TL: FoodieMonster007

The wrestling match had started out as nothing more than a fun game.

"Really? Just external arts, with no inner arts?"

"Fufu! Even the Azure Dragon Hero will have a hard time without inner arts."

"Our martial arts might be nothing special, but we've trained our bodies by climbing the rocky cliffs of the Jingang Mountains every day."

The pleasantly drunk bandits rose from their seats one by one. Their opponent was an orthodox master, one of the so-called Ten Supremes, someone they would normally find difficult to even meet eye-to-eye with. Strangely, though, the Azure Dragon Hero didn't seem out of place among them at all.

Well, his looks did stick out like a white heron in a flock of crows, but somehow they felt as if a black raven was hidden beneath the heron's white feathers.

This sense of familiarity gave the bandits courage.

"Sit down! You guys won't be getting a turn! The one who's gonna take down the Azure Dragon Hero and make a name for himself in the jianghu is me, the great Jang Geol!"

The bandit who had first asked the Azure Dragon Hero for a demonstration stepped forward. Boldly throwing off his shabby shirt, he rushed at Baek Suryong.

"Wahaha! Die!"

"...Please watch your language, you idiots!" the Viridian Scholar warned anxiously.

Jang Geol ignored his boss and threw a powerful punch at Baek Suryong's chin, while the other bandits cheered and whistled for their comrade.

However, Baek Suryong effortlessly flicked the man's fist away with his fingertips, showcasing his extreme precision and strength control. When Jang Geol staggered, he pushed the back of the bandit's knee with his foot to throw him off balance, then strafed past and lightly pushed the back of Jang Geol's head.

Every movement flowed together as naturally as breathing, but the result was anything but gentle. SLAM!

Jang Geol tumbled to the ground in a disgraceful heap, covered in dust. He tried to get up, but the world spun around him and he collapsed again.

"Puhahaha! Serves you right!"

"Pathetic dumbass! After acting so high and mighty, you go and embarrass the Viridian Forest?!"

"What the fuck are you doing? Did you just fall over on your own?"

Some of the bandits laughed at the fallen Jang Geol so hard that they had to clutch their stomachs, while others clicked their tongues in pity. To them, Jang Geol appeared to have flailed wildly and then tripped over his own feet.

Only the Viridian Scholar, the Vice-Boss, and the other top external arts masters of the Yama Keep stared at the Azure Dragon Hero in shock, having recognized just how efficient and calculated his movements had been.

Unfortunately, for most of the Viridian Forest bandits, this was merely an interesting duel, the kind they rarely got to experience.

A muscular man half a head taller than Jang Geol stepped forward. "It's my turn! I'm Gu Gil of the Yama Keep, and I'd like to request a match with the Azure Dragon Hero!"

"Gu Gil, you say. That's a common name. It'll be hard to remember," Baek Suryong taunted, beckoning with his finger.

The provocation sounded playful, but the crooked smirk suited him so well that he looked no different from a typical unorthodox ruffian.

Gu Gil laughed fiercely, "...I'll make you remember it with your body."

Just like Jang Geol, he threw off his top and charged with a powerful shout.

"Haaaap!"

The result was the same.

Gu Gil felt the sky and the ground switch places. One moment he was charging at Baek Suryong, and the next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor, having lost consciousness for a moment.

"G-Gu Gil, too? In one hit?"

"Move aside! It's my turn!"

"I'll be different!"

The third, fourth, and fifth challengers met the same fate. Each bandit who rushed at Baek Suryong was sent flying through the air or rolling on the ground.

"Damn it! His movements are so obvious. Why can't anyone dodge them?"

"Have you touched his body? It's like a rock, and a really solid boulder at that!"

"From now on, we're not treating you like a guest anymore!"

The bandits, who had been laughing and joking, grew stubborn after being defeated so easily. Refusing to give up, they charged in again and again.

Finally, the Vice-Boss stepped forward to stop them. "You bastards, that's enough! You're bothering our guest...'

