Chapter 323: The One Who Lights the Sacred Fire (5)
“I really don’t like it.”
The expression of Gyu Jeok, who was rumored to be blunt usually, was rarely distorted.
It had been a long time since the setting sun had also lost its light and the world had become completely dark. He still couldn’t adapt to the weather of the Central Plains during winter.
Since he was already immune to cold and heat, he was not susceptible to the cold as well as the heat, but there was such a thing as the feeling the weather gave. Gyu Jeok did not like the winter weather of Henan at all.
‘Even after a few years have passed, I still can’t get used to it.’
As expected, one’s hometown is the best. Since the land of the Central Plains is so vast and fertile, it must definitely be conquered for the expansion of the Cult’s influence, but still, Gyu Jeok hated this land.
‘It would be better if we could just fiercely exchange blows instead.’
Of course, he also knew. That a thing called war didn’t simply move solely by the logic of strength.
For war, unconditionally, the sooner it ends, the better. And for a war to end quickly, overwhelming strength and influence are necessary.
That was exactly the reason why Divine Fire, Evil Lust, and Mad Blood were gradually infiltrating the Central Plains without revealing themselves. Because they had to seize an overwhelming victory.
However, knowing with the head and feeling with the heart were different things. Gyu Jeok was the owner of an outstanding brain, but more than that, he had hot blood.
The fact that he usually didn’t reveal his expressions well was also to control this fiery temper of his. Forcedly bestowing mercy on his subordinates was also in a similar context.
‘Damn it.’
He wanted to burn down all the mountains visible to his eyes.
He understood with his head, but as time passed, his chest only felt more and more frustrated.
‘I can’t even remember when was the last time I fought a match worthy of being called a match.’
Was it because of his frustrated mind?
This damn stagnation period showed no signs of breaking even after five years had passed. If he could just escape this stagnation period, he would be able to enter the inner ranks of the Top Ten Generals in a single breath.
This was all because of the environment. It was exactly five years ago when he entered the land of the Central Plains and became a figure on the military side of Henan Province.
Since he couldn’t throw punches properly, a stagnation period was bound to come to his martial arts as well. He thought like that.
“Hmm.”
Gyu Jeok looked around his surroundings.
He had run over fifty li from the stronghold as well. It seemed he could pick up speed now.
Paaang!
Just as it seemed a deep red radiance was cast from his entire body, the speed of his movement technique became twice as fast.
As he tore through the wind and advanced, it seemed his emotions that were full of dissatisfaction were still somewhat relieved.
When feeling bad, it is good to run to one’s heart’s content like this. Gyu Jeok’s expression became much more relaxed.
Just how long had he run like that?
‘…’
Gyu Jeok tilted his head.
‘What is it?’
Papapang!
After slowing down his speed by kicking his feet in the empty air a few times, he landed on top of a giant tree.
It was a huge tree, but as it was the top, the branches were thin. Even though he stepped on such a place, the tree branch didn’t bend. It was a tremendous skill in lightness arts.
He looked around his surroundings.
“…Hmm. I definitely felt qi bouncing.”
An extremely minute fluctuation of qi.
In fact, it was so faint that he could just pass it by. Thinking about it, it was to the extent that it would be fine to pass it off as an illusion. Because he was also running so fast.
However, Gyu Jeok was cautious.
Dissatisfaction is only dissatisfaction. He did not forget his identity as one of the Eighteen Martial Generals of the Divine Fire Cult.
‘It couldn’t be, but just in case.’
Hwa-rr-rr. Hwa-rr-rr-rr.
The Fire Qi that had been undulating from his entire body gradually lost its color.
The qi wave changed from tangible to intangible. It was to scatter the true qi that was filling his dantian fully in all directions like a spiderweb.
It was the technique of Qi Circulation Detection. It was an extremely delicate true qi operation possible only for masters who had broken the wall and surpassed their limits.
Vwoong. Vwoong.
The blowing wind was fierce.
Because the wind was strong, the scattered true qi continuously fluctuated. Since the density of the true qi had been lowered and its root was Fire Qi, it did not match with the winter wind.
‘Hmm.’
Still, his skills didn’t go anywhere.
