The Outer God Needs Warmth-Chapter 79: Why do we use knives? (14)

The main building of the Heavenly Demon Church.

The building was erected on a terrain where the ground, rich in limestone, had been eroded by water, leaving behind solid rock formations. The area is dotted with stone pillars rising from the earth like a forest.

From the outside, it looks like a massive structure standing on countless stone columns.

It may appear to be a beautiful pavilion, but in reality, it was a fortress built in preparation for potential intrusions. The stone pillars have buildings built on top of them, connected by passageways with walls and roofs.

If one were to enter carelessly, they would be led in circles through the labyrinth of houses on the stone columns.

However, for those who had lived here for a long time, the structure is no different from any ordinary house.

For most of the people in the Heavenly Demon Church, including the man they call the Sect Leader, the main building of the Heavenly Demon Church is as familiar as their own bedroom.

He led his followers into the deepest part of the Heavenly Demon Church’s main building.

"Burn this place as well."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

Guseongyong, the former Sect Leader, gave the order. As soon as his command was given, his subordinate broke through a wall in the corner of the passage and pushed a flame into the opening.

As soon as the group exited the passage, the fire spread. Though it was just a cigarette ember, once it caught fire, the highly flammable substances in the passage would ignite with intense heat, burning it down.

"Is it okay to burn this place like this?"

A young man, following Guseongyong, asked him.

"I’m just using the device that was originally meant to cut off the path by burning it. Why? Are you worried it will be damaged because it’s where you’ll live?"

Guseongyong, a middle-aged man, turned the question back to him. The young man, with a stiff expression, answered.

"I’m helping you because of the promise."

"Yes. That’s enough for now."

Guseongyong didn’t seem to expect much more and entered without further reaction.

The trivial matters didn’t matter.

Guseongyong’s goal was to remove the enemy using the name of the Heavenly Demon and return to his original position.

Thus, he gathered people and launched an attack on the Heavenly Demon Church.

In fact, having already recruited over half of the faction leaders, it was more of a removal of foreign invaders than an attack. Thanks to the help of some of the Heavenly Demon Church’s internal members, they arrived at the place where the Heavenly Demon resided without much of a fight.

The innermost room of the main building.

As soon as they entered the room, they witnessed a shocking scene for people of that time.

The middle-aged man was dressed as a woman.

"So it was you, Guseongyong. If you had survived, you should’ve fled, then I would’ve pretended not to notice."

Moreover, he spoke in a feminine tone.

"Jeongha, have you gone mad?"

Guseongyong, with a look of disgust, called the Heavenly Demon by his real name. But the Heavenly Demon simply pointed at himself as he looked at him.

"There was a fatal flaw in the 'Kyuhwa Bojeon.' Wasn’t this the appearance you wanted when you gave me the secret techniques?"

The Heavenly Demon’s words startled those around him.

"Kyuhwa Bojeon!" "Supreme Martial Art!" "Absolute Divine Art!"

All eyes naturally turned toward Guseongyong.

"When one masters martial arts, a powerful Yin energy rises. So, for men, the Yang and Yin energies clash, causing them to fall into madness. For women, they can’t endure the rising Yin energy. It’s certainly a powerful martial art that no one can handle. But, you’ve mastered it, haven’t you?"

But Guseongyong responded calmly.

He knew the flaw of the Kyuhwa Bojeon well.

It was a martial art created by a eunuch. While undeniably powerful, he also knew that its conditions were extremely harsh.

And there was one more thing he knew.

Any martial artist who sees it would know that they can’t endure the overwhelming power unless they train. He knew this.

So, he gave it to the Heavenly Demon, without ever using it himself. He was sure that it would destroy the Heavenly Demon.

No, of course, he hadn’t predicted that the Heavenly Demon would transform into a woman, but he had certainly been successfully destroyed.

"Hmph. You speak well. But it’s already too late, Guseongyong."

The Heavenly Demon stood up. Wearing cumbersome silk robes, it was difficult for him to move, and he had no weapon nearby, not even within arm's reach.

Wondering what the Heavenly Demon was planning, Guseongyong aimed his sword at him and asked.

"Too late?"

The young men and women around them, as well as the middle-aged and elderly men, all drew their swords, growing suspicious of a potential trap after hearing the Heavenly Demon’s words.

