Chapter 32: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (28)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 32: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (28)
The warriors of the minor sects had all gathered at the Jin Family. Every one of them steeled their resolve, preparing for the battle to come.
The main gate of the Jin Family estate shook violently. A moment later, with a scream, the gate shattered as if from an explosion.
"Young Lord, the Black Dragon Gate has invaded!"
A warrior’s urgent cry rang out. Beside me, the faces of Jang Seo-young and Jin So-hee hardened with tension.
It was then that a man of enormous build appeared through the splintered remains of the gate. Each of his steps made the ground tremble. A dark energy swirled around him like a vortex.
"Uahaha, so all the riffraff of Jilin have gathered here!"
His rough, low voice boomed. Man Chu-sam of the Iron Light Twin Axes. The axes in his hands were stained with blood.
"Man Chu-sam of the Iron Light Twin Axes."
I stepped forward. Man Chu-sam’s gaze bored into me.
"Hoh. And who are you?"
"I am Jin Seo-yun, the eldest son of the Jin Family."
"I heard the Jin Family had a good-for-nothing son, but I didn’t realize it was you."
"That’s right. Your incompetent disciple met his end at my hands. You don’t look much different from him."
"Kehehe, it seems you have some skill, unlike the rumors."
Man Chu-sam let out a loud laugh and took a step forward.
"But you’re arrogant beyond measure. Has the Jin Family’s trash lost his nerve, daring to stand in my way?"
A cruel smile crept onto Man Chu-sam’s lips. A red aura began to rise from his axes, and his killing intent saturated the air.
The intense murderous aura pressed down on everyone. The red energy radiating from his axes spread like blood, and the killing intent erupting from within it crushed them all.
The Jin Family warriors unconsciously took a step back. The power emanating from Man Chu-sam was greater than they had imagined.
"Let’s see if your skills match that mouth of yours."
Before Man Chu-sam had even finished speaking, his axe flew like lightning. The axe blade, cloaked in red energy, cut through the air and shot toward my neck.
CRASH!
My sword and his axe collided. A shockwave swept through the area, sending sparks flying. Man Chu-sam’s monstrous strength and the energy of the Peak Level were transmitted directly to me.
"Haha!"
"Keuk."
A powerful shockwave ripped through our surroundings. The red energy tried to invade my body through my sword.
"Hahaha! Is this all you’ve got?"
Man Chu-sam’s laughter echoed. His axe flew like lightning once more. A barrage of attacks tore through the air.
He’s strong…
Just blocking the axe, which was wreathed in qi, made my arm throb. Man Chu-sam’s skill clearly overwhelmed mine.
Not just the Jin Family warriors, but even the men from the Black Dragon Gate watched our battle with eyes wide in astonishment.
CLANG! CRASH!
Even if we were both at the Peak Level, the difference in our skill was clear. Decades of experience were embedded in Man Chu-sam’s axe swings, and I was struggling just to block his attacks.
With every consecutive blow I parried, my arm felt like it was going numb.
Hoo, but I can still handle this for now.
Before I had time to think, his next attack came flying in. I blocked his axe and unleashed my technique.
"Iron-Blood Rampage!"
The body of my sword moved as fluidly as a wave, imbued with life. Each trajectory my sword drew scattered Man Chu-sam’s ferocious axe strikes into nothing.
"Keuk!"
Man Chu-sam’s eyes wavered. As if in disbelief, his axe faltered.
I’ll end this quickly.
My sword swung rapidly, aiming for Man Chu-sam’s vitals.
"Kuk…!"
As I pushed his axe away, Man Chu-sam’s massive body was thrown backward. His feet scraped against the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Is that all you’ve got? Where’d all that talk go?"
At my words, Man Chu-sam’s face twisted in a snarl.
"Shut up!"
He growled and raised his axes. The red energy flared even more violently. But his movements grew wilder, and the balance of his power began to crumble.
CLANG! CRASH!
Man Chu-sam’s axe cut through the air. The blade, radiating a ferocious energy, flew toward my neck. As I met his attack with my sword, a powerful shockwave swept through the area.
"You may have reached the Peak Level at a young age, but do you really think you can beat me with that!"
An even more intense red energy erupted from his axes.
The axe sliced through the air, aiming for my heart. I twisted my body to dodge. I moved with fluid footwork, as natural as flowing water.
