Ha Seung-hoon frowned at the familiar sight of the approaching yokai.
When Harley visited Golden island sect, he was the first to pick a fight, and now, another yokai was causing a disturbance in the Moshan Sect's territory! This was an act that could not be tolerated during a time when cooperation was being emphasized for the world's reconstruction.
'I'd love to call Harley right now and have him take care of this, but...'
He imbued his Inner Energy into Jeongal Hyemi and tossed her behind him. As he clenched the hilt of his sword, a hot burst of fire surged from his hand. The fire, which had become a fire dragon, wrapped around his sword, growing in size in an instant.
Hwaa-reuk—! Kwaaang!
The fiery Sword Aura, which held immense power from the Void-Spirit Body, swallowed the great yokai rushing toward him.
[You insignificant insect! How dare you—!]
Even though there was a huge difference in their ranks, an attack using the Heavenly Dragon God Skill could not be taken lightly. It was a martial art that was learned through the blessing of the Dragon God, and it was no exaggeration to say that it was one of the best in the entire Ganghwan Realm. After all, had he not managed to cut off one of the arms of the Heavenly demon, a master of the Profound Realm, by taking advantage of the moment he was fighting the Sword Saint?
[Because you had a little bit of success, the people around you have praised you so much that you've lost your mind! An attack of this level won't even scratch me!]
However, in other words, that was all it was. The attack could momentarily stop Dool's advance, but it couldn't inflict a fatal wound on a great yokai.
[Kwoooong—!]
A thunderous roar echoed, and a fierce current of energy tore through the fiery Sword Aura that had been burning the large body. Then, Ha Seung-hoon's lips twisted as he glanced at the scattered sparks of fire.
'Incredible resistance to my Sword Aura. And a regenerative ability that instantly heals any damage... I guess you could call him a lower-tier version of Harley.'
Dool was a martial arts-focused great yokai who had been active during the final war. He had a history of being crushed by the superior Harley without being able to do a thing, but his pure combat power was a formidable force that should not be underestimated. With his overwhelming toughness and size, he was even more difficult to deal with than a human Profound Realm master.
'He's not an opponent I can handle while still being stuck at the Transformation Realm level. If I fight him head-on, I won't last long before I'm defeated. But...'
He gripped his sword tightly and glared at the front. Had he not realized it just a while ago? That it was foolish to want to get stronger while only wishing for an easy path.
'That's especially true if I want to break through the wall of martial arts.'
This was also a challenge for him. It was not about relying on his "Avatar" characteristics to avoid the side effects and break through the wall, but about truly honing himself through cultivation to reach Transcendence.
Considering that most of his vastly increased Mental Power Status was being consumed to maintain the rank of his Avatars, this was not an option but a necessity.
Swaaaa—
At that moment, as if to cheer for his resolve, a force he had felt once before seeped into his body. The power that only one person in this world could properly handle.
'The Dragon God's divinity?'
He glanced back and smiled. In this desperate situation, his body was filled with a hot surge of energy. In contrast, his mind became cold, and his awareness of his surroundings sharpened. He was in perfect condition. The phrases from the Black Dragon Secret Book that he had not yet fully organized and that were lying dormant in his mind began to surface, asserting their presence.
"Phew, good. This should be enough..."
There was no time to take another breath. A vicious hand tore through the air and lunged at him.
Pleasant, Illusory, Ever-changing.
His body soared up along Dool's arm like a petal fluttering in the wind. The Wind Dragon that had been swirling at his feet concentrated on the tip of his sword.
Swaak—
However, the sharp sword strike only left a long scratch on the great yokai's neck. Even that fully regenerated in just a moment. Only a small amount of blood that seeped out from the moment his thick skin was cut told that an attack had even happened.
[You bug!]
But that was enough to enrage Dool.
How dare an insignificant human, whom he had always looked down on, dare to wound his body! How could he just let this go?
[I'll kill you no matter what!]
With his pride hurt, the child of the dragon was no longer his concern. He completely forgot his original plan to quickly achieve his goal and leave this place, instead bursting with anger. All he wanted was to tear that insignificant human to shreds.
Kwaaang—!
"Kuhuk!"
Ha Seung-hoon's body was hit by a finger that moved like lightning, sending him crashing into the ground and creating a deep crater. If he hadn't used the Earth Dragon to absorb and disperse the impact just before, it wouldn't have ended here. But there was no time to rest.
Dool's foot stomped down on the spot where he had just been, as if to crush him. The ground cracked and a massive landslide occurred, sweeping the area.
Amidst the thunderous sound of the mountain collapsing, a series of fierce explosions echoed.
"Young Master Ha...!"