But there was no trap.

"Now, the person who will handle the true Heavenly Demon martial art, not the fake one you’ve been using, will take the place of the Heavenly Demon. Jeonyang."

As he said the name, the Heavenly Demon pointed toward the door leading to the innermost room.

The door swung open with a creak, and a large man walked out.

But something was strange.

His skin was so pale that it could be mistaken for a disease, and his hair, visible from under a bandana, and the beard covering his face were both a vivid purple.

In this world, people have different colored hair, like in a mythical martial world, but this purple color was so stark and unnatural that it didn’t seem like a color you’d see on the street.

When the man, whose face was covered by a beard, smiled and raised his sword, a sharp purple energy shot out from the blade, glowing like a lightsaber.

The intense energy caused Guseongyong to instinctively channel his own energy into his sword, creating a strong aura of the same purple color.

But now that it was right in front of him, there was a noticeable difference. The inherent power in the light felt distinctly different, as if comparing water to lava.

"This ceremony to pass down the name wasn’t done, but this much should be enough to be called the Heavenly Demon, don’t you think?"

"Already. The name 'Heavenly Demon' is mine."

Jeonyang said, and then, like an arrow, he charged at Guseongyong.

"Now, go to your grave, old man!"

The clash of swords was like the sound of heavy machinery colliding.

"The man’s lover talks too much!"

A man standing behind Guseongyong drew his sword and swung it toward Jeonyang. To introduce him, he was Gwangmyeong Josa, the head of security.

But Jeonyang deflected the blow.

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Then, using the immense power supplied by the upper dantian, he swung his sword, gathering energy not from himself, but from somewhere else, wielding the Heavenly Demon martial art.

Technically speaking, the original Heavenly Demon martial art was the one Guseongyong used. But after using the name "Heavenly Demon" to conquer the martial world and be known as the Martial God, the martial art he used was called the Heavenly Demon martial art, and now Jeonyang was using it.

In terms of pure energy, even if all the attackers combined, they wouldn’t have been able to defeat Jeonyang. Every time he swung his sword, the internal energy of the attackers scattered like trash, destroying the environment around him.

However, strength alone doesn’t necessarily make one strong in battle.

Martial artists who had lived through decades of fighting had techniques that surpassed Jeonyang’s raw power. They countered his strength with grace, and when straight lines met curves, they adapted.

Originally, martial arts are made to fight strong opponents, so a powerful monster using martial arts would only find its technique working against itself.

Guseongyong realized that he wasn’t going to match up with Jeonyang and immediately passed the fight to someone else behind him. Then he raised his sword and pointed it at Jeongha.

"You’ve broken a taboo."

At those words, Jeongha stood up and laughed.

"Yes, Guseongyong. If you know how to become a Martial God, shouldn’t you use it? Now that Jeonyang has learned that he’s not perfect, I’ll take your lives."

Jeongha raised her hand. Hidden beneath the long sleeves was a small knife.

But the moment a sinister energy surged from it, the knife transformed from a mere fruit-peeling knife into a deadly weapon capable of cutting down anyone.

"Omyoungseong! I can’t take him down alone!"

Guseongyong screamed, and the young man immediately drew his sword and rushed to his side.

With a sharp ringing sound, they barely deflected Jeongha’s attack, and both of them pointed their weapons toward her.

It became a battle of multiple people.

Jeongha’s fight was eerily cold and precise. Each swing of her sword was like a carefully crafted piece of art, making use of all the logic one could fit into a small knife. Guseongyong and Omyoungseong were so busy trying to block her that they were nearly overwhelmed.

The reason they didn’t immediately lose was because of two factors:

One, the weapon Jeongha used was a small knife.

Two, the martial art they used was the Absorption Technique.

A martial art that drains the opponent’s inner energy, absorbing their power and turning them into mummies, it was similar to the Kyuhwa Bojeon in its brutality.

With that, they were able to maintain a delicate balance.

But it could only be maintained until something special happened.

At that moment.

Jeonyang’s fight was different from theirs. His Heavenly Demon martial art, supplied by his upper dantian, was more akin to a massive monster rampaging than just martial arts.

At first, the attackers were clearly losing.

