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Chapter 499 – Just Let Me Grab It Once

Kuuuuug—!

A massive explosion erupted in the air.

Sshhhh—!

A sound echoed. My head was already twisted.

My body reacted before the sound reached me.

Sshhh—! Scrape—!

I had turned quickly, but a sharp energy grazed my hair.

I could see a few strands of black hair scattering in the air.

Seeing that, I increased my energy.

Giiiiiing—!

Energy surged forth from my heart.

It began to expand through my muscles via Blood Qi.

As a result, my Qi Perception heightened.

With my widened field of vision, movements became far clearer than before.

Something was approaching.

It’s sword energy.

Heat shot out from my back.

My heart leaped once with a thud! before the heat erupted from my back.

Paaang—!

A short yet fierce flame burst from my back.

Using that explosion, I accelerated.

Gu Yangcheong’s body soared swiftly into the air.

Barely evading the sword energy, I reached right in front of Gwaeseon in an instant.

“Heh…!”

Seeing that, Gwaeseon let out a short breath. My speed was much faster than he had expected.

He deftly adjusted his sword.

Though he appeared flustered on the surface, internally he remained unmoved.

His flexible sword path extended rapidly.

So fast that even though he wielded just one sword, it felt like he was using several.

In that split second, I extended my hand.

Through the swirling swords.

Twisting my body as if searching for the eye of the storm.

My eyes darted, continuously scanning.

I twisted my body as I grasped the sword path.

‘This guy…?’

Gwaeseon looked on in shock.

Not only was I dodging swords a hair’s breadth away, but how was I moving like that?

Each movement was executed without hesitation.

Even a slight graze could cause a fatal wound, yet I advanced fearlessly.

If he were a martial artist who had reached the Transformation Realm, this level of mental strength would naturally be expected.

‘I still don’t get it.’

The individual before me was too young to have built such mental strength.

Should this even be considered a talent?

If so, that cursed Heaven had a lot to answer for.

To leave such a monster on this earth just to plunge countless martial artists into despair.

Gwaeseon felt a mix of rising elation and chilling fear.

Twisting my body, I altered the trajectory of my sword.

I had to admit my earlier attempt to test the waters was a mistake.

Gwaeseon infused his sword tip with Taoist Qi.

Swooosh—!

The Wudang Taoists. The distinct grassy scent of their unique energy wafted up delightfully.

However, contrasting that pleasantness, the energy that seeped into the sword was dreadful.

One slash.

As Gwaeseon thrust the sword, traces remained in space. It was as if the air itself was tearing apart.

Though Gu Yangcheong had already opened up several steps of distance.

Boom.

With a slight revelation of my sword name.

“Tsk…!”

Kwaaaaah—!

Dozens of strands of Sword Intent shot out in all directions.

Upon seeing this, Gu Yangcheong activated the ring of the Technique of the Flame Wheel.

Fwoosh—! The flames at my waist quickly expanded.

A glint of surprise flashed in Gwaeseon’s eyes.

‘Blue Flame?’

It was a blue flame.

Unlike the deep red flames exhibited by the Gu Clan Leader before.

For some reason, Gu Yangcheong’s flames were blue.

Additionally.

‘What is this?’

The moment I saw that flame, chills ran down my arm for an unknown reason.

It was an instinctive pressure.

Kuh-Wung—!

Gu Yangcheong stomped down hard on the ground.

Fwoosh—!

The blazing ring around his body instantly expanded, spewing forth flames.

Kyaaaah—!

The flames shot into the air, twisting into shapes with each strand.

They resembled beasts with their mouths wide open.

Dozens of fire beasts engulfed the Sword Intent.

Bang—! Bang bang—!

As energies collided, explosions erupted in the air like fireworks.

‘Insane.’

Seeing that, Gwaeseon couldn’t help but laugh.

Though the density of my energy was considerably stronger,

The overwhelming pressure contained within the flames overshadowed it, erasing its presence.

How much energy must be stored in the Lower Dantian to achieve such feats?

‘It’s not just talent. Is that what this means?’

To unleash such bizarre talents, the foundation must also be more than sufficient.

Was this a display meant to showcase that?

While Gwaeseon was momentarily captivated by the splendid scene—

Whooosh—!

Suddenly, an immense heat washed over me.

‘Oh no…!’

I quickly turned my gaze.

Gu Yangcheong had already invaded Gwaeseon’s territory.

In his small palm, he held a radiant orb.

The moment Gwaeseon saw it, he understood.

He could tell how much energy was compressed within that tiny orb.

Danger.

Kuu-uuuu—!

An enormous amount of energy was poured into the sword.

