Possessing Nothing

TL: Yul, xLordFifthChapter 403Lee Sungmin left the barrier he created behind and slowly walked forward. Prescan, smashed into the ground, lay there quietly as if dead, while Gemini got up, cursing.“What the…”He didn’t listen. Lee Sungmin moved his foot and kicked Gemini’s body.BOOM!Instead of being sent flying, Gemini’s body burst like a balloon. Blood and flesh splattered in all directions.Truthfully, Lee Sungmin bore no particular malice toward Gemini, as he had benefited from Gemini’s assistance a few times.Even during the fight against Geniella, Gemini didn’t intervene; she stood far away, merely watching, not getting involved in the battle.However, in this place, Gemini was Lee Sungmin’s enemy. Ignoring Prescan, who was sprawled on the ground, Lee Sungmin turned and stepped toward Geniella.Electricity flowed silently.Geniella took a half-step back. She wanted to hear the story. Something had changed, and whatever had changed narrowed the vast gap between Geniella and Lee Sungmin.Geniella did what she needed to do. Her magic created a barrier between her and Lee Sungmin.Then, Geniella took another half-step back, raising her hands to prepare for both defense and attack.Lee Sungmin’s strike shattered the barrier. Geniella’s defense was meaningless. In an instant, Geniella sensed this and launched an attack.The shattered barrier’s magic converged into one point, attempting to repel Lee Sungmin.It was too slow.Lee Sungmin’s thrust was faster than the converging magic. His spear no longer followed the techniques of the Nine Heavenly Spear Techniques.He executed the fundamentals of the Nine Heavenly Spear Techniques – the Ran, Na, and Chal – which he had learned from Wijihoyeon when he was ignorant and practiced relentlessly even when he found it boring. (TL Note: check the discord for details on the Ran, Na, and Chal)Lee Sungmin’s spear, sliding through before the magic exploded, scattered the magic controlled by Geniella. Before she could defend herself, her chest was pierced.And it burst. Surprise etched on Geniella’s face. She stumbled backward, looking down at the hole in her chest.The wound healed instantly, but this injury was different; it was not something she had intended.She thought she could block that visible, slow attack easily but failed.

“What’s happening?”Through her gaze of direct perception, she could not penetrate Lee Sungmin. Heoju’s presence was gone. Only Lee Sungmin was before her… But, was that truly him?He rejected the nickname Ghost Spear. Ghost Spear was weak and could not defeat Geniella.His head was clear, but his chest ached. It was more a sense of loss than despair.There was no reason to despair. The spear in Lee Sungmin’s hand dispersed and vanished. Then, he clenched his fist. The dragon language acted as he willed.What should I do next? The current Lee Sungmin had many options at his disposal. So many that it was a dilemma what to use first.“Do you know what this is?”Lee Sungmin asked in a soft voice. The turbulent emotions settled quietly but did not disappear.Hatred and the intent to kill her rampaged under the calm surface. Lee Sungmin left them be. He neither restrained nor rushed himself. There was no need.He knew how to use his fist well.Though he had never used it before, it still felt familiar. His master did not use a weapon. Similarly, the Blood Demon also refrained from using one.As naturally as using dragon language, Lee Sungmin now effortlessly wielded all that they had mastered.Seven hundred years ago, Ju Heebaek was talked of as the unparalleled under the heavens, known as Blood Ghost Asura.His unique martial art was the Art of the Heaven-Slaughtering Asura. The essence of the Art of the Heaven-Slaughtering Asura lay in its overwhelming ‘power’—deceptively simple and unadorned, yet unbending.The unparalleled of all time, the strongest, the Demon Emperor Yang Il-Chun.His unique martial art was the Dark Storm Arts.The Dark Storm Arts pursued the ultimate speed.These two martial arts were unfolding in Lee Sungmin’s body. It wasn’t difficult. Despite the differing directions of the two martial arts, to Lee Sungmin, they were both familiar.He added the power of the Art of the Heaven-Slaughtering Asura to the Dark Storm Arts. To the Art of the Heaven-Slaughtering Asura, he added the speed of Dark Storm Arts.

