Chapter 246 – The Rightful Heir (2)
“A-te-ru…? What a weird technique name.”
Lee Joonyoung was bewildered by the word, but he quickly corrected his posture and calmed his expression. He had a hunch that his enemy’s capabilities were better than his.
The Hand Counterattack Technique was a technique which threw back the power of the incoming attack using the palm of the hand. This was something he had learned from childhood as a direct descendant of the Fairy Dance Lee family. It wasn’t something which could be used casually with just one or two days of training. Rather, it was a technique that someone had to dedicate a few years at minimum to learn.
Yet this Westerner was able to use it. Clearly, Theodore wasn’t a shallow opponent. Rather than approaching hastily, Lee Joonyoung put strength into his legs.
The original Fairy Dance basically manipulated the flow, and the users of Fairy Dance were like the tip of a spin top. The stronger the load, the stronger the rotational power would become. It was like Lee Joonyoung turned into an arrow.
‘It is worth challenging now.’
Despite Lee Joonyoung becoming stronger, Theodore took a step toward him without hesitation. Theodore’s purpose was to complete the Fairy Dance. His purpose was to steal the experience of the Fairy Dance from the man called Lee Joonyoung, before sorting out the family that was ruined by discord.
Theodore approached unceasingly and put out both his hands, performing:
Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission;
Double Palm Hit;
And Sun and Fertile Earth.
The two palms referred to the sun and the moon, and the palms of the sun and the moon moved in both directions. Theodore’s two palms, which could crush a rock, hit Lee Joonyoung’s belly with ether surrounding his hands. A person hit by this attack would have their bones and intestines crushed.
Unsurprisingly, Lee Joonyoung also stretched out both of his hands, performing:
Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission;
Hand Counterattack Technique;
Two-handed Wind and Moon.
Wind seemed to blow nonstop from both of Lee Joonyoung’s hands. They looked like a moon as they received Theodore’s attack.
His hands didn’t receive the attack from the front. Instead, they flowed gently and pushed the orbit of the attack away. The strength which could crush a rock would be meaningless if it hit empty air.
Paaang!
When Theodore’s palms struck the air, Lee Joonyoung moved like he had been waiting for it.
The Fairy Dance had two types of counterattacks.
One was the type which threw the strength back to the opponent, just like the ‘Left Palm Lone Peak’ that Theodore had used at the beginning. However, Lee Joonyoung’s Wind and Moon was, unfortunately, the second type.
He attacked when his opponent’s power flowed in the opposite direction! Theodore’s arms were hit by the counter and pushed until a large gap was exposed. It was truly a skill that was the representative of the Fairy Dance in this age.
Theodore admired it while hurriedly yanking back both his arms. If he delayed even a little bit, he would receive a deadly blow. He managed to block the palm, which was aiming for his side, just in time.
Shortly afterward, Theodore’s and Lee Joonyoung’s gazes met.
‘From here on…’
‘…Victory!’
A blast of wind blew in the center of the duel arena.
* * *
The fight between the two was like a dance. They moved together and split apart at intervals. Their martial arts repeatedly tangled together and fell apart. The footprints of the two men were like brush strokes on the ground.
They would come and then withdraw. These were truly the movements of the Fairy Dance, which didn’t distinguish between attack and defense, advance and retreat.
“Hup!”
“Suuuuoh…”
However, the flows of the two people weren’t the same. Lee Joonyoung, who didn’t hesitate to attack every time there was a gap, was like a storm, while Theodore was a cloud or fog. Sometimes there was the sound of thunder, but Theodore’s defense blocked the offensive like an iron wall.
A fist met a palm, palms met palms, and so on. Theodore’s defensive posture constantly changed like a cloud, suiting him perfectly.
The battlefield gradually leaned toward Theodore’s favor. It might seem like Lee Joonyoung was overwhelming Theodore, but in actuality, Lee Joonyoung was worried as he felt an increasing pressure come from Theodore.
First and foremost, the biggest problem was that Theodore was becoming stronger with every exchange.
‘Okay, I’ve grasped it now. Practice truly is necessary to release the power.’
Lee Yoonsung had taught him directly, but it was just a formal framework. If Theodore didn’t increase his proficiency, it would remain as purely knowledge. Then the best training opponent, Lee Joonyoung, had appeared.
Theodore had been training in the Fairy Dance for more than a year, and it was still incomplete. However, he was getting better. Unnecessary actions disappeared with every exchange in the battle.
Theodore applied things that couldn’t be learned by practice alone. He was absorbing decades of experience. This was the moment when his innate genius learning ability was displayed. At first, it had been hard, but Theodore’s movements were maturing at a fast pace.
In contrast, Lee Joonyoung couldn’t do that. He had taken a long time to apply a perfect form to his body. Moreover, he didn’t have a foul means like Gluttony, so he couldn’t steal Theodore’s techniques while fighting.
“Cough, t-this is unbelievable…!”
