Chapter 343: Second Coming. (3)

Hwarureureuk-!

The internal energy surging in my upper dantian continuously erupts, using my body as an outlet.

As the internal energy leaves my body, it transforms into heat.

Flames ignited.

I felt my hair color turning red.

Hwarureuk-!

A ring (輪) made of flames spins wildly around my body.

Beneath one ring.

A second ring was formed.

Because the internal energy was creating a storm within my body.

Pressure built up in my body.

It was a dangerous situation where even a slight release could cause a backlash within my body, potentially making me vomit blood. But there was no problem.

Upon reaching the Martial Grandmaster realm (Hwa-gyeong), my power to grasp and control internal energy grew stronger. And because my body had become stronger to withstand it, I could endure it indefinitely.

I was ready.

Realizing that, I immediately recited the words.

“Crimson Sky (赤天).”

Kwaaaah-!

The rings that had been spinning rapidly around my body. And the heat that had been radiating outwards. Instantly soared into the sky.

As if following the form of the storm felt within my body. Flames and heat mingled, creating a vortex.

Soaring straight up.

Kwadeudeudeuk-!

It pierced the black sky.

‘Hmm.’

I watched the process unfold with my own eyes. Like cracks forming in a frozen river. It was slowly shattering as it was pierced by flames.

‘Is its durability on the weaker side?’

It seemed like a type of formation, but something felt off. It didn’t seem like it should break so easily. Is it because I broke through the wall? No, that’s not it. There were already gaps to begin with. Breaking it from the inside wasn’t particularly difficult.

‘What’s going on?’

How much time has passed since I returned from the Demonic Realm (Ma-gyeong)? I expected it to be a few days. I didn’t count the days there, but I thought that much time had passed. So, what could have happened in just a few days? I couldn’t know yet.

It’s been years since I last set foot in the Central Plains (Jungwon), but fortunately, I don’t feel any strangeness. Is it the World Tree’s arrangement? Considering how intensely I felt alienated in my previous life and struggled with it for a long time afterward, I could call it fortunate. If not, perhaps it’s thanks to the holy mark (Seongheun) he bestowed?

As I thought of it, I suddenly closed my eyes.

‘Fold it.’

I put away my thoughts. Constantly pursuing questions… Is something to be done after the fight is over. It was a realization I barely managed to grasp after diligently cultivating my mind’s eye for a long time. I knew it in the first place, but it was something that hadn’t easily taken root in my being. I vaguely grasped it and draped it over myself.

The internal energy swirling in my dantian… And the heat radiating from my body were hot, but my head remained cool.

Tududuk.

Fragments of energy rained down from the sky. Unfortunately, it couldn’t destroy everything. It seems I don’t have that much power yet. Just enough to break the sky above the Dragon Pavilion (Sinryonggwan). Through the resulting gap, the red-dyed sky came into view.

It was a secret technique of the Gu family. A power I could barely use only after reaching the Martial Grandmaster realm. It was the effect of Crimson Sky (赤天). The sky was dyed red, as if during sunset. It was different from the blood-red sky I saw in the Demonic Realm. The faint pinkish hue mixed in the gap was likely due to the demonic energy (Doki) mixed within my body. Seeing that, I nodded slightly.

‘I’ve reached it.’

I felt it once again – reaching the Martial Grandmaster realm. After piercing through the Zenith (Jeoljeong), known as the graveyard of martial artists… I had finally reached the Martial Grandmaster realm after doing all sorts of things. My five senses felt different. Compared to when I was at the Zenith, the feeling was deeper. My perception of energy (Gi-gam) had expanded, and become clearer. That’s why I could tell just how dense and widespread the malevolent energy (Sagi) spreading around was.

‘An attack?’

