Enemies and Origins (4)
Yeon Hojeong, who had yet to fully embody his realizations in his body, was undoubtedly inferior to Myeong Hak at this moment.
However.
Yeon Hojeong possessed the ability to turn the tide of this battle.
Though there was a gap in skill, he had the wealth of experience and insight to bridge it.
Myeong Hak, blinded by his murderous intent, stubbornly pressed for a frontal clash, but now realized this approach wouldn't work and sought to change tactics.
It was right then.
That the Black Tortoise Qi reacted.
Woooong.
The stagnant energy surging from his internal injuries was expelled at terrifying speed.
Even minor damage to the meridians produces stagnation. Such stagnation disrupts inner energy cultivation and, in severe cases, degrades the quality of one's inner energy.
Yeon Hojeong used his enlarged Black Tortoise Qi to purge it all in an instant.
He could already feel his internal injuries steadily recovering.
And that wasn't all.
Come to think of it.
In that fleeting moment, Myeong Hak's fist technique routine flashed in his mind.
Short but fluid movements. A fist art that drew maximum power from minimal motion.
But that routine would undoubtedly shine even more in defense than offense.
The reason being.
North Heaven Twelve Walls!
Indeed.
Myeong Hak's Spirit Turtle Divine Art shared the same essence as the Black Tortoise Art, differing only in hue.
It was an astonishing fact.
So unexpected that even his killing intent and rage vanished entirely.
In that instant, Yeon Hojeong recalled what Jegal A-yeon had told him during the alliance gathering.
"The Myeong family's history is plenty long. But not quite on par with the five great clans excluding yours. The Myeong ancestors founded the clan three hundred years ago, aiding the Four Directions Martial Emperor in ending the Blood Cult Chaos. That's how the Myeong family's history began."
Four Directions Martial Emperor, and the Blood Cult Chaos.
Yeon Hojeong remembered another of Jegal A-yeon's words.
"Anyway, if the Four Directions Martial Emperor's prowess matches the legends, he truly deserves the title of absolute invincible, right? Mastering not one, but four martial arts to the extreme."
He had no certainty.
But Yeon Hojeong suspected that the man called the Four Directions Martial Emperor was a descendant of the Four Gods Martial Arts.
"Later, he was also called the Yellow Dragon Emperor for commanding a golden dragon. Even I think that's over the top."
Four martial arts excelling in offense, evasion, and counterattacks.
And a golden dragon.
The probability he was a descendant of the Four Gods Martial Arts was high.
No, at this point, it was safe to say he was convinced.
And the Myeong ancestors had aided the Four Directions Martial Emperor in ending the Blood Cult Chaos.
"Could the Four Directions Martial Emperor have passed down parts of his martial arts to the Myeong ancestors?"
He could only think that.
He briefly wondered if the Myeong ancestors had stolen the martial arts from the Four Directions Martial Emperor, but the likelihood was near zero.
No one could defeat the one who perfected the supreme secret of the Four Gods Martial Arts, the Yellow Dragon Qi—that is, the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art.
The one who generated Yellow Dragon Qi was a calamity on the level of a natural disaster in human form.
Victory is possible against people, but who could grapple with a force of nature?
In other words, the Myeong family could be seen as a branch line of the Four Directions Martial Emperor.
"Such...?!"
In that moment, Yeon Hojeong realized yet another thing.
The subtleties of energy emission: a pure art, yet with a strange hue distinct from Central Plains martial arts.
No matter how vast his upper dantian had become, amidst the chaos of fleeing, it was hard to remember the specifics of each beast's martial arts.
Yet Yeon Hojeong remembered their inner energy colors and emission traits.
How?
"Because they resemble it."
Yeon Hojeong's eyes bloodshottened.
As the Bi-ra Jin-gyeol subsided and Black Tortoise Qi dominated his body, he immediately discerned the hue of true energy cloaking Myeong Hak's flesh.
"The color differs. But the essence is the same."
He recalled Myeong Hak's fist emission.
Utterly different from the North Heaven Twelve Walls emission.
But in defense, they shared much in the rebound force that generated an inner energy shield to damage foes.
In short, Myeong Hak's fist art utilized the rebound of the North Heaven Twelve Walls to amplify attack power.
