Chapter 720: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (28)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 720: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (28)
“I’m only asking because I genuinely don’t know.”
It was the middle of the night at the training grounds, shortly after the third round of the tournament had concluded.
I watched the Dishonored Venerable during his personal training and asked, “Are you insane, by any chance?”
“What was that, you brat?”
The Dishonored Venerable, who was currently hoisting a boulder the size of a small house, turned to look at me. His expression wasn't one of anger, but rather sheer, utter disbelief.
“Now you’ve resorted to cursing out your own master?”
“No, I just—”
I cut myself off and threw a lightning-fast punch.
Whoosh—!
CRACK—!
I shattered the rock that came hurtling toward my face. My wrist throbbed painfully. Damn it. That old bastard had coated the stone in Combat Qi before throwing it.
“That’s quite the look on your face,” he remarked.
“Do I look good to you?”
“Not bad. Didn’t I do exactly as you wished?”
“…Hah…”
Not bad? I could only sigh as I looked at the stone fragments littering the ground.
“Things couldn’t possibly be worse, could they?”
A total shitshow. There was no other way to describe it. It was a complete and utter mess.
“Thanks to you, Elder, the tournament hasn't even reached the halfway point.”
From the third round of the main tournament onward, only one arena had been prepared. It was built to remain unscathed by almost any impact. Even if it did get slightly cracked or chipped, it was supposed to be easily repairable.
How on earth are they going to repair that?
There is a limit to everything. When a structure is damaged so badly that you can’t even remember its original shape, you can no longer call it ‘repairing.’
That’s not a repair; that’s building a new one from scratch.
Who could have known? Who would have guessed that a single martial artist could make such a mess of an arena reinforced with Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Steel?
I looked at the Dishonored Venerable with a slight frown.
Heaven Destruction, was it?
The Fifth Form of the Heaven Destruction Art: Heaven Destruction.
It was the technique the Dishonored Venerable had unleashed against the Dao King during this round. It was a power I had never witnessed before.
…To shatter the heavens.
It was a name far too arrogant for any martial art. However…
I feel like he might actually be able to do it.
Having witnessed its majesty with my own eyes, I didn't dare deny it. The sheer scale of its power was enough to make my body tremble just from the memory.
What is the secret behind that destructive force?
The image of the Dishonored Venerable using Heaven Destruction flickered in my mind. A gray sphere of hyper-compressed, condensed energy. He had artificially detonated it, and the resulting eruption of force was immense.
How did he control it?
What was that sensation I felt back then? Where did the flow of his internal energy originate, and where did it go?
The source of the energy was, of course, the Heaven Destruction Art.
He must have utilized the energy inherent to the art.
But how is such a precise application possible?
The essence of the Heaven Destruction Art is ‘destruction.’ The very act of casting it inflicts pain upon the user. Because it relies on such rough, violent energy, the martial art is naturally imbued with destructive force. It should be incredibly difficult to adjust—and even more difficult to control.
But back then, the Dishonored Venerable manipulated his energy with incredible delicacy.
How was such a feat possible? Enduring the pain is one thing, but shaping and containing that much unruly internal energy into a perfect sphere was another story entirely.
What felt familiar, though, was…
When you think about it, it’s remarkably similar to the Flaming Sphere.
The Flaming Sphere, which adds rotation to compression and condensation. The Gu Flame Wheel Art was just as volatile, but it wasn’t as disobedient as the Heaven Destruction Art, which made the technique possible.
To put it another way…
It might be possible with the Gu Flame Wheel Art, but it should be impossible with the Heaven Destruction Art.
And yet, the Dishonored Venerable had done it.
Thinking about it, it wasn’t actually strange. It was only natural that the Dishonored Venerable could achieve what I could not.
Because he is a Grandmaster.
A man who creates new martial arts and forges his own path. There are many geniuses who learn existing arts and reach high levels, but those who create entirely new systems are extremely rare.
The Heaven Destruction Art was a Single-Succession Art. Moreover, barely half a century had passed since its creation. And yet, it was already spoken of as a divine art alongside styles that had been refined for centuries.
Did that even make sense?
No, it doesn't. But that old man managed the impossible.
An artificial Rebirth through his Art. A Form that could induce a state of selflessness on its own. He possessed two powers, either of which would have been enough to secure his place in history.
What kind of person was the Dishonored Venerable to have created such things?
He’s definitely not sane.
Of that, I was certain.
Anyway.
The important thing is how to use the Fifth Form…
“My, my. Look who’s calling who crazy.”
“…!”
As I was busy racking my brain, the Dishonored Venerable’s voice snapped me back to reality.
