The Chaotic Melee (4)
So Bang ground her teeth as she watched Yayul Jeok charge at Yeon Hojeong. That idiot! He should have gone all out from the start. I knew he was trouble the moment he started showing off, that bastard!
Boom! Boom!
In a fit of rage, So Bang stomped the ground several times, shattering the earth. Then she felt an overwhelming wave of energy surging from behind and instinctively released her killing intent. This presence… it’s definitely that formation he used earlier. Yeon Hojeong and his subordinates’ formation had reduced the reaction of their true energy and even sapped their stamina.
So Bang’s eyes turned cold. I’ll have to leave this one to him. She was furious, but the situation here needed to be resolved quickly. She had enough sense for that.
That didn’t mean she had to help Yayul Jeok kill Yeon Hojeong. If anything, fighting alongside him would only give Yeon Hojeong an opening to exploit.
One plus one didn’t always equal two. Just like their formation, it could become three or four, but it could also become less than one.
That was the case with So Bang and Yayul Jeok. Their relationship aside, their martial arts were so different that combining their strength would only expose weaknesses to the enemy.
“……You bastards.”
Feeling the five approaching energies growing faster, So Bang ignited her Blood Demon Qi.
“I’ll deal with the small fry first!”
Whoosh!
So Bang shot forward at terrifying speed.
Yayul Jeok thought something had felt off all along. It was a nagging sense that something was wrong. No matter how he looked at it, he held the advantage, yet Yeon Hojeong’s face still carried an air of composure.
Of course, that composure could be interpreted differently depending on the observer.
Yeon Hojeong was a battle genius. Even if he had completely grasped So Bang’s martial arts, holding out this long against two stronger masters wasn’t something just anyone could do.
It was the difference born from enlightenment. With combat sense and higher insight that bridged the gap in actual martial prowess, he could respond to the attacks of two masters to a certain degree.
Yeon Hojeong’s composure was the composure of real combat—the kind of proficiency a master blacksmith who had hammered tens of thousands of blades would show when forging a new weapon.
Still, Yayul Jeok remained tense. He suspected Yeon Hojeong was aiming for something.
That was why he hadn’t gone all out. It was partly an assassin’s habit, but he needed to understand what his opponent was targeting before he could devise a proper countermeasure.
However, his mistake was not realizing that it was nothing more than a simple stalling tactic.
Whoosh!
Yayul Jeok gripped the Flood Dragon Chain tightly and closed the distance at an alarming speed. Even Yeon Hojeong, whose movement technique was no inferior to Yayul Jeok’s, was momentarily startled by the velocity.
Clang!
Yeon Hojeong coughed up blood again.
He had blocked it with the broad blade of the Mad Dragon Axe, but the shockwave rattled him to the marrow. Yayul Jeok’s martial arts, now unleashed at full power, were shockingly formidable.
Clang! Boom!
His bare-handed strikes had reached the level of divine skill in controlling strength and weakness.
Just when it seemed he was targeting every vital point on the upper body, he would suddenly strike downward at the lower body. When it seemed aimed at the lower body, his piercing hands and level punches would target the throat in the blink of an eye, dazzling the vision.
It wasn’t merely that he was skilled at variations—each and every move was composed of lethal killing techniques.
His destructive power was one level below Beon Jak’s, but in speed and technique, he surpassed him. While his destructive power was inferior to Beon Jak’s, the explosive force of his energy projection was so immense that most masters couldn’t even defend against it.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom!
It was a ridiculously fast speed battle.
Strength aside, even the speed of his bare-handed strikes surpassed Yeon Hojeong’s.
When trying to kill an opponent, there was no need to overpower them with greater force. A single faster, sharper move was enough.
Yayul Jeok’s martial arts were exactly that—specialized in killing through technique and speed rather than raw power.
He was living proof that an assassin’s martial arts, when taken to the extreme, could display overwhelming might even in a head-on confrontation. Such martial arts existed in this world.
Clang! Puhak!
Blood burst from Yeon Hojeong’s mouth.
He had read the incoming fist aimed at the left side of his face, but he couldn’t completely evade it. He managed to turn his head to deflect it, but the wind pressure alone burst the inside of his mouth.
Swish!
