Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 2026

With Bang Jin-hoon’s strong performance, the match was back to square one.

Lee Myung-hwan achieved an impossible victory with his spirit, and the Master clearly showed everyone what a dignified defeat looked like.

Although the Blood Demon was defeated, he took his opponent’s life, and Bang Jin-hoon succeeded in proving who he was against a formidable opponent.

The score is two to two.

Back to the starting point.

From the General Assembly’s perspective, this was actually the best possible outcome. Whether they won or lost, everyone had fought against someone stronger than themselves and achieved this result.

If they were to go back to the beginning and fight without being careless, the probability of winning two out of four matches would be less than one in a hundred, to put it coldly.

The best possible result.

However, whether this result can truly be called the best remains to be seen.

The eyes of the Twelve Flying Swords looking at them were clearly different from before.

For the General Assembly, achieving the best possible result meant, conversely, that the Twelve Flying Swords and the Black King’s faction had received the worst possible score they could imagine.

When this match first began, none of the Twelve Flying Swords would have thought that the four matches would end in a tie.

“This is turning out to be more ridiculous than I thought.”

The Twelve Flying Swords groaned at the Black King’s words.

Victory?

They didn’t doubt it for a moment, even now. Accidents don’t keep happening.

However, the reason why this fact doesn’t comfort the Black King and the Twelve Flying Swords is that this match is not simply about achieving victory.

This place is a place of demonstration.

It is a place to declare to all the martial artists watching this match who is truly qualified to lead the martial world.

At the same time, it was also a place to show those who didn’t know the martial world how strong and dangerous they were.

But…

“Ugh…”

The Black King sighed lowly.

“If this is how it goes, there might be a lot of guys trying to poke at us even after we win. I’m not a fan of cheese champions.”

Cheese champion.

It’s a term for a champion with many flaws, like a Swiss cheese with holes.

Of course, this was the Black King’s exaggeration. Even if the match here doesn’t end overwhelmingly, there is no doubt about their level. No matter the outcome, no martial artist who watched this match would dare to doubt their strength.

But…

Even so, there is a difference in degree. If you compare winning overwhelmingly on this high-level stage with barely winning, it doesn’t take much to figure out which one would garner more respect and support.

The Black King’s goal is not to win this match.

It is to win this match and lead the martial world into the world he desires. For that momentum, a more overwhelming victory was needed.

A more overwhelming victory that could make up for the current disastrous situation.

“Did I have too high of expectations?”

Baek Yeon-hong chuckled at those words.

“It’s probably thanks to the fools who went out first.”

“That’s a comforting thing to say. It’s like saying I went out of my way to gather only fools.”

“Oh, it seems I made a mistake.”

The Black King shook his head.

In fact, to be honest, this kind of scene was not unfamiliar to the Black King.

He had already seen this situation several times.

“The skills of those who have surpassed the absolute realm are quite fluid.”

Learning martial arts, awakening to the Tao [a concept in Chinese philosophy referring to the natural order of the universe], and completing the Dharma [Buddhist teachings] are absurd things to say, but they are not complete lies.

The process of constantly testing oneself with self-discipline and carrying out an unwavering will is clearly connected to the realm of religion, which seeks something beyond human limitations.

In other words, the skill of a martial artist who has surpassed a certain level does not simply remain at the level of physical ability.

Rather, who has a more steadfast will can have a greater influence.

The Black King had no disagreement with this.

This is like a law of the world that goes beyond right and wrong.

The only thing he couldn’t understand was this:

“How am I supposed to accept the fact that our will seems clearly weaker than theirs?”

The people gathered here are those who have given up their lives for the future of the martial world.

They could have had anything they wanted. They could have become anything they wanted. The Black King and the Twelve Flying Swords were people who could enjoy power and wealth to the point of being sick of it, just with their own strength.

Yet, they endured all of that.

And they have been sharpening their swords only for this one moment. But how can they interpret the fact that the will shown by the Twelve Flying Swords cannot overcome the will of these hastily assembled people?

“You don’t need to accept it.”

The one who received the Black King’s words was none other than Shin-chang.

“Because I will prove right now that it is not true. Please give me a chance.”

The Black King’s gaze reached Shin-chang.

If Liu Yang was his secretary, Shin-chang was like the best sword to him.

He was the one who carried out the Black King’s will ahead of anyone else.

Yes.

Until recently, that is.

“Is it possible?”

“Can you be sure that the tip of your spear, which was lucky enough to survive a defeat, hasn’t become dull?”

Shin-chang looked at the Black King without a word. After staring at the Black King for a long time with an unreadable gaze, Shin-chang opened his mouth in a calm voice.

“There is no room for excuses for defeat.”