It likely sacrificed some defensive prowess in trade.
"Unbelievable. How did I not notice this...?"
It was inevitable.
No one could imagine that fragments of the martial arts he himself practiced had been passed to his sworn enemies.
Even Yeon Hojeong might sense familiarity, but linking it would be difficult.
Until now, clashing directly like this.
Yeon Hojeong felt an inexplicable emptiness.
"The martial arts my master passed down... share a lineage with those of the beasts who destroyed my family through the Four Gods Martial Arts...?"
It was absurd.
Since regressing to the past, he'd never suffered such a profound mental shock.
For a brief moment, Yeon Hojeong felt the urge to rip out the White Tiger Qi and Black Tortoise Qi root and all.
"That's why... that's why I..."
Everything clicked into place.
Before fighting Myeong Cheon, Qingbai Wubing on Mingchi Mountain, he'd felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu recalling Myeong Onji's martial arts.
Because her arts followed the traits of the Black Tortoise Art.
But her realm was too low to sense the unique watery heaviness of Black Tortoise Qi.
Had she fully embodied it, Myeong Onji wouldn't have lasted a single exchange.
"Four Gods Martial Arts... Four Gods Martial Arts!"
"Black Tortoise Art? What nonsense is that?!"
Yeon Hojeong stared at Myeong Hak with dazed eyes.
Myeong Hak twisted his lips.
"What's with that look? Hmph! Stunned by my martial arts, are you?"
"......"
"Cat got your tongue? Fine, now I'll end you."
Thud!
Myeong Hak closed in with a powerful stamp.
Yeon Hojeong unwittingly shook his head.
"Strange Pillar Immovable isn't meant to be used like that."
Even his footwork mimicked it.
Like how his fist art drew attack power from the North Heaven Twelve Walls, that footwork adapted the Strange Pillar Immovable stride into an advancing form akin to Tiger King Nine Thunder Strikes.
"Kaaap!"
With a shout, Myeong Hak's fist flew toward Yeon Hojeong's chest.
A fatal blow.
Without inner energy to block, it would shatter from ribs to spine.
Yeon Hojeong closed his eyes.
Bam!
"Huk!"
Overwhelmed by the impact, Myeong Hak staggered back five steps.
Weeeeng.
Having set down his axe, Yeon Hojeong spread both hands.
A hexagonal shell pattern hovered around his open palms.
North Heaven Twelve Walls, the form True Martial Great Emperor Heavy Wall.
The True Martial Great Emperor was the Xuantian Supreme Emperor, deification of the Black Tortoise.
Its defensive prowess was evident from the form's name alone.
But Myeong Hak hadn't simply been repelled by the form's rebound force.
"Again."
Sizzle!
With black smoke, the translucent inner energy shield of the hexagonal shell vanished.
Yeon Hojeong beckoned with his hand.
"Come at me again."
Myeong Hak's face flushed crimson.
"You bastard!"
Kwang!
This time, full power.
He didn't care if he died striking.
Myeong Hak's attack laid bare his own killing intent.
Following explosive footwork came the final form of the Spirit Turtle Divine Fist.
Myeong Hwi and Myeong Heon, who had retreated ten zhang, shouted.
"Brother!"
"Don't kill him!"
The massive fist smashed straight into Yeon Hojeong's chest.
Kwang!
An explosive roar echoed.
Like detonating gunpowder with a fist.
A brutishly overwhelming might.
Crack.
The ground where Yeon Hojeong stood sank five chi.
"......!!"
Horror dawned on Myeong Hak's face.
His fist pressed against Yeon Hojeong's chest.
And Yeon Hojeong's hands gripped that arm.
Yeon Hojeong slowly raised his head.
"......Not bad."
Yeon Hojeong's face grew even paler.
But that was all.
He couldn't avoid internal injury, but he'd prevented broken bones.
It wasn't the North Heaven Twelve Walls.
Nor the Tiger King Nine Thunder Strikes.
Before the fist struck, he'd unraveled the swirling force using the reverse sequence of the North Heaven Twelve Walls form, dissipating it entirely.
With the destructive force nullified, its power couldn't manifest.
Muscles and tempered fist protected by Bi-ra Jin-gyeol.
"H-how?!"
