Chapter 345 |
Chapter 345
Revenge
Mu-jin's response to the threatening purple aura was quite simple.
As soon as Mu-jin's foot pressed against the ground, a massive explosion occurred.
Bang!!
Utilizing the extreme form of the Fast Ascent Step , Mu-jin evaded So-cheon-ju's attack with the power of his legs that seemed ready to burst.
While Mu-jin endured the initial strike, the latecomers behind him retreated enough to make a decision possible.
Ignoring the fierce noise of the purple aura that grazed past him, Mu-jin changed direction and charged toward So-cheon-ju.
'I need to drag this out as long as possible.'
Moreover, Mu-jin specialized in close combat. It would be more disadvantageous to keep a distance from someone who used such brute force martial arts.
Bang!
As Mu-jin rapidly approached, exploding the ground, a vicious smile appeared on So-cheon-ju's lips.
And when he extended his arm stained with a red aura, a giant hand resembling Mu-gung's appeared.
This time, instead of dodging, Mu-jin used the Golden Locking Hand Technique to receive the attack head-on.
Bang!!
Through the acrid smoke, Mu-jin saw So-cheon-ju creating a barrier of ice with Ice Technique .
"Hah!!"
With a yell, Mu-jin shattered the barrier with a punch and charged in, but So-cheon-ju had already stepped back using his stepping technique.
Whooosh.
Before Mu-jin knew it, So-cheon-ju clasped his hands together, creating the purple aura again.
Without hesitation, Mu-jin rushed toward So-cheon-ju.
As the purple aura shot out from So-cheon-ju's clasped hands, Mu-jin rolled to the side.
The purple aura barely missed Mu-jin, and he barely escaped with his life by performing the Heavenly Descent Technique at the right moment.
Immediately rising and swinging his right fist, Mu-jin sent a powerful punch toward So-cheon-ju.
The punch collided with the Extreme Yang Energy from So-cheon-ju's extended left palm, causing a loud explosion.
Amidst the explosion, small hidden weapons were shot out.
After using his punch, Mu-jin threw sand picked up from the ground using the Heavenly Descent Technique .
Since he hadn't infused the sand with internal energy, it was undetectable, but So-cheon-ju, likely from his experience in Nanzhao, wasn't easily caught off guard.
"Humph. Did you think I'd fall for the same trick again?"
So-cheon-ju had prepared in advance, creating a barrier with cold energy using his right palm to block the sand.nn
'As expected!'
Mu-jin had anticipated this and was already in motion.
Throwing the sand was just a setup for his next move.
Mu-jin lowered his upper body and extended his arms forward, lunging to grab So-cheon-ju's knees.
As So-cheon-ju quickly created Extreme Yang Energy with his left palm, Mu-jin enveloped himself with the Golden Locking Hand Technique .
Rather than just taking a hit, Mu-jin was confident that if he could grab So-cheon-ju's legs, he could win.
"!?"
To his surprise, So-cheon-ju didn't aim his Extreme Yang Energy at Mu-jin's body.
Instead, the energy was aimed at Mu-jin's eyes.
In an instant, Mu-jin's vision was filled with flames.
While Mu-jin momentarily lost his sight, So-cheon-ju evaded Mu-jin's tackle by sidestepping.
Sensing danger instinctively, Mu-jin quickly rolled on the ground.
His instincts were correct.
Bang!!
The purple aura crashed into the spot where Mu-jin had just been standing, causing a massive explosion.
Had he delayed even a little in dodging, Mu-jin would have had a face-to-face meeting with the King of the Underworld.
Despite narrowly escaping with his life, Mu-jin's expression was not bright.
'Damn.'
So-cheon-ju had already increased the distance between them to about six meters using his stepping technique.
But the distance wasn't the main issue.
'I should have killed him back then.'
After exchanging only a few moves, Mu-jin realized that So-cheon-ju's skills had improved just as he had feared.
To be precise, while the speed and power of his techniques hadn't increased, his ability to apply them in combat was on a different level compared to before.
In simple terms, it was the difference in actual combat experience.
