Chapter 172
Chapter 172
The muscles throughout her body tightened, and the skin of her face tingled. Killing intent-filled gazes flooding in from all directions pressed down on her mind.
That was why Kang Chowon smiled. Unyielding in the face of any crisis, she wore an eerily emotionless smile that almost reminded one of Youngho.
With eyes as cold as her settled heart, Kang Chowon stared directly at Cheon Muback.
The chilling gaze might have made someone falter, yet Cheon Muback smiled back.
It was the composure and smile that could only be shown by those who had stepped into the Domain of the Absolute.
The two looked at each other for a moment. It would not have been strange if blades were drawn immediately, yet Kang Chowon and Cheon Muback merely measured one another.
Soon, Cheon Muback opened his mouth.
“You’ve grown.”
“…….”
“Your realm has definitely become far stronger than it was during the last Dragon–Phoenix Gathering. It’s not even comparable.”
“What are you trying to say?”
When Kang Chowon answered sharply, Cheon Muback chuckled.
“You’re a discarded pawn. While you’re fighting, the Sword Exalted will surely try to escape.”
Kang Chowon gave no reply. She merely showed indifference like the calm sea before a raging storm.
“You cannot defeat me. The one who knows that best should be the very you standing in front of me.”
It was true. No matter how diligently Kang Chowon had trained her body, the difference in time could not be narrowed so easily.
Cheon Muback had trained his body for at least ten more years than Kang Chowon. Above all, there was the innate difference between man and woman.
In the end, the body of a slender woman could never produce strength greater than Cheon Muback’s.
Realm, physique— even their martial arts were on entirely different levels. Kang Chowon’s martial arts were ultimately those of a mortal practitioner, whereas Cheon Muback’s martial arts were none other than the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, said to be learnable only by the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult and the Young Cult Leader.
The gap was overwhelming. Cheon Muback was certain of his victory. Though his attitude was lofty and arrogant, Kang Chowon simply nodded faintly.
“Certainly, I can see why you’d say that. Compared to you, my body is still lacking, and my realm of martial learning is also insignificant. After all, you’re not inferior even when compared to Namgung Cheon.”
“If you know that, how about abandoning the Sword Exalted who gave you up and coming to the Divine Cult? Your talent is too dazzling to stop here. And…”
Cheon Muback briefly swept his gaze across Kang Chowon’s body and eyes before speaking.
“As a woman, your charm is overflowing as well.”
For an instant, the lust in Cheon Muback’s face was utterly disgusting, yet Kang Chowon merely watched him silently.
Taking that as affirmation, Cheon Muback grinned.
Before the smile could fully form, Kang Chowon spoke.
“Do you know the story of a man who killed someone far stronger than himself?”
“…What?”
“The gap between them was despairingly large. But the weaker one fought with everything he had. In the end, he succeeded in perishing together with the stronger man.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Even when Cheon Muback’s voice sank ominously, Kang Chowon continued her question.
“What do you think about that incident? How do you think the weak managed to defeat the strong?”
“Are you rejecting my offer now?”
“Answer me.”
For a moment Kang Chowon stared blankly at Cheon Muback, then spoke with pupils that had completely lost their vitality.
“What do you think?”
“Are you about to say you won’t give up and that you’ll charge at me prepared to die? How cliché.”
At that moment, Kang Chowon let out a scoff.
Anyone could tell it was ridicule. Cheon Muback frowned, and Kang Chowon—now with life shining in her eyes—said,
“I’m telling you not to decide the outcome of a battle by martial realm alone. If things were decided by that, I wouldn’t even be fighting you.”
Kang Chowon smiled faintly.
“You stupid brat.”
KWA-A-A-A-A-A!!!!
An explosive killing intent burst from Kang Chowon’s entire body, and Cheon Muback’s face stiffened instantly.
With cold eyes fixed on him, Kang Chowon spoke.
“Are you ready to die?”
Because I am.
Before she could even finish the thought, Cheon Muback instinctively sensed the threat and immediately stepped forward.
Heavenly Demon Descends Step.
The movement technique created to dominate the world erupted with terrifying force, solely to trample the woman named Kang Chowon.
