Swordmaster Geomseon clicked his tongue as he examined Hyeopje’s wound.

“Chungcheon did a clean job cutting it. I suppose that’s a small mercy.”

Hyeopje gave a wry smile in response.

Geomseon’s touch was both gentle and skilled, a result of his years of practicing medicine since the days of the Late Goryeo Dynasty, helping those who couldn’t afford a doctor.

“Hold still.”

“Yes.”

Geomseon applied the golden wound medicine he had prepared in advance, treating Hyeopje’s injury. As he looked at the blood-soaked bandages, he asked, “You’re not planning to go back down, are you?”

Hyeopje shook his head. “I’ve come this far; I might as well see it through. Only then will I have the face to meet the subordinates of the Martial Alliance.”

“Do as you wish.”

Watching Hyeopje smile, Geomseon glanced at the old bamboo hat lying beside him. Hyeopje was rarely seen without it, joking that it was the symbol of a wandering swordsman.

“You’ve taken off your bamboo hat.”

Noticing Geomseon’s observation, Hyeopje nodded with a smile. “Yes. I’ve walked long enough. It’s time to stop and rest. Besides, I have trustworthy juniors now.”

Geomseon chuckled softly, gently stroking Hyeopje’s scarred hand. “You’ve worked hard. These hands have saved countless lives.”

“Coming from you, that puts my mind at ease.”

Clap, clap!

Applause echoed across the mountain.

It was the Palace Lord, who had been watching the martial arts contest.

“How heartwarming. After all that growling, you end on such a harmonious note.”

The Palace Lord’s sarcasm was met with a retort from Muhwi.

“Looks like your master-disciple relationship is a mess too. Why not use this chance to mend it?”

The mention made the Heavenly Demon Lord snort, his nostrils flaring.

“Heh. Got smacked by the Sword Saint for nothing. Didn’t he do the same during the initiation ceremony?”

The Demon Lord chuckled, slapping his knee in amusement at Muhwi’s words.

“Hmph.”

The Palace Lord forced a smile, though his eyes remained cold. Soon, even the smile vanished as he slowly rose from his seat.

He looked at Geomseon and Heukcheon, the two men yet to face off. It wouldn’t have been surprising for the Palace Lord to choose either, given his open hostility towards Heukcheon.

The Palace Lord bowed respectfully to Heukcheon, his master.

“Master, would you care to assess your inadequate disciple’s progress?”

Heukcheon nodded slightly. “Very well. Let’s do that.”

As Heukcheon approached, the Palace Lord’s smile grew, though his aura darkened.

Stopping at a suitable distance, Heukcheon read the Palace Lord’s energy and spoke.

“It seems you’ve devoured all the previous Night Lords and the old demons of the Dark Demon Cave.”

The Palace Lord’s lips twisted further at Heukcheon’s words. Despite pretending not to care, Heukcheon was aware of everything happening in the Black Night Palace.

‘So he knows.’

The former Night Lords and the demons of the Dark Demon Cave outwardly followed the Palace Lord but were truly loyal only to Heukcheon.

Thus, the Palace Lord had no qualms about eliminating them. The Black Night Palace needed to be purified of impurities. It was his domain, after all.

“Yes. I’ve made some efforts to meet your expectations, Master.”

“Expectations… What meaning is there in a path of darkness walked by another’s hand? Only by immersing oneself in the darkness and coloring it with one’s essence does one truly become a demon.”

The Palace Lord merely offered a twisted smile at Heukcheon’s rebuke.

“Yes. That’s why I’m trying to immerse myself in the darkness now, aren’t I?”

Finally, the Palace Lord unleashed a thick killing intent towards Heukcheon.

The long-suppressed malice spread with the demonic energy, but Heukcheon merely clasped his hands behind his back.

‘A true path of darkness.’

Watching a disciple openly declare his intent to kill his master, Muhwi shook his head.

As the demonic energy writhed around the Palace Lord, the light around Heukcheon began to fade.

Though the sun was high in the sky, the area around the mountain peak seemed to be enveloped in approaching night.

“Give it your all, without regret.”

At Heukcheon’s words, the Palace Lord lunged forward.

In a flash, the Palace Lord struck with a palm attack. Heukcheon, releasing his clasped hands, countered with the same technique.

