The Vanguard's Fall
“You bastard!”
The air crackled with imminent violence.
“Gyu Jeok.”
Gyu Jeok, who had been poised to charge, faltered.
Seok Gyeong spoke in a stern tone.
“Control yourself.”
“Senior!”
“How can you call yourself a warrior if you fall for the provocations of a child who knows nothing of the world? Know your place.”
His tone was different from usual. True to his nature of separating public and private matters, his voice carried authority, and the aura he exuded was perfectly refined.
It was the kind of presence that would make any subordinate instinctively bow their head. But Gyu Jeok was different.
“He provoked us in a way that cannot be ignored. He deserves punishment, doesn’t he?”
“Gyu Jeok.”
“Don’t tell me you think I can’t handle a brat like him, Senior?”
If Seok Gyeong’s voice was filled with authority, Gyu Jeok’s was brimming with rage and killing intent.
Seok Gyeong clicked his tongue inwardly. As expected, he’s still immature. A genius with experience was terrifying. But a genius who had clawed his way through hell could develop fatal flaws.
Complacency. And arrogance.
In terms of talent alone, Gyu Jeok ranked among the top three of the Eighteen Martial Generals. That innate gift had propelled his martial arts to great heights, but it had also stripped him of certain qualities a true warrior should possess.
Seok Gyeong spoke.
“Winning or losing isn’t what matters. Don’t let personal feelings interfere with the mission.”
“Look at the difference in our forces. Our victory is already assured.”
“Regardless, I forbid any rash action.”
“Senior!”
“Or are you saying you won’t follow the orders of the one leading this group?”
For a moment, Gyu Jeok flinched.
He was arrogant, but he wasn’t the type to act without reason. And Seok Gyeong was one of the most seasoned and skilled among the Eighteen Martial Generals. He was strict in rewarding merit and punishing insubordination. Damn it.
Gyu Jeok ground his teeth and took two steps back.
Of course, he didn’t retreat quietly.
“You whelp. Consider yourself lucky.”
Yeon Hojeong let out a soft chuckle.
“Dogs that tuck their tails and run always say something like that to save face. Does saying it make you feel better? How curious.”
Seok Gyeong frowned. Meanwhile, the killing intent radiating from Gyu Jeok grew even thicker than before.
“You bastard!”
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“That’s enough. You should turn back. This is a battlefield. It’s no place for a fool like you to strut around.”
In that instant, Gyu Jeok’s eyes completely flipped.
Seok Gyeong shouted.
“Gyu—!”
BOOM!
There was no time to stop him. Gyu Jeok had already lunged forward at terrifying speed, swinging his fist straight at Yeon Hojeong’s face.
Yeon Hojeong’s left hand moved like lightning.
CRASH!
Gyu Jeok’s fist collided with Yeon Hojeong’s hand, unleashing a violent shockwave.
If Seok Gyeong had mastered the Blue Path Pure Fire Art like Gyu Jeok, then Gyu Jeok had learned the Red Lotus Pure Fire Art that Yo Roe had cultivated. Crimson flames erupted from his fist in a swirling, dynamic motion.
HISS!
In contrast, a dark water qi rippled from Yeon Hojeong’s hand.
Fire qi clashed with water qi. A misty vapor rose above the scorching shockwave.
Gyu Jeok growled.
“Not bad.”
Tremble.
The hands of the two men pressed together trembled faintly.
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
“You found some courage after all, kid.”
Seok Gyeong roared.
“Gyu Jeok! Fall back at once!”
Gyu Jeok bellowed like a beast.
“Don’t spout nonsense! The fight has already begun!”
His rage had reached its peak. He could no longer hear his superior’s commands.
Just as Seok Gyeong was about to speak again, …? Mu Seong grabbed his sleeve and shook his head.
Seok Gyeong frowned. Unlike Gyu Jeok, Mu Seong was cautious by nature. There was a reason he had stopped him.
Seok Gyeong turned around.
