Chapter 45 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Pure Abyss God
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As the Special Response Team's meeting was drawing to a close.
"Wow, this is amazing."
Jang Chaewon spread her arms wide while gazing out at the expansive lake.
The cool, clear breeze felt like it was cleansing her lungs, and the lake, surrounded by mountains, reflected the blue sky like a transparent mirror.
"It feels just like a picnic."
Dressed in a light blue sleeveless dress and an orange straw hat, Jang Chaewon looked like she was out on a date somewhere.
"But this is work."
Walking beside her was the Heavenly Demon, gripping a massive pipe snake.
His face was utterly expressionless, devoid of any emotion, making him seem like a stone statue come to life.
"In a time with no other jobs, and a request that came directly to me at that. There's also Flower Spirit God's reputation to consider, so we must give it our all."
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
Jang Chaewon smacked her lips and bowed playfully with a mischievous grin.
"Thanks to rumors spreading that the Heavenly Demon handles divine requests so well, our shop is barely scraping by. Yeah, yeah."
"I'm grateful you're aware."
The Heavenly Demon nodded impassively, then tilted his head.
"But what's this about?"
"What do you mean?"
The Heavenly Demon stared intently at Jang Chaewon's profile.
In her flowing dress and with her makeup done up brightly, she looked ready to head straight out on a date.
"I've never seen you wear something like that for a divine request before."
"Oh, this... "
Rumble.
Suddenly, the area around the lake began to shake as if an earthquake had struck.
The faint vibrations rising up were even disturbing the calm surface of the lake.
Splash.
With a clear sound of water, the lake suddenly split in two.
As the waters parted, a faint auspicious energy rose, and atop the lake stood a man in white robes.
It was none other than Pure Abyss God, the deity who purified the waters of rivers and lakes.
"It's Pure Abyss God."
Spotting the man by the lakeside, Jang Chaewon approached with calm steps and bowed politely.
"Hello? I'm Jang Chaewon, from Bokbok Interiors."
Her expression was demure and elegant, unlike her usual self.
But the corners of her mouth, as she bowed, were split wide in a grin, drool leaking out.
'So that was her real goal.'
Only then did the Heavenly Demon understand why Jang Chaewon had dolled herself up so dazzlingly.
"You must be tired from the long journey."
Pure Abyss God, with his long, slender hair reaching his shoulders, possessed a beauty even more refined than a woman's. The Heavenly Demon, who had been standing blankly, stepped forward and clasped his hands politely.
"Pleasure to meet you, Lord Pure."
"Don't just make up titles on your own."
The Heavenly Demon always arbitrarily assigned fitting titles based on a god's appearance.
At Jang Chaewon's scolding, Pure Abyss God smiled gracefully.
"The title doesn't matter."
To the Heavenly Demon, Pure Abyss God felt less like a god and more like a strikingly handsome young man.
His pale complexion and weary eyes made him look like a patient clearly suffering from illness.
"But I heard it was about unclogging a blocked pipe. Yet this place is..."
Jang Chaewon looked around the lake in confusion, and Pure Abyss God pointed to the parted waters.
"That's right. Something's blocked below this lake."
"Below the lake?"
"Yes. The water level used to be much higher. But it's been dropping steadily... It seems one of the underground water veins leading to the lake is clogged."
Near the bottom of the parted lake was a massive, perfectly square hole.
"I'll go down and check it myself."
Clutching the pipe snake, the Heavenly Demon descended without hesitation.
The hole was smoothed out like an artificial waterway. The water level truly hadn't risen anywhere, only reaching his ankles.
"The water vein passages are wide open, so you shouldn't have any trouble moving around."
The Heavenly Demon nodded at Pure Abyss God's words.
"Understood. I'll patrol the water veins and find the blockage..."
He shook his head at Jang Chaewon, whose eyes had turned to hearts as drool streamed down.
"Anyway... have a pleasant time."
Splash. Splash.
The deeper he went, the hotter it got around his dantian. Entering the divine territory, divine power was seeping into him bit by bit.
"It's grand in scale, but no different from the underground waterways in the martial world."
Looking up at the high ceiling, a dark crimson glow flickered in the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
Underground waterway.
It had been his playground as a child.
When there was absolutely no food, he would wander those waterways, catching and eating rats.
Once he could stomach bugs, the Heavenly Demon no longer starved. He learned there was nothing in the world he couldn't eat.
"Pointless reminiscing."
It ill suited the world's greatest martial artist, who overlooked the martial world from on high.
As he walked the dark, endless waterway, the Heavenly Demon suddenly spotted something mucus-like clinging to the wall.
"Hm?"
Touching it, a sticky, foul stench wafted up. He didn't know what it was, but it had a deeply unpleasant texture.
"Something... is here."
Clear water shouldn't have this sticky stuff in a water vein.
