EPISODE 70
Any rational person facing Yang Jeong-cheon would have panicked upon seeing the Red Dragon Twin Swords.
They were recognized as one of the strongest weapons in the whole of China when buffered with Psy.
The Twin Blades didn’t just cut through and destroy their target. They transferred a concentrated heat to another object with the slightest contact.
A few seconds was enough.
The heat from the Twin Swords would definitely devastate Yoo-seong’s blade, possibly taking his left hand off in the process.
Yang Jeong-cheon knew that the Tech Yoo-seong used to bring out a sword was part of the Volcanic Martial Arts. How he learned about it in such a short time was astounding, but it wasn’t the matter at hand right now.
Flower sword or not, they certainly couldn’t match the Red Dragon Twin Swords.
Bam-!
Yoo-seong lunged toward Yang Jeong-cheon. In reply, Yang Jeong-cheon raised his swords.
Two red dragons greeted the fearless young man.
The match seemed to last forever.
The show of exceptional techniques combined with maximum focus seemed to slow down the world behind them. As it went on, Yang Jeon-cheon carefully observed Yoo-seong’s blade.
The thin but sharp blade was indeed clashing against his glowing red swords.
It shouldn’t be able to do so.
The Twin Swords were sure to burn off any object it came in contact with.
On top of that, it would shoot out the heat it had suppressed, burning off Yoo-seong’s arm in the process. However, this wasn’t the case.
Yoo-seong was showing remarkable Aura control.
Phut-!
Yang Jeong-cheon stabbed at him to observe his opponent’s action.
As soon as Yoo-seong’s blade came in contact with the Twin Swords, it dissolved into some sort of spray.
The spray then dissipated the heat contained in Yang Jeong-cheon’s attack.
Then, the scattered Aura regroups to form a sword once more.
The entire process happens quicker than the blink of an eye.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Kuung-!
Yang Jeong-cheon took a few steps back to build momentum.
Then, he launched another attack.
He shot out a flaming X mark towards where Yoo-seong stood. However, Yoo-seong blocked it with his blade and began running towards him. The burning X mark dissolved without causing any damage.
The scattered Aura gathered on Yoo-seong’s hand as he ran, forming the Flower Sword once again.
‘Is this really possible?’
But before Yang Jeong-cheon could even say anything, Yoo-seong’s sword appeared right in front of him. It seemed like déjà vu.
However, this time, their positions had been reversed.
It was Yoo-seong continuously striking his blade against Yang Jeong-cheon’s.
Bung-!
Yang Jeon-cheon was on the defensive.
Phut-!
Paang-!
Successive stabs clashed against his Twin Swords. They seemed to be coming faster than the previous one. Each stab dissipated the heat and pressure contained in Yang Jeong-cheon’s swords.
“No way.”
“The Red Dragon Lord. . . “
The Red Dragon Society was shocked.
No one had ever held up this long against Yang Jeong-cheon.
However, Yoo-seong now seemed to have the upper hand. How could his blade possibly endure the Red Dragon Twin Swords?
This battle was different from everything Yoo-seong had gone through.
Yang Jeong-cheon was a master whose power went beyond the traditional form of Aura.
As Yoo-seong tried to pierce through with his attacks, he noticed Yang Jeong-cheon’s movements slow down, as if he wasn’t entirely focused on his swordsmanship.
He’s planning something, Yoo-seong realized.
He thusly prepared himself.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"}) Suddenly, Aura, in the form of fire, broke out of Yang Jeong-cheon’s feet.
Explosive Acceleration.
He charged towards Yoo-seong in an unpredictable moment. However, Yoo-seong was ready.
He dodged a Red Dragon blade and used his own sword to change its twin’s direction.
“Oh my god!”
The crowd was breathless.
They couldn’t believe what was happening. Yang Jeong-cheon seemed to be at the brink of an overwhelming loss.
“Uh, isn’t it a little too hot?”
“I think so.”
“Because the Lord’s Psy—”
Even in the open outdoors, the temperature was increasing. Someone got it right.
It was indeed caused by Yang Jeong-cheon’s Psy.
Phut-!