The Shinhwa Sect soldiers were glaring at Gyu Jeok and Yeon Hojeong, their killing intent blazing. They had become completely absorbed in the fight. So be it.
If they hadn’t intervened, it might have been different. But now that they had, there was no stopping it. If they retreated here, the morale of the Shinhwa soldiers would crumble.
Of course, he didn’t think Gyu Jeok would lose, but there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
Yeon Hojeong’s smile deepened.
“Your superior has allowed the fight.”
“Shut up! I’ll turn you to ash in three moves!”
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, both men were pushed back several steps.
“You bastard!”
CRASH!
Gyu Jeok’s temper had snapped. He kicked off the ground and charged, his movements swift and ferocious.
WHOOSH!
Crimson flames once again erupted from Gyu Jeok’s fist.
It was the Shinhwa Sect’s ultimate technique, the Flame King’s Eight Fists. Die!
CRASH!
He stomped the ground right in front of Yeon Hojeong, channeling all his destructive power into his fist.
Gyu Jeok swung with all his might. It was a powerful strike capable of crushing boulders.
Yeon Hojeong simply watched the fist approach.
Gyu Jeok smiled inwardly. Crazy bastard. He can’t even react.
It was too late to dodge, and the blow was too strong to block. That was what Gyu Jeok thought.
Then— …?!
Suddenly, time slowed down.
A single moment stretched into eternity. He could see every spark of the fist’s flame being pushed back by the air pressure. What?
Gyu Jeok was bewildered.
This sensation of time slowing—it happened when an unexpected threat struck and one’s true qi forcibly amplified brain activity. The body sensed the danger first, and the qi reacted instinctively. Why…?
In that instant, Gyu Jeok saw Yeon Hojeong’s right arm tilting from above toward the front. What?!
The movement was so fast that even in this slowed world, its tilt was clearly visible. Such speed wouldn’t be possible unless he had been preparing from the very beginning. …!
For a split second, his vision darkened. Something enormous was casting a shadow over him.
Gyu Jeok’s eyes shot upward.
A massive axe blade was plummeting toward his head. Huh!
An overwhelming killing intent emanated from the axe blade.
It was Yeon Hojeong bringing down his axe. If Gyu Jeok didn’t stop his punch, Yeon Hojeong’s face would be crushed—but in return, Gyu Jeok’s body would be split diagonally. This crazy bastard!
Gyu Jeok quickly raised his fist to strike upward.
BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, the Mad Dragon Axe slammed into the ground. Gyu Jeok had withdrawn his fist and struck the side of the axe, altering its trajectory.
WHOOSH!
The time that had been flowing slowly suddenly accelerated.
At the same time, Yeon Hojeong’s body moved like lightning.
BOOM!
A movement technique that erased the short distance between them entirely.
It was the Vermilion Bird Art’s Blood Wing Flash. The phoenix’s wings, imbued with flames, pushed Yeon Hojeong’s speed to its absolute limit.
Startled, Gyu Jeok swung his fists wildly.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Gyu Jeok’s martial arts were indeed formidable.
Even though he had been caught off guard by a counterattack, his barrage of punches showed no sign of faltering.
His arrogance was innate, but his skill was undeniable. He had honed his natural talent through blood and sweat, perfecting his martial path to the point where he could embody it even unconsciously.
But Yeon Hojeong was no different.
While he might fall short of Gyu Jeok in innate martial talent, he possessed countless experiences, the enlightenment of the Black Dark Emperor, and an ultimate combat sense.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
“Kuh!”
Gyu Jeok was forced to retreat in a frenzy.
His punches had been thrown in desperation, but their power was undeniable. Yet even after striking with such force, a terrifying recoil traveled up his wrist, as if it might break.
Gyu Jeok glared ahead.
HISS!
Beyond the misty vapor clouding his vision, a translucent black wall had risen.
It was the Black Tortoise Art’s North Heaven Twelve Walls. An absolute defense formed from water qi, the natural enemy of fire qi.
And through the center of that black water iron wall, a massive axe blade appeared, slicing vertically.
SLASH!
