Chapter 124: Fragment of the True Immortal

He neither trembled in fear nor wailed in terror.

Overwhelming power.

A presence that could not be resisted—Jang Woo-hyun’s response was surrender. He took no action, held no thought.

True Immortal.

Beings who had ascended to the Upper Realm, near to godhood.

He had taken them too lightly. He had entertained the foolish notion that they could be opposed.

They were not beings mortals could handle.

A colossal hand, spanning perhaps tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of li, overshadowed everything in sight. A single finger of that hand seemed capable of shattering an entire Floating Continent.

Before the power of the True Immortal that revealed just a fragment of itself, Jang Woo-hyun became a fool.

He had intended to give up everything. No—he had not even formed the thought of surrender. In a daze, he simply awaited the death and destruction approaching him.

A space where everything collapsed.

The ones who saved Jang Woo-hyun were neither Jin Ha-un nor Cho-su, but two swords.

The two swords that Jang Woo-hyun had let go did not fall—they floated sideways. Dragon King's Scale moved on its own and enveloped the Black Sword, then pierced into Jang Woo-hyun’s side.

“Uoooh!”

Jang Woo-hyun screamed from the pain spreading throughout his body. A sensation as if his body had frozen and then shattered in an instant—or as if a tree made of blades had rapidly grown through his veins and muscles.

In that pain that transcended imagination, the mind that had given up on everything came back to life.

“Guhhhh…”

The pain was so intense that tears and mucus flowed uncontrollably. It was the worst pain he had ever experienced since falling into the Martial Realm. Had he not been dazed, he would have lost consciousness entirely.

As the sudden pain brought his mind back, Jang Woo-hyun wiped his tears and mucus and looked around.

The Black Sword that had stabbed his side. And Dragon King's Scale floating nearby.

He realized that the two swords had given him pain to snap him out of it.

“Ugh… Thanks, but that really hurt.”

As he pulled out the Black Sword, black smoke rose from the wound.

Though its power had clearly been sealed, the Black Sword had drawn on its strength to help him. A normal wound would not have been enough to bring him back to his senses.

“I owe you.”

Tapping the blade of the Black Sword, he expressed his gratitude.

In the lingering pain, Jang Woo-hyun sharpened his focus and looked up.

A hand so enormous it seemed capable of crushing a planet slowly approached. As if it intended to grasp the entire world in its palm.

He felt its overwhelming presence and colossal strength. He nearly gave up again, becoming dazed—but the pain from his side kept his mind awake.

In that pain, Jang Woo-hyun returned to his usual self.

As was his habit, he tried to assess the opponent but gave up. A hand so vast it could be mistaken for the sky—no weakness or method of attack could be found from observation alone.

‘If I can’t fight it—’

Then he had to find a way to evade or escape.

Many ideas flashed through his mind. The tools and abilities Cho-su possessed, what he or Jin Ha-un could do to assist.

Then he remembered a gift he had received.

‘Ten-Thousand-League Flying Talisman!’

A talisman given by Yeom Jong-myung, the Sub-Division Leader of the Divine Beast King Sect.

—“Close your eyes once and open them again, and you’ll fly across ten thousand li. Use it when you’re in danger. It’ll save your life at least once.”

If it could send him flying across ten thousand li in an instant, it was no different from a teleportation spell technique. He could escape this place.

Just as he thought he had found a way out, Jang Woo-hyun halted as he drew the Ten-Thousand-League Flying Talisman. Then he raised his head again.

‘I can escape from here.’

But he wasn’t confident he could truly shake off that massive hand.

The thing in front of him was a hand so vast it could be mistaken for a silver sky. Each time it moved slightly, it seemed the Central Heavens Realm cracked as if space itself were breaking.

‘It’s after me.’

He wouldn’t be able to escape easily. Even if he used the Ten-Thousand-League Flying Talisman to flee, that silver hand would follow him. A hand with such size and power wouldn’t make proper escape easy.

‘I have to send Ha-un and Cho-su-nim instead.’

