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Yaryuhan unleashed all of his qi.
Whiiiiish!
A frigid wind blew through the air. The cold was so intense that just inhaling felt like it would freeze lungs. And within that icy aura was an overwhelmingly evil presence. It seemed to say:
Do you dare to challenge me?
However, Geom Mugeuk did not stop. He kept walking forward, locking eyes with Yaryuhan.
“It might have worked on everyone else, but it won’t work on me.”
Geom Mugeuk also pushed his qi to the extreme, fully releasing it.The qi of the two warriors collided.
Yaryuhan was absolutely stunned by Geom Mugeuk’s qi.
Qi isn’t simply about the amount of internal energy one possesses. It’s a manifestation of someone’s nature, talent, character, values, and the martial arts they’ve mastered. Qi is closely tied to the essence of the heart and soul.
And what Yaryuhan felt from Geom Mugeuk’s qi was something he had never experienced before.
The initial impression of Geom Mugeuk’s qi was gentle and refreshing. It felt like gazing at an endless expanse of clear blue sky.
In truth, Yaryuhan found himself standing alone in that blueness. Everything around him was sky blue. The sky, the walls, the ground.
He reached out his hand. Splash. In that moment, he realized—it wasn’t the sky; it was crystal-clear water. What he had been seeing was the sky reflected in the water.
An unseen force pulled Yaryuhan deeper into the water.
He continued to sink. When Yaryuhan looked down, he saw no bottom. The fear of the abyss gripped his heart like a vise.
‘How does such a young man possess this kind of monstrous qi?’
Geom Mugeuk, walking towards him, seemed like a giant.
Geom Mugeuk, on his part, was facing an immense qi as well.
He felt like he was trudging through a fierce blizzard. He couldn’t see ahead, nor could he see an end. It was as if he was walking alone through a snowy wasteland, surrounded by biting cold.
But Geom Mugeuk was neither afraid nor lonely. He simply continued walking. It was a path he had walked before. This dreadfully lonely road was the one he had traversed his entire life. 1
As he passed through the intense snowstorm, Yaryuhan stood beneath the clear sky of his heart.
Yaryuhan had managed to swim up from the endless depths of the ocean, standing now in front of Geom Mugeuk.
Yaryuhan asked in a trembling voice.
“Who are you?”
“I am...”
Geom Mugeuk whispered softly.
“Well, you accepted that I’d tell you when you would be dying, didn’t you?”
Swish!
Geom Mugeuk’s sword slashed through the air in a sudden attack.
Clang!
Yaryuhan narrowly blocked the attack. Entranced by Geom Mugeuk’s qi, he had almost lost his head on the spot.
The fear of potential death thrilled Yaryuhan. More than anger, he felt joy. He had never experienced such a maddening battle before.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their swords clashed again, creating dazzling flashes of light.
The attacks were even more powerful than before, but neither of them gave an inch.
Geom Mugeuk knew well where Yaryuhan’s strength came from. It was the result of the elixirs purchased with money scraped together through the ruthless exploitation by his Four Guardian Beasts, and the countless atrocities that had led so many to their deaths—all of these sins accumulated in his dantian.
Clang!
Their swords met in another fierce collision of tortured metal.
From the other side of his sword, Yaryuhan glared with murderous intent and shouted.
“Who the hell created a monster like you?”
“You all did!”
“What?”
“I was born to devour scum like you.”
Murderous intent flooded Geom Mugeuk’s eyes.
Yaryuhan suddenly saw a vision. From within a shadowy form, only blood-red eyes stared back at him, fixated on his soul.
Yaryuhan’s grip tightened on his sword.
“Try eating me if you can!”
Now, emotions were clearly visible on Yaryuhan’s face.
Rage, fear, excitement...
The dam of restrained emotions broke, and all his feelings poured out.
In that moment, he unleashed tremendous power.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Yaryuhan’s immense killing intent surged like an avalanche, crashing down on Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk activated the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique, shielding himself from the onslaught of murderous qi.
