Kwaaang--!!
The inkwater blanketing the floor surges violently.
It looks almost like a swirling vortex.
As the rough and intense shape is maintained...
Fwaaash---!!
Flames burst forth over that stream of water.
Hssss-!! The flames are so intensely hot that the sound of water evaporating can be heard in their wake.
Flames all the more scorching and radiant.
Bearing a boundless heat, the flames overturned everything in all directions, taking the shape of a dragon.
Whether in size or the internal energy sustaining it, it was an overwhelming manifestation.
Standing on the water, the old man silently watched such a spectacle.
A short while later.
Kyaaah--!!!
As if howling, the flames charged at the old man.
Three massive streams of flame converged on a single point and began pouring down.
A heat so intense it felt like it would burn you just getting close.
If that were to fall, ordinary folks wouldn't even leave behind bones.
Shring.
A faint sound rang out, and then...
Fwaaash-!!
Swooooosh-!
Instantly, the flames split into dozens of strands and began to dissipate.
'Damn it.'
Watching from afar, I let out a hollow laugh.
What the hell was that?
'I didn't even see him slash.'
I only heard the sound for a brief moment. I couldn't catch how he moved.
Visually, it looked like just a single slash.
But the resulting cuts numbered in the dozens.
Just how fast did he swing to produce such a result?
Looking at the vanishing flames, my face naturally frowned.
At the same time.
[Seven.]
The old man's voice was heard.
[Three left now.]
"Yes, yes. I know."
Answering, I gathered internal energy in my hand.
Tsk.
Just as the old man said, I had already attacked seven times, yet I hadn't landed a single blow.
'This is fucking ridiculous.'
All the old man had done during that time was swing his sword to block or dodge.
He was fending off my offensives with such simple methods, yet I hadn't succeeded even once.
While it felt utterly absurd, various thoughts crossed my mind.
The first thought was.
'Is it an issue with the space?'
It might be a problem with this place, which isn't reality.
I wondered if the attacks weren't working because that old man did something...
'That doesn't seem to be it, though.'
The sensation of using internal energy and the clarity of the movements were distinctly different.
It was strangely identical to reality for a mere mental space. The old man's presence felt the same way.
Which meant.
'Does this just mean that old man is insanely strong?'
An utterly simple conclusion.
Even if we're in a soul state, wouldn't that be the power the old man possessed?
'That's a bit too much.'
I didn't want to believe it.
Come on, seriously.
'If he's that strong, how does it make sense that he couldn't catch the Blood Demon?'
If that were truly the case, it meant the path I had to walk was insanely long.
I really didn't want that to be true.
Fwoosh.
Wrapping flames around my hand, I braced my heart.
Thump-! Beating heavily, internal energy flowed through the blood meridians, soaring to the sky through my shoulders.
Fwaaash---!!
A blue light lingered in the dark space.
Chitian (Red Heaven).
Or should I call it Qingtian (Blue Heaven) now? Whatever.
Initiating the domain, power circulated through my body. My toes felt light.
[Hmm.]
The old man observed the changed situation with interest.
Not a hint of tension could be felt from him.
Damn it, looking so unbothered just makes it more irritating.
Because of that, I ended up using a bit too much internal energy.
Vwoooom.
A Flame Jade twice the size of the Great Flame Jade I used against Yingfeng was grasped in my hand.
Judging by the amount used alone, it was far larger than what went into the Holy Spear.
I hurled it just like that.
Oooong--!!
The massive sphere flew toward the old man.
Once again, the old man tried to slash it with his sword, but...
Before he could move.
Snap-!!
I flicked my finger to signal it.
Kwaaang----!!
The Flame Jade immediately detonated, wrapping blazing fire in all directions.
Perhaps because of the large amount contained, the size of the flames was quite massive.
Which meant...
It was enough to block his field of vision.
I created distance at the same time I ignited the flames and clenched my fist.
'Getting close won't work.'
Then, what about attacking from afar?
'I used the Holy Spear, so he must have felt my internal energy. Most of the Nine Flames Wheel Art would be felt too.'
The seven attacks from earlier.
They weren't just uses without thought.
'The more one is hit by internal energy, the more accustomed they become to it. The same goes for the opponent's energy.'
It was a calculated action to make the old man accustomed to my flames.
By now, the old man's body and eyes would have adapted.
That's why now was the time.
A variable is delivered when the opponent has grown accustomed.
Douya Potianwu.
If he's used to the flames, it was time to use a completely different energy.
'Third Form.'
The energy of Battle Fang gathered at the tip of my fist.
I tamed it to be a bit sharper and more violent.
If the First and Second Forms were for close combat, the Third Form was power aimed at targets far away.
'Douya Geqian.'
Erasing my presence, I sensed the aura wrapped in the flames.
At the same time, aiming at my opponent, I struck forward with a short, fast punch.
Then.
Thump-!
A ripple echoed in the empty air.
Kwaaang-!!
A circular hole opened in the engulfing flames.
Douya Geqian has no form or flying shape.
It is purely an attack composed of fighting spirit; the one receiving it wouldn't even have the time to feel it.
The immediately falling assault should have struck the old man.
No, definitely.
It should have been.
[Eight.]
I bit my lip hard at the voice heard beside me.
[The attempt was good. The application wasn't bad either. Plus, the level of completion isn't low. I'm amazed as to who the hell taught you this.]
As if truly amazed, the old man looked at me and recited his explanation.
"...You're a bit fast, aren't you?"
Fast was an understatement; he was too fast.
I didn't even realize it until he spoke up.
[Well, there weren't many bastards faster than me when I was alive. If I had to pick, maybe around two?]
Tsk tsk, the old man chuckled and said.
