Chapter: 500
Was it called Guijeong (晷正)?
It was an object obtained from the secret notes of the Shinryongwan in the past.
It was probably the name of a bandage that seemed like a volcano’s spirit.
It was something tied to my left arm that, for some reason, would never come off.
At first, I thought, what kind of ridiculous thing is this?
Except for its distinctive plum-purple hue and the faint scent of plum blossoms, it was just a bandage that wouldn’t budge.
But.
‘This isn’t quite right.’
As Shin Noya woke up, I learned the true name of the bandage.
The true identity of the bandage, which I thought was just a useless scrap, was surprisingly…
‘…This is a sword?’
Guijeong was said to be the sword used by Shin Noya.
They kept nagging me about how I was just using such an amazing artefact as a mere bandage to tie up my arm.
It only feels unfair to me.
‘…Then why don’t you at least teach me how to use it?’
He just handed it to me and vanished! How the heck was I supposed to figure out what it was?
Later, he came back and started asking why I was using it that way.
From my perspective, it was downright absurd.
‘So, this is a sword?’
When I asked how a bandage could be a sword, I was told that the very premise was all wrong.
[This wasn’t ‘heaven’ in the first place.]
Looking at the shape of Guijeong, I naturally thought it was just a bandage.
But according to Noya, it wasn’t just a regular piece of cloth.
Also.
[If you think it’s a sword, then you’re wrong as well.]
Don’t even think of it as a sword.
You call it your favorite sword, and yet you tell me not to think of it as a sword. What on earth does that even mean?
Just when I was starting to feel annoyed by all this nonsense.
Noya enlightened me about the power of this so-called ‘Guijeong.’
[If you think of it as a sword, it will become a sword. If you think of something else, it will become that. That’s the kind of thing Guijeong is.]
It will take shape according to my desires.
That’s what Noya said about Guijeong.
So how am I supposed to use it?
I understood that this was a rare item and it had its unique method of use.
But I wanted to know how to utilize it.
The way to use Guijeong, which can transform into a sword or take any form I desire, was surprisingly simple.
[Just believe it.]
Just believe.
Believe that Guijeong will take the shape I envision.
Strangely enough, that was all there was to it.
As I genuinely thought so, Guijeong truly moved according to my will.
It seemed to act with a will of its own and could even grip something.
As Noya had said, it could also be used in sword form.
The only minor disappointment was that it didn’t switch between two forms.
It was impossible to grip something while it was in sword form.
That was the only issue.
Even if that were impossible, I could handle Guijeong and still be content.
And why? Because the power of Guijeong didn’t just end with a simple change in appearance.
Guijeong’s strength was far beyond that.
As Shin Noya told me, the true power of Guijeong was nothing less than…
‘Something that never breaks.’
Neither being shredded nor shattered.
It doesn’t even collapse.
A solidified Guijeong will never break, no matter the attack it endures.
That’s what Noya said was the true strength of Guijeong.
‘What kind of ridiculous power is that?’
It was completely absurd the moment I heard it.
Even the hardest material in the Central Plains, Eternal Iron, is bound to break one day.
I wondered if it was really possible to claim it would never break.
Even if that wasn’t true, Guijeong’s durability was undeniably impressive.
Look at it now.
It could block an attack infused with the force of the Demon without even showing a scratch.
In the brief moment when Guijeong blocked the attack, the Demon was momentarily taken aback.
I seized the opportunity and unwrapped Guijeong to bind the Demon’s sword.
In the blink of an eye, the distance closed in.
I didn’t miss this moment and unleashed a heat wave.
Whoosh! Whoosh…
Across the scattered ground, traces of blue flames flickered.
I reached out.
Phew!
Suddenly, the heat in the air and the flames on the ground converged toward me, like they were being sucked in.
I felt energy accumulating in my heart.
‘I didn’t use it that much.’
Considering I had unleashed flames twice on this ‘Flame Jade,’ it felt like I still had much more power remaining than expected.
Is it because my body changed and my energy increased?
No, it’s probably my enhanced control over my power.
‘The ability to endure compression has increased.’
Compression and rotation. And release.
I realized this by heeding the advice of Shin Noya and my father.
That was what I deemed most crucial in manipulating energy and handling flames.
I was practicing using small amounts of energy to amplify my strength.
Could it be that the compression and rotation itself exerts considerable pressure on the body?
There was a limit to what I could endure, and as a result, I had continuously felt a sense of regret.
‘…As my body strengthens, my limits extend.’
As my physique improved, the duration I could withstand also lengthened, making the power of compression and rotation more potent.
‘So this is the outcome?’
I gazed forward.
At the center of the chaotic ground, a giant crater had formed.
This was the aftermath of the might of my unleashed energy.
It seems I’ve truly grown stronger. Using the same amount of energy as before…
The aftermath was substantially greater, indeed.
And at the center of it all.
“Ha ha…”
The Demon, who knelt down, was chuckling.
“I don’t know what to say.”
