Chapter 298: Divine Palm
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 298: Divine Palm
“…What is that power?”
The Thunder Bird’s demeanor changed completely.
It must have sensed the sudden surge in my internal energy.
It must have realized that I had been upgraded from a toy to be played with to something that could now threaten its life.
“Sorcery… What kind of sorcery did you use to gain this much power…!”
My power had increased.
But that statement would be misleading.
It wasn't that I had gained enlightenment and my internal energy had grown, but rather that I had finally figured out how to use the power I couldn't access until now.
“I see… You’ve given your body to Gomodo. If that’s the case, then this level of power is understandable.”
I stared at the Thunder Bird in silence.
As if to ask, Do I really look like the previous Gomodo to you?
“…No, if he had taken over the body, he wouldn't have appeared in such a form.”
The Thunder Bird knew it too.
It knew that the opponent standing before it now was not the previous Gomodo, but the lizard it had once dismissed.
“I admit, I’m a little surprised. Your presence has certainly improved, but…”
CRACK-RUMBLE!
The Thunder Bird charged at me with the speed of a thunderclap.
A vermilion spear made of lightning was in its hand.
It seemed to have decided that it needed to finish me quickly with a surprise attack.
“Your essence is that of an insignificant creature! Do you truly believe you can stand against me in a body you’re not accustomed to?!”
The creature was a monstrous bird that had lived for over a thousand years.
Even if a spear was a human weapon, it had likely wielded one for hundreds of years.
In contrast, the weapon I held was a sword.
I had never learned how to wield a sword.
But did that mean I didn't know how to swing my arms?
Swoooosh!
Unity of Sword and Self.
From the beginning, the sword and my body were one.
It was so clear to me how I needed to cut.
CRAAAAACK!
The sword I swung stopped the Thunder Bird in its tracks.
Spear and sword clashed, their powers locked in a struggle.
Krrrrrrk.
“Did you really think you could block a spear made of thunder with a mere sword?!”
The spear the Thunder Bird wielded was thunder itself.
But the sword I wielded was my very body, which controlled that thunder. It was obvious who had the upper hand.
Mount Tai Crushing Down.
At some point, the tables had turned, and I was the one pressing down on the Thunder Bird from above.
Crackle-fizz!
The thunder spear thrashed as if in a final, desperate struggle.
Since I was dealing with lightning itself, I couldn't expect to overpower it with a simple clash.
Swoosh.
The blue sword qi became a sword, then gathered together once more.
What formed was a deep blue galaxy.
The seven stars of the Big Dipper were overlaid onto the black sword.
Unlike in the past, when I could only manage a crude imitation, the starlight itself now descended to settle upon my blade.
It was Sword Qi Manifesting as Stars.
Even thunder that descends from the heavens to incinerate all on earth cannot touch the stars above.
Swoooosh.
Slice!
The spear of thunder was cut apart with astonishing ease.
Crackle!
The two halves of the thunder thrashed about madly.
“Guh… Ughhh…!”
Just as I used the lizard’s body as a sword, the Thunder Bird’s spear seemed to be connected to its true form.
It let out a pained groan.
“How… dare you…!”
CRACK-RUMMMMMBLE!
Dozens of lightning bolts struck down simultaneously.
Their purpose was not to attack me.
K-k-k-k-k.
It was to buy the Thunder Bird time to return to its original form.
“I acknowledge you. Indeed, you are a true successor to Gomodo’s blood!”
Its true form was revealed.
A monstrous bird, even larger than an Argentavis.
A massive bird with feathers of mixed gold and yellow, and an overall sharp, fierce impression.
Rumble!
Lightning struck with every flap of its wings.
“It has been a long time since I’ve faced such a strong opponent! Hahahaha!”
Just moments ago, it had been sweating bullets, but now its voice boomed with confidence.
“However… a human form has its limits! Especially against me, our compatibility is poor. How will you deal with this mobility and the lethality of my thunder?!”
Its confidence was well-founded.
The Thunder Bird’s true form was unbelievably powerful.
It was a force so immense that it felt as if thunder itself had taken the form of a spirit beast.
But it wasn't the only one who could wield thunder.
CRACK-RUMMMMMBLE!
Dozens of lightning bolts rained down on the high-speeding Thunder Bird.
“Keuk!”
The lightning moved as I gestured, obeying my will.
“How… are you doing this… to me…!”
It couldn't understand.
The creature identified itself with thunder, so it probably never imagined a situation like this.
WHOOOOOSH!
The Thunder Bird tried to escape quickly by creating a storm.
But that, too, was something I could counter.
Woooong.
The fox marble trembled lightly.
Not too little, not too much.
A storm arose, just strong enough to restrain the Thunder Bird’s movements.
K-GAGAGAGAK!
“To wield the power of the storm as well… and with such mastery! Guh… Excellent, truly excellent!”
The Thunder Bird’s body swelled.
In a fleeting instant, it took a deep breath and exhaled in a single burst.
It was a simple action, but the result would be anything but simple.
I knew exactly what that motion was.
CRACK-RUMMMMMMMBLE!
A condensed bolt of thunder shot out from the Thunder Bird’s beak in a straight line.
The force of the attack was enough to break it free from its restraints.
“It’s a shame I had to show you this so soon. If not for this situation, there would be a hole in your head right now.”
It was certainly a blow of tremendous power.
Even if my realm had risen, I couldn't easily defeat a Profound Realm spirit beast.
After all, I was still only at the Transformation Realm.
“Now… the pleasantries are over! I will crush you with my overwhelming physical might!”
SWOOOOOSH.
The Thunder Bird flew toward me at a terrifying speed.
A Profound Realm spirit beast.
Facing one that had revealed its true power was no easy task.
