[AAAAAAAH---!!!]
The beast’s shriek spread in every direction.
Its voice was so powerful that the earth seemed to tremble each time it roared.
“Ugh!”
“Kh…!!!”
“Ghk…!!”
The internal energy embedded in its voice was even harming the martial artists.
They covered their ears and hunched their bodies. Some were even coughing up blood.
Those of lower cultivation had been unable to withstand the backlash, causing their internal energy to become tangled.
‘Damn.’
Seeing that, I immediately exerted my strength.
Kuuung--!!!
Heat burst from my body as I scattered my internal energy.
I had to suppress the surging vibrations.
I filled the surroundings with qi, as though proclaiming a domain, and the people finally managed to regain their composure.
It was dangerous.
‘If I left them like that, they would have suffered qi deviation.’
Those below the First-Class realm would truly have had their internal energy run rampant and fallen into qi deviation.
In other words—
‘Even First-Class martial artists can’t get anywhere near it.’
First-Class.
I had reached the point where I could kill one with a single strike, but that did not make it a low realm by any means.
It was a realm at which one might be honored and elevated as an expert.
Even a First-Class martial artist could join an escort agency, an alliance, or a clan and live their entire life without worrying about money.
‘And people like that are dying like insects.’
All from a single roar.
‘That bastard’s insane.’
A hollow laugh escaped me.
With this level of impact, no wonder it was called a calamity.
I shouted at those who were wheezing.
“Those whose internal energy just surged backward, leave this place. Staying here will only get you killed for nothing.”
They must have finally realized that this was no time to act recklessly.
Indeed, the expressions of those who had nearly suffered qi deviation were a sight to behold.
It was dangerous.
They had nearly died from nothing more than a shout. There could hardly be a more pointless death.
“If you intend to die uselessly here, go to the shelter instead and help manage the people there. That would at least be meaningful.”
“Guh…”
Though they hesitated, those who had been singled out eventually moved, as if reproaching themselves.
Good. If they had refused to leave again, I would have kicked them out myself. This was the right time.
‘You should choose where to lie down before lying down.’
If they were going to throw their lives away, they might as well use them somewhere else.
With the First-Class martial artists and several Peak Realm martial artists gone, nearly half the group had emptied out.
It did not matter.
They would have died the moment they entered the battle anyway.
The people who had been no different from dead weight were gone. That was good enough.
‘The real fight starts now.’
[AAAAAAAH----!!!!]
The beast continued to unleash its shrieks.
I narrowed my eyes as I focused on it.
The head of a mountain goat. The body of a human. The hands and tail of a beast.
And the wings of a butterfly.
It had an appearance and size unlike any monster I had seen before.
‘Excluding the wings, its body is roughly nine cheok tall.’
Large for a human, yet pathetically small for a high-ranking monster.
Could that really be a White-grade monster?
The question naturally arose, but the answer was obvious.
‘If that isn’t White-grade, then what is?’
The trembling and backlash it produced were on this level.
If that thing were not White-grade, then it would be utterly absurd.
[AAAA… AAAAAA….]
After howling for a long while, the beast gradually lowered its voice.
And the quieter it became, the more my tension rose.
[Ah.]
Clack.
It stopped.
And then—
The beast’s gaze fixed precisely on me.
[Kyaaaaaaaaah---!!!]
Kuuung-!!
“Fuck!”
I cursed and twisted my head aside.
Shiiiing--!!!
Its sharp claws grazed the tip of my nose.
It was moving fast.
If I had been even a little slower, my head would have been severed.
Slaash-!!
“…!”
The building beyond the place it had cut split apart.
It looked as though five strands of sword aura had passed through it.
I understood. This was something I needed to be wary of.
I clenched my fist and swung immediately.
Kuuung-!
[Kiik-!!]
The monster shrieked after taking the blow to its face. But—
‘That was shallow.’
The impact was weaker than it should have been for the strength I had put into it.
I soon understood why.
‘A qi barrier.’
As expected.
It was the same as last time.
Only an attack mixed with the mind could damage the qi barrier. A proper attack would land only after the barrier had been broken.
The same was true for this beast.
Because I had hastily used Heart Fist, its power was shallow. It had only managed to break part of the barrier and could inflict no further damage.
Then—
[Kiiiiii-!!]
‘Damn.’
Because the backlash had been slight, the beast moved at once.
It attempted an attack from close range. Dodging would be difficult.
