Chapter 581: Cutting Down
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 581: Cutting Down
Contradiction (矛盾)
In the state of Chu, there was a merchant who sold weapons. One day, he held up a spear and boasted that it was a spear capable of piercing any shield in the world.
Then, he held up a shield and claimed it was a shield capable of blocking any spear.
One of the onlookers asked, "Then what happens if you stab that shield with that spear?" The merchant could not utter a single word in response.
This state, where the logic of the beginning and the end do not mesh, is called a contradiction.
It is a clash between two propositions that renders the logic invalid.
Such contradictions also manifest in battles between masters of the Profound Realm.
A master of the Profound Realm, often referred to as a Half-Immortal, gains the transcendental power to manifest their pursuits through sheer will.
This transcendental power manifests differently depending on the goal they seek.
One might pursue the Severing Sword, capable of cutting anything.
Another might pursue the stage of the Spirit Sword, gaining transcendental power by using the souls of fallen subordinates as nourishment.
Another might pursue the stage of the Heart Sword, capable of cutting the moment the thought arises.
Yet another might pursue the stage of Heart Poison, capable of poisoning the moment the thought arises.
One might pursue the state of Poison Immunity, where any poison is absorbed and converted into strength.
And some might pursue the Indestructible Body, a physique of absolute defense said to be impervious to any attack.
In this way, the absolute beings who have reached the Profound Realm possess various forms of power according to their goals or beliefs.
However, this is where the contradiction arises.
What would happen if the Severing Sword, which can cut anything, clashed with the Indestructible Body, which cannot be harmed by anything?
What would happen if Heart Poison, which can poison the moment the thought arises, clashed with Poison Immunity, which can absorb any poison as nourishment?
The moment beliefs and goals collide, their powers stand in opposition.
So, what happens in a fight between Profound Realm masters when such a contradiction occurs?
It is simple.
Whether it is Heart Poison that can poison anything at will,
Poison Immunity that claims to be immune to all poisons,
The Severing Sword that can cut anything,
Or the Indestructible Body that cannot be harmed by anything—
In the end, they are all manifestations of will.
The outcome is decided by the magnitude of the will held by the practitioner.
Only the one with the more desperate and steadfast mental strength can carry out their will to the end.
The concentration of will created by Lee Jae-won transformed into a massive Formless Sword.
And that massive Formless Sword swung directly toward Sun-woo.
As if to cleave his body in two.
It’s massive.
Sun-woo could feel it.
The enormous will swinging toward him.
Tingle, tingle.
Exposed to Lee Jae-won’s massive will, Sun-woo felt a tingling sensation spread throughout his entire body. It was because his body was reacting instinctively to that unified, gargantuan will.
His entire body was screaming a warning.
That this massive will was incredibly dangerous.
That he had to run away right this instant.
But instead of fleeing, Sun-woo slowly raised his pitch-black, ink-colored Killing Sword.
He ignored his body’s warnings entirely.
He was well aware of the danger. Compared to the massive will accumulated over decades, his own will—which had only just begun to take its first steps—was likely insignificant.
Yet, strangely—
Truly strangely—
He didn’t feel like he would lose.
Even though there was a clear difference in their wills objectively, he didn't feel like he would be defeated.
Therefore, Sun-woo followed his intuition rather than his body's warnings.
He raised the condensed Killing Sword and swung it.
With the absolute maximum power he could muster.
Kwakwakwakwang!
A thunderous roar erupted immediately.
It was a tremendous explosion, as if hundreds or thousands of Thunderbolt Bombs were going off at once.
The repulsion exploded as Lee Jae-won’s massive will and Sun-woo’s killing intent collided.
The two wills began a standoff.
A tedious confrontation where neither side would easily give ground.
'Fuuuuuuck!!!! Why! Why! Why won't it cut?!'
Lee Jae-won spat out curses.
He couldn't understand it. This was his maximum output Formless Sword, formed by gathering all the wills he had accumulated over decades.
