Murim Login - Chapter 471

Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang had lived for over a hundred years.

The boy, who once wandered aimlessly in search of food and shelter, met a master one day and became the eighteenth successor of Yeolhwadong (Fiery Flame Sect). As time passed and his master returned to the earth, he became the sole disciple and head of the sect.

The passage of time transformed the boy into a young man, the young man into a middle-aged man, and eventually into an old man—a process that took an unimaginably long time.

During that period, a massive war broke out that decided the fate of the world, and a new emperor and dynasty rose to power.

Five floods and earthquakes struck, bringing plagues in their wake, and bandits wearing red turbans pillaged and plundered across the land.

Over the course of his life, Jeok Cheon-Gang witnessed countless disasters caused both by human folly and divine punishment.

Yet, among all the events that had left an indelible mark on him, one stood above all others.

The Great War of Righteousness and Demonic Cults.

A time when corpses formed mountains, and rivers of blood flowed freely.

Caught in the maelstrom of that war, Jeok Cheon-Gang glimpsed the vast and bizarre world of the Demonic Cults and Outsiders—a realm unlike anything he had ever experienced.

The martial arts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, a force as profound and enigmatic as the righteous Shaolin Temple, were both deep and strange.

But now, Jeok Cheon-Gang realized something.

Even if he combined everything he had seen and experienced throughout his life, it would pale in comparison to the spectacle unfolding before him.

‘Ruuumble!’

“What… is this?!”

And when the colossal entity finally revealed itself, Jeok Cheon-Gang felt as if the blood in his veins had frozen.

“What in the world is that?!”

He was a master who had lived far beyond a hundred years.

With his experience and status, he had seen his fair share of Divine Spirits or abominations—creatures most martial artists would never encounter in their lifetimes.

But this… this was different. It surpassed all the knowledge and experience Jeok Cheon-Gang had accumulated over his lifetime.

It wasn’t just the cliffs crumbling under the monster’s might.

The very rules and laws of the world he believed in were shattering alongside the falling rocks. Everything was being destroyed and scattered.

And this shock wasn’t limited to Jeok Cheon-Gang alone.

“Huh…”

“Ah, ah…”

Moon Kyung, known as the Killing Star, couldn’t suppress a groan, and Zhuge Pung, whose intelligence and genius were often compared to the legendary Zhuge Liang, was left speechless.

But the shock they felt didn’t end there.

‘Rooooaaar!’

The monster’s deafening roar pushed aside the rain and tore through the air.

At the same time, an eerie energy emanated from the creature, spreading outward and engulfing the three individuals standing over a hundred paces away.

‘Ssssssh!’

As if they had planned it, all three of them froze in place. In their wide-open eyes, unmistakable fear was reflected.

“This can’t be!”

Their bodies felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton, and their fists clenched involuntarily.

Zhuge Pung, who was still at the Peak level, let out a faint groan as chills coursed through him. Even Jeok Cheon-Gang and Moon Kyung, who had reached heights far beyond his, involuntarily held their breath.

“This is impossible!”

Both the Fire King and the Killing Star immediately recognized the nature of the foreign sensation overtaking them.

It was an emotion they had long forgotten—one they had been unable to feel since becoming invincible warriors.

Fear.

Though the mutated Water Dragon’s emanating Fear was certainly powerful, what shook Jeok Cheon-Gang and Moon Kyung most was their own ignorance.

Their martial arts, while superior to even modern S-rank hunters, were insufficient to steel their minds against such an enormous monster—a creature beyond their understanding that defied all their accumulated knowledge and worldview.

‘Boooom!’

The monster wasted no time, seizing the opportunity to rampage freely.

Every time its body, covered in black scales, slammed into the cliffs, massive boulders filled the sky and rained down.

‘Crash! Crash!’

A relentless downpour of enormous rocks battered the unseen ground below.

Jeok Cheon-Gang’s eyes burned fiercely as he watched.

“That thing!”

He already knew what the monster was aiming for with its barrage of attacks.

It was none other than Jin Taekyung, the sole successor of the Fiery Flame Sect and his temporary disciple.

The moment he recalled that fact, molten-hot energy erupted from Jeok Cheon-Gang’s body, breaking through the paralysis induced by the monster’s Fear.

‘Roooar!’

The Twelve Meridians and Eight Extra Vessels roared as they surged with overwhelming Yang energy, pushing back the oppressive aura emanating from the creature.

Though only for an instant, the high-temperature energy infused Jeok Cheon-Gang’s body, freeing him from the momentary paralysis. He then unleashed a roar like thunder.

“’Haaah!’”

‘Bang!’

The force of his battle cry was so powerful that the rain and air around him exploded outward.

Though he hadn’t completely overcome the effects of ‘Fear’, the fact that he managed to escape it on his own, without help, was extraordinary—something that would leave modern hunters in utter disbelief.

And Jeok Cheon-Gang wasn’t the only one who achieved this incredible feat.

While Jeok Cheon-Gang overcame ‘Fear’ with rage, Moon Kyung used cold reason and insight gained through enlightenment to escape its grasp.

‘This abomination, unheard of in all the ages of history, must be defeated here.’

The kind-hearted medic who once cared for the sick was no more.

The Killing Star, feared throughout the world, stepped forward with calm yet deadly resolve, his lean figure disappearing like a ghost.

‘Swish! Swooosh!’

Using his ultimate skill, Phantom Ghost Killing Steps, Moon Kyung darted through the rain, skimming across the water’s surface and evaporating moisture with each step.

