Myst, Might, Mayhem Chapter 498.8
Previously on Myst, Might, Mayhem...
Chapter 498.8 – Side Story 8 Part 3
Heavenly Demonic Sword (3)
“I am granting you mercy only for the sake of your people. Consider this your final notice. Never cross my path again.”
“How… how can a mere human form… achieve this…”
“The vessel is irrelevant. In the end, everything is determined by willpower. Yours simply faltered before mine, Taura.”
“Willpower…”
The blood-rimmed eyes of Demon King Taura shook with violent instability.
Could a body that fully manifested the ancestral demonic might of the Demon King be surpassed by nothing but sheer will?
He found the notion impossible to digest.
“How… could I lose…”
“Go and look after your clan. I am sparing your life for that singular purpose, unlike the Golden Heavenly King.”
Had he truly slain the Golden Heavenly King as well?
Paralyzed by the revelation, Demon King Taura was unable to form another word.
The situation had escalated into a domain far beyond his reach.
It was a crushing realization.
Swick!
“La…ri…sha…”
Uttering the name Taura held during his reign as Demon King, the Heavenly Demon tore open a portal and cast him through the void.
Paaaaaaang!
The gateway snapped shut as the Demon King was pulled into the rift.
Simultaneously, the Heavenly Demon hurled the artifact toward the vanishing entrance.
‘Fortunate.’
Thinking back on Demon King Taura, the Heavenly Demon let out a heavy breath and tightened his grip.
Kwak!
He had harbored a desire to inflict the most agonizing death possible upon the one who caused Cheong-ryeong such misery.
Yet, after weighing his options in a heartbeat, he chose to let the enemy live.
Stripped of the seven divine objects essential to a Demon King, Taura could no longer wield even half of his former dominion.
He had contemplated erasing that power entirely, but doing so would leave no one to balance the Heavenly Clan.
While the Heavenly Clan’s strength was diminished—their own divine objects having been shattered along with the Golden Heavenly King—their elite warriors were still a threat.
An equilibrium had to be maintained between the two factions to ensure their gaze never shifted back toward the realm of men.
‘…Should I have simply crossed over and wiped out both Taura and the Heavenly Clan?’
No.
The Heavenly Demon dismissed the thought with a shake of his head.
Such violence wouldn't provide a lasting fix.
They might cower in fear for a time, but eventually, curiosity toward the human world would bloom among their ranks again.
Preserving the current balance was the only viable path.
Is it time to return?
Hmchit!
In that instant, the Heavenly Demon’s expression turned sharp.
He snapped his head toward the southwest, narrowing his eyes.
A hundred li away, atop a distant mountain peak.
An immortal with a crimson beard and eyebrows, standing amidst a swirling white fog, snatched a dark, glowing blade that was streaking through the air at a blistering pace.
Ttak!
‘What is this?’
The immortal attempted to suppress the energy of the blade with his own immortal power, but his brow furrowed immediately.
Paak!
The moment he gripped the hilt, the sheer momentum of the sword dragged him along, as he found himself unable to neutralize the force within.
Staring at the black sword with bewilderment, the red-bearded immortal poured more immortal power into it, desperate to quench the surging energy.
Wuuuuung!
In response to his interference, a malevolent aura within the blade began to boil over.
The immortal strained every fiber of his being to push it back.
After being dragged for nearly a hundred jang, the wicked energy finally began to bleed out of the metal.
Schwaaaaa!
Exhausted by the drain on his immortal power, the immortal marveled at the intensity of the blade.
‘Truly monstrous.’
He hadn't anticipated such a colossal reservoir of energy. However, now that the aura had been somewhat vented, he assumed the worst was over...
‘!?’
His eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
Just as he felt relief at purging the malice, the black blade began ravenously drinking his own immortal power.
Ssssssss!
Feeling his essence being siphoned away, he frantically pulled a gray cloth marked with red sigils from his robes, wrapping it tightly around the sword to bind it.
The weapon bucked and vibrated as if fighting the restraint, but it eventually went still.
‘A demonic artifact. A true object of evil.’
Wiping cold sweat from his brow, the immortal tried to steady his breathing.
He had traveled here sensing a disturbance in the heavens and earth, but the reality was far more shocking than he imagined.
When the gate had first opened, he saw a being radiating divine authority.
