Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Kwaaaaaaa-!
It was a preposterous battle. To the point that they could not possibly be regarded as the same kind of human.
Hyeon-gang watched the entire situation and muttered,
“Monster…….”
It was a clash worthy of being called a battle between dragon and tiger. And the moment Hardened Force gathered around Ho Jagae’s fists, the words Youngho uttered sent a shiver through everyone present.
“I haven’t even started.”
The Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Sword released a sword cry. Youngho infused Internal Energy into the blade—stronger, more fiercely.
Fwoosh!
The black-flamed Sword Force, indistinguishable between Sword Qi and Sword Force, gradually began to compress. A terrifying gravitational pull arose around Youngho, and the Internal Energy carried within the sword grew increasingly condensed.
Whoong-!
Now transformed from Sword Qi into Sword Force, Youngho’s blade no longer burned fiercely like fire. It merely pointed at Ho Jagae with a jet-black Sword Force, as if it contained the stillness of the night itself.
“Come at me, you bastard.”
Kwaaang!
When Ho Jagae kicked off the ground with all his might, massive cracks spread across the earth like a spiderweb.
With Hardened Force wrapped around both fists, the sight of Ho Jagae charging forward resembled a bear pouncing upon its prey.
At that moment, Horyeung shouted,
“Hosan! Chowon! Hold onto Hyeon-gang tight!”
“Yes!”
Even when Sword Qi and Fist Energy had collided earlier, shockwaves had reached this far. If Sword Force clashed against Sword Force, how violent would the shockwaves be?
Just as Horyeung predicted, the moment Youngho’s Sword Force and Ho Jagae’s Fist Strike collided, a deafening explosion erupted as if dozens of Lightning Bombs had detonated at once, and the surrounding terrain began to change.
Kwaaaaaang!
Chiiiik! Chijijijik!
The Internal Energy and Demonic Energy imbued within the Sword Force and Fist Strike intensified further, as if neither had the slightest intention of yielding.
And the one who withdrew first was Youngho.
With a flick of his wrist, Youngho deflected Ho Jagae’s fist while simultaneously stealing a single step of his domain.
Ho Jagae, who had never imagined Youngho would retreat in this exchange, found himself at a complete loss.
Thud-!
“Keugh!”
The moment Ho Jagae’s body staggered, Youngho drove his elbow into Ho Jagae’s abdomen. Yet strangely, Ho Jagae was not the only one who suffered injury.
Ignoring the throbbing pain in his elbow, now bruised and aching, Youngho kicked Ho Jagae away with all his strength.
Jiiiiik!
As Ho Jagae slid backward, carving through the ground, he could not conceal his alarm at Youngho’s attack, which was far more powerful than anticipated.
But now was a moment where even the slightest stray thought determined life or death. Because of that stray thought, Ho Jagae made a mistake.
Paaang-!
Before he realized it, Youngho had already arrived directly in front of him. Drawing up Internal Energy from his Dantian, Youngho poured it into his sword with all his might and swung.
With a sharp air-splitting sound, the blade flew toward Ho Jagae’s neck. Ho Jagae barely managed to evade it.
Kwaang! Kwaaang-! Kwaaaaaang-!
With thunder roaring and lightning striking, nearby mountain peaks were sliced apart by Sword Force and Fist Strike, devastating the entire area.
Yet Youngho did not worry about his companions. They had long since retreated far away.
‘As expected, he’s strong.’
The position of Right Guardian had not been earned for nothing. Though his skill did not compare to the Heavenly Demon……
‘The problem is that there are quite a few like him in the Demonic Cult…….’
That could be considered later!
Hardened Force began to gather around Youngho’s fist. Seeing this, Ho Jagae narrowed his eyes.
There was no telling what this brat before him would attempt. As Ho Jagae did not lower his guard, Youngho grinned and slammed his fist into the ground.
Kwaang!
Cracks spread across the earth in a radius of roughly Four Zhang centered on Youngho. Then, as fragments of rock were flung into the air by the impact, Youngho kicked them.
The fragments shot forward faster than arrows, but to an expert of Ho Jagae’s caliber, they were nothing more than crude tricks.
Just as he was about to wave his hand to casually swat them aside, Ho Jagae felt a flicker of doubt.
‘Wait. Would an Equal-Level Expert use such a crude technique against me?’