BOOM!
Man Chu-sam’s axe slammed into the ground, sending a tremor through it. A bestial grin spread across his face.
"Frenzied Twin-Axe Strike!"
As he lifted his axes, red energy poured out. At the same time, the axes came flying at me again.
Using the axes in both hands, he unleashed a breathtakingly fast barrage. The assault, combined with the powerful energy radiating from the axes, left no room to defend or escape.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as sword and axe clashed repeatedly. The impact sent a shock through my fingertips that resonated to my very bones.
"Keuk…!"
My sword wavered for a moment. Amidst the rapid flurry of his twin axes, I saw a small opening.
My sword sliced across his side, drawing blood.
"Hahaha! You think a scratch like this can bring me down!"
Man Chu-sam paid no mind to his wound. Instead, he swung his axes with even more ferocious energy.
"Your life ends here!"
His axe flew like lightning again. I barely managed to twist away, but the energy radiating from the weapon grazed my shoulder. My clothes tore, and blood began to flow.
If this drags on, I’ll be at a disadvantage.
I looked into Man Chu-sam’s eyes. They were bloodshot and glinted with madness.
His attacks were getting faster and stronger. The balance of the fight was shifting. Whether it was a side effect of an elixir, Man Chu-sam’s energy was raging out of control.
The axe blade grazed my shoulder again. The wound wasn’t deep, but fatigue and pain were steadily eating away at me. Man Chu-sam, on the other hand, seemed to feel neither pain nor exhaustion.
"Hahaha! Show me more! More!"
Man Chu-sam’s laughter echoed across the battlefield. The energy erupting from his axes grew even wilder.
I took a moment to catch my breath and observed his movements. Overwhelming power is bound to collapse once it exceeds its limits.
Man Chu-sam’s movements became increasingly erratic. His axe swings were ferocious, but there was a subtle imbalance in his form.
Now!
Aiming for his opening, I prepared a final strike. I focused my internal energy into my sword, drawing out an explosive amount of power.
"Iron Mountain Shattering Heaven!"
A flash of sword light cut through the sky, flying toward Man Chu-sam.
BOOM!
My sword, cloaked in sword qi, broke through his defense and struck him square in the chest. Red blood shot out like a fountain, and his massive body staggered violently.
"Haa… haa…."
Just as I was about to catch my breath, a sinister energy exploded from his body. A black aura swirled around him as if a demon from hell had awakened.
"Guuuh…!!!"
Man Chu-sam’s voice turned into a beastly roar, and his eyes rolled back completely. Where reason had been, only pure madness remained. The energy pouring from his body tore the very air apart.
"GRAAAAAAAH!!!"
He began to attack indiscriminately, swinging his axes wildly. His movements were instinctive and crude, but his power and speed were even more overwhelming than before. I couldn’t tell if the elixir’s effect had peaked or if he was squeezing out his last ounce of strength on the threshold of death.
CRASH! CRASH!
"Gaga!"
"Brother!"
Jang Seo-young and Jin So-hee, who had been dealing with the Black Dragon Gate warriors, joined the fray. The two women added their attacks to mine.
"Grrrrr…."
Man Chu-sam growled like an animal, swinging his axes.
His movements were instinctive and violent.
"It’s too dangerous for you two! Get back!"
But Jang Seo-young’s voice was firm.
"Gaga! Don’t try to handle this alone!"
Jin So-hee also shouted, her gaze unwavering.
"We’ll fight with you, Brother!"
"GRAAAAAAAH!!"
Man Chu-sam raised his glowing red axes and attacked again. His momentum was even stronger this time, but the three of us managed to block his axes together.
BOOM!
The ground cracked under the tremendous impact. The wide swing of his axes left an opening.
Now.
I nodded at Jang Seo-young and Jin So-hee. Without a word, we all knew what we had to do.
The moment Man Chu-sam raised his axes above his head to prepare another strike, we poured all our internal energy into our swords and aimed for him.
Three swords flew toward Man Chu-sam from different directions.
CLANG!
Man Chu-sam’s axes deflected all three swords. His strength, fueled by madness, surpassed our expectations.
Suddenly, I saw a dangerous situation unfold. Jin So-hee was directly exposed to the trajectory of an axe.
"Watch out!"
