Chapter 51
Chapter 51
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: An Eye for an Eye, Right There...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gu Cheon-se let out a hollow laugh as he pinched his thigh.
"Ha... haha... Am, am I dreaming right now?"
It hurt.
A sharp pain.
This wasn't a dream.
The moment realization dawned, Han Ibi's figure shot toward him.
Those pitch-black eyes!
That ominous gaze that seemed ready to swallow everything whole!
It closed in right up to his nose, giving the sensation that it would engulf him completely.
At the same time, his vision spun wildly.
His body had taken a powerful blow and was now floating through the air, detached from the ground.
Bam.
Gu Cheon-se's body plummeted straight back to earth after another massive impact.
Crash.
With a loud thud, he slammed into the ground once more.
Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.
Blood trickled from a gash on his forehead into his mouth, filling it with a fishy stench.
"Heh heh heh."
What could possibly be so amusing?
Gu Cheon-se laughed like a madman as he spoke.
"Impressive. Truly impressive. This is really..."
Suddenly, he pulled a pouch from his bosom.
With a shake, a thumb-sized pill popped out.
Without giving anyone a chance to stop him, he swallowed it whole.
"Heh heh heh... I never thought I'd use this Radiant Core Pill like this. It was such a pain to obtain..."
His face twisted with regret as he downed it, but moments later, he clutched his dantian and let out a roar.
"Raaargh!"
Like a wild beast, he howled ferociously.
The Radiant Core Pill was a tonic designed to instantly draw out one's latent power.
But it was even more infamous by its alias, the "Mara Pill"—named after the demon Mara.
Of course, it was dismissed as mere legend in the jianghu...
Gu Cheon-se's eyes turned bloodshot.
The veins in his eyeballs burst all at once, dyeing them crimson.
Just like the legends, he now resembled a true demon.
The contrast between his black pupils and red sclera was stark.
With a shake of his body, thick veins writhed over his sturdy muscles, threatening to burst forth.
"You filthy bastard. How dare you lay a hand on Gu Cheon-se..."
That was when it happened.
Han Ibi's figure blurred from his sight.
It only appeared that way because of his blinding speed.
Simultaneously, Han Ibi materialized right in front of him.
Just as Han Ibi's hands reached out to seize him...
Clasp.
Incredibly, Gu Cheon-se had raised his arms overhead and caught both of Han Ibi's hands.
Gu Cheon-se burst into wild laughter.
"Fun. This is fun. Haha!"
This time was different.
It was an even clash of raw strength.
Unlike before, there was no movement—just pure power struggling against power.
Yet between them sparked a tense standoff on the razor's edge.
A single slip, and their arms' muscles and bones would shatter.
Gu Cheon-se took a step forward, pushing Han Ibi back.
"Heh heh heh. Kid, you've played well. Played very well. But now it's time to die. It's a shame—we could've had even more fun, but this old man regrets it not."
He pressed on with two more steps.
In terms of sheer physical build, Han Ibi's body was solid but couldn't match Gu Cheon-se's burly frame.
As such, Han Ibi was gradually being forced back.
A triumphant smile crept across Gu Cheon-se's face.
'But those black eyes of his. That cursed gaze—gotta do something about...'
Just then, those dark orbs flashed brilliantly, but Gu Cheon-se dismissed it as an illusion.
But soon, he realized the black markings on Han Ibi's face and arms were growing even darker.
"What the—why is this...?"
That was when it happened.
Suddenly, Gu Cheon-se's arms felt leaden.
His fingers felt like they might explode at any moment.
At the same time, Han Ibi began stepping forward.
Immense pressure bore down on Gu Cheon-se.
"Groooar!"
As Han Ibi roared, it felt like the entire world shook.
Simultaneously, his wrists emitted horrifying creaks, warning they were about to snap.
'This madman... Even after the Radiant Core Pill...'
With Han Ibi gaining the upper hand, he pressed harder.
Gu Cheon-se could only retreat step by step.
At this rate, defeat was inevitable.
Moreover, the pain in his fingers and wrists growled like a beast ready to devour him.
A do-or-die moment.
'No... no more...'
Resolving himself, Gu Cheon-se pulled his center back before exploding his inner energy in a burst.
At the same time, he unleashed a palm strike toward Han Ibi.
Boom.
The eardrum-shattering pressure separated their bodies instantly.
A seasoned response worthy of a battle-hardened veteran.
Without that quick reaction, his arms would have been torn apart.
No sooner had they parted than Gu Cheon-se spun around and unleashed a fist technique.
A rudimentary motion, barely qualifying as a proper technique.
Yet fueled by the Radiant Core Pill, his body unleashed tremendous power, raining blows on Han Ibi.
Ever since the Crimson Dream Great Law activated, Han Ibi's attacks had grown monotonous—and now he was being pushed back.
Gu Cheon-se laughed as he taunted.
"Just a brute who only knows how to swing his strength around, eh?"
Confirming his advantage, Gu Cheon-se switched to all-out offense.
He combined punches and kicks in a 7:3 ratio, enveloping Han Ibi like a gale.
Han Ibi could only barely defend.