Yayul Jeok, who had been about to unleash another attack with the Yin Cold Hundred Eight Hands, suddenly flinched. ……?!
The iron chain had wrapped tightly around his right elbow. In the very moment he allowed the attack, the chain had been swung to bind him.
Yayul Jeok was startled.
His lightning-fast reaction was secondary. It extended?! That was right.
The chain he had seen Yeon Hojeong use had never exceeded five jang in length. It had been long enough, but since he had been stepping on it with one foot to control its length, it shouldn’t have been able to reach his elbow.
Yet it had. There was no other explanation than that the chain had lengthened. I don’t know what you’re after, Yayul Jeok’s eyes flashed.
Thud!
This time it landed cleanly. Yayul Jeok’s forehead smashed into Yeon Hojeong’s jaw.
Yeon Hojeong had dispersed the impact with an instantaneous true energy shield, but the residual shock was enough to rattle his brain. Strength drained from Yeon Hojeong’s knees.
A single moment of carelessness could decide victory or defeat in a battle between masters. Dealing with an opponent whose mind had momentarily flown away was far too easy. I’ll finish this.
Yayul Jeok brought his index and middle fingers together and swung them toward Yeon Hojeong’s Adam’s apple. He intended to slit his throat in one blow without dragging it out.
That was when it happened. ……?! Yayul Jeok felt his feet lift off the ground. What?
Whoosh! Boom!
The Flood Dragon Chain was pulled taut, and Yayul Jeok’s body traced a semicircle before being slammed into the ground.
The physical impact was minimal. He hadn’t neglected his training enough to be injured by something like this.
But the mental shock was considerable. He threw me?
Swish!
Yayul Jeok quickly righted himself. ……That bastard. When he saw Yeon Hojeong’s state, Yayul Jeok felt dumbfounded. His eyes are closed? That was right.
Yeon Hojeong had his eyes closed and was breathing heavily. It didn’t seem like he was letting his guard down, but closing his eyes in front of a stronger opponent?
Clang!
Regardless of the opponent’s condition, there was no need to show mercy. Yayul Jeok yanked the Flood Dragon Chain with all his might.
Whoosh!
Yeon Hojeong was pulled along helplessly.
Yayul Jeok had expected him to let go of the chain, but instead he came along as if he had been waiting for it. It meant he was confident in close combat. It won’t be like before. He didn’t know how Yeon Hojeong had reacted while his mind was scattered, but one coincidence was enough.
Yayul Jeok reached out his hand and then unleashed a kick like lightning. He intended to blow apart the entire upper body with a single powerful strike.
At that moment, Yayul Jeok realized how Yeon Hojeong had swung him around.
Whoosh!
The kick, launched like a cannonball, passed through Yeon Hojeong’s body.
Or rather, it appeared to pass through. In reality, Yeon Hojeong’s body was spinning like a falling leaf, drilling into his embrace.
Yayul Jeok’s eyes flashed. Soft Technique!!
In an instant, Yayul Jeok retracted his kick and charged forward with his upper body coiled. He intended to ram into him with a body blow.
Swish!What? The Flood Dragon Chain extended once more and wrapped around Yayul Jeok’s upper body.
Whoosh!
Yayul Jeok instantly lowered his posture to evade the binding and quickly shook his right arm. He was trying to free himself from the chain wrapped around his arm.
But—
Hisss!
There was a fierce fire energy suppressing the Yin Cold Hundred Streams’ qi.
It was the Vermilion Bird Fire Qi. By overpowering the cold of the Yin Cold Hundred Streams with fire energy, it bound the Flood Dragon Chain even tighter.
Yayul Jeok’s eyes wavered. This guy… something’s wrong.
“Huff! Huff!”
Yeon Hojeong’s breathing was still ragged.
It wasn’t completely broken, but it wasn’t stable enough to properly manifest his martial arts either. When a master’s breathing became this disordered, gaps would inevitably appear in both true energy circulation and energy projection.
Yet the power transmitted through the chain binding his arm was as fierce as a volcanic eruption. He could faintly sense a wood energy, but the fire energy was far stronger, heating up his entire right arm.
He had to extinguish this urgent fire first. Yayul Jeok poured out even stronger Yin Cold energy.