There was something more. The moment that thought crossed his mind—
“Too late, you bastard.”
Faster than the fragments themselves, Youngho arrived and thrust his sword.
Slash!
Though he thought he had barely managed to defend, a massive wound opened across Ho Jagae’s arm.
The gash split flesh and muscle, revealing stark white bone beneath—an injury anyone would deem severe.
Before blood could gush out, Ho Jagae sealed the acupoints to staunch the bleeding and glared with wide eyes, searching for Youngho’s trace.
After cutting Ho Jagae’s arm, Youngho vanished swiftly from his sight. His mastery in utilizing the Flame Venerable Opening Technique within the span of a fleeting instant was almost unbelievable.
By employing the technique precisely where needed, the consumption of Internal Energy was not great.
Had even Cheonung witnessed this battle, he would have learned much from Youngho.
So peculiar yet so practical was Youngho’s method of using the Flame Venerable Opening Technique that such a thought naturally arose.
Meanwhile, Ho Jagae continued sharpening his senses as keenly as possible, searching for Youngho’s position.
‘…Is he hiding?’
He had not let his guard down. And yet his body had been wounded—nearly having his arm severed.
It was a terrifying sword art.
‘I heard he killed the Poison Demon and assumed he had reached the Transformation Realm, but to this extent!’
Even within the Sun–Moon Divine Cult, those capable of leaving a mark upon his body—comparable to Vajra Indestructibility—could be counted on one hand.
It was not a body that a mere brat not yet of coming-of-age age could cut.
As Youngho remained nowhere to be seen, Ho Jagae unleashed a Lion’s Roar.
“Show yourself at once!”
The Demonic Energy surrounding Ho Jagae darkened further.
Shiver-!
Just as Ho Jagae was about to slam his fist into the ground to turn the surroundings into ruin—
A sinister and dreadful aura began rising from directly behind him.
Slash!
“Keugh!”
Letting out a low groan of pain, Ho Jagae glared at Youngho with eyes wide in disbelief.
“How are you there?!”
“I hid within your shadow. Does that answer you?”
Without granting him a moment’s rest, Youngho’s relentless follow-up attacks overwhelmed Ho Jagae to a degree unbecoming of the Right Guardian of the Sun–Moon Divine Cult.
‘Me? Reduced to this by a mere brat!’
This could not be. For what purpose had he reached the realm of Blade and Sword Immunity? For what purpose had he pursued Vajra Indestructibility?
Slash! Slash!
He hastily pressed the acupoints to staunch the bleeding, yet due to the ongoing battle, crimson blood continued to gush from the sealed wound.
“I cannot lose like this!”
Kwaaaaaaa-!
A sudden repulsive force erupted from Ho Jagae’s body. The force was so intense that even Youngho’s body was helplessly pushed back.
Driving his sword into the ground, Youngho barely managed to steady himself. His face was savage beyond measure, like a tiger that had lost its prey.
Kuuuuuu-!
Then, as if his strength had reached its limit, Ho Jagae suddenly dropped to one knee.
With one hand braced against the ground, he glared at Youngho. The light in Ho Jagae’s eyes had not faded. Rather, the fighting spirit blazing within them made one think—
“I want to pluck them out.”
It was by no means a pleasant sight.
Soon, Ho Jagae’s hair began to turn white. In less than a fleeting instant, he became completely white-haired. Seeing this, Youngho immediately tightened his stance.
‘Did he even use Innate True Qi?’
Ho Jagae must have instinctively sensed it as well. If left alone, Youngho would become a great obstacle to the Sun–Moon Divine Cult.
He had to be killed here and now.
At that rate, Ho Jagae had likely already expended at least half of his Innate True Qi. But when Youngho saw wrinkles forming across Ho Jagae’s face, he immediately activated the Flame Venerable Opening Technique.
‘Just how much Innate True Qi is he using?’
If wrinkles appeared upon previously taut skin, then it was no exaggeration to say he had resolved himself to die.
Kwaang-!
The moment Youngho activated the Flame Venerable Opening Technique, Ho Jagae’s body vanished.
Even with the technique active, Youngho could not perceive Ho Jagae’s movement, so he drew up even more Internal Energy from his Dantian, heightening the efficiency of the Flame Venerable Opening Technique.
‘I see him.’
Only after time slowed even further did he manage to capture the attack rushing toward him. Every sense in his body sounded an alarm that the incoming strike was dangerous.
