Chapter 80 : Chapter 80
Chapter 080. Four Phases Collapse (3)
The power emitted by the domains grew endlessly stronger as if there were no limits. The spirit emitted by just four living beings was overwhelming enough to overpower even the climate of the desert.
At that moment, Dam Jeok-san sensed that the time had come.
“So this is the limit of their domains.”
Wi Cheon-rak, Northern Heaven Sword Venerable, Sword Ghost, Sword King. The domains of the four Entering Transformation Realm transcendents were largely similar.
Wi Cheon-rak's domain, which employed the Cult Leader's power, was overwhelming in terms of scale and might, but its completeness could not match the Northern Heaven Sword Venerable's Three Nothingness Sword—Shadowless, Soundless, Traceless.
'The collapse will probably start from the clash between Martial Aunt and Wi Cheon-rak.'
Because they are significantly stronger than the Sword King and Sword Ghost. And that collapse will sweep across the entire battlefield like raging waves. For originally, everything flows from top to bottom.
The collapse begins at the very next moment.
For a very short time, a void will be created in a very narrow point. It must absolutely not be missed. Because there won't be a second opening in the ultimate realm.
'I must accurately hit the single point where time and space overlap.'
Even though he is an Ultra-Peak master and has an expertise in handling swords delicately, success cannot be guaranteed. The time of transcendents who have reached the Entering Transformation Realm flows differently from ordinary people.
They are beings who can split an instant into infinity to think and act. For Dam Jeok-san to aim for that 'single point', he must be able to think and act at the same, or at least similar, speed as them.
'It's not something I can be sure of.'
Nevertheless, Dam Jeok-san believed in himself. Because his talent is exceptional? Because he reached an absolute state in his past life?
It is not confidence stemming from such trivial reasons.
Because there are people holding out for him. Starting with Gyeong-won, whose eyes shone brightly despite being battered.
Black Panther Spear, Peng Cho-seol, Baek Ri-gwan. And the Northern Heaven Sword Venerable and Sword King who raised their domains to the extreme without hesitation.
All of them risked their lives believing in the story Dam Jeok-san babbled with his barely three-inch tongue. Then Dam Jeok-san must naturally live up to that expectation.
He contemplated his inner self very quickly but extremely delicately. From the fine vessels spread throughout his body to the major vessels penetrating his whole body, and from there to the dantian where genuine qi gathers again. Countless internal injuries were engraved due to continuous battles.
'Well, it should be fine to push myself once. I won't die.'
Dam Jeok-san evaluated his condition with an indifferent air. At the same time, pure genuine qi began to swirl in his tattered blood vessels.
Quite ample internal energy for a master who just reached the Ultra-Peak. It was a result proving that his predation all this while had not been in vain.
The place where the swirling genuine qi headed was around the crown of his head, the Baekhui acupoint where the upper dantian exists.
WHOOSH!
As terrifying genuine qi gathered at once, the Baekhui acupoint heated up rapidly. It feels like the genuine qi might pierce right through the crown of his head if even a slight mistake is made.
Perhaps it is not just a feeling, but true. Because operating the upper dantian is actually very dangerous. Even knowing that fact, Dam Jeok-san did not hesitate at all.
'I won't die from this much.'
He, who had experienced qi deviation once, knows best. At what line crossed does deviation come. The limit has not arrived yet.
The world seen through the upper dantian awakened to the extreme was much more complex and sophisticated than before.
ZING―
An amount of information the current him cannot accept. His head ached numbly, but Dam Jeok-san didn't mind at all. This level of pain was close to a daily level now.
“I see, it...”
Dam Jeok-san watched the fierce battle of the four transcendents without even knowing the fact that blood was trickling down from his nose.
As he raised his visual power to the extreme, the fluctuating intent and shaking domains were seen vividly as if with the naked eye.
Now was the time to judge. The moment and space where the Four Phases Collapse occurs.
Dam Jeok-san split and split the instant again for that. As close to infinity as possible.
In the split and split time.
Between Un Wol-hyang and Wi Cheon-rak, the boundary between intent and intent is seen blurring. The domains collided and began to annihilate.
The first precursor of the Four Phases Collapse. Dam Jeok-san sent part of the genuine qi concentrated on the Baekhui acupoint to his two swords.
Dam Jeok-san, holding two swords emitting bright Sword Flame,
“Good work.”
Passed the four people escorting him with a short remark.
THUMP.
The sound of their hearts beating rapidly is heard in Dam Jeok-san's ears.
Joy, relief, sense of accomplishment, apprehension, worry...
Sounds that cannot be clearly defined. But one thing is certain. If he wins, the negative thoughts residing in that pulsation will completely disappear.
He crossed the world without hesitation.
ROAAAAAR--!
The collapse has not yet begun on the outskirts of the battlefield. The intense aftermath created by the collision of the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Sword and the Blood Sword rushes at Dam Jeok-san.
He offset that aftermath just by lightly crossing his two swords.
Something possible because his consciousness reached a state mimicking splitting an instant infinitely through temporary elevation.
The fire thunderbolts falling successively above his head were―
BOOM!
All scattered by Dark Heaven's interception before Dam Jeok-san even stepped in. She looked very exhausted, but hadn't yet lost the initiative to the rising demonic energy.
[I do not know, what you are trying to do, but...]
Dark Heaven spoke to him with telepathy that felt laborious even at a glance.
[I will trust you. May my blessing be with you.]
The Black Dragon blessed him in a low tone. Although it is a blessing that has become almost meaningless due to her decline and corruption, this place is still the territory ruled by the Black Dragon. That is a fact that doesn't change even now when four domains are overlaid.
