Chapter 741: From the Beginning.

KWAAAHH–!!

The ink covering the floor writhes violently.

It looks like it’s swirling.

While a rough and intense form is maintained.

WHOOOSH–!!

Flames burst forth above the ink’s path.

CHIIIIK–!! The flames are so hot that the sound of water evaporating is heard in their wake.

Flames that are that hot and radiant.

The flames, possessing an immense heat, seemed to take the form of a dragon, engulfing everything.

It’s an overwhelming shape, both in size and the energy it maintains.

An old man watched such a sight silently upon the ink.

After a while.

KYAAAAAHHH–!!!

The flames rush towards the old man as if wailing.

Three massive streams of flame converged into one point and began pouring down.

Heat that felt like it would scorch you just by being near.

If that were to fall, ordinary people wouldn’t even have bones left to find.

Srrrng.

A small sound was heard.

PAAAAHH–!!

CHWARRRRL–!

In an instant, the flames split into dozens of paths and began to dissipate.

‘Damn it.’

Watching from afar, I let out a hollow laugh.

What was that?

‘I didn’t even see the cut.’

Only the sound was heard for a moment. I couldn’t grasp how he moved.

To the eye, it was just a single slash.

But the result was dozens of cuts.

How fast must he have swung to create such an effect?

Watching the disappearing flames, my brow furrowed involuntarily.

At the same time.

[Seven.]

The old man’s voice was heard.

[Only three more remain.]

“Yes, yes. I know.”

Replying, I gathered my energy into my hand.

Tsk.

Just as the old man said, I’d already attacked seven times, yet couldn’t land a single hit.

‘Seriously, what the f*.’

All this time, the old man had done nothing but swing his sword to block or dodge.

He’s blocking my offense with simple methods, yet I haven’t succeeded even once.

It was absurd, and various thoughts crossed my mind.

The first thought was:

‘Is it a problem with the space?’

Perhaps it’s an issue with this place, not reality.

I wondered if that old geezer did something to make my attacks ineffective, but…

‘I don’t think so.’

The feeling of using my energy and the clarity of his movements are extraordinary.

It felt strangely real to be just a mental space. The old man’s presence felt that way too.

That means…

‘Is that old geezer just ridiculously strong?’

A ridiculously simple conclusion.

Even if it’s a state of the soul, maybe this is the power the old man possessed, but…

‘That’s a bit much.’

I didn’t want to believe it.

No matter what.

‘If he’s that strong, how could he not have caught the Blood Demon? Does that even make sense?’

If that were truly the case, it would mean the path I have to tread is damnably long.

I really couldn’t accept that.

WHOOSH.

Wrapping flames around my hand, I put strength into my heart.

Thump–! It pulsed greatly, energy flowing through my blood path and soaring skyward through my shoulder.

HWAAAAAH–!!!

A blue light permeates the dark space.

Red Sky (Jeokcheon).

No, should I call it Blue Sky (Cheongcheon) now? Whatever.

As I cast my domain, power flowed through my body. My toes felt light.

[Hmm.]

The old man watched the changed situation with interest.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of tension.

Damn it, he looks so smug, it makes me even more annoyed.

Because of that, I ended up using more energy than necessary.

GGUUUK.

A Flame Orb twice the size of the one I used on Yeongpung formed in my hand.

In terms of the amount used, it was much larger than what goes into the Sacred Lance.

I threw it straight.

WOOOOONG–!!

The massive sphere flew towards the old man.

This time too, the old man tried to slash it with his sword, but…

Before he could move.

Ttak–!

I snapped my fingers to send the signal.

KWAAAAAHHHH–!!!

The Flame Orb exploded immediately, engulfing the surroundings in flames.

Perhaps because of the large amount contained, the size of the flames was quite considerable.

Which meant…

It was enough to obscure vision.

As soon as I detonated the flames, I created distance and clenched my fist.

‘Getting close won’t work.’

So, what about attacking from a distance?

‘I used the Sacred Lance, so he must have felt the energy. Most of the Nine Flame Wheel Technique too.’

The seven times before.

Those weren’t just times used thoughtlessly.

‘The more you’re hit by energy, the more accustomed you become to it. The same goes for the opponent’s aura.’

It was a calculated move to make the old man accustomed to my flames.

By now, the old man’s body and eyes should be used to it.

So, this was the moment.

An anomaly is best delivered when the opponent has grown accustomed.

Fierce Fang Heaven-Shattering Art (Tua Pwacheonmu).

If he’s accustomed to the flames, now is the time to use a completely different energy.

‘The Third Form (Samsik).’

The energy of Tua gathered at my fist’s tip.

I tamed it to be sharper and more violent.

If the first and second forms were both for close combat, the third form is power meant to target someone at a distance.

‘Fierce Fang Piercing Strike (Tua Gyeokseom).’

Concealing my presence, I sense the aura wrapped in the flames.

Aiming at the opponent, I struck forward with my fist, short and fast.

Then.

TUNG-!

