Chapter 410
Chapter 410
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 410
Chapter Title: Dyed (9)
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Myeongyeong chewed over my words while fixating on Jin Goryang.
"...A tardiness fee?"
Eventually, he let out a hollow laugh and opened his mouth.
"You're joking, right? I was startled, thinking you might have gotten hurt when you said you were late. Seeing you talk like that, you seem relatively fine."
It was at that moment that Master chimed in.
- Tsk. Our Yong-un isn't the type to joke about demanding money... Was that tardiness fee remark a joke? No, it wasn't?
'......'
- ...See that? The denial didn't come right away.
'...I'm just catching my breath. Breath.'
Thanks to Myeongyeong joining in, I had a moment to steady myself.
Jin Goryang fixed his gaze on Myeongyeong.
"Infinite Sword?"
"And you're the Blood Demon?"
Neither bothered to hide their auras.
The air inside the chamber sank heavily in an instant.
Where their gazes intertwined, it felt like sparks were flying.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Jin Goryang was the one who broke the silence.
"For a rat who should be holed up on Wudang Mountain to be here..."
"The Great Wudang Sect has broken its seclusion and resolved to stand at the forefront of the exorcism frontlines."
"So the White Path's reinforcements have crossed the Blood Asura Gate? Seeing your fellow disciples who stick together nowhere in sight, the Cult Protector Kings must be holding them back."
Jin Goryang's words seemed like he was organizing his thoughts, or perhaps probing Myeongyeong.
But Myeongyeong's response was peculiar.
"The Blood Cult's deceptions end today."
He spoke no lies, yet gave no answer to what Jin Goryang wanted.
"If you don't wish to go down in history as a demon and fall into Avici Hell, surrender."
With words that made one think of enduring the world's tempests for ages.
"You may not wash away all the evil karma you've accumulated, but I'll give you a chance to cleanse at least some of the blood scent clinging to your body."
"Stuck in the mountains, your nose has gotten high, flat-face. You're saying some amusing things. Becoming the one and only demon to shake the world is precisely what this seat desires most."
Jin Goryang narrowed his brows and sneered.
Then he alternated his gaze between me and Myeongyeong before finishing.
"The next generation's Supreme Under Heaven Sword? The Supreme Under Heaven Junior? I'll teach you how narrow your world is—that there are heavens beyond heavens."
And with that, he kicked off the ground.
Myeongyeong's response to the charging Jin Goryang was immediate.
"Don't rush. Calm your inner self first."
Myeongyeong left those words for me and charged toward Jin Goryang.
Then, the blue sword energy Myeongyeong drew out intertwined with the red blood qi Jin Goryang unleashed, producing deafening roars that threatened to blow the chamber away.
Kaang! Kaang!
Kakakaang! Kaaaang!!!!
Even amid dozens of exchanges in moments too fleeting for mortals to perceive, Myeongyeong's expression and movements remained serene.
'...Even though it's hard to say Jin Goryang is a step below Myeongyeong, he's so composed.'
Within that serenity, Myeongyeong's steps pressed down carefully, one by one, drawing calm circles as if encompassing all creation, advancing and retreating repeatedly.
Swipe— Swipe—
Swooosh—
From those steps, a soft rotation began, adding more circles from his waist, shoulders, and wrists.
Finally, the Taiji unfolded at the sword tip.
Shaaak! Shaaak!
Shaaaaaaaak!!!
That Taiji warped the air and space itself, trapping everything that entered the interval within its flow.
Jin Goryang's sword strikes were no exception.
Chaeng! Chaeng!
Chaechaechaeng!!
Caught in that flow, Jin Goryang's onslaught grew dull.
And soon, under the weighty swing of Myeongyeong's sword, Jin Goryang faced several perilous moments.
"Kuhk."
It vividly demonstrated the essence of Wudang swordsmanship—what it truly meant.
For me, who had received instruction from Myeongyeong, it was a sight I'd never seen before.
I couldn't help but admire it.
