novelraw Chapter 129 : Beast King (1)
Chapter 129 : Beast King (1)
Chapter 129: Beast King (1)
Waaaah!!
A thunderous roar loud enough to deafen ears swept over the surroundings.
The warriors were in an utter frenzy.
And so was Umun Geol, the Palace Head of the Beast Palace.
Before he realized it, he had shot up from his seat.
His expression was marked with undeniable shock.
‘…Meng Yung is dead?’
He saw Meng Yung’s body twisted at an impossible angle.
The man who had once threatened him, smugly partnering with the Blood Cult, now lay dead with his tongue grotesquely stretched out.
The process, as well as the result, had been entirely unexpected.
His eyes slowly followed the figure descending the Heavenly Martial Arena—the warrior who had made all of this happen.
‘Pa Taeyun…!’
The warrior who returned to his homeland after years of hardship had achieved an extraordinary level of martial prowess.
Meng Yung had activated demonic arts bestowed upon him by the Blood Cult in secret.
Yet, such a Meng Yung had been toyed with so effortlessly.
It was clear that this man possessed abilities that even Umun Geol could not confidently claim to overcome.
At that moment, a thought struck Umun Geol like a bolt of lightning.
‘If that man were to aid me…!’
This could be his final chance.
With Meng Yung—his central piece—dead, even the enemies behind the scenes must be thrown into disarray.
If they could use this moment to strike at their leader…!
He looked around. The area was in chaos.
The next match hadn’t yet begun.
Meng Yung had destroyed the Heavenly Martial Arena to such an extent that it was currently undergoing repairs.
Yes, now was the perfect time to seek out Pa Taeyun.
The moment he resolved to do so and subtly backed away—
"Eh? Where do you think you’re going, Palace Head?"
"…!"
One of the warriors addressed him.
Umun Geol forced a calm expression and responded nonchalantly.
"There’s something I left in my quarters. I’ll retrieve it. Wait here."
"Hehe, why lie about something so obvious, Palace Head?"
"…!!"
A chill ran down Umun Geol’s spine.
The face of the warrior speaking to him was collapsing like wet clay.
It was none other than the Blood Cult’s Elder, the Demon of Prayers, revealing his true form.
[Enough with the foolishness. Return to your seat.]
‘Ah…’
Hearing the Prayer Demon’s telepathic message, Umun Geol let out a deep, silent sigh.
The Blood Cult had already anticipated his move and acted accordingly.
Once he returned to his seat and slumped into his throne, the Prayer Demon approached from the side.
His face had already transformed back into that of the original warrior.
[I’ve come to deliver your next mission.]
The telepathy continued.
And it carried a message of utter despair for Umun Geol.
[You must kill Pa Taeyun, who will soon challenge the position of Beast Palace Head.]
"…!!"
He clenched his fists. His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.
In contrast, the Prayer Demon’s eyes gleamed with eerie clarity.
He wasn’t the least bit concerned about Meng Yung’s death.
Men like him were easy to replace.
[And bring me his corpse. Intact.]
He was salivating at the thought of Pa Taeyun.
He had seen it clearly—those eyes enveloped in demonic qi.
The perfect body for the material he had long sought.
His heart pounded so hard he could hardly contain it.
With that corpse, he believed he could create the ultimate Soul-Stealing Jiangshi.
But as Umun Geol’s response dragged on—
A murderous glint surfaced in the Prayer Demon’s eyes.
[What are you hesitating for?]
Without the slightest pause, the Prayer Demon pressed down on the Female Gu Poison connected to the Male Gu Poison in Umun Tak’s body.
KIIII!
"!!"
Umun Geol flinched in terror.
He remembered his younger brother writhing in agony, coughing up blood, even under lesser torture.
"Enough! I said stop!"
When Umun Geol shouted, face pale as a sheet, the Prayer Demon smirked.
Shff.
He slowly drew out a small glass vial from his robes and handed it over.
[Drink it.]
"…!"
Umun Geol’s pupils trembled as if in an earthquake.
The Prayer Demon sneered as he spoke again.
Watching this, Umun Geol sighed inwardly.
‘Ah, ancestors…’
Have you truly abandoned us like this?
Just as it felt like everything was ending—
[Palace Head, don’t alert the Prayer Demon and focus on what I say from now on.]
"…!"
Another voice suddenly rang in his ears.
The moment he heard it, he knew who it was.
He couldn’t help but recognize it—it was the voice of none other than Pa Taeyun, the man he had just decided to find.
How could he know the Blood Cult’s secret?
Questions arose one after another, but all were forgotten with the shocking news that followed.
It was that his younger brother, Umun Tak, had been rescued.
[Heh, don’t resist so much. You’ll gain power you’ve never dreamed of.]
Just then, the Prayer Demon once again brought the vial close to his nose.
Murderous intent boiled within him.
Now that his brother was saved, even if it meant death by Gu Poison, he wanted nothing more than to snap the bastard’s neck.
[Palace Head, trust me and drink it. That will be the beginning of everything.]
However, Pa Taeyun’s telepathic message changed his mind.
Gulp.
In the end, Umun Geol swallowed the mysterious liquid from the glass vial.
---
The fervor of this Heavenly Martial Festival was hotter than ever before.
The death of the Wolf Tribe Chief Meng Yung, once considered the frontrunner for the next Palace Head due to his recent astounding accomplishments, had ignited the warriors’ hearts into a blaze.
"Pa Taeyun! Pa Taeyun!"
Thump!
Boom! Thump-thump!
Cries of Pa Taeyun’s name and the sound of fists pounding against chests erupted everywhere like thunder.
To the warriors of the Beast Palace, it no longer mattered that Pa Taeyun had only recently become affiliated with them, or that he was still a youth.
