Chapter 444

Chapter 444## Chapter 444

Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero (2)

Ha Seung-hoon’s expression contorted with deep revulsion as he stared at the familiar creature of myth looming directly before his eyes.

Back when Hari had journeyed to Geom-o Island, this very beast had provoked a conflict without provocation. To think that it would now have the audacity to trigger an uprising inside the sovereign domain of the Mosan Sect!

With the ongoing grand endeavor toward unification and global restoration, such lawlessness was completely intolerable.

‘A part of me wishes I could call upon Hari this instant to grind this monster into dust…’

Focusing his internal energy, he gently cast Jeon Hye-mi back into the safety of his garments before hurtling her further away from the danger zone, his fingers locking tightly around the grip of his blade. Simultaneously, an intense, searing radiation radiated from his palm.

The energy instantly manifested as a radiant, roaring fire serpent, wrapping itself along the metal edge and swelling with terrifying velocity.

Rumble—! Crash!

These blazes, amplified to cataclysmic proportions by the unique properties of the “Spirit Command Body,” completely blanketed the colossal entity that was barreling toward him.

[Insignificant maggot! How dare a worthless piece of trash like you—!]

Regardless of the sheer disparity in their foundational strength tiers, a martial strike backed by the profound principles of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Art was a force that commanded respect.

It was, after all, a supreme esoteric style bestowed directly by the grace of the Dragon God—holding a position among the absolute pinnacle arts within the entire Kanghwan Realm.

Had it not previously managed to slice clean through the limb of the Sword Saint, a supreme master of the transcendent sphere, by capitalizing on a split-second lapse in defense?

[It appears the empty praise of the masses has blinded you to reality! An assault of this caliber cannot even pierce my flesh!]

Yet, when stripped of hyperbole, that single exchange represented the absolute limit of his current capabilities.

An offensive of that magnitude could briefly impede Do-ol’s forward momentum, but it lacked the sheer power required to deal a lethal blow to a creature of such legendary status.

[Wrrrroaaaaar—!]

An earth-shattering howl split the air, generating a violent shockwave of raw kinetic force that instantaneously blew apart the inferno devouring his massive frame.

A mocking grin tuged at the corner of Ha Seung-hoon’s mouth as he watched the residual sparks scatter into the atmosphere and turn to ash.

‘Absurd elemental dispersion. Combined with a cellular acceleration that knits tissue back together in the blink of an eye… Frankly, he functions like a scaled-down variation of Hari.’

Do-ol was an elite warrior beast whose prowess had been thoroughly documented throughout the cataclysm of the Final War.

He had been utterly dominated by Hari, who possessed vastly superior attributes in every category during that conflict, but his fundamental martial capabilities remained terrifyingly potent.

Armed with near-impenetrable density and a monumental physical presence, he presented a far more convoluted problem than even a human grandmaster of the transcendent tier.

‘My mastery remains restricted to the boundaries of the flame realm. He is fundamentally beyond my current threshold. In a battle of attrition, my defeat is inevitable. However…’

Tightening his fingers upon his weapon, he locked his gaze onto the adversary ahead.

Had he not achieved a profound realization just a short while ago?

To genuinely desire ascension while simultaneously avoiding hardship was nothing short of self-delusion.

‘Particularly if my goal is to shatter the barriers holding back my progression in the martial path.’

This encounter was a trial he must endure.

He chose not to rely on the safety net of the “Avatar” attribute to circumvent internal backlash as he had done previously; instead, he would temper his own spirit through raw combat to achieve genuine enlightenment.

When factoring in that a massive portion of his highly elevated psychic reserve was currently dedicated to sustaining the structural integrity of his various incarnations, this path of self-improvement was mandatory.

Swoosh—

Right then, as if responding to the ironclad conviction of his soul, a distinct and comforting aura flooded into his veins.

A majestic essence that a single entity in the cosmos was capable of manifesting.

‘The sacred essence of the Dragon God?’

He cast a fleeting glance over his shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips.

Faced with this life-threatening peril, a burning passion flared within his physical vessel.

In stark contrast, his consciousness turned completely calculating, analyzing every subtle shift in his immediate environment with absolute precision.

Status: Peak condition.

The esoteric principles of the “Black Dragon Secret Annals,” which had remained dormant in the deepest recesses of his consciousness, rushed to the forefront, making their power known.

“Sigh… Excellent. This will suffice…”

There was no window to draw another breath.

A savage, razor-sharp claw slashed through the atmosphere as the beast pounced.

Celerity, phantom displacement, shape alteration.

