The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 481

Divine Doctor of Demonic Arts (481)

From the threshold of countless deaths, he had turned back…

It was because the instinct of a martial artist, surpassing mere impulse, was constantly warning him of danger at this moment.

As expected.

Szzzzk.

The fabric near Dan Ak-seon’s side tore open, revealing bare skin.

A hook in the shape of a fishing needle, suddenly springing from the ground, had grazed his side.

It was an extremely stealthy attack, so much so that if he hadn’t been prepared, he would have been caught off guard without being able to react.

Moreover.

Peeeng!

Two streaks of white light, piercing through the dirt floor, surged forth once more.

The hooks that had approached so closely were not just one.

Kkakakak!

The hook, leaving behind a trail of blue sparks, scraped against the surface of Muk-ryong [a type of staff] before bouncing into the air.

Then, drawing a large arc in the air, it plunged down towards Dan Ak-seon again.

“The technique of Igi-eo (理氣御) [controlling objects with internal energy]?”

Dan Ak-seon finally understood why Sa Jong-ak was so confident.

Indeed, he had a hidden trump card.

From the beginning, there were four hooks connected to the Ojuk-gan [Sa Jong-ak’s weapon, a type of bamboo staff].

Until now, Sa Jong-ak had only used one of them.

It was a tactic to instill a fixed idea in the opponent’s mind, then strike when the time was right.

But the point that could not be overlooked was something else entirely.

“Each and every one of them?”

Sa Jong-ak grinned sinisterly at Dan Ak-seon’s question.

“Even if you realize it now, it’s already too late.”

It was not just empty boasting.

Igi-eo was the ultimate technique that granted freedom to weapons bound to the user.

In fact, Sa Jong-ak had defeated Jin Myeong-jin-in, one of the Five Great Masters of the World, with this technique.

Four hooks flying towards him from different directions.

Witnessing this, Dan Ak-seon could finally understand how Jin Myeong-jin-in had been defeated.

On a swaying boat, it would have been difficult to notice a hidden weapon approaching stealthily from underwater.

Moreover, each of those hooks was the culmination of Igi-eo, imbued with the caster’s will.

Dan Ak-seon tried to flick his sleeve to entangle the hook in front of him.

At that moment, the hook wriggled in the air and dropped straight down.

And then, it sank its sharp teeth into Dan Ak-seon’s thigh.

At the same time, the other three hooks also dug in, aiming for his shoulder, side, and back, respectively.

The coordination of the hooks, changing direction as if possessing their own will, and the sharp Four Swords [the hooks themselves, named for their sharpness] connected to them, was in itself worthy of being called a divine art.

However, Dan Ak-seon’s response to this was surprisingly simple.

Gang-gi [powerful internal energy] surged from Muk-ryong in Dan Ak-seon’s hand.

Ttadadang!

The four hooks bounced into the air with a series of metallic clashes.

They changed trajectory again and rushed towards Dan Ak-seon, but this time as well, it was the same.

As they flew in, Dan Ak-seon easily deflected them by wielding Muk-ryong.

It was then that Sa Jong-ak’s eyes twitched.

He finally realized what he had overlooked.

The distance within reach of the Muk-bong [another name for Muk-ryong, referring to its staff-like shape] in front of him.
The space within it was also a perfect, absolute space under the opponent’s will.

That was why Dan Ak-seon was so relaxed.

No matter how treacherous the opponent’s technique, it was no match for Han Seol-hwa’s Gi-gong [a type of martial art focusing on internal energy], and no matter how sharp and unpredictable the moves, they could not compare to Cho Ak-ryang’s Geumna-soo [a martial art technique focused on seizing and controlling opponents].

The same went for momentum.

Compared to Beom Gye-wi, it was not a very significant threat.

Above all, Sa Jong-ak seemed to believe that his technique was the ultimate secret, but there was a weakness that the person himself did not realize.

