Chapter 712: Pierce My Heart!

TL: FoodieMonster007

The creature was intelligent. The Flying Blood Snake, which had been attacking the heart, changed its strategy.

It began to bite at Geom Mugeuk's blood vessels. At first, it gnawed on insignificant ones to gauge his reaction. When Geom Mugeuk paid it no mind, it started biting into more important vessels.

This was a tactic that exploited a simple fact. If he dispersed his inner qi to protect his blood vessels, the power guarding his heart would ultimately weaken.

Of course, it didn't attack to the point of killing him. The creature knew that if Geom Mugeuk died, it would die too. It was truly like a spirit beast that possessed intelligence.

It moved so fast he couldn't catch it. In the end, he had no choice but to pretend to offer his heart and trap it. He gave up half of his heart and used all his qi to block the snake from entering the other half.

Once inside, the Flying Blood Snake did not leave. At first, it just coiled up and remained still.

He thought it was a relief, but he was wrong.

The creature absorbed power through the heart, becoming even stronger than when it had roamed his blood vessels. Conversely, Geom Mugeuk grew that much weaker.

Its power replenished, the Flying Blood Snake began to attack the remaining half of the heart. It pushed forward with a force that was incomparable to before.

Geom Mugeuk poured all his qi into stopping it.

He endured and endured. The mental toll was immense, first to keep his blood vessels from being harmed, and now to keep his heart from being harmed. Holding on with every ounce of his focus and strength was truly exhausting.

He wanted to scream, but he didn't. He was certain Cha Yiran was also doing her best. If she learned of his condition, she would rush and make a mistake. For that reason, Geom Mugeuk endured.

When the pain reached its peak, he saw a vision. He was alone, holding back a massive, advancing wall.

Slowly, bit by bit, he was pushed back. It felt as if the muscles and bones of his entire body were melting. He wanted to let his arms go limp and give up.

But Geom Mugeuk did not give up. He was not the kind of person to quit just because things were hard.

How long had he held on like that?

THUD.

Geom Mugeuk turned his head at the presence beside him. For a moment, he was startled. Someone was pushing the wall with him. It was the handsome demon among the four cardinal demons of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.

How did you get here?

THUD.

Then, a fearsome-looking demon appeared on the opposite side. It glanced at Geom Mugeuk with its terrifying face before starting to push the wall.

THUD.

This time, a mysterious-looking one appeared next to the handsome demon. Finally, an intelligent-looking one joined the fearsome one. With the four of them pushing together, he was no longer pushed back.

Geom Mugeuk was overjoyed.

At the last moment, something blocked the light, casting a huge shadow around him. When he looked up, a colossal something began to push the wall.

The Heavenly Demon Soul?

Yes, it was the Heavenly Demon Soul. It was too dark to see clearly, but it was definitely the Heavenly Demon Soul. With the demons and the Heavenly Demon Soul working together, the wall began to move forward again.

Ah! Now that the Heavenly Demon Soul is here, I can finally let go.

The strength gradually drained from Geom Mugeuk's arms.

But this vision was a product of his own subconscious. They were inner demons created because he was so exhausted. In reality, the wall was still being pushed back.

Inner demons often work this way. They shake one's resolve by using the form of those the target trusts most.

Yes, it's okay to rest a little now, right?

Just as the strength was about to completely leave his hands, he heard someone calling him from within the darkness.

…Young Cult Leader-nim.

This voice? It was a familiar voice, sounding like a distant whisper. The first time it called him, it sounded faint. But the next words flew in like a sword qi imbued with light, piercing the darkness as it rang out loud and clear.

"I am here, so open your eyes!"

The moment he clearly recognized the voice of the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, the things around him began to disappear. The demons vanished one by one.

Finally, the Heavenly Demon Soul disappeared. As the shadow it cast faded, his surroundings brightened. It was the moment his inner demons shattered.

"Young Cult Leader-nim!"

At the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's call, Geom Mugeuk's eyes flew open.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon was truly there, looking down at him. Only then did Geom Mugeuk understand. Everything he had seen in the vision had been inner demons.

"Are you alright?"

The two eyes behind the mask were filled with worry. He had sensed that Geom Mugeuk's condition was not good.

Geom Mugeuk squeezed out his last bit of strength.

"Pierce my heart!"

"!"

At those words, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's eyes widened. He could tell that the moment of the prophecy had found them.

He had also had many thoughts about the prophecy. Would he only pretend to kill the Young Cult Leader? Or would he kill a fake disguised as him? He had never considered that he would have to stab the real Geom Mugeuk's heart.

Geom Mugeuk's hand grabbed the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's wrist. He then pulled that hand toward his heart.

Trust yourself and stab.

