Chapter 422
Chapter 422
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 110
>Chapter Title: The First Realm (3)
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At the same time.
Within the grand hall shrouded in darkness.
-Crack!
At the sound of cracking, the being seated on the throne, suppressing its rage, turned its gaze toward the wall where six candles burned.
The spot before the last candle was empty, while round jade plaques stood before the others.
Among those five jade plaques, a crack had formed at the end of the one in the center.
In response, the eye on the forehead of the shadowy figure on the throne twitched and moved.
-Kang Yeom.
"It collided with him. But the situation doesn't look good."
A crack in the jade plaque was no good sign for Kang Yeom.
It meant he had been injured or was in danger.
Then, the eye on the forehead shifted as a voice echoed.
-The power of the First Realm isn't limited to the martial arts I passed down. You know that well, companion.
"......We'll see."
-Wait just a little longer. Your wish will come true soon.
* * *
'No way......'
Radiant Sword King Son Yun was at a loss for words.
It was a monster that had effortlessly blocked the combined assault of him and the other supreme experts.
Yet not only had it pushed back Kang Yeom, but at the very moment he tried to unleash his hidden power, it had gathered all its strength into a single point and punched a hole through his chest.
It was utter domination.
Was that really Mok Kyung-un, the one he knew?
'......The real monster was someone else.'
The extent of his growth was hardly believable for a human.
At this level, he wondered if even the Society Lord at his peak could handle this monster.
'Should I consider this fortunate?'
There was finally hope to rescue Lady Wi So-yeon, the Society Lord's youngest disciple, but deep down, he couldn't help worrying about Mok Kyung-un's prowess.
He was too strong.
He had heard that the lady favored Mok Kyung-un, but the man came from the orthodox faction as a hostage.
If someone with that level of skill ever harbored rebellious thoughts, it could lead to a highly dangerous situation.
-Clang clang clang clang!
At that moment, the sound of clashing swords reached his ears.
There, Sword Demon Ji Oe was battling the remaining masked figures.
Seeing this, a glint appeared in Son Yun's eyes.
He had noticed that a few among the masked figures possessed exceptional skill, but the four who had endured Mok Kyung-un's advance were even holding off Sword Demon Ji Oe.
'Even if he's nearly exhausted his qi, to withstand a transcendence realm master like that. They're no ordinary foes.'
"Huu."
Son Yun, who had been roughly circulating his qi to steady himself, rose to his feet.
He had escaped fatal injury, so he needed to assist Ji Oe.
But then,
-Slash!
One masked figure's mask was torn by Ji Oe's sword.
'No?'
Son Yun, who saw the face hidden beneath, and Sword Demon Ji Oe, who had been directly facing him, couldn't hide their shock.
And rightly so—it was far from an ordinary human face.
Bulging eyes reminiscent of a beast, no proper nose but two small holes, and razor-sharp teeth.
It was a monster through and through.
"Damn you old bastard."
The monster whose face was revealed showed clear displeasure.
Then, like a wild beast, it dropped to all fours, moving in eerie patterns to dodge Ji Oe's sword strikes before lunging for his back.
'Those movements aren't human.'
However,
-Pak!
Ji Oe flipped backward in a somersault, driving his sword into the head of the monster targeting his back.
-Stab!
"Kahk!"
The monster impaled on the sword let out a dying scream and collapsed to the floor.
"You old human scum!"
"I'll kill you!"
"Kraaaargh!"
Enraged by their comrade's death, three more masked figures charged at Ji Oe with ferocious momentum.
Their movements were no less impressive than the one that had just died.
-Papapapapapak!
Ji Oe, nearly depleted of qi and stamina, rapidly shifted his eyes, responding calmly with minimal movements.
Then,
-Pfufuk!
"Ugh!"
"Kek!"
"Kek!"
A single sword flew in, skewering them one by one like meat on a spit.
The masked figures with holes in their torsos gasped in agony before collapsing.
Sword Demon Ji Oe let out a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
What had pierced their bodies was a black sword-controlling energy blade.
The one who had sent it was none other than Mok Kyung-un.
-Cling!
The sword-controlling energy blade that had slain them in an instant flew back and settled into the sheath at Mok Kyung-un's waist.
'To wield sword-controlling energy blade with such freedom. No doubt about it.'
Radiant Sword King Son Yun, who had intended to aid Ji Oe, clicked his tongue in amazement.
Mok Kyung-un had undoubtedly reached the Profound Realm.
For a man not yet thirty to attain the supreme realm in a mere half-year.
No matter how he thought about it—no, even seeing it—he couldn't accept it.
But why was that guy still lingering in front of those foes?
The reason Radiant Sword King Son Yun found it strange was simple.
Mok Kyung-un was still standing before Kang Yeom, whose chest had been pierced and who should be dead.
'His chest has a hole in it, yet he stands there as if something might happen......'
-Flinch!
It was then.
-Roarrrrr!
Kang Yeom's entire body, whom they thought dead, was suddenly engulfed in massive flames.
"What?"
What was happening?
Why was a corpse spontaneously combusting?
As they puzzled over it, the flames spread to the floor around the burning Kang Yeom, and soon it wasn't just burning—it was melting.
The heat surpassed that of ordinary flames.
At that moment, Mok Kyung-un, one hand behind his back, raised his right hand in a sword gesture upward.
Then,
-Dudung!
