Chapter 142
**
“How to defeat an opponent stronger than yourself?”
Ilma patted the scabbard on his shoulder. Hmmm—he pondered for a moment before letting out a sigh.
“That’s a fundamentally flawed question.”
“That may be true, but…”
“Why are you asking that?”
“Well, it’s just…”
He hesitated.
“…Eungmin’s situation occasionally comes to mind.”
“Eungmin? Oh, that reckless brat? I certainly heard about it from Wolhyang. There was a Blood Demon who tasted the realm of Hyun-kyung, even if just for a moment.”
“I faced him with my sword, but I couldn’t win.”
“Of course not. How can you defeat the Heart Sword? It’s the upper echelon of Yi-hyeong Ki. You can’t even compare with Huaxing. Even if I harness my energy, you wouldn’t be able to resist.”
“…Even so.”
He recalled Guqcheong.
“I wanted to subdue him on my own.”
“Why?”
“That’s… perhaps…”
He struggled to articulate his feelings, which he had considered numerous times.
His face grew slightly warm. Was it okay to say something like this?
“…I just wanted to win purely with my sword…”
“Ah, that’s pride. That’s important.”
“…Aren’t you blaming me?”
“Me? Why would I? It’s a natural feeling for a warrior. I want to win. I don’t want to lose. Anyone wielding a sword thinks that way. There’s no need to preach about something so normal.”
“Mixing personal feelings with a mission…”
“When have you not done that?”
Ilma pinched my cheek. The affection behind it made me laugh.
“I’m really glad you’re my master.”
“You speak well. Hmm…”
Ilma sat across from me.
“To defeat someone stronger than yourself, three premises are needed.”
“What are they?”
“A genius who can take everything at once. The adaptability to fully awaken after just seeing a sword pattern once. The cleverness to immediately adapt and predict the opponent’s next move.”
Ilma looked up at me.
“Sadly, you possess none of those.”
“…….”
“You look like a drenched puppy. What a ridiculous fellow. But you know, Jeok-un.”
Ilma dusted off his backside and stood up.
“When did you ever draw your sword while entangled with those things?”
“……?”
“Shake off your shoulders.”
I reflexively shook off my shoulders.
Ilma smiled.
“You don’t need to think too much. Genius. Talent. Good fortune bestowed by heaven. All those things matter. But they are just accessories. I’ve realized something I didn’t know until I saw you—nothing in this world is truly impossible.”
Ilma extended his hand. He lifted me up.
“Thoughts are important. But a sword can’t be led only by thought.”
“…….”
“Sometimes, you mix thoughts into your martial arts inappropriately. That’s fine when facing amateurs. But when dealing with someone stronger than you, it’s unnecessary.”
His hand brushed against my body.
Ilma personally brushed off the dust on my clothes.
“You have your own way. It’s okay to crumble. It’s okay to break. How many times will you get hurt? It happens. You’re not a genius, are you? You shouldn’t dream of overwhelming everything at once.”
“…But… isn’t it impossible to bridge the gap with just that?”
“It might be impossible. You’re right. But haven’t you already overcome that impossibility several times?”
Ilma laughed.
“If you feel an insurmountable wall approaching, just throw it all away. Everything. Thoughts, the future… just throw it all away. Just crash until your body shatters.”
“……”
“The opponents you’ve fought have always been stronger than you. But you’ve always overcome that. Each person has their own suitable sword. Jeok-un. There’s no need to answer the question you’ve posed. Just feel it. Exclude even thoughts, and just focus on what’s inside.”
—Thud.
The fingertips that touched my heart felt warm.
“What is your sword?”
I didn’t answer her question as she had commanded.
I simply felt the warmth of our contact.
That, in itself, was the answer.
. . .
**Zanhonpalguichang (残魂八鬼槍)**
**Qilihgyeok (七岳殺)**
The spear made of energy surged towards the enemy. Amidst it, Ak-bi took his stance.
The clash of energy rings out, covering the mountain range.
The trembling Chamhoedong bore witness to the power of the energy Ak-bi unleashed with his eyes.
Each one capable of tearing apart anything—Yi-hyeong Ki.
But everything shattered. Engulfed by the blood-red haze, each was reduced to dust.
Heavy indeed. The sword itself feels heavy.
Having properly learned the intricacies of the great sword.
Yet, it is weak. Ak-bi revealed this. One honed to the utmost may be daunting, but that doesn’t necessarily mean victory.
It blends together. He swings the spear made of energy with all his might.
Zanhonpalguichang, a martial art that applies pressure to the enemy with eight spears.
“I’m going to help a bit.”
