Swish!
Chung Myung swiftly moved forward.
The blizzard started again, obstructing his view, but he could make out a dark spot.
âSee that?â
Closing the distance wasnât easy. Despite using his internal qi to move quickly, the speed difference wasnât significant. In other words, the one running away was skilled.
âRatâŚ.â
In Chung Myungâs eyes, life was colder than the winters of the North Sea.
Thud!
As he hit the ground, snow flew out around him. He pushed himself forward with all his might, not caring about the snow blocking his vision, and soon the distance between them had narrowed.
The man in black, who was running ahead, turned upon sensing the qi. He could see Chung Myung running towards him with his sword drawn.
ââŚ.â
Emotionless eyes flickered on the manâs face.
Just as he was about to pick up his pace.
Paat!
An eerie roar echoed in his ears. A crescent-shaped sword qi entered the manâs field of vision.
Even with just a glance, it was clear that the sword qi possessed an unusual force capable of splitting him in half. ď˝ď˝ ď˝đď˝đđđ.đđď˝
âKuak!â
Unable to control his speed, the man rolled on the ground to avoid the sword qi. After several tumbles in the snow, he lifted his head and found himself face-to-face with his opponentâs foot.
ââŚ.â
âGet up.â
Hearing the cold voice, the man slowly raised his head and looked at a frigid face covered in a layer of ice.
ââŚ.â
âNow explain why you were eavesdropping. No, before thatâŚâ
Chung Myung had icy eyes.
âYou⌠a member of the Demonic Sect?â
âKuk.â
Hearing the words Demonic Sect, the man laughed. He then stood up and faced Chung Myung.
An eerie feeling emanated from the manâs eyes, which were visible through the mask.
âYou must be from the Central Plains.â
ââŚ.â
âIf you hadnât pursued me, you could have lived.â
Clench.
Something dark flowed out from under the manâs sleeve, producing a strange noise.
Seeing tbat hand, Chung Myungâs eyes grew darker, and he mumbled.
âBlack Slaying Palm.â
The man in black flinched for a second. This was an obvious reaction considering how calm he had been until then.
âHowâŚ?â
His lips curled.
âYou are from the Demonic Sect.â
It was the moment when doubt turned into confirmation. The man in black frowned.
âDo not say that name with that filthy mouth.â
He rushed forward and swung his black hand toward Chung Myungâs face.
Kang!
However, it was neatly blocked by Chung Myungâs Dark Fragrance Sword.
âYou!â
Kakaka!
A hand that had become harder than metal scratched against the blade. Chung Myung smiled as he infused internal qi into the sword. The sword, now red, soared high and cut the manâs hand.
As though the thought of his hand being cut hadnât even crossed his mind, the man hastily stepped back, and blood trickled down from his hand.
The man in black saw his opponent as a young warrior.
Chung Myung inquired with a cold tone.
âWhat do the people of the Demonic Sect intend to do by coming all the way here?â
ââŚâ
âWell⌠fine. I never expected a proper answer from your mouth anyway. Youâve always been like this.â
Those with strong convictions didnât falter in the face of pain. If their belief was firm, there was nothing more to be said. And the man furrowed his brows.
âDo you speak as though you know the Demonic Sect very well?â
â⌠I do.â
Chung Myung smiled.
Despite trying not to, a burst of sinister laughter escaped from him. He was startled by the emotions he had suppressed for so long.
He smiled wide enough for his teeth to be visible, and Chung Myung stated.
âI know all of you so well that it sickens me. I will cleanly cut you as a show of pleasure.â
This man in black.
No, this member of the Demonic Sect had a murderous gaze in their eyes.
âA foul heathen dares to speak such nonsense. Letâs see if you can still talk after your head is severed!â
The Demonic Sect member charged Chung Myung with the same speed and intensity as when he tried to escape earlier.
It was supposed to be a swift and covert attack, as though a beast lurking underwater had suddenly leaped out.
Srrng!
Chung Myung, who had drawn his sword, gently lowered it, and the sunlight reflected off its gleaming blade.
Meanwhile, the other personâs hand cast a dark shadow. The shadows multiplied in an instant, covering the sky like a pack of black wolves cornering their prey.
Chung Myungâs strategy for dealing with the numerous shadows was simple - he would eliminate them one by one.
The sword sliced through the shadows with lightning speed, shattering them like fallen leaves.
âWhatâŚâ
The man was in complete shock.
This couldnât possibly be real.
How skilled must one be to wield a sword with such speed? But there was no time to be astonished or admire the skill.
Chung Myung, the one who was destroying the shadows, now turned his attention toward him.
âArgh!â
Gritting his teeth, the man swung his hand. The hand, ink-black and filled with terrifying energy, charged toward Chung Myung.
Clang!
The clash of metal filled the air as the sword and hand collided.
Clang! Clang!
The sound repeated as the sword and hand clashed in mid-air. However, while Chung Myungâs sword remained flawless, the manâs hand showed cuts with each clash.
âOw!â
Realizing the value of the sword, the Demonic Sect member gritted his teeth and attempted to retreat, but it was already too late.
âAAAAHHHH!â
The man screamed and waved his hand in Chung Myungâs face. The tension in his hand, Black Slayer Palm, caused excruciating pain and a terrifying energy that sent shivers down peopleâs spines.
It was a terrifying attack that caused flesh to rot upon contact.
ButâŚ
Chung Myung effortlessly blocked the hand with his sword.
Slash! Slash!
Chung Myungâs sword moved up the manâs arm like a snake climbing a tree.
