Chapter 823: The Only One Who Can Kill Me

TL: FoodieMonster007

Baek Jagang's killing intent dominated the space.

This was his ultimate killing intent. The energy was suffocating, like being trapped in a narrow box. Chills ran down the spines of those present, raising goosebumps. Movements slowed as skin grew cold, but the heart burned hot. Fear, intimidation, anger, and hatred—all negative emotions ran wild.

The energy alone should have crushed a person, but Hwa Mugi took a deep breath and savored it. "This is the first time I've felt such powerful killing intent. The person inside me is quite insidious, you see."

Ju Gasin, who resided within his body, had never revealed such energy.

Baek Jagang recalled his earlier conversation with Ju Gasin. The insidious man had tried to save him. Assuming Ju Gasin was listening, Baek Jagang spoke to Hwa Mugi, "Still, thank you for the offer."

The remark was unexpected, but everyone understood. It was clearly an extension of the earlier telepathic conversation, words meant for the Evil Alliance Chairman from three hundred years ago.

The Fist Demon silently watched Baek Jagang standing beside him. He found it unexpected that Baek Jagang had stepped forward like this. He had expected Baek Jagang to fight alone, just as Jin Paecheon had.

Since the Murim Alliance Chairman fought alone, I, the Evil Alliance Chairman, cannot perform a joint attack.

He had expected such posturing, but Baek Jagang chose practicality over pride, and that wasn't all.

The Fist Demon read a clear intention in Baek Jagang's eyes.

Let's end this fight, just the two of us!

The Fist Demon instantly clenched his fist. This was exactly what he had hoped for. He wanted nothing more than to prevent this dangerous fight from reaching the Cult Leader.

He began to earnestly emit his demonic qi, which felt different than usual. It didn't spread out and erupt. Instead, it felt like a great mountain pressing down, something huge and unbreakable that began to crush Hwa Mugi.

Baek Jagang's killing intent and the Fist Demon's demonic qi pressured Hwa Mugi simultaneously. The combined energy was so powerful it made it difficult to even stand, yet Hwa Mugi was unfazed.

"These energies aren't unfamiliar to me," Hwa Mugi spoke as if he were a hero confronting true villains. "Right! If it's you two, you're villains worth catching!"

He turned his gaze to the Fist Demon and sheathed his black sword. "I wanted to fight you more than anyone else… with these fists."

He clenched both fists, showing them to the Fist Demon. It was the ultimate provocation, a clear challenge to a fistfight.

"How about it? With me in fist arts…"

Before Hwa Mugi could finish, Baek Jagang shot through the air.

SWISH!

Baek Jagang's sword flew instantly toward Hwa Mugi's chest.

The attack was completely unexpected. Who would have imagined Baek Jagang would charge while Hwa Mugi was challenging the Fist Demon to a fistfight?

SWISH!

Baek Jagang's sword grazed Hwa Mugi's body. As Hwa Mugi twisted away, the blade changed its angle.

CLASH!

Again, the sword grazed his face.

Unable to dodge normally, Hwa Mugi used the Bright World Heavenly King Steps, the technique Ju Gasin had displayed earlier.

Baek Jagang continued his relentless assault, giving Hwa Mugi no chance to draw his sword. His attacks were different from those of Jin Paecheon or the Sword King. Baek Jagang didn't just aim for vital points.

The sword that had shot up toward Hwa Mugi's chin now slashed diagonally. He aimed for the shoulder, then the thigh. Arms, waist, it didn't matter where he struck, as long as he could cut his opponent. This made his attacks all the more threatening.

WHISH!

Finally, Hwa Mugi used the Bright World Heavenly King Steps to retreat a great distance. It was the first time he had fallen back since the fight began.

"You're ignoring the Fist Demon…"

Hwa Mugi couldn't finish his sentence. A blast of fist wind shot from the Fist Demon's hand.

WHOOOOSH!

While Hwa Mugi and Baek Jagang fought, the Fist Demon had gathered his inner qi to its absolute limit. This was no mere fist wind. It contained enough power to pulverize rock.

BOOOOM!

Hwa Mugi was swept away by the fist wind, crashing through the inn wall. He tried to endure with his defensive qi, but Baek Jagang and the Fist Demon were right behind the blast, flying in simultaneously.

Hwa Mugi landed outside the Alluring Inn, with Baek Jagang and the Fist Demon rushing right after him. The two cornered him, giving him no chance to breathe. Sword qi and fist wind flew toward him at the same time.

Hwa Mugi soared into the air.

BOOOOM!

The building across from the Alluring Inn was completely obliterated by the combined sword qi and fist wind. The fight's stage had now moved from the Alluring Inn to the Demon Village itself.

Hwa Mugi landed on the roof of a nearby building. "Fist Demon, I want a cool fight with you. Are you going to act uncool like that unorthodox sect bastard? Why? Do you lack confidence?"