A wave sound echoed in the air.

KWAAAK–!!

A circular hole appeared in the enveloping flames.

The Fierce Fang Piercing Strike has no form, no trajectory.

It’s an attack made purely of fighting spirit, and the one hit wouldn’t have had time to feel it.

The immediate assault should have struck the old man.

No, it definitely should have.

It should have.

[Eight.]

I bit my lip hard at the voice heard beside me.

[The attempt was good. Its application is decent, too. Moreover, the completion isn’t lacking. It’s truly fascinating who taught you.]

As if genuinely curious, the old man looked at me and recited his explanation.

“…You’re a bit fast?”

He’s too fast, impossibly fast.

He was so fast, I hadn’t even noticed him until I spoke.

[Well, there weren’t many faster than me in my life. Maybe two, if I had to pick?]

Tsk tsk, the old man chuckled and said.

[That rascal Myung-i and Tang Jemun. Excluding those two, there was no one faster than me in the Central Plains.]

Heavenly Thunder Sword and the Lone Blade Heaven?

Well, he was probably the best in the Central Plains when it came to thunder energy, so his speed would match. As for Senior Tang Jemun, he was a shadow guest, so he must have been fast.

If there’s one thing I’m curious about.

“Then, what about Yeon Ilcheon?”

Seeing as Yeon Ilcheon, the number one person under heaven at the time, wasn’t mentioned.

Does this mean the old man was faster?

I asked with that meaning in mind.

[That guy was strong, not fast. It’s just that his power…]

The old man stopped talking and moved.

It was because I swung my fist before he could even answer.

Fierce Fang Heaven-Shattering Art, Second Form.

Fierce Will Heaven-Gathering Fist (Tubi Ui Cheongwon).

A vortex of fighting spirit assaults the old man.

An explosion centered on me erupts in all directions, but…

[My goodness. How can a young brat be so cowardly.]

This time too, the old man caught all the energy, as if showing off.

Caught it.

How could that possibly make sense?

The Fierce Fang Heaven-Shattering Art is a type of explosion.

It’s energy so intense that circulating it causes pain.

As it’s a technique that unleashes that through the body, the ferocity contained within the energy is in a different league.

Therefore, when it explodes, it leaves traces everywhere.

The old man wasn’t harmed, even at close range.

The reason is obvious.

‘He blocked it all.’

‘The Ghost Jade sword’.

He swung the Ghost Jade sword, catching and nullifying all the energy coming before him.

“He’s a real monster.”

[Calling an elder like me a monster? Your way of speaking is truly shit.]

The word ‘monster’ was what people who saw me said every day.

I wanted to show those who said that.

What a ‘real’ monster looks like.

[Now, only one more attempt remains.]

The way he casually moved his sword infuriated me.

I really wanted to land just one hit.

‘One more time.’

The last chance I was given.

I stepped back and crouched.

WHOOSH. The aura began to expand.

How much energy do I have left?

‘I don’t know.’

Maybe a little more than half is left?

The fortunate thing is, perhaps because this isn’t reality, there are no after-effects from external or internal injuries.

‘…But what good is that?’

Whether I have internal injuries or not. Whether my energy is abundant or not.

It doesn’t really mean anything.

After all.

‘It won’t work on that old geezer anyway.’

Against the self-proclaimed Hwasan Immortal Sword, anything I do is the same.

This was a fact I’d known for a long time.

Ah, of course, my thoughts changed slightly upon facing him.

‘It’s worse than that.’

It went from ‘He’s probably strong’ to ‘Is this guy even human?’

What a crazy human.

‘Is this what it feels like fighting the Three Sovereigns?’

Even now, facing him, death feels imminent.

One step.

With each step I take, my neck is severed, my heart pierced.

Such delusions crossed my mind.

I know.

That the old man could do so, yet chooses not to.

Furthermore, he’s letting me know that he could do so.

I recall my past life.

‘Cheonjun wasn’t on this level.’

The de facto head of the Namgung family.

I often encountered the Cheonjun of the Three Sovereigns. However, I never felt this much pressure.

I even thought, ‘Maybe I could handle this?’

Paejon…

‘He was terrifying.’

His fists causing natural disasters with just one or two blows was unbelievable, but even he wasn’t this much.

Geomjon… I don’t know. I never properly faced him and mostly avoided him.

The important thing is.

‘Cheonjun was afflicted by inner demons, and Paejon was undergoing rejuvenation.’

Considering that, they weren’t at their full strength.

The current Hwasan Immortal Sword is on par with the Three Sovereigns. Perhaps.

‘Even more.’

It wouldn’t be wrong to think so.

This means…

‘There’s no chance of winning.’

It meant no matter what I did, I couldn’t win.

I knew it all too well.

Knowing that perfectly well, I still moved my arm.

WHOOK-!

I poured power into the flames wrapped around my arm.

Flames blazed in my hand. I clapped my hands together forcefully.

JJAAK–!

The impact burst, scattering embers in all directions.

Embers that rose only to fade.

They