The Sword Demon Regresses Chapter 128

Chapter 128

“……Is this really alright?”

At Jeonghyeon’s question, Youngho replied.

“What is?”

As if he truly did not understand what was being asked, he maintained a composed and carefree attitude. Jeonghyeon let out a deep sigh.

“I am still lacking. To be honest, even in my lacking state, I thought I could at least defeat the Orthodox Sect, if not the Demonic Cult.”

“Why? Now that you’ve seen them in person, does it seem difficult?”

“I will not lie. If I fought a hundred tis, I would lose all hundred.”

“Ah, you don’t have to be that modest. You could win at least once.”

“……Are you mocking ?”

“Yes. I was joking so you’d relax.”

Jeonghyeon looked at Youngho anew.

Unlike himself, Youngho possessed beauty capable of toppling a kingdom. But it was not rely his appearance that drew attention.

There was sothing peculiar about him. If one were to call it a sinister aura, that would not be quite right; yet neither could it be described as pure and righteous.

It was mysterious. Youngho’s expression resembled that of an Immortal utterly detached from worldly affairs.

He was always relaxed and indifferent. A stifling tightness gripped Jeonghyeon’s chest, and he let out a deep sigh.

“You know the value of the Heaven-Shaking Pill made by the dicine Immortal, don’t you?”

“I know it has almost the sa effect as Clear Sky Stone Milk. And since I’ve personally consud Clear Sky Stone Milk, I know even better how extraordinary it is.”

“Then why are you so relaxed?”

It was a genuine question. To other martial artists, a Spirit Pill was sothing they would stake their lives to obtain.

Even the Grand Reversion Pill, far inferior to Clear Sky Stone Milk, would be enough to cause a bloodbath if it were released into the world.

Let alone the Heaven-Shaking Pill, which rivaled Clear Sky Stone Milk—this was a matter sensitive enough for the leaders of the three great forces to move personally.

And yet, how could he wear such a peaceful expression?

Looking in the direction of the Demon Brain, Youngho spoke.

“No one will obtain the Heaven-Shaking Pill. No—more precisely, no one will obtain its thod of manufacture.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“There are things like that. Anyway, Senior Brother, you just need to fight as hard as you can.”

“You speak as if you know everything.”

“Sothing like that. My information network is the best under heaven.”

Though it was information based on regression, at least this matter was certain.

Jeonghyeon knew that Youngho was not one to spout nonsense.

Even so, this ti it was difficult to readily believe his words.

“Hm? Master is coming back. It looks like it’s starting.”

When Jeonghyeon turned his head, Cheonung had already arrived before them.

“Did the discussion end well?”

“Yes. The Demonic Cult bastards insisted on fighting first. So I was considering whether to send Yonghu or soone else out first.”

“The Demonic Cult fellows are quite bold. Taoist Hyeonu may look like that, but he is the disciple of the Sword Immortal.”

“You sound as though you have no expectations of your Senior Brother.”

Cheonung spoke in disbelief, and Youngho chuckled.

“The quality of effort is different.”

Jeonghyeon’s eyebrow twitched for a mont. Noticing this, Youngho shook his head as if to say not to misunderstand.

“I’m not saying you didn’t work hard, Senior Brother. I heard from Taoist Hyeonu that the Sword Immortal drove his disciple brutally.”

“So you’re saying that long-nosed Taoist’s effort was far greater than mine?”

“Hmm… in the end, perhaps it is so?”

“Is it not a difference in talent?”

Youngho widened his eyes as he looked at Jeonghyeon. Soon, unable to suppress his laughter, he began laughing quietly.

After laughing for a mont, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, he spoke.

“Senior Brother, the Sword Immortal personally raised a disciple ant to kill our Master.”

Jeonghyeon’s pupils trembled as though struck by an earthquake.

“……What?”

“You heard . He raised a disciple to kill Master. That disciple is Taoist Hyeonu….”

Before Youngho could finish, Cheonung spoke.

“He failed. Jeonghyeon, if I had raised you as a weapon to kill the Heavenly Demon, how much do you think you would have grown?”

“…….”

No thoughts ca to mind. When Jeonghyeon remained silent, Cheonung gently stroked his head.

“……!”

Startled by the sudden action, Jeonghyeon was reminded of the training he had undergone with Cheonung long ago.

“I only taught you what you asked to learn. I did not personally drive you to the brink of your limits.”

Cheonung gently caressed the wounded part of his disciple’s heart.

“It is not that you did not put in effort. To be precise, you could not. As far as I know, the only madman who independently pushes his own body beyond its limits is this fellow Youngho.”

“Hah….”

As Jeonghyeon expressed his astonishnt, Cheonung let out a faint smile.

“If I had personally driven you, you would at least have beco an Absolute-Level Master. By now, you would likely have possessed martial might equal to the Sword Queen of Mount Hua.”

It was sothing he had never imagined. That he might have beco an expert of the Absolute-Level….

“Recently, seeing you subdued by Youngho’s presence pained . Do not worry. At the very least, your talent far surpasses that of the Sword Immortal’s disciple. If you wish, I can put you through hellish training even now.”

Certainly, Jeonghyeon had carved his own path with the sword until now.

At first, he did not wish to burden Master. Later, when he realized that his talent was far from ordinary, he believed he could refine his sword on his own.

It was only after eting Youngho that he ca to understand that all of this had been arrogance.

Not long after declaring that he would yield the position of Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance to Youngho, Jeonghyeon began training alongside him.

