Chapter 27
“Hmph! At this distance, how can we even see their duel? All I can see is that giant waterfall.”
Moyong Hwa grumbled.
And for good reason.
The God of War and the Heavenly Demon had moved the crowd far away, to a distance of almost 100 zhang.
Therefore, all the crowd could see was the giant waterfall and the stream of water.
Of course, they were martial artists, so they possessed an eyesight that ordinary people could not even imagine, and thanks to that, they could see the figures of Moyong Cheon and the God of War even from a distance of a hundred zhang. But even that was imprinted as a small dot, so for Moyong Hwa and Yeon So-so, whose martial arts were relatively weak, the meaning of watching the duel was fading.
“Hwa-ah. It can’t be helped. The realms of those two have reached the heavens. If we are nearby, we will only be a hindrance.”
“Hmm…”
Moyong Baek consoled Moyong Hwa.
He was right.
If the God of War and the Heavenly Demon were to clash, it was obvious that the crowd would be in danger from the aftermath alone.
Just then.
“It won’t take long.”
So-ah muttered softly.
Moyong Hwa’s eyes widened as she asked.
“Huh?”
“The duel between those two will end soon. And even if we go closer to see, we won’t be able to properly witness their martial prowess. In the end, it’s a meaningless act.”
“Senior Brother So-ah…”
Moyong Hwa felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
So-ah, whom she had met after three years, had changed in his actions as much as his appearance, becoming more mature.
‘He’s acting pretty cool, isn’t he? Pfft…’
Moyong Hwa laughed inwardly, but the way she looked at So-ah had changed from before.
***
—Swaaaa…!
The two old men, facing each other with the waterfall that fell like thunder between them, looked at each other without doing anything.
They felt the passage of time.
But there was no need for conversation.
Because they had had enough conversation just by looking at each other.
“Un. There’s no need for a starting posture or a preliminary move, right?”
As Moyong Cheon asked softly, a smile appeared on Wi-ji Un’s face.
“A starting posture or a preliminary move… hahaha! We don’t need such things.”
“Then I will go all out from the beginning.”
“That’s what I want.”
The two of them simultaneously curled up the corners of their mouths.
Gooooo…
In that moment, a surprising thing happened.
The ground where Moyong Cheon and Wi-ji Un were standing began to move like waves.
‘How profound. Does such a profound internal energy exist in the world!’
‘The war fiend’s Great Whale Heart Law is amazing! It’s like a living internal energy.’
The two admired each other.
But that admiration did not last long.
—papapang!
The two, feeling that the opponent’s aura was not ordinary, attacked without anyone going first.
Moyong Cheon unleashed the Heaven-Shattering Consecutive Cannon, the most common and widely applicable fist technique among the Ten-Second Invincible Arts, and Wi-ji Un shot out the Heavenly Demon Heaven-Shattering Fist, which was optimized for empty-handed combat among the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
The fist strikes of the two great masters met.
—Kwagagagagang!
It was an explosion.
Starting with a huge explosion like a thunderbolt, the aftermath shook the entire Mount Daeak.
—Swaaaaa…!
The falling waterfall could not withstand the aftermath of the fist strikes and split into two.
A magnificent sight as if a tsunami were occurring was created.
This was clearly imprinted in the eyes of the crowd who were far away.
“Amazing. Truly amazing! How can they unleash such a huge fist gang without a single preliminary move!”
Moyong Baek exclaimed in admiration.
He had thought that whatever he imagined, it would be more than that, but he had never imagined that such a heaven-shaking martial prowess would be revealed from the very beginning…
“Grandpa…”
So-ah was just as surprised.
But the surprise turned into excitement, the excitement into astonishment, and the astonishment into another fear.
It changed from moment to moment.
Because even in that short fleeting moment, the attacks and defenses of the God of War and the Heavenly Demon were continuing endlessly.
—Tukang
—Kwagagagagagang!
—Papapang!
A palm and a palm!
A fist and a fist!
The performance of the strongest empty-handed combat that could command the world was like watching a well-choreographed play and a combination.