What lunatic attacked the Dragon Pavilion? Then again, most of the unorthodox sects (Sapa) are lunatics to begin with. It wouldn’t be strange. And the person in front of me now is probably one of them. His build is roughly similar to Elder Iljang. A level beyond human. Literally like a bear. Is his main weapon a greatsword? It reminded me of the martial artist from the Black Night Palace (Heukyagung) I killed at Mount Hua.

‘Must be Muk-cheol.’

Seeing the black blade, it’s quite a fine greatsword. The martial artist’s level is… Martial Grandmaster. Judging by the fact that I can’t grasp it precisely… He must be at a considerable level. Moreover, seeing Cheonghae Ilgeom lying collapsed and bleeding behind him… It seems that old man is the one who incapacitated him.

‘Who could it be?’

If it’s someone from the unorthodox sects who reached the Martial Grandmaster realm… They are mostly known monsters. Could he be one of the Five Demonic Emperors (Sama-oje)? Was there anyone among them who used a greatsword?

“The red sky….”

As I was thinking about the old man, he murmured quietly. “I wondered where I’d felt that energy before. You… are you of the Gu bloodline?”

“Do you know me?”

“Only that place allows one to ignite flames and dye the sky red, so of course, I would know.” Hearing he recognized me by my characteristics made me shrug slightly. What’s a bit puzzling is… ‘Has he seen Crimson Sky before?’ Meaning, has he ever seen the martial art I’m currently using? Could it be Father? It’s possible. If not, then… ‘Grandfather?’ That was also possible. It doesn’t matter which it is. Even if he saw this somewhere before. ‘When it reaches this level, it’s quite noticeable.’ Beyond merely igniting and burning with flames… It even changes the color of the sky. It’s only natural that it would stand out.

The heat that dyed the sky red… Slowly descended, pressing down heavily on the surroundings. The influence of Crimson Sky was gradually spreading. Each secret technique of the Gu family carries a specific meaning. And among them, Crimson Sky… Felt like a kind of arrogance to me. Crimson Sky… Creates a domain using the energy filling the upper dantian and the flames burning from it. The symbol of that domain is the red-dyed sky. And within the domain filled with heat beneath the changed sky… The Gu family’s flames never extinguish. They burn even hotter. Until no enemies faced are left. Until they all burn to death. In a way, this could be seen as one of the martial arts representing each major family. A similar martial art was the Emperor Sword Form (Jejwang Geomhyeong) of the Namgung family. It maximizes absolute presence, slowing down the opponent’s movements. That too was an expression of a domain. The Gu family takes the absurd form of dyeing the sky red with this… And the difference, perhaps, is its ridiculous difficulty, requiring one to reach the Martial Grandmaster realm and break through the upper dantian to use it.

‘How far have I come?’

I clenched my fist and checked. Roughly. The strength I’ve gained since my regression until now… Is half of my previous life. Or perhaps even a little less. Is it fast? Or is it slow? I don’t know. Because there’s still a long way to go.

“You…”

The old man said, looking at me. “Are you, Hu-hyeop?”

Huh?

At the sudden mention of Father’s nickname… I had to wear a momentarily bewildered expression. “Hu-hyeop shouldn’t easily leave the areas outside Shanxi, should he?”

“Do I look that old?” Father is getting on in years, but as a martial artist, he hasn’t aged much. Still, I don’t think I look that old.

“If not Hu-hyeop… could it be that you are Jin-ryong?”

Finally reaching the answer, the old man’s eyes widened. Seeing that, I nodded.

“That can’t be…”

The old man reacted as if he couldn’t believe it. “I heard you haven’t even passed your twenties yet.”

“But.”

“How… how did you break through the wall?”

Ah, so that’s why. Reaching the Martial Grandmaster realm before turning twenty… Perhaps even if you searched all the records currently written in the Central Plains… It would be something you wouldn’t find. So it wasn’t strange for that old geezer to react like that. Though I myself wasn’t particularly moved.

‘What meaning is there in what I gained through regression?’ Will others see me as an unbelievable genius? Even though it was a situation I desperately wished for in my previous life… It’s funny that I’m not that moved by it now.