Without it, this incoming attack would have been fatal.
Swish!
Yaryuhan’s sword energy. It was different from any he had unleashed so far. It felt like a ghost made of ice wielding a sword, an illusion that charged forward with an otherworldly strike.
Instead of dodging, Geom Mugeuk unleashed the Fourth Form of the Soaring Sword Art, Flame Sky Form.
Yaryuhan’s attack, dynamic and almost alive, seemed like it would relentlessly pursue him if he recklessly tried to evade.
The two savage and tyrannical sword energies tore through the air, colliding with each other.
Boom!
The impact pushed both of them backward.
Yaryuhan’s expression showed his surprise. ‘He has blocked even this attack?’
Geom Mugeuk responded with his expression as well. ‘I told you, it won’t work!’
Whoosh!
Swish!
Between the two who had momentarily distanced themselves, the Bloodwheel and a Wind Palm Strike crossed paths, continuing the battle between Soma and Damal.
It was clear that the Bloodwheel’s power had significantly diminished. However, Geom Mugeuk couldn’t feel any joy—he had the time to see blood on the Bloodwheel.
Geom Mugeuk didn’t spare a glance at the Evil Smiling Demon.
The moment he revealed any awareness or concern for him, it would expose a critical weakness.
For that reason, since the beginning of the battle, he had never once looked at their fight. Not that he had the luxury to, anyway.
It was at precisely this moment that Cha Hwan made his move.
With Geom Mugeuk and Yaryuhan pushed back after exchanging powerful blows and only focused on each other, Cha Hwan judged that this was the right moment to attack. He had been waiting for this one opportunity the entire time he was watching.
Swish!
Cha Hwan lunged at Geom Mugeuk with his sword in a sudden ambush.
Slash!
Cha Hwan’s chest was split open as something flew in like a streak of light. It was as if a hidden weapon lodged in his chest had suddenly been released.
Blood spurted from Geom Mugeuk’s arm. If he had failed to evade with the Divine Lightning Step, the terrifying attack would have pierced his chest.
Cha Hwan stared blankly at his gaping wound.
The sword energy Yaryuhan had unleashed from behind him had pierced Cha Hwan’s chest and continued toward Geom Mugeuk.
Yaryuhan was ruthless. He had seized the opportunity in the moment when Cha Hwan obstructed his line of sight.
Cha Hwan had never imagined it. That the man to whom he had shown such loyalty for so many years would just use him in such a way and then discard him like a useless sock.
‘What is this?’
Cha Hwan was in shock.
While others bore a small tattoo on their chest, he had tattooed his entire body. He had served him tirelessly every day. Even if Yaryuhan had sent a telepathic message telling him to sacrifice himself, he would have gladly given his life for him without hesitations.
‘This isn’t right.’
Yes, those who use others always do it like this.
But to die in such a miserable way—it would be shameful to the dragon tattooed on his body. His thoughts ended with the realization that even an old broom standing in a corner wouldn’t have been used so carelessly.
Thus, Cha Hwan’s life ended pathetically.
As a meaningless life slipped away unnoticed, another duel was unfolding.
Up to that point, the Evil Smiling Demon and the Bloodwheel Calamity were still fighting with all their might.
At first, Damal had opted for a prolonged battle. He had superior internal energy, and his opponent was already wounded.
‘If I endure, I’ll win!’
He refrained from recklessly hurling his Bloodwheels, instead focusing on defending against the Blood Disaster Finger.
However, as the fight dragged on, he found himself unconsciously getting drawn deeper into the battle. There were two reasons for this.
The first was an inexplicable heat.
Every time he met the fierce, blue gaze pouring out from behind the mask, his internal energy surged involuntarily, and his blood flowed faster. Before he knew it, he was attacking the Evil Smiling Demon with all his strength without even realizing it. 2
The second reason was the clear difference in skill.
