Heavenly Web
“Shaolin Dragon. I trusted you so much. Why have you betrayed the orthodox faction and allied with the Demonic Sect?”
At Wi Ji-hak’s composed remark, Mu-jin smirked.
“You’re the one who allied with the Demonic Sect, not me, Alliance Leader.”
“Ha ha ha. So, you intend to feign ignorance until the end?”
Wi Ji-hak, continuing his pretentious act, now looked at Jegal Muhwan standing behind Mu-jin.
“Grand Military Advisor. I never expected you to side with the Shaolin Dragon. Because of you, the Alliance has suffered even more.”
– Why didn’t you just continue pretending not to know, like before?
Jegal Muhwan fanned himself lazily, responding to the transmission.
“Why would I be loyal to a master who abandoned me like a stray dog?”Wi Ji-hak’s lips curved upward at Jegal Muhwan’s retort.
“Ha ha ha. I didn’t realize the Grand Military Advisor had such a sharp tongue. It seems I’ve been deceived for over ten years. If you surrender now, we’ll ensure a ‘fair’ interrogation by the Martial Alliance. What do you say?”
Mu-jin and Jegal Muhwan both sneered at his question.
“It sounds like you’re offering to kill us fairly.”
“Considering the nonsense you’re spouting, it seems the Alliance Leader is the stray dog, not me. Ha ha ha.”
As both laughed, Wi Ji-hak joined in with hearty laughter, only for a moment.
“Ha ha ha!”
Suddenly, he straightened his face and ordered the Martial Alliance warriors.
“Capture them and imprison them in the Alliance! Attack!”
At the Alliance Leader’s command, the warriors rushed toward Mu-jin and his group.
– Shaolin Dragon. Can you buy us some time against the Alliance Leader?
Simultaneously, Jegal Muhwan’s voice reached Mu-jin.
The Alliance Leader, known as the Fist King, was a formidable opponent. Even if Mu-jin were in peak condition, it would be hard to guarantee victory. Now, after a day of pursuit that drained his internal energy and stamina, facing the Alliance Leader seemed nearly impossible. Although Mu-jin was in better shape than other Shaolin disciples, his strength and internal energy were still considerably depleted. However, for some reason, Jegal Muhwan’s words sparked a glimmer of hope in him.
– If I buy time, will a solution emerge?
– That depends on how long the Shaolin Dragon can hold out, doesn’t it?
Mu-jin chuckled at Jegal Muhwan’s answer and responded.
– I have to endure it anyway to avoid dying. Ah, I won’t be able to protect you while I’m fighting the Alliance Leader.
– I’ve had a comfortable ride this far. Now it’s my turn to survive on my own.
As Jegal Muhwan’s reply came in, Mu-jin dashed toward Wi Ji-hak using the Fast Ascent Step. Mu-jin’s punch collided with Wi Ji-hak’s, creating a thunderous boom.
Boom!
“Ha ha ha. They say the Shaolin Dragon’s fists are heavier than the Namgung Family’s Chang-gung Muae Swordsmanship. Indeed, they deserve to be called divine strength!”
Right after their fists clashed, the Martial Alliance Leader shouted heartily. Although his fist was pushed back by the impact, there was no sign of pain on his face. It wasn’t just an act; he genuinely felt no pain.
“Damn.”
Mu-jin clicked his tongue, looking at the black gauntlets on Wi Ji-hak’s hands.
The Black Scaled Gauntlets.
They were known to be a divine artifact Wi Ji-hak obtained along with his mystical arts. But now that Mu-jin knew he was from Shinchun, it wasn’t hard to deduce that those so-called fortunate encounters were actually provided by Shinchun. Although Mu-jin had the upper hand in strength, he wasn’t pleased with the situation.
“Try blocking this one too!”
The Fist King, Wi Ji-hak’s signature technique, the Meteor Fist, focused on speed rather than power or weight. Wi Ji-hak’s punch, thrown with incredible speed, seemed to gain momentum from being pushed back earlier. At the same time, the white energy from his punch shot toward Mu-jin at a terrifying speed.
