Chapter 379

Chapter 379 – The Back Wave Pushes the Front Wave (1)

"A duel?" ​

Dae Gun-sang's eyebrows twitched. ​

Wasn't it called "dare not request, but earnestly desired"? ​

The situation he couldn't dare ask for but had hoped for had unfolded. And by the thorn in his side, Bang Jin-bo, no less. ​

"Good! I accept the duel." ​

He answered without hesitation. ​

In a loud voice so everyone could hear. ​

He no longer thought things would work out with Eun So-cheong. He had acted so clingily that even a woman would lose interest. ​

But as compensation, he wanted to show Bang Jin-bo a lesson. He would make him pay dearly for daring to embarrass him. ​

'A chef? In the end, isn't it just a lowly profession making food?' ​

Dae Gun-sang gritted his teeth and drew his sword. ​

Sunlight hit the blade and scattered in all directions. ​

Demon Slaying Blade. ​

It was a famous sword gifted by his maternal family, the Jinzhou Yan Family. ​

Made by one of the world's finest craftsmen, its sharpness was beyond description. The Demon Slaying Blade that had absorbed countless people's blood emanated even an eerie ghostly aura. ​

"Mmm!" ​

"Truly impressive." ​

The people gathered around shuddered and stepped back. ​

Whatever his personality might be, Dae Gun-sang's skill was real. With the addition of the demonic weapon called Demon Slaying Blade, his presence was truly murderous. But Bang Jin-bo's expression facing him was calm. ​

Though Dae Gun-sang's energy pressed against his skin like needles, strangely he didn't feel afraid. ​

The moment he felt his opponent's energy, the Five Elements energy latent in his body began moving nimbly. As the five types of energy harmonized, vitality was felt throughout his entire body. ​

Bang Jin-bo drew the kitchen knife he wore at his waist. ​

"What's that?" ​

"Don't tell me it's a cooking knife?" ​

People murmured at the appearance of the short and blunt kitchen knife. ​

No one had expected him to draw a kitchen knife for a sacred duel. ​

Contemptuous lights appeared on several faces. ​

Duels between martial artists to compete in skill were sacred. Drawing a knife used for cooking in such a sacred contest felt like an insult to the martial artists. ​

Hot-tempered people spat curses, and quite many showed disappointed expressions. Still, Bang Jin-bo's expression didn't change much. It was proof of how deep his mental cultivation was. ​

"You bastard!" ​

Dae Gun-sang who saw the kitchen knife also reacted no differently from them. He thought Bang Jin-bo was insulting him. ​

"A Mount Hua Sect disciple… no, a chef? A mere chef dares to humiliate me? I'll cut off one of your arms here to punish your crime." ​

Pop! ​

At the same time, he kicked off the ground. ​

Instantly closing the distance and rushing toward Bang Jin-bo, he swung the Demon Slaying Blade. ​

Swish! ​

The Demon Slaying Blade came flying with angles and intensity sharp enough to be difficult for even peak masters to block. ​

Clang! ​

But Bang Jin-bo parried Dae Gun-sang's blade without difficulty. At Bang Jin-bo's unexpectedly agile response, Dae Gun-sang shouted even more angrily. ​

"You've hidden quite a skill. Try taking this too. Hyat!" ​

Demon Slaying Ghostly Spirit Blade. ​

The signature technique that made him who he is today was unleashed. ​

Blade energy spread like a net and came crashing down on Bang Jin-bo. But Bang Jin-bo didn't panic and deployed his footwork to retreat. ​

It was Mount Hua Sect's advanced footwork called Dark Fragrance Floating that moved without sound or trace. As if someone was pulling a rope from behind, Bang Jin-bo instantly moved more than ten zhang like that. ​

"Playing petty tricks?" ​

Dae Gun-sang quickly deployed his secret footwork to follow Bang Jin-bo. Then he consecutively unleashed the techniques of Demon Slaying Ghostly Spirit Blade. ​

Slice! ​

Air and space were mercilessly cut by his Demon Slaying Blade. ​

It was the very technique that had ruthlessly killed the Six Heroes of Dragon Spring. Terrifying attacks that could slice a person into dozens of pieces with a single move were continuously unleashed toward Bang Jin-bo. ​

Chilling waves of killing intent were felt. The source was precisely Dae Gun-sang. Yet even so, Bang Jin-bo didn't think of being afraid. ​

Dae Gun-sang's killing intent was truly remarkable. Considering his age which didn't differ much from Bang Jin-bo, it was unbelievably intense. But even such killing intent couldn't shake Bang Jin-bo's firm spirit. ​

