novelraw Chapter 181 : Chapter 181
Chapter 181 : Chapter 181
Chapter 181. How About This?
The White Hand Demon Empress' eyes were dyed black, without any whites.
And those eyes were pitch-black like darkness itself, as if they contained an abyss.
Swish.
Opening her eyes, the White Hand Demon Empress turned her head toward where I was positioned.
Her two black eyes and my purple eyes met each other.
And the result was…….
“Gasp!”
I inhaled vainly at the sensation of my heart being constricted.
‘Th-this is…… Kuek!’
I was truly in so much pain.
The mental image’s pain was truly immense.
Even though no specific memory came to mind, it was so mentally painful that I felt like I wanted to end my life right then and there.
‘Is, is this…… the true Injuring People with Will?’
It was said that true masters, those who have reached that infinitely high realm, can injure people with just their will.
That was the realm corresponding to the Heart Sword spoken of by busybodies, so it seemed it wasn't a lie that the White Hand Demon Empress was an existence who once rivaled the First Heavenly Demon.
Grind!
I clenched my teeth until my molars were about to break to overcome the pain in my heart.
It felt like I would really take my own life if I let go of my mind for even a moment.
To think I would suffer such a great mental blow just by meeting her eyes…….
“Essence of Fire…….”
Finally coming out of the coffin, the White Hand Demon Empress opened her mouth.
“You are one who has achieved the Scorching Fire Demonic God.”
“……Huff, huff!”
I couldn't even breathe properly due to the wicked demonic qi radiating from the White Hand Demon Empress.
The demonic qi emitted by her, this rare witch, was powerful enough that even the Heavenly Demon’s Physique found it burdensome to endure.
Considering that the Heavenly Demon’s Physique was born solely to learn demonic arts, a vessel to contain the Demonic, this was truly an absurd situation.
“Heavenly Demon’s Physique…… but you are not ‘Him’.”
It would be reasonable to misunderstand, but the White Hand Demon Empress recognized at a glance that I was not the First Heavenly Demon Dokgo Seong and showed an intrigued expression.
“It seems ‘He’ was also eventually abandoned by the Heavens.”
“…….”
I couldn't understand at all what the White Hand Demon Empress was saying.
Dokgo Seong, the White Hand Demon Empress, and the practitioners of the Sea of Trees.
They often spoke of stories that I, a human, neither understood nor wanted to understand.
Of course, that was understandable enough.
I was, after all, a person of the Human World, one who had aspirations for the world under the heavens.
Things like Heavens or Ascending to Immortality were nothing but futile stories to me.
Completing my personal revenge, and furthermore, achieving the Demonic Dao’s Rule Over the World to bring prosperity and stability to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Only that was my true goal and ideal…….
“O one who has achieved the Scorching Fire Demonic God.”
The White Hand Demon Empress spoke to me.
“Why have you stepped into this eternal hell?”
“Only to obtain the Essence of Water.”
“Essence of Water…… For one who possesses the Essence of Fire to desire the Essence of Water, it must be to eventually achieve the Union of Yin and Yang.”
“That would be so.”
“In the end, it is a desire for a higher realm…… You are no different from the foolish ones who stepped into this place.”
“That is correct.”
I did not deny it.
Not only was it true, but it wasn't something shameful or wrong.
“I am a martial artist. It is a natural instinct for a martial artist to want to surpass limits and become stronger. Do not call that foolish.”
“Pitiable, truly pitiable.”
The White Hand Demon Empress lamented sincerely.
“The lives of insignificant beings are not even a speck of dust in this vast universe…… How can you not know that?”
“Lives of insignificant beings……?”
My eyebrows twitched.
“Do human lives look ridiculous in your eyes?”
My tone of voice had changed before I knew it.
“Foolish one. Why do you not try to realize even though you were born with a vessel that can reach the Heavens? It is truly a waste, a wasteful matter.”
“……?”
