Chapter 732: Falling Dragon (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 732: Falling Dragon (4)
Screeeech.
Craaack—!!
The sound of something being torn asunder echoed through the air.
An eerie energy surged in all directions, warping the very atmosphere. It was as if the energy itself was screaming.
Kieeeek—!!
With every step Gu Yangcheon took, the pressure grew denser.
Was it bloodlust or fighting spirit? Whatever its nature, the aura was incomparably savage. It was suffocating. Just brushing against the radiating power felt like it could flay one's skin. It was far too alien to be an aura emitted by a human.
“Hah.”
Watching from the pavilion, Dohwa, the Celestial Plum Blossom, couldn't suppress a hollow laugh.
“…That child.”
Crack.
As he stood there reeling in surprise, a sharp sound erupted from the pavilion. It seemed the structure itself was beginning to fracture under the pressure.
Fortunately, a Qi barrier was immediately erected around them. Sensing the familiar energy, Dohwa looked toward its source.
“You have my gratitude.”
“...”
The master of the newly formed barrier was the Sword Emperor. He stood within the pavilion, positioned next to the Alliance Leader, calmly controlling the flow of energy.
Ruuuumble—!
A heavy vibration echoed from beyond the barrier.
This was a shield created by the Sword Emperor—a man considered to be at the absolute pinnacle of the Ten Great Masters, second only to the Three Venerables. Yet even his barrier trembled violently, swept up in the wake of the boy's energy.
…How monstrous.
Dohwa gazed at the arena with profound intensity.
What is this overwhelming fighting spirit? I expected him to become the eye of the storm, but…
He had long since recognized the boy's worth. He had been certain that the spark he’d seen would grow into a holy fire, but this exceeded all expectations.
He didn't become the eye of the storm. He became the storm itself.
Dohwa looked down at his own hand. His clenched fingertips were trembling faintly, and a thin sheen of cold sweat had formed on his palm. His body was tense, reacting instinctively to the fighting spirit radiating from the boy. He was heating up.
“Hahaha...”
Just how had that young boy come to possess such power?
Dohwa looked past the arena to someone watching from a distance.
Is this the form you created?
He looked at the handsome, kind-faced young master with black hair—the young man now called the Dragon Warrior. In Dohwa's memory, he was known by another name.
Or... is this a flame the boy ignited himself?
No one could answer that question.
Gu Yangcheon was a child who had possessed a strange air from the moment Dohwa first saw him. At an age when he should have been at his happiest, his eyes had been dead. He was a boy who held a blood-stained sword in his heart.
Dohwa had wondered how a child could possess such a blade. Back then, it had been so rusted and dull that it looked ready to shatter at any moment.
How sharp.
He could feel a sword far sharper than before. Moreover...
It's a different sword from back then.
Something had changed drastically. Sensing the energy, Dohwa steadied his breath.
Fwoosh.
Coating his body lightly with Taoist Qi, he felt a measure of relief. The overwhelming momentum remained, and the energy continued to pour out unabated. The scenery was distorting, the very view warping from the radiating power.
Dohwa scanned his surroundings. Everyone was staring at the arena, eyes wide with shock and faces beaded with cold sweat. This was on a completely different level from the Dragon Warrior.
With the Dragon Warrior, they had felt the "wall" of a master martial artist. This time...
They don't even have the time to feel a wall.
It was a bizarre phenomenon that defied description. Gu Yangcheon's presence was exactly like that.
Dohwa’s gaze shifted to the Sword Immortal, who was watching the arena from the center of the crowd, barely even breathing. Dohwa frowned. Amidst the dizzying energy, the Sword Immortal's expression was blank.
Was he maintaining his composure? Others might see it that way, but Dohwa knew better.
Sword Immortal.
That expression was anything but calm. What could he be thinking to wear such a face?
Just as Dohwa was wondering.
KWAAAAAANG—!!!
“…!”
“Hah!”
Those nearby recoiled at the explosive roar. Something pierced through the surrounding energy and shot into the air. The identity of the interloper was immediately clear.
BOOM—! KWAANG—!
Impacts erupted continuously as if trying to drive the oppressive energy away. Within the strikes was the distinct, holy Qi of a Buddhist sect.
“Uwaaaaaah—!”
It was the Heavenly Dragon.
* * *
Krrrrrrk—!!!
The energy poured down like a physical weight.
‘Gasp… haah.’
The Heavenly Dragon stood at the center of the pressure, an energy filled with the intent to crush him. Facing this downpour of disaster, he somehow managed to force his body to move.
‘What is this?’
Pang—!
The Hundred Steps Divine Fist he unleashed instinctively blew the energy back.
‘What the hell is this?!’
Pang—! Pang—!
He swung his fists without stopping. Qi drained continuously from his dantian, but he couldn't afford to worry about his reserves.
