The Authority of the Strong (2)
You will all die here.
The youth’s words sounded utterly absurd.
Already, eighty percent of the Shinhwa Sect soldiers stationed here were dead. More than half had perished in the initial gunpowder explosion.
Even the martial generals, of whom there had confidently been thought to be at most four, had already lost two. The tide of battle had completely turned.
Naturally, they should flee. Yet the youth was spouting such nonsense.
Moyong Gun chuckled.
“An amusing brat.”
“Brat?”
The youth grinned.
“Brat, huh… That’s a rather unfamiliar term.”
It wasn’t just his appearance that looked young. His voice and manner of speech felt not merely youthful, but childish.
Hwaaaaaah.
A fierce killing intent erupted from the youth’s body.
Unlike his earlier sneer, Moyong Gun felt inwardly tense. What kind of guy is this?
It was a terrifying killing intent.
In some ways, it resembled Yeon Hojeong’s. It was so dense that it wasn’t inferior even to Yeon Hojeong’s when he was extremely enraged.
A strong killing intent couldn’t be emitted just by having a strong will. One needed a well-honed mental strength and perfect control over true qi to not be consumed by it.
That was why Moyong Gun highly valued Yeon Hojeong’s talent. Although he wasn’t an exceptional martial prodigy, the fact that he could emit such killing intent and still maintain his sanity meant his mental fortitude was unparalleled.
In other words, he could overcome his lack of martial talent with enlightenment and wisdom. That’s why Moyong Gun was certain Yeon Hojeong’s growth would be explosive.
Yet this guy’s killing intent seemed no different from Yeon Hojeong’s. No, there is a difference.
Moyong Gun’s keen eye sensed a bizarre madness infused in the killing intent. This guy isn’t normal.
Whoosh!
Moyong Gun’s eyes widened.
Before he knew it, the youth had closed the distance right in front of him. It was a speed that sent chills down his spine.
“You shouldn’t let your guard down. Especially against an opponent stronger than you.”
The youth’s hand moved like lightning.
Boom!
Moyong Gun’s body was pushed back, sliding across the ground.
He hadn’t even fully drawn his sword. White smoke rose from the sword sheath that had blocked the youth’s hand strike. If he hadn’t infused it with thunder qi in time, the treasured sword would have broken.
Veins bulged on Moyong Gun’s forehead. He’s strong!
Whoosh!
Killing intent came from the right.
He moved before even looking. An unbelievable speed. Except for Yang Cheon, the Lord of the Black Dragon Department, no one had shown such terrifying speed recently.
It wasn’t the time to conserve strength. Moyong Gun executed the Heartless Heavenly Thunder Style.
Flash! Rumble!
The thunder sword was as fast as lightning and as powerful. The spot where Moyong Gun’s sword strike passed was not only deeply gouged but also charred black.
“Oh? You’ve mastered thunder qi to this level? Impressive.”
Moyong Gun’s thunder sword didn’t even graze the youth’s collar. Before he knew it, the youth was sitting on a collapsed pillar, chin resting on his hand, looking at Moyong Gun.
Moyong Gun’s face hardened. What kind of guy is this…!
The youth giggled.
“Not bad skills. If it came to a contest of strength, even I would find it tough. Quite remarkable. To have such experts appearing one after another, I really didn’t expect this.”
“……”
“But with such sluggish movements, how will you manage?”
Flash!
The youth appeared behind Moyong Gun.
He had seen it twice, but missed the third movement as well. Since Moyong Gun had held a sword, he had never missed an opponent’s movement three times.
“Uhahahaha!”
The youth let out a mad laugh and threw a punch.
Boom!
Moyong Gun staggered, pushed forward five or six steps.
The youth tilted his head.
“Huh? You blocked it?”
A sword was protecting Moyong Gun’s back. He had drawn his sword, anticipating the attack, to shield his back.
“That’s strange. How did you react to my speed?”
Baaaaang!
The explosion sounded only after the youth had moved. His movement technique’s speed surpassed the speed of sound.
It was a movement that far exceeded imagination. Despite moving at such speed, only his clothes were slightly damaged; his skin was fine. It was proof that his true qi was stably protecting his entire body.
The youth swung his palms.
Papapapapang! Crackle!
Moyong Gun’s body shook continuously under the continuous palm strikes released in an instant.
Even if the power of the martial art itself was weak, if the speed was this fast, its destructive force doubled. Speed was power. At extreme speeds, even a pebble became a deadly hidden weapon.
However.
Fssssss.
White smoke rose from Moyong Gun’s body as he staggered back. It was because he had randomly released true qi to block the youth’s attacks.
The youth frowned.
“You blocked all of that?”
To be precise, he hadn’t blocked the techniques but the qi attacks. Moyong Gun had only reacted to half of the techniques the youth had used.
Unbelievable speed. Destructive power matching that speed.
“……So it was as I thought.”
Moyong Gun spat. Blood was mixed in his saliva.
“It’s difficult to respond to, but not entirely impossible.”
If the force behind that speed had been as powerful, Moyong Gun would have died long ago.
That meant the youth’s martial art characteristic was purely focused on speed.
Speed was power, but in the world of true experts, that wasn’t always the case. Of course, there would be force equal to the speed, but to properly manifest that force, one absolutely needed the corresponding fist technique formulas and the insight to create the flow of power.
In other words, the realm where all that was possible was the transcendent realm and above, what people called the Martial God realm. The youth’s martial art seemed impossibly fast at first glance, but a martial art that was merely fast couldn’t reach the realm of the Sacred Heavens.
“Still, he’s definitely more troublesome than the others. Are you a martial general too?”
