Chapter 372: Testing the Enlightenment
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 372: Testing the Enlightenment
Step, step, step.
Step, step, step.
Neung So-hwa and Sun-woo were running at a ferocious speed.
Swoooooosh!
They moved so fast that the sound of the air being sliced apart echoed around them.
After running for some time, Neung So-hwa suddenly skidded to a halt. Sun-woo stopped right along with her, and the two turned to face each other.
"This should be far enough," Neung So-hwa said, looking at Sun-woo.
"Yeah, at this distance, there definitely won't be any collateral damage."
Sun-woo looked back at the path they had taken. They had been running for nearly half a shijin, and they had done so while pushing the Wind-Dust Step to its absolute limit. At this distance, he was certain the warriors of the Alliance would be safe from the aftermath of their duel.
"Sohwa."
"What is it?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"It must be a hassle, but thanks for coming all this way to spar with me."
Sun-woo looked at her with sincerity in his eyes. He was truly grateful. She had indulged his selfish desire to test his new enlightenment, and she hadn't uttered a single word of complaint despite running for an hour. He felt cared for, and that feeling was wonderful.
"You thank me for the smallest things," Neung So-hwa replied with a soft chuckle. "You are my one and only lover. How could I ignore a request from you?"
"...Still."
"No 'stills'! Besides, a duel between masters of the Profound Realm is beneficial to my own progress as well. So, do not dwell on it. I am a woman who finds happiness just by breathing the same air as you. As long as you are by my side, I wouldn't mind running for twelve shijin, let alone half of one."
"..."
Sun-woo gazed at her, his eyes practically dripping with affection. She was so beautiful—not just her face, but her heart. How could she be so considerate of him until the very end?
Thump. Thump.
His heart began to race on its own.
"Sohwa..."
"Speak."
"I love you."
Whoosh!
At Sun-woo's words, Neung So-hwa’s face turned as red as a ripe apple. She hadn't expected him to whisper such a confession so suddenly.
"......I... do as well..."
Neung So-hwa managed to overcome her shyness and stammered out her response. She was so embarrassed she wanted to stay silent, but she didn't want Sun-woo to feel awkward.
"Hehehehe."
Sun-woo let out a giddy laugh. Hearing her shy, strained confession made him feel incredibly happy.
"Then... shall we get started?"
Sun-woo wiped the smile from his face and spoke in a serious tone. His gaze had shifted, becoming sharp and focused.
"Very well."
Step, step.
Neung So-hwa began to slowly back away from Sun-woo. Once she had gained enough distance, she shouted, "Sun-woo! Show me everything you've got!"
"Don't worry. I plan on going all out."
Sun-woo nodded in response. He intended to do exactly that. It wasn't often he found someone capable of withstanding his full power.
"Then I shall begin!"
Fwoosh!
With a shout that sounded like a declaration, Neung So-hwa’s entire body erupted in flames. The fire began to billow with terrifying momentum, and before long, it had grown into a massive tidal wave of heat.
"It's a spectacular sight, no matter how many times I see it," Sun-woo remarked in admiration.
He had seen this tidal wave of fire before. He had even used the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to deflect it. However, because the power was so immense, he remembered it consuming a significant portion of his internal energy just to warp its trajectory.
"It is not just for show," Neung So-hwa said with a proud smile. "It is as practical as it is grand."
Rumble!
The moment she finished speaking, the crimson tidal wave surged forward, threatening to swallow Sun-woo whole. Watching the onslaught, Sun-woo activated the mnemonic for the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth.
Immediately, the Nature Qi in the surroundings permeated his body, heightening his senses to the extreme. Through his enhanced perception, he watched the wave of fire. Even just looking at it, the overwhelming pressure was enough to instill instinctive fear as it loomed over his head.
ROAR!
"Twist."
The moment Sun-woo spoke, the rushing flames abruptly changed direction and surged back toward Neung So-hwa. Startled, she quickly withdrew her power. The massive tidal wave was instantly absorbed back into her body.
Flicker.
The flames vanished without a trace.
"Incredible," Neung So-hwa muttered, her voice filled with genuine wonder. She hadn't imagined he would be able to redirect her flames so effortlessly.
"How was it?" she asked, looking at Sun-woo.
"......It's strange."
"What is?" she asked, tilting her head.
".........It wasn't difficult at all."
Sun-woo spoke with a look of astonishment on his face.
"Not difficult?"
"Exactly what I said. There was no strain at all." Sun-woo looked at her with eyes full of excitement. "I feel like I could do that dozens of times."
"Did you say... dozens of times?"
"Yeah!"
Sun-woo answered brightly. Hearing this, Neung So-hwa’s expression shifted to one of wounded pride. Who was she? She was a transcendent who had reached the Profound Realm, often called a Half-Immortal. To hear that her attack could be blocked "dozens of times" stung her pride.
"Fine! Since you are so confident, I shall give you my absolute best!"
Neung So-hwa raised her voice in a declaration. She began to circulate the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art to its absolute peak. Massive flames, carrying a destructive aura, began to churn around her.
She pushed the temperature of the fire to its limit. The color of the burning flames began to shift. The crimson turned to yellow, the yellow to white, and finally, the white turned to a brilliant blue.
A ferocious aura of azure flames erupted from her. She gathered the blue fire, concentrating it into a single point. As the flames coalesced, they began to take on a massive shape.
A giant head, razor-sharp teeth, glinting eyes, and a colossal body that seemed to have no end... After a few moments, a flame dragon of perfect form revealed its majestic presence.