One step, two steps… Soon afterward, Lee Joonyoung started to get pushed out of the battlefield, and he let out a small moan. He didn’t want to admit it, but there was a feeling of defeat. If this continued, he would be defeated. While he was feeling desperate, a chill ran down his spine.
Then at that moment…
“Yes.” Theodore, who was dominating, stopped his hand.
Meanwhile, Lee Joonyoung didn’t miss this chance to quickly jump back. He didn’t know why his opponent had stopped, but this was a chance for him to recover. Lee Joonyoung looked at his opponent in a questioning manner while restoring his breathing.
Theodore had an unconcerned expression on his face. “This is enough, Senior.”
Lee Joonyoung couldn’t understand the meaning of those words. It wasn’t in Chinese but the official language of the West Continent. Then Theodore finished speaking and stepped forward nonchalantly.
Lee Yoonsung was present behind Theodore’s eyes. “It is finally my turn.”
At that moment, the atmosphere changed.
“Uh?” Lee Joonyoung couldn’t help shaking and unknowingly stepped back. To think that his opponent who had always been on the defensive was finally attacking…?
However, Lee Joonyoung didn’t give up resisting.
Lee Yoonsung in Theodore’s body gave a nod of acknowledgement upon seeing Lee Joonyoung’s attitude and then opened his mouth, “It is good that you don’t give up despite understanding my superiority.”
However, Lee Yoonsung just raised both his hands. “Realize the futility of your will that can’t be expressed with force.”
Lee Yoonsung had spoken with a tone which looked down on him, yet Lee Joonyoung couldn’t say anything. However, it wasn’t just due to the pressure pushing down on his body. Lee Joonyoung determined Lee Yoonsung’s intentions. “Don’t tell me… Moon Breaking through the Clouds…?!”
“That’s right.” Lee Yoonsung lifted the index finger of his left hand. “Be prepared. If you try to oppose this hidden technique, you might die.”
“Ridiculous!” Lee Joonyoung yelled and took a fighting posture. What idiot would give in just because of his opponent’s words during a battle? Even if it was a hidden technique, the Fairy Dance wasn’t strong in offense. This meant that it was highly unlikely that he would die.
“Fool.” Lee Yoonsung laughed and ruthlessly extended his arm, performing:
Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission;
Four Major Hidden Techniques;
And Moon Breaking through the Clouds.
Lee Yoonsung’s two hands blurred and created a cloud. It was possible to perfectly recreate this hidden technique using exquisite magic power manipulation. For Lee Yoonsung, it was no different from breathing.
He might have no aura talent, but he was full of magic talent. As such, he had managed to reproduce all the techniques of the Fairy Dance with magic. Lee Yoonsung had been a person who couldn’t use elemental magic even after crossing the wall of the 7th Circle.
Then the first hitting technique, Moon Breaking through the Clouds, was unfolded.
Wuooooong! The wind made a strange sound. The space around him distorted like a haze, and it was impossible to see how his arms moved. It was like dense clouds shrouding moonlight. Lee Yoonsung took two steps toward Lee Joonyoung without hesitation.
Syuoook!
Lee Joonyoung had good reflexes and tried to intercept it with an intimidating attack. A sharp blue aura aimed for Lee Yoonsung’s neck. It was sharp enough to penetrate through a person.
Chaaeng!
Then as soon as Lee Joonyoung came into contact with the haze-like space…
“What?” Lee Joonyoung’s eyes widened in astonishment. However, Lee Yoonsung just looked at him coldly. This was the first hidden technique, Moon Breaking through the Clouds. It created a layer of aura in the form of a net to confuse the opponent’s sense of distance, as well as build a barrier. A descendant of the Fairy Dance Lee family should know that much.
Moon Breaking through the Clouds was a hidden technique which combined both types of counterattacks. It produced a counterattack that pierced through the gaps which were revealed by deflecting the enemy’s attacks.
Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission,
Freehand Counterattack Technique,
And Right Wrist Three Attacks…
Theodore’s right hand moved three times through the exposed gap. It struck the middle of Lee Joonyoung’s body. As soon as the three strikes finished, Lee Joonyoung flew away while coughing up blood. It was a blow which didn’t even allow him to scream.
‘This is the finishing blow… Take a look.’
As he was sharing his body with Lee Yoonsung, Theodore could tell that Lee Yoonsung hadn’t used all his strength in the last blow. Otherwise, he would have completely destroyed Lee Joonyoung. He didn’t know why, but Lee Yoonsung didn’t intend to end it there.
“Get up. If you don’t rise by the time I count to five, I will kill you. One.”
“Kuuack…” Lee Joonyoung heard the words and barely managed to get up. Even if the recovery power of aura was great, this wasn’t damage which could be healed in a few seconds.
Lee Yoonsung gave a warning.
“This will come twice,” he warned with a frosty expression. Then he performed:
Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission;
Four Major Hidden Techniques;
And Moon Breaking through the Clouds.
Lee Yoonsung proved his will through action, not words. The space around him distorted again. If the Lee Family had been declining for centuries, then Lee Yoonsung wouldn’t linger on it anymore. The man who brought down the family he had been born in took another step.