Chapter 615

Chapter 615

Davey watched as the sect leader winced at his question and slowly backed away.

Boom!!!!

All the mana that had been restored as Davey's body and soul synchronized began to circulate in his body, and during the entirety of the synchronization, his holy power, which had been depleted, naturally filled up to a much higher level than before. Boundless possibilities were at Davey's disposal, depending on how he would use the jewel given to him by Goddess Freyja herself. It was Davey's final and biggest ace up his sleeve that he could use whenever he desired. Of course, the effect would not last long considering how even a very brief use of it already caused nearly one percent damage in the jewel.

"Perhaps, it could be because of the power that you hold," Perserque commented.

The Power of Taboo that worked independently from holy power was probably the reason behind the unexpectedly high damage rate. The Power of Taboo had even overridden Goddess Freyja's force that previously prohibited him from using other types of power, such as the holy power. Naturally, the Power of Taboo that liberated Davey from all forces and rules would not leave behind any other forces that could influence him. When he first acquired the Gem, he did not possess the Power of Taboo. In the second parallel world, it was not outside power that maintained synchronization, but rather the dissonance between soul and body, leading to self-synchronization. And now that he had acquired the Power of Taboo, it was questionable if he could maintain it if he was to acquire the Gem once more.

"Ha, such a cutie."

'The Goddess Freyja, ever so cute even with her cheekiness,' Davey thought.

"What are you doing?! Watch out for their attacks!!"

Ye Hyun-Hwa's panic and loud voice pulled Davey out of his train of thoughts, bringing him to refocus his entire attention back to his surroundings. It was then that he quickly noticed how two formidable beings were closing in on him. One of them was Ice Sword Goddess Hwa Ok-Ran, and on the opposite side was the one wielding a blazing blade, Crimson Dragon Scholar Hark Jun-Seong. While they advanced toward Davey, he did nothing to prepare for any retaliation, nor did he make any defensive move. Instead...

"Hmph..."

Boom!!!

Davey just stomped his foot powerfully.

Bang!!!

Beep.

[Damage Rate 1%]

The jewel's damage rate had reached one percent; its effect had become certain and significant.The shockwave created from the single stomp of his foot knocked them out fiercely, generating a massive EMP effect. The two strong jiangshis were overwhelmed and brutally thrown back by the shockwave.

"It can't be!! They are two powerful martial artists and yet, both of them couldn't inflict even a single wound on that guy!"

Davey barely paid attention to the sect leader's shout of astonishment as he floated Red Ribbon into the air. There was no need to use the jewel against the sect leader, whose actual power was not much different from any ordinary warrior.

"Ugh!!"

"Sect... Sect leader!!"

Before they could react, Red Ribbon's blade penetrated the sect leader's left shoulder, slamming him against the stone wall. Startled, the Grand Elders tried to move hastily.

Boom!!!!

They faced a significant repercussion for being unaware of the existence of magic.

[Counter-Rotation Circle Magic]

[Thunder Calling]

[Chain Thunder]

Supercharged lightning bolts from a magic circle that was created on the ceiling of the chamber scorched the Grand Elders in an instant. Even the Limitless could not hold Davey back, so it was clear that the Grand Elders, who borrowed power from the Abyss, did not have a chance against Davey. Apart from Cheon Geum, who was still in the midst of a battle with Han Ja-Seong, and the last one of the Five Stars, only the sect leader and one Grand Elder remained, since the rest of their predominant forces had already been dealt with by the lightning bolts.

"Ugh... Sect Leader!"

"Are you okay, Tae Sang-Jae?"

"Yes, I was lucky. It's so dangerous here! You need to run..."

"Ugh, I cannot pull out the sword!"

As though it was alive, Red Ribbon applied more pressure on the sect leader's shoulder, and Tae Sang-Jae ran toward the sect leader and began to pull Red Ribbon.

Zap!

"Ugh!"

Lightning came out of Red Ribbon, and it sent Tae Sang-Jae flying.