The experience of being defeated by Mu-jin and his comrades in Nanzhao had made him stronger.
But there was no time for regrets.
"Phew."
After taking a breath, Mu-jin charged at So-cheon-ju again, but So-cheon-ju's responses were becoming more fluid.
He started using Extreme Yang Energy not just for attacks but to obscure his vision and mixing in feints, and the same went for his Ice Technique .
As Mu-jin shattered the ice wall created by So-cheon-ju with a punch.
nn
The shattered ice fragments seemed to move like living creatures, scratching Mu-jin's body as they flew through the air.
"Ugh…"
A shallow groan escaped Mu-jin's lips as he hadn't been able to defend with the Golden Locking Hand Technique against the unexpected attack.
Fortunately, the ice fragments weren't imbued with deep internal energy, so his externally trained skin prevented severe injury.
Seeing Mu-jin's body covered with soot and scratches, So-cheon-ju mockingly asked.
"Does that feel refreshing?"
"It's terribly refreshing, thanks to your Ice Technique."
Mu-jin's answer was a mix of sarcasm and sincerity.
From the moment he first received So-cheon-ju's techniques with his body, he felt a similar sensation to when he fought the Third Young Master in Shandong.
It felt like every cell in his skin was activated, making his skin feel alive.
But now was not the time to rejoice in that fact.
'It seems that relying only on Miss Jegal is limited.'
Jegal Jin-hee moved to assist the Namgung father and son in his stead.
Of course, she was performing her task admirably.
Using her Ice Technique to assist the Namgung father and son, she managed to evade or block Hyeok Jin-gang's sword attacks.
The problem was that even with Jegal Jin-hee joining them, they were barely maintaining the balance of the battle against Hyeok Jin-gang.
They could only sustain the equilibrium of the fight.
And the overall flow of the battlefield wasn't in their favor.
'…It seems help won't come.'
Mu-jin quickly surveyed the battlefield, sighing inwardly. He couldn't afford to show weakness to So-cheon-ju, who was glaring at him.
However, So-cheon-ju, noticing Mu-jin's brief scan of the battlefield, was already swinging his arms again.
"Hahaha! Do you still have the luxury to look elsewhere?"
Mu-jin evaded the incoming red giant hand, and saw dozens of ice fragments flying towards him like projectiles.
Using the Golden Locking Hand Technique , Mu-jin withstood the ice attack and charged at So-cheon-ju, thinking to himself.
'…Just holding out is meaningless.'
The situation was too dire to hope for support from allies.
Even waiting for So-cheon-ju to tire out was pointless.
"Hahaha!"
As if it were a game, So-cheon-ju kept laughing and relentlessly firing Extreme Yang Energy and Extreme Yin Energy at Mu-jin, who was dodging desperately to stay alive.
Despite using an absurd amount of internal energy, So-cheon-ju showed no signs of fatigue.
'Who knows how many lives he's consumed to have such endless internal energy,' Mu-jin thought, his teeth grinding in frustration.
n
But aside from his anger, the situation was grim.
Support was unlikely, and his opponent's internal energy was deeper. The longer the fight dragged on, the worse it was for Mu-jin.
It was almost laughable how close to a miracle it was that he had lasted this long, but he knew his only chance lay in a decisive strike.
And the most laughable part?
'Can I really do it?'
There was one method he hadn't yet tried.
Just as Mu-gyeong gained enlightenment from Mu-jin's Invincible Divine Fist , Mu-gyeong had taught Mu-jin a 'simple yet straightforward' solution.
Mu-jin had practiced it a few times, but had never succeeded.
It was a technique he only knew in theory, having never successfully executed it in practice.
Using a technique he had never succeeded with even in training was an unfamiliar experience for Mu-jin.
Mu-jin was self-aware and had a talent for quickly coming up with realistic solutions, which was why he managed to become the owner of a large fitness center despite his harsh upbringing and severe injuries in the military.
He knew his talent wasn't exceptional, which is why he always put in the effort. He practiced martial arts until it was ingrained in his body before using it in real combat.