While avoiding Dae Gun-sang's attacks, Bang Jin-bo glanced at Dam Ho. ​

No matter how remarkable Dae Gun-sang's killing intent might be, it couldn't compare to Dam Ho. If Dae Gun-sang was a hawk soaring through the sky, Dam Ho was a great roc that could cover the world with wings alone. ​

Dam Ho stood with arms crossed, not moving at all. It was an expression of will that he wouldn't intervene under any circumstances. But Bang Jin-bo didn't feel disappointed. Rather, he felt proud. Because he took it to mean Dam Ho trusted him that much. ​

Slice! ​

The Demon Slaying Blade came flying toward Bang Jin-bo's forehead, cutting through space. ​

A determination to kill at all costs was felt. ​

This was already beyond the level of a simple duel. It was no different from a life-and-death struggle fought with lives on the line. ​

Bang Jin-bo's face, always full of smiles, turned cold for the first time. At the same time, his eyes also became sharp. ​

Grip! ​

Power entered the hand holding the kitchen knife. ​

Unlike Dae Gun-sang, blade energy didn't form or show visible changes. But something had changed. The completely changed atmosphere proved that fact. ​

The first to feel that fact was precisely Dae Gun-sang who was facing Bang Jin-bo. ​

'This guy!' ​

Suddenly his spine felt chilly. ​

Whoosh! ​

At that moment, a silver thread swept past his side. He barely avoided having his clothes cut, but his robe was torn long and fluttered. ​

Bang Jin-bo's kitchen knife had penetrated his offensive and wounded him. Only then did Dae Gun-sang keenly realize that Bang Jin-bo possessed greater skill than he had imagined. ​

"Grrr!" ​

Dae Gun-sang bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. ​

The situation was getting twisted and twisted again. ​

His maternal family, the Jinzhou Yan Family, couldn't exert power in this situation, and Bang Jin-bo, whom he had been confident he could easily subdue, was actually displaying unpredictable martial prowess and putting him in danger. ​

Whoosh! ​

Bang Jin-bo rushed forward at terrifying speed. ​

His still youthful face rapidly enlarged. On that face that always wore smiles, firm resolve and determined eyes had appeared. ​

As Bang Jin-bo's kitchen knife moved dazzlingly, plum blossoms bloomed in the air. The Twenty-Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword that only the Thirty-Six Plum Blossom Swordsmen could learn was being unleashed. But his Twenty-Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword was also different from what the Plum Blossom Swordsmen had learned. ​

True Master Hyeon-so had refined it solely for him – Plum Blossom Blade, not Plum Blossom Sword. A blade technique optimized for deployment with a kitchen knife only one-third the size of an ordinary blade – that was precisely Bang Jin-bo's Plum Blossom Blade. ​

Clang clang clang! ​

The Demon Slaying Blade and kitchen knife continuously clashed. ​

Bang Jin-bo was as fast and intense as Dae Gun-sang. ​

Every time the two blades clashed, sparks flew continuously and intense shock waves burst forth. ​

"How can this be!" ​

"He's not falling behind Great Hero Dae at all!" ​

The heroes murmured in surprise at Bang Jin-bo's appearance of not yielding an inch against the renowned Dae Gun-sang. ​

The martial prowess of Demon Slaying Swordsman Dae Gun-sang was already famous enough that no one in the martial world didn't know of it, but Bang Jin-bo was a completely unfamiliar figure. ​

Though the martial world was said to have countless eccentric talents like grains of sand, there weren't many talents that could match Dae Gun-sang. So they had naturally thought Dae Gun-sang would win. But Bang Jin-bo was shattering their prejudices and showing himself fighting on equal terms with Dae Gun-sang. ​

Bang Jin-bo's appearance of deploying Plum Blossom Blade and fighting equally with Dae Gun-sang gave the heroes a fresh shock. ​

To properly deploy the Twenty-Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword, one had to learn the Supreme Clarity Heart Art. Therefore, all Thirty-Six Plum Blossom Swordsmen also learned the Supreme Clarity Heart Art. But Bang Jin-bo was different. ​

What he had learned was the Five Elements Gentleman Art – originally he should never have been able to deploy Plum Blossom Blade. But Taoist Hyeon-so and Dam Ho had joined forces to make it possible. ​

'Now then?' ​

Bang Jin-bo's kitchen knife suddenly emitted dazzling light. Unlike ordinary Plum Blossom Sword, it was blade energy mixed with five colors. ​

Rumble! ​

Fire energy and metal energy harmonized, wood energy and water energy generated each other. And earth energy led all those energies together. ​

"Hyah!" ​

Bang Jin-bo let out an intense shout. ​

Plum Blossom Fragrance Travels a Thousand Li, Ten Thousand People Take for a Thousand Days. ​

