"Damn it. Damn it… Damn it!"
Hyeok Mun-yak, the Gilyeon Sect Master, spat curses endlessly.
It didn’t make sense. Everything had been perfect. Then why? Where had it all gone wrong?
"Just die already, damn it!"
His fingers moved frantically, weaving seals in the air, summoning the elements of the world to manifest as sorcery.
Whoooosh!
It was meaningless. The moment Namgung Jincheon’s sword moved, all his sorcery dissipated into nothingness.
"How is this even possible…?"
Namgung Jincheon had already been struck twice by Je Cheon-hyeok’s fists. His side was pierced through with a gaping hole, and his chest was deeply caved in.
Even for a transcendent martial artist, such injuries should have been debilitating.
Je Cheon-hyeok’s fists weren’t mere punches—they embodied the destructive force of Pa Cheon, true to its fearsome name.
A single graze from his fist was enough to obliterate an ordinary warrior.
Even Namgung Jincheon shouldn’t have been able to withstand two direct hits unscathed…!
"Polar Divide!"
The Gilyeon Sect Master squeezed out his remaining strength to unleash the same sorcery that had once left a meaningful wound on Namgung Jincheon.
The sorcery wasn’t particularly hard to evade, but Namgung Jincheon couldn’t dodge. If he did, Namgung Yeon would die.
Crack!
Space distorted, pulling everything into a single point—a collapsing black star.
Namgung Jincheon’s eyes swept over it indifferently.
Swish.
His Imperial Sword Form cut through the center of the black star. The sorcery disintegrated as if it had never existed.
"Damn it…"
The only reason they’d managed to harm him before was because Geom Yul had distracted him.
Now, with only Je Cheon-hyeok and the Gilyeon Sect Master remaining, the sorcery posed little threat to Namgung Jincheon.
"Could it be…"
Were they not the hunters in this scenario? Why did it feel like they were the ones being cornered? Why was Namgung Jincheon still so composed?
"Je Cheon-hyeok."
"What?"
Je Cheon-hyeok’s body was drenched in sweat, despite having barely moved.
Simply maintaining his pressure on Namgung Jincheon had drained him immensely.
Without Je Cheon-hyeok, the Sect Master would already be dead. Knowing this, he ground his teeth.
"It’s time to end this. I’m releasing the formation."
"Are you sure you can handle that?"
Ending things quickly? Easier said than done.
"I don’t have a choice. If I don’t, I’ll die."
The Gilyeon Sect Master immediately formed a seal with his hands, interlocking his fingers to create the Wisdom Fist Seal.
"Absorb."
Fwoosh!
Yellow talismans scattered into the air as the formation dissolved, revealing the isolated space to the real world. The external Absolute Realm warriors, who had been supporting the formation, staggered unsteadily.
"Gah…!"
"What is this…!"
They tried to flee, but it was too late.
"Ah…"
A single utterance marked the beginning.
"…Hum."
And with the closing syllable, it ended.
The two sounds encapsulated the start and the end, binding all life within the Sect Master’s soul.
Ah-Hum.
"Aaaagh…!"
"No, this can’t be…!"
This contingency sorcery had been prepared just in case of external interference. Yet, no external interference had come.
They hadn’t even managed to subdue Namgung Jincheon alone.
"Four transcendent warriors, among the strongest in the Black Lotus Union."
Not just Je Cheon-hyeok, but also Geom Yul, Neung Pyeong-ho, and the Gilyeon Sect Master himself—each of them stood among the elite of the transcendent realm.
And this was the result.
Sama Hyun was nothing more than a strategist, not even a transcendent. His intelligence couldn’t overcome the gap between martial realms.
No matter how clever the strategy, the outcome was ultimately determined by a handful of top-tier warriors.
And Namgung Jincheon’s sheer, incomprehensible strength had overturned everything.
There was no retreat now. If Namgung Jincheon wasn’t killed here, the Gilyeon Sect Master wouldn’t survive.
Even if he managed to escape, he’d spend the rest of his life hiding from Namgung Jincheon’s gaze.
"Hoo…"
The external warriors, screaming in agony, turned to ash and dissipated. The Gilyeon Sect Master absorbed all their energy.
"It begins now."
A peculiar light flickered in his eyes.
Rumble! The earth and sky intertwined as he extended his hand, distorting space. Namgung Jincheon, standing within the vortex, tapped the air with his sword.
The Sky Where Flowers Do Not Bloom.
Namgung Jincheon’s domain repelled the Sect Master’s sorcery.
Je Cheon-hyeok did not hesitate. For the first time, he moved.
Folding space to shift instantly, he pulled his fist back and aimed at Namgung Jincheon.
"Namgung Jincheon, I honor the martial path you have built."
He meant it. No human in Zhongyuan could achieve what this man had.
Unless one had ascended to the Heavenly Boundary, no one could defeat four transcendent warriors like this.
The final step in their plan—Namgung Jincheon had undone it all.
"…."
Namgung Jincheon didn’t reply. Instead, he formed a sword seal with his right hand and thrust it forward.
Shing. The sword seal tore through space.
Whoosh!
Je Cheon-hyeok’s fist shot forward.
The clash of the two greatest martial artists was silent. Despite space ripping apart, weather patterns shifting, and the terrain warping, not a sound emerged between them.
All their power was concentrated on one another.
Rumble!
The torn sky poured rain. Namgung Jincheon deflected Je Cheon-hyeok’s wrist and struck with his shattered left hand.
Je Cheon-hyeok sidestepped and countered with his opposite fist.
Whoosh!
Namgung Jincheon’s Imperial Sword Form collided with Je Cheon-hyeok’s fist, and blood spurted from Je Cheon-hyeok’s hand.
The Gilyeon Sect Master provided support.
