Chapter: 739
Drip drip.
“Cough.”
Youngpung, spitting blood from his nose and mouth.
He seemed so shocked that he couldn’t even collect his thoughts.
Moreover, the place he had been thrown to was the very edge of the martial arts stage.
This means that if the stage hadn’t been renovated to be wider than during the main event, Youngpung would have been disqualified.
‘This is unexpected.’
I had hit him harder than I realized.
I hadn’t intended to send him flying with just one hit. My fist went out almost instinctively.
‘Of all places, that countertop!’
What an unlucky old man with no luck to speak of.
Though I had only seen him properly once, the moment I saw his face, my fist reacted without thought.
Maybe it was instinct?
‘What’s going on?’
I frowned at the ragged Youngpung.
Right now, he looked just like before. As if the previous state had been nothing but an illusion, everything had reverted back to normal.
So then, what on earth had just happened?
‘I don’t think that was intentional.’
It wasn’t an illusion or some magical trick.
It meant that Youngpung hadn’t created that effect himself.
And,
‘The audience didn’t seem to react much either.’
If they had seen the transformation a moment ago, they wouldn’t have been able to help but be amazed.
Yet, the audience seemed surprised by Youngpung’s fall but remained unaware of what had transpired moments before.
This meant that…
‘I was the only one who saw it.’
It was a phenomenon that occurred solely to me.
‘Just now… that sight was Shin Noya’s face, wasn’t it?’
The image I had seen in the shattered bowl. A memory that was vividly etched in my mind and would not fade.
What flashed before me in Youngpung’s moment was undeniably Noya’s face.
How could this have happened?
As I pondered this bewildering situation over and over,
“Hoo… Hoo…”
Youngpung was slowly rising to his feet.
The bleeding had stopped; it seemed he had managed to staunch it.
Stumbling as he stood, Youngpung reached for the sword.
Clang-! Shirr-iiik-!!
The sword he had dropped earlier swiftly flew back into his hand.
“Hoo…”
After catching his breath, Youngpung took his stance.
In an instant, the previously lost scent of plum blossoms began to linger in the air again.
“I’m sorry… I got too excited and couldn’t react properly.”
It was a strangely composed statement, considering his swollen nose and lips, but his eyes were earnest.
“Thank you for sparing my situation.”
“…”
I nodded at his words.
I was a bit startled that it had flown so far, but it was mainly because Youngpung’s current state had surprised me.
‘The damage wasn’t as bad as I thought.’
That surprised punch was not truly from the heart, yet it had considerable strength.
But…
‘In the midst of it, he managed to block with his qi.’
Just before my fist could connect, Youngpung had harnessed his energy, successfully blocking my blow.
His energy, made of plum leaves, absorbed the shock, allowing him to muster himself back up.
‘He has gotten stronger.’
He had significantly improved since I last saw him.
Youngpung, who had been a chaotic mess unable to control his energy, had somehow become much stronger.
Back then, he had been at an equal, if not lower, level while fighting with Seongyul.
Now, though…
‘He just didn’t reach the thresholds. It’s no different than a flower arrangement.’
At the very least, in terms of “momentum,” it was similar.
The unrefined energy would soon become a seed.
And it wouldn’t take long for that seed to sprout.
However…
‘Is it truly your own?’
I wanted to ask Youngpung.
‘Is the power you possess actually your strength?’
Thud.
Thud.
Every time Youngpung escalated in vigor.
Every time he emitted his plum leaves.
A familiar, subtle fragrance wafted past my nostrils, and my heart started to race on its own.
The magic was silent, and the heat was calm.
Only the traces of Taoism weaving the two together were emitting emotions.
This was a gift from the old man who had passed on long ago.
The energy gradually began to pulse.
Resonance.
The potent energy of the fierce old man within me resonated with Youngpung’s energy.
‘How bothersome.’
This damned sensation irritated me every single time I felt it.
What frustrated me more was…
‘Am I the only one feeling this?’
It seemed I was the only one experiencing this resonance.
Shirr-iiik.
Youngpung swung his sword.
A gust of plum leaves surged around his blade.
Regardless of my thoughts,
Youngpung was solely focused on the current match.
Does he think he can defeat me?
‘No way.’
Youngpung must be aware that was not possible.
Yet he continued to close the distance.
His toes danced softly as the sword reacted over his disheveled attire.
