The Authority of the Strong (5)
Thump! Thump!
The Vermilion Bird Qi surged into his fiercely burning heart, drawing out an even stronger pulse.
Gush! Gush!
Blood coursing through every vessel in his body raised Yeon Hojeong's temperature.
His body heat soared to abnormal heights. At that level, even the greatest masters of the world would collapse, yet Yeon Hojeong endured the temperature without the slightest sign of distress.
Hiss!
Pale smoke rose from every part of his body. The heat radiating from him screamed as it met the cold air.
Thud!
Yeon Hojeong hurled Cheon Gang backward.
Thump!
Cheon Gang, fallen to the ground, twitched. He was not dead, but the Black Tortoise Qi that had penetrated through his wounds had completely suppressed the Gold Emperor Pure Art.
Thud!
“Graaah!”
Cheon Gang screamed. Moyong Woo had driven the Tangma Sword into his abdomen.
That blow rendered Cheon Gang incapable of fighting. Thanks to the Fire Essence, he would not die immediately even with a pierced stomach, but even if he recovered, the damage to his meridians would prevent him from wielding his former strength.
Yeon Hojeong took a powerful step forward.
Boom!
The ground trembled as though struck by an earthquake from his forceful footwork.
Just as it had signaled the beginning of countless battles in the past.
Having finished his battle preparations with that spirited step, Yeon Hojeong lowered his stance.
Bang!
In an instant, he closed the distance and swung the Mad Dragon Axe toward Beon Jak's head.
Clang!
The Mad Dragon Axe was blocked by the Fire Dragon Demonic Blade.
Beon Jak, who had been about to fling Yeon Hojeong away, suddenly felt the edge of a divine sword aimed at his flank. It was Yeon Wi's sword strike, launched at the most exquisite moment.
Beon Jak swung his left hand.
Clang! Thud!
Yeon Wi's sword strike was deflected, and Yeon Hojeong was sent flying backward.
Boom!
Seizing the opening, Dang Gwan's poison palm flew toward Beon Jak's face.
Beon Jak, about to strike down with his palm force, was startled.
Whoosh!
The poison palm scattered into smoke right before his eyes.
It was not Beon Jak who had dispersed it. The palm force had scattered on its own, spreading a cloud of poison in all directions.
“Dang Family Head, you rat.”
Beon Jak's pupils blazed with golden light.
Whoosh!
Dang Gwan's poison did not vanish even against ordinary fire arts.
But Beon Jak's fire arts were on an entirely different level. The extreme heat instantly decomposed Dang Gwan's poison.
Boom!
Beon Jak's face twisted. 'An archer?' He had taken a blow to the back. The protective qi of the Gold Emperor Pure Art had prevented his body from being pierced, but the impact was considerable.
Bang!
Enraged, Beon Jak unleashed the Yama Fist.
It was as fast as Muk Bi's arrows, but far more terrifying was the fire qi that could burn the target before the strike even landed.
Whoosh!
Muk Bi soared high into the sky. It was a choice made to evade the fire qi.
Beon Jak captured her movement like a ghost.
Boom!
Another blast of flaming fist wind erupted.
Flash!
Beon Jak's fist wind never reached Muk Bi. A green-blue sword light that surged from below split the fist wind cleanly in two.
“Yeon Wi!”
As if she had expected it, Muk Bi drew her bowstring without the slightest hesitation while still in midair. An eerie aura rose from the string, though no arrow was nocked.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
Formless arrows each traced their own curves and flew toward Beon Jak.
Whoosh!
Yeon Wi unleashed the Gentleman Sword, while Dang Gwan poured out the hidden arts of the Sevenfold Rain of Flying Daggers. Moyong Gun's lightning-based sword cannon, the Noejeongsal, struck like a finishing touch of fire and dragon.
It was a combined assault from the greatest masters representing the Central Plains. Even Beon Jak could not help but feel urgency in that moment.
Beon Jak curled both hands like a tiger's forepaws.
Whoosh! Boom! Boom! Boom!
All the attacks unleashed by the four supreme masters scattered before the storm of flames.
“No time for leisure, it seems.”
Hiss!
Golden flames wrapped around both of Beon Jak's hands as he pushed the Gold Emperor Pure Art to its absolute limit.
“I'll kill you all……”
Flash!
A crescent-shaped radiance fell, aiming for Beon Jak's collarbone.
Boom!
Beon Jak caught the blade of the Mad Dragon Axe with his bare hand and glared at Yeon Hojeong with murderous eyes.
