From the edge of the golden glow, the Demon Buddha revealed himself.
The moment he saw him, Jade Mountain Sword’s expression soured.
“Your Buddha has never once shown mercy, has he?”
The Demon Buddha rolled the rosary beads in his hand and answered.
“A misunderstanding. Our Buddha treats this poor soul with mercy. Though there are times, very rarely, when he cannot contain his temper.”
With a relaxed expression, the Demon Buddha slowly walked toward him.
The two stood facing each other, a few steps apart.
Jade Mountain Sword was so tall that the Demon Buddha had to look way up.
The sight of them was like the tallest man in the world standing opposite the shortest.
“You seem to have grown taller since I last saw you, friend.”
“Who decided we were friends?”
The two of them already knew each other.
Since his youth, the Demon Buddha had traveled all over the Central Plains, interacting with many masters.
He was even friends with the Wind Heaven Sect Leader of the Outlands, of all people.
“How many times have we met?”
Jade Mountain Sword remembered exactly.
“Three times.”
“If we've met three times and are still alive in this harsh Martial World, that makes us friends, no?”
Jade Mountain Sword’s reaction was cold.
“I'm only saying this now, but you are too rash.”
The Demon Buddha had a knack for saying things that got under people's skin.
He was good at infuriating others.
“In all three times we met, you never failed to provoke me.”
At that, the Demon Buddha calmly asked.
“Was anything I said untrue?”
Jade Mountain Sword’s expression twitched.
It had provoked him precisely because it wasn't untrue.
The man had a habit of casually spitting out words that hit the mark.
“My neck hurts from looking up at you.”
The Demon Buddha turned and sat on a rock.
After looking down at the ground for a moment, he said something unexpected.
“It was probably because of your height. I felt like you had taken something I could never have. That's why I said those spiteful things.”
These were words he would have never said in the past, so Jade Mountain Sword grew even more wary of the Demon Buddha.
“Stop with the tricks.”
The Demon Buddha nodded as if he understood.
He had only said such things because of Geom Mugeuk's influence.
To bring up his height himself? It was something unimaginable in the past.
Jade Mountain Sword unleashed his powerful inner energy and roared.
“How dare you! Do you know where you are? You are treading on land you should never have set foot on!”
The very reason he had come here was to root out the Demon Sect bastards who had entered Wuhan.
Sitting on the rock, the Demon Buddha looked down at his own feet and said.
“But my feet aren't touching the ground.”
The Demon Buddha’s legs were so short his feet didn’t reach the ground.
Of course, Jade Mountain Sword didn't take it as a joke, but as a taunt.
Killing intent rose from his body.
“Yes, you always enjoyed mocking people.”
The Demon Buddha stared at him intently and asked.
“Do you know who it is you were trying to kill today?”
Jade Mountain Sword gave no answer, but his eyes and expression said it all.
“So you knew it was the First Young Master.”
The Demon Buddha's eyes shone coldly, tinged with a golden light.
It was a phenomenon that only appeared in those who had achieved Great Mastery in his signature martial art, the Great Golden Arhat Demon Art.
Jade Mountain Sword gathered his inner energy, ready to draw his sword at any moment.
He was not intimidated, even before the Demon Buddha.
“Entering the land of Wuhan without the Martial Alliance's permission is a crime worthy of death. The same goes for you.”
He released his aura.
The grass and leaves all trembled, and the surrounding air instantly grew cold.
He had never fought a life-and-death battle with the Demon Buddha, so he didn't know how a fight between them would end.
But he was confident he could win.
Jade Mountain Sword’s hand slowly moved toward the hilt of his sword.
He was a master of the Righteous Path, down to his bones.
Though not to the extent of Han Wol-gaek, his feelings toward the Demon Sect were anything but friendly.
Moreover, the Demon Buddha was an opponent he had always wanted to teach a harsh lesson to one day.
“Once you draw that sword, there's no turning back. You know that, right?”
To the Demon Buddha’s question, Jade Mountain Sword replied coldly.
“Eradicating the followers of evil paths is the path I have walked my entire life. I will have no regrets.”
Amidst the tense atmosphere, the Demon Buddha spoke softly.
“I respect that. You are an excellent man of the Righteous Path.”
Hearing such words from the Demon Buddha for the first time, Jade Mountain Sword flinched.
He was certainly different today.
He glared at the Demon Buddha with eyes that asked, 'What kind of trick are you trying to pull?'
The Demon Buddha looked up at the sky.
Through the trees, the stars of the night sky were visible.
“My life has become more relaxed these days. I'm not the man I used to be.”
Jade Mountain Sword mocked him.
“That must be because you've become a kite with its string cut.”
He knew very well that the Demon Buddha had supported the First Young Master.
“Aren't you and the First Young Master useless now? If I kill you, your Demon Sect would probably be grateful.”
At the mention of Geom Muyang, the Demon Buddha's expression turned cold.
“Jade Mountain Sword.”
The Demon Buddha called his name coldly, then said, “I'm trying to be nice, so don't make me bring out my old temper.”
