I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 280

The death that had been passed down since ancient times.

Bihee and Qiongqi now fully understood who stood before them.

Their hearts pounded wildly, cold sweat trickling down their bodies.

Two spirit beasts known to rival the Hyeon-gyeong level... now trembling like prey before a predator.

"This... this can’t be...."

Qiongqi desperately denied it.

It was impossible.

Just moments ago, that lizard had been on the verge of death.

Its outward appearance was different from what they remembered.

And yet, it was no longer the same lizard from before.

Its dragon scales had sharpened, and its once-blue eyes now burned red.

"Hah... Could it truly be you, the tail-bearing death of old?"

Qiongqi, who had once spoken so casually even to Bihee and the absent True Dragon, was now forced to show respect.

Gomodo seemed to find it amusing, curling his lips into a smirk.

"I should be thanking you. Thanks to you, I finally escaped that accursed place."

Bihee and Qiongqi immediately realized their mistake.

They now understood what had happened.

The lizard they had fought earlier and the Gomodo standing before them now were two completely different beings.

For some reason, he had been inside that lizard.

And they had awakened him.

Now, everything made sense.

How could a lizard not even two years old wield power on par with the Hwa-gyeong level?

Why had it refused to give up against Qiongqi, despite the overwhelming difference in strength?

Because it was the descendant of Gomodo.

"...Gomodo, what will you do with us?"

They needed to test the waters.

If this Gomodo was as strong as the one they remembered, resistance was meaningless.

"I made a contract. I have no choice but to kill you."

A contract.

That phrase had appeared earlier.

Qiongqi now understood.

The lizard had offered its body in exchange for Gomodo dealing with them.

"Hmm, though this body hasn’t changed much... it’s inconvenient. Too small, and it doesn’t move the way I want it to."

That was a small relief.

Even if it was truly Gomodo himself, his current body had limits.

He had been on the brink of death just moments ago, and as he himself said, his body hadn’t transformed.

"The eldest son of the True Dragon and the descendant of So-Ho. A feast worthy of my return to the world."

Yet Gomodo showed no concern over his circumstances.

He did not even entertain the thought of struggling, let alone losing.

Even the fact that his body felt uncomfortable—he only mentioned it because he had the confidence to.

"Bihee. Why do you look so out of it?"

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Qiongqi nudged Bihee, who had been standing in stunned silence.

It was unusual.

Normally, their roles were reversed.

But it was inevitable.

Bihee had seen Gomodo’s true form up close.

She had witnessed him slaughter thousands of spirit beasts in a single instant.

She had hidden beneath a pile of corpses as he passed by.

"Well, even so... I’ve already fought today, even if I wasn’t satisfied."

Gomodo spoke as if he had just remembered something.

Qiongqi felt a glimmer of hope.

The killing intent and bloodlust were the same as before, but his body was definitely weaker.

Perhaps he was just stalling for time.

If that was the case, then they had a chance.

But then Gomodo crushed those expectations.

"I’ll give you time to rest."

"...You’re saying that to us?"

Qiongqi wasn’t in perfect shape either.

After all, he had lost a wing.

But compared to the lizard from before, it was nothing.

"Yes. It’s my first feast in a long time. I’d like to enjoy it."

Gomodo didn’t care about his own injuries.

He only cared that his prey fought at their best.

"...Hey, Bihee. Are you going to stand there all day?"

Qiongqi jabbed Bihee again.

He understood that their opponent was ridiculously strong.

But if two masters at the Hyeon-gyeong level fought together, it wasn’t impossible to win.

"If you want to leave here alive, get it together. Stop looking pathetic."

Leave here alive.

Those words snapped Bihee back to reality.

The enemy before her was a phantom of the past.

He was the embodiment of death.

But that also meant she had already survived him once before.

"I will hold him down."

"What?"

"My defenses are stronger than yours. It makes sense for me to be the one to keep him in place."

Qiongqi let out a sharp laugh.

"Heh. You’re finally back. So, how long do you think you’ll last?"

Bihee didn’t answer.

She simply stepped forward.

