Chapter 726: If You Want It, Want It More Desperately Than Anyone

TL: FoodieMonster007

"I knew you'd be here."

Hearing Geom Mugeuk's voice from behind, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon turned his head in surprise.

"How did you know I was here?"

This was the very peak of the Great Sky Peak. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stood at its summit, looking up at the stars. Seo Daeryong had once told him that his master would climb this mountain whenever he needed to clear his head.

"Is there anything I don't know about you, Elder?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke to Geom Mugeuk.

"You must have come up here because you were feeling frustrated, too."

Geom Mugeuk did not deny it and simply smiled.

"What about the celebratory banquet?"

"It ended well."

His father and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had not attended from the start, and most of the Demon Supremes had also left after staying for only a short while. They knew that their absence would allow Seo Daeryong to relax and enjoy himself with his peers.

He had quietly slipped away after watching Seo Daeryong and Dan Ah having a good time amidst the noisy celebration. Perhaps they would even get to see the drunken Sanzu Hall Director reciting poetry.

"The wedding speech was truly wonderful."

"I didn't think I'd forget it so many times."

"It's because I'm old."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon laughed as he gazed up at the stars.

"You've married off your right-hand man. What will you do now?"

Until now, he had only spoken of distancing himself from the complete mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. But his answer was different now.

"Now, I will run toward the complete mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art."

When he felt that the complete mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art was just around the corner and was about to enter seclusion training, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had stopped him.

If you want something too desperately, it moves further away.

He had a great realization then. The process of reaching his current state had been the result of his interactions with people, yet he had been led by the desire to achieve complete mastery, abandoning that entire process.

However, the complete mastery he spoke of now was different from back then. It was a declaration made after seeing Daeryong married off.

A changed aspiration filled Geom Mugeuk's eyes. This time, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon did not stop him.

"If you've decided to want it, then want it more desperately than anyone else."

That morning, Geom Mugeuk packed his belongings.

He gathered a change of clothes, seasonings for cooking, a leather hide to lay on the ground, and dried foods that would last a long time. He also packed a few other items just in case.

With a full load prepared, he climbed the Great Sky Peak again.

He searched for a suitable place among the many spots on the Great Sky Peak. He eventually found a location with a wide, open area that no one visited due to the rough terrain. The cliff rising behind it even had a cave, and a stream flowed nearby.

A cliff at the back and a wide-open space in the front. It was the perfect place for training.

Geom Mugeuk unpacked his things in the cave.

He decided not to use the Heavenly Space Secret Art for this training session. Since complete mastery felt within his grasp, he resolved to train while feeling the energy of the Great Sky Peak with his body.

His father had told him long ago that if his heart felt heavy or he hit a wall during training, he should climb this mountain. The energy of the Great Sky Peak would help him.

He began his training the next morning.

First, he sat cross-legged and meditated, feeling the essence of the Great Sky Peak. After a hearty meal, he began to seriously train in the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.

He performed the first through fifth techniques in the open space. He only unleashed the sixth technique, the Heavenly Demon Destroys the World, after opening the Spacetime Manipulation Technique.

If he were to unleash the Heavenly Demon Destroys the World here after absorbing the energy of the blood threads, his surroundings would be completely annihilated.

After unleashing the technique and completely exhausting all his inner qi, he emerged from the Spacetime Manipulation Technique. Having completely depleted his inner qi, Geom Mugeuk sat down and began to replenish it.

"One time!"

He planned to repeat this process continuously. It was by no means an easy task, as he performed the techniques with all his heart and soul.

His goal was five times a day.

How many times would he have to stay here?

A hundred? A thousand? Or perhaps ten thousand?

Eat, train, walk, sleep. This routine repeated every day.

The complete mastery that seemed just within reach was not so close after all.

Was it something that seemed to be right in front of him but was actually far away? Had he mistaken it for being close because it was so immense?

Fortunately, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's teachings demonstrated their power when he began his training in earnest. He had passed on two teachings.

Don't be too desperate.

And yet, be more desperate than anyone.

Geom Mugeuk put both of these contradictory pieces of advice into practice.

On days when he grew impatient and wondered if this training method was wrong, he recalled the first piece of advice.

When the thought "Should I just go down and find another way?" tempted him, he recalled the second piece of advice.

People thought his strength was in forming good relationships, but his real strength was accomplishing things alone. He was the kind of person who would dedicate his entire life to a single goal.

And today, on the two hundred and twenty-fifth time he performed the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, he had an unexpected visitor.

The person who climbed up to the spot as if on a stroll, with his hands clasped behind his back, was Geom Woojin.

"Father!"

Geom Woojin wore a pathetic expression.

"You look like a beggar."

Come to think of it, he hadn't even shaved recently. Focusing only on his training had left his appearance a mess.

"Are you going to meet it looking like that?"

"Meet who?"

From his father's gaze, which stared at him without a word, Geom Mugeuk knew who he was talking about.

He meant, was he going to meet the Heavenly Demon Soul in such a state when it manifested?