It was surely a trace of whatever was blocking the vein.
"A fork."
Deeper in, paths branched off in several directions. The Heavenly Demon examined the floor and walls closely, then headed toward the one with the most sticky mucus.
But the further in he went, the more a faint mist seemed to rise, blurring his vision. It felt like being poisoned by a vicious toxin.
"No way... poison arts?"
With his Diamond Body, the Heavenly Demon was nearly impervious to all poisons. For it to affect him even slightly?
"Nothing short of venom from supreme spirit beasts like Heavenly Crane Spirit Saliva or Stern Sect Golden Turtle could poison me."
A red glow rose in the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
Whoever blocked this water vein was surely a poison master on par with the Myriad Poison Dharma King, or some demonic beast.
"My current internal energy is less than half a jia plus seven years..."
Regrettably, even in this divine territory lake, hardly any divine power rose up.
Recalling Pure Abyss God's sickly face, the Heavenly Demon narrowed his eyes.
With this level of energy, he couldn't handle a yokai with skills matching the Myriad Poison Dharma King.
"Heh heh heh. Interesting."
But he was the Heavenly Demon. After leaving the martial world, he faced the righteous sects alone, never retreating from any crisis.
"Any who block my path die."
Raising his internal energy, the Heavenly Demon unleashed the Heavenly Demon Supremacy Step.
Thud. Thud.
With each step, the waterway shook, and sharp energy surged from his body.
Even in these poor conditions, ignorant of the enemy, the Heavenly Demon strode openly, revealing his presence.
"What?"
Rounding a corner, a massive, glossy boulder completely blocked the passage.
The shimmering, toxic haze emanated from that stone as well.
"A gate, is it?"
Whoever blocked the waterway had set poisons throughout the passages. Gazing at the glossy stone, the Heavenly Demon smirked arrogantly.
"Fist Demon Seven Forms: Thunderclap Human Annihilation!"
Crack.
A dull thud echoed, but the black stone wasn't even scratched. It wasn't just spewing poison; its hardness rivaled iron.
"Fun."
The Heavenly Demon's eyes blazed with a crimson light like the sun as he stared at the unbreakable stone.
"Soaring Wind Dragon Fist! Four Kills Soul-Bewitching Demon Extreme Retreat!"
Crack. Crack.
Each punch and kick shook the entire waterway, but the stone didn't budge.
With half a jia's worth of power, he couldn't unleash the full might of his supreme martial arts.
"Good!"
Roaring, a grotesque grinding sound, like twisting wood, emanated from his overlapped hands.
Whoooong.
A horrific drone that could shatter souls just from hearing it began shaking the entire inner waterway.
"Heavenly Demon Great Power!"
Boom!
Unleashing the Heavenly Demon Great Power—not internal energy, but the explosion of his body's innate potential—the Heavenly Demon's form erupted in a solar blaze.
Pop.
Veins bulging across his body, a flash gleamed in his eyes.
"Fist Demon Seven Forms: Thousand Hands Wave Breaker!"
Infusing his all into the Thousand Hands Wave Breaker, the most destructive of the Fist Demon Seven Forms, a blazing phoenix with wings spread charged at the black stone.
Meanwhile, above the lake.
A cool breeze brushed Jang Chaewon's hair. The parted lake sparkled like glass, and before it stood the exquisitely sculpted Pure Abyss God.
'He's so handsome.'
Just gazing at him was intoxicating, like sinking into a calm river.
Pure Abyss God was renowned even among the gods for his refined beauty. Many deities had courted him, yet for some reason, he lived alone.
"Um..."
Jang Chaewon, staring at Pure Abyss God's face, spoke cautiously.
"Do you always stay here by yourself, Lord Pure Abyss God?"
"Haha, of course not. If I did, I'd have found the cause of the blockage right away."
Pure Abyss God flashed his white teeth in a bright smile.
"Like other gods, I go out often. But I come back about once a week to purify the lake or river waters."
"I see."
Jang Chaewon's heart raced at his gentle, friendly response.
Younger gods usually put on a solemn, dignified air on purpose. But Lord Pure Abyss God treated her like a childhood friend.
'Ahh, I'm losing my mind!'
Not just handsome, but so down-to-earth—Jang Chaewon's heart wavered fiercely.
"So, do you plan to stay alone forever, Lord Pure Abyss God?"
"Pardon?"
Pure Abyss God's large, round eyes widened at the sudden question.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well..."
Taking a deep breath, Jang Chaewon stared straight at Pure Abyss God's face, reflected in the sunlight.
"Do you intend to be alone from now on..."
Raaaaawr!
A monstrous roar echoed from somewhere, followed by rumbling as the lake area shook like an earthquake.
Rumble rumble rumble.
From the parted lake, pitch-black, hard stone chunks shot up into the sky.
"Ah!"
