Chapter 295: Path of the Wild Beast (5)
“Huu.”
Tang Sang-ah quietly caught her breath.
‘It’s done.’
The Tang Sect’s secret technique, Chasing Lightning Movement Technique, was a movement technique that consumed a severe amount of internal energy and stamina in exchange for obtaining tremendous speed and flexibility.
So to speak, it meant it was a movement technique focused on combat, unlike ordinary movement techniques. A movement technique is a method of moving farther and faster with less internal energy. The Chasing Lightning Movement Technique definitely had a different use from ordinary movement techniques.
‘I surpassed fifteen minutes.’
It was no exaggeration to say that Tang Sang-ah’s enlightenment regarding the Chasing Lightning Movement Technique had already entered the realm of an expert.
Even so, the reason she couldn’t use the Chasing Lightning Movement Technique well was because it didn’t suit the flexible and sharp characteristics of her martial arts.
However, not being able to properly use such a martial art even after learning it was too much of a waste.
‘Hmm. Well, trivial problems are shortcomings that will disappear as your level develops, so they aren’t very important.’
‘Then? What do you think my biggest shortcoming is?’
‘Stamina.’
When she first heard those words from Yeon Ho-jeong, Tang Sang-ah could not agree.
The power of poisons and hidden weapons varies widely depending on how well one gauges distance. Naturally, the experts of the Tang Sect invested heavily in movement techniques, and there was no one who suffered from physical stamina problems to that extent.
However, Tang Sang-ah realized it only now. The meaning of stamina that Yeon Ho-jeong spoke of.
‘It doesn’t mean simple endurance. He was talking about the explosive power that can be burst out in an instant, and the stamina to maintain consistency even when using breathing freely.’
The more one uses a high-density force, the faster one’s breathing breaks down at a terrifying speed. And the broken breathing directly exerts a bad influence on stamina.
Continuously maintaining a constant force is something anyone can do, with only a difference in degree.
However, the state of returning breathing to normal even after continuously bursting out the power of a one-hit kill with explosive output can hardly be reached even with hellish training.
The training Tang Sang-ah had done in the meantime was exactly that kind of stamina training.
A high-intensity training to the point where even Tang Sang-ah, who was as tenacious as anyone when limited to martial arts, felt like giving up several times a day.
Surprisingly, as such training piled up again and again, even when she used the Chasing Lightning Movement Technique… which she couldn’t even maintain properly for half a quarter of an hour… for over fifteen minutes, there was no disarray in her movements.
‘That’s not all.’
Extreme stamina training eats up more breathing.
Just as much breathing is consumed, there is also a lot of breathing coming in. As such entry and exit of breathing repeated, the density of Qi held by the muscles also gradually increased.
‘Training internal energy is not everything. There must be exactly this kind of training process for elasticity to occur in actual combat.’
She anew felt that Yeon Ho-jeong was amazing.
Yeon Ho-jeong was the possessor of outstanding actual combat ability. Setting aside experience, to raise that much actual combat sense, he must have executed extreme training without skipping a single day.
When stamina increases, the density of Qi increases, and when the density of Qi increases, the utility of internal energy operation also increases. Because the utility of internal energy operation increases, the techniques also become diverse, and because the techniques become diverse, one can find a breakthrough in any adverse conditions.
Training stamina. One drop of sweat shed today can preserve a bucket of blood that would be shed in actual combat.
Tang Sang-ah acutely felt that logic to the bone.
“Amazing.”
“Ah, you’re here.”
Murong Yu looked at her with admiring eyes.
“Your stamina has increased tremendously. You must have trained viciously in the meantime.”
Tang Sang-ah smiled.
“I still have a long way to go.”
“Of course. But if you steadily do it from now on like you have been doing until now, it seems your blind spots in actual combat will decrease a lot.”
He sees through the goal of stamina training at once. So to speak, it means Murong Yu had also already realized the importance of stamina training early on, like Yeon Ho-jeong.
‘As expected.’
Tang Sang-ah looked up at the sky.
‘There are this many people to learn from.’
Called the pinnacle among the rising stars of the Tang Clan of this generation, and the only person to receive teachings from the Dark King, the strongest of the Tang Clan.
