Quick battle, quick decision.

Jin Sohyun, who thought that a long fight would be disadvantageous to him, wanted to settle the score with Ma Seongun as quickly as possible.

So he pressed Ma Seongun from the beginning, and he dug into a hair-thin gap and threw the Sword of Nothingness, which was the strongest flying sword he had.

The Sword of Nothingness, which had the power to surely kill the opponent as long as it did not miss.

Jin Sohyun, who had intended to take Ma Seongun’s life or at least one of his arms this time, was greatly shocked when he discovered his own flying sword, which had been shattered.

‘The Sword of Nothingness doesn’t work!?’

It was the first time.

In all the fights so far, Jin Sohyun had won an overwhelming victory.

When he had no knowledge of the martial world, he had thought that his opponents were just weak.

When he had gained experience and knowledge, he had realized that his own power and talent were abnormal.

Nevertheless, he did not become arrogant.

Like Bieunggaek had wished.

To become the number one in the world and to avenge his master.

He had fought without a break and had learned from those fierce battles.

And finally.

He had faced Ma Seongun, who might be Jin Sohyun’s last opponent.

And… he had lost.

“Heo… heok…”

After the Sword of Nothingness, which had to pour out all his internal energy, had returned to nothing, Jin Sohyun fell into a state of confusion.

In the meantime, Ma Seongun approached Jin Sohyun, his blood-red light flashing.

“Jin Sohyun. You can make such a dazed face too. Well… I guess so. You’ve probably never experienced a true defeat until now.”

“…”

“You may not know, but I have lost to you twice in a fight where I bet my all. Nevertheless, I did not break. I stood in this place, giving up my entire being with the sole intention of defeating you.”

Ma Seongun’s sword touched Jin Sohyun’s neck.

“But you’ve lost your mind with just one defeat.”

Ma Seongun said with a face mixed with annoyance and displeasure.

“To think that you were only this much of a person. How pathetic.”

This was sincere.

From the moment he had been given a second life until now, Ma Seongun had lived with the sole intention of fighting and defeating the man named Jin Sohyun.

That’s why he did not want a situation like this.

“I will not kill you in this place. So watch helplessly. As everything you tried to protect dies at my hands.”

“Is once not enough?”

At that moment, Jin Sohyun’s two eyes shone blue.

“I didn’t want to fight for long.”

“…What?”

At Jin Sohyun’s gesture, a flying sword fell from the sky.

At this, Ma Seongun lightly swung his sword and deflected all the falling flying swords with a single sword strike.

In the meantime, Jin Sohyun quickly retreated.

‘He didn’t give up?’

That face was clearly the face of a person who had given up everything.

But the current Jin Sohyun was different.

He was staring at Ma Seongun with his two blue shining eyes as if to see through him.

“Heu… hehehe… heuhahaha!!”

Ma Seongun felt like he would go crazy with joy.

“Yes! This is Jin Sohyun! You have to be like this. Even if everyone falls and dies, you, at least, to me…!”

Clang—!!

Ma Seongun had to stop talking and swing his sword to deflect the flying sword that was coming at him.

After that, flying swords imbued with lightning ki flew towards Ma Seongun in succession.

“You can’t defeat me with just this! Jin Sohyun!”

Jin Sohyun looked at Ma Seongun intently, watching the flying swords that were being deflected powerlessly.

‘If once is not enough, then twice… if twice is not enough, then four, five times.’

In a situation where his internal energy was lacking like now, he could not use the Sword of Nothingness in succession.

With the internal energy he had barely recovered, he could only imbue the flying swords with lightning and throw them.

And the speed that Jin Sohyun prided himself on could not surpass Ma Seongun.

Because he, too, had killed Bieunggaek and had taken the Shadowless Divine Step.

‘Take… take…’

If there was a being who could steal all the internal energy and martial arts of the absolute masters of the martial world, how could he be defeated?

Jin Sohyun retreated, avoiding Ma Seongun who was rushing at him in a frenzy.

The footwork of the two could not be followed by the human eye.

As befitting its name of leaving no shadow, the figures of the two martial artists who were performing the Shadowless Divine Step repeatedly disappeared and reappeared.

