CHAPTER 521: EPILOGUE EARTH DEMON (18)

Training time was only two hours each in the morning and afternoon. But that was enough.

The Black Claw Captain had already reached an astonishing level.

Though he could not see ahead, his divine eye could read the surrounding qi like a skein of thread.

Moreover, he had risen to a state where he could control that delicate flow of qi at will.

“This ability is quite amazing.”

Seol-Hwi watched him and admired inwardly.

This was a realm only warriors who had reached the Supreme Demon level could display.

What made this possible was precisely his innate ability.

It was like Songhwa, who had shown genius talent in sorcery in the past.

‘But he will find it hard to use his mental power for long and will tire easily.’

His limits were clear.

The Black Claw Captain had already opened his upper dantian mentally to use that qi, but unlike an Supreme Demon warriors who had pierced the upper dantian through enlightenment and training, he could not freely utilize it.

Especially when handling powerful thunder qi, he was limited to only one or two uses.

Considering that his opponent was a warrior of the Supreme Demon level, the longer the fight, the more disadvantageous it was.

It meant he could kill, but there was also a considerable chance he could not.

After training, Seol-Hwi handed him a book Seol-Hwi had recorded bit by bit when Seol-Hwi had time.

“This martial arts will help you.”

His fingers carefully traced over the book.

Though he could not read the letters, his fingertips seemed to sense the book’s value.

“Are you giving this knowing I cannot see ahead?”

“Isn’t there someone beside you to help when I’m not around? Give it to him; he will kindly explain.”

“…What is this books name?”

“Union Elimination Demonic Arts. A martial art that uses the opponent’s qi.”

This martial art, once the main technique used by the Hidden Troops, specialized in utilizing qi flows.

It was an optimized martial art for someone who could not see ahead.

Moreover, unlike the Supreme Demon martial arts that required reaching the Supreme Demon level, this martial art could be effectively used even at the peak demon level. ŗåꞐò₿È𐌔

“It is a martial art that draws out the nature of your ability.”

Seol-Hwi spoke with conviction in his voice.

The core of Union Elimination Demonic Arts,

This martial art, centered on the circulation of qi, would lead him to a higher dimension.

“Can I learn it right now?”

“Of course.”

So from that day, lessons began, and his heart was filled with anticipation.

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A few days later, early in the morning.

After finishing training the Black Claw Captain, Seol-Hwi headed to the Hidden Troops’ office.

When Seol-Hwi opened the door, a familiar face greeted him inside.

“You came without notice?”

She was Ah Ryeong, the Third Disciple.

Instead of greeting him, she subtly pointed to the window and said,

“A face I haven’t seen before?”

“Ah.”

Through the window, Seol-Hwi saw the Black Claw Captain training.

She showed brief interest in him but changed the subject before Seol-Hwi could answer.

“I heard you were ambushed.”

“You know about it.”

The fight with the First Disciple’s subordinates.

Since it was not far from the disciple’s residence and the commotion was loud, it was no surprise she heard about it.

“Well, it was nothing serious. I just reprimanded them and chased them off.”

“I heard it was a secretly raised unit… quite sloppy for a major faction in power struggle.”

Ah Ryeong gave a slight smile. Seol-Hwi smiled lightly.

After briefly looking out the window, she subtly asked again.

“By the way, what happened with Elder Dok?”

“I persuaded him well.”

“Really? You cooked that old man with words?”

She reacted as if startled.

This time, her playful expression completely vanished.

“No wonder! When I met him yesterday, he told me to talk to you about the details. I thought something was up, and you really persuaded him.”

Ah Ryeong suddenly approached closely as if to embrace, and Seol-Hwi stepped back slightly.

“Haha, well, that’s how it went.”

“Amazing. I really picked a good person!”

Even while admiring, Ah Ryeong’s expression became quite serious.

She knew it was not yet time to let her guard down.

“The Fourth Disciple knows best, but it’s not over yet. We still need to figure out how to persuade the one called Phantom to join us.”

“…So, I need your help, sajo.”

“What is it? Just say it.”

“Now that we know Phantom’s identity, please arrange a meeting with him.”

“Ah, that’s easy. But…”

She hesitated briefly before speaking.

“Phantom won’t move for just any carrot. He must have the resolve to risk his life to kill a Supreme Demon. If there’s a way, it would be to eliminate the Supreme Demon warrior Demon General instead…”

“Yes, that’s what I intend to propose.”

She widened her eyes and asked.

“…Is that possible? Is there a way to eliminate a Supreme Demon warrior without starting a war?”

“There is a suitable person.”

“Could it be…”

Her eyes quickly darted.

They soon fixed on the Black Claw Captain training outside the window.

“Is it him?”

“Yes.”

“…!”

Seol-Hwi confidently spoke to her, who was taken aback.

“He is the deputy leader of the Seventh Hall, named Jeong Yeon. Arrange a meeting with him. Until then, I will make him a person who can surely defeat a Supreme Demon warrior.”

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“Haap.”

The Black Claw captain Ilsoo had not neglected training a single day since coming here.

The Fourth Disciple only taught him two hours in the morning and afternoon, but the insights gained from brief conversations were considerable.

Perhaps due to his innate talent and natural ability, learning martial arts like this led to astonishing progress day by day.

