At last, the moment of the decisive battle that would change the fate of the Unorthodox Alliance had arrived.
The Baek Ja-gang who was simply standing and the Baek Ja-gang who had drawn his sword were two entirely different people.
The very air around them began to flow differently.
Baek Ja-gang was beginning to make even the currents of the air his own.
Beon Cheon and the First Wolf moved their subordinates far back.
After all, they could not intervene in a battle between the Alliance Leader and the Martial King, nor did any of them possess the skill to do so.
Bi Sa-in, too, stood beside Geom Mugeuk, silently watching the Alliance Leader and the Martial King.
It was the first time he had ever witnessed his Master engage in a duel to the death.
He naturally believed his Master would win.
Yet, the reason he trembled was not because he doubted the Alliance Leader’s skill.
It was because this was the path he himself had to walk.
Someday, when he became the Unorthodox Alliance Leader, a day like this would come for him as well.
What kind of man would he be, standing there?
Geom Mugeuk felt his Heavenly Demon Body-Protecting Art activate on its own.
His technique, having reached the level of Great Mastery, was warning him that he stood within a space dominated by another.
He had now reached a level of mastery where his mind and his martial arts were one.
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze turned to the Martial King.
If he had sensed the change in the air, the Martial King must have as well.
Now, what will you do?
The Martial King slowly raised his hands.
Pang!
He struck his left palm forcefully with his clenched right fist.
It was the same gesture he had made when he first confronted the warriors of the Unorthodox Alliance here.
Duuung!
A shockwave spread from the Martial King’s hands, shaking the flow of air that Baek Ja-gang controlled.
But the space did not shatter.
Paaang!
With a louder sound, the surroundings vibrated.
He tried to force an opening and refresh the atmosphere, but the space Baek Ja-gang had created remained unbroken.
The space seemed to say:
From now on, you will breathe only with my permission.
Despite this, the Martial King was not afraid in the slightest.
He had his own secret technique to counter his opponent’s aura.
He focused his mind.
Then, in his eyes, everyone except Baek Ja-gang began to appear in black and white.
Only his opponent, Baek Ja-gang, remained in his original colors, while the rest turned monochromatic, like an ink wash painting.
That was not all.
In this black and white world, if someone drew a sword or used inner energy, that part would be marked in red.
This allowed him to instantly identify the most dangerous opponent, even in a space with hundreds of people.
It was a secret technique of his own making, born from intense training in concentration.
But today, he was having a unique experience.
He could not drain the color from one man.
The person who retained his color, despite not being the target of this fight, was none other than Geom Mugeuk.
No matter how he tried to erase his presence, Geom Mugeuk’s color would not fade.
The man’s presence was overcoming his own concentration.
‘How is this possible?’
As the Martial King looked at Geom Mugeuk, the gazes of the Unorthodox Alliance warriors naturally followed.
A sense of goodwill flowed from their eyes.
He was, after all, the one who had saved their lives today.
The Martial King glanced at the corpses of his subordinates and spoke calmly.
"A variable such as you brought about this outcome."
Geom Mugeuk replied.
"How could their deaths be my fault? It is because of you, who plotted to swallow the Unorthodox Alliance whole. It is because of the greed of those who joined hands with you. And it is because of the will of these people here, who fought you to the death for the sake of the Unorthodox Alliance and their comrades."
Geom Mugeuk saw right through the Martial King’s heart.
"You were planning to kill all those subordinates who died earlier to silence them once you became the Alliance Leader, weren't you?"
He had been planning a heroic tale of an Unorthodox Alliance Hall Instructor rising to the position of Alliance Leader.
He would not have let those who were part of the process live.
"That’s why you could be so calm."
The Martial King could not deny it.
It was the truth.
The moment he became the Alliance Leader, he intended to cast everything aside and start anew.
"So don't blame others for no reason. Go peacefully at the hands of the Alliance Leader."
Geom Mugeuk bowed his head to Baek Ja-gang and said.
"Then, I leave it in your hands."
He asked respectfully, as if only the Alliance Leader could accomplish this task.
"This man can only be eliminated by you, Alliance Leader."
In front of all the subordinates, Geom Mugeuk showed the utmost respect and courtesy.
Baek Ja-gang was suddenly reminded of something Geom Mugeuk had once told him.
—My honor does not lie in looking cool.
I want to return safely and see my people.
I want to return safely to drink and talk with them.
Baek Ja-gang glanced at Bi Sa-in.
Yes, he too had a reason to return.
The moment Geom Mugeuk finished speaking, the Martial King saw it.
He saw the color drain from Geom Mugeuk’s body.
He was completely entrusting this fight to the Unorthodox Alliance Leader, erasing his own presence.
‘Truly magnificent!’
