Book 26 Chapter 16

"Activate! Stone Block Annihilation Gate!"

"I will crush and shatter you!"

In the middle of a grand hall, surrounded by dozens of warriors, Biryuyeon and Seo Hae-wang Rakbio faced each other.

"Not yet. I haven't lost yet."

Rakbio glared at Biryuyeon, his eyes full of resolve. However, he wasn't so sensitive as to be shaken by a mere staring contest.

"Oh my, then what was that you just lost?"

Biryuyeon scoffed, reminding him of his recent defeat.

"Hmph, that was just a game. Like playing with children."

"Ho ho, do children these days risk their lives in games?"

"Children these days don't know the value of their lives."

Then, Biryuyeon slightly tilted his head, stared intently at Rakbio's face, and said,

"It certainly seems so, doesn't it."

Biryuyeon's gesture clearly conveyed his meaning: You are precisely the brat who doesn't know the value of his life. Rakbio's sharp face flushed red again.

"We'll see if you can still smirk like that later. Just. You. Wait."

"People who say 'we'll see' are never scary."

"Oh? But this time it's different! With this 'Stone Block Annihilation Gate'!"

"I'm busy too, so let's get to the point."

"Alright. Do you see those small squares drawn on the floor?"

"Unlike some people, I'm not just for decoration. There are eighty-one squares. Are we playing Go?"

He then muttered under his breath, "I'm better at rock-paper-scissors than Go," but it didn't reach Rakbio's ears.

"Go? Hmph, do you think you can test true strength with such petty brain labor?"

"Then?"

Rakbio shouted with a triumphant smile.

"Thirty-one."

At that, one of the warriors standing by the wall cut a rope.

Crrrunch!

Screeeech!

At that moment, a stone pillar hanging from the ceiling above Biryuyeon's head fell with terrifying speed. No one could escape unscathed if crushed by such a heavy stone pillar.

CRASH!

The hall vibrated as if an earthquake had struck.

"Ryuyeon!"

Hyoryong cried out urgently.

"You have great nerve, not moving an inch."

Rakbio's expression stiffened slightly. The stone pillar had fallen in the square right next to where Biryuyeon was standing. It stood upright like a pillar, not broken, thanks to the adjusted length of the chain.

"Oh dear. What? Did you want to see me run away in panic?"

"Tch."

It seemed surprisingly accurate. He was a human whose emotions were clearly visible on his face.

"Well, enough of this game. As you've seen, there are eighty-one squares here. Each square corresponds to a stone pillar. The rules are simple. Each person says one number from one to eighty-one, and the corresponding pillar falls. Only once per turn. Once you've dropped a pillar, you cannot drop another until the opponent drops theirs. How's that, simple?"

It was a simple, yet incredibly dangerous rule.

This time, it was truly a life-or-death game.

"If you're scared, surrender anytime."

"Oh, lately I've been hearing phantom voices a lot."

Biryuyeon replied, digging in his ear with his finger.

"Fine, in that state, don't blame me if you die."

"Unfortunately, I am a sickly beautiful immortal. Sadly, you'll never have a reason to blame me. You should blame yourself, shouldn't you?"

Biryuyeon said with a wide smile, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Good. Let's see how long that sharp tongue of yours can keep wagging. And one more rule."

He then took out a small hourglass from his pocket. With a fierce expression, he said,

"You must call out a 'number' before the sand in this hourglass runs out. If you fail to do so, you will be declared a coward and immediately defeated."

This meant that hesitating to drop a pillar out of fear of where it might fall would result in immediate defeat.

"Wait. I'll prove you're a coward in a moment. Then it will be clear that justice is on my side."

Hearing this, Biryuyeon chuckled.

"Well, that seems as difficult as proving the existence of God. Still, challenging the impossible could be a good experience."

At that, Rakbio twitched one of his thick eyebrows and shouted,

"Then let's start the second round! I'll cede the first move."

Despite his outward composure, the current situation was overwhelmingly disadvantageous for Biryuyeon. Biryuyeon didn't believe the stone pillars would fall in order: one, two, three, four. The numbers were likely distributed irregularly. In other words, he didn't know which square a stone pillar would fall on. However, Rakbio certainly knew. He knew how many stone pillars would fall and where. It wasn't for no reason that Rakbio generously conceded the first move. It was proof of his confidence. Biryuyeon had to constantly be mindful of the other attack from above, even without Rakbio's attacks.

