Chapter 84

The journey of the three men continued, unexpectedly quiet and calm.

Yeonjeoksan was a man of few words, and although Ma Widong occasionally spoke to him as if trying to provoke a reaction, the answers he received were always cold and concise.

On the second day after Taewoon and his companions left Bagong Mountain, the forest gradually thinned, and fertile fields and lively small villages soon unfolded before their eyes.

“Finally, we’re heading toward a place where people actually live. Because that Spear Ghost fellow insisted on living tucked away in the deep mountains, I feel like it took us a good half-day longer.”

“You came looking for me of your own accord, yet you spout complaints? Truly, I have no desire to travel with a wretch like you.”

The two bickered constantly, but for some reason, Taewoon could feel that they didn’t actually get along that poorly.

Furthermore, the advice given by the two experts during their journey provided Taewoon with immense opportunities for growth.

“It seems you’re using the Flying Ring Step reasonably well, but there are still clumsy parts remaining.”

“Could you teach me more specifically which parts are lacking?”

“The Flying Ring Step is a step technique where one moves by drawing small circles with every stride. The core is to subtly twist the stride and trajectory to blur the opponent’s vision and hide oneself.”

After saying this, Ma Widong slowly stepped forward.

At first, it was an ordinary step, but gradually Ma Widong’s form began to transform into three or four illusions, like ripples shimmering on a lake.

Each afterimage faced a slightly different direction, and the more one tried to follow them with their eyes, the blurrier they became.

“Do you see? A single step must contain numerous possibilities. The moment the opponent fixes their gaze on one afterimage, you can seize a more advantageous position at any time.”

“Thank you, Elder. I will keep that in mind.”

“If you’re finished, come here. Since we’re at it, I’ll guide you a bit deeper into the Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear as well.”

Taewoon immediately took a stance and listened intently.

Leaving the grumbling Ma Widong behind, Yeonjeoksan gripped his spear, slowly extended his arm, and continued.

“The Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear is, as the name suggests, a spear technique that pierces the soul and summons ghosts. If you cannot embed a clear mental image into every single strike and reveal its profound mysteries, you cannot exert its true power.”

After finishing his words, Yeonjeoksan began to thrust his spear quietly.

Every time the tip of the spear sliced through the air, an invisible wind swirled sharply. Yeonjeoksan’s spear was as fast as lightning and as smooth as a river, and above all, every single trajectory possessed a clear and definite purpose.

“The eighteen forms of the Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear were created by assuming different situations and opponents. The first few are for protecting the body and establishing aura; the middle forms are for confusing the opponent and shaking their mind and body; and the final eight forms are intended solely to drive the opponent toward the path of death, embodying nothing but the will to kill.”

Taewoon focused on the explanation, carefully observing the mysteries contained within the tip of Yeonjeoksan’s spear.

“Your spear is precise now, but your intent and mental image are still shallow, so you cannot pose a true threat to your opponent. You must not simply draw lines in the air; the will to pierce the opponent’s soul must be embedded directly into the tip of the spear. That is the meaning of ‘Soul-Chasing’.”

Having finished, Yeonjeoksan quietly withdrew his spear and looked at Taewoon.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes. I will keep it in mind.”

These were truly pieces of advice as precious as gold.

Amusingly, the situation had somehow turned into a battle of pride between the two, as both tried to teach Taewoon even one more thing, ensuring the journey was never dull.

‘Intent, and mental image…’

He hadn’t fully realized it yet, but he felt he had found a clue as to how to grasp that sensation.

While Taewoon was lost in thought, several figures appeared from the other side of the forest along with the sound of footsteps. Every one of them had a rough impression, and weapons hung from their waists.

A man who stepped forward from the group shouted loudly.

“Halt! This area is under the jurisdiction of our Golden Snake Token, so anyone wishing to pass must reveal their affiliation and identity!”

Taewoon narrowed his eyes, remaining wary of them.

The Golden Snake Token. They were a notorious group of thugs based near Seoju.

At that farce, Ma Widong let out a sigh and grumbled with a dissatisfied face.

“To think that such pups dare to block this Elder’s path; the world is truly coming to an end!”

At the same time, Yeonjeoksan spoke in an indifferent tone.

“They aren’t even worth the effort. Experience in actual combat can never be too much, so you handle those fellows.”

Taewoon nodded lightly and lifted Barata. As he thought, one cannot use a cow-slaughtering knife to catch a chicken, and since he wanted to verify his own growth, there was no need to hesitate.

‘A few second-rate martial artists. And is the man in front a peak-level expert? His realm is higher than I thought.’

The enemies before him were moderately strong, but to the current Taewoon, who had received training from Changgwi Yeonjeoksan and the Strange Machine Person Ma Widong, they were opponents who required little effort.

Taewoon carefully awakened his magical power and slowly walked toward the enemies.

“Get out of the way. I will only warn you once.”

