Chapter 242: Chapter 242
Hyeon-sang stared at the Green Forest Great Emperor.
The deep and azure green Qigong he was emitting spread very quickly as if it would encroach upon Mount Hua at any moment.
Watching this, Hyeon-sang bit his lip gently.
‘…He’s strong.’
No, saying he was strong was not enough.
The aura he exuded, his presence, was intense and its depths could not even be fathomed.
If he were to let go of his mind for even a moment, it was clear he would be swept up and flounder in the greenification (Nokhwa) encroaching on Mount Hua.
Hyeon-sang’s eyebrows drew the character for eight.
‘To think it’s to the extent where enduring is hard.’
He was blocking it with the internal energy of the Purple Cloud Divine Art, but it started to become increasingly overwhelming.
The Qigong exuded by the Green Forest Great Emperor was that overwhelmingly powerful.
‘The reputation of the Green Forest Great Emperor was not in vain. To think he is the one who raised the Green Forest, which was merely a bandit group, to its current rank….’
Until meeting the Green Forest Great Emperor in person, it was true that he had secretly underestimated him.
It was because he thought that no matter how much they called him Green Forest Great Emperor or whatever, he was ultimately just a bandit.
However, facing him directly, it was different.
He was an expert.
And one far higher than himself…
At that time, the Green Forest Great Emperor’s mouth, which had been firmly closed in a straight line, slowly opened.
“It is a beautiful violet color.”
A calm voice struck his ears.
It was a dry voice, like parched firewood.
However, the expression of the Green Forest Great Emperor uttering that voice was fiercely intense, like a blazing flame.
‘To think he could block the Qigong of the Heavenly Punishment Green Flower Shelter Art with that level of skill.’
The Green Forest Great Emperor’s gaze turned towards the empty air.
He looked at the violet energy that was waging a territorial battle with the Qigong of the Heavenly Punishment Green Flower Shelter Art, which was tightly packed with combat spirit.
It was so subtle and soft.
If grasped in the hand, it looked so fragile that it would shatter immediately.
‘However, it probably won’t shatter.’
His eyes sank heavily.
He felt it subtly.
At first glance, it looked like it would be easily swept away, but it possessed a flexibility that would not break under any fierce momentum.
“Is it Mount Hua’s divine art, the Purple Cloud Divine Art?”
“You know it well.”
Hyeon-sang tried hard to answer coldly.
However, there was not even the slightest change in the Green Forest Great Emperor’s expression upon hearing the answer.
He merely opened his mouth indifferently.
“Indeed… just as they say, it is truly worthy of being called a divine art. However…”
Cutting off his words, he took a step forward.
Thud…
And at that moment.
“…!”
Hyeon-sang’s expression distorted suddenly.
An intense combat spirit exploded from the foot the Green Forest Great Emperor stepped with, beginning to add power to the Qigong trying to encroach on the air.
Then presently.
Crack…
A crack began to form in the Purple Cloud Divine Art that was waging a battle of strength with the Green Forest Great Emperor’s Qigong.
Feeling the Green Forest Great Emperor’s Qigong gradually piercing through the Purple Cloud Divine Art and invading, Hyeon-sang’s mouth went completely dry.
‘What tremendous internal energy management.’
Around the time he barely swallowed his surprised feelings inwardly.
Smirk…
The Green Forest Great Emperor smiled, revealing his teeth.
“The skill of the one who learned that divine art is severely lacking.”
At the Green Forest Great Emperor’s words mixed with ridicule, Hyeon-sang gripped the sword in his hand even tighter.
It was frustrating, but his words were true.
He learned the supreme divine art known as the Purple Cloud Divine Art, but his accomplishment was not high.
“Could you beat me with that?”
Hearing the Green Forest Great Emperor’s continuing words, Hyeon-sang’s eyes momentarily became complicated.
‘If we clash in this state, probably…’
The word ‘defeat’ dominated his mind.
The difference in skill was that obvious.
However…
‘I cannot avoid it.’
Hyeon-sang slowly closed his eyes and opened them.
He could not avoid the decisive battle with him.
He should not avoid it.
Hyeon-sang slowly raised his sword.
Swish…
Before long, the tip of Hyeon-sang’s raised sword pointed accurately at the Green Forest Great Emperor’s face.
Soon, his mouth opened.
“You talk more than I thought.”
Hyeon-sang, who had been speaking, smiled softly.
“Are you perhaps afraid you will lose to this Taoist?”
“Puhahaha! Interesting. Very interesting.”
The Green Forest Great Emperor burst into laughter.
After laughing for a while, he looked at Hyeon-sang with murderous eyes and moved his lips.
“To think you’d be so crazy to die.”
The Green Forest Great Emperor, erasing his smile at once, unclasped his hands from behind his back and moved both hands forward.
A tingling murderous intent spread in all directions.
At the same time, the Qigong of the Heavenly Punishment Green Flower Shelter Art that had encroached on the surroundings surged like a wave following his will.
It was then.