Nodding my head. I said to the old man in a somewhat brusque voice. “You shouldn’t be worrying about things like that.”

I made the heat I was constantly circulating within my body move even faster. I felt my body gradually heating up, and battle intent (Tugi) began to creep up, mixing with it.

‘Ha.’

Fighting right after returning to the mortal world (Hyeogye). Why is my life never peaceful? Did he sense that battle intent? The old man’s eyebrows twitched.

“What a rough child you are. Aren’t you even going to ask who I am?”

“What’s the point of asking?” As I said before… “I don’t usually associate with those unorthodox sect bastards.” Why bother mixing with such riff-raff? If there’s a need for conversation… It’s after breaking their limbs. I just need to get what I want. Meaning, there’s no need to converse politely.

“The important thing is. That you are my enemy.”

“Why do you think that? You might not be my enemy.” At the old man’s words, I let out a snicker. It was an obvious mockery. If you’re going to say something like that… “First, wipe the killing intent glaring from your eyes.”

At my words… The old man’s expression turned ice-cold. That was enough. As for the exchange of words…

---

What Black Dragon Sword (Heukryong Geom) had heard about Jin-ryong… Was more than expected. Starting with him being the child of ‘that’ Hu-hyeop. The brat who caused the death of Gu Chang-jun, which I had conveniently arranged. Thanks to that, my relationship with the Palace Lord became somewhat complicated, but Black Dragon Sword didn’t pay it much mind. Was he called the youngest Zenith martial artist? He had talent worthy of being recorded in history, but he was still a late-stage disciple. I judged that he was still far from blocking my path. Moreover, to announce that Black Dragon Sword was alive. Even when heading towards the Dragon Pavilion… If Hu-hyeop’s brat happened to be there… I even entertained the thought of disposing of him together. No matter how talented he is, he’d still be a tiger cub.

Hwarureureuk-! Kwoong!

“Hoo…!”

The fist that slammed into the greatsword… Released a violent sonic boom. The internal energy contained within was unusual. Black Dragon Sword’s heavy body floated slightly. His body floating from that small fist? Black Dragon Sword hid his surprise and drew in his energy. It was heavier than expected, but it shouldn’t be enough to pierce through my Qi barrier. If I counterattack now…

Hooook-!

“…!”

At the immense energy felt momentarily… Black Dragon Sword’s gaze wavered. The moment his body floated… An unbelievable amount of energy began to gather in Jin-ryong’s palm.

“Flame Orb (炎玉).”

He gathered the heat to its fullest, forming it into the shape of an orb… Then, cupping it in his hand, he thrust it towards Black Dragon Sword’s greatsword. It was the spot he had struck with his fist earlier. As soon as the orb touched it…

Kugugeugeuk-!

An unknown sound was heard, and then…

Kwaaaah-!

An immense explosion occurred in an instant. It was an unbelievable heat composed entirely of internal energy. The plains, which had only a few sword marks and were spread out flat… Became a mess in that short interval. Through the smoke that filled the surroundings as the flames erupted… Black Dragon Sword pulled himself out.

“Keeu…!”

Hooook-!

A wind made of internal energy swept past Black Dragon Sword’s body, but the flames clinging to his body wouldn’t extinguish. It seemed something was contained within the flames.

‘This is unbelievable.’

I surveyed the area where the clash just occurred with my eyes. It was a mess. Traces of flames brushing past were everywhere, and the ground was cracked, starting from craters as if a meteor had fallen. At the center of it all… Something clad in flames was visible. He was staring intently at Black Dragon Sword with red eyes the same color as his hair.

“This guy…”

Black Dragon Sword frowned. He could no longer be called a late-stage disciple. How could this be? Putting the question aside, I gripped my greatsword. This is unexpected. I need to kill him quickly. Even if he’s a martial artist of the same Martial Grandmaster realm… He’s just a rookie who recently broke through. No matter how talented he is, he can’t compare to me. Therefore, I must kill him now.