"One!"

Biryuyeon, having received the first move, shouted.

Then, a stone pillar fell not from the first of the eighty-one squares, but directly from above his head.

'As expected!'

Biryuyeon quickly stepped back to avoid the stone pillar. The numbers were indeed random. Seizing this moment, Rakbio shouted,

"Twenty-three!"

Then, a stone pillar fell with a "Screeeech!" sound in Biryuyeon's path as he stepped back.

"Tch."

Biryuyeon clicked his tongue and dodged to the right. Just then, Rakbio, clad in armor, charged at him with furious speed.

Adamantine Rebound Divine Skill

Charge Secret Art

Explosive Dash

Screeeech!

Rakbio's body accelerated again as he ran. His momentum was like a steel tank charging across a battlefield.

"Whoa."

Biryuyeon employed the Divine Method of the Phoenix Dance to rapidly change direction once more.

CRASH!

Rakbio's body collided directly with the stone pillar. A horrible sound echoed.

"Heh heh. Oh dear, skills that lack free control only harm oneself, don't they? Isn't that what they call self-inflicted suffering?"

However, it wasn't Rakbio's body that shattered, but the stone pillar. The stone pillar, taller than a man, couldn't withstand Rakbio's body check and shattered. Meanwhile, Rakbio, clad in the Sunstone Armor, was unharmed. Rakbio didn't use any weapons like swords or spears. To him, his incredibly hard body was the ultimate weapon.

Without even bothering to brush off the dust from his clothes, Rakbio turned and looked towards Biryuyeon. His eyes resembled those of a beast stalking its prey.

"Heh heh heh, who's the one suffering self-inflicted pain?"

"……."

Biryuyeon had never seen such a brute-force attack before. His body seemed to be harder than he imagined.

"My, my, I can't afford to be careless."

If he took that attack in his current condition, even Biryuyeon wouldn't be able to escape unharmed.

'To do that, I first need to deal with that cumbersome armor that might explode if touched!'

Without doing that, he couldn't guarantee victory.

'Now, what to do…….'

The hourglass was flipped back and forth several times. But the match wasn't decided. As a result, stone pillars jutted out here and there in the hall. They had actually fallen. However, neither Biryuyeon nor Rakbio had suffered any significant damage yet. Rakbio knew the location of all the stone pillars, and Biryuyeon was deflecting the heavy stone pillars and Rakbio's even harder and more threatening charge with his quick reflexes. He did manage to land a few blows on Rakbio, but each time, the armor segment bounced back, nearly harming Biryuyeon himself. Fortunately, he managed to dodge it with his incredible reflexes and the swift movements of the Phoenix Dance. However, dodging alone wouldn't solve anything.

"How long are you going to keep dodging?"

Rakbio, starting to get annoyed as Biryuyeon, who looked like he might collapse, expertly dodged him.

"Are you a coward who can't fight head-on?"

He tried to provoke Biryuyeon, despite his large size. But his opponent was Biryuyeon. Such a clumsy provocation was bound to fail against Biryuyeon, a master of provocation.

"Oh, then are you a simpleton who only knows how to fight head-on?"

Biryuyeon knew exactly how to get under his opponent's skin.

"What! Are you trying to insult me?"

The reaction was immediate. Biryuyeon feigned surprise.

"Oh? How did you know? Wow, I thought you were a complete idiot, but you're surprisingly observant. You're not a total fool after all."

He exclaimed in admiration.

"You… you…!"

Infuriated by those words, Rakbio couldn't even speak properly. He had tried to use a small trick and ended up getting a bigger one.

"I'll shut that mouth for you!"

Unable to contain his anger, Rakbio attempted another charge. However, Biryuyeon dodged it to the side again and calmly replied,

"I think I've heard that hundreds of times by now. Not a single person has succeeded yet."

He was now bored by the words. He wished for something more original.

"Forty-four!"

