Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 455

Shaolin’s abbot and the head of the Martial Arts Association’s Inhwe [a powerful organization within the martial arts world].

The information revealed about him was not much.

However, when discussing the strongest in Eun [a region or country], the Inhweju [the head of Inhwe] was never excluded.

The ranking of superhumans that people in the world referred to.

Eun, Ainhardt, and even the Players [individuals with special abilities].

They lined up all those who were revealed and called them:

-The strong who fit in two hands.

They called the strong who ranked in the top 10 in the world ‘Two-Hand’.

-The strong who fit in one hand.

They called the strong who ranked in the top 5 in the world ‘One-Hand’.

Of course, this was not officially recognized, nor was it established with any policy or standard.

It was merely a ranking passed down by word of mouth, so it had no official authority.

-Living Buddha.

Living Buddha Beopcheon was….

“One-Hand.”

A figure considered to be among the strongest in the world, fitting in one hand.

Moreover, he was ranked 3rd in that ranking.

In Eun, there were only two people ranked as One-Hand.

Shaolin’s abbot, Beopcheon, and Hwasan’s sect leader, Baek Jin.

It could be said that there were only those two.

And Lee Ro-woon felt.

‘Baek Jin was disappointing.’

He no longer had any expectations for the One-Hand, whom he once thought of as the sky.

Clang!

Sparks flew.

The opponent in front of him.

“He’s different.”

Beopcheon was not comparable to Baek Jin; he realized he was the real deal.

Clang!

As he clashed with the sword again, Beopcheon slightly stepped back.

And then.

Whoooosh!

Golden light began to shine brilliantly behind his back.

The power he felt from the previous clash was the realm of life and death.

And the power he felt from him now was….

‘The Transcendent Realm.’

A power that transcended life and death.

And having reached its peak, he had taken another step forward.

Whoosh!

The golden light spreading from behind Beopcheon had taken shape and formed an image.

It was a lotus flower stained with gold and blood.

“Esteemed benefactor, I merely wish to have a conversation.”

He could say with certainty.

That the Living Buddha was stronger than anyone he had met in Eun so far.

That Beopcheon had truly stepped into the realm that Shin-gae, the head of the Beggars’ Sect, had only imitated.

“Conversation….”

Lee Ro-woon said, looking at Beopcheon.

“Why would I do that?”

“…….”

Even at Lee Ro-woon’s words, there was no change in Beopcheon’s expression.

“After all.”

Lee Ro-woon took a stance.

“You’re just a corpse.”

Clang!

Sparks flew again.

Whoosh-!

Along with it, a shockwave spread out, sweeping everything away.

A stronger power than expected, and moreover.

Thump! Thump!

The lotus flower that bloomed behind Beopcheon was emitting a constant wave, suppressing Lee Ro-woon.

This was also a power he had experienced many times.

‘Exorcism.’

The energy of exorcism.

A power that pushed away Lee Ro-woon’s demonic energy and suppressed the power of the Demon King.

Therefore, Lee Ro-woon had to forcibly suppress his boiling blood and demonic energy.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The staff held by Beopcheon and Lee Ro-woon’s sword clashed, emitting even larger sparks.

“Lee Shin-woo.”

Pushing Beopcheon back even further, Lee Ro-woon called out to Lee Shin-woo.

“Go with the Unknowns.”

“……!”

At Lee Ro-woon’s words, Lee Shin-woo’s eyes widened.

However, he quickly assessed the situation.

Beopcheon was strong.

Even if they helped, it would take quite a while if Beopcheon decided to hold out.

And in front of them was Baek Jin.

Time.

“Okay.”

They couldn’t afford to waste time.

“I’ll catch up soon.”

“Don’t worry.”

Along with Lee Ro-woon’s reply.

Kwaaaah-!

Blood began to gush out and spread from behind Lee Ro-woon’s back.

Beopcheon’s energy gathered and took the form of a lotus flower.