Dark Storm Arts x Shadowless Steps, Fourth Step, Second Form: Lightning Gale – Decimation (疾風迅雷 – 滅殺).Lightning Gale moved Lee Sungmin’s body, and Geniella, whose wounds had healed, twisted her body and swung her nails.Lee Sungmin’s punch pierced through space. Geniella’s magic and arm vanished. Geniella’s eyes widened in shock.Starting with a single punch and half a step forward, Lee Sungmin fluidly continued the sequence of movements in his mind.The purple protective qi that enveloped him grew in size, taking on the form of an Asura.The Art of the Heaven-Slaughtering Asura‘s ultimate, the fifth technique, the Asura Clan’s Heavenly Martial Art

, merged with the Dark Storm Arts.PZZZZZTTTT!!!The Asura was entwined with purple electricity.Geniella’s consciousness blinked back and forth, awake one second then cut off the next. Geniella, unable to properly defend, was continuously pushed back.Any attempt at defense was futile. Lee Sungmin’s attacks and qi completely transcended Geniella’s understanding of strikes.The trajectory of the extended fist was predictable, and there were no tricks, but the overwhelming power and speed left no room for Geniella to react.‘Asura Clan’s Heavenly Martial Art…!’It was impossible for her to not know.

Geniella knew all the martial arts of the Blood Demon. But, was this really that technique?Geniella clenched her teeth. The frustration that had been wriggling exploded. Geniella’s eyes emitted a bright red glare.“AHHHHHHHH!!!”The unrestrained magic exploded. It tore the space apart and vaporized every tree in the forest.A massive storm of magic scattered in all directions. Lee Sungmin stopped moving and extended his wide-open right hand forward.He recited in dragon language again. The protective qi safeguarded his body, and a defensive wall blocked the front of Lee Sungmin.BOOOMM!!

Geniella’s magic collided with the wall. Amidst the storm of magic, Geniella gripped her head with both hands.No longer did she feel pleasure. Her enjoyment derived from controlling the situation and directing the flow as she intended.Yet, that control had escaped her grasp. To Geniella, Lee Sungmin had become an unfathomable being. The storm of mana, expanding with enough force to swallow the entire forest, could not penetrate the wall nor the barrier created by Lee Sungmin.Geniella did not like that. Her eyes turned even redder. The mana grew stronger, and the wall shattered.Beyond that, Lee Sungmin leaped forth, bare-bodied. His movements followed the Art of the Heaven-Slaughtering Asura.

There was no reason for Geniella to be unable to counter if it were merely the Art of the Heaven-Slaughtering Asura.The problem was the Dark Storm Arts.PZZZZTTTTT!!!!Electricity coursed through Lee Sungmin’s movements. Geniella was pushed back by the sudden strike.Blood trickled down from between her tightly shut lips. Geniella’s unleashed mana collided with Lee Sungmin’s fist.The fist transformed into a palm right before the impact, and the technique that burst forth was not the Art of the Heaven-Slaughtering Asura.‘What is this…?’Her expression changed as a fierce energy tore through her.Blood Ring Divine Demon Art – Third Technique: Bloodfang Carnage (血環神魔攻: 血牙肉貪)@@novelbin@@

The martial art of the Crazy Heavenly Demon had a high level of completion, acknowledged even by Yang Il-Chun. Bloodfang Carnage tore through Geniella’s mana and inflicted a direct hit to her chest.BOOOM!!!With a heavy sound, Geniella’s body soared. Lee Sungmin’s arms moved, leaving afterimages.In an instant, all the moves of the Blood Ring Divine Demon Art were linked.Blood Ring Destruction (血環破碎)

