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Pa Ma (Demon Disruption)

The power to push away and erase demon energy, also capable of delivering deadly blows to those possessed by it.

This was also the reason for the formation of the Sword Team led by the Divine Sword, and why she was able to become the hope of the era and lead the war against the Demonic Sect.

The only hope.

The light of the Central Plains.

A miracle that could bring victory against the Almighty Heavenly Demon.

That was Pa Ma.

It shows absolute power against demon energy.

Only the Divine Sword Wi Seol-Ah possessed the power of Pa Ma.

‘How did this happen?’

How did such power even arise?

As I gazed at the white flames swirling around my hand, I expressed my confusion.

“Ah… no….”

The Gyecheon Sect Leader was still trembling in despair.

That sight appeared truly pitiful.

The once massive figure that was over eight spans, now resembling a mere human, and their skin, which had looked inhuman, had all returned to normal.

No, even that wasn’t correct.

They had lost their original appearance. Still, as a martial artist, they used to be muscular, but now they looked emaciated.

What could only be described as just bones, appearing fragile enough to break with a mere touch.

Had they lost their vitality? The state of the Gyecheon Sect Leader was absolutely abnormal, and that appearance seemed to be as if—

‘It seems they’ve lost their primal energy.’

The source of life that every human possesses. Their appearance was reminiscent of someone whose primal energy had mostly disappeared.

Why did it turn out like that? Perhaps my flames were the cause.

‘I intended to burn them to ashes.’

I had aimed to incinerate them completely, leaving not a single bone behind. Instead, I had ambiguously burned something else.

Most likely, it was an unknown energy that had distorted their body.

My flames had only incinerated that part, which was why the leader had ended up in such a pitiful state.

And that’s why I refer to the energy within the flames as Pa Ma.

‘It’s similar to how Pa Ma appeared.’

In the past, when the Divine Sword faced off against demons.

She had used the Moonlight Sword Technique to unleash countless demon blades, and the energy of Pa Ma contained therein had dispatched the demon beasts with astonishing ease.

When demon energy comes into contact with Pa Ma, it gets obliterated. Since demon energy was embedded throughout the entire body, having its energy destroyed was akin to losing one’s life.

Thus, when the Divine Sword appeared, usually the Demon Sword Queen would show up to counter.

Although the Demon Sword Queen was referred to as a demon, she had never been blessed by the Heavenly Demon, making her an excellent match against the Divine Sword.

The power that exists to counter demon energy.

That was precisely Pa Ma.

‘…Can this also be called Pa Ma?’

While it appears that I’m perceiving my power as Pa Ma, I can’t say for certain.

The reasoning being.

‘This isn’t destruction.’

What I just witnessed differed from how Pa Ma operates.

This was closer to erasure rather than destruction.

If it had been destruction, the Gyecheon Sect Leader should have been dead by now.

However, the Gyecheon Sect Leader did not die. They merely returned to being human with the alien energy in their body gone.

Should I call this Pa Ma?

Even more so.

‘Their energy wasn’t demon energy.’

The changes in the Gyecheon Sect Leader were not due to demon energy. Yet, my flames erased it.

Should even this be classified as Pa Ma?

I couldn’t make sense of it. But.

‘One thing I’m certain of.’

There’s something strange about my flames.

‘…And it’s not that different from what my father showed me.’

In the past, the Heavenly Lord had performed actions that vaguely aligned with what my father did.

Back then, my father reached out to the Heavenly Lord and erased something. After that, the Heavenly Lord’s character suddenly returned to normal.

‘This might be the power that the Technique of the Flame Wheel originally possessed.’

It’s proper to see this as a change that occurred due to reaching great heights.

‘If I perfect the Technique of the Flame Wheel, could it be possible to burn away other alien energies?’

Then what was the power my father demonstrated in the North Sea?

The ability that instantly erased white-grade demon beasts.

What was that power my father referred to as the future I was supposed to reach?

Furthermore.

Flame Burst—!!

‘Why did the color of my flames change again?’

With the suddenly obtained ability, the color of the flames had transformed as well.

There was much to investigate.

“…Please… I….”

“Hey.”

I approached the trembling elder and bent down to match my gaze with theirs, causing the Gyecheon Sect Leader to flinch.

Then, immediately, anger flickered in their eyes.

“This—!”

Crack–!!

“Gah!”

Before the elder could say a word, I slapped their cheek.

Their body, which had barely been lifting, crumpled under the shock.

“Now we have some things to talk about, don’t we?”

“…You… you…”

I struck with controlled strength, ensuring I didn’t kill them.

I grasped the elder’s hair.

“Ugh….”

There was much to investigate, but thankfully there were a few things I could hear right away.

As I raised my hand to slowly touch the Gyecheon Sect Leader—

Swish—!!!

“Hmm.”

