Chapter 340: Face-to-Face. (4)
by Afuhfuihgs
Kuuuung-!
Beneath the sky dyed black, a massive vibration echoes.
It was a tremendous vibration, as if Mount Tai itself were trembling.
Kwadudeuk-!
The relentlessly surging energy.
As if a tsunami were crashing onto dry land, it sweeps everything away.
Trees that had stood densely fell in the wind mixed with internal energy.
On the ground, uneven with rocks embedded everywhere, huge traces remained.
Huuuuuk-!
The wind pressure mixed with internal energy spreads outwards.
To think this situation was created by just one outstretched move.
It was an unbelievably absurd power.
“What the…?”
Peng Ah-hee, who witnessed it right before her eyes.
unintentionally blurted out a question.
What did I just see?
Who is this person before me?
All that was visible was black martial attire. It looked similar to what her own older brother always wore.
His hair was black, and the impression was similar, but…
Should I say it felt much deeper?
‘This person…’
Who on earth is he?
Peng Ah-hee, who had been watching the back of the young man blocking their path, after a fleeting moment,
could recall who the opponent was.
“…Young Master Bi?”
Even after speaking, she was filled with surprise.
One of the Six Dragons and Three Peaks.
Bi Ui-jin, the ‘Fighting Dragon’ (투룡/鬪龍).
Bi Ju, the ‘Esteemed Lord’ (패존) and one of the Three Venerables.
He was born of the Bi family, where he grew up.
Having attended the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering just once a few years ago,
he had earned the epithet of Dragon.
However, his activities afterward were almost nonexistent,
making him a young man surrounded by all sorts of rumors.
She had heard he joined the Divine Dragon Pavilion, but
similarly, he hadn’t shown any particular activity or presence,
so absurd rumors like ‘Does the Fighting Dragon even exist?’ were circulating.
‘What the…?’
Peng Ah-hee had to doubt her own eyes.
Sword Dancer, lying on the ground and breathing heavily,
was someone who had at least surpassed the peak.
And yet, this opponent had rendered even Sword Dancer helpless, unable to do anything.
He had dispatched such a master in a single blow.
‘Is the Fighting Dragon that strong a martial artist?’
Could he possibly have reached the Hua Jing realm…
“Stop watching. Tend to the bleeding first.”
“…!”
The dust that had risen high settled down,
and amidst the lingering traces of internal energy,
the Fighting Dragon spoke to Peng Ah-hee.
Actually, he was speaking not to Peng Ah-hee, but to Tang Soyeol.
“If you want to die, I won’t stop you, but if not, you’d best hurry.”
The amount of blood flowing from his thigh and shoulder was alarming.
Peng Ah-hee urgently tried to stop the bleeding by channeling her internal energy, but
it didn’t seem easy.
The Fighting Dragon glanced at it and clicked his tongue softly.
Tsk.
“…Kids these days don’t fight bloody battles, so it seems they’re clumsy at treating wounds too.”
“Huh? What did you say…?”
“It’s nothing.”
The Fighting Dragon shook his head slightly and looked somewhere.
Kkeueung….
It was something wriggling and groaning.
It was Cheol Ji-seon, who had been sent flying far after taking the earlier attack.
“Cough….”
Cheol Ji-seon coughed dryly repeatedly.
Seeing that no blood was flowing, it seemed he wasn’t seriously injured, thankfully.
The Fighting Dragon, watching this, spoke to Cheol Ji-seon.
“You worked hard.”
A moment’s distraction.
The reason Cheol Ji-seon charged at the Black Night Palace Lord pretending to be crazy was precisely because of the Fighting Dragon’s telepathic message.
Of course.
Cheol Ji-seon choosing to charge based on that impulsive message was his own decision, though.
What did he believe in to charge like that?
Even from the Fighting Dragon’s perspective, it was a truly incomprehensible choice.
He wanted to ask about it, but
unfortunately, the situation didn’t allow for it right now.
“If you’re able, take those women and escape.”
“Uh… Yes?”
As Cheol Ji-seon was barely managing to get up while suppressing his shock,
the Fighting Dragon spoke to Cheol Ji-seon.
Sword Dancer and Peng Ah-hee, lying fallen on the ground.
And the words meant to take the injured Tang Soyeol with them.
“Uh… Where should we go?”
“Well, I don’t know about that specifically, but it will be safer than here.”
Tuduk.
Every time the Fighting Dragon moved his body slightly, the sound of bones could be heard.
As if the previous blow hadn’t been an illusion.
The faint traces of internal energy that remained
even seemed heavy at first glance.