What appeared behind Lee Ro-woon’s back now was.

“A demon… how foul.”

A demon.

The form of Asura [a powerful demon in Buddhist mythology].

Eight arms, each holding eight different weapons.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

They moved simultaneously, targeting Beopcheon.

* * *

The form of Asura that appeared behind Lee Ro-woon.

The demon with eight arms held different weapons in each arm.

Swords, spears, clubs, and glaives, all different weapons.

They moved simultaneously and differently, targeting Beopcheon.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The weapons moved, creating a vortex of blood.

The wind swirling within was all made of strong energy, and the poison of the Blood Demon Divine Art and the demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art were mixed together.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A power that crushed and melted everything that entered it.

Beopcheon, who was facing Lee Ro-woon, was already inside the vortex, facing the swirling energy head-on.

‘Conversation.’

Beopcheon said he wanted to have a conversation with him.

However.

Kwaaaang!

Lee Ro-woon had no conversation to have with him.

“Esteemed benefactor.”

It was the moment Beopcheon’s voice was heard from within the vortex.

Whoosh!

Along with the light that shot out from the lotus flower, the vortex created by Lee Ro-woon scattered.

The power of exorcism, if it were a simple power of exorcism, would have merged with the sacredness of the holy fire and lost some of its power.

However, the power of exorcism that Beopcheon possessed was different.

“Is it the power of will?”

The nature of exorcism was different.

The exorcism energy he had experienced so far was considered evil, alien, and close to purifying the power that basically had fighting spirit.

However, Beopcheon’s exorcism was different.

This was the power of will.

‘Something he thinks for himself.’

What he considered to be demonic.

What he denied and did not accept.

“That’s your authority.”

A transcendent.

If one truly reached the realm of the divine, they would gain an authority that only they could possess.

Like.

-God.

Like those called gods.

Shin-gae called himself a god and had the power to match, but it was borrowed from the Gaeshin Library [a library of knowledge].

Therefore, the authority he possessed was only a power close to the knowledge of the Gaeshin Library, and it could not be said to be true authority.

But Beopcheon was different.

A true transcendent.

Whoooosh-!

A power that could push away and suppress things that went against his own thoughts and will.

Thud!

It became a pressure that was pressing down on Lee Ro-woon.

“You recognize it.”

Beopcheon did not even deny Lee Ro-woon’s words.

“Esteemed benefactor, I will say it again, I merely wish to….”

Thump.

A resounding beat.

Beopcheon’s face, which had not changed until now, contorted.

The power of will that was pressing down on Lee Ro-woon, the power of denial, was faltering and breaking apart.

“……!”

As if it was surprising.

“How….”

Beopcheon even twisted his lips without realizing it, letting out a suppressed groan.

“Did you think you were the only one who had it?”

The authority of a transcendent.

Lee Ro-woon also.

“Mine is a simple power. It’s okay to tell anyone about it.”

Because he was a transcendent.

“This is….”

Beopcheon seemed to have noticed.

“Yes. The authority of a transcendent….”

Lee Ro-woon walked forward.

The energy of Asura was fluctuating and distorting behind him.

The blood-red Asura was trampling and destroying all the energy of the lotus flower that Beopcheon was emitting.

The Living Buddha wanted a conversation.

However.

Kwaaang!

The time and method of that conversation were to be decided by him.

“Hwasan was my prey.”

Lee Ro-woon said, right in front of Beopcheon.

Blood spheres floated in all directions, and Beopcheon quickly wrapped his body in golden energy.

“If you touched it….”

The blood spheres began to move.

“You should have been prepared to pay the price.”

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Each one was like a cannonball exploding right in front of him.

The cannonballs struck Beopcheon’s protective energy, again and again.

And when they bounced off.

Kwaaang!

They collided with Beopcheon’s body again, causing an explosion.

“Esteemed benefactor….”

Beopcheon said with a distorted face.

