Chapter 722: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (30)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 722: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (30)
It had been a long time since the Ten Great Masters—the Seven Steel and Three Fists—first rose to prominence.
The title was forged in the fires of the Great War against the Unorthodox Faction.
The Orthodox-Demonic War.
Though a few members had changed over the years, the fundamental structure of the group remained the same. In the Central Plains, a world that worshipped martial prowess, these were the ten strongest warriors under heaven.
While ranking them against one another was a difficult task, once a master claimed a spot, it was rare for them to ever lose it.
‘You can tell just by looking at the Three Venerables.’
More than a decade had passed since the Three Venerables were truly active. The Heavenly Venerable made only occasional appearances, and the Dishonored Venerable had held his position despite being inactive for over twenty years.
It was a testament to how firmly these positions were established once they were seized.
Now, let’s pose a question.
‘Just how strong are the Ten Great Masters?’
It was a fundamental question. The Seven Steel and Three Fists—the ten strongest warriors chosen from across the Central Plains. Were they truly the ten strongest?
I posed the question and simultaneously answered it.
‘No.’
I didn’t think so. The Central Plains was teeming with monsters who hid their power and lived in seclusion. One only had to look at my father to know that. There were masters whose names remained unknown simply because they hadn't participated in the war and thus never distinguished themselves.
They must have known that the war could be won even without their intervention. Or perhaps they simply didn't care whether their side won or lost. That’s why they never appeared.
However...
‘They showed up for the Orthodox-Demonic War.’
The blood disaster brought about by the Heavenly Demon changed everything. When the entire Central Plains began to burn, some were forced to reveal themselves. Among them were the beings who would later be called the Thunder Saint and the Military Daoist.
They were monsters who, while perhaps weaker than the Three Venerables, were more than worthy of a place among the Ten Great Masters. It meant there were others stronger than the currently known Ten. The current Ten were certainly powerful, but it also meant that the public rankings were not the whole truth.
Ah, of course.
‘That doesn't mean the Ten Great Masters are weak.’
It just meant their positions weren't absolute ranks that could be attained through strength alone.
Tap. Tap.
I lightly brushed off my hands and looked straight ahead.
The Sect Leader of the Emei Sect, the Pink Moon Fist Immortal, stood before me with her hands clasped behind her back. She was merely standing there, yet the very air around her seemed to tremble.
Was she projecting her power like that moronic Lord of the Peng Clan? No, that wasn't it. This was her presence leaking out naturally, despite her attempts to conceal it.
‘The Fist Immortal, huh.’
In the Emei Sect, a clan famous for its swordsmanship, she was a woman who had risen to the position of Sect Leader through the sheer mastery of her fists.
Watching the old woman, I calmly settled my mind. At the same time, I sensed her presence and activated my body.
Thump.
Power flowed into my muscles, causing them to swell. Sensing her hostility, I shifted into a combat stance. Just as I was beginning my final preparations…
“Young Master Gu,” the Pink Moon Fist Immortal asked. “Do you truly intend to go through with this?”
Hearing that, a small smile played on my lips. “What are you talking about? After coming all this way.”
We were in a training ground set up behind my residence. It was a place I had asked Lady Mi to prepare, usually reserved for my sparring sessions with the Dishonored Venerable. And now, I was facing the Fist Immortal.
The reason, of course, was a duel.
The Fist Immortal, who seemed thoroughly displeased with the situation, had been scowling the entire time.
“I will ask one last time… Are you truly…”
“You don’t have to ask. My answer is the same as it was the first time.” I cut off her tedious words. “You should start warming up. You’re getting on in years; you’ll break a bone if you’re not careful.”
“…Ha.”
A soft sigh brushed against my skin. My activated body perceived every moment with heightened sensitivity.
“This is a chance I am giving you.”
“A chance?”
“If this goes any further, it will not end with a simple scolding.”
The Fist Immortal’s eyes narrowed. My breathing grew slightly heavier. The pressure emanating from her began to slowly consume the wide training ground.
“You are incredible. So much so that I was left speechless. You can be arrogant, you can be conceited. You’ve earned that right.”
“I don’t know what to do with such praise.”
“But. That’s as far as it goes.”
Woong.
As the Fist Immortal’s hand moved, a ripple spread through the air.
“Do I look the same as that incompetent child from the Peng Clan?”
In an instant, the Dao King had been demoted to an incompetent fool. It was amusing, but I didn't laugh. The pressure in the air was too heavy for laughter.