What the blessing she gave was, Dam Jeok-san realized naturally in the very next moment.
All the fireballs falling with fierce momentum missed him.
It is 'Luck'. Luck that makes the situation turn in his favor within the line where causality is not twisted.
For Dam Jeok-san, who must accomplish something doubtful whether possible with his capability, it is a more precious blessing than anything else.
Using the luck given to him as a stepping stone, he dug into the center of the battlefield in an instant.
It was a chaotic scene where everything was tangled and disappearing. Even though flesh and flesh or weapons and weapons were not colliding, an intense vortex raged.
GRIT. Dam Jeok-san clenched his molars strongly and threw his body into the middle of it.
“Here I go.”
The moment Dam Jeok-san muttered so―
The sword of Three Nothingness woven by Un Wol-hyang and the world of disaster brought by Wi Cheon-rak collided.
-----!
There was no explosion sound that should have been there, nor light burning as if to burst.
Only silence remained. For a collapse too huge takes away all surrounding presence.
'The problem is that my presence was also included in that.'
The aftermath of the collapse tightened around Dam Jeok-san's body. The great collapse erasing all presence applied to Dam Jeok-san without exception.
'The remaining time from now is truly an instant.'
The aftermath of the collapse will cover the entire battlefield before he even exhales once. That is the beginning of the Four Phases Collapse.
I must catch up with that speed. Dam Jeok-san triggered all the genuine qi in his body. With the thought of do or die.
Then tremendous repulsive force crushed his body. Terrifying power that seemed impossible to take even a single step against. But Dam Jeok-san moved forward.
“Ugh...!”
Enduring the pain as if all the bones in his body were crumbling and his organs were being crushed.
An instant feels like an eternity. That also means an instant can be stretched like an eternity.
Dam Jeok-san chewed on the vivid pain and accelerated his body. It was a precise and dangerous task of exploding genuine qi within the acupoints, but now he could do it in an instant.
WHOOSH!
Dam Jeok-san's body moved forward in an instant like an arrow on a taut bowstring.
Every time the speed increased, the pain increased. To the extent that he wondered if his whole body was being pressed flat now. But Dam Jeok-san moved forward. With the single thought of piercing that one point where time and space overlap.
Around when a few ribs were actually broken and his hand bones cracked.
Dam Jeok-san finally reached the point where Un Wol-hyang's sword and Wi Cheon-rak's flesh palm dyed pitch-black crossed.
In those narrow weapons and flesh, worlds reside. Dam Jeok-san's heart pounded anew at that fact. I too must reach such a state someday. Can I do it? Before the doubt even passed, his body moved.
A quarter of an hour, passed fully. With that conviction, Dam Jeok-san dropped the Red Cloud Sword he was holding on the ground and thrust the Sky Thunder with all his might using both hands.
It wasn't some grand sword move. No, it wasn't even a thrust with all his might. Just a simple action of bringing the sword tip to touch.
But the aftermath was never simple.
CLAAAANG!
A roar rings in the world where all presence had been bleached. Subsequently, Dam Jeok-san felt the pressure on his body decrease significantly.
But the Northern Heaven Sword Venerable and Wi Cheon-rak still couldn't escape from that aftermath.
Because the sword strike forged by his will left a scar on the massive intent of the Four Phases Collapse.
'If it is now, I can cut him.'
Dam Jeok-san swung his sword with such conviction. The target is Wi Cheon-rak's nape.
“Tri, fling... tri, ck...!”
Wi Cheon-rak shouted toward Dam Jeok-san in a bizarre voice like a demon crawled up from the underworld. But there was nothing he could do when even moving his tongue was difficult.
Just when Dam Jeok-san's sword was digging into his nape.
GRAB!
Wi Cheon-rak flashed his bloodshot eyes and grabbed Dam Jeok-san's sword.
“Did you use the Cult Leader's Status? Surprising.”
Seeing that, Dam Jeok-san let out a faint exclamation.
“But not enough.”
But the following words were cold beyond measure.
“To overturn an overwhelming advantage with just this much, the real Eight Sovereigns of Murim should have come.”
Dam Jeok-san said indifferently. Wi Cheon-rak was forcefully moving by enduring the aftermath of the collapse, but Dam Jeok-san, who overcame that intent with his own will, was practically free in movement.
However.
The crisis didn't end there.
“Damn it!”
Wi Cheon-rak's skin is in a state close to being invulnerable to swords and spears. It can never be pierced with just Sword Flame.
Dam Jeok-san gathered the flames flickering along his sword blade sharply like a single spear and forged them. Although far lacking to reach the realm of Sword Astral, it is an unprecedented stage much sharper and harder than Sword Flame.
Of course, even this might be insufficient...
“I can do it.”
Dam Jeok-san simply firmed his will. The upper dantian, already overheated as if to burst, heats up once more.
WOOOOOOO!
The upper dantian is the only organ among the three dantians that can create miracles with will alone.
The flames forged like a spear burn intensely as if to blind the eyes. The Sword Flame filled with Dam Jeok-san's will cuts deeply through Wi Cheon-rak's nape.
He feels the neck bone crushing and the major vessels and huge blood vessels penetrating the whole body tearing.
A wound at a level where recovery is impossible even for a monster in beast form, let alone a half-demon.
The moment he was sure of Wi Cheon-rak's death―
“Child, I really must have you.”
The voice of a transcendent looking over the realm of a Half-Immortal rang in Dam Jeok-san's ears.