Chapter 37. Friendly Martial Arts Tournant (2)
Lee Byeok looked down at his own hand. A fleeting clash. But a tingling sensation lingered at his fingertips.
‘…So that’s it.’
It inflicts damage just by touching.
He looked at the reddish-black energy lingering on Maeng U-gang’s saber. It was a troubleso Qi art. But… it wasn’t as if he couldn’t think of a way.
It was worth a try.
Dash, Lee Byeok charged in again.
The Azure River Sword Style, the principle of Fast from the Sword-Drawing Form, dug in like an arrow. But just before it reached his skin, Maeng U-gang’s saber blocked the sword path.
Whoosh!
The mont the sword and saber were about to clash, Lee Byeok bent his sword. He withdrew the sword with the principle of Flow from the Sword-Withdrawal Form.
Chaeng, swish.
“Keuk, you piece of trash!”
The withdrawing sword grazed the saber blade and left a scratch on Maeng U-gang’s arm. It wasn't a major wound.
However,
‘It works as I thought.’
Step, Lee Byeok used the Flowing Leaf Steps to control the distance. The withdrawn sword successively followed the path of the Sword-Withdrawal Form’s Flow principle.
Clang, cha-chang! Clang!
The clashes began to accumulate.
On the surface, it looked the sa as the exchange with Pa Jin-seong a mont ago.
Everyone watching believed without a doubt that Lee Byeok would soon be knocked down by the energy of the Black Heaven Thunder Saber.
But Maeng U-gang felt it.
Sothing was strange. The movent of the sword, sothing was scattering the energy of the Black Heaven Thunder Saber.
The sword, which seed to co in but then slipped out smoothly, was like an eel, seeming to shake off the energy before it could touch.
It seed to touch but didn't.
He couldn't deliver a proper impact.
‘T-this bastard?’
Maeng U-gang was inwardly surprised.
This was the first ti. Every opponent he had t so far, the mont he brought out the Black Heaven Thunder Saber, it was already over.
Just by exchanging blows and holding his ground, the opponent would be eroded by the energy of the Black Heaven Thunder Saber and gradually fall into the swamp of self-destruction.
Even Pa Jin-seong was no exception.
Clang, claang!
“Alright!! Let’s see who wins!!”
Grit, Maeng U-gang ground his teeth.
His pride was hurt. But if the Black Heaven Thunder Saber didn't work, he just had to endure until it did.
Maeng U-gang had absolute confidence in his inner strength as well.
He had obtained a fortuitous encounter of the ages. Thanks to that, he had gained an imnse amount of inner strength that he had never even dread of.
No matter how talented that bastard was, he couldn't do anything about that overwhelming gap.
Clang, claang, chaeng!
Maeng U-gang swung his saber like a madman. But it was entirely a defensive stance. The initiative of the exchange was with Lee Byeok, and he couldn't even think of attacking.
Lee Byeok too couldn't rashly dig in because of the Black Heaven Thunder Saber, but the principle of Flow from the Sword-Withdrawal Form was more than enough to deflect the opponent's Qi art and protect himself.
Clang, claang, chaeng!
In an instant, over a hundred exchanges had passed.
A chill went down Maeng U-gang’s spine.
Only his own body was accumulating minor scratches one-sidedly.
Most importantly, he should have been exhausted and collapsed by now.
But the bastard from the Rogues’ Guild he was facing didn’t even change his complexion.
Was it a bluff? Of course, it had to be.
Even his own arm was sore, so there was no way he wasn't tired. It had to be so, and it must be so.
‘Not bad.’
But Lee Byeok was not bluffing.
Even at this very mont of exchanging sword blows, the power of Innate was moving on its own, replenishing his consud inner strength.
The amount of inner strength consud by the Azure River Sword Style was a level that Lee Byeok could recover in a single breath.
Clang, chaeng!
Rather, Lee Byeok was using this exchange as an opportunity to test his own sword.
And after surpassing a hundred exchanges, he had finally obtained the necessary conviction. The Azure River Sword Style no longer wavered.
The inner demon was firmly sealed and subrged within the Red Faction Heart Art. The killing intent was isolated and did not rise easily.
Lee Byeok was satisfied.
He was at the point of feeling grateful to Maeng U-gang for enduring his Azure River Sword Style for over a hundred moves with all his might.
“…”
However, Lee Byeok was slowly starting to notice.
There was sothing strange about Maeng U-gang’s saber.
The Black Heaven Thunder Saber was certainly a troubleso energy to deal with, and Maeng U-gang’s inner energy was also so deep that it was difficult to gauge. However.
‘His techniques are shallow.’
