Chapter 518: I Have Only One Master-Student Relationship

TL: FoodieMonster007

A chill traveled down Gyo Cheon's spine as he met Geom Mugeuk's cold gaze. He should have found this Young Cult Leader laughable, but the boy's words had perhaps struck a nerve.

You should have come back even crazier?

Looking from the corpses to the vividly standing Geom Woojin, Gyo Cheon thought that might have been the correct course of action.

The Young Cult Leader felt different from the person he had researched, just as the Geom Woojin he investigated was different from the man standing before him.

He knew the blood was smeared on Geom Mugeuk's face playfully. Still, the sight of him staring with a blood-covered face sent a cold wind blowing through Gyo Cheon's heart.

Gyo Cheon's gaze shifted naturally to Geom Woojin, who stood beside his son.

Like father, like son, is that it?

Geom Woojin, in contrast, looked at his blood-smeared son with a pathetic expression. This was a slightly unfamiliar sight, as Gyo Cheon had only ever seen the stern Geom Woojin.

Gyo Cheon did not know that this change was the most significant reason among many for Geom Woojin's growth in strength. Since he was unaware of the process, the result alone astonished him.

He's much stronger than the previous Cult Leader.

How was that possible? He understood better than anyone how difficult it was for masters at a Cult Leader's level to elevate their martial arts.

Gyo Cheon tried to conceal his doubts and turned to the remaining masters. Five of the twelve were dead, leaving seven.

"Who's next?"

His question showed his intent to push forward with the original plan. He would kill Geom Woojin by depleting his inner arts, no matter what.

Seeing this, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sighed inwardly.

His Master was rigid. A plan should change when the situation changes. His Master's inflexible mind, however, could only think of pushing forward.

Will these men accomplish what the previous five could not?

It was a moment that would make anyone hesitate, yet one person strode forward.

He was the Crazy Slayer. This was the same man who had first felt fear at the cry of the Heavenly Demon Sword. Now, however, confidence overflowed from his eyes.

He had spent his life killing people like a madman starved for blood. He realized that in this moment, only that madness could save him.

Fear is your burden, not mine.

Another person stepped forward to stand beside the Crazy Slayer. It was the Ghost Sword, who had been flustered earlier when his own ghost sword had cried out in fear.

The Crazy Slayer and the Ghost Sword were symbols of fear in their respective domains.

Geom Woojin could have told his son to take one of them. Instead, he walked forward as if to declare he would face them all himself.

Geom Mugeuk could feel it. Today's battle was also an important one for his father. His father was settling the score from that day, all while being considerate of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's feelings.

For Geom Mugeuk, this was actually a good opportunity.

He planned to commit the entire fight to memory, from beginning to end. He would then mull it over repeatedly, like reviewing a game of Go, and add it to his own martial skill.

The Crazy Slayer put on gloves made of steel. His beloved weapon was the Spiked Iron Fist.

True to its name, sharp blades like a wolf's fangs protruded from each knuckle. The sharp energy flowing from them indicated they were not made of ordinary metal.

"With these fists, I've beaten to death everyone who displeased me!"

His voice, heavy with inner arts, echoed like thunder. When he wore the Spiked Iron Fist, he changed. His fists remembered every person he had killed.

I can win! I'll kill the Demonic Cult Leader and devour him raw!

Madness erupted from his eyes.

Geom Woojin, who had been watching him silently, sheathed the Heavenly Demon Sword. He then gestured for the Crazy Slayer to come closer.

The meaning was clear. He wanted to fight with his bare fists.

The Crazy Slayer grinned in triumph. He was confident that his Spiked Iron Fist against bare hands gave him a fighting chance, even against the Demonic Cult Leader.

HWAAAAANG!

His steel fist flew toward Geom Woojin with tremendous power. It was the Manic Killing Blow, the move he was most confident in.

Geom Woojin also shot forward and threw a punch. Fist against fist.

The Crazy Slayer poured all of his inner arts into this one attack.

Your fist is the one that's going to be shattered!

Gyo Cheon watched with hope. Even if the move couldn't kill Geom Woojin, he hoped it would at least inflict an internal injury and deplete his inner arts as much as possible.

However, Geom Woojin never fought in a way his opponent predicted.

Just before their fists collided, at the very last moment, Geom Woojin lifted his body. The incredibly powerful fist grazed his face as he slipped into the Crazy Slayer's embrace.

Damn it!

He had never imagined the Heavenly Demon would avoid a direct clash. Geom Woojin's movement as he dodged and closed in was simply too fast and exquisite.

The Crazy Slayer raised his body's protective enhanced qi, preparing for Geom Woojin's strike.

But a powerful strike never came. In the instant their eyes met, Geom Woojin lightly tapped the Crazy Slayer's head.

TUK.

The action seemed to say, 'Get a grip, you fool!'

The Crazy Slayer's face twisted viciously.

You dare to look down on me?

Even a hard blow to the head would not have made him fall. His protective enhanced qi was perfectly guarding his entire head. Or so he thought.

"Kkeueueuk!"

The Crazy Slayer, about to launch a second attack, let out a strange scream and fell backward. The whites of his eyes were showing. He was already dead.

