Chapter 343
Chapter 344: Listen to the Rebirth. (3)
Whoosh—!
The energy from the Upper House surged out of my body and continuously spewed forth like a geyser.
As the energy exited my body, it transformed into heat.
Flames surrounded me.
I felt my hair turning a fiery red.
Whoosh—!
A ring of flames circled around me, spinning wildly.
Underneath one ring.
A second ring was formed.
The energy within me was creating a storm.
Pressure built up inside my body.
With just a slight release, the backlash could erupt, putting me in a dangerous situation where I might vomit blood.
But it was no problem.
Reaching the Transformation Realm strengthened my grip on the energy.
My body had become resilient enough to endure it.
I was ready.
Realizing this, I began to chant immediately.
“Red Sky.”
Boom—!
The swiftly revolving rings around me
Shot the heat emanating from me straight into the sky.
Following the storm’s form that built within me,
Flames and heat swirled together, creating a vortex.
It shot up.
Crash—!
Piercing through the black sky.
‘Ugh, the smell—
I witnessed the process with my own eyes.
Like cracks forming in a frozen river,
The flames pierced through, slowly shattering the stillness.
‘Is the durability weak?’
It seemed like a kind of formation, yet something felt off.
It shouldn’t break that easily.
Could it be because I surpassed the barriers?
No, that wasn’t it.
There had already been gaps to begin with.
Breaking through from the inside wasn’t that difficult.
‘What’s going on?’
How long had it been since I returned from the Demonic Gate?
I suspected a few days.
I hadn’t counted the days there, but
I assumed that amount of time had passed.
So, what on earth had happened in just a few days?
I couldn’t tell yet.
Although it had been years since I stepped on the land of the Central Plains,
Fortunately, I didn’t feel out of place.
Was it the arrangement of the World Tree?
Recalling how I had struggled for a long time due to the overwhelming disconnect in my previous life,
I could consider myself fortunate.
Or could it be the blessing of the Holy Mark he bestowed?
As I pondered, I suddenly closed my eyes.
‘Fold it up.’
I folded my thoughts.
Constantly probing for answers
Could wait until after the fight was over.
I had finally grasped the enlightenment after a long time of refining my heart.
I already knew it beforehand.
But it hadn’t easily settled into my body.
I vaguely captured its essence, overlaying it upon myself.
The energy swirling in my lower dantian,
The heat emitted from my body was intense, but
My head was cool as ice.
Drip drip.
Fragments of energy rained down from the sky.
Regrettably, I couldn’t shatter everything.
It seemed I didn’t have that much power yet.
I had only crushed the sky above Shinryong Temple.
Outside of an appropriate gap,
The red-hued sky came into view.
The Gu Clan’s secret martial art
Now accessible only because I reached the Transformation Realm.
Thanks to the Red Sky technique.
The sky was stained a red like a sunset.
Different from the blood-red sky I had seen in the Demonic Gate.
The faint pink hue mixed in the gaps was likely due to the Taoist Qi mingling within me.
Nodding slightly at this sight,
‘I reached it.’
I truly felt that I had arrived at the Transformation Realm.
Having crossed the peak of the Grave of Martial Artists,
After all sorts of trials, I finally reached the Transformation Realm.
My senses felt different.
Compared to when I was at the peak, my emotions were more profound.
My Qi perception widened.
And it transformed into clarity.
Thus, I could understand.
Just how dense and widely spread the morale was around me.
‘An ambush?’
Some madman had launched an attack on Shinryong Temple.
After all, most of the Demonic Faction were likely crazy to begin with.
It wouldn’t be unusual.
And the person in front of me right now seemed to fit that description.
His size was roughly similar to Elder Lee.
A level beyond human. It was literally akin to a bear.
His main weapon was a great sword.
It reminded me of the martial artist from the Black Night Palace whom I had killed in Hwasan.
‘Is it Mukcheol?’
Seeing the black sword blade, it was quite a formidable weapon.
As for his martial artist level…
He was at the Transformation Realm.
From what I could gauge,
He must be at a considerable degree.
Especially when I saw the Cheonghae Ilgeom bleeding out behind him.
It appeared that it was this old man who had incapacitated him.
‘Who could it be?’
If he was a Demonic Faction martial artist who reached the Transformation Realm,
He was likely one of the known monsters.
Could he be one of the Three Eminent Beings?
Was there anyone among them who used a great sword?
“The Red Sky….”
As I pondered about the old man,
He quietly murmured.
“I recognized that energy from somewhere. You… are of the Gu Clan’s blood?”
“Do you know me?”
“There’s no place you could ignite flames and stain the sky red without knowing.”
Hearing him notice my characteristics gave me a slight sense of pride.
One question lingered.
‘Was he someone who witnessed the Red Sky before?’