While the aftershocks from the clash of the massive energies relentlessly rushed toward her, Jeongal Hyemi, who had used a Taoist Magic spell to escape, bit her lip and stared at the source of the commotion.
'Should I have just stayed put? Did I put Young Master Ha in this situation by asking for help...?'
It was all thanks to the Dragon Spell she had used that Ha Seung-hoon had been able to catch up and save her without delay. Using her experience from when she was kidnapped and confined by the demonic cult. , she had calmly completed the Thought-communication spell and had been able to communicate with him and send her location in real-time.
'If only I had a little more power. Then I wouldn't have had to ask for help and could have escaped on my own!'
But even though Dool was a martial arts-focused yokai, he was a being called a great yokai. A high-level spell like teleportation would not have worked so easily, let alone a simple communication spell. She would never have been able to escape his grasp if not for the timely surprise attack that had distracted him.
Another fierce aftershock rushed from the epicenter of the landslide. From the center of it, a variety of dragons in different colors soared up, painting the surroundings. Each and every one of them was the essence of destruction that could blow away a decent-sized mountain peak, but sadly, they were only shattered and scattered as they appeared.
'What can I do right now...?'
Jeongal Hyemi clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. If she, who had no talent other than spells, were to get involved in that fight, she would only be a hindrance. The best she could do right now was to support him with her blessing and pray that he would hold on as long as he could.
'Since a yokai is causing such a commotion, Golden island sect won't just stand by. If he can only hold out until the dragons I saw before get here!'
At that moment, she felt a large chunk of her power being drained through her connection with Ha Seung-hoon, and her eyes widened. Just then, his body, which had been hit by an attack, was buried in a cliff, and large and small fragments of rock rained down.
'No!'
The blessing had absorbed a significant amount of the impact, so he hadn't reached a level where he was completely unable to fight. She knew that, but she couldn't help but feel her heart weaken as she watched him.
"Maybe... if I had just...followed that yokai willingly..."
He could never defeat that great yokai right now. He wouldn't be able to hold out for long. So, instead of risking his life by continuing to resist, it might be better to just follow the yokai and wait for Golden island sect to save her...
"Heh, I'd drop that thought if I were you."
At that moment, a stranger's voice cut through her thoughts and reached her ears.
"He'd rather just eat the sacrifice right away than risk losing it again."
"Huh?!"
Startled, she turned her body and stared at him warily. A middle-aged man who had approached without her noticing was standing a few steps away with his arms crossed. Even as her gaze was on him, he was calmly watching the source of the fight.
'I didn't even feel his presence. Who is he?'
Even in this situation, she didn't let her guard down. She would have been able to feel the presence of a person of a decent level... no, even a master who had reached the Transformation Realm.
"...He's amazing. They called him the Heavenly Dragon Swordsman, right? I heard he's only in his twenties, but he's already facing the wall."
He muttered to himself quietly. His voice was calm, but Jeongal Hyemi could tell. Beneath it, there was a clear layer of jealousy. At that moment, her guard became even more intense.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk—This fool, you still haven't shaken off your delusions."
"Kk!"
Another voice was heard, and at the same time, the first man grabbed his head.
"You damned old man...!"
"Ahem, judging by the way you're speaking to your master, you still have a long way to go before you're corrected."
"Keeuuuugh—!"
Jeongal Hyemi looked at the new arrival with a bewildered expression. An old man with a long beard and an old Taoist robe. He was just stroking his beard with a kind smile, but the other man was still gritting his teeth in pain, writhing in agony.
"You don't have to worry, my child. That young man won't fall so easily."
The old man, who noticed her gaze on him, smiled softly and slowly nodded.
"By the way, it's truly amazing. How in the world is he able to do that? He's completely ignoring the laws of this world, isn't he?"
Then he looked back at the fierce battle and let out a sigh of admiration. Wonder and curiosity flickered in his wrinkled eyes.
"Keeugh, what are you talking about? It's amazing that he's at that level at that age, but..."
"Hehehehe, this foolish disciple of mine can't see what's right in front of him."
The man who was clutching his head and grimacing answered curtly, but the old man just kept his eyes on the fight and continued to express his amazement. It was because he could clearly see it. The various Martial Principles that were not of this world, which were being expressed through the body of that young man called the Heavenly Dragon Swordsman, were intertwining and being completed into a single system.
If that wasn't the case, he wouldn't have been able to hold out against a great yokai for this long. The old man's realm was clearly much higher, but he couldn't grasp the principles he was seeing right in front of him.
An attack that should have been unstoppable slipped past, and a counterattack that shouldn't have worked somehow pierced through the thick skin. His movements, which were wrapped in dragons, were far beyond the common sense of the world, and his swordsmanship was also in a realm beyond his comprehension.