His body was fine on the outside, with no injuries or bleeding. He died without ever knowing the truth.

Geom Woojin was not the type of person to simply tap an opponent's head. If he struck, there was always a clear reason. That single light tap had gently penetrated the protective enhanced qi, only to become a great wave that completely overturned the inside of his head.

It was the martial art of striking the outside to damage the inside. Geom Woojin's control of his inner qi strength had reached the pinnacle of that art.

The Ghost Sword, who had stepped forward with him, Gyo Cheon, and the other masters all wore faces of pure astonishment. They would have been less surprised if Geom Woojin's fist had shattered the iron fist.

This was the same as when he killed the first five. Geom Woojin did not show off his strength. He focused only on the most efficient way to kill his enemy. He was an absolute being who was never careless, an absolute being who used his head.

He used the Nine Calamities Demonic Art boldly when necessary. At other times, he killed with very little inner arts. While completely immersed in his own fight, it also seemed like he was showing his son.

Son, if you must fight twelve absolute masters in a wheel battle, fight like this.

The ghost sword in the Ghost Sword's hand began to wail like a specter. It was a sorrowful, desolate cry, as if foreseeing someone's fate.

He had not been idle while the Crazy Slayer died. He had been raising his inner arts to unleash his ultimate technique. He had watched and knew that if he didn't use it on his first move, he would never get another chance.

CHWAAAAAAANG!

A dark, ghostly energy erupted from his sword and poured toward Geom Woojin. The Primordial Ghost Blade Cleave!

The ghostly energy coiled around Geom Woojin like a whirlwind. It looked as if a giant black snake was wrapping around Geom Woojin's body to make it explode.

It worked!

As his first move landed, the Ghost Sword pushed his inner arts to their absolute limit.

Demonic Cult Leader! Just explode and die like that!

The swirling black energy tightened further around Geom Woojin until his figure was no longer visible. A look of anticipation flashed in the eyes of Gyo Cheon and the other masters.

Even if it doesn't kill him, he'll suffer a major internal injury!

It was at that very moment.

SEUEUEUEUK!

A light leaked out from between the dark whirlwind. The black energy split as if the sea were parting, and something shot out from within.

It was the Heavenly Demon Sword, shimmering with pure white demonic qi.

At that sight, the ghost sword cried out even louder. It was a wail of astonishment and shock that reflected its master's heart.

The next moment, a rain of sword qi poured down from the sky. It was the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, the Fifth Technique, the Soul Slicing Demonic Strike.

Because the attack came as if announcing its target, the Ghost Sword instinctively threw his body aside to dodge the sword qi falling toward the crown of his head.

I dodged it!

His joy was short-lived. The falling sword qi was not just one.

PUAK!

Another sword qi that fell from the sky pierced his shoulder.

PUAAAAK!

The next sword qi pierced the crown of his head. Sword qi continued to fall with a time lag over his body, which had collapsed in instant death.

PUUK! PUUK!

Originally, the Soul Slicing Demonic Strike was an attack that brought down sword qi on the heads of multiple people at once. He had even trained with Geom Mugeuk to rescue hostages with it.

This time, the attack was concentrated only around the Ghost Sword. It fell with a time lag, making it absolutely impossible to dodge.

Geom Mugeuk could tell the decisive difference between his own Soul Slicing Demonic Strike and his father's. It was not the number of sword qi strikes, nor their power.

The time lag.

His father's Soul Slicing Demonic Strike fell with a delay, predicting where the opponent would dodge. Geom Mugeuk knew better than anyone how difficult a state this was to achieve.

Could I really dodge my father's Soul Slicing Demonic Strike?

Geom Mugeuk dared not claim that he could.

This is a state I must achieve. No, I must rise to an even higher state than this.

Because if he rose, his father would rise too.

As the Ghost Sword collapsed, riddled with wounds, the dark whirlwind that had swirled around Geom Woojin vanished in an instant.

Gyo Cheon's face hardened even more.

This was just wrong, no matter how strong Geom Woojin was. Killing the Crazy Slayer and the Ghost Sword in a single move? What kind of plan could he possibly make against such an opponent? The phrase that came to his mind was not 'world number one', but 'the Greatest of All Time'.

Geom Woojin asked him, "Will you step forward yourself now?"

Geom Woojin was still treating him with courtesy. This was because the Blood Heaven Blade Demon still regarded Gyo Cheon as his master.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke to his master, who was glaring silently at Geom Woojin. "It's still not too late."

At that, Gyo Cheon looked at the corpses and scoffed. "You can say that after seeing them?"

"The dead are the dead, and the living must live. Please, beg the Cult Leader for forgiveness even now."

Gyo Cheon felt it. Unlike the Cult Leader or the Young Cult Leader, his disciple, at least, wanted him to survive somehow. Even with that feeling, no kind words came out.

"You traitor. You're just acting like you care for me because you're in front of the Cult Leader."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon made no excuses. Geom Woojin just watched him silently.

The one who spoke up for the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was Geom Mugeuk.

"That's enough."

