Heavenly Demon World Annihilation.
The ultimate form of the Nine Calamities Demon Art, which annihilated everything in sight.
However, it was a martial art that was difficult to even train.
He had to find a place where no one was around, and there was always the risk that someone might enter the area of effect at the last moment.
Fortunately, this was no restriction for Geom Mugeuk.
Returning to his residence, Geom Mugeuk immediately performed the Space-Time Displacement Art.
Snap!
The moment Geom Mugeuk snapped his fingers, he was standing in a wide-open plain.
Whooosh.
A blowing wind rustled Geom Mugeuk’s clothes and hair.
‘Here, I can unleash the Heavenly Demon World Annihilation to my heart's content.’
Determined to accurately gauge the extent of this martial art's power, he created rocks at set distances throughout the field.
He created them so far away that he wondered if the technique could even reach that far.
It was a distance so vast that they were practically invisible to the naked eye.
And he did not just create them in one direction, but in all directions.
With all preparations complete, Geom Mugeuk slowly drew the Black Demon Sword.
After taking a deep breath, he unleashed the Heavenly Demon World Annihilation that his father had taught him.
Flash!
Shwaaaaaa!
A blinding light spread out in all directions.
The grass, the trees, the rocks.
Everything created in this place began to disappear.
Just as the light that had illuminated the surroundings was fading.
At that last moment, Geom Mugeuk used his Divine Eye Technique to look at the farthest rock he had placed.
The rock he had created there was also gone.
Even the rock placed at a distance he could only confirm with the Divine Eye Technique had been annihilated.
Geom Mugeuk understood.
It was because his inner energy was so immense and pure that it could display such incredible power.
Sssss.
The next moment, the Space-Time Displacement Art, having exhausted all of his inner energy, shattered.
Geom Mugeuk performed energy circulation to replenish his inner energy, then used the Space-Time Displacement Art again.
He could use it even while another Space-Time Displacement Art was active, which meant it was not something that could only be used when his energy core was completely full.
If so, then how much inner energy did he need in his energy core to perform it?
After testing it again and again.
Ninety percent.
He needed his inner energy to be at ninety percent or more to use it.
And when the martial art was unleashed, all ninety percent of that inner energy was consumed.
Considering the technique’s formidable power, it would be stranger if any inner energy remained.
‘Ninety percent, can I reduce this? What if I could use it with eighty percent of my inner energy? And then seventy, sixty, fifty percent.
If I can just lower the requirement to perform this martial art?’
Then he could fight as usual and use Heavenly Demon World Annihilation as a final choice.
‘First, I must achieve Great Mastery in the Nine Calamities Demon Art to see if I can reduce this requirement.’
And ultimately, Heavenly Demon World Annihilation was a martial art that could be used freely only when one achieved Twelve-Star Great Mastery.
There would be no situations he could resolve by killing everyone in sight.
He must achieve Twelve-Star Great Mastery, just like his father.
Geom Mugeuk repeatedly trained in Heavenly Demon World Annihilation for several days.
His goal was to unleash it as naturally as he would any other form.
This training had another meaning as well.
The process of expending all his inner energy and then replenishing it naturally became a form of heart technique training.
How many days had passed while he was immersed in his training?
He could now unleash Heavenly Demon World Annihilation as naturally as any other form.
He had also determined exactly how far the power of Heavenly Demon World Annihilation reached and how much its power diminished with distance.
When was the last time he had studied martial arts training like this?
When he could freely use Heavenly Demon World Annihilation, Geom Mugeuk finally left his residence.
Standing before the great wall of Great Mastery, having focused only on his martial arts training, there was someone he wanted to see.
*
The Fist Demon’s fist cut through the air.
Booooom!
The swiftly flying fist struck a woman squarely in the stomach.
Thwack!
The person sent stumbling back by the Fist Demon’s strike was none other than Cheon So-hee, his disciple and successor.
Just seeing this scene, any warrior of justice in the world would have rushed in to save Cheon So-hee.
After all, a large, fearsome-looking man was beating a woman with his fists as if to kill her.
Thwack!
This time, she was struck mercilessly in the side, and she gritted her teeth with a pained expression.
Pow! Thwack!
Fists landed on her arm and shoulder in quick succession.
Cheon So-hee staggered but did not fall.
Normally, she would have suffered severe internal injuries, but surprisingly, she held up well.
But it hurt.
She felt the pain of being hit by a carriage, crushed by a giant pillar, and struck by a flying chunk of iron.
Yet, she did not fall, enduring and enduring again.
Finally, the relentless storm of fists stopped.
“Hah, hah, hah.”
Now, only her ragged breaths echoed in the space.
If any more fists had flown at her, she would not have been able to withstand it and would have collapsed from internal injuries.
The Fist Demon had pushed her precisely to her limit.
“Well done.”
