<h4>Chapter 111. Five Dragons Fight for a Pearl (7)</h4>


    The talents of the Three Great Sword Families, including Jeong-Woo, Baek Yo, Baek Ryeong, Namgoong Sung, and Baekri Yeong-Woon, had also been quite worried at first. It was only natural, as San Woo-Gyeol’s martial arts were so overwhelmingly strong, to the point where they had all questioned if even Woo-Moon could defeat him.


    Baekri Yeong-Woon btedly realized something.


    <i>‘There we go. This is how things are supposed to go. San Woo-Gyeol’s martial arts skills are so incredible that I was just overwhelmed for a minute there. But how is that any different from what I felt when I first saw Song Woo-Moon fighting?’</i>


    Their belief in Woo-Moon had only faltered due to seeing San Woo-Gyeol’s oppressive might just moments before. After all, they were humans, too.


    Baekri Yeong-Woon smiled and looked at Namgoong Sung.


    “No matter how much of a monster San Woo-Gyeol seems...”


    Namgoong Sung had realized the same thing at the same time. He turned and answered Baekri Yeong-Woon with a smile.


    “...the real one was next to us all this time, huh?”


    They became brothers at this moment, brothers who treated Woo-Moon as their hyung-nim.


    ***


    Frankly, Baek Ryeong was more afraid of San Woo-Gyeol than anyone else here. Seeing him and feeling his bloodlust brought back the fear she had felt when she had been kidnapped and threatened with death not long ago.


    “<i>He... hehehe</i>.”


    However, her fear now evaporated. Looking at Woo-Moon’s sturdy back, all of her trauma disappeared.


    <i>‘Uncle!’</i> she thought as she smiled brightly.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Ma-Ra was sitting with Eun-Ah on the roof of the Three Great Sword Families’ quarters, watching the fight.


    <i>Hrrrrr...hrrrrrrrrrrr.....</i>


    Even though her owner was fighting, Eun-Ah didn’t wake up. She just slept peacefully as the warm sunlight bathed her white belly.


    Ma-Ra, who was also doing nothing and just hugging her knees as she sat, suddenly examined the back of her hand.


    After having been on the roof for so long, it had turned slightly pink due to the sunlight.


    <i>–Ma-Ra, your skin is so pale that it’s transparent. It’s beautiful.</i>


    Why did she suddenly remember what Woo-Moon had said in passing a while ago?


    She suddenly thought something indecipherable as she drew a ck cloth from her sleeve and covered her head to block the sun’s rays.


    After gettingfortable, she sat down once more. Her deep eyes, as clear as a mountain stream, shone as she watched the spar between Woo-Moon and San Woo-Gyeol.


    Just like Eun-Ah, she had not one shred of worry in her heart.


    ***


    The very same sunlight that shone down on Ma-Ra was also shining down on Woo-Moon.


    His strong, muscr arm holding his sword was slightly visible through his exposed clothing. His forearm muscles rippled in the sunlight.


    “Then, should we start for real this time?’


    Woo-Moon’s confident voice was heard by everyone watching the spar.


    <i>‘What did he just say?’</i>


    So Myeong-Chan snorted, thinking Woo-Moon was just bluffing


    How dare he say something like that when facing the Dealer of Death and Destruction Sha Xiao?!


    Sha Xiao had been incredibly infamous around eighty years back—to the extent that he had received the moniker Demon Head. His master, the Ageless Demon Emperor, had also killed a massive number of people by normal standards, but he was still considered to be toeing the line between Righteous and Evil. He killed with purpose and only with reason, so he was not actually considered a wanton murderer. However, his disciple, Sha Xiao, only appeared after his master had disappeared and truly acted like a mad beast, greedily killing anyone in his way due to his insatiable bloodthirst.


    In the midst of his killing spree, however, Sha Xiao disappeared.


    Unknown to the <i>gangho,</i> he had been captured by the Hegemon n Lord back in the day. After being imprisoned for all these years, he hade out again for the first time as San Woo-Gyeol, allowed to see the sun once more now that he had consumed the Subordination Pill the Hegemon n had just recently developed.


    Knowing this, So Myeong-Chan couldn’t help but think Woo-Moon’s words were just in bravado. Normally, there wouldn’t be anyone among the ranks of the younger talents that could even put up a fight, much less defeat Sha Xiao.


