Chapter 311

Beom-mong, who had gathered all his strength, stepped his right foot forward and kicked the ground.

At the same time, he forcefully swung his pulled-back arm forward like throwing a stone.

“Hiyah!”

BANG!

With a thunderclap sound, an enormous whirlwind of fist energy flew toward Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang immediately kicked the ground and dodged. But the fist wind curved and followed Jin Ja-gang. The speed it followed was even faster than Jin Ja-gang’s evasion speed.

‘Hundred Step Divine Fist!’

The legendary fist technique of Shaolin Temple, where the only way to avoid the Hundred Step Divine Fist was said to be escaping beyond a hundred steps.

Jin Ja-gang leaped once, twice, and rolled his body, but the fist wind had already reached close range.

It seemed difficult to avoid. Realizing he had no choice but to face it, Jin Ja-gang gathered internal energy in his left hand.

But at that moment.

“Please show mercy!”

With a clear voice, a human figure flew up like a bird in the air and blocked Jin Ja-gang’s front.

It was a young martial artist who appeared to be in his thirties.

The martial artist performed aerial flips while scattering flashes of light.

Clang!

Several sword energies stabbed into the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind. The sword energy pierced through the fist wind and embedded deep into the ground’s soil. However, even then, the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind didn’t easily subside.

As if he had anticipated this, the martial artist continued to emit sword light without rest until he landed on the ground. After being struck dozens of times in a short period, the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind somewhat weakened.

The martial artist finally cut the fist wind in half with one sword stroke in a semicircle.

The fist wind split and shattered into pieces. The fragmented fist wind poured down like hidden weapons.

“Ha!”

The martial artist gripped his sword in reverse and withdrew it while striking with his left palm.

Bang! Pop pop pop bang!

The Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind became misty smoke and scattered before the martial artist.

“Whew.”

The martial artist who exhaled briefly looked back at Jin Ja-gang over his shoulder. He had straight eyebrows and a handsome southern-type face.

“I’m Namgung Won.”

If he was from the Namgung family, he belonged to Yangtze River Sword Sect. It seemed Yangtze River Sword Sect had come to meet Jin Ja-gang.

Namgung Won put his finger to his lips to show Jin Ja-gang. It meant to keep quiet.

Seeing Namgung Won who had interfered with his attack, Beom-mong smiled slightly.

“A swordsman from the Namgung family. Would that be the True Dragon Swordsman?”

True Dragon Swordsman was Namgung Won’s nickname. Ten years ago in his twenties, as a rising talent from a great family, he earned the title True Dragon among the Five Dragons Three Phoenixes, and has continued to be active as the True Dragon Swordsman since.

Namgung Won wrapped his hand around the sword hilt and sheathed it.

“You must be Great Master Beom-mong of Shaolin Temple. I’ve heard your dharma name for a long time. This junior Namgung Won greets you.”

“Hehe, what’s so great about this poor monk’s dharma name that you’d greet me? By the way… finally caught the tail?”

Namgung Won replied with a good-natured smile.

“Tail? I don’t understand what you mean. I simply interfered presumptuously for a moment because a great senior of the martial world was oppressing a young junior.”

“Hmm, this poor monk doesn’t have a way with words and doesn’t like speaking at length. Well, I set the bait and the dragon’s tail appeared. If I strike the tail, will the body appear, or will the head?”

“Haha. No matter what you do to me, nothing will appear. How about kindly letting me and this young junior here go today?”

“Let me remind you again. This poor monk dislikes long talk.”

Beom-mong rolled up his sleeves again, clenched his right fist tightly, and pulled his arm back.

The air flow around changed again.

Whooom!

Beom-mong’s fist trembled and rang. The concentration of internal energy was visible.

Namgung Won said quietly but urgently.

“Run away! We’ll contact you again from our side.”

Then Beom-mong stepped forward and swung his right arm forcefully like throwing a stone.

“Hiyah!”

BANG!

With a thunderclap sound, fist wind rushed forth.

Namgung Won raised his sword diagonally and drew it continuously in diagonal lines. The fist wind was sliced but naturally didn’t lose momentum. Earlier it was fist wind aimed at Jin Ja-gang, but this time it was directly targeting Namgung Won. The pressure itself was different.

