Chapter 262: Moon Gazing
Chapter 262: Moon Gazing
Demon Sovereign Man Hak-sung asked Seonwoo Jin.
"Do you have the confidence?"
Seonwoo Jin answered resolutely.
"I believe confidence is irrelevant to the matter of avenging one's parents."
"Hmm."
Demon Sovereign Man Hak-sung stroked his white goatee with an intrigued expression.
He pondered for a moment before answering.
"I cannot forbid you from avenging your parents. Very well. I will grant you your chance for revenge."
Seonwoo Jin bowed his head respectfully toward him, and Jin Tae-do's face contorted.
'Inparang! This damn bastard, to the very end...'
Jin Tae-do was furious.
It wasn't because he lacked the confidence to fight Seonwoo Jin and win.
It was because fighting and winning right now held absolutely no benefit for him.
He had been looking for a way to divert Man Hak-sung's attention elsewhere and seize an opportunity to escape from here.
But if he fought a one-on-one duel against Seonwoo Jin, both of those goals would become impossible.
Moreover, in the worst-case scenario, he might even end up revealing his own hidden cards.
'Ma Gyeong was probably thinking the same as me. He must not have thought that the Inparang brat could beat me anyway. That it wouldn't matter if he lost. No, he likely gave his permission assuming the kid would naturally lose.'
Whatever the outcome of the duel, it would be a matter of no real loss for Man Hak-sung.
If Jin Tae-do won, he'd just figure he could take him out afterward, and even if, however unlikely, Seonwoo Jin won, it would only be a slight disappointment for him.
On the other hand, for Jin Tae-do himself, it was nothing short of a complete and utter loss.
But even if that was true, there was nothing he could do.
Because Jin Tae-do himself had no other choice.
Now, with even the Hyeongsan Sect's Ja Seong-jin-in glaring at him with suspicious eyes thanks to a few words from Seonwoo Jin, it was even more so.
Seonwoo Jin pointed the White Tiger Sword at Jin Tae-do and declared.
"Jin Tae-do, I will deliver the vengeance owed to the Haenam In-ga clan and the elders of the Sa-ga clan, whom you unjustly killed."
Jin Tae-do stared at Seonwoo Jin with a twitching eye.
Though several zhang of distance still remained between them, a frost-barbed killing intent was piercing through as if to skewer their skin.
Faced with that extraordinary momentum, Jin Tae-do had no choice but to acknowledge the reality.
'I have no choice. I have to kill that bastard first before I can see the next move. Or, if I don't kill him but take him hostage instead? Would he hold that much value to Ma Gyeong?'
His mind was in turmoil.
But outwardly, he fiercely unleashed his own momentum and drew his sword.
Chaeng!
"A wet-behind-the-ears pup climbs the mountain, unaware of the tiger's ferocity!"
However much he loved his schemes, Jin Tae-do was still a warrior.
His thoughts simplified a little the moment he drew his sword.
'Yes, whether I kill him or capture him alive, I'll produce a result quickly.'
This was the solution Jin Tae-do instinctively latched onto.
But seeing this, Seonwoo Jin gave a sardonic smile and spoke.
"I can hear the gears turning in your head from all the way over here. Judging by that look, you're planning to settle this quickly with me and then run. Taking me hostage if possible, I'd imagine."
At those words, Jin Tae-do widened his eyes in fury again.
There was nothing more infuriating than this bastard who spoke as if he had stepped right into his head.
Worse, it was all so accurate he couldn't even muster a rebuttal.
Still smiling, Seonwoo Jin asked Jin Tae-do.
"Shall I empty out your head cleanly in one go?"
"..."
Empty out his head?
He couldn't discern the brat's intent.
But Jin Tae-do decided to hear him out for now.
Because, truthfully, he was also curious about what the brat had to say.
Seonwoo Jin then wiped the smile clean off his face and declared, his words hammering in like nails.
"Jin Tae-do, you are going to die by my sword regardless. So there's no need for you to think about what comes next. How about it? Doesn't that clean up your thoughts nicely?"
How dare he!
The moment he heard those words, a boiling fury erupted in Jin Tae-do's chest.
He felt like the brat was toying with him all over again.
