Chapter 134: Five Elements Qi (3)

"Just as I thought—it didn’t work?"

Ignoring Jang Woo-hyun’s question, the Thunder Sect Leader raised his hand. With a crackling sound, lightning burst from his palm.

"You, what are you? How can you move like that?"

He asked again, but the response wasn’t what he had hoped for.

"You haven’t even heard my name, have you? I am Ma Moon-gi, the 27th successor of the Thunder Sect. A being who has transcended humanity. And you—what is your name?"

"Jang Woo—You son of a—!"

Before Jang Woo-hyun could finish saying his name, Ma Moon-gi moved.

Kwa-rung!

With the sound of thunder, his attack poured forth.

Just earlier, it had caught Jang Woo-hyun off guard due to its unexpected speed, causing a slight delay in his response. But now that he realized Ma Moon-gi could reach speeds akin to a martial artist in the Realm of Transcendence, blocking the attack was not difficult.

Jang Woo-hyun deflected all of Ma Moon-gi’s lightning-infused strikes.

Pung! Puh-bung!

The clash between the two blasted apart the surroundings.

While parrying the incoming attacks, Jang Woo-hyun calmly observed his opponent.

‘He’s not in the Realm of Transcendence.’

If he were, he would’ve already ascended. And the power behind his strikes wasn’t that overwhelming either.

‘He seems to be on a similar level to Lee Ga-hang.’

While the overall power felt similar, the speed was in a completely different league.

He blocked hand strikes slashing like blades and deflected punches stabbing in like spears. After exchanging dozens of moves, Jang Woo-hyun’s thoughts solidified.

‘He didn’t reach this domain naturally.’

It felt like a forced breakthrough. Moreover, his speed was gradually decreasing.

Easily blocking Ma Moon-gi’s attacks, Jang Woo-hyun attempted to close the distance. He intended to flow his Internal Energy inward and investigate.

However, perhaps sensing his intent, Ma Moon-gi swung his arm wide and leapt backward.

Jang Woo-hyun didn’t move, curious about what Ma Moon-gi would do next, and Ma Moon-gi, surprised by Jang Woo-hyun’s strength, refrained from attacking.

"…You're a monster."

It was Ma Moon-gi’s honest impression.

After perfecting the ultimate technique passed down through his sect, Ma Moon-gi had never encountered anyone who could keep up with his speed.

Even the masters of giant sects, hailed as supreme beings in the Martial World, couldn’t keep up with him—yet Jang Woo-hyun was facing him with ease.

"Did you enhance your physical ability using lightning qi? Even so, how can you be this fast? Hold on. Just a bit more and I’ll figure it out."

Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes scanned Ma Moon-gi’s body, filled with curiosity. That glint of madness in his gaze made Ma Moon-gi involuntarily step back.

‘Did I retreat?’

The same man who singlehandedly brought down the Yellow Dragon Temple?

No matter how numerous or powerful the enemy, Ma Moon-gi had never once retreated. But now, just from the look in his opponent’s eyes, he had stepped back—his pride was wounded.

He steadied his resolve and drew more power. Lightning Qi surged from near Ma Moon-gi’s heart.

Stronger than before.

He increased his speed again and appeared before Jang Woo-hyun.

As he stepped rapidly, Ma Moon-gi’s form elongated.

‘What is this?’

Was he trying to create afterimages to simulate a clone?

To Jang Woo-hyun, it seemed meaningless. It wasn’t a projection created with Will-Form Qi—it was merely an optical illusion, no better than a trick.

But contrary to Jang Woo-hyun’s dismissive thoughts, Ma Moon-gi pushed his speed to the limit without stopping.

Kwoong!

As Ma Moon-gi stepped with True Step, his multiplied forms merged into one.

He moved his arm.

The overlapping illusions made it appear as though his arm had extended.

‘Huh?’

Watching closely, Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes widened.

‘They’re not illusions?’

Looking again, those formed hands weren’t fake.

Dozens of extended arms were additional limbs formed of lightning.

Each arm moved independently, layering technique upon technique, and overlaying countless martial arts atop them.