Beon Jak concentrated fire qi into his hand.
Hiss!
The Mad Dragon Axe glowed red. He intended to destroy it with the overwhelming firepower of the Gold Emperor Pure Art.
But that was Beon Jak's miscalculation.
Whoosh!
A massive blaze erupted from the Mad Dragon Axe.
Surprise flickered across Beon Jak's face. He had meant to melt the axe, not ignite such a fire. 'That's not my Gold Emperor Qi.' Beon Jak's gaze met Yeon Hojeong's eyes.
Yeon Hojeong's pupils held a sticky, blood-like flame that was more than red. 'Fire qi?!' Yeon Hojeong yanked the Mad Dragon Axe with great force.
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, the Gold Emperor Fire Qi and Vermilion Bird Fire Qi exploded in all directions.
The heat was so intense that even Yeon Wi, Dang Gwan, Moyong Gun, and Muk Bi had to retreat.
Yeon Wi shouted.
“Hojeong!”
Boom!
Yeon Hojeong, charging with the White Tiger Dominion, unleashed the Blood Wing Flash Heaven.
The Blood Wing Flash Heaven, executed by gathering all his power through the White Tiger's footwork, allowed movements like lightning itself.
The Tiger King's Nine Wall Stance clashed with the Fire Dragon Demonic Blade.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A tremendous shockwave swept through the surroundings.
Yeon Hojeong coughed up blood. As expected, he was being overpowered in raw strength.
However—
Boom!
The moment he retreated, he unleashed the Blood Wing Flash Heaven once more.
His bones and muscles screamed in agony as though being crushed. Yet Yeon Hojeong ignored the pain. 'I will win.' Yeon Hojeong's eyes, fixed on Beon Jak, were filled with blind killing intent and absolute confidence in victory. 'I will win!' Yeon Hojeong swung the Mad Dragon Axe.
Flash!
Beon Jak, who had expected another technique, was momentarily startled.
It was not the Tiger King's Nine Wall Stance. The Mad Dragon Axe spun at high speed and shot toward Beon Jak's torso.
He had not swung it—he had thrown it. It was an astonishing move.
Beon Jak unleashed the Yama Fist.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, the Mad Dragon Axe was sent flying far away.
Even Beon Jak felt a sharp pain in his fist this time. If he had poured even slightly less inner energy into it, his fist would have split in half. 'Throwing away his weapon… He's completely lost his mind!'
Then it happened. '……?!' For a split second, a look of confusion crossed Beon Jak's eyes. 'Where?!' Yeon Hojeong had vanished from his sight.
Whoosh!
At the same time, an explosive kick technique erupted from the lower left.
Boom!
The Tiger King's Nine Wall Stance was executed as a kick. Beon Jak crossed his arms to block the strike and staggered back three or four steps.
Boom!
Another powerful step.
With a single spirited stride that restored his vitality, Yeon Hojeong drove both fists forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two men's fists collided like madmen.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The momentum of the overflowing flames grew even stronger. The shockwaves created by the two men were stimulating the fire qi.
It was a life-and-death duel encircled by a wall of fire. None of Yeon Wi, Dang Gwan, or Moyong Gun could charge into that space. The fire qi was too fierce to push through.
But—
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Yeon Wi swung his sword like a madman, scattering the wall of fire.
Dang Gwan's eyes trembled.
“Yeon Family Head!”
“Hraaaah!”
Yeon Wi unleashed his right sword and left palm in succession.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Whoosh!
The Yeon Family's secret sword art and supreme palm technique erupted, gradually tearing away the curtain of fire.
It should have been impossible for Yeon Wi's qi to break through so easily. Yet in that moment, one man's unyielding will made the impossible possible.
Whoosh!
Yeon Wi's body, having pierced through the wall of fire, was wreathed in flames. Thanks to his powerful inner energy shield, he was not burned, but if his inner energy wavered, his skin would immediately begin to char.
Yet he paid it no mind.
“Hojeong!”
Boom!
Yeon Hojeong coughed up blood and retreated.
Slash!
Yeon Wi swung a single sword strike toward Beon Jak's legs.
It was an incredibly swift and sharp sword. Even Beon Jak, the greatest under heaven, felt a chill run down his spine at this strike.
“These bastards!”
Clang!
Yeon Wi let go of his sword.
A swordsman would rather die than release his sword. Yeon Wi, as a true orthodox swordsman of the Central Plains, possessed that level of pride.
