Jang Geuk’s presence suddenly intensified.

It was as if the Giant Spirit Pill had been specifically designed to amplify the Giant Spirit Technique. But even then, what Seo-jun witnessed went far beyond his understanding of the pill’s usual capabilities.

Yet, something about it felt strange to Seo-jun. Jang Geuk’s Giant Spirit Technique was undeniably crude, not the kind of martial art that should wield such immense power.

The typical martial artists he’d encountered barely tapped into the full potential of their techniques, but here was a bandit, wielding a martial art beyond its natural limits—like a miracle in itself.

“Interesting,” Seo-jun muttered, feeling his pulse quicken. Even with his natural talent for qi manipulation, this encounter reminded him of how much he still had to learn.

Watching Jang Geuk, Seo-jun made subtle adjustments to his own version of the Giant Spirit Technique.

Meanwhile, Jang Geuk weighed his options. Faced with two formidable opponents, he had to decide who to attack first.

There was no question—the man with the unusual techniques was the greater threat. He couldn’t risk allowing Seo-jun to continue supporting from a distance.

“Let’s see if you can kill me!” Jang Geuk shouted, charging forward. His stomp sent tremors through the mountain, and his large, blunt sword carved a massive arc through the air.

Instead of retreating, Seo-jun swung his sword to meet it.

“The Namgung sword style is founded on weight, dominance, and speed…”

He incorporated what he’d learned from Namgung Jincheon, adapting it to suit his needs.

Azure Flow of the Heavens. He directed Jang Geuk’s sword away with his own blade, blending weight with a flowing motion.

Boom!

Still, Jang Geuk’s attack was heavy. Seo-jun gritted his teeth, pouring strength into both hands gripping his sword.

Around him, plum blossoms of lightning bloomed, marking the area with precision. But Jang Geuk ignored the blossoms, charging in without hesitation.

“Hyaaah…!”

Jang Geuk swung his blade a dozen times, inflicting deep wounds on himself as he broke through Seo-jun’s defensive blossoms.

Boom! Crash!

Sword and blade clashed violently.

“He doesn’t have any special techniques, but he knows when to press forward.”

It was like fighting a beast. Seo-jun backed away, his inner energy surging explosively.

Giant Spirit Technique—followed by Yellow Dragon Emergence.

Nine massive dragons of qi rushed toward Jang Geuk, who dodged one, blocked two with his sword, and seized a third, using it as a whip to scatter the rest.

Then, instead of advancing, Jang Geuk leaped to a new position.

He moved with the agility of a tiger, bounding through the air to encircle Seo-jun. Seo-jun’s gaze darted about, tracking his movements.

“So, he’s trying to end it with one decisive strike?”

Jang Geuk must have realized that Seo-jun’s inner energy seemed inexhaustible. A prolonged battle would only favor Seo-jun, so Jang Geuk aimed to conclude it quickly.

“What the hell is Huangbo Jun doing?” Seo-jun glanced over to see Huangbo Jun standing there, watching the fight.

“What the hell is his deal?”

In that brief moment, Jang Geuk seized his opportunity and charged.

“Huff…!”

Seo-jun exhaled sharply, tapping into every ounce of strength. The Giant Spirit Technique was, in a sense, formless, relying entirely on instinct and reaction—a wild, animalistic style.

Jang Geuk’s instincts screamed as he surged forward, his eyes widening.

“Ugh…!”

Death loomed.

He’d thought he’d found an opening, but it was a trap. Before him, the maw of a monstrous beast opened wide, revealing a ghastly smile on Seo-jun’s face.

“What… what is that?”

Time stretched as Jang Geuk’s senses flooded with alarm.

This wasn’t a man; it was a monster. No one who encountered such a presence could mistake it for human. This creature couldn’t possibly be a master of the Orthodox sects.

“Is this the end for the Orthodox?”

What nonsense is he spouting now?

Seo-jun let out a dry chuckle and swung his sword at the retreating Jang Geuk.

Jang Geuk’s Giant Spirit Technique, raw and instinctive, clashed with Seo-jun’s refined style. The aura of a mountain lord now infused Seo-jun’s blade.

In merging his own perfected Giant Spirit Technique with the crude version wielded by Jang Geuk, Seo-jun’s art had become something truly worthy of the title Divine Technique.

The Giant Spirit Technique.

The force in Seo-jun’s sword surged toward the heavens. Jang Geuk’s eyes widened in awe.

“So, this is…!”

But suddenly, a flying projectile struck Seo-jun’s sword, deflecting it.

A chill ran through the blade. Seo-jun glanced at it, then turned to see three figures emerge from the shadows.

One man clad in black robes, one woman in white, and another Green Forest fighter.

“Chief! We’re saved! Reinforcements!”

The Green Forest fighter cried out, but his saviors paid him no mind. The man in black spoke.

“The Saman’s intel was accurate.”