"You young whelp, how dare you!"
Shwiik!
Unable to hold back any longer, Jin Tae-do's sword shot through the air, hurtling straight toward Seonwoo Jin.
A flash sword with virtually no preparatory motion, so fast it was invisible to the eye.
It was the Jinyong Sword Technique of the Haenam Jin Family.
Jjeoeong!
The next moment, a powerful clash echoed as both men withdrew to opposite sides.
There stood Jin Tae-do, his eyes twitching, and Seonwoo Jin, wearing a bitter smirk.
At that instantaneous collision, Biyo Magun Sang Dogyeong, one of the Four Evils of the Great South watching from behind Man Hak-sung, asked in a bewildered voice.
"Wha, what was that? Just now?"
He wasn't the only one bewildered.
Heukgyo Magun and Baekjeok Magun, who were watching with their arms crossed, also wore astonished expressions.
It was because they hadn't been able to visually register the first clash between Jin Tae-do and Seonwoo Jin.
They were sword strikes of such blistering speed that even three super-peak demon heads commanding the Southern Sea couldn't follow them with their eyes.
Only Man Hak-sung, the single person present who could perceive their clash, let out an exclamation of admiration.
"Ho-oh!"
Meanwhile, the expressions on the two men who had separated again and stood aiming their swords were markedly different.
Jin Tae-do was in a state of slight panic.
Because his surprise attack had been deflected far too easily.
He had only thrust once to test the waters, but it was unnerving that the brat had deflected his flash sword with a flash sword of similar speed.
Furthermore, the technique the brat had just displayed wasn't even the One Strike of the Sail Sword Technique he had shown last time.
It was nothing more than a simple motion of swinging his sword.
The mere fact that he had reacted to his flash sword was astonishing enough, but Jin Tae-do couldn't help being shocked that he had simply batted it aside.
"You bastard, what was that just now...?"
Seonwoo Jin answered with a beaming smile.
"Surely that wasn't your best? If it was, I'd be sorely disappointed."
Watching his leisurely smile, Jin Tae-do came to a realization.
For whatever reason, this brat had grown another level compared to when he had seen him just a few days ago.
This was no longer a situation where he could be confident of winning no matter the circumstances.
"You wretch..."
Jin Tae-do narrowed his eyes and began to focus his mind.
Now that he'd acknowledged the opponent, he intended to get serious.
Seeing this, Seonwoo Jin nodded.
A momentum befitting the Hainan Demon Sword Jin Tae-do, one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World, was finally radiating outward.
'Now it truly begins.'
Seonwoo Jin focused his mind.
This was the moment he could finally and properly test his skills against one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World, someone who had reached that realm not through assassin techniques like Am Hyeol-hyang's but through the sword.
And it felt just a little different from all his fights up until now.
'A direct contest of skill against one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World.'
It was something he couldn't even have imagined in his previous life.
Having crossed the span of one lifetime, he was now able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those he had once looked up to as beings dwelling above the heavens.
Just the thought of it was enough to make his heart pound.
Through his recent enlightenment, Seonwoo Jin had finally broken past the wall of a hundred years of internal energy, entering the state of the super-peak realm.
He had finally stepped into the same world as the monstrous beings he would have to fight from now on.
Thus, Seonwoo Jin himself was intensely curious to see just how much martial prowess he could unleash in his current state if he were to employ the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance.
This was why he absolutely could not concede this fight with Jin Tae-do, even at the risk of revealing his true skill to Ma Gyeong.
'Now then, shall I take things up a notch as well?'
Third form of the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance.
Hyeonmangwol, activate.
Hwaaaaah!
Seonwoo Jin raised the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance, which he had been maintaining at the second form, Hyeonwol, by one level, entering the state of Hyeonmangwol.
Once again, he felt the sensation of omnipotence and omniscience. The state of Hyeonmangwol, which had always been a struggle for him, now felt far more comfortable.
In that state, Jin Tae-do and Seonwoo Jin slowly circled each other, maintaining a fixed distance.
A duel between quick-draw swordsmen is decided in a single clash of blades.
Perhaps the next exchange would be the last.
