Chapter 173 The Chase (6)
Fist Demon clenched his fists and stared straight ahead. Before long, he could see Jaun slowly walking towards him.
"...A little brat?"
Fist Demon, who had narrowed his eyes and was about to say something, suddenly stopped moving and assumed a defensive stance.
His appearance was clearly that of a young man not yet of age, but the aura emanating from his body held a power so vast that its limits could not be fathomed.
Sweat began to form on Fist Demon's forehead as he was overwhelmed by that aura.
"Who... are you?"
A fierce momentum surged around Fist Demon as he stared at Jaun with a tense expression.
Jaun's contained energy was at a level that even Fist Demon found difficult to measure accurately.
But there was one thing.
He could clearly feel that the unknown energy was exuding a sharpness that seemed capable of cleaving even the soul.
'With such refined energy, he's at least at the Transcendental Peak Realm. No, he's beyond that.'
A child who possessed an aura that could intimidate him, a member of the Seven Demons.
Fist Demon had never heard of anyone with this much power in the Central Plains.
'...Is he a master who has undergone rejuvenation?'
Fist Demon released his demonic energy to try and read Jaun's energy again, but his own demonic energy simply bounced back as if it had hit a giant wall.
'This can't be. If he's at a level I can't even properly grasp, then the only one in the Demonic Cult who can accurately grasp this child's power is Lord Blood Demon himself?'
To think they were about to launch an all-out war without even realizing that such a martial artist existed in the Central Plains.
Something was very, very wrong.
As Fist Demon stared at Jaun with a tense expression, trying to figure out his identity, Jaun took another step forward.
At the same time, the fine hairs on Fist Demon's body stood on end.
Fist Demon, who had unconsciously taken a few steps back, trembled slightly.
It felt as if sharp sword tips were piercing his entire body. He didn't even have the leeway to take a deep breath.
Within Jaun's aura, which had completely surrounded him, Fist Demon crouched down as low as he could.
'Ugh?!'
Fist Demon, who was staring at Jaun with extreme tension, suddenly felt something in Jaun's energy and began to examine it carefully.
With narrowed eyes, Fist Demon, who had been observing Jaun, let out a small sigh of relief and cautiously opened his mouth.
"Demonic energy. This is definitely a trace of demonic energy. I don't know which elder of the Demonic Cult has undergone rejuvenation, but this is a grave situation where the entire Demonic Cult is moving to retake the Central Plains. Please stop the games and reveal your identity."
At Fist Demon's words, Jaun let out a chuckle.
"...Rejuvenation, my ass."
Jaun stopped and stared intently at Fist Demon.
'Now that the Demonic Cult has launched an all-out war, there's no longer any need to hide my identity. Now, it's either kill or be killed. There are only two choices left.'
As Jaun slowly drew upon the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the Demon Dragon Robe he was wearing began to emit a deep black light.
Fist Demon's eyes twitched the moment he saw Jaun's Demon Dragon Robe.
"In the barren Ten Thousand Great Mountains, within its deep valleys, there was one who sought the meaning of life by pursuing only the pinnacle of martial arts."
Jaun took another step forward.
"Did you think your will would be fully established even after stabbing in the back the one who dedicated his entire life to martial arts?"
"Wi Jeong-cheon...!"
The Demon Dragon Robe that emitted a dark light and the Ink Ring on Jaun's finger.
Fist Demon, who had confirmed those two artifacts, gritted his teeth.
"Yes. I am his rightful successor and the sole inheritor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art."
"I heard he was dealt with properly... but traces of him still remain in the martial world?"
Having learned demonic arts, it was only natural that he would be overwhelmed by the energy of Jaun, who had mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Therefore, Fist Demon minimized his demonic energy and instead drew upon a stormy blood qi.
As Fist Demon drew up his blood qi, a thick scent of blood spread in all directions in an instant. Thanks to that, Fist Demon, who had considerably relieved the pressure he felt from Jaun's energy, gave a wry smile.
