Jeok Wigang threw a punch at the demons charging toward him.
BOOOOM!
The air tore apart, and a shock wave spread outward in a circle.
The legs of the demon leading the charge were blown away. Those following him fared no better. Their bodies were mangled beyond recognition as they hurtled through the air and slammed into the walls.
KRA-BOOM!
The demons remained embedded in the walls for a moment before slowly sliding down to the floor.
“Ghh...!”
Groans of pain rose from every corner.
The only one who remained completely unharmed was the Fell Demon-class demon seated at the head of the chamber.
His face was drenched in cold sweat.
It wasn't that he wanted to remain still.
He couldn't move.
The moment that human had first entered the chamber, he had felt something constricting his body.
That was when it had begun.
From that moment onward, he had been unable to move.
And now the Fell Demon-class demon understood what had happened.
That human... is using the Demon-Brain Divine Demon's binding magic?
He had assumed that magic cast by a human would be easy to break.
But no matter how desperately he struggled, the binding wouldn't loosen.
He couldn't even open his mouth.
All he could do was watch as his comrades were gruesomely torn apart before his eyes.
“AAAAARGH!”
The screams of the living ripped through the chamber.
His comrades were dying horrible deaths right in front of him.
Then his eyes met Jeok Wigang's.
A chill ran down his spine.
Terror surged from the depths of his heart.
The Lord of Heaven?
Why had the Lord of Heaven suddenly come to mind?
Why did the fear this human inspired feel so terribly familiar, so much like the terror he had experienced in the presence of the Lord of Heaven?
Could this man be as powerful as the Lord of Heaven?
While those thoughts raced through his mind, the remaining demons were subdued and left sprawled across the floor.
Every one of them had lost at least one arm or leg and was writhing in agony.
His body began to tremble.
Am I actually afraid of a mere human?
Me? A Fell Demon-class demon?
He rejected the thought.
I am a Fell Demon of White Horse Heaven.
I will never submit to a pathetic human!
With that resolve, he glared at Jeok Wigang.
STAB! STAB!
“AAAAAAARGH!”
Something pierced straight through both of his glaring eyes.
He wanted to thrash about in agony, but the binding still held him fast.
Only his screams escaped into the air.
“What gives you the right to glare at me?”
With darkness swallowing his vision, all he could hear was Wigang's voice.
Not being able to see made it even more terrifying.
He had no way of knowing where the man would strike next or what he intended to do.
Then a low voice reached his ears.
“You enjoyed watching those humans suffer, didn't you? Now it's your turn to experience the same thing.”
Grab.
Something seized him by the back of the neck and began dragging him away.
“N-no! P-please spare me!”
He didn't want to die.
He had only just reached Fell Demon class.
He had finally become one of the higher-ranking demons.
He had worked unimaginably hard to rise to this position.
And now he was about to lose everything.
“I-I'll do anything! P-please, I beg you! Spare my life!”
The Fell Demon-class demon pleaded desperately.
“I'm sure the people over there begged you the same way.”
Wigang's voice was cold.
“Did you listen to them?”
“Th-that was... W-we were only following orders! That's all we did! Th-the Demon-Brain Divine Demon ordered us to do it!”
“Do you know where the Demon-Brain Divine Demon is?”
“N-no, I don't. The Demon-Brain Divine Demon has never once revealed their true identity. I doubt even the Ten Heavenly Demon Stars, the ten pillars of White Horse Heaven, have ever seen their true appearance.”
“Really? Then you're useless.”
Wigang resumed dragging him away.
“I-isn't there anything else you want to know?”
“No.”
Desperation seized him.
“Don't you want to know about the Ten Heavenly Demon Stars?”
“Don't need to.”
“What about the demon realm?”
“Not interested. You're making too much noise.”
Wigang promptly sealed his mouth.
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
Now he couldn't even speak.
“Now, where should we start? Ah, that's right. You can't see, so you won't be able to choose. Well, don't worry. I'll pick something suitable for you.”
“Mmmph! MMMMPH!”
The Fell Demon-class demon was dragged away, his muffled groans filled with absolute terror.
Gurgle...
The demons coughed up bloody phlegm, barely able to breathe.
No.
Calling them demons was hardly appropriate anymore.
They were little more than mangled lumps of flesh, their original forms almost impossible to recognize.
Jeok Wigang looked down at them with cold eyes.
Silence descended upon the chamber that had previously been filled with screams.
The people undergoing transformation into demonic beasts had turned their gazes toward the demons.
From somewhere among them came a weak, cracked voice.
“Th-thank... you... You... avenged... us...”
The speaker could barely form words, yet still seemed determined to express their gratitude.
That was only the beginning.
Voices of thanks began rising from every direction.
As Wigang listened, he ended the dying demons' lives one by one.
After putting even the last surviving Fell Demon out of his misery, he turned toward the people who had been transformed into demonic beasts.
Their bodies had been cut apart and crudely stitched together.
Even the Revival Mantra could do nothing for them now.
“I'm sorry... I came too late.”
At Wigang's apology, the victims shook their heads.
“N-no... At least... we can die... as humans... I'm grateful... for that...”
“Thank... you... for avenging... us...”
“I just... want to rest... in peace now... Please... kill me.”
Wigang hesitated.
Desperate pleas immediately rose from all around him.
“Please... It's my... last wish... Kill... me...”
“Not... like this... Let us die... as humans... Erase... everything... completely... Please...”
“If... we're brought back... as evil spirits... Don't... want that...”
Wigang understood what they were asking.
They didn't want to remain trapped in those hideous forms, even after death.
“I'll make sure not a trace of those monstrous bodies remains in this world.”