Jade Mountain Sword knew very well that those words were no bluff.
He knew the man had the skill to back them up.
And that he had a foul temper.
But if he had feared him, he wouldn't have revealed that he was chasing the First Young Master in the first place.
This was a place where one of them had to die.
“As if you could change.”
Jade Mountain Sword slowly drew his sword.
“You can't fix a Demon Sect bastard.”
At that moment, the Demon Buddha roared.
“Shut up! When I speak nicely, you should listen nicely! What kind of damn nonsense are you spouting?”
After his outburst, the Demon Buddha sighed.
“I apologize for cursing. I've been feeling too timid and withdrawn lately. Seeing you after so long, I find it hard to control my emotions.”
Perhaps that was why Geom Mugeuk kept telling him not to be subdued.
To live a life that suited him.
“Madman.”
Jade Mountain Sword aimed his sword.
Seeing Jade Mountain Sword become one with his sword, the Demon Buddha stood up from the rock.
“Do you know? Outsiders might not be aware, but our Main Sect has changed a lot recently. It's become a trend among the Demon Sovereigns to get stronger. Everyone is crazy about martial arts.”
The Demon Buddha hopped down from the rock.
“I've also been trying my best not to fall behind that trend, you see. I'm the type of person who despises losing.”
A new golden glow emanated from the Demon Buddha's body.
The depth of the golden light in his everyday state was different from the one he showed when he fought.
Zing.
A blue force flowed like a wave along the blade of Jade Mountain Sword's sword as it vibrated in the air.
The moment Jade Mountain Sword was about to rush the Demon Buddha!
Swoosh!
Thwack!
What shot out forcefully was one of the Demon Buddha’s rosary beads.
The rosary bead split in half and fell.
Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swish!
The rosary beads flew out in succession.
It was an attack with enough power to pierce through a body on impact.
Jade Mountain Sword’s sword embroidered the air.
Dozens of blade strokes appeared in an instant.
The rosary beads were split in half, clattering to the ground.
As he sliced the last rosary bead, Jade Mountain Sword saw it.
The Demon Buddha’s now empty hands were already forming a hand seal.
Great Golden Arhat Demon Art!
Radiant Killing Seal!
A golden force swirled from the Demon Buddha’s hands and flew forth.
Swoooooosh!
He couldn't just block the force that spread out like a wave.
Jade Mountain Sword Technique!
Jade Mountain Wind Forest!
A blue force poured out from his sword as well.
And so, the golden force and the blue force collided in mid-air.
Craaaash!
With a deafening roar, a shockwave powerful enough to shake the earth spread in all directions.
Trees snapped, rocks tumbled, and dust rose.
Swoosh.
Cutting through the dust, Jade Mountain Sword charged in.
The surest way to deal with the Demon Buddha was to get close and prevent him from forming those hand seals.
At that moment, Jade Mountain Sword saw it.
Another hand seal had already been formed in the Demon Buddha's hands.
Heaven’s Oath Seal!
A single stream of force struck down from the sky toward his head like a lightning bolt.
As he thrust toward the Demon Buddha, he twisted his body.
Craaaack!
Jade Mountain Sword blocked by swinging his force-infused sword as fast as lightning.
A shock that felt like it would shatter his wrist surged through him.
The Demon Buddha was much stronger than he had thought.
‘I have to cut off those hands, no matter what!’
Jade Mountain Sword charged in again.
In a flash, he reached the Demon Buddha, but another flash was waiting for him.
Radiant Dharma Seal!
In that instant, a light more powerful than the sun burst from the Demon Buddha's body.
Because it was night, the light was even more intense.
Jade Mountain Sword squeezed his eyes shut and swung his sword.
He cut at the Demon Buddha not with his eyes, but with his senses.
Swiiish!
‘I missed!’
He raised his protective energy and unleashed another Ultimate Technique.
Offense was also defense.
Jade Mountain Revolving Wheel!
Whirrrrrr!
Jade Mountain Sword spun like a whirlwind on the spot, sending his sword out in all directions.
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!
Dozens of strands of Sword Qi flew in all directions, embedding themselves in trees and rocks.
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!
The Sword Qi flew toward every possible location, but he did not hear the sound of the Demon Buddha's flesh tearing.
‘Where is he?’
For a fleeting moment, he had lost sight of the Demon Buddha.
By the time he located the shining golden glow beyond a snapped tree behind him, the Demon Buddha had already completed a hand seal.
It was the most ornate seal, with his fingers intricately intertwined.
Demon Palm Annihilation Seal!
Whoooooosh.
A colossal energy rushed down, and a shadow formed around Jade Mountain Sword's body.
He lifted his head and looked at the sky.
The palm of a giant golden Buddha statue was striking down at him.
A golden glow radiated from the hand!
It was too late to dodge.
Jade Mountain Sword raised his protective energy to its absolute limit.
Craaaash!
With a tremendous roar, the earth was overturned, and dust billowed up.
When the dust settled, Jade Mountain Sword was standing there.
