Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 736

“Did we get him?” Ri Hong of the Danhyeol Clan [A fictional martial arts clan] tightened his grip on his sword.

He could feel it.

All he could see was black demonic energy, but his sword had definitely pierced something through it.

‘That’s right!’

Even if all he could see was darkness, it couldn’t all be made of darkness. If it was spewing out demonic energy, then there had to be a body that was spewing it out.

And if that body was cut, even a demon wouldn’t be able to survive.

Certainty.

Ri Hong twisted his sword with conviction.

He felt a heavy sensation at his fingertips and let out a cry of joy.

“Keeeugh…”

It was a strange groan.

Rather than a groan of pain, it sounded like air escaping from a punctured lung, a suppressed and crushed groan.

That groan made Ri Hong unable to contain himself.

Endorphins flooded his head.

It was easier than he thought, but still, the fact that he had captured this monster with his own hands was something he could be proud of for the rest of his life.

Scratch.

As he twisted his sword, he could clearly feel the sensation of entrails being caught on the tip.

‘In the end, you’re just a human. You can’t survive with your guts all torn up.’

A cruel smile crept onto Ri Hong’s lips.

It was fading.

The dark, thick demonic energy that had filled his vision was gradually fading, as if its life force was being drained.

Ri Hong cheered as he watched the demonic energy fade away.

But the moment the demonic energy completely disappeared, Ri Hong couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

“Keeeugh…”

“Jaheo?”

The sword had pierced a human body perfectly. The sword was embedded in the chest, right up to the handle.

The problem was that the owner of the body the sword was stuck in wasn’t Kang Jin-ho.

‘H-how?’

The one who was spitting out a stream of blood was his comrade. Jaheo, from the same Danhyeol Clan as him.

A look of disbelief.

His comrade’s bloodshot eyes were fixed on him.

“Ah, ah…”

What should he do?

Should he pull it out?

No, if he pulled out this sword, he would die. But he couldn’t just leave the sword as it was, still tangled in his entrails…

“Looks like you’re having a hard time deciding.”

A cold voice reached his ears.

At the same time, Ri Hong’s blood turned cold.

“I’ll help you decide.”

A hand.

A pale hand.

A hand that was so pale and delicate, without a single scar, that it was hard to believe it belonged to a monster. It brushed past his ear and slowly reached forward.

Thump!

Jaheo’s head exploded.

The scene was slow, but clear and vivid in Ri Hong’s eyes.

The hand that had blown up Jaheo’s head rested on Ri Hong’s shoulder.

He expected a chilling sensation, like a snake licking him, but instead, he felt a warm sensation from the hand on his shoulder.

Was it strange?

No, it wasn’t strange.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Demons always tempt humans with sweet and warm words, actions, and gifts.

Just like the warmth he felt from this hand.

Crack.

His shoulder was crushed. The force that came through the warmth literally turned his shoulder into powder.

Ri Hong’s mouth gaped open.

Not even a scream came out.

The unimaginable pain made it impossible for even a sound to come out of his gaping mouth. All Ri Hong could do was tremble as if he were having a seizure.

Death was inevitable.

If he couldn’t kill the monster, he would be killed by the monster. That was the natural law.

The monster’s hand, which had crushed his shoulder, grabbed Ri Hong’s neck. Then, it slowly lifted him up.

“Heeuk…”

A sound like air escaping from a balloon came out. Ri Hong’s eyes widened.

He could see Kang Jin-ho in his eyes.

Kang Jin-ho, who had shed his demonic energy, looked like an ordinary person you could see anywhere.

The gap was strangling Ri Hong.

No, what was actually strangling his neck was Kang Jin-ho’s hand.

He was trembling.

From his fingertips to his toes, there wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t trembling. His body had long since escaped his control. It was convulsing on its own, as if it wasn’t his body.

“No need to tremble.”

The corners of Kang Jin-ho’s mouth curled up.

“You’re going to die anyway.”

The moment he heard those words, the trembling stopped.

Kang Jin-ho was right.

What was there to be afraid of? He was going to die anyway.

“Death is a terrifying thing. But sometimes, it’s better to die. Isn’t that right?”

Crack.

Kang Jin-ho snapped Ri Hong’s neck without waiting for an answer. Then, he stared at Ri Hong’s limp corpse for a moment before letting go.

Thud.

Ri Hong’s body fell to the floor.

What was Ri Hong thinking before he died?

Was he resentful of his death, or was he relieved that he could be freed from fear by dying?

It was impossible to know. The dead cannot answer.

“Amateur.”

Kang Jin-ho raised his head.

Everything had stopped.

Those who had been infiltrated by demonic energy were convulsing on the floor, unconscious, and those who had rushed at him were keeping their distance, unable to move.

Neither the martial artists nor the demonic practitioners could move.

Kang Jin-ho frowned slightly at the scene.

‘Just because they’ve learned the same martial arts doesn’t mean they’re the same as the past.’

He could feel it.

The martial arts of the Danhyeol Clan that were glaring at him were not much different from the martial arts of the righteous sects he had faced in the past. Time had passed, but the fundamental basis was the same.

But in the end, martial arts are something that people learn.

The power of the same martial arts varies depending on who learns them. Their martial arts were more refined and polished than in the past. Enough to realize that martial arts had evolved.

But were they stronger than the martial artists of the past?

