The vortex that had raged as if to destroy the heavens and earth suddenly vanished.
Noh Goonsang gazed at the slowly brightening dawn sky bitterly, as if he could sense the Fire King's end. "Damn it, Hyung-nim! Why did you go and leave your little brother behind?"
To say his body was a wreck was an understatement. His martial arts uniform was torn to shreds, its original form impossible to guess, and his entire body was soaked in blood. Most of the strong fingers he had trained his entire life were broken and dangled loosely. His arms bent at bizarre angles, their muscles twisted. Finding an unbroken bone was difficult. Given his condition, it was a miracle he was even standing.
Despite this, Noh Goonsang still stood his ground firmly.
"You... you tenacious old fogey..."
Across from him, the Undying Supreme Demon shuddered with rage. His martial arts uniform was also in tatters, and his disheveled hair stuck out in all directions from the fierce battle. Compared to Noh Goonsang, however, he had few visible injuries, thanks to the regenerative power of the Undying Demonic Art.
SSSSSK...
Like magic, the wounds he had sustained moments ago healed as if they had never been there. Lacerations sealed themselves, and the blood that had spilled onto the ground squirmed and gathered at his feet, collecting in a pool.
SPLISH! SPLASH!
With every step the Undying Supreme Demon took, the pool of blood moved with him, following its master like a sentient spirit beast. "Do you have any idea how much precious lifeblood I have shed because of you?"
"Bwahahahaha!" Noh Goonsang burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking with mirth.
The Undying Supreme Demon frowned. "What's so funny?"
"Watching a blood-sucking demon try to act like a powerful noble is so hilarious. You may be called the Head Elder in the Blood Cult, but out here, you're just another demonic fiend waiting to be hunted down and killed. Why don't you start acting the part?"
The Undying Supreme Demon glared at his opponent, eyes glinting with a chilling killing intent. "I should have ripped out your sharp tongue long ago."
The Undying Demonic Art he had mastered was somewhat lacking in destructive power compared to other ultimate martial arts, but by absorbing blood, he could steal another's inner arts and innate energy, granting him a regenerative ability worthy of the name 'undying.' While the martial art was ill-suited for short, decisive battles, it grew more advantageous the longer a fight dragged on. For this reason, his survivability and endurance were difficult for even a peerless master to overcome.
And yet... why am I the one getting tired?
The Undying Supreme Demon regarded Noh Goonsang with exasperation. Unlike himself, Noh Goonsang was wounded, bled, and sustained fractures with every exchange, yet he never shied away from a full-power, close-quarters brawl.
At first, the sight of the old man struggling with his aged body had been laughable. Now, a feeling akin to fear slowly crept into the Undying Supreme Demon's heart, but he forced that sensation down and laughed fiercely. "In any case, it seems that the withered Fire King has finally crossed the river to the underworld. The Second Apostle must have gotten carried away after our long respite and toyed with her new plaything."
Noh Goonsang scoffed at the provocation, which was clearly aimed at rattling his nerves. "Do you think the great Fire King would walk the path to the afterlife alone? He surely took that apostle with him as a travel companion."
"Kekeke! An old man's dreams are truly delusional. You'll be more than enough of a travel companion for the Fire King."
The pool of blood at the Undying Supreme Demon's feet gurgled and climbed up his legs, covering his entire body like a suit of armor. He smiled grotesquely, revealing blood-red teeth. "I'll admit it. Even after our Cult mobilized this much power, we had a hard time wiping you out. All the more I must annihilate you all right here."
If it were an opponent he couldn't defeat without using the Heaven Defying Divine Art, he wouldn't hesitate, but.
"Not as long as I'm alive."
"Kekeke! First, I'll suck you dry of every last drop of blood." Letting out a monstruous laugh, the Undying Supreme Demon charged, closing the distance in an instant
His regenerative ability had already been significantly weakened from his fight with Noh Goonsang, and Baek Suryong was close to breaking it.
The stench of blood washed over Noh Goonsang, but he miraculously lifted his limp arms, which had seemed incapable of moving.
SHHHHK!
Due to the innumerable shadow arms that appeared when he performed his martial arts, he was known as the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva. Now, however, only about a dozen arms materialized. Each arm was still powerful enough to shatter boulders, but to a master like the Undying Supreme Demon, they must have looked like nothing more than flailing branches.
This will be the last time.
His body wouldn't cooperate, and his qi center was empty. It wouldn't have been strange for him to collapse at any moment, but his single-minded determination to protect the Azure Dragon Academy kept his old body going.
As he drew closer to death, however, his mind quieted. Distractions and worldly desires vanished, and his heart became as clear as still water.
"...Amitabha."
The moment the crimson hands reached his eyes, Noh Goonsang unconsciously appealed to the Buddha. As he extended his palms, the Thousand-Armed Buddha Palm, enveloped in a white aura, collided with the Undying Supreme Demon's bloodied palms.
A flash of light erupted.
"Keuak!"
The Undying Supreme Demon screamed and retreated, seared by the sacred energy of Shaolin martial arts, the natural enemy of his demonic art.
In exchange, however, Noh Goonsang's arms became completely unusable. The repeated impacts had shattered his bones completely.
Still, he did not give up. Lunging at the retreating Undying Supreme Demon, he muttered chillingly, "Let's end this here."
He didn't care that he couldn't use his arms. Although he was currently a respected elder of the orthodox sects, in the past, he was a martial artist so aggressive that Blood Cult followers called him a beast and the orthodox sects referred to him as the Mad Dog.
If I don't have teeth, I'll fight with my gums.
CHOMP!
Baek Suryong narrowed his eyes as he examined the battered Noh Goonsang. He could tell at a glance how severe the injuries were. The bones in the old man's arms and hands were nearly crushed, possibly ending Noh Goonsang's life as a martial artist.
"Keuak! You crazy old man! Get off me!" the Undying Supreme Demon shrieked, desperately trying to shake off Noh Goonsang, who had bitten him in the neck. At last, the great villain who had spent his life sinking his teeth into others' necks was getting his comeuppance.
THUD!
*I have to slow down his regeneration speed, even if just a little.
After a brief scuffle, the Undying Supreme Demon slammed Noh Goonsang to the ground and gasped for breath, pressing a palm firmly against his neck where a chunk of flesh had been torn away.
"Ptui!" Staggering to his feet, Noh Goonsang spat out the blood and flesh in his mouth and smiled chillingly, revealing blood-stained teeth. "Maybe it's because you're old, but your skin is tough. I thought I was chewing on tree bark."
Unfortunately, the reaction he hoped for never came.
"...I swear, I will tear you into a thousand, no, ten thousand pieces."
Noh Goonsang smiled triumphantly. Even though the Undying Supreme Demon's regenerative ability was still intact, the wound on his neck was healing much slower than before.