Chapter 1242: Scorched World

Kugugugung–!!!

Along with the vibration, Chu Yeongyeon’s qi scattered. The sound of bone cracking was heard as his body was violently thrown back.

“Keokeok!”

He rolled on the floor. Chu Yeongyeon, rolling twice or thrice quickly, soon planted his hands on the floor.

“Kueok…”

He spat out vomit. It seemed like he was about to throw up everything inside him.

“Keok… Heok… Heok…”

Chu Yeongyeon, gasping for a while, lifted his head. He tried to get up, but his movement froze right there.

Something was in front of him.

A leg.

“What are you doing.”

And then, a voice.

He raised his gaze. He saw blue eyes looking down at him from above.

“You said it was a wall. Is this a wall?”

His bones seemed to vibrate from the laughing gaze. It was Baek Yangcheon. That guy was looking down at him.

“It’s quite soft for a wall. It’s not even like tofu.”

“Ee–!”

Ppaak–!!

“Keok!”

His jaw shot upwards. He kicked his jaw upwards with the top of his foot, forcing his head up. His gaze traveled upwards. Where the sky should have been, he saw something else.

This is.

‘A fist?’

The moment he recognized it, the impact came.

Kwaaang–!!!

Hit on the side, his body recoiled.

He couldn’t even scream. Chu Yeongyeon’s body flew across the air.

“Keok-.”

Finding his senses amidst the delayed gasp, he put strength into his lower body. His only thought was to endure somehow.

He couldn’t even comprehend what the situation was or how this had happened. He didn’t have the time to think about such things.

Kkigig.

He slid across the floor. He had to slow down and correct his ruined posture.

“Heok… Keok…”

Staggering, he barely stood up.

Chu Yeongyeon trembled in extreme pain.

“…What…”

What did I just go through?

His throbbing side and burning cheek were bothersome.

It hurts. His protective qi, which had clearly surrounded his body, had vanished without a trace.

Perhaps due to the shock, his internal energy wasn’t flowing properly either.

What is this?

What is this?

Ppiiiiii–!!

The tinnitus in his ears slowly faded.

Only then did the surrounding sounds gradually become audible.

“Did… Chu Yeongyeon just get hit?”

“Hit by what? Did anyone see properly?”

Everyone was in a state of confusion. It meant the speed was too fast to properly perceive.

‘Can the difference in using qi be this vast?’

‘Is Baek Yangcheon this strong?’

As Chu Yeongyeon, realizing the reality, finally swallowed dryly.

“Ha!”

Someone laughed loudly.

“Ah, this… is amazing.”

It was Tae Hoan. He was looking at the martial arts stage, laughing. His gaze wasn’t directed at Chu Yeongyeon.

Beyond him.

Udeudeuk.

It was directed towards Baek Yangcheon, who was slowly rotating his wrist.

He’s different from before.

‘What is it.’

Chu Yeongyeon broke out in a cold sweat looking at Baek Yangcheon. He was a completely different person from before.

He thought the guy was just arrogant due to some talent, and what he possessed seemed insignificant.

That’s exactly what it looked like.

‘Just some late-blooming disciple. A lucky guy.’

He thought the rumors were strangely inflated.

‘Even if he caught the eye of the Sword Saint, he’s still just at the level of a late-bloomer.’

That’s what Chu Yeongyeon had been thinking.

‘What the hell is that guy…’

What is this being standing before me now?

Just standing there made his whole body feel stiff.

He wasn’t emitting any qi, just standing there looking at him.

‘…Heavy.’

Heavy and frightening.

This is.

‘…A wall?’

A huge wall. A massive wall so thick and tall he couldn’t even look up at it.

It felt like that was what was in front of him.

‘No way.’

How could that be? That guy is a wall to him? Not the other way around?

“That can’t be…”

‘I am.’

“The Divine Dragon Squad.”

The elite of the Alliance, the ones who should be the best.

‘A Divine Dragon Squad member like me cannot lose to such a brat.’

It’s realistically impossible.

As Chu Yeongyeon thought this, grinding his teeth.

“Let me tell you something beforehand.”

Baek Yangcheon’s sharp voice pierced his ears.

“Don’t you dare say you were careless or anything pathetic like that. Stuff it back into your mouth. That’s why I’m letting you be for now.”

“…”

“If you have something to show, hurry up and show it. I don’t have much time.”

“Ee–!”

Is he mocking me?

Chu Yeongyeon bit his teeth so hard they threatened to break.

Huwoook–!!!

He then unleashed his qi. He poured all his strength from his dantian, wrapping it around both fists.

“Oho?”

Tae Hoan reacted upon seeing this.

“…Looks like he’s ignited.”

He smiled looking at Chu Yeongyeon. Because he didn’t expect him to go this far.

“…I won’t let this go.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

Ignoring the taunting, he accumulated power. The qi gathered in both his hands seemed to solidify.

Eight-Cornered Dragon Fist (八角有龍拳).

The form of his qi felt ferocious, like eight horns had sprouted.

It was Chu Yeongyeon’s martial art and Chu’s secret technique.

“No one has ever survived a direct hit from this.”