Namgung Won deployed the Namgung Flying Swallow Sword. He nimbly flew his body and released sword energy in the air.

Several crescent-shaped sword energies were drawn. The crescent sword energies weakened the fist wind’s momentum.

The fist wind hesitated.

But another thunderclap was heard.

BANG!

Surprised, Namgung Won looked up.

Beom-mong’s left foot and left fist were extended forward.

Two consecutive Hundred Step Divine Fists!

The hesitant fist wind doubled in size and poured down on Namgung Won.

The enlarged fist wind crushed the crescent sword energies and curved greatly to chase Namgung Won in the air. Though Namgung Won rotated his body at a dazzling rate and continued to strike the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind with sword energy, it had little effect.

Finally, Namgung Won gritted his teeth and faced the Hundred Step Divine Fist head-on with a punch from his right hand holding the sword and a palm strike from his left hand.

Crack!

The punch thrown while gripping the sword twisted his wrist, and the left hand that shot palm force had its palm bent backward. All clothes from wrist to shoulder were torn to shreds.

Namgung Won’s face, biting his teeth, became extremely distorted. Both hands were simultaneously twisted and curled.

He made no groaning sound and didn’t drop his sword. However, both arms were forcibly twisted by the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind, leaving him unable to apply strength.

With just two strikes of the Hundred Step Divine Fist!

Even so, it wasn’t the end. Beom-mong was already rolling up his right sleeve and pulling his arm back.

“You made this poor monk use the Hundred Step Continuous Fist, so I praise you.”

Beom-mong could have immediately launched another Hundred Step Divine Fist. But he delayed. He wanted to use Namgung Won as bait to draw out someone else.

“But now it must be the limit. If no one appears, the True Dragon Swordsman’s journey in this life will end here.”

Whooooom!

Beom-mong’s pulled-back fist rang.

Namgung Won gathered his twisted arms in front of his chest and shook his head.

“It’s useless.”

“May you achieve enlightenment.”

Beom-mong, who briefly spoke, was about to extend his right fist when he paused.

Jin Ja-gang was approaching Beom-mong with his arms hanging down.

Namgung Won shouted.

“What are you doing! What, what are you doing!”

Jin Ja-gang continued walking toward Beom-mong and answered.

“Can’t you see? I’m going to kill him.”

Namgung Won shouted incredulously.

“Don’t show off too much! Great Master Beom-mong is one of the Twelve Vajras of the previous generation!”

The Twelve Vajras were masters well known to the world for their extensive external activities among Shaolin Temple’s formidable martial power.

Vajra monks were usually selected from among the forty arhats, due to the characteristics of Shaolin Temple’s martial arts.

Shaolin Temple was particularly strong in external martial arts, so unlike other sects, external power peaked in the mid-forties, after which external power gradually weakened while internal power deepened.

Therefore, the Twelve Vajras active for ten years from their forties possessed very high levels of external martial arts and served as the face of Shaolin Temple in external activities.

Though Beom-mong, now seventy years old, had weaker external power than in his prime, his internal power was far superior. The high power of the Hundred Step Divine Fist was due to this.

Namgung Won said with a face distorted by pain.

“If you wrongly provoke Shaolin Temple, even if not the main temple, you’ll make enemies of all the affiliated martial arts instructors, hundred escort agencies, and three hundred thousand lay disciples.”

It was equivalent to having the entire martial world watching.

But Jin Ja-gang wasn’t swayed by such words.

“It won’t get much worse than now.”

“Hey!”

Jin Ja-gang continued walking without taking his eyes off Beom-mong.

Limp, limp.

Beom-mong also found the situation amusing and snorted slightly.

“Heh, a newborn puppy doesn’t know to fear a tiger.”

Beom-mong immediately stepped forward and extended his right fist. The familiar thunderclap sounded as fist wind flew.

Jin Ja-gang gathered turbid energy to the maximum and pushed it into the dam in his left palm, spreading his palm. Then he grasped his left wrist with his right hand and supported the turbid energy with clear energy to meet the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind head-on.

