Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Other Powerhouses
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The leopard’s greatsword, swung with the silent grace of a swallow cutting through the wind, reached the tiger’s nose in an instant. The blade’s edge reflected clearly in the tiger’s pupils.
Just then.
*Whoosh!*
Ibaek twisted his body with a flexibility that defied his massive frame.
He moved like a white tiger, his animalistic instincts allowing him to rapidly rotate his shoulders, back, waist, neck, and head to deflect Un-pyo’s signature strike.
It was a display of agility and reflexes that seemed impossible for a human. But Ibaek didn’t stop at just dodging the Black Cloud. He immediately used the speed and weight gained from his aerial spin to launch a palm strike.
*BAM!*
Un-pyo took the blow to his face and was sent flying, crashing to the ground…
*Thud. Thud. Thud.*
…where he rolled three times before coming to a stop.
Everyone who saw it thought it was over. Ibaek’s movement had been that fast and heavy, and the sound of his palm strike had sent a terrifying shockwave across the entire arena.
However, as if to defy the crowd’s expectations, Un-pyo immediately got back up.
Blood gushed from his nose and his left cheek was severely swollen, but he hadn't let go of the Black Cloud. In fact, he tightened his grip, his hands clenching the weapon with even more force.
It was a sign that his will to fight was still alive. Seeing this, Ibaek exclaimed in admiration.
“It seems I’ve underestimated you.”
“Ha! Ha, haha. You realize that now.”
Though he tried to sound composed, every muscle in Un-pyo’s body was spasming violently, signaling that he was reaching his limit.
And yet.
Despite his trembling legs, Un-pyo held onto the Black Cloud and corrected his stance. Blood trickled from between the thumb and index finger of his clenched hand.
His aura screamed that he would not accept defeat like this.
Ibaek couldn't help but voice his admiration again as he watched him.
‘This isn’t some last-ditch effort. This is a truly unyielding fighting spirit. A warrior, through and through.’
“Impressive.”
The Fierce Tiger smiled and took a deep breath.
*Haaaa.*
“Since your spirit exceeds my expectations, I shall get serious as well.”
Ibaek drew the very air into his chest and once again unleashed the Fierce Tiger’s Roar.
*ROOOOAR!*
Un-pyo’s legs gave out, making it impossible for him to dodge. In the end, he squeezed out his remaining internal energy, held the Black Cloud in front of him, and enveloped his body in a protective aura.
*BOOM!*
*Squeeze.*
Un-pyo, who had shut his eyes against the powerful impact, opened them again to find Ibaek gone. The moment he had unleashed the roar, Ibaek had circled around to his back.
He then straightened his arms, clenched his fists, and assumed a forward stance, looking like a tiger about to pounce on its prey.
Un-pyo hastily turned to block with the Black Cloud, but Ibaek paid it no mind. He pressed both fists against the weapon and focused his energy into a single point.
“Fierce Tiger Pierces the Mountain.”
At that, the air around Ibaek’s fists began to distort and constrict. The spectators cried out in shock.
“Th-That’s!”
A moment of silence fell.
For an instant, time seemed to stop.
And then…
*CRACK—BOOM!*
The concentrated energy exploded, tearing the atmosphere asunder. The resulting shockwave shook the very heavens and the lake below.
*KRA-KA-KA-KA-BOOM!*
Un-pyo lost consciousness from the immense impact and was sent flying. He and the Black Cloud soared out of the arena and plunged into the lake.
*Splash!*
Un-pyo sank into the water, unconscious.
It was, by all accounts, his clear defeat.
Ibaek immediately dove into the lake and pulled Un-pyo out. Medics arrived with a stretcher and carried the unconscious man away.
Once the situation was under control, Gu-yeom announced Ibaek’s victory.
“The winner is Ibaek of the Fierce Tiger Family!”
*WAAAAAAAH!*
Thunderous applause rained down on Ibaek’s imposing figure, and the crowd roared with excitement.
The name people cheered was Ibaek of the Fierce Tiger Family; no one called out for Un-pyo.
Mu-heun, having watched the match between Un-pyo and Ibaek, spoke.
“Ibaek of the Fierce Tiger Family…”
Mulling over Ibaek’s name, he naturally turned his gaze toward Un-pyo being carried away on the stretcher.
“Become stronger.”
This would be a formative experience for Un-pyo, one that would strengthen him. But seeing him carried away like that made Mu-heun’s fists clench.
