Chapter 39
Chapter 39
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Thunder Bow and the Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Heaven-Rending Legion Kang Yi-wi spoke.
"Thunder Bow Giyogon! That guy's a master of cunning tricks. The reason he could become the Thunder Bow was all thanks to that cleverness. He wondered how he could unleash sword aura as freely as arrows with just a small amount of inner energy. What he came up with after pondering that was the Thunder Bow technique. Normally, to manifest sword aura with a sword, you have to continuously pour inner energy into the blade. But the Thunder Bow technique is based on the idea that you only need to maintain the energy for that brief moment until the steel arrow reaches the enemy—and it worked perfectly."
Volcanic Divine Sword Yi Jo-yang nodded.
It was a sign of agreement.
Watching this, Heaven-Rending Legion continued.
"The Thunder Bows he unleashes are truly impressive. My hands would go numb every time I faced him. But their weakness is so glaringly obvious."
"Close combat."
"Exactly, archery's greatest flaw."
"You knew that and still sent him?"
"I told you, he's a master of cunning. He'd have looked into my fight with that bastard, so there's no way he'd fight alone."
"Then we're fortunate."
The Volcanic Divine Sword nodded once more.
Thunder Bow Giyogon.
He arrived at the main gate of the Iron Lion Sect and halted his steps. He gripped the large, pitch-black iron bow slung on his back. At his waist hung a quiver containing fifty steel arrows. Just like the bow, he drew out a pitch-black steel arrow and nocked it.
Tsssseeeeng!
As he drew back the string, a chilling hum that made one's hairs stand on end filled the air, tensing the atmosphere around Giyogon.
The taut tension of the drawn string.
'Perfect!'
Savoring the familiar sensation after so long, Giyogon grinned broadly and released the fully drawn string.
In an instant, a tearing whoosh ripped through the compressed air, streaking toward the Iron Lion Sect with a long tail of sound. The guards at the gate leaped away in alarm at the noise, but Giyogon, not recognizing who they were, merely stared in the direction the arrow flew.
'I've tossed a pebble into the tiger's den—they'll come charging out in rage.'
He hadn't infused any inner energy into that shot. Yet the bow's tremendous elasticity gave it enough piercing power to punch straight through an average log.
'Here they come!'
Giyogon's eyes gleamed.
A figure burst rapidly from inside the Iron Lion Sect gates. It was like a furious tiger.
Giyogon swiftly nocked another steel arrow and drew the string.
This time, there was no sound. And unlike before, the pitch-black arrow now shimmered with a bluish aura.
He spotted the enemy leaping into the air.
In that split second, he calculated its position, incoming speed, and landing spot at lightning speed, then released.
Kyaak!
The air burst as sword aura propelled the steel arrow.
If sword aura or blade aura maximized cutting power by infusing inner energy into a sharp edge, sword energy maximized explosive force in the same way. A sword laden with inner energy could split a house-sized boulder, but one with sword energy could pulverize it to dust. Not all were exactly like that, but generally speaking. Thus, the sword energy on this arrow was extremely dangerous due to its explosive power. Moreover, Giyogon's Thunder Bow technique was so fast that it reached the enemy in a blink, forcing a reflexive block. Moving the body was slower than moving the hands.
This opponent was no different. Giyogon saw it swing something in its hand. And as he watched, he loosed another steel arrow.
Boom!
An explosion erupted. But the enemy didn't falter for a moment, charging on with undiminished fury. It soon swatted away the next arrow Giyogon fired in quick succession.
Boom!
The second explosion.
The enemy pressed on unchanged, fury intact. Giyogon felt no disappointment or surprise. How could someone who fought Heaven-Rending Legion on equal terms go down so easily?
Giyogon leaped back while nocking yet another arrow. The charging foe accelerated, but he paid it no mind. He wasn't alone, after all.
The moment Giyogon released.
A small-statured old man plummeted from the sky like a thunderbolt.
Boom!
A massive roar exploded, kicking up thick clouds of dust. From within came the old man's voice.
"Kill the Buddha if you meet him, kill the brat if you meet him! Heh heh heh!"
Heaven-Rending Legion was speaking.
"Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend! We crossed paths by chance, and instead of groveling before the Buddha like a proper monk, he scoffed at the idea that a mere name mattered and made himself known."
"The one who broke his vows at Shaolin."
"You've heard of him, then."
"I know he delved so deeply into Iron Buffalo Diamond Kick—one of Shaolin's 72 Arts—that he fell into qi deviation."
"Delved? His body couldn't handle it, so his brain got scrambled, confusing Buddhas and asuras alike."
Qi deviation referred to a state where, due to external shocks or psychological factors, the energy circulating in one's body during training spiraled out of control, causing severe physical or mental damage.
"Iron Buffalo Diamond Kick earned its place among Shaolin's 72 Arts for good reason. Dismissing it as insufficient physique is unfair."
"Fight that lunatic once, and you won't say that. He's tough as nails, fearless, tireless, doesn't even realize when he's lost. And his body? Won't die no matter what. Truly infuriating."
Heaven-Rending Legion shook his head, recalling his clash with the Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend.
"Kill the Buddha if you meet him, kill the brat if you meet him! Heh heh heh!"
The old man's voice echoed from the thick dust cloud. Do Cheon, already seething with irritation, swung his iron lion wildly.
A heavy impact thudded with a roar. Then the old man's unharmed voice rang out again.
"Not a brat—an asura!"
A powerful force thrust out from the dust cloud.
It was a slender arrow made of steel, infused with Do Cheon's sword energy, stronger than any weapon—yet the enemy countered unscathed. And from afar, another arrow pierced the dust, aiming straight for his heart. Failing to block or dodge either meant certain death.
