Chapter 444
Chapter 444
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 444
Chapter Title: Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero (2)
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Ha Seung-hoon's face twisted in disgust at the sight of the familiar yokai looming right in front of him.
Even when Hari had visited Geom-o Island, it had picked a fight first. To think it would now brazenly cause trouble in Mosan Sect territory!
This was utterly unacceptable amid the current push for unity and world reconstruction.
'Part of me wants to summon Hari right now and smash this thing to pieces...'
He infused his inner energy into Jeon Hye-mi tucked in his robes and tossed her backward, then gripped his sword hilt tightly. In the same instant, scorching heat surged from his hand.
It soon transformed into a blazing fire dragon, coiling around the blade and rapidly expanding in size.
Roar—! Boom!
The flames, empowered by the "Spirit Command Body" to enormous proportions, engulfed the great yokai charging straight at him.
[You worm! How dare a pathetic insect like you—!]
No matter the gap in their levels, an attack fueled by the Heavenly Dragon Divine Art was not to be underestimated.
This was a martial art blessed by the Dragon God himself—one of the top techniques across the entire Kanghwan Realm.
Hadn't it even severed an arm from the Sword Saint, a transcendent realm master, by exploiting a momentary opening?
[Looks like all that flattery from those around you has gone to your head! This level won't even scratch me!]
But in truth, that was all it amounted to.
Such an attack might halt Do-ol's advance for a moment, but it couldn't inflict fatal damage on a great yokai like him.
[Groooaaar—!]
A thunderous roar reverberated, unleashing a fierce torrent of energy that tore away the flames devouring his massive body.
Ha Seung-hoon's lips curled into a sneer as he glanced at the embers scattering and fading into nothing.
'Insane energy resistance. And regeneration that heals damage in an instant... At this rate, it's basically a downgraded Hari.'
Do-ol was a martial yokai who had shone during the Final War.
He had been utterly crushed by Hari, who surpassed him in every way back then, but his raw combat prowess was no laughing matter.
With his overwhelming durability and sheer size, he posed an even trickier challenge than a transcendent realm human master.
'I'm still stuck at the flame realm. He's no opponent I can handle. If we clash head-on, I won't last long. But...'
He gripped his sword tighter and glared straight ahead.
Hadn't he realized it just recently?
Truly wishing to grow stronger while seeking only comfort was foolish.
'Especially if I want to break through my limits with martial arts.'
This was a challenge for him too.
Not relying on the "Avatar" trait to bypass side effects like before, but forging himself through training to reach true transcendence.
Considering how most of his massively grown mental strength stat was tied up maintaining his avatars' realms, this was essential, not optional.
Whoosh—
At that moment, as if cheering his resolve, a familiar energy seeped into his body.
A power that only one person in this world could wield properly.
'The Dragon God's divine power?'
He glanced back with a grin.
In this desperate crisis, his body ignited with fervor.
Conversely, his mind cooled to ice, taking in every detail of his surroundings.
Condition: Optimal.
Lines from the "Black Dragon Secret Annals," dormant deep within, surged into his mind, asserting their presence.
"Hoo... Perfect. This'll do..."
No time to catch his breath again.
A ferocious claw rent the air as it lunged.
Swiftness, illusion, transformation.
His body fluttered upward along Do-ol's arm like petals in the wind.
The wind dragon swirling at his feet gathered at his sword tip.
Slash—
But the sharp sword strike that followed left only a long gash on the great yokai's neck.
And even that regenerated completely in moments.
A trickle of blood from the thick hide was the only proof of the attack.
[You filthy pest!]
Yet that alone was enough to enrage Do-ol.
This insignificant human he'd dismissed as worthless had dared wound him!
How could he let that slide?
[I'll kill you for sure!]
His pride wounded, he forgot all about the dragonkin whelp.
He abandoned his plan to grab the prize and flee, unleashing his fury instead.
Solely to rip this pathetic human apart.
Boom—!
"Guh!"
Ha Seung-hoon's body, grazed by Do-ol's lightning-fast talons, slammed into the ground, carving a deep crater.
