Chapter: 742
The Flame Jade began to tear apart countless times.
I clicked my tongue softly while watching this.
“Tsk.”
Is this too much? I had my doubts, but as expected,
the old man’s gaze turned this way.
The eye contact spoke volumes.
Are there no more?
Is this really the end?
How can he have the luxury of being so calm while moving like that?
It’s really not funny.
“Ha.”
I let out a laugh and gathered my strength.
I didn’t stop creating the Flame Jade. It had to happen simultaneously.
That way, at least I could prevent some movement.
Hwaruk—!
Balancing both at the same time felt like my energy was about to get tangled up. It was a close call, but I managed.
I poured out the Flame Jade and gripped the jade spear in my hand.
I used martial arts at the same time.
If I made a mistake, the air current would twist, and I’d be in trouble.
What should I do? If I was scared of that, I shouldn’t have started this fight.
Bam—!
I stomped the ground.
Ink splattered everywhere.
“Whew—!!”
With everything I had, I threw the spear.
Kiiiiiik—!!
The spear soared through the air, making a ripping sound.
Just before the tip of the spear reached the old man,
Sarak.
A refreshing sound suddenly rang out from somewhere.
The scent of flowers brushed against my nose.
I can see it.
Hwaaaaah—!
Plum blossoms bloomed from the old man’s body. Petals released their leaves into the air.
The plum leaves were thin and soft.
They seemed to flutter weakly, but—
Thud—! Thud thud thud—!
“…!”
I widened my eyes at the unfolding scene.
The expanding leaves were blocking the pouring Flame Jade.
What kind of power does that tiny leaf have to stop this?
‘I see… that could happen.’
Even though he could have used it, he was bothering to swing his sword.
He’s being lenient. Is that the point?
This is really infuriating.
Crunch—!
When the leaves blocked the Flame Jade,
the old man sliced through the spear. The split spear whizzed past him.
It’s absurd for him to slice through a sacred relic like that.
‘Calculating this far.’
Just as expected.
‘Time to blow it up.’
Kwaaaaang—!!
The split spear immediately exploded.
This was an attack that took advantage of the fact that it would blow up if not tied down.
The old man was engulfed in the explosion.
Seeing that, my legs gave way.
Thud—!
“Huk… Huh.”
I was out of breath.
My bets were beginning to hit rock bottom.
No matter how many bets I had, pouring this much out would naturally leave me empty.
Wiping away the flowing cold sweat, I stared straight ahead.
The place was a mess, and the floor was filled with ink as if nothing had ever happened.
And then—
Clink… Clink…
Flower petals were scattering from where the spear burst.
As if burned by the flames, the petals began to wilt. I frowned while watching them.
A membrane formed from plum leaves spread out like a circle.
Did that prevent the explosion?
[This is truly something.]
I heard the old man’s voice.
Sararak—!
The curtain vanished, revealing the old man.
He looked exactly the same as before.
[If I had been even a second later, I would have been hurt. I admit it, Aesong-ah. You are strong.]
He sure looked genuinely surprised. But there was an underlying annoyance.
Wasn’t I supposed to be unaffected?
“…”
[Using martial arts like this, who is your master?]
“…If I told you, would you even know?”
[Oh, that’s right… Since he’s already dead, I suppose I wouldn’t know even if you told me.]
I really despised that smug grin.
I’m sure he’d figure it out if I told him.
‘How could you not know? You taught me this stuff!’
Though the hand-to-hand combat was taught by the defeated, everything else was given to me by him.
Although I’ve never called him that, I consider him my master.
I thought about this for a moment and quickly brushed it away.
How could a non-human from Mount Hua be my master?
That title belonged to Yeongpung. More accurately, it was the name the disciples of Mount Hua were supposed to hold.
Phew…
I lifted my head, catching my breath.
‘Now I get it.’
Once I cooled my head, I started to realize something.
‘You were jealous.’
I felt a twinge of jealousy towards Yeongpung.
It had been there ever since I heard he became the successor of the Volcanic Sword.
From the moment I discovered that old man’s true names were passed down to him.
It seems that, whether knowingly or unknowingly, that affected me.
Realizing this made me chuckle.
‘What a fool I am.’
It wasn’t funny at all.
‘Why am I jealous of someone who isn’t even from Mount Hua?’
I had never learned swordsmanship.
I was merely a martial artist, so the Volcanic Sword meant nothing to me.
I had never learned his inner strength.
Though I received some help from pottery, I was clueless about the depths of that mountain.
Moreover, I had once erased the concept of that mountain in my previous life.
What gave me the right to be that old man’s successor?
Swish.
I raised my fist, fully aware of this.
‘Know your place.’
I reminded myself once again of my standing.
‘I can’t win.’
I couldn’t win against him.
I knew that from the beginning, yet I still surged ahead.
Why, though?
Did I think I could win under such conditions?
No way.
I could tell I couldn’t win the moment I laid my eyes on him.
I was simply enraged by the fact that Yeongpung was being treated like a successor.
So, I charged at him.
Even though deep down I thought it was all fake, I must have felt outraged saying that.
I wondered how I had been rolling around until now.
Was that all it was—a trifling emotion?
‘To be honest, I’ve been rolling around like crazy.’
For my own purpose, yes, but there was also the issue of that divine user.
He said it himself.
He would leave things he couldn’t handle to me.
