Chapter 259: The Dangerous Guy in My Heart (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 259: The Dangerous Guy in My Heart (1)
Seo-jun described his personal domain, the 'Ideal World,' as the manifestation of a complete world.
A world was the harmony of all its elements.
The sky, the earth, the clouds, the lightning, the rain, the sea, the rivers…
Elements that possessed their own distinct names when viewed individually came together to form a single, unified world.
Therefore, absolute harmony between them was essential for the Ideal World.
While a single element could invoke a massive change, it must never reach the point of shattering that delicate balance.
For instance, the sun could fall and turn the world into a sea of fire, but the world itself must not become the sun.
The Ideal World was precisely that kind of domain.
This was also why Seo-jun found such interest in 'Localized Deployment'—a domain created by tearing away just one of the elements that made up a world.
In such a space, that single element became the entire world.
The 'Eight Cold Hells,' which he had carved directly out of the snowy plains within his Ideal World, was a perfect example.
If he intended to use the Ice Soul Divine Art to its absolute limits, it was far better to deploy the Eight Cold Hells rather than the entire Ideal World. Quite simply, it was more powerful that way.
So, what would happen if he detached each individual element within his mental imagery and deployed them simultaneously using the structure of a formation?
* * *
KRA-BOOM—!!
A massive explosion erupted.
The thousands of layers of the Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Art that Seo-jun had meticulously stacked detonated all at once, distorting, shattering, and tearing the very fabric of space apart.
Having used precise calculations to ensure the aftershocks wouldn't reach him, Seo-jun leisurely stood up.
Whoosh!
With a single wave of his hand, a fierce wind rose, sweeping away the billowing clouds of dust.
Baek Yun’s hideout had been located halfway up a mountain, and the explosion just now possessed enough destructive force to easily erase several mountains from existence.
So, what happened to the mountain at ground zero?
The result was obvious.
In the spot where the peak once stood, only a single stone pillar remained, reaching as high as the original mountainside.
Standing atop that precarious spire, Seo-jun searched for Geom-gwang.
"Are you still alive?"
The answer to his question came in the form of a sword.
Screech—!
Space itself tore open. As Seo-jun quickly retreated, a vicious sword strike swept past the stone pillar.
CRACK!
The precariously standing pillar was sliced vertically down the middle.
The towering stretch of rock split in half, toppled over, and, unable to withstand its own immense weight, shattered into massive chunks.
RUMBLE—!!
Huge boulders slammed into the earth below, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Hovering in the air, Seo-jun looked down at Geom-gwang.
"Wow, you’re perfectly fine?"
"You bastard…!"
Geom-gwang’s eyes flashed with madness.
"You definitely have the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword, don't you?!"
Geom-gwang was largely unscathed, save for a few minor nicks. In fact, he didn't seem to care about his injuries at all.
"If you don’t have the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword, I’ll rip your head off this instant!"
"And if I do?"
"I’ll let you live."
"Is that so?"
Seo-jun smirked and activated the formations he had anchored directly into the space itself.
THUD—!
In the void where the mountain had vanished, one hundred and eight massive pillars of ice abruptly rose.
Using them as an axis, the Ice and Snow Heaven Net Formation and the 108 Arhat Formation manifested, immediately followed by newly devised formations that revealed their terrifying power.
"Ugh…!"
Immense pressure, disorienting illusions, biting cold, and heavy restrictions on his internal energy—all sorts of elements began to weigh down on Geom-gwang.
Simultaneously, formations based on the Beiming Divine Art and the Emperor Sword Form began to take effect.
Hummm—
The space imbued with the Beiming Divine Art slowly began to drain Geom-gwang’s internal energy, while the Emperor Sword Form layered on top of it ruthlessly crushed his spirit.
Geom-gwang’s expression hardened.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Without a word, Seo-jun deactivated his Disguise Technique. The body that had taken the form of Baek Yun melted away, returning to its original appearance.
The Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord, Lee Seo-jun, looked down at Geom-gwang with cold, indifferent eyes.
"It means I’m taking my revenge."
Geom-gwang’s eyes widened.
"You…! You’re not Baek Yun!"