The stones soaring skyward began plummeting back to earth. Startled, Jang Chaewon stumbled back, but Pure Abyss God swiftly blocked her path, extending one arm.
"It's fine."
A blue energy poured from his outstretched arm, forming a massive umbrella that shielded them from the falling stones.
Pitter-patter-patter-patter.
The black stones fell like small meteors in a relentless downpour.
Plop plop.
After about five minutes, the stones shooting up and crashing down finally stopped.
"Th-this is..."
Jang Chaewon gaped, jaw slack, surveying the surroundings.
The stones had poured down like a fierce rain, destroying all the plants and trees around the lake.
'That Heavenly Demon idiot. What the hell did he do!'
Stumbling, she clutched her straw hat with both hands.
'He didn't unclog the waterway—he must've messed with the ley lines? Why are stones shooting into the sky?'
Pure Abyss God's expression had hardened as he looked around.
The lake area lay in ruins, like it had been hit by a missile strike from the fallen stones.
"What in the world..."
The corners of Pure Abyss God's eyes twitched—he seemed on the verge of fury.
Jang Chaewon, eyes wide, was about to make excuses when,
"You filthy wretch!"
With a massive shout, a gray shadow burst from the lake. It was the Heavenly Demon, pipe snake in hand.
Whirl. Thud.
Spinning once in midair, the Heavenly Demon landed gracefully before Jang Chaewon with stylish footwork.
"Job complete."
"You... what the hell did you..."
"This didn't work."
Cutting off Jang Chaewon, the Heavenly Demon dropped the pipe snake, crossed his arms, and spoke.
"It wouldn't budge, so I used the Fist Demon Seven Forms."
"So you fired the Thousand Hands Wave Breaker into an underground water vein?"
"I used the Thousand Hands Wave Breaker. It's slow to launch, but nothing beats it for destroying stationary targets."
"Why destroy it? Why destruction?"
As Jang Chaewon's eyes rolled back white and she clenched her fists,
"Hahaha!"
Pure Abyss God suddenly burst into clear laughter.
"So that's what happened!"
A divine, pure light began emanating from his laughing form.
Whoosh.
At the same time, the lake's water level surged up in an instant.
"Huh?"
Jang Chaewon, about to chew him out, blinked at the rising waters.
Pure Abyss God turned to the Heavenly Demon with a smile.
"As rumored, you handle even the root cause impeccably clean."
"You're too kind, Lord Pure."
As the Heavenly Demon clasped his hands politely, Pure Abyss God smiled and turned to the lake, extending both arms.
"I'll restore this damaged area shortly."
White radiance poured from his outstretched arms again, and the fallen trees and flowers slowly returned to their places.
Watching blankly, Jang Chaewon approached the Heavenly Demon.
"What the hell happened?"
"I just unclogged the blockage."
"What was so clogged that it caused an earthquake like that?"
"Didn't you see?"
"See what?"
"This."
The Heavenly Demon picked up a black stone from the ground.
"What's this?"
Jang Chaewon took it and examined it from all angles.
Suddenly, an indescribably foul stench began spreading everywhere.
"What? Why's there a weird smell from somewhere?"
Tilting her head, she brought the black stone close to her nose. The Heavenly Demon replied flatly.
"It's shit."
"What?"
"What was blocking the waterway was shit."
Thud. Jang Chaewon dropped the stone—no, the shit—and the Heavenly Demon shook his head.
"Whether from some divine power or just age, it was incredibly hard. First time in my life I've seen shit this tough."
"It's shit..."
"More precisely, fossilized shit. The stench made me think at first it was a poison field set by a poison arts master."
Jang Chaewon dry-heaved silently.
She'd fondled the black, hard thing and even sniffed it.
"All done now. Ah."
Having perfectly restored the lake area with divine power, Pure Abyss God raised one hand to the sky.
Two streams of white light seeped into the Heavenly Demon and Jang Chaewon's bodies, while a red one flew off somewhere.
The Heavenly Demon's body suddenly grew hot.
Ten years' worth of power. Pure Abyss God had generously added ten years of internal energy as a bonus.
"Beyond the promised payment, I added extra. You have my thanks."
Pure Abyss God's once-sickly skin was now flawless, his lips curved in a radiant smile like morning sunlight.
But to Jang Chaewon, it was just the blissful grin of a patient cured of chronic constipation.
"By the way, Miss Chaewon. What you were about to say earlier..."
"Pardon?"
"You asked if I was alone..."
Frozen stiff like ice for a moment, Jang Chaewon pulled out a business card with utmost politeness.
With an exceedingly solemn expression, she bowed ninety degrees at the waist.
"If you ever have any hard jobs to do alone, please call anytime."
"Yes? Oh... sure..."
"Thank you for the request. Well then..."
Jang Chaewon left the lakeside without looking back.
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