Chapter 1811. If It Must Be Carried (11)

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The feet of the Sun Palace Lord began to retreat involuntarily.

But he desperately anchored himself to the ground. He wasn't alone here with Maeng So. Countless eyes were watching them.

To show himself faltering under the pressure in front of so many onlookers was worse than death. He'd rather bite his tongue and die. Especially if his opponent was the Namman Beast Palace Lord, someone akin to a barbarian.

"You... bastard..."

He forced out his voice roughly, trying to change the atmosphere—or perhaps to deny the emotions he harbored, if only for a moment.

But his opponent didn't give him even that respite and moved immediately.

Kwaang!

Maeng So charged forward, kicking off the ground.

It was a sudden assault with no warning, no indication. By the time the Sun Palace Lord realized it and widened his eyes, Maeng So, like a pouncing tiger, was already right in front of him.

The Sun Palace Lord reflexively unleashed three powerful strikes forward.

Fwoosh!

Three ferocious blasts of energy surged forth, as if igniting the air itself. But instead of evading them, Maeng So charged even faster.

Kwang! Kwaang! Kwang!

The three impacts echoed almost simultaneously, sounding like a single explosion. The energy blasts that the Sun Palace Lord hurled toward Maeng So shattered as soon as they struck his broad shoulders—or perhaps even before they made contact.

It was a scene that made it impossible to estimate how solid his body truly was.

But there was no time to marvel or feel fear. Those shoulders that shattered the energy strikes were now barreling straight toward the Sun Palace Lord.

'This bastard!'

He acknowledged Maeng So's strength. Incredibly fast and overwhelmingly sturdy. Even if the Namman Beast Palace was a place known for taming wild animals like a barbarian circus, it was undoubtedly one of the pillars of the Five Outer Palaces. The lord of such a place couldn't possibly be weak.

However, this attack was overly straightforward.

The Sun Palace Lord leaped diagonally, unleashing his energy as he moved. No matter how tough the body, the back couldn't be as fortified as the chest. He planned to exploit Maeng So's reckless charge and land a decisive strike on his exposed back.

As expected, Maeng So charged past where the Sun Palace Lord had been, seemingly unable to control his momentum. At this rate, he would keep going for quite a while before stopping. The Sun Palace Lord was about to unleash his energy without hesitation when—

Kwang!

Maeng So's foot suddenly drove into the ground. With immense force, his foot dug in almost to his knee, cracks spiderwebbing out from where he had struck.

Whoosh!

Maeng So's body spun like lightning. His leg swung horizontally through the air.

It was a simple rotation, but its simplicity made it all the more effective. It allowed him to pour his strength entirely into the kick.

The spinning kick tore through the air, hurtling toward the Sun Palace Lord's head.

Panicking, the Sun Palace Lord raised both hands. It was too late to dodge, so he braced himself to block it somehow.

Kwaaaaaang!

The moment Maeng So's leg, brimming with force, collided with the palms of the Sun Palace Lord—imbued with his Heat Yang Qi Art—an ear-splitting explosion erupted, and a storm of energy swept in all directions.

"Ugh…"

For a fleeting moment, the Sun Palace Lord's world turned black. Even then, he instinctively unleashed a series of energy blasts toward Maeng So. At least, that was his intent.

Crack!

But before he could act, Maeng So's claw-like hand raked across his chest, leaving a deep gash. Before the pain even registered, Maeng So's elbow targeted his temple.

Kwang!

The Sun Palace Lord barely managed to block the elbow with his forearm. Yet the impact sent him flying over three meters like a kicked ball.

Thud. Thump.

Staggering upon landing, he barely managed to steady himself, narrowly avoiding a disgraceful collapse.

"You... dare... ugh..."

The Sun Palace Lord tried to shout at Maeng So but wavered again. His vision spun. The sky and earth swapped places repeatedly, refusing to settle. 

Thud.

Unable to endure the dizziness, he fell to one knee. He stared at the ground in disbelief.

"This... can't be..."

Realizing his ear was damp, he touched it to find blood on his hand. Despite blocking the kick, the aftermath had ruptured his eardrum and violently shook his brain.

A wave of nausea surged through him, but the humiliation was even worse.

Blood dripped from his ear down his chin, falling in droplets that seemed to mirror his crushed pride.

"This..."

How could this happen?

Seven. He had unleashed the Sun God Palm seven times.

Seven full-force strikes capable of turning a vast lake into a dry desert. Yet that monstrous beast had charged through the heat, forcing him to his knees.

Of course, it wasn't as though Maeng So was unscathed.

"Hm."

Maeng So nonchalantly pulled at his singed hair, breaking off charred strands. Burns marked his face, shoulders, and hands.

But that was all.

Whatever damage he had sustained, it was minimal. Despite the Sun Palace Lord's all-out attack with the Heat Yang Qi Art, Maeng So had emerged with little more than superficial burns.

Maeng So brushed at his arm where the burns were, inspecting them, before speaking his thoughts.

"It's hot."

....The Sun Palace Lord's shoulders trembled uncontrollably, unable to suppress his humiliation.

'My Qi Art…'

The Heat Yang Qi Art sacrifices the stopping power and destructiveness typical of other palm techniques, instead wielding immense heat to produce lethal force.

In other words, if heat doesn't work, it lacks the stopping power and destructiveness of techniques of the same level.

