Book Eater

Chapter 246: The Rightful Heir (2)

“A-te-ru...? What a weird technique name.”

Lee Joonyoung was confused by the term, but he quickly corrected his posture and calmed down. 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. He had learned it long ago 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, Theo wasn’t a shallow opponent. Rather than approaching hastily, Lee Joonyoung put strength into his legs.

The original Fairy Dance basically manipulated the flow of force, and the users of Fairy Dance were like the tip of a spin top. The stronger the load, the faster the rotational power would become. As Lee Joonyoung launched himself forward, it was like he had turned into an arrow.

This is worth challenging now.

Despite Lee Joonyoung becoming stronger, Theo took a step toward him without hesitation. Theo’s purpose was to complete Fairy Dance. His purpose was to steal experience from the man called Lee Joonyoung, before settling the family that had been ruined by discord.

Theo approached as he raised both his hands.

Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission; Double Palm Hit; Sun and Fertile Earth.

The two palms referred to the sun and the moon, moving in both directions. Theo’s two palms, surrounded by ether, hit Lee Joonyoung’s belly. Anybody else would have their bones and intestines crushed by this blow.

Unsurprisingly, Lee Joonyoung also reached out with both hands.

Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission; Hand Counterattack Technique; Two-handed Wind and Moon.

Wind seemed to stir from both of Lee Joonyoung’s hands. They looked like a moon as they received Theo’s attack. His hands didn’t receive the attack from the front. Instead, they flowed gently and shifted the orbit of the attack away from his body. The strength that could crack bones would be meaningless if it hit empty air.

Paaang!

When Theo’s palms struck the air, Lee Joonyoung moved like he had been waiting.

Fairy Dance had two types of counterattacks.

The first sought to throw the opponent’s strength against them, like Left Palm Lone Peak. However, Lee Joonyoung’s Wind and Moon was the second type.

He attacked when his opponent’s power flowed in the opposite direction! Theo’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 Fairy Dance in this age.

Theo 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.

Theo’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 clashed and retreated as their martial arts repeatedly tangled together and fell apart. The footprints of the two men were like brush strokes on the ground. These were truly the movements of 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 Theo was a cloud or fog. Sometimes there was the sound of thunder, but Theo’s defense blocked any offensive like an iron wall.

A fist met a palm, palms met palms, and so on. Theo’s defensive posture constantly changed like a cloud, suiting him perfectly. The battlefield gradually leaned toward Theo’s favor. It might seem like Lee Joonyoung was overwhelming Theo, but in actuality, Lee Joonyoung was worried as he felt an increasing pressure coming from Theo.

First and foremost, the biggest problem was that Theo 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 Theo didn’t increase his proficiency, it would remain as purely theoretical knowledge. Then the best training opponent, Lee Joonyoung, had appeared.

Theo had been training in Fairy Dance for more than a year, and it was still incomplete. However, he was getting better. He was eliminating unnecessary actions with every exchange.

Theo applied things that couldn’t be learned by practice alone as he absorbed decades of experience. This was the moment when his innate genius learning ability was displayed. At first, it had been hard, but Theo’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 something like Gluttony, so he couldn’t steal Theo’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 groan. He didn’t want to admit it, but he could see defeat looming. If this continued, he would be defeated.

Just as desperation started to overwhelm him, a chill ran down his spine.

“Yes.” Theo, who was dominating, stopped his hand.

Lee Joonyoung didn’t miss this chance to quickly jump back. He didn’t know why his opponent had stopped, but he wasn’t going to miss a chance to recover. Lee Joonyoung looked at his opponent questioningly as he caught his breath.

Theo 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. Theo stepped forward nonchalantly.

Lee Yoonsung opened his eyes. “Finally, it’s 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 could exude such pressure when he attacked?

However, Lee Joonyoung didn’t give up resisting. Lee Yoonsung gave a nod of acknowledgement upon seeing Lee Joonyoung’s attitude and spoke, “It’s good that you didn’t give up despite understanding the difference.”

However, Lee Yoonsung 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 had recognized 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 as he 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, Fairy Dance didn’t specialize in offense. This meant that it was highly unlikely that he would die.

“Fool.” Lee Yoonsung laughed as he ruthlessly extended his arm.

Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission; Four Major Hidden Techniques; 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. And for Lee Yoonsung, it was no different than breathing.

He might have no talent for aura, but he was overflowing with talent for magic. It had taken him decades, but he had managed to reproduce all the techniques of 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.

The first hidden technique, Moon Breaking through the Clouds, unfolded before the crowd.

Wuooooong!?

The wind made a strange sound. 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 he tried to intercept the blow with an intimidating attack. A sharp, lethal, blue aura aimed for Lee Yoonsung’s neck.

Chaaeng!

But as soon as Lee Joonyoung came into contact with the hazy distorted 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 revealed by deflecting the enemy’s attacks.

Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission; Freehand Counterattack Technique; Right Wrist Three Attacks...

Lee Yoonsung’s right hand moved thrice through the exposed gap, striking Lee Joonyoung’s body. Lee Joonyoung was sent flying, spewing 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, Theo 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‘ll kill you. One.”

“Kuuack...” Lee Joonyoung barely managed to get up. Aura accelerated recovery, but even aura couldn’t repair all the damage he had received in that blow in a few seconds.

Lee Yoonsung warned him dispassionately. “This will come twice.”

Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission; Four Major Hidden Techniques; Moon Breaking through the Clouds.

Lee Yoonsung proved his will through action, not words, as space distorted around him again. If the Lee Family had been declining for centuries after his actions, there was no use in it lingering any more.

The man who brought down the family centuries ago, took a step forward as he prepared to bring it down again.