Slash!
His forearm, unprotected by energy, was split open.
âKuak!â
Blood gushed from the deep cut. Instead of backing down, the Demonic Sect member stepped forward and tried to hit Chung Myung with his other hand. Just as the hand was about to touch his face, howeverâŚ
Chung Myung spun his body and moved into the path of that demonic energy.
And,
Puaak!
The tip of the sword neatly lodged itself into the manâs chin, causing blood to pour into his mouth.
Thud.
âUghâŚ.â
The man trembled as he collapsed and struggled to get up. Seeing this, Chung Myung simply spoke emotionlessly.
âWeak.â
ââŚ.â
âYou canât compare to what you were before.â
âBefore?â
Chung Myung didnât bother answering.
âItâs a shame. You all are just followers and servants without your Heavenly Demon. Without them, you have no gods and no kings.â
The man glared at Chung Myung, who smiled.
âWhy do you, who have lost the god that you worship, still remain like ghosts in the world?â
âKuakâŚ.â
A groan, a sigh, or perhaps even a laugh, it was difficult to discern.
âI donât know where you learned, but⌠you know nothing.â
ââŚ.â
âHe is coming back. NoâŚâ
The manâs eyes gleamed with madness and confidence.
âWe will bring him back to the world.â
âInsane bastard.â
âThe second coming of the Heavenly Demon, blessed by tens of thousands of demons!â
And he rushed towards Chung Myung once again.
âDie!â
He swung his blackened hand towards Chung Myung. It was an attack so obvious that it made him frown.
âStupid.â
Chung Myungâs sword struck the hand. However, the moment their weapons made contact, a surge of demonic energy emanated from the hand of the Demonic Sect member, and he grabbed the blade unknowingly.
Gaggak!
The sword sliced through the hand. Yet, the man didnât even flinch or show any signs of pain. Instead, he continued to press forward, closing the distance with Chung Myung.
It was a moment fueled by despair.
However, there wasnât even a hint of fear in Chung Myungâs eyes. If anything, he seemed even colder now.
Swish!
His red sword cleanly cut through the hand. The severed limb swelled up, and black blood splattered onto the snowy field.
Yet, the Demonic Sect member charged forward still like an angry bull, seemingly unaffected by his severed hand.
Swish!
The demonic qi contained in the left hand was still fine. The force cutting through the air resembled a black beam of light.
Tak!
Chung Myung, stepping on the ground, swung his sword in the air.
Chak!
With the sound of something being cut, the Demonic Sect memberâs left arm was severed from the shoulder.
âDie!â
However, despite losing a hand and an arm, the man showed no signs of standing down. On the contrary, it only made him more ferocious, like an animal. There was no such thing as stepping back.
His remaining hand moved, showing the extent to which a person unafraid of death can go.
ButâŚ
Paaat!
A beam of light pierced the gap between the shadows that covered the palm.
âKuak!â
The sword pierced right through the center of the chest, and then stabbed the demon in the chest again and again.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Even in the midst of all this, the sword slithered like a snake through the cracks in the shadowy palms.
Although dozens of holes were pierced in his chest, the demon showed no signs of slowing down.
RatherâŚ
Puak!
The moment Chung Myungâs sword pierced the stomach, he rushed ahead with shining eyes. It was his intention to embed the sword into the body so that it could no longer move.
No sane person would think or do such a thing. But this one wasnât a normal person; he had experienced this several times.
Chung Myung stepped on the shin of the rushing man.
Crack!
The upper part of the demonâs ankle was broken, and he stumbled.
âKuakâŚâ
Slash.
As the sword that was pulled out from the stomach cut through the thigh, the demon could no longer stand.
Thud.
The man knelt on the ground, his face swollen and visible through the mask. One hand was cut in half, and the other was served at the shoulder. More than a dozen stab marks littered his chest, blood leaking out with every breath.
Each was a wound that should have killed him, but the man was still breathing. His entire body was weak and limp, and his head was low on his body, but he still mumbled.
âComing. Ten thousand blessingsâŚ.â
Chung Myungâs face twisted.
âSecondâŚcomingâŚHeavenly DemonâŚ.â
Clench.
Chung Myung grabbed the sword tight enough to turn his hand white as he slowly looked at the demon. He would have slit that throat in the past in one move, but his hand was trembling now.
âSecond ComingâŚ.â
Finally, his head fell completely.
As the demon collapsed to the ground, his breathing stopped, and snow began to cover his body. After looking at the corpse for a moment, Chung Myung cleaned the blood from his sword and resheathed it.
âDamn it.â
A loud voice then came from behind.
âChung Myung!â
He turned back and saw them.
Baek Cheon and his other companions were running towards him.
âAre you fine? YouâŚâ
As soon as they got closer, Baek Cheon went silent. He was at a loss for words at the corpse in front of Chung Myung.
ââŚthat person is?â
âDemonic Sect.â
ââŚâ
Baek Cheon understood the scene immediately and knew this wasnât cruelty against an opponent. The enemy had fought to that extent.
âHe really wasâŚâ
Everyoneâs faces became tense.
Chung Myung turned to look at the demon.
âNothing has changed.â
Here they were, still obsessed with the Heavenly Demon, even though he had died a hundred years ago.
âSecond comingâŚ.â
Chung Myung clenched his teeth and spat while staring at the lifeless body.
âTake a good look.â
âYouâll be sick of seeing this from now on.â
A chilling coldness, colder than the wind from the North Sea, struck fear into the disciples of Mount Hua.