    Meanwhile, Woo-Moon let out an excited shout and started using an even higher level of the Divine Phantasm Steps. A fraction of a secondter, he appeared in front of San Woo-Gyeol.


    At the same time, Raging Wind appeared once more!


    As expected, Woo-Moon’s favorite techniques were the ones he was most familiar with: Raging Wind and Heavy Rain.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    Drawing countless lines in the air at weird angles and changing directions like crazy, his sword advanced rapidly toward San Woo-Gyeol.


    San Woo-Gyeol, who always had a grotesque smile on his face, showed a different expression for the first time. His eyes widened slightly as if he was surprised.


    Just like when he had faced Choo Moon-Hwi, San Woo-Gyeol stomped forward and threw a single fist.


    <i>BOOM BOOM BOOM!</i>


    The sparring stage that had copsed earlier copsed once again with a devastating crash as Sha Xiao’s fist aura flew toward Raging Wind.


    “Hmpf!”


    With a cold snort, Woo-Moon actually dispersed Raging Wind! With a neat flick of his wrist, Raging Wind disappeared. It was a truly surprising feat, considering that reversing and dispersing a technique was more difficult than unleashing it.


    At the same time, Woo-Moon’s sword, Inkde, continued its path and pointed skyward as if to pierce the sun in the distance.


    And a momentter, it was raining swords!


    <i>BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!</i>


    It was a huge and heavy sound, very much unlike the sound of swords shing, let alone the sound of a sword striking a human body.


    An enormous ck raincloud darkened the sky and pelted San Woo-Gyeol’s fist aura with a rain of sword aura.


    Massive explosions, urring as frequently as the pelting of falling rain, overwhelmed the surroundings. When San Woo-Gyeol’s fist aura eventually lost against the neverending assault of Heavy Rain, he was forced to kick off the ground and retreat to avoid it.


    The ground was pierced, shattered, and turned over by Heavy Rain. A huge amount of dust rose in all directions, and Woo-Moon instantly shot out through the dust as if he himself was a sharp de.


    As he swung Inkde from the ground to the sky, he hit a piece of stone floating in the air with the t of his sword, sending it flying at San Woo-Gyeol.


    The stone flew faster and more threateningly than any hidden weapon!


    As San Woo-Gyeol punched out quickly and destroyed it, Woo-Moon let go of the sword that he had been swinging toward the sky. Letting it fly toward the heavens, he ran at San Woo-Gyeol.


    “Didn’t I tell you?” he said as he ced one foot in front of San Woo-Gyeol.


    The muscles in Woo-Moon’s forearm suddenly tensed and contracted as light shed from his dust-covered waist.


    <i>Shing!</i>


    The bitterly cold silver sword that Woo-Moon had forged himself quickly slipped out of its scabbard, sending out red sparks. And once it emerged from the scabbard and there was nothing impeding it from moving, its speed reached incredible heights.


    <i>A fearsome swift sword with a speed that allows it to chase lightning!</i>


    North Wind gusted forward!


    This blow was too much, impossible for San Woo-Gyeol to block.


    Although the sword sliced through San Woo-Gyeol’s abdomen, there was no sound of a de cutting flesh; rather, it was just the whistle of a sword cutting through the air.


    It was only the btedly spewing blood that served as evidence that Woo-Moon’s attack had been sessful. That was a testament to just how fast his attack had been.


    With his empty left hand, Woo-Moon thrust forward, using the Raging Wind Palm.


    Fortunately for San Woo-Gyeol, the wound on his stomach didn''t seem to be that big. He quickly gathered all of his fist force and contested Woo-Moon’s palm.


    <i>BANG!!!</i>


    With a strong thud, San Woo-Gyeol took a step back, unable to control the force rocking his body. It had been difficult for him to properly block Woo-Moon’s Raging Wind Palm as he had to react quickly.


    As Woo-Moon chased after San Woo-Gyeol again, ck lightning streaked down before him, plunging into the ground.


    It was not a coincidence—Woo-Moon had nned this. He leaped forward and grabbed Inkde’s hilt with a single hand and jumped up, extending his body parallel to the ground.


    Holding himself up, he proceeded to kick out with both legs.