[Don't touch me!!]

There was a surge of Red Ribbon's indomitable willpower, and astonishment spread across the faces of the Tae Sang-Jae and the sect leader.

"Wha... What just..."

"It's because the sword has its own will; it chooses who can wield it."

Crack...

Davey defeated the remaining member of the Five Stars by using the third form of the Divine Spear Longinus. And as he marched toward the sect leader and Tae Sang-Jae, he threw hellfire onto the fragmented corpses.

Davey had easily defeated the most trusted forces of the Grand Elders and even the sect leader himself. Afterward, he then plucked three strands of his hair to create his clones. This was a spell and a form of Daoist magic, the art of making clones.

"Take care of those who survived," ordered Davey.

And just as always, at his command, the three clones sprang into action. One clone swiftly moved to staunch the bleeding wound of Kwak Do-Young, while the other two ripped to appropriate sizes the clothing of those who had died, giving them out to the women so they could cover themselves. Two of the Limitless, who were just subdued by the brief release of the power from the jewel, showed no signs of moving.

"Just what exactly are you?" The sect leader asked, completely unable to comprehend Davey.

"The Spirit Realm's—"

"Don't lie!! Our lord said that your existence is not some deceitful entity!"

Since Davey had come here chasing the Princess of the Abyss, it was only natural that these fellows had a connection with her.

"Hmm..."

"Speak... Who the heck are you? You just destroyed three powerful martial artists with so much ease..."

"What a curious man you are." Davey nonchalantly walked up to him and punched him in the gut.

Inflicting a fatal wound was not difficult.

"Ugh!!"

As the man coughed up blood, Davey questioned him directly, "Are you my boss?"

"..."

"I don't see why I should have to spill my life story to you. Do you?" Davey asked as his gaze darted to Ye Hyun-Hwa, causing a strange shift in her expression.

She seemed to want to hear his response herself, but she ultimately nodded in agreement with him. "Well... It must be so."

"Why would you stupidly get captured?"

"What?! Do you think everyone is a monster like you?!"

Ignoring Ye Hyun-Hwa's indignant response, Davey redirected his attention to Kwak Hyo-Yeong, who was looking up at him as she shivered in the arms of one of his clones. Her face flushed, and she bowed her head deeply.

"Where did those two bitches go?" Davey asked.

"Ugh..."

Boom!!!

The head of Tae Sang-Jae was cleaved off. A slight increase in the damage rate was a small price to pay, as such individuals posed problems the longer they were left alive.

"Miss, it would be best for you to not do anything unnecessary or dangerous and just stay still."

Davey pointed out the red-haired woman he had met in the cave previously. "You managed to escape even though you were trapped?"

"Hmph! Thanks to someone's help."

"Is that so? I wonder how you broke the seal I placed inside you."

"Do I need to tell you?"

"Not really," Davey responded indifferently, then he turned his gaze back to the sect leader. "Where are those two?"

"Who are you talking about?"

"You know, the hoarse-voiced crazy woman accompanied by that other one."

The sect leader sneered bitterly. "Do you truly believe you have what it takes to face and challenge them?"

"You sure have a lot of faith." Davey raised his index finger toward the man's chest. "Looks like you think housing an Abyss inside your body means I can't do anything to you."

Davey was quite adept at the art of torture that he didn't even need to raise the jewel's damage rate. Using the Curse of Versha would be more than enough. With it, Davey intensified the sensitivity of the sect leader's entire body. He then ignited a black fire on the tip of his finger while a cocky smirk was plastered on his face.

"The greatest pain a human can sense is searing pain, right? This will drive you insane."

[Samadhi Fire]

[Dark Magic Curse's Stigma]

[Combining Qi]

[Fire of Interrogation]

Despite embracing the Abyss's power, the sect leader's resistance remained far inferior to the resistance of the Abyssal entities.

"Samadhi Fire?!" The sect leader screamed as he saw the kind of fire technique that existed only in theories.