Just then.

“You seem to be thinking a lot.”

Jin-ryong’s voice was heard from behind Black Dragon Sword. Black Dragon Sword flinched and moved. His gaze was still fixed on the gap in the flames, but the person who was there had long since disappeared. I twisted my body. As I did, energy seeped into my greatsword. It was a chilling black energy just to look at. It was the power of Black Dragon Sword’s martial art, Black Iron Ghostly Script Technique (黑鐵鬼文功). The profound sword energy contained within the heavy greatsword. It was a heavy blow that even the most skilled martial artist couldn’t easily block, but…

Ppaak-!

“Kuhuk!”

It’s meaningless if it doesn’t connect. The greatsword’s blade didn’t reach Jin-ryong. Before the heavy sword energy could slice through Jin-ryong’s body… His touch reached Black Dragon Sword first. Jin-ryong’s flying fist struck Black Dragon Sword’s face. Blood flowed. The energy contained in his hand had pierced through Black Dragon Sword’s protective Qi barrier and struck. The moment Black Dragon Sword’s head snapped back…

Kkwak-!

Jin-ryong’s hand grabbed Black Dragon Sword by the hair, fixing him in mid-air. Just like that.

Ppaaak-!

The flame-wrapped fist struck Black Dragon Sword’s face once more. It was a much louder sound than before.

Ppahk-!

One more time.

Ppaak-!

And another time.

“Kuhuk…!”

Black Dragon Sword groaned. The pain felt like his head was about to explode. His brain rattled. The impact of being hit in the face was one thing, but the flames wrapped around the fist were the problem. I kept drawing and layering my protective Qi barrier, but it was unusual. If I weren’t holding onto it with my energy, I would have lost consciousness from the pain long ago.

Kkeudeuk.

I grit my teeth. I, Black Dragon Sword, am being insulted by such a brat…! The Sword Master I so desperately wanted to kill. Or perhaps one of the other Three Masters comparable to him. Not even the martial artists called the Ten Great Experts or Hundred Great Experts of the Central Plains… But by a brat who hasn’t even passed his twenties. Anger surged. I cannot allow myself to be treated like this.

Kwoooo.

I drew the energy spread throughout my body to one point. I needed to escape the situation first, so I planned to unleash my energy and push Jin-ryong far away. Even if I suffered minor internal injuries from the backlash, escaping now was the priority.

Black Iron Sound Wave Technique (黑鐵音功波). It’s a martial art that spreads dark energy with bizarre sounds to inflict damage. I knew there would be a backlash on myself, but I couldn’t help it right now. Just as Black Dragon Sword was about to unleash his power… For some reason, Jin-ryong stopped moving. Is it because he noticed my intention and is trying to dodge? Black Dragon Sword thought that for a moment, but…

‘It’s already too late.’

The energy preparation is already complete. If I detonate it this close, I’ll take considerable damage. I immediately activate the martial art.

‘Black Iron Sound…?’

Just as I was rapidly moving the energy to expel it from my body… Feeling a strange sensation in my body, Black Dragon Sword wore a subtle expression. The internal energy… The energy… It wasn’t moving properly.

“…What?”

Only then did Black Dragon Sword recall the subtle strangeness. Himself being so helplessly dominated by a martial artist who just reached the Martial Grandmaster realm… And losing his energy perception (Gi-gam) and being grabbed from behind. Something was strange.

Just then.

“Why.”

Jin-ryong, who had stopped his barrage and was watching calmly beside Black Dragon Sword, spoke. “It seems your body isn’t moving properly?”

Only then… Black Dragon Sword looked up at Jin-ryong. Blood was flowing from his nose. Blood flowed from various parts of his face, making it difficult to even open his eyes. But… His eyes were clearly visible. They blazed as if they could burn just by looking. How could red pupils suit him so well? Blood dripped from the hand he was holding. It was Black Dragon Sword’s blood.

