50 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Chapter 50 Baek Sa-shin gripped the armrest tightly. Snap― His fingers dug deep into the metal armrest, eventually crushing it. "You trust your meager martial arts too much." He spat out each word with venom, and soon his eyes turned a stark white. A chilling aura emanated from his entire body, so intense it could freeze bones. Fwoosh! The sudden surge of energy made his snow-white hair ripple like ocean waves, and the once-still air began to fiercely tremble. Cracks appeared on the floor beneath the throne with a loud snap. The floor continued to crack around Baek Sa-shin, sinking nearly an inch. Rising from the throne, he focused his pale, alien eyes on Cheon Hui. Their eyes met. As Cheon Hui returned the gaze, Baek Sa-shin fully extended his left hand. The hand, thin and emaciated as if only skin clung to bone, was as colorless and lifeless as a corpse's. 'This level of pressure… It's been a while.' Cheon Hui could feel the immense power concentrated in Baek Sa-shin's outstretched palm, an inexplicably powerful and sinister energy. 'Yes, you must be at this level to truly claim dominion over a city.' Cheon Hui's eyes darkened. Baek Sa-shin was strong—strong enough to hold his own against the masters he had known, those who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, perhaps even beyond. 'Hyeon Do would be no match for him.' Just then— Flash! A blinding white-blue light burst from Baek Sa-shin's hand, followed by a powerful shockwave. Boom! The fortress shook as though struck by an earthquake, and a fierce gale swept through the room. When the dust settled, the interior had transformed completely. The walls and pillars were cracked and broken, decorations lay in ruins. Amongst the disorder, the only constants were Baek Sa-shin and Cheon Hui. Yet, the atmosphere between the two had changed as drastically as the room around them. A deadly aura flickered between them, each intent on taking the other’s life. It was Cheon Hui who broke the tension first. "If I hadn't blocked that, I would've been seriously hurt." Holding his sword, Cheon Hui recalled the fierce assault he had just managed to fend off, using his palm to shake off the lingering force. It was a menacing energy. Though easily deflected, enough of its impact remained in his hand as a reminder. 'What kind of martial art is that?' Before Cheon Hui's thoughts could conclude, Baek Sa-shin moved again. Swoosh— His left hand swung down, shining with an intense light as it tore through the air. Simultaneously, Baek Sa-shin pushed off from the ground. Thud! Even before his technique, the Nine Hells Eagle Claw, could reach Cheon Hui, instinct drove him forward, unleashing his power in a dazzling display. The speed surpassed even lightning. Crash! As Baek Sa-shin charged, Cheon Hui calmly redirected his sword, opting not to evade but to face him head-on. Step— The distance between them closed to just three steps. With that proximity, Baek Sa-shin’s attack and Cheon Hui’s sword gleamed, each striving to eliminate the other. Clang! A metallic sound unlike any expected from flesh and weapon reverberated as sparks flew. Their relentless assassination attempts on each other’s vital points—throat, heart, and arteries—were cold and unyielding. How many exchanges had passed? Baek Sa-shin frowned. 'A killing sword with no hesitation! Is he truly a Taoist from the Mount Hua Sect?' He was filled with unease. The sword before him felt less like the elegance of Taoist refinement and more akin to a cutthroat art. Yet, even then, it was different. A sword for subduing opponents. 'Like...' A thought struck him like lightning, a flash of insight regarding a particular sect. His contemplation was interrupted when Cheon Hui's sword came alarmingly close. Clunk! Once again, sword and hand collided. From Baek Sa-shin’s palm, a white-blue malevolent aura surged toward Cheon Hui’s torso. Ssshhhh! Cheon Hui’s left eyebrow furrowed. 'Directly clashing is not the way.' Defending head-on made the impact fully palpable. 'In that case…' Pivoting on his left foot, he deflected the lingering force. Baek Sa-shin’s powerful strike dissipated into the air, and just as it was about to vanish— Whoosh! Cheon Hui rotated further, preparing another attack, his gaze fixed on Baek Sa-shin as he thrust his sword towards the latter's brow. "……!" Startled by the unexpected counterattack, Baek Sa-shin hastily swung his left hand like a whip. Boom! The aftermath of their clash reverberated throughout the room, leaving the ceiling creaking as if it might collapse at any moment, below which, Cheon Hui and Baek Sa-shin stared each other down. Cheon Hui flicked his sword clean. 