"I'm fine," Baek Suryong interjected, shaking his head.

The Viridian Scholar didn't intervene, instead choosing to watch the scene play out.

Baek Suryong continued, "This is nothing more than a warm-up for me. So, about that..."

He looked around at the men of the Viridian Forest. Their expressions showed that they weren't convinced of his superiority yet.

An evil grin spread across his face. He knew exactly what to do in this situation.

I'll have to make them accept my dominance.

"It's a hassle fighting you weaklings one at a time. Why don't you all come at me together?"

The Yama Keep bandits' eyes lit up with fury. The fact that they couldn't take down a single slender man who wasn't using inner arts was an affront to their pride.

"Fuck! We have to knock that pretty young master to the ground, no matter what!"

"Waaaaaah!"

All the bandits lunged at Baek Suryong, but in the end, the result didn't change. Half of them went flying through the air while the other half rolled on the ground. No one managed to knock Baek Suryong down or even make his feet leave the ground.

"Damn it! He doesn't even budge when we push him!"

"He looks like a pretty boy, but his strength is monstrous!"

"How can a body like that generate that kind of power?"

The bandits' frustration quickly turned into astonishment. They had no choice but to acknowledge that Baek Suryong was incredibly strong, even without inner arts.

Still, the most surprised person was Baek Suryong himself.

Huh? Was I always this strong?

The Yama Keep bandits were by no means easy opponents. Although their inner arts and techniques were lacking, their bodies, trained for over a decade, far surpassed most students at the Azure Dragon Academy.

Even for Baek Suryong, defeating dozens of them in such a short time should not have been possible. Could it be due to my new constitution, the Heavenly Yin Divine Meridians?

He could think of no other explanation. He had suffered from the Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians since birth, so even with the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest, the world's most powerful external art, his body was still weaker than the average martial artist's.

In other words, until now, he had been unable to fully harness Master Maeng's martial arts. With the Heavenly Yin Divine Meridians strengthening me, I might be able to execute the Savage Tiger Fist. Baek Suryong clenched his fists tightly. He hadn't had an opportunity to use his body at full strength since overcoming the Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians. For that reason, he hadn't been able to accurately gauge how much his body had changed.

Let's take this opportunity to test it out.

Fortunately, quite a few of the bandits here had trained in external arts to the extreme. Among them were two masters so skilled that even he was impressed.

He grinned mischievously. "You know, I'm curious. Who's the strongest person here?"

Every pair of eyes focused on one person.

The Vice-Boss of the Yama Keep scratched the back of his head, smiling bashfully. "You sons of bitches!

Are you trying to embarrass me too now?"

Contrary to his words, however, his confident eyes made it clear that he wouldn't lose to anyone in external arts.

"Manpae-hyung! Show him what you've got!"

"Manpae-hyung, aren't you the strongest man in the Yama Keep?"

His underlings egged him on.

The Vice-Boss glanced at the Viridian Scholar helplessly. "Big Bro, what should I do?"

"...Do whatever you want."

Having finally received the Viridian Scholar's permission, the Vice-Boss reluctantly stepped forward, although a smile lingered on his lips. He would be lying if he said he wasn't itching to fight after watching Baek Suryong.

He clasped his hands, which were as large as pot lids, together. "I'm Jeok Manpae, Vice-Boss of the Yama Keep, and I request a match with the Azure Dragon Hero. I'm clumsy and not very good at controlling my strength, so if you feel like your bones are about to break, I hope you'll use your inner arts immediately."

Baek Suryong nodded. "Likewise, if you find yourself overwhelmed, Vice-Boss, please tap into your inner arts immediately. Otherwise, you might get hurt."

"What? Bwahahaha! The more I get to know you, the more I like you!" The Vice-Boss laughed heartily and tore off his animal-hide shirt as easily as ripping paper.