“Wh-what do you plan to do, Young Master?”
Wouldn’t it be better to go together?
Along with those words,
a plea to accompany them safely was implied.
The Fighting Dragon chuckled upon hearing that.
“I have to stop that, so where would I go?”
“Huh? ‘That’?”
The Fighting Dragon’s gaze was fixed on where the Black Night Palace Lord had been sent flying along with the previous blow.
At that gaze, Cheol Ji-seon frowned slightly.
He seemed to have taken the full force of the attack just now.
Wouldn’t that mean he’s almost half-dead?
It was a power strong enough to change and twist the terrain.
Even now, the traces left on the ground,
and the faint energy lingering there made it slightly difficult to breathe.
Perhaps sensing Cheol Ji-seon’s reaction,
the Fighting Dragon made a strange gesture and replied.
“I wish I could have finished him in one blow too, but he doesn’t seem like the type to die from just this.”
“But…”
Even so, if he had bought even a little time,
wouldn’t it be better to escape in this situation?
That’s what Cheol Ji-seon thought.
However, the Fighting Dragon seemed to think differently.
“To turn your back on an opponent? That’s unacceptable.”
“Young Master Bi?”
“Especially if the opponent is emitting killing intent. Even more so.”
His smiling face, as if amused,
looked somewhat terrifying.
Does it even make sense to be smiling in this situation?
“Young Master Bi… The opponent is an unbelievably strong master.”
“And?”
What do you mean, ‘And?’
He’s a martial artist who might have reached the Hua Jing realm. A realm I’ve never dared to imagine.
Cheol Ji-seon couldn’t ascertain the opponent’s level with his own realm, but
The Black Night Palace Lord.
those four words alone carried enough gravitas.
The master of the Black Night Palace, said to have disappeared years ago due to the Murim Alliance,
and one of the Five Demonic Emperors (사마오제), known as the strongest in the unorthodox sects.
There were rumors that the Murim Alliance had dealt with him,
and many stories about his whereabouts being unknown, yet
for some reason, he was attacking this place.
Could the person from just now really be the Black Night Palace Lord?
If so, it’s highly likely he’s a martial artist who reached the Hua Jing realm, but
the Fighting Dragon didn’t look particularly scared.
As if to prove it, he chuckled and said,
“If the opponent you must fight is strong and you run, what meaning does that hold?”
“But…”
“If you’re scared, you might do that, but a martial artist (武人) shouldn’t.”
Ppudeuk.
He tried to say more, but
Tuk.
“Whoa.”
The Fighting Dragon reached out and pushed Cheol Ji-seon.
Just as he wondered, ‘What? Why is he suddenly doing this?’
Paahwak-!
Something grazed Cheol Ji-seon’s cheek and flew towards the Fighting Dragon.
Simultaneously, the Fighting Dragon threw a clenched fist.
Kuuung-!
The black energy that flew past Cheol Ji-seon met the Fighting Dragon’s fist.
Immediately after.
Paddeuk-!
Along with a strange sound, internal energy erupted outwards.
The resulting wind pressure was so intense that one would be blown away if they didn’t brace themselves.
After the brief storm passed,
the energy that had flown from the other side scattered like fragments.
“Haa… Haa….”
Cheol Ji-seon slumped onto the ground, catching his breath.
If the Fighting Dragon hadn’t pushed him aside just moments before, his head would have flown clean off.
Relief and fear surged up to his throat.
Along with the relief of having survived somehow,
“…Hooouu….”
the heavy breathing coming from behind was the problem.
“…Astonishing.”
Paasak. What appeared, emitting energy, was…
the Black Night Palace Lord, who had been sent flying after taking the Fighting Dragon’s blow.
“That woman was unbelievably surprising… but this, I truly didn’t expect.”
Clutching his throbbing ribs, he walked haltingly.
At that moment, while launching an attack,
he had raised his internal energy and deployed his protective aura, but
it was the wrong choice.
He should have focused solely on defense from the start.
While he succeeded in blocking it somehow, the internal energy within his body became disordered.
He could feel several broken bones.
Pain shot through him with every step he took.
Moving his battered body, the Palace Lord looked at the one who had attacked him.
“Who the hell are you?”
The fact that this generation was particularly full of talented individuals
was something the Palace Lord also knew, but
this was far beyond the realm of a later-generation disciple.
He had exchanged swords with Sword Dancer and was astonished, almost shocked, but
the situation just now
left him utterly dumbfounded out of sheer surprise.
Hearing the Palace Lord’s words, the Fighting Dragon glanced at Cheol Ji-seon.
