Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 158 - Forced (3)
Chapter 158 – Forced (3)
===================
Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
===================
He was not the only one who was astonished.
Blue Spirit too could not hide her surprise at the vicious force coming off Mok Gyeong-un’s entire body.
‘What in the world is this force?’
‘It might not have been clearly visible to ordinary people.’
But the force of Mok Gyeong-un, as seen through Ghost Eyes, was violently savage and ominous to the extreme.
This force had become utterly different even from death aura, the force of the dead.
-Whoooosh!
-Originally, Three Flowers Gathered at the Crown is when energy pierces through essence, qi, and spirit, opens the Ren and Du meridians in their entirety, and surpasses the limit.
But Mok Gyeong-un had forced it through by the exact opposite method, using death aura through reversed-acupoint circulation.
He had achieved it by means of a contrary yin.
This force, which had condensed through the Three Flowers and then exploded, had become different from what it had been until now.
Even Blue Spirit, who had existed for more than a hundred years, had never once experienced such a new force being born.
‘It is savage…violent…ominous itself. How could such a force be made? This is truly no different from a demon.’
‘It was unlike monsters and resentful spirits alike.’
It had completely corrupted into a new force belonging solely to Mok Gyeong-un himself.
Then Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang, the Society Leader’s first disciple, opened his mouth.
“Even if I thought you were an unripe whelp, though of the same kind…you are a more troublesome existence than I expected.”
“I hold rather the same opinion.”
“It was the same for both of them.”
Mok Gyeong-un too regarded Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang not as a card to be exploited, but as an existence that absolutely had to be killed.
At Mok Gyeong-un’s answer, Na Yul-ryang clicked his tongue softly.
Then he spoke again.
“Are you really even human?”
“Na Yul-ryang’s question was only natural.”
In a situation this urgent, he had accomplished the bizarre feat of forcibly breaking through the wall.
This was progress at an absurd speed, and a gamble staked with his life.
“I am human. Do you think I would become some kind of monster?”
“A monster? …That does make a certain kind of sense. That ominous black force coming off you…it is like a demon from a hellish realm.”
“A demon?”
At the question, Mok Gyeong-un let out a slight laugh.
A demon.
He thought he understood why Na Yul-ryang had said that.
Because it was his own energy, he could know it all the more clearly.
Forget the savagery within you. Only then will you be able to go on living.
[Come to think of it, those were words his grandfather had said ever since he was young.]
He had believed that it was merely because of the strong urge for release that made him want to destroy something.
But this force, transformed as it pierced through essence, qi, and spirit.
For some reason it did not feel unfamiliar.
It felt as though darkness and chaos like a bottomless pit were drawing him in, and that they arose from himself.
“A force like a demon…not bad. Then I suppose I may call this demonic aura.”
“Demonic aura? Ha! You talk as though you were some grandmaster.”
“Who knows. More than that, that eye is interesting.”
“…”
“Can you see my force with that eye?”
Mok Gyeong-un, who had opened Ghost Eyes, could tell clearly.
That Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang’s right eye, from which silver light was flowing, was far from ordinary.
But Mok Gyeong-un’s words became the trigger.
No sooner had the question ended than,
-Pat!
-Na Yul-ryang’s figure rushed swiftly toward Mok Gyeong-un.
Before he had forcibly achieved Three Yin Gathered at the Crown, Mok Gyeong-un had had difficulty reading Na Yul-ryang’s movements.
But now that he had achieved it,
‘I can see him.’
‘Na Yul-ryang’s movements had finally become visible.’
Mok Gyeong-un stretched out a hand, and the Evil-Answering Sword lying on the ground was drawn into his grasp.
-Wooooong!
-Black astral qi rose from the Evil-Answering Sword.
At the same time, Mok Gyeong-un slashed the sword upward diagonally.
-Chaeaeaeang!
-At that moment, blue sword astral energy collided with the black astral qi of the Evil-Answering Sword, and strong sparks flew up.
-Chwarrr!
-At the same time, Mok Gyeong-un’s body was pushed back about two paces.
Though he was now able to read Na Yul-ryang’s movements, in terms of raw power the latter still held the advantage.
Because he had forced his way through the wall rather than doing so through enlightenment, Mok Gyeong-un still could not help but be inferior to Na Yul-ryang in power.
