novelraw Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Episode 33: Blood Battle
The Demon-Suppressing Cave was located far above the Eastern Lava Region.
Because of this, Jang So-cheon ended up overshooting the cave and bursting out onto the surface. He had already sensed, thanks to his Divine Sight, that he was getting close to the surface. But now, going back underground was no longer an option.
At the summit of Mubulsan Mountain—
A war was raging there between the Human Tribe and the Demon Clan.
Drawing his Primordial Divine Sword, Jang So-cheon shot out of the ground and saw that the sky above had been blown wide open. The Spatial Barrier the Demon Clan had erected had been shattered.
But it wasn’t completely destroyed yet. Masters from the Golden Heaven Divine Sect were still flying through the sky, using Thunderbolts to burn away the barrier. They were incinerating the Heaven and Earth Law that powered the barrier with the mightiest Thunderbolt energy in existence.
Thanks to their efforts, humans could now freely enter the barrier.
It was an incredibly fortunate turn of events, so Jang So-cheon flashed his Flying Divine Artifact and soared into the sky. He summoned the Fire Dragon Avatar and began taking on the Demon Clan members within the barrier.
Fwoooosh!
As the Fire Dragon spewed flames from its mouth, one of the Demon Clan was engulfed in fire.
But even as he burned, the Demon Clan member neither panicked nor fell.
Still ablaze, he flew at Jang So-cheon and swung a massive axe at his head.
Judging by the Demonic Power contained in the axe, this foe was at the Late Human-Centipede Rank.
Yet Jang So-cheon didn’t retreat. Instead, he boldly met the axe head-on with the Carefree Sword Technique.
Ssssss—
Dodging the axe with his Special Ability, Jang So-cheon’s movement suddenly accelerated.
It was the effect of the Law Artifact, Cloud Step Shoes.
Slash!
Closing in, Jang So-cheon swung his Primordial Divine Sword, leaving a long gash across the demon’s chest. Unfortunately, it was too shallow. As he drew near, a burst of radiant light shot out from the Water Spirit Monster’s body.
Clang!
Jang So-cheon deflected the light with his sword and realized it was Dark Energy.
He had to admire the demon’s quick reaction, but then something unexpected happened.
Fwoooosh!
The Demon Clan member, who had charged at him with an axe as if the flames were nothing, suddenly shrieked and leapt about in agony. His chest turned pitch-black, and he collapsed, dead.
When Jang So-cheon pried open the demon’s chest with his sword, he finally understood why.
The demon had been wearing a protective Law Artifact that shielded him from fire.
It was so effective that even the Fire Dragon’s flames couldn’t penetrate it—until the Primordial Divine Sword tore the artifact, and the demon burned to death.
Realizing just how powerful the Fire Dragon was, Jang So-cheon pressed his attack even more aggressively.
He zipped through the sky with his Flying Divine Artifact, launching surprise attacks with the Dragon Flying Peak Martial Art.
Jang So-cheon had already absorbed the Spiritual Energy from six Supreme Grade Spirit Stones. The halo of his Primordial Spirit was now so bright that he no longer had to worry about running out of Divine Power. However, his Divine Power had yet to fully manifest.
Still, with his increased Divine Power, the might of the Dragon Flying Peak Martial Art had reached astonishing levels.
Screech!
Jang So-cheon ambushed a Demon Clan member of higher rank, piercing a hole through the back of his neck, then left the finishing blow to the Fire Dragon.
Then he noticed humans being helplessly struck down by Sword Energy snaking up from underground.
It was the Centipede Clan.
Summoning the Earth Walking Ghost, Jang So-cheon slipped underground and began assassinating the centipedes with stealthy precision. He struggled for a while against a high-ranking centipede, but once he lured it into an underground cavern, the outcome was decided.
Fwoooosh!
The Fire Dragon, unleashed in the cavern, turned the centipede into a ball of fire.
Slash.
After beheading the demon with his Primordial Divine Sword, Jang So-cheon shot back up to the surface.
He then rampaged through the underground, slaughtering the remaining centipedes.
Unable to endure, the Centipede Tribe retreated, and Jang So-cheon once again burst onto the surface.
He soared through the sky with his Flying Divine Artifact, continuing his fierce battle against the Demon Clan on the ground.
“Tamang Tribe.”
While fighting a bear-like demon, Jang So-cheon spotted a gray wolf and used his last Thunder Strike Talisman. Leaving the cleanup to the Fire Dragon, he launched himself at the Wolfman.
As the Primordial Divine Sword slashed toward him, the Wolfman reached out and grabbed the blade.
He’d realized the sword wasn’t a Law Artifact.