His silhouette drifted effortlessly upward along Do-ol’s massive arm, resembling drifting blossoms riding a gale.

The gale-force currents swirling beneath his steps converged entirely onto the point of his blade.

Riiiiip—

Yet, the precise laceration that followed merely left a shallow streak across the thick skin of the legendary beast’s throat.

Even that minor wound sealed itself completely within mere breaths.

A microscopic droplet of crimson upon the dense leather was the sole indicator that the strike had even connected.

[You wretched parasite!]

Nevertheless, that microscopic scratch was more than enough to drive Do-ol into a frenzy.

This pathetic mortal whom he had deemed entirely beneath his notice had actually managed to draw his blood!

How could he possibly permit such an indignity to stand?

[I will tear you limb from limb!]

With his supreme arrogance deeply insulted, the beast completely dismissed the young dragon hybrid from his mind.

He abandoned his initial objective of seizing his target and executing a swift retreat, choosing instead to channel his absolute fury toward a single goal.

To utterly pulverize this irritating mortal.

Boom—!

“Khhk!”

Ha Seung-hoon’s form, clipped by the near-instantaneous trajectory of Do-ol’s talons, crashed violently into the dirt, gouging out a massive depression.

If he had not instinctively cloaked his body in the defensive barrier of the earth dragon aura to dull the sheer kinetic force, the outcome would have been catastrophic.

Yet, he was granted no reprieve to steady himself.

Crash—

Do-ol’s massive hoof flattened the exact position he had just vacated, fracturing the bedrock and initiating a monumental cascade of earth that buried the immediate topography.

—

Amidst the seismic tremors that caused the entire mountain range to vibrate, a ceaseless volley of devastating detonations echoed through the wilderness.

“Young Master Ha…!”

Jeon Hye-mi, who had successfully evaded the concussive ripples of the colliding energies by employing her mystical arts, bit her lip anxiously as she watched the epicenter of the violence.

‘Would it have been wiser for me to remain concealed? If I had refrained from signaling for assistance, Young Master Ha wouldn’t be in this peril…’

Ha Seung-hoon had materialized precisely when she needed him most, guided by her draconic divination.

Drawing upon the survival instincts she cultivated during her period of confinement within the Demonic Cult, she had flawlessly executed a long-range mental transmission, relaying her coordinates dynamically.

‘If I only possessed a fraction more mystical authority. I could have engineered my own escape without burdening anyone else!’

But Do-ol was an ancient calamity, a titan of combat by any metric.

A covert mental whisper might bypass his awareness, but a high-tier reality-warping art like immediate spatial dislocation? It would be intercepted instantly.

Her calculated diversion had disrupted his focus just long enough to create an opening for flight—otherwise, escape would have been a fantasy.

Rumble—!

Yet another violent shockwave rippled outward from the heart of the collapsing terrain.

At the epicenter of the storm, brilliantly hued serpents of energy manifested, tearing through the heavens.

Every single one of them possessed the raw capacity to reduce an entire mountain peak to dust, serving as manifestations of pure ruin.

And yet, the moment they materialised, they were shattered and neutralized, failing to achieve any lasting result.

‘The only contribution I am capable of making right now…’

Jeon Hye-mi interlaced her fingers and clamped her eyelids shut.

Devoid of any aptitude outside the realm of sorcery, entering the fray directly would merely transform her into a liability.

The most effective course of action available to her was to offer her spiritual energy, channeling supportive incantations to reinforce his physical fortitude.

‘With an entity of this magnitude unleashing such chaotic disturbances, Geom-o Island will inevitably take notice. If he can simply maintain his defense until those supreme beings manifest…!’

Suddenly, through the spiritual bond linking her to Ha Seung-hoon, she sensed an immense reservoir of vitality instantaneously evaporate. Her eyes snapped open in sheer terror.

His physical form, intercepted mid-strike, was driven deeply into the face of a crumbling precipice amidst a shower of shattered boulders.

‘No!’

The defensive incantation had successfully mitigated a vast portion of the kinetic trauma; he had not succumbed yet.

She was intellectually aware of that fact, but being reduced to a passive observer nonetheless eroded her psychological resolve.

“Perhaps… if I simply surrendered myself to that monster voluntarily…”

He lacked the fundamental output to overcome this ancient calamity.

He could not sustain this level of punishment for much longer.

It would be far more logical to submit, allowing the authorities of Geom-o Island to orchestrate her recovery at a later date, rather than persisting in a futile struggle that would result in needless demise.

