Chapter 213: Namgung Jin-cheon (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 213: Namgung Jin-cheon (3)
"That fellow Sama Hyeon certainly has a talent for this sort of thing."
The Giryeon Sect Leader narrowed his eyes at Namgung Jin-cheon.
Currently, the Murim Alliance was bearing down on the Giryeon Sect. Yet, at such a critical juncture, not only was the Sect Leader absent from his post, but most of his Super Peak Realm experts were here with him.
Although they had relocated in secret using his sorcery, there was no telling when they might be discovered.
It didn't matter, though.
I can always rebuild the sect.
Once this was over, Namgung Jin-cheon’s corpse would be his. A mere organization like the Giryeon Sect was of no consequence in comparison.
"Whew..."
He exhaled and formed a hand seal.
Clang—!
Boom—! Space distorted, and a massive pressure crashed down inside the formation.
However, this pressure did not affect the martial artists of the Black Lotus Union. Only Namgung Jin-cheon and Namgung Yeon bore its crushing weight.
It was an isolation formation personally laid down by the Giryeon Sect Leader, fueled by more than enough sacrifices.
An ordinary martial artist wouldn't even be able to stand.
"Vibrate (振)."
Simultaneously, a strange energy surged, bolstering the strength of his allies.
Flutter—!
Thousands of talismans poured from the Giryeon Sect Leader’s robes, pasting themselves against the isolation barrier created by the formation to reinforce it.
The interior of the formation acted as a localized sub-space. Anything that happened in here would not affect the outside world.
Namgung Jin-cheon could break it if he wanted to, but would they just stand by and let him?
The desert was already sparsely populated. The aftermath of the battle wouldn't spread outward, and this was the territory of the Black Lotus Union besides.
They hadn't stationed guards to avoid drawing unnecessary attention, but this setup was more than enough.
The possibility of external intervention was virtually non-existent.
The Giryeon Sect Leader’s lips curled into a smirk.
"Twisting Heaven and Overturning Earth."
He manifested his Domain. The very positions of heaven and earth inverted.
"Heaven-Breaking."
Je Cheon-hyeok manifested his Domain, and a pure white space claimed the area.
"Ten Thousand Sword Domain."
Geom-yul manifested his Domain. Ten thousand swords adorned the void.
"Soaring Heaven Radiant Moon."
Neung Pyeong-ho manifested his Domain. A massive, brilliant moon illuminated their surroundings.
The Domains manifested by the four martial artists each claimed a portion of the space, pressing down with suffocating force on Namgung Jin-cheon, who stood at the epicenter.
Any ordinary martial artist would have their very existence crushed just by standing there.
Yet, there wasn't a single flicker of hesitation on Namgung Jin-cheon’s face. Namgung Yeon was also unharmed; Namgung Jin-cheon had effortlessly dispersed all the energy directed toward her.
Neung Pyeong-ho sneered.
"No matter how hard you fight in here, your energy will never reach the outside. This place is your grave, Namgung Jin-cheon."
Standing beside Namgung Yeon, Namgung Jin-cheon looked up at the sky, now fractured into four distinct Domains.
How many people in their lifetime would ever witness such a sight?
"A luxurious grave indeed..."
Namgung Jin-cheon smiled faintly.
"Bind (結)."
The Giryeon Sect Leader cast his sorcery. Space itself distorted, ensnaring Namgung Jin-cheon like a net.
"I am sorry."
Geom-yul charged, gripping a single sword. His face was flushed red with shame.
"Stop talking nonsense and do it properly, Geom-yul!"
Neung Pyeong-ho thrust his spear with all his might. The dense moonlight transformed into a massive spear and surged forward.
Namgung Jin-cheon kept his eyes on the motionless Je Cheon-hyeok and lightly tapped the air with his fingertip.
"Sky of Unopened Flowers."
Wung— A ripple spread through the air, dyeing the ground with the color of the sky.
A void—a deep azure expanse.
Crack—! The Giryeon Sect Leader’s sorcery shattered instantly.
With a light wave of his hand, Namgung Jin-cheon deflected Geom-yul’s sword, and his eyes met Neung Pyeong-ho’s.
Shiver—!
A terrifying chill ran down Neung Pyeong-ho's spine. No one present had expected this.
