The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan-Chapter 326: Baek Yi-gang, Gal Sa-hyuk (2)

Arrogantly, Yi-gang arrived later than Gal Sa-hyuk.

“Waaaah! The Immortal Divine Dragon!”

The spectators, especially the martial artists affiliated with the orthodox sects, erupted in cheers for Yi-gang.

For many of them, this was their first time seeing the swordsman Baek Yi-gang, so they failed to notice the anomaly.

They only sensed that his presence was extraordinary.

With his sharp and refined features, he truly had the aura of a hero.

Murmurs filled with admiration and praise spread among the crowd.

“That’s…”

“His appearance has changed.”

However, those who had seen Yi-gang a few days ago—or even before that—reacted differently.

In just seven days and nights, Yi-gang’s appearance had changed significantly.

The one most shocked by this transformation was none other than Gal Sa-hyuk.

‘His hair…!’

Yi-gang’s hair was originally a faded, ashen gray.

Most assumed it was due to illness. After all, he was born with the Great Yin Meridian Blockage, a curse-like affliction.

‘…He’s grown stronger!’

But the Yi-gang standing before them now was different.

Yi-gang’s once-faded hair had turned jet black and dense.

That wasn’t the only change. The hair that had barely reached below his neck just days ago had now grown down to his lower back.

Gal Sa-hyuk had been diligently dyeing his own white hair with mulberry juice.

Had Yi-gang dyed his hair as well?

But Gal Sa-hyuk didn’t think so.

He knew better than anyone that such deep, flowing ebony hair could never be achieved with mere cosmetics or trickery.

A martial artist who had seen Yi-gang seven days and nights ago muttered to himself, “He has returned after undergoing a complete rebirth in just a few days.”

‘Body transformation.’

The one who spoke likely meant it as just an expression to describe an astonishing transformation.

However, for martial artists who strived for the absolute pinnacle, body transformation was a real and tangible state of being.

Gal Sa-hyuk shook his head to dispel that absurd thought.

‘No, that’s impossible.’

Though body transformation was real, it was a dreamlike state.

A state where the body’s muscles, bones, and meridians were entirely reshaped and reassembled—reborn into a perfect, ideal physique.

If that were the case, the scars engraved on Yi-gang’s skin would have disappeared completely.

If it wasn’t body transformation, then could it be…?

‘Rejuvenation…!’

Rejuvenation had been Gal Sa-hyuk’s lifelong aspiration.

A state where one’s mastery of Qi reached such heights that aging halted, and the body instead regained its youth.

In fact, Gal Sa-hyuk himself was entering that state—his newly grown hair turning black, his skin tightening with vitality.

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But a doubt crept into his mind.

What if a young man, whose body had not yet begun to age, entered the state of rejuvenation?

Would that even be possible?

If—just if—it truly were possible, how would it manifest?

And Yi-gang seemed to be answering that very question through his own transformation.

Gal Sa-hyuk trembled with a mix of emotions.

‘This is a state I barely achieved…!’

Shock, disbelief, anger, and…

Inferiority.

Yi-gang, standing atop the martial stage, gazed at Gal Sa-hyuk silently.

“What is this?”

Even now, that arrogant brat showed no respect in his speech.

Gal Sa-hyuk gritted his teeth and growled, “You insolent brat, still wet behind the ears. Soon, that arrogant face of yours will be slammed into the ground.”

He was certain of it.

Yi-gang did not respond.

Instead, he drew his sword.

“Both sides, calm yourselves!”

Heaven’s Secret Scholar stepped in with a troubled expression, stopping the duel from beginning immediately.

“This is a meaningful event conducted for the peace and cooperation between the orthodox and unorthodox martial world. Both sides, exchange formal greetings…”

“Khaak! Ptooey!”

Gal Sa-hyuk spat thick phlegm onto the ground and crossed his arms.

It was a disgraceful act for someone of his seniority, but a bandit like him cared little for such things.

Besides, wasn’t Yi-gang already acting stiffly toward a senior martial artist like himself?

As he thought that, Yi-gang suddenly clasped his fists and bowed respectfully.

“I humbly request your guidance.”

It was a flawless martial salute, befitting a successor of a prestigious lineage.

Polite, yet devoid of any servility—so much so that the spectators couldn’t help but murmur in admiration.

Meanwhile, some spectators who held a grudge against the Green Forest Tyrant King clicked their tongues and hurled insults.

“Tsk tsk, acting like a child at his age.”

“They say you can’t change your roots… A bandit will always be a bandit.”

Gal Sa-hyuk’s face turned red and blue with rage.

An uncontrollable fury surged within him, as if his chest would burst.