He then shouted through gritted teeth.
"Then what about the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword?! Was that a lie too?!"
His shout was desperate. He even seemed genuinely anxious.
He didn't seem to care at all about the countless formations surrounding him or the Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Art he had already taken head-on.
What on earth had made this man so fiercely obsessive?
Seo-jun wasn't particularly curious.
Instead, he decided to show Geom-gwang a glimmer of hope.
"The Yellow Cloud Divine Sword?"
Shring— The Demonic Sword, drawn for the first time in a while, trembled in sheer delight.
Guided by the Sword Control Art, the Demonic Sword floated on its own and lightly traced a few lines in the air.
In that very spot, a vivid image of a Yellow Dragon materialized and roared fiercely.
ROOOOOAR—!!
Geom-gwang’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Unadulterated joy flooded his face.
His previous anxiety vanished without a trace, replaced by a look of pure ecstasy that colored his entire countenance.
"It was real! It was real!"
He trembled with the giddy joy of a child. He seared the single sword path he had seen through the crystal ball and the one he had just witnessed into his very soul.
"Hand it over right now! That belongs to me!"
SHRAAAK—!!
Geom-gwang swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc. The strike tore through space, aiming directly for the one hundred and eight ice pillars that served as the formation's anchors.
Seo-jun flicked his finger.
Heaven Piercing, Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Art, and Heaven-Defying Sun-Moon Art.
The martial arts he had prepared in advance through the formations erupted all at once.
BOOM—!!!
Hundreds of spheres of Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Art exploded, seemingly stretching the narrow space to its limits, while the Heaven-Defying Sun-Moon Art, entwined like thick vines, effortlessly brushed aside Geom-gwang’s strike.
At the exact same time, Heaven Piercing activated.
Dozens of strikes capable of shooting down the sun poured down toward Geom-gwang’s body.
"The Sun-Shooting Sword Technique?"
Geom-gwang’s eyes widened. The corners of his mouth curled upward in a crazed grin.
"Ah…!"
Geom-gwang swung his sword. The path his blade took was entirely bizarre. He drew crooked, irregular lines completely at random.
CRACK—!!
However, those chaotic lines found profound meaning under the principles of the Taiyi Formless Sword. The complexly tangled web of sword ki tore apart most of the dozens of Heaven Piercing strikes.
Thwack!
Yet, he couldn't block them all. Two streaks of Heaven Piercing ruthlessly pierced through Geom-gwang’s flank and thigh respectively.
Driven down by the sheer kinetic power of Heaven Piercing, Geom-gwang’s body slammed into the earth below.
"Ha!"
Despite this, Geom-gwang laughed savagely as he slammed his feet into the ground. THUD! Upon landing, he channeled the impact force directly into his arms and scanned the surrounding space with wide, manic eyes.
Geom-gwang. A man mad for the sword. Yet, contrary to his reputation, he wasn't entirely insane.
To swing a sword properly, one needed a clear, focused mind.
His razor-sharp intuition pierced through his opponent’s methods, and his madman’s way of thinking—which completely ignored common sense—found the answer.
"You hid formations within the space itself!"
Even with Geom-gwang’s sharp senses, he hadn't been able to detect them.
Detecting Qi that Seo-jun had hidden with full intent was something even Namgung Jin-cheon from the Celestial Realm couldn't be guaranteed to do.
Geom-gwang had no way of knowing that, but he simply acted on pure instinct.
"Tsk…!"
He let out a sharp breath through his teeth and swung his sword.
SH-SH-SH-SHRAK—!!!
Irregular lines spread out haphazardly, violently slicing through space. The formations hidden within the void were caught by Geom-gwang’s blade and shattered to pieces.
Seo-jun responded immediately by adjusting the positions of the remaining formations, but in the end, about half of them dissipated uselessly into the air.
Just then, a single bead popped out from the shattered space right in front of Geom-gwang’s eyes.
Geom-gwang didn't hesitate to slice it. Slash— the bead split perfectly in half.
However, the mental imagery contained within did not break; instead, it spilled out and dyed the world.
Localized Deployment: Emperor Sword Form.