In the meantime, Jin Sohyun’s eyes constantly tore apart Ma Seongun’s movements.

“Ah…”

And finally.

Jin Sohyun had gained one enlightenment.

“That’s all.”

At Jin Sohyun’s one word, Ma Seongun stopped.

“What?”

“Unless your internal energy and stamina run out and you stop… you will never be able to catch up to me.”

Ma Seongun’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Your limit.”

“Limit… you say?”

“You stole Master Bi’s internal energy and martial arts and made them your own. That’s why… it’s like that.”

The lightness skill and divine step that Bieunggaek had created with the enlightenment he had gained through a lifetime of training.

Ma Seongun had not learned them but had stolen them.

That’s why his limit was clear.

He could not surpass the level and limit of the lightness skill that Bieunggaek had created.

No matter how much internal energy he had.

Even if he had a power beyond human that could steal any martial art.

He could not surpass the level of those who had created their own martial arts for decades.

“You’re up to here.”

“…”

The heart that had been pounding no longer pounded as before.

The excitement subsided, and his head cooled down.

Only then did Ma Seongun seem to understand what Jin Sohyun was trying to say.

‘My limit.’

He had believed that such a thing could not exist.

Who would dare to look down on him, who had taken the power and martial arts of the absolute masters who had reached the pinnacle of each field?

Such a person could not exist in the martial world.

But Jin Sohyun did not think so.

And Ma Seongun also knew.

‘That bastard will become faster than me. Because that bastard… has no limit.’

Jin Sohyun has no limit.

Unlike himself, who had become strong by stealing the things of others with the power of the Blood Jade, not his own power, Jin Sohyun had risen to a position equal to him with his own power alone.

“You are not a martial artist.”

Jin Sohyun said, gripping his flying sword.

“You are a thief who imitates a martial artist.”

***

Ma Seongun suddenly thought.

Until now, he had borrowed the power of the Blood Jade and had stolen the power and martial arts of famous masters and had made them his own, with the sole intention of surpassing Jin Sohyun.

One by one.

Every time he took their power and martial arts, he felt himself becoming noticeably stronger.

Who could understand?

The feeling of breaking his own limits and getting closer to the pinnacle every time he closed and opened his eyes.

Ma Seongun did not find this strange.

Rather, he thought that this was the only way to deal with Jin Sohyun.

But now.

Ma Seongun suddenly thought.

‘Am I a thief?’

Every time he tried to deny it, his reason awakened him.

That you are a thief.

From the way he walked to the way he swung his sword.

Now Ma Seongun had nothing of his own.

Just a martial art that was a bizarre combination of what he had stolen from the best masters of the time, which could not even be named, was all that was left.

—It doesn’t matter.

At that moment, a thought entered Ma Seongun’s mind.

—What’s important to you is not that kind of thing. You’re a thief? You have a limit? That’s the advice of that bastard who feels a sense of defeat from you.

“I am…”

—Are you hesitating? Then kill that bastard. If that bastard disappears, no one will think of you as a thief. Heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one. Only you and I are the only ones.

Yes, that’s right.

Ma Seongun laughed out loud.

“I just need you to disappear.”

Then everything will be solved.

The being that makes him feel his limit will disappear, and the one who calls him a thief will also disappear.

Only one person.

If he could just kill Jin Sohyun.

“If only you disappear… I will become a unique being.”

Ma Seongun said, taking a step.

“Don’t retreat from me, and don’t run away. If you move away… I will immediately chase the fleeing bastards and catch and kill them as I see them.”

Jin Sohyun, who was facing Ma Seongun’s eyes, which were stained with blood-red light, gripped his two flying swords.

Although most of his internal energy, which had been consumed by the Sword of Nothingness, had not yet recovered, he had recovered enough strength to fight.

“If once is not enough, then until it is.”

Like the water droplets that fell from the waterfall and pierced the rock.

Jin Sohyun’s flying sword stretched towards Ma Seongun, who might be harder than steel or even harder.

To pierce him.

***

Kwang— kwang—!!

The figures of Jin Sohyun and Ma Seongun chaotically overlapped and then moved away, repeating.

The Bloodstone Sword, which was wrapped in a formless energy, pulverized everything that its sword path touched, and the old buildings that made up the Qingcheng Sect were shattered and scattered.

