A Worthless Feast
The Poison Dagger Yama, Dang Maeng, and the Sea Overflowing Fist Madman, Seo Do-yeom, were publicly known to be at the peak of the Transformation Realm, with little difference in their strength.
Yet, their reputations in the Jianghu were worlds apart.
People only whispered it behind Dang Maeng's back, but Seo Do-yeom was held in far higher esteem.
The reason was simple: a difference in experience.
Dang Maeng was a blade forged by the Sichuan Dang Family, a man who had reached the peak of the Transformation Realm through the concentrated resources of his entire clan.
However, shielded by the prestige of the Sichuan Dang Family, he had rarely experienced battles where his life hung by a thread. He had almost always fought with the upper hand.
Seo Do-yeom, on the other hand, was a self-made man who had clawed his way up from the very bottom, like any true Unorthodox martial artist.
Before settling down on Geukrak Island, he had crossed the boundary of death countless times on both rivers and seas, building his fame—or rather, his notoriety—through endless blood feuds.
In other words, Seo Do-yeom was a veteran among veterans.
Even if his martial cultivation was technically equal to Dang Maeng's, they could not be compared. The weight of the insights and realizations he had accumulated was entirely different.
'Besides, he also possesses that demonic weapon, the Snow Soul Gauntlets.'
Even before his regression, the divine relic known as the Snow Soul Gauntlets lingered in Jeok-un's memory.
It was a priceless treasure of the North Sea Ice Palace, one of the most threatening and notorious factions beyond the Central Plains.
Depending on the wielder's capability, it could control all Yin energy, allowing them to freely coat their martial arts with freezing cold.
Naturally, the North Sea Ice Palace had spared no effort to reclaim this treasure. It had once triggered a massive incident in the Jianghu, which was why Jeok-un remembered it so clearly.
Thus, Jeok-un had been curious.
'They say the Snow Soul Gauntlets grow stronger by devouring Yin energy. What would happen if I let it gorge itself to the absolute limit? Could it actually defeat Moon Under?'
That was why Jeok-un had deliberately used Moon Under to draw Seo Do-yeom's attention, feeding the gauntlets a massive feast of the sword's Yin energy.
Anyone else would have called it madness, but that was precisely why Jeok-un tried it.
'If Moon Under reveals a weakness from having its Yin energy devoured, I can overcome it and obtain even greater power.'
It was the same logic that had driven him to challenge Dok-go Cheon during the Sadocheon entrance exam, back when he was far weaker than he was now. The only way for a martial artist—or a divine weapon—to break through their limits was to overcome the worst adversity.
...However, the results were not always successful.
After witnessing the power of the Snow Soul Gauntlets after it gorged on Moon Under's energy, Jeok-un scoffed.
"Tsk. It can't even compare to a single strand of Moon Under's hair. How crude."
He furrowed his brows as if he had just looked at something repulsive.
Unlike Moon Under, which radiated a milky-white brilliance like a full moon in the night sky, the Snow Soul Gauntlets flickered unsteadily, like a candle in the wind.
The Yin energy of Moon Under had exceeded the limits of what the gauntlets could handle, causing the relic to malfunction.
'Ugh! W-what is this?!'
Seo Do-yeom, wearing the Snow Soul Gauntlets, was bewildered by the suddenly rampaging Yin energy, but he could not stop. He had already closed the distance to Jeok-un.
Clang! Rumble!
In that instant, the milky-white blade of Moon Under clashed with the ash-gray Snow Soul Gauntlets.
"Ugh!"
A massive shockwave swept through the surroundings.
The exploding Yin energy rippled outward in concentric circles. The sloping hills, ridges, rocks, and ground were instantly dyed pure white. The entire landscape was blanketed in thick frost.
"S-spare me—"
"Ack...!"
But it was not just the terrain that was covered in frost. The surviving members of the Geukrak Island branch screamed as they froze to death.
Both divine weapons possessed immense Yin energy. The freezing gale generated by the collision of these two forces had turned the remnants of Geukrak Island into ice sculptures.
Now, only two men remained standing on their own feet: Jeok-un and Seo Do-yeom.
Screeech!
Sparks flew as the gauntlets clashed with the sword, only to freeze instantly. Sword wind and fist qi swept through the air.
A tempest of fist strikes, fitting the reputation of the Sea Overflowing Fist Madman, poured down. Like a renowned Unorthodox pugilist, he shattered and pierced through the shadows of the sword, relentlessly targeting Jeok-un's vital points.
Clang! Boom!
Yet, as slashes and fist shadows crossed, Seo Do-yeom's face gradually filled with bewilderment.
'Why? Why hasn't the function of his divine weapon ceased?'
He had clearly absorbed all of the sword's Yin energy with the Snow Soul Gauntlets.
"Ugh!"
The sword was currently aiming to split his head open. The Yin energy concentrated on that blade was identical to—no, even greater than—the energy he had just absorbed.
In that brief moment when Seo Do-yeom's concentration wavered—
"What are you daydreaming about? Your fist strikes are getting more pathetic by the second. It's making me sick."
"?!"
Jeok-un noticed the opening instantly and lunged forward.
Rumble! Crash!
A single strike from Jeok-un carved a crater into the ground where Seo Do-yeom had been standing, looking as if a meteor had struck it. A chill ran down Seo Do-yeom's spine.
He had no choice but to admit it.
'He is absolutely not below me...!'
Jeok-un was, at the very least, his equal.
Grit!
Seo Do-yeom clenched his teeth and immediately corrected his mindset.
That idiot Dang Maeng had probably let his guard down until the very end and paid the price. But he was different; he had crawled up from the absolute bottom.
