Play The Winning Move. (3)

Showdowns with everyone’s fate on the line were unfolding everywhere.

The suffocating pitched battles had been raging for about half an hour.

Shrrk!! A severed head, its golden mask glinting, shot into the sky.

There, Yu Jinsan stood with the Dragon Slaying Spear raised diagonally, breathing hard.

Hoo. He had finally felled the two golden‑armored warriors assigned to him.

Fatigue etched his face; he’d overexerted himself to finish the fight quickly.

Il Kwang’s bout beside him also seemed nearly finished.

He had grabbed his opponent by the hair and was pummeling his face repeatedly.

Bang! Bang! Kraaang! Each massive blow landed with a resounding crash.

Where could one find someone more brutish than that?

Yu Jinsan clicked his tongue. “He looks already dead; that’ll do.”

Not just looking dead—half his face was gone.

Il Kwang, coming to his senses, sheepishly wiped the blood from his fists.

“Phew. Now only that bastard remains, so let’s go finish him off.”

Meanwhile, Yu Seol and Jeon Sa‑ryong’s fierce duel raged on.

If two fighters at the Supreme realm intervened, they could end it easily.

As Il Kwang moved to intervene, Yu Jinsan stopped him quickly.

“Just leave them be. From now on it’s a match to determine the strongest.”

It only counted if it was one‑on‑one.

If they defeated Jeon Sa‑ryong, they would secure peace from the western regions to the southern martial world.

That meant the granddaughter’s path to becoming supreme wouldn’t be far off.

“Ah, I understand. I’ll trust the Yin Monster Great Warrior.”

Il Kwang stopped insisting and folded his arms to watch.

Around the two fighters, it felt like another world.

Heaven and earth trembled as if a storm‑laden tempest had arrived.

With each clashing movement, fierce gusts tore through and snapped every nearby tree.

The outcome had not tipped to either side yet; it looked evenly matched.

Yu Jinsan and Il Kwang watched, holding their breath.

After a while, a broken tree suddenly hurled toward them at tremendous speed.

Any ordinary martial artist would have flinched, but the two didn’t so much as glance.

Yu Jinsan flicked the tree aside with the flat of his palm and asked, “What do you think?”

Il Kwang kept marveling as he watched the fight. After a moment he muttered, dazed.

“How can this be… The Yin Monster Great Hero has begun reading Jeon Sa‑ryong’s movements.”

It certainly looked that way to Yu Jinsan.

At first it was an even match—a tiger against a dragon—but as time passed Yu Seol gained the upper hand.

All of Jeon Sa‑ryong’s attacks were intercepted before they landed.

Her movements made it seem as if she could read her opponent’s mind and next action.

“Hm. It seems she’s finally grasped Jeon Sa‑ryong’s techniques and attack patterns.”

“They’ve never fought before; how is that possible?”

“No question. She’s a born fighter who never forgets what she experiences.”

That was another reason the duel between Jeon Sa‑ryong and the granddaughter had been arranged.

Yu Seol grew stronger the more she fought powerful foes.

Her ability to understand an opponent’s moves was exceptional; she absorbed countless irregular attacks experienced in battle and made them her own.

“I guarantee there is no martial god as gifted as the Yin Monster Great Hero.”

It was an embarrassing compliment, but Yu Jinsan nodded and added, “She will likely be unprecedented in martial history.”

He couldn’t claim she’d reached the Supreme realm after only two years—no one would believe that.

Already, Il Kwang gazed at Yu Seol with steadfast belief.

A little more time passed as the duel continued.

Warriors of the resistance began to gather one by one.

“Wow…”

“Th‑that can’t be.”

They were the elite who’d set fire to the poisonous herb field and fled; they’d evaded the enemy and returned.

The red‑masked ones who had disappeared earlier didn’t seem to be pursuing; they were likely staying to extinguish the fire and guard the field.

“O‑ old sir!”

At the familiar voice Yu Jinsan turned. Ma Cheol, who had helped him in the training hall, called out.

“Why are you talking to me at a critical moment?”

“Right now the Yin Monster Great Hero is winning, right?”

Yu Seol and Jeon Sa‑ryong’s bodies were entangled in the air; only Yu Jinsan and Il Kwang could properly follow the fight.

“That’s right. She’s definitely seizing the advantage.”

Ma Cheol clenched his fists in delight.

“Wah! Really?”

“Told you so.”

Hearing that, other warriors’ eyes reddened—how long they’d waited for this day.

Another breath passed. With a dull thud, Jeon Sa‑ryong crashed to the ground.

At last Yu Seol’s strike had landed.

Seeing him stagger, the resistance warriors cheered.

“Waaaah!!”

Their thunderous shouts mixed anger and joy.

But the fight was not over yet.

The cheers died, replaced by trembling anticipation.

Their bodies intertwined again as the fierce clash resumed.

The ground shook as if by an earthquake; explosive sounds continued without pause.