Not without going all out, that is.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV10」.]
Even though I was stronger than before, this form couldn't be called a perfect upgrade over my lizard form.
It lacked the destructive power that came from an overwhelmingly large body.
But that wasn't a major problem.
[Temporarily acquiring 「Avatar Transformation」.]
Gu-gu-gu-gu-guk.
Internal energy in the shape of a black dragon began to surge.
Right now, the boundary between human and spirit beast was meaningless for me.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV10」.]
“Wh-What?”
[Temporarily acquiring 「Heavenly Demon Sovereign Steps」.]
My dantian seemed to whisper to me continuously.
Do as you please.
Unleash everything you couldn't do before.
Imitate the woman you wished to resemble most.
The movements of my master, whom I first met in the Silver Dragon Cave.
BOOOOOOOOM!
One step.
The same step she showed when facing Tai Sui.
Another step.
CRAAAAAACK!
The form she showed while teaching me.
CRUUUUUNCH!
And another step.
I was merely walking across the world, yet the earth folded and the sky tore apart.
The swiftly flying Thunder Bird had long since crashed to the ground, its body trembling as it tried desperately to get away from me.
As if I would let it.
Swoooooosh!
With the starlit sword, I slashed at its wing.
THWANG!
The Thunder Bird hastily tried to counter by cloaking its wing in a Strong Protective Aura.
The scene became one of a giant, monstrous bird clashing with a single human.
Both our limbs trembled from the strain.
“Guhk… How can you wield that power…!”
Crackle, fizzle!
The Thunder Bird even resorted to cheap tricks, trying to break my concentration.
Its initial arrogance was gone, replaced by a desperate struggle to shake me off.
CLAAAAANG!
Its resistance made me drop the sword in my hand.
At that, its expression changed once more.
“Heh… Hahaha!”
It must have thought that since I’d lost my sword, this was its chance to strike.
What a foolish delusion.
How could it possibly think I would be outmatched in raw strength?
Fwoooosh!
The aura of Black Slaughter bloomed in my left hand.
The ultimate demonic art, known as death itself.
The Black Killing Demonic Palm struck the base of its wing.
CRAAAAAAAAACK!
“Kuaaaaaaaah!”
The Thunder Bird shrieked in agony.
If it had betrayed Gomodo in the past, it should have been prepared to face this.
A black energy, different from Taotie’s black flames, began to eat away at the Thunder Bird.
“Guhk, guhhhhhh!”
As a spirit beast with powerful regenerative abilities, the wound began to close, but the power of Black Slaughter burned the healed wound open again.
Crack-crack-crack!
An extreme poison that wouldn't disappear until the moment of death.
It was a power truly worthy of being called death.
Now that the creature was neutralized, all that was left was to finish it.
I’ll defeat it and quickly get to the Red Dragon…
Drip.
As blood trickled from my mouth, a wave of intense dizziness washed over me.
I was sure I still had plenty of internal energy left.
…Is this a side effect of the Black Killing Demonic Palm?
“Kraaaaaaah!”
Even so, the side effect wasn't severe enough to turn the tide of battle.
But the Thunder Bird didn't use that opening to counterattack.
“Don’t think you’ve won!”
Dragging its injured body, the Thunder Bird soared into the sky.
It seemed to have realized it couldn't beat me and was attempting to retreat.
“I will return with Jin-ryong… and repay this humiliation in full! This land, and you! Until every last one of you dies a miserable death! Hah, hahaha!”
It laughed arrogantly even as it fled.
It possessed the speed of thunder and flew through the sky.
Even I couldn't catch up to the Thunder Bird in the air.
That must be why it was acting this way.
It knew that even if it taunted me while making a pathetic escape, there was nothing I could do.
Because in this state, I had no long-range attacks.
So, should I just let it go?
As if I'd be crazy enough to do that.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV10」.]
The skill Reverse Scale is about copying the techniques of others.
Of course, it's not an unconditional copy; there are a few restrictions.
One is that I must have seen the technique before and understood its principles.
Another is that my physical characteristics must be compatible.
No matter how much I observe Chirpy, I can't fly because I don't have wings.
No matter how much I watch the Snake Queen, I can't shoot a petrification beam because I don't have demonic eyes.
So, even if I use Reverse Scale now, I can't copy a useful long-range technique.
A human body can't use a breath attack or a destruction ray.
Then what was I trying to copy by using Reverse Scale?
A martial art that can strike from a distance in a human form.
A divine art that allows one to perform actions beyond mere movement.
Buddha's Palm.
Of course, there was no one around me who could use Buddha's Palm.
But I had definitely read the secret manual for Buddha's Palm.
That didn't mean I could use it right away, but I had the knowledge of it.
In that case, couldn't I just copy myself?
[Proficiency for 「Buddha's Palm」 is insufficient.]
I know that full well.
I know this is sophistry.
How could I copy a divine art whose principles I didn't even understand?
[Proficiency for 「Buddha's Palm」 is insufficient.]
I didn't understand the principles.
…
So what?
One hand pointed to the heavens.
The other pointed to the earth.
Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one.
I am the master of this world.
[Proficiency for 「Buddha's Palm」 is insufficient.]
My first enlightenment was the same as the Buddha's.
[Proficiency for 「Buddha's Palm」 is…]
Who dares tell me it's impossible?
[「Cutting Fate」 has been activated.]
I slowly extended my right hand.
I could immediately tell that the motion was different from what was drawn in the secret manual.
Still, I didn't stop.
Just as my master, who couldn't read the Nine Yin Manual, had used the Nine Yin White Bone Claw.
All I had to do was forge my own path.
My hand extended, clumsy and slow.
Dooooong—
The sound of a great temple bell rang throughout the world.