Crack!

Boom!

With a sound like a drum bursting, the Palace Lord steadied himself with his left foot, absorbing the shock of the clash with his stance. Regaining his balance, he launched a flurry of attacks with both hands.

Each movement of the Palace Lord’s hands, shrouded in dense demonic energy, left black afterimages in the air, vibrating the atmosphere.

Forehead. Solar plexus. Philtrum. Eyes.

Each strike targeted a vital point, the techniques dark and filled with killing intent, unbefitting of a disciple facing his master.

Despite the demonic nature of the techniques, the Palace Lord, at his level, could have transcended them, but he showed no such intention.

Instead, the killing intent seemed even more pronounced than the original demonic techniques.

Bang!

The Palace Lord, hands wrapped in demonic energy, deflected the incoming force and dove towards Heukcheon’s lower body.

Watching the Palace Lord, Heukcheon’s foot rose to head height before swiftly dropping. The Palace Lord, seemingly retreating, twisted his body and unleashed a series of wind blades.

The wind blades, powerful enough to pierce rock, were effortlessly suppressed by Heukcheon with a mere flick of his fingers, scattering them into nothingness.

Meanwhile, the Palace Lord gathered demonic energy in both hands.

Demonic Energy Dispersion.

The demonic energy, swirling between his palms, burst forth towards Heukcheon at the Palace Lord’s command.

The thick column of demonic energy exploded towards Heukcheon’s upper body.

Boom!

The Palace Lord’s eyes widened at the sight.

Heukcheon had extended his palm, twisting the flow of the Demonic Energy Dispersion, causing it to scatter in all directions.

What should have surged as a single stream of demonic energy was split into dozens of strands, shooting skyward.

Crash!

The demonic energy soared diagonally, shattering a massive boulder before dissipating into the air.

‘What a monster!’

Astonished by Heukcheon’s ability to block his ultimate technique with mere force, the Palace Lord quickly adjusted his stance and movements.

The close distance remained unchanged. The Palace Lord took a step forward, closing the gap even further.

Bang!

The Palace Lord’s hands crossed, releasing a series of sinister energy waves. He scattered the demonic energy around Heukcheon, slicing diagonally with his hand.

Swish!

Following the Palace Lord’s gesture, the demonic energy surrounding Heukcheon split apart. Before it could recombine, the Palace Lord forced his energy into it.

Boom!

The energy exploded right in front of Heukcheon, but he easily dispersed it with a wave of his hand.

As Heukcheon twisted his ankle and shifted his body, the Palace Lord lunged forward, relentlessly targeting Heukcheon’s vital points.

Relentlessly baring his fangs, the Palace Lord attacked without hesitation, like a beast ready to pounce at any opportunity. His ferocious momentum was reminiscent of a wild predator.

Unlike the erratic footwork of the Black Night Palace Lord, Heukcheon moved leisurely, countering each attack. The Palace Lord’s eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Heukcheon’s calm demeanor.

“Master, you seem quite at ease.”

“Have you warmed up?”

“Yes. Now, let’s get serious.”

The demonic energy surrounding the Black Night Palace Lord began to stir. What had been mere smoke thickened, writhing as if alive.

Then, the demonic energy split into eight tendrils, forming tentacle-like shapes that shot towards Heukcheon. It was as if the Palace Lord had grown eight new arms.

Crash!

The Palace Lord’s demonic energy moved violently, sweeping around Heukcheon. Meanwhile, the Palace Lord himself leaped forward, delivering a powerful punch towards Heukcheon.

As Heukcheon dodged, the demonic energy struck the ground, leaving a deep crater in its wake.

‘That’s no ordinary power.’

Feeling the shockwave from the demonic energy’s impact, Muhwi closely observed the martial arts displayed by the Palace Lord and Heukcheon.

‘Is it the essence of the Formless Sword, or the inherent strangeness of the demonic techniques?’

Muhwi analyzed each move of the Palace Lord’s demonic techniques, knowing their roots lay with Heukcheon.

‘What a pity.’

While the Palace Lord unleashed a series of ultimate techniques, Heukcheon had yet to reveal any noteworthy demonic arts.