Yi-gang had undoubtedly anticipated this reaction and was deliberately provoking him.

“As this is a duel conducted for peaceful purposes, both sides must refrain from lethal moves. The match ends if one competitor falls off the stage, concedes defeat, or is deemed incapable of continuing.”

With that announcement, Heaven’s Secret Scholar officially declared the start of the duel.

Gal Sa-hyuk stood still, holding his axe as if inviting Yi-gang to make the first move.

Traditionally, in such duels, the senior martial artist would yield the first three exchanges as a courtesy.

But Yi-gang remained unmoving.

He was clearly wary of Gal Sa-hyuk’s intentions.

“Heh heh…”

Gal Sa-hyuk let out a low chuckle, then casually extended his axe forward with one hand.

In cases where the three-move concession was unnecessary, combatants would instead tap their weapons together three times as a formal acknowledgment.

By fully extending their arms and only striking the tips of their weapons, they minimized the risk of a sudden ambush.

Only then did Yi-gang extend his sword with a composed expression.

Kang—

The tip of his sword lightly tapped against Gal Sa-hyuk’s axe blade.

Gal Sa-hyuk smiled, a seemingly harmless grin.

But at the moment of the second clash—

Gal Sa-hyuk shifted his entire body weight onto his outstretched left leg.

His leg muscles, thick and sturdy as logs, swelled as if they were about to burst.

An immense force, weighing hundreds of geun, concentrated into his planted foot.

And just as their weapons were about to collide for the final time—

Gal Sa-hyuk applied pressure to his right hand, subtly rotating his axe.

The weapon he wielded, the Green Mountain Great Axe, was unusually ornate for an axe.

As befitting a bandit, it was decorated with grotesque embellishments.

Among them was an ornament shaped like an animal skull.

In that instant, Yi-gang’s sword got caught between the metal jaws of that skull-shaped decoration.

Ka-ga-gak!

It was a lightning-fast ambush.

In a contest of raw strength, Yi-gang had no chance against Gal Sa-hyuk.

Moreover, due to the sudden nature of the attack, Yi-gang’s body was pulled forward involuntarily.

The fact that Yi-gang didn’t lose grip of his sword, even in such a sudden attack, was impressive.

But Gal Sa-hyuk had already prepared his next move.

The leg he had kept stretched behind suddenly shot forward with explosive force.

His knee, infused with his full body weight and internal energy, slammed into Yi-gang’s chest as he was pulled in.

Bba-ga-gak—!

His knees and shins were wrapped in iron greaves.

How many opponents had he crushed with this very move during duels?

Countless foes had perished, their chests caving in as they spewed torrents of blood from their mouths.

Gal Sa-hyuk was certain Yi-gang would meet the same fate.

However, Yi-gang remained unscathed. Instead, he twisted his body midair and struck Gal Sa-hyuk’s temple with a fierce kick.

Bba-ak!

Gal Sa-hyuk quickly raised his forearm, blocking Yi-gang’s incoming leg.

Feeling the numbing shock through his arm, he muttered in disbelief, “How is this possible…?!”

“That’s typical of a bandit, isn’t it?”

Gal Sa-hyuk gritted his teeth.

Boos erupted from all directions.

“Boo—!”

“Coward!”

It was understandable.

Gal Sa-hyuk, a senior martial artist, had attempted a dishonorable sneak attack on the younger Yi-gang.

But Gal Sa-hyuk knew better.

If it had worked, that was all that mattered. If this simple move had killed Yi-gang, then nothing else would have mattered.

He might have received some jeers, but in return, he would have instilled fear.

Everyone would have feared him, acknowledging him as the terrifying Tyrant King of Green Mountain.

But now that his ambush had failed, Gal Sa-hyuk had only one option left.

“Uaaaah!”

He had no choice but to tear Yi-gang apart with his axe.

A green glow began radiating from his weapon.

Thick layers of Aura Qi surrounded his axe as it slashed toward Yi-gang’s waist.

And Yi-gang met it head-on with his Sword Aura.

When an axe and a sword collided, it was only natural for the sword to be overwhelmed.

Therefore, when facing an axe with a sword, one would typically use techniques to deflect its immense force.

However—

Yi-gang clashed with it head-on.

Kwaaang!

As the green Aura Qi and white Sword Aura intertwined, light burst forth like a volcanic eruption.

Gal Sa-hyuk squinted his eyes.

Yi-gang’s internal energy had increased to a terrifying degree compared to seven days ago.

That was why he could now withstand the axe head-on.

The clash of light and deafening sounds was dazzling.

The spectators who had been cursing Gal Sa-hyuk moments ago fell silent.