He, who was forcibly infusing strong internal energy to grope the surroundings in more detail, soon gathered his true qi.
‘Was it a simple illusion?’
The moment Gyu Jeok, who chuckled, tried to take his foot off the tree branch.
Right at that moment.
Pishuk.
A streak of sharp wind came up from under the tree.
Gyu Jeok’s hand moved like lightning.
Kwaaang!
A palm force as fast as lightning and as heavy as a rock.
With a single strike, it burst the ground and crushed half of the thick tree roots. It was an amazing might.
Paaaak!
Gyu Jeok, who came down to the bottom in a single breath, looked around all directions.
“What kind of bastard…?!”
At that moment, Gyu Jeok felt goosebumps break out all over his body.
Puuuuck!
An axe the length of one chi was embedded into the tree all the way to its handle.
It was truly a stealthy and fast technique. It was a strike where even the Gyu Jeok of the world would have had his head flown off just like that if he had been even a split second late.
Of course, the attack didn’t end there.
Vwoooong!
Hotly burning true qi approached right in front of Gyu Jeok’s nose.
‘Fire Qi?!’
It was Fire Qi. However, that Fire Qi was not ordinarily amazing.
Surprisingly, it was so amazing that there would be no great lacking even when compared with the Fire Qi he embraced. Looking at the overflowing firepower and burning killing intent, it was to the extent that for a moment he thought,’Is it a person from our Cult?’
And the hand blade unleashed by the owner of that Fire Qi had already approached up to two cun in front of Gyu Jeok’s Adam’s apple.
Pishuk!
A long cut appeared on Gyu Jeok’s neck. The wounded area that bled a few drops of blood instantly suffered a burn.
It was an absurd thing. Gyu Jeok, a master of the Heat Yang Art, not only suffered a wound from a hand blade strike based on Fire Qi, but even suffered a burn.
“You bastard!”
Kwang!
At the suddenly exploded martial force, the attacker’s body bounced backward.
Gyu Jeok’s eyes shook.
‘What is this?’
The Fire Worshipping Force Breaking Art was an exclusive martial art of only the Divine Fire Cult members that was faster than the One-Inch Punch of the Central Plains, and its explosive power and might were also twice as strong.
Furthermore, the person who used that technique was one of the Eighteen Martial Generals. It wouldn’t be strange if an ordinary master had their upper body burst apart right on the spot.
‘Why is there no feeling?’
He couldn’t feel the sensation of when the explosive force erupted from the center of his palm broke the target at all.
It felt just like he had hit a wall of fluctuating water. Gyu Jeok had never received such a feeling not even once while using the Fire Worshipping Force Breaking Art.
A time that split a split second.
In Gyu Jeok’s eyes, a flow of true qi like translucent water waves flowing from the front of the attacker in the darkness could be seen.
‘Water?!’
The time that had slowed down began to speed up drastically.
Chwaaaaak!
The fist that pierced through the center of the water wall headed toward Gyu Jeok’s solar plexus at a terrifying speed.
It was so fast that there was no time to dodge. Gyu Jeok instantly operated the Azure Furnace Purification Art and swung the Blazing Fire Divine Palm.
Pu-pu-pung! Snap!
He could not completely offset the penetrating power of the single fist that entered straight in. Gyu Jeok’s body slid backward, shattering a giant tree into pieces.
Papapapapang!
Gyu Jeok’s eyes widened.
‘Fast!’
The attacker, spewing out flame-like qi waves and drawing numerous lines in straight lines.
It was truly a terrifying movement technique. No, was it a footwork technique?
Whatever it was, that speed was one step above his own.
Paaaaang!
The attacker, who had been moving dizzily, bent down to Gyu Jeok’s lower section in a single breath.
Not only was he simply fast, but he was also equipped with extreme flexibility. With body movements that transcended imagination, Gyu Jeok could not help but admit that the opponent had the upper hand over him at least when it came to lightness arts.
Boom!
The fist and palm of the two people clashed and burst out a loud explosion.
‘Urgh!’
Thick blood vessels bulged on Gyu Jeok’s forehead.
The attacker wasn’t simply swift in his body movements. Not to mention his fast and dazzling lightness arts, he was also equipped with strength not inferior to that.
