the East he’s a nobody, but here in the West he acts like you can’t even meet his gaze—it’s just pathetic.”AiFj0
rO3“Lord Moyongchan, your continental tongue has improved quite a bit, huh?”A0TVDQx
E5LHQ8pJose made an out-of-place remark, and Moyongchan shot him a glare.KTK
zPaJose quickly nodded.D9kjc
58r“That aside, it’s true. I thought he’d be someone important in the East, but no, he’s just a braggart. If not for you, Lord Moyongchan, he’d still be strutting around like he was someone special. Hahaha!”QkwYMsS
1K276Lr“Exactly. Hahaha!”BN4m
pKcq0“Nndo met… mejuchuel…? Pffft!”SaXD
FeuDan Socheon’s face twisted.hE8w
RYsUFor someone who, as the Heavenly Demon, had always lived receiving reverence, this was a humiliation hard to bear.VoPnZT
ZyfT2“Damn you…!”7HevdsJ
gLqLDan Socheon unleashed the Heavenly Demon’s Supreme Technique. He no longer thought about controlling the flow of battle—he just wanted to kill them all with his overwhelming demonic power.3Ahe
fURIXMoyongchan and Jose exchanged a look.NNPwPkx
jTM“He’s no ordinary opponent. We have to hit his weak points.”pJX
ex6YWr“Understood.”Ftagm
dDHsDsvDan Socheon fired the Ashura Skybreaker’s Heaven-Breaking Strike without pause. Dozens of energy palms filled the front as if forming a wall, advancing toward them.rHsU4f7
ocVYaFLThere was no angle to dodge through.WRh
0rGHxmBThey had to face it head-on.ayNX
TjKMoyongchan raised his sword.XvBp
uF4VqBlue Clouds and Scarlet Clouds Sword Technique.ODyb
zkjtw8ZSunlight’s Glow upon the Dawn Mist.YDJEc
6BzFrom his sword, a whitish mist poured out, enveloping the Heaven-Breaking Strike and slowing the dozens of palms as if they were sinking into water.kP176m7
0A9Then, a sunset-colored light spread.hbDC
WMvx3A1The Heaven-Breaking Strike turned a reddish hue.UAnw
lq9And in the end, a bead-sized sphere of light shone intensely and was launched.ANxENpK
rJrOLdvThe wall of palms was pierced, and the sphere shot toward the Heavenly Demon on the other side.nhSem
9Tz0ZkSurprised, he withdrew his technique and swung his sword, clashing against the sphere and creating a thunderous roar.bCTP5
Kxl5At that moment, Jose closed in on the Heavenly Demon.EsiqT
DYG9“You!”dVoh4L
6nA“Hey, Heavenly Demon, here in the West we look each other in the eye.”sCEi
BiCn2Jose’s massive body turned smoothly on its axis.sS5Vst
OPlnUsing the rotation of his waist, he gathered all the force he could and concentrated it in his sword.kEQ0
1KiS“Haha!”cilTGvp
3MklWith the mana focused on a single point, he delivered a blow like a hammer strike.mcRm
izPDan Socheon’s sword couldn’t withstand the force and shattered.Z9hl
NGX“Damn…!”ET20
i2gVJose’s attack broke through all of Dan Socheon’s defenses and went straight for his chest. If it landed, his body would be destroyed.L7DDgmm
S1VDan Socheon realized his mistake.ZkQw
fmWM“D-damn it!”7FqAbHy
rvWexafHe was the Heavenly Demon.KAQQ
sNwp4CWThe absolute ruler of the Demonic Sect.dv3O
YCqHe could not die like this, humiliated, in a faraway West.oYyouL
0LWHe had to live to take revenge and, beyond that, to make all the hypocrites of the Eastern Murim kneel before him.vB9jZ
X22LhYiSo he decided to cross the line he had always kept intact.ihVPDw0
EM6DecInside him, he heard a voice.6Pe
GmI7ae“Do you want power?”r0L6
isC2WCIn the past, Cedric had offered him demonic energy extracted from the Dark One’s Grimoire, but he had refused.LZgh
yh7Unlike others who were used as tools, Dan Socheon wanted to rule alongside Cedric, without relying on any black magic other than his own.NzS
bwPEBBut Cedric, just in case, had planted in him an evil seed that would never germinate unless Dan Socheon desired it.uTmvez
R8y2RNow, seeing Jose’s sword coming closer, he knew.13lxXCp
DKYgGx“I want it.”FR0Ff6
Z69fJzThe seed took root instantly.2ykf3
6CbSomething black spread through his entire body like capillaries. Leaves sprouted, a stem grew.jNDhm
cPvKSI6Thin, sharp tentacles emerged from his back and shoulders. In an instant, the seed matured into a full-grown tree.wZy
Uu2bSRE“Huh?”7JhjA
YWddGIn a moment, Jose realized something was wrong.cyzQAy
aiGBHis sword was heading for Dan Socheon’s chest.z5r7aW
