Chaotic Battlefield (2)
The two monks halted their movement.
“Hmm?”
“What is it, Senior Brother?”
“Just a moment.”
As Beom-oh stopped, Lee Cheol-kyung also ceased his movement technique.
Lee Cheol-kyung spoke.
“Foshan is just a little farther ahead. Unless it’s something truly urgent, it would be proper to greet the esteemed elders first…”
“That’s not it.”
Beom-oh scanned their surroundings with sharp, piercing eyes.
“This fighting spirit…”
Killing intent, or fighting spirit, fundamentally referred to a person’s will being released outside the body through their inner energy.
Even for supreme experts, discerning the unique characteristics of fighting spirit or killing intent was no easy task. If it were being emitted directly before their eyes, that would be one thing, but the farther the distance, the more difficult it became to identify its source.
However, for someone of Beom-oh’s level, the story was different. Having trained in the martial arts of Shaolin, he could infer the identity of the opponent from nothing more than the lingering traces of their fighting spirit.
Of course, that was only possible if he had felt that particular aura at least once before.
“It feels familiar. I’m certain I’ve sensed it somewhere before… Ah!”
Beom-oh let out a short exclamation.
“It’s the Myeolsa Army. I’m not sure whether it’s the Myeolsa Army or the Tangma Army, but this is definitely the fighting spirit of the Myeolsa Army.”
It was an aura he had felt a couple of times while moving through the Martial Alliance. He had been too distracted at the time to identify which unit it belonged to, but he clearly remembered it as the fighting spirit emitted by the Myeolsa Army during their training.
And the lingering presence here was remarkably vivid. It meant they had passed through this place not long ago.
“Junior Brother.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Beom-oh’s expression hardened.
“This fighting spirit doesn’t feel ordinary. I will follow these traces. You head to Foshan first.”
Lee Cheol-kyung’s eyes wavered.
“Did you sense something?”
“……”
“I’m not sure. It’s not certain, but I have a feeling that something urgent is happening.”
Woooong.
A faint golden true energy flowed from Beom-oh’s body.
“We’ll meet later.”
There was no time to stop him. In the blink of an eye, Beom-oh activated the Geumgang Budong Shinbeop and dashed off in the direction the fighting spirit flowed.
Lee Cheol-kyung clicked his tongue.
“He really has changed. Not just his martial arts, but his personality as well.”
Of course, a person’s fundamental nature probably hadn’t shifted completely. Still, the current Beom-oh seemed far more serious and cautious than before.
Lee Cheol-kyung lightly tapped his own cheek.
“This is no time to be standing around. I should get moving too.”
Paang!
And so the two monks split up right before reaching Foshan.
Flames ignited in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.
Woooooooong!
The Mad Dragon Axe howled madly. It wasn’t because of true energy alone. Yeon Hojeong’s ferocious will had been poured directly into the axe.
If it were a sword, this would be the realm of geommyeong—sword resonance. The supreme state of true geom-a-ilche, where one’s heart was infused into the weapon, granting it a new life of its own.
Yayul Jeok’s eyes deepened.
“……”
“This is truly impressive.”
The martial arts of the Central Plains and those of the outer regions were different.
Yet no matter how different the paths, the ultimate destination of the mudo—the martial way—was always the same. The bloodthirsty axe resonance Yeon Hojeong was displaying right now was a realm that even within the Saeum Sect, fewer than ten individuals had ever reached.
This had nothing to do with the strength or weakness of one’s martial arts. It was the so-called domain of enlightenment. Moreover, the fact that it was manifesting so naturally even while his emotions were running high meant that this young man’s level of insight could easily be considered on par with a half-divine master and disciple.
It was truly astonishing. The power of the true energy radiating from him was clearly below his own, yet the pressure it emitted was so intense that even he felt his bones ache. And on top of that, his enlightenment had already surpassed the level of mere energy pressure.
At this point, mocking him for a lack of harmony between body and mind was no longer valid. Just how deeply had he pursued the martial path to reach such a level of enlightenment before even turning thirty?