"Who said Wudang sword is defensive rather than aggressive, impenetrable? That's not just impenetrable—it's fiercely overpowering..."
A moment to rediscover that supreme softness suppresses not by mere restraint, but by true subjugation.
Master chimed in as well.
- Taiji Insight Sword. It's Wudang's ultimate technique, one could say.
'Ah, come to think of it, Master, you've clashed with it during the Kunlun Sword Debate, haven't you?'
- That flat-face called the Infinite Sword Emperor. When that sword unfolds from the hands of the flat-face who fully comprehended Zhang Sanfeng's subtleties, it's a nightmare for the opponent.
While exchanging a few words with Master like that.
Jin Goryang, who had been coping with the flow led by Myeongyeong in his own way.
Poof!!!
Was struck by the palm force extending from Myeongyeong's hand and spat out black blood.
"Cough!"
However, both Master and I felt a simultaneous puzzlement.
'That just now...'
- ...Looks like he took it on purpose?
And sure enough.
Right after vomiting blood, Jin Goryang began moving in a completely different manner from before.
Shaaaaaaa—
The blood-red haze enveloping his body deepened, and his emanating aura sharpened further.
His movements and swinging sword turned ferocious in an instant.
Kaang! Kaang!
Kakakakaang!!!
It was the moment when the Taiji Myeongyeong drew began to warp bit by bit under Jin Goryang's sword.
At the same time, I understood what Jin Goryang had done.
'He deliberately induced internal injury. To balance the imbalance in his body stemming from qi deviation?'
In other words, using poison to counter poison.
It was obviously taxing on the body.
But with the battle situation turning dire, Jin Goryang had no room to quibble.
Having mastered the Reverse Blood Asura Great Law and Blood Rain Divine Art, he was an expert in meridian shortcuts, so he must have thought it worth trying.
'...This is bad for us. He needs to sort out his qi and blood quickly.'
I tried to calm my growing anxiety and focused on regulating my inner energy.
While watching the renewed fierce clash between Myeongyeong and Jin Goryang for a moment.
Shweeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!!!!!!
I spotted Myeongyeong trying to trap Jin Goryang's launched energy orb in the Taiji as before.
'...He can't take that head-on like that?'
Having just about finished regulating my qi and blood.
I kicked off the ground with Shadowless Heaven-Splitting Step and shouted.
"Senior Brother! Duck!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ One might think someone hailed as the next Supreme Under Heaven Sword could ignore a black sheep junior's words.
Whoosh.
But Myeongyeong smoothly bent his waist at my call.
Slipping through that gap, I wrapped Regret in blood tide arts and slightly altered the trajectory of the incoming energy orb.
Thud!
The deflected orb shattered the wall behind where we had stood.
Rumble—
Rumblerumble—
As soon as he escaped the bind, Myeongyeong smoothly resumed his stance and thanked me.
"Thanks to you, I survived."
"I survived thanks to you too, Senior Brother..."
"Tit for tat? How humble..."
"No. Now, all that's left between us is the tardiness fee."
"......?"
He gave a dry laugh at my follow-up.
"Even in this situation, not forgetting jokes—truly exceptional magnanimity."
Then, staring at the collapsed wall, he spoke again.
"I thought demonic arts would differ from orthodox martial arts, but this is truly demonic. After exchanging this many moves, not only is the depth of your inner power bottomless, but... how can the sword energy transform as if alive?"
"You've never fought Blood Cultists before?"
"Back when I was young, the demonic ones were relatively quiet. I've faced them a few times, including the academy raid before, but today is truly my first with Blood Cult members."
"I'll join in for now."
"Good. Let's go."
With that, I attacked Jin Goryang alongside Myeongyeong.
Kaang! Kaang!
Among those I'd sparred with longest was Jeonghyeon, and his foundations all stemmed from Myeongyeong's teachings.
Moreover, I'd received personal instruction from Myeongyeong.
Our coordination was seamless.
Kakakakaang!!!
Our joint assault worked like this: While Myeongyeong drew the Taiji to block Jin Goryang's sword forms entirely.
