Chapter 317: I Want to Keep Fighting |
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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Forty-four versus four—on paper.
But in truth, it was a battle of four against four.
The line of Demonic Fiends charged only in a straight path. If these fiends had been designed to turn and focus all attacks on them, Father wouldn’t have bothered splitting them into forty-four in the first place.
How could anyone stop that many fiends?
That’s what I thought—
Until the moment my four Demonic Fiends collided with the approaching ones!
The rest of the rampaging fiends… suddenly halted in place.
I had assumed only four would clash, while the remaining forty fiends would sweep past and flank me. But they just… stopped?
So they can be controlled!
My cultivation wasn’t high enough to know that this was even possible.
Wait—are they going to focus all their attack on my fiends now?
Thankfully, the fiends remained frozen where they stood.
But the pressure was overwhelming.
My four fiends were locked in fierce combat, and on either side of them, forty more stood like executioners waiting their turn. 1
BOOM! CRACK! THUD! THUD-THUD!
A terrifying clash unfolded before me.
These fiends could sweep away everything in their path, and yet… they couldn’t overpower each other.
It was like warriors on the front lines of a battlefield—fighting with the knowledge that if they fell, their comrades behind them would be slaughtered.
Each time fiends clashed, a thunderous shockwave erupted, and sparks scattered through the air.
Beyond the wall of fighting fiends, I could see Father.
Even though he had split his fiends into forty-four, an act that must’ve drained an enormous amount of internal energy, he remained calm. Tranquil.
He was showing me—this is what a fully mastered Great Annihilation Form looks like.
And asking me—What kind of Great Annihilation Form will you achieve in the future?
My four fiends began to falter.
I had poured every ounce of energy into them, but I couldn’t match the Demonic Fiends of a fully mastered technique. No matter how much firewood you throw in a fire, you can’t beat the heat of lava.
I wasn’t ready—not yet.
As if they knew their fall would mean my death, the four fiends held out to the very end… and then faded away.
Now, I had to decide.
Should I use the Divine Lightning Step to escape this zone? To flee far beyond the reach of the Great Annihilation Form?
But I didn’t want to run.
Just then, my eyes locked with Father’s.
‘I’m not going to run.’
I summoned the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique, raising a layer of Protective Energy across my entire body.
On top of that, I invoked the Fifth Technique: Diamond Asura from the Thunderous Asura Fist, momentarily turning my body as hard as steel.
Come on! Let’s see if even this is enough to kill me!
KA-KRAK!
The charging Demonic Fiend slammed into me head-on.
The shock rippled through my entire body, but I endured it.
If I could survive that first blow, I could survive more.
The fiend’s sword came crashing down—I blocked it with the Black Demon Sword.
The impact was so fierce I thought my arm might rip off.
But I gritted my teeth and swung back with everything I had.
CLANG! CLAAAANG! KANG! CLAAAANG!
The sharp clang of metal rang out again and again.
The Demonic Fiend’s attacks were swift, precise, and powerful—
It felt like Father himself was right in front of me, striking down with his blade.
A relentless barrage of blows.
It was the kind of fight I could never have experienced unless the opponent was Father.
He pushed me to my absolute limit, yet I… was trying to defeat the fiend.
Just holding out wasn’t enough.
I had to destroy it—no matter what.
A strike, fast as lightning, crashed into the fiend.
It was like hammering on millennium-forged iron.
My arm hurt more than the thing I struck.
CLANG! KANG! CLAAAANG! KANG!
In the final exchange of that back-and-forth clash, the Black Demon Sword drove straight through the fiend’s heart.
Puuuk!
Until now, it had felt like I was pounding metal—
But this time, I heard the sound of flesh being torn.
Shhhhhhhk—
In the next moment, the Demonic Fiend began to dissipate.
As the one I had fought vanished, the other fiends disappeared with it.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground.
And I understood.
Father had recalled the Great Annihilation Form at the last second.
