Chapter 73

Chapter 73

It was silent.

Endlessly quiet, without even the faintest trace of beasts.

Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon looked around.

“Is this the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?”

A mountain range one had to pass through to reach Guangxi, where the Unorthodox Alliance was located.

That was the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

Jagged rocks rose like mountain peaks, and for anyone who was not a Martial Artist, it was a place complex enough to lose their way.

Youngho gazed at the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, which carried a strange yet mystical atmosphere, with clear interest.

“Yeah. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

“You’ve been here before?”

“I passed through a few times while traveling. They say the Demonic Cult used to live here in the old days.”

“Pardon?!”

At Youngho’s chilling words, Kang Hosan jolted in shock.

“Th-the Demonic Cult lived here?”

“Yeah. But not anymore. The big shots of the Orthodox Sect drove all the Demonic Cult members out to Cheonsan.”

Kang Chowon, who had a keen interest in chivalry, looked at Youngho with sparkling eyes.

“I’ve heard the Demonic Cult is extremely powerful now. So back then, the Orthodox Sect must have been stronger?”

“That’s right. They were a bit stronger back then. But the Orthodox Sect also suffered damage close to annihilation. After that, the Unorthodox Faction ran wild, or so I’ve heard.”

“Ah….”

“Right now, there’s some balance between the Orthodox, the Unorthodox, and the Demonic. But as you know, it could collapse at any time. I went out into the Martial World to delay the moment it falls apart.”

As he reminded himself of the purpose of this journey through the Martial World, his mind felt clearer.

‘Something only the Young Master can accomplish!’

‘A matter so important that even the Alliance Lord entrusted it to the Young Master….’

While everyone present was once again thinking that Youngho was indeed Cheonung’s disciple—

Hyeon-gang spoke bluntly.

“By the way, Young Master, can’t we rest a bit? My legs hurt so much I’m dying.”

“Why are you so frail? You’re not even throwing hidden weapons this time.”

Hyeon-gang groaned.

“Young Master, you must have forgotten—I’m a physician. Not a Martial Artist. Even if I use Internal Energy, tiring is still tiring.”

“Well, the Ten Thousand Great Mountains are rough terrain.”

The small peaks stretching endlessly blocked their view and forced them to circle around repeatedly.

Since Youngho had come here a few times before, he found the path without hesitation. The others had no choice but to follow his back.

“We’ll reach the Unorthodox Alliance soon. Endure a little longer.”

Youngho continued moving briskly, lightly ignoring Hyeon-gang’s complaint.

Shhk—!

In an instant, Youngho drew his sword like a streak of light.

KWAANG—!

A nearby rock exploded as if struck by something, and fragments shot toward Youngho’s entire body as though to shred him.

Kakakakang!

With terrifyingly swift strikes, he cut down every shard flying at him, then widened his eyes and stared forward.

“Oh? Movement unbelievable for a brat not yet of Coming-of-Age Age.”

As the dust stirred by the shattered rock cleared, the figure of a man emerged. He bared his white teeth in a grin.

“This is interesting.”

At some point, Youngho’s group had already prepared for battle. Youngho fixed his gaze on the opponent before him.

‘I didn’t sense his presence.’

If he was a master whose presence even he could not detect—

‘Transformation Realm?’

That was the only conclusion possible. And not merely an ordinary Transformation Realm master, but one who had advanced even further within it.

Paht!

With a single kick off the ground, the man stood before Youngho in an instant and smirked.

“My name is Ho Jagae. I serve as the Right Guardian of our cult.”

Saaa—

Seeing the icy chill flowing from Youngho’s eyes, Ho Jagae nodded as if even more pleased.

“You blocked my single strike. If you follow quietly, I’ll spare your life at least.”

“Keuk!”

“…?”

Unable to contain his trembling shoulders, Youngho suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha!”

“What is so amus—”

“Shut up.”

Youngho’s face turned incomparably colder than before. In a tone calm and tranquil beyond measure, he spoke.

“You think you hold the power over my life and death?”

“Are you looking down on our cult?”

“If you just say ‘our cult,’ how am I supposed to know what that means, you fool?”

