Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 498.1 – Side Story 6 Part 4

Flames of the Abyss (4)

‘What was that just now?’

Hong Hae-a’s eyes were instantly filled with extreme vigilance.

Although he was born in flames and thus not susceptible to heat, the power that had just surged when he beheaded the White Ghost King in one stroke far exceeded his expectations.

Even though he had mastered the Samadhi True Fire to the extreme, it was no easy feat to cut down the White Ghost King, one of the rare great spirits among the Imaemangyangs, in a single strike.

‘This bastard… he’s really strong.’

He hadn’t planned to let his guard down, knowing that the guy had broken his father, the Great Strength King’s horn.

But that strength seemed to surpass even those expectations.

‘At this level, he’d be counted among the top ancient immortals. Should I use the fighting power of Yang Jian or that Monkey as a benchmark?’

Simply being an Imaemangyang wasn’t enough.

This was an opponent who required him to exert the full power of both his immortal technique, the Samadhi True Fire, and the Kunlun Mirror.

Realizing this, Hong Hae-a felt not only vigilance but also another emotion rising within him.

It was a sense of competitiveness.

Had there been anyone since that Monkey who had made him this tense?

‘A fight where victory can’t be predicted…’

His fighting spirit was boiling.

Swick!

“Mother, please step back.”

“My child! It’s too difficult alone. That’s completely beyond our league. Let your mother…”

“It’s alright. I haven’t shown everything yet.”

“What do you mean?”

With those words, Hong Hae-a whispered something into Iron Fan Immortal’s ear.

Iron Fan Immortal frowned and made a strange expression, then nodded and flew towards a place where thick lava was surging up like a reverse flow.

‘Seems like there’s something. I can’t just let her go.’

Swish!

The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, who had been watching this closely, tried to follow by concealing herself with one of her tails, but

bizarre beings that broke through the lava floor blocked her path.

The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox stuck out her tongue with a terrified expression at their appearance.

These were the Demon God Generals.

‘Tower.’

The small tower in Hong Hae-a’s hand was emitting light filled with immortal power.

Could it not only imprison but also control the Demon God Generals?

But these weren’t just ordinary Demon God Generals.

Perhaps due to Hong Hae-a’s Samadhi True Fire immortal technique, the generals’ bodies were made of lava, emitting intense heat.

‘Does it change according to the user’s immortal power?’

They had become even more troublesome to deal with.

Hong Hae-a sneered at the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox and shouted.

“I’ll deal with you soon enough, so keep those generals busy for now!”

As if they had read Hong Hae-a’s hostility, the generals blocking her path all charged at once, wielding clubs made of lava.

Papapapapapapak!

“Tch! How annoying.”

Believing he had her pinned down, Hong Hae-a spread his arms towards the approaching Heavenly Demon, taking a strange stance.

Then,

Hwarururururuk!

Yellow, blue, pure white, green, and red flames appeared around him.

These five flames, which burned in a profoundly mysterious way, signified that he had reached the highest realm of the Samadhi True Fire.

‘Five Fires as One!’

As Hong Hae-a brought his hands together as if in prayer, the five flames floating around him began to gather.

The five flames that seemed impossible to mix merged into one, becoming a deep purple flame.

This was the True Purple Fire, the highest realm of the Samadhi True Fire.

Even among the ancient immortals, only about three had reached the realm of True Purple Fire, as it required such a long time that few dared to cultivate it.

However, for Hong Hae-a, who was born in fire and called the incarnation of fire, there was no more suitable technique.

Hwarururururuk!

As Hong Hae-a, surrounded by True Purple Fire, stretched out both hands,

“Come!”

The two wheels of the Kunlun Mirror, which had been spinning fiercely, changed direction and flew towards him.

But it didn’t end there.

The size of the two wheels shrank, becoming small enough to be held in hand.

This was the true form of the precious Kunlun Mirror.

Chak!

Just as he was about to grasp the shrunken Kunlun Mirror in his hands, surprisingly, Hong Hae-a jumped onto the two wheels of the Kunlun Mirror and stood on them.

‘!?’

Peculiarly, the wheels kept rotating, and he stood on the blades as if riding them, but as if not wanting to harm their master, they didn’t cause any injury at all.

Goooooooooo!

From some point, a fierce wind pressure arose around him, shaking the entire cave to the point where the lava was churning and rising upwards.

‘That kid?’

Papapapapapak!

The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, who was continuously moving her tails to fend off the Demon God Generals made of lava, was inwardly amazed.

