novelraw Chapter 10 : The Heavenly Killing Star (1)
Chapter 10 : The Heavenly Killing Star (1)
The Sword Demon looked around the room. Everyone was staring at him intently. He suddenly realized that he had gotten too excited.
In the presence of his master, the Heavenly Demon, who was sitting quietly. The Sword Demon immediately knelt on one knee and paid his respects to the Heavenly Demon.
"This Sword Demon! Please forgive my rudeness!"
Seeing that, the Blood Demon was dumbfounded.
"Hey! Shouldn't you be apologizing to me?"
The Sword Demon, regardless of whether the Blood Demon was grumbling next to him or not, only bowed his head towards the Heavenly Demon.
Seeing that, the Heavenly Demon opened his mouth.
It wasn't about the Sword Demon.
The Heavenly Demon hadn't paid much attention to the Sword Demon's actions in the first place.
His interest was solely on one thing.
Of course, it wasn't the Blood Demon either.
"It's a Heavenly Killing Star."
At those words, the room began to murmur again for a different reason.
What is a Heavenly Killing Star?
It refers to a rare killing star that appears once in a hundred years, and its talent is said to be so outstanding that it can even kill the stars in the sky.
Even in the Lord's hall, where martial artists who were said to be flying and crawling were gathered, most of them were seeing a Heavenly Killing Star for the first time.
"That child is a Heavenly Killing Star!"
"He looks ordinary on the outside?"
"According to legend, they possess the optimal talent for becoming a martial artist."
The Blood Demon felt his shoulders naturally rise at the sounds coming from his surroundings.
"Heh heh. For reference, I personally verified the talent of that child! I, the Blood Demon, can say with certainty that he is the number one in the martial world! That child is a monster itself!"
His personality is bad, but his skills are acknowledged by everyone in the martial world.
In fact, in this place where the elite of the Heavenly Demon Cult were gathered, there was no one who could beat the Blood Demon except for the Heavenly Demon.
Because even though he looked like this, he was also one of the only four masters in this martial world who had reached the Soul Detachment Realm.
And he was speaking with such confidence.
It couldn't be a lie.
However, the sight of him pointing at a disciple of his own faction and explaining with spittle flying from his mouth that he was a monster was not a pleasant sight, but the child in question just stood there quietly as he had from the beginning.
The child's expression didn't change, and he looked just like a doll.
When the Heavenly Demon shot a slight killing intent at the child, the child reacted at that moment. And it was something that exceeded everyone's imagination.
"Grrrr!"
A raw reaction that you would see in the wild!
"Hah! At the Heavenly Demon's killing intent!"
"He's a madman."
"Even if the Heavenly Demon controlled it, he's not submitting?"
"Did I just piss myself?"
A high-concentration killing intent shot out by someone who had reached the Soul Detachment Realm.
That was something that even a first-rate master would find it hard to dare to resist. But a child who looked to be less than ten years old was baring his teeth at it.
Although his behavior was more like that of an animal than a human.
"How is it?"
The Blood Demon had a proud smile on his lips. The Heavenly Demon replied.
"It seems to be a real Heavenly Killing Star."
The Heavenly Demon had acknowledged it.
"Heh heh."
The Blood Demon had achieved his purpose for coming here today.
As he imagined the child of the Heavenly Killing Star becoming the number one in the martial world in the future and the Blood Cult finally crushing the Heavenly Demon Cult and becoming the best, a smile naturally spread across his lips.
Just then, the Heavenly Demon spoke to the Sword Demon, who was still prostrated.
"Sword Demon."
"Yes, my lord!"
"Who did you say it was?"
"It is a child named 'Yoo Jae-ha'."
"The Heavenly Demon Cult has been the strongest from the past until now. Can you prove those words?"
"This Sword Demon! I will risk my life to prove that the Heavenly Demon Cult is above the Blood Cult!"
