Chapter 181: Subjugation (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 181: Subjugation (1)
Boom!
A thunderous explosion roared through the air.
Only then was Sun-woo finally able to extinguish the last remaining Bright Wheel.
"Haah... haah... haah..."
Sun-woo panted heavily, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Impressive. To think you could withstand the Wheel Technique."
Watching him, Joo So-yang spoke with a hint of genuine admiration.
The Wheel Technique was a skill that manifested multiple Bright Wheels—each possessing power far exceeding ordinary Astral Qi—and launched them in a relentless, sequential assault. In the past, she had wiped out hundreds of demons using only four Bright Wheels. Such was the devastating power of the technique.
Yet, the man before her had neutralized the entire sequence. He had chipped away at all six Bright Wheels, one by one.
His kinetic vision and physical stamina were nothing short of absurd. He had sensed the Bright Wheels closing in from every direction using only his eyes and parried them all. While the Dragon Tail Soft Sword had certainly helped, his ability to utilize it was undoubtedly at the level of a master who had reached the Transcendent Realm.
Furthermore, his endurance was remarkable. Extinguishing a single Bright Wheel required a massive amount of internal energy and mental focus, as it demanded an equal expenditure of power to counter. This man had destroyed six of them.
He was, quite literally, a monster.
He is a man whose future is terrifying.
In that moment, she realized something. As long as this man lived, her daughter, Lee Ye-seol, would never be able to seize hegemony over the Murim.
He was a man who had reached a realm equal to her own before even reaching the age of thirty. If ten or twenty more years passed like this, how much stronger would he become? His irrational strength reminded her of her husband, Lee Jae-won.
I have to kill him here!
A look of grim determination flared in her eyes. He had to die now—for the sake of her daughter’s future as the ruler of the Murim.
She began to circulate the Heavenly Moon Bright Wheel Divine Art once more. Even if he had destroyed the first volley, he had surely reached his limit. If six more Bright Wheels descended upon him, he would be helpless against death.
One by one, the Bright Wheels began to form around her sword. Her eyes were filled with a lethal intent.
"Haah... haah..."
Sun-woo slowly steadied his breathing. The foundation of all martial arts was breath control. If one's breathing was unstable, the power of their techniques would inevitably plummet.
"Whew... whew..."
Soon, Sun-woo managed to calm his frantic lungs. He slowly raised his head and looked at Joo So-yang. She was already manifesting more Bright Wheels on her blade. It seemed she intended to engage in another battle of attrition.
Fuck.
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. The mere thought of having to go through that ordeal again made the profanity slip out naturally.
He quickly checked his physical condition. Fortunately, aside from exhaustion, he didn't seem to have any major injuries. It was thanks to the Black Dragon Robe and the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor. Without these mystical artifacts, he would have been critically wounded the moment he was caught in the first Bright Wheel's explosion.
Next, he checked his internal energy. Luckily, it wasn't depleted to a worrying degree. It seemed absorbing all those elixirs at the Tang Clan before coming to the Heavenly Moon Palace was paying off.
Sun-woo slowly raised his sword and stared at Joo So-yang as she formed her wheels. She was an annoyingly strong woman. If he hadn't mastered the legendary Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, his body would have been blown to pieces by now. That was how powerful her Bright Wheels were.
He could see now why she was hailed as a hero of the Great War of Righteousness and Demons, and why she was so confident even after making an enemy of the Poison King. Since she could fire Bright Wheels from a distance, she had a natural advantage over someone like the Poison King, who relied on poison arts. Even if the real Poison King had invaded, she likely would have drawn her sword with a smile.
Sun-woo considered his options. He needed a way to win.
The most troublesome factor was the existence of the Bright Wheels. While the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth would prevent him from taking fatal damage, the fight would eventually devolve into a war of attrition. The victor would be whoever ran out of internal energy last.
Despite having consumed numerous elixirs, Sun-woo didn't want to gamble when he had no idea how deep Joo So-yang’s reserves were. He wanted a decisive victory, not a bet.
To achieve that, he had to eliminate the Bright Wheels from the equation. And to do that, he couldn't give her any openings. Since the Bright Wheels were a concentration of Astral Qi, they required a significant amount of preparation time. If he pressured her without giving her even a moment, she wouldn't be able to form them.
Should I throw the Dragon Tail Soft Sword?
He immediately shook his head. She had already formed five Bright Wheels. If he threw his weapon now, he would be left defenseless.
Can I tank it with the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth?
Another hypothesis struck him, but he dismissed it just as quickly. His mental focus wouldn't be able to handle maintaining both a high-level Astral Qi technique and the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth simultaneously. For a brief moment, perhaps, but he didn't have the mental fortitude to sustain both for an extended period.
His thoughts raced. Ultimately, he concluded that the only way to neutralize the Bright Wheels was to close the distance and engage her in melee combat. However, reaching her while she maintained distance and bombarded him with wheels seemed like a distant dream.
It was then.
Flash.
Something sparked in Sun-woo’s mind. A viable method had occurred to him.
If I can't avoid them, I'll just smash through them.
Sun-woo stared at Joo So-yang’s Bright Wheels with cold eyes. The Bright Wheels were powerful enough to surpass ordinary Astral Qi, but didn't he possess a technique even stronger than that?
Sun-woo began to operate the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art at its peak. Soon, the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi shimmered and seeped into his blade.
Vroom...
A blue Astral Qi began to flow from the sword.
Vrooooooom!
Sun-woo concentrated his internal energy and poured it into the blade. The Astral Qi grew until it far surpassed his own height. He then began to relentlessly compress the massive energy.
Compress... compress... compress... compress!
After an unknown amount of condensation, a spherical orb—a Sword Ring—formed at the tip of Sun-woo’s sword. The air around it vibrated violently, reacting to the immense power packed within the sphere.
Come on.
Sun-woo braced himself for her attack. Now, no matter when she fired, he would be ready.
It was then.
Whoosh!
Joo So-yang swung her sword toward Sun-woo. A single Bright Wheel spun toward him with a roar. Sun-woo thrust his sword forward, meeting it with his Sword Ring.
K-Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out, and a massive shockwave rippled through the air.
"Urgh!"
Sun-woo groaned as the impact rattled his entire body. Because he couldn't use the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth while maintaining the Sword Ring, he had to take the full brunt of the shockwave.
Step.
Despite the pain, Sun-woo took a step forward. A numbing sensation spread through his limbs, but it wasn't enough to stop him.
Then, another Bright Wheel came flying.
Boom!
But the wheel was shattered instantly by Sun-woo’s Sword Ring.
"Agh!"
Once again, a shockwave slammed into him. Sun-woo let out a cry of pain. The impact hit him before the previous one had even faded, sending a jolt of agony through his nerves.
Step.
But Sun-woo didn't give up. He took another step.
Screeeech!
Boom!
The Sword Ring shattered yet another Bright Wheel.
Zzzzt.
A paralyzing shock traveled up his arm, making his hand feel like it might go numb.
Step.
Sun-woo’s pace didn't falter. In fact, he began to move even faster toward Joo So-yang.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
He didn't know how many wheels he had destroyed, but soon, Sun-woo was only about thirty feet away from her.
"Cough!"
Sun-woo coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Taking five consecutive shockwaves head-on had likely twisted his internal organs.
Joo So-yang launched her final remaining Bright Wheel at him, pouring the absolute maximum of her internal energy into it.
Whirrrrrrrr!
Swoooooosh!
The massive Bright Wheel spun ferociously as it tore through the air toward him. Sun-woo thrust his sword straight at the incoming projectile.
K-BOOOOOOOM!
The collision between the Sword Ring and the final Bright Wheel triggered a cataclysmic explosion. The resulting shockwave washed over Sun-woo with terrifying force.
"AAAAAAGH!"
Sun-woo screamed as agony tore through his body. Although the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor and the Black Dragon Robe protected him, the shockwave was too immense for them to negate entirely.
Thud.
Sun-woo collapsed to his knees, the strength leaving his legs.
"Bleeegh!"
He opened his mouth and vomited a pool of dark, stagnant blood onto the ground. The metallic scent of blood filled his senses.
"Haah... haah... haah..."
Sun-woo panted, his chest heaving.
Step. Step.
It was then.
"Your effort was commendable, but it seems this is your limit, child."
Joo So-yang spoke as she walked toward him.
Step. Step.
"Still, you may consider it an honor. To meet your end by the blade of the Heavenly Sword Empress herself."
Step. Step.
Stop.
Joo So-yang came to a halt right in front of Sun-woo.
"Remember this. All of this happened because you were too weak."
She looked down at him and continued.
"Farewell."
Joo So-yang pulled her sword back, intending to take his head in a single stroke.
"Does being strong... mean you can do whatever you want?"
It was then. Sun-woo spoke, looking up at her.
"Of course," she replied with a bright, mocking smile.
She moved to swing her sword, but she was forced to stop mid-motion.
Stab.
A strange, foreign sensation suddenly erupted from below. She looked down.
There, she saw her own foot, drenched in blood.
"AAAAAAAGH!"
The pain finally registered, and she let out a piercing shriek.
"Got you at last, you fucking bitch."
Sun-woo spat the curse as he glared at her foot. He was gripping the Dragon Tail Soft Sword, which had been shortened to the length of a dagger.
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
Sun-woo began to relentlessly plunge the blade into the top of her foot.
"You bastard!"
Enduring the agony in her foot, Joo So-yang swung her sword at Sun-woo’s neck. She intended to end it right then and there.
"Cough!"
However, her intention was thwarted. The moment she tried to strike his neck, the internal energy she had channeled into her sword backfired, surging back into her own body.
"Bleeegh!"
She doubled over, vomiting blood onto the ground as if her internal organs had been shredded.
"Haah... haah... haah..."
After several bouts of vomiting, she finally managed to steady herself and slowly raised her head. There, at her eye level, was Sun-woo, wearing a cold, predatory smile.
"Shouldn't we finish what we started?"
Crack!
Sun-woo slammed his forehead into hers in a brutal headbutt.
"Urgh!"
The extreme impact to her head made her groan in agony. The pain was excruciating; he had clearly packed the blow with internal energy. Her body had been reinforced to the limit by the Heavenly Moon Bright Wheel Divine Art, so a normal headbutt wouldn't have even made her flinch.
She quickly tried to put strength into her legs, intending to put some distance between them. But her plan failed.
The moment she tried to push off, something coiled around her legs.
"Where do you think you're going?"
It was Sun-woo. While he was on his knees, he had managed to wrap his limbs around her legs.
"Hmph!"
Sun-woo exerted his strength, pulling her down. She tried to activate the energy in her legs to resist, but her balance was already gone.
Thud!
She fell flat on her back. Sun-woo didn't miss the opportunity and immediately mounted her, pinning her to the ground.
"Let go! I said let go!"
As Sun-woo sat atop her, Joo So-yang’s face flushed with intense humiliation. The only person allowed to be in such a position was her beloved husband. To have this insolent man pinning her down was an unbearable disgrace.
Joo So-yang swung her sword with all her might at the man on top of her. Even though she couldn't exert full power from a prone position, it should have been enough to drive him off.
Of course, to Sun-woo, who was operating the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth at its peak, it was like child's play. He redirected the force of her strike right back into her.
"Agh!"
The impact she had intended for him slammed back into her, causing her to scream and lose her grip on her sword. A monstrous force she couldn't withstand had overwhelmed her.
Sun-woo took the chance to settle firmly onto her stomach.
"I'm going to pay you back with interest, so get ready."
Sun-woo looked down at Joo So-yang and growled a savage threat. Her face turned deathly pale.
Watching her, Sun-woo let out a cold smile.
The time for revenge had come.