“The world of eternal life that transcends life and death…….”
“I don't know about such crap?”
I cut off the White Hand Demon Empress' words.
“I don't want to know, and I have no interest. I only focus on this life.”
“Do you truly intend to live the life of an insignificant being?”
“Insignificant being, insignificant being, stop saying that. What makes you or Dokgo Seong so great that you despise human life?”
Whoosh!
The flames erupting from me became even fiercer.
The fire qi located in my dantian reacted to my anger and burst out.
“You too were eventually sealed by the hands of Dokgo Seong, a human. Dokgo Seong was also killed by my masters, who are humans. By the hands of the humans you so despised and looked down upon.”
“In the end, are you trying to drink the penalty wine?”
“The penalty wine is what you will be drinking.”
I took a starting stance.
“You will end up just like Dokgo Seong. You will meet your death by an existence that is nothing but a mere insignificant being, one you so despised and looked down upon. By my hands.”
“How pitiful. To think one who hasn't even reached the Demonic Emperor dares to spout such blasphemous words against this lady.”
“We’ll only know that after we fight. Whether you die or I die. Spout that crap after the result comes out.”
Saying that, I rushed toward the White Hand Demon Empress.
There was no time to be playing with words.
I had to obtain the Essence of Water as soon as possible.
Also, I had to go to the Heavenly Demon Peak and obtain the Divine Essence as well.
Only then could I save Cheol Yu-ra and ascend to the realm of the Demonic Emperor.
In the end, for me, the White Hand Demon Empress was just one process to achieve Great Success.
***
‘I will use my full power from the start.’
Whoosh!
My body was engulfed in flames.
Scorching Fire Demonic God, Fire Demonic King.
As the King of Fire Demons, I spewed out the fire qi I possessed and pounced on the White Hand Demon Empress.
Chwararak!
The Heavenly Demon Fighting Soul Martial Art’s Light Wing Blade drew a trajectory of fire, aiming for the White Hand Demon Empress.
Swish, the White Hand Demon Empress lifted her hand, which was shining white, and lightly struck away the Light Wing Blade.
Clang!
As hand and hand collided, a roar that seemed to tear eardrums apart burst out, and the resulting shockwave collapsed the surrounding ice.
And…….
Ziiiing!
My hand hurt so much in that instant that I almost screamed and collapsed.
It wasn't pain from the impact.
‘My hand……!’
The hand that had unfolded the Heavenly Demon Fighting Soul Martial Art’s Light Wing Blade.
Frost had formed white on that very hand which had collided with the White Hand Demon Empress' hand.
As if it were frozen solid…….
‘This can't be.’
I was astonished.
The hand of the Scorching Fire Demonic God, the hand that had been wrapped in blazing heat, was frozen solid.
The moment hand and hand collided, the cold energy penetrated and froze my hand.
The problem was that wasn't all.
Crack, c-crack!
Starting from the fingertips, my arm was freezing more and more severely.
“Ugh!”
I tried to push away the rising cold energy by forcefully drawing up fire qi, but it was useless.
Crack, cr-crack!
Hand, wrist, up to the elbow.
The cold energy spread like a plague, freezing my arm solid.
With just a single collision, one arm, specifically the right arm, had become unusable.
The Nine-headed Dragon Robe was helping with recovery as much as possible, but perhaps the White Hand Demon Empress' cold energy was truly a plague, as it did not disappear at all and persistently froze my arm.
“Do you understand your place now?”
The White Hand Demon Empress asked me.
“Someone like you cannot even be a match for this lady for a few seconds.”
“Kuek!”
“Look.”
The White Hand Demon Empress stepped closer to me, who was in pain, and spoke.
“Can’t ones like you not even meet this lady’s eyes?”
“…….”
In reality, I dared not meet the White Hand Demon Empress' eyes.
Her two eyes containing the abyss were no exaggeration to be called a devil’s.