His provocation went beyond confidence, reaching the peak of arrogance, as if he was determined to duel the Fist Demon one on one.

To Baek Jagang, however, it looked different.

[The bastard is trying to avoid a joint attack,] he told the Fist Demon.

If the Fist Demon engaged Hwa Mugi in a fistfight, they would become entangled, making it difficult for him to join the attack.

The Fist Demon immediately understood Baek Jagang's meaning. [Let's not fight according to the bastard's will.]

Jin Paecheon, who was watching, also read Hwa Mugi's intention and interpreted it this way. [It seems the bastard has started to control his inner qi,] he told Geom Woojin.

Geom Woojin nodded, agreeing with Jin Paecheon. The Celestial Killer Star had previously shown his strength by enduring attacks with his defensive qi, but now he had started to dodge.

Right. Even if he's the Celestial Killer Star, as long as he's human, he can't possess infinite inner qi.

Also, Hwa Mugi didn't possess enough power to crush everyone at the same time. He had inflicted external injuries on Jin Paecheon and internal injuries on the Sword King, but Jin Paecheon had the Gentleman Sword, and the Sword King had the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.

The power Hwa Mugi had shown so far was only slightly greater than two opponents attacking together. This meant a proper joint attack could lead to a close fight. On the other hand, the fight became much more dangerous. If he ran out of spare inner qi, the Celestial Killer Star might resort to a one-hit-kill technique.

Just like before, the fight could end before they could intervene. Ultimately, Baek Jagang and the Fist Demon had to help each other.

Just how far will they help each other?

Because he couldn't know the answer, Geom Woojin watched this fight more intently than any before.

The Fist Demon looked up at Hwa Mugi on the roof. "You want to challenge me in fist arts?" He wriggled his finger at the enemy. "Come down. A fist fight must be fought with feet planted on the ground."

The moment Hwa Mugi leaped lightly from the roof to land before the Fist Demon, Baek Jagang's sword, which had been waiting, sliced through the air. The first form of the Tyrannical King Annihilation Sword Technique, White Heaven Stance, raged toward Hwa Mugi as a flood of white enhanced qi.

However, Hwa Mugi's black sword cut through the air as if he had been waiting for it, unleashing the second form of the Shining Sun Sword Arts, Solar Birth.

BOOOOM!

The two supreme martial arts collided, and the surroundings shook with an explosion like an earthquake. Hwa Mugi had clearly expected the ambush.

SWISH!

Hwa Mugi rushed through the rising dust.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The moment their swords clashed, Baek Jagang felt the same thing the others had.

He's strong.

Hwa Mugi's black sword pulsed with an inner qi so powerful it felt like it would snap his wrist.

It's about time his power decreased.

Yet Hwa Mugi was still powerful. After a dozen rapid exchanges, Hwa Mugi's final strike was fully imbued with inner qi. He tried to shatter Baek Jagang's sword with that single blow, but the blade held.

BOOM!

Baek Jagang was pushed back. The attack was so powerful that he had to disperse its force as he retreated.

Right, keep wasting your inner qi like that!

Meanwhile, Hwa Mugi attacked the Fist Demon, stabbing at his vital points.

SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH!

With his large build, the Fist Demon didn't look like he could easily dodge the attack. Surprisingly, however, the Fist Demon's large frame dodged every successive attack. His movement arts were flashy.

"In fist arts, footwork is more important than the fist."

This was what the Fist Demon always emphasized to his subordinates. In other words, dodging was more important than hitting. Since a fist-fighter had to face armed opponents, movement and close-combat arts for dodging and deflecting were paramount.

How on earth does he dodge with that large build?

The Fist Demon answered with his actions.

Furthermore, Hwa Mugi couldn't focus solely on the Fist Demon. Before he knew it, Baek Jagang was attacking from his left.

SWISH!

Hwa Mugi dodged Baek Jagang's sword and thrust his own. For an instant, the two crossed swords aimed for each other's hearts.

THUD!

The moment the two swords missed, the Fist Demon's fist struck his side hard.

However, the moment his fist connected, the Fist Demon felt a defensive qi unlike any he had ever felt, different from when he had first struck Hwa Mugi's face. That blow had a solid impact, but this was different.

Despite the loud sound, hitting the body felt like punching water. The qi in his fist seemed to scatter into it.

So this is the kind of defensive qi he's using to block everything!

Hwa Mugi thrust his sword toward the Fist Demon.

SWISH! CLANG!

Baek Jagang intercepted the attack, blocking the sword meant for the Fist Demon. At that exact moment, the Fist Demon launched an unexpected attack from an impossibly close distance, activating his unique martial art, the Thunder Arhat Fist, First Fist, Black Cloud Asura.

