Chapter 293 : Blood Demon Strife (3)
Chapter 293: Blood Demon Strife (3)
Sewoon rapidly turned his thoughts as he watched the wave of shadows surging toward him.
He searched through his memories from before the regression.
‘This is a power I never saw even before the regression.’
That was right. This was an evil art newly drawn forth by the Blood Demon.
Sewoon was not the only one who had undergone change.
Within this newly altered flow of time, the Blood Demon, too, had pursued even greater power, creating forces Sewoon had never witnessed.
Screeeech!
Shraaaaak!
At that moment, accompanied by the sound of air being torn apart, shadows that had been ripping through the ground suddenly reared up and flooded toward Sewoon.
The shadows were honed as sharply as saw blades, seeking to sever everything that was Sewoon.
What was truly terrifying was that the number of those Shadow Blades was beyond counting by sight. These shadows were not mere shadows.
Imbued with the Blood Demon’s Reverse Heaven Qi, they moved by their own will as if alive, surging toward Sewoon’s group.
“Everyone, block it with everything you’ve got!”
Clutching Pure Yang, Sewoon swung out a slashing strike and shouted. In that instant, Sewoon’s sword collided head-on with the Shadow Blades.
Kwagagaga!
Kwaaaang!
A tremendous shockwave and deafening explosion rang out. Fortunately, the shadow blades were scattered by Sewoon’s sword strike.
However, Sewoon’s expression hardened. He could certainly erase them himself.
But the question was whether the others could endure this power.
Shraaaaak!
Kwaaaang!
Even now, shadows surged up once more, overflowing and pouring toward Sewoon.
He had no room to pay attention to the other battlefields.
Sewoon continued to swing his sword, casting worried glances toward the others.
But then—
“…!!”
The sight unfolding before his eyes made him realize that his worry had been unfounded.
“Grrr!”
Heukshinsi had absorbed the power of the Heavenly Transformation Blood Species, and both hands were dyed a deep crimson.
Normally, not even a ferocious beast would dare to absorb the Blood Demon’s power, but combined with the Heavenly Demon’s body and the Golden Heaven Harmonization Qi that Sewoon had infused, complete fusion became possible.
Shraaat!
Pa-bat!
At that moment, Heukshinsi’s body charged straight toward the massive shadows.
Kwaduk!
Kwaaang!
As Heukshinsi swung his fists at the shadows, the enormous masses shattered like glass fragments dropped to the ground.
His attack was not a mere clash of brute force.
It was overwhelming destructive power, as though it sought to annihilate everything.
Wherever Heukshinsi’s fists and kicks landed, the shadows dissipated helplessly.
“Grrrrrr!!”
Heukshinsi unleashed a massive roar.
Kwaaaarumble!
A vibration like thunder striking shook the surroundings.
Without stopping, Heukshinsi tore the shadows apart with sweeping arms and crushed them beneath his stomping feet.
“I can’t show such a pathetic sight in front of my disciple!”
At that moment, Poison Demon Yelü Seung was also melting away the shadows, fully unleashing his poison arts.
Through his conversations with Sewoon, Yelü Seung had brought his control over the poison energy of Angshin Tears to its pinnacle.
Though he had lost his eyes and nothing could be seen by him, whenever he extended his hand, a surging sea of poisonous energy swallowed the shadows whole.
“Kuahaha! You dare try to challenge me?!”
Poison Demon Yelü Seung burst into mad laughter.
The instant the shadows touched the extreme poison raised by Angshin Tears, they lost their form and vanished.
The sight of pitch-black shadows bubbling, boiling, and bursting into violet hues was enough to chill one’s spine just by watching.
Strangely, the acrid scent of poison reaching his nose made Sewoon feel calm.
‘Was that worry unnecessary?’
As he steadied his breath and was about to swing his sword again—
“This is hardly the time for such leisure, heir of the Tang Clan.”
“!!”
With the Blood Demon’s chilling remark, a spear blade formed of shadow suddenly flew from behind Sewoon, aiming to pierce straight through his heart.
It was an attack erupting directly from Sewoon’s own shadow.
‘Damn it!’
A strike aimed precisely at a moment of carelessness. Sewoon hurriedly twisted his body, trying to knock the shadow aside.
But as it was a sudden attack, it seemed unavoidable that he would suffer at least some damage.
And then—
Paat!
A streak of light flashed, cutting through the space between Sewoon and the shadow.
Sewoon’s eyes widened in shock.
Shraaaak!
Slash! Slash!
Two strokes drawn in the shape of an X in midair with throwing daggers split apart the shadow that sought to harm Sewoon, far too easily.
Thud.
At the same time, a man appeared, guarding Sewoon’s back.
“Well now, it seems you really can’t manage without me, junior brother.”
“…!”
It was Nameless, who had appeared after killing the Gate of Assassins’ leader. Sewoon let out a faint chuckle and spoke.
“Thanks, Nameless.”
“No need to mention it.”
As Sewoon and Nameless briefly exchanged looks, the Blood Demon, who had been watching Nameless’s arrival from afar, spoke.
“An assassin.”
“Hoh, a title I’ve never heard before, but it suits me rather well.”
In the world after the regression, Nameless did not yet possess the alias Assassin.
Yet for some reason, the Blood Demon looked displeased the moment he saw Nameless and spoke to Sewoon in a cold voice.
“You are still lacking. Clinging to bonds of a past already lost—do you not realize that this is the manifestation of weakness?”
“Shut up!”
“Do you think the worthless dead who perished will be of any help to you? In the end, you will meet the same fate as Yoo Jinhak.”