That’s why I’d been able to land the blow on the heart.
So this is Father’s Nine Calamities Demon Art…
He slowly walked over to me.
I was panting heavily.
Even though my whole body felt like it was on the verge of death,
Even though death had brushed right past me—
I looked up at Father and said,
“I want to keep fighting.”
Father smiled.
It wasn’t his usual scoff.
Nor the smile he wore when I said something cheeky.
This time…
He smiled as one martial artist to another.
“Then you’d best get up.”
With a grunt, I forced myself to stand.
I could feel his heat—the fire within him.
He must have felt it too, watching me take the Great Annihilation Form head-on without backing down.
He hadn’t expected me to withstand it to that extent.
“Show me the Third Form of the Nine Calamities Demon Art.”
He was offering to watch my Third Form—
A rare chance only the Young Cult Leader could earn.
It was a reward for my resolve to keep fighting.
For the first time, I began to manifest the Third Form of the Nine Calamities Demon Art:
Third Form: Great Demon Wall.
This wasn’t a form that summoned Demonic Fiends.
It didn’t even involve wielding a sword.
If the First Form: Human Annihilation Form targeted a single opponent,
And the Second Form: Great Annihilation Form was a large-scale killing technique,
Then the Third Form: Great Demon Wall was a defensive form— 2
It created a wall of internal energy directly ahead.
Not a wall of sword energy like a typical Sword Wall,
But something entirely different in essence.
And yes, now that I was trying a Third Form, it was far harder.
Even when I followed the incantations and circulated my energy properly,
The Great Demon Wall refused to take form.
“I’ll restore some energy first.”
Maybe I was simply running low.
I sat cross-legged and ran a full cycle of energy.
But it wasn’t a matter of energy.
Even with replenished internal strength, I couldn’t form the wall.
“Why is this so difficult?”
“Because defense is harder than offense.”
Yeah, that’s right. Attacking always feels hard, but in truth, defending is even harder. The higher your cultivation, the more clearly you realize that. 3
I asked Father about the parts I didn’t understand, and he explained them to me in detail. What would’ve taken me months to comprehend if I had trained alone—I grasped in an instant.
I reviewed it again, and whenever I hit a block, I asked him. Repeating that over and over, until finally—
“It worked!”
Whooong!
With a deep and grand wind sound, the Great Demon Wall finally rose.
It was a wall of qi, flowing with the color of the sky—just like the hue of my sword energy.
Standing tall like a fortress, it was massive—large enough to hide at least dozens of people behind it. The more I trained, the sturdier this wall would become.
I wanted to keep looking at it, but I had expended so much inner strength that I couldn’t maintain it for long.
Suddenly, I became curious about Father’s Great Demon Wall.
“I’d like to see your Great Demon Wall, Father.”
His wall would probably be ten times larger than this one, wouldn’t it?
Today, Father was in a good mood. “Alright, I’ll show you,” he said, and unfolded his Third Form.
Fwhooong!
A sharper, lighter gust of wind.
And then his Great Demon Wall appeared—and I was stunned.
It was completely different from what I had imagined.
Father’s Great Demon Wall was small. A shield, just large enough to cover an adult’s body.
But when I saw the white energy flowing like mist, I understood.
It was condensed, focused qi—so dense that no attack could break it. Harder than diamond, tougher than Millennial Cold Steel.
“As your cultivation rises, the Demon Wall becomes smaller.”
“In exchange, it becomes tougher, doesn’t it?”
Father nodded firmly.
“A perfected Great Demon Wall cannot be broken by any attack.”
That statement naturally raised a question.
“Not even by the Great Annihilation Form?”
“If both sides have reached perfection, it depends on who has the superior martial talent. And how refined their internal energy is, of course.”
My heart pounded. The Nine Calamities Demon Art always made my chest beat like this.
“I want to see the perfected version of my Great Demon Wall. And then… I want to block your Great Annihilation Form with it.”
