Chapter 758

Whoosh—!

Boom—!!

Explosions erupted in rapid succession.

The heat filling the surroundings was suffocating.

Fwoosh—!!

Blue flames surged violently, sending waves of fire upward.

I hurled another spear of Qi with all my strength.

“Huff!”

One more.

Whoosh—!!

The spear flew and struck its target. Without hesitation, I released my Qi to trigger the explosion.

Whooosh—!!

A deafening roar erupted, and shockwaves rippled outward.

“…Ugh…!”

“Argh!”

Those with lower cultivation couldn’t withstand the blast and were sent flying.

The ground, already battered, was left in ruins.

But—

‘Do I need two more shots?’

My expression soured.

I’d already thrown six.

Even after pushing near my limit, I was wondering if I needed to keep firing.

Gulp.

I popped another Dokcheon Pill into my mouth and swallowed it.

It hurt my pride to burn through the few I had left, but there was no choice.

‘The Poison King will handle it.’

He said he was close to perfecting their production, so I convinced myself this was an investment.

Otherwise, I’d probably die from regret first.

‘…Damn it, do you know how much these cost?’

They were probably worth more than Everlasting Cold Iron.

Enough to buy a proper estate in the heart of Hanan.

‘Shit….’

Just thinking about it made my stomach churn.

I was already pissed about using one earlier, and now this was the second one.

Haa…

Suppressing my irritation, I narrowed my eyes.

As painful as it was to spend resources, I had to focus and stay rational.

Yeah, what’s the point of money if I die?

‘I need to survive first.’

I cycled my Qi and prepared again.

The lingering explosions had left the air thick with smoke, making it hard to see.

Even so, I could tell.

Things hadn’t gone as planned.

Whoosh—!!

A gust of wind swept the smoke away.

And there it was—clear and visible now.

Drip.

The white mass I’d seen earlier.

That pale, thread-spewing thing.

The spear’s explosion left faint cracks across its surface, but it was far from destroyed.

‘…Tch.’

Clicking my tongue, I scowled.

I’d been hoping for more.

But as expected—

‘It’s a White-Rank beast, after all.’

White-Rank Monsters.

Commonly known as Dragons.

Relics of the past, sealed in Hanan. This was undoubtedly one of them.

It had to be.

‘That’s why only Qi-infused attacks can damage it.’

Seeing the cracks confirmed it.

It was only because I infused Qi that I managed to cause any damage.

The problem was—

‘Is this all I managed to do?’

Even that was disappointing.

The cracks were clear but superficial.

It didn’t feel like a decisive blow at all.

‘I put everything into that attack.’

Unlike during the Bi-mu, I’d unleashed my full power.

Back then, I’d only used this technique twice against the Divine Dragon—

The difference in strength was incomparable.

Just look at it.

“…Is this the Little Lord of the Underworld…?”

“This is absurd—this is even worse than the rumors….”

Martial artists had gathered around, gawking at the aftermath of my attack.

Judging by their robes, they were from reputable sects.

‘Mount Hua Sect… and is that Kunlun?’

I spotted a few members of the Nine Great Schools, and even some from Shaolin.

There were also glimpses of martial families, though the sects outnumbered them.

Dozens of them.

Judging by the state of their gear, they’d just fought off an ambush.

And yet, instead of retreating, they followed the energy surge here.

‘They’ve got guts.’

Charging toward the epicenter instead of running.

I had to respect their resolve.

I quickly memorized their faces.

If any of them survived, it might be worth keeping them alive.

But for now—

“Listen carefully.”

“What?”

“…What?”

I amplified my voice with Qi, letting it echo around us.

Loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Anyone who can’t wield Manifestation (Sim-sang), step back.”

A brief but clear warning.

The response was immediate and chaotic.

“Manifestation?”

“You mean… like Sword-Heart Unity?”

For martial artists, Manifestation was a near-mythical level—

A fusion of one’s enlightenment and mastery of Qi.