The desert’s sand became countless spears, while the rain clouds above turned into innumerable daggers.
Even the smallest grains of sand carried death.
Drip.
Blood trickled from Namgung Jincheon’s lips. Yet he didn’t retreat a single step.
Standing in front of Namgung Yeon, he silently endured, blocking every attack.
Then, for a moment, his eyes gleamed.
"Guh…!"
Under the crushing pressure, the Gilyeon Sect Master staggered. The Imperial Sword Form. Je Cheon-hyeok's brow furrowed deeply.
"This audacity… right before my eyes."
He launched his fist with all his might. Namgung Jincheon didn’t dodge.
Thwack!
Twisting his body, he sacrificed his left shoulder.
That was enough. The sword that had ascended to the heavens pierced through the light, crashing down atop the Gilyeon Sect Master’s head.
A piercing sound rang out, but it was silent. The world itself had been cut.
Space slid along the severed line, reflecting an expanse of pitch-black void.
The Gilyeon Sect Master’s split mouth hung open.
"No… this can't…."
The bisected corpse crumpled, sinking into the desert sand. Namgung Jincheon furrowed his brows.
"A sorcery?"
He wasn’t entirely dead. Just as Namgung Jincheon moved to finish it, Je Cheon-hyeok surged forward.
"Huff…!"
Je Cheon-hyeok’s fist ignited with blinding light. Namgung Jincheon quickly recalled his sword. The sword, responding to his will, interposed itself.
But his injuries were severe.
“Cough…”
Blood gushed from Namgung Jincheon’s lips, his grip on the sword faltering. Je Cheon-hyeok didn’t miss the opportunity.
Slash!
The blazing fist tore through the sword and pierced his chest. Blood gushed from the gaping wound.
Gurgle.
Namgung Jincheon coughed up blood, his eyes quivering. Only then did Je Cheon-hyeok smile.
"Even you, it seems, fear death."
Namgung Jincheon did not reply. With great difficulty, he turned his head to look at the broken, halved sword.
"My wife…."
Fragments of memories brushed against his consciousness, her face flickering in his mind.
"You’re far too tenderhearted, my dear. How will you manage without me?"
Her gentle smile, her voice, the reflection of himself in her eyes.
Memories of a past he could never reach again.
“Haa….”
Namgung Jincheon’s blurred vision focused on Je Cheon-hyeok. Though he had inflicted severe damage on the Black Lotus Union, it would be a disaster if Je Cheon-hyeok survived.
His son-in-law was not yet ready to face him.
Namgung Jincheon seized Je Cheon-hyeok’s arm, the same one that had impaled his chest.
The memories of his wife ached more sharply than the wound that would soon end him.
As Namgung Jincheon struggled to breathe, vivid memories rushed before his eyes.
"You there… warrior?"
The battle wasn’t over yet.
But he couldn’t stop it. Like a breached dam, the memories flooded in.
It had all begun by chance.
***
He had left the martial world on a whim.
Namgung Jincheon, hailed as a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy, had no peers among his generation.
No, it wasn’t just his peers. Most martial artists in Zhongyuan were no match for him.
Before he had even reached thirty, his martial arts were nearly perfected.
"In spring, the wild herbs have such a fragrant aroma. Would you like to try some?"
He had been born indifferent to the world and uninterested even in the martial prowess he had cultivated.
He wandered Zhongyuan as if searching for a purpose in life when he miraculously met her.
She was unremarkable. Not the daughter of one of the Sixteen Great Sects, but a farmer’s daughter from a rural village.
Namgung Jincheon hadn’t cared. Whether a farmer’s daughter or a sect elite, he had no interest in either.
"I’m fine." "Come on, just try it." "I said I’m fine." "No, really, you should try it."
She was an odd woman.
At the time, his only thought was how peculiar it was that she hadn’t been cut down yet.
The bitterness of the herb she had forced into his mouth still seemed to linger.
A faint smile appeared on Namgung Jincheon’s lips.
"I’m sorry for being such an unworthy husband…."
He had lost her. And ultimately, he had lost her sword as well.
Namgung Jincheon’s smiling face was streaked with tears.
Je Cheon-hyeok’s expression twisted as he withdrew his arm from Namgung Jincheon’s chest. Namgung Jincheon didn’t try to stop him.
Splurt!
Blood spurted out, dyeing the desert red.
Though staggering, Namgung Jincheon didn’t fall. He still seemed to hear his wife’s voice.
"How long are you going to stay here?"
A mix of irritation and faint curiosity. It had been enough to make him observe her.
The warrior who had never been bound by anything began to wonder why this woman hadn’t yet been struck down.
"Do you treat everyone so brazenly?" "Me?" "Yes." "Of course not." "Then why me?" "I thought I could get away with it."
She had an uncanny knack for toeing the line. Whether it was natural instinct or sheer luck, he couldn’t tell.
Namgung Jincheon had once asked her, as she shoved spring potatoes into his mouth.
"Why do you…?" "Finish eating before you talk." "…Why do you like feeding people?" "I don’t." "Then why me?" "Because you’re handsome."
A bitter laugh escaped him, accompanied by more blood. He raised a trembling hand, grasping at the air.
The heavens seemed to shape themselves into a sword, forming Namgung Jincheon’s weapon once more.
"You asked if I feared death…?"
Je Cheon-hyeok’s brow furrowed. How was he still standing? His wounds should have killed him by now.
Namgung Jincheon aimed his sword.
"I fear more the things I couldn’t protect."
Loss.
Having experienced it once, he feared it more than anything else.
The mere thought of losing something precious made his hands tremble like a frightened child.
"But to protect my family and die for them—what could be more fulfilling than that?"
It was something he welcomed with open arms.
Namgung Jincheon smiled, pure and untainted.