That was the fact that the paths of the Four Swords did not intersect in order to prevent them from tangling.

In fact, by simply following the trajectory of the Four Swords, it was not difficult to predict the final position of the hooks.

By excluding change and limiting himself, the advantage of Igi-eo disappeared, and it was reduced to a half-baked divine art.

As time passed, Sa Jong-ak gradually became impatient.

He felt suffocated by the sight of Dan Ak-seon so easily defending against his attacks.

Above all, that black Muk-bong was the worst possible weapon for him.

Unlike a sword, even if he tried to entangle it with the hooks, it was a round and hard metal, so it slipped every time.

At that moment.

The Gang-gi gathered on the Muk-bong in the opponent’s hand grew two more feet in length.

Not to be outdone, Gang-gi also surged from Sa Jong-ak’s Ojuk-gan.

He prided himself on being the best in the world when it came to internal energy, if nothing else.

He could not afford to be pushed back in terms of momentum.

Kkakakak!

The Gang-gi intertwined in the air, scattering in all directions and engulfing the area.

The space surrounding the two of them instantly turned into ruins.

A whirlwind of energy swirling fiercely like a tornado.

“Keuk!”

A groan escaped from within.

It was Sa Jong-ak.

A faint trace of blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth.

Before he could even deflect the rebound force, he had suffered internal injuries from the successive impacts.

Torn sleeves and upper garment.

Numerous small wounds covered the skin that was briefly revealed between them.

It was clear to anyone that he was at a disadvantage.

Nevertheless, Sa Jong-ak stubbornly endured, waiting for something.

‘In the end, that guy is also a human made of flesh and blood.’

Eventually, there will come a time when his internal energy is exhausted.

Moreover, since he is using Gang-gi so repeatedly, that time will come sooner rather than later.

But as time passed, Sa Jong-ak’s complexion gradually turned pale.

‘How can a greenhorn have such internal energy…….’

Sa Jong-ak inwardly shuddered.

His calculations were completely off.

At this rate, his own internal energy would be depleted first.

Still, he would be the one smiling in the end.

In an instant, the Gang-gi gathered on the Muk-bong faltered, breaking the tense balance.

Sa Jong-ak, who had been waiting for this moment, swung the Ojuk-gan with all his might.

Chwararak.

A strand of Four Swords wrapped around the Muk-bong, and the hook entangled the Four Swords, fixing it firmly in place.

Sa Jong-ak, having perfectly sealed the opponent’s weapon, raised a triumphant smile.

“Die!”

The remaining three hooks plunged down, aiming for Dan Ak-seon’s vital points, immediately after.

Sa Jong-ak had no doubt about his victory.

But then.

The moment Sa Jong-ak’s eyes met Dan Ak-seon’s, he felt a chill run down his spine.

‘He’s smiling?’

It was a sight he couldn’t understand at all.

Even now, that was the case.

The hooks imbued with blue Gang-gi were accurately digging into the gap created by the lack of internal energy.

All that remained was to enjoy the sight of the guy being torn to shreds, scattering blood and flesh.

But it didn’t take long for him to realize how big of a mistake that was.

Kwaduk.

Dan Ak-seon reached out his hand towards the taut Four Swords and grabbed it as it was.

“……!”

Sa Jong-ak couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The Four Swords itself possessed a cutting power that was unmatched.

With the addition of internal energy, its sharpness was incomparable to anything else.

Yet, Dan Ak-seon not only grabbed it with his bare hands but was also pulling it with all his might.

Kiiing!

The Four Swords screamed and snapped under the force of that brutal grip.

At the same time, a chilling, dark shadow tore through the air.

Jjaeng!

A metallic sound, distinctly different from anything before, echoed throughout the arena.

A rain of metal fragments scattered in all directions, scattering silver light.

Sa Jong-ak stared in astonishment as he witnessed his hooks being shattered to pieces in a single blow.

It was then that the dark Muk-bong fell towards his chest.

