Chapter 218: Grandeur of Nature
Chapter 217 – Grandeur of Nature
“Azure Bird!”
Struck by the Astral Orb, the Azure Bird plummeted as if she would crash to the ground.
Although I was about to run and catch her if worst came to worst,
Pya-pya-pya-pya (extremely severe swearing)!
With a cry that sounded somewhat angry, the Azure Bird soared high again.
She seemed to have only been shocked for a moment.
‘What kind of body does she have?’
Seeing her fly up fine even after being struck by the Astral Orb, I was even more surprised.
Indeed, she was not just a simple chirping chick.
Once again, I realized that she was an existence with one foot in the heavens.
Once my worry for the Azure Bird subsided, my attention was drawn to another matter.
‘To launch a Astral Orb to that height…’
The Astral Orb. It referred to the method of condensing Astral Qi into a sphere and launching it.
If thought of simply, it could be regarded as a type of ordinary Astral Qi technique.
However, the Astral Orb was distinctly different.
If Sword Gang was the beginner stage in Astral Qi techniques, the Astral Orb was the master stage; it was a martial art that could virtually be called the final destination of Astral Qi techniques.
Drawing out Astral Qi and condensing it was a realm that did not even make sense to begin with.
For energy to take shape, a center of gravity was necessary.
Whether it was a sword or a spear, there had to be a medium into which energy could be infused and formed for anything to emerge.
However, the Astral Orb required condensing energy in the empty air where there was nothing.
As there was no medium to serve as a center of gravity, it was also easy for its shape to collapse.
Virtually, the strong will of the person deploying the martial art itself was the medium.
That was why a difficulty level higher than Sword Control was required.
Although it had similarities to Sword Control in that it infused and controlled energy without touching, while Sword Control operated by implanting the mind’s intent into a sword, the Astral Orb required one to condense the Astral Qi through their own strong will from beginning to end.
Naturally, in terms of difficulty, it was harder than Sword Control.
Launching the Astral Orb to the height where the Azure Bird was floating was also extremely astonishing.
Because maintaining the shape of the Astral Orb to such a far distance meant that the mental power and will of the one who used that martial art were exceptionally high.
“They call it the Divine Bird of Mount Heaven. It deserves such praise.”
A clear and resonant voice coming from somewhere reached my ears.
Despite the far distance, it was a clear voice, as if whispered right beside me.
“…Six-Harmony Sound Transmission?!”
“…He’s doing all sorts of things.”
He announced his presence even before showing himself.
Old Jong and Yi Gyeong-cheon, who realized the opponent’s martial prowess, tried not to show it as much as possible, but an unconcealable tension flowed in their voices.
And the protagonist of the voice revealed himself.
Looking only at his appearance, would he be thirty at most?
Considering the martial prowess he displayed, he was absolutely not a person of that age.
“Mmm…”
A groan slipped out naturally at the sight of the man walking toward us without a shred of tension, as if he had just come out for a walk.
It was not because of the momentum or presence that the man radiated.
Although I could not say it had no effect at all, another sensation that reached me more directly stimulated me.
‘Disgusting…’
Although there were many times I had felt a repulsive disgust when looking at those who dabbled in things contrary to the natural order, like the Gu parasites, or those who suffered from them, what I felt now was on a completely different dimension from before.
An instinctive aversion seemed to scrape my stomach.
It was to the extent that beyond revulsion, even murderous intent boiled up.
The internal energy loaded with the boiling emotion wriggled and moved vigorously, then surged, searching for a place to extend.
The internal energy, which had moved violently to my lower body, extended from the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of my feet and struck the earth.
Koong!!
The ground I was standing on vibrated violently, as if an earthquake had occurred.
The aftermath scattered the opponent’s momentum that had been enveloping the surroundings.
Only then did I feel the others around me, who had been disoriented, regain their senses and straighten their momentum.
The opponent seemed to have felt that as well.
“Insolent.”
Emotion was loaded into the opponent’s voice, which had been calm and composed.
A red Astral Orb was shot like a catapult stone.
“Heup!!”
Old Jong stepped forward a beat earlier to block the front.
