Chapter 178: Fighting Joo So-yang-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 178: Fighting Joo So-yang-1
Boom!
"Ow!"
Sun-woo, who had been dragged along by the Dragon Tail Soft Sword and the Black Dragon Robe, let out a cry of pain.
A sharp, throbbing sensation radiated through his skull. It felt as though he had slammed his head into something incredibly solid.
Thud.
Thud.
He waited for a moment, wondering if it was merely an illusion designed to make him feel pain, but the sensation was far too real. If anything, the throbbing in his head was only getting worse.
Sun-woo withdrew his internal energy from the Dragon Tail Soft Sword and the Black Dragon Robe. Immediately, the force that had been pulling him vanished.
He squinted, peering through narrowed eyes at what lay ahead.
A massive black object loomed before him. With his vision still slightly blurred and restricted, he couldn't quite make out what it was.
Thump. Thump.
Sun-woo reached out and tapped the object. The texture was unmistakable.
It was iron.
He finally opened his eyes fully and examined the obstacle. It was a door—an iron gate of gargantuan proportions.
"Whoa..."
Sun-woo let out a breath of admiration as he took in the sheer majesty of the gate. Its scale was overwhelming.
Step. Step.
He began to walk backward slowly. After retreating a fair distance, the full picture finally came into view.
Before him stood a fortress gate set into a massive stone wall. The wall was so high that jumping over it seemed impossible. Looking further up toward the center of the gate, he spotted a plaque.
Carved into the wood were the words: Heavenly Moon Palace (天月宮).
It was then that Sun-woo realized he had finally arrived at his destination. A spark of excitement flickered in his eyes.
He was finally here.
*
Sun-woo closed his eyes and began to circulate the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art. Before heading inside, he needed to replenish his depleted internal energy.
The Yin-Yang Harmony Qi flowed through his fine meridians and acupoints, revitalizing his entire body. As the energy surged, it began to ripple around him, drawing in the natural qi from the surroundings.
He had begun his internal energy cultivation.
Accepting the energy of nature, Sun-woo started converting it into Yin-Yang Harmony Qi.
Vroom, vroom...
The converted energy stacked neatly within his dantian. Bit by bit, he felt his internal energy returning to its peak.
...
How much time had passed?
Snap.
Sun-woo’s eyes flew open. A clear, deep light shimmered within them. He had fully restored his exhausted reserves.
He stood up slowly. His body felt so light he felt as if he could fly. Now, all that was left was to enter.
Standing tall, Sun-woo looked straight ahead at the massive iron gate.
Hmm.
He fell into thought, contemplating his entry. He considered leaping over the wall, but it was simply too high. Unless he had mastered a technique like the Sky-Walking Technique, it would be difficult to clear it easily. Moreover, being suspended in the air would make him an easy target for interception. He dismissed that option immediately.
Sun-woo’s eyes gleamed. There was only one way left.
He would have to break the gate down.
He picked up the Dragon Tail Soft Sword he had set on the ground and infused it with Yin-Yang Harmony Qi. The once-limp blade became as rigid as a rod.
Hummmmm.
Soon, a blue haze began to shimmer off the stiffened blade. The blue mist slowly enveloped the sword, forming layer upon layer.
One layer... two... three... four... five...
The countless layers of mist eventually encased the Dragon Tail Soft Sword completely, emitting a brilliant light.
It was Sword Astral.
CRASH!
Sun-woo swung the Sword Astral-clad blade directly against the iron gate. The gate vibrated violently, letting out a thunderous roar. However, despite the spectacular sound, there wasn't a single sign of it breaking.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Undeterred, Sun-woo struck the gate again and again. A stinging sensation traveled up his arms from the vibrations, but he ignored it.
After several more strikes...
Cr-crack.
A tiny fissure appeared on the iron surface. Sun-woo felt a surge of triumph. He had finally managed to damage the gate, despite its unknown thickness.
KABOOM!
He began to focus his strikes on the crack.
Creeeeeak!
The tiny fissure grew rapidly, spreading across the entire surface of the gate until the whole structure was webbed with cracks.
Now!
Sun-woo pushed the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art to its absolute limit.