In terms of output alone, it was a power so immense it could kill everyone in the training ground at once.
Yet, such a massive power was being blocked effortlessly.
And by a brat who had only just started walking the path of the sword.
There was no way he could understand.
How could the will he had built up for decades be blocked by the will of a mere brat?
'Don't bullshit me! I am the king of the world! I am the chosen king! There's no way someone like me could lose!'
Vrooooooom.
Lee Jae-won began to concentrate his will even further.
The size of the Formless Sword clashing with Sun-woo began to grow even larger.
'Die! Die! You son of a bitch! Get out of my paradise!'
Blood vessels began to pop in Lee Jae-won’s eyes.
His gaze was filled with the will to eliminate the impure element that had invaded his paradise.
"Kh..."
Sun-woo let out a low groan.
Just enduring Lee Jae-won’s massive will was putting a significant strain on him.
Lee Jae-won’s strike, which condensed his will, was powerful.
It wasn't something he could lightly dissipate like before.
Tremble, tremble.
The hand gripping the Killing Sword began to shake.
Quiver, quiver.
And his lower body, which was holding out against the strike, began to tremble violently.
His body was sending signals.
To stop now, or his muscles would be ruined.
But Sun-woo didn't care.
He had already made up his mind.
To act as his heart dictated.
Grip.
As his body trembled more, Sun-woo applied even more strength.
Grind.
He gritted his teeth so hard they ground together.
Bite.
He bit his lip hard.
And he thought of only one thing.
The thought of killing that massive will.
Frizzle.
Then, an anomaly occurred.
Lee Jae-won’s sword, which was in contact with the Killing Sword, began to scatter bit by bit.
Frizz-frizzle.
At first, it was a very small, minute level.
But as time passed, that minuteness began to grow.
Frizz-frizz-frizzle.
Soon, Lee Jae-won’s sword began to shrink.
Thump. Thump.
Sun-woo took a step forward while their swords were still locked.
Toward where Lee Jae-won stood.
Frizz-frizzle.
The more steps he took, the faster the Formless Sword shrank.
Thump. Thump.
Twenty paces... ten paces... eight paces.
Thump. Thump.
Five paces... three paces... one pace.
Stop.
Frizz-frizzle.
Finally, Sun-woo’s steps stopped right in front of Lee Jae-won’s nose, and simultaneously, the massive twenty-pace Formless Sword Lee Jae-won had created vanished completely.
As if it had never existed in the first place.
Standing before Lee Jae-won, Sun-woo slowly raised his head.
There he saw Lee Jae-won, his adversary and enemy.
Lee Jae-won was glaring at him with eyes full of disbelief.
He likely couldn't believe that his Formless Sword had been completely annihilated.
"Heh."
Seeing that, Sun-woo let out a hollow laugh.
It was because he read the emotion of fear hidden behind those eyes full of disbelief.
He was afraid.
Of Sun-woo.
How could he not let out a hollow laugh?
"Let's end this now, Lee Jae-won."
Sun-woo slowly raised his sword.
He intended to take his head right then and there.
To finish his revenge.
To end this persistent, ill-fated relationship.
"Fuck... I'm going to die... I'm dying... I'm dying..."
Seeing this, Lee Jae-won’s entire body began to shake uncontrollably.
He couldn't calm himself in the face of the terror of death.
He was going to die.
He was going to die at the hands of the brat in front of him.
He couldn't even create a Formless Sword anymore.
All of his will had been extinguished.
"I'm... dying? Me... I'm going to die?"
A thick layer of terror began to cloud Lee Jae-won’s eyes.
Since falling into the Murim, the fear of death was something he had never once considered.
Because he was certain that no matter what he did, he wouldn't die.
But now was different.
He felt like he was going to die.
The certainty that he wouldn't die had vanished completely.
"No! I don't want to die! Fuck... I don't want to die..."
Moisture began to well up in Lee Jae-won’s eyes.
