The Two Most Terrifying (2)
Even though we'd regressed together, the truth was I didn't know much about Namgung Cheon.
I knew he'd been one of the greatest late-generation masters of the Murim, but that after committing some crime he'd been expelled not only from the academy but struck from his clan's registry as well.
I knew that afterward he'd gone somewhere to build his strength, and when the Great Righteous-Demonic War ended, he had become a demon bearing the sinister epithet of the Tyrant Evil Sword Demon.
I knew that in his Tyrant Evil Sword Demon days, his martial prowess had reached the extreme peak of the Peak Realm — what people called Super Peak — and that he'd attacked Danmok Jin and gotten his ass thoroughly handed to him.
That was the entirety of what I knew about Namgung Cheon.
'Plus the fact that in this life he's already broken through the Peak wall, I guess?'
At a glance, it might have seemed like plenty of information, but to properly gauge Namgung Cheon's abilities, it fell far short.
Here's the blunt truth: the Peak Realm was a level any martial artist could reach with enough effort.
People would throw stones at me for saying that, but it was simply true.
'Peak masters are something anyone can become, provided they're a talented martial artist who's mastered a rising martial art and accumulated enough internal energy.'
That's why high masters of the Peak Realm were actually a fairly common sight in the Murim.
It wasn't for nothing that Murim folk subdivided the extremes of the Peak Realm into a category they called Super Peak.
To someone like me, who'd crossed the wall of the Hwa Realm, it was a laughable classification system — but among themselves, it was a perfectly serious matter of 'ranking.' Since ancient times, most of the leaders who dominated the Murim had been masters at the extreme of the Peak Realm, and those men had always wanted a hierarchy drawn between themselves and everyone else.
Of course, the moment you crossed the Hwa Realm wall, the ranks split themselves naturally — but since that was a level only one or two per generation ever managed to reach, it was beside the point. And so the half-baked notion of Super Peak came into common use among Murim folk.
'As of now, only the Sword Emperor, the previous head of the Namgung Clan, and Buljon of Shaolin were known to have crossed the Hwa Realm wall. Probably.'
Well, among the masters in secluded retreat deep in the mountains, there were a handful of Hwa Realm masters here and there.
One old man I knew personally was a Hwa Realm master who spent his days farming in a mountain village.
Anyway, my point was this: the Murim had plenty of Peak masters, and their actual abilities varied wildly.
That was doubly true of the Peak Realm, a level you could reach without any significant combat experience whatsoever. And naturally — very naturally — the difference between a martial artist with rich combat experience and one without was plain as day.
'...Of course, Namgung Cheon wasn't exactly experience-free even before the regression. He was a Super Peak demon lord calling himself the Tyrant Evil Sword Demon, after all.'
Before the regression, he was the man the Namgung Clan itself had tried to erase from history.
Though to be fair, that too was only hearsay from back home. I never saw it with my own eyes.
"...Tsk."
Which is to say, I couldn't precisely judge the true strength of the Namgung Cheon currently clicking his tongue in front of me.
"Don't look so offended. Worrying that you might be a half-baked fraud is only natural on my part."
If it stung that badly, you should've made a name for yourself at the Great Righteous-Demonic War.
"What would that even prove? They're just new cadets."
Well, Namgung Cheon had a point there.
Two Peak masters facing off against fresh cadets was frankly an overkill deployment of force.
Even if one of those two Peak masters happened to be an under-seasoned half-baked fraud.
And besides, the other Peak master — me — wasn't exactly an ordinary Peak master either, was I?
"Hmm... Danmok Jin had a word he liked to use at moments like this."
"Tsk. Why the hell are you bringing up that cursed bastard's name here?"
This was pure provocation, of course.
Truthfully, I rather liked the way he made no effort to hide his distaste whenever he looked at me.
Where did this picture-perfect traitor get off acting so high and mighty when he was weaker than me? Until now there'd been no opportunity, but this was finally my chance to settle the pecking order.
'Not that I can force him if he refuses.'
But if it was the magical word Danmok Jin taught me, even that bastard wouldn't be able to refuse.
"Scared?"
"You insect..."
There it is.
* * *
In the outskirts of the forest where the Dragon Vein lay hidden, Namgung Cheon swallowed dryly and stared at Baek Woohyeok, who stood there in a perfectly relaxed posture.
'...Tsk. Not a single opening to be seen.'
Was this what it meant to be a future Hwa Realm master?
