741 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World's Greatest Martial Artist's Childhood Friend - Chapter 741 > Northern Hare - Web Novel Archive --- Kwaaaaaa--!! The floor, covered in thick black ink, quakes violently as if caught in a vortex. The wild, intense form sustains as flames erupt furiously over the waves. Chiiiik-!! So hot are these flames that the air hisses with evaporation where they pass. Blazing fiercely, the scorching fire seems to take the form of a dragon, overwhelming everything in its wake. Its overwhelming size and daunting aura maintain a formidable presence. Watching this spectacle from above the water, an old man observes the view with silent contemplation. Sometime later. Kyaaaaah--!!! The flames, as if roaring, lunge towards the old man. Three massive tendrils of fire converge into a single point, beginning their torrential assault. Even approaching this blaze threatens to incinerate an ordinary person down to the bone. Srrrng. A faint noise is heard, followed by— Paaaak-!! Chwaaaaar-! In an instant, the flames fracture into dozens of tendrils and begin to extinguish. “Damn.” Watching this from afar, he chuckles dryly. What on earth was that? “I didn’t even see the cut.” Only a brief sound was heard. How he moved eluded capture. To the observer, it simply seemed a single slashing strike had occurred, yet the result was tens of severance marks, for how swiftly did he swing to achieve such an appearance? Witnessing the vanishing flames, his expression involuntarily furrows. Simultaneously, [Seven.] The old man’s voice echoes. [Only three left now.] “Yes, yes, I know.” He replies, gathering energy into his hands. Tsk. Even after seven assaults, as the old man mentioned, he hadn’t landed a single blow. “Seriously irritating.” All the old man did was block or evade with mere sword swings. Surmounting the onslaught with simple methods, yet success consistently evaded him, left him stupefied, yet brought forth a myriad of thoughts. Initially, the thought was, “Is it a spatial issue?” He wondered if the problem lay not in reality but within this peculiar arena. Perhaps it was something the old man had orchestrated but— “That doesn’t seem right.” The sensation of using energy and the clarity of movement were distinctively vivid. It was peculiarly akin to reality, contrary to being a mere mental space, and the old man’s presence matched that sentiment. Which implies, “Is the old man simply insanely strong?” A conclusion as straightforward as it gets. Even considering this as a state of spirit, is this the latent power the old man harbored? “That’s a bit much.” He didn’t want to accept it. No matter how you looked at it, “How could he have failed to capture a Blood Demon if he were that powerful?” If true, it meant his own path ahead was encumberingly long, which he found truly objectionable. Whoosh. Wrapping his hands in flame, he focused his energy at his heart. Thump—! The pulse reverberated powerfully as energy surged through his meridians, skyrocketing up his shoulders. Whooooosh---!! In the dim space, a blue light suffused. Red Sky. Or rather, should it now be called Blue Sky? Whatever it was. As he activated his domain, power coursed through his body, making his steps lighter. [Hmm.] The old man surveyed the transformed environment with curiosity. Not a shred of tension seemed to be felt. Damn it all, that smugness only exacerbates his irritation. Because of this, he pushed more energy than needed. Creak. In his grasp, a flame orb twice the size of those used against Yeongpoong materialized. The energy supply alone dwarfed the volume typically held within a holy spear. And he hurled it as is. Oooooooom--!! The massive orb streaked towards the old man. Once again, he prepared to slash it down with his sword; however, before he moved, Snap-!! A flick of his fingers sent a signal. Kuaaaaaaa---!! The flame orb detonated, flames engulfing the surroundings. With such an immense amount packed in, the flames grew significantly large. Meaning, It was enough to obscure vision. He seized the moment as the flames exploded to increase distance, clenching his fist. “If I get too close, it doesn’t work.” So what if the attack came from afar? “I’ve used the holy spear, so he’ll sense the energy. Most of the Nine Flame Wheel Arts too.” The prior seven attempts weren’t made mindlessly. “Each successful hit familiarizes one with the energy, and so it is with the opponent’s essence.” He’d intentionally ensured the old man grew accustomed to his flames. By now, the old man’s physique and focus should have adjusted. Thus, now was the moment. Deviate just as your opponent becomes familiar. Tuo Ga Pa Tian Wu (斗牙破天武). If the flames had grown familiar, it was time to wield an entirely different force. “Phase Three.” The essence gathered at his fist’s tip. Temper it more sharply, viciously. If the first and second phases catered to close combat, the third targeted foes at a distance. “Tuo Ga Geuk Seom (鬪牙格殲).” He erased his presence, feeling for the sensation engulfed in flames. As he trained his sights on the opponent, he swiftly and tersely thrust his fist forward. Then. Thump-! A wave resounded in the air. Kuaak-!! A circular void formed amidst the enshrouding flames. The Tuo Ga Geuk Seom had no visible form or flight path. It was an assault forged purely of intent, unnoticed until it struck. The sudden ambush should have overwhelmed the old man. It should have, assuredly. [Eight.] Jaw set tightly, he bit his lip at the voice sounding beside him. [The attempt was commendable, using it effectively. Additionally, its completion is impressive enough. I’m genuinely intrigued by who taught you that.] As though genuinely fascinated, the old man remarked while surveying him. “You’re terribly quick, aren’t you?” Too fast, absurdly so. He hadn’t realized it until the old man addressed him. [Indeed, during my lifetime, few were faster. Perhaps a mere two others?] Softly chuckling, the old man responded. [Myeong Yi and Dang Je Moon. Save for those