“…You…”

“Not bad.”

“No way…!”

Only then did Black Dragon Sword realize the source of this strangeness… Was because Jin-ryong had done something. Poison? Did he use poison? That’s impossible. If poison had entered my body… I wouldn’t have failed to notice, let alone… It wouldn’t have seeped in so naturally.

“What did you do to me…!”

Kwahng!

“Keok…!”

Along with a great impact felt in my chest… Black Dragon Sword flew far into the air and rolled on the ground. Even as I flew, I could feel… That the surroundings were still filled with heat. Barely managing to get up… I panted heavily and checked my physical condition. As expected. I felt my movements had become slightly sluggish. My energy was the same. It wasn’t completely immobile, but… It felt like something foreign was thoroughly mixed in.

“…What did you do to me.”

Did you really use poison? How, in such a short time? Black Dragon Sword stared at Jin-ryong with somewhat astonished eyes… And glanced around. Cheonghae Ilgeom, who had been fighting Black Dragon Sword… Lay bleeding profusely on the ground. The distance wasn’t that far, and furthermore, it was close enough to have been caught in the technique Jin-ryong unleashed just before, potentially risking death.

‘…That guy.’

Black Dragon Sword continued to feel the difference. Cheonghae Ilgeom, who seemed to be a Martial Grandmaster… And someone I judged couldn’t easily predict the outcome of a match against me… The reason he was so helplessly cornered, losing an arm and facing death… Was because he had much to protect. The foolish notion of seeking justice while protecting martial integrity and chivalry. An incompetent ideology that leads even to losing one’s life. It was the peculiar sense of honor typical of those righteous sect guys (Jeongpa) that Black Dragon Sword found disgusting, but…

‘I don’t see any of that in Jin-ryong.’

I didn’t see such traits in him now. Beneath his expressionless face… Only a fierce killing intent, focused on killing me. And a battle intent that wouldn’t yield even when compared to mine. Actions that moved as if he didn’t care what happened around him. That guy… Is he truly from a righteous sect? Honestly, he wouldn’t feel out of place even among the unorthodox sects like myself. Is that guy truly Hu-hyeop’s son?

“You bastard…!”

“Why do you keep yelling? You’re hurting my ears.”

“What exactly is your identity!”

At Black Dragon Sword’s voice, strained as if in agony… Jin-ryong wore a peculiar expression. He opened his palm. Just then.

Hwaaaaah-!

“…!”

An immense energy, incomparable to before, was felt. Brushing past Black Dragon Sword’s cheek… I felt the wind pressure being drawn into that palm. The heat filling the surroundings… Began to gather above the small palm.

Hwarureureuk-!

The flames surrounding Jin-ryong’s body, and… The flames burning everywhere also converged.

It’s a sphere (球). Energy began to gather on his palm, forming a round shape. It had the same shape as the small orb that had devastated the surroundings just before, but the size was different, and the amount of energy contained within was different.

Black Dragon Sword’s jaw dropped.

‘What is that…?’

It was impossibly large to be held in a hand. Yes. It’s the sun. Jin-ryong was clearly holding the sun. As Black Dragon Sword was shocked by that unbelievable power…

“Now the size is somewhat to my liking. It was annoying being mouse-sized.”

Jin-ryong whispered quietly to himself. “Did you ask what my identity was?”

At the heavy voice, Black Dragon Sword’s shoulders trembled. The presence felt was quite different. It wasn’t the presence one would feel from a mere late-stage disciple.

“I don’t really know either.”

Black Dragon Sword urgently gripped his greatsword and drew up a dull energy. Because he had already realized it wasn’t something that could be blocked. I had to dodge first. As Black Dragon Sword took a step… Jin-ryong’s fingertips moved as well.

“So, I’m going to find out starting now.”

The moment his hand moved… The small sun fell to the ground.