Chapter 385: A Tiger and a Lion Are Different (5)
“…This is interesting again.”
Yang Cheon’s eyes, looking down at his shin, flickered with a strange light.
“Aiming for the moment of impact, you dug through the internal energy shield with an explosive slash and cut the flesh. I don’t know if it was a coincidence or if you aimed for it, but…”
Sizzle!
The wound on his shin healed in an instant.
Even though it was a wound, literally only the flesh was cut. In terms of depth, it was a wound of less than half a cun. But that too was a cut wound, yet he healed the wound in an instant with extreme internal energy operation.
It was a terrifying capability. Rather than simply because Yang Cheon’s Black Lion Qi was amazing, to an absolute master who had reached limitlessness, a wound of this level could be healed just by concentrating internal energy.
Of course, emotional wounds were an exception.
“That level of realm at that age is surprisingly unparalleled, but what is truly surprising is the utility.”
Thud!
Yang Cheon took a step forward.
It was the leg that had been wounded.
“Who is your master?”
Rummbble!
Even though his true qi did not spread out into a physical form, a dark haze that looked like a black mane seemed to spew out from his entire body.
“Although it is said that the martial arts of the Judge Sword, the Clan Head of the Jiangdong Green Mountain Yeon Clan, competes for the top spot among the Six Clans, his abilities are not yet enough to raise a monster like you. Who did you learn those martial arts and that combat skill from?”
“I learned from my father.”
“From the Judge Sword? That can’t be.”
“The beginning of my martial arts was my father. Because I learned the basics of all martial arts, including internal energy, sword technique, fist technique, and footwork, from him.”
The corners of Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth rose.
Since returning to the past, he smiled even while fighting the strongest enemy. A person who could smile even in a situation where it wouldn’t be strange if his life flew away right now, that was the reason Yeon Ho-jeong was amazing.
“If the basics are solid, the world can be learned alone. Although he was strict, the root of my martial arts started from my father.”
It was something he said with sincerity.
Of course, there was also the master who taught him the Four Gods Martial Arts. But if he hadn’t been born in the Yeon Clan and learned the basics of martial arts from his father, the current him could not exist.
A story that goes round and round. In the end, it was just a difference of who the current me felt gratitude towards.
“The world can be learned alone…”
Yang Cheon, who muttered as if talking to himself, formed a faint smile.
“That’s true. As long as you don’t die, you can learn to fight alone. But even if you learn skills, natural disposition is hard to learn.”
Yang Cheon lowered his posture.
Unbelievably, he took a stance against a young rising star who was far weaker than himself.
“I’m curious what results your arrogance in picking a fight with me will produce.”
Paaaak!
Yeon Ho-jeong rushed at Yang Cheon.
It was a fast speed, but it wasn’t the Blood Wing Sweeping Heavens. Rather than that, it was slower but more cautious, yet a highly combative movement that did not let go of the will to attack.
Just like that, Yeon Ho-jeong reached up to one zhang in front of Yang Cheon.
Thud!
The movement itself was in the form of digging into his embrace. But Yeon Ho-jeong did not dig in. Stepping with a strong earth-shaking stomp at a distance of one zhang, he struck down the Black Dragon Axe diagonally, and a blue radiance was spewing out from the axe blade cutting through the empty air.
Claaaang!
Even before the axe was fully swung, the slash that cut the empty air vanished. All Yang Cheon did was merely flick his left hand.
Paang!
Yang Cheon advanced.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes opened wide.
‘I can’t dodge it.’
It was a much slower speed than his own, but he couldn’t dodge it. Because Yang Cheon’s movement and the fighting spirit he emitted fundamentally blocked any direction of evasion.
Restricting the opponent’s movement with qi arts, and it was naturally opening up like breathing. Enlightenment itself was melted into his body.
‘If I can’t dodge it.’
Yeon Ho-jeong crossed the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes.
‘I will block it.’
Yang Cheon extended his fist forcefully.
KABOOM!
Yeon Ho-jeong bounced off at a terrifying speed.
Blood gushed out of his mouth. He blocked with all his might, but even though he only blocked a single fist strike, he suffered internal injuries.
“Hmm?”
Paak!
This time, it was as fast as lightning.
As if the speed just a moment ago was a lie, he moved at an explosive speed and occupied Yeon Ho-jeong’s rear flank. That speed absolutely did not fall behind even when compared to the Blood Wing Sweeping Heavens.
Vwwoong!
Yang Cheon’s eyes flashed.
It wasn’t just his movement speed that was fast. He struck and threw a punch at a tempo that made it ambiguous for the opponent to take a stance to dodge or defend, but Yeon Ho-jeong avoided that fist with exquisite body movements.