However, the Heavenly Demon Descends Step was a technique completed only after three steps.
An incomplete step could not restrain Kang Chowon’s movement, and Cheon Muback immediately took his second step.
Under the pressure like Mount Tai falling from the sky, Kang Chowon unconsciously swung her sword through the air.
Yet for some reason, her sword halted midway, unable to advance any further.
Though it was an astonishing sight, Kang Chowon calmly retrieved her sword and stepped back for a moment.
No proper method to counter the Heavenly Demon Divine Art had ever been discovered.
Therefore, this was the moment to probe first.
But the instant she retreated, Kang Chowon regretted it. She realized too late that she should not have stepped back.
Confirming Kang Chowon’s position, Cheon Muback spoke toward the foolish one who had opened a distance of roughly ten zhang.
“A good position.”
The place where Kang Chowon stood was the most dangerous location once the Heavenly Demon Descends Step was fully completed.
And Cheon Muback took his final step.
KWA-AAAANG—!!!
Monstrous energy erupted from Cheon Muback’s body as the ground exploded. It was as if dozens of Lightning Bombs had detonated simultaneously beneath the earth.
Thick dust scattered through the air. Even without seeing, he could tell. It might not have been a strike capable of killing Kang Chowon, but it was certainly enough to inflict severe injury.
Using internal energy, he sent the dust obscuring his vision up into the sky. The ground, already split into a complete mess, could not be helped, but at least his sight was clearer than before.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, a sword qi the color of dark crimson blood arrived before Cheon Muback in an instant.
Startled, Cheon Muback reflexively moved his hand and blocked it.
It was such a weak sword qi that it could be stopped by the demonic energy unique to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art alone, even without throwing a punch.
Yet Cheon Muback’s instincts were still warning him that he was in danger.
A chill ran down the back of his neck.
Sensing something ominous, Cheon Muback hastily curled his body and rolled backward.
PA-A-ANG—!!!
Kang Chowon, who had already taken position behind him, swung her sword as though she would cut space itself.
However, when Cheon Muback dodged it easily, her eyes widened involuntarily.
She had used the brief moment when his vision had been limited by dust.
She had been certain that Cheon Muback would not notice.
After all, he possessed a disposition that relied more on the destructive power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art than on finesse.
“So you didn’t become the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult for nothing…”
Muttering softly, Kang Chowon slipped into the faint opening Cheon Muback revealed.
Her vicious sword, carrying a secret yet ferocious momentum, traced a brutal path as if to tear Cheon Muback apart.
Every time Sword Force and Fist Strike collided, the mountains wailed, and the clouds floating in the sky scattered, unable to withstand the violent shockwaves.
The fifty thousand troops Pungwol had brought had already evacuated long ago.
They had retreated quite far, but the destructive force was even greater than expected. Some might still be injured.
Slash!
Kang Chowon’s terrifying swift sword repeatedly cut Cheon Muback’s clothing and flesh.
Yet no matter how many times she cut him, even as his clothes were soaked in blood and torn apart, Cheon Muback’s wounds regenerated in the blink of an eye.
Even among Demonic Arts, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art possessed regeneration on an entirely different level.
Since it was the origin of all demonic arts, not only its regenerative ability but also the density of its demonic energy was on another dimension.
She barely managed to break through the demonic energy and slice flesh, yet it regenerated again and again.
As the battle dragged on, the one accumulating injuries was Kang Chowon.
Kang Chowon and Cheon Muback moved so quickly that even considerable experts would be unable to follow them with their eyes.
Earlier they had fought on a cliff, but now they were on flat ground.
Soon, they climbed onto the trees.
Kang Chowon used the trees to block Cheon Muback’s vision and deepen his confusion. With even the smallest movement, Cheon Muback was deceived by her motions and repeatedly suffered strikes.
KANG—!
When fist and sword collided, the enraged Cheon Muback uprooted a tree and hurled it toward Kang Chowon.
The tree flew faster than cannon fire, carrying enough force to shatter a normal person’s body even with a mere graze.
Kang Chowon once again hid behind a tree.
“Huff! Huff!”
