Chapter 416: That Bastard is Here (2)

The world was yellow. Whether it was the sky, grass, or the lake, the whole world around me was yellow.

At least that’s how my world has been for the past five days.

“Ptoo.”

When I spit on the ground, blood came out with it.

Crack!

My bones sounded as if they were screaming in pain when I stood up.

My whole body ached.

I was barely able to hold onto my consciousness, but there was a price I had to pay for that.

It felt as if the blood vessels inside my body became disordered.

I was currently in a mess of a state.

My Qi flowed uncontrollably without my will, and it was even hard to see what was in front of me because of my shaky sight.

The sensation felt as if I was experiencing Qi deviation, but I knew already.

Shortly after, I will get control of my body back.

As I expected,

Craaack-!!

“Ughh…”

I started to get control of my Qi flow not long after.

The Qi that went on a wild rampage just earlier, started to return back to my Dantian as if they were being pulled towards it.

My blood vessels that felt like they were being twisted before, now felt like they were stretching back to its normal position.

The pain I felt from the process was beyond imaginable.

All I was able to do was clench my teeth and hold back my screams.

Fu…ck…!

This process of moving Qi and blood vessels back into their normal positions was the power of Heaven Destruction Art that I learned from the Dishonored Venerable.

I understood why the Dishonored Venerable said I needed the Heaven Destruction Art to become one with my body in order to learn his techniques.

The foundation was needed if I wanted to stack basics on top of it.

The ability to rebirth artificially, and to forcefully fix one’s weakened body, that’s what the Heaven Destruction Art was capable of.

Though of course, such a thing wasn’t possible to do whenever I wanted.

“Huff… Huff…”
I was only able to lift my head up once my Qi and blood vessels calmed down along with the pain.

When I finally got my vision back, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laughter due to the absurdity of the sight in front of me.

…This power is insane.

A gigantic trace was left behind an area that should have been filled with trees and boulders.

If I had to compare, the size of the trace was similar to the one I made when I fought against the Black Dragon and used a huge Flaming Sphere.

However, I was able to make such a trace in just one strike.

One Fist.

The first technique of the Heaven Destruction Art was capable of making such a destructive sight.

I already knew that it was an unbelievable art, but using it for myself confirmed it for real.

This martial art was worthy enough to be called a Divine Art.

That old man… I should’ve known judging from his spicy fists.

When I fought against the Dishonored Venerable in my past life, it felt as if each of his strikes were ‘breaking’ me rather than punching me and I now knew why.

He said that this martial art was created solely for destruction and transcendence.

That perfectly fit the description.

However, there was one problem.

The destructive force was impressive and all, but my body felt immense pain from it after using the technique.

My blood vessels became all messed up because my Qi started to go on a rampage without me being able to control it.

Last midnight when the Dishonored Venerable himself used the technique to attack me, he said that I’ll learn faster if I got directly hit by it myself, and I was able to know why he said that after getting hit by his attack.

The Heaven Destruction Art inside me reacted on its own.

A martial art that one can learn naturally by experience.

It left me speechless.

Despite experiencing it for myself, I still couldn’t understand its process.

How was such a thing possible?

After I got hit by the Dishonored Venerable’s attack, he disappeared after leaving me a message as I was struggling in pain.

-Now try it on your own from now.

I couldn’t be more speechless after he said those words. He attacked me and then said to try it on my own. This old man really must’ve lost his mind.

Or at least that’s what I thought at the time.

So why is this actually working?

Just as the Dishonored Venerable intended, my Heaven Destruction Art was telling me how I needed to move.

The Qi moved before I could reach my fist out.

It was telling me to follow the Qi’s movement.

I was able to know instinctively.

The Qi was telling me how I needed to control my Qi, and where my feet and hips needed to be at.

If I failed to follow the Qi’s instruction, I had to pay the consequence with pain as if it was telling me that that was the wrong thing to do.

Because of that, it may seem impressive and all, but it wasn’t a hard technique to learn just like the Dishonored Venerable said.

It simply required me to make one striking gesture with my fist.

It’s just the fact that the process required me to have an unbelievable control and use of Qi.

Just condensing them is difficult alone, so why is it so hard to control it?