KRA-BOOM!
The completed dragon of blue flames let out a thunderous roar, as if it were a living creature.
"This is the Blue Dragon I have created. Its power is incomparable to the Fire Dragon you saw before." Neung So-hwa spoke with a deadly serious expression. "What do you think? Do you still believe you can block this?"
"Yes."
Sun-woo nodded calmly.
"Sun-woo, think carefully. Did you not see the Fire Dragon melt an iceberg in an instant? The power of the Blue Dragon is several times greater than that." Neung So-hwa tried to persuade him. "If you fail to block it, your life could be in danger."
"Sohwa." Sun-woo looked at her. "I know I can block it. So, please, fire it with everything you've got."
His voice was steady. It was strange. Sun-woo knew the power of the Fire Dragon better than anyone. Even without facing it head-on, its mere presence had once drained half his internal energy. It was a terrifying force capable of annihilating a massive iceberg in seconds. He had once trembled before that power.
And yet, strangely, even as he faced the Blue Dragon—which was supposedly several times stronger—he felt no fear. Instead, a sense of excitement began to pound against his ribs. It felt like the heart-fluttering anticipation of meeting a first love after decades apart.
I want to test it.
Sun-woo thought to himself. He wanted to test his power against the massive Blue Dragon standing before him.
".........Understood."
Neung So-hwa nodded. She thrust her hand toward Sun-woo.
ROOOOOAR!
The massive Blue Dragon let out a monstrous cry and lunged straight for him.
Tingle.
Sun-woo felt a tingling sensation spread through his entire body. The Blue Dragon Neung So-hwa had unleashed was the very definition of "overwhelming." If he were the man he was before his enlightenment, he would have been paralyzed by fear, convinced that such a force was impossible to stop.
But he was different now. Fear did not touch him. He simply focused on the massive flow of energy coursing through the Blue Dragon.
BOOM!
The dragon reached him in an instant, its massive presence looming right before his eyes.
Sizzle.
He felt a searing heat as if his skin were about to melt off. But Sun-woo could see it—the great flow within the Blue Dragon.
Vroom!
Using the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, Sun-woo seized that massive flow. Enduring the heat, he slowly raised his hand. He spread his palm wide and spoke.
"Twist."
An anomaly occurred. The Blue Dragon, which had been charging fiercely at Sun-woo, abruptly changed its trajectory. It happened with startling ease. The dragon soared straight up into the sky, as if it were ascending to the heavens.
A satisfied smile played on Sun-woo's lips. He realized it then—he had truly reached the state of the Ethereal Body.
"..............."
Meanwhile, Neung So-hwa stood there with her mouth agape, her usual dignity completely forgotten. She stared at Sun-woo in utter disbelief. What she had just witnessed was impossible.
It had flown into the sky. Her Blue Dragon. And it had happened with nothing more than a casual gesture from Sun-woo.
How could she believe her eyes? It made no sense. What was the Blue Dragon? It was her ultimate attack, a technique she had refined and reinforced from the Fire Dragon to multiply its power several times over. How could such a force be rendered useless by a simple wave of a hand?
When she first launched the attack, she had been filled with worry for Sun-woo. She had feared that the Blue Dragon was far too powerful just to "test" an enlightenment. It was a concentrated mass of more than half her total internal energy—the essence of a flame that far surpassed the one that had melted an iceberg.
And yet, it had been neutralized in an instant. With a casual gesture.
"Sun-woo."
After a long silence, Neung So-hwa finally spoke.
"Yeah?"
"...............Is it possible that the martial art you use to redirect force... does it not consume internal energy?"
"No, the amount of energy it uses depends on the magnitude of the force I'm redirecting."
"Then... how... how were you able to twist my Blue Dragon?"
Neung So-hwa looked at him, her expression full of confusion. Although the Blue Dragon didn't contain the "Will of the Mind," it was a technique packed with the highest destructive power she could muster. How could he look so relaxed after redirecting such a colossal force?
"......Sohwa." Sun-woo called her name softly. "Could you come over here for a second?"
He raised his hand slightly and beckoned her.
Step, step.
Following his request, Neung So-hwa came to a stop right in front of him.
"Could you touch me here?" Sun-woo said, pointing to his Dantian.
"Wh-wha... what are you saying all of a sudden!" Neung So-hwa’s voice rose in shock.
"Why?" Sun-woo asked, seemingly confused by her reaction.
"How can you suggest such a thing in this situation!" Neung So-hwa’s face turned bright red.
"Good grief, what on earth are you imagining?" Sun-woo let out a small laugh. "Not there. I'm telling you to touch my Dantian."
"..............."
Neung So-hwa’s face turned as red as a beet. She realized she had made a ridiculous assumption.
"You speak so formally, but your head is full of naughty thoughts," Sun-woo teased, looking at her.
"Uuuugh...... You are so mean."
"Anyway, just touch my Dantian."
"Fine."
Neung So-hwa nodded. She slowly placed her hand over Sun-woo's Dantian. She could feel his rock-hard abdominal muscles.
Whoosh!
The sensation made her face flush again. Feeling his muscles after so long brought those "naughty thoughts" right back.
"Stop thinking about weird things and observe," Sun-woo's voice whispered in her ear.
"I... I am not thinking about anything weird!" Neung So-hwa snapped back.
She then slowly flowed her internal energy into Sun-woo's Dantian to observe his body. Almost immediately, her eyes widened in pure shock.
She couldn't feel any internal energy inside Sun-woo's Dantian.