Chapter 81: Natural Enemy (6)

Yeon Ho-jung's momentum was overwhelming.

Ziiing! Ziiiiing!

The White Tiger Qi, pushed to its limits, was fully condensed on the axe blade. A white glow overlaid the steel, making it look like a divine weapon wielded by a celestial general.

Kwaang!

Myeong Cheon realized that the situation was taking a strange turn.

‘This can’t be.’

The remaining Qi from the great sword was seeping into the sword energy, reducing the sword power itself.

Myeong Cheon shouted.

“Brat! What kind of demonic art is this!”

“Demonic art?”

Yeon Ho-jung sneered.

“Demonic art? You’re the one who has mastered a demonic art!”

Kwa-kwa-kwaang!

Another charge. The White Tiger Overlord Technique, a storm-like rush, amplified the weight of the axe several times over.

Kwaang!

Myeong Cheon’s thigh swelled up.

This blow was truly heavy. It felt as if he was being crushed by Mount Tai, and his entire body’s muscles seemed about to burst.

A fierce killing intent spread across Myeong Cheon’s eyes.

Paaang!

Yeon Ho-jung’s body staggered, having allowed a strike from Myeong Cheon’s palm power.

He unleashed a series of attacks, each one as deadly as the last. His momentum was outstanding, but once he faltered, his entire aura seemed to waver.

Kwaang!

Myeong Cheon stomped the ground roughly.

“Fi, nally.”

Each word was spoken with a pause, and a sinister madness flickered in his voice.

“A lowly brat like you, to dare challenge me!”

The relentless attacks left no room for rest. Moreover, the opponent’s true qi had a strange ability to disperse his own inner strength.

That’s why he couldn’t unleash it. The new power he had obtained.

But not now. Myeong Cheon finally had the time to fully release the Phoenix Divine Art.

Kwaang!

A momentum like a raging wildfire seemed ready to engulf Yeon Ho-jung’s body.

Hwa-hwa-hwa!

It was truly an overwhelming momentum. He was unleashing all his power, fueled by raging anger.

A terrifying aura spread in all directions. The momentum was so fierce that even the surviving Four Swordsmen retreated ten meters away.

Pwa-pwa-pwa!

A Blood Demon, who was near Myeong Cheon and had a broken leg, died from the shock of the aura and killing intent that exploded in front of him.

“Right, that’s it.”

Looking down at the dead Blood Demon, Myeong Cheon bit his mad smile.

“I can always cut off your head. But I need to see you squirm like a worm, with your limbs cut off, to vent my anger.”

The release of the Phoenix Divine Art seemed to have pushed his killing intent and madness to an extreme.

Myeong Cheon’s face, dripping with vicious killing intent, was worthy of being called a demon. Even the aura he emitted was extremely dark and damp.

Inner strength arises and is generated according to one’s will. The fact that his aura was so dark and damp indicated that his mind was in a state of extreme fatigue.

Yeon Ho-jung raised his Black Tortoise Weapon.

Chi-i-iik!

Mist rose from the empty air.

‘Indeed, he is strong.’

While raising the Black Tortoise Weapon, he naturally formed the Twelve Walls of the Northern Heaven. Even though he hadn’t received any attack, the surface of his inner strength shield was boiling. Myeong Cheon’s emitted aura was that intense.

‘But...’

Wiiiiing!

Yeon Ho-jung’s eyes pierced through Myeong Cheon’s body.

‘At this level...’

Red qi from the dantian was boiling like lava in his heart.

This was beyond the limit. The massive qi rushed to his heart without balancing with other energies, which would inevitably lead to self-destruction.

Moreover, a red thread ran across his neck and philtrum, reaching his forehead. The Vermilion Bird Qi had invaded the upper part.

It was a serious situation, but he wouldn’t die immediately.

This pleased Yeon Ho-jung. He didn’t want Myeong Cheon to self-destruct using the fake Vermilion Bird Art.

Huuu.

Yeon Ho-jung took a soft and heavy step.

No sound was made when he stepped on the ground. It was as quiet and soft as water seeping in.

This was the secret technique of absolute defense, the Immovable Pillar.

“What are you doing? Wasting time.”

Yeon Ho-jung flicked his hand.

“Come at me.”

Kwaang!

The hand and arm that flicked were immediately flung backward.

Yeon Ho-jung’s eyes flashed. Myeong Cheon had already reached right in front of him.

‘So fast!’

It was an incredible speed. He had completely lost sight of him in an instant.

Myeong Cheon swung his great sword.

Ching! Chi-i-iik!

Indeed, the Black Tortoise Weapon was remarkable.

It was somehow blocking the invisible fast sword. Moreover, water is the counter to fire. The Black Tortoise Weapon’s aura intensified terrifyingly when it met the fire.

Huuu! Kuuu!

It was a giant’s strike. The axe split Myeong Cheon in half.

‘Gone?!’

But it was just an afterimage. The axe cut through empty air.

Then where was Myeong Cheon?

Paaang!

Yeon Ho-jung spat out a mouthful of blood.

His entire back felt as if it was on fire. The powerful palm technique, Phoenix Flame Hand, was a different level from the Phoenix Hand used by the Four Swordsmen. Even the powerful Black Tortoise Weapon couldn’t suppress the fire that penetrated it.

