Chapter 219
Chapter 219
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 219
Chapter Title: Black Dragon's Fall
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Nangong Se, who had climbed aboard the ship, gaped as he stared into the distant darkness.
"This is insane!"
"Gasp! What do we do now?"
"I thought the Second Young Master was just a little crazy, but he's completely mad!"
Everyone fidgeted restlessly, eyes fixed on the darkness.
Piercing the pitch-black gloom was no easy task.
They had already drifted far from shore, and all that showed was the black waves churning.
"What do you see?"
"Damn it all! Turn the ship around! The ship!"
"What the hell is he thinking!"
"The Second Young Master is going to die! Turn the ship around quick!"
"We have to go back!"
"We're screwed, totally screwed!"
Chaos erupted across the deck.
Geon Cheon-hwi let out a sigh and shouted.
"Why can't we ever just go normally!"
Every time Nangong Hyeok moved, it stirred up a storm out of nowhere.
This sudden stunt was utterly unpredictable.
It defied all common sense—judgments and actions no rational person could grasp.
Even a moth flying into flames wouldn't be as reckless as Nangong Hyeok.
Their bewilderment went beyond imagination.
Geon Cheon-hwi peered into the darkness with anxious eyes.
He could make out flickering sparks, red auras, and lightning intertwined within.
A massive roar pierced the waves, rumbling heavily toward the ship.
Nothing was visible yet, but the sound alone conveyed the dire urgency.
Anxiety settled on everyone's faces.
Even the unparalleled Nangong Hyeok couldn't possibly survive against the Black Dragon Sect warriors on the Jecheon River.
"Why the hell did he go back there!"
"Who charges into the enemy camp just because they don't want to look like cowards!"
"Oh no!"
"What if the Second Young Master sacrificed himself for us..."
Jang Woong spoke up, then clamped his mouth shut under the group's sullen glares.
Right, that couldn't be it.
Our Second Young Master isn't the type.
Geon Cheon-hwi furrowed his brow.
Splash! Splaaash!
The prow showed no sign of turning; instead, it cleaved through the water even faster.
"I said turn the ship around!"
He whipped his head around to see So Geol-gae vigorously rowing.
On either side, the Jiangxi Orthodox Alliance and Blood River Sect disciples rowed with all their might.
"Heave!"
"Heave-ho!"
"One-two, one-two!"
Geon Cheon-hwi's jaw dropped at the sight of orthodox and unorthodox factions rowing in perfect harmony, like water and oil mixed as one.
He yelled at So Geol-gae reproachfully.
"Beggar Chief! Turn the prow around, the prow!"
But So Geol-gae ignored him, rowing fiercely as he bellowed.
"The chance the Second Young Master gave us! We won't waste it! I'll never forget Nangong Hyeok's valor! I, So Geol-gae, will regard the Nangong family as eternal benefactors and uphold the Beggar Clan's way to..."
"You crazy beggar bastard! I said turn the damn ship around?"
"He was a good friend."
Already turning him into a martyr?
But So Geol-gae wasn't alone—the Jiangxi Alliance and Blood River Sect shared his sentiment.
By any logic, no one could survive returning to that place.
How many had swarmed the dock!
Even making it back alive would be a miracle, let alone expecting them to rescue Nangong Hyeok.
Worse, trying to save him might get them caught by the pursuing Black Dragon Sect.
Better to flee first, as Nangong Hyeok intended.
Hadn't he said so himself?
Go on ahead.
It was at that moment, as Songbaek Sword Sect Leader Go Dae-gil and Blood River Sect Leader Jo Cheol-rok exchanged glances and rowed harder.
Boom!
The railing shattered as if struck by a fireball.
"Gasp! Enemies?!"
"Th-the Eldest Young Master?!"
"Urgh!"
Nangong Ryong glared murderously at the rowers, his fierce eyes blazing.
He seized So Geol-gae by the collar in a flash.
So Geol-gae dangled in midair, frozen in his rowing pose.
"Wh-what! Why are you doing this!"
"Turn the ship around."
"Even if we turn now, it's too late..."
"Turn it!"
Nangong Ryong's roar echoed across the deck.
Overwhelmed by his commanding presence, So Geol-gae pursed his lips like a clam.
One more word, and he'd be tossed overboard.
Or run through with a sword.
"...Heh, heh. I was just about to anyway. The Beggar Clan has honor..."
