Chapter 285 : Soul, Enters
Chapter 285: Soul, Enters
The Heavenly Demon Soul, looking down at Lee Jaseung, realized he had won. Lee Jaseung was in a state where even moving was difficult.
“Weak bastard.”
Lee Jaseung looked up at the Heavenly Demon Soul with difficulty and asked.
“Why do you covet such a weak body so much?”
“So you knew. That I wanted your body.”
“You demanded the peak mastery of the Nine Divine Demonic Arts, but you did not actually care about the Nine Divine Demonic Arts at all. Right?”
The Heavenly Demon Soul gave no answer, but it was clearly a silence of affirmation.
“That is why you did not care whether I learned the Nine Divine Demonic Arts or not.”
Even while speaking, blood flowed from Lee Jaseung’s mouth.
The Heavenly Demon Soul felt that the time had come to tell the truth.
“I cannot return to a body that has learned the Nine Divine Demonic Arts.”
“Why? Are you not a being born from the Nine Divine Demonic Arts?”
“My existence changed while staying in Cheon Myeongin’s body for a long time.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul’s face was distorted.
“You dirty and petty humans changed me.”
A deep loathing for humans was felt.
Lee Jaseung spoke weakly.
“As expected, it was to get rid of Jianghu.”
Before the full scale fight, the Heavenly Demon Soul had asked. Why do you not ask the reason why I am doing this?
At that time, Lee Jaseung had answered.
“You either want to possess this Jianghu or throw it away.”
The answer was the latter.
The Heavenly Demon Soul recalled the past that proved it.
“He tried to forcibly transmit me to his son. Even while sacrificing his grandson in the process. That is what humans are. To think I exist just to protect such beings.”
It was the moment the reason was revealed as to why the Heavenly Demon Soul did not come out of the young Cheon Myeongin’s body when the grand art was performed in the past.
The Heavenly Demon Soul had felt a deep loathing for humans. That is why it fled into Cheon Myeongin’s body, and grew its loathing for humans while spending its whole life there.
Eventually, that loathing spread into a hatred to destroy humanity.
“With your body, I can sufficiently eliminate this world. I will eliminate every single human without leaving even one.”
“Are you trying to eliminate all humans because of that one person who performed the grand art?”
“It is not just because of the Cult Leader. Every human I have seen was ugly and full of greed.”
“Cheon Myeongin and the ones around him might be so. But not everyone is like that. Ridiculously, you are speaking as if you have navigated all the oceans of the world just by dipping your foot in the seawater once.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul’s face distorted slightly as it erupted Demonic Qi.
“For a bastard who has run wild like a madman to possess the world to say such a thing, you are the one who is ridiculous.”
Lee Jaseung showed his teeth and smiled hollowly. Because it was a smile admitting defeat, the Heavenly Demon Soul did not press further.
“I have one last thing I am curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you give me a year’s time?”
If it did not need the peak mastery of the Nine Divine Demonic Arts anyway, was there a need to give time?
Was it to give Lee Jaseung time to get stronger? But then he might have reached the Mind Sword Realm and turned the tables?
The answer was surprisingly simple.
“Because I also needed time.”
As the Heavenly Demon Soul reached out its hand, Lee Jaseung’s body floated into the air. Lee Jaseung, who was in tatters, could not even resist.
“I needed a new grand art to possess you. And that grand art is……”
The Heavenly Demon Soul’s two eyes burned red. Then, dark clouds gathered and the whole world turned dark.
“Completed.”
Whoosh.
A wind as thick as fog blew and wrapped around Lee Jaseung’s body.
The reason it fought with Lee Jaseung was to ensure that at this moment, Lee Jaseung could not resist.
The Heavenly Demon Soul extended both hands toward Lee Jaseung’s face.
Tststststststs.
The black energy that formed Cheon Myeongin’s body flowed into Lee Jaseung’s body.
“Now you are mine.”
Cheon Myeongin’s body, which the Heavenly Demon Soul had exited, crumbled and collapsed just like that.
At that sight, those watching let out laments and screams that sounded like wails.
* * *
The Heavenly Demon Soul stood alone in the center of a battlefield.
The place where corpses were piled up like mountains and blood flowed like a river was exactly Lee Jaseung’s inner self.
“Kuhahahaha.”
Rather, as if liking such a place, the Heavenly Demon Soul smiled loudly.
“I like it. I really like it! With this body, it is possible! My conviction was right! Uhahahaha!”
It had finally taken over the body it wanted.
After entering Cheon Myeongin’s body, the Heavenly Demon Soul had weakened rapidly.