Srrrk…
The Green Forest Great Emperor raised his right hand.
‘It is a terrible scar.’
At that moment, Hyeon-sang’s expression frowned slightly.
It was because the numerous sword marks engraved on the revealed palm felt terrible just to look at.
‘Just what kind of training did he do…’
Along with that, the gray robe worn by the Green Forest Great Emperor shook greatly, and materialized green qi waves erupted from his entire body.
And the next moment.
Suddenly, the Green Forest Great Emperor’s figure elongated, and he reached in front of Hyeon-sang in a single breath.
It was a very bizarre occurrence.
The distance that had closed in an instant like that.
Hyeon-sang flinched, but tried hard to maintain his composure and move the Azure Cloud Sword in his hand.
However, before that.
Whoosh!
A palm wind that abruptly appeared from the side flew in, aiming for Hyeon-sang’s face.
Hyeon-sang urgently twisted his head.
His hair shot up into the sky due to the palm wind that narrowly brushed past his ear.
He succeeded in dodging the sudden attack, but Hyeon-sang could not be relieved.
It was because the Green Forest Great Emperor’s eyes containing a pale green light, which suddenly appeared before his eyes, were staring at him intently.
The moment he felt intimidated by the terrifyingly dense murderous intent in that eye light.
“You dodged well.”
The Green Forest Great Emperor sneered and added words.
“Let’s see you dodge this well this time too.”
The Green Forest Great Emperor thrust out his palm.
A green airflow flowed along his palm, emitting an intense combat spirit.
Soon his hand moved quickly, creating dozens of illusions in an instant.
Hwoooong!
Rough palm shadows imbued with Qigong began pouring down on Hyeon-sang.
Every single one of them was incredibly terrifying.
At the brutal offensive, Hyeon-sang urgently moved his feet.
In an instant, his figure split into several, attempting a myriad of changes.
Divine Movement Hundred Transformations!
Hyeon-sang, who executed the most dazzling footwork among those of the Mount Hua Sect, roughly swung his sword towards the shooting palm shadows.
As the slash drawn from left to right was drawn as if cleaving heaven and earth.
Srrrk…
A violet glimmer rose up.
The flame that bloomed against the dozens of palm shadows looked incredibly weak.
However, at that moment.
‘What is that?’
The Green Forest Great Emperor felt something strange.
That small glimmer. That small flame.
He felt it harbored an unknown momentum. And that bizarre feeling was not a delusion.
Fwooosh!
Suddenly, the palm shadows pouring down on Hyeon-sang all burned up and disappeared.
It was a mysterious sight.
Everything in the world was enveloped in a violet flame and burning brightly.
As if it were a flame of purification.
‘…Is this Mount Hua’s sword?’
It was truly a sublime sword form.
It was incredibly mysterious how dozens of variations were mixed in a single sword strike, flowing out momentum.
It was enough to draw out involuntary admiration.
However.
‘It is lacking.’
The Green Forest Great Emperor, sinking his gaze coldly, moved his body left and right.
At the same time as his deeply azure green eye light left a long horizontal afterimage, the sleeves of his robe began to shake roughly.
The Green Forest Great Emperor, executing the Ghost Shadowless Footwork perfected over hundreds of years, stretched his right hand straight forward.
Claaang!
At that moment, space heavily distorted.
Soon, the Azure Cloud Sword was captured in the Green Forest Great Emperor’s right hand.
“…!”
Hyeon-sang’s eyes widened.
‘The Glimmering Opening Flame…?’
He couldn’t believe it.
However, reality did not change.
“It was quite an excellent sword art. If your skill had been higher, I might have been done in.”
The Green Forest Great Emperor pulled the Azure Cloud Sword grasped in his hand towards himself, and lifting his left hand, he thrust it towards Hyeon-sang’s abdomen.
“Keheuk!”
Hyeon-sang vomited blood from his mouth.
Even amidst that, he put strength into the hand holding the sword and twisted it to the side.
“Doing useless things.”
The Green Forest Great Emperor let go of the sword.
“Keuk, keheuk.”
At that recoil, Hyeon-sang staggered and retreated backwards.
And the Green Forest Great Emperor did not miss that moment.
Ta-at!
An intense internal energy was loaded into the Green Forest Great Emperor’s right hand as it rushed at Hyeon-sang’s flank.
“…!”
Hyeon-sang, biting his lip tightly, frowned and struck upward with his sword imbued with internal energy.
Kwaaaang!
An explosion erupted loudly.
Hyeon-sang had already retreated five zhang backwards, and the Green Forest Great Emperor was slowly dusting off his hands in the space where dust had risen.
“As expected, is the Sect Leader of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang different. To think you blocked the Explosive Thunder Palm Art with that body condition.”
Hyeon-sang wiped the blood away with his sleeve.
Because of that, his white beard became smeared with blood and started to be dyed red.
“…It is not over yet.”
Hyeon-sang raised his sword with difficulty.
‘Was the Azure Cloud Sword this heavy?’
