Chapter 566
As soon as Raon opened his eyes, he realized his world had changed. He could physically feel that he had stepped into the rarely achieved realm of a Grand Master, even among the formidable Six Yellow Demons.
His body felt as heavy as if he had plunged into the deep sea, his arms and legs as if they were weighed down by boulders.
Yet, the world around him moved even more slowly and heavily. It seemed this was the world one faced when a Grand Master fully unleashed their intent.
“This crazy fool!”
Wrath popped out from the bracelet, furrowing his brows.
“Who falls into a trance in the middle of a battlefield? How big is your audacity!”
He exclaimed incredulously, shaking his head.
“Why does someone like this get to break the barrier! It’s just not fair!”
‘Later, I’ll play with you. Keep quiet for now.’
Ignoring Wrath’s rant, Raon faced the distorted eyes of the Dragon Swordsmaster.
‘He’s strong.’
The force held by the Sword Master wielding the demonic sword Criathus felt beyond the mere word ‘strong.’
However, thanks to Rimmer relentlessly attacking him and shaving off his magical and aura energies, a path to victory was visible.
‘I need to end this now.’
He sensed it. The immense power he was facing couldn’t be sustained. He needed to strike down the Dragon Swordsmaster before this awakened state ended.
Hwaaaaa!
Reciting the intricacies of the Manifestation of Thousand Flames, Raon lifted his Celestial Sword. Eighteen pillars of fire that connected the sky and earth encircled the Sword Master, turning into a prison of flames with the firepower of a calamity.
“Flames, huh!”
The Sword Master swung Criathus trying to escape the heat of Domain of the Unyielding, but the eighteen streams of fire absorbed the demonic energy, strengthening the flames even more.
“What is this!”
He struck down hard with Criathus, releasing a vile burst of demonic energy, but the fire streams remained unextinguished.
Raon compressed the range of the flame prison with his intent, his eyes settling coldly.
‘This is Domain of the Unyielding.’
The Domain wasn’t just for attack or defense; it created a special barrier that resisted magical energy strongly.
This martial art was used by the ancestors of Zieghart when they fought a bizarre creature with reversed black and white eyes, and Raon hadn’t expected to use it so soon.
Kwaaaaang!
The Sword Master realized that the Domain resisted magical energy and extracted all his aura over it, attempting to split the fiery bars. The condensed aura caused a violent explosion, shaking the Domain.
“Damn it!”
He squeezed himself through a small gap, seemingly trying to escape the Domain even at the risk of burns.
“You should pay the toll before leaving.”
As the Sword Master tried to escape the Domain, Raon tightened the bars of flame.
Hwaaaaa!
The rapidly closing streams of fire etched deep burns into the Sword Master’s legs and waist.
“Kuuugh…”
The Sword Master gritted his teeth at the burning marks etched on him like a slave’s brand. The pain seemed to prevent his brow from unfurrowing.
“What have you done!”
“None of your business.”
Raon aimed his Celestial Sword at the Sword Master’s eyes and shook his head.
“Ha! You strut around over a single wound! The real fight starts now!”
The Sword Master, feeling humiliated by being pushed back in the battle of auras, generated a powerful wave that seemed to distort the atmosphere.
“Two wounds, actually. Can’t you count?”
Raon deflected the Sword Master’s aura with a flick of his finger, pointing at the burns on his waist and legs.
“Shut your mouth.”
The Sword Master glowered, lifting his demonic sword.
“A mere newcomer dares!”
Over the dark blade, demonic energy and aura blazed together, casting a sinister darkness.
“This isn’t the starting line, but the finish line where your head will fly.”
Raon curled his lips into a smile, sweeping up his Celestial Sword. The blade flowed with flames, condensing into a sun-like brilliance. The Grand Master’s unique skill had finally grasped.
“Shut up.”
“Then don’t talk.”
“Shut your trap!”
The Sword Master, unable to contain his anger, hurled Criathus. The demonic energy turned into a horrifyingly fast whirlwind, twisting the space.
Kyaaaang!
Raon pushed his Celestial Sword into the swirling vortex of demonic energy. The fiery blade pierced the darkness.
Kwaaaang!
The clash of the Manifestation of Thousand Flames and the demonic energy turned the ground between them inside out, and the blackened sky split.
As the ground settled, Raon breached the Sword Master’s space. The silver blade wrapped in flames embodied his unyielding will, slicing through the magical energy and advancing further.
“Krh!”
The Sword Master staggered back, biting his lip until it bled.
“What’s happening…”
He stared incredulously at Raon, feeling overwhelmed by the defeat.