[That Ming Cult bastard and Tang Jimun. Excluding those guys, there wouldn't have been anyone faster than me in the Central Plains.]
Leitian Yijian and Dujueqian, huh.
Well, he was the best in the Central Plains with lightning energy, so his speed would match. And Senior Tang Jimun was a dark assassin, so he must have been fast.
But there's something I'm curious about here.
"Then, what about Yan Yitian?"
Seeing as there was no mention of Yan Yitian, the greatest under the heavens of that generation, did this mean the old man was faster?
I asked with that meaning implied.
[That guy was strong, not fast. He just used that strength to...]
The old man stopped mid-sentence and moved.
Because I swung my fist before I could even hear his answer.
Second Form of Douya Potianwu.
Doubi Yitianquan.
A vortex of fighting spirit ambushed the old man.
A bombardment centered on me exploded in all directions, but...
[Good grief. How can a young brat be so cowardly.]
The old man, as if to show off, caught all the energy once again.
He caught it.
How absurd was that statement?
Douya Potianwu was a type of explosion.
An energy so violent that merely circulating internal energy brought pain.
Since it was a technique that used the body as a shell to detonate it, the brutality contained within the energy was on a whole different level.
Therefore, when it exploded, it left traces in all directions.
The old man remained unharmed even at close range. The reason was obvious.
'He deflected all of it.'
The 'Absolutely Unbreakable Ghost Weapon'.
Swinging Guijing, he caught all the energy coming his way.
"That's a real monster."
[Calling a laughing elder a monster—your manners are truly dogshit.]
The word 'monster' was what people called me every day when they saw me.
I always wanted to show those who said that.
What a 'real' monster looked like.
[Now, one left to go.]
The sight of him lazily moving his sword was infuriating.
I really wanted to land just one hit.
'One more time.'
The last chance I agreed to indulge.
I pulled my foot back and crouched my waist.
Fwoosh. The ring began to expand.
How much internal energy was left?
'I don't know.'
Maybe a little over half?
The fortunate thing was that, perhaps because this wasn't reality, there were no repercussions from external or internal injuries.
'...But what good is that?'
Whether I have internal injuries or not. Whether my internal energy overflows or not.
It doesn't really mean much.
Because in the end.
'It won't work on that old man anyway.'
To the self-proclaimed Huashan Sword Immortal, whatever I did was all the same.
I had known this fact for a long time.
Ah, of course, facing him changed my thoughts a little.
'It's worse than that.'
From 'He must be strong,' it escalated to 'Is this guy really human?'
Like a crazy madman.
'Is this what it feels like to fight the Three Venerables?'
Even facing him right now, death hovers between us.
One step.
The moment I take it, my neck will be slashed and my heart pierced.
Such a delusion crossed my mind.
I know.
That the old man could do it, yet he isn't.
Also, he is letting me know that he is fully capable of it.
I recall my past life.
'The Heavenly Venerable wasn't at that level.'
The true owner of the Nangong Clan.
I frequently faced the Heavenly Venerable of the Three Venerables. However, I had never felt pressure to that extent.
It was to the point where I thought, 'Maybe I can take him on.'
The Tyrant Venerable was...
'Terrifying.'
The sight of him causing natural disasters with a punch or two was absurd. But even he wasn't at that level.
I don't know about the Sword Venerable. I never properly faced him and had actively avoided him.
The important thing is.
'The Heavenly Venerable was suffering from a Heart Demon, and the Tyrant Venerable was in a state of reversed aging.'
Taking that into consideration, they weren't at their full power.
The current Huashan Sword Immortal was on par with the Three Venerables. Or perhaps...
'Above them.'
It would be safe to see it that way.
Which meant...
'There's no chance of winning.'
It meant that no matter what I did, there was no chance of victory.
I knew that all too well.
Knowing that full well, I still moved my arms.
Hup-! I poured power into the flames wrapped around my arm.
Flames burning in my hand. Over them, I clapped my hands together strongly.
Clap-!
The impact burst, and sparks flew in all directions.
Sparks that should have risen and faded.
That was how it should have been, but the scattered sparks didn't vanish and stopped in mid-air.
And.
'Yanyu Xingfei Rongwuhua.'
The scattered sparks gathered and grew, instantly becoming Flame Jades.
Countless Flame Jades filled the space around me.
This was also an applied technique of the Nine Flames Wheel Art.
Seeing this, the old man's eyes narrowed.
'Pour down.'
Swaaaaaah---!!
The blue Star Marks filling the sky poured down.
Kwaaaaah---!!!
An offensive aimed at only one person.
Firepower concentrated enough to erase a small village focused on him, but...
Even amidst that, I could see it.
Slit-! Slash-sh-sh-sh-!!
The old man swung his sword from where he stood.
Unbelievable speed. It wasn't that the invisible sword slashes were only now becoming visible.
It was because the continuous movements left afterimages.
That sword art Yingfeng used.
A sword of extremes—complex yet free, free yet never losing the basics.
Its completed form was unfolding right there.
Slash-sh-sh-!! Slash-sh-!!
The Star Marks were torn apart by the sword and vanished.
Any and all flames were meaningless before that sword.
Swish-! I waved my hand.
Continuously generating Flame Jades, I commanded the Flowing Hand with my hand.
The countless flames shifted their movements.
From two streams to three.
If the sky was blocked, to both sides; making front and back unavoidable as well.
I dropped flames from all directions, but...
[Hmm.]
The old man's response was simple.
Swooooosh--!!
Faster. If it was overwhelming to block one place, he swung and blocked even faster than that.
The sword moving like that didn't miss a single Flame Jade and sliced them all away.
Seeing that, I let out a hollow laugh.
It was truly, utterly hopeless.