Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Nameless (1)
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At the news of Jin Mu-wol's death, Nameless's lips quivered for a moment.
"…He's dead?"
"Yes."
Even as the Omniscient One confirmed it, Nameless couldn't hide his sense of loss.
Ouyang Jue's brow twitched.
'Could he have been close friends with Jin Mu-wol? No, from what I've heard, they only met once…'
If they had been friends, he would have at least remembered the name clearly.
But for some reason, Nameless hadn't.
Moreover, the emotions he had just shown were clearly anger and irritation. If the answer had been delayed even a moment longer, he seemed ready to attack.
Ouyang Jue asked cautiously.
"Do you know anything about him?"
What kind of past could make a man like Nameless unable to speak!
Soon, even the Omniscient One was waiting for his answer.
The silence did not last long.
"No, I don't know him."
"…?"
As Ouyang Jue gave him a look of disbelief, Nameless let out a soft laugh.
"It must seem absurd. After I shouted like that, to hear that we were strangers."
"You state the obvious…"
"But you also didn't seem to know Jin Mu-wol."
Ouyang Jue didn't answer that.
But Nameless seemed to take that as enough and began to speak.
"It wasn't a very pleasant first meeting. Above all, the time we spent together was extremely short. Not even a full day."
As he spoke, Nameless's expression grew cold and settled.
The fighting spirit and anger he had shown toward Jin Mu-wol just moments ago had vanished without a trace.
The atmosphere was quite different from the Nameless he had seen until now.
Nameless spoke in a self-deprecating tone.
"I had been looking forward to it. The moment we would meet again, clash, and determine whose martial arts were superior. When that day came, one of us would surely die. Hoping for that day, I took in a kid and taught him the arts of Heavenly Martial Peak."
The "kid" must have been Wi Jin-cheon.
As Ouyang Jue listened in silence, Nameless continued.
"I was glad. In this wretched life of seclusion, that fellow Jin Mu-wol was a single ray of light. He was like the one true friend who remembered where I lived."
They met as enemies, but by the time they parted, they were like close friends.
Nameless briefly recounted his meeting with Jin Mu-wol.
But the emotions contained within were so poignant, a far cry from the usual Nameless.
Nameless, who called himself a monster trapped here, now seemed like one of the many wanderers of the martial world.
Nameless's eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Look. Who would come to the peak of this Wulingyuan? And what are the chances that they would be a master comparable to me?"
"…"
"You are a strong warrior, too. Considering your young age, in fifteen years, you would surely earn a title like 'Emperor' or 'God'. But my life will end before then."
Nameless's body trembled slightly.
"I fear that heartlessness. I, who grew up without a name, feeding on battle and struggle, am terrified of being trapped here, with no one to remember me as a warrior."
"Nameless…"
For a moment, he looked as if he had aged thirty years.
At Ouyang Jue's call, Nameless smiled bitterly.
It was by no means a light smile.
"Well, what can be done? You can't hold onto a dead man and miss him. It's pathetic that he died despite possessing such strength."
"…"
"Hey, kid. Are you just going to accept me calling a man of your grandmaster's stature 'that fellow'?"
*Creeak…*
As Wi Jin-cheon, now awake, watched, Nameless clenched his fist as if grasping the heavens.
*CRACK!*
Though he had merely clenched his fist, a sound like thunderclaps erupted from his grip.
A sense of unease washed over Wi Jin-cheon.
"Master!"
"Damn it, boy, do you think I'm going to die?"
Nameless grumbled.
In its own way, his voice carried a deep affection.
"I will not die until I have passed on all my martial arts and internal energy to you. As Nameless, the Greatest Fist of All Time, who upholds the history of Heavenly Martial Peak, I promise you!"
What arrogant words!
But Ouyang Jue did not take them lightly.
Among all the warriors he had seen, if Jin Mu-wol had reached the level of a transcendent being, then Nameless had also reached a state close to it.
