Chapter 1136: Scorched World.

Swoooosh—!!

Energy burst forth in all directions. Like relentless black waves crashing, it swept through the entire forest, brushing past Cheon-jon and Namgung Hyung.

Was it wind, or waves?

Its fluctuating appearance was exceptionally fluid. Tangled like flowing water, it could almost be likened to clumps of hair.

Whatever it was, it was undeniably a vile and unpleasant energy.

“Gross.”

That was the first word that came to Cheon-jon’s mind as he felt the sensation brush past.

What followed was sheer astonishment.

“…What is this?”

How did this happen?

“What the hell did you do!!”

A roar mixed with every emotion erupted through the air pressure. Normally, the forest should have shaken from the pressure, but perhaps due to that energy, it had stiffened, unable to receive any backlash.

KWAOOOOOOO—!!

It just poured down. Like an endless night descending upon the ground, showing its presence.

A silence devoid of stars spread across the ground.

RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE—!!

After the energy had poured out and spread endlessly.

CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE—!!

The energy spreading around began to gather back to its origin. A vortex formed, sucking it in instantaneously for a moment.

Swoosh—!!

Then, the energy vanished in a handful. And there stood.

“You bastard…”

“Hoo-“

Cheon-ma, wearing a cloak made of energy over his black martial uniform.

His hair seemed to have embers flickering like heat haze, and something constantly shimmered around him as if shrouded in black mist.

Furthermore.

“You bastard…! How can you wield No-a!”

It should have been just a hilt, without a blade.

But No-a, held in Cheon-ma’s hand, was clearly forming a blade.

The difference was, it wasn’t a sword made of lightning energy.

‘Black light?’

It was a sword flickering with black flames.

The difference was clear. Even if it was a different energy instead of lightning, that was clearly a form utilizing No-a. It was a state where, having become one with the spirit, No-a had permitted it to use its power.

And someone who wasn’t even a clansman of the Namgung family, a clueless guy, was using it. Cheon-jon ground his teeth at that fact.

“Youuuu!!!”

He tried to unleash his energy again, shouting.

“You’re noisy.”

Slick.

“…!”

Cheon-jon couldn’t gather his energy.

A sharp sensation grazed his neck.

Trickle.

No-a’s blade lightly touched Cheon-jon’s neck, leaving a wound. Blood trickled down from the wound.

“You talk too much. If you’re trying to express senility, it’s not bad… but in my opinion, it’s not very good.”

Thump.

Cheon-ma, having spoken, slowly increased the distance. The sword that had touched his neck moved away, and Cheon-jon finally relaxed his stiffened body.

Whizz.

He grabbed No-a and spun it once, then calmly lowered it.

“Hmm… I never quite get used to this every time I do it.”

He moved this way and that, as if uncomfortable with something. Cheon-jon still didn’t react.

‘I didn’t see it.’

He couldn’t perceive the speed. Not just anyone, but himself.

Could wielding No-a make him this different? Or what?

Just then.

“Tsk… Both this side and that side are noisy.”

Cheon-ma muttered something incomprehensible and took a stance. It looked like he was mimicking movements as if to perform swordsmanship…

‘Awkward.’

Even if Cheon-jon’s swordsmanship was considered somewhat lacking, he was one of the Three Venerables.

He too had reached the level of a supreme swordsman who had achieved Divine Sword Unity. That Cheon-ma’s movements were somehow lacking and weak was immediately apparent.

In other words.

“…Someone who isn’t even a swordsman. How dare you try to face me with a sword.”

Cheon-ma is not a swordsman.

He already knew that from their few exchanges. The guy is a martial artist. Moreover, he’s Pae-jon, one of the Three Venerables.

“You mean you’re trying to ignore me.”

Someone like that would dare to face him with a sword? This was no different from being completely ignored.

Grrr.

Cheon-jon ground his teeth. He didn’t know how he could use No-a.

No, perhaps it didn’t matter anymore.

‘If I don’t know, I’ll just have to capture him and interrogate him.’

Capture the guy and ask about the situation. That was the top priority right now.

RUMMMBLE-!!

He gathered his lightning energy again. He intended to eliminate the guy somehow. So Cheon-jon was about to charge right at him.

“Let me tell you beforehand, I can’t handle things as gently as that person.”

He was spouting incomprehensible words again, just like before. Who could ‘that person’ be? Just as Cheon-jon frowned, unable to comprehend.

WHOOOOOOSH—!!

“Wh-what…”

An immense amount of energy spread from No-a.

It was an unbelievable amount of energy. How could such a thing gather in such a small blade? The moment Cheon-jon unconsciously thought this question.

“I will cut.”

Along with Cheon-ma’s words.

VWOOM-…

No-a split the world horizontally.

A line was drawn, slicing Cheon-jon.

“Oof.”

A single groan escaped him. The energy then struck Cheon-jon’s body directly.

FWOOOOOOOOOSH—!!

KWA-GA-GA-GA-GA—!!

An enormous amount of energy engulfed the world.

KUGUGUNG-!!

The entire area resonated. The ground boiled, and the scenery collapsed. Just one slash.

It was truly devastating for such a short movement.

Pshshshsh–!!

The violently swirling energy soon subsided.

Thud.

Cheon-ma. No, Gu Yangcheon dropped the No-a he was holding. More accurately, he dropped it.

‘Damn, that hurt like hell.’

No-a’s backlash was too strong.