Neung Pyeong-ho’s eyes widened.
"What...!"
Slaaaaaash—
A flash of sword light. A sword, unstained by a single drop of blood, hovered around Namgung Jin-cheon.
"Ugh...!"
Thud. Neung Pyeong-ho’s left arm fell limply to the ground. His eyes shook, filled with horror.
No aura could be felt from the upright Namgung Jin-cheon, yet those facing him widened their eyes, suffocating under a pressure so intense they could barely breathe.
The Emperor Sword Form...! It was this powerful...?
Neung Pyeong-ho’s trembling eyes fixed on Namgung Jin-cheon. His shock completely eclipsed his pain.
The greatest star of the Righteous Faction. They had vastly underestimated his true weight.
They thought this much power and this much preparation would be enough? It was a grave miscalculation.
Perhaps not everyone here would return alive.
Did we underestimate him...?!
Everyone present had believed this would be sufficient.
The Black Lotus Union was powerful, but not to the point where a Transcendent Realm martial artist could be forcefully bound by them. They couldn't be coerced into a fight.
Everyone had come here voluntarily because they saw a chance of victory and a corresponding profit.
But if it’s like this, the story changes...
Neung Pyeong-ho’s lips trembled.
* * *
The atmosphere shifted. A heavy tension gripped the martial artists of the Black Lotus Union, who had just moments ago been certain of victory.
Namgung Yeon gritted her teeth. She couldn't take her eyes off the battle unfolding before her.
Excluding the Half-Gods who walked the earth, the absolute peak masters of the Central Plains were currently aiming for each other's lives.
An unfair fight of four against one.
Yet, her brother, Namgung Jin-cheon, did not seem to be losing ground.
If only she weren't here, perhaps he really could seize victory.
Because of me...
But here she was, a massive burden named Namgung Yeon.
Her brother was not someone who should die in a place like this.
If someone had to die, it should be her. They couldn't afford to lose the greatest genius the Namgung Clan had ever produced.
If only I could at least take my own life...!
But because her pressure points had been struck, she couldn't even twitch a finger. This couldn't go on.
Namgung Yeon cried out.
"You idiot...! Just leave me and...!"
"Yeon..."
"Yes! First, undo my pressure points...!"
"Sleep for a moment..."
With that, Namgung Yeon’s consciousness faded to black. Having struck Namgung Yeon’s sleep acupoint, Namgung Jin-cheon looked at Je Cheon-hyeok with calm eyes.
His skill truly lives up to his reputation...
Because of that man’s presence, his own actions were heavily restricted.
They were only a single step apart in skill.
If it had been any other Transcendent Realm martial artist standing there instead of that man, Namgung Jin-cheon would have been certain of victory.
But because Je Cheon-hyeok was there, his chances of winning were slim.
"Hyaaaaaah...!!"
Neung Pyeong-ho thrust his spear. The moonlight of his Domain, Soaring Heaven Radiant Moon, was the spear itself.
Wherever the moonlight touched, his strike reached.
Yet, Neung Pyeong-ho was tasting a bitter sense of helplessness. His body felt impossibly heavy. Not a single finger moved according to his will.
That damn Emperor Sword Form.
That unreasonable martial art weighed down equally on everyone except Namgung Jin-cheon.
Neither the formation prepared by the Giryeon Sect Leader nor the sorcery maintained by the Super Peak Realm experts outside could exert any real pressure on Namgung Jin-cheon, but the pressure of the Emperor Sword Form was crushing everyone here.
Gritting his teeth, Neung Pyeong-ho used every ounce of his strength to thrust his spear with his one remaining arm.
Moonlight Spear.
Thousands of thrusts rained down like moonlight. An extravaganza of pouring light.
Namgung Jin-cheon didn't even spare him a glance. Swish—! The sword hovering in the air moved on its own, parrying Neung Pyeong-ho’s spear.
Whoooooosh—!!
The empty azure sky erased even Neung Pyeong-ho’s moonlight. The tidal wave of spear strikes vanished into nothingness.
Immediately, Geom-yul stepped in. He charged at Namgung Jin-cheon, accompanied by ten thousand swords.
"Hup...!"
His speed was extraordinary.