Every time Yoo-seong’s blade collides with the Twin Swords, Yang Jeong-cheon was losing both Psy and CE.
It was Yoo-seong’s goal right from the start. He wasn’t aiming to hit Yang Jeong-cheon.
He was exhausting the Red Dragon Twin Swords all along.
Caaang-!
Even when he saw a gap when Yang Jeong-cheon used Explosive Acceleration, he aimed to touch his Twin Swords rather than striking him.
Soon, everyone has noticed a difference in the Twin Swords. It was growing dimmer.
Caang-!
Yang Jeong-cheon’s CE, which was concentrated on the Twin Blades, was draining out.
No matter how strong he was, his CE was not infinite.
Yang Jeong-cheon knew it, too.
‘This is frustrating,’ he thought.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"}) Until now, no one had dealt with the Red Dragon Twin Swords this way.
Suddenly, he broke out in maniacal laughter.
“Faster!” he yelled at Yoo-seong.
He sounded like a madman. He was wielding the Red Dragon Twin Swords erratically.
As the blades moved at an extremely fast pace, the red traces it left in the air seemed to form a dragon figure. Yoo-seong was nowhere to be seen.
Except for the changes in the trajectory of the swinging Red Dragon Twin Swords and the illusion of the plum blossoms in between, there was nothing else that hinted at his location.
Only when Yang Jeong-cheon finally stopped did Yoo-seong appear.
He looked beyond terrible.
It was a level that could be called disastrous.
Although he had completely avoided Yang Jeong-cheon’s attacks, he could not avoid the heat emitted by his swords.
Yoo-seong’s clothes are all tanned, even the skin underneath them.
He had minor burns all over.
“I must have brought shame to my predecessors,” Yang Jeong-cheon sighed.
“I might have been too complacent.”
“You’re right,” Yoo-seong replied.
All this time, Yang Jeong-cheon thought he was invincible.
He had everything.
A Psy that flowed in the Yang family bloodline for generations…
The Red Dragon Gong that complimented it perfectly…
This was a huge amount of CE brought by experience.
Weapons that were formed by ancient tradition and strengthened by modern technology.
But in the end, it wasn’t perfect.
“You are a great hunter,” Yang Jeong-cheon acknowledged.
Yoo-seong discovered the perfect way to defeat the Red Dragon Twin Swords. He wasn’t competing against Yang Jeong-cheon.
Rather, he was hunting for the Red Dragon’s weakness.
It was exactly how Yoo-seong described himself. He was a hunter, not a warrior.
His attacks were driven by strategy, not pride.
Yang Jeong-cheon shook his head. Then, he spoke.
“From now on, you’re facing Yang Jeong-cheon, not the Red Dragon Lord.”
Before everyone even understood what he meant,
Howooook-!
An intense burst of hot air filled the training ground.
“You better stay as far away as you can.”
Yang Jeong-cheon’s words were not directed towards Yoo-seong.
This was a warning for those who were watching.
Swoosh-!
Slowly, the Psy and CE contained within the Twin Swords were withdrawn back into Yang Jeong-cheon’s body. He also stopped breathing in the Red Dragon Gong technique.
Then, he charged towards Yoo-seong.
‘What does he mean?’ Yoo-seong thought as he swung his blade.
Caang-!
It was a completely different impact from before. This was because Yang Jeong-cheon’s style had indeed changed.
It was not a martial art of the Red Dragon Society. Now, Yang Jeong-cheon was moving on his own.
The experience accumulated in his body over many years and the movement that a natural sense of battle made.
His attacks were now pushing back a surprised Yoo-seong.
Kang-! Kagang-!
Yang Jeong-cheon had completely abandoned his form, and was now simply depending on his senses.
He had always been known for his fast reflexes, his ability to fully adapt to the situation at hand.
In his heyday, his senses topped the continent.
Based on how the records described him, his movements could even be compared with the efficiency of Auto-Hunting.
Hwaahak-!
The air was burning.
Yang Jeong-cheon was leaving a trail of red, burnt marks as he moves, even drying up the surrounding vegetation. He was randomly releasing his Psy without any hints of control.
This would inevitably lead to a rapid CE consumption, but Yang Jeong-cheon no longer cared.
