So? Did Someone Force You to Become the Heavenly Demon?

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍explosion from the makeshift World-Destroying Primordial Jade Palm detonation slammed into Hyeon Am's Hundred-Step Divine Fist and obliterated the strike, sending the residual shockwave to wash over Hyeon Am who'd been standing close by.

Il-mok ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍and his maids had to look away from the blinding flare, but when they turned their eyes back to the front, Hyeon Am was already charging straight to them again.

He ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍didn't come out completely unscathed.

His ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍monk's robes were scorched and torn in patches, and burns and cuts had opened up across his body. But given the sheer destructive force of the World-Destroying Primordial Jade Palm, those injuries might as well have been scratches.

‘Tch. ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍So the makeshift version really doesn't cut it.’

Swallowing ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍that disappointment, Il-mok drew the Ascension Sword.

With Hyeon-am right in his face, there was no room left to use the World-Destroying Primordial Jade Palm.

And then Hyeon Am's left fist and Il-mok's Ascension Sword crashed into each other.

BOOM!!

Despite Hyeon Am's frame being reduced to little more than bone and scraps of muscle, the impact that traveled through the Ascension Sword where it met his fist was terrifying.

"Ngh." Il-mok gritted his teeth and choked back a groan.

From the side, Jin Hayeon slipped into Hyeon Am’s defense and drove her twin palms.

Hyeon Am swatted her double strike away with his free hand as if batting aside a fly, and so began the battle of the heavyweights.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The rhythmic pounding of war drums exploded from the imperial lines.

"All troops, advance!!"

The government commander bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Just a few minutes ago, when the Divine Monk first revealed himself without consulting him, the commander had been cursing the old fool out in his head.

The whole plan in this clash hinged on the Divine Monk staying completely hidden until the last possible moment to inflict serious casualties on the rebel forces.

History has proven that the Demonic Cult would retreat the moment they spotted the Divine Monk among their rank. If the imperial army wants to inflict maximum damage on the rebel forces, it needs to lull the rebel forces into believing that the Divine Monk is absent.

But contrary to his expectation, even with the Divine Monk before their eyes, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult side refused to retreat. Far from fleeing, the man known as the Left Guardian actually initiated a battle after unleashing that catastrophic strike.

When Hyeon Am first got swallowed up by that monstrous explosion, the commander had actually started thinking about ordering a retreat. But seeing Hyeon Am forcing his way through the explosion and begin trading blows with the Left Guardian without another word, the commander has no choice but to commence the attack against these Demonic Cult bastards.

"What are you all standing around for! Advance, right now!"

The problem was that the soldiers at the front had all gone white with fear and weren't moving.

Just then, the sound of war drums echoed from the opposing side, and the Demonic Cult forces started advancing in a disciplined charge straight at them.

"Dammit! Kill anyone who refuses to obey orders and make an example of them! Move!!"

As the commander's furious roar erupted once more, gruesome screams soon rang out from various parts of the imperial camp.

"Anyone who doesn't move will die right here!"

"Did you not hear the order to advance!"

When the veteran soldiers and officers stationed throughout the ranks began slashing down their own allies while screaming orders, the conscripts who'd been frozen in fear started pushing forward.

As soldiers from both sides charged toward each other, the center of the battlefield was a different story entirely.

BOOM!!

Il-mok and Jin Hayeon were trading blows with Hyeon Am, going back and forth with him in close combat.

Il-mok swept his sword in arcs wreathed in murky-colored flames born from the fusion of the Raging Demon Sword Art's Yang Qi and the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword's Demonic Qi, and whenever Hyeon Am moved to block, Il-mok would fire off a left-hand strike loaded with Yin Qi.

Whenever Il-mok and Hyeon Am clashed, Jin Hayeon darted into the Divine Monk's blind spots to land ambushes.

BOOM!

But the old monk fought like he had eyes in the back of his skull; he blocked or dodged Jin Hayeon's ambushes without any apparent difficulty.

Standing on the periphery, Jeong Hyeon had her bow drawn to full tension, but she couldn't bring herself to let the arrow fly.

The three masters were moving at such a speed that a poorly aimed shot was more likely to hit Il-mok or Jin Hayeon by mistake. Hyeokryeon Seon-ah and Ju Seo-yeon were in the same position.

The three of them could only watch the fight with helpless expressions.

BOOM!

After one more exchange where Hyeon Am's fist crashed against the Ascension Sword, Il-mok furrowed his brow and spoke. "And you still call yourself a monk?"

The killing intent bleeding off Hyeon Am’s entire body would put even the most sadistic killer to shame. And Il-mok’s question only deepened that intent.

"Do you honestly think I'd waste a shred of mercy on Demonic Cult filth like you?"

"What makes us demon filth? All we were trying to do was help the people."

"Enough! You snakes killed our Shaolin disciples with your filthy schemes, and you have the gall to open your mouths!"

