Black and White Martial Emperor

THUMP, THUMP!

Vermilion Bird Qi settled into his blazing heart, drawing out an even stronger pulse.

Throb, throb!

The blood flowing through every vessel in Yeon Hojeong’s body raised his temperature.

His body heat soared abnormally high. With a temperature like that, even a master under heaven should have collapsed, yet astonishingly, Yeon Hojeong was enduring it as if it were nothing.

Chiiiiik!

Pale smoke rose from all over his body. The heat radiating from him screamed as it touched the cold air.

Tap.

Yeon Hojeong threw Cheon Gang behind him.

THUMP!

Cheon Gang twitched where he landed on the ground. He was not dead, but the Black Tortoise Qi that had infiltrated through his wounds had completely suppressed the Gold Emperor Pure Fire Art.

THUD!

“Ghaaak!”

Cheon Gang screamed. At some point, Mo Yong-woo had driven the Demon-Sweeping Sword into his abdomen.

With that, Cheon Gang was rendered incapable of fighting. Thanks to his fire essence, he would not die immediately even with his stomach pierced, but even if he recovered, the blood points throughout his entire body were damaged. It would be difficult for him to wield the same level of martial power as before.

Yeon Hojeong stamped one foot down with force.

KUNG!

The powerful Stamping Step shook the ground around them as if an earthquake had struck.

Just as it had when he had announced the beginning of so many battles in the past.

After completing his battle preparations with that bold Stamping Step, Yeon Hojeong lowered his stance.

PAAAAANG!

Closing the distance in an instant, Yeon Hojeong swung Mad Dragon toward Beonjak’s head.

JJEOOOOOEONG!

Mad Dragon was blocked by the Fire Dragon Demon Blade.

Beonjak was about to fling Yeon Hojeong back at once when, in that instant, he felt the wave of a divine sword aiming for his flank. It was Yeon Wi’s sword strike, fired at a moment so exquisite it was almost unreal.

Beonjak swung his left hand.

KAAAAANG! TU-U-U-U-UNG!

Yeon Wi’s sword strike was deflected, and Yeon Hojeong was sent flying backward.

BOOOOOM!

Tang Gwan’s poison palm, seizing that opening, reached right in front of Beonjak’s nose.

Beonjak, who had been about to strike it down with palm force, was startled.

Fsssss!

The poison palm scattered before his eyes and turned into smoke.

He had not dispersed it. The palm force had scattered on its own, spreading a mist of poison qi in every direction.

“Clan Lord Tang, you little rat.”

Beonjak’s pupils burned gold.

HWARURURURUK!

Tang Gwan’s poison qi did not vanish even against ordinary Fire energy.

But Beonjak’s Fire energy was on a completely different level. The ultra-high-temperature Fire energy decomposed Tang Gwan’s poison qi on the spot.

BOOOOOM!

Beonjak’s face twisted.

An archer?

He had allowed one blow to his back. The protective force of the Gold Emperor Pure Fire Art had prevented his body from being pierced, but the impact was considerable.

PAAAAANG!

Enraged, Beonjak unleashed Flame King Fist.

It was as fast as Mookbi’s arrows, but even more terrifying was the Fire energy that could burn a target before the strike even reached it.

Hup!

Mookbi soared high into the sky. It was a choice made to avoid the Fire energy.

Beonjak tracked her movement like a ghost.

BOOOOOM!

A fist wind of flame erupted once more.

Flash!

Beonjak’s fist wind never reached Mookbi. The greenish-blue sword-light that surged up from below split the fist wind apart completely.

“Yeon Wi!”

As if she had expected that all along, Mookbi did not waver in the slightest as she drew her bowstring in midair. A chilling energy rose from the string, though no arrow had been nocked.

PIPIPIPIPING!

Formless arrows drew separate curves through the air as they shot toward Beonjak.

PAAK!

Yeon Wi unfolded Gentleman’s Sword, and Tang Gwan poured out the hidden-weapon techniques of Sevenfold Throwing Blades. The sword cannon of Thunderclap Kill that Mo Yonggun unleashed was the finishing touch.

It was a coordinated assault by masters who represented the Central Plains. No matter how strong Beonjak was, this was a moment when even he had no choice but to feel pressed.

Beonjak curled both hands like a tiger’s forepaws.

HWARURURURUK! PUH-PUH-POONG!

The attacks poured out by four Transcendent Peak masters scattered completely before the storm of flame.

“This is no time to be taking it easy.”

Chiiiiik!

With golden flames wrapped around both hands, Beonjak drew the Gold Emperor Pure Fire Art to its limit.

“I’ll kill every last one of—”

Flash!

A single crescent-moon gleam fell toward Beonjak’s collarbone.

KWAAAAANG!

Beonjak caught Mad Dragon’s axe blade barehanded and glared at Yeon Hojeong with murderous eyes.

