KABOOOOOOM!
The battle between the peerless masters caused part of the canyon to cave in. A thunderous cascade of debris rained down, ranging from house-sized boulders to sharp, jagged stone shards.
RUUUMBLE!
The entire canyon quaked violently , the vibrations so intense that the entire mountain seemed ready to disintegrate. A tsunami of dust billowed outward, obscuring all visibility.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Don't panic! Stay vigilant!"
"Keuk! My arm! My aaarm!"
The sudden catastrophe distinguished neither friend nor foe. Martial artists staggered out of the dust cloud one by one, bleeding from the falling debris.
"Hold your positions and watch your surroundings!"
"Brothers! Devote yourselves to the glory of the Cult!"
The battlefield instantly descended into anarchy. Most of the commanders' voices were swallowed by the deafening clamor.
At best, one could make out only a few others nearby. Shouts and screams from all directions blended into a noisy cacophony. Even approaching someone you thought was an ally could result in an unexpected backstabbing.
The Undying Supreme Demon looked up at the sky, his expression unreadable. "Kekeke... Hell has descended upon the mortal world."
The Second Apostle and the Fire King clashed in the heavens. Rather than humans, they seemed more like divine generals of the heavens, forged from ice and fire.
Setting aside the man's imposing physique, that arrogant tone and piercing eyes were not something just anyone could possess. They were the hallmarks of an individual who had reigned over others their entire life.
BOOOOOOM!
Realizing the chaos his own flames had wrought, the Fire King lured the Second Apostle away from the main battle and toward a nearby uninhabited mountain.
The Undying Supreme Demon clicked his tongue as he watched them go. "Tsk. That old man's skills exceeded my expectations. I thought the Second Apostle would've finished him by now."
"...Where are you looking?"
"Hm? You're not dead yet?" Surprised, the Undying Supreme Demon returned his gaze to his opponent.
Noh Goonsang staggered to his feet. His martial arts uniform was dyed red and torn to shreds, and his once neatly tied white hair was a disheveled mess. Despite his battered state, he stood firm, and a faint white light shimmered in his palms.
VWOOOOOM!
A divine energy spread outward in concentric circles, resonating with the atmosphere itself. This was Noh Goonsang's unique martial art, rooted in Shaolin's style.
The battle would be over long before reinforcements arrived, but that was a matter of circumstance, not his fault.
"Hah! Your lifeblood is as tough as an ox's sinew, you ancient relic," The Undying Supreme Demon sneered derisively. Noh Goonsang's martial arts were stronger than expected, but their repeated clashes had already proven that the mad dog could not break through the Undying Demonic Art.
Casting aside his tattered robes, he strode toward Noh Goonsang with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he were addressing a complete novice. "Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva. I'd heard you were a washed-up has-been, but you fight quite well for your age."
"Even if I'm old, I still have enough strength to kill a Blood Cultist."
"Kekeke ! It's quite moving to hear that from someone who used to call us mere demons."
Noh Goonsang snorted. He and the Undying Supreme Demon shared a long-standing, ill-fated connection. They had faced off several times in the past, but each time, one had always escaped alive. Now, after several decades, they had met again on a battlefield from which neither could retreat.
The Undying Supreme Demon smiled, revealing his sharp fangs. "Today, I'll settle our persistent, ill-fated feud once and for all."
"To settle means to wash away filth. I suppose today is the appointed day of your final rites."
"Kekeke! Your mouth is still going strong. Are you saying you can beat me in that state?"
Noh Goonsang closed his eyes instead of answering. His breathing grew so faint that he seemed to have entered nirvana, and his expression became utterly peaceful. His hands, hanging at his sides, traced a gentle arc through the air.
SWIIIIISH!
"What rotten... luck..." Pung Jinho gasped as he collapsed limply.
The Undying Supreme Demon, who had been approaching leisurely, abruptly paused, feeling a sudden unease. "What now? Did you have a trump card up your sleeve?"
The white light gathering in Noh Goonsang's palms intensified. The trajectory of his slowly arcing hands blurred, first multiplying into dozens, then hundreds, and finally an innumerable mass of hands.
"What the...?" The Undying Supreme Demon stared in astonishment at the unbelievable sight.
Still, Noh Goonsang remained focused. This was the culmination of his martial arts journey --the ultimate testament of an old veteran who had finally attained enlightenment in his later years, after letting go of the accolades, fame, and obsessions he had accumulated over a lifetime.
"The Thousand Yin Hands...?" the Undying Supreme Demon murmured, identifying Noh Goonsang's unique martial art.
Noh Goonsang's eyes snapped open, and a crystalline radiance erupted from his pupils. "No, this is the Thousand-Armed Buddha's Palm."
A thousand hands descended upon the Undying Supreme Demon, forcing him to push the Undying Demonic Art to its absolute limit.
KRAKRAKRAKRAKRA!
The battle between a Buddha and a Demon unleashed a terrifying storm of energy, laying waste to the entire area.
Sporadic battles continued to occur in scattered pockets across the canyon. The cataclysm had rendered all strategies moot, so martial artists clashed wherever they happened to be.
Even now, the towering dust cloud had not yet settled, and visibility was minimal. The only way to distinguish friend from foe was by their presence and voice.