Chapter 247: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (77)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 247: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (77)
Jang Seo-young cut down an enemy with precision, then turned and shouted calmly.
“Everyone, get into position and form a defensive square! We have to hold out as long as we can until Seo-yun or the Sword Empress arrives.”
“Yes…!”
Hwangbo Yun and Tang Ji-myeong answered, gasping for breath.
At the same time, they couldn’t help but marvel at the skill of Jang Seo-young and Jin So-hee, who were swinging their swords beside them.
Peak Level. And Supreme.
The two women's movements were fast and powerful, and above all, flawless.
It was the same for Namgung Hyeok. Feeling their martial prowess on his skin, he grew lost in thought.
‘Supreme and Peak Level…’
Even Seol-hee, whom he had thought to be the weakest, was far beyond the cusp of the First-Rate, judging by her movements, sword aura, and the density of her internal energy.
‘…The Jin family, what kind of clan are they?’
He had known them only as a nameless family from the outskirts of the northern region.
There was no way so many skilled fighters could emerge from such a place all at once.
‘Perhaps one at the Supreme level, at the very least. But—’
His gaze shifted to the distance, to the very center of the battlefield.
He could see Jin Seo-yun and the Vice-Captain of the Jet-Black Sword Unit.
The two, who had initially been gauging each other with only sword aura, were now clashing violently, unleashing waves of sword force.
‘…Jin Seo-yun.’
The name echoed in his mind again.
And another person.
The Sword Empress, Seo Ryeo-hwa, who was facing Son Baek-cheon head-on.
Rumor had it that her level was at the threshold of the Transformation Realm.
However—
‘…That’s the threshold of the Transformation Realm?’
The battle before his eyes seemed even more intense than Jin Seo-yun's, far too powerful to be considered a mere entry-level.
Namgung Hyeok unconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword. The veins on the back of his hand bulged.
It was jealousy.
He didn't want to admit it, but it was undeniably envy.
‘…And I've only just managed to reach the Peak Level.’
Just for reaching the Peak Level at his age, he was praised throughout the Murim as ‘the greatest young talent of all time.’
His father and the elders of his sect were proud of him, and he had worked relentlessly to live up to their expectations.
And yet.
It felt as if someone younger than him was looking down on him from a much higher place.
The jealousy quickly turned into a sense of futility, and that futility soon became a deep rage.
‘…I have never lived a single moment in vain.’
‘I built my internal energy until I coughed up blood, I fell asleep holding my sword every night, I did everything I possibly could.’
But… why? Why does it look like that bastard reached the Transformation Realm as easily as breathing?
He felt suffocated. The sword in his hand felt impossibly heavy.
‘…A monster like that shouldn't exist.’
In that moment, his eyes grew cold.
*
The battle grew more and more intense. Sword auras clashed, and sword force exploded. With every strike, the earth cracked and the air currents were torn apart.
Blood splattered. Skin was torn, and swords crossed again and again.
But I muttered quietly to myself.
‘…He's weaker than the Tiger King.’
My opponent's sword was heavy, solid, and sharp. He was a skilled fighter that no one could face easily.
But that was all there was to it.
He was weaker than the Tiger King I had faced in the world of Lewd Yokai After School.
Of course, I was much stronger back then than I am now.
The battle was still fierce, but the gap between us was gradually beginning to show.
“Hah!”
The Vice-Captain of the Jet-Black Sword Unit let out a low kiai and unleashed a flurry of strikes.
His sword force was sharp, the tip of his blade honed through countless real battles. Even amidst his repeated strikes, there was no wasted energy.
-Kaaang!
The Flying Heaven Sword pressed down precisely on the flat of his blade.
The clash was brief, and I immediately twisted my body, slipping to his side.
“Too slow.”
-Swish!
A thrust aimed for the nape of his neck. He twisted his body and barely managed to block it, but the tip of my sword grazed his shoulder.
-Ssk!
Blood spurted out.
“Kuh…!”
Seeing the Vice-Captain's face contort in pain, I didn't stop.
Instead, I pressed in deeper. The line of my sword cut through the air, whirling three times.
