Chapter 150: BOOM!
Chapter 150
BOOM!
Duel (1)
Tasadon's fist clashed head-on with Tang Se-rin's Hundredfold Fan.
An invisible shockwave erupted, sweeping through the surroundings.
The Tang Elite Unit members deflected the incoming shockwave upward to protect the non-martial family members from harm.
It was a scene that vividly demonstrated just how seriously both fighters were taking this spar.
CRACK!
The two, who had been forced back by each other's strikes, simultaneously lunged forward again like lightning.
As if folding space itself, they closed the distance in mere steps and resumed their assault.
SHWIIING!
With a sound like tearing air, Tasadon's fist shot toward Tang Se-rin's face.
The aura of his soul surged visibly from his entire body.
Watching this, Se-woon's eyes gleamed with recognition.
'He really must have trained diligently even after I left.'
Tasadon's current martial prowess was at the pinnacle of martial arts—so close to reaching the Transcendent Realm realm that he could almost touch it.
Before leaving Beast Palace, Se-woon had gathered all its warriors and provided each with tailored training methods and soul-strengthening techniques.
Normally, even the chieftains refrained from giving unsolicited advice on individual training—Beast Palace warriors prided themselves on self-reliance.
'They nearly delayed my departure by clinging to me.'
But Se-woon was an exception.
As the bearer of Mukhyul, the ancestral token, he was an object of reverence and respect. His words were treated as gospel, and they trained relentlessly under his guidance.
And now, Se-woon was witnessing the fruits of that labor.
'But...'
SWISH!
In an instant, Tang Se-rin swung her Hundredfold Fan at the fist hurtling toward her nose.
Unbeknownst to most, the fan's ribs had folded into a single vertical line—a spear-like formation.
WHOOSH!
CLANG!
And atop those ribs, a pure white Yin-Cold Energy surged violently.
Tang Se-rin's fan left afterimages in the air as it met her opponent's strike with precision.
BOOM!
CRASH!
Fist and fan collided once more, unleashing another devastating shockwave.
'Since when did Noona master the fan like this?'
This was a far cry from the Tang Se-rin he had seen during the Cheoncheon Unit mission. Back then, she couldn't even wield the Hundredfold Fan properly, unable to withstand its Yin-Cold Energy.
Now, she manipulated it flawlessly, as if it were an extension of herself.
The Ten Great Demon Arms weren't just infamous for their power—they were feared because they had claimed countless wielders.
Se-woon's chest tightened as he imagined the grueling training his sister must have endured.
But while he felt warmth, the reactions of the non-martial family members were the opposite.
RUMBLE!
KABOOM!
Every second of the duel sounded like artillery fire, leaving them wide-eyed and anxious.
"Good heavens!"
"A-Aren't they going to seriously injure each other like this?"
"Shouldn't we stop them now?"
Of course, there were also those treating the spectacle like a festival.
"Hahaha! Stupid Tasadon! He's gonna get wrecked!"
"Heh, no. Tasadon's nose is tiny—he'll just bruise his little pebble nose!"
"Hehe, this is fun! Who's gonna win?"
"...Su-rin, stop drinking."
Seo Su-rin, thoroughly drunk, had her wine cup snatched away by the Divine Maiden Sect's leader.
CRACK!
After exchanging dozens of blows in the blink of an eye, the two fighters separated, preparing their next moves.
Then, Tasadon grinned, exhilarated by his opponent's unexpected strength.
"Haha, not bad!"
"Your Central Plains speech is still rough, I see."
"Huh?"
"'Not bad' is what the strong say to the weak."
WHOOSH!
With that, Tang Se-rin kicked off the ground and charged.
Having tested several techniques, she had gathered enough insight to dissect her opponent.
'Straightforward, linear strikes. Pure external martial arts—no internal energy.'
His blade-defying physique, which nullified the Tang family's countless hidden weapons, was undoubtedly a disadvantage for her.
Even after clashing bare-handed against her Yin-Cold-infused fan, his fist remained unharmed.
'But what about this?'
Without slowing, she flicked her wrist—
SNAP!
—fully extending the fan's ribs.
HUMMM!
Drawing energy from her dantian, she channeled it through her meridians and into the fan.
As the Hundredfold Fan drank in her power, dazzling light erupted from it.
CLINK-CLINK!
Countless shards of ice materialized along the fan's ribs.
"Whoa!"
"T-That's...!"
The Tang family members' eyes bulged.
Though the technique had evolved, this was unmistakably one of the Tang family's lost assassination arts—
Thousand Killing Scattered Blossoms.
A technique said to weave hidden weapons like petals scattering in the wind, silently severing the enemy's breath.
