The Ghost Sword's Triumph (7)
“Ho, it’s begun.”
Yeon Hojeong, Jeong-an, and the thirty-odd warriors who had arrived at the battlefield watched the duel between the two men.
“Looks like the attack landed.”
Though the distance was great, Yeon Hojeong’s sharp eyes clearly made out the sword wounds carved across Jeon Hong’s upper body and shoulder.
Jeong-an’s eyes gleamed.
“Impressive, isn’t he?”
“Who? Kang Liang?”
“Yes.”
“In what way?”
“That man is excessively ferocious, but his physical strength is extraordinary. His protective qi has seeped into every single muscle fiber. Even a decent swordsman’s strike would struggle to leave so much as a scratch.”
“Well observed.”
“If he managed to carve two sword wounds into the body of such a master, it speaks volumes about how sharp Kang Liang’s sword force must be.”
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“Sharp indeed. The Ghost Sword of Black Iron excels in both cutting and crushing—few techniques in the world can match it in a direct confrontation. It is difficult to master, but once one reaches its pinnacle, it is hard to find a martial art superior in a head-on clash.”
“Remarkable.”
“Remarkable, yes, but as I said, reaching that pinnacle is no easy feat. Martial arts fundamentally struggle to embody multiple qualities at once. Speed sacrifices weight, sharpness invites fragility, and softness precludes raw power.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.
In the distance, the ghostly sword art Kang Liang wielded let out a tearing wail like the cries of tormented spirits.
“Such things can only be attained through personal enlightenment. The Black Iron Ghost Sword is what happens when that lofty principle is fused into a divine technique. In this world, mastering even one is difficult enough. Two would be rarer still.”
“The entry barrier must be immense.”
“Fortunately, he has already mastered the Ghost Shadow Sword, the introductory form of the Ghost Sword. All that remains is to grow his wings.”
Having focused on Kang Liang, Yeon Hojeong glanced back.
There stood the thirty-odd warriors led by Yang Il, shifting uneasily on their feet. Though Yeon Hojeong and Jeong-an stood with their backs completely exposed, none of them dared attempt a surprise attack. The single move Yeon Hojeong had displayed at the tavern had been that shocking.
Yet they could not abandon Jeon Hong, the master they served, and flee either. They were truly caught between two impossible choices.
Yeon Hojeong smirked at them before turning his gaze back to the battlefield.
Whooooosh.
Jeon Hong radiated a crimson aura and a savage killing intent. Before him stood Kang Liang, gathering an invisible force with a calm expression.
“He’s nothing special once you see through him. Finish him cleanly and come back.”
Kwaaaang!
Jeon Hong’s method of attack had changed. In addition to his signature grappling, tearing, and crushing techniques, he now unleashed a devastating fist art of immense destructive power.
“He’s carving craters into the ground.” Kang Liang could not help but click his tongue at the sheer force.
He could produce similar marks if he put his mind to it. The problem was that Jeon Hong’s every ordinary punch carried that level of power. Even a glancing blow could shatter bones and inflict internal injuries.
“You little bastard!”
Jeon Hong roared and swung his fists in a relentless barrage.
“Planning to keep running like a rat, are you?!”
Kwarrurung!
The air trembled beneath the gale of his punches. This was the Crushing Rock Divine Fist, one of Yang Cheon’s many ultimate techniques.
Yang Cheon possessed three true divine arts, but those were merely the ones he had refined and adapted to suit himself. He knew far more martial arts than that. One of them was the Strange Rock Art Jeon Hong now employed—a fist technique whose raw destructive and crushing power was unmatched, rivaling even the hidden arts of the great orthodox sects.
Hwaaaak! Kwarung!
Jeon Hong did not rely on fist techniques alone. Using his signature flexible body movements, he extended a kick that split a massive tree clean in half, the force and elasticity behind it tremendous. Following the Crushing Rock Divine Fist came the Rock-Striking Kick, an ultimate technique capable of manifesting the heavy-handed methods of internal arts through legwork alone when mastered to its peak.