Inside his head, Noeon-il-geom was spewing every curse imaginable, giving him a headache.

‘Ah, crap.’

He remembered using No-a back in Sichuan. Back then too, he had used his fire energy to cast No-a.

Recalling how his physical strength had significantly increased then, he had tried the same thing.

‘Not bad.’

It was the same this time. His physical abilities had risen dramatically, enough to gain the upper hand against swordsmen even without using a sword himself.

And against Cheon-jon, one of the Three Venerables. It was a great ability to use for a short while, but…

‘Damn old man.’

No-a’s reaction and backlash were still a problem.

“How dare this guy…! How can you get your hands on No-a-!”

Noeon-il-geom really hated the current situation and was busy getting angry. Even when holding it for that brief moment, the backlash of internal energy was no joke either.

It kept trying to tangle my meridians, so I had to struggle to control it.

‘Still, whatever.’

Thanks to that, I resolved it with one strike.

Snap!

He snapped his fingers again. The barrier surrounding Namgung Hyung disappeared.

“Huh…”

Namgung Hyung was kneeling with a dumbfounded expression. He returned No-a to the guy. Since it was obvious he’d throw a fit if he tried to grab it, he used Void Grasp.

Thump, thump.

No-a dropped in front of him. Seeing it, Namgung Hyung looked at him with trembling eyes.

“Um…”

Namgung Hyung spoke to him.

“Perhaps, from the Namgung family-“

“I am not a clansman of the Namgung family.”

He cut him off immediately, fearing a misunderstanding.

“I merely wanted to see the level of that old geezer called the Three Venerables.”

Thump, thump. He walked towards Cheon-jon.

“Disappointing.”

While putting on an act, he examined Cheon-jon.

‘He’s fine.’

Such a massive amount of energy. Considering he took about seventy percent of the power I possessed, Cheon-jon’s body was unharmed.

How could this be?

‘I regulated it myself.’

Half of it was because I tried hard not to kill him. And.

‘Noeon-il-geom must have intervened.’

Even though it was furious, No-a, not wanting to harm Cheon-jon, its descendant, intervened for half the reason. Thanks to that, the energy only grazed him, causing him to lose consciousness from the shock, but Cheon-jon’s life was saved.

He would probably be unconscious for a short while. After confirming that, he looked back at Namgung Hyung.

“What are you doing?”

“…Yes?”

Namgung Hyung, who was just watching, was frustrating, so he snapped irritably.

“If you’ve seen all you needed to see, why aren’t you leaving? I asked what you were doing. Get lost. You must have had somewhere to go, right?”

“…!”

“If you won’t leave, then I’ll have to kill you.”

“I-I’ll leave…!”

Namgung Hyung jumped to his feet. Even then, he grabbed No-a.

“Why… How…”

“I didn’t help you. As I said earlier, I just wanted to see the level of the Three Venerables.”

“…”

Namgung Hyung looked unconvinced by his explanation, but he didn’t bother to argue. Instead.

“Perhaps… if it’s alright with you. Could I perhaps follow you, Great Hero?”

“…What?”

He spat out such a ridiculous request.

“What nonsense is this?”

Follow me? What kind of crazy talk is this? He stared, utterly dumbfounded.

“I… have nowhere to go. And I don’t want to return to the main family. I could at least be your attendant. Please, could you take me with you?”

Namgung Hyung said it as if he were serious.

Of course.

“Get lost.”

He had no intention of taking him, naturally.

“I-I’ll do anything you say.”

“I said I don’t need you. You seem to not realize that letting you live right now is also an act of generosity.”

RUMBLE.

As he unleashed his killing intent, Namgung Hyung flinched.

“Get the hell out.”

“…”

Even after this, he wouldn’t budge. It was baffling why he was acting like this all of a sudden. Suppressing a sigh, he spoke to the guy.

“If you have nowhere to go, go to Wudang.”

“…Yes?”

“That place seems like it would suit you, at least.”

“…You mean the Wudang Sect?”

“Yes.”

He mentioned the place Namgung Hyung originally belonged to. Or rather, where he should have belonged.

Namgung Hyung had to go there. Because then…

‘That damn guy will grow there too.’

That’s how he could meet that Woo-hyeok fellow.

“…”

Namgung Hyung, his eyes moving as if in thought, looked at him again and asked.

“If I go there… will I be able to see you again, Great Hero?”

“…”

Seriously, why is he like this? I don’t understand why he’s showing such attachment to me.

“Who knows.”

He said, turning his back.

“If you become decent enough. Then maybe.”

“…”

Hearing this, Namgung Hyung pondered repeatedly.

Dip.

“I’ll go then. Your kindness… I won’t forget it.”

He immediately bowed respectfully, then quickly ran off and disappeared.

‘…Kindness, my ass.’

He beat up his own grandfather like a dog, and the kid talks about kindness. Anyway, this family was quite the mess.

“Hoo.”

After sensing Namgung Hyung’s departure, he slowly walked towards Cheon-jon.

“…”

Cheon-jon, who had lost consciousness. He had to take care of Cheon-jon for now, but… More importantly.

“Why don’t you show yourself already.”

He still had business with Cheon-jon… Or rather, with the one inside him. He said this, recalling that.

“My, my. Khkhkh…”

Cheon-jon’s lips, which had been unconscious, moved. At the same time, his eyes snapped open.

“How did you know?”

Cheon-jon’s eyes, opened again like that, were not blue, but had a blood-like red color.

Disgustingly so.