He had to evade it immediately. As he was now, even brushing against that shockwave would inflict tremendous damage.
But…
‘Fast.’
It was too fast. Even with the Flame Venerable Opening Technique unleashed, it still appeared that swift…… as expected, a strike thrown with one’s life on the line could not be taken lightly.
Sssaeak!
That did not mean he could not evade it. Since it was merely a straightforward charge in a straight line, Youngho immediately threw his body to the side.
And the instant he was certain he had escaped the danger, Ho Jagae’s body twisted at a bizarre angle.
‘What?’
Right before Youngho’s eyes, a smile bloomed across Ho Jagae’s lips.
‘This bastard?’
There was no choice. He had to receive this attack.
‘Guess I’ll recuperate for about two months.’
Within the slowed time, Youngho’s sword moved gracefully. It appeared infinitely soft and light as it extended in a straight line.
A sword without variation. Neither fast nor flashy.
A sword that aimed at only one point advanced stubbornly forward.
Squeezing his Dantian dry and pouring all his Internal Energy into it, Youngho’s Sword Force collided with Ho Jagae’s Fist Strike.
Jjeong-!
The all-out strike of Youngho and Ho Jagae resonated throughout the surroundings.
Kwaaaaaaa-!
Nearby mountain peaks burst apart, triggering landslides, and the earth split apart with cracking sounds as everything around them began to be laid to waste.
Meanwhile, far away where they had taken refuge, Horyeung noticed that Hyeon-gang was suddenly struggling to breathe and immediately spread his aura to protect the group.
‘We’re at least One Li away!’
Horyeung could not hide his shock.
Held in Kang Chowon’s arms, Seonpung gazed anxiously toward the direction where Youngho was.
A thunderous roar that seemed capable of shaking the heavens continued. After resounding for a time, the noise gradually diminished.
Hudududuk!
Birds flying in the sky fell to the ground, and the rocks and boulders that had been flung upward began crashing down once more.
Since the Ten Thousand Great Mountains were sparsely populated, there would be no civilian casualties.
Youngho slowly sharpened his Qi Sense and confirmed the safety of his companions.
“They’re safe.”
Only then did he feel reassured. With slow steps, he approached Ho Jagae, who lay sprawled on the ground like a corpse.
His entire body felt as heavy as a thousand-catty weight, and his arms no longer possessed the strength to swing his sword.
Yet he forced himself to reach Ho Jagae and curled his lips into a faint, sardonic smile.
“Hey, didn’t you say the winner takes everything?”
At Youngho’s mocking tone, Ho Jagae forced his unmoving body to stir and lifted only his head to look at him.
“……You are a monster beyond imagination.”
Ho Jagae’s voice was far from normal. It cracked and split like a parched rice paddy in drought.
“Thanks for the compliment. So who sent you? No—how did you know where I was?”
“……I lost the wager.”
“Then hurry up and answer. You’re about to die.”
“Keuk, keuk keuk! Fine, I’ll tell you. It was the Hao Sect Master—the one you trust and rely upon most.”
“I figured as much.”
“……What?”
“I suspected that Maeryeong had leaked our information. I just wanted confirmation.”
Youngho spoke while staring in the direction where Maeryeong had been, his eyes filled with Killing Intent.
“To think she would collude with the Demonic Cult….”
“You…… knew I was coming?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t know it would be you. I only thought someone would come.”
“……You truly are a monster. But still an immature one.”
“I’m not interested in hearing your last words… but go on.”
“You have not yet seen a true monster. The Martial Might of that divine being… One day, the Heavenly Demon will—”
Pusheok!
Youngho’s sword pierced through Ho Jagae’s throat.
“I’ve seen enough of that Martial Might to grow sick of it.”
Youngho glanced at the corpses of the Demonic Cultists scattered nearby.
“They’re all dead.”
Just in case, after delivering the final blows to confirm their deaths, Youngho let out a groan and flopped flat onto the ground.
“This is damn exhausting.”
Had he not consumed the Clear Sky Stone Milk, he truly would have died.
“Ha…… If the Unorthodox Alliance has this many rotten roots, no flower will ever properly bloom. I’ll have to ask Master to clean things up next time.”
Thinking of the tasks awaiting him upon returning to the Unorthodox Alliance, Youngho blankly watched the clouds drifting across the sky.