Simultaneously, Gu Yangcheong declared as if he wouldn’t wait for him.

“Flame Jade.”

The compressed energy detonated right in front of Gwaeseon.

His vision was consumed by blinding light. Soon after—

Kwahhh—!

A tremendous explosion engulfed Gwaeseon.

The energy erupted widely, creating a massive shockwave.

The sandstorm sweeping across the ground was more than enough to block out all sight for a moment.

Gu Yangcheong frowned amidst that tempest.

It seemed something didn’t sit right with him as he surveyed the surroundings.

Then he suddenly discovered something, twisting his upper body and extending his hand.

A clenched fist was enveloped in flames.

Paaang—!

Something collided with the surface of his fist, causing an explosion.

A sting coursed through Gu Yangcheong, making him grit his teeth.

What just brushed past was definitely Sword Energy.

‘As expected.’

As if nothing could surprise me, Gu Yangcheong frowned.

Fwoosh—!

The sandstorm that had obscured his vision momentarily surged upward into the sky.

There was an unseen wind rising from below.

The wind was so strong that the wide dust surrounding him all disappeared upward.

With the view cleared, Gu Yangcheong’s gaze fixed forward.

Standing there was the very culprit of this wind pressure, perfectly unscathed.

“… Well, I must say… I am at a loss for words.”

Gwaeseon laughed hollowly while scratching his head.

Despite being hit directly from the front, Gwaeseon appeared to have suffered no harm at all.

Well, considering how pitiful he looked to begin with, was that even surprising?

‘That’s not it.’

It didn’t work at all. That’s the crux of the matter.

Gu Yangcheong couldn’t help but feel regret over that fact.

‘I should’ve gotten a little closer before detonation.’

A split-second choice.

If only I had taken one more step closer.

That thought was truly regrettable.

Amidst Gu Yangcheong’s disappointment, Shin Noya chimed in with incredulity.

[If you had done that, your heart would have been pierced.]

I knew that.

The reason I hadn’t been greedy back then was because of that.

[But is it wise to grumble about it?]

‘I thought perhaps I could have offered my chest.’

[That’s nonsense.]

‘Yeah, it is nonsense.’

So I didn’t do it.

If it had been me just a little while ago, I might have considered it, but—

‘… Now, I have to be a bit more patient.’

Having come this far, I needed to rethink my approach to fighting.

It wasn’t fear that held me back.

It was simply that—

‘My life has become a bit more valuable.’

There was a lot more I needed to accomplish with this life.

I thought I should handle this carefully until the work was done.

Besides, after all—

‘… Pejon also suggested I change my approach.’

Pejon had repeatedly pointed out the limitations of that method before.

He was indeed making efforts to adapt, even now.

‘It’s not easy.’

Diving into battle while being aware of that made things challenging.

Especially since my opponent was stronger than me.

‘I can’t believe I didn’t take even a bit of damage.’

As much as I had believed it would be impossible not to have been hit at all.

Gwaeseon appeared to be perfectly fine.

Just as Gu Yangcheong was slightly surprised by how strong Gwaeseon seemed compared to earlier—

In a twist of fate, Gwaeseon was feeling the same way about him.

“… Is the Gu Clan a den of monsters or something?”

“Excuse me?”

“Sure, the Gu Clan Leader is one thing, but you’re even more remarkable.”

“Do you know my father?”

“I don’t know him well. I’ve just seen him in passing.”

The monstrous figure I had seen before overlapped with this young man’s form.

The strength I had just felt was clear as day.

As I barely managed to catch my breath and sensed the lingering tension, Gwaeseon changed his breathing.

‘Finally.’

Finally, I felt all the remaining emotions had cleared away.

While my mind screamed to see him as an equal martial artist,

In my heart, seeing Gu Yangcheong, my disciple’s friend, a younger junior at the same time—

All those feelings from earlier washed away.

Gwaeseon sensed the calm settling in his heart and loosened his body.

Sleek.

Gwaeseon’s tension eased slightly. Was he going to back down? Just as Gu Yangcheong tilted his head at that—

Sssssss—

“…!”

A shiver ran down Gu Yangcheong’s spine as tension built in his eyes.

He felt something from Gwaeseon.

Was he serious now?

A distinctly different presence radiated from Gwaeseon compared to before.

[Nah, that guy is the real deal.]

Noya’s voice ignited with excitement.

Unlike the old man’s thrill, Gu Yangcheong felt his lips twitching into a grin.

‘This is insane.’

It seemed Gwaeseon was indeed ready to fight for real.

Even just glimpsing a fragment of that seriousness was enough for me to sense it.

