“Whew.”
I exhaled deeply and unleashed the Sword Arts.
Having beheaded the Black Dragon, I thought I would return to reality away from this mindscape, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
I turned around.
There it was—the Black Dragon lying on the ground, spewing black blood from its neck.
Its eyes, gradually losing energy, followed me.
As if responding to such a gaze, the black blood pooling on the ground emitted a mirage-like aura that wrapped around me.
Could it be because of the Black Dragon Qi surrounding my body?
The will of the Black Dragon wormed its way into my mind.
“Accept me.”
“Then you will gain strength.”
Hearing such whispers, I moved my hand and gripped the Great Sword in reverse.
“You’ll die nicely, yet you think you can fool me?”
It seemed necessary to finish this off decisively.
Thinking so, I struck down without hesitation, but the Great Sword did not pierce the Black Dragon’s head.
It was as if an impassable wall had sprouted in some point in mid-air; my arm could no longer descend.
My brows furrowed at the incomprehensible phenomenon.
I tried again with more force, but my Great Sword still wouldn’t touch the Black Dragon’s head.
Only then did I gaze away from my sword and into the Black Dragon’s eyes.
Through our eye contact, the Dragon’s will flowed into me.
“If there wasn’t the strength of tools and others, could you have defeated me?”
“Could you really kill me, when without such help you couldn’t even contend with me?”
“That’s impossible.”
“The capacity you showed me was barely that.”
“You are certainly not fit to take my head.”
The Black Dragon’s eyes were saying this.
Really, it was a tenacious creature until the end. It admitted to losing in this moment, but perhaps it wanted to argue that it was the strong one, and I was the weak one—this victory was mere luck.
No, the Black Dragon must surely believe that.
It believed so firmly that the Black Dragon Qi could latch onto my arms.
Only then did I fully comprehend the current situation.
This place was not reality but a mindscape.
No matter how great a being, the fatally wounded Black Dragon couldn’t continue living; however, it was the will, not the wounds, that determined death or life.
To truly kill the Black Dragon, I had to break that will.
Shing.
Thus, I returned the sword to its sheath and plopped down right there. It seemed I would have to engage in a lengthy debate with this creature.
“You have lost. Stop dragging this out and leave quickly.”
The Black Dragon Qi writhed violently, demonstrating the rage of the Black Dragon.
Was it because I decided to officially converse now?
I could feel its will more clearly.
– “You are weaker than me; it was merely a fluke.”
“This is a ridiculous mash-up! The one who won is the strong one!”
– “If we were to fight again, the result would be different.”
“Same.”
– “Is your weak mind unable to abandon feelings? That you can’t even dare to oppose me with that pathetic body?”
“Yeah. That’s me, and that was my choice.”
– “Insignificant. Truly insignificant.”
The dying Black Dragon sneered at my words.
In response to that mocking voice, the Black Dragon Qi moved to draw a scene. Countless figures drawn by the Black Dragon Qi bowed their heads toward me at the center.
– “If you join me, you can become an absolute being.”
– “Accept me and place the world beneath your feet.”
The Black Dragon Qi spread like a wave as numerous figures bowed to me.
“Ooooh.”
A sight sufficient to stir the desires of a Martial Artist.
Even I, Ho Cheon-an, an outsider, had to admit the Black Dragon’s presentation was commendable, but my heart was unmoved.
There are two Heavenly Demons living in this era, and with the Heavenly Demon unable to do anything against the entities rampaging in the Central Plains, what on earth is this absolute being talk?
And above all.
“This is not what I want.”
I chose my own path.
Jeong Cheol appeared in the Tang Clan. I chose the path solely to take down Jeong Cheol.
I could have seized every chance in the world, but I closed off all the branches of possibility I had cultivated to defeat Jeong Cheol.
And I had no regrets about that choice.
In this moment.
Even if I were given the chance to choose again, no—if I were given the chance to choose dozens or hundreds of times again, I would still choose to learn the Enlightened Cloud Thunder Technique to defeat Jeong Cheol.
– “Hahaha!”
The Black Dragon burst into laughter. Its massive body squirmed as black blood spilled forth, yet the Black Dragon laughed as if it didn’t care.
– “Weak! And foolish!”
– “You deny even the capability to dream of being an absolute being?”
The undulating Black Dragon Qi came to a complete stop.
– “I’ve changed my mind.”
– “You do not even have the qualification to accept my power.”
“Right, so just die quickly.”
Thinking this was it, I swiftly drew my sword, but still couldn’t aim for the Black Dragon’s head.
While just moments ago I was blocked when I tried to strike it down, now I found myself unable to lower my arm even though my sword was raised.
Could this mean the Black Dragon’s momentum had risen?
– “Just submit.”
– “If you do so, I might grant you a fraction of my power.”
I sighed at the Black Dragon’s bold tone. So it means I can’t just coast on this, huh?
If that’s the case, there was nothing I could do but break this creature outright.
Honestly, after receiving proper education from the Unknown Elder, I resolved to live modestly.
Yet at this moment, I felt that humility had to be set aside.
“I have to admit, you’re strong.”
