Chapter 334
Chapter 334
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 334
Chapter Title: The Extermination Squadron's Rampage
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As soon as the command rang out.
Paat!
The Extermination Squadron leaped high into the air like birds spreading their wings.
Danjeon Gwancheon, barely past forty, charged fearlessly toward over a hundred unorthodox fighters.
Sguk!
Danjeon Gwancheon's sword pierced the heart of an unorthodox warrior standing awkwardly at the front.
It was the unrelenting Single Sword technique, the Gale Wind Sword Method.
A hazy, tangible sword aura flickered from the blade protruding through the man's back.
"Kuhuk!"
The unorthodox warrior vomited blood.
With that, he perished by a single sword stroke.
Danjeon Gwancheon glanced at the enemy's lifeless eyes, then swiftly yanked out the sword embedded in his chest.
Chwaaak!
Blood spurted from the chest wound as the lifeless body collapsed.
In the past, there had been hesitation even against enemies before killing them, but now there was not the slightest pause.
Tat!
He paid no attention to the falling unorthodox warrior and immediately unfurled the Returning Cloud Dart technique to seek out the next foe.
'If I hesitate, my comrades will suffer.'
Danjeon Gwancheon's gaze was coldly settled.
This was not unique to him.
All the Extermination Squadron members around him attacked with the same resolute eyes and mindset.
Ccjeeeeng! Peueok! Sguk!
Strike sounds and the scent of blood spread everywhere.
The Extermination Squadron, charging at the unorthodox horde, was demonstrating their true worth.
'Compared to the Ami Fortress Battle and the Immortal Heaven Cult... this is nothing.'
'Not even worth mentioning.'
The minds and bodies of the Extermination Squadron were light.
The unorthodox fighters before them were easy opponents compared to the recent enemies they had faced.
And among them, the most standout performers were none other than Cheonhyang and the Flame Spirit Unit under her command.
Hwaaak!
Energy gathered at the tips of their swords, soon blooming into beautiful flowers.
It was the essence of Mount Hua: sword flowers.
Having diligently trained, they all manifested sword flowers, their eyes gleaming sharply.
With razor-sharp momentum.
And at their center, Cheonhyang swept her gaze over the Flame Spirit Unit and parted her lips.
"Slaughter the enemies!"
Her shout, infused with inner energy, exploded outward.
At her voice, the Flame Spirit Unit nodded and simultaneously deployed the Dark Fragrance Dart technique.
The unorthodox fighters recoiled in horror at the sight of the Flame Spirit Unit approaching while scattering plum blossoms.
"When did they get reinforcements like this?!"
"When did they encircle us...! Gasp! Th-that's sword flowers...? M-Mount Hua Sect!"
"E-everyone, scatter...!"
Sensing fear, they tried to flee in panic.
But they had no choice but to fall helplessly to the Extermination Squadron's attacks charging ahead first.
"Kek!"
"Uwaaak!"
Blood from several men spurted simultaneously, mingling and scattering in the air.
Corpses piling up along the streambank increased rapidly, and even more blood mixed into the stream waters.
The tide of battle turned swiftly.
It was perhaps inevitable.
The unorthodox horde, having lost their leading experts—the Wave Sword Corps commander and the Twin Hand Emissaries—were nothing but a ragtag mob.
On the other hand, what of the Extermination Squadron?
It was an elite unit handpicked by Cheonhwi himself from the later-generation disciples. Moreover, through numerous perilous missions recently, they had filled their lack of combat experience, and under Cheonhwi's occasional guidance, they had trained to elevate their skills dramatically.
The stark difference was only natural.
"They've improved a bit."
Cheonhwi shook the blood off his Hwawol sword blade, surveyed the Extermination Squadron overwhelming the unorthodox fighters, nodded slightly, and muttered.
The struggles they had faced in their first mission against mere bandits were long gone.
Now, through repeated missions, they displayed proficient joint attacks, gradually overwhelming the unorthodox horde.
Veteran, swift, and sharp.
While the Extermination Squadron was thus rampaging and felling the unorthodox fighters for some time.
