Book 14 Chapter 11

The Second Collision

A man who brought a storm of immense ki like the eye of a typhoon stopped at the entrance of the valley. Had he sensed them? Soon, the man, the Great Prince Bi, turned his gaze towards Biryuyeon. Though they were ten *jang* apart, Biryuyeon could clearly feel that gaze.

'Ho, so he's noticed? That I'm watching?'

A more intense light flickered in Biryuyeon's eyes. As expected, his opponent was a considerable master, capable of sensing his gaze. Moreover, the dense killing intent that arose the moment he felt someone's gaze.

'Does he not want to be perceived by someone?'

He was undoubtedly an extraordinary individual. And judging by the dense killing intent that arose instantly, his heart must be as cold as ice.

"Well, good! Only then is it interesting!"

He could fully feel the oppressive ki from the other side. A very arrogant ki. The ki of someone who ruled over others. Judging by the strength of his ki, he likely possessed commensurate skill. Such individuals never welcome their domain being encroached upon by others. And some people are determined to obliterate such arrogant beings. Just like the man standing before him now…

'Is he trying to fight?'

A picture-perfect smile formed on Biryuyeon's lips.

The Great Prince's mood soured considerably. It was because someone's gaze had invaded him. He wished to possess the gaze of a hunter stalking prey, not to be on the receiving end of such a gaze. His pride could not tolerate it.

'Who is it?'

The source of the unpleasant gaze was quickly revealed. There stood a youth, his eyes hidden by long bangs, wearing peculiar ornaments on his wrists and arms. The Great Prince, looking at Biryuyeon, was astonished by three facts.

The first was that the opponent's ki was not unfamiliar.

'Why?'

He couldn't possibly have met such a disheveled person before. Just as Biryuyeon couldn't see his face in the dark night, he too couldn't see Biryuyeon's face, making it impossible to identify him at a glance.

The second was the unknown presence, deeply concealed within his embrace.

Indeed, outwardly, not the slightest trace of formidable ki could be felt. If he hadn't expanded his vision, he might have passed by without noticing. However, it was certain that something was stimulating his nerves. But explaining it in words would be impossible without truly remarkable skill.

And the third was the fact that he had brazenly blocked his path.

He was beyond surprise and anger, reaching sheer disbelief. After all, no one had ever acted so rudely, arrogantly, and boorishly in front of him. Of course, he had no intention of tolerating such behavior himself. For those who blocked his path, even death was too merciful a gift.

There was only one punishment for such foolish individuals.

Erasure from this world.

They had no choice. But he still had something to do, so he decided to spare him from death. Still, he felt he should leave a brand that would never fade, a lesson to reflect on his folly.

'Foolish one, live with the brand and atone for your foolishness forever!'

In an instant, an immense wave of killing intent, enough to vibrate the very air, erupted from his body. If he took just one more step, that killing intent would become a tangible force and charge forward to ravage the opponent. To himself, it would be an ordinary step, but to the opponent, it would be an unforgettable, monumental stride. That was certainly the plan…

However, the Great Prince did not take that step. No, he *could not* take it.

Taking that step was akin to walking into the opponent's range himself. At first, the range had seemed insignificantly small, leading to a degree of contempt, but that range had suddenly expanded and pressed against his face.

Putting himself within the opponent's range was the same as offering his neck to the opponent. Of course, a skilled practitioner like Bi could ignore that range and take the opponent's life. But he did not. The second reason prevented his step. But if he didn't take this step, he couldn't draw the opponent into his range either.

"He read the interval between us precisely, didn't he?"

How much did he read correctly? Biryuyeon decided to test him.

The Great Prince Bi was beyond anger, he was dumbfounded.

The opponent's provocation was too blatant. The aura emanating from the opponent clearly revealed his interval. It was as if he was daring him to enter if he had the courage.

The provocation was simple, but that made it all the more effective. It left the opponent with only two choices.

Either step forward, or step back!

Of course, if he stepped back or hesitated and stopped awkwardly, it was his defeat. Even if not in reality, it could inflict a psychological defeat. In either case, it was beneficial for Biryuyeon, but not for Bi.

Defeat was not permitted for the Great Prince Bi. It was an unforgivable sin. Now, only one path remained for him. It was to prove his victory. That was his duty.

"This challenge! I accept!"

Bi took a step forward without hesitation. It was precisely at the boundary of the interval the opponent had laid out.

"Wh-what!"

Namgung Sang, who had been dragged out by Biryuyeon since morning under the pretense of inspecting the surroundings, was momentarily aghast and raised his protective qi to its maximum.