The black fire that left Davey's hand reached the sect leader, and it was about to set him completely ablaze when...

Crack!!!

One of Davey's clones, made with just a bit of his power, was smashed to pieces. Distracted by it, Davey turned off the Samadhi Fire and looked behind him to see who could've destroyed his clone. He then saw who the culprit was.

The two jiangshis that had been knocked down by the shockwave, were slowly rising again to approach him. Despite their bodies being mostly destroyed, the two martial artists who had been soundly subdued managed to get back on their feet. What was intriguing was that their aura was somewhat different from before.

"He's truly remarkable..."

"That's for sure." With a nonchalant shrug, the two great martial artists approached, their egos beginning to show.

"So it's done... It's accomplished!!! Hahahahahaha!!! It must be because of the shockwave you caused that triggered some change inside! The true power has awakened. The Limitless have awakened! I gathered their souls with the Blood Demon Technique and sealed them in jiangshis made of strong bodies! You won't win!!"

Davey grimaced. "You said that they are heroes. Why would heroes help you?"

The question made the sect leader chuckle. "Obviously, they have been enchanted to only follow my commands. Hahaha... Kill this insolent fool!!"

The jiangshis looked at Davey leisurely.

"It's remarkable to encounter such a powerful martial artist at his age."

"It's intriguing indeed."

"I thought it would be worth entertaining ourselves by fighting him for the time being."

The frightened women and Kwak Do-Young stared at the two martial artists in shock.

"No... No! Honorable seniors, what are you saying?! These people... They disrupt the balance of the murim..."

"Hmm? And who are you?"

"I am a junior. My name is Kwak Do-Young."

"Ah... A descendant of the Kwak family? Indeed, quite impressive. But still lacking compared to..."

Hark Jun-Seong pointed his sword at Davey. "A young man like him would have no issue."

They were acting strangely. And no matter how one looked at it, their behavior seemed like it wasn't because of the spell's enchantment. Rather, it seemed like they were willingly acting the way the spell's enchantment had wanted them to act.

"What on earth..."

"Oh. Did I not tell you the whole story?" Davey slowly began.

"What story?"

"Your revered heroes of the Heavenly Central Plains, none other than the three who claimed themselves as heroes but were actually not. They had no interest in the peace and well-being of the murim. They only cared about defeating the strong. How do you feel seeing the truth behind the heroes you believed in?"

Hark Jun-Seong's face shifted. "You talk as if you know me so well."

"I know enough."

"You know? Could the current era possibly be..."

"After the Heavenly Destroyer spared your life, one hundred fifty years have passed."

"You..." Hark Jun-Seong's face grew cold at Davey's words.

"Just remember, the Galaxy Sword Saint Yu Gil-Tae was at least decent. But not the two of you. Didn't people call you guys brawlers?"

It must have been quite a sarcastic nickname to call such high-level fighters brawlers. But it only made sense. They only ever took sides where power was greatest, fighting for sheer dominance, precisely like a belief in the supremacy of the individual. They fought against the Heavenly Destroyer, not for the honor but purely because theHeavenly Destroyer seemed to be the strongest opponent at the time.

Davey calmly drew Red Ribbon, which had been piercing through the sect leader.

"Ugh!!!"

As the blade was suddenly withdrawn from his body, the sect leader fell to the ground, his face contorting in pain. "Kill him!! Kill that man!! Surely he is the powerful adversary you all sought!!"

At his cry, Hwa Ok-Ran rose with her pale icy blade spinning gracefully. She then stepped forward, gazing at Davey appraisingly. "Indeed... So this young man is the one who awoke our spirits. I shall be the judge of his abilities first."

"What? You want to gauge my abilities?"

These two were unaware of Davey's real power. Even though they were emitting powerful auras incomparable to when they were simple Millennial Jiangshis, they still should not be acting so recklessly.

"Come. If you are powerful, let's see your skills." Her behavior was similar to a hooligan's, and it was such a striking contrast to her beautiful face and elegance. There was a jarring dissonance between her actions and the image they had of her, and it rendered not only Kwak Do-Young but also the others to be speechless.