And for good reason. As he unleashed the True Purple Fire, the highest realm of the Samadhi True Fire, and the Kunlun Mirror also transformed into its true form, Hong Hae-a’s energy surged to a level incomparable to just moments ago.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that at this level, he surpassed even the prime of the Great Strength King, who was considered the strongest among the Six Demons in terms of raw power.

‘He’s become unbelievably strong while he was gone.’

If he had appeared a year ago along with the revival of the Great Strength King, it would have been even more terrifying.

But it was truly regrettable.

‘You chose the wrong time.’

If just one person hadn’t existed, there would have been no one in the mortal world who could stop him.

It was his mistake to appear in the mortal world at this particular time.

He hadn’t yet properly realized that.

“Let’s have a proper fight.”

Pachak! Chwararararararara!

As Hong Hae-a struck the ground with his Kunlun Mirror, the earth and lava churned with a friction sound, then rose up following him, undulating like waves and sweeping towards the Heavenly Demon with tremendous momentum.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwa!

“If you’re really as strong as that Monkey, try to surprise me once.

You won’t fail to block even this much, right?”

Yet the Heavenly Demon still had his hands behind his back.

‘…Does he not intend to block?’

It was at that very moment.

Jeobuk

As the Heavenly Demon stepped forward with his right foot and firmly pressed the ground,

Jjeojeojeojeojeojeojeojeojeok!

Cracks appeared on the floor.

Chwachwachwachwachwachwachwachwachwachwachwachwa!

The fragments of the cracked floor rose up, then each became a sword, piercing through the lava that was crashing down like a wave.

Papapapapapapapapapapapapapang!

‘This is?’

It was an unexpected method.

Immortals who have reached the extreme of immortal techniques don’t use this kind of approach.

This guy has reached the extreme through martial arts, not techniques.

To think that each of the shattered floor fragments would become as sharp as a sword, turning into sword energy and piercing through that scorching lava.

It’s a completely different fighting style from the ancient immortals.

Ssssssssssss!

The fragments that had become swords after piercing through the lava rushed towards him.

As Hong Hae-a stretched his two feet forward, the Kunlun Mirror spun fiercely, creating a ring of purple flames with air friction.

Chwarurururururururuk!

The True Purple Fire is a flame that burns everything.

The fragments blocked by the rotating flames were immediately burned and oxidized.

After blocking all the fragments that had flown in as swords, Hong Hae-a grasped his right wrist and stretched his hand towards the direction where the Heavenly Demon was.

‘True Purple Fire, Technique of the Five Fire Dragons!’

Hwarurururu! Kwoeoeoeoeoeoeoe!

Amazingly, five huge dragons made of purple flames appeared from his hand.

Not only did they take form, but these fire dragons even roared, showing an incredible sense of pressure.

“Go forth!”

With Hong Hae-a’s shout, the five fire dragons simultaneously flew towards the Heavenly Demon.

The sight of five massive fire dragons flying in the lava cave was truly spectacular.

Due to the fire dragons flying as if they were alive, the entire cave shook, and the already hot and heated ceiling began to melt.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaa!

‘Huh?’

Even the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, who trusted the Heavenly Demon, stuck out her tongue at the tremendous momentum that seemed impossible to block.

But then the Heavenly Demon unclasped his hands from behind his back and made a gesture as if grasping something.

Then,

Wuuuuung!

A formless sword appeared in his hand.

Grasping the formless sword, the Heavenly Demon took a stance as if slashing something.

‘!?’

Hong Hae-a couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the action taken before the fire dragons had even reached him.

What is he trying to do?

That stance is as if he’s already slashed something…

It was at that very moment.

Chwaaaaaaaaaaaaak!

The space between the approaching fire dragons rippled, and then the entire view split in two as if the space itself had been cut.

The bodies of the fire dragons, which had been stretching forward with a roar, were instantly cut in half.

At that moment, Hong Hae-a’s pupils trembled.

Even when he hadn’t perfected the Samadhi True Fire, he had once troubled the Monkey trapped in the flames of Fire Mountain with two fire dragons and 108 fire tigers.

Yet now, this guy easily slashes through even more powerful fire dragons in an instant?

For a fleeting moment, Hong Hae-a was bewildered that his trump card had been so easily neutralized. He hastily crossed the Kunlun Mirror on his feet and then spread his legs.

Then,

Chwaaaaaaaa!

The Kunlun Mirror, which had been rotating fiercely while wrapped in flames, split into a thousand pieces as if performing a doppelganger technique, filling the surroundings.

‘Kunlun Mirror Thousand Wheel Strike!’

Among the precious treasures, this Kunlun Mirror was counted among the top five in terms of offensive power.