Only an afterimage of his figure remained, accompanied by a blazing streak of fire cutting through the air below.

‘Roooar!’

Jeok Cheon-Gang’s lips parted, and an enraged roar burst forth.

“Do you dare to lay your filthy eel body there?! Get away from him this instant!”

—

‘Rumble, Boom!’

Amid the relentless roar of thunder and lightning, a sharp voice pierced through. Two figures darted toward the colossal Water Dragon with a speed akin to lightning.

Now, it all made sense—why this quest was rated as Supreme in difficulty.

‘Alone, this would’ve been impossible, but now the situation is different.’

Beside me were Cheongpung, a genius unmatched even by the system’s standards when it came to mastering martial arts, and two other overwhelming presences.

The Fire King and the Killing Star.

Even by today’s standards, where average lifespans had greatly increased, the two of them were well past the age where they should be playing gateball in retirement villages. Yet, they were monstrous beings who could crush the heads of peak martial artists with a flick of a finger.

‘Their movements seem heavier compared to before…’

Could it be that even these two were affected by ‘Fear’, albeit slightly?

Regardless, we now had two human-shaped monsters to stand against this colossal beast.

Though I had taken slight injuries during my initial clashes with the Dongting Fisherman—an internal wound and a scratch on the shoulder—I was otherwise fine.

‘If it weren’t for my insane muscles and the Fire Dragon Armor, I might’ve ended up with broken limbs.’

The creature’s massive size belied its incredible speed, and its whip-like whiskers made for devastating attacks.

I had suspected earlier that it was similar yet different from the Sea Serpent described in the Monster Encyclopedia. And then, in a fleeting moment, I noticed something strange in the Water Dragon’s gleaming eyes.

It had realized something was wrong.

And I didn’t miss the brief opening it gave me.

“Cheongpung!”

“Yes, Benefactor!”

Sometimes, just a single word or a glance is enough to communicate intentions perfectly.

That was exactly the case as Cheongpung and I surged toward the Water Dragon simultaneously.

‘Sshiiing!’

‘Shwish, Shwish, Shwish!’

We moved twice as fast as when we had been thrown back by its tail earlier.

As the Water Dragon saw the blue and red auras radiating from my spear and Cheongpung’s sword, its whiskers flailed violently.

‘Swish, Swish, Swish!’

Those whiskers were the most annoying thing. Though their destructive power and sharpness didn’t quite reach the level of a Supreme Master’s aura, they far surpassed an ordinary sword aura, making them impossible to ignore.

On top of that, each whisker was nearly three meters long. The way the creature manipulated them was as bizarre as the Dongting Fisherman’s use of the Black Wooden Oar in his martial arts.

We had been caught off guard in our initial clash because we hadn’t expected it to use its whiskers so effectively.

But now…

‘Come at me again, you bastard.’

As the radiant threads of light imbued with the Water Dragon’s energy rained down, I angled my spear diagonally forward.

‘Whoosh! Slash!’

The bluish-white flame cleaved through the strands of light, cutting them down and robbing them of their strength.

But the Water Dragon wasn’t an easy opponent. No sooner had I severed the threads before just as many were targeting my back.

‘Swhiiiish!’

From the beginning, it was evident this was a cunning creature. Somehow, it had instinctively gauged the strength of my Fire Dragon Armor and aimed for the exposed areas of my flesh.

I felt a chill run down my spine as the deadly energy approached from behind. But before it could reach me, a more potent energy intercepted it.

‘Swish, Slash!’

A dazzling violet aura illuminated the darkness, scattering it. This was the Violet Mist Divine Art, a secret technique passed down only to the most senior disciples of the Mount Hua Sect.

‘Cheongpung.’

Even without turning to look, I knew the danger to my back had been eliminated.

Cheongpung had done his part. Now it was my turn to go all out.

No, correction. It was our turn.

—

‘Grrrraaaaarrrrk!’

The mutated Water Dragon raised its head in a desperate attempt, but it was already too late.

Failing to stop Cheongpung and me swiftly—that was its greatest mistake. And now, two human-shaped monsters were upon its massive body.

‘Shiiiing!’

Quiet and precise, yet faster than anything else, one streak of lightning descended from above.

And in the next moment, the sound of a blade slicing through resonated.

‘Slash!’

The Water Dragon’s black horn, struck by the silver aura, was severed halfway, and a piercing cry of pain and rage erupted from its maw.

‘Graaahhh!’

“Huff!”

Moon Kyung, who had attempted to plunge a small sword between the Water Dragon’s scales, faltered momentarily.

‘I knew it.’

Unlike me, who was accustomed to ‘Fear’, or the naturally unhinged Cheongpung, the others had yet to completely escape its influence. The differences in their reactions were clear.

However, that didn’t stop Jeok Cheon-Gang’s incoming strike.

“You damned eel bastard—!”

As Jeok Cheon-Gang unleashed a storm of curses that sounded like magical incantations, his fist landed squarely on the Water Dragon’s midsection.

‘Boom! Crack!’

—

‘Whoooosh!’

Flames and steam erupted as the Water Dragon’s colossal body tilted toward the ground.

At the end of its collapsing path, I charged forward with all my might.

‘Sshhhiiing!’

‘Grrrrk!’

Reflected in the massive, vertically slit blood-red pupil was the sight of Baekyeom, wreathed in blue flames, plunging forward.

“I told you not to look at me with those eyes, you son of a bitch.”

‘Thrust!’

—