Chapter 340: Confrontation (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 340: Confrontation (4)
Rumble-!
A deep tremor shook the very earth beneath the blackened sky, its force so immense that the entire mountain quaked.
Craaaack-!
A tsunami of Qi erupted outward, devouring everything in its path. Trees were uprooted, and rocks embedded deep within the ground were torn loose by the overwhelming wave.
Swoosh-!
A gale force wind, thick with spiritual energy, continued to storm outwards. The sheer power behind the single blow was unbelievable.
“What the…?”
Peng Ah-hee gasped aloud, stunned by the scene unfolding before her. What had she just witnessed? And who was this figure standing before her?
He wore black robes similar to her older brother’s, with the same dark hair, yet the aura he exuded was entirely different—denser, more profound.
This person…
She wondered who he could be. But after studying his back for a moment, realization dawned.
“…Master Bi?”
The words escaped her lips in a shocked whisper. It was none other than the Dragon Warrior, Bi Eejin, one of the renowned Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes. He hailed from the Bi Clan, home to one of the Heavenly Venerables, the Dishonored Venerable. He had earned his Dragon title only a few years prior during the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament, yet he had since become a man shrouded in mystery, rarely seen in public. Rumors of his attendance at the Academy this year had circulated, but his presence had been so elusive that many doubted them.
What’s going on…?
Peng Ah-hee felt utterly bewildered. The Sword Dancer, though struggling on the ground, was at least a Peak Realm martial artist. Yet, even she had been powerless against their opponent, while this young man had sent the foe flying with a single strike.
Was the Dragon Warrior really that strong?
Could he have already reached the Fusion Re—
“Focus on stopping her bleeding instead of just watching.”
The Dragon Warrior’s voice cut through the dusty air, laced with residual Qi. He wasn't speaking to Peng Ah-hee, but to Tang Soyeol.
“If you’re looking to die, go ahead. But if not, you’d better tend to your wounds. Quickly.”
Blood was pouring dangerously from Tang Soyeol’s thigh and shoulder. Peng Ah-hee immediately channeled her Qi to stem the bleeding, but found it difficult.
Watching her struggle, the Dragon Warrior clicked his tongue.
Tsk.
“…Kids these days don’t get to fight until they’re seriously wounded, so I guess they also lack experience in treating others.”
“Huh? What did you just…”
“It’s nothing.”
The Dragon Warrior shook his head and turned his gaze elsewhere.
Ugh…
A pained groan came from that direction. It was Cheol Jiseon, the one who had been sent flying earlier.
Cough… Cough…
He coughed repeatedly, but fortunately, he showed no signs of serious injury; there was no blood.
Noticing him, the Dragon Warrior called out, “Good work.”
He had bought just enough time. Cheol Jiseon had charged the Palace Lord like a madman because the Dragon Warrior had instructed him telepathically. Of course, the final decision to charge had been Cheol Jiseon’s own. What kind of trust did he have to act so recklessly? Even the Dragon Warrior couldn’t fathom it. He wanted to ask, but now wasn’t the time.
“If you can move, then get these ladies out of here.”
“W-What…?”
Cheol Jiseon, barely able to stand, looked up in confusion. The Dragon Warrior wanted him to take the Sword Dancer, Peng Ah-hee, and Tang Soyeol away.
“W-Where should I go?”
“That, I’m not sure myself. But anywhere should be safer than here.”
Crack.
The Dragon Warrior’s joints cracked as he moved. The strike from earlier was clearly no illusion; the dense Qi he had unleashed still hung heavily in the air.
“T-Then what will you do?”
Cheol Jiseon asked, hoping the Dragon Warrior would join them for his own safety.
The Dragon Warrior smirked at the request. “I have to stop that thing, so how could I leave?”
“Huh? That thing…?”
The Dragon Warrior’s gaze was fixed in the direction where the Palace Lord had been thrown. Cheol Jiseon frowned slightly. The Palace Lord seemed to have taken the hit hard—wasn’t he practically dead? The blow had shaken the entire mountain, and the lingering Qi made it hard for Cheol Jiseon to even breathe.
Noticing his reaction, the Dragon Warrior answered, “I had hoped it would end with one strike, but he won’t die from something as simple as that.”
“But…”
Cheol Jiseon thought it would be better for them all to escape now that they had some time. But the Dragon Warrior clearly didn’t share the sentiment.
“I cannot run away when there is an opponent in front of me.”
“M-Master Bi?”
“Especially one who dares to display Combat Qi against me.”
The smirk on his face was terrifying. How could he smile in such a situation?
“Master Bi… Your opponent is an extreme master.”
“And?”
