Chapter 495
Chapter 495
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 495
Chapter Title: Victors of the Grand Tournament
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“Did you think a mere imitation would work!”
Gwa-cheok shouted, his face contorted in displeasure.
He then moved erratically on all fours, creating dozens of afterimages.
*Fwoosh!*
Finally, Gwa-cheok’s shadow shot forward like a flash of light.
But Bu Eun-seol was no longer there.
*Whoosh! Paat!*
Bu Eun-seol and Gwa-cheok moved with bewildering speed, like two beasts clashing and separating over and over.
*Pssh!*
And finally, the match was decided.
Blood once again gushed from Gwa-cheok’s neck after he collided with Bu Eun-seol.
“How do you know the opening move of ‘A Cornered Beast Bites Back’?”
As Gwa-cheok clutched his neck and asked, Bu Eun-seol replied nonchalantly.
“I know of no such thing.”
Gwa-cheok used Beast Martial Arts, which mimicked the movements of a beast.
But Bu Eun-seol was different.
It wasn't Beast Martial Arts; he had become a true beast.
A human imitating a beast versus a true beast.
The outcome was obvious.
“You have reached the pinnacle of Beast Martial Arts.”
*Thud.*
In the end, Gwa-cheok collapsed from excessive blood loss.
*Grrr.*
As Bu Eun-seol swiftly defeated Gwa-cheok, the surrounding men who were engaged in a chaotic brawl stopped and glared at him.
Sensing that Bu Eun-seol was the strongest among them, they instinctively sought to eliminate him first.
Only then would they have a chance of winning.
*Paat!*
The dozen or so men still standing all charged toward Bu Eun-seol.
They moved in unison, like a pride of lions.
Though they had formed a pack on the spot, they attacked Bu Eun-seol as if they were beasts that had long been part of the same group.
*Shhhk! Paat!*
As the dozen men advanced and retreated in their assault, Bu Eun-seol’s body became covered in scratches.
But there were no fatal wounds.
Even if dozens of puppies attack, a lion does not get hurt.
Rather, the more they attacked, the more damage the pack of puppies sustained.
*Paat! Shhhk!*
Bu Eun-seol, having become a single beast, took down the charging men one by one.
Beast Martial Arts has no set forms.
It combines powerful physical movements with instinct, creating new moves for every situation.
*Whoosh! Paat!*
The Beast Martial Arts Bu Eun-seol employed were so fluid and agile that even the disciples of the Beast Palace had never seen anything like it.
He was as fast and nimble as a leopard, as cunning as a monkey.
As majestic as a lion, yet as persistent as a wolf.
—Ooh.
The eyes of the Beast Palace disciples watching him widened in amazement.
The Beast Martial Arts Bu Eun-seol displayed had no flashy or aesthetically pleasing movements.
But his motions were completely free of excess, sharp as a discarded blade.
Every time Bu Eun-seol executed his Beast Martial Arts, the disciples of the Beast Palace couldn't tear their eyes away.
*Thud. Thud.*
Eventually, the charging disciples of the Beast Palace fell one by one, bleeding.
And those who were still unharmed crouched low, too intimidated to dare attack.
Sensing that he was an overwhelmingly powerful expert they could not possibly defeat, they were submitting naturally.
*Tremble, tremble.*
In the end, as no one dared to challenge Bu Eun-seol, their bodies trembling,
—Waaah!
A roar erupted from all sides.
The winner of the Bare-Handed Grand Tournament had been decided.
—Gu-hwi must have been preparing for this martial tournament for a long time.
Watching the scene, the senior members of the Beast Palace all looked at each other, exchanging glances.
They were mistaken in thinking that Bu Eun-seol was a subordinate Dae Gu-hwi had been secretly training for a long time.
Such a thought was not unreasonable.
Bu Eun-seol’s Beast Martial Arts were, in a word, perfect.
But in truth, what Bu Eun-seol had displayed was not Beast Martial Arts.
It was simply the martial art of the Nangya Pavilion, which allowed for the rapid acquisition of an enemy's martial principles.
