Chapter 121 – Asura (2)

The battle between the Asura and the Formless Sword Demon Armor began with a clash of sounds.

Lee Hanseong, who had taken refuge within Rough, temporarily sent his consciousness to the Formless Sword Demon Armor, assisting it in place of Blundell, who had entered a state of selflessness.

Since the Formless Sword Demon Armor possessed its own will, the best Lee Hanseong could do was provide support.

Kiiiiing.

The Heart Sword contained within the footsteps of the Formless Sword Demon Armor and the Heavenly Sound within the Asura’s voice collided and canceled each other out.

Crackle!

Sparks flew between Blundell and the Asura.

As if that were the signal, the two supreme masters charged toward each other.

Creeeeeeeng!

The Formless Sword, shimmering transparently from the fingertips of the Formless Sword Demon Armor, and the phoenix form projected by the Asura’s Gamcheon Bonghwang Eum clashed head-on, unleashing a deafening roar.

No, the roar only spread from the Asura’s direction.

From Blundell’s direction, it was quiet because the sound was severed by the Formless Sword.

Clang! Creeeengclangclangclang!

Countless collisions occurred in an instant, enough for afterimages to multiply into hundreds and thousands.

In the process, both sides were able to read each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“A sword that is not fixed and constantly changes. Truly troublesome.”

“……”

The Asura read the omnipotent nature of the Formless Sword and smiled with a hint of admiration.

Even the phoenix projection was merely an object of imitation before the Formless Sword.

The Formless Sword Demon Armor, which initially countered by using the Heart Sword to sever sound, had at some point taken on a form similar to the phoenix and began emitting Heavenly Sound.

Ultimately, it became a sword that deconstructed the Heavenly Sound, overwhelming the Asura’s phoenix projection with far less power.

Creeeengclangclangclang!

Yet, the equal clash continued because the Asura, in turn, adjusted his Heavenly Sound by deconstructing that very deconstruction method.

“Indeed, in terms of swordsmanship and sense alone, you are This Throne’s ideal. …However, your body is far too frail.”

“……”

Moreover, although the Formless Sword Demon Armor could unleash 10-Star Rank power with support, the fact that the wearer was Blundell, who was merely 5-Star Rank, was also a problem.

To avoid burdening the wearer, the Formless Sword Demon Armor had to dissipate the power contained in the Asura’s attacks more than necessary.

Thus, even if it gained a temporary advantage through deconstruction, when the Asura pushed with raw power, it had to take losses to block it.

While this stalemate continued…

Oooooooong!

The Asura’s attacks began to change subtly, becoming more intricate.

The application of Heavenly Sound had changed.

Once all Sound Arts were blocked by the Formless Sword, it finally shifted from affecting the opponent to strengthening his own power.

Sound that moved the heavens naturally drew power from the world.

The Natural Sword that Duren had displayed in the previous Dragon Extermination Campaign was now unleashed through the phoenix projection.

“……!”

The Formless Sword Demon Armor could also unleash a Natural Sword with the Formless Sword, but it could not.

The greater the total force of the collision between the two Spirits, the greater the force that needed to be dissipated.

The best course was to block the Asura’s attacks with the extreme of softness, without increasing the magnitude of power.

“By all appearances, thou art not a figure from Mount Hua. This Throne shall also face thee with full strength.”

If Blundell were a Martial Artist of the Mount Hua Sect, he would have used only divine arts derived from Mount Hua’s Martial Arts, as when he defeated the Sect Leader.

But the Asura noticed that the Formless Sword was not connected to any Martial Arts of the Four Great Martial Schools. He began to unleash his full strength, removing his restrictions.

Kugugugugugu!

The Asura’s body, tempered by the Reverse Tendon Cleansing Marrow Scripture, a representative Outer Art of the Black Forest Sect, revealed the power it had been concealing.

The Reverse Tendon Cleansing Marrow Scripture was a Martial Art that further evolved the body’s components using the Laws of the Five Elements.

Infusing metal energy into bones to transform them into unyielding bones—Hwan’gol (Bone Exchange).

Infusing water energy into marrow to wash away impurities—Sesu (Marrow Cleansing).

Infusing fire energy into blood to make it hot—Gihyeol (Vital Blood).

Infusing earth energy into muscles to grow them—Yeokgeun (Tendon Transformation).

Infusing wood energy into nerves to expand them—Sinmaek (Divine Veins).

And based on this robust body where ‘the Five Elements are in Harmony’…

The representative Martial Art of the Wanderers’ Association, the Beast Instinct Path, was added.

Kiiing—

Cold moonlight sharpened the senses, making the spirit clear and keen.

It opened the sixth sense, which transcended even those five senses.