Even among elders and sect leaders, only a rare few ever reached it.

“And you’re saying—”

“You can use it…?”

Their disbelief was palpable.

Why mention Manifestation at a time like this?

These martial artists really were impossible to predict.

“That’s not the point right now. If you can’t use it, you’ll be useless here—so leave.”

I didn’t care about their shock.

The situation demanded focus.

This was something Paejon discovered—

White-Rank beasts couldn’t be harmed without Manifestation.

How ridiculously unfair was that?

‘Even elders from prestigious sects barely qualify.’

It was insane.

But—

‘What choice do I have?’

I had to deal with it.

Complaining wouldn’t change reality.

Huff.

I exhaled sharply and prepared my stance.

Then, I turned to the side.

“You, leave too.”

“…”

“You’re impossible. Do you even know where this is?”

I frowned as Namgung Bi-ah flinched slightly.

And why was she wearing my clothes?

“I told you this morning to stay put. Why can’t you listen?”

“…”

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she stared at me with that familiar, unreadable expression.

Her eyes held concern—and a hint of frustration.

A few years ago, I wouldn’t have noticed.

Now, it was obvious.

“Do you even know what that thing is?”

“…What is it…?”

“…Huh?”

“…I don’t know….”

Namgung Bi-ah’s eyes shifted ever so slightly.

It looked like a faint frown.

“But…why do you know?”

“…”

Why do I know what no one else does?

Her question caught me off guard.

My lips twitched. She noticed.

“That’s…”

“…”

I hesitated, trying to come up with an answer—

“…You don’t have to explain. But—”

Shing.

Namgung Bi-ah drew her sword.

“…Don’t try to stop me.”

“…”

Perfect.

‘Damn it.’

When did she get so sharp?

I couldn’t argue with that.

Before I could respond—

“Your cousin’s right, you know.”

A middle-aged man with white hair and a cocky grin appeared.

“…Goeseon.”

Goeseon, the Hermit of Wudang.

He was Woo Hyuk’s master.

Seeing my look, he quickly waved his hands.

“Just so you know, I came to stop her. But my niece is… extremely stubborn. Hahaha.”

Sure.

‘So you couldn’t stop her either.’

I wasn’t expecting this.

‘At least Woo Hyuk stayed put.’

Unlike these two, Woo Hyuk obeyed orders and stayed back.

I’d tried to keep everyone away—

But—

“Did you really think we’d listen?”

More figures emerged.

“You’re the worst, you know that?”

Tang So-yeol, fuming.

And—

“How could we sit still knowing this was happening?”

Wi Seol-ah, her chest wrapped in bandages.

Especially her—seeing her made my head spin.

“You, of all people, shouldn’t be here.”

Wi Seol-ah lay bedridden after her match against the Divine Dragon.

Both her internal and external injuries required constant rest.

Despite the harshness in my voice—

“…How could I just lie there?”

Wi Seol-ah smiled as she looked at me.

“There’s no way I could do that.”

Damn it.

I wanted to tell them all to get lost. To leave and stop interfering.

I wanted to curse them out and order them away.

But—

Woooong.

“…Shit.”

I didn’t have time to waste convincing them.

I turned my head and tensed my body.

Ssssss.

“What… what is that?”

“…Threads!?”

Everyone around me widened their eyes.

The white mass.

Threads pouring out of what seemed to be an egg had finally taken form.

Layer upon layer, threads connected and intertwined.

And what it revealed—

‘Wings? Butterfly wings…?’

That’s what it looked like.

Not particularly large—though, in proportion to the egg, they seemed oversized.

As I observed, my thoughts raced.

‘So much for stopping it early.’

Given how far it had progressed, it seemed too late for that.

Still, I wasn’t discouraged.

‘I didn’t think it’d be that easy anyway.’

I never expected things to go smoothly.

Clink.

Whoosh—!!

The Nine Flames Firewheel mechanism in my heart spun rapidly.

Heat surged, activating my body to its limit.

‘I need more information.’

