Chapter 31 : Master and Disciple (3)

Chapter 31: Master and Disciple (3)

The reason each great sect never tampered with their signature martial arts was not only because of the founder’s authority and tradition.

It was because the martial arts that were already considered divine techniques were themselves close to perfection.

And touching such martial arts was something only a peak master who had fully mastered that sect’s martial principles could attempt.

Yet, Sewoon was perfectly reinterpreting and recreating the martial arts of the Shrine Maiden Sect.

It was not because he had gained the talent of a Grandmaster in exchange for being born with the dreadful Heavenly Punishment.

The only gift Sewoon had that could be called genius was one thing.

He was gifted only in growth.

Even so, the reason such a feat was possible at all was thanks to the manifestation of the power of Reverse Heaven Qi.

‘The martial art of the Blood Demon, Reverse Heaven Qi, strengthened every ounce of the user’s potential to its utmost limits.’

And that potential included not only physical ability, but also the mind’s ability to understand and interpret martial arts.

Before his regression, when Reverse Heaven Qi had reached reason, it had been as if all the martial principles and logic contained in Flawless Heavenly Garment were laid bare before his eyes, not missing a single fragment.

But Reverse Heaven Qi was undeniably a demonic art.

The price of unlocking potential was one’s very lifespan.

Before his regression, Golden Bridle Movement Technique had barely held back that side effect.

Had it been an ordinary martial artist, he would not have lasted even a year and would have died immediately.

Perhaps that was why the Blood Demon had so easily handed over his martial art to the Demonic Sword—because he expected him to die soon anyway.

In any case, the ‘Reverse Flawless Heavenly Garment’ Sewoon had recreated was…

Exactly as the name implied, it was his own martial art, which reinterpreted the Shrine Maiden Sect’s martial principles in complete opposition.

As was well known, all of the Shrine Maiden Sect’s martial arts were centered on non-killing and incapacitating the opponent.

Thus, the meaning behind Sewoon’s Reverse Flawless Heavenly Garment was—

‘Only killing and overwhelming counterattacks.’

It was nothing less than to kill and destroy the enemy unconditionally.

And Poison Demon, to Sewoon’s great fortune, had stepped right into the trap.

‘The moment he sees the daggers, he’ll think to destroy my weapons first.’

In Sewoon’s memory before his regression, Poison Demon had always attempted weapon destruction first whenever facing an enemy who used hidden weapons.

Knowing that habit, Sewoon had revealed himself while drawing his Twin Daggers.

Since he had already used the Invisible Dagger earlier, Poison Demon must have engraved in his mind the thought that Sewoon was a dagger arts user.

That had to be exploited.

While conversing with him, Sewoon had secretly wound countless strands of Heavenly Net around the hilts of his daggers.

At last, the time arrived.

Chwarara!

The Heavenly Net’s Black Threads seized the Poison Demon’s right arm as he tried frantically to pull it back.

Spider Slash Lock.

Just as the name implied, like the chain of a spider, once it caught its prey, it never let go.

The only way to escape those black threads was—

To abandon the part of the body that was bound.

‘This is… dangerous!!’

Sensing the instinctive threat, Poison Demon quickly withdrew his Blue Ghost Claws and instead unleashed his Red Silk Hands.

He shifted from an offensive claw technique that concentrated all his energy into the nails, to a hand technique that enveloped the entire hand with energy.

All to block the black threads.

Seugeok!

But a chilling slicing sound echoed, making his efforts meaningless.

Thud. Something small dropped to the ground.

Poison Demon’s ring finger and little finger had been severed.

Psshh!

Blood spurted from the exposed cross-section of bone and flesh.

“Khuek!”

“Urgh!”

The excruciating pain made Poison Demon groan involuntarily.

Because his right hand was still suffering from the lingering effects of Angshin Tears, he could not switch martial arts fast enough.

Poison Demon hurriedly controlled his qi to stop the bleeding at the severed part.

Watching this, Sewoon sneered.

“Oh? Fascinating. Even your groans alternate.”

“You bastard—!”

Murderous killing intent erupted from Poison Demon’s eyes.

He wanted nothing more than to rush over and chew Sewoon’s head into pieces right there, but he couldn’t.

Kik!

Kwa-deuk!