The curiosity that had filled Ho Jagae’s eyes at seeing a rare strong opponent began to cool into frost.

“You’re not so dull that you wouldn’t understand if I said the Sun–Moon Divine Cult… Are you doing this on purpose?”

Youngho slowly shook his head.

“No. The Sun–Moon Divine Cult is a very powerful and frightening place. What I’m looking down on is you—who dared face me with only a few subordinates.”

Veins bulged on Ho Jagae’s forehead, and he took a deep breath.

“There is something I wish to ask you.”

“I have plenty to ask as well. Why you ambushed me, and how you learned our route, for starters.”

“Must I answer even that?”

“Of course. Answering is the role of the loser. So….”

A chilling Killing Intent spread across Youngho’s face.

“You’ll be the one answering.”

Despite seeing the dreadful Killing Intent on Youngho’s face, Ho Jagae’s voice did not waver in the slightest.

“…I wished to ask about the Poison Demon’s Jiangshi incident.”

“The Poison Demon’s Jiangshi?”

“Your expression is hard to read. Are you pretending not to know, or do you truly not know?”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Flame Dragon. How about a wager?”

He had heard of him. In the Demonic Cult, there was one who wagered his life and honor upon bets.

That man had once held the position of Right Guardian, and at the height of his prime, even the Heavenly Demon could not break his body.

Of course, the Heavenly Demon back then had been far younger and weaker than now, but still—

“Qi-Slaying Heavenly Fist.”

“Hm? You know of me?”

“A Martial World public enemy who once brought blood upon the world through a wager.”

“There was such a time. So, how about making a wager?”

“Go on. Let’s hear it first.”

Ho Jagae looked at Youngho with cold eyes and spoke.

“The victor takes everything.”

“Everything, huh….”

As Youngho muttered as if savoring the words, Ho Jagae said,

“Well, even if you don’t agree, you’ll end up spilling the information anyway.”

“Oh really? Then I’ll accept the wager for now.”

“Good choi—!”

Kaaang!

Ho Jagae deflected the Sword Qi that flew toward him at a speed too fast for the eye to follow. Calling it a streak of light would not have been an exaggeration.

Empowered by the aura dwelling within the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Sword, Youngho’s blade let out a resonant cry.

Wooooong—!

“Let’s begin.”

Kuuung—!

As if no further words were needed, Youngho kicked off the ground forcefully. The earth shook so violently it felt as though an earthquake had struck, and Ho Jagae’s eyes curved in delight.

“Excellent!”

Kwaaaaaa—!

Emitting terrifying Killing Intent, Youngho charged toward Ho Jagae. He looked like an evil spirit—no, a demon incarnate.

As if responding in kind, Ho Jagae unleashed all the Demonic Energy flowing within him and shouted,

“Kill the young ones!”

The cultists who had been hiding in the shadows rushed like lightning toward Youngho’s group, but Youngho paid them no heed.

They were Martial Artists capable of carrying their own weight. Protecting them would have been an insult.

Knowing that, Youngho fixed only Ho Jagae in his sight and surged forward.

Kaaang—!

A single sword and a single fist collided. On the surface, it seemed an unremarkable clash, yet the aftermath was anything but.

Kwaang—!

Youngho’s Sword Qi and Ho Jagae’s Fist Energy rebounded, splitting boulders and shattering rock.

They had exchanged only a single bout, yet the surrounding terrain was already being destroyed.

Their sword and fist blocked and severed each other’s forms, chaotically forging new paths of blade and fist.

Like shifting positions in an instant, the two moved across the mountain at high speed, leaving devastation in their wake.

As Ho Jagae’s fierce Fist Energy shot toward him, Youngho evaded it merely by taking a single step back.

Up to this point, it was the same as always. He read the opponent’s movements as though seeing the future, evaded, found an opening, and counterattacked.

It was Youngho’s favored method of combat.

‘As expected… this is a bit difficult right now!’

He could not find an opening. Or rather, if he attacked the fleeting openings that appeared for a mere instant, he would have to be prepared to lose an arm himself.

“Don’t lose focus!”

