Chapter 545: Sword Demon (Sword Demon)

Sword Demon (Sword Demon)

The leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s combat unit, the Ghostly Blade Squad.

His age was somewhere between fifteen and forty.

I wasn’t sure exactly. I’d never asked.

Before becoming a Demon, his record was that of a rogue cultivator who killed anyone regardless of who they were.

He was famous for his cruel fighting style, as if he enjoyed slaughter.

The way he killed subdued opponents by slicing them like sashimi was enough to make your teeth chatter just hearing about it.

His alias that spread through the Central Plains back then was probably…

‘The Ghost-Slaying Sword (殺鬼劍).’

It couldn’t have been a more fitting alias.

It made the alias Geomma seem positively refined.

Given how crazy he was, it was perhaps natural that he eventually fell to become a Demon.

The Demonic Cult, preparing for war, must have been a place where Geomma could express his instincts without restraint.

Later, after becoming a Demon, it’s known that the power he received from the Heavenly Demon granted him the eyes of a ‘Fighting Demon (鬪鬼)’.

‘Was it something that allowed one to grasp the opponent’s movements more accurately?’

One could see the flow of internal energy and grasp clear movements.

It seemed similar to the realm of sensing energy, but I recall it being more intuitive.

‘I don’t know the specifics, though.’

Since I haven’t used it myself, I wouldn’t know what it feels like.

Right after taking charge of the Ghostly Blade Squad, he was a figure who led the charge in the war.

Compared to Magumhu at the time, he was a madman in a different sense.

‘He particularly hated Magumhu.’

If I recall the reason, was it because he didn’t get the position of vice-captain of the Black Flame Squad?

I don’t know if that was the real reason, but it’s true he’d charge at Magumhu as if to kill him whenever they met.

The Ghostly Blade Squad, which focused on killing missions, would have suited him better than the Black Flame Squad, which didn’t really involve much movement.

I have no idea why Geomma coveted that position.

‘If he wanted something, he should have coveted the captain’s position.’

It would have been better if he’d coveted my position like Nokwang. Geomma didn’t seem interested in the captain’s position at all.

He fought Magumhu for the position until the end, but Magumhu never lost his spot.

Later, he died at the hands of Singum during the war.

To summarize Geomma briefly:

A guy obsessed with slaughter.

That one line should suffice.

Thud-thud-!

I felt a presence along with debris pouring down from the wall.

Seeing that, I nodded.

I’d struck him intending to knock him out, but judging by his movements, he didn’t seem too harmed.

‘He slipped away slightly in the meantime.’

I recalled, feeling the sensation in my hand.

He didn’t seem to have grasped it visually, but the guy instinctively deflected my attack slightly.

So this is the difference with a master who would later be called Geomma.

Thump.

After waiting a moment, the guy revealed himself.

The flushed cheeks and the blood flowing from between his lips were even more noticeable against his pale skin.

He gripped his sword with one hand, staring at me with somewhat dull, yellow eyes.

I looked into his pupils and nodded.

‘That’s right.’

Yellow (黃色) irises. Those pupils meant only one thing.

‘The Heavenly Killing Star (天殺星).’

A fate born to kill people from birth until the moment of death.

I’d heard that’s exactly what the eyes of such people looked like.

‘This is my first time seeing it too.’

By the time I met Geomma, he had already become a Demon, so his pupils were tinged with purple.

Moreover, Heavenly Killing Stars are rare because they show signs from birth, and their lifespans aren’t very long.

‘Because they kill them upon discovery, you see.’

When their fate is clearly to become a murderous fiend, how could anyone let them live?

It was quite surprising that he was still alive at that age in this situation.

‘He’s not dying now, he’s just stubbornly enduring to become Geomma, I suppose.’

Thinking that way, it wasn’t bad.

That I found him, even at this late stage.

It wasn’t bad.

“You… what are you?”

He asked me. Looking at his eyes, it felt like his mind was half gone.

