Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1828

“Twelve, you say?”

“That’s right.”

Wiggins, a man who prided himself on his silver tongue, found himself utterly speechless.

The first thought that flashed through his mind was that Baek Yeon-hong was lying.

However, no matter how much he considered it, he couldn’t find a reason why the man would lie. Would such an arrogant being need to exaggerate his own importance?

Moreover…

‘That man is clearly annoyed at being grouped with others of his caliber.’

There was no way someone like that would inflate the number of those he considered his equals.

Which meant…

‘Are there really twelve of them?’

Of the Three Kings level?

His mind was reeling. No, it would be more accurate to say his mind had gone completely blank.

What snapped Wiggins out of his stupor was Jang Min’s calm voice beside him.

“Twelve, huh…”

Jang Min chuckled.

“More than I expected.”

Even after hearing that there were twelve individuals at the Three Kings level, Jang Min didn’t seem particularly fazed.

“Then… I guess we should definitely take one of them down.”

At Jang Min’s words, Baek Yeon-hong burst into laughter.

“Looks like the old demon is losing his mind.”

A bright blue light emanated from his eyes.

“To dare utter such words in my presence!”

His aura was distinctly different from when he faced Wiggins and Bator.

“Heh heh heh, a demon…”

Jang Min chuckled softly.

“It’s been a while since I’ve heard that.”

A crimson light poured from Jang Min’s eyes.

There was no particular reason needed.

It was only natural for those who practiced orthodox martial arts to despise those who practiced demonic arts, and vice versa. It was strange that they all coexisted in this General Assembly.

“I’d like to see if you can still talk like that after your mouth is crushed.”

“Hahahaha!”

Baek Yeon-hong erupted in a loud laugh.

“How long has it been since I’ve been provoked like this by a demon?”

Murderous intent flickered in Baek Yeon-hong’s eyes. As if his heart was yearning for blood, he repeatedly licked his lips with his tongue.

Baek Yeon-hong, who had been glaring at Jang Min with murderous eyes, suddenly changed his expression and wore a subtle smile.

“Come to think of it, you’re a descendant of the Demonic Cult, aren’t you?”

“The Demonic Cult… yes.”

Baek Yeon-hong looked at Jang Min with amusement.

“In my time, the Demonic Cult’s power wasn’t as great as it is now.”

“Hey, old demon.”

A sly smile bloomed on Baek Yeon-hong’s face.

“Who do you think was the one who beheaded the most demons in my era?”

Clench.

The sound of Jang Min grinding his teeth echoed eerily.

He could tolerate the provocation directed at him, but he couldn’t stand the provocation against his cult.

Indeed.

How many deaths of cult members had Jang Min witnessed? Jang Min had seen with his own eyes the once-prosperous Demonic Cult plummet into ruin and teeter on the brink of collapse.

Naturally, he would be agitated if the topic of the cult’s downfall came up.

“You talk a good game.”

“It’s a good world.”

Baek Yeon-hong uttered words that were hard to understand. But soon, everyone could understand what he was trying to say.

“It’s a world where a demon like you dares to speak so freely to me. In the past, all I saw were demons screaming, begging for their lives, and having their heads cut off.”

“You…”

“It was truly amusing to see those demons, who acted like the most wicked beings in the world, scream like little girls.”

Blood trickled from Jang Min’s tightly clenched fist.

But Baek Yeon-hong only laughed even louder at the sight.

“Why? Do you think you’re different?”

“I’ll make you scream the same way.”

Jang Min let out a hollow laugh.

It was a strange thing. From their perspective, it was natural, but from Jang Min’s perspective, it was extremely strange.

They were always like this.

Those who revered the Dao [the Way, a concept in Chinese philosophy] and sought to save lives became more cruel than anyone else when dealing with demons.

And it wasn’t even hypocrisy.

To them, demons were nothing more than cancerous beings that had to be killed for the sake of the world. Even if the demon had committed no crime, it was the same.

In their eyes, a demon who had not committed a crime was merely one who had not yet committed a crime, and would inevitably commit evil someday.

He had no intention of blaming that perception.

“We have one thing in common.”

“Hmm?”

“I was wondering what kind of scream would come out of your mouth.”

Jang Min, too, could not abandon his hatred for his opponent.

Jang Min and Baek Yeon-hong faced each other.

Jang Min’s eyes, burning fiercely, and Baek Yeon-hong’s eyes, emitting a subdued murderous intent, collided in the air.

And then…

Whoosh!

Jang Min was the first to leap forward.

Jang Min drew out a long, rough Jo Gang [a type of claw-like weapon], like a beast’s claw, that was over a meter long. The Jo Gang, with its eerie color as if carved from blood, tore through the air.

The sight of the old man with his neatly combed white hair, emitting Jo Gang from both hands and charging forward with bloodlust, was indescribably eerie.

“Hup!”

Perhaps the speed exceeded his expectations, a gasp escaped Baek Yeon-hong’s lips.

Clang!

Jang Min’s Jo Gang flew towards Baek Yeon-hong’s face as if to tear it apart. Baek Yeon-hong raised his sword to block Jang Min’s Jo Gang.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sword and Jo Gang became entangled.

“Hmm?”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Jo Gang tightened, pressing down on Baek Yeon-hong’s sword.

Baek Yeon-hong narrowed his eyes as he saw Jang Min’s face beyond the point where the sword and Jo Gang were interlocked. He could sense a triumphant look on Jang Min’s face.

“Is he different from the fool before?”