I had to condense Qi that went crazy wild and gather them into my fist.

The condensing process required me to use an immense amount of strength from my body which made it difficult, but I had to endure it and execute it.

The pain during the process was horrific as well.

I had to have precise control in order to make sure my Qi doesn’t flow anywhere else as my body became number so that I could do one striking gesture with my fist, making a straight line.

That’s what the One Fist technique was.

It was one simple movement, but I was able to realize the sheer amount of focus that went into this technique.

The problem was the aftermath that came after me using this technique.

It was so painful that it turned the world around me yellow.

Because it took a ton of Qi, it disordered my blood vessels and Qi flow inside my body.

The Heaven Destruction Art fixed my body for me every time, but the pain I felt from the process was so great that it made me afraid to use it more than a few times.

It’s not worth the price to use this technique.

I ended up like this just using it once. It might not have been worth it to use this technique if its destructive force was similar to the Flaming Sphere, but I was able to know.

It’s this destructive before I even mastered it.

I was able to see that much destruction despite me being far from mastering this technique.

Even if it meant that I had to deal with this pain and difficulty every time of me using this technique, a martial art with this much power was worthy enough to be called a Divine Art.

I shakingly stood up.

I was still having a hard time breathing, but I looked behind me pretending to be calm.

In that spot, the Dishonored Venerable was watching me with a smile and his arms crossed.

He looked rather satisfied.

“Not bad for your first time.”

“…Can’t you see that I’m dying over here.”

“Well, you didn’t.”

That damned old man…?

I had to frown because of how blunt he was.

“Well, do you think you can use this technique?”

“No, I don’t think I can do it more than once.”

“So it means you can at least do it once. I’m happy with that response.”

“…How can you be so unnecessarily positive all the time?”

Why is he acting so positive when a person is dying over here?

“Aren’t you looking too happy?”

“Of course I am. It’s much better than I expected.”

“It is?”

It indeed felt like I executed the technique properly judging by the aftermath I experienced, but I didn’t like how painful it was as it turned me into a mess.

But I apparently did a good job?

When I looked at the Dishonored Venerable with a confused expression, he responded with a smirk.

“You seem to be mistaken.”

“Huh?”

“You accomplished something I expected that would take two months in a week, so how could I be disappointed?”

Two months?

This technique was supposed to take me two months? It’s only a simple striking gesture though.

The Dishonored Venerable continued to speak as he walked over.

“It may look the easiest and it actually is the simplest, but it’s the technique that I’ve spent the most time on.”

Considering this was the basics of his martial art, I was able to somewhat understand what he meant by that.

“Anyway, since you succeeded, you should know yourself child, of how complicated this technique is.”

“Yes…”

I only called it simple regarding its gesture from the outside.

It only looked easy, but the process of it all was more complicated than anything.

The process of condensing, maintaining, control, and execution.

I had to have precise control if I didn’t want to fail in any of those four steps.

If I were to fail, Qi would uncontrollably explode inside my body.

Then, I would have to struggle with unbelievable pain, and that’s what I had to do countless times.

I struggled for a few days, and I was finally able to succeed for the first time today.

“Do you not know how impressive it is for you to succeed in just a week?”

“…”

I wasn’t really able to feel how impressive it was. It may have been a difficult technique, but it was possible as long as I was able to endure the pain.

The Dishonored Venerable spoke while looking at my expression.

“I’ve said this from time to time. I don’t know about anything else- “

He must’ve been rather satisfied with the outcome judging from his smile that still hasn’t gone away.

“There isn’t anyone who is more suited than you for my martial art.”

“…”

“Not bad. Good work.”

The Dishonored Venerable tapped my shoulder and walked past me.

I still couldn’t get used to this ticklish emotion being treated as a genius.

…A martial art suited for me huh.

However, I was able to feel it for myself.

The Heaven Destruction Art was indeed well suited for me.

More than anything, I liked the fact that I was able to learn this art as long as I was able to endure the pain.

Then, I shook my head and erased my thoughts.

I couldn’t afford to let a compliment make me that happy.

“Oh, right, child.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“I’m saying this just in case, but this technique too isn’t allowed for you to use in real battle without my permission.”

“…”

“You are also prohibited in using it outside of my sight. You already know the reason I presume?”