The martial artists among them all realized one thing.

Both duelists had reached the realm of superhuman.

Gal Sa-hyuk’s axe strikes resembled a tiger lunging forward with its jaws wide open, while Yi-gang’s sword movements flowed like a dragon swimming through the clouds.

If ever there was a moment to use the phrase “Dragon-Tiger Struggle,” it was now.

The intense exchange of attacks continued for nearly a hundred moves.

Gal Sa-hyuk grew increasingly anxious.

He had believed that his physical attributes and sheer strength would completely overpower Yi-gang, but reality was proving otherwise.

Even more unsettling, Yi-gang had yet to reveal his full strength.

The technique that had astonished even the Absolute masters—

‘Why isn’t he using the telekinetic sword technique…?’

Since the beginning of the duel, Yi-gang had fought with his sword firmly in his grip.

It was natural for a swordsmam to keep hold of his weapon, yet something about it felt off.

As the distance between Gal Sa-hyuk and Yi-gang widened, a temporary stalemate began.

“Huff, huff….”

Gal Sa-hyuk panted heavily.

He had been using his internal energy recklessly, so it was only natural.

Yi-gang, too, seemed fatigued.

He exhaled slightly, murmuring to himself, “…You’re not as strong as I expected.”

Yi-gang’s gaze swept over Gal Sa-hyuk’s body.

His skin was less taut than before, his limbs slightly less muscular.

Gal Sa-hyuk felt humiliated by that look.

“Are you saying I’ve grown old, you brat—?!”

Instinctively, Gal Sa-hyuk realized one thing.

This fight could not drag on. The longer it lasted, the more his stamina would dwindle—and the more the odds would turn against him.

That was why he had to end the fight in an instant.

‘That technique…!’

He had yet to reach the realm of an Absolute master and had not attained a supreme ultimate technique.

However, there was something he wished to make his supreme ultimate technique.

A memory so faint it barely lingered—his childhood, the first time he turned to banditry.

With his frail body gripping a blade, he had robbed an elderly couple crossing the mountains.

Then, he had encountered real Green Forest Bandits and had been beaten to the brink of death before being inducted into a bandit gang.

From that moment, an emotion had taken root. That was the feeling he wanted to forge into his supreme ultimate technique.

Embodying the entirety of his life’s experiences, Gal Sa-hyuk let out the roar of a true bandit.

“Hand over everything you have—!”

His aura changed in an instant.

It was the terrifying bellow of a highwayman threatening a traveler.

Yi-gang, however, responded with composed calm.

The incoming axe strike was nothing special.

He could evade the slash and counterattack through Gal Sa-hyuk’s opening at any moment.

Yet something felt different.

A monstrous suction force emanated from the descending axe.

Before he realized it, Yi-gang’s meteorite sword was being drawn toward it.

A deadlock between axe and sword.

Their Aura Qi intertwined so tightly that neither could pull away.

A smirk crept across Gal Sa-hyuk’s lips.

The essence of his supreme ultimate technique was greed.

A Green Forest bandit must take—again and again.

That boundless avarice and insatiable desire were what allowed the Green Forest bandits to reign over the Green Mountains.

And as their leader, Gal Sa-hyuk embodied that very spirit.

The hunger for fame.

The thirst for youth.

The desire for victory.

All of it made him stronger.

Endless greed was the way of the Green Forest.

The Green Forest’s Tao.

Holding the Green Mountain Great Axe in one hand, Gal Sa-hyuk reached for the small axe hidden at his waist with the other.

Yi-gang couldn’t withdraw his sword.

His Shooting Star Fang was trapped by the incomplete supreme ultimate technique radiating from Gal Sa-hyuk’s axe.

And without hesitation, Gal Sa-hyuk swung his hatchet ruthlessly.

The spectators gasped, their breath caught in their throats.

Gal Sa-hyuk’s hatchet seemed certain to strike Yi-gang’s exposed torso.

However, not everyone had already accepted Gal Sa-hyuk’s victory.

A handful of people who knew Yi-gang’s true martial prowess—especially the Divine Monk—smiled.

“Heh-heh.”

The meaning of that smile became clear in the next moment.

Just as Gal Sa-hyuk’s left hand swung toward Yi-gang’s side—

A shard of metal shot out from behind Yi-gang.

No, it wasn’t just a fragment—it was unmistakably a sword.

A flexible blade, without a hilt.

A legendary sword that had slumbered in the Imperial Palace Treasury, rendered useless for centuries due to its missing handle.

That very blade, responding to Yi-gang’s will, unsheathed itself and flew forth on its own.

Slash—

The hatchet, along with two of the fingers gripping it, was severed in midair.