The ownerless swords nearby floated up.
As Mok Kyung-un extended his hand toward the burning Kang Yeom, the swords flew toward him in unison.
-Shooshshooshshoosh!
But something astonishing happened.
The flames' heat was so intense that the swords melted before they could even touch him.
As if blocked by an invisible wall of heat.
-Pasasas!
'Heat intense enough to melt swords.'
Even Gi Ok-ryeon, daughter of Yangam Valley Lord Gi Hae, couldn't hide her shock at the sight.
But that wasn't the only problem.
The heat was spreading outward, causing the surrounding air to shimmer and distort.
It was like looking at heat haze.
-Shooshshooshshoosh!
Mok Kyung-un continued sending swords via sword control toward the burning Kang Yeom, but they couldn't reach him—they just kept melting.
Why keep sending swords when it was pointless?
Was he sensing the heat was abnormal?
But then Gi Ok-ryeon's eyes widened.
'Ah?'
The melted iron fragments from the swords had turned nearly to molten metal, and they were gradually piling up, encircling the burning Kang Yeom.
'How is that possible?'
Once it reached waist height, half the heat couldn't escape, stopping the floor from burning.
Instead, the heat surged upward, scorching the surrounding air.
-Pak!
It was then.
"Kraaaaaargh!"
The supposedly dead, burning Kang Yeom suddenly moved, bursting through the molten metal trying to contain him and charging at Mok Kyung-un.
-Papapapak!
As he shot forward like a living inferno, Mok Kyung-un pulled his hand forward and then thrust his palm out as if unleashing a palm technique.
A pure white energy blasted forth, enveloping the flames.
It was the extreme yin chill.
-Shwaaaaa!
As the extreme yin chill clashed with the flames, the moisture created thick steam that instantly filled the surroundings.
-Pat!
Piercing through the steam, Kang Yeom unleashed a hand blade toward where he was certain Mok Kyung-un stood.
A blade-shaped energy of flames extended, slicing through the steam.
-Roarrrrr! Slash!
-Kwaaaaaang!
The flame blade didn't just cut the steam—it ravaged everything within a dozen paces, turning the area to ruins.
And it didn't end there.
Flame blades continuously shot out from the steam in all directions.
Due to their immense power, Radiant Sword King Son Yun and the surviving society members had no choice but to distance themselves as much as possible from the aftermath.
'How is he still alive?'
Son Yun, who had retreated as far as possible from the flame blades' range, couldn't comprehend it.
Alive even with a hole through his chest—what kind of freakish phenomenon was this?
Was he some immortal being?
As he felt bewildered,
The flame blades that had been flying everywhere suddenly stopped.
Then, as the steam filling the area cleared, something faintly came into view.
It was,
'!!!!!!'
Kang Yeom, his limbs severed and sprawled on the floor, being stepped on by Mok Kyung-un.
Heat still emanated from him, but Mok Kyung-un paid it no mind, driving the black qi-formed demon sword Akjeuk into his head.
-Stab!
"Guh!"
The sword pierced through his head and out his mouth.
Despite the brutality, Mok Kyung-un looked down with utter indifference.
At that moment, Kang Yeom's severed limbs twitched, veins tangling and flesh beginning to sprout.
Mok Kyung-un responded by,
-Slash!
Pulling out the sword from his head and slicing above the regenerating areas.
-Slash slash slash!
As the limbs were severed again, Kang Yeom groaned in agony.
"Kuueeugh."
Kang Yeom was inwardly in utter dismay.
He was an ancient demon beast who had lived for centuries, capable of human transformation at a high realm.
He had even achieved a more refined human form than others, manifesting bloodline to learn martial arts from Mok Gan and become a favored member of the First Realm.
But what was this monster?
Despite successfully absorbing the extreme yang spirit beast blood—gaining immense fire energy and regeneration—he was completely overpowered.
"Uuugh."
As he writhed in pain, Mok Kyung-un smirked and said,
"It hurts, huh? How many slices until you die? A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand......"
-Flinch!
At Mok Kyung-un's words, a chill ran down Kang Yeom's spine.
This monster seemed fully capable of doing just that.
"Kuueeugh. You bastard."
"Being unkillable doesn't seem so great. Does it?"
-Churrr!
No sooner had he spoken than Kang Yeom's severed limbs began regenerating against his will once more.
But it was mere repetition.
As Mok Kyung-un swung his sword again, the limbs were cut higher, leaving only the torso.
-Bam!
Mok Kyung-un stomped on the agonized Kang Yeom's head and said with a chilling smile,
"No need to leave the torso—maybe just the head will do?"
In response, Kang Yeom shouted desperately at Mok Kyung-un.
"I'll hand over that human wench, so stop!"
Human wench.
He meant Heavenly Earth Society Lord's youngest disciple, Wi So-yeon.
Two masked figures still flanked Wi So-yeon.
They had daggers at her throat, ready to stab if needed, keeping even Sword Demon Ji Oe from approaching easily.
But,
"Not only did you split your forces for this, but you had the spare capacity to escape with her and yet dragged things out. That means you had some other goal......"
'This guy?'
Kang Yeom's eyes shook.
As he suspected the worst, Mok Kyung-un stared piercingly at the unconscious Wi So-yeon before saying coldly,
"That's not the real one."
'!!!!!!!'
[Chapter 110: The First Realm (3)] End