C893
"Isn't that old man the worm I tore the arm off?"
Wrath frowned, seemingly recognizing the Demonblade.
"That's right."
Raon gritted his teeth as he looked at the Demonblade.
"It's him."
An old man with white hair and eyes thin as threads. It was undoubtedly Dreg, a member of the Five Divine Orders and the leader of the Dark Black Lotus.
"Demonblade. Why are you here?"
He had thought there might be some monstrous being inside the magically created rock, but he hadn’t expected it to be the Demonblade.
"I don't understand what you’re thinking."
He couldn’t comprehend why the master of the Dark Black Lotus, a force just below the Five Kings and the Five Demons, and a complete Transcendent, was spreading such terrible death energy here.
"I wanted to return."
The Demonblade spread his arms with a slight smile.
"Return? What do you mean?"
Raon squinted, not understanding the Demonblade's words.
"After the Blue Demon King ripped my arm off, I walked the path of ruin."
The Demonblade twisted his lips as he looked at the shoulder where his prosthetic arm was attached.
“The wound inflicted by the Demon King never healed, tormenting me constantly. Over time, my strength did not recover; instead, it only diminished.”
He held his wrinkled forehead, saying that each day was filled with unbearable pain.
“Having lost my arm on top of that, I had to live in a state of Transcendence that wasn’t truly Transcendence. But the greatest pain wasn’t that.”
The Demonblade looked at Raon with a chilling smile.
“The trash of the Five Divine Orders began to look down on me because I had weakened. No! It wasn’t just them. The entire world treated me like a bird with broken wings!”
He gritted his teeth as he caressed his prosthetic arm, which was stained purple.
“Raon Zieghart. Do you know?”
The Demonblade slowly lifted his gaze as if time had stopped.
“The pain of someone who has lost their power? Do you know the agony of a fallen one who once soared in the heavens but crashed to the earth?”
He chuckled and shook his head slightly.
“You wouldn’t know. Someone like you, who only knows how to rise higher without understanding the height of the sky, could never understand.”
The Demonblade lowered his hand, saying it was natural that Raon wouldn’t comprehend.
“But now it’s fine. Because I can return once more.”
He tore off his purple-stained prosthetic arm from his shoulder. Thud! When the Demonblade discarded the prosthetic arm on the ground, the sea of death energy that had been enveloping the prairies and mountains began to grow violently and be absorbed by him. Whoosh!
Like amniotic fluid nurturing a child, the waves of death energy quickly condensed and enveloped the entire body of the Demonblade.
“Should I attack now?”
Raon bit his lip as he adjusted his grip on the Heavenly Drive.
“No! If that compressed death energy explodes, everyone behind you will die. You will also be severely injured.”
Wrath shook his head, saying that the current Demonblade was no different from a barrel of gunpowder.
“Then do we have no choice but to watch?”
As Raon clicked his tongue and began to draw intensely on the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, there was a crack! A new arm made of purple flesh sprouted from the Demonblade’s shoulder. It wasn’t like the regenerative ability of a troll. It seemed as if an entirely new body had emerged, like a slime. However, his transformation wasn’t limited to that.
Whoosh. As if time had reversed, the Demonblade’s white hair turned jet black, and his wrinkled gray skin tightened and became elastic.
The old man who seemed to be nearly 100 years old appeared to have returned to his 20s in an instant.
Kuooooo! When the Demonblade clenched his newly grown fist, a massive shockwave occurred, splitting the riverbed where he was standing in half. It was a terrifying display of power.
“Yes. This is the power. I wanted to return to the time when I commanded the continent.”
He covered the brilliantly shining sun with his new hand, drawing a sinister smile.
“No, I didn’t return. I should say I have been reborn.”
“...”
Raon bit his lip as he looked at the Demonblade’s purple arm.
“What is that…”
More shocking than the Demonblade’s rejuvenation or the growth of a new arm was the amount of death energy residing in that arm. It looked as if all the sea of death energy that had covered the prairies had seeped into that arm.
“What the hell have you done?”
Raon lowered his eyebrows as he looked at the smiling Demonblade.
“This is not possible with normal power.”
It is impossible for a human to grow a new arm. The Demonblade must have done something unnatural using the death energy from this place.
“There’s always something needed to properly handle death energy.”
The Demonblade lightly twirled his finger.
“Sacrifices.”
“What…?”
“This purple sea that covered the prairie is the essence of the condensed death energy accumulated by the Dark Black Lotus, spilling blood to accumulate this.”
He murmured that they were such precious things as he raised his finely colored eyes.
“Blood…”
Raon swallowed dryly as he repeated the word “blood” that the Demonblade had mentioned.
“And…”
Trevin had said that the zombies wielding swords emerged from the sea of death energy. The pieces of the puzzle that had been fitting together one by one suddenly formed a complete picture.
“You can’t have…”
Trevin’s lips trembled as he looked at the Demonblade.
“Did you sacrifice your subordinates as living offerings?”
“Yes. Half of the Dark Black Lotus is buried in this land.”
The Demonblade nodded without the slightest hesitation, as if he was talking about something to be proud of.
“Those kids must have died happily. It would be a great honor for them to help me, even in death.”
He smiled as he lowered his eyes stained purple.
“Crazy…”
Raon tightened his grip on the Heavenly Drive.
“He's lost his mind.”
“Did he sacrifice his subordinates to become stronger?”
Wrath glared at the Demonblade, grinding his teeth.