Beonjak concentrated Fire energy in his hand.

Chiiiiik!

Mad Dragon heated red-hot. He intended to ruin Mad Dragon with the overwhelming firepower of the Gold Emperor Pure Fire Art.

But that was Beonjak’s misjudgment.

HWARURURUK!

A tremendous blaze rose from Mad Dragon.

Astonishment appeared on Beonjak’s face. He had meant to melt Mad Dragon, not to raise flames like this.

This isn’t my Gold Emperor Qi.

Beonjak’s gaze met Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.

Yeon Hojeong’s pupils held flames so red they seemed sticky as blood.

Fire energy?!

Yeon Hojeong pulled Mad Dragon with all his strength.

KWAAAAANG!

With an explosive roar, Gold Emperor Fire energy and Vermilion Bird Fire Qi blasted out in every direction.

The heat was so intense that Yeon Wi, Tang Gwan, Mo Yonggun, and even Mookbi all had to retreat.

Yeon Wi shouted.

“Hojeong!”

KWAKWANG!

Yeon Hojeong, who had charged forward with White Tiger Monarch, unfolded Blood-Wing Sweeping Heaven.

Blood-Wing Sweeping Heaven, unleashed after drawing out every ounce of power through the White Tiger’s footwork, made movement like a bolt of lightning possible.

Tiger King’s Nine-Wall Breaker and Fire Dragon Demon Blade collided.

JJEOJEOJEOJEOJEONG!

A tremendous shockwave swept the surroundings.

Yeon Hojeong choked up blood. As expected, he had no choice but to be pushed back in terms of pure force.

However.

KWAAAAANG!

The instant he retreated, he unfolded Blood-Wing Sweeping Heaven again.

Pain tore through him as if his bones and muscles were being crushed. But Yeon Hojeong ignored that pain.

I’ll win.

In Yeon Hojeong’s eyes as he glared at Beonjak, absolute confidence in victory hung together with blind Killing Intent.

I’ll win!

Yeon Hojeong swung Mad Dragon.

Flash!

Beonjak, who had thought he would use a technique again, was startled for an instant.

It was not Tiger King’s Nine-Wall Breaker. Mad Dragon was spinning at high speed, flying straight for Beonjak’s torso.

He had not swung it. He had thrown it away. It was an outrageous move.

Beonjak unleashed Flame King Fist.

KWAAAAANG!

With an explosive roar, Mad Dragon flew far away.

This time, even Beonjak felt a sharp pain in his fist. If he had poured in even slightly less Inner Qi, his fist would have been split in half.

He threw away his weapon. He’s gone completely mad!

That was when it happened.

......?!

For a split second, confusion appeared in Beonjak’s eyes.

Where?!

Yeon Hojeong had vanished from his sight.

Hup!

At the same time, an explosive kicking art surged up from the lower left.

BOOOOOM!

Tiger King’s Nine-Wall Breaker had been unfolded as a kicking art. Beonjak crossed his arms to block the blow and retreated three or four steps.

KWAAAAANG!

Another Stamping Step.

Yeon Hojeong, who had regained his vitality with that bold step, thrust out both fists without hesitation.

PUH-PUH-POONG!

Their fists collided like mad.

Hup! HWARURUK!

The force of the flames spilling out in every direction grew even stronger. The shockwaves the two of them created were stimulating the Fire energy.

It was a life-and-death dueling ground enclosed by walls of flame. Not one of Yeon Wi, Tang Gwan, or Mo Yonggun could charge into that place. The Fire energy was too fierce to break through the force and advance.

But.

PABABABABAK!

Yeon Wi swung his sword like a madman, dispersing the wall of fire.

Tang Gwan’s eyes trembled.

“Clan Lord Yeon!”

“Uaaaap!”

Yeon Wi launched his right sword and left palm in succession.

BANG! PUH-PUH-POONG! HWARURURUK!

The Yeon Clan’s secret sword art and a peak-level hand art erupted, clearing the curtain of fire little by little.

With Yeon Wi’s qi-art power alone, piercing it this easily should have been impossible. It was a moment when one human being’s unshakable will made the impossible possible.

Hup!

Yeon Wi broke through the wall of fire, and flames caught all over his body. Thanks to his powerful Inner Qi shield, he was not burned, but if his Inner Qi faltered, his skin would burn at once.

But he did not care about that either.

“Hojeong!”

KWAAAAANG!

Yeon Hojeong retreated while vomiting blood.

PAAAAAK!

Yeon Wi brought down a sword strike toward Beonjak’s leg.

It was an incredibly fast swift sword. Even Beonjak, strong as he was, felt his chest go cold at this blow.

“You bastards!”

JJEOOOOOEONG!

Yeon Wi lost his grip on his sword.

A swordsman was not supposed to release his sword even in death. Yeon Wi, too, was an orthodox swordsman of the Central Plains, and he had that much pride.