Chu’s secret technique that could shatter anyone. Containing that, Chu Yeongyeon’s eyes shone.

‘I will shatter him.’

Kwak–!!

He stomped on the stage as if to break it and launched himself forward. The power of his qi was immense, but he had long trained to maintain it. He plunged towards Baek Yangcheon, channeling his accumulated experience and mastery.

Even then, Baek Yangcheon remained still for some reason.

The speed and presence from before were gone.

‘What is it?’

‘Has he run out of strength?’

That’s impossible.

Or maybe.

‘Is he trying to take it head-on?’

Is he really going to face his martial art head-on? He thought it was unlikely, but Baek Yangcheon’s posture suggested exactly that.

Baek Yangcheon smiled as he watched the approaching qi.

‘This guy…’

Seeing that, Chu Yeongyeon drew even more power into his hands. He fired the enlarged horns directly at Baek Yangcheon. Then, the moment the horns finally touched his body.

Kuaaaaaaaah–!!!

A loud explosion erupted, releasing the qi.

“Uwaaaak!”

“Kreeeuk!!”

The martial artists flinched from the pressure wave.

“…”

Gu Cheolun, watching from below the stage, took a step forward. He blocked the qi, protecting Soi, who had lost consciousness. In that moment, he scanned the stage with indifferent eyes.

“…”

Red glints confirmed Baek Yangcheon’s presence. He soon turned his head, seemingly losing interest. It was probably because there was nothing more to see.

---

Passeuseu.

The qi dispersed. Just as the rising dust obscured his vision. Chu Yeongyeon narrowed his eyes and looked ahead.

‘It hit.’

His fist had definitely reached its target. He felt the impact clearly. His attack had worked on Baek Yangcheon.

‘I won.’

If he had taken that head-on, it would have been over. He was filled with certainty. He had won this fight.

Just as he thought that.

“Now there is one.”

“…”

A voice came from the front.

Hwaaaaaaaah–!!!

The dust disappeared, restoring his vision. Chu Yeongyeon looked ahead in shock.

“You said no one could withstand it after being hit. Now there is one, huh?”

Baek Yangcheon, who had taken the punch directly to his chest, stood completely still, not moving a single step, and looked at Chu Yeongyeon.

“How… How…”

No damage? The attack landed properly, so how is he perfectly fine?

Chu Yeongyeon stood dumbfounded, unable to comprehend.

“How what?”

Baek Yangcheon provided an explanation. Actually, there was nothing to explain.

“It’s because you’re weak.”

There was no other answer.

“That can’t be…!!”

Chu Yeongyeon retorted to Baek Yangcheon’s words.

“This is sorcery… If it’s not sorcery…!”

“Ah, f*ing hell. Why is everyone the same?”

By this point, they all call it sorcery. It seemed like they all had a set script.

“Anyway, it’s no different from the past.”

“…It’s sorcery. How else could you withstand this?”

“I withstood it because I could, you moron.”

Kwak-!

“You were weak.”

Baek Yangcheon said, grabbing Chu Yeongyeon’s wrist.

“That’s all there is to it.”

Huwoook–!!!

Qi permeated Baek Yangcheon’s fist. Seeing this, Chu Yeongyeon urgently tried to pull his hand away.

Kkwak-!

“Keuk!”

It didn’t come free. He couldn’t escape Baek Yangcheon’s grasp.

“It’s my turn now. Why are you trying to run away so cowardly?”

Kugugung.

The qi gathered. Only the area around Baek Yangcheon’s fist distorted space. What is that? Can such a phenomenon occur just from qi condensing?

“Ah, right. Humans who survived getting hit by this… Let’s see… I think there was someone? Anyway. Try to endure this.”

The distortion stretched out. Tearing through space, it instantly reached Chu Yeongyeon.

Pik-!

Following a small sound.

Kwaaaaaaaaah—-!!!

It twisted the world. The blast wave swept across the entire stage. It destroyed everything as if erasing it. It seemed nothing remained where the qi had passed.

“Ah… Ahh…”

Chu Yeongyeon let out a cry.

Exactly to the side. Baek Yangcheon’s fist grazed his side. What would have happened if he had taken that qi? He felt like he would have been torn apart and vanished. Feeling that, Chu Yeongyeon.

Teolsseok.

“Ahh…”

Muttering a groan, he knelt down. Then, as if his spirit had left him, he froze.

“It’s over. Will he snap out of it now?”

He tried speaking to him, but Chu Yeongyeon remained frozen, unresponsive. Even.

“Huh.”

He rolled his eyes back. Only the whites of his eyes were clearly visible. Seeing this, Baek Yangcheon frowned.

“…Something seems a bit off?”

‘I definitely controlled it so it wouldn’t hit him directly?’

“Hey. Are you okay-“

He tried to ask about his condition, but.

Jureureuk.

Along with the sound of flowing liquid, Chu Yeongyeon’s white pants changed color.

“…Oops.”

Seeing that, Baek Yangcheon scratched his cheek. He had intended to blast him hard to teach him a lesson, but it seemed he might have overdone it. By a lot, too.