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Dokgo Ryong (독고룡, Dokgo Ryong), known as the Heavenly Destroyer (파천신군 (破天神君), Pacheonshingun), was the former Supreme Overlord (패왕 (覇王), Pae-wang) of the chaotic murim and the former leader of the Heavenly Destruction Sect.[1]

Appearance & Personality[]

In his old age Dokgo had a slightly unkempt look about him. He had long wild grey hair, a grey flowing beard with Fu Manchu moustache and long grey eyebrows. His nails were long and uncut and he had a generally absent-minded expression on his face. He wore simple garbs and covered himself with a brown cloak. In his prime, he had an imposing appearance with long flowing grey hair, a thick grey well-kept Hollywoodian beard and moustache and a generally dominating expression on his face. At this time, he wore traditional dress with a primarily blue colouration. In his youth, he had a muscular build, long black hair, and wore a headband as well as simple clothing.

Dokgo had seemingly gone senile in his old age and the only thing he could focus on was training his disciple to be able to exact revenge on the ones who betrayed him. He often forgot things and would constantly re-tell his story to Gang Ryong. Gang Ryong also implied that he made an agreement with his master not to use his martial arts to kill.[2] From the accounts of those that knew him and those related to people that suffered due to him, he was apparently a stern ruthlessly unforgiving entity, willing to slaughter innocent people (including mothers and their children) to make a point. However, he seemed to have mellowed out in his old age, as he gave Ryong the impression he was a good natured person who only killed when necessary.

Though his goal was one of domination through violence, he did it to cleanse the corruption he saw. While stern, he was also perfectly capable of forming friendships with others who oppose his way of thinking such as with Gang Yoon and even take his opinion and perspective into consideration.

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History[]

Heavenly Destruction Sect

Dokgo Ryong leading the Heavenly Destruction Sect

In his youth, Dokgo lived in a border region near Nanman and that location was vulnerable to invasion by outsiders and exposed to plunder, arson, and violence. Since the government had to manage vast areas with limited troops, the location was difficult for the government to respond to every invasion unless it was a large military provocation. Left on their own, wealthy locals formed a militia to fight back, and Dokgo led one such militia. At some point, legendary Beggars' Sect member and Branch Master, Jang Woon (who was also set to be the next leader of the Sect), was wandering the world while practicing his martial arts (the Invisible Demonic Beast Fist), and after hearing about Dokgo's reputation as a great warrior, headed to his home for a fight. The two fought for three days and nights, and the battle ended in a stalemate. They also became close friends and Jang Woon stayed with Dokgo, telling him stories about the martial artists of the Middle Kingdom, practicing martial arts together and defending the region. After 5 years, Jang Woon finished his training and returned home but not before telling his friend to visit him after everything is cleared up.

Ten years after Jang Woon left, Dokgo Ryong's parents passed away and his situation did not improve as invasions still occurred sporadically in places beyond his influence. Since the residents couldn't rely on the imperial military to protect them, they turned to Dokgo Ryong for aid, but the areas were too vast for his militia to cover. With a new powerful leader emerging across the border, starting to unite various groups of people, tensions rose since they would eventually launch a massive invasion. Dokgo Ryong was worried about Jang Woon after hearing about a massive battle in the Murim but he couldn't leave his hometown due to current circumstances. Then an emissary from the imperial court arrived to propose that Dokgo Ryong and his militia join their conquest of Nanman because of his familiarity with the local conditions and Dokgo agreed. At first, the expedition was extremely successful and was met with little resistance but as they ventured further into foreign lands, they had a harsh time due to unfamiliar geography, climate, diseases, various beasts, and warriors at a level beyond their imagination with bizarre martial arts. Facing relentless and persistent resistance, the expedition had to continue their battle against all those factors without much backup. After six arduous years, the enemy finally completely surrendered.

Worried about his friend Jang Woon, Dokgo rushed to Zhongyuan only to find the ruins of the Old Murim Alliance and its allied factions, along with news of Jang Woon's death. In addition, the fight between the Old Murim Alliance and the Asura Blood Sect left many stories but those who actually participated no longer remained. He then visited the new Murim Alliance formed after the war only to find the leaders of the new alliance conversing about how to exploit the Old Murim Alliance territories (such as the Cheonwoong Faction's land, and Mount Gwe-Heung where the Black Snake headquarters were once situated). Angered that Jang Woon and his comrades sacrificed themselves for such people, Dokgo Ryong returned to his hometown and cooped up at home in grief for a while before packing a few things and leaving. With no information on where Dokgo went, some people claimed he went to Nanman while others claimed he went deep into the mountains.

15 years later, Dokgo Ryong returned and annihilated a group of bandits taking residence in his former home. It is revealed that through long training, he combined the bizarre martial arts of Nanman and the Dokgo family's martial arts to create the Divine Heavenly Destruction Techniques. With news of his return, warriors from the expedition years before and some Nanman people who defected to his side during the expedition started gathering under his banner. This included his closest aides who fought with him on the expedition (Hyeol Bi, Mak Sapyeong, Gwi Yeong), as well as talented individuals who had been drawn to his power (Hwan Sa and Chamberlain Huang). With the formation of the Heavenly Destruction Sect, their power grew uncontrollably and started to expand outwards. In just ten years, they subjugated the area south of the Yangtze river. Furthermore, the reason it took so long was because the area south of the river was vast but some also say it was because Dokgo Ryong left the task to his disciples and didn't get involved. Yang Jeonghak personally thought he was waiting for a reply from the New Murim Alliance, citing that when Dokgo first demanded the Murim Alliance step down and leave Zhongyuan, they dismissed it as an empty threat from a new clan on the countryside. However, after the Heavenly Destruction Sect subjugated the area south of the Yangtze river, they realized the seriousness of the situation and sent a messenger. The Alliance offered him half of Zhongyuan but Dokgo refused since it wasn't the reply he was looking for before telling the messenger he would only give them one more month to come up with a suitable compromise. Hwan Sa commended his master for the choice, saying that their offer was just a trick to buy time and that their enemy would resist to the end. However, knowing the self-serving nature of the Alliance, Dokgo simply replied that he wish they had such spirit.[3]