It was as if Maeng So's very existence had been designed to exploit the weaknesses of the Heat Yang Qi Art. His monstrous body endured the heat of a furnace-like intensity, and his formidable physique could not be deterred by the Sun Palace Lord's techniques.

Maeng So. No, perhaps the entire martial art of the Namman Beast Palace—was likely crafted with this in mind from the very beginning.

The Sun Palace Lord felt this realization painfully keenly. He finally understood what Maeng So meant when he spoke of why the Sun Palace could not surpass Yunnan.

Until now, he'd thought it was merely because Yunnan, though remote, was still considered part of the Central Plains. But now, he knew otherwise.

If monsters like Maeng So lurked in the dense jungles of the boundary between Yunnan and Namman, then the world they belonged to would never expand.

"It seems you've finally understood."

The Sun Palace Lord bit his lip hard.

"Why… haven't you attacked us?"

"Hm. You're still asking for reasons? If I must answer, it's because there's no reason to. Not everyone seeks greater power or authority."

Maeng So shrugged and continued.

"And, to be perfectly honest, the simpler reason is that while I can handle you easily, the Namman Beast Palace cannot so easily handle the Sun Palace. Beasts don't particularly like heat or fire. And for the palaces that don't command beasts, well, they're too underwhelming to bother with. So, in conclusion…"

"….."

"There's no reason to fight a battle that would lead to mutual destruction, is there?"

It was a convincing argument. That was undoubtedly why the Namman Beast Palace and Sun Palace had spent so long ignoring each other's existence.

The years had been so many that even the current Sun Palace Lord no longer understood the original reason.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Heh…"

The Sun Palace Lord staggered as he rose to his feet.

"Indeed, that's a reason an ignorant barbarian would babble."

Maeng So's eyebrow twitched slightly. It wasn't that his pride was hurt by the remark. Rather, it was the ominous aura emanating from the Sun Palace Lord that caught his attention.

"A battle that would lead to mutual destruction has no reason to happen, you say?"

Bloodshot veins spread through the Sun Palace Lord's eyes.

"Listen well. I would rather die with you than endure this humiliation. Now, more than ever!"

Kwaaaaaah!

Suddenly, flames erupted from the Sun Palace Lord's right arm. This was no metaphor—the arm was literally ablaze. The Heat Yang Qi Art, pushed to its absolute limit, was now burning his very body.

Maeng So's large eyes widened even further.

'Crazy!'

Martial arts exist to protect the body. No matter how powerful a technique may be, if it harms its user, it has no value.

Yet here was the Sun Palace Lord, burning himself alive with his own technique.

"Uooooohhh!"

Finally, he charged at Maeng So. The sheer heat radiating from him made even Maeng So flinch with dread. Each step left searing orange footprints that melted the ground beneath him.

"Dieeeee!"

"Ugh…!"

Maeng So gritted his teeth, trying to throw a punch. But his arm wouldn't fully extend.

'This is…?'

Everything before him was painted in a white tinged with orange. The heat emanating from the Sun Palace Lord's right arm had consumed his entire form and was now enveloping Maeng So.

Sizzle!

Black smoke began rising from various points on Maeng So's body. The heat was enough to burn even bones.

This was a suicidal strike, a desperate attack meant to annihilate the opponent, even at the cost of one's own life. Not even Maeng So could endure such an onslaught.

His massive fist began to tremble.

Where should he aim? What should he block? Even if he shattered the body hidden within that Qi Art, could he withstand the heat?

Amid this near-supernatural phenomenon, Maeng So found no solution. The heat penetrating his body felt like it was burning every last drop of his blood.

Maeng So crouched low, like a tiger preparing to pounce on its prey. Yet his claws—his mighty fists—remained frozen, unable to find their mark.

The world grew ever brighter and hotter, dissolving into a blazing haze. The Sun Palace Lord, now one with the inferno, squeezed out the last of his internal energy. Even if his body melted entirely, he would drag Maeng So to the afterlife.

It was the only way to protect the pride of the Sun Palace Lord, who had once been crushed by Jang Ilso.

"Haahhhhhh!"

Finally, the Sun Palace Lord unleashed his full power upon Maeng So.

But in his fading vision, the Sun Palace Lord noticed something. Two figures darted toward Maeng So, who was crouched like a smoldering black rock.

It didn't matter who they were. It didn't matter at all.

At this moment, he could reduce anyone to ashes. It was a technique that could only be performed once in a lifetime. But if unleashed, the Sun and Moon Sacred Flames could destroy anyone. [il-wolseonghwa, 일월성화(日月聖火)]

The two figures extended their palms toward him. The motion seemed as futile as a mantis trying to stop a speeding cart.

But from their hands, a frosty white Qi emanated—a cold light tinged with blue that was entirely different from the Sun Palace Lord's flames.

For the briefest moment, the hellish heat that consumed the world came to a halt.

The Sun Palace Lord realized what that light was. He knew what it was called and why it was said to be the perfect counter to his flames.

'Ice White Divine Palm? Could it be… the North Sea Ice…' [bingbaegsinjang, 빙백신장(氷白神掌)]

At that moment, the blazing world was interrupted.

And through that fleeting gap created by the radiant white light, the crouched tiger uncoiled.

Maeng So's enormous fist tore through the glowing world, flying in a straight line.

'You… lowly… creature…!'

That fist turned the Sun Palace Lord's world black.

Kwaang!

And finally, it completely painted it in the unchanging color of death.