Hisss!
The fire energy and cold energy clashed, producing a pale smoke. ……!! Surprise appeared on Yayul Jeok’s face. How is this possible? This guy’s inner energy……?! The density of the fire energy was truly immense.
Empowered by the surging wood energy, it displayed explosive output in an instant. Its momentum was so ferocious that it was gradually evaporating the cold of the Yin Cold Hundred Streams.
It was absurd.
He had been impressed watching Yeon Hojeong respond with speed and technique, but that had been within the realm of possibility.
This was someone who had obtained the enlightenment of the Sword God despite being at a lower level. With that level of insight, it was understandable that he could read and respond to attacks one or two moves ahead.
But inner energy was a different story.
Inner energy and true energy were the primary indicators that divided martial realms. One could match him through enlightenment in a battle of techniques, but not through the quality of inner energy.
This was only natural. It was common sense that the inner energy of someone who had reached a higher realm was superior in quality.
Yet he was being pushed back?
Thud!
Before he knew it, Yeon Hojeong had detached the Flood Dragon Chain from the Mad Dragon Axe. With the chain wrapped around one arm, he swung it powerfully.
It was a circular motion—far too smooth. It didn’t suit Yeon Hojeong, who had been manifesting linear and destructive martial arts all this time.
Urgency appeared on Yayul Jeok’s face.
The signs were bad. He poured out all his inner energy to avoid being dragged along.
Grind! Grind! Grind!
A long furrow formed beneath Yayul Jeok’s feet.
He poured Yin Cold Hundred Qi into the chain and Yin-Fire Red Qi into both feet.
In other words, he was simultaneously manifesting the Yin-Yang Qi of the Shadow God. Yet he had already been dragged over ten jang.
Yayul Jeok finally let out a roar.
“What are you trying to do, you bastard!!”
Yeon Hojeong silently pulled on the Flood Dragon Chain.
Grind! Grind! Grind!
Yayul Jeok was dragged another ten jang. It was overwhelming power. What… what the hell is this?! Just moments ago, the guy had been unable to properly respond to his martial arts and had been getting beaten. But after his mind had briefly scattered, he suddenly displayed absurd strength.
What was this? Why had the person suddenly changed?
“……Even while holding the world’s divine sword, I’ve been repeatedly defeated by insignificant people all this time.”
Yeon Hojeong’s voice was faint and soft, as if wandering through a dream.
“It couldn’t be helped. The one who held and swung that sword was my past self. The sword I could control under the name of Black Darkness, I couldn’t even draw half of it under the name of Wall Mountain. There was no way I wouldn’t be defeated.”
Yeon Hojeong still had his eyes closed.
But Yayul Jeok felt differently. Even with his eyes closed, it felt as if the man was seeing right through him.
Shiver!
A sudden chill ran down his spine.
Whoosh!
The Flood Dragon Chain gradually heated up to a bright red. The Vermilion Bird Fire Qi had almost perfectly pushed out the Yin Cold Hundred Qi.
“While fighting the King of Combat, I felt it. Something had come. Something was about to change.”
“……?!”
“It was the call of fate that only those who have walked that path can understand. Even I spent several days pondering what it meant.”
Yeon Hojeong stomped the ground powerfully.
Thud!
In an instant, Yayul Jeok’s body floated into the air.
Yeon Hojeong spun his body as it was.
With both arms spread wide like a bird’s wings, he rotated in place. It looked like he was dancing, or perhaps demonstrating a fist technique.
Yayul Jeok, who had been spinning helplessly in the air, finally realized what Yeon Hojeong’s movement was. Tai Chi Fist?!
Yayul Jeok’s body, bound by the Flood Dragon Chain, spun powerlessly before crashing into a rock.
Boom!
Yayul Jeok rose with a frustrated expression.
At that moment, Yeon Hojeong opened his eyes.
Flash!
His two eyes contained the heat of the sun.
They shone so brightly that they were divine light dyeing the surroundings with black darkness.
“I told you. I can let the woman go, but not you.”
“……!!”
The killing intent of the Black Darkness that Yeon Hojeong had thought had long faded returned to his face in full force.
“Did you really think you could cause this mess on our land and still walk away unscathed?”