Raon advanced, stepping on the Supreme Harmony Steps. With Rimmer’s support like a wind at his back, he raised a Fire Command.
Hwaaaaa!
From the tip of the blade, a red tree blossomed instantaneously, experiencing a lifetime of emotions as branches reached skyward, shedding petals.
Hundreds, no, thousands of fiery fragments followed Raon’s intent, blazing a red path. The pure petals of flame wrapped around the Sword Master in a storm of searing heat.
“This trifle!”
The Sword Master roared, raising his blade.
Criathus, before becoming a sword, seemed to revert to the Demonic Tree of Mingju, showing thick branches and casting dark leaves.
Kwaaaang!
The dark leaves from Criathus’ blade suppressed the Fire Command’s red petals.
Though the previous Fire Command would have let the petals fall, this one was different. The split petals regathered, forming a second storm.
“This, this is…”
The Sword Master’s eyes twisted. As he tried to thrust his sword again, the regathered petals advanced, interlocking with each other.
The red petals burned the black leaves and fell over the branches created by Criathus.
Kwaaaang!
The black tree was decorated with red petals, revealing a chilling beauty as immense heat exploded, wildly tearing apart the Sword Master’s magical energy and aura.
“Kuuugh!”
Emerging from the intense heat, the Sword Master was in a dire state. His robe was torn to shreds, and his face and left arm bore severe burns.
“Damn it…”
He looked at his cooked-like arm, biting his lip.
“What, what are you! How can you wield such power just after breaking through the barrier!”
The Sword Master, incredulous, charged forward, his face looking demonic.
“It’s not just my own power.”
Raon answered calmly, lifting a blazing flame with his blade. The space the blade touched continued directly into a wall.
Kwaaaang!
A literal wall of flame, the Pearl Wall, perfectly blocked the Sword Master’s burst of energy.
“A wall of bursts?”
Raon dove into the confused space of the Sword Master. The Pearl Wall’s flames, wrapped around the Celestial Sword, struck deeply.
“How dare you!”
As befitting a newly ascended Grand Master, the Sword Master instantly reacted, raising his demonic sword to create a shield of energy.
Raon, indifferent to whether he defended or not, completed his strike with the Celestial Sword lit with hot lines.
Manifestation of Thousand Flames.
Red Pith.
The thickness of the hot lines on the sword blade was finer than thread, twisting the space.
Chaaak!
The Sword Master’s energy shield cracked minutely. It was not his mistake; the Red Pith’s blade, imbued with the subtlety of spatial swordsmanship, had split the energy.
“This!”
The Sword Master hastily tried to regroup his energy, but Raon’s sword stroke had already skimmed across his chest.
Pukaak!
The heat caused the red blood to evaporate before it could even be seen, and a severe burn was engraved on the Sword Master’s chest.
“What, what…”
The Sword Master, clutching his chest, trembled as he stepped back.
Kooong!
Raon stepped forward with his left leg and thrust forward the Celestial Sword, its blade swirling with flames drawing the form of a fiery dragon.
From the gaping maw of the dragon, a breath of flames burst forth.
Kwaaaang!
The Flame Dragon’s Roar exploded, turning the land where the Sword Master stood into a lava field, with black smoke rising to the sky.
“Hu…”
Raon swallowed dryly, watching the faint golden flames blossom on the blade of the Celestial Sword.
‘Is this the true Manifestation of Thousand Flames?’
The Manifestation had always been a powerful sword technique, but as a Thousand Flames, it showed a different level of power.
It seemed that Zieghart’s ancestor had designed this swordsmanship with a Grand Master level swordsman in mind from the start.
‘I want to keep feeling this.’
Once this moment ended, it would be difficult to return to this state for a while.
To hasten that time, he had to engrain this sensation in his body.
“Hey!”
Wrath pushed his face forward.
“My techniques haven’t been used properly until now because you were too weak! Now, you might be able to follow a bit!”
He boasted that his technique was greater and even explained how to use it.
“Huuuh…”
The Sword Master staggered out of the burning ground, breathing heavily. His robe was gone, and his entire body was covered with vermilion burns like worms had crawled over him.
“Hot, isn’t it?”
Raon mocked as he reached out towards the Sword Master. His grip opened as if to seize his head, drawing forth Glacier.
Wrath of the Demon King Finale.
Silver Moon Aurora.
A blue radiance flashed from his outstretched hand like antlers, and the moment it was noticed, a chilling frost had already wrapped around the Sword Master.
Chiieeek!
The frost’s blade pierced the burnt wounds, causing the Sword Master’s injuries to blacken as they died.
Kwaaaaaaang!
