Chapter 182
"Still... it could have been quite troublesome."
If he had been exposed to the Punishment of Sacred Light without any defense, it would have been impossible to move even a finger.
In other words, with defenses in place as they were now, there was no problem at all.
"Let's just say you had poor opponents."
[The characteristics of All Poison Immunity and Cold-Heat Immunity are activated.]
[S-rank skill, Star Purification ability is activated.]
[S-rank skill, Indomitable Will rises.]
[22 status ailments including burns, frostbite, curses, electrocution, bleeding, hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, and visual hallucinations are nullified.]
All Poison Immunity against toxins.
Cold-Heat Immunity to counter heat and cold.
Star Purification to fill in the remaining gaps.
Finally, Indomitable Will to block mental status ailments.
For Seong-jun Lee, who had equipped numerous resistance abilities, these numerous status ailments and debuffs couldn't pose even the slightest threat.
However, Zhang Xiaoying, unable to know this fact, couldn't hide his bewilderment.
"Wh-What...?!"
Even with clear evidence before his eyes, he couldn't believe it.
'No matter how extremely one trains their body, as long as they're human... there must be weaknesses.'
It should be impossible to shake off dozens of debuffs.
In fact, even Nicholas Holt, said to have the best physical abilities among the Guardians members, had clear weaknesses.
But what was this situation?
'He shook off all the status ailments.'
This meant that Seong-jun had a body surpassing Nicholas.
'C-Could it be that he has attained a Transcendent body?'
A power that could only be obtained by reaching the extreme of the Life and Death Realm, a body that could shake off sinister and negative energies.
It meant that Seong-jun had achieved what was considered the goal and dream of martial artists.
Zhang Xiaoying's eyes shook violently.
'This can't be, no. This is impossible.'
He knew well that Seong-jun was a martial artist who had reached the Life and Death Realm, having handled Ultimate Aura in the fierce battle with Black Gate and Arabis.
But he thought he would still be somewhat lacking compared to Nicholas, who had trained in the Life and Death Realm for decades.
It wasn't just his own delusion; anyone in the world would think the same.
'The higher the realm, the slower the growth rate should be...'
Yet Seong-jun had once again broken through a wall in less than a month since entering the Life and Death Realm.
Even for a returner, this was an impossible speed.
It seemed too absurd even to himself, but it was the only way to explain what had happened before his eyes.
'...He wasn't just a monster.'
Seong-jun was martial arts itself.
The understanding of martial arts was literally worlds apart, a gap that couldn't be described as merely vast.
And this gap would only widen as time passed.
'It's not just now... Seong-jun is a wall that can't be overcome even if I dedicate my entire life.'
He didn't feel humiliation.
From the start, Seong-jun was a being that ordinary humans like himself, Zhang Xiaoying, couldn't surpass.
It meant the plan was doomed to fail from the beginning.
Fortunately, for now, the balance of power could be seen as roughly equal.
There was a good reason why he continued to push forward despite the original plan completely falling apart.
'Kenneth's buff ability raises all stats by about 3 times.'
In terms of pure physical ability, he wasn't lacking.
Indeed, even under Seong-jun's continued fierce attacks, he hadn't taken any fatal damage.
However, just enduring like this was meaningless.
'The moment Punishment of Sacred Light failed, time became Seong-jun's ally.'
The sudden massive explosion and collision.
There was no way the Guardians members gathered in the nearby city hadn't noticed this.
'Reinforcements will arrive soon.'
It was already overwhelming to face Seong-jun alone, but if the Guardians members joined?
There was no need to think deeply about it.
'...It's over.'
He needed to withdraw.
Various problems would arise, but those could be dealt with later.
'Survival is the top priority.'
With an escape route already secured, escape itself shouldn't be a problem.
He just needed to leave this place, but this was the biggest challenge.
'Can I shake him off?'
The possibility was slim.
However, he had no intention of standing still waiting for death.
'I'll struggle with all my might.'
And if an opportunity came, he would seize it without fail and immediately leave.
As Zhang Xiaoying was burning with the desire for life, a curve appeared on Seong-jun's lips, who had been silently observing him.
"...Judging by your reaction, it seems you don't have any more hidden abilities."
It was a brief change in emotion that occurred in a truly fleeting moment, but Seong-jun, who had been through countless battlefields, couldn't miss it.
There was no need to fight cautiously and moderately anymore.
"Your body seems quite sturdy... I wonder if your insides are just as tough."
The words were spoken by one person.
However, the voice was not singular.
The words uttered by the figures rising from the thickly settling red mist echoed like a resonance.
"Cloud Mist Mountain Blood Technique, Combined Attack, Great Asura Destruction Wave Formation."
There was nowhere to escape; there were no gaps in the attacks pouring in from all directions, no, from eight directions.
There was only one choice: to receive it with his body.
"...!"
Zhang Xiaoying gritted his teeth as he prepared for the impending impact.
The force of the Asura Destruction Wave, a kind of internal force technique, churned Zhang Xiaoying's body randomly.
There was no need to describe its power.
It was destructive and threatening enough to shake the earth's axis with just the aftereffects spreading to the surroundings.
Kugung!
Even a martial artist who had reached a considerable level would have died with their body and internal organs turned to mush.
However, the opponent was Zhang Xiaoying.
As someone who ranked fourth in the Guardians and was praised in the world as the strongest shield for his sturdy body, he couldn't be taken down in one go.