“Hand over control right now! This time, I’ll rip off his head, not just his arm!”
He moved his fists back and forth, truly angry.
“Of course, that’s not all…”
The Demonblade looked at him with a long, prolonged smile.
“To resurrect in this form, I needed the pure aura of a martial artist.”
“The aura of a martial artist?”
“Yes. There was enough death energy, but obtaining aura wasn’t easy. So…”
He rubbed his chin as he looked at the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation that had repelled the death energy.
“I devised this plan. To obtain the aura you expended while defeating monsters or repelling the death energy.”
The Demonblade lightly clapped, saying that everything had been planned from the beginning.
“Who? Who is that?”
From what the Demonblade said, it seemed that this wasn’t something he had done alone.
“There’s no reason for me to tell you.”
The Demonblade snorted and shook his head. Judging by his wounded pride, it seemed to be related to the Five Demons.
“Are the Five Divine Orders finally siding with the Five Demons?”
No, considering what he had said before about being ignored, he wasn’t sure. It seemed better to think that this incident was carried out solely by the Demonblade and the Dark Black Lotus, not by the Five Divine Orders.
“I’m in a really good mood now. I actually had decided to spare those I met for the first time, but…”
The Demonblade lightly waved his sword at his waist.
“Raon Zieghart. I can’t let you go.”
“Shouldn’t you hold no grudge against me, right?”
Raon asked with a frown.
“Not you, but I do.”
The Demonblade chuckled and shook his hand dismissively.
“Surviving thanks to the appearance of the demon king, while I fell into despair because of that.”
He grasped the hilt of his sword and gritted his teeth audibly.
“Since then, I’ve fallen deeper and deeper, while you’ve continued to rise without stopping. You captured the Mad Dragon Kaivar and earned the title of Dragon Slayer, defeated the Axe King Roman to obtain the title of Kingkiller, and even led the war against the South-North Union to victory!”
He bent his fingers one by one as he listed Raon’s achievements.
“Your name is known throughout the world, but mine is mentioned nowhere. Like I’ve ceased to exist! A title and name not spoken of have no value.”
The Demonblade laughed and nodded. The word “inferiority” seemed to shine in his purple eyes.
“I even heard stories that you are called the Transcendent of the new era, defeating me, a relic of the old era. So I resolved. The next time I meet you, I would take your head and put an end to this so-called new era.”
He chuckled, saying he hadn’t expected this opportunity to come so soon. Seeing the voice and manner of speaking of an old man coming from a youthful appearance sent chills down his spine.
“Division Leader!”
“What just happened?!”
“Are you alright...?”
Burren, Martha, and Runaan, who had been pushed back by the explosion caused by the Demonblade, approached.
“Raon!”
“Division Leader! Are you okay?”
“The sea of death energy has disappeared, but why is there an even more terrible smell?”
Trevin and other swordsmen also rushed over, concerned for him.
“Everyone, stay back.”
As Raon waved his hand, telling them not to come any closer, the Demonblade drew the sword from his waist.
“Let’s begin. The battle where the Transcendent of the old era crushes the Transcendent of the new era.”
With the Demonblade’s declaration, a purple cut lunged forward. It was a wave of death energy that had shot out in an instant. Zzeeeeng! Raon deployed the Flame and Ice Unification to divide the wave of death energy that was approaching.
“Get out of here as fast as you can!”
Just as Raon was ordering the Light Wind Division and the Warring Steel Division to retreat to safety, Chiiing! A flash resembling a sword rose from the riverbed stained purple. Unable to block everything with just the Heavenly Drive, he also drew the Blade of Requiem to knock down the death energy swords trying to pierce him.
“It’s heavy.”
Every death energy sword that rose was a Transcendent level attack, making his hands tremble just from blocking them.
“I can’t even fight.”
Watching Raon Zieghart, who he had heard would defeat him, being pushed back without being able to do anything, an unbearable euphoria flooded him. He wanted to take that boy’s head and announce his triumph to the entire world.
“Yes! This is the power I needed!”
His rejuvenated body overflowed with vitality, and the death energy seemed endless, like an inexhaustible spring. Invincible. That word, which he thought was beyond his reach, now seemed to be imbued in his martial prowess. Just by striking with his sword of death energy, the ground broke, and Raon stumbled backward.
A smile naturally formed as he realized he was overwhelming that young Transcendent, both in power and speed.
“Is that all you have? Do you dare to challenge me with just that?”
The Demonblade summoned demonic beasts born from death energy, cutting through the space. It was both a sword technique and a summoning art. A skill that could never be cut with ordinary aura. Chiiing! Raon tried to eliminate the death energy beasts with mystical foot movements, but continued to be pushed back, suffering multiple injuries.
“Not even able to fight.”
Observing Raon Zieghart, whom he had heard would defeat him, being pushed back without being able to do anything, an unbearable euphoria filled him. He wanted to take that boy's head and announce his triumph to the entire world.
“Now, I suppose it’s time to really fight.”
Raon nodded after confirming that the Light Wind Division and the Warring Steel Division had retreated to a safe distance.
“Don’t tell me…”
The Demonblade’s lips trembled as he realized Raon had been stalling for time to allow the other swordsmen to escape.
“The Head of House said it was still too soon, but I think it might be good to try to overcome him today.”
Raon arrogantly lifted his chin, holding the divine sword that burned with flames and the demon sword that glimmered with frost.
“The wall of the Five Divine Orders.”
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