The Demonic Supreme Sword Novel - Chapter 67

Chapter 67
### Chapter 67: Supreme Sword of the Demonic Path (2)

The commander of the Blood Demon Division, Ma Woo, moved his troops with urgent speed. He had concluded that Sima Geon was too great a peril for Ma Gong Ho to face alone.

“We must provide support.”

Thunderclap Guardian Left Proof also sprang into the fray without hesitation.

The Black-Clothed Elder flinched, attempting to stop the sudden escalation, but his reaction was too slow to change the course of events.

“Absolute fools. People really lose their minds when they are eager to die.”

Buk Sugon cast a nervous look toward O Ryu, terrified that he might receive a similar command to charge.

O Ryu remained stiff and silent, his gaze locked onto Sima Geon. He showed no sign of acting independently without a direct word from the Black-Clothed Elder.

Inwardly, Buk Sugon felt a wave of relief, though his physical form began to shake uncontrollably.

An icy, murderous aura had suddenly saturated the air. Before his mind could process the shift, his neck turned instinctively toward the center of the conflict.

Sima Geon was finally making his move.

To a distant observer, the swing of his blade appeared almost careless, like a man brushing away a fly. However, Ma Gong Ho, standing at the epicenter of that strike, felt a vastly different reality.

‘How can this be…’

The color vanished from Ma Gong Ho’s face.

The sheer atmospheric weight generated by that simple flick of the wrist felt like it was crushing his internal organs.

His lineage, the Red Hand Sword Sect, had been loyal supporters of the Divine Demon Clan since the unification of the Heavenly Demon Cult. There was no historical reason for him to be at odds with the Divine Demon Division.

Nevertheless, he had spent years hearing of their terrifying reputation. He had often dismissed the stories as myth or exaggeration born of distant legends.

Now, facing the man in person, the truth hit him like a physical blow. The rumors hadn’t been exaggerated; if anything, they had failed to capture the true horror of his power.

Ma Gong Ho jumped back on pure survival instinct. Sima Geon’s blade didn’t even seem to accelerate, yet Ma Gong Ho’s desperate retreat put ten paces of distance between them.

Having created what he thought was a safe margin, and seeing the Thunderclap Guardian closing in to help, Ma Gong Ho felt a momentary flicker of confidence.

Then, a sliver of light caught his eye.

By the time Ma Gong Ho even recognized the gleam, the edge had already passed through him.

A sudden, total darkness overtook his vision.

There was no agony. No final thoughts.

Ma Gong Ho’s torso slid away from his legs in a diagonal crimson arc, his life’s blood spraying into the sky.

“You murderous dog!”

A scream of rage erupted as Thunderclap Guardian Left Proof tore through the mist of blood, launching a heavy strike at the killer.

“I’ve really been trying to turn over a new leaf and live a quiet life, but the world just won’t let me.”

Cheol Woo stepped forward to intercept the Blood Demon Division as they swarmed him from the flanks. He looked genuinely annoyed by the interruption.

Despite his casual complaint, a violent, crushing pressure began to radiate from his body.

“Total lunatic.”

Buk Sugon watched the scene from the sidelines, whispering curses in shock. Even the members of the Loyal Demon Division, who were well-acquainted with Cheol Woo’s volatile nature, were stunned by the intensity he was displaying.

The majority of the Blood Demon Division had been recruited after Sima Geon and Cheol Woo had already left, meaning they knew the duo only as ghost stories. Ma Woo, coming from the Red Hand Sword Sect, shared this lack of direct experience.

“Arrogant brat!”

Ma Woo’s eyes flared with anger as he watched Cheol Woo’s nonchalant advance, taking it as a direct insult to his men.

At a sharp signal from Ma Woo, the two most elite warriors of his division, Bong Jin and Eung Cham, lunged forward.

Their blades cut through the air toward Cheol Woo’s vitals with lethal precision.

The attack was faster than most could follow, yet it seemed to bore Cheol Woo.

“Are you children playing a game? Did you forget who I am?”

Cheol Woo’s hands blurred as they moved toward the incoming steel.

Fist met blade, and the masterfully forged swords simply shattered into fragments.

Without slowing down, Cheol Woo’s fists continued their path toward the chests of the two warriors.

Bong Jin managed to throw himself backward in a panic, but Eung Cham wasn’t quick enough.