"...I will fear you no longer."

The turtle-backed dragon locked eyes with the black-scaled dragon of the earth.

"ROOOOOOOOAR!"

Bihee let out a deafening roar.

Even Qiongqi, who had fought alongside her for years, had never seen this side of her before.

Her fighting spirit surged wildly.

Her power grew to unprecedented levels—even strong enough to overwhelm Qiongqi himself.

"Death itself! I will surpass you here and now!"

Gomodo shook his head.

"A divine beast... looking like this."

It wasn’t the aura of a divine beast.

If anything, she looked closer to a ferocious beast.

She had consumed the True Dragon’s Scale Elixir.

A desperate act to gain the power needed to stand against Gomodo.

But Gomodo saw right through her.

"Tch."

Qiongqi summoned hundreds of metal blades.

The power of metal should still be effective against Gomodo.

Meanwhile, Bihee was at a natural disadvantage.

So she was the one who had to engage first.

Earth begets metal, metal overcomes wood.

Earth nurtures metal.

Metal cuts wood.

Bihee’s presence alone amplified Qiongqi’s power.

Understanding this, Qiongqi chose to conserve his strength and support from a distance.

Of course, since their opponent was Gomodo, even their best techniques wouldn’t be enough.

CRACK!

Blades the size of tigers rained down like a storm.

And Bihee charged alongside them.

She planted her feet on the ground and swiped at Gomodo with her claws.

Swoooosh!

BOOOOM!

But it was useless.

Her claws bounced off.

And Qiongqi’s blades corroded and vanished in an instant.

"Bihee, fall back!"

It had been a mistake.

The one who wielded the power of wood was the lizard from before.

But this Gomodo was not bound to wood.

"ROOOOOOOAR!"

Bihee roared and pressed on.

BOOOOOOM!

The sight of a colossal dragon throwing a punch rather than using its claws was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Each strike carried enough force to shatter mountains.

In raw power alone, she was overwhelming Gomodo.

But power wasn’t enough.

She couldn’t match his speed.

Sssssk.

With the slightest movement, Gomodo effortlessly neutralized every attack.

This was nothing like the lizard Qiongqi had fought before.

"Bihee! Fall back for now!"

None of their attacks had landed.

But Qiongqi still believed they had a chance.

After all, Gomodo hadn’t injured Bihee either.

But Bihee knew.

She saw it.

Those crimson eyes.

Gomodo hadn’t even started fighting yet.

The face of a predator craving the thrill of battle.

Even the illusion of standing as his equal was only because Gomodo allowed it.

Bihee had found a path to victory, but of course, her opinion differed from Qiongqi’s.

She believed the only way to end this fight was now, while Gomodo wasn’t using his full power.

Which was why she ignored Qiongqi’s warning.

"What are you doing?! Fall back!"

SPLASH!

In an instant, the entire battlefield turned into a swamp.

"Hmm... this is quite decent."

Bihee had created this trap to bind Gomodo and make room for an escape.

But she had already made her decision.

She would defeat him here.

Gomodo’s overconfidence.

Qiongqi’s support.

With these two elements in place, it was time to make her move.

Bihee relentlessly pressed the attack.

Well-timed blades rained down, restricting Gomodo’s movement.

But even now, not a single clean hit had landed.

Even with his speed, he didn’t even need to dodge.

And even when her attacks did connect, they left no damage.

Bihee understood now.

This opponent...

With that speed and that defense, of course he saw this battle as nothing but entertainment.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"I’m getting bored. When do you plan to reveal your hidden card?"

Bihee’s brow twitched.

So he knew.

He knew she was holding back.

And yet he still wasn’t taking her seriously.

"That will be your downfall."

Until now, Bihee had only used her fists and claws.

She had tried tearing him apart with her talons and smashing his scales with raw force.

Yet, nothing had worked.

It was unthinkable.

Even if he was Gomodo, how could he endure the attacks of a Hyeon-gyeong level opponent without a scratch?

But the reason was simple.

Because her true strength wasn’t in her fists or claws.

The turtle-backed dragon bent her knees slightly.

