Chapter 25
Looking at Jaseong's calm face, Red Demon's eyes filled with a deep murderous intent.
"An upstart like you beating both 5th and 6th Freak? I can't believe it."
"......."
"Brat. What trick did you pull to take down the 5th and 6th Freak?"
At Red Demon's murderous question, Jaseong just replied nonchalantly.
"If you really want to know what trick I used, ask your buddies in the afterlife. I'll send you there soon enough."
At Jaseong's retort, the murderous aura around Red Demon thickened even further.
The air itself seemed to sharpen with the intensity he exuded.
"... I'll tear you to pieces with all my might. Your flesh and bones will know pain."
Gone was his usual mischief; Red Demon's face was deadly serious as he scattered Blood Silver Thread in the air. Red Demon's secret technique, Red Blood Silver Thread Technique, had begun.
"Blood Silver Myriad Rain!"
The tips of the scattered Blood Silver Threads suddenly split into dozens, pouring down on the ground like a torrential downpour.
Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk!
The razor-sharp Blood Silver Threads fell like rain. Before them, Jaseong stood like a blind man with open eyes.
"What? You were so bold earlier, and now you can't even track my Blood Silver Thread with your eyes?!"
Red Demon shouted, mocking him. But this sight was not unfamiliar.
Many martial artists had fallen just like Jaseong, looking like blind men before Red Demon's Blood Silver Thread.
The threads were so thin, so fast, and, on a night like this, nearly invisible.
"Let your whole body be shredded to pieces and die! Kehehe!"
Red Demon let out a mad guffaw. But in that instant—
Shuaak!
Jaseong, who had been standing still, suddenly rushed forward. Then—
Ssak! Kaang!! Ssak! Kakakakakakang!!!
Jaseong dodged or deflected all the falling Blood Silver Threads as he charged toward Red Demon.
'?!'
It was a sight Red Demon never expected. The next moment, Jaseong was already at his chest.
'A move that sweeps away tens of thousands in a single horizontal swing—Heaven Evading Sweeping All Armies.'
Jaseong's sword flashed dazzlingly toward Red Demon. In a hurry, Red Demon pulled his Blood Silver Thread back and blocked the blow.
Kaang!!!!
A shrill clash of metal rang out, and Red Demon retreated quickly, widening the distance between them.
Then he once again unleashed Blood Silver Thread, this time with even fiercer attacks.
'Blood Silver Heaven Net'
Dozens of Blood Silver Threads spread in chaos before Jaseong's eyes, targeting him from all directions. But shockingly—
Seuk— Saak! Kaang!!
Jaseong dodged or deflected all the lightning-fast threads.
He dealt handily with the assassin's weapon—the best Killing Valley had to offer—even though you could barely see it in the darkness.
'H-h-how...?!'
Jaseong's astounding display was simple in principle.
Saaaa—
When Jaseong activated the Samadhi Eyes, time slowed and the energies Red Demon released came fully into view.
They fluttered through the air like red threads.
'... It's probably because of that sinister weapon of his.'
Because Jaseong could fully see the intention Red Demon infused, the trajectory of the Blood Silver Threads was perfectly clear.
And with time slowed, they looked as if they were barely moving at all.
All Jaseong had to do was dodge between the slowed threads and counterattack.
'... Too easy. This thread technique is the perfect opponent for Samadhi Eyes...!'
Contrary to Pacheon Gong's worries, Red Demon's Blood Silver Thread Technique was the most compatible weapon for Jaseong.
Of course, Red Demon, ignorant of Jaseong's ability, had confusion and shock all over his face.
'T-this kid...how?! No one's ever dodged the Red Blood Silver Thread Technique so perfectly before!'
It was true.
Even the masters Red Demon had assassinated during his Killing Valley days hadn't dodged the Red Blood Silver Thread Technique this completely.
'... How can this kid with such poor inner strength deflect my Blood Silver Thread...?!'
The situation for Red Demon was a string of calamities.
But as one of the most notorious Dark Path masters of Zhejiang Province, Red Demon still had a trump card.
"You can't dodge this! Red Blood Silver Thread Technique's ultimate form—Silver Thread Blood Dragon!"
Just as he and Jaseong had exchanged around two hundred moves, Red Demon suddenly exploded with all his power and unleashed his ultimate attack.