Plum Blossom Sword Dance.
A flower bud, birthed by the volcano, blossomed at the sword’s tip.
Fwhoosh-!!
The graceful sword dance was charged with sharp energy.
Quick and razor-sharp.
I braced myself, channeling strength through my legs.
Swish! Swish!
I twisted my torso to evade his sword.
The blade moved along an unforeseen path and bore down upon me relentlessly.
‘Look at that?’
In the past, while I had been beating Youngpung, a thought had crossed my mind.
That thought was how straight his sword was.
An honest sword. An essential trait for a swordsman, but if that’s all it is, it’s useless.
To be so blatantly honest, that sword had been reduced to just that.
‘He’s rewritten his sword technique.’
A multiplicity of empty shadows.
A sword out of the ordinary.
And yet, it maintained the essence of the Plum Blossom Sword Dance.
I couldn’t help but admire it.
Shirr-iiik-!
As I evaded the sword, something caught my eye.
Not just one thing.
Dozens of attacks.
Each individual plum leaf took on a will of its own and assaulted me.
If I only considered the momentum, it could well be hundreds of sword techniques.
‘That’s terrifying.’
Fwoooosh—!!
The flames rising consumed every leaf that fell.
Every last one had to be incinerated without a trace.
‘It was the same back then.’
The petals presented by Youngpung turned to ashes and vanished.
Would it be different this time?
With his altered swordsmanship, would he display something else?
As I mulled over these thoughts, I steeled my heart.
Fwoooosh—!!!
The ring of the Gu Flame Wheel Technique spun swiftly. And then…
Hwaaaaak—!!!
Blue flames erupted from my body, swirling in every direction.
Great Flame Jade.
At that moment, it was the technique that had once troubled Youngpung.
So what would happen now?
Just as I anticipated Youngpung’s response,
“Hooouu…!”
Youngpung stared at the flames, and it seemed like he was stirring himself up with a newfound resolve.
Then, the number of petals swirling in the air multiplied.
Chak-chak-chak—!!!
Youngpung swung his sword at a speed that defied reason.
The blue-tinted sword energy pierced through the flames with fierce determination.
With one strike, the flames trembled.
After ten strikes, the flames shattered.
In a blink, it surpassed a hundred times.
‘That madman.’
I muttered while the flames dwindled down.
‘What in the world is going on?’
I expected something special, only to be met with a frenzy of sword swings blocking the flames.
‘Hah.’
I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I felt oddly pleased.
I realized just now: I seem to prefer those reckless types.
Ka-bang—!
Before the flames could fully dissipate, they crashed into the ground.
Youngpung pressed on with his sword.
He picked up speed as he went.
An absurd torrent of sword energy was unleashed upon me.
Should I dodge?
I could have, but I chose not to.
Kik-!
I anchored my foot firmly and swung my torso.
Turning my upper body, blue flames seeped into my fist.
Just slightly slower than the speed of sound.
It took on a new shape, compressed and rotating within the flames.
Great Flame Pearl.
It’s merely a larger flame jade, yet its destructive power amplified in proportion to the energy I infused into it.
I hurled a massive sphere towards Youngpung.
Kaboom—!!
The sword energy clashed with the pearl, getting swept away.
The sheer scale of energy was mind-boggling. Should I dodge or surge forward? Should I defend myself instead?
I only considered those two possibilities.
Crack—!
Surprisingly, Youngpung veered away from both options.
He halted his sword swings and suddenly grabbed the blade with both hands.
I pondered what he was up to, but it became clear to me almost immediately.
Hooouuu!!
The energy erupting from Youngpung surged through the blade.
I sensed an ominous presence.
Plum Blossom Flying Chopped Slash.
Shhwak—!
A crimson strike cleaved through the Great Flame Pearl.
Kwahhh—!!!
The half-cut jade exploded, and the heat cascaded in every direction.
The flames obscured my vision, but then…
Hooouu—!!
Through the inferno, Youngpung charged right toward me.
At that moment, I shifted my hand.
That instant.
Ugh—!
“…!”
I felt a jolt of pain in my chest.
The wound that had been healing burst open anew.
The gash widened, and blood flowed.
‘Tsk.’
This caused a slight delay in my movements.
Pick—!
Youngpung’s blade found its mark, tearing into my palm.
Even though I had donned protective armor, I was still cut.
