Chapter 457
Chapter 457
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 117
>Chapter Title: Supreme (3)
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Jin Yerin was genuinely awestruck.
The strike Mok Kyung-un had just unleashed was truly a realm of supreme prowess beyond measure.
She had always believed the formless sword, known as the pinnacle of swordsmanship, was the ultimate end of the blade.
Yet to think there existed something that transcended even that.
*...He truly is a genius.*
She had no choice but to acknowledge Mok Kyung-un's martial talent.
She herself had been told by her father that she possessed extraordinary gifts, but compared to Mok Kyung-un's aptitude, it was like a drop in the ocean.
What meaning was there in comparing herself—someone who had yet to fully master the martial arts passed down from her ancestors—to Mok Kyung-un, who constantly shattered his own limits to reach new heights?
*How shameful.*
She had lived only for her clan's revival and revenge, but witnessing Mok Kyung-un's boundless growth, she felt shame for the first time in her approach to martial arts.
Perhaps it stung all the more because someone far inferior to her had reached a place she could never touch.
On the other hand,
*Still not enough.*
Mok Kyung-un was far from satisfied.
He had succeeded in manifesting supreme prowess through his sword, but something still felt lacking.
He didn't know what it was, but he knew there was more to fill.
And then,
-Shooooooo!
Heat haze rose from his entire body.
Unleashing supreme sword prowess at a single point placed even greater strain on his flesh than a normal sword.
Moreover, it demanded immense willpower, consuming a tremendous amount of mental energy.
The moment he shaped the sword as desired, his body fell into a state of utter exhaustion—the depletion was so severe it couldn't yet be used recklessly.
The corner of Mok Kyung-un's mouth curled up.
*Endless, isn't it?*
Was this the allure of martial arts?
Even when he had reached the realm of Life and Death and perfected the formless sword, the sword's pinnacle, he thought that was the end—yet it was not.
This proved it.
There was no end to martial arts.
-Chrrrrrr!
At that moment, writhing blood vessels began regenerating from the severed neck stump of Mok Gan.
Mok Kyung-un's eyes gleamed as he watched.
For it to attempt recovery even after its entire torso was blown away—this was no mere regeneration; it bordered on true immortality.
*Hmm.*
Watching this, Mok Kyung-un pondered.
Come to think of it, among the foes he had faced so far, there were those with such exceptional regenerative abilities.
These types were particularly troublesome because they relied on their regeneration to act in ways ordinary foes never would.
And unlike typical enemies, their regeneration altered the very nature of the battle.
Variables arose at any moment.
*...Could I manifest a supreme prowess that surpasses even regeneration?*
But prowess was prowess, after all.
Regeneration was merely one ability, not the essence of the being itself.
This wasn't something that could be handled with prowess alone.
Yet where others might stop there, Mok Kyung-un's thoughts reached higher.
*Is there a way to sharpen my sword intent and sword force to a point where even regeneration can't keep up?*
Such thoughts didn't linger long.
The reason was simple—Mok Gan's flesh was truly beginning to regenerate.
-Chrrrrrr!
Blood vessels connected, bones sprouted, and muscles bulged forth.
Faced with this astonishing regenerative power, Mok Kyung-un clicked his tongue.
Fortunately, having clashed with it once before, he knew its weakness.
-Slash!
As Mok Kyung-un drew his sword art across it, the regenerating area was sliced away.
"Gah!"
Mok Kyung-un, who had severed it, reached toward the eye on its forehead.
But then Mok Gan spoke.
"You bastard... really... lost your... core... and became... human...? Is that... true?"
'!?'
At those words, Mok Kyung-un's hand paused mid-motion toward the eye.
Staring intently at the eye on its forehead, Mok Kyung-un said,
"Did the Demon Sword tell you?"
"......"
Mok Gan did not deny it.
The first thing he had done upon arriving at the bamboo grove was to subdue the Demon Sword.
Having confirmed that another of his kin, with whom he had long coordinated, had been eradicated, he knew it was no longer his limb.
Thus, he tried to pry out what it had discovered.
But it had been tight-lipped.
Instead, it sowed confusion.
[Haa... haa... The Incarnation is no longer... your enemy...]
"Not my enemy?"
[Having lost its... core... it chose the path of regression itself.]
"Regression?"
[I saw it with my own eyes. He is no longer an Incarnation who threatens you—just an ordinary human now. So no need to...]
-Crush!
[Guh.]
[I don't know why the core's presence vanished, but you're still hiding something.]
[Guh... guh...]
[You think some ordinary human could stand against me? Spit out everything you're hiding.]