But the Yeon Wi of this moment was not a swordsman.
He was simply a father with two sons—a parent who would gladly sacrifice his life a thousand times for his blood kin.
Boom! Boom!
Having pushed Beon Jak back with the Half-Dragon Palm, Yeon Wi rushed to Yeon Hojeong in an instant.
“Are you all right?!”
In that moment, Yeon Hojeong's eyes flashed.
Whoosh! Boom!
Flames erupted from Yeon Hojeong's shoulder as he pulled Yeon Wi away. It was the spark created by Beon Jak's Yama Fist grazing him.
“Hraaaah!”
Suppressing the pain with a scream-like battle cry, Yeon Hojeong unleashed the North Heaven Twelve Walls.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Yeon Hojeong's body shook violently.
Yet, astonishingly, he was blocking Beon Jak's attacks. He was pouring every ounce of the Yeon Family Divine Elixir into amplifying the Black Tortoise Qi. 'Father.' While blocking Beon Jak's attacks, Yeon Hojeong looked at Yeon Wi.
Yeon Wi's eyes trembled as he met his son's gaze. 'Hojeong.' His son's eyes were firmer than ever. They were filled with an unyielding will to win at any cost.
Yeon Wi reached out his hand.
Whoosh!
The sword he had dropped flew back into his grasp on its own. It was the divine art of drawing objects through empty space.
Pop! Pop!
The flames clinging to Yeon Wi's clothes exploded with popping sounds. The Gold Emperor Fire Qi burned his body, whose inner energy shield had weakened due to the Sword Limit Qi pouring from his sword.
But Yeon Wi felt no pain.
Whoosh!
With a chilling sound, green-blue lightning raged across his sword.
It was not that he had learned lightning arts like Moyong Gun. What actually resided in that sword was not lightning qi.
Yet a lightning pattern far more savage and ferocious than Moyong Gun's Noejeong Qi continuously hammered against the blade. The sword force, amplified in an instant, made even the curtain of fire hesitate.
Beon Jak's eyes widened. 'What is that?' Behind the translucent black qi shield—
A truly terrifying power was gathering. Its density was so immense that even Beon Jak's fire qi recoiled in fear. 'Where did such power come from……?!'
Then the black tortoise shell shield vanished.
Whoosh!
The moment the shield disappeared, Yeon Hojeong charged forward.
Beon Jak reflexively attacked Yeon Hojeong. Understanding the true nature of that power should have come first, but Yeon Hojeong's attack was simply too fast.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
He thought he would finish this quickly and retreat.
But once again, the flow of battle defied Beon Jak's expectations.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amid the exploding shockwaves, a fist as solid as stone struck Beon Jak's thigh.
Crack! 'Kuh!' Veins bulged on Beon Jak's neck. 'This bastard?!' For the first time, he had taken a blow to the leg from Yeon Hojeong's fist. Even accounting for a momentary lapse in focus, this situation made no sense.
Enraged, he unleashed a chain of Yama Fist strikes.
At that moment, Yeon Hojeong's upper body moved like a snake.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Beon Jak's eyes bulged as though they would tear.
The chain of double fists that struck like lightning—Yeon Hojeong evaded them all with nothing but the movement of his upper body.
“Now I see it.”
Crack!
Beon Jak staggered backward.
Yeon Hojeong, having extended his fist toward the middle, smiled coldly.
“Your weakness… I can finally see it.”
In the past, Ok Cheong had said that instinctively piercing through an opponent's weakness was Yeon Hojeong's greatest talent.
That talent was now raising its head in a battle where the gap in power was considerable. Not only did he evade all of Beon Jak's attacks that had seemed so overwhelming, he even counterattacked. In the crossroads between life and death, his talent for killing had awakened.
Beon Jak roared for the first time.
“You insect!”
At that moment, a calm voice flowed into Beon Jak's ears.
“I did not raise my son carelessly enough to hear such words from a petty man like you.”
Flash!
Using Yeon Hojeong's shoulder as a stepping stone, Yeon Wi soared into the air and glared at Beon Jak with terrifying eyes.
In that instant, Beon Jak felt a chill run down his spine. He sensed an unbearable energy from the sword in Yeon Wi's hand.
The ultimate secret technique of the Yeon Family, forged through thousands of refinements in pursuit of the absolute single sword—an art that compressed every sword technique of the Yeon Family.
“Die now.”
Flash!
A green-blue bolt of lightning struck down upon Beon Jak's head.
Rumble!