Chapter: 859
Kuaaaahh…!!!
The master of the Gyecheon Gate screams as the flames invade his face.
Staggering from the sudden pain, he tries to create some distance. Desperately, he attempts to peel the flames off his skin.
Ughhhhhhhhhhhh–!!
The flames did not extinguish easily. It felt like his skin was about to burn off.
Unable to bear the agony, Gyecheonmunju rolls on the floor.
Perhaps that helped, as the flames gradually started to die down.
This… This is…
With lingering heat and smoke billowing from his face, Gyecheonmunju rises while shielding his visage.
At that moment…
“Lie down.”
A voice echoed.
The moment Gyecheonmunju raised his head,
“That suits the bugs.”
A wave of hot darkness poured down on his face again, accompanied by the low voice.
Hwaaarrruk–!!
Kkaaaah—!!!
He emitted a scream louder than before. This time, he couldn’t even move. It was because his face was caught, and flames were spewing out right at it.
Ugh…!!
Gyecheonmunju thrashed about, fighting against the scorching fire that enveloped his skin. He tried to break free, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.
“For a bug, you sure burn slowly.”
A low voice devoid of melody. Even amidst pain, Gyecheonmunju felt goosebumps from that voice.
He truly felt nothing else.
Yet, he sensed the chilling presence of danger lurking about.
How could it be so contradictory?
He couldn’t comprehend it. Moreover…
How… how can you use fire…!
The guy who couldn’t harness flames just moments ago suddenly began hurling fire. And it was a vile, black flame at that.
Was he hiding more strength? If so, what was the reason behind it?
What was the point of keeping it hidden until now? What prompted its sudden reveal?
Although he struggled to make sense of this nonsensical situation…
Ughhhhhh!!
Now wasn’t the time to ponder or question. The mere act of enduring pain was exhausting enough.
Seeing Gyecheonmunju in such a state, Gu Yangcheon remarked,
“Does it hurt?”
His voice was filled with genuine curiosity.
“Is this really all that bothers you?”
…Ugh… Huh!!
With immense effort, Gyecheonmunju forced energy into his body. He concentrated strength into his fingertips, causing a nearby sword to rush toward Gu Yangcheon.
Swiiiiish—!!! The four swords slashed through the air in an instant. Gu Yangcheon merely shifted his gaze.
“Stop.”
With just a whisper.
-!!!!
Chang–! Chang chang–!
The flying swords wobbled at his command, losing their balance before crashing into the ground.
Ugh–!!
Gyecheonmunju had no time to be astonished by that absurd sight.
“It’s all ridiculous,” Gu Yangcheon said, watching as the flames enveloping Gyecheonmunju’s face vanished in an instant.
Then came the sound of bones cracking.
WHACK!
Kkaaaah—!!
His arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
It bent so violently that bones nearly protruded through the skin.
…This… this guy—!!
Despite the overwhelming agony, Gyecheonmunju glared defiantly at Gu Yangcheon. Fortunately, his melted skin was healing, regeneration picking up speed.
Gyecheonmunju realized this. The power contained within the Yeouiju was rapidly circulating throughout his body.
Just hold on a tad longer; he only needed to endure a bit more. Then, he could be reborn as a perfect being.
With that thought, Gyecheonmunju pressed on.
But—
“Insignificant.”
Even while witnessing Gyecheonmunju’s determination, Gu Yangcheon’s eyes remained unchanged—a low gaze, much akin to looking at a bug.
If anything was different this time, it was that there was a slight hint of emotion in the depths of those previously flat eyes.
The master of Gyecheon realized…
“I dislike your eyes.”
He interpreted it as contempt.
In an instant, Gu Yangcheon clawed out Gyecheonmunju’s left eyeball.
Chwaaaaah—!!!
A tsunami erupted, sweeping across the ground, dominating a wide area.
Watching this, Gyecheonmunju flexed his legs, pepping himself up. Boom-!! He surged forward, creating distance from the oncoming tidal wave. That behemoth was even faster than he expected!
Undoubtedly, escaping at an ordinary speed was futile. He had to run like mad.
Even brushing against it would be fatal.
This wasn’t just any tsunami.
‘This is seriously hot.’
A black flame composed entirely of heat, it chased him down as if vowing to melt everything in its path.
“You crazy bastard.”
It was absurd. He couldn’t help but feel bewildered dodging it. Who in their right mind would launch something like that?
“That’s exactly why your damn skills haven’t improved.”
Just carelessly blasting away like that wouldn’t help you improve, just waste your energy. Looking back now highlighted the fundamental problem.
“…This is fricking terrifying…”
Experiencing it firsthand gave a completely different perspective.
The chaotic flames rushed toward him in wave-like motions.
How could anyone not find this frightening?
Now, he understood why others had viewed him with fear.
