Chapter 499 - Just Let Me Grab It Once.
Boom—!
A colossal explosion erupted in the air.
Swoosh—!
A sound rang out. His head had already turned.
His body had reacted before the sound even reached him.
Whick—! Swish—!
He had definitely twisted aside quickly, yet sharp keen energy brushed past his hair.
A few strands of black hair scattered in the air.
Seeing that, he raised his aura even higher.
Keeen—!
Internal energy surged forth from his heart.
Through his acupoints, it began expanding into every corner of his muscles.
Consequently, his energy perception heightened.
As his vision broadened, movements appeared far clearer than before.
Something was coming from ahead.
Sword qi.
He fired a burst of scorching heat from behind his back.
His heart thumped wildly once! and the heat burst from his back.
Fwoom—!
Short, violent flames erupted from his back.
Using that explosion, he increased his speed.
Gu Yangcheon’s body shot rapidly into the air.
Barely evading the sword qi, he instantly arrived before Goe Seon.
"Huh...!"
Seeing that, Goe Seon let out a hollow breath. It was because the speed was far faster than expected.
He nimbly steadied his sword.
Though outwardly flustered, he remained unshaken inside.
A flexible sword path stretched out at high speed.
So fast that despite wielding a single blade, it seemed as though multiple swords were in use.
In the gaps between them, Gu Yangcheon reached out his hand.
The gaps within the whirling swords.
Twisting his body as if finding the eye of the storm within a maelstrom.
Even in that fleeting moment, his pupils moved without rest.
Grasping the sword paths, his body twisted as well.
'This brat...?'
Seeing that, Goe Seon was astonished.
Avoiding the swords raining down before his nose was one thing, but how could he move like that?
Not a single movement held any hesitation.
A mere graze could inflict a fatal wound, yet Gu Yangcheon approached relentlessly, as if fearless.
A martial artist who had reached the Transformation Realm would naturally possess such mental strength, but...
'I had no idea.'
The child before him was not of an age to have built up such mental strength.
Must this, too, be called the domain of talent?
Then it was the sin of the heavens.
Was it their intention to leave such a monster on this earth and drive countless martial artists to despair?
Goe Seon had to feel rising exhilaration and spine-chilling terror simultaneously.
Twisting his body, he changed the sword’s trajectory.
He acknowledged his mistake in having tried to test the waters.
Goe Seon imbued the tip of his sword with Dao Qi.
Fwoosh—!
A Wudang Taoist. The unique grassy scent said to be contained within their Dao Qi rose fragrantly.
However, contrary to the fragrance, the keen energy seeping into the sword was vicious.
One sword stroke.
When Goe Seon thrust his sword, a trace remained in space. It was an illusion as if the air itself were being torn apart.
Gu Yangcheon had already put some distance between them, but.
Oong.
Along with the faint sword cry.
"Tsk...!"
Kwaaaa—!
Dozens of sword gangs shot out in all directions.
The moment he saw this, Gu Yangcheon revolved the ring of Guyeomhwaryungong.
Fwoooosh—! The ring at his waist rapidly expanded at the flames igniting there.
A strange light filled Goe Seon’s eyes as he saw that.
'Blue flame?'
It was a blue-colored flame.
Unlike the deep crimson flame that the Gu family head had manifested in the past.
For some reason, Gu Yangcheon’s flame was blue.
Moreover.
'What is this?'
The moment he saw that flame, an inexplicable shudder ran down his forearm.
It was instinctive coercion.
Kung—!
As Gu Yangcheon stomped heavily on the ground.
Fwoosh—!
The ring wrapped around his body instantly grew in size and spewed forth flames.
Screeeech—!
The flames shot into the air, each one changing shape.
They resembled beasts with their jaws wide open.
Dozens of flame beasts devoured the sword gangs.
Bam—! Bam-bam—!
As the energies collided, they caused explosions in the air like firecrackers going off.
'He’s mad.'
Seeing that, Goe Seon couldn’t help but laugh.
The density of the energy was far stronger in his own.
Yet the overwhelming internal energy contained in the flames ignored that and erased it.
How much internal energy must one hold in the dantian to make such a thing possible?
'So it’s not just talent. Is that what this means?'
The foundation was also flawless, enough to burst forth that monstrous talent.
Was he trying to show off something like this?
In the moment Goe Seon’s eyes were stolen by that splendid sight.
Fwoosh—!
An immense heat was felt suddenly right before his nose.
'Oh no...!'
He hurriedly turned his eyes.
Gu Yangcheon had already invaded Goe Seon’s domain.
In his not-so-large palm, he held a gleaming bead.
