Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Verdict
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Meanwhile, Hwang Bo Yun faced Pa Gundo, who was unleashing a terrifying aura right before him.
Even standing still made his skin prickle and tingle.
This was despite Pa Gundo's killing intent not being directed straight at Hwang Bo Yun.
Baek Geom Hak's Do Jung Hyun fleetingly thought that his opponent might have one foot in the Superb Realm.
His gaze turned toward Hwang Bo Yun.
A young talent who had only just reached the age of fifteen.
The current battlefield might be too much for him.
'No?'
But perhaps that worry was unfounded.
Hwang Bo Yun's complexion was astonishingly calm.
It was only natural.
Who was his father?
Huang Bo Guk, hailed as the strongest in Gansu, who had truly earned the title of Divine Fist through his spar with the Shaolin's Supreme Fist.
Hwang Bo Yun's body, accustomed to the auras of Superb Realm masters, converted even this prickling sensation into mere slight tension.
'He's strong.'
However, it wasn't as if he felt nothing at all.
Though trained against killing intent, the human heart couldn't be fooled to its depths.
This killing intent was fundamentally different from any Hwang Bo Yun had faced in training.
It was genuine, dense killing intent of the highest order.
The fierce will to kill no matter the cost—even at the price of his own life—sharpened the aura to a more vicious edge.
"Huuuuh... Haaaaah..."
The majestic breathing of the Sumeru Heavenly King Heart Technique was long and deep.
It seemed as if it would suck in all the qi of the area.
Naturally, all eyes were drawn to it.
Pa Gundo Baek Han Bu's fierce, bulging eyes fixed on Hwang Bo Yun.
Hwang Bo Yun met his gaze and confidently lifted the corner of his mouth.
With knees slightly bent and fists extended, a tiger-like momentum flowed from his stance.
"A cat after the fly?"
But to Pa Gundo, it was laughable.
Who was he?
The Branch Leader of the Sacrificial Hall.
The fourth blade of the Sacred Constitution Cult, placed below only the Cult Leader Hoi Hwang and the three Branch Leaders.
Though he hadn't ascended to the Transcendent Realm, he had that realm firmly in his sights.
He stood on a different level from the other Peak Realm rabble.
And as if to prove it, Baek Han Bu had bisected the waists of two Righteous Peak masters who had tried to overwhelm him with coordinated attacks, spilling their steaming entrails.
He had been about to finish off that particularly annoying fly-like bastard.
And now another interruption.
"Pretty face you've got. And that guy over there looks familiar?"
Only now did Baek Han Bu acknowledge Do Jung Hyun's presence.
Before the second bout, Baek Han Bu swung his paired sabers to shake off the blood coating them.
Hwang Bo Yun quickly analyzed the form of those dual sabers.
They were bizarre weapons, fit to be called strange blades.
Too curved for Japanese swords, yet not quite scythes.
Like crescent blades but with shorter grips, and noticeably protruding tips that set them apart.
Specialized for slashing as curved sabers, yet the tips were double-edged, refusing to abandon thrusting entirely.
'First time fighting someone with strange weapons.'
But he had grasped their form.
Blade length: 3 cheok 2 chon (102 cm).
Factoring in the handle, they could extend another 3 chon.
At least he wouldn't be caught off guard by ignorance.
'Plenty of variables to account for.'
His tension heightened further.
Hwang Bo Yun deployed Foreknowledge to its maximum.
Was that blood-shaking motion a feint?
Baek Han Bu's saber traced a bizarre trajectory as it whipped toward him.
The way he wielded it was vastly different from Central Plains styles.
The blade moved like a whip.
'Me? The Baek Geom Hak senior? Or the warrior beside him?'
The trajectory was so peculiar it was hard to pinpoint the target.
'In that case.'
The best defense is a good offense!
'Clash first and see!'
Hwang Bo Yun stepped into Heavenly King Step.
Strong Name Annihilation was out.
It was for when Foreknowledge read the path or at least made a guess.
Right now, he needed speed.
'Edge Light Swift Current!'
Have you ever seen lightning strike from the sky?
The descent is imperceptible to the naked eye.
Only the path where it hits the ground lingers as afterimage.
Flash!
Edge Light Swift Current, the fastest stance of Heavenly King Step, propelled Hwang Bo Yun toward Baek Han Bu.
