Chapter 437: Cheol Ryu-heun vs Wang-ryu
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“……!”
Wang-ryu’s pupils flickered with a strange light.
That fellow knows?
His identity?
It was unexpected.
All information regarding the central leadership of Heaven Emperor Society was managed in the strictest secrecy.
Who could he have heard it from?
Perhaps by torturing the leadership of the Detached Three Army Corps and Eastern Heaven Division……?
No, it was impossible.
Because the loyalty of those under his command was as solid as rock.
It would be difficult to extract through any harsh torture.
Questions that flashed through his mind like a ray of light.
The strange light in his eyes soon vanished.
Following that.
Wang-ryu, having directly gazed at Cheol Ryu-heun in front, questioned with a leisurely smile.
“It should be the first time you’ve seen me today?”
Thereupon Cheol Ryu-heun replied expressionlessly.
“You’re not bothering to deny it.”
“What need would there be? Since you’ve already figured it all out.”
“Right, since you’re a leader-level figure, conversation flows somewhat smoothly.”
“HUT…… I’m merely curious how you found out.”
“If you think about what you saw earlier, you’ll get a rough idea.”
At those words of Cheol Ryu-heun, Wang-ryu recalled what had happened before.
The red eye light that had been connected to Gun Mu-ak’s eyes……
‘Ah, so that’s it!’
He got the sense of it to some extent.
The power to peek into another person’s mind.
He must have obtained top-secret information through that mysterious essence of eye technique.
That quietly brought yet another question.
‘To think such a thing is possible, What on earth is that fellow’s power……?’
Whether it was a mysterious application that conveyed another person’s thoughts in his head as sound, or if it exerted an even more special power, was uncertain.
At any rate, it seemed to be an ability that exceeded the expected range.
After all, he had been that kind of fellow from the start.
Because he was confirmed to be an unprecedented existence who had inherited the authentic transmissions of five absolute beings, including the Heavenly Demon, recorded as the greatest of martial history.
Cheol Ryu-heun spoke again in a dry voice.
“You seem to have gotten the idea.”
“The ability to read the thoughts dwelling in another person’s mind?”
“That’s right.”
At that moment, Wang-ryu clearly figured out the context.
Now he understood.
Whose mind he had read.
It was Snake Eye Sword Demon Mo Dok-jae.
A memory flashed through his mind like lightning.
The memory of accompanying the Heaven Emperor Society Lord in the past and recruiting Mo Dok-jae as a member of the Detached Three Army Corps’ leadership……
Whether he only knew fragmentary scenes or knew even the content of conversations was still unclear.
Wang-ryu’s curiosity amplified thus and he spoke.
“HU, I’d like to briefly exchange words like this. How much do you know?”
“Enough. Just get ready now. The only thing left between you and me is a contest of strength.”
“Why is a fellow who will soon be departing for the afterlife in such a hurry?”
“How unsightly of you.”
“This body will not refuse a contest either. Rather, it’s what I want.”
“I haven’t found out all that much. So, I’m trying to subdue you and discover additional secrets.”
“HU-HUT…… You mean to defeat me with strength?”
“Yeah.”
Thus, Cheol Ryu-heun’s emotionless gaze and Wang-ryu’s composed gaze crossed.
A moment of heavy silence.
In that midst, the words of the Heaven Emperor Society Lord passed through Wang-ryu’s mind.
-Let me say it again. Whether it’s Heuk Ma-yung, Gun Mu-ak, or Cheol Ryu-heun…… if they interfere with the work, annihilate them all.
Yet it hadn’t ended at merely interfering with his mission.
He had brilliantly blocked the complete descent of the otherworldly Demon God, and had even reverse-utilized the power of the Black Tortoise Iron Armor to destroy the soul-body fragment.
In the end, the plan to transfer at least a portion into his own body had failed.
As Cheol Ryu-heun said, the one final thing left now was a duel to take the other’s life.
Wang-ryu warned, pulling up one corner of his mouth.
“You don’t know. The limit of the power I possess……”
Thereupon Cheol Ryu-heun countered with a nonchalant attitude.
“Same here. And…… there’s something else I don’t know.”
“What is it?”