"How are they handling them so effortlessly...?"
Ok Girin watched the Extermination Squadron, struggling to calm his astonishment.
Each member of the Extermination Squadron possessed outstanding skill, it was true.
However, the Heavenly Justice Squadron wasn't without comparable later-generation disciples. If anything, purely in terms of martial prowess, the Heavenly Justice Squadron likely had more standouts.
Yet what was the result?
Unlike the Heavenly Justice Squadron, which had struggled, the Extermination Squadron was dominating them.
"Even though the Heavenly Justice Squadron has far superior numbers, how could this be...?"
"More isn't always better."
Ok Girin startled at the sudden whisper and jerked his head up.
At the end of his gaze stood Cheonhwi.
His figure standing atop the rippling stream reflecting the dawn light felt awe-inspiring.
"I told you to discard what should be discarded."
It was the phrase that had enlightened him to the Taiji Benevolent Sword.
Yet now, those words dug deeply into Ok Girin's heart with a slightly different meaning.
"Ahh..."
Soon, as if realizing something, Ok Girin murmured in a sorrowful voice.
"It was my mistake from the beginning."
Ok Girin bit his lower lip.
His heart was filled with despair.
The reason the Heavenly Justice Squadron lagged behind the Extermination Squadron lay with none other than himself.
"Greed exceeding the vessel... Why didn't I realize and do such foolish things...?"
Ok Girin let out a lament.
His gaze swept the surroundings.
Some were clashing with the unorthodox fighters, some wounded had pulled back to assess the situation.
And others...
Lay collapsed around the streambank.
Dead.
All of this stemmed from his own error.
To bolster the hastily formed detachment's strength, he had blindly accepted as many members as possible.
This created vast disparities among the squad members.
As a result, the Heavenly Justice Squadron became a mediocre unit... no different from a ragtag mob.
Excessive greed had invited disaster.
'Overdoing it leads to failure...'
He clutched his abdomen with his left arm.
Thanks to a brief rest, his internal injuries and wounds had somewhat stabilized. But his insides, his heart ached.
More painfully than the wounds.
'Surprisingly quick on the uptake.'
Cheonhwi looked down at Ok Girin's darkened face and muttered inwardly.
Normally, he would have ignored or brushed off such mutterings, but he had shown some goodwill.
'I even showed him the Taiji Benevolent Sword.'
At that moment.
The sound of a weapon clattering to the ground rang out, followed by someone's desperate shout.
"Uwaaak! We surrender!"
That was the beginning.
As the unorthodox fighters dwindled rapidly under the joint assault of the Extermination and Heavenly Justice Squadrons, one knelt expressing surrender, and like a wave, the rest followed suit.
"P-please spare our lives!"
"We surrender! Please, just our lives!"
In an instant, all surviving unorthodox fighters knelt, begging for mercy. As squad members looked to Ok Girin and Cheonhwi for a decision.
Dudududu—
Suddenly, the stream and ground trembled.
Cheonhwi whipped his head around.
Hundreds of riders were charging at astonishing speed from beyond the horizon.
Straight toward this location.
Soon, a massive dust cloud rose nearby, accompanied by earth-shaking hoofbeats drawing closer.
"Hm?"
Cheonhwi's eyes narrowed.
The aura they exuded felt familiar.
'This is...?'
As Cheonhwi's gaze turned icy.
"An army with such prowess!"
"C-could it be reinforcements from the Evil-Black Alliance?!"
The Extermination and Heavenly Justice Squadrons tensed, tightening their loosened combat stances.
The closer the riders approached, the more their radiating energy stung the skin.
Yet contrary to their expectations, the kneeling unorthodox fighters trembled in fear.
Recognizing the approaching group's identity, their eyes shook violently.
Soon, someone shouted loudly.
"N-Nangong World!"
No sooner had the cry ended than a man burst through the riders, revealing himself.
A middle-aged man with a stern countenance.
Unlike his impression, his eyes blazed with emotions on the verge of explosion as he flew forward, his blue robe emblazoned with "Azure Heavens" fluttering fiercely.
