Chapter 179: Fighting Joo So-yang-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 179: Fighting Joo So-yang-2
Woooooooong—
A brilliant white wheel began to manifest around Joo So-yang’s sword, spinning with violent intensity. The momentum was so fierce that a massive gale of wind pressure began to howl around the rotating disc.
"Take this as well!"
Joo So-yang swung her sword toward Sun-woo. The white wheel streaked through the air, hurtling straight for him.
Whirrrrrrr!
Sun-woo tensed as the wheel sliced through the atmosphere. He could feel the sheer volume of energy condensed within that pure white ring. He immediately began to circulate the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art.
The Yin-Yang Harmony Qi flickered before permeating his blade. Soon, a blue light coalesced around the sword.
It was Sword Astral.
Sun-woo, his blade now shrouded in astral qi, swung with all his might.
Clang!
Joo So-yang’s wheel collided with Sun-woo’s Sword Astral.
Screeeech—
Before long, Sun-woo’s feet began to slide backward across the ground.
"Grrrgh!"
An involuntary groan escaped his lips. The energy contained within the Bright Wheel was staggeringly powerful.
"Hyaaaaah!"
Sun-woo let out a shout, channeling every ounce of strength in his body. From his ankles to his calves and up to his thighs—every muscle supporting him tensed. Then came his core, chest, shoulders, and arms. He squeezed every fiber of muscle involved in swinging the sword.
"Hup!"
Slowly, Sun-woo’s Sword Astral began to push back against the wheel. He felt a surge of triumph. He felt that if he could just push a little further, he could deflect it entirely.
Boom!
However, his expectations were shattered by the unforeseen. The wheel suddenly detonated. The sheer force of the explosion washed over him.
"Ugh!"
Sun-woo groaned as the shockwave slammed into his entire body.
Whoosh—
His body was lifted off the ground and sent hurtling backward.
Crash!
He slammed directly into the stone fortress wall behind him.
"Cough!"
Sun-woo spat out a dry cough. The sudden impact made his stomach churn as if his insides were turning upside down.
Fuck.
Sun-woo cursed under his breath. He had expected her to be formidable, but he hadn't imagined it would be to this extent.
Exploding astral qi?
This was a martial art he had never even heard of. With his memories merged with Jang Sam’s, Sun-woo’s head was filled with countless rumors and information regarding the Murim. It was safe to say he was familiar with almost every notable technique.
Yet, Sun-woo could say with certainty: the wheel Joo So-yang had unleashed was on a completely different level from any martial art he had encountered thus far.
Normally, internal energy loses potency the further it travels from the practitioner's body. That was why even masters at the Super-Peak Realm could only fire off Sword Wind; they couldn't just hurl Sword Qi recklessly.
But Joo So-yang had bypassed Sword Wind and Sword Qi entirely to fire off Sword Astral. Moreover, it was an astral force powerful enough to hold its own against Sun-woo. To top it off, she had detonated that astral qi at the final moment, inflicting internal injuries on him.
It was a bizarre, heterodox martial art that defied conventional logic.
Shiver.
A chill ran down Sun-woo’s spine. The thought of the shockwave that had engulfed him when the astral qi exploded gave him goosebumps.
So this is the pinnacle of the Transcendent Realm.
He was reminded once again of the height of her cultivation. He hadn't been careless; he had prepared for her attack with everything he had. Yet, the Bright Wheel she fired possessed power far beyond his imagination.
If he hadn't been wearing the Black Dragon Robe and the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor, he would likely be in critical condition right now.
Dust, dust.
Sun-woo brushed himself off and slowly stood up. He stared at Joo So-yang with a tense expression. It seemed this was going to be a grueling fight.
"Tch."
On the other side, Joo So-yang clicked her tongue. Despite taking the full force of the Bright Wheel’s explosion, Sun-woo had stood back up as if nothing had happened. It seemed she hadn't dealt as much damage as she’d hoped.
"You must be wearing something quite sturdy," Joo So-yang remarked, eyeing him.
The explosive power of her Bright Wheel was immense. Had he taken it unprepared, he wouldn't have escaped without life-threatening injuries. Yet, the man before her didn't seem to have suffered significant internal damage. He was undoubtedly wearing some kind of armor beneath his clothes.