The heavy turbid energy positioned in Jin Ja-gang’s left side collided with the profound internal energy contained in the fist wind and rippled slowly.

The Hundred Step Divine Fist’s power was more considerable than Jin Ja-gang expected.

Thud!

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t fully receive the force and was pushed back a full zhang with both arms bouncing upward. His joints ached as if they would twist and fall off at any moment.

Even though he used the unique properties of heavy turbid energy to the maximum to mitigate the impact, the shock was severe. Beom-mong truly possessed fearsome internal power.

Jin Ja-gang shook his shoulders to shake off the pain. He judged that while he had blocked it once, he couldn’t block it twice.

Of course, blocking it head-on was already shocking to others.

“Hmm?”

Beom-mong’s eyes changed slightly.

Beom-mong lifted his bamboo hat and scratched his tonsured head with his finger.

“Has this poor monk grown old and lost strength? Or has a new technique to counter the Hundred Step Divine Fist appeared? Why are both hands still attached?”

The power of the Hundred Step Divine Fist was based on Shaolin Temple’s superior internal cultivation method. Its internal energy crushes rocks and breaks large trees in half. Just moments ago, Namgung Won had been hit.

But for Jin Ja-gang, barely over twenty, to receive his Hundred Step Divine Fist head-on was strange.

“Did it feel like striking a sticky swamp? How mysterious.”

Beom-mong’s mouth twisted.

“Did you dare despise this poor monk, despise Shaolin, trusting in just that one technique?”

Jin Ja-gang mocked.

“Sect and disciple are not two but one. You are a member of Shaolin Temple, and to me, you represent Shaolin Temple. Do you understand what I mean?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“If Shaolin Temple only has killing demons like you, it’s fine to despise it, isn’t it?”

Beom-mong’s white eyebrows shot up.

Beom-mong roared.

“Look and look, you’re crossing the line!”

The moment Beom-mong shouted, two people ambushed from behind him. They were martial artists from Wudang Sect and Mount Heng Sect who had approached while Jin Ja-gang distracted his attention.

The two, who appeared similar in age to Namgung Won, consecutively launched palm and fist strikes.

Beom-mong roared.

“Kraheng!”

Beom-mong’s clothes puffed up and deflected the Wudang martial artist’s palm force and the Mount Heng martial artist’s fist force.

Clang! Clang!

The Wudang martial artist struck Beom-mong’s chest with his palm while the Mount Heng martial artist pounded Beom-mong’s back with his fist.

Though both continued pouring attacks, they couldn’t penetrate Beom-mong’s kasaya. The kasaya hardened like stone and didn’t budge.

The Wudang martial artist distorted his face and shouted.

“It’s Iron Silk!”

Beom-mong angrily swung his fist at the Wudang martial artist. The Wudang martial artist tried to deflect the punch with soft energy. It was a simple, unadorned Fierce Tiger Fist, but it pierced through the soft energy without fail.

The Wudang martial artist hurriedly raised his shoulder to block.

Thwack!

The moment his shoulder was hit, the Wudang martial artist completely lost his center and was pushed back as if bouncing. He staggered backward, fell on his bottom, and got up again to barely maintain his posture.

Without turning his body, Beom-mong twisted sideways and rammed the Mount Heng martial artist with his back. When the Mount Heng martial artist kicked Beom-mong’s side and tried to escape using the rebound force, Beom-mong reached out and immediately grabbed his ankle.

The Mount Heng martial artist twisted his body and struck Beom-mong’s head with his free foot.

Thwack! Thud!

The bamboo hat shattered and scattered.

But Beom-mong didn’t budge. He gripped the ankle and swung forcefully to throw the Mount Heng martial artist to the ground.

Crash!

“Kugh…”

Unable to even perform a proper fall, he took the shock to his spine and blood spurted from his mouth.

Beom-mong raised his foot. Shaolin Temple’s True Foot technique was famous for its destructive power. If stepped on, it would be the end.

As Beom-mong tried to step on the Mount Heng martial artist’s chest, thread wrapped around his foot.

It was the Soul Seizing Thread.