Up, down, left, right, and then straight ahead. He desperately assumed a defensive stance, but even that was within my predictions.
Sword met sword and slid away. I deflected his blade outward, then twisted my own and thrust it toward his leg.
“……!”
Unfortunately, it was only a shallow wound. I watched the Vice-Captain retreat quickly and said,
“You're breathing hard. Should I go easy on you?”
“……You bastard.”
His eyes narrowed at my words. He gritted his teeth and charged again.
No kiai, not even the sound of breathing—just a charge that channeled all the killing intent in his body into a single, straight line.
-Shuk!!
The arc of his sword split the air. It was faster than any of his previous strikes.
A single, unhesitating flash that burned with everything he had.
I narrowed my eyes.
‘This is a strike that accepts death… no, it's closer to a suicide attack, throwing his entire being into it.’
His sword drove straight for my heart. A perfect trajectory. An unwavering will.
I twisted my body and rotated my sword once, just once.
The Flying Heaven Sword shaved off the tip of his blade. That minuscule change in angle caused his strike to miss my heart and gouge the empty air.
And in that gap. That fleeting moment.
“Die.”
I whipped my sword back up.
Lowering my stance, my sword drew a half-moon arc, its tip glittering as it traced a line of light.
-Moon Shadow Sky Sword Dance · Moonfall.
The arc of my sword fell like the moon, cutting diagonally from his shoulder to his side.
-Kwang!!
“Kuaaaargh…!”
Blood erupted from the wound.
His body was thrown backward, and he crashed to the ground in a crumpled heap.
He wasn't dead, but he could no longer lift his sword.
I caught my breath and drew back my sword.
“The Jet-Black Sword Unit of the Celestial Sphere assembly, was it? A grand name for something so unimpressive.”
His pupils trembled. Within them was rage, despair, and… fear.
I cut off the bastard's head.
-KWANG!!
A massive explosion rocked the battlefield. Dust shot into the air, and the swirling currents uprooted trees and sent them flying.
It was an overwhelming storm of qi, blowing from the spot where Seo Ryeo-hwa and Son Baek-cheon were fighting.
I turned my gaze in that direction.
Sword force cut through the air and clashed. Space itself seemed to tear with every strike, and the aftershocks of the sword force alone were enough to shatter the surroundings.
‘…They're evenly matched.’
The momentum of the two was perfectly balanced. But I could feel it. A paper-thin difference. A premonition that this tiny gap would ultimately decide the victor.
‘…First, I need to save the others.’
I shifted my gaze. Not far away, my companions—Jang Seo-young, Jin So-hee, Seol-hee, Namgung So-ha, and the others—were fighting against the Jet-Black Sword Unit.
Though they were fighting together, they were only barely maintaining a balance.
Their clothes were already torn, and several of them had wounds all over their bodies.
Gripping the Flying Heaven Sword, I instantly raised the qi throughout my body.
-Paaak!
My body shot across the battlefield like a storm.
Dust flew, and small ripples spread out from where my feet had touched the ground.
And just as an enemy's sword was about to descend on Seol-hee's shoulder, my own sword cut through its path first.
-KWANG!!
My sword strike rang out like an explosion.
My opponent's blade was sent flying and slammed into the ground.
In that moment, everyone's eyes turned to me.
“Young Master!” Seol-hee cried out in surprise. Her voice was a mixture of shock and clear relief.
“Sorry I'm late,” I replied curtly, then immediately surveyed the enemy's encirclement.
‘Ten of them,’ I noted, lowering the tip of my sword.
“From now on, coordinate around me.”
Jang Seo-young moved quickly, and Jin So-hee secured the rear in a semi-circle.
In that brief opening, an enemy swung his sword at me.
-Shwiik!
I didn't even turn my head.
The Flying Heaven Sword flew up from below, tracing a curve as if to slice the air.
-Pak!!
His hand, along with his sword, was knocked away. He stumbled back as if spinning once, then collapsed to the ground.
The other members of the Jet-Black Sword Unit flinched.
“Reform the formation! This man is—!”
Just then, I cut them off.
“Too late. Moon Shadow Slash.”
-Shuk.
The tip of my sword drew a line in the air.