“Th-thank you... This kindness... even in the afterlife... I'll never... forget...”
Wigang addressed them gently.
“There won't be any pain.”
He extended his hand.
As his lips began to move, a blue radiance blossomed at his fingertips.
“Consent of the Will...”
The mantra began.
A warm breeze enveloped the demonic beasts.
At that moment, tears began streaming from their eyes.
Behind them, like a beautiful dream, appeared scenes of their happiest memories.
The villages they could never return to.
Their families.
The laughter of their children.
Precious moments that had once filled their lives with happiness unfolded before them.
“Rest in Joyful Dreams...”
The demonic beasts slowly closed their eyes.
The smiles forming on their lips were no longer those of monsters.
They were human smiles.
Blue light gently surrounded them.
Their dark red, sticky skin began to disappear, while their twisted bones slowly dissolved into tranquil particles of blue light.
The particles drifted away upon the breeze.
“Purification of Distorted Energy... Dissolution of Mortal Form.”
As the bodies of the demonic beasts reached the halfway point of their dissolution, words of gratitude escaped their lips.
“Thank you... for letting us... dream of happiness...”
With those words, their grotesque faces gave way to the faces of human beings.
Warm smiles rested upon their lips.
“Return of All Things.”
WHOOOSH!
As Wigang spoke the final words of the mantra, every demonic beast within the cavern dissolved into fine particles of light and vanished as though scattered upon the wind.
When they were all gone, only silence remained, along with the lingering, unbearable stench.
Wigang clenched his fist and drove it toward the cavern ceiling.
KUUUUUAAAAAH!
The ceiling burst open, revealing the sky above.
Wigang ? NоvеIight ? (Original source) immediately leaped through the opening.
High in the sky, he looked down upon the demonic-beast production facility and clenched his fist.
WHOOOOM!
Wigang threw his punch.
The force split the clouds and twisted the very currents of the atmosphere before crashing directly into the mountain.
KRA-KRA-KRA-BOOOOOM!
Was this what it would look like if a heavenly god descended in fury to deliver divine punishment upon the earth?
The mountain struck by Wigang's fist caved inward, leaving an enormous, deep crater.
A shock wave spread outward in a vast circle.
Trees covering the surrounding mountains toppled in waves beneath the force of the impact.
RRRRRRUMBLE!
The place where demonic beasts had been manufactured no longer existed in this world.
“Demon-Brain Divine Demon...”
Wigang's low voice trembled with suppressed fury.
“I will find you... No matter what it takes.”
After completely destroying the demonic-beast production site, Jeok Wigang headed straight to where the Divine Physician of Clear Life was staying.
Seeing Wigang's dark expression, the Divine Physician asked worriedly,
“Has something happened?”
“Master... Thank you for everything you've taught me.”
“What are you talking about? You sound as though you're about to leave.”
“I think it's time for me to return. Something terrible is about to happen in the Central Plains' martial world, and I need to go and stop it.”
“Something terrible? But more importantly, how do you intend to stop it?”
“Master, have you heard of Heavenly Martial Castle?”
“Of course I have. How many people in the Central Plains haven't heard of Heavenly Martial Castle? But why do you ask? Are you from Heavenly Martial Castle? Is some great battle about to take place there?”
“Yes. I'm from Heavenly Martial Castle. In fact, I'm its lord.”
For a moment, the Divine Physician was so stunned by Wigang's words that he could only stare at him in silence.
When he finally recovered, he asked,
“Wh-what are you saying? You're the Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle? But I thought its lord was the Heavenly Martial Emperor.”
“Yes. The Heavenly Martial Emperor is my grandfather. I succeeded him as the Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle.”
“Good heavens...”
“The Central Plains' martial world will soon be plunged into chaos. I'll do everything I can to prevent it, but... many people are going to get hurt.”
The Divine Physician looked at Wigang's grave expression and rolled up his sleeves.
“Then I'll treat every last one of them! So don't you worry about that!”
Wigang smiled at the old man's concern.
Then he spoke.
“I used to think... that I was someone who could never be loved.”
“Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”
“Because misfortune was always finding its way to me. I thought my life was cursed.”
“Nonsense! Where else would you find a young man as kind and full of righteousness as you? Don't you ever entertain such foolish thoughts.”
Wigang smiled.
“But now there are so many precious people around me who love me. I... I want to protect every single one of them. And I'm afraid... I'm afraid I won't be able to.”
For the first time, Wigang revealed his innermost feelings to the Divine Physician.
This was the same Jeok Wigang who had believed himself to be the strongest being in the universe.
Yet even he was afraid.
“Nothing in this world is perfect. Have faith in the people around you. The Central Plains isn't so weak that you need to carry every burden on your shoulders alone. And I'll lend you a hand too! Who are these wicked scoundrels, anyway? Who dares cause my precious disciple so much suffering?”
“Thank you, Master.”
“I'll come with you.”
“What? But what about this place?”
“I've already treated everyone who was ill. So let's go together. This will be a good opportunity for me to finally see that famous Heavenly Martial Castle I've heard so much about.”
Wigang felt truly fortunate to have met the Divine Physician.
In front of everyone else, he always had to appear strong.
But strangely enough, whenever he was with the Divine Physician, his heart felt at ease.
“I'm truly glad I met you, Master.”
“And I consider meeting you the greatest blessing of my life.”
Wigang broke into a broad grin.
He wanted to introduce the Divine Physician to all the precious people in his life.
He wanted to show them off with pride.
And he would find a way to protect every last one of them.
“Let's go, Master. I'd like you to meet the people who mean so much to me.”
“Of course! Let's be off!”

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