Black and White Martial Emperor

“...Now this is interesting.”

A strange light flickered in Yangcheon’s eyes as he looked down at his shin.

“You exploited the moment of impact, sending out an explosive cleaving strike that tore through my Inner Qi shield and cut my flesh. I do not know whether it was luck or whether you intended it...”

SSSSSS!

The wound on his shin healed in an instant.

It had only cut the flesh, nothing more. It was not even half an inch deep.

But a cut was still a cut, and Yangcheon had healed it instantly through extreme circulation of Inner Qi.

It was terrifying ability.

Not simply because Yangcheon’s Black Lion Qi was extraordinary. For an absolute master who had reached the Limitless Realm, an injury of that degree could be healed simply by concentrating Inner Qi upon it.

Of course, wounds of the heart were another matter.

“It is remarkable enough that you have reached such a realm at your age. But what truly surprises me is its usefulness.”

THUD!

Yangcheon stepped forward.

It was the leg that had been wounded.

RUMMMBLE!

Though his True Qi did not spread outward into a tangible form, dark haze resembling a black lion’s mane seemed to rise from his entire body.

“Clan Lord Yeon of the Yeon Clan of Green Mountain, the Judge Sword—his martial arts may contend for the top among the Six Great Clans, but he does not possess the ability to raise a monster like you. Those martial arts, that combat sense. Who taught them to you?”

“I learned from my father.”

“From the Judge Sword? Impossible.”

“My martial arts began with my father. Inner Qi, sword arts, fist arts, footwork—I learned the foundation of every martial art from him.”

The corner of Yeon Hojeong’s mouth rose.

Ever since returning to the past, he had smiled even while fighting the strongest enemies.

That was what made Yeon Hojeong extraordinary: he could smile even in a situation where his life might be taken at any moment.

“When one’s foundation is solid, one can learn from the world alone. He was strict, but the roots of my martial arts began with Father.”

He meant it sincerely.

Of course, there had also been a master who taught him the Four Spirit Martial Art.

But if he had not been born into the Yeon Clan and learned the foundations of martial arts from his father, the Yeon Hojeong of today could never have existed.

The story came full circle.

In the end, it was only a matter of whom he felt grateful to as he stood here today.

“One can learn from the world alone...”

Yangcheon murmured as if speaking to himself, then smiled faintly.

“That is true. So long as one does not die, one can learn how to fight alone. But while techniques can be learned, innate gifts are difficult to learn.”

Yangcheon lowered his stance.

Incredibly, he had actually taken a stance against a younger-generation master far weaker than himself.

“I am curious what result your arrogance in challenging me will bring.”

PAAAAK!

Yeon Hojeong charged at Yangcheon.

He was fast, but it was not Blood-Wing Sweeping Heaven.

It was slower, more cautious, yet no less aggressive—a fiercely combative advance.

Yeon Hojeong closed to within three meters of Yangcheon.

THUD!

His movement itself took the shape of entering Yangcheon’s guard.

But Yeon Hojeong did not actually close in.

From that distance, he planted a powerful Stamping Step and brought the Black Dragon Axe down diagonally. Blue radiance flared from the axe blade as it cleaved through the air.

CLANG!

Before the axe completed its swing, the cleaving force slicing through the air dissipated.

Yangcheon had done nothing more than twitch the fingers of his left hand.

BANG!

Yangcheon advanced.

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes widened.

I cannot evade it.

Yangcheon was far slower than him, yet he could not escape.

Yangcheon’s movement, the fighting spirit he projected, blocked every route of evasion at its source.

He was using qi-art power to constrain his opponent’s movements, yet it flowed from him as naturally as breathing.

His enlightenment had become part of his body.

If I cannot evade—

Yeon Hojeong crossed the Black-White Twin Dragon Axes.

Then I block.

Yangcheon threw a powerful punch.

KWAAAAANG!

Yeon Hojeong was blasted away at terrifying speed.

Blood spilled from his mouth.

He had defended with every ounce of his strength, yet he had suffered an internal injury from blocking a single punch.

“Hm?”

PAAK!

This time, Yangcheon was as fast as lightning.

As if his previous speed had been a lie, he burst forward and took Yeon Hojeong’s rear flank. His speed did not fall short of Blood-Wing Sweeping Heaven in the slightest.

WHOOSH!

Yangcheon’s eyes flashed.

It was not merely that his movement speed was fast.

He had entered at a timing that made it awkward for his opponent to evade or defend, then launched a punch.