“Hah, I wouldn’t recommend that. That beast would far prefer to consume you on the spot rather than risk misplacing his prize a second time.”

An unfamiliar voice pierced through her spiral of anxiety.

“Who goes there?!”

Jolted by the sudden intrusion, she spun around on her heel, her gaze sharpening with extreme wariness.

A gentleman of middle years stood a mere few meters away, his arms folded across his chest, nonchalantly evaluating the ongoing cataclysm.

‘Completely undetectable by sensory means. What manner of expert is this?’

Even in this high-stress scenario, she meticulously evaluated the surrounding space.

Any commonplace adversary—or even a master who had attained the flame realm—would leave some faint trace for her to register.

“…Astonishing. The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero, if memory serves? Barely entering his third decade of life, yet already confronting the ultimate threshold of mortality.”

The newcomer murmured in a low tone.

His delivery was entirely composed, yet her acute perceptions caught the underlying current.

A subtle jealousy was woven into his words.

Her internal alarms sounded with even greater urgency.

“Sigh. This simpleton continues to be plagued by his own grand illusions.”

“Argh!”

A secondary voice vibrated through the air. The middle-aged gentleman instantly clutched his temples in visible distress.

“You insufferable old fossil…!”

“Hmph, the manner in which you address your progenitor demonstrates that your enlightenment remains severely lacking.”

“Grrr…”

Jeon Hye-mi observed the newly arrived figure in utter mystification.

An ancient patriarch with an emaciated, weather-beaten frame stood before them, draped in tattered vestments, his silver beard drifting in the wind.

He merely offered a benevolent expression, gently smoothing his facial hair, yet the middle-aged gentleman writhed as if enduring intense torment, gnashing his teeth in agony.

“Do not let fear cloud your heart, young lady. That young warrior will not be overcome so trivially.”

Perceiving her bewildered gaze, the venerable elder offered a reassuring nod accompanied by a gentle expression.

“And it is truly magnificent. How can such a phenomenon even occur? It completely flies in the face of this universe’s fundamental laws.”

He redirected his focus back toward the collision, displaying immense fascination.

Profound respect and intellectual intrigue danced within the deep creases of his eyes.

“Tsk, what are you implying? Granted, achieving that tier at his youthful age is noteworthy, but…”

“Ah, this slow-witted pupil of mine possesses eyes but remains entirely blind to reality.”

The middle-aged gentleman scowled fiercely, still pressing his hands to his temples, but the ancient patriarch continued to exhale breath after breath of pure veneration, his focus entirely locked onto the duel.

For his advanced perception allowed him to witness the truth.

The countless disparate combat doctrines manifesting through the physical vessel of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero were systematically weaving themselves into a unified framework.

Without that underlying synthesis, he would have been dismantled by the ancient calamity within the opening exchanges.

Even though the ancient patriarch operated on a vastly superior spiritual tier, even he found himself unable to fully decipher the esoteric principles unfolding right before his eyes.

Strikes that by all laws of physics should have obliterated him simply glided harmlessly off his form; counterstrikes that should have lacked the momentum to pierce the beast’s armor found the weak points in the dense hide.

The dragon-infused footwork completely bypassed conventional martial logic; the trajectory of his blade existed entirely outside the boundaries of human understanding.

‘Furthermore, his rate of adaptation is unnaturally accelerated. This goes far beyond the definition of a prodigy. Is he actively utilizing a mortal crisis as a catalyst for evolution?’

It was solely the monumental gap in sheer foundational energy that forced him to maintain a defensive posture.

Given the sheer disparity in output, the mere fact that he was drawing out the engagement was nothing short of a miracle.

And the individual experiencing this psychological pressure most intensely was not this scholarly observer, but Do-ol himself.

“That explains why his gaze is completely bloodshot, utterly consumed by the compulsion to eradicate that youth.”

Clicking his tongue, the ancient patriarch observed Do-ol’s maniacal stare.

To an uninitiated observer, it would appear to be a manifestation of pure malice, but his refined senses detected the underlying truth.

An existential dread was flickering within those reptilian eyes.

An incomprehensible enigma that persisted despite a multitude of exchanges—and one that was actively shifting form.

Developing greater potency with every passing second. Quite naturally, Do-ol was driven by a frantic urge to obliterate this anomaly before it could achieve its ultimate form.

The moment that paradoxical truth achieved full maturity, his demise would be irrevocably guaranteed.

“I would prefer to grant the boy additional time to temper himself, but it appears he has reached the absolute nadir of his endurance.”

The ancient patriarch noted Ha Seung-hoon’s form wavering on the precipice of collapse.

