Chapter 4 : Heavenly Demon
Chapter 4: Heavenly Demon
Dan Woojin watched the stone statues raise their swords with a grinding sound as he surveyed his surroundings.
The time remaining until he had to pass the Demonic Cave was twenty-three days.
He had brought enough fasting pills and water to last those twenty-three days.
Fortunately, the statues did not attack immediately.
To understand the reason, he looked around and saw a line drawn on the floor, appearing like a boundary.
It likely meant they would move the moment he crossed that line.
In other words, they would not attack as long as he did not approach.
Dan Woojin began to step backward away from the boundary.
Then.
Pause.
The statues that were about to move came to a halt.
“As I thought.”
There was no way the cave was designed to force someone to fight frantically for a month without eating anything.
Strictly speaking, the purpose of the Demonic Cave was training.
Though the trials were difficult enough to kill, the Demonic Cave was a place one could escape if they trained diligently.
At any rate, he thought it best to focus on mastering a martial art to deal with the statues for now.
In a month's time, even if he could not pull his body back to the state of his past life, he had to reach a condition capable of passing the Demonic Cave.
Only then could he show his changed self to the older brothers and sisters he would meet outside.
“Sword techniques huh…”
Through a week of training, he had gained some control over his footwork and the flow of inner Qi.
He was now able to use two of the Ten Eye Arts based on the Soul Killing Art, and he had finished his footwork training to the point of achieving freedom of movement while passing the first trial.
Now, to defeat the statues, he had to master a sword technique powerful enough to destroy them.
“I suppose I have two things I must learn.”
One was Am Yeong’s unique sword technique, the Soul Killing Sword.
While it was not a martial art designed for fighting statues, he felt it best to start with the basics he originally knew to begin his sword training again.
And the other was.
“The Asura Demonic Sword.”
The basics were the most fundamental.
The reason he chose the Asura Demonic Sword, a technique every candidate for Young Cult Leader would know, was that the Second Young Master, who became the Young Cult Leader in his past life, had practiced it more diligently than any other sword technique.
The Second Young Master, Dan Hyunwoo, who became the successor with only the Asura Demonic Sword.
It was the path chosen by the Second Young Master, who was more brilliant than any genius Am Yeong had ever seen.
And the Second Young Master had proven the results.
Having witnessed that with his own eyes, was there any need for conflict?
The important thing was.
‘I have only seen it many times, so I don't know exactly how to execute the Asura Demonic Sword.’
What remained in his head were only the memories of the battle against the Second Young Master, where Am Yeong had fought based on the Soul Killing Sword.
“For now, it seems best to train the Soul Killing Sword first.”
Conveniently, a perfect opponent was right before his eyes.
* * *
Boom!
The floor was deeply gouged by the sword slammed down by a statue.
‘If I allow an attack to land… I will be on my way to the underworld immediately.’
Stepping through the Steps of the Killing Soul, Dan Woojin began to use the sword he obtained from the first trial to face the sword strikes swung by the statues.
As he concentrated inner Qi into his eyes, they were dyed red.
When his Red Eyes manifested, the statues' sword paths became visible.
Dodging the swords using his footwork, he unleashed the Soul Killing Sword.
The rapid sword style unleashed from Dan Woojin’s hand struck the statue's blade dozens of times in an instant.
“Not even a crack.”
It was fortunate he had infused inner Qi into his sword, otherwise, the blade might have shattered instead.
As expected, there was a limit to the Soul Killing Sword.
Am Yeong’s main specialty was stealthy movement.
Fighting openly like this was not a combat style that suited Am Yeong.
‘A way to defeat this statue.’
He had to find that method.
‘Is it possible with the Asura Demonic Sword I learned by observation?’
The nine statues were guarding the second trial.
One might expect them all to attack, but they seemed poised to remain still until the first statue was defeated.
“Wait a minute.”
Nine?
Once again, his red eyes scanned the statues.
