Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 181

Some Scatter Ashes on the Feast Day(3)

Lee Won-chang looked at Lee Gwak with a puzzled expression.

He was the leader of the Shenyang Escort Service. Although it wasn’t a large and well-known escort service in the Jianghu, it still had a certain amount of influence in the region.

Thanks to that, he was able to be invited to Cheongunbi’s birthday banquet. However, even Lee Won-chang couldn’t compare to Woo Mun-pae.

Woo Mun Pae was the heir to one of the Ten Great Sects currently dominating the Jianghu.

The personal martial prowess and the power he wielded were beyond Lee Won-chang’s comprehension. To Lee Won-chang, who possessed considerable martial skill and influence, Woo Mun Pae was a man high above, unreachable in the distant heavens.

The thought of challenging, let alone looking up to such a man, was unfathomable.

“What a situation…”

And yet, Lee Gwak was issuing a challenge to that man.

Whether Lee Gwak lived, died, or became disabled was none of his concern.

That is, It would be the case if Lee Gwak hadn’t joined his escort service.
Imagining Lee Gwak defeating Woo Mun Pae was unthinkable, but such an outcome would
pose a huge problem for the Shenyang Escort Service.

A misstep could result in drawing the wrath of the Martial Sword Troupe upon themselves.

At that moment, Lee Won-chang found himself resenting Lee Gwak for stepping forward to challenge Woo Mun Pae.

“Damn it!”

Unconsciously, he chewed on his lips while watching Lee Gwak and Woo Mun Pae face each other on the platform.

A chilling killing intent lingered in Woo Mun Pae’s eyes as he gazed at Lee Gwak.

Despite his arrogant nature, he did not underestimate Lee Gwak.

He had witnessed Lee Gwak overpowering Yook Cheon-ban.

Although Yook Cheon-ban was no match for Woo Mun Pae, he was still a martial artist not to be taken lightly. And yet, Lee Gwak had subdued him effortlessly, without even drawing his blade.

To underestimate such an opponent would be absurd.

Woo Mun Pae quietly gathered his internal energy. The atmosphere around them began to violently churn.

Blue Sea Thousand Wave Fist

It was the supreme fist technique of the Martial Sword Troupe, as versatile and powerful as a thousand waves crashing into the blue sea, containing the immense power of the great ocean.

Woo Mun Pae had mastered this technique to nearly ten levels of proficiency. Although he hadn’t reached the pinnacle of twelve levels, his achievement alone was unmatched in the world.

Whoosh!

His internal and external energies vibrated in unison, wildly raging.

It was like the sea raging wildly in a storm.

“Wow!”

“Truly amazing.”

Those who witnessed it couldn’t help but be amazed.

And at the same time, they were thrilled.

To witness the martial prowess of one of the Ten Lesser Skies was a rare opportunity. They were the lucky few who had beaten the odds.

“I’ll tear you to shreds.”

Woo Mun Pae directed his killing intent towards Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak slightly furrowed his brow.

It wasn’t for no reason; Woo Mun Pae’s killing intent was indeed formidable. Even Lee Gwak’s usually unshakable composure was shattered.

The pressure of the energy applied to his entire body was immense. It was like facing a huge tidal wave head on.

At that moment, the Eight Snakes Art was unleashed.

A giant snake that had been coiling around his entire body awakened.

Sssss!

A low sound, like a snake shedding its scales, reverberated softly.

Those sitting below the platform or far away may not have heard it, but Woo Mun Pae alone heard it clearly.

Feeling a chill he couldn’t identify, Woo Mun Pae involuntarily shivered upon hearing it.

At the same time, his gaze deepened even further.

Although he was arrogant, he was not foolish. He realized that this strange sensation was due to Lee Gwak.

“Fool!”

It had been a long time since he’d felt something like this.

His entire body’s senses sharpened and expanded, reacting instinctively to the sense of crisis.
Lee Gwak was at the heart of the crisis he sensed.

Without even drawing his sword, he felt as if his entire body was being slashed with a blade.

‘To think such a bladesman exists in the world.’

Suddenly, the corners of Woo Mun Pae’s mouth curled up in a smile.

He was laughing with joy.

“Let’s begin, Lee Gwak!”

