Chapter 324

Chapter 324

Strangely enough, in the Central Plains martial world, warriors who have reached the realm of Shinhwa-gyeong are commonly called ‘warriors of the Absolute Realm.’

When you think about it, that’s not a strange thing at all. Even if they’re warriors of Shinhwa-gyeong, it’s not as if there are no higher realms above them, nor is the realm of the Central Plains’ greatest expert stopped at Shinhwa-gyeong, so how can that realm be described as the Absolute Realm?

The term ‘absolute’ has quite a special meaning, and considering that Shinhwa-gyeong is called the Absolute Realm despite there being realms above it, there’s no doubt that Shinhwa-gyeong has some significance. And.

Right now, having set foot in the realm of Shinhwa-gyeong myself, there was only one reason why warriors call Shinhwa-gyeong the Absolute Realm. It’s because.

Shinhwa-gyeong itself is a ‘line.’

A kind of line where it becomes meaningless how many warriors haven’t crossed it.

“The round of sixteen, is it?”

The day after defeating Myeolakdaeju.

As I stroked my rough chin while looking at the name of Sado Ryeonju who had been designated as my opponent in the now-concluded tournament, Seonwoo Gang, who appeared more nervous than I was, gulped hard. The question that followed.

“Sect Leader. Aren’t these people the sixteen strongest in the Central Plains?”

“Mm. There may be some differences due to the tournament bracket, but that would be correct.”

I gave a bitter smile while affirming Seonwoo Gang’s words as I looked at the roster mostly composed of absolute masters of Shinhwa-gyeong. It still didn’t feel real that I was included in this list.

‘I’ve fully entered Shinhwa-gyeong.’

What does it mean to enter Shinhwa-gyeong in this martial world?

It means that a warrior’s martial arts have reached ‘completion.’ It means that if any martial art has reached the realm of Shinhwa-gyeong, that martial art can undoubtedly be called a divine technique.

Even if someone reached Shinhwa-gyeong having learned only third-rate swordsmanship, if they’ve reached the realm of Shinhwa-gyeong, the swordsmanship that person uses would inevitably have far transcended the third-rate level. That’s why we say their martial arts have reached completion.

‘Cheonui Divine Technique is far from reaching completion—it’s barely taken its first step.’

To begin with, there aren’t many techniques among those I use that I can say have truly reached completion. Gaebyeok Cheongeomryu still has deficiencies, and in the case of Cheonroesin, I haven’t properly stabilized its instability.

Not a single one can I claim with confidence has reached completion. Yet my martial prowess has risen to Shinhwa-gyeong. What does that mean?

‘It probably means……’

The standard of completion I’m looking at is far too high compared to others.

“The first match seems quite formidable.”

“It’s the round of sixteen, after all.”

Ilryun versus Bukhaebinggung Lord Seolgyeongwang.

A battle between a Talgatja and Shinhwa-gyeong. Excluding yesterday’s match between Geomgwi and Sado Ryeonju, most battles had been between Shinhwa-gyeong and non-Shinhwa-gyeong warriors, so it could be said that only now would we be able to see battles truly befitting the Cheonhajeil Bimu Daehoe.

“Even if the field is different, there will be things to gain. Watch carefully.”

“Will I be able to see it properly?”

“It’s fine even if you can’t see it properly. Just knowing such a realm exists will broaden your perspective.”

As I spoke while watching Ilryun and the Binggung Lord ascending onto the martial stage, Seonwoo Gang nodded heavily and fixed his gaze on the stage. As she faced Ilryun, the Binggung Lord was the first to speak.

“I thought we’d never have the chance to meet in this lifetime…… but I’m pleased to see you like this. Leader of the Demon Cult.”

“Huhu. Not Demon Cult, but Divine Cult. And I’m not the leader of the cult. Binggung Lord.”

“Who doesn’t know that the Demon Cult follows strength supremacy? No one doesn’t know that you’re the strongest person in the Demon Cult. Let’s dispense with the pretenses.”

“That’s why I said Divine Cult, not Demon Cult……”

“Though the Demon Cult may be larger in scale, I shall prove that Binggung’s martial arts surpass the Demon Cult’s martial arts.”

Cheok!

“……Huhu.”

At the sight of the Binggung Lord who kept saying only what she wanted to say, Ilryun smiled broadly. A smile that somehow even felt like killing intent.

“I thought only Central Plains folk lacked manners, but turns out Northern Sea country bumpkins are even worse in that regard. I heard the Northern Sea is cold—did your conversational methods perhaps evolve to generate a lot of heat?”

“What?”

“You need some mental education.”

She’s angry.

As soon as she spoke, I gave a bitter smile watching Ilryun put away the long pipe she’d been holding into her bosom. And at that moment, the trembling voice of the announcer rang out.

“N-now we shall begin the first match of the Cheonhajeil Bimu Daehoe round of sixteen……! Both contestants, assume your ready positions!”

Both empty-handed.

“If Seohwa were here, she could have learned a lot.”

Watching the ready positions of the two figures who were running at opposite extremes yet strangely similar in energy manipulation and palm techniques, the spectators gulped. The audience became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The eyes of the two warriors, who had been scanning each other’s entire bodies as if probing for a moment, sank indifferently as if they had found their answer. The tightly drawn atmosphere pressed down on all directions with pressure as if it would burst. And.

“Begin!”

The moment the announcer’s words fell.

“I won’t drag this out.”

Bingbaeksinjang

Seolbung

At the Binggung Lord’s single strike, the entire training ground froze solid.

***

The Binggung Lord remembered what her master, the previous generation’s lord, had said.

—My disciple. Martial arts are originally movements meant for survival.