But Na Yul-ryang’s expression was far from good.
‘He can now properly see my movements.’
‘Since the fellow had only just broken through the wall, one could say that he himself still held the upper hand, but a mere consummate peak-realm expert had in a single instant entered the same domain as himself.’
The domain of the realm of transformation.
This was not something that could simply be ignored.
This will not do.
‘He had to kill him here without fail, so that no future trouble remained.’
Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang, who had now elevated him from merely a future nuisance to a danger that absolutely had to be killed, no longer held back his force and drew his power up to the utmost.
-Gooooooo!
-As Na Yul-ryang raised his power, the grains of sand on the ground began trembling and quivering.
“Abandon the idea of walking away alive.”
“Will that be easy?”
-Gooooooo!
-In response, Mok Gyeong-un too raised his power to the utmost.
Because he had only just broken through the wall, his energy still had not stabilized, but if he did not match this, he would simply be overwhelmed by the pressure and cut down.
-Pa-chik! Pa-chik!
-Na Yul-ryang, whose sword astral energy was pressed against Mok Gyeong-un’s, narrowed his eyes.
In terms of power, he was certainly ahead.
Yet while it was pressed against Mok Gyeong-un’s sword astral energy, a phenomenon was occurring where his astral qi was gradually scattering.
It seemed to be because of this destructively inclined force.
Because of that, while pouring in still more true qi so that his force would not scatter, he was unable to drive Mok Gyeong-un back easily.
‘Troublesome.’
‘Perhaps deciding a contest of power would not do, Na Yul-ryang stamped the ground with a decisive step.’
-Boom! Ujeojeok!
-At that instant, the ground beneath Mok Gyeong-un shattered and his body was about to waver.
Not missing that chance,
-Chaang!
-Na Yul-ryang knocked aside the astral qi they had been clashing with and aimed for Mok Gyeong-un’s left shoulder.
But then,
-Flinch!
-From behind came a sharp edge of fighting spirit.
‘Damn it.’
‘Na Yul-ryang kicked off the ground, twisted his body, and wrapped himself in astral qi.’
-Chwarrrrrrrrr!
-As he spun his body while wrapped in astral qi, the astral qi created a whirlwind and scattered sharp force in all directions.
-Pa-pa-pa-pa-pak!
-You have good instincts.
-Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-chang!
-Blue Spirit, who had aimed for Na Yul-ryang’s back in that split second, blocked the incoming astral qi with her smoking pipe.
Naturally, Mok Gyeong-un too steadied his wavering body and knocked away Na Yul-ryang’s astral qi while trying to find an opening.
In this move of wrapping the body in astral qi, there was no gap.
-He is still stronger than you. You have to attack together. I will stop his movements, so…
-Before Blue Spirit could even finish those words, Mok Gyeong-un shook his head.
What?
-What in the world is this fellow thinking?
If they did not kill Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang here, then within the Heaven and Earth Society they would create the worst enemy possible.
Forcing his way past the wall had been a miraculous thing, but the opponent was a master who had already reached the realm of transformation, so even now Mok Gyeong-un’s odds remained low alone.
-It is still impossible…
-There is a spare wooden doll, so hide your body.
-What?
-I felt massive spell power from over there.
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, a strange light entered Blue Spirit’s eyes.
She had assumed that because he was focused on that fellow, he would not have paid attention elsewhere, but had he sensed it too?
In truth, Blue Spirit too had felt spell power.
Spell power was what could be called the foundation of fangshi arts and occult techniques.
The moment Blue Spirit began to fully display spirit power, which could be called the power of a resentful spirit in earnest, a vast wave of spell power had pulsed out.
That likely meant that a skilled fangshi had noticed her existence.
Before long, the fangshi would surely trace the position here.
But Blue Spirit had meant to help Mok Gyeong-un even while accepting that.
-No. Then you sentient being will be in danger…
-I am all right now. You know what it means that the fangshi here has noticed, don’t you?
-…
-At those transmitted words from Mok Gyeong-un, she fell silent.
What is this fellow thinking?
Even if he had crossed the wall, he should still be inferior in martial ability.
Woooong!
-At that moment, Blue Spirit and Mok Gyeong-un both flicked their eyes somewhere at the same time.
Just now, vast spell power had spread throughout the entire inner castle.
That meant the search had begun.
Hurry.
