Published at 26th of January 2026 9:27 am

Chapter 338

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The air was chilly. I'd never really thought it was hot, but it wasn't exactly supposed to be cold either.

Right now, though, it had become strangely cold.

If my hands were bare, I would have found myself rubbing my arms without realizing it.

That was how much the change in temperature was perceptible.

'Wow......'

Looking at the cause of it, I had to stifle a sigh.

'Should I have not done this?'

The killing intent emanating from Yu Yunit was making the air around us cold.

Or was it? Maybe it wasn't the air, but just my own body that felt cold.

The goosebumps on my forearms and the chill running down my back.

A metallic sensation tightened around my throat, piercing through to the inside of my skin.

I was trembling.

I had never experienced such a searing killing intent before.

'Heaven-Slaying Star.'

Those born to kill, destined to crave death itself.

This was the first moment I had truly witnessed the Heaven-Slaying Star I had only heard of in stories.

Saaaahhh!!!

The killing intent radiating from Yu Yun's body.

Seeing that, the corners of my mouth twisted slightly.

'That's brutal.'

A wave of regret hit me. Did I really need to provoke her this far? It felt like I'd done something I really shouldn't have.

"Hoo."

I let out a sigh.

The ship had already sailed.

Scared or not, I just had to keep doing what I always did.

"Alright. Even if it has to be"

The moment I started to speak.

Swish.

"...!"

I turned my head. Yu Yun's sword grazed my cheek.

Flick-!

Blood oozed out from my skin. I hadn't completely dodged it.

'She's fast.'

She was fast. Even though I had grasped everything with Moon Eye, my response was a fraction too slow.

I put more strength into my body. Yu Yun kept charging in.

Was it called Plum Blossom Swordplay? It wasn't much different from the sword she'd been using just before.

Crash!!

'What is this?'

There was something different. It was much faster and overwhelmingly rough.

No hesitation, but filled more with power than beauty.

Tingling.

I focused my eyes.

I poured strength into the Moon Eye. The path of the Virtuous Moon Sword became a bit clearer.

Shh! Shrrrik!!!

Her sword dug in sharply. I dodged, searching for a spot to counterattack.

Crunch.

I pushed my heel into the ground. The dirt floor cracked, and the power rose up to my waist.

I stripped the energy from my waist and spread it into my upper body.

With my waist freed, I twisted it halfway and added aura as I used the recoil.

Moon Wave.

Like a crescent moon in broad daylight, it shot straight at Yu Yun.

Flick-!

"Huh."

Yu Yun dodged it. Like it was nothing.

She evaded Moon Wave with only a step or two.

Swish.

She thrust her sword into the opening left behind.

Smack.

"Kh."

Feeling pain in my chest, I also pulled back to widen the distance.

Drip.

I felt a slight wound on my chest.

My waist tingled.

My body still hadn't fully recovered, and the wound on my chest was fresh.

The fortunate thing was

'... Was it just this much because the blade was dull?'

Just a scratch.

Even though I was attacked by a sword, it was only blunt pain, not a cut by the blade.

The problem was

'It was a vital point.'

She went for a vital spot that could have killed me if anything went wrong.

I tapped my chest and swallowed the chill.

As I raised my sword again and looked at Yu Yun

Smack!

Yu Yun's sword was coming down on my face.

I hurriedly turned my head to avoid it. A torrent of flashes rained down. Countless streaks of crimson sword aura poured in.

As I narrowly avoided them one by one, my eyes darted around.

What are you trying to do......!

Sung Hun spoke as if scolding me, sounding angry. It was my first time seeing him raise his voice.

You should never awaken the Heaven-Slaying Star! Why did you provoke the child!

Yu Yun, engulfed in killing intentSung Hun was visibly anxious as he looked at her.

I was the one who'd awakened the instincts he'd barely suppressed.

He was worried she might be swallowed whole by the Heaven-Slaying Star at this rate.

'So what.'

I was deliberately pushing it.

Yu Yun's sword kept getting faster. With my skill, I could keep up now.

'... This is insane.'

But aside from that

'Why is this so difficult?'

Why was her swordplay so chaotic as it came at me?