His tear ducts seemed broken by the fear of death, refusing to listen to him.
He wanted to beg.
He wanted to beg him right this instant.
To please spare him.
That he didn't want to die yet.
That he could give him anything he wanted.
But his mouth wouldn't open easily.
His voice wouldn't come out.
His entire body was frozen before the fear of death, something he had never experienced before.
Whoosh!
Then, Sun-woo swung his sword rapidly.
"Nooooooo!"
Lee Jae-won burst into tears.
He thought he was going to die helplessly just like this.
Squelch.
Then, the sound of something being severed reached Lee Jae-won’s ears.
Sting, sting.
At the same time, he felt a burning sensation in his left shoulder.
"Huh?"
Lee Jae-won wore a puzzled expression.
He slowly turned his gaze to the side.
In his field of vision, instead of the left arm that should have been there, he saw only empty air.
"Uh... uh...?"
Seeing this, Lee Jae-won tilted his head as if it didn't feel real and looked around frantically.
And then, he found it.
An arm of a very familiar shape lying on the ground.
"Ah... ah? Aaaaaah?!"
Finally, Lee Jae-won realized.
The fact that the arm rolling on the ground was his own left arm.
"Aaaaaaaaagh!!!!!"
Lee Jae-won let out a scream.
Once he recognized that his left arm had been cut off, excruciating pain surged from the stump.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!!!!!"
Simultaneously, an indescribable, immense psychological pain began to accompany it.
The fact that his body had been mutilated.
The fact that he had become disabled.
A massive mental shock hit him.
"Gwaaaaaaaaagh!!!!!!!"
Lee Jae-won shrieked.
That shriek was filled with all sorts of complex emotions.
The sense of loss from losing an arm.
The despair of having to live without an arm from now on.
The misery of having become disabled.
And the killing intent toward Jang Sun-woo, who had cut off his arm.
A whirlpool of countless mixed emotions began to surge.
"Guh... hack... cough..."
Soon, Lee Jae-won began to make gasping sounds.
Thud.
And then, Lee Jae-won’s body fell straight backward.
Unable to withstand the extreme mental shock, he had fainted.
'.........Dammit.'
Sun-woo cursed inwardly.
The single strike that contained all his will had missed.
It was because of dizziness.
Because he had lost too much blood, dizziness had struck at the crucial moment.
'Of all times... why... then.'
Sun-woo wore a look of utter despair.
Thump.
Then, Sun-woo fell to his knees.
The strength had completely drained from his body, and his legs had given out.
In truth, from the moment he first drew the Killing Sword, Sun-woo’s body had been near its limit.
Because he had lost so much blood, he couldn't properly put strength into his body.
He had pushed through in that state, but it seemed he had finally reached his limit.
'Fuck... I have to kill... that bastard...'
Sun-woo looked at Lee Jae-won, who lay unconscious on the ground.
He had to kill him now.
He had to kill him now to ensure there were no future troubles.
Sun-woo tried to force himself up.
But it was no use.
Contrary to his will, his body wouldn't listen.
'........Dammit.'
Furthermore, his eyelids began to feel increasingly heavy.
As if they weighed a thousand pounds.
'I... can't...'
Sun-woo tried to endure somehow.
He didn't know what would happen if he fainted in this situation.
He had cut off the arm of a leader in what was essentially enemy territory.
He had done something that no ordinary organization could ever overlook.
If he lost consciousness here, he might lose his life in the worst-case scenario.
'I have to... hold on...'
Sun-woo struggled to keep his eyelids open.
Blink, blink.
But it was no use.
His eyelids began to slide down relentlessly until they finally closed completely.
At the same time, his mind, which had been filled with the thought of enduring, began to empty in an instant.
As if nothing had ever been there.
'Joo So-yang... I'm counting on you.'
Thud.
Then, Sun-woo’s body collapsed onto the floor.
He had fainted from the backlash of a body pushed to its absolute limit.