Befitting his grand name of Vajra Iron Demonic Sovereign, Old Jong, whose entire body was dyed black, struck the flying Astral Orb.
Strength against strength clashed head-on.
Kwaaaaang!!
It felt as if lightning had struck right beside us.
The ground vibrated, and the wind scratching the skin fluctuated violently.
An aftermath so intense that it was difficult to stand still swept through all directions.
“Heh! To have such power at this distance…”
Old Jong could not hide his astonishment.
The enemy wielded a power that surprised even Old Jong, a Demonic Sovereign-level expert.
A thick tension flowed.
“Quite impressive. Are you the Vajra Iron Demonic Sovereign?”
The man, clearly revealing that he looked down on Old Jong, raised his hand again.
“Let’s see you block this as well.”
A powerful force moved along the hand stirring the air.
This time, it was not a Astral Orb.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaa!!
A red force came crashing down.
A red Astral Qi, which had grown colossally in size, extended while surging like a wave.
“Crazy!!”
It was of a size that could swallow even a tile-roofed house as large as a whale’s back in a single breath.
To think it was a Astral Qi that could sweep away dozens of people in an instant!
No matter how strong Old Jong was, it was impossible to completely neutralize that head-on!
“Evade!”
I immediately snatched Yi Hwa and threw myself.
Old Jong also dodged in accordance with my instruction.
Although he tried not to show it, he could not conceal his feeling of resentment.
The expression of Old Jong, who had always been a reliable barrier by my side, left a mark in my mind and heart like a scar.
But what was impossible was impossible.
Kwang! Kwarrrrr!
Beyond the place we had dodged, the traces left by the Astral Qi that had swept through like a wave in the rear were visible.
Looking at the traces of destruction left by its aftermath, someone swallowed hard.
“T-the mountain…”
The wave of Astral Qi left nothing behind.
It lost its shape like a sandcastle swept away by a wave.
No, this could not even be described as losing its shape.
“…It was completely swept away.”
It was as if a wide-mouthed monster had bitten off a part of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s mountain.
It looked precarious, as if it would tilt and collapse at any moment.
This was at a level of altering the terrain.
If he had aimed for the mountain peak, the peak itself would have blown away.
“Tch!”
The person who actually wielded that power clicked his tongue in irritation, seemingly unsatisfied.
“Vajra implies that it can shatter anything and cannot be broken by anything. Since you do not possess the qualification, henceforth be content with the title of Iron Demonic Sovereign.”
“…”
He lectured as if a superior was teaching and advising.
It was enough to make even my blood boil just listening to it.
It was even more so because the expression of Old Jong I saw when he had to dodge without being able to stand against the Astral Qi came to mind.
‘Just what kind of martial art is this to have such internal energy…’
“…That person, his way of using power is the same as the Heavenly Demon and you, Brother.”
“Huh?”
Yi Hwa’s words did not make sense.
“The same as me?”
“…Strictly speaking, the fundamental part is different. Unlike you, Brother, who is connected to and communicates with the heavens, his power does not lie in the heavens. However, the part where he communicates with the world to draw in and wield external force is the same.”
Drawing in external force?
“Infinite internal energy?”
“Yes. Kongling. That is the power he is wielding now.”
I could grasp many things from Yi Hwa’s explanation.
It made sense that he could wield such an absurd, non-standard power so casually.
Because of that, it was even more astonishing.
‘Is that even possible?’
No matter how infinitely one could draw and use internal energy, the thing that supported it was their own physical body.
The burden placed on the body when drawing out the Blood Silk Gang Line to its maximum was greater than imagined.
If that person was truly the same as me, it meant that the durability of his body was beyond imagination.
“Is that correct, Master?”
I asked without hesitation even though Yi Hwa was right next to me.
It was not a situation where I could worry about minor details.
[It must be correct. To open a path to communicate with the world without communicating with heaven and earth. He must have sucked quite a lot of blood.]
‘The Blood Cult…’
Hearing Master Zhang Sanfeng’s words, which were filled with anger, I was once again reminded of what kind of bastards the Blood Cult were.
A heretical path that extorted others’ blood to develop the talent and strength of the physical body.
The one who had reached the ultimate of that path was right in front of my eyes.
