Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Demolishing the Heavenly Net
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Mingwol-do raised his left arm high.
"Everyone, strike him down!"
No sooner had his shout ended than...
Shwick!
An arrow pierced through the darkness like lightning.
Cheonhwi reached out and caught the arrow.
At the same moment, the sound of wind being sliced came rushing in from all directions like a tidal wave.
He looked up to see a rain of arrows soaring into the sky. They arced gracefully before plummeting toward him.
Pabababak!
Dozens of arrows rained down.
A smile crept across Mingwol-do's lips.
But it didn't last long.
Cheonhwi was no longer where the arrows had struck.
"...!"
At that moment, sensing killing intent right beside him, Mingwol-do jerked his neck with a creak.
"Wh-when...?"
Cheonhwi was already right next to him.
"This isn't the end, is it?"
Mingwol-do subtly lifted his chin.
With a menacing hiss, something long and sinuous shot toward him.
Whoosh!
Cheonhwi tilted his head to the side.
Whatever grazed his cheek slammed into the ground with a dull thud.
Cheonhwi's eyes gleamed as he looked at it.
'Moon Blade?'
The weapon embedded in the ground featured a long handle and a striking crescent-shaped single edge.
As his gaze was drawn to the rare jianghu weapon, Mingwol-do leaped backward.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Cheonhwi swung his right hand.
And in that instant...
Flash!
Five streaks of blue light cleaved through the space.
Pale Blood Claw!
The technique that had made Mingwol-do's eyes spin reappeared in the world.
The startled man hastily retreated, escaping the reach of the Pale Blood Claw.
The claw that had sliced through empty air embedded itself where Mingwol-do had stood.
A quiet silence followed, astonishing in its momentum.
But soon the ground trembled, and with a booming explosion, dirt erupted upward.
Cold sweat trickled down Mingwol-do's back.
'If that had hit me...'
His Adam's apple bobbed heavily.
It was just as the rumors said.
The Pale Blood Claw was renowned for its power alone.
But that was the true terror of the Pale Blood Claw.
An internal weight technique that destroyed from within more than without.
The pinnacle of Penetrating Energy!
The Blood Emperor had subjugated the world with just this Pale Blood Claw and Blood Gang Qi.
Mingwol-do clenched his fist.
'...If I can take that Pale Blood Claw from him here.'
His eyes pierced through Cheonhwi.
The fear was already gone.
In its place burned desire.
As he recalled the purpose of the Sun-Moon Sect, the man before him seemed like a one-of-a-kind jewel in all the world.
The Evil-Black Alliance was currently in turmoil internally.
The destruction of White Ghost Castle.
Yet the Evil-Black Alliance Leader showed no reaction, suggesting fierce infighting within.
Thus, upon hearing that Muyoung Shintu had discovered the secret base, the Sun-Moon Sect Leader had dispatched him immediately.
And when word came that he had fallen, reinforcements were sent—no less than one of the Four Great Protectors, the Four Evils: Hondon.
'With Hondon and the Azure Sun Squad, it's possible.'
Mingwol-do's eyes curved like a half-moon.
Hondon was one of the four strongest in the Sun-Moon Sect besides the Sect Leader.
There were even rumors he had recently reached the Heavenly Martial Realm.
On top of that, the entire Azure Sun Squad, a cut above the expendable Yellow Sun Squad.
And as insurance, the disposable pawns trained in the Soul-Stealing Heart Technique.
Everything was perfect.
'Now, just need some time...'
As Mingwol-do twisted his lips...
'He's weaker than I thought.'
Meanwhile, Cheonhwi frowned at his palm, displeased.
Perhaps because he had executed it with Plum Blossom Divine Art instead of Blood Gang Qi, the Pale Blood Claw was far weaker than its famed reputation in the jianghu rankings.
'Might as well use the one from the Dark Fragrance Secret Base.'
As Cheonhwi made the comparison...
Tadadak!
Ten Azure Sun Squad members appeared from all sides, simultaneously pressuring Cheonhwi.
Swoosh—
Cheonhwi raised his right hand again.
Plum Blossom Divine Art's internal energy flowed out, blue gang qi gathering on his fingers, and...
Srash! Srash!
Five streaks of blue light mercilessly slashed the oncoming foes.
Pfsh!
Fountains of blood sprayed toward the sky.
In the blink of an eye, five perished and collapsed.
Thud!
Yet the surviving five didn't stop charging despite their comrades' fall.
No, they rushed even more ferociously, swinging their weapons.
As if that was their entire world.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...Unbelievable."
The man who had thrown the Moon Blade watched the battle in the clearing.
Even against the combined assault of the Azure Sun Squad—each an peak expert—the opponent wasn't pushed back; he dominated. It was astonishing.
"To think the Azure Sun Squad would be toyed with by a single man."
It was skill that drew involuntary admiration.
In contrast...
'Those guys are all talk.'
His gaze turned to the junior disciples forming a defensive line nearby. Unlike the overwhelming display over there, they were struggling.
'...No connection to the Eight Great Sects, then.'
Though traveling with the juniors, there was a slight distance between them.
'Then what is his identity?'
His eyes pierced Cheonhwi.
He had observed meticulously throughout the unfolding of the Heavenly Net Trap, yet couldn't discern it.
Too many martial arts were on display to identify by technique.
By energy? Impossible.
'No trace of trickery or demonic qi, but the techniques and handiwork are unmistakably unorthodox...'
At that moment, the Azure Sun Squad sensed something amiss and shifted formation.
'Hm? Are they deploying that?'