The future, efficiency, the Red Dragon Society…
The pride and purpose he carried right after being a successor…
All of these no longer mattered.
He was throwing away everything that held him back. With all his strength, he swung towards his opponent at a maximum speed.
“Hahaha!”
He was also laughing differently this time.
It was simply the kind of joy that flowed out unconsciously. To swing the sword like this, to feel such an uplifting feeling of excitement, allowed him to wield this power with all his heart.
This time, he was only doing it for victory. And indeed, victory was coming to him.
Meanwhile, the training ground is now engulfed in flames. The heat was spreading everywhere.
The Twin Dragon Swords had more destructive power when it contained Yang Jeong-cheon’s Psy.
However, now, the heat was unleashed.
Its intensity was making it more difficult for Yoo-seong. However, it may not last long.
The moment the heat reached its peak was the moment Yoo-seong would make his move.
‘It’s my victory. I’m sure.’
Yang Jeong-cheon swung his Psy with his full power.
‘I must avoid it,’ Yoo-seong decided.
However,
Shuwak-!
Auto-Hunt refused to do so.
Yoo-seong was caught up in Yang Jeong-cheon’s attacks. Blows after blows were exchanged.
Ca-ang!!!
The roaring of swords was incomparable to before.
Enormous heat bursts were heading towards Yoo-seong. Instead of stepping out…
Wheeik-!
As his sword was drawn horizontally, Yoo-seong rotated his body.
Go-oh-oh-!
It was the same as when he had his blade scatter in a full Aura spray.
This was essentially the function of Jahan Gong. It dispersed Aura into infinitely small particles.
This all led to an illusion that completely disoriented the enemy.
This did not only apply to the blade, but also to its trajectory.
Aura took the form of beautiful plum blossoms, falling all around them. All the Aura contained in the blossoms rotated around him and acted like a shield.
However, it still was not as simple as it looked.
Before Yoo-seong could make his turn…
Booung-!
Yang Jeong-cheon sent heatwaves that cut through the air.
Although heat dissipation was possible, Aura spraying along cannot cope with it. This then led to Yoo-seong using the second function of the Jahan Gong.
The first function was to disperse the granulated Aura.
However, Yoo-seong’s new technique was entirely different.
Kiik-!
He used his legs as shaft brakes for the rotation. At the same time…
Goo-!
The Aura spray covering his whole body had disappeared in an instant, except, they actually didn’t.
Instead, they were concentrating into a single shape.
Once the particles aggregated, it produced a density stronger beyond imagination. This time, the concentration point was Yoo-seong’s left hand.
From there, it would be manifested into the strongest type of blade.
Both Yang Jeong-cheon and Yoo-seong had now laid all their cards on the table. All that was left was for their match to lead to a conclusion.
And then, silence.
Kaaang-!
Everyone held their breath.
One of the Red Dragon Twin Swords clanged to the ground.
The sound eerily echoed in the silent training ground. It sounded the same as funeral bells.
It was as if it was mourning for its Master’s loss.
Yang Jeong-cheon stared at his left arm.
All that was left was a stump just below his shoulder. His arm had been amputated by Yoo-seong’s blade. Yoo-seong was right behind him.
His whole body was covered in burns and blisters.
All of his joints, ligaments, muscles, and bones were screaming in pain. He had been using the Assault Form from start to finish.
He had been on the receiving end of a power that he had never seen before.
However, Yoo-seong was still standing.
In contrary to the staggering Yang Jeong-cheon, his legs stood firmly. His eyes held a determined look.
Yang Jeong-cheon opened his mouth.
“I… lost.”
His gaze fell at his severed left arm and the Red Dragon Sword that lay on the ground.
Boiling with feelings, he thought he had long forgotten; Yang Jeong-cheon opened his mouth again.
This time, he wanted to say what he felt to the person who gave him the best moment of his life.
“Thank you.”
With wonder and respect, Yoo-seong, who raised the button, nodded.
“…for everything.”
Yoo-seong opened his mouth to respond.
However, his tongue and throat, which had been overwhelmed by the heat, offered nothing but silence.
Then…
Yoo-seong’s world turned dark.