‘These damned threads… what in hell are they?!’

Because the threads that had devoured his two fingers began tightening around his right arm once again.

His mastery of Red Silk Hands was already at nine-tenths, its outer defense strengthened to the hardness of diamond.

And yet, instead of cutting through the enemy’s threads, he was barely able to fend them off.

‘If I can’t cut them—!’

But with age and experience, Poison Demon immediately found another method.

He forcefully swung his right arm, still bound by the threads, over his shoulder.

Chwarak!

The threads connected to Sewoon’s two hands were pulled taut as well.

“Guuaaah!”

A dreadful demonic qi erupted from Poison Demon’s entire body.

‘-I just need to kill the body itself!’

Though Poison Demon was injured, the gap in internal energy between the two had been enormous from the start.

He had blocked the threads from digging in, so his plan was to drag Sewoon over and crush his skull.

‘Kihihihi. No, I can’t kill the disciple brat.’

Yes, instead he would slice off all ten of his fingers with his Poison Claws.

Dreugeuk!

Sewoon’s feet began leaving marks on the ground as he was slowly dragged forward.

But Sewoon had no intention of letting the enemy’s plan succeed.

‘I already cut off two fingers. That’s enough.’

Since his left hand was paralyzed by Angshin Tears’ poison, he could no longer use it.

That meant if two of his opponent’s five fingers were severed, his power was cut by more than half.

‘In that case—!’

He would go all out.

Chwaat!

At that moment, Sewoon suddenly spread his ten fingers wide and flicked them lightly.

“Khup?!”

A startled groan escaped from Poison Demon’s mouth.

His stance suddenly collapsed as if he were about to topple over.

When Sewoon flicked his fingers, all the threads connected to him were instantly severed.

And the force Poison Demon had been using to drag Sewoon was returned to him in full.

‘So easily…?’

It made no sense that a weapon worthy of being called a divine artifact was discarded so simply.

But—

The reason revealed itself naturally.

Jureureuk.

‘What!?’

The threads remaining on his right arm were melting away in an instant.

With their master’s qi withdrawn, the Black Threads had reverted to ordinary strands.

As Poison Demon’s posture faltered—

Chwaat!

Sewoon, who had been maintaining distance, immediately raised both hands high into the air and brought them down.

His body bent like a bow, and he drew an ‘X’ in the air.

A movement strikingly similar to when Poison Demon wielded his Poison Claws.

But Poison Demon himself could perceive nothing beyond that.

‘It’s coming.’

Because he had already sensed dozens of slashing strikes rushing toward him like waves.

Shwaeek!

Chwarara!

With the tearing sound of air being ripped apart, countless threads fired forth, covering every direction around Poison Demon.

It was like a rain of arrows loosed at once by an entire squadron of archers.

Yet, in that storm of threads, Poison Demon did not shrink back in the slightest.

‘That brat! He must truly be looking down on me!’

Duduk!

His body twisted once more at a grotesque angle.

There was no need for footwork.

Chaeng! Cha-chaeng!

With just his right hand unfurling Red Silk Hands, he deflected every thread flying at him from all directions.

The movements of a martial artist who had reached the Transformation Realm, performed at full power, were both dazzling and precise.

Papak! Pak!

With a loud clatter, the deflected threads embedded themselves into the walls of the cave.

In the blink of an eye, Poison Demon had nullified the entire assault, curling his lips into a sneer.

“Kihit, you think such cheap tricks could work on me?!”

“Your qi is nothing but crude.”

Paat!

In that instant, Sewoon, who had kept his silence, charged Poison Demon like a bolt of lightning.

To Poison Demon, the sight resembled a moth throwing itself into a flame.

He was burning away his life force by drawing upon his Innate True Qi, so the longer he wasted time, the more impatient he would become.

‘Kihihihi, but do you think you can keep up with my speed?’

To toy with his prey, Poison Demon retreated backward at a speed incomparably greater.

Kigigik!

And then it happened.

A sharp sound entered Poison Demon’s ears, something he had never heard before.

Completely different from footsteps.

A sound impossible to hear inside a cave.

It was like the screech of hard steel grinding together.

Shwaeeek!

‘What?!’

Poison Demon was shocked.

All of a sudden, his opponent’s speed of approach had become insanely fast.

