Chapter 86: Two Dragons, One Tiger (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86: Two Dragons, One Tiger (4)
R-rip! Squelch!
Hyeok Ryeon-mo saw it all.
He witnessed how easily a human body could be reduced to shreds.
The creature hadn't even unleashed its qi. With a few casual swipes of its hands, it had torn a man apart like a tattered rag.
Bits of flesh and fragments of organs rained through the air. The sight of bursting intestines and pulverizing bones plunged even the formidable Hyeok Ryeon-mo into a momentary state of pure terror.
But the shock lasted only a second.
He hurriedly raised his saber, forcing himself to pull together. The realization that death was reaching for him transformed his terror into a razor-sharp, desperate tension.
Clang!
As the enemy loomed before him like a growing phantom, Hyeok Ryeon-mo took a sharp breath and unleashed his One Breath Ten Slashes—a technique that delivered ten strikes in a single heartbeat. It was his ultimate move, the one he trusted most in this life-or-death moment.
However, the monster’s hands were faster.
Much faster.
The moment it parried Hyeok Ryeon-mo’s blade to the side, its right claw raked across his shoulder. Hyeok Ryeon-mo’s stance collapsed instantly. A succession of follow-up claw swipes struck him, sending him hurtling through the air.
“Agh!”
Soaring backward, Hyeok Ryeon-mo twisted his body with a scream. Because he had managed to shield his vitals at the critical moment, he avoided the disastrous fate of being shredded like the guard before him.
But the Giant Demon noticed he was still breathing and leaped into the air to finish him.
P-peeeeing!
Suddenly, a strange, whistling sound erupted from the thicket. A powerful burst of internal energy sliced through the air like a bolt of light.
The monster, which had intended to ignore the ambush and dive at Hyeok Ryeon-mo, was forced to cover its face with both hands.
Boom!
An intense radiance engulfed its body and exploded. The creature was pushed back a great distance before crashing into the ground.
“What a repulsive fellow.”
“He looks disgusting, too.”
The figures emerging from the forest were from the Peng Family. Peng Seo-ju walked out first, followed by Peng Seol-yeon.
Peng Seo-ju turned his gaze toward the fallen Hyeok Ryeon-mo.
“Ugh…”
Hyeok Ryeon-mo was clutching his left arm, his face contorted with shame and searing pain. Peng Seo-ju watched him with an amused, mocking expression.
“Well, there’s no need to thank me for the help. I’m just here to cut this thing down.”
As Peng Seo-ju spoke with characteristic arrogance, Hyeok Ryeon-mo let out a hacking scoff.
“Stop… It doesn’t look like it’s over yet.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Look over there.”
As Peng Seo-ju turned his head, the massive figure was already rising once again.
“Hmph.”
The creature was so enormous it hardly looked human.
“Where did a subhuman thing like that crawl out from?”
Peng Seo-ju was startled for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He spoke to Peng Seol-yeon with a calm, steady gaze.
“Stay back for a moment.”
“I want to help too.”
“No. This one seems dangerous.”
Peng Seo-ju rarely stopped his sister from acting. If he was saying this, it meant the situation was truly perilous. Peng Seol-yeon didn't argue and stepped back. She had sensed a trace of unease in her usually confident brother’s voice.
“You’ve met the wrong opponent today.”
He whirled his three-foot-wide greatsword over his head with a low hum.
“Die knowing it was an honor to face Peng Seo-ju, the greatest master in the Central Plains!”
With a gallant shout, he charged. The massive creature responded, baring its claws and leaping to meet him.
Clang!
A powerful resonance rippled through the clearing, sounding like two high-speed projectiles colliding. The monster’s claws and Peng Seo-ju’s saber locked together, trembling violently. It was a raw contest of internal strength.
“Kh!”
However, the one who gasped was Peng Seo-ju, not the giant. Overpowered by the monster’s sheer mass, his wide blade was repelled with a deep, vibrating ring.
Peng Seo-ju immediately spun his body to add momentum to his blade for a second strike. But as his edge swung toward the monster, his eyes filled with bewilderment.
The massive creature had caught his blade with its bare hands.
Snap!
Then, something even more shocking happened. The Giant Demon, gripping the blade with both hands, exerted its strength and snapped the heavy metal in two.
“The Fire Spirit Sword, forged through hundreds of layers of folding… how could you…”
Peng Seo-ju couldn't finish his sentence. The Giant Demon grabbed his collar firmly and delivered a devastating blow to his stomach with its free hand.
Realizing the monster’s intent, Peng Seo-ju crossed his arms to protect his chest, but it was futile.
Boom!
A heavy vibration spread through the area as if the very air were shaking. With a dull thud, Peng Seo-ju was sent flying backward.
Fortunately, Peng Seo-ju managed to scramble back to his feet immediately. However, he staggered, his arms hanging limp like a corpse’s, before falling to his knees.
“How can his internal energy be this…”
He was a man who took more pride in his internal strength than anyone else. Not only did he possess vast internal energy, but he had also mastered the Iron Shirt technique—an external style that made his body so tough he wouldn't flinch even if struck by a massive iron incense burner.
And yet, a single punch from the Giant Demon had shattered his qi shield and sent him flying. He had suffered severe internal injuries.
“Graaaaaargh!”
