Chapter 135 – The Decisive Battle (7)

He shook off the blasphemous thought and unleashed a continuous barrage of palm strikes to stop Yu-jin from approaching. He struck so furiously that with every movement of his arm, blood splattered in all directions.

Yu-jin took the full force of Chenzhu’s attacks. Yet, despite being hit by the powerful blows, Yu-jin continued to advance, throwing a punch toward Chenzhu.

*KABOOOM!*

A massive explosion erupted in the air. But Chenzhu twisted his body again to evade Yu-jin’s attack, then enlarged his hand once more.

A formidable force swirled in his greatly swollen right hand, and it soon struck Yu-jin’s body.

*BOOM!*

“Ugh!”

But once again, it was Chenzhu who let out a groan.

The moment Chenzhu’s hand struck Yu-jin’s body, all the impact was reflected back to him.

Chenzhu’s body was sent flying, tumbling across the ground.

*’Quite a decent amount of power.’*

Realizing that the reflective energy of the Absorption Arts worked even on a master of the Transformation Realm, Yu-jin lunged at Chenzhu. Chenzhu quickly righted himself and extended his palm toward Yu-jin.

A loud explosion erupted between them, jolting both their bodies. But neither of them backed down.

*RUMBLE!*

“Shall we end this?”

“You think I’ll go down like this!”

Enraged, Chenzhu unleashed a palm strike at Yu-jin, and Yu-jin, not to be outdone, threw a punch.

The moment Yu-jin’s fist and Chenzhu’s palm collided, a massive explosion occurred, and Chenzhu’s right arm was blown to pieces.

It was a phenomenon caused by the reaction between the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts energy Yu-jin emitted and the energy that had already flowed into Chenzhu’s body.

“Kuaaaargh!”

Chenzhu screamed in agony, clutching the area where his right arm had completely vanished. Yu-jin seized the opportunity, closed the distance, and smashed his knee into Chenzhu’s face.

“Keoheok!”

His face instantly ruined, Chenzhu coughed up blood. Yu-jin grabbed Chenzhu’s head, leaned close to his ear, and spoke.

“Impressive. To move like that even while being corroded by the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts. You’ve worked hard.”

“You… you bastard… just what…”

*CRUNCH!*

Finishing his words, Yu-jin thrust his fist toward Chenzhu’s heart. And Chenzhu could speak no more.

Chenzhu, now dead, collapsed to the ground.

“Woooooah!”

The martial artists of the Central Plains, who had been terrified by the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven’s transcendent power, erupted in cheers as they watched Yu-jin defeat another master of the Transformation Realm.

***

*KABOOOM!*

The rainbow-colored torrent unleashed by Kang Yu-hyeon struck the Great Dharma Master and the Golden Buddha, but both remained unharmed. However, it seemed they weren’t entirely unaffected, as the Great Dharma Master’s face was slightly distorted.

*’Is this truly a ghost from the past?’*

The Great Dharma Master glanced from Kang Yu-hyeon to the explosion below. And he saw it. His disciple, Chenzhu, sent to the Pure Land by Yu-jin’s hand.

“How dare you!”

*RUUUUMBLE!*

Having lost another disciple to Yu-jin, the Great Dharma Master erupted in fury, unleashing a tremendous aura, and the Golden Buddha grew even larger.

Unleashing his full power, the Great Dharma Master glared at Yu-jin with cold eyes.

As he focused on Yu-jin, he could now see the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts energy that had been shielding Yu-jin’s power from other absolute masters. And Yu-jin’s true strength came into the Great Dharma Master’s view.

*’How can another being with such power exist?’*

Faced with a power that was in no way inferior to his own or that of Kang Yu-hyeon, who was smiling unpleasantly before him, the Great Dharma Master clenched his fist. Kang Yu-jin was not someone his disciples could handle.

“Where are you looking, Great Dharma Master?”

Great Master Gak-won and Hyeon Cheon-ja rushed in, unleashing their ultimate techniques, and the immense power struck the Golden Buddha. Hwa Un-wol and Namgung Jin also swung their swords, striking the Golden Buddha with the power of the Heart Sword and Thunder Qi.

But even after taking all those attacks, the Golden Buddha did not disappear.

“I cannot forgive you, Central Plains! O hateful Central Plains!”