The Black Dragon tried to retort in disbelief, but first, the scene in my mind changed.
In my mind, a man dressed in red silk stood tall.
The man moved his hands.
The scenery of a lush mountain began to transform. In an instant, dry leaves were swept up by a hot wind, crumbling into powder.
In a flash, one mountain shriveled and shrank.
The overwhelming scene caused the Black Dragon, who was about to mock, to close its mouth.
The scenery changed again.
This time, a Martial Artist clad in a luxurious fur coat stood before a vast lake. As he stepped onto the seemingly endless surface, the water froze.
One step. Two steps.
With each step the man took, the realm of ice expanded exponentially. By the time he stood at the lake’s center, the entire lake had turned to ice.
The scenery continued to shift.
There was a man who drew his sword to slice through the clouds.
There was a Martial Artist who burst a river with a single movement.
The figures of Martial Artists kept passing by.
Some had powers that rivaled the Black Dragon’s Qi, while others possessed martial skills so strong that even the flying Black Dragon could be knocked down.
All of them.
Power that I could have if I set my mind to it.
– “…This is impossible.”
– “It’s merely a delusion!”
Yes. Like the Black Dragon said, it was nothing more than a delusion.
I could definitely become a character from the Martial World, but I willingly threw away that possibility.
It was just a possibility I discarded.
But oh, Black Dragon.
I could have become this way.
You were laughing at me, calling me someone who could only fight with the borrowed strength of divine weapons and Sheng Ren.
And you were right.
But also wrong.
Even without weapons or Sheng Ren’s powers, I would have fought you and triumphed.
Even if I lacked the help of Sheng Ren and the hunting grounds for entities, I would have found the means and method to defeat you and stood before you just as I am now, and you would have fallen as before, merely babbling nonsense.
– “Nonsensical! Nonsensical!”
The Black Dragon howled in rage.
But the power of the Black Dragon Qi binding my arms grew stronger.
The blade slowly descended toward the Black Dragon’s brow.
Even if I hadn’t found some method, I definitely would have shown up to take you down was a truth I had to acknowledge.
Regardless of failures upon failures, I would never give up.
Even if I had submerged in regret, despair, and emptiness.
To grasp even a handful of possibility, just like the Unknown Elder did, I would eventually make it happen.
The Sword Arts gradually descended.
You called yourself the strong one and viewed me as weak.
Oh, arrogant Black Dragon.
Did you think your position, sitting atop with the Heavenly Demon Arts as a hostage, was something achieved by your power?
The Sky might have been a conqueror and the master of Xin Gang, but ultimately you are nothing more than a creature defeated at the hands of the Heavenly Demon and the people of Xin Gang whom you’ve oppressed.
Since you were discarded in the distant past, the Martial World of the Central Plains has continued to flourish.
Though merely a game, I peaked countless times in that flourishing Martial World.
Who is the weak one, and who is the strong one?
Know your place, foolish entity.
The Sword Arts touched the scales.
– “That’s nothing but a falsehood! You’re nothing but a lesser creature, falling short of even my toes!”
True, that’s correct.
This is not the Martial World in the game but reality, and I am not an absolute master incapable of contending even with a group of Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists.
Yet.
That applies to you too, Black Dragon.
You too are but the remnants of a being defeated by the Heavenly Demon, not the heavens of Xin Gang.
So cling to your glorious past, like a whining ghost.
In the meantime, I will rise.
Though I, Ho Cheon-an, had only one branch left of my possibilities—Nai Gung and the single shot, I would reach up to the heavens if necessary.
And if that was insufficient, with that single branch, I would tear through the skies.
Thus, I would ascend to a position higher than you.
“Don’t kid yourself, lizard.”
My true enemies were not you. They were the Blood Ancestor, the Blood Sect, and the entities led by the Blood Sect. You were merely an obstacle on my path, not even a target.
So just fade away.
A spirit fallen a thousand years ago.
– “Noooooo!!”
Crash.
With the Black Dragon’s scream, its scales shattered.
My Great Sword struck deep into the Black Dragon’s head.
* *
Kyaaaaaaaaa!!!
It disappeared.
The Black Dragon vanished.
With a scream, the cursed Black Dragon’s Qi perished.
The gaze of Wi Ji-cheon, chasing that Black Dragon Qi, fell straight down.
…It remained.
Whether by conquering the Black Dragon or being consumed by it.
If the will of the Black Dragon was alive, the Heavenly Demon Arts’ secret text would remain untouched, without a single blemish.
Wi Ji-cheon’s eyes trembled uncontrollably. Though he didn’t realize, the senior members of the Demon Sect watching Wi Ji-cheon could see it clearly.
The entire form of the Heavenly Demon was shaking with excitement.
Did Ho Cheon-an really succeed?
At that moment.
Slowly, Ho Cheon-an’s eyes opened, seated cross-legged.
Ho Cheon-an’s group, the senior members of the Demon Sect, and even the Heavenly Demon and the other Heavenly Demon held their breath, staring at Ho Cheon-an’s pupils.
Ho Cheon-an’s pupils were brown.