It was the fang of a mad dragon cutting through the current. This!
CRASH!
Gyu Jeok twisted his body and struck the axe blade with his palm.
WHOOSH!
The axe, which had lost its path, vanished even faster than it had appeared. The moment its trajectory wavered, it had been withdrawn.
The speed of both the strike and the withdrawal was lightning-fast. It was impossible to understand how he could wield such a heavy weapon—clearly weighing dozens of catties—with such ease.
FLASH!
That wasn’t all.
He had charged to attack Yeon Hojeong, who was hidden behind the vapor, but before he knew it, Yeon Hojeong had already taken his rear.
Shock spread across Gyu Jeok’s face. How is he so fast?!
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
Grasping the shaft of the Mad Dragon Axe with both hands, he unleashed a barrage of frenzied attacks.
CRASH! BAM! BOOM!
Three lightning-fast strikes in succession.
He managed to deflect the first, but the second tore a chunk of flesh from his shoulder. The third sent Gyu Jeok’s body reeling.
Gyu Jeok coughed up blood as he retreated. He had blocked with a qi shield, but the power and sharpness of the Mad Dragon Axe far exceeded his imagination.
SPLAT!
A torrent of blood erupted from his left forearm. The axe blade had severed muscle and even fractured part of the bone. How is this possible?
Even as he retreated, Gyu Jeok couldn’t believe it. I lost?!
It was a fight where defeat had never been an option. Perhaps that was why the shock of being pushed this far in fewer than twenty exchanges was so overwhelming.
Gyu Jeok gritted his teeth.
“This can’t be!”
He roared and detonated his Red Lotus Pure Fire Art.
RUMBLE!
Blazing flames erupted from his entire body, writhing like serpents.
“Where did this bastard learn such sorcery—!!”
Then—
THUD!
Yeon Hojeong closed the distance in an instant and struck Gyu Jeok’s chest.
It wasn’t a particularly powerful blow, but it was enough to send him flying. Gyu Jeok’s body was swallowed by the mist formed from the clash of fire and water qi. …!
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes sharpened. Just as I thought.
An immense force struck from behind. Seok Gyeong, who had seen the tide of battle turn, had joined the fight. This will be difficult.
A one-on-one duel?
Such things held no meaning in war. Before victory, honor and shame were worthless.
Seok Gyeong knew this and had intervened.
Yeon Hojeong swung the Mad Dragon Axe using the Tiger King’s Nine Wall Stance and Tiger King’s Kill technique.
BOOM!
The density of their power was different.
Yeon Hojeong was pushed back, sliding across the ground. The force was so strong that a tingling pain shot through the hand gripping the axe.
But that was all.
CRASH!
Yeon Hojeong slammed the Mad Dragon Axe into the ground and steadied himself. Seok Gyeong and Mu Seong, who had been charging, came to a halt.
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
“What’s the rush? Running over here like a colt with its tail on fire.”
“……You bastard.”
Seok Gyeong growled lowly.
“What did you do to Gyu Jeok?”
At that moment, a cold voice drifted from beyond the mist.
“You mean this whelp?”
WHOOSH!
A powerful gust scattered the mist high into the sky.
And there stood Dang Gwan, gripping the bloodied neck of Gyu Jeok. Blood streamed from all seven orifices of Gyu Jeok’s limp body.
Seok Gyeong and Mu Seong’s eyes turned bloodshot.
“You bastards……!!”
“Weren’t you the ones who broke the rules first? Charging in like a pack to take on just the two of us was far too cowardly.”
Dang Gwan tightened his grip on Gyu Jeok’s neck.
CRACK!
Gyu Jeok’s neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
With his internal organs melted and his neck bones crushed, survival was impossible.
Dang Gwan tossed Gyu Jeok aside and approached Yeon Hojeong’s side.
Yeon Hojeong spoke coldly.
“The opening skirmish is over. Now let’s fight for real.”
Seok Gyeong shouted.
“Kill them all!”
WHOOSH!
Both sides charged toward each other.