novelraw Chapter 128 : Heavenly Martial Festival (3)
Chapter 128 : Heavenly Martial Festival (3)
Chapter 128: Heavenly Martial Festival (3)
When the Beast Battle God Chuk Yeoun had dominated the martial world, a single rumor circulated.
It was said that he had cowardly used Qi Dispersing Poison.
Though the misunderstanding was later cleared when the absolute masters who had crossed blades with him personally vouched for his honor, the very source of that rumor was none other than the power of his Faded Eyes.
That terrifying ability — to make a specific part of one’s Qi vanish merely by looking during battle — how destructive must it have been?
Yet surprisingly, the secret behind that power lay within outer arts (外功) itself.
Martial artists had long scorned and dismissed outer arts.
While the limitations of outer arts compared to inner cultivation were evident, the real reason lay in a single fatal flaw inherent in all external techniques.
‘That flaw is the weak point.’
Weak point.
It referred to the area where the effects of outer arts did not manifest.
Thus, if one could identify that spot, even a third-rate martial artist could, by luck, slay a first-rate expert trained in outer arts — all it took was thrusting a blade into that unprotected area.
Most external techniques inevitably possessed such weak points.
The founder of the Beast Palace, Chuk Yeoun, had devoted himself to studying that flaw.
Why did these weak points exist in the first place?
No one had sought to uncover that fundamental question.
He had no choice but to discover it himself.
Through countless cycles of training, Chuk Yeoun finally came upon one truth.
Outer arts refined not only the flesh but also tempered the soul.
Then perhaps — the weak point was the place where the martial artist’s soul had yet to be perfected, where it still slept.
From the moment he grasped that fragment of enlightenment, unimaginable change followed.
At first, the weak point that had been the size of a fist shrank to a handspan, then to a needle’s tip, and finally — vanished entirely.
At that instant, Chuk Yeoun had reached the pinnacle of outer arts and sensed that he had gained an unknown power.
By focusing the spirit-infused will within his eyes, he could fire it at his enemy like an arrow—
‘The power to forcibly open the weak point within the enemy’s body!’
That was the true nature of the power Chuk Yeoun — and now Sewoon — had awakened: the Faded Eyes.
---
It hurt. It hurt terribly.
He felt dizzy — unbearably dizzy.
Those were the only thoughts filling Maeng Yung’s head.
…Wait, why was he even in pain?
Gradually, as consciousness returned, other thoughts began to surface.
“Gueeghk!”
The moment awareness returned, Maeng Yung vomited onto the arena floor.
Half of it was blood, the other half bile.
Staggering, his dust-covered body barely rose. His head still felt like it was spinning.
“……!!”
The sight of his own dark red blood triggered an overlapping memory.
— Admit defeat, Maeng Yung.
It was the day he had first challenged that bastard Umun Geol for the position of Beast Palace Lord.
He had been utterly crushed by the man’s power — a realm far beyond his reach.
Since that day, he had sworn vengeance and allied himself with the forces of the Demonic Cult.
He had betrayed his ancestors, abandoned his brothers, and discarded his pride.
All of it — just so he would never again suffer such humiliation.
“…Ugh, even my blood reeks of rot.”
“!!”
That scathing mockery stabbed straight through his chest.
When he glared forward with killing intent, the whelp of the Origin Clan merely shook his head at him.
His mind went cold.
He, defeated by that kind of brat?
His thoughts raced, desperately searching for a cause behind this impossible outcome.
In exchange for betrayal, he had acquired demonic arts (魔功) strong enough to crush even Umun Geol. No ordinary power could defeat him.
Recalling the moment of ambush — he had leapt forward to kill, only for his Qi to scatter, leaving him defenseless.
Wait… his Qi scattered?
A dreadful suspicion crept into his mind.
‘So that’s it…’
He hadn’t felt any special aura from Sewoon’s body — no hidden inner Qi like his own.
Then there was only one possibility.
‘He secretly released Qi Dispersing Poison!’
To use poison in an honorable duel — that coward!
The reason he hadn’t detected the poisoning was obvious now.
That brat had deliberately taunted him about his supposed bad breath — to make him lose composure and miss the act of poisoning.
‘I’d like to expose him right now… but!’
He couldn’t.
Doing so would reveal that he had been secretly using demonic Qi.
After all, Qi Dispersing Poison was lethal only to those who cultivated inner arts (內功).
For a practitioner of outer arts (外功), such poison was harmless.
Quietly, he examined his internal state, careful to hide it from the spectators.
Hiss—!
Good. His Qi had returned to normal.
‘My demonic energy has recovered. Though shaken, it’s proof that my demonic arts overcame the Qi Dispersing Poison.’
Now, the chance of defeat had vanished.
Step—!
Fully recovered, Maeng Yung once again took his battle stance.
Gone was the reckless fury from before.
He now faced Sewoon with the composure one showed to a worthy opponent.
Sewoon, seeing that, smirked teasingly.
“How is it? Got enough rest?”
“Don’t act cocky. Your petty tricks won’t work on me anymore.”
“Oh? You sure about that?”
“……”
Feeling his blood boil, Maeng Yung bit back his words.
The brat truly had a knack for getting under his skin. Calming his rage, he steadied his mind.
‘I’ll unleash the Nine Heavens Demonic Armor Technique at full power!’