As Rakbio called out the number again, a stone pillar fell towards Biryuyeon with terrifying speed. However, Biryuyeon's movement speed was faster than expected, and the stone pillar coincidentally fell between Rakbio and Biryuyeon. For a moment, Biryuyeon's figure was hidden by the stone pillar.

CRASH!

Rakbio shoulder-checked the stone pillar head-on, destroying it. His charge was still fearsome.

"No!"

However, Biryuyeon, who should have been behind the shattered stone pillar, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where on earth…?"

Rakbio couldn't finish his sentence. Biryuyeon's figure had suddenly appeared on his right flank, like a mirage.

Flying Thunder Sect's Unique Movement Technique

Phoenix Dance, Ultimate Secret Art

Chapter of Shadow Concealment

Lightning Strike Shadow

This was a movement technique that made it seem like one was hiding behind an object, stealing the opponent's attention, and then penetrating their blind spot. It was only possible due to the speed of the Phoenix Dance.

Rakbio, who was originally aggressive and had a one-directional attack path, was completely caught in Biryuyeon's blind spot. He turned to counter-attack, but it was too late. However, Rakbio was confident in his absolute defense, the Sunstone Armor, and the Adamantine Rebound Strength.

'Go on, hit me. No matter how much you hit, the impact will return to you!'

Flying Thunder Saber's Ultimate Secret Art

Chapter of Single Point Concentration

Lightning Flash Arrow

WHOOSH!

Biryuyeon's fist, driven by a firm stance, shot towards Rakbio's center. The blow, like a streak of lightning, pierced Rakbio's body. Rakbio's charge stopped abruptly. Biryuyeon's fist remained extended, touching Rakbio's armor. And then…

BOOM!

A loud explosion occurred.

"……?"

Biryuyeon stood unharmed in the explosion. It wasn't the armor plate in front of his fist that exploded, but the armor plates on his back.

"Gasp!"

Rakbio let out a groan from the unexpected impact. The steel tower that seemed impossible to collapse swayed for a moment. But it didn't fall to its knees.

"H-how?!"

"I think I understand the structure of that armor. You wear something quite crude and dangerous. How can you wear that and be unharmed? Truly amazing."

"You figured out the secret of the Sunstone Armor?"

"I had a slight suspicion when Ryong-ryong was in trouble. I wondered what that white lump was that was attaching the detached armor plates."

"……!"

Rakbio's expression hardened instantly.

"That was gunpowder, wasn't it?"

"G-gunpowder?!"

Hyoryong, who had been watching anxiously, exclaimed in surprise. Then, Biryuyeon, who called himself "Kind Mr. Ryu-yeon," kindly elaborated.

"Yes, it was a specially compounded mixture of gunpowder, designed to explode upon receiving a certain level of impact. Its structure was designed to cancel out the opponent's attack with the force of the explosion."

The reason it didn't explode when he broke the stone pillars was that he used his unusually thick shoulder area to collide. That part was designed not to explode even when impacted.

"But if something like that explodes right next to you, wouldn't you be unharmed even with the sturdiest armor?"

Even if the Sunstone Armor was made of Manryeong Steel, it would be the same. The body inside would endure the impact of the explosion. It was an impact a bare human body couldn't withstand.

"I was also a bit puzzled about that part, but perhaps he has mastered a special external qi technique to temper his body to withstand the shock without much damage. What do you say, am I wrong?"

He spoke as if daring him to refute him.

"Remarkable. You are the first person to figure out the secret of the Sunstone Armor so quickly. But that alone couldn't have stopped it?"

This implied there was something more. A technique that pierced the properties of the Sunstone Armor.

"Ultimate Secret Art: Single Point Pierce. Lightning Flash Arrow."

The martial art Biryuyeon had just displayed was successful in penetrating the Sunstone Armor's defense and delivering a direct blow.

It was a martial art he had never heard of.

"It's a striking method that concentrates destructive power on a needle-hole-sized point. Like this."

WHOOSH!

He then punched a small stone he kicked up with lightning-fast speed. However, even after that fast and fearsome blow, the stone remained undamaged.

"……?"

Rakbio, tilting his head, was thrown the stone.

"What is this?"

