Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Absolute Peak
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A brief standoff due to her otherworldly appearance.
However, being of the same gender, Song Seolryeong was the first to snap out of it. She shouted urgently.
"...So-jeo! Run away!"
Her pristine attire, beauty on another level, distance from Yangyang County—likely a noble lady from a prestigious family.
She wasn't even armed, and her internal energy felt exceedingly faint. She seemed exactly as she appeared: just a woman.
But now that she'd revealed herself, they wouldn't let her go.
"Run? You think that'll work?"
The bandit leader, with his brutishly massive build and matching great axe, grinned grotesquely.
"The client wants total extermination... but sneaking one away shouldn't be a problem...!?"
Bloodshot eyes, heavy snorting breaths. His lower body bulged obscenely as he surrendered to his lust.
"...No, wait a moment."
Unlike the bandit leader, who had risen to lead through innate divine strength and talent with weapons, the escort bureau master had earned his position through years of experience.
He sensed some inexplicable subtle incongruity.
Clothing spotless white, not a speck of dust despite supposedly traveling—far too pristine. The leisure in her expression, her unrealistic appearance.
It lacked plausibility to an extreme degree; her entrance felt unnatural.
"-Shut up! That bitch is mine!"
"Tch."
But his ally was already far gone, eyes rolled back in madness. Advice to interrogate her first fell on deaf ears.
It was certainly a beauty that could drive a man insane. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel desire himself.
"...Can I borrow her later?"
"Don't make me laugh! She's mine!"
His flushed red face repeated the same line, as if his brains were boiling from the heat.
No talking sense into him.
"Well, do as you please. The tide has already turned anyway."
The seasoned escort bureau master cleanly abandoned his lingering thoughts and refocused on the caravan.
"Everyone!! Hold them off!!"
Song Seolryeong gritted her teeth, positioned herself in front of So-hyang, and issued firm orders.
No matter how safe they were assured to be on this journey, it involved risking lives—but not this woman's.
If escape was impossible anyway, she had to save an innocent life.
Their numbers were nearly double, and most of the caravan's fighters were porters unskilled in combat or low-level escorts.
She herself was at the first-rate level, and there was one Peak Realm expert assigned by the caravan master—
"Fuuuuck! Get out of the way!"
"Must you make this tiring fight?"
Gleam blooming from axe and sword.
The enemy's leaders were both at the Peak Realm.
Overwhelmed in absolute numbers and elite fighters alike. A hopeless disadvantage.
"Uncle Kang, can we buy time?"
The Kang clan warrior, sweating coldly, gave a grim negative with a stiff face.
"Two Peak Realm foes is impossible. And that escort bureau master's skill surpasses mine."
The Peak Realm was the stage of beginning to build a tower; the Supreme Peak was completing it.
Whether just starting the foundation or building a sturdy tower, all who hadn't reached completion were called Peak Realm.
Thus, despite being the same realm, Peak Realm experts showed the widest variance.
The bandit leader seemed at a similar early Peak stage to himself, but the escort bureau master exuded a sharp aura at least beyond early stage.
One-on-one, he'd lose nine out of ten times—let alone outnumbered.
But flight was impossible. This was deep in dense forest, the bandits' home turf.
Showing their backs would mean getting picked off one by one.
Fighting back offered at least a chance of survival.
"...I'll assist too, so let's somehow hold on."
"But, miss—"
A Peak Realm expert in harmony with those below couldn't truly clash.
Even matching weapons was impossible from the start—how could she assist?
She'd be lucky not to hinder. The Kang warrior looked at her dubiously.
"Me? I learned some Wudang techniques for times like this!? Just trust me!"
Well, distrust changed nothing.
The Kang warrior manifested sword qi with a resolute expression.
Now, blood would truly spill.
The bandit leader, basing his attacks on innate strength, drove in brutally powerful, heavy blows.
The escort bureau master, drawing on seasoned experience and profound internal energy, unleashed fierce assaults infused with illusion and speed.
The Kang warrior, grounded in orthodox training and solid talent, maintained a sturdy center and wielded precise defense through the subtleties of refinement.
