My Alter Ego's Path to Greatness

Chapter 73: Chapter 331: Heavenly Demon (2)



Clatter—!

Black chains flew towards him. Starting as a single strand, they multiplied, their dark trajectories now three in number.

"Haa!"

But Hugo's response remained unchanged. He moved instinctively, guided by his heightened senses, empowered by 「Hypersensitivity」 and physical enhancement skills, including 「Superhuman Strength」.

Clang!

He twisted his body, dodging the first chain, and deflected the second, utilizing the principles of softness. The third chain, moving like a snake, tried to bind him—

'Not a chance!'

—but he offered his vital point as bait, and as the attack hesitated, he slipped out of its path.

"Damn it! This brat is cunning!"

The black man, the Demonic Cult's Black Horseman, cursed in frustration. He should have captured him easily, but his opponent kept using his own life as a hostage, making it difficult to attack recklessly. The Cult Leader had ordered him to capture Hugo alive; he couldn't risk killing him. If it were a one-on-one fight, such tricks wouldn't work, but they weren't alone.

Swish! Clang!

The black chains, retracting after the failed capture attempt, coalesced and barely blocked an incoming sword strike.

"You dare underestimate this Daoist?"

"The Cloud Sword…"

Elder Unyeongjin of the Wudang Sect, a formidable opponent even for the Black Horseman. He had to prioritize this opponent, giving up on quickly capturing Hugo.

"Phew, this is chaotic."

Hugo, having gained a moment of respite, wiped his sweat and looked around. Indeed, the situation was pandemonium.

KABOOM—!

"Kill them!"

"Damn these bastards!"

Explosions, screams, battle cries, and curses echoed endlessly. Who would believe this was the serene Shaolin Temple? Considering that everyone present was a talented individual, each drop of blood spilled here was a significant loss for the orthodox Murim. The Demonic Cult must have planned this attack to inflict maximum damage.

'…This is a tragedy. But…'

Every crisis presented an opportunity. Some thrived in chaos, their talents blossoming amidst disaster.

And he was a prime example.

"Haa—"

Hugo took a deep breath, his pupils dilating. His senses, sharpened by 「Limit Break」, which he couldn't usually use due to its side effects, began absorbing information from his surroundings.

'This was one of my objectives… though I hadn't anticipated such an extreme situation.'

In this life-or-death battle, martial artists unleashed their techniques without reservation. There was no room for holding back.

"Damn it, damn it! I knew I shouldn't have come!"

As Tang Agi, the troublemaker from the Sichuan Tang Clan, launched his hidden weapons in a bizarre trajectory, the flawed principles behind them were imprinted in Hugo's mind. While it was a high-level Tang Clan technique, its user's inexperience made it easy to analyze.

"Soran! Come here!"

"Brother!"

Nangun Hwang, the young master of the Nangun Clan, and his sister, Nangun Soran, were also valuable sources of knowledge. The Nangun Clan was renowned for its swordsmanship. Hugo's hand twitched involuntarily as he observed their powerful, heavy sword techniques in action.

'I see why the great clans are called prestigious.'

He wasn't just learning from the Nangun Clan's techniques. The Plum Blossom Sword Technique of the Mount Hua Sect, the swift strikes of the Jeomchang Sect, Buddhist and Daoist martial arts… all blended together in his mind. And the Demonic Cult's sinister, destructive techniques as well.

In the midst of this chaotic battle, where the lives and fates of talented individuals from all over the continent intertwined…

…Hugo absorbed everything like a black hole, his understanding of martial arts expanding endlessly.

His body was already perfectly trained, his mind far beyond that. And thanks to the countless elixirs provided by Harris and 「Heavenly Body」, he didn't lack internal energy. All he needed was enlightenment in the mysteries of martial arts.

And as he gained it…

"The individual has achieved enlightenment. Acquired Special Skill 「Convergence of Ten Thousand Techniques」."

…his growth accelerated, the flow of Qi around him so intense that even those fighting nearby were surprised.

"Enlightenment in this situation?"

"At his age, a Peak Master? This is absurd…"

"…Attack! Capture him!"

"Don't you dare!"

While it caused a brief commotion…

…it didn't last long. Because Hugo's powerful backer…

…arrived just in time.

The first to notice the anomaly were the two engaged in the most intense battle:

The Heavenly Demon, who had been dominating his opponent, and Master Wujin, who was barely holding on despite his battered state.

"Persistent, aren't you, Monk Wujin?"

"Hahaha, persistence is one of this old monk's few virtues… Hmm?"

"…What's this?"

Their banter stopped, their gazes fixated on a single point. On a nearby rooftop, overlooking the battlefield…

…'it' appeared.