Had he not wrapped himself in earth dragon energy to disperse the impact, it wouldn't have ended there.
But no time to recover.
Rumble—
Do-ol's stomping foot pulverized the spot he'd dodged, cracking the earth and triggering a massive landslide that swept the surroundings.
***
Amid the mountain-shaking roar, brutal explosions rang out relentlessly.
"Young Master Ha...!"
Jeon Hye-mi, who had dodged the shockwaves from clashing energies using sorcery, bit her lip as she stared toward the source.
'Should I have just stayed hidden? If I hadn't called for help, Young Master Ha wouldn't be...'
Ha Seung-hoon had arrived just in time to save her, thanks to her dragon sorcery.
Drawing from her past captivity in the Demonic Cult, she'd calmly completed a telepathic spell, communicating her position in real-time.
'If only I had a bit more power. Then I could've escaped alone without asking for help!'
But Do-ol was a great yokai, a martial powerhouse by name.
Secret communication might slip by, but high sorcery like spatial transfer? No chance.
Her timely ambush had distracted him just enough for escape—otherwise, impossible.
Rumble—!
Another fierce aftershock roared from the landslide's epicenter.
p>At its heart, dragons of vivid colors soared, adorning the skies.
Each could obliterate a mountain peak wholesale, embodiments of destruction.
Yet they shattered and dispersed upon manifestation, achieving nothing.
'What I can do right now...'
Jeon Hye-mi clasped her hands and squeezed her eyes shut.
With no talent beyond sorcery, jumping in would only hinder him.
Her best was to pray, channeling blessings to bolster his endurance.
'With this yokai rampaging so loudly, Geom-o Island won't sit idle. If he can hold out until those dragons arrive...!'
Then, through her link with Ha Seung-hoon, she felt a massive chunk of power drain away. Her eyes flew open.
His body, struck mid-attack, buried into a cliffside amid cascading debris.
'No!'
The blessing had absorbed much of the shock; he wasn't out yet.
She knew that, but watching helplessly still weakened her resolve.
"Maybe... if I just went with that yokai willingly..."
He couldn't beat this great yokai.
He wouldn't last long like this.
Better to comply, let Geom-o Island rescue her later, than resist and die pointlessly.
"Heh, better not. He'd rather devour you on the spot than risk losing his prize again."
A stranger's voice cut through her thoughts.
"Wha?!"
Startled, she whirled, eyes sharp with caution.
A middle-aged man stood a few paces away, arms crossed, casually watching the battle.
'No presence at all. Who is he?'
Even now, she scanned her surroundings warily.
Any ordinary foe—or even a flame realm expert—she'd sense faintly.
"...Impressive. Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero, was it? Still in his twenties, yet already facing a wall."
He muttered softly.
His tone was calm, but she detected it clearly.
Envy laced beneath.
Her guard sharpened further.
"Tsk tsk. This fool still can't shake his delusions."
"Urk!"
Another voice rang out. The man clutched his head.
"You damn old coot...!"
"Tsk, your tone with your master shows you're far from reformed."
"Grrgh—!"
Jeon Hye-mi stared in bewilderment at the newcomer.
An elderly man with a gaunt, windswept frame, clad in tattered robes, long beard flowing.
He merely smiled kindly, stroking his beard gently, yet the man writhed in agony, grinding his teeth.
"No need to worry, child. That young man won't fall so easily."
Noticing her gaze, the elder nodded with a warm smile.
"And truly remarkable. How is that even possible? Defying this world's principles entirely."
He gazed back at the fray, marveling.
Awe and curiosity gleamed in his wrinkled eyes.
"Guh, what about? Sure, that level at his age is impressive, but..."
"Heh, this dimwitted disciple has eyes but sees nothing."
The man scowled, clutching his head, but the elder kept sighing in admiration, eyes fixed on the fight.
For he saw it clearly.
The myriad alien martial principles manifesting through the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero's body, intertwining into a cohesive system.
Without that, he couldn't have lasted so long against a great yokai.
