Whoosh!! A person dashed through the air, the sound of the air being torn apart echoing loudly. Hong Wemun's eyes widened in shock. 'This is insane!' Seoryang's charge was like a storm. It was a speed and movement technique rarely seen before. Moving so swiftly, yet with the freedom to change direction at will, his momentum was fierce like fire. It was the legendary movement technique of the King of Killers, the Nine Heavens Shrinking Earth Divine Steps, which allowed targets to die without even seeing the hem of his clothes.
In a hurry, Hong Wemun quickly unleashed his internal energy.
Boom!
The majority of the area in front of him was covered with palm shadows. It was an impressive response for something executed so hastily. Seoryang's eyes gleamed sharply.
Bang!
"Ugh!"
Hong Wemun's body was pushed back once more. His hand was still burning red, but his wide sleeves were torn to shreds.
'This madman!
Did he really attack with all his might?!' It was the Heavenly Technique's Water Palm Strong Wall. But it didn't end there.
Seoryang's hand, which had broken through Hong Wemun's palm technique in one strike, had already transformed into a fist. He compressed the overflowing power into something like an iron mass.
Thud!
Seoryang stepped forward, thrusting his fist directly. His target was Hong Wemun's solar plexus. Swinging a punch that could shatter rocks at a person's solar plexus was something one wouldn't dare attempt without the intent to kill.
'Damn!' Crash!
Backward, and then further back. Hong Wemun, who had been retreating continuously, looked extremely worn out in a short time. Although he managed to block the final killing blow, he couldn't control his internal energy due to the excessive use of his qi.
If only he could breathe properly for just a few moments, he could set everything right. 'He's not someone who would give me any openings! I must prepare for the next attack...'
Suddenly, Hong Wemun's eyes shook violently. Surprisingly, Seoryang, whom he thought would immediately follow up with another attack, was standing far away, tapping the ground lightly with his toes.
"......?"
Why?
He couldn't have not known that this brief moment could decide the outcome of the battle. At that moment, Seoryang's muttering reached his ears.
"I've certainly gotten used to the overall Hundred Strikes Technique centered on hand skills. But as expected, I've lost some of the sharpness. I'll have to check on this later..."
"......!"
"Shall I draw my sword once? No, I have confidence in controlling it, but if the battle intensifies, I can't rule out the possibility of innocent people getting hurt... Huh?"
Seoryang blinked.
"Ah, have you caught your breath?"
"......What are you trying to do?"
"I've waited long enough, now it's your turn to come at me."
Hong Wemun's eyes were filled with a thick killing intent. How dare he test his martial arts against me?
Hiss!
The Evil King Demon Art flared up instantly, and from his purple-tinted pupils, a sinister demonic energy emanated.
Whoosh!
It felt as if a foul snake odor was wafting from somewhere.
Crack!
A sound like bones breaking echoed, and soon Hong Wemun's fingers grew long and thick. His sharp nails lost their original color and turned pitch black.
Seoryang chuckled.
"It takes a long time to prepare this martial art. That's why you were pushed back without being able to do anything in a surprise attack."
"You really want to die, don't you!"
"You were planning to kill me anyway, you bastard. So should I just let someone who's sure to be a future threat go quietly?"
He really didn't expect things to go this far. Hong Wemun's lips curled into a cold sneer. His purple pupils visibly enlarged, exuding a bizarre and evil aura.
"I guess I can consider this self-defense. In a way, I'm grateful."
"I'm more grateful. You quietly accepted the invitation to the drinking party."
Rumble!
From his right hand, where the Dark Shadow Demon Energy was concentrated, a crimson lightning stormed. It wasn't fire, but lightning. It was a completely different appearance from the qi technique he had shown before.
"Enough talk. If you're ready, come at me boldly."
Hiss!
A sound that made the listener feel an unnecessary chill was heard. It was the noise made by a snake slithering on the ground. Finally, Hong Wemun moved.
Swoosh!
