Chapter 78. Futility (3)

The first time he saw Tian Xiazhen came to mind.

While he was rising to become an elder of the Righteous Heaven Alliance, the man who had deposed the previous leader and become the new leader praised Tian Xiazhen as an incredible sword, never sparing his compliments.

Zheng Yilong's gaze toward the leader was far from favorable. The man was so widely supported by the masses that the elder council meetings were almost meaningless.

It was natural that he would not like the sudden intrusion of a beast that had plopped down on the throne he ultimately aimed for.

Naturally, his impression of Tian Xiazhen was the worst. After all, the man had been of great help in the leader's rise to his current position.

If the man had not eliminated all kinds of political rivals behind the scenes, he would never have become the leader.

However, even if that were not the case, Zheng Yilong could not help but dislike Tian Xiazhen.

After all, the man, who had not received any significant support, had somehow become known as one of the Ten Great Swordsmen.

Whether his actual skills were such was irrelevant. Zheng Yilong hated the idea that the leader's sword, which he detested, was considered stronger than himself.

So he joined the Heavenly Net.

If he couldn't kill the leader, he wanted to at least cut off his limbs.

He also suspected that Tian Xiazhen's sudden escape might be part of some hidden scheme by the leader.

'He is definitely dead!'

Pierced by countless weapons, the man was reduced to a rag. Zheng Yilong himself had cut off the man's legs, and the final blow to his neck was delivered by King Bi.

Thus, the King of Death died. More pitifully and more tragically than anyone else.

But who is this man to use the King of Death's martial arts? Did the King of Death secretly train a successor?

But this man is not a demon.

Swoosh!

The ice covering Zheng Yilong's body shattered completely. The ice within a ten-foot radius around him also broke into pieces.

Rumble.

A powerful aura emanated from his body. It was the complete release of the White Lotus Qi he had cultivated and refined all his life.

"For the last time, I ask. Who are you...?"

Swoosh!

Zheng Yilong staggered. He had blocked the sword that had approached him.

The fierce light in Xuliang's eyes, which were now blazing red, was difficult to describe.

"I told you, you'll have to find out my identity with your sword."

"You!"

"The only thing I have left to show you is a sword cut!"

Boom!

With a loud noise, Zheng Yilong retreated.

It was not a deliberate retreat as before. He was forced back purely by the impact of the power.

And in that moment, Xuliang underwent another transformation.

Whoosh!

A dark red lightning bolt entered his body again.

Zheng Yilong's eyes wavered.

Crack!

Spider-web-like cracks appeared on the ground where Xuliang stood.

A significant pulse emanated from Xuliang's crouched body. The second gate of the hell gates, built deep within, was about to open.

Whoosh!

Zheng Yilong moved.

It was instinct. He had felt ominous signs before, but this time it was different. Something of a different dimension seemed to be about to emerge.

Rumble!!

A brilliant white light burst forth from the White Crane Sword, which he extended with elasticity.

If any martial artist saw this scene, they would have doubted their eyes.

The light emanating from the White Crane Sword was not just a simple sword aura. It was not even a condensed sword aura emitting a stronger light.

It was a pure light of a different dimension, a form and concentration of qi. A peak of destruction made of true qi, which no one in the world could withstand.

"Die, you scoundrel!!"

At that moment, Xuliang's head lifted.

Whoosh!

Zheng Yilong was momentarily stunned.

The ultimate martial arts he had unleashed with all his might created a round hole in the ground. If there had been steel, it would have been pierced without any resistance.

The problem was that the target he intended to pierce was not the ground or steel.

Crack!

Prepared for any eventuality, Zheng Yilong emitted a sword aura around his body and looked around, as he could not sense Xuliang's presence.

"......?!"

Xuliang was standing in front of a large tree not far away.

"Was he this close?"

But why couldn't he sense his aura? At the very least, he should have felt some presence.

"Could he really be the successor of the King of Death...?"

The King of Death, known as the greatest assassin in history, had a hiding skill that defied imagination. Because of this skill, those who escaped the leader's eyes had to live in fear every day.

But why use the hiding skill now? Isn't it too inefficient?

Regardless, since he could see him, he had to attack. Zheng Yilong, holding the White Crane Sword upright, charged at Xuliang again.

"......?"

Confusion filled Zheng Yilong's eyes.

"What? Why is my movement...?"

It was slow.

Too slow. It felt as if his limbs were heavy and his breathing was difficult, as if he were drowning in water.

"What is this?!"

His senses were intact, but his body was slow. No, it felt as if the world had slowed down.

Amidst the confusion, a part of his mind flashed. His ears were muffled, his chest felt tight, and an indescribable sense of danger was gnawing at his gut.

At that moment, Zheng Yilong looked into Xuliang's eyes.

Unlike the fiercely burning demon eyes before, Xuliang's eyes were now very clear and calm.

It was as if he were seeing a seeker of truth, a nameless sage who had seen through the principles of heaven.

What is this? Did his demonic arts break? Or did he abandon his killing intent? Did he gain some enlightenment in that brief moment?

Thud!

At that moment, cracks appeared on the fingernails of Zheng Yilong's left hand, which was extended forward.

Zheng Yilong's mouth gaped open. Only then did he realize why he couldn't sense the man's presence, why the world seemed to slow down, and why the man's eyes looked so clear.

And the moment he realized it.