Myeong Hak flapped his mouth like a carp.
"How... did you dispel it?!"
"Like this."
Black Tortoise Qi rippled through Yeon Hojeong's upper body.
Tzztztztzt.
The surging Black Tortoise Qi flowed from shoulders to hands.
And in an instant, invaded Myeong Hak's arm from his hands.
"Huk!"
Startled, Myeong Hak tried to withdraw his fist.
But it wouldn't budge.
This brat's grip strength surged terrifyingly.
No matter how he struggled, he couldn't pull free.
"You scum!"
Thwack!
His free fist snapped Yeon Hojeong's head back.
His lip split, blood spurting.
Myeong Hak paled.
"W-what is this?!"
He could shatter logs with a bare fist devoid of inner energy.
Cheekbones and jaw should shatter.
Yet Yeon Hojeong was unscathed.
Just a split lip bleeding—that was it.
Witnessing the unreal sight, Myeong Hak grasped a chilling truth.
"He's growing stronger... while I'm weakening?"
Then, Yeon Hojeong spoke.
"The Black Tortoise is the North Black, the winter. As the Water God of Guihai, it governs water."
"......?!"
"Tributaries flow into the main stream. That is water. The myriad branch powers scattered across the world all converge to the main house."
"W-what nonsense?!"
"Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise. Known as Dragon Surge, Tiger Ferocity, Flying Slaughter, Strange Wall. The Black Tortoise symbolizes the Strange Wall: perfect defense, invincible shield."
Majesty dwelled in Yeon Hojeong's eyes.
Meeting that gaze, Myeong Hak—unbelievably—felt intimidated.
"A perfect iron wall, crudely altered like that, will soon backflow your qi and shatter your primal essence. Because in the Four Gods Martial Arts, qi and technique are one."
"......!!"
"Manifesting martial arts at the cost of lifespan. You've turned divine arts into half-baked demonic ones."
Myeong Hak's mouth gaped.
Cost of lifespan?
Profound words.
Sizzle!
Yeon Hojeong's eyes drowned in utter darkness.
"All you have, I—the master—shall reclaim."
Crack!
"Kaaak!"
Myeong Hak dropped to his knees.
His thick forearm crushed in Yeon Hojeong's grip.
And not just that.
Gush gush gush!
Myeong Hak's mouth yawned wide.
The Spirit Turtle energy was sucked into Yeon Hojeong's hand.
Like a raging river, uncontrollably swept away.
Terror bloomed on Myeong Hak's face.
Decades of cultivated inner energy, recently transformed into Spirit Turtle True Qi upon mastering the Spirit Turtle Divine Art.
All flowing to the foe.
So easily, so smoothly.
"Energy Absorption...?!"
Screeech!
All true energy poured into Yeon Hojeong.
Most impurities in the absorbed Spirit Turtle True Qi dispersed; the scant pure Black Tortoise Qi seeped into his kidneys.
Clack!
Yeon Hojeong seized Myeong Hak's face with one hand.
Myeong Hak couldn't turn his head.
Drained of qi, he'd lost even muscular strength.
Watching from afar, Myeong Hwi and Myeong Heon sensed the ominous air.
"Brother?!"
"W-what are you doing?!"
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
His smile was somehow vacant yet brimming with dignity.
"Your brothers?"
"Cough."
"Curious what fakes they've learned. I'll send them to join you soon."
"S-spare..."
"Farewell."
Krunch!
Myeong Hak's skull crumpled.
"Huk!"
"Y-you bastard?!"
Whoosh!
Myeong Hwi and Myeong Heon charged with immense momentum.
Yeon Hojeong's eyes flashed.
A speed too fast for reaction, yet now visible to him.
What arts those two practiced.
Which of the Four Gods Martial Arts their modified versions stemmed from—he knew at a glance.
Claaaang!
A razor-sharp slash and flame-like palm force pushed Yeon Hojeong back.
Had he not raised his axe shaft as a pole in that instant, death.
Fsssh.
White smoke rose from the shaft.
Tremendous killing intent, horrifying slaughter art.
One sword stroke infused with ten thousand kills; one gesture spilling a thousand bloods.
Yeon Hojeong raised his head.
Within the North Black gaze, solar might arose.
"......Vermilion Bird."