Chapter 577: Humiliated
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 577: Humiliated
Wuuuuuuuuuung—
Lee Jae-won unleashed a massive surge of internal energy, reaching a staggering twelve Gapja, all at once. The entire training ground was instantly blanketed in the aura of the Great Void One-Qi Art.
Tingle.
Sun-woo felt a prickling sensation crawl across his skin as the energy of the Great Void One-Qi Art enveloped the area. The widely dispersed aura suddenly began to exert a crushing pressure upon him.
That’s a terrifying amount of internal energy.
Sun-woo was quietly impressed. He knew the man had plenty of it—after all, Lee Jae-won was the type to gobble up every kind of elixir as the story progressed. But experiencing that vast reservoir of power firsthand was another matter entirely.
The man hadn't even achieved the Ethereal Body, yet he could manipulate enough energy to cover the entire training ground in an instant. He truly looked the part of a monster.
Is this what it means to be a protagonist?
Sun-woo’s expression turned grim. He had managed to land a blow earlier using the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, but he couldn't afford to let his guard down. Lee Jae-won might be pathetic and ugly on the inside, but the fact that he was the "protagonist" remained unchanged.
Wuuuuung.
Sun-woo released a small burst of his own internal energy. Immediately, the suffocating pressure of the Great Void One-Qi Art dissipated.
Charrrrk.
He funneled his energy into the Dragon Tail Soft Sword. The previously limp, whip-like blade straightened, standing rigid and sharp. The two men stood in a tense standoff, glares locked, swords leveled at one another.
After a long, heavy silence...
Boom!
Lee Jae-won kicked off the ground and lunged toward Sun-woo.
Swoooosh!
His blade streaked through the air, aimed straight for Sun-woo’s chest. Sun-woo quickly swung his sword horizontally, parrying the strike upward.
Clang!
Their blades collided with a thunderous roar. It was the sound of raw internal energy clashing against itself.
Tsk, this brat actually blocked that?
Lee Jae-won frowned slightly as he looked at Sun-woo. That strike had been delivered at a speed far beyond what any ordinary person could track with their eyes. Yet, Sun-woo had parried it with ease. It was enough to make him scowl.
You’re making me look bad!
Lee Jae-won shoved Sun-woo’s blade aside and immediately launched into a relentless flurry of attacks.
Clang!
Sun-woo began to deflect Lee Jae-won’s strikes without much difficulty. Up, down, left, right—the basics were rooted in the four cardinal directions. As long as he parried based on those coordinates, the pressure was manageable.
This is strange.
Sun-woo felt a sense of doubt. Lee Jae-won’s sword path was too easy to read. Where the blade would land, how much force was behind it—it was all glaringly obvious. It was so predictable that defending against it felt effortless.
It didn't make sense. This man was supposed to be an absolute master, the World's Greatest Martial Artist. He was the monster who had finished off the Yin-Yang Demon, who had called themselves the greatest demons in history.
And yet, he felt surprisingly reachable.
It wasn't that Lee Jae-won was weak. His strikes carried immense weight, his speed was formidable, and his flashy technique changes were quite threatening. But he lacked the overwhelming presence of a true transcendent being.
Sun-woo didn't feel the bone-chilling terror he had felt from the Sword Demon, nor the profound awe he had felt for his master, the Yin-Yang Demon.
He wasn't sure if he could win, but he felt a growing confidence that he could surpass him. The man who had once seemed like a towering mountain now felt like a hill he could climb.
Was he... always this weak?
Clang!
Sun-woo raised the Dragon Tail Soft Sword and knocked Lee Jae-won’s blade aside. Then, he began to apply pressure of his own, utilizing the essence of the swordsmanship he had cultivated.
Clang!
He feinted a thrust, only to pivot and slash toward the chest. He followed up with a sweeping cut toward the ribs, an area notoriously difficult to defend. He pressed the attack, pouring in the martial insights he had accumulated through life-and-death struggles.
Boom!
As the exchange continued, something unexpected happened.
Slide.