Though the elder's realm was far higher, even he couldn't grasp the principles watching plainly.
Attacks that should land slid away; counters that should fail pierced thick hide.
The dragon-clad movements transcended common sense; the sword path lay beyond comprehension.
'And his growth is unnaturally swift. Beyond mere genius. Feeding on life-or-death battles?'
Only the overwhelming disparity in raw power kept him on the defensive.
Given the gap, enduring at all was miraculous.
And the one feeling it most keenly wasn't this spectator elder, but Do-ol himself.
"That's why he's bloodshot, fixated on crushing that youth."
Tsking, the elder eyed Do-ol's savage glare.
It seemed pure rage at a glance, but he knew better.
Fear flickered in those eyes.
Something incomprehensible, despite countless clashes—and still unfolding.
Growing stronger with time. Naturally, Do-ol raged to smash it before it bloomed.
Once that enigma fully flowered, his fate was sealed.
"I'd wait longer for the youth's sake, but he seems at his limit."
The elder watched Ha Seung-hoon teetering on the brink.
Endless endurance and growth had bounds.
Do-ol, infamous even on Geom-o Island, would shatter that talent before it fully bloomed if time dragged on.
"Disciple, go lend a hand. Can't let a senior stand idle while that lad fights so hard. Life-or-death with a great yokai isn't commonplace."
"...Have you lost your mind, old man? I'm still short of the wall myself—charge Do-ol? Finally gonna kill me?"
"Tsk! You brat!"
"Grk! Fine! Fine! Damn it! Walking to my death like this, I must be crazy!"
In the end, the middle-aged man headed to the battlefield.
Jeon Hye-mi, assessing quietly, eyed him warily even as hope sparked.
They clearly opposed the great yokai.
Which meant...
'Mosan Sect... No, from above them.'
Steadying her breath, she turned cautiously to the lingering elder.
"Greetings, elder. I am Jeon Hye-mi of the Zhuge Family in Hubei. Are you from Geom-o Island, by chance?"
"Oh ho?"
Mosan Sect bordered Geom-o Island like its front gate.
Causing open havoc there and fleeing? Pursuit this swift was expected.
"Heh, sharp one. Yes, from Geom-o Island. Happened to be nearby for my disciple and stumbled on this."
But facing the issue, he had no intention of standing by, eyes gleaming as he stroked his beard.
She swallowed hard under his subtle pressure as he continued.
"I've long discarded my name, so no title to give. But Geom-o Island calls me..."
Jeon Hye-mi's eyes widened repeatedly.
As the Zhuge daughter most versed in yokai lore outside Mosan Sect, she knew exactly what that title meant.
Rakshasa King.
One of Geom-o Island's top brass, shoulder-to-shoulder with the Five Dragons, smiled softly at the dragonkin girl.
***
"Damn! What's this mess all of a sudden?!"
Ha Seung-hoon brightened at the sudden interloper.
His limits approaching, he'd considered calling reinforcements—perfect timing.
'Mok In-gwang?'
A welcome face forgotten since Hari left the Kanghwan Realm.
Of course, his entry didn't drastically shift the tide.
The one dubbed Nine Lights Demon hadn't transcended yet, lingering at flame realm's edge.
But it bought some breathing room, at least.
Enough to recompose himself.
"Gaaah! That damn geezer! He's killing his disciple! For real!"
And his master was nearby, from the sound of it.
'The yokai who taught him the Mad Emperor Heart Technique.'
The yokai who'd taught the orphaned, mania-plagued Mok In-gwang a heart method to control his madness.
Post-war ties with Geom-o Island must've led him to seek out and take him as disciple.
'Forgot about him amid the busyness, but he's doing well.'
No direct oversight, but seeing a former subordinate thriving stirred fondness.
"Damn! Rotten! Someday I'll kill that old man!"
Though his mania seemed relapsed post-Hari's special "physical therapy."
At the same moment, in the Phantom Realm.
The Yellow Dragon—Horus—who'd been poised to cross dimensions, curled up again.