No. Not at all.

They were weak.

They were utterly weak.

He couldn’t feel the determination to kill the opponent, even if it meant having his own waist cut off. The martial artists of the past, regardless of whether they were righteous or demonic, had the will to kill their opponent when they engaged in battle.

‘They’ve been spoiled by peace.’

It wasn’t a bad thing, though.

Perhaps the era when people were burning with the will to kill their opponents just by exchanging blows was the bad one.

In a way, it was enviable.

They could hold back because they lived in a peaceful era. They probably didn’t even realize that they were holding back.

But…

No matter the reason, the fact that they were weak remained unchanged.

That fact annoyed Kang Jin-ho.

“Is that all?”

His gaze was fixed on Chai Ke-chang.

“I asked if that’s all.”

Chai Ke-chang glared at Kang Jin-ho with bloodshot eyes.

He was mocking them.

He was lamenting.

The demon king who had descended into the world was making all his efforts futile and all his preparations meaningless.

With a single gesture.

And with a single attack, he was breaking their will to fight and filling the arena with fear.

“There’s no way that’s all.”

Kang Jin-ho stated firmly.

“If that’s all you’ve got, there’s no way the name of the Hongwang Clan would have been drilled into my ears so much. Show me everything you’ve prepared. You must have realized that you can’t kill me with this much. So show me. Make me a little excited.”

The answer came not from Chai Ke-chang, but from elsewhere.

Not with words, but with swords.

Whoosh!

With a rough sound of kicking off the ground, the Danhyeol Clan, who had been keeping their distance, rushed at him all at once.

Blue sword energy, so blue it was blinding, was swirling around the swords that were charging straight at him. There was no need to explain the sharpness of those swords.

Clang!

But even that sharpness couldn’t pierce Kang Jin-ho’s skin.

The sword that collided with Kang Jin-ho’s hand was deflected with a metallic sound.

It was enough to be flustered, but they seemed to have experienced quite a few battlefields. From their calm recovery of their swords and their evasive movements, it was clear that they had a lot of experience working together.

The back of the neck, the back, the side, and the legs.

Four swords simultaneously flew at Kang Jin-ho’s entire body.

Kang Jin-ho’s sunken eyes flashed with a different light.

Whoosh.

The demonic energy that surged from his dantian [A point in the abdomen believed to be the center of vital energy] flowed through his entire body, passing through his Baihui point [A point at the top of the head]. The black demonic energy that covered his body momentarily exploded in all directions.

“Kuh!”

Demonic energy.

The demonic energy, writhing as if it were alive, surged forward. If anyone were to witness the sight of demonic energy thicker than a log writhing and surging like a snake, no one would dare to resist.

Geolryun’s face turned pale.

His instincts screamed.

Run away! Run away now!

But humans are humans because they can overcome their instincts. Those who had crossed the line of death countless times knew. Moving according to instinct sometimes saved lives, but sometimes it also took them away.

When a crisis strikes, humans run away. But martial artists sometimes have to break through that crisis and move forward.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

The sword energy was so blue that it changed the color of the sword.

The sword, which had been infused with all of his internal energy, trembled, unable to withstand the force. It looked like it would shatter into pieces at any moment with a sharp sound.

The sword, filled with power, fell downwards.

The target was the surging black demonic energy.

Swoosh!

The sword strike, which had been made with all his might, clearly showed its result. The surging demonic energy split to the left and right as if it had hit a large wall. If he kept pushing like this…

That was the moment.

The demonic energy that had split to the left and right changed direction as if it were a living creature and aimed for Geolryun’s back.

“No way…”

Thwack!

The tip of the sharp demonic energy pierced his back, going through his chest.

Geolryun forced his trembling head down and looked at the demonic energy that had pierced his stomach.

The demonic energy, as thick as a child’s arm, was writhing like a living snake.

He raised his head again.

Even the simple act of raising his head, which he had lowered, was now difficult for him.

Kang Jin-ho, who had spewed out demonic energy in all directions, was looking at him with a blank face.

Blood was streaming down his mouth. A terrible pain, as if his insides were all broken. In that pain, eyes mixed with hatred and fear turned towards Kang Jin-ho.

“You m-monster…”

Even in the moment his breath was cut off, Geolryun was sending a hateful gaze towards Kang Jin-ho.

“A monster…”

Kang Jin-ho, who had retrieved the demonic energy he had extended, chuckled.

“Is that all?”

He had heard that word often in the past.

Monster.

Demon King.

Or a fiend.

He had seen too much and experienced too much to get excited by such a word. His life had been too harsh to be consumed by guilt at receiving a hateful gaze.

The only thought that was occupying him now was

“This isn’t what you call a monster.”

You’ll see what a real monster is.

Kang Jin-ho’s hands stretched out to the left and right. The space distorted as if ripples were forming on a calm lake. Kang Jin-ho didn’t hesitate to push his hands into the distorted space.

Then, he pulled them out.

Two swords.

Kang Jin-ho, holding Cheongru and Jeokru [Fictional swords] in both hands, grinned, revealing his teeth.

“It might be the first time in a thousand years.”

Red and black energy mixed and covered Cheongru and Jeokru.

“Consider it an honor.”

Kang Jin-ho jumped forward without looking back.

The moon hid behind the clouds.

After a thousand years, the Red Sky Demon Lord descends here.