Chapter 327
Chapter 327
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 327
Chapter Title: Heaven-Shattering Single Hand
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“How annoying.”
Watching the scene unfold, Seo Jin-ha frowned and fiddled with the chopsticks in his hand.
He intended to use a life-stealing technique to drive Maeng Muk-geuk away in a single move.
‘Ah, right. I can’t.’
But he soon remembered anew that he had lost his internal energy and gave a bitter smile.
He then rose from his seat and shouted.
“An old fossil, shamelessly making a scene in broad daylight.”
“What? A fossil?”
Enraged, Maeng Muk-geuk instantly turned his head to look at Seo Jin-ha.
“You lunatic. Are you tired of living?”
Just as Maeng Muk-geuk shot up from his seat and started toward Seo Jin-ha,
*Thump, thump.*
The sound of someone climbing the inn’s stairs could be heard.
The footsteps were so distinct and heavy, it sounded less like a person and more like something massive on the move.
*Sssk.*
When the shadow finally reached the top of the stairs, the inn seemed to darken for a moment.
The figure that appeared was a giant of a woman, nearly seven feet tall.
Her features were rounded and quite pretty, but her physique was solid, as if she had trained in external arts, and her forearms were as thick as logs.
“What’s this?”
Having apparently heard Maeng Muk-geuk’s rampage while climbing the stairs, the woman looked down at him and scowled.
“A rat in heat, and in broad daylight too.”
“What did you say?”
Maeng Muk-geuk was a powerful martial artist, but he was deeply insecure about his short stature and unimpressive build.
So when this giant woman called him a rat out of the blue, a murderous intent erupted from him like an active volcano.
“It seems the lunatics are lining up today.”
Maeng Muk-geuk took a step forward and stood before the woman.
But because she was so tall and powerfully built, the sight was even more ridiculous.
“Hmph, acting tough just because you’re big.”
Maeng Muk-geuk sneered and raised his internal energy. He intended to use his Blood Wheels to cut the woman down in one stroke.
“Maeng Muk-geuk of the Twin Rakshasa Blood Wheels.”
Judging that the large woman might be in danger, Seo Jin-ha stepped forward and shouted sharply.
“If you want to cause trouble, do it alone in the Great Desert. Do you wish to die here, far from home?”
Maeng Muk-geuk’s eyes flashed as Seo Jin-ha, despite knowing his name, boldly provoked him.
“Who are you?”
“You don’t need to know.”
Staring intently at Seo Jin-ha, Maeng Muk-geuk’s eyes gleamed.
A man who was clearly ill and had no trace of a qi fluctuation dared to step forward so arrogantly?
“You are…”
Just as Maeng Muk-geuk opened his mouth, the woman before him waved her hand dismissively.
“Stop your chirping and get lost. I need to eat.”
In that instant, killing intent flared in Maeng Muk-geuk’s eyes.
He decided on the order.
First, he would deal with this insolent, giant woman. Then, he would beat that pretty boy’s face to a bloody pulp.
“How laughable.”
Maeng Muk-geuk flicked his fingers in a flash.
Without even needing to use his Twin Rakshasa Blood Wheels, he unleashed the Soul-Stealing Punishment technique, intending to twist the woman’s qi, blood, and muscles.
*Pak! Pak!*
As the finger wind struck the woman’s body, Maeng Muk-geuk smirked.
Soon, this giant of a woman would be rolling on the floor, screaming in agony.
“I went easy on you because you’re a woman.”
Just as Maeng Muk-geuk turned to Seo Jin-ha with a cold smile,
“What the.”
The woman looked down at her torn clothes and frowned.
“Where do you think you’re going after tearing someone’s clothes?”
And then, a hand as large as a cauldron lid clamped down on Maeng Muk-geuk’s head and began to lift him into the air.
“Wh-what is this?”
As Maeng Muk-geuk struggled in surprise, the woman bared her sharp teeth and scowled.
“You dare put a hole in my new clothes?”
“Y-You bastard!”
Maeng Muk-geuk drew the Blood Wheels from his back with lightning speed and slashed at the woman’s forearm.
But as if anticipating such a move, the woman had already set him back down on the floor.
“Someone like you won’t learn until you’re beaten!”
She slapped Maeng Muk-geuk across the cheek with one hand.
The blow was so fast and powerful that Maeng Muk-geuk had no time to dodge.
*Smack! Crash!*
Struck squarely in the face, Maeng Muk-geuk’s eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed.
Maeng Muk-geuk, known as the Killer Star of the Great Desert, had been knocked out cold by a single slap.
‘Hmm.’
Seo Jin-ha watched the scene with a slightly surprised expression.
Maeng Muk-geuk was a master of the transcendent realm who had made his name long ago. Yet, she had closed the distance in an instant and subdued him with her bare hands.