“Old man Wi-ji, you’re amazing. To think you would be so skilled in brawling. Hoho.”
“Stop with the pleasantries, war fiend. The brawling art of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art is an invincible divine art that has never been defeated since ancient times. How dare you! Kuhaha.”
It was in an instant.
During that fleeting time, the two’s palms, fists, and kicks had exchanged over a hundred moves.
But during that time, neither side could gain even a slight advantage.
That’s how tight a fight was unfolding.
“But if I were to lose in a brawl, my pride would be so hurt that I wouldn’t be able to stand it, right?”
“Kekeke, what are you going to do?”
“Perhaps, you will have no choice but to draw out the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword next time.”
Moyong Cheon’s figure disappeared as soon as he finished speaking.
No, it would be more accurate to say that it scattered.
‘The Ten-Second Invincible Arts is about to be manifested in earnest.’
Wi-ji Un thought.
Until now, he had been able to endure without taking out his beloved weapon, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword, but from now on, a different aspect would unfold.
As expected!
—Kugugugugung!
A rough thunderous sound brushed past his ears.
At the same time, the scattered figure of Moyong Cheon fell from above Wi-ji Un’s head like lightning.
Kwagwang…!
Wi-ji Un, in an instant, raised the internal energy of his dantian by twelve circulations and shot out a powerful palm above his head to receive Moyong Cheon’s attack.
Kwadeuk…
At that, a terrible sound of breaking bones erupted.
‘Keuk…’
Wi-ji Un had to groan inwardly.
The Human Sword Strike!
A terrifying killing technique that condensed the internal energy of the Great Whale to a high concentration in the elbow and exploded it at a single point was unleashed.
The moment Moyong Cheon’s elbow touched his palm, Wi-ji Un instinctively felt the bones in his wrist turn to dust.
But that was not the end.
Kung…!
An infinite pressure was released from Moyong Cheon’s body.
The pressure pressed down on Wi-ji Un’s body with the force to crush it. As he endured it, Wi-ji Un’s knees naturally buckled and were driven into the ground.
Guuuu…
The momentum of the battle tilted in an instant.
A situation where Moyong Cheon was pressing down on Wi-ji Un with the force to completely crush him unfolded.
But Wi-ji Un did not give up.
No, he hadn’t even started properly yet.
He first raised his protective ki to the extreme based on the internal energy contained in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
At that, a dense and formless transparent curtain surrounded Wi-ji Un’s entire body.
And the repulsive force of that curtain sent Moyong Cheon’s body flying ten zhang into the air.
—Kwang!
Moyong Cheon’s body flew through the sky.
The sight was like a hawk taking flight.
“Grandpa!”
So-ah shouted.
So-ah realized that it was his grandfather’s body flying powerlessly, unable to withstand Wi-ji Un’s powerful repulsive force.
He exploded his eyesight.
So-ah had also been knocking on the door of the Realm of Transformation for over three years.
Although he did not possess a clairvoyance close to the Heart Lamp like Moyong Cheon or Wi-ji Un, when he raised his eyesight to the maximum, he could witness his grandfather’s expression.
In that moment!
“Grandpa…”
So-ah was relieved.
Clearly, his grandfather, Moyong Cheon, was smiling.
***
Hwiii…!
It was the sky.
A mist arose in the sky, and that mist simultaneously wrapped around the waterfall, becoming a giant whirlwind.
“Senior God of War…!”
The first to exclaim was Wi-ji Chan.
It was because he was worried about his grandfather, who had to withstand such an attack.
‘How can a human’s power…’
Wi-ji Chan was reminded once again of how amazing a person the God of War, Moyong Cheon, was.
The whirlwind generated by the rotation of Moyong Cheon’s body was like a waterspout generated in the middle of the sea.
The whirlwind, containing a great power like the supernatural power of an immortal who skillfully handles nature, descended from the heavens.
Wi-ji Chan could not help but be in awe of such a Moyong Cheon as a martial artist.
—Kwakwakwakwakwakwa!
The explosion of the heaven and earth shaking Mount Daeak.