“The Emei Sect does not take insults lightly.”
The small ripple quickly warped into a crack in the air. Watching it, I tilted my head.
“So? Are you saying you want to stop now?”
“If you apologize and beg for forgiveness, I might be willing to pretend this insult never happened.”
“Apologize and beg for forgiveness for what?”
Haha.
A laugh escaped me, and I immediately covered my mouth with my hand. Damn, what do I do? I couldn't hold it in. After a moment's thought, I lowered my hand. It was too late anyway. Might as well just do as I please.
“You’re the one who showed up at the crack of dawn without any notice.”
“…You…!”
The Fist Immortal’s brow furrowed, clearly displeased with my tone.
“So what’s there to apologize for? Are you upset that someone so much younger is talking back to the great Sect Leader?”
“You truly intend to cross the line.”
“If there was a line, I crossed it long ago. Why bother worrying about something so tedious?”
“So you are aware that you are picking a fight with the Emei Sect right now?”
“Emei Sect, my ass,” I said with a sigh. “I’m just messing with you, Senior, because I don’t like you. If it makes you feel better, call it the Emei Sect. I don’t care either way.”
“…!”
“And if I apologize and beg for forgiveness now, then what? You think I don’t know you’ll just use it as leverage to get answers to your questions?”
Would she simply forgive me? Not a chance. Even while thinking my actions were nothing more than childish antics, the reason the Fist Immortal had silently followed me here was for information.
“I told you, let’s keep it simple. I even gave you a justification, didn’t I?”
It was generally frowned upon for an old master to fight a young prodigy. And to decide the outcome of a dispute with a contest of strength? If handled poorly, she’d be called petty. So I gave her a reason. I was the one who started the fight.
Moreover...
“I even made a binding promise. That I wouldn’t speak a word of this to anyone.”
I had even cleaned up the potential aftermath. I had handled everything perfectly, so what was she hesitating for? I couldn't understand it.
And it seemed the Fist Immortal felt the same way.
“Why on earth… Why are you going this far?”
“Sect Leader. Are you, by any chance, deaf?”
“…What did you say?”
“I’ve explained everything up to now. And you’re asking again.”
What did she hear? Or did she hear me but couldn't understand? I suppose I had to make it simpler.
“This battle of wills is fucking annoying, so let’s just fight and get it over with. Isn’t that how a martial artist should be?”
“Hah.”
This was a waste of time. My schedule for the day was already packed. I was busy as hell, which meant I didn't have time to entertain an old woman.
So.
“Grandma, enough talk. Let’s get to it.”
My patience had reached its limit. As I spoke, slightly loosening my shoulders, the woman standing next to the Fist Immortal flushed with anger.
“You bastard! What did you just say to the Sect Leader?”
It was the same woman who had tried to interfere earlier. From the look on her face, she was furious.
But.
“How dare you, to the Emei Sect’s… Gack!?”
Once again, the woman couldn't finish her sentence.
About ten steps. I had closed that distance in a single bound and grabbed her by the throat. The captured woman could do nothing but tremble.
Looking at her, I said, “What did I say earlier? I said I’d rip one of your arms off, didn’t I?”
Crack.
“Ggg-ghh!?”
I didn't rip it off, but I did twist her right arm into a grotesque angle. I considered actually tearing it off, but I restrained myself.
“Why do you keep interrupting when the adults are talking? You’ll really die if you keep that up. Got it?”
The woman couldn't even scream. Since I was already holding her throat to keep her quiet, I cut off her breathing as well. In that state, I looked at the Fist Immortal. The distance between us had closed to less than two steps.
“Since you keep hesitating, I’ll help you out with one more thing.”
The Fist Immortal’s eyes were wide with shock. This was, in its own way, a courtesy from me. A courtesy before the fight. A warning not to be carelessly complacent.
“If you’re not going to fight, I’ll kill her right now,” I said with a smile.
At that moment, an immense pressure erupted from the Fist Immortal. Her stance was the same, but her atmosphere was different. Her aura was that of a completely different person.
Is this the fighting spirit of one of the Ten Great Masters?
It was moderately suffocating, but the feeling wasn't bad.
Whoosh.
CRASH—!!
I casually threw the woman I was holding. From a distance, I heard the sound of her crashing into a wall. I had controlled my strength, but for all I knew, she might be dead.
