Chapter 88: Same Side (3)

Dragon King’s Scales Armor.

Not a martial art, but quite literally the technique of forging armor using Dragon King’s Scales.

As hundreds of small scale blades enveloped his body, Jang Woo-hyun reinforced the Sacred River Flowing Armor that he had already activated.

No matter how tough Maeng Ye-ju’s body was, their opponent stood at a higher realm. A single strike could prove fatal. That was why Jang Woo-hyun chose to fortify his defense and block Sa Do-woong’s attack himself.

The three of them changed positions. Now, Jang Woo-hyun stood at the front, while the other two supported from behind.

Sa Do-woong did not attack, instead allowing them to prepare. He had no urgency and looked on as if to say, “Try whatever you want.”

Facing the relaxed Sa Do-woong, Jang Woo-hyun synchronized his breathing and drew in the surrounding energy to gain even the slightest strength. Releasing the tension in his tightly clenched fist, he leapt forward.

As Jang Woo-hyun approached, Sa Do-woong raised his hand.

A single punch, imbued with intention.

The energy surrounding them stirred with his will.

Kuuuuung—

Though it was just a single punch, what surged forward was a massive mountain.

Every part of the space within sight pressed down on Jang Woo-hyun.

He raised his black sword and drew a large circle.

The Second Wheel of the Three Wheels Sword Art.

And a continuous circle that followed.

He drew the circle to deflect the incoming pressure as much as possible.

Kudeudeuk—

But the force was too immense and shattered every circle. He could neither block it nor redirect the energy.

Then came Sa Do-woong’s second punch.

Through the avalanche-like pressure pushing Jang Woo-hyun back, a sharp energy thrust forward.

An attack like a spear aimed at piercing the enemy. Sa Do-woong’s strike broke through Jang Woo-hyun’s defense and reached the Dragon King’s Scales Armor.

Jjeoeong!

The blade scales that covered his upper body all scattered away. The overwhelming energy hammered the Sacred River Flowing Armor, but it didn’t completely penetrate. Jang Woo-hyun barely managed to block Sa Do-woong’s attack.

‘He’s strong.’

He could tell from a single clash.

All he had done was barely block the strike. The infinitely extending will and energy pressed down from all sides, suffocating him.

Though he had reached the realm said to transcend humanity, it was still not enough to face a master of the Absolute Realm.

Sa Do-woong’s movements were simple. But the power behind them was anything but. A mere gesture felt like it overturned the earth and crushed the sky.

Even with the Three Wheels Sword Art, he could not properly deflect the attacks. Even the Destructive Slash, which could shatter mountain peaks, merely detonated in Sa Do-woong’s hand.

His technique sequences were not flowing smoothly either. The chains of attacks were broken midway. Sa Do-woong’s will blanketed the surroundings and interfered with Jang Woo-hyun.

Tududududu—

The energy unleashed by Sa Do-woong assaulted Jang Woo-hyun from all directions. Clad in both the Dragon King’s Scales Armor and Sacred River Flowing Armor, he barely withstood it, but it wouldn’t last.

Jang Woo-hyun had experienced something similar before.

When he fought Usawa Gi Il-gwang of the Demonic Cult in the Central Plains. Even with the power of the Supreme Peak, he couldn’t reach the level of the Absolute Realm master Gi Il-gwang.

This was reminiscent of that time.

‘No.’

As the monster called fear and the outcome called defeat threatened to shroud his body, Jang Woo-hyun reassessed the situation.

It was different from then. He was not alone now. On both sides were comrades as capable as he was.

“Huaaah!”

Maeng Ye-ju roared and exploded with fierce energy. Riding that momentum, Wind-Passing Great Sage leapt through the air and thrust his silver spear forward.

Even strikes that seemed capable of shattering a mountain continued, but Sa Do-woong extended his hand and shattered the very space itself.

Kuuung—

From the shock of the ruptured space, Wind-Passing Great Sage was flung backward, and Maeng Ye-ju dropped to her knees.

“Krrgh.”

Sa Do-woong’s assault, targeting Maeng Ye-ju, followed immediately.

Jang Woo-hyun stepped in front of her and stomped down.

Kuuung!

He released a wave of qi as he stepped with his footwork.