, Blood River Predation (血流追殺), Bloodfang Carnage (血牙肉貪), Bloodstained Inferno (血殘劫火), Blood Phantom (혈영백섬), and finally, Blood Tempest (血環狂風). (TL Note: the author doesn’t provide hanja for Blood Phantom anywhere in the novel)Lee Sungmin didn’t have the memories of the Crazy Heavenly Demon. However, the memories of his master and the Blood Demon allowed him to fully execute the Blood Ring Divine Demon Technique.Geniella was scattered in all directions, turned into a pool of blood without a single piece left intact, but she still did not die.“That’s better, this is more interesting.”Geniella spat out in an annoyed voice. The panic was brief. It was but a fleeting episode.It’s said that even a worm will turn when trod upon, and this was no different. Nothing would change. Geniella was certain of that.It seemed she had to make it clear. No matter how desperately Lee Sungmin struggled, nothing would change.The storm of mana disappeared. Geniella’s upper body slowly lowered. To provide a more definite, easy-to-understand despair. Geniella decided first to rip Lee Sungmin’s body to shreds.Geniella stomped on the ground. Her mana-wrapped nails collided with the wall made from dragon languageThe wall could not hold and shattered. Beyond it, Lee Sungmin held an ethereal, intangible spear. The swiftly thrust spear did not touch her.She became a gust of wind, brushing past the spear and burrowing into Lee Sungmin’s embrace.Geniella’s widely spread hand struck Lee Sungmin’s chest.BOOM!!With a heavy sound, Lee Sungmin’s body was thrust backward.Blood seeped through his clenched lips. Lee Sungmin, with his eyes wide open, followed Geniella’s movements. Geniella’s speed quickened further. Infinite mana granted her speed, and her body moved in tandem with the magic.The ethereal spear clashed with claws. The tip of the spear crumpled and vanished. Lee Sungmin took steps back, widening the distance between him and Geniella.He aimed for Geniella’s neck, gripping the spear with both hands and lowering it. His eyes had adjusted.Geniella hadn’t been able to respond properly before, but now it was different. It was expected. Geniella was giving it her ‘all’.‘What expression might he be wearing?’He must have thought this time, he could win. Yes, using dragon language was enough to surprise Geniella.Did something change when Heoju disappeared? But that wasn’t enough.She acknowledged that he had grown stronger and the gap had narrowed, but nothing else changed.‘Rather, this turns out to be enjoyable. Now, you will finally despair.’She wanted to hear the same scream from before. She wanted to see his face twisted in despair. As she wished for it, her annoyance melted away like snow.Come on, struggle more. Geniella watched Lee Sungmin move with a smile. Laughter spread across her previously rigid face. The corners of her mouth lifted, and her eyes curved into crescents.A spear thrust at the left chest. Aiming for the heart. It should have been known to be pointless, as such attacks are meaningless against an immortal.It seemed like a lack of learning. When would he realize? Well, it didn’t matter if he never did. If he didn’t know, he could be taught……Snap.Her thoughts abruptly halted. Her eyes flashed red once, then everything turned pitch black.Her body moved. She staggered a few steps backward, and then her vision restored. Just moments ago, her head had exploded. Why? She hadn’t even grasped the reason yet.KIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!The space itself began to feel discordant. Her entire sense of feeling floated up. It started as a tickling sensation, as if ants were crawling up from her fingertips.Soon, the tickling turned into pain. Crushing from the fingertips, squishing…Geniella’s body burst. Lee Sungmin, lowering his outstretched hand, furrowed his brows.It seemed like he had forgotten something… Amidst that, Geniella’s exploded body regenerated.Still, Geniella felt a sense of discord. She couldn’t quite understand what had just happened to her.“Ah.”A mumbling.“If your head explodes, you can’t think, can you?”It served as a reminder for Geniella.BAM!!!!It was too strong to be merely called a slap. Geniella’s head spun several times round.Her neck cracked like a glass rod, twisting like a pretzel. The world spun violently around her, and Geniella slumped to the ground, drained of strength.“You laughed, didn’t you?”Lee Sungmin, swiping the blood-soaked hair away from his face, looked down at Geniella.“Just now, you laughed.”Just as she taunted him.