Kwagwagwagwagwa!

In contrast, as if opposing that moonlight, the Lava Ki Art of the Mount Hua Sect, which had reached the level of Immortal Fire, erupted with immense Internal Energy from the lower Dantian like the sun.

The energy created by the Five Elements Harmony of the Reverse Tendon Cleansing Marrow Scripture was pure starlight—the Power of Starlight.

The cold moonlight realizing the Beast Instinct Path was the Power of Moonlight.

The immortal bird that ascended from the volcano of the Lava Ki Art and soared into the sky became the sun—the Power of Sunlight.

Hwaaaak!

Sun, Moon, Star Body.

Light originating from three types of celestial bodies harmonized, unifying essence, energy, and spirit, achieving the Three Flowers Realm.

Ongongongongongong!

Finally, using the principles of the East Sea Thirty-Six Swords, the representative Martial Art of the Four Great Martial Schools’ Haedong School, he imbued his Internal Energy with Will and spread it in thirty-six directions like waves.

Like a Domain Expansion, a Law originating from the Asura’s Will formed a Domain around him.

They were Martial Arts only at the peak level, but combined in the hands of the Asura, who had reached the realm of life and death, they were the representative Martial Arts of the Four Great Martial Schools, strengthened to the level of the Profound Realm.

But this was not the end.

At this level, he could not shatter the Formless Sword.

Thus, he proceeded further.

Just as the phoenix of the Lava Ki Art transformed into a phoenix after passing through the Asura Three Thousand Gates…

The Mental Images contained in the Martial Arts of the other Four Great Martial Schools were also in a transformed state, allowing the Asura’s Martial Arts to transcend their originals and advance.

“Trample, Tapteongirin’gak (Heaven-Treading Kirin Leg).”

The Mental Image of Fenrir, the Western Divine Beast pursued by the Beast Instinct Path of the Wanderers’ Association, transformed into the Mental Image of a Kirin within the Kirin Ascension Gate, one of the Asura Three Thousand Gates.

The moment a giant Kirin form was projected into the void…

Kwaaaaaang!

The sky itself became the Kirin’s massive hoof, stamping down upon the area!

And the explosive sound caused by the impact was then modulated by the phoenix into Heavenly Sound, interfering so that the Formless Sword Demon Armor could not focus solely on blocking the Kirin’s footwork.

Ggadeudeudeudeuk!

Chwachwachwachwachwa!

Even up to this point, it was possible to deconstruct with the Formless Sword, albeit with some losses.

After all, the Mental Images of the phoenix or Kirin projected by the Asura were not at the level of Authority.

However, just as the Asura Three Thousand Gates consisted of three gates, one transformed Mental Image still remained.

“Pierce, Tongcheonhongyean (Heaven-Piercing Rainbow Serpent Eye).”

The transformed Mental Image of Leviathan, the Eastern Divine Beast revered by the Haedong School—the Rainbow Serpent.

The projection of the Rainbow Serpent, a type of dragon, appeared as a ring-shaped rainbow encircling the Kirin’s hoof positioned in the void.

It was as if a giant eyeball had appeared in the sky.

The rainbow was the iris, and the hoof was the pupil.

Hwaaaak!

The moment the rainbow appeared, the Formless Sword Demon Armor felt as if everything had been revealed to the Asura.

Even before it could deploy its newly constructed deconstruction method, a deconstruction of that deconstruction method was already being unleashed from the Asura’s hands.

Every move it intended to make had already been read by its opponent.

Moreover, the Rainbow Serpent Eye’s function was not limited to that.

Within the range where the eye of heaven fixed its gaze, the Law of Certain Hit was added to all attacks.

Before this Law, which could not be evaded and could only be blocked, the Formless Sword Demon Armor was forced into a direct confrontation.

Kkigigigigik.

Consequently, unable to completely deflect the Asura’s attacks, stress accumulated on its vulnerable joint areas, gradually distorting the shape of the Demon Armor.

Of course, the Formless Sword Demon Armor was not just taking hits.

Formless Sword—Kirin.

Formless Sword—Rainbow Serpent.

Oooong!

By imitating the new Mental Image projections the Asura brought forth with the Formless Sword, it restored the tilting balance back to equilibrium.

No, because the Kirin and Rainbow Serpent recreated by the Formless Sword were qualitatively superior to the Asura’s Mental Image projections, the balance even tilted slightly in favor of the Formless Sword Demon Armor.

The problem was the Formless Sword Demon Armor’s starlight consumption.

Creeeengclangclangclang!

Compared to the Asura, a complete 10-Star, there was a limit to how long the Formless Sword Demon Armor could exert 10-Star Rank power.