“You start to say something, but then your mind wanders elsewhere. Was it really that impressive?”
He had caught me. It seemed the Dishonored Venerable knew exactly what was on my mind.
“Don’t be impatient. It’s a power you will eventually learn anyway.”
“…You show me something like that and then tell me not to be impatient? That’s a contradiction.”
I knew he had shown it to me on purpose. In fact, that old man probably wanted this exact reaction.
‘See this and drive yourself mad trying to figure it out,’ that’s what he’s saying.
The Fifth Form. I was only just beginning to refine the Fourth Form, and he had blatantly flaunted the Fifth in front of me. And on top of that…
“You even sustained internal injuries to do it.”
“…”
At my words, the Dishonored Venerable didn’t answer; he simply avoided my gaze. At the same time, my eyes drifted to his arm—the one that had been holding the boulder just a moment ago.
Tremble, tremble, tremble—.
That arm was shaking faintly.
Sigh.
How could I not sigh at that sight? I had to force the frustration down.
“Did you really have to go that far? Thanks to you, all hell has broken loose.”
The tournament matches had ended prematurely for the day. Normally, more duels should have followed, but after the clash between the Dishonored Venerable and the Dao King, all proceedings were suspended.
The reason was simple: there was no arena left to use.
Honestly, they could just fight on the ground…
Unfortunately, this was Henan. Henan was the seat of the Alliance, and the host of the tournament was none other than the Murim Alliance itself. Would they really continue the tournament on the bare dirt just because the arena was wrecked?
Not a chance.
The Alliance cared about public perception more than anything. They would never tolerate such a shabby display.
—The tournament will resume once the arena is rebuilt.
That was the official decision.
Tsk.
Because of that, I was in a frustrating position.
My plan has been thrown off.
A plan I had so carefully timed. It would take at least two days, maybe three, to rebuild the arena. They were only able to set that timeline because they had spare materials on hand. If they hadn't, there’s no telling how long it would have taken.
Crazy bastards. Why did they have to mix Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Steel into the arena in the first place?
It was taking so long precisely because they were trying to work with that expensive material.
They probably thought it wouldn't break if they used it.
Did they ever imagine it would be completely shattered, forcing them to build a new one? Even I wouldn't have guessed that. Who could have known?
That the Dishonored Venerable would actually show up at the tournament.
Not only had one of the Three Venerables achieved eternal youth, but who would have thought he’d participate in the tournament and unleash his ultimate secret technique?
Seriously… it’s just absurd.
It was a situation no one could have predicted. And because of it, Henan was buzzing with nothing but talk of the Dishonored Venerable today.
—The Dishonored Venerable’s descendant, Dragon Warrior Bi Eejin, displays overwhelming power against the Dao King before forfeiting.
—A shocking victory. Is this an insult to the Dao King?
—A young prodigy who was hiding his power. What is the Dragon Warrior’s true worth…?
—The Heavenly Dragon and the Dragon Warrior. Who is truly stronger?
All sorts of rumors were flying. Without exaggeration, the streets were filled with nothing but talk of the Dragon Warrior and the Dishonored Venerable.
One of the Six Seats—the Lord of the Peng Clan, known as the Guardian of Hebei—had been sent rolling pathetically across the ground. And by whom? The Dragon Warrior of the Xi'an Bi clan, who was previously thought to be just another young prodigy.
No matter if he was the Dishonored Venerable’s descendant, it made no sense for the Dao King to be defeated so handily.
No… it wasn’t just a defeat.
It was a victory. An utterly humiliating victory. When the Dragon Warrior declared his forfeit, I recalled the desperate expression on the Dao King’s face as he screamed. Telling him not to be ridiculous, begging him to just kill him instead…
It was pathetic.
Wasn’t it a miserable sight for someone called a King-level martial artist?
Thanks to that, the merchant association leaders have gotten busy.
The Dao King’s reputation was plummeting. The leaders who foresaw the shift in the Central Plains’ power dynamics would be moving at a frantic pace.
He had caused an upset in a tournament that had been prepared for over a year. He had shaken the Dao King’s standing and forced a change in the movements of the entrenched merchant associations. All of this happened in a single duel.
The world was already reaching its own conclusions: that the Dragon Warrior’s forfeit was a direct challenge to the Dao King’s position. That it was a calculated move to show off his power, elevate the standing of his master, the Dishonored Venerable, and prove his own worth.
Everyone judged it to be a masterstroke of arrogance, but…
“The forfeit… that was because you actually couldn't continue, wasn't it?”
“…Hmph.”
I knew. I knew that the Dishonored Venerable’s physical condition was a complete mess right now. You could tell with just a glance—or, to be precise, by activating the Mind’s Eye.