‘How did he dodge it?’
He didn’t use his full power. If he had used his full power in the first place, Yeon Ho-jeong would die within three exchanges, or at most ten exchanges.
However, just because that was so didn’t mean this attack was something that could be easily received either. The irregular fighting method of playing with tempo was a threatening fighting method that even a strong person of Saintly Heaven would suffer from if they let their guard down.
But Yeon Ho-jeong had dodged it.
Paak!
That wasn’t all.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s body rotated half a turn, and his elbow aimed for his temple.
It was a terrifyingly natural response. Applying an attack simultaneously with evasion. That series of movements was so natural that it felt as if they had prearranged the exchange.
Yang Cheon slammed his head straight towards the elbow.
Bam!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s brow furrowed slightly.
The elbow that hit Yang Cheon’s head ached down to the bone.
‘As expected.’
Pabababak! Thump!
Yeon Ho-jeong, who hindered Yang Cheon’s approach with the wild strikes of the Black and White Twin Dragons, retreated to the rear in an instant.
‘He headbutted without hesitation. As expected, nothing has changed from the past.’
Even if they weren’t from a prestigious clan, masters who had reached a certain realm were bound to care about their dignity in their own way. He had seen many masters who tried not to use footwork techniques that required raising their legs, let alone headbutting.
But there was no such thing for Yang Cheon. He thought Yang Cheon might have gained some face that he didn’t have while acting as the Manor Lord of the Black Dragon Manor, but Yang Cheon was Yang Cheon after all.
‘It seems he hasn’t abandoned his reputation as the Combat King, the King of Fights.’
At that time, Yang Cheon opened his mouth.
“Did you say you want to fight?”
Yeon Ho-jeong flinched.
Yang Cheon shook his head.
“No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t seem like it will be a fight. Inflicting a wound on my shin is truly amazing, but any further fight is meaningless.”
“You’re right. If you had used your full power, I would have become a ghost of no return by now.”
“A guy who knows it well asked to fight with me?”
“Right.”
“Do you want to die that much.”
“I’m fighting because I don’t want to die.”
“What kind of wordplay is this?”
Flash!
The Black Dragon Axe that Yeon Ho-jeong threw was caught in Yang Cheon’s hand.
At the same time, Yeon Ho-jeong’s leg technique aimed at Yang Cheon’s lower body. He had cast a leg technique even while holding the White Dragon Axe.
Yang Cheon’s leg and Yeon Ho-jeong’s leg collided.
Boom!
Along with an explosive sound, Yeon Ho-jeong’s body rotated.
Yang Cheon’s eyebrows twitched.
‘He diverted the force?’
It meant he knew he would be counterattacked from the beginning. Truly, he could not help but admire his battle sense at this moment.
Vwoong!
The spinning Yeon Ho-jeong aimed for Yang Cheon’s flank with the White Dragon Axe.
‘Novice, pulling such a prank…’
Flash!
Yang Cheon’s elbow aimed at the wrist of Yeon Ho-jeong swinging the axe.
Whatever the case, he had no intention of sending him back quietly. At the very least, he would smash one of his arms.
And that intention of Yang Cheon, surprisingly, met with failure.
Clang! Thwack!
Surprise appeared in Yang Cheon’s eyes.
‘He let go of his weapon?’
The White Dragon Axe hit by his elbow embedded into the ground.
Then what about Yeon Ho-jeong?
Hwoooong!
For a moment, Yang Cheon saw an illusion of a deep blue dragon wriggling and sprinting right before his eyes.
‘Palm technique?!’
Toong!
Yang Cheon quickly retreated back.
It wasn’t because he wasn’t confident in blocking it. But if he blocked this, follow-up hits would come in succession.
Of course, he could block all those follow-up hits as well, but his body reacted first. A fighter’s habit; his body knew that it was better to dodge and divert it rather than blocking to intentionally show the difference in power.
And that was exactly what Yeon Ho-jeong had hoped for.
Peeeong!
As soon as the missed Reverse-Dragon Palm hit the ground, Yang Cheon’s counterattack began.
Flash! Boom!
Yang Cheon’s eyes widened.
‘He blocked it?’
He didn’t dodge but blocked it. And he didn’t just barely block it; he blocked it relatively leisurely.
Chwaaaaak!
Black Water Qi became a wave and covered Yang Cheon.
Following the defense of the Black Tortoise Art, Northern Heaven Twelve Walls, the Sovereign Tiger’s Nine Thunderclaps of the White Tiger Art was immediately manifested.
