Descent of the Demon Master

What would qualify as the most important sense for a human being?

Most people would say it was their sight. And they wouldn't be wrong. Humans were very visual-oriented creatures, after all. As such, human perception was mostly tuned around their sense of sight. Depending on what a person could see, their emotions would experience extreme shifts from one end of the spectrum to the other side.

This principle also applied to ominous foreboding. Whenever people said something felt ominous, they drew that conclusion through information gathered by their sense of sight. Such as... Dark, damp shadows. Crumbling abandoned houses. Or a person that gave off an unsettling vibe.

All of that was true, but the Crimson King was not the type to get swayed by what he could see.

The goal of cultivators was to become one with nature. So, what they saw was also a part of nature. Since creepy shadows and vibrant daylight were all nature, why should he get swayed and controlled by them?

That was why the Crimson King did not obsess over things he could see. He didn't rely on his sight but on other senses to analyze and view the world.

However, at least at this very moment... This way of viewing the world had come back to bite in the rear instead.

This creepy chill running down his spine! Yes, that seemed the most appropriate description for what he could sense right now. It was somewhat different from the 'fear' the Crimson King felt while fighting Kang Jin-Ho until now.

Slowly, oh-so-agonizingly slowly, the demonic entity was rising up. While lazily staggering and swaying about, this eerie creature stood up in the center of the split-open ocean.

'What... What is going on here?'

That entity was Kang Jin-Ho. There was no doubt regarding who or what that creature was. It was definitely Kang Jin-Ho!

However, the Crimson King's senses were screaming at him that that entity was not Kang Jin-Ho. Thus, his sense of sight was clashing against his perception. In any other time, he'd have unhesitantly trusted his other senses more, but not now. Even he was faltering from what he could see.

How was such a thing even possible, though?!

The entity he could see was definitely Kang Jin-Ho, yet it wasn't?

Powerful confusion gripped the Crimson King. However, his confusion didn't last for long. It was quickly pushed out of his mind from the ominous foreboding, plus the crippling pain shooting up from his torso.

Only then did the Crimson King lower his head to stare at his gaping wound.

He got... cut up?

White bones could be seen past his sliced-up flesh. The Crimson King grimaced after realizing how grievous this injury was. Such was the graveness of this wound that he even briefly wondered if he had ever been injured this badly before in his life.

Even then, the Crimson King's eyes didn't linger around his wound. This injury might verge on being fatal, but was it as life-threatening as the entity before his eyes?

The Crimson King locked his gaze back on the entity, and... And he could see. The entity that was Kang Jin-Ho but couldn't be seen as Kang Jin-Ho anymore turned its head toward the Crimson King in a creaky, unsettling motion. It was as if he had suddenly transformed into a creepy wooden doll!

Flinch!

The Crimson King flinched nastily when their gazes met mid-air. That was when he finally realized why he instinctively viewed that entity as something different from Kang Jin-Ho.

The unknown factor in Kang Jin-Ho that roused fear in the Crimson King was still there. But now, something else was added to the mix, something that hadn't been there until now.

When the entity's glare locked on the Crimson King, the latter's olfactory sense was suddenly assaulted by the intense stench of untamed nature. It was as if a savage beast had bared its fangs and was growling away right next to the Crimson King's throat.

The Crimson King faltered and stepped back as the hair-raising feeling of the predator getting ready to tear his throat off quickly overtook his senses.

Kang Jin-Ho's creaking, staggering figure finally stood upright. Then, he slowly cracked his neck from left to right. As if he were testing an unfamiliar vehicle by cautiously stepping on the accelerator a few times, Kang Jin-Ho silently moved his limbs this way and that. He was clearly checking out his body's state.

...And it was as if this body wasn't his. As if he wasn't used to moving this body's limbs!

Each and every move he made remained creepy and unsettling.

“Kuh-heuh…” Eventually, Kang Jin-Ho's lips cracked open, allowing a bassy, heavy and creepy grunt to escape. “You f*cking bastard. Finally...!”

Kang Jin-Ho leisurely wiped his face away with his free hand. After ridding the seawater dripping down his face with a rough flick, Kang Jin-Ho raised his head.

'He's different!'

The Crimson King grimaced. He felt certain about it now. That Kang Jin-Ho was unmistakably different from his previous self. Especially the glare in his eyes!