Even as that thought crossed my mind…
“You have a talent for humiliating people.”
The Fist Immortal didn't seem to care in the slightest what had happened to her disciple.
“If that is your choice, then I shall respect it. The bravado of youth is, after all, a grand and fiery thing.”
Slowly, the Fist Immortal took her stance.
“I hope you do not regret your choice—!”
I drove my fist into her abdomen.
BOOOOOM—!!
“…Gahk!?”
The Fist Immortal’s body folded in half. I pushed hard, sending her flying.
KUUUAAAA—! With a burst of air pressure, her body shot toward the wall.
BOOOOOM—!!! She smashed through the training ground wall, her body embedding itself deep within the masonry.
Crumble.
Debris rained down. Watching it, I spat, “Acting all tough. You wanna die?”
To still be acting like that after I’d shown her everything—it was absurd. I was glaring at the wall, filled with irritation, when…
Woong—!
I felt a sudden surge of pressure. I immediately channeled power into my hand.
Fwoooosh—!
Heat gathered. In an instant, a Flaming Sphere was formed. Putting all my strength into my shoulder, I hurled it with everything I had. The sphere shot forward, speeding toward the wall.
Thud—!KUUUAAAAAAAAAHHHH---!!!
The moment it hit, a massive explosion erupted. Enough heat to vaporize an ordinary person washed over the area.
Is it over?
‘Bullshit.’
I didn't entertain the thought for a second. I turned my gaze to the other side of the wall.
WHOOOOSH—!
I tilted my head slightly. A fist grazed my cheek. The Fist Immortal had somehow escaped the blast and was now behind me. I had perceived her just in the nick of time.
“You bastard—!”
CRACK—! The Fist Immortal stomped on the ground, and cracks spiderwebbed out in all directions. Her assault continued. Countless fist arts filled my Mind’s Eye. I twisted my body, blocking them one by one.
Thud—! Thump—!!
Each time I deflected a fist, my body vibrated slightly.
‘Heavy.’
They said each of the Fist Immortal’s blows was fierce, and they were right. For a grandma, she packed a serious punch. A direct hit could easily shatter bones.
‘Was my last attack blocked?’
The surprise attack to her abdomen—I had broken through her protective aura, but it hadn't landed cleanly. The Fist Immortal had reacted in that brief instant.
‘Nice.’
She was definitely one of the Ten Great Masters. Different from the usual riffraff.
FWOOOOOSH—!
“!”
I felt a surge of pressure. As we continued to exchange blows, I suddenly felt something strange from the Fist Immortal.
‘The flow of her Qi has changed.’
It was a subtle shift I might have missed. It seemed she was secretly gathering power for a finishing blow.
‘Where is it?’
Parrying her fists, I scanned her body.
‘Found it.’
From her left shoulder to her fist. The flow of Qi was distorted only in that area. I thought she used her right hand a lot, but it turned out she was left-handed.
‘A feint.’
It seems she deliberately made me think she was right-handed. How thorough. Well, it was good that I figured it out now. I narrowed my eyes slightly and pulled one leg back. I relaxed my waist and shifted my angle.
Immediately, the Fist Immortal’s punch flew at me.
CRACK—! The powerful strike hit my shoulder. My stance wavered.
‘Hmm.’
My shoulder throbbed, and a jarring pain shot through the bone. Even with my Combat Qi reinforcing it, this was the result? She was certainly strong.
But.
‘Is this all?’
It wasn't enough to surprise me.
“Hup!”
Seeing an opening, the Fist Immortal’s stance changed as if she was about to unleash the power she had been gathering. Finally, the hidden energy revealed itself. Her Qi gathered at her fingertips as she thrust her arm forward.
Martial Vast Mountain Palm.
A palm-shaped wave of Combat Qi shot out. No, it was about to.
Pang—!
“…!?”
The Fist Immortal’s technique failed to manifest. Just as her palm was extending, I had blocked it with my own.
PAAAAAANG---!!
The energy scattered, exploding in all directions. As the violent shockwave swept over us…
“Keoheok!”
The Fist Immortal coughed up blood and staggered back a few steps. Her martial art being sealed must have thrown her Qi and blood into disarray.
“…Heok… heok.”
Gasping for breath, the Fist Immortal stared at me with a look of utter shock, even as she coughed up blood. I had just sealed her technique in a rather crude way. I had timed it for the exact moment her energy was about to erupt and forced a collision.
