Baek Museon glared at Lee Sungmin from the center of the drifting fog. There was no gap for Lee Sungmin to penetrate through, so he simply took a stance with his spear in front of him.
‘You are strong.’
Baek Museon had to admit it again. Three years had passed since his arm had been cut off by Wijihoyeon. At first, he had sworn revenge and practiced like crazy, but after a long time, Baek Museon had stopped practicing martial arts entirely. It was useless. He had already faced that reality.
Since then, he had drowned himself in alcohol. He tried drugs and had women accompany him all night. He knew that in time that it would happen. One day, when he strengthened his heart and stood up to practice martial arts again, his body would be too dull and hardened by laziness – making him resentful and depressed by the way he was living.
‘But, no. Not today.’
Baek Museon clenched his right fist as he thought to himself. Was it Lee Sungmin? He admits that his achievements were high for his age, to the point that they were dazzling. Baek Museon had not even reached that level ten years ago, when he was Lee Sungmin’s age.
But it wasn’t surprising, or even absurd. Although he had become rusty, Baek Museon was still the Bloody Heavenly Demon. Even if his left arm was crippled, he was still Bloody Heavenly Demon Baek Museon.
The floating fog expanded even more. Baek Museon looked down at Lee Sungmin, and it wasn’t just because of his age.
It was pride.
Before meeting Wijihoyeon, Baek Museon used to think that he was the best. He thought that there was no one at his age who was better than himself. He did not doubt that he would enter the Transcendental realm soon. After he suffered defeat at the hands of Wijihoyeon, his high pride crushed him like a large boulder.
It was because Wijihoyeon was an outstanding figure. She was a genius at an absurd level.
‘You aren’t Wijihoyeon.’
He made a quick judgment.
Then it happened. It was such a fast attack that there was no sound, moving forth with a fierceness as if to reproach Baek Museon’s rashness. At that point, Baek Museon, who believed in his blood ring techniques, was convinced that Lee Sungmin’s strength was just superficial.
Kuuuuung!
Lightning Annihilation moved faster than sound. The rapid sting, which was difficult to track with the eyes, shook Bloody Heavenly Demon’s defenses because it was shallow when he thought it would go a little deeper.
‘It’s difficult to destroy with a single blow.’
Lightning Annihilation’s aim was to only throw off the opponent, so it was bound to be a little difficult to penetrate a strong defense. Lee Sungmin pulled his spear back without regret and moved his foot forward. Two-step Calamitous End. It sought to kill an opponent in just two steps. Lee Sungmin did not learn Qigong, which only dealt with inner force, but Shadowless was a method of inducing strength naturally by walking.
The power of Two-step Calamitous End exploded fiercely. Baek Museon was stunned by its sweeping powers as Two-step Calamitous End and the Blood Ring crashed. Baek Museon clenched his teeth as he saw the fog disperse. He hurriedly swung his right hand to try to block Lee Sungmin’s path, but the spear had been fired out before he could punch at Lee Sungmin’s chest first.
“You-!”
Baek Museon roared out in anger. He brought his right hand in front of his chest and turned his wide-open hand half a turn. The distracting fog rotated and enveloped the flow of Lee Sungmin’s spear. Lee Sungmin rotated the hand holding the spear and swung it. He did not hesitate to change his move. He rotated the spear, and took a step further, while Baek Museon stepped back a couple more steps.
Kkwaang!
Their inner forces clashed and exploded everywhere.
The level Baek Museon assumed Lee Sungmin was at had to be greatly revised after the exchanges in those few seconds. He could not gain an advantage on him during the fight. Baek Museon couldn’t help but be astonished.
‘This is ridiculous… !’
He clenched his teeth and increased his inner force even more. The Blood Rings spread out dramatically. The color of the red fog being emitted from all directions became darker. It was now no longer a fog, but more like red paint pouring from the air. Baek Museon moved forward boldly. His left arm sleeve fluttered as he jumped over to Lee Sungmin. Every time he stepped on the ground, the surroundings shook and the fog shook as if there was an earthquake. Baek Museon’s wide-open palm shot at Lee Sungmin’s body.
