Chapter 714: I Couldn't See Well in the Dark

TL: FoodieMonster007

Not a sound could be heard. No matter how loudly they fought outside, Geom Mugeuk heard nothing. He was completely lost in a world of his own.

As he melted the energy of the Flying Blood Snake into his inner qi, his mind was filled only with thoughts of martial arts.

Usually, a state of selflessness was a miraculous encounter that came during training or enlightenment. But he had fallen into that state now while absorbing the snake's energy. Perhaps it was because the process was so dramatic and the energy itself was so immense.

An amount of inner qi far greater than any miracle herb he had ever consumed began to accumulate in his qi center. No matter how much he melted, there seemed to be no end to it. For a martial artist, could there be any greater joy?

Geom Mugeuk tried not to let a single handful of this gift from fate slip away. It was a miraculous encounter made possible only because the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had stabbed him in the heart.

But inner qi was not the only thing he gained.

First, he had learned of many new blood vessels while dealing with the Flying Blood Snake. He could now move his qi in ways he had never considered, allowing him to execute his techniques more efficiently.

A slightly faster and slightly stronger technique.

At Geom Mugeuk's level, this 'slightly more' was enough to decide victory or defeat several times over.

And there was one more thing. The process of protecting his heart and enduring until the very end was a truly great experience for him. It was helpful precisely because it was the worst. How bad must it have been for him, a man more accustomed to pain than anyone, to fall prey to his inner demons?

By experiencing his own limits, Geom Mugeuk had matured and grown stronger. He could feel it instinctively. He had taken a large step closer to the complete mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, which had once seemed so vague.

He began to think that seeing the Heavenly Demon Soul within his inner demons might not have been a coincidence.

Ah, so this is how you felt. This is why Father went into seclusion training.

He had a premonition that he could achieve complete mastery if he just reached out his hand. One final training session was all that was needed.

WUUUUNG.

And so, completely immersed in his own world, Geom Mugeuk absorbed the remaining energy of the Flying Blood Snake, leaving none of it behind.

CHWAAAAAK.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon flicked the blood from his dagger. The eyes of the Faceless Warriors, who had watched him dispatch the bamboo hat martial artists, filled with respect.

In contrast, Hwa Domyeong's expression hardened coldly.

It had been a joint attack by two people who had learned the Dark Black Divine Art. He'd never imagined they would lose. Even if they did, he thought they would at least inflict a fatal wound on the Smiling Demon or deplete his inner qi.

However, not a single drop of blood had splattered on the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's pure white mask. Now, that smiling mask was the smile of a reaper.

Faced with the chill of death, Hwa Domyeong's mind grew calm. He supposed that to confront death, he had to be just as frightening.

He waved his fan gently.

"I'm not someone you can mess with carelessly."

A flicker of amusement crossed the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's eyes.

"Then is our Young Cult Leader someone you can mess with carelessly?"

Hwa Domyeong could not refute his words.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon slowly walked toward him.

"If you touch me, my main family will surely kill you."

But no threat could make that white, smiling death retreat.

"Then I must kill you. Before the Young Cult Leader wakes up."

It was the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's will to prevent Geom Mugeuk from becoming a target of revenge.

Hwa Domyeong could feel it. The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon was determined to kill him. There was no choice left.

Hwa Domyeong took a small bottle from his robes. After uncorking it, he lifted the bottle and poured the contents over his face.

SHWAAAA.

The liquid trickled down, washing away his white makeup. This very makeup was the seal that controlled him.

When he was injured earlier, he had resolved to handle this matter even if it meant breaking the seal. He just never thought he would actually have to do it.

He had no choice. The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's martial prowess was beyond imagination.

As the makeup washed away, his true face was revealed. Countless faint lines were drawn on it. There were not only the lines and circles from the Dark Black Divine Art, but many other lines as well.

It looked as if his face had been pieced together from fragments. Lines were drawn vertically, diagonally, and in various patterns. There were recognizable patterns like whirlwinds and others that were completely indecipherable.

The faintness of the lines made them even stranger, looking like a mix of wrinkles and scars. It was a brand created by greed. Hwa Domyeong had acquired these side effects from being too greedy while learning the Dark Black Divine Art. He wore heavy makeup to hide them.

SAAAAK.

Now, those faint lines began to darken. The line crossing his cheek darkened, the circle overlapping it darkened, and the diagonal line next to it darkened too.

A bamboo hat man watching this sent a voice transmission.

[You shouldn't overlap them like that.]

Hwa Domyeong sent a low voice transmission in reply.

[And if I don't? You want me to just die at the hands of that Extremely Evil Smiling Demon?]

In that time, all the lines on his face had darkened.

CHWAAAK.

When he opened his fan, it had changed as well. The Black Fan. Its color had turned jet black, and where a beautiful woman had been painted, a terrifying evil spirit was now drawn.