*Thud!*

A choked, wet sound escaped Eung Cham as Cheol Woo’s fist buried itself in his ribcage.

The warrior was sent flying backward with more velocity than his original charge, hitting the dirt with a sickening thud.

The bones of his chest were turned to powder. After a few reflexive spasms, Eung Cham grew still.

Cheol Woo’s eyes immediately locked onto Bong Jin, who had barely escaped the same fate.

“Die!”

Like the roar of a predator in the deep woods.

The concussive force of the fist energy released by Cheol Woo’s strike was powerful enough to make the surrounding forest tremble.

“Look out!”

Ma Woo dived into the path of the energy, trying to deflect the blow meant for Bong Jin’s back. Terrified by Eung Cham’s instant death, Ma Woo put every ounce of his strength into the defense.

*Boom!*

A blinding flash accompanied the collision of powers.

Before the light could even fade, the air was filled with screams.

Ma Woo, who had taken the brunt of the shockwave, sprayed blood from his mouth and fell to his knees.

The sword he used to block the energy had disintegrated, leaving him clutching a jagged hilt with hands that were torn and bloody.

The piercing energy had not been stopped; it shattered the steel and continued through to Bong Jin’s spine, throwing him fifteen paces away. He landed in a mangled heap, his life extinguished instantly.

His torso was unrecognizable, his skeletal structure shattered into splinters and his flesh shredded.

The entire exchange had lasted only seconds. The surrounding warriors of the Blood Demon Division stood paralyzed, their mouths hanging open in terror.

“Are you brave or just thick-headed? With such pathetic skills, how did you find the nerve to challenge me?”

Ignoring the mockery, Ma Woo bit his lip until it bled and forced himself to stand once more.

“This isn’t over.”

Ma Woo signaled to his men, and the shocked subordinates began to close the circle, though their movements were now heavy with hesitation.

“I will make you pay for that arrogance.”

Grabbing a fresh sword from a nearby soldier, Ma Woo shouted with eyes full of hatred.

Despite the murderous intent, Cheol Woo merely grinned.

“Pay? I don’t recall owing you anything.”

“I’ll rip that tongue out of your head. Kill him!”

A rain of steel fell upon Cheol Woo from every angle.

Every vital point on his body was targeted by a synchronized wall of blades. It was a formation designed to ensure that even if a target survived the first wave, the second and third would finish the job.

But the most dangerous threats were the hidden strikes of Ma Woo and Bu Yeo Ryang, which moved through the chaos like shadows.

Ma Woo’s blade, fueled by pure spite, snaked toward Cheol Woo’s throat, while Bu Yeo Ryang’s massive greatsword—as wide as a tree trunk—descended from above like a falling hammer.

Cheol Woo spun in a tight circle, allowing the blades at his back to strike his skin while thrusting his left hand out.

It was a feat possible only for one who had reached the Diamond Indestructible realm.

The swords that should have pierced his flesh were deflected by a wall of golden protective qi. The blades that struck his left arm simply snapped like dry twigs.

He caught Ma Woo’s incoming sword with his bare right hand and jerked it upward.

As Bu Yeo Ryang’s heavy greatsword came down, it sheared through Ma Woo’s weapon instead of its target. Cheol Woo winced slightly and intercepted the heavy blade with his forearm.

*Clang!*

The sound was like a temple bell, the noise of metal hitting metal rather than flesh.

Bu Yeo Ryang’s expression twisted in horror. As Ma Woo scrambled back, Cheol Woo reached out and grabbed the leg of the still-airborne Bu Yeo Ryang.

The giant warrior swung his sword wildly to free himself, but his body was suddenly jerked with violent force.

The world became a blur of motion.

Before Bu Yeo Ryang could even scream, the ground rushed up to meet him.

*Thud. Thud. Thud.*

Three brutal slams against the earth left Bu Yeo Ryang’s upper half a shapeless mass of broken bone.

Cheol Woo tossed the remains toward the remaining Blood Demon soldiers and Ma Woo, who was trying to hide among his men.

“Fine, let’s stop playing and get down to business.”

Cheol Woo’s smile was demonic. He looked every bit the Diamond Yaksha of legend.

Turning away from Buk Sugon’s worried expression, O Ryu spoke with a voice strained by the intensity of the scene.

“We have to go in, don’t we?”