After one month of waiting, Dokgo Ryong decided to venture out and purify the Murim. He then led a campaign and successfully conquered 70% of the Murim in less than 3 years. Around that time, Dokgo Ryong sought out and found Sa Paecheon, the Devil of the Venom Hands, for information on the Sage Forest. Fighting the legendary gosu, Dokgo Ryong ceased the fight once he realised that Sa Paecheon was nursing an injury. Mentioning that they should fight once he had recovered, Sa Paecheon attacked Dokgo Ryong from behind, inciting the Heavenly Destroyer to subdue him.[4] Dokgo Ryong then tried to limp away but struggled due to being seriously injured by Sa Paecheon's poison, and eventually fell off a cliff unconscious. Miraculously, he was found by Gang Yoon, who at that time, was the former head of the Haidong Sword Clan, having passed off the leadership to his disciple. Gang Yoon brought Dokgo back to his house and gave him medical aid, nursing him back to health. After regaining consciousness, they became good friends and Dokgo visited Gang Yoon many times.

However, the Four Heavenly Kings eventually caught wind of their master's trips to Gang Yoon's home, resulting in the "Haidong Sword Clan incident", and the death of Gang Yoon. After finding out about the incident, Dokgo Ryong angrily confronted his disciples who pretend that by the time they received a report about people attacking the Haidong Sword Clan, they were too late to stop them, and that it wasn't their orders. The Four Heavenly Kings begged him to forgive them since they did it out of loyalty to the Sect but the Supreme Overlord refused. Dokgo Ryong then punished them before slaughtering the perpetrators outside. From then on, cracks started growing between the master and disciples. Dokgo Ryong would start avoiding his disciples and leave for a long time, only to return and leave again without seeing them. It is unclear how Dokgo Ryong was injured by his disciples and abandoned in a valley but after scouring through records and intel, Yang Jeonghak speculated that the Four Heavenly Kings baited the Heavenly Destroyer with a woman disguised as Gang Ryong's mother which when combined with his leg being crippled by poison and loss of composure due to his mother, made it difficult for him to respond to their deliberately planned trap.[5]

Dokgo Ryong then spent his days living as a crippled hermit at the bottom of a valley. One day, the old man found a woman that had fallen down who turned out to be none other than Gang Ryong's mother and Gang Yoon's widow. After she regained consciousness, they had a conversation and she gave him a message from Gang Yoon. At that, he announced that his whole life, he only lived to pursue the ideals he believed in and that to achieve a great cause sacrifices were inevitable, but then shed tears as he realized that lives were too precious to be sacrificed and expressed regret for not realizing it sooner. Gang Ryong's mother passed away not long after Gang Ryong was born but before she did, she told Dokgo Ryong that she didn't want her child to live as a martial artist but will allow it if he choose to.[6] Dokgo Ryong then raised Gang Ryong and taught him the Divine Heavenly Destruction Techniques. Secretly, Dokgo Ryong transferred his ki to Gang Ryong, which shortened his own life.

Plot[]

Intro[]

He was introduced telling the story of his history and how he was betrayed by four of his followers to Gang Ryong. Ryong feigned interest, having heard the story countless times before. Dokgo then asked Ryong what he'd do once he'd killed them and, after saying the 'wrong' answer, Ryong said he'd rebuild the Heavenly Destruction Sect.

At some point afterwards, Dokgo finally passed away.

Powers & Abilities[]

Dokgo Ryong's power

He was once known as the Supreme Overlord and was referred to as the Heavenly Destroyer, a title which boasted fearsome power. Dokgo Ryong created the twelve Divine Heavenly Destruction Techniques by combining the Dokgo family's martial arts with the bizarre martial arts of Nanman.[3] Having mastered such powerful martial arts, he was unmatched and it took the efforts and scheming of four of his own disciples, the Four Heavenly Kings, to take him down. He was also able to take on and overwhelm Sa Paecheon, a man renowned for being one of the strongest warriors of the old murim.[4]

Weapons[]

In his youth, Dokgo Ryong was seen wielding a sword or spear in battle, and demonstrated tremendous skill with them, decimating multiple foes with a single swing.[7][3]

Divine Heavenly Destruction Techniques: As the creator of the Divine Heavenly Destruction Techniques, Dokgo has mastered all Techniques. His supreme Mastery over this and overwhelming power granted him the title "Supreme Overlord."

Notes & Trivia[]

  • Sa Paecheon heavily implied that Dokgo Ryong transferred all of the inner ki he had accumulated in life over to his disciple, which ultimately shortened his life.[8]
  • He trained the Four Heavenly Kings in the Divine Heavenly Destruction Techniques martial art, creating four gosu that were considered monsters; all four were considered possible successors as a result. Mak Sapyeong has wondered whether Dokgo Ryong's fifth "monster" would be as good as or better than the original four.

Alternate Translations[]

  • Doko Yong (LINE)
  • The Absolute One (LINE)

References[]

  1. Prologue
  2. Chapter 73Gang Ryong apologising, saying that he would have to kill Sa Paecheon because the man was too strong.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chapter 227
  4. 4.0 4.1 Chapter 76
  5. Chapter 228
  6. Chapter 230
  7. Chapter 226
  8. Chapter 77
  9. Chapter 175

Navigation[]

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