Chapter 136 : Chapter 136
Chapter 136 - Clash of the Monsters
“A duel? A duel, you say?”
Hyeokri Chong, in shock, asked Biyoung.
His demeanor was incredibly fierce, but Biyoung’s expression was as calm as could be.
“Yes. If my junior sister has the skill, there’s no reason to refuse.”
“How could you…!”
Hyeokri Chong’s gaze then turned to Jeokseo.
He thought that the Sect Leader would stop this madness.
However.
Unfortunately, Jeokseo’s answer was different from what he expected.
“Holholhol. Let’s see you have a go.”
“S-Sect Leader!”
“If I think Hyeokri Hong’s skills are lacking, I will not allow it. So do not worry.”
With even Jeokseo saying that, Hyeokri Chong could no longer dissuade them.
But the worry on his face remained.
Wasn’t she a granddaughter he wouldn’t feel pain even if he put her in his eyes?
It would be strange if he wasn’t worried.
“Don’t worry, Grandfather. This granddaughter will definitely win!”
“W-Win…?”
At Hyeokri Hong’s spirited words, Jeokseo burst into laughter.
“Holholhol. So you’re not just showing your skills, you’re planning to win outright? That’s a more warrior-like attitude than anyone here.”
“Of course! Let’s start right now!”
As if energized by Jeokseo’s praise, Hyeokri Hong rolled up her sleeves.
Biyoung, who was watching this with a strange expression, called out to Jeong-i.
“Senior Sister.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t think of going easy on her. She’s not at that level.”
“I know.”
Jeong-i stepped forward with a smile like a spring breeze.
She had already confirmed Hyeokri Hong’s extraordinary internal energy back at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
‘Perhaps…’
In terms of pure internal energy alone, she might be the best among the junior disciples.
With that thought, Jeong-i drew the sword at her waist.
“This Junior Sister requests your guidance!”
Hyeokri Hong shouted in a clear voice and bowed her head energetically.
Jeong-i also erased the smile from her lips and answered seriously.
“I look forward to it.”
***
‘It’s hot.’
A hot energy surged within her body.
Hyeokri Hong could not define this feeling in one word.
Was it the excitement of showing her martial prowess in front of the sect members?
Or was it a competitive spirit towards the beautiful and outstanding female master?
Or perhaps it was a sense of ambition, a desire to be helpful to the sect as a junior disciple?
It could be a different reason, or perhaps all three.
In any case, Hyeokri Hong was savoring the feeling boiling up in her chest.
To know that its name was ‘elation,’ Hyeokri Hong was still too young.
Sssssssss!
“Ohh…!”
Despite it being the middle of the night, the shimmering haze around Hyeokri Hong was clearly visible.
Her already overflowing internal energy was now coupled with a sense of elation.
Hyeokri Hong had finished her preparations to unleash the strongest energy of her life.
“Haaap!”
A fighting cry that was so young it felt cute burst out.
But the force erupting from her two hands was a hundred and eighty degrees different from cute.
Bwaaang!
“!”
An immense palm force that defied common sense erupted from Hyeokri Hong’s palms.
The energy of the palm force was so dense that its color alone was enough to brighten the surrounding area.
“Wing Waving Palm?!”
The eyelids of the Diancang Sect martial artists shot up high into the sky.
Judging from the way the palm force was activated and the movements, it was definitely the Wing Waving Palm from the sect’s martial art, the Beak Striking Palm Fist.
But even if the movements were the same, if the power was worlds apart, could it be considered the same martial art?
The force of the palm was so outstanding that it paradoxically didn’t even look like the Wing Waving Palm.
“Heo.”
Meanwhile, Biyoung, who saw the Wing Waving Palm, had a slightly different expression from the others.
‘A novice is obvious.’
Look at the Wing Waving Palm flying with such a terrifying force.
How could this be called a ‘duel’?
She wasn't exchanging blows, but trying to strike down her opponent with all her might.
Hyeokri Hong was still too young to control the elation welling up inside her.
‘Well. That’s why I put her against Senior Sister.’
If it had been another swordsman, they might have become enraged and launched a counter-killing move.
The technique Hyeokri Hong had unleashed was that domineering.
But Jeong-i simply moved her sword gently.
Seuk.