And thanks to the Way of the Beast, whose core principles aligned with Beast Martial Arts, what he had unleashed was the pure ‘instinct for slaughter’ of a beast.
—Waaah!
Everyone in the Beast Palace was cheering, thinking Bu Eun-seol was a master who had practiced Beast Martial Arts for a long time.
Only the Palace Lord, Dae-gon, had a stern expression, his eyes gleaming.
—The winner, Seol-so!
At Yong Mun-gyeok's cry, Dae Gu-hwi raised his fist in the air.
‘I did it!’
In truth, even if the suddenly appearing Bu Eun-seol had won, the situation wouldn't have been ideal.
Although outsiders were permitted to participate, he had been invited abruptly just before the Beast Grand Tournament.
There was plenty of room to doubt his true intentions.
But since Bu Eun-seol had won using Beast Martial Arts, there was no room for complaint.
“What happened?”
Dae Gu-hwi ran up and asked Bu Eun-seol.
“How could you, Young Master Seol, know our palace’s Beast Martial Arts?”
“I once met a strange master in the past and was taught a similar martial art.”
When Bu Eun-seol gave a vague, fabricated answer, Dae Gu-hwi seemed to accept it.
How he had learned Beast Martial Arts wasn't important.
By winning, Bu Eun-seol had proven his own standing.
And Dae Gu-hwi could maintain his position as a successor.
—We will now begin the first round of the Grand Tournament of Dominance!
As the first event of the Bare-Handed Grand Tournament ended, the Grand Tournament of Dominance began immediately.
The Grand Tournament of Dominance was divided into a first and second round.
For the first round, each person would enter the iron cage used in the Bare-Handed Grand Tournament.
There, they had to demonstrate their ability to control an animal using Myriad Beast Control.
For the second round, they had to enter a building filled with numerous beasts.
They had to either tame or subdue the animals to be the first to exit through the final gate.
Yong Mun-gyeok, after checking the order for the first round, shouted loudly.
—Noe Bi-hon. Begin the first round!
“Brother Noe, be careful.”
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Noe Bi-hon’s lips curled into a smile.
“Don’t worry. I’m well-prepared.”
*Creeak.*
Entering the iron cage, Noe Bi-hon clenched his fists.
‘A bear? Or maybe a lion?’
The Beast Palace would likely prefer one of their own disciples to win rather than an outsider.
Since Bu Eun-seol had already won the Bare-Handed Grand Tournament, they would surely have prepared a difficult challenge to prevent Noe Bi-hon from winning.
Perhaps they would send a ferocious beast right from the first round to crush his spirit at once.
*Drrrk.*
Finally, the gate of the opposite iron cage opened.
But the animals to be controlled were nowhere to be seen.
As Noe Bi-hon looked around in confusion, Bu Eun-seol shouted.
“Brother Noe. It’s at your feet.”
Noe Bi-hon looked down and his eyes widened.
That small, black shadow.
It was none other than a small mouse.
“This is…”
Dae Gu-hwi, watching from a distance, couldn't hide his bewilderment.
He had expected them to send a very difficult animal, one impossible to subdue with force.
They wouldn't want an outsider to win the Grand Tournament of Dominance after another had already won the Bare-Handed Grand Tournament.
But to ask him to tame that small mouse?
Wasn't that something impossible without having perfectly mastered Myriad Beast Control?
“It seems there’s nothing Sir Noe can do about this.”
Dae Gu-hwi wore a regretful expression.
In truth, since he had already achieved his goal, he wasn't particularly disappointed.
But if Noe Bi-hon failed to win the Grand Tournament of Dominance, he might not be able to give him the Divine Spirit Pasture.
That was what he felt sorry about.
“He will be fine.”
Bu Eun-seol said calmly.
“Brother Noe will surely be able to break that mouse’s guard and tame it.”
“Sir Noe will tame a mouse?”
Dae Gu-hwi couldn't understand.
Unless one had perfectly mastered Myriad Beast Control, taming such a small animal was impossible.
Especially since mice hate bright places and have a nature of extreme avoidance towards people.
