The Red Galaxy Descends
"...You want to clash?"
Dok-go Cheon's sudden spike of fury faltered. The proposition was just that absurd.
Yet the young man who had spoken was standing tall, completely unfazed.
"Precisely."
"Between you, a mere Peak Realm whelp, and me?"
"We won't know who stands taller until we measure ourselves, will we?"
"...!"
He was so incredibly brazen that Dok-go Cheon was momentarily left speechless.
Consequently, the reaction erupted from elsewhere.
"Ha! You arrogant bastard!"
"Lord! Do not entertain this! We will cut him down this instant!"
Despite the shouts of his executives, Dok-go Cheon did not break eye contact with Jeok-un.
"Your arrogance truly pierces the heavens."
"I've heard that so often my ears are practically worn out."
Jeok-un shook his head as if he were thoroughly sick of hearing it.
Watching him, a strange gleam flickered in Dok-go Cheon's eyes.
Under normal circumstances, he would have flicked his finger and blown the boy's head off. But today was different.
The unprecedented energy radiating from the youth's entire body had been provoking him this whole time.
Just as Jeok-un's competitive spirit had flared upon seeing Dok-go Cheon, the Lord of Sadocheon felt his own blood boil at the sight of the boy.
"I will only use an amount of energy appropriate for your level."
"Oh? So you accept?"
Screeech!
Dok-go Cheon drew his Death-After Blade and replied.
"If you are offering yourself up as a punching bag to vent my anger, why should I refuse?"
The moment the words left his mouth—
"Yes, that's what I wanted to hear!"
Whoosh!
With a fierce grin, Jeok-un lunged toward Dok-go Cheon like a bolt of lightning.
Dok-go Cheon was the undisputed number one of the Unorthodox faction.
Because of this, people often assumed he was born into an extraordinary family, consumed rare elixirs like daily meals, and learned legendary techniques from a young age.
But the reality was entirely different.
Dok-go Cheon was born to slash-and-burn farmers in Guangxi Province, orphaned by a plague shortly after his birth.
How does a lone orphan survive in such a harsh world? Naturally, he became a vagrant, wandering the streets to survive.
Yet, his innate talent for martial arts was the real deal.
Before he even reached adulthood, armed with nothing but a single broadsword, he wiped out an entire syndicate of wicked thugs who had been tormenting innocent civilians.
Confident in his talent after that feat, Dok-go Cheon threw himself into Sadocheon. Starting as a low-ranking warrior in the Ten Heavens Squad, he climbed all the way to the position of Lord of Sadocheon—the absolute peak of the Unorthodox world—solely on his own merit.
Every step of his journey was a myth, an epic of a self-made man. That was Dok-go Cheon.
While commoners praised Dok-go Cheon's unyielding resolve and iron will, the people of the Jianghu were slightly different.
What martial artists revered was not mere spirit or grit, but raw, primal power—martial arts.
The peerless blade technique that elevated Dok-go Cheon to the rank of the Four Emperors.
Unleashed through the Death-After Blade, the Lion Heaven-Shattering Blade was worthy of being called a divine art that shook an entire generation.
This was evident in the fact that even the Orthodox factions, who were practically defined by their pride and prejudice, acknowledged Dok-go Cheon as the world's greatest bladesman.
It was a famous anecdote that the head of the Hebei Peng clan, renowned for their Five Tiger Single-Gate Blade, had lamented, "I have seen the heavens in the blade of the Unorthodox!"
Such was the nature of the Lion Heaven-Shattering Blade—a style that epitomized the absolute peak of the Tyrant's Way.
Every single strike was heavy, carrying the power to cleave the very sky.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted, sounding as if a meteor had crashed into the earth.
A shockwave of energy swept outward, ravaging the surroundings. One might truly believe a meteor had fallen, but that was not the case at all.
In reality, it was merely the collision of their weapons.
It was a simple clash, perhaps even a mere probe. Yet the aftermath and consequences were anything but simple.
Rumble!
The shockwave generated by the clashing energies swept past the training ground and battered the spectator stands. Because two completely different types of internal energy had collided, sparks and flames erupted all over the area.
It's over.
The watching executives of Sadocheon all shared the same intuition. How could a mere Peak Realm brat withstand such overwhelming power?
"...Huh?"
However, as a brief moment passed and the dust kicked up by the impact settled, the executives doubted their own eyes.
Though he had been pushed back, carving deep grooves into the training ground's stone floor...
He's... still standing?
No, how?!
Jeok-un had actually withstood Dok-go Cheon's strike.
On the other side, Dok-go Cheon was completely unscathed. That was only natural, nothing to be surprised about.
But Jeok-un's survival was a different story.
His opponent was a master of the Profound Realm.
Even though Dok-go Cheon had suppressed his power to match Jeok-un's level, taking all of that into account, the mere fact that he had withstood the strike was enough to send shockwaves through the martial world.
Drip...
A thin trickle of blood ran down the corner of Jeok-un's mouth.
It had been a single clash, but his internal organs had been severely shaken. He had survived the blow, but he had not escaped unscathed.
"Good," Jeok-un muttered, a bright smile spreading across his face.
They had exchanged only a single blow, but Jeok-un was now certain.
Unlike the pathetic fools like the Fist Emperor or the Spear Emperor whom he had personally crushed before his regression, the Lion Blade Emperor, Dok-go Cheon, was the real deal.
Anyone else would have lost their will to fight and surrendered their fighting spirit by now.
It was a battle that could not be won from the start. With a broken spirit, they would have lost without even putting up a proper fight.
But the current Jeok-un was different. He knew he would lose. Yet, his resolve did not waver in the slightest.
Damn, what a waste. To think I died in my past life without ever fighting a man like this.
Instead, his competitive fire blazed even hotter.
He knew that only by fighting a powerhouse capable of easily crushing him could he reach a higher realm.
In his past life, by the time Jeok-un joined Sadocheon, Dok-go Cheon was already a broken man.
Due to a series of internal conspiracies within Sadocheon, Dok-go Cheon had been poisoned, which led to a severe case of Qi Deviation. Not only had his cultivation plummeted, but his very life had hung in the balance.
You should thank me, old man. In this life, I'll make sure to keep a tight grip on your lifeline and keep you alive.
Though, in exchange, I'll be stealing all of your strength.
To Jeok-un, cultivating martial arts was not a process of learning, but of plunder.
With that thought, Jeok-un spoke to Dok-go Cheon.
"I'll tell you the exact same thing I told my uncle before I beat him up a few days ago."
"What?"
"If you mess around half-heartedly, you might end up losing a limb."
"...!"
Tap!
The moment Jeok-un kicked off the ground, his surroundings slowed down.
It was a bizarre phenomenon where everything appeared to move in slow motion as the power of the second star, Giant Gate, reached its peak under the concept of 'Compression'.
Swish!
Dok-go Cheon simultaneously entered this world of decelerated time, moving in perfect synchronization with Jeok-un.
...!
Yet, Dok-go Cheon was genuinely astonished. The power Jeok-un was displaying was on a completely different level from any ordinary Peak Realm martial artist.
Even at his age, I hadn't reached such a realm.
What was the foundation of the martial arts this boy had built? What new power would he show next?
He wanted to fight. He wanted to fight more and find out.
For the first time in a very long time, the spark of competitive desire flared in his eyes.
And as if the boy knew exactly what he was thinking, he was demanding that Dok-go Cheon hold nothing back if he wanted to see his true worth. A mere Peak Realm cultivator was telling a Profound Realm master to unleash his full power.
What a fool. Did he not value his own life?
...Yet, amusingly enough.
Screeech!
Dok-go Cheon was doing exactly as the boy wished, drawing out a fraction of his true power.
Shlick!
As he channeled his internal energy, Dok-go Cheon took a stance as if preparing to draw his blade.
I can't have him losing his twin swords, so taking one of his eyes should be enough.
That would be a fair price to pay for a lesson to strip away his arrogance. Without a doubt, the opponent before him would find an opportunity for greater growth through this defeat.
Slash!
With that thought, Dok-go Cheon swung his Death-After Blade.
His target was the empty air. Yes, he had clearly slashed at nothing.