If he ever faced Ibaek, he would send him off in the exact same way…
Mu-heun made a vow.
* * *
A few more matches took place, and the number of noteworthy fighters grew.
“The next match is between Gu Yang-baek of the Killing Palace and Cho Sang-hwa of the Sacred Fire Palace.”
Gu Yang-baek of the Killing Palace. I hadn’t paid him much mind before, but now that I was watching closely, his ability to erase his presence was no joke.
As Gu Yang-baek walked up to the stage, he made no sound and left no trace. It was the unique footwork of the Killing Palace.
Cho Sang-hwa was a master of ice arts with an equally frosty appearance, while Gu Yang-baek used the Shadowy Demonic Arts, a martial art specialized for assassination.
“Let the match begin!”
The moment the match started, Cho Sang-hwa raised her internal energy to its peak. Her ice arts began to slowly spread across the arena, likely a measure to impede Gu Yang-baek’s movements.
However,
*Flick!*
“……!!”
Not even a minute had passed since the match began.
*Thump.*
Cho Sang-hwa, who had been gathering her internal energy, collapsed.
‘Hoh…’
Even watching from a distance, I had to admire his skill.
The audience was confused, not understanding why Cho Sang-hwa had fallen. The honored guests in the Sun and Moon Hall, however, were marveling at Gu Yang-baek’s assassination techniques.
Gu-yeom was just as bewildered, but after a moment, he grasped the situation and shouted.
“Th-The winner is Gu Yang-baek of the Killing Palace!”
The audience applauded, but few truly understood what had happened in this match.
Gu Yang-baek had read Cho Sang-hwa’s intentions. The moment the match began, he had erased his presence with his Shadowy Demonic Arts, approached her, and precisely struck her Hun acupoint.
He had aimed for the brief opening when she was focusing her internal energy.
I felt a chill watching Gu Yang-baek.
‘A veteran assassin. If a descendant is this skilled, I wonder what the Lord of the Killing Palace is capable of…’
After Gu Yang-baek and Cho Sang-hwa’s match concluded, the next contestants entered the arena.
“The next match is Ma Tae-pyeong of the Sword Demon Family versus Wi O-ryeong of the Mongo Pavilion!”
So far, Ma Tae-pyeong’s matches had been overwhelming victories. Every fight had ended in a single blow, so it was difficult to gauge his true strength, but it was clear he was a powerhouse.
Wi O-ryeong of the Mongo Pavilion was also a master who had completely conquered the peak realm and was nearing transcendence. This time, I might be able to see Ma Tae-pyeong’s true abilities.
That should have been the case… but Ma Tae-pyeong wasn’t even looking at him properly.
As if his opponent was beneath his notice.
His gaze was always fixed on me.
‘Why me?’
Wi O-ryeong summoned a powerful storm, but Ma Tae-pyeong’s sword sliced through it as if cleaving a great mountain, cutting down Wi O-ryeong in the process.
*Swishhh*
Wi O-ryeong collapsed, bleeding. A deep wound ran from his right shoulder down to his chest.
For a martial artist, a scar like that on his right shoulder… A man of Ma Tae-pyeong’s skill could have surely held back, but he was merciless.
Ma Tae-pyeong looked down at the fallen Wi O-ryeong with a bored expression and said.
“I didn’t kill you because this is a match.”
‘Ma Tae-pyeong of the Sword Demon Family…’
Of all the fighters I’d seen so far, aside from Seol Ha-ryeong, Ma Tae-pyeong was likely the strongest.
“The winner is Ma Tae-pyeong of the Sword Demon Family!”
The man seemed to feel a strange sense of rivalry toward me, but he was out of his league. If we were to fight, I would return the words he’d said to Wi O-ryeong right back at him.
My turn was eleventh, and my opponent was a man named U Mu-gyeong from the Law Palace.
I took a small boat to the stage, and Gu-yeom announced the start of the match.
“The match between Baek Mu-heun of the Heavenly Dance Family and U Mu-gyeong of the Law Palace will now begin!”
U Mu-gyeong used a martial art called the Golden Ape Arts.
‘The same art the Law Palace Lord, Cheon Ji-gyeong, used to instantly kill a transcendent master. They say its power is immense. I’d like to see it for myself.’
“Golden Ape Eight Trigrams!”
U Mu-gyeong was also a transcendent master. Golden energy surged endlessly, forming giant ape arms that began to smash the arena as they chased me.
*CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!*
I used my swift movement technique to narrowly evade the massive golden ape arms. Seeing it in person, it was truly ferocious.
Is this guy trying to destroy the entire stage?
‘What a relentless assault.’
*BOOM! BOOM!*
I could have dodged all of them, but I decided I should try to take one. I infused the Sun and Moon Sword with internal energy. A sinister black dragon coiled around the blade, and I met the golden ape arm head-on.
*CLANG—!*
“Kugh!”
We exchanged ten blows like that.
The force was so brutish that my hand holding the Sun and Moon Sword went numb.
Just then, U Mu-gyeong spoke for the first time.
“You are incredibly strong.”
“Hardly as strong as you.”
After ten exchanges, U Mu-gyeong had acknowledged my strength and seemed to have sensed his defeat. Yet, he looked even more delighted.
“Excessive courtesy is a discourtesy. There’s no need for empty words.”
‘What a straightforward fellow.’
U Mu-gyeong’s powerful Golden Ape Arts, resembling a rampaging golden ape, was amusing, but it was time to end this.
“Haha, then let’s finish this.”
“If you can!”
U Mu-gyeong pushed his internal energy to its absolute limit and charged at me. Even if he were to lose, he would not lose his fighting spirit.
As I dodged U Mu-gyeong’s palm strike, I used the power of Myriad Fragrance to draw a formation in the air.
‘It’s been a while since I used something other than a sword.’
Weaving around his attacks, I completed the formation and gave U Mu-gyeong a warning.
“Don’t die.”
“Such arrogance!”
Then I leaped into the air and, with the Myriad Fragrance formation, unleashed my internal energy. The image of a black dragon formed a cloud of energy, which in turn generated dozens of lightning bolts.
*Crackle, crackle*
A chain attack catalyzed by the Myriad Fragrance formation. Dozens of black lightning bolts rained down on U Mu-gyeong.
‘Mad Heavenly Demon's Thunderblast.’
*KRA-KA-KOW!*
U Mu-gyeong had no time to dodge and was struck directly by the black lightning.
“Kuaargh!”
He was charred black…
*Thump*
…and collapsed limply.
Gu-yeom, who had been watching our match, wiped the sweat from his temple and said.
“Th-The winner is Baek Mu-heun of the Heavenly Dance Family!”
*WAAAAAAAH!*
The audience erupted in endless cheers at the incredible spectacle.
“D-Did you see that?”
“Wasn’t that black lightning?”
“Is something like that even possible?”
“Truly worthy of being the Cult Leader’s disciple!”
By now, whenever my turn came, Gu-yeom would automatically retreat from the stage, and the audience would wait in anticipation for my appearance.
“I heard that guy used to be a good-for-nothing.”
“No way, that has to be a baseless rumor. Just look at his match.”
“True… Being so young and powerful, he must have been the target of a lot of jealousy.”
“Exactly!”
My matches left a shocking impression every time, and that impression had begun to rewrite this body’s past.
The Palace Lords, Elders, and Pavilion Lords of the Sun and Moon Hall were all speechless with admiration. Among them, Hwang Cheol-ung, the Red Demon Pavilion Lord, was starting to feel a creeping fear.
The final match that followed was…
Pa-sun versus Seol Ha-ryeong.
* * *
As Pa-sun and Seol Ha-ryeong stood on the stage, Gu-yeom asked them.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
At Gu-yeom’s signal, a drum sounded.
*BOOM!*
Gu-yeom immediately announced the start of the match.
“This match is between Pa-sun of the Heavenly Dance Family and Seol Ha-ryeong of the Sacred Fire Palace!”
Pa-sun and Seol Ha-ryeong stood facing each other, but their composure was worlds apart. While Pa-sun was visibly tense, Seol Ha-ryeong simply covered her mouth with a fan and smiled.
However, Pa-sun, aware of the skill gap, wasn’t offended. He didn't blame her and simply said.
“I am here to learn from you.”
“Hoho, do your best.”
“……”
Pa-sun bent his knees and extended his arms, gripping his spear. The moment he infused it with internal energy, ready to thrust it at Seol Ha-ryeong—
*Crack, crackle*
“Kugh.”
Pa-sun’s hands were half-frozen.
“……!!”
Seol Ha-ryeong, who had been hiding her face with her fan, had already taken control of the entire arena with her ice arts.