Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Desperate Crisis
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“Dad!”
“Patriarch!”
“Father!”
Arak Haru and the five shepherds entered Cheonju Ae, calling out to Ak Muyoo and Luha.
“Is that our names they’re calling?”
Ak Muyoo, who had been lying down, looked at Luha and asked.
“Yes.”
Luha jumped to her feet.
Pa-at!
Ak Muyoo kicked off the ground and launched himself into the air. A sudden ominous feeling crawled up his spine.
“Haru!”
He spotted Arak Haru at the entrance to Cheonju Ae and rushed toward her.
“Waaah……!”
The moment she saw Ak Muyoo, Arak Haru burst into tears.
“What are you doing here? What happened?”
“T-The enemy attacked.”
“Damn it. Let’s go.”
Ak Muyoo broke into a run. He could guess the situation just from the fact that they had sent Arak Haru alone.
“Yahuiik, you stay here with Haru and tell her to head to the palace when Mok U’s group arrives.”
Ak Muyoo shouted as he ran.
“Yes.”
The four of them ran at full speed. When Ak Muyoo started lagging, Ageukta grabbed his arm.
After the Yunjung Palace Solitary Echo Clan and the New Wind Thousand Li Revolution Clan, the Cheonjung High Citadel Corps went up in flames. Leaving hundreds dead, the Cheonjung High Citadel Corps soldiers scattered in all directions. The Black Dragon Temple members who torched the Cheonjung High Citadel Corps headed straight for the World Subduing Heaven Rak Clan.
By now, darkness had fallen. But Chacha Kingdom, ablaze on all sides, was lit up like midday.
Dududududu! Dududududu!
Even after battling three clans, the number of Black Dragon Temple members was no different from when they first arrived.
There were those glaring at the approaching Black Dragon Temple forces. They were the World Subduing Heaven Rak Clan warriors and soldiers led by Arak Siru.
“Archers, prepare!”
Arak Siru raised her sword high and bellowed.
“Fire!”
At her command, hundreds of arrows flew toward the enemy lines.
“Raise shields.”
The Black Dragon Temple members simultaneously lifted their shields to cover their heads. Shields were one of their essential items.
Tung! Tungtungtung! Tungtung! Tung!
Hundreds of arrows struck their shields.
“Kill them!”
Parop roared.
“Waaaaah!”
“Uwaaaaaah!”
The Black Dragon Temple members charged with war cries.
“Rak Clan warriors, follow me!”
“Manju Clan warriors, follow me!”
Cold shouts erupted from the left and right flanks. Then, over a hundred Chacha Kingdom warriors rushed forward. That was the total for the two clans’ warriors; the rest held weapons but were all common folk. At the forefront of the World Subduing Heaven Rak Clan stood Queen Arak Siru and Ironwood, while leading the Hyunwoo Stormwind Manju Clan were Manju Jeokhwa and Geo Hwa.
With the queen and patriarch at the front, the soldiers also charged toward the enemy.
“Chaha!”
“Taha!”
Shouts burst from Arak Siru and Ironwood’s mouths at the same time. Arak Siru’s sword and Ironwood’s saber cleaved through the air.
“Kuaak!”
“Aak!”
Agonized screams erupted from the Black Dragon Temple ranks.
“Kill them!”
Ironwood roared as he swung his two ghost-faced sabers. His martial prowess was formidable.
With every swing of his sabers, enemy torsos were sliced apart. Arak Siru wasn’t quite at his level, but she too eliminated foes with all her might.
“Kuaak!”
“Aak!”
Warriors of the World Subduing Heaven Rak Clan near Arak Siru collapsed with agonized screams.
“Haa!”
Arak Siru gritted her teeth and swung her sword.
“Where is Parop!”
She bellowed as she cut down enemies.
“That bitch is over there. Kill her!”
Vice leader Naul Mok pointed at Arak Siru. Dozens then rushed toward her.
Arak Siru took a deep breath and poured all her inner energy into her sword.
“Chaha!”
A shout burst from her as sword energy surged from her blade. A zhang-long blade of sword energy sliced vertically through the enemy vanguard.
“Keok!”
“Kuhuk!”
“Euk!”
Five enemies and their camels were cleaved in two.
Arak Siru swung her sword from left to right. Five more were bisected. She swung without rest. Enemies swarmed in such numbers that she had no time to glance sideways. She couldn’t tell how many foes she’d killed or how many allies had fallen.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered what it would have been like if she’d met Ak Muyoo sooner and learned the Solar Heaven Sword.
Then she could have fought more easily.
“Kraaaak!”
An agonized scream rang out right beside her.
‘Cheonjang.’
Tears welled in her eyes. A severed head was floating in the air—it was Guard Captain Arak Cheonjang.
“Heavens, grant me more strength.”
She gritted her teeth and swung her sword again.
“Chaha!”
Ironwood’s shout reached her.
‘Thank you.’
She offered silent thanks.
Without Ironwood, the battle might have ended long ago. They’d held out this far thanks to him.
Kaaang!
Ironwood’s saber clashed with a pitch-black spear. Its wielder was Parop.
“Hm?”
Parop’s eyes widened.
Even after losing some inner energy, he still had over four jia worth. Yet someone had blocked his spear.
He couldn’t help but be shocked.
“Who are you?”
Parop eyed Ironwood as he spoke.