Sewoon’s movements, perceived as Poison Demon overlapped his senses, were—

‘…Equal to mine?’

They were clearly on par with his own.

How could such a brat possibly keep up with him, when he had obtained the Divine Thief’s movement arts?

It was impossible to believe, yet it was undeniably true.

Shwaeeek!

“Khuk-!”

Before he knew it, the brat had already reached right in front of him and swung an attack.

In his hands were a pair of Twin Daggers, freshly drawn.

Wuuuung!

A chilling resonance, like ghostly wails, rang out.

Terrifying demonic qi surged from the two dagger blades.

‘One Point Kill—!’

Sewoon had instantly switched weapons and unleashed the Assassin’s secret technique.

Shwaeeek!

Like interlocking gears, the two daggers crossed vertically and horizontally.

Expecting only a Heavenly Net response, Poison Demon hastily raised his right hand to defend.

Teeting!

‘Damn it!’

One of the Black Threads still attached to the wall obstructed the movement of his arm.

Chwaaaak!

Immediately, a streak of lightning flashed through the pitch-black darkness.

“Krghk!”

The dual blades tore into Poison Demon’s chest, leaving behind a massive crushed wound.

The demonic qi imbued into the daggers penetrated his body and violently rampaged through his meridians.

Mixed with the poison of Angshin Tears, an excruciating agony surged up.

‘This bastard—!’

An ordinary martial artist would have already fainted dead away.

Sreung!

Chwaat!

Yet Poison Demon, fully conscious, chose not to evade but to counterattack.

Blue Ghost Claws spread wide once again, lunging for Sewoon’s heart like a living serpent.

Kigigik—!

At that instant, that same strange sound from earlier rang out again.

Whiik!

And in that moment, Sewoon’s body shot backward, away from Poison Demon.

Blue Ghost Claws ripped only empty air.

Only then did Poison Demon realize the truth behind the eerie noise.

‘That brat… he was reeling in his threads to boost his speed!’

Indeed. The threads Sewoon had shot earlier were never meant to attack.

They were solely for acceleration.

The Black Threads embedded in the cave walls reeled back toward Sewoon, creating an explosive burst of speed.

A look of astonishment crept across Poison Demon’s face.

In all his decades of storms across the Murim, he had never before seen acceleration achieved not with movement arts, but with a divine artifact.

Meanwhile, Sewoon, who had just landed a perfect strike, was greatly satisfied.

‘This terrain is the best possible environment for me.’

Combat using Heavenly Net relied heavily on the terrain.

Its effectiveness varied drastically depending on the place.

And a cave like this was among the most ideal.

With countless threads embedded into the cave walls—

‘I can obstruct my enemy’s attacks and movements, while at the same time maximizing my own mobility.’

By pulling back the Black Threads with Heavenly Net at maximum speed, he had achieved instantaneous acceleration.

Just as the battle’s flow tilted unmistakably toward Sewoon’s side—

“Kahahaha!”

Poison Demon suddenly burst into wild, maniacal laughter.

Inside the red haze of qi, the whites of his eyes alone remained, glistening with unmistakable madness.

“Amazing. To think I would truly want to take the grandson of that Poison Lord brat as my disciple.”

“Kihihihi! Even if my body melts away into nothing but blood, I’ll witness every last bit of your hidden strength!”

Suaaah!

As his words ended, an overwhelming aura exploded from Poison Demon’s entire body.

He had withdrawn the qi he had been using to suppress Angshin Tears’ poison and poured it wholly into his true body.

Without suppression, the poison erupted, bulging veins grotesquely across his skin.

Seeing this familiar sight, Sewoon immediately knew what he was attempting.

‘True Blood Steel Body (眞血强體)!’

The most heinous poison art, personally bestowed upon him by the Blood Demon, was being unleashed.

Suaaah!

In an instant, the Blood Mist that had been swirling around Poison Demon surged back into his body.

To absorb a blood mist infused with lethal poison into one’s own body—

It was nothing less than suicide.

Kwagaga!

Yet contrary to expectations, an even stronger demonic qi surged from Poison Demon’s body, incomparable to before.

The difference in their power grew even more severe.

And in such a perilous situation—

‘So you’ve finally crossed over.’

Sewoon wore a smile that could not be understood.