Chapter 127
Chapter 127
The Heavenly Battle Festival (2)
'......What in the world?'
The Beast Heavenly King, Umun Gol, couldn't hide his bewilderment as he witnessed the results of the first group's melee.
An outcome he had never imagined unfolded before his eyes.
Originally, this Heavenly Battle Festival was merely the first step for the Blood Cult to lay the foundation for seizing control of the Beast Palace.
Led by Mangyung, the Wolf Tribe's forces were supposed to kill or grievously wound warriors loyal to Umun Gol, weakening any potential resistance when their ambitions were later revealed.
Thus, before the festival began, Umun Gol had tried his best to persuade the other tribal leaders to reduce the number of participating warriors—but to no avail.
"If you dare interfere, your little brother will suffer a fate worse than hell."
Mangyung, who had already caught wind of his intentions, threatened him, leaving Umun Gol powerless to act.
Ancestors, please watch over us. Protect our warriors.
That was the only prayer left in his heart.
Yet...
'......All twenty Wolf Tribe warriors selected for the first group are dead.'
Instead, the exact opposite had happened—Mangyung's subordinates had been slaughtered.
And by a single man, no less.
Umun Gol's gaze shifted to Pae Taewoon, who stood leisurely against the wall after the battle, his expression eerily calm despite the carnage he had wrought.
The martial arts—if they could even be called that—displayed by this man were unlike anything Umun Gol had ever seen.
A crude, savage brawling style, reminiscent of street thugs from the underworld, yet possessing terrifying destructive power.
Whoosh.
"......!"
At that moment, the man turned his head and locked eyes with him.
A gaze devoid of emotion—cold and ruthless.
Yet, for some reason, Umun Gol's own eyes trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Though this warrior had only been part of the Beast Palace for two days, Umun Gol found himself silently pleading for his help.
He wanted to send a sound transmission, to beg for assistance—but he couldn't.
'......My brother, Umun Tak.'
The image of his younger brother, writhing in agony from the Male-Female Gu Poison, flashed through his mind.
As he let out a deep sigh—
"Group Two's melee! Mangyung advances!"
ROOOAR!
BOOM! BOOM!
The crowd erupted in cheers, rivaling the excitement from Pae Taewoon's earlier performance.
Just like the first group, the second group's melee had concluded.
Whoosh!
Mangyung, exuding a murderous aura, brutally crushed the opposing warriors, securing his place in the second round.
The second round of the Heavenly Battle Festival—the Winners' Battle—was swiftly being prepared.
Originally, five warriors from each group would advance, totaling ten fighters who would then duel in pairs to determine the ultimate victor.
But now, only eight warriors remained.
Because Pae Taewoon had eliminated two warriors' worth in the first group, only four had advanced—and as if to mirror that, Mangyung had slaughtered twenty warriors in the second group, leaving only four survivors.
It was an unprecedented event in the history of the festival, and the crowd roared in excitement.
But what truly sent them into a frenzy was the first match-up of the second round.
Pae Taewoon and Mangyung—the two whirlwinds from their respective groups—were preparing to face each other.
Of course, this was no coincidence.
Pae Taewoon, itching to tear Mangyung apart, had pressured the palace lord into arranging this match.
But for Pae Taewoon, it was a blessing in disguise.
'I didn't expect him to set the stage so perfectly.'
He couldn't help but be pleased.
Mangyung was practically volunteering for an early grave.
And if Mangyung were to meet a gruesome end here...
'Qilian Demon, hiding among these six, will surely react.'
Pae Taewoon's eyes flicked toward the remaining six warriors—excluding himself and Mangyung.
Outwardly, they appeared no different from ordinary tribal warriors.
But Pae Taewoon was certain—Qilian Demon was among them.
That cunning, vile bastard wouldn't have left everything to Mangyung alone.
Besides, even in the past timeline, Qilian Demon had reveled in such twisted theatrics.
Pae Taewoon's fingers twitched with the urge to snap the elder's neck right then and there—but he restrained himself.
'By now, the other two should have begun their mission. They'd better succeed in time.'
Before the festival began, he had sent Moo Myung and Umun Tak on a separate task.
Until they completed it, he had to endure.
So for now...
"The second round of the Heavenly Battle Festival—the first match of the Winners' Battle begins now! Pae Taewoon and Mangyung, step onto the arena!"
He would content himself with turning that bloated pig into paste.
As Pae Taewoon ascended the arena first, Mangyung lumbered up after him, his massive frame swaying with each step.
The difference in their physiques was staggering.
Mangyung towered over Pae Taewoon, his body wrapped in wolf pelts stretched taut over bulging muscles. His sheer width made it seem like he occupied half the arena.
As they stood at a distance, sizing each other up, Mangyung curled his lips into a sneer.
"Kheh. Kneel and swear loyalty to me now, and I'll only break one of your limbs."
"......."
Mangyung was provoking him.
He knew how to handle young, hot-blooded fools.
But his opponent remained silent.
Mangyung's eyes gleamed as he observed Pae Taewoon's state.
Heh. Just as I thought.
The brat's face had gone pale—likely terrified by the overwhelming pressure Mangyung exuded.
