Murim Login - Chapter 323

Everything happened in a split second.

The energy permeating the atmosphere surged, and the sword resting on the table was pulled into a hand.

Then…

Shuaaak!

A blinding beam of light flashed before my eyes. It was an unparalleled, swift, and precise strike. The crystal blue energy enveloping the blade radiated a brilliant light, a phenomenon I was all too familiar with.

‘The Sword Qi.’

A power granted to those who have stepped into the supreme realm. The most formidable force in existence was now descending towards my head.

If things continued like this, I would die. Without a doubt, I would die.

But…

‘This much is nothing.’

In the world that had slowed down infinitely, I moved just as the Sword Qi slashed through the air.

Swish! Crash!

Everything split apart. The table, the chair, even the floor that had been here for ages was torn.

The ensuing gale from the Sword Qi swept the surroundings. Screams and the sound of destruction filled the air. Beyond the chaos, I saw the old man’s wide eyes.

“How… How did you…”

I gently pushed Ju Hwa-ran, whom I had instinctively pulled close, aside and answered.

“How did I avoid it? I saw it coming.”

“People say that the supreme realm, that the Sword Qi is beyond human reach.”

Shock was evident on Hwangbo Eom’s wrinkled face.

“Then, could it be that you…”

“Who knows?”

I answered with a vague smile. Hwangbo Eom’s mind was surely in turmoil now.

Of course, I hadn’t achieved the enlightenment required to reach the supreme realm yet.

To be precise, it wasn’t my martial arts but my physical abilities that had reached beyond human limits.

‘What should I call this?’

A supreme martial artist (physically)?

It was certainly a new type of supreme martial artist unprecedented in the history of the Murim world.

I shrugged and said, “It’s nothing special. It just worked out.”

Hwangbo Eom shouted, his eyes bloodshot.

“I can’t believe it! How can a young brat like you reach such heights?”

“Finding it hard to believe goes both ways. Swinging your sword in a place like this, are you in your right mind?”

“That…”

Hwangbo Eom’s eyes scanned the room. Fortunately, no one else had been harmed, but everyone’s faces were filled with shock and anger.

“For all your talk about righteousness and the Jongnam Sect, you act no different from a madman. Why not rename your sect to the Insane Sect?”

“You…!”

Hwangbo Eom’s hand, gripping his sword hilt, trembled. As he scanned the room, his gaze turned icy.

“Disciples of the Jongnam Sect, heed my command.”

“Yes, sir!”

The thirty members of the Taeeul Sword Team, who had been frozen in shock, snapped to attention.

Hwangbo Eom’s command echoed over their heads.

“Immediately seal the exits. No one is to leave this place.”

“But… Master!”

“That’s…”

“What are you doing? Are you defying my orders?”

Just as Hwangbo Eom’s roar made the Taeeul Sword Team hesitate, a low voice pierced everyone’s ears.

“We intend to defy it.”

The anger on Hwangbo Eom’s face was evident when he saw who spoke.

“Hyeok So-pyeong, how dare you…”

It was a familiar face, Hyeok So-pyeong of Jongnam.

With a complex expression, Hyeok So-pyeong addressed Hwangbo Eom.

“Please stop. For the first and last time, I implore you.”

“What?”

“What you’re doing right now… this isn’t something a disciple of the Jongnam Sect should be doing.”

“Silence!”

Kwaaang!

Another fierce gale sent Hyeok So-pyeong skidding back. But his gaze remained unwavering.

Seeing Hyeok So-pyeong and the hesitant Taeeul Sword Team, Hwangbo Eom gritted his teeth.

“You insolent brats.”

Then, Hwangbo Eom pulled out a small bronze token and threw it at Hyeok So-pyeong’s feet.

“This is the Grand Master’s Order of our sect, entrusted to me by your master. Will you still defy me?”

The Grand Master’s Order, a symbol of the highest authority within a sect.

Hyeok So-pyeong’s eyelids trembled at the sight of his master’s token.

“You are still the same, Master.”

“Make your choice. Excommunication or obedience.”

“Excommunication…”

With a regretful glance at Ju Hwa-ran and me, Hyeok So-pyeong bowed deeply to the token.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Disciple Hyeok So-pyeong, obeying the Grand Master’s Order!”

Blood gushed from his forehead, but Hyeok So-pyeong showed no sign of pain as he stood up and blocked the entrance. The thirty members of the Taeeul Sword Team followed suit.

Watching this, I clicked my tongue.

“At this point, you’ve crossed the line completely. Are you sure you can handle the consequences?”

Present here were key figures from Hwasan, Gaebang, and Haomun. Even for the Jongnam Sect, the repercussions would be severe.

But Hwangbo Eom, who had already lost his temper, was filled with nothing but rage.

“They will be safe. Except for you, that is.”

“Ah, so you’ll deal with me first and then clean up?”

“Yes. Finally, I can tear that vile mouth of yours apart.”

“Why are you so eager to do that, old man? Taekyung Jin family and Yeolhwa Moon aren’t exactly pushovers.”

“Yeolhwa Moon?”

A sneer formed on Hwangbo Eom’s lips.

And then, a whisper reached my ears.

“The young tiger is in danger, yet the great tiger remains asleep.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know, foolish boy? I already knew the Fire King’s illness was severe.”