Yet Yeon Hojeong evaded it with exquisite body movement.

How did he avoid that?

Yangcheon had not gone all out.

If he had, Yeon Hojeong would have died in three exchanges—ten at the very most.

But that did not mean this attack had been easy to withstand.

A strange fighting style that played with timing was dangerous enough to catch even a master of the Supreme Heavens off guard.

And Yeon Hojeong had evaded it.

PAAK!

That was not all.

Yeon Hojeong’s body spun half a turn, and his elbow struck for Yangcheon’s temple.

It was an alarmingly natural response.

Evade and attack at the same time.

The sequence was so smooth that it seemed as though they had rehearsed the exchange beforehand.

Yangcheon drove his head directly into the elbow.

BANG!

Yeon Hojeong’s brow creased slightly.

The elbow that had struck Yangcheon’s head throbbed to the marrow.

Just as expected.

PAPAPAK! THUD!

Yeon Hojeong used a barrage from the Black-White Twin Dragons to keep Yangcheon from closing in, then retreated at once.

He did not hesitate to headbutt me. Nothing has changed from the past.

Even masters who had risen above the common ranks, no matter their origins, tended to care about a certain degree of dignity.

Some would not even use kicking arts, much less a headbutt.

But Yangcheon had none of that.

Yeon Hojeong had wondered whether becoming Vice Manor Lord of Ink Dragon Manor had given Yangcheon some sense of decorum.

Apparently not.

Yangcheon was still Yangcheon.

It seems he has not discarded his reputation as the Fighting King—the king of battle.

Then Yangcheon spoke.

“You said you wanted to fight?”

Yeon Hojeong paused.

Yangcheon shook his head.

“No matter how I look at it, this cannot become a fight. Injuring my shin was truly impressive, but any further battle is meaningless.”

“That is true. Had you used your full strength, I would already be dead.”

“You know that, yet you challenged me?”

“Yes.”

“Do you wish to die that badly?”

“I am fighting because I do not wish to die.”

“What kind of wordplay is that?”

FLASH!

The Black Dragon Axe that Yeon Hojeong hurled was caught in Yangcheon’s hand.

At the same time, Yeon Hojeong’s kicking art targeted Yangcheon’s lower body.

He had launched a kick while still holding the White Dragon Axe.

Yangcheon’s leg collided with Yeon Hojeong’s.

BANG!

With a thunderous impact, Yeon Hojeong’s body spun.

Yangcheon’s eyebrows twitched.

He redirected the force?

He had expected Yangcheon to counter from the start.

Truly, Yangcheon could not help but admire his battle sense in such moments.

WHOOSH!

Still spinning, Yeon Hojeong swung the White Dragon Axe toward Yangcheon’s side.

Brat, these little tricks...

FLASH!

Yangcheon’s elbow lashed toward the wrist holding the axe.

No matter what, he had no intention of letting Yeon Hojeong leave unscathed.

At the very least, he intended to shatter one arm.

And astonishingly, Yangcheon’s intent failed.

CLANG! THUD!

Surprise appeared in Yangcheon’s eyes.

He let go of the weapon?

The White Dragon Axe, struck by Yangcheon’s elbow, embedded itself in the ground.

Then where was Yeon Hojeong?

FWOOOOOSH!

For an instant, Yangcheon saw the illusion of a blue dragon surging and racing before his eyes.

A palm technique?!

THOOM!

Yangcheon retreated quickly.

It was not that he lacked the confidence to block it.

But if he blocked this, the follow-up attacks would come immediately.

Of course, he could block those as well.

But his body reacted first.

It was the habit of a fighter.

Rather than block merely to demonstrate the difference in strength, it was better to evade and let the attack pass.

And that was exactly what Yeon Hojeong had wanted.

BOOOOM!

The instant the missed Reverse Dragon Palm struck the ground, Yangcheon counterattacked.

FLASH! KWAAAAANG!

Yangcheon’s eyes widened.

He blocked it?

Yeon Hojeong had not evaded.

He had blocked the strike.

And not barely, either. He had blocked it with a degree of composure.

SHWAAAAA!

Black water qi surged like a wave and swallowed Yangcheon.

After defending with Black Tortoise Art, Northern Heaven Twelve Walls, Yeon Hojeong immediately unleashed White Tiger Art, Tiger King’s Nine-Wall Breaker.

BANG!

Yeon Hojeong’s fist wind passed less than an inch from Yangcheon’s left cheek and exploded through the air.