Whish—
He saw that the swung sword strikes were unified.
‘The same… method?’
Identifying the path of the sword swung by the statue, Dan Woojin’s eyes flashed.
He confirmed that the forms of the swords swung by the statues matched the sword forms he had seen.
“So that was it.”
He felt he finally understood why the Cult Leader put the Young Cult Leader candidates into the Demonic Cave ahead of the birthday event.
“These are statues that execute the Asura Demonic Sword, aren't they?”
The children of the Cult Leader who had learned the Asura Demonic Sword in advance would have been able to see through the weaknesses of the sword techniques and defeat the statues.
Conversely, Dan Woojin could learn the Asura Demonic Sword by following the sword forms swung by the statues.
The second trial of the Demonic Cave.
The Statue Duel.
It was a trial to defeat nine statues that used the nine forms of the Asura Demonic Sword exactly as they were.
Even better, upon checking with his Red Eyes, he saw that inner Qi was being mobilized to swing the swords, as if the statues contained it.
Thanks to this, Dan Woojin could see and learn the forms swung by the statues along with the mnemonics of the Asura Demonic Sword, then test them immediately against the statues.
Asura Demonic Sword, First Sword.
Asura Wind and Clouds.
Craaack!
A single sword strike.
He unleashed the exact same form, but Dan Woojin was able to accurately target the point where the sword path connected.
As a result, the statue was shattered into pieces by Dan Woojin’s single strike and rolled across the floor of the cave.
Rumble.
As soon as he defeated the first statue, the next one showed movement.
Seeing that, a smile appeared on Dan Woojin’s lips.
It was a crisis where he might die while observing the statue's movements if he made even a slight mistake, yet Dan Woojin laughed all the more.
It was because he felt that if he could just overcome this difficult test, he could become stronger than in the past.
* * *
Half a month later.
“Huff, huff.”
Exhaling sharply once again in the still dark Demonic Cave, Dan Woojin gripped his sword before the final ninth statue.
If he defeated this statue, he could reach the door confirmed as the only passage in the Demonic Cave to move on to the next trial behind the ninth statue.
For half a month, there was nothing in Dan Woojin’s head but thoughts about the sword.
What is a sword?
In the past, the Soul Killing Sword Am Yeong learned was a sword trained to kill people.
Habit is a scary thing; during his time in the Black Shadow Army, Am Yeong always suppressed opponents by swinging a fast sword tailored to the enemy without using fixed forms.
Against the statues, he always started by unleashing the Soul Killing Sword as well.
He would test the Soul Killing Sword against the Asura Demonic Sword, making an effort to supplement the Soul Killing Sword’s deficiencies as much as possible while learning the forms of the Asura Demonic Sword.
When he swung toward the statues' weaknesses using the Asura Demonic Sword learned in that manner.
He was able to break the statues easily.
However,
‘It feels a bit lacking.’
The Asura Demonic Sword alone felt somewhat bland.
Second Sword, Asura’s Single Shadow.
Third Sword, Asura’s Finishing Touch.
Fourth Sword, Asura’s Red History.
Up to here, it was fine, but from the fifth to the eighth sword, he could not defeat the statues by unleashing only the Asura Demonic Sword.
At first, he wondered if it was because he hadn't mastered the Asura Demonic Sword properly.
However, as he swung the sword more and more, he realized that was not the case.
‘I think it would work if I changed it a little more like this.’
Am Yeong was a man who had fought in real battles for twenty years in the Demonic Cult.
As the Black Shadow Army was the most elite force of the Demonic Cult, most of its missions were dangerous.
Am Yeong had lived as the Vice Captain of such a unit, and he had the opportunity to witness many sword forms and high level martial arts.
At the time, he did not have time to think about the martial arts others performed.
Because he had to do his best to survive day by day.
So he hadn't been able to think deeply about it, but now it was different.
He felt he could attack the statues more efficiently if he melted the forms of the Asura Demonic Sword into the foundation of the Soul Killing Sword.