Carrying a terrifying momentum that was incomparable to what it had been before.

“Damn it!”

Sa Jong-ak cursed, belatedly realizing that he had been deceived.

The momentary weakness was a ruse to shake him.

He was beyond dumbfounded.

How much had he been underestimated for the world’s renowned Beonggang-ryong [Sa Jong-ak’s title, meaning ‘Soaring Dragon of the Demonic Gang’] to suffer such humiliation?

He was so angry that the true energy in his body was raging, and he felt like he would fall into demonic possession.

Kkwang!

It was then that Dan Ak-seon’s Muk-ryong and Sa Jong-ak’s Ojuk-gan collided head-on.

Sa Jong-ak had been avoiding direct clashes since the first time they had crossed weapons.

But now, his reason was momentarily paralyzed by anger.

Kkwang!

With an explosion, the Ojuk-gan that Sa Jong-ak was holding shattered, leaving only the handle.

Only then did Sa Jong-ak come to his senses as if he had been doused in ice water.

But the situation was already irreversible.

“Kuaaak!”

A scream erupted from Sa Jong-ak’s mouth for the first time.

The shattered fragments swept past his entire body.

The terrible wounds, torn to shreds like a rag, poured out blood.

But he couldn’t back down here.

He sensed the imminent crisis.

In the current situation, defense was meaningless.

Even at a great sacrifice, he had to overcome the distorted situation with an attack.

Already driven to the brink.

Sa Jong-ak suddenly reached out and grabbed the dark afterimage that filled his vision.

And fortunately, the heavens were still on his side.

Tuk.

Sa Jong-ak, who had luckily grabbed Dan Ak-seon’s wrist, smiled with satisfaction.

“It’s over!”

But the opponent was Dan Ak-seon.

“Come to think of it, you’ve mastered the Buk-myeong-sin-gong [a powerful martial art technique focused on seizing and controlling opponents], right?”

Uduk.

With a gruesome cracking sound, Sa Jong-ak’s arm drooped powerlessly.

His elbow had been shattered into pieces by Dan Ak-seon’s Muk-ryong, which he had lightly lifted.

Sa Jong-ak’s face turned pale.

Intense pain washed over him, but not even a scream escaped his lips.

That was how ominous the situation was becoming.

Now that his last resort had returned to nothing.

There were not many options he could choose.

‘I need to get out of here first…….’

But Dan Ak-seon was not one to allow this.

Kwae-aeg.

A dark flash flew towards his shoulder.

Sa Jong-ak, noticing this, tried to deflect it by wielding the Ojuk-gan, which only had the handle left.

But soon, Sa Jong-ak was overcome with bewilderment.

He clearly thought he had deflected the flying staff.

But there was no cold metallic sensation, nor the heavy impact that should have been felt.

It was when he felt that something was wrong.

He was able to find the Muk-bong smiling with a chilling aura in front of his eyes.

“……!”

A shiver ran down his spine.

Peoeok!

With a pain that felt like his whole body was being crushed and twisted, Sa Jong-ak’s figure soared into the air and flew away.

The protective Gang-gi he had been so proud of had been scattered so easily by that one blow.

“Wak!”

Even as he flew through the air, spewing blood like a fountain from his mouth, Sa Jong-ak was simply dumbfounded.

‘How can such an absurd monster……!’

He couldn’t be matched in terms of moves or internal energy, so he was utterly helpless.

There was no way for him to fight back.

It felt like he was facing a huge, insurmountable wall.

The first time he had experienced such overwhelming despair since mastering the Buk-myeong-sin-gong.

Thud.

Sa Jong-ak, who had flown more than ten yards and crashed to the ground, vomited blood while convulsing intermittently.

He couldn’t come to his senses from the shock, fear, and terrible pain he was experiencing for the first time.

Jeobeok.

Sa Jong-ak, who was crouching on the floor like a leech covered in salt, felt his vision blur as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching to cut off his breath.