Was he someone who had seen the martial arts I was currently using?
Could it be my father?
That’s a possibility.
Or perhaps,
‘My grandfather?’
That could also be the case.
Regardless, it didn’t matter.
Even if he had seen this somewhere,
‘By this point, it’s evident enough to stand out.’
I’ve gone beyond simply igniting flames and burning.
Now I was changing the color of the sky.
The heat that stained the sky red
Slowly descended, pressing heavily on the surroundings.
The influence of the Red Sky was starting to unfold.
The Gu Clan’s secret martial arts each had significant meanings.
Among them, the Red Sky was
To me, it was a kind of arrogance.
The Red Sky creates a territory with the energy filling the Upper House and the flames that ignite from it.
The symbol of that domain was none other than the stained red sky.
In the area filled with heat under the changed sky,
The flames of the Gu Clan wouldn’t ever die down
And would blaze even hotter.
There wouldn’t remain an enemy to face.
Until they all burned to death.
This could be seen, in a sense,
As one of the martial arts that represented each faction.
A similar martial art would be the Imperial Sword Form of the Nangong Clan.
It maximized absolute presence
And dulled the opponent’s movement.
That too was an expression of domain.
With this, the Gu Clan had a nonsensical format that colored the sky red,
Thus reaching the Transformation Realm, breaking through the Upper House with a ridiculous difficulty.
‘How far have I come?’
Clenching my fist, I confirmed.
Roughly,
The power I gained since my return thus far was
About half of my previous life.
No, perhaps even slightly less.
Was it fast?
Or slow?
I couldn’t tell.
There was still a long way to go.
“Hey, you…”
The old man looked at me.
“Are you the Hohyeop?”
Huh?
Caught off guard by the sudden reference to my father’s nickname,
I gave a baffled expression for a moment.
“The Hohyeop shouldn’t easily come out of Mount Shan?”
“Do I look that old?”
While my father was indeed older, being a martial artist, he didn’t seem to age much.
Still, it didn’t feel like I appeared that old.
“If you’re not the Hohyeop… then are you possibly Jin Ryong?”
As if finally reaching an answer, the old man’s eyes widened.
I nodded at that sight.
“That can’t be…”
The old man showed a reaction as if he couldn’t believe it.
“I heard you haven’t passed your coming-of-age yet.”
“But.”
“How… How did you surpass the wall?”
Ah, so that was why.
Reaching the Transformation Realm at such a young age
Might indeed be something that wouldn’t appear in the records of the Central Plains.
So it wasn’t surprising that this old man had such a reaction.
I myself felt not much excitement.
‘What meaning is there in what I gained through reincarnation?’
To others, it might look like I was an unbelievable genius.
In my previous life, I had desperately longed for such scenarios.
And now, it barely tickled my interest. It was truly comical.
Nodding, I spoke to the old man in a somewhat blunt tone.
“It’s not the time to be worrying about that.”
The heat I had been constantly rolling in my body began to move even faster.
I could feel my physical body gradually heating up. Along with it, my Qi bubbled up.
‘Hah.’
To get into a fight right after returning to this world.
Why is my life this restless?
Did he sense my Qi?
The old man’s eyebrows twitched.
“You’re quite the rough child for not even asking who I am?”
“What’s the point of asking?”
Like I said earlier,
“I usually don’t chat with the demons of the Demonic Faction.”
What a nuisance! Why would I bother chatting with trash?
If there was a need to communicate,
I would just break their limbs
And learn what I wanted. There’s no need to be polite.
“What’s important is that you are of the Demonic Faction.”
“Why do you think so? I might not be your enemy.”
I couldn’t help but let out a scoff.
It was a clear snicker.
If he was going to say that,
“Then wipe away the Killing Intent glaring from your eyes first.”
With those words, the old man’s expression grew cold.
That was enough.
Words exchanged were just words.
The Black Dragon Sword had heard more than what I anticipated about the Jin Ryong.
Starting with the fact that I was the offspring of the Hohyeop,
The bloodied mess that had led to Gu Changjun’s death was useful.
Thanks to that, my relationship with the Demon Lord had somewhat become complicated,
But the Black Dragon Sword didn’t care much about that.
They called me the youngest master at the peak.
It was indeed a talent worthy of being remembered in history.
But even so, I was merely a late-stage talent.
I had a long way to go to stand in the way of my future.
What’s more, when he realized that the Black Dragon Sword was hoping to make it known that he was alive,
If there happened to be a scion of the Hohyeop, I intended to wipe him out on the spot.
Even if he could fly and jump, he was just a young tiger.
Yet,
Whoosh—! KABOOM!
“Phew…!”
A punch collided with the massive great sword.
It created an intense shockwave.
The energy contained within was extraordinary.