"Better safe than sorry, right?" Sun-woo replied with a thin smile.
"How long do you think that armor will protect you?" Joo So-yang sneered coldly.
No matter how sturdy the armor, it was bound to break after repeated heavy impacts. Even if he had survived this time by luck, it was clear it would eventually shatter.
"I don't know. This armor is better than it looks. I think it’ll hold out at least until I take you down."
"Arrogant fool."
Joo So-yang scoffed. She dismissed his words as nothing more than absurd bravado.
"Most people call that confidence," Sun-woo countered, watching her mock him.
"Not knowing one's place is called conceit and arrogance, child."
"Don't worry. I'm not so stupid that I can't tell the difference between arrogance and confidence."
With those words, Sun-woo slowly raised the Dragon Tail Soft Sword, leveling it toward Joo So-yang.
"And..."
Sun-woo funneled his Yin-Yang Harmony Qi into the blade. Soon, a blue haze began to shimmer and wrap around the length of the sword.
"You're not the only one who can attack from a distance."
S-t-r-e-t-c-h—
The moment he spoke, the Dragon Tail Soft Sword elongated rapidly, lunging toward Joo So-yang.
Clang!
Joo So-yang quickly surged her internal energy to parry the incoming blade.
Clang!
Clang!
The Dragon Tail Soft Sword and Joo So-yang’s blade began to clash incessantly. To a swordsman, distance is everything—it is the line between life and death. A single inch could mean the difference between a fatal wound and a narrow escape.
In that sense, the Dragon Tail Soft Sword was the ultimate weapon for a martial artist. It transcended the very concept of distance. Its infinite elasticity and its autonomous will that allowed it to move according to the user's intent—all of it proved the weapon's terrifying might.
Clink!
Clink!
Joo So-yang was beginning to feel that power firsthand.
"Ugh."
A groan escaped her. The relentless pressure from the Dragon Tail Soft Sword was becoming overwhelming. No matter how many times she struck it away, the sword would immediately rear its head and lunge at her again. Because the weapon possessed its own will, its persistence was on another level.
Furthermore, the one wielding it was a master of the Transcendent Realm. This meant its utility and power were even greater than usual. The already troublesome sword was now attacking her with even more complex and unpredictable movements.
She felt a surge of irritation. Originally, the Dragon Tail Soft Sword was a supreme treasure passed down through the generations of the Heavenly Moon Palace. It was the weapon used by the first Palace Master, Joo Gyeong-chan, and its divine nature was so great it was counted among the Six Great Treasures of the Murim. To be attacked by such a sword was infuriating.
Slam!
She swung her sword down with all her might, pinning the Dragon Tail Soft Sword into the ground. Joo So-yang didn't miss the opportunity.
Slide—
Keeping the Dragon Tail Soft Sword pinned under her own blade, she began to sprint along its length toward Sun-woo. Her plan was to close the distance and cut him down.
Sun-woo pulled back, trying to yank the sword out of the ground. But pinned under Joo So-yang’s blade, the Dragon Tail Soft Sword wouldn't budge. It seemed the blade itself was being suppressed by her weight and energy.
`Extend the tip further.`
Sun-woo focused his will and commanded the tip of the sword to grow.
Zzzzzzt—
The tip of the Dragon Tail Soft Sword, which had been buried in the dirt, wriggled and began to elongate once more.
`Go!`
The extended blade whipped around and flew toward Joo So-yang’s back as she charged at Sun-woo. Her sword was aimed at Sun-woo’s front, while his sword was aimed at her back. It was a literal touch-and-go situation.
Right then.
"Tch."
Joo So-yang, who had been charging at Sun-woo, clicked her tongue and spun her body mid-air.
Clang!
She struck away the Dragon Tail Soft Sword that had been lunging for her back. The weapon was knocked aside by the force of her blow.
`Now's my chance!`
Seeing Joo So-yang turn her back to him, Sun-woo rejoiced. He quickly circulated his Yin-Yang Harmony Qi, concentrating his internal energy into his palm. Soon, a green current of energy began to gather in his hand.