The flows are all tangled up.
The once-smooth circulation of his internal energy was distorted. Watching him train, his physical strength seemed the same, which meant that while the outside looked fine, the inside was a wreck.
The reason was obvious.
The backlash of Heaven Destruction.
That immense power he had unleashed in the tournament. The recoil had ravaged the Dishonored Venerable’s body. Looking at him in such a fragile state… how should I put it?
“…I think I could win if I fought you now. Should I just land a few hits?”
“…Huh?”
“Ah, my mistake. I’m being serious.”
“Right, it was a jo—… what did you say?”
The Dishonored Venerable let out a hollow laugh. Did he find my words funny? I wasn't joking.
If I really attacked him, I think I could beat him.
Against the current Dishonored Venerable, I felt I could win without much difficulty. That’s how weak he was. In other words…
Heaven Destruction was not an easy feat, even for the Dishonored Venerable.
The recoil from forcing himself to use it had necessitated his forfeit.
But because he acted like he was perfectly fine, it looked like something else to the world.
An act to insult the Dao King. A humiliating victory that would go down in the Murim Alliance’s history. One of the Six Seats defeated by a young prodigy, and so on. Thanks to him, the Dao King was being mocked by everyone in Henan.
Did he do this intentionally?
Knowing that inscrutable old man, he very well might have.
“Then, why do you keep questioning it?”
I answered the Dishonored Venerable’s question with a sigh.
“I’m asking if you really had to go that far. You could have won by taking it easy.”
“If I was going to do that, why would I have participated? There has to be some fun in it.”
“You almost died looking for ‘fun,’ didn’t you?”
“If I die, you’d be the happiest person alive, wouldn’t you?”
“Ah, that’s also true… ah, shit. I’m kidding. Kidding!”
I dodged the rock flying at my head. I can’t even make a joke around here.
Just then, the Dishonored Venerable added, as if explaining the situation, “I was originally planning to win.”
“Pardon?”
“It just so happened that I thought I could show you something good, so I tried it.”
“Something good? You mean that Fifth Form?”
“Yes.”
It was a defeat accepted for the sake of demonstrating Heaven Destruction. Hearing him say that, I was at a loss for words.
“What does that even…”
“Originally, Heaven Destruction was not that kind of martial art.”
“What?”
I listened closely to his unexpected words.
“It was a simpler art that exploded from the tip of the fist… but this time, I had a sudden inspiration and tried to modify it.”
“Modify it?”
My eyes widened. Since he was the one who created the martial art, it wasn’t strange for him to change it. But to suddenly modify it mid-tournament felt insane. I looked at the Dishonored Venerable with a sense of wonder.
“I got that inspiration thanks to your martial art.”
“…!”
I was stunned. The Dishonored Venerable had modified his art after seeing mine?
…Wait a minute.
Then I think I understood. The martial art that gave him inspiration. Could it be…
“The Flaming Sphere?”
“That’s right.”
The Dishonored Venerable confirmed my suspicion.
The reason why Heaven Destruction and the Flaming Sphere felt so similar…
Was that why their methods were so alike?
I had wondered why they felt so similar. Did that mean Heaven Destruction was now derived from the Flaming Sphere? If so, the problem was…
“How did you succeed?”
What exactly was the source of Heaven Destruction’s explosion?
The Flaming Sphere is based on flame arts.
It condenses heat and creates friction through rotation. It’s a martial art that detonates the power generated from that process, but the Heaven Destruction Art didn’t possess that kind of firepower. What principle did it operate on? Doubts began to flood my mind.
“Curious, aren’t you?”
As if reading my mind, the Dishonored Venerable grinned. “Then go and figure it out.”
“What? Figure it out?”
“Yes. Since it’s based on the framework of your family’s martial art, it shouldn’t be too difficult to decipher. So go and figure it out. That is the assignment I’m giving you this time.”
“…No, telling me to just ‘figure it out’… it’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“When has my assignment ever been easy?”
“…”
He was right. The assignments that old man gave were always ridiculously difficult. And yet…
“This time, too, it will be of help to you.”
Damn it, he was always right. It was always helpful—so much so that I couldn't even argue.
“Isn’t it about time you tried something like this? Not for anything else, but…” The Dishonored Venerable paused before continuing. “For the sake of ‘what you’re attempting.’”
“…!”
I gasped. My mouth clamped shut, and I could only stare at the Dishonored Venerable with trembling eyes.
This man…
Just how much does he know? His meaningful words hit far too close to home. It felt like every word he spoke was a dagger aimed at my secrets.
He’s like a goddamn ghost.