But as Bu Eun-seol calmly took a seat, Dae Gu-hwi had no choice but to sit down as well.
“……”
Meanwhile, Noe Bi-hon, standing inside the iron cage, simply stared at the mouse without a word.
Even if he recovered his Thunder Spirit Energy, taming a mouse was an impossible task.
But a leisurely smile graced his lips.
“Here.”
Just then, Noe Bi-hon held out his hand and declared confidently.
“Come here!”
—Hahaha!
At that, the Beast Palace disciples watching from the sidelines burst into laughter.
Myriad Beast Control wasn't about talking to animals to tame them, but about commanding all beasts with the energy flowing from one’s entire body.
But to strangely hold out a hand and try to start a conversation?
That was definitely not the Beast Palace’s Myriad Beast Control.
*Squeak.*
But then, something strange happened.
The mouse, upon seeing Noe Bi-hon, seemed delighted as it climbed onto his shoulder.
A mouse that should be wary of humans and flee.
*Squeak, squeak.*
It then began to affectionately nuzzle its head into Noe Bi-hon's palm.
It looked as if it were fawning, asking to be petted.
—Could it be that he can talk to animals, just like our palace's founder?
The disciples of the Beast Palace were utterly astonished.
Taming a mouse not with the power of Myriad Beast Control, but through conversation?
—Noe Bi-hon, passes the first round!
Faced with a situation they had no choice but to acknowledge, the disciples of the Beast Palace all let out a cheer.
“What on earth just happened?”
As a bewildered and joyous Dae Gu-hwi approached, Noe Bi-hon let out a low smile.
“Didn’t I say humans and animals are the same?”
Just then, Bu Eun-seol, with a mysterious smile, scanned the surroundings and whispered to Noe Bi-hon.
“Brother Noe, let’s go inside and rest before the second round begins.”
“Let’s.”
Noe Bi-hon, along with Bu Eun-seol, entered the tent where Dae Gu-hwi was staying.
There, he looked around and then began to meticulously wipe something off his hands.
“What is that?”
Only then did Dae Gu-hwi notice that Noe Bi-hon’s hands were covered in water and powder.
“No way.”
Dae Gu-hwi’s mouth fell open.
What was on Noe Bi-hon’s hands was a bit of water and a fine powder.
A powder made from various foods that no animal would dislike.
“Young Master Seol. What is all this?”
A faint smile touched Bu Eun-seol’s lips.
“Brother Noe used a trick to pass the first round.”
“No, this doesn't make sense.”
Gu-hwi shook his head.
“If he had gone in with such powder on his hands, everyone would have smelled it.”
The disciples of the Beast Palace not only had senses as sharp as beasts, but their sense of smell was also as sensitive as a dog’s.
If he had gone in with such powder on his hands, it would have been impossible not to be found out.
“They couldn't have smelled it.”
Bu Eun-seol said calmly.
“Because it was frozen and then dried to remove its distinctive smell.”
At that time, after hearing Dae Gu-hwi's explanation of the Grand Tournament of Dominance, Noe Bi-hon had asked Bu Eun-seol.
—Is it possible to get ice here?
Of course, it was possible.
Because Bu Eun-seol had mastered the supreme ice art, the Glacial River Arts.
And as Noe Bi-hon had requested, he ground various foods into powder, added water, and used the Glacial River Arts.
He froze them and then dried them again.
And before the competition began, Noe Bi-hon held it in his fist.
Eventually, the food powder, melted by his body heat, was in his hand, and he used it to tame the animal.
No matter how keen the noses of the Beast Palace disciples were, it was a powder that had been frozen and dried to eliminate its scent.
And they certainly wouldn't be able to smell Noe Bi-hon's hand from inside a cage dozens of feet away.
“I predicted from the start that they would send small animals.”
At Noe Bi-hon's murmur, Dae Gu-hwi’s eyes widened.
“How so?”
“Because that’s the most difficult.”
Noe Bi-hon said calmly.
“I expected they would send a small animal impossible to tame at once. That’s why I came up with this trick.”