“Huk. Huuuuu.”

Ilsoo, having repeated the basic moves, sat briefly to rest.

It had been over fifteen days since he became the Fourth Disciple’s student.

He had somewhat mastered the basic forms of Union Elimination Demonic Arts, but the essence of the qi flow was still elusive.

“Reacting to the opponent’s fast qi flow is not an easy problem.”

The faster the opponent’s power, the more impossible immediate reaction became.

Especially facing a Supreme Demon, could he see the opponent’s moves who had reached the divine realm and simultaneously counterattack?

At his current level, he did not think he could respond.

“You seem to have many worries.”

Had the time already come?

The disciple appeared through the morning air and spoke.

Though no footsteps were heard, Ilsoo’s divine eye clearly detected his qi.

“I just can’t get a grasp on it.”

“All the more reason to understand the source. As I said when I first taught you, this martial art is a forward wave technique. You must feel the qi of the Five Elements first.”

He knew that himself.

He had made efforts over the past few days.

He thought about and felt how qi flows were generated, flowed, and changed.

Before a strong wind blows, like leaves shaking, he meditated on the source’s changes whenever he had time.

Ilsoo said,

“Master, no matter how I think about it, I don’t know if I can respond to the power of a Supreme Demon warrior. Whether I can make an instant judgment in that moment…”

“You shouldn’t think that way. The essence of qi flow is not a reactive skill. It’s a predictive skill.”

Then the Fourth Disciple raised his hand and moved as if drawing something in the air.

“Don’t try to chase the opponent’s power. Instead, look at the source of that power. Even a Supreme Demon warrior has subtle qi changes before exerting power. You must sense those changes to proceed.”

“If sensing changes means feeling the harmony of yin and yang, I have already achieved that.”

“Oh. Really?”

The Fourth Disciple seemed a bit surprised, but Ilsoo’s response was calm.

“Yes. My divine eye is of yin qi, so I could easily harmonize with the corresponding Union Elimination Demonic Arts, the main qi flow of this martial art. Then, the qi flows of objects before me changed from a few to hundreds.”

“Ho. Along with the Peak demon level, your ability helped harmonize yin and yang qi flows.”

He muttered as if understanding something and then nodded.

Ilsoo ignored that and continued.

“But Fourth Disciple, that alone is not enough to manifest the essence of qi flow. Moreover, not only the opponent’s qi but also whether I can respond is questionable.”

“Then that much works.”

“…What?!”

The Fourth Disciple suddenly clapped and smiled brightly.

Ilsoo found his answer absurd.

“That’s enough. You already have what you want. I was going to force enlightenment… but that’s no longer necessary.”

“What do you mean… You heard what I just said, right?”

Ilsoo tilted his head and asked; the Fourth Disciple nodded.

“Then you heard well. Now, follow me.”

“…Yes?”

“There is someone you must meet.”

He gestured to him and began walking somewhere.

With a bewildered expression, Ilsoo paused briefly, then reluctantly followed.

The place they headed to was the training ground.

The morning sunlight stretched their shadows long.

“From now on, I will test whether you truly understand the essence of qi flow.”

“What… I told you I don’t know what it is?”

“Now, I will attack at a Supreme Demon warrior level.”

The Fourth Disciple was not listening to his words.

No, the surroundings began to tremble due to the Fourth Disciple’s qi flow.

Through the divine eye, a vortex of qi of a different dimension than before was felt.

“Begin.”

‘This madman!’

Ilsoo instantly heightened all his senses.

The qi flows visible through the divine eye increased to hundreds, but he could not tell what they were or which were coming toward him.

‘I absolutely cannot block this!’

At that moment when despair darkened him.

Suddenly, something awakened deep within Ilsoo’s consciousness.

His upper dantian opened, maximizing the divine eye’s power, and his consciousness became one with all surrounding energy flows.

‘It slowed down.’

No, his perception had sped up.

He clearly saw where the Fourth Disciple’s qi gathered and the path it flowed.

It was as clear as if a path had been drawn.

‘I see it now. How the qi flow is generated, and even its source…’

That was it.

In fact, it was not that he had to speed up more, but rather that the essence of qi flow was to slow down all things.

“Haap!”

When the Fourth Disciple extended his hand, tremendous qi shot toward Ilsoo like an arrow. It was a concentrated form of tangible qi, deadly to an ordinary warrior.

Swish.

But Ilsoo moved.

His divine eye, naturally manifesting the essence of qi flow, already saw through all the attack.

He lightly twisted his body to evade the attack’s center and simultaneously extended his qi to envelop the Fourth Disciple’s attack.

“Change the flow. Don’t forcibly block it, but redirect it!”

Ilsoo’s hand moved in a circle.

His qi gently enveloped the Fourth Disciple’s attack like water wrapping a rock.

And he changed the direction of the powerful attack. The attack soared toward the sky.

Boom!

A small explosion sounded in the sky. The Fourth Disciple’s attack harmlessly dissipated.

“This is the essence of qi flow…”

Ilsoo realized what he had done. It was not a reaction.

Before the opponent’s attack even began, he predicted the path from the qi flow’s formation and used his own qi to accept and redirect it.

“Now, let’s go.”

At that moment, the Fourth Disciple’s voice was heard.

“To eliminate the Supreme Demon warrior.”