Chapter 170: The Life and Death Struggle of Experts (3)

It was widely known that the higher one's level was, the faster a duel was decided—often within just ten seconds.

Because their opponents were powerful, they used their strongest techniques from the very start.

These people did not waste time probing or measuring their opponent’s skills.

Knowing that the fight could be decided in the blink of an eye, I stared without blinking once.

'You’re probably the only one here who can truly witness the battle between these two monsters. So don’t miss a single moment. Watch carefully.'

I nodded silently.

Jeung Eungang made the first move.

Without even drawing his sword, he dashed toward Lee Geuk and brushed past him.

In contrast, Lee Geuk stood his ground and received Jeung Eungang’s attack.

As Jeung Eungang passed by Lee Geuk, a sword was already in his hand. I hadn’t even noticed when he had drawn it.

Lee Geuk also held a sword in his hand, but as he turned his head, it felt as if his entire form vanished in that instant.

And then, Lee Geuk brushed past Jeung Eungang.

This time, Jeung Eungang stood still and took Lee Geuk’s attack head-on.

Even with my Tong-an Method, I couldn’t fully grasp their movements.

That was how far beyond me the two of them already were.

'Focus all your energy into your eyes and imagine you are the one facing them. If you rely on the realization you’ve achieved recently, you should be able to see their movements.'

I had recently reached The Flowing Stream Realm, and advanced to Time-Space Realm, which allowed me to perceive gaps in my opponent’s defense.

As I reviewed my martial path, I mentally organized my progression step by step.

In the beginning, when I first learned martial arts, I discovered the ability to attack faster than half a breath through the Tong-an Method.

With that, I had defeated opponents like Jeok Gwang and Do Gye-gong.

I named that first stage of martial mastery Half-Breath State.

The next stage came when I faced Namgung Bi and realized the flow and natural order of movements, reaching the The Flowing Stream Realm.

The Flowing Stream Realm surpassed Half-Breath State by allowing me to sense the natural flow within my opponent’s techniques.

With that, I had severed the wrist of Eom An, the Master of Absolute Demonic Blade.

After understanding the flow and natural order, I began to perceive empty spaces within that flow.

Sensing those gaps, I attacked and struck down even legendary demons like the Twin Red Demons.

I defined that level as Time-Space Realm.

Only after reaching that stage could I truly feel the depth of martial arts. Rescuing the minor lords from the experts of Ihwa Palace would have been impossible without reaching Time-Space Realm.

After that, when I met Namgung Bi again, she told me about the next level that resembled becoming one with nature—the The Boundary of the Upper World, the Image World State.

I knew I had not yet reached The Boundary of the Upper World.

Though I had named the stages Half-Breath State, The Flowing Stream Realm, Time-Space Realm, and The Boundary of the Upper World based on my own experience, I was certain that others might define these realms by different names.

But even if the names differed, I believed the realizations one felt upon reaching those stages would be similar.

I also wondered what might lie beyond The Boundary of the Upper World.

Driven by that curiosity, I had devoted myself even more obsessively to martial cultivation.

'If I view this through the lens of Time-Space Realm, I should be able to see their movements.'

I imagined myself facing them and fully committed my senses—my eyes, my body—to the battle before me.

Gradually, all I could see were the two of them. The surrounding world faded away.

Lee Geuk and Jeung Eungang fought without making a single sound of air being torn. To onlookers, the fight seemed oddly flat and uneventful.

But that was because they had both reached The Flowing Stream Realm, where there was no need for their weapons to clash.

They sought each other’s openings, thrusting their swords into the gaps they found.

Each time, they spun, twisted, and bent their bodies to avoid the strikes. To an ordinary observer, it would have looked like they were performing some strange dance.

As I watched, a question began to form in my mind.

'Something’s really strange. Their energy is only at three breaths, just like mine. So why do they feel so different? Is it the number of years they’ve trained? Or is it something else entirely?'

What puzzled me was that their strikes felt vastly different from mine, even though we shared the same level of three breaths worth of internal energy.

A strike fueled by three breaths should have felt similar to my own. Yet their attacks seemed as refined and powerful as if they were using four breaths.

If my strikes were like a child chopping wood with an axe, theirs felt like a strong man splitting the wood cleanly.

'Where in the world does this difference come from?'

Even the aura emanating from their blades felt different, so I couldn’t help but question it.

'Not bad. You can already sense the difference.'

The Demonic Master read my thoughts and murmured.

'Where does this difference come from? Is there a reason?'

'Of course, there is.'

But I could no longer continue the conversation with the Demonic Master.

The exchange between the two was growing so intense that it felt like the outcome could be decided in the blink of an eye.

However, to the eyes of the average spectators, it didn’t look that way at all.

"What the hell? I was expecting something amazing since they’re supposed to be martial arts masters, but this is just lame. They’re not even fighting seriously. It looks like they’re just playing around."

Someone in the crowd grumbled while watching.

No one argued back. Judging from the silence, it seemed everyone watching shared the same thought.

Spectators expected fierce clashes of weapons and blood flying through the air, not this eerie, silent contest. These two were disappointing the bloodthirsty hopes of the crowd.

Only I sat there with sweaty palms, my heart pounding as I watched their life-or-death battle unfold.

Eventually, as the tenth second arrived, a light similar to sword qi burst out from both their blades.

'That’s sword force.'

Both of them had reached the Transcendent Stage, wielding three breaths of internal energy—masters whose martial levels were beyond the norm.

'That’s nascent qi.'

The Demonic Master murmured.