The Black-Clothed Elder, who had been watching the slaughter in silence, turned his head slowly.

“Help who?”

His eyes were cold, showing no grief for the men he was losing.

“The Blood Demon Division…”

“And you think our presence changes the outcome?”

“If you and the senior experts join the fight, surely we could win?”

O Ryu looked at the veterans standing behind them. While they weren’t at the level of the elders, they were famous names within the demonic world.

However, the veterans remained motionless. The Black-Clothed Elder had issued a strict warning against acting out of turn after the Thunderclap Guardian’s reckless charge.

“Are you really going to let the Blood Demon Division be wiped out?”

O Ryu asked, his voice filled with frustration. The Elder’s response was a sharp pivot.

“I have reached a conclusion.”

“Sir?”

“We should never have waited. I should have made the call the moment we arrived.”

“I don’t understand.”

O Ryu was baffled, but the Black-Clothed Elder didn’t offer a detailed explanation. Instead, he looked at his men and gave a final directive.

“This is an order. There will be no debate.”

Expecting a command to charge, O Ryu braced himself.

“Your orders, Elder.”

“Get out of here immediately. This mission is a failure. Retreat to the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

“Elder!”

“I said no debate! Move!”

“We can’t just leave them!”

O Ryu protested fiercely.

“Do you intend to watch everyone die?”

“If we fought together, there might be a chance…”

The Black-Clothed Elder gave a bitter, dry laugh.

“If there were even a ten percent chance of victory, I would stay. But looking at them now, it is impossible. You know as well as I do what it means to face the Supreme Sword of the Demonic Path and the Diamond Yaksha.”

O Ryu went silent. The weight of those names was undeniable.

The Black-Clothed Elder placed a hand on O Ryu’s shoulder.

“This excursion into the Central Plains isn’t just about a relic. The Loyal Demon Division is meant to be the sharpest weapon for our Lord’s future plans. We cannot throw your lives away in a meaningless slaughter. Go, now.”

The Elder turned his back, signaling the end of the conversation.

While Buk Sugon let out a long breath of relief, O Ryu bowed his head, his face a mask of conflicting anger and resignation.

Meanwhile, Thunderclap Guardian Left Proof lunged through the gore of Ma Gong Ho’s remains, focused entirely on Sima Geon.

His left hand sought to trap Sima Geon’s movement while his right hand targeted the Eight Great Deadly Acupoints—strikes so lethal that a mere graze could end a life.

The raw power of the assault drew gasps from everyone watching. It looked as though Sima Geon was about to be overwhelmed.

“What a pity. He let the distance close too easily.”

Ju Yu Geol Goe, who had a long history of rivalry with Left Proof, clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Having fought him many times, he knew that Left Proof was most dangerous at close range.

“Against a monster like that, you have to stay back and keep your head…”

Ju Yu Geol Goe started to express pity for Sima Geon, but his words died in his throat as his eyes widened.

He watched as Sima Geon’s left hand moved in a slow, almost lazy arc, completely neutralizing the entire complex assault.

“Impossible! That’s not a man—that’s a demon!”

Noticing the dozens of hidden technical shifts within that seemingly slow motion, Ju Yu Geol Goe cried out in shock.

As Namgung Kyung breathed a word of awe beside him, Sima Geon’s counter moved like lightning.

A streak of white light tore through the air with terrifying speed.

Realizing he couldn’t block it, Left Proof twisted his torso in a desperate move to survive.

He avoided a hole in his chest, but his left shoulder was nearly sheared off, blood geysering into the air.

The pain was unimaginable, but he couldn’t afford to stop.

Howling through the agony, Left Proof funneled every bit of his remaining qi into a final punch.

A shockwave like a thunderclap roared from his fist, meeting the sword that was already returning for a second strike.

A deafening explosion of energy followed, then a choked cry.

Left Proof, who had put his soul into that strike, was sent staggering back, his face twisted in a mask of pain.

The arm that had given him his title as Thunderclap Guardian hung uselessly by a thread of skin. The other arm was gone entirely, severed at the shoulder.

A deep gash had also opened across his chest during the exchange. With every step he took backward, blood poured from his wounds, soaking his clothes until he was entirely red.

He took exactly twelve steps.

Left Proof’s body wavered for a moment, then he collapsed into the dirt.

The fight had lasted only three exchanges with Sima Geon.