Chapter 19
A middle-aged heretic, wearing the robes of a fallen monk, confidently met the Red Dragon King.
“Hahaha, you’re too late—”
“Shut up and die-ugh!”
As if there were no need for words, the Red Dragon King violently waved his hands. The cold light that gathered in his palms shot out like a meteor.
“Ha! Go, spirit exorcists—!”
At the command of the heretic monk, twenty spirit exorcists, who had silently been standing around, simultaneously leapt to confront the Red Dragon King.
Krrrrr-!
A red mist exploded, rising into the air.
The combined power of the spirit exorcists clashed with the immense strength of the Red Dragon King, causing a shockwave that reverberated throughout the battlefield.
Was the sky falling?
A thunderous roar and shockwave shook everything around them.
“Ugh! That was close,” Kang Yongwoon, who had used the Red Dragon King’s appearance to quickly retreat from the battle, tilted his head in confusion.
“Hm? Why does the old man keep swinging at the air? Is he doing this on purpose because of the hostage?”
What he was seeing made no sense.
Every time the Red Dragon King waved his hand, the heretic monk’s internal power, which had manifested as a colorful light, was torn apart. But strangely, it didn’t touch the ones who had emitted that power.
“Considering the anger he’s unleashing, it doesn’t make sense that he’s deliberately holding back, right?”
And the answer came quickly.
Surprisingly, the old man, who was emitting such terrifying energy, didn’t even seem to realize that he was attacking empty air.
“Well, I guess it’ll all be handled well.”
In martial arts, he truly was the sky.
Although Kang Yongwoon had never seen the leaders of the Martial Arts Alliance in person, he had seen many martial artists. None of them surpassed this old man.
He was truly one of the greatest warriors in the world.
Though there were twenty formidable enemies surrounding him, they were no match for him.
“Well, I’ll be leaving now…”
He hesitated.
Kang Yongwoon’s body stiffened.
The idea of retreating to Hong Ho-hyun changed.
The battle of masters is something you can learn from.
The voices of the older martial artists, whom he had heard during the three days at the ship, stopped him.
“Hmm. Should be fine, right?”
Kang Yongwoon wasn’t sure who was currently fighting, but their internal power from the lower dantian was overwhelmingly strong. Even if all the enemies combined their strength, they couldn’t possibly contend with it.
“Eh, whatever. I’ll just enjoy watching the show safely from here.”
The elder’s thoughts matched his own.
[Kid, watch closely.]
[When a wall stands in your way, you’ll need the power to break through it.]
“Yes, sir.”
With those words, he focused.
The eye-candy continued.
The dazzling martial arts of the heretic’s warriors were impressive, but the Red Dragon King’s martial arts were shockingly powerful enough to completely shatter any previous understanding of martial techniques.
“Cut, slice, dig in, and destroy. Wow! To think you can condense and fire internal power like that, or even change its sharpness!”
It felt like witnessing a new world!
The internal power that erupted from the Red Dragon King’s lower dantian took many forms as it passed through his hands. It was efficient and destructive, slicing through space itself.
“Wow! That’s amazing. Could I do that too?”
It was all clear in his mind.
He could see exactly how the Red Dragon King shaped and fired his internal power.
“I can see it, but that doesn’t mean I can copy it…”
Still, it seemed possible, didn’t it?
Though he didn’t know the exact techniques or methods the Red Dragon King used, he was able to observe the approach, which made him think, perhaps he could manage it somehow?
Then,
“You bastard!”
Had he lost focus?
In a flash, something rushed toward Kang Yongwoon at blinding speed.
“Ah—! I forgot about them.”
The distraction had cost him his focus.
One of the heretic monk’s warriors, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally targeted Kang Yongwoon.
“This is a holy war! This battle isn’t for you to watch, insignificant fool—!”
The warrior unleashed a powerful strike, his aura swelling with force.
Thwoooom!
A line of internal power, beginning from the enemy’s lower dantian, shot straight toward Kang Yongwoon’s heart.
Kwahh-!