“They call the Byeoksan Tiger the greatest genius of the younger generation, but this is beyond imagination. With that level of insight, he could become a powerhouse comparable to the strongest in the Seongcheon realm within ten years.”
So Bang spoke coldly.
“Don’t overestimate the enemy. He’s just putting on a show that looks impressive…”
“You’re the one who shouldn’t underestimate him. That axe looks like it could come alive at any moment and split us in half. Even excluding the elders of our sect, there is no one who has reached this level.”
So Bang bit her lip.
She was one of the most talented among the sect leader’s illegitimate children. In other words, a genius.
But the world was vast after all. A young man far younger than herself had already stepped into the realm of half-divine insight.
“It doesn’t matter what he is. If we kill him here today, that’s the end of it.”
“That is true.”
Yeon Hojeong took one step forward.
“‘Our sect,’ you say… You’re being quite direct.”
Yayul Jeok smiled bitterly.
“You’re the one who recognized the Blood Yin Demonic Energy and completely dismantled the movements of the Blood Yin Palm. It’s obvious you already know about our sect. There’s no point in trying to hide it now.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
Yeon Hojeong suppressed the murderous rage boiling inside him.
In truth, he wanted nothing more than to charge forward and swing his axe right now. His killing intent surged so fiercely that he felt the urge to beat the two of them until they were incapacitated and then mince them like chunks of meat in a butcher’s shop.
But Yeon Hojeong endured. His hatred for the Saeum Sect remained unchanged, yet the man he was now knew how to control his killing intent and understood what took priority.
After taking a light breath, Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“I heard there was an earthquake at your main base. According to the reports, such a shock wouldn’t occur unless it was a clash between supreme experts.”
“So that’s how it was.”
Yayul Jeok’s eyes turned ice-cold in an instant.
Paired with his pale complexion, his gaze radiated a bone-chilling murderous aura.
“It was your scheme. You were trying to make us fight each other.”
“It’s a shame it ended in failure. Looking at you now, it seems that so-called earthquake was also a trick meant to lower our guard.”
“You’re sharp.”
“I thought things were going a little too smoothly.”
Yeon Hojeong pointed the White Dragon Axe at So Bang.
So Bang’s face twisted. Just being aimed at by the axe made her killing intent surge. Setting aside the humiliation of being defeated by that damned bastard, the fact that she had even been forced to use the Eumjeongdan made her blood boil with rage.
“Judging by that woman’s personality, I figured she wouldn’t live a long life. Still, even if her temper is garbage, reaching that level of mastery requires more than just talent. It takes exceptional insight. It was true that I tried to stir up conflict between you, but the timing felt too early, which made me suspicious.”
“……”
“As expected, my guess was correct. It was a trap. And the fact that you two have shown up here means…”
Yeon Hojeong glanced at Sama Hyeon.
“That hotheaded fool must have made some kind of mistake.”
Yayul Jeok let out an admiring sigh.
“You really are clever.”
His mental agility was truly outstanding. Not only had he inferred the causal relationships from the revealed situation, but his ability to see through the entire sequence of events was nothing short of divine technique.
Yayul Jeok continued.
“That’s right. I already knew long ago that this hotheaded fool had broken free from my soul-stealing technique.”
Sama Hyeon’s eyes shook violently.
With that single sentence, he understood. Yayul Jeok had been watching his every move for a very long time.
I’ve been had.
Sama Hyeon ground his teeth inwardly.
So it was true. It wasn’t the Martial Alliance that made a mistake. It was me. The Shadow God has been monitoring me and sent troops here.
It was clearly an attempt to wipe them all out in one fell swoop. He must have intercepted one of the letters sent to the Martial Alliance.
…Damn it.
Sama Hyeon felt a bitter sense of defeat.
He had believed he had perfectly deceived his opponent all this time, but that had been nothing but an illusion. In reality, he had been dancing in the palm of Yayul Jeok’s hand without even realizing it.
“I knew he was planning something, but I couldn’t figure out what. Of course, his ultimate goal must be to kill me, his mortal enemy, but I couldn’t tell exactly how he intended to go about it…”
“Well, that doesn’t matter anymore.”