KWAANG!!
In that instant, the Blood Silver Threads formed dozens of overlapping circles, swirling around at fearsome speed like a dragon rising.
They began closing in on Jaseong from all sides.
"?!"
It was an attack with no retreat—front, back, left, and right.
Trapped in the vortex of Blood Silver Threads, Jaseong was at a loss.
Then, in a single instant—
Puaaak!!
Blood Silver Thread slashed Jaseong from head to toe.
'... Got him!!!'
Red Demon, finally believing he had defeated Jaseong, let out an ecstatic laugh.
"Kehaha! Die, torn to pieces!!"
But barely had he begun to laugh when something strange happened.
The Blood Silver Thread, which should have been covered in Jaseong's blood, was clean.
Then—
Srrrk—
The form of Jaseong, which should have been chopped apart, dissolved into smoke.
Only then did Red Demon realize.
'An illusion?!'
Indeed.
What Red Demon had struck was an illusion conjured by Jaseong's Heaven Evading Phantom Step.
Shuaaak!
The real Jaseong was where Red Demon least expected—outside the vortex, right behind him.
Pusshuk!
The next moment, Jaseong's blue sword pierced Red Demon's back.
"Kehek!"
The tip of Jaseong's sword burst through Red Demon's chest, and he coughed up blood.
"H-how...?"
With a face like one trapped in a dream, Red Demon turned his head.
He'd used his ultimate move, but didn't even draw a drop of Jaseong's blood, and was cut down instead.
The secret was simple.
With his Samadhi Eyes already activated, Jaseong had sensed Red Demon's move before Silver Thread Blood Dragon was unleashed.
So he used Heaven Evading Phantom Step to create an illusion and, before the vortex of threads closed in, darted like lightning behind Red Demon.
The illusion produced by Heaven Evading Phantom Step was so convincing that Red Demon failed to notice.
That was why Jaseong was able to land the finishing blow.
"H-how...just...kuh! How...?"
Jaseong replied with an expressionless face.
"I told you earlier. If you want to know what trick I used, ask your buddies in the afterlife."
"Kuheuk...!"
"So get going. To the afterlife, where your friends are."
"Kuheuk...! W-wait...!"
Red Demon screamed for his life, but Jaseong—showing no mercy—swiftly beheaded him.
Chuaaak!!
A bloodied sword sliced through the moonlight. The villain's head soared helplessly through the air.
This was the moment the prodigy of the red-light district, the Calamity Sent form Heaven, eradicated the petty evils of the martial world.
* * *
While Jaseong fought a desperate battle with Red Demon, Pacheon Gong had only one thought: defeat Black Demon quickly and join up with Jaseong.
'... Jaseong should've been the one facing Black Demon. He's grown enough to have contested with me in a hundred-second match. He should be able to hold his own against Black Demon, too...'
Growing impatient, Pacheon Gong wanted to end things with Black Demon quickly.
But Black Demon, instead of attacking as before, kept his distance and stalled for time.
He knew he couldn't handle Pacheon Gong alone. He was just waiting for Red Demon to finish off Jaseong and come join him.
But just as Pacheon Gong and Black Demon went back and forth—
Chuaaak!!
Suddenly there was the sound of a blood fountain erupting.
Hearing this, Pacheon Gong's eyes rolled frantically, fearing Jaseong had been struck down.
But just as he turned his head—
"......!"
"......!!"
Both Pacheon Gong and Black Demon froze. Something utterly unexpected was happening beside them—
Jaseong had just sliced off Red Demon's head.
"... Red Demon got taken down by that blood-soaked brat?"
Red Demon's head, flying weakly through the air.
Seeing it, Black Demon was stunned.
The fighters of Fierce Sky Faction and Kaiyang Society, who had been fiercely dueling, dropped their swords and stared blankly at Jaseong.
"Hoo...."
Jaseong, having defeated Red Demon, let out a long sigh. But the murderous intent in his eyes had not subsided.
He would kill them all. He had not yet fulfilled his threat.
"It's your turn now."
Jaseong pointed his bloodied sword at Black Demon. The sheer force of his presence made Black Demon flinch involuntarily.
"You bloodthirsty brat!!"
With his eyelids twitching furiously, Black Demon gripped his black scimitar.