“Of course.”
The youth smiled brightly.
His expression had been completely furrowed, but now he was smiling radiantly again. He didn’t look sane at all.
“I am Cheon Gang, ranked second among the Eighteen Martial Generals.”
Second Martial General Cheon Gang.
Moyong Gun chuckled.
“Cheon Gang, huh… Quite a grandiose name for a barbarian from beyond the borders.”
Cheon Gang meant the Big Dipper. To Moyong Gun, who believed the Central Plains was the center of the world, the name Cheon Gang sounded truly arrogant.
Killing intent flickered in Cheon Gang’s eyes.
He had dared to insult his name. A name given directly by ‘that person’.
“You bastard.”
Moyong Gun burst into laughter.
“It’s truly absurd to hear such insults from someone worse than an insect.”
Flash!
For a moment, Cheon Gang hesitated.
Killing intent also erupted from Moyong Gun’s eyes.
Surprisingly, that killing intent was on par with Cheon Gang’s. Being insulted by a lowly barbarian from the frontier was the greatest humiliation for Moyong Gun, who was filled with pride and self-esteem.
“I will cut you into eighteen pieces today and feed you to stray dogs.”
Cheon Gang’s lips curled up.
“For the first time, we agree. I was thinking the same.”
Flash!
The two charged at each other.
“Cough!”
Yeon Hojeong, who had coughed up a mouthful of blood, staggered to his feet.
Boom! Bang!
His body shook from the terrifying explosions and shockwaves.
Yeon Hojeong looked toward the battlefield. He’s responding.
Cheon Gang’s speed was fast even upon seeing it again. It wasn’t as fast as the Blood Wing Flash Heaven he had used in his days as the Black Dark Emperor, but it wasn’t far behind.
That was truly remarkable. It wasn’t just occasionally; speed itself was the foundation of his martial art.
How immense must his true qi and stamina be to withstand that speed? Even if his enlightenment was low, it must have been followed by unbelievable training.
However. Moyong Gun has a chance of winning.
Crackle!
The air vibrated madly under the blue sword light that erased the void.
In just a few exchanges, he had found a principle to handle that absurd speed and was responding.
Although he had mainly shown proficiency in schemes and tactics, Moyong Gun’s true strength was his transcendent martial art that manifested alongside his cunning.
And Yeon Hojeong knew how great Moyong Gun’s martial art was. It’s called Noejeonggong, the Heartless Heavenly Thunder Style.
In the past, it was an absolute martial art that even Yeon Hojeong in his Black Dark Emperor days had found difficult to face. If one were to name the strongest martial arts besides the Four Gods Martial Arts, it would definitely be on the list.
An invincible sword art that could contend for supremacy under heaven. Yeon Hojeong believed Moyong Gun could face Cheon Gang, and furthermore, win.
If so.
Should he help him kill that guy called Cheon Gang? If not…
“Hojeong.”
“Father.”
Before he knew it, Yeon Wi and Muk Bi had approached his side.
“Are you alright?”
Hooooong.
Blue energy surged from Yeon Hojeong’s body. The Yeon Family Divine Elixir was rotating at high speed, healing his internal and external injuries.
“I’m fine. This is nothing.”
“Take this.”
Yeon Wi handed him an internal injury medicine. It was one of the emergency medicines he had brought just in case.
Yeon Hojeong didn’t refuse it.
Upon taking the medicine, the Yeon Family Divine Elixir immediately reacted. Receiving the medicinal power, it began to rotate even faster and more stably, maximizing his body’s recovery.
Yeon Hojeong’s expression brightened.
“Now then, shall we head toward the finale?”
Yeon Wi’s eyes deepened.
“You felt it too?”
“Yes. I did.”
The two turned their heads toward the rear garden of the grand manor.
Yeon Hojeong spoke in a calm voice.
“There’s an incredibly powerful expert hiding there, crouched as if dead.”
“Could it be a Sacred Heavens level expert?”
“Not quite that level.”
“Are you certain?”
“Of course.”
Yeon Hojeong had already set foot in that realm. Even if not, he had experienced Yang Cheon’s aura, which had somehow weakened recently.
The aura crouching in that rear garden was weaker than the weakened Yang Cheon’s.
The problem was that it was stronger than anyone else present here. Not by one or two levels, but by several!
Whoosh!
Dang Gwan, who had flown through the air, dusted off his hands.
“I’ve taken care of almost all the small fries. The rest will be cleaned up by the Tang Ma Myeolsa Army.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
“By the way, what’s that monster over there?”
Dang Gwan seemed to have sensed that aura as well. Except for Moyong Gun, who was engaged in a life-and-death battle with Cheon Gang out of rage, and Muk Bi, who was still somewhat lacking, all three of them could feel the oppressive presence emanating from there.
Yeon Hojeong said.
“Whatever it is, if we eliminate the guy hiding there, this battle should end. There doesn’t seem to be any stronger expert.”
Though he said that, Yeon Hojeong was certain.
The atmosphere of the battlefield told him so. The fight with that unknown person would be the final battle of this conflict.
Dang Gwan rolled his shoulders.
“No point in dragging it out, is there? I’ll go.”
“Let’s go together.”
Dang Gwan openly frowned.
“I don’t need help.”
“You will. Even if you don’t, this is war. We need to decide the outcome quickly with stronger forces.”
“Hmph! Do as you please.”
Clang!
Yeon Wi drew his sword.
Creak.
Muk Bi slowly drew her bowstring.
Whoosh.
Yeon Hojeong, with the Mad Dragon Axe slung over his shoulder, spoke with a cold face.
“Shall we go decorate the finale?”