This Wolfman had a Divine Miracle that could temporarily harden parts of his body like steel.
That’s why he dared to try and snatch the Primordial Divine Sword.
But it was a fatal mistake.
Whirl!
As the sword spun, the Wolfman’s wrist was severed like a rotten branch.
The sword didn’t stop there.
Riding the momentum, it shot toward the demon’s heart. The Wolfman sensed the danger at the last moment.
Swish!
Both the Wolfman and Jang So-cheon moved almost simultaneously.
But, unfortunately for the Wolfman, they moved in the same direction.
And Jang So-cheon had boosted his speed with Cloud Step Shoes.
Thud!
The Primordial Divine Sword pierced the Wolfman’s chest, slicing his heart in two.
Freeze!
The Wolfman, heart impaled, froze in place.
In that instant, Jang So-cheon yanked the sword from his chest and swung hard, severing the demon’s head.
Slash!
Thunk.
The decapitated Wolfman staggered back three steps, then toppled forward with a heavy thud.
Victorious over the gray wolf, Jang So-cheon felt his skills had improved tremendously.
With confidence surging in his chest, he unfurled his Flying Divine Artifact and shot toward the direction of the Demon-Suppressing Cave.
Swish!
Whenever Dark Energy flew at him, he blocked it with his Flying Divine Artifact, though once the impact was so great that he tumbled through the air.
Crash!
This time, the demon who’d attacked him with Dark Energy soared into the sky and cast a massive net over Jang So-cheon. It was the Sealing Divine Net, said to be inescapable even for gods.
The Law Artifact was truly formidable.
It stretched out a hundred sheets, instantly trapping Jang So-cheon.
But he had the Primordial Divine Sword.
Slash!
With a flash, the sword shredded the net to pieces.
“Ugh!”
The Demon Clan member, face frozen in disbelief, let his guard down for a split second.
In that moment, his legs were severed and he collapsed to the ground.
Leaving the screaming demon behind, Jang So-cheon flew once more toward the Demon-Suppressing Cave.
But his expression gradually hardened.
The closer he got to the cave, the stronger the enemies became. Near the entrance, there were far too many masters Jang So-cheon couldn’t hope to handle.
There were over a dozen Silver Wolves, and Elder Rank demons were everywhere.
Ssssss—
A Black Phoenix Tribe demon moved freely through space, dodging human attacks, then materializing from thin air to stab a human in the chest.
“Gah!”
As the dying human’s hand twitched, the Black Phoenix master’s eyes glazed over.
Then his face began to melt away.
Heh heh heh—
The human, wearing a twisted grin, finally slumped over, clutching a vial of poison. Any human who made it this far had at least one extraordinary skill.
But, unfortunately, there were even greater Demon Clan masters everywhere.
Especially those guarding the cave entrance—they were all exceptionally skilled.
Even Void Refining Stage human masters couldn’t easily break through their encirclement.
Screech!
Boom!
Still, every now and then, some brave souls managed to break through the Demon Clan’s lines and enter the Demon-Suppressing Cave.
They were Elder Rank masters from great sects—
Or peerless recluses who had trained in remote mountains and valleys.
Realizing he couldn’t force his way into the cave, Jang So-cheon searched for another method.
There was no need to enter through the main entrance.
Swish.
Retracting his Flying Divine Artifact, Jang So-cheon landed and donned the Earth Walking Ghost. He used the Earth Escape Technique to burrow underground.
But soon, he hit a major obstacle.
Powerful barriers, like a web, blocked the way toward the Demon-Suppressing Cave.
Flash!
Crackle—
As Thunder Energy flickered around the barrier, Jang So-cheon backed away.
“Should I go back up?”
But that wouldn’t solve anything. Nor could he just stand around underground, so he decided to surface and look for another solution.
That’s when it happened.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Someone was using the Earth Escape Technique, heading his way.
‘Well, look at that.’
Jang So-cheon discreetly followed, realizing it was a Centipede Clan member.
The centipede’s cultivation was lower than Jang So-cheon’s.
But its ability to break through barriers seemed even better than his senior, Sanggwan Cheonse.
In no time, the centipede slipped through several barriers and entered the Demon-Suppressing Cave—only to be discovered by humans inside and die valiantly after a brief struggle.
“Thanks for showing me the way. Rest in peace!”
Murmuring a prayer for the demon’s soul, Jang So-cheon bored through the rock at a spot a little removed from the cave and descended.
He used Divine Sight to scan the interior.
Screech!
Swish!
Boom!
As he went deeper, he saw more human masters than expected fighting the Demon Clan inside the cave.
