Chapter 291: For the First Time in a Long Life

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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“A peerless aptitude. It is to the point of being a pity that you are a human.”

The Asura man whose clothes at the shoulder were cut admired, but Jin So-myeong was also startled just the same.

The moment they exchanged the first blow, he realized.

‘Judging only by the amount of magic power, he is at the level of the Unity stage Great Circle, but he is creepily strong…’

The moment they threw the first blow at each other, he mobilized all means with the intention of slicing off the neck completely.

From the Blood Wings that entered the fifth circulation, the physical force amplified by the Golden Body Dharma Image, the acceleration utilizing the Lightning Escape Art, to A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens harboring extreme sharp Qi.

He poured almost his entire strength into the first blow, yet he could not inflict even a minor wound.

It merely stopped at cutting a piece of cloth.

Of course, the opponent admired it as if it were amazing by that alone, but that was literally an evaluation made while looking down from above.

‘…’

He felt strange.

Actually, there was no grand reason for coming all the way here.

Just when he was curious about how strong the unidentified powerhouse would be, as he happened to hear the sound of fighting, he had come thinking to take a look at who it was.

However, the unidentified powerhouse was an Asura and was by no means an ordinary Unity stage cultivator in the first place.

‘He does not seem like a Unity stage Dao Sovereign… is he a Soul Incarnation.’

Since the situation was highly different from his expectations in many ways, he had no choice but to ponder.

It seemed he had to risk considerable danger to face that Asura, but was there any reason to do so?

There was none.

He was already in a state of mortal enmity with the Asura Race, but that did not become a reason to fight while risking his life right now.

Looking at the situation, that Asura seemed to have business with the Elder of the Infinite Void Temple, so if he aimed at that gap, withdrawing his body was at least possible.

With a little strain, he would be able to even take along Ha Do-jin, who lay crashed on the ground in a faint, and leave.

In the split second he hesitated.

The Asura stretched out his finger once more,

Screeech!

and all the heaven and earth origin energy within several hundred li in the vicinity gathered and crushed his mind and body.

Emitting the energy amplified by the Blood Wings, he overcame the pressure and swung his sword.

Screeech…!

At the repulsive force as if forcing his way through a thick piece of iron, he had no choice but to realize.

‘He is indeed strong.’

It was a blow thrown lightly as if testing, yet he could barely block it only by exerting his entire soul and strength.

Unlike at the time of the first clash, this time there was no gap to counterattack.

To face such a powerhouse, the Blood Wings were insufficient. He had to at least unfold the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture.

Which meant he had to consume thousands of years of lifespan…

‘Is that correct?’

He had no choice but to hesitate.

Why did such a useless thought suddenly arise? Pondering the reason, he realized.

The times he had unfolded the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture until now and this moment were fundamentally different.

‘There is a choice.’

If he did not unfold the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture, he would die? It was not yet such a worst-case situation.

Right now when the Asura had not properly grasped this side.

Right now when he was showing composure while suppressing Jeok Song with a single hand.

If he fled with his full power, he could resolve the situation without consuming his lifespan.

That was why he was pondering.

Whether it was correct to fight the opponent while consuming a massive lifespan of thousands of years.

What was the wise judgment?

It was clear without any need to ponder.

For now, it was right to leave the place, and fight after raising his realm.

Once his realm became higher than now, he would be able to lightly trample him without even needing to use the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture.

Thus, he asked again.

Was it worth burning thousands of years of lifespan for a single fight?

No, it was not. There was no way it could be.

If so…

What would he obtain if he won this fight?

Well. Whatever he obtained, it would not be more precious than thousands of years of lifespan.

Despite this,

he erased his hesitation.

He did not retreat. Rather, he took a step forward.

What was there to hesitate when he met a powerhouse worthy of clashing his entire self against? What was truly important?

‘Even if I live for a split second, I will live like a flame.’

For the first time in his long life.

Purely, he made a choice solely for the sake of the fight.

Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture.

The secret technique of burning the Dao to cross boundaries. The dagger forged by the human race placed in the crisis of extinction was aimed at the enemy.

