Chapter 87: Two Dragons and One Tiger (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87: Two Dragons and One Tiger (5)
Whoosh!
A heavy sense of helplessness weighed on the crowd.
Suddenly, a figure blurred forward from the direction Namgung Jin had appeared, a sword arcing through the air in a rapid, silver flash.
Swish!
The moment the fluttering Taoist robes of the Qingcheng Sect came into view, hope vanished from the onlookers' faces.
Even the rising stars, who had previously boasted incredible martial prowess, had been swept away like fallen leaves in autumn. What could a lone Taoist possibly achieve by stepping forward now?
However, as the dense, ink-black energy surged toward him—
"Ah!"
"Look!"
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
Boom!
First came the tremor.
A shockwave so powerful it felt as if the ground beneath the Giant Demon would cave in rippled outward. He hadn't even struck the earth with his qigong, yet a violent shudder rocked the clearing.
Second was the sheer, raw power.
"Kaaaaah!"
Following a thunderous explosion, the dust-covered monster let out a piercing shriek.
Crimson sprayed from its chest, and more leaked from its mouth and ears. Though it lacked a human expression, its distorted features were clearly different than before—it was consumed by a violent, frenzied rage.
"I am your opponent!" Seok Myeong shouted, facing the beast with absolute confidence.
Through that single exchange, he knew for certain.
The Five Elements Four Changes Formation that Song Hak had placed upon him had finally broken. As his physical strength reached its absolute limit, the seal had shattered.
I can win.
The monster loomed, its skin glistening. Even as he stared down the enemy everyone else feared, Seok Myeong’s expression remained calm.
*
What on earth did he just fire...?
Namgung Jin was plagued by doubt.
The energy the Qingcheng Taoist had generated moments ago was clearly monochromatic, yet it was undoubtedly Sword Aura. Even though what he himself had unleashed was closer to a Sword Bullet, why was there such a staggering disparity in power?
"Kaaaaah!"
The Giant Demon glared at Seok Myeong, venting its fury. The situation was on a hair-trigger.
Flash!
True to its nature, the Giant Demon did not wait. It lunged forward with terrifying speed.
Screeeech!
Recalling the swordsmanship he had learned from Song Yeo-guk, Seok Myeong thrust his sword toward the monster. Every eye in the clearing was fixed on him.
Among them, Peng Seo-ju furrowed his brow. It was reckless. Based on his own experience, the opponent was invincible in close-quarters combat. He expected a tragedy to unfold at any second.
Clang!
However, his prediction was proven wrong once again.
The moment Seok Myeong’s sword, thrust out like a piercing needle, was about to touch the Giant Demon’s hand—he swiftly pulled the blade back. Grazing past the monster’s side, he delivered a lightning-fast slash to its neck.
Slice.
The blade failed to sever the monster’s throat, leaving only a shallow scratch. However, that alone was enough to exert pressure.
Utilize the opponent's strength.
Seok Myeong shifted his tactics once more.
Align my flow with the enemy's.
This was a truth of swordsmanship one level higher than what Song Yeo-guk had described. By synchronizing his breathing with the opponent's and responding in harmony with their flow, he created opportunities to neutralize their movements.
In that brief interval—
Boom! Crash!
A battle so fierce it was nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye unfolded, accompanied by a cacophony that left their ears ringing. The struggle between Seok Myeong and the monster in the center of the clearing intensified.
"Has Brother Seok Myeong reached another level?"
Standing nearby, Hyeok-jin couldn't close his mouth. The others watching felt the same. The movements of the two were like flashes of lightning—fast, intense, and blindingly brilliant.
It’s suffocating. Just how much internal energy does he have...?
On the other hand, Seok Myeong felt the pressure as he was gradually pushed back by the Giant Demon’s onslaught.
His one Gapja of internal energy was fully restored. Not only that, but by drawing in the external qi from his surroundings, he was exerting several times his usual power.
And yet, he was being pushed back.
He was being overpowered by the opponent's pure internal energy. This Giant Demon possessed an unfathomable amount of qi.
Clang! Crash!
As several more exchanges passed, the monster lunged even more aggressively with a guttural roar. It was as if it had finally found a worthy opponent, and its cries almost sounded like they were tinged with joy.
Swish. Tap. Whoosh!
Seok Myeong pulled his sword back to his chest and moved to the side. However, perhaps exhausted from using such high-level techniques, his footwork faltered slightly, and his movements slowed.
In that instant, the Giant Demon’s talon-like claws lunged straight for his throat.
Then—
Whaaaa-boom!
From out of nowhere, a thunderous surge of power poured toward the Giant Demon in countless waves. The monster raised both hands to block, but it was still pushed back more than fifteen feet.
"Well, well. Where did this fellow crawl out from?"
An elderly man leaped through the air from the forest, stepping on the very atmosphere before landing on the ground.
"Guardian Ju!"
A bright smile spread across Namgung Jin’s face at the sight.