I can’t beat him. His martial arts, that inscrutable expression—the Dishonored Venerable seemed more like a transcendent being than any other Taoist I'd met. It wasn't a sense of being merciful or broad-minded.
He doesn’t feel human.
He lacked that characteristic humanity. The Dishonored Venerable had always been that kind of person. As I stood there, frozen, swallowing my trembling heart, he spoke again.
“I won’t stop you.”
The Dishonored Venerable continued, “It’s a dangerous thing to do, but it’s not like you’ll stop just because I tell you to. And it’s something only you can do. I’ll watch with interest.”
“…Yes.”
“However.”
A murderous aura coiled around his blunt eyes.
Chills.
The moment our eyes met, a shiver ran down my spine.
“Cherish your life. Remember that there is a place you must reach.”
“…I understand.”
His obsession with ensuring his martial art was passed on, no matter what—that obsession was the core of the Dishonored Venerable. A man mad for martial arts. Just looking at him was enough to make me feel suffocated.
“If you’ve asked all your questions, you may leave.”
Knowing the conversation was over, the Dishonored Venerable immediately issued an order of expulsion. He was telling me to get lost.
Watching him, I asked with a hint of disappointment, “No sparring today?”
“…Your intentions are so obvious.”
“A shame… truly…”
Normally, I would avoid sparring like the plague, but today I desperately wanted to do it. If not today, when else would I get a chance to beat up the Dishonored Venerable?
That’s what I thought, but unfortunately, it seemed he had no intention of giving me that satisfaction today.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue and turned to leave. I had asked everything I needed to, and I had even received a grueling new assignment, so I had to move quickly.
At the same time, the Dishonored Venerable’s words echoed in my mind.
—For the sake of ‘what you’re attempting’.
“…”
What I was attempting. I was startled that the Dishonored Venerable had noticed, but since I had more or less received his permission, I felt a little more at ease.
…Now I can do it without having to be sneaky.
The task I had been attempting recently. It was…
The Heaven Destruction Art and the Gu Flame Wheel Art.
It was the task of merging those two arts.
* * *
A day had passed since the main tournament matches were suspended. A short time—technically, only a single night—but in that time, countless changes had occurred in Henan.
“Wow.”
I exclaimed in admiration as I looked out the window. Outside, the area around my residence was bustling with people who had shown up since dawn just to catch a glimpse of the Dragon Warrior.
There were even members of several noble clans coming and going, having discovered that the Dragon Warrior had no fiancée. Of course, the Dishonored Venerable was turning them all away as if he had no interest, but even so, some clung on persistently, determined not to miss their chance.
This was only natural.
He might become the Zenith Under the Heavens, after all.
The Zenith Under the Heavens. That high and shining title. A legendary position that only one person per generation could hold. Now that a young man who seemed closest to that position had appeared, they were trying to grab hold of him by any means necessary.
The other candidate, the Heavenly Dragon, was a member of the Shaolin Sect and couldn’t be touched, but the Dragon Warrior was different. He was a member of the Xi'an Bi clan—a clan with a somewhat lower standing—he wasn’t the eldest son, and he wasn’t engaged. How could they not covet him?
“You’ve become the most popular guy overnight,” I chuckled at the sight and took a sip of tea.
The Dishonored Venerable himself probably didn’t care, but seeing him suffer a little felt good. What was it the rumors were saying?
‘The Heavenly Dragon and the Dragon Warrior now have a relationship where they will push each other to reach the peak,’ was it?
Haha. It was ridiculous how they were linking us. What is this, the match of the century?
“Ugh…”
The cringe was killing me. Seeing how quickly the Beggar’s Sect was making its move, this was probably the work of the Alliance as well.
They made a big mess, so it’s hard to clean up. Does this mean they plan to use the hype to their advantage instead?
It wasn’t a bad thing, per se. Only that guy, the Dao King, was truly screwed. And on top of that…
“…Thanks to that, I’ve got my own troubles now.”
As the Dao King’s standing hit rock bottom, a problem arose in the plan I had laid out. Because of that, I needed to have Cheol Jiseon and Zhuge Hyuk quickly assess the situation, but…
My feet were tied because of a guest who had arrived this morning.
Hmm…
I set down my teacup and looked straight ahead. The guest who had come to see me at the crack of dawn. I looked at her and asked, “So.”
At my question, my counterpart looked back at me. The hairpin holding her white hair in place caught my eye. She was an old woman with remarkably few wrinkles for her age, carrying an air of elegance with fine powder on her face.
She was none other than…
“To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the Sect Leader of the Emei Sect to a humble man like myself?”
The Pink Moon Fist Immortal.
That was the identity of my visitor.