A split second.

His vision rapidly expanded.

From the Asura man raising one eyebrow, Jeok Song who stared with wide eyes as if shocked, to Ha Do-jin who flinched and tried to gather his senses.

Everything was vivid. It was perceived as naturally as breathing.

Simultaneously, a distant power was contained in the magic power flowing along his meridians.

A feeling of omnipotence as if he could freely handle all things in nature merely by wishing.

He felt as if the entire world lay beneath his feet.

Within the split-second expansion obtained by burning the Dao.

Taking the sword held in his hand as a brush, he drew a line.

Annihilation Slash.

He unfolded the most powerful ultimate skill among all the means he possessed.

The gap existing between time and time.

Splitting the interval, he entered and took a step.

Beeeep…!

He merely took a single step, yet tinnitus echoed and warned him.

It felt as if he collided with a giant wall.

He tried to approach the Asura while strolling through the world that did not flow, but as the distance closed, the tinnitus rapidly grew louder and even his vision distorted.

What was the problem?

Unfolding his Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, he could see it vaguely.

The invisible barrier spreading around the Asura. A wave-like thing whose form was not fixed guarded the surroundings.

‘By any chance, is that the Dharma Domain?’

Each time he drew a step closer, the resistance rapidly grew stronger.

The Dao cultivated by the Asura blocked him within the interval where even time did not exist.

Even.

Whoosh…!

The forearm of his hand holding the sword tore long, and blood seeped out.

As he continued to approach while ignoring the pressure, it even caused physical destruction.

‘Amazing.’

Is this the limit of the Annihilation Slash?

He had thought that the Annihilation Slash was only difficult to unfold and would be an invincible ultimate skill once unfolded, but apparently it was not so.

‘No. It is not the Annihilation Slash, but my limit.’

He immediately denied the thought that suddenly popped up.

Even the same sword shows a distant difference depending on who uses it.

The Annihilation Slash was a sufficiently powerful ultimate skill.

He merely had not awakened all of its potential yet. There was no need to be disappointed by jumping to conclusions.

Erasing idle thoughts, he concentrated on the present.

Traversing the invisible barrier, he continued to advance step by step.

Crackle…!

The moment the pressure to tear apart his mind and body reached its peak.

He thrust his sword toward the brow that became close enough to touch if he only reached out his hand.

Right before the blade, which advanced slowly as if swimming inside a deep sea, slit the skin.

Boom!

Caught in a powerful explosion that broke out right in front of his nose, he was thrown and flew away.

Holding onto his confused mind, he gave strength to his eyes.

His distorted vision became clear,

and he could realize that before long, the world that had stopped began to flow again.

The Annihilation Slash was forcibly released.

Even half of his magic power vanished as if volatilized.

It meant that the situation grew rapidly worse as the blow thrown with all his power failed, yet…

for some reason, a laugh came out.

Right. If it ended too easily, it would not be fun.

“A pity.”

As he spoke while completely revealing the smile formed at the corner of his mouth, the Asura’s expression hardened stiffly.

He very slowly raised his hand and wiped his forehead, and drops of blood were forming on his brow.

That it was a pity was literally so.

If his realm had been a bit higher, if the sword had been a bit sharper, he would have pierced the brow with the blow just now.

At that moment when he controlled his breathing while holding the sword that turned bright red due to the friction and recoil of the Annihilation Slash.

The Asura, who stared intently at the blood drops stained on his fingertips, parted his lips.

“…I made a mistake.”

The first word that came out after quite a long time had passed in perception was unexpected.

“A mistake?”

“I should have killed you first no matter what price I paid.”

“Haha.”

“I should have killed you immediately at the entrance of the secret realm. Caring nothing about whether a war broke out due to that or not.”

“Should I say thank you for evaluating me highly?”

“There is no need.”

As Jin So-myeong spoke with a chuckle, the Asura shook his head.

The Asura, whose eyes were dyed blood-red, even cast aside Jeok Song whom he was suppressing, and said calmly.

“Because you will die here.”

Crack!

The moment the Asura who rolled his fist stamped his foot in the void.

