The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

In order to become the champion, a contestant would need to fight five duels, unless some of their opponents forfeited. However, that didn’t really happen, and most of the battles between the Righteous and the Evil Paths ended with fierce close calls.

Finally, only four finalists remained.

On behalf of the Evil Path, there was Tae Yu-Chun, the blue-haired martial artist from the Ak Rim Sect, as well as a black-haired girl from the Evil Path Central Martial Alliance named Dang Yu-Rin. Like Princess Hyun-Hwa, she was one of the three ladies known as the Three Beauties. From the Righteous Faction, there was Jeok Mu-Ryeong, the talented martial artist from the Mount Hua Sect and the direct disciple of its leader. And then…there was Davey.

The four convened in the waiting room without uttering a word. Jeok Mu-Ryeong, from the stern Mount Hua Sect, had shown no interest in anyone since arriving at this location. The girl from Sacheon Dang Clan[1] had a cold demeanor. She glanced at Davey briefly but soon closed her eyes. As for the blue-haired youngster from the Ak Rim Sect, he never ceased smiling, as if he had complete confidence.

"Finally, only four of us are left." Tae Yu-Chun muttered as he gazed at the arena, listening to the cheers. "Since you got all the way here, I guess you’re pretty good, huh?"

His comment was met with nothing more than sharp glares from Dang Yu-Rin and Jeok Mu-Ryeong.

"Whoa, whoa, no need to glare! We’ll have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves in the arena. Let's relish this moment!"

"If you want to enjoy things, do that on your own. I'm not interested," snapped Dang Yu-Rin, her cold rebuke accentuated by Jeok Mu-Ryeong's silent yet obviously irritated gaze.

"Wait and see. I'll finish you off in the finals."

"Oh, dear. Such hostility." After saying that, Tae Yu-Chun then turned his attention to Davey. "You know how to have fun, right?"

Davey remained silent.

"You haven’t shown your full strength during the duels, have you?"

Tae Yu-Chun approached with a grin and extended his hand. "Let's do our best. Let's create an unforgettable memory."

Davey responded with a grin of his own and clasped his hand.

'Perserque.'

'Just give me a second.'

Perserque immediately used the power of the Abyss. Then, she slowly raised her head and shook it.

'No. This guy is simply a genius.'

With that, Davey quietly let go of Yu-Chun’s hand.

"Have it your way."

Davey was not interested in the tournament anyway.

His gaze shifted away to Princess Jadeflower of Yu and Crown Prince Wol Gye-Woo of Hwan, who were observing the scene from a distance.

"The duel shall begin! The Mount Hua Sect's Jeok Mu-Ryeong! And from the Heavenrend Sect, Davey! Please enter the arena!"

Jeok Mu-Ryeong quietly closed his eyes before turning around; then, he addressed Tae Yu-Chun rather than Davey. "I have been waiting for the day I face you. Wait for me in the finals. I will tear you apart."

"Oh my, that's rather intimidating~"

As for Davey, Jeok Mu-Ryeong had little interest in him.

As he took his stance facing Davey, he declared, "No matter what, I must fight Tae Yu-Chun."

After saying that, he took out an unexpectedly long sword.

"I am Jeok Mu-Ryeong, direct disciple of the Mount Hua Sect Leader. My techniques are based on the Jaha Divine Art and encompass the unique 72 Plum Blossom Swords."

His statement elicited gasps of shock from the audience.

"Wow... A youngster has mastered the Mount Hua Sect leader's unique martial art?!"

"Astonishing... Never would I have thought he had such power.”

"Following the Eternal Sword Saint, the Righteous Path has another outstanding talent!"

"The disciple of the deceased sect leader seems destined to become one of the Five Stars in the next generation."

Enthusiastic praise flowed from the audience. The martial arts that Dokgo Jun imparted to Davey were the 24 Plum Blossom Swords. They indeed seemed somewhat inferior compared to Jeok Mu-Ryeong's 72 Plum Blossom Swords.