Should I offer up my upper body?
‘No.’
If I acted carelessly while relying on regeneration, I could be killed instantly.
After a brief moment of thought, I raised my left arm.
I would sacrifice one arm. The instant I moved with that thought—
Crackle-!
Shrrk- Clang-!
[Kiik?]
Amazingly, the beast’s attack failed.
At the same time, pale-blue hair fluttered before me, and bolts of lightning rained down.
It was Namgung Bia. She had leapt forward and blocked the assault.
But that was not all.
Srrng-!
A golden sword aura followed and burrowed in.
Another sword strike cut through the air.
A blade brimming with light smashed forcefully into Namgung Bia’s sword.
Clang-!
[Kiii-!!]
The sword shot sharply upward from the impact.
The beast’s hand was knocked violently into the air.
Its upper body was exposed.
“Young Master-!”
A voice came from behind me.
The moment I heard it, my body reacted before my mind did.
Heart Fist.
My fist, swallowing a wave of power, collided with the beast’s upper body.
Krrrddddd--!!
[Kyaaaah-!]
The qi barrier shattered, and its upper body caved in slightly.
The blow had landed.
Not bad. The instant I thought that—
Ssshhk-!
Something passed by my cheek and pierced into the qi barrier.
Thud-!
A dagger.
The dagger flew into the beast and lodged in its upper body.
Someone quickly followed behind it.
A glimpse of pale green hair appeared.
Dang Soyeol, who had appeared without warning, twisted her waist toward the dagger embedded in its chest.
Her toes traced an arc before driving straight into the dagger’s hilt.
Kuuuk-!!
[Kyaaaaaaaah!!!]
From the successive impacts, the beast shrieked and flew into the ruins.
Kuuung--!!!
It crashed through a pillar, and the building collapsed.
Kuku kung-!!
The sight of it crumbling in a cloud of dust and debris briefly stole my attention.
But I could not watch for long.
Fwoooosh---!!
Flames gathered over my hand.
A Flame Jade was completed in an instant.
I compressed it, then compressed it again.
I invested a considerable amount of internal energy to maximize its destructive power.
I needed to bombard it with something stronger before its qi barrier recovered.
That was why I had prepared the Flame Jade, but—
“Cult Leader! I’m using this!?”
“…What? Wait!”
A bright voice rang out.
Shiiing-!!
Clang-!!
Bongsun suddenly appeared and swung her staff, batting the Flame Jade away.
“You crazy bitch—!!”
I was about to shower her with curses at the ridiculous sight, but—
Kuaaaargh---!!!!
“….”
I had to close my mouth for a moment as I watched the explosion.
The damage was far greater than I had expected.
The Flame Jade, compressed again and again—
When a powerful external impact struck it, the explosive force seemed to have been amplified.
“Huh? Why?”
Bongsun asked, as though she did not understand why I was cursing at her.
“…No. You did well.”
I gave an awkward smile as I spoke.
Who would have thought that such a brainless method would work?
…I should try applying it later.
In any case—
‘Phew.’
I steadied my breathing and looked around.
It had been a sudden combination attack, but it had been remarkably clean.
‘…Did they practice this at some point?’
Why had it been so smooth? I stared at the three of them in amazement.
I was genuinely surprised as I looked at them, but none of the three women seemed even slightly concerned.
Their eyes were focused solely beyond us.
The place where the monster had fallen.
Was I the only one unable to concentrate?
Or—
‘Was telling them to leave if they thought they wouldn’t be useful the problem?’
Had I touched their pride?
The three of them had far more fervor in their eyes than usual.
It seemed I had made a verbal blunder.
‘Damn.’
Swallowing my unease, I shifted my gaze.
Right. For now, I needed to focus on the monster as well.
Fssshhh….
The ruins were all burning, and fragments flew through the air.
The space was filled with blue flames from the Flame Jade’s explosion.
[…Kiii….]
Within it, the monster was slowly rising, as if exhausted.
But—
‘Something’s strange.’
I tilted my head as I watched.
The monster was barely managing to rise.
Its body looked abnormal.
‘…What is this?’
Its flesh was covered in cracks.
It looked as though it might shatter at any moment, and I could not hide my puzzlement.
The attack it had just taken was by no means weak, but—
No matter how I looked at it, it made no sense.
What about the one I had encountered in the Northern Sea?
