Chapter 294 : Blood Demon Strife (4)
Chapter 294: Blood Demon Strife (4)
Chiiik!
Although they failed to pierce his heart, the combined strike of Sewoon and Nameless succeeded in severing one of the Blood Demon’s arms.
The arm that fell to the ground writhed madly, spewing an absurd amount of black blood, like the manifestation of a Millennium Centipede.
It was a grotesque sight beyond words, yet the Blood Demon—who had lost his arm—did not writhe in pain even once.
No, rather, his face was filled with unmistakable delight.
The Blood Demon stared at Sewoon and spoke in a low voice.
“Worthy of praise. The pitiful past self that was devoured by the power of artifacts is nowhere to be found. You have truly achieved remarkable growth. This too must be part of my great fortune.”
His attitude, as though what had fallen away was not a part of his own body, was even more bizarre than the still-twitching arm fragment.
“But you must know this, Demonic Craftsman. This is not a battle that can end with something so trivial.”
Saaaah!
Kwarrrrr!
At that moment, demonic qi erupted from the Blood Demon like a raging storm.
With the explosive release of Reverse Heaven Qi, everything around them shattered into fragments and scattered as dust.
The grand hall of the Murim Alliance was transformed into ruins in the blink of an eye.
‘This is still not enough.’
Sewoon’s gaze did not waver.
Shaaah!
His Pure Yang once again poured forth a pure white radiance.
Sewoon was not surprised by the Blood Demon’s unscathed appearance.
[Senior Brother, let’s do it the same way one more time. Even if we can’t tear out his heart, let’s take his other arm!]
Nameless clenched his sword and sent a telepathic message.
However, Sewoon shook his head while looking at him.
Nameless was puzzled, but as he noticed the changes occurring in the Blood Demon’s body—still pouring out energy—he immediately understood Sewoon’s intent.
Chiiiiii!
Jet-black energy burst forth from the Blood Demon’s severed arm.
Kuduk! Kududuk!
The energy writhed like a living creature and, in an instant, restored the severed arm.
“……!!”
“!!”
Nameless was struck with shock.
To the point that Sewoon and Nameless’s earlier efforts seemed meaningless, the Blood Demon’s body had completely recovered, as if it had never been injured at all.
Then, Sewoon pointed his sword at the Blood Demon and continued.
“That thing’s body, having devoured all kinds of abominations, regenerates endlessly. Even if you cleanly cut off its head, it would revive. To kill it for good, we must destroy the ‘core’ of the regeneration art hidden somewhere within its body.”
“Heh heh, so it’s like some Southern Barbarian lizard, then.”
Poison Demon Yelü Sheng sneered mockingly.
Unlike the tense Nameless, Yelü Sheng—another madman like the Blood Demon—looked completely unfazed.
At that moment, the Blood Demon, who had risen from the throne, looked at Sewoon and let out a chilling mad laughter.
“How joyous. At last, the time has come. Legitimate heir of the Tang Clan, I shall offer you as a sacrifice and ascend as the true god of this world.”
Kwagagaga!
Kwarrung!
The sky, dyed blood-red, radiated an overwhelmingly ominous presence.
In that instant, the oppressive force pouring out of the Blood Demon’s body became incomparably stronger than before.
‘Could it be that he has perfected Reverse Heaven Qi…?!’
As Sewoon grew grim and prepared his next strike against the waves of that destructive aura—
Saaaah!
Kwagah!
“Sacrifice, my ass! How dare you spew that kind of shit about someone else’s disciple!!”
“Wait—!”
From the rear, Poison Demon Yelü Sheng charged fiercely toward the Blood Demon, releasing the Poison Energy of Angshin Tears.
Before Sewoon could stop him, Yelü Sheng had already reached the Blood Demon’s immediate vicinity.
The vicious poison energy pouring from Yelü Sheng’s dual hands melted all the surrounding shadows like thick liquid.
Yet the Blood Demon did not even attempt to evade the attack.