Goe Seon knew the instant he saw it.
How much energy was compressed within that small bead.
It was dangerous.
Kuuuk—!
He pushed a considerable amount of internal energy into his sword.
At the same time, Gu Yangcheon, as if showing he would not wait for this.
"Flame Jade."
He detonated the compressed energy right in front of Goe Seon’s nose.
His vision was devoured by bright light. Soon after.
Kwaaaaaa—!
An enormous explosion erupted and swallowed Goe Seon.
The energy burst out over a wide area, creating a massive gust of wind.
The sandstorm raging across the ground was enough to temporarily blind the eyes, obscuring everything from sight.
Gu Yangcheon furrowed his brow within that storm.
He looked around as if something displeased him.
And then, as if he had found it, he twisted his upper body and thrust out his hand.
Flames coiled around his clenched fist.
Fwoom—!
Something struck the flat of his fist and burst apart.
Gu Yangcheon gritted his teeth at the tingling pain.
What had grazed him just now was definitely sword qi.
'As expected.'
As if it was exactly as expected, Gu Yangcheon scrunched up the bridge of his nose.
Fwoosh—!
The sandstorm blocking his vision instantly surged skyward.
It was the aftermath of an inexplicable wind gushing up from below.
The wind was so strong that all the dust obscuring the surroundings rose and vanished upward.
In the cleared vision, Gu Yangcheon looked to the front.
There, the one who had caused this gust stood perfectly intact.
"...Well now... I have nothing to say."
Goe Seon laughed hollowly, scratching his head roughly.
Despite taking a secret art head-on, Goe Seon’s body was clean, as if nothing had happened.
No, he had been in beggar’s rags from the start, so perhaps it was hard to call him clean.
'That’s not it.'
It didn’t work at all. That was what mattered.
At that fact, Gu Yangcheon had to express his regret.
'I should have gotten a little closer before detonating it.'
A split-second choice.
It would have been better if he had gone just one step closer.
That was truly a shame.
At Gu Yangcheon’s regret, Shin Noya spoke as if dumbfounded.
[If you had, your chest would have been slashed.]
He knew.
That was exactly why he hadn’t been greedy then.
[And yet you spout such nonsense about regret?]
'I was wondering if I could have just offered up my chest.'
[Nonsense.]
'Yes. It’s nonsense.'
That was why he didn’t do it.
If it had been himself from just a little while ago, he might have done it.
'...I need to hold back a bit now.'
By now, he had to think about changing such battle methods.
It wasn’t that he was afraid.
It was just that.
'My life has become a bit more precious, you see.'
There were so many things he had to do with this life.
He figured he ought to keep himself in good shape until he finished his work.
Besides, anyway.
'...Paejon told me to fix that too.'
Paejon had also repeatedly spoken of the limits of that method.
He was trying to change it even now.
'It’s not easy.'
Fighting while aware of that was difficult.
Moreover, the problem was that his opponent was stronger than him.
'To think there wouldn’t be even a bit of damage.'
He had thought Goe Seon would at least take some hits.
But Goe Seon was too perfectly fine.
Just as Gu Yangcheon was slightly surprised, thinking Goe Seon was far stronger than expected.
Conversely, Goe Seon was feeling the same sentiment toward Gu Yangcheon.
"...Is the Gu family a den of monsters?"
"Huh?"
"Your family head is one thing, but you’re even more so."
"Do you know my father?"
"I don’t know him well. I merely saw him in passing."
The visage of the monster he had seen then.
And the visage of that child overlapped.
The power of the technique he had just felt.
Feeling the lingering tension after narrowly avoiding it, Goe Seon changed his breathing.
'Finally.'
Now it felt as if all remaining emotions had been shaken off.
His mind shouted to view him as an equal martial artist.
But in his heart, the feelings with which he had regarded Gu Yangcheon as his disciple’s friend, and moreover as a young junior, were all washed away by the exchange just now.
Feeling his heart settling calmly, Goe Seon relaxed his body’s strength.
Srrk.
Goe Seon’s posture loosened slightly. Was he going to stop? The moment Gu Yangcheon tilted his head seeing that.
Sssssss....
"...!"
A shudder ran down his spine, and fierce focus flared in Gu Yangcheon’s eyes.
It was because he felt something from Goe Seon.
Was that his true intent?
A presence completely different from before emanated from Goe Seon.
[That one is the real deal too.]
Heat rose in Noya’s voice.
Unlike the old man who was excited, Gu Yangcheon had to let the corners of his mouth drop.
'I’m going crazy.'
It seemed he was thinking of fighting properly after all.