Palm Arts, Fist Techniques, Hand Techniques, Finger Techniques.

The lightning-formed hands executed martial arts that quickly merged into one. A radiant pattern appeared before Ma Moon-gi.

‘A Spell Formation?’

A pattern that could be called a magic circle. It differed from ordinary martial arts.

It was a mysterious sight Jang Woo-hyun had never seen before.

As he watched, the pattern Ma Moon-gi had created was completed and immediately burst out light as it exploded.

Simultaneously, the layered martial arts poured out at once.

A thunderstorm of lightning qi.

Dozens—no, maybe hundreds—of techniques came crashing down. To face the attack, Jang Woo-hyun, for the first time since arriving in this world, drew his sword.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga!

Using the Three Wheels Sword Art, he drew a circle to deflect the attacks. But some energies pierced through before the circle could be completed and struck his body.

The speed had increased compared to the previous attacks.

Jang Woo-hyun had no choice but to retreat under the barrage. Only after stepping back twenty paces did he stop.

And then, Jang Woo-hyun laughed.

Because within that storm of attacks, he had perfectly grasped his opponent’s abilities.

"Heheh, hahahahahaha!"

A soft chuckle turned into a roaring laughter, echoing through the surroundings.

"So this is possible too!"

With eyes shining brighter than before, Jang Woo-hyun’s gaze locked onto Ma Moon-gi.

His eyes were filled with curiosity, but from Ma Moon-gi’s perspective, he looked completely insane. After taking such an attack, he still gazed at him with eyes full of wonder.

That look made Ma Moon-gi again step back slightly. To him, Jang Woo-hyun no longer appeared merely strong—he looked like a lunatic.

‘He broke the balance on purpose!’

Ma Moon-gi’s current martial arts level was at the Absolute Realm.

In the Central Heavens Realm, where beings who transcended humanity lived and many other races coexisted, the Absolute Realm wasn’t considered that high. There were still four levels above it.

But in the Lower Realm, before one transcended humanity, it was a realm that represented true supremacy.

Hence, it was called the Absolute Realm.

Upon reaching the Absolute Realm, all aspects approached perfection. The Swift Sword gained weight, the Soft Sword gained lightning-like speed and endless variation, and the Heavy Sword gained fluidity.

Completing all deficiencies into one form—reaching the pinnacle of humanity—that was the realm known as Absolute.

But Ma Moon-gi had deliberately shattered that balance.

Power and stability, softness and transformation—he abandoned them all and focused solely on speed.

He had forcibly evolved his martial arts under extreme conditions.

It was a shortcut. There was no guarantee he could grow further from here.

However, its power was exceptional.

At present, Ma Moon-gi was in the Absolute Realm, but in terms of speed alone, he rivaled the Realm of Transcendence.

If Jang Woo-hyun had encountered him in the Central Plains before ascending, he would have struggled.

‘No, not just struggled.’

If evaluated objectively, he would have likely lost.

Before reaching the Realm of Transcendence, Jang Woo-hyun estimated his chances of losing would have been over seventy percent.

With a smile that hadn’t faded, Jang Woo-hyun looked at his opponent.

Ma Moon-gi, cloaked in lightning qi.

Seeing the stern expression directed at him, Jang Woo-hyun felt a strange kinship with him.

A talent incomparable to ordinary people.

Ma Moon-gi was another genius, like those Jang Woo-hyun had encountered in another world.

Had they met in the Central Plains, he would rightly have been called a heaven beyond heaven.

"The name of that technique you just used?"

"…Mandala."

Asked with a bright face, Ma Moon-gi straightened his shoulders and answered with pride.

"Thousand-Hand Thunderclap Mandala."

It was a name fitting for the intricate formation-like pattern that resembled a dazzling spell formation.

"Mandala, that’s a fine name."

Jang Woo-hyun laughed heartily and took a step forward. And then, he revealed his full strength.

To avoid the shockwave of the battle, Lee Ga-hang, who was relocating Naeng Namcheon and No Yuk, suddenly turned her head as she sensed an overwhelming energy.