Despite possessing such inner strength and Qi art, the movent of his saber, which was only focused on defense, gave the impression that his enlightennt was sohow unbalanced.
Even though Lee Byeok’s Azure River Sword Style, which was dealing with the Black Heaven Thunder Saber, was fixed to just two principles, Fast from the Sword-Drawing Form and Flow from the Sword-Withdrawal Form, he couldn't properly counterattack.
…Let’s see how far this goes.
Clang, claang!
Afterward, a tedious exchange continued. And contrary to the expectations of the onlookers, it was Maeng U-gang who began to lose his balance.
“Keu—”
Maeng U-gang’s irritation soared.
“Keuaaaak!!”
Swoosh!
The next mont, Maeng U-gang’s saber was swung wide horizontally.
Maeng U-gang, who had sowhat adapted, had squeezed through the gap between the Sword-Withdrawal Form and the Sword-Drawing Form.
The saber was huge and there was nowhere to dodge.
If he tried to retreat carelessly, he would have to block that force head-on, just as Eon Mi-hee had suffered earlier.
Dash!
Lee Byeok instead moved closer.
The Flowing Leaf Steps adjusted the distance.
It was good that he had aid for the gap, but an attack that revealed its intention would instead beco its own weakness.
[ Azure River Flowing Leaf Sword Style: Third Form of the Sword-Withdrawal Style: Flowing Sword. ]
Swish, a soft wind began to ride up the reddish-black saber energy. For a mont, Maeng U-gang instinctively felt it.
The sa sword style as before.
But qualitatively different.
‘If I get hit, it’s over.’
At that mont, Maeng U-gang squeezed out his inner strength with all his might. He gave up on the saber he was swinging and pulled up his trump card defensive technique.
Black Heaven Protective Cloud Qi.
Crackle!
For a mont, a reddish-black energy rose like a dark cloud and enveloped Maeng U-gang’s entire body. It was similar to a protective qi barrier.
No, but it was too thin to be called a qi barrier. It was an incomplete technique.
Lee Byeok, having made a split-second judgnt, did not hesitate. Swish, Lee Byeok’s sword skimd over the dark cloud.
Zap!
“…”
And Lee Byeok took a step back.
His right arm holding the sword trembled slightly. The cloud surrounding the opponent’s body also had the property of reversing the flow of blood and Qi, just like the energy that had been on his saber.
No, it was even stronger.
Even with the Flowing Sword of the Azure River Flowing Leaf Sword Style, he couldn't completely shake off all of the energy that seeped into his ridians.
Splat, spatter!
But the next mont, blood burst from Maeng U-gang’s abdon.
Despite having wrapped himself in his trump card defensive technique, Lee Byeok’s Sword-Withdrawal Form had scattered the cloud and left a wound.
“…Keu.”
Thud.
Maeng U-gang also stepped back.
The wound wasn't that deep.
But the fact that he was wounded despite having wrapped himself in the Black Heaven Protective Cloud Qi, which he had held absolute faith in, was a great shock to Maeng U-gang.
The pain was sharp and unfamiliar. He couldn't even rember the last ti he had seen his own blood.
“Is that all you have?”
It was after Maeng U-gang had unconsciously taken three steps back that Lee Byeok spoke.
Murmur murmur.
The audience seats began to stir.
Until now, it had been difficult for anyone other than the participants to know who had the initiative in the exchange.
But this clash was clear just by the number of steps taken back.
Maeng U-gang looked at Lee Byeok.
The mont he saw that calm face, Maeng U-gang felt a soaring sense of sha. He was uncontrollably angry at himself for having stepped back.
Crackle-sizzle!
“Keuaaaa! You son of a bastard!!”
Maeng U-gang’s Black Heaven Thunder Saber swelled greatly. Boom! As he struck the ground, the spot where Lee Byeok had been standing exploded.
Black Heaven Earth Thunder Formation.
It was an outstanding technique that attacked the opponent across a distance, the very sa attack that had defeated Pa Jin-seong.
Dash!
But at that mont, Lee Byeok had already moved from his spot. He moved without stopping.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
“How dare a thing like you, you insult ?!!”
A thunderbolt followed every step.
But Lee Byeok was about to be hit, but wasn't. The thunderbolt was instantaneous, but Maeng U-gang’s saber, which drew out the thunderbolt, was not fast.
Lee Byeok gradually closed the distance.
The Flowing Leaf Steps was a martial art created to compensate for the weaknesses of the Azure River Sword Style, and while it wasn't fast, it was excellent at controlling distance.
Boom! Cra-boom!
“Keuat, keuaaaaak!!”
The dueling stage was rcilessly blown apart.