Namgung Ju.
He was one of the Five Great Guardians of the Namgung Family, a man whose martial prowess ranked within the top ten of the entire clan. Originally, he had been the escort assigned to assist Namgung Jin during his travels in the Jianghu. Namgung Jin had ditched him because he didn't want to deal with an old man's nagging, wanting to prove himself alone—but seeing him now brought nothing but immense relief.
It was commonly said that the Namgung Family was supported by five pillars under heaven: the Heaven Palace, the Bright Palace, the Main Palace, the King Palace, and the Strong Palace.
Among them, the "Strong Palace" was selected from those with stubborn resolve and an upright character that remained unshaken by anything. The current Strong Palace was Namgung Ju.
"I am a bit late, Young Master."
As he spoke, another elderly man stepped forward. It was Peng Ri-gon, the "Water Gate Carving Blade," who had been observing the situation. He, too, had arrived leisurely but stepped in after sensing the gravity of the situation.
"Is that Elder Peng Ri-gon?" Namgung Jin asked in surprise.
Peng Ri-gon nodded, raising a hand. Given the urgency, he preferred to skip the formalities.
Currently, two people had fallen. Namgung Jin and the Qingcheng Taoist were in decent shape, but looking at the situation, it seemed they couldn't afford to let this drag on any longer.
As expected, the monster seemed unfazed by their attacks and was already preparing to fight again.
"You take the rear. I'll take the lead," Peng Ri-gon said.
"I shall take the lead," Namgung Ju countered.
"The one who speaks first gets the spot."
"It's not as if you've staked a claim on it!"
"I'm about to stake one now...!"
Just as he was about to continue—
Boom!
The Giant Demon charged mindlessly toward Peng Ri-gon.
Whoosh!
Peng Ri-gon drew a saber as long as a spear and unleashed a gale of blades toward the monster's legs. Lowering his stance and spinning in a horizontal circle, he swung the saber with a fluid grace that proved he truly deserved his title among the Hundred Great Masters of the Jianghu.
K-boom!
The moment the thunderous sound erupted, the massive body of the Giant Demon wobbled and collapsed onto its knees. Those watching instinctively felt that Peng Ri-gon’s attack had worked. It was the common consensus that even the Giant Demon couldn't withstand such force.
But the world did not move according to their wishes.
The monster, struck in the legs, stood right back up. It was absurd; despite taking such a hit, it didn't seem to have suffered a fatal wound—only a few minor scratches were visible.
"How can this be...!"
The moment Peng Ri-gon let out his disbelief, Namgung Ju quickly unleashed a brilliant radiance.
Swish!
Perhaps sensing something unusual, the Giant Demon struck at Peng Ri-gon with a movement different from before. The moment he felt a gust of wind, the monster’s talons were already flying toward his face.
However, this was Peng Ri-gon. Even against such a lightning-fast ambush, he ducked his waist to evade the attack. Then, in a display of Offense-Defense Unity, he reflexively struck the monster’s shoulder with his long saber once more.
Bang!
"...?!"
But again, there was no reaction.
As if clad in iron armor and surrounded by multiple layers of protective Astral Energy, the Giant Demon was absorbing every attack with its body.
"Kiyaaaaaah!"
The Giant Demon let out another shriek accompanied by a powerful resonance. At the sound, the martial artists with weaker internal energy clutched their ears and screamed, struggling to flee the area.
"Ugh!"
"Gah!"
"Aaaagh!"
The ground cracked and split from the sheer force of the sound waves. The trees surrounding the clearing, unable to withstand the sonic vibration, were either uprooted in clumps or split apart in a bizarre display of destruction.
"Urgh!"
Among them, Peng Ri-gon, who was closest, suffered the most damage. The pressure shredded his clothes and cracked his skin, sending him sliding backward.
He began to block the monster’s subsequent attacks with only his arms, but the strikes were so intense that chunks of flesh were torn away and blood sprayed in all directions. His wrists became a mangled mess in an instant.
"Get back!"
"Don't come any closer!"
Namgung Ju, his eyes bloodshot, threw himself forward and poured out his internal energy. In that instant, a terrifying whirlwind and a brilliant flash of light covered the area.
Crr-ack!
A vortex blew outward as if the very air were exploding. The eyes of everyone watching turned back toward the monster.
"A... a monster!" Hyeok Ryeon-mo screamed.
The creature was alive. Not only was it alive, it was perfectly intact. It had survived that barrage of attacks completely unscathed.
These were renowned old masters of the Jianghu. Peng Ri-gon was even rumored to be among the Hundred Great Masters. How could the attacks of these two elders fail to work at all?
"This... this is an impossible situation."
"I was thinking the same thing."
A moment of disbelief hung in the air, and then the monster’s eyes regained their focus. The two elders looked back and shouted simultaneously:
"Everyone, run!"
Rumble!
With that shout, a massive storm swept through the surroundings.