I Became the Genius Mage of the Martial Academy

Chapter 119 : The Shaolin Heretics (2)

With a loud bang, Bong So's fist and the shield collided. The once-solid Diamond Indestructible Body shattered, and Bong So was pushed back.

Simultaneously, I moved to the side and fired two compressed spears of flame lightning.

The opponent hastily tried to block by tilting his shield, but he only covered the one aimed at his head. He couldn't block the attack flying toward his waist.

"Keuk!"

The flames pierced his protective qi, and the electric shock paralyzed his muscles. Even for a seasoned killer, this would be his first encounter with magic. Thanks to that, I was able to catch him off guard.

In the meantime, Bong So, having recovered from his internal injuries, rushed in and pressed the Asura Heavy Shield. I took a position behind the opponent and compressed a spear of flame lightning onto the First Blade of the Daoist Scholar's Fan.

The enemy's head turned at the unusual energy wave.

"The Art of Controlling the Sword with Qi?!"

For a moment, the enemy's eyes widened. I immediately fired the Flame Lightning First Blade Spear. The First Blade shot out, turning into a flash of light.

However, in an instant, the shield vibrated immensely, pushing Bong So away, then split in two to block the rear attack.

Thud-!

The Flame Lightning First Blade Spear was blocked by one of the split shields.

'Don't tell me, it was a two-handed shield?'

In the original story, I missed him here, and a half-grown Baek Hasin killed him in passing late in the story, so I didn't know. At that time, he was just a power-level measuring stick who was cut down shield and all, so this was the first time I'd seen such a function.

Kiiiiing!

I clicked my tongue as I watched the Asura Heavy Shield being pushed back.

'A pity.'

It was the blow that had sent Bong So flying in one shot, but to think he blocked it immediately; a super-peak level master was certainly different.

Of course, the shield wasn't unscathed either. The already cracked shield was further dented, and a fissure was forming at its edge.

It felt like if I pushed just a little more, it would be over. I rushed forward, feeling the exhaustion as a chunk of my mana and internal energy drained away.

Now was the perfect time, as the opponent still couldn't lift one arm due to the aftermath of the Flame Lightning First Blade Spear.

Activating a sword form while maintaining the Art of Controlling the Fan with Qi required considerable concentration, but I trusted the senses engraved in my body.

As I unfolded the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Art with the Martial Arts Sword, the blade cut through the thigh that the shield failed to cover.

'If I had my way, I would have blown his head off, but I have no choice.'

Since he was protecting his vitals with the shield, I had to take the next best option. Still, the momentum had shifted to my side with the first blow.

On the opposite side, Bong So was still throwing his mace-like fists, and I, after cutting the enemy's thigh, was immediately aiming for a blind spot and thrusting the tip of my sword.

The moment the Martial Arts Sword was shot toward the opponent's neck.

Jjeo-eong-!

The Asura Heavy Shield's figure blurred, and the two shields clashed, creating a massive shockwave. The atmosphere distorted, my sword path was disrupted, and Bong So's fist cut through the empty air.

As the First Blade was flung away, I narrowed my eyes.

'Sound attack!'

Belatedly, I corrected the tip of my sword and aimed for the back of the enemy's head. But the Asura Heavy Shield had already moved from the spot.

At the energy wave that made my head ring, both Bong So and I covered our ears and steadied our minds.

The essence of the Three Evils was a musical instrument. As expected of Zhuge Goya's artifact, the power of the sound attack was considerable.

However, he seemed to have overexerted himself as well, as he was breathing heavily, and his thigh was soaked in blood.

Thinking calmly, he was in a position of being chased, so he didn't have much internal energy left. On top of that, his mobility was quite reduced, so the countermeasure was simple.

'Chip away at him from a distance.'

I fired off flame bullets. While the opponent was overreacting, wary of the magic, Bong So approached with his shield, threw a punch, and retreated.

By the time the opponent got used to the flame bullets, I used wind magic to create flames and waste his protective qi. Since he couldn't tell which magic was fatal, the opponent had no choice but to defend with all his might every time.