A single hand, a thunderbolt.
A single swing brings down lightning.
A single fist, the heavens roar.
A single punch makes the heavens tremble.
If Nameless hadn't been bound to Heavenly Martial Peak and had roamed the martial world, the fame of the Divine Demon Fist would surely have had to be shared.
Between the Greatest Fist Under Heaven and the Greatest Monster Under Heaven!
Sensing that Nameless was about to start a fight, Ouyang Jue looked at the Omniscient One.
He had many questions.
What was the connection between the Eight Evils and Heavenly Martial Peak? Why had he saved Nameless?
And finally, about Jin Mu-wol. Ouyang Jue was thirsty for the truth. For someone not known for his patience, the thirst had risen to his chin.
In the past, he would have ignored Nameless and grabbed the Omniscient One by the collar.
But not now, at least.
"…"
With just a look, Ouyang Jue questioned the Omniscient One.
It was a gaze deeper than a hundred words, a reprimand that pierced the ears more than any shout.
At last, the Omniscient One lowered his head. Then, he knelt on both knees and looked at Nameless and Ouyang Jue.
*Please resolve Nameless's regret.*
*Why should I?*
*Because only then will the guiding star left by the Heavenly Escape not scatter.*
*And as a friend.*
The Omniscient One did not add these last words, but Ouyang Jue understood with a glance.
As a warrior, he understood Nameless.
*Shing!*
The drawn Severing Manifestation cut through countless distracting thoughts. It even sliced through the mist surrounding Ouyang Jue in a straight line.
Between Nameless and Ouyang Jue.
In the space of just five paces, their energies intertwined and swirled like a waterspout.
The mist that had filled the summit was long gone.
The deep and pure internal energy of the Heavenly Escape Heart Arts clashed with the "all things are one" internal energy of the Purple Mist Divine Arts.
In addition, the fire energy flowing from the Diamond Fist-Seal Armor warmed Ouyang Jue's body.
Nameless's lips curved into a smile.
"I see. You are similar."
"…To whom, you mean?"
"To the Jin Mu-wol of old."
Before the words could even finish, Nameless bent his knees.
*KWAGANG!*
A powerful surge of internal energy struck the ground, leaving deep footprints.
But Nameless's knees were light and springy, as if they could bear a thousand pounds.
Nameless's figure vanished in an instant. His movement was reminiscent of a cannonball.
"…Hup!"
Ouyang Jue frowned at the gust of wind blowing from the front. His breathing suddenly hitched.
Is that a level that can be reached through human martial arts?
Ouyang Jue shook his head.
If his guess was correct, that was not a human martial art.
'It's a secret Daoist art, left behind to defeat the ancient demonic creatures known as the Eight Evils.'
How could one call that a human art?
The martial arts of a single school, passed down and developed over hundreds of years, were worthy of the name 'divine arts'.
Ouyang Jue grinned, holding the drawn Severing Manifestation.
"Come!"
*KWAAAANG!*
When Nameless struck the flat of Severing Manifestation, Ouyang Jue's wrist ached as if it were being cut. His strength was comparable to the Black Dragon's.
In other words, it was half the Black Dragon's original strength.
With a human body, he had reached the realm of a demonic creature.
Ouyang Jue no longer thought of Nameless as just a warrior connected to Jin Mu-wol.
'He is simply an enemy I must defeat, an obstacle I must overcome!'
Ouyang Jue's gaze gradually settled, becoming calm.
His eyes, using the All-Seeing Eye, slowly tracked Nameless's movements, which were so fast only afterimages remained.
Without this, he could not have defeated Nameless.
The Black Dragon was right.
If demonic creatures were born strong, then martial arts were the struggles of the weak to fight back against them.
Humans forge weapons by striking iron tens, hundreds of times.
By training in martial arts for years, decades, why shouldn't one be able to break free from their original limitations?
For a moment, Ouyang Jue deeply respected Nameless, and felt just as much pity for him.