Mu-jin instinctively moved his arms to deflect the punch, but…
‘Damn. This is like a meteor shower!’
As he blocked the first strike, Wi Ji-hak’s arms continued to unleash a barrage of meteors. Mu-jin barely managed to deflect or dodge them, constantly moving his limbs.
“!!!”
Reacting to an instinctive sense of danger, Mu-jin dodged, but Wi Ji-hak’s punch still grazed him.
“Didn’t you say you were going to capture us alive? That looked like a kill attempt to me.”
Mu-jin dodged because one of the meteors was not just energy but a solid punch. If he had tried to block it mindlessly, his hand would have been crushed, or worse, he might have died on the spot.
‘If I hadn’t sparred with Dao Yuetian, I wouldn’t have been able to react.’
Thanks to Dao Yuetian, Mu-jin had become accustomed to swift techniques and barely managed to react in time.
Wi Ji-hak, with a gentlemanly smile, responded to Mu-jin’s sarcasm.
“I thought someone known as the world’s greatest late-stage expert could handle it. Ha ha ha. But you’re right, it could cause severe injuries. Why don’t you surrender now?”
Mu-jin, knowing the hypocrisy behind Wi Ji-hak’s words, found them utterly repulsive.
“Surrendering would mean certain death. Do you think I’m crazy?”
He could already foresee what would happen if he was captured by the Martial Alliance. They would poison his food or water or release poison into the air while he was confined. If he died now, an internal conflict would erupt among the orthodox factions, benefiting Shinchun the most.
“Ha ha ha. Choosing punishment over a drink, are we?”
Wi Ji-hak began moving his arms again, signaling the end of their conversation. Among the numerous meteor punches flying toward Mu-jin, there were deadly punches mixed in, just like before.
‘If only I had more internal energy.’
Mu-jin couldn’t afford to protect his entire body with the Golden Turtle Technique due to the need to conserve his energy. He could only shield his vital points and deflect the meteors with energy-imbued punches and kicks. He could only dodge the deadly punches by instinctively moving his body. Though his body was repeatedly hit by Wi Ji-hak’s punches, Mu-jin endured with the power of the Vajra Exorcising Devil Fist.
“Ha ha ha. I heard the Shaolin Dragon’s body reached an indestructible state, and it seems true!”
Wi Ji-hak shouted joyfully as he pummeled Mu-jin like a punching bag.
“Let’s see if you can withstand even a deadly punch!”
Mu-jin barely dodged another deadly punch but took several more hits as a result.
“Ha ha ha. Even with your indestructible body, it seems you still suffer damage.”
Wi Ji-hak grinned, satisfied, as he saw blood trickle from Mu-jin’s lips. Even though Mu-jin’s body was hardened by the Vajra Exorcising Devil Fist, the accumulated impact from the continuous punches was beginning to show.
However, despite the accumulating damage, Mu-jin’s eyes weren’t consumed by anger or despair.
Instead, he was calmly searching for a solution.
‘Hmph. So not all of the Seven Kings are on the same level.’
Mu-jin had fought against the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, also known as the Sword King, as well as the Wolf King and Hwang Gon of the Five Lords.
Yet, Wi Ji-hak was certainly more challenging to deal with than any of those three.
Mu-jin’s strategy of enduring the blows wasn’t solely because of Jegal Muhwan’s request to buy time.
Despite being repeatedly hit, Mu-jin was constantly trying to close the distance between him and Wi Ji-hak.
However, Wi Ji-hak was adept at maintaining distance even while executing his Meteor Fist, like an out-boxer toying with an in-fighter in a modern boxing match.
Although Mu-jin was confident he could win if he could land a single solid hit, closing the distance proved difficult.
‘Then let’s try the opposite!’
Mu-jin devised a plan, pretending to flee instead of charging at Wi Ji-hak.