A giant whirlwind.
Only So-ah knew the true identity of that whirlwind.
‘The Iron Armor Great Rotation!’
The Iron Armor Great Rotation was a defensive technique among the Ten-Second Invincible Arts. It was an invincible and supreme external art technique that created a typhoon by exploding internal energy while raising the protective ki to the extreme, blocking any pressure.
Moyong Cheon, the moment he was sent flying by Wi-ji Un’s repulsive force, had performed the Iron Armor Great Rotation and reversed the situation.
The moment the formidable whirlwind of the Iron Armor Great Rotation covered Wi-ji Un’s body, Wi-ji Un had the illusion that the sky was collapsing above his head.
‘Kekeke, war fiend. You are delivering a heavenly punishment to me!’
Wi-ji Un received that heavenly punishment as it was.
Kwareureureung!
The waterfall collapsed.
Not only that, but all the land, strange rocks, and giant trees within a dozen zhang around were erased without a trace.
As if they had never existed in the first place.
“Grandpa!”
“Father!”
“Grandpa!!”
“Father-in-law!”
The voices of the crowd trembled.
***
A thick fog…
And through it, hundreds of flashes of light.
The crowd could not see anything and could only stomp their feet.
But that was only for a moment.
Soon, the mist disappeared, and the fog slowly subsided.
Only then were the figures of Moyong Cheon and Wi-ji Un, standing alone in the devastated battlefield, revealed.
It was certainly unexpected.
Wi-ji Un, who was thought to have suffered greatly from Moyong Cheon’s Iron Armor Great Rotation, was standing with a detached look, without a single scratch.
And what about Moyong Cheon?
He also did not show any disappointment that his counterattack had been in vain.
The two were just laughing heartily.
“Kekeke, war fiend. As expected, you don’t disappoint!”
“I’m grateful that you say so, but you are terrifyingly scary. I never thought you would receive my Iron Armor Great Rotation with your bare body.”
“Wouldn’t I have to be at this level to be the Heavenly Demon? Still, the one who has reached a higher realm than you is me.”
“I’m worried. How should I break through you?”
“I told you that such a crude technique is useless no matter how many times you try! Kekeke.”
“Hoho. I understand. Then I will show you something terrifying.”
“Oho? You’re finally thinking of doing it properly?”
“Demon geezer, as you know, all I have is the Ten-Second Invincible Arts. I don’t have a divine weapon like you, nor have I reached the realm of life and death.”
“…”
“But if there is one thing I can boast of, it is that I have completely shed the form of this crude fighting technique and can perform it in succession according to my will. This is something that can never be imitated unless one has practiced a single martial art for a lifetime with stubbornness.”
At Moyong Cheon’s words, Wi-ji Un was once again filled with respect for him.
It was certainly true.
Moyong Cheon’s martial arts were so simple compared to his own that at first glance, one might think they were insignificant.
But the stubborn obsession that had been built up by performing that simple thing hundreds of millions of times contained a great value that he could not even imitate.
“I respect you, war fiend.”
“I admire you.”
“Then I will also prepare myself.”
“…”
“This is the first time. Since I mastered the Heavenly Demon Heaven-Shattering Fist, to draw my sword.”
Shhh-ing—!
Wi-ji Un drew his sword.
The word “sharp” did not suit it.
No, that word was too insufficient to describe the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sword!
A holy relic of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and a divine weapon passed down to only one person, the successive Heavenly Demons.
Although it was called one of the ten great weapons under heaven, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword, which could be called the best weapon under heaven, contained not demonic ki and sinisterism, but a sense of dignity and nobility like that of the Taoist or Buddhist sects.
‘It can truly be called a thing beyond the divine!’
Moyong Cheon could not help but be inwardly impressed.
Then he clenched his fist.
Now, his whole life.
His name as the God of War.
As a legend of the Orthodox Martial Path, the time had come to pour out all his martial will, fighting spirit, and intention.
“It will be over soon.”
“It will be.”
“Let’s put our lives into it.”
“Alright.”
(End of Chapter)