"If your eyes are properly placed, you can see it. If not, you're blind."

Rakbio, reluctantly examining the stone, was astonished. A tiny hole, like a needle's eye, pierced the center of the stone.

"This…!"

Rakbio couldn't help but be horrified. His specialty was crushing enemies with overwhelming force, so he couldn't even imitate such a precise technique. While Rakbio admired it, he also found it absurd.

"To reveal the secret of one's own martial art so nonchalantly. Is he brave or foolish?"

"Hmph, if you can copy it after seeing it, feel free to try as much as you want. Can you? Whether you know it or not, you can't block it, and whether you know it or not, you can't copy it, so there's no harm in showing it. In fact, it's meant to make you admit defeat immediately. Do you understand?"

"……."

Rakbio understood, but he couldn't accept it.

"Certainly, with such sharp concentrated strikes, the Sunstone Armor wouldn't react, would it? Or is one time not enough?"

The words 'because your head is slow?' were omitted.

"Kkkh!"

Indeed, his specially mixed 'reactive explosive' reacted to impacts like hitting with a stone but not to a needle stab. However, no fool would stab such a hard armor with a needle. The armor was strong enough to block even ordinary sword thrusts. He never expected such a technique to exist.

"So that's how it is. Well then, do you admit defeat?"

Biryuyeon had many more battles ahead of him. The fewer battles he fought, the more advantageous it was for him. However, Rakbio was not such a clever man.

"But there is no defeat in my dictionary. I will never surrender!"

With a tremendous roar that echoed through the hall, Rakbio charged.

Adamantine Rebound Divine Skill

Ironclad Tactics

Secret Art

Iron Ball Shakes Heaven and Earth

Rumble rumble rumble!

Rakbio, clad in iron armor, became a giant iron ball and charged towards Biryuyeon. He curled his body into a ball, adding rotational force to increase destructive power.

"Whoa. I'm not into rolling humans like bowling balls."

It was a very peculiar technique that seemed likely to cause motion sickness for the user, but it wasn't fast enough to be unavoidable.

"Be careful of motion sickness~!"

With a playful remark, Biryuyeon easily dodged the attack. In a way, it was an attack that was almost too straightforward. However, because it was spinning at a furious speed, it was difficult for Biryuyeon to pinpoint the striking point. To concentrate the impact force of a fist technique, the target needed to be relatively stationary. While it wasn't impossible to land the Lightning Flash Arrow in this state, not much effect could be expected. And that wasn't Rakbio's only intention.

"Explosive Remnants!"

With Rakbio's shout, a tremendous explosion sound echoed, and the entire Sunstone Armor Rakbio wore exploded, scattering fragments like a downpour in all directions. It was terrifyingly powerful. Even Biryuyeon would find it difficult to avoid that rain of fragments.

Flying Thunder Saber's Unique Movement Technique

Phoenix Dance, Legendary Ultimate Secret Art

Going Through Rain, Not Touching Clothes

Biryuyeon urgently unleashed the ultimate secret art of the Phoenix Dance. Intense pain spread through his entire nervous system. It felt like his body was being torn into eight pieces. In fact, this "Going Through Rain, Not Touching Clothes" was a top-tier technique within the Phoenix Dance, not a skill that could be used with the Black Dragon Rings on both feet. However, with one Black Dragon Ring already released, Biryuyeon couldn't afford to release another.

"Kuaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Enduring the excruciating pain as if his body were being torn apart, Biryuyeon executed the ultimate secret art. After all, if he didn't use it, he would die. It was better to die while using the secret art.

"I won't dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Biryuyeon's unstable, swaying body became transparent and seemed to stretch, as he fluidly dodged through the rain of incoming fragments. Now, it was a race to see who would run out of energy first.

Kwahkwa kwahkwa kwahkwa kooang! Puhpuh puhpuh puh!

The steel downpour mercilessly shredded the stone pillars scattered everywhere.

After a while, as the merciless steel downpour swept through the area, silence fell.

Swish!

In the midst of that silence, Biryuyeon's figure appeared. It was as if scattered afterimages were gathering in one place. Due to his incredibly high-speed movement, his figure appeared stretched, scattered, and sometimes invisible.

