Chapter 747: Burning (2)

Kang Jin-Ho's skin went numb and tingly.

Even though the Crimson King's unleashed aura wasn't directed at him, it still tried to crush everything in this world and forced them to submit, including Kang Jin-Ho. As expected of the embodiment of unyielding martial might! This kind of force was befitting of one of the Three Kings.

The corners of Kang Jin-Ho's lips involuntarily curled up to bare his white fangs. Meanwhile, his heart began racing even faster and faster.

This agitation, this... excitement! How long had it been since he last felt this excited?

Kang Jin-Ho quietly covered his face.

'No, calm down.'

He told himself over and over again to stay calm.

Kang Jin-Ho's blood was boiling. He forcibly suppressed his soul's loud yelling that urged him to thrust his sword right into the throat of the Crimson King before his eyes.

If he was still Crimson Demon from the past, Kang Jin-Ho would've already charged at the Crimson King without a moment's waste. Back then, Crimson Demon stopped at nothing and did everything against an enemy capable of rousing his excitement to this degree.

Besides, cutting down all hindrances was Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor's way, now wasn't it!

“Fuu-woo...!”

However, Kang Jin-Ho was no longer that person. He was not Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor, having already discarded that persona. The man standing here was, for all intents and purposes... Kang Jin-Ho.

Even then, he couldn't help but clutch at his pounding chest.

'I see. I can't confidently say I've completely gotten rid of that persona, now can I?'

It seemed that the persona of Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor still existed somewhere deep in his heart, judging from how madly it was rampaging inside. It was clamoring crazily to fight against the first enemy to excite him in a long, long while.

Maybe, just maybe... That wasn't Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor's will, but Kang Jin-Ho's subconscious desire!

He wanted to feel it. And prove something in the process.

Kang Jin-Ho wanted to exchange moves with the Crimson King and feel the excitement of a fierce battle where life and death could be decided in a split second. And he wanted to prove that he was stronger than one of the Three Kings!

'This kind of emotion... Isn't it called competitiveness?'

Kang Jin-Ho pressed down on his chest to suppress the competitiveness trying to take over him. Then, he stared straight into the eyes of the Crimson King. The big man in the crimson robe was staring back with heroic determination.

'So, not everyone in this era is a weakling.'

Kang Jin-Ho could sense how strong the Crimson King really was. He encountered countless top-tier experts when people still called him Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor. And yes, he fought them, too.

Some of them were all talk and no pants, completely undeserving of their fame. Sometimes, though, more than a fair few of them were strong enough for Kang Jin-Ho to bet his everything, including his life, to win.

Still, Kang Jin-Ho made them all kneel in defeat. He slaughtered them all in the end. The name of Heavenly Crimson Demon King became a legend precisely because he had never tasted defeat once in those battles. That was how he became a mythical figure. As a result of his prowess, the unprecedented era of the demonic path had opened up.

That was what Kang Jin-Ho had achieved. That was who he was! And yet, he was still getting tense.

The Crimson King... was strong! Kang Jin-Ho didn't even need to exchange moves to understand this simple truth.

Sheer heroic martial might... Yes, that man embodied the martial might and heroic spirit!

Even the fist of Huangfu claimed to be strong enough to shatter heaven and earth, even the fist of Shaolin claimed to be the heaviest in the world, and not even the Peng Family renowned for being peerless in martial prowess... paled in comparison to the Crimson King's aura of unparalleled martial might!

'So, this is how far martial arts have come.'

This indescribable sentiment washed over Kang Jin-Ho just then. In the current era, it was clear that martial arts were on the back foot. Powerful martial arts were no longer enough to rule everything under the heavens these days.

Even back in the past, when countless heroes and tyrants vied for supremacy under the sun, Kang Jin-Ho could ignore their powers and influences through his martial might alone.

However, as time passed, the martial artists were forced into the shadows. As the number of martial artists dwindled, so did their influence on the world.

Even if they were making covert maneuvers behind the scenes, Kang Jin-Ho thought it'd be impossible for them to regain the prestige and sway over the world their ancestors enjoyed. Thus, his expectations of the current crop of martial artists were pretty low.

Every modern-era martial artist he met so far were people who simply cultivated and studied martial arts. Their mindset and lifestyle couldn't compare to their ancient counterparts who dedicated their entire life walking on the path of martial arts.

However, that turned out to be not the full story. And the proof was standing right before Kang Jin-Ho's eyes in the form of a man who connected the past with the present.