The gaze he directed at Yelü Sheng—rather than at Sewoon—was so cold and sunken that it was as if he were looking at an inanimate object.
“Poison Demon. Your changes were unexpected, but no more than that.”
With those words, the Blood Demon extended his hand into empty space.
Saaah!
Kwarrr!
The space touched by his hand warped and twisted.
As if crumpling paper at random, the space tangled into dozens, then hundreds of layers, forming an incomprehensible rift.
And from within it—
“Demonic Craftsman, by the power you created, I shall behead you.”
‘How is that even possible…!!’
An object known only to Sewoon and the Blood Demon forced its way out.
From blade aura to blade body, entirely dyed in pitch-black—
a demonic sword.
“Get away!”
Sewoon shouted at the Poison Demon the moment he saw it.
It was the first and strongest demonic weapon he had forged for the Blood Demon before his regression.
The instant the Demonic Sword of the Demon God, Lord Slaughter, revealed itself—the weapon that elevated the Blood Demon to a higher realm of power—
Poison Demon Yelü Sheng tried to turn his body at that shout, but it was already too late.
Screeeech!
Kwarrrr!
Without even seeing the Blood Demon swing the sword, formless sword rings born from the slash were already flying toward Yelü Sheng.
Before the terrifying destructive power emitted by the demonic sword, Yelü Sheng’s body was on the verge of being torn apart.
It was then—
“Grr!”
“……!”
A massive, ominous hand seized the Poison Demon by the nape of his neck.
His body was dragged backward and violently thrown away.
It was the Ferocious Corpse Deity, which had moved even before Sewoon could issue a command.
Shaaak!
Because of that, Lord Slaughter, swung by the Blood Demon, only cleaved empty air.
And then—
Kwagagagaga!
Pasussss!
Everything that had existed where Lord Slaughter passed vanished without a trace, as though nothing had ever been there.
The Blood Demon twisted the corner of his lips as he looked at the Ferocious Corpse Deity.
“Did you stuff the Four Calamities into the Heavenly Demon’s flesh? For something as crude as a primitive aberration, that is quite a useful power to possess. This too must be a harmony created by you, Demonic Craftsman.”
The Blood Demon, wielding Lord Slaughter, began to draw out all of his true power, as if declaring that the preliminary exchange was over.
Everything annihilated by Lord Slaughter had its remaining energies reabsorbed into the Blood Demon, further strengthening him.
At that, Sewoon sent a telepathic message to everyone.
[Everyone, combine your strength and destroy the demonic armament first! If we don’t destroy Lord Slaughter, we can’t stop him!]
Pabat!
Tadadat!
The moment Sewoon’s voice rang out, everyone charged toward the Blood Demon at once.
It was as if a colossal storm had surged forward.
[Just a little more! I forged that sword myself, so I know its weakness! Focus all your power on the single point of the blade body that I strike!]
As everyone concentrated at Sewoon’s telepathic call—
“I told you. I will not show mercy anymore.”
With words like a pronouncement, the Blood Demon began cutting down everything with the demonic sword, Lord Slaughter.
Lord Slaughter possessed truly destructive might.
Sewoon did not yield and fired Pure Yang in response.
Kka-kang!
Kwagagaga!
He barely managed to block the Blood Demon’s sword by focusing precisely on a single point.
‘Kugh!’
Even so, he could not help but be horrified by the power contained within the Demon God’s sword.
Despite it being only a single clash, a dreadful inner demon—like falling into an endless abyss—invaded Sewoon’s mindscape.
Yet Sewoon did not fall into despair.
Clenching his teeth, he resisted the collapse of his mind and raised his sword once more.
[The single point I faced—right there is Lord Slaughter’s only weakness! We have only one chance! Pour everything into the next combined strike!]
At Sewoon’s telepathic call, everyone focused their minds and unleashed their ultimate techniques with all they had.
Nameless unleashed One Point Kill.