Without giving any gaps, it would enclose and push in at once…

‘!?’

It was just for an instant, but the guy had disappeared.

He hadn’t taken his eyes off him, so how…

“Where are you looking?”

Hmchit!

Startled by the Heavenly Demon’s voice from behind, Hong Hae-a quickly turned his body and whirled the True Purple Fire, creating a vortex.

‘True Purple Fire, Technique of the Heaven-Turning Fire!’

Hwarurururururuk!

The purple flames created a whirlwind, forming a massive pillar.

The power was so strong that the flame vortex, which reached the ceiling, melted it and rose even higher.

‘I need to create some distance.’

It was dangerous to fight at close quarters with someone who had reached the extreme through martial arts.

He thought he had managed to push him away, but

Chok!

The flame vortex split in half, and through the gap, a black silhouette was visible.

And it pierced through like lightning, driving a fist into Hong Hae-a’s abdomen.

Tteok!

Keup

Hong Hae-a’s back arched like a shrimp, but he endured it and swung his foot, trying to behead the Heavenly Demon with the blade of the Kunlun Mirror.

However,

Chwaaaaaaaa!

The Kunlun Mirror was blocked by the Heavenly Demon’s formless sword, creating sparks with a friction sound and failing to penetrate.

‘Then!’

Hong Hae-a infused immortal power into the Kunlun Mirror, making it rotate even more fiercely.

When the Kunlun Mirror rotates at maximum speed, its sharpness increases hundredfold, capable of destroying anything.

Chaechaechaechaechaechaechaeng!

Perhaps due to the increased power, the Heavenly Demon’s formless sword began to ripple and tear.

‘Got it. Now!’

Hong Hae-a twisted his waist, trying to grind the Heavenly Demon’s stomach with the Kunlun Mirror on his other foot.

But,

Chaeaaaaaang!

Hong Hae-a’s expression contorted.

The guy had extended his hand in a circular motion, and a wave-like ripple occurred, causing the Kunlun Mirror to bounce off instead.

The ripple was so strong that his body was completely twisted.

At that moment,

Puk! Wudeudeudeuk!

The Heavenly Demon’s fist struck Hong Hae-a’s left ribs, and the sound of bones crumbling echoed.

Kkeuup!

‘This, this guy… is he really human?’

The pain spreading from the broken ribs was so intense that his entire body felt paralyzed.

But this wasn’t the end.

“This is just the beginning. It’s troublesome if you start whining already.”

“You… bastard… my body is…”

Tteok!

A kick to the throat.

Unable to even scream, Hong Hae-a’s neck bent sideways as he flew and crashed into the cave floor, and if that wasn’t enough,

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!

He fell into the hot lava.

Chiiiiiiii!

‘Keueueuuk.’

The heat of the lava didn’t greatly affect him.

However, due to the Heavenly Demon’s strike, not only was his neck twisted, but his brain was severely shaken, making it difficult to regain his senses.

He thought he could endure even greater pain than this, but these current blows were beyond imagination.

‘Heueu… I need to recover somehow.’

The fortunate thing was that he was in lava.

Heat was the source of his power.

Hong Hae-a went deeper into the lava.

The deeper the lava, the more its heat exceeded imagination.

Pssssss!

The heat of the lava was quickly alleviating the pain.

‘Huu… huu…’

No matter how extraordinarily strong the guy was, he couldn’t enter the lava that would melt anything it touched.

Moreover, at this depth, even if he wanted to come in…

Chwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

At that very moment, something astonishing happened.

The lava split in half like the Red Sea, revealing the bottom.

This guy, what on earth is he made of?

Unable to enter the lava, he split the entire bottom in half.

It was so unbelievable that he was at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Demon who had split the lava was aiming at him with his formless sword.

“Shall we start with the arms first?”

Eudeuk!

Is he saying he’s going to cut off my arms now?

To make such a declaration against me.

It was utterly humiliating.

‘…Do I need to make up my mind?’

Realizing this wouldn’t do, Hong Hae-a made a decision in an instant.

Although he hadn’t perfected it yet, to face this monstrous guy, he had no choice but to utilize the power he had newly developed.

Ttak!

Hong Hae-a, who had risen by kicking off the split lava floor, spoke in a meaningful voice.

“It’s not over yet. I’ll make you feel the endless terror of the abyss.”

Hong Hae-a brought his hands together as if in prayer, then spread them apart.

Pachik! Pachik!

With purple lightning, the space between his palms rippled, and eventually, a black flame arose.

Hwarurururuk!

The black flame instantly grew to the size of a head.