Having sensed a presence from the direction of the door, I glanced over.

It seemed someone had arrived. I spoke while looking that way.

“Welcome.”

“I apologize for being late. It took me some time to find the way.”

The one who approached the entrance was none other than the King of Demons.

“I handled everything as you instructed.”

I nodded at their nonchalant statement.

The King of Demons stepped into the space and looked around, alternating glances between me and the Gyecheon Sect Leader, who I held.

“Do you require assistance?”

What kind of assistance could that be? Whatever it was, it must have been rather daunting to utter.

I shook my head.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Understood. Then….”

The King of Demons chose their words carefully before continuing.

“There’s something you need to check briefly.”

At those words, I tilted my head in confusion.

*

I began to follow the King of Demons. The location was one floor above this place.

“It seems there is a special formation in this space. That’s why it took so long to find the way.”

“Really?”

I had told the King of Demons to come to me directly after finishing their tasks, yet I had somewhat anticipated the delay.

‘There must be something strange going on.’

It seemed like there was some formation set up throughout this entire space.

I felt a slight sense of unease in my position, but it wasn’t too difficult to reach the destination.

“Yes. If I hadn’t felt energy from the lower floor, it would have taken a bit longer.”

By “energy,” they probably meant the flames I had unleashed.

‘The King of Demons couldn’t detect it.’

What on earth had they placed as a barrier that even the King of Demons couldn’t perceive?

“What about now? Is it still the same?”

“No. It seems the formation has been lifted.”

I squinted at the King of Demons’ words.

The fact that it has been lifted but originally existed means there was some kind of threshold.

‘If there’s a threshold, then—’

One thing came to mind. That tree.

The sapling filled with white leaves.

Could it have been that? If so.

‘The changes that occurred when I absorbed those leaves might be it.’

I also wondered if the lifting of the formation was due to that.

Of course, I don’t have absolute certainty about it.

As I followed the King of Demons a bit further, a room appeared at the end of the wall.

While it was smaller than the iron door I had seen below, it wasn’t too small either. Moreover.

‘The smell of blood.’

The moment I laid my eyes on the door, I sensed the blood scent. I immediately walked toward the room.

The door was already open.

As I entered and looked inside.

The reason for the blood scent became apparent the moment I stepped in.

The room was filled with corpses that had been butchered in every direction.

Blood flowed and soaked the floor completely. Also.

“…These things.”

The state of the corpses was peculiar. The dozens of bodies that appeared to be burnt resembled the form of the Gyecheon Sect Leader’s transformed state.

I turned my gaze to the King of Demons. The King of Demons seemed to await my look and answered.

“Having consumed an unknown inner altar, they underwent transformation. Some were dealt with before transforming, but the rest were a bit delayed.”

Now that I think about it, there were a few who appeared in human form.

In any case, it meant he had killed them all.

‘They consumed the inner altar.’

This time I questioned the ones in the back.

“Did that one also have the same fate?”

By “that one,” I referred to the Gyecheon Sect Leader I had brought back after the blood ceremony.

“Yes. After consuming something… they strangely transformed.”

I nodded at the response.

I see.

‘Transformation due to consumption. It’s not a natural shedding of their form.’

If they consumed it, then it must refer to what I had swallowed.

I asked the King of Demons.

“Do you know what it is?”

“I don’t know. But.”

As he looked at the corpses he had slain, he said.

-I can tell that they all received a similar curse as I did.

It wasn’t just a voice. His tone was laced with an unknown killing intent and disdain.

I too agreed with his words.

While odd and different, their forms were certainly.

‘Dragons.’

Like me. Or the King of Demons. Although it was hard to say it was complete, it was unmistakably confirmed upon closer inspection.

These beings were dragons.

The transformed appearance of the Gyecheon Sect Leader was the same. All those who lost their lives now shared that trait.

‘They transformed into dragons after consuming something.’

Artificial shedding of their form. How could this even be possible?

“Are there more of them?”

“I’ve killed all those confirmed.”

“Is there a possibility of more existing?”

“I don’t sense any within my Qi Perception.”

If that’s the case, it was either very far away or this was all of them.

If even the King of Demons couldn’t feel them, there was certainty in that.

‘But who knows if they did something strange to the space.’

It was a place where nothing could be said for certain.

With a splash, I took a step into the room. The ground was slick with blood.

‘What is this place for?’

What on earth is this place? Judging by the condition, it looked no different from what I’d seen below.

It seemed slightly smaller… but with furniture and such inside; could it simply be a normal resting place?

As I pondered and looked around, something caught my attention in the center.

‘A pond?’

It was a small pond.

Why would there be a pond in a place like this? It looked strange at first glance.

So, I approached slowly to examine the pond.

“…!”

The moment I looked, my eyes widened.

Beneath the pond, there was something.

Something unimaginably massive that exceeded my imagination.

 

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