Heavenly Martial Peak did not achieve this process naturally, but sought it by holding on.
A strong man who longed for Jin Mu-wol, whom he considered his lifelong rival—what a farce.
'Although I may not yet be on par with Grandmaster Jin…'
I can play along.
Ouyang Jue's right hand, holding Severing Manifestation, advanced, drawing a strange arc.
To counter Nameless's straightforward power, he chose change and flexibility.
Although the Mount Hua Sect was famous for its sharp, fast swordplay, they too had many ways to defeat stronger opponents.
*Clang, cl-clang!*
Severing Manifestation relentlessly scraped against Nameless's protective qi. Meanwhile, Ouyang Jue moved backward, and sometimes sideways, employing a peculiar footwork.
The Moon-Treading Shadowless Step, so fast it left no shadow, and the Plum Blossom Steps, a traditional Daoist martial art.
The two mixed, complementing each other, and at times repelling to generate explosive speed.
The summit of Wulingyuan was not even half the size of a medium-sized martial arts hall's training ground.
Nevertheless, Ouyang Jue's footwork seemed to retreat yet pressed close to Nameless, enveloping his linear attacks.
Just as Wi Jin-cheon, who was watching, clenched his jaw, Nameless's lips parted slightly.
"Thunderbolt That Shatters the Heavens!"
*THUD!*
Nameless's right foot stomped down hard, as if to pierce the floor of Wulingyuan. Simultaneously, his right fist shot straight out.
The problem was that it wasn't a simple straight punch; the pure energy contained within was twisted into the form of a wind palm.
Even the mist was swept up in the airflow, blurring Nameless's figure.
"…Kuh!"
Faced with the profound and distant mystery of a fist art that even the All-Seeing Eye could not fully perceive, Ouyang Jue bit his lip hard.
How much martial study would it take to give form to a wind palm of that magnitude!
It was not a level that could be reached by internal energy alone.
That single move seemed to reveal the life Nameless had walked until now.
He caught a glimpse of Nameless's back, walking a narrow cliff path with a grin.
Should he counter it, or deflect it?
Ouyang Jue was stunned by the Thunderbolt That Shatters the Heavens bearing down on him. But he soon grinned.
"I have a good move of my own!"
Although he lacked the history of Nameless or the arts of Heavenly Martial Peak, Ouyang Jue certainly had something comparable.
With a grim determination as if to split the Thunderbolt That Shatters the Heavens in two, Ouyang Jue gripped Severing Manifestation with both hands.
His stance was slightly wider than his shoulders, and he relaxed his tense shoulders.
Then he recalled the final move that had delivered the finishing blow to the Black Dragon.
The perfect union of the Heavenly Escape Sword Arts and the Plum Blossom Sword!
He hadn't decided on a name yet, but he felt he knew what state was close to it.
If he continued down that path, he was sure he could even slay the Eight Evils.
Ouyang Jue hoped Nameless would be satisfied seeing this.
Severing Manifestation was drawn from right to left in a magnificent arc.
"…!"
Seeing this, the Omniscient One shot to his feet, his eyes wide.
It was an incredibly arrogant act.
'To face it without dodging! And Nameless has no intention of retracting his technique?!'
After Ouyang Jue's sword strike passed, with no time to intervene.
The Thunderbolt That Shatters the Heavens unleashed by Nameless moved as if to pierce through Ouyang Jue and tear his body to shreds without a trace.
*KWAAAAAA-!*
The gale swallowed Ouyang Jue.
"…My heavens."
Just as the Omniscient One collapsed on the spot, looking up at the sky resentfully.
*Click.*
The sound of Severing Manifestation being sheathed was heard. Immediately after, the gale mixed with the mist and dissipated.
As Ouyang Jue stood there, bold and unharmed, Nameless broke into a broad grin.
"Waha, wahahahaha!"
As Nameless laughed loudly, a single tear rolled down his cheek.