Chapter 149: Seok Myeong’s Martial Arts Overwhelming the Rising Stars (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149: Seok Myeong’s Martial Arts Overwhelming the Rising Stars (1)
It was by pure chance that Yu Yeok-gil and Yu Hwa stumbled upon the Giant Demon.
Yu Yeok-gil had been pacing restlessly, driven by an inexplicable sense of unease. His agitation had eventually awakened Yu Hwa, who was a light sleeper, and then—with a sudden, violent explosion—the Giant Demon burst upon them.
“Yu Hwa, get back.”
Yu Yeok-gil signaled her to retreat while dropping into a defensive stance.
The Giant Demon’s appearance was truly grotesque.
Jagged molars jutted haphazardly through its lips. Its pupils spasmed so violently that it was impossible to tell where the creature was looking. Its physique was massive, looming three or four times the size of an average man. Drenched in bloodstains and bits of shredded flesh, the creature exuded an aura of pure horror and twisted malice.
“Krrraaaaagh!”
After a brief, tense standoff, the Giant Demon lunged at Yu Yeok-gil.
Grip.
Yu Yeok-gil calmly tightened his hold on his sword. He knew better than anyone that losing his composure against such overwhelming momentum would mean losing his head.
Shing—!
“Haat!”
He tracked the Giant Demon’s movements until the very last microsecond. When the beast was within arm's reach, he drew his blade in a blur of steel.
It was a secret technique of the Mount Hua Sect: the Palm-Breaking Stance of the Duguo Nine Swords.
This was the martial art of Duguo Guibai, a supreme master mentioned only in ancient legends—a man said to have yearned for defeat because he had never once lost. True to its name, the technique was as profound and exquisite in its application as it was flashy.
Slash!
As the sword bit through the Giant Demon’s waist and legs, the creature’s balance crumbled, and it collapsed heavily onto the ground.
“Haha! How do you like that?!”
Yu Yeok-gil laughed triumphantly. He had been tense with the Martial Demonstration Gathering approaching, but successfully executing a secret sword technique gave him a sudden surge of confidence.
It was then.
“S-Sahyung,” Yu Hwa stammered, staring at the fallen demon.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Something feels... wrong.”
“I’ve severed its tendons, so don’t worry. No matter how strong it is… Huh?!”
Yu Yeok-gil’s composed expression froze. The moment he turned back, the Giant Demon, which should have been incapacitated, was already charging at him with ferocious speed.
“What?!”
Clang!
However, Yu Yeok-gil was one of the Five Dragons, a top-tier rising star for a reason. Even though he had been caught off guard, his superior reflexes allowed him to bring his blade up just in time. A contest of raw strength began as they locked steel against claw.
Screeeech!
“You monster…”
One step. Two steps.
Yu Yeok-gil gritted his teeth as he was forced back. Even though he was channeling every ounce of his internal energy, he was losing ground.
“You… you aren’t human.”
“Krrraaaaagh!”
The moment the Giant Demon let out a monstrous roar, Yu Yeok-gil’s body was hurled backward as if launched from a catapult.
“Tch!”
Yu Yeok-gil twisted his body twice in mid-air, fighting to regain his balance.
“Krrraaaaagh!”
But the Giant Demon didn’t miss the opening. It pinpointed exactly where Yu Yeok-gil would land and closed the distance in a single bound, reaching out to snatch him by the throat.
“Not so fast!”
Suddenly, Yu Hwa leaped into the fray, attacking the demon’s flank.
Swish!
The Giant Demon skillfully evaded her by moving in a jagged zig-zag pattern. After a few rapid exchanges, the demon used its overwhelming mass to drive Yu Hwa toward a building wall.
BOOM!
“Ah!”
Thud!
Yu Hwa’s body slammed hard against the stone under the enemy’s fierce assault. Her vision blurred and her head spun, but she could clearly see the creature’s beast-like, razor-sharp claws looming large before her eyes.
“Help…”
Crrraaaack!
Just then, three feet of sharp sword aura burst through the wall. Yu Yeok-gil’s desperate attack severed the Giant Demon’s fist.
Thump!
With a strange, air-breaking sound, the Giant Demon’s body was lifted ten feet into the air and blown backward.
“Phew. I really didn’t want to use the Plum Blossom Sword Technique on a thing like this.”
Yu Yeok-gil let out a ragged sigh of relief and rushed to Yu Hwa’s side.
“Sahyung, it’s not over…”
Yu Hwa’s face remained pale, her tension unabated.