‘I'm scared.’
Fear rose in his throat. The energy radiating from his opponent was pure terror.
Whoosh—! Kwoooaah—!!
How was he supposed to beat that? Crushed by the energy, his mind went blank. Should he run? If he could, he would have fled in a heartbeat.
Thump.
“…Hah.”
A footstep. The Heavenly Dragon's body went rigid.
Thump.
Where was it? Where was that sound coming from? Where the hell was—!
“You’re losing your mind before you’ve even done anything, you punk.”
“…!”
Right next to him. The Heavenly Dragon reacted to the voice at his left ear, but—
CRUNCH—!
“Gack…”
The impact came from the right.
Crack! Kooooong—!!
With the sensation of bones shattering, he was sent flying. As his mind drifted from the sheer pain, the Heavenly Dragon desperately unleashed his Qi.
Krrrrrrk—!!!
He forced his feet onto the ground, creating massive friction.
Screeeech—!!!
His sliding body barely managed to stop.
“Hah... haah...”
When he came to his senses, he was at the very edge of the arena. He had been sent flying across the entire stage from a single blow.
Throb—!
“Knghhh...!!”
The Heavenly Dragon hunched over, clutching his right side. His bones were cracked, and the wound on his chest had been ripped open.
Drip.
He could feel blood flowing freely. The pain was immense. Just as he was gritting his teeth to endure it—
“That wasn't bad just now.”
Again, the voice came from right beside him.
“You fell for the feint, but I wrapped my Combat Qi around both sides just in case. That’s the only reason you’re still alive.”
The voice explained the exchange with cold detachment. Even as he heard it, the Heavenly Dragon was already moving.
“But, if you hadn't been swept away by the feint in the first place, you could have focused your Combat Qi to a single point and reduced the damage. What's the point of reaching a high realm? You lack basic experience.”
Hundred Steps Divine Fist.
The ultimate technique of Shaolin erupted once more. At this close range, the Heavenly Dragon was sure he could inflict damage. Or so he thought.
BOOM—!
Before he could even fully extend his arm, something slammed into the flat of his fist. It was Gu Yangcheon's fist. He was countering a fist with a fist.
‘Impossible…!’
The Hundred Steps Divine Fist was the most aggressive martial art in Shaolin's arsenal. It gathered and violently exploded energy; trying to counter it at such close range should have shattered Gu Yangcheon's hand.
Is he trying to die? The Heavenly Dragon thought for a split second, but—
Crack—! Pwaaaang—!!
“Kngh…!”
It was the Heavenly Dragon's fist that was sent flying back. An immense shock traveled up his wrist. He knew instantly—his right fist was no longer usable.
“Hundred Steps Divine Fist… It's a strong martial art. But did you know? It's not an art that strengthens the fist itself.”
Thud—!
“Cough!”
A knee slammed into his solar plexus. As the Heavenly Dragon groaned, blood burst from his mouth.
“It's an art whose power comes from exploding agitated internal energy at the tip of the fist. That actually makes it easier to handle in close combat. You know why?”
Smack—!
A fist hit his face, snapping his head to the side.
“Because all I have to do is break the flow before it can properly explode.”
It was absurd. To block the technique by striking before the explosion—how could anyone perceive that fleeting moment? Moreover, if he failed, he would take the full brunt of the Divine Fist. It wasn't a method anyone should attempt.
He wanted to argue, but—
“When your head snaps to the left, you should be thinking about using the recoil to bounce back. Instead, you try to endure it. Are you an idiot?”
Thud—!
A blow to the joint forced him to his knees.
“You tried to resist the impact instead of flowing with it, and now your balance is shot to hell. You think Buddha is going to fix your posture for you?”
Before his knees could touch the ground, Gu Yangcheon's palm struck the Heavenly Dragon's chin, snapping his head toward the sky.
“Gnnnh…!”
While his vision was forced upward—
Fwoooosh—!!
He heard the sound of gathering flames.
“If you don't act right, you die.”
A murderous warning. The Heavenly Dragon lowered his head to look at Gu Yangcheon. A blue sphere was forming above the boy's palm.
Ah, that's really dangerous…
Wooooom—!
“Namu Amita—”
KWAAAAAANG—!!
Heat exploded, and flames burst out in all directions.
“Kyaaaaah—!!”
“Uwaaack!”
The range was so immense that screams erupted from the audience. Fortunately, there were no casualties. Subtly swirling plum blossom petals wrapped around the area, creating a protective barrier.
Pitter-patter.
The thick smoke vanished. Rather than scattering, it was swept up by Gu Yangcheon's hand and instantly dissipated above the arena. The heat still lingered, scorching the arena's surface.
And at the center of it all.
“Gasp… haah…”
The Heavenly Dragon was breathing raggedly.
Wooooong—!!
He had cast Yellow River over his body.