Chapter 345: Comeback (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 345: Comeback (5)
As a cataclysmic wave of heat engulfed the Heavenly Dragon Academy, a sanguine gale swept across the mountain.
Young prodigies fell one after another to the martial artists of the Unorthodox Faction, saturating the air with the thick, metallic stench of blood. The very mountain trembled under the colossal pressure of raging Combat Qi.
Slaam!
The earth buckled with every devastating punch he threw.
Grind-!
His foot scraped against the ground, leaving a deep scar.
Such was the ferocity of his attacks that each movement permanently marred the landscape. He was tearing the world apart, shredding it piece by piece. This mountain would never be the same.
Bi Eejin was a purist, loyal to the fundamental nature of martial arts. In the end, its true purpose was destruction. The notion of using it to protect? He had long since discarded such a narrow-minded ideal. To protect one thing, you must destroy another. While many martial artists trained to elevate their realm, they often missed the point: the essence of martial arts was annihilation. To achieve that pinnacle of destruction required sublimity, persistence, and relentless training—qualities he could respect.
However…
Drip… drip…
The Dishonored Venerable—no, the man he was now, Bi Eejin—had no concern for such things. For him, martial arts were merely a tool, a means to achieve his own idea of perfection: the destruction of heaven itself.
Drip…
Blood dripped from his hand. His palms were drenched, a sight to chill the blood of any onlooker. And not all of it was his.
Bi Eejin flicked the blood from his fingers and looked down at the figure writhing at his feet. The blood splattered everywhere belonged to that body.
"You are lasting longer than I expected," Bi Eejin said, his expression unnervingly calm. It was a genuine compliment.
His opponent had withstood eight or nine strikes. Bi Eejin had offhandedly said the man would win if he endured ten, but he hadn't actually expected him to last past five. He was arrogant, yes, but that arrogance was born of absolute confidence. His martial art was powerful enough to justify it. It held the force to shatter the heavens and everything beyond. That was why he had named it the Heaven Destruction Art.
Bi Eejin observed his opponent, who was barely clinging to life, and posed a question. "What was your title again? The Lord of the Black Palace, was it?"
The figure before him was indeed the Palace Lord.
"Haaah…" The Palace Lord exhaled weakly, as if in response. His condition was dire.
"…Why…" The Palace Lord's voice was a faint whisper.
"What?" Bi Eejin leaned in slightly, focusing his hearing.
This time, the words were clearer. "How… come… it doesn't work… against you."
"Hmm?" Bi Eejin tilted his head, puzzled. Then, understanding dawned. "Ah, you mean that?"
He knew what the Palace Lord was referring to: a trace of toxic Qi that still lingered within his body. He had sensed it just before their battle began. At first, he had been curious. It was a strange, nasty energy, unlike anything he had felt before—a Qi that not only obstructed his own energy flow but also slowed his movements. He had wondered if it was a poison, but it seemed more like one of the Palace Lord's innate abilities.
Whatever it was, it was undoubtedly a hindrance.
However, "It was pointless."
For Bi Eejin, it posed no real obstacle. "It was a nuisance, but in the end, all I had to do was block it." Had it been a true poison, it might have been problematic. But since it was merely a form of Qi, he only needed to use his own energy to wall it off, preventing it from interfering with his body.
The Palace Lord's pupils trembled violently at his response. "…That… is… impossible…"
It was a shock beyond his comprehension. The heavenly-blessed Qi he wielded was critically disruptive to any martial artist's system. Yet, Bi Eejin had not only allowed it into his body but had also isolated and neutralized it with his own Qi, all while dominating their fight.
"How… can you do such a thing…? What are you…?" Separating one's Qi from a foreign energy wasn't like picking salt from sand; it was like trying to extract alcohol from a flowing river. How was it possible?
Just what is that thing standing in front of me?
As the Palace Lord stared in stunned disbelief, Bi Eejin merely tilted his head, mildly confused. "It's as simple as just doing it. What's the problem?" If something was doable, you simply did it. He couldn't understand the Palace Lord's astonishment.
Dismissing the shocked man, Bi Eejin began to survey his surroundings. His gaze drifted toward the Heavenly Dragon Academy. If he wasn't mistaken, something significant was happening there as well. His senses couldn't reach that far, but he could feel that another problem had erupted.
This is… is it that child?
A faint, peculiar trace of Flame Qi brushed past his cheeks, carrying with it a dense killing intent and Combat Qi. This Flame Qi felt identical to what that child used, yet it was vastly denser and hotter. For a fleeting moment, Bi Eejin wondered if the boy had broken through his limits and grown stronger, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
The child was perched at the peak of the Peak Realm, but he still had a considerable distance to travel before reaching the next level. Moreover, he was still just a youth. Even Bi Eejin hadn't reached the Peak Realm at that age. It was impressive enough that the boy was already aiming for the Fusion Realm. At his current rate, he might achieve it by twenty.
If that really happens, then it will truly go down in history.
A twenty-year-old in the Fusion Realm—no one in history had even come close. The thought made Bi Eejin desire him even more. The child possessed the perfect talent and physique for his martial art.
How disappointing.
Once again, he was reminded of his own physical shortcomings. He had fortified his weak body through brutal training, experience, and the rare herbs in his secret vault, but it was only a temporary solution. His innate physical frailty and inferior Qi prevented him from reaching the Fusion Realm. He couldn't even wield his Heaven Destruction Art effectively; using it ten times pushed his body to its absolute limit. The art had been created for his past life's body, after all. This frail, talentless vessel was clearly unfit for such a supreme technique.