Doing so would cause internal damage to both parties from the clash of energies. Usually, the attacker would suffer more damage, but…
‘That’s only if our internal Qi capacities are similar.’
My immense Qi negated even that kind of damage. Of course, I wasn't completely unscathed, but it was at a tolerable level.
The Fist Immortal was staggering. Seeing that, I had no intention of stopping. I kicked out.
CRACK—! The Fist Immortal hastily raised her arms to defend, but she couldn't block the full impact and stumbled.
‘Then, one more time.’
This time, I wreathed my fist in flames.
Fiery Fangs of the Beast.
Flames erupted from the fist that struck the Fist Immortal.
FWOOOSH---!!!
The flames were large enough to engulf the training ground. Even as I watched the surroundings burn, I quickly scanned the area. I searched for her position. I had landed a blow, but the Fist Immortal had used the recoil to vanish.
Was she planning to use the flames that obscured my vision to launch a counterattack? Not a bad move. The problem was…
‘You can’t escape from my flames.’
These flames were an extension of my senses. To move within them was no different from broadcasting her exact location to me.
‘She should have just tried to extinguish the flames.’
A truly disappointing choice. I extended my left arm.
Shriik—!
Solar Light reacted, shooting a stream of cloth from my hand. It instantly shot through the flames, and—GRAB!
“Hup!”
It caught the Fist Immortal as she moved through the fire. I pulled.
WHOOSH---!! The Fist Immortal’s frail body broke through the flames and reappeared. She was flying rapidly toward me. Watching her approach, I immediately threw a punch.
CRACK—!
“Keok…!!”
I hit her in the face just as she got close. I didn't even imbue it with Combat Qi. Even after taking a blow to the face, the Fist Immortal moved. It seemed she was trying to counterattack somehow. I confirmed her movement with my Mind’s Eye and struck her left shoulder.
THUD—!
Her stance broke. Because of that, her counterattack failed.
‘Next, the leg.’
Her right thigh, to be precise. I used the impact to immobilize her, then shattered her ankle. The Fist Immortal fell. I held her in place with Solar Light and drove my knee into her solar plexus.
BOOM—! The attack broke through her Combat Qi and landed.
“Puhup!”
The Fist Immortal spat out a mouthful of blood in agony. I twisted my body to avoid it. I didn't have many sets of clothes, so it would be a pain if they got dirty. While dodging, I used the momentum to kick her in the face.
CRACK—!
The Fist Immortal’s head snapped back. Blood sprayed into the air, and I felt the Combat Qi protecting her body dissipate. Releasing the Solar Light that bound her, I kicked her hard in the chest.
CRASH—!
The Fist Immortal was sent flying, slammed hard against the wall, and then collapsed onto the ground with a thud. Lying on the floor, she didn't move, but I didn't let my guard down. Even this could be a feint.
I watched her with that thought in mind.
“...”
But as time passed, the Fist Immortal remained motionless. A moment of silence fell.
‘What is this?’
Sensing something strange, I tilted my head.
‘It can’t be.’
I frowned. Surely not? Nah. No way. I waited a little longer, but the situation didn't change.
“…Is this for real?”
I walked over to the fallen Fist Immortal, grabbed a handful of her hair, and lifted her head.
Ssk.
Her light body was dragged limply along. Her face was already a mess. Blood trickled from her nose and mouth, and her shallow breaths made it seem like she could die at any moment. Her face was completely wrecked.
Seeing this, I had to let out a hollow laugh. I thought it couldn't be true. But it seemed I was right. A sudden emptiness filled me. Nothing I had hoped for had happened.
Overwhelmed with irritation, I asked the Fist Immortal, “Is this really all there is?”
Not a single part of me was broken, twisted, or ruined. My internal organs were fine. What kind of fight was this? Looking at the pathetically insignificant result, I spoke to the Fist Immortal.
“Are you kidding me? How can you be so weak?”
She was one of the Ten Great Masters of the Central Plains. Even if she was somewhat weaker than public perception, it shouldn't have been like this. This was not what I had expected. A thoroughly disappointing display.
I shook the hair I was holding, but the only response was the Fist Immortal’s breathing growing fainter.
“No, grandma. Get up for a second. Let’s fight again.”
I couldn't let it end so disappointingly. I spoke with that thought in mind.
Shudder….
At my words, the Fist Immortal, far from regaining consciousness, only gave a short, pathetic tremble.