“I am merely trying to offer you a proposal….”

Even so, the Living Buddha forced out his voice.

“To stand against the great evil…, I am reaching out to you….”

The great evil.

Lee Ro-woon unknowingly curled up the corners of his mouth.

What kind of nonsense would he spout now?

“Do you not know what the great evil is?”

What were the things they called the great evil?

He had seen and experienced firsthand what they were pursuing, so he could only laugh.

It would be nothing more than a desire for a power struggle.

Ainhardt and Gehenna, they called them evil, but that was just their perspective….

“Esteemed benefactor!”

Beopcheon shouted.

The blood spheres and the shaking Asura were swept away by it.

It was not authority, but the power that Beopcheon possessed itself.

“I-!”

Beopcheon’s voice.

“I am saying that we should join forces to stop you!”

At that, Lee Ro-woon stopped.

The smile that had appeared at the corner of his mouth disappeared.

The great evil that Beopcheon was talking about.

“Esteemed benefactor, you know it too…!”

That was.

“That you are the great evil!”

That he was talking about Lee Ro-woon.

“What nonsense….”

Lee Ro-woon was about to speak with a distorted face when.

“……!”

His eyes widened as he lost his words.

“Move.”

Lee Ro-woon’s energy surged as if it would explode.

“Move!”

Lee Ro-woon shot forward, kicking off the ground in an instant.

Beopcheon no longer tried to stop him.

“Amitabha.”

* * *

Lee Ro-woon, who had passed by Beopcheon, was able to reach his destination in the blink of an eye.

Kwaaaah-!

The blue energy was raging.

It was the power of Lee Shin-woo that he had felt earlier.

The power he had gained after awakening, a power that could temporarily rival even Beopcheon, was surging and spreading, covering the area.

This was the top of the Hwasan Tower.

The place where Baek Jin’s energy had been.

Kwaaaah-!

Lee Ro-woon pushed away Lee Shin-woo’s energy and walked forward.

The footsteps that had rushed here.

Thud.

Now they were only slow.

The reason was that Lee Shin-woo’s power, having lost its direction, was going out of control.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The heart that was beating like crazy was another reason.

Thud.

As he took a step, Lee Ro-woon felt time flowing slowly.

Both sensually and actually.

Whoooosh-!

The power that filled this space and swirled was suppressing and distorting time.

A power that distorted time.

A power that was not easy to produce even after entering the realm of transcendence.

The realm of realms.

A power that only those who had truly transcended after reaching the peak of that enlightenment could produce.

A power that neither Beopcheon nor Lee Shin-woo could produce.

Thud.

Also, the ability to freely manipulate that time was something that no one could do.

Thud.

Lee Ro-woon was finally able to face it.

The countless corpses.

They were corpses wearing Hwasan uniforms.

What stood out was that there was no emotion or anything felt on their faces.

They did not even realize that they had died until the very end, nor did they even know that they had faced an enemy.

Thud.

What he saw as he walked further was.

“…….”

The Unknowns he had sent ahead.

Fortunately, they were still breathing.

Unfortunately, they were no longer in a state to fight.

Their two knees were respectfully bent, and their heads were bowed to the ground.

It was not the etiquette shown by the Players or the residents of Earth.

Also, the Unknowns were those who opposed Eun, not those who followed Eun’s etiquette.

They were just trembling quietly, as if they did not even recognize Lee Ro-woon’s existence.

Thud.

In front of them was Lee Shin-woo.

He seemed to be in a better condition than the Unknowns, standing there.

However, his face was distorted with shock and countless emotions at the same time.

This was not the destination either.

Thud.

Another step forward.

It was in front of him.

Whoooosh.

A man standing quietly, emitting energy.

Hwasan’s sect leader, Baek Jin.

No.

“It’s been a while….”

The being wearing that mask.

“It’s been a while.”

“It’s been a while.”

The energy of Muwang, Shin Yeo-wool.