The change was not just external. Hwa Domyeong's aura had completely transformed, and the power of darkness flickered in his intensely glowing eyes.

"Now, hand over my Young Cult Leader!"

CHWAAAK!

The moment he snapped open the fan, a wave of enhanced qi swept through the spot where the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had been standing.

PAPAPAPAK!

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon threw himself aside to dodge, but Hwa Domyeong appeared before him as suddenly as a ghost.

If the Dark Black Ghostly Steps the bamboo hat woman had used was the second stage, his was now the third.

SHWAAEK.

PWEOK!

Struck by the fan, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon slid backward.

Hwa Domyeong followed like a shadow. With the folded Black Fan, he rapidly stabbed at the Smiling Demon's vital points. The fan was as sharp and powerful as a treasured sword.

SHWAEK! SHWAAEK!

The faster Hwa Domyeong thrust his fan, the redder the three lines for the Dark Black Ghostly Steps became.

The lines turning red was a danger signal, indicating he was using more power than he could handle.

But Hwa Domyeong increased his attack speed even more. The third stage of the Dark Black Ghostly Steps was surpassing the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's speed.

PWEOK!

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon allowed another attack to land. If not for his protective enhanced qi, the force would have been enough to break his shoulder blade.

The moment the Smiling Demon staggered back, Hwa Domyeong saw his chance and rushed forward.

SHYUK!

A surprise finger qi bullet flew toward Hwa Domyeong's face.

PWEOK!

Hwa Domyeong twisted the fan he was thrusting and barely managed to block it. If he had been any slower, his forehead would have been pierced.

Hwa Domyeong's furious counterattack flew out.

HWUUUUUUUNG

A wind swirled violently. It was no ordinary wind but a turbulent darkness vortex, a wind mixed with invisible enhanced qi.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon summoned his protective enhanced qi and threw himself aside.

SRRRK.

The trees behind him were not shattered but silently sliced down. The wind was a soundless assassin.

SRRRK, SRRRK!

The wind continuously blew where the Smiling Demon dodged, slicing away trees and rocks. This time, the symbol for the turbulent darkness vortex turned red.

The more he pushed himself, the greater the shock to his body, but Hwa Domyeong did not stop. If his opponent hadn't been the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, he would never have pushed himself this hard.

WHOOOOSH!

Hwa Domyeong spun rapidly on the spot. The lines of the Dark Black Ghostly Steps grew redder, and the vortex pattern on his face began to darken.

WHOOSH! WHOOOOOSH!

From the main vortex, a dozen smaller vortexes branched out like limbs. They were not just any vortexes, but vortexes of powerful enhanced qi that could shred flesh and bone with a mere touch.

This was the manifestation of the Dark Black Boomerang, one of the techniques of the Dark Black Divine Art.

The vortexes pursued the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon as if they were living creatures.

The Smiling Demon swiftly fled from them, firing the Blood Calamity Finger at the main vortex.

SHWIK!

Unable to pierce the rotational force, the Blood Calamity Finger was deflected. The Extremely Savage Demonic Palm he fired next was also deflected. Since it was repelled in a random direction, he couldn't attack recklessly.

WHOOOOSH!

The vortex was gradually growing larger. At this rate, it would cause damage all the way to where Geom Mugeuk was sitting. This was exactly what Hwa Domyeong was aiming for. A panicked Extremely Evil Smiling Demon would surely reveal an opening.

Just as the small vortexes pressed in on the Smiling Demon from all sides, his figure shot upward. The small vortexes all stretched out toward Geom Mugeuk at once.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's target was the central vortex. Specifically, the very top. Just as he expected, there was no vortex there.

He looked down toward Hwa Domyeong, who stared up at him with a shocked face from the center of the vortex below.

KRAKRAKRAKRA-BOOM!

He unleashed the Extremely Savage Demonic Palm into its core.

KABOOOM!

With a tremendous explosion, the vortex erupted. When the dust settled, Hwa Domyeong's figure was visible.

GUSH.

His face, spewing blood, was covered in red lines. He had overexerted himself again by using the Dark Black Boomerang, and his face contorted in pain.

He was pushing himself too far. But he had no choice. Even when he pushed himself to the brink of death, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon remained unscathed and kept coming at him.

Hwa Domyeong gathered his last ounce of strength.

SHWISHWISHWISHWISHWI!

His fan and dagger flew swiftly, aiming to pierce his opponent. More red lines appeared on his face as he moved like a flash of lightning, the fan opening and closing, thrusting and parrying.

Although his speed was clearly superior and his power was not lacking, he couldn't catch the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

He didn't realize there was something he couldn't match. It was the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's combat experience.

While Hwa Domyeong had been ruining his body immersing himself in the Dark Black Divine Art, the Smiling Demon had been fighting life-or-death battles alongside Geom Mugeuk. He had already read all of Hwa Domyeong's attack patterns and habits.