I could feel a stronger fire in Father’s gaze as he looked at me.
He was probably picturing the moment when I would push through his Demon Wall. Because beyond being father and son, we were martial artists striving for the pinnacle.
“I’ll repay today’s grace by making sure it doesn’t break when the time comes. I’ll become someone you have to fight at full strength.”
It must have been the answer Father was waiting for. Because for the first time, he said:
“I’ll be waiting.”
I’ll come to you, Father. And when I do—we won’t stop there. We’ll go further together. 4
I walked out of the martial grounds with him. Feeling that he was in a good mood made me happy too.
“Have you unlocked the secret of the Secret Box?”
“Not yet.”
I pulled the Secret Box out from my robe.
“Greet my father.”
Upon seeing the drawn eyes and mouth, Father openly scoffed. Of course—if I came to see Father, I had to witness that laugh too. 5
“What kind of attempts have you made?”
“I haven’t tried anything at all. Maybe that’s why it’s feeling relaxed and smiling like this.”
I tucked the Secret Box back into my robe. I had a vague feeling about it. As if the connection with the box would come naturally, in its own time. Until then, we’d just stay like friends.
“Did the Great Technique go well?”
Of course, Father already knew everything that had happened. The Heavenly Communication Pavilion was an exceptional intelligence network, and Gowol hadn’t hesitated to provide them with information either.
“The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader broke the Soul Reaping Art that was cast on the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. And we’ve dealt with the ones behind it as well.”
Father’s aura turned cold. It was only natural. They had dared to target a Demon Supreme of his own cult—of course he wouldn’t take that lightly.
“It seems they were allied with the group that schemed inside the Martial Alliance before. We also discovered that infiltrators were hiding within the Heavenly Wind Cult. I believe I’ll need to travel to the Wilderness with the Cult Leader.”
Father nodded and said,
“Take the Demonic Buddha with you.”
As expected, he left no gaps. He already knew precisely how strong Ma Bul was against Illusion Arts.
“And when you return, let’s have a meal together—your brother, you, and me.”
He wasn’t just saying we should eat. It was his way of telling me, ‘No matter how busy you are, don’t forget to look after your brother too.’
“I’ll treat!”
* * *
The next morning, we gathered in one place.
The group headed for the Heavenly Wind Cult consisted of my bodyguards, Jeong Dae, and the Demonic Buddha.
Since Father had ordered it, even if Ma Bul had refused, he would have had to go. But before that, it seemed he and the Cult Leader had reached some kind of understanding.
“Having the Demonic Buddha with us is incredibly reassuring.”
“There must’ve been other Demon Supremes you wanted to bring, no?”
He wouldn’t believe me even if I denied it.
“There were, yes. But our previous Cult Leader here insisted that he wanted to go with you, Demonic Buddha.”
Saying that, I glanced at Jeong Dae, who pretended not to hear and looked elsewhere—but I could see his ears perk up.
“He said you’d protect us better than the other Demon Supremes.”
They didn’t speak directly to each other, maintaining a kind of respectful distance—but they didn’t seem uncomfortable either.
The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and the Demonic Buddha.
A combination that both fit and didn’t fit.
Just then, Jeokyeon approached and reported.
“Preparations for departure are complete.”
Just as we were about to board the prepared carriage, someone arrived. Unexpectedly—it was the Poison King.
“Poison King! You came all this way just because I’m heading off on a long trip?”
At my cheerful greeting, the Poison King pretended not to notice and walked right past me. Right now, there was only one person in his sight.
He gave the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader a cursory, formal greeting and went straight to Ma Bul. To my surprise, he had come to see him.
“I heard you’re heading to the Wilderness.”
“I’ll be accompanying the Young Cult Leader to the Heavenly Wind Cult.”
“Then I have a favor to ask.”
The Poison King pulled out a few sheets of paper from his robe.
