Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 360
We lost all our site content, but I will work on re-uploading it manually, you can support us from here: https://ko-fi.com/novelgate
Episode 360
The Way of the Warrior Does Not Waver (1)
The martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance believed that Yong Cheon-myeong possessed an indestructible spirit of iron and blood. Thus, they called him Indestructible Steel Blood.
A man with blood as strong as steel and a body as indestructible as a diamond.
Yong Cheon-myeong was the perfect embodiment of this reputation. That is, until he was wounded by Lee Gwak.
The single wound inflicted by Lee Gwak shattered his pride and spirit, and it took him a long time to regain his former confidence.
Having overcome this trial, he became even stronger.
The silver aura swirling around Yong Cheon-myeong’s body was proof of this.
Silver Dragon Annihilation Technique
This was Yong Cheon-myeong’s signature technique.
As the name suggests, it was a martial art that defined Yong Cheon-myeong, and anyone who thought of him would immediately recall the Silver Dragon Annihilation Technique.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The aura surged around Yong Cheon-myeong like a storm.
True to its name, the aura emitted a destructive force resembling a silver dragon, and Yong Cheon-myeong lunged towards Lee Gak.
Clang!
His aura collided with Lee Gwak’s blade.
The Silver Dragon Annihilation Technique surged like a tidal wave, attempting to engulf Lee Gwak. However, Lee Gwak’s blade did not allow the aura to get close.
Sssss!
The silver aura was shaved away.
It was as if a knife were peeling the skin off an apple.
Yong Cheon-myeong’s pupils shook.
There was no qi condensed in Lee Gwak’s blade.
No blade aura, no sword qi.
And yet, Lee Gwak’s blade remained unscathed against the destructive aura Yong Cheon-myeong wielded.
‘This bastard… he’s improved.’
But he was not surprised.
Just as he had focused on his martial arts for the past three years, he assumed Lee Gwak had not been idle either.
Yong Cheon-myeong believed in himself.
The wound he had suffered from Lee Gwak in the past was due to his carelessness, not a lack of skill.
Moreover, over the past three years, he had been guided by Ja Hong-cheon and had honed himself to perfection.
The fact that he could now finely control his once rough aura was proof of his growth.
Yong Cheon-myeong freely wielded the Silver Dragon Annihilation Technique to attack Lee Gwak.
Boom! Crash! Crack!
The ground where the Silver Dragon Annihilation Technique passed was torn apart, leaving deep furrows.
The aura, like a living silver dragon, relentlessly attacked Lee Gwak.
Sssst!
Lee Gwak’s blade sliced through the air.
The head of the silver dragon was cleanly severed.
Had the dragon been a living creature, it would have died from the blow. Unfortunately, the dragon was merely a manifestation of Yong Cheon-myeong’s aura.
Even as its head was severed, it quickly reformed and continued its assault on Lee Gwak.
“Ah!”
“As expected from the First Young Master.”
The martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance gasped in admiration at Yong Cheon-myeong’s might.
Yong Cheon-myeong’s martial prowess was truly deserving of his reputation.
The way he freely controlled the silver dragon was like a heavenly general descending to display his power.
The onlookers clenched their fists as they watched Yong Cheon-myeong.
They believed he would win. However, a hint of doubt flickered in the eyes of some.
‘Can he really win?’
‘That bastard hasn’t even shown his full strength yet.’
Their minds flashed back to the unbelievable feats Lee Gwak had shown moments earlier.
From the moment Lee Gwak first appeared on the battlefield until he reached this place, he had never once revealed his true bladesmanship.
All he had used were the weapons of nameless outer hall martial artists. He had not even unleashed a single move worthy of being called a technique.
That’s what made him terrifying.
The icebergs in the North Sea are frightening because they are only partially visible on the surface, and the true body remains mostly submerged, making it impossible to see its entirety.
They thought of Lee Gwak as such an iceberg.
A monster with a blade that possessed unimaginable power.
Boom!
The Silver Dragon Annihilation Technique continuously pounded on Lee Gwak, but the silver aura couldn’t penetrate the barrier created by Lee Gwak’s blade.
Swoosh!