"From the Heavenrend Sect, Davey O’Rowane enters the fray. His arts are—"

"I know. The Vajra Unbreakable from Shaolin and the Tai Chi Ink Blossom, right?" Jeok Mu-Ryeong cut off the judge, pointing his sword at Davey. "Mighty warrior, draw your sword. Following my master's last command, I shall defeat you and proceed to the finals!"

The determination on his face clearly stemmed from the anger directed at Tae Yu-Chun. It seemed, judging by the rage Dang Yu-Rin from the Sacheon Dang Family also held toward Tae Yu-Chun, that this young man really had an innate talent to infuriate his opponents.

"Well, whatever floats your boat," Davey muttered calmly as he twirled his sword and took a step toward Jeok Mu-Ryeong.

Boom!!!

That instant, Jeok Mu-Ryeong unleashed his formidable power and lunged toward Davey, his sword tip flashing and blooming with dozens of plum blossoms.

"72 Plum Blossom Swords, strike!"

The attack mixed illusion with reality, creating a myriad of afterimages, as if summoning a vast garden of plum blossoms out of thin air.

But Davey merely twirled the sword in his hand lightly and stepped forward.

‘Yes. It would be polite to adjust to his respectable skill level,’ Davey thought.

[Dokgo Unique Art]

[Heavenly Formless Sword: Grand Eclipse]

[Extreme Light]

Swoosh...

Thud!!!

The sword left a massive pitch-black trail as it moved through the air, as if it was absorbing the very light around it. It engulfed Jeok Mu-Ryeong's plum blossoms in a single blow.

Clatter! Clang!

Jeok Mu-Ryeong was blasted away, while the blossoms he unleashed were devoured by the dark aura released by Davey, leaving behind a vicious trail of sword marks on the ground.

"That was...?"

"My word! Is that the Heavenly Formless Sword?!"

What they considered a shameful past and what should never be revealed—it was the legacy of the Dokgo clan eradicated by the combined force of the Central Martial Alliance, representing the Righteous Path, and the Illusion Demon Sect from the Evil Path. The high-level martial artists in the audience stared at Davey in shock.

"Is that all?" Davey asked.

Jeok Mu-Ryeong was shocked by Davey’s question. A hint of excitement flickered across his face.

"No! I am not done yet!"

As if to confirm his status as a true prodigy, his sword once again bloomed with plum blossoms. The scent of plum blossoms began to spread. Surpassing the boundary of what would be considered the Sword Scent realm, the force generated by his attacks felt immensely fierce, almost unbelievable for a young man of his age.

"Pardon my arrogance, but here is my ultimate technique!"

The ultimate assault of plum blossom swords came raining down, and Davey, flicking his sword surrounded by dark aura to meet the attack, kept his focus on Jeok Mu-Ryeong. When Jeok Mu-Ryeong entered Davey’s range, Davey smoothly took a step forward.

"I guess I should show some courtesy in return."

He began to explain to Jeok Mu-Ryeong his next combination technique. "When you blend Dokgo clan's Heavenly Formless Sword with the Arhat Qi of Shaolin and the Possession Technique of the Illusion Demon Sect, you get something pretty interesting."

Expressions of shock emerged on a few high-level martial artists' faces.

‘Ah, they are realizing the nature of the energy I’m about to manifest.’

[Heavenly Destroyer]

[Demonic (Spirit) Sword, 79th Form]

[Ghostly Possession]

[Beheading Slaughtering Technique]

Thud!

With a striking blast, Jeok Mu-Ryeong's plum blossoms began to wither away. His last-ditch effort at making the scene bloom under his sword wilted under the brutal assault of Davey’s eerie sword energy. Amid the deafening silence of the spectators, he spit up a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the ground.

Crack!!!

This attack did not only affect him; With a terrifying, overwhelming force, it extended beyond the martial stage and reached the barrier-protected spectators' area, sparking off a massive quake.

