Chapter 125. Dong Bong-su vs. Paeng Ho-ryu (1)
Dong Bong-su had also heard that name before.
Paeng Ho-ryu, the Hegemon Star.
One of the three new rising stars that appeared in the Central Plains. Since Blade Star Do Heo-ok had changed into a different form over there, strictly speaking, he was one of the remaining two.
And
The current family head of the Hebei Paeng Family.
No other explanation was necessary.
Paeng Ho-ryu's appearance was quite neat and tidy, wearing a deep robe made of white fine cloth, with fluttering lines of black silk along the hems, collar, and sleeves.
In contrast to that appearance, the broad and massive rustic saber on his back gave off an extremely domineering feeling. Rustic sabers were originally very long blades, but Paeng Ho-ryu's was even longer, almost as long as his own height of six chi. The tip of the rustic saber nearly dragged on the ground.
His angular jaw, thick sideburns, and tiger-like eyes that emitted an intensely powerful gaze truly radiated the dignity of a grandmaster of an era.
And yet...…
He was very young. Although he looked a bit older because of his sideburns, he still did not seem to be past his late twenties.
At such a young age, being the family head of one of the four great families of the Central Plains...
Dong Bong-su looked at him for a moment, then opened his mouth.
"So that is the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade."
"That is correct."
Paeng Ho-ryu loosened the rustic saber and gripped the two-handed handle with both hands. It was a simple motion, but just that alone made a domineering aura overflow.
At the same time, the black lines wrapped around his wrists swelled violently. It showed how pure and profound Paeng Ho-ryu's internal energy was, and at the same time, how seriously he regarded Dong Bong-su.
He looked toward Namgung Hye in the spectator seats and said.
"May I commit another discourtesy?"
Like Murong Bing had done, Paeng Ho-ryu was calling it a discourtesy to voluntarily give up the right of automatic advancement.
For Namgung Hye, it did not matter anyway.
Rather, wasn't it a welcome thing? It was a good chance to find out whether the strange shock Dong Bong-su had shown earlier was real or not. Why would she refuse?
She smiled lightly and nodded.
"Yes, Family Head Paeng. As much as you like."
At the words "Family Head Paeng," the venue became noisy once again. Because Namgung Hye had confirmed it.
The number one expert of Hebei, the Hegemon Star Paeng Ho-ryu, versus an unidentified mysterious master.
An unexpectedly huge match was happening not in the finals, but in the preliminaries.
Woooooahhhhhh!
Amid their outpouring frenzy, spectators who had been scattered around the northern and southern martial arenas flocked even more toward the Main Avenue.
"What is your weapon? Surely it is not that …..."
Paeng Ho-ryu asked after glancing once at Dong Bong-su's hand.
Dong Bong-su quietly set down the dagger he had been holding on the ground.
Then he immediately took out a sword from his bosom. It was a sword darkened to pitch-black from blood caked all over it.
The Wanderer's Sword. It was now a sword that had become like Dong Bong-su's symbol. Of course, no one in the Central Plains knew that yet.
"This is it."
"It is a truly real sword, enough to make one envious."
A real sword.
That was how Paeng Ho-ryu saw the Wanderer's Sword. Just how many battles would one have to go through to take on such a color? And yet it was still not rusted and was fully functioning as a sword.
Of course, the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade he himself was holding was also a genuine blade. It was the symbol of the Hebei Paeng Family and the sign of the family head. Since stepping into the martial world, he had never once swung this blade with both hands.
And yet now, he was holding it with both hands.
"It feels like my two hands are insufficient for the first time."
He could vaguely sense it. Just how strong that man who looked so listless actually was. And so he could willingly loosen the blade and hold it with both hands.
Dong Bong-su put one hand behind his back, and with the other hand holding the Wanderer's Sword, flicked it horizontally once, then slowly lowered it. That was his own way of assuming the starting stance.
"Come."
"Then I will not stand on ceremony and will go in first. Here I go!"
At last, the fight began.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The footfalls were as heavy as Paeng Ho-ryu's massive body. This was not because his movement technique was poor. Rather, it showed just how much true energy was concentrated at the tips of his feet.
The blue stone floor, harder than most metal, was gouged deeply with every step he took.
Dong Bong-su watched calmly, then thrust the Wanderer's Sword straight forward.
It was Skill [Straight Piercing the Yellow Dragon], with no special form added.
[Three Talents Sword Art 2nd Form Straight Piercing the Yellow Dragon L1 :. Mav Proficiency : 0%]
A sword art commonly found in the martial world. Even ordinary people without internal energy can learn it.
Straight Piercing the Yellow Dragon is an enhanced version of thrust.
All action bonuses of this skill are related to the proficiency of the related skill and whether sword energy/sword force is being used.
Current applied level: Lv:Max (The player can adjust the level of this skill.)
Thrust range bonus: 10%
Thrust attack power bonus: 10%
Thrust casting speed bonus: -9%
True energy consumption per use: 120 JP
"Hah! Good!"
Paeng Ho-ryu stopped his movement. Even though Dong Bong-su's sword had not touched his blade, an enormous sword wind had already surged in first. In truth, the attack range had widened due to the range bonus, but Paeng Ho-ryu had no way of knowing that.