He had originally intended to save his strength for his duel with Umun Geol in the Palace Lord Succession Battle — but he changed his mind.
After all, he could always take the man’s younger brother, Umun Tak, as a hostage and humiliate him however he pleased.
Sure, the envoy from the Blood Cult would likely raise hell, but—
“How long do you plan to just stand there and watch! Can’t you see how the brothers of the Beast Palace look upon you in disgrace?!”
There was no way he could simply let the bastard spouting such nonsense before him continue to breathe.
So then—
He would kill him!
Tap-tap!
Maeng Yung kicked off the ground, charging forward. Cracks splintered across the Heavenly Martial Arena’s floor with every step he took.
Hissss!
As he unleashed the Nine Heavens Demonic Armor Technique at full force, his movements became faster than ever before — far beyond what he had displayed earlier.
‘I’ll give him no chance to poison me!’
He twisted and weaved, his body blurring with dizzying speed, leaving Sewoon unable to read his approach.
The instant confusion flashed in Sewoon’s eyes—
Now!
Swish!
Maeng Yung’s right fist bent at an unnatural angle, striking toward Sewoon’s Dangmun Acupoint near the heart.
It was a fierce blow — a lightning strike in human form!
Maeng Yung was certain even Umun Geol himself couldn’t have blocked it within that split second.
“Die!!”
He shouted as his fist cut through the air.
Just as a gaping hole was about to be carved into Sewoon’s chest—
Crack!
Craaaack!
An ominous sound of shattering bones echoed.
The spectators thought it was Sewoon’s ribs breaking—
“Guh… Aaaagh!!”
—but the scream came from Maeng Yung himself.
Clutching his wrist, his face twisted in agony as he writhed in pain.
The state of the fist that had targeted Sewoon’s Dangmun Acupoint was gruesome.
Each of his five knuckles had bent in directions they should never go, grotesquely twisted and broken.
Sewoon’s lips curved into a cold smirk.
‘That’s the true Diamond Indestructible Body, you fat bastard.’
It was no wonder Maeng Yung’s attack had failed.
Having obtained Ink Blood, Sewoon’s body had achieved the Diamond Indestructible state — his flesh was an absolute shield.
And now that he had blocked the attack—
—it was time to break the enemy.
Shraaa!
Sewoon raised his leg high, almost perpendicular to the ground—
—and brought it down like a lumberjack’s axe.
Crack!
“!?!”
The downward strike smashed Maeng Yung’s foot bones to pieces.
But that was only the beginning.
Whoosh!
While pinning him down with his foot, Sewoon reached out and seized both of the man’s arms.
‘Those fingers are useless anyway. Might as well throw away the arm too.’
Swish!
Spinning like a top, Sewoon twisted with his full might, wrenching Maeng Yung’s arm violently.
Crack!
Tear!
“Gi—Giii—Giiiek!!”
A beastlike wail escaped Maeng Yung’s throat.
It was only natural—
—for Sewoon had torn his arm out like uprooting a tree.
Splurt!
A geyser of blood erupted from the stump of Maeng Yung’s shoulder.
In an instant, two of his four limbs had been rendered useless for life.
Hwah!
Without pause, Sewoon charged again, a wild beast incarnate.
Swish!
A piercing shockwave tore through the air, the sound of the wind splitting under immense force.
A flash — like lightning igniting across the arena.
Thud!
Kwaaaang!
“!!”
Sewoon’s clenched fist slammed deep into Maeng Yung’s abdomen.
The massive man’s body bent like a bow from the impact.
The greatest shield was also the greatest weapon.
With his Diamond Indestructible Body, Sewoon’s flesh itself had become a brutal mace — a living iron hammer.
Crunch!
His right leg swung, shattering Maeng Yung’s shin.
His left fist smashed the man’s shoulder bone to splinters.
His elbow crushed one eye socket.
His knee shot upward, pulverizing every rib.
Blood drenched Maeng Yung’s enormous frame.
‘M-my body… won’t… move…!’
Maeng Yung was going mad.
He couldn’t even raise a guard.
Hiss… hiss…
‘Why… why!’
Every time that monster’s gaze fell upon him, his Qi scattered to pieces once more.
Crack!
Fwoosh!
“?!?!”
Instead, blazing pain flared across his entire meridian system — like molten fire racing through his veins.
The Nine Heavens Demonic Armor Technique, sensing its master’s impending death, had begun devouring his innate true Qi in one final frenzy.
Thud!
At last, unable to resist any longer, Maeng Yung fell to both knees on the cold stone floor of the Heavenly Martial Arena.
Cough!
He had lost so much blood that only crimson foam bubbled from his lips when he coughed.
His vision dimmed.
‘…S-save me… save… me!!’
Desperate, Maeng Yung looked down toward the warriors watching from below the arena.
Among them— one.
The Demon of Prayers (祈連妖魔) was watching him from the shadows.
…but there was not a hint of concern in that monster’s gaze.
‘Why… why?!’
The Demon of Prayers was looking past him — at Sewoon.
Such a beautiful specimen.
In those hungry eyes shimmered pure greed.
‘Ah—!’
Swish!
A sharp wind tore past Maeng Yung’s ears.
Crack!
Sewoon’s heel, spinning like a cyclone, snapped his neck.
Darkness swallowed his vision whole.
Thus ended the life of one of the five chieftains of the Beast Palace — a death far too pitiful and wretched for one of his stature.