Chapter 139
Chapter 139: Today (4)
"Rotation Sword Rigidity... Have you ever even imagined such a thing? When I first received reports about him, I certainly heard he was someone without even a hair's breadth of internal energy, so how on earth has this happened?"
Hyeoncheon Jinin spoke quietly.
In his view, Eul Ji-chu's realm was also astonishing, but Dong Guang-chuan was shocking to the point of being unbelievable. It wouldn't be an exaggeration at all to say it was hard to believe. If it hadn't happened right before his eyes, he might truly not have believed it.
"...My apologies, Alliance Leader. However, when I first encountered him, it certainly was so."
Eul Ji-tae was equally shocked. Certainly from when they first met until he brought him to the Murim Alliance, Dong Guang-chuan had no internal energy.
Sword Rigidity in a short period of less than even a month!? And that too, Rotation Rigid Energy in a peculiar form completely unknown before.
It was nonsensical.
Eul Ji-tae was born into a humble family in Murim. A truly long period of patient endurance was needed to rise to this position. When there was time to swing a sword, he swung it, and when he couldn't, he reviewed sword paths. Only after several decades could he finally materialize Rigid Energy.
But those two had already stepped into that realm at their young age in their twenties.
Especially Dong Guang-chuan... in one month.
It was difficult to express in words. Coming to this position alone, he had taken great pride in himself. But from today on, he feared that would crumble. He didn't even feel envious.
He just felt afraid.
A prodigy cannot defeat a genius, and a genius cannot defeat 'those' monsters, it seems.
"After Great Master Seungchan met that person yesterday, he left the Alliance. Who else in this Central Plains Murim could move Great Master Seungchan with just one meeting? Can you think of anyone plausible?"
Eul Ji-tae couldn't give any answer.
Hyeoncheon Jinin stroked his beard once with a grave expression and said.
"I think it's one of two possibilities."
"...?"
"If not the Chosen One of the Extreme Yin Star of Heavenly Calamity, then his adversary."
At Hyeoncheon Jinin's shocking words, a surprised expression appeared on Eul Ji-tae's face.
Nevertheless, Hyeoncheon Jinin's bold reasoning wasn't finished yet.
"I think it's the latter. If he were the Chosen One of the Extreme Yin Star of Heavenly Calamity, there's no way Great Master Seungchan wouldn't have told me."
"...By adversary, you mean?"
"You told me yesterday that Great Master Seungchan first asked that person if he came from Tianshan. I pondered that all last night. And I reached one conclusion. There were many difficulties in thinking that way, but now that I've directly watched him fight, I can finally be certain."
"Perhaps...!? Could the adversary the Alliance Leader is thinking of possibly be!?"
"It's probably what you're thinking right now."
Eul Ji-tae looked back and forth between Dong Bong-soo and Hyeoncheon Jinin with a surprised expression.
"Issue an emergency order immediately to all standing forces and summon them here."
"But isn't this still not certain?"
"What if it's correct? It's the Heavenly Demon. Though it's merely a possibility, it's something we must prepare for. If we're even slightly late, the calamity from a thousand years ago will overturn the Central Plains again."
"......"
"It's my intuition, but the Chosen One of the Extreme Yin Star of Heavenly Calamity is also definitely here. This could become an excellent opportunity to deal with both at once. Make haste."
"...Understood, Alliance Leader. I accept your command."
Though not pleased, Eul Ji-tae had no choice but to rush toward Muhwa Gate.
In the Arena, the fierce battle between Dong Bong-soo and Eul Ji-chu was racing toward its end.
***
Clang-!
"Ghk-."
The Wanderer's Sword and Dog-Beating Staff clashed once more.
Eul Ji-chu was violently pushed backward. He barely endured by mixing the Dog-Beating Staff Technique's Seal Character Formula with Bind Character Formula and Wrap Character Formula.
However, even that seemed to have nearly reached its limit now. The more they exchanged blows, the greater the distance he was pushed and the impact grew. That meant his opponent was gradually becoming accustomed to the Dog-Beating Staff Technique. Moreover, when occasionally some unknown energy surged to push him backward, it was absurd.
"You... what exactly are you? Are you a descendant of ghosts? Why are you so strong?"
Dong Bong-soo's Rotation Rigid Energy was terrifying, but his physical body's inherent strength, endurance, and speed were even more tremendous. While his own internal power as well as physical strength itself seemed nearly depleted, his opponent seemed to get faster and stronger the more they fought.
Eul Ji-chu was acutely feeling it. If not for the mystical uses of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique and Drunken Eight Immortals Step, he would have been defeated long ago.
Eul Ji-chu didn't know. That Dong Bong-soo had not only internal energy but also an additional energy point called JP, fraudulent physical abilities called stats, and a skill called [Consecutive Strike].
In any case, Eul Ji-chu now had to make a decision.
Either be defeated helplessly like this or squeeze out his remaining strength and stake everything on one match.