Paaang!
Kang Liang, who had been dodging Jeon Hong’s attacks like a phantom, suddenly moved like lightning.
Shwik!
His figure soared into the air past Jeon Hong, resembling a bird in flight. The speed of his movement combined with a single slash of the Ghost Sword left another wound on Jeon Hong’s body.
Yet this cut was shallower than the previous ones. Jeon Hong, who had pushed his Blood Lion Qi to its extreme and activated the Strange Rock Art, now boasted a body nearly impervious to blades.
Kang Liang showed no disappointment.
Jeon Hong let out another bestial roar and swung his fist once more.
“This won’t be enough…!”
Kwaaaang!
Before he could finish speaking, Jeon Hong’s body was sent skidding backward.
Jeon Hong’s eyes flashed. “Palm technique?!”
A palm strike fired from a distance had exploded at the exact moment the Crushing Rock Divine Fist was unleashed, dispersing both the force and the wind it generated. It was a brilliant technique that neutralized overwhelming power with minimal effort.
“This bastard.”
Kwang!
Closing the distance with a powerful step, Jeon Hong swung both palms.
Hwaaaak!
Kang Liang, who had been trying to create distance again, suddenly felt his body’s freedom stripped away by an intense suction force. It was the Blood Wind Pull of the Blood Lion Qi—an absorption technique executed with every ounce of inner power, boasting terrifying pulling strength.
Kang Liang’s face flushed red.
He tried to lower his stance and resist, but he was steadily being drawn closer to Jeon Hong.
“Tremendous inner power.”
The force was strong enough to drag him forward even as he resisted with all his might. The technique itself was profound, but without an equally vast reserve of inner power to fuel it, such might would have been impossible.
Jeon Hong grinned.
“Finally caught you, you damned rat.”
Whooooosh! Whooooosh!
While maintaining the Blood Wind Pull with both palms, he clenched his right fist. A tremendous force gathered around it—the power of the Crushing Rock Divine Fist.
It was an astonishing feat. The Blood Wind Pull itself consumed an enormous amount of inner power, and its complex hand seals and energy circulation made it nearly impossible to combine with other techniques. Yet Jeon Hong was doing exactly that, and without even having broken through the Wall of No Species.
“A genius.” Kang Liang had no choice but to acknowledge Jeon Hong’s talent.
His talent was remarkable, but so was his effort. This was not a technique that could be executed through talent alone.
“At the very least, he’s no arrogant fool blinded by pride.”
Jeon Hong let out a mad laugh.
“Let’s end this!”
Kwang!
The gale of the Crushing Rock Divine Fist tore through the air toward Kang Liang. Combined with the suction of the Blood Wind Pull and his restricted movements, even Kang Liang seemed doomed.
Then—
“……?!”
In the space of a single instant, Jeon Hong felt the strong resistance from his left hand vanish completely.
Paaang!
Kang Liang, who had been resisting the pull, suddenly executed a movement technique and charged straight at Jeon Hong. Instead of fighting the suction, he had yielded to it and even accelerated.
It was a moment of pure astonishment. Because he had altered his trajectory mid-charge, even the gale of the Crushing Rock Divine Fist missed him.
“As expected.”
Before Jeon Hong knew it, Kang Liang was right in front of him, his sword aimed precisely at Jeon Hong’s throat.
It was a moment from which evasion seemed impossible.
Unless one had already anticipated it.
“I expected a cunning bastard like you to try something like this.”
Yielding to the pull instead of resisting in order to land a surprise strike required extraordinary courage. Yet Kang Liang had attempted exactly that.
The problem was that Jeon Hong had already foreseen it.
Urrung!
Jeon Hong’s arm, which had launched the Crushing Rock Divine Fist, folded inward, his elbow targeting Kang Liang’s sword.
It was perfectly timed. Kang Liang was a swordsman—if his blade broke, his combat strength would plummet.
Contrary to appearances, Jeon Hong was quite capable of using his head.
“This is the end!”
