The Martial Arts Prodigy Who Grows Through

Chapter 081. Four Phases Collapse (4)

Wi Cheon-rak had thought about his death quite often, and for a long time.

Born as the child of a lowly courtesan, he became a giant evil that controlled the world, so it could be said he had lived a life of rising in the world and gaining fame in his own way.

Even so, Wi Cheon-rak's desires were not exhausted. He was an extremely ordinary human. More, a little more. He climbed to this position constantly craving something.

If possible, he wants to not die. He wants to stand on the right side of the Cult Leader, immortal and eternal, and burn the world.

But if he dies...

At least the opponent would be one of the Eight Sovereigns of Murim. If possible, he hoped it would be the Heavenly Demon or the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle, who are the best among them. A desire for an honorable death closer to a martial artist than a sorcerer.

However, the one who actually drove a blade into Wi Cheon-rak's nape was a mere Armed Squad Leader of the Martial Sovereign Castle.

A fledgling not even thirty yet. A small fry who just reached the state of Ultra-Peak. At best, a disciple of the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle.

No matter how you look at it, he was a guy no better than a promising rising star.

― My child, do not be too disheartened.

It was the Cult Leader who saw through Wi Cheon-rak's desires better than anyone. He handed over the forbidden book, recruited him into the Cult, and bestowed the seat of Cardinal. Everything happened by the Cult Leader's decision.

That was also why he entrusted Wi Cheon-rak with the heavy responsibility of waking the Black Dragon in the north. Although he looks like a petty man chasing only his own desires on the surface, he is someone who can burn his everything for his goal when reaching the very end.

Well, it came close to failure in the end, but the Cult Leader was not that disappointed. Because he found a treasure comparable to burning half of the Central Plains.

― Child, Dam Jeok-san possesses much greater value than you think.

The Cult Leader whispered to Wi Cheon-rak in a soft and sweet voice as if really soothing a child.

'Hahahaha! Well, is he timber that might become the next Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle? But what is the use of that, I couldn't even kill him.'

However, what returned was an answer filled with gloomy and deep self-mockery. To Wi Cheon-rak, how great a state Dam Jeok-san would reach in the end was not a very important issue.

Unless he had nipped that bud, but since he couldn't even do that.

― You must know too... that there are things that have meaning only when they are not broken.

'......!'

Goosebumps rose all over Wi Cheon-rak's body at the words where sticky desire was felt.

The Cult Leader is an existence that has lived for an extremely long time. He reached the realm of immortality, but was cursed with his body corroding due to the demonic energy accumulated excessively in his body.

That is also why the Cult Leader, the highest combat power, does not easily step up to the front line and troublesomely projects power in this way.

― How new, didn't you know?

The Cult Leader continued in a still soft and sly voice.

'Yes, I was aiming for that moment. The moment when you, my Master, perform the Soul Transfer.'

― To strike the back of my head and take away power and the throne?

'...Yes.'

The Cult Leader spoke lightly as if asking about the weather of the day, not even mocking apostasy or betrayal. To that, Wi Cheon-rak answered without bothering to deny. Anyway, hiding the truth in a state of unity has no meaning.

― It is natural. Child, it is not just you. All Cardinals serving This Seat must be counting the days waiting for that day.

'What do you...!'

― This Seat only gave the seat of Cardinal to children with that much daring. So, even if I am really usurped, I have no intention of regretting it.

If there is a child who obtains that much power even by deceiving him and betraying the Cult, they would be able to bring about a chaotic world greater than the Cult Leader himself.

Monsters feed on chaos, covet war, and prosper.

― This Seat is satisfied with that.

'Ah...!'

Wi Cheon-rak felt a distant gap at that moment. To the Cult Leader, ego was nothing but a meaningless rag. What held value to him was only chaos and greater chaos. And the world covered with monsters that would arrive because of it.

Should he be called a madman in the true sense? Wi Cheon-rak was able to recall the thrill and awe of the day he first met the Cult Leader for the first time in a really long while.

The feelings of that day when he swore to dedicate his life and death, body and soul to him.

― Child, you are dying for me. Be satisfied with this.

The Cult Leader said in a gentle voice. Like a parent putting a child to sleep. But what came out of the Cult Leader's mouth was words to die for him. That is the essence of a cult where the Cult Leader takes everything from the believers.

'Thank, you.'

At that moment, Wi Cheon-rak returned to the boy who swore fanaticism to the Cult Leader while annihilating all the brothels where he was born and raised, not the Cardinal of the Yin God Cult stained with ambition and desire.

At that time, Wi Cheon-rak worshipped him as if possessed. Because all the forbidden arts he learned originated from the Cult Leader. To him at that time, it looked like a predator-prey relationship connected like a chain.

'I believed I escaped by ascending to the seat of Cardinal.'

In the end, he hadn't advanced a single step from then. As he accepted that fact, all resentment and indignation disappeared at once.

'I offer, myself, my everything, not only life but even death.'

It is not a simple lie. Wi Cheon-rak was really offering his death now. The ego of the Yin God Cult Leader settled in the soul of the Cardinal possessing the spirit and body he personally blessed.

“Child, I really must have you.”

And the Yin God Cult Leader spoke. Borrowing Wi Cheon-rak's soul and body. With his own voice.

* * *

A voice that shakes the spirit just by hearing it. The Northern Heaven Sword Venerable judged that the Yin God Cult Leader could not match the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle. But the methods of the Cult Leader, a sorcerer, are much more vicious and bizarre than the Castle Lord.

“Ha...”

Dam Jeok-san closed his mouth tightly enough to crack his molars. The Yin God Cult Leader's single remark contained transcendental magic power capable of captivating even the spirit of an Ultra-Peak master.

'That was dangerous.'