With that final action, Geom Mugeuk closed his eyes. While he had been lost to his inner demons, the Flying Blood Snake had already invaded the other half of his heart. The more of the heart it occupied, the stronger it became.

The moment he heard Geom Mugeuk's words, Hwa Domyeong shouted.

"No! Stop him!"

He mistakenly thought Geom Mugeuk was trying to kill himself, that he would rather die before being completely dominated by the Flying Blood Snake. If Geom Mugeuk died, they would fail to kill the Evil Alliance Chairman and be unable to retrieve the energies in his body, to say nothing of his second brother.

Hwa Domyeong's twenty or so subordinates launched themselves forward at once.

The Faceless Warriors also drew their throwing knives in unison to face them.

SWISH.

A Faceless Warrior dodged the sword of the first martial artist who rushed in and plunged a dagger into his chest.

CLANG!

The martial artist who blocked the attack was no ordinary expert. They were clearly more skilled than the ones they had faced in the alley.

But the ten strongest Faceless Warriors of the Valley of Evil were a type of enemy they had never faced before.

Just as he thrust his sword again.

SWOOSH! SHWOOK!

A Faceless Warrior's finger qi bullet flew at his face. He had not expected it, so while he barely dodged the first, the second tore off his ear.

POW!

The moment the enraged martial artist's movements became wild.

PLUNGE!

A Faceless Warrior's dagger embedded itself in his agitated heart. Immediately pulling out the knife, the Faceless Warrior darted to the side.

An enemy was about to ambush the back of an assassin woman he was fighting alongside.

SWOOOSH.

The previous Faceless Warrior snatched the opponent and drove a dagger into his neck.

PLUNGE.

The martial artist who tried to attack the Faceless Warrior who had saved the assassin fell at the hands of the First Bridge. The Faceless Warriors and the assassins had excellent coordination, fighting together like comrades.

Confirming that the opponents were stronger than expected, Hwa Domyeong issued a command to the three figures in bamboo hats standing behind him.

"Kill them all!"

At his command, two of the figures, a man and a woman, shot forward first. The woman used a sword and the man a dao. Their skills were extraordinary.

SWIIISH!

SHWAAAAK!

Fast and powerful sword qi and dao energy flew in a surprise attack toward the crescent-marked and spider-marked Faceless Warriors.

It was too late to dodge!

At that very moment!

FWOOSH!

Another wave of enhanced qi swirled and shot forward.

CRASH!

It collided with the incoming sword qi and dao energy. The person who landed in front of the two Faceless Warriors was Cha Yiran. She had thrust out both her palms, unleashing the Celestial Fairy Night Rain Palm to save them.

"Your opponent is me."

The two Faceless Warriors glanced once at Cha Yiran before launching themselves forward again. This was no time to exchange thanks.

Cha Yiran's gaze shifted past the bamboo-hatted martial artists to Hwa Domyeong. His gaze was not on her. He was looking past her, at Geom Mugeuk and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

She could feel his urgency. Perhaps the reason he had hidden behind his fan so often was to conceal that very feeling.

Hwa Domyeong personally launched himself forward and landed in front of Cha Yiran. The last bamboo-hatted figure flew over with him, likely the martial artist tasked with ensuring his safe escape.

Hwa Domyeong had no intention of talking to her. He also knew she was not the type to move just because he told her to.

SWOOOOSH.

A powerful stream of enhanced qi whipped out from his fan.

Just as Cha Yiran soared into the air to dodge, the other male and female bamboo-hatted figures flew in for a combined attack. She parried the incoming sword with a dagger and continuously unleashed palm techniques.

Cha Yiran fought with all her might, determined not to let a single person pass.

But facing three opponents at once, including Hwa Domyeong, was too much for her. Ultimately, amidst the relentless attacks, she failed to dodge a stream of dao energy from the bamboo-hatted man.

THUD!

The dao energy struck her body. She had raised her protective enhanced qi in an instant, but the impact was immense. Still, she did not move aside. Even in that state, she launched a palm strike at the man who had attacked her.

It was at that moment.

FLASH!

The bamboo-hatted woman had flown up and was now hovering in the air before her. It was an incredible lightness skill, as if she had teleported.

SWIIISH!

Her sword was already flying toward Cha Yiran's face. In normal condition, she could have dodged it, but now she was a mess. She wouldn't die, but she couldn't avoid a serious injury to her face.

It was at that very moment.

SWISH!

A single dagger flew swiftly toward the bamboo-hatted woman.

CLANG!

The sword parried the dagger in mid-air and continued on to slash Cha Yiran.

But Cha Yiran had already escaped. The one who had thrown the knife was the spider-marked Faceless Warrior she had saved earlier.

SHWAAK! SHWAK!

Without giving her a moment to rest, enhanced qi poured down on Cha Yiran. Unfortunately, the assassins were fighting behind her, so she did not dodge and instead unleashed her palm techniques.

