Chapter v14c13

**The Second Clash**

The man, who had entered the valley like the eye of a storm, stopped abruptly. Had he sensed them? His gaze, sharp and piercing, locked onto Bi Ryu-yeon. They were ten zhang apart, but Bi Ryu-yeon could feel the intensity of his stare.

‘Oh, he noticed me, did he?’

Bi Ryu-yeon’s eyes gleamed with a fierce light. The man was clearly a formidable opponent, able to detect his gaze. And the thick killing intent that emanated from him the moment he sensed Bi Ryu-yeon’s presence…

‘He doesn’t want to be seen?’

This was no ordinary man. And judging by his icy killing intent, his heart was as cold as ice.

‘Well, good! This is more like it!’

He could sense the man’s oppressive aura, an arrogant aura, the aura of someone who was used to being in control. And judging by the strength of his aura, his skills were likely to match. Such people didn’t like their territory being invaded. And some would go to great lengths to eliminate those who dared to challenge them. Like the man standing before him…

‘Is he going to make a move?’

A smile played on Bi Ryu-yeon’s lips.

The First Young Master was in a foul mood. Someone was watching him. He was the hunter, not the prey. It was an insult to his pride.

‘Who is it?’

He quickly found the source of the unwelcome gaze. It was a young man with long bangs covering his eyes, his wrists adorned with strange ornaments. He was surprised by three things.

First, the young man’s energy felt familiar.

‘Why?’

He had never met anyone like him before. He hadn’t seen the young man’s face clearly, just as Bi Ryu-yeon hadn’t seen his, so he couldn’t identify him.

Second, there was a hidden depth to the young man’s presence, a subtle but undeniable power.

(TLN: just to confirm with u guys he knows his name not what he looks like yet i thought the author is triping at first than remembered that they dont have pics in murim)

He couldn’t sense any overt energy, any outward display of strength. He might have missed it entirely if he hadn’t been paying attention. But something about the young man was unsettling, a subtle but persistent irritant.

And third, the young man was blocking his path.

He was beyond surprised and angry. He was dumbfounded. No one had ever dared to be so rude, so arrogant, so disrespectful. And he wouldn’t tolerate it. Death was too good for those who stood in his way.

There was only one punishment for such fools.

Eradication.

They had no choice. But he had things to do, so he would spare their lives for now. But he would leave them with a mark, a reminder of their folly.

‘Fools, bear this mark and atone for your sins!’

A wave of killing intent, powerful enough to shake the air, erupted from him. One more step, and it would solidify, a tangible force, ready to strike. It would be an ordinary step for him, but a life-altering step for his opponent. That was the plan, but…

He couldn’t take that step.

It would mean entering his opponent’s range. He had initially underestimated the distance, dismissing it as insignificant. But it had expanded, a sudden and overwhelming pressure, pushing against him.

To be within his opponent’s range was to offer his throat to the blade. He could ignore the distance and strike, of course. He was skilled enough. But he didn’t. There was a second reason why he hesitated. But if he didn’t take that step, he couldn’t bring his opponent into his range either.

“He read my range accurately, did he?”

How accurately? Bi Ryu-yeon decided to test him.

The First Young Master was beyond furious. He was baffled.

His opponent’s provocation was blatant. The energy emanating from him clearly defined his range, a silent invitation, a dare.

It was a simple provocation, but effective. It left him with only two choices.

Advance or retreat!

To retreat, to hesitate, to falter, would be a defeat. A psychological defeat, if not a physical one. It would be a victory for Bi Ryu-yeon, but not for him.

Defeat was not an option. It was an unforgivable sin. He had only one choice. He had to prove his superiority. It was his duty.

“I accept your challenge!”

He took a step forward, placing himself at the edge of his opponent’s range.

“W-What the…!”

Namgung Sang, who had been dragged out by Bi Ryu-yeon for a “morning stroll,” was startled. He instinctively activated his protective energy, raising it to its maximum.

An unprecedented pressure, like a sudden storm, swept over him. It pressed down on his shoulders, constricting his chest, making it difficult to breathe. A suffocating killing intent… He felt a surge of fear, a primal instinct to flee, to escape the vortex of death.

‘Who is it?’

Who would unleash such a terrifying aura in a place like this? It was a clash of monstrous energies, a level of intensity he had rarely encountered, even in life-or-death battles.

“As… expected!”

He quickly identified the source of the commotion. It was his senior brother, facing off against a stranger.

‘Who is that guy?’

He could understand Bi Ryu-yeon’s involvement (he had given up trying to understand his senior brother’s eccentricities), but the stranger was a mystery. To stand up to his senior brother, who was known for his brute force and recklessness… He must be someone special.

The stranger was a handsome man, his face as cold and sharp as ice, his eyes dark and emotionless, his aura powerful and imposing. Namgung Sang was awestruck. He felt a pang of shame, comparing himself to the stranger. They were about the same age, but the stranger’s aura was far more powerful, surpassing even that of a sect leader. And him?

‘I was so proud of myself, calling myself one of the Nine Dragons of Cheonmu, with my meager skills… Shame on me!’

He felt pathetic and foolish. But it was a humbling experience, a reminder that he still had much to learn.

The air crackled, a subtle but noticeable shift. Dust swirled, tracing the path of the invisible energy. It flowed towards the two men, forming a giant vortex. And then it accelerated, the gentle breeze turning into a raging wind, a whirlwind of energy. Countless vortexes intertwined, a chaotic dance of power.

“T-The wind is going crazy!”

The air swirled around the two men, drawn in and then expelled, a chaotic cycle of attraction and repulsion. The wind was sharp, cutting.

Rip!

Namgung Sang looked down in shock. The front of his robe had been sliced open, as if by a blade.

‘Impossible! Can you infuse wind with sword energy?’

It was unbelievable.

Rip! Slash! Slash! Rip! Rip!

The wind clashed, vortex against vortex, a dazzling display of swordsmanship.

“The air…”

He wasn’t the only one who was shocked. Jin-ryeong, who had followed him, was equally stunned.

“It’s like blades!”

She said, her voice filled with awe.

The swirling wind was cutting through everything in its path. The immense pressure generated by the clash of two powerful forces was compressing and distorting the air, creating a deadly vortex.

Namgung Sang quickly activated his protective energy, shielding himself and Jin-ryeong. A thin barrier formed around them, deflecting the wind blades. Jin-ryeong added her own energy to his, strengthening the barrier.

Bi Ryu-yeon and the First Young Master stood motionless, their gazes locked, their bodies rooted to the spot. The terrifying pressure that Namgung Sang was feeling was emanating from the point where their energies clashed.

‘Two monsters?’

One was bad enough, but two…? He wanted to curse the heavens.

‘What is this chilling killing intent?’

It was inhuman. He held his breath, watching their confrontation.

He had no idea that the battle unfolding before him was far beyond his comprehension. If he had known, he would have been even more terrified.

Boom!

A deafening roar shook the valley.

Pebbles and dust rained down on them, a hail of stones. He would be pulverized if he got caught in the crossfire. It was a battle he couldn’t afford to get involved in.

The wind howled, a raging torrent of energy.

“Ugh!”

Namgung Sang and Jin-ryeong struggled to maintain their protective barriers.

The pebbles that had been thrown into the air rained down on them. It took a while for the dust to settle.

And when it did, he saw that the two men were still standing, their positions unchanged.

They hadn’t moved an inch. And they seemed completely unaffected by the violent windstorm. Their clothes and hair were still perfectly in place.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it.