Although killing attacks were permitted, actually killing the opponent would be a problem. Even after substantially reducing the attack’s power, however, shadows of devilish entities lingered within the vast arena. Furthermore, the strange forces his sword had created contorted the ground, leaving cracks all over as if a great drought had struck the land. With his current level of strength, that was the limit of his control, a fact that did not cause Davey much regret.

Swoosh!

In an instant, numerous senior martial artists burst into the combat area.

With their weapons all pointing at Davey, they demanded, "You... do you realize what that sword technique you just used was?"

"Do not move. The masters from both the Righteous and Evil Paths are watching you. Any resistance will only lead to death."

This stirred the old and young from both Righteous and Evil Paths. The seniors, who had lived for over two hundred years, knew it all too well—the symbol of fear. What Davey had exhibited was part of the Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art, the terrifying Demonic Sword. In their shock, those around were unable to grasp the turn of events.

Kwak Mi-Yeung sighed deeply, covering her face in her hands, while Rinne, who was chewing on pheasant meat purchased from a street stall, seemed merely amused by the turn of events.

Within the ensuing silence, Davey responded to those surrounding him. "A descendant of the Heavenly Destroyer?"

"Don't play dumb! The sword technique you just displayed is undoubtedly inherited from the Heavenly Destroyer Dokgo Jun, even if it looks different!" shouted an elderly master from the Evil Path, and the smile vanished from Davey's face.

They did not know he had intentionally shown these techniques.

"True, that guy's swordplay did seem somewhat familiar."

"How dare you... How can you bring such evil martial arts back to murim?!"

Davey let out a scoff in response to the outraged screaming. "Speak properly or shut your mouth."

Clang!

Davey flicked away the swords pointing at him.

"If you call the Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art demonic, then aren’t the Shaolin arts I just used demonic? Aren’t your own glorified martial arts demonic as well? You’re asking me if I know what this sword art is? Well, do you understand what your words are implying?"

"Silence!"

It was easy to persist in denial. However, beside these seniors, there were plenty of younger martial artists gathered here. They had no idea about these secrets and how the current martial world had come to be. Realization might soon dawn upon them—that an art they feared because it was known under the name of the “demonic” Heavenly Destroyer was, in fact, nothing more than a compilation of their own martial arts.

The ripple effects of such rumors, once they started to spread, would be all-encompassing.

In reality, Davey had already proven in two duels that he was not wielding Shaolin's Adamant Qi or the Tai Chi Qi as a means of propagating evil arts. Conventional wisdom was a fearsome thing. The more they tried to restrain Davey, the more these senior martial artists would realize it. The more they engaged in conversation with him, the more the rumors would spread.

“Oh, you’re telling me to shut up? Let me ask you this: if your own martial arts are not evil, then the Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art, which was created based on them… what is it? Are you saying that the Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art, which you guys claim to be evil, was actually righteous all along?”

"What did you say?!"

"He's not wrong," came a confirmation.

Just then, as if to add fuel to the fire, the fallen opponent, Jeok Mu-Ryeong, slowly rose to his feet, surprising everyone. "Although his sword energy looked dark, its essence is completely different from those dreadful blood demon techniques."

"Huh? What would a kid like you know—"

"I am the direct heir of the Mount Hua Sect Master, and I am at the peak of the Absolute realm. In fact, I am close to breaking through to the Transcendent realm," Mu-Ryeong declared confidently, causing an uproar among the onlookers. “Is your cultivation high enough to talk down to me?”

The Absolute realm!

The mention of this realm caused a significant stir. For someone as young as Mu-Ryeong to have reached such a high level of cultivation was not only a sign of immense talent but also a status even the most veteran martial artists could not dismiss lightly.

"To disregard my opinion simply because I am young is an act of disrespect, and I won't let it slide easily," Mu-Ryeong warned, his voice carrying the weight of his conviction.

As internal conflicts started brewing among the groups, the situation took an interesting turn. The Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art was the key to unraveling the horrifying truth concealed by the masters of both the Righteous and the Evil Paths, a technique that even these martial artists themselves could not master.