Every detail — the movement of each other's feet, the twitch of a finger muscle, even the quiver of fine body hair — was completely within their mutual perception.
It felt as if only the two of them existed within this space.
Then, in a single moment, Jin Tae-do thrust his sword out first.
An ultra-fast thrust with virtually no preparatory motion.
And this time, it was a three-strike flurry.
Shushushuk!
Three swords pierced toward Seonwoo Jin's body almost simultaneously.
The speed was tremendous.
Unable to withstand it in place, Seonwoo Jin was forced to retreat hastily, deflecting the strikes.
Jjeojjeojeong!
Seizing the momentum, Jin Tae-do continued thrusting his sword forward.
This time, it was a five-strike flurry.
Shushushushushuk!
Once again, Seonwoo Jin had no choice but to fall back in alarm, batting the attacks away.
Jjeojeojeojeong!
But Jin Tae-do's assault didn't end.
He began to drive forward like a storm, seemingly intent on riding this momentum to finish the fight right then and there.
"Haaaaap!"
Watching this, Biyo Magun Sang Dogyeong, one of the Four Evils of the Great South, furrowed his brow slightly and asked Demon Sovereign Man Hak-sung.
"Backpedaling like that? He seems to be getting pushed back heavily. Is it alright to leave him be, Great Head?"
To be honest, his eyes couldn't properly perceive the offensive and defensive exchanges happening right now.
But it was common sense that one shouldn't retreat during a duel.
Because it only fed the enemy's momentum, making a counterattack impossible.
Man Hak-sung gave a short reply.
"The brat's eyes are still alive."
"Huh?"
Hearing Man Hak-sung's words, Sang Dogyeong suddenly looked at Seonwoo Jin's eyes.
Despite being pushed back helplessly, Seonwoo Jin's eyes were still shining sharply.
At the very least, those eyes did not look like the eyes of someone caught in a crisis.
It was at that moment.
"Haaaaap!"
Jin Tae-do let out a martial shout and thrust his sword.
In an instant, a storm of invisible sword strikes rained down upon Seonwoo Jin.
From the side, it looked as if countless swords were stabbing at him from all directions simultaneously.
"Huk!"
"Wha, what?!"
At that tempest of flash swords, two of the Four Evils of the Great South let out cries of alarm.
It was an attack they felt utterly incapable of withstanding themselves.
But Seonwoo Jin was not them.
His movement technique, his eyes having tracked Jin Tae-do's attacks with razor sharpness until the very last instant, suddenly became as light as if he had turned into air itself.
Shushushuk! Jjeong! Shushushuk! Jjeojeong! Shushushuk!
"Huh!"
"How can he do that?!"
It was an astonishing sight.
Seonwoo Jin's form, swaying lightly as if scattered by a gentle mountain breeze, was deflecting every single one of Jin Tae-do's invisible sword strikes.
Occasionally batting away what he couldn't deflect, the sight of him letting the entire storm-like flurry flow past him left the Four Evils of the Great South simply standing with their mouths agape, nothing but sighs of admiration escaping their lips.
Seeing this, a light of alarm flickered in Jin Tae-do's eyes.
It was the moment his heart, believing he could end things with this attack, wavered slightly.
In that instant, Seonwoo Jin's eyes flashed.
And his sword did the same.
"Haaaaap!"
Jjeoeong!
Jin Tae-do gritted his teeth against the slash that powerfully smote his own sword.
'Keuk!'
The lightning-like sword strike that smote him in that moment sent a shock through his blade, threatening to wrench it from his grip.
It was a tremendous strong sword strike.
And the attack didn't end there.
Just as Jin Tae-do was clenching his sword through the pain as if the webbing of his hand was tearing, the brat's sword came chopping down overhead like an axe.
It was a two-strike flurry with virtually no time lag between them.
Jin Tae-do screamed the name of that sword technique in his mind.
'Southern Cross Sword!'
Jjeoeong!
Jin Tae-do barely managed to block this strike as well.
But while he blocked the sword, he couldn't overcome the internal power loaded onto it.
The tremendous internal force behind the blade forced him to reel backward helplessly.
His sword, too, was vibrating in his grip like a live fish.
Woooooong!
