Chapter 129: Shaolin (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: Shaolin (2)
When Pae Jin-gwang pushed Seo-jun forward, the Abbot’s expression naturally contorted.
"Didn't you clearly state that the martial artist would be under the age of thirty?"
"That’s right. Under thirty."
Pae Jin-gwang pointed at Seo-jun.
"Is he twenty-four? I think that was it. Right?"
"That’s right. Twenty-four. A total youth," Seo-jun chimed in.
The Abbot, wearing a complicated expression, finally let out a long sigh.
"Fine… I suppose you wouldn't lie about something like this…"
Such martial prowess at twenty-four?
It seemed impossible, yet the Murim was a place where the impossible occurred from time to time.
Even the Martial God, Ju Un-cheon, had only reached the Transcendent Realm at the age of forty. Thus, it wasn't entirely out of the question for someone to possess prowess nearing the Transcendent Realm at twenty-four.
Though, truth be told, it still felt utterly unbelievable.
'But it is foolish to doubt what stands right before my eyes.'
It seemed the name of the Namgung Clan would resonate even louder in the coming generation.
"Hah… To think I'd be outplayed by you like this. You were holding an absurd card in your hand."
"You were never exactly the brightest bulb yourself, were you?"
"Still brighter than you."
Seo-jun watched Pae Jin-gwang converse casually with the Abbot of Shaolin with renewed interest.
He knew the old man had been around for a long time, but it seemed he had quite a history with the Abbot from their younger days. Then again, at their age, most of their peers had already passed away. It only made sense for the survivors to be close.
Either that, or they were bitter enemies.
"I cannot take back what has already been said, so there is no helping it. Hye-un."
"Yes, Abbot."
"Since it has come to this, learn as much as you can. He likely won't end it in a single move."
It was a subtle request for Seo-jun not to end the fight instantly.
Of course, even if he did, the Abbot couldn't really complain, but Seo-jun—being a man with a conscience—nodded in agreement.
The Abbot’s expression softened slightly as he gestured with his head.
"Let us head over."
* * *
The group headed to the training grounds.
The monks who had been swarming the area earlier had all dispersed to attend to their duties. Those who remained to watch the duel were all familiar faces.
Specifically, Ji-baek and Ji-am.
Ji-am’s "reverse long hair," which Seo-jun hadn't seen in a while, looked exactly the same. He glared at Seo-jun with a disgruntled look, perhaps still bitter about having his head patted by a far younger junior during the previous "I am the Heavenly Demon" incident.
"Hey, it’s been a while!"
When Seo-jun smiled brightly and gave a small wave, Ji-am’s face crumpled instantly. The way he snapped his head away in a huff was unexpectedly petty.
They weren't the only ones left at the training grounds.
Abbess Bo-yeon of the Emei Sect had also followed them. After a moment of deep thought, she spoke up.
"Cheong-song."
"Ah, Abbess Bo-yeon."
"Yes, it has been a long time."
Since both the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect were located in Sichuan, the two were acquainted. Furthermore, since Cheong-song was a renowned rising star of the Qingcheng Sect, Abbess Bo-yeon recognized him immediately.
"May I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"That man… who on earth is he?"
Abbess Bo-yeon remembered Seo-jun well. He was the man who had dared to spout nonsense about "female quotas" to the Emei Sect.
However, because of his intimidating aura—which she suspected belonged to the Transcendent Realm—and the fact that her disciples had been rude first, she had quietly backed down at the time. She had assumed he was an eccentric senior of the Murim.
But what was this? He wasn't even thirty?
Since he had revealed his identity and the Fist King himself had vouched for him, it couldn’t be a lie. Yet, she simply couldn't make sense of the situation.
"I don’t know much either. I was only told he is my friend’s brother-in-law."
"Hmm. I heard he was the son-in-law of the Namgung Clan."
With those words, Abbess Bo-yeon’s gaze shifted toward Namgung Myeong, who was standing beside Cheong-song.
Namgung Myeong offered her a Fist and Palm Salute.
"He is a good person. And a very exceptional one at that."
"To call him that…"
Both before and now, he didn’t exactly seem normal…
As Abbess Bo-yeon let out a low hum of doubt, Namgung Su-ah giggled. She could guess exactly what the Abbess was thinking.
"He just has a bit of a mischievous streak."
"Ah, and you are…?"
Meeting the Abbess’s eyes, Namgung Su-ah bowed her head slightly.
"I am Namgung Su-ah."
"Ah, I heard there was a single flower in the Namgung Clan. Indeed, the rumors were not exaggerated."
"You flatter me."
Namgung Su-ah smiled faintly and looked at Seo-jun, who had finished his preparations for the duel.
"He is a kind and gentle person. He has a heart that gives boundlessly to those he considers his own."
"Hmm…"
Abbess Bo-yeon couldn’t bring herself to insult a husband right in front of his wife.
Seeing her reaction, Namgung Su-ah gave a playful, narrow-eyed smile.