But instead of throwing himself at Jaseong for revenge as expected, the next moment he made an absurd move.
"I'll get you next time!"
He chose to flee instead of avenging his longtime companion. His own life mattered more than his dead comrade.
But unfortunately for him, Black Demon couldn't even escape.
Pusshuk! Chuaaak!!!
Pacheon Gong did not miss the opening as Black Demon lost his wits.
Unleashing all his inner power, he darted over with Shadow Movement and, as Black Demon twisted to run, skewered his heart in a single thrust.
"Kehek?!"
"There won't be a next time. It ends here tonight."
With that single scream, Black Demon died. Seeing him fall, all the Kaiyang Society's Dark Path fighters lost their will to keep fighting.
With both their leaders dead, how could they continue?
Now they looked at Jaseong and Pacheon Gong with terror in their eyes.
Jaseong addressed them with words enough to make their legs tremble.
"Whoever else wants to die, speak up. I'll cut your head off for you."
Jaseong's icy, murderous gaze swept over the Dark Path men. The moment the words left his mouth—
Changchangchangchangchang!
Dozens of Kaiyang Society fighters threw down their swords and surrendered.
For the Fierce Sky Faction warriors watching, it was a sight enough to send chills down the spine.
"Uwaaa!!!"
"We won!!!!"
Joy, relief, awe, exhilaration—Fierce Sky Faction warriors cheered, overcome with emotion.
As their shouts rang out, Jaseong finally let his murderous intent fade.
'... At last, the long night is over.'
Jaseong muttered with a noticeably lighter face. In this moment, a strong thrill was rising within him.
'Heaven Evading Phantom Step... It's a far greater footwork technique than I'd imagined.'
Having reached the level of producing illusions, he'd defeated three of the Seven Freaks of Zhejiang, including their top member, Red Demon.
With his mastery of Heaven Evading Phantom Step, Jaseong was now stronger than ever before.
"... Brazen kid."
At that moment, Pacheon Gong, covered in blood, approached him.
But the once-ferocious old tiger now wore a smile Jaseong had never seen before.
"... I just told you to buy time, but you went and killed Red Demon instead."
"Are you alright?"
"You think I'm the sort to get killed by these nobodies? Anyway, well done. And...."
"?"
"Thank you."
A brusque word from the taciturn Pacheon Gong—short, but full of emotion.
Knowing what it meant, Jaseong allowed himself a faint smile.
And then—
Saaaa—
* * *
Suddenly, a white mist rose before Jaseong's eyes, and a majestic voice echoed in his head.
〈You have fulfilled the third Heaven's Mandate... Three seals of the Celestial Realm have been undone.〉
At these words, Jaseong forgot his exhaustion and his eyes flashed wide.
He'd fulfilled Heaven's Mandate of eradicating the Little Evil by eliminating the fiends known as the Seven Freaks of Zhejiang.
'... I'd heard that because of Kaiyang Society's atrocities, dafang's merchants were left in tears of blood... Maybe that's why the Celestial Realm called them Little Evil...'
In any case, Jaseong's heart brimmed with a sense of accomplishment. He had successfully carried out the third Heaven's Mandate.
And as a reward—
Chwararak!
A translucent Heaven Evading Way manual appeared before his eyes.
Visible only to Jaseong, the manual revealed a new chapter as the restrictions of the Celestial Realm were lifted.
The moment Jaseong saw the newly revealed section, his eyes twitched in surprise.
[Fourth Chapter -Secret Technique]
Jaseong's heart thudded wildly in his chest.
"Secret Technique."
A term that means a hidden or secret skill.
To a martial artist, it's a title anyone would covet.
Just rumors of a reclusive master's secret technique can stir the whole martial world.
But a secret technique of the sword immortal Lü Dongbin himself?
That was a treasure to make the whole martial world open its eyes wide in shock.
'... Maybe now, I could soon acquire the strength to reach those enemies...'
Jaseong took advantage of the Fierce Sky Faction warriors being busy cleaning up to slip into an inner chamber.
There, with no one around, he opened the Heaven Evading Way manual.
But when he revealed the 'secret technique,' the newly unlocked fourth chapter...
Another astonishing development occurred.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Bad matchup...
Invisible threads are useless when the enemy knows where it's coming from...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】