The bronze, scar-covered muscles hidden beneath his clothes rippled dramatically. Physically, he was bigger than Ya Suhyeok and on par with Geo Sangwoong. More importantly, he had trained his muscles for more than twice as long as they had.

"Give him a real thrashing, Manpae-hyung!"

"Manpae-hyung, you're the hope of the Yama Keep! Knock him down!"

"Go for it, Azure Dragon Hero! I bet on you!"

"Me too! I'd rather see Manpae-hyung get knocked on his ass!"

The bandits, now spectators, crowded around the two and erupted in cheers. Some even started placing bets, and the odds were surprisingly almost evenly split.

"Wahahaha! You bastards who bet on the Azure Dragon Hero! Just wait until this is over!"

Jeok Manpae bumped his fists together a few times, lowered his stance, and then charged at Baek Suryong like an angry bull.

His presence was overwhelming, like a boulder rolling down a mountain, but Baek Suryong didn't evade.

He's strong, but not strong enough that I need to dodge.

Baek Suryong calmly lowered his stance and ran straight toward his opponent. The distance between them closed in an instant.

KWAAAANG!

Flesh collided with flesh, but the impact sounded more like two boulders crashing together. The two men locked fingers and began a contest of strength.

"Holy shit, he's crazy...!"

"Is he seriously going to compete with Manpae-hyung in brute strength?"

"He must be out of his mind! His back's gonna snap!"

The bandits watched the match in disbelief. The difference in physique between the two combatants was so great that they looked like a man and a child.

Baek Suryong's feet were gradually pushed backward. His firm upper body glistened with sweat, and white steam rose from his entire body.

Jeok Manpae looked down at Baek Suryong, surprised that the instructor was holding his own against his divine strength. "You're fucking amazing! Not even Suhyeok can match me in strength yet..."

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"But you should give up. I still have strength to spare."

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"Looks like you don't have the strength to speak. A deal's a deal, so I'll just push you over. If you try to resist stubbornly, your back will break," Jeok Manpae warned, applying more force.

Baek Suryong furrowed his brow, feeling his back beginning to bend. Suddenly, though, he recalled Master Maeng's teachings.

"Master Maeng, have you ever fought an opponent bigger than yourself?" "What kind of stupid question is that?" Master Maeng exclaimed, dumbfounded. "There are always guys bigger than me, especially among the animals and spirit beasts living in the mountains. Do you have any idea how strong those things are?"

"I see. You're the biggest human there is."

"Ahem! It's not that there aren't any humans bigger than me. After all, I wasn't born with this huge frame."

Baek Suryong relaxed his grip and shifted his center of gravity slightly. "Hup!"

Jeok Manpae was momentarily flustered, but he was a master of external arts who had pushed his body to the limit. He skillfully pulled the center of gravity toward himself.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what Baek Suryong wanted him to do.

I have to do this in one fluid movement.

Taking a deep breath, Baek Suryong used his opponent's strength against him, swiftly ducking into the embrace of the giant who was several times his size, slightly bending his knees and waist.

.." Jeok Manpae immediately sensed something amiss. He tried to pull his hand away and create distance, but Baek Suryong was already less than a hand's breadth away.

"Watch carefully. When you meet a guy bigger than you, this is what you do."

WHOOSH!

Baek Suryong rotated his knees, waist, and shoulders in sequence, creating rotational torque. His muscles swelled momentarily, releasing explosive power. He trusted in his body, which was flexible yet resilient thanks to the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest.

"If you can just do this properly, you'll be able to go anywhere and proudly call yourself my successor."

The Heavenly Yin Divine Meridians made movements that had previously existed only in his imagination a reality.

For the first time in five decades, the Tiger Smashes the Mountain, a close combat art created by the Bandit King to deal with opponents or spirit beasts larger than himself and one of the ultimate techniques that made him a legend, was unleashed.

BOOOOOOM!

Jeok Manpae's massive figure, weighing well over 180 kg, went flying through the air with a sound like a bursting drum.