WvGZ0But suddenly, it was moving away.hQ2S
WC1Dan Socheon was far off, and he was only cutting air. At first, he thought the opponent had stepped back.Aiwg
yN1bl8That wasn’t it.uvzac22
gTLgu6mHe had been pushed back at some point.9ULaW
qmS8j“Huh?”8Kly
oNMQJose finally realized that two tentacles that had come up from the ground had grabbed both his feet and shoved him backward.zgr6
XnkMgThe tentacles wrapped around his lower body and twisted.rmgn4GC
DUK“Aaagh!”ZSS
pzfJose screamed in pain.hpXi
rrQ8The sharp thorns covering the tentacles’ surface scratched his entire body.wYqsN5
ITEJ9“Jose!”m6J
Mj2Moyongchan rushed to cut the tentacles.tYCJmP5
rJxkBut they immediately sank back underground and, moving below, returned to their master in an instant.llS7
sPsw6tMoyongchan looked up.iI5q
ACav4Dan Socheon, having retrieved the tentacles, was releasing abundant demonic energy.1pXv
X8rRNU“Now it’s too late for regrets.”Mc0l
hhEAt first it didn’t feel pleasant, but once he surrendered his body to black magic, he felt better than ever.gV0L
HMPxL2sHis senses extended to the smallest parts of the tentacles sprouting from his body, as if his very existence had expanded.rAnx6T
GVkBecoming a creature beyond human gave him an unimaginable ecstasy.fd3N
SXJFlNow he understood why everyone so readily accepted the power of black magic.DRiR1s
Lt6“I’m going to kill you all.”jg8Y3
1fADan Socheon extended the tentacles from his body. Like a peacock’s feathers, they spread densely in a fan behind him.CyrEh
dqbXAt a glance, he had more tentacles than any other warrior.yYV15Ba
BJbKNot only was his original level high, but his demonic art was also highly compatible with black magic.kTQGO
C8nOz0v“You’ve fallen so far. How disgusting…”S6L8QPX
ouSMoyongchan said. Now he openly despised him.WJHYFa
3OVjw“In the end you allied with black magic. You’re trash who’s even thrown away the pride of the Heavenly Demon. I wonder what the Heavenly Demons of the past would think of you, up there in the sky.”QXjJtma
b4xiySy“Shut up, scum. You’re nothing but a leftover from the Blue School.”19Fn
9SxkIvDan Socheon smiled maliciously as he advanced.kav811
xtMxXOw“Don’t worry. After I kill you, I’ll go slaughter all those old men of the Murim Alliance. I’ll make Jang Yeonghak cry and kiss my feet.”kBwTn
bFpx“You dream too big.”XNX29
EF7Z“Now, you…”Hmf
YZhbiVFThe tentacles that had spread in a fan expanded even further. The way they writhed like muscles was hideously repulsive.fZ35KHI
AFXIt was the moment Dan Socheon took a step, releasing demonic energy.8kI
vVg3“Huh?”wPQaU
mjjvngCHis tentacles all collapsed at once.CMbWpLc
EIa0ib“I was wondering when you’d end up like this. You’re no different from the rest.”ATLBa
S2Eoq6LDan Socheon felt a chill run down his spine. The voice of Yuri Briol came from behind him.HLg1ABJ
3Kz5wEq“Since I left while fighting you, you should have thought I could come back suddenly. Why are you so happy? Were you glad I wasn’t here?”N3RdShS
L8DPTrj“Khhhaaaah…!”GDge85
eARf09mAn unbearable pain shot through him. Yuri Briol’s sword was strange.UGc7qHu
SYbueThe tentacles created by black magic, normally able to regenerate immediately without suffering significant damage, now hurt as if his bones were being broken.B0K6bC
JhDfIt was as if the black magic energy flowing through his body was being cut to pieces.ay6
JA2Dan Socheon felt Yuri Briol’s sword run down his back, cutting away the roots of the tentacles sprouting from his spine and exposing raw flesh.A2U
CHQyL“Wait a moment…”Sq36Z
Xe5Once fused with black magic, his perception of Yuri Briol had changed.0SU
cgwwcRcNow he felt even more terrifying than before.NwYM
RxN8All the black magic energy shrank as if it had encountered its nemesis.vn0
QZH35K“It’s too late.”4rFb
TG5Guilty pierced his heart.Le7
u2gDan Socheon felt his soul being pierced and collapsed instantly.oZlyC
TmHYuri withdrew the sword.uEHz2
mPfYwDDan Socheon’s body trembled.ZNRB
dEnd“It’s been a while, Master.”0NJA8Ce
MLmR7Yuri smiled broadly as he greeted him.BlCgn67
8XyLMoyongchan, moved, looked at his disciple.ynp