Even as he unleashed a choking amount of demonic qi, Kang Jin-Ho's eyes always remained cold and withdrawn. But not this entity. His eyes were flickering and gleaming like a demon's. That was why the impression his face gave off had completely been transformed... Even though he still looked the same!

“You...!”

Just before the Crimson King could say something, the ocean rushed back in to fill the void. He clamped his mouth shut and jumped up. Several angry waves crashed in, and white foams crazily danced on the surface.

Even as nature's confusion set it, the Crimson King's glare never left Kang Jin-Ho. He feared that if he dared to look away even for a second, Kang Jin-Ho might close the distance in an instant and thrust his sword into the Crimson King's throat before smirking hatefully away!

Kang Jin-Ho didn't bother to stand on the water's surface like the Crimson King. He remained submerged up to his knees in the ocean while looking up at the Crimson King.

“Just who are you?” The Crimson King asked.

He simply had to ask that question even though he knew it was unnecessary. Without asking it first, he knew he wouldn't be able to break free from this paralysis!

As for Kang Jin-Ho, his lips slowly parted again after listening to that foolish question. “Hah... Hahaha...”

What came out of his mouth was a quiet little chuckle. However, that chuckle didn't stay quiet for long.

“Haha... Hahahahat! Kuh-hahahahaha!”

Kang Jin-Ho's crazed laughter echoed in the surroundings. However, his laughter sounded eerily similar to a haunted cry in some ways. Sludgy, sickening cry smelling of blood that caused the ocean to tremble in fear!

The Crimson King felt like he was being crushed by the contagious madness in that cry. Even though he was none other than the Crimson King!

'What kind of development is this?!'

Just who was he? Wasn't he the Crimson King? Yes, he was one of the Three Kings ruling Zhongyuan! A man with no equal under the heavens in fist arts!

Over a hundred thousand people would unhesitantly sacrifice their lives for his cause. Quite literally, he was a king. A king that ruled over heaven and earth!

Yet, the Crimson King was holding his breath at the powerful presence of that entity. This situation was not something his brain could comprehend.

Kang Jin-Ho bared his fangs. While growling like an untamed wild beast, he gripped the Crimson Destiny even tighter. “Who am I, is it? Did you really ask me who I am? Who I am?! Who am I?! Who I am! You brainless bastard! Asking me who I am!”

Yet another crazed cry exploded forth from the mouth of the entity formerly known as Kang Jin-Ho. And the Crimson King was overwhelmed and suppressed by that cry again.

Powerful emotions contained in that cry crashed into the Crimson King. Rage, despair, sorrow!

This flood of messy emotions couldn't easily be categorized under one type. It continued to pour out of Kang Jin-Ho seemingly endlessly. However, despite how powerful those emotions were, they seemed aimless and directionless.

“Tell me. Who do you think I am?” Kang Jin-Ho growled menacingly.

Even the Crimson King couldn't deal with the rage contained in that question.

The whole world was trembling now. The ocean rumbled and buzzed every time Kang Jin-Ho's words echoed in the air as if to express its agreement. It was as if the world was shouting alongside him!

The Crimson King grimaced again. “You are...”

“Shut your trap,” Kang Jin-Ho... No, the entity formerly known as Kang Jin-Ho growled menacingly again. “What does that matter, anyway?”

“...!”

The entity was right. Who 'he' was didn't matter. At all. What did matter, though, was that this entity, this new Kang Jin-Ho, held clear and naked hostility toward the Crimson King!

“Well, then. Allow me to teach you what's important.”

Splash...

Kang Jin-Ho took a step toward the Crimson King while lightly shaking the Crimson Destiny. That prompted the Crimson King to stumble back reflexively. And his expression froze instantly afterward.

'I... I retreated?!'

His fluster didn't originate from the fact that he stumbled back. He had experienced that plenty of times already at Kang Jin-Ho's hands earlier, after all! The act of retreating didn't mean much to him now.

What flustered him this time was the process behind this retreat. The Crimson King wasn't retreating because he was scared. The truth was that he panicked when his knees tried to bend on their own. While trying to stand straight again, he ended up ungainly stumbling back.

His knees were buckling? To force him into a kneeling position?!

Indescribable humiliation dyed the Crimson King's expression. He was an existence that made others kneel, was he not?!

He was a king. And a king would never kneel before anyone!

“You...! You bastard!!!”