VROOOOM!
The incredibly potent Yin-Yang Harmony Qi flowed through his hand into the Dragon Tail Soft Sword, causing the Sword Astral to expand. Sun-woo began to compress the growing energy, forcing it to stay contained within the blade.
Compress... compress... compress... COMPRESS!
After intense concentration, the compressed Astral Qi formed a spherical orb at the tip of the sword.
It was the technique with the highest destructive power in his arsenal.
The Sword Ring.
Sun-woo pulled his arm back and thrust forward with all his might toward the gate.
KABOOM!!
The moment the Sword Ring touched the iron, the gate shattered, starting from the cracked sections.
Thud.
Thud.
Massive shards of iron rained down around Sun-woo. He simply watched the scene unfold, his expression cold and indifferent.
As the gate crumbled and the dust settled, the figure of a woman appeared through the falling debris.
She was breathtakingly beautiful. It wasn't just her face; she exuded an aura of such high-class elegance and dignity that it commanded respect.
The moment Sun-woo saw her, he knew.
This woman was Joo So-yang.
Sun-woo’s murderous aura began to thicken.
*
CLANG!
Joo So-yang and Sun-woo’s swords collided, producing a deafening roar. A massive shockwave rippled through the air.
"Urgh!"
Joo So-yang let out a groan. An unimaginable, monstrous strength was surging from Sun-woo’s blade.
Clang!
Clang!
Seeing her struggle, Sun-woo began to swing his sword even more fiercely.
"Khhh...!"
Joo So-yang groaned again. Every time their blades met, a numbing sensation shot through her hands.
CRASH!
Whoosh!
Sun-woo delivered a massive horizontal swing. Though she managed to block it, the sheer force sent her flying into the air. Sun-woo didn't miss the opening; he lunged forward and kicked her square in the chest while she was mid-air.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
Taking the direct hit to her chest, she cried out and was sent hurtling backward.
Whoosh!
She flew straight toward a pavilion standing behind her.
CRASH!
Her body smashed through the wall and tumbled deep into the interior of the building.
"Ha..."
Embedded in the wreckage of the wall, Joo So-yang let out a hollow, disbelieving laugh. It wasn't that she had taken critical damage; she was simply dumbfounded.
She couldn't wrap her head around what had just happened.
Who was she? She was an absolute master often discussed as the second strongest in the world—the woman known as the Best Among Women.
And yet, she was being pushed back by a mere rising star who hadn't even reached the age of thirty? And in a contest of pure strength, no less? For someone who specialized in the Strong Sword, this was utterly nonsensical.
She shook her head. Being overpowered in strength was impossible. She must have underestimated him and held back too much. She refused to accept the reality of the situation.
Rattle, rattle.
She slowly stood up, brushing off the debris. She intended to pay back this debt immediately.
Step. Step. Step.
Joo So-yang walked out through the gaping hole in the wall. Outside, the man who had sent her flying stood with an arrogant expression. She scowled, hating the sight of him.
"Hey, Joo So-yang."
Sun-woo spoke as he watched her approach.
"I hope that wasn't all you've got."
He continued, his expression one of genuine disappointment.
"Hmph. You're quite arrogant for someone who only landed a hit because I was caught off guard."
Joo So-yang’s face was flushed with anger as she spoke.
"Bullshit."
Sun-woo dismissed her excuse with a single word. In a life-or-death battle, there was no such thing as being "caught off guard." Not letting one's guard down was a skill in itself.
"You insolent brat!"
At his words, Joo So-yang raised her sword. She began to circulate the Heavenly Moon Bright Wheel Divine Art, the signature martial art of the Heavenly Moon Palace.
Passed down for hundreds of years, the Heavenly Moon Bright Wheel Divine Art was optimized for the swordsmen of the palace who favored the Strong Sword. It maximized the efficiency of internal energy to draw out power far beyond the norm.
Furthermore, activating the art temporarily made the user's bones, tendons, muscles, and skin as hard and tough as those of an external martial arts master, allowing the body to withstand the maximized internal energy.