Hyeon Am came exploding forward with a punch, and Il-mok barely managed to block it before getting shoved back. In that window, Jin Hayeon went in from the side and unleashed a flurry of strikes from the White Hand Demonic Art.

Hyeon Am deflected and evaded Jin Hayeon's assault with little effort, while Il-mok swallowed the blood surging up his throat.

"Weren't you the ones who tried to kill us first?"

"Shut your mouth! Did you think your demon word games would work on me!"

Hyeon Am snarled and threw a fierce kick that sent Jin Hayeon stumbling back, and Il-mok rushed in quickly to cover for her.

It had only been a handful of exchanges, but Il-mok was starting to understand what kind of man Hyeon Am was.

A bigoted old coot. One that was far too stubborn for his own good.

The type who believed whatever he'd decided was the truth, and wouldn't entertain evidence to the contrary even if you slapped it in his face.

Funnily enough, that was a type Il-mok knew well.

Back in his past life as a modern civil servant, he'd seen this type at least once a day. They would complain and demand unreasonable things from the civil servants.

Not that the Divine Cult was lacking this type of person.

But the old coot in front of him is the extreme type that would only hear from his own echo chamber. A walking and breathing manifestation of extreme confirmation bias.

‘And maybe that's exactly what got him to where he is.’

A nasty temperament that formed an absolute conviction to ignore anything else except for his own beliefs. And that conviction was so absolute in his mind that it bleeds into his martial arts.

It formed the foundation of his martial will and intent.

The weight of the will and intent carried in this man's martial arts was heavier even than the Sword Form of the Emperor that Namgung Jin of the notoriously arrogant Namgung Family used to wield.

Il-mok gritted his teeth.

‘Did I get too cocky?’

He'd gained an unexpected opportunity for growth up north and thought he could actually hold his own. But looking back, maybe it wasn't arrogance at all. Maybe it was just desperation. 

He was desperate to end this exhausting war where hundreds and thousands of people were dying every single day.

And only after actually clashing with Hyeon Am head-on did Il-mok understand.

BOOM!

"Ngh..."

While his power had grown, he still wasn't at Hyeon Am's level yet.

Maybe if he polished his skills a little further, there might be a chance, but retreating was no longer a viable option.

"Kill them!"

Schkt!

The all-out war between the two armies had already begun in earnest. 

If Il-mok pulled back now and made it out alive, the bulk of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's forces would be wiped out.

***

"Hah!"

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang cut down four soldiers blocking his path in a single stroke and fixed his gaze on a point in the distance.

BOOM!

To the center of the battlefield where explosions kept tearing through the air.

He watched Il-mok trading blows with Hyeon Am and couldn't help but marvel.

‘The late Heavenly Demon's eye was never wrong.’

There had been a time in the past when Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang had considered killing Il-mok for meddling in the Hyeokryeon Family's affairs. But Hyeokryeon Il-hwi thankfully had stepped in and put an end to it.

After that, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang had kept watching Il-mok over the years, and eventually came to understand that Il-mok was truly the kind of man fit to be Heavenly Demon.

Even now, with Wi Jin-hak as the Cult Leader, that opinion hadn't changed.

He'd simply set it aside for the time being, given that both Il-mok and Wi Jin-hak seemed settled in their respective positions.

But watching this fight unfold, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his and the late Heavenly Demon’s judgment on Il-mok had been completely right.

A man decades younger than himself was holding his ground against the monstrous Divine Monk.

It was a feat that only the current Cult Leader had managed to pull off.

No, considering the devastating martial art Il-mok had unleashed at the start of the battle, it seemed entirely possible that his prowess was already a step above the Cult Leader's.

‘If the Left Guardian were to ascend to the position of Cult Leader and master the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts...’

That thought flashed through his mind and Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang quickly turned his head and sent a voice transmission to someone.

—Take over the command of our forces. Your father has an errand to run.

The recipient was Hyeokryeon Hwan.

—And if I fall in battle today, you are the new Head of the Hyeokryeon Family from this moment forward.

Just as the late Heavenly Demon had promised, Il-mok was the heaven-sent genius destined to carry the Divine Cult's future on his back, and Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang won’t allow someone like him to die here even if it costs him his own life.

"F-Father! If someone has to put their life on the line, let me do it! I'm the

What on earth are you saying! If someone has to risk their life, it should be me!"

Hyeokryeon Hwan was so startled he blurted it out loud in the middle of battle. That was how much the words had shaken him.

But the next words out of his father's mouth left Hyeokryeon Hwan's face twisting with complex emotions.

—Are you going to defy my orders! I'll send Seon-ah your way, so protect her and lead the troops!

Hyeokryeon Hwan's head swam. To think he was being forced to choose between his father and his daughter.

—With your current skills, you wouldn't be able to withstand even a single exchange against the Divine Monk anyway! So take my order and hurry up!

Unable to tell if his father was being ruthless or protective, Hyeokryeon Hwan could only bite his lip hard enough to draw blood.

