155 - Mission, Pursuit (5) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

It was at the moment when the sense of time itself began to blur, due to how engrossed I had been in the chase. "I've found them...!" Mok Riwon detected the aura of the miners at the edge of the Blue Sea. It wasn’t a foreign sensation to him. Each aura was at the peak of their power, and among them, two were kinds he had encountered before. "Sword Devil! Fist Devil! And there's one whose identity eludes me!" All the members of the six-person unit halted in their tracks. "Are you sure?" Dang Hwa-seo asked. Namgung Jincheon answered in her stead. "I feel it too. The aura of the Sword Devil is unmistakable." Dang Hwa-seo’s expression hardened at Namgung Jincheon’s response, the only person among them who had faced the Sword Devil before. "We'll pursue them right away…." At that moment, the miners charged at the team members. "Kill them!!!" The eyes of the miners, numbering easily in the tens, reddened. Since they had sensed the approaching presence, there was no chaos. Amidst this, Mok Riwon made a swift decision. "I and Brother Sword Dragon will give chase! Please take care of this place!" "Yes!" Poisonous intent flowed from Dang Hwa-seo's body. The other team members did the same, releasing their Qi waves and starting the standoff with the miners. "Sword Dragon!" "I know!" Mok Riwon and Namgung Jincheon broke through the miners and dashed forward. "I'll take on the Fist Devil! Please handle the Sword Devil!" "What about the third one?" "We don't have the capacity to capture all three! We must secure the definite two Six Demons!" "Is there a possibility of them ganging up on us?" "No!" Mok Riwon declared decisively. It wasn’t without reason. From what he experienced during their endless journey, Fist Devil Pa-Ungchu was not a man to consider joint attacks. What he yearned for was a duel with him alone. Such was his nature that he would even deceive his allies for it, and Mok Riwon believed it hadn’t changed. "…I'll trust and leave it to you." Immediately after, Mok Riwon’s words became reality. Three miners were torn apart. Heading off towards Xingang was an unidentified supreme miner, to the west was the Sword Devil Yeon Rigeon, and to the east was the Fist Devil Pa-Ungchu. "Then, I will also go!" Mok Riwon drew his sword and soared through the air. 'Pa-Ungchu!' He reflected on everything about him. No, precisely on their duel, including the bleakness of its conclusion. How bitter it was. How the feeling of powerlessness surged. The faces of the scouts who had to meet their fate because he couldn't properly stop Pa-Ungchu were still ingrained in Mok Riwon's mind. 'I will not experience such desolation again!' Indeed, Mok Riwon had become stronger. No longer a mere pinnacle but a transcendent being. He had reached a state where he could spread his intent and aspiration across the martial world. As Mok Riwon gripped his sword tighter, a dark energy wave began to wildly surge. "Muk-Ryooooong!!!" And then, Pa-Ungchu appeared before him. Clothed in a crimson demonic energy, he threw a punch. Mok Riwon activated Ten Thousand Paths. ‘The solar plexus!’ A punch targeted at the solar plexus. Anticipating the punch to change its trajectory, he expanded his guard range. ‘It could extend to the throat, shoulder, dantian, and liver.’ A moment stretched out. Mok Riwon’s focus reached its peak as he incessantly calculated the trajectory of Pa-Ungchu’s punch. Nothing changed. Pa-Ungchu, as if implying to block it head-on, did not alter the course of his punch. ‘In that case!’ There was no reason to dodge. Mok Riwon swung his sword towards the incoming punch. Kwaaaaaang!!! The clash between the sword and punch created a shockwave, stirring up the nearby vegetation. "You've become stronger!" "I did it to defeat you!" "Satisfying!" Boom! Pa-Ungchu stepped forward with his left fist stretching out. Mok Riwon flinched and prepared to tilt his sword to block, but then he shivered and twisted his body. ‘A feint!’ That was a fake move. Unlike the first, Pa-Ungchu was gambling on cunning rather than straightforwardness this time. Fortunately, within the swift realm of Ten Thousand Paths, Mok Riwon managed to dodge it in time, deepening Pa-Ungchu's smile even further. "Truly the Heaven-Slaying Star!" Mok Riwon's expression twisted. ‘He’s strong.’ He was merely at the edge of the peak when they met during their journey. Yet, now encountered again, Pa-Ungchu seemed to have hidden his real ability, now fully residing at the summit of supremeness. To Mok Riwon, this was an odd occurrence. And he had no choice but to acknowledge the harsh truth. Despite his reluctance, the growth Mok Riwon has achieved leaned on the Heaven-Slaying Star. His progress in martial arts, backed by the support of a star unmatched by anything else in this land of the central plains. Yet, Pa-Ungchu had caught up to him, even without the assistance of another star. "I’ve eagerly awaited the day we would meet again." Pa-Ungchu adjusted his stance and spoke. "Yes, I thought you would certainly grow. Isn’t that the Heaven-Slaying Star? This land’s greatest star that alone can transcend barriers with its murderous intent!" “…That's not it.” "What do you mean by that!" "This star is not such a blessed one." Pa-Ungchu laughed loudly, the space around them seemingly vibrating with the sound. "Nonsense!" Boom! The moment Pa-Ungchu stomped on the ground, a thunderous noise echoed. "It is indeed a blessing. Just not a blessing for you! It’s a blessing for me as well!" "What do you mean…." "You wouldn’t understand! Did you even consider how anxious I was thinking you might have fallen into the hands of the Deputy Sect Leader?" Mok Riwon's eyes widened incredulously. "Deputy Sect Leader…?" "Ah, my mistake." Pa-Ungchu feigned a dramatic look of disappointment, showing no actual sign of regret. "Have I let slip some information?" The corners of Pa-Ungchu’s mouth turned upward in a mischievous grin, prompting Mok Riwon to realize. ‘That's him!’ The transcendent miner who had defeated him and his counterpart in just two moves during the martial arts conference. The very same miner currently being confronted by the Martial Emperor and the Cabinet Chief was indeed the Deputy Sect Leader. "Let's cast aside such trivial matters for later!" Pa-Ungchu burst forward, his movement so swift that even Mok Riwon nearly lost sight of him for a moment. "Let's enjoy the present! This is a struggle!" Kwaaaaaang! Pa-Ungchu’s fist collided with Mok Riwon’s sword blade. * Born into the Ghost Heaven Gate, one of the Six Demonic Paths, Pa-Ungchu was heralded as a prodigy from the moment he first wielded a sword. Everyone who saw him opined, “A prodigy indeed.” A genius destined to overshadow an era with his talent. The young Pa-Ungchu didn’t grasp the full meaning of those words, but he felt one thing strongly. ‘Boring.’ It was unentertaining. Pa-Ungchu knew from the moment he held a sword where it should flow, where to pierce the opponent's vital points, and how to block an incoming attack. But how could that be fun? Neither the praise of being a prodigy nor the act of defeating someone in a contest brought him joy. He just did it because he was told to. With that mindset, Pa-Ungchu wielded his sword, and his life changed at the age of seven. “Ugh…!” It was the day he punched someone for the first time. During a match, his sword broke, and as his opponent’s sword aimed for his throat, he dodged and thrust his fist into his opponent’s throat. ‘This is it.’ How to describe that moment’s emotion? The fear of possibly dying with a slight mistake. The disadvantage in terms of distance, strength, and weaponry. And the satisfaction of piercing through all that to claim victory. It was a shock to Pa-Ungchu, an irreplaceable enlightenment that woke him from his dry life; a treasure. Pa-Ungchu realized why his life had been so drab: the lack of stimulation. Only the struggle at the brink of life and death could awaken one's heart. Thus, an overwhelmingly superior talent became a shackle. After that day, Pa-Ungchu put down his sword. To chase the thrill of life-and-death battles, he willingly slowed his progression in martial arts. He abandoned his born gifts, aiming not for overwhelming victories but for precarious ones where defeat lurked at every corner. And then, martial arts became enjoyable. Fights were fun, and blood was dear. Pa-Ungchu delighted in every moment of threat until he was twelve, maintaining the status of a second-rate miner. By the time fall was over, he reached the second turning point of his life. "Wi Gwang-cheon. That’s the name of the new Deputy Sect Leader, I hear." "What about the Large Evil River?" "Defeated. Utterly." "That man? I remember him being quite useful." "It’s the Heaven-Slaying Star." For the first time in his life, he faced a star. The one who horribly defeated the then Deputy Sect Leader, Large Evil River, and took his place was none other than the Heaven-Slaying Star from an unknown origin. Driven by curiosity, Pa-Ungchu sought him out, experiencing an intensity of pleasure he’d never felt before. ‘I’ll die!’ To fight means certain death. No matter how one attacks, even if armed with a sword, there's no winning against him. Be it in one move, one’s neck would be gone. Protect the neck, and limbs would be torn off; but still, he wanted to fight. It was inevitable. Just the thought of engaging in a life-and-death battle thrilled and excited all senses; how electrifying it would be to actually participate. Even if it led to death in that instance, there would be no regret. That was when Pa-Ungchu began to desire the rise in his martial realm. If it was to be a life-and-death struggle, it should be in the best state possible, with every effort exhausted. ‘At least, I should reach the supreme level.’ With that determination, Pa-Ungchu elevated his realm to first-rate within three years, only to have his dream shattered. "What are you saying?" "Exactly as I said. The High Priest Dancheonhwa used a scheme to steal the Heaven-Slaying Star from the Deputy Sect Leader." "What's the sect’s stance?" "Silence. The Sect Leader has entered seclusion; our job is to protect the faith." It was despairing. The thought of wanting to challenge the Heaven-Slaying Star had driven him all this time, only for it to end up in vain, an incredibly hollow consequence. Thus, Pa-Ungchu sought out Wi Gwang-cheon. However, having lost the Heaven-Slaying Star, he was no longer the same figure he once was. The monster that once transcended humanity and overwhelmed all directions with demonic energy was gone, leaving only a cripple drowning in alcohol. It was just a cripple enveloped in despair over losing merely one star that filled his vision. No longer could Pa-Ungchu feel the presence of death from him. The certainty that fighting him would not yield the slightest sense of fulfillment swelled within. Losing his purpose, Pa-Ungchu once again plunged into ennui from that day forward. He merely expressed regret for the life-and-death battle with the Heaven-Slaying Star he could never experience again, and wasted away his resentment in petty struggles remaining a weaker combatant. When Wi Gwang-cheon declared his intention to reclaim the Heaven-Slaying Star, observing the ruined state of him made Pa-Ungchu entertain a different thought. ‘He’s a cripple.’ A cripple who can do nothing without the star. Even if he were to get the star back, it would bring no satisfaction. Thus, fight not that man, but the Heaven-Slaying Star. Let's fight the doll created by Dancheonhwa. Eighteen years after making that decision, upon meeting Mok Riwon, Pa-Ungchu felt his heart leap. At last, he could fulfill his long-cherished ambition. A truly life-and-death struggle.