Seemingly dumbfounded, Dang Yu-Rin, and Ye Hyun-Hwa murmured in confusion. "The heroes we believed in... Why would they..."

"Why do they still draw their swords against me, even after seeing the situation? At times, the truth is more fictional than fiction."

Not all secrets that got uncovered were clean. The known history did not have to follow their narrative. Davey started walking toward Hwa Ok-Ran.

"If you plan on causing further trouble, I'll send you on your way again."

When they were mere jiangshis, it did not matter, but now that they possessed their own wills... Davey started to get a good and plausible idea of how the souls that should've been reincarnated already were brought back. The real souls had already entered the cycle of reincarnation, but the traces and remnants gathered together to form consciousness. This consciousness was fragile to the point of crumbling upon death even though it was not significantly different from their real selves. It was causing trouble as well.

If they had regained the strength they had when they were still alive, it might have been an interesting fight for Davey, but unfortunately for them, he was currently synchronizing his soul and body to the desired extent through the power of the jewel.

"You've chosen the wrong opponent." Davey's words seemed to stir Hwa Ok-Ran's interest, and it was apparent from the look on her face.

"To make such arrogant claims against me..."

Crack!

Another fine crack appeared momentarily in the jewel. A brief burst of power was all it took. Davey precisely executed Hwa Ok-Ran's martial art technique, the Thousand Year Ice Flower, and by bringing out a higher realm of power than hers, he snatched away her icy blade. With a single sweep, he defeated her.

To the observers, it seemed like he only made a single brief movement with a short blade. But he had actually cut through her body dozens, if not hundreds of times. Being light on his feet almost led to an excessive use of his ability.

"What's the use of an ancestor who only gets in the way of their descendants' future?"

There was a line between trials and obstacles. Davey looked at Hwa Ok-Ran, who was collapsing with a face of disbelief, and mercilessly stomped on her beautiful face.

"Cough! You... You dare dirty this beautiful face with your filthy foot..."

"Sorry, but I'm all about equality. I don't go easy on a woman."

If someone deserved a beating, their gender did not matter.

Hark Jun-Seong's laughter erupted. "Marvelous! Such a formidable individual among the younger generation! The future of martial arts is so bright! Never had I thought that this duplicitous woman would be so easily defeated."

"Are you joining the fray as well?" Davey asked, already knowing the answer, as Hark Jun-Seong nodded, displaying a fierce desire to fight.

"Yes! After Heavenly Destroyer, I never thought I would see someone so powerful again!"

"Then, the martial art I will use on you is the Red Crimson Sword Technique."

Davey's words seemed to harden Hark Jun-Seong's expression. "You... You're saying you'll use my martial art to defeat me?"

"Junior, entertainment, whatever you call it..." Davey trailed off as he secretly marked the sect leader, who was trying to escape with the aid of the red-haired woman, with the dark magic curse. Once done, he continued to say, "It just really bothers me when you guys arrogantly claim to be the Limitless."

'For brawlers like you to lie about reaching the Limitless felt incredibly cheap...'

"..."

Han Ja-Seong was still fighting against Cheon Geum, and Davey decided not to interfere. That was a challenge he had set for Ja-Seong. Unbeknownst to him, Ja-Seong was gradually growing stronger as he sparred with Cheon Geum; his movements were improving considerably. It seemed the end was in sight.

"Come. Fight me. I'll show you what the real Limitless looks like."

Crack...

As the jewel suffered a minor damage, synchronizing the soul with the body, the power within Davey began to awaken. And then... A blue flame that Hark Jun-Seong had never managed to manifest flared up from Davey's entire body. The surging blue flame seemed to engulf everything in its path like a dragon, overwhelming the opponents fiery energy.

"If you're to claim that you are the Limitless..."

"This is impossible! How could someone reach the epitome of the Red Crimson Sword Technique, which even I could not achieve?!"

"It has to be at least this much."