Organizing his thoughts, Jang Woo-hyun moved immediately. He approached the two and checked their condition.

They looked no different from how he had just been—a dazed state, having given up everything. Fortunately, they hadn’t fallen since they were using a Flying Apparatus.

To snap them out of it, Jang Woo-hyun decided to borrow the Black Sword’s power.

“I’m counting on you.”

At his quiet whisper, the Black Sword emitted a puff of black smoke as if in response. Then he swung the sword and slashed the sides of Cho-su and Jin Ha-un.

“Gyaaah!”

“Aaagh!”

In excruciating pain, light returned to their eyes.

“Ugh! Aaaah!”

“Ha-un! Cho-su-nim!”

Jang Woo-hyun quickly called out to the two, who had begun to writhe from the pain.

“W-What? You… attacked us?”

“I had no choice if I wanted to bring you back to your senses.”

“Senses? What are you… ah!”

Cho-su belatedly looked up into the air. A despairing scene was approaching before his eyes.

Just looking at it made Cho-su tremble. He nearly passed out again. If not for the wound from the Black Sword, he would have lost consciousness and given up completely.

With trembling hands, Cho-su used his Inner Robe to take out a strange helmet-like item and put it on his head.

Only then could he calm himself slightly.

“What the hell is that absurd hand?”

“It’s the True Immortal from the Upper Realm.”

“True Immortal… Why…?”

“That’s not what’s important right now. Here, take this first.”

Jang Woo-hyun handed Cho-su the Ten-Thousand-League Flying Talisman.

“It’s called the Ten-Thousand-League Flying Talisman. Use it to escape with Ha-un.”

“Just the two of us? What about you?”

“I can’t go. That thing is after me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How can we leave you behind? There has to be a way. If I use one of the Dharma Treasures I have—”

“Cho-su-nim.”

At the serious tone of his voice, Cho-su fell silent.

“I can’t wander around the Central Heavens Realm with that thing chasing me. Even if someone could stop it, everything would be destroyed before help arrived.”

“…”

Cho-su had no rebuttal. No matter what he used, escaping the pursuit of a True Immortal would not be easy.

Having convinced Cho-su, Jang Woo-hyun turned toward Jin Ha-un.

“Ha-un, go back and find Senior Maeng…”

“Hyung-nim, that’s impossible. We need to escape together as soon as possible.”

"Ha-un, listen to me. Go meet Senior Maeng and deliver my message."

"Hyung-nim, quickly! Let’s run! Maybe we can escape using the ship the giant used?"

Jin Ha-un, who couldn't collect his senses properly, merely poured out the words he wanted to say. His eyes had already lost focus and were growing hazy again.

"Jin Ha-un."

"If we get far from here and receive help from another sect... right, let's go to the Samcheong Tai Chi Sect. If we get help there..."

"Jin Ha-un!"

Even when Jang Woo-hyun raised his voice, Jin Ha-un kept mumbling with unfocused eyes. Unable to help it, Jang Woo-hyun raised his hand.

Smack!

He slapped Jin Ha-un’s cheek once and struck his face with a fist.

Only after the inside of his mouth was torn did Jin Ha-un properly look at Jang Woo-hyun.

"Jin Ha-un! Listen to me! Look at me!"

"H-Hyung-nim…"

The focus returned to Jin Ha-un’s eyes.

"Who am I?"

"Hyung-nim..."

"I asked you, who am I?"

"...Woo-hyun Hyung-nim."

Jang Woo-hyun shook his head. Jin Ha-un spoke another name. A name that was slowly becoming known across the Central Heavens Martial Realm.

"Celestial Scale Sword Hero Jang Woo-hyun."

"Not that. The name only you know."

But that, too, was wrong. What Jang Woo-hyun wanted was a different name. A name unknown to the people of the Central Heavens Realm, known only to Jin Ha-un.

"One Sword, One Kill..."

A rising expert who appeared like a comet and shook the Martial World.

A man who, alone, stood against massive sects and ignited a frenzy in the Martial World.