Woo Mun Pae raised his fist to the sky. A massive amount of qi concentrated in his fist.

Boom!

Woo Mun Pae struck the platform with his fist.

The platform, constructed of layered wood and stone, was not strong enough to withstand Woo Mun Pae’s powerful blow.

Everyone thought the platform would shatter, but contrary to their expectations, it remained intact.

Instead, the spot where Lee Gwak had been standing exploded.

It was the mastery of hitting a cow behind a mountain.

Using the platform as a medium, the force was transmitted to where Lee Gwak was standing.

It was a truly exquisite use of internal energy.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Lee Gwak stepped back slightly and executed his Leaf Hand Sword.

Shah!

His palm split Woo Mun Pae’s attack in two.

His palm tingled.

Though the attack carried no killing intent, its power was anything but light.

It was Woo Mun Pae’s version of a greeting.

Pat!

Woo Mun Pae stomped on the platform.

His hefty body moved instantly towards Lee Gwak.

The first technique of Blue Sea Thousand Wave Fist.

Mad Sea Crashing Against the Rocks.

Like an angry sea shattering huge rocks, his punch, filled with intense power, aimed straight for Lee Gwak’s head.

With a clang of metal, Lee Gwak was propelled backward.

The impact caused Lee Gwak’s hair to scatter wildly.

The blade sheath in his hand let out a cry. He had blocked U Woo Mun Pae’s punch with his blade sheath.

Woo Mun Pae’s internal energy was so tremendous that it still lingered and tried to flow through the sheath into Lee Gwak’s body.

Lee Gwak shook the hand holding the sheath vigorously, finally dissipating the remaining force from Woo Mun Pae.

But it was too soon to relax.

The next moment, Woo Mun Pae’s subsequent attack rushed in.

Kwaah!

An enormous wave of energy pressed down on Lee Gwak.

It felt like being trapped in the deep sea, the immense pressure making it impossible to breathe, let alone move a finger.

This phenomenon occurred when the Blue Sea Thousand Wave Fist was activated. Before launching a full attack, the technique pressured the opponent with qi waves, restricting their movement.

Such intricate use of the Blue Sea Thousand Wave Fist was inspired by a man who dominated the Jianghu over a hundred years ago.

That man’s punches had caused many martial masters of the time to fall like autumn leaves. The terror of his martial arts lay in the strange gravitational pull it generated, restricting the opponent’s movement.

The Martial Sword Troupe had studied that man’s martial arts, achieving some success, and incorporated it into the Blue Sea Thousand Wave Fist.

Although its power was negligible compared to that man’s martial arts, it was still highly effective in restricting the opponent’s movements.

In a fight between masters, even a single breath’s difference could determine the victor, and the pressure exerted by the technique was enough to steal that breath away.

One-shot wave Slash

The flash-like slash that could cut through the ocean flew toward Lee Gwak, who was being crushed by the qi wave.

“Ha!”

At that moment, Lee Gwak exhaled sharply.

Whizz!

Almost simultaneously, the pressure that had been crushing him vanished without a trace.
With just a shout, he had severed the qi wave.

“Quite impressive, but…”

Seeing this, Woo Mun Pae’s eyes gleamed fiercely as he delivered the One-shot wave Slash .

Bang!

The platform shook as if it had been hit by an earthquake, and blade-like winds whipped in all directions.

“Ugh!”

The martial artists watching nearby quickly gathered their internal energy to protect their bodies, but those watching from below were knocked over by the fierce wind.

“What’s the outcome?”

Those who had fallen hurriedly raised their heads.

They assumed Lee Gwak wouldn’t have survived the attack. Such was the power of Woo Mun Pae’s assault, pushing forward relentlessly.

Contrary to their expectations, Lee Gwak was unscathed. Though pushed to the edge of the platform, appearing precarious, he hadn’t sustained any injury.

A deep furrow formed between Woo Mun Pae’s brows.

The strike had definitely connected, but it hadn’t significantly impacted Lee Gwak.

Like the sea absorbing a river, he minimized and dissipated the shock.

Woo Mun Pae’s eyebrows shot up in frustration.

He was angered by the fact that two attempts to strike Lee Gwak had caused no harm.

“You shouldn’t expect to walk away unscathed.”