"If you watch, you will see for yourself, Abbess."
She radiated absolute confidence.
* * *
Seo-jun stood facing Hye-un while casually eavesdropping on the conversation across the grounds.
His wife's trust felt like a heavy burden.
'My personality isn't actually that good, though.'
Feeling a bit sheepish because he knew the truth about himself, he scratched his head and looked at Hye-un.
"You can start whenever you’re ready."
"Amitabha… I shall do so."
Hye-un assumed a starting stance.
His left hand was open and extended forward, while his right hand was pulled back into a clenched fist. His stance was wide, yet his legs held enough spring to allow for explosive movement.
After glancing at Chun-bong, who was staring blankly at him, Seo-jun simply let his hands hang loosely at his sides. Since Hye-un was using fist and palm techniques, Seo-jun intended to match him.
"Here I come."
The moment he spoke, Hye-un charged.
A golden energy shimmered across his entire body as he glided across the ground. His momentum was incredibly fierce. Simultaneously, Hye-un fired the fist he had been holding back.
Seo-jun raised his left hand to deflect the punch and immediately unleashed the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art with his right.
Reacting instantly, Hye-un used the momentum of his deflected punch to spin and throw a counter-punch.
Kwaaaaang!
With a thunderous boom, Hye-un’s body was pushed back.
"Mmm…"
Enduring the impact, Hye-un immediately threw another punch. It was launched from a distance where a fist, let alone a spear, could never reach.
Tung—!
However, accompanied by the ringing sound of a bell, a golden fist qi shot forward, flying rapidly toward Seo-jun.
'Hundred-Step Divine Fist?'
Having guessed as much, Seo-jun swung his hand in a wide arc.
Kwang!
The back of his hand, which had just crushed the fist qi, stung slightly.
"Oh… As expected of Shaolin."
All martial arts under heaven originate from Shaolin.
It was an arrogant saying, but there was a reason it was so widespread. The brief glimpse he had just caught of Shaolin’s martial arts proved it was indeed worthy of being called peerless.
Of course, Seo-jun didn’t entirely agree with that saying. Because in the not-too-distant future, the phrase All martial arts under heaven originate from Namgung would be used instead.
"I’m going to go a bit faster, okay?"
Cr-crack! Seo-jun clenched his fist.
What dwelled within his fist was the heavens. Grasping the essence of the Firmament Boundless Sword Technique, he threw a punch following the forms of the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art.
As the fist suddenly appeared before his eyes, Hye-un hurriedly extended both hands to block.
Kwaaaaaang!
Even though he blocked with both palms, Hye-un’s body was pushed back significantly.
"Ugh…!"
Seo-jun was clearly matching his level. The fist qi on Seo-jun’s hand was faint, and his speed and power weren’t vastly different from Hye-un’s.
And yet, Hye-un was still being overwhelmed.
Hye-un knew the reason. Seo-jun's fundamental understanding of martial arts was on an entirely different level.
It wasn’t just about reading moves; it was about grasping the very essence of martial arts itself.
The sword-like sharpness contained in a single punch. The explosive internal force that erupted upon contact. The fluid transition between each form. Even though the forms were simple, he didn’t dare to block them carelessly.
It meant this wasn’t just a case of being overpowered by brute force.
That was why the corners of Hye-un’s mouth curled up into a smile.
"Amitabha…!"
A profound internal energy erupted from his entire body. The monk, enveloped in golden light, gave a fierce smile.
"Haah!"
Lion’s Roar.
A shockwave of internal energy struck Seo-jun.
Simultaneously, Hye-un dashed forward. His eyes darted rapidly, tracking Seo-jun’s movements. He visualized the forms and threw his punches accordingly.
Seo-jun brushed off the Lion’s Roar as if it were nothing and calmly blocked the incoming barrage.
Hye-un’s subsequent movements were seamless. The disciplined pauses added explosive power to the following strikes, and his toes occasionally snapped upward, sharply aiming for any openings.
The Hundred-Step Divine Fist, in particular, was menacing.
It wasn’t just a technique for striking from a distance. That was merely a secondary element. The true core of the Hundred-Step Divine Fist was the sheer, concentrated power required to strike an opponent a hundred steps away.
That terrifyingly forceful technique was now targeting Seo-jun’s entire body.
"Oh."
A single punch read Seo-jun’s movement and dug into his defenses. As he leaned his waist back sharply, the fist grazed the tip of his nose.
Seo-jun spun around and extended his leg.
Thwack!
The tip of his foot struck Hye-un’s jaw. However, the monk endured it. Ignoring the impact with his highly tempered body, Hye-un pressed his advantage and closed the distance.
'Scary.'
He was like a runaway bulldozer.
Because of the massive gap in their cultivation levels, Seo-jun could afford to be relaxed. But if his opponent were of the same rank, it would have been a difficult fight.
A monk who could withstand Seo-jun’s qi and keep throwing punches like a madman? In a way, he was very similar to Pae Jin-gwang.