Everyone here—except Jeon Sa‑ryong—felt united in belief: the Yin Monster was winning, even if they couldn’t know the details.

Jeon Sa‑ryong roared. A blood‑red aura flared across his body, and his yaksha‑like contorted face made him scarcely human.

At the same time, golden radiance enveloped Yu Seol as she unleashed the Buddha Lion Roar Divine technique.

Their movements accelerated rapidly.

To the eyes of the lower‑ranked warriors, red qi and yellow qi mingled like ghostly fires dancing.

After a short while of such fierce clashing, something fell to the ground with a tremendous crash.

The warriors who recognized it sighed.

“Th‑this can’t be.”

“…Y‑Yin Monster Great Warrior?”

They were astonished because it was the Dragon Flower Spear the Yin Monster had been clutching.

Had Jeon Sa‑ryong forced the weapon from him? If so, was it a crisis? Anxiety swept through the crowd; even Il Kwang wore a grave, puzzled expression.

Only Yu Jinsan wore a composed expression, a smile lingering at his lips.

“O‑ old sir, aren’t you worried?” Im Pyeong‑il asked anxiously.

Yu Jinsan replied curtly, “Worry? What worry?”

“Well, the Yin Monster Great Hero dropped his weapon.”

“Tsk. Do you think a master who uses the Spear Control Technique would accidentally lose his weapon? He dropped it on purpose.”

“W‑what do you mean? Why would he drop his weapon?”

The close fight continued; the only difference was that now they were fighting bare‑handed.

After a moment Yu Jinsan confirmed his guess and snorted with a smile.

“Our Seol prefers to strike bare‑handed.”

“…Whaat?”

Then golden beams poured from Yu Seol’s eyes as she unleashed the Buddha Lion Roar at full force.

From that moment the sounds of battle changed abruptly—from bell‑like clangs to the splintering of trees and cracking wood.

“W‑what is this?”

“Hm, the Yin Monster Great Hero is winning, right? I hope so.”

“Please…”

Everyone anxiously stared at the sky; many pressed their hands together in prayer.

It didn’t take long for the result to appear.

With a crack like breaking bones, someone fell from the sky—Jeon Sa‑ryong, tumbling like a bird with broken wings, bloodied and semiconscious.

“…Where is the Yin Monster Great Hero?”

As everyone scanned the sky, someone pointed urgently.

“Th‑there!”

High above, a shaft of light pierced the clouds and struck down like lightning, driving into Jeon Sa‑ryong’s abdomen.

Crushed by the force, he slammed into the ground, sending up a thick cloud of dust.

As the dust cleared, Jeon Sa‑ryong lay with his back driven half a foot into the earth; whether he was dead or alive was unclear.

Yin Monster stood with his boot on Jeon Sa‑ryong’s torso, glaring.

“…The Yin Monster Great Warrior won.”

The moment victory was certain, everyone erupted into passionate shouts.

“Jeon Sa‑ryong has fallen!!”

“Waaaah!!!”

“Sea Dragon Island is liberated!!”

A few masked warriors might remain, but they’d be easy to root out; burn the poisonous field and they’d destroy themselves within days.

The victory cries echoed everywhere, even reaching the resistance’s underground headquarters.

They had waited so long for this moment; Sea Dragon Island seemed to tremble with it.

Warriors and residents alike embraced one another in joy; many wept aloud.

“Huh‑kkh!”

“Thank you. Thank you so much!”

Yu Jinsan nodded, satisfied; he couldn’t help feeling pleased after such a rewarding task.

But the Yin Monster’s retribution wasn’t over.

Some warriors fell silent: Jeon Sa‑ryong’s sprawled form floated into the air—not rising by his own power, but held aloft by Yu Seol, who stood before him with one hand raised.

“Get up, anchovy. I’ll peel your head off myself.”

His crimes were too great for a quick death. How many evils had he committed here? The thought of the children hidden underground made Yu Seol’s teeth chatter.

Guh. Foamy blood continued to spill from Jeon Sa‑ryong’s mouth; his internal injuries seemed so severe his insides were turned inside out.

“Did you do wrong or not? If you don’t want to be beaten, apologize quickly.”

But Jeon Sa‑ryong was already out of his mind—on the brink of death, he could not reply.

“Apologize!!”

Yu Seol’s gust of force struck his abdomen, flinging him backward through the air—right into where Il Kwang stood.

Il Kwang caught him from behind, grabbed his shoulder, and hauled him up.

“Get up, you bastard. The merciful Yin Monster Great Hero has given you a chance, so answer quickly.”

There wasn’t a single person who felt pity for Jeon Sa‑ryong; on this island he’d been worse than a demon.

Everyone watched with faces showing catharsis.

“Hold him tight. He has to be beaten until he answers.”

Having finished speaking, Yu Seol clenched both fists and charged at Jeon Sa‑ryong.