All warriors and martial sects develop their martial arts to suit their environment. The Southern Barbarians, with their abundance of beasts and poisons, developed martial arts that utilize poisons and mimic beast behavior, and the beggars of the Beggar’s Sect developed staff and palm techniques that could be deployed without special weapons.

Even Bukhaebinggung is no exception to this. Since ancient times, Binggung’s warriors have trained to accept and control yin-cold energy in their bodies in order to survive the extreme cold.

—If martial arts are equally created to adapt to the environment, then naturally the more extreme the environment, the stronger the martial arts that emerge. Isn’t that so?

—Yes, Master.

—Therefore, Binggung’s martial arts can worthily discuss being the best under heaven. Surviving on this bitterly cold land is like a feat that can be accomplished as a human.

Martial arts that, when reaching the ultimate meaning, can control blizzards and cause avalanches.

Binggung’s martial arts are martial arts that enable humans to confront natural disasters with human strength. At those words from her master, the young Binggung Lord was deeply moved and had trained to follow those words. And.

Right now, having truly reached a realm where she could cause avalanches and blizzards, the Binggung Lord was clearly feeling it.

“Why are you just standing there? Where did the person who was chattering so confidently just moments ago go?”

“Keuuk……!”

Perhaps her master’s boast that Binggung’s martial arts were the best under heaven might not be true.

Bingbaeksinjang

Cheonnyeonbingbyeok

Palm shadows embroidered the sky.

The countless palm shadows that struck formed a massive wall like the ice walls that could be seen at the edge of the Northern Sea, blocking the opponent’s attack. A sturdy wall that seemed capable of blocking or deflecting any attack.

A wall that freezes whatever touches it. A vicious martial art that goes beyond simply deflecting to interfere with the opponent’s energy, seal their movements, and ultimately turn the opponent themselves into an ice statue.

That’s the terror of ice techniques. Before you even realize it, they slowly eat away at the opponent, and by the time you notice, it’s already too late. Even if the attack doesn’t succeed, the aftereffects remain and gradually gnaw at the opponent—that’s the terrifying part of ice techniques. However.

“Are you putting on a little performance?”

What about right now?

Sahwamyeongmyeol

With a gesture like a child’s playfulness, black petals that bloomed from the ground as if flickering on and off and scattered around touched the ice wall, which was mangled as if crumpling before finally bursting apart. An attack that slowly pressed in on the Binggung Lord as if toying with her.

‘This can’t be…… this can’t be!’

She knew well enough that it wasn’t at a level to discuss being the best under heaven. The Binggung Lord had eyes, after all.

She first felt the gap in Geomseon’s martial arts, and felt overwhelmed by Taeag’s way of dominance. She knew well enough that Ilryun was also a figure not inferior to them and was strong. Perhaps she knew unconsciously, if not consciously acknowledging it, that she would be defeated and fall here.

However, what the Binggung Lord had imagined was, at most, a picture of putting up a good fight and kneeling at the end after a struggle.

Not this kind of scene where she couldn’t even lift a finger against an overwhelmingly incoming attack and fell.

“Keuaaak!”

Bingbaeksinjang

Bukmyeong-geukhan

Jjeojeojeojeojeok—!!!

The palm energy she shook off in desperation covered half of the massive martial stage with frost the moment it touched the ground. The attack that still had power left reached right up to the spectator seats before being narrowly blocked by the formation array.

The north wind blew.

“Good.”

Feeling the climate that had definitely been warm until just moments ago now coldly touch her cheeks like midwinter, Ilryun smiled faintly and loosely let her arms hang down. Sleeves drooping as if she’d lost her fighting spirit. However.

“You’re showing quite useful skills, so I’ll show sincerity befitting that as well.”

The scene that followed was divine power that could never be displayed by someone who had lost their fighting spirit.

Heoshik

The shadow that slowly rose up was ‘devouring’ the Binggung Lord’s martial art.

“What is that……!”

“…….”

“Just what is that? That martial art!”

A martial art she’d never heard of. Something that was ambiguous to even call energy manipulation to begin with.

How could such a martial art exist?

Confirming Ilryun’s martial art that devoured all her attacks and ultimately erased them from the world without a trace, the Binggung Lord trembled with shock, unable to contain it. She couldn’t understand it at all.

“Just what do you Demon Cult people see while growing up that you can create such martial arts……!”

“What we saw while growing up, you ask.”

What had she seen while growing up?

Ilryun, who had briefly questioned herself, chuckled and answered.

“I grew up seeing countless monsters.”

“…….”

“But what I saw even more than that were the corpses of compatriots killed by monsters. Corpses so horrifically numerous they stained the desert red with blood……”

The Divine Cult’s martial arts are cruel and brutal. There are many martial arts that tear opponents apart beyond recognition.

“Binggung Lord. Do you know why our cult’s martial arts developed in that manner?”

“…….”

“To take revenge on monsters? To soothe the spirits of the dead by killing monsters as horrifically as possible?”

No. That’s not it.

“For the sake of those who remain.”

The corpses of those attacked by monsters rarely show a proper form. And even collecting them one by one is not an easy task.

That’s why the Divine Cult followers who fought against monsters deliberately tore monsters apart as horrifically as possible so they couldn’t be distinguished from human corpses. Since they couldn’t collect them anyway, they at least tried to hide the horrific state of their comrades.

“Becoming numb in order to survive. Becoming so numb as to become emotionless. That is the survival method the members of our cult adopted. This martial art was born from such a foundation.”

Myeoluicheongeobgong. The Divine Cult’s foremost energy technique that erases everything that touches the energy.

“You’re the first non-Divine Cult person to properly experience this.”

Consider it an honor.

Ilryun, who spoke quietly, swept her sleeves. And.

The next moment, the void rose up like thorns.