His idea was to lure Wi Ji-hak into chasing him, then suddenly turn and close in for a surprise attack.
“Hahaha.”
But instead of being confused by Mu-jin’s retreat, Wi Ji-hak burst into a hearty laugh.
Swoosh!
He suddenly directed a barrage of meteors toward the Shaolin disciples fighting the Martial Alliance warriors.
“Damn it!”
Forced to abandon his plan, Mu-jin hurriedly used his remaining internal energy to deflect the incoming attacks with Hundred Steps Divine Fist.
“Isn’t it disgraceful for the leader of the orthodox faction to be so underhanded?”
“Isn’t it more honorable than running away? Ha ha ha.”
At Wi Ji-hak’s bold reply, Mu-jin spat out blood-tainted saliva.
‘Hmph. I managed to block it once, but this is dangerous.’
Not only was Mu-jin in danger, but the Shaolin disciples also seemed on the verge of collapsing.
In such a disadvantageous situation, Mu-jin decided to take a gamble.
Bang!
With a powerful burst, Mu-jin’s figure elongated as he charged forward.
Wi Ji-hak’s expression hardened as Mu-jin rapidly closed the distance, causing him to unleash another series of meteors.
Boom!
But Mu-jin willingly took the hits, continuing his charge.
And as a meteor mixed with deadly force approached,
“Hup!”
Mu-jin shattered it with his Invincible Divine Fist instead of dodging.
‘I’ve got just over half of my internal energy left!’
Determined to put everything into one final strike, Mu-jin continued his assault.
“!!!”
But as he shattered the first deadly force, another followed immediately.
In that split second,
Mu-jin chose to dodge instead of using the Invincible Divine Fist again, realizing he wouldn’t have enough energy to fight Wi Ji-hak if he used it.
“Ha ha ha. Quite the excellent judgment.”
Wi Ji-hak, who thought he had Mu-jin cornered, was genuinely surprised as Mu-jin narrowly avoided his trap.
‘At that age, to already be at this level. Indeed, he needs to be dealt with quickly.’
Despite Mu-jin’s weary appearance, his calm eyes unnerved Wi Ji-hak.
“Then, let’s finish this.”
Another barrage of meteors filled the air, targeting Mu-jin.
The speed and density hadn’t changed much from before.
“!!!”
But Mu-jin noticed a subtle yet significant change.
There were many more deadly forces mixed in with the meteors.
‘This bastard! He never intended to let me live!’
While deadly force was powerful, it also consumed a lot of internal energy.
Using it consecutively meant risking running out of internal energy before finishing his opponent.
Yet, given Mu-jin’s current state, anyone could see he would collapse before Wi Ji-hak ran out of energy.
“Let’s see who wins, you bastard!”
Mu-jin, filled with rage, dodged the deadly forces with all his might.
But Wi Ji-hak was skilled at cornering his opponent.
As Mu-jin dodged a deadly force, Wi Ji-hak aimed his attacks at the ground Mu-jin was standing on, throwing him off balance.
The ground exploded, momentarily unbalancing Mu-jin.
Using his years of training, Mu-jin managed to narrowly dodge the next strike.
But this loss of balance left him vulnerable to the following attack.
“Damn it!”
With no other choice, Mu-jin gathered his remaining internal energy and used the Invincible Divine Fist once more.
Boom!
The deadly force collided with Mu-jin’s golden energy, causing a massive explosion.
The dust from the explosion briefly obscured vision.
Swoosh!
Wi Ji-hak’s meteors cut through the dust, heading straight for Mu-jin.
In that split second,
Mu-jin hesitated.
‘…Should I use it?’
His dantian was already empty. To continue fighting, he would have to tap into his innate energy, risking his future.
But to have a future, he had to survive the present.
“Hoo.”
Mu-jin made his decision and began to burn his life force when—
Swoosh!
A Songmun Antique Sword, surrounded by sword energy, flew toward the meteors.
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