In a real battle, the difference between knowing and not knowing the enemy's hand is absolute.

'Not bad.'

Above all, time was on our side.

Gu Dong was scheduled to call the surrounding Shaolin members by blowing his flute. It was a fight that would end once we tied up the opponent's feet and they spread the Arhat formation.

Bong So didn't go in deep and bought time, and I kept the opponent in check with flame bullets and spears of flame lightning.

Thanks to that, the Asura Heavy Shield, who was on the verge of being cornered by Bong So but was blocked every time, became enraged.

"This annoying fly!!"

He then knocked Bong So away with his shield and rushed toward me. I was prepared, so I was about to widen the distance further when.

Jjeo-eong-

I reflexively swung my sword and was thrown back, feeling a tremendous impact. What I saw beyond my vision was an outstretched fist. It was the Hundred Steps Divine Fist.

'Did he compensate for the weakness of the shield art, which is specialized for close combat?'

Feeling a sensation like my bones were being crushed, I dodged to the side. Then, the tree behind me exploded from another fist realm that flew in. Its power was much stronger than what I had experienced from Bong So before.

'This is actually better.'

It couldn't be easy to fire a fist realm of this magnitude. It was better to let him waste his internal energy like that while keeping a distance.

When I informed Bong So of the plan via telepathy, he also started to apply pressure and then retreated. It was dangerous to fight a super-peak master alone without support.

"I'll kill you one day for sure!"

As the pressure disappeared, the Asura Heavy Shield kicked off the ground and began to flee. But because of the injury to his thigh, his speed was slow. It might be different for a short distance using the explosive power of his internal energy, but for a long distance, we had no reason to fall behind.

Moreover, as I sniped at the back of his head and his feet with magic, the opponent's steps gradually slowed down.

"You vermin!!"

Finally unable to bear it, he rushed toward us. But we were already prepared to respond.

As if waiting, a water stream magic was shot. The opponent then broke through the water stream and dug in. I retreated and activated the maximum firepower ice magic.

Jjeo-jeo-jeok-

His two legs and shield froze. Of course, for a super-peak master, it was just buying a little time, but that was enough.

Kwaang!

Bong So's fist struck his temple. But soon, Bong So, who was chasing, was thrown back by the opponent's fierce counterattack.

"...What in the world are you?"

The Asura Heavy Shield staggered and asked me. Even for an opponent who used the Diamond Indestructible Body stolen from Shaolin, the last blow seemed to have had an impact.

Instead of answering, I activated the Flame Lightning First Blade Spear. The opponent tried to block by crossing his two shields, but as Bong So rushed in, he was busy blocking with one shield.

A question still lingered on his face. He probably never imagined that he, with his notorious reputation, would be killed by young students.

His stamina was low, and his injuries had accumulated. On top of that, he was facing a type of enemy he had never seen before, a mage. That was reason enough for the Asura Heavy Shield to die.

Next, the Flame Lightning First Blade Spear, containing all the mana in my circle, was shot. A white flash, much thicker than before, pierced the shield and blew away the opponent's shoulder.

Then, along the pierced trajectory, flames and electric shocks exploded in a spiral loop. The Asura Heavy Shield bent one knee from the massive shockwave.

At that level, the shock must have reached his internal organs. I could feel the opponent's qi flowing backward as the electric current reached him.

His internal energy was already almost depleted, as he couldn't even properly maintain his protective qi. It seemed even Blood Explosion was difficult due to the aftereffects of the electric shock.

In the first place, he was an opponent who couldn't even be compared to a monster like Go Du-gyeong, so it was a natural result.

'Still, I can't be careless.'

My consciousness was about to fade because I had used up all my mana, but I immediately rushed toward the enemy. I instinctively felt that I had to finish him off for sure now.

At that moment, the enemy's eyes flashed belatedly, and he swung his shield with his remaining arm. Just as the shield, filled with that tremendous power, was about to collide with me, Bong So blocked it.

"Keuk!"

Perhaps because it was the final blow, even Bong So was pushed back, and it was all he could do to create a brief opening. But that was enough. To catch a beast.

