Tigers and Lions Are Different (5)
“……
This is interesting.”
Yang Cheon’s eyes gleamed with a peculiar light as he looked down at his shin.
“You timed the strike to shatter my inner energy shield with an explosive slash and cut into the flesh. I can’t tell if it was luck or deliberate……”
Hisss!
The wound on his shin closed in an instant.
It was only a shallow cut, barely half an inch deep, nothing more than a surface wound. Yet even that was a wound, and he had healed it instantly by concentrating his inner energy with extreme precision.
It was a terrifying display of skill. Not merely because Yang Cheon’s Black Lion Qi was powerful, but because for one who had reached the Mugeuk realm, even such an injury could be mended simply by focusing inner energy.
Of course, wounds of the heart were another matter.
“Your level at your age is already astonishing, but what truly surprises me is your efficiency.”
Thud!
Yang Cheon stepped forward on the leg that had been wounded.
“Who is your master?”
Rumble!
Though no tangible qi burst from his body, a dark haze like a black mane seemed to rise from him.
“The Lord of the Yeon Family of Byeoksan, the Judge Sword, is said to rival the Six Great Clans in martial prowess, but even he could not have raised a monster like you. Who taught you that martial art, that fighting style?”
“I learned from my father.”
“From the Judge Sword? That cannot be.”
“My martial arts began with my father. Inner energy, sword techniques, fist techniques, footwork—I learned the foundations of all martial arts from him.”
Yeon Hojeong’s lips curved upward.
Even while facing the strongest opponent since his regression, he smiled. The ability to laugh even in a situation where his life could end at any moment was one of the reasons Yeon Hojeong was formidable.
“If the foundation is solid, one can learn the rest of the world alone. Though he was strict, the root of my martial arts began with my father.”
It was the truth.
Of course, there had also been the master who taught him the Sasinmu. But if he had not been born into the Yeon Family and learned the basics of martial arts from his father, the man he was now could never have existed.
A story that circled back on itself. In the end, it was only a matter of who one felt gratitude toward in the present.
“One learns the world alone……”
Yang Cheon murmured to himself, then gave a faint smile.
“True enough. As long as you don’t die, you can learn fighting on your own. But while techniques can be learned, innate talent is difficult to acquire.”
Yang Cheon lowered his stance.
Incredibly, he had taken a proper fighting posture against a much younger and weaker junior.
“I wonder what consequences your arrogance in challenging me will bring.”
Whoosh!
Yeon Hojeong charged at Yang Cheon.
His speed was fast, but it was not the Blood Wing Flash. It was slower, yet far more cautious, while never losing its offensive intent—a highly combative movement.
Thus Yeon Hojeong reached within one jang of Yang Cheon.
Thud!
His movement itself seemed to dive into Yang Cheon’s guard. But Yeon Hojeong did not press in. Instead, he stomped the ground powerfully at that one-jang distance and brought the Mad Dragon Axe down in a diagonal slash, a blue radiance bursting from the axe blade as it cleaved through empty air.
Clang!
The slash that had cut through the air vanished before the axe could even complete its swing. All Yang Cheon had done was twitch his left hand.
Bang!
Yang Cheon advanced.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes widened. I can’t dodge this.
Though Yang Cheon’s speed was far slower than his own, there was no way to evade. Yang Cheon’s movement and the fighting spirit he radiated had completely sealed off any escape route.
He was restricting the opponent’s movement with qi projection, and it flowed as naturally as breathing. The realization itself had become one with his body. If I can’t dodge—
Yeon Hojeong crossed the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes. Then I’ll block.
Yang Cheon threw a powerful punch.
Boom!
Yeon Hojeong was sent flying at terrifying speed.
Blood gushed from his mouth. He had blocked with every ounce of strength, yet he had suffered internal injuries from merely stopping a single punch.
“Hmm?”
Whoosh!
This time, it was lightning-fast.
As if the previous speed had been a lie, Yang Cheon moved with explosive velocity and appeared at Yeon Hojeong’s rear flank. That speed was in no way inferior to the Blood Wing Flash.
Whoosh!
Yang Cheon’s eyes flashed.
It was not merely his movement speed that was fast. He had struck at a timing that made it awkward for the opponent to dodge or defend, throwing a punch. Yet Yeon Hojeong had evaded it with an exquisite movement of his body. How did he dodge that?