A blue-colored sword aura embroidered the dark night as if drawing a picture.
The sword line was so beautiful and leisurely that it felt as if she were dancing.
The auras of the two martial artists seemed as extremely different as fire and water.
And finally, Hyeokri Hong’s Wing Waving Palm and Jeong-i’s sword aura collided.
Kwang!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Ugh!!”
“?!”
“W-What is this.”
Could this truly be called a clash of sword aura and palm force?
A violent wind raged with a terrifying explosion, and the Diancang Sect elders with weak internal energy were thrown outwards.
Those who held their ground also stared at the two women with bewildered eyes.
Their hair, which had shot up high into the sky and was now a mess, revealed the level of the clash just a moment ago.
“That’s crazy.”
Uma gave a bitter smile as he roughly tidied his disheveled hair.
With that one exchange, Uma had realized.
Not only Jeong-i, but even that tiny little girl’s internal energy was stronger than his own.
‘I-I thought Dokta was resurrected.’
Solbo was just as surprised.
His already large eyes had doubled in size.
An explosion and a violent wind that felt like it would deafen him.
It was just like this when Dokta, the leader of the Brown Kerchief Gang who was called the Bomb Demon, set off a bomb.
It was an absurd thing.
Jeong-i’s appearance was beyond words, and Hyeokri Hong’s adorable jade face was so outstanding that it made one want to see her future.
But the way the two women with such outstanding beauty fought was absurdly violent.
It was a good thing he was witnessing it with his own two eyes; if someone else had told him about it, he would never have believed it.
“I’ll have to take back what I said just now.”
The Diancang Sect elder Mujin gave a bitter smile to his colleague next to him.
The colleague also made a comical expression as if he understood.
Jeong-i and Hyeokri Hong.
The sight of the two beauties facing each other was like a painting.
Mujin had looked at them and commented, ‘It’s like a battle of a single stalk of flowers.’
But in just one exchange, Mujin had to retract his statement.
Battle of flowers, my ass.
This was just a clash of monsters.
“Chahat!”
Buuung!
Wing Waving Palms continuously erupted from Hyeokri Hong’s palms.
She had thought her attack might not get through, but she was subtly annoyed when Jeong-i blocked it more easily than expected.
On the other hand, Jeong-i deflected the oncoming palm forces one by one with low, sunken eyes.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
“U-Ugh!”
The onlookers who were watching nearby slowly backed away.
The force of the clash between the palm force and the sword aura was so fierce that it felt like they would suffocate just by standing still.
“Holholhol.”
While most people were watching the duel with weary faces, Jeokseo still hadn’t stopped laughing.
‘Another genius was here.’
The martial art that symbolized the Diancang Sect was the quick sword.
But that didn’t mean they neglected other martial arts.
When the Diancang Sect made a name for itself in Jianghu, there were those who excelled not only in the quick sword but also in fist techniques and palm techniques.
But after being driven out to Simao, they had to spend difficult days where it was hard to even restore the basic swordsmanship, let alone fist and palm techniques.
“Holholhol.”
So how could he stop laughing?
That fierce and unrestrained palm force was, in fact, like a new signal for the revival of the Diancang Sect.
“Eek……!”
Countless dizzying palm forces poured out, but they were blocked every time.
Before she knew it, thick beads of sweat had formed on Hyeokri Hong’s forehead.
On the other hand, there was not a single flaw in Jeong-i’s sword and posture.
Hyeokri Hong suddenly had such a question.
‘Why does it feel like only I am struggling?!’
She bit her lip.
Hyeokri Hong might have the upper hand in terms of internal energy in her body.
But it couldn't be said that Hyeokri Hong, who had used up her internal energy to use the Wing Waving Palm, and Jeong-i, who was simply deflecting it with her sword aura, were using the same amount of strength.
Furthermore, there was one more crucial difference, and that was ‘experience.’
Jeong-i had already fought numerous real battles with the junior disciples, whereas this was the first time Hyeokri Hong had even dueled in front of people.
It was as clear as day on which side’s shoulders excessive force had entered.
Hyeokri Hong was still too young to understand all those circumstances.
On the other hand, because she was so young, she could not accept her defeat.
‘I can’t lose.’
Grind.