BOOM! CRAAASH! BOOM!

The bamboo-hatted figures attacked from the left and right, while Hwa Domyeong attacked from the front. All three focused their attacks on Cha Yiran. Staggering from the internal injuries she sustained, someone threw himself forward and saved her. This time, it was the crescent-marked martial artist.

The crescent-marked Faceless Warrior took the internally injured Cha Yiran and retreated. The female assassins rushed over to protect her.

The Faceless Warriors formed a circle around Geom Mugeuk and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. Fearless of death, their eyes declared they would not yield a single step.

"Wipe them all out!"

At Hwa Domyeong's command, the two bamboo-hatted figures stepped forward to lead the charge.

PLUNGE!

The sound of a blade tearing through flesh was heard. The sound came from the area surrounded by the Faceless Warriors.

As the Faceless Warriors turned, Hwa Domyeong could see the scene through the gap between them.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's dagger was embedded in Geom Mugeuk's heart.

For a moment, Hwa Domyeong's eyes widened.

He really stabbed the Young Cult Leader?

He knew that the Demon Supreme closest to Geom Mugeuk was the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. He might have believed it of another, but he thought the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon would never be able to kill Geom Mugeuk.

The Faceless Warriors also stared at the scene with shocked faces before turning back to the front. The female assassins looked back and forth between the two men with expressions of horror.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had truly stabbed Geom Mugeuk's heart.

While Cha Yiran, the Faceless Warriors, and the assassins fought their enemies, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had his palm on Geom Mugeuk's heart, his mind focused.

To him, all surrounding sounds had vanished. He could only feel the beating of Geom Mugeuk's heart. In this moment, he was a divine physician, the Demonic Physician.

An alien energy emanated from the heart.

He could feel the Flying Blood Snake taking control. He knew instinctively that to kill it, he had to pierce its head, no, its very core, precisely.

But he hesitated. A wrong move and Geom Mugeuk would die.

The problem was that the Flying Blood Snake was moving in unpredictable ways, advancing toward the other side of the heart.

There was only one chance.

It was the very moment it took over the last part of Geom Mugeuk's heart. The moment it occupied that final space!

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon waited for that moment. He knew a fierce battle was raging outside, but he focused solely on the Flying Blood Snake.

And finally!

The moment the Flying Blood Snake completely occupied the heart!

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's dagger cut through the air without a sound. The character for 'laugh' (笑) carved on the knife sliced through the air. With the dagger given by Geom Mugeuk, with the martial arts taught by Geom Mugeuk, he stabbed Geom Mugeuk's heart.

PLUNGE!

It wasn't a feint. He stabbed deep enough to reach the heart.

A momentary silence fell over the place. Everyone stared at the scene.

When the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon pulled out the dagger, blood flowed from Geom Mugeuk's chest and his head drooped. He didn't move an inch. It truly seemed as if he were dead.

The one who belatedly shouted was Hwa Domyeong.

"No!"

He thought Geom Mugeuk was dead.

But the one that died was the Flying Blood Snake. The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's dagger had succeeded in striking its vital point precisely.

FWOOOOSH.

The Flying Blood Snake, its core pierced, seemed to convulse once.

FSHHHHHHH.

Its body began to slowly dissipate. An immense energy from miracle herbs, rare flowers, and various divine objects filled the heart. That mystical energy mended the wound torn by the dagger.

Geom Mugeuk's body began to absorb that energy.

It was a first. Never before had any miracle herbs been absorbed starting from the heart. The energy, pumped out by the heart, flowed through the blood vessels and throughout his entire body.

Geom Mugeuk began to convert the energy of the Flying Blood Snake that filled his blood vessels into inner qi. It was an incredible energy he had never felt before.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon watched him in silence.

Geom Mugeuk's energy was so faint that only he, being so close, could barely feel it.

But the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon could tell. Geom Mugeuk's expression had become peaceful. A faint smile even graced his lips, as if he were having a pleasant dream.

It worked.

He had stabbed him correctly. This was the first time in his life he had ever been so tense. He wouldn't have been this nervous even if it had been his own heart.

The prophecy was fulfilled. The unbelievable prophecy that he would stab Geom Mugeuk had come true exactly as foretold. The change of venue from a stage was likely because of that assassin woman. When she changed her mind, the stage for choosing the world's number one beauty had disappeared.

Then, Hwa Domyeong's enraged voice was heard.

"You crazy bastard! Even so, you killed the Young Cult Leader?"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon slowly turned his head to look at Hwa Domyeong. The two eyes behind the mask smiled coldly as he spoke.

"Then you must know now."

Geom Mugeuk's blood dripped from the dagger in his hand.

"That there is no one I cannot kill."