The Great Dharma Master had abandoned all emotions and no longer felt human feelings, but it was different now. Expressing his immense rage, a massive bolt of lightning shot out from his entire body, soaring into the sky.

“Everyone, get back!”

Realizing its power far surpassed ordinary lightning, Hyeon Cheon-ja couldn’t help but shout. It was an attack so powerful that even absolute masters could not ignore it.

*CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-BOOM!*

But his shout was in vain; the lightning that soared into the sky spread in all directions and then crashed back down to the earth.

*Crackle! Crackle!*

The power of the Heavenly Thunder Wall unleashed by the Great Dharma Master was so terrifying that even after the energy dissipated, the aura of lightning still flickered across the land.

But a scene from hell had already unfolded on the ground. A tragedy so horrific it defied description was revealed.

Well over five hundred martial artists of the Central Plains had been turned to ash.

What was even more frightening was the fact that not a single Western Regions warrior had been touched in the process.

*CRACK-BOOM!*

Even after the tragedy, the sound of massive thunder echoed in the ears of the Central Plains warriors, but they could only stare blankly up at the Great Dharma Master.

“We can’t win…”

“That’s a monster…”

Fear spread like wildfire among the martial artists who spoke those words, and they unconsciously dropped their weapons.

They knew the Great Dharma Master was called the God of the Western Regions, but the attack he had just shown was so immense that it was no wonder they felt terror.

But the Great Dharma Master had no intention of leaving a single Central Plains warrior alive. Not even those who had dropped their weapons and lost the will to fight.

*RUUUMBLE!*

Once again, a torrent of blue light rose from the bodies of the Great Dharma Master and the Golden Buddha, soaring high into the sky.

Just then, Namgung Jin stepped forward and pointed his sword toward the sky. And then, a startling event unfolded before everyone’s eyes.

The torrent of blue light formed by the Great Dharma Master began to gather at Namgung Jin’s sword. No, it wasn’t just gathering at the sword; it was flowing into Namgung Jin’s body.

“Ugh!”

Namgung Jin’s face contorted greatly as he absorbed an immense power that even an absolute master of the Profound Realm could not easily handle.

That he, known as the Thunder Sword Emperor, who was said to be able to control even the lightning from the heavens, was struggling to absorb another’s lightning was a matter both absurd and terrifying.

*RUMBLE RUMBLE!*

Unable to withstand the pressure of the ceaselessly flowing lightning energy, Namgung Jin began to bleed from his seven orifices. But he did not give up, continuing to absorb the lightning’s power before shouting loudly.

“I am Namgung Jin!”

With that cry, Namgung Jin poured all of his own power, combined with the Heavenly Thunder Wall of the Great Dharma Master he had just absorbed, into his sword.

The power was so intense that Namgung Jin’s beloved sword, Changroe, made of cloud iron, trembled and screamed. But Namgung Jin paid it no mind, gathering all the power and unleashing his sword.

*RUUUUMBLE!*

A pillar of blue light, boasting a size comparable to a massive castle, formed from Namgung Jin’s sword and flew toward the Great Dharma Master.

That power was stronger and more threatening than any attack directed at the Great Dharma Master thus far.

The Great Dharma Master also drew upon more of his power, thickening the Golden Buddha’s defense.

Soon, the pillar of blue light exploded upon the Golden Buddha.

*KABOOOM!*

*CRACK! CRACK!*

Blue light flashed and the sound of thunder echoed violently. But the occasional bolts of lightning that fell toward Yu-jin failed to penetrate the Wings of Light enveloping his body and were deflected.

“An attack like this is hardly enough to do anything to me.”

No matter how powerful, the lightning from the Heavenly Thunder Wall could not pierce Yu-jin’s Wings of Light. Yu-jin looked up at the Great Dharma Master with a calm expression, but only for a moment.

“Kyaaaak!”

A scream came from somewhere. The voice was very familiar, so Yu-jin turned his head toward the source of the sound. And he found himself unconsciously flustered.

In Yu-jin’s line of sight were the warriors of the Heavenly Dragon Brigade, struggling to block the lightning falling from the sky. But it was clear they wouldn’t last much longer.

“Damn.”

Knowing they would be in danger if they took any more lightning strikes, Yu-jin quickly launched himself forward.

“Young Master!”

Seeing Yu-jin, Namgung Hwa-rin smiled brightly and called out. The protective barrier created by the other Eight Dragons was already weakening, so her reaction was natural upon the arrival of Kang Yu-jin, a master of the Transformation Realm(?).