Wearing a friendly mask, he acted pleasantly.
Therefore, it was a martial art developed from direct suggestions received from ‘her.’
“Perhaps we might be considered to have the same master…!”
He moved the spear as if shooting it. He felt the explosive energy swirling at his fingertips as he advanced.
Tear and break. If one is lacking in weight, overwhelm with numbers.
If one breaks, send out two. If two break, then send out four all at once.
Within the spears, he sensed the ragged breaths. Excitement tingled at his fingertips.
He struck. Crushed and tore apart.
Blood haze.
He sprinted across the ground to disperse the crimson mist.
Rush! Rush! Rush!
Muttering to himself repeatedly, he twisted his body. As the focus on the energy spear lured the opponent, he unleashed it at once.
**Zanhonpalguichang**
**Qilihgyeok – Open**
“Open.”
“Death.”
—Boom!!!!
The twirling spear tip sliced through the blood haze.
With an eerie sound, the blood mist tore apart. It penetrated even the defensive energy, forcing its way to blood.
The body of Jeok-un was pushed back. The crimson mist erupted violently.
Instantly widening the distance, he staggered and spat blood. Ak-bi turned to look at his own body.
…Look at this.
Is he countering in that situation?
Blood flowed from his raised hand. But amidst the debilitating pain, Ak-bi trembled.
Gradually, he felt regeneration rise. The dark and murky Cheongeop forcibly healed the wounds.
One of the reasons he had been hiding in the Demon Cult.
“Did you think you were special? We who are within Reverse Heaven are all special. Only the chosen elite remain. And now, it is only right that what should have originally been ours descends upon us.”
Ak-bi whispered, licking the blood on his hands.
“You’re the one who’s going to die, Jeok-un. Come. I will tear you apart, and show the Heavenly Demon…!”
. . .
The swords clash.
In the midst of the cries, the shattered body vomits blood.
Strong. Ak-bi. The moment one relaxes even slightly, absurd martial arts pour forth.
Zanhonpalguichang… is that what it was called?
It’s proving that the power of a martial art does not stem from the strength contained within. Seven energy spears. And at the center, one spear of energy.
His movements demonstrate countless real battles. The weight pressing in may be small…
But the numbers and illusions.
The incessant onslaught backs up the shortcomings with sheer volume.
“Ugh…!”
He strikes. All of it aside.
Yet out of the extended eight strikes, three only strike empty air. The incorrect swing resulted in wounds, causing flesh to tear.
The crucial thing is that the opponent can also wield Yi-hyeong Ki.
With each press of power, the regeneration of the wounds slows. Cheongeop screams and twists the body.
Regeneration is not omnipotent. Especially when facing an equal-ranked warrior.
He stands firm and swings. He steadies his breath amidst the strikes.
He twists to the left. He presses down on the incoming energy spear just as before.
Fragments scatter apart. But what is scattered regenerates the next moment, pressing against him again.
The blue energy shatters the ground. The tip of the spear charges forth, turning the surrounding terrain upside down.
It rains down. He’s short of breath. To reconnect a breath that has been interrupted, he forces his feet forward.
“That’s a deadly strike.”
—KAAAAAAAAN!!!
The spear.
The moment he belatedly realized, the fierce spear devours his left arm.
“Ugh?!”
The dislodged body rolls on the ground. He barely flips over, burying his sword into the ground.
Shaking fingertips. With a ragged breath, he touches his left arm.
The wound is deep. Cheongeop wails.
“The sheer experience has vastly different outcomes. The difference in talent is just as significant. My foundation? Of course, it’s higher. The only thing you can do now is scream at me to spare you.”
He stands. Following Ak-bi’s voice, he turns his head.
…That statement is true.
Experience. That crucial factor lies with his opponent.
He moves smoothly, as if having fought numerous equal warriors. From psychological warfare to everything in between, nothing is underestimated.
Even though he thrusts his sword, it feels like the opponent is playing with the palm of his hand. Countless techniques forcibly steer the sword’s path, resulting in situations where he can only be struck.
What should he do… to overcome that wall…
“Shake off your shoulders.”
“…….”
He steadied his chaotic breath. He removed the blood-stained mantle.
He dusted off the dirt on his shoulders. Based on old memories.
“Thoughts are important. But a sword cannot be guided by only thoughts.”
Ilma’s voice. The master’s voice.
Recalling her teachings, he reflected on what he had been doing all this time.
“It’s okay to crumble. It’s okay to break. How many times will you get hurt? It happens. You’re not a genius, are you? You shouldn’t even dream of overwhelming everything at once.”