[Guh... you bastard... I have nothing... to say to the likes of you!]
"What?"
[Get... out... of that one's... sight...]
"......"
Mok Gan's inner shock was profound at the Demon Sword's words.
Over a century had passed, yet not only had its will not faded, it had eradicated its own kin—and still harbored loyalty to its master?
How could a mere human possess such unbreakable resolve?
Intrigued and awed, Mok Gan had tried to fully dissect its mind, but then Jin Yerin emerged from the ancestral hall, leading to the present.
Glaring at Mok Kyung-un, Mok Gan spoke.
"Why... why become human?"
"......"
Mok Kyung-un gave no answer to the question.
He himself had learned the truth through the Demon Sword, and even now, he struggled to accept it.
Thus, Mok Kyung-un cast aside complicated thoughts.
Whatever the past, he resolved to focus on the present.
"Kuh... kuhehehe..."
Suddenly, Mok Gan burst into laughter.
It was a bitter, mad cackle.
After laughing for a while, madness filled his eyes.
He seemed like a different person.
"Become human... human... kuhehe. I despise it. I loathe you. No, I hate you. An outcast, banished from the clan, regressing to become human. I see your vile intentions."
"Intentions? Babble on as you like. I..."
"You'll gain nothing. If I can't have it, neither will you."
"......Nonsense."
"I'll give you true despair. Suffering beyond what I endured."
Judging Mok Gan's curses unworthy of further hearing, Mok Kyung-un reached for the eye on its forehead.
To make contact and locate its true body.
-Stab!
Fearing it might self-destruct again, he swiftly gouged out the eye this time to prevent energy manipulation,
-Slash slash slash slash!
And severed all the visible blood threads connected to it.
Each thread seemed to channel energy much like meridians or qi pathways.
With that, Mok Kyung-un gripped the eye and closed his own.
With one clone dead, he could narrow down the scattered candidates.
But then,
'!!!!!!!'
In that instant, Mok Kyung-un's mind beheld a dark grand hall and a shadowy throne draped in darkness. Upon it sat a figure.
Its face was obscured by thick shadows, but the third eye on its forehead gleamed distinctly.
Could this be the true body?
Its mind wasn't dispersed among clones, pinpointing the location in one go?
Puzzled, the throne's Mok Gan spoke.
-The time has come.
'What?'
-It is not you who found this seat. It is I who revealed myself.
'......'
What was its intent?
During their clash at the Heaven and Earth Society, it had scattered tracking across clones to hide its position.
Yet this time, the clone eye didn't self-destruct and willingly revealed its location.
Mok Kyung-un couldn't help but grow suspicious.
Then the throne's Mok Gan said,
-I offer you one last chance. Offer your soul and魄 willingly, and in mercy, I shall grant you a painless death.
Mok Kyung-un scoffed at the proposal.
Then he sent his will.
-Our thoughts differ.
"Differ?"
-I plan to torment you until you beg for death.
-Kwachak!
No sooner had the words ended than the throne's armrest crumbled, and the third eye visible through the shadows blazed with killing intent.
The entire hall began to quake—immense inner energy.
Mok Gan threatened in a seething voice.
-You squander the chance to the end.
Mok Kyung-un smirked arrogantly in response.
-Only the strong qualify to offer chances. That doesn't apply to you.
-Bam!
With that, the throne shattered to pieces as Mok Gan kicked off and rose,
-Slither...
But Mok Kyung-un ignored it, severing the mental pursuit.
He had a rough location; further talk was pointless.
As the connection broke, the mad one's frenzied shout echoed, but it was irrelevant.
-Crack!
Mok Kyung-un crushed the clone eye in his hand as well.
With the eye destroyed, the ominous energy flow ceased.
Then Cheongryeong asked in an expectant tone.
-Did you find it?
-Yes.
-Where? Where is it?
-If I tell you, you'll rush off alone?
-......
Cheongryeong was momentarily speechless at Mok Kyung-un's transmission.
Shrugging, he replied in a disappointed tone.
-I suspected, but it really is. In that case, I can't tell you. We had a promise to go together...
-No need for promises.
-Pardon?
-Even without that, I'll go with you. Be it the end or whatever, I'll stay with you until the finish. Satisfied now?
-......
Mok Kyung-un fell silent at Cheongryeong's words.
Sensing Jin Yerin's approaching presence, he turned his head with feigned indifference, face expressionless.
Seeing this, Jin Yerin tilted her head slightly.
He had definitely been smiling.
[Chapter 117: Supreme (3)] End