While he was debating how to handle such a sinister entity that could pollute the entire Central Plains, another figure had appeared.
It was the leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect himself—the Heavenly Demon.
Using his techniques to watch from a hundred li away, the immortal had witnessed the duel between the Heavenly Demon and the Demon King.
Though he had heard endless tales of this man from his students, seeing him in person made him shudder.
He feared a catastrophe even worse than the one from two years prior was unfolding.
Yet, that massive, terrifying being had been utterly helpless against the Heavenly Demon.
The display of power was absolute.
‘…The strongest in the world.’
How could a man who hadn't mastered immortal techniques, nor was a monster born with supernatural might, reach such a state of transcendence?
The immortal felt a mixture of profound respect and paralyzing dread for the Heavenly Demon.
If a man this powerful decided to act on a dark whim, the world would end. The thought alone was terrifying.
Suddenly—
‘Could it be?’
The immortal flinched, feeling a gaze so sharp it felt like a blade piercing his chest.
Even though he was watching from a great distance via his technique, the Heavenly Demon’s eyes had locked onto his position.
‘He sensed me from this far?’
It didn't stop there.
Paaaaaaang!
The Heavenly Demon launched himself into the air, flying toward the mountain at a speed that defied logic.
Terrified by the crushing momentum that felt like it would shred him, the immortal instinctively triggered a space-folding technique to flee.
Ssssssss!
He reappeared within the Harmonious Immortal Pavilion, the most enigmatic of the Six Directions Sixty-Four Pavilions.
Collapsing into the backyard, his legs gave way, and he stumbled.
He only managed to stay upright by leaning on the black sword like a walking stick.
His hands continued to tremble uncontrollably.
“Master!” a voice called out.
He looked up to see the Diviner, Yeo Surin, rushing toward him.
This immortal was the Crimson-Eyed Old Immortal, leader of the Harmonious Immortal Pavilion and one of the Six Direction Gods.
Seeing her master drenched in a cold sweat, Yeo Surin asked anxiously, “Master, are you hurt?”
The Crimson-Eyed Old Immortal shook his head, struggling for air. “Haa… haa… I am fine.”
He gradually regained his composure and let go of the sword.
His palms were soaked. Never in his long life of cultivation had he felt such sheer tension.
Wiping his hands, he looked at his disciple. “Surin. You were correct.”
“About what?”
“He is a being that must never, under any circumstances, be provoked.”
“Are you referring to… the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Demon?”
“Yes.” He was a monster the immortal never wanted to encounter again.
Looking down at the black sword, the Crimson-Eyed Old Immortal wondered how to dispose of it. It clearly belonged to the god-like entity that had emerged from the sky, and it was far too perilous to be left among common mortals.
For now, he needed to rest before attempting to recover the other divine objects scattered across the land.
Several days passed.
Deep within a cave in Blood Corpse Valley, not far from the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect’s borders.
The cavern was vast and largely untouched by human presence.
The Heavenly Demon surveyed the area before nodding to his companion.
“Are you certain about opening the gate here? The location you mentioned seems to be linked to a lake,” said Yeo Surin.
“It is of no consequence,” the Heavenly Demon replied with a shrug.
He had chosen this specific cavern for its size and depth, believing it would contain any disturbance without affecting the surface world.
“Very well. I will open the passage and depart immediately.”
Yeo Surin drew the brush from her back and traced a wide circle in the air. A thick mist gathered, forming a portal.
Schwaaaaaaaa!
Immediately, a torrent of water came crashing through the misty entrance.
Yeo Surin was nearly swept away by the deluge, but the Heavenly Demon used his Qi to anchor her, allowing her to retreat safely.
The cave floor was instantly flooded as the water level rose rapidly.
Suddenly, a massive, elongated shadow drifted through the waterfall and entered the cave.
Paaaaaaaa!
The water surged into violent waves, threatening to fill the entire chamber, but with a simple downward gesture of the Heavenly Demon’s hand, the chaos subsided.
Schwaaaaaaaa!
The water stilled, and a gargantuan form rose from the depths.
Goooooo!
It was covered in shimmering white scales, resembling a dragon, though it was smaller and its horns were not yet fully developed.
It was a white Imoogi.
The Heavenly Demon recognized it from the memories of Il Gye Pa Je, the former subordinate of Mokgan.