"Kekeke. What good would it do even if you inherited the divine art of that man, Wi Jeong-cheon? The martial arts of the Demonic Cult have already reached another level through blood arts, and Lord Blood Demon has achieved great mastery of the Wuji Red Blood Art. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art is now just a relic of a bygone era."
Fist Demon cackled and concentrated his energy in his hands, and red blood qi began to condense and form on both of his fists.
"We'll see about that."
As Jaun drew the Mangru Blood Sword and drew up his demonic energy to counter Fist Demon's energy, a thick darkness began to spread in all directions.
─ CRACKLE, CRACK
Jaun's demonic energy and Fist Demon's blood qi clashed, creating flashing sparks in the air. As if stars had appeared in the darkened forest, brilliant flashes continued endlessly.
The two began to circle each other slowly, staring at each other.
'Something has definitely changed.'
Jaun frowned slightly as he felt Fist Demon's energy.
Fist Demon's Sovereign Destroyer Shattering Fist was a martial art Jaun was well acquainted with. However, the Shattering Fist combined with blood arts was exuding a heterogeneous energy, as if it were a completely different martial art.
'The weaknesses of the Shattering Fist, which had not reached its peak... are being compensated for by the blood arts.'
Upon facing Fist Demon's martial arts, Jaun could clearly understand why the demons had no choice but to be absorbed in blood arts.
Demonic arts had the advantage of allowing for rapid improvement, but it was not easy to reach its peak, and if great mastery was not achieved, it was more unstable than other martial arts.
However, when the shortcomings of the demonic arts that had not reached their peak were compensated for with blood arts, that instability disappeared as if it had been washed away.
Rather than pouring decades of time into aiming for a great mastery that they might never reach, it would have felt much easier for them to stabilize their demonic arts with the help of blood arts.
'In the end, they are the degenerates who gave up on the pinnacle and settled for where they are.'
In the short term, it might feel as if their martial arts had greatly improved, but in the end, one must reach the pinnacle to perfectly master the mysteries of that martial art.
They had made the mistake of giving up the true esoteric principles and mysteries contained in the martial arts and setting a limit on their own growth.
Fist Demon, who was looking at Jaun with a firm expression, slowly opened his mouth.
"I'm glad I followed. If I can completely erase the traces of Wi Jeong-cheon here, the mistakes made in the invasion of Sichuan can be erased in an instant."
Fist Demon's eyes shone as he began to draw his blood qi to the extreme.
And Jaun, who was examining Fist Demon's martial arts, also nodded and slowly raised the Mangru Blood Sword forward.
"You're still dreaming. I'll soon make you realize what a huge mistake you're making."
─ ZIIING
─ KIIING
As Fist Demon's blood qi grew at a frightening speed, a huge demonic energy began to boil from Jaun's body as well.
Fist Demon's fists began to vibrate with a hum, and Jaun's sword let out a sharp cry.
The two, who had been silently probing each other, moved at the same time.
─ PIIING
Fist Demon's fist was pulled back as far as it could go. Due to the blazing blood qi, the surrounding objects appeared distorted.
The opponent was a member of the Seven Demons.
No matter how wrong a path he was walking, he was undoubtedly a man with the power to part the sea and shatter mountains.
─ DRRRK
As Fist Demon's feet dug deep into the ground, the blood qi that had been condensed to the point of vibrating the air began to glow crimson.
The surrounding branches and stones floated up and were drawn towards Fist Demon's fist, before being unable to withstand the energy and falling to the ground as ash.
"Die! You abandoned bastard of the Demonic Cult!"
Fist Demon's waist turned fluidly as his fist shot forward. A huge energy, enough to shake the entire forest, was shot straight at Jaun.
[Sovereign Destroyer Shattering Fist]
─ BOOM!
In an instant, a huge shockwave erupted in all directions as if a thunderclap bomb had exploded. The surrounding trees were all uprooted and sent flying, and large rocks were pulverized and scattered.
Jaun raised the Mangru Blood Sword high towards the massive blood qi that had approached him in an instant and then swung it down.