Gyu Jeok stepped back like crazy. The attacker quickly followed and swung his two legs like crazy.
Papapapapang! Pung!
Even his kicking techniques were fast.
It was kicking that had no mysterious enlightenment or refined forms. Even so, it was fast and strong. He couldn’t track with his eyes where and how he was aiming.
Gyu Jeok’s twin palms clove the empty air dizzily.
Pupupung!
Gyu Jeok’s two hands bounced backward.
‘Strong!’
Fast. And strong.
That was all. And that was exactly everything about martial arts.
If one was fast enough to be difficult to confirm with the naked eye, and had enough strength to smash through any defensive barrier, that was indeed the ultimate martial art.
The attacker cornered him this much with nothing special of a martial art. It meant that he completely grasped the path going up to the ultimate meaning of martial arts.
Pung!
Exploding the palm force of blazing fire that he had been silently gathering while being pushed back for a few exchanges, he pushed the attacker away.
This time too, there was no feeling transmitted to his hand. Even though the might was clearly a step above the Fire Worshipping Force Breaking Art, it was of no use in front of that translucent water wall.
But it was fine.
With this one strike, the distance from the attacker widened to over five zhang. With that much distance, it was possible to catch his breath for a moment.
“Phew.”
The eyes of Gyu Jeok, who caught his breath short and fast, heated up red like fire.
“What kind of dog-like bastard…!”
Gyu Jeok couldn’t even finish speaking and had to lower his upper body.
Kwaaang!
This strike was big.
It was a might as if a giant castle wall had been shot out by a cannon. At the intangible twin palm explosive force, the three trees that were behind Gyu Jeok were shattered to pieces just like that.
It was a palm technique of incredible might. However, what was even more absurd was that even while utilizing a martial art overflowing with this much destructive power, he hadn’t noticed the flow of true qi.
Gyu Jeok’s eyes, which had heated up like flames, gradually changed to a sticky blood color.
Boom! Kwaaang!
The attacker, who was about to go into attack again, flinched.
Kwaaang! Kwang! Hwa-rr-rr-rr!
Due to Gyu Jeok’s indiscriminate barrage of palm force, the surrounding trees were all broken. And unusual flames bloomed on the broken trees, creating a wall of fire in the area.
A battleground of burning flames.
Gyu Jeok asked with a cold voice.
“Who are you. Reveal your name.”
Flinch.
The attacker stopped his follow-up attack.
The attacker, who had been quietly glaring at Gyu Jeok, relaxed his posture. The terrifying killing intent loaded in his eyes glaring at Gyu Jeok remained the same, but a look of wonder appeared on his expression.
“Exchanging names? In this situation?”
“I’ll say it again. Reveal your name. I do not want to settle a match with a bastard who cannot even reveal his three-character name.”
Gyu Jeok said it was a match.
That’s right. Although he was pushed back, with just a few exchanges of blows, Gyu Jeok had completely acknowledged his opponent.
Crack.
A bloody sound rang out from Gyu Jeok’s tightly clenched fists.
His martial heart burned hotly. His exploding competitive spirit suppressed even his faith towards the Cult Leader for an instant.
The intense desire he had lived pressing down tightly inside his chest.
At the appearance of an opponent worthy of clashing with all his might, Gyu Jeok ended up getting excited, forgetting even the situation he was placed in.
The attacker, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes narrowed.
“…You are a strange bastard.”
Himself who attacked was one thing, but Gyu Jeok also had to kill his opponent regardless of the reason. He shouldn’t be looking at him with eyes so overflowing with mettle and asking for his name like that.
A name was something that didn’t matter if asked after half-killing the opponent first. Since an attacker wouldn’t reveal their name in their right mind in the first place anyway.
Gyu Jeok opened his mouth again.
“Whether it is the land of this place you call the Central Plains, or the place I came from, meeting a strong person of this level is definitely not an easy thing. Since we mutually aimed our fists at each other, asking for a reason is a meaningless thing. However, I just wish to know your name.”
“Before that.”
“…”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face distorted deeply.
“Why are you wearing those clothes, you bastard?”
“…Hmm.”
“I’m asking why you, you bastard, are wearing the official uniform of a Garrison Commander of the Imperial Guard Command.”