PAPAPAK!

With short steps and sudden acceleration, Yeon Hojeong closed in and unleashed all nine forms of Tiger King’s Nine-Wall Breaker in one continuous flow.

Before he knew it, Yangcheon was using both hands to block Yeon Hojeong’s fist technique.

BAM! BAM-BAM!

Yeon Hojeong’s fists were truly fierce.

He knows how to put real power into his fists.

PAAAK!

He used fist techniques to target vital points, then suddenly lowered his stance as though aiming for the lower body.

But in the next instant, he used a kicking art aimed high.

The tremendous elasticity born from every muscle in his body was unmistakable.

Yangcheon knocked Yeon Hojeong’s foot away with his right hand.

BANG!

A single gesture shattered his stance.

But it did not end there.

Yangcheon moved to punch Yeon Hojeong as he staggered—then felt absurd disbelief at the spray of dirt flying toward his face.

He threw dirt at me?!

He had anticipated his stance collapsing, planted a hand against the ground, and flung dirt at Yangcheon.

It was an utterly outrageous way to fight.

Even Yangcheon, said to be unbeatable in a dirty brawl, had never imagined Yeon Hojeong would pull off something so ridiculous.

WHOOSH!

Yangcheon blew away the dirt with a burst of Inner Qi.

KWAAAAANG!

Because of that, his delayed punch gouged into bare earth.

Had he not released Inner Qi in that instant, his fist would already have struck Yeon Hojeong in the abdomen.

PAAAAANG!

With both hands braced against the ground, Yeon Hojeong spun both legs and smashed toward Yangcheon’s upper body.

It was an exceedingly rare form of close-quarters fighting.

From one angle, the posture even looked a little ridiculous.

But Yangcheon could not laugh at Yeon Hojeong’s stance or attack.

The kicking art rotating like a windmill was aimed at his side and the back of his neck.

Incredibly sharp.

BANG!

Yangcheon’s body seemed to scatter like mist before appearing directly in front of Yeon Hojeong.

This time, Yeon Hojeong seemed not to have expected it.

His expression did not change, but a flicker of alarm appeared in his eyes.

Fire burned in Yangcheon’s gaze.

Smack!

It was a shocking move.

Yangcheon seized Yeon Hojeong by the collar with his left hand.

At the same time, he raised his right fist.

He looked ready to drive it straight into Yeon Hojeong’s face.

Then—

FWOOOOOSH!

Just as when Yeon Hojeong had concentrated enough Fire energy into Mad Dragon to turn its axe blade red-hot—

Vermilion Bird Qi burst up like flame and wrapped around Yangcheon’s wrist.

...!

SSSSSS!

Even so, Yangcheon did not release Yeon Hojeong’s collar.

But Yeon Hojeong read the momentary wavering in his grip, tore his own clothing, and pulled back.

This brat...

Yangcheon had hardened Yeon Hojeong’s clothes with Inner Qi so he could not retreat.

But Yeon Hojeong saw through it, concentrated Fire energy a step ahead of time, tore his clothes apart, and escaped.

Yangcheon let out a hearty laugh without meaning to.

It had been the same before.

This boy acted after reading one move ahead—no, two moves ahead.

And this was in such rapid exchanges, against Yangcheon himself, the Fighting King!

“Huff.”

Yeon Hojeong retreated six meters, lowered his stance, and glared at Yangcheon.

Yangcheon read terrifying fighting spirit in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.

He is looking at me—the Fighting King—with those eyes? With martial arts at only that level?

At that moment, Yangcheon understood.

“You said you wanted to fight... I see. The fight you meant was not the fight I had imagined.”

“Huff. Huff.”

Yeon Hojeong steadied his breathing in short bursts.

He did not even answer Yangcheon. He was already preparing to rush in again.

Yangcheon stared at Yeon Hojeong for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud laughter.

“Ha ha ha! What a madman! I thought I was punishing you, but you mean to use this fight with me as the foundation for your growth?”

BANG!

Yangcheon lowered his stance.

He had no intention of going all out.

But as the king of battle, he intended to meet his opponent’s challenge head-on.

“I was the one who failed to understand. Not a warrior’s battle, but a fighter’s fight... Fine. Let us see whether I can keep dancing to your tune.”

Yangcheon crooked a finger.

“I will teach you a thing or two. Come.”

PAAAAK!

Yeon Hojeong charged like a savage beast.

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