The Black Heaven Earth Thunder Formation was powerful, but it wasted a lot of inner strength and shouldn't be used excessively. But Maeng U-gang had no choice.
Despite that, it did not reach Lee Byeok. Like stepping on a lotus leaf floating on a river, Lee Byeok’s figure closed the distance step by step.
“Heok, heok! Good, co on!! Let’s clash once more!!!”
Crackle!
The mont the distance between Lee Byeok and Maeng U-gang finally narrowed to a single step, energy rose from Maeng U-gang’s entire body.
Maeng U-gang had once again used all his strength to unfold the Black Heaven Protective Cloud Qi. His breath finally began to grow ragged.
But with this, he was relieved.
If the bastard’s sword could pierce through the Black Heaven Protective Cloud Qi, he just had to wrap himself in it more thickly.
“…”
Lee Byeok thought.
That cloud-like energy was certainly not to be taken lightly. Earlier, even after unfolding the Flowing Sword technique, he had only left a minor wound.
He needed more power.
But he didn't consider using sword qi. Nor did he have any intention of testing the Saber of Butchery, which he had only just learned.
It was just a duel, there was no reason to kill.
But… if he touched that cloud with a technique other than the Flowing Sword, a considerable impact would co back to him as well.
Hummm.
Just then, the power of Innate wavered.
In that fleeting mont, Lee Byeok felt it. As it had done from ti to ti, the power of Innate was whispering sothing inside his body.
“Keuhaaaap!!”
At that mont, the saber containing the Black Heaven Earth Thunder Formation was brought down directly on Lee Byeok’s head.
The judgnt was made in a short mont.
Lee Byeok did not doubt again.
[ Azure River Flowing Leaf Sword Style: Third Form of the Sword-Drawing Style: Strong Sword.]
KRAAANG—!!
A clash of power and power.
Crackle! The mont the sword and saber collided, the energy of the Black Heaven Thunder Saber seeped through the sword.
It traveled up Lee Byeok’s hand, arm, and shoulder, trying to tear apart his blood and Qi. It was then.
Hummm.
The power of Innate vibrated intensely.
An inner strength that had been strangely transford and was harming Lee Byeok could not dare to stand its ground in front of that pure energy.
Crackle!
The next mont, the energy of the Black Heaven Thunder Saber escaped out of Lee Byeok’s skin as if fleeing. And then.
SHATTER!
Maeng U-gang’s saber broke.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh, the saber, broken in half, flew through the air.
THUD!
It lodged itself in the ground far away.
“Uup, gah!”
And Maeng U-gang coughed up blood.
Thump, he knelt on the spot. Soon, his large figure slowly collapsed.
***
Silence once again fell upon the arena.
The fallen Maeng U-gang ultimately could not get up.
But the declaration of Lee Byeok’s victory was made only after a long ti had passed.
Not Pa Jin-seong of the Hainan Sword Sect, nor even Gongson Su of the Dark Shadow Pavilion, but an unknown prodigy from the Rogues’ Guild had defeated Maeng U-gang of the Black Heaven Gang.
While no one could easily understand the aning of it, the friendly martial arts tournant for the formation of the Evil Faction Alliance’s Flying Dragon Squad concluded in that way.
Later that evening, the representatives of each faction gathered urgently in the eting room of Silent Dragon Hall.
“The result of the friendly martial arts tournant was sowhat unexpected, but it seems we cannot accept that young master as a squad mber.”
In an atmosphere where no one could speak up, the Silent Dragon Hall Leader, Maeng Jong-su, officially declared the alliance's position on its behalf.
It was that the Rogues’ Guild was only in an alliance relationship in the first place, not a mber faction of the alliance, so its prodigy could not be accepted as a Flying Dragon Squad mber.
It was a claim close to being obstinate.
If that were the case in the first place, they shouldn't have sent an invitation to this event. But no one objected to that claim.
Everyone followed the will of the Black Heaven Gang.
Even the Hainan Sword Sect did not object. Looking at the representatives, Maeng Jong-su inwardly composed his devastated heart.
It was a tournant that was supposed to finally lift the shadow of the Paewang Family and open a new sky for the Black Heaven Gang, but its symbolism had been miserably tarnished.
But in the end, nothing would change. It would just take a little more ti; all he had to do was endure this mont, as he always had.
The Black Heaven Gang would grow stronger.
In the end, the tide could not be turn—
Creak.
“An outsider? What are you talking about?”
But just then, soone opened the door of the eting room and entered. No, tried to enter.
THUD!
“Aish, damn it! I should just smash this damn doorfra! Ehem, right. It’s been a while, everyone. Have you all been well?”
“…”
A huge figure appeared.
Maeng Jong-su’s complexion withered away.
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