Soma never moved according to his opponent’s intentions. A prolonged battle? Not if he had anything to say about it.
If the Evil Smiling Demon hadn’t sustained internal injuries, the fight would have already ended. However, his internal energy control wasn’t smooth.
Damal had started the battle with confidence that he could win. But as the fight dragged on, his fear only grew.
‘Just die already, you damn demon!’
The Bloodwheel Calamity used the last of his strength to press Soma even more.
Whoosh!
Unleashing his hidden technique, the Bloodwheels performed a deadly dance, and the Evil Smiling Demon’s movements became increasingly precarious.
‘It’s working! Just a little more!’
Damal deployed his final secret technique.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Small Bloodwheels, used like throwing stars, sliced through the air and joined the assault. 3
The chaotic, relentless barrage of Bloodwheels was closing in on Soma, pushing him into a corner.
Swish!
Thunk!
The sound the Evil Smiling Demon had been waiting for finally echoed.
Boom!
The life-like Bloodwheels that had been filling the air tore into the ground, crashing through a wall before coming to a stop. The smaller Bloodwheels also scattered and clattered to the ground.
Damal watched in utter shock.
‘Why can’t I control them all of a sudden?’
Then, something slowly trickled down his face.
The Bloodwheel Calamity absentmindedly wiped it with his hand.
It was blood. Blood was streaming down from his forehead.
Damal languidly lifted one of the small Bloodwheels on his belt to see his reflection. A hole had cleanly pierced through his forehead.
‘When did that happen?’
With that final question, the Bloodwheel Calamity’s body bonelessly collapsed. 4
Astonishingly, Soma had managed to fire the Blood Disaster Finger through a tiny gap in the center of the wildly spinning Bloodwheels. He didn’t miss the exact moment when that gap aligned perfectly with Damal’s forehead. The Bloodwheel Calamity had never expected such an attack, and his own Bloodwheels had obscured his view, making it impossible for him to block the strike.
Meanwhile, the fight between Geom Mugeuk and Yaryuhan was also reaching its absolute peak.
Yaryuhan’s eyes changed after his attempt involving Cha Hwan failed. His black pupils completely disappeared, and both his irises and scleras turned entirely white. They didn’t just emit a white glow like before; they had fully transformed into a deep void, frost slowly spreading from their edges. 5
Geom Mugeuk sensed it immediately—Yaryuhan was about to unleash his final secret technique.
Given the divine might Yaryuhan had displayed so far, it was clear that Geom Mugeuk, too, needed to unleash his final move.
The final sword form of the Soaring Sword Art was released.
Even after mastering it to Twelve-Star Greatness, Geom Mugeuk had never used the Eighth Form, Return to Heaven Form, in actual combat until now.
Return to Heaven Form was a Forty-Four Strike Technique.
It was immensely powerful but had one fatal weakness: it consumed an enormous amount of internal energy, nearly exhausting all that the user possessed.
Thus, if by any chance the attack failed to kill the opponent, the user would be left vulnerable—it was truly a final move.
Now, not just his eyes but Yaryuhan’s entire body began to turn white and slightly see through, like translucent ice.
Primordial Extreme Cold!
This was the final secret technique of Primordial Splitting Sword Art, where one harnesses every bit of energy in their body to kill the opponent. It was a move that unleashed strength beyond one’s usual capabilities, but it also carried the risk of death if it failed.
In return, Geom Mugeuk unleashed the full might of the Eighth Form of the Soaring Sword Art, Return to Heaven Form.
Swish! Swoosh! Swish!
The sound of wind brushing against clothing accompanied the lines of sword energy beginning to trace over Yaryuhan’s body.
Yaryuhan, exuding extreme cold, began to swing his sword to defend against the attacks. If he managed to block all of Return to Heaven Form, Geom Mugeuk would surely die.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The speed of the sword lines intensified rapidly.
Yaryuhan’s sword did not waver as he blocked the attacks.
Jing—
The Black Demon Sword emitted a resonant hum.