He had used it six or seven times already; any more, and the backlash would be severe. He was fortunate the battle had concluded before that point.
Bi Eejin sharpened his senses as he wandered the bloodied slope. The scent of blood still hung heavy, though it seemed to be receding.
Strange.
It seemed like a good sign, but it felt wrong. If this ambush could be resolved so easily, it likely wouldn't have been launched in the first place. The Academy's instructors and students were present, but simply matching the attackers' numbers didn't guarantee victory. The more powerful assailants were on par with the instructors, yet Bi Eejin sensed an anomaly.
I must learn what is happening.
A frown etched itself onto his face. He had no desire to involve himself in the affairs of the Central Plains. Though publicly regarded as an Orthodox Faction martial artist, he felt no allegiance to either side.
However…
I have no choice this time.
The main troublemaker of the Bi Clan was also here. Bi Eejin did not want that child endangered.
Why must I go through this mess at this age…?
He had avoided marriage and children precisely to sidestep such burdens, yet here he was, entangled in it all after regaining his youth. The irony was palpable.
I'm sure the other children managed to escape.
He felt a flicker of concern for the injured youths, but he trusted they had gotten away. He had informed the Sword Venerable—Wi Hyogun's descendant—beforehand, after all.
With that thought, Bi Eejin turned his attention back to the Palace Lord. He saw a ruined body on the verge of drawing its last breath. Although his opponent was of a higher realm and wielded a strange power, defeating him had not been difficult. Anticipating his moves, Bi Eejin had torn through his defenses in just a few strikes.
He clenched his fist. He considered reporting the man to the Murim Alliance before delivering the final blow, but decided against it. He didn't want to leave a potential threat alive, nor did he want to further involve himself and risk exposing his identity.
Bi Eejin planned to return to Bibi after this. He had left her in a safe place, but anything could have happened.
He pivoted at the waist.
Kwak!
His foot stomped the ground, solidifying his stance. His target was the Palace Lord's head. He aimed to end it with one clean blow. But just as his fist shot forward,
Squeeze-!
"...!"
Bi Eejin's fist froze in mid-air. He hadn't stopped himself. Someone had seized his wrist with an iron grip, forcing him to halt.
His gaze sharpened as he looked at the one who had stopped him. They had appeared suddenly, grabbing his wrist without him sensing their approach at all. Despite his exhaustion from the battle, the fact that he had been caught completely unaware was deeply shocking.
Tap-!
He twisted his wrist with practiced ease, slipping free from the powerful grasp. In one fluid motion, he created distance between himself and the newcomer.
"Who are you?" If they could approach undetected and halt his attack so effortlessly, they had to be an exceptionally skilled martial artist.
Bi Eejin assessed the figure. Shoulder-length black hair, pale skin. Their face was partially obscured by their hair, but looking at them gave Bi Eejin a strange sensation.
Their presence feels faint.
Though they stood directly before him, it felt as if they weren't truly there. Bi Eejin couldn't get a proper read on them. That must have been why he had missed their presence entirely.
He steadied his breathing and calmed his body. "I asked who you…!"
His words were cut short as a sharp, searing pain erupted in his dantian. Bi Eejin gasped and dropped to one knee.
Thud!
"Huff…!"
The pain was excruciating, as if his insides were being wrung out, radiating up to his neck.
This is…!
It was that mysterious toxic Qi that had entered his body before the fight with the Palace Lord. Now, it was raging out of control. His Qi surged wildly, draining his strength and sending waves of agony through him.
"Ugh…!" He struggled to endure it.
Bi Eejin glared up with bloodshot eyes. "…Is this your doing?" He realized the assault had begun the moment this figure appeared.
"…"
The figure remained silent. They merely turned their head to look at him. When Bi Eejin finally caught a glimpse of their face, horror washed over him.
He wasn't the only one shocked. The bleeding Palace Lord, kneeling nearby, also stared in stunned silence at the small figure's back.
"My…! My heaven…! Why are you…" the Palace Lord stammered.
As he spoke, the mysterious figure stepped toward Bi Eejin.
Rumble.
With each step, a dense, black aura poured from the small form. It resembled the martial art the Palace Lord had used, but it was immeasurably denser and far more menacing.
This is dangerous.
Bi Eejin knew he was in peril. Despite the overwhelming aura, he still couldn't get a proper grasp of his opponent's strength. He wondered if the pain was clouding his senses, but he knew that wasn't the cause.
The figure drew near and extended a hand shrouded in black aura toward Bi Eejin's neck. The small hand moved with swift, chilling purpose. It felt cold—not just cool, but deathly icy.
Just as the fingers were about to close around his throat,
Swoop-!
Someone grabbed the back of Bi Eejin's clothing and yanked him backward.
Thud!
He tumbled to the ground, but he was safe.
"Ugh…" Bi Eejin coughed violently and struggled to his feet. The pain was still there, but he could move a little now.
When he looked to see who had saved him, shock struck him once more.
It was Wi Seol-Ah.
He had explicitly ordered her to escape to safety with the others, yet here she was, having just saved his life. While grateful, he was utterly bewildered.
"Why…?"
It was a reasonable question. Wi Seol-Ah stood with her sword pointed fiercely at the presence before them. The presence, in turn, was looking back at Wi Seol-Ah with a strange, unreadable expression. It tilted its head, studying her from head to toe. Was it… fascinated by her?
It was possible. The figure's reaction was peculiar. It was like Wi Seol-Ah was staring into a mirror. The figure looked exactly like her, a resemblance so uncanny it sent a chill down Bi Eejin's spine.