His friend that had been with him for a long time felt exceptionally heavy today.
No, it was not the weight of the sword.
It was… the heavy sense of responsibility he had to bear as the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect.
His eyes sank coldly.
The anxiety rising from within stimulated him, but he did not step back.
“…I am the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect.”
Muttering to himself, he gripped the sword tightly and detonated the Purple Cloud Divine Art.
Hwaaaak…
His Taoist robe fluttered greatly.
At the same time, the violet internal energy rising from beneath his feet dyed his sword.
Following that, he spoke as if making a pledge.
“…No matter what happens, I absolutely cannot lose.”
* * *
Bang! Bang!
Cheon-hwi, watching the clash between the Green Forest Great Emperor and Hyeon-sang, narrowed his eyes and whispered.
“He looks more proficient than what he executed before. Did he train somewhere or something?”
The sword form Hyeon-sang was executing right now was the first form of Mount Hua’s absolute sword art, the Purple Cloud Sword Formula.
It was the Glimmering Opening Flame.
However.
“It’s a pity. Of all things, his opponent is strong.”
Cheon-hwi shrugged his shoulders.
Although Hyeon-sang was in a state of having reached the edge of the Limitless Realm, in contrast, the Green Forest Great Emperor was already an expert of the Heavenly Martial Realm.
And it wasn’t just a Heavenly Martial Realm, but a level similar to the Zhongnan Sword Saint.
That difference was the difference between heaven and earth.
Just looking at it now, wounds were accumulating on Hyeon-sang’s body, but wasn’t the Green Forest Great Emperor completely fine?
It was thanks to that Purple Cloud Divine Art that Hyeon-sang at least held out against the Green Forest Great Emperor.
Perhaps if he had not learned the Purple Cloud Divine Art, he would not have even been able to endure the energy exuded by the Green Forest Great Emperor and would have collapsed easily.
Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed.
‘I should watch how long he holds out like that, and it’d be best to step in when it gets dangerous, right?’
Accumulating actual combat experience was important, but dying was something that should not happen.
Around the time Cheon-hwi lightly gripped his sword in order to step in at any time like that.
There was someone who moved before him.
“Sect Leader!”
Hyeon Heo rushed at the Green Forest Great Emperor.
Hyeon Heo, raising his sword high, exuded an intense momentum and shot forward like an arrow.
“…You are interfering.”
While the Green Forest Great Emperor glanced at him.
Whoosh!
A pure white shadow abruptly appeared.
Claaang!
The White-Clothed Ghost Mask stood in the way blocking the path of the rushing Hyeon Heo.
“Where do you dare try to intervene.”
Hyeon Heo’s eyes frowned, and executing the Heavenly Flow Sword, he attacked the White-Clothed Ghost Mask.
However.
Clang!
A blade blocked the sword.
“…!”
Hyeon Heo’s eyes widened.
No matter how hurriedly he had executed the Heavenly Flow Sword, it had been blocked too easily.
Around the time he frowned.
“Senior Martial Brother!”
This time Hyeon-yang intervened.
“Junior Martial Brother?!”
“I will help too.”
“But Junior Martial Brother is…”
Hyeon Heo could not hide his bewilderment.
As someone who knew Hyeon-yang’s current condition well, he was rather anxious.
Whether Hyeon-yang read Hyeon Heo’s thoughts, he smiled softly and moved his lips.
“Do not worry.”
At the same time, Hyeon-yang drew up his internal energy.
And he held his sword with his left hand.
At that astonishing momentum, Hyeon Heo flinched for a moment, then soon nodded his head.
“Then I leave it to you.”
“Understood.”
At the time the two nodded, the White-Clothed Ghost Mask’s face distorted suddenly.
“You underestimate me.”
At that moment.
“Right.”
A voice was heard from beside the White-Clothed Ghost Mask.
The startled White-Clothed Ghost Mask urgently swung his blade, but the attack was suddenly blocked midway.
“Hmm, disappointing?”
Cheon-hwi, after catching the blade swung by the White-Clothed Ghost Mask with two fingers, revealed his teeth.
“You are…?!”
The White-Clothed Ghost Mask frowned his eyebrows.
After doing so for a while.
“Gi Ryeon-no!”
“Tsk tsk.”
At his call, Gi Ryeon-no abruptly appeared.
“Why did you call?”
Looking at Gi Ryeon-no who was wearing a murderous smile as if he had been waiting all along, he said.
“You take care of those two.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, that’s a pity. If possible, I wanted to see the blood of that young brat.”
Gi Ryeon-no, who glanced at Cheon-hwi, laughed sneakily.
“These bastards?!”
“…”
When Hyeon Heo and Hyeon-sang frowned.
Clang!
A clear sound was heard.
Cheon-hwi, who had broken the White-Clothed Ghost Mask’s blade that he was holding with strength in half, smiled broadly.
And he beckoned with his finger towards the White-Clothed Ghost Mask and Gi Ryeon-no.
“Ey, can you handle it alone? You two can just come together.”