Since plum blossom fragrance travels a thousand li, ten thousand people will be intoxicated for a thousand days. ​

The strongest techniques of Plum Blossom Blade were unleashed in succession. ​

For a moment, Dae Gun-sang saw an illusion as if the entire world was covered with plum blossoms. No, it wasn't an illusion. Bang Jin-bo's kitchen knife was actually blooming with magnificent five-colored plum blossoms. ​

It was a miracle only Bang Jin-bo who had learned the Five Elements Gentleman Art could create. ​

Tremendous crisis struck Dae Gun-sang. Just by looking, he could tell. The terrifying power contained in his opponent's attack. ​

The proper course would be to avoid and counterattack. But Dae Gun-sang's pride kicked in. He couldn't show the ridiculous sight of frantically avoiding an attack from an opponent he hadn't given even a speck of consideration to. ​

'I'll clash head-on and destroy it.' ​

Dae Gun-sang invested all his power to unleash Frenzied Blood Demon Slash, the strongest technique of Demon Slaying Ghostly Spirit Blade. ​

"Cry! Demon Slaying Blade!" ​

Rumble! ​

Responding to his call, the Demon Slaying Blade revealed its originally fierce fangs with a rough cry. And it collided with the technique of Plum Blossom Blade that Bang Jin-bo had unleashed. ​

Crash! ​

Instantly space exploded. ​

The space where the two techniques clashed warped, and the shock wave swept through the area like a tsunami. ​

"Urgh!" ​

"Hup!" ​

Martial artists caught in the tsunami-like energy wave tumbled this way and that. Only Dam Ho remained standing in place watching that scene. ​

A line of satisfaction was drawn on his face that had been expressionless like a stone statue. It was a moment when Dam Ho rarely showed emotion. ​

While others could only see the thick dust that had risen, Dam Ho's eyes were seeing the truth beyond it. ​

"Big brother." ​

But Eun So-cheong's face, having no way to confirm the truth, was full of worried light. She hoped Dam Ho would reassure her. ​

Dam Ho nodded and lightly extended his fist. Then tremendous wind arose, instantly blowing away the thick dust that had been blocking their view. And the truth was revealed before everyone. ​

"Ah!" ​

"How can this be!" ​

People widened their eyes at the unbelievable result spread before them. ​

One person was standing, another was kneeling. And beside the kneeling one lay a blade broken in two. ​

"Great Hero Dae…" ​

"To think the Demon Slaying Blade would break." ​

The one kneeling with an expression of disbelief was precisely Dae Gun-sang. ​

In his bloodshot pupils were lights of fear, confusion, and disbelief. ​

"For the Demon Slaying Blade to be broken by a mere kitchen knife…" ​

The Demon Slaying Blade broken in half was reflected on his retina. ​

The Demon Slaying Blade was like Dae Gun-sang's symbol. What had broken such a Demon Slaying Blade was none other than Bang Jin-bo's kitchen knife. ​

"How?" ​

He convulsively raised his head to look at Bang Jin-bo. ​

Slice! ​

At that moment, a tremendous fountain of blood shot up from his shoulder. ​

"Gun-sang!" ​

Yan Ju-cheon, who had been holding his breath watching until now, hurriedly ran to Dae Gun-sang. When he supported him, Dae Gun-sang had already lost consciousness. ​

That's when it happened. ​

"Waaah! Mount Hua's Grand Chef has defeated the Demon Slaying Swordsman." ​

"A new star has appeared in the martial world." ​

"The best!" ​

The heroes who confirmed the result of the match burst into cheers in unison. ​

The martial world was always thirsty for the emergence of new heroes. The appearance of new heroes always brought explosive cheers. Even more so if that appearance was dramatic. ​

Bang Jin-bo's emergence was such a case. ​

A young Mount Hua martial artist who had defeated the Demon Slaying Swordsman, said to be the greatest among recently emerged rising talents. But that young martial artist's true identity was a chef who made food. ​

People sent enthusiastic cheers for the dramatic emergence of a new talent. At this, Bang Jin-bo showed an embarrassed expression. ​

He wasn't someone accustomed to such cheers and attention. But he felt good. Not because he stood at the center of people's cheers, but because he had won while Eun So-cheong was watching. ​

"The Fist Demon's guarantee wasn't false." ​

"Ha! The birth of a new talent surpassing the Four New Stars." ​

People's voices tickled his ears. ​

"Jin-bo!" ​

Eun So-cheong ran to Bang Jin-bo. ​

'Where's hyung?' ​

While embracing Eun So-cheong, Bang Jin-bo looked for Dam Ho. ​

He could see Dam Ho's retreating figure disappearing through the crowd. He was heading alone toward the Alliance Leader's quarters. ​