258 - Murim Login

Chapter 258 My vision went red with rage. "Where do you think you're going, you bastard!" In the past, I would have first wondered why such a sudden turn of events was happening. Perhaps I might have even sighed with relief, thinking I'd narrowly escaped a crisis. But not now. 'This bastard thinks he can just beat me up and run?' Unlike me, who was still at my peak, Jongri Chu was undeniably a supreme master. I could acknowledge that his skills were several levels above mine. But to leave before the match has even been decided? I gritted my teeth, ignoring the shooting pain from my internal injuries, and focused all my energy on my lower body. "Stand right there." Crack. Boom! With a loud noise, I leapt into the air. The chilling wind slapped my face, and Jongri Chu's feet were right before my eyes. Within reaching distance. A single thought flashed in my mind. 'I've got him.' Swish! But the spear thrust I struck with a confident smile sliced through nothing but air. I blinked, unable to comprehend what just happened. 'How?' Even with my meager level 7 knowledge, I understand the law of gravity. Jongri Chu's form had reached the apex and was descending, while I was still ascending with force. Surely I was close enough to grab his ankle with my bare hands. But that confidence blinded me to a crucial fact. Murim masters, especially supreme ones, defy common sense. "What the hell..." An involuntary curse slipped between my parted lips. The scene unfolding before my eyes was that shocking. Tap-tap-tap! He stepped on it. There were neither walls nor branches in the empty air. As if invisible steps lay before him, Jongri Chu was leaping higher and higher, stepping on the air as if it were solid ground. 'Hukong Talbu...' What kind of ridiculous situation is this? How do you even catch that? Muttering curses under my breath, my view of the chaotic scene below included people in bewilderment. And among them was a small old man with cold, piercing eyes. "You dare!" Hwa Wang Eok Cheon Gang. With a thunderous roar echoing through the sky, a red beam of light surged from his wrinkled hands. A sword imbued with the energy of extreme yang closed the distance of tens of meters in an instant and hit the target. Boom! The air quivered, and the burst of light from the void pierced my retinas. As I blinked to clear my vision, I saw Jongri Chu plummeting. No, I needed to correct myself. 'That's not a fall.' Unfortunately, this prediction was accurate, unlike my previous one. The dim sound from Eok Cheon Gang's lips was the evidence, and Jongri Chu's form, shooting like an arrow, was the result. 'He blocked it.' Not only did Jongri Chu block Eok Cheon Gang's sword, but he also used the immense energy it contained to propel himself in his desired direction. It was an impressively smart and efficient decision made in that fleeting moment. Whooooosh! There was now no one who could stop Jongri Chu as he launched like a meteor high above. Step. Having personally experienced gravity, I landed on the devastated Daejeon grounds just as Eok Cheon Gang's enraged voice echoed around. "What are you doing! Go after him now!" The event happened so suddenly. Eok Cheon Gang's command finally snapped the elites into action. "Capture Sword Saint Jongri Chu!" "Arrest the conspirator from the Demonic Cult! Regardless of life or death, whoever captures him will be highly rewarded!" The Nine Great Schools and the Five Clans. And added to that, the influential sects from each clan. Those gathered here are key figures who move the martial world. Naturally, their escorts were top-notch masters in their own right. "Acknowledged!" Hundreds of martial artists scattered in all directions. At the forefront were myself, Eok Cheon Gang, and a few other key figures including Byeokrak Doughang. Whooooosh! We were leading the charge ahead of everyone else. Though I couldn't stand shoulder to shoulder with Eok Cheon Gang, who mastered Yeolhwamun's unique movement technique called Yeomhwa Ilro to the ninth level, I could keep up enough to follow his back. 'If there's no teeth, use gums.' Even though my mastery of movement techniques was low, and my martial arts were still hovering at the pinnacle, my enhanced physical abilities made it possible. "How's your injury?" "I can manage." As I nodded at Eok Cheon Gang's voice, carried over the fierce wind, a chime sounded. - According to the rules, [??] has been disqualified as an out-of-bounds loss for leaving the arena first! - Quest, [Sungra Daejeon] successfully completed! - You have achieved the great feat of [Winning the Sungra Daejeon]! - Rewards will be distributed according to the participants' levels and the tournament's difficulty! - You have gained vast experience and reputation, along with additional points! - Level Up! - Level Up! - Level Up! Chime. Chime. Chime. As the never-ending system notifications rang, changes began to unfold. Vigor surged into my tired body, and the internal injuries that had been gnawing at my lungs were completely healed. The fire dragon in my danjeon, weakened from the intense bout, coiled and extended into all my limbs. 'I never imagined I'd win the Sungra Daejeon like this.' Yet there was no time to leisurely check the system messages. Finding the now vanished Jongri Chu was the urgent priority. "Damn, regardless of who he is, he's insanely fast." Just as the leader of the Beggar Sect and master of lightness techniques, Wanli Choehaeng, noted, Jongri Chu was incredibly fast, beyond imagination. He had long vanished from everyone's sight. Eok Cheon Gang quickly issued orders. "At this rate, we'll lose him. Beggar Sect, cover the west, and Konloon Sect, fill in the gaps." "Understood, Eok Daehyup." "Understood." Swoosh! As the heads of the Beggar and Konloon Sects, known for their movement techniques, disappeared with their disciples, Eok Cheon Gang turned to Byeokrak Doughang. "You take the east." "Then what about here?" "I will handle it." Byeokrak Doughang spoke with a firm expression. "Be cautious. That so-called Sword Saint... He's more than you can handle alone." More than he can handle alone? This came from Byeokrak Doughang, whose pride is known to be unyielding. In essence, this interpretation suggested that Jongri Chu might be comparable to, if not surpassing, the Ten Kings in martial prowess. 