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Translator: uly
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: This Seat is the Heavenly Demon (1)
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The Heavenly Demon had no mercy in his appearance.
His eyes always blazed red like glowing coals, and his fangs were as long as a beast's tusks.
His rock-like muscular frame was too massive to call human, and his face was so ferocious that even the grim reaper from hell would flee.
Even though his personality wasn't particularly savage or cruel, the Heavenly Demon couldn't hold a normal conversation with others.
"Hoo."
The Heavenly Demon let out an exclamation.
But the assassin who met his gaze trembled in his legs.
Black Cloud Dark Emperor.
This assassin, whose name was as grandiose as it got, had been sent by the Murim Alliance to kill the Heavenly Demon who dominated the martial world.
But he was caught by the Heavenly Demon before he could even deploy his assassination technique.
"Until now, no righteous sect fool or anyone else has dared point a sword at this seat."
The Heavenly Demon nodded as he looked down at the Black Cloud Dark Emperor.
"Commendable."
The Heavenly Demon wore a pleased expression as he gazed at the terrified assassin.
But the Black Cloud Dark Emperor, meeting the Heavenly Demon's eyes, let out a scream like a dying wail.
"O-oh, stay away!"
"Don't command this seat to come or go."
The Heavenly Demon had merely stated his thoughts.
But seeing those fangs bared, red eyes flashing as he grinned, the Black Cloud Dark Emperor's three souls and seven spirits flew straight up to the heavens.
"Uwaaa! Stay away!"
Puk.
In the end, the Black Cloud Dark Emperor drew his poisoned dagger across his own throat.
Rather than being captured by the Heavenly Demon—called the lord of hell, the greatest demon of all time—and tortured to death, he chose a peaceful end.
"What is this?"
The Heavenly Demon looked down at the dead assassin with a bewildered expression.
"A madman, it seems."
Snowy Mountains, Purple霞 Peak.
There, the Heavenly Demon was practicing his fist techniques.
Paat.
With a light punch, the ground split and the clouds in the sky parted.
Even after breaking through the ultimate realm achievable by humans, he continued to hone his martial arts.
The Heavenly Demon had no equals.
From the moment he ventured into the martial world, having reached the pinnacle of martial arts, he had never once been defeated.
In just three years, he conquered the martial world, placing all the righteous sects beneath his feet.
There was no rival anywhere in the world.
Yet he still honed his martial arts, holing up in the Demon Vault every day to read books.
-There will be one.
Deep down, the Heavenly Demon believed it.
Someone who could make his body tremble, forcing him to use all his power in battle, would appear.
Eventually, a true rival worthy of the name would show up someday.
* * *
With a flash of light, a massive meteor plummeted from the sky into the courtyard of a traditional Korean house.
Kwaang!
Amid a earth-shaking explosion, blue light surged from where the meteor had crashed.
The blue light began intricately drawing mysterious patterns on the ground.
Charararang.
With a sound like stardust scattering, the patterns vanished, and from the thick dust, a dark shadow let out a low groan.
"Kuhng."
Amid the shattered wooden debris, the shadow buried there glowed with crimson light.
As the wind blew and the dust cleared, the shadow's form gradually revealed itself under the moonlight.
It was a muscular man in a sleeveless outfit exposing his arms.
His wild hair was tied up in a topknot, and worm-like veins writhed on his log-thick arms.
Druruk.
At that moment, a sliding door opened, and a girl chewing on jerky stepped out into the courtyard.
"What was that noise? This, uh?"
The girl, locking eyes with the man emanating bloody light from the debris, dropped the jerky from her mouth.
"Wh-who are you?"
A body like a heavyweight bodybuilder, scarlet eyes, tattered martial robes with hands clasped as if ready to unleash a palm strike...
"Gouki?"
The muscular man before her somehow resembled the final boss from those old '90s fighting games.
"What's a Gouki?"
"Then who are you?"
"Who this body is, you ask?"
Still lying amid the debris, emanating crimson light, the muscular man looked up at the girl and spoke in a solemn voice.
"This seat is the Heavenly Demon."
* * *
The Heavenly Demon.
The supreme martial artist whose arms could tear the heavens and legs split the earth.
Known as the overlord of demonic arts, the sky of the demonic path, the king of terror, the cold-blooded killer without blood or tears, and more...
In truth, he was nothing but a simple martial arts fanatic who had spent his childhood in secluded training.
But the girl, who knew nothing of the Heavenly Demon, blinked.
"Heavenly Demon?"
"Indeed."
"Your name is Heavenly Demon?"
"You don't know this seat?"
The Heavenly Demon furrowed his brows.
No one in the vast martial world of the central plains was ignorant of the Heavenly Demon's name.
But the girl just stared with wide, rabbit-like eyes, as if asking who that was.
'She's serious.'
The emotions reflected in her eyes were pure and transparent—no hint of a lie.
Letting out a deep sigh, the Heavenly Demon kindly corrected her.
"Not a name, a title. It means the strongest warrior who rules the demonic path—no, the entire martial world."
"So?"
"For some reason, I got caught in a huge light. When I opened my eyes, here I was."