An unprecedented pressure swept over his body like a storm. The terrifying pressure pressed down on his shoulders, constricting his heart and lungs. Breathtaking killing intent… A fear of being torn to shreds in this whirlwind of killing intent if he let his guard down even slightly overwhelmed him.

'Who on earth?'

What ignorant humans were emitting such ferocious energy in a place like this? It was a clash of savage energies rarely seen even in life-or-death battles.

"As expected!"

The cause was quickly identified. As he suspected, it was! On one side of the axis stood his senior disciple, and on the other, a man he had never seen before.

"Who is that man?"

Biryuyeon was one thing (he had already resigned himself to it, or rather, accepted it with a sense of despair), but this unfamiliar man who appeared before him was different. To face his senior disciple, the embodiment of ignorance and ferocity, so recklessly… He was no ordinary man.

His exquisite features, like ice sculptures, his somber eyes that shone carelessly. Furthermore, his cold eyes seemed to swallow light and emit darkness. The extraordinary aura that filled his entire body, the majestic demeanor of a king. Namgung Sang could not help but be astonished. And he felt ashamed of his own accomplishments. He didn't seem much older than himself, yet he exuded a ki that surpassed even that of a sect leader. On the other hand, what about himself?

'To be so proud as one of the Ten Thousand Dragons with only this much skill… Sang-ah! Sang-ah!'

He felt truly pathetic and foolish. However, this provided Namgung Sang with an opportunity for self-reflection, to re-examine himself.

*Srrrrik!*

The air began to move, sliding across the ground. A light dusting arose, as if to mark its trajectory. The air, sliding as if to sweep the ground, moved in a giant spiral towards the two points of contact. But this was just the beginning. More and more dust began to rise from various places. The speed of the air, which initially moved slowly and gracefully, gradually increased, eventually becoming a wind that rushed across the ground. Countless spiral trajectories began to intertwine as if dancing.

"The wind is raging!"

It was as if an invisible force had been generated between the two people, and the air was sucked in along a spiral trajectory, then returned along another spiral. The returning spiral wind was incredibly sharp.

*Pat!*

Namgung Sang was startled and looked down at his chest. The front of his robe, brushed by the rushing wind, had been cut sharply, as if by a blade.

'Impossible! Is it possible to send sword intent by blowing wind?'

It was unbelievable.

*Pat! Slik! Slik! Pat! Pat!*

The spirals of wind collided in mid-air, like a dazzling sword fight. This soon turned into a fierce engagement.

"The air…"

Namgung Sang was not the only one surprised. Jin Ryong, who had followed him out, was equally surprised. What kind of magic was this?

"The air is like a blade!"

Her words were short but precise.

The wind, rushing in a spiral, was slicing through the surroundings like a blade. The immense pressure generated by the collision of two powerful forces at a single point compressed and distorted the air, affecting the surroundings.

Namgung Sang quickly raised his protective qi and shielded himself and Jin Ryong. A thin membrane formed in the air, protecting them from the wind. Jin Ryong also raised her protective qi, assisting Namgung Sang's defense, making the membrane even stronger.

Biryuyeon and the Great Prince watched each other and did not approach further. As if by prior agreement, they stood rooted to the spot, glaring at each other. The thrilling and terrifying pressure Namgung Sang was feeling now emanated precisely from the point between them.

'Two monsters?'

One was already overwhelming, but two… He wanted to curse the heavens.

'What is this skin-piercing, terrifying killing intent?'

It was not the killing intent of a human. Namgung Sang held his breath and watched the standoff between the two men.

He had no idea that a confrontation far beyond his level was occurring between them. If he had known, he would have despaired even more.

*Bang!*

A thunderous collision shook the valley.

Gravel and dust struck the surroundings in countless numbers. It was like a hail of stones. Being hit by that would surely turn the whole body into a rag. It was only a loss to get caught up in it. The violently raging wind swept randomly through the surroundings.

A gust of wind swirled.

"Kuk!"

Namgung Sang and Jin Ryong had to exert all their effort to maintain their protective qi.

Small stones that had been flung into the air fell like rain. It took a considerable amount of time for the splendidly blooming yellow dust cloud to settle.

And when the dust cloud finally settled gently, Namgung Sang could confirm it. The two people were standing there silently, without moving an inch.

They hadn't moved a single step. Moreover, even though they were at the center of this fierce gale, they seemed unaffected. Their hair and clothes still maintained their original neatness.

In fact, if they hadn't witnessed it firsthand, they wouldn't have believed that such a collision had occurred.