Lee Jae-won began to give ground. He was being pushed back by the sheer momentum of Sun-woo’s swordsmanship.
Fuuuuuuck!
Lee Jae-won cursed inwardly. He could feel Sun-woo’s strikes becoming sharper and more refined by the second.
What the hell is with this guy?
Lee Jae-won was bewildered. When they first traded blows, Sun-woo hadn't been this sharp. He had felt like someone Lee Jae-won could toy with. But the more their swords crossed, the more the situation shifted. Sun-woo’s blade was becoming heavier and more lethal. It was as if he were growing in the middle of the fight.
You son of a bitch! Growing while fighting a stronger opponent is MY privilege!
Lee Jae-won seethed with rage. The thought of someone using him as "experience points" to grow made his blood boil. That was his unique right—the privilege of the one chosen by this Wuxia world. He felt as though something precious was being stolen from him.
Wuuuuuuuuuung—
Lee Jae-won began to pour out even more internal energy. As his physical capabilities were pushed to the limit, his strikes became even heavier and faster.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Ugh."
Sun-woo let out a low groan. Though the sword paths remained simple enough to read, the sheer power behind them had grown too great to ignore. Lee Jae-won was simply using brute force to crush any technique or feint Sun-woo threw at him.
Sun-woo began to retreat. He was being forced back, unable to withstand the overwhelming physical might of the onslaught.
Dammit.
Sun-woo cursed under his breath. He hadn't expected the man to resort to such crude, massive displays of power. What kind of master goes all-out like this against a junior?
This guy... his micro-management sucks, so he’s just trying to win with DPS.
Sun-woo realized that if this continued, he would eventually be overwhelmed. Currently, to hide his identity, he was using the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art to mimic the Great Void One-Qi Art instead of his true Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art. It was like having the engine of a compact car in a chassis built for a supercar. In this state, matching Lee Jae-won’s monstrous strength was nearly impossible.
Boom!
Another explosive clash rang out.
"Kh!"
Skid—
Sun-woo’s figure was sent sliding back. Unable to endure the raw force, he was finally blown away.
Die!
Lee Jae-won didn't miss the opening. As Sun-woo reeled back, Lee Jae-won raised his sword and unleashed a strike at maximum output.
He didn't care if he faced criticism. It would be better to kill this man here and now—this man who was drawing more attention than him, who possessed the same "privileges" he did, and who was acting like the protagonist of this world.
Swoooooooosh!
The blade, laden with Lee Jae-won’s full might, tore through the air toward Sun-woo.
I can’t block that.
Facing that terrifying, murderous force, Sun-woo knew the truth. With the output of the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art, there was no way to stop it head-on.
If I can’t block it... I’ll just send it back.
Wuuuuung.
Sun-woo focused his internal energy. A green aura began to flicker and surge around him as he pushed the mimicked Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art to its absolute limit.
Then, he closed his eyes.
His senses became incredibly sharp. Through that heightened perception, he began to feel the flow—the flow of the devastating force hurtling toward him.
Three yards.
The force ripped through the air, closing in.
Two yards.
The pressure was so intense it made the hair on his arms stand up.
One yard.
Sun-woo knew that if he waited any longer, he would be torn apart. He seized the flow of the incoming force with his own internal energy.
Twist.
He redirected the momentum, turning it back toward its source.
Rumble! Boom!
A massive explosion erupted. The reflected force detonated within Lee Jae-won’s own sphere of influence.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Lee Jae-won screamed as the agonizing shockwave rippled through him.
Whoosh!
His body was lifted off the ground. The sheer impact of the explosion sent him flying.
Swoooosh!
Lee Jae-won’s body pierced the air with a sharp whistle as he was hurled backward.
Crash! Rumble!
A moment later, Lee Jae-won slammed into the outer wall of the training ground, the impact causing the entire structure to crumble over him. The wall had collapsed, unable to withstand the force.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Sun-woo panted heavily. Twisting such an immense force had drained a significant amount of his mental and spiritual energy.
That bastard... he really tried to kill me.