Rather, each time Lee Gwak swung his blade, it created a terrifying sound wave, and Yong Cheon-myeong was pushed back.
Sssst! Sssst!
The echo of the blade rang incessantly.
“Tsk!”
“Damn it!”
The nearby martial artists involuntarily stiffened their necks.
Every time Lee Gwak swung his blade, the sound seemed to reverberate in their ears.
“It’s like the wailing of a ghost.”
“Ugh!”
Their faces turned pale.
Most of the martial artists present had reached a level where they could protect their meridians with their internal energy. However, the eerie resonance from Lee Gwak’s sword shook their energy channels.
They tried to protect their meridians with their internal energy, but it was futile.
The sound of the sword’s resonance pierced through like a dagger, tormenting the martial artists.
“Ugh!”
“Argh!”
Some of the martial artists couldn’t hold back and vomited blood.
The closer they were to Lee Gwak and Yong Cheon-myeong, the greater the damage.
As the situation escalated, those near Lee Gwak and Yong Cheon-myeong quickly retreated.
Only after retreating nearly twenty zhangs did they regain their composure.
“What on earth…?”
Fear clearly showed on their faces.
The martial prowess of Lee Gwak, which they had only heard about in rumors, far exceeded their imagination.
Clang!
A metallic sound erupted.
Yong Cheon-myeong’s body slid backwards.
Deep furrows formed in the ground where he stepped. His legs were buried up to his ankles.
The impact he had received was that great.
“Keuh…! Impressive, Lee Gwak! Truly impressive. Yes, this is the level I expected after all my years of dedication.”
Yong Cheon-myeong muttered as he pulled his legs out of the ground.
His entire body was numb, and his internal organs were shaken.
Had his internal energy been even slightly weaker, he would have suffered severe damage from Lee Gwak’s strike. That was how powerful Lee Gwak’s attack was.
Even Yong Cheon-myeong, one of the greatest martial artists in the world, felt an extreme sense of crisis.
Yong Cheon-myeong withdrew his Silver Dragon Annihilation Aura.
Instead, he assumed the stance of his “Chaos World Illuminating Fist”
For the past three years, he had focused solely on mastering the Chaos World Illuminating Fist. The Silver Dragon Annihilation Technique was merely a byproduct of that training.
Whooosh!
A dark, seething energy began to emanate from Yong Cheon-myeong.
Lee Gwak’s eyes narrowed.
“Hoo…”
He exhaled softly and straightened his back.
So far it had been just a preliminary skirmish.
The real battle was about to begin.
Lee Gwak looked at Yong Cheon-myeong with his eyes half open.
He couldn’t tell what internal energy Yong Cheon-myeong was using, but his aura was swelling like a snowball.
The air around them resonated with Yong Cheon-myeong’s energy, rippling and trembling.
The movement of his internal energy was influencing the external atmosphere.
At this level, he was certainly not beneath the Eight Great Martial Artists.
Lee Gwak extended his blade with a long, sweeping motion.
Whoosh!
Star Soul.
The masterpiece crafted by Eun Gwang Ho, as if reading Lee Gwak’s mind, emitted a resonant hum.
Similarly, Lee Gwak felt as though he could understand the will of Star Soul.
It wanted to fight.
It wanted to win.
A fierce desire emanated from Star Soul.
Yong Cheon-myeong was the first formidable opponent Star Soul had faced since its completion.
Lee Gwak activated his Eight Snakes Art.
Starting from the perineum acupoint, the gates along his spine opened one by one.
A large snake climbed up his spine.
Like a carp swimming upstream toward the Dragon Gate, shedding its form and transforming into a dragon upon reaching the gate.
As the seventh gate opened, his mind’s eye awakened. Finally, the crown of his head opened, merging him with the heavens.
It was the perfected form of the Eight Snakes Art.
Boom!
Star Soul roared.
Lee Gwak infused the blade with killing intent.
Heaven Killing Blade.
Thud!
Lee Gwak stomped the ground.
The Star Soul in his hand glowed red, resembling a blood dragon.
It was one of the techniques of the Eight Sects Sword Art—Blood Dragon’s Roar
. But to Lee Gwak, the name of the technique was meaningless.
