Chapter 93: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (44)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 93: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (44)
Not wanting to miss the opening, I swung my sword again. But the moment I swung at the enemy, still off-balance, several swords flew toward my chest.
I easily parried the incoming blades and pointed the tip of my sword at the ones who had ambushed me.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Before me stood the warriors of the Cheongpung Sect and Baek Myeong, their swords aimed at me.
"Heh heh, to think you blocked that. You truly are a Peak Level warrior."
Wary of me, Baek Myeong helped up the bleeding Peak Level warrior who was struggling to stand beside him.
"Baek Myeong. Thank you for your help."
Wi Gwang's subordinate looked at Baek Myeong and managed to pull his staggering body upright.
"Commander Ho, are you alright?"
"I'm alive, thanks to you."
Baek Myeong said with a smirk. His gaze turned to me, his eyes flashing with a cold light.
"As expected of a follower of the Sword Empress. But this is where it ends."
Baek Myeong raised his sword. The Cheongpung warriors around him closed in, tightening their encirclement.
"You deceived us."
The killing intent in my voice dominated the area. Baek Myeong flinched and took a step back, but he quickly recovered with a sickening smile.
"Heh heh, you have no idea how nervous I was, trying to deceive you all."
At that moment, the injured Cheongpung warriors stared at Baek Myeong, their faces filled with shock as they cried out.
"S-Senior Brother Baek… Why…?"
Their voices trembled with betrayal. Baek Myeong scoffed as if their reaction was amusing.
"Why? It's simple. Siding with the strong is how the weak survive, isn't it?"
Baek Myeong gestured to the Cheongpung warriors who had betrayed their own. They cruelly thrust their swords into the hearts of their injured former comrades.
"You foolish bastards. You should have taken the chance when I hinted at it before."
The Cheongpung warrior, his heart pierced, let out a pained groan and collapsed.
"S-Senior Brother Baek…."
The other Cheongpung warriors called his name in horror, but Baek Myeong’s gaze was cold, as if he no longer considered them his comrades.
"This is the difference between you and me. I saw reality and made a choice. You were destined to fall like this, chasing nothing but dreams."
Baek Myeong pulled out his sword, casually flicking the blood from its tip. His voice was heartless and cruel.
Commander Ho stood beside Baek Myeong and sneered.
"Deal with these insects later."
"Yes, Commander Ho. But more importantly, the promised reward…."
"Don't you worry. The Sect Leader will reward you as promised once this is over."
A look of relief washed over Baek Myeong's face.
"More importantly, Commander Ho... may we take the women?"
Baek Myeong's eyes landed on Jang Seo-young, Jin So-hee, and Seol-hee. Greed filled his gaze.
Killing intent surged within me. I didn't like the way he was looking at my women.
This bastard...
I tightened my grip on my sword, my eyes narrowing.
"Heh heh, do as you please. However, the white-haired one is mine."
At his words, Baek Myeong's eyes gleamed with avarice. The other Cheongpung warriors also shot lecherous looks at my women.
The killing intent inside me boiled over. The moment those filthy words left his mouth, my patience hit rock bottom.
"You must have a death wish."
I gripped my sword even tighter. My killing intent surged.
Before they could move, I did.
"What the—!"
The Peak Level warrior and Baek Myeong, who had been staring greedily at Seol-hee, barely dodged my swing, rolling away on the ground. But the Cheongpung warrior next to them wasn't so lucky. My sword sliced through his neck.
-Slish!
Blood sprayed into the air, and the warrior's body fell limply to the ground.
"Damn it…! A cowardly sneak attack!"
Baek Myeong scrambled to his feet, his face pale with shock. Blood was gushing like a fountain from his fallen comrade's neck.
"Cowardly?"
I walked slowly toward Baek Myeong, a cold sneer on my face.
"Shouldn't you have said that when you betrayed your own? You're the cowards here, not me."
Baek Myeong's face twisted in anger. He backed away, biting his lip.
"Commander Ho! Do something!" Baek Myeong yelled desperately at the commander beside him.
"Damn it... I have no choice."
Commander Ho raised his sword high and shouted to his men.
"Everyone, reform the formation! Deploy the Seventy-Two Hells Formation!"
At Commander Ho's command, his subordinates moved swiftly. They took their positions in a set pattern and began to gather their energy in one place. An intense pressure emanating from the formation made the air tremble.
I watched the formation take shape and sneered.
"The Seventy-Two Hells Formation? Hah! Sounds more impressive than it is."
"You seem confident enough to mock us. I'll make you understand the power of this formation with your own blood!"
The warriors' movements synchronized, and the formation was complete. Their combined energy swirled like a giant beast, pressing down on me.
"A swarm of insects... is still just a swarm of insects."
My words made Commander Ho's face contort with rage.
"All talk! Everyone, attack!"
At his command, the warriors in the formation moved as one, surrounding me. Swords, spears, and blade-like auras rushed toward me.
I readjusted my grip on my sword and took a step forward. Lowering my body, I charged toward a weak point in the formation.
-Clang! Crash!
Sparks flew as steel met steel. The warriors within the formation moved to support each other, pressing their attack, but I slipped between them, swinging my sword.
"Ugh...!"
My blade cut into a warrior's side, and he collapsed with a scream. For a moment, the flow of the formation was broken.
"Re-form the line!"
Commander Ho's shout echoed, but it was too late. I seized the opening in the broken formation and charged toward the center again.