Chaotic? No, that wasn't right. It was

'Strange.'

Her sword was bizarre. It seemed to move entirely on instinct, defying logic, and that made it all the more difficult.

'The Virtuous Moon Sword path can't keep up.'

It was supposed to show me both my path and the opponent's sword path.

But grasping Yu Yun's sword was oddly taxing.

'... No wonder the old man was astonished.'

I recalled Yu Chun-gil watching Yu Yun and continually expressing his astonishment.

I hadn't understood back then just how extraordinary that was.

'After gaining a higher level, I can finally feel this.'

Now I understood.

'It's overwhelming.'

My level was higher.

I probably had more strength and speed, too.

But she was still overwhelming.

Yu Yun's sword was that to me.

Screeeeech!

I twisted my sword to deflect hers.

Yu Yun's sword clashed with mine and bounced away.

Even as the angle went awry and her sword shook in midair

Creak!

"Damn it."

Yu Yun corrected even that. She forcibly pulled the twisted blade back into its original position.

That happened in a split second. It was truly instantaneous.

'How did she do that with such a slender body?'

That was pure strength just now.

Not by technique, but by forcefully holding it with strength.

Her bones and muscles should ache, but she still pulled it off.

What's more

Shhhhhh-!!!

"Whoa."

Her sword was getting scarier and scarier. It was getting faster, above all else.

'Her killing intent is thick.'

The killing intent pouring out, and the edge of her sword, were getting stronger by the moment.

And also

'Look at her eyes.'

Yu Yun's yes as she looked at me were changing.

Her emotions were fading.

And her pupils, little by little...

'Are turning red?'

They looked like they were changing color.

... This isn't good.

Sung Hun's voice came through in the midst of it.

At this rate, she'll reach the point of no return.

The Heaven-Slaying Star was growing thicker and thicker. If fully awakened

That was the problem.

'Sorry, but...'

I had to aim for exactly that.

There were things I needed to check.

I needed to be sure of something.

If for no other reason

'Only if I do this'

I would lessen your lingering regrets, if only by a bit.

Flick!

Blood splattered across my cheek again. Even with the sword's dull edge, the sword aura now made the blade's presence felt.

'This won't do.'

Is it about time?

'... I can't keep this up.'

Whatever else, I knew one thing.

'If it was like before, I never could've won.'

Back at my old level, when I was at my peakeven if I died, I wouldn't have beaten Yu Yun.

'If only I'd fixed what the old men said was my problem...'

Would it have been different? If I hadn't been so lost in thought whenever I fought?

'Who knows.'

I don't know. Hard to say. Look at me even nowdoesn't my mind feel like a tangled mess?

'Ah. This is insane.'

It would take a long time to fix that.

No way I could do it in a day or two.

"Sss"

I relaxed completely.

Kwaaaa!!!

From Yu Yun's body, killing intent surged out as if exploding.

Her pupils, no longer just red, were stained with the color of fresh blood.

That was it.

'That's it.'

Proof of the Heaven-Slaying Star.

Historically, the red eyes were well-known.

The signature of Heavenly Demons who bore the Heaven-Slaying Star.

They say you had to have that to become a Heavenly Demon? That was the rumor.

'... But that's not what the Heavenly Demon said.'

I remembered what he'd said.

The Heaven-Slaying Star was not the condition for the Heavenly Demon.

Such a worthless fate didn't matter at all, he said.

What mattered was

'... Ghost Eyes.'

Eyes that see what should not be seen.

Having that was the requirement for being a Heavenly Demon.

'Annoying.'

A sense of foreboding and unease welled up. The Heavenly Demon had seen the same things as I did.

I never imagined even he'd gone through this.

'No, it's not that strange.'

Whether Ghost Eyes or Divine Eyes

There are more than a few people with such special eyes. Considering the genuine shamans, excluding all the fakes.

It's special, but not extraordinary.

That's how I had to think.

'For now.'

I had to look straight at the fate before me.

Crack.

Yu Yun took a step, killing intent pouring out.

The ground split as her body shot in like an arrow.

Speed in total contrast to how it started.

Does the repulsion of the Heaven-Slaying Star have something to do with this kind of power?