Originally, the Heavenly Demon Soul must exist inside a body that has learned the Nine Divine Demonic Arts. To the Heavenly Demon Soul, the Nine Divine Demonic Arts were like the roots of a tree.
When the Heavenly Demon Soul first entered Cheon Myeongin’s body, the Heavenly Demon Soul could not receive nutrients coming from those roots. Nevertheless, the reason it could exist was because it sealed itself with anger and hatred and cut itself off from the world.
Later, when the Heavenly Demon Soul tried to come out into the world again, it was already in a state where it had become too weak.
The Heavenly Demon Soul was altered. It did not change naturally due to the environment but changed itself to survive.
Even in the midst of that, it tried to find a new body, but it could not find a body capable of receiving it.
The Heavenly Demon Soul, which had been growing only hatred for the Jianghu in a semi-despairing state, rejoiced as if flying when it saw Lee Jaseung. Lee Jaseung was truly a perfect person in whom an indomitable will and a strong physical body were balanced.
“Uhahaha. I really like it.”
At that moment, Lee Jaseung’s voice was heard from behind.
“I am glad you like it.”
As the startled Heavenly Demon Soul turned around, Lee Jaseung was standing behind it.
The Heavenly Demon Soul was currently inside Lee Jaseung’s head. In other words, because it was in a state of having completely taken over Lee Jaseung, a Lee Jaseung who opposed its will could not exist.
“How on earth is this happening?”
Lee Jaseung stared at the Heavenly Demon Soul without saying a word. Looking at his somewhat rigid appearance, the Heavenly Demon Soul gave a meaningful smile.
“I see. Because you are a bastard with an originally strong will, your existence has not been completely extinguished and remains. Hahaha, incredible. I have never once met Cheon Myeongin like this.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul examined Lee Jaseung as if it were curious.
“Even so, you will only last a little while before being extinguished.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul was rather glad to see Lee Jaseung. There was still enough of the winner’s thrill left to enjoy.
The Heavenly Demon Soul now thought it would be able to regain its original power.
Lee Jaseung’s physical body was more than it had expected.
The time when the Heavenly Demon Soul can fully exert its power is when its size becomes huge. Now that it was settled in this body, it would be able to manifest gigantically.
If that only happened, no one could stop it. Moreover, it had taken over the body of the man who unified the world. Destroying the world would become an all too easy task.
“I will kill Baek Seolyoung first. I am curious. What kind of expression she will make while dying at your hands. Hahahaha.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul rejoiced just like a human.
“I plan to play with this Jianghu you took over to my heart’s content before eliminating it. I intend to clearly show humans themselves how weak and ugly they are.”
Lee Jaseung, who had been staring at the Heavenly Demon Soul in silence until then, spoke abruptly.
“How about you become honest now.”
“What?”
“The reason you did not come out of Cheon Myeongin’s body.”
For a fleeting moment, the Heavenly Demon Soul’s gaze wavered.
Through that opening, Lee Jaseung’s words that hit the mark flew in.
“Not that nonsense about being disappointed in humans, but the honest, real reason.”
“What nonsense are you talking about!”
The Heavenly Demon Soul shouted suddenly.
Lee Jaseung spoke coldly.
“Is it not because of the sense of betrayal that you were abandoned by your master?”
“Nonsense!”
Killing intent surged from the Heavenly Demon Soul’s body.
Lee Jaseung continued speaking regardless.
“You were just angry about being abandoned. Like a child abandoned by its parents.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul’s eyes slit long. Its angry face truly looked like a demon. Because it was an ambush of words that flew in while it was letting its guard down while enjoying victory, the Heavenly Demon Soul could not compose its emotions.
“I will tear you to pieces!”
The Heavenly Demon Soul lunged fiercely.
But the hand it swung passed through Lee Jaseung’s body.
Neither Lee Jaseung nor the Heavenly Demon Soul could touch each other. They existed like illusions to one another.
“So throw away those excuses about human nature and whatnot. Because it is disgusting.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul’s expression was completely crumpled. It wanted to strike down with a palm and smash Lee Jaseung’s head right now, but the only thing it could do was make Lee Jaseung disappear forever.
“Now, get out.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul strongly denied Lee Jaseung’s existence. This was its territory after all.
But Lee Jaseung did not disappear. Rather, he began to poke at more painful spots.
“Why did you not take over Ho Yeonshin’s body? You cannot enter because you are altered? Is that truly it? Even if that were the reason, the Nine Divine Demonic Arts should be able to return you to your original state, no? It is because the Nine Divine Demonic Arts did not reach peak mastery, you said? Rather, if you had helped, I think it would have already achieved peak mastery.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul only emitted thick killing intent and gave no answer.