-Crash!
My sword struck down hard on the Peak Level master standing at the heart of the formation. He barely managed to block it, but the impact sent him stumbling back two steps.
"Seo-yun! I'm joining you!"
Jang Seo-young leaped to my side, deflecting a sword strike that was aimed at me. The flash of her blade drew the enemies' attention.
"Orabeoni! Leave this side to me!"
Jin So-hee moved with agile grace, engaging the warriors at the rear. Her swift and precise movements threw the enemies into momentary confusion. One warrior tried to block her attack, but her sword had already grazed his side, drawing blood.
"Young Master!"
Seol-hee moved quickly to the flank, diverting the enemies' attention. Her sharp blade struck a warrior precisely on the neck, and he fell, coughing up blood. She immediately moved on to the next target, creating an opening for me.
-Crash!
I didn't miss the chance Jang Seo-young, Jin So-hee, and Seol-hee had created for me. I swung my sword directly at the Peak Level warrior. He tried to block it with a shocked expression, but his defense was no match for the powerful energy of my sword aura.
"Kugh...!"
His sword shattered on impact, sending fragments flying. Commander Ho's body was thrown backward. He tried to regain his footing, but the fight was already over.
"To think a bastard like you dared to covet my women. If I had the time, I'd torture you to death, but it's a shame I can't waste it on you right now."
"S-Spare me…."
His voice trembled as he begged for his life, but I didn't even feel his words were worth a response.
-Shhhk!
A cold glint of steel flashed, and his head was severed from his neck in a single motion.
-Thud!
The severed head fell to the ground, and blood splattered everywhere. The headless body collapsed, and a dead silence fell over the area.
I flicked the blood from my sword and turned to Jin Myeong-woo.
"Myeong-woo, I'm going to help the Sword Empress. I'm leaving this place to you."
"Understood, Hyung-nim."
Hearing his reply, I readjusted my grip on my sword. When I turned my gaze toward Seo Ryeo-hwa, I saw she was being pushed back by Wi Gwang.
The problem is, will I even be of any help if I jump in...?
The battle between Wi Gwang and Seo Ryeo-hwa was already taking place in the realm of Transformation Realm masters. Every one of their strikes swept through the area like an explosion. Just watching them was suffocating.
Interfering in a battle between Transformation Realm masters is suicide... But if the Sword Empress loses, we're all dead anyway.
While I hesitated, Seo Ryeo-hwa was hit by one of Wi Gwang's powerful attacks, lost her balance, and was sent flying backward. Her body slammed against a rock with a loud crash.
Red blood trickled from her lips. Seeing that, I knew I had no more time to hesitate.
Gripping my sword tightly, I started toward where Seo Ryeo-hwa and Wi Gwang were fighting.
At the same time, I used the telepathy she had taught me to speak to her.
[Sword Empress, I'll draw Wi Gwang's attention to create an opening.]
Wiping the blood from her lips, Seo Ryeo-hwa seemed to consider it for a moment before giving a slight nod.
I moved cautiously, approaching Wi Gwang from behind. The only thing I could do now was draw his attention, even for a moment, to give Seo Ryeo-hwa a decisive opening.
Wi Gwang's gaze slowly shifted toward me. A relaxed smile played on his lips as he slowly spun his fan on his fingertips, looking at me with amusement.
"Does a worthless cur like you dare to interfere in our fight?"
His voice was quiet, but it carried enough killing intent to freeze the air.
I took a step forward and spoke to him.
"Hmph, that level of killing intent wouldn't even scare a dog. The title Tamhwaranggun is wasted on you. A passing mutt could muster more killing intent than that."
My mocking words made his smile falter for a second. But it soon widened again as he folded his fan.
"You have quite a talent for running that insolent mouth of yours. Fine, I'll deal with you first. I will make sure you understand exactly who I am."
As Wi Gwang turned and took his first step, the air around us grew heavy. An overwhelming presence radiated from his body, and each of his steps seemed to make the earth tremble.
His gaze, filled with killing intent, pierced right through me.
"Let's see if your skills can match that glib tongue of yours."
Ignoring his taunt, I readjusted my grip on my sword and faced him.
"Come at me, mutt."
At my words, Wi Gwang's eyes narrowed sharply. The energy emanating from his fingertips grew even more intense.
Wi Gwang's smile deepened. The fan in his hand snapped open once more. At the same time, a powerful energy exploded from him, momentarily distorting the space around him.
"Very well. I shall enjoy your final struggle."
He gathered his energy and swung his fan. A gale-force wind rose and rushed toward me. I readied my sword and faced the energy head-on.
Damn it... I can't dodge this...
The energy blasting from Wi Gwang's fan raged like a storm, threatening to swallow me whole. For a moment, I felt a pressure so intense it seemed to paralyze my body. But just then, a flash of Seo Ryeo-hwa's sky-blue hair moved swiftly before my eyes.
-Swoosh!
Seo Ryeo-hwa's sword flew sharply toward the back of Wi Gwang's head.
"Kugh!"
Wi Gwang barely managed to dodge the powerful attack, but the edge of her blade grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep gash. Blood flowed from the wound, staining his collar red.
The energy that had been pouring toward me dissipated, and Wi Gwang's attack lost its power and vanished.
"How dare you...!"
Wi Gwang's face twisted in fury. But Seo Ryeo-hwa was already preparing her next attack. Her sword, shining coldly like moonlight, moved in a continuous flurry.