It seemed I’d heard that kind of question a lot over the past two days.

With that, I chuckled and said to him.

“I’m Gu Ga’s third son, and the person who came to catch you.”

“…”

Whooosh-!

“Oh.”

Did my words offend him? An immense killing intent erupted from his body.

It was an incredibly potent aura, as if he were advertising the fact that he was a Heavenly Killing Star.

It was so dense that the aura was taking shape, pressing down on everything around.

‘Interesting.’

I looked at the guy’s state with fascination.

Because I vaguely recalled the power he used in my past life.

‘He kept wrapping something around himself while fighting, was he using this?’

He’d condense the Heavenly Killing Star’s aura and wrap it around his sword.

Conversely, it seemed he used it as a substitute for protective energy reinforcement.

I thought it was just part of his martial arts. Was it the power of his constitution?

As I observed this with interest, the guy opened his mouth.

“…Don’t… interfere…”

Hearing that, I laughed in disbelief.

“What the hell? I’m the one who was interrupted while eating, why are you acting up?”

The yellow irises grew darker as time passed.

If Wi Seol-ah’s golden eyes gradually shone, these eyes were rather turning darker.

His aura also grew stronger simultaneously.

Soon, it began causing damage to the surroundings.

“Hee… heek.”

I heard a sound and looked beside me.

The customers had already fled in terror moments before, but the innkeeper seemed unable to leave.

I looked at him and said.

“Mister.”

“Y-yes?”

The man looked startled when suddenly called upon.

He seemed terrified.

Seeing that, I took something out of my pocket and tossed it to the man.

“Huk…?!”

The man’s eyes widened as he caught the item.

“That should be enough to cover the repairs later.”

I roughly grabbed some money from my pocket and threw it.

In terms of value, it would be enough to rebuild the shop even if it collapsed.

Additionally.

“If you’re not too busy, could you pack some dumplings too?”

“Yes, yes!”

Perhaps money really is good; the man, who had looked like he’d lost everything moments before, quickly went into the kitchen, careful not to drop what he held.

It seemed he was actually going to pack dumplings.

‘Shouldn’t evacuating be the priority?’

I wondered if that was even possible in this situation, but…

“Whatever.”

Honestly, it didn’t really matter to me.

Not really.

‘It doesn’t seem like there will be any damage.’

As I thought this, I turned my head.

Swish-!

The tip of the sword grazed right past my nose.

If I hadn’t turned, I would have been cut.

“Hmm.”

Fast.

No hesitation either.

Swish-!

As expected, not stopping at one strike, the guy began swinging his sword relentlessly.

And persistent, too.

His desire to cut me down somehow was palpable.

The speed was so fast it left afterimages in the air.

Killing intent poured from his body, yet his sword paths were impeccably clean.

Every point he aimed for was a vital spot.

‘His level… is a bit ambiguous?’

I could feel he had easily surpassed the peak level. The intensity of his energy and speed told me that much.

The reason I judged it ambiguous was…

‘He’s straddling the line.’

Between a perfected peak level and the Grandmaster realm. It felt like he was somewhere in between.

After dodging the sword once more, I pushed forward slightly.

The guy kept swinging his sword as if refusing to back down, but…

From within the countless sword paths, I slightly extended my hand.

Thwack-!

“…!”

The flat of my palm dug precisely into Geomma’s chest.

Struck by the impact, the guy was pushed back.

“Gack…”

He coughed dryly, as if his breathing was disrupted.

The physical pain would be minimal, but his energy must have been thrown off balance, resulting in a significant backlash.

‘Wow.’

Looking at him, I couldn’t help but admire him inwardly.

While his level was ambiguous, achieving that much was still impressive.

It was quite an achievement considering Geomma’s current age.

I didn’t know his exact age, but he was undoubtedly in the later stages of discipleship.

That’s why I was puzzled.