‘It has grown significantly.’
The creature was far larger than the image he had seen in those memories.
The white Imoogi looked up and let out a deafening roar.
Keukaaaaaaaa!
The sound carried enough divine energy to make the very air vibrate. As it moved, its scales shifted and its body seemed to expand further.
Kugugugugu!
Even its budding horns began to lengthen as it neared the moment of shedding its skin to become a true dragon.
Pachichichik!
With every movement, bolts of lightning arced from its body, striking the cave walls. The water churned as if a storm had been trapped inside the mountain.
Then—
Chwaaaak!
Keukaaaaaaaaaaa!
A sharp slicing sound was followed by a scream of agony, distinct from the creature's previous roars.
Cheobeong! Kuuuuung!
The Heavenly Demon had severed the Imoogi’s horn. He landed lightly on the surface of the water, his feet remaining dry through his mastery of water-walking.
Keukaaaaaaaaaaa!
The white Imoogi thrashed in pain, and as its ascension was halted, its white scales began to stain black. Its yellow eyes bled into a deep, glowing red.
The Heavenly Demon watched with a cold, satisfied expression.
‘As I thought. Hindering its ascension has triggered its corruption.’
The transformation was proceeding exactly as he had planned.
Seureung!
He drew Larisha’s black sword from his belt.
Keukaaaaaaaa!
The corrupted Imoogi, now a creature of malice, flared its jagged scales and lunged to consume the man before it.
The Heavenly Demon channeled his demonic energy into the sword, causing a dark blade-aura to erupt from the steel.
He lunged forward, executing the third form of the Demonic Sword Technique he had pioneered.
Chwachwachwachwachwachwachwachwa!
He moved like a blur. As he passed the beast, the Imoogi’s head was shredded into dozens of pieces. Black mist and blood sprayed everywhere.
Kwal kwal kwal!
The dark blood turned the cave's waters into a pitch-black pool. The massive, headless corpse swayed for a moment before crashing into the water.
Kung! Cheobeong!
Standing over the carcass, the Heavenly Demon drove the black sword into a cluster of inverted scales. A dark haze immediately began to flow from the wound into the blade.
‘It is drinking the essence.’
The energy of a spirit beast so close to becoming a dragon was immense. The absorption would not be finished quickly.
He could force the process, but that would compromise the quality of the corrupted energy. For his plan to work, it had to be done right.
“This will take some time. It seems this sword is not meant for my hand.”
He wouldn't be the one to wield it in the future, but that didn't matter. This was an investment for what was to come.
Two months ago, after the incident with Hong Hae-a, the Heavenly Demon had vowed to wipe out all Imaemangyangs.
He had hunted them relentlessly. Eventually, he returned to the valley where the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary once stood, hoping to kill the Earth Dragon he had encountered during his fight with the mysterious swordsman.
Instead, he found the Earth Dragon’s remains, torn apart from the inside.
‘!?’
The sight brought back the words of the man who claimed to be a prophet.
[“I am… a sort of prophet.”]
[“A prophet?”]
[“Time is short. Believe me or not, this concerns you—and your descendants.”]
[“My descendants?”]
[“Yes. Because of an immortal being, the great sect you build and your bloodline—indeed, the whole world of martial arts—will face destruction.”]
[“…An immortal being?”]
Looking at the ruined corpse of the Earth Dragon, the Heavenly Demon understood. He had dismembered that swordsman into six pieces, yet the Earth Dragon had swallowed the remains. For the beast to have exploded like this could mean only one thing.
‘He survived.’
The man must have regenerated within the beast’s stomach. As long as that man existed, the Heavenly Demon would hunt him. But a human life is fleeting.
He couldn't be certain how long he could stay in this world against the natural laws of heaven. If he couldn't find that immortal before his time was up, the prophecy would likely pass into reality.
He had a son now, and that son would have his own children. He couldn't leave them defenseless against an eternal foe.
He had to leave behind a way for them to fight back.
‘Whoever you are, if this is not settled in my time, I leave the task to you.’
As he prepared to leave the cave, the Heavenly Demon paused. He looked at the black sword as it continued to drink the corrupted soul of the Imoogi. Raising a finger, he used his sword-Qi to carve characters deep into the center of the blade.