As my curiosity built

Whaaa!!!

My eyes and sword were wrapped in light.

Brilliant radiance burst out, and Yu Yun, who had been charging in, hesitated for a split second.

In a dizzying field of vision, my body felt as if it was floating.

A sense of elation pierced my mind. My body felt like it could be carried away by the wind, but my head cooled with a chill.

I felt that even with a rough swing, my sword would hit its mark.

Moon Heaven .

The new art created by Yu Chun-gil.

I embodied it.

'Ah.'

Nice. Somehow, it feels better than last time. My body twists as if intoxicated by a drug.

Slash.

All the jumbled thoughts faded, and what was left was only that.

To cut down.

No matter what was in front of me.

I was going to cut it down.

Crowded thoughts were wiped away, shed.

That's all that remained in the end.

My arm moved according to will and thought.

The sword, imbued with intent, was about to strike straight ahead

Tsk tsk.

A familiar tongue click sounded.

You really can't stop getting into trouble for even a moment.

A rough, blunt voice.

What on earth are you doing now? I didn't teach you this for these purposes.

My sword was striking, but time seemed to slow. Yu Chun-gil's voice rang out, regardless.

Get yourself together.

Are you going to let such a thing consume you? Isn't that pathetic?

He was filled to the brim with disdain.

If you're going to toss around my name, don't let yourself get swept up in things like that! Isn't that right?

It really was an awful name. Just inheriting that name had landed me in all sorts of messes, and even now, the Sword Saint's successor cared about the reputation of that name?

He was truly a nasty old man.

He had a knack for ruining people's moods.

Unbelievable. Yet

'... Ah.'

Despite his words, my mind, which had started to waver, snapped awake.

The sense of elation remained, but the sensations that had been swallowing me returned.

What was this?

I closed my loosening grip.

Control your strength. If you're not planning to kill the girl.

Listening, I focused on what was in front of my eyes. Yu Yun was right there.

The moment I saw her, I turned the angle of my blade.

Whack!

"...!"

From blade edge to spine.

I twisted my sword from the edge and struck Yu Yun's chest with the blunt side.

It was a moment before Yu Yun's sword could touch me.

Hit with the impact, Yu Yun's body flew and rolled across the ground.

Gack.

She coughed up a mouthful of blood.

That was dangerous. If I'd continued, I might have cut her with the blade.

"Whew......"

I let out a breath. What was I just about to do? I felt like I'd been someone else for a moment.

As I barely regained my senses and loosened my Moon Heaven

Sssaaah!!

Yu Yun spewed a violent new surge of killing intent.

... This is...... Too late......

Sung Hun, looking at Yu Yun, was full of despair. A force of killing intent began to burst from her, beyond comparison.

Hmm.

Yu Chun-gil said, upon seeing that.

If you let her be, those guys from Mount Hua will notice soon. You okay with that?

"Of course not."

I said, wiping away sweat. Of course it wasn't okay.

Then what will you do?

If another disciple sensed that killing intent and appearedwith Sung Hun collapsed hereit would make for quite the scene.

So what to do?

"What do you think?"

There was only one way.

"I'll stop it."

All I needed to do was cut off that killing intent.

Sounds simple, but how......

Sung Hun's voice was filled with frustration. Before he finished, I approached Yu Yun.

"Hoo."

I let out a breath, and stepped forward.

Creak.

There was a gear-grinding sound from my heart.

Hot.

Not heat rising, but my spirit burning.

I frowned at the sensation I hadn't felt in a long time.

Soon, Yu Yun, thoroughly engulfed in killing intent, rushed straight at me

"Get lost."

I spat out those short words.

Whoooosh!!

"......"

The killing intent vanished from Yu Yun's body.

Thump.

Yu Yun, who had been about to pounce, collapsed on the spot.

Huh?

Sung Hun let out a dumbfounded sound as he saw it.

Leaving him behind, I pushed up my hair.

"Ahh."

I was certain. I'd noticed it last time, too.

It seems

"This works."

I appeared to be able to suppress the killing intent of the Heaven-Slaying Star.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Oh, he didn't lose.

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