"Empty Heaven Despise Below (空天蔑下)."
Empty the heavens and despise all beneath one's feet.
WHOOSH—!!
The world turned a deep, majestic blue, a heavy pressure crushing all things. Under the gaze of the Emperor, all were equal. Everything that made up the world naturally prostrated itself beneath the Emperor’s feet.
Geom-gwang did not. With his legs spread wide and his back straight, he bared his savage teeth at the Emperor's might.
"Even the Emperor Sword Form…!"
Sizzle—! He rejoiced as he forcibly closed the bleeding wounds on his flank and thigh.
He didn't have much interest in Blood Arts themselves, but an unbreakable body was a tremendous help in wielding a sword.
Humans were beings born with blood.
Therefore, achieving mastery in Blood Arts was fundamentally simpler than in any other martial art.
The Central Plains Murim considered Blood Arts to be a heterodox, demonic path, but in truth, Blood Arts were the martial arts most naturally suited to the human body.
Geom-gwang, who had mastered the Blood Seal Scripture without much difficulty, finally revealed his true attainment.
Gurgle—!
Geom-gwang’s physical form collapsed, melting into a pool of viscous blood.
One head, two arms, two legs.
He hadn't entirely abandoned his human shape, but it was difficult to call this undulating mass of crimson liquid a human being.
[The Yellow Cloud Divine Sword, the Sun-Shooting Sword Technique, and even the Emperor Sword Form…! You truly are a walking treasure house of the Central Plains! If there is more, show me more…!]
Seo-jun gladly met that expectation.
Crack—
A bead that appeared from a rift in space shattered on its own.
ROAR—!!
Localized Deployment: Heaven-Sun Imperial Extreme Fire Divine Art.
"Descent of the Calamity Fire (劫화도래)."
Centering on the broken bead, crimson flames violently swirled.
The pulsating calamity fire, which dyed the entire world red, soon converged into a single, hyper-dense point, and then—
Thump!
In an instant, it swelled massively, expanding so fiercely it seemed to push back the very sky.
The Imperial Sun that incinerated all things dyed the world, manifesting in the form of a domain.
Hummm—!
A resonance echoed in the space where the two domains overlapped.
Though they were two entirely different domains, the concepts originating from a single human were seamlessly blended together under the enlightenment of the Namgung Lineage.
The sky did not reject the sun, and the sun did not incinerate the sky.
Standing within the domain—which was not bound to his body but deployed around a single fixed point in space—Seo-jun pulled out the dozens of formations that had not yet been destroyed.
Whoosh—!
Dozens of formations, designed to trace the acupoints of the human body, drew complex trajectories through the red, swirling space.
[Ooh…!]
Geom-gwang’s blood-formed body rippled in sheer delight. The Heaven-Sun Imperial Extreme Fire Divine Art. The supreme sword technique of the Imperial Family.
No, actually, it was debatable whether it could even be called a sword technique anymore, but regardless, it too contained the profound mysteries of the sword.
In the first place, that brat didn't use sword techniques as traditional sword techniques. He captured their core principles entirely within his Qi and handled them as Qi arts.
[As I thought, these sword techniques suit me far better than they suit you!]
Looking up at Seo-jun, who stood high in the sky looking down at him, Geom-gwang elongated his right arm, the one holding his sword. The extended arm rippled and stretched like a whip made of blood.
[So, hand them over now!]
SWISH—!!
The sword flew toward him, drawing a trajectory even more chaotic and irregular than before.
Seo-jun focused his mind on the formations drawing out the complex acupoints, the raging flames filling the domain, and the calamity fire he had ignited himself.
Flare—
Blazing flames wrapped around his entire body. He gripped the sky where the flames swirled as if it were a physical sword, and swung it down, mirroring the exact technique he had learned from his younger sister, Hee.
The Yellow Cloud Divine Sword.
That sublime sword technique unfolded, heavily imbued with the tyrannical power of the Emperor Sword Form and the Heaven-Sun Imperial Extreme Fire Divine Art.
KABOOM—!!!
A magnificent Yellow Dragon, draped in the red-burning sky, plummeted down toward Geom-gwang.