Horse King’s Third Step: Sovereign Ruling.

The Six-Legged Horse King’s Step, now reaching Transcendence, was far superior than before. The surging wave of qi bloomed around Jang Woo-hyun like lotus petals.

He expelled the surrounding energy and carved out a space of his own. It was a small domain, but within it, Jang Woo-hyun’s will suppressed Sa Do-woong’s power.

Toward Sa Do-woong’s extending attack, he raised two swords.

The thin sword formed by the blade scales wrapped around his left arm, while the black sword was gripped in his right.

Swift Sword Style unfolded from his left hand.

A net of Qi Projection pressed down on Sa Do-woong. Immediately after, the gathered energy in the black sword exploded.

Following Lightning Net, Destructive Slash.

Facing the incoming assault, Sa Do-woong raised his hand and swung his palm edge.

The intent to divide everything visible reached out, and a massive sword cleaved down from above.

‘I can’t block it!’

Jang Woo-hyun quickly judged and escaped the trajectory.

The unleashed energy extended endlessly.

Kwaaaaa—

The force surged back over a hundred jang, splitting the earth in two. A massive scar was etched into the land, one that would not fade.

Jang Woo-hyun moved again to avoid the next continuous attack.

Within the barrage of attacks, the coordination between the two humans and the monster grew increasingly synchronized. Jang Woo-hyun used his strength to block attacks, Maeng Ye-ju created openings, and Wind-Passing Great Sage delivered strikes.

“……”

Unlike in the beginning, now that the trio's teamwork had stabilized, Jang Woo-hyun sensed something odd.

‘Strong.’

The presence Sa Do-woong had shown at his appearance and the power that had burst out in an instant were tremendous. The strength of a martial artist who had reached the Absolute Realm displayed an overwhelming force he had never seen before.

But it was different from when another master of the Absolute Realm, Gwak Yu-chan, had revealed his strength. Back then, the Absolute Realm had felt unreachable, but now, it didn’t feel the same.

Sa Do-woong’s power surpassed Gwak Yu-chan’s.

Yet, if asked ‘Is he stronger than Gwak Yu-chan?’, it didn’t feel that way. If the two fought, Jang Woo-hyun believed Gwak Yu-chan would win.

He was strong, but lacking somewhere—clumsy.

As he continued blocking attacks, Jang Woo-hyun began to feel a strange sense of déjà vu.

A situation he felt he had experienced before. Sa Do-woong’s presence overlapped with someone else.

‘Yeo Gun-hwi?’

Yeo Gun-hwi, the Sect Leader of the Asura Sword Sect whom he fought in the Central Heavens Martial Realm.

Though a leader of the Ten Demonic Paths and a renowned master in the Martial World, Jang Woo-hyun had been disappointed after facing him directly.

A martial artist who did not fight. A sword that lacked sharpness.

His power exceeded that of his subordinates, but his sword was neither sharp nor connected organically. Though the scale of strength differed, Sa Do-woong gave off a similar feeling.

‘Could this really be?’

The circumstances were quite different from Yeo Gun-hwi.

The Absolute Realm followed the Transcendence Realm, a stage that surpassed humanity. It didn’t make sense for someone who had passed through such a process to display this kind of performance.

‘Could it be... a side effect?’

Perhaps this was a side effect experienced by one who sought the power of gods to ascend realms the easy way. Becoming stronger through the blood of Beastkin might mean abandoning the path a martial artist was meant to walk.

The character for ‘martial’ (武) combined the character for spear (戈) with that for step (止). Martial arts, from the beginning, signified combat. A method to become stronger. A way to fight better.

Through martial arts, some find enlightenment, others save lives, but its ultimate purpose is still a method of combat—a way to grow stronger through weapons.

As Jang Woo-hyun understood it, martial arts in this world were about advancing one step at a time—not something one could suddenly acquire.

‘Senior Maeng told me too.’

Cultivators of the Cultivation Realm are called Spiritual Ascendants, and ascenders in the Martial Realm are called Warrior Ascendants.

Warrior Ascendants. Martial Immortals who fight, or immortals who engage in battle.

They were born that way from the beginning, so if they neglected training or combat, they would naturally become obsolete—and lose their power.

Jang Woo-hyun realized something.

In this world, martial arts were about progressing step by step. They were not something to be attained all at once.

His calm gaze turned to the wicked tiger Sa Do-woong.

A man who had strayed from the path of martial artists.

Because his growth had halted, he desired another method. And ever since his growth stopped, he likely neither trained nor made efforts.

Upon realizing the truth, the thought that he had a chance filled Jang Woo-hyun’s mind in a way it hadn't before.

Whenever Jang Woo-hyun defended, Maeng Ye-ju and Wind-Passing Great Sage launched their attacks. At times, Jang Woo-hyun would thrust forward an attack, and the other two would combine their strength to block Sa Do-woong’s strikes.

Though it was their first time fighting together, the three moved as if they had trained formation tactics for a long time. Like tiny insects charging at a colossal beast, the three relentlessly pressed Sa Do-woong.

Kwa-deudeudeuk—

When Sa Do-woong swung his palm edge like a sword, the blade scales of the Dragon King’s Scales Armor surrounding Jang Woo-hyun scattered again. Even the Sacred River Flowing Armor was broken, though it wasn’t enough to deal a fatal wound. He could still endure it somehow.

“Kkyaaaah!”

Wind-Passing Great Sage let out a shriek and thrust his spear at Sa Do-woong. In response, a massive curtain of Qi Projection surged like a tidal wave to block him.

In that instant, Maeng Ye-ju, who had been waiting in the rear, launched a punch.

Kwaaaang!

The tidal wave of Qi Projection shattered, and the tip of Wind-Passing Great Sage’s spear clashed with Sa Do-woong’s fist, pushing him back several steps.

The three slowly began to push Sa Do-woong back.

What Jang Woo-hyun had felt, Wind-Passing Great Sage and Maeng Ye-ju felt as well.

Sa Do-woong was strong, but something was strange. The power of each attack was overwhelming, but they were neither sharp nor deadly.

As the trio adapted to his attacks, Sa Do-woong was no longer able to overpower them as before.

Continuous waves of attack and defense.

The three blocked Sa Do-woong’s strikes and relentlessly charged in. All to pierce his openings.

From the energy unleashed by the four, a section of the Floating Stronghold began to collapse and disappear. At this rate, the entire platform beneath them could vanish mid-fight.

Stamping down on the shattered ground, Jang Woo-hyun predicted the end of this battle.

‘At this rate, it’ll be difficult.’

If time, stamina, and internal energy were limitless, the three of them could take Sa Do-woong down. But that wasn’t reality. Their internal energy was being depleted, and physical fatigue was setting in.

Just as Sa Do-woong couldn’t overwhelm them, they too couldn’t deliver a decisive blow to him.

The longer the fight dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for Jang Woo-hyun, Maeng Ye-ju, and Wind-Passing Great Sage. Sa Do-woong’s internal energy seemed nearly limitless, but theirs was not.

Wind-Passing Great Sage and Maeng Ye-ju arrived at the same conclusion as Jang Woo-hyun.

【We’re going to wither and die.】

Wind-Passing Great Sage spoke using a will imbued with Telepathy.

【We need to find a way. Something that can break through his defense… Ugh!】

Just as he spoke, Wind-Passing Great Sage was struck and blown backward. Jang Woo-hyun and Maeng Ye-ju stepped in to block the follow-up strike.

‘A powerful attack.’

As Wind-Passing Great Sage had said, they needed a single, powerful strike that could break through Sa Do-woong’s defense.

Jang Woo-hyun thought about the power he could summon.

If he squeezed out every bit of strength, could he reach him at least once?

‘No, that won’t be enough.’

That was the limit of his current ability. Unless he ascended in realm here and now, the amount of internal energy he could release was fixed. That meant he needed external power or a different method.

‘Power that can be burst forth momentarily.’

【I’ll add my strength, so one of you two, attack...】

Wind-Passing Great Sage’s message continued, and in that moment, Jang Woo-hyun thought of a method.

“Time!”

A power that could be drawn from outside. There was one way to suddenly amplify internal energy.

Jang Woo-hyun withdrew to prepare for the attack.

