Chapter 241
Chapter 241
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 66
>Chapter Title: Innate True Energy (3)
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-Shooo!
Accompanied by a plume of hazy smoke, Mok Kyung-un slowly rose to his feet.
The pupils of Yukcheonho So Ye-rin, who was watching him, trembled.
'He's pushing out the innate true energy that had burrowed into his vital acupoints.'
Innate true energy was pure vital energy itself, so once it entered the body, it was difficult to expel without possessing even stronger internal energy.
Yet, the ferocious energy rising from Mok Kyung-un right now was astonishingly forcing out the innate true energy.
'What is this energy?'
The smoke was gradually turning into black haze.
The energy was so turbid it was hard to describe, carrying an even evil aura.
Her eyes filled with wariness.
'Even after taking hits to eight vital acupoints, he can still wield that kind of energy despite regulating his power... This guy has surpassed the wall.'
So Ye-rin was instantly convinced that Mok Kyung-un had broken through the wall.
She had suspected as much ever since he crushed the first test's crushing stone—that he had reached the pinnacle of the transcendent realm or beyond. It was quite shocking.
How could someone not yet in his thirties reach such a level?
'...I heard he's a disciple of the Heaven-Earth Society's Dark Branch Leader?'
That was according to the prior intelligence.
But even the Heaven-Earth Society's Dark Branch Leader herself hadn't reached this level.
It was too dangerous to chalk it up simply to exceptional talent—his energy and everything about him felt perilous.
'Subdue him first.'
He had tried to kill Ju Un-hyang anyway.
There was no need to hold back.
-Pat!
Yukcheonho So Ye-rin kicked off the ground and shot toward Mok Kyung-un.
Her form blurred and vanished in an instant.
At that moment, Mok Kyung-un's right eye flashed.
With it, he unleashed the Heaven-Earth Society Great Young Master's famed Clear Water Moon Step, moving his body in ultra-high-speed motion.
-Pak!
The instant Mok Kyung-un moved, a hand thrust out from where he had been.
It was none other than So Ye-rin's hand.
'He dodged?'
So Ye-rin's delicate eyebrows shot up.
She had increased her speed to match the level of a transcendent expert.
Yet he evaded it.
And his movement wasn't ordinary.
'Ultra-high-speed movement?'
Her eyes shifted right.
There, Mok Kyung-un—who had dodged her strike—was thrusting his sword fingers laced with black energy straight at her for a counterattack.
'Sword aura?'
From the momentum, it was definitely sword aura.
But how could sword aura contain such ferocious energy?
She could feel the innate true energy in her body strongly rejecting it.
'I can't block this with ordinary sword aura.'
And so,
-Woooong!
She concentrated her innate true energy to form white sword aura on her hand.
As Mok Kyung-un's sword fingers stabbed toward her own head, she thrust her sword fingers upward toward his wrist.
'Quick response.'
Mok Kyung-un hurriedly halted his thrust and twisted direction with footwork.
-Papak!
He then whipped a kick toward her chin with a leg technique.
-Pak!
But Mok Kyung-un's kick sliced through empty air.
She had twisted her body to his side in an instant.
Without stopping, So Ye-rin closed in on Mok Kyung-un and slammed her palm against his abdomen in one breath.
-Paang!
In that instant, wave-like pulses rippled out from the struck area.
It was force emission.
The energy containing innate true energy would infiltrate his body and burrow into his organs.
Or so she thought,
-Papak!
Her palm, which had unleashed the force emission, was repelled.
Wondering what this was, she soon couldn't hide her astonishment.
That was because she spotted Mok Kyung-un pressing his palm against her back.
'This guy.'
He had countered force emission with force emission.
It was judgment beyond belief.
How could he use force emission on her back in this split-second moment?
This wasn't born from long experience—it was innate combat sense at its finest.
However,
'A gap.'
-Puk!
She had more experience than she appeared.
Thus, she didn't miss the opening created the instant he blocked her reverse force emission, landing a palm strike on his chin.
Mok Kyung-un's form floated up with a whoosh and flew back eight paces before tumbling over.
The impact to his chin had jarred his brain, leaving him too dizzy to rise immediately.
'She's strong.'
Mok Kyung-un inwardly clicked his tongue.
Excluding that mysterious old man and the Heaven-Earth Society Leader among those he'd faced, she was unequivocally top-tier.
He couldn't even gauge the extent of her skill.
-Mortal realm. This woman isn't going all out.
-I know.
Mok Kyung-un agreed with Cheongryeong's words.