PWAK!

Hwa Domyeong's arm was slashed by the Smiling Demon's dagger, spraying blood.

At that moment, Hwa Domyeong saw it. The white mask pierced through the airborne blood, trying to plunge a dagger into his heart. The eyes behind the mask were smiling.

Just when he thought it was the end!

WHOOSH!

A suddenly appearing curtain of darkness swallowed the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

The one who had unfurled the curtain was the last man in a bamboo hat. A thick black line was painted on his forehead with a red circle drawn over it. The Dark Black Domain. His trump card had been played.

"I can't hold him for long."

He too vanished, as if seeping into the darkness.

Hwa Domyeong couldn't hold on for long either. His face was now completely filled with red lines.

He walked toward Geom Mugeuk. His plan was to kill the Faceless Warriors, suppress Geom Mugeuk's inner qi, and then escape. It was his last chance for a comeback.

The Faceless Warriors exchanged glances. They knew full well the power Hwa Domyeong had displayed. Five of them split to the left and right and rushed toward him.

The remaining five lined up in front of Geom Mugeuk. They injected their inner qi from back to front, channeling it all into the person at the very front.

Hwa Domyeong fanned his fan fiercely.

"You annoying pests! Get lost!"

The enhanced qi from the fan flew toward the Faceless Warriors with tremendous force.

SWOOOOOSH!

The Faceless Warrior at the front thrust out a palm strike.

KABOOOM!

It was an earth-shaking attack, but with the combined inner qi of five men, they managed to block his assault.

URK.

As the first warrior suffered internal injuries and coughed up blood, the one behind him took his place, sending the injured man to the back.

Meanwhile, the five who had rushed forward earlier, Crescent Moon, Spider, Cloud, Wolf, and Flame, attacked him from all sides.

If he hadn't overexerted himself against the Smiling Demon, he would have easily won. But his body was not in a normal state, and his mind was frantic.

THWACK!

Struck by an attack, Flame tumbled to the ground. Crescent Moon was sent flying in the next attack, rolling away with Flame in his arms.

Hwa Domyeong tried to kill at least one of them for certain, but the other Faceless Warriors did not stand idly by.

SHWIK! SHWIK! SHWIK! SHWIK! SHWIK! SHWIK! SHWIK!

The Faceless Warriors fired finger qi bullets all at once. Unable to block the barrage, the bullets embedded themselves in his protective enhanced qi.

As the fight didn't go his way, Hwa Domyeong grew more agitated. His face turned red as if it would burst. He had almost reached his limit.

Hwa Domyeong unleashed his final move. He simply pushed forward, taking the attacks of the Faceless Warriors. He pushed on, unleashing the Dark Iron Body Art to its absolute limit. Three red circles glowed a blood-like crimson.

KLANG! KLAANG! KAAAANG! KLANG!

Neither the finger qi bullets nor the throwing knives could pierce him. He pushed forward, knocking aside the Faceless Warriors who blocked his path with his body.

I did it!

The moment Hwa Domyeong launched himself forward to snatch Geom Mugeuk.

SHUNK!

With the sound of tearing flesh, a silence fell. Gushing blood from his mouth, Hwa Domyeong looked down at his own chest. A dagger was embedded there.

A black circle hung in the air, and only an arm had emerged from it to stab him.

SSSSSSSSSS.

The black circle grew larger, and a person emerged. It was the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. In his other hand was the head of the man in the bamboo hat.

The Smiling Demon had broken through the Dark Black Domain. As he emerged, the surrounding darkness vanished.

Hwa Domyeong, his face covered in red lines, spoke with difficulty. He still wanted to live. If he survived, he believed he could one day have his revenge.

"If you let me live…"

Before the condition could leave his lips, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon cut him off.

"I couldn't see well in the dark."

After uttering those incomprehensible words, the Smiling Demon swiftly pulled out the dagger and plunged it properly into Hwa Domyeong's heart.

SHUNK!

Hwa Domyeong died instantly and collapsed.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon tossed the head he was holding next to Hwa Domyeong's fallen corpse. This was the moment all enemies in this place met their end.

He looked back at his subordinates. He said nothing, but his gaze spoke for him.

You have all worked hard.

Then, he sat down in front of Geom Mugeuk. He had been there when Geom Mugeuk closed his eyes, so he intended to be there when he opened them. He knew better than anyone how hard Geom Mugeuk had worked to get this far.

"Don't worry about a thing and rest well."

The Faceless Warriors dispersed into the surroundings.

Some of the Faceless Warriors treated their own wounds, while others tended to their comrades' injuries. One Faceless Warrior leaned against a tree and fell asleep, while another stood on a branch of that same tree, gazing into the distant forest. Another squatted on the ground, looking up at the moon.

There, amidst the piles of corpses and rivers of blood, they all rested quietly, waiting for Geom Mugeuk to awaken.