[Heavenly Killing Demon Sword, Second Form, Flash Thunder]
─ CRACK!
As if a giant bolt of dark lightning had struck down from the sky, Jaun's demonic energy pierced through Fist Demon's energy.
─ BOOM!
The moment the two's energies collided, all objects within a twenty-zhang radius were pulverized and disappeared.
From within the thick dust cloud, Jaun's figure shot forward like a beam of light.
─ BOOM!
Jaun's legs, which had firmly planted on the ground, were filled with strength, and then the Mangru Blood Sword was shot towards Fist Demon at an astonishing speed.
[Heavenly Killing Demon Sword, First Form, Flash Flower]
─ SWOOOSH
In an instant, the sword's light flashed, and the trace left by the thick demonic energy left a black line in the air.
─ CRASH!
Fist Demon, who had raised both hands and gathered a large amount of blood qi, pushed his hands forward and received Jaun's thrust.
─ SCREECH
With a strange noise, Fist Demon's energy and Jaun's sword scraped against each other, sending out a huge shower of sparks in all directions.
Fist Demon, who had barely managed to stop Jaun's sword right in front of him, stepped back a few paces, drenched in sweat.
His retreated arms were trembling faintly.
Fist Demon's fist, with his teeth clenched, was pulled back again.
─ RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE
Soon, the ground around Fist Demon began to vibrate violently and then started to burst open. Immediately after, Fist Demon clenched his teeth, stomped forward, and thrust his fist forward.
─ BOOM!
The blood qi that had surged from Fist Demon's fist began to condense into the size of a fist this time. The crimson blood qi, which was so hot that it seemed to burn even the air, drew a large arc and rushed towards Jaun's side.
Jaun reversed his grip on the sword, turned his body, split the blood qi in half, and then aimed for Fist Demon's body.
─ SWOOOSH
Fist Demon, who confirmed that Jaun had split his energy again, clenched his teeth and hastily assumed a defensive stance.
─ BOOM!
A huge cloud of dust spread in all directions again.
Fist Demon, who was struggling to compose his trembling body, bit his lip, and a stream of blood flowed down before turning into smoke and being sucked into his nostrils.
─ CLANG, CRASH, BOOM!
Following that, a melee between the two ensued.
Jaun's sword, which was aiming for the pinnacle of demonic arts, and Fist Demon's fist, which had filled its shortcomings through blood arts.
Though their pursuits were different, they both possessed heaven-shaking power.
Every time the two clashed, the ground shook and the forest collapsed.
Huge traces of destruction were carved into the border area of Sichuan, which was densely packed with old trees.
"You brat!"
Fist Demon, who was glaring sharply at Jaun who was receiving all of his attacks, momentarily drew up all his energy and then thrust both hands forward at the same time.
─ BOOM!
Fist Demon's fist strike rapidly increased in size, becoming large enough to completely cover Jaun's body.
'...Now I roughly understand.'
How blood qi was compensating for which parts of the Shattering Fist.
What role blood qi was playing in that process, and what its limits were.
Jaun, who had thoroughly analyzed the transformed Sovereign Destroyer Shattering Fist while exchanging blows with Fist Demon, took a deep breath.
─ SWISH
Jaun's light slash cut through Fist Demon's energy.
Fist Demon's eyes, upon witnessing that scene, widened as far as they could go.
Following that, the demonic energy extending from Jaun's body engulfed the surroundings in complete darkness.
Fist Demon, who was suddenly unable to see anything, raised both his fists to block his front and crouched down as much as possible.
Jaun's sword, which was looking down at the scene from mid-air, slowly drew a large semi-circle.
[Heavenly Killing Demon Sword, Eighth Form. Dark Fragrance Extinction Cut]
The sword energy that had bloomed in the darkness pierced through the air and revealed itself in front of Fist Demon's body.
─ SHWIIING
Jaun's sword energy, which was honed to the point of being transparent, passed through and cut off both of Fist Demon's arms.