Didn't even someone with a terrifying will like me think of suicide just by meeting her eyes?
Facing a demonic monster that was no exaggeration to be called the Eyes of Destruction would be a foolish thing.
“Your fate is no different from those who came here; eventually, you will become a frozen ghost and wander the Nine Springs.”
Swooosh!
The White Hand Demon Empress approached me at a rapid speed, as if sliding.
‘I’ll die if I make a mistake.’
I closed my eyes altogether and focused my mind.
Seeing is important.
Closing one's own eyes in a duel between masters was tantamount to a suicidal act.
However, for now, closing both eyes was the only option.
If I met the White Hand Demon Empress' eyes again, my mind would collapse…….
Moreover, since it wasn't that I didn't cultivate the Mind’s Eye at all, I would be able to fight somehow with the remaining senses even if I closed my eyes.
‘I must dodge no matter what.’
I desperately dodged the White Hand Demon Empress' attacks while launching counterattacks, continuing the offense and defense.
I dared not use my right arm.
If I used my already completely frozen right arm, it would shatter into pieces, and then I would become one-armed.
However, fighting a devil like the White Hand Demon Empress with closed eyes and without using the right arm was nothing but absurd.
No matter how much of a master I was, the White Hand Demon Empress was one who had achieved mutual destruction with the First Heavenly Demon Dokgo Seong.
Fighting such a person while bearing disadvantages?
The outcome was practically decided from the start.
Wasn't she an opponent against whom it was questionable whether I could win even in the best condition with heavenly luck overlapping several times?
Eventually, the limit came earlier than thought.
Bang!
The White Hand Demon Empress' single palm strike exploded on my chest.
“Keuhuk!”
At the immense impact, I vomited blood, and that blood froze in the blink of an eye.
Swooosh!
Cold energy began to spread slowly from my chest to my whole body.
Crack, c-crack!
I couldn't take any measures even while seeing my upper body freezing in real-time.
My heartbeat was slowing down.
If the heart froze, it wouldn't be able to supply blood to the whole body anymore, and eventually, I would die.
‘Tch. In the end, martial arts won't work.’
I realized that further fighting was meaningless.
“Did I not tell you to look at the result?”
The White Hand Demon Empress approached me and said.
Swish, her touch reached my chin.
Flinch!
I trembled without realizing it.
My body reacted regardless of my will to that freezing chill and wicked demonic qi.
“Foolish one. Raise your head and look at me.”
The White Hand Demon Empress held the tip of my chin with her hand and said.
“Your death is a fait accompli, yet you cannot even meet this lady’s eyes?”
“Eyes…….”
I grinned.
“I think I should match something else rather than eyes.”
“……?”
Grab!
My left hand grabbed the White Hand Demon Empress by the collar.
“Then how about this?”
“……!”
My lips, with my head thrust forward, and the White Hand Demon Empress' lips overlapped.
***
The Extreme Cold Ice Venerable had said.
Do not fight her, the White Hand Demon Empress.
‘The only way to destroy her is to accept that cold energy. Never fight against it. Water and fire, Yin and Yang are mutual opposites, so if they collide, there will only be destruction.’
‘Ah.’
‘You have already achieved the Scorching Fire Demonic God and have a body that cannot purely accept the Essence of Water. So, do not fight against her in vain, but just accept it. Accept it, and achieve Union. That is the only way you can defeat that witch.’
‘I will keep that in mind.’
It was a desperate situation anyway.
I couldn't defeat the White Hand Demon Empress with pure martial arts, and there was no place here like the Scorching Hell to absorb the Essence of Water.
If so, the remaining choice was only one.
‘The White Hand Demon Empress is the Essence of Water itself.’
With that thought, I overlapped my lips when the White Hand Demon Empress approached.
And…….
‘Inhaling Qi.’
Through the lips, I began to absorb the cold energy, the water qi, possessed by the White Hand Demon Empress.