What astonishing power of compression.
The disparity in our levels was extreme; I never imagined I’d get cut by a force like this.
Just how sharp was his energy created?
Surprise was short-lived as Youngpung charged in without hesitation; I swung my injured hand out.
“…!?”
Thud—!
The moment I swung, blood spurted from my torn wound.
That was due to the blood vessels being stimulated and the volume increasing.
The spewed blood aimed for Youngpung’s face to obstruct his vision.
Yet the rapid Youngpung effortlessly dodged it.
It didn’t matter.
What was critical was that fleeting moment.
As Youngpung moved, my foot brushed against his ankle.
Tap—!
“Gah!?”
As I stepped over him, he lost his footing.
Trying to regain his balance, he was cut off once more.
I thrust my knee into Youngpung’s abdomen.
Thud—!!
“Cough!”
He screamed as he was sent flying.
Not stopping, flames erupted from him.
As he soared, the explosion hit Youngpung.
Kwahhh—!
Blue flames seemed to singe Youngpung as he flew, but the strategy failed.
This was because, in that brief moment, Youngpung managed to thwart it with his blade.
It’s good that the shock got blocked. What about the recoil?
Though he resisted the flames easily, how would he contend with being propelled forward?
If he remained like this, he would be pushed right out of the arena.
Of course.
Despite knowing this, I had no intention of stopping.
“… Huh—!”
Fwoosh—!!
The flames continued to blaze unabated.
Watching Youngpung with cold eyes, I intensified the fire.
How would he deal with this?
As I stared at him with a questioning gaze.
Boom—!
In that moment, light erupted from Youngpung’s sword.
A brilliant crimson light blossomed, with a slight shockwave emanating.
It felt as if his energy was scraping against mine, exploding from the inside.
“Ugh!”
Youngpung yelped.
The eruption meant he had sustained some internal injury.
But thanks to that, he successfully distanced himself from the flames.
Using the minuscule opening, Youngpung twirled through the air.
Shwirik—!
He quickly returned, flaring up with flames.
Rather than pulling away, he charged at me.
His gaze was unwavering, and Youngpung’s sword remained steady.
We had seen an inkling of this during the duel with Ngon-soon, and it was truly growth like none other.
Though there were undoubtedly certain rough edges, well… let’s put that aside.
‘I’ll have to accept this for now.’
For the time being, I would have to entertain it.
With that thought in mind, I altered my movement.
Thud—! I kicked off the ground and charged at Youngpung.
Youngpung’s eyes widened at the sudden assault, but the sword angled swiftly toward me.
Even though it seemed tricky to avoid due to the open space.
‘Sorry, but aerial combat is my forte.’
I was somewhat of an expert in aerial fights.
Smack—!
I snapped my fingers, igniting sparks.
As the explosion spread, a gust of wind erupted.
Shhh-!
My body was pushed back, dodging the sword and leveraging the rebound to kick.
Crash—! Youngpung met it with his sword.
That was fine. I was just trying to push him away, rather than outright strike him.
I exerted my strength in my knees, pushing against the blade firmly.
Boom—!!
“Ugh!?”
With no ground to push off, Youngpung was shoved back.
I pulled my palm back.
I instantly unleashed a torrent of flames.
Flash—!
As I unleashed the flames, my body shot forward with remarkable speed.
I charged toward Youngpung, aiming for a punch.
Surprised, Youngpung desperately attempted to defend himself.
‘Amateurish.’
His energy was weak, and his movements in mid-air lacked substance.
This was expected.
Where on earth could he have ever trained in aerial combat at his age?
I slammed my fist down like a club.
Kwahhh—!!
“Gahh!”
Youngpung, unable to defend in time, plummeted to the ground.
He looked in pain, having failed to execute a proper fall technique, yet he certainly wouldn’t be able to stay still.
Without even gathering my thoughts, Youngpung sprang back into action.
He hurriedly righted himself and shot toward where he had just fallen.
Kaboom—!!
My toes landed down hard.
If he hadn’t dodged, he would have been flattened.
A flash illuminated the surroundings.
Despite having nearly faced death, Youngpung’s sword dance showed no signs of slowing down.
Although I could feel his speed was slightly diminished from before, his momentum remained firm.
He blocked my attacks with his sword and retaliated with punches.
A blend of defense, evasion, and attack ignited fierce close-quarters combat.