“As I said again, take those women and escape.”
“Do you think I’ll just let you?”
As the Palace Lord moved to act upon hearing the Fighting Dragon’s words,
the Fighting Dragon moved simultaneously.
He quickly closed in and threw a punch again.
As if reacting to this, the Palace Lord attempted to counter, but
“…!”
He felt like his energy wasn’t moving properly.
‘Was it the previous attack that caused this?’
It seemed there were after-effects.
Even so,
just as the Palace Lord was reaching out to unleash energy towards Cheol Ji-seon,
the Fighting Dragon exploited the opening and blocked him.
Reaching through the gap in the energy to dismantle the martial arts technique?
Before he could even be surprised, the Palace Lord frowned and moved his leg.
He seemed about to move directly, but
before he could take a step, the Fighting Dragon’s toes touched him first, disrupting the Palace Lord’s stance.
Pang-!
Since it was a move imbued with internal energy, the impact created a sonic boom that spread.
Given the situation, the Fighting Dragon should have also taken damage, but
he merely blocked the Palace Lord’s movements with an unfazed expression.
‘How…!’
The Palace Lord had to constantly marvel at his opponent.
His movements were indeed fast, but
if you were to ask if the Fighting Dragon’s movements were faster than the Palace Lord’s, the answer was no.
Compared to the Palace Lord’s speed,
the Fighting Dragon’s actions were definitely slower.
Whether this was due to a difference in cultivation realms
or some other reason, it was clear the Fighting Dragon was slower than the Palace Lord.
Yet,
the Palace Lord couldn’t get past the Fighting Dragon.
It was as if the Fighting Dragon knew exactly how the Palace Lord would move,
anticipating and preemptively attacking before the power could be fully applied.
How could that be possible?
‘What is this….’
This is absurd.
Tung-!
Before he could reach out, his shoulder was struck, pushing him back.
The attack didn’t penetrate his protective aura, so the impact was minimal, but
due to his slightly twisted stance, he couldn’t perform the intended move.
Just then, Cheol Ji-seon moved and scooped up the fallen Sword Dancer.
He seemed to have realized there was no more time to hesitate.
Simultaneously, Peng Ah-hee helped Tang Soyeol up.
Although the bleeding hadn’t completely stopped, they couldn’t just stand there.
Seeing this, the Black Night Palace Lord gritted his teeth.
To be held back by a later-generation disciple and miss his objective.
This was unacceptable.
He unleashed his energy.
The energy that slowly emerged from the Palace Lord’s toes
tried to fly towards the others, but
even this was blocked by the Fighting Dragon’s touch.
It wasn’t even a direct block.
As the Fighting Dragon moved here and there, tapping lightly,
the energy withered away and scattered.
“…This is absurd…!”
His energy, mixed with his own authority,
vanishing with mere gestures like that.
His surprise was brief.
Kuuung-!
“Guh…!”
As the energy dispersed and the Palace Lord faltered for a moment,
an impact struck his solar plexus, sending the Palace Lord reeling backward.
Not only had he taken the previous blow,
all his movements were blocked,
and his energy couldn’t be controlled at will.
Furthermore, although the pain wasn’t severe,
his attack had landed.
He had been wounded in his duel with Sword Dancer, but
this felt entirely different.
“You asked for my name, didn’t you? How kind of you, though I’m not curious about yours.”
It was the same smile.
What could possibly be so amusing?
The Fighting Dragon wore a broad smile.
What’s so enjoyable?
For the Fighting Dragon, the answer was always the same.
How could he not be delighted?
For a martial artist, combat is like a game.
Even in a situation that seemed somewhat pressing like this,
engaging in battle was a joyous occasion for the Fighting Dragon.
“I haven’t been called by many names, but now, there’s only one.”
What does it matter what names he was called in the past?
They are names he can no longer bear now.
Back when he was called the Esteemed Lord (패존),
the reason he didn’t bother denying it was
because he had the confidence that he could live up to such a name.
Now, it’s just a bit too burdensome to bear, so he simply doesn’t utter them.
“I am Bi Ui-jin. My epithet was… what was it? Ah, Fighting Dragon (투룡).”
He couldn’t even recall his epithet clearly. Perhaps because he didn’t place much importance on it.
Anyway, for now, a name like this was sufficient.
Upon hearing Bi Ui-jin’s introduction, the Palace Lord spoke.
“…Fighting Dragon. Could you possibly be a descendant of the Esteemed Lord (패존)?”
Among the descendants of the Three Venerables, the only one known to this day is the descendant of the Sword Venerable (검존).