“I found out about your departure just last night. I stayed up all night to make these in a rush.”
His bloodshot eyes and unkempt hair spoke the truth.
On the papers he handed over were illustrations of various poisonous herbs. Each sheet included not only the plants’ appearances but also detailed notes on where they commonly grew, what properties they had, and how to properly harvest them.
“These are poisonous herbs native to the Wilderness. If you happen to see any on your way, I ask for your help.”
At the request, the Demonic Buddha let out a hearty laugh. Truly, the Poison King might be the only person who could speak to him this way. In any case, this was the first time I’d ever seen Ma Bul laugh so openly. 6
“Very well. If I see them, I’ll be sure to collect them for you.”
The Poison King’s face lit up brightly.
“Ah, I feel a bit guilty about this, but…”
He pulled out a few more sheets from his robe. 7
“I held some back, thinking I was already giving too much, but… since you’re going anyway, maybe these too. Oh, is it too much? Just pick a few from here. These ones are essential, and…”
He fumbled between this one and that, torn on which to give.
At that moment, the Demonic Buddha took all the sheets the Poison King was holding.
“Give me all of them.”
“You’ll take them?”
“The more I have, the more I can bring back.”
I could feel it clearly—right now, the Poison King was genuinely happy. He was a man who was sincere when it came to poisonous herbs.
“Wait, why aren’t you asking me for help?”
“The Demonic Buddha can see things that you can’t. Just don’t get in the way.”
If he was going to be like this, then of course I couldn’t hold back. I shouted toward Ma Bul.
“You’re being used! Once he’s gotten all the poisonous herbs he needs, he’ll abandon you—just like he did with me!”
Still flipping through the pages filled with herbs, the Demonic Buddha replied calmly.
“Do you think there will ever be a day when the Poison King no longer needs poisonous herbs?” 8
At those words, I caught a subtle smile forming on the Poison King’s face. In this moment, he wasn’t just a man obsessed with venom—he was someone who had stepped out of his own world and into reality. I liked the Poison King best when he stood right at this edge between those two worlds.
“I’ll be off, then.”
Instead of telling him to stay safe, the Poison King said,
“Make sure you come back with a harvest.”
As he turned away, our eyes met.
“No farewell for me?”
“Of course you’ll return safely.”
That single word—of course—held within it just how much he trusted me.
“Since you’re already out here, why not come along?”
“No thanks. I hate sand and dust.”
“And yet you gave me a mountain of herb guides to dig up in that sandstorm.”
Without even glancing back, the Poison King dashed away.
Watching him leave, the Demonic Buddha gave a faint smile and carefully folded the pages of herb illustrations, tucking them into his robe.
“When did you and the Poison King become so close?”
I had the feeling Jeong Dae might be just a little jealous. No matter what, he likely thought he was closest to the Demonic Buddha.
“We’re not close.”
“Then why take on a favor like that?”
“I’m going to the Wilderness with you even though we’re not close, aren’t I?”
At the curt reply, the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader retorted,
“Don’t change too much, will you?”
“You’re one to talk.”
And just like that, the two of them were already bickering before we even departed. 9
“Well then, let’s go dig up some hidden herbs.”
1 : “The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club!”
2 : I wonder if at 12 Stars you can create complex structures, like a fortress or something.
3 : Yeah, even Naofumi found a way to attack with his shield. Truly defending others is harder since martial artists common sense is : ‘Just kill the enemy before it reach what I want to protect’ (The Rising of The Shield Hero)
4 : Such elation won’t come from conquering the martial world, but from saving it.
5 : Meet Wilson, the volleyba-Secret Box !!! (Castaway)
6 : Then again, Ma Bul might be the Demon Supreme you spent the least time with, or at least competing for that place with Cheong Seon.
7 : Ahahahaha, he’ll never change XDXDXD
8 : Got you there.
9 : Lol, Jeong Dae’s relationships are always based on dissing and bickering XDXDXD