Her unsteady breathing revealed just how exhausted she was.
Cheon Muback was certainly strong.
However, no matter how powerful the killing power of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was, releasing power recklessly like that was actually a bad move.
So far there had been no major problem, but now that her stamina had fallen greatly, things might be different.
Unlike her extreme fatigue, Cheon Muback still seemed to have plenty of leeway.
Throb!
Kang Chowon clutched her side where Cheon Muback had struck her earlier.
Fortunately, her internal organs had not been damaged. Even so, Cheon Muback’s punch did not need to hit organs to count as an effective blow.
The density of demonic energy within his fist was incomparably thicker than that of any Demonic Practitioner she had faced before. Even a small injury could become fatal.
After quickly steadying her breathing, Kang Chowon peeked again in Cheon Muback’s direction.
Hiding behind a tree while observing the opponent looked exactly like the behavior of an assassin, but she did not care.
This battle involved not only her life but also the lives of others.
If she could save others, Kang Chowon could discard a martial artist’s pride at any time.
But since earlier, a strange sense of foreboding had lingered.
Feeling puzzled, Kang Chowon thought.
‘What is this?’
Something felt off.
This sensation—she had experienced it countless times during sparring with Youngho.
Confusion. Yet it was slightly different from the confusion that came from not knowing the opponent’s intentions.
This feeling was clearly—
‘Am I being deceived?’
It felt as though the opponent had seen through her intentions and was trying to exploit them.
The moment Kang Chowon realized this, she immediately sharpened her senses to the utmost.
Her perception became so keen that she could even sense the presence of nearby ants.
Within that heightened Qi Sense, she felt demonic energy.
Right behind her.
BOOM—!
Crack!
“Urgh!”
The instant she sensed Cheon Muback’s presence, Kang Chowon twisted her body.
As her body moved according to instinct, the fist aimed at her heart fortunately veered off and struck her shoulder instead.
Before the fist left her shoulder, Kang Chowon grabbed Cheon Muback’s wrist.
Cheon Muback, who had been delighted to have finally landed a solid hit, was horrified when Kang Chowon grabbed his arm swirling with demonic energy.
Crunch!
No matter how much internal energy was concentrated in one’s hands, the demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was not something that could be grasped barehanded.
Yet Kang Chowon, seemingly feeling none of the pain of her hand tearing apart from the demonic energy, wore a chilling smile.
“If I get hurt, you should get hurt too.”
Before Cheon Muback could reply, Kang Chowon lifted her leg and kicked his face.
The sudden heavy impact froze Cheon Muback’s body for an instant.
Seizing that moment, Kang Chowon kicked the fallen sword away into the distance.
Then she immediately clung to one of Cheon Muback’s arms and grinned.
“Since I’m a frail woman, I have to use every trick.”
Binding Cheon Muback’s right arm with both legs, Kang Chowon spun her body.
CRACK—!
At the same time, Cheon Muback’s right arm twisted to a place it should never turn.
“You wench!”
“Don’t think it’s over!!”
Not satisfied with merely breaking his arm, Kang Chowon twisted her body further.
Realizing her intention, Cheon Muback slammed his right arm—still carrying her weight—into the ground to shake her off.
“Cough!”
Naturally, Kang Chowon was smashed into the ground as well.
The impact was so strong that stagnant blood burst from her mouth.
Yet Kang Chowon did not release Cheon Muback’s arm.
“Let go! I said let go!”
“Do you… think… I will…?”
In response to Cheon Muback’s desperate shout, Kang Chowon revealed blood-stained crimson teeth and smiled brightly.
“Thanks for the gift.”
BOOM—!
Tensing the muscles in her legs, Kang Chowon drove her foot into Cheon Muback’s abdomen.
Ordinarily, such force would have pierced straight through his stomach.
But befitting the Young Cult Leader who had mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Cheon Muback was merely pushed back.
CRRRRACK!!!
At the same time, Cheon Muback’s right arm was torn off.
Kang Chowon herself had suffered horrific injuries—her flesh ripped open so badly that white bone was exposed—yet she smiled even more brightly.
“I think this trade is worth it!”