    At first, San Woo-Gyeol blocked the kicks with both arms. However, the more he blocked Woo-Moon’s imitation of Gong Do’s Heaven-Flipping Lightning Strikes, the more intense pain spread through his arms. Eventually, he lost all strength in his arms as his defense failed.


    Unfortunately, even though Woo-Moon broke through San Woo-Gyeol’s defense, he was a little too far away to kick him in the chest properly.


    Woo-Moon pulled Inkde out from the ground, using the force of his pull to leap forward and quickly kick San Woo-Gyeol in the chest.


    <i>BANG!</i>


    Woo-Moon’s kick pushed San Woo-Gyeol back, and he ended up tumbling backward.


    As San Woo-Gyeol fell, the dust finally settled from the destruction of the stage. Everyone was able to see the situation clearly.


    The Justice Coalition members cheered loudly while the Hegemon n talents’ expressions distorted heavily.


    It was a truly refreshing sight.


    To think San Woo-Gyeol, who had instilled fear in the others through his cruelty on the sparring stage, had been kicked to the ground!


    "Get up. It’s not over yet.”


    Woo-Moon stood quietly and gestured with his finger at San Woo-Gyeol, who was lying motionlessly on the ground. Meanwhile, he thought to himself, <i>An expert really is an expert.</i>


    Even when Woo-Moon kicked him in the chest, San Woo-Gyeol was able to defend himself in that split second. From the feedback he felt through his feet, Woo-Moon knew that San Woo-Gyeol hadn’t been seriously wounded.


    Watching them both, So Myeong-Chan’s grave expression only cleared up after seeing Sha Xiao slowly get himself up.


    However, he wasn’tpletely relieved—he noticed the blood that was flowing from Sha Xiao’s mouth.


    <i>‘Damn it! How in the hell does a brat like this exist?’</i>


    So Myeong-Chan was once again reminded of So Geom-Rak’s words. Only now did he seem to understand what his younger brother meant when he actedpletely unlike himself and warned him to be careful.


    <i>‘Damn it, Damn it! Even if he’s supposed to be strong, this is absolutely ridiculous! Wait, could that bastard be like Sha Xiao? Is he also someone of the older generation pretending to be a youngster?!’</i>


    Naturally, the cheater’s first thought was that other people were cheating him.


    While So Myeong-Chan was falling further and further into doubt, San Woo-Gyeol finally rose from the ground and began to sh with Woo-Moon once again.


    However, this time, things werepletely different from before. Contrary to the absolute oppression San Woo-Gyeol had shown so far, he was now only focused on defending himself from Woo-Moon’s attacks.


    As dozens of seconds passed again, Woo-Moon suddenly stopped his assault.


    “Don’t you think it’s about time, now? I already know you’ve been gathering your qi for a while to unleash a massive technique. Come on, show me.”


    Sha Xiao’s rage grew even greater when he thought Woo-Moon was teasing him.


    “<i>Ke... keke—hahaha</i>!”


    His eyes, which had slowly been turning ck, finally grew utterly dark, devoid of any white. An ominous ck aura bloomed from his entire body.


    In an instant, Dealer of Death and Destruction Sha Xiao sted out all of the qi he had umted so far, gathering it around his right fist and sting it forward.


    With a terrifying screech, a ck cloud-like mass of fist aura flew from his fist toward Woo-Moon—not apact mass like Woo-Moon’s aura des, but a weird blob writhing like intestines.


    Woo-Moon’s figure looked tiny inparison to the massive cloud. However, his expression was one filled with confidence. Moreover, he was overflowing with joy on the inside.


    <i>‘Good, finally something that lets me test my limits. I was able to copy the Heaven-Flipping Lightning Strikes, so what should I use this time? This is so exciting!’</i>


    While the onlookers were seeing a life-and-death battle between two mighty foes, Woo-Moon was in fact using Sha Xiao as a sparring partner, inplete agreement with the official reason for these matches.


    When the mass of fist aura approached the distance Woo-Moon had set in his mind, a dazzling golden light exploded from his entire body.


    The ck mass of fist aura seemed to want to consume that incredible luminescence.


    But then, the dazzling golden aura followed the movement of Woo-Moon’s sword, forming a huge golden shield.


    Imprable Golden Wall!


    <i>BOOM!!!</i>


    As if vast ships were firing hundreds of cannons at the same time, a huge explosion erupted, followed by a massive shock wave. A strong typhoon-like gale spread in all directions.