Understanding his shout meant to buy time, Wind-Passing Great Sage and Maeng Ye-ju immediately stepped forward.

Sa Do-woong also raised his momentum. For him, this was an opportunity.

Until now, the three had organically blocked his attacks. But now Jang Woo-hyun had suddenly pulled back.

‘Whatever it is he’s preparing…’

Their defense was only possible with all three. Like a tripod incense burner—remove one leg, and it topples.

Hwaaaak—

Sa Do-woong’s attack spread in a semicircle, with him at the center.

The intense energy made the ground tremble as if an earthquake had struck.

Normally, Jang Woo-hyun—clad in the Dragon King’s Scales Armor and Sacred River Flowing Armor—should have blocked this.

But now there were only two. They had to block it somehow.

Maeng Ye-ju advanced with a decisive step and thrust her left arm with a palm strike.

A curtain of Qi Projection unfurled like an umbrella.

Kkuuk—

Then she clenched her right fist.

Knowing that if the fight continued like this, they would wither and die, she put everything into this attack.

Kwaaaa—

Her left hand alone couldn’t withstand the incoming energy. The barrier shattered, her arm broke, and her body was pushed backward.

Bang! Bang! Maeng Ye-ju gritted her teeth as she dug her feet into the ground.

Normally, she should’ve been pushed back by the recoil, but instead, she advanced forward. She couldn’t back down now.

A smile spread across Maeng Ye-ju’s face. What an exhilarating fight this was.

“Huaaaap!”

With a roar, she thrust her right fist.

Kudeudeuk—

With a deafening boom, her right hand not only broke but shattered entirely. Yet she did not retreat and instead poured in more strength.

From her wrist, blood and internal energy burst forth, forming a fist of Qi Projection. Then, letting out a beast-like roar, a massive tiger silhouette appeared behind her.

It was beyond her strength to block the incoming energy alone, but she advanced slowly, one step at a time.

Before she knew it, her right arm had disappeared up to the elbow.

“Wahahahaha!”

Having lost her right arm, she stretched out her left—broken and regenerated.

Maeng Ye-ju, the Fierce-Fisted Heroine. One of the six successors of the Suwang Sect, her title of Heroine was anything but out of place.

Even though her left arm shattered as well, she charged without care.

Clad in Protective Energy, she laughed and slammed her body forward, even without both arms. A gap opened in the surging attack, and in that moment, Maeng Ye-ju shouted,

“Now!”

Throwing herself forward, she created a narrow opening, and Wind-Passing Great Sage hurled himself through it.

Having retreated, Jang Woo-hyun took out a small wooden case from the Inner Robe.

The Hocheon Pill and Blue Wolf Pill gifted by Maeng Ye-ju.

They were elixirs he had set aside after finding them incompatible with his body.

When he had ingested the Blue Wolf Pill, he couldn’t digest the energy and expelled it from his body.

Jang Woo-hyun now intended to use these elixirs to momentarily draw out power beyond his limits.

He immediately pulled out the elixirs, tossed them into his mouth, and swallowed without chewing.

As they passed down his throat, a searing energy erupted. A single Blue Wolf Pill already held substantial energy, but what he had just swallowed were four Blue Wolf Pills and a superior Hocheon Pill.

Huuuuung—

“Krrgh.”

An unbearable bitterness overwhelmed his senses, and an energy far stronger than expected surged, forcing a grunt out of him.

“Grrrgh.”

The Hocheon Pill’s power was greater than he had anticipated. The energy rampaged so violently he could barely control his body.

‘Stay calm.’

It wasn’t about controlling the energy. He had no intention of absorbing it.

He wasn’t going to absorb the uncontrollable energy—instead, he would pour it all out at once along with his internal energy. He only needed to drive the energy in a single direction.

Taking a deep breath and drawing in the surrounding energy, Jang Woo-hyun channeled all the energy, including his own internal energy, into the sword in his right hand.

Responding to that flow, the black sword rapidly absorbed both Jang Woo-hyun’s internal energy and the power of the elixirs.

In that moment of unexpected chaos, Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes caught the sight of Wind-Passing Great Sage—who had charged through the opening Maeng Ye-ju created—being cleaved in half.

Without hesitation, Jang Woo-hyun stomped the ground.

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