'Strong indeed.' Though they had exchanged just a few blows, it was ample to measure Baek Sa-shin’s martial prowess. This was the reason he was known as the conqueror of a single star—a formidable presence in Bai Gui’s fortress. “Yet, is that all?” Cheon Hui's eyes, once indifferent, now bore a chilling calmness. A conqueror of a single star? That meant nothing to him. Who was he? Someone who had surpassed a single star, domineering the martial world. No, the overlord of the Nine Continents and Eight Desolations. His once dispassionate gaze turned icy, a hint of red swirling within. Fwoosh— The Plum Blossom Art he had perfected began to engulf Baek Sa-shin’s presence and aura within the room. Witnessing this transformation, Baek Sa-shin’s eyes shifted. “Has Mount Hua been deceiving the world?” His voice dripped with intent to kill. “So quiet, all this time. Was it to mask the training of someone like you, under the guise of seclusion?” As Cheon Hui observed the mistaken Baek Sa-shin, he felt no need to correct him and instead silently wielded his sword. The Seventh Form of the Plum Blossom Sword: Shadow of the Plum Blossoms, Thunder in the Sky. A red lightning aura enveloped Cheon Hui's sword, striking down with the ferocity of a thunderstorm. Boom! At that moment, Baek Sa-shin's eyes flickered and his expression twisted with alarm. It seemed as if the sword aimed at him would cleave him in half. Grit— Baek Sa-shin gritted his teeth and summoned fierce energy with both hands, merging them into a swirling vortex of blue and white light. To shatter the crimson thunder sword, he unleashed his Nine Hells Devastation technique. The powerful technique surged toward the descending Shadow of the Plum Blossoms, leaving a vivid blue trail like lightning. Shortly after, the two forces collided. Sssshh— There was neither a loud crash nor the shockwave of impact. The atmosphere within the room felt as though time had stopped, eerily silent. Yet, Baek Sa-shin's appearance revealed the outcome of their clash. Snip— The tie holding his hair broke, and snow-white strands fell loosely over his shoulders, his eyes glinting dangerously. "…It's been a while." Baek Sa-shin murmured shakily. "When was the last time I felt such humiliation?" "Was that Qigong you just used?" Cheon Hui emerged from the shadows. Though he looked the same, his eyes sparkled like stars. "A Qigong technique with such power?" Recognizing the martial art just demonstrated, Cheon Hui's interest was piqued. Although it was a martial art he concluded long ago, for merely restricting an opponent’s movements, it had been laid to rest. But the Qigong technique Baek Sa-shin used was different from what Cheon Hui had known. It wasn't just enough to draw in the Shadow of the Plum Blossoms; it was powerful enough to completely extinguish it. 'Impressive enough to covet.' Cheon Hui grinned with avaricious eyes as he looked at Baek Sa-shin. "Daring to mock me," Baek Sa-shin misconstrued the smile, quivering with indignation as he unleashed his aura. Fwoosh! His unruly hair surged skyward, sending vibrations through the air. Manifestation of Nine Hells White Bone Art. One of the highest of all sinister arts, its presence made the air, and even the world, tremble in fear. And with unyielding precision, this power moved to close its jaws around Cheon Hui’s throat. A sly smile played on Cheon Hui’s lips. Feeling the electric pressure crawl across his skin, his eyes narrowed like a serpent’s, gleaming with delight. 'This is the martial world.' As he swung his sword again— Whoosh— Baek Sa-shin’s concentration peaked, filling the room with a chilling presence of the Nine Hells White Bone Art, exerting an immense pressure on Cheon Hui. Suddenly— Baek Sa-shin vanished as if a candle had been snuffed out. Moving at a speed beyond human perception, he appeared at Cheon Hui’s side, launching a punch with his right hand. Clang! Cheon Hui defended with his sword, as Baek Sa-shin’s ominous voice echoed. "This space is now mine." A formidable energy gathered in Baek Sa-shin’s hands, ready to unleash the deadly Nine Hells Crushing Thunder. It was as if the very air of hell itself was descending upon this place, pulling everything—walls, pillars, even Cheon Hui—into its grasp. Creak! The power compressed and consolidated into a massive sphere the size of Baek Sa-shin himself. Drip— Blood trickled from Baek Sa-shin’s lips, his face contorted in strain. "…This is the worst." Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Baek Sa-shin appeared outwardly calm but was already suffering severe internal injuries. Nine Hells Crushing Thunder, while incorporating his most alien and destructive techniques, was always accompanied by a catastrophic backlash. "But the price is worth it, cutting the threat before it could grow." His gaze fell on the sphere he created with the Nine Hells technique. The young Taoist he had faced, no—that monster—was overwhelmingly strong. Imagining what might happen if he allowed such an entity to grow before confronting it again made his blood run cold. If, even now, it could pressure him this much, allowing it to grow further was not just fearsome, but terrifying. Yet, such a day would never come. Bound by the Nine Hells Crushing Thunder, Cheon Hui would inevitably meet his end within it. Turning his eyes from the sphere, Baek Sa-shin began to treat his internal injuries. "But the losses are great." His gaze reached away, noting that the aura outside indicated most of his forces had lost their souls. "If only I hadn't listened to the strategist, instead opting for outright war rather than constructing the Mount Hua Annihilation Plan, monsters like that wouldn't have emerged from the Mount Hua Sect." He bit his lip bitterly. The grand scheme of annihilating Mount Hua had crumbled instantly, taking with it the accumulated forces of Bai Gui's fortress. "Rebuilding will take time. Although with the strategist, recovery should be faster than before…" And then— Crrr—cr. An ominous sound came from the sphere as fine cracks began to spread across its surface. "What is this…?" Baek Sa-shin’s eyes widened in disbelief at the unprecedented sight. Crack! The sphere shattered, and an irresistible, overwhelming force spilled forth. "Quite an impressive Qigong technique." The authoritative voice compelled Baek Sa-shin to shake, his face betraying his startlement. "This is impossible! How could someone of your age possess such power…?" Trembling as he shouted his denial, reality was suddenly painted in blood as Cheon Hui's sword cleaved Baek Sa-shin’s left arm, leaving it to float in the air. "To have pressured me, even if only for a moment." The cold words struck Baek Sa-shin’s ears as Cheon Hui materialized before him. Despite his unchanged appearance, the realization hit Baek Sa-shin at once. An undeveloped beast? Nonsense. The monster had already matured, standing as an absolute force. Baek Sa-shin's eyes trembled. The pain from his severed arm was entirely consumed by the overwhelming presence emanating from Cheon Hui. "Who... who are you?" For a moment, Cheon Hui’s lips twisted into a slight smirk. The sight of those white teeth between his crimson lips captivated Baek Sa-shin’s attention and spirit. "If you’re curious, ask the king of the underworld." As the chilling voice sent a shiver through Baek Sa-shin, his complexion turned ghostly pale. Swoosh! Cheon Hui’s sword swung, and a deep red plum blossom bloomed. The blossom spread as if to swallow the entire world, leading Baek Sa-shin to his death as it pierced through his heart. Drip— Blood flowed from Baek Sa-shin’s mouth. Gazing down at the sword impaled through his heart, he muttered with a vacant expression. "Heh, to end up like this before even challenging him... ugh." With a groan, he spat out blood. Drip— The inky black blood from Baek Sa-shin's heart trailed down Cheon Hui's sword, dripping onto the floor. Dazed by the shock, Baek Sa-shin staggered. Did he sense the approach of death? With his eyes losing focus, he fixed a sharp gaze on Cheon Hui, moving his bloodstained lips. "You are... strong. In time, you will become even stronger. But you will eventually struggle like me, within the palms of... the Eight Martial Gods…" Before finishing his sentence, he faltered and fell. Thud! It was a hollow end, unworthy of someone who had single-handedly elevated Bai Gui Fortress to the top ranks among the Six Heavenly Gates and dominated the Central Plains as a conqueror.