“It’s really over now. There’s no way it survived that.”
“No, look over there…”
Yu Hwa’s teeth chattered as she pointed behind Yu Yeok-gil.
There, three more Giant Demons, identical to the first, were converging on them. Even the one they thought they had defeated was already pushing itself back up.
“W-what on earth are these things…?”
Misfortune upon misfortune.
Not one, but four Giant Demons. Yu Yeok-gil’s face darkened; he had never anticipated a nightmare like this.
“Do you need a hand?”
Right then, a voice drifted down from above.
Looking up, they saw a man standing calmly on the eaves of the roof.
“You are…”
A martial monk stood there, his grey Buddhist robes fluttering in the wind. It was Beopgye of the Shaolin Sect. He had been in the Outer Court and rushed over the moment the commotion started.
“I am here as well.”
Whish!
Tap.
Another man landed on the ground with a graceful display of lightness skill. He was a young Taoist who exuded a slightly different atmosphere than Beopgye.
“Heh. The Little Divine Monk and even Jin-cheon of Wudang. This is quite the reassurance.”
Yu Yeok-gil’s face shifted from gloom back to the spirited expression of a young warrior. Three of the Five Dragons were gathered. With this much power, they felt they could handle four Giant Demons.
“I would like to help as well.”
“…!”
“…!”
“…!”
The expressions of Beopgye, Jin-cheon, and Yu Yeok-gil brightened simultaneously. A genial face with a strangely warm smile—it was Seok Myeong. They had already considered him a person of value, but seeing him in this situation made him even more welcome.
“Hahaha.”
Yu Yeok-gil laughed, his confidence restored.
“Let’s do this together,” Jin-cheon said, offering a formal greeting.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Beopgye added kindly.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The four Giant Demons slowly closed the distance, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground.
“Four of the Orthodox Faction’s Five Dragons have gathered. In that case…”
Beopgye looked at their hideous faces, making eye contact with each of his allies.
“Let’s each take one.”
He uttered the final command.
*
I knew something was up.
Seok Myeong only fully understood the situation once he saw the Giant Demons with his own eyes. The suspicious energies he had felt within the mechanisms—these creatures were the source.
Is this the second time?
Seeing the Giant Demons, Seok Myeong’s intuition kicked in. They were different. Compared to the ones he had seen before, these were much larger and appeared far stronger. Naturally, their martial prowess would be proportional. If they were careless, even the Five Dragons could be the ones who ended up defeated.
Giant Demons appeared within the Martial Alliance. For what purpose…
Despite the looming battle, Seok Myeong’s mind was busy. He wondered why the Martial Alliance had captured and imprisoned them, what kind of changes had occurred in their bodies, and what the source of their power was.
Judging by the sinister aura, it was definitely a demonic art. However, its nature differed from the demonic arts he knew. If it were the demonic arts of the Demonic Cult he was familiar with, a scratched wound would rot instantly, or even a simple discharge of energy would emit a thick green mist, producing power incomparable to ordinary sword aura.
Their current state looked as if…
Did they absorb half and fail to absorb the other half?
Seok Myeong’s eyes flashed.
“Krrraaaaagh!”
They were full of murderous intent but lacked reason. Because of that, he could see that even though they possessed immense demonic power, they couldn't use it properly. Of course, this was by Seok Myeong’s standards.
“Scatter!”
“Krrraaaaagh!”
At Beopgye’s shout, the Giant Demons roared and lunged.
Seok Myeong was the first to move. To be precise, he was the fastest among the four.
Thwack!
Seok Myeong’s kick landed squarely in a demon’s abdomen, sending it flying fifty feet.
Crash! Boom!
It slammed into a wall and was buried under falling stones as the building’s exterior crumbled.
Bang!
A similar thunderous sound echoed nearby. Another Giant Demon was smashed into an adjacent building. This time, it was Beopgye who had delivered the blow.
As expected of the Shaolin Five Fists.
Seok Myeong marveled inwardly. The fist technique Beopgye displayed was concise yet powerful. Unlike the basic fist and foot techniques Seok Myeong had learned at Qingcheng, this was an orthodox martial art that had reached the level of a master. Naturally, Seok Myeong’s eyes sparkled with interest.
Boom!
After a brief interval, another explosion rang out. Another Giant Demon was slammed into the ground. Jin-cheon had used the Taiji Fist. He had redirected the demon’s own momentum back at it.
They truly deserve to be called the best.
