Chapter 356
Chapter 356
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: Sword God (1)
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Sword God Baek Mu-hyeon.
Clearly, the guy was sitting there defenseless.
So when I kicked him right in the face, I was pretty confident it would land.
But—
Thud!
My foot stopped dead.
'What?'
A sharp sting on the top of my foot.
No way.
In that split second, he picked up his wooden sword and blocked my kick?
'As expected of the Sword God.'
I was stunned.
That's why they say the first strike wins.
When skills are evenly matched, it gives you an overwhelming advantage.
But his face looked not just relaxed—completely emotionless.
Like he was glancing at me with an expression that said, [You think you can take me on?]
I slowly pulled my foot back, tasting a measure of helplessness.
'I knew it'd be tough.'
But this level of difference?
I couldn't help but feel disheartened.
That guy.
Was as strong as the old man of Ten Thousand Arts feared.
The same one who subdued Heavenly Demon Kang So-so in an instant with just a wooden sword.
His leisure born of that power?
But.
I'd faced down countless formidable foes myself.
And every one of them, in the end—
Had vanished before my God-Slaying weapons.
"Don't call me cowardly for not coming at you alone, Baek Mu-hyeon."
I nodded, giving the signal.
Shing!
Hasera drew her sword.
Rumble...!
My seven subordinates unleashed their auras.
A 9:1 fight.
And seven out of nine were Constellations, so even just our combined pressure would leave most Rankers gasping for air.
It was that intense.
But.
"......"
Step.
Baek Mu-hyeon rose effortlessly, as if our auras were a joke.
Whoosh!
He let his wooden sword hang to the right.
"Not at all."
His voice was cold enough to make my teeth chatter.
"Not cowardly."
At the same time, he swept his arrogant gaze slowly over us.
"I am the Supreme of Gold and the World's Best."
Rumble rumble rumble!
An enormous aura swirled around him.
Cracks spiderwebbed the cave, rocks peeling away in shreds.
"And the God of the Sword."
A faint smile crept onto Baek Mu-hyeon's lips.
Rumble rumble!
The cracks deepened, his robes whipping wildly in the wind.
"Even if you all rush me at once, you can't defeat me wielding a sword."
Not [you won't] but [you can't]?
The bastard said it with brazen certainty.
"Bullshit!"
I charged.
"Acting all tough."
No matter how cool he tried to play it.
In the end, he was just the guy who ran from the old man.
A mutt that tucked tail before the strong and barked at the weak.
Fwoosh!
The weapon attached to my foot transformed.
It became a spear.
It naturally shifted, snapping into my hand.
Before I could close in—
Screeech!
Hasera shot forward like a fired shell.
Her training had paid off; her speed was different now.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Heaven-Shattering Asura Sword.
Demon Dragon Heaven-Breaker.
Boom boom boom!
Hasera thrust her sword in a fluid motion.
Before, it had been sword energy shaped like a dragon bursting forth.
Now, it felt like she herself had become a dragon.
"Hmm?"
Interest flickered in Baek Mu-hyeon's eyes.
"Is this the founding Heavenly Demon's martial art?"
He let out a soft exclamation but didn't dodge—instead, he raised his wooden sword to meet it.
At that moment, a sharp blue glint flashed in his eyes.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two sword masters clashed at blinding speeds.
But the difference was—
Dana's healing kept pouring into Hasera nonstop!
And that was just the start?
"My lord."
Fwoosh!
Flames ignited along the Sun's spear.
"It seems I can't stand by. That rude, arrogant bag of bones needs to be folded in half to vent my frustration."
Flutter!
The Sun spread his black wings wide and joined the assault.
Flash! Flash! Craaaash!
Blinding sunlight turned the cave interior white.
Ping! Pibibibing!
Eldrin's volley of arrows was no different.
Her arrows now moved like ghosts.
They danced wildly through the air before slamming into Baek Mu-hyeon like guided missiles.
Boom! Boom!
Miniature nukes detonated across his body.
"......!"
Baek Mu-hyeon's lips pressed into a tight line as he withstood it all.
Yeah, you bastard.
First time facing a Constellation team-up, huh?
I grinned.
My subordinates were each the best in their own worlds.
Who did he think he was, strutting around after only 1:1 scraps?
Worse than the old man of Ten Thousand Arts.
Rumble rumble rumble!
But as expected.
Baek Mu-hyeon, with his cold smile, soon lowered his stance and twisted his body like a serpent.
At the same time, he shot forward like a leaping leopard.
And that spot was—
'Huh?'
Me.
Straight at me.
'This fucker?'
Does he instinctively know?
If he doesn't take me out, my subordinates will just revive anyway.
He thrust his wooden sword.
One of the Three Powers.
Horizontal.
In that simple sideways slash, I felt the pinnacle of his art.
And that pinnacle was—
Not some incomprehensible, supreme complexity.
Simplicity.
But within that simplicity, I sensed his immense effort.
Only those who have toiled know the toil of others!
'Ah.'
Is this the sword of a death god?
I have to block it, I must block it.
But how do I block that sword?
In that instant—
KABOOM!
"Master!"
Kaden's shield slammed down in front of me at the last second.
"How is it?"
Impregnable Fortress.
Like an unyielding stronghold, he stood firm, teeth gritted.