Everyone's gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk. At first, they thought he was speaking to Gyo Cheon. They thought he was telling the Blood Heaven Blade Demon to stop. However, his words were for the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, not Gyo Cheon.

"That's enough, Elder."

Since the Cult Leader was present, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon answered with courtesy. "Young Cult Leader, please don't interfere."

"No, this is a problem that the involved parties can't solve."

Geom Mugeuk knew. If Gyo Cheon were to die again today, it would leave another deep scar on the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's heart. It would be like his master dying twice before his very eyes.

"The Elder's Master will pretend not to know your heart until the very end. That's the only way he can justify what he has done."

At that, Gyo Cheon roared. "Shut up! What do you know!"

Compared to the agitated Gyo Cheon, Geom Mugeuk was calm.

"You keep talking about betrayal, but by that logic, didn't you also betray our Cult? If your disciple betrayed you, you should have called only your disciple to get revenge. Why did you drag my father into this? Why did you tarnish our Cult's honor and try to start a war with the orthodox sects? Why did you drag the Elder's disciple into this?"

Faced with the barrage of rebukes, Gyo Cheon could not immediately retort. Geom Mugeuk's offensive continued.

"Honestly, your disciple's betrayal isn't that important to you, is it? You probably thought, 'This is great. Since it's come to this, let's just take over the entire murim.' Isn't that the mindset you've used to build your power?"

Geom Mugeuk's gaze turned to the remaining masters.

"What did you promise them? What did you say you would give them after swallowing up both the orthodox and unorthodox sects through instigation?"

The moment he heard those words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon felt it. His Master might have truly harbored such thoughts. The plot to instigate conflict with the orthodox sects might not have been just for revenge. He might have gathered the ambitions of these old villains to truly achieve the dream he could not.

"So stop making excuses about betrayal now."

In truth, Geom Mugeuk didn't really know what was in Gyo Cheon's heart. Nor did he want to know. He was pushing him like this not to attack him, but for the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's sake.

He was telling him not to give meaning to the past. That his master was not a person worthy of it.

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and said, "Do you feel sorry for your Master? No, the person the Elder should feel sorry for is not his master, but the Elder's disciple."

"!"

"Because he took a risk all alone for this worthless master-disciple relationship. For such a Master, the Elder's disciple came all this way alone. That timid and cowardly disciple of the Elder."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's pupils trembled. With his master and the Cult Leader present, he realized he hadn't been paying any attention to Seo Daeryong.

"Do you still consider this a master-disciple relationship worth valuing?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon turned his head to look at Gyo Cheon. Gyo Cheon looked at him coldly, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's gaze was still fervent.

After staring for a long while, he finally conveyed his last feelings.

"That's right. It probably wasn't for my Master's sake, but to lessen my own guilt. That's why I wanted to save you. And for that… I am even more sorry."

A flicker appeared in Gyo Cheon's eyes.

"I will be the one to send you on your final path. I will live with that guilt for the rest of my life. The problem arose because I tried to discard what I should have carried."

With that, he bowed with formal courtesy, as if it were his final farewell to him as his master. Only then did he answer Geom Mugeuk's question.

"This is not where I should place my meaning."

His voice had trembled in his previous words, but what followed was firm.

"From now on, I have only one master-disciple relationship."

Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

Elder!

There was a reason he had pushed him like this. Gyo Cheon had to hear these words before he died. If Gyo Cheon died first, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon would never have been able to say what he just did. A fight with a dead person is the most difficult fight in the world.

Even someone this smart and wise cannot easily escape when entangled in the wounds of the past. The wounds of the past have nothing to do with present intelligence. In fact, the smarter one is, the harder it might be to break free.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon also gave a faint smile as he looked at Geom Mugeuk.

Thank you.

Elder, let's hurry back and sit side-by-side reading books by that sunny window.

Geom Woojin looked at Geom Mugeuk and gave a slight nod. He could tell from his expression that his father was praising him for a job well done. His father had also hoped that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon would not be left with a scar on his heart.

Now, with a relieved expression, Geom Woojin turned to the enemy. His eyes met with a white-haired old man among the five remaining masters.

"It's been a long time."

The old man then asked with a surprised face, "You remember me?"

Geom Woojin nodded.

"What a remarkable memory. I saw you when you were very young."

Surprisingly, he was a demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. The Chaos Demon.

The old man was a retired demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He possessed great skill and had held various important positions within the cult. At the time, he was a figure who was close with Gyo Cheon.

"He asked me earnestly, so I couldn't refuse."

Geom Woojin asked bluntly, "Did you know that this was an attempt on my life?"

After a brief pause, the Chaos Demon replied, "I knew."

Geom Woojin had no intention of speaking with him any further. This betrayal was of a much worse quality than Gyo Cheon's.

"Then there's no need for you to come out."

As the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sorted out his feelings, Geom Woojin also began to clean up in earnest.

A single demon appeared before Geom Woojin without a sound. It was a demon more terrifying and more intense in impression than the demon from the Human Destroying Stance he had unfolded earlier.

SSSSSSSSSSST.

The demon began to divide. This was precisely the reason he had said there was no need for him to come out.

"Die together right where you are."