And a crescent of sword force cut through the space in front of me, pouring down on the members of the Jet-Black Sword Unit.
“……Ugh!”
“Dodge—”
-Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!!
The sword force shot out in a straight line, cutting down the enemies in a single blow.
It sliced precisely through their shoulders, abdomens, and waists, tearing flesh and blood to pieces.
Between the fallen enemies, the metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air.
Namgung Hyeok, Namgung So-ha, and Hwangbo Yun all stood silently, catching their breath after witnessing the power of the Moon Shadow Slash with their own eyes.
In the brief silence, I sheathed the Flying Heaven Sword and slowly began to speak.
"Mother."
Jang Seo-young turned her head.
"We can't be sure. The ones we've defeated might not be all of them."
Her eyes wavered slightly.
"Please take the others and head to the city first, in case of a follow-up attack."
Jang Seo-young seemed to understand immediately and nodded.
“……Understood. Everyone, we'll head to the city first.”
The rest of the group nodded silently.
They knew it too.
That here, on this battlefield, they weren't much help.
And so, Jang Seo-young, Seol-hee, Jin So-hee, and the others quickly retreated. I slowly turned and headed toward the battlefield where Seo Ryeo-hwa was.
-KWAAAAANG!!
A violent storm shook my vision.
Seo Ryeo-hwa and Son Baek-cheon.
The moment the two masters of the Transformation Realm clashed head-on, the surrounding trees were ripped out by their roots and boulders were shattered to pieces.
Their bodies hung in mid-air. For a moment, it was as if time had stopped. Then they were flung to opposite sides, their backs to each other.
-Tak! Tak!
The moment their feet touched the ground, the atmosphere on the battlefield grew tense once more.
"Seo-yun," Seo Ryeo-hwa said, catching her breath.
“What about the others?”
“They're safe. I sent them ahead to Jinju.”
At my words, Seo Ryeo-hwa nodded silently.
Her gaze turned to Son Baek-cheon. I, too, looked straight at him.
Son Baek-cheon's shoulder. A deep gash was carved into it, as if a blade had grazed it precisely.
“…To think the Vice-Captain would be defeated.” He said with a low laugh.
“Honestly, I didn't expect that at all.”
Son Baek-cheon raised a blood-stained finger and slowly wiped the wound. He stared at the blood on his fingertip and muttered quietly.
“Sword Empress, you've raised quite a monster of a disciple.”
I stared at him calmly and opened my mouth.
"Thanks for the compliment.“
Son Baek-cheon's eyes glinted coldly. He raised his sword horizontally.
"It wasn't a compliment. All monsters in the Murim are eventually culled.“
Seo Ryeo-hwa took a step forward.
"Seo-yun, stand back. I will handle this man.“
"Master, I think it would be better if we fought together.“
Son Baek-cheon looked back and forth between us, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"I have no desire to face you both at once. Besides…. I'm running out of time.“
Before he could finish, a loud explosion sounded in the distance. The gazes of all three of us turned toward Jinju simultaneously.
Black smoke was rising from the direction of Jinju Castle.
"What is that…?“
“Well then, let's meet again next time.“
In an instant, Son Baek-cheon turned and fled.
“Are you running away like a coward?!”
Seo Ryeo-hwa's shout echoed through the forest. But Son Baek-cheon's silhouette was already disappearing over the mountain ridge.
I slowly sheathed my sword and asked.
“Master, is there a reason you didn't pursue him?”
Instead of answering, Seo Ryeo-hwa stood silently for a long moment.
“The safety of our companions comes first. And—”
She raised her head, looking in the direction Son Baek-cheon had fled.
“That man was hiding something.”
My expression flickered slightly.
“……If he was hiding something back there, it must be the same kind of red elixir from when we fought Wi Gwang.”
“Yes…. If that were the case, we would have been the ones in danger.”
Just then, beyond the western sky, red smoke began to billow up again from the direction of Jinju.
-KWAAAAANG!!
Another explosion. I turned my head toward Seo Ryeo-hwa.
“We have to go. In Jinju, something is…”
Seo Ryeo-hwa nodded resolutely.
“Yes. We must get there before it's too late.”
And with that, we began to move at the same time.