“Of all the men here, you’re the only one with some backbone.”
The woman looked at Seo Jin-ha and gave him a thumbs-up.
“A young man with spirit. I like it.”
Laughing heartily like some old-timer who’d roamed the martial world for decades, she casually approached Seo Jin-ha.
“Nice to meet you. The name’s So Ok-rim.”
She smiled brightly, speaking informally from the very start.
But there was no malice in her eyes.
“I see.”
Seo Jin-ha forced a smile and nodded.
He had heard news from various sources, but this was the first time he had ever heard the name So Ok-rim.
“Well, I’m more often called the Silver River Divine Maiden, though.”
‘Silver River Divine Maiden.’
At that moment, Seo Jin-ha’s eyes widened.
‘So Ok-rim, the Heaven-Shattering Single Hand?’
Two years ago, a female master had appeared in the Yanggwang martial world like a comet.
The woman, with her seven-foot frame and powerful build, was said to have defeated renowned masters from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions, as well as masters of the previous generation, in single strokes.
What was shocking were her methods.
She always felled her opponents with a single blow before vanishing without a trace.
The masters who fell to So Ok-rim’s hand all said the same thing.
—When she struck, it felt as if the very heavens were collapsing.
Because of this, she naturally came to be known as the Heaven-Shattering Single Hand.
—Hey! What kind of name is ‘Heaven-Shattering’? For a peerless beauty like me!
When So Ok-rim heard the news, she flew into a rage.
She then gave herself a new title: the Silver River Divine Maiden.
However, as she continued to fell countless masters with a single blow, the martial world still called her the Heaven-Shattering Single Hand, or Single Hand, Heaven Shattering.
The problem was that this was eventually shortened to just ‘Heaven-Shatterer.’
—It’s the Heaven-Shatterer!
—Heaven-Shatterer? That damn Heaven-Shatterer!
Eventually, it was said that she would fly into a rage and beat people up at the mere mention of the name.
After rampaging through the Yanggwang region for about three months, she suddenly vanished.
Some said her madness had worsened, leading to her self-destruction. Others claimed she had suffered a grave internal injury after fighting so many masters and had left to recuperate.
But because she had stirred up the martial world in such a short time, not many people remembered her well.
So why had she suddenly appeared in a shabby inn in Nammok-rim?
“What’s this? If someone gives a friendly greeting, you should return it.”
Realizing So Ok-rim had a willful personality, Seo Jin-ha had no choice but to cup his hands.
“I am Seo Jin-ha. That is my close friend, Seol So-yo.”
Seo Jin-ha was part of the Cheon-sal-dae, which operated in secret.
Since his name was completely unknown in the martial world, he used his real one.
“I see. That’s a nice name, too.”
She gave him a thumbs-up and walked closer.
“Since fate brought us together, let’s share a table.”
Then, without permission, she came over and sat down at their table.
Speaking informally to a stranger was just the start; she didn’t even bother to ask for the other person’s opinion.
She was a person who had thrown all etiquette to the wind.
Seo Jin-ha looked at Bu Eun-seol with a troubled expression.
“We are in the middle of a very important conversation.”
Trying not to make a scene, he spoke politely.
“It seems a seat has opened up. How about you dine over there?”
“That’s so mean.”
So Ok-rim pointed at the unconscious Maeng Muk-geuk, whose front teeth had been knocked out and was bleeding profusely.
“That’s the only seat left. You want me to eat while looking at that hideous thing?”
“Um.”
As Seo Jin-ha wore a troubled expression, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
“Have a seat.”
“See, your friend here is much more easygoing.”
So Ok-rim promptly sat down and called out to a waiter.
“Ten bottles of fruit wine over here!”
As soon as the waiter brought the wine, she chugged it straight from the bottle and spoke.
“You seem to know who I am.”
She looked at Seo Jin-ha, revealing her white teeth.
“Aren’t you curious why I came here?”
Seo Jin-ha found himself nodding.
Why would the woman who had turned the Yanggwang martial world upside down two years ago and then vanished suddenly appear here? He was indeed curious.
“Do you know who the greatest sage and diviner in the martial world is?”
“You mean the Sin-san-ja?”
The Sin-san-ja.
He was called the greatest sage of the martial world, or the greatest diviner.
No one knew his real name.
It was said that he could fathom the secrets of heaven and possessed a wisdom that transcended human limits.
Some even called him the Mu-ryang-ja, the Immeasurable One, for his boundless knowledge.
However, the Sin-san-ja never revealed himself to the martial world and moved in secret, so no one knew his whereabouts.
He was so elusive that even information brokers couldn't find him for a fortune in gold.
