Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Duel with Hyeongsan Eumblood
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Obviously, Hyeongsan Eumblood didn't step forward with them.
He was accompanied by four peak experts from the Hyeongsan Sect, along with just over ten first-rate masters.
"Adu! If Seol-ha and Brother Gu hold off those bastards, rice cakes—ten geun!"
"T-Ten geun?!"
Adu's eyes blazed with fire as he wiggled his fingers, counting it out.
"Uwoooooh!"
It was still early dawn, the world dim and dark, but suddenly a golden glow intensified, as if the sun itself had risen.
Handling them all alone would be impossible, but with Gu-ak, the Baek Clan elites, and Je-gal Seol-ha's help, it was more than doable.
"You think those mongrels can handle our sect's finest?"
Yang-hui curled one corner of his mouth upward at Hyeongsan Eumblood's sharp question.
"Mongrels? Poor Adu's listening and getting all teary-eyed."
-Bwooooong!
A bee's wingbeat hummed from Yang-hui's sword.
The vibration soon accelerated. The sound pitched higher and higher.
And with it, true energy began to surge forth.
-Kiyaaaaah!
It was the manifestation of Eagle Cry Resonance.
"I've heard about it, but you do have some impressive skills."
"Ah, unlike some lowborn scum, I was fortunate enough to learn from a great master."
Irritation and fury deepened on Hyeongsan Eumblood's face.
His past as a black-path wanderer scraping by at the bottom was a raw nerve for him.
"You, who were more beggarly than any beggar, dare speak of others?"
"Ah, that? Just ran away from home. Truth is, my real parents are living large and fat."
"...?"
"Kidding, you punk."
How long to drag this out? He channeled Harmonious Heaven Immortal Energy from his dantian, expelling it through the Yongquan point on the soles of his feet.
Ghostly Thousand Steps. Swift, swifter, swiftest.
Yang-hui shot forward in an extremely rapid body flicker and swung his sword.
Hyeongsan Eumblood raised his hand to block. Palm met blade.
Kang!
Even though it was flesh against steel, the clash rang out like metal on metal.
"Not bad, you little shit—you're pretty tough."
"Tough? My hand's tougher and sturdier than ordinary iron. More than enough to rip open your gut."
Hyeongsan Eumblood was a hand technique master.
A grandmaster who had reached the pinnacle with fists, palms, and claws.
Fist energy enveloped his hand, more than enough to block Yang-hui's sword.
Kaduk!
In fact, it was piercing through the sword energy, pressing pressure onto the blade itself.
His grip strength is no joke.
And that wasn't all. The moment they connected, chilling yin energy seeped in.
Penetrating essence rode the sword, assaulting his acupoints.
The reason Hyeongsan Eumblood bore that moniker wasn't just his sinister personality—the main cause was his mastery of yin palm techniques.
Well, if it's heavy hand skills, I'm no slouch either.
-Kiyaaaaah!
The sword trembled. Eagle Cry Resonance transmitted through the vibration.
Hyeongsan Eumblood furrowed his brow.
"Not just some yin technique trick, then?"
"Didn't know? Should've done your homework properly. Know thyself and thy enemy, and you'll win a hundred battles."
"Not words for someone who let my hand touch him."
Hyeongsan Eumblood surged more internal energy into the clash.
In short, the assault on his acupoints intensified.
But.
"Sorry, but I went into this knowing full well."
"Hm?"
Up to now, Yang-hui hadn't prioritized rapid realm breakthroughs.
What he'd focused on instead was perfecting his body.
And what did perfecting the body mean?
Simply tempering muscles and bones to be even denser and tougher?
No.
"Let's see whose acupoints are tougher."
For martial artists, body tempering wasn't limited to muscles and bones.
For those who cultivated internal arts, the priority was tempering acupoints.
Not just unblocking them, but widening and strengthening the paths for internal energy flow.
Yang-hui didn't shake off Hyeongsan Eumblood's hand. Far from pulling the sword away, he poured even more internal energy into it.
Pitting penetrating essence and raw power output.
Two things a younger fighter should always avoid against an elder.
-Kiyaaaaah!
"...You brat...!"
Hyeongsan Eumblood bared his fangs.
Contrary to expectations, Yang-hui wasn't being overwhelmed in either.
Penetrating essence? Fine, the kid was a generational genius with exceptional skill for his age.
But how could someone not even in his twenties hold so much internal energy?
"Must've scavenged a lot of lucky finds."
"Ah, heaven's chosen are fated to encounter many such fortunes."
No joke. Thinking back on his experiences, they might all have been arranged by transcendental beings.
Whatever. Not important now.
"Lower dantian alone, and I won't lose."
"Fair enough. But."
The moment Hyeongsan Eumblood's eyes flashed, Yang-hui thrust forward with Four Directions Dark Eyes stance, then swiftly withdrew.
"Whoa there, can't have that. Haven't opened my dantian yet."
Peak realm masters could go beyond the lower dantian, utilizing the middle and upper as well.
Unlike the lower, they granted special abilities.
No way he'd just sit there as things turned disadvantageous.
"Looks like you old coot's only opened yours too."
"...You tested my power output just to figure that out?"
"Yep. What, thought I was being arrogant?"