Earlier, against weaker opponents, he had fought like a madman.
But now, faced with a true warrior, he was frozen stiff.
"Hmph. Up close, you're even more pathetic—a scrawny stick with no muscle to speak of."
"......."
"Now, just like your father before you, you'll—"
Then—
"Goddammit! I can't take this anymore!!"
"?!"
Pae Taewoon suddenly roared, startling the spectators.
......What's happening?
But something was off.
Pae Taewoon had pinched his nose shut, his face twisted in disgust.
Then, he shouted at the bewildered Mangyung:
"Ugh, your breath is so foul I might puke!!"
"......!"
"Do you eat shit instead of food?!"
"?!"
"Get the hell away from me with that latrine-stench mouth!!"
"!!"
Whoosh.
A stunned silence fell over the arena at Pae Taewoon's outburst.
But only for a moment.
"Pfft!"
"BAHAHAHA!!"
The crowd exploded into laughter.
People clutched their stomachs, struggling to contain their amusement.
Mangyung's face flushed crimson with humiliation.
"Y-you little bastard! Daring to mock ME!!"
"You haven't seen anything yet—!!"
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Before Pae Taewoon could finish, Mangyung charged at him.
Despite his bulk, his speed was anything but sluggish.
"Whoa!!"
"As expected of the Wolf Tribe Chief! Such incredible speed!!"
His power and agility rivaled even Umun Gol's, drawing gasps from the crowd.
But Pae Taewoon smirked.
'Flashy, but still just an illusion.'
Unlike Umun Gol, who had honed his external martial arts to perfection and tempered his soul, Mangyung hadn't even scratched the surface of true mastery.
To the untrained eye, he might seem formidable—but as Pae Taewoon had said, it was all smoke and mirrors.
"I'll punch straight through you!!"
CRACK!
In an instant, Mangyung was upon him, his fist descending like a thunderbolt.
Whoosh!
Pae Taewoon instinctively twisted aside, evading the strike—
BOOOOM!!
Mangyung's fist cratered the spot where Pae Taewoon had stood.
The solid stone floor of Thunderous Love Mountain's arena shattered under the force of the blow.
"How long do you think you can keep running like a rat?!"
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Mangyung pressed on relentlessly.
Like a starved grizzly, his eyes wild with bloodlust, he unleashed a barrage of indiscriminate attacks.
BOOM!
CRASH!
Everything in the path of his fists was obliterated.
To an outsider, Pae Taewoon seemed like prey being hunted—but inwardly, he sighed.
'As expected, he's using the same martial arts.'
His half-lidded eyes analyzed every ounce of Mangyung's power.
Just as in the past timeline, his techniques were identical.
Whoosh...
Unbeknownst to anyone, a strange glimmer flickered in Pae Taewoon's eyes.
His Color-Seeing Eye had activated—allowing him to perceive energy in hues.
Though Mangyung appeared to be using only external martial arts...
'I see it—that pitch-black energy!'
He was secretly employing a demonic art bestowed by the Blood Cult.
The forbidden technique of the Jiangshi Sect—Nine Springs Corpse Armor Qi.
-Cloak yourself in the energy of wandering souls and corpses from the Nine Springs.
A sinister art, the Nine Springs Corpse Armor Qi was originally Qilian Demon's defensive technique.
By enveloping his meridians in energy extracted from the dead, the user could harden their body like diamond.
But its greatest advantage was that no demonic energy could be detected when activated externally.
Perfect for an infiltrator like Qilian Demon, who disguised himself among enemies.
"I AM INVINCIBLE!!"
Mangyung, shamelessly wielding this stolen power, roared with arrogance.
Disgusting. An eyesore.
'Time to pluck the feathers.'
Creak.
Pae Taewoon, who had been evading, suddenly stopped in place.
Seeing this, Mangyung laughed wildly.
"KHAHA! Finally tired out?! I'll crush you where you stand!!"
WHOOSH!
He leapt high into the air, bringing both fists together like a hammer—
RUMBLE!
At that exact moment—
Pae Taewoon's Color-Seeing Eye began to shift into a new form.
Fzzzt!
In a split-second imperceptible to anyone—
His pupils turned ashen gray.
'Wh-what?! How—?'
Simultaneously, Mangyung, mid-descent, froze in horror.
Something was wrong with his body.
'The Nine Springs Corpse Armor Qi—it's gone!!'
The energy cloaking his meridians had vanished without a trace.
No—erased.
This was the power of Pae Taewoon's new ability, born from the Mukhyul.
How does it feel to have your colors stolen, pig?
The Color-Stealing Eye.
An evolved form of the Color-Seeing Eye, it temporarily stripped the target of their energy hues.
No color meant no defense.
As the massive prey plummeted toward him—
WHOOSH!
Pae Taewoon reeled his arm back like a coiled spring—
CRUNCH!!
—and drove his fist into Mangyung's face with the force of a battering ram.
"—Ghk!!"
Like a pig squealing under a butcher's knife, Mangyung's left cheek crumpled like wet clay.
KABOOOM!!
A deafening explosion followed.
THUD! CRASH!
Mangyung was sent flying across the arena, tumbling violently without even a chance to scream.