Kang Jin-Ho had to admit that this was a strange feeling. Even though he was thinking about the martial arts of the past, Kang Jin-Ho's involvement in cultivations unrelated to demonic arts was minimal, to say the least. If he was being technical about it, then he should actually be detesting orthodox martial arts since those who attacked him day and night cultivated those.

The Crimson King's eyes gleamed sharply.

'I made the right call by coming here.'

He was worried about that one-in-a-million chance. If the other two Kings had discovered his absence and made their moves, the whole world would face an unprecedented catastrophe. Even though he knew this, the Crimson King still decided to come. Of course, that was only after carefully weighing his options first. The Crimson King calculated that the danger Kang Jin-Ho posed was no less serious than what the other two Kings posed.

And now, he was patting himself on the back for making such an astute judgment. This man, this Kang Jin-Ho... must not be spared!

A world ruled by the other two Kings would be no different than Hell on Earth. After all, they didn't know the meaning of humanity. They simply didn't care about the preciousness of human lives. If such people seized the ultimate control, it didn't take a genius to predict that the world would fall into ruination.

However, what about Kang Jin-Ho?

'I'd rather see the other Kings in charge!'

Kang Jin-Ho was simply... evil. No more, no less. Other Kings might have transcended past the limits of humans, but they still could be defined as human beings. Their villainous acts had been founded upon their ambitions and desires.

In that case, what about Kang Jin-Ho, then? The Crimson King couldn't tell. Just what would happen if someone so thoroughly stained by malice ruled the world? It'd be unprecedented, that was for sure! And the Crimson King could never let that happen.

He was not the type to use people's lives in an experiment like that.

'Behold, all of his malice!'

The Crimson King grimaced as he took in the sight of all the pitch-black demonic qi oozing out of Kang Jin-Ho's figure like ink leaking out nonstop from a broken jar. That was literally the embodiment of sheer evil, wasn't it!

Just as the Crimson King's thoughts reached that far, Kang Jin-Ho leisurely raised his voice. “So, the Crimson King, is it...?”

Something about the way he said that sounded a little drony. Maybe a little distant.

“You want to kill me?” Kang Jin-Ho casually asked.

“That's right!” The Crimson King unhesitantly replied. He didn't doubt for one second that killing Kang Jin-Ho was the best way to usher peace into the world.

That was when Kang Jin-Ho leisurely stepped forward, prompting the demonic cultivators to hurriedly call out to him.

“M-my liege!”

“P-please wait!”

They all knew how stupendously strong the Crimson King was. Even though their faith in the demon emperor was firmer and more sturdy than a block of concrete, they still felt anxious at the prospect of their leader fighting the Crimson King. It was as if they were the ones about to fight this imposing enemy!

But that was how overwhelming and overbearing the Crimson King's aura was. That was why they wanted to beg Kang Jin-Ho to stop. They desperately wanted to tell their demon emperor that they were prepared to sacrifice their lives to hold the Crimson King back, so he must escape from here.

Despite those words circling in their heads, no one tried to stop Kang Jin-Ho or stand in his way. Doing so would be far too disrespectful, after all!

Kang Jin-Ho stepped past the ranks of the demonic cultivators, the corners of his lips still curled up. That 'smile' exposed his fangs gleaming brightly on his crimson face.

The Crimson King was creeped out by this sight. How could a human fit the nickname of 'demon king' so perfectly?

Even if a demon king was supposed to be evil, they should still possess the class and dignity befitting the title of 'king'. However, Kang Jin-Ho wasn't like that.

No, he exuded this untamed aura. His primal savagery was such that he might start smelling like a starving beast soon!

'Indeed, he's a... wild beast!'

With that, the Crimson King grew even more determined. In his eyes, Kang Jin-Ho was like a starving wolf. A wolf that followed its primal instincts to hunt and tear open its prey's gut to chomp down on the intestines!

And such a wolf was baring its fangs, seemingly ready to rip open the Crimson King's gut!

“Tell me, Crimson King. Can you guess where everyone who wanted to kill me is now?”

The Crimson King's eyes burned like fierce flames.

Creeeeak...!

The Crimson Destiny scraped against the cold, hard ground to generate unpleasant grating noise.

“You will learn soon enough,” said Kang Jin-Ho as demonic qi gushing out of his body flowed down to his swords.

Kang Jin-Ho leisurely walked toward the Crimson King as demonic qi danced and wavered all around him like black ripples in the air.