Rumor had it that because he had leaked too many heavenly secrets, the heavens punished him, killing his entire family, and that he himself was afflicted with an incurable disease.
“That’s right. The Sin-san-ja. That old man.”
So Ok-rim said with a bright smile.
“I’ve been wandering the martial world for two years looking for that old man.”
“So, you found him?”
“Uh-huh. To find my fated partner.”
Seo Jin-ha couldn’t believe it.
The sage whose tracks had vanished long ago. Not only had she found the Sin-san-ja, but she had also received an answer from him?
So Ok-rim revealed her white teeth and said.
“That old man said I would meet my fated partner here.”
‘Fated partner?’
For a moment, Seo Jin-ha felt a sense of foreboding.
So Ok-rim might act half-crazy, but her martial prowess was truly profound.
Just the single slap she’d used to strike down Maeng Muk-geuk was beyond what Seo Jin-ha could have managed even in his prime.
‘Don’t tell me she’s after him?’
Just as Seo Jin-ha’s already pale face grew even paler, So Ok-rim said nonchalantly.
“That old man said he’d be a peerlessly handsome man with an androgynous look, with skin so white it seemed pale, and his hair parted to the sides.”
Especially when she mentioned the pale complexion, she stared pointedly at Seo Jin-ha.
“Could this fated partner be…”
“Uh-huh. The man I’m going to marry.”
As So Ok-rim smiled shyly, Seo Jin-ha felt as if someone was strangling him.
“Who would say such a thing?”
“That old man.”
“The Sin-san-ja?”
“Yup.”
Something was strange.
Even if he was the greatest sage in the martial world who could read the secrets of heaven.
How could he have so clearly described his appearance to her without ever having seen him and prophesied that he was her fated partner?
‘Wait, the secrets of heaven… If it’s heavenly secrets.’
The legends of the Sin-san-ja, the greatest sage of the martial world, were not false.
As a thought occurred to him, Seo Jin-ha glanced at the disguised Bu Eun-seol and asked.
“Could it be that he didn’t say that, but rather described a god-like man with skin so white it seemed pale, with dark, handsome eyebrows, exceptionally beautiful eyes, and a reddish glint in his pupils?”
“Huh?”
So Ok-rim let out an involuntary gasp of shock.
‘How did he know?’
In truth, she had been lying.
—A peerlessly handsome man with an androgynous look, with skin so white it seemed pale, and his hair parted to the sides.
She had changed the description simply because she found Seo Jin-ha’s appearance to her liking.
In reality, the Sin-san-ja had said exactly what Seo Jin-ha had just described.
“No, no. He said a handsome, androgynous man with a pale complexion and his hair parted in two.”
As So Ok-rim waved her hands, her eyes and expression were filled with bewilderment.
But she couldn’t fool the eyes of the Third Division Leader of the Cheon-sal-dae.
‘So it wasn’t me after all.’
Having regained his composure, Seo Jin-ha looked at Bu Eun-seol and his lips twitched.
“I see. So he was the fated partner.”
Feeling Seo Jin-ha’s persistent gaze, Bu Eun-seol rose from his seat.
“I’ve eaten enough. Let’s go.”
In truth, Bu Eun-seol had just picked up a piece of barley bread and was about to bring it to his mouth.
But after hearing their conversation, he realized that he was So Ok-rim’s fated partner.
A sudden, unprecedented anxiety washed over him, and he stood up.
“Let’s leave this town quickly.”
Leading Seo Jin-ha, Bu Eun-seol hurriedly exited the inn and quickly left the town.
He held Seo Jin-ha’s hand, using his internal energy to lighten his body.
This allowed Seo Jin-ha, who had lost his internal energy, to use his movement techniques comfortably.
*Fwoosh.*
The two shot forward, kicking up a gale of wind.
How far had they run?
Bu Eun-seol, who had been using his lightness art, gradually slowed to a stop.
“Why are you stopping?”
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol pointed to a large tree a hundred feet ahead.
There, a giant woman was waving at them with a bright smile. It was So Ok-rim.
“What’s going on?”
Seo Jin-ha asked in surprise, and Bu Eun-seol made a bitter face.
“While we were using our lightness art, she used the Roc’s Journey technique to fly over our heads.”
For a moment, Seo Jin-ha’s expression turned grim.
His internal energy had diminished so much that he couldn’t even detect her presence as she passed over his head.
“No need to be depressed. Even I barely detected her presence.”
“What did you say?”
“She is quite strong.”
Seo Jin-ha couldn’t hide his surprise.
Not only was this the first time he had ever heard the word ‘strong’ from Bu Eun-seol’s lips.
But that willful woman possessed martial prowess so great that it was difficult to even detect her presence?
“What a coincidence! Seeing you here again?”