'Ghost Shadow Blood Asura, Baek Woohyeok... The truth is, I don't know much about you either.'
After being cast out of his clan, the region where Namgung Cheon had mainly operated was the Outer Lands. Whatever he knew of the Ghost Shadow Blood Asura and the Black Tiger Squad's strength, he'd likewise learned only through informants within the Alliance.
'When I crossed paths with him after he reached the Hwa Realm, of course I knew defeat the moment I laid eyes on him...'
But now, with time rewound, his realm and Baek Woohyeok's were identical: the Peak Realm. Even granting that Baek Woohyeok still held the enlightenment of the Hwa Realm in reserve, Namgung Cheon believed he wouldn't be so easily defeated.
He was proud, after all, of having weathered his own share of hell.
"...You won't use your sword intent, will you?"
Provided, of course, that Baek Woohyeok refrained from that man's sword intent.
"Obviously. I have no need for it."
Feeling humiliation at the dismissive attitude, yet privately relieved, Namgung Cheon drew a long breath and slowly drew his sword.
--Crackle-buzz!!
Blue-white lightning energy was flickering to life around him before he knew it.
The Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder (Seonjeon Sipsam Geomroe), the swift blade art Namgung Cheon had honed his entire life. It was the lightning energy unique to the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art that formed that sword art's foundation.
'This is my own martial art, one I forged to surpass even the Emperor Sword Style of the brother who usurped what was mine. Time for you to have a taste.'
True, his brother had merely and quite naturally taken the clan head's seat after Namgung Cheon's expulsion — but such petty details meant little to him.
--Shaaaaaek!!
A thunderbolt of a single sword came hurtling at Baek Woohyeok.
"Hmm."
Even before that blindingly fast thrust aimed straight for his center, Baek Woohyeok remained perfectly calm. Through the Karma Insight of the Iron Blood Purgatory Divine Art, he had already read every one of Namgung Cheon's movements in perfect detail.
Whooosh!!
Deflecting Namgung Cheon's strike, Baek Woohyeok extended a fist in the same motion.
"Hngh!"
But Namgung Cheon had anticipated the movement as well. The instant Baek Woohyeok's fist shot out, his sword wrenched its form into a twisted, uncanny trajectory.
"Oh."
Watching the serpentine blade strike again for his vitals, Baek Woohyeok let out a short breath of admiration.
"Looks like you built up a decent amount of combat experience."
Of course, that didn't mean—
KRA--KOOM!!
—that any of Namgung Cheon's attacks had actually landed. Baek Woohyeok's hand, wreathed in crimson fist energy, closed around Namgung Cheon's blade.
"Tsk."
Clicking his tongue, Namgung Cheon drove the energy of the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art up another notch.
--Crackle-buzz!!
The lightning energy coiling around Namgung Cheon's sword raged furiously inside Baek Woohyeok's grip.
"This is why lightning energy is such a pain to deal with."
Muttering that, Baek Woohyeok released the blade and pulled his stance back.
"Ah."
Namgung Cheon failed to track the movement entirely. It was the Ghost Shadow Step, the secret art of the previous Slaughter Emperor and the defining technique of the Ghost Shadow Blood Asura.
"...Why didn't you counterattack? Don't tell me you were going easy on me?"
Humiliation burning in his chest, Namgung Cheon ground his lips and growled low in his throat.
"Huh? Isn't it obvious? If I don't go easy on you, this ends in a heartbeat. And then there'd be no point."
To Baek Woohyeok, whatever humiliation Namgung Cheon might feel was of no concern whatsoever.
"Shall we get properly started now, then?"
And with those words—
Thud.
Baek Woohyeok took a single step.
"...What?"
That was the last time Namgung Cheon managed to see his footwork.
"Behind you."
At the voice that came abruptly from his rear, Namgung Cheon swept his sword back in a blind arc.
--FWOOOONG!!
But his blade carved only empty air.
CRUNCH!!
Baek Woohyeok's fist buried itself in Namgung Cheon's back.
"Kgh."
Namgung Cheon barely swallowed his groan.
"Still, you're better than those scheming vermin."
The strangely smirking voice came from his right side.
CRACK!!
The Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder, the swiftest blade the Namgung Clan had to offer, exploded outward—
"Too slow."
—but even that lightning-quick sword fell hopelessly short of the Ghost Shadow Step's movements.
THWACK!!
And then an impact against the back of his skull.
'Why...'