As I thrust my sword, a plum blossom imbued with flames bloomed. The moment the petals, made of sword qi and a minuscule amount of mana, withered and settled on the ground.

The killer's head rolled on the floor.

It was a blow made possible because what I relied on at the end was not a form, but instinct.

I stood still and composed my breathing. I had used both magic and internal energy to their limits without holding back. And yet, my mind was clear. On the contrary, my body felt somewhat light.

As I was feeling a strange novelty, Cho Min-ha, holding the head of the Rakshasa Twin Swords in one hand, approached with his lips rounded.

"Don't tell me you two caught him? That's amazing."

"It's nothing compared to the group leader who caught one alone."

Saying so, I took out the First Blade. Breaking the half-shield that had lost its owner was surprisingly simple. When I stabbed the cracked part from the inside, the shield shattered as if it were being dismantled.

Soon, it completely broke, and I felt a sensation of some energy being absorbed into the Daoist Scholar's Fan.

'What has changed?'

When I broke the artifact, I felt the Daoist Scholar's Fan fit a little better in my hand, but I still didn't know for sure. Just then, I heard the sound of the Shaolin members, brought by Gu Dong, approaching from a distance.

"They're here early."

The rest could be left to Gu Dong and the remaining members. Our role was to kill the two Shaolin heretics, the biggest threat in the area.

In the atmosphere where everything was settling down, I slowly lifted my head. Before I knew it, a dark new moon was floating in the center of the night sky.

After returning to my personal barracks, I subtly controlled the First Blade. But something was strange.

Flinch-

The blade next to it was also shaking.

'Two of them are moving?'

I had a feeling that the operation had become easier because I had absorbed more of the artifact's consciousness.

To give an analogy, it was like adding engine oil to reduce noise and make it run more smoothly. In my case, thanks to that, I was able to use up to two.

Of course, I could still only use one to bring out its full power.

It seemed that the use of the Daoist Scholar's Fan would become more diverse with this incident. I lay down on my bedding with a satisfied heart.

***

"I'm sorry for the trouble!"

The next day, Gu Dong came to our barracks village and apologized.

"I will repay this favor someday. Senior brother! Great hero!"

He cupped his fists with apology and gratitude and then left the barracks. As a junior student, he probably had to return soon.

Although it was an ominous time, thanks to dealing with the Shaolin heretics, the Shaolin Temple had built a good siege, so he would be able to return safely.

After seeing Gu Dong off and returning, what greeted us was Sa Ma-un with a serious expression.

"Do you have a moment?"

He called us and took us to the meeting room barracks, then continued.

"The situation is not as good as we thought. They've started to release the Blood Corpses."

At those words, everyone except me gasped. Blood Corpses. A forbidden art that used the corpses of the dead to create killing tools. At the situation beyond common sense, Cho Min-ha asked back.

"Why the Blood Corpses..."

"It seems the Jinju Eon family has betrayed us."

In fact, the Jinju Eon family was a family that had been suspicious since they had declared the closure of their gates a few years ago.

The others seemed surprised by the news, but I was not. It was as the original story went. That's why I had sent a few anonymous letters of suspicion to the Martial Alliance during the semester, but since even the family head was not seen, they couldn't question them.

"We need your support. We have no choice but to ask the students for this favor because we lack everyone's strength."

Sa Ma-un said, bowing his head to us. With his position, he could have just ordered us. He was a funny professor.

"What will you do?"

Just then, Cho Min-ha asked me from the side. The number of the enemy's main force was 300 Blood Corpses and 5,000 Blood Cult members. Considering that each one of them had a power comparable to a martial artist, it was a force comparable to a small to medium-sized country.

On the other hand, our force was about half of that. Participating in the war was not just dangerous, but reckless. But if we were to be scared by a crisis of that level, we wouldn't have come this far.

"Before we are students, we are martial artists."

I answered without hesitation. At this, Bong So nodded his head, and Cho Min-ha grinned.

And so, we headed into the midst of the war.

(End of Chapter)