It was less severe than Crazy Heavenly Demon’s method, but the strangeness of the fog that followed was disturbing. Lee Sungmin turned the spear in his hand, and began using the moves of the Nine Heavenly Spears. They were not as fast as Lightning Annihilation, but they were moves with good versatility because they could be used without any other preparation.
Kkwaang!
The spear force and palm collided. The resounding sound overlapped greatly, but neither the palm nor the spear broke. Baek Museon’s left shoulder flinched. He intended to add to the move using his left hand, but there was no left hand on his current body. He was used to daily life without a left arm, but fighting without his left arm was still awkward for him.
‘I’m not accustomed to it… !’
Such a regret came to him belatedly. Baek Museon raised his foot after realizing that he had no left arm. He was good at fighting with his whole body instead of using weapons. Lee Sungmin lowered his posture to avoid the foot. At the same time, both of his hands holding the spear lowered deeply, aiming at Baek Museon’s lower body. A spear was not just for stabbing. If there was no way to shoot it out and retrieve it, he could always simply swing it around to attack.
Although he blamed himself for being unused to it, Baek Museon wasn’t exactly an easy opponent to fight either. Baek Museon, once called the Bloody Heavenly Demon, was still an excellent master. He jumped into the air by propelling himself from the ground using his left foot. As soon as he left the ground, Baek Museon completely changed his posture by twisting his waist in the air. Then he lifted his right foot up high and kicked downward toward Lee Sungmin’s head.
Lee Sungmin avoided Baek Museon’s attack by using Shadowless. Baek Museon’s feet crushed the afterimage’s head and fell to the ground, shaking the whole ground and making a crack in it. Baek Museon jerked to a stop and turned around. As the red mist shot forth, it tried to hit Lee Sungmin. Lee Sungmin immediately shot a lightning bolt to interfere with Baek Museon’s attack.
Baek Museon tried to narrow the distance between him and Lee Sungmin without any regret for the wasted move. He wanted to make it impossible to make full use of the spear’s advantages. Lee Sungmin held his breath as he watched Baek Museon jump in, channelling inner force into the hand holding the spear as he did so. That was the beginning. There were numerous changes in the spear in Lee Sungmin’s hands. Baek Museon put more force into his Blood Rings while staring at the spear covering his field of vision.
Kkwaang!
The moves collided, and the fog he was using to defend and attack scattered away. Usually, if the fog was scattered like that, it would disappear shortly after, but Baek Museon’s Blood Ring moves were different.
The scattered fog spread out, mostly leading back to Baek Museon, while some went behind Lee Sungmin. Before he knew it, Lee Sungmin was standing at the center of the fog. That was what Baek Museon wanted. He stretched his right palm and clenched it into a fist. The fog around Lee Sungmin’s surroundings rushed toward him as-
“Blood Mist Explosion!”
Baek Museon roared. It was a bloodthirsty cry. There were no openings. Should he break through with Void Rendering? No, rather than that. Lee Sungmin lifted his feet. It was his first time using the move with this body, but for some reason he had the unfounded conviction that he could use it. No, there was a basis for his belief. It just had not been proven yet.
He believed that he could.
Shadowless’ fourth move, Two-step Soft Ripples.
The two steps taken in rapid succession distorted the landscape. The mist that was rushing over entangled with the flow created by the Two-step Soft Ripples. Lee Sungmin drew a circle with his footwork. The red fog entangled itself with the flow of the circle and completely deviated from the form of the attack intended by Baek Museon.
Paaang!
The fog scattered and disappeared without any connection to Baek Museon as before. It was completely destroyed. Baek Museon couldn’t help but open his mouth, feeling alarmed, because he didn’t think that Lee Sungmin would be able to destroy the blood mist.
However, he came to his senses too late. Lee Sungmin’s spear shot out at him with a roar. He hurriedly raised his right fist, but Lee Sungmin twisted his wrist slightly, rather than colliding head-on with Baek Museon’s fists. As the trajectory of the spear changed upward, Baek Museon’s fist also rose up. In the meantime, Lee Sungmin stretched his feet forward. The spear force went up to the sky, but the spearhead became a blunt weapon as Lee Sungmin pushed it with his hands.
Kkwaang!
The fog of the Blood Mist Explosion that surrounded Baek Museon’s body was scattered. Baek Museon took a few steps back, feeling the shock of his internal organs shaking. That’s alright. He could handle this much. However, before he could gather the scattered fog, Lee Sungmin’s spear moved again. Lee Sungmin focused on wielding rather than stabbing and used the entire spear as a weapon.
“Keueueub!”
Baek Museon could not respond to the attack hitting his left shoulder. If he could use his left arm, he would have been able to hold it. But there was no left arm. Instead of the missing left arm, Baek Museon twisted his back. It was so he could respond with his right hand, but Lee Sungmin pulled the spear back as if waiting.
‘It’s too crude.’
Baek Museon’s Heavenly Demon Blood Ring was an excellent martial art, but Baek Museon was not used to fighting after being crippled. He did not know how to fill the gap made by his left arm. The fact that he had never fought properly ever since his arm was cut was highlighted with each move they exchanged.
Before unfolding the blood rings, Baek Museon staggered with his right arm swaying as he attacked the spear Lee Sungmin was wielding.
“This brat… !”
It wasn’t a fatal attack, but the shallow, offensive attack angered Baek Museon. Unlike Baek Museon, who was shaking with anger, Lee Sungmin was calm. Lee Sungmin pushed the spear through the gap between Baek Museon’s legs, which stretched greatly. Baek Museon was taken by surprise and tried to pull his legs out, but Lee Sungmin twisted the spear toward Baek Museon’s back. Then, Baek Museon collapsed to the ground without any balance.
“I could have pierced your legs.”
Lee Sungmin said as he looked down at fallen Baek Museon. Baek Museon looked up at Lee Sungmin with trembling lips.
“I could have pierced your left shoulder, your chest, or your side… Or even your head. I could inflict fatal wounds on you, over and over again, and kill you.”
“This… This…”
“How do I compare to Minor Heavenly Demon?”
In response to Lee Sungmin’s question, Baek Museon remained silent. He stared at Lee Sungmin, biting down on his lower lip till it bled.
“Earthworms… Do you think dragons are comparable to them?”
“Then, you are worse than earthworms.”
Lee Sungmin replied as he shook his head at Baek Museon’s words. Baek Museon’s body trembled. He glared at Lee Sungmin with fierce eyes. Lee Sungmin turned away, ignoring Baek Museon, who was glaring at him.
Crazy Heavenly Demon looked at Lee Sungmin and Baek Museon with a complex look in his eyes. He had expected Lee Sungmin’s victory. However, he didn’t think it would be this kind of an easy, one-sided victory.
‘Baek Museon’s left arm was cut off… That must be it.’
The technique was better than when he fought him three days ago. In particular, he didn’t know what method he used to destroy the blood mist. Footwork… that’s what he thought it was. He wasn’t certain of it. Of course, even if he saw it with his own eyes, he couldn’t be sure.
“There must be something else.”
Lee Sungmin did not want to talk about anything else with Baek Museon. Dragons and earthworms. The words spoken by Baek Museon lingered in his ears, but he didn’t care much.
‘I’m glad I got an earthworm at least.’
That was what he thought. Rubia didn’t know what to do and simply followed Lee Sungmin back to the restaurant, Crazy Heavenly Demon sighed and approached Baek Museon.
“Don’t be too disappointed. It’s just that the world is wide.”
“… Hahaha… ”
Baek Museon stumbled and stood up with a sullen laugh.
“What do you mean because the world is wide? The country has only saved the existence of being insignificant and small.”
Baek Museon turned around while saying such words. Crazy Heavenly Demon wanted to grab hold of Baek Museon, but he put his hand down because he knew that he couldn’t do anything for Baek Museon.
Overcoming defeat was a task for oneself. If he had been ruined for three years and he couldn’t climb out of the defeat… He must try to overcome it. He had to do it.
‘You will be able to do it.’
That was the kind of martial artist Crazy Heavenly Demon remembered Baek Museon to be.
Baek Museon staggered and stared around. The people who were standing around to watch his fight against Lee Sungmin saw his ferocious expression and flinched to avoid his gaze.
There was a boiling rage in his eyes. He felt like they were laughing at him. Baek Museon clenched his teeth and hurried his steps. It was the last bit of restraint he had left.
‘Quickly.’
He wanted to leave this place.
If not, he thought he would kill everyone here.
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