Chapter: 345
At a time when a massive heat was continuously radiating from the Shinryonggwan area.
In Mount Tai, a fierce wind was blowing, completely oblivious to the situation.
Due to the surprise attack from the Sapa martial artists, several members of the later index were losing their lives.
The smell of blood resulting from this was slowly saturating Mount Tai.
Among them, a place where a formidable aura capable of shaking Mount Tai was constantly being unleashed.
Kuung-!
As the circle extended, the surrounding terrain morphed dramatically.
That extreme grk-!
The soles of his feet swept across the ground.
With the pressure so strong, it left traces everywhere as though it was commonplace.
Smash and tear.
So that it would never return to its original form.
Bi Eejin was solely faithful to the essence.
The essence of martial arts is, ultimately, destruction.
Martial arts to protect someone?
Such narrow-minded thinking had long since been discarded.
To protect something.
In the end, something must be eliminated.
Countless martial artists spoke of the sanctity of practicing martial arts and ascending the ranks.
The essence of martial arts is violence.
The nobility it requires. The patience. The endless effort.
He respected all of it.
One.
Thud… thud.
It’s probably not a statement that resonates with the current Bi Eejin.
For him, martial arts was merely a process toward perfection.
In the end, it was just preparation to break the heavens.
Thud…
Blood was dripping from his hands.
He could hardly tell how much blood was on him. It was already unsettling just looking at it.
The soaked blood wasn’t even his.
Bi Eejin wiped the blood off his hands and gazed at the hunk of meat panting in front of him.
All the blood splattered around them was his.
Bi Eejin opened his mouth with an indifferent expression.
“You’re holding up better than I thought.”
It was a compliment.
When casually estimated, it meant that he could endure up to eight tries out of ten. Contrary to the earlier statement saying that enduring ten attempts would lead to victory, Bi Eejin internally thought his opponent would fall within five tries.
Though it was undeniably an arrogant belief, Bi Eejin was quite confident.
His martial arts were worth that much.
The power to break the heavens and rise to a higher plane.
That’s why he decided to name his martial arts “Pacheon.”
Bi Eejin looked at something that was barely clinging to life and asked,
“What was your nickname again? The Black Night Princess, right?”
The identity of the hunk of meat was indeed the Black Night Princess.
“Hah… ah.”
In response to Bi Eejin’s question, the Black Night Princess barely managed to exhale. Her condition was certainly not good, visibly or otherwise.
“…what…?”
The Black Night Princess managed to speak in a voice so faint, it barely escaped her lips.
“What?”
Bi Eejin leaned in closer, straining to hear.
Suddenly, her voice was clearer than before.
“Uh… why… isn’t it… working…?”
“Hmm?”
Hearing her words that seemed laced with grievance, Bi Eejin tilted his head in confusion. Fortunately, he could piece it together without too much brainwork.
“Oh. Is that what you mean?”
Bi Eejin began to grasp what the Black Night Princess was alluding to.
The minuscule, twisted energy swirling in his body.
This was something he had been feeling since the very start of his battle against the Black Night Princess.
At first, it puzzled him.
It was also the very first time he had ever felt such a presence in his life and the quality felt rather poor.
It was a truly bizarre energy. Not only did it obstruct the movement of his own energy, but it also slowed down any actions he attempted.
Initially, he thought it might be some type of poison, but that didn’t seem to fit. So, was it a type of martial arts executed by the Black Night Princess?
Whatever it was, it was disruptive.
But even then,
“What an utterly pointless act you’ve performed.”
For Bi Eejin, it wasn’t particularly troublesome.
“It was a bit annoying, but in the end, all I had to do was prevent it from functioning.”
In fact, it would have been troublesome if it had been poison.
If it was some kind of energy, then it was simply a matter of blocking it from causing any further damage from within.
Upon hearing that, the Black Night Princess’s swollen eyes twitched slightly.
“…That… can’t… be….”
She failed to grasp the magnitude of the words she had just heard.
The energy bestowed upon the princess by the heavens was fatal to a warrior’s body.
Even with such energy having seeped into her Danjeon,
You say you stopped it and prevented it from flowing?
What’s more,
You’re saying this is why she’s been reduced to this state?
“How… how is that possible…? Who on earth are you…?”
To extract the energy contained within and seal it off.
That isn’t just like trying to discover and extract salt from sand.
Moreover, it’s akin to extracting alcohol from a flowing river.
How is such a thing even feasible?
Who in the world is this person standing in front of me?
As the Black Night Princess looked on with genuinely shocked eyes, Bi Eejin tilted his head at her bewildering response.
