Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1025

“Stop him!”

The moment Danjagang charged, screams erupted from the Black Demon Squad’s elites.

They were trained to protect Grand Master Mangeum, even if it meant giving their lives. For years, they had been conditioned to believe this, their minds screaming at them to block Danjagang and defend their leader.

But their bodies didn’t respond as quickly as their minds.

Bloodlust burned in Danjagang’s eyes.

Dark magic swirled around him.

It felt as if the spirits of those he had killed were surrounding him, a horrifying sight that froze them in place.

They knew they should fight. Reason told them to attack. But their bodies were frozen by fear. Instinct screamed at them to run.

Despite their fear, the Black Demon Squad’s elites proved their loyalty. They overcame their instincts and rushed forward to protect Grand Master Mangeum.

But making the right choice doesn’t guarantee the right outcome.

Wham!

Danjagang’s hand slammed into the head of the first man in his path.

Wham!

The man’s skull exploded, sending fragments flying in every direction.

The bone shards, though small, were launched with such force that they tore through protective energy like paper, piercing the bodies of the men behind him.

“Kraaah!”

The holes in their chests were small, but the exit wounds on their backs were large enough to fit a fist.

With a single, brutal swing, Danjagang turned the brave men into a gruesome mess. Bone and blood rained down as he fixed his burning gaze on those still twitching on the ground. His eyes promised more pain.

Blood splattered. Flesh tore.

“Die! You monster!”

It might have been recklessness, courage, or simply desperation.

Danjagang punished those who dared to challenge him.

Whoosh!

Blades of black magic shot from his hands, tearing apart anyone who charged him. Dismembered bodies flew through the air, and a thick mist of blood filled the space.

The Demon Lord’s Walk. A demon walks the earth.

The magic coming from him ripped through the air, swirling with immense power. The Black Demon Squad, which had brought terror to the region, was helpless against it.

Grand Master Mangeum’s feet hit the ground, moving backward.

“Hold him back!”

Grand Master Mangeum shouted, his voice high-pitched.

He imagined only one worst-case scenario: his own death.

Because of the Demonic Path, the leader’s death meant the end of everything. The Black Demon Squad would collapse, and he couldn’t let that happen.

He calculated his options and retreated as fast as he could.

Even if it looked cowardly, he had to survive. Only then could he warn the world about this monster.

But Danjagang wouldn’t let his prey escape.

Wham!

Those who blocked Grand Master Mangeum’s path were torn to pieces. Danjagang crushed, trampled, and pierced his way toward Mangeum like a black arrow.

“Kuh!”

A beam of light shot from Grand Master Mangeum’s waist.

Ghost King Manifestation!

His ultimate technique, his pride, cut through the air. It was a perfect sword strike, efficient and deadly. How many had fallen to this swift attack?

But.

Clang!

The sword bounced harmlessly off Danjagang’s bare hand. Grand Master Mangeum stared in disbelief.

‘My sword, stopped by his bare hand?’

Kraaah!

A massive blade of magic erupted from Danjagang’s fingertips, crashing down on Grand Master Mangeum like a claw from a demon.

Grand Master Mangeum didn’t dare to block it. He jumped to the side.

Wham!

The earth where the magic blade struck was gouged deeply, as if a giant bird had raked its claws across it. It was unbelievable.

“You filthy non-believer!”

Danjagang threw his head back and roared like a wild animal.

Grand Master Mangeum was covered in cold sweat.

What was happening?

Danjagang was clearly in control. The Black Demon Squad couldn’t even slow him down. But why was he acting like a wounded animal?

“You!”

Danjagang’s hands began to darken.

“I won’t let you die easily!”

Rage boiled in his eyes. Danjagang roared, unable to contain his fury. Veins bulged on his face.

“Daring to defile the mouth that holds Him, I will tear you into a thousand pieces! You non-believer!”

Wham!

Danjagang slammed his foot into the ground and charged at Grand Master Mangeum with terrifying speed.

Grand Master Mangeum leaped to the side again.

Wham!

The ground where Danjagang’s fist landed crumbled like tofu, erupting upwards.

Wham!

Leaping away from Danjagang’s attack, Grand Master Mangeum twisted and unleashed three sword strikes.

Three beams of light, sharper than any blade, flew with incredible speed.

Anyone else would have dodged or blocked, but Danjagang did neither. He wrapped himself in magic and charged into the sword strikes.

‘What?’

Clang!

The black magic deflected the incoming sword strikes. Grand Master Mangeum jumped backward.

But he couldn’t dodge forever.