“Ugh…”

“Perhaps, as the Black King said, the tip of my spear has become dull. No. It must have become dull. Otherwise, there is no way I would have lost to that person.”

“Are you still going to step forward?”

“Yes.”

Shin-chang nodded calmly as if it were natural.

“I have pondered and pondered why I lost. Perhaps, as that person said, I have lost the soul of a martial artist. But… the answer I came to was a little different from that.”

“What is that answer?”

Shin-chang shook his head.

“I’m going to find out now. By facing the person who defeated me again.”

The Black King opened his mouth indifferently.

“So, you’re asking me to allow you to challenge someone you’ve already lost to again, just to satisfy your personal curiosity. And in this very place, no less.”

“That is…”

Shin-chang bit his lip.

Certainly, this might be an unreasonable request.

Whether it was a mistake or a matter of skill, he had clearly lost to Hong Wang once.

Even he wouldn’t put someone who had lost once in a match like this again. This place is not a place to prove personal matters.

“I…”

“Alright.”

The Black King nodded with an indifferent face.

“Go out there. But make sure you kick their ass properly. I’ve never had a fool who would lose twice to the same person.”

Squeeze.

Strength entered the hand holding the spear.

Shin-chang bit his lip tightly and nodded.

“I will never disappoint you.”

As Shin-chang turned his body after leaving those words, Baek Yeon-hong sneered briefly.

“Don’t you think it’s unsightly for a dog that lost a fight to come running back, insisting that it hasn’t lost yet?”

Blatant mockery.

However, Shin-chang’s expression did not change at all despite the mockery.

“A dog that lost a fight…”

Shin-chang repeated Baek Yeon-hong’s words briefly, then turned his gaze to Baek Yeon-hong.

“Isn’t that the same for everyone?”

“What?”

“None of the people here can say those words. We are all people who have lost in life.”

“Even so, we seized the opportunity given to us. So… this time will be no different.”

Baek Yeon-hong shook his head as if it were boring.

“If you come back defeated, I’ll cut your head off with my own hands.”

“I may lose, and I may come back, but I will not come back defeated.”

Shin-chang glanced at Baek Yeon-hong and walked forward.

Step by step.

Shin-chang, holding his beloved weapon in one hand, walked to the center and took a deep breath.

Then, he placed one hand near his heart.

He could feel it.

His heart was beating clearly faster than usual.

Shin-chang smiled bitterly.

The feeling of tension was not unfamiliar. But this was clearly a slightly different feeling from the tension he usually felt.

‘How long has it been?’

Since he challenged someone.

Perhaps this was an incredibly exciting thing for a martial artist. An opportunity to challenge and avenge someone you lost to in a full-force match is not something that is easily given.

But unfortunately, Shin-chang could not fully enjoy the emotions that enveloped him.

No, he tried not to indulge in those emotions himself.

Because this place was not prepared for his personal revenge.

After taking a short deep breath, Shin-chang’s gaze reached a man on the other side.

Hong Wang.

One of the three kings who rule China.

No.

Now that Chang Wang is dead and the Black King has left, Hong Wang is the martial artist who represents the present of the Central Plains [a historical region in China] in name and reality.

That name, which carried a heavy weight, flowed from Shin-chang’s mouth.

“Hong Wang.”

He didn’t know how the other matches would go.

But the opponent he would fight was decided from the beginning.

“I challenge you.”

Hong Wang’s brow furrowed slightly at those words.

There was no reason for him to accept that challenge. It was just that they had decided to fight each other and compete. Hong Wang also had the right to choose his opponent.

But…

“I guess I have no choice.”

Hong Wang slowly rose to his feet.

The only reason he did not refuse this challenge was that, just as the winner had the right to take the loser’s life, he believed that the loser naturally had the right to challenge the winner again.

Also, accepting that match was the only duty that the winner had to bear.

Just like how he challenged Kang Jin-ho after he lost, and Kang Jin-ho did not refuse that challenge.

Hong Wang glanced at Kang Jin-ho’s face, turning his head slightly.

Then, with the same expression as usual, he began to take a step forward.

One step, one step.

Each step was filled with tremendous force. Even if you were watching from beyond the screen without any understanding of martial arts, you would be able to clearly feel the momentum in this step.

Thud.

Finally, Hong Wang, who was facing Shin-chang in the center, slowly opened his mouth.

“Have you regained what you lost?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“Then…”

A terrifying aura poured out from Hong Wang’s entire body.

“The result of this match will also be decided. You can never defeat me.”

Shin-chang’s spear was aimed at Hong Wang’s neck.

“Maybe not. But…”

Shin-chang’s eyes sank like a lake.

“Even so, there are matches that you cannot back down from.”

The auras emitted by the two men intertwined and began to swirl.