He inserted his fingers into the wound on his left arm. Ak-bi’s eyes widened.
“Not… this…?!”
—SHRAAAACK!!!
The Yi-hyeong Ki he jabbed into himself took flight from his left arm. It completely shattered the broken surface, erasing the enemy’s traces.
…Too much.
He had been overthinking everything.
Wasn’t that something that didn’t suit me in the first place?
“……”
Suffering and moans.
He would all swallow it and prepare to write anew.
In my own way.
In my own style.
—Gurgle, gurgle.
A mass of blood escaped. The resulting lightheadedness cleared his mind.
Ak-bi grimaced.
“The pain of Cheongeop is unimaginably vast… Are you insane?”
No.
He’s just enduring.
As always, he endures.
He feels the new flesh sprouting alongside the black shadow. He does exactly what some might curse as madness without hesitation.
His head aches. Whether it’s from overthinking or blood rushing to his head, he can’t tell.
But nonetheless, what must be done becomes clear.
The blood he shed clears away the haze.
“If you feel an insurmountable wall approaching, just throw it all away. Everything. Thoughts, the future… just throw it all away. Just crash until your body shatters.”
He grabs his sword.
“The opponent you’ve fought has always been stronger than you. But you’ve always overcome that. Each person has their own suitable sword.”
He tightly grips the sword hilt.
“What is your sword?”
He murmurs what he didn’t answer back then.
As death approaches, the shadow becomes clear.
“…Starting now.”
Grip it tight, Jeok-un.
The world.
In your own way…!
**”I will catch up to you, Ak-bi.”**
. . .
A beast stained with blood rushes in.
Ak-bi scoffs at the movement.
There are many openings. Others may not notice, but he knows.
**Zanhonpalguichang**
**Qilihgyeok**
He immediately shatters, squashing everything.
The spinning energy spear bites into all directions. Every burst wound lifts Jeok-un off the ground.
Another death.
A punishment for those who don’t know their place.
—AAAAAANNNNN!!!!!
A shattered body rolls on the ground. The wounds are deep. Injuries that Cheongeop cannot easily heal.
Yet he stands. Once again.
“…What the hell?”
Strange.
After ten total shatterings, Ak-bi notices something amiss.
“It should hurt! It must be agonizing!”
The act of shattering isn’t a lie. It struck him violently enough for the bones to break grotesquely.
Not even considering the spear’s end. Zanhonpalguichang doggedly smashed the opponent, thoroughly obliterating everything in sight.
Simply enduring that pain should be incredible, but the opponent endures the additional pain of regeneration.
Cheongeop’s recovery isn’t omnipotent. He knew that himself.
An unbearable pain that digs into his flesh. A torture that seems even more intense than when he was injured…
Making it impossible for a person to stand again.
Even if the body endures, the mind cannot. After all, when he once cut off a finger for demonstration, didn’t he twist and wail like a small child?
However, the opponent is repeating that pain indifferently.
“You crazy bastard.”
The point of the spear digs into the enemy. He feels the foreign body rattling inside as it’s destroyed from within.
The gap in power is overwhelming. The opponent cannot match his own strength or speed.
—AAAAAAANNNN!!!!!
A small mountain crumbles. Jeok-un, embedded within, spits blood.
Inside, it’s mixed with pieces of organs. Clinging to the bizarrely twisted fingertips, the sword barely hangs on.
…Yet.
He doesn’t let go of it.
Even shattered, crushed, and destroyed…
That sword is still tightly clenched in his hand.
Ah, so that’s it. Is there a hidden move at play?
Echoing through every nerve in his body, as if shouting about endurance.
“But what good does that do?”
There are predetermined limits for people from birth.
No matter how much one struggles, they cannot overcome it. Miracles seem to exist briefly, but ultimately, talent is decided within those lines.
He thrusts the spear forward. Digging into the enemy’s wounds. He unleashes Yi-hyeong Ki, which threads through and strikes the opponent multiple times.
The thrusting tip of the spear rotates violently. The torn jaw tumbles to the ground.
Though the Cheongeop rushes to quickly heal the wounds, it can’t regain its former momentum.
There are limits to Cheongeop.
There are limits to the flesh.
In the end, there are always lines that can’t be crossed.
Yet…
Yet why…
**Doesn’t it feel like I’m being chased?**
A chill runs down his spine. He forced the spear into Jeok-un’s heart, declaring it an illusion.
But it catches. The spear’s tip is seized by a hand drenched in energy and pushed away.
His body, which should have already lost strength. It should have shattered long ago.
But…
It feels difficult.
More so than before.
“…What… are you…?”