His approaching movement was smooth yet extremely fast. Then, at a precise moment, he leaped and swung his hand, resembling the way a venomous snake attacks its prey. Seoryang's eyes flashed.
Thud! Thud!
The two men's hands clashed in the air more than a dozen times. It was a battle that happened in the blink of an eye.
Swish!
Seoryang retreated a few steps. It wasn't because he found it hard to withstand Hong Wemun's attack. It was to properly observe the opponent's martial arts and to incorporate the footwork into his body.
'This guy!'
Hong Wemun's level wasn't low enough to not read the opponent's intentions.
Whoosh.
From the tip of his blackened nails, a purple aura spread out. At the same time, a musty yet somehow sweet smell wafted. It was the smell of decaying leaves.
'I'll shatter that composure.' Hong Wemun swung his hand like lightning. The Deadly Snake Hand, executed with the Evil King Demon Art, was the ultimate technique, the Black Bone Snake Shadow Hand.
Seoryang swung his hand to meet it.
Clang!
When their hands collided, it sounded like metal weapons clashing.
Thud! Thud!
Purple energy fragments scattered into the air. 'As expected, it doesn't work.' The Black Bone Snake Shadow Hand was a martial art that stood at the pinnacle of the martial world.
But the truly terrifying reason for this martial art was the vicious snake poison. It's a neurotoxin that's hard to detoxify, though it doesn't react immediately. It's effective for assassinations because it leaves no trace and isn't injected in large quantities.
Even skilled masters struggle against this poison. That very purple snake poison was scattering in Seoryang's demonic energy. 'It's only natural.
This guy's demonic energy is a formidable yang-based qi technique. Ordinary poisons don't work on it.'
Then? Swoosh.
Moving twice as fast as before, Hong Wemun had already taken a position behind Seoryang. It was so smooth that it was hard to read the flow. Seoryang couldn't help but admire his footwork.
'It's definitely different.' Just by seeing him freely use such a high-level footwork at his age, it was clear he hadn't become a disciple of the Heavenly Sky Sect for nothing.
Buzz!
Suddenly, the back of his neck tingled. He accurately read the direction of Hong Wemun's killing intent.
Thud!
Hong Wemun's leg swung toward Seoryang's neck. The technique of the Great Python Fang, which strikes upward, was very linear and powerful, unlike the footwork. The harmony with the footwork was also remarkable.
Whoosh!
However, Hong Wemun's foot cut through the air. The combination of the Flood Dragon Footwork and the Great Python Fang had never failed before. Though not surprised, it was certainly astonishing.
Seoryang's counterattack was immediate.
Thud!
The Flood Dragon Footwork performs equally well in both offense and defense. Seoryang's short upward palm strike missed its mark. Would Hong Wemun's counterattack begin now?
Thud! Thud!
Hong Wemun's face was filled with surprise. As he deflected the palm strike aimed at his face with his forearm, a punch came in. He wouldn't have been surprised if he had chosen either defense or evasion, but to do both simultaneously was unexpected.
Thud! 'Ugh!'
Even though he had shaken his center with the palm strike, his chest hurt as if hit by an iron hammer. It wasn't an internal injury, but he felt the disruption of his qi shield. '......?' Hong Wemun, who was once again using the Flood Dragon Footwork, widened his eyes.
'How?!'
After moving to the left, he tried to smoothly move to the back, but the path was blocked. Seoryang, who had already taken his path and was grinning, moved his foot.
Crack!
"Gasp!"
He barely swallowed a scream out of pride. Hong Wemun's body slid backward. He had been punched in the chest and even kicked.
Thanks to the demonic energy he had gathered, he avoided breaking bones, but his internal organs were shaken. Staggering, Hong Wemun lifted his head. '......!' Seoryang had disappeared from his sight.
There was no sound or presence. He couldn't sense him, so he didn't know where he had moved. Panicked, Hong Wemun raised the Evil King Demon Art to its peak.
A chill ran down his spine from the sense of crisis.