"…What is that?"

"…Huh."

Even the two Peak Masters were speechless. The figure was clearly humanoid, but… was it truly human?

And their reaction naturally influenced the other martial artists, sensitive to Qi. They stopped fighting and followed their gazes, looking towards the rooftop.

"Who's that?"

"…A lion mask?"

And they saw him. A grotesque figure in a beast mask, crouching on the rooftop like a predator ready to pounce, looking down at them.

"Who are you?"

As everyone's attention focused on him…

…the Heavenly Demon frowned and spoke, as if voicing their collective question. Having reached the level where he could perceive everything through Qi, he knew. This was a different kind of being, unlike any he'd encountered before. There was one similar being he could think of…

'No, that's impossible. Too far-fetched. Maybe the Golden Island…'

Just then, the grotesque figure stood up, his dynamic, rippling muscles clearly visible through his bare chest. A transcendental physique, the embodiment of strength and violence.

"What a magnificent physical form."

"Is that even a human body?"

Several martial artists, forgetting the situation, expressed their admiration, a mixture of envy and awe. It was a perfect physique, like something from legends, unattainable through ordinary training.

The figure, now standing, spoke, capturing everyone's attention.

"Ahh— Good, good. A wonderful atmosphere!"

Harley, the grotesque, nodded in satisfaction and continued.

"Let me introduce myself! I am Mad Demon! Ah, I've reached an agreement with the previous owner of this title, so don't misunderstand!"

He casually continued his self-promotion, explaining that he was the new Mad Demon and the former one was now his subordinate and friend, as if he had orchestrated this entire scene for publicity.

"And the reason I'm here is…"

But his playful demeanor didn't last long. He finished his introduction, his gaze locking onto the Heavenly Demon, and a savage grin spread across his face.

"To hunt."

A sinister smile, filled with a world-destroying madness, so unlike his previous frivolous demeanor. The air grew heavy, and everyone's expressions hardened.

"I heard there's some excellent prey here."

It was a smile that clearly explained why he called himself Mad Demon.

"Now— that I've introduced myself…"

But he didn't care about their reactions. His gaze, gleaming with madness, remained fixed on his target.

"—let's play! Kahahaha!"

KABOOM!

Having finished his one-sided introduction, the Mad Demon charged towards his prey, the Heavenly Demon, shattering the rooftop he had been standing on with a single stomp.

The situation changed drastically with Harley's arrival.

The most significant factor was that the fight against the Heavenly Demon, previously a desperate struggle, had reached a stalemate. Harley, replacing the exhausted Master Wujin, was holding his own against the powerful opponent.

Swish—!

While he was technically at a disadvantage…

"Ha, this is absurd. This monster…"

…the Heavenly Demon gritted his teeth as he dodged the relentless attacks and landed another blow, a deep gash from his left shoulder to his right waist, deep enough to reach his internal organs. Considering it was a Qi attack infused with demonic energy, it should have been a fatal blow.

"Ow, that hurts, man!"

But his opponent's reaction was underwhelming. The Heavenly Demon narrowed his eyes, watching as the bleeding stopped and the wound closed.

'No mistaking it.'

He reached a conclusion and chuckled in disbelief.

'He's adapting to my attacks.'

The regeneration was significantly faster than before. Such rapid healing from a Qi attack was absurd, especially one infused with demonic energy, which was hostile to all living beings. Even a true immortal would be bedridden after such an attack, but this monster was regenerating, as if he had mastered some legendary immortality technique.

'No, that's impossible.'

The Heavenly Demon shook his head resolutely. He had seen the original text of the legendary immortality technique in the Heavenly Demon Library, accessible only to the Cult Leader. The stories were exaggerated, and this phenomenon was completely different…

Zzzt!

Suddenly, Harley's sharp claws grazed his chest, a shallow yet dangerous attack.

"Damn, you have good reflexes too!"

The Heavenly Demon's expression hardened at his nonchalant remark. He couldn't fathom how Harley was replenishing his bio-energy by burning the vast amount of madness supplied by the 「Seed of Madness」, but he knew he couldn't let this continue.

"…It can't be helped."

He couldn't retreat. He decided to unleash a hidden power.

Woooong—

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the supreme martial art passed down only to the Cult Leaders. A dark, demonic Qi, blazing like flames, erupted from his sword, taking the shape of a massive blade.

"I didn't want to use this…"

And…

'…That's?!'

…within it, Harley sensed a familiar energy.

A sunset-colored light, flickering within the pitch-black darkness.

'Divine power…!'

He hadn't expected it to still be here.

The remnants of his adversary.


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