With a thunderous explosion, Kang Yongwoon’s body was blasted into the air.
It was a direct hit. He crashed onto the ground, his body crumpled.
“Hmph! You’re nothing but a pest.”
The heretic monk’s warrior turned, confident that Kang Yongwoon had been struck down.
However,
Wriggle.
To everyone’s shock, Kang Yongwoon didn’t die.
He began moving again.
He had protected his body from the immense pressure that could’ve ruptured his heart.
‘Damn it. I should’ve played dead…’
Strategically, it would have been the better choice to feign death for a higher chance of survival.
But something strange was happening.
His heart started to refuse the idea.
-
Fight. Stand firm and resist.
It felt like a voice was urging him forward.
Boom, boom, boom!
As he sprinted, an unfamiliar sense of fighting spirit surged within him.
“Ah, not yet—!”
With a scream rising in his throat, Kang Yongwoon struggled to stand up.
Gasp.
“You—?!”
The heretic monk’s warrior froze in surprise, staring at him wide-eyed. He muttered, almost disbelieving.
“How are you… still alive?”
Kang Yongwoon had dodged the fatal blow by slightly twisting his body just before the attack hit. Of course, the sacrifice of his sword scabbard, which took most of the blow, helped.
Instinct had guided him.
Though he couldn’t draw his sword, his left hand faithfully lifted the scabbard to shield his heart.
“Heh. I’ve come a long way, haven’t I?”
It was something he could never have done in the past.
It felt oddly satisfying.
Though the martial artists from the celestial realm would disagree.
[Ugh, you fool. At the very least, you should’ve used the alternate stances to change positions.]
[If that was too difficult, you should’ve at least shifted your body slightly! Just lifting your sword a little would’ve decapitated him!]
Alternate stance? What the hell was that?
“Ha! What do you mean by that? It sounds like a name for some local mutt.”
The celestial techniques were the basics of his martial arts. Were they trying to mock him now?
[You’re capable. The heretic monk’s power cannot penetrate your body.]
The sudden compliment caught Kang Yongwoon’s attention.
“What do you mean, elder?”
The response came sharply.
[What do you mean? You have the Great Heavenly Arts. Don’t you remember? The innate power?!]
That memory was unmistakably clear.
But what did it matter?
[The power of darkness can never overcome the innate. It’s a fundamental difference—when light appears, darkness naturally retreats.]
Kang Yongwoon didn’t fully understand, but one thing was clear.
The heretic monk’s power could not invade his body.
His gaze focused.
‘That means I can stop worrying as much.’
At least now he knew he only needed to focus on his physical defense.
With that thought, his confidence grew.
“I’ll make him pay for the hit. He owes me one, right?”
He couldn’t kill him just yet.
Though his reaction speed had improved, he still wasn’t quick enough.
But, if he timed it right, maybe he could land a hit.
“This arrogant brat dares?!”
The heretic monk’s warrior gritted his teeth.
He vanished, leaving only a gust of wind as he moved toward Kang Yongwoon.
“Die—!”
Spark.
Kang Yongwoon’s eyes flared with determination.
‘I can still see you, bastard!’
The enemy’s internal power divided into two directions, aimed at his neck and waist.
Twang.
Instinctively, his sword, the Blue River Sword, flashed with lightning speed as he slashed through the air.
‘Fastest strike, the Thunderclap Slash.’
Kang Yongwoon’s sword descended like lightning, cutting downward, while at the same time he executed a horizontal strike, the Horizontal Thunder Strike.
‘I can do this.’
His body, strengthened by the battles he had endured, reacted faster than ever.
‘I’ll block this!’
The two strikes hit with thunderous force.
Kang Yongwoon’s clothes shredded like they were caught in a millstone, and blood splattered everywhere.
But,
“Ugh—!”
Instead of Kang Yongwoon’s scream, the heretic monk’s warrior let out a desperate cry.
“Again… blocked?!”
He was in disbelief.
How could Kang Yongwoon block it?
The warrior was left staring at him, stunned.
-
How could this lowly warrior stop my attacks?
He couldn’t understand.