It made sense that people would see him as a monster; capable of carelessly erasing villages or incinerating countless souls on the battlefield—it was only logical for him to inspire dread.
That guy was outright insane.
‘Damn it.’
Turning back, he furrowed his brows. He spotted someone standing atop the tsunami pursuing him.
It was the Black Flame God.
Frowning at the sight, it appeared he was tireless.
Strangely enough, he seemed to be the only one exhausted.
While his skills should have improved since that time, he was the only one feeling fatigued?
It was the same as before—purely a martial arts problem.
‘The cost-effectiveness is terrible.’
Despite learning the Tuapacheonmu, his foundation remained the Gu Flame Wheel Technique.
Even if he didn’t utilize all of its moves, those fundamentals were still ingrained in him.
Including the used techniques.
Exploding firepower centered around increasing speed; that’s how he operated. Yet, with his firepower blocked, problems arose.
‘Lack of speed.’
To put it plainly, he had to expend even more energy to reach his original speed.
‘Damn it.’
Was this the extent of his power when even one martial technique was out of service? Annoyance surged within.
‘No! If a single martial technique gets blocked, you’re done for.’
This was just the result of his body being strange. By all rights, he should have been defeated long ago.
The issue was…
‘What good is that, right now?’
It offered no solace at all. It wasn’t helping him in the slightest.
What good was it to be thankful? He couldn’t even utilize it!
Hwaruk-!
“Tsk.”
Instantaneously, he felt the heat drawing nearer from behind. The distance seemed to shrink significantly.
Running away had lost its meaning. He already knew that.
Furthermore…
‘That guy. He’s toying with me, deliberately holding back.’
That bastard was intentionally messing with him. He knew it because he was himself.
If he desired, he could create a tsunami that was not only faster but also larger than the one currently chasing him.
‘That bastard infuriates me.’
He bolted with anger.
Boom-! He halted his sprint, twisting his core.
Energy radiated through his body, particularly concentrating in his fists.
Tuapacheonmu.
Transplant, Second Form—Toubi Heavenly Fist.
A tempest of energy collided with the surging tidal wave.
Kwaaaah—!!! A gargantuan hole gaped in the approaching tsunami.
It wasn’t completely blocked; the disparity in martial energy was just too great.
‘Tuapacheonmu has its limits regarding firepower concentration.’
Even with boosted firepower, the Tuapacheonmu was inherently composed of compression.
Simply pouring in more force meant diminishing quality; thus, this was his best output.
‘And. I didn’t even plan to block it in the first place.’
If his goal was to block it, he wouldn’t have proceeded in this way.
This was merely to create an opportunity.
To halt the tsunami momentarily and alter the enemy’s tactics.
Just as predicted, the bastard moved as anticipated.
He floated slightly above the halted tsunami, raising his hand.
Hwaaaaaaaah–!!!
The tsunami thrashing below began to convulse. Gradually, it lifted into the air.
What a sight to see all those flames swirling upward into the sky.
‘It’s truly magnificent when observed up close.’
No wonder such ridiculous nicknames accompany him. That thought abruptly entered his mind.
It was extraordinary in every sense.
The rising flames gradually conquered the sky, their epicenter resting at the very tips of the bastard’s fingers.
What was he planning to do? He already knew the answer.
Hwaaaa…
All that fire was devoured by the bastard’s hand, gradually taking a structured form.
A large, black orb.
Frowning, he gazed at the gathered form.
Great Flame Jade.
Its mere appearance evoked the urge to cringe.
But that wasn’t the reason for his frown.
‘How could you use it so poorly? What a fool.’
How could the compression level be so dismal?
Despite gathering so much energy, was this really all he could muster? And what about the rotational force?
What he perceived bore no logical sense.
The compression necessary for the original jade. The rotational force required to maintain it.
In the bastard’s version, there was no meaning whatsoever; merely a vague shape.
‘How shameful.’
He genuinely felt embarrassed.
‘To think that was classified as martial arts.’
Defeat. No, before that, he recalled Noya’s words.
-Any martial arts devoid of conviction are mere ostentatious displays. Aesong, what’s in your martial arts?
What had he responded back then? He couldn’t remember.
Regardless, it had likely been trivial.
And…
‘That was my situation back then too.’
Moments he wished to erase. The mask at the end was this very guy.
Kuuk. He clenched his fist tightly.
He couldn’t harness fire arts. It was irrelevant.
Because unlike before, he now possessed a plethora of skills.
Kuukuukuuku—!!! A house-sized black flame orb ignited. It seemed as if the bastard finally completed it, slowly lowering his hand.
It appeared he was planning to drop it right onto him.
With that, he snapped his waist back.
A subtle recoil surged through his shoulder.
The movement wasn’t grand.
Recently, he’d realized something…
‘It doesn’t need to be flashy—just get the job done.’