The Giant Demon let out an incomprehensible roar. Instead of finishing off Peng Seo-ju, it turned its gaze elsewhere.
More people had appeared in the clearing.
*
“Brother Seok Myeong, this isn't a situation where we should just jump in blindly.”
Hyeok-jin groaned as he pushed aside a branch to get a better view.
“For Peng Seo-ju to be pushed back so helplessly… where on earth did a monster like that come from?”
Cheol So-yeon was also visibly tense. Those watching realized this was no ordinary fight. The Giant Demon standing in the center of the clearing possessed power that already transcended human limits.
Seok Myeong watched in silence.
It feels familiar.
It was strange. He had never seen this being before, yet it didn't feel foreign or unfamiliar at all. Why was he getting this feeling?
Amidst the silence, Hyeok-jin watched Namgung Jin step forward and spoke cautiously.
“Let’s just watch for now. If we jump in for no reason…”
“I have to help.”
“Hey!”
Cheol So-yeon tried to cut him off, but Seok Myeong had already made up his mind. To be honest, his current desire wasn't just to help, but to fight. An inexplicable, powerful bloodlust was surging within him.
“Now is not the time to be playing the hero!”
“I will fight alone.”
Despite their warnings, Seok Myeong remained stubborn. Even after witnessing the enemy’s martial prowess, he intended to step out.
“Ugh, why won't you listen?!”
“I have my reasons.”
“Then what are those reasons?”
“That being… is radiating a murky, sinister energy.” Seok Myeong looked at Cheol So-yeon and continued. “An energy whose nature is entirely different from Orthodox Martial Arts.”
*
“I thought I was late, but it seems things haven't gone well.”
Namgung Jin spoke as he walked slowly into the clearing. His tone still carried a sense of leisure, but his expression was grim. Having observed the situation, he knew how grave the matter was.
“You three, fall back.”
The three men accompanying him hesitated.
“There is no need for you to die a dog’s death.”
The men nodded. Though they were guarding the Young Master, their skills did not match his. Furthermore, since becoming one of the Five Dragons, his strength had far surpassed theirs. It was better for them not to be a burden.
Once the three guards retreated, Namgung Jin spoke to Hyeok Ryeon-mo and Peng Seo-ju.
“Did you find a weakness?”
Hyeok Ryeon-mo and Peng Seo-ju remained silent. Whether they were too injured or their fighting spirit had been crushed, they did not answer.
“I suppose that means I should give it my all.”
Namgung Jin drew his sword and took a Qi Gathering Stance. He was preparing to unleash his family’s signature technique, the Namgung Spirit Sword Technique.
The Namgung Spirit Sword Technique was one of the most famous styles in the entire Jianghu. Its strength lay not in a single moment of destructive power, but in the way its forms flowed continuously and relentlessly.
Light began to shimmer at the tip of Namgung Jin’s sword. He had reached the realm of manifesting Sword Aura long ago.
Sssssss!
As expected, the manifestation of the Sword Aura didn't stop there; it gradually grew faint, losing its color. There was a saying that the essence of the Namgung Spirit Sword Technique resided only within the sword itself. It was a method of making the energy penetrate the blade so that no light was visible, or so that it radiated only subtly.
In that process, a faint ring would form—the hallmark of the Namgung Spirit Sword Technique.
Zzzzzzt!
Namgung Jin was now squeezing out every bit of his cultivation. He managed to manifest a form that looked like a single ring hanging within a hazy energy. To the observers, this was an energy of a higher dimension than mere Sword Aura. It was somewhere between Sword Aura and a Sword Bullet.
“Kh.”
His complexion paled, as if drawing up such energy was a heavy burden. However, his gaze toward the monster remained unwavering. The moment the monster showed signs of moving, he unleashed the energy gathered in his sword with all his might.
Whoosh!
In an instant, one Gapja’s worth of True Qi erupted from the tip of his sword, encroaching upon the space like a whirlpool as it surged toward the monster.
“Ah…!”
Watching the scene, Peng Seol-yeon let out a gasp. Seeing the Giant Demon charge recklessly into Namgung Jin’s qi attack, she felt a surge of complicated emotions—relief that the crisis might be over, but also a twinge of regret that Namgung Jin would take all the credit.
However, what followed plunged everyone into a state of horror.
“KRAAAAAAAARGH!”
The monster skidded to a halt in front of the ring-like energy and let out a deafening roar. Miraculously, Namgung Jin’s internal energy vanished as if it had never existed.
Rumble!
“Ugh!”
“Kyaak!”
As the monstrous roar washed over them, everyone clutched their ears. The terrifying sound pierced their eardrums, and no one could hide their agony.
“My god!”
Cheol So-yeon’s jaw trembled. Something utterly unbelievable had happened. The qi Namgung Jin had unleashed was something that surpassed Sword Aura, yet the opponent had nullified that energy with a mere roar.
Unless one’s internal energy was several times greater, such a feat could neither be attempted nor imitated. This meant the monster possessed at least three Gapja of internal energy—an amount that even a Peerless Master would not easily possess.
“Those Beggar Sect bastards! Are their eyes rotting in their sockets?!”
Cheol So-yeon’s shrill curse pierced the air. The opponent was at a level where only a Sect Leader of the Nine Great Sects, not a member of the younger generation, could hope to face it.