Chapter 252
Chapter 252
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 252
Chapter Title: Nangong Hyeok's Onslaught
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Nangong Hyeok spread his arms like wings and charged into the enemy lines without a shred of hesitation.
The crimson killing intent from his demon sword stretched down into the valley below.
Seeing him rush in, the conference warriors and the Five Poisons Sect's elites reacted.
"Kill him!"
A chilling shout echoed, and at the same moment, the Five Poisons Sect's elite Blood-Clothed Squad, which had been holding position at the base of the valley, sprang into action.
They split to both sides, hurling hidden weapons at Nangong Hyeok as he leaped down into the valley.
The hidden weapons flew indiscriminately toward him from a distance of ten zhang.
Each whistling steel needle carried enough force to pierce rock.
Like they meant to turn him into a pincushion, the Blood-Clothed Squad's whistling needles filled the air ahead densely.
Zzzzzing!
The whistling needles and hawk swords darkened the sky as they rained down, making a racket like flocks of birds flapping furiously.
Nangong Hyeok kicked off the ground and leaped, swinging his demon sword.
Flash!
A red and blue gleam swept the front, brushing away the incoming hidden weapons.
Boom boom boom!
A massive roar erupted, followed by an explosion.
Piercing through the thick fog, Nangong Hyeok plunged toward the Blood-Clothed Squad.
His sword swung with ferocious momentum.
It traced Infinite Steps, endlessly forming circles.
As the demon sword followed the circular path, red lines etched the air, and blue lightning flickered.
Sword qi extending ten cheok swept the area.
The Blood-Clothed Squad's eyes widened in shock at the sword qi bearing down on them.
'Crazy!'
'W-what is this?'
'What the hell?!'
A primal chill crawled up their spines.
They reflexively curled their bodies and retreated, but true to their elite status in the Five Poisons Sect, they attempted a counterattack even as they fell back.
"Huh?"
The Blood-Clothed Squad exhaled the breath they'd been holding—and let out sharp groans.
Staring at the red blood spurting from their waists, they gaped in disbelief.
"When did...?"
Thud.
Nangong Hyeok leaped over the Blood-Clothed Squad warriors collapsing with their waists severed.
He swung his demon sword, now radiating an even denser crimson aura, unleashing the Three Thunder Sword Method.
Heavier and more domineering than Lightning Flash Thirteen Thunders, the technique swept away the hidden weapons raining down like a downpour.
The lightning writhing along the blade was as savage as a dragon thrashing in agony.
In an instant, the surroundings were cleared.
Nangong Hyeok's demon sword, drenched in killing intent, made the Blood-Clothed Squad tremble.
It was a brutality they'd never encountered before.
Murderous light gleamed in Nangong Hyeok's eyes.
Killing intent layered upon itself, intensifying.
The demon sword resonated with his aura, ringing louder. The edge sharpened several times over.
Blood sprayed everywhere, screams echoing through the valley.
He smashed through any obstacles in his path and punished any attackers.
Squelch!
Nangong Hyeok's sword pierced another Blood-Clothed Squad warrior's heart, then cleaved the throat of the man behind him who was unleashing venomous insects.
Splurt!
As he burst forward through the gushing blood, Nangong Ryong and the Thunder Dragon Squad finally broke through the valley behind him.
Nangong Ryong's gaze caught sight of Nangong Hyeok breaking through the enemy lines.
Seeing the storm of hidden weapons engulf him, blue lightning flashed in Nangong Ryong's eyes.
"Charge!"
He stepped forward with Heavenly Wind Divine Technique, leaping toward the enemy lines.
Blue lightning surged high into the sky, racing along his sword.
Boom!
His heavy stamp shook the ground, and the Emperor Sword Form's blade momentum crashed down on the foes.
"Get lost!"
Rumble boom!
Azure lightning, as if splitting heaven and earth, charred the Blood-Clothed Squad's flesh black.
Shatter!
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
The Blood-Clothed Squad, swept by the sword qi, scattered like leaves in the wind.
Nangong Ryong swung his sword wildly, chasing after Nangong Hyeok.
Following him, Geon Cheon-hwi, Tak Hyeok-dong, and Jang Woong of the Thunder Dragon Squad leaped in.
Geon Cheon-hwi shouted.
"Protect the young masters! Break through the enemy lines!"
The Thunder Dragon Squad charged ferociously.
Geon Cheon-hwi's Thunder Dragon Ten Sabers split the formations in ten directions, while Tak Hyeok-dong's Great Power Seven Steps blocked the incoming hidden weapons like a shield.
Jang Woong targeted their lower bodies to collapse the enemy lines, and the Thunder Dragon Squad, completing their Ghost Valley Chain Formation, clashed with the Blood-Clothed Squad.
"Haaah!"
Paeng Jung-hyeok swung his saber with a thunderous shout.
Inky-black saber qi crashed toward the Blood-Clothed Squad.
Boom!
The domineering qi of Primordial Chaos Divine Saber swept the front.