Yet, the sound it made was strange.
Riiip!
It sounded as if something had actually been sliced.
And simultaneously, a pristine, flawless blade energy erupted.
Whoosh!
A crescent-cold blade energy shot forward, aiming directly for Jeok-un's right eye.
Imbued with the intent to cleave Jeok-un, the blade energy surged like a tidal wave to manifest its master's will into reality.
Hummm!
Jeok-un's instincts screamed at him. If he wanted to live, he had to dodge at all costs.
Step!
But the problem was that Dok-go Cheon had already anticipated and cut off his path of retreat.
What a pointless worry.
In truth, Jeok-un had no intention of dodging from the very beginning. He stared straight at the incoming blade energy.
Was this the dignity of the king of beasts, the lion?
The blade energy flying from Dok-go Cheon was ferocious, yet as majestic as a monarch.
Dash!
Jeok-un charged straight into the blade energy.
"!!"
Even Dok-go Cheon was shocked.
It was an act of suicide. It was like offering one's neck to an executioner's falling blade.
But Jeok-un did not hesitate.
When hunting a lion, one must aim for the head in a single strike. Even if it meant risking having his own throat ripped out, it was the only way.
It's your turn, Moon Under.
Moon Under, which had remained quiet until now, finally awakened.
If Sun Heaven was the sun, Moon Under was the moon. When people thought of the moon, they usually associated it with Yin energy or ice arts. But the power of Moon Under, imbued with the Overlord's Divine Qi, was nothing of the sort.
Drink it in.
The moment Jeok-un gave the command and slashed Moon Under against the incoming blade energy—
Whoosh!
A soft, gentle energy dispersed, and an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Shatter!
"...!"
Moon Under pierced through the crescent-cold blade energy.
Dok-go Cheon's blade energy, carrying his Will, was no ordinary force. It was a power that far surpassed even blade threads.
Yet, that blade energy shattered like falling cherry blossoms, and Moon Under was absorbing its remnants.
Who could believe this? It was a sight that completely shattered all common sense.
Flash!
An immense force flooded his meridians. It was not internal energy originating from his own dantian, but energy absorbed through Moon Under.
Moon Under possessed the ability to temporarily claim an opponent's energy as its own.
Energy Absorption?!
Witnessing this, Dok-go Cheon's eyes widened in spite of himself. This, too, was a phenomenon that defied all logic.
When one thought of energy absorption, nine times out of ten, the Great Art of Absorption came to mind. However, as its name suggested, it required extensive preparation and direct physical contact with the opponent's body. No martial art in the Jianghu could absorb an emitted shockwave of energy through a sword like this.
Yes, that was the common sense of the world until now.
But the boy's sword shattered that common sense, drinking in the energy like a brilliant moon swallowing the sunlight.
Crackle!
As vivid sword threads wrapped around Moon Under, Jeok-un once again threw open the gates of Giant Gate.
It was the same Giant Gate, but it felt entirely different from before. It had to be. By nature, Giant Gate could only be properly unleashed when backed by sufficient internal energy.
Until now, his lack of internal energy had forced him to merely mimic its form.
Rumble!
Now, let me show you mine.
He could finally execute a single strike properly. In other words, by utilizing Moon Under, he had temporarily transcended the wall of the Peak Realm.
Jeok-un skillfully controlled the energy. First, he infused the power of Giant Gate into the sword threads.
The power of Giant Gate was Compression—the force of concentrating everything into a single point. As the power of Giant Gate settled into the sword threads that fluttered like dandelion seeds, the thousands of scattered threads wrapped completely around Moon Under.
My true sword.
It was a sword technique he had pieced together from the realizations he gained while wandering the battlefields as a rogue cultivator after being expelled from the Jegal Family. Though it was a rootless style forged solely through bloodshed and real combat, Jeok-un had unified the Unorthodox faction with this very sword.
Red Heaven Galaxy Sword.
The moment Jeok-un raised Sun Heaven and Moon Under high toward the sky, the heavens began to dye in a deep crimson, defying all belief.
First Form: Falling Rain
And the moment he brought his swords straight down, a meteor shower of sword threads began to rain from the heavens.