Unlike him, who had unleashed his hidden demonic energy and was giving his all with internal energy, she hadn't drawn out her full power.
Through his right eye, unlocked with the Three Eyes' demonic power, he could see her suppressing her energy.
He couldn't even imagine what it would be like if she fully released it.
"Cough, cough... Yukcheonho..."
At that moment, Ju Un-hyang called out to Yukcheonho So Ye-rin.
Her throat had been struck by Mok Kyung-un, inflicting internal injuries, so her voice was weak—but a master of her caliber couldn't fail to hear it.
So Ye-rin turned her head and said,
"Ju Un-hyang, your injuries are severe. Focus on circulating your energy first. Hurry."
Ju Un-hyang shook her head at her words.
This was to stop her for now.
No matter the process, Mok Kyung-un had ultimately given up on harming her.
So she wanted to plead his case,
"Yukcheonho... Please hold off for now..."
But before she could finish,
So Ye-rin extended her hand and turned her head.
That was because Mok Kyung-un had already risen to his feet again.
"You're strong, Yukcheonho."
Seeing Mok Kyung-un speak, So Ye-rin clicked her tongue.
Even regulating her power, she thought a palm to the chin would eventually cause him to lose consciousness from the brain trauma.
Yet Mok Kyung-un looked fine.
From this, his recovery seemed far faster than ordinary people.
'As expected, he's dangerous.'
She hesitated.
She had planned to stop at just subduing him lightly.
But perhaps it was better to do it properly.
At that moment, Ju Un-hyang hurriedly stepped toward her, trying to shout.
"Yukcheonho, at least hear me out first... Cough!"
In that instant, blood erupted from Ju Un-hyang's mouth.
After her internal injuries, she should have circulated energy to expel the evil qi that entered her body, but leaving it untreated had allowed it to ravage her organs.
-Thud!
"Ugh!"
Seeing her collapse and vomit blood, Yukcheonho So Ye-rin's eyes sharpened.
Killing intent rose with it.
Sensing this, Mok Kyung-un's eyes narrowed.
'Her energy has risen.'
Through his right eye unlocked with the Three Eyes' demonic power, he saw her innate true energy vastly larger than before.
It rippled outward in all directions.
This woman might have reached the pinnacle of the Transformation Realm—or beyond.
-Sruk!
It was right then.
Yukcheonho So Ye-rin vanished, and a flash-like trajectory etched in his right eye as she appeared at his side.
Mok Kyung-un hurriedly concentrated his energy and raised his left arm.
-Puk! Wooduk!
Impact on his left arm.
His form was pushed over ten paces sideways.
Mok Kyung-un, shoved back, gritted his teeth and barely withstood the fall.
'My left wrist is broken.'
This alone showed the stark gap in their internal energy.
Likely more than double.
Suppressing the trembling in his left wrist, he clenched his fist—when So Ye-rin warned him,
"It'd be best if you go all out. Before I arrest you, you'll pay for what you did to Cadet Ju Un-hyang."
With those words, So Ye-rin's form vanished again.
She intended to subdue Mok Kyung-un thoroughly, not half-heartedly.
Even if it meant breaking every bone in his body.
Appearing instantly at his right side, she unleashed a leg technique toward his right ribs.
Right then, Mok Kyung-un blocked it with his right arm.
-Puk!
She assumed he'd be repelled again,
-Charruruk!
But Mok Kyung-un's form only shifted three paces.
'!?'
-Kuduk! Kududuk!
So Ye-rin's eyes caught veins bulging on Mok Kyung-un's right hand, turning black.
Seeing it transform like a vicious demon's hand, she furrowed her brow and muttered,
"You, exactly..."
"Hoo. This doesn't look good aesthetically—I didn't want to show it, but no choice."
It was the Reverse Blood Evil Art.
A method to temporarily amplify energy via the great reverse blood law.
Ordinary martial artists would rapidly deplete their core energy or go berserk using it, but Mok Kyung-un could control it perfectly by applying it partially.
'Amplifying only one hand's energy?'
Yukcheonho So Ye-rin was inwardly astonished.
How much was this guy hiding?
Soon, Mok Kyung-un—with his right hand amplified via Reverse Blood Evil Art—formed sword fingers in a sword stance.
This stance was none other than,
'Demonic Sword Art, First Form.'
The opening move of the swordsmanship he had created.
[Demonic Sword Art? Why not just call it swordsmanship?]
[I wanted to combine heart technique and swordsmanship into one without the hassle.]
[Combine heart technique and swordsmanship?]
