Chapter 347: Winner of the Secret Strife (1)
Rumble!
The palm force spewed from the lightly struck one palm destroyed everything it collided with.
‘He is quite something.’
Tang Kwan, who dodged Yo-roe’s palm technique with the Chasing Thunder Movement Technique, looked at the opponent with cold eyes.
Whoosh!
Yo-roe, who was emitting red fire qi from his entire body, had turned into a single ball of fire.
The firepower he spewed out was so strong that even though he was ten zhang away, his skin tingled. It was a high-temperature true qi that one would not even dare to approach without protecting their body with a powerful internal energy shield.
‘To emit that much fire qi while the main body remains unharmed?’
What those who train in poison arts always have to be wary of was the balance between resistance and poison qi.
Because if one increases the concentration of poison qi without resistance to lethal poison, their body will melt away. And that applies not only to poison qi but to all martial arts in the world.
If the body does not have the sturdiness to receive heavily concentrated true qi, no matter how outstanding an enlightenment one gains, the body cannot endure it. So to speak, the balance between qi and the physical body does not match. Would a stage called the Wall of the Martial End exist for nothing?
Yo-roe’s Heat Yang Art would be the same. This was not a problem of the type of martial art, but a problem of logic.
‘In other words, the guy’s body has enough heat resistance to remain fine even against considerable fire attacks.’
Bang!
The palm force of Yo-roe, struck out once again, passed by while burning the empty air.
The surface of the ground burst apart from the domineering palm force, and numerous trees were engulfed in flames by the fragments splashing in all directions. The area of the Divine Fire Cult’s primary information base instantly turned into a sea of fire.
As if angered by receiving Tang Kwan’s unexpected strike a moment ago, each and every strike was filled with an unusual killing intent. Although he used his martial arts for the Cult rather than competitive spirit, he too was human, so he could not help but be enraged.
Bang! Baaaang!
The light of the fire shot up to the sky at the continuous explosive sounds.
It was truly an amazing stamina. Even while continuously striking out a palm technique with such great power in a single strike, his breathing sound did not change at all.
Stamina, internal energy, mental strength; everything was super-first-rate. Yet, he did not miss Tang Kwan’s evading movements even once and kept a close watch.
Excluding his suppressed desires and competitive spirit, Yo-roe wielded martial arts that were almost close to a completed form as a martial artist. He was fully displaying his aspect as an Eighteen Martial General of the Divine Fire Cult.
“Indeed.”
Yo-roe, who had been striking out countless palm forces, soon relaxed his posture.
A sneer settled on his face.
“A rat-like bastard who doesn’t even have the courage to strike back. It seems the only thing you know how to do is footwork tricks.”
Tang Kwan chuckled.
“I am observing you. This clothes, they are expensive. It’s a waste to get them dirty just to catch one bug.”
“I will acknowledge that mouth of yours at least.”
Rumble!
A stronger fire qi surged from Yo-roe’s body.
It was the peak martial art of the Divine Fire Cult, the Red Lotus Pure Fire Art. Yo-roe, who had raised his power to the absolute peak, spread a halo from the spewing fire qi in the shape of a red lotus.
Tang Kwan’s eyes narrowed.
‘Certainly.’
His strength alone is amazing. Not to mention the completeness of his physical body, his internal energy was also amazing.
At the very least, his amount of internal energy might be superior even to his own. The absolute firepower spewing out without a limit; even a considerable master would suffer severe burns if they entered within a certain distance.
However, it was exactly up to there.
‘Clothes.’
Tang Kwan lightly touched his sleeve.
This long robe was the clothes Tang Sang-ah had given him as a gift for the first time a while ago. The quality was good, and it was much more comfortable than expected, so he enjoyed wearing it, but.
‘Funny.’
He said it like that, but Tang Kwan also knew. That he could never defeat Yo-roe without revealing his true skills.
Yo-roe was that strong. To the point where even the Tang Kwan of the world had to momentarily set aside his conceit.
“There’s no helping it.”
Woooooong!
The eerie true qi of the Reversing Three Yang Returning Origin Art wrapped around Tang Kwan’s entire body.
It was not as splendid as Yo-roe’s Red Lotus Pure Fire Art, but it was an energy that constantly emitted an unknown ominousness.