No matter how solid the defense, what should have ended simply due to inferior power and speed dragged on unexpectedly.
"...Damn, like a rat!"
The reason was unmistakably Song Seolryeong's contribution.
When the Kang warrior checked the gleaming axe, her swift strike severed the momentum without missing a beat.
When relentless combos pushed back, she circled with agile footwork to exploit openings.
The bandit leader, furious, twisted his ugly face and swung his axe wildly with roars.
"...Ha, miss! Didn't you say Wudang!?"
Wudang martial arts do not emphasize offense.
Wudang techniques are not aggressive,
yet they cannot be lightly invaded.
As the famous saying went, her irritating counters contrasted sharply with Wudang's renowned defensive nature.
"Ha, what does a thug like you know about Wudang?"
Defense wasn't just passive stillness; proactive, dynamic action was equally superb defense.
An insight inevitably grasped by those who delved deeply into Wudang martial arts.
Risky, yes—but not beyond what one could bear on the brink of death.
An odd tandem: the sword qi expert on defense, the mere first-rate handling offense.
Clashing blades directly would slice her weaponless like tofu.
Thus, she kept distance cautiously, circling the perimeter, dodging clashes, and lightly prodding gaps like seasoning.
No real hits, just distractions—yet that gave the Kang warrior breathing room.
"...Annoying."
The escort bureau master frowned too. The buzzing mosquito of a girl was more disruptive than expected.
Even a Peak Realm body with sword qi could be pierced by blades.
Unless reaching Supreme Peak with protective gang qi or late Peak with a qi shield, stray blades and arrows were threats.
He'd exposed gaps deliberately to eliminate the pest and destroy her weapon—but
"Tch!"
Each time, she evaded like wind-tossed leaves, slipping behind perilously.
"Not a lay disciple? That footwork looks like Cloud Ladder Step."
"Copied it by eye! So what!"
"...Indeed, born with martial talent."
As he said, limited to secular training due to family business, yet Song Seolryeong's gifts warranted full sect enrollment.
Despite scant cultivation time, first-rate at fourteen, now peering into Peak at sixteen.
Thus, roughly mimicking glimpsed Cloud Ladder Step, daring to strike at experts' flaws.
A feat inexplicable by rote forms or pill-boosted energy—requiring innate brilliance.
"Yes, quite impressive."
The meticulously interlocking offense-defense cycle lasted long but finally ended.
"Cough...!"
Blood trickled from Seolryeong's mouth; her legs buckled, and she collapsed.
"But that's the end of it."
"Haha! Held out a while!"
Those not breaching Peak were bound by form constraints, but she'd forcibly varied them for flexibility.
Overly strenuous motions—yet without them, the fight never stood a chance.
Regardless, her qi and blood had long hit limits.
"...Damn! Miss!"
Without her aid, momentum shifted; the Kang warrior was relentlessly pushed back.
Watching him barely block sword and axe amid exhaustion, Seolryeong closed her eyes.
...Eyes shut, she sat cross-legged, focusing inward.
Seolryeong's options: two.
Die here, or somehow open Ren and Du meridians, complete the Grand Circulation, and reach Peak.
Conception Vessel from jaw's Sea of Qi acupoint down to perineum.
Governor Vessel from tailbone's Long Strong acupoint up to crown.
Breaching these actual meridian paths, linking them into a cycle.
That was opening Ren and Du.
Creating a vast pathway through the body required immense internal energy.
And navigating crown and vital points demanded exquisitely precise control.
Internal energy heavily depleted from battle.
Wildly rampaging flow from twisted qi and blood.
Attempting ascension even masters failed at full strength was suicidal here.
"...Die one way or the other."
All or nothing. Seolryeong drew a deep breath.
Sensing first-rate realm's Minor Circulation flow.
Distorted, crushed circle from overexertion.
Normally, straighten and calm it—but now, she twisted harder.
Veins bulged from runaway energy, skin mottled red, agonizing pain wracking organs. She ignored it.
Energy charging like a loose horse; too late to calm, nor did she intend to.
Seolryeong merely directed the rampage.