'Still... I thought there would be some impact...'
The expectation was completely off the mark.
"You can't bring me down with attacks like this!"
For a brief moment, his body seemed to tremble, but Zhang Xiaoying quickly regained his posture and swung his fist roughly.
Whoosh-!
There was no special technique, and the speed itself couldn't be called fast, but as it was an attack beyond mental calculations, it couldn't be perfectly defended against.
Bang-!
As Zhang Xiaoying's fist collided with the arms crossed in an X-shape, Seong-jun's body flew through the air and crashed into a nearby tree.
The reddened skin on his arms and back testified to the pain.
However, a curve was drawn on Seong-jun's lips.
"I heard you were unbelievably sturdy... now I understand."
Although it wasn't with full power, he had taken no damage despite the continued attacks.
At first, he thought it was simply excellent durability, but the initial thought itself was wrong.
'It's not that his durability is good... he wasn't taking any hits at all.'
Seong-jun's narrowed eyes observed Zhang Xiaoying and the ground around him.
The earth cracked like a spider web.
One might think these were just traces left by the battle's aftermath.
However, the continued battle and the information accumulated from it testified that the traces on the ground were not simply due to the battle's aftermath.
'It was subtle, but from the beginning, whenever I landed a hit, the impact was being transmitted to the ground.'
He had ignored it, thinking it was simply the aftermath of the impact, but now he saw it wasn't.
"An unusual ability... absorbing all the shock and channeling it into the ground."
"..."
Zhang Xiaoying avoided answering by maintaining silence, but he couldn't hide his trembling eyes.
Of course, even this could be a false act.
But there was no need to worry about mind games.
'...I'll just confirm it directly.'
Tak.
Seong-jun, who closed the distance in an instant using Wind Thunder Step, stretched out his tightly clenched fist towards Zhang Xiaoying's chin.
Although it was an attack unleashed in the blink of an eye, Zhang Xiaoying, who was on extreme alert, responded swiftly.
Tak-
His open palm deflected Seong-jun's fist, seemingly negating the attack.
However, the attack Seong-jun had originally aimed for was not the fist visible right in front of him.
Whoosh-
His left hand, extended from a blind spot, grabbed Zhang Xiaoying's collar using the Golden Silk Hand technique.
At the same time, Seong-jun exerted all his strength to lift his left hand high into the sky, but Zhang Xiaoying's body withstood the impact with a force like that of Mount Tai.
'Withstood?'
Although he couldn't achieve his original goal due to the fierce resistance, thanks to this, he could be certain.
'My prediction was correct.'
Zhang Xiaoying was channeling all the received impact into the ground, the earth.
If he were to float in the air, he wouldn't be able to absorb the impact like this.
It was a somewhat strange method, but he could sufficiently guess the approach.
'...His representative skill must be the Earth-Shattering Destiny ability.'
Of course, what was important now wasn't the method of absorbing the impact.
'It seems he's thoroughly prepared to compensate for his weakness... but it's amateurish.'
Seong-jun, sneering, concentrated blood energy into his clenched fist, trying to send Zhang Xiaoying's body flying through the air.
However, things didn't unfold as easily as he thought.
"Fuck! What are you doing! Wake up!"
Kenneth, shouting at the top of his lungs, shot black arrows towards Seong-jun's face.
If this was all, he could have ignored it, but Zhang Xiaoying, who had regained his senses with the shout, flashed his eyes and was bringing his fist down on Seong-jun's head.
'This could be a bit dangerous.'
It was the moment when Seong-jun, making a quick judgment, hurriedly moved his feet.
Kwagwang-!
With a thunderous sound, a huge crater formed where Seong-jun had been standing.
"If you fall, I'm finished too! Focus!"
Zhang Xiaoying, regaining his senses at Kenneth's rebuke, widened the distance while maintaining a defensive posture.
'An annoying combination.'
A warrior with excellent defense and a mage equipped with various support abilities.
It could be called an orthodox yet tricky combination.
'Originally, targeting the mage at the back, Kenneth, would be the standard strategy, but...'
In a situation like this, it could actually be poisonous.
'There are too many uncertainties.'
How long the buff duration was.
And whether the buff would disappear if Kenneth fell.
There was no accurate information.
'Moreover... Zhang Xiaoying wouldn't stand still.'
He would certainly use Kenneth as bait and try to escape.
'Unless it's an unavoidable situation.'
He didn't want to leave behind anything that could be called future trouble.
Therefore, Seong-jun made a bold decision.
'...I'll break through from the front.'
Of course, he wasn't being greedy.
He, Seong-jun, had the power and ability to do so.
Ding-!
[Using Star's Protection, Star's Suggestion, Star's Favor, Earth's Blessing, Wind's Protection, Strength, Stamina, Agility Enhancement on user 'Seong-jun Lee'.]
[The number of applied buffs is 5 or more, activating the skill Star Fusion.]
[Due to the Amplification effect, the effects of enhancement skills are increased by 50% each.]
[Agility status increases by 185.]
[Strength and Stamina status increase by 177 each.]
It was the moment when he used all the abilities and buff skills he had been hiding in preparation for any unexpected situations or variables.
Woong-
With a resonating sound, a golden aura rose from his entire body.
At the same time, his muscles swelled greatly, and his skin became tougher and harder than any metal.
The vitality of his body was also beyond description.
Feeling the sensations of power literally welling up, a confident smile bloomed on Seong-jun's lips.