Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Iron Heads
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Ak Muyoo stepped forward.
At the forefront of the enemy lines stood Tareu.
"Finally caught you, you bastard."
Tareu glared at Ak Muyoo as she spoke.
"This is what they mean by the one who farted getting mad. You lot started this first... no, it was you."
Ak Muyoo pointed a finger at Tareu.
"You killed my son and my husband. And you expect me to let you live?"
Tareu bellowed.
"You should've raised your kid right. He said no, but she still married another man, and now you're saying the guy who killed her ex-husband isn't human? Isn't human? Well, what could she have learned from a mother who stole her husband's qi with absorption arts. Anyway, I'm truly grateful to you. If you hadn't stolen Jeok Yeom-cheon's qi with those absorption arts that day, the one who died would've been me."
Ak Muyoo had only prodded about her stealing her husband's qi after hearing Manju Jeokhwa say she had mastered absorption arts.
"Sh-shut your mouth, you bastard! I didn't steal his qi—he gave it to me!"
'No way, it's true.'
Ak Muyoo inwardly stuck out his tongue. He hadn't imagined she'd even drain the qi of the man she shared her bed with.
'While I'm at it...'
"Then what about Parap's qi? You gonna say he handed that over too?"
This time, he brought up Parap.
"He..."
"To a martial artist, qi is more precious than blood. You expect us to buy that he just gave it away?"
"K-kill him!"
At a loss for words, Tareu issued the attack order.
"Cha-ha!"
"Ta-ha!"
"Hya!"
The Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warriors lashed their camel reins in unison.
Thud thud thud thud thud! Thud thud thud thud thud!
Hundreds of camels charged toward them.
"Let them go."
Ma Dunjirang said to Ak Muyoo.
"I'll release you if you promise to let us go safely."
He turned to Ma Dunjirang.
"I promise."
"Let them loose."
Ak Muyoo said to Mok Woo and the others.
Mok Woo quickly leaped over and unsealed the Nuran Kingdom warriors' acupoints.
"I'm going first."
Ak Muyoo drew his Heavenly God Sun Bow first and charged at the enemy.
Twang! Twang twang twang! Twang twang! Twang!
As he ran, he began firing Dark Current Arrows at the foes. The arrows he shot, made of tempered glass quills, were nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Thwack! Thud thud! Thwack! Thud!
"Ugh!"
"Keuk!"
"Eeek!"
"Aaak!"
Those struck by the Dark Current Arrows flew back three zhang before crashing down. Ak Muyoo pulled the bowstring without pause. As before, his targets were the stronger ones among them. He judged strength by the density of their aura, whether they emitted qi energy, or if they gave orders.
In every battle, the weak die first—but in this one, the strong died first.
The Dark Current Arrows pierced throats or foreheads, sending the victims straight to the afterlife.
Before he knew it, he'd used all seventy Dark Current Arrows, emptying the quiver.
Ak Muyoo detached the quiver and tossed it aside.
—Quiver's with me.
Ara's voice came from right beside him. She had concealed herself in midair with her Chaos Veil.
"Refill me."
—Okay.
Ara slung the last remaining quiver over Ak Muyoo's shoulder.
"Just strap it to my back."
He said as he fitted the front.
—Got it.
Ara quickly secured the quiver for him.
With the quiver fastened, he charged at the enemy. Reaching the lead rider, she grabbed the camel's neck, spun, and launched forward. As she flew, she swung her sword horizontally. The blade sliced through the air and across the Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warrior's neck.
"Kraaak!"
With a scream, the severed head floated up.
The Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warrior died without knowing who struck him.
Whoosh!
She kicked the camel's rump and shot to the camel on the right. Landing right in front, she swung her sword immediately. She kicked off the headless corpse and leaped to the next camel.
"There's an enemy using stealth arts, be careful—"
Thwack!
A dull thud burst from the head of the man shouting the warning.
"Ugh!"
The man hit by the Dark Current Arrow screamed and flew back.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Ara hopped from camel to camel, slicing throats. Severed heads bobbed into the air.
Thwack! Thud thud! Thud thud!
"Kraaak!"
"Aaak!"
"Eeek!"
Mok Woo and his group's skills were formidable. No—in this group, they were the strongest. Each time their palm power cleaved the air, Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warriors' bodies shattered. Five Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warriors couldn't match them.
Thwack!
"Aaak!"
"Eeek!"
"Ugh!"
"Hm?"
Ak Muyoo glanced left with a puzzled look.
The ones screaming and collapsing were Nuran Kingdom warriors.
Just moments ago, Mok Woo had said their qi was at least second-class at the lowest.
The weakest among them was that strong. With second-class qi, they should outmatch Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warriors easily.
Sure, lack of combat experience might cause initial panic. But the enemy was in the same boat. Yet the Nuran Kingdom warriors were being overwhelmingly pushed back.