He couldn't possibly do that. Not for something he had longed for so much.

"Please, sit here, Father."

Geom Mugeuk quickly unfurled the tiger skin he had rolled up in his leather pouch. The one already spread on the ground was just ordinary leather.

"Did you know I would come?"

"I brought it just in case."

He wouldn't have packed it if he were anywhere else. But this was the place his father had recommended. He had a feeling his father might visit at least once.

Geom Woojin sat on the tiger skin.

"Have you eaten?"

"I have not."

It had taken a very long time to hear those words. His father had come all this way just to have a meal with his son.

"Please wait a moment. I'll go catch a wild boar right away."

As Geom Mugeuk was about to go hunting, Geom Woojin stopped him.

"Let's eat what you were eating."

"It's all cold."

"It's fine."

Geom Mugeuk brought out the leftover meat and food. He generated Yang energy to heat the food and served it to his father. His pouch, of course, contained clean utensils he had prepared in case his father came.

The two ate in silence. They only ate without a word, but it was no longer awkward in the slightest.

After they finished their meal, Geom Mugeuk brewed tea. His pouch also contained the tea his father enjoyed.

"I didn't bring any alcohol because I thought I might want to go down the mountain if I drank."

"The tea tastes good, so it's fine."

The two sat facing each other, drinking tea.

Geom Mugeuk conveyed his honest feelings.

"I feel like I'm almost there, like I'll achieve it as soon as I finish this training session. Is complete mastery always like a mirage in the desert?"

Geom Woojin took a sip of tea before answering.

"Normally, you wouldn't have even been able to enter that desert."

It meant that Geom Mugeuk's progress was exceptionally fast.

Becoming stronger by achieving complete mastery was important, but his greater desire was to see his own Heavenly Demon Soul.

What did it look like? Did the Heavenly Demon Soul truly have a soul? How would it communicate with him?

He had so many questions, but he didn't ask his father. He wanted to feel everything for himself.

However, there was one thing he had to ask.

"After I achieve complete mastery, how do I summon the Heavenly Demon Soul?"

"You will be able to summon it with your will."

"How much inner qi does it require?"

"No inner qi is needed for the Heavenly Demon Soul to descend. However, your inner qi is needed for the Heavenly Demon Soul to use martial arts."

Ultimately, it meant that the Heavenly Demon Soul was deeply connected to the person who performed the martial arts.

The descent of the Heavenly Demon Soul. His heart trembled just hearing those words.

After finishing the rest of his tea, Geom Woojin rose from his seat.

"When you come down from the mountain, let's play a game of Go."

His father didn't say a single word like "do well" or "do this." He truly just ate and left.

However, this visit brought about a change.

The day after his father's visit, he took a walk as usual after finishing his training.

The training was done with all his might, so the mental exertion was immense, and he was completely drained when it was over. However, he never skipped his walk.

He contemplated as he walked. He thought about things before his regression, the enemies he had killed, martial arts incantations, and new training methods.

Just then, a giant fallen tree, toppled by a collapsed section of the valley, caught Geom Mugeuk's eye.

"What a waste."

A giant tree that must have been a thousand years old lay broken.

Geom Mugeuk, who was about to pass by, went back to the tree.

SAAAK! SAAK!

Geom Mugeuk cut the tree with the Black Demon Sword. He then carried the wood, cut into a fairly large box-like size, back to his shelter.

Geom Mugeuk began to make something with it.

SAAAK, SAAK.

As the sword carved it away, the object that gradually took shape was a thick Go board with legs.

The reason Geom Mugeuk hadn't just passed by the giant tree was because this broken tree was a Torreya tree, the highest quality material for a Go board. Moreover, it was a thousand-year-old Torreya tree.

When you come down, let's play a game of Go.

He wanted to make a Go board himself and give it to his father as a gift. For his father, who loved Go, there could be no better gift.

Geom Mugeuk crafted the Go board with great care. His training continued, and in his spare time, he poured his efforts into making the Go board.

Ten days later, the Go board was finally complete. A magnificent Go board was created, so fine that one would believe it was bought from a master craftsman.

Now, only one process remained, the most important task.

After looking down at the Go board for a moment to compose himself, Geom Mugeuk began to draw lines on it with the Black Demon Sword.

SAK! SAK! SAK!

The lines were drawn with an indifferent air. Nineteen horizontal lines were drawn, and soon after, vertical lines were drawn again.

Even though a single mistake would ruin the entire thing, Geom Mugeuk did not lose his concentration. The space between the lines was drawn with perfect precision, without a hair's breadth of error.

Geom Mugeuk was satisfied. It had turned out even better than he had thought.

Once he had made the board, he felt the desire to make the Go stones himself as well.

He cut more of the Torreya tree and made Go bowls. Making the bowls was actually more difficult than the board. It was a task that required more specialized skill than it looked, and only after several failures was a satisfactory set of Go bowls created.

And finally, he made the Go stones.