Slash!

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang cut through the enemy forces and made his way toward where Il-mok and Hyeon Am were fighting.

When he drew close enough, he gave an order to Il-mok's maids.

"I'll join the Left Guardian. The rest of you fall back and help the soldiers!"

When the maids hesitated, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang snapped at them. "You'll only get in the way! Fall back, now!"

Just as Hyeokryeon Hwan hadn't been able to argue with that, neither could they, and they grudgingly retreated toward the main force.

The moment his granddaughter and the other two maids were out of the way, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang charged straight at Hyeon Am who had just sent Il-mok skidding back.

As the retreating Il-mok and the advancing Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang blew past each other, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang slipped a voice transmission to the young man.

—I will create an opening for you by any means necessary. Do not miss it; ensure that Divine Art lands a direct hit on that old monster.

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang calculated the odds. As long as the World-Destroying Primordial Jade Palm fully landed, even an old monster like Hyeon Am would come away with serious injuries at the minimum and might be finished outright.

Over the next few exchanges, Il-mok, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang, and Jin Hayeon traded several more strikes with Hyeon Am.

In the split second Hyeon Am was about to throw a left fist at Il-mok, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang swept his sword at Hyeon Am's flank.

Hyeon Am seemed to have anticipated it and caught the blade with his right palm.

But then something happened that made Hyeon Am's expression shift for the very first time.

"What..."

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang's sword which had just met Hyeon Am's right palm bounced away harmlessly.

Or rather, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang had boldly let go of the weapon entirely.

The moment he abandoned his weapon, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang lunged forward and slammed his empty right palm directly against the monk's extended right hand.

He was inviting the monk into a contest of internal energy.

The instant their skin touched, a monstrous tidal wave of Buddhist Qi blasted through Hyeokryeon Cheong-gang’s meridians.

Starting from his palm, excruciating pain ripped through his meridians like they were being torn to shreds. And in the middle of that, Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang dredged up every scrap of internal energy he had from his dantian.

When his dantian proved to be insufficient, he pushed even further and burned his Innate Life Force, practically throwing everything he had against Hyeon Am's overwhelming force.

But even after all of that, it was still like throwing eggs at a stone wall. 

The gap in their cultivation level and internal energy reserves was simply too vast; dragging the monk into an internal energy tug-of-war was basically a guaranteed suicide mission.

Then, a cold touch landed on Hyeon Am's back.

Jin Hayeon had read Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang's intent and moved to support him.

Seeing Hyeon Am locked in an internal energy contest against both Jin Hayeon and Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang at once, Il-mok's instincts screamed at him.

This was the opening Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang had told him not to miss.

But Il-mok's expression was conflicted.

‘Damn it.’

If he used the World-Destroying Primordial Jade Palm while those two were pressed that close to Hyeon Am, they would be reduced to dust.  But he couldn't let the opening go either. If he missed this window, they were both going to die for nothing.

It was a split-second dilemma, yet it felt like an eternity stretched thin.

‘Fuck it. Whether it works or not, let's just try.’

With his mind made up, Il-mok chose a solution that hadn't been on the table at all. It was a technique he'd worked out in theory but never had the skill to actually attempt.

Tap!

He burst forward to Hyeon Am in an instant, and the expressions of Jin Hayeon and Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang went rigid.

This was partly due to their escalating internal injuries, but also because unleashing the World-Destroying Primordial Jade Palm at such close range would place Il-mok in mortal danger as well.

But then both of them realized something was amiss.

Il-mok still had the Ascension Sword in his hand. With both hands, no less.

‘Is he... trying to save us?’

The moment Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang and Jin Hayeon understood that Il-mok had abandoned the World-Destroying Primordial Jade Palm, despair began to set in on their faces.

But right at that moment, two contrasting energies began surging out of Il-mok's grip.

And then, through both of Il-mok's hands gripping the sword, two entirely different energies began to flow.

From his left hand poured a freezing Yin Qi wrapped in dark Demonic Qi, and from his right hand erupted a blazing Yang Qi equally saturated with Demonic Qi.

It was a process remarkably similar to the creation of the World-Destroying Primordial Jade Palm, but Il-mok's hands remained firmly wrapped around his sword. 

The cold Yin Qi and the scorching Yang Qi that poured from his hands coiled around each other like twin dragons as they climbed from the hilt to the tip of the blade.

Il-mok raised the sword into an overhead stance, and the moment he brought it slashing down toward Hyeon Am—

BZZZTTTTT!!!

The sounds of thousands of birds taking flight erupted all at once.

But there was no World-Destroying Primordial Jade Palm.

BZZZTTTTT!!!

Instead, the Ascension Sword shrieked as bolts of lightning coalesced and formed a murky violet colored Sword Thunder.

It marked the moment when the Soul-Annihilating Primordial Sword Thunder was born.

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