Three Moves of Soul-Severing Assassination Arts
Third Move: Chaotic Snow Blossoms
But Tang Se-rin's version was far more vicious than the original.
"......!!"
For the first time, confusion flickered in Tasadon's eyes.
The ice shards swirled like a blizzard, hurtling toward him.
At first glance, they seemed easy to deflect—just frozen projectiles, right?
'They're just icicles!'
A simple parry would suffice.
But the moment his fist touched one—
CRACKLE!
CLINK!
Instead of shattering or bouncing off, the ice clung to his skin, spreading frostbite like wildfire.
'W-What the—?!'
Shocked by the unprecedented Yin-Cold Energy, Tasadon barely twisted away from the remaining shards—but his right hand was already going numb.
No, worse than numb—it felt like his hand had vanished entirely.
SWISH!
"—!"
Then, the Hundredfold Fan came for his neck.
Exploiting his blind spot, Tang Se-rin aimed precisely for the knockout point—the Hunhyul pressure point at the base of the skull.
"Ooooh!"
The crowd gasped at the flawless strike—
'She underestimated him.'
—but Se-woon's expression was different.
Yes, her technique was impeccable.
Any martial artist would have been knocked out instantly.
THUD!
"......!!"
If her opponent hadn't been a Beast Palace warrior.
Tasadon staggered slightly from the blow.
That was all.
CRUNCH!
Suddenly, his right foot—wrapped in an invisible vortex—lashed out.
Tang Se-rin barely raised her fan in time—
BAM!
'Ghk!'
A sound like a drum bursting echoed as her body was sent flying.
SCREECH!
She skidded across the arena floor before finally stopping.
Her complexion paled.
The kick had landed squarely on her dantian.
Not enough to end the fight, but her internal energy had been violently disrupted.
Se-woon sighed softly.
'She underestimated external martial arts too much.'
When targeting pressure points, she should have poured at least twice the energy into the fan.
Her mistake? Underestimating her opponent's resilience.
Simply put, her strike couldn't pierce his "shield."
Beast Palace's external martial arts were on another level entirely.
The only thing that could rival internal energy techniques was the power of the soul.
'Beast Palace warriors are born martial prodigies. Teach them one thing, and they grasp ten. They'll become forces capable of facing a hundred enemies alone.'
Tasadon's soul-infused strike, surpassing physical limits, rivaled even the mightiest internal energy techniques.
As the two champions exchanged blows—
"Woooh! Tasadon! Tasadon!"
"The palace lord's sister fights well! Take him down!"
—an unusual scene unfolded.
The Tang family cheered for the wild, unrestrained Tasadon.
The Beast Palace warriors rooted for Tang Se-rin and her mysterious, nature-infused power.
Each side was supporting the other's champion.
There was no hostility—only mutual admiration.
The Tang family felt gratitude toward the Beast Palace warriors who revered Se-woon.
Likewise, the warriors felt kinship with those who followed Se-woon with even greater devotion than themselves.
In that moment, the two fighters—standing at opposite ends of the arena—instinctively knew the next exchange would decide everything.
Tasadon smirked.
"Heh. One last hit."
"If you don't snap out of it, your remaining hand will freeze too."
"Sounds refreshing!"
CRACK!
Tasadon clenched his left fist as if to crush stone.
A monstrous fighting spirit, like a towering mountain, radiated from his entire body.
HUM!
Simultaneously, Yin-Cold Energy overflowed from Tang Se-rin's fan once more.
This time, neither held back. Every ounce of their power was poured into the final strike.
All traces of underestimation were gone.
'The palace lord was right! The world is vast, and the strong are countless!'
'External martial arts that transcend their limits. They, too, are true warriors.'
Spiritually, the two had grown closer.
Through their exchange, both had glimpsed new heights in their respective paths.
SWOOSH!
CRASH!
Shattering the arena floor, they charged with everything they had.
Twin streaks of light carved through the air—
Tasadon's left fist aimed for Tang Se-rin's face.
Tang Se-rin's fan slashed toward his jaw.
BOOOOOOM!
The collision birthed a storm-like pillar of energy.
The shockwave shook the clouds above.
"Cough! W-Who...?"
"...Who won?"
Dust billowed, obscuring the arena.
Even as they coughed, the spectators refused to look away.
RUSTLE...
The dust settled with the wind.
"Ghk."
"......."
One figure stood.
One lay fallen.
Se-woon shook his head and slowly climbed onto the stage.
Standing beside the victor, he raised his voice.
"The winner is...!"
A name was declared.
CHEERS ERUPTED.
The feast lasted all night.