Bare hands and empty fists.

It was a phrase that contained many meanings and was used for many purposes.

But in the martial world, it had a simple meaning.

A martial artist of bare hands and bare fists.

It was soon the fist.

Jiiiiiing!

A rending sound. At the same time as the unique roar of the atmosphere being compressed, torn, and twisted dug into his ears, Cheon Mubaeck reacted instinctively.

As soon as Cheon Mubaeck avoided it, the atmosphere where he had been flickered and was compressed to the point where it was visible.

It was a strange sight. It was visible to the naked eye. A rare scene where a crack appeared on the surface of the atmosphere. But he could not just stare at it because it was strange. Because the crack broke like glass and swept through the surroundings.

Jjeojeojeojeong!

‘Indeed, he has learned it properly.’

Cheon Mubaeck admired inwardly.

If he had not avoided it, he would have been swept away and suffered a serious injury.

Even though Cheon Mubaeck had let out an admiration, Kong Yong’s face hardened.

‘He dodged it again?’

The Rending Fist was not a simple fist technique. He swung his fist and released his internal energy.

It was a high-level martial art that used a kind of fist qi.

The speed at which the internal energy was released through the fist was truly a moment!

A moment that could not be expressed with a person’s concept of time.

When he swung his fist, the atmosphere of the desired place was torn with a rending sound in the blink of an eye.

‘It’s not luck!’

The second attack had already returned to nothing. At first, he had thought it was luck. He had only thought that his senses, which had reached the extreme, had reacted.

He had no choice.

‘How can he dodge it!’

It would be different if he had drawn out his internal energy and blocked it.

Kong Yong swallowed a groan. There was also a part of him that had looked down on the opponent because he was a swordsman but had not held a sword.

He bitterly regretted it.

‘For a swordsman not to use a sword and to use his fists…’

Of course, it was stronger to have a blade in hand.

Since the dawn of the martial world, no, since the ancient times when humans had started fighting and wars.

Of course, it was stronger to have a sharp weapon in hand.

The opponent must have had that common sense.

But he had confidently stepped forward with his two fists. What did this mean?

Kong Yong spat out his breath through his tightly clenched teeth.

“An enormous master!”

Cheon Mubaeck smiled and responded.

“That’s me.”

A confident answer without a moment’s hesitation. Kong Yong could not refute any more. It was not because he acknowledged it. Cheon Mubaeck, who had only been avoiding until now, rushed in at once.

Kong Yong was startled and struck down with his hand knife.

‘Not bad!’

An attack that predicted Cheon Mubaeck’s trajectory even in a pressing situation.

It was an excellent judgment and reaction speed based on enormous dynamic visual acuity.

A counterattack that would have made the opponent’s center collapse if he had gone in for an attack.

But the fact that he had not considered that the opponent was Cheon Mubaeck was fatal.

The moment the hand knife struck the back of his neck, Cheon Mubaeck’s body shot up elastically.

Cheon Mubaeck’s hand grabbed Kong Yong’s elbow first.

“…!”

Ttuduk!

Was his hearing more sensitive than his sense of pain?

Before the eerie rending sound that pierced his ears, an intense, extreme pain from his elbow was mercilessly embedded in his mind.

Jiiiiiing!

Kong Yong reflexively swung his left fist. Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes flashed.

He could see it. The flow of internal energy.

‘As expected, I felt it in the old days, but it’s strange.’

The flow of internal energy that continued from the middle dantian was released without hesitation and made a rending sound.

The qi released through the fist dug in as if to tear Cheon Mubaeck apart.

Cheon Mubaeck withdrew his hand and stepped back.

He had tried to break Kong Yong’s elbow at once and subdue his upper body, but Kong Yong had bought time with an excellent counterattack.

“Keuheup.”

Udududuk!

Kong Yong swallowed a groan and forcibly adjusted his half-twisted elbow.

At the eerie sight, Cheon Mubaeck clicked his tongue.

Where did that look like a scholar?

“He’s too ruthless.”

“It was my ancestor who could not survive without being ruthless.”

“I admit it.”

At the end of those words, Kong Yong rushed in.

The martial arts of the Kong family were based solely on fists and feet.

It was a martial art that best brought out the meaning of bare hands and empty fists.

‘It’s a good martial art.’

Jiiiiiing!

Cheon Mubaeck thought so as he continued the exchange.

In fact, in the martial world, fist and foot techniques were often used as auxiliary means.

Although it was effective in producing sufficient power depending on how it was used and how it was incorporated into the martial arts, it was difficult to be the main thing.