The Martial King stretched his body as if yawning.
He felt good.
As long as there were opponents like these, he could fight with abandon.
The thought of the immense pleasure he would feel upon killing such men filled him with a desire to win, no matter what it took.
Pang! Paang! Paaaang!
The sound of his palm and fist colliding echoed like a war drum, raising the Martial King's fighting spirit.
In this battle, Baek Ja-gang did not yield the first move.
He saw his opponent not as a martial artist, but as an assassin.
This was a man who would do anything, so he was determined not to show any openings.
In a flash, Baek Ja-gang’s form appeared before the Martial King, his sword thrusting forward.
Shiiiiik!
It was a fatal strike aimed at the Martial King's neck.
Tang!
The Martial King flicked the blade away with his fingers and threw a punch at Baek Ja-gang's chest.
Baek Ja-gang's deflected sword sprang back like a coil, swinging up in a semi-circle.
Thus, the two men’s attacks and defenses intersected in lines and curves.
When the first exchange ended, the Martial King landed lightly about ten paces away.
Tuk.
The front of the Martial King's robe was split open.
Baek Ja-gang's sword had been faster, and the Martial King had been forced to abandon his attack and retreat.
Looking down at his torn robe, a look of elation crossed the Martial King’s face.
"You really are stro—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a line of sword light passed where his mouth had been.
Shiiiik!
Dodging the swift attack, the Martial King’s fist flew toward Baek Ja-gang’s face.
His own attack was so fast his arm was a blur.
Pang!
The space where Baek Ja-gang's face had been exploded.
It was an attack so powerful that if the air had a form, whatever it was would have been shattered to pieces.
Having dodged the Martial King’s fist, Baek Ja-gang’s sword slashed diagonally.
It was an attack that minimized the angles of escape, yet the Martial King not only dodged it but also launched a counterattack.
Even without using their signature martial arts, which consumed a great deal of inner energy, a terrifying exchange of life-and-death blows continued.
The confidence that they could kill each other with a single sword strike, a single fist, shot toward each other like beams of light.
To the onlookers, only dozens of lines were visible.
Appearing and disappearing, appearing and disappearing.
They were lines of death, where a single touch to the body would instantly decide the outcome.
It was also an exchange that revealed their fundamentals as martial artists.
A conversation held with sword and fist—thrusting, cutting, dodging, punching—something that could never be understood through flashy forms.
The fist asked, and the sword answered.
The sound was like the wind, and at times, like the rain.
Thwack!
Then, with a sound like a drum bursting, the two separated.
"Hoo, hoo."
The Martial King’s breathing was immediately ragged.
It was clear how grueling the recent exchange had been.
In contrast, Baek Ja-gang’s breathing was steady.
The difference in their breathing revealed whose fundamentals were superior.
Baek Ja-gang did not give the Martial King a moment to rest.
In a flash, Baek Ja-gang rushed forward, his sword swift and precise.
The Martial King blocked the perilous attack by striking it with the back of his hand.
Shuk! Shuk!
Baek Ja-gang’s sword began to carve out the space around him.
It was a chilling attack that felt as if one's very life would be carved away if caught in it.
The Martial King took his first step back.
Just as it seemed he was being pushed back, the Martial King’s fist flew out in a deceptively light hook.
Normally, he would have lightly deflected it with his sword.
It was an attack light enough for that.
But instinctively sensing danger, Baek Ja-gang desperately twisted his body to get away from the fist.
Hwooooooong!
With a great roar of wind.
Kwakwakwakwakwang!
The ground and grass behind him were swept away, creating a huge trench in a straight line.
It was a tremendous attack that had obliterated even the trees and rocks in the distance.
Had he not realized that the essence of the fist was contained in that seemingly light blow, he would have suffered a serious injury.
Watching, Bi Sa-in clenched his fists.
Would he have been able to discern the power hidden in that light punch? Probably not.
The Martial King’s skill was on a completely different level from the Blue Killing Ghost he had fought before.
The Martial King was a merciless man who treated his subordinates’ lives as disposable, but at least his martial arts were profound.
Baek Ja-gang recognized his opponent’s martial art.
"Wind Cloud Fist!"
The martial art of Mak Yeo-ui, once known as the god of the battlefield.
"As expected! You recognize it."
"If it's the Wind Cloud Fist, then I can acknowledge it."
An intense light shone from Baek Ja-gang’s eyes.
To match his aura, the Martial King stomped his foot on the ground.
Kwang!
Chhhhhhhhk!
The ground cracked like a spiderweb in all directions.
A single crack shot between Geom Mugeuk and Bi Sa-in.
The fact that it passed right between them left Bi Sa-in with an uneasy feeling.
Was it some kind of ominous premonition?