Yang Cheon had not used his full power. If he had, Yeon Hojeong would have died within three exchanges—ten at most.
But that did not mean the attack had been easy to receive. A fighting style that played with timing and threw in variations was threatening enough to catch even the strong of the Holy Thirteen Seats off guard if they grew complacent.
And yet Yeon Hojeong had dodged it.
Whoosh!
That was not all.
Yeon Hojeong’s body spun half a turn, and his elbow shot toward Yang Cheon’s temple.
It was a terrifyingly natural counter. He attacked while dodging. The series of movements was so fluid it seemed as though they had rehearsed the exchange in advance.
Yang Cheon drove his head straight into the elbow.
Crash!
Yeon Hojeong’s brow furrowed slightly.
The elbow that had struck Yang Cheon’s head throbbed down to the bone. As expected.
Tap-tap-tap! Boom!
After using the chaotic striking technique of the Black and White Twin Dragons to hinder Yang Cheon’s approach, Yeon Hojeong retreated to the rear in one bound. He headbutted without hesitation. As expected, he hasn’t changed from before.
Even masters who had reached high realms, regardless of their background, tended to value a certain dignity. Yeon Hojeong had seen many who refused to use even kicking techniques, let alone headbutts.
But Yang Cheon had no such reservations. Yeon Hojeong had wondered if serving as the Lord of the Black Dragon Department had given him some sense of dignity he hadn’t possessed before, but Yang Cheon was still Yang Cheon. The King of Combat, the title of the Emperor of Fighting, hasn’t been abandoned after all.
At that moment, Yang Cheon spoke.
“You said you wanted to fight?”
Yeon Hojeong paused.
Yang Cheon shook his head.
“No matter how I think about it, this doesn’t seem like a fight. Wounding my shin was truly remarkable, but any further battle is meaningless.”
“You’re right. If you had gone all out, I would already be a dead man.”
“Then why challenge someone who knows that?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to die that badly?”
“I’m fighting because I don’t want to die.”
“What kind of wordplay is that?”
Flash!
The Mad Dragon Axe Yeon Hojeong had thrown was caught in Yang Cheon’s hand.
At the same time, Yeon Hojeong’s kicking technique targeted Yang Cheon’s lower body. He had executed the kick while still holding the White Dragon Axe.
Yang Cheon’s leg and Yeon Hojeong’s leg collided.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, Yeon Hojeong’s body spun.
Yang Cheon’s eyebrows twitched. He redirected the force?
He had known he would be blocked from the start. Yeon Hojeong’s combat sense in that moment was truly worthy of admiration.
Whoosh!
Spinning, Yeon Hojeong aimed the White Dragon Axe at Yang Cheon’s side. Brat, this kind of trick……
Flash!
Yang Cheon’s elbow shot toward the wrist of the hand swinging the axe.
Whatever happened, he had no intention of letting Yeon Hojeong leave peacefully. At the very least, he would shatter one arm.
And yet that intention of Yang Cheon’s met with failure.
Clang! Thud!
Surprise flickered in Yang Cheon’s eyes. He let go of the weapon?
The White Dragon Axe that had been struck by his elbow embedded itself in the ground.
And Yeon Hojeong?
Whoosh!
For an instant, Yang Cheon saw a vision of a blue dragon charging toward him, writhing as it ran. Palm technique?!
Thud!
Yang Cheon quickly retreated.
It was not because he lacked the confidence to block. But if he blocked this, follow-up strikes would come in succession.
Of course, he could block all of them, but his body had reacted first. The habit of a fighter—his body knew that rather than blocking to demonstrate the difference in power, it was better to dodge and redirect.
And that was exactly what Yeon Hojeong had wanted.
Boom!
The moment the missed Reverse Dragon Palm struck the ground, Yang Cheon’s counterattack began.
Flash! Boom!
Yang Cheon’s eyes widened. He blocked it?
He had not dodged—he had blocked. And not just barely; he had blocked with a certain degree of ease.
Whoosh!
A black water qi surged like a wave and crashed over Yang Cheon.
After the defensive technique of the Black Tortoise style, North Heaven Twelve Walls, the Nine-Wall Tiger King Form of the White Tiger style was immediately unleashed.
Boom!
Yeon Hojeong’s fist wind passed a mere inch from the left side of Yang Cheon’s face and exploded in the air.
Tap-tap-tap!