Woo Mun Pae concentrated tremendous energy into his clenched fist, from which dark swirls of qi began to rise.

Watching this, Lee Gwak finally let out the breath he had been holding.

“Hooh!”

The turbid energy accumulated within his body due to Woo Mun Pae’s attack was expelled.

Thanks to this, breathing became much easier.

“Such was the extent.”

Having withstood just two attacks, Lee Gwak had already gathered enough information to gauge the strength of Woo Mun Pae and the Ten Lesser Skies.

What remained was to learn through direct combat.

Sleek!

Slowly, Lee Gwak drew his blade.

The straight blade, glistening under the sunlight, was as unwavering as Lee Gwak’s resolve.
Lee Gwak’s spirit reached out towards Woo Mun Pae.

In an instant, Woo Mun Pae felt as if an invisible blade had pierced through him, causing him to flinch.

Then, Lee Gwak stomped on the platform.

Like a swallow skimming the surface of a lake, his upper body leaned forward almost to the point of falling.

Tap, tap, tap!

In three steps, he closed the distance of more than ten yards to Woo Mun Pae.

As their eyes met, Lee Gwak’s blade cut through the air.

It was a straightforward thrust without any feints.

For a martial artist of Woo Mun Pae’s caliber, it was a technique easily countered.

Woo Mun Pae didn’t evade but countered the incoming blade with his fist.

His fist, concentrated with internal energy, was virtually a weapon in itself.

Woo Mun Pae intended to shatter Lee Gwak’s sword and split his head in one strike.

Boom!

A loud explosion caused Woo Mun Pae’s form to stagger significantly.

“Argh!”

For the first time, a look of astonishment appeared on Woo Mun Pae’s face.

Lee Gwak’s blade, struck by his fist, bore no cracks. Conversely, Woo Mun Pae’s fist, as hard as steel, now sported a sharp wound dripping blood.

Whizz!

With a sound like gears turning, Lee Gwak’s sword, initially repelled, twisted in the air and struck back in a bizarre curve.

It was a simple sideways slash.

Normally, Woo Mun Pae would have dismissed such an attack, but Lee Gwak’s slash felt unnervingly different.

Thus, Woo Mun Pae responded with all his might.

One after another, the ultimate techniques of the Blue Sea Thousand Wave Fist unraveled from his hands.

Whoosh!

A massive wave of force, like a tidal wave, surged towards Lee Gwak.

Despite the tremendous pressure, Lee Gwak didn’t retreat but advanced with his blade leading.

All the oppressive energy pressing on him was severed.

Clang!

Metallic sounds erupted continuously.

The two moved at speeds invisible to the naked eye.

Those below the platform could only see fleeting shadows of the two warriors.

Air churned madly, and the platform shook as if it would collapse at any moment.

The martial artists watching the duel on the platform could no longer stand it and descended.

Lee Gwak and Woo Mun Pae fully utilized the platform, clashing with unleashed fury.

The blade cried out, and the power destroyed the platform.

Despite the fierce movements, Lee Gwak’s breathing remained calm and unchanged.

Woo Mun Pae unleashed string after string of the Blue Sea Thousand Wave Fist’s ultimate techniques, but Lee Gwak’s counters seemed simple.

Slash, stab, sweep, push, pierce, and press—these six actions were all he repeated.

Yet, that was enough to neutralize most of Woo Mun Pae’s attacks.

Woo Mun Pae’s roar broke out.

“Is this all you have? How mundane. Such moves won’t defeat me.”

Rumble!

Woo Mun Pae unleashed the most lethal technique of the Blue Sea Thousand Wave Fist, Tyrannical Sea Annihilating Kill.

It was the strongest strike capable of annihilating everything alive, boasting terrifying destructive power. His technique, at the level of ten, could potentially obliterate half of the Cheong family estate, but Woo Mun Pae did not hesitate in executing it.

If Lee Gwak dodged, hundreds of spectators behind him would be killed or injured. Woo Mun Pae was aware yet proceeded with his most powerful technique without restraint.

“Hoo!”

Lee Gwak exhaled deeply.

A killing intent flashed in his eyes.

The moment his intent filled the blade, his ordinary blade technique transformed into the Heaven Killing Blade.