-You…
-Do you want to ruin everything?
Blue Spirit, who had been hesitating, finally said,
-…If it seems impossible, flee unconditionally to the old man who uses poison.
-She judged that with the current degree of difference, fleeing as far as that old man should still be possible.
With those words, Blue Spirit sank into Mok Gyeong-un’s bosom.
-Srrr.
-Just then, Na Yul-ryang, who had been spinning and scattering astral qi indiscriminately, stopped.
Then he steadied his breathing and scanned the surroundings with his right eye.
Where is it?
‘Where had that existence wearing Wi So-yeon’s appearance gone?’
There was no way it could have escaped the Penetrating Eye, yet it was nowhere to be seen.
Na Yul-ryang glared at Mok Gyeong-un and said,
“Where did that woman go?”
At the question, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and answered,
“What are you talking about?”
“The youngest junior sister, no…that strange existence wearing the youngest junior sister’s appearance.”
“I have no idea what you are saying. Whom are you talking about?”
“What?”
Na Yul-ryang gave a snort as though it were absurd.
The thing had just exchanged blows with him until moments ago, so what nonsense was this?
“You really are making light of this young master. It was clearly in front of you and then suddenly vanished. Do you think I would not have seen that merely because I was spinning quickly?”
The problem was that at the moment it vanished, its force too had completely disappeared.
Since even the Penetrating Eye could not find it, Na Yul-ryang was displaying wariness in all directions.
Because he did not know when or where it might appear.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un smiled faintly and said,
“You must be seeing things.”
“…”
Na Yul-ryang’s expression turned cold.
After staring fixedly at Mok Gyeong-un, Na Yul-ryang moved his neck sideways and loosened his muscles.
-Du-deudeuk! Dudeuk!
“It seems you are under some delusion.”
“A delusion?”
“Yes. You have only just now gained the qualification to face this young master. Yet you are under the delusion that that means you have become my equal.”
-Srrk!
No sooner had he finished speaking than Na Yul-ryang’s figure dispersed like smoke.
At that, Mok Gyeong-un swung the Evil-Answering Sword upward.
-Pa-chik!
-When black astral qi and blue sword astral energy collided, sparks flew upward.
Then Mok Gyeong-un twisted his body to the side and slashed the Evil-Answering Sword through the empty air once more.
At that, something appeared as though scattering, then vanished again.
-Srrk. Srrk.
-Afterimages were being left behind in places, and each time that happened, Mok Gyeong-un’s Evil-Answering Sword slashed through them.
This phenomenon of continuously leaving behind faint afterimages was none other than shifting form and swapping position.
Na Yul-ryang was currently using ultra-high-speed lightness art, so that except for the instant he attacked, even his form itself could not be seen.
Of course,
-Ssssss!
-The pupils of Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes were trembling rapidly.
In those pupils, Na Yul-ryang’s shadow was appearing at every instant.
He was catching those momentary movements.
He simply could not use lightness art that fast, so he was responding only to the very instant the attacks came.
‘One single mistake. With just one single mistake, your life will be gone.’
Na Yul-ryang pressured Mok Gyeong-un without pause.
Together with his ultra-high-speed movement, each and every sword form he sent out was a lethal move.
Because the fellow had only just broken through the wall and entered the same domain as himself, he still had not properly embodied his own ability.
That immaturity was his own…
-Sssuk!
-It was then.
Mok Gyeong-un moved his foot.
‘It seems he is trying to break the flow, but he will never…’
-Pa-chik!
-At that instant Mok Gyeong-un’s figure followed to Na Yul-ryang’s back, and black astral qi aimed for his chest.
At that, Na Yul-ryang lightly blocked it and once more moved at ultra-high speed.
-Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tak!
-In the speed with which an ordinary person took one step, he took close to twenty.
Those steps were elegant and yet like rapidly flowing water.
But then,
-Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tak!
‘!?’
‘One of Na Yul-ryang’s eyebrows lifted.’
He had thought it a momentary coincidence, but before he knew it, Mok Gyeong-un was once again trying to follow after his movement.
And the footprint of that step was,
‘Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step?’
‘It was imitating his own lightness art, the Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step.’
The Bright Manifest Water-Crossing Step, which made ideal ultra-high-speed movement possible over short distances, had not been taught by the Society Leader, but was a secret transmission of the Na family, his main house.