One could argue that Sword Dancer or Thunder Dragon (뇌룡) are descendants of the Heavenly Venerable (천존), but
that’s a different story if you consider the meaning.
It’s a well-known tale.
Specifically, the reputation of the martial arts they wield.
Just based on that,
‘…I see.’
the reality that the Palace Lord was momentarily outmatched by the later-generation disciple before him
was something he could acknowledge.
If he’s a descendant of the Esteemed Lord, it’s possible.
Although he had never met him personally,
back when he was called by many more names than just the current Five Demonic Emperors (사마오제),
he knew of the incident where the Esteemed Lord single-handedly killed three top experts revered as the best in the unorthodox sects.
However, the story didn’t mention his descendants being monsters like this.
Did he pass down his martial arts to the lineage of his family?
‘Then the power from just now… Is it the martial arts of the Esteemed Lord?’
If he hadn’t raised his energy then,
and had only focused on attacking,
his strength was such that he might have died on the spot.
Moreover, perhaps because of that blow,
the internal energy within his body wasn’t moving properly.
Swish-!
The Palace Lord momentarily unleashed his energy once more, but
this time too, the Fighting Dragon reacted as if he already knew.
Although it seemed slightly delayed,
the unleashed energy dissipated before reaching Cheol Ji-seon’s back.
Finally, Cheol Ji-seon and Peng Ah-hee disappeared with the two.
Watching them go, the Palace Lord gnashed his teeth.
This is bad.
The ones likely trapped under the mountain should be the warriors of the Black Dragon Unit, but
if, by a very slim chance, they missed the poison darts,
it could cause significant trouble.
He considered ignoring the Fighting Dragon standing right before him and pursuing them immediately, but
“You seem to have some leeway. Thinking about other things, aren’t you?”
The voice brought the Palace Lord back to his senses.
Sensing that, the Palace Lord inwardly swallowed a gasp.
His cultivation seemed to have reached its zenith, yet
he, who had reached the Hua Jing realm, had to be this tense.
It was a moment that wounded his pride, even if he was a descendant of the Esteemed Lord.
Of course, such pride
Tudududuk.
vanished in an instant, blown away by the killing intent emanating from the Fighting Dragon.
“Now that the children have left, I can get serious.”
Energy erupted forth.
“…!”
It was truly absurd killing intent.
It seemed to have long surpassed the limit a peak martial artist could emit.
Moreover, the words the Fighting Dragon uttered
implied he hadn’t been fighting seriously until now.
As the Palace Lord involuntarily faltered at those words,
the Fighting Dragon took a step forward and spoke.
“This is my first time using this body, so I’ll give you some good news.”
As he spoke and took a step,
the Fighting Dragon was suddenly in front of the Palace Lord.
“Ten moves.”
The Fighting Dragon’s body moved.
“It seems that’s my limit, so I’ll tell you in advance.”
The Palace Lord recalled his previous mistake and fully raised his protective aura.
“If you withstand ten moves, you win.”
The Fighting Dragon threw a punch.
Much slower than before.
The Palace Lord harbored a question. Why was he throwing such a slow punch?
‘What is this, a feint?’
It was such a slow and obvious move that it made him think so.
It was a completely different level from how the Fighting Dragon had acted against the Palace Lord moments ago.
‘…Should I dodge?’
In that fleeting moment, he considered what choice the Palace Lord should make.
Blocking seemed impossible based on his previous experience.
He might be able to do it, but
the risk was too high.
Therefore, he shouldn’t mistake it for a feint and let his guard down.
His priority was to create distance.
However.
Kkuuk.
“…!”
Before he knew it, the Fighting Dragon’s fist was close.
It should have been slow enough to see clearly, but
how was it already upon him?
The Palace Lord frowned.
His energy gathered towards the spot where the Fighting Dragon’s fist was about to land.
It was too late, so he blocked.
Moreover, this was different from before.
He focused solely on defense,
so even if he was pushed back,
it would be convenient for his next move…
Kwaduduk-!
“What…?”
His protective aura shattered nonchalantly under the punch.
The Fighting Dragon’s fist burrowed into the Palace Lord’s abdomen.
Kuuung-!
Mount Tai trembled once more.
This vibration was incomparable to the previous one,
and perhaps due to its aftermath,
the sky dyed black cracked.
Hududuk.
Fragments of energy scattered down through the cracks.
And from the gaps where the fragments fell,
Hwaaa….
Something familiar.
Seemingly filled with intense heat.
A red aura could be glimpsed.
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