The divine might Pa Taeyun displayed thus far was unmistakably that of a true Beast Palace warrior.
KA-BOOM!
BOOM!
Just then, another deafening roar rang out as drums resounded.
"Ugh!"
With a groan, the warrior facing Pa Taeyun dropped to one knee.
The final duel of the Heavenly Martial Festival was underway.
But compared to Meng Yung, the remaining warriors were far inferior, and the battle had concluded swiftly.
"…I concede."
At that moment, the great warrior of the Primal Tribe acknowledged his defeat and bowed his head to Sewoon.
Sewoon looked down at him and gave a slight nod.
WAAAH!!
Once again, a thunderous cheer shook the Heavenly Martial Arena.
The end of a duel didn’t always mean death.
Sometimes, acknowledging one’s overwhelming opponent and stepping back could also mark the close.
The gaze of the Primal Tribe warrior, who had once looked at Sewoon with contempt in the first round, now held nothing but respect and awe.
Just then, Pa Tamun declared the final victor of the Heavenly Martial Festival.
"The final victor of the Heavenly Martial Festival is Pa Taeyun!"
Thump!
Thump!
Amid the heartbeats sung for a great brother, Sewoon walked proudly to the side.
Step.
He came to a stop directly before the throne, looking squarely up at the seated Beast Palace Head, Umun Geol.
As all gazes fell upon him, Sewoon unleashed a fierce roar akin to a lion’s thunderous cry.
"I, Pa Taeyun, a warrior of the Beast Palace, as the final victor of the Heavenly Martial Festival!! Now formally challenge for the position of Beast Palace Head!!"
The moment Sewoon’s declaration ended, all eyes of the Beast Palace warriors turned.
Now it was time for the reigning Beast King to answer the challenger.
At that instant, Umun Geol sprang from the throne like a launched arrow.
SWWWSSHH—!
BOOOOM!!
Like a meteor plummeting from the sky, Umun Geol landed upon the Heavenly Martial Arena.
With eyes burning like blazing flames, he stared down Sewoon and finally responded.
"…I, Umun Geol, Beast Palace Head… accept the challenger’s valor!"
SSHHHH!
SWWWSSHH!!
No sooner had he spoken than a tidal wave of spirit aura erupted from Umun Geol’s entire body.
It flooded the vast Heavenly Martial Arena in an instant—so ferocious and mighty that even the Beast Palace warriors who watched were aghast.
The excitement of a new legend being born had begun to melt away like snow.
Among them, however, only one remained calm.
‘Just a little longer, Palace Head.’
Only Sewoon gazed at Umun Geol with composed, steady eyes.
He immediately detected something unusual.
Though his spirit aura glowed a radiant blue through refined outer arts, a starkly incompatible, near-polar crimson demonic qi swirled around him.
‘As I thought… the Ten Thousand Corpse Blood. How vile.’
Ten Thousand Corpse Blood—a vile elixir of the Blood Cult, made by sacrificing ten thousand lives to unleash latent potential.
For one shichen (two hours), it forcibly detonated all latent energy to activate power beyond one’s limits.
But in return, it turned the user into a blood-maddened lunatic, ending in death—a truly cursed item.
And there was only one reason such a monstrosity had been forced upon the Palace Head.
‘Because I will soon turn this disaster into a blessing.’
Poison and medicine were but two sides of the same coin.
Just as that cryptic thought crossed Sewoon’s mind—
"…Let the final battle begin!!"
Pa Tamun announced the commencement of the last match.
FWOOSH!!
Umun Geol took the first move.
"Grrrr!"
A beastly roar echoed from his mouth.
He must have fought hard to retain consciousness until now, but he had clearly succumbed to the Ten Thousand Corpse Blood’s demonic qi.
TATATAT!
With a speed far surpassing Meng Yung, he charged Sewoon.
SWISH!
A ghostly afterimage trailed his steps—astonishingly.
Despite having no inner qi within his body, Umun Geol had manifested Shifting Form, Exchanging Position solely with his physical power.
Even with the boost from the Ten Thousand Corpse Blood, no ordinary martial artist could achieve such a feat.
SPLIT!
A chilling burst of sound pressure ripped past Sewoon’s left ear.
He instinctively twisted his body—a punch like a tiger’s paw grazing him by mere inches.
SHHH!
The blade-like wind from the punch sliced a few strands of his bangs, sending them fluttering.
Umun Geol’s attacks did not stop.
They came in torrents, like a violent downpour.
"RAAAHHH!"
BANG!
BOOM!
Under the relentless barrage, Sewoon seemed barely able to defend.
Fists, kicks, knees, elbows…
Every part of the body that could be weaponized was unleashed in full assault.
This was the terrifying aspect of the Ten Thousand Corpse Blood. Even while driven mad with bloodlust, it allowed its user to display their martial arts flawlessly.
But that wasn’t the only astonishing part.
‘He’s breaking through the Diamond Body Wall and shaking my insides.’
Steel-Through-Body Arts, the supreme outer art that earned him the alias Beast King.
By enveloping his body in spirit aura, he could invoke Penetrating Force even without inner qi.
Penetrating Force—one of the highest techniques of outer arts—shattered even the thickest armor from within.
Its power was worthy of being called the world’s strongest outer art.
CRASH!!
SKRRREECH!
Suddenly, with a deafening crash, Sewoon’s body skidded backward.
The floor of the Heavenly Martial Arena split apart, leaving a long scar.
FWOOSH!
Umun Geol dashed in again, tireless.
And then—
The one who had remained on the defensive until now…
‘Alright, shall we begin in earnest now?’
Sewoon’s energy shifted dramatically—an overwhelming transformation.