Just then, Geom Mugeuk lightly hopped over the crack and stood beside him.
Then he silently watched the fight.
‘Ah! So this is it.’
All he had to do was cross it like that.
What had he been hesitating for? What on earth had he been hesitating for?
If someone were to ask him what kind of person Geom Mugeuk was, he could now answer.
He is a man who crosses the line first.
It was always he who felt wanting, but here was this man, leaping over first.
He hops over and says, 'Let's be friends.' He doesn't stand on pride, wondering if I should go to him or if he should come to me.
Bi Sa-in watched Geom Mugeuk’s profile.
Absorbed in the fight, he looked more serious than Bi Sa-in had ever seen him.
This was the true face of the martial artist, Geom Mugeuk.
‘... Even if he approached me with the intent to kill me.’
Bi Sa-in’s gaze returned to the fight.
He had missed dozens of moves in that short time, but it was all right.
Learning from this one act of effortlessly leaping over a line would help him grow far more.
Because for him, that little hop was a far more difficult feat than the soaring leap he was seeing now.
Unable to withstand Baek Ja-gang’s assault, the Martial King flew up into the sky.
Baek Ja-gang shot up after him.
The two flew up at a terrifying speed and vanished from sight in an instant.
Only Geom Mugeuk, who had mastered the Divine Eye Technique, could see what was happening high up in the sky.
A moment later, someone fell at a terrifying speed.
Kwang!
He was slammed into the ground.
The person who fell with enough impact to crater the surrounding earth was the Martial King.
Lying on his back, he immediately rolled to the side.
Chwaaaak.
A streak of Sword Qi sliced through the spot where he had been lying.
The line created by the Sword Qi was so straight and deep that had he remained still, his body would have been bisected.
Baek Ja-gang, who landed right after, pressed his attack relentlessly.
The Martial King tried to say something, but Baek Ja-gang gave him no opportunity.
If he had been fighting the Heavenly Demon, they would have leisurely exchanged words, perhaps had a drink mid-fight, and then fought again.
They might have fought for seven days and nights.
But Baek Ja-gang did not afford the Martial King that value.
Sword and fist cut through the air.
The two moved so fast that sound could not keep up with their movements.
In the end, the Martial King resorted to a dangerous move.
In a life-and-death battle, it is always the one at a disadvantage who takes risks.
Shiiik.
Gwak!
He caught the incoming sword blade with his bare hand.
None of the onlookers had expected him to dare to catch the Unorthodox Alliance Leader's blade with his bare hands.
As soon as he caught the blade, his elbow shot toward Baek Ja-gang’s chest.
Papak!
Even though Baek Ja-gang twisted, pulled, and pushed the blade with lightning speed, the Martial King’s palm was not cut.
Shwaaaaaaek.
The elbow grazed past Baek Ja-gang.
It was a decisive move, but Baek Ja-gang narrowly avoided the attack.
As their bodies crossed for an instant, the Martial King’s headbutt aimed for Baek Ja-gang’s face.
A move as unexpected as catching the sword with his bare hand!
Thwack!
Baek Ja-gang's sword hilt, which had somehow slipped from the Martial King's grasp, struck him in the face.
At the same time, Baek Ja-gang’s sword cut through the air like a thunderbolt.
Seogeok.
With a sound that signaled the end, both of their movements stopped.
It was the price for the recklessness of trying to catch the sword and headbutt the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.
A long gash was cut across the Martial King’s chest.
But not a single drop of blood flowed.
What had been cut was his clothing.
Baek Ja-gang’s gaze now fell on the Martial King’s hands.
He had clearly cut his palm before his chest, yet not a drop of blood had been shed there either.
Still, the Martial King grimaced as if in pain and touched his chest.
Then he slowly took off his outer robe.
Revealing the protective armor beneath.
"This is the Immortal Divine Armor. The greatest protective armor, which cannot be cut by any sword."
He then held up both his hands.
"And these are the Fighting God. Gauntlets that can also be called the best. Please consider it a show of respect towards you."
Just as Geom Mugeuk had predicted, he had come wearing protective armor.
Not just any armor, but the Immortal Divine Armor and the Fighting God.
In terms of martial artists, it was the equivalent of the Cult Master's and Alliance Leader's highest-grade protective armor.
"That's fine. To face me, you should at least wear something of that caliber. However, seeing that protective armor makes me wonder one thing."
Baek Ja-gang emitted a new aura.
After a great vibration, a bluish light began to shimmer from his sword.
For the first time since the fight began, his sword was imbued with Sword Force.
At the same time, an energy different from before began to flicker around Baek Ja-gang’s body.
Smaller, and therefore more terrifying, Baek Ja-gang spoke with his small eyes.
"That protective armor of yours… you had better pray it is truly uncuttable."