Sun-woo’s face contorted in a scowl. He realized that Lee Jae-won had been genuinely aiming for his life.
".................."
Meanwhile, the spectators watching the scene were frozen, their mouths hanging open. The situation unfolding before them was so shocking they couldn't even find words.
The hero who had saved the Murim from the Heavenly Demon...
The World's Greatest Martial Artist, thought to have no equal...
The leader of the Cheonmu Alliance, the most powerful organization in the Murim...
The Absolute Martial God, Lee Jae-won...
Had been smashed into a wall.
And in a most pathetic, unsightly manner, no less.
And it was done by the hand of a rising star who had only just begun to make a name for himself. How could they not be shocked? How could they not be horrified?
"...The Alliance Leader... was defeated?"
Palbok Hall Master Heo Sam-gwan spoke with a dazed expression. He was so stunned he forgot his role as the moderator and let his personal thoughts slip out.
"The Cheonmu Alliance Leader... was shoved into a wall?"
"How... how can this be..."
"The World's Greatest Martial Artist... lost..."
"That man is... Sun-woo!?"
"The rumors of him being the next World's Greatest... weren't an exaggeration!"
"A new star! A new star has appeared!"
"Waaaaaaaah! A new star who surpassed the Alliance Leader has arrived!"
Soon, the crowd began to erupt in cheers. The emergence of a new legend always set people’s hearts ablaze. Lee Jae-won, who had reigned over the Murim as the Martial God for twenty years, had been helplessly struck down by a newcomer. That fact made the spectators' blood boil with excitement.
"Waaaaaaaah! It’s the Sword God! The Sword God has appeared!"
The cheers poured down without end.
...What the?
Hearing their cheers, Sun-woo wore a bewildered expression. He never expected to receive such a reaction in what was essentially Lee Jae-won’s own backyard. He had just humiliated the Alliance Leader by slamming him into a wall. And yet, they were cheering?
He couldn't understand it. Sun-woo slowly looked around. Some still wore faces of pure shock. Others were grinning ear to ear, shouting their support. Still others glared at him with open hostility. A multitude of conflicting emotions were focused entirely on him.
...It’s not bad.
As he took in those emotions, Sun-woo realized he didn't mind the feeling. In fact, he liked it. Standing at the center of a swirling vortex of emotion felt... right.
Just as Sun-woo was savoring the lingering thrill of the moment...
Rumble.
The sound of shifting stones came from the collapsed wall where Lee Jae-won had been buried.
Lee Jae-won!
Sun-woo quickly snapped his gaze toward the wall. There, he saw Lee Jae-won standing up, covered in thick dust.
He’s fine.
Sun-woo looked slightly disappointed. He had reflected a force so great it was a struggle even to redirect it. Even for a master of the Profound Realm, he had expected such an impact to cause significant damage. But looking at him now, Lee Jae-won didn't seem to have taken any serious hits. He looked perfectly fine.
I guess a protagonist is still a protagonist.
Sun-woo thought. Even if the "plot armor" had shifted, the lingering remnants of his status couldn't be ignored.
"Impressive."
Lee Jae-won, still covered in dust, finally spoke.
"Truly impressive."
His voice was chillingly flat.
Shiver.
The moment Sun-woo heard that voice, a chill ran down his spine. An indescribable sense of foreboding washed over him.
"It seems I must show you a bit more of my true self."
Lee Jae-won continued, his voice cold as ice.
Clang.
He casually tossed his sword onto the ground. The exquisite, peerless blade was discarded like a piece of junk.
"Try to endure this."
Lee Jae-won glared at Sun-woo with frigid eyes. He raised his hand and gave it a light wave through the empty air. It was a soft, slow movement.
In that instant...
Pshk!
The sound of flesh being sliced rang out.
What?
Sun-woo looked confused.
Sting, sting.
A burning sensation suddenly flared in his shoulder. Sun-woo looked down. There, on his shoulder, was a clean laceration, as if he had been cut by a blade.
When did he—!?
Doubt and alarm filled Sun-woo’s face. When on earth had his shoulder been cut?