I instinctively squinted as my vision clouded from the chaos.
The world filtered through my heart’s eye brimmed with Youngpung’s sword path.
In the teeming mix of illusions, the extraordinary sword paths created a headache just from observing them.
‘This is maddening.’
Whenever I thought I evaded, he would pivot unexpectedly from odd angles.
Whenever I believed I had blocked an attack, it would hit an inch deeper.
Was there a sword so whimsically free?
It was astonishing—and alarming—that the sword from ‘that’ Youngpung had achieved such growth.
‘It’s truly deranging.’
Facing the sword, I couldn’t just maintain a steady demeanor.
‘I’m familiar with this.’
It felt strangely nostalgic seeing Youngpung’s current swordplay.
Perhaps it had always been this way.
From the moment I faced the cascade of plum blossoms—
Up until now.
The reason I could have ended Youngpung long ago but chose not to was fundamentally the same.
I had…
I had seen this sword before.
No, I had not only seen it.
‘I’ve wielded it.’
I had actually handled that sword with my own body.
When Shin Noya borrowed my form, it was eerily similar to the sword he had twirled smoothly.
The flow of energy while executing the sword techniques—
Even the motions at the tip of the sword reflected that damned old man’s nature.
Even I, who knew next to nothing about swordsmanship, could discern this.
‘This is…’
Not merely the Plum Blossom Sword Technique of the Volcano Sect.
It was close to the sword of the volcano mastermind, Shin Noya.
Swish—!
Youngpung’s blade brushed against my cheek, slicing my skin.
It was growing sharper and sharper.
Regardless of the skill level, I begrudgingly acknowledged that only this sword could be worthy.
But…
‘Is this sword you wield now truly yours?’
Twelve blades extended.
I dodged seven and absorbed five with my body.
There was no choice.
I had to take these hits to get closer.
I pressed onward, sustaining injuries to my body. I grasped Youngpung’s collar once more.
I was curious.
Thump—! Thump—!
This noisy heartbeat resonated.
The ear tied to my arm desired to move for some reason.
The sudden traces of Noya discovered in the Eastern provinces, along with one last lingering echo.
Everything felt like a puzzle.
Fwoosh—.
I compressed the flames, overlaying them with intent.
In an instant, a lance was forged.
Seeing it, Youngpung struggled to counterattack, but
He was simply too close to effectively retaliate.
“What is this…? Prince Gu…?!”
Had he discerned my intentions?
Youngpung’s reaction felt stirred with intensity.
It was an incredibly close distance. He must know what would happen if I unleashed this power now.
With an unwavering gaze at his agitated demeanor, I calmly spoke.
“I believe I have done enough.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I think you should gradually come to terms with it.”
While I directed my words at Youngpung, they were not meant for him.
They were words aimed at someone beyond him, someone beneath.
“Prince Gu…?”
Youngpung’s eyes trembled at the baffling words.
He must look at me as though I had lost my mind.
But that didn’t trouble me. I already knew whoever else was listening.
Still no response from you?
I suppressed a smile.
“Then let’s just die together.”
Hwoooosh—!
Just as I prepared to unleash the lance.
[This.]
A voice echoed in my ear.
[…Just a little brat with a sick mind.]
In an instant.
Swaaaa-!
My vision darkened.
In that blurry haze, I found myself unexpectedly within an unknowable space.
Where am I?
I didn’t panic needlessly.
This wasn’t the first or second time encountering something like this.
As I surveyed the surroundings with a calm demeanor,
[Tsk tsk…]
I turned at the familiar sound of tongue-clicking.
In the distance, an oddly positioned low rock inexplicably jutted out.
I could see someone sitting atop it.
Flick.
As I walked, the ground rippled.
Like walking atop ink.
The sticky sensation felt annoyingly unpleasant. I bore with it as I approached the figure.
Unlike the black surrounding space, a person donned in a white uniform caught my eye.
The stark white hair and purple eyes left an impression.
Despite his tall stature, he appeared a bit lean.
It suited him exceedingly well, propping his chin on elongated fingers, while gazing down.
I walked slowly toward the stone, and we locked eyes.
[Hmm.]
“Hmm.”
I spoke softly while examining the familiar visage of the old man.
“Wow, Noya, you truly have an unfortunate look.”
[What a real scoundrel he appears to be.]
Those words were said simultaneously.
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