The demonic energy, extending in all directions, wrapped around the darkness surrounding Heukcheon. It seemed poised to crush him completely. At that moment, Heukcheon’s demonic energy finally reacted.

Crackle!

Heukcheon’s demonic energy shot out in all directions, forming a spiky barrier like a hedgehog.

The Palace Lord’s demonic energy, which had surrounded Heukcheon, was instantly shredded. The spikes trembled, transforming into spear-like shapes.

“Take this.”

With those words, twenty spear-shaped demonic energies shot towards the Palace Lord, each following a different trajectory.

The scene before Mu-hui’s eyes was like a storm of countless spears charging at once, causing him to narrow his gaze.

“Can they really be controlled separately like that?”

Yet, judging by the Empress’s intense focus, it seemed she couldn’t wield the dark energy as effortlessly as Heuk-cheon.

“Well… this is interesting.”

Sado Cheonju, observing the spectacle, let out a cold chuckle.

It wasn’t just a matter of increasing numbers. Each spear-shaped dark energy was infused with a different spear technique.

It was as if twenty masters of the spear had each added their own flair to create this display of mastery.

Sado Cheonju looked at Heuk-cheon.

“I thought he specialized in fist techniques, but I guess not. If he can suddenly showcase spear techniques like this, who knows what else he can do.”

It wasn’t just Sado Cheonju who glimpsed the vast expanse of martial arts Heuk-cheon had mastered; other masters were equally intrigued.

“Haah!”

The Empress let out a cry that was almost a scream, spreading her dark energy in all directions, creating a massive barrier of energy.

Her hands moved swiftly, leaving countless shadows in the air.

Boom!

As the twenty or so dark spears simultaneously struck above the Empress’s head, a thunderous roar erupted.

The ensuing clash between the Empress’s ultimate technique and the dark spears sent a massive shockwave sweeping across the peak of Joyangbong.

A mushroom-shaped cloud of dust rose high, and with a wave of his hand, Heuk-cheon sent the dust flying beyond the summit.

Seeing the Empress revealed, Heuk-cheon twisted his lips into a smile for the first time.

“You managed to withstand it.”

In the center of a deep crater, the Empress stood, staggering. Her body was a mess, blood flowing from numerous wounds, and her right hand was completely gone.

Yet, even as she clutched the stump of her missing arm, her eyes burned with fierce determination.

“The old you would have died. It seems devouring those demons paid off.”

For the first time, Heuk-cheon stepped forward, moving toward the Empress. She could only let out a pained laugh as she watched him approach.

“Empress… no, my disciple.”

“Yes, Master.”

The darkness surrounding Heuk-cheon spread wide and deepened as he walked, cloaked in night.

“Those who engaged in the duel seemed to have learned much about each other. Did you, my disciple, feel the same?”

The Empress stared intently at Heuk-cheon.

“I felt nothing.”

“Indeed. Your achievements failed to impress me as well.”

Heuk-cheon slowly raised his hand.

“Funny, isn’t it? We were the closest in this volcanic duel, yet it was the driest and most barren of all.”

At this, the Empress straightened her back and laughed.

“That’s all because of you, Master. Surely, you must have felt something as you withstood my attacks.”

“Yes, anger, regret, remorse. I felt many things, though none truly resonated with me.”

The Empress coughed up a mouthful of dark blood and looked at Heuk-cheon.

“You said those who stray from humanity’s path become demons… but you’ve gone beyond even that, becoming a true demon.”

Heuk-cheon tilted his head at her words, then suddenly burst into laughter, a sound that made Joyangbong tremble.

“Hmm!”

Even the surrounding masters had to draw upon their inner strength just from that laughter. Heuk-cheon grabbed the Empress by the throat as she was about to collapse.

“Yes. I started as a human, became a demon, and now, I’ve truly become a demon.”

He tightened his grip on her throat.

“My foolish disciple, you’ve finally awakened something in your master. Well done.”

The dark energy swirling around Heuk-cheon enveloped both him and the Empress.

Wooong!

The energy grew, forming a massive black pillar. When it dispersed, only Heuk-cheon stood there, alone.

He glanced at where the Empress had been, then turned away without hesitation, looking toward the sword master.

“Sword Master. Come forth.”