Yeon Ho-jung took another step of the Immovable Pillar.

Huuuuu!

A hexagonal armor pattern clearly formed around his body.

At the same time, Myeong Cheon’s full-scale attack began.

Kwa-kwa-kwaang! Paaang!

It was fast.

Fast and powerful. The force from the speed was directly applied to the tip of the sword, and the weight was immense.

Ulguk!

Yeon Ho-jung spat out blood again.

There are limits to counteracting. With this level of Vermilion Bird Qi, even the Black Tortoise Weapon couldn’t handle it. All he could do was block the continuous attacks with the Twelve Walls of the Northern Heaven.

Kwaang! Kwa-kwa-kwaang! Paaang!

The attacks didn’t stop.

It seemed as if he had gained infinite stamina, and the attacks became even more intense as time passed.

This was thanks to the Vermilion Bird Qi. While the White Tiger Qi maximizes the body’s growth and strength, the Vermilion Bird Qi resides in the heart, enhancing life force itself.

This is why such attacks were possible. He could pour his very life into the sword and unleash relentless, unrelenting attacks.

Kwa-kwa-kwaang!

He spat out blood and spat out more.

The accumulated internal injuries quickly led Yeon Ho-jung to the brink of death.

He had formed the Twelve Walls of the Northern Heaven, but he didn’t know which techniques he was using. He was unconsciously manifesting the Four Deity Arts. It was for survival.

‘No, that’s not it.’

Blocking attacks to survive?

No, he wasn’t that kind of person. The Black Shadow Emperor, the first to receive the title of Grand Master of the Black Path, was not such a person.

Kwaang!

The Black Tortoise Weapon shook as a whole. Yeon Ho-jung’s body also shook.

But his eyes didn’t waver.

Huuuuu.

It was the first time.

For the first time, he saw Myeong Cheon’s attacks. Even if he couldn’t dodge them, just seeing them was a significant achievement.

Pwa-hwa-hwa-hwa!

Another sword mark was carved into his chest.

This one was deep too. It almost cut to the bone. No blood flowed due to the burning aura, but the pain was even more intense.

The pain brought his mind to a sharp focus.

‘I saw it. I saw it.’

Hwa-hwa-hwa!

The left palm, not holding the sword, struck. It was a fiery blow.

Kwaang!

Yeon Ho-jung spat out blood again.

If he allowed another such blow, he would surely die.

Huuu!

Yeon Ho-jung’s eyes blazed.

Myeong Cheon’s body, which had been in his field of vision, disappeared. It was a lightning-fast movement. He couldn’t track where it went.

‘...?!”

At that moment, a stream of fire pierced through his mind.

‘Movement technique?’

No.

The Four Deity Arts don’t have movement techniques. Only techniques and steps for dealing with enemies exist.

That’s right. There are no movement techniques.

Then what movement technique was Myeong Cheon using?

‘Blood Wing Flap Heaven!!’

Flash!

The movement of the Vermilion Bird’s wings, freely flying through the sky, materialized Yeon Ho-jung’s realization.

Myeong Cheon burst into a mad laugh.

“Fall!”

Kwaang!

The ground split with the explosion.

Myeong Cheon, about to burst into even more laughter, suddenly felt a strange sensation.

‘...?’

The left palm that had unleashed the Phoenix Flame Hand.

It was touching a blood-soaked hand.

Hwa-hwa-hwa!

A red aura rose.

It wasn’t Myeong Cheon’s Phoenix Qi. It was smaller but much brighter and purer, a true flame finally rising from Yeon Ho-jung’s hand.

Hwa-hwa-hwa.

Yeon Ho-jung, who had hunched his upper body, slowly raised his head.

At that moment, Myeong Cheon felt an indescribable chill.

The eyes of his opponent, the eldest son of the Yan family.

In those eyes, a pure flame, never seen before, flickered.

“...I found it.”

His heart burned hot.

In the gap between life and death, the Vermilion Bird Qi had also been revived.

* * *

“Shouldn’t we enter now?”

“...”

“Hukai?”

At that moment, a fierce explosion echoed.

Kwaang!

Even from such a distance, it was deafening. If they had been in the middle of the battle, they would have had to use their inner strength to protect their eardrums.

Gadeuk-sang’s eyes deepened.

‘Young Master Yan.’

He recalled his conversation with Yeon Ho-jung.

‘What did he say?!’

‘...’

‘Is this guy crazy? What do you see in Myeong Cheon? Myeong Cheon is the head of the Myeong family, one of the top families! At the very least, he’s on par with your father!’

‘I know that.’

‘Do you really? A person can go mad, but not like this. How can you think of fighting Myeong Cheon! Just because you eliminated a few Myeong family warriors, you think you can take him lightly?!’

‘That’s not the case.’

‘Then why! You can’t beat Myeong Cheon!’

‘I can beat him.’

‘...!!’

‘I can’t beat anyone stronger than Myeong Cheon. But I can beat Myeong Cheon.’

‘What kind of nonsense is this...’

‘Moreover, this is the last time.’

‘The last time?’

‘The opportunity to capture the leader of the group that killed my parents and siblings.’

‘...’

‘I told you to trust me? I trust you. So trust me too.’

‘...Damn it.’

‘I will never lose.’

Gadeuk-sang saw an indescribable hatred and immeasurable