Nascent qi was the stage just before True Qi, a type of energy that didn’t last long, appearing like a sudden flash before vanishing.

True Qi was the ultimate realm of martial arts, achievable only by those who had reached The Divine Stage.

Occasionally, martial artists in the Unintentional State, the realm between the Transcendent Stage and The Divine Stage, could wield True Qi. These were typically the likes of the Five Emperors of the Martial World or the Four Demon Kings of the Demonic Path.

I watched, completely entranced.

It was my first time witnessing a battle where warriors fought using qi.

As a martial artist, witnessing such a spectacle was a rare opportunity.

The two fighters, who had been brushing past each other repeatedly, finally clashed head-on.

And with that first collision, a deafening boom erupted.

Their qi clashed, sending a thunderous shockwave through the area like the sound of a thunderstorm.

Kwaang!

It was as if lightning had struck the center of their battle.

A wave of blue energy surged out with the sound, sweeping over the surroundings, making it impossible to keep my eyes open.

Those who had gotten closer to watch the fight more closely were so startled that they collapsed to the ground.

They were staring at the two fighters with their mouths agape, unaware that they had wet themselves in fear.

There were even people clutching their heads and pressing them into the ground.

Most people covered their heads with both hands and crouched down.

That was how massive the wave of energy was, and it instilled pure fear.

I stood frozen in place, watching the final clash between the two.

"Ah!"

On my right, the Three Chivalrous Sisters hugged Seok Unjeong, shielding her behind them.

Without realizing it, Namgung Yoo had approached me and was clutching the hem of my sleeve.

It seemed she instinctively felt that being near me was the safest place and came closer.

The Heavenly Central Ten Talents were so shocked that their eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

Namgung Yoo's bodyguards raised their swords to cover their eyes and took a defensive stance. They had done so reflexively, driven by fear.

"What just happened?"

Someone among the spectators murmured.

The two fighters had lowered their swords and were now standing face to face.

"Were you prepared to die?"

It was Jeung Eungang who spoke first.

A crimson spray of blood gushed from Lee Geuk's mouth.

Puhaat!

Spewing out what seemed like an entire bowl of blood, he replied.

"How could I face you without risking my life!"

Jeung Eungang let out a soft chuckle.

"A mutual death, huh."

"There was no other way!"

As Lee Geuk finished speaking, Jeung Eungang laughed aloud.

"I have never had such an exhilarating fight! As much as I hate to admit it, I cannot deny the brilliance of your swordsmanship!"

"Then you should have ignored me when I tried to retreat."

As soon as those words were spoken, Jeung Eungang dropped his sword.

Thunk!

And then, his head exploded.

"Kyaaaah!"

The spectators screamed as the man who had just been standing there speaking suddenly had his head burst like a watermelon.

It was the result of Lee Geuk’s qi striking Jeung Eungang’s head.

In a fight involving qi of this level, Lee Geuk could not have come out unscathed.

Suddenly, Lee Geuk’s arm and side burst open.

Thunk!

It was where Jeung Eungang's qi had grazed him.

Lee Geuk’s arm now looked like ground meat, and his side was torn open with intestines spilling out.

At that point, the spectators began to vomit and flee in terror.

"Ughhhh!"

Dozens of people began throwing up on the spot.

The area where the qi had passed left behind a scene so horrific it was unbearable to look at.

Only then, overwhelmed by the reek of blood, did I snap back to my senses and check Lee Geuk's condition.

"Senior!"

I caught Lee Geuk as he collapsed backward and gently laid him down on the ground.

"Grandfather."

Despite the gruesome scene, the child approached Lee Geuk without hesitation.

"Grandfather, are you alright?"

As the child sobbed, Lee Geuk spoke to him.

"I'm alright. Don’t worry."

He tried to pat the child's head but, seeing his hand covered in blood, he pulled it back.

But the child quickly grabbed Lee Geuk’s hand.

"You’ll get better with treatment, Grandfather."

"Yes."

Gasping for breath, Lee Geuk turned to me and asked,

"May I ask which sect you belong to, junior?"

I already knew he had little time left, so I answered without hesitation.

"I am Yong Hwarin, a latecomer from the Martial World. I hail from the Heavenly Central Sect in Haun County, Henan."

Hearing that, Lee Geuk gave a faint smile.

"Ah, so you’re that famed Heavenly Central Sword Hero I’ve been hearing about. No wonder I felt something extraordinary the first time I saw you."

"Senior, please save your strength. A physician is on the way."

"No, I know my time is short. I have a favor to ask."

A respected elder of the martial world was asking a junior for a favor—how could I refuse?

"Could you take this child to the Bukri Clan in Kaifeng?"

"I understand. I am on my way to Zhengzhou, so I will pass through Kaifeng and deliver the child to the Bukri Clan. Is there anything you would like me to tell them?"

"Nothing. Just safely deliver the child to Bukri Chang of the Bukri Clan."

"Understood. You have my word."

"Meeting you here today is a great blessing. Thank you. This child’s name is Bukri Sogun."

Lee Geuk gazed at the sobbing child for a moment before his head finally slumped down.

"Grandfather… sob…!"

Once Lee Geuk had passed, the child began to tremble and weep uncontrollably.

He had held it together until the moment Lee Geuk died, but after that, he broke down in loud sobs.

Remarkably, he had held himself together far more calmly than any child his age should have.

I let him cry as much as he needed.

Truthfully, I wasn’t even thinking about the child's grief.

My head was filled with a strange heat.

Their battle had given me some kind of new insight.

But that insight was tangled and unclear, leaving me with nothing but a sense of suffocating frustration.

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