“…Yes.”

There was a reason for that.

It was an extreme technique that would greatly damage my body if I messed up the process, and it was only the Dishonored Venerable who knew how to deal with the consequences if I were to fail, which was why he was telling me not to use it out of his sight.

The Dishonored Venerable disappeared after being satisfied with my response and I collapsed to the ground when I was left alone.

“…Whew.”

It still felt like the world around me was spinning due to the aftermath.

I was able to let out a sigh of relief once the Dishonored Venerable left and I was left alone.

I succeeded.

I was worried about what would happen if I couldn’t succeed.

Thankfully, I managed to succeed in the end.

However, I felt a little annoyed.

I wouldn’t have worked this hard if I knew that he expected it would take me two months.

I felt that I shouldn’t take too long since the Dishonored Venerable said that this was an easy technique to learn, so I skipped sleeping in order to succeed as fast as I could… but he expected me to take two months.

“…Whatever, who cares if I succeeded.”

I felt rather frustrated, but what’s good is good. At least I tried to think that way.

As I continued to lie down on the ground mindlessly, I suddenly felt a presence approaching me from far away.

I slightly got up after feeling a presence.

Tap.

Someone flew towards me from a long distance, then landed in front of me.

It was the White Ripple Sword that appeared with light movements.

“What’s up?”

I greeted her with a nod when the White Ripple Sword greeted me with a bright tone.

“You came.”

“Huh, I came right on time, but why are you lying down?”

“…I feel a little lightheaded.”

I lifted my body up.

The White Ripple Sword tilted her head after hearing my response, but she didn’t ask any further.

“You told me not to come anywhere close to you during your training. Did something happen?”

“I happen to have finished my training… and I wanted to tell you something too.”

“Hmm? Me?”

“Yes.”

The White Ripple Sword’s eyes started to shine after hearing my words.

I didn’t know what she was expecting, but it wasn’t anything that exciting…

With that thought, I asked the White Ripple Sword a question.

“Are you free later this evening?”

The White Ripple Sword opened her eyes widely after hearing my question.

Then, she smiled with her eyes and spoke to me while waving her hand.

“Oh? Are you trying to flirt with sis right now? Oh dear, you have so many girls, yet you… “

“It’s nothing like that.”

I immediately denied her with a big frown after hearing her nonsense.

What is this woman talking about… why would I try to flirt with her.

“It’s not?”

“Not at all.”

“…Really?”

I put aside the White Ripple Sword who made a disappointed expression for some reason and went straight into the main topic.

“Do you remember… the deal we made last time?”

“I do.”

The White Ripple Sword begged me to work as my escort, and we made a few deals for it.

In one of those deals, I asked her if I could make one request from her, and she accepted.

She even let me put a Shackle on her.

“I’m thinking about using it tonight.”

The White Ripple Sword made an annoying smile after she heard my request.

“Night, you say… see, so you are trying to flirt- “

“I’m not…”

“…Why not?”

What the hell do you mean why not!?

Why is this woman keep interpreting the wrong way? It truly leaves me speechless, seriously.

The White Ripple Sword spoke with a frown as I continued to deny her.

“Then what is it?”

I only had one request to make from her.

The bastard has come.

In a distance not too far away from here, the ‘bastard’ has arrived.

It was around the right time period, and I was able to feel his approach anyway.

I did one ‘thing’ beforehand to the bastard preparing for this moment.

The request I planned to make for the White Ripple Sword was related with this.

Tonight, I planned to confront the Green King.

Despite his giant physique, he was pretty clever, so I didn’t think he would directly ambush the whole crew.

He wasn’t dumb enough to ambush when the Lords of Pe Clan and Tang Clan were present.

He would most likely wait until his awaited chance.

Because of that, I planned to visit him first.

It was good for me as well, since I didn’t want the Green King and the Poison King to run into each other.

It might’ve been dangerous for me to visit him directly, but it didn’t matter as I had a plan for this.

Right as I was about to slowly charge my Qi while thinking about my plan, the White Ripple Sword suddenly asked me a question.

“So you are sure you aren’t flirting with me?”

“…”

I had to brush my face before I could even make my request.

I already felt my energy being drained from her.