Chapter 123

Wang In-hwa, having unleashed his internal energy, showed vitality flowing through his withered skin and eyes full of spirit. Not only that, but the muscles on his gaunt frame had swelled up.

A martial art that changed muscles and physique. As the masked man predicted, he had been cultivating a supreme External Art.

Pa-pak!

Myeong In unleashed his lightning-fast fist art again. But Wang In-hwa did not strike back; instead, he advanced forward.

Thwack.

As the sharp punch struck Wang In-hwa’s body, Myeong In retreated a few steps instead.

“Arhat Energy Cultivation Art?”

A gleam surfaced in Myeong In’s eyes.

Every time he struck Wang In-hwa’s body, a powerful rebounding force surged back. It was very similar to the Shaolin’s External Art, Arhat Energy Cultivation Art.

“Take this!”

Having taken the powerful fist art with his body, Wang In-hwa finally drew his treasured sword and unfolded his sword art.

Clack.

The Thunder Heaven Sword Art of the Thunder Heaven Sect, though not displaying immense power, was renowned for its solidity and stability. Myeong In, unable to find any flaw in the sword stance, attempted to dodge with footwork. However, Wang In-hwa’s Thunder Heaven Sword moved with the agility of a living snake, swiftly penetrating Myeong In’s body.

At that moment, Myeong In’s eyes flashed as he executed footwork. Simultaneously, a fierce wind gathered at his fist.

Whoosh!

Not dodging Wang In-hwa’s pouring sword, he set both hands parallel and extended a punch. The movement looked less like a fist art and more like thrusting a transparent spear straight forward.

Bam-bam-bam!

Along with a vibration, Wang In-hwa, who was unfolding his sword art, retreated a few steps. The intense fist power Myeong In poured out had struck his body in succession.

“Hmph.”

Despite being hit repeatedly by the intense fist power, Wang In-hwa wore a cold sneer.

“Fist arts do not work.”

With a swishing sound, Wang In-hwa poured out sharp sword stances again.

Myeong In executed footwork, continuously taking evasive actions while landing punches in succession.

As about twenty seconds passed like that, Wang In-hwa, who had maintained a confident expression, furrowed his brow slightly. Because Myeong In’s fist art was powerfully vibrating the parts it touched, like striking a metal bell.

“Mmm.”

Wang In-hwa’s expression distorted as he swung his sword.

No matter how hard and powerful an External Art one learned, the human interior remains filled with soft organs and blood. If hit repeatedly by a fist art causing such powerful vibrations, one would eventually suffer great internal injuries.

Thwack!

Struck again, blood surged in Wang In-hwa’s throat.

‘I must not vomit blood.’

He tried to swallow the blood using internal energy. But the more he did, the more his solar plexus throbbed, and strength drained from his limbs.

‘Have I suffered internal injuries?’

“Blargh!”

Finally, Wang In-hwa vomited fresh blood and staggered. Although he had wrapped his body in powerful External Arts, his flesh could not withstand Myeong In’s fist art.

“Ugh.”

Vomiting blood, Wang In-hwa lowered his head.

“…I lost.”

As he admitted defeat, Myeong In looked down at him with an indifferent expression, then slowly turned around.

—Waaaaah!

Cheers erupted from the Saber Tyrant Sect camp. Since Myeong In had defeated even the Thunder Heaven Sect Leader, the tide of victory had completely tilted toward the Saber Tyrant Sect.

Barely raising his body, Wang In-hwa looked at the distant sky.

“Is this the will of heaven?”

The only ones among the Thunder Heaven Sect members capable of dealing with a master like Myeong In were the leaders of the Heaven, Earth, and Human squads.

Grasping his inner thoughts, Gwak Cheon dragged his injured body forward and spoke loudly.

“Sect Leader. Do not worry. I will go.”

“Wait.”

At that moment, a young man stepped in front of Wang In-hwa. It was Bu Eunseol.

“I will take the next match.”

Wang In-hwa and Gwak Cheon blinked, looking at the suddenly appeared Bu Eunseol.

Was he just past twenty? Dressed in ordinary martial attire with a rusty sword on his back, his appearance was nothing more or less than a shabby wandering vagrant.

Wang In-hwa sighed deeply, gazing at Bu Eunseol. “The fate of the sect rests on this match,” he declared, his voice tinged with bitterness. “How can an outsider, not a disciple of the sect, participate in such a crucial match? Return.”

Wang In-hwa thought the young wandering vagrant had stepped forward abruptly out of a desire for fame and to show off his martial arts.

“That man is not a member of the Saber Tyrant Sect either.”

At Bu Eunseol’s words pointing at Myeong In, Wang In-hwa shook his head.

“That is only possible because the Saber Tyrant Sect Leader has a face as thick as iron. This sect has no intention of putting forth an outsider.”

But Mun Gwang, who was receiving treatment, staggered over.

“Sect Leader. Send him.”

“What?”

“He is the best of the wandering vagrant squad, no, a martial artist with outstanding prowess surpassing me.”