But the Yeon Wi of this moment was not a swordsman.

He was only a father with two sons, only a parent who would give his life a thousand times over for his own blood.

PUH-PUH-POONG!

Yeon Wi drove Beonjak back with Reverse Dragon Palm and reached Yeon Hojeong in an instant.

“Are you all right?!”

In that instant, Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.

PAAK! BOOOOOM!

Yeon Hojeong pulled Yeon Wi’s body away, and flames exploded against his own shoulder. It was the flame created when Beonjak’s Flame King Fist grazed him.

“Uaaap!”

Yeon Hojeong suppressed the pain with a shout like a scream and unfolded Northern Heaven Twelve Walls.

PUH-PUH-POONG!

Yeon Hojeong’s body shook madly.

Yet astonishingly, he was blocking Beonjak’s attacks. He was pouring all the power of the Yeon Clan Divine Core into amplifying Black Tortoise Qi.

Father.

While blocking Beonjak’s attacks, Yeon Hojeong looked at Yeon Wi.

Yeon Wi’s eyes trembled as they met his son’s gaze.

Hojeong.

His son’s eyes looked firmer than ever. They were filled with the will to win, no matter what.

Yeon Wi reached out his hand.

HOOOOOOONG!

The sword he had dropped was drawn into his hand on its own. It was the wondrous art of controlling objects through empty air.

THUD! PUH-POONG!

The flames clinging to various parts of Yeon Wi’s clothes burst with loud pops. Because of the sword-extreme death qi pouring into his sword, his Inner Qi shield had dulled. His protective barrier trembled, and the Gold Emperor Fire energy was burning Yeon Wi’s body.

But Yeon Wi felt no pain.

SWIIIIIIISH!

With a chilling sound, greenish-blue lightning whirled around his sword.

He had not learned lightning qi as Mo Yonggun had. In fact, what filled that sword was not lightning qi.

But lightning patterns even more murderous and rough than Mo Yonggun’s Thunderclap energy kept striking against the sword again and again. The sword force amplifying in that split second was so great that even the curtain of fire seemed to flinch.

Beonjak’s eyes widened.

What is that?

Behind the semitransparent black qi shield.

A truly terrifying power was gathering. The density of that power was so incredible that even Beonjak’s Fire energy recoiled as if frightened.

Where is that kind of power coming from......?!

Then, the black tortoiseshell shield vanished.

HOOF!

The moment the shield disappeared, Yeon Hojeong charged in.

Beonjak attacked Yeon Hojeong reflexively. Identifying the true nature of that power came first, but Yeon Hojeong’s attack was far too fast for that.

THUD! BAM-BAM-BAM! BOOOOOM!

He thought he would finish him off in an instant and pull back.

But once again, the flow of battle escaped Beonjak’s expectations.

PUH-PUH-POONG! PUH-POONG!

Amid the exploding shockwaves, a rock-hard punch struck Beonjak’s thigh.

Crack!

Ghk!

Veins bulged in Beonjak’s neck.

This bastard?!

For the first time, Yeon Hojeong’s fist had struck his leg. For a moment, his attention had been elsewhere, but even taking that into account, this situation made no sense.

Enraged, he unleashed a linked series of Flame King Fists.

Then Yeon Hojeong’s upper body moved like a snake.

PUH-PUH-PUH-PUH-POONG!

Beonjak’s eyes flew wide as if they would tear apart.

The linked twin fists he had shot out like lightning were being avoided entirely by Yeon Hojeong with only the movement of his upper body.

“I can finally see it.”

Crack!

Beonjak staggered backward.

Yeon Hojeong, who had extended his fist to the middle section, smiled coldly.

“I can finally see your weakness.”

In the past, Okcheong had said that Yeon Hojeong’s greatest talent was his instinctive ability to see through an opponent’s weakness.

That talent began to raise its head in the middle of a battle where the gap in power between them was considerable. Not only did he avoid every one of Beonjak’s attacks, which had felt so overwhelming, but he even counterattacked. At the crossroads of life and death, his talent for death had begun to stretch awake.

Beonjak let out a roar of fury for the first time.

“You verminous bastard!”

At that moment, a calm voice flowed into Beonjak’s ear.

“I did not raise my son so carelessly that he would deserve to hear such words from a petty man like you.”

Flash!

Yeon Wi, who had stepped off Yeon Hojeong’s shoulder and flown upward, glared down at Beonjak with terrifying eyes.

In that instant, Beonjak felt a chill run down his spine. From the sword in Yeon Wi’s hand, he sensed an energy he could not endure.

Yeon Wi’s final hidden art, forged and refined thousands of times in pursuit of one absolute sword, compressing all the sword arts of the Yeon Clan into a single strike.

“Die now.”

Flash!

A greenish-blue bolt of lightning plunged into Beonjak’s head.

KURURURUNG!