Kung! Kung! Kung!
With each step he took, the ground quaked, and intense energy waves scattered in all directions.
Like a raging bull charging.
Displaying powerful footwork brimming with strength, the man crossed the distance in one breath, closing in before even a few exchanges could pass.
Merely five jang from the streambank.
On the flat ground where sprouts were beginning to emerge, the imposingly standing middle-aged man was surrounded by surging opaque energy waves emanating outward.
The man standing loftily there lowered his eyes and parted his firmly shut lips.
"...The Murim Alliance."
His heavy voice spread subtly.
The inner energy-infused tone vibrated through the air, shaking the chests of all onlookers.
At the same time, cries of shock erupted.
From the kneeling unorthodox fighters.
"P-Pure Elegant Sword!"
"Already here?!"
The shouters shrank back.
The man before them was Nangong Suhyeong, captain of the Azure Heavens Squad that had been pressing them.
The Azure Heavens captain swept his gaze over the unorthodox fighters.
A sharp killing intent flickered keenly within his seemingly indifferent eyes.
Then, looking at the Extermination and Heavenly Justice Squadrons who had subdued them, he spoke.
"Hand over the remnants of Mansu Sect."
It was a command.
Most of the Extermination and Heavenly Justice Squadrons furrowed their brows at it, but that was all.
In the past, even he would not have spoken so arrogantly.
After all, they were the Murim Alliance, no matter how great the Nangong Family.
But the current circumstances made it possible.
With the war between the Murim Alliance and Evil-Black Alliance in full swing.
In such a situation, both factions would seek to avoid clashing with the Bicheon Society.
"......"
The Extermination and Heavenly Justice Squadrons fell silent, turning their gazes to their respective captains.
For rank-and-file members like them had no say in such matters.
As their eyes shifted, the Azure Heavens captain's eyes twisted fiercely.
His gaze, fixed on Cheonhwi and Ok Girin looking at him, didn't even register them.
Nor did it waver from the two corpses floating in the stream before them.
"Mansu Sect Leader and Wave Sword Corps?"
The man's voice suddenly turned icy cold as he spoke.
"Who?"
His eyes flickered like flames.
Anger revealed itself.
He had come chasing the Mansu Sect Leader, an archenemy to the Nangong Family as Nangong World. Yet he was already a cold corpse.
"Who killed these two?"
The overwhelming energy waves made the air tremble uncontrollably.
At that moment.
"Me?"
A nonchalant voice responded.
Cheonhwi, with an indifferent expression, stared steadily at the man, twisted his lips, and retorted.
"You bastard...!"
As the man glared at Cheonhwi and erupted his energy, reaching for the sword at his waist.
"Hold."
A deep voice rang out.
The startled Azure Heavens captain hastily withdrew his energy and whipped his head back.
There, the horses that had been charging had already halted, snorting restlessly.
And atop the lead horse, a kindly-faced elder looked at the Azure Heavens captain and moved his lips.
"I'll handle the talking."
"Understood."
At the elder's words, the Azure Heavens captain immediately replied and stepped back.
Everyone tensed at his action.
For the man who had displayed overwhelming prowess to retreat so readily meant the elder outranked him.
As all grew wary of the elder.
'Hm?'
Cheonhwi turned his gaze curiously, then grinned upon seeing the elder.
He was extremely familiar.
'Didn't expect to see him here.'
At that moment, the elder also shifted his gaze, met Cheonhwi's eyes, and immediately wore a gentle smile.
The elder dismounted lightly.
Standing on the ground without a sound, like a feather, he clasped his hands behind his back and stepped forward.
Passing the retreated Azure Heavens captain, he walked straight up to stand before Cheonhwi.
With a welcoming expression.
"It's been a while."
"Indeed it has."
Cheonhwi returned the greeting amiably.
For it was a fond connection.
The elder was the one with whom he had uniquely built rapport during his visit to the Nangong Family in the past.
The Nangong Family's Supreme Patriarch.
Thunderbolt Sword Nangong Hansang.