What did he mean, ‘and’? Their opponent was likely a Fusion Realm martial artist, a level Cheol Jiseon couldn’t even dream of reaching. He didn’t know the full extent of their foe’s power, but the title “Lord of the Black Palace” was warning enough. This was the Lord of the Black Palace, defeated by the Murim Alliance years ago, one of the Four Emperors and Five Kings, among the most powerful of the Unorthodox Faction. His whereabouts had been unknown since the Black Palace’s destruction, yet here he was, ambushing the Academy. If he was truly the Palace Lord, they were facing a Fusion Realm expert. Yet, the Dragon Warrior showed no fear, his smirk radiating confidence.
“What point is there to run away from a powerful opponent?”
“But…”
“You may feel fear, but a martial artist cannot afford to do such a thing.”
Crack.
Cheol Jiseon clenched his fist, the sound echoing his frustration. He tried to respond.
Tap.
“Ah.”
But the Dragon Warrior pushed him aside. Just as Cheol Jiseon was about to ask why,
Swoosh-!
Something dark whizzed past his cheek, hurtling toward the Dragon Warrior. In that instant, the Dragon Warrior shot his fist forward.
Slaaam-!
A black aura streaked past Cheol Jiseon, colliding with the Dragon Warrior’s fist.
Then,
Craaack-!
With a violent crack, Qi exploded around them. The shockwave was so powerful that Cheol Jiseon felt he would be thrown back if he didn’t brace himself. After a short storm, the black aura shattered into nothingness.
“Huff… Huff…”
Cheol Jiseon collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. His head would have been taken clean off if the Dragon Warrior hadn’t pushed him aside. Relief and fear washed over him simultaneously.
Just as he was about to sigh in relief,
“…Phew…”
A deep voice echoed from the shadows of the woods.
“…How shocking.”
Emerging from the rustling grass was the Palace Lord, the very man the Dragon Warrior had sent flying. He limped forward, clutching his ribs.
“The girl was shockingly strong… but this, I did not expect.”
When the Dragon Warrior had struck, he had gathered his Qi for a counterattack—a grave mistake. He should have focused entirely on defense. Although he had managed to block the attack, his Qi flow had become unstable, and he could feel his broken bones with every painful step.
Despite his injuries, the Palace Lord scrutinized his attacker. “Who are you?”
He knew this generation was teeming with talented prodigies, but this one far exceeded the norm. The battle against the Sword Dancer had surprised him, but this situation left him speechless.
Seeing the Palace Lord approach, the Dragon Warrior glanced at Cheol Jiseon. “I’ll say it once more. Take those ladies and get out of here.”
“And you think I’ll allow that?” the Palace Lord retorted.
But the Dragon Warrior was faster. He struck out with his fist once again. The Palace Lord attempted to brace himself defensively, but found his aura difficult to control.
Was it because of the previous attack?
It seemed to be the aftermath. Even so, the Palace Lord forced his aura toward Cheol Jiseon, but the Dragon Warrior intercepted it, shattering the flow with ease.
He used his bare hand to break my aura?
The Palace Lord moved quickly, not allowing himself time to be shocked. As he prepared to close in, the Dragon Warrior struck, kicking his leg and breaking his stance.
Pow-!
A wave of Qi erupted as their clash echoed. The Dragon Warrior had surely taken some damage from the impact, yet he remained calm, blocking the Palace Lord’s path with ease.
How…!
The Palace Lord could no longer mask his shock. He was faster than the Dragon Warrior; he was certain of it. Yet, despite the difference in their speed, he couldn’t get past him. It was as though the Dragon Warrior anticipated his every move, intercepting each one effortlessly.
How was such a thing possible?
What is this…
It was unbelievable.
Ting-!
The Palace Lord’s shoulder was shoved back before he could extend his arm. The attack didn’t injure him, but it stopped him from moving as intended.
Cheol Jiseon, seeing this, moved without hesitation. He lifted the Sword Dancer onto his back. At the same moment, Peng Ah-hee began supporting Tang Soyeol. She hadn’t finished treating her, but they couldn’t afford to stay any longer.
Seeing this, the Palace Lord clenched his teeth. To lose his target because of a mere young prodigy? He couldn’t allow it. He summoned more of his dark auras, sending them surging toward the others, only for the Dragon Warrior to block them once more. The Dragon Warrior didn’t even use a barrier; he simply moved, tapping the auras until they shattered effortlessly.
“…Impossible…!”
In just a few simple moves, his aura and authority had been utterly crushed. There was no time to remain stunned.
Slaaam-!
“Ugh…!”
The moment his guard slipped, a blow struck his stomach, sending him stumbling back. Not only was he injured from the last strike, but all his attacks had been blocked, and his aura was slipping from his control. The pain was bearable, but the fact that the Dragon Warrior’s attack had reached him was a shock. He’d been injured fighting the Sword Dancer, but this felt entirely different.