"Ughhhh!"
Jin Tae-do couldn't recover his sword.
But Seonwoo Jin's attacks continued relentlessly.
Before he knew it, Seonwoo Jin was already in front of him again, swinging his sword.
Buaaaaang!
Only then did Jin Tae-do finally recall what kind of sword technique the Southern Cross Sword truly was.
It was a technique where each successive cross-shaped strike carried greater and greater force, until it ultimately destroyed either the opponent or the opponent's sword.
That was the defining characteristic of the Southern Cross Sword.
Jjeoeong!
As he received the third strike, Jin Tae-do's grip finally tore open.
Blood began seeping out along with searing pain.
"Khuhh!"
And then once more.
Jjeoeong!
With the fourth strike, he heard a ripping sound.
It felt like a muscle somewhere in his arm had torn.
The strikes continued.
Jjeoeong!
Jin Tae-do barely managed to receive the fifth strike and thought. The sixth one that would follow — he wouldn't be able to take it.
At this rate, he had no choice but to be defeated by the bastard.
Eudeudeuk!
Jin Tae-do ground his teeth.
He absolutely could not suffer such an empty, futile defeat.
He couldn't let everything he had built up until now be blown away by this single loss.
Jin Tae-do glared at Seonwoo Jin, who was bringing his sword down again, and thought.
All of this was because of that bastard.
Inparang, that hateful wretch, had taken everything from him.
So he had to kill him.
Even if he himself died here, he wanted to somehow kill that hateful bastard no matter what.
In that fleeting moment, having concluded these thoughts, Jin Tae-do stared at the sword coming down upon his head and made up his mind.
'If I keep going like this, defeat is inevitable. I won't hold back any more reserves!'
And with that, he shot his sword forth with all his might.
It was an ultimate move he had conserved in preparation for fighting Ma Gyeong.
The ninth technique of the Jinyong Sword Technique.
Ferocious Dragon Piercing the Sea.
The charge of a ferocious dragon parting the sea.
It was his secret ultimate technique, the very same one that had once blown a hole clean through the chest of Cheongpo Magun of the Four Evils of the Great South.
Peo-eo-eong!
With a piercing sound like a cannon firing, Jin Tae-do's blade shot forth with terrifying force toward the descending sword of Seonwoo Jin. It was a ferocious thrust that seemed as if it would shatter the sword outright.
Kwaaaaang!
The tip of Jin Tae-do's sword collided with the edge of Seonwoo Jin's blade.
And with that, a tremendous roar erupted.
From the aftershock, this time it was Seonwoo Jin who was sent hurtling backwards by about three jang.
"!"
Seonwoo Jin retreated with cold, composed eyes and smoothly brought his body to a halt.
At that, it was Jin Tae-do who was more bewildered.
Because he had thought that the Ferocious Dragon Piercing the Sea would shatter the bastard's sword and pierce through his head as well.
Yet instead, the repulsive force from the bastard's strike was even making him stagger backward slightly himself.
'No matter how strong a sword technique the Southern Cross Sword is, the bastard's internal power should clearly be beneath mine. So how on earth does he have this much force?'
Jin Tae-do couldn't know, but it was possible because Seonwoo Jin, realizing that his strikes were proving formidable, had belatedly begun to mingle the profound principle of Opening Heaven into his sword strikes.
Jin Tae-do gritted his teeth and pressed forward again.
Never mind the bastard's internal power — now that he had gained momentum, he had to press the attack once more.
"Haaap!"
His sword shot forward again like a cannon shell.
Though the speed was slightly less than the quick sword from earlier, it was the Ferocious Dragon Piercing the Sea, carrying the might of a colossal pillar being fired.
Peo-eo-eo-eong!
Seonwoo Jin's chest was blown wide open by the powerful strike.
But in the very next moment, his afterimage smoothly vanished, and his form appeared slightly to the side.
He had deflected the strike as softly and fluidly as air.
"I won't let you get away!"
Jin Tae-do launched his sword again in rapid succession.
This too was the Ferocious Dragon Piercing the Sea.
Peo-eo-eo-eo-ong!
A cannon-shot-like piercing sound.
