Almighty God of War - Chapter 42

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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042

Kiiik…?

It was Golden King who first noticed Guyang Cheongang’s transformation.

The little creature that had been playing in Heo Choryeong’s arms had climbed onto her shoulder and was now staring at Guyang Cheongang.

Golden King’s jewel-like crimson eyes were filled with pure curiosity.

Meanwhile, when Guyang Cheongang rose from his seat, Heo Choryeong, who had been watching with bated breath, unconsciously swallowed dryly.

Unbelievably, the current Guyang Cheongang was not the boy she had known until just a day ago.

His height, which had been similar to hers, had grown by at least three inches to nearly six feet, and his frail frame that had seemed ready to break at any moment had also become solid and firm.

But the greatest change was felt in his face.

His originally sculpture-like beautiful features remained the same, but the feeling was completely different.

Instead of the precarious and delicate lines of a sickly boy, sharp yet strong jawlines and a prominent nose bridge harmonized to exude a refined yet distinctly masculine charm.

His clear skin, free of pallor, combined with the unfathomable depth in his eyes created a mysterious atmosphere incomparable to before.

‘Is this person… really the same Gang-je I knew?’

Heo Choryeong’s mouth went dry and her mind became hazy, leaving her at a loss for words.

Just a few days ago, Guyang Cheongang had been a boy who seemed so fragile that she wanted to protect him.

But the person standing before her now exuded such a deep and powerful masculine presence that she could hardly dare to look at him directly.

Whether he knew her inner thoughts or not, Guyang Cheongang approached her and spoke in a gentle voice.

“You’ve waited long, Elder Sister.”

Even his voice had changed to become deeper and more stable than before.

“Oh, no… that… that is….”

Heo Choryeong found herself stammering without realizing it.

She tried to change the subject to hide her flustered state.

“Strange light kept flowing from Gang-je’s body, so I lost track of time.”

Guyang Cheongang blinked with curiosity and responded.

“There was such a phenomenon. I had no idea.”

“Gang-je was completely focused on Qi Circulation Practice. I don’t know what kind of training you did, but it’s really… amazing.”

Heo Choryeong spoke with genuine admiration.

Guyang Cheongang smiled brightly and turned his gaze to Golden King, who was staring at him intently with round eyes from her shoulder.

“Golden King, it’s time to begin the second round. Are you ready?”

His voice overflowed with playfulness along with absolute confidence in his own power.

As soon as Guyang Cheongang finished speaking, Golden King’s small body shot forward like a cannonball!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh-!

Golden afterimages embroidered the air like living lightning as it closed in on Guyang Cheongang head-on.

Though his vision seemed filled with golden flashes, this time Guyang Cheongang did not panic.

‘I can see it…!’

His eyes, trained by the Transcendent Impermanence Divine Art and enhanced by sixty years’ worth of internal energy, could clearly see Golden King’s movements even without activating Maximum Combat Mode.

He reflexively deployed Flash Step.

His form became hazy for a moment, then in the next instant he had miraculously escaped from the path of Golden King’s storm-like attacks.

Thanks to his increased internal energy, his Flash Step was no longer a simple movement technique but showed strange movements as if folding space itself.

Kiiik?

Confused that its attack had cut through empty air, Golden King twisted its body in midair and charged again.

Screeeeech-

But Guyang Cheongang was already reading the creature’s movements perfectly.

He no longer dodged.

Instead, he slipped ghost-like to the next point where Golden King would arrive and deployed Dragon Subduing Golden Binding Technique.

Swish swish swoosh-

A perfect single move targeting only one point—the opponent’s vital spot.

As his hand cut through the air, the surrounding atmosphere settled heavily and an invisible vortex of force was created.

Golden King instinctively sensed danger and tried to change trajectory in midair, but it was already too late.

Guyang Cheongang’s hand was blocking the exact path where the creature was gathering strength for its next move, as if he had predicted its movements.

Thunk-!

With a heavy yet sharp sound, Guyang Cheongang’s hand precisely and gently, yet with inescapable force, grasped Golden King’s small wrist.

Kiiiiiik-!

The explosive momentum flowing through Golden King’s body seemed to be instantly sucked into his grip.

Guyang Cheongang did not slam Golden King to the ground or anything like that.

He simply set the creature down gently on the floor.

That was the end of the match.

Golden King stood on the ground and looked down at Guyang Cheongang’s hand holding its wrist for a moment, then looked up at him with disbelieving eyes.

In less than two days, Guyang Cheongang had become an incomprehensible being who had reached the level of subduing it in the blink of an eye.

Guyang Cheongang released its wrist.

Then Golden King, showing the courtesy of a master acknowledging an opponent, stood on two feet and made a gesture of respectful salute.

A quiet gasp escaped from Heo Choryeong’s lips as she watched the scene with bated breath.

“…Good heavens.”

Guyang Cheongang smiled gently at Golden King.

“Golden King, will you guide us now?”

Golden King nodded vigorously.

Guyang Cheongang and Heo Choryeong, who had gathered as much Supreme Blood Moss and Dragon Brain Jade Mushroom as possible using their outer garments as wrapping cloth, followed behind Golden King.

The narrow cliff crevice that Golden King led them to was so tight that an adult could barely squeeze through.

Upon entering, a cave without a single ray of light stretched into the distant darkness.

From ahead came a damp and fishy wind that suggested the cave’s depth, blowing unpleasantly.

“…Are we really supposed to go this way?”

Heo Choryeong asked, swallowing nervously.

Guyang Cheongang silently nodded and stepped into the crevice following Golden King.

The cave was too narrow to walk through straight, requiring them to walk sideways.

The two began walking forward carefully, step by step, relying on each other’s faint breathing sounds.

The damp, moss-covered rocks were dangerously slippery, and the sound of water droplets falling from stalactites echoed eerily.

After walking through the passage for about a hundred zhang, an ominous red light became faintly visible ahead.

Taking the final step out of the passage, a massive stone chamber appeared before the group—similar to the previous plaza but much more damp and desolate.

Here, not even moss, mushrooms, or a single weed could be seen.

Moreover, the floor was covered with blackish soil, and a foul stench filled the air.

In the center was a pond where black, murky water swirled.

The moment Guyang Cheongang frowned at the invisible sense of danger,

Golden King on Heo Choryeong’s shoulder let out a sharp cry as if in warning.

Kiyak!

The pond water began swirling violently, then shot up to the ceiling like a desert tornado.

Splash splash splash splash splash-!

When the spray settled and revealed the monster within, Heo Choryeong covered her mouth with her hand.

A gigantic serpent with just its visible body length exceeding five zhang.

On its head sprouted ink-black, razor-sharp horns over five chi in length.

It was a monster resembling the legendary imugi, radiating evil energy.

[Doctor, that monster isn’t an imugi but the demonic beast Black Horn Flood Dragon recorded in the Life and Death Medical Classic. Be careful. Its scales are impervious to swords and blades, and the saliva it spits is highly toxic acidic venom that can melt even iron.]

‘How long can I maintain Maximum Combat Mode?’

[With your internal energy breaking through sixty years, it’s extended to 10 minutes.]

‘That’s all?’

[On Earth, you’d be displaying hero-level superhuman abilities, and you’re saying 10 minutes is short?]

‘Well… anyway, what happens after that time passes?’

[My operation will cease, and the cold energy of Nine Yin Severed Meridians will freeze all your meridians.]

‘You’re saying this body will die?’

[…That’s correct.]

‘Then we need to finish this within 10 minutes.’

At that moment, Golden King informed them through squeaking sounds and gestures that there was an exit leading outside beneath the pond.

As expected, there was no way to leave this place without defeating that creature.

Kieek!

Golden King moved first like lightning, flying toward the massive head of the Black Horn Flood Dragon.

Its target was the dragon’s eyes.

“Elder Sister, please distract that creature from the side as much as possible. Never approach it head-on.”

“Got it.”

Heo Choryeong’s eyes gleamed as she deployed the Flying Swallow Sword Technique to attack the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s flank.

Cha-cha-cha-cha-chang-

Her sword was blocked by the creature’s thick scales, unable to inflict any wounds.

However, like an annoying flying insect, she grated on the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s nerves, providing considerable help to Golden King and Guyang Cheongang.

Kuwooooooo-!

As the relentless attacks from the two-person-one-beast team continued, the enraged Black Horn Flood Dragon emerged from the pond with its massive body.

Its four thick legs thundered against the ground while it spewed deadly poison from its mouth and lashed out at everything around with its steel-like tail.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang-

Deadly poison that could melt bones with just a graze, and tail attacks that could collapse mountains.

However, thanks to his dynamic vision pushed to the extreme with Akasha’s assistance and Flash Step, Guyang Cheongang could dodge every attack by a paper-thin margin.

Swaeeeeek-

Kwang!

Cold sweat poured down like rain from Guyang Cheongang’s back as he barely avoided the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s terrifying tail attack.

[Doctor, 7 minutes have passed in Maximum Combat Mode! 3 minutes remaining.]

He gritted his teeth.

‘Just dodging won’t end this. I need one decisive strike to stop that creature’s movements.’

A particular martial art came to mind.

It was one of the Five Ultimate Techniques hidden within the Nine Dragons Ten Thousand Mountains Diagram.

‘Can I fully execute that martial art with my current body? No, I must!’

Guyang Cheongang finally steeled his resolve.

His evasive movements suddenly stopped, and he stood firm as if rooted to the spot.

The aura flowing from his entire body became frighteningly intense.

Drawing up all sixty years’ worth of internal energy without reserve, Guyang Cheongang concentrated the Transcendent Impermanence Divine Art into both hands.

Cold blue energy rose like heat waves around his palms.

And from his hands unfolded a secret technique of the Guyang Family that had disappeared after the Great War between Orthodox and Demonic sects.

Gale Chain Palm!

True to its name, it was a palm technique like a raging storm that staked everything on speed and continuous strikes.

His hands created countless afterimages, pouring endlessly toward the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s massive body.

Peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peong!

It wasn’t a single attack.

It was truly a storm of palm force, with dozens of palm strikes cascading like a meteor shower in a single second.

Its power was fierce enough to crush iron plates three inches thick like paper.

Each time the Gale Chain Palm struck the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s hide, the cave filled with metallic clanging sounds like a blacksmith’s forge.

Peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peong-

Kuwooooooooo!

The Black Horn Flood Dragon staggered and let out a roar, seemingly taking considerable damage. However, it still showed no signs of falling.

Guyang Cheongang’s eyes turned cold.

‘This won’t work. I need to find its weakness.’

While Golden King and Heo Choryeong desperately drew the creature’s attention, he moved constantly, observing the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s entire body.

His eyes caught sight of a fist-sized scale beneath the creature’s constantly moving jaw that glowed uniquely white, different from the other scales.

[Doctor, that scale’s density is 74% lower than the surrounding area. The bio-energy flow is also unstable. It’s definitely a weak point.]

‘Good!’

Guyang Cheongang kicked off the ground with Flash Step and charged like lightning toward the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s face.

Whiiiiiik-

The Black Horn Flood Dragon, disoriented by Golden King’s attacks, momentarily lost track of his movement.

Guyang Cheongang unleashed the Gale Chain Palm in succession.

Peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peong!

Palm force too fast to see mercilessly pummeled the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s massive body in an instant.

Kuwooooooo!

The Black Horn Flood Dragon let out a roar mixed with pain and rage.

At that moment, its massive head lifted briefly, exposing the white scale beneath its jaw defensively.

Guyang Cheongang didn’t miss that opportunity.

He gathered every last drop of his remaining internal energy.

Though he felt the agony of his meridians screaming and his dantian emptying completely, he didn’t stop.

And with all the power of his twelve stars, he unleashed another supreme technique learned from the Nine Dragons Ten Thousand Mountains Diagram – Explosive Thunder Flame King Hammer.

From his right palm’s center, the blue Pure Yin Energy of the Transcendent Impermanence Divine Art condensed with all his internal energy, creating a massive drill-like energy wave.

Suwaaaang-

The surrounding air seemed to scream as it was crushed by that overwhelming energy.

Unlike the dazzling display of Gale Chain Palm, this was a heavy and destructive attack.

The Explosive Thunder Flame King Hammer struck the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s white weak point precisely.

Kwang!

With a tremendous roar, the Black Horn Flood Dragon’s massive body stiffened like it had been electrocuted.

Kuwooooooooo-!

Following that came a scream filled with unbearable, excruciating pain that shook the entire cave, incomparable to anything before.

The white scale shattered and dark red blood gushed out like a fountain.

The Black Horn Flood Dragon writhed in terrible agony, rolling on the ground.

Ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-kung-!

Each time its massive body crashed into the cave walls, thunderous sounds erupted with clouds of dust, and stalactites rained down from the ceiling like precipitation.

[Doctor, Maximum Combat Mode, 1 minute remaining.]

Guyang Cheongang was confident he could kill the Black Horn Flood Dragon if he had enough time, but he wasn’t confident he could achieve that within one minute.

He shouted.

“Elder Sister! Golden King! Now! To the pond!”

He grabbed the waist of the exhausted and staggering Heo Choryeong and held her in his arms.

And confirming Golden King was already perched on his shoulder, he threw himself without hesitation into the pond where black water swirled.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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