"My heavens…"

A gust of dust swept past Lee Ga-hang’s feet.

Jang Woo-hyun hadn’t released a burst of force or swung his sword. He had merely revealed his power, and yet, even though she was thirty jang away, the dust had reached her.

Lee Ga-hang swallowed hard and looked at Jang Woo-hyun with a trembling body.

That was no human. Just as her grandfather had said, that was a being beyond human.

It inspired awe instinctively.

But her astonishment did not end there.

The vast energy that had spread as if to devour the world suddenly collapsed inward and was sucked into Jang Woo-hyun.

"Ah…"

She felt the urge to kneel. To bow her head and worship the presence before her. Such thoughts filled Lee Ga-hang’s mind.

What was contained within that small human body was a force that could destroy the world.

Lee Ga-hang hugged herself with both arms to still her trembling.

‘That wasn’t all he had shown us.’

The power he displayed when facing the four masters called the absolute beings of the Martial World had not been his full strength. The figure before her now was his true self.

Ma Moon-gi barely held on to his fading consciousness.

If Lee Ga-hang, thirty jang away, felt that way, then what must he, standing right in front, be experiencing?

"Sacred River Flowing Armor. This is my true power."

Jang Woo-hyun, surrounded by a softly glowing barrier of qi, looked like a divine general from the heavens spoken of in legends.

Swallowing nervously, Ma Moon-gi summoned every ounce of power he could muster.

Crackle—lightning around him fused into a single bolt and shot from the earth to the sky.

As he unleashed all his power and shed his nervousness, a faint smile appeared on his face. What now surged within him was not tension or fear—but fighting spirit.

‘As expected.’

He too was no lesser man than Jang Woo-hyun.

"I shall come."

Now speaking with formality, Ma Moon-gi charged at Jang Woo-hyun.

Kwa-rung!

With the sound of thunder, he moved even faster than before.

But it didn’t work. Jang Woo-hyun was now using his full strength.

Jang Woo-hyun had always wielded power beyond those at the Peak Realm. Even a martial artist in the same Realm of Transcendence would be no match. Ma Moon-gi was only in the Absolute Realm. Even if he had broken the mold, it wasn’t enough.

He was slower than Jang Woo-hyun, and even if he managed to land a hit, he could not pierce the Sacred River Flowing Armor.

After exchanging dozens of strikes in an instant, Ma Moon-gi leapt back.

"It won’t work."

Shaking his head, he looked at Jang Woo-hyun.

Seeing the intensity in his eyes, Jang Woo-hyun understood. Those were not the eyes of someone who had given up.

"Could you grant me a moment?"

"As much as you need."

Once given permission, Ma Moon-gi stood in place and began gathering energy.

The lightning qi, now wild and turbulent.

Ma Moon-gi, scattering lightning in all directions, leapt into the sky once he finished his preparations.

Kwa-rurururung!

Centered around him high in the sky, lightning spread in all directions.

Soon after, dark clouds gathered in the clear sky.

‘Is he borrowing the power of nature?’

It was an astounding sight. The unique qi Ma Moon-gi possessed seemed capable of harmonizing with natural energy.

The approaching storm clouds filled the sky with thunder. In their midst, Ma Moon-gi spread his arms.

Then, the storm clouds vomited lightning all at once.

The rain of lightning did not fall to the ground. Instead, it streaked across the sky and surged toward Ma Moon-gi.

Having absorbed all the lightning, Ma Moon-gi revealed himself once more.

He was now less a human than an incarnation of thunder and lightning.

【I shall come.】

The incarnation of lightning conveyed his will not with voice, but through Will-Form Qi from the sky. And the man on the ground responded with a smile.

The moment Jang Woo-hyun nodded—

A colossal bolt of lightning fell toward the man standing on the ground.

In response, from the earth surged a light far more brilliant than the lightning.

Before the lightning could strike the earth—

A black line split the bolt, and the sword’s drawn trajectory cleaved the storm clouds above.

Thus, the battle came to an end.

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