Only then did the girl notice the massive tree planted in the courtyard had been smashed to pieces, and she clutched her hair.
"My treasure! My Spirit Tree!"
The tree was shattered like glass, leaving only a large trunk.
And amid the debris, multicolored fragments twinkled, gradually losing their glow.
"Aaaaah!"
The girl fell to her knees and wailed.
"What the hell is this! Why is it smashed?!"
"Why the fuss?"
"This tree is a Spirit Tree!"
The girl pointed to the scattered multicolored shards.
"Do you know what a Spirit Tree is?"
"Valuable, I suppose."
"Of course!"
Watching her yell, the Heavenly Demon made an odd face.
'This seat outranks even the previous generation's masters...'
The ruler of the Ten Thousand Demons Palace, inheritor of the Divine Demon's lineage.
His status was high enough to treat even the Shaolin head abbot with disdain.
Yet this girl, who looked barely eighteen, was cutting him off mid-sentence?
"The laws of the martial world have fallen to the ground. Even a thunderbolt-haired virgin like you shouldn't treat this seat with such disrespect."
"Martial world? This seat?"
Reminded of web novels she'd read occasionally, the girl frowned.
"A wuxia nerd?"
"I don't understand your words, but if you're going to be rude, state your seniority. We'll compare pedigrees."
"Pedigree?"
The girl smiled helplessly and snorted.
"How old are you?"
"How old?"
"You look about my age at most? Scary-looking, but your skin's all plump and smooth."
"Hmph. This seat's internal energy has surpassed the innate true realm, preserving youth."
"What nonsense?"
Looking at her baffled expression, the Heavenly Demon spoke solemnly.
"Don't be shocked, girl. This seat's age has passed forty and approaches fifty."
"So you're in your forties?"
"Indeed."
"You're young."
The girl pouted and shook her head.
"Sorry, but this big sis is way older."
"What?"
"I won't make you use honorifics. Just don't bring up age. It depresses me."
Seeing her sigh like a seasoned elder who had seen it all, the Heavenly Demon's jaw dropped.
'Is this little girl a rejuvenated ancient master?'
Come to think of it, a blue haze seemed to rise around her body.
It was the aura of an absolute being, detectable only by grandmasters of transcendent martial arts like himself.
"Anyway, what happened? Did you smash my Spirit Tree?"
The girl eyed his thick forearms and pointed to the debris.
"Explosives? No... your strength? Impossible. The earth spirit was guarding it—how?"
The Heavenly Demon shook his head as she rambled.
"This has nothing to do with this seat."
"What?"
"I got caught in the light and ended up here."
...A lame excuse.
He was still leaning grandly against the Spirit Tree's trunk with his log-like arms spread wide.
"Hmm."
Feeling her burning gaze, the Heavenly Demon quickly stood from the debris.
Peoseok.
The trunk against his back shattered too, erasing the last traces of the Spirit Tree.
"Kheum."
Coughing awkwardly at the splintered wood, the Heavenly Demon said,
"Unintentionally leaned for a moment. Farewell, then."
"Where do you think you're slinking off to? Pay up first."
The Heavenly Demon glanced at his Mad Demon Blood Battle Robes.
Optimized for fist and claw techniques, they had no pockets to begin with.
No, the terror of the martial world wouldn't carry petty silver scraps anyway.
"Hmm."
Coughing again, he said quietly to the girl,
"In the martial world, unfortunate accidents happen all the time."
"What?"
"For example, inns frequented by martial artists get smashed constantly. This is just like that."
Patting her head with his pot-lid hand, he turned slowly.
"Chin up, girl."
"Wh-what?"
The girl grabbed his robe as he tried to leave.
"You kidding? This isn't something you brush off. It's a Spirit Tree!"
"Spirit Tree?"
"Yeah!"
The Heavenly Demon blinked.
He had consumed all sorts of elixirs and rare martial world herbs, but he'd never heard of a Spirit Tree.
"I have nothing on me now. Return to my palace later, and I'll compensate you."
"Your palace?"
"The Ten Thousand Demons Palace."
The girl blinked. Had he hit his head when he wrecked the annex?
"U-um... could you please snap back to reality?"
"No need for concern. This seat is the Heavenly Demon. One word from me, and I can fetch millennium frost ginseng. Worry not."
"Whether Heavenly or myriad demons, if you're leaving, at least give me your phone number."
"What's that?"
"So I have something to trust you'll pay up."
The Heavenly Demon spoke solemnly again.
"One word from this seat is worth a thousand gold. Worry not."
Before the girl could reply, he kicked off the ground hard.
He planned to unleash the demonic path's supreme movement technique, Night Moon Extreme Speed, and flee in one breath.
Hop.
But the Heavenly Demon only jumped a measly thirty centimeters.
"Hm?"
No flow of Reverse Extreme True Energy surging through his meridians.
He tried gathering internal energy, but his dantian felt emptily hollow.
"Something's wrong."
Crouching, the Heavenly Demon kicked off again.
Hop.
Still just hopping in place like a frog.
"Not an internal injury..."
Standing rigid like a statue, the Heavenly Demon muttered softly.
"That light wasn't ordinary."
