Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1770

Crack!

A hand, so transparent that the bones were visible, slammed into his solar plexus. Simultaneously, a chilling energy, capable of freezing even lava, surged into his body.

A sensation of freezing from the inside out.

It felt as if frost was forming in his organs, his heart encased in ice.

Yet, even amidst the excruciating pain, his swinging sword did not stop.

The sword, brimming with demonic energy, struck Changwang’s temple. It couldn’t pierce through the inner force that was like armor and sever his head, but the energy contained within the sword struck Changwang’s head completely, without missing a single strand.

Kwaaaang!

A deafening explosion erupted, and Changwang’s head snapped sideways as if it would break. Blood gushed from his nose and mouth, and the blood vessels in his eyes burst.

But even in that state, Changwang did not stop his hands.

Attacks solely aimed at killing each other.

They attacked and attacked each other with something that transcended even malice.

Hate?

Or rage?

They had long since surpassed such things.

Those who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts had a different way of thinking than ordinary people. Those who questioned the reasons for their actions and debated rationality could never cross the final wall.

What was needed was emptiness.

Or blind faith.

They would break what they thought was right and accept what they thought was wrong. They gathered the last bit of their spirit and devoted themselves solely to their bodies…

Kwaaaang!

Kang Jin-ho’s sword and Changwang’s fist collided in mid-air.

Hongwang’s eyebrows twitched.

He looked at Changwang’s subordinates blocking his path, and his expression slightly hardened.

“Don’t do meaningless things.”

“I don’t know about your master, but I pride myself as a martial artist. No matter what is at stake, I have no intention of interfering in a sacred duel. So, do not insult me any further.”

Changwang’s subordinates retreated silently at his words.

It might seem a bit ridiculous, but for them, this was the best course of action. The moment Hongwang jumped into the duel, Changwang would lose his life in an instant.

But Hongwang had no intention of doing so.

To take advantage of the situation?

No.

‘I am a martial artist.’

Interfering in that duel would be the same as denying his own identity as a martial artist and becoming a schemer. As a result, he might win the war, but he would lose all the pride that had sustained him until now.

What would be the point of sitting on the throne with only an empty shell left?

Moreover…

Hongwang glanced at Lee Hyun-soo standing beside him.

Even Lee Hyun-soo, who was leaning forward as if he would rush out at any moment, did not tell him to interfere in the fight.

His eyes were fixed solely on Kang Jin-ho.

“Why so much…”

Lee Hyun-soo’s face contorted even more.

The current fight was like a boxing match where they were exchanging direct hits to the face with their guards down.

That’s why he couldn’t understand it even more.

Those who didn’t know Kang Jin-ho well thought he preferred reckless fights, but Kang Jin-ho, as Lee Hyun-soo knew him, was someone who knew how to use his strengths to exploit his opponent’s weaknesses.

And Changwang was even more incomprehensible.

What was he trying to gain from such a head-on confrontation?

At that moment, a low voice reached his ear.

“The one who retreats loses.”

Lee Hyun-soo turned his head to look at the speaker. Hongwang continued, his gaze fixed forward.

“Because it will be an act of breaking himself.”

“…Does that have any meaning? The stronger one wins anyway.”

“The one who doesn’t retreat is the stronger one.”

Lee Hyun-soo frowned as if he couldn’t understand Hongwang’s words at all.

But Hongwang, seeing Lee Hyun-soo’s reaction, didn’t bother to explain further.

No matter how much he explained, Lee Hyun-soo wouldn’t understand. It would be like lecturing a kindergartener about the theory of relativity; all he would get in return would be a question mark.

The difference in understanding of martial arts between Hongwang and Lee Hyun-soo far exceeded that level. So, there was no way to make him understand.

‘It’s the same in any field.’

When one transcends the realm and reaches the extreme, everything goes beyond form and enters the realm of ideology.

For those who have reached their level, physical training no longer has any meaning. No matter how much inner force they accumulate, no matter how much they train their muscles, it is impossible to unleash power beyond the limits of the body.

At that point, martial arts enters the realm of the mind.

They were not competing in physical strength. They were competing to see whose spirit was stronger, whose belief was more unwavering.

Hongwang’s body trembled.

As they say, you see as much as you know. Now, he could see more than anyone else present.

The spirit transcends the body, and they risk everything for a moment of victory. They did not hesitate to get hurt to defeat their opponent, and they were proving with their own hands that only they were right.

Wasn’t it interesting?

‘It all comes back to the basics.’

Just faster and stronger. It was essentially no different from a child’s scuffle.

But that scuffle was more intense than any fight Hongwang had ever seen.

Kwaaaang!

Changwang’s back bent backward.

For a moment, the world turned black. But in a very short time, Changwang regained consciousness and avoided Kang Jin-ho’s sword that was flying at him.

The shock was enough to make even someone like Changwang lose consciousness.

It was hard to understand how such power could be unleashed from a human body.

‘…He’s going to break.’

If he lost his will even for a moment, that power would literally crush his fragile body. Each strike was imbued with enough power to shatter his body into pieces.

It was still absurd.