It was the Poison Palm.
Whoosh!
With the sound of tearing wind, Sun-woo’s Poison Palm slammed into Joo So-yang’s back.
Boom!
"Gah!"
Taking the full force of Sun-woo’s palm strike, Joo So-yang let out a pained cry and was sent flying.
Crash!
Her body smashed through a nearby pavilion.
"Cough!"
Buried in the wreckage, she spat out a mouthful of blood. It seemed the poison had already begun to seep in.
`That damn bastard...`
Joo So-yang spat out a curse. She was seething with rage. That incredibly annoying Dragon Tail Soft Sword had prevented her from even getting close.
Wiping the blood from her mouth, she quickly scrambled to her feet. She raised her sword and began to circulate the Heavenly Moon Bright Wheel Divine Art once more. Since close-quarters combat wasn't working, she intended to bombard him with Bright Wheels from a distance.
The white wheel began to spin around her blade again.
Whirrrrrrr—
Even the surrounding air was sucked into the rotation, creating an even more massive vortex. She fired it straight at Sun-woo.
Shoooooo—
The wheel hurtled toward him with ferocious momentum.
Thump!
Seeing the Bright Wheel coming his way, Sun-woo kicked off the ground. He had no intention of meeting it head-on; he would simply dodge it. He wanted to minimize unnecessary energy consumption.
Sun-woo threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the wheel. The Bright Wheel whistled past him and flew off into the distance.
Phew.
Sun-woo let out a sigh of relief. It seemed he had dodged it cleanly. He raised his sword again and looked toward Joo So-yang, intending to charge her.
`Huh?`
But in that instant, a sense of dissonance washed over him. A thick, dark smile was spread across Joo So-yang’s face as she watched him.
Sun-woo was puzzled. Why was she smiling after he had easily dodged the technique she was so confident in?
`Has she lost her mind?`
Sun-woo prepared to lunge at her regardless.
Right then.
Shiver.
A chilling sensation pierced through his body from behind. Sun-woo spun around instantly. There, the Bright Wheel that had flown far into the distance was reappearing right in front of him.
Fuck.
The curse escaped his lips automatically. It was too close to block with his sword now. Sun-woo desperately surged his Protective Qi. Even with the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor and the Black Dragon Robe, a direct hit from the Bright Wheel would cause more impact than he could handle, leading to severe internal injuries.
Woooooooong—
Layers of astral qi began to wrap around Sun-woo’s body. One layer... two... three...!
KABOOM!
The Bright Wheel collided with Sun-woo’s Protective Qi and detonated instantly. A massive shockwave erupted around him.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Sun-woo screamed. An impact beyond anything he had imagined slammed into his entire being. He felt his body being lifted and tossed backward.
In that moment, his face went pale. Joo So-yang was standing right behind where he was being blown.
"Hup!"
Sun-woo quickly activated the Thousand-Catty Press. Instantly, his body felt as if it were weighted down by nearly a thousand catties.
Whoosh—
Despite that, the shockwave was so powerful that his body continued to drift upward.
"Haaah!"
Sun-woo gathered every drop of internal energy. He doubled down on the weight. In an instant, a crushing pressure bore down on him.
Thud!
His floating body finally slammed back down to the ground.
"Phew..."
Sun-woo exhaled in relief. If he had been blown back any further, his head would have been taken by Joo So-yang’s blade. But his relief was short-lived. As soon as he landed, he felt his insides twist.
"Cough... hack... BLEGH!"
Sun-woo vomited a large amount of blood. It seemed he had sustained significant internal damage after all.
Shit.
Sun-woo cursed. He definitely hadn't been careless. He knew better than anyone that she was a powerhouse. But her martial arts were so far outside the norm that they defied all his predictions.
To think that an exploding astral qi technique also had a homing function? The sheer performance of the technique was enough to make anyone call it "broken."
Sun-woo had always thought there were no techniques as "cheat-like" as the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art and the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth. But his opinion was starting to change. Wasn't the Heavenly Sword Empress's martial art just as much of a cheat?
"Whew."
Sun-woo stood up, exhaling slowly. It seemed he would have to use a different tactic to take her down.