The Blood Demon, who had been smiling gently, slowly raised his head and looked at the Heavenly Demon as the situation took a strange turn. And he met the Heavenly Demon's expressionless eyes, which were unreadable.
It was a gaze he had received many times.
'You dare to ignore me even after knowing that child is a Heavenly Killing Star?'
The Blood Demon's body, which had faced that, began to exude the thick aura he had shown at the main gate of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Gooooo!
At this, the elders in the Lord's hall all raised their energy to protect their bodies.
More than half of the people here were masters who had reached the Demonic Zenith Realm, but sweat began to flow from all of their faces. Those who had not reached the Demonic Zenith Realm were clutching their throats and suffering, as if they couldn't breathe.
However, the children the Blood Demon had brought had calm expressions, which showed how much the Blood Demon cherished those children.
In the midst of this, the Heavenly Demon continued to ask the Sword Demon.
"How will you prove it?"
The Sword Demon, while vomiting blood from the immense energy pressing down on his body, replied.
"I will defeat the children brought by that Blood Demon rascal with the children of our Heavenly Demon Cult!"
At that moment, the Sword Demon felt the pressing energy double. His chest was pressed against the floor, and his lungs were crushed, making it impossible to breathe. Even so, the Sword Demon did not break his etiquette towards the Heavenly Demon.
"I permit it. Prove that the Heavenly Demon Cult is the strongest."
At that moment, the Sword Demon felt the energy pressing down on him being completely offset and disappearing. And he instinctively knew that this was due to someone's intervention.
There was only one person in this room who could show such dignity.
His master, the Heavenly Demon!
As soon as his breathing was relieved, the Sword Demon took a deep breath as if his lungs would burst and replied so loudly that the hall would shake.
"Yes, my lord!"
The Heavenly Demon, who had heard the reply, once again stared at the Blood Demon with an expressionless face and said.
"Will you do it here with me?"
The Blood Demon knew that the Heavenly Demon had just nullified the energy he was pressing down on the Sword Demon. And now, the Heavenly Demon was doing the same thing he had done to the Sword Demon.
If he didn't withdraw the energy that filled the hall, the Heavenly Demon intended to make him kneel in front of everyone.
The Blood Demon, finding it difficult to endure, immediately withdrew his energy. Then, the other elders in the hall also took a deep breath.
"Heh heh. I was just joking, why are you so serious. You're always so serious, that's the problem. Alright! Let's have a showdown to see whose children are superior, my children or your children!"
"A martial arts tournament would be good."
"Heh heh. That's clean."
The Blood Demon, while smiling on the outside, clenched his teeth tightly.
He felt that he would only be able to sleep with both feet stretched out if he saw that detestable face contort today.
'I'll crumple that face!'
* * *
After finishing my qi circulation in the training ground and resting, I saw the instructors who had gone out come in and start talking seriously among themselves.
It must be about the Blood Demon.
They must have been flustered by the sudden visit.
I lightly drew the sword path of the Demonic True Sword Art in the air and warmed up my body. Unlike before, feeling the dantian filled with energy, I felt like I had the whole world.
Yes! This is it!
As expected, the more money and internal energy you have, the better.
When the dantian is full, food goes down well, you sleep well, and everything in the world goes smoothly.
I could feel once again that the dantian was more important than the Young Lord position.
The instructors who had finished their conversation came towards us.
The instructors had serious expressions, and seeing that, the children were intimidated and didn't say a word.
'Look at that acting!'
Of course, I didn't fall for the instructors' lies. It was obvious that the Blood Demon had talked himself out and returned to the Blood Cult. And the instructors would use this as an opportunity to straighten out the students' minds.
I knew because I had experienced it all before my regression.
I sighed, thinking about the punishment I would receive today. The instructor opened his mouth.
"From now on, I will call out ten names. Those who are called, step forward!"
Oh-ho! First, they'll pick ten and punish only them?
Not a bad judgment. Traditionally, making an example has proven to be a very effective way to control a large crowd.
"Yoo Jae-ha!"