He almost naturally bowed his head to the ground, raised both hands to the sky, and worshipped. Saying please take and use my lowly body as much as you want. No, if he didn't have the experience of dealing with the Cult Leader once in the Dark Guest's thoughts, he would have definitely done so.

Dam Jeok-san barely regained his senses, but.

“Shut up and stop talking nonsense, fanatic.”

He said without showing such signs at all. As if he was fine.

“Hmm, strange. It shouldn't be a situation where you can be so confident.”

Wi Cheon-rak, or the Cult Leader, tilted his head and asked. A pure gesture like a curious child. But deep evil that no one could fully fathom resided in that inside.

The Cult Leader, who had lived for a very long time, could roughly figure out what kind of trick Dam Jeok-san used. Although he couldn't be sure since he hadn't reached the ultimate as a martial artist either.

'Aiming for the void created when a domain and a domain, those supreme powers collide and break...'

It is not an idea just anyone can come up with. Knowing that a void is created the moment domains collide is a fact one cannot know unless they have experienced countless battles between Entering Transformation Realm masters.

'If forced to understand, it is understandable.'

Since Dam Jeok-san's master, the Martial Sovereign, would be one of those who killed more Entering Transformation Realm masters than anyone under heaven.

However, there is a difference as distant as heaven and earth between knowing and doing. Even succeeding is harder.

Dam Jeok-san broke through all those difficulties and achieved the miracle of cutting the neck of a Yin God Cult Cardinal with merely the sword of an Ultra-Peak master. But the price of the miracle exceeding his capability was certain. The guy was in a moribund state. The acupoints and muscles of his whole body were torn to shreds, and his dantian was empty.

He probably can't even lift a spoon properly, let alone a sword.

Even a Third Rate warrior, not the Yin God Cult Leader, could kill the current Dam Jeok-san.

“The miracle given to you ended just now. It would be comfortable to give up obediently, I don't know why you are spitting out unspeakable curses.”

“Hahahahaha, you are saying something even the dead Second Senior Brother would laugh at.”

Dam Jeok-san burst into laughter as if he couldn't help but enjoy such a reaction. His Master also recognized his extraordinary nature, but couldn't notice exactly what the ability of Predation was. And it seemed the Yin God Cult Leader was the same.

If even the Yin God Cult Leader, an old monster who might have lived for ages comparable to the Black Dragon, doesn't know, there might be no existence under heaven that can clearly define Dam Jeok-san's ability.

Secret techniques are naturally more fatal the less they are revealed, and seem more dangerous the more mysterious they are. This will give the Cult Leader a clue to guess his ability, but...

'Even so, his insight cannot reach the essence of Predation.'

It was strange, but he felt such certainty.

“You have a long tongue. Fine, if you insist on choosing the penalty wine, I will play along sufficiently.”

The Yin God Cult Leader said in a gentle manner as if whispering, but.

“I told you, shut up.”

Dam Jeok-san retorted like that.

[Starting Predation.]

And pulled up the ability that had already begun to manifest to the fullest. Massive attraction force defying providence rose from Dam Jeok-san's body and began to greedily covet the demonic energy.

“......!”

At that moment, bewilderment resided in the Cult Leader's eyes for the first time. Because the demonic energy filling his spirit and body began to be extorted in an instant.

Something he had never experienced. During his long life, the Cult Leader had dealt with countless sorceries and martial arts. Among them, there were many strange arts unprecedented in history.

For example, like the Art of Absorb Star.

But the method extorting Wi Cheon-rak's demonic energy right now was higher and more sophisticated than any Art of Absorb Star the Cult Leader had seen.

Even the Art of Absorb Star of the Demonic Path Grandmaster who drove him to the brink of death 400 years ago, although much more powerful, did not show such completeness.

Actually, even though Wi Cheon-rak's body reached death, even though the Cult Leader's own ego clearly existed in the body, he couldn't offer a single resistance.

Equal to or greater than a domain.

If not that degree, it cannot be explained.

However, a domain is a kind of authority obtained by shedding the human form.

To possess it innately, one must be a Dragon or a disaster-rank monster comparable to it.

But in the Cult Leader's view, Dam Jeok-san was a pure human without a single speck.

“I wonder about your identity. I get, gree, dy...”

The Cult Leader's words flowed out sparsely. Because as the demonic energy drained out, beyond the realm of life and death, Wi Cheon-rak's existence itself was being obliterated.

So, even the Cult Leader could not resist the ability of Predation with this body.

“Khuhuhuhuhu...! Child, remember just one thing. This Seat has never missed what I wanted to have. I will give you a present for the last time.”

The Cult Leader babbled, laughing like a madman as if something was so amusing. And that babbling became his death throes.

Because the intense attraction force rising from Dam Jeok-san's body sucked in Wi Cheon-rak's demonic energy without filtering.

[The total amount of preyed demonic energy exceeds the capacity limit of the Three Dantians.]

He hastily finished what should have been done slowly over time. If it's the price for preventing his body from being taken by the Cult Leader, it's considered cheap, but...

[Wicked thoughts overflow. Be careful not to lose yourself.]

It won't be easy. The moment Dam Jeok-san thought so, his body tilted and collapsed on the ground.

“Young Master!!”

Gyeong-won, who was already covered in blood, shouted in great shock.

“Martial Nephew...”

The Sword Venerable, who still hadn't completely escaped the aftermath of the Four Phases Collapse, drew her sword and approached, tearing apart the providence blocking her actions.

Not only them. Everyone who could move was coming towards Dam Jeok-san.

And.

GRRRRRRRRR―!

Far away, a monster huge enough to be distant was coming towards this desert. The present the Cult Leader mentioned seemed to be that.

“How troublesome.”

With such a sentiment, Dam Jeok-san felt his consciousness being sucked into somewhere unknown.