While on his walks, he had found a white rock that shone like crystal. A few days later, he found black stones that emitted a jet-black light.

Geom Mugeuk began to make the Go stones by emitting sword qi from the Black Demon Sword.

Even though it was more inconvenient and difficult, he made them with the Black Demon Sword instead of a dagger. He carved the Go stones by controlling the fine sword qi. In the end, he smoothed the stones with enhanced qi.

He had never imagined he would be making Go stones using martial arts.

It took a long time to make the first Go stone, but that time gradually decreased. This was almost the first time he had ever tried such fine control with sword qi.

SAAAK! SAAK!

The more he made, the more accustomed he became to the fine control of his sword qi and enhanced qi.

Train and make Go stones, then train and make Go stones again. One, then two, sometimes three or four, he carefully made Go stones every day.

No matter how tired he was, he never rested from his training or from making the stones. Every day repeated like this, and Geom Mugeuk overcame the boredom.

Finally, today, he had made a total of three hundred and twenty-one, the very last Go stone.

"It's finally finished!"

With a trembling hand, Geom Mugeuk placed the last stone he made into the Go bowl. Go stones of identical size sparkled inside the bowl.

He touched them with a heart full of emotion, then carefully placed them in a corner of the cave and covered them with the tiger skin. There was something he had to do now, more important than savoring this feeling.

Geom Mugeuk came out of the cave and drew his sword.

It was night, and his training for the day was already over, but he was about to perform the Nine Calamities Demonic Art again.

The moment he finished the last Go stone, the thought that he must perform the art came to him. He didn't know why he had that thought. He just felt that way.

The moment his solar eclipse, the Human Destroying Stance, was unleashed.

SEOGEOK! SEOGEOK! SEOGEOK! SEOGEOK!

Four demons that appeared from the four cardinal directions slashed a single space. Before they could even disappear, he unleashed the second stance, the Great Annihilation Stance.

Now, Geom Mugeuk unleashed these five techniques in a linked sequence.

SSSSSSSSSS!

Fearsome-looking demons split apart before his eyes. Their number was twenty-six!

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

They tore through space and charged forward.

Before he could even see the result, Geom Mugeuk's sword was already unleashing the next technique.

HWIING!

With the sound of a single gust of wind, a wall of enhanced qi formed in front of him. Before the transparent glow of the Impenetrable Demonic Wall could completely fade, the Darkness Flash was unleashed.

HUK.

It was as if a deep darkness had descended.

SHIIIIING.

A single streak of light cut across the darkness.

When the surroundings brightened again, sword qi was pouring down from the sky like lightning. It was the fifth stance, the Soul Slicing Demonic Strike.

SHUKSHUKSHUKSHUKSHUKSHUKSHUKSHUKSHUK!

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

Fragments of stone shot up. The traces of sword qi left on the ground were spaced evenly, and the depth of the holes was also identical.

He was unleashing the Nine Calamities Demonic Art with complete freedom.

Even though he had performed the first five stances consecutively, Geom Mugeuk felt no strain on his body. Of course, he could not unleash the sixth technique, the Heavenly Demon Destroys the World, here.

He couldn't destroy the Great Sky Peak.

Geom Mugeuk opened the Spacetime Manipulation Technique and unleashed the Heavenly Demon Destroys the World there.

FLASH!

The moment light erupted from the Black Demon Sword, it blanketed the world in white. The world within the Spacetime Manipulation Technique was annihilated.

It was the same technique he had repeated hundreds of times since climbing the Great Sky Peak. Normally, after completely annihilating the world within the technique, he would release it himself and come out.

But today's Heavenly Demon Destroys the World was different. After flying endlessly and annihilating everything, something changed.

KWAJIJIJIJIK!

Cracks appeared on all sides of the world within the Spacetime Manipulation Technique, and it began to break apart.

!

The world of the Spacetime Manipulation Technique that Geom Mugeuk was watching was cracking. He hadn't even released it.

The Spacetime Manipulation Technique is breaking apart!

The Heavenly Demon Destroys the World was shattering and breaking through the created space. Geom Mugeuk was bewildered, as this had never happened before.

KWAAAAAANG!

As the Spacetime Manipulation Technique shattered, Geom Mugeuk was flung out into the outside world.

PUUK.

With a tremendous impact, he crashed into the cliff. He was defenseless, without any inner qi.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG!

The remaining shockwave of the Heavenly Demon Destroys the World, even after breaking through the technique, shattered the surroundings.

KWAANG! KWAREUREUREUNG!

The cliff where the cave was located collapsed from the aftermath.

WAAREUREUREUREU!

Geom Mugeuk's eyes shot open. He rolled to dodge, but he couldn't avoid another massive boulder. It all happened in an instant.

No!

KUUUUNG!

Darkness came with a deafening roar.

Am I dead?

Judging by the fact that his whole body felt like it was about to explode from the impact of hitting the wall earlier, he wasn't dead. How on earth did he survive?

At that very moment, the darkness surrounding him began to move.

Then, it slowly began to open its eyes.