Most were at least at the middle Spirit Refining Stage. Occasionally, there were Void Refining Stage masters, but even they were struggling.
That’s how formidable the Demon Clan inside the cave were.
Rumble—
Boom!
So fierce were the battles between Void Refining Stage masters that dozens of sections of the cave had collapsed.
But the tunnels, branching out like a spiderweb, were so extensive that a few cave-ins didn’t matter.
Going even deeper, Jang So-cheon finally spotted his Master and the Patriarch. Both looked exhausted, but since they weren’t seriously injured, he felt relieved.
A little farther down, he saw the elders of the Golden Heaven Divine Sect.
Their fighting style was nothing short of explosive.
Rumble—
Flash!
The elders, bodies wreathed in Thunder Energy, attacked with a sharp awl called the Thunder Heart Awl. By channeling Law Power into the awl, they unleashed Thunderbolts at their enemies.
The floor was littered with demon corpses.
But the elders weren’t in great shape either.
One was missing an arm, and another was so drained of Law Power that his face was deathly pale.
Screech!
Just then, a Silver Wolf with golden fur thrust a spear through the chest of the pale-faced elder.
Squish!
With his guts skewered, the Golden Heaven Divine Sect elder glared and pointed his Thunder Heart Awl at the wolf who’d attacked him.
Rumble—
Flash!
Pouring all his remaining Law Power into the awl, he struck down the Silver Wolf, dying together with his foe.
Jang So-cheon wanted to watch their battle longer, but instead, he used the Earth Escape Technique to descend even further.
For below, a Heaven and Earth Battle was raging.
The combatants were a handsome Golden Wolf and the Sword Immortal Sect elder, Demon Sword Feng Gi-hyeok.
Demon Sword Feng Gi-hyeok, a mid-stage Void Refining master, was a renowned swordsman even in the Taehyeon Kingdom.
His Dharma Treasure was the Yeoui Treasure Sword, a double-edged blade.
Commonly called a Sword Treasure, it was usually held and refined by his Original Shadow in the Spirit Realm. The Alchemical Saint would infuse it with intent to make the Sword Treasure and the Original Shadow one. When an enemy appeared, he’d unleash it from his forehead—so fast and mysterious that few could match it.
Sword Treasures were always considered the best among Dharma Treasures.
Even among equals, wielding a Sword Treasure gave you a clear edge—so said the Investigators.
Fweeet!
Nothing survived the Yeoui Treasure Sword’s passing.
The cave ceiling collapsed in long trails, and even the solid floor crumbled like a sandcastle.
A ripping sound tore through the air, making souls and spirits shrink back.
Thud!
When a silver flash pierced the opponent’s soul and spirit, the fight was over.
But today, Feng Gi-hyeok’s opponent was a supremely famous master from the Nine Ancient Kingdoms.
The Tamang Tribe’s great prince, Tae Hwa-rang.
His rank was early Heaven Brilliance Grade—comparable to a mid-stage Void Refining human. Of course, the cultivation systems differed, so direct comparison was impossible.
Tae Hwa-rang wielded a black Dharma Treasure called the Dark Soul Spear, which he preferred to swing himself.
Clang!
When the Dark Soul Spear and Yeoui Treasure Sword clashed, a thunderous boom echoed, collapsing the cave.
Crack. Boom!
The ceiling split like ice, massive rocks tumbled down, but neither Dharma Treasure yielded an inch. With dazzling, shadowy flashes, they deflected the rocks and attacked each other at blinding speed.
Screech!
The Yeoui Treasure Sword broke through the spear’s shadow.
It was as fast as a Thunderbolt.
Yet Tae Hwa-rang didn’t panic.
His eyes glowed red as he tracked the sword’s trajectory. When it neared, he opened his mouth and spat out a pitch-black shield.
Thunk!
The sword bounced off the shield, and Tae Hwa-rang darted in, slashing Feng Gi-hyeok with the secret technique Claw Shadow, leaving him drenched in blood.
Thud!
He deflected the incoming sword with his shield again, then raised the Dark Soul Spear high and brought it down with the Taesan Pressing Technique.
Feng Gi-hyeok barely dodged, but the aftermath was tremendous.
Rumble—
The overwhelming Demonic Power caused a section of the cave to collapse, shaking the ground like an earthquake. The shockwave shattered the rock walls and struck Jang So-cheon, who was watching from afar.
Startled, Jang So-cheon hastily dove into the rock wall.
Flash!
Sensing Jang So-cheon’s presence, Tae Hwa-rang’s eyes briefly flashed with Energy Light.
Whoosh!
With a wave of his hand, a golden Claw Shadow streaked after Jang So-cheon.