A flowing, elegant curve.

Like water shifting through the air, she gently extended her palm.

Just as Gomodo had once been known as a Grandmaster, Bihee too was one of her own.

Dragons were inherently promiscuous beings.

They bore countless offspring.

Among them, the nine strongest were called the Yongsaengguja.

But only one among the nine could ascend and truly become a dragon.

That dragon was called the Soaring Dragon.

Soaring Dragon Eighteen Palms – Dragon's Remorse.

BOOOOOOM!

A supreme technique, said to be passed down only to the Lord of Gaebang, now unleashed in the hands of a spirit beast.

She released her energy in an instant—only to pull it back, shattering Gomodo’s stance.

"Hmph... now this is worthy of calling a delicacy."

For the first time, Gomodo’s massive body wavered.

And Qiongqi didn’t miss the opening.

"You’ve really gone and done it now!"

The earth and sky split apart.

Metal’s power manifested as Heaven and Abyss.

Heaven symbolized the sky—Abyss symbolized the swamp.

SHRIEEEEK!

Specters of the damned reached out, trying to drag Gomodo down.

WHOOSH!

A colossal blade of steel, even larger than Gomodo, descended from above.

Their first time coordinating, yet they moved like long-time comrades.

Because, in truth, they had fought each other for centuries.

Now, Gomodo was restrained.

His stance was broken, and his legs were trapped.

And the blade from above was a concentrated attack.

Even for Gomodo, he wouldn’t be able to withstand this unscathed.

But Bihee knew.

She had to strike again to ensure victory.

WHOOSH!

Bihee stepped on Qiongqi’s back and launched into the air.

A dragon that could not fly...

And yet, in this moment, she was the very definition of a Soaring Dragon.

Soaring Dragon Eighteen Palms – Vanishing Talon.

Flight of the Ascending Dragon.

The strongest attack Bihee could unleash in a perfectly balanced state.

BOOOOM!

The impact shook the entire Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

"Look upon me, Death! I have surpassed you!"

At the same time, the celestial blade struck Gomodo directly.

CRACK!

Just a little more.

Just a little more, and they could end Gomodo.

...

But how?

How could they push any further?

"Tch. If I don’t stop this, the others might get caught up in it."

Clicking his tongue, Gomodo took a single step.

SCREEEEEECH!

The damned souls screamed in agony, the sky itself howled in protest.

This was no ordinary movement technique.

This was the very foundation of the art itself.

"Cheonma Gunrim-bo? Ha! When did that ever belong to that brat?"

CRAAAAASH!

The Abyssal Swamp vanished without a trace.

The celestial blade shattered into dust.

SPLURT!

Blood gushed from Qiongqi’s mouth.

"KUUUACK!"

But Bihee didn’t miss her opening.

She ignored everything and thrust her palm into Gomodo’s chest.

The profound energy of the Divine Dragon Pulse erupted forth.

Not even Gomodo could remain unscathed from this.

"A palm strike? With that body of yours? Hah. Not bad, I suppose."

SMASH!

But her palm was blocked.

Gomodo countered with a palm strike of his own.

Still, it wasn’t a complete failure.

Qiongqi, recovering, lunged forward with his claws.

With one hand locked in a clash with Bihee, Gomodo’s defenses were momentarily weakened.

This was their chance.

"KUAAAAAGH!"

But Bihee suddenly screamed in agony.

CRACK!

Her once indestructible arm turned black and shattered.

A forbidden martial art.

A technique considered the pinnacle of both demonic and poison arts.

Black Death Palm.

But it didn’t end there.

"GUUUHAAAH!"

Qiongqi, too, let out a wretched cry.

His claws crumbled, and his body began to freeze over.

If Black Death Palm was the deadliest palm technique, then this was the most wicked grappling art.

A forbidden combination of extreme Yin energy and frost poison.

The Phantom Execution Art.

The black-scaled dragon slowly advanced toward its fallen prey.

"Young dragon, tell me... what was it that you claimed to have overcome?"

The ancient death that all spirit beasts feared loomed over Bihee and Qiongqi.