Rebirth of the Thunder God

-Sreung.

As soon as Namgung Hui drew his Thunder God Sword, he rushed towards Muwon.

A speed so swift it could be considered a sword-drawing technique.

On top of that, the mysteries of the Sun-Shooting Sword Art were melted into it, making it seem as if a flash of lightning had struck.

-Chaeng!

Muwon, without even wrapping his fists in ki, received Namgung Hui's sword with his bare hands.

Extreme external arts training and an exquisitely perfect distribution of power.

He lightly deflected the sword strike with only a minimal amount of internal ki wrapped around the back of his hand.

Namgung Hui was not one to stand still just because his strike was blocked so futilely.

This time, he swung his sword, adding the mysteries of the Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art so that it could not be easily deflected.

It seemed to have an effect, as Muwon's expression became quite heavy.

-Kang!

This time, he couldn't just receive the sword with the back of his hand.

His footwork. No, should it be called a movement technique?

He hadn't moved a single step, but just by changing his standing posture, his momentum became extraordinary.

Facing that momentum, Namgung Hui quickly retrieved his swung sword and distanced himself from Muwon.

And looking at Muwon's stance, he recalled a certain divine technique.

'Vajra Unmoving Body Technique...! Is the entire Sutra Depository really in his head? No, how did he learn so many of the Shaolin Temple's ultimate techniques?'

At this point, he wondered if Muwon himself was a walking secret vault of the Shaolin Temple.

The Vajra Unmoving Body Technique that Muwon had executed, as its name suggests, is a martial art that creates a certain radius around oneself as one's domain and exerts absolute influence.

That was why Namgung Hui had quickly retrieved his sword and distanced himself.

Right now, the one-zhang radius around Muwon was no different from his world.

Was it because Namgung Hui had recognized the Vajra Unmoving Body Technique?

A ripple appeared on Muwon's face, which had shown little change in expression.

Muwon rounded his lips and opened his mouth.

"Oh... Don't tell me you recognized the martial art I performed?"

"As far as I know, the only stance in the Shaolin Temple that takes the shape of an inverted 'eight' (八) is the Vajra Unmoving Body Technique."

"So you are indeed the Hidden Dragon. Your insight is remarkable. You must have seen and heard a lot from being friends with Young Master Jegal Geon."

"..."

Although Namgung Hui had spoken nonchalantly, it was nearly impossible to break through the Vajra Unmoving Body Technique in a situation where not only strong ki but also sword ki could not be used.

Even a spear thrust couldn't overcome that absolute domain, so it went without saying in a situation with a sword, which had a shorter range.

But that didn't mean there was no way.

'It would be different with a throwing knife. And I can control it with my will.'

In reality, performing a throwing knife technique close to the Art of Controlling the Sword with Ki was a feat that surpassed sword aura, but it was not forbidden by the rules.

In the first place, the Vajra Unmoving Body Technique itself was practically a forbidden martial art that shouldn't be used in a tournament like this.

With the existence of an out-of-bounds defeat, if one were to dominate a certain area, how on earth was one supposed to break through?

It was to the point where it could be considered a foul.

To break through such a Vajra Unmoving Body Technique, Namgung Hui took out two throwing knives from his robes.

Perhaps because he had given up his sword and taken out a new weapon, Muwon's expression changed once again.

"Throwing knives? Did you perhaps learn from the Poison Phoenix? They say you've been on good terms lately, so we might hear some good news soon."

"Have you always been this talkative?"

"Hahaha. I've been doing some wall-facing training lately, so I must have missed people. Let's see your throwing knife technique."

Namgung Hui nodded as Muwon wished and gripped the throwing knives.

He had to attack the enemy by imbuing them with his will, not with thunder ki.

It was a very unreasonable rule, but to win, he had to endure even this.

-Hwiiik! Swaeaek!

The two throwing knives drew different trajectories and flew towards Muwon.

Muwon, thinking of the Tang family's hidden weapon techniques, tried to block the throwing knives, but.

'This is not the Tang family's throwing knife technique!'

Starting from the trajectory the throwing knives drew.

The force contained within them was also quite different.

And the throwing knives were flying as if they were dancing.

Muwon fixed his position with the Vajra Unmoving Body Technique and went to block the throwing knives.