“I… told you…!”
The flying tongue recovers. The power pushing back the spear grows stronger.
His physique, broken dozens of times over, returns even stronger.
“I will… catch up to you…”
Bursting red hues explode from his garbled voice.
Blood Sword.
He immediately breaks the distance. Forcing his captured hand aside, he readies the spear.
His shoulder splits slightly. Amidst the, exploding agony, Ak-bi gasps and regains consciousness.
If this level of injury is causing this much pain…
How on earth is he enduring it?
“…Do you have a special Cheongeop?”
“Sp-… Special…?”
The man smiles. He stands once again, bones crunching.
Ak-bi’s hand trembles strangely. A chill cascades down his spine, seeming to consume his entire body.
This isn’t an illusion.
It’s definitely… not an illusion.
A being who has shattered and been battered, who should have long since broken…
Right now, he truly feels like he’s being caught up to…?!
“Is there any specialness in repeating a day endlessly?”
The Blood Hound straightens its distorted body. Beyond death, its eyes gleam as it whispers.
“Come, Ak-bi.”
“…What in…?!”
“Just a bit more…”
The sword he gripped is stained in the blood he spilled.
Ak-bi unknowingly takes a step back.
“Seems like I can catch up.”
“What… you crazy bastard?!”
. . .
**Gucheonghyeolmagong (九天血魔功)**
**Jeyukhyung (第六形)**
**Eunhyeolsa (染血使)**
Feel the weight at the tip of your sword. Don’t think.
Just connect. Simply do what you can.
Understand that which grips your sword.
It’s okay to be hurt. It’s fine to struggle through the pain.
Just think of the next.
As you have always done.
“I won’t lose to the same move!”
Once again, it shoots forth. Right before me.
Zanhonpalguichang.
The swirling eight spears spell out the chaos. Within that, I swing my sword.
To take everything at once.
To perfectly awaken after just a glimpse of the sword path.
To quickly adapt and predict the opponent’s next move.
I can’t do that. I never even possessed such things in the first place.
The swords clash, losing portions of the attack. Everything that missed, consumed my body.
The skin splits. Flesh bursts. Blood flows.
In the broken field of vision, my head shakes for a moment.
Yet in the blood I spilled, I continued to move.
To grasp the next moment.
To target what comes next.
“You bastard…?!”
Empty your head.
Keep emptying it. Keep pushing forward stubbornly.
Weave it.
Continue to weave it.
Feel the weight. Make it heavier yourself.
Advance. Resist. Slice through!
In exchange for time…
Focus on releasing what’s piled up within your body.
“You bastard!!!!”
Zanhonpalguichang flies toward me. My right arm is pierced.
I drop the sword. But immediately grab it with my left arm.
I strike. The enemy.
Don’t stop. Keep going.
—Thud.
The ground shakes beneath my extended foot. The surging Yi-hyeong Ki bursts forth from my body.
I race forward to topple the steadfast opponent.
From head to toe. Bursting every energy channel, I ignite my eyes with fire.
Moments of death flash by. In the spilled blood, my vision darkens for a moment.
Yet I keep moving. My broken right arm. My legs seem like they might fall.
Pain floods over me. The moment I falter, my brain tries to freeze, rattling.
**Don’t stop!**
I shout to myself. Gritting my teeth, I reach for the dropped sword.
Ear Sword Bai Ya.
The sword that bounced through the air, I snatch it back as I toss aside the Blood Sword.
**Bingbaekhyeolgui (氷白血鬼劍)**
**Jeyuki-hyeong (第六形)**
**Eunhyeolsa (染血使)**
I release the weight. Coldness overflows from the now lightweight sword.
At overwhelming speed, I aim for Ak-bi’s neck. I only carve a fleeting mark on his frantic retreat.
“This… This can’t be happening…?!”
Zanhonpalguichang goes wild. Blood suddenly gushes out from the pierced abdomen.
The vortex of life’s essence feels like my whole blood is rushing backward.
But I don’t stop.
The dropped Bingbaekhyeolgui pierces the ground. The Ear Sword Black Pearl bursts forth with flaming energy.
**Hwa-yunhyeolgui (火輪血鬼劒)**
**Jeyuki-hyeong (第六形)**
**Eunhyeolsa (染血使)**
The exploding flames form a circle. The immense weight slows down the motion.
However, that weight doubles. The power becomes overwhelmingly heavy, igniting the air upon contact.
The insufficient speed compensates by grasping the pierced spear with muscle.
“What the bloody hell…?!”
One strike.
Extending the strike.
—Boom!!!!!!