“The murder and destruction the Heaven Emperor Society Lord secretly perpetrated in the past.”
Those were very meaningful words.
“……!”
Wang-ryu intuited the meaning hidden in those words.
What Cheol Ryu-heun had just said meant the murder of the previous Sect Master and master of his sect, Sagong Woon the White Gate Sword Gentleman, and the destruction of the Divine Martial Sword.
That is, he had spoken having identified that the mastermind was the Heaven Emperor Society Lord.
“You said you haven’t found out much…… you already know a lot.”
Wang-ryu finally revealed his killing intent.
Spine-chilling aggression and murderous energy transformed into tyrannical formless bearing and rapidly wrapped around his entire body.
He knew facts beyond what he had glimpsed from Mo Dok-jae’s thoughts.
He was an existence that absolutely must not be left alive.
The Black Tortoise Iron Armor, as if responding to his killing intent and internal power, began to tremble.
JJEOLKEOKJJEOLKEOK…… JJEOLKEOKJJEOLKEOK…… KARARAK…… KARARAK……
A somehow spine-chilling metallic sound.
Abruptly.
SAAAAT…… SAAAAT…….
It was a space that had become terrifyingly silent due to Wang-ryu.
Precisely, it was because of his momentum.
A formless bearing as if about to mercilessly destroy everything……
Was it a pinnacle level?
Well, hard to say.
One can’t know until clashing bodies.
The vitality of the forest had vanished.
Conversely, the deep-green scenery remained the same.
Yet the whispers of nature had completely ceased.
The chirping of birds, the cries of insects, even the sound of wind brushing leaves……
The verdant shade harmonized with sunlight had been swallowed by the silence.
It felt as though this world had stopped.
The entire shadow cast over this forest felt like the shadow of death.
What that conveyed was one thing.
Wang-ryu’s might.
Even the expression “superhuman martial power” felt insufficient.
It was before exchanging hand techniques, but Cheol Ryu-heun knew.
That this was not a power to be looked down upon.
Wasn’t he a key subordinate and warrior under the Heaven Emperor Society Lord?
However.
There was not a trace of tension in his heart.
His bland attitude eloquently testified to that.
Only an imperceptible killing intent swirled fully in his breast.
Also.
An unfamiliar unpleasantness too.
He had experienced it once before.
This formless bearing that swallowed nature’s vitality.
Through the Heaven Emperor Society Lord, that is.
It was similar to back then.
No.
It was identical.
Wang-ryu’s formless bearing had gradually transformed into something void-like.
Just like when the Heaven Emperor Society Lord had murdered Sagong Woon in the past.
That’s right.
It was ambiguous whether he was circulating internal power or not.
Was it an inner energy cultivation technique taught by the Heaven Emperor Society Lord?
That was why the unpleasantness had encroached.
Because it was a moment that made him recall something he didn’t want to think about.
Meanwhile.
Wang-ryu was also feeling the same sensation.
‘Unpleasant.’
A certain person suddenly came to mind.
The Heaven Emperor Society Lord.
Cheol Ryu-heun, standing before his eyes now, was exactly so.
He possessed a formless bearing reminiscent of infinite emptiness.
It was even more void-like than his own.
Somehow, he resembled the Heaven Emperor Society Lord.
That was precisely what had provoked his heart.
He was genuinely displeased.
To be reminded of the Heaven Emperor Society Lord upon looking at Cheol Ryu-heun……
He did not want to acknowledge the feeling he had received.
‘To think such irreverence toward the honorable Lord!’
Having forcefully denied it, he raised his internal power and lifted his iron sword.
CHEOK.
He had finally assumed his stance.
And dark-red current enveloped not only the blade but his entire body.
An aura that overwhelmed all was detected from the mere stance alone.
It was an enormous weight.
Matching that, Cheol Ryu-heun also operated his internal power and adjusted his grip on the Gan Jiang.
JIIING…
Not to be outdone, the deep-blue blade also trembled.
Following that, he opened his mouth with an expression that was the very extreme of nonchalance.
“It seems I’ve properly provoked your temper.”
“You shall die here. By this seat’s hand. I swear it.”
“Well, I don’t think it’ll be as easy as you think.”