The hefty body of the Black Dragon Sword slightly lifted.
Did that little punch actually raise him up?
The Black Dragon Sword hid his shock and drew in his energy.
It was heavier than expected, but
It didn’t reach the level of penetrating my strong energy barrier.
If I retaliated here—
Whoosh—!
“•••!”
In an instant, the overwhelming energy caused the Black Dragon Sword’s gaze to shift.
His body lifted at that moment.
The hand of Jin Ryong was gathering an unimaginable amount of energy in his palm.
“Flame Jade.”
The heat was tightly coiled, taking the form of jade, which he then threw at the Black Dragon Sword’s great sword.
It was the same spot where I had struck before with a punch.
As soon as the orb made contact,
Crack!
An unknown sound echoed, followed by
Boom—!
In an instant, a colossal explosion erupted.
It was an absurd heat that was entirely formed from energy.
The ground, which had been flat, was now a complete wreck due to the sword marks laid about.
Flames burst forth, filling the air with smoke,
And the Black Dragon Sword forced his way out.
“Ugh…!”
Whoosh—!
The energy formed by the flames brushed past the Black Dragon Sword,
Yet the fire clinging to his body wouldn’t extinguish.
It seemed something was embedded within those flames.
‘This is absurd.’
I scanned the area where the attack had just occurred.
It was a complete disaster.
Traces of fire brushed everywhere, and the surface of the ground appeared to have been struck by a meteor, leaving it cracked.
In the center,
Something wrapped in flames appeared, glancing at the Black Dragon Sword with crimson eyes, the same color as his hair.
“This guy….”
The Black Dragon Sword frowned.
There was no way he wouldn’t call this a late-stage talent.
How could that be?
I stepped back and clenched my great sword.
It was completely unexpected.
I needed to eliminate him quickly.
Even if he was a martial artist of the same Transformation Realm.
He was just a kid who crossed the wall.
No matter how gifted he was, he could not be compared to me.
So I must kill him now.
At that moment,
“You seem to be deep in thought.”
I heard Jin Ryong’s voice from behind the Black Dragon Sword.
The Black Dragon Sword flinched and turned.
Though he still gazed into the flames, the figure that had been there was long gone.
He twisted his body.
As he did, energy soaked into the great sword.
The black Qi surged, sending chills down one’s spine.
The power of the Black Dragon Sword’s unique martial art, Black Iron Phantom.
The heaviness in that great sword’s strike had an overwhelming momentum that even the strongest martial artists would find difficult to block.
Swish—!
“Cough!”
If it doesn’t make contact, it’s meaningless.
The blade of the great sword didn’t reach Jin Ryong.
Before the heavy energy could shred Jin Ryong,
His hand reached the Black Dragon Sword first.
The punch that flew struck the Black Dragon Sword square in the face.
Blood spilled.
The energy gathered in his hand pierced through the protective barrier of the Black Dragon Sword and landed a solid hit.
The moment the Black Dragon Sword’s head jerked back,
Snatch—!
Jin Ryong’s hand grabbed the Black Dragon Sword’s hair, locking him in place in mid-air.
And then,
Wham—!
A flaming fist struck the Black Dragon Sword’s face again.
Much louder than before.
Thwack—!
Once more.
Boom—!
Again, and again.
“Ugh…!”
The Black Dragon Sword let out a groan. It felt like his head was about to explode from the pain.
His brain shook.
The impact of the blows to his face was already egregious.
But what was truly problematic was the flames that wrapped around the punches.
Even as I constantly applied the protective energy, it felt insufficient.
If I hadn’t been holding onto my energy, I surely would have lost consciousness due to the pain.
Grind.
He bit down hard.
How could this Black Dragon Sword be humiliated by a young brat…!
The Sword Sovereign he had long desired to kill.
Or any of the other Three Eminent Beings.
Not to mention, the esteemed martial artists of the Central Plains or the top practitioners—no.
Being humiliated by a mere kid who hadn’t even passed his coming-of-age was unacceptable!
Rage boiled within him.
This could not be allowed.
Whooosh!
He drew forth the energy that spread within him.
He needed to find a way to escape. He had to burst the energy and push Jin Ryong away.
Even if it meant incurring some internal injuries, escaping was paramount for now.
Black Iron Echo—!
A martial art that spread the black energy visibly as an eerie soundwave to inflict damage.
…
…
..
…
He knew it would rebound against him, but there was no choice.
Just as the Black Dragon Sword was about to unleash his energy,
For some reason, Jin Ryong ceased moving.
Was it to evade the intent?
The Black Dragon Sword briefly entertained the thought,
‘But it’s already too late.’
Preparations had been finished.
If it exploded this close, it would cause significant damage.
Immediately, he unleashed the technique.
Black Iron Echo…?