Guiding the fierce wave to carve a path.
Using qi deviation as fuel for breakthrough.
A radical gamble: body might balloon and burst horrifically.
"Cough."
She spat blood again; insufficient—blood tears burst from her eyes.
But black, viscous dead blood thick with impurities.
"Success?"
Expelling old, accruing new—the principle of Shedding Old for New, reaching a new stage.
A martial artist tempered flesh to pioneer, refined soul to expand existence.
Here, one martial artist ascended higher.
The frail girl rose; brilliant gleam bloomed from her sword.
Surpassing Breathing to Receive and Expel, entering Compression stage.
Peak expert with Grand Circulation voraciously sucked surrounding natural qi, whirling fiercely around her body.
Sword qi manifested from her firm grip; despite battered state, her power was worlds apart.
"This is... Peak."
The two slowly pressuring the Kang warrior gaped wide-eyed.
"What the hell, this isn't some wuxia tale...!"
"Hah, a sprout that must be crushed."
A miracle breakthrough on death's door—but the situation remained dire.
First, overall battle.
Despite solid formation holding long via defense, numbers and skill gap wore them down; caravan folk were collapsing.
Stalemate formation crumbled; blood flowed, defeat loomed.
And the Kang warrior hit his limit.
"Cough... Sorry... miss."
Solitarily blocking two Peak assaults till now.
Impressive endurance, but accumulated shocks twisted qi-blood, churning innards.
His sword qi flickered dimly; breaths carried blood scent.
A body that should've fallen long ago, propped by sheer will.
Utterly combat-incapable.
"Haaah...."
Seolryeong sighed deeply in lament.
Foes unscathed save minor energy and stamina drain.
She'd reached Peak but couldn't ignore cumulative damage.
Outmatched in forces; no odds in elite duel.
Even miraculous success changed nothing.
So, surrender her neck?
"...As if."
Grip loosened on her sword. Taut body slacked languidly.
A stance teetering on collapse.
"I told you. I won't die easily."
Opposite her limp form, viscous killing intent filled space in an instant.
"At least take one with me. Promise."
Stake her life, shining talent, future potential—all on desperation.
Fierce smile with resignation.
The young martial artist steeled for desperate fight, certain kill.
"Damn... that aura's murderous!"
"Tch, wasn't supposed to be this tough...."
Even the two veteran Peak experts couldn't hide tension.
Axe gripped fiercely in both hands; sword tilted guardedly.
And her Taiji-engraved sword, barely held by trembling hands.
Gazes locked midair; all lunged without signal—
"Isn't that a bit much?"
—when So-hyang appeared behind Seolryeong, lightly chopping her nape.
"...Wha, what?"
Doubt flooded Seolryeong's face; her body crumpled like a cut puppet.
"Phew, nearly lost a precious life pointlessly."
She'd planned to help at the critical moment but got engrossed watching the spectacle.
Her exquisite strikes at stronger foes' gaps were superb; breakthrough in crisis, fantastical.
Distracted by the show, she jolted forward when Seolryeong tried innate true qi.
So-hyang gently caught the falling girl, laying her carefully down.
"Well then, shall we... see your skills?"
Playful smile curving eyes like half-moons, soft steps and gestures.
"Properly this time?"
The eerily beautiful woman had closed distance to stand before them.
"“…!!!”"
Approach undetected even by Peak senses; both recoiled in shock.
"Wha, wha, what...!"
"Ha, felt something off earlier...!"
The bandit leader stammered in astonishment; the escort bureau master sighed as if suspecting.
Arrival sans precursor despite three Peak experts; approach unnoticed despite eyes on her.
"...Expert."
Unnaturally pristine attire, astonishing beauty, excessive leisure.
"This is maddening; things got complicated."
Why was an expert beyond their senses here?
"...Not Supreme Peak, surely?"
"Ah, don't worry. I'm not Supreme Peak. Can't even form gang qi."
Not a real question, but So-hyang kindly answered the escort bureau master.
She smiled playfully as she spoke, amused even to herself.
Well, it wasn't a lie, after all.