Not quite Phantom Shift, as his form wasn't concealed.
But the speed was extraordinary.
Muscle fibers tore in Hwang Bo Yun's thick thighs.
Converting the lower body's propulsion directly into destructive power, Heavenly Wind Angle thrust forth.
Then Baek Han Bu's saber targeted Hwang Bo Yun.
Like the head of a striking serpent.
A serpent with two heads, no less.
'The blade tips split...?'
Strange weapon followed by strange technique.
As if versed in Tianzhu Elastic Arts, his arm extended like a dislocated joint, accelerating the saber strike.
It rendered meaningless his earlier analysis of the saber's form and distance.
Hwang Bo Yun's two hands traced different forms.
The thrusting true fist pressed the attack, while the palm-extended corner fist guarded vitals.
Thunderclap Divine Fist's offense-defense unity stance: Cloud Garrison Thunder Dash.
Enveloped in Vajra Heavenly Body Divine's protective qi, Hwang Bo Yun's fists clashed with Baek Han Bu's saber qi.
Craaaack-! Boom boom!
Hwang Bo Yun calmly deflected the follow-up aura after the first saber strike.
No need to worry about the next.
Do Jung Hyun, having blocked the splitting saber strike like Hwang Bo Yun, followed with Dark Fragrance Step, guarding him like faint plum scent.
Hwang Bo Yun opened all his senses wide.
The wondrous physical prowess of the Heavenly King Body permitted entry into a new realm.
There, he glimpsed Pa Gundo Baek Han Bu's next strike.
'Aura's different. Won't split this time. Not a feint.'
Killing blow.
Baek Han Bu plunged in boldly.
In just two exchanges, he had read that Do Jung Hyun prioritized defense over attack and bet on a decisive move.
Give flesh to take bone.
Tank a sword from Do Jung Hyun with protective qi, then seize the opening to eliminate Hwang Bo Yun for sure.
'Ha.'
Hwang Bo Yun laughed.
How could he not be delighted?
This powerhouse—not the Baek Geom Hak's Do Jung Hyun, nor the assassin-like warrior lurking for an opening—saw him as the greatest threat.
If it were Wi Sowol, she'd dodge with Pure Brahma Divine Traces, cold and efficient, without such emotions.
Because it was optimal.
In this exchange, Do Jung Hyun would definitely carve a sword wound into Baek Han Bu, and if timings aligned, Jang Rok could even thrust one in.
Accumulate wounds like that, and the powerhouse Baek Han Bu vanishes without cost.
No reason not to.
If it were Wi Sowol.
But Hwang Bo Yun was different.
"Come on!"
A spirited shout infused with heroic qi.
Hwang Bo Yun's legs rooted firmly to the earth, supporting his body, while his raised hands brimmed with power as if holding up the heavens.
Sumeru Heavenly King Divine Art surged through him like a bolt of lightning.
A thunderous kraaa boom! echoed in his mind.
Crackle-!!
Arcing lightning sparked beyond his skin.
Golden thunderfire clung to his fists.
Thunderclap Divine Fist's ultimate art: Thunder Descent World Cleaving.
Hwang Bo Yun glared wide-eyed, never closing them until the final clash.
Pa Gundo Baek Han Bu's dual sabers finally crossed with Hwang Bo Yun's fists.
Flash!
Baek Han Bu's qi glow, or Hwang Bo Yun's electric light?
Intense brilliance momentarily engulfed both figures.
And when even the afterglow faded and the auras stilled...
Hwang Bo Yun stood clutching his shoulder, humbly accepting the outcome.
'Lost.'
Outmatched in power.
His strongest card, Thunder Descent World Cleaving, merely protected his body from the saber strike.
And he paid a price for it.
Dislocated shoulder.
His left arm hung limp from the popped joint.
If this were a one-on-one deathmatch...
The next stance would have beheaded him.
Yet Hwang Bo Yun lived.
In contrast, the victor Pa Gundo's body bore two crossed swords embedded in it.
From Do Jung Hyun and Jang Rok.
"Kuhuk...!"
Chunks of organs mixed with blood clots spewed from Baek Han Bu's mouth, his innards shredded.
Impressive he hadn't perished instantly.
Such was the tenacious life force of a Peak master.