At that moment, he felt demonic energy concentrating at a terrifying speed from the right rear.
Boom! Crash!
With a loud explosion, Hong Wemun flew and crashed into a tree, shattering it. Seoryang lowered his outstretched hand and grinned.
"Good, this should be enough."
The harmony of the Heavenly Technique, Nine Heavens Shrinking Earth Divine Steps, and Dark Shadow True Demon Art was perfect. He had confidence, but he had never confirmed it in actual combat. Now, he felt he could be confident.
Hiss!
The shattered tree fragments turned to powder. Slowly rising, Hong Wemun's entire body was enveloped in a vivid purple demonic energy.
Sizzle!
The core of the snake poison activated in the extremely heated Evil King Demon Art. The dangerous purple aura was turning the area into a zone of death.
Seoryang frowned. 'Poison, huh.'
Assassins are also skilled in poison. Poisoning is also an excellent method for killing targets. 'It's not a problem for me, but...'
Rustle.
The swirling purple aura was slowly but surely expanding its territory. He looked around. In the fierce battle between the two masters, many demonic beings had gathered at a distance, murmuring.
The distance was quite far, so they wouldn't be caught in the shockwave, but poison was a different matter.
Flash!
Hong Wemun's eyes turned completely purple. The whites of his eyes disappeared, making them seem almost mystical.
"Haa..."
Even in his languid exhale, purple smoke was mixed. The momentum he exuded was like steel, and the overflowing qi was extremely toxic. The soaring demonic energy reached its peak, and the fully unleashed Evil King Demon Art was in perfect harmony with him.
Slowly lowering his upper body, Hong Wemun took a stance similar to a four-legged beast. His eyes fixed on Seoryang. Step by step.
Seoryang walked slowly to the right, while Hong Wemun only turned his head to keep track of his position.
Thud.
Seoryang's steps stopped, and at the same time, Hong Wemun's neck, which had turned completely to the left, also stopped.
"......"
A silent conversation. A conversation without words.
Slurp!
Hong Wemun's tongue, split on both sides, licked under his chin. It was as if he were looking at a mythical creature. Seoryang, who had been watching him with an expressionless face, slowly lowered his stance.
With his left hand, he grabbed the scabbard hanging from his waist, and his right arm hung loosely, taking a natural posture. A smile appeared on his lips.
"Shall we end this?"
"Kyaaah!"
Boom!
His speed doubled. His elongated and hardened hands swung wildly, as if they would tear Seoryang apart in an instant. At the same time, Seoryang's left thumb moved.
Clang!
The blade, drawn like lightning, was surrounded by crimson lightning. Seoryang's sword and Hong Wemun's hand collided directly.
Boom!
"What did I do so wrong!"
"Quiet."
"Quiet? Who do you think you are to speak informally! Do you know me? Do you, punk!"
"If you continue to cause a disturbance, your sentence will be increased for obstructing official duties. Be aware."
"Crazy! I'm already going to rot in prison for thirty years, so what's a few more years added, you bastard! Just call the External Hall Master! How can they arrest the accomplice and let the main culprit go? I didn't even know!"
On the way to the Criminal Law Hall. The sight of a man in his early fifties shouting loudly and the Criminal Law Hall members maintaining their poker faces evoked a strange feeling. The middle-aged man shouted wildly.
"You bastards! I'm innocent!!"
Boom!
"Gasp!"
The middle-aged man, as well as the Criminal Law Hall members, were startled and turned their heads toward the source of the explosion. Their faces turned pale.
"What, what's going on?!"
Two masters who had destroyed an entire building were fighting fiercely in the air. The leader of the members quickly shouted.
"What are you doing! Go to the Hall Master and get the order to deploy the Black Crow Unit! I'll handle the suspect's transfer!"
The middle-aged man, whose face had turned pale, looked at the two masters.
"What kind of mess is this..."
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
"Huh? Huh?!"
His gaze was fixed precisely on Seoryang.
"......That sword technique is?"