Chapter 192
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: Fist Demon vs. North Heaven Dragon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gu Jin-cheon looked at Shin Wol, who was sitting beside him, and said.
“Indeed, the North Heaven Dragon. He’s nearly ten years younger than me, yet he displays such aura.”
Shin Wol gave a faint smile.
“You’re plenty impressive yourself, you know? I didn’t say it, but do you have any idea how shocked I was when I first saw you?”
“Haha. I must have been pretty clumsy back then.”
“Funny.”
He still remembered it vividly. The thrill he had felt during his first encounter with Gu Jin-cheon.
‘To think there was another monster like this in the world.’
Shin Wol’s expression turned serious.
“In the spar, your master will surely win... but what about you? Do you have confidence you could handle the North Heaven Dragon?”
“Hahaha, how could I possibly match the North Heaven Dragon?”
“Cut the humble act and be straight with me.”
As Shin Wol pressed him, Gu Jin-cheon’s expression grew serious.
“Hmm. It’d be tough. I haven’t fully grasped the North Heaven Dragon’s aura either.”
“As expected. You think you could give it a go.”
“After watching this spar...”
“Hahaha, right. If you play to your strengths, your odds would go up.”
Gu Jin-cheon’s specialty.
The cheat-like ability to comprehend and replicate an opponent’s martial art after seeing it just once.
“Ah, Uncle’s making his move.”
“Huh?”
Kwaaaang!
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a massive explosion rang out, sending stone fragments flying in all directions.
The vanished Fist Demon had reappeared, slamming his fist down onto the spot where Seol Hwa-un had stood. Fortunately, Seol Hwa-un had already leaped back.
In a single strike, a massive crater formed in the center of the arena.
The spectators unconsciously swallowed hard.
“Such a ferocious fist strike right from the start...!”
“If that had landed properly, it would’ve ended in one blow.”
The Fist Demon withdrew his fist and said.
“You’re quick on your feet, as expected. I thought you’d at least meet my first punch head-on.”
“I’m not fool enough to take a brute-force attack like that directly.”
“Kekeke, here I come again.”
Paang!
The Fist Demon charged at Seol Hwa-un once more. His speed was astonishing for such a massive frame.
“...!”
In an instant, the Fist Demon closed in right before Seol Hwa-un’s face and thrust out his fist.
Shuuk!
The punch aimed at Seol Hwa-un’s head carried less power than before but was far faster.
Seol Hwa-un swiftly twisted his head to dodge.
Paaa!
Just as the Fist Demon’s massive fist grazed past Seol Hwa-un’s left ear, it abruptly changed trajectory.
“...!”
Seol Hwa-un hurriedly raised his left arm to block.
Kwaang!
He barely managed to defend, but his body slid backward.
‘Hm!’
His forearm tingled from blocking the fist strike.
He had blocked the attack in front of him, but that wasn’t the end. The Fist Demon pressed on immediately, now targeting Seol Hwa-un’s chest with his opposite fist.
Shuuk!
Seol Hwa-un tried to block with his left hand again. But still stiff from the previous impact, he couldn’t move properly.
“...”
In the end, he blocked the fist with his right palm.
For a moment, the Fist Demon felt puzzled.
‘Even an arm would struggle—yet with just the palm?’
Paaaang!
Seol Hwa-un leaped back again. He didn’t seem to have taken as much damage as expected.
A glint appeared in the Fist Demon’s eyes.
He briefly wondered if Seol Hwa-un was wearing some divine armor, but that didn’t seem right.
In fact, for a fair and upright spar, Seol Hwa-un had removed all his protective gear, like the Shadowless Fist Gauntlets and the Ice Heaven Ink Scale Armor.
‘Then what? Did he master some special technique to reinforce his palm?’
The Fist Demon’s guess was spot on. Seol Hwa-un had channeled the Ice White Divine Art into his palm to maximize its defensive power.
The corner of the Fist Demon’s mouth twitched upward.
‘Good. Let’s see you keep blocking.’
His movements grew even faster.
The Fist Demon hounded Seol Hwa-un relentlessly, giving him no room to breathe.
Shushushushushu!
At one point, with nowhere left to retreat, Seol Hwa-un clenched both fists.
‘I’ll counter.’
At the same time, his hands shot out swiftly.
Kwa kwakwakwakwa kwang!
Fist met fist, unleashing a heavy explosion. Both had enveloped their strikes in fist energy.
A glint lit up in the Fist Demon’s eyes.
‘Not bad. He’s precisely deflecting my fist path.’
Since it was a defensive move, he must have observed the Fist Demon’s motion before countering.
It was a feat impossible without precise judgment of the fist path and reflexes honed to the extreme.
Kwa kwakwakwa kwang!
Still, being on the defensive, Seol Hwa-un’s body was gradually pushed back.
“How long do you plan to just defend?”
No sooner had the Fist Demon spoken than Seol Hwa-un launched his counter.
“Hap!”
He suddenly spread his fingers and unleashed palm force.
‘Ice White Divine Palm!’
Paaaa!
“...!”
The Ice White Divine Palm’s force not only neutralized the Fist Demon’s strike but surged toward him.
Kwaaaaang!
A massive explosion followed, and the Fist Demon—who couldn’t react in time—turned into a snowman-like figure and was sent flying back.
“...!”
Creeeak!
Intense cold enveloped the Fist Demon’s body completely. He froze in place, unmoving.
“Woooah!”
“Did the Fist Demon just freeze?”
“No way it ends like this...”
The crowd stirred at the unexpected turn, but Seol Hwa-un knew better.