"Hmm..."
Namgung Jin-cheon drew a line in the air with his left hand's sword-fingers. Flash—! The Firmament Boundless Sword Technique was unleashed. The sword Geom-yul wielded was sliced cleanly apart.
"Tsk...!"
Geom-yul discarded the broken blade and swapped positions with one of his ten thousand swords.
He reappeared to Namgung Jin-cheon’s right. Snatching a new sword from the air, he thrust it forward, but Namgung Jin-cheon simply flicked his finger.
At that exact moment, Geom-yul instinctively swapped positions with another sword.
Rumble—!!
An invisible blade crushed the spot where Geom-yul had just been. Panting, Geom-yul stared at the space he had occupied a fraction of a second ago.
Absurd...
The sword he had swapped positions with was shattered into pieces. If he had tried to defend, his body would have been obliterated along with the steel.
"Burst (爆)...!"
The Giryeon Sect Leader, who had been waiting for an opening, immediately activated his sorcery. The space around Namgung Jin-cheon warped and violently exploded.
It was an explosion of space itself. Most Astral Qi would be caught in the spatial distortion and crushed instantly.
However, Namgung Jin-cheon didn't seem to care.
Thud. He simply stepped lightly on the ground to solidify his Domain. With that single action, the Giryeon Sect Leader’s sorcery was rendered entirely useless.
The Giryeon Sect Leader’s eyes twitched.
"Je Cheon-hyeok...! Help us, quickly!"
But Je Cheon-hyeok remained motionless, his eyes locked onto Namgung Jin-cheon.
"Damn it...!"
The Giryeon Sect Leader knew the truth. The only reason they could even maintain this exchange was because of Je Cheon-hyeok.
It was only because he was pressuring Namgung Jin-cheon and restricting his movements that their heads were still attached to their shoulders.
Can a mere human truly become this strong...?!
Gritting his teeth, he unleashed his sorcery. Space was torn away like chunks of flesh and fired forward.
Simultaneously, Geom-yul swung his sword, and Neung Pyeong-ho thrust his spear.
An opening.
And finally, Je Cheon-hyeok moved. Boom—! His fist struck the empty air.
Thwack—!!
A large, gaping hole appeared in Namgung Jin-cheon’s side. Crimson blood poured out.
Without even a grimace, Namgung Jin-cheon slowly brought his left hand down.
Rip—
Sensing an ominous energy, Geom-yul hurriedly dodged.
Splaaaaash—!!
The deep azure sky plummeted to the ground, crushing half of the ten thousand swords in an instant.
"Gah...!"
With his Domain shaken, Geom-yul spat out a mouthful of blood.
And then, Neung Pyeong-ho’s eyes met Namgung Jin-cheon’s.
"Ah..."
His body wouldn't move. In an instant, the entirety of the Emperor Sword Form's pressure was directed solely at Neung Pyeong-ho. The moment he realized it, a fatal chill washed over him.
He was going to die.
Crunch—! Blood leaked through his fiercely clenched teeth.
"I can’t die like this...!"
Neung Pyeong-ho burned his Primordial True Qi. A massive surge of power erupted from him, temporarily overcoming the crushing weight of the Emperor Sword Form.
Twitch—!
The moment his hand was free to move, Neung Pyeong-ho swung his spear.
Radiant Moon Boundary.
Falling moonlight saturated the area. Every single beam of that light was equivalent to a lethal spear strike.
If he intended to cleave a mountain, it would easily level dozens; if he intended to split the sea, it was a strike that could easily part the ocean.
But it failed to reach its target.
"Dam... nit..."
Slash—
Neung Pyeong-ho’s body was split perfectly in half.
A single sword dancing in the air had cut right through his body, severing the moonlight along with it.
The best in the world... There was this much of a gap...?
The massive moon floating in the sky shattered and fell. The cascading remnants of the moon turned into shards of light and vanished without a trace.
Wung— The sword that had cleaved Neung Pyeong-ho emitted a sharp hum as it circled back to Namgung Jin-cheon.
The blade, still unstained by a single drop of blood, pointed directly at Je Cheon-hyeok.
"That’s one..."
Namgung Jin-cheon’s calm, unwavering gaze turned toward him.