With short steps and sudden speed, Yeon Hojeong closed in and poured all nine forms of the Nine-Wall Tiger King Form into a single breath.
Without realizing it, Yang Cheon used both hands to block Yeon Hojeong’s fist technique.
Bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang!
Yeon Hojeong’s punches were truly fierce. He knows how to properly channel power into his fists.
Whoosh!
After targeting vital points with his fist technique, he suddenly lowered his stance as if aiming for the lower body, then executed a kicking technique toward the upper body.
The tremendous elasticity generated from his entire body’s muscles was impressive. Yang Cheon struck away Yeon Hojeong’s leg with his right hand.
Bang!
A single gesture had broken his posture.
But it did not end there. Yang Cheon, who had been about to throw a punch at the faltering Yeon Hojeong, suddenly felt dumbfounded as a clump of dirt flew toward his face. He threw dirt?!
Knowing his posture would collapse, Yeon Hojeong had touched the ground in advance and scattered a clump of dirt.
It was an utterly absurd fighting style. Even Yang Cheon, who was called the strongest in mud-slinging fights, had never imagined Yeon Hojeong would pull such a ridiculous stunt.
Whoosh!
Yang Cheon scattered the dirt completely with an inner energy burst.
Boom!
Because of that, his delayed punch dug into the bare ground. If not for that split-second inner energy burst, his fist would already have been buried in Yeon Hojeong’s abdomen.
Whoosh!
Yeon Hojeong, who had placed both hands on the ground, spun his legs and struck at Yang Cheon’s upper body.
It was an extremely rare fighting technique. In a way, the posture was somewhat comical.
But Yang Cheon could not mock Yeon Hojeong’s posture or attack. Though the stance was strange, the kicking technique flying at him like a windmill was targeting his side and the back of his neck. Incredibly sharp.
Bang!
Yang Cheon’s body seemed to scatter like mist, then immediately appeared in front of Yeon Hojeong.
This time, even Yeon Hojeong seemed not to have expected it. His expression remained the same, but surprise was visible in his eyes.
Yang Cheon’s gaze blazed.
Tap!
It was an astonishing action.
Yang Cheon grabbed Yeon Hojeong by the collar with his left hand. At the same time, he raised his right fist. He was about to drive it straight into Yeon Hojeong’s face.
That was when it happened.
Whoosh!
Just like when he had concentrated firepower on the Mad Dragon Axe until the blade glowed red-hot.
Vermilion Bird Qi, rising like flames, wrapped around Yang Cheon’s wrist as he held the collar. ……!
Hisss!
Even so, Yang Cheon held onto Yeon Hojeong’s collar until the very end. However, having read that momentary “hesitation,” Yeon Hojeong tore his clothes and retreated. This brat……
He had seen through the attempt to harden his clothes with inner energy to prevent retreat, concentrated fire qi one step ahead, torn the clothes, and escaped.
Yang Cheon burst into hearty laughter without realizing it.
It had been the same earlier, but this brat read one move ahead— no, two moves ahead—and acted accordingly. In such a rapid exchange of attacks, and even against him, who was called the King of Combat!
“Huff.”
Having retreated outside the one-jang range, Yeon Hojeong lowered his stance and glared at Yang Cheon.
Yang Cheon read a terrifying fighting spirit in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes as he stared at him. Looking at me, the one called the King of Combat, with those eyes? With only that level of martial arts?
In that moment, Yang Cheon realized.
“Fight…… Yes, the fight I was thinking of wasn’t this kind of fight.”
“Huff. Huff.”
Yeon Hojeong regulated his breathing briefly. He had no intention of replying to Yang Cheon’s words, focused as he was on charging in immediately.
Yang Cheon, who had been staring at Yeon Hojeong, suddenly burst into loud laughter.
“Kahaha! Look at this madman! I was going to punish him, but he wants to use a fight with me as the foundation for his own growth, is that it?”
Boom!
Yang Cheon lowered his stance.
He had no intention of going all out. However, as the Emperor of Fighting, he intended to respond properly to his opponent’s challenge.
“I was being obtuse. It wasn’t a warrior’s fight, but a fighter’s fight…… Very well. I’ll match your rhythm this time as well.”
Yang Cheon beckoned with his hand.
“I’ll teach you a lesson. Come.”
Whoosh!
Yeon Hojeong charged like a wild beast.