Even infinite resilience and rapid adaptation possessed structural limitations.

Do-ol, an entity whose vicious reputation was recognized even across the expanse of Geom-o Island, would undoubtedly shatter that burgeoning potential before it could bear fruit if the conflict was allowed to persist.

“My pupil, step forward and offer your assistance. We cannot allow an elder of your standing to remain passive while that young man expends his very life force. Opportunities to engage in mortal combat with an ancient calamity do not manifest every day.”

“…Have your mental faculties completely deteriorated, old man? I have yet to even breach the final barrier myself—and you expect me to engage Do-ol? Are you finally orchestrating my execution?”

“Silence! You ungrateful child!”

“Ggah! Understood! Understood! Curse it all! Voluntarily stepping into the jaws of death, I have truly lost my mind!”

Ultimately, the middle-aged gentleman propelled himself toward the warzone.

Jeon Hye-mi, analyzing the developments in silence, monitored his departure with a mix of suspicion and budding optimism.

Their alignment was indisputably hostile toward the ancient calamity.

Which implied…

‘The Mosan Sect… No, an authority that sits far above their hierarchy.’

Regulating her breathing, she turned her attention with immense deference toward the remaining ancient patriarch.

“I offer my respects, honorable elder. I am Jeon Hye-mi, descendant of the Zhuge Clan based in Hubei. Might you be an emissary from Geom-o Island, by any chance?”

“Oh? Fascinating.”

The domain of the Mosan Sect served as the literal gateway to Geom-o Island.

Instigating an open conflict in such a location and attempting to escape? A retaliatory intervention of this speed was entirely logical.

“Heh, a perceptive young mind. Indeed, I hail from Geom-o Island. It just so happened that I was overseeing my pupil’s progression in this vicinity when we crossed paths with this disturbance.”

Yet, now that he was directly confronting the crisis, he had absolutely no intention of acting as a bystander, his eyes glittering with intent as he stroked his silver beard.

She swallowed with difficulty under the weight of the invisible aura he projected as he spoke further.

“I separated myself from my formal identity epochs ago, so I possess no conventional moniker to share. However, the denizens of Geom-o Island refer to me as…”

Jeon Hye-mi’s pupils dilated to their absolute limits.

As a daughter of the Zhuge lineage who possessed the most exhaustive knowledge regarding ancient entities outside of the Mosan Sect itself, she was acutely aware of the terrifying weight that title carried.

The Rakshasa King.

One of the absolute rulers of Geom-o Island, an entity who stood as an equal alongside the legendary Five Dragons, offered a serene expression to the young lady of draconic lineage.

—

“Confound it! What is the meaning of this unannounced chaos?!”

Ha Seung-hoon’s spirit soared as he noted the abrupt arrival of the interloper.

With his personal thresholds rapidly approaching their limit, he had been actively debating the necessity of summoning outside aid—this arrival could not have been more perfectly synchronized.

‘Mok In-gwang?’

A highly familiar countenance that he had not encountered since Hari departed from the Kanghwan Realm.

Naturally, his insertion into the conflict did not instantly reverse the strategic dynamic.

The individual recognized as the Nine Lights Demon had yet to cross the threshold of transcendence, remaining firmly anchored at the absolute boundary of the flame realm.

Nonetheless, it provided a vital window to catch his breath.

A sufficient interval to reestablish his tactical focus.

“Aaaaagh! That unhinged dotard! He is actively attempting to murder his own student! I swear it!”

Furthermore, his progenitor was clearly stationed in the immediate area, judging by the commentary.

‘The ancient entity who instructed him in the applications of the Mad Emperor Heart Technique.’

The unique master who had provided the orphaned, mentally unstable Mok In-gwang with a specialized internal cultivation method designed to regulate his psychological imbalances.

Their shared history following the conclusion of the war with Geom-o Island must have prompted him to track the youth down and claim him as a formal disciple.

‘He had slipped from my immediate priorities due to the sheer volume of global affairs, but it appears he is progressing satisfactorily.’

Though he exercised no direct governance over him, witnessing a former associate prospering evoked a sense of quiet satisfaction.

“Curse it! Infuriating! A day will come when I personally end that old bastard’s life!”

Evidently, his psychological instability appeared to have suffered a minor regression following the intense “somatic intervention” administered by Hari in the past.

At that exact chronological intersection, within the parallel dimensions of the Phantom Realm.

The Yellow Dragon—Horus—who had been entirely prepared to rupture the dimensional fabric, settled back into a resting posture.