At that very moment—
Doong.
Jeon Hong’s eyes widened.
The sword that struck his elbow did not break. Instead of shattering, it simply fell limply to the ground.
“He let go of the sword?!”
Jeon Hong’s gaze snapped to Kang Liang.
Kang Liang had released his sword. His left hand was now extended, fingers straight and rigid—a hand blade, a hand sword.
“This…!”
Time, which had slowed, suddenly accelerated at a terrifying speed.
Pababababak!
“Kugh!”
Countless slashes erupted like lightning, painting Jeon Hong’s body in blood. It was a fearsome barrage—the Ghost Sword Divine Hand, a sword art executed through bare-handed palm strikes.
Jeon Hong’s eyes trembled.
The wounds crisscrossing his upper body like a spiderweb were deep, and the blood loss was immense. His head spun for a moment.
“You madman!”
Peo-eok!
Kang Liang’s foot slammed into Jeon Hong’s throat.
No matter how impervious to blades his body had become, the throat and face remained vulnerable. Jeon Hong staggered, vomiting something resembling bile.
Kang Liang’s foot, having struck Jeon Hong’s throat, descended and tapped the hilt of the fallen sword.
Chiring!
With a clear ring, the sword rose into the air and fell neatly before Kang Liang’s face.
Kkuk!
Kang Liang caught the blade with both hands.
Not one hand—both. Having read the moment of decisive battle, Kang Liang’s Ghost King True Qi cloaked his greatsword in a black haze.
The Ghost Killing Sword of the Black Iron Ghost Sword had been activated.
Kang Liang’s previously emotionless eyes flashed with a blue phosphorescent light.
“Slash!!”
Flash!
A brilliant arc of sword light pierced straight through Jeon Hong’s right arm.
Puhwaaaak!
One cleanly severed arm fell to the ground.
Jeon Hong screamed.
“Kuaaaak!”
The pain was excruciating, but the psychological shock of losing a limb far exceeded it. That shock turned to rage, and rage became killing intent directed at Kang Liang.
“You son of a bitch!”
Releasing the Blood Wind Pull, Jeon Hong swung the Crushing Rock Divine Fist once more. Even in that state, the speed of his inner power circulation and the timing of his technique execution remained exceptional. He was truly a remarkable talent.
Kang Liang’s eyes gleamed.
“Net.”
Pababababababak!
The Ghost Killing Sword danced as if possessed. The Ghost Killing Net technique carved another web of wounds across Jeon Hong’s entire body.
Puhwaak!
A massive amount of blood erupted outward.
No matter how well-trained his body was, it could not withstand such blood loss.
Kung!
Jeon Hong, who had been staggering, collapsed to the ground. His legs had given out.
His face, twisted in agony, was filled with emotions too complex to describe.
“This… this can’t be…”
He was so furious and incredulous that words failed him. The heavy blood loss made his eyes keep closing, and his consciousness was fading.
“I… lost to trash like this…!”
Kang Liang smirked.
“I don’t know. Seems to me the trash is you.”
He kicked Jeon Hong in the jaw.
Crack!
Spitting blood, Jeon Hong fell backward and lost consciousness. Several teeth had been broken and his jawbone cracked, but even that pain could not rouse him.
His body was certainly resilient. Even without the protection of Blood Lion Qi, his jawbone had not shattered.
Sreung.
Sheathing his sword, Kang Liang looked down at the fallen Jeon Hong and spoke in a cold voice.
“As promised, I’m taking one arm. You’ll have to relearn how to use chopsticks.”
Turning away as if there was nothing more to see, Kang Liang walked toward Yeon Hojeong.
Yeon Hojeong gave him a thumbs-up.
Kang Liang scratched his head.
“I couldn’t kill him.”
“That’s why I left him to you, you idiot.”
“What about those guys…?”
“Ah, them?”
Yeon Hojeong looked at the warriors.
Their faces were all painted with extreme terror.
“They’re scouts. Since we’ve finished wrapping the gift, we should send them to Lord Yang.”