One of the surrounding martial artists voiced his thoughts, saying, "You’re from the Dokgo Clan! The Dokgo Clan is the family of Dokgo Jun! You must also possess the demonic power from that family! You’re another Heavenly Destroyer!"

"That doesn't sound right." At that moment, the tide took another turn with the entry of a soft young voice, compelling everyone to look toward its source.

There stood Princess Jadeflower, her face serene as she gazed down at the flustered masters.

"Oh… Your Highness…"

"The Dokgo Clan has long since been destroyed, as far as we know, by the hands of Dokgo Jun himself. I’ve also heard that Dokgo wasn’t his original surname, so…"

Information about the Dokgo Clan had been concealed in many parts. Rumors varied—some said Dokgo Jun annihilated his own family, while others proclaimed the family committed treason. But no one knew that in fighting for the Central Martial Alliance, they fell prey to the organization's greed, and in efforts to erase those traces, the last survivor, Dokgo Yeon, found herself exposed and targeted by the martial arts society. It was almost laughable.

Princess Jadeflower’s words prompted Crown Prince Wol Gye-Woo to step forward.

Clapping his hands brightly, he put on a congenial smile as he spoke, "Now, now. Everyone, stand down. While I understand your fears regarding the devil, have you considered who hosts and manages this tournament you're at?"

"Hmmm..."

"Consider the implications of your actions before you make a scene."

Princess Jadeflower’s assistance was not exactly intentional. But it made sense for the person who could defend Davey against this crowd to be precisely him. As the supporter of the Ak Rim Sect, the prince knew full well that the sect ostensibly used the unique martial arts of a clan, but in truth was attempting to recreate the Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art.

Davey was well aware of this. Since they targeted Cheon Ji-Hee, there could only be one reason: the Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art.

From now, the rumors alleging that the Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art was not merely a demonic art but a complex and unique art would spread far and wide. These rumors would soon produce who-knew-what questions and conspiracy theories concerning the status quo of the Righteous and Evil Paths.

It was too much to expect an infamous devil’s reputation to improve overnight, but he would at least be slowly cleared of false accusations.

As the surrounding martial artists lowered their swords and stepped back, Davey also stepped away from the stage. As he walked away, he locked eyes with Tae Yu-Chun, the blue-haired young man from the Ak Rim Sect, who was going up on the stage for his own match.

"Hey, about that..."

He wanted to just ignore Tae Yu-Chun when the youngster’s voice reached him. "Shall we meet in the finals? There's something I'd like to request."

"Nope. Go back."

"Don't be so uptight. The martial arts you used seem really effective." Tae Yu-Chun, brimming with playful confidence, stopped Davey in his tracks. "I want you to show me everything. You're a strong warrior and you’re worthy of fighting me."

"You want to see me at my best? Are you worthy of that?"

"You won't regret it. I’m not the kind of idiot who rests on his laurels just because people praise him as a genius. You should be afraid."

His teasing words accompanied his sly smile as he gazed past Davey at the black-haired girl from the Dang Family, Dang Yu-Rin.

"Sorry, but I’ll finish this quickly."

"What did you say?"

"I just really want to fight an opponent I like as soon as possible."

With those words, as the commencement shout filled the air, Tae Yu-Chun...

Boom!!!

...burst forth with an energy similar to the Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art that Davey had used, slamming Dang Yu-Rin to the ground before she could even lift a finger.

With a ferociousness unlike the skill Davey used, Tae Yu-Chun landed a decisive, crippling blow. Dang Yu-Rin, unable to even display her family's signature stealth techniques, succumbed to the overwhelming force.

"Whew. How about this, friend? Am I worthy?"

Tae Yu-Chun had the freakish talent to convert any technique he witnessed into his own. He was a true genius, rivaling even Illyna. This was Davey’s first time meeting someone like her.

1. This is a clan you might recognize as the Sichuan Tang Clan, a famous clan in classic wuxia (and also in Soul Land) that is particularly proficient in stealth, poisons, and hidden weapons. ☜