Meanwhile, another fierce battle raged elsewhere.
Inside Han Ibi's consciousness.
His mind was a battlefield where the Crimson Dream Great Law's "power" clashed with his own "consciousness," vying for control.
For Han Ibi, it was no different from fighting two enemies at once.
The sole reason he endured so desperately was one thing:
The deep-seated warning of what would happen if he failed to end the Crimson Dream Great Law before its time limit expired.
But now the situation had changed.
Gu Cheon-se, empowered by that strange pill, attacked far more ferociously than expected.
Now, Han Ibi had to call a truce in his internal struggle and focus on the enemy before him.
Thud.
For the first time, Gu Cheon-se's kick slammed into Han Ibi's side.
The impact felt like every rib in his body had shattered, snapping him back to clarity.
'First, I need to deploy proper footwork.'
That was when it happened.
Han Ibi activated the Eight Trigrams without hesitation.
But this time, a different directional array appeared.
The full Sixty-Four Hexagrams were laid out before him.
He was briefly puzzled, then understood.
His footwork proficiency had leveled up with the Crimson Dream Great Law's awakening.
The intricate Eight Trigrams layered eightfold into the Sixty-Four Hexagrams.
Thanks to it, he could now execute finer, more adaptable steps.
Thud.
Intense pain flared in Han Ibi's shoulder again.
Gu Cheon-se's fist had pierced his somewhat sluggish defense.
"Hahaha! How's the taste of Gu Cheon-se's Iron Fist?"
In that instant, Han Ibi cleared his mind and swiftly employed the "Family" step from the Sixty-Four Hexagrams.
It was as if he'd trapped Gu Cheon-se inside an invisible "home."
Gu Cheon-se sensed the shift immediately.
But true to his veteran status, he retreated and circled out of the trap.
'That was close...'
But it wasn't time to relax yet.
Han Ibi followed with the "Biting Through" step, pressing Gu Cheon-se relentlessly.
This step was so profound it blocked both advance and retreat.
Crack.
A loud impact echoed from Gu Cheon-se's side.
The grinding sound meant several ribs had snapped.
"Argh! You damned old bast—"
But he couldn't finish.
Han Ibi surged forward with the lightning-fast "Great Possession" step and...
Boom.
Struck Gu Cheon-se's left shoulder squarely.
Only then did Gu Cheon-se realize.
Han Ibi was paying him back exactly as he'd dished it out...
This mad monster wasn't just overwhelmingly skilled—he was petty to the bone...
At that moment, a chill ran down his spine.
Now that he could freely wield the Sixty-Four Hexagrams footwork, Han Ibi was unstoppable.
With rationality having served its purpose, control was slipping back to the Crimson Dream Great Law's beastly instinct.
"Groooar!"
Han Ibi roared again, lunging forward in an instant.
Gu Cheon-se anticipated the path and spun to counter.
A movement like lightning.
But...
Grab!
Han Ibi's hands clamped onto his right arm.
This monster had already read his move.
'But... why grab my arm...?'
The thought didn't last.
Han Ibi showed him why.
Unexpectedly, he yanked both arms downward while raising his knee high.
"Y-you mad bastard!"
Finally understanding, Gu Cheon-se panicked and shouted.
But...
Riiip.
A gruesome sound echoed through the mountains as Han Ibi released his arm.
Gu Cheon-se staggered.
His right arm dangled limply.
As if it had never had a bone to begin with...
Despite the agony, Gu Cheon-se gritted his teeth and endured.
Few options remained.
Now, he would unleash his greatest pride.
The Thirty-Six Stratagems Lightness Skill.
This footwork had been the key to evading responsibility for all his villainy across the Central Plains and beyond.
"Die!"
Gu Cheon-se burst forward three steps with a menacing shout.
On the fourth, he pivoted sharply and launched himself in the opposite direction.
He poured everything into it.
Every step was at full power.
Already potent, now amplified by the Radiant Core Pill—its speed was beyond words.
Laughing maniacally again, he called back,
"Good game, kid. But next time I see you, I'll lop off your head for a bowl of wine—so don't let this old man catch you..."
As he glanced back...
Gu Cheon-se suddenly felt his breath catch.
Han Ibi had overtaken him, seizing his throat and hoisting him into the air like a ragdoll.
Unable to breathe, his face turned purple instantly.
No—that wasn't the issue.
The grip was so ironclad his neck bones felt ready to snap.
Dangling in midair, consciousness fading, he thrashed wildly with his legs, mustering every ounce of strength.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Gu Cheon-se's desperate kicks hammered Han Ibi's torso.
His body rocked with each hit, but Han Ibi's eyes didn't even flicker.
Through the tattered sleeve of his right arm, even darker veins throbbed, ready to burst through his skin.
"Guh... guhk."
Overcome by pain, Gu Cheon-se foamed at the mouth.
In that instant.
Wham.
A massive impact rang out.
Han Ibi had swung his leg, smashing into Gu Cheon-se's dangling lower body.
Riiip.
Another horrific sound reverberated through the mountains.
This time, joined by Gu Cheon-se's scream...
(To be continued next time)