The Crimson King's boiling emotions of rage and humiliation finally erupted like a volcano. Powerful qi rousing up from his dantian quickly permeated his fist. He unhesitantly focused all his strength into this punch, then... Fired it at the target!

A pillar of blinding white light rapidly shot forward while splitting the ocean in half!

Behold! This was the Crimson King's power! Power capable of repelling even Mother Nature herself!

With power like this at his disposal, why would Crimson King fear anyone? He'd never...!

“So weak.”

That was when a whisper-like voice suddenly registered in the Crimson King's hearing. Despite the unleashed fist light roaring loudly enough to rock the heaven and earth, that soft little whisper still rang so vividly and sharply in his ear like a thunderclap!

Sliiiiiice!

That voice was immediately followed by the noise of something being split apart. At the same time, the Crimson King's fist light was invaded by a pitch-black sword qi. This mysterious sword qi easily bisected the Crimson King's fist light as if it was a rotten radish, and then... It even sliced through the Crimson King's torso!

Splatter!

The sensation of his flesh being cut reached the Crimson King's brain. It felt like his torso got cut open without any resistance whatsoever. He couldn't help himself but shudder powerfully.

Just what on Earth was happening here?!

“So weak...”

KWA-BOOOOOOM!

Even before the Crimson King could figure out what happened, his figure was suddenly flung away like a cannon shell.

Splash! Bang! Splaaash!

The Crimson King flew away while splitting open the ocean before crashing into the seabed... Only to continue flying away and bouncing around several times more.

“Euh... Euhk... Uwaaaaahk!” The Crimson King finally stopped his body by digging his hands into the ground. After barely pushing himself back to his feet, he roared uncontrollably at the heavens above.

His rage was so overwhelming that it nearly paralyzed his mind. A punch came flying in before he had the time to realize it and landed just below his eye, turning the Crimson King's face into a bloodied mess in the blink of an eye. That was how he ended up bouncing around like a discarded toy!

The king was furious after he got hit in the face by an invader. Then again, a king whose authority was stripped from him and whose abilities were laughed at was supposed to get furious, anyway. Unfortunately for the Crimson King, he didn't know how or where to unleash his anger.

“And you dare call yourself a king?”

A chilling voice stabbed into the Crimson King's hearing. This voice sent freezing chills down the spine of anyone daring to listen. And it was also capable of humiliating the victim with all the naked contempt and ridicule contained within!

“Someone like you dares to?”

BOOM!

An impact force powerful enough to nearly knock the Crimson King out landed on his back. He couldn't even scream while helplessly bouncing around the ocean.

Even as his face was unceremoniously slammed into the saltwater repeatedly, the Crimson King's rage still burned, and he tried to swing and flail about with his limbs.

This was... ridicule. A clear, undisguised attempt at mocking him! How else was he supposed to explain the intent of a swordsman who didn't bother to use his weapon and dismissively kicked the back of his opponent like this?!

“Uwaaaaah?! You son of a b*tch!” The Crimson King roared loudly while shooting up to his feet before urgently turning around. That bastard would undoubtedly...!

After turning around, though... The Crimson King suddenly became deflated, his shoulders slumping a little.

He was convinced that the entity formerly known as Kang Jin-Ho would've chased after the Crimson King's figure to land another strike, but that hadn't been the case at all. That entity was still standing by the spot where the Crimson King was a moment ago. Not only that but with one of his swords stabbed on the seabed and his elbow resting on top of its hilt, no less!

“So, you call yourself the Crimson King?”

“You! You... You...!” The Crimson King stuttered after his rage prevented him from stringing a proper sentence together.

But then, the entity's next words mercilessly struck the Crimson King like bolts of lightning. “The Crimson King? So, a king, eh...? Wow. You sure think highly of yourself with such meager skills, don't you? I guess I must teach you a lesson, then. A lesson on what a real king looks like. And the qualifications a fool who wishes to call himself a king must possess.”

The 'Kang Jin-Ho' stopped leaning against his weapon and stood tall and straight. Then, he leisurely pulled out the Azuremourne from the ground. As he glared at the Crimson King, his fangs slowly revealed themselves in a chilling smirk.

“...And your life will be the lesson fee.”

Like a starving wolf that had found a juicy prey, Kang Jin-Ho slowly closed the distance to the Crimson King.

The moonlight eerily illuminated him from above.