It was a method only Dan Woojin, who possessed eyes that could see an opponent’s weaknesses, could perform.
“I did not expect this to work.”
He had only intended to try it, but it actually worked.
Having defeated the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth statues using the newly modified sword forms, Dan Woojin raised his sword before the final opponent of the second trial, the ninth statue.
As fighting spirit surged from Dan Woojin’s body, the statue reacted.
Swoosh!
The statue swung its massive sword, and though he saw the blade, Dan Woojin no longer thought of dodging.
“Thank you, I feel as if I have learned a new sword tailored perfectly for me thanks to you.”
He even gave it a new name.
The Soul Killing Demonic Sword.
The sword strike the statue unleashed was the ninth form of the Asura Demonic Sword, Asura Destroys the Primordial World.
Slash!
The sword swung by the statue cut Dan Woojin in two.
If someone had seen that scene, they would have been shocked.
It was because Dan Woojin’s figure, which seemed certain to be split in half, scattered like a mirage.
Dan Woojin reappeared behind the statue.
“Thanks to you, I also realized that I can defeat enemies more easily in direct confrontation if I fight in my own way.”
Conveying his final farewell to the statue, Dan Woojin swung his sword.
Swish, flash, swish!
He eliminated the fixed form from the Asura Destroys the Primordial World, which involves swinging the sword dozens of times in a single strike.
He swung his sword relentlessly toward the target predicted as the opponent's weakness, visible to his red glowing eyes.
A sword strike that seemed as if it would burn even the soul if the statue had one was swung toward the statue.
Crack, snap, crumble!
The final remaining ninth statue began to collapse.
Thud!
“Phewww.”
When Dan Woojin, who had held his breath to swing the sword, exhaled again, he realized he had passed the second trial of the Demonic Cave.
Rumble.
It was because the door to the third trial was opening as soon as the ninth statue collapsed.
Dan Woojin slowly moved his steps after retrieving his sword.
In the first trial, he built physical stamina.
In the second trial, he trained his sword techniques.
If so, what was the remaining third and final trial?
— To properly master martial arts, one must know how to unify the mind, the energy, and the body.
Suddenly, the words spoken by the ten instructors who trained Am Yeong came to mind.
If the first trial corresponded to the body, then the second trial had to be seen as corresponding to energy.
Because one had to know how to control the flow of energy to execute sword techniques.
If that was the case, then what remained was…
Clop, clop.
As he slowly walked through the dark passage leading to the third trial, he saw a door with light leaking out.
When he stepped inside that door.
“This place is…”
The third trial of the Demonic Cave was narrower than the other two trials.
All that was there was a single table and two chairs.
Slide.
As Dan Woojin entered the door, the door disappeared.
Meaning the path he came from had vanished.
“…A formation, I see.”
What was he supposed to do, trapped in such a small space?
“Is it a space meant for mental cultivation or something?”
Seeing that there were two chairs, it seemed the third trial might involve a conversation with someone.
He decided to sit in a chair and wait for now.
“……”
Nothing happened, and no presence of anyone was felt at all.
“The door to get out is…”
Nowhere to be found.
If the space where Dan Woojin was currently sitting was inside a formation, he had to find the Gate of Life.
Only then could he escape from the formation.
The important thing was.
“I need at least some clue to even think of escaping.”
“Is it true that you truly wish to leave?”
Flinch.
At that moment.
He heard the voice of a stranger.
Clearly, no one had been there.
Yet, a man wearing a black dragon robe was sitting in the opposite chair.
Gulp.
Dan Woojin stared at the man with an extremely tense expression after confirming the man’s face.
It was because if one were a warrior belonging to the Demonic Cult, they could not fail to know who the man was.
“I will ask again. Do you wish to leave the Demonic Cave?”
The absolute of All Demons.
The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult and Dan Woojin’s father.
The Heavenly Demon, Dan Cheonwoo, was asking.