Since they had learned the sa martial art from the beginning, he thought they might be able to point out each other’s shortcomings.

And then he realized it. Youngho’s strength was not born of talent alone.

Youngho abused his own body. If an ordinary person with no martial training were to push themselves as he did, it would not have been strange if they had died a dozen tis over.

Certainly, Youngho’s talent was extraordinary. But his discipline far surpassed even that talent.

There were many kinds of gods in this world. In the Central Plains especially, most were deities related to agriculture. And though it was a sowhat unusual example, even the Demonic Cult worshiped the Heavenly Demon as a god.

Seen in that light, to Jeonghyeon, Youngho was at the very least the god of effort.

Who in the world could build muscle through talent alone?

Of course, soone blessed with excellent bones and physique could develop muscle easily.

But no matter how naturally suited one was to building muscle, it would be impossible to create a body like that in rely ten years.

Until now, Jeonghyeon had believed he acknowledged Youngho sufficiently and regarded him as remarkable.

‘Was even that arrogance?’

Youngho was a being beyond his ability to judge.

Effort?

Perhaps Youngho had not yet even shown what true effort looked like.

The lingering residue of envy and jealousy within his heart vanished completely.

Suddenly, his mind felt clear. His previously foggy thoughts refreshed as though cool valley water were flowing through them.

Seeing the change in Jeonghyeon’s aura, Youngho smirked and spoke.

“Has your head cleared a bit?”

“Yes.”

“If you train with that mindset, you’ll break through walls much faster from now on.”

Jeonghyeon smiled back.

“Thank you, you damned Junior Brother.”

Seeing Jeonghyeon so different from his usual solemn self, Cheonung wore a satisfied smile.

“You look much better now. Since it seems you have no lingering worries, it is about ti to begin the sparring match.”

As Cheonung looked toward the hastily constructed Sparring Stage, Youngho turned his gaze there as well and asked,

“By the way, who did the Demonic Cult send?”

“That is the thing. I do not know even a title or a na—nor even the gender.”

“Are they wearing a mask?”

“No. Just quite pretty-looking.”

“I suppose I’ll judge for myself. I’ll be going then.”

Soon, Jeonghyeon ascended the Sparring Stage. In exchange for their proposal being accepted, the Demonic Cult had insisted on fighting first without exception.

Since it was a one-on-one sparring match, the three martial artists could not all fight evenly.

In the end, one would receive a bye, and the remaining two would fight first. The victor would then face the one who had advanced without fighting.

And the Demonic Cult had not even requested rest.

It was not sothing one could do without imnse confidence.

An expert of the Transformation Realm could greatly restore their condition with even a Quarter-Hour of rest.

Yet the Demonic Cult boldly declared they would not even take that Quarter-Hour. The other martial artists frowned at such audacity.

Soon, the Demonic Cult martial artist who would face Jeonghyeon stepped onto the Sparring Stage.

Shiver—!

For an instant so brief it felt like an illusion, Jeonghyeon sensed the aura of a massive monster behind him.

Instinctively, he whipped around, but by then the presence had already vanished.

He turned his gaze to the opponent before him.

‘Was that this bastard’s doing?’

The face was so pretty it was difficult to tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman. Yet the physique was clearly male, and the emptiness within his eyes was disturbingly grotesque.

As Jeonghyeon focused on his opponent, Cheonung nearly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword at the monstrous presence that had erupted from Youngho.

It was such a dreadful aura that he nearly forgot this was his own disciple.

Cheonung glanced at Youngho’s eyes. Seeing how different they were from usual, he deliberately chose to ignore him.

Since Youngho had withdrawn his aura so quickly, it seed he had no intention of letting anyone know.

Youngho’s eyes had sunk into a cold stillness. They were so chilling that one’s knees would weaken at the re sight of them. Within those eyes burned intense malice.

It made no sense. Youngho might release killing intent, but he did not openly display malice.

In the first place, there were few occasions for him to harbor such feelings. Yet for so reason, toward this Demonic Cult martial artist he had t for the first ti today, Youngho was filled with deep malice.

It was the gaze of soone who did not intend to kill in a single stroke, but to slowly drain his opponent of blood.

While Cheonung’s mind raced noisily, Youngho looked at the figure standing before Jeonghyeon and ford a cold smile.

Though his eyes had sunk, the corners of his lips were raised. The expression was unnervingly incongruous—like that of a doll.

‘To think that of all people, that bastard would appear….’

Youngho knew him. After all, he had personally taken that man’s life.

Especially so because he had faced him with the resolve to throw his own life away.

In the war before regression, Youngho had stood on equal footing with Namgung Cheon. Both he and Namgung Cheon had been strong. But the Demonic Cult had been no easy opponent either.

Among the talents the Demonic Cult had produced, there had been a few powerful enough to threaten the lives of Youngho and Namgung Cheon.

Of them all, the one who had left the deepest impression was this very man.

Expressionless when killing. Expressionless when fighting. And because he had matched Youngho blow for blow, he had earned this na on the battlefield.

‘Immovable Evil Ghost.’

Even Youngho had thought the epithet suited that fiend well.

Though Youngho had personally severed his neck, the man had not even blinked. Even in death, he had remained unmoving.

He had been a dreadful enemy. One who erased his emotions even while feeling them.

He had seed burdened with a deep story, yet Youngho did not regret killing the Immovable Evil Ghost.

Because the Immovable Evil Ghost was……

‘The one who had killed Master.’