In the past, the creator of the art and the first Palace Master, the Sword God Joo Gyeong-chan, had reached the position of the World's Greatest Martial Artist using this very technique. It was a martial art truly worthy of being called a "Divine Art."
Joo So-yang began to spread the Heavenly Moon Bright Wheel Qi through her fine meridians and acupoints. Immediately, her body began to transform.
First was her skin. It became smooth, then turned incredibly hard. Next were her tendons, which began to thicken. Then her muscles, their density tightening. Finally, her bones grew thicker and fused into a more solid structure.
Joo So-yang felt a surge of vitality coursing through her. Her height and frame actually increased in size.
"Ho..."
Sun-woo let out a sound of admiration. Even though she hadn't used the Zhu-Rong Art, her height and frame had visibly expanded. It was a change clear enough to see with the naked eye.
"You little brat! You've had your fun!"
Joo So-yang glared at Sun-woo. Every word she spoke was laced with potent internal energy.
Sun-woo adjusted his grip on his sword. It seemed her claim about holding back hadn't been entirely false.
Joo So-yang gripped her sword with all her strength and lunged at Sun-woo, kicking off the ground.
BOOM!
The ground where she had stood was pulverized. It was a testament to the incredible power loaded into her legs.
Sun-woo quickly raised his sword to block her.
CLANG!
"Nghhhhh!"
As their blades locked, Sun-woo felt a monstrous force pouring from her sword—incomparable to before.
Not only had her physique changed, but the very nature of her internal energy had shifted. Previously, it had been soft and pure; now, it was fierce and violently aggressive. That savage energy began to bear down on Sun-woo’s blade.
Screech...
Sun-woo’s feet began to slide backward. It seemed he couldn't quite withstand her raw power. He placed his other hand against the flat of his blade and began to push back slowly.
"Urgh!"
Joo So-yang was startled when Sun-woo began to push back with both hands. She was being forced back again.
She was internally panicked. The Heavenly Moon Bright Wheel Divine Art was the pinnacle of the "Strong" principle. On top of that, her physical body was reinforced. Yet, against the man before her, she wasn't just failing to overwhelm him—she was being pushed back.
It made no sense. This time, she was using the art at its peak. The excuse of being "caught off guard" no longer applied.
"Don't make me laugh!"
Thud!
As her sword was pushed aside, Joo So-yang lashed out with a kick.
Slide!
Taking the hit directly to his chest, Sun-woo was sent skidding backward.
"Ugh."
He let out a short groan at the sudden surprise attack. However, he recovered his composure almost instantly. The Black Dragon Robe and the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor had absorbed the brunt of the impact.
Sun-woo looked up at Joo So-yang, who had kicked him. She was glaring at him, her face flushed with exertion.
What a monster of a woman.
Sun-woo marveled inwardly. Joo So-yang was stronger than he had anticipated. Even though he had used the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to maximize his internal energy, he hadn't been able to secure a clear advantage in the contest of strength.
That meant she was practicing a divine art that was on par with the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth. She truly lived up to her reputation as a master at the very threshold of the Transcendent Realm.
"I'll admit it."
It was then that Joo So-yang spoke, her eyes fixed on Sun-woo.
"Admit what?"
"That you're a handful."
She scowled, clearly loath to make the admission.
"A bit late for that, isn't it?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself. I said you're a handful; I didn't say you were stronger than me."
She began to circulate the Heavenly Moon Bright Wheel Divine Art once more.
"Boy, do you know the true nature of my martial art?"
Joo So-yang continued, staring intently at Sun-woo.
"The true utility of this art is revealed only when the Bright Wheel (明輪) makes its appearance."
A thick smile spread across her lips. Suddenly, pure white energy began to ripple around her sword with terrifying intensity.
"You shall regret forcing me to reveal the Bright Wheel!"
As she finished speaking, brilliant white, wheel-shaped spheres began to manifest at the tip of her sword.
Gulp.
The pressure was so immense that Sun-woo unconsciously swallowed hard. He tightened his grip on his sword. He didn't know what this "Bright Wheel" was, but he felt a strange, ominous sense of foreboding.
Sun-woo pushed his Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art to its absolute peak, bracing himself for whatever attack was about to come.