"...Invincible Divine Sword Jang Woo-hyun."

One who carried both the name 'Divine Sword' and 'Invincible.'

That was the kind of sworn brother Jin Ha-un had.

"That's right, I’m Jang Woo-hyun."

Even when a tremendous force that could crush the world pressed from all sides, Jang Woo-hyun remained composed. A smile spread across his face.

"Do you remember what I said when I told you a story before? When I asked if you’d be okay meeting me again and walking this path with me?"

—“We can’t just suffer. And what’s different from last time anyway?”

He had suspected from the start that True Immortal might be involved. And back then, no matter who the opponent was—even True Immortal—Jin Ha-un believed Jang Woo-hyun would take care of it. Because the sworn brother he knew was such a man.

"Ha-un, nothing has changed since then. I’m still moving forward. And I’ve never given up. No matter who the opponent was."

When he was at the Master Level, he fought and defeated the Supreme Peak of the Demonic Cult. When he reached Supreme Peak, he fought massive sects alone. And when he encountered the Usawa of the Demonic Cult, he stepped into the Absolute Realm.

In the Central Plains, Jang Woo-hyun had always fought those stronger than him. And the one who knew that best was Jin Ha-un.

"Believe in me. I haven’t given up yet."

Jang Woo-hyun spoke calmly.

Tears welled up in Jin Ha-un’s eyes as he looked at him.

"You're crying at your age? Go to Senior Maeng and tell him. That there are others besides Bi Ik-ryeon connected to the Ascension Cult, that both assassin sects and spellcasters are involved."

"Hyung-nim."

"Don’t worry. We’ll meet again soon."

After speaking, Jang Woo-hyun exploded his qi in all directions.

Without donning the Sacred River Flowing Armor, he drew forth all his qi explosively.

His qi extended in every direction.

Tremendous internal energy burst forth through his entire body. With the outpouring energy like a waterfall, Jang Woo-hyun was floating in mid-air even without using Void Movement Technique.

Pushing back the pressure crushing down from all around, Jang Woo-hyun's qi spread outward. Like a small flame burning alone in pitch-black darkness.

"Go now. Cho-su-nim, I leave Ha-un to you."

Cho-su nodded and tore the Myriad Miles Flying Step.

The moment light enveloped the two, they vanished in an instant.

After sending them away, Jang Woo-hyun gripped the Black Sword and Dragon King's Scale.

Whooooo—

He inhaled deeply and looked up at the sky.

A massive hand slowly narrowing in as if it would crush him completely.

It seemed as though it intended to crumple the entire world.

The closer the hand came, the greater the pressure became, to the point even breathing became difficult.

‘Did I act too cocky?’

He had bluffed to reassure Jin Ha-un.

But dealing with that giant hand before him wasn’t just difficult—it bordered on impossible.

Even so, he couldn’t give up easily. He had never given up before.

Exhaling once more, Jang Woo-hyun slowly stepped into the air and closed his eyes.

—You’re going to learn martial arts at that age?

When he first said he would learn martial arts at thirty, everyone opposed it.

They said it was too late, that it was impossible.

But he mastered martial arts.

Even when he fought the Asura Sword Sect alone, they all said it was impossible.

They called him a nameless fool. Said he would soon die.

When he stood alone before the Iron Armor Monkey, when he tried to catch the Five Monsters of the Demon Extermination Sect, and even when he faced the Demonic Cult followers alone—it had all been deemed absurd.

All the things everyone said were impossible. Those with extremely slim chances.

Though it seemed he solved them easily, nothing Jang Woo-hyun did after becoming a martial artist was ever easy. He had walked the path of miracles, turning impossibilities into possibilities.

Jang Woo-hyun slowly opened his eyes.

A sky of pure silver.

Though nothing had changed visually, Jang Woo-hyun’s face had changed.

The same as always.

His pupils no longer wavered. He no longer trembled with fear.

Today, once again, to create another miracle, Jang Woo-hyun stepped forward into the air.

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