Chapter 20: Fist and Palm Techniques (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 20: Fist and Palm Techniques (3)
Only after carelessly suggesting a ten-move exchange did he begin to worry about his opponent's sanity.
Taking on the fists and palms of someone blind with rage? That wouldn't help his martial arts training in the slightest.
‘Actually, it’s fine.’
But his worry was completely groundless. One look at his opponent's face, which had grown surprisingly calm, told him that.
This was the strength of a prestigious clan on full display. They didn't waste their martial power on reckless fury. The true terror of a prestigious clan lay in their ability to channel all their profound martial arts precisely where it was needed most.
"I will pour my entire soul into the ten moves you proposed."
The successor of a prestigious clan was one who inherited its spirit. His step-grandfather was Ma Yeon-jeok, who had once dominated the world as the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. He couldn't have been taught carelessly. The waves of True Qi surging through the boy's arms were anything but ordinary.
"This is the Harmonious Bloom Fist Technique."
"Feel free to use palm techniques. Just because I mentioned fists doesn't mean you should limit your forms. You have plenty to show me."
"..."
It seemed he had angered him again. Jeong Yeon-shin decided to keep his mouth shut.
The silence was brief. The moment that powerful wave of energy retracted back into the boy's body, Yeon-shin knew he couldn't take this lightly.
His charge was different from before. Befitting his change in attitude, his footwork seemed to have improved as well.
Tap! Whoosh!
It was the first time Yeon-shin had seen such a light-footed stomp. The fist that swung around carried a spiraling shockwave.
Jeong Yeon-shin spun in the opposite direction, countering with his Accumulating Grinding Power.
Thud!
Fist met fist. Even in a duel, this was no simple feat. It meant their concentration had reached its absolute peak. Shards of tangled force scattered, lashing at their clothes.
The boy was the one pushed back. Even with his advantage in internal power, the level of their martial arts attainment was another matter entirely.
While the boy swallowed a groan, Jeong Yeon-shin wrapped True Qi around his lower body.
This wasn't the end. The essence of Accumulating Grinding Power was accumulation.
Jeong Yeon-shin twisted his foot and took another step forward, his force accumulating once more without breaking its flow. It was a martial art that unleashed power far exceeding the initial strike in a short span of time. The air warped around the straight punch of his second Accumulating Grinding strike.
Thud!
He felt the vivid impact as his punch crushed through an elbow block and slammed into the boy's solar plexus. It sank deep.
"Cough!"
This was the result of conceiving a powerful fist technique—a fist art that freely utilized Accumulating Grinding Power. He had been inspired by the continuous heavy strikes of the Harmonious Bloom Fist Technique his opponent had demonstrated.
He was pleased to see his opponent grit his teeth and reset his stance. Jeong Yeon-shin could still go further.
"Here I come again."
"Arrogant bastard!"
Perhaps due to the ferocity of the fight, his voice was a guttural growl.
The boy spread his palm wide, and the wave of his energy shifted. It was the exact moment Jeong Yeon-shin delivered his third Accumulating Grinding strike.
The boy’s left hand changed direction three times, as if toying with the incoming fist, before slapping the back of Yeon-shin's hand.
Thud!
Yet, it was the boy who was thrown back. Frowning, he stumbled away, rubbing his hand to disperse the residual force. The impact must have been immense.
Jeong Yeon-shin instantly saw through the variation. It wasn't a simple feint, but a movement that accumulated Fa Jin with True Qi.
‘Another interesting technique.’
Feeling a thrill of excitement, he stepped forward. His mastery of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art shone brightly in this moment, allowing him to hold the accumulated force in place through the minute movements of his entire body.
Boom!
The fourth Accumulating Grinding strike was different. The moment his foot stamped down, the marble floor cracked. The strain was beginning to take a toll on his body.
‘I can bear it.’
Containing this much power made it difficult to execute the leaf-like movements of the Body Protection Scripture. This meant that unless his opponent was incredibly slow, he wouldn't be able to get close enough to land a hit. However, he had the Demonlight Formula.
"You country bumpkin!"
The rushing boy's movements were completely transparent. The forms of the Demonlight Formula revealed the perfect trajectory for his attack.
Whoosh!