Yang-hui had gauged Hyeongsan Eumblood's realm.
If peak realm was ten steps, he'd climbed at least seven, but three more remained.
This level? Nothing I can't handle.
A bit risky, sure, but staking his life, he could kill him.
He'd take injuries, but Tang Clan medicine plus Harmonious Heaven Immortal Energy would have him up in no time.
"Going all out. Clean your neck, old man."
"My line."
His hand, wrapped in manifested energy, targeted vital points.
A graze would tear flesh away, but that wasn't the point.
Allow direct body contact instead of sword? He'd suffer massive internal damage and collapse on the spot.
The key to this fight is speed.
No contact allowed. Whittle him down.
Outpace the old monster, seize the initiative in distance control.
Shouldn't be hard. Well, it'll be tough, but doable.
That's why he'd advanced slowly but steadily and solidly, unlike his past life.
Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, sixth form.
Wind Swift Eagle Return.
The wind spun the eagle's form, sending it soaring.
Sword swept from below upward, smashing into Hyeongsan Eumblood's forearm near the nape target.
Kang!
His protective energy's solid.
Even targeting the forearm—not the energy-clad hand—no wound.
Considering the blazing sword energy, it was protective reinforced energy.
Sword form nullified; now Hyeongsan Eumblood's turn.
Yang-hui lowered his stance and twisted. The claw aimed at his neck pierced only scattering hair.
Not enough—the old man splayed his fingers for any acupoint touch.
Fist energy extended, targeting Yang-hui's body.
"Eek!"
Freely reshaping manifested energy confirmed he was no ordinary foe.
Such fluid transformation was proof of supreme skill.
"Heh heh, scared now?"
His face must've shown it.
"That obvious?"
"Don't play calm. Next year today marks your death anniversary."
One misstep, and he'd be off to the afterlife with the reaper.
But if he feared that, he wouldn't have chosen this path.
Guess I'll have to push it.
He admitted it. At his current level, no clean win over Hyeongsan Eumblood.
In other words, willing to take wounds, and he could win.
Faster. Stronger.
"Sssup, haa."
The instant Yang-hui's eyes gleamed, Hyeongsan Eumblood bellowed.
"Power burst? Have you lost your mind?! No—how can you even?!"
"Heh heh heh. Let's die together."
Peak realm masters commanded three energies.
Lower dantian: internal energy. Middle: primal energy. Upper: divine energy.
Primal energy meant innate essence.
The inherent power one was born with.
"How can a fresh peak realm punk do a power burst?!"
What made peak masters fearsome wasn't sword energy manifestation.
The core strength came from the three dantians' openings.
The decider in fights between sword energy basic peak masters.
Ren and Du meridians? Haven't even started.
Safer to play it safe, but crisis demanded it.
Force it open. Aftereffects would follow, but in this life with primal energy control, recoverable.
Thump! Thump!
A sound like hammering rock—or a heartbeat—echoed inside him.
One ability of middle dantian opening: power burst.
Blood trickled from his mouth, but Yang-hui grinned and swung.
Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, seventeenth form: White Feather Crush.
Divine variation: Heavenly Wing Crush Peak.
The sword, infused with Heavenly Dull Sword secrets, bore down from above.
Its sword energy blazed ten times the blade's size.
Kwaaaang!
Hyeongsan Eumblood blocked the slash itself.
But Yang-hui's attack wasn't sword alone.
Like swinging a flaming torch at a wall—sparks fly everywhere on impact.
The sword became wings. As they spread, countless feathers scattered.
Each a lethal strike.
"Kuhk!"
In an instant, Hyeongsan Eumblood's body was drenched in blood.
Without protective energy, he'd be a pulp.
Yang-hui laughed savagely and swung again.
"You rotten old gourd—you shouldn't have done that."
You had no right to mock and insult his father.
-Kiyaaaaah!
Each fierce sword tremble sent wings scattering feathers.
Sword energy split into feather-shaped sparks.
"You dare spout that crap?"
Kwaang!
"You? A petty nobody with nothing in your heart?"
Kwaang!
Cough!
He spat blood mid-attack. Forcing middle dantian power was inevitable.
Still, the bastard was bleeding all over.
If he could neatly sever that neck, net gain.
-Kiyaaaaah!
The eagle cried sharply. Wings unfurled, revealing beautiful feathers.
Hyeongsan Eumblood desperately raised energy, but it fell short.
"I'll go to the end. Don't wanna die? Use your primal energy. Fight till our qi runs dry."
Kwaang!
Terror beyond crisis washed over Hyeongsan Eumblood's face.
"Heh heh, scared now?"
Throwing back the old man's earlier words, Yang-hui swung again.
Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, second form: Twin Wing Fold Slash.
Two sword energy prongs narrowed from both sides toward Hyeongsan Eumblood.
Dodge or lose his head.
"Kuhk!"
Not a Daoist, yet he wore his hair in a Daoist bun under a cap.
The twin energies sheared off cap and bun. Hair flying, Hyeongsan Eumblood retreated.
Yang-hui closed in without mercy, swinging once more.
That was the moment.
"Explode!"
With Hyeongsan Eumblood's frantic shout, multiple fierce auras erupted around them.
So that's your play?
Typical black-path scum—utterly repulsive.