Crack!

Danjagang’s hand, swinging like a wild animal’s paw, grazed Grand Master Mangeum’s chest, tearing away flesh. Blood gushed from Mangeum’s mouth.

“Where do you think you’re going, you rat!”

Danjagang chased after Grand Master Mangeum like a tiger after its prey. Cornered, Mangeum gritted his teeth and gripped his sword.

His ultimate technique, Ghost King Twelve Styles, Ghost King Sky Snatch, erupted with more power than ever before.

Clang! Clang clang clang!

The magic swirling around Danjagang clashed fiercely with Mangeum’s sword energy.

“Aaargh!”

Grand Master Mangeum screamed, and a sword energy bluer than lapis lazuli tore through Danjagang’s magic.

Wham! Wham!

Crimson lines appeared across Danjagang’s body.

“You baaaastard!”

The next strike, Ghost King Pierces the Sun, pierced through the gaps in the torn magic with lightning speed.

Crack!

“……”

Grand Master Mangeum’s eyes flickered.

The tip of his sword, glowing with chillingly blue energy, was embedded in the center of Danjagang’s chest.

‘Huh….’

He couldn’t believe he had actually done it.

A moment of fear gripped Grand Master Mangeum.

‘Could it be a trap…?’

Thud!

Danjagang grabbed the sword in his chest with his bare hand.

“…You rat.”

Grand Master Mangeum released his sword and leaped backward. But Danjagang snatched his arm.

“Aaargh!”

Grand Master Mangeum screamed. Danjagang’s fingernails dug into his flesh and bones. His arm felt like it was on fire, and his body trembled.

But the sight before him was even more horrifying. His sword, still in Danjagang’s chest, was slowly sliding out on its own.

“Kuh… Kuh…”

His eyes, bloodshot with pain, widened. The hole in Danjagang’s chest was rapidly closing.

Danjagang spoke in a dark voice.

“I will spare you. You will not have a peaceful death. But… this body is useless.”

An immense pain engulfed Grand Master Mangeum’s arm. It withered like an old tree.

“Kraaah!”

A desperate scream erupted from Grand Master Mangeum’s mouth.

The Black Demon Squad members, finally catching up, charged toward Danjagang, screaming.

“Protect the Squad Leader!”

“Die, you monster!”

Their eyes bloodshot, they attacked Danjagang without caring for their own lives.

Danjagang didn’t even turn. He swung his arm, and blades of black magic tore apart anyone who came close.

Humans were ripped to shreds, and weapons were turned to dust.

But the Black Demon Squad members kept charging. If Grand Master Mangeum died, their families would be killed as well. They had no choice.

Clang!

Even with his lower body destroyed, a man swung his sword and pierced Danjagang’s shoulder. Another, crushed beyond recognition, clung to Danjagang’s leg with his remaining arm.

“You!”

Danjagang finally turned, his eyes burning with rage.

“You filthy non-believers!”

Dozens of blades of black magic erupted.

“Die, all of you!”

Wham!

Blades of magic, larger than a human, spun and engulfed those who charged. Shredded flesh and blood mixed, creating a horrifying scene.

Wham!

The storm of black magic swept forward, again and again.

Then, it vanished as if it had never happened.

The world was silent.

Only the blood-red earth proved that it wasn’t a dream.

Danjagang, his face slowly calming, looked down at his hand.

He held a withered arm, cut off at the shoulder. He sneered and tossed it to the ground.

“A quick decision.”

Grand Master Mangeum had cut off his own arm and fled while Danjagang was momentarily distracted.

Normally, Danjagang would never let someone escape his grasp, but those who pushed Demonic Arts to the limit sometimes lost control. It was a side effect he had to accept.

But for someone to cut off his own arm and abandon his men to escape…

“To be serving such men…”

Danjagang bit his lip until it bled.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

“The Heavenly Demon Reborn, Myriad Demons Yearn.”

He will descend.

He will surely descend.

“The Heavenly Demon Reborn, Myriad Demons Yearn.”

He would deny all his delusions and give Danjagang a name.

Only then would Danjagang find his purpose.

“Jeokil.”

“Yes! Bishop.”

The Law Enforcer appeared and bowed.

“…Kill more, and inflict more pain upon them. So that the whole world may groan in despair and agony.”

“Yes! Bishop!”

Danjagang stared at the blood-soaked earth.

‘Are you listening? Heavenly Demon? To our cries.’

He slowly turned.

Only Grand Master Mangeum’s arm lay on the ground, twisted and forlorn.