‘Poison doesn’t work?’
Previously, Yeon Ho-jeong had said that the Divine Fire Cult bastards were fully versed in the Heat Yang Art, so it would be wise not to use poison.
Tang Kwan wore a sneer.
The world did not know. How far the Tang Clan’s poisons and hidden weapons had developed. No one would know that they had already far transcended the common sense of the world.
“I’ve enjoyed the spectacle well, so shall we slowly begin.”
Swoosh!
Tang Kwan’s figure moved like lightning.
At least in movement techniques, Tang Kwan was far superior to Yo-roe. Since Yo-roe’s reflexes were also excellent, he did not miss Tang Kwan’s movements, but not being able to move at that speed was a big weakness.
Tang Kwan’s hand pierced through Yo-roe’s fire qi.
Baaaaang!
Yo-roe’s body stepped back a couple of paces.
Sizzle!
Whitish smoke soared from Tang Kwan’s hand and sleeve.
The corners of Yo-roe’s mouth went up.
“An amazing speed, but with an attack of that level, how can you even leave a scratch on this body?”
Tang Kwan did not answer.
Pabababak!
Lightning never struck down in a straight line. Bending constantly at various angles and piercing into the earth was lightning.
Tang Kwan’s movement technique was like that. Like the name of a movement technique that chases lightning, his body moved as if folding space while occupying countless blind spots.
Before one knew it, Tang Kwan’s foot, having gone to Yo-roe’s rear, moved like a whip.
Pubububuk!
Yo-roe’s body shook once again.
But that was all. He allowed the Three Consecutive Kicks, but he only felt a dull pain and did not suffer any particular damage.
Yo-roe’s hand was swung horizontally.
Flash! Rumble!
It was a slashing attack of a hand sword holding fire qi. The moment a red crescent moon rose in the air, four or five trees caught in that area split apart.
Kugugung! Bang!
The split trees fell and created countless sparks.
It was an incomparably ignorant strength.
“What are you trying to do?”
Step.
Tang Kwan, who had retreated more than ten zhang away again, stepped down with a light step.
Yo-roe frowned.
“Your attacks are too light. With that kind of martial arts, you cannot give my body any shock.”
Tang Kwan smiled.
“Your body at least is definitely solid.”
“…I will praise this. Seeing that your hands and feet are fine even after piercing the internal energy barrier of the Red Lotus Fire, it seems you definitely have the vessel to be the head of a prestigious clan.”
It was not conceit but confidence.
If one polished the Divine Fire Cult’s Heat Yang Art to the extreme, they could spew out a protective astral qi of flames.
That protective astral qi was hard to pierce unless even an absolute peak master made up their mind and struck out an attack. Moreover, since it contained high-temperature fire qi, letting alone piercing it, even approaching was bound to be difficult.
In other words, Tang Kwan was fine even after smashing his hands and feet into the body of a living and moving Fire God several times.
“But if that is all.”
Boom!
It seemed as if the entire mountain peak shook at Yo-roe’s strong foot stomp.
A strange light flashed in Tang Kwan’s eyes.
‘A foot stomp?’
Did martial arts of the outer-territorial region also have the element of a foot stomp?
“You can never defeat me.”
Paaah!
Yo-roe, who had blocked his approach with long-distance attacks, narrowed the distance without hesitation this time.
It was not comparable to Tang Kwan, but his movement technique was also at an amazing level. Tang Kwan simply showed an abnormal speed; Yo-roe also possessed grandmaster-level martial arts.
Yo-roe’s giant fist moved while tearing the wind.
It was the fist technique Gyu Jeok had used before, the Divine Fire Cult’s absolute technique, the Flame King´s Eight Fists.
Bang! Baaaang!
The flame fist strikes burst the air and caused terrifying shockwaves.
Yo-roe’s Flame Fists were different from Gyu Jeok’s. If Gyu Jeok used a sharp fist technique, Yo-roe used an endlessly strong and heavy fist technique.
Even if one learned the same martial arts, the very nature of the martial arts would change depending on the difference in interpretation.
It was befitting the fist technique of the Fifth Martial General, who was the best in strong fists among the Eighteen Martial Generals.