"Don't you think I can meaningfully protect you now, Master?"
Baek Mu-hyeon's wooden sword.
Was halted against the pitch-black Destruction Dragon Shield.
At the same time.
Boom!
Kaden raised the shield, then smashed it down.
['Kaden' uses the skill 'Must Block' (Lv.Max).]
A profound, unyielding power emanated from his shield.
A buff skill that maxed out defense for allies in a set range exploded forth.
"Hmm."
Baek Mu-hyeon parted his lips slightly.
As if he hadn't expected his Three Powers to be blocked, he nodded.
Then, whirl! He withdrew his wooden sword.
'Oh.'
I was impressed too.
Our Kaden.
Already reliable, now even more so?
And besides.
We hadn't even played all our cards yet.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Mugak's barrage of God of War (SSS Grade) strikes was secondary.
Thud!
The spirit user who had trained non-stop during the journey here.
Yui-sa Stormtree began summoning the Spirit Kings.
* * *
Fire, water, earth, wind.
The cave was overwhelmed by the mighty energies of the four elements.
"......"
Baek Mu-hyeon frowned at the fierce aura.
'Those.'
A hint of unease unlike before crossed his face.
The beings surrounding him.
They were stars illuminating the cosmos.
Mere Constellations, at best.
'But.'
Fwoooosh!
"What, you called me to watch again today? Finally time to fight?"
The fireball manifesting now.
"Called a bit late, didn't you?"
A coquettish blue-haired woman with a smile.
—Grrrrroooar!
A stone mountain that devoured the cave itself.
And finally.
Whoooosh!
The sharply swirling wind.
'They're not Constellations.'
Though some contract limited their power.
They were clearly a rank above—Nebula-class beings.
'I see.'
That's why he dared to charge in, trusting them?
If so.
'Foolish.'
Baek Mu-hyeon knew his current state better than anyone.
Only greed remained within him.
His sole goal now: become the Supreme of Gold and the World's Best.
He thought only of that, moved only for that.
Of course.
It was no longer limited to the martial world.
The Supreme across the entire universe.
Beyond Constellations, past Nebulas, reaching the Galaxies!
That was Baek Mu-hyeon.
The goal of the soul dubbed the evil Baek Mu-hyeon.
"......"
He still remembered.
The being who reached out a hand when he was screaming in despair.
The one who twisted his space-time, saying he was passing by.
'If I can reach that one, surpass that one.'
Rumble rumble rumble!
'Those...'
Are nothing.
He was the Sword God and the Supreme of Gold and the World's Best.
He had crushed Dharma, Jang Sam-bong, and the founding Heavenly Demon with his wooden sword.
The moment he met them, he instinctively knew.
'That I would win.'
And now, too, he knew instinctively.
'I will win against them.'
Whoosh!
Gripping his wooden sword tight, Baek Mu-hyeon slowly slashed horizontally.
The endless incoming attacks were lightly pushed back.
Staring at Joo Dong-hoon, he said.
"First, I'll praise you."
"......?"
Yeah.
No wonder the sudden praise left him baffled.
"I'll acknowledge it."
"Acknowledge what?"
"No supreme of the martial world ever drew out my true self... They weren't worth it. They all crumpled after a few strikes from my wooden sword. However..."
Rumble rumble rumble!
Baek Mu-hyeon's aura began to shift.
If before it had been gentle waves.
Now it was a tyrannical storm.
"You've drawn out my true self. From now on, I'll fight you properly."
"What, think eating us will make you grow more?"
"......I won't answer that."
Greed colored Baek Mu-hyeon's eyes.
The man was right.
Stars grow by devouring other stars.
But this universe was vast.
There were always bigger stars than oneself.
Namely, the old man watching from afar.
A giant star.
'To become the true Supreme of Gold and the World's Best.'
For now, he had to avoid such giant stars.
Until then, devour the small stars and grow.
And these ones.
Had earned the right to be his fodder.
Especially if he could eat those Nebulas too.
'That'll be quite the feast.'
Eyes gleaming, Baek Mu-hyeon gripped his wooden sword.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The true Three Powers awakening.
Horizontal slash, vertical slash, thrust.
Those three essences prepared to bloom from the Sword God's hand.
* * *
"......"
I didn't move.
No, I couldn't move.
'What the hell?'
After Baek Mu-hyeon's aura flipped, the very air had changed.
The existing pressure doubled, and it felt like the entire space had become his domain.
"Hmm?"
"This is... a bit dangerous, isn't it?"
—Grrr?
"......This could get worse than the Earth Dragon incident."
What was shocking.
Even the Spirit Kings were starting to tense up.
"I won't yield the first move."
Step.
Baek Mu-hyeon took a deliberate step forward.
We instinctively knew we couldn't hesitate any longer.
"Everyone."
Every moment was a life-or-death struggle anyway.
No difference between past and present.
Even if we died, better to give it our all, right?
"Pour everything out!"
I forced my frozen body to move.
Kicking off the ground with all my strength, channeling every ounce of power for the assault.
My best attack!
Unleashed alongside the Poison Fog dwelling within: Six Shadow Strike!
Ten Thousand Arts.
Secret Technique.
Fusion.
Poison Flash Martial Advance.
Each strike concise and precise.
A mad barrage of Poison Flash blasts poured toward Baek Mu-hyeon.