rN0tYuri Briol, that insolent child, had grown into a warrior capable of killing the Heavenly Demon with a single thrust.L8JTK0a
kdHiiPerhaps it had all been part of the plan of whatever had led him to the West.80wnlLJ
MIpsm“Not bad.”g1EQbF
0dDh9“It’s not over yet.”a6lE7
p7hBehind them, there still remained a giant monster moving and Donchichi, who had gone mad.zTvIm5
ykD4And beyond the space where their battle was taking place, the imperial army and the anti-imperial alliance were still fighting bloodily.9LqfP
1u6T“Is your body alright?”iz9
uROW94E“It’s already healed.”BPE
MwtV“Good. Let’s kill those and head to Zveta to end this.”IhWpvap
Yp8c“Let’s do it.”YGBbpk
sko“You speak the continental tongue well now, huh?”J5zNDD
8VvBOo“It’s harder now to pretend I don’t speak it.”1gYOOL1
ahUom***zULg2
MiKIn Zveta, the work was progressing frantically.A49dLx
VdJk7RThe number of humans gathered in the prisoner camp had already far exceeded three digits.V9bmG
i0yGx60Cedric planned to throw them all into a pit and use them as sacrifices for a ritual.HomXf3Y
XRr2ZESome, sensing their fate, tried to escape, but it was useless. They were caught by imperial knights, brutally punished, and thrown back into the prisoner camp.pOCUKW
Wf1aInside the camp, sinister rumors circulated.zph3wVn
Loi“They say if they use you in a black magic ritual, they trap your soul and you suffer forever without being saved. We’re done for.”LtX97Pj
p7yC0“How terrifying…”GQAI3
ZtmbDeath was already a certainty.EOmM8
kK9pDLBut in Zveta, even what came after death had to be feared.Fousu
tDucJAnd Cory, as Cedric’s subordinate, was faithfully carrying out that task.lTz7
UWq4rCt“Lord Cory, please…”fcET
nbPM“At least spare us…”HC0T
qvWzDuring that time, Cory had been experimenting with his magic of order and authority on prisoners rescued from the orc den when he belonged to the Alliance.1FtcgzB
LuPJqIn that process, the prisoners had begged him to take them out of the ritual no matter what.sEIvUi
zzGKBut Cory firmly refused.IN9am
27pOdYm“Don’t talk nonsense, get lost.”Kyq3FR
TTU0lCory kicked the man who grabbed his pants. The man bled from the nose and fell to the ground.gym
GtMWHyB“Hey, you.”xCrFdP
Udl“Yes.”lGr
xOvr2Cory called Santos, the knight assisting him.FEwGgN
Wos7“Send everyone here to the pit. Throw them in.”1cgkLax
WpKQk“Yes, sir!”p44zx
qLUCbAmong the prisoners Cory had been using for his experiments was Jane.8sFdqd5
BBsF1GShe had managed to survive until now.DuUXD
cUnRFeeling Jane’s gaze, Cory approached her.ieH
RoyoPzG“You must have suffered all this time. Hehehe…”BjuLcTR
JTaq“…”8iu
usYAqJane didn’t respond. Without saying anything, she meekly followed Santos.bbB
OUBcCory watched her as he followed.UX8sP
uDfm“The day has finally come.”XST
noKnQtIt was the day of the ritual Cedric had spoken of.7p5tir
spzUpon leaving the camp and reaching the square, the pit that the prisoners had dug while bleeding could be seen. Inside, countless people lay with anxious expressions, looking upward.SiBG
r8EWGQuThe imperial knights pushed the prisoners down a steep slope.VEugO
l5lPeople rolled over the stone-covered ground, injuring themselves and ending up piled at the bottom of the pit.7F1
inU2Little by little, the pit began to fill. Cory couldn’t even estimate how many there were.XktjBD
LGPbI3“Lord Cory!”gYCFUpH
Es1i0Some of the prisoners he had used in his experiments began shouting his name desperately.n06Fx
huyWCory frowned.7jA
3rewsZ“You, come here.”MH6Xv
a7aXqAt his signal, Santos gestured, and the knights guarding the prisoners stepped aside.T2BL7
N4zMRR“Please, save—”3ifaU
vC7cssgCory stepped forward and kicked. The prisoner rolled directly into the pit.xrIK
iyyDvQThen he pushed or struck those beside him, sending them in as well.wbFOS5C
lgKThe last one standing was Jane.lJh1Vq
Bp5kWwO“Get in.”W6LeK
7IEy2LAnd Cory pushed her into the pit as well.qb6
paQJIu“Phew…”wJt
CZodxdlHe wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up.WU2fE2K
VVfFrom a place overlooking the square, Cedric, standing next to a grotesquely shaped statue, was smiling at him.Hq4
5oIrSCory returned the smile.BFLbNwa
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