The moment Lee Gwak infused it with killing intent, Blood Dragon’s Roar
became a technique of Heaven Killing Blade.
Ssshh!
The red-hot blade sliced through the air.
“Come!”
Yong Cheon-myeong let out a roar and unleashed a strike with all his might.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Chaos World Illuminating Fist tore through the ground.
People watched with wide eyes.
At that moment, something exploded.
There was no visible change.
No collision sound or shockwave that usually accompanied the clash of powerful techniques. Yet, everyone felt that something had exploded.
“Ugh!”
“Cough!”
As proof, people who had been standing more than twenty zhangs away were sent flying, blood pouring from their eyes, ears, and other orifices.
Their eyeballs burst, their internal organs crushed as they writhed in pain.
The invisible aftermath of the explosion had struck them.
“My… God!”
“Is this really a battle between humans?”
Fortunately, those standing further away were unharmed, but their faces were filled with deep terror.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew.
It was just an ordinary breeze, yet people instinctively ducked their heads. But no one mocked them for being cowardly.
Even those standing far away were equally terrified.
As the wind passed, the scene within the arena became clear.
One man was kneeling, while the other stood over him, looking down.
“Ah!”
A sigh escaped from the mouths of the Changtian Alliance warriors.
Some turned their heads, unable to bear the sight.
It was that shocking.
They could not believe that the legend they thought invincible had crumbled, instilling immense fear.
“You…”
The man kneeling and looking up was Yong Cheon-myeong.
A man who had never bowed his head to anyone except his master, Zhu Hongtian, was now on his knees.
The one he was looking up at was Lee Gwak, the very man he had so arrogantly dismissed.
The fact that he was kneeling before Lee Gwak, of all people, was a humiliation to Yong Cheon-myeong.
Yong Cheon-myeong’s eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging as if they were about to burst.
It wasn’t just his eyes. Every vein in his body had ruptured.
All of it was due to a small wound on his chest.
A wound barely large enough to fit a blade—left by Lee Gwak’s blade.
Yong Cheon-myeong had allowed only one strike.
The wound wasn’t deep.
Yet, his insides were completely shattered.
Every vein in his body had burst, and his organs were mangled beyond recognition.
An ordinary person would have died instantly, but Yong Cheon-myeong’s profound internal energy kept him alive.
However, his death was only a matter of time.
Yong Cheon-myeong opened his mouth.
“Lee… Gwak!”
As he spoke, a cascade of blood poured out, staining his chin and chest red.
“Haha! Impressive. Truly… impressive.”
“Lord Yong.”
“I never thought my end would be so… futile. Hahaha!”
Drip, drip.
Blood streamed from Yong Cheon-myeong’s left eye.
His left eyeball had finally burst under the pressure. But Yong Cheon-myeong showed no sign of pain as he continued speaking.
“Answer me, Lee Gwak! Was I wrong?”
“……”
“Why can’t you answer? Is it wrong for a man to harbor great ambitions?”
“Was that truly your ambition?”
“What?”
“Perhaps you mistook your master’s ambition for your own?”
“Are you… denying my life, Lee Gwak?”
“Were those really your ambitions? To rise to the top of the Jianghu through treachery and collusion, was that your idea?”
“That is…”
“The Yong Cheon-myeong I knew was radical, but he wasn’t a schemer. This isn’t your way. I don’t know what changed you, but…”
“Haha! Are you truly ignorant? It was you. You, Lee Gwak, changed me… I am someone who must never lose…”
“Lord Yong.”
“Do not deny my life. All of this was my decision, my life. I have no regrets…”
Thud.
Yong Cheon-myeong’s head fell.
That was his end.
“Sigh.”
Lee Gwak’s sigh scattered in the wind.
Azazar
Somehow it felt, I don’t know – a bit anticlimactic?… But exchange wasn’t bad – Yong thrown his best punch and Gwak avoided it and counterattacked with a single thrust that ended the fight
Looks like Gwak’s attack was similar to how cumulative rounds work – when he penetrates through outer shell it creates an excessive pressure inside it ( the same was with that guy from Martial Sword Troupe who got his head pierced )