Tasting the coppery tang of blood in his mouth, Namgung Cheon couldn't contain his bewilderment.
'How...'
Whooosh!!
The lightning-swift sword he had honed his entire life—
"Close one, that time."
—never once so much as grazed Baek Woohyeok.
WHAM!!
"Khhhh..."
They were both of the Peak Realm — and yet he couldn't even locate his opponent, helplessly absorbing blow after blow.
"WHY!"
The instant Namgung Cheon's grievance-laden cry tore out, Baek Woohyeok materialized directly in front of him. It was movement fit for a ghost.
"Why are you getting so bent out of shape? Don't tell me you actually believed you could beat me?"
Baek Woohyeok's face carried a faint look of disbelief.
"You've clearly got real combat experience, and it looks like you've ground your own martial art to its limit... but as you are now? Reaching the Hwa Realm is impossible."
He studied Namgung Cheon for a moment, and what came out of his mouth was devastating.
"...What did you say?"
"The Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder is certainly a formidable art... with enough effort, that alone could carry you to the wall. But getting over that wall? Nearly impossible. You may have become a demon, but your roots are Namgung. The completion of what the Namgung Clan pursues is, in the end, the Emperor Sword Style—"
"...Nonsense!"
Denouncing Baek Woohyeok's words as rubbish, Namgung Cheon's voice was beginning to tremble. Because deep down, he could feel that Baek Woohyeok meant every word.
"I defeated Namgung Hu, who mastered the Emperor Sword Style! I completed the Namgung martial legacy with the Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder, not the Emperor Sword Style!"
Namgung Cheon had rewound time to right the regrets of his past life — and yet he felt no shame in the life he'd lived before the regression.
Especially where his martial arts were concerned. Ever since the day he lost everything, what had sustained him was always the Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder and the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art.
"Namgung Hu? Ah... you mean the young clan head of the Namgung Clan? Your brother, the one you killed?"
Baek Woohyeok's head tilted as he rummaged through his memory.
"What an idiot — and he's doing it while pretending to know. Hey, did Namgung Hu actually master the Emperor Sword Style? A guy who lost his father mid-war and got shoved onto the clan head's seat out of nowhere? Who, when he took that seat, had barely been at the Peak Realm for any time at all?"
It struck dead center.
"Khh..."
Unable to answer, Namgung Cheon could only let out low moans.
"You're a hilarious little bastard."
And before him, Baek Woohyeok laughed in his face.
"Why do you assume the world owes you such kindness? Is it because you're some genius? Listen — the hell you went through wasn't hell, and your sword art never beat the Emperor Sword Style. That's the size of what you are."
If you'd been more than that, you'd have crossed the Hwa Realm wall before I did.
Having said his piece, Baek Woohyeok slowly extended his fist-wrapped hand.
"Hnnnngh..."
With his mind reeling, Namgung Cheon thrust his sword out on pure instinct.
But the Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder, no longer even swift, its blade energy so diffuse it hardly deserved the name—
-CLANGGGG!!
—had no hope of stopping Baek Woohyeok's single fist.
"GRAAAAAGH!!"
The treasured sword of the Namgung Clan burst into flying shards, and Namgung Cheon collapsed, coughing up blood.
"Hmm. Well, your killing spirit's worth acknowledging, at least."
Pat, pat.
Brushing off his hands, Baek Woohyeok strode past Namgung Cheon's corpse-still form.
"I know you're not actually unconscious, so I'll just leave. You had something nice in your robe — heal your internal injuries yourself. We'll talk about the exam after that."
The battle of the two most terrifying beings, transcending time to take place at Cheonryong Academy. The victor was the Ghost Shadow Blood Asura, Baek Woohyeok.
* * *
The forest had gone quiet before anyone noticed.
"Uh..."
The words tumbled out of Danmok Jin before he could stop them.
'Baek Woohyeok defeated Namgung Cheon?'
Well, Baek Woohyeok had been the more conspicuous of the two all along, so he supposed it was possible. It had even been an overwhelming victory — but he supposed that was possible too.
'...I lost track of their movements?'
No, the real problem was that Danmok Jin had failed to follow the two of them moment to moment. He wasn't merely hiding his strength to avoid attention — he had inherited the Sword Immortal's legacy and broken through the Peak wall himself, after all.
"This... am I actually screwed? Blocking an ambush from monsters like that is supposed to be the exam?"
It was the thought he'd first had on the day he'd met the two of them — and now Danmok Jin found it echoing in his mind all over again.