Perhaps that fact might have knowingly or unknowingly grown her arrogance. Tang Sang-ah deeply reflected while looking back on her past self.
“Is that movement technique the Chasing Lightning Movement Technique you mentioned before?”
“That’s right.”
“Chasing lightning… It is indeed an amazing movement technique just like its name. If you used your Poison Art along with that movement technique, the person getting hit by it would truly be dizzy.”
Tang Sang-ah shook her head.
“Of course, the compatibility with Poison Art is also okay, but what truly matches the Chasing Lightning Movement Technique is hidden weapon techniques.”
“Why is that? No matter how precise a hidden weapon technique is, if one uses such an aggressive movement technique, it seems it would be difficult to hit the target.”
“There are three people in the main clan who are capable of that. And I have personally seen how terrifying their martial arts are.”
“…….”
“That is why they say the Chasing Lightning Movement Technique brings out maximum efficiency when paralleled with hidden weapon techniques.”
Curiosity arose on Murong Yu’s face.
“Who are those three people?”
“One person is my grandfather.”
Murong Yu quietly let out a groan.
“Elder Dark King.”
“That’s right. And the Great Elder of the main clan is also a person who can graft the Chasing Lightning Movement Technique and hidden weapon techniques together.”
“If so, who is the last person?”
“That’s right.”
Tang Sang-ah’s eyes shone.
“The person who practically controls the Sichuan Murim of this generation, it is my father.”
* * *
Crack! Pueok!
The iron whip that had pounded the iron staff several times suddenly squirmed bizarrely and tore off Yeon Ho-jeong’s shoulder.
By great fortune, it did not reach the muscle, but the sensation of flesh being torn away was very nasty. Moreover, the surface of the iron whip was rough like a saw blade, making it easy to tear the skin.
Teeeeong!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s figure soared vertically high into the sky.
It was the Yeon Clan’s secret Heaven-Sent Moving Flight. Uncharacteristically for him, who had driven Tang Kwan into a corner with explosive movements, he showed an elegant and refreshing movement technique.
Paaaaak!
When Yeon Ho-jeong, who escaped the attack range, gripped the iron staff again, Tang Kwan’s figure had already reached right in front of Yeon Ho-jeong’s nose.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes wavered.
‘He got faster.’
It is an incredible movement technique.
It runs on a different track from the Vermilion Bird Art’s Blood Wing Sweeping Heavens. Blood Wing Sweeping Heavens is an attack in itself, and the fastest combat footwork. Elegance cannot be found there; it is only full of a butcher’s madness wanting to kill the enemy in the shortest time.
Tang Kwan’s movement technique was different.
His movement technique was fast yet ever-changing. Like a thunderbolt striking down from a sky full of dark clouds, because it changed directions at will while being fast, one could not predict where the attack would come from.
If Yeon Ho-jeong made it impossible to distinguish between the void and reality with his actual combat sense that had reached the extreme, Tang Kwan’s movement technique’s martial principles itself was forming an extreme change.
Pupeupeung!
Tang Kwan, who struck out a Triple-Layered Palm with all his might.
He blocked the three layers of palm force striking in succession with the iron staff containing Black Tortoise Qi, but its destructive power was on a different dimension from the initial strike.
Yeon Ho-jeong descended at a terrifying speed. He didn’t come down because he wanted to, but rather it was close to crashing down unable to withstand the shockwave.
Paaaaaang!
Tang Kwan chased after Yeon Ho-jeong at a terrifying speed.
‘It’s over.’
Not only did his posture collapse, but the flow of his internal energy was also somewhat twisted. The match would be decided with this strike. Tang Kwan thought so.
Pueeeeeong!
Tang Kwan’s eyes widened.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who pushed out the horizontally laid iron staff with both feet, flew diagonally and managed his internal energy in an instant.
‘Ha!’
At this point, even Tang Kwan, who viewed Yeon Ho-jeong unfavorably, could not help but admire him.
‘To think there is such a guy.’
Tang Kwan swung the iron whip.
Chwareureureureuk!
Surprisingly, the iron whip, which was only one zhang long, stretched to a length of nearly five zhang and wrapped around Yeon Ho-jeong’s body.