So then,
‘I should at least make this level of sacrifice.’
I needed to salvage something from this.
Let Yeongpung become the successor of the Volcanic Sword and carry on the legacy.
It wasn’t mine anyway.
But—
‘Let’s at least take one thing.’
I’m not sure about the legendary hero known as the Volcanic Sword,
but the successor of that foul Shincheol shall be me.
I needed to make that happen.
[Aesong-ah.]
“Yes.”
[That was the tenth round.]
“Agreed. But how about giving me ten more? I’m not done yet.”
[Do you think that would yield an answer?]
“Nope.”
Even if you gave me a hundred tries, I didn’t think I could win.
I just laughed.
It was a laugh similar to the old man’s.
[So, what will you do now?]
“What can I do?”
I shook my raised fist.
“I’ll see this through to the end.”
[Oh?]
Swish.
At my words, the old man’s aura stirred.
A chilling energy brushed against my shoulder.
[I don’t know who you are. But I apologize for what the Blood Demon suggested.]
—Do not take your eyes off the sword.
—The swordsman coexists with deception. What you need to focus on is not the sword, but the swordsman.
I recalled the words that the divine user had once said.
[You’ll understand when you face me.]
[You are a martial artist.]
My heart thumped with those cursed words.
It hit harder, especially with that detestable tone.
[What a pity. If only someone like you had been born in Mount Hua.]
“…”
That was quite a compliment.
‘But I don’t really fit in with their clique.’
Someone like me living among the disciples of Mount Hua would surely be chaos.
I hid my emotions and replied.
“You have a really sharp tongue.”
[True. Thanks to that, I had no time to recover.]
I couldn’t refute that.
After resting a bit, my breath was finally returning.
[Thus, do not forget our promise.]
I heard his voice.
But I couldn’t see his form.
I frowned slightly.
My eyes weren’t malfunctioning. It was literally just murky.
What I saw beyond that hazy view wasn’t a human figure.
‘A tree?’
It was a tree.
A colossal tree. A brilliantly glowing old tree stood there.
It was probably an ancient plum tree from Mount Hua.
Or perhaps the largest plum tree of them all.
Whoosh.
Though no wind blew, the tree swayed.
The leaves scattered.
The branches danced.
I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
Breath held, I felt like I was lost in that distant spectacle.
[This is a reward.]
[Etch it deep. It’s a gift for having entertained me somewhat.]
Following the voice,
the movement stopped suddenly.
[Plum Blossom Annihilation.]
From the branches, petals bloomed.
The sound of flowers blooming filled the air.
Shwiik.
Bang—!
The sound of flowers blooming was more muted than I expected.
[…Huh?]
A startled sound.
I opened my eyes at that.
Before me loomed the old man’s fierce face.
His sword was lunging toward my neck.
It seemed like he was preparing to strike me with a quick slash, but his blade could not cut through my defenses.
[Aesong-ah. You…?]
The blade was blocked by something.
It was my own defense.
I had concealed my guard around my neck using the Guijeong.
An absolute shield that would never shatter.
I used that trait to defend myself.
Just as the old man’s eyes began to flicker,
Crack—!
I seized the old man’s hand.
[…!!]
I felt the strength in his hand, desperately trying to break free.
As soon as I sensed that, I said,
“Bind him.”
Shirick—!!
[What!?]
The Guijeong around my neck wrapped the old man’s hand and my own together.
But that wasn’t all.
Shiriririck—!!
The Guijeong he was holding fell free and came into my hand.
It immediately transformed into a defensive gauntlet.
I watched as the cloth intertwined, shifting from a deep crimson to a striking blue.
[What the…!!]
The old man was stunned by the sudden betrayal of the Guijeong.
He probably couldn’t believe it. My own Sacred Material changing sides like this.
But what can he do?
“Better to have a live master than a dead one.”
The fight as a martial artist had ended with those previous ten rounds.
So now—
‘It’s time to do things my way.’
After all,
‘I wasn’t planning on winning by playing nice.’
It was all calculated the moment I imposed those conditions.
To win against an opponent who can’t be defeated, you can’t hesitate with your methods.
Thud—! The old man struggled to break free.
His strength was no joke.
It felt like the Guijeong would be torn apart.
But it was fine. Didn’t I just say?
Once they become accustomed to it, people adapt.
Thus, if I were to introduce an irregular move, now was the perfect time.
—Stop.
[…!!]
The old man froze at my command.
At most, it wouldn’t even hold for a second.
If you use commands against someone stronger than you, they won’t stay bound for long and will rebound.
Just watch.
Gulp—!
Pain surged from within, and blood filled my mouth.
Gulp—! I swallowed the blood immediately.
Can’t hold for even a second?
It’s enough if you can grasp a moment, even for just a brief instant.
Thud-thud-thud—!!!
The Tua Pa Cheon Mu swept through my body.
I gathered my power into my fist.
[You—!]
The old man was still trying to force his strength.
Was it not enough, even with the command? That was alright.
I had one more way to make sure he stayed pinned down.
“Did you know? The Tang Jemun is actually a trap.”
[Huh? What do you mean?]
In the instant the old man hesitated,
Tuwa Pa Cheon Mu(鬪牙破天武).
Four Forms.
“Cheng Cheon (昌天).”
The thrusting fist directly struck the old man’s chest.
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