"What're you saying."
"Seems I've fallen into a trap."
The girl stared at him like he was some freakish object, lips sealed.
Regardless, the Heavenly Demon, eyes deepening in thought, turned.
"First, I must return. Then uncover who orchestrated this."
"Where do you think you're going so casually?"
Blocking his path, the girl prompted a solemn expression from the Heavenly Demon.
"This seat isn't joking now. No more foolish antics."
"You think I'm joking?"
"No choice, then."
Words weren't getting through. Shaking his head, the Heavenly Demon sidestepped her with footwork.
No internal energy, but his techniques were intact.
But the girl's hand was faster. She grabbed his nape.
"Where do you think you're running?"
"To dare touch this seat."
Enraged, the Heavenly Demon lightly shook off her arm.
But just then, she released his nape too. His hand sliced empty air.
'She read my move first.'
Crimson light flashed in his eyes as he nodded.
"Now I see—a hidden master in disguise. Rejuvenation suits you!"
"What're you on about."
"Good. Try this, then!"
Battle lust rising, the Heavenly Demon bent his legs low, swinging his right arm wide through the air.
"The Divine Demon's power shakes even the heavens. Divine Demon Heaven-Shaking Palm!"
With a thunderous shout, he thrust out his log-thick arm.
"Ah, no?"
No mighty palm force poured out—not even a breeze.
His dantian felt holed, nothing but emptiness.
And the problem... wasn't just that.
"Th-this."
His fully extended palm pressed against the girl's lower abdomen.
From fully extending for the Divine Demon Heaven-Shaking Palm.
"Y-you... psycho perv..."
Blue flames blazed in the girl's eyes as she glared at the hand on her soft belly.
"Get off!"
Her small foot slammed into the Heavenly Demon's groin.
Watching the incoming kick, he sighed.
'If I'm cornered like this, better take it. This seat's Diamond Body can withstand any blow...'
Puk.
His eyes slowly rolled upward from the kick to his precious parts.
An unprecedented agony he'd never felt burrowed into his gut.
"Ugh."
Like having his innards yanked out for laundry?
Indescribable pain spread from his lower abdomen through his body.
"Kuh..."
White foam bubbled from his mouth as he knelt.
Even when piercing all his meridians with needles for Diamond Body.
Even shoving an ice blade into his dantian for Cold Zero Ice White Art, no such pain.
"Kuhhh."
Clutching his abdomen, eyes rolled back white.
He wiped the frothy foam from his mouth and forced a smile.
"Not bad. Shattering this seat's Diamond Body in one blow."
"What're you saying, you perv."
"But that was just a surprise strike."
Crouching into attack stance, red aura began flowing from his body.
Not internal energy, but pure fighting spirit from his flesh.
"Let's fight for real."
Locking eyes with her, the Heavenly Demon's heart raced.
Power to shatter Diamond Body in one hit, cold eyes shaking the world, overwhelming aura around her.
-This is the one!
He'd finally found her.
The girl before him was surely the rival he'd longed for.
"Go all out, no regrets."
"What nonsense? Get lost?"
"Avoiding battle?"
"Of course? Who's paying for this mess?"
As she turned, the Heavenly Demon scoffed.
"Coward."
"What?"
"Fearful of defeat? Or lulling my guard for a fatal strike?"
He smirked confidently, beckoning with his finger.
"Doesn't matter. Come at me."
His repeated beckoning felt like a game's taunt button, subtly infuriating.
"Better go all out from the start. Mortar girl."
"Mortar girl?"
"Not a single curve on that flat body."
"Puhahaha!"
Her cheerful laughter turned to blue light in her eyes, and the ground shook like an earthquake.
"You little gremlin, wanna die? Huh!"
Kuuuung.
As the earth quaked, the Heavenly Demon's battle lust surged.
"Impressive power. But that alone..."
He couldn't finish, clamping his mouth shut.
The girl raised her hand, and the sky darkened.
"..."
Something glowing bright approached.
A meteor shower.
Massive ones, each rivaling a city in size.
'This...'
The Heavenly Demon's martial prowess dominated the world at the greatest level in history.
But even he couldn't summon giant meteors from the sky to crash down.
This was no human power—the realm of gods.
"Squash you flat like dried squid?"
As he rubbed his eyes, the girl grinned, baring her teeth.
"Or burn you to ash without a trace? Huh!"
The meteors in the sky shifted with her hand gesture.
Taking a deep breath, the Heavenly Demon's eyes trembled faintly.
'I asked for a rival... and got a monster instead.'
Shaking his head, he sighed inwardly.
'Not someone to challenge rashly.'
For unknown reasons, his internal energy was gone, body abnormal.
Against her meteor-summoning power in this state, his odds were zero.
He wasn't dumb enough to charge on battle lust alone.
"...Just for now."
"What nonsense."
"Someday, I'll crush you."
If his internal energy returned, he could smash those sky meteors.
"But now..."
The Heavenly Demon uttered words he'd never said, wearing a generous, kindly smile he'd never shown.
"... I lose, mortar girl."
"Who's a mortar?!"
Puk.
Kicked in the groin again, the Heavenly Demon collapsed.