Boom!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s fist wind passed one cun next to the left side of Yang Cheon’s face and caused an explosion in the empty air.
Pabababak!
Approaching with short steps and a sudden speed, Yeon Ho-jeong poured out the nine forms of the Sovereign Tiger’s Nine Thunderclaps in an instant.
Without realizing it, Yang Cheon used both hands to block Yeon Ho-jeong’s fist techniques.
Pabababang! Pababang!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s fists were truly fierce.
‘He knows how to properly put power into his fists.’
Paaak!
He aimed for the opponent’s vital points with fist techniques, then suddenly lowered his posture as if aiming for the lower body, and before he knew it, he cast a leg technique towards the upper body.
The tremendous elasticity generated from the muscles of his entire body stood out. Yang Cheon struck away Yeon Ho-jeong’s foot with his right hand.
Paang!
With a single hand gesture, his posture crumbled.
But that wasn’t the end. Yang Cheon, who was about to instantly throw a punch at the staggering Yeon Ho-jeong, felt dumbfounded at the pile of dirt flying towards his face at that moment.
‘Throwing dirt?!’
Knowing in advance that his posture would crumble, he touched the ground and threw a pile of dirt.
It was truly an absurd fighting method. Even Yang Cheon, who was called the strongest in mud fights, couldn’t imagine that Yeon Ho-jeong would commit such an unfunny act.
Whoosh!
Yang Cheon blew away all the dirt piles by emitting his internal energy.
Bam!
Because of that, his delayed fist dug into the bare ground. If it wasn’t for the momentary emission of internal energy, his fist would have already been planted in Yeon Ho-jeong’s abdomen.
Paaaang!
Yeon Ho-jeong, who touched the ground with both hands, rotated his two legs and struck Yang Cheon’s upper body.
It was a very rare combat technique. In a way, it was a somewhat comical posture.
However, Yang Cheon could not insult Yeon Ho-jeong’s posture or attack as funny. The posture was bizarre, but the leg techniques flying in rotating like a windmill were aiming for his flank and nape.
‘It’s incredibly sharp.’
Paang!
Yang Cheon’s body seemed to scatter like mist, and immediately appeared in front of Yeon Ho-jeong.
It seemed Yeon Ho-jeong hadn’t expected this time either. His expression remained the same, but panic leaked from his eyes.
Yang Cheon’s eyes spat fire.
Taak!
It was a surprising action.
Yang Cheon grabbed Yeon Ho-jeong by the collar with his left hand. At the same time, he raised his right fist. It was a momentum as if he would drive it straight into his face.
It was then.
Fwoooosh!
Like when he held the Crazy Dragon Axe, when he concentrated his firepower enough to turn the axe blade red.
The Vermilion Bird Qi that rose like a flame wrapped around Yang Cheon’s wrist, which was grabbing his collar.
‘…!’
Riiip!
Even so, Yang Cheon held onto Yeon Ho-jeong’s collar until the end. Only, Yeon Ho-jeong, who read a momentary ‘tremor’, tore his clothes and retreated.
‘This guy…’
He saw through the fact that he had hardened his clothes with internal energy to prevent him from retreating, concentrated Fire Qi a step ahead, tore the clothes, and escaped.
Yang Cheon burst out laughing heartily without realizing it.
It was like that just before too, but this guy reads one step, no, two steps ahead and acts. In such a fast offense and defense, and even when the opponent is himself, who is called the Combat King!
“Huuk.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who retreated two zhang away, lowered his posture and glared at Yang Cheon.
Yang Cheon read a terrifying fighting spirit in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes glaring at him.
‘You look at me, the one called Combat King, with such eyes? With merely that level of martial arts?’
In an instant, Yang Cheon realized.
“Let’s fight… Yeah, that fight wasn’t the fight I thought of, but this kind of fight?”
“Huuk. Huuk.”
Yeon Ho-jeong briefly adjusted his breathing. Thinking of rushing right in, he didn’t even respond to Yang Cheon’s words.
Yang Cheon, who had been staring at Yeon Ho-jeong, burst into loud laughter in an instant.
“Kuhaha! Have you seen such a crazy bastard! I was going to punish him, but he intends to use the fight with me as a foundation for his growth, is that what he means?”
Bam!
Yang Cheon lowered his posture.
He had no thought of fighting with full power. But as the King of Fights, he intended to proudly respond to the opponent’s challenge.
“I was slow-witted. Not a warrior’s fight, but a fighter’s fight… Good. Let’s see, I’ll match your tune this time as well.”
Yang Cheon flicked his hand.
“I’ll teach you a lesson. Come.”
Paaak!
Yeon Ho-jeong rushed at him like a wild beast.