Thud!
I exploited the unique properties of blood tide arts for strikes.
While probing for openings with various tricks like blood surge or assassin's moves.
Kaaang!!!!!!
In the meantime, I transmitted the traits of blood arts to Myeongyeong via inner voice.
[This blood tide art can split into branches like just now, but it can also stretch like taffy or be used like an explosive.]
[Explosive?]
[These guys can literally make their blood vessels go berserk and burst.]
But at that moment.
A pallor flashed across Myeongyeong's face.
Kaang! Kaang!
Kakakakaang!!!!!
While deflecting Jin Goryang's attacks, I immediately asked.
[Is something wrong?]
[I was thinking about the situation outside the chamber.]
[How is it?]
[Our forces and the enemy are all jumbled up in layers.]
We had succeeded in breaching the Blood Asura Gate, but the battle wasn't unfolding entirely as planned.
[...It should be fine for now. The cadets who train with me, including Jeonghyeon—we call them Eon little brothers—they've even fought Blood Cult demons attempting self-detonation. They'll handle it wisely.]
I first sent hopeful words to Myeongyeong.
He replied with an awkward smile.
[Embarrassing. While we were stubbornly clinging to preserving Wudang's pride, seeing youngsters like you adapt to the storm of the Demonic Cult... It's shameful.]
Meanwhile, I was thinking something else.
'If we take down Jin Goryang here, what then?'
Kakakakaang!
Kaang!! Kaang! Kaang!!!
Jin Goryang deflected our assaults alone, as if possessed.
I couldn't guarantee whether we could dispatch that great demon head right away.
Even assuming we could with extra measures, the proverb "a cornered rat bites the cat" crossed my mind.
'If our forces are tangled with the enemy, decapitating to immobilize the body will be difficult...'
A forlorn sense of futility.
With the image of the Blood Heaven Asura Palace exploding wholesale alongside the rampaging remnants flashing in my head.
I concluded we needed to change tactics.
[Senior Brother. Let's do this.]
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile, in the delta region of the Lancang River, reached by heading west from the Blood Heaven Asura Palace.
Here, to check the Demon Thunder, Zhuge Cheok and the disciples of Jeomchang had set up formation.
No sooner had a roar come from the Blood Heaven Asura Palace than.
Boom!
Kwaaaang!!!
One section of the outer wall collapsed with a rumble, and Blood Cult forces began pouring out.
Confirming this, Mae Jinak urgently spoke up.
"Hall Leader! Fire's rising from the east as well, and it looks like Eon Hall Leader has the upper hand!"
In truth, this wasn't the planned scenario.
Zhuge Cheok furrowed his brow.
"Hmm, let's see. What trick has Yong-un pulled? If the Blood Cult had the advantage, they wouldn't smash their own intact headquarters to flee, so our side clearly has the momentum..."
As Zhuge Cheok's response didn't come immediately, Mae Jinak spoke again.
"To wipe them out in one fell swoop, shouldn't we block one side?"
"The reinforcements coming by sea haven't arrived. If we move, won't the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult forces be freed?"
Zhuge Cheok didn't answer the question directly, shifting his gaze to the delta.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult forces led by Demon Thunder had also confirmed the situation at the palace, a strange busyness pervading them.
"We can't take our eyes off Demon Thunder."
"Then, you're saying we just watch?"
He shifted his gaze to the Lancang River's flow, pondering deeply.
'Eon Jeongung is late, so he must have run into trouble... But with Yong-un's life on the line, he'll come somehow. If we render this entire riverbank unusable, the retreating Blood Cult forces heading downstream will naturally clash with our vanguard.'
Having thought it through, Zhuge Cheok urgently commanded.
"Green sticks to green. There must have been some rapport between them. But separated, they won't fully trust each other. Set this whole area ablaze right now!"
"Pardon? Fire?"
"Yes. Whether the Blood Cult deems their retreat cut off or suspects Demon Thunder's ploy, they'll head downstream instead of the delta! Hurry!"