Of course, there was also a distinct difference.
Fwoosh!
Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm.
Because his mastery of the technique was still lacking, only about ten phantom hands manifested behind Hye-un’s back, but their momentum was not to be ignored.
It certainly wasn’t fist qi. Nor was it something physical. A Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm performed at the Super Peak Realm was simply an illusion of force.
Feeling curious, Seo-jun intentionally moved his body toward one of the flying phantom hands.
Flash!
Suddenly, Hye-un’s actual hand materialized exactly where the phantom had been.
"Wait, this is actually really cool."
Hye-un’s palm strike hit Seo-jun’s shoulder. Seo-jun easily neutralized the force within the strike and pulled his shoulder back sharply to disperse the impact.
Watching Seo-jun retreat as if nothing had happened, Hye-un felt a deep sense of hopelessness.
'What must I do…?'
He knew the Abbot hadn’t sent him out expecting a victory. But even so, Hye-un was a martial artist, and a martial monk.
A martial monk. That was the title given to practitioners who sought the teachings of Buddha through martial arts. Even in a fight where defeat was certain, he refused to let go of his desire for victory.
'What I need is a single strike that cannot be deflected.'
It didn’t matter if his move was read. He just had to endure and land the punch.
"Amitabha…"
The phantoms of the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm bloomed like a flower behind Hye-un’s back.
At the same time, he leaped. Gliding through the air as if floating, a brilliant golden energy gathered in his fist.
Seo-jun stood still and watched him approach.
Seeing this, Hye-un made a calculation: based on what had happened so far, Seo-jun would deflect the strike and then counter-attack.
Hye-un channeled his Great Prajna Vajra Art to its absolute limit and unleashed the Hundred-Step Divine Fist.
Tung!
With the resounding toll of a giant bell, the launched punch was deflected. Seo-jun’s palm had pushed Hye-un’s fist aside, wrapping around it effortlessly.
Hye-un had expected this.
The counter-attack came immediately—a fist aimed straight for his abdomen.
He had expected this, too.
He didn’t dodge; he took the hit head-on.
Kwang!
Hye-un’s body shook violently.
"Hup…!"
He endured it. A trail of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth due to the internal injuries, but he did not back down.
Hye-un continuously recited Buddhist scriptures in his mind. Pain, too, was merely a passing sensation. Putting everything he had into his fist, he used his front foot as a pivot and lunged forward with explosive force.
"Amitabha…"
The golden fist qi, which had taken on a faint physical shape and neared the level of Fist Astral Qi, was fired according to the profound teachings of Shaolin.
Tuuuung!
Facing the overwhelming strike, a deep smile graced Seo-jun’s lips.
"Impressive."
To grow during a duel—he was acting like a novel protagonist. But for someone like Hye-un, who maintained his bald head for the sake of others, he was certainly worthy of such a breakthrough.
"Then, here’s a gift."
Watching the fist rapidly approach his face, Seo-jun pulled his body and his back foot far back. He gained a split second of time.
He filled his fist with a rough imitation of Buddhist internal energy and grasped the essence of the Hundred-Step Divine Fist he had just witnessed.
He didn’t know the teachings of Buddha, but he knew there was a heaven-like mercy within them. Substituting that mercy with the heaven of the Namgung Clan was more than enough.
For he already knew that the Namgung's heaven contained an infinite embrace.
Thus, the Heaven-Embracing Divine Fist.
He threw a punch that contained the very heavens.
Kwaaaaaang!
As the two fists collided, a massive shockwave erupted. The thick dust that had risen was soon cleared by the wind, revealing only one person remaining standing in the training grounds.
Seo-jun pressed his palms together toward the fallen Hye-un.
"Amitabha… May you go to a better place."
Naturally, he hadn’t killed him. Since it was a technique shown purely for demonstration, he hadn’t hit him hard, either.
Sure enough, Hye-un soon regained consciousness.
"Ugh… I have learned a great deal."
Staggering to his feet, Hye-un pressed his palms together in respect. The smile on Seo-jun’s face slightly stiffened as he watched him.
The Buddhist internal energy he had channeled into his body… it made his head feel strangely clear, yet it was accompanied by an unpleasant sensation, so he quickly shook it off.
'What was that?'
It was a strange feeling. It wasn’t that the Buddhist energy was inherently wrong, but rather that his own body seemed to be experiencing a harsh rejection reaction.
Would things change if he took a proper look at Shaolin’s martial arts? If he ever got the chance, he thought it might be worth copying a technique like the Marrow Cleansing Classic.
* * *
The Abbot’s expression hardened as he watched the duel come to an end. Pae Jin-gwang, who had also been watching from the sidelines, stole a glance at him.
After all, no matter how one looked at it, that final strike had accurately pierced straight to the essence of the Hundred-Step Divine Fist.
However, Namgung Hyeok was simply thrilled.
"Ooh…! As expected of our bundle of blessings! The future of the Namgung Clan is bright indeed!"
Glares immediately flew at him from all directions.