His hair wasn’t dyed jet black like ink, nor did the color of his pupils turn red.
Ho Cheon-an, whom they stared at with trembling eyes, moved his hands to grab the secret text of the Heavenly Demon Arts.
Flap.
In the eerie stillness surrounding the Heavenly Demon Sect, Ho Cheon-an passed the secret text of the Heavenly Demon Arts. Flipping through the pages, as he scanned the contents, he flipped another page of the text.
Flap. Flap.
Soon enough, Ho Cheon-an bent the secret text, rapidly reading the Heavenly Demon Arts. It was as if he was checking the intactness of the book rather than mentally grasping the contents before buying it at a bookstore.
Thud.
Having skimmed through the last page, Ho Cheon-an chuckled.
The contents of the Heavenly Demon Arts did not register.
Though the secret was written, no matter how long he looked at the characters, they didn’t penetrate his mind with meaning.
The Heavenly Demon Arts weren’t even in his thoughts; he had merely focused on killing the Black Dragon, so it was all too natural he couldn’t learn the Heavenly Demon Arts.
Ho Cheon-an grumbled, recalling the first Heavenly Demon.
That author must have known what would occur once the Black Dragon was defeated.
Then wouldn’t it have been courteous to prepare some sort of reward for the one who defeated the Black Dragon and restored the original text of the Heavenly Demon Arts?
Having vanquished the Black Dragon, should I not be given at least a single snippet of the Heavenly Demon Arts?
That stingy bastard.
Letting out a sigh, Ho Cheon-an dismissed his lingering thoughts.
Then he presented the Heavenly Demon Arts’ secret text to Wi Ji-cheon.
“This is the original.”
“…Is this truly the original?”
“I’m not sure if it holds the true original meaning. I read the secret text, yet I can no longer remember the content. What I can say for sure is that I removed the curse of the Black Dragon’s blood embedded within this text.”
“Is that so?”
Wi Ji-cheon confirmed assuredly.
“Then this is undoubtedly the original of the Heavenly Demon Arts.”
Receiving the secret text of the Heavenly Demon Arts extended by Ho Cheon-an, Wi Ji-cheon carefully enveloped the text.
Once the secret text was tenderly held in Wi Ji-cheon’s grasp, it was pulled close to his chest.
“Thank you, benefactor.”
He performed a gesture of gratitude towards Ho Cheon-an.
“This is something acquired through the challenge posed by the Brain Knife Outcast against the Heavenly Demon Arts. Thus it rightfully belongs to you. The benefactor has willingly passed on that secret text, how could I express my gratitude? The secret text you’ve handed over stands as proof of fulfilling the quest that has lingered since the founding, and it will serve as a stream of vitality replacing the countless blood that may spill in future crises of the sect.”
Wi Ji-cheon continued speaking.
“Although the benefactor could not learn the Heavenly Demon Arts, you are someone who has proven worthy to become a Heavenly Demon and a benefactor of the sect, so I’d like to refer to you as a Saint.”
Ho Cheon-an thought.
A Saint of the Heavenly Demon Sect? Another title added.
Well, it was all good now.
The task I needed to accomplish was complete.
Though I was just recovering from exhaustion moments ago, it seemed my lazy body was demanding to rest once again.
As if sensing Ho Cheon-an’s weariness, Wi Ji-cheon stepped aside.
With Wi Ji-cheon moving, the Martial Artists of the Demon Sect swiftly followed suit, making way for Ho Cheon-an.
Ho Cheon-an walked out from the utterly wrecked Dojo among the Martial Artists.
The first to face Ho Cheon-an among the Martial Artists was Wi Seoryeon, followed by a few others offering gestures of gratitude toward Ho Cheon-an. The procession of admiration swelled like waves until ultimately everyone was bowing to Ho Cheon-an.
It was an expression of respect for the Martial Artist achieving an accomplishment no Martial Artist had managed since the inception of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
As Ho Cheon-an walked, he suddenly had this thought.
The sight of the Martial Artists of the Demon Sect paying their respects resembled the vision shown by the Black Dragon.
Even though I clearly refused such things, how did I end up with them?
Ho Cheon-an couldn’t help but smirk.
“Are you watching this, bastard?”
Of course, there would be no reply. Once more organizing the futile thoughts that resurfaced, Ho Cheon-an quietly continued on.
Watching the back of Ho Cheon-an, Wi Ji-cheon thought.
“Is it time to awaken?”
Why had the Heavenly Demon Sect been crouching in Xin Gang? It was all to carry on the lineage of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
But what about the current situation?
There stood a young heir named Wi Seoryeon, along with the secret text of the Heavenly Demon Arts to support her.
Now there was no longer a need for the Martial Artists of the Demon Sect to remain hidden in Xin Gang.
With a force of power following Ho Cheon-an, the path to the Central Plains would open, and with it, many Martial Artists of the Demon Sect would begin traversing the fertile dreams of the Martial Arts world they had long suppressed.
Wi Ji-cheon envisioned the countless footprints following Ho Cheon-an as he walked.
The Heavenly Demon Sect, which had been hunched for so long since its founding, was finally beginning to stretch and awaken.