A secret known only to a select few had leaked out.

My face hardened involuntarily. Seeing this, Hwangbo Eom’s smile deepened.

The Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang and you. You’ve been a thorn in my side. It wouldn’t be bad to settle my score with Yeolhwa Moon.
Settle his score?

At Hwangbo Eom’s words, my mind went blank for a moment.

Could it be?

The thoughts swirling in my head suddenly cleared, leaving only one thought behind.

“I’m sorry, but… I have a favor to ask everyone.”

Even though I couldn’t see it, I felt it. The gazes of Baek Mu-seong, Cheong Pung, Gung Ki-bang, Black Crow, Wolhwa, Hyeok Moo-jin, and finally, Ju Hwa-ran, were all on me.

And then, in a voice so dry it barely seemed like my own, I spoke.

“Block the exit. Let no one escape.”

Hwangbo Eom had initially blocked the exit, but now, it would be me who opened and closed it.

“Taeeul Mujeong Sword, Hwangbo Eom.”

I let out a deep sigh. The extreme yang energy bubbling in my dantian spilled out as a white mist.

“You… you said something you shouldn’t have.”

Merely invoking Jeok Cheon-Gang’s name in this context was unacceptable.

You shouldn’t have said that.

Now, you will pay the price for those words.

“Come at me, you damn old man.”

In the time that seemed to stretch infinitely, Hwangbo Eom and I charged at each other.

Kwaaaaang!

The 36 Heavenly Swords.

The net of sword energy that covered the heavens and earth was dense and powerful.

The swordsmanship was incomparable to the Roaring Sword Master I faced a year ago or Hyeok So-pyeong from yesterday.

Shh-shh-shh-shhk!

It was dazzlingly fast and destructive. Even a mere graze would slice through flesh and bone, leading to death.

It was impossible to dodge. It couldn’t be avoided.

‘That would have been the case a year ago.’

The phrase “scrape your eyes and look again” came to mind.

Even that phrase, meaning to take a second look at an astonishing achievement, felt insufficient for my current state.

Through harsh and relentless training, I had grown stronger. It was fair to say I had evolved.

‘Heaven was unkind. How can someone like you exist?’

The face of Jeok Cheon-Gang, filled with a mix of exasperation, overlayed the net of sword energy.

I chuckled softly and swung my spear, Baekyeom.

Slash!

The extreme yang energy within Baekyeom’s blade tore through the net.

Fish would escape through the torn net, but I wasn’t a fish. I was a shark. The fisherman who cast the net had overlooked that fact.

The old fisherman’s wrinkled face was filled with shock.

“You—!”

I didn’t answer. I bent my knees and lowered my waist. The spear in my hand swayed like a dragon’s tail.

‘Fire Dragon’s Tail Strike.’

Hwaaak! Kwaang!

The blue-flaming spear clashed with the sword. The ensuing explosion of energy shook the heavens and earth.

Was he trying to conserve his strength? If so, Hwangbo Eom’s choice was completely wrong. Even though the energy consumption was intense, he should have used the Sword Qi.

“Hup!”

With wide eyes, Hwangbo Eom’s form faltered under the brute force of my superhuman strength and martial prowess.

“What kind of martial art is this…?”

The founder of Yeolhwa Moon was renowned as the greatest of his time. He created the Yeolhwa Divine Art as the foundation of the sect, and the sixteen subsequent masters each developed their own branches from this root.

The Fire Dragon God Spear was one such branch, created by the fifth master. It was an incredibly destructive and ferocious spear technique, mirroring the movements of a fire dragon.

And now…

‘This is just the beginning.’

Huuuuuung!

I didn’t hold back my strength. As I thrust, slashed, and swung my spear, the blue flames roared violently, each strike splitting the sky with deafening thunder.

‘After the tail comes the claws.’

No one in the world has ever seen a dragon fight. But as I learned the Fire Dragon God Spear, I often thought that if a dragon wielded its claws, it would look just like this.

Gooong.

The extreme yang energy wrapped around the spearhead. The tea that had been spilled everywhere had long since evaporated, and the jade-colored teapot glowed red as if it were still in the kiln.

Sensing something amiss, Hwangbo Eom shouted in a thunderous voice.

“You damn brat!”

Although he was nearing eighty years old, age was just a number for someone in the supreme realm. His immense inner power and the techniques he had honed over decades burst forth like beams of light.

Swaaak!

If the 36 Heavenly Swords were a net, this was a harpoon aimed to kill. Dozens of afterimages scattered as his sword slashed at my chest with incredible speed, and a particular technique came to mind.

‘Taeeul Splitting Light Sword.’

One of the most esteemed techniques of the Jongnam Sect.

Jeok Cheon-Gang once described it as an extreme and joyful sword technique. He also added a comment.

‘I must be losing my mind in my old age. I have a feeling you’ll be faster than the sword.’

If Jeok Cheon-Gang were awake, I’d like to tell him he was right. Also, that the techniques of Yeolhwa Moon had shattered the Taeeul Splitting Light Sword.

‘Heaven’s Might.’

The dragon’s claw slashed down. The blow, like a bolt of lightning, erased the afterimages created by the Taeeul Splitting Light Sword and crashed down like a thunderbolt.

Kwaaaaaaang!

A pillar of hellfire erupted.