Chapter 178: Hidden Masters
Although I wanted to greet Master Bodhidharma, whom I hadn’t met in a long time, the situation being what it was, a long conversation was difficult.
For now, I asked the urgent matter first.
“Master Bodhidharma, how should I break the Eighteen Arhat Formation?”
[Ha! Ha! Can’t you just crush it? Is there some problem?]
“…”
A feeling of nostalgia sprang up anew.
Yes, that’s right. That is indeed Master Bodhidharma.
[Look at that, look at his blank face.]
[What an ignorant fellow anyway. That’s why he tears through someone else’s domain with his bare body.]
Master Zhang Sanfeng and Master Heavenly Demon chewed out Master Bodhidharma as if they had been waiting.
“Wasn’t that created by you, Master Bodhidharma?”
[Why would I make such a thing?]
“…”
I was immediately convinced.
Because a joint coordination formation itself is an act of a majority of weaklings joining forces to defeat a powerhouse who is difficult to handle alone.
It was not a necessary tool for Master Bodhidharma.
The foundation of orthodox martial arts is to pursue self-perfection.
There was no way he would have bothered to create a tool to defeat others.
“Then how do the other masters handle a joint coordination formation?”
[You have to cut the pulse. I taught you how to see the Taiji Line. If you try to see the flow of the formation, it’s all visible. Read the pulse, and cut the pulse. Easy, right?]
[The reason the formation produces mighty power is because it moves like sophisticated cogs under a certain rule. Then the way to break it is also simple. You just need to drive a nail into the gaps. If you utilize the Heavenly Demon Kalpaless Hand, you can tear apart not just the Eighteen Arhat Formation but even a Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation as a whole. Why are you asking about such a trivial concern so seriously?]
They said they had already taught me all the ways to smash it, so why was I asking again?
‘Since there are many eyes around, the Heavenly Demon Kalpaless Hand is impossible.’
I wondered if I should really go to the Demonic Cult once and perform an exorcism while displaying the Heavenly Demon Kalpaless Hand to my heart’s content.
[Ah, didn’t I tell you to just crush it!]
“Yes, sir!”
Deep annoyance flowed from Master Bodhidharma’s voice. It felt as if another personality was creeping up.
‘By the way, with the three of them coming in at once, my mind is in a whirl.’
When the three of them suddenly appeared all at once, it was like ‘Wow!!’, but somehow as the three of them threw words in turn, it became like ‘Whoa…’
[That rascal’s expression is very disrespectful?]
[He must have chewed us out in his mind.]
[If our disciple chewed someone out, it’s obvious who the target would be.]
[What are you talking about, you bald monk.]
‘Excuse me, the battle is right in front of us. Please let me get tense.’
Involuntarily, all the tension had vanished. I should probably ignore the voices above for a moment.
“The Baek Family Escort… A Pine Pattern Ancient Sword at the waist at a young age. You are the Young Heavenly Dragon.”
“You know me?”
“I know you well. Aren’t you the genius who leads the newcomers of the Central Plains? I heard there are many who admire you. I didn’t know you were a madman who talks to himself and changes expressions in real-time in this situation, though.”
“…”
This son of a bitch?
I regained some focus at the curse spat out by the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader.
“You don’t know how lucky you are.”
I felt jealousy toward me from the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader.
‘Is it because he cannot step forward even though he has skills because he is in a secret group?’
It seemed the inside was indeed a different person.
“You aren’t the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader, are you?”
“A worthless question.”
The one who wore the shell of the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader avoided answering and stretched out his fist.
Just as the air seemed to ripple, a massive pressure stretched out ferociously across the distance.
“Die!”
I dodged, feeling a chill run down my spine.
The large boulder that the power touched exploded with a loud bang.
“…Fist Wind?”
The technique of loading energy into the wind pressure created when throwing a fist!
The blow displayed by the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader was not ordinary in its power.
The space where that power scraped the ground became a mess.
“You show off your strength grandly!”
Frowning, the Divine Monk stepped forward.
Although it was a seemingly ordinary fist, because the person displaying it was extraordinary, the power was also far from ordinary.
*Crack!*
The surprising thing was that the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader blocked the Divine Monk’s attack.
The Combined Mountain Fortress Leader was not alone.
The Eighteen Arhat Formation!
With the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader at the lead, warriors moving like sophisticated cogs swung their spears.
The Divine Monk leaped toward the rushing Shaolin absolute arts.
“Hahaha! The Arhat Divine Fist and the Great Vehicle Brahma Divine Art! Behind it is the Vajra Demon-Subduing Staff, the Arhat Eighteen Staff, and the Formless Staff! It looks like a talent show of juniors!”
Displaying the Nine Grades of Lotus Pedestals, the Divine Monk poured out nine Shaolin absolute arts to block the attacks.
“Do not step in! Since they are villains displaying Shaolin’s martial arts, it is only right that Shaolin responds!”
“Hmph! The old man has gone senile! Let’s see how long you can talk big!”
As if viewing the words to handle it alone as a mockery, the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader blocked the Divine Monk while displaying the Arhat Divine Fist.
The starting point of the Eighteen Arhat Formation was the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader.
Those who blocked the attacks at the absolute front, and those who swung their spears like staffs in the back, aimed at the left and right gaps of the Divine Monk.
Although it was a joint attack, to think there was a warrior who could handle the Divine Monk’s martial power from the front! It was simply astonishing.
“It doesn’t seem to be a normal method…”
However, the body of the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader, who was the center of all offense and defense, grew bizarre as time passed.
Veins and tendons gradually bulged over his skin, and now it felt as if more than half of his body was covered in veins and tendons.
[That is the qi vessel.]
Master Bodhidharma’s sigh was heard, as if he had already finished analyzing the situation.