The Sword Master tried with all his might to step back, but the Silver Moon Aurora clung to him like a leech, applying tremendous pressure on his legs.
“Just go away!”
Unable to bear it, the Sword Master planted his demonic sword into the ground, causing a storm of magical energy.
But even the magical energy froze in the chill, severely limiting his movement space.
A tremendous power surged through Raon’s legs. He burst forth, reaching the Sword Master’s right side. His outstretched left hand shimmered with a blue light.
Wrath of the Demon King Finale.
Silver Moon Demon Barrier.
A sphere formed between his palm and the Sword Master’s right shoulder, splitting and generating a wave of icy vibrations.
Kwaaaaaaang!
Unlike Wrath’s Silver Moon Demon Barrier, this was Raon’s unique finale, enveloping the Sword Master’s upper right body in ice.
“Kuhak!”
The Sword Master coughed up blood and retreated, trying to melt the Silver Moon Demon Barrier’s ice with magical fire, but the chill did not subside.
“Wuhehehehe!”
Wrath shook his rounded fist, chuckling.
“See? That’s the technique of the true king! Your little flames are nothing compared to this!”
He boasted that Glacier was superior to the Manifestation of Thousand Flames, stretching his mouth in a smirk.
‘So simplistic…’
Before, Wrath had criticized for following, and now he was praising it. Being with Wrath was like dancing to an unknown tune.
“It doesn’t make sense. How can someone who has just become a Grand Master…”
The Sword Master peeled off pieces of flesh fused with ice while his lips turned blue.
“You still don’t understand.”
Raon looked at him with pity.
“I haven’t just become stronger; you’ve become weaker.”
“What are you talking about…”
“Didn’t you feel anything fighting our Captain?”
Raon turned confidently to Rimmer, who might still be dead or alive, biting his lip.
“The Captain allowed you to freely spread your magical energy to sap the strength from your sword and your aura. Even as he fell, he trapped your magic within his own body.”
“Ah…”
At that revelation, the Sword Master’s face paled. The eyes chasing after Rimmer trembled.
“He doesn’t fight without reason. He calculated everything to pave this path.”
Raon licked his lips as he watched the Sword Master’s complexion darken further.
‘I don’t need to tell you the most critical part.’
He lifted the Celestial Sword, its silver-gray blade now shimmering with a golden radiance. Like the dawn opening the heavens, a blessed energy spread around.
“Our Captain is ours to tease. You are not someone to mock or disregard.”
Grasping the remaining vestiges of his awakening, Raon advanced towards the Sword Master.
“Rimmer! This filthy creature!”
The Sword Master roared as he charged. Not just with Criathus, but he seemed to have drawn upon all the energy he possessed, causing the earth and sky to convulse.
Raon moved into the roiling magical energy, pulling up his aura.
The aura from his lower energy center, bolstered by the firmness of the middle and wrapped by the intent of the upper, turned into a golden flame that soaked the Celestial Sword’s blade.
Raon and the Sword Master thrust their red and black sword strikes towards each other without a moment’s delay.
Kwaaaaaaang!
The clash of the Celestial Sword and the demonic sword created a fissure from heaven to earth.
Power against power, ascending martial arts against ascending martial arts, generated shockwaves of unmeasurable force. The ground turned over, trees uprooted.
It was a clash close to a stalemate, but soon the superiority was clear.
Crackkk!
The handle of Criathus, filled with all of the Sword Master’s power, crumbled, and the blade of magical energy began to scatter.
“Why… why is the demonic sword…”
He watched the crumbling handle of his sword, his eyes shaking.
“That’s the seed planted by our so-called foolish Captain.”
Unbeknownst to the psychologically pressured Sword Master, Rimmer had infused a subtle twist of wind into the blade of the demonic sword, creating a fine distortion.
The seed left by him opened the path for Raon to strike at the Sword Master’s neck.
“Wait a moment!”
Ignoring the Sword Master’s panicked cry, Raon pressed forward with the Celestial Sword. The golden flames engulfed the dissipating magical energy, radiating a majestic light towards the core of the dispersing magic.
Kwaaaaaaang!
An immense shockwave erupted, demolishing the buildings of the Rakion estate as if they were dominoes, and black smoke soared into the sky.
Huuummm!
As Raon lowered the Celestial Sword, the Sword Master’s bisected form became evident—his upper body completely severed from his lower. The crumbling demonic sword barely kept him alive.
“I, to be defeated by such a newcomer…”
“Your defeat… no…”
Raon looked down at the dying Sword Master, then gestured towards Rimmer.
“It’s our victory.”