Against that powerful force, Seonwoo Jin retreated like a flower petal scattered upon the wind.
But Jin Tae-do wouldn't let him go.
As if determined to finish it this time, he continued to stay right on him.
Peo-eo-eo-eo-ong!
Seonwoo Jin barely managed to fling his body aside and escape Jin Tae-do's strike.
But the collar of his clothes, which he hadn't been able to fully evade, was shredded and scattering like powder.
The breadth of the sword strike was simply too wide.
Though he was managing to avoid it somehow, it was as if an invisible colossal pillar was flying at him.
At this rate, he was in a precarious state, as if he might be caught and torn apart by the sword strike at any moment.
"Seonu Gongja...."
Jin So-eun looked toward Seonwoo Jin with desperate eyes.
The three of the Four Evils of the Great South also furrowed their brows and spoke to Man Hak-sung.
"Great Head, at this rate...."
"It looks like he'll die soon. Should we not intervene?"
But Man Hak-sung did not answer their questions.
He simply continued watching the fight with an expression of keen interest.
Various thoughts were crossing through his mind.
'That bastard Jin Tae-do, he's been hiding a sword technique like that. It's rather threatening. And moreover, that little brat tiger is somehow managing to withstand it?'
He was honestly surprised.
Both of them were displaying martial prowess far exceeding the level he had anticipated.
Jin Tae-do, whom he had dismissed as a mere insignificant snake hatchling, had venomous fangs, and the tiger cub he had thought he could raise as a pet was already a savage beast.
'Not now perhaps, but if left alone, he could become a threat before long.'
And Man Hak-sung was not the type of person to leave those who could pose a threat to him alive.
The chill in his gaze was gradually deepening.
Meanwhile, Seonwoo Jin was concentrating his entire mind on his movement technique.
It was because the Ferocious Dragon Piercing the Sea — which he had seen once before but was now facing directly — was far more powerful than he had expected.
Peo-eo-eo-eo-ong!
"Hwoooo!"
Speed rivaling the One Strike he himself unleashed, an attack range like Bae Jong-gwan's forearm strike, and power like Seol Pung's Righteous Fist.
It was excessively troublesome.
Of course, it wasn't as if there was no way to counter it.
It seemed that striking it down head-on with the Opening Heaven would work.
No matter how powerful the Ferocious Dragon Piercing the Sea was, it was nothing compared to the Opening Heaven.
But Seonwoo Jin resolved not to do that.
He didn't want to reveal the Mukrang Sword Technique in front of Ma Gyeong, and above all, he had a desire to avenge Inparang with the Southern Cross Sword.
'But for that to be possible, my current state won't do, will it?'
Jin Tae-do was certainly strong.
Even after entering the transcendent peak realm and, from that state, entering the third form of the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance — the Hyunmangwol state — he still felt the strain.
So now, the next step was necessary.
Seonwoo Jin rationalized the current situation to himself like that as he thought.
'Master Gwanggeom told me never to use it yet, but I've now reached the transcendent peak!'
So it seemed like it was about time to give it a try.
'Alright, let's go!'
Seonwoo Jin's eyes blazed with light in an instant.
A pale violet gleam, but the blue tint was stronger, giving it a chill like moonlight.
The fourth form of the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance.
Entering Gazing Moon.
Hwaaaaaak!
In an instant, Seonwoo Jin's mind entered the center of this world.
And with that, he was able to realize.
That his own existence was the one and only in all the world.
In contrast, all the beings that surrounded him were merely useless and meaningless.
Everyone was devoid of any value.
Even Jin Tae-do of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World, even Demon Sovereign Man Hak-sung of the Four Demons Under Heaven — it was the same.
They held no value whatsoever.
They were nothing but dust.
And thus, he who possessed the sole unique value in this world was, in fact, the master of the world.
He alone had the worth to exist purely, and he alone was qualified to preside over the life and death of all things.
Peo-eo-eo-eo-ong!
Jin Tae-do's Ferocious Dragon Piercing the Sea came stabbing toward him.
A laughable existence, that mere dust, daring to try to harm the master of the world.
It wasn't simply worthless — it was a nuisance.
Seonwoo Jin declared toward the bastard's strike.