What exactly was this thing?

I didn’t have the time to analyze it carefully. But—

‘I’ll figure it out while fighting.’

Now was the time to strike.

Crunch—!

Fwoosh—!!

Blue flames surged around my body as I prepared to leap.

I turned to look at the women watching me.

What should I say?

Should I tell them to stay back because it’s dangerous? No.

They wouldn’t listen anyway.

Should I tell them to be careful and not to die? They’d just brush it off.

Maybe I should tell them to run if things get too risky? That wouldn’t work either.

Then—

“I’m only saying this once, so listen carefully.”

I had just one thing left to say.

“If you think you’ll just get in the way, back off. That’s the best way to help right now.”

“…!”

“…”

“Urgh.”

Their faces all twisted at once.

I knew my words might hurt them.

But this was the only way.

And the moment I spoke—

Boom—!!

I stomped the ground, accelerating forward.

‘If ranged attacks don’t work, I’ll close the distance.’

I crossed the gap in an instant.

Fwoosh—!

Feeling the rush of speed, I formed another Spear of Light.

It was originally designed for throwing, but this time I’d use it directly for impact.

Gripping the completed spear tightly, I thrust it with all my might—

Just before it struck the mass—

Grab—!

“…What!?”

The creature moved.

A hand shot out and seized the spear.

Yes—a hand.

Not quite human—closer to a beast’s claw.

That hand emerged and blocked my attack.

I let go immediately.

My decision was quick.

Releasing the spear, I retreated.

Then, I detonated it.

BOOOOM—!!!

The explosion sent out shockwaves, but—

‘What the hell?’

I stepped back and observed.

Drip.

The hand that had caught the spear was shattered and crumbling.

That was good.

But—

‘What is that?’

Ssssss….

My eyes shifted from the hand to the mass itself.

Thud. Thud.

The mass was changing.

Starting from the arm, two more arms emerged.

A torso followed, then two legs—and a tail.

Finally, a head.

The thing stood up on two legs, staggering slightly.

How the hell was I supposed to describe it?

It stood upright, almost human-like, but its limbs and tail said otherwise.

And then there were the butterfly wings on its back.

And its face—

‘…A goat’s face.’

No—a ram’s.

Its features resembled those of a goat or ram.

It was slightly over nine feet tall—

Huge for a human, but far too small to be a Dragon.

‘It’s nothing like the Dragon I saw before.’

Dragons were supposed to be massive—like moving mountains.

But this thing—

What the hell was it?

I had no answers.

Yet—

Drip.

Wiping away the cold sweat on my forehead, I focused.

One thing was clear.

‘…It’s dangerous.’

I didn’t need an explanation.

My instincts screamed at me.

I kept my guard up, observing its every move.

[...]

The creature moved its head, scanning its surroundings.

It looked at its own arms, then studied each person nearby.

Eventually, its eyes landed on me.

“…”

[...]

The eye contact lasted less than a second.

But it was enough.

“Everyone.”

I didn’t need more time to understand what it intended to do.

“…Prepare for battle.”

As soon as I spoke—

[Ah.]

The creature let out a short sound—

[AAAAAAHHHH—!!!!]

Followed by an earth-shattering roar.

“Argh…!”

“My ears…!”

People around me clutched their heads in pain.

Even hearing the sound shook their Qi from within.

Now everyone understood—

This thing wasn’t friendly.

It was a monster we had to fight.

‘…Shit.’

I smirked, despite the situation.

Just from its killing intent, I knew—

Winning wasn’t likely.

It felt like facing a mindless White-Rank beast all over again.

Hunting it down seemed impossible right now.

But as tension filled the air, I reminded myself of the goal.

‘It’s fine.’

It really was.

Hunting it wasn’t my job.

Right now—

‘I just need to hold out.’

If I couldn’t kill it at the start, then I’d move to Plan B—

Survive.

Hold out, no matter what.

That was the plan.

Because the one who’d finish this fight—

wasn’t me.