Even in the midst of this, Seok Myeong was becoming absorbed in the martial arts his companions were using. He had lived his entire life as the Azure Cloud Taoist. He had only read about the martial arts of other sects in books and had never seen them in person, so it was only natural for him to be curious about the secret techniques of each sect being performed right before his eyes.
Clang! Clang!
Meanwhile, Yu Yeok-gil was in a fierce struggle with his Giant Demon. He thought he had delivered a clean stab, but the beast had gotten up immediately, perhaps because he hadn't completely suppressed it, and they were locked in a heated exchange again.
Stab!
To the naked eye, their movements seemed similar, but Yu Yeok-gil was slightly faster. Once he managed to sink his sword into the demon’s thigh, the gap in their skill became more apparent.
“Haap!”
“Krrraaaaagh!”
Crrraack!
Seizing an opening, Yu Yeok-gil delivered a decisive blow. However, his expression did not brighten. He had used enough power to kill it. The fountain of blood and the chunks of flesh flying off were proof of that.
“Krrraaaaagh!”
Yet, the creature’s momentum didn't falter at all. It looked as if it hadn't taken any damage.
“Once you kill them, you must move away immediately! These things explode like Thunderbolt Bombs the moment they die!”
Everyone nodded without hesitation at Seok Myeong’s warning. Among the tales of the Great Hero’s travels, the most impressive was the subjugation of the Giant Demons. It was only natural to follow the advice of someone who had experience facing them.
Slide.
The Giant Demons slowly reorganized their ranks like a pack of beasts.
“Krrraaaaagh!”
The red-eyed demon was the first to charge. It was the one Seok Myeong had kicked earlier.
Ching—!
Seok Myeong quickly sheathed his master’s sword and drew the Dragon Spear Spirit Sword. But before he could even fully draw it—
BOOM!
The Giant Demon’s hand came crashing down toward Seok Myeong’s head.
Swish.
Seok Myeong lowered his body and slipped away like a shadow. The three men known as the Five Dragons turned their gaze toward him, struck by his brilliant lightness skill.
“Krrraagh!”
Having missed its prey, the Giant Demon’s movements became even more savage.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
However, Seok Myeong’s movements as he faced it at close range were leisurely. He arched his back or twisted his body; to an onlooker, it almost seemed as if his reactions were too slow.
But that was an illusion.
Flash!
The moment the beast’s hand seemed to touch Seok Myeong’s neck, his body tilted as if falling, and in a flash, the beast’s body was launched into the air.
How can this be!
Beopgye, Jin-cheon, and Yu Yeok-gil stared with wide eyes.
Reacting later but striking first.
It was easy to say, but those who could actually perform a post-emptive strike were rare even in Shaolin and Wudang.
His movements…
Yu Yeok-gil’s shock was even greater. Coming from Mount Hua, the sect considered the strongest in swordsmanship, he could feel what kind of movement Seok Myeong’s sword had just made.
It was six plum blossoms…
That was his first impression. His current skill level allowed him to bloom three plum blossoms with a single strike. For that alone, he was praised as a genius of Mount Hua. But Seok Myeong was more than twice as fast as him. They were both supposed to be rising stars of the same generation.
How can Qingcheng…!
In Mount Hua, blooming five plum blossoms was the level of an elder. But Seok Myeong had done one more. He had the intuition that Seok Myeong could produce six.
“Krr-hu-hu-hu-huk!”
Crunch! Splash!
The beast that had been repelled by Seok Myeong’s sword suddenly began to howl. Blood sprayed from its body like a fountain, and even as it did, its flesh began to sizzle and melt, trying to fuse back together.
“Krrraaaaagh!”
It was clearly in a near-death state. Yet, the creature staggered, turned around, and began to run toward the other Giant Demons.
Thud! Thud!
It then grabbed the other Giant Demons by their necks.
“Huh…?”
“What the…”
Beopgye, who had been gathering his energy; Jin-cheon, who was ready to lunge at any moment; and Yu Yeok-gil, who was preparing to fight again—all of them looked on with bewildered faces.
“They’re suddenly fighting each other?” Yu Hwa muttered in disbelief.
“No!” Seok Myeong shouted. “It’s gathering power!”
Creeeeak.
The bodies of the Giant Demons held by the neck began to shrivel. The blood was drained out of them, and they collapsed to the ground, withered like mummies.
“Krrraaaaagh!”
As the Giant Demon roared once more, everyone realized it.
The creature had become even stronger.