"......"
"Hup! Turn it! Turn it around! You unorthodox scum!"
So Geol-gae berated the Blood River Sect disciples.
Jo Cheol-rok stared in bewilderment, then flinched at Nangong Ryong's icy glare and squeezed his eyes shut.
"Turn it!"
The prow, which had been slicing through the water powerfully, began to slowly pivot.
Geon Cheon-hwi and the others gulped dryly.
They had never seen Nangong Ryong so emotional.
That meant the situation was critically dire.
Nangong Ryong scanned the darkness anxiously, but the impenetrable gloom made it impossible to spot anything over a hundred feet away.
*Hyeok! Be safe!*
Nangong Ryong gripped his sword hilt, jaw clenched tight.
It was then, as the prow had turned halfway.
Flash!
A blinding blue light exploded from the shore without warning.
Intense enough to turn the black river waters blue for an instant.
As everyone on deck winced and gaped at the dazzling glare.
KABOOOM!
A deafening blast shook the air, sending out rippling shockwaves.
They clutched their ears in stunned silence, then grabbed the railings as waves surged.
"Wh-what?!"
"Wh-what is that?!"
"What the...?!"
Everyone leaped up, whipping their gazes toward the source of the flash.
* * *
"Cough!"
Blue waves engulfed his vision, and Jecheon River was flung backward powerlessly.
He stared ahead with bloodshot eyes, veins bulging.
*What... what kind of blade art is this!*
He had never seen anything like it in his life.
It transcended sheer ferocity into an unfathomable realm.
The blade qi surged like tidal waves—beyond anything he could withstand.
The epitome of霸道,霸道!
No word but "霸道" could describe this blade art.
The clear blade qi at Nangong Hyeok's drawn sword tip hurtled toward him.
KABOOOM!
Agony tore through his hands like they might rip apart, forcing a pained groan from Jecheon River.
His spear shaft trembled violently just blocking the qi—raw destructive power.
The blazing qi, like roaring flames, terrified him.
"Grraaah!"
He glared at Nangong Hyeok in disbelief amid his shock.
Nangong Hyeok tilted his head.
"Long time no spar—rusty, huh?"
Not mockery, but genuine puzzlement. He shook his blade at him as if truly practicing.
Yet its power chilled to the bone.
Savage.
Ferocious.
Like a demon's blade that devoured men.
An aura that raised every hair on his body.
*This can't be an orthodox blade art!*
No orthodox art could be like this.
Something inexplicable infused Nangong Hyeok's aura and blade force.
Eerie.
So eerily bewildering.
The domineering blade and aura gripped his heart; his jaw clenched.
A bizarre terror drained the blood from him, shaking Jecheon River's eyes.
*Am I... afraid of that guy?*
Me? Jecheon River?
Impossible!
Afraid of some twenty-something beggar-lookalike when he ruled Zhe Province?
Even a passing ant would scoff.
Jecheon River ground his teeth.
"Die!"
The Black Dragon Spear whipped out, thrusting toward Nangong Hyeok's heart with piercing momentum.
But Nangong Hyeok dodged lightly, as if anticipating it.
He flowed past every follow-up, parrying all.
Cold sweat beaded automatically.
Every attack fell flat; each blade clash sent tearing pain through his hands.
Anxiety hardened into tension, his mind freezing.
It felt like dancing in Nangong Hyeok's palm.
A sensation even absent when crushing Zhe Province elites.
Where did this monster come from!
"Raaargh!"
The Black Dragon Spear spun and curved rapidly, pressuring Nangong Hyeok.
A storm of strikes!
But Nangong Hyeok's eyes were calmer than ever.
Jecheon River's movements locked in his rippling blue gaze.
Nangong Hyeok's body moved on instinct.
Overlord's Soul: Heaven's Slaughter.
His blade art at the pinnacle of霸道.
Each stroke carried only killing intent.
Crafted solely to kill and shatter foes.
The blade from his desperate struggles in the mud, fighting to survive.
It evolved with his growth into霸道 form, but its essence remained.
When not killing meant dying, what need for other paths or intents?
The Heavenly Bright King Art surged dramatically.
Faster, fiercer rotations gathered baleful blade qi at the tip.
All his energy converged in an instant.
Killing intent soared; battle spirit blanketed the field.
His all infused the blade.
Form, energy, spirit.
Body, qi, mind unified.
