Chapter 500

Screee, screee!

The Thunder Force Divine Nail vibrated madly.

The repulsive force of Iron Head Technique was transmitted to Jin Ja-gang’s hand. The Thunder Force Divine Nail shook as if it would bounce off. Jin Ja-gang didn’t let go of his grip. He endured by receiving the repulsive force with his tenacious grip strength.

Beom-bon also accumulated the shock of the Thunder Force Divine Nail in his body. It penetrated his head vertically and the shock exploded in his upper body.

Belatedly, the kasaya on Beom-bon’s upper body was torn to shreds.

Riiip!

The Iron Robe that couldn’t be broken from the outside broke from the inside.

However, the body of the Thunder Force Divine Nail also cracked.

Crack…

The Thunder Force Divine Nail split layer upon layer like mica scales.

On Great Buddha’s crown where the Thunder Force Divine Nail struck, a single red dot had formed. Even the Thunder Force Divine Nail couldn’t pierce through Beom-bon’s crown!

Beom-bon rolled his eyes upward.

Flash!

Beom-bon’s eyes filled with killing intent glared at Jin Ja-gang!

Jin Ja-gang immediately discarded the Thunder Force Divine Nail and raised both arms. He put his fingers together, bent them slightly to make a hemisphere shape, then struck both of Beom-bon’s ears simultaneously.

This would cause the eardrums to burst from the pressure! The outer skin aside, surely the eardrums couldn’t withstand the shock of air pressure!

Thwack!

Beom-bon’s pupils shook. From both nostrils, nosebleed poured out like streams!

Jin Ja-gang directly grabbed Beom-bon’s head and drove his knee into his face.

Crack!

The knee struck directly between Beom-bon’s thick nose and cheekbone.

But instead, the face of Jin Ja-gang who struck became distorted.

However, Jin Ja-gang didn’t stop and struck the nose upward again. Crack! Once again came the sound of cartilage rupturing.

Jin Ja-gang bit his palm. His palm became soaked with blood. With his opposite hand, he held Beom-bon’s head and pressed the blood-soaked palm against Beom-bon’s face, blocking his nose and mouth. Beom-bon didn’t struggle or turn his head left and right.

He only waved his hands to shake Jin Ja-gang off. Jin Ja-gang dodged Beom-bon’s hands, climbed onto his shoulders, and wrapped his legs around Beom-bon’s thick neck.

He concentrated internal energy in his hands.

Sparks flew. Blazing, heat arose in his palms. Asura Blood turned into steam.

Jin Ja-gang embraced Beom-bon’s head with his red-hot hands.

Scorching Twin Phosphor Palm!

Sizzle!

Jin Ja-gang completely crushed Beom-bon’s head. Smoke rose.

Beom-bon pushed Jin Ja-gang away. Jin Ja-gang was shoved off like a vine being ripped away.

But Jin Ja-gang’s actions as he was pushed back, flipped backward, and landed were a bit strange. He couldn’t stand properly on the floor and staggered. He could barely step on his right foot. He couldn’t straighten his right knee and limped.

He had been injured just before.

Jin Ja-gang looked down at his knee.

He thought there wouldn’t be a big problem, but since getting hit on the thigh earlier, his leg had been shaking and it seemed a lot of shock had accumulated. Just now while striking Beom-bon’s face, his knee gave out instead.

Jin Ja-gang raised his head and looked at Beom-bon.

Beom-bon was just standing tall as before. His face was covered in blood, and his square nose was severely twisted to the left. His head was a bit reddened, but there was no burn from Scorching Twin Phosphor Palm at all.

Beom-bon grabbed his nose with his fingers and twisted hard.

Crack.

The nose returned to normal.

Beom-bon ripped off his cumbersome upper garment.

The muscles of his upper body like a truly massive boulder were fully revealed.

In an instant, Jin Ja-gang kicked off with his left foot and crashed body-first into Beom-bon. Now that the Iron Robe was gone, this was the opportunity!

Jin Ja-gang struck Beom-bon’s thick belly with the remaining double sickle blade.

Thunk!