It wasn’t because it was made of special iron like the Flood Dragon Chain. The transparent line connecting the small iron pieces had tremendous tensile strength and elasticity, so it could increase or decrease in length at will according to Tang Kwan’s internal energy power.
Jureureureureuk!
The iron whip wrapped around Yeon Ho-jeong’s body dug into his skin.
Even with the Black Tortoise Art’s mighty repulsive force, it was difficult to block the sharpness of the iron whip tearing the skin. If he made a mistake, he would suffer damage even to his muscles.
In that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eye glint spat out a deep blue light.
Teeeeong! Pueok!
Tang Kwan’s eyes wavered.
He was going to tie him up just like that and throw him to the ground, but the iron staff that flew in before he knew it struck his wrist, causing him to lose his grip on the iron whip.
‘Void Manipulation?!’
He was dumbfounded.
Every time he thought he had cornered him, he dodged or blocked the attack with a method that transcended imagination.
He didn’t know he would make him let go of the iron whip using the iron staff in this urgent moment. It was a combat sense that was utterly dumbfounding.
Paaaaak! Bang!
Yeon Ho-jeong, who landed on the ground with Thousand Catty Drop, quickly untied the iron whip.
Kuuung!
Almost at the same time, Tang Kwan, who landed on the ground, was holding the iron staff in his hand.
“Huuk.”
Yeon Ho-jeong caught his breath and looked at Tang Kwan.
Tang Kwan’s eyes were slightly wavering.
“……You are a surprising guy.”
Hwiriririk! Kaang!
The iron staff tumbled at Yeon Ho-jeong’s feet.
Yeon Ho-jeong also rolled up the iron whip and threw it to Tang Kwan. As Tang Kwan reached out his hand towards the iron whip, the untied iron whip was sucked into his sleeve like a snake before he knew it.
Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.
“That iron whip, isn’t it a hidden weapon?”
Tang Kwan’s eyes widened.
“Did you know?”
“It scratched me several times, so of course I should know. That iron whip, if the Clan Head just makes up your mind, it will become hundreds of pieces of hidden weapons and sweep through the enemy lines.”
Did he see through that?
Tang Kwan, who quietly watched Yeon Ho-jeong, killed his momentum.
Puseuseuseu.
The blowing wind calmed down in an instant.
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
“Why are you doing that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t tell me you are trying to stop?”
“That is right.”
“I still haven’t properly seen the Clan Head’s hidden weapon techniques or Poison Art.”
Tang Kwan laughed coldly.
“I am holding back looking at your father’s face. If I even use the main clan’s secret martial arts, you will nine times out of ten die or become a cripple.”
In the midst of that, he didn’t say he would unconditionally die. It meant Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts were that deeply impressive.
Yeon Ho-jeong grumbled quietly.
“It was a good opportunity to observe the Tang Clan’s secret martial arts, but it became a pity.”
Tang Kwan was inwardly dumbfounded.
“You bastard, if you live like that, even ten lives won’t remain intact.”
“You wouldn’t be sad even if I die anyway, would you, Clan Head?”
He makes me speechless.
“So, how was it?”
“What do you mean?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“My vessel, does it seem decent enough?”
Tang Kwan, who was blankly observing Yeon Ho-jeong, turned his head away.
“You bastard are similar to Murong Jun.”
“It’s an evaluation that I don’t know whether to be happy or displeased about.”
“However, there is one thing different from Murong Jun.”
“What is it?”
“That at least you have no hesitation when you must draw your sword.”
“Mmm.”
“Even if you rack your petty brain about politics or whatever, it is of no use in front of overwhelming strength. In the Murim, it’s ultimately strength. And the one who knows the moment when that strength must be used can truly become great.”
“…….”
“Even in Mother Nature, which has an incredibly long history, countless values have deteriorated and disappeared. However, there is one principle that absolutely does not change, and that is precisely the law of the jungle.”
Tang Kwan turned his body.
“Rack your brain moderately. If a guy born with somewhat useful fangs only wags his tongue, even his innate fangs are bound to dull.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“I will reserve a meeting with the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions.”
“Hmph.”
Tang Kwan said while jumping up to the window on the second floor.
“Clean everything up before you go.”