But was it a twist of fate? Just as Yu-jin moved to protect the Heavenly Dragon Brigade, the largest and most powerful bolt of lightning created by the Great Dharma Master formed—whether intentionally or not, it was unknown—and the sky convulsed violently.

“Run!”

Namgung Hwi shouted, thinking that not even Yu-jin could block that. The warriors of the Heavenly Dragon Brigade also tried to move according to Namgung Hwi’s words. But they were forced to stop at Yu-jin’s next command.

“Everyone, gather in one spot! Do not run!”

Yu-jin, who normally spoke to them with respect, had issued an unconscious command due to the lack of time. But the warriors of the Heavenly Dragon Brigade were overwhelmed by Yu-jin’s presence and froze in place.

As if it had gathered enough power, the largest and most powerful bolt of lightning fell toward Yu-jin and the Heavenly Dragon Brigade.

*’You’re being a nuisance, Great Dharma Master!’*

Thinking this, Yu-jin unfurled his thirteen Wings of Light and created a massive, hemispherical protective barrier large enough to shield everyone.

And at that moment, the massive lightning bolt struck it.

*CRACK-CRACK-BOOM!*

The compressed and further hardened Wings of Light deflected the lightning. But it wasn’t a single bolt; powerful strikes continuously battered the wings.

Yu-jin mixed in the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts to further strengthen the wings, and in the end, the lightning dissipated without being able to break through.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Yu-jin looked toward the Great Dharma Master.

“To possess such insane internal energy after living for just over a hundred years… it truly leaves me speechless.”

In a way, the true strongest might not be the Heavenly Demon or Kang Yu-hyeon, but the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven.

Unlike the other two, the Great Dharma Master had walked only the righteous path. He trained diligently, steadily building his capabilities until he finally became a warrior worthy of being called the God of the Western Regions.

Compared to the Heavenly Demon, who became immortal through the Heaven-Defying Great Art, or Kang Yu-hyeon, who lived by stealing others’ bodies and internal energy, he was very human.

*’That is why defeating the Great Dharma Master holds great significance.’*

Yu-jin knew well. His true stage was not this battle.

“Brigade Leader, that technique just now…?”

Namgung Hwi stared at Yu-jin, his face filled with astonishment. The other members of the Heavenly Dragon Brigade were the same.

Even to them, the lightning strikes from a moment ago had been incredibly powerful. But Yu-jin had unfurled enormous wings, the likes of which they had never seen before, and formed a protective barrier to shield them all.

It was a form of protective energy they had never witnessed before.

“I don’t think that’s what’s important right now.”

As Yu-jin said this and pointed a finger to the sky, everyone’s gaze followed. And Namgung Hwa-rin and Namgung Hwi couldn’t help but cry out.

“Grandfather!”

Their eyes caught sight of the Thunder Sword Emperor, Namgung Jin, absorbing an unbelievably immense power.

Namgung Hwa-rin and Namgung Hwi cried out involuntarily. Yu-jin also launched himself forward, watching Namgung Jin absorb the power of the Great Dharma Master’s Heavenly Thunder Wall.

From Namgung Jin’s expression, it was clear he was prepared for death. And ensuring his resolve was not in vain, he absorbed all the power of the lightning created by the Great Dharma Master, combined it with his own, and unleashed an even greater strike.

*’A magnificent strike. I never expected him to unleash such an attack. It’s equal to or greater than the Profound Heaven Ink Phosphorus Sword. With that strike, it should be possible to damage the Great Dharma Master’s body.’*

Just as Yu-jin’s monologue ended, a massive explosion erupted, and light flashed. The sheer volume of light was so immense that even a skilled master would not dare to open their eyes.

But Yu-jin’s eyes did not close despite the intense light, and he captured everything that was happening. Soon, a bright smile appeared on his lips.

*’It was a success.’*

Yu-jin could see it clearly. Namgung Jin’s fatal strike had pierced the Golden Buddha, destroyed the Heavenly Light Protection, and then engulfed the Great Dharma Master’s body.

*’But just because his body was struck doesn’t mean he can be killed immediately. By the way, it’s about time they arrived. When will they get here?’*

Although the battle was not yet over, Yu-jin withdrew all his power. He had sensed the familiar aura of a certain warrior.

Yu-jin’s smile deepened.