"No way..."
Ak Muyoo looked around in disbelief. Same everywhere. Shockingly, even those with second-class or higher couldn't execute martial arts. No palm power from their fists, no sword qi or energy from their swings. Their lightness skill was clumsy too—second-class experts could use Soaring Cloud Steps, but these couldn't even manage proper footwork.
That meant they'd never learned martial arts.
Having second-class qi but unable to use it was no different from a brute with raw, monstrous strength. Useless against trained Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warriors.
'That's why I couldn't sense their battle spirit.'
That's what felt off when they blocked the path earlier.
"No helping it."
Ak Muyoo's gaze shifted to Tareu in the enemy center. To end this fight, she had to go.
"Ara!"
He called to Ara, hidden nearby.
—What.
She transmitted back and leaped over.
Snap!
She clung to his arm.
"Not even wearing shoes?"
—Shoes would look weird.
"Holding a sword naked isn't weird?"
—Heh! Good point. So, why?
"Got to take out that woman."
—You said she's stronger than Jeok Yeom-cheon or Parap?
"I've gotten stronger since fighting them. And she's not that strong anyway."
—Why?
"Most of her dantian's qi is stolen. Big Master said borrowed qi is like debt."
—Even a ton of it can't become truly yours?
"Right. Even with ten years' worth, you can only use about sixty percent—six years—like it's yours."
—Still sounds insane.
"But why's your voice like that?"
—Like what?
"Excited."
—This is surprisingly great.
"What is?"
—Being naked.
"..."
—Guess clothes restricted me a lot.
"Feels free?"
—Like all my body's channels are alive. Try it sometime. It's killer.
"Weird constitution. Anyway, take her out, or everyone here dies."
—How do they have that much qi and...
Ara had noticed the Nuran Kingdomers' plight too. They weren't warriors—just super-strong commoners.
"They're Iron Heads."
Ak Muyoo said.
—Spot on.
"Anyway, hurry before we all die."
—Got it.
Ara shot straight ahead.
"Mok Woo, we're killing that woman. Clear a path!"
"Understood."
As Mok Woo and his group charged from the flanks, those in front of Tareu fell. Ak Muyoo advanced while firing Dark Current Arrows.
"Block them!"
Spotting Ak Muyoo's group charging, Tareu bellowed. Dozens of Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warriors moved to intercept.
Ak Muyoo's right hand moved at blinding speed.
He kept firing Dark Current Arrows while watching Tareu. Ahead was a forest of camels. He waited for a straight path to her.
Didn't need to be wide—just enough for an arrow. Arms crossed, camel bodies blocked views.
'Now!'
A straight gap opened between arms and weapons. Barely two inches wide, but enough.
In an instant, Ak Muyoo drew the string.
He fired two arrows.
His archery had advanced—he could fire two at once now. And control power for penetration or embedding.
"Gasp!"
Tareu, staring ahead, paled in horror.
She twisted her torso desperately.
Swoosh!
A chilling energy grazed her ear.
"Phew!"
Thwack!
As relief washed over her, something burrowed into her knee.
"Agh!"
A gut-wrenching scream tore from Tareu. Agonizing pain surged from her knee. She looked down. A small arrow was embedded there.
"I'll kill... Gasp!"
This time, she ducked her torso.
Thud! Thud!
Dull impacts followed.
One from the camel's neck, the other her right knee.
"Ugh!"
Another scream escaped Tareu. A Dark Current Arrow had pierced the camel's neck and into her solar plexus; another stuck in her right knee.
Tareu gripped the arrows in both knees. Couldn't fight like this.
She yanked one out fast.
"Aaaak!"
The scream erupted again.
"I'll kill you! Kill you!"
She hurled the arrow and roared. Her eyes went to her solar plexus—had to pull that too. Gritting her teeth, she yanked it. Another scream, blood gushing.
She quickly pressed acupoints to staunch it.
"I'll kill you. Kill you."
Tareu searched for Ak Muyoo.
"Ara, take me up high!"
Ak Muyoo bellowed.
"Got it."
Ara came beside him, grabbed him, and soared into the air. At ten zhang up, Tareu was visible ahead.
"Throw me at her."
Ak Muyoo shouted.
"You sure?"
"Trust me."
"Okay. I'll follow."
Ara spun on the spot and hurled Ak Muyoo mercilessly. He rocketed toward Tareu at tremendous speed.
"The bastard's flying in!"
A Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warrior spotting him yelled.
"You!"
Tareu glared murderously at Ak Muyoo. Terrifying energy poured from her whole body. Raising all her qi, she swung both arms at him. Soundless, formless palm power surged toward Ak Muyoo.
The technique was one of the Border Wastes Three Great Palms: Demon Formless Palm.