Biryuyeon, who reappeared, had a very pale face, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He was suffering immensely but didn't show it outwardly. However, it was certain that he wasn't in a state to land a blow on Rakbio, who was only a few steps away. Now was the time to recover his own body.

Rakbio remained stopped, curled into a ball, about a yard away from Biryuyeon. For a moment, he thought Rakbio might be dead, as no sign of life could be felt from him. He had detonated all the explosives he was wearing simultaneously. After using that incredibly crude technique called "Explosive Remnants," it would be strange if he wasn't dead.

After a moment, the round iron ball twitched and began to move slowly. Then, a man with a towering physique, reminiscent of a steel tower, leaped up. Although his complexion was slightly darkened, he surprisingly didn't seem to have suffered much damage. Seeing this, Biryuyeon chuckled.

"I would have preferred if you had just fainted, but it seems that didn't happen."

He slightly regretted not pushing himself to land a blow while Rakbio was still motionless in a ball. Biryuyeon focused on recovering his body to some extent. Rakbio, also not in a condition to move immediately, stood still for a moment, glaring at each other.

"Hup!"

After a moment, with a shout from Rakbio, the remaining armor he was wearing fell off. His bronze upper body was now completely bare. He was only wearing a cloth-made lower garment.

"Hmm, taking off your armor yourself means you're surrendering?"

Biryuyeon asked, just in case. For Rakbio, his armor was both his shield and his spear. But as expected, Rakbio shook his head.

"No, the real fight begins now. I'll teach you the true terror of the Adamantine Rebound Divine Skill!"

With Rakbio's declaration, his bronze skin slowly turned a bronze color reminiscent of metal. His muscles, as hard as steel, exuded a beast-like aura.

Bulging! Rippling! Pumping!

Seeing the dynamic movement of his firm bronze muscles, Biryuyeon screamed.

"Kuaaak! No, wait! I'm not particularly interested in naked men. What are you doing?"

As if he had seen something he shouldn't have, Biryuyeon turned his head. Why do these men who call themselves "real men" keep taking off their clothes? They seemed to disregard the inconvenience they caused to those around them. It seemed they were captivated by their own hard, bulging muscles—in slang, "self-obsessed"—but that was merely their own delusion. Unnaturally bulging muscles with prominent veins were simply pollution to the observer. The bursting muscles of a man and the extremely thin, bony body of a woman destroyed the harmony and balance of the world. Excess in anything was not good. Therefore, Rakbio's muscle tremors were like torture to Biryuyeon.

"What am I doing? I'm just…"

Rakbio was more bewildered by Biryuyeon's dramatic reaction. He couldn't understand why he was reacting so sensitively to something trivial.

"How about we wear some clothes? Attacking so despicably…"

"Wh-what are you talking about! Despicably? Besides, I haven't attacked. Come on, hurry up and attack. Stop playing around."

Rakbio shouted back.

Playing around, of course, Biryuyeon was not playing around. He wanted to get rid of that hideous sight as soon as possible. Besides, since he didn't have the Sunstone Armor anymore, it meant he could hit him anywhere he pleased without considering the striking point.

Three Summer Dog-Beating Fist Technique, Mid-Summer伏

Biryuyeon's figure burrowed into Rakbio's embrace. Rakbio, seemingly surprised by the ambush, didn't budge.

Pah-pah-pah!

Biryuyeon's fists struck Rakbio's defenseless upper body. And then…

Tong-tong-tong!

Biryuyeon, executing the Three Summer Dog-Beating Fist Technique, was shocked. His fists, which had struck Rakbio's upper body, bounced back at the same speed.

Due to the rebound, Biryuyeon was forced to retreat about a yard without even fully executing the technique. This was also a measure to reduce the rebound force.

"This is…"

Biryuyeon looked back and forth between his fist and Rakbio's upper body.

How to describe this sensation? He had hit muscles that looked as hard as stone, but it felt like hitting rubber with excessive elasticity. Rubber so elastic that it harmed the person who hit it. Rakbio's face curved into a triumphant smile.

"See? This is the true form of the Adamantine Rebound Strength."

This was the "strength," his "justice," that he had attained through arduous training.