Chapter 251: The Knight Didn’t Utter Lies (7)

Do you know?

The technique called Sky Full of Flower Rain was a technique that came from the Beggar Sect. In other words, it’s not the Tang Family who created it. A fact that many people who read martial arts these days didn’t know.

Lee Han also didn’t really want to know about it.

-Lee Han, Tang family has no foundation!

The only reason he knew about it was because of Dokgo Hyung who was always serious about martial arts.

Wow… I’m thinking about all sorts of things, huh?

Lee Han chuckled to himself. Judging from how he thought about such an absurd things meant he was not in a good shape at all.

Well, he’d just committed something which was akin to bringing his opponents down with him to the afterlife, so of course he wouldn’t be in a good shape.

“Seems like I’ve gone crazy…”

Ring-!

Lee Han sat up without even thinking about fixing his ringing ears and cursed himself. It was a good thing that he used the axe as a sacrifice to destroy the lump of energy, but he never thought about the aftermath at all.

It’s clearly something that only someone with few screws loose would do.

Still…

I didn’t die in the end, and the result is also good.

So, shouldn’t he call it a success?

“Aaaaah-!”

As Lee Han heard a scream, he snickered and looked down at Iliad, who was rolling on the floor in pain.

Woah, he’s also a crybaby.

To be completely honest, Lee han thought he was lucky.

That guy’s swordsmanship is really good.

Lee Han acknowledged his swordsmanship and talent.

Even though it was apparent from how he called his technique that he didn’t have the best naming sense, the power each technique had was truly amazing.

However…

He lacks fighting spirit.

To be more precise, he had been away from the scene for a long time. He had injured his legs ten years ago, so in a sense it was only natural for him to lose the edge he once had.

So, even when his talent was still there,

It’s natural that he fell for such a simple and ignorant tactic.

His responsiveness was also ridiculously slow.

Explaining what a slow response would do to someone in a battle was simply a waste of breath.

“…”

However, even when he looked at Illiad on the ground, there was no trace of satisfaction from victory on Lee Han’s face.

It was only natural, afterall…

[Grrrr-!]

“…It’s not like he’s a dog.”

It’s not over yet.

If Illiad was a normal human, the fight would have ended at this point. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a normal human.

He was a Demonic Human.

Growl-!

A guttural sound of an animal’s cry could be heard from Iliad’s mouth, who collapsed on the ground, making the conversation that had been possible just a moment ago felt like an illusion. Moreover, It’s not like he was just imitating the cry of an animal, he was truly losing his humanity.

“I-instructor! You have to stop him now! If he fully turns into a Demonic Human, there will be nothing we can do!”

…Even if you don’t say it, I was already planning to, you brat.

Even if Status Window didn’t shout it, Lee Han knew that the phenomenon was a headache.

Demonic Human transformation was largely divided into three stages.

Stage 1 was where a human had a shift in their personality.

Stage 2 was where the humans started to get more and more impulse to kill.

And then, Stage 3 was…

Where they lost their humanity entirely.

Unlike before when Illiad was still able to talk to Lee Han and even joke around, he was now about to enter a state where he would completely forget his intelligence and emotions as a human. When he reached that stage, it wouldn’t be too much to say that he had crossed a river he wouldn’t be able to return from.

[KHAAAAAAAAA!]

Crunch-!

Crunch-!

While Illiad was gnashing his teeth, his body began to slowly recover. The burns and wounds all around his body which was caused by the explosion as well as his injured joints quickly regenerated like a lizard’s tail.

Not good.

After all, by forcing his body to recover like that meant that he was exhausting his vitality. In other words, he was quickly walking towards the end of his life.

Paat-!

[Kahaaaaak!]

At that moment, Iliad’s body shot up.

Even though he was slowly turning into a mindless beast, he seemed to remember the opponent who had cornered him, as he was showing strong hostility toward Lee Han.

Even so,

“…You won’t let go of the sword until the end? It’s disgusting, really.”

Crackle-!

[Haaa!]

Iliad’s sword flashed as he clenched the handle so tightly that blood flowed from his hand.

Swish!

It would be natural that Illiad would no longer be able to use swordsmanship from the moment he degenerated into a beast, but unfortunately, humans were creatures that learned with their bodies, not their heads.

Crack-!

“…Wow, this guy is getting even stronger after going crazy!”

Lee Han said so as Iliad’s sword pierced his side.

Whoosh-!

The sword cut through the air naturally, as if Illiad’s instinct and body remembered.

It might be strange to say this, but the sword that Illiad swung without reason was more beautiful than ever.

It was just that,

“Perfect…”

Felicia muttered that without realizing it.

Although her son was turning more and more into something inhuman, the swordsmanship he used was truly amazing.

Even after losing his reason and even forgetting his swordsmanship and just swinging his sword based on instinct, he became a more perfect swordsman.

Yes, that was it.

What Illiad showed right now was the same swordsmanship he used to carved a bronze statue in the past.

As if her son had received a revelation from heaven, he suddenly carved a bronze statue with just an ordinary sword without even using Sword Resonance or Sword Energy. However, before Illiad complete that swordsmanship, he was forced to retire.

It was truly ironic that It took 15 years for her to see the swordsmanship again.

A completed version of a swordsmanship that Felicia could never reach with her talent.

Watching her son’s swordsmanship become more and more complete, she…

I’m such a bad mother.