He tried to deflect the throwing knives by imbuing the back of his hand with internal ki.

But.

-Hwiririk.

The throwing knives slipped through Muwon's grasp like eels and dug into his blind spot.

Muwon, perhaps not expecting the throwing knives to twist their trajectory as if they had a will of their own, finally broke his unmoving stance and executed a movement technique.

"Hoho. You've finally broken my unmoving body technique. There are no silver threads attached to the throwing knives, yet such movement... You must have had a fortuitous encounter after being struck by lightning."

As expected of someone who had learned many peerless divine arts, his mind also worked fast.

He had vaguely realized that the feat Namgung Hui had accomplished was the power of the upper dantian.

"Well, if it's a fortuitous encounter, it's a fortuitous encounter. Then let's both put away the Vajra Unmoving Body Technique and fight fair and square."

"Very well. Come."

Muwon pulled his right leg back and clenched his fists.

'Is he planning to use the Hundred-Step Divine Fist? Then I'll go with the Hegemonic Sword.'

Namgung Hui bounced his body with the Wind God Steps and imbued his sword with a domineering aura.

Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art. Ultimate Technique, Azure Front.

On the straight path of the hegemonic sword, the waves of air overflowed and struggled.

-Jiiing!

Even though the sword and fist had not yet clashed, a massive vibration poured out.

Even without being wrapped in sword ki, the ki wave spread in all directions.

-Changchangchang! Chaengchaengchaeng!

The Hundred-Step Divine Fist and the Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art continuously showed off their might.

Hundred-Step Divine Fist.

It was the number one fist art of the Shaolin Temple, but the Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art was no less.

In fact, since the Martial God had a record of crushing the Hundred-Step Divine Fist with the Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art, Namgung Hui thought it was only natural.

He didn't know how many in the current generation would remember that, but Namgung Hui decided to engrave that fact once again.

-Ung, ung, ung!

The Thunder God Sword let out a sword cry and aimed for Muwon's neck.

Originally, it was an unspoken rule not to aim for fatal vital points in a duel, but Namgung Hui found such a stuffy rule ridiculous.

-Chingching! Chaengchaeng!

As even changing techniques and feints were rampant, Muwon, who had seemed as solid as a Buddha statue, became flustered and his feet got tangled.

The audience, seeing that Namgung Hui had momentarily gained the upper hand, also lifted their buttocks in excitement.

Some were sweating profusely from their fists, perhaps worried about losing money.

Just as it seemed Muwon's body would be pierced by Namgung Hui's deadly trajectory.

Muwon left a brilliant afterimage and gracefully slipped away.

His appearance resembled that of walking on a lotus flower, so one couldn't help but think of a certain martial art.

"It's really the Nine-Tiered Lotus Platform! I believed in you, Divine Dragon!"

Nine-Tiered Lotus Platform.

A movement technique derived from the saying that Buddha walked on water by stepping on lotus flowers.

As its name suggests, it is a movement technique that creates nine afterimages.

Each of the afterimages of the Nine-Tiered Lotus Platform moves differently, as if they were alive.

As if real clones had been created.

Even now, Muwon had sacrificed three clones to block Namgung Hui's sword.

Muwon landed lightly on the ground, but his expression looked quite heavy.

"To think I had to sacrifice three whole lotus flowers to barely block the sword...! Patron Namgung. Is the sword art you performed really the Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art?"

"That's right. To be precise, it's the technique called Azure Front of the Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art."

"Hoho. I see why the Saber Dragon was so helplessly defeated. In fact, even if he hadn't been careless, the result would have been the same."

Come to think of it, Namgung Hui had been going easy on him, but there was no need to mention that.

"Now that your startled heart has calmed down a bit, shall we see the end?"

"Let's do that."

As if both were planning to unleash their ultimate techniques, their martial arts robes flapped, and a heat haze rose.

Just by looking, it was clear that something beyond sword ki was being prepared, but the referee could only watch.

Not only was there no rule to stop the duel, but the audience was also being influenced by the momentum of the two.

If he were to stop the duel here, he might get stabbed.

The heat haze rising from Muwon transformed into the shape of a Buddha, and a powerful internal ki poured out from his palm.

The clear form of the Tathagata Divine Palm.

-Huuuung! Pang!