“Well now, I don’t know why you’re barking such nonsense with living people standing right in front of you.”
It was not Sewoon, but Nameless who answered the Blood Demon’s words.
Nameless was smiling lightly, yet from his entire body, an intense killing intent blazed forth.
“Just one look was enough to tell. You’re the bastard who did all kinds of filthy things to my junior brother.”
The rage contained in Nameless’s words froze everything around him.
“Sit right there and wait. In a few steps, my junior brother and I will cleanly sever your neck.”
As he spoke, Nameless dragged his thumb across his own throat.
His attitude was as if he were dealing with nothing more than a worthless insect.
Seeing Nameless like that, Sewoon let out a small chuckle without realizing it.
That smile held neither worry nor fear anymore.
There was only deep trust in a close friend.
[Let’s go, junior brother.]
[Yeah.]
Sewoon gripped his sword once more.
In his eyes burned an intense resolve to end everything here.
“I will strip you of that obsession.”
Tap!
The Blood Demon snapped his fingers once again.
Kwarurur!
Kwagaga!
At the same time, the shadows that had seemed to subside surged back like a tidal wave.
It was utterly incomparable to before, truly resembling a devastating tsunami.
“Grrrrr!!”
At that moment, Heukshinsi burst in with a roar, swinging both arms and legs as he tore the shadows apart.
As he did, Heukshinsi shot a glance toward Poison Demon Yelü Seung.
“Kuhahaha! Fine, then I’ll open the path as well!”
Yelü Seung immediately understood Heukshinsi’s intent and moved without hesitation.
The Poison Demon ferociously poured out poisonous energy toward the shadows, carving out a path for Nameless and Sewoon to pass through.
Paat!
Shraaaak!
In that fleeting instant, along the single straight path that had been created, two assassins shot forward like lightning.
Sewoon and Nameless moved between the shadows as if they were true senior and junior brothers of the same sect, surging straight toward the Blood Demon himself.
Their movements were lethal, like venomous serpents locking onto their prey.
Even so, the Blood Demon remained seated upon a massive Grand Preceptor’s Chair, not moving an inch.
No emotion could be read in his eyes, yet the pressure emanating from him crushed everything around him.
Sewoon’s mind raced.
‘Before the regression, I pierced his head with the Invisible Dagger, yet everything regenerated shortly after.’
A fragment of the past flashed through Sewoon’s mind.
If that was the case, then instead of piercing the Blood Demon’s head, he had to aim for another vital point.
Sewoon sent a telepathic message to Nameless.
[Aim for the heart.]
Nameless nodded upon receiving the message.
If cutting off the head didn’t work, then tearing the heart apart was the only option left.
Kwaduk!
At the moment Nameless tightly clenched his dual daggers as if they might shatter—
‘I cut him down.’
Sewoon also prepared his attack.
With one hand gripping Pure Yang, he secretly formed another Invisible Sword in his other hand, careful not to let the Blood Demon notice.
It was to create a new combined strike that he had never executed together with Nameless before.
Sssss—
Shraaaaak!
Suddenly, a massive radiance burst forth from the tips of their blades.
“…!”
For the first time, the Blood Demon seemed to sense danger and rose from the Grand Preceptor’s Chair.
The Reverse Heaven Qi pouring out from his body was on an entirely different level from before.
Shraaaak!
The Blood Demon moved to block Sewoon and Nameless’s attacks with his fists and legs.
In this world, Sewoon had not forged a sword for the Blood Demon, so the sword arts the Blood Demon had once used to wash the world in blood before the regression did not manifest.
But that did not make things any easier.
Kururur!
Kwagagaga!
Each punch and kick of the Blood Demon carried destructive power as if it could split mountain ranges and cleave seas apart.
Kwarurur!
Kwaaaang!
[Upper right…!!]
[Ugh!!]
Each time the Blood Demon’s fists and legs tore through the air, space itself twisted and horrifying explosions erupted.
Yet Sewoon was not pushed back.
He, too, unleashed the full extent of the energy he had reached at the pinnacle of the Life and Death Realm, fiercely swinging Pure Yang.
Kwarurur!
Kwaddeuk!
Pure white sword radiance and pitch-black fists and legs collided, repeatedly generating massive shockwaves that warped the surroundings.
Sewoon’s sword fluidly deflected or directly received the Blood Demon’s attacks, rendering every strike meaningless.
The clash of their divine might was a wondrous sight, as though the orthodox and demonic were colliding head-on.
Paaat!
Screech!
‘Ghk!’
And beside Sewoon, Nameless endured with gritted teeth, struggling but offering support until the very end.
His dual daggers relentlessly targeted the Blood Demon.
Unfortunately, the Blood Demon left no opening.
He casually knocked aside Nameless’s attacks while focusing all of his power on Sewoon.
Nameless realized that his strength did not reach the Blood Demon.
But he did not give up.
‘I will never give up.’
To aid Sewoon, he threw everything he had on the line and charged at the Blood Demon.
And finally, the telepathic message Sewoon had been waiting for arrived.
[Now!]
Shraaat!
Pabat!
At the same time, the two stepped forward, gambling their lives.
A total of four streaks of sword radiance surged toward the Blood Demon’s heart.
Sewoon and Nameless poured everything they had into their blades.
Astonishingly, at this very moment, the pair of sword strikes they were building were almost perfectly identical.
One Point Kill — Reverse.
True Ultimate.
Dual Convergence.
Before and after the regression.
Two men who had forged the same bond aligned their swords together, completing a devastating single strike.
And in the next instant—
Shraaaaak!!
With a horrific tearing sound of flesh, pitch-black blood erupted like a fountain.