The battlefield that was clearly looked down on grew distant, and the entire world was filled with darkness.

At the strange phenomenon of suddenly losing all senses,

he responded instinctively.

While pouring energy into the Dharma Domain dominating the surroundings to push away the darkness,

he thrust his sword toward the void and unfolded the Yin-Yang Reversal.

Although nothing was felt, he was certain.

That a blow aiming for his life must be flying in right in front of him now.

Because of that, he did not hesitate.

He tried to block it by unfolding the best means he could, and simultaneously realized.

That he did his best but it was insufficient.

‘Ah.’

As the darkness cleared, it was seen.

The fist that penetrated easily as if the Yin-Yang Reversal were a sheet of paper.

The arm holding the sword had long since been bounced off with its bones completely shattered to pieces.

Overwhelming physical force. With that single thing, all defenses lost meaning.

He would die.

A single sentence filling his head erased all idle thoughts.

Right before his heart was pierced.

His concentration reached an unprecedented level.

The Dharma Domain, which had been clumsily scattered to dominate the surroundings, contracted rapidly and was compressed thinner than a sheet of paper.

The invisible barrier blocking the front of his heart.

That extremely thin thing rapidly lowered the speed of the fist.

Boom!

Kicking off the void to retreat, he simultaneously lowered his elbow.

He intended to block the fist by using the sword hilt like a shield, but realized it was not easy due to the stinging pain rising from his shoulder.

Because the entire arm bone was completely crushed, he could absolutely not block in time.

‘It does not regenerate.’

It was due to the energy infiltrated by the Asura hindering recovery, but…

the solution was not difficult.

Consuming the Supreme Great Ability, he crushed the infiltrated energy with the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability.

Watching the arm bone regenerate rapidly, he narrowed his eyes.

The barely recovered arm was moving to block the fist, but it was slightly slow.

At this rate, his heart would be pierced before he could take a posture.

A split second.

Was it thanks to the concentration reaching its peak? He could know what to do.

He accelerated utilizing the Dharma Domain. He amplified the speed of the arm moving, and

Clang…!

the arm that became dozens of times faster in an instant moved as if teleporting and blocked the fist.

A moment when he almost died. The power the Dharma Domain could exert became several times stronger.

It could be said that he became proficient in handling the Dharma Domain, or it could be said that his potential was blossomed.

“Haha.”

That was why a laugh came out. The Asura man stared at him as if looking at a crazy guy, but what did he care.

It was precisely for this moment that he fought, even while consuming his lifespan.

“Good!”

Far from retreating, he charged in reverse. Although he had just almost died, he did not hesitate in the slightest.

Because each moment he took a step was a growth advancing into an unknown territory.

Clang……!

The moment the blade and the fist met.

An invisible wave that infiltrated along his wrist swept through the meridians of his entire body.

He had tried to collapse his mind and body from the inside, but far from shaking off that overbearing energy, he rather guided it to his dantian.

He absorbed the energy filled with killing intent whole and let the Chaos Origin Wheel swallow it up.

Since this was also the Primordial One Qi, he would be able to accept it.

What if he failed to digest it?

It was like a bomb exploding inside his dantian, but he did not care.

Because the other was not an opponent he could win against while caring about such a trivial matter.

He concentrated only on wielding his sword toward the enemy in front of him.

Clang-clang-clang!

He struck away all the fists rushing as if declaring death with a single sword.

Moments when it would not be strange to die immediately continued endlessly. Each moment was a crisis threatening his life, yet simultaneously an opportunity.

In a brief time when he could not even let out a single breath.

A different emotion brushed past the Asura’s eyes that had been filled only with killing intent.

Wonder.

The balance of the one-sided offense and defense gradually became tight.

The blow that he could only take by risking the explosion of his dantian and even mobilizing the Chaos Origin Wheel was before long demoted to a level he could lightly strike away.

It was not simply that his strength increased.

The aggregate of his physical body, energy, and the skill of handling the sword advanced by one stage.

He felt as if the fierce life-and-death struggle became a furnace, engraving the growth of that interval onto his soul.

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