fellows, none were faster than I in the Central Plains.] Thunder Sword and Absolute Severance, was it? Indeed, with lightning mastery, he was likely unrivaled in speed, while Senior Dang Je Moon, being an assassin, had swiftness in his nature. What he grew curious about, though, was— “What about Yeon Ilcheon?” In questioning the exclusion of Yeon Ilcheon, once hailed as the foremost martial artist of his era, it was implied that perhaps the old man was even faster. This thought prompted the question. [That man was strong, but not particularly swift. It was simply his strength….] The old man paused mid-sentence, his attention shifting as the protagonist swung their fist before hearing the full response. The Tuo Ga Pa Tian Wu, Second Form: Tuo Yi Bi Cheon Kwon (鬪意備天拳). A swirling tempest of martial will attacks the old man. Explosions thunder outward from the protagonist’s core, blasting in every direction. Yet, [Goodness. How cunning for someone so young.] The old man effortlessly intercepted every burst of energy. He caught it all. How utterly unbelievable. The Tuo Ga Pa Tian Wu is essentially an explosion—a ferocious surge of energy capable of causing pain merely by circulating within the body. A technique that explodes energy through the body, its contained violence belonging to a different realm entirely. When unleashed, it should leave its mark everywhere. Yet, even at close range, the old man suffered no harm. The reason was evident. ‘He blocked it all.’ The ‘indestructible magical object’ before him cut through and neutralized every incoming aura. “That’s a real monster, indeed.” [Calling your elders a monster is quite a disgraceful manner of speaking.] Those who observed him frequently referred to him as a monster. To them, he wished to show what a ‘real’ monster looked like. [There you have it, one attempt left.] The casual way the old man wielded his sword was infuriating. He truly wished he could land just one blow. ‘One chance left.’ This was the final opportunity he was granted. He stepped back, hunching his body. The circle began to expand. How much inner force remained? ‘I don’t know.’ Perhaps a bit more than half remained. A small comfort was that, as this was not reality, there were no external or internal injuries to deal with. ‘…Not that it matters.' Whether or not there were internal injuries or an overwhelming aura was irrelevant. Ultimately, ‘None of it will work against that old man.’ Against the so-called Volcanic Sword Immortal, whatever he did would have the same ineffectual result. He had known this from the beginning. Of course, facing it brought a change in perspective. ‘It's even worse than I imagined.’ From ‘it'll be tough’ it shifted to ‘is this even human?’ Damn this monstrous person. ‘Is this what fighting the Three Supremes would feel like?’ Even now, facing him felt like flirting with death. One step. With that step, his neck was severed, and his heart pierced. Or so went the illusion. He was aware: despite the old man’s capability to enact such violence, he refrained. Also, he was shown that he could indeed perform such feats if he chose. Reflecting on past lives, ‘The Heavenly Supreme was never at this level.’ Head of the Namgung Family. He had often faced the Heavenly Supreme, one of the Three Supremes, yet never sensed this kind of pressure. There had been times he felt he could perhaps have contended. Regarding the Defeated Supreme, ‘He was terrifying.’ Though the Defeated Supreme could cause natural disasters with a few punches, even he was not comparable to this. As for the Sword Supreme, he never truly faced him directly, having always avoided confrontation. What matters is that, ‘The Heavenly Supreme was afflicted by heart demons, and the Defeated Supreme was undergoing rejuvenation.’ Taking this into account, they had not been at their true strength. Currently, the Volcanic Sword Immortal stood as an equal to the Three Supremes. Perhaps, ‘Even beyond that.’ Such was not an unreasonable conclusion. Which leads to the truth: ‘There is no chance of victory.’ No matter what actions were taken, victory was an unattainable goal. He knew this clearly. Yet, even so, his arms moved. Whuuuk-! Energy surged into the flames enveloping his arm. The flames in his hand roared, clapping his hands with force, Smaack-! The shockwave scattered the embers in all directions. Embers that should naturally dissipate and extinguish instead paused mid-air. And then, ‘Flame Orb Celestial Blossoming Illumination (炎玉星緋蓉悟化).’ The scattered embers gathered and enlarged, becoming Flame Orbs instantly. Countless Flame Orbs filled the space around him. It was an advanced application of the Nine Flame Wheel Arts. The old man's eyes narrowed at this sight. ‘Unleash.’ Suaaahhhhh---!! The blue celestial marks ascended into the sky, cascading down. KhwAAAAA---!!! An assault targeting just one. The destructive power focused was enough to erase a small village. Amidst all this, he could see it. Cshrak-! Schshchschsch-!! The old man remained in place, swinging his sword. Unbelievable speed: the sword strikes, unseen until now, were finally becoming visible—not due to the blade itself, but as lingering images from the rapid motion. The swordsmanship used by Yeongpoong: intricate yet free, disciplined yet untethered—the ultimate sword. That perfect form was being displayed right there. Schschsch-!! Schsch-!! The celestial marks tore and vanished under his sword. No flame could hold meaning before this sword. He waved his hand. Continuing to generate Flame Orbs, he commanded them with his hand’s magic. The abundance of flames altered their movement. From two directions to three—blocking the sky, preventing any front or rear escape. Scorching fire fell from all sides, but— [Hmm.] The old man's response remained simple. Chwarrck--!! Faster. If one spot was overwhelming, swing even faster to block it. The moving sword cut down every single Flame Orb without missing one. Watching this, he let out a hollow laugh. Truly, this was nothing short of despair.