'Fine. I will stop relying on the relic's power and face him with my own martial arts. I just need to risk my life and fight properly from now on!'
How many times had he returned from the jaws of death? Every single time, he had risked his life to clash with his opponents, and he had survived every single encounter. This time would be no different.
He clenched his gauntleted fists so hard they threatened to burst.
Whoosh!
With a sharp tear in the air, Seo Do-yeom threw a right straight.
Jeok-un lightly evaded the attack by stepping back with his left foot.
Swish!
At the same time, Jeok-un's sword lunged toward Seo Do-yeom like a living serpent.
'I'll counter it head-on!'
Seo Do-yeom drew the internal energy of the Wave Heart Cultivation from his dantian. It was a high-level martial art he had obtained upon rising to the rank of Branch Leader in Heukpaeseong. Specialized in Yin energy, it was also the foundation that allowed him to properly wield the Snow Soul Gauntlets.
On top of that, Seo Do-yeom's signature technique, the Raging Sea Fist Qi, erupted.
Rumble! Clang!
In the blink of an eye, fist shadows and sword strikes clashed several times.
Tremble... Boom!
With a harsh explosion, Jeok-un's figure was pushed back, leaving long tracks in the dirt.
'It worked...!'
Gaining confidence from this sight, Seo Do-yeom pressed Jeok-un even harder.
Whoosh!
Seo Do-yeom's fist lunged forward, penetrating deep. A pugilist naturally needed to close the distance, while a swordsman had to maintain a certain range.
"Stop running like a rat!"
Having regained his confidence, Seo Do-yeom roared as he tried to grab Jeok-un.
A skilled pugilist was naturally well-versed in claw techniques. His intention was to seize Jeok-un's wrist and twist it.
Jeok-un attempted to slice off those fingers with Moon Under.
Clang!
A metallic screech rang out as the blade struck fingers made of flesh and bone.
As a master at the peak of the Transformation Realm, even his bare fingers were no different from cold steel. If Jeok-un were caught even once, his flesh would not just be cut—it would be torn away.
Whoosh!
Sensing the intent, Jeok-un reacted in time and pulled his body back.
"You fell for it!"
Whoosh!
In that split second, Seo Do-yeom completely shifted his offensive. The claw attack was a feint; his hidden left fist was flying straight toward Jeok-un's chin.
Boom!
A sharp crack of compressed air echoed, but—
"Whew. Well, you are slightly better than Dang Maeng, I suppose."
Tap.
"But this is all you amount to."
"?!"
Jeok-un had effortlessly blocked Seo Do-yeom's trump card with his other hand.
The amusement Jeok-un had felt at the start of the battle was completely gone from his face. He felt neither joy nor tension.
It was only natural. What pleasure could there be in fighting a worm who, despite possessing a powerful divine relic, had forgotten the duty of a martial artist and neglected his training?
Jeok-un decided to wrap things up. He had confirmed the power and potential of the Snow Soul Gauntlets. There was nothing left of interest in Seo Do-yeom.
"You are far too pathetic to be the first sacrifice."
"...What?"
'The first sacrifice to bring down Heukpaeseong, that is.'
Jeok-un did not utter the remaining words to the bewildered Seo Do-yeom.
Instead, Jeok-un brought Moon Under, wrapped in the Overlord's Divine Qi, crashing down onto the Snow Soul Gauntlets.
"Ugh, argh?!"
Seo Do-yeom groaned in panic. The divine relic, the Snow Soul Gauntlets, shrieked as well.
Sssss!
The moment it touched the opponent's sword, its Yin energy was stripped away. It was the exact opposite of what had happened earlier when Seo Do-yeom had grabbed Moon Under to drain its energy.
Jeok-un curled his lips.
"Since you can't properly use what was given to you, I'll take it back."
"!!"
Clang! Clang!
As if he had been waiting for this, Jeok-un pressed his attack even more ruthlessly.
Under the relentless barrage of sword strikes, Seo Do-yeom was forced to cross his arms in an 'X' shape to block. His energy was being completely drained, causing his physical strength to plummet exponentially.
Moon Under raged like an infuriated sea dragon. No matter how massive a ship was, it could never overcome a tsunami. The Snow Soul Gauntlets vomited up everything they held, trampled and plundered.
"Argh, ugh...!"
Seo Do-yeom groaned in agony. His internal energy had hit rock bottom.
Unable to withstand the sheer volume of Moon Under's Yin energy, the Snow Soul Gauntlets began to freeze their own master's hands. It felt as if his hands were about to tear apart. In fact, he wished they would just rip off.
'T-this makes no sense...'
In that instant, Seo Do-yeom realized. He would never walk out of this death trap alive.
Thud.
Seo Do-yeom immediately dropped to his knees. His will to fight had completely evaporated.
Shivering violently from the cold, he crawled to Jeok-un's feet and begged.
"S-spare my life! If you do, I will tell you the secret of the Snow Soul Gauntlets. It's a secret that even those Ice Palace bastards, the original owners, don't know! With t-this power, I saw the path to the Profound Realm. I will tell you how! I will show you the way! Please, just spare my life!"
Seo Do-yeom cast aside all pride and dignity as a martial artist to beg for his life. There were no eyes around to watch him anyway. Everyone else was dead. If he could just keep his life for now, he could look for a second chance later.
But...
"I don't need it."
"...What?"
Jeok-un replied with a chilling smile.
"I've already heard all about the secret you uncovered."
"What do you mean by...?"
What kind of nonsense was that? It had barely been a few days since he had uncovered the secret of the Snow Soul Gauntlets. Seo Do-yeom wanted to say those words, but—
Slash! Slice!
'Ah.'
Just as he felt a sudden warmth spreading through his freezing body, his vision plunged into pitch-black darkness.