Attempting to quickly move his energy outward,
The Black Dragon Sword made a peculiar expression at the identity of the sense he felt.
Energy.
The Qi.
It wasn’t moving properly.
“…What?”
Only then did the Black Dragon Sword recall the peculiar sensation he experienced.
That he was utterly powerless against a martial artist who had just reached the Transformation Realm.
And that he had let his guard down in the midst of it all.
Something was wrong.
At that moment,
“Why?”
Pausing his relentless assault, Jin Ryong, who had been silently observing the Black Dragon Sword, spoke.
“Seems your body isn’t moving properly?”
Only then did the Black Dragon Sword finally raise his gaze to Jin Ryong.
Blood was flowing from his nose.
And it was difficult to keep his eyes open due to the flow of blood that covered his face.
But one thing.
The flames in Jin Ryong’s eyes were too vividly striking.
How could those red eyes blend so perfectly with him?
Blood dripped from his hand.
“It’s you…!”
“Not bad.”
“Please…!”
At that moment, only now did the Black Dragon Sword realize that this strange sensation was because Jin Ryong had done something to him.
Was it poison?
Had he administered some toxin?
It couldn’t be.
If poison had entered his body, he would’ve noticed,
And it wouldn’t have seeped in so smoothly.
“What… have you done to me?”
Bang!
“Cough…!”
A heavy impact to his chest sent the Black Dragon Sword flying into the air, rolling on the floor.
Even while airborne, he could still tell.
The surroundings were still filled with heat.
Barely lifting himself up, he gasped for breath as he checked his condition.
As expected,
He felt his movements slightly sluggish.
The energy felt the same.
It wasn’t entirely immobile, but there was an oddness embedded within.
“…What have you done to me?”
Had the poison been released?
How did it happen in such a short time?
Gazing at Jin Ryong with alarmed eyes,
The Black Dragon Sword scanned the surroundings.
The Cheonghae Ilgeom, who had been battling the Black Dragon Sword, lay on the ground, bleeding profusely.
That distance wasn’t very far.
Plus, given Jin Ryong’s earlier explosion technique, he was mere moments from death.
‘…That guy.’
The Black Dragon Sword continued to sense the differences.
Cheonghae Ilgeom had seemed to be a martial artist of the Transformation Realm.
Moreover, the outcome against me was not one I could easily predict.
The reason he had been in such a dire state—with one arm severed, facing death—was simple enough.
He had something to protect.
That foolish idea of upholding justice while treading within a murky realm.
The incompetent mindset that might cost him his life.
It was the honor that the righteous faction held so dear,
Something the Black Dragon Sword found disgusting.
‘But Jin Ryong shows no signs of that.’
There wasn’t a trace of that sentiment in this fiend before me.
Beneath his expressionless face,
He exuded a murderous intent that only sought to kill him.
An unwavering ferocity incomparable to his.
Indifferent to the circumstances around him, he acted with intent.
Could he truly be from the righteous faction?
He didn’t even feel like a demon.
Could he truly be the offspring of Hohyeop?
“You bastard…!”
“Why do you keep shouting? You’re making my ears hurt.”
“What on earth is your true identity?”
The Black Dragon Sword voiced in anger.
To which Jin Ryong donned a strange expression.
He spread his palm wide.
At that moment,
Whoosh—!
“…!”
A massive wave of energy overcame him unlike anything prior.
As it brushed against the Black Dragon Sword’s cheek,
He felt the pressure draw into Jin Ryong’s palm.
The heat surrounding them began to converge into that small palm.
Whoosh—!
The flames encircling Jin Ryong’s body,
And the flames blazing around them began to gather.
The sphere.
Energy began to coalesce into a round shape upon his palm.
It bore a resemblance to the small orb that had obliterated the surroundings moments before.
But its size was different,
And the quantity of energy contained within was different as well.
The Black Dragon Sword’s jaw dropped.
‘What on earth…?’
Holding it in his hand was utterly inconceivable.
Indeed.
It was the sun.
Jin Ryong was undoubtedly holding the sun.
As the Black Dragon Sword was stunned by this impossible force,
“I quite like this size. It was annoying to have it as small as a rat.”
Jin Ryong casually muttered.
“You asked what my identity is?”
The weighty voice made the Black Dragon Sword shudder.
He could feel the presence bearing tremendous weight.
It wasn’t something one could feel from a mere late-stage talent.
“Yeah, even I don’t quite know myself.”
The Black Dragon Sword clutched his great sword desperately, realizing he was at a loss.
That was no ordinary force he could simply withstand.
He had to evade it.
As the Black Dragon Sword began to take a step back,
Jin Ryong’s fingertips moved in sync.
“So now, I’m starting to learn about myself.”
With the motion of his hand,
The small sun dropped to the ground.