“Boss! This brat seems to have lost his mind!”

“Khah… I guess I’ll have to clear away a few corpses today. I was just starting to get restless, so this is perfect!”

Four martial artists of the Golden Snake Token surrounded Taewoon, slowly closing the distance.

Their eyes held a mixture of arrogant confidence and clear murderous intent.

“You’ve got some nerve for a kid. You must not know who we are to act up like this; we’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget, so get ready!”

The man at the front let out a sneer and lunged forward.

In his hands, two sharply gleaming daggers had appeared.

‘First, the breathing…’

Taewoon steadied his breath, lightly stepped on the ground with the soles of his feet, and adjusted his stride, embedding several mysteries within it.

The moment he stepped, Taewoon’s form blurred like mist in a heavy rain. At first, there was only one, but as his steps increased, the afterimages split into two, then three, deriving a mysterious movement.

“Wha—what is this…?”

The man with the daggers stopped his attack in confusion, and not missing that opening, Taewoon instantly moved behind him and stomped the ground powerfully while gripping his spear.

‘Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear: Third Form, Reverse Soul Flash!’

With a sonic boom, Taewoon’s spear extended straight, racing fiercely toward the opponent’s back.

The tip of the spear pierced the shoulder of the man who failed to evade the attack in time, and a thin spray of fresh blood scattered.

“Urgh! How dare you…!”

Flustered by Taewoon’s unexpected attack, the Golden Snake Token martial artists snapped back to their senses and rushed him together.

However, a pincer attack of that level no longer had the power to shake his heart.

As his toes touched the ground again, Taewoon’s figure fluidly scattered, slicing through the air and beginning to tear through the battlefield here and there.

With every stride, a precise trajectory was drawn, and several illusions unfolded before the enemies’ eyes, disrupting their perception.

“Gah…!”

“You damn brat, what kind of magic technique are you using?!”

The Golden Snake Token martial artists’ vision blurred due to the complex afterimages, and they didn’t even dare to attack properly.

The moment they fell into confusion, Taewoon’s gaze sank sharply.

Soon, a blue light shimmered at the tip of the spear, lunging fiercely toward the enemies’ necks.

‘Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear: Fifth Form, Soul-Severing Whirlwind!’

Barata rotated rapidly, wrapping itself in wind.

The tip of the spear drew a circle, sucking in the surrounding air, and several spear strikes extending in all directions struck the Golden Snake Token martial artists simultaneously.

“Kuh! Dodge!”

One man screamed desperately, but it was already too late. Within the storm created by Taewoon’s spear, they couldn’t even mount a proper response.

Screams and the fishy scent of blood rose from all sides.

The four in the lead all met their end, and now only about twice that number of martial artists remained.

With pale faces, they stepped backward, expressing questions mixed with horror.

“H-how… how can this kid possess such high-level martial arts…?”

The will to fight rapidly vanished from the enemies who realized they were no match for Taewoon, but Taewoon ignored them and took a slow step forward while gripping Barata.

In an instant, Taewoon’s form blurred once again. The enemies tried to find the Taewoon who had vanished from their sight, but with their level, it was utterly impossible to track his presence.

‘Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear: Eighth Form, Soul Destruction Strike!’

Magical power concentrated explosively at the tip of the spear. Taewoon thrust the spear with all his might, as if pouring out all his experience, training, and the teachings of Ma Widong and Yeonjeoksan.

With a thunderous roar, a wave of magical power erupted from the tip of Barata, cutting through the center of the enemies.

Pierced by the refined magical power, the enemies were killed instantly, holes torn through their bodies before they even had time to scream.

A silent stillness soon settled over the once noisy battlefield.

“…Whew.”

Taewoon caught his breath and slowly withdrew Barata, returning it to his side.

Though the two martial arts were still unfamiliar, experiencing the great prowess of the techniques in actual combat made his heart beat instinctively.

‘Is this the true power of the Flying Ring Step and the Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear…?’

Watching this, Ma Widong and Yeonjeoksan spoke with different expressions.

Ma Widong snorted rudely and laughed.

“Much better. It’s only natural, since this Elder guided you.”

Yeonjeoksan watched Taewoon with an expressionless face, then gave a slight nod, offering a positive evaluation.

“There are still many clumsy parts… but it wasn’t bad for a start.”

It had been barely a month, but visible changes were already appearing in Taewoon.

Although a long and arduous road still lay ahead, if he continued to move forward one step at a time like this, he would surely achieve even greater results.

‘Right… there’s no need to rush.’

Based on the information collected so far, he would clearly set the goals before him and achieve them.

That was the mindset Taewoon had to keep in mind during this second Cycle.

‘And after that…’

He would Clear the Theater, and furthermore, he would step outside and escape the clutches of Kalliedu, who was targeting him, in a way that would make the man watch in awe.

Somewhere, such conviction had quietly taken root in Taewoon’s heart.