A transformation based on Yin-Yang, dividing into the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams.
The nine Azure Sun Squad members channeled their internal energy and slowly circled.
'The Azure Sun Squad deploying the Azure Sun Inferno Formation against one man—first time I've seen it.'
The man's eyes sharpened.
The Azure Sun Inferno Formation was one of the Sun-Moon Sect's premier joint formations.
'They definitely mean to kill him.'
As the man watched intently...
Fwaaah!
Completing the Azure Sun Inferno Formation, the Azure Sun Squad drew their weapons and surged toward Cheonhwi.
A flow of sharp momentum.
That flow swirled around the Azure Sun Squad at its center.
And that solid momentum empowered them.
Paht!
As their empowered attacks sought to tear the young one before them apart...
Grgrgrk—
A crack appeared in the Azure Sun Inferno Formation.
No—the space between the Azure Sun Squad and Cheonhwi began warping.
"...!"
The man's pupils shook violently.
From Cheonhwi opposing the Azure Sun Inferno Formation emanated a familiar aura.
"That is...!"
As the man failed to hide his shock...
'Then shall I dismantle it now.'
Cheonhwi circulated his internal energy.
The way to break the Heavenly Net Trap was simple.
Instill fear in them.
What if those deploying the Heavenly Net Trap feared death?
No matter how tightly woven the net, a hole meant it caught nothing—just like that.
'Yeah, that'll do.'
Something occurred to him, and Cheonhwi's lips split into a wide grin.
"...!"
In that instant, the Azure Sun Squad froze.
They who had never halted even in certain death turned to ice.
The pure white smile revealed between his lips.
The moment they faced it, a vicious primal fear they had forgotten surged up.
Then they saw Cheonhwi raising both hands into view.
Pale hands emerging from his sleeves.
The Azure Sun Squad couldn't swallow their tension at the sight of those hands moving.
Palm technique? Fist? Finger? Claw?
As they braced for whatever attack...
Swoosh—
Cheonhwi raised both hands to chest level, gathering them as if holding something.
A bizarre gesture, as if cradling a spherical orb in his palms.
The Azure Sun Squad stared at the strange motion, sweat beading.
Whoooosh—
A sudden change occurred.
Between his wide-open palms, a massive vortex began forming.
Grgrk!
It sucked in everything around.
Flipped dirt and rocks, fallen trees, even Sun-Moon Sect disciples!
"Ugh, urk!"
The Sun-Moon Sect disciples flailed to resist being pulled in.
But the more they did, the more fiercely it dragged them.
Kwajik!
Dirt, rocks, trees, and bodies tangled and crushed together.
"Kuh, kaaak!"
"S-save... me..."
One writhed in agony, tears streaming as he reached out, but the suction accelerated.
Udu-duk!
Sickening crunches of bone and flesh filled the air as forms merged into one.
"Th-that is!"
Mingwol-do watching from afar cried out in horror.
There was only one bizarre technique in the world that created such a vortex.
Now lost with its user's death.
The one who once vied with the Sun-Moon Sect Leader for supremacy in the unorthodox sects.
The White Death Gods' unique martial art and ultimate technique!
"Nine Heavens Crushing Thunder!"
The compressing vortex now severed space itself.
Finally, Cheonhwi unleashed his internal energy.
Bam!
The assassins drawn to him were gruesomely pulverized, reduced to a puddle of blood.
"..."
A suffocating silence flowed.
Cheonhwi lightly stepped through the blood pooling at his ankles with Water-Step Technique, eyes gleaming.
"Trying to run again?"
His sword shot like an arrow at Mingwol-do, who was turning to flee.
"Hek!"
Startled by the sudden attack, Mingwol-do raised his Moon Blade to block.
But...
Puk!
In vain—the sword tip pierced his throat like a flash.
Soul-Pursuing Sword!
True to its name, the Soul-Pursuing Sword chased Mingwol-do's soul and claimed his life.
"...!"
Cheonhwi stared at Mingwol-do, eyes wide in death, unaware even of his end, then withdrew the sword from his throat.
The moment the lifeless body collapsed...
Thud!
A man landed from the sky.
The neatly bearded man drew more attention with his attire than appearance.
Left side black, right side white.
A bizarre outfit split precisely down the middle.
"Pathetic fool."
Standing beside the embedded Moon Blade, the man gazed at the dead Mingwol-do, then...
Bam!
Stomped with his left foot.
The Moon Blade dislodged from the ground, floated up, and into his hand.
Grasping it naturally, he spun it in a flashy half-circle before swinging horizontally at Cheonhwi with great force.
Whoooong!
Cheonhwi met the wind-slicing Moon Blade by extending his left palm.
Claaang!
An unbelievable metallic clash rang out as the man stepped back.
"...!"
The man stabbed the Moon Blade into the ground again and cautiously opened his numb hand.
'Reactive Gang Qi?'
His hand trembled faintly.
The shock from the clash had transmitted through the handle.
'Well now?'
The man's brow furrowed.
'Even if I didn't swing full force, to frontal-block Black Moon Blade infused with fifty percent internal energy.'
His eyes locked on Cheonhwi.
A face brimming with confidence, backed by intense aura and prowess.
Plus the White Death Gods' techniques.
No ordinary foe.
Then Cheonhwi spoke first.
"You're not Hondon, by any chance?"
The man's eyebrow twitched.
"You know of me?"
"Tch. You really are Hondon?"
Cheonhwi spoke with deep disappointment.
"I had hopes for one of the Four Evils, but you're just another nobody. What a letdown."