Efficient use of his body. He’d been awakening to that principle lately.
Thump.
His fist shot out with a short motion and struck the air. The moment it connected…
Wood crunch—!!!
…!!
The bone in the bastard’s chest shattered inward under the force.
The heart was hit squarely.
He witnessed blood spurting from the guy’s mouth. Did he land a clean blow?
Narrowing his eyes, he saw the airborne foe plummeting to the ground.
Boom! The bastard’s body hit the floor and skidded.
He rushed toward him swiftly.
Coolook.
As he approached, he noticed the guy bleeding, staring at him with vacant eyes.
Seeing his face on the floor felt incredibly strange.
Was he nearing the brink of death? He sensed his vision dimming and his breaths becoming shallow.
“…Oh man, this is tough.”
He too was exhausted, gasping for breath.
He seized the bastard by the collar and exclaimed,
“What in the world are you?”
…
“What’s your deal, you punk?”
He couldn’t grasp why he was so determined to catch him, nearly frantic.
“Why do you keep bothering me…?”
…Did you bring the answer?
“What?”
His inquiry made him scowl.
“What, you punk?”
I asked if you brought the answer from back then.
“Answer?”
He recalled that line with narrowed eyes.
Why are you alive?
The same question that had plagued him whenever they crossed paths.
“Ha.”
A huff escaped him involuntarily.
“Why do you keep being so curious about that? Does it really matter whether I’m alive or dead? Should I be lying down and rotting instead?”
Yes.
“…Are you serious?”
You have no worth to live.
“You sure talk harshly. Are you crazy?”
Who was he to make such determinations? He wanted to voice this, but the words clung to his throat.
The guy’s blood-stained eyes, dimming, spoke next.
It seems you still haven’t settled on an answer. Then allow me to ask something else.
“Why don’t you answer me and only ask your own questions…?”
Why did you refrain from killing me?
…
The corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.
Just now, you had the opportunity to end me. So, why didn’t you?
That was indeed true. The heart technique that had just struck. If he had aimed for the heart or head directly rather than the chest, he likely could’ve finished it much easier.
Yet, with that knowledge, the reason he refrained was…
“That’s just it. I had something else to ask….”
That excuse is laughable.
The guy chuckled—his first genuine laugh.
What happened to your desperation to depart? What is it that has shaken you now?
Heh heh heh. With each laugh, blood dripped from his lips, painting a grim picture.
You are afraid.
His words burrowed deep into Gyecheonmunju’s ears.
You are afraid to erase me from your existence. Hence, in our last encounter, you were ultimately defeated.
…
He felt the need to refute that claim, but once again, he found himself at a loss for words.
You wish to forget me, yet you remain within my presence.
His grip tightened around the collar.
Isn’t that true?
“…Damn, you talk too much.”
You’ve dulled. You’ve become utterly dulled.
Suppressing annoyance, he shot back at him,
“So what? What does it matter? You’re going to die soon anyway, so what’s the big deal?”
But his words faltered upon seeing something off.
The clarity returning to his eyes, once clouded and listless, showed a glimmer of strength.
His irregular breathing steadied, and the blood ceased to flow.
And just as he recognized this…
Hwaruk—!
“Damn it.”
He looked up at the oppressive heat.
That is your downfall.
The jadelike creation they had forged earlier.
It was descending, rather than disappearing, right toward him.
It was far too late to evade. He hastily wrapped his body in energy.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!!!!!
He was engulfed in the explosion.
Ugh!
He felt the pressure of the blast tossing him away.
He rolled across the ground multiple times before finally coming to a halt.
Ugh….
The explosion’s aftermath was disastrous. He barely managed to keep himself standing but felt the backlash—blood oozed from him this time.
“…Wow. This sneaky little bastard.”
He glared at the foe despite the pain.
Just how long had he been planning this?
He drew attention by pretending to fall from his own attack, allowing him to unleash the energy orb at the gap.
Did that mean he prepared this from the moment he conjured the jade?
Whatever the case, it was a crafty tactic.
Particularly, it was a method he excelled at.
Hoo…
He rose unsteadily. The wounds weren’t trivial, but they didn’t seem insurmountable either.
It wasn’t a direct hit, after all.
One could hardly credit this to his excellent dodging abilities…
“This guy. Does he keep trying to go easy on me?”
It was evident that their opponent had intentionally pulled his punches.
Hoo…
Once again, the guy hovered in the air as before, gazing down at him from the sky.
Just to clarify, don’t mistake what I’m saying.
The black flames emanating from his form gradually enveloped the surroundings. They resembled wings at first glance.
If this turn of events mirrors the last, you will die. And…
The wings formed quickly tore apart in the air.
The void left will be mine to claim.
Hwaaaaah—!!!!
The countless fragments that were torn transmute into the Gift of Flame.
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