‘The Fist Demon wouldn’t fall to this.’
Sure enough.
Burrr!
Paaang!
The momentarily halted Fist Demon soon moved as if nothing had happened.
“Why’d you just stand there watching? You could’ve pressed the attack.”
“If I had, you’d have countered immediately, no?”
“Hahaha, sharp as ever.”
Seol Hwa-un’s eyes flashed.
‘This much does no damage at all.’
The Fist Demon was truly a master.
The Fist Demon spun his right arm and said.
“Feels like my body’s warmed up now. Shall we get serious?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“Heh heh heh, you won’t last without using your hidden ultimate arts.”
The Fist Demon’s aura shifted. Heavy energy radiated outward in all directions.
“...”
Seol Hwa-un felt the air around him grow heavier.
‘He’s dominating the entire arena with his energy.’
Suddenly, the Fist Demon thrust his fist like lightning.
Paaaa!
A piercing whoosh tore through the air as a ring-shaped gang qi, the Fist Ring, shot forth.
“...!”
Even Seol Hwa-un couldn’t hide his surprise.
‘A Fist Ring right off the bat!’
But with its terrifying speed, there was no time to hesitate.
Seol Hwa-un swiftly wrapped fist strength around both hands and punched toward the Fist Ring with both fists simultaneously.
Kwaaaaaang!
Another massive explosion rocked the arena, obliterating half of it.
“Gasp!”
“W-What?!”
Even amid the chaos, the Fist Demon mercilessly unleashed another Fist Ring.
Kwaaaaang!!
At this point, the North Heaven Hall warriors overseeing the spar shouted urgently to the spectators.
“Everyone, fall back!”
“Get some distance!”
The crowd retreated swiftly. They had come to watch the spar, not get caught in the crossfire.
“Truly staggering. The shockwaves from their clash are reaching all the way here, beyond that vast arena.”
“Indeed, masters of another level.”
Among the spectators was a strikingly beautiful woman wearing tinted glasses.
“...”
Appearing to be in her late twenties or early thirties, she watched the arena intently, eyes gleaming.
Beside her, a stone-faced man spoke.
“An incredible matchup. I didn’t expect the North Heaven Dragon to be this strong.”
The woman nodded.
“True, but it’s not beyond expectations.”
“Then, does the Branch Leader believe the Fist Demon will win?”
“Of course. The Fist Demon is a master even the main ‘Heaven’ takes note of. A mere late-stage prodigy can’t handle him.”
“I don’t think we can dismiss the North Heaven Dragon as just a late-stage prodigy.”
“Well. Even accounting for toppling the Four Evils, he is a rare genius, that’s true.”
“...”
“But no matter how great his talent, a late-stage cultivator has clear limits.”
The woman called Branch Leader adjusted her tinted glasses with a fingertip.
“They lack absolute experience. Even if the North Heaven Dragon possesses martial arts on par with the Fist Demon’s, he can’t win.”
“I see.”
Meanwhile, as the two conversed, Seol Hwa-un—who had blocked repeated Fist Rings—took a heavy blow and was pushed back.
‘So strong. Even blocking with fist strength...’
The power in the Fist Demon’s Fist Rings was exceptionally fierce.
Of course, there was no need to meet them head-on foolishly.
As another Fist Ring flew at him, Seol Hwa-un swiftly executed the Heaven-Earth Shadowless Step.
“...!”
Even that wasn’t easy. The Fist Ring itself possessed a bizarre suction force that pulled at Seol Hwa-un’s body.
But the Heaven-Earth Shadowless Step was a supreme art.
He barely overcame the suction and dodged the Fist Ring.
A glint appeared in the Fist Demon’s eyes.
‘That footwork again.’
Three years ago in their clash, it had given him trouble.
‘And I refined my Fist Ring accounting for that.’
Kwa kwa kwang!!
In any case, thanks to Seol Hwa-un’s dodge, the Fist Ring slammed into the ground, completely destroying the arena.
“Heh heh heh, no arena left—so ring-out rules are meaningless now.”
“I wasn’t counting on them anyway.”
“Exactly. Now that it’s come to this, let’s drop the sparring rules and go all-out.”
No sooner had he spoken than the Fist Demon launched another Fist Ring.
Shuaak!
Seol Hwa-un was dumbfounded.
‘What? Spam a Fist Ring that consumes so much inner energy?!’
His eyes flashed.
‘Fine. No more taking hits.’
Until now, he hadn’t properly countered the Fist Ring’s awesome power. It was that formidable.
But after experiencing it a few times, he had grasped it to some degree.
‘Fist Cannon One Split.’
The energy of Fist Cannon One Split, infused with Seol Hwa-un’s fist qi, shot toward the Fist Ring.
Paaaa!
The Fist Demon’s eyes narrowed.
‘Block my Fist Ring with that?’
Paaang!
The Fist Demon’s Fist Ring faltered slightly, but Fist Cannon One Split fell short of stopping it.
Yet in that moment, Seol Hwa-un charged straight at the Fist Ring.
“...!”
He boldly thrust his fist toward it.
Some watching masters paled.
“S-Such recklessness!”
“Too foolhardy!”
Throwing himself at the overwhelming might of the Fist Ring seemed utterly stupid.
But then.
“Hap!”
Seol Hwa-un’s fist pierced right through the Fist Ring.
Paaaang!
Incredibly, the Fist Ring shattered.
The Fist Demon’s eyes widened.
“No way?!”
Moreover, Seol Hwa-un’s figure was already right before him.
“...?!”
And a decisive strike unfolded.
“Nine Splits Under Heaven.”