Though they were numerous, they were cut down instantly upon contact with his sword. Even if they blocked it, they were injured gravely as if they had collided with a massive boulder.

They didn’t immediately lose because Jeonyang hadn’t fought someone who could use martial arts properly before.

Before he became a Harvester, he was just a Ho-bob who could barely wield a sword.

He had only ever fought with other fighters lined up, nothing more.

He had a few days of practice with Jeongha, but that was simply training, not an actual battle.

Great strength and such minimal experience.

Had he been a monster from the start, he might have wielded his power more effectively, but instead, he was like trying to use an excavator to scoop up food.

That was why he lost.

Because he hadn’t killed them at first, the tide of battle turned.

Tiny mistakes accumulated, causing his body to become more wounded. Those wounds interfered with his movements and stopped him from thinking properly.

And he wasn’t a genius who could grow while fighting.

At some point, Jeonyang’s sword cut into a crucial muscle, and he lost his grip on the sword. But the Heavenly Demon martial art wasn’t just swordsmanship. Though he raised his fist, he could still fight.

"Graaaaah!"

Jeongha’s daughter, Gumeilmil, who had been watching the fight between her beloved Omyoungseong and her father, Guseongyong, knew they were losing. She took advantage of a crucial moment and deeply stabbed Jeonyang.

The fatal blow came from her, causing a loud scream.

"Jeonyang!"

Jeongha’s focus was pulled away by the cry of someone important.

The balance that had been precarious was broken.

Guseongyong and Omyoungseong didn’t miss the opening, and they swiftly severed Jeongha’s arms and legs.

Jeongha collapsed to the ground.

But her gaze stayed fixed on Jeonyang, not leaving him for a second.

Seeing this, Guseongyong clicked his tongue.

"The Heavenly Demon, with that name, is a sorry sight."

Jeongha, whose face was half-washed in blood and sweat, looked up at Guseongyong.

"Former Sect Leader. Spare Jeonyang. You hate me, don’t you?"

"Of course, I’ll spare him. I’m curious about the structure of a human who has broken a taboo."

Jeongha knew what Guseongyong meant. She was going to be used as experimental material.

"Run, Jeonyang!"

Using her uncut arms and legs, Jeongha ran toward Jeonyang with a scream, not sparing her own body.

But with her limbs severed, her body couldn’t move properly. Guseongyong had seen enough and had prepared to respond.

At that moment.

"Heavenly Demon! You must flee!"

Eunchun entered the scene and unleashed the Heavenly Demon martial art. It was exactly the same martial art Jeonyang had been using.

As soon as those around Jeonyang saw it, they sensed the danger and immediately rushed in.

Covered in blood, Jeonyang saw the people surrounding him disappear and immediately ran toward the Heavenly Demon. He grabbed him, embracing him tightly, and hurled himself toward the wall.

The wall behind them was a steep cliff, and one would have to fall for quite some distance before reaching the water. The height was such that a fall would almost certainly be fatal.

Being in such a place, no one followed them down.

As they fell toward the surface, Jeonyang, with his pale face, lifted Jeongha as carefully as possible, trying to avoid harming her. As they approached death, he asked.

"Why did you love someone like me?"

Jeonyang held Jeongha in his arms as they plunged into the water, dying without hearing her answer.

Far from the water’s surface, in a room with a hole in the wall, Guseongyong looked down at them, his face twisted in horror.

"How disgusting."

"Is it?"

A sound, one that shouldn’t have been heard, echoed.

Looking to the side, there was a woman with purple hair. She was tall, but her body resembled that of a child more than a woman.

However, there was no energy to sense. It was as if nothing was there from the start. To the naked eye, she appeared to be an ordinary person who didn’t know martial arts.

While Guseongyong was unable to make sense of the situation, the figure immediately leaped into the hole.

Unable to understand what was happening, Guseongyong could only watch as the girl fell.

After a long while, the girl collided with the water’s surface, and her body shattered into pieces.

He witnessed what seemed like a nightmare come to life.

The shattered corpse on the surface of the water began to regenerate, as if time were being reversed.

"Purple fanatic. Four Chaos."

Guseongyong unknowingly murmured the name of something he had seen in the records left by the Martial God.

The mad god with purple power. The chaos that destroys the world.

The taboo set by the Martial God is down there.