Therefore, to defeat the Asura, it should have aimed for a quick decisive battle.

Dragging things out like this would only lead to a steady defeat.

Tsk.

Thus, without considering what came after, after pushing the Asura back momentarily…

It drew out the best move it could perform with its remaining power.

“……!”

Authority [Primordial Chaos Formless Sword].

The true form of the Formless Sword, unlocked because Mirinae had regained the Authority of Primordial Chaos.

A sword strike that gathers all power into a single blade while connected to oneself across past, present, future, parallel universes, and the Multiverse.

Chwaaaaaak!

Seeing the future of being slain by it with the Rainbow Serpent Eye, the Asura also unleashed his strongest ability without delay.

Having passed through all Asura Three Thousand Gates and become an Asura, he was already in a state to comprehend the name of an Authority.

It was just that the integration of his Skills was not yet complete.

Since he was an Asura who could reach the 11th Star once the integration was finished, it was entirely possible for him to prematurely unleash an Authority even in his current 10-Star state.

Just as the Formless Sword Demon Armor unleashed the Sword Demon’s Formless Sword.

“Open, Sura Mubopdo (Asura Lawless Path).”

Authority, [Asura Lawless Path].

The Mental Image of the inverted World Tree, nurtured through the Black Forest Sect’s Reverse Tendon Cleansing Marrow Scripture—the Northern Divine Beast ‘Qliphoth’—devoured the Mental Images of the phoenix, Kirin, and Rainbow Serpent, [completing] a single world.

Thereby, a unique Law independent of external Laws enveloped the Asura and began to ignore other Laws.

Pachuchuchuchuchuchu—.

The moment he saw it, Lee Hanseong suddenly recalled Duren’s 6th Awakening Skill.

And he realized why the Life-Severing Asura, who possessed power that ignored Laws, bore the name ‘Asura’.

From the beginning, the power of lawlessness itself was the Asura’s Innate Authority, hence the name.

Screak!

The result of the clash between the Primordial Chaos Formless Sword, which drew power from the world of all phenomena, and the Asura Lawless Path, which ignored the world’s Laws…

Thud.

The Asura’s left arm was severed from the shoulder and fell to the ground.

Ultimately, in the contest between Authorities, the Primordial Chaos Formless Sword was the victor.

“This Throne’s victory.”

Unless this move killed the Asura, it was the Formless Sword Demon Armor’s defeat.

The starlight contained within the Formless Sword Demon Armor was already nearly depleted.

Once the remaining starlight was also consumed, the Formless Sword Demon Armor could no longer exert 10-Star Rank power.

Of course, the Asura also bore no small burden from prematurely using an Authority he had not yet fully comprehended, but he was still a 10-Star.

Blundell, having lost the power of the Formless Sword Demon Armor, would not last a second against the wounded Asura.

Thus, the Formless Sword Demon Armor used its last remaining power to protect its master.

Formless Sword—Event Horizon.

Clank!

Just as it had sealed the Eastern Heaven of the Dark Star Bell, it used the Demon Armor itself enveloping Blundell as a framework to perform a seal that thoroughly isolated him from the outside.

Because its perfection had been elevated to the level of an Authority by the Formless Sword, it was a seal that could not be broken unless the Asura Lawless Path was deployed again.

Clang!

Indeed, when the Asura touched Blundell’s seal, the seal remained intact.

“Dost thou intend to flee in this manner, refusing to accept defeat?”

The Asura glared at the now-motionless Formless Sword Demon Armor as if displeased, but there was nothing he could do immediately.

He could not deploy the Asura Lawless Path until his destabilized Divinity was stabilized again.

“Even so, thou hast merely postponed the time of thy death. Foolish.”

However, the stabilization of Divinity would occur naturally with time.

Thus, Blundell was essentially on borrowed time, destined to die when that time came.

Unless there was another intervention.

* * *

The moment the battle between the Formless Sword Demon Armor and the Asura was decided.

Lee Hanseong immediately created a Path of the Fairies behind Rough, who was hiding inside the cave.

Juuwaaaaang!

It was a path leading to the records of Hans from another era in Arthalia.

It was to temporarily halt his record before Blundell’s history met its confirmed end.

If Rough remained in this era, the record would continue to flow, but if he went to another Spirit’s record and then returned to this timeline, time here would be as if stopped.

“So I need to bring a variable that can defeat such an existence.”

Rough, having indirectly witnessed the Asura’s power, forced a stiff smile and stepped onto the Path of the Fairies.

Hwiiiiing.

Riding the Path of the Fairies heading toward the future, he arrived in Hans’s era.

The point when Hans had killed the Tyrant King and the Knight and drifted into the Black Forest in the northern part of the Arthalia Continent.