Chapter 191: The Dark Heavenly Demon
For a moment, I doubted my own senses.
To think I could feel the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art coming from Moyong Cheonhwi, the Alliance Leader of the Righteous Alliance....
But the instant I saw Dokgo Jinak's face, I knew.
I hadn't imagined it.
"..."
Dokgo Jinak's expression was more serious than I had ever seen before.
Muk Jincheol and the other Ten Demons looked equally shaken.
Is it really true?
Was the power coming from Moyong Cheonhwi truly the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?
How could Moyong Cheonhwi possibly use a martial art supposedly passed down only to the leaders of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?
Then Dokgo Jinak spoke.
“You dare imitate the Heavenly Demon Divine Art of the Divine Cult?”
“Imitate....”
Moyong Cheonhwi sneered at the furious Dokgo Jinak.
“Does this power truly look like nothing more than an imitation to you?”
"..."
Dokgo Jinak's expression hardened even further.
Then—
Clang.
Moyong Cheonhwi dropped the sword in his hand.
He had discarded his weapon while facing an absolute master like Dokgo Jinak?
Anyone would have found it strange.
But Moyong Cheonhwi didn't even glance at the sword lying on the ground.
He remained relaxed despite being empty-handed.
As though he no longer had any need for a sword.
And that was more than enough to enrage Dokgo Jinak.
“For daring to speak the name of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art so lightly...”
Dense dark-red energy surged from his body.
“you will pay with your head.”
BOOOOOOM!
The dark-red force erupting from Dokgo Jinak shook the entire underground facility.
Dust and fragments of stone around him exploded outward.
It was an enormous amount of internal energy.
The righteous martial artists watching him wore expressions of both shock and awe.
I felt the same.
He was still hiding this much strength...?
Dokgo Jinak had already displayed enough power to overwhelm Moyong Cheonhwi, the man known as the strongest under heaven.
But the pressure coming from him now was far greater than before.
It was on another level entirely.
Dokgo Jinak brought both hands together in front of his chest.
WHOOOSH!
Dark-red internal energy rapidly gathered between his palms.
Muk Jincheol's eyes widened when he saw it.
“Demonic Heaven Collapse... the Cult Leader is actually using the Eighth Form....”
The air around Dokgo Jinak shook violently.
The force gathered between his hands began spinning like a vortex.
It looked as though a miniature storm had formed between his palms.
And as if the ground itself couldn't endure the pressure—
Crack. Crack-crack!
Fractures began spreading beneath Dokgo Jinak's feet.
Incredible.
Demonic Heaven Collapse.
The name meant exactly what it suggested.
A technique meant to collapse the heavens.
Dokgo Jinak glared at Moyong Cheonhwi.
“Watch carefully.”
WHOOOOOOOM!
The dark-red torrent intensified.
“This is the power of the Heavenly Demon.”
And then Dokgo Jinak thrust both hands forward.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
An explosive wave of force surged across the underground facility like a massive tide, crashing toward Moyong Cheonhwi.
CRAAAAACK!
The stone floor split wherever the dark-red wave passed.
Everything nearby was swept away by its terrifying momentum.
And yet—
...?
Moyong Cheonhwi still looked calm.
He watched the massive wave approaching him almost as though he were enjoying the sight.
Then—
he slowly brought both hands together in front of his chest.
The exact same posture as Dokgo Jinak.
Don't tell me.
Murky black internal energy began gathering between Moyong Cheonhwi's palms.
Dokgo Jinak and Muk Jincheol both stiffened at the sight.
“Impossible....”
Moyong Cheonhwi thrust both hands forward.
Another overwhelming force erupted.
Muk Jincheol's voice shook violently.
“How can Moyong Cheonhwi use Demonic Heaven Collapse...?”
The next instant—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The two forces collided head-on.
“Kugh!”
For a moment, my ears rang.
The impact exploded outward in every direction.
RUMBLE!
Nearby iron cages bent beneath the shockwave.
Stone dust rained from the ceiling.
I hurriedly circulated my internal energy and braced myself.
Before us...
two enormous currents pressed against each other.
Dokgo Jinak's dark-red internal energy.
And Moyong Cheonhwi's pitch-black demonic qi.
RUMBLE!
Every collision between them shook the entire underground facility.
I didn't know much about the Heavenly Demon Divine Art itself.
But even I could tell that the two men were using the same technique.
There was only one clear difference.
That black energy....
Moyong Cheonhwi's power contained something that Dokgo Jinak's did not.
Something foul.
Something ominous.
Then—
the deadlock began to shift.
Dokgo Jinak's dark-red force slowly pushed forward.
With the momentum turning in his favor, he stepped ahead.
His dark-red power surged even harder and drove back the black demonic qi.
BOOOOM!
The two energies exploded apart at once.
Dark-red and black remnants tangled in the air before rapidly dispersing.
At the same time, Moyong Cheonhwi was pushed several jang backward.
BANG!
He slammed one foot into the ground and barely stopped himself.
A long furrow stretched across the floor behind him.
Dokgo Jinak's cold voice shot toward him.
“And you dared speak the name of the Heavenly Demon with only that much?”
"..."
Moyong Cheonhwi didn't answer immediately.
His head remained lowered toward the ground.
He appeared to have suffered internal injuries from the collision.
But then—
“Heh....”
A laugh suddenly escaped him.
A moment later...
Moyong Cheonhwi slowly raised his head.
A faint trace of blood remained at the corner of his mouth.
And yet he was still smiling.
“Dokgo Jinak.”
His grin twisted.
“Keep going.”
"..."
“I was curious myself.”
His eyes gleamed.
“I wanted to know how far the current fake Heavenly Demon could go.”
Killing intent burst from Dokgo Jinak's eyes.
“Arrogant bastard.”
BOOOOOOOOM!
Another massive pressure erupted from Dokgo Jinak.
But the dark-red energy spreading outward soon began disappearing.
No.
It wasn't vanishing.
It was being drawn back into his body.
He's pulling all of that energy inward.
The pressure around him actually seemed to weaken.
And yet...
just looking at Dokgo Jinak made every instinct in my body sharpen.
He slowly clenched his right fist.
His expression was cold.
Like a judge preparing to sentence a criminal.
Just as Dokgo Jinak's right hand began moving forward—
“Heavenly Demon Descends.”
The words slipped casually from Moyong Cheonhwi's mouth.
Dokgo Jinak's eyes shook.
Moyong Cheonhwi sneered at him.
“So that much was still passed down properly.”
"..."
Shock and confusion were written clearly across Dokgo Jinak's face.
He glared at Moyong Cheonhwi.
“Moyong Cheonhwi....”
WOOOOOOM!
Dark-red energy gathered around his right hand.
“As for how you know Heavenly Demon Descends...”
His voice turned murderous.
“I will find out after I tear out your throat.”
Then all the power condensed in his right hand erupted at once.
A dark-red storm capable of destroying everything swallowed the entire area around Moyong Cheonhwi.
RUMBLE!
The underground facility shook as though it might collapse.
That's insane.
The dark-red storm looked as if it were crushing the entire space itself.
But—
"..."
Something was wrong.
Moyong Cheonhwi's presence hadn't disappeared.
Despite taking such an attack head-on...
I could still feel him.
No.
Something else began moving inside the center of the dark-red storm.
Black.
Pitch-black energy slowly forced its way through the gaps.