Just as Hwang Bo Yun, who hadn't anticipated defeat despite his confidence, had lost...
Baek Han Bu's miscalculation exacted its toll.
He had judged he could overwhelm and swiftly withdraw with a follow-up.
Arrogance.
Hwang Bo Yun's fist pressure had been too heavy for that.
And the gap he exposed was a golden opportunity for Do Jung Hyun and Jang Rok.
Their swords didn't miss.
Jang Rok's pierced the heart, Do Jung Hyun's the lung.
"Grrrk..."
The gurgling froth was Pa Gundo's final utterance, turning this hellscape-maker's end into a wretched death without proper words.
Hwang Bo Yun watched impassively before turning away, glancing at Wi Sowol, where a similar conclusion seemed reached across the way.
"Gotta ask her to go easy on me."
With light, springy steps free of defeat's sorrow or lingering respect for a foe, Hwang Bo Yun headed toward Wi Sowol. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Wi Sowol watched the Weird Physician.
How would he exact revenge?
First, the Weird Physician removed his mask.
Weird Physician Ma Yu Seung faced his archenemy, Total Annihilation Ghost Bi Rap, bare-faced.
"You said you wouldn't kill me here."
"...Think carefully. You're destined to die and return to our Lord as well."
"Right. I won't kill you here either."
"Return to the main altar. Our Lord Anla is eternal. One day, you'll stand before Anla too. Have you forgotten? Sacred Constitution is the duty and righteousness of all Hui believers, so you'll surely be captured by the cult. Your kin will be your judges and executioners!"
Not even this broke the Total Annihilation Ghost's spirit.
Fanatics were like that.
Death held no terror for them.
To them, death was salvation—returning to their embraced god's bosom for eternal bliss.
Knowing this, the Weird Physician didn't taunt him with torture threats or worthless death talk.
He simply did what needed doing.
Thud.
With light footwork, he flipped the Total Annihilation Ghost's body.
The limb meridians severed, it flopped like roadside trash at his kick.
Thwack!
The Weird Physician's hand struck the solar plexus and lower abdomen.
Ruthless hands crippling the middle and lower dantian.
"Kahak!"
The Total Annihilation Ghost shrieked from the vital strikes.
He hadn't vomited blood only because his final inner power had braced his body beforehand.
Meaning he'd maintained consciousness, seeking a chance to the end.
The Weird Physician unleashed Dazed Haze Hand on the twitching body.
Acupoints sealed in an instant.
The Total Annihilation Ghost's resistance ceased completely.
"You're no longer a man."
So saying, the Weird Physician lifted his leg.
And dropped.
Crunch!
"Grrrrrgh...!!"
A bursting, crushing sound preceded the Total Annihilation Ghost's guttural howl of agony.
Watching, Wi Sowol thought:
Good thing I'd severed his jaw muscles; otherwise, he'd have bitten his tongue or shattered his teeth.
This made her a lifesaver, surely.
Yet no thanks came—confirmation the Total Annihilation Ghost was utterly vile.
"Call this settling my grudge."
Even rotten, it's bonito; even in battle, he's a physician?
Wi Sowol glimpsed a faint spark of hope in the Total Annihilation Ghost's eyes at the Weird Physician's words of vengeance done.
But the Weird Physician spoke only of his grudge.
The forced circumcision, that is.
Meaning one more remained.
"No sister, so I'll handle hers too."
As he said, he had no intention of letting the bastard die easily here.
His death must be more painful than his sister's.
More wretched.
Utterly worthless.
"I'll toss you in the pigsty."
Fear finally dawned in the Total Annihilation Ghost's eyes.
Despair he'd never shown—despite severed wrists to Wi Sowol, slashed Achilles to her, crushed manhood and crippled dantian to the Weird Physician—now blanketed his face.
Pigs are omnivores.
They devour anything.
Even if it's a living person.
Thus, the Hui faith deemed pigs unclean beasts.
"Pray to your mighty Anla in heaven."
This was the revenge form the Weird Physician had envisioned over long years.
To a Hui fanatic, what did it mean for the faith's filthiest beast to be his executioner?
Wi Sowol, who had seen "Heaven" yet felt no faith, would never comprehend such emotion.
But at least...
"Ah... Aaaah... Aaaaaah......!"
...the brutality of that punishment was clear from the Total Annihilation Ghost's expression.