For an instant, Na Yul-ryang found it absurd.
He too, with a cool mind and insight, could quickly grasp an opponent’s martial art and adjust his own martial way to meet it.
But this fellow was of a different track altogether.
‘He is trying to steal this young master’s art in the middle of our fight?’
He was an absurd fellow to the extreme.
He had never seen one like him before.
To say nothing of meeting, for the first time, someone of the same kind as himself, even that talent might perhaps exceed his own.
This will not do.
‘A fierce killing intent entered Na Yul-ryang’s eyes.’
Even now he had been using his full power, but he had not yet used the three secret techniques of the Heaven sword forms.
Even though the fellow had entered the same domain, he had not thought him the sort of enemy who warranted going that far.
But now his thoughts had changed.
He had to kill him quickly, even if that meant using a secret technique…
-Flinch!
-At the intense force suddenly felt right at hand, Na Yul-ryang stopped using his lightness art.
The same was true of Mok Gyeong-un.
Their gazes turned at the same time toward the being who had drawn near.
He was,
“Lord Annihilation Poison King?”
“Baek Sa-ha, Lord Annihilation Poison King.”
“Great Young Master.”
“This…is truly unexpected.”
The reason Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang said this was simple.
It was because Baek Sa-ha’s appearance had clearly grown younger compared with before.
Moreover, the force of Baek Sa-ha that he was seeing through the Penetrating Eye had become incomparably stronger than before.
“You crossed the wall.”
“At those words, Lord Annihilation Poison King Baek Sa-ha gave a snort and said,”
“Great Young Master…may I ask what exactly you were doing with this old man’s disciple just now?”
“…”
A blunt and direct question.
It was a kind of warning, asking even though he already knew.
At that, rather than answering, Na Yul-ryang looked at Mok Gyeong-un as though it were regrettable.
Then he let out a faint laugh and said,
“You are fortunate.”
At those words, Baek Sa-ha inwardly clicked his tongue.
Even though he had appeared here and declared that the boy was his disciple, Na Yul-ryang still did not suppress his hostility and killing intent.
As ever, he remained truly arrogant beyond measure.
That was why Baek Sa-ha did not support him.
-Ssssh.
The blue astral qi that had lingered on Na Yul-ryang’s sword-fingers vanished.
At that, Mok Gyeong-un too released his astral qi.
Hmm.
‘Question rose in Baek Sa-ha’s eyes as he watched.’
Why was the color of the astral qi around Mok Gyeong-un’s sword so dark?
Moreover, the force within that astral qi did not seem ordinary.
What in the world happened here?
‘He could not hide his puzzlement.’
With this child’s level of martial ability, he should not have been able to face Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang.
Yet judging from the traces of the aftermath left all around, and from what he had vaguely seen from afar, it seemed they had been fighting almost on equal footing.
What in the world was the meaning of this?
Just as he stood there in puzzlement, Great Young Master Na Yul-ryang said to Baek Sa-ha,
“Lord Annihilation Poison King, congratulations on your accomplishment. Then this young master shall withdraw.”
With those words, Na Yul-ryang tried to leave without lingering attachment.
Watching this, Baek Sa-ha was inwardly about to feel relieved, when it happened.
-Pat!
At that instant Na Yul-ryang, who had been about to turn away, suddenly thrust his sword-fingers into Mok Gyeong-un’s chest like a bolt of lightning.
Mok Gyeong-un hastily seized his wrist, but it had already penetrated nearly two finger-joints deep.
-Puk!
“Great Young Master!”
At that, Baek Sa-ha shouted in a voice filled with fury.
Then Na Yul-ryang smiled in satisfaction and said,
“Did you think I would simply leave without taking his life?”
Now that he had already driven his sword-fingers into the chest, the situation was over.
If the fingers entered only one more inch, they would reach the heart.
In any case, because he was far superior in raw power, it was useless for Mok Gyeong-un to hold his wrist.
However,
This fellow?
‘Mok Gyeong-un was wearing a ghastly smile so wide that the corners of his lips nearly hung at his ears.’
He was at the brink of death, and yet he was smiling?
“You have gone mad…”
“Thank you very much for letting yourself get caught.”
“What?”
It was at that very moment.
-Udeudeuk!
Na Yul-ryang’s wrist twisted and snapped as it was.
‘!?’