The Buddha's palm, heated to the extreme, cut through the air and flew to grab Namgung Hui.

Perhaps because it contained the energy of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, the ground cracked and twisted.

Faced with such a powerful momentum, Namgung Hui also raised his Thunder God Sword to meet the Tathagata Divine Palm.

Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art, Final Ultimate Technique, Emperor Sword Form.

The two energies clashed, and a roar that could split heaven and earth was unleashed.

-Kwaaaaang!! Hududuk...!

It was just a clash performed without sword ki or sword aura.

But the dueling stage disappeared without a trace.

No, it was pulverized into dust and filled the air.

In fact, the energy of the Tathagata Divine Palm and the sword momentum of the Emperor Sword Form had long surpassed sword aura, so this situation might have been a predetermined fate.

""...""

Gulp.

The audience also swallowed dry saliva and waited for the dust to settle.

They all instinctively knew that the match had been decided, as the two energies were no ordinary ones.

As they had expected, when the thick dust settled, someone was on one knee, with their hand on the ground.

It was Namgung Hui, who had performed the Emperor Sword Form.

Looking at Namgung Hui, Muwon asked.

"What is the name of that technique just now?"

"Emperor Sword Form."

"The sword momentum of an emperor... As expected of the Martial God's family..."

-Kung.

Muwon slammed his head on the ground and collapsed.

Still, perhaps because he had trained his external arts to the extreme, there wasn't even a scratch on his forehead.

Only the audience, surprised by his appearance, widened their eyes.

"The Divine Dragon collapsed? No way! He can't lose to someone who looks so weak!"

"That's right! He must have used some kind of sorcery!"

Some, even after witnessing Namgung Hui's victory with their own two eyes, could not accept it.

The reason was.

"Damn it! I bet so much money. My precious money!!!"

Most of them were like that because they had lost their bets.

Namgung Hui felt the need to sort out the overheated gambling scene to some extent.

He would have to casually mention it to Jegal Geon or the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader later.

The referee, who had also been flustered, hurriedly shouted as Namgung Hui was about to step down from the dueling stage.

"Divine Dragon is defeated, the winner is the Hidden Dragon, Young Master Namgung Hui~!!"

""...""

No one applauded or cheered.

And so, Namgung Hui was about to make a lonely exit.

"Waaaahhh! As expected of my brother!"

Yelu Guang, who had finished his treatment late and joined, sent his difficult praise.

After that, those who were influenced by Yelu Guang gradually began to send their applause.

"As expected of the Namgung Hui I had my eye on. You fought splendidly."

The Young Fortress Lord of the Divine Land Fortress, Jin Myeongho, also stood up and applauded.

And as if infected by the heat, the audience members added a word one by one.

"They say even if a rich man goes broke, he's good for three generations."

"A great father does not have a worthless son. The sun has finally risen on the Namgung family. Yes. For the sake of the past Martial God, it should have been like this."

"Now the female warriors of the martial world will line up. He's handsome. His martial arts are outstanding. And the Namgung family was once the best of the Five Great Families, so there's no better marriage prospect."

"The gossips call this the great fortune of the martial world, right?"

"You fool. It's not 'heungbok,' it's 'hongbok' (great fortune)."

This time, Namgung Hui was also infected by the laughter and wore a faint smile on his lips.

Buoyed by the warm atmosphere, the explanation of the prize for the martial arts tournament continued.

"The winner of the men's division will be awarded the Shaolin Temple's Small Rejuvenation Pill~!! For reference, the winner of the women's division will be given the Dragon's Tooth Sword. Then. The winner of the men's division, Young Master Namgung Hui, please come up to the podium~!"

Even though he had won as expected, Namgung Hui felt a sense of unreality.

Was it because he had experienced two byes?

Or was it because he was very unfamiliar with such a place?

'It really feels like I've become a young martial artist. But it doesn't feel too bad.'

Namgung Hui took a deep breath to calm himself, then moved his steps towards the podium in front of him.

The intense gazes and fervent cheers of the audience were a bit embarrassing, but he raised his head with a willing heart.

But the moment Namgung Hui stepped on the stairs in front of the podium.

-Peoeoong!!!

A powerful explosion was heard, as if a thunderclap bomb had gone off.