“The qi vessel?”
[I do not know who devised it… Whether to call it ingenious or insane. They do not hesitate to do things that ruin the body.]
[Remote power transmission through a formation… That guy is going to die.]
[Using a somewhat talented fellow as a consumable for a martial art. That is something only insane people would do. Was the Eighteen Arhat Formation such a martial art?]
[How could it have been such a martial art originally? Someone must have modified it.]
Since the word ‘die’ came out of Master Zhang Sanfeng’s mouth, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the man would die.
And that while doing a crazy thing that even Master Heavenly Demon criticized.
“Was remote power transmission through a formation possible?”
[A joint coordination formation is a majority creating a single flow. If one can load energy into that flow, it is not impossible.]
It would be the epitome of ‘easier said than done.’
However, it was happening right before my eyes.
[Unless it is a mutant like you, it is something possible only when a talented person grinds down all the talent they have.]
“It’s insane.”
The talent was a waste.
Although the word ‘somewhat’ was attached, an asset whom Master Heavenly Demon evaluated as talented was being consumed in such a martial art.
I also understood the reason he could handle the Divine Monk’s martial power.
Because right now, the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader was running wild with the internal energy of eighteen peak experts loaded into one body.
At this rate, it was natural for his qi vessels to turn to rags.
I didn’t know what method he was using to endure it, but I could tell it wouldn’t last long.
A method that kills you when you display it.
It was too experimental.
“Experimental…”
For some reason, Madam Han San-wol’s past words came to mind.
Along with the way he looked at me with jealousy just a moment ago.
[Why are you standing there blankly?]
While thinking about the cruelty of those whom we named the Crane again, Master Zhang Sanfeng’s rebuke was heard.
“Yes?”
[That is a lit thunderbolt bomb. When a thunderbolt bomb explodes, does it explode only itself?]
“…No, right?”
[Think about it. If a power that even that young monk cannot break at once explodes all at once, how great will its power be? Since he knows he will die once it is activated, wouldn’t he charge to die together amicably?]
‘Damn it!’
“Can I block that?”
They were those who even blocked the Divine Monk, who felt like the heaven beyond heaven.
Would my power work?
[You can block it. Hmm… by about fifty percent?]
[Hmm… fifty percent…]
[For your reference, Zhang Sanfeng’s standard is fifty percent when you draw out all the potential you have.]
‘Right, when did I ever fight easily.’
Although it was a fifty-fifty chance, I had already realized it when Master Bodhidharma slurred his words.
Fifty percent was enough.
“I will join!”
“Hey!”
“I am also a Shaolin disciple!”
The Divine Monk had said:
Shaolin must respond!
I was also a Shaolin disciple for now.
Shaking off Uncle Baek Jin-seong who tried to restrain me, I sent sound transmissions to the other two.
– Do not step forward. I can block it.
Old Man Jong and Yi Hwa, who were about to join the battle together, stopped.
Leaping into the storm of violently raging energy, I recalled Master Zhang Sanfeng’s words.
‘Read the pulse, and cut the pulse!’
The core of that bizarre joint coordination formation wearing the shell of the Eighteen Arhat Formation was remote power transmission.
I had to cut the flow of the remote power concentrated toward the Combined Mountain Fortress Leader.
Instantly, a spine-chilling sensation enveloped my entire body.
‘Sang-hwa!!’
A warrior’s senses are sharper than clumsy sight.
The moment I felt danger and pulled my senses to the limit, even as the flow of the world felt slow, I saw a monstrously fast attack stretching out.
The Taiji Line felt faint. I deflected the force by predicting the opponent’s path.
*Crack!*
‘Ugh! C-Crazy!’
Even though I deflected the force, it felt as if my arm would be torn off from the shoulder.
The shock transmitted afterward made the back of my head ring and buzz as if it had become a grand temple bell.
The speed was great, but the power was also monstrous.
I understood the reason he could handle the Divine Monk’s martial power.
‘It won’t work head-on!’
Even digging into a gap felt overwhelming.
‘But they said I could do it!’
Although the condition of drawing out all my potential was attached!
Then, what was the potential I could show right now?
There had to be a reason they added those words.
At that moment, words popped up from my memory.
[My martial art is to connect myself with the world and wield the flow of heaven and earth according to my will. I become the world. But Master Heavenly Demon’s martial art is to become a ruler who creates and destroys at will within his own domain. In that sense, his compatibility with me is indeed bad. When Master Heavenly Demon uses his power, it amounts to devouring my domain that has assimilated with the world.]
They described the Heavenly Demon Kalpaless Hand as a martial art where one becomes a god in one’s own domain.
Of course, the limit of the Heavenly Demon Kalpaless Hand I could display right now was only to the level my hands and feet could reach.
I could not devour the entire surroundings.
But!
‘If it’s the domain my hands and feet reach…’
Then, wouldn’t it be possible to cut the flow of remote power connected by that invisible flow?
The possibility existed!
Of course, since it was premised on making contact, the moment I failed, my limbs would be torn off.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t scared.
Feeling the agitation of my mind, the Clear Brightness Mind Method began to move.
I felt the Clear Brightness Mind Method, which had become the body of the Three Talents Unified Qi Art, active.
[Are you practicing the Clear Brightness Mind Method well?]
Why?
At this moment, Master Zhang Sanfeng’s words mentioning the practice of the Clear Brightness Mind Method came to mind.
‘Three Talents Unified Qi Art?’
I become the world.
The peak of Master Zhang Sanfeng’s martial art!
The moment I recognized that, something assembled inside me.
The intent that spreads into the world.
The reign that becomes the master in one’s own domain.
The foundation that firmly supports all of that.
At that moment, the power of my three masters rose in a new form.