It was the first time the Black Demon Sword had ever resonated during an attack.
Geom Mugeuk felt the Black Demon Sword merging with him, emanating its own dark energy to shield him from Yaryuhan’s vicious killing intent.
‘Yes, let’s end this together!’
Geom Mugeuk poured all his strength into the attack.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Fifteen strikes, sixteen strikes, seventeen strikes...
Yaryuhan blocked them with fierce determination.
Twenty-three strikes, twenty-four strikes, twenty-five strikes...
“Is that all you’ve got?”
Yaryuhan shouted defiantly.
The sword lines slashed even faster.
Thirty-four strikes, thirty-five strikes, thirty-six strikes...
Yaryuhan was using Primordial Extreme Cold to fend off attacks so rapidly that his arms were barely visible.
If the count reached forty-four strikes, Geom Mugeuk would lose.
But Geom Mugeuk remained unshaken and believed in himself. Sure, you must have worked hard to get where you are. But you didn’t work harder than I did!
Thirty-seven strikes, thirty-eight strikes, thirty-nine strikes...
As they raced towards the end!
- Squelch! -
The sound of flesh tearing rang out, and the brilliant sword light halted. The sound of clashing swords ceased as well. It was on the forty-second strike.
Geom Mugeuk’s sword had pierced Yaryuhan’s heart. Yaryuhan had ultimately failed to block Geom Mugeuk’s Return to Heaven Form.
The white and glassy hue that had taken over Yaryuhan’s body began to fade, returning him to his original state.
Staring into Yaryuhan’s eyes, which were filled with shock, anger, and fear, Geom Mugeuk spoke.
“The one who sent me is a father who had to watch his family die right before his eyes.”
Yaryuhan’s expression was one of utter confusion. He had assumed that he was being killed due to some grand scheme by the leader of the Unorthodox Alliance or a plot by the Demonic Cult.
That’s why this moment would serve as an even greater punishment for him. To die for such a reason? It would feel all the more unjust and resentful. He would die consumed by even greater fury.
“He healed your subordinates, but because he only did so after saving the patient he was treating, you killed his entire family.”
For a moment, Yaryuhan’s gaze wavered. It was as if he remembered—or perhaps he didn’t—and questioned if he was really dying for such a trivial reason.
“They say you had a principle of killing anyone who disobeyed orders. Well, this is the Demon Doctor’s answer to your pathetic principles. It’s the answer of a husband who lost his wife and a father who lost his child! Burn in hell!”
Squelch!
As the Black Demon Sword was pulled from his heart, blood gushed out like a fountain.
Splat!
“Aaaaargh!”
Yaryuhan let out a wrenching scream, blood spraying from his mouth.
His own blood poured down and reflected in his eyes, strikingly similar to the innumerable rivers that endlessly poured following his indifferent words and actions.
Geom Mugeuk didn’t move to avoid it. He stood there, letting the blood rain down on him, and slowly turned toward Soma.
The Evil Smiling Demon, having finished his own battle, was silently standing and looking in his direction.
Geom Mugeuk looked at him and smiled brightly.
“It’s all over, Soma.”
As Geom Mugeuk took a step towards him—
The Evil Smiling Demon began to collapse slowly, as if crumbling. 6
1 : Walking through a life that never ends, footsteps stretching out across the pure white expanse, like brushstrokes on a blank canvas, devoid of dreams, thoughts and future.
2 : The madness of a battle junkie is contagious. Also, I couldn’t find a way, nor did I want to interrupt Mugeuk and Yarhuyan’s battle but DAMN THAT’S SO COOL !!! I don’t have words strong enough to express my feelings, so I’ll get back to it and stop bothering you.
3 : Does he think of himself as a Ninja, with all the throwing stars and turtle boomerangs ?
4 : That’s ragdoll for you.
5 : Herobrine has fully descended.
6 : No Soma !!! Don’t follow that overused trope !!!
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