[Yes.]
With this bizarre idea, Mok Kyung-un named this swordsmanship Demonic Sword Art.
The first form of Demonic Sword Art was currently the pinnacle technique Mok Kyung-un could unleash.
-Pat!
In that instant, Mok Kyung-un shot forward.
Even perfectly controlling Reverse Blood Evil Art, he couldn't maintain it long, so he aimed to end it quickly.
-Chwaaaaak!
The moment he unleashed the sword form, amplified black sword aura carved a massive trajectory, surging forth like a raging storm intent on sweeping away everything before it.
So Ye-rin's expression turned gravely serious at the immense sword form—unlike before.
'Can't go easy...'
This sword form was peerless.
No ordinary technique could block it.
So Ye-rin overlapped her index and middle fingers on her right hand into sword fingers, then stomped firmly and drew it back.
-Goooong!
Her sword fingers became like the eye of a typhoon, intense energy condensing from her fingertips.
-Hic!
Mok Kyung-un's eyes sharpened.
'This is...'
A dangerous feeling.
He'd never seen energy build like this.
But mid-sword form, he had no choice but to clash.
-Kwadududuk!
So Ye-rin thrust her drawn-back hand like a spear toward the incoming Mok Kyung-un.
In that instant, sharp sword intent arose, whipping up a vortex of sword momentum.
-Chachachachachachang!
The clash of these two peerless techniques was shockingly even.
Ju Un-hyang—who had vomited blood, circulated energy, and barely stabilized her injuries—gaped in shock at the sight.
She knew Mok Kyung-un was strong from fighting him, but her mentor, Yukcheonho So Ye-rin, was a hidden powerhouse unknown to most.
At full power, her prowess surpassed even the Eight Stars hailed as supreme masters.
Yet,
'An even match?'
The sight of the two techniques colliding was breathtaking.
Like raging waves crashing against a whirlwind.
Their sword momenta intertwined ceaselessly, neither yielding an inch.
-Chachachachachachang!
Even So Ye-rin, the participant, was astonished.
'A power rivaling my True Accumulation Return Sword?'
She too was stunned by Mok Kyung-un's peerless sword form.
She'd thought it no joke, but hadn't expected it to match her proud ultimate technique.
'Feels like my body could be torn apart.'
Meanwhile, Mok Kyung-un focused all senses on the sword form.
One mistake, and he'd be shredded by the sword momentum's vortex.
They were already at the 18th of 24 forms.
So Ye-rin's sword momentum was waning bit by bit—just hold on a little longer.
So he thought, when—
"It's been ages since I met a peerless swordsman of this caliber."
With those words, she stepped forward with her opposite foot, stomping firmly.
-Thud!
She withdrew her right hand while drawing back her left sword fingers, then thrust forward.
-Chwachachachachwa!
Mok Kyung-un's eyes shook at the sight.
'Consecutively?'
He hadn't anticipated the form chaining like this, syncing with the end of his momentum.
Moreover, this time the sword momentum rotated reversely, with a completely different ferocity.
The shifted direction made it even harder to block.
-Kuduk! Kuduk!
Even Reverse Blood Evil Art was reaching its limit.
Amplifying via reverse blood great law wasn't sustainable long-term.
Was he to lose like this?
In Mok Kyung-un's eyes loomed the massive vortex's core.
All momentum surged from there.
In that instant, both his eyes flashed.
'Aim for where the momentum originates.'
That required overwhelming power, even for a split second.
The moment he realized this, his thoughts converged on one point.
And that singular thought yielded a simple conclusion.
'Gather it into one.'
Consolidate all forms of his ultimate sword form, Demonic Sword Art, into one.
It was tantamount to unifying the sword momentum of the form and all sword intent within the forms.
Impossible at his current level.
Yet, cornered on the precipice, Mok Kyung-un's thoughts and will transcended the boundary ordinary people could never cross.
'Given up?'
Conversely, seeing Mok Kyung-un's waning sword momentum, So Ye-rin sensed his defeat and assumed surrender.
But right then—
-Chwachachachachachachok!
The twenty-four black trajectories of dark light particles dispersed, then converged into a single point.
A single black line slashed through the heart of the vortex sword momentum.
'!!!!!!!!'
-Chaang!
An astonishing sight unfolded.
Mok Kyung-un stood behind So Ye-rin, clutching his sword fingers, breathing raggedly—having passed her. Her vortex sword momentum had vanished without a trace.
Moreover,
-Drip, drip!
Blood drops trailed from her lowered left sword fingers to the floor.