Bang!
The sword wind struck the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade that he had held sideways. It was strong, but he thought it was something he could handle. After blocking Dong Bong-su's attack, Paeng Ho-ryu immediately stepped forward again and swung the blade as if cutting sideways.
Dong Bong-su, still with one hand behind his back, flicked the Wanderer's Sword toward where the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade was coming from. It was not a special form. Just like before, he simply used the subtle effect of Skill [Sweeping the Thousand Armies] to cut sideways.
But the result it produced was something an ordinary person would find hard to understand.
"What!"
Clearly, Paeng Ho-ryu was the one who attacked, but the one who got bounced back was also Paeng Ho-ryu.
[Chain Strike (Passive) Lv.2 Proficiency : 55.56%]
The Wanderer's sword strikes, learned without any set forms and only through real combat, are crude but unpredictable, and thus frightening. Above all, even if the enemy is not struck by his sword, the wanderer never gives up and clings relentlessly. If he cannot cut them down in one strike, then two, three, or even over a hundred strikes—he will keep swinging until he kills the enemy.
Enemies who receive consecutive attacks from the player suffer special status effects.
On successful 2-hit chain, the enemy suffers 'Bleeding'. On failed 2-hit chain, the enemy is pushed back. (Lv.1 activated)
On successful 5-hit chain, the enemy is 'Slowed'. On failed 5-hit chain, the player enters 'Berserk'. (Lv.2 activated)
※ For consecutive attacks to be recognized as a chain, the attack and the next attack must occur within 1 second. The effects of the status ailments vary depending on the level.
[2-hit chain failed. The player strongly pushes the enemy back.]
Since Skill [Chain Strike] was passive, it activated automatically even if Dong Bong-su did not consciously will it. But to Paeng Ho-ryu, who was on the receiving end, and to the spectators watching, it felt like a completely different, special martial art.
"A-amazing! He is not being pushed back at all even against the Hegemon Star!"
"What do you mean not being pushed back! It's Paeng Ho-ryu who attacked that got bounced back!"
Paeng Ho-ryu also received a shock no less fresh than the spectators.
That the opponent was strong was already a known fact. But to think it was to this extent ...
And so he was happy. He had been a little worried, thinking what if he was not as strong as expected ... but at this level, wouldn't it be fine to go all out?
Paeng Ho-ryu straightened his posture, which had been disturbed when he was pushed back by [Chain Strike].
Then he smiled and opened his mouth.
"Hahaha! I know well that you still are not using your hidden strength. But from now on, if you do not go all out, it will not do."
Dong Bong-su also knew well that Paeng Ho-ryu was not going all out. Because.
Ting ting ting ting, tingririring ...
His ears had been noisy ever since he came up onto the martial arena. At first, he thought it was because of Namgung Hye. But when Paeng Ho-ryu came up onto the arena, it became clear that it was not. The distance his spiritual vision was warning him about was shrinking.
That man is at least level 10 higher than me.
Lv. 45 or higher.
Dong Bong-su lowered the hand he had behind his back and spoke quietly.
"Come."
Boom, boom!
Once again, Paeng Ho-ryu's footprints were carved into the blue stone floor. They were much deeper than before. The sound also was like a bomb exploding.
In fact, every time Paeng Ho-ryu stepped on the ground, the martial arena was being torn apart.
Pabababak!
Fragments of shattered blue stone rushed fiercely toward Dong Bong-su like lightning.
Wooooong.
The Super True Energy Field swayed. [Beginner's ??? ] busily poured out Super True Energy Waves.
The Super True Energy Field was extremely sensitive. Without missing even a single small piece of blue stone, it caught them all in midair. Just like Murong Bing's sword had slowly stopped in the air earlier, the stone fragments also gradually slowed, and soon all of them stopped and floated in midair.
Paeng Ho-ryu rampaged straight through the gaps between them. Terrifying Super True Energy Waves poured onto his body and the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade, but they were not enough to stop his domineering movement technique midway.
"Uryaaaaa!"
Paeng Ho-ryu, who had reached right in front of Dong Bong-su, brought the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade down vertically.
Purburburburburbuk!
Clearly, the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade was falling downward, but the blade waves swept out in all directions. In response, the blue stone fragments floating in the air all shattered at once.
"Th-that, what is that?"
"Did the Paeng Family have such a blade technique?"
The blade waves Paeng Ho-ryu created were powerful. So much so that even the hair of the spectators watching from below the arena was blown about. Then what about the impact felt by Dong Bong-su, who was standing right in the middle of it?
Jijijik.
A single strand of blade wave that pierced through the Super True Energy Wall left a long cut mark on Dong Bong-su's cheek. Even so, Dong Bong-su did not blink an eye.
Paeng Ho-ryu's blade came closer inch by inch. The pressure Dong Bong-su felt also increased pound by pound.
At some point, Dong Bong-su stretched his hand straight upward. It was not the hand holding the sword. He extended his empty hand toward the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade.
" .....! "
At that moment, the blade waves stopped.
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