Chapter 281: Leader of the Black Lotus Union (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 281: Leader of the Black Lotus Union (5)
───────────!!
An arrow tore through the air. Seo-jun reacted instantly.
Clang—!
The tip of his sword met the arrowhead. In the same breath, he pivoted on his left foot, his body rotating as he swept his blade upward in a great arc.
Riiiiiiip─────────!!
Its trajectory violently forced aside, the arrow soared as if to pierce the very heavens, leaving a dark, murky trail lingering in its wake.
Seo-jun shot the Profound Bow Emperor a disgruntled look.
"I mean..."
He wanted to complain about the sudden ambush, but the eyes of a martial artist who had just lost a friend held an indescribable, chilling intensity.
It wasn't mere resentment or hatred; it was a pure, singular obsession with avenging a fallen comrade. Staring into those eerie eyes made it difficult to toss out his usual lighthearted quips.
While Seo-jun and the Profound Bow Emperor locked eyes, the Transcendent Realm masters of both factions fell into a tense standoff.
Peng Geuk-jin bared his teeth.
"The Blade Sovereign! She's mine!"
Hwangbo Ryung clicked his tongue.
"This is a free-for-all. If you only focus on the Blade Sovereign, you'll get your head caved in from behind."
"Then I'll just dodge!"
"Fair enough."
The moment the words left his mouth, Peng Geuk-jin charged. Just as the strange tension was beginning to settle, he launched a sudden assault that no one expected.
"Hahaha...!"
Translucent red Astral Qi coated Peng Geuk-jin’s blade. Blade Sovereign Yu Cheon-rang clicked her tongue as she watched him hurtle toward her.
"Like a beast."
The blades of the Peng Clan were broad. Their techniques were rough and crude, but the sheer force behind their descending strikes carried power beyond imagination.
In contrast, Yu Cheon-rang’s blade was thin. Her swordsmanship was delicate, focusing on slicing the opponent with a razor-sharp edge rather than relying on brute force.
Craaaaack──────────!!
Peng Geuk-jin’s Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art crashed down, seemingly crushing the very space it occupied. Yu Cheon-rang stepped diagonally to evade.
Boom!
Even though the strike missed, the sheer momentum made her skin crawl. Resisting the violent gale created by Peng Geuk-jin’s blade— clack! —Yu Cheon-rang quickly adjusted her grip and slashed downward.
Rumble!
However, the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art struck twice. The collapsed space drew a jagged line and plummeted straight toward Yu Cheon-rang’s head.
Just as a wide-eyed Yu Cheon-rang tried to twist her body away, the Thousand-Mile Traveler Gong Cheon-hu stepped in.
He reached out his hand, attempting to seize the falling space.
"Not so fast!"
Pae Jin-gwang blocked his path. Among the Emperors Without Disease, Pae Jin-gwang was the one whose mindset most closely resembled Peng Geuk-jin’s.
Having moved the moment Peng Geuk-jin charged, Pae Jin-gwang was able to intercept the Thousand-Mile Traveler’s interference just in time.
Riiip!
The space manipulated by the Thousand-Mile Traveler was torn apart right within Pae Jin-gwang’s grasp.
The Thousand-Mile Traveler’s eyes widened.
"How?"
"How what?"
"You too... can manipulate space?"
"What are you talking about?"
Pae Jin-gwang grinned and flooded his entire body with strength. Bulge! His muscles swelled, visibly transcending the boundaries of humanity.
His internal energy was still stuck at a second-rate level. He couldn't use the kind of martial arts the Thousand-Mile Traveler used, which manipulated space through profound internal energy.
However, Pae Jin-gwang’s physical power had already surpassed common sense.
Screeeech!
Under that absurd, brute force, the space around his clenched fist began to crumble.
"You'll understand once you take a hit."
"I decline."
"I didn't ask, you brat!"
Boom!
Pae Jin-gwang kicked off the air. His overwhelming strength used space itself as a foothold.
Riiiiiiip──────────!!
The Thousand-Mile Traveler furrowed his brow as he watched Pae Jin-gwang charge recklessly.
"Ignorant."
Click! Strands of space hung from the tips of the Thousand-Mile Traveler’s ten fingers.
Slash!
As the Thousand-Mile Traveler crossed his arms, ten thread-like spatial slashes swept toward Pae Jin-gwang. However...
"Hah!"
Pae Jin-gwang’s muscles weren't about to be pierced by something like that.
"What?"
Clang! With a sharp sound, the spatial threads the Thousand-Mile Traveler controlled shattered completely.
"Insane."
It would be understandable if he were countering it like the Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord. One could simply accept the gap in skill and use a different method.
But this? Breaking space with sheer muscle? Could such a thing even be called human?
Kwah-aaaaang────────!!
Pae Jin-gwang’s punch shattered the very space where the Thousand-Mile Traveler had just been standing.
Having narrowly escaped by warping space, the Thousand-Mile Traveler reappeared beside the Evil-Eyed Wolf.
"That thing... is abnormal."
"Thousand-Mile Traveler?" Evil-Eyed Wolf Heuk-gang asked as he lightly parried Hwangbo Ryung’s fist. "What is the matter?"