Three Hwagyeong martial artists, including Paejon and me, had barely managed to tear through its barrier.
Even then, we had only managed to inflict a few scratches.
‘And this is enough to leave it in that state?’
It was impossible.
Could its durability really differ this much?
[Kiee….]
It looked as though it would die if merely poked.
‘Its strength and speed are certainly those of a White-grade monster, but….’
Was only its durability weak?
Or had that creature been exceptionally strong?
Who knew? I would have needed to encounter a lot of White-grade monsters to know the answer.
Just as I stared blankly at it, caught off guard by the unexpected development—
‘…Or perhaps.’
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘Could it be thanks to the holy spears I fired at the beginning?’
Before it transformed—
When it was still a white mass, I had bombarded it repeatedly and seen it take damage.
However, since it seemed to recover quickly, I had thought it meaningless.
‘…Maybe that helped after all.’
If its durability had been compromised because of that, it was an enormous advantage.
‘This….’
An indescribable feeling stirred within me.
‘Can I change the plan?’
Originally, I had planned to do nothing but endure and leave the finishing blow to someone else.
But if the beast was in that state, things were different.
‘…I can kill it myself, can’t I?’
I had intended to use that method because I did not think I could kill it.
But if I could, that changed everything.
‘If that much damage was done by the combination just now….’
Could I not hunt it after all?
And it was not just us. There were still people who had been unable to join the battle.
With this many people, success was possible.
Good.
‘Let’s do it.’
With that thought, I shouted to the others.
“From now on—!”
No, I was about to shout when—
[KIIIIIIYAAAAAAAH---!!]
The beast shrieked before I could.
At that moment—
Boom.
“Huh?”
A familiar vibration reached me.
Rumble-rumble-rumble-!!
A series of vibrations.
It seemed the same as before, but something was different.
Thump-! Thump-!
It was not anything else. The demonic energy was responding.
This sensation was definitely—
“Ah…!”
“T-This is…!”
Reactions erupted from every direction as well.
Everyone began taking something from their clothing and checking it.
A martial artist—or, more precisely, anyone belonging to the Sword Unit living in the Central Plains—was required to carry this item.
‘…A Demon-Seeking Talisman.’
A talisman developed by Wudang that heralded the appearance of Demon Realm Gates, which tore through dimensions and emerged into the world.
Everyone around me pulled one out.
If so, then the source of these vibrations, to which my demonic energy was responding, was—
‘No way.’
The moment I realized what was happening and looked toward the beast—
[Kyaaaaaaaah---!!]
Crackle-crackle-crackle-!!
As though confirming my loathsome premonition—
Demon Realm Gates began opening behind the beast.
And there was not just one.
There were easily dozens.
Crackle-! Crackle-crackle-crackle---!!!
Countless Demon Realm Gates filled the sky to a nauseating degree.
“Ha.”
I let out a hollow laugh at the sight.
The dozens of Demon Realm Gates were all—
“This is fucking ridiculous.”
Every single one of them was red.
******************
Some distance from Henan.
On the opposite side of the refugee shelter, and somewhat closer to the battlefield where everything was taking place, a young man sat atop a building that had been emptied of its people, tilting a cup of liquor.
A few bottles of Bamboo Leaf Green and some dried snacks, roughly taken from an empty tavern.
The young man continued eating and drinking the snacks and liquor, as though they were all he needed.
In truth, he did not even need the snacks.
The sight before him was enough to make the liquor go down smoothly.
“Hmm.”
Gulp.
After swallowing a mouthful of Bamboo Leaf Green, he looked into the distance.
Dozens upon dozens of Demon Realm Gates filled the sky.
At the sight of the red-tinted scene, the young man let out a quiet laugh.
“What a fucking mess. What a mess.”
The situation was beyond saving.
What could possibly have happened to leave him in that state?
“Whenever he does something, he never does it halfway. Tsk, tsk. What an incredible fellow.”
Should he praise the boy for thinking big in everything he did?
Or should he scold him for causing trouble on such a massive scale? It was impossible to tell.
“No matter how I look at it, misfortune must have befallen me in my later years.”
Otherwise, there was no way the disciple he had barely managed to take in could have turned out to be someone like that.
If it was a blessing, then it was a blessing. But the young man, Paejon, could not see how this resembled one.
“Hmm.”
Chew.
He gnawed on another piece of dried squid and propped his chin up with one hand.
What should he do?