“No, it will be easy.”
The two, gazes locked, began walking.
At first glance, their pace was neither slow nor fast.
A gap narrowing quietly.
As the contest between the two drew near, the surrounding forest seemed to tense up.
A suffocating heavy silence was pressing down on the ground.
It was a hair-trigger moment.
Finally.
WITH A STOP.
Halted footsteps.
The distance was roughly ten paces.
SEUEUT.
The instant Wang-ryu’s right shoulder joint twitched.
CHEUPAAT… !
In the blink of an eye, a blade flew toward Cheol Ryu-heun.
A sharp flash.
It was a single sword stroke so fast that even a super-first-rate warrior would have difficulty reacting.
But a blue ray of light had already come out to meet it.
JJEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOONG… KKUKUKUKUKUKUKUNG!
When each sword strike collided, the energy wave and supernatural force generated destroyed the surrounding scenery indiscriminately.
KUKWAKWAKWAKWANG, KUKWAKWAKWAKWANG, KUKWAKWAKWAKWANG……!
Trees, stones, dirt… all of them rose high into the air and danced chaotically.
A five-jang radius was instantly turned to ruin.
It was truly a shocking and fearsome power.
This was merely one exchange.
Their flashes crossed again.
From above to below, and from below to above.
KIIIIIIIIING… PEOEOEOEOEOEOONG… !
The full-scale duel had begun.
Successive explosive sounds shook the forest.
Just like that, over ten exchanges passed in an instant.
They were evenly matched.
It was a contest between equals, a struggle between two evenly balanced powers.
A tremendous shockwave spread in all directions.
The forest, successively swept up in the huge shimmer, had already been shattered beyond recognition.
In that midst, Cheol Ryu-heun and Wang-ryu showed no wavering.
They were still swinging their swords in the same spot.
Clashing fiercely with power, neither giving an inch of ground.
JJEOJJEONG, KWAKWANG, PEOPEONG……!
Twenty exchanges also passed in an instant.
It was a sword fight heading toward thirty exchanges.
Hand techniques wielding pinnacle internal power without holding back were executed continuously.
The earth-shaking transcendent martial powers clashed ceaselessly, generating shockwaves.
While ringing enormous vibrations like earthquakes.
The Black Tortoise Iron Armor displayed outstanding essence.
It reflected half of the opponent’s internal power and absorbed the other half to annihilate it.
It was a wondrous object, unique in the world.
Moreover, the invincible-level martial power possessed by its owner supported that series of essences.
Its very existence was veritably an indestructible weapon and shield.
“Cheol Ryu-heun, is this all you’ve got!?”
A short cry from Wang-ryu that had not lost its composure.
In that midst, the sword in his right hand continued to scatter flashes.
Even while pouring out massive sword force of internal power, his breathing was stable.
The returning answer from Cheol Ryu-heun was curt.
“No.”
Simultaneously, his movement transitioned like a ray of light.
Having exquisitely evaded Wang-ryu’s iron sword rushing toward his head, Cheol Ryu-heun suddenly vanished like a ghost with a HWIK!
It was a high-speed movement that seemed to disregard sensory perception.
The ultimate lightness secret technique that Martial Immortal Dongbang Ya had boasted in the past.
Flying Immortal Windless Light.
Subsequently, Wang-ryu’s eyes flashed sharply.
‘Behind!’
A sensory perception unlike other warriors detected that movement.
That he had caught Flying Immortal Windless Light with instant sensory perception thoroughly attested to his astonishing martial prowess.
Spinning his body faster than thought.
Having turned around, Wang-ryu fiercely thrust out his iron sword.
Yet.
KYUYUYUNG… JJEOEOEOONG!
Rather, it was the iron sword that bounced back with a strange sound.
At that moment, Wang-ryu saw.
The brilliant starlight condensed on the Gan Jiang.
Sword Force.
The pinnacle sword art that symbolized the great achievements of Sword Emperor Northern God.
It was said that if one so wished, it could even damage all divine weapons except the Divine Martial Sword.
That Sword Force shattered the left pauldron of the Black Tortoise Iron Armor.
KYUYUYUYUYUYUNG… KKWAJIJIJIJIJIJIK… !