Wang In-hwa could not believe those words.

No matter how outstanding his martial arts were, this young man would be a High-grade wandering vagrant at best. With such skill, he could never defeat Myeong In.

“Hall Master Mun. Wake up. How can we send an outsider for the final match?”

As Gwak Cheon also shook his head gravely, Mun Gwang spoke with a desperate expression. “Hall Master Gwak. Please trust me. Have I ever spoken nonsense?”

At Mun Gwang’s earnest words, Wang In-hwa and Gwak Cheon looked at each other and groaned. Mun Gwang was a loyal subject who had protected the Thunder Heaven Sect risking his life until now. Furthermore, since there was no chance of winning against Myeong In no matter who stepped forward… the situation was the same either way.

“Understood. I permit it.”

At Wang In-hwa’s words, Bu Eunseol stepped forward without a reply. And he beckoned to Myeong In with his finger.

Seeing that, Myeong In frowned. Because such an attitude was an arrogant action that only those with much higher seniority or outstanding masters could do.

“Hmph.”

With a short scoff, Myeong In threw a punch at Bu Eunseol. It was the fist art containing strange vibrations that had defeated Wang In-hwa earlier.

“White-Rending Fist, is it.”

Lightly dodging the fist art, Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed.

“No, he is alternating between Flipping-Sequence Fist and White-Rending Fist.”

Although he had only learned the first four forms of the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist, those four forms contained all the fundamental techniques of fist arts. In other words, Bu Eunseol was versed in all fist arts scattered under the heavens.

“You seem to know a bit about fist arts.”

As Myeong In scoffed, Bu Eunseol wore a faint smile.

“I know how to use them too.”

Lightly shaking his sleeve, Bu Eunseol extended a punch lightly.

That punch was too ordinary. There was no power or variation. But it was fast enough to split lightning falling from the sky, capable of instantly blocking the follow-up attack.

It was exactly the Flipping-Sequence Fist technique Myeong In had used on Wang In-hwa.

“……!”

As Bu Eunseol imitated his fist art on the spot, Myeong In’s eyebrow twitched. He realized that Bu Eunseol was also a master with a unique view on fist arts.

“Haaap!”

With a shout, Myeong In created dozens of fist shadows with a single punch, as if showing off. He used the extreme White-Rending Fist so Bu Eunseol couldn’t imitate it.

“Naive.”

As Myeong In unfolded his fist art as if boasting, a thin smile was drawn on Bu Eunseol’s lips.

In a match where life is at stake, emotion is a luxury. One must only find the enemy’s weakness and unfold the appropriate move in the right place.

“The moment you lose your cool, the match is over.”

As Bu Eunseol retreated with a sneer, Myeong In’s eyes flashed.

“Hmph, cunning cannot defeat speed!”

Crash-crash-crash-crash!

Myeong In’s White-Rending Fist changed again in the air, wrapping around Bu Eunseol’s entire body. No matter how fast he moved, there was no place to dodge.

“But the fast cannot defeat the heavy.”

Watching the pouring White-Rending Fist, a flame-like haze rose from Bu Eunseol’s fist. Finally, he intended to use the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist.

Boom.

As he extended his punch lightly, the shadows of the White-Rending Fist vanished as if washed away, along with a vibration shaking the earth’s axis. Simultaneously, Bu Eunseol’s punch dug into Myeong In’s chest. It was the exquisite move of the Fist Demon’s Initial Manifestation.

“Ugh.”

Myeong In tried to defend quickly, but Bu Eunseol’s fist power had already touched his body.

Thud.

In an instant, Myeong In’s body fell forward on the spot. The moment Bu Eunseol’s powerful punch touched his body, a soft force pulled his body forward again.

Among the fist arts scattered under the heavens, it was a feat possible only with the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist, which could move fist power freely.

“Blargh.”

Myeong In, whose complexion had turned extremely pale, knelt and vomited a mouthful of blood.

“Ugh.”

He forced himself up but knelt again. Unable to block Bu Eunseol’s single punch, he had suffered deep internal injuries.

“Hmm.”

Looking down at the scene, Bu Eunseol returned to the Thunder Heaven Sect’s camp without looking back.

—Waaaaah!

This time, cheers erupted from the Thunder Heaven Sect camp. They had won a match they thought impossible to win. Conversely, tension flowed in the Saber Tyrant Sect camp. The final match. Depending on this match, one of the two sects would have to leave the Xiangyang region completely.

“Damn it.”

Gwan Dok-gun, who watched the match with Myeong In, trembled.

The martial prowess Bu Eunseol showed was truly at the level of a next-generation Grandmaster. It was not a level that the leader of a fringe sect fighting for hegemony in the Xiangyang region could compare to.

Just as he didn’t know what to do, the masked man stepped forward.

“I will handle that man.”

At that, Gwan Dok-gun’s face brightened rapidly. If the skill of his subordinate Myeong In was such, the masked man’s martial prowess would naturally be greater.

“Will you do that?”