“It’s simple; you just do it. What’s the problem here?”
If you want to do it, you can just do it.
What in the world is problematic?
Bi Eejin found himself unable to comprehend the Black Night Princess’s bewilderment.
Startled by his statement, the Black Night Princess looked away. Bi Eejin turned his head towards a certain direction.
It was the location of Shinryonggwan.
If he wasn’t mistaken, it seemed like something was happening over there.
His senses couldn’t precisely reach that far, but he certainly felt something was amiss.
‘Is this… that kid?’
A unique sense of vitality, even if faint, was felt. Alongside that, a stronger malice and fighting spirit brushed against Bi Eejin’s cheeks.
This peculiar energy was similar to what the kid was trying to unleash.
One thing remained odd.
It felt much deeper.
It felt much hotter.
For a moment, he thought perhaps it had grown stronger beyond the wall… but shook his head quickly.
While that kid remained at a peak composition.
He concluded that this kid appeared somewhat underprepared to advance further.
She was still young.
At that age, he hadn’t even touched his peak.
It was already impressive to see her surpassing what should be her peak.
If she continued along this path, perhaps she’d reach that pinnacle of purity.
‘If that happens, it will truly be historic.’
Reaching peak purity before one’s coming of age.
No one in history has come close to such a feat.
That’s why he found it even more alluring.
A child with such potential. A child endowed with a body capable of building it.
‘What a disheartening disappointment.’
Bi Eejin was forced to revisit how lacking his own body was.
By training and experience, he attempted to fill his shabby blood and downtrodden physique.
He stuffed the reduced vessel with his own internal and external methods, but they were merely temporary solutions.
Bi Eejin found himself unable to reach Hwagyeong due to his frail body and pitiful methods.
That in itself was a huge problem.
The first issue was that he couldn’t carry through any of the motions of the Tuapacheonmu he had mastered to the end.
The second issue was even attempting it about ten times caused physical strain.
Having been crafted for his previous life’s resonance.
It was only natural that it was an art form he couldn’t use without talent and a supporting physique.
Having already used up the solar and transplant techniques about six or seven times, it meant that using them a few more times would likely lead to overheating.
If the outcome was already decided in there, then that itself was a stroke of luck.
Bi Eejin soon found himself moving around, raising his senses.
The blood-scented fog surrounding him was still thick, but he felt them becoming less frequent.
‘This is strange.’
In some sense, it was fortunate, but the whole process felt somewhat odd.
If it had been this simple, it would have been strange to initiate an attack in the first place.
Given that it was said the later members were pushing back, it implied the skill levels of the instructors and attackers weren’t relatively far apart.
Not that any of the later index could unite against their monstrous opponents.
Amidst them, the outstanding practitioners might be nearing the instructor’s levels.
But to Bi Eejin, it felt as if the situation had taken a different turn.
‘I suppose I must investigate.’
His expressions deepened in thought. He held no particular desire to meddle in the affairs of the Central Plains.
Even though he was ostensibly part of the righteous faction, Bi Eejin believed he belonged nowhere.
However,
‘This time I have no choice.’
This was because the troublesome tomboy from the rain clan was also here.
It wouldn’t serve him well to see the child in danger.
‘Getting too old for this hassle.’
He intentionally avoided marrying or having children to steer clear from such convoluted situations.
Here he was, having regained his youth only to face these troubles.
Isn’t it rather comedic?
‘The other kids would have likely managed to evade this.’
A bit concerned about the injured children, he figured they’d have may easily escaped.
He had already informed the old man’s disciple about the situation.
As he thought of that, Bi Eejin’s gaze shifted back to the Black Night Princess.
He saw a figure so broken it seemed instant death was just moments away.
Her level was higher than Bi Eejin’s present ability.
The power she wielded was unique, yet it didn’t prove too challenging to confront. He had twisted her internals with just a few strikes.
If he could understand her movements and preemptively respond, it wouldn’t be hard to manage her.
What was concerning was his current state.
It was imperative to conclude the match quickly.
Bi Eejin clenched his fist.
He briefly considered whether to hold off and hand it over to the Murim Alliance.
However, Bi Eejin decided against that.
It wouldn’t do to leave a hazardous element unaccounted for.
Neither did he wish to perform laborious tasks that would reveal his presence.
He wanted to deal with this swiftly and return to Vivi. He had left her in a safe place, but even so, troublesome incidents could always occur.
He twisted at the waist.
Crash-!
The tips of his feet buried into the ground while maintaining pressure and balance.
What he aimed to reach was the head of the Black Night Princess.