'To think Jongri Chu was at such a level.' How did he achieve such mastery at that age? There are monsters, and then there's someone like him. While I was swallowing my surprise, Eok Cheon Gang scoffed and remarked, "That only applies to amateurs like you. Don't lump me in the same category." He said it jokingly, but it was clear he didn't dismiss Byeokrak Doughang's words lightly. Though his lips were curled up, Eok Cheon Gang's eyes were cold and steady. "Enough chatter. Let's get moving." "Damn it. Of all times, where has that monk, Gwangdo, gone?" With a final lament, Byeokrak Doughang turned and disappeared from sight. Now, only Eok Cheon Gang and I remained. We dashed rapidly, cutting across hundreds of looming buildings, exchanging words all the while. "If you spot him, do not act rashly. Understand?" "I can't make any promises. I've got a score to settle." "Jongri Chu is a master beyond your capability. Do not intervene until I give the signal." "Just how strong is he?" After a brief pause, Eok Cheon Gang spoke. "I don't know." "You mean to say..." "I couldn't discern what martial arts he had mastered or the extent of his prowess, even with my own eyes." "...!" Following the prideful declaration from Byeokrak Doughang, now even Eok Cheon Gang, one of the foremost among the Ten Kings in sheer strength, admitted such inability. As I instinctively licked my parched lips, a distant roar shattered the silence. With a deafening crash, a cloud of dust rose, accompanied by screams and alarm whistles signaling the enemy's presence. I gathered intel with my heightened senses. 'West, about five hundred yards away.' It's where the Beggar Sect is positioned. If I channel all my power into my movement technique, I can reach there in mere moments. "Elder!" "I know." Boom! Eok Cheon Gang and I shot forward like cannonballs. With every step, the scene around us blurred past, changing rapidly. The endless line of structures thinned out, and towering city walls came into view. As I ran against the fierce wind, a heavy sensation pressed against my chest. 'What is this feeling?' Could it be the oppressive weight of facing Jongri Chu again? Casting a sidelong glance at Eok Cheon Gang revealed his hardened expression. His face bore unmistakable signs of foreboding. And shortly after, we understood what was behind this indescribable feeling. "Chase him down!" "Master! Please, stay with us, Master!" A massive pit spanning over thirty yards. Amidst the gathered disciples of the Beggar Sect, a blood-soaked kasaya was revealed, belonging to a monk whose wrinkled hand trembled intermittently. Below the severed legs pooled a puddle of blood, with prayer beads stained red from the monk's own blood floating above. "Is that... the monk?" Witnessing his fallen friend, Eok Cheon Gang's steps halted abruptly. His heart sank into a daze. The last conversation they'd shared echoed endlessly in his ears. 'I have some business. I'll be leaving for a while.' 'Now?' 'I'll handle it quickly and be back.' 'Is it something small, or something big?' 'As Buddha said, solve the big issue first, and the small ones will resolve themselves.' 'That damn Buddha always gets you called monk, you know.' 'Whether it's Buddha or a monk, what's the difference really?' He remembered clearly his friend departing with a laugh just half a jinci ago. But why... 'Why are you like this here?' Splat. Mud and blood splashed as the beggars surrounding the fallen monk stepped aside, bowing their heads. "Eok Daehyup!" "The headmaster chased after Jongri Chu, but by the time we arrived, it was too late..." "Move aside." The voice that escaped Eok Cheon Gang's lips was as dry as ashes. All noise ceased, and it felt like the world had come to a halt. His senses were entirely focused on one person. "I'm here." The familiar greeting. But instead of a playful tone, a strained cough answered him. Cough. As his chest heaved, black blood surged from Master Monk Gwangdo's lips. Grave internal injuries. The state of his internal organs could be guessed without even needing to see, given the pieces of them mixed with the blood. "This won't do, lying around when a friend visits." Eok Cheon Gang spoke casually and settled beside Gwangdo. Grabbing the blood-soaked monk's wrist, he channeled energy to confirm his worst suspicions. Beyond saving. The painful and heavy conclusion filled Eok Cheon Gang's mind. "Do you remember when we first met? Back in Gamsuk, when we battled the Demonic Cult nearly every day." Was he listening? Could he even hear it? Everyone shared the same doubt, yet Eok Cheon Gang continued without concern. "At first, I wondered what kind of monk you were. But parting with you, I found it regretful." Though never spoken aloud, Gwangdo was the only friend he'd truly opened his heart to in his life. To his master, he needed to be a dependable disciple, and to the first student he took in later, a reliable teacher. But with Gwangdo, it was different. With him, Eok Cheon Gang could simply be a human being, not someone's something. "You know something?" Eok Cheon Gang murmured as he channeled energy into Gwangdo's vital points. "You were my best friend." The breaths that almost seemed ready to cease grew steady, and eyes that seemed they'd forever remain closed managed to flutter open. The glimmer before death’s door. Eok Cheon Gang spoke to Gwangdo's gray eyes, which had sparked with life’s final flare. "Speak. Anything you wish." Gwangdo's blood-soaked lips moved slightly. As Eok Cheon Gang bent to hear his last words, his expression shifted rapidly. Anger, shock, realization. And finally, the emotion that surfaced was sorrow. Silently. Gently. The cough-ridden voice fell silent. The heaving chest and the quivering eyelids settled into a peaceful stillness. With what seemed like a contented smile on his lips, Gwangdo looked as if he were merely sleeping. Eok Cheon Gang, who had been gazing quietly at his serene face, finally spoke. "We're going to Shaolin." His voice bubbled with intensity, like molten lava.