But now, he had to use a technique he hadn't even succeeded with in practice.
Anxiety was inevitable, but…
'It's all or nothing.'
Mu-jin assessed the situation with cold, intuitive precision.
If there was a one in ten chance of success using an unmastered technique, and a nine in ten chance of dying or becoming crippled, it didn't matter, because doing nothing meant a ten in ten chance of death.
"Phew."
Taking a deep breath and making up his mind, Mu-jin looked up at So-cheon-ju.
Bang!!
He launched himself straight at So-cheon-ju using the Fast Ascent Step .
"Hahaha! He's finally gone mad!"
So-cheon-ju laughed maniacally, alternating his hands and releasing Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang Energy .
So-cheon-ju's smile widened as he watched Mu-jin's response.
Mu-jin continued charging forward, not even using the Golden Locking Hand Technique , taking the attacks with his bare body.
The Extreme Yin Energy left frostbite and wounds on his skin, while the Extreme Yang Energy burned and increased the injuries.
"Hahaha!"
So-cheon-ju laughed, mocking Mu-jin's brute force approach, then clasped his hands together.
The Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang Energy swirling around So-cheon-ju's hands mixed briefly, creating an unsettling noise before forming a purple aura that shot towards Mu-jin.
At that moment, a change occurred in Mu-jin's body.
No, the change had been preparing since he started taking So-cheon-ju's attacks with his bare body.n
Mu-jin, as if he considered even the internal energy for the Golden Locking Hand Technique too precious, channeled all his internal energy from his danjeon, rotating it throughout his body's meridians as he charged at So-cheon-ju.
Just as he would prepare for the Invincible Divine Fist .
The massive energy started from Mu-jin's danjeon, circulating through various meridians from his toes to the top of his head multiple times.
Despite the tremendous energy causing his meridians, muscles, and bones to cry out, Mu-jin remained undeterred.
The pain doubled as So-cheon-ju's Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang Energy hit his body, but…
The strange refreshment spreading through his skin from the Jade Vajra Technique helped keep Mu-jin's mind sharp.
As So-cheon-ju released the purple aura, Mu-jin began the final step.
But the massive energy gathered was not in Mu-jin's right hand. After all, he wasn't preparing for the Invincible Divine Fist .
The immense energy, built up and amplified within Mu-jin's body, followed the meridians used in the Golden Locking Hand Technique and erupted externally.
The great energy that could paint the world gold began to envelop Mu-jin's entire body like armor.
Achieving the pinnacle of defensive techniques, the Invincible Divine Fist , known as Ho-shin Gang-gi .
Mu-jin's Ho-shin Gang-gi collided with So-cheon-ju's purple aura, causing a thunderous noise to echo across the battlefield.
Boom!!
As the dust storm cleared, Mu-jin emerged.
The Ho-shin Gang-gi that had wrapped around Mu-jin's body like armor was cracked and distorted, on the verge of shattering.
In addition to more injuries on his body, Mu-jin had succeeded in breaking through So-cheon-ju's attack.
Grabbing So-cheon-ju's extended arms, he succeeded.
"How dare you!!!"
Startled, So-cheon-ju shouted, as if something filthy had touched his arms, releasing Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin Energy from his palms again.
But the attacks melted away like snow against Mu-jin's Ho-shin Gang-gi , which had already regenerated.
Withstanding So-cheon-ju's attack, Mu-jin focused his strength on his grip on So-cheon-ju's arms.
Crack!
So-cheon-ju's bones, unable to withstand Mu-jin's immense strength, snapped like dry twigs, twisting his arms grotesquely.
"Arghhh!!"
As if experiencing such pain for the first time, So-cheon-ju screamed.
Crack!
Mu-jin's swift kick shattered both of So-cheon-ju's legs.
Mu-jin, having broken all of So-cheon-ju's limbs, swung his fist to finish him, but it didn't land on So-cheon-ju's head.
So-cheon-ju didn't dodge the blow.
Absurdly, So-cheon-ju had already fainted with foam at his mouth and his eyes rolled back.