BOOOOM!

An explosion sent Hwa Mugi staggering back. He had been hit squarely by the Thunder Arhat Fist, but he did not fall.

The two men did not miss the opportunity.

This time, Baek Jagang unleashed his own unique martial art, the fifth form of the Tyrannical King Annihilation Sword Technique, the Rotating Destruction Stance.

Sword qi erupted in all directions, centering on Hwa Mugi. There was nowhere to dodge.

SHUK SHUK SHUK SHUK SHUK!

Sword qi struck Hwa Mugi's body from all directions. The earth shook and an explosion burst out.

Still, within the rising dust, Hwa Mugi stood tall, refusing to fall.

SWOOOOOSH!

The Fist Demon's fist flew in again.

THWACK!

For the first time, Hwa Mugi was thrown backward, rolling across the ground. The Third Fist, the Heavenly Lightning Asura—the heaviest of the Fist Demon's techniques—had struck true.

RUMBLE!

The sound of thunder shook the heavens and the earth. As soon as Hwa Mugi leaped to his feet, enhanced qi from Baek Jagang's sword struck him repeatedly.

BOOM! BOOM! BAM!

The Fist Demon did the same, pouring out his own enhanced fist qi, determined not to miss this chance. Hwa Mugi couldn't dodge the attacks and was hit by every one.

It was a chance to kill him.

The Fist Demon prepared to unleash his final move, the Sixth Fist, Hell Lightning Asura. It was a final technique that could only be used once, as it expended all of his inner qi in a single blow.

Baek Jagang did the same, gathering his inner qi to unleash the strongest move of the Tyrannical King Annihilation Sword Technique, intending to cut Hwa Mugi down for good.

"Wait!" someone roared, stopping them.

It was Geom Woojin, who had been watching silently until now.

At his command, the attacks ceased. The dust settled, revealing Hwa Mugi's figure. He was still standing.

A raw killing intent poured from Hwa Mugi's body. If his previous killing intent had escalated gradually, this new aura tore violently from within him. It was an uncontrollable, ungovernable killing intent.

Finally, the Celestial Killer Star was beginning to collapse.

The Fist Demon couldn't understand. It was a golden opportunity. Why did the Cult Leader stop us?

Geom Woojin's gaze fell upon Hwa Mugi. A crimson light flowed from Hwa Mugi's eyes. It was the first time anyone had seen killing intent with such a red hue.

Geom Woojin looked at him and said calmly, "Stop the acting now."

At the word 'acting', the Fist Demon, Baek Jagang, and everyone else stared in surprise, their gazes shifting between Geom Woojin and Hwa Mugi.

Geom Woojin explained to Baek Jagang, "That man's defensive qi doesn't seem to be ordinary."

He had been watching Hwa Mugi's every move. Earlier, Hwa Mugi had blocked attacks he could have easily dodged, relying instead on his defensive qi. At first, he thought it was a simple display of power.

However, seeing Hwa Mugi willingly take the Fist Demon and Baek Jagang's terrifying attacks just now, he felt something was wrong. Hwa Mugi clearly could have dodged. The attacks were powerful, but considering the movement arts he had displayed, there was no reason for him to take them head-on.

Wasn't he the one who tried to fight the Fist Demon with his fists to conserve inner qi? So why is he taking attacks like this now? The consumption of inner qi must be extreme. Is he putting himself at a disadvantage on purpose? If not, then…

Geom Woojin revealed his conclusion, "It seems that man's defensive qi absorbs attacks and converts them into inner qi."

"!" The statement was so shocking that everyone stared at Hwa Mugi with wide eyes.

Geom Woojin turned to Hwa Mugi. "Isn't that so?"

SSSSSHH…

The insanely powerful killing intent began to subside. It had seemed uncontrollable, yet it vanished in an instant. Surprisingly, Hwa Mugi could control it after all.

At the same time, a calm expression replaced the anger on Hwa Mugi's face. "As expected! You noticed. This is the Heaven Defying Demonic Absorption Art, a martial art I created."

More precisely, it was a martial art he created with the help of the souls inside his body, but anyway, Geom Woojin was right. He hadn't taken the attacks just to show off his defensive qi.

He added, "You must have thought you were draining my inner qi, but I was draining yours."

"!"

On their side, two people were injured, and everyone had exhausted a great deal of inner qi.

"I've refilled all my inner qi again."

If Geom Woojin hadn't noticed, Baek Jagang and the Fist Demon would have completely exhausted their inner qi.

Hwa Mugi took hits from the beginning to make them believe he was blindly trusting his defensive qi. That way, they wouldn't suspect anything.

He was never truly arrogant. He had been fighting a calculated, perfect battle while merely pretending to be.

The only time he was truly arrogant was right now.

"The only one who can kill me is myself."