I could not imagine how massive the sacrifice behind that must have been.
[It seems he is twisting and utilizing the martial arts of the Xuantian Palace at will… Has the martial lineage of the Xuantian Palace continued until now?]
‘Xuantian Palace?’
Master Zhang Sanfeng mentioned a name I had never heard of.
It seemed to refer to past schools like Wudang or Shaolin, but right now there was something more urgent than that.
“…Can I defeat that?”
[If it were a properly inherited martial lineage of the Xuantian Palace, it would be a certain defeat. Not a hundred times, but even ten thousand times, it is impossible at your current level.]
Until now, Master’s words had never been wrong.
A certain defeat even if fought ten thousand times.
Virtually, there was no chance of winning.
‘Wait?’
“You said… ‘if it were a properly inherited’ one, right?”
[Yes, that’s right. Power created by forcibly twisting the natural order is accompanied by corresponding side effects. If it is not a power that follows the natural order, there will eventually be a limit.]
“What about the chance of winning?”
[If you scrape your capabilities to the very bottom, it’s five percent at most.]
“Haha-haha!”
A laugh burst out of me naturally at Master Zhang Sanfeng’s words.
“It’s not non-existent.”
It was certainly a better number than a moment ago.
“Let’s do it!”
Teaching was the masters’ share.
Executing was my share.
That was a part that had not changed from before.
Staking my life on a five percent probability!
‘I can’t run away anyway.’
I would just be disgracefully chased and hunted down.
If so, I had no choice but to fight.
“Have you gone mad or something?”
The opponent smirked at the sight of me hardening my resolve.
“Then let’s see you perform some tricks.”
At the man’s gesture, two old men stepped forward.
“Dark Rock Demonic Sovereign? Even the Soul-Frightening Demonic Sovereign…”
Old Jong’s voice sank heavily.
It was even more so because he had confirmed the eyes of the two Demonic Sovereigns looking this way.
They had the same eyes as the two Demonic Sovereigns we had clashed with earlier.
Behind them, demonic practitioners drunk on blood were ready to pounce at any moment like hunting dogs.
‘There is a long way to go.’
It seemed the win rate estimated by Master Zhang Sanfeng would become even lower.
***
Sa Yeom ran frantically.
He, who followed the Blood Demon, the Leader of the Blood Cult, turned his back the moment he witnessed the target.
“Hoo… Hoo… Hoo-uk!”
It was not that he thought the Blood Demon would lose.
Even so, he could not remain in that place.
“How could such an existence… be on the earth…”
Just as there was a world of martial artists for martial artists, there was a world that only sorcerers could see for sorcerers.
Sa Yeom saw it.
The existences visible beyond the abyss-like deep world behind the man claiming to be the Heavenly Demon.
Colossal existences, each of which seemed capable of breaking the world just by revealing its form.
Such existences were sending countless gazes.
People looked at majestic natural landscapes, marveled at their grandeur, and felt solemnity.
How much more so for the existences Sa Yeom perceived, which were so vast they made that majestic nature look laughable.
Imagine such existences, which would likely regard humans as less than dust, making eye contact with a clear will!
A human could not withstand it!
Just standing in front of it, one would fail to cope and go mad.
“To that person… I must inform… The heavens are on the earth…”
Kwaruk!
“Keueok!”
Sa Yeom, who was running blindly out of his mind, failed to cope with the sudden attacker and tumbled on the ground.
He struggled his body, having no time to worry about his dirtied clothing due to the pain felt in his neck.
In the sight of Sa Yeom, who was struggling to somehow regain his senses, the existence that aimed for his neck was captured.
“Wheretogoinanurrysowildly.”
An existence that no longer had a shape like a human.
The monster, drenched in blood, looked down at Sa Yeom and laughed.
Sa Yeom barely recognized him.
“…Great Elder?”
“Yourbloodtastesisdisgustingthanexpected.”
The Great Elder of the Heavenly Demon Bloodline.
“Buthowcanagrownadultcomplainaboutfood.”
Kwaruk!
“Euaaaaaaaa!”
Yi Won-gun once again sank his teeth into Sa Yeom’s neck.