Yeon Hojeong cut off Yayul Jeok’s words like a blade.
“How we’ve been moving against each other until now is no longer important. That’s enough. What matters is this very moment, isn’t it?”
“……”
“Doesn’t look like you two came alone.”
So Bang sneered.
“Do you really think you need more than just the two of you to deal with the likes of—”
“Shut your mouth, you defeated bitch.”
“What… what did you just say?!”
Hwaaaaaaaaak!
The Blood Yin Demonic Energy erupted violently from So Bang’s body.
“You son of a bitch! If it weren’t for that ridiculous formation of yours, you would have died long ago! Just because you know how to counter the Blood Yin Palm, you think you can beat me…!”
“I know. That’s exactly why I used the formation.”
Yeon Hojeong let out a small laugh.
“And you lost. No matter how you look at it, you lost, so you deserve to be called the defeated. If not for my generosity, you wouldn’t even be able to bark like that right now.”
The longer the conversation continued, the more mental stability he regained. At this moment, he could perceive the two of them not as members of the Saeum Sect, but simply as ordinary enemies.
So Bang, however, was different.
“You…!”
Hwarrrrrrrk!
The Blood Yin Demonic Energy gathered in both her hands blazed like flames. She looked ready to attack at any second.
At that moment, Yayul Jeok raised his hand.
“Calm yourself, So Bang.”
“……”
“He’s a cunning one. There’s nothing to gain from acting rashly.”
So Bang bit her lip.
She wanted to tell him to stop talking nonsense and just kill the bastard right now, but she couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth. She instinctively knew that losing her composure here would only put her at a disadvantage.
Hooooooong.
So Bang forcibly suppressed her Blood Yin Demonic Energy.
It was then that Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“Yes, a dog must listen to its master if it wants to keep its food bowl.”
“…?!”
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“You should continue listening to that guy’s words from now on. At least he seems better than you.”
Yayul Jeok’s eyes wavered.
Chiiiiiiiiik!
The Blood Yin Demonic Energy that she had barely suppressed exploded outward once more.
So Bang shrieked like a vengeful ghost.
“You son of a bitch…!!”
Kwaang!
In that instant, Yeon Hojeong’s body was pushed backward with a violent slide.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t So Bang who had fired the fist wind at him. It was Yayul Jeok.
Yayul Jeok spoke in a sinister voice.
“There’s no point in dragging out this conversation any longer.”
“…”
“I told you so.”
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
Although he had blocked it with the Mad Dragon Axe, the power behind that single strike had been immense. A thin thread of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
“You really are the smarter one.”
“Enough. I’ll kill you first.”
Flash!
The moment Yayul Jeok finished speaking, pure white moonlight sliced through the air. It was a slash created by Yeon Hojeong’s White Dragon Axe.
Yayul Jeok’s hand blade drew a straight line.
Jjeoooooooong!
The slash that flew through the air shattered far too easily.
Flash!
Yeon Hojeong’s figure appeared above Yayul Jeok’s head.
Yayul Jeok’s eyes gleamed.
He had already read all of Yeon Hojeong’s movements. He raised the energy of the Yin Flower Red Current.
It was then that Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“Your main base must be empty right now, isn’t it?”
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
The two men’s martial arts collided head-on.
Yeon Hojeong was sent flying backward. But astonishingly, Yayul Jeok was also forced back two steps.
It wasn’t just that Yeon Hojeong’s strength was beyond imagination. The meaning behind his words had been far from ordinary. That was why his true energy had wavered for a split second.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t understand?”
Chiririririring!
Having climbed onto a tree and unraveled the Flood Dragon Chain, Yeon Hojeong spun the iron chain attached to the Mad Dragon Axe in wide circles.
“Since ancient times, muhyeol-ipseong—entering a city without shedding blood—has always been regarded as the greatest victory.”
“…?!”
“You came at just the right time. Thanks to you, I’ll be able to occupy the high ground first.”
At that very moment.
Dududududu!
Five hundred warriors of the Tangma Army had reached the doorstep of the Shadow God’s main base.