His intention was to smash her head and deliver an instant death.
However, just before his fist could strike the Black Night Princess,
Crack-!
“…!”
Bi Eejin’s fist solidified mid-air.
It didn’t come to a halt by itself.
Someone had grabbed Bi Eejin’s wrist and forced it to a stop.
Bi Eejin glared sharply at the person seizing his wrist.
Suddenly, an individual appeared out of nowhere, having clutched his wrist.
They pierced through his unleashed aura casually.
Despite the fact that he had been pushing himself, it was shocking for Bi Eejin.
Bam-!
He swiftly twisted his wrist and slipped free.
Unlike the pressure that had previously held him back, he escaped far too easily.
Quickly, Bi Eejin distanced himself from his opponent.
“Who are you?”
If someone could get that close and obstruct his attack, it signified they were exceptionally skilled.
Bi Eejin scrutinized the sudden intruder.
Initially, he noticed the black hair that seemed to fall slightly past shoulder length.
And amidst it, the pale white skin glimmered.
Though obscured by hair, Bi Eejin felt something uncanny gazing at this individual.
‘The presence is faint.’
Despite standing before him.
An ambiguous presence felt almost non-existent.
Should he say he couldn’t quite grasp it?
That presence must surely be why he failed to notice the approach of this individual.
He stabilized his body by consistently regulating his breath.
And meanwhile, he posed the question he had earlier.
“Who are you…!”
Bi Eejin, who intended to inquire about their identity, suddenly fell to one knee and collapsed.
“Hah…!”
Thud-!
Pain surged through his Danjeon.
The sensation felt like vibrations intertwining, squeezing all the way to his throat.
‘What…!’
The mysterious Takgi he had isolated during his conflict with the Black Night Princess suddenly flared in chaos.
The energy flowing through his veins began to ebb uncontrollably, and in an instant, all strength abandoned his body, as pain assaulted Bi Eejin.
“Ugh…!”
He made a desperate attempt to endure, drawing in a harsh breath.
With bloodshot eyes, Bi Eejin glared at his assailant.
“…Was this your doing?”
He realized that this shift was stemming from the being right before him.
“…”
The individual remained silent, failing to respond to Bi Eejin’s inquiry.
Slowly, they turned their head, fixating on Bi Eejin.
As their gaze shifted and their face was unveiled to Bi Eejin, he was struck with incredulity for reasons unknown.
It wasn’t only Bi Eejin who was astonished by this revelation.
The Black Night Princess, kneeling and bleeding, expressed her own shock upon seeing the slender figure.
“Hah…! Oh heavens… how could…”
In the voice of the Black Night Princess,
The unknown entity took steps forward, approaching Bi Eejin.
Rumble…
With every small footfall,
A black aura erupted from their body.
This was akin to the martial arts utilized by the Black Night Princess, yet it emanated a far darker and more foreboding energy.
It was perilous.
Bi Eejin sensed an imminent threat. Even while that energy resonated, he still couldn’t ascertain their presence.
He couldn’t gauge their level of power.
Was it due to the ferocity of the energy swirling within him?
Bi Eejin was certain that it wasn’t the case.
As the figure approached, it reached out with a hand enveloped in black energy.
It seemed determined to grasp Bi Eejin by the neck.
The slender fingers swiftly grazed Bi Eejin’s throat.
It felt unbearably cold.
Not merely cold; it was piercingly frigid.
As the fingertips reached out, just when they were about to grip Bi Eejin’s throat,
Whir-!
Someone suddenly snagged Bi Eejin’s clothing and yanked him backward.
Thud!
Although he rolled across the floor, this act allowed him to evade the crisis.
“Cough….”
Bi Eejin labored to rise, expelling breath after breath.
The pain lingered, but fortunately, he could move a bit more.
As he glanced at his savior, Bi Eejin found himself amazed once more.
The one who rescued him was none other than Wi Seol-ah.
He had explicitly instructed her to take the children to a safe location.
For some reason, she had appeared here and saved Bi Eejin.
It was something worth gratitude; however,
Seeing her like that thrust Bi Eejin into an unforeseen predicament.
“Why…?”
It couldn’t be helped.
Wi Seol-ah sported an intense expression as she held her sword aimed at the individual ahead.
The other party wore a mysterious expression, studying Wi Seol-ah.
Tilting their head.
They examined Wi Seol-ah from head to toe.
Was it due to intrigue?
Perhaps so.
Though their reactions and feelings seem vastly different.
The faces of the two individuals reflected an eerily similar visage, as if staring into a mirror.
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