Jin Sohyun continuously threw his flying sword, avoiding Ma Seongun’s slash, which contained an indescribable power, by a hair’s breadth.

Every time the blue lightning flash imbued with the power of lightning flashed, a spark flew from Ma Seongun’s Bloodstone Sword.

“It’s no use. You can’t defeat me with just this!”

Ma Seongun was sturdy and could not be pierced.

His sword, which was a combination of the sword techniques of the masters who had made a name for themselves in the martial world and the sword technique of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains, was as fast as lightning and as heavy as a rock.

It was as flexible as the flowing wind and as splendid as the petals scattered by the spring breeze.

As if all the sword techniques of the world were combined into one.

There was no gap in Ma Seongun’s sword technique.

Nevertheless, Jin Sohyun continuously threw his flying sword.

“Phew— phew—!!”

His breathing became rough, and the internal energy he had barely accumulated was rapidly decreasing.

The amount of internal energy imbued in the flying sword was large, but the consumption of internal energy was even greater because he had to perform the Shadowless Divine Step without a break.

“Jin Sohyun!!”

Ma Seongun’s sword was getting closer and closer.

Now the sharp ki that stretched from the slash that cut through the air tore Jin Sohyun’s clothes and made wounds.

‘Am I a little late?’

As his internal energy was running out, his toes trembled.

Thanks to that, the sharp ki that flowed from the slash that he had avoided a little late left numerous stab wounds on Jin Sohyun’s body.

Although he felt an unfamiliar pain, Jin Sohyun gritted his teeth and endured.

“Heuhahahat! Is this the end already! Is this all the power you have!!”

Ma Seongun’s sword stretched out.

The blade-like energy that was released from the tip of his sword aimed for Jin Sohyun’s heart.

“Oops!!”

Jin Sohyun performed the Different Form Changing Position, kicking his toes.

Ma Seongun stabbed his sword twice towards Jin Sohyun, who had split his figure into two.

Kwangkwang—!!

Ma Seongun’s sword ki, which had pierced Jin Sohyun’s afterimage, created a large hole in the area beyond the wall.

“How long are you going to run away!”

At Ma Seongun’s shout, Jin Sohyun retreated fifteen steps and spread his hands to the left and right.

At that, the scattered flying swords gathered to him.

And so, Jin Sohyun, who had gathered all nine flying swords, gripped the first flying sword and took a breath.

“One.”

Ping—!!

The flying sword that was thrown with the mystery of Fajing flew at a fierce speed, and Ma Seongun struck it with force.

The flying sword was shattered and deflected.

“Two.”

Following that, the second flying sword flew, and Ma Seongun struck the flying sword again and walked forward.

The third and fourth flying swords that followed.

Ma Seongun struck the flying swords that were flying in succession with his sword.

Every time, the shattered flying swords scattered fragments in all directions and were deflected.

‘Jin Sohyun, you will die!’

Ma Seongun struck the fifth and sixth flying swords with force and then smiled slyly.

The power contained in the flying swords became stronger and stronger, but even that was not enough to defeat Ma Seongun.

“Now it’s the end.”

Ma Seongun struck the seventh flying sword and performed the Shadowless Divine Step and ran.

When the distance between Jin Sohyun and Ma Seongun had narrowed to two steps.

Jin Sohyun aimed the eighth flying sword forward.

“Eight.”

The eighth flying sword was on a different level from the seven flying swords that had flown so far.

‘Is it that again!?’

The Martial Art, Sword of Nothingness.

Although it was a sword so powerful that he had to prepare for death for a while, Ma Seongun faced it with confidence.

He had already won against the Sword of Nothingness that Jin Sohyun had thrown with all his might.

This time, nothing would be different.

Ma Seongun’s Bloodstone Sword struck the approaching Sword of Nothingness with force.

It was then.

Kwadeuk—! 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

…Ting!

The moment the tip of the flying sword was split, the blood-red blade of the Bloodstone Sword was split in half.

‘The sword…?’

The moment the Bloodstone Sword broke, Jin Sohyun’s ninth flying sword, which had dug into the gap, approached.

Puk—

(End of Chapter)