Bang! With a rough yet refreshing sound, the main gate swung open wide. At the same time, a clear voice filled with a hint of madness echoed through the air. "Wei Honglian is here! I've arrived, Young Master!" By now, she entered as if it were her own home. If Ma Dongpil had seen this, he would have scolded her harshly. However, Ma Dongpil was too preoccupied to notice.
Pa-pa-pa-pak! Ma Dongpil's body, drenched in sweat, moved swiftly across the training ground, swinging his sword. Despite his solemn expression, the sword techniques he executed were heavy and powerful. It was truly astonishing how he could move so quickly while maintaining such weighty martial arts.
Wei Honglian's eyes widened. "Huh? What's that?" Pa-pa-pak! Saaaak! The sword cut through the air, and his steps moved in all directions. "Why is he swinging his sword here? There's a perfectly good training ground at the Martial Arts Hall."
She walked up to the training ground. Just as she was about to shout for him to stop swinging his sword and tell her where the Young Master was, Wei Honglian's steps hesitated without her realizing it. Ma Dongpil, fully focused on himself, was dazzling to behold. Even if lightning struck before his eyes, it seemed his concentration wouldn't break.
"......" Wei Honglian, who had been quietly watching him, clicked her tongue. "This is something I shouldn't disturb." The fiery temperament of the Mad Demon Lord was known to all demons. However, she was both a demon and a martial artist. She didn't want to break the concentration of a martial artist so dedicated to his training.
Deliberately quieting her steps, Wei Honglian circled around the training ground and spotted Aenghwa. "Hey!" "Ah! You scared me." "Why are you so startled? Anyway, where did the Young Master go this time?" Is this his own room or what? Aenghwa pouted her lips and replied, "He went to the Demon God Palace." "Huh?! The Demon God Palace? Why?" "I'm not sure either..."
Wei Honglian grumbled, "Damn, did he go to meet the Cult Leader? He doesn't even have a rank, yet he seems busier than me." "......Um." "What?" Aenghwa hesitated for a moment before closing her eyes tightly and speaking. "No matter what... it's just... you're being too disrespectful to the Young Master..." "......?" "......Yes. Anyway, it's a bit much."
Wei Honglian gaped at Aenghwa. Aenghwa tried to put on a brave face. How could Aenghwa not have heard of the infamous Mad Demon Lord? But the person she served was the Third Young Master, Seo Ryang. Even if her status was low, she couldn't just stand by and watch someone treat the Young Master rudely.
Seeing Aenghwa's determined expression, Wei Honglian spat on the ground. "Damn! Is this fox borrowing the tiger's might?" "That's not it..." "Ah, enough! I don't want to hear it!" "Yes!" "I can't even smack this little thing. I have to endure, I have to."
Wei Honglian's face turned red as she pounded her chest. Aenghwa shrank back. Instinctively, she felt she shouldn't provoke her right now. At that moment, Ma Dongpil approached. "When did you arrive?" "What? Are you done training?" "It's break time. I'll start again in half a moment." "You're crazy. Hey! Why are you swinging your sword here? Go train at the Martial Arts Hall! Do you think this is your own room?"
Ma Dongpil replied with a hint of disbelief, "Why are you here?" "I don't know! I don't know anything! Damn it, if I came here every time I had free time, I'd feel guilty and wait for a few days. But when I came, there was just a rude little thing and a strange sword being swung around..."
Suddenly, Wei Honglian's eyes widened. "Huh? Huh?" Her eyes focused on the sword Ma Dongpil was holding. She realized at a glance that it wasn't an ordinary sword. "Hey, Ma." "It's Ma Dongpil." "What's with that sword? Where did you get it?" Ma Dongpil cleared his throat. "The Young Master gave it to me." "What? The Young Master gave you such a treasure as a gift? Just you?" "......?" "What about me?"
This is ridiculous. Ma Dongpil shook his head and walked towards the training ground. Wei Honglian shouted loudly, "Hey! Where's mine? Didn't he prepare one for me? Hey! Hey, you bastard! I'm talking to you!!"
Listening to Wei Honglian's voice, which sounded almost melodious, Ma Dongpil smiled. '...Please come quickly, Young Master.' I can't handle this woman.
As soon as Lee Cheonsang finished speaking, I instinctively grabbed my sword. No, I don't even know if it was instinct. Whether it was unconsciousness, intuition, or instinct, any word would fit. Anyway, Seo Ryang realized. The moment Lee Cheonsang finished speaking was the perfect moment to strike with the sword.
He recognized that it was the only opportunity to bring down the giant known as Lee Cheonsang. Recognition was understanding, and with understanding came a surge of attack instinct. Even the tiny fraction of time between understanding the situation, making a decision, and taking action was blown away.
It was literally like lightning. Seo Ryang's sword strike was so fast that it split even the fleeting moment. And that attack instinct, fully infused into his single strike, was more lethal than any sword technique he had ever executed.
Boom!! With a tremendous explosion, dust rose thickly. "Huff, huff!" Sweat dripped from his forehead, down his cheeks, and gathered at his chin. His vision shook from the breath filling his lungs to the brim.
Though he was a supreme master who could pull the unconscious into the realm of consciousness and perceive the fleeting moment, this strike was fundamentally different. Was it putting all his strength into it? No. Did he pour all his internal energy into it? That wasn't it either.