He felt he could tell just by seeing a fragment of his true intent.
'He’s strong.'
Goe Seon was strong. He had underestimated him a bit, seeing his strange personality matching his epithet and his frivolous demeanor.
Seeing that, his thoughts were immediately corrected.
That man was the real deal.
He wasn’t sure exactly how strong Goe Seon was.
'At least stronger than the current Sword King.'
He felt stronger than the current Namgung family head.
'Where had a man like him been during the Heavenly Demon Great War?'
Had he died or something?
I only knew that the Demon Sword Empress had the Noea.
I didn’t know what became of Goe Seon who had passed it to her.
Oong.
The energy wavering in the air vanished.
Gu Yangcheon knew well that this was a harbinger.
Watching Goe Seon grip his sword, Gu Yangcheon spoke inwardly.
'This won’t do.'
[Brat?]
'I’ll use that.'
At Gu Yangcheon’s words, Shin Noya spoke as if surprised.
[...Will you be alright?]
'I don’t know about that... but if I don’t use it, I’ll be in big trouble.'
[...]
To this, Noya seemed to think he was right, offering no reply.
Taking that as affirmation.
Gu Yangcheon carefully moved his hand.
Then, Goe Seon spoke to Gu Yangcheon.
"You would have noticed anyway. From now on, it’s real. Be careful."
At Goe Seon’s words, Gu Yangcheon smirked.
"How kind."
"A guilt no bigger than a rat’s dropping. It’s embarrassing for a senior to go this far against a junior."
Without hiding his thoroughly displeased expression, Goe Seon lightly moved his sword and took a step.
Immediately.
Pat.
"...!"
Goe Seon vanished from Gu Yangcheon’s sight.
The moment he saw that, Gu Yangcheon put power into his heart. Internal energy burst forth.
With his heart as the foundation, he spewed out internal energy.
He immediately sent all that energy into his energy perception, spreading it in all directions.
Once.
Just one grab was all he needed.
With that thought, Gu Yangcheon released his energy perception to the limit.
Around that time, Goe Seon.
'Sorry.'
Had already dug into Gu Yangcheon’s left side.
A speed that Gu Yangcheon’s level could not perceive.
Goe Seon intended to strike him down like this and knock him unconscious.
He couldn’t raise the heat further.
If he did, he would become too serious and it would be irreversible.
He was already too worked up now; he really had to stop here.
Tap.
Goe Seon’s toes touched the ground.
Even then, Gu Yangcheon could not find Goe Seon. It was a speed beyond whether perception even mattered.
He turned his sword to show its spine.
Since he couldn’t cut him, he changed his method.
This would cause an issue with speed, but that much should be fine.
The moment Goe Seon thought so and tried to swing his sword.
At that instant, Gu Yangcheon’s pupils looked at Goe Seon.
'What?'
He found him?
Through this speed?
At that absurd situation, Goe Seon was shocked.
'He surprises me until the very end.'
Truly until the very end, he showed an impossible possibility.
Still, he wouldn’t be able to avoid this.
Goe Seon poured all the astonishment he felt into his sword swing.
Fwoooosh—!
The spine of the sword shot toward Gu Yangcheon at tremendous speed.
It was too late to react.
Goe Seon thought so, but.
Clang—!
"...?"
A clear, ringing sound.
What was this sound?
At the unknown sound different from his expectation, Goe Seon turned his eyes.
"Hmm...?"
The direction of the sound was none other than Gu Yangcheon.
The reason being, it was the sound of Gu Yangcheon’s arm blocking Goe Seon’s sword.
"What the...?"
Confirming Goe Seon at this speed was surprising enough.
But he had blocked him through it all?
Moreover, why had such a sound occurred?
Such a clear, ringing sound was absolutely not something that could arise from a sword meeting an arm.
It was a sound that could only be made when... iron struck iron heavily.
Just as Goe Seon harbored doubt and was about to make a strange expression.
Another irregularity occurred.
Ssssssk—!
"...What!?"
The bandage wrapped around Gu Yangcheon’s left arm that had blocked the sword loosened slightly.
Then moved quickly and bound Goe Seon’s sword.
The surprised Goe Seon tried to quickly pull back his sword, but.
Kuuuk—!
The bandage, without even being cut, gripped Goe Seon’s sword tight.
Then.
"Got you."
Gu Yangcheon’s voice, filled with laughter, was heard.
Immediately after, before Goe Seon’s chest, a blue bead like before was approaching close.
"You crazy...."
Along with Goe Seon’s short words.
Kwaaaaak—!
The Flame Jade exploded.