Chapter: 720
“I don’t know, so I’ll ask.”
After the third martial arts tournament, at the training ground in the middle of the night.
I asked the disciple who was practicing alone.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“What, you punk?”
The master, holding a rock the size of a small house, gazed at me.
His expression was filled with disbelief rather than anger.
“Now you’ve even resorted to cursing at your master.”
“No….”
I was about to continue, but then I hastily swung my fist.
Whoosh-!
Bam-!
I smashed the rock that was flying toward my face into tiny pieces.
My wrist tingled.
Damn it, that guy infused his Qi into the rock and hurled it at me.
“Your expression is quite refreshing.”
“Do I look good?”
“Can’t say it’s bad. I just did what you wanted, didn’t I?”
“… Hah….”
Is there nothing wrong with it? I sighed as I stared at the scattered rock fragments on the ground.
“The world has gotten so much worse…?”
A complete disaster.
There was no other way to describe it.
It’s truly a mess.
“Thanks to you, old man, I didn’t even finish half of the tournament.”
From the third round on, only one fighting stage had been prepared.
It was equipped to withstand significant blows without even cracking.
Even if it got slightly damaged or broken, it should have been designed for repairs.
‘But how do you repair that?’
There’s a limit to that as well.
This means that if the original shape can’t be remembered anymore, it can’t even be called a repair.
‘That’s not repairs; it’s building a new one from scratch.’
Who would have guessed?
Who would have thought that a mere martial artist could ruin a competition stage made with mixed Eternal Iron so thoroughly?
I gazed at my master with slightly furrowed brows.
‘Was it called devastation?’
The fifth form of Tuapacheonmu. “Breaking the Heavens.”
This is the martial art that my master used against the Taoist King in this tournament.
It was a power I had never seen before.
‘… Breaking the sky.’
It’s an extremely arrogant phrase to call it a martial art.
But.
‘I can’t deny that it might actually break something.’
Now that I’ve witnessed its grandeur with my own eyes, I can’t dare to deny it.
It had such power that just looking at it made my body tremble.
‘What the hell is that destructive force?’
The image of my master using Pacheon lingered in my mind.
A gray sphere of energy compressed and condensed to the limit.
When it was unleashed and exploded, the destructive power it released was staggering.
‘How did he operate that?’
What was the sensation at that moment?
Where did the flow of internal energy my master expressed lead?
‘The source of the internal energy is undoubtedly Tuapacheonmu.’
He must have drawn upon the energy originating from there.
‘How is such a delicate application even possible?’
The essence of Tuapacheonmu is “destruction.”
Just casting it is enough to cause pain to its wielder.
The martial art is imbued with destructive force based on the rough and potent energy that can inflict suffering.
Controlling it is difficult.
And regulating it is even harder.
‘Back then, my master demonstrated a remarkably delicate application of energy.’
How was that possible?
Enduring pain is one thing, but forming and containing such wild energy into a concrete form is another matter.
Yet amidst it all, something felt familiar.
‘If you think about it, it resembles Yeom-Ok.’
The compression, condensation, and added rotation of the Flame Jade.
While the Gu Flame Wheel Technique was also brutal, it wasn’t as rebellious as Tuapacheonmu, making it manageable.
To put it differently:
‘The Gu Flame Wheel Technique may be doable, but attempting Tuapacheonmu would be a nightmare.’
That’s precisely what my master accomplished.
Thinking it over, it’s not so illogical.
Even if I couldn’t manage to pull it off, it was natural for my master to succeed.
‘Because he’s a grandmaster.’
A person who created a martial art that never existed before and paved his own path.
Many geniuses have mastered martial arts and elevated their skills, but it’s extremely rare for someone to create a martial art based on this foundation.
Tuapacheonmu is a solo achievement.
One that was barely created half a century ago.
Yet it’s termed a divine art alongside other martial techniques honed over centuries.
Is this even feasible in any context?
‘It can’t be done. But somehow that old man did the impossible.’
A forced transformation due to deep training.
A state of selflessness that can be achieved internally.
Each on its own bore the power to mark its place in history.
What kind of human made that happen?
‘First of all, he definitely isn’t sane.’
That much is for certain.
Anyway.
‘The important thing is, how on earth do we utilize the five senses?’
“This is quite something. Who’s calling whom crazy here?”
“…!”
While I was busy racking my brain, my master’s words jolted me back to reality.
“You start mumbling, but your thoughts are somewhere else. Was it really so impressive to you?”
He even caught me off guard.
It seemed my master immediately perceived my distractions.
“Don’t be hasty. You’ll end up learning everything in time anyway.”
“… So you’re telling me not to be hasty after showing that? That’s quite contradictory.”
I know he showed it intentionally.
In fact, he probably wanted to see me wallow in this mess.
‘Look at this and see how you struggle with it.’
The five senses.
I’ve just begun to grasp and refine the four senses, and he simply flaunted the five senses before me.
That too.
“You even showed me the backlash from your inner damage, huh?”
“…”
My master didn’t engage with my statement, avoiding eye contact.
His gaze shifted to his arm.
The same arm that had been holding the rock moments ago.
Shiver-shiver-.