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly dropped low, his seamless forms embracing the freedom of the Demonlight Formula. In that instant, his movements clearly contained a principle a level higher than the Harmonious Bloom Fist Technique. His fourth strike.
Crash!
Stone fragments sprayed from the edge of his stomping foot. A sharp sensation traveled up his arm—the feeling of something shattering.
The Body Protection Qi flowing over the boy's body had been smashed to pieces.
‘It would be nice to create a Body Protection Astral Qi someday.’
Brushing the sudden thought aside, he moved to follow the retreating boy. As his movements, like a leaf riding the wind, came to an end, a new wave of energy began to coalesce within him.
‘Five forms were enough.’
He felt the core principle of his martial arts with his entire being. The overlapping of power. Accumulating it by any means necessary.
That was the essence of the Scripture of Initial Overcoming and the Accumulating Grinding Power. It was the way he, a man raised in a third-rate martial family, faced the world.
Flash!
A sky-blue light flashed in Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes.
A blue bolt of lightning surged from within him.
The secrets of the Harmonious Bloom Fist Technique blended with the mnemonics of the Scripture of Initial Overcoming and the Accumulating Grinding Power. Principles of martial arts exploded in his mind, converging into a single, core essence: a fist technique that grew stronger the longer an exchange continued.
The Infinite Flower of Time Fist.
The name surfaced in his mind alongside the mnemonic, heralding the birth of a martial art worthy of being called his signature technique.
Stone dust swirled around the arm he swung from his shoulder.
Whoosh!
The force accumulated solely from his forward momentum exploded right in front of his opponent's solar plexus. Though unleashed from a mere inch away, the impact made the boy's entire upper body tremble violently.
He staggered as if about to collapse, then stared blankly ahead, all the strength seemingly drained from his body.
"A fist technique containing the essence of Fa Jin! He is no longer bound by the rotation of Silk-Reeling Power...!"
From afar, Ma Jin's low, awed voice could be heard.
"You can keep going."
"..."
Yeon-shin spoke to his frozen opponent, but the boy only bit his lower lip, saying nothing.
Three figures approached from the distance.
Ma Jin looked completely drained, while his step-grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok, wore a striking, frozen expression, as if he had lost his mind.
Only the Lord of the Desolate Fortress wore a faint smile.
"I have witnessed a rare sight indeed. To see a martial art being created... a wonderful and rare amusement."
"You flatter me. I hope my crude display did not hurt your eyes," Jeong Yeon-shin said, bowing his head slightly.
She laughed softly. "That is excessive modesty. You look very happy. How could a martial artist not be? Have you decided on a name for the fist technique?"
"I have named it the Infinite Flower of Time Fist."
"A fist where the flow of time blooms infinitely. A fitting name. However, its meaning is intuitive, so be careful that it doesn't become a weakness in actual combat. The key to defeating continuous forms is to weather the initial exchange. With your talent, you should be able to overcome that."
"Thank you for the advice."
Jeong Yeon-shin clasped his hands in a respectful salute. At his gesture, the Lord of the Desolate Fortress's smile deepened.
"Are you alright?"
"I am sorry, Grandfather..."
To one side, the step-grandfather and grandson exchanged words of comfort. The boy, on the verge of tears, stared at the ground, his face a mask of resentment. While stroking his step-grandson's head, Ma Yeon-jeok stared at Jeong Yeon-shin with an incredibly complex expression.
‘How could such a brilliant talent come from a weak family...?’
Even he felt a sense of shame. It was difficult to speak to a maternal grandson who had drawn such a firm line between them. He actually envied his son, who could at least approach Yeon-shin as a superior.
"Unit Commander."
Jeong Yeon-shin looked at Ma Jin, who now stood before him.
"Well done. And congratulations. You have forged another sword for yourself. It is an excellent martial art."
"I've only laid the framework. The forms aren't entirely satisfactory, and when using it as a palm technique, I have to rely completely on the Demonlight Formula."
"Even so, there aren't many among the White Ranks who could withstand your strike. I always try not to be surprised by you, but I wonder how your growth can be this rapid."
"It needs to be faster," he muttered in reply. He paid no mind to Ma Jin's eyes, which were filled with a complex mix of emotions as he gazed upon his sister's son.