From behind, So Geol-gae swallowed hard, striking down hidden weapons with Striking Staff Method to provide support.
So Hye-yeon's Meteor Twelve Swords poured down like rain, and Paeng Yeon-hwa's King Lion Saber unleashed monstrous strength.
Boom! Boom boom boom!
The Blood-Clothed Squad's encirclement around Nangong Hyeok crumbled in an instant with the Thunder Dragon Squad's intrusion.
In the chaos of their fierce assault, cracks formed in their ranks as gaps opened up.
Thud thud thud!
Boom!
Just as it seemed the Blood-Clothed Squad was falling back, they counterattacked the Thunder Dragon Squad.
Using hidden weapons, poisons, and venomous creatures, they prevented the Thunder Dragon Squad from gaining distance, who clung to them tenaciously.
The Thunder Dragon Squad, aiming to shatter the formation and rush to Nangong Hyeok's aid, ran into trouble as the fight turned into a brutal melee.
"Damn it!"
"Ugh! These guys aren't pushovers!"
"What the—?"
The Thunder Dragon Squad showed signs of dismay.
The Five Poisons Sect's elites, the Blood-Clothed Squad, refused to yield ground easily, and their movements were far from amateurish.
Into the space they opened, the conference warriors infiltrated.
Screech!
Boom!
Paeng Jung-hyeok, blocking a ghoul's saber, widened his eyes in surprise.
The blade's power made his wrist go numb.
Paeng Jung-hyeok unleashed three forms of Primordial Chaos Divine Saber, felling one ghoul.
Beside him, So Geol-gae grumbled.
"Damn it!"
Screech! Clang!
So Geol-gae deflected an incoming steel needle and ghoul with Striking Staff Method, shouting.
"Who the hell are these guys!"
Every technique from the ghouls carried unbelievable power.
They weren't from the Five Poisons Sect.
Their style was utterly different.
Their skills were extraordinary, exuding an eerie aura.
A horde of such foes blocked their path.
Even if the Open Faction's intelligence network weakened outside the central plains, where the hell had these guys come from?
The prowess of the Blood-Clothed Squad and ghouls exceeded expectations.
Even the Thunder Dragon Squad, charging in with momentum, had to hesitate.
They were strong enough to burden Paeng Jung-hyeok, young master of the Hebei Paeng Family, and So Geol-gae, deputy leader of the Open Faction.
The fact that the scattered Thunder Dragon Squad was regrouping and advancing only inch by inch showed how dire the situation was turning.
"Where's the Second Young Master?"
"Over there... Wait, huh?"
"He's gone! Where the hell is he?"
It was then, as the Thunder Dragon Squad searched for the missing Nangong Hyeok.
Boom!
Rumble!
A deafening roar split the air as crimson lightning shot skyward.
Like a dragon ascending to the heavens, everyone stared blankly at the source of the explosion.
And all were stunned.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
Thud! Thud!
With every swing of Nangong Hyeok's sword, Blood-Clothed Squad warriors and ghouls split in two.
As he smashed through them like they were nothing and charged ahead, they flew back like balls.
Nangong Hyeok boldly plunged into the heart of the formation created by the Five Poisons Sect and ghouls.
Blood fountains erupted along his path.
Not stopping there, he attacked those trying to surround the Thunder Dragon Squad, opening breathing room for them.
In a word, Nangong Hyeok was dominating the battlefield single-handedly.
Geon Cheon-hwi's eyes nearly bulged out.
"The Second Young Master's skills were at that level...?"
"D-does that even make sense?"
"Is that really the Second Young Master we know? No, how...?"
This savage, bloodthirsty Nangong Hyeok was a sight they'd never seen.
It was more overwhelming than releasing a starving beast into a flock of sheep.
Even those who'd been with him for so long were shocked anew by this hidden side.
"He was at that level...?"
Paeng Jung-hyeok swallowed hard, staring at Nangong Hyeok.
A wall?
No, a mountain.
Paeng Jung-hyeok confirmed that Nangong Hyeok was already far beyond reach.
The others' shock was no less.
Toppling the Five Poisons Sect's elites and ghouls like children and charging ahead—who wouldn't be amazed?
Nangong Ryong ground his teeth.
Gripping his sword tighter as he watched Nangong Hyeok charge alone, he shouted.
"Haaah!"
The Emperor Sword Form unleashed with his cry cleaved the foes blocking his path.
Sword pressure, laced with lightning, crushed the opponents.
A massive surge—forming a soaring vault, embracing heavenly winds, infused with thunder—exploded from a single stroke.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the rain of hidden weapons vanished, and the Blood-Clothed Squad and ghouls blocking the way collapsed.
Nangong Ryong took a heavy step forward in an emperor's stride.
'Not enough.'
This wouldn't close the gap.
Boom!
Watching Nangong Hyeok's back recede another ten paces amid the roar, Nangong Ryong's pupils trembled.
He'd thought they were side by side, but the distance refused to shrink.
The chasm between them was as vast as the gap that had opened now.