*How far have I come from the past?*
One step.
Thud!
A heavy footfall bound Jecheon River's body.
BOOM!
A savage strike hurled him back.
Nangong Hyeok sank into his blade; his will drove it. The blade swung to his will.
Heaven's Slaughter targeted Jecheon River.
Murderous light flashed in Jecheon River's eyes.
He wrung out every ounce of energy.
"Dieee!"
Black Dragon Spear's final form: Black Dragon Burst!
Infused internal energy detonated the iron spear, spraying shards like hidden weapons.
Each fragment bore immense power, rivaling sword qi.
The exploding shards flew at varying speeds and angles toward Nangong Hyeok.
A horrific killing move turning a five-zhang radius into a pincushion!
He endured his own hands shredding, but Jecheon River didn't hesitate.
Shiiiing!
Impossible to dodge the rain of debris entirely.
One hit would be fatal.
Just one...
Slaaaash!
Blue light rippled from Nangong Hyeok's blade tip.
The Milky Way-like flash swept the projectiles.
"......!"
Jecheon River stared blankly.
All touched by the blue light vanished.
Psssh!
Blue flames melted the iron shards.
When the illusory flash faded, Jecheon River felt heat between his brows.
His broken spear shaft, raised instinctively, cracked red with a jagged line.
"......Huh?"
A groan-like question leaked out.
His pupils slowly shifted to Nangong Hyeok, two zhang away.
Rip.
An unpleasant sound echoed in his mind as hot energy spread through his body.
Then Nangong Hyeok seemed to tilt.
No—splitting?
As the world crumbled in illusion, Jecheon River cleaved in two, parting left and right.
Splash!
Belatedly, the waves behind him split apart.
Hiss!
Nangong Hyeok gazed at his half-shattered blade with a pale face.
"......Damn."
Whoa, tougher than expected?
How strong was I back then?
Even this body struggles—it's burdensome.
Nangong Hyeok swallowed rising blood.
"......Long road ahead."
But I've come this far; I'll reach there soon enough.
As Nangong Hyeok nodded to himself, the Black Dragon Sect disciples watching from the dock gasped in horror.
"Th-the Sect Leader!"
"Th-the Black Dragon King has fallen!"
"Impossible!"
Shock and terror overwhelmed their astonishment.
Zhe Province's top master, Jecheon River, not only lost to an unknown beggar but was bisected in gruesome death!
An impossibility occurred.
Stunned by the unbelievable scene, they froze.
"Hah, unorthodox scum. Got nothing to say now your head's off..."
"Kill that bastard."
"......That bastard?"
"Seize and slaughter him! Appease the Sect Leader's vengeful spirit!"
......Huh?
That's not right?
Don't unorthodox lack loyalty?
"So the Black Dragon King was a fine leader, huh?"
Nangong Hyeok eyed the Black Dragon Sect disciples leaping into the river.
Fighting them all would mean missing the boat for real.
I'm drained too.
So.
"You fucking pricks—when outnumbered, you unorthodox always swarm! Get out of my way!"
Nangong Hyeok snatched debris floating in the river and kicked off the water.
Splash!
Like a water strider, he soared, unleashing Blood Wind God.
"He's fleeing!"
"Grab him!"
"Kill!"
Nangong Hyeok grinned.
"Think you can catch me, punks?"
Who're you gonna catch?
If your bodies weren't intact, you'd all be dead—seriously!
His form whipped up blue winds, streaking far away.
He leaped from shard to shard on the black river, scowling.
"Damn! How far did those bastards sail?!"
Panicking at the endless river, then—
The final shard: ahead, a speedboat appeared.
"Mine now, punks!"
Boom!
Using Thousand Catties Drop, Nangong Hyeok shook off the Black Dragon Sect on board.
"Arghhh!"
"Eeeeek!"
Nangong Hyeok cackled, kicking the speedboat hard and launching into lightness skill again.
He bounded powerfully toward the turning galleon.
"I'm baaaack! Hya!"
Thuuud!
Leaping over the stunned Nangong Ryong, Nangong Hyeok landed amid the crowd.
The galleon rocked wildly; people gawked like they'd seen a ghost.
Nangong Hyeok bellowed.
"Go go go! Those bastards are pissed!"
"Y-yes!"
The galleon hastily pivoted again.
Nangong Hyeok cackled toward the Black Dragon Sect's direction.