Noe Bi-hon, free from his madness, was a strategist on par with Bu Eun-seol.
—We will now begin the second round of the Grand Tournament of Dominance!
Just then, Yong Mun-gyeok’s shout came from outside.
Finally, the second round, the Gate of Myriad Beasts, had begun.
The Gate of Myriad Beasts.
A gateway into which all the dangerous beasts in the Beast Palace were crammed.
To exit, one must be able to completely tame and control all the animals within the gate.
If not, one could be attacked by ferocious beasts at every gate.
Of course, as long as one didn't kill them, it was also possible to subdue the beasts with force.
But since internal energy couldn't be used, one had to fight bare-handed.
However, in the Gate of Myriad Beasts, the winner was the one who exited the fastest. Fighting animals bare-handed would take an eternity.
Ultimately, the winner of the Gate of Myriad Beasts would be the one who had most perfectly mastered Myriad Beast Control.
—Noe Bi-hon! Enter!
The last turn was Noe Bi-hon’s.
So far, the fastest to pass through the Gate of Myriad Beasts had taken one *shichen*, a man who had mastered Myriad Beast Control to the eighth level.
He was Hyeol Cheon-sang, a subordinate of the fourth son, Dae Yu-ja.
“Food won’t work for this one.”
Noe Bi-hon grinned and entered the Gate of Myriad Beasts without hesitation.
Dae Gu-hwi looked at Bu Eun-seol with a worried expression.
“Will he be alright?”
The ferocious beasts in the Gate of Myriad Beasts would not be tamed by mere food; on the contrary, they would see Noe Bi-hon as food.
“Of course.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded firmly.
Noe Bi-hon was no ordinary person. Even if he had lost his power, he would surely pass through the Gate of Myriad Beasts safely.
And the sooner he regained his memory, the sooner they could deal with the descendant of the Dao Emperor.
* * *
Inside the Gate of Myriad Beasts was a long corridor made entirely of metal.
Faint night-luminescent pearls were embedded in the walls, allowing one to discern the internal structure to some extent.
“So there’s a beast at every turn.”
The corridor was wide enough for dozens of people to pass through at once.
And as one walked this corridor, beasts hidden in mechanisms would spring out.
*Clank!*
Just then, with a metallic sound from the opposite side, the gate of an iron cage opened, revealing a massive shadow.
It was none other than a giant, starving bear, the size of a house.
Seeing Noe Bi-hon, its eyes were bloodshot and it drooled, a clear sign that it was a man-eating bear that had tasted human flesh.
*Shuffle, shuffle.*
The bear approached slowly, as if uninterested.
But a thick killing intent emanated from its body, and its movements were cautious.
It was planning to approach slowly, seize an opportunity, and pounce in an instant.
*Tat!*
Noe Bi-hon moved first, before the bear could pounce, and struck its head in a single blow.
*Kwang!*
The bear, startled, leaped back.
Even though his Thunder Spirit Energy was gone, he was the Thunder God who had ruled the martial world.
He had trained his body for a long time, and even with his memory lost, his combat instincts from felling countless powerful foes remained.
That was why he could close the distance in an instant and strike the bear's head.
—Uooar!
The bear, enraged, charged madly at Noe Bi-hon.
He swung his fist again, but it was useless.
The bear's fur and hide were nearly three inches thick. No matter how much strength he exerted, he couldn't knock it down with his bare fists without internal energy.
—Keoheong!
As Noe Bi-hon was scratched by its claws and began to bleed, the bear became even more frenzied.
If he continued this struggle with the bear?
He would eventually be overwhelmed by the bear's strength, and Noe Bi-hon would become living prey.
“Kuh.”
Noe Bi-hon moved quickly, dodging the bear's persistent attacks, but he was no match for it.
His body was torn by its claws, and blood began to flow from various places.
“Hoo.”
As he fought for his life with the bear, the look in Noe Bi-hon’s eyes changed.
Though he had lost his memory, seeing blood and facing a life-or-death situation was bringing out the Thunder God within him.