‘Why hasn’t someone like this been known until now?’

Seeing him in person made me even more curious.

The reason I specifically sought out the Guangdong region at this time…

It was because I knew he started becoming active around this time.

This means someone of this caliber only started making moves now.

It’s considerably late, to say the least.

As a Heavenly Killing Star, it would be understandable if he lived in hiding.

But if so, it was even stranger.

‘It doesn’t seem like he endured this alone.’

For both strengthening his power and for survival, there must have been someone backing him.

Otherwise, there’s no way a Heavenly Killing Star could have survived until becoming like that.

Of course.

‘Whatever the case.’

It was a good thing for me.

‘Because it’s the perfect timing.’

Since he’s only just starting to become active.

Now was the right time.

To capture the one who would become Geomma.

“I’ll kill you…! I’ll kill you!”

Perhaps it was because his attacks weren’t landing while he kept getting hit, his expression contorted further.

Simultaneously, his killing intent intensified.

Thump-!

He charged at me rapidly, imbued with immense pressure.

The materialized killing intent converged into his sword.

It looked quite threatening, but…

Sla-ack-!

“Nngh…”

It’s pointless if it doesn’t hit anyway.

I cut off his sword path and struck his face directly.

The guy staggered after taking the blow.

‘There’s nothing more to see here.’

Dragging this out seems pointless.

‘Should I finish this soon?’

Thinking that, I nodded.

‘I’ve already spent too much time as it is.’

I spent two days trying to catch this one guy.

It’s fortunate I finally caught him, but this was also thanks to luck intervening.

Therefore, I needed to finish quickly and handle the next task.

I took a step forward.

Seeing that, the guy moved simultaneously.

Even though the hit was light, it must have caused considerable pain, yet his eyes were filled with madness.

That actually pleased me.

‘It means he’s already a villain.’

A guy who wouldn’t be a problem even if turned into a Demon.

I liked guys like that.

It makes things easier when I need to use them.

I immediately raised my internal energy.

‘It’ll be a hassle if he acts up later, so let’s just break an arm or a leg.’

As I prepared to move with that intention…

The guy also started slashing his sword.

The blade mixed sword energy and killing intent.

Moreover, it was an awkward sword path that only aimed for vital spots.

‘I’ll dodge appropriately and break his leg first…’

“Huh?”

Just as I was about to continue my move, something caught my eye.

The guy’s sword path, which attacked like a flurry of slashes.

As I dodged it with my footwork, I noticed something strange.

Swoosh-!

The sword tip swayed, drawing a semicircle.

Tuk-!

As if supporting it, his toes landed lightly.

A part I hadn’t noticed due to the overwhelming killing intent was now particularly visible.

‘What is it?’

That movement.

It bothers my eyes.

Twisting my footwork, I lunged forward.

Shwick-!

The blade grazed my cheek. I could feel blood flowing.

Perhaps it was because I suddenly lunged forward, surprise flickered in the guy’s eyes.

So, without stopping, he swung his sword again.

Chak-!

“…!”

I grabbed the blade he swung with my thumb and index finger, stopping it.

Just like that.

I powerfully struck the guy’s jaw.

Bbak-!

“Ngh…!”

It landed properly.

As proof, he collapsed to his knees with a single cry of pain.

Thump.

I didn’t particularly help him up.

Because it didn’t seem like his body would break from something like this.

Moreover, this wasn’t the time to worry about such things.

Looking at the fallen Geomma, I pondered.

“What the hell is this guy?”

A sword filled with killing intent.

Dull yellow eyes proving he was a Heavenly Killing Star.

Even the aura steeped in madness.

He was definitely the Geomma I knew, yet…

Why on earth…

“Is he using the sword style of a Taoist sect?”

Not just any Taoist sect, but one of the Nine Great Sects.

A prestigious lineage called the Guardians of Qinghai.

‘The Kunlun Sect.’

His sword technique clearly bore traces of that place.