"Compatibility... unfavorable."
The phrasing was difficult to follow, but Heuk-gang roughly understood.
It wasn't as if the Thousand-Mile Traveler spoke like that on purpose, so he simply had to deal with it. Supposedly, he had gained an Inner Demon as the price for peering into the abyss while manipulating space.
Wuuuung!
As Heuk-gang’s pupils locked onto Hwangbo Ryung, the latter's movements momentarily froze.
"In that case, first..."
"You bastard...!"
An infuriated Hwangbo Ryung unleashed the Thunderbolt Fist of Mount Tai. Rumble! A fist carrying overwhelming mass flew toward Heuk-gang.
Heuk-gang struck Hwangbo Ryung’s wrist with the iron fan in his hand.
Thud—
It was a light movement, yet Hwangbo Ryung’s fist, which held immense power, was effortlessly knocked upward.
It was due to Heuk-gang’s eye technique.
The Swallow Eye Ghost Blade Divine Art was a martial art born from the desire to return to the Dao by training one's eyes. The ability to bind an opponent just by looking at them, and furthermore, to see through and grasp their every movement, was notorious throughout the Murim.
"Urgh...!"
Hwangbo Ryung quickly twisted his body, but— tap —Heuk-gang’s iron fan lightly tapped his flank.
"Guh...!"
Crack! His breath hitched. A vivid crack appeared in the Protective Astral Qi surrounding Hwangbo Ryung’s body.
The Protective Astral Qi of the Hwangbo Clan, famous for its unparalleled sturdiness, had suffered this much damage from a single blow.
'Dammit.'
Hwangbo Ryung had no choice but to admit it. Compatibility aside, this Evil-Eyed Wolf was strong.
"Hahaha! Serves you right, Mahjong King!"
Just then, Pae Jin-gwang, who had been chasing the Thousand-Mile Traveler, swung his fist at Heuk-gang.
Riiip!
A fist that crushed space came flying. Heuk-gang watched it and activated his eye technique.
Wuuuung!
Heuk-gang was certain. It had landed perfectly.
This was different from the Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord, against whom his eye technique hadn't worked at all for reasons he couldn't fathom.
Since the technique had landed, the man's movements should have stopped for an instant. Heuk-gang naturally closed the distance, only for a fist to fly right into his face.
"What...?"
Kwah-aaaaang─────────!!
The space warped by the Thousand-Mile Traveler, combined with Heuk-gang’s instinctive reaction—those two factors were all that saved Heuk-gang’s life.
"Gah...!"
Schlick! Heuk-gang’s figure was blasted far back. The left side of his head was covered in blood.
Heuk-gang glared at Pae Jin-gwang with wide eyes.
"What trick did you use?!"
"So what!"
"What?"
Pae Jin-gwang charged at the bewildered Heuk-gang. Heuk-gang activated his eye technique once more, but Pae Jin-gwang didn't care.
'It's just a forbidden art at best.'
It seemed to suppress the spirit to stop movement, but well-trained muscles remembered their own movements.
In other words, if you wanted to stop Pae Jin-gwang, you had to suppress his muscles directly.
That is, if you could even suppress the greatest muscles in the Central Plains!
"Hah!"
Pae Jin-gwang twisted his waist with all his might.
As his fist swung, a figure flew in.
"Huh?"
Pae Jin-gwang’s eyes widened as he quickly diverted the trajectory of his punch.
Kwah-aaaaang────────!!
The punch struck empty air, shattering the innocent space into pieces.
A body brushed past through the scattering fragments of space. It was Peng Geuk-jin.
"Hahaha! My bad!"
Quickly flipping his body and kicking off the air, Peng Geuk-jin swung his blade with all his might. Against him, Blade Sovereign Yu Cheon-rang also drew a perfectly straight trajectory with her own blade.
Bang—!
Blade met blade, and both were repelled backward.
Slash!
Yu Cheon-rang sliced through the collapsing space once more.
"Whoops."
Riiip! The cleanly severed space collapsed onto the surroundings like a falling giant tree.
As the others quickly cleared the area, the Emperor, who was directly beneath it, lightly waved his hand.
Thuuuuuuud────────!!
A massive hammer emerged from a spatial chest and cleanly erased the aftermath of the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art.
"I'm glad to see everyone's having such a good time."
The Emperor chuckled as he faced the Black Dragon Sect Leader. The Black Dragon Sect Leader, Cheok-yo, gave a slightly stiff smile. His entire body was covered in minor wounds.
"You are strong."
"Ah, of course, of course. If I, Ju Won-jang, weren't strong, then who would be?"
"The Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord."
"He's an exception. He's a monster."
Ju Won-jang smirked and swung his spear in a wide arc. Even though he swung it casually with one hand, the momentum was extraordinary.
"Hup...!"
Thump! Cheok-yo tapped the air with the back of his hand. Simultaneously, he dispersed the natural energy supporting his feet, causing his body to drop rapidly downward.
"Oho."
Ju Won-jang let go of his spear and brushed his sleeves. Swish-swish-swish! Dozens of weapons were fired toward Cheok-yo.
Cheok-yo’s eyes narrowed. He had seen this several times already.
Cheok-yo’s wrist drew a circle.
Clang-clang-clang!
His chain-sword twisted like a dragon, deflecting the weapons.
But this was only the beginning. Knowing this, Cheok-yo grew tense.
To put it into perspective, this was merely the Emperor’s unique opening stance.
The Emperor manipulated the divine weapons bouncing in all directions as if they were extensions of his own body.
From swords, blades, spears, bows, whips, staffs, poles, nine-section whips, and flails, to twin-handed sabers...
And even divine weapons with unique functions like drums, trumpets, brushes, and crowns.
The Black Dragon Sect possessed numerous weapon techniques, but he had to admit the truth.
The number of weapon techniques the Emperor had mastered was already greater than all the techniques of the Black Dragon Sect combined.
"Now, now, you have to try harder. What are you going to do if you're this weak?"
His tone was incredibly light, but each attack was hauntingly persistent.
Above all, the true danger lay in the functions of those numerous divine weapons.
There weren't many that would pose a threat at the Transcendent Realm level, but the person wielding them was the real problem.
Various abilities were linked together, erupting incessantly and making it incredibly difficult to respond.
Boom!
After blocking a massive greatsword, Cheok-yo’s body was launched into the air. Likely due to the greatsword’s unique function, his body rose slightly higher than he had anticipated.
In that tiny opening, the Emperor abruptly expanded his domain.
"Bird's-Eye View of All Things."
Just as the corners of the Emperor’s mouth curled up into a chilling smile...
────────────!!
The Emperor quickly jerked his head back. An arrow pierced the space where his head had just been.
"Hey, watch where you're aiming!" the startled Emperor shouted.
Seo-jun snorted.
"You should be better at dodging. I was fighting five-on-one until just a moment ago, remember?"
Thud-thud-thud-thud! The Profound Bow Emperor’s feet moved in a mysterious trajectory, unleashing a barrage of kicks. His leg techniques were just as exceptional as his archery.
Seo-jun moved lightly, parrying all the attacks. Then, the moment he pushed the Profound Bow Emperor’s ankle aside—
Screeeech!
Using the force of being pushed back, the Profound Bow Emperor flipped his body and aimed his bow.
That black arrow again.
Seo-jun didn't know how many arrows the man carried, but since he recovered most of the fired arrows using Arrow Control by Qi, he rarely ran out of ammunition.
It felt like he had blocked them dozens of times already, yet there was no sign of his quiver emptying.
───────────!!
The moment the string was released, Seo-jun swung his left hand. Wuuung— A strange resonance echoed from his left hand as it met the arrowhead, and then...
Whoosh!
The arrow, its trajectory diverted, pierced the distant sky.
Seo-jun continued to trade moves with the Profound Bow Emperor, clicking his tongue inwardly.
'This is a bit...'
Behind the Profound Bow Emperor lay the dying Sin-pung. Perhaps because of that, the Profound Bow Emperor did not dodge any of the attacks Seo-jun sent his way.
Even when Seo-jun unleashed the Heaven-Defying Sun-Moon Art, the Profound Bow Emperor chose to fire an arrow to counter it directly, even though he could have clearly dodged.
How should he describe this? It felt very strange. It was as if he were being forced into a defensive position while someone held a hostage behind him.
Feeling like he had somehow become the villain, Seo-jun observed the situation instead of immediately taking the Profound Bow Emperor’s head.
'Actually, this is better.'
There were eleven Transcendent Realm masters gathered here. Even excluding himself and the dying Sin-pung, there were nine.
Since it was a life-and-death duel where everyone was aiming for each other's throats, they didn't hesitate to pull out their ultimate techniques. From Seo-jun’s perspective, this was no different from an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Wow! Nine times the martial arts!
While dealing with the Profound Bow Emperor, he simply watched the surrounding battles with his Qi sensing, absorbing their profound truths and growing in real-time.
The feeling of improving by the second was exhilarating.
He was continuing to grow so smoothly that his conscience even pricked him slightly, when...
"Hmm?"
A strange sense of dissonance washed over him. Something had changed.
Seo-jun’s eyes darted around quickly. The others seemed too preoccupied with their battles to notice the anomaly.
This was definitely...
Seo-jun’s eyes fixed on a single point in the air. He kicked away the Profound Bow Emperor’s foot aimed at his chin, then surged his internal energy, pouring it frantically into his eyes.
Flash!
Seo-jun’s eyes glowed brightly as they pierced through the void.
— You are quite impressive.
A sentence etched itself directly into his mind. Simultaneously, the chaotic noise of the battlefield vanished. It was an alien, suffocating silence.
Standing in mid-air, Seo-jun saw a hazy figure.
"Oh, boy..."
He quickly scanned his surroundings.
The Transcendent Realm masters nearby were frozen, plummeting helplessly toward the ground. Thud! Having crashed into the earth, their unblinking gazes were fixed toward the sky.
Only Seo-jun remained suspended in the air, able to lock eyes with that being at the same height.
Seo-jun furrowed his brow.
"Leader of the Black Lotus Union?"