Frustration welled up.
No matter how many foes he cut down, the difference persisted—bloodshot veins filled Nangong Ryong's eyes.
"Hraaah!"
Squeezing out a roar, Nangong Ryong desperately chased Nangong Hyeok's back.
Boom!
Flash!
As Nangong Hyeok leaped forward powerfully, the momentum at the tip of Nangong Ryong's sword sharpened further.
And once more, the battle shifted.
Led by Dang Ui-cheon, warriors from the Sichuan Dang Family appeared and joined the fray.
"All of you, aid the Nangong Family and sweep away the enemy!"
Dang Ui-cheon's booming voice roared like a lion.
The Sichuan Dang Family's Poison King Squad, along with the belatedly joined Verdant Shadow Blood Hands and leadership, leaped into the battlefield.
Chilling killing intent rose in the eyes of the Five Poisons Sect elder, the Poison Shadow Twin Freaks.
Sneering at Nangong Hyeok, who had shattered the Blood-Clothed Squad from afar and closed in before he knew it, he said.
"How did a brat like you make it this far? Where's the head of the Sichuan Dang Family?"
He hadn't expected the kid to actually break through the trap.
He thought the conference leader Cheop Cheong-won must be out of his mind.
Of course, he still believed that now.
From his perspective, standing guard here for one punk was bizarre from the start.
But what could he do?
The fact remained that the youth the conference was wary of had reached his doorstep.
He wondered if the conference's abilities were overhyped, or perhaps the kid was truly exceptional.
After all, hadn't he pierced the Blood-Clothed Squad's relentless assault to get here?
"I'll praise you for breaking through the Blood-Clothed Squad, but this path leads straight to your grave!"
A mocking smile curled on the Poison Shadow Twin Freaks' lips.
Swish!
Nangong Hyeok shook off his demon sword and caught his breath.
"Your grave?"
He tilted his head briefly while regulating his breathing, then moved again.
The Poison Shadow Twin Freaks sneered, gathering his energy.
If the brat had heeded the warning, he wouldn't dare charge so recklessly.
Shooo!
Black poisonous mist rose around his body.
In the midst of fierce combat, Dang Ui-cheon glimpsed the standoff between Nangong Hyeok and the Poison Shadow Twin Freaks through a momentary gap and cried out in alarm.
"No! That's the Poison Shadow Twin Freaks! Don't engage him! Run!"
Whatever Nangong Hyeok was thinking, challenging the Poison Shadow Twin Freaks was a mismatch in weight class.
One of the Five Poisons Sect's top ten poison experts!
Only a Dang Family elder could match him.
Immunity to poison didn't make him winnable.
Dang Ui-cheon tried to help, but he was too far.
And the Poison Shadow Twin Freaks wouldn't allow it.
"Die!"
Deathly palm force from Poison Shadow Divine Art blasted toward Nangong Hyeok. With it, pale shadows—Celestial Yin Poison Serpents—shot forth to bite him.
He planned to poison the fool in one strike and make him suffer agony.
Even if he dodged the palm, not the serpents.
Celestial Yin Poison Serpents were spirit creatures with bodies tough enough to withstand most sword qi, their venom rivaling the Sichuan Dang Family's Seven Treasures Dispersing Powder.
And there were two of them!
Plus Poison Shadow Divine Palms!
If the idiot hadn't charged alone so stupidly, it wouldn't end this pathetically.
The sneer on the Poison Shadow Twin Freaks' face deepened.
At his level, escape was impossible.
Impossible...
In his confident gaze, Nangong Hyeok's demon sword moved.
For a moment, it felt like crimson flames engulfed heaven and earth.
The space between sword and target vanished.
Only the blade wreathed in fire filled his vision.
What is this?
The doubt arose.
Shick!
Thud!
"......?"
A heavy thud and sharp pain followed.
The Poison Shadow Twin Freaks couldn't grasp what happened.
The world seemed to split top to bottom, heaven and earth mixing in a bizarre sensation.
Craaack!
The sound of a shell splitting rang out.
In his crumbling vision, the Poison Shadow Twin Freaks' mouth gaped.
"Th-this...?"
Thud!
Dang Ui-cheon gaped in horror at the Poison Shadow Twin Freaks collapsing in two.
"Impossible."
Even amid battle, he couldn't hide his shock at Nangong Hyeok turning a top-ten Five Poisons Sect powerhouse into mincemeat in one exchange.
How could a youth barely in his twenties display such absurd might?
Nangong Hyeok glanced at the fallen Poison Shadow Twin Freaks.
"You're in the way."
With a cold smile, he surveyed the ongoing battles behind before launching toward the path the foes had guarded.
The Sichuan Dang Family and Thunder Dragon Squad had his back.
Now was the time to find the Millennium Crimson Crane.
Nangong Hyeok was certain.
'They were guarding this place. That means they haven't extracted the poison yet!'
No, more precisely, the time hadn't come.
Now it was time to go extract it!
Madness flickered back in Nangong Hyeok's eyes.