The blade went in about an inch, to the point where it was unclear whether it was buried in flesh or struck.

Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth and pulled the double sickle blade to tear Beom-bon’s belly.

Screech… The blade of the paired sickle blade caught and wouldn’t easily pull.

Then snap, absurdly the blade of the paired sickle blade broke off. Beom-bon struck Jin Ja-gang with his palm as if swatting a fly. Jin Ja-gang couldn’t even resist and was blown away, smashing several tables and chairs and rolling.

Crash!

Beom-bon smirked while watching Jin Ja-gang squirming buried in debris. Through his teeth flowed Jin Ja-gang’s blood and his own blood.

Then he worked his mouth to gather the blood-mixed saliva and spat it out. With that, he no longer cared about the blood flowing into his mouth and nose. It was an attitude of not caring about blood poison or anything.

***

The members of the Tang Family Large Courtyard looked at Mu-gak.

Im Yi-eon asked.

“Great master, what about my words?”

He was asking about Beom-bon’s Iron Head Technique.

Mu-gak sighed.

“Why are you like that?”

“You saw before too, but you’re truly matchlessly stupid. How did someone like you come to be called Sword Empress or whatever?”

Im Yi-eon’s face turned red and blue.

“You’ve been speaking too harshly! Even if you’re a great monk of a previous generation!”

“Why? Want to have a bout?”

Mu-gak showed his finger that was stuck broken.

“Come at me. I’ll face you with one finger.”

Those who knew understood that Mu-gak’s finger wasn’t just any finger.

Im Yi-eon couldn’t bring herself to say let’s fight and turned her head away.

“Forget it.”

Yuk Ha-seon scolded Mu-gak.

“That’s too much. If you oppress juniors like that, you won’t be treated as a good senior.”

“It’s because he keeps saying stupid things. Didn’t I say? When Great Buddha does it, everything is different.”

“Then Iron Head Technique too…?”

Mu-gak didn’t answer.

Namgung Rak thought for a moment then said.

“Let’s say Iron Head Technique is Shaolin’s strongest. Let’s assume there are no weaknesses in the head. Then what about Iron Robe?”

“Iron Robe?”

“According to the master’s words, Great Buddha wouldn’t have learned Golden Thread Iron Garment but ordinary Iron Robe. However, Iron Robe has a weakness called aperture gate, just like other protective energies.”

Aperture gate is a part that can never be trained by any practice.

“If you wear clothes, there must be holes to put them on and take them off, and if you set a fish trap, there must be holes for fish to enter and exit. Likewise, Iron Robe also has gates where internal energy dwells and must exit. Even if it’s Great Buddha, there cannot be no aperture gate.”

Im Yi-eon interjected with a clearly displeased expression.

“Hmph, would Great Buddha allow an aperture gate?”

“It’s not a matter of allowing or not. At least, I want to say he has a weakness.”

Mu-gak sighed.

“Right. Iron Robe has an aperture gate. Even Golden Thread Iron Garment, everywhere. Certainly, aperture gates exist.”

Tang Ha-ran’s eyes lit up as she asked.

“Then, does it mean if we find the aperture gate, we can defeat Great Buddha?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Mu-gak. Mu-gak said there was no hope, but if an aperture gate exists, it’s not without hope.

If it’s Jin Ja-gang,

If it’s the world’s Poison Dragon,

If it’s the Asura who is the king of battles, he’ll surely find the aperture gate and counterattack!

However…

Mu-gak didn’t answer again.

That made many people anxious.

Mu-gak spoke slowly, haltingly.

“I hoped Poison Dragon wouldn’t go to meet Great Buddha.”

Namgung Rak opposed Mu-gak’s opinion.

“This was the best opportunity. If not now, there wouldn’t even be a chance to meet Great Buddha alone.”

“That’s only if Poison Dragon defeats Great Buddha. There is no good opportunity in fighting Great Buddha.”

“Didn’t you say Great Buddha is the strongest in Arhat martial arts? Entry-level martial arts have few variations, so if it’s Poison Dragon, he should be able to cope sufficiently. Vajra Finger, Shaolin Five Fists, staff technique, Arhat Formation… all are orthodox methods without feints or variations.”