Found herself admiring her son who was moving towards completing the swordsmanship rather than worrying about him.

Just how selfish was she?

I-I’m really disqualified as a mother and as a human…

Felicia couldn’t hide her despair.

[Kaaaaaakk!]

Then, she saw her son swinging the sword like an animal.

Crunch-!

“…Tch!”

In the next moment, he saw the brave child whose skin was cut and bleeding profusely avoiding the swing in hairbreadth.

“H-he broke past Master’s Vajra Body so easily…”

“How could he do it to our Instructor who is harder than iron?”

“Should we hand him a shield?”

Felicia felt sorry. After all, because of one disqualified person, her son ended up like that, a child who had no relation to their family was bleeding, and his grandchild as well as that child’s disciples were anxious.

It all felt like her fault.

So,

“Stop… Iliad, please stop…”

[!!]

“You mother is sorry. I’ll apologize, so please stop…”

She impulsively spoke to Iliad, and he, who must have lost his senses, responded.

Boom!

Not by words, of course. His new form suddenly blitzed towards Felicia.

[Kahaaaaaak!]

Iliad rushed at her with even more intense anger than when he had rushed at Lee Han. Felicia watched the whole process unfold in an instant, but she didn’t take any action. It was as if she was ready to accept her son’s anger.

I’ll atone for my sin–

Boom-!

“-Didn’t I tell you to not interfere?”

“!!?”

“It looks like it’ll be done soon, so don’t get in the way.”

“…”

She was truly surprised.

Because he suddenly shields them from his son?

Because Iliad bounced away after getting hit by a fist?

No, not because of those.

What surprised her was,

That kid… Don’t tell me…

Felicia looked into his eyes and instantly realized.

The child’s eyes right now were not the eyes of someone who was backed into a wall, he didn’t even show any intention of protecting himself.

In this urgent situation where his life was in danger…

H-he’s training?

She realized that he was using Iliad for his own ‘development’.

“You crazy bastard!”

A kettle calling a pot black…

Even though Lee Han heard her cussing at him, he didn’t turn his gaze away from the monster he still had to deal with.

However,

“You guys…”

“Instructor?”

“Are you worried about me right now?”

“…”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for showing you such a pitiful appearance.”

Lee Han apologized for what he had to apologize for. As an instructor who was supposed to be their teacher, he was showing such a pitiful appearance.

“You might question my skills since I can’t subdue a retired weakling.”

“B-but he used to be called the Sword Saint, though? It’s impossible for anyone but an Aura user to handle him…”

“Even so, he’s someone who’s been retired for over ten years.”

“…”

“So I’ll show you something that will make you call me your teacher proudly.”

“Instructor… You’ve gone crazy…”

Lee Han didn’t care what they said, and just smiled brightly, unable to hold back his laughter.

Ah, this is fun…

Was today his lucky day?

I finally have the chance to face that.

He remembered the ‘Bronze Statue’ he saw the day he first visited his disciple’s family to meet Felicia. That statue was a fantastic piece of work made solely with pure swordsmanship.

Ever since then, he looked forward to fighting against the swordsmanship of a swordsman who could carved through bronze. Unfortunately, the swordsman who made the bronze statue was already retired and not in a state to fight anyone, so Lee Han’s anticipation disappeared quickly.

To think it appeared right in front of me like this.

Lee Han was delighted by this unexpected good fortune.

It was not just a sword with Sword Energy or Sword Force but a sword that had reached the level of Sword Intent through enlightenment.

A sword that could pierce through his Vajra Body as if it was made of tofu.

And now…

Just how many times have I been stabbed till now?

Lee Han, who was repeatedly attacked by Illiad was bleeding and felt lightheaded. However, his mind was clearer than ever.

Haaaaa…!

His senses were so sensitive that he could hear the hurried run of the wild animals around as well as the sound of the birds’ wings.

His entire body was so sensitive that he found everything so stimulating, because of that, Lee han felt like he could ‘complete’ it now.

“…Attack.”

[Kaaaaaaak!]

Iliad, who was already angry because his attack on Felicia was interrupted, put more power to his sword that was stabbing at Lee Han.

Whoosh-!

The most perfect and powerful swordsmanship today, or in the entire Illiad’s life, unfolded at this moment, and it rushed straight toward Lee Han’s heart.

It was something which was impossible to avoid.

Even the strongest shield in the world would be pierced by that.

“…”

However, on the contrary to how fast it unfolded, Lee han saw all of those moments in slow motion.

A kaleidoscope.

In that momentary phenomenon where everything he had done in his life seemed to be played like a video, Lee Han was in a state of triumph instead of looking back on his past,

Willpower is all about tenacity and trust.

He was focused on permeating his willpower into each and every cell of his body.

Squelch-!

“…?”

“…Huh.”

Thud…!

A strange sight unfolded at that moment.

The assaulter who was stabbing towards his opponent’s heart with a sword was taken aback. Meanwhile, the victim, who had no defensive equipment, was laughing.

“…Indestructible.”

Crack-!

Lee Han declared as he crushed the sword aiming at his hear with his bare hands.

It was the realm that Buddhists aspired to reach. The dream of those who practice Energy Manipulation. A state where even after entering nirvana, the body would not decay like a diamond and cannot be destroyed.

Because of that, people called this state:

“Indestructible Vajra Body.”

Then, the one-handed strike of the man, who had achieved the state of Indestructible Vajra Body, struck the swordsman’s heart.