He found himself pondering.
‘Should I help him?’
He did not particularly want to get involved.
Whenever this wretched body suffered internal injuries, it took an absurdly long time to recover.
No matter how much the hand of a divine physician touched him, there was no helping it.
‘The aftermath of using Pacheon was too severe.’
He had rashly used power he was not yet supposed to reveal, simply to show it to his disciple.
Because of that, Paejon’s body had now reached its limit.
It was a body that would likely need at least half a year of rest.
Paejon possessed such an exceptional awareness of his own body that he could still walk and run, but for anyone else, doing so would have been impossible.
He had just been thinking that he ought to take better care of himself.
‘That rotten brat.’
Of all things, his only disciple was not helping him do that.
Judging by the way he was carrying on, it seemed he had caused another enormous disaster.
‘He’s the sort of fellow who can’t live quietly.’
He could have simply focused on practicing martial arts in moderation.
Why did he keep throwing himself into the middle of typhoons?
Ah, no.
‘Is he the typhoon?’
At this point, that was probably the more accurate way to look at it.
“Good grief.”
There truly was never a peaceful day.
What on earth was he doing, all because he had taken in the wrong disciple?
And yet he could not simply leave the boy to his fate. In the end, Paejon left his drink behind and rose to his feet.
“I’ll have to give him a proper scolding this time.”
Was this happening because he had failed to establish proper discipline?
If the boy survived this, Paejon would certainly have to get angry with him.
Just as Paejon was about to leap away—
“Stay seated.”
“…!”
Paejon, who had been about to move, froze in place.
“You seemed to be enjoying a pleasant rest. Take your ease and rest comfortably. Wouldn’t it be a shame to disrupt the flow?”
“…Heh heh.”
Even though he was suffering from internal injuries, Paejon had not noticed the presence approaching him.
That fact astonished him.
He relaxed his stiffened body and turned his head.
“…Judging by the looks of it, you’ve finished your belated escapade.”
The other man already knew.
There were few people in the Central Plains whom Paejon addressed respectfully—no more than ten at most.
And the man who had spoken to him was one of those ten.
“Senior.”
At Paejon’s address, the old man smiled.
He was an impressive old man, with immaculate white hair and an upright posture.
Paejon wondered why he was wearing a red martial robe out of nowhere, instead of the blue one he should have originally been wearing.
But it did not matter. The aura emanating from him, independent of his clothing, told Paejon exactly who he was.
“I heard you intended to rest for a while… What brings you here?”
When Paejon asked with a sour expression, the old man replied,
“I intended to do so as well… Unfortunately, our young master summoned this old man.”
“…”
The young master the old man had mentioned.
Remembering him, Paejon’s face soured.
“Did you come because that bastard called for you?”
“Ho ho, do not be so angry. He is kindly providing me with food and lodging. Is it not only right that I do at least this much in return?”
“If your grandson and the old men of his household heard you say that, they’d spit blood.”
“In any case, please keep that a secret.”
“…”
At the slightly sly tone of the old man’s voice, Paejon’s expression changed drastically.
“You’ve changed quite a lot.”
Was that a compliment? The old man somehow felt that it was, and so he smiled.
“I would like it to be so.”
As he spoke, the old man began to walk away.
Was it his imagination?
Rumble—! Rumble—!
With every step the old man took, it seemed the sound of thunder rang out from somewhere.
“In any case… this is something this old man must do. You should rest here a little longer.”
“…”
“And now that you’ve grown young again, perhaps you should give up drinking as well.”
Paejon did not argue with him.
Perhaps he would have with anyone else. But if it was that old man, he could accept it.
‘Let’s see what you can do.’
It had been a long time since he had crossed hands with that old man.
That was why he wanted to see it. The blade he had thought had grown dull and rotted with the passing years—now that he looked at it, it felt very different from back then.
Thud.
He sat down without a word.
By then, the old man had already vanished.
Watching him go, Paejon whispered quietly.
“…He may be my disciple, but that fellow is truly insane.”
The old man summoned by his disciple.
The existence who had stood above the heavens for over half a century, known as the Thunder of Anhui.
Noe Byeok, called the main body and heart of the Namgung Family, a man who had pursued the Namgung clan’s endless splendor.
The aged swordsman who now served as a gatekeeper for the Gu Family of Shanxi.
He had arrived in Henan in response to the summons of the Gu Family’s prodigal son.