*Halt.*
The bear stopped its attack.
It had sensed the immense killing intent and aura rising from Noe Bi-hon's body.
*Zzzzt.*
At that moment, a faint electrical current was discharged from Noe Bi-hon's body.
As his life hung in the balance, the last remaining shred of Thunder Spirit Energy in his body gathered in his hands.
‘Once.’
Noe Bi-hon looked down at his own hands, which were glowing white.
He could feel it instinctively.
He had only one chance to use this Thunder Spirit Energy.
In the end, if he only defeated the bear before him, that would be it.
He would not be able to break through the Gate of Myriad Beasts.
‘In that case, there is a way.’
Noe Bi-hon’s eyes flashed for a moment.
He then walked steadily toward the bear.
“Around here, I suppose.”
What he touched with his hand was not the bear, but a section of the metal floor.
Hearing a faint mechanical sound, he guessed that the mechanisms for caging the beasts were concentrated in this area.
“Haap!”
He let out a thunderous shout.
And he poured his Thunder Spirit Energy not into the bear, but into the metal floor.
*Zzzzzzt. Thud!*
At the same time, the bear in front of him collapsed.
*Kuuuuung.*
Simultaneously, the sound of something collapsing echoed from all sides.
The ferocious beasts in this metal Gate of Myriad Beasts had all collapsed at once.
“Ugh.”
Noe Bi-hon’s body tingled so much he could barely stay conscious, but he did not pass out.
*Clunk.*
As he walked forward, a small door suddenly appeared on the side of the corridor with a mechanical sound.
And inside the open door, ferocious beasts lay on the floor, collapsed as if dead.
Since the floor of the Gate of Myriad Beasts was made entirely of metal,
the Thunder Spirit Energy had spread, stunning all the waiting beasts.
*Clank.*
Finally, Noe Bi-hon emerged outside.
—Waaaaah!
Cheers erupted from all sides.
To break through the Gate of Myriad Beasts in less than a quarter of an hour?
Wasn't that the best record in the history of the Grand Tournament of Dominance?
“The winner! Noe Bi-hon!”
—Waaaaah!
The crowd roared again.
This was an upset.
Dae Gu-hwi, unable to manifest the Power of the Beast, had been pushed out of the line of succession, and he had few followers.
Dae Gu-hwi, who had never had a proper subordinate, was a figure destined to be quietly forgotten after this Beast Grand Tournament.
But he had suddenly produced the winners of both major events of the tournament.
—Waaaaah!
The cheers continued for a while.
As if blessing the future of Dae Gu-hwi, who would now show a new side of himself.
Beast Palace, central area, Dae-gon’s residence.
Unlike a typical pavilion, the residence of the Beast Palace Lord was more like a large tent.
Large carpets were laid out inside, and ferocious beasts roamed and rested freely.
As befitting the Beast Palace Lord who commanded myriad beasts, Dae-gon did not adorn his residence with splendid buildings.
He had built a large tent and lived there with his beasts.
The Beast Palace Lord, Dae-gon.
His skin was tanned black, his height well over eight feet, and his frame was as massive as five well-built men standing side by side.
But his eyes were clear and sharp, and his expression was gentle.
He looked like a highly intelligent beast that had taken human form.
And before him stood Dae Gu-hwi, Bu Eun-seol, and Noe Bi-hon.
He had summoned them to personally commend the winners of the Beast Grand Tournament and Dae Gu-hwi, who commanded them.
*Sssk.*
A pair of beast-like eyes passed over Dae Gu-hwi and came to rest on Bu Eun-seol.
At that moment, the light in Dae-gon’s eyes deepened.
As their gazes locked in mid-air, it was as if dark clouds were billowing within the tent.
“Palace Lord!”
Dae Gu-hwi, unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere any longer, stepped forward before Dae-gon.
“Please, hear me out first.”
Dae Gu-hwi began to speak urgently.
Dae-gon was an absolute master whose emotions were unreadable, one who had perfected the Way of the Beast.
With a single flick of his finger, he could snatch away a life in an instant.