I had hoped I wouldn't be picked, but as expected, my life never goes easy. Still, the fact that I was able to live a life with a full dantian after regressing was the biggest luck for me, so I could humbly accept this level of misfortune.
Names were called out one after another, and next to me, the Sword Demoness, the Demonic Brain, the Mad Demon, the Fifth Elder's grandson, and five from the other faction were called out and came forward.
Looking at the children who had come forward, I could easily guess the instructors' intentions.
'I see. They picked half from each faction so that the divided factions can naturally blend together.'
As they struggle through a difficult punishment together, a bond will naturally form.
Moreover, looking at the members who were chosen, they were the key figures of each faction.
'Beating the heads first is a long tradition! As expected of the Heavenly Demon Cult's top instructors! Looking at our side, it seems they picked the top five in terms of grades, so the other side must have been done by grades too.'
The gazes directed at our side are quite crooked.
"Just say the word. Should I take care of them?"
I said to the Fifth Elder's grandson who was talking to me in a friendly manner.
"Stay still."
Otherwise, the other children might take care of you as a collective responsibility.
"Oh! Are you acknowledging me as your subordinate now?"
That's not what I meant at all, so I lightly ignored him. Anyway, I had received this kind of punishment, which led to collective responsibility, many times before my regression.
Before any punishment, linking arms is a must.
I swung my arms around and loosened my shoulders to link arms. Of course, using internal energy during punishment was forbidden. If someone secretly used internal energy, it would also lead to collective responsibility.
Finally, the instructor opened his mouth towards us.
"Follow me."
Huh? Not here?
The instructor took us to the front of a certain building. I knew what this building was. That's why I couldn't help but be even more flustered.
'This is a private training ground that only those of the grand commander level or higher in the Heavenly Demon Cult can use?'
To take fledglings like us to such a place?
I couldn't predict the situation at all.
"Go inside. And remember! The future of the Heavenly Demon Cult rests on you!"
What the hell is in front of us that he's speaking so meaningfully?
For a punishment, this is too serious.
Anyone would think we were being dragged off to war!
When we went inside, someone was really waiting for us.
"Hoo... As a senior of the Heavenly Demon Cult, I am sorry to entrust you with such an important task."
'Pung-hyung?'
The person who greeted us inside was the 1st unit's grand commander, Wind Demon Sword King, Pung Un-baek.
He had more than enough martial prowess to become an elder, but he was an eccentric who still liked to work in the field.
Before my regression, I was quite close to the lively Pung-hyung rather than the old-fashioned elders. So I couldn't quite understand why Pung-hyung was making such a serious face now.
Before my regression, Pung-hyung had made that face only twice. Once was when the Orthodox Faction declared war, and the other time was when the Orthodox Faction caused a riot and innocent residents were killed in the aftermath.
That's right. That was a face that only came out when the Orthodox Faction started a war, at the very least.
Following Pung-hyung, the scene that came out made me unable to hold back my astonishment once again.
'The old... no! The old geezers... no! From the First Elder to the Tenth Elder, they're all here?'
The fact that the elders who support the Heavenly Demon, excluding the Great Elder, were all in one place.
Recalling my experience as the Young Lord, it meant only one thing. I cast my gaze above the seats where the elders were seated. And there, I could see two people sitting side by side.
One was the Heavenly Demon, and the other was the Blood Demon.
In other words, the current situation was the Heavenly Demon's will.
That's why I couldn't understand it even more.
Why was the Blood Demon, who should have already left, there?
And why were the Heavenly Demon and the elders of the Heavenly Demon Cult gathered?
Could it be that the Heavenly Demon is giving the punishment himself?
And I found out the reason we were called here from the Blood Demon who stood up and shouted.
"Heh heh. From now on, let's start the martial arts tournament between the ten from the Blood Cult and the ten from the Heavenly Demon Cult! To see whose disciples are stronger!"
Is that senile bastard crazy?
A martial arts tournament that hadn't even happened before my regression had been arranged.