The aura of the Absolute Demon swept over Zheng Yilong.

Whoosh!!

The White Lotus Qi, like a sailboat hit by a wave, shook violently.

The White Crane Sword, which had been moving according to the White Crane Sword Technique, stopped, and the frozen wounds on his upper body burst open one after another with a popping sound.

'How can this be!'

Zheng Yilong did not fail to sense Xuliang's presence.

For a moment, the aura Xuliang emitted was so massive that he couldn't even sense the presence.

The illusion that the world had slowed down was the result of being controlled by the aura.

And Xuliang's clear eyes?

'What nonsense!'

It was not because he had gained some enlightenment or abandoned his killing intent. It was because he had drawn out all the demonic qi that had hidden in his blood vessels and meridians, opening the Dark Shadow True Demon Art to another level.

Xuliang's killing intent remained the same as before. The change was so dramatic that his eyes looked clear.

It was like feeling a sudden chill when cold air rushes in after a typhoon passes.

Thus, Xuliang opened a deeper gate of hell.

The second opening of the Dark Shadow True Demon Art, the Demon View Heaven Knows Gate.

Swoosh.

Xuliang slowly lifted his leg and stomped the ground hard.

Boom!!

With a loud noise, the ground cracked violently.

Crack! Crack!

The cracks did not stop and quickly and violently headed toward Zheng Yilong.

Zheng Yilong's face turned pale.

It was a power that could not be described as brute force. He could not even imagine how much strength it took to step on the ground to make it crack to this extent.

"Haah!"

With a shout and a burst of qi from his lower abdomen, Zheng Yilong shook off the aura and moved to the left.

Crack!

The continuous crack extended and stopped only after uprooting the roots of the opposite large tree.

Puff.

At the same time, a grayish smoke rose from the cracks in the ground.

Although he did not know what kind of smoke it was, Zheng Yilong praised his judgment for avoiding it.

But he had relaxed too soon.

Whoosh!

"Kuaaah!"

With a scream of pain, Zheng Yilong flew backward.

Blood spurted from his nose and mouth. The White Crane Sword, which he barely blocked, had cracks running through it.

Whoosh!

Zheng Yilong felt a spine-chilling sense of danger again.

'The scoundrel!'

The demon had already caught up with him. A sword, filled with intense demonic qi, was about to strike with tremendous weight.

Zheng Yilong's body turned completely white.

Boom!

One Sword to Collapse a Mountain.

A single sword stroke that could collapse a mountain. It was a strike that truly deserved such a description.

"Huff huff!"

Zheng Yilong, who had narrowly avoided the strike, gasped for breath.

The internal injuries he had sustained earlier were severe, and the immense internal energy he had expended to avoid this strike had caused him even more severe internal injuries.

'He's coming again!'

There was no time to be surprised. Zheng Yilong gritted his teeth and raised the White Crane Sword.

Crack!

Xuliang charged.

Zheng Yilong, who had switched to a defensive stance, felt a moment of confusion.

'The scoundrel's condition...?'

His face was pale, his body drenched in cold sweat, and a thin stream of blood was flowing from his nose.

'This scoundrel! His martial arts are not complete!'

He was right.

Xuliang had completed the Dark Shadow True Demon Art but had not perfected it. It was like a master craftsman wielding a sword; he could not be called a swordsman.

Although he was more familiar with his self-created martial arts than anyone else, the process of internalizing them was not easy.

It was only possible for him to reach this level in a short period because his enlightenment was high enough to be called one of the Ten Great Swordsmen.

Especially, the second opening of the Dark Shadow True Demon Art, the Demon View Heaven Knows Gate, was a practice that amplified demonic power and continuously internalized the essence of demons.

Naturally, it put a strain on his body.

Crack!

Zheng Yilong spat out more blood, and Xuliang's nose bled even more.

Although he had suffered a loss again, Zheng Yilong was relieved.

'Now it's over, scoundrel!'

The reason the scoundrel could push him was because of that bizarre martial art. If both of them had the same physical strength and internal energy, his higher enlightenment would clearly lead to victory.

"Good times are over! I'll cut off your limbs, you damn demon!"

"Look at this brat? Is one leg not enough, so you want to cut off all four limbs?"

"What?"

"But... I kind of like it. I'll just make you that way."

At that moment, Xuliang's fist plunged into Zheng Yilong's side.

Thud!

"Chok!"

Staggering back, Zheng Yilong, panting for breath, raised his broadsword.

"Do you know why I brought this huge sword?"

Rumble!

The demonic qi on the broadsword was extremely unstable again. It meant that the forced opening of the Demon View Heaven Knows Gate was closing.

But it was more than enough to crush a greedy old man.

"It's because I know that your White Crane Sword Technique is particularly weak against heavy swords when we are at a similar level."

"How do you...?"

"Let alone when I have a higher enlightenment, you are nothing to me."

"......!"

Whoosh!

Xuliang's body scattered in all directions.

Zheng Yilong's face was filled with shock.

Now he remembered the scoundrel's footwork. Unlike the unknown sword technique, the divine footwork was known to all the leaders of the Righteous Heaven Alliance.

"Nine Heavens Earth Stamping?!"

"Sure!"

Boom!

Xuliang, who had forced Zheng Yilong to retreat with the Explosion Technique, smiled and raised his sword.

"I'll cut you into pieces!"

Thud!