When she lifted her head, the Fist Demon was smiling as if he had not just been hitting her.
“Thank you, Master.”
The protective energy that had defended her body while she was being beaten was the Heavenly Dipper Body.
Today’s training was indeed training in the Heavenly Dipper Body.
Heavenly Dipper Body.
The body-protection technique Geom Mugeuk had brought from the underground he descended into with the Sword King.
At that time, Geom Mugeuk had taken only one martial art from that place, this very Heavenly Dipper Body.
The reason Geom Mugeuk took the Heavenly Dipper Body was that it could be used in conjunction with other body-protection techniques.
It was a martial art that could be used simultaneously with the Heavenly Demon Body-Protecting Art and the Diamond Asura of the Thunder Asura Fist.
In conclusion, it meant he could use three body-protection techniques at the same time.
The Heavenly Dipper Body, which consumed a vast amount of inner energy, was first improved by Geom Mugeuk, and then further refined through discussions between the Fist Demon and the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign.
At that time, Geom Mugeuk had passed the art to the Fist Demon, the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign, Lee Ahn, and Seo Jin.
The Fist Demon, in turn, passed the Heavenly Dipper Body to Cheon So-hee, the next Fist Demon.
In truth, the people who needed the Heavenly Dipper Body the most were the Fist Demon and Cheon So-hee, who fought with their bare hands.
“It truly is a magnificent body-protection technique.”
At Cheon So-hee’s admiration, the Fist Demon gave the credit to Geom Mugeuk.
“It’s a martial art your senior brother passed down, so thank him.”
Just then, someone walked in from behind the Fist Demon and spoke.
“That’s too much, Master! Where is there to hit our delicate junior sister?”
The person who appeared was none other than Geom Mugeuk.
A slight smile formed on the lips of the Fist Demon, whose back was turned, and Cheon So-hee’s face filled with delight.
“Senior brother! Thank you for your words, but I’m not exactly delicate.”
Her body had become more toned and muscular than before.
One could tell just by looking at her how diligently she had trained in the Fist Technique.
“It’s good to see.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s praise, Cheon So-hee replied humbly.
“I still have a long way to go.”
Geom Mugeuk started to pick a fight with the Fist Demon’s broad back, which he hadn’t seen in a while.
“Surely you’re not aiming for Master’s body, are you? Absolutely not, junior sister. Aim for this well-built body of your senior brother!”
Only then did the Fist Demon turn toward Geom Mugeuk.
“You can’t do anything with those baby hands.”
Hearing the long-unheard phrase ‘baby hands’ was so welcoming that Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly and greeted him.
“Master, your disciple has returned from his outing.”
As if he had come at just the right time, the Fist Demon looked at Cheon So-hee instead of returning the greeting and said.
“Seeing it yourself is the fastest way to learn, I suppose.”
Geom Mugeuk instantly knew what the Fist Demon was talking about.
He meant to demonstrate the Heavenly Dipper Body himself.
“I was wrong. Junior sister, to become the Fist Demon, you should of course build a body like Master’s, not my flimsy one! Your back needs to be twice as wide as it is now!”
As the Fist Demon clenched his fist with a look that said it was too late and walked forward, Geom Mugeuk lowered his voice.
“I came to see the Fist Demon in my capacity as the Young Cult Master.”
Of course, it had no effect on the Fist Demon.
The Fist Demon leaped into the air and threw a punch as fast as lightning.
Whooosh!
Geom Mugeuk did not dodge the incoming fist.
It was a demonstration of the Heavenly Dipper Body, after all.
A fist of incredible power struck Geom Mugeuk in the chest.
Thwack!
He used the Heavenly Dipper Body to block the impact.
But while he suffered no internal injuries, the pain was transmitted directly to his body.
Whizz! Whish! Whoosh!
The Fist Demon’s fists continued to strike Geom Mugeuk’s torso.
They were incomparably faster and stronger than the ones that had attacked Cheon So-hee earlier.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Even though fists of tremendous power rained down on him, Geom Mugeuk did not fall.
As if taking a hit was also a skill, Geom Mugeuk took them very well.
In truth, though he pretended to be reluctant, it was very useful training for Geom Mugeuk.
When else would he get to test the Heavenly Dipper Body against the Fist Demon’s punches? Each and every punch was priceless.
After unleashing a barrage of fists, the Fist Demon asked Cheon So-hee.
“What’s the difference between him and you?”
Cheon So-hee, who had been standing there blankly with a surprised face, quickly came to her senses.
“At first glance, it looked like he was just enduring with the Heavenly Dipper Body, but I felt like my senior brother was deflecting the incoming punches. By subtly shifting his body.”
The Fist Demon wore a satisfied expression.
Cheon So-hee had seen correctly.
“You saw well. Not only that, but he also controlled the intensity of his protective energy differently for each part of his body. He didn’t strengthen the part being hit, but adjusted it to make it easier to deflect the impact.”