“Indeed. Reducing two Absolute Pinnacle masters will give us an edge.”

At that moment, both the Cheongpung Squad and the Geumgang Squad arrived. Although injured, no one was missing—apparently, they hadn’t clashed with the other Absolute Pinnacle masters yet.

Hwan Bae-ho called out urgently.

“Young Master! It’s a trap! The chief was just bait!”

To safely capture an Absolute Pinnacle master like Jang Geuk, two Absolute Pinnacle-level opponents were needed.

Realizing this, Hwan Bae-ho shouted in desperation.

“The Cheongpung Squad will buy you time! You should head back to the estate—”

“No.”

Seo-jun’s face was expressionless as he shook the cold qi from his sword, fixing his gaze on the woman in white.

“Cheongpung Squad, retreat immediately.”

“But, Young Master—”

“That’s an order.”

A strange aura gathered in Seo-jun’s eyes. His overwhelming presence silenced everyone.

Huangbo Jun glanced at Seo-jun with a mix of awe and fear.

Watching Seo-jun’s every move in battle, Huangbo Jun had been unable to tear his gaze away. Seo-jun’s growth with each exchange was undeniable, showcasing a level of genius that few could match.

As the reinforcements arrived, Huangbo Jun realized the horrifying truth: the Orthodox side was facing a monster.

“I think it’s time to pull back—”

“You. So it’s true?” Seo-jun murmured, black qi seeping from his body. Huangbo Jun’s eyes widened.

“Dark qi…?”

Seo-jun didn’t hear him, his eyes locked onto the woman in white.

“I’ve found you.”

A murderous intent, buried deep within, exploded to the surface.

Seo-jun’s pupils turned crimson, radiating a pressure so intense that those below Absolute Pinnacle gasped for breath.

He tightened his focus, forcing the inner core within his body to shatter.

Crack—his core fractured, and then shattered entirely.

Crrrack—!

Seo-jun’s body twisted as the balanced trinity of his essence collapsed. Inner energy surged forth wildly, distorting his body.

“Haa…”

Having already adapted to the Absolute Pinnacle level, Seo-jun didn’t bother restoring balance, instead holding himself together through sheer will.

Defying fate, he cast aside harmony in favor of his own path, embracing the core principle of the Reverse Heaven technique—a foundation for countless demonic arts.

A bony horn sprouted from his temple, and two extra pairs of arms emerged from his sides. His pupils elongated into slits, and three grotesque flowers bloomed behind his head—a demonic transformation.

The woman’s eyes trembled as she watched.

“…Didn’t they say he was an Orthodox martial artist?”

The man in black nodded gravely.

“They did…”

“He looks like a demon to me…”

Boom!

Seo-jun’s body appeared before the woman faster than sound. She thrust her palm out on instinct.

KA-BOOM!

Their palms met, and Seo-jun glared into her eyes.

An unmistakably dark qi, ice-cold and twisted with killing intent, pulsed within her—a martial art from the same lineage as the yin energy within Chun-bong.

Crack-crack-crack—!

Tenfold Yin-Yang Reversal. As his yin and yang alternated rapidly, the woman’s palm turned bright red from the heat.

“Ugh…!”

She was thrown back, and the man in black immediately drew his sword, slicing through one of Seo-jun’s arms.

Seo-jun caught the severed limb with one of his remaining five arms and swung it like a club, striking the man.

BOOM! The man was sent flying back.

Seo-jun infused the severed arm with qi and hurled it like a dagger, then severed the other additional arms himself, feeling the ecstasy of pain piercing through his brain.

With a fierce grin, he imbued the detached arms with qi and launched them as explosive projectiles.

KAA-BOOM—!

The body is more efficient than a sword at storing inner energy. Seo-jun stopped the bleeding from his wounds with pinpoint acupressure.

“Whew…”

Seo-jun’s piercing gaze settled on Huangbo Jun.

“What are you waiting for? Take down the chief.”

“But…”

Huangbo Jun hesitated, staring at Seo-jun in disbelief. How could this demonic figure be their ally?

But Seo-jun’s blood-red eyes bore into him, leaving no room for argument.

“Yes… yes, of course.”

Finally, Huangbo Jun gave a reluctant nod. Seo-jun turned his focus back to the two remaining Saheulnyeon fighters, who were keeping a cautious distance.

One man would die, and he would disable the woman to extract information.

At the stumps where he had severed his extra arms, new ones formed, composed of pure dark qi. These spectral arms moved more fluidly than his physical limbs, which seemed almost primitive by comparison.

Clang!

The woman’s icy palm strike clashed with Seo-jun’s dark martial arts, but he absorbed the blow effortlessly with his Black Water Demon Palm.

“So, she uses ice-based qi techniques,” he thought, his crimson eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Anyone who relied on qi-based techniques wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

The red light in Seo-jun’s eyes glinted ominously.