The conclusion was naturally already decided.
Swish-swish.
Eul Ji-chu once again barely blocked and diverted the Rotation Sword Rigidity using Seal Character Formula and Wrap Character Formula. His insides were violently shaken but he endured.
Immediately after, he retreated backward at the maximum possible speed.
Then he raised the Dog-Beating Staff high above his head.
Dong Bong-soo tried to follow but sensed an extraordinary energy and stopped.
"Well now. To think I'd use this technique at the Heavenly Youth Martial Arts Tournament. I thought I'd use it when I met a lifelong rival... Anyway, be careful. Though it's a martial art our successive beggar kings created and patched together like rags, it's quite formidable. Enough to eliminate all the mutts under heaven."
Krrr-zzzt—
Along with a strange sound, the Rigid Energy coalesced at the tip of the Dog-Beating Staff momentarily subsided.
The crowd also seemed to sense that the great match would soon be decided and became quiet all at once.
Dong Bong-soo gripped the Wanderer's Sword with his usual calm expression.
At that moment.
Eul Ji-chu's hand swung downward.
Clang! Clang! Clang-clang-clang!
What kind of sound is this? A sound like hundreds and thousands of dogs barking simultaneously suddenly spread throughout the venue.
The sound doesn't stop.
The Dog-Beating Staff Technique, as its name suggests, was a martial art first created to beat down dogs. Dogs were traditionally the greatest hindrance to beggars' alms. They would steal food beggars begged for, or even sometimes attack in groups.
To beggars, dogs were nothing less than lifelong enemies.
Naturally, while beating dogs, staff techniques gradually established their foundation. As this accumulated over several hundred years, it developed into staff methods. At the same time, the organization called Beggar Sect gradually became more systematized and grew. And from some point on, the modifier Number One Sect Under Heaven always followed behind Beggar Sect.
From that time, the Dog-Beating Staff Technique transformed into a martial art for beating down people, not dogs.
The Dog-Beating Staff Technique finally had its form and framework perfected during the generation of the fifteenth Beggar Sect Leader, Nine-Fingered Divine Beggar Hong Chil-gang.
Eight formulas: Bind, Split, Wrap, Grasp, Lift, Lead, Seal, Turn.
Eighteen basic techniques including Hold Strike Twin Dogs, Lift Release Dog Claw, Diagonal Strike Dog's Back, Swift Strike Dog's Rear, Lead Dog Into Compound, Flatten Dog's Back, Send Dog to Heaven, Evil Dog Blocks Road, Strike Head Staff Shout, Great Havoc in Heaven, Mastiff Mouth Seizes Staff, Staff Path Mangy Dog, Mad Dog Sees Tail, Wind Dog Chaotic Mating, Three Dogs Rampage Eating, Press Dog Lower Head, Reverse Cut Dog's Rear, and.
The final technique of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique.
Precisely the technique Eul Ji-chu was about to unfold now.
Heaven Without Dogs.
There are no more dogs under heaven.
Eul Ji-chu's Dog-Beating Staff seemed to be resting quietly on the ground, yet strangely the sound didn't stop. Unless one had extremely keen eyesight, one could never know why.
Dong Bong-soo had unwavering eyes. So he knew well how Eul Ji-chu's Dog-Beating Staff was moving right now.
Krrr-zzzt-zzzt-zzzt-ZING! Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
'Is it vibrating?'
If his sword rotated based on the sword body, that was finely trembling left and right based on the staff body. That's why such a sound was being made.
The sound of green jade and Cold Iron colliding gradually grew louder. The amplitude of that sound also gradually shortened. It meant the vibration was getting faster.
Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip—!
When it reached a certain point, it started making a sound exactly like when cutting metal with an electric saw.
Soon, even that disappeared.
It had entered the realm of ultrasonic waves.
At that moment, green Rigid Energy shot up again from the tip of the Dog-Beating Staff.
Crunch—!
The area around the Arena where Eul Ji-chu stood instantly crumbled down.
That was the attack signal.
Thwip.
Eul Ji-chu flew swiftly toward Dong Bong-soo.
***
"What technique is that? It looks incredibly amazing..."
Hwa Seon-hyang muttered quietly to herself while clenching her fists.
Whether hearing that, someone answered.
"It's called Heaven Without Dogs."
Hwa Seon-hyang turned her head to the side. To confirm who had spoken.
Someone had come and sat in the seat left vacant for Dong Bong-soo. That person was watching the fight with a beaming smile. That appearance looked so innocent and joyful. Could that be why? Somehow they looked frightening too. Must be a misperception, right?
"It's a tacky name, but that's quite something."
"You're... that...?"
"Yeah. That guy who was across from you all every day. Though more precisely, it's a girl."
She was Yeon Yeong-ha.
"...You were a woman?"
"Yeah, a woman. Got a problem with that?"
Well, if even monsters have genders, that would be right. A woman.