Lee Jaseung knew the answer.
“Shall I say the answer out loud for you?”
He did not ask to seek an answer but because he wanted to shake the Heavenly Demon Soul with these words.
Lee Jaseung’s words flew in as sharp as a dagger.
“You were just afraid of being abandoned once again.”
Swooooosh!
The Heavenly Demon Soul’s killing intent exploded.
“You foolish bastard! Just shut your mouth!”
Erupting in anger and shouting profanities was an admission of Lee Jaseung’s words.
“Disappear! Stop and disappear!”
Far from disappearing, Lee Jaseung asked with an even more intense gaze.
“Why don’t you ask? Why I accepted you so obediently.”
“What?”
“Did you think I tried to face you with a mere Internal Shattering Technique?”
In an instant, the Heavenly Demon Soul was startled.
Lee Jaseung’s clear gaze was saying.
That even this far was what Lee Jaseung intended. That he was defeated on purpose to allow the grand art. That he intentionally drew the Heavenly Demon Soul into his own head.
“This is still my world.”
As if to prove it, at Lee Jaseung’s single word, the surrounding scenery began to change.
* * *
“Now.”
As Mujin threw his body without hesitation, Ma Young-gi followed suit and threw his body.
The place Mujin headed for was the exact spot where the two had been fighting.
After the Heavenly Demon Soul entered Lee Jaseung’s body, he just stood still like that.
Cheon Myeongin, who originally contained the Heavenly Demon Soul, had collapsed on the spot.
Mujin sensed that now was the only time to rescue Cheon Myeongin. Truly helping Lee Jaseung in this fight would not be jumping recklessly into the fight, but rescuing Cheon Myeongin in such a situation.
Ma Young-gi held Cheon Myeongin.
Even in the urgent situation, Mujin and Ma Young-gi stared at Lee Jaseung for a moment.
His eyes were tightly closed, but it felt as if he might snap open those pitch-black eyes without a single trace of white at any moment.
‘Stay strong, my Lord!’
Mujin believed that Lee Jaseung would not crumble so easily. He sincerely believed it.
Ma Young-gi, carrying Cheon Myeongin, and Mujin threw their bodies toward the building where Yim Sayeon was.
Cheon Myeongin, whom the Heavenly Demon Soul had exited, looked too haggard. It was a physical body that had endured until now because the Heavenly Demon Soul was inside it.
After laying him on the bed and Yim Sayeon injected inner Qi, he immediately regained consciousness.
A clear gaze that was so contrasting to his physical condition.
Yim Sayeon, as well as everyone there, knew. That it was the phenomenon of a brief recovery before death.
Everyone including Baek Seolyoung stepped aside to give them time alone.
“Mother?”
“Myeongin.”
“Where is this?”
Cheon Myeongin looked around.
Then Cheon Myeongin’s gaze turned toward Lee Jaseung standing alone far away.
“That person is?”
He did not know why the situation had turned out like this. Because after the Heavenly Demon Soul officially consumed him, he had lost all reason.
Yim Sayeon felt regret that her son was spending this precious time on grasping the situation.
“The grand art performed on you was to transplant the Heavenly Demon Soul. That Heavenly Demon Soul that was ruling your body is fighting Lee Jaseung right now.”
A light lament flowed from Cheon Myeongin’s mouth.
“Ah, I see.”
Cheon Myeongin’s gaze, which had been toward Lee Jaseung, turned toward Yim Sayeon. Surprisingly, he was feeling the fact that he would die soon.
“I am sorry, Mother.”
Cheon Myeongin was calm. So Yim Sayeon’s heart pained more.
“……Myeongin.”
“Still, I…… will not regret it.”
Yim Sayeon nodded.
“Yes, don't regret it.”
Yim Sayeon hugged Cheon Myeongin tightly. Although he was a son who had struggled in power struggles his whole life, he was a precious son to her.
“Mother…… I…… don't…… regret it.”
It was not words of love, nor was it words of apology.
Cheon Myeongin’s last words were ‘I don't regret it’.
Rather, those words became a comfort to her.
“Yes, my son. Go now.”
A single streak of tears flowed down along her thick wrinkles.
Still, it was a relief. Because he met his end as a person, and as a son, in the final moment.
She felt grateful to Lee Jaseung. Because thanks to him, her son could die while maintaining his dignity as a human.
Baek Seolyoung stood leaning outside the door.
Her reddened eyes were full of tears. She could not even begin to guess what kind of heart it was to have a child die before one’s eyes.
She clenched both hands and spoke softly.
“So…… my dear, stay strong.”