'And his growth is abnormally fast. It's not something you can just pass off as genius. Is he using life-or-death combat as nourishment?'
He was only being pushed back because the total amount of their absolute power was so overwhelmingly imbalanced. In fact, it was miraculous that he was holding on at all, considering the difference in their abilities. And the one who felt that most certainly was not the old man watching from the outside, but Dool himself, who was fighting him.
"That's why he's so hell-bent on targeting that young man."
The old man clicked his tongue and looked at the angry-looking Dool. At first glance, he seemed to be filled with only anger, but he knew. A faint sense of fear was visible in his eyes. Something that he couldn't understand, even after fighting him multiple times, and was still fighting him now.
Since that incomprehensible thing was growing as time went on, it was only natural for him to go insane trying to crush it before it could blossom. He knew what would happen to him if that incomprehensible thing were to fully bloom.
"I'd like to wait a little longer for that young man's sake, but it seems like he's at his limit now."
The old man looked at the precarious Ha Seung-hoon. No matter how much he was holding on and trying to grow using an unknown method, there was a limit to it.
Dool was a great yokai with a bad reputation even in Golden island sect. If more time passed, that talent would likely be crushed before it could fully blossom, just as his opponent intended.
"Disciple, you go and give him a hand. That young man is working so hard; we can't just stand by as his seniors, can we? It's not often you get a chance at a life-or-death fight with a great yokai."
"...Are you insane, old man? You want me to fight Dool when I haven't even broken through the wall yet? Are you finally trying to kill me?"
"Ahem! You again!"
"Keeuugh! Fine! Fine! Damn it! I must have been crazy to come find you myself!"
In the end, the middle-aged man had no choice but to head to the battlefield. Jeongal Hyemi, who had been quietly observing the situation, her eyes shining as the man walked away. It was clear that these people were also hostile to the great yokai.
That meant...
'The Moshan Sect...
no... from above it.'
She took a light breath and looked at the old man who was still next to her, and carefully opened her mouth.
"Hello, elder. I am Jeongal Hyemi of the Hubei Jeongal Family. Are you perhaps from Golden island sect?"
"Oh?"
The Moshan Sect was the front door of Golden island sect. It wasn't strange that a pursuer had shown up so quickly, considering that Dool had caused a disturbance and fled openly within their territory.
"Hehehe, you are a quick one. It is true that I am from Golden island sect. It just so happens that I was in the area because of my disciple and happened to grasp the situation."
But he shined his eyes, saying that since he had encountered the problem, he wouldn't just stand by. He slowly stroked his beard. As she swallowed hard from the pressure that was subtly emanating from his body, his words continued.
"I have long since abandoned my name, so I don't have a title to give you. Well, if I were to introduce myself by the title they call me in Golden island sect..."
Jeongal Hyemi blinked her wide eyes repeatedly. As the daughter of the Jeongal Family, who, except for the Moshan Sect, had the most detailed understanding of yokai, she knew well what the title that came out of the opponent's mouth meant.
Rakshasa King.
A member of the Golden island sect leadership, who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Five Dragons and others, smiled softly as he looked at the child of the dragon.
"Damn it! What in the world is this situation!"
Ha Seung-hoon, who saw the man who had suddenly jumped into the fight, his eyes shone with a strange light. He was just about to call for reinforcements as he was nearing his limit when this person joined the fight.
'Mok In-gwang?'
He was a welcome face that he had forgotten about after Harley left the Ganghwan Realm. Of course, the situation didn't change dramatically just because he had joined. Mok In-gwang, who was now called Nine-Madness Devil, was still a martial artist at the end of the Transformation Realm who had not yet broken through the wall of Profound Realm.
But it was true that he was able to catch his breath for a bit with his addition. He even got an opportunity to reorganize himself.
"Aaaaaak! You damned old man! Your disciple is going to die! I'm really going to die!"
Judging by what he was saying, his master seemed to be nearby as well.
'The yokai who taught him the Madness-Controlling Heart Formula.'
The yokai who had taught a mental technique to control his madness to Mok In-gwang, who had been an orphan and suffered from uncontrollable madness. It seemed that as their exchanges with Golden island sect had increased after the war, he had finally found him and formed a master-disciple relationship.
'I'd forgotten about it, but it looks like he's been doing well.'
He had been too busy to care for him, but he couldn't help but feel happy seeing that a former subordinate was doing well. It seemed like the madness that had subsided with Harley's special physical therapy had returned.
At the same time, in the Phantom Realm[1], the Yellow Dragon, Horus, who had been busy preparing to cross the dimensions at any moment, coiled up again.
[1] idk, maybe it's talking about