Hyeokri Hong gritted her teeth firmly and changed her movements.
Unlike when she used the Wing Waving Palm, she spread her hands wide to both sides.
Ssiik.
Biyoung, who was watching this, smiled like a mischievous child.
‘She shouldn’t use that.’
Mad Dog's Barking Palm.
It was a palm technique Hyeokri Hong had learned from Gwangyo, the Mad and Aberrant Man, before she entered the Diancang Sect.
Its power was incomparably more domineering than the Wing Waving Palm, but it was too much to use in this situation.
The Mad Dog's Barking Palm could not only hurt the duel opponent but also fiercely sweep through the area and injure the surrounding people.
Gwangyo might be able to control it, but the possibility of Hyeokri Hong, who was blinded by the desire to win, controlling it was nil.
“……!”
Perhaps because Hyeokri Hong’s energy seemed unusual, Jeong-i’s eyes narrowed slightly.
It seemed one of them might get hurt a little this time.
Thinking that, Jeong-i gathered a little more of the Profound Heaven's True Energy Unification Art’s internal energy.
Pssseuseuseu……!
As the sword aura grew even denser, her face took on a blue hue like a jiangshi.
Gulp.
Danseol, who was watching this, swallowed his saliva without realizing it.
The Wing Waving Palm alone had caused a devastating explosion just a moment ago, so what kind of result would occur if the Mad Dog's Barking Palm and the Profound Heaven's True Energy Unification Art’s internal energy collided?
While it was extremely frightening, a sense of unknown anticipation also arose.
But unfortunately, Danseol’s curiosity would not be satisfied.
“Stop!”
A desperate cry containing a metallic sound split the space between the two women.
The owner of the voice was the spirit pill-making slave, Hyeokri Chong.
“I have sufficiently confirmed Hong-ah’s skills. Even if the Sect Leader allows her to accompany Biyoung, I will not object.”
After saying that, Hyeokri Chong took a couple of steps back.
“Grandfather?”
Hyeokri Hong looked at her grandfather with a bewildered face.
She had not expected Hyeokri Chong to raise the white flag before even seeing the result.
But this was a reasonable decision.
If Hyeokri Hong used the Mad Dog's Barking Palm and Jeong-i countered it, his granddaughter could suffer a major blow before even meeting the Hojubang.
Also, she might be reprimanded just for using the martial art of another sect.
“Thank you, Grandfather!”
Just a moment ago, she was unleashing a fierce palm force, and now, Hyeokri Hong hopped like a rabbit and hugged Hyeokri Chong.
“You little….”
Hyeokri Chong’s heart as he looked down at his granddaughter was too complicated to be described in words.
A sense of pride for his granddaughter who had grown up so much.
A sense of disappointment that she was no longer a child in his arms.
And a worry of what if she gets hurt.
All those emotions were mixed together, and no one could easily talk to him.
Except for one person.
“Wow. Junior Sister Hong. You’re damn strong.”
Hyeokri Hong snorted at the smiling Biyoung.
“Hmph! You only just realized that, Senior Brother? To make this Junior Sister tired by forcing a duel!”
What was this? They were called senior brother and junior sister, but their actions were as if they didn’t care about the hierarchy at all.
But Biyoung patted her shoulder instead of questioning her.
“Don’t overdo it by getting too absorbed in the duel. If you had used the Mad Dog's Barking Palm, your internal energy would have been depleted. It would be too unfair to collapse after earning the right to go to the Hojubang, wouldn’t it?”
“Collapse? Who’s collapsing….”
Hyeokri Hong, who was reflexively retorting, stopped talking and her eyes became like a rabbit’s.
Just now.
What did he say?
That she had earned the right?
“Sect Leader. You saw that, right? She’ll be quite useful.”
Biyoung asked with a mischievous smile, and Jeokseo responded with his characteristic laugh.
“Holholhol. It seems so to me too. But since her experience in Jianghu is shallow, you must protect her well by her side.”
“Ah. I won’t do that.”
“Hmm?”
This time, even Jeokseo couldn’t understand the meaning and blinked his eyes.
If you don’t do it, who will?
Just as question marks were popping up above everyone’s heads, Biyoung’s head turned to one side.
“He’s amazing at protecting things. That friend of mine.”