At those words, Geom Mugeuk asked in surprise.
“Did I do that?”
The Fist Demon nodded at Geom Mugeuk’s surprise.
“You did it instinctively. It’s not something you can do intentionally.”
The Fist Demon looked back at Cheon So-hee.
He said nothing, but his eyes seemed to ask, ‘Do you now see the path you must take?’
Cheon So-hee bowed respectfully.
“Master. Thank you so much for your great teaching.”
Cheon So-hee also expressed her gratitude to Geom Mugeuk.
“Thank you, senior brother.”
“I’m glad I could help. Ugh, I feel like my whole body is going to break.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s feigned complaint, Cheon So-hee also feigned a complaint in a whisper before leaving.
“I wonder if you’re in as much pain as I am? I’m in real pain!”
Cheon So-hee left, letting out a groan.
As Geom Mugeuk watched her retreating back, the playful look vanished from his face.
“I look forward to that day. The day those fists land a blow on the Martial World.”
She, along with the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign, was a Demon Sovereign who would lead the next generation.
He would surely be able to witness her success.
“Let’s take a walk.”
“Yes, Master.”
Geom Mugeuk and the Fist Demon walked together alone within the Eastern Fist Hall.
Passing members of the Iron Fists bowed respectfully at Geom Mugeuk’s visit.
He had a deep connection with them as well, so his gaze upon the Iron Fists was gentle.
The two naturally headed towards the cliff that the Fist Demon wanted to destroy.
As they walked there, Geom Mugeuk recounted everything that had happened during his recent trip.
After hearing the whole story, the Fist Demon recalled something from long ago.
“In the past, when I roamed the Central Plains with the Cult Master, we encountered unidentifiable individuals on several occasions. At the time, I just dismissed them as a mysterious organization greedy for money and power. But perhaps among them were descendants of the Darkness Palace.”
“They probably were. No, they must have been.”
They must have been secretly building their organization, earning money and amassing power in various parts of the Central Plains.
The Fist Demon asked with a puzzled heart.
“But why now?”
In three hundred years, there must have been many opportunities.
“It seems they believed the prophecy of the Divine Maiden Palace.”
“The prophecy will be fulfilled in this generation?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The Fist Demon’s gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.
Of all times, in an era with a Young Cult Master like this one? If they waited three hundred years, they should have waited another hundred.
That thought came to him naturally, so he could declare with certainty.
“It must be a false prophecy.”
Although his words were meant for Geom Mugeuk, Geom Mugeuk turned the reason back to the Fist Demon.
“With you here, Master, they don’t stand a chance.”
Of course, the Fist Demon knew well that he was not the one who could change the prophecy.
He also knew that the one standing before the greatest fate, the one who would change everyone’s destiny, was Geom Mugeuk.
“Do you believe in fate?”
How could he, who had regressed, not believe in fate?
However, he did not say he blindly believed in it.
“In my youth, I will try not to believe.”
The Fist Demon looked at him with an expression that asked what he meant.
“If I believe that fate is predetermined, I think I’ll just make more excuses.”
Geom Mugeuk, who had been walking while looking ahead, turned his gaze to the Fist Demon.
“We may not be able to decide our fate, but we can decide our mindset and attitude towards it. In my youth, I will live as if nothing in the world is decided. I will move my body tenaciously and cultivate my mind, and later I will say this to fate. I have tried this hard, so what are you going to do about it?”
This had been Geom Mugeuk’s consistent mindset since he regressed.
Although he said, ‘what are you going to do about it?’, he was also saying it to himself.
If he still cannot change fate after trying so hard, then there is nothing to be done.
“I think I will believe in fate when I reach your age, Master, as I look back on my life.”
The Fist Demon was curious.
When Geom Mugeuk reached his age and looked back on his life, what would he feel?
What would he say then?
The two, engrossed in conversation, arrived in front of the cliff.
After looking up at the cliff for a moment, Geom Mugeuk said abruptly.
“You won’t be trying to tear down this cliff anymore, will you?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because you now have the confidence to surely tear it down.”
Geom Mugeuk could feel that the Fist Demon had grown stronger.
Indeed, even in their last fight, the Fist Demon had not let his pride get in the way and had fought with flexibility.
The fact that the once unbending Fist Demon had become flexible meant he had become that much stronger.
“I am still not confident.”
Knowing that these were words only a stronger person could say, Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly and looked up at the cliff.
“Congratulations, I think you’ve survived.”
A faint smile also appeared on the Fist Demon’s lips.
At that moment, a member of the Iron Fists ran to where they stood and delivered a dispatch.
“A dispatch has arrived for the Young Cult Master.”
It was a dispatch from the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, and the message inside was brief.
—Please come to the Heavenly Flower Pavilion.
Laughing Demon.