“Why don’t you think variations aren’t necessary?”

“I’m saying that if there are few variations, finding and attacking the aperture gate is also not at all a difficult task.”

Mu-gak let out an empty laugh.

“You’re all too optimistic. I think differently from you. There’s only one thing I believe. Not facing Great Buddha with Asura’s intuition but running away! That also wouldn’t be an easy task, but if it’s that guy, I’m thinking he’ll run away before it’s too late.”

Tang Ha-ran shouted.

“Stop!”

Everyone looked at Tang Ha-ran.

Tang Ha-ran bit her lip hard.

“My husband… Poison Dragon… will surely defeat Great Buddha and return.”

Mu-gak looked at Tang Ha-ran with pitying eyes.

“Even if he overcomes even the One-Man Arhat Formation… if Poison Dragon tries to find the aperture gate, he’ll surely die.”

Tang Ha-ran cried out.

“Why! Why do you keep saying he’ll die?”

“It can’t be helped. Great Buddha is!”

Mu-gak’s face became greatly distorted.

“Great Buddha is…”

***

Jin Ja-gang looked at Beom-bon with strange eyes.

Something… felt suspicious.

Vajra Finger, Shaolin Five Fists…

Earlier he used Hundred Step Divine Fist. But why is he only using Shaolin Temple’s basic martial arts now?

And…

Why is the poison Jin Ja-gang has spread from the first floor until now not affecting Beom-bon? It’s not like Beom-bon doesn’t know the power of Asura Blood, so why doesn’t he particularly show signs of concern?

Even Iron Head Technique is extremely puzzling. With the Thunder Force Divine Nail, he clearly caused turmoil inside. But why couldn’t it pierce through human bone and skin?

Especially strange was that even though he broke the Iron Robe, he couldn’t tear Beom-bon’s belly skin with the paired sickle blade.

Jin Ja-gang muttered as something came to mind.

“Poison repellent…”

Poison doesn’t work.

“Impervious to water and fire…”

Water and fire don’t enter.

“Impervious to blades and swords…”

Sharp weapons can’t pierce.

Jin Ja-gang got goosebumps.

“Surely not?”

Beom-bon asked back with a relaxed expression.

“What’s wrong? Are you now afraid of this humble monk?”

Just then, outside became very noisy.

“Poison Dragon! Poi-son Dragon!”

Sounds of fighting with Arhat monks came and someone called Jin Ja-gang until their throat tore.

“Miss An Ryeong?”

Crash!

An Ryeong burst through the second floor window.

Her hair was disheveled and her whole body was covered in blood.

Crack!

An Ryeong, seeing Beom-bon, ground her teeth so hard they might break. She emanated tremendous killing intent.

“Miss An Ryeong! You can’t be here.”

Jin Ja-gang stopped An Ryeong. However, An Ryeong didn’t listen. Jin Ja-gang saw, on An Ryeong’s profile glaring at Beom-bon, the bloody tears she was shedding.

“They’re all dead. All of them.”

She seemed to be talking about An Yul-jin of the An Family Medical Clinic and the family members who were heading to Shaolin Temple.

An Ryeong pointed at Beom-bon with her blood-soaked finger.

“You killed my grandfather!”

Beom-bon calmly looked at An Ryeong.

“You should be grateful. In return, I’ll leave only the An Family Medical Clinic so its lineage can continue.”

“I’ll get revenge… I’ll get revenge.”

Thud. An Ryeong took a step toward Beom-bon.

Jin Ja-gang saw An Ryeong was about to attack Beom-bon and shouted.

“Miss An Ryeong, step back! Great Buddha is…!”

***

Mu-gak said.

“Great Buddha is Shaolin Temple’s only Vajra Indestructible Body.”

Everyone who heard Mu-gak’s words froze.

Vajra Indestructible Body is impervious not only to blades but even to poison. All of Jin Ja-gang’s specialties are sealed.

If Great Buddha truly has Vajra Indestructible Body, he’s invincible.

Jin Ja-gang can never defeat Great Buddha.