Because those who had reached a certain realm could freely use their internal energy and could fully unfold their protective qi, and it was not easy to break it and kill the opponent with just fists and feet.

In the end, many martial artists naturally came to hold weapons.

But Cheon Mubaeck was quite impressed with the martial arts of the Kong family.

‘They say all things return to one, but if you reach a certain realm, you can produce this much power with just fists and feet.’

About 200 years ago.

It was more intense and powerful than when he had come as the Shandong Sword Hero.

Even though the Kong Family Mansion was a place where academics were cultivated, the direct descendant of Confucius had steadily developed his martial arts.

That period was over a thousand years.

‘Because they have developed and cultivated only one thing for a long time.’

In the martial world, numerous martial arts were created and disappeared.

New martial arts were created, and old ones disappeared. They died without leaving a descendant, they died in an ambush, and their sect was destroyed.

How many martial arts disappeared like that?

But the martial arts of the Kong Family Mansion were not like that.

A huge wall called the hall of all learning in the world.

The bloodline of Confucius that had never been broken.

A single martial art that had been passed down for generations.

It could not disappear, and paradoxically, they could research and develop one martial art.

Now, if nothing else, the fists and feet that Kong Yong was unfolding were certainly a martial art of the era.

But even so.

Jiiiiiing!

Once again, a rending sound struck his ears. At some point, Kong Yong’s fist, which had been watching for an opportunity, was swung.

But the following scene was different from before.

“…!”

Kong Yong’s eyes were wide open as if they would tear.

Cheon Mubaeck did not avoid it. No, rather, he rushed in reverse.

With his center of gravity lowered, he narrowly avoided the area where the atmosphere was being torn in a low posture.

Cheon Mubaeck, who had compressed the space and reached him at once, swung his hand.

Kong Yong’s wrist was caught.

“Where!”

Kong Yong was flustered but did not lose his composure. He twisted his wrist. Rather, he intended to grab Cheon Mubaeck’s hand and break it.

Internal energy was momentarily loaded onto his wrist, enabling a smooth movement. An enormous flexibility shone.

But unfortunately for Kong Yong, Cheon Mubaeck had a lot of experience.

As if he had already predicted it, Cheon Mubaeck calmly injected his ice art.

Jjeojeojeok!

“Keuht!”

At the cold qi that rushed in in an instant, Kong Yong’s wrist became dull.

He hurriedly pushed out his qi and blocked the cold qi from rushing in, but he could not help his movements from slowing down.

At that moment, Cheon Mubaeck’s hand quickly came up from his wrist and firmly grabbed his elbow, and then his forearm.

‘Ah!’

A sense of dizziness flashed in Kong Yong’s eyes. If his arm were to be broken like this, if it were to be twisted, let alone his martial arts, wouldn’t he be unable to even hold a brush in the future!

“…!”

Kong Yong could not hide his surprise at the feeling of his body floating.

Cheon Mubaeck’s instep pushed his ankle. He lost his center in an instant. A cold qi rushed to his ankle and it froze stiff. He could not move. His foot left the ground.

And then the world turned upside down. The sky was below, and the ground soared above.

Kuuung!

“Keok!”

He let out a single scream at the intense pain that rang from his spine.

Cheon Mubaeck, who had overturned his center and thrown him down at once, reached out his hand without hesitation. If he were to hit his face with his fist like this, it would be over. But since it was a martial arts contest, Cheon Mubaeck did not do so. Instead, he quickly struck his acupoints.

Kong Yong’s body, which had been thrown down, stiffened.

A perfect neutralization.

“…How.”

A confused light appeared in Kong Yong’s eyes.

In fact, his stepping forward for a martial arts contest was followed by his own calculation.

He had aimed for the fact that the opponent had no sword at his waist.

As a result of a short investigation, the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero was a swordsman who had shaken the martial world with only a sword.

Of course, even if he did not hold a sword, he would be excellent in simple physical arts.

Kong Yong was confident. The depth of the fists and feet that had been passed down from Confucius for generations was profound. It was a meticulous judgment that he would be at an advantage if it were the same bare hands and empty fists.

“Because I have a lot of experience, I have often fought with only my fists.”

Cheon Mubaeck smiled.

In every repeated life.

Cheon Mubaeck’s numerous enemies had said.

‘Make him drop his sword.’

That meant that Cheon Mubaeck, who held a sword, was invincible, and it was a scream-like reaction from the enemies that they could not face him.