He knew that even Ma Yeon-jeok could not claim the fruit of the World Tree. His goal had become even more urgent.
‘When will I ever reach that damnably huge tree?’
The thought was harsh enough to make him curse internally.
"Since Flash Art has won, we should wrap things up."
It was the Lord of the Desolate Fortress's characteristically clear, melodious voice. Turning, Yeon-shin saw her, her smile still intact. After looking around at everyone present, she spoke again.
"I will impart whatever kind of martial art Flash Art desires, whenever he wishes. Furthermore, Flash Art may make one demand of the Desolate Ma Clan. I shall witness and guarantee this."
"I will convey my request through the Unit Commander at a time of my choosing."
Glancing over, he saw Ma Jin's expression turn strange. Yeon-shin had no particular desire to fathom the feelings of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, the Naraka Reaper, who had suddenly been relegated to a messenger.
‘The sin lies with them, after all.’
Dismissing the thought, Jeong Yeon-shin finally looked at Ma Yeon-jeok.
"I apologize, but I must make one thing clear. I have no obligation to my maternal family in any way. Do you agree?"
"Mmh..."
It was a reaction closer to a groan. He couldn't seem to open his mouth, as if a thousand thoughts were warring in his mind. Under Jeong Yeon-shin's steady gaze, Ma Yeon-jeok finally spoke, his expression extremely strained.
"What..."
His spotless white beard trembled slightly.
"What must I do for you to forgive me?"
"...!"
It wasn't Jeong Yeon-shin who reacted to those words.
The boy, the successor, could not hide his misery, and Ma Jin's face was painted with shock. Even the Lord of the Desolate Fortress seemed slightly surprised.
Perhaps because he was the one being addressed, Jeong Yeon-shin had a completely different thought.
‘He seems like a terrifying person.’
It was said that whenever a Purple Rank expert of the Desolate Fortress stepped into the Murim, they acted as absolute rulers. They were like heavenly gods holding the power of life and death over most humans within their Qi sense—a common rumor. Unless it was a sect leader of the Nine Sects, revered as an immortal by the common people, no one could even hope to cross swords with them.
‘And yet, such a person bowed his head. To me, who is of a vastly lower generation.’
Simply because he was a talented blood relative.
Unless someone was utterly obsessed with the revival of their clan, such a thing would be impossible. It was because of this obsession that he had severed ties with his own daughter for marrying the Jeong Family Head. Goosebumps prickled Yeon-shin's skin.
He knew he had to choose his next words with extreme care. He had no desire to become ‘Ma Yeon-shin.’
"The greatest burden for me is that you, my grandfather, show me this side of yourself. The past cannot be undone. To me, the members of my maternal family are no different from strangers. The Demonlight Wing is my family."
"Can we not build affection over time?"
"I don't even have enough time to build my martial arts."
It was said that even the influence of the Desolate Ma Clan could not reach the fruit of the World Tree. Besides, Jeong Yeon-shin didn't even know what familial affection was. He felt no attraction to it whatsoever, whether out of necessity or blood ties.
Shaking his head, he spoke again. "I won the duel your grandson so stubbornly requested. Please respect me as a martial artist."
"..."
A look of utter despair crossed the old man's face. Yet, Yeon-shin could not let his guard down. There was no telling what kind of sweet-talking schemes a man like that would pull in the future. He suspected the man possessed a streak of madness.
For now, he bowed politely to the Lord of the Desolate Fortress and Ma Yeon-jeok, then turned to leave.
His training was urgent. The newly created Infinite Flower of Time Fist was not yet complete.
"Yeon-jeok. How interesting. It is the first time I have seen that face on you. You look utterly consumed by regret."
"Fortress Lord. Instead of helping me..."
"How could I possibly interfere with your karma?"
Letting the conversation of the peerless experts drift past his ears, he headed toward the Demonlight Wing training ground. He could feel Ma Jin following behind him.
The situation was now the reverse of when they had arrived. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't heard the name of the Desolate Ma Clan's successor, but he wasn't particularly curious.
"Flash Art."
They were passing by a small lake. Reflected on the water swaying under the sunlight, Ma Jin spoke cautiously.
"There is a mission that will be of great help to you."