Within the swirling noise, Zanhonpalguichang crumbles. For a brief moment, I take another step.
The dropped swords are plunged into the ground.
In those fleeting moments, I grasp tightly, pouring an endless onslaught.
In the next instant.
Only the next stair.
By aiming solely for that single spot, before long I’ll reach the summit. Even if the truth denies it, I will make it truth.
Behold, O world. This is my sword.
There is no flair. No skill, no pretense whatsoever.
I simply… pursue the next…!
**I only advance upwards!**
**Transformed Sword.**
**Lianhunshasa (聯魄社射)**
The inverted beast’s skin howls.
The blood-colored shadow that springs forth grabs hold of the swords embedded in the ground. I seize it to take another step forward.
I dexterously switch the sword. Forcibly hammering in the technique that was lacking amidst the spinning blades.
Bingbaekhyeolgui bursts forth from my fingertips. The icy blade of cold seals the enemy’s retreat.
Hwa-yunhyeolgui bursts forth. The violent blazing sword staunches the enemy’s advance.
Gucheonghyeolgui bursts forth from my fingertips. It weaves together the two derived swords, forming an unyielding center.
Three swords follow one another. The dropped swords rotate in a circle. In between those gaps, I bury everything I know.
An endless chain of changing strikes. One single dance of the sword.
Blood begins to splatter within the clashing swords. Not my own blood, but the blood of my enemy.
Zanhonpalguichang trembles. It seems about to crumble at any moment.
Ak-bi’s face contorts.
“What are you even?! What—what are you saying?!!”
Flames explode. Ice scatters. The power of blood-weaved blades tears apart the surroundings.
Ak-bi grits his teeth in the center of that vortex. Though his mouth quickly regenerates, within our existence, we are like poison to each other.
Blood bursts. Bodies shatter.
The same goes for the enemy. Scars begin to multiply, rapidly covered under the Cheongeop, flooding blood in all directions.
The world tortures me and asks.
So I answer. With the sword that doesn’t break.
Amidst the shattered wounds, Ak-bi gasps. Unable to endure the pain, his hands tremble.
“How… are you enduring this? This pain! What the hell are you…?!”
The vicious spear forcefully pushes me back. It reveals its teeth, aiming to tear me apart.
“You insane bastard… You lunatic!!”
Zanhonpalguichang converges into a focal point. The green energy bursts violently.
“Don’t you dare rise!!”
The violent breath bursts forth. The energy I exhaled overflows.
The spear aimed at me forces me back. Grabbing the forcibly created gap, I chant the dirge of conquest with the spear tip.
The air is pulled in. My life’s essence quivers.
The ground standing under Ak-bi fractures. In that simple stance, scattered corpses break into countless pieces.
It’s coming. The hidden move of my opponent.
It feels as though a dagger is plunging into my body just from the form. Instinct warns me, as if I’ve already been pierced once.
It seems I can’t prevent it. It’d be better to evade.
…But.
The soul screams.
**Advance.**
Blood bursts forth from the teeth biting together. The flesh cloaked in blood roars fiercely.
I seize the Blood Sword. The blood-colored shadow absorbs the two Ear Swords, pulling immense energy from them.
Three swords merged into one.
In the center of that energy, a moment of unity.
And at that moment…
They become equal.
**The weight of life is equal for both me and my opponent.**
Having died dozens of times.
Having bled dozens of times.
He barely reaches the staircase of nothingness.
I place my hand upon it. Grasping the unpassable step, I haul myself up.
Filling those lacking talents with blood. My trembling body cries out as if it’s reached its limits.
Yet…
“…As I said.”
He ascends once more towards the sight of Ak-bi.
“I’ve caught up to you, Ak-bi.”
With a sword stained in blood.
Walking along a path that no one else believes can be followed.
**Gucheonghyeolmagong (九天血魔功)**
**Jeyoegeong (第外劍)**
**Yin-yang Unification (陰陽合一)**
**Gigantic Culling Force (巨殲沛力拏紮)**
Just as always.
The duality of vitality and darkness.
From within the shimmering two colors, a burst of red energy erupts.
Ak-bi’s Zanhonpalguichang’s pinnacle engulfs the world. The green energy swirls, consuming all in its sight.
Eight spears that seem insurmountable.
The blade at my fingertips trembles. Amidst the wails of the risen dead, I whisper.
“…Let the sinner die, and show the strength of my temple.”
Surpassing even the ocean of green energy.
I stare firmly into Ak-bi’s distorted eyes.
“I have accomplished one thing now. Master.”
I move my sword.
Though it shakes as though it’s about to shatter, it never truly breaks…
My sword.