It also meant that a possibility of facing him would arise only if he dropped his sword.

In fact, numerous enemies had thrown themselves to make Cheon Mubaeck drop his sword, and it had worked more often than he had thought. At those times, the enemies had all laughed.

But the one who laughed last was Cheon Mubaeck. Even if he dropped his sword, Cheon Mubaeck had won.

The Sword God of bare hands and empty fists who had dropped his sword.

A man of bare fists.

That was Cheon Mubaeck.

* * *

The fight was over. He had not been able to inflict a single wound on Cheon Mubaeck, and he had been helplessly and completely subdued.

He could not help but admit defeat in this situation.

Kong Yong closed his mouth.

Since it was the first time he had competed with his martial arts, this was his first defeat.

Perhaps it was harsh for him. Because his first opponent in a martial arts contest was Cheon Mubaeck.

Cheon Mubaeck, seeing the sense of defeat in Kong Yong, threw out a word.

“Do you know why the Duke of Yansheng of the time invited the Shandong Sword Hero even though he had to offer the precious Kong Family Mansion liquor?”

“…”

“Everything rots if it stagnates.”

At those words, Kong Yong flared up.

“It has not stagnated. We have researched and developed it countless times. We have not let the legacy left by Confucius stagnate like that.”

“That is the problem. Because martial arts are not academics.”

“…!”

“That is the reason why the martial world exists. The reason why Confucians consider martial artists as just lawless ruffians who only like to fight is because that is the only way martial artists can exist as martial artists.”

“…Are you saying that the martial arts of the Kong Family Mansion have stagnated?”

Cheon Mubaeck smiled faintly.

“That’s right. Your martial arts have stagnated. They must have developed. They must be more powerful, more concise, and more explosive than in the past. But what’s the use of that? When your experience is so meager.”

“…”

What Cheon Mubaeck was pointing out was accurate.

He pointed out that Kong Yong’s experience was meager. No, that it was completely absent.

No matter how strong a martial art one possessed, if the experience of the person using the martial art was lacking, it was difficult to exert all its power.

Of course, just by learning and cultivating it on his own, Kong Yong was a great person to have faced Cheon Mubaeck.

He was a great person who was not unworthy of the title of a genius with both literary and martial arts.

But considering that he had purely reached the realm of entering the divine, it made one tilt their head as to whether his actual skill reached that level.

If Cheon Mubaeck had held a sword in this place today, it might have ended more boringly and quickly.

To be honest.

‘It’s a pity. It’s a waste of that martial art.’

It was so powerful with just fists and feet. If proper experience had been added, it would have exerted enormous power.

It was not just a guess.

‘In fact, Confucius had traveled the Central Plains with just that one fist and had spread his teachings.’

From the common people who turned into robbers, to the numerous demonic bandits, to the barbarians outside the Central Plains.

It was Confucius who had overcome all adversity and difficulties with one fist and had spread his teachings. How strong must the martial arts that Confucius had shown at that time have been, that Zilu, the strongest of the Unorthodox Alliance, had bowed his head at once and had asked to become his disciple?

That was how important experience was.

Kong Yong closed his mouth and quietly closed his eyes. He seemed to have a lot on his mind.

Cheon Mubaeck also had a lot on his mind.

Cheon Mubaeck suddenly thought of Lu Dongbin.

A man who had reached the position of the Sword Immortal and had become an immortal without stepping into the martial world, valuing his personal cultivation.

A man who had looked at a high place with only cultivation, without staining his sword with blood.

‘Lu Dongbin.’

He had thought that he had become an immortal because he had reached the sword’s edge.

But now that he thought about it, had he really reached the sword’s edge? While avoiding fierce battles and the smell of blood.

‘Did you reach the sword’s edge?’

Was there really a connection between the sword’s edge and ascending to immortality?

He didn’t know. Because he didn’t know what his final path was like.

Cheon Mubaeck shook his head.

Ascending to immortality. It was not important in his life. No, it was not even plausible.

What Cheon Mubaeck wanted was one thing.

‘The sword’s edge.’

To reach beyond that distant place and to break the cycle of reincarnation.

That was his only purpose.

It was then.

“Go.”

“…?”

At Kong Yong’s sudden words, Cheon Mubaeck stared at him. Kong Yong sighed.

“The heart method of the Kong Family Mansion is not something that can be passed down just by giving it. You have to be chosen.”

“Chosen?”

“You will know when you see it in person.”

Kong Yong, who had uttered meaningful words, turned his back. Cheon Mubaeck slowly followed him.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep