Chapter 220: Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 220: Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord (2)
Seo-jun examined his internal state as he streaked toward the Sword Sect.
Trapped within him, the soul of the Giryeon Sect Leader was still screaming. Those screams, however, had nothing to do with the destruction of the Giryeon Sect. The man was merely suffering from his own endless agony.
‘A pity.’
Seo-jun had hoped to inflict even greater despair, but it seemed the only thing that mattered to the wretch was his own suffering.
Cr-crack!
Tearing through the fabric of space, Seo-jun looked down at the landscape unfolding beneath him. He hadn't reached the Sword Sect yet.
The Sword Sect was entirely different from the Giryeon Sect. Located deep within the territory of the Black Lotus Union, it wasn't a place one could just recklessly charge into.
Seo-jun sought revenge, not suicide.
‘I am not my father-in-law.’
Seo-jun knew exactly where he stood. Though he had grown stronger faster than anyone else in history, he was not yet on par with Namgung Jin-cheon.
Taking on four masters of the Transcendent Realm simultaneously was still impossible for him. He would fight to the bitter end if forced into such a situation, but he would never dive into it willingly.
Seo-jun knew all too well the pain of those left behind.
‘If the others weren't here...’
He might have just charged in alone. If he died, he died. If he survived, he would continue his bloody revenge. It would have been a gamble where he had nothing to lose.
But now, he had people by his side. He had Chun-bong, and he had Su-ah. He couldn't throw his life away so meaninglessly.
"Ideal World."
He deployed his Domain. Across the battlefield, countless warriors looked up at the sky in dread.
"A Domain...?"
"Wh-why is a Transcendent Realm martial artist here...!"
"Run! We must preserve our forces as much as possible!"
Seo-jun had memorized the strategic map back at the Murim Alliance headquarters. He had a crystal-clear grasp of the front lines surrounding the Sword Sect.
To destroy them entirely, he first had to whittle down their forces.
Heaven-Thunder Explosion.
Seeking lightning erupted from Seo-jun’s fingertips.
Rumble!
Jagged bolts of blue lightning traced complex, deadly lines across the battlefield.
"Aaaargh...!"
Swish!
The arc of lightning connecting one victim to the next was suddenly severed. A man had actually cut through the bolt. He was a Super Peak expert of the Sword Sect.
Seo-jun narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the battlefield.
There were three Sword Sect experts in total. Unusually, the Sword Sect was a faction of an elite few. Unlike the other Seven Evil Black Sects or the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans, their numbers were incredibly small.
He knew they only had one Transcendent Realm master—their Sect Leader—but Namgung Jin-cheon had already cut him down.
‘Which means killing even these stragglers wandering outside will deal them a massive blow.’
Strategically, it was the soundest choice.
Among all the warriors in the Murim, the disciples of the Sword Sect were some of the most difficult for Seo-jun to deal with. While Qi was inseparable from martial arts, the Sword Sect relied far more on the physical sword itself than on Qi.
"I shall buy us time."
A man lunged forward, gripping his blade. Kicking off the air, he closed the distance to Seo-jun in an instant.
"Geom-song."
The man announced his name.
Seo-jun did not offer his in return. Silently, he condensed the surrounding lightning to form a blade.
Heavenly Thunder Qi Sword.
A single ethereal sword shot forward, tracing a brilliant blue arc. Geom-song swung his blade upward to parry.
Sla-sh—
The moment his steel cut through the Heavenly Thunder Qi Sword, Geom-song’s hair stood on end. His entire body went completely numb.
"Kuh...!"
Geom-song kicked off the air and hastily retreated.
Because Seo-jun exercised absolute dominion over Qi, he held an overwhelming advantage against the vast majority of martial artists. Conversely, no such elemental advantage existed against the warriors of the Sword Sect. They were the only ones who could face Seo-jun on relatively equal footing.
But that was all.
Shring—
Seo-jun drew his sword. A pitch-black energy flickered along the edge like dark lightning.
Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.
At best, these men were only at the Super Peak Realm. While the most exceptional among them might stand a chance against a Transcendent Realm master, they still had their limits.
Mount Tai Pressure Peak.
The descending strike crushed Geom-song along with the very space he occupied.
BOOOOOOOOM—!!
A massive canyon was violently carved into the earth along the sword's trajectory.
There was no scream. No final words. A Super Peak expert had been obliterated without leaving a single trace behind.
Seo-jun let go of his hilt. Woooong— The Demonic Sword hovered in the air, howling and thirsting for blood.
"Seeking the end of the sword, you say...?"
Seo-jun’s brow furrowed. It was pathetic. He didn't care about their circumstances or their pride.
If they walked the path of the sword, he would utterly deny it.
Cr-crack!
Tearing through space again, Seo-jun appeared directly before another disciple of the Sword Sect.
"You...!"
The man hurriedly thrust his sword forward. Seo-jun merely made a simple gesture.
Immortal Pointing the Way.
The profound mystique of the sword? He ignored it intentionally. His blade shot forward, accompanied by violently surging Demonic Qi.
CRAAAAACK—
The opponent couldn't block it. His desperate attempt to deflect the blow using the Mystique of Adhesion ended as just that—a mere attempt.
The sword strike that pierced his chest erupted upward with such force that it punctured the very clouds in the sky. Pulled down by the sheer pressure, those clouds transformed into a drizzling rain.
Seo-jun waved his hand. The falling drizzle instantly condensed into countless liquid blades and shot forward.
The last remaining Sword Sect disciple stood his ground against the onslaught.
"Hmph...!"
Swish, swish! His sword seemed to multiply. Drawing countless rapid variations, his blade deflected every single drop of the incoming rain.
Seo-jun raised his hand. The sky of his Domain condensed into the terrifying shape of a giant sword.
Emperor Sword Form.
As he recited the chant, memories of the past flashed by. His heart ached, pierced by the memory of his father-in-law’s bewilderingly generous trust.
The end result of that grief was pure, unadulterated rage.
With eyes dyed a murderous crimson, he swung the sword of Namgung.
SHREEEEEEED—
The colossal sword, swung with all his might, simply erased the landscape before him.
Seo-jun looked out over the newly desolate scenery. There were still a few warriors of the Black Lotus Union attempting to flee the carnage.
"Not a single one escapes."
It didn't take long for their breaths to be permanently extinguished.
* * *
Seo-jun sheathed his sword.
The Righteous Faction warriors stared at him blankly. Their gazes held awe, but even more so, a profound, primal fear.
He had used Demonic Qi openly in front of them all. Someone might try to pick a fight over this later.
‘Let them.’
Perhaps he even hoped for it. He wished someone would dare to challenge him. Just so he could pour out this endless rage.
He wasn't worried about any political repercussions for the Namgung Clan. He already possessed enough absolute power to silence any dissent.
He still remembered his father-in-law’s words.
‘Demonic Qi is ultimately just a tool; it depends on how you use it.’
That was enough. Since the head of the Namgung Clan had accepted it, Seo-jun didn't care about anything else.
If someone dared to bare their teeth using his Demonic Qi as an excuse, he would welcome it with open arms. It would just be an excuse to prune the weeds that might threaten the Namgung Clan in the future.
Seo-jun kicked off the air. The space ahead tore open, and his figure vanished into the void in an instant.
A heavy, suffocating silence lingered over the ruined battlefield long after he was gone.
* * *
Seo-jun roamed the nearby battlefields, hunting down stragglers, before returning to the Namgung Clan just before nightfall.
After washing the blood and grime from his body, he went straight to Namgung Su-ah’s room. Inside, he found Chun-bong violently nodding off, engaged in a fierce, losing struggle against her own drowsiness.
"I'm back," he said softly.
Chun-bong snapped her head up and waved frantically.
"Ack! Um... what were you doing?"
"Just a bit of cleaning."
"Cleaning?" Chun-bong scratched her soft cheek, clearly confused. "Well, anyway. I think Su-ah is a bit calmer now. She woke up earlier and went back to sleep, but she seems okay."
"Is that so?"
Seo-jun sat down beside Chun-bong. Perhaps sensing his presence, Namgung Su-ah’s eyelashes fluttered.
Soon, her blue eyes slowly opened, finding Seo-jun in the dim light.
"Seo-jun..."
Namgung Su-ah weakly sat up. She looked back and forth between Chun-bong and Seo-jun, then offered a bitter, fragile smile.
"...I'm sorry. I've been such a burden."
"What burden? Don't say that. Just get some more rest."
The conversation died. A heavy, awkward silence filled the room.
Chun-bong’s eyes darted between the two of them before she abruptly stood up.
"Ya—wn... Wow, I'm so sleepy! I should probably head out."
With that terribly forced excuse, Chun-bong slipped out to give them some space.
Only Namgung Su-ah and Seo-jun remained in the quiet room.
Seo-jun hesitated, entirely unsure of what to say. Words felt useless. Instead, he simply leaned forward and pulled Namgung Su-ah into his arms.
Held tightly in his embrace, Namgung Su-ah said nothing. She just gripped Seo-jun’s sleeve, her small frame trembling uncontrollably.
Soon, he felt a warm dampness soaking through the fabric on his chest. Seo-jun gently patted her back, letting her cry.
‘Perhaps...’
He swallowed the words before they could leave his lips. He couldn't torment her with false hope or theories he wasn't even sure of.
‘Father-in-law’s death might be different from the kind of death we think it is.’
A potential way to confirm this theory had crossed his mind, but he wasn't sure if it was even possible. He would only speak to her about it once he knew for certain.
"...Once again, I couldn't do anything," Namgung Su-ah choked out, her voice muffled against his chest.
"When I lost my mother... and this time, too... I, again..."
Namgung Su-ah wept bitterly for a long time. She didn't say anything more, but Seo-jun knew exactly what she was feeling. She was blaming herself.
"Ugh... sob..."
After weeping until she had no tears left, Namgung Su-ah eventually fell asleep in Seo-jun’s arms.
He carefully laid her down on the bed and pulled the covers up. Her red, swollen eyes were heartbreaking to look at.
He wanted to offer some words of comfort, but the words simply wouldn't come.
‘I am exactly the same.’
He hadn't been able to do anything either. He hadn't been where he needed to be. He had grown too complacent with his strength.
‘This must never happen again.’
He had received so much from his father-in-law. Since he had failed to protect the man himself, he had to at least protect what the man had died trying to protect.
‘What I can do from now on...’
The absolute revival of the Namgung Clan. And revenge.
Every single sin committed against them would be paid for in blood.
Seo-jun’s eyes flickered with a cold, crimson light in the darkened room.
* * *
As he quietly stepped out of Namgung Su-ah’s room, he saw Chun-bong waiting for him, leaning against a wooden pillar in the corridor.
"How is she?"
"She fell asleep."
As Seo-jun approached, Chun-bong pushed off the pillar and fell into step beside him.
"Talk to me for a second."