Chapter 420
Chapter 420
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 110
>Chapter Title: The First Realm (1)
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“Cough... cough... So you’ve finally laid hands on that child, Wi So-yeon?”
The Heavenly Earth Society Leader staggered, clutching the wall as he tried to launch his body into the air with the Skywalking Void Technique to pursue Mok Kyung-un.
Though Mok Kyung-un had blocked the golden barrier with a mysterious technique midway, the Leader’s internal injuries were severe.
-Drip!
Black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Wiping it away with his teeth clenched, the Heavenly Earth Society Leader slumped against the wall and collapsed to the floor.
“And yet I prepared so thoroughly.”
In the end, he had to rely on someone else.
The Heavenly Earth Society Leader gazed at Mok Kyung-un, who was growing ever more distant.
He had thought him merely a specter of the Moon Vein, but that was not all.
What was his true identity?
Even with Ryu So-wol of the Moon Vein attached to him, could someone who wasn’t even the man himself achieve this much?
[This is a greeting from your disciple. Wi So-yeon of the Noble Spear Wi Clan.]
The Heavenly Earth Society Leader recalled the first time he saw her.
She was still young then, but she bore an uncanny resemblance to the portrait in the shrine.
As she grew, she looked more and more like it.
[If you continue administering this along with the spirit medicines, within ten years, the extreme chill of the Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians will no longer run rampant.]
[The Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians won’t run rampant anymore?]
[Yes.]
[Then... you knew from the start that she had the Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians?]
[That is not something for the Society Leader to concern himself with.]
[What exactly does that lord desire?]
[He desires little. He gave only one instruction.]
[What did he say?]
[Simply teach the children he accepted as disciples so that they may build bonds with one another.]
[Teach them well so they can build bonds?]
-Grind!
The Heavenly Earth Society Leader ground his teeth.
He knew what that lord intended, so he understood the meaning at once.
That was why he believed he had to stop it now.
If he openly revealed his will like this, the man would surely try to exclude him, ignoring that lord’s intentions.
‘Little by little... just twist it bit by bit.’
He would never let it happen as they wished.
Even if that lord truly willed it himself, that was ancient history long past.
The past should remain buried.
It was not something to achieve by defying all heavenly principles.
And she did not want it.
[I’m sorry.]
The Heavenly Earth Society Leader replaced all the medicines Wi So-yeon was to take and secretly burned them.
If things went according to that lord’s will anyway, living would be no different from dying.
Better to follow the fated path.
But as long as she lived, he would support her in doing everything she desired.
Even if it was futile struggling.
Yet that man had twisted even his own plans.
[It seems Lady Wi So-yeon’s Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians have not only improved but been completely cured.]
[What?]
[Her complexion has returned, and her energy has stabilized.]
Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Earth Society Leader had fallen deep into thought.
No matter how he tried to change it, would it all unfold as that man desired?
Was this what fate meant?
Gazing at Mok Kyung-un’s retreating figure, the Heavenly Earth Society Leader extended his fingertips and murmured.
“If you truly are the one chosen by Ryu So-wol... never let that child be taken from you.”
* * *
Far to the northeast of Wi So-yeon’s residence manor.
The buildings there were almost all destroyed, with scarcely any intact structures, and the area lay in ruins.
Scattered amid the devastation were countless corpses.
These were members of the sub-society who followed Wi So-yeon.
Though they held the smallest faction among the various groups, that was only relative; her followers numbered around two thousand.
Of course, due to the Society Leader’s emergency summons, only a fraction of that—a mere quarter—remained here.
Even so, there had been nearly five hundred.
“Haa... haa...”
Myeongdo King Son Yun exhaled ragged breaths as he scanned his surroundings.
The only ones still standing were one grand division leader and three warriors who appeared to be division leaders.
In contrast, over twenty masked enemies remained.
‘They’re definitely not outsiders.’
These were surely spies who had infiltrated the Heavenly Earth Society long ago.
They were familiar with their tactics and formations, knowing the society warriors’ weaknesses all too well.
Moreover,
‘Five times our numbers, and this is the result.’
Each one was an extraordinary fighter.
The enemies had numbered only about a hundred.
Yet every one was at least a peak master, fearless even of death, leading to this outcome.
-Clang clang clang clang!
At that moment, the sharp clash of metal rang out violently, sending gusts of wind pressure in all directions.
It was the sound of Sword Demon Ji Oe clashing with that hulking giant—even taller than the massive Son Yun himself.
-Boom!
Ji Oe, unleashing his full sword strike, was repelled, crashing through a wall and rolling across the ground.
“Urghhh.”
Ji Oe’s face was a mess of bruises as he rolled.
Despite the pain, he sprang up, flipping his waist to stand.
“Ptoo. Hoo... hoo... What kind of monster shows no sign of fatigue?”
Ji Oe spat blood and clicked his tongue.
Watching him, Myeongdo King Son Yun gripped one of his unique weapons, the Giant Blade Blazing Radiance.
If Mad Sword Guest Ji Oe hadn’t appeared, he and everyone else would have already lost their lives.
He had heard Ji Oe’s swordsmanship was among the top ten across the orthodox sects, but he hadn’t realized it was this formidable.
Thanks to him joining, they had barely managed a joint assault to hold the enemy.
But now they were reaching their limit.
That short-haired vermilion giant showed no fatigue whatsoever, while they were gasping, their stamina nearly depleted.
“Hoo... hoo... How long do you plan to rest?”
In response to Ji Oe’s shout, Son Yun replied.
“I’ve rested enough. I was just about to join you.”
With that, Son Yun assumed the seventh form of the Bright Sun Blade Art, Riding the Herd, with the Giant Blade Blazing Radiance.
Likewise, Sword Demon Ji Oe summoned his sword aura, preparing to launch himself at the enemy.
In contrast, the vermilion-haired hulking man—no, the monster who called himself Gang Yeom—took no stance or form.
He merely raised his soot-stained crude blade.
‘Strange.’
Watching him, Myeongdo King Son Yun’s suspicions, which had been growing since earlier, intensified.
It was odd enough that someone this strong was unknown, but he didn’t seem to be exerting his full power against their joint assault.
Frankly, he was only using enough skill to stay one move ahead.
What was his true aim?
Son Yun’s gaze fell on Wi So-yeon, unconscious far off, guarded by two masked figures surrounding her.
‘Even if those two are blocking our escape and fighting desperately, we’re nearly wiped out. Why aren’t they fleeing? If Lady Wi So-yeon is their ultimate goal, they could easily escape.’
That was why it felt like they were deliberately dragging out time.
It didn’t seem like they were waiting for their leader, Gang Yeom, to escape the Heavenly Earth Society.
Unclear as their intentions were, they had no choice but to play along.
‘If reinforcements arrive, we can turn the tide.’
Until then, they had to hold them somehow.
Myeongdo King Son Yun gathered all his