Anyone else would have felt their heart drop in terror. But Do Cheon only grew more annoyed. He knew exactly who was behind this.
'Damn old coot! Can't you just leave me alone for once?'
Cursing Heaven-Rending Legion in his mind, Do Cheon spun and thrust out his right hand gripping the iron lion. At the same time, his left fist clenched into Thunder Barrier Fist.
Kwarung!
The signature thunderous force of Thunder Barrier Fist exploded, sending the charging old man flying like split firewood. Simultaneously, the heart-seeking arrow shattered against Do Cheon's extended iron lion.
The shockwave roiled the dust cloud, spreading it in waves. In that instant, Do Cheon shot forward in a straight line, too fast to track clearly.
Kyaak!
An iron lion arrow hurtled toward him.
Do Cheon swung his own to bat it into the air. Immediately after, another came. The interval was so short it seemed fired simultaneously. But it posed no threat to Do Cheon. He deflected the one streaking to his face and kept charging.
Now two came at once, spreading left and right before curving in from both flanks. Astonishing technique. But Do Cheon had two hands and swatted them away effortlessly, as if brushing off weak arrows from a child.
Finally, Do Cheon halted abruptly.
Two steps ahead stood Giyogon, arrow tip trained on Do Cheon's face.
"Impressive skill. I'm genuinely impressed."
Giyogon exclaimed in admiration, slowly lowering his bow.
Conversely, Do Cheon's hand rose, clutching the very first iron lion Giyogon had fired.
Seeing this, Giyogon hurriedly spoke.
"They say even a villain becomes noble before a giant's dignity. If you show mercy..."
Giyogon couldn't finish. Do Cheon swung the iron lion.
Crack!
Giyogon stiffened and toppled sideways. With him dispatched, Do Cheon spun around. The small old man, Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend, charged with a thunderbolt kick. Do Cheon tossed the iron lion aside and extended his right hand.
The Volcanic Divine Sword suddenly asked out of curiosity.
"What's the Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend's weakness?"
"None."
"...!"
"Can't take him down with blades or martial arts strikes alone. You have to crush him with overwhelming inner force. In other words, only someone on your level or mine can shut him up."
"I see."
Grab!
A wide-open palm seized the ankle.
Despite unleashing Iron Buffalo Diamond Kick, it was caught easily. Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend's face went blank at this unprecedented situation. In that moment, Do Cheon's left fist shot out.
Kwarung!
Thunder roared, and a brilliant blue energy sparked from the straight-thrust fist like lightning.
"Argh!"
Struck in the chest, Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend bellowed. But snapping to his senses from the shock, he spun like a top and kicked at Do Cheon with his other foot.
Do Cheon yanked up the gripped ankle. The strike missed, so Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend spun the opposite way to realign, adding rotational force to a powerful kick.
In that instant, Do Cheon slammed the body to the ground.
Thud!
The earth trembled from the impact. Yet Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend counterattacked as if untouched.
Do Cheon hoisted him up to nullify the strike point. As the body spun for another attack, it was slammed down again.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend was repeatedly smashed.
Any expert would be limp from such shocks. But he kept countering unscathed.
Do Cheon lifted him high and released. Instantly, Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend thrashed like a fish in water, smashing a ferocious Iron Buffalo Diamond Kick at Do Cheon's head—powerful enough to shatter boulders.
But just before it connected, Do Cheon vanished.
The moment Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend registered this, Do Cheon reappeared, seizing his head. As a counter began, Do Cheon smashed it into the ground. Upon impact, blue energy exploded from his grip like lightning.
Kwaboom!
Heaven-Responding Horned Fiend went limp.
Straightening up, Do Cheon looked down at the slack form. Any other master would have had their skull crushed, yet he lay intact, bloodless, merely unconscious. A ridiculously tough body.
Do Cheon raised his head.
A figure had appeared before him.
An old man clad head to toe in black. Do Cheon stared directly at his face. A deathly, eerie aura emanated from him.
"If you want a proper fight, let's move elsewhere."
Do Cheon said.
The old man, Black Death Yin God, vanished like a phantom.
The Volcanic Divine Sword asked in surprise.
"Black Death Yin God is still alive?"
"Why so shocked? He's barely past 120, if that. The righteous faction has plenty older."
The Volcanic Divine Sword fell silent at Heaven-Rending Legion's words.
Seeing this, Heaven-Rending Legion smirked.
"Closing your mouth doesn't make the obvious predecessors disappear."
"Just as we know of the Evil Hermits, the demonic faction knows of the Righteous Hermits. But what's the point in broadcasting their existence to the world?"
"That's why I only mentioned it when it's just us."
The Volcanic Divine Sword nodded at Heaven-Rending Legion's words.
Righteous Hermits and Evil Hermits.
Gatherings of retired eccentric masters from the righteous and demonic factions. Living two full cycles—120 years—erodes worldly desires, making even breathing feel futile, one's existence illusory. Not everyone, but the many who join these groups prove it common.
In any case, the Righteous and Evil Hermits give these eccentrics reason to stay rooted, researching supreme arts to counter the Heavenly Demon and Demonic Cult based on their insights.
The Heavenly Demon and Demonic Cult.
To any martial artist, righteous or demonic, they were an unforgettable colossal wall until death.
"Was Black Death Yin God in the Evil Hermits?"
The Volcanic Divine Sword asked.
"No. He refused to stay. So I went to him. I was curious why. It was just a few years ago—he'd already passed 110. At that age, still clinging to the world? What obsession, what lingering regret?"
"..."
"Didn't get answers, but damn, he's formidable. Fighting him felt like battling a ghost."
Heaven-Rending Legion's face soured recalling his bout with Black Death Yin God. Even now, thinking back unsettled him.