“You said you wanted to know my name, didn’t you? How polite. I can’t say I’m that interested in yours, though.”
That infuriating smirk still lingered on his face. The Dragon Warrior looked as though he was enjoying himself. What was there to be happy about?
For the Dragon Warrior, the answer was always the same. How could he not enjoy this? For a martial artist, the thrill of battle was the ultimate entertainment. Even in a dire situation, he found joy in the fight.
“I’ve been called many names in the past, but now I have only one.”
He cared little for the titles of yesterday. In the past, he hadn’t rejected the title of Dishonored Venerable, for he’d believed himself worthy of it. But now was different.
“I am Bi Eejin. I go by the title… What was it again? Oh, Dragon Warrior, was it?”
He barely remembered his own title; such things mattered little to him. Anyway, it was enough for who he was now.
The Palace Lord responded after hearing the introduction. “…Dragon Warrior. Wait, are you the Dishonored Venerable’s descendant?”
The only widely known descendant of the Three Venerables was the Sword Venerable’s. The Sword Dancer and the Lightning Dragon were technically descendants of a Heavenly Venerable, but they were a different case, famous for their powerful martial arts.
That much alone…
…I see.
It convinced the Palace Lord that it was, perhaps, understandable to be held back by a young prodigy. If he was the Dishonored Venerable’s descendant, then it made sense. The Palace Lord had never met him, but he knew the Dishonored Venerable was the one who had slain three powerful Unorthodox masters, forcing the faction’s name to change from the Five Emperors and Six Kings to the Four Emperors and Five Kings. Even so, he hadn’t expected the descendant to be this monstrous.
Could he have passed down his martial arts to his bloodline?
So that power from earlier… that’s the Dishonored Venerable’s martial art.
If the Palace Lord had focused only on counterattacking without protecting himself, he might have died on the spot. Even now, he struggled to control his Qi because of that single strike.
Swish-!
The Palace Lord unleashed his aura again, but the Dragon Warrior reacted as if he’d expected it. The aura crumbled before it could reach Cheol Jiseon. In the end, Cheol Jiseon and Peng Ah-hee managed to escape with the others.
The Palace Lord ground his teeth at the sight. This was not a good situation. The mountain might be crawling with the Black Dragon’s army, but failing to capture the Poison Phoenix was a serious problem. He wondered if he should ignore the Dragon Warrior and pursue her.
“You must have plenty of time, if you can afford to think about other things.”
The voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The Palace Lord quickly masked his shock. His opponent seemed to be, at most, at the Peak Realm, yet he, a Fusion Realm martial artist, was feeling tension. Even knowing his opponent was the Dishonored Venerable’s descendant, it stung his pride.
Though of course,
Craaack.
That pride shattered instantly under the weight of the Dragon Warrior’s Qi.
“Now that the kids are gone, we can get serious.”
He poured out his Qi.
“…!”
The force was beyond belief. This was not the Qi of a mere Peak Realm martial artist. And if his words were true, the Dragon Warrior hadn’t even been serious until now.
Unknowingly, the Palace Lord stepped back as the Dragon Warrior advanced, speaking calmly. “I’ll tell you some good news, since this is the first time I’m using this with this body.”
In an instant, the Dragon Warrior was standing right in front of him.
“Ten strikes.”
The Dragon Warrior moved.
“I think that’s your limit, so I’ll tell you what.”
Recalling his earlier mistake, the Palace Lord braced himself defensively.
“If you endure ten strikes, then you win.”
With that, the Dragon Warrior sent his fist forward. But the Palace Lord noticed something strange—why was he moving so slowly?
Is it… a feint?
It was so slow that the Palace Lord had ample time to consider the thought. This felt nothing like the swift ambush he’d experienced before.
…Should I even dodge this?
He weighed his options in an instant. Blocking seemed too risky. He couldn’t afford to fall for a feint. Instead, he thought to gain some distance.
However,
Squish.
“…!”
The Dragon Warrior’s fist had already connected with his body.
It was so slow I could see it clearly… so how did it reach me already?
The Palace Lord frowned. A powerful surge of Qi gathered around the Dragon Warrior’s fist. Determined, the Palace Lord resolved to block the attack. He was in a different situation than last time; he put all of his focus into his defense. He knew he’d be pushed back, but it would allow him to rebound and…
Craaack-!
“What…?”
His defense shattered effortlessly as the fist connected. The Dragon Warrior’s punch slammed into the Palace Lord’s stomach.
Slaam-!
The mountain shook violently once more. This tremor was far more intense than before, and the impact split the blackened sky with a resounding crack.
Crack.
Fragments of the dark aura began falling from the fissure. And from within the crack,
Whoosh…
A familiar red aura shimmered, radiating intense heat.