Goeseon was also assessing the surrounding environment, his eyes filled with disbelief.
I nodded, eyeing Goeseon.
Fortunately, he appeared to be fine.
‘The recovery went well in the middle.’
Even though I detonated the energy, I managed to control it so it didn’t damage Goeseon.
Naturally.
‘Had I targeted him directly… I’d be in trouble too.’
Regardless of my intentions, it would have been troubling if they fought with the thought of actually killing each other.
At that moment, I truly recognized that Goeseon had wielded his sword without any intent to harm.
‘Because Woohyuk is his teacher.’
Since he was the master of the Dragon Chorus, I didn’t want to inflict any harm on him.
So, I controlled it forcibly and made sure only the surrounding area erupted, sparing Goeseon any damage.
Sure, I took in all the backlash.
But there was no harm to my body. That too had its advantages.
“Ha ha! I never thought I’d lose.”
Goeseon chuckled awkwardly.
I tilted my head in acknowledgment and said,
“I know you noticed.”
I’m uncertain if his final blow was genuine.
Up until that point, I realized that Goeseon hadn’t truly engaged in the fight.
‘If he’d fought seriously, I would have lost.’
If from the very beginning he had been earnest, it’s impossible to guess how things would’ve unfolded.
If I had seriously given it my all, I might’ve even landed a hit.
‘Winning would’ve been tough.’
It seems like achieving victory would be quite exhausting.
Just now, I had used Guijeong to handle the situation, which makes it a stretch to say I truly won.
‘I have a conscience too.’
[What?]
‘Please be quiet.’
Noya began to chime in with something, but I quickly shut him down.
This, too, was my sincere feeling.
‘They didn’t even bring out their trump cards.’
Goeseon utilized merely a standard iron sword. The noble Brain wasn’t put to use.
Of course.
‘I can’t say whether he can use Brain or not.’
He didn’t utilize the Namgung family’s martial arts, but instead wielded a monk’s sword.
One might wonder if he could leverage the Brain to maximize his power.
This is something I still couldn’t be sure of.
‘What if Goeseon had utilized the Brain?’
Had I fought him in that form, then it would have certainly been a different ballgame.
At that moment, I felt a hint of curiosity mixed with regret.
[You used Guijeong…]
A voice emerged from somewhere in the pit.
It sounded like Namgung Myung. It appeared he had some knowledge of Guijeong as well.
[Shincheol, are you truly mad? To go beyond the bounds of Guijeong…!]
[Do you see this? I said I’d hand over what belongs to me. Why do you have a problem with that?]
[Do you think it’s reasonable to hand over something like a symbol of a volcano to that kid from Tagag?]
[Really?]
[What…?]
[I can’t fathom why you keep babbling about how great you are. Tsk, tsk. You can’t even fight properly. That’s how Namgung ended up like that.]
[You son of a—!]
He kept whining about how harsh my words were, but this old man was no joke.
“…Sheesh.”
I sighed and moved on. How far was it in terms of distance?
There was something sticking out of the ground that I was walking toward.
In front of me, a blue-green staff was lodged in the earth, which appeared to be Brain.
Perhaps it had fallen from the Demon while we were in battle.
Namgung Myung’s voice was carrying from that direction, so certainly I was correct.
I approached slowly.
Oh, I had no intention of stealing it. I just meant to pick it up and return it.
Goeseon had been pushed away relatively far due to the force of the impact.
‘I hadn’t even mentioned Brain yet.’
We hadn’t even discussed it.
Initially, my intent was to return it to Goeseon.
“Hey! Wait a moment!”
That startled Goeseon, making him shout.
“Huh?”
The moment I heard that voice, I had already reached out and grabbed Brain.
Thud!
It came out easily as I seized it.
‘It feels so comfortable in my hand.’
In terms of grip, it felt like it fit perfectly.
If I were a swordsman, I would probably have searched for a sword with such a handle.
Just as expected from one of the legendary swords in the Central Plains.
Right as I grabbed the Brain and was about to walk back towards Goeseon.
[How dare this fellow…! Where do you think you’re taking it!?]
Suddenly, Namgung Myung exploded in rage.
“Elder! Stop!”
At that command, Goeseon rose and tried to dash over to us.
What’s going on? Why is everyone acting so irrational?
At that moment, I watched with a puzzled expression.
Flash—!
Suddenly, brilliant light burst forth from Brain. A dazzling and bright glow that made my eyelids slam shut.
And with it, the light bore such threatening energy that I had to panic.
Thud!
Literally, the shimmering light blinked out just moments later, contrary to what I expected. It seemed like something was about to happen.
Was it just a flash? It’s not even a torch…
I stared at the Brain with a slightly bewildered gaze.
Was there something off about it?
[…Huh?]
“…Huh?”
In the stillness where nothing transpired, both Goeseon and Namgung Myung seemed bewildered.
I turned to look at Goeseon, who was staring at me with a blank expression, and asked.
“…What’s going on?”
What on earth was happening?
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