The moment Ho Jagae sensed Youngho’s attention waver, he unleashed Demonic Energy with ferocious force.

Fwoosh!

In response, black energy flickered like flames along Youngho’s blade. Sliding one foot far back, Youngho locked his gaze onto Ho Jagae.

It was the stance of someone preparing to sprint at full speed.

“I’m coming.”

“By all means.”

Kwaaaang—!

Youngho’s pitch-black Sword Qi surged forward like an unbroken tidal wave, overwhelming in its momentum.

Like an endless current of black flames, the Sword Qi burned away Ho Jagae’s Demonic Energy.

‘What is this?!’

The Internal Energy was absurdly refined. Their Martial Might might have been similar, but the compatibility was disastrously unfavorable.

Slash! Slash!

Each time Youngho’s black flames wrapped around Ho Jagae’s body, his Demonic Energy was carved away.

As the black flames swelled, threatening to devour Ho Jagae whole, Youngho pressed the momentum and completed an unbroken shield of black flames.

The shield, encircling Ho Jagae as though to swallow him, blazed fiercely.

Every flicker of black flame around them was Sword Qi. It burned savagely, as if intent on shredding Ho Jagae’s body.

Kang!

Yet the pitch-black Sword Qi that seemed impossible to sever was cut apart by Ho Jagae’s single strike.

“Hah!”

Wounds etched by the black-flame Sword Qi appeared across Ho Jagae’s shoulders, legs, and abdomen.

Chiiiiik!

The sound of flesh burning rang out. Those wounds would not be easily healed with Demonic Energy, not immediately.

Even now, the Internal Energy carried within Youngho’s Sword Qi was eroding the Demonic Energy and widening the injuries.

Seeing Ho Jagae’s fighting spirit blaze, Youngho bared his white teeth in a grin.

Ho Jagae charged straight at him, seemingly thinking of nothing but the advance.

Then, in the midst of that furious rush, Ho Jagae drove both arms into the ground.

Kwang!

Realizing what Ho Jagae intended, Youngho muttered involuntarily.

“…You lunatic.”

“Thanks for the compliment!”

The distance between them was barely three zhang. For a Martial Artist, it was a gap that could be crossed in the blink of an eye.

Yet Youngho could not charge at Ho Jagae. The reason was simple.

“Hraaaaaap!”

With a shout, Ho Jagae lifted a boulder—no, more precisely, the ground itself.

In his hands was a thick tree root, at least three inches wide. The moment it rose into his grasp, Youngho immediately unleashed Sword Qi.

It was still swift—but this time, Ho Jagae was a step faster.

“Yaaah!”

The instant Ho Jagae hoisted the tree root upward, the earth within a radius of three zhang around them flipped over.

Quite literally, the ground was overturned. As the earth rose skyward, so too did the bodies of Youngho and Ho Jagae.

As his body floated briefly before falling back down, Youngho searched for Ho Jagae.

‘Where?’

When the ground had been lifted, his vision had flipped with it. He had not seen where Ho Jagae moved.

In that moment, for a time split into countless fractions of an instant, Youngho opened the Flame Venerable Opening Technique.

Shhk—!

His instincts screamed at him. Every sense warned him to guard his chest—his heart.

Bang!

The instant he felt the chilling premonition of death, Youngho kicked off the air and leapt upward.

Paaang!

Simultaneously, a sharp air-splitting sound tore through the space where he had just been. Turning toward the sound, he saw Ho Jagae staring at him in shock.

“How…?”

For a fleeting instant, Ho Jagae’s face hardened.

‘No. Carelessness is forbidden.’

There was no rule that said an attack must always land. Reminding himself of that, Ho Jagae widened his eyes and began concentrating Demonic Energy into his fist.

Kwaaaaaa—!

It felt as though the surrounding energy was being sucked into Ho Jagae’s fist. A tremendous pulling force dragged Youngho toward him.

Wooooong!

The energy compressed, and compressed again. When the compression ended and refinement began, Hardened Force manifested around Ho Jagae’s fist.

“Now it truly begins.”

At Ho Jagae’s declaration, Youngho’s eyes gleamed with flashing Killing Intent.

“I haven’t even started.”