I immediately leaped in front of her.
CRASH!
I barely managed to block Man Chu-sam’s axe, but the impact made my knees buckle.
"Keuk…."
Man Chu-sam’s attacks had become simpler now that he’d lost his reason, but that only meant his power was more focused. I felt a pressure like a mountain bearing down on me.
This monster…
Man Chu-sam’s ferocious energy grew stronger with each passing moment. The power erupting from his body tore through the air like a dragon’s roar.
Jang Seo-young took a step back before instantly lunging forward, swinging her sword. Her blade, imbued with the energy of the Jangbaek Sword Art, drew a blue arc as it flew toward Man Chu-sam’s arm.
But Man Chu-sam’s movement was unexpected. As if he had read her move in advance, he sidestepped and swung his axe.
"Kyaa!"
Jang Seo-young’s scream echoed as her body was sent flying through the air. She had narrowly avoided the axe blade, but the energy radiating from it had grazed her side. Her white silk clothes were stained with blood.
"Mother!"
Jin So-hee screamed, her face turning deathly pale.
"So-hee. Take your mother and run. Now."
My voice was firm. Man Chu-sam’s power was beyond anything I had anticipated. It was too dangerous to keep them on the battlefield.
"But, Brother…!"
Jin So-hee hesitated, taking a step toward me. But I shook my head.
"Hurry!"
I would allow no more hesitation. Getting the mother and daughter to safety was the priority.
With heavy steps, Jin So-hee left the area.
The chaos on the battlefield intensified. The clang of weapons and screams mixed from all directions.
"Grrrrrrr."
Man Chu-sam’s low, growling laughter echoed. The crazed energy still swirled around his body. The moment he took a step…
"Protect the Young Lord!!!"
The Jin Family warriors charged toward Man Chu-sam. While they bought me a few moments, I quickly pulled my smartphone from my robes. But the message on the screen was not what I expected.
[Return unavailable during combat.]
"Ah…"
A small sigh escaped my lips. I hadn’t anticipated this. Unavailable during combat.
In an instant, Man Chu-sam slaughtered the Jin Family warriors and charged at me.
A shockwave split the earth, creating a large fissure. Man Chu-sam’s axe had struck the spot where I had just been standing.
I rolled away, barely dodging, but the energy from the axe grazed my body. My clothes tore, and blood flowed.
"Kekeke…."
Man Chu-sam’s crazed laughter rang out. An even more ferocious energy surged from his axes.
I can’t even run…
I had to fight Man Chu-sam’s berserk power. If I died here, I would never see Seol-hee, Jang Seo-young, or Jin So-hee again. I couldn’t give up the women who had become mine.
"Fuck, you think I’m going to give up my cocksleeves!"
CLANG! CRASH!
My grip on my sword tightened. The essence I had obtained from Jang Seo-young and Jin So-hee raged through my body, surging through my meridians. My internal energy swelled and erupted like boiling lava.
I corrected my stance and raised my sword horizontally. As I took a step toward Man Chu-sam, the air around me trembled and swirled.
SWISH!
A flash of sword light tore through the air. The moment my sword and his axe collided, a shockwave scattered in all directions, shaking the earth.
BOOM!
The second strike met. As sword and axe clashed violently, their energies intertwined, creating an explosive wave.
KABOOM!
In the rapid exchange of blows, my balance broke. The recoil from the explosive collision of energy shook my body.
THUD!
The intense impact sent me flying into a wall. Pain from the blow to my back seeped deep into my bones.
The price of forcibly drawing out my power was beginning to weigh down my entire body, hindering my movements.
Before me, Man Chu-sam’s massive figure slowly approached. His steps were heavy and rough. The red energy still poured from his axes, staining the ground around him.
"Keuk…!"
I tried to clench my fist, but even my fingertips wouldn’t obey. My body was refusing to listen, likely because my energy was running rampant.
"GRAAAAAAAH!!!"
A beast-like roar tore through my ears, blanketing the battlefield. His charge, swinging an axe wreathed in red energy, was like the pounce of a giant predator.
It was too late to dodge. The killing intent radiating from the axe drew closer.
Is this how it ends…?
Just as death pressed down on my chest…
"Moon Shadow Sky Sword Dance, Moon Shadow Slash."
A clear yet commanding woman’s voice cut through the air.