That arm was trembling slightly.
‘Oh, come on.’
Watching that made it hard not to sigh.
I had to forcibly suppress it.
“Did you really need to go that far? You’ve caused total chaos here!”
The last segment of the tournament.
Naturally, there should have been more matches afterward, but today’s contest was halted after the showdown between my master and the Taoist King.
The reason? There was no stage left to fight on.
‘To be honest, if you just fight on the ground…’
Sadly, this is Hanam.
It’s a place with a martial arts alliance, and the tournament was hosted by none other than the Murim Alliance.
Would those people start a martial arts competition on the ground after obliterating their stage?
‘Not a chance.’
The alliance cares more about public perception than anyone else.
They won’t tolerate a shabby martial arts tournament.
– Once the stage is restored, we will resume the tournament.
That was the decision made by the Alliance.
Tsk.
That made my position quite regrettable.
‘My plans have gone awry.’
After all the effort to schedule everything, this setback was unwelcome.
The stage won’t be finished for at least two days and likely not for three.
I’m thankful that I have some reserve materials to get through this, but if it had been any later, who knows how long it would have taken?
‘Those crazy kids, why would they mix Eternal Iron into the fighting stage?’
Mixing those expensive materials is bound to be time-consuming.
‘I suppose they thought it wouldn’t break if mixed together.’
Did they expect everything to crumble and need to be rebuilt?
There’s no way I could have done that.
Who would’ve foreseen that?
‘That there would be a master’s presence in this tournament.’
It wasn’t enough that the three lords were turning against each other.
Who would have guessed that I would burst out my secret arts in a public martial arts competition?
‘Honestly… this is ridiculous.’
It was a situation nobody could predict.
As a result, Hanam was buzzing with tales of my master today.
– The disciple of the master. The Two-Dragon Warrior demonstrates overwhelming power against the Taoist King and surrenders.
– A shocking victory, is this truly an affront to the Taoist King?
– A formerly hidden caliber of strength is now revealed. What’s the true value of Two Dragons?
– The Divine Dragon and the Two Dragons. Who is truly stronger?
There were all sorts of discussions swirling around.
No exaggerations, the entire town was consumed by talk of the Two Dragons and my master.
One of the six leaders.
The head of the Peng family, who is the guardian of Habuk, was wallowing in misery on the ground.
This was after losing to the Two-Dragon warrior, who belongs to the Seoanbiga family and is known for their weaker lineage.
Even though he was my master’s disciple, it was absurd that the Taoist King had been defeated.
‘No… It wasn’t a defeat.’
It was a victory.
A humiliating victory.
When the Two Dragon warriors declared their surrender, the image of the Taoist King’s desperate expression flashed in my mind as he gazed at them.
The look on his face as he screamed, “Don’t make me laugh!” and “You might as well just kill me” was…
‘Pathetic.’
For someone who is called a king-level martial artist, he put on a rather tragic display.
‘Thanks to that, the heads of the sect are now busy.’
The Taoist King’s reputation plummeted.
That would alter the current distributions in the central region. The clever leaders who saw this coming have likely started moving like crazy.
With just a single bout, the martial arts competition that took over a year to prepare was thrown into chaos.
It shook the foundation of the Taoist King and prompted the previously rigid sect leaders to change their movements.
All of this happened due to just one fight.
People are saying things.
That the Two Dragons’ surrender was a challenge to the position of the Taoist King.
It was an act to showcase their power, raise their master Paejon’s status, and prove their worth.
Everyone perceived it that way.
“Abstaining, now that’s something I actually did.”
“… Ahem.”
I was aware of the reality.
I was aware that my master’s physical condition was in tatters right now.
I could tell just by looking at it. More precisely, if I focused with my mind’s eye, I could see it.
‘The flow is completely knotted up.’
The previously smooth energy flow was all twisted.
Observing his training, his physical strength appeared unchanged. It meant that even if he outwardly appeared fine, he was actually a wreck inside.
The reason for that?
‘The repercussions of his power usage.’
The tremendous force he unleashed during the tournament.
The backlash that hit my master after using that had taken a toll on his body.
Watching him in such a vulnerable state… what should I say?
“… If I strike now, I could win. How many times should I hit?”
“… Huh?”
“Oh, my mistake. I’m serious.”
“Sure, it was a joke… what did you say?”
My master chuckled lightly.
Does my statement amuse him? It was sincere.
‘If he really lost, I might stand a chance at winning.’
Considering the state my master was in now, I suspect it wouldn’t be that hard.
It means he’s weakened.
To phrase it differently:
‘That Pacheon was not an easy skill for him to execute.’
It had forced him into an abstention due to the backlash.
‘He made it seem like he was fine for everyone else, so it probably looked different to others.’
An act meant to humiliate the Taoist King.
A disgraceful victory that would be remembered throughout the Murim Alliance.
The six leaders who lost to a lesser-ranked individual.
Thanks to this, the Taoist King was now hearing all kinds of gossip in Hanam.
‘Was this action deliberate?’
If that old man was capable of such thought, perhaps he indeed was.
“Then why do you keep questioning me?”
With a sigh, I responded to my master’s inquiry.