'Part.'
And with that, a gap revealed itself within the bastard's strike.
A single strand of grain, clearly visible to the eye.
He slashed his sword along that line.
And with that, the edge of Seonwoo Jin's blade was able to precisely strike the face of the bastard's sword.
Jjeoeong!
By precisely striking the face of the sword, he had deflected the Ferocious Dragon Piercing the Sea.
Jin Tae-do was staring at him with a shocked expression.
Mere dust, and yet....
It was laughable.
He brought his sword straight down on the bastard's head.
Then he saw the bastard barely recover his deflected blade and try to block it.
Smirking, he gave a command.
'A futile effort. Break.'
And with that, lines revealed themselves upon the bastard's sword.
Lines cracked in all directions.
They were hairline fractures that had formed on the sword from the shocks it had received up until now.
Seonwoo Jin slightly altered the direction of his strike and brought it down upon the largest of the fractures.
Jjeoeong!
Peoseok!
And with that, the bastard's sword could endure no longer and finally shattered.
The bastard's eyes widened hugely at the sight.
Seonwoo Jin smiled a grimly bitter smile and, with the sword already shattered, continued his slash straight down.
Puhwaak!
"Kheuuuuk!"
The bastard's left arm was falling away like an insect.
That was right.
The bastard was an insect.
No, everything except himself was an insect.
And so now, it was time to knock off the insect's head.
Seonwoo Jin immediately moved to slash his sword toward Jin Tae-do's head.
The sudden change in direction made his arm creak slightly, but it didn't matter.
At that moment, someone's voice came through.
- Get a hold of yourself, Jin! Your body can't endure any more than this!
Can't endure?
He smirked.
What nonsense.
There was no way the body of the master of the world — his body — couldn't endure something of this degree.
Then the voice came again.
- Listen to me, your master! Think of Lady Dang! The things precious to you! Your friends — think of Bi Sa-yeong, Bae Jong-gwan, Seol Pung! You must save Lady Hae, no!
Precious things?
How amusing.
That the master of the world — that he — could possibly have such things....
It was in that very instant.
His mind suddenly snapped alert.
The faces of his master Mukrang, his friends, Dang Yeoeun, and Hae Cheongyeon rose in his mind.
"Khhuukk!"
Seonwoo Jin bit down until his lips bled.
Then blood spurted from his torn lips, and he was able to forcibly break free of the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance.
"Euggeukgeukgeuk!"
He retreated hastily.
His entire body was screaming.
Especially the muscles of his right shoulder, where he had swung the sword recklessly, were in severe pain.
He could feel that the muscles had been on the verge of being torn apart.
"Hwoooo!"
Taking deep breaths, Seonwoo Jin looked at Jin Tae-do.
His face had gone pale, and he was holding his shattered sword, staring back at him as if on guard.
Seonwoo Jin could recognize the emotion that filled Jin Tae-do's eyes.
It was terror.
So consumed by terror was he that he couldn't even stem the blood gushing from his severed left arm.
Then Mukrang spoke to him once more.
- Are you alright, Jin?
He answered with a bitter smile.
'Yes, Elder. Thanks to you waking me in time, it seems the muscles fortunately weren't torn. Thank you. With this, I'm fairly certain that using Gazing Moon is still beyond me.'
- Yes, I'm glad your body is unharmed. But... the situation outside seems to have gotten a bit serious?
Hearing Mukrang's words, Seonwoo Jin subtly scanned his surroundings.
And then he could see that Demon Sovereign Man Hak-sung was staring at him with a grave expression.
It was entirely different from the expression from before, when he had been looking at him as if he were cute.
Seeing that expression, Seonwoo Jin asked Mukrang.
'That expression — is it what I think it is?'
And Mukrang answered.
- Yes, if you thought it was the expression of someone who has realized the tiger cub he thought was a cat is already a savage beast, you are exactly right.
'...We're in big trouble.'
It was then.
Man Hak-sung opened his mouth toward Seonwoo Jin.
"Impressive. Very impressive indeed."
As he spoke those words, an intense, sticky killing intent was radiating from his expression.
Seonwoo Jin couldn't help but swallow hard without realizing it.