“What do you need a blacksmith’s name for?”
Ironwood raised his sabers.
His arms trembled from the impact he’d just blocked.
“A blacksmith, you say?”
“That’s right.”
“What a waste of talent. How about joining me?”
“Kuk! Looks like you ate your years out your ass.”
Twitch!
Parop’s eyes narrowed menacingly.
“Don’t you know an idiot getting angry just makes him look stupider?”
“You bastard!”
Pa-at!
Parop shot toward Ironwood like a弹丸. Ironwood mercilessly kicked off the ground as well. His form advanced at terrifying speed.
Swish!
Parop swept his pitch-black spear horizontally. It was the Black Dragon Demon Spear he’d reclaimed from the Solar Temple. A faint glow shimmered between the spear’s edges—spear energy, even harder to form than sword energy.
Ironwood raised both sabers to block.
Kwaang!
“Kuhuk!”
Ironwood’s form was pushed back, carving a deep furrow in the ground.
“Chaha!”
One Black Dragon Temple member thrust a spear at Ironwood’s back. Ironwood twisted his body as much as possible.
Puk!
The spear tip pierced his side.
“Kuk!”
Ironwood screamed as he climbed along the spear shaft. In an instant, he was in front of the foe and swung his saber.
Puk!
The saber buried into the enemy’s neck, sending the severed head floating up.
Swaaak!
At that moment, a black spear shot toward his heart. It was Parop’s Black Dragon Demon Spear.
Ironwood fell backward.
Using the Iron Plank Bridge technique to flatten his body, he retreated swiftly before springing up.
“Taha!”
With a shout, he charged at Parop. Blood gushed in clumps from the wound in his side as he ran. Before reaching Parop, another foe blocked his path.
Ironwood’s sabers spat killing intent, slaying three. He then blocked Parop’s spear.
Kwaang!
Ironwood retreated three zhang again. He took a hit from another attacker behind him, suffered a wound, then eliminated them. This time, the spear pierced his shoulder—a deep gash that damaged bone.
“But…….”
Ironwood gripped his sabers.
“Does the leader of a group borrow his men’s strength?”
He said as he closed in on Parop.
“Don’t you know that’s skill too?”
“That’s why you’re all frogs in a well. Frogs who can’t even lift their heads before Central Plains warriors.”
“You talk like you’re not from the Central Plains.”
“Kuk! So you plan to brag about killing a lowly blacksmith before taking on Central Plains warriors?”
“…….”
“How do you plan to reach the Western Pure Land Plains in fear?”
“Shit!”
Pa-at!
Parop launched himself at horrifying speed.
He hadn’t had the Black Dragon Demon Spear long and hadn’t mastered its techniques fully. But right now, he didn’t care. He just wanted to vent the maddening rage surging through him.
“Chaa!”
He raised the Black Dragon Demon Spear high.
Dozens of black dragons burst from its tip. It was the final stance of the Black Dragon Demon Spear art: Black Dragon Heaven.
“Taha!”
Blinding radiance poured from Ironwood’s twin sabers. The technique he unleashed was a move from the Solar Heaven Sword art: Solar Storm Bullet. He hadn’t mastered it perfectly, but it was the only technique that could withstand Parop’s Black Dragon Heaven.
The Solar Storm Bullet was a storm of sword bullet energy.
Sword bullet energy pouring from his two sabers surged toward the black dragons.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
The two forces collided with a dull roar.
The vast gap in inner energy couldn’t be bridged even by superior technique.
“Keurk!”
Ironwood staggered back.
“Chaha!”
Someone behind thrust a spear at his back.
“Huk!”
Ironwood twisted with a cry. But the spear was faster than he’d thought.
Puk!
The tip pierced his side.
“Keok!”
Ironwood dropped the saber in his left hand, seized the spear shaft, and yanked hard. The attacker was pulled in. The one who struck Ironwood was Po Il Ra Hap, leader of the Sand Spear Squad and wielder of the Sand Wind Blood Spear.
He thrust his saber at the man’s neck.
Puk!
Ironwood’s saber sank into Po Il Ra Hap’s neck. After severing it, he swung again to snap the spear.
The moment he turned toward Parop, a black object flew at his chest.
“Kraaaaa!”
Ironwood roared.
Puk!
The Black Dragon Demon Spear pierced his chest.
Thud! Thudthudthud! Thudthud!
Ironwood staggered backward.
Clasp!
Someone grabbed him.
“Old man.”
It was Arak Siru holding Ironwood.
Arak Siru was covered in blood to the point where standing was a miracle.
“Are you alright?”
Ironwood asked.
“Yes. I can hold on.”
But she had no strength left to stand, and her inner energy was depleted. All who’d come with her were dead, and the untrained soldiers had scattered.
“If only I’d been stronger…….”
“That’s what I want to say. Now we can train all the soldiers into strong warriors, but it ended like this. I failed, but Haru will succeed.”
“She will.”
“Shall we sit together?”
“Let’s.”
The two sat side by side.
“That guy seemed decent…….”
Arak Siru said.
“You mean Father?”
“Yes.”
“He was a true warrior.”
“I think so too.”
Then, the leader of the Sand Saber Squad, Wind Sand Saber Walla, approached the two.
“Guess he’s here to take our heads.”
“Right.”
Walla smirked and nodded. He raised his saber high.