If it were the leader of any other sect, he would have declined at least once to save face. But Gwan Dok-gun’s face was practically made of iron. He didn’t decline at all and instead guided the masked man forward like a waiter.

“Then, I leave it to you.”

Without even looking at Gwan Dok-gun, the masked man stepped calmly in front of Bu Eunseol.

“A wandering vagrant, you say.”

The masked man looked down at Bu Eunseol and spoke coldly.

“It is impossible for a wandering vagrant with this level of skill to remain unknown until now. You are surely hiding your identity.”

And laughing lightly, he beckoned with his hand.

Bu Eunseol looked at him, then deployed his fist art at once.

Shoot!

Then, the masked man’s waist bent slightly as if hit by a typhoon.

The Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist was strong and fierce yet soft and yielding, light as wind yet destructive as lightning. Also, because it contained all variations of fist arts under the heavens, fist power could be moved freely. Even now, it seemed Bu Eunseol threw a punch straight forward, but in reality, he struck from the side.

“Hmph.”

But the masked man, as if foreseeing Bu Eunseol’s move, twisted his body lightly to dodge. However, the fist power did not dissipate but followed his body like a ghost, aiming for the mingmen acupoint on his back.

“Ho.”

Exclaiming, the masked man flashed his eyes and extended one hand forward.

Pat.

A short tremor spread in all directions, and Bu Eunseol’s fist power could advance no further. It seemed blocked by a massive wall.

“……!”

For a moment, Bu Eunseol’s eyebrow twitched upward. Since unfolding the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist, a figure who received it leisurely had appeared for the first time.

Whoosh!

As Bu Eunseol deployed his fist art again, it poured onto the front of the masked man with an explosion like a cannonball tearing through the air. He had poured out the Fist Demon’s Initial Manifestation, which he usually used lightly, with three-tenths of his internal energy.

The move was too fast, and the range of fist power was wide, so the masked man had no time to dodge.

Slash!

At that moment, the masked man extended a finger like lightning.

Boom!

As fist and finger collided, a concentric shockwave spread in all directions with a loud sound of destruction.

‘Claw Art?’

Surprisingly, the masked man was blocking Bu Eunseol’s punch with a single finger. To block fist power capable of shattering thick rock at once with just a finger? Furthermore, as if he had learned a unique and powerful Claw Art, a red haze was rising from the tip of his fingernail.

“An astonishing fist art.”

The masked man narrowed his eyes as if savoring the power contained in Bu Eunseol’s punch.

“At a glance, it seems like a fierce External Style Fist Art, but inside it’s an Internal Style Fist Art like the Wudang Sect’s Soft Palm.”

Muttering low, the masked man curled three fingers like a rake, as if unfolding the Shaolin Sect’s Dragon Claw Hand. And closing the distance in an instant, he swung his fingers.

Slash, slash!

A brilliance sharper than sword energy poured from the masked man’s fingertips cutting through the air. Every time the red fingers cut through the void, Bu Eunseol’s tied-up hair fell in clumps.

‘Fast.’

No matter how outstanding the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist was, the period Bu Eunseol had learned it was too short. But the masked man seemed to have trained in Claw Arts for decades; his release and retrieval of moves were masterful.

Slash, slash, slash!

As the moves changed again, the masked man’s hand became a dragon embroidering the blue sky, wrapping around Bu Eunseol’s body. Bu Eunseol, not flustered, unfolded the Shadowless Supreme Speed to dodge and widen the distance from the masked man simultaneously.

‘If I hadn’t experienced Jeong Cheon’s Chaotic Sword, I would never have dodged it.’

Bu Eunseol had already fought a bloody battle at ultra-close range with Jeong Cheon, a master of the Chaotic Sword. If not for that experience, Bu Eunseol would have already been unable to handle the masked man’s Claw Art and suffered great injuries.

“Your movements are fast. But…” The masked man unfolding the Claw Art spoke coldly. “Once the Claw Art is unfolded, you can run nowhere.”

The Claw Art the masked man poured out was blockading Bu Eunseol from all directions like a red storm. Simultaneously, immense pressure weighed down on Bu Eunseol’s entire body, hindering his evasive movements.

‘This man’s Claw Art predicts even evasive movements before unfolding.’

As time passed, scratches large and small appeared on Bu Eunseol’s body. The masked man’s moves were even faster than Jeong Cheon’s Chaotic Sword he had fought previously.

‘Strong.’

Even though he was in a crisis, Bu Eunseol’s heart raced. The masked man’s skill was likely similar to Jeong Cheon’s. That meant he had gained another opportunity to clash with full power.

‘If so!’

Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol violently drew up the Polarity Reversal True Energy circulating in his body.

Thud!

As he raised his internal energy to more than seven-tenths, Bu Eunseol’s pupils dilated greatly, and a strange light shot out. Until now, Bu Eunseol had never infused more than three-tenths of his power when unfolding fist arts. Because the power of the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist was simply too strong.

But finally, he had met an opponent on whom he could pour out this supreme fist art of the ages unsparingly.