‘He’s strong.’

I realized my earlier underestimation of Gwaeseon’s strength. Given his strange personality, I had thought he was less serious.

But seeing this now, my thoughts had to change.

The author was genuine.

I wasn’t entirely sure how powerful Gwaeseon actually was, but—

‘At least he seems stronger than the current Sword King.’

He probably surpassed the current Lord of the Nangong Family, too.

‘Where was such a person during the Heavenly Demon Great War?’

Had he perished back then?

All I knew was that the Demon Sword Queen possessed the Thunder Fang.

But I had no insight into the fate of Gwaeseon’s wife.

Woong.

The energy that had been lingering in the air vanished.

Gu Yangcheong didn’t miss that as a warning sign.

Watching Gwaeseon grip his sword, Gu Yangcheong thought internally.

‘This won’t do.’

[What?]

‘I’m going to use ‘that’.’

Upon hearing Gu Yangcheong’s words, Shin Noya sounded astonished.

[… Are you sure about that?]

‘Not certain, but… if I don’t, I’ll really be in big trouble.’

[…]

Perhaps Noya also thought it was reasonable, as he didn’t respond.

Accepting that as confirmation, Gu Yangcheong cautiously moved his hands.

At that moment, Gwaeseon addressed him.

“If it’s you, I’m sure you’ve realized, but only now is the real deal. Be careful.”

His words made Gu Yangcheong chuckle.

“You’re quite generous.”

“Just a twinge of guilt. It’s embarrassingly shameful to go this far with a junior.”

Gwaeseon didn’t hide the displeasure on his face, moving his sword lightly before taking a step forward.

In an instant.

Paa-t.

“…!”

Gwaeseon vanished from Gu Yangcheong’s sight.

The moment he noticed, Gu Yangcheong focused his heart, energy bursting forth.

Using that energy, I exhaled forth from my heart.

All that energy was sent immediately to my Qi Perception, spreading in all directions.

Once.

Just once, I had to catch him.

With that thought in mind, Gu Yangcheong poured his Qi perception out to the fullest.

At that moment, Gwaeseon was thinking,

‘Sorry.’

He had already tunneled into Gu Yangcheong’s left side.

Such speed was beyond what Gu Yangcheong could comprehend.

Gwaeseon intended to strike to knock Gu Yangcheong unconscious.

He could push any harder.

If he did, it would truly become an unrecoverable situation.

He was already too heated, and here, he had to draw the line.

Tuk.

Gwaeseon’s toes met the ground.

Even then, Gu Yangcheong did not detect Gwaeseon. It was moving too fast to notice.

Turning his sword, he exposed his back.

Since I couldn’t dodge, I had to change my method.

This would slow my speed, but that was fine.

Just as he thought that, when Gwaeseon swung his sword—

In that moment, Gu Yangcheong’s eyes caught sight of Gwaeseon.

‘What?’

He detected me?

Through this speed?

In that absurd situation, Gwaeseon was astounded.

‘Keeps surprising me until the very end.’

Even until the final moment, he showcased an impossible possibility.

But surely he wouldn’t be able to dodge this.

With all the shock he’d felt infused into his swing, Gwaeseon struck.

Whooooosh—!

The back of his sword shot forth toward Gu Yangcheong with immense speed.

It was too late to respond.

Gwaeseon believed that as he thought.

Clang—!

“…?”

A clarion chime resounded.

What on earth was that sound?

Hearing an unexpected sound from an unfamiliar direction, Gwaeseon turned.

“Eh…?”

The sound had come from Gu Yangcheong, and the reason was that Gu Yangcheong had blocked Gwaeseon’s sword with his arm.

“What the….”

Not only was I surprised at having noticed Gwaeseon at this speed.

But that I actually blocked it?

And how did that sound even happen?

That clear sound could never have been produced from a sword clashing against an arm.

It was as if… steel was crashing against steel.

Just as Gwaeseon wore an expression of confusion—

The strange twist occurred once again.

Sssss—!

“… What!?”

The bandages wrapped around Gu Yangcheong’s left arm loosened slightly.

In an instant, they shot out to bind Gwaeseon’s sword.

Gwaeseon, startled, hurriedly tried to retract his sword.

Kuwuuk—!

The bandages grasped upon Gwaeseon’s sword without cutting through.

At that moment.

“I got it.”

Gu Yangcheong’s voice carried a playful tone.

Immediately, the blue orb Gu Yangcheong had wielded earlier was drawn closer to Gwaeseon’s chest.

“This insane….”

With Gwaeseon’s brief exclamation—

Kwahhhh—!

The Flame Jade erupted.

 

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