This single strike, swung as his instincts led, contained his very soul. There was no other way to explain it. His muscles trembled from the explosive strike, but he wasn't out of strength, nor was his energy center depleted despite pouring out immense internal energy. Yet he was exhausted. Not physically, but mentally. It was because he had shown everything he had in that single strike.
'Did I succeed?' The success of the strike meant Lee Cheonsang's death. Lee Cheonsang's death would cause a massive upheaval in the Heavenly Demon Cult. But he didn't even think about that. He was only curious whether his sword had cut Lee Cheonsang or not.
Before the dust that obscured his vision could settle, Seo Ryang's senses detected Lee Cheonsang's presence. The presence was unchanged, with no hint of disturbance, that strong presence remained. Seo Ryang's eyes widened. 'Failure!'
Paak! He didn't know how he managed to retreat and evade. There was no need to know. Right now, all that mattered was attacking. Buuung! With a threatening sound, Seo Ryang's sword once again descended towards Lee Cheonsang's head. The dust scattered, revealing Lee Cheonsang's face. His expression remained indifferent.
Flash! In that moment, Seo Ryang's sword drew a soft arc. This too was not a conscious movement. Just as a lightning bolt that had struck the ground twisted and pierced at will, his sword became a streak of lightning, slicing diagonally through Lee Cheonsang. His body realized that was Lee Cheonsang's only weakness.
Whiiing! The dust cloud was sliced diagonally. But Lee Cheonsang wasn't cut. He simply looked at Seo Ryang with the same posture and expression. However, his gaze had changed slightly. That gaze signified surprise at Seo Ryang.
Paaaak! Seo Ryang, gripping his sword with both hands, charged again. At such a short distance that even exchanging bare-handed strikes would be close, charging again was akin to ramming with his body. It was such a dynamic charge that even a bystander would flinch.
Seo Ryang swung his sword upwards. Like lightning striking the ground and then soaring back up, the ascending blade seemed as if it would split Lee Cheonsang in two at any moment. Buuuuung!! But once again, Lee Cheonsang remained unscathed. The initial strike, the second strike aimed at the opening, and the third consecutive strike all missed.
Each strike was as fast as lightning and carried more power than lightning, yet none of them even touched Lee Cheonsang's clothes. Srrrk. Seo Ryang's left hand moved. A quick yet smooth movement, preparing to execute the Heavenly Technique. It was then.
Flinch! A sensation that made his hair stand on end. 'No!' Pa-pa-pa-pak! As quickly as he had opened his hand from gripping the sword's hilt, he retreated. He retreated so quickly that his pants were torn and tattered in several places. But he didn't relax just because he retreated. His gaze fixed on Lee Cheonsang remained intense with purpose.
"Huff! Huff!" The air filling his lungs was insufficient. His entire body's muscles were flushed red, and his heart pounded wildly. And in front of such a Seo Ryang, Lee Cheonsang still stood with his hands behind his back, merely watching him.
Lee Cheonsang, who had been quietly observing Seo Ryang, casually waved his hand. Huuung! With a heavy sound, all the dust floating around was blown away. "Impressive." It was a statement difficult to grasp the meaning of. "I said I would teach you, not that you should cut me down."
For a moment, Seo Ryang blinked. "Huff, huff! What?" "......" "......Huh?" Interest flickered in Lee Cheonsang's eyes. 'An interesting fellow.' When the first strike came, though he didn't show it, he was quite surprised. It wasn't because the sword strike began as soon as he finished speaking. Of course, that action itself was refreshing, but the key was that Seo Ryang accurately read the initial opening.
Moreover, it wasn't something he realized by seeing. 'He was like a beast.' Even an absolute being has openings. However, those openings aren't truly openings. For an absolute being who has reached the pinnacle, the concepts of perfection and openings no longer hold meaning. But the fact that the opponent read it was sufficiently surprising.
'Insight beyond skill? Sense?' No. It wasn't such a trivial ability. As soon as Seo Ryang realized his opening, he drew his sword and struck. It was a fundamental manifestation of instinct far beyond that. "......You charge towards the concept of death like a moth to a flame." "What?" "I have a question."
Seo Ryang straightened his posture. The great Lee Cheonsang had a question. Today was indeed a day full of surprises. "You didn't intend to end it with three strikes. You were preparing a hand technique." It was even more astonishing that he read that in a fleeting moment. "Why did you stop?" "Ah, that..."
An embarrassed expression appeared on Seo Ryang's face. In truth, he didn't know the reason himself. He just felt that he shouldn't do it. "I'm not sure either." Lee Cheonsang's eyes deepened. He too didn't know why Seo Ryang stopped his hand. But he knew what he was about to do. 'Can one become that sensitive with extreme concentration?'
Though it was only three sword strikes, Lee Cheonsang too felt a rare thrill. So he wanted to see. How Seo Ryang would react to the technique he was about to unleash. As he harbored that thought and was about to unfold his martial arts, Seo Ryang retreated. 'He didn't stop because he knew. Then, is this too instinct?'
Lee Cheonsang's lips twitched. "A remarkable fellow." "......Ah, yes." "Prepare for the next." "What?" "I said I would teach you a lesson. You still don't know what you possess. Therefore, I haven't yet given you a proper lesson." "......!"
Lee Cheonsang extended his hand again. One hand behind his back, the other extended forward. In that relaxed posture, there was a sense of infinite freedom. "This time, truly come at me." Creak! The veins on Seo Ryang's hand gripping the sword bulged. The lesson was not yet over.