Kang Jin-ho’s existence itself was absurd, but the power contained in Kang Jin-ho’s body was equally absurd.

How could such tremendous power be unleashed from a human body?

Hongwang’s terrifying inner force, which pressed down like a thousand pounds, was also astonishing, but in terms of instantaneous destructive power, it was no match for Kang Jin-ho.

The sword flew towards his neck.

No sound was heard.

The sword, which had far surpassed the speed of sound, flew, leaving the sound behind. Changwang twisted his body and avoided the sword.

Scratch.

The tip of the sword grazed his neck. He felt a burning pain in his neck, but that was enough as long as he didn’t lose consciousness.

His hand, filled with the Minor Celestial Demon Art, struck Kang Jin-ho’s hand, which was gripping the sword.

Kwaaaaaang!

Crack!

In the explosion that followed, the sound of bones breaking was mixed in. Perhaps all the bones in his fingers were crushed.

But he had to pay the price as well.

Kang Jin-ho’s Azure Dew, swung in succession, pierced his abdomen. The power of the Nine Yin White Bone Claw blocked the Azure Dew, but it was impossible to completely block the sword that had been drawn hastily and flown with sufficient force.

Kwaaaaaang!

Changwang’s body was thrown backward with a roar. Despite enduring and enduring, he could not overwhelm Kang Jin-ho in a battle of pure strength.

But that didn’t mean he had lost.

Gooooooo!

Even as he was thrown back, spitting blood, Changwang gathered energy in both hands. It felt as if all the organs in his stomach were twisted, and blood was gushing from his mouth, but there was still no problem in gathering inner force.

So!

Whirl.

Changwang, flipping his body in mid-air, glared at Kang Jin-ho with eerie eyes and frantically waved his hands.

Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!

Dark, milky-white energy was fired and fired again. Another energy was poured out behind the fired energy, and behind that, and behind that, countless energies were unleashed like a waterfall.

Soon, the energy, numbering in the hundreds and then thousands, covered Kang Jin-ho like a tidal wave engulfing the sea during a typhoon.

Thud.

Kang Jin-ho lowered his stance and poured inner force into the Red Dew.

Whoooooooom!

The sword screamed as if it could no longer withstand it, but Kang Jin-ho poured even more inner force into it.

“Hah!”

And one strike!

From the tip of the sword, swung horizontally as if to split the world, a black sword aura exploded.

If Changwang’s energy was a giant tidal wave created by the gathering of small waters, Kang Jin-ho’s sword aura was like a bolt of lightning falling from the sky.

The lightning struck the milky-white tidal wave.

And that black lightning instantly tore, shattered, and burst the oncoming tidal wave.

Kwaaaaaaaaaang!

Energy scattered in all directions.

In terms of instantaneous destructive power, Kang Jin-ho was superior!

That was what everyone was sure of.

Clang!

Suddenly, a short explosion erupted, and Kang Jin-ho’s body staggered forward as if he had collapsed.

“What…?”

Even the mighty Kang Jin-ho was surprised and looked back. But there was nothing behind him.

Then…

Bang!

Kang Jin-ho, struck by a strong impact on his side, was pushed sideways.

“Kuh!”

Kang Jin-ho, planting his sword on the ground to stop his body, contorted his face.

‘Formless Palm?’

It couldn’t be seen, it couldn’t be heard.

Not even a trace of it could be felt.

It wasn’t some grand legendary martial art. It was just a subtle energy that was invisible and inaudible.

If his senses were fully extended, he might be able to catch that subtle trace, but it was impossible for even Kang Jin-ho to do such delicate work simultaneously during such a fierce battle.

‘He seems to have prepared quite a bit.’

Avoiding the sword and the energy that was embedded in his body, and even the Formless Palm that flew without a trace.

These were techniques that had not been seen in the previous Changwang. Either he had newly created them to fight Kang Jin-ho, or he had hidden them in previous battles.

But…

Still, nothing would change.

Thud!

Kang Jin-ho instinctively raised his sword and blocked the energy of the Formless Palm that was flying at him from the front.

It didn’t matter if it couldn’t be seen or heard.

Even if he didn’t see it with his eyes, hear it with his ears, or grasp it with his energy…

His body, which had fought and fought all his life, would instinctively sense the danger and move.

Bang! Kwaang! Bang!

Kang Jin-ho, having blocked three consecutive energies, tilted his head upward.

The sky.

Changwang’s figure could be seen in the sky, where the darkness had not yet faded. He had floated into the air and was looking down at him with his arms spread out to the left and right.

Then…

Whoooooooooom!

The energies in his hands began to surge explosively. A violent demonic energy, enough to make even Kang Jin-ho feel a moment of dread, swirled around Changwang’s body.

The milky-white floating energies looked as if they were evil spirits escaping from the underworld, wailing.

“Kang Jin-hooooooooooooo!”

Changwang, shouting at the top of his lungs, began to unleash a storm-like energy towards Kang Jin-ho below.

The milky-white, ghost-like energies danced grotesquely, like evil spirits breaking through the gates of the underworld, and poured down on Kang Jin-ho.

It was as if those who had died at Kang Jin-ho’s hands had become vengeful spirits and come to punish him.