She spotted Seo Jin-ha and casually approached, waving her hand.
“Planning to rest here? Should I give you a tour? I know this area well.”
Looking at the grinning So Ok-rim, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a solemn voice.
“This is as far as you go.”
He had seen the distress flash through Seo Jin-ha’s eyes.
“Do not follow us any further.”
At Bu Eun-seol’s words, So Ok-rim’s eyebrows shot up.
“Hey, who do you think you are?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“Why do you keep speaking informally to me?”
So Ok-rim said in an annoyed tone.
“Do you have any idea how high my seniority is? The truth is, I’m…”
She was about to say something but waved her hand dismissively.
“Never mind. You, stay out of it.”
A powerful gust of wind rose and began to push Bu Eun-seol’s body back.
There was no need for further conversation.
Bu Eun-seol unleashed the South Peak True Fist with his left hand.
He used a Righteous Sect martial art, not a Demonic one, to hide his identity.
“Hey, your martial arts are pathetic.”
So Ok-rim tilted her head, dodging the South Peak True Fist, and was about to sneer when,
*Shwick!*
The force of the Thirteen Nights’ Qi that followed grazed her cheek.
*Drip, drip.*
Her eyes widened as she looked down at the red drops of blood.
She, who had been invincible until now, had gotten a scratch on her cheek in a single exchange?
“Hey. You.”
A chilling killing intent began to rise in her eyes.
“Did you just scratch this skin as flawless as a snowflake?”
A powerful energy shimmered like a heat haze from So Ok-rim’s cauldron-lid-sized palms.
“Now the juice is flowing!”
Expressing the fact that she was bleeding in the most vulgar way possible, she threw a ferocious fist at Bu Eun-seol’s face.
It was like a flash of lightning, the path of her fist invisible.
It was so fast that even Bu Eun-seol couldn't react in time to dodge.
*Whoosh!*
In that instant, a red gleam flared in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes, and a faint light flowed from his left fist.
Unable to dodge, he had immediately unleashed the First Form of the Fist Demon's Advent.
*BOOM!*
With a deafening roar, a shockwave of qi shot up to the heavens, and dust and dirt billowed out in all directions.
*Whooosh.*
As the wind blew and the dust settled, the figures of Bu Eun-seol and So Ok-rim, standing tall, were revealed.
So Ok-rim had taken a step back. But Bu Eun-seol stood his ground.
‘Her internal energy is incredible.’
Bu Eun-seol couldn’t hide his surprise.
The force transmitted through his fingertips told him that her internal energy far exceeded sixty years of cultivation.
“Wow, your internal energy is higher than mine?”
So Ok-rim’s eyes widened.
Her internal energy had never been pushed back, not even by masters of the previous generation. Yet, a single fist from Bu Eun-seol had forced her back?
“What have you been eating to have this much energy? Did you achieve eternal youth or something?”
Bu Eun-seol simply maintained a cold expression, offering no reaction.
At that, she snorted and flexed her fists.
“Hmph, you must think you’re invincible just because you have a bit of energy, huh?”
*Woooong!*
A strange vibration echoed from her hands.
At the same time, a powerful wave of qi rose like a mist.
“Fine. This elder will show you that there’s always a sky above the sky!”
Such words were usually spoken only by masters of the previous generation.
But So Ok-rim shouted with an arrogant expression, as if she were the supreme ruler of the martial world.
“Take this!”
As she thrust out a fist, countless points of light rose into the air in front of Bu Eun-seol.
It was as dazzling and beautiful as if the entire Milky Way had been moved before them.
*Swoooosh!*
At that moment, hundreds of light points began to fall upon Bu Eun-seol.
It was as if all the stars in the night sky were pouring down at once.
Bu Eun-seol stood his ground.
If he were to draw the Ink Sword or use the True Arts of the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl to create a vacuum against her single move?
He felt that would be a defeat in itself.
‘I will not retreat.’
Simultaneously, he unleashed the Flood Dragon Fish Fist with his left arm and the Azure Sect Twenty-Four Hands with his right.
And with his legs, he continuously executed the Golden Ridge Steps.
*Swish!*
A massive, crescent-shaped wave of force was unleashed from Bu Eun-seol’s body.
*Paaaaa!*
The immense force instantly erased the cascading points of light.
Instead of retreating, he had unleashed the Thirteen Nights' Qi to crush her ultimate technique in a single blow.
“What!”
Was it because she was so shocked by the power of the Thirteen Nights’ Qi?
So Ok-rim leaped back and flailed her hands.
“Whoa.”
Her expression froze like ice as she barely managed to deflect the force of the technique.
“You.”
After being frozen for a long moment, she shouted loudly.
“Were you a successor of the Martial Emperor?”