He wasn’t trying to push back.

The Jo Gang was focused on ensnaring Baek Yeon-hong’s sword. Instead of using unnecessary force and allowing the opponent to utilize the principle of ‘transferring force,’ he was trying to pull him into his own pace.

‘He hasn’t aged for nothing.’

In terms of experience, there was no comparison between that giant and this man.

Compared to that Bator, who only knew ‘faster and stronger,’ this man was a veteran of a hundred battles. He was a man who knew how to change his methods to suit his opponent’s tendencies.

Of course, there was also the difference in natural talent.

‘Interesting.’

Baek Yeon-hong twisted the corners of his mouth.

At times like this, he felt an uncontrollable thrill.

When he saw the confidence that they could overcome him.

When he saw the reckless arrogance that they could stand above him.

There was no time he felt more alive than when he crushed that confidence and made them realize that he was above them.

“You seem too confident.”

Baek Yeon-hong lightly twisted his sword.

Jang Min tried to block Baek Yeon-hong’s counterattack by changing the direction of his energy dozens of times in an instant, but Baek Yeon-hong’s moves were above that.

Using four ounces to move a thousand pounds [a martial arts principle of using minimal force to achieve maximum effect].

By properly utilizing the opponent’s strength, one could exert a thousand pounds of force with just a handful of strength. Jang Min’s body floated into the air as if there was no gravity.

“Kuh!”

But Jang Min was Jang Min.

Even as the world turned upside down and his energy was in chaos, he did not lose himself.

Clang!

Jang Min’s Jo Gang tore through the air.

The afterimages of the Jo Gang, violently swung like a gust of wind, covered the air and poured down on Baek Yeon-hong. Just being caught in the vortex of the Jo Gang felt like one’s entire body would be shredded to pieces as if in a blender.

Baek Yeon-hong inwardly admired the storm of Jo Gang pouring down from above his head.

‘Impressive.’

Among the demons he had faced in the past, there were hardly any who had shown such power. It was remarkable that such a person still remained in an era where martial arts had weakened.

But…

“It’s still just demonic arts. It’s nothing but crude.”

Baek Yeon-hong’s sword pierced through the center of the swirling storm of Jo Gang.

Even though the Jo Gang was intertwined like a net, Baek Yeon-hong’s sword pierced through the gaps in the net as if piercing through empty air.

Jang Min, seeing the blunt sword suddenly protruding from within the Jo Gang he had unleashed, couldn’t help but be shocked to the point where his heart felt like it would leap out of his mouth.

“Kuh!”

But before he could even fully feel the shock, Jang Min reflexively flipped his body.

Swoosh!

Baek Yeon-hong’s sword narrowly grazed Jang Min’s neck. Even though the blade didn’t touch him, the skin on his neck split open.

“Haaap!”

Jang Min flipped his body in the air and released a burst of energy downwards. The Jo Gang that had been entangled in the air added to the force of that energy and rained down on Baek Yeon-hong like a storm.

“Hmm.”

Baek Yeon-hong lightly waved the sword he had raised.

Then, the pouring Jo Gang twisted its direction as if it had always intended to, and veered away from Baek Yeon-hong’s body.

Like magic.

The Jo Gang, which possessed the sharpness to split even solid steel like tofu, could not cut if it did not touch. Not a single one of the countless Jo Gang that poured down touched Baek Yeon-hong’s body.

No, it couldn’t even cut his clothes.

Baek Yeon-hong, who had effortlessly deflected all of Jang Min’s attacks with a sword technique that seemed more relaxed than lazy, sheathed his sword and put his hands behind his back.

Thud.

After that, Jang Min, who had landed on the ground, looked at Baek Yeon-hong with an indescribable expression.

It was an emotion that was close to awe.

He had experienced strong individuals before.

He was a servant of the Demon Lord, he had witnessed the death of the Sword King before his eyes, and he had felt the power of the Crimson King with his entire body.

But…

None of them had given him this kind of sense of incongruity.

Lofty.

The level that Baek Yeon-hong’s sword had reached had completely shattered the martial arts he had known until now.

Softness overcomes hardness.

Utilize the opponent’s strength.

Those were words that were like the truth of martial arts. But wasn’t it the case that truth was truth because it could not be realized?

To him, who had lived with speed and destructive power as his top priorities, Baek Yeon-hong’s sword was enough to give him a great shock.

“What’s so surprising?”

Baek Yeon-hong smiled faintly.

“Martial arts is not simply a feast of power. Martial arts was originally created for the weaker to survive against the stronger. It wasn’t created for those who were born with great strength to become stronger, but for those who couldn’t defeat their enemies with strength to find a way to win.”

“So, martial arts is inherently about dealing with the stronger and faster. Therefore, your martial arts… well, I don’t know if you can even call it martial arts, but your martial arts have deviated from the essence.”

Baek Yeon-hong’s eyes shone coldly.

“Do you understand? That’s why it’s called the Demonic Path.”

Baek Yeon-hong slowly moved his steps towards Jang Min.

“Then, let’s see…”

“It would be good for you to understand with your own body before you die. Why your path is wrong.”

Murderous intent bloomed on Baek Yeon-hong’s face.

His sword drew a soft semicircle in the air and then split that semicircle like a wave.

Everything begins with the division of yin and yang, forming the tai chi [a Chinese concept of duality]. From Baek Yeon-hong’s sword, which had drawn a perfect tai chi in the air, an incomparably arrogant energy began to flow out.