He was inside a huge, palm-shaped crater.
Its depth was several times a man’s height.
As Jade Mountain Sword tried to leap up, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
His internal injuries were so severe that he could no longer fight.
It was a miracle he wasn't dead.
Staggering, he collapsed where he stood.
Then, he saw it.
From above the crater, the Demon Buddha was now looking down at him.
Seen from below, the Demon Buddha looked like an incredibly large man.
‘I was defeated so easily?’
It wasn't a matter of bad luck.
He felt a clear difference in skill.
From the moment his opponent threw that small rosary bead until he brought down this giant palm, the fight had gone exactly as he had intended, from beginning to end.
He thought it would be a close match at the very least, but his opponent was a cut above.
He couldn't see the Demon Buddha's expression clearly from up there.
Then he heard the Demon Buddha’s voice.
“Thankfully, it seems I haven't fallen behind the trend.”
Watching the Demon Buddha form another hand seal, Jade Mountain Sword closed his eyes.
‘A complete defeat.’
It was a fight where he would have no complaints even if he died.
He expected a force that would end his life to come flying at him.
Whoooosh.
His body rode a wave of golden light and rose out of the crater.
And gently landed in front of the Demon Buddha.
Jade Mountain Sword asked with a shocked face.
“Why aren't you killing me?”
“If I were going to kill you, you would have died down there.”
It meant that he hadn't used his full power in that last move.
Jade Mountain Sword stared at the Demon Buddha with eyes full of disbelief.
“You were this strong?”
The Demon Buddha’s eyes were soft, and his face was at ease.
The fierce momentum from their fight to the death had already vanished.
The brilliant glow that had shone from him throughout the fight had already subsided.
After the successor trial, there had been a change in the Demon Buddha's heart.
He had been greatly influenced by his meeting with Geom Mugeuk, and he had also calmed his mind by carving stone statues.
He did things he had never done before and felt emotions he had never felt before.
As the Demon Buddha's life changed, so did his martial arts.
The Demon Buddha had become stronger because he had let everything go.
“Even if you spare me, I won't tell you who sent me.”
“I'm not going to ask.”
Jade Mountain Sword stared with surprised eyes.
He had naturally assumed that he was spared so he could be questioned.
“Uncovering who is behind you is the First Young Master's job. I only came here to allow the First Young Master to do his work.”
The Demon Buddha gave Jade Mountain Sword two choices.
“Now, choose. Will you return to your hometown? Or will you die by my hand right now?”
Jade Mountain Sword had tried to kill the First Young Master, and he had also tried to kill the Demon Buddha.
“You're sparing me? Why?”
The Demon Buddha put his hands together in a prayer.
“Our Buddha shows mercy to pitiful mortals.”
“Enough with the nonsense!”
The Demon Buddha answered honestly.
“Because as you said, this is Wuhan.”
The moment a rumor spread that Jade Mountain Sword had been killed by a Demon Sovereign in Wuhan, the Righteous Path Martial World would erupt in fury.
Perhaps that was what their enemies wanted.
“Still, if you wish it, I will kill you. It will cause a big problem, but it will be handled somehow. In the end, only the dead suffer injustice, you know that too, right?”
The Demon Buddha calmly persuaded him.
“Why do you think the First Young Master has come all the way to Wuhan to cause this commotion? To destroy the Martial Alliance? Do you really think so? That the best plan we could come up with was to send the First Young Master to Wuhan to destroy the Righteous Path Martial World?”
After a brief pause, Jade Mountain Sword asked.
It was a question lacking confidence.
“If not?”
“What reason did the person who summoned you give?”
Jade Mountain Sword could feel another meaning hidden in the Demon Buddha's words. ‘Did you come here truly trusting the person who summoned you?’
One thing was certain.
If they were truly plotting some grand conspiracy, they would not have spared his life.
After a long silence, Jade Mountain Sword chose one of the two options.
“I will return. I will go back to my hometown and not come out for three years.”
The Demon Buddha knew.
Because of his pride, he would never say he was returning because he had lost.
He would use another excuse to go back, so at the very least, his presence in Wuhan would not be revealed.
“This was the fourth time, so let's have a drink when we meet for the fifth.”
Staring at the Demon Buddha, Jade Mountain Sword turned without a word and walked away.
As he staggered away, the Demon Buddha called out to him.
“Hey, friend.”
When Jade Mountain Sword turned back, the Demon Buddha spoke calmly.
“Next time, the First Young Master is off-limits.”
From the Demon Buddha’s deepened gaze, Jade Mountain Sword could see how much he cared for the First Young Master.
“If something like this happens again…”
And the Demon Buddha did not hide those feelings.
“It won't matter if it's in Wuhan or in front of the Martial Alliance Leader’s Hall. You will die by my hand.”
After finishing his words, the Demon Buddha politely put his hands together in prayer, then turned and walked away.
Watching the faint golden glow disappear into the darkness, Jade Mountain Sword once again started walking in the opposite direction.
And so, the two flags parted ways again.