The Ferocious Corpse Deity threw a single punch imbued with the power of the Heavenly Transformation Blood Species and Golden Heaven Harmonization Qi.
Yelü Sheng fired the Poison Energy of Angshin Tears, pushed to its extreme, like a spear blade.
And finally, Sewoon’s Pure Yang surged toward the blade body of the demonic sword Lord Slaughter.
The moment all their power united and collided with Lord Slaughter—
Kwaaaaang!
A massive explosion erupted.
Cha-chaeng!
Kwa-deuk!
Cracks began to spread across the blade body of the demonic sword Lord Slaughter.
A strange light rose in Sewoon’s eyes.
‘It worked!’
They had succeeded in destroying the Blood Demon’s most powerful weapon.
But then—
“At last, I can take your origin.”
“!!”
The Blood Demon’s voice rang out.
There was no anger in it.
Only satisfaction.
At that voice, Sewoon felt a chilling premonition. His eyes stiffened.
Shaaah!
Suddenly, the Blood Demon’s one remaining hand shot toward Sewoon’s Dantian.
Only then did Sewoon realize that he had unknowingly stepped into the Blood Demon’s domain.
That was it. From the beginning, the demonic armament Lord Slaughter had been bait—set for precisely this trap.
The moment the sword was destroyed, the Blood Demon’s remaining hand flew toward Sewoon’s Dantian.
As if to seize his origin, the Blood Demon was aiming for Sewoon’s Dantian itself.
In that moment of absolute crisis—
Pabat!
Someone hurled their body toward Sewoon.
Pushing Sewoon away, he took the Blood Demon’s attack in his stead.
Puh-puk!
Kwa-deuk!
Along with a horrifying tearing sound of flesh, there rang out the dreadful sound of a martial artist’s very life—the Dantian—being destroyed.
“Kkeuk!”
“……!!”
A scream filled with agony echoed out. It could not be otherwise. The pain of having one’s Dantian destroyed was the most horrific suffering a martial artist could experience.
Sewoon, who had narrowly avoided death thanks to that sacrifice, immediately leapt back, gathered the one who had saved his life, and opened distance from the Blood Demon.
“Why… you of all people….”
Sewoon’s expression was indescribably complex as he looked at the other man.
And it was understandable.
The one who had thrown himself forward to save him was none other than—
Poison Demon Yelü Sheng.
“Poison Demon, how dare you—.”
For the first time, the Blood Demon revealed his displeasure.
Though his voice was low, it was filled with immense fury.
The hand that had destroyed the Poison Demon’s Dantian was stained red with his blood.
Bubble, bubble!
And mixed within that blood, the dreadful poison energy of Angshin Tears was boiling, frothing violently.
Keeping a wary eye on the Blood Demon—who looked ready to pounce at any moment—Sewoon rapidly assessed the Poison Demon’s condition.
He considered using the life-bearing power of Golden Heaven Harmonization Qi.
But—
‘This…!’
Sewoon’s face hardened.
The Poison Demon’s condition, his dantian destroyed, was utterly tragic.
The Dantian had been completely shattered, and all the energy he had accumulated over his life was spilling out of his body.
Worse still, due to the nature of poison arts that accumulate poison energy, the injury was fatal beyond measure.
Sewoon understood instinctively.
Even with his medical arts, which had surpassed the realm of the Subduing Tiger Divine Physician, he could never heal the Poison Demon before him.
In other words, Poison Demon Yelü Sheng had saved Sewoon—and now faced an unavoidable death.
“Why… why would you do this….”
“Kh-heh… cough.”
Blood poured from the Poison Demon’s mouth.
Yet Yelü Sheng’s eyes remained fixed on Sewoon.
As Sewoon stood there in shock, the Poison Demon’s telepathic message echoed by his ear.
The content of those words was something Sewoon could never have anticipated.
[Listen carefully, you damned… disciple. This great… exalted master… has found where the Blood Demon’s core… is located.]
In Yelü Sheng’s eyes, instead of madness, there shimmered an inexplicable joy.