“Did you really have to go that far? That’s what I’m getting at. You could have still won without going all-out, you know?”
“If I was going to do it that way, why should I even step out? There needs to be some fun in it.”
“You were having fun, yet it almost turned into a disaster.”
“I bet you’d be the happiest if I died.”
“Oh, that’s also true… argh, I’m kidding. Just kidding.”
I barely dodged a rock flying at my head. I can’t even joke anymore, can I?
At that moment.
“I was actually planning to win.”
My master added, as if clarifying the situation.
“I thought it’d be a good opportunity to show something impressive.”
“What’s good about that? You mean that technique?”
“Exactly.”
It was a sacrifice of defeat for the purpose of showcasing the technique.
I lost my words for a moment, observing my master speak so candidly.
“What the hell does that mean…?”
“Originally, Pacheon was not designed to be like this.”
“Excuse me?”
I turned my ear to his unexpected statement.
“It used to be a simpler martial art that exploded from the fist’s tip… but this time, I got a good feeling and attempted to improve it.”
“Improve it?”
My eyes widened upon hearing that. You mean you’ve improved it?
Since it was a martial art he conceived, altering it isn’t all that strange.
Yet suddenly talking about improvements felt off to me.
So I looked at him as if it was unbelievable.
“That inspiration came from your martial arts, you know.”
“…!”
I was utterly taken aback by my master’s words. He improved his technique after seeing mine?
‘… Wait a second.’
Only then did I realize.
Inspiration derived from me for a martial art. Could it possibly be?
“Is it the Flame Jade?”
“That’s right.”
At my inquiry, my master affirmed.
That explains the similarity between Pacheon and Yeom-Ok.
‘Was that why the methods felt so alike?’
I’ve always wondered why they resembled each other so much.
Does it mean that Pacheon was derived from Yeom-Ok?
In that case, the issue now becomes…
“How did you achieve success?”
What on earth provides the explosion in the Great Pacheon?
‘Yeom-Ok is based on fire arts.’
It condenses heat and friction caused by rotation.
That technique generates the explosive force, but Tuapacheonmu didn’t possess such a fiery aspect.
What principle makes it operate?
The doubts began to flood my mind.
“Curious, aren’t you?”
Whether he sensed my thoughts or not, my master grinned as he spoke.
“Well, then look for it.”
“Huh? You want me to find out?”
“Correct. Since it’s a technique derived from your family’s arts, it shouldn’t be too challenging to uncover. So, go and investigate. That’s my homework for you this time.”
“… No, you can’t just ask me to find it immediately. It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“When has my homework ever been easy?”
“…”
He was right. The tasks set by that old man have always been infuriatingly hard.
And then.
“This will certainly benefit you again.”
Unfortunately, it always proved to be of assistance. There’s no arguing that point.
“It’s high time you tried something like this. It’s not for any other reason…”
He paused, then continued.
“It’s for the sake of what you are ‘trying to accomplish.’”
“…!”
At those ensuing words, I swallowed hard.
I had to close my mouth, staring at my master with trembling eyes.
‘This man….’
Just how much does he truly know?
His words held a weight that made me feel exposed all over.
It was as if every word contained a hidden dagger.
‘He’s truly uncanny.’
I couldn’t bear it.
His martial arts and that inscrutable expression; compared to others, my master seemed the more enigmatic figure.
It wasn’t a sense of benevolence or breadth of character.
‘He doesn’t seem human.’
He lacks that typical human trait. My master has always carried that vibe.
As I swallowed my quivering heart and stood stiffly.
“I won’t stop you.”
My master continued speaking with increased intensity.
“Sure, it’s dangerous, but I won’t prevent you from trying. This is something only you can do. I’ll watch with keen interest.”
“… Yes.”
“However.”
A lethal aura encircled his blunt gaze.
Chilling.
As our eyes met, goosebumps crawled down my back.
“Cherish your life. Remember that there’s a place you must reach someday.”
“… Understood.”
The determination to ensure my martial arts continuity.
That obsession represents the totality of my master.
A madman obsessed with martial arts.
Just glancing at him leaves me breathless.
“Once you’ve asked all you needed, you can leave.”
Recognizing the end of our conversation, my master promptly dismissed me.
I felt like I was being sent away.
I looked back, a hint of disappointment in my tone.
“Are you not going to compete today?”
“… Your intentions are glaringly obvious.”
“It’s truly regrettable… really…”
Normally, I would avoid competitions like the plague, but today, I desperately wanted to.
If not today, when would I get another chance to best my master?
I thought so, but sadly, it appeared my master had no intention of engaging me today.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue and turned away.
I’ve already gotten all my questions addressed and been assigned some unnecessary homework, so I needed to move fast.
At the same time, my master’s earlier words echoed in my mind.
– For what you’re ‘trying to accomplish’, too.
“…”
What am I trying to achieve?
I was shocked that he noticed, but since I received his tacit approval, I felt slightly more at ease.
‘… Now, I can proceed without worrying about others’ opinions.’
What I have been trying out lately.
It’s none other than.
‘Mixing Tuapacheonmu with Gu Flame Wheel Technique.’
That was my intended endeavor.
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