Paaang! Rumble!
The overlapping fist forces amplified their power and caused an explosive force so powerful it was suffocating.
Each and every fist strike reminded one of a fire bullet. Tang Kwan constantly retreated and dodged his fists, but at the pouring baptism of fist techniques, constraints finally began to come upon Tang Kwan’s movements as well.
A fishy smile rose on Yo-roe’s face.
‘I caught him.’
There was nowhere left to retreat. Behind him was a cliff, and even if he tried to jump over him and occupy the rear, the flames of the Red Lotus Fire would entangle his lower body.
‘That is why you guys won’t do.’
The reason the Sichuan Tang Clan could reign with fear was because of poisons and hidden weapons.
However, to a master emitting this level of protective astral qi, hidden weapons would be useless. Besides, due to the nature of poison, all of its poison qi had no choice but to evaporate in front of fire qi.
Even if they were at a similar stage, he occupied the advantage in compatibility. Yo-roe did not doubt his victory.
Thud!
Finally, Tang Kwan’s foot touched the edge of the cliff.
Whoosh!
A red-hot wall of flames was formed to the left and right of Yo-roe. He had blocked all directions to escape.
Tang Kwan glared at Yo-roe with cold eyes.
Yo-roe, meeting that gaze, spoke in a chilly voice, unlike his own martial arts.
“It is the end, poisonous snake bastard.”
Boom!
The moment he was about to pour out his final strike with a strong foot stomp.
‘……?’
In an instant, Yo-roe’s eyes wavered.
‘What is it?’
The internal force that had been surging from his dantian violently shook in an instant, like a raft encountering a rainstorm.
In a moment that split an instant.
Yo-roe was engulfed in terrible agony over whether he should stretch out this fist or not. He believed in his own strength, he believed in the Cult’s martial arts, and he believed in the history of training he had built up until now.
There was no way it could go wrong. His internal force just wavered briefly. He just had to strike it out.
His reason thought so. But his instinct was different.
The beast’s intuition whispered.
‘No. You shouldn’t stretch it out.’
Before he knew it, true qi was flowing from his chest to his right shoulder according to the mnemonic of the Flame King’s Eight Fists.
And his true qi was causing an even fiercer wave the closer it got to his fist.
‘It’s dangerous if I stretch out that fist!’
He got goosebumps.
He didn’t know why he felt that way. But Yo-roe felt a clear danger.
And Yo-roe.
‘Nonsense!’
He decided to ignore the warning his instinct cried out. Because with this one strike, he could crush that arrogant bastard.
Yo-roe vigorously thrust out a fist strike.
Pwaaaak!
“…?!”
Silence fell.
Tang Kwan looked at Yo-roe with pathetic eyes. And Yo-roe looked down at his own fist with an expression full of disbelief.
His fist had exploded from the inside and was crushed to the point where the bones were revealed.
Siiiizzle!
The billowing flames seared the wound and evaporated the blood.
It was clearly bound to be incredibly painful. Even so, Yo-roe blankly stared only at his fist.
“If your head is empty, you should at least be careful, yet you don’t even have that.”
“…What did you do?”
“It’s none of your business. You won’t understand it anyway.”
Tang Kwan raised his right hand.
Joining his index finger and thumb, he strongly flicked his fingers.
Snap!
Along with a cheerful sound, Yo-roe’s face turned completely blue.
“Uweek!”
He vomited a bowlful of blood.
Fwoosh!
That was not all. The fire qi that had been burning all over the place began to subside at a scary speed.
The fire qi, which narrowed its range centering on its master, soon began to condense to his back and both forearms.
It was the areas that had been hit by Tang Kwan’s palm technique and kicking technique a moment ago.
‘Danger!!’
Tang Kwan smirked.
“Poison doesn’t work? Funny.”
Woooooong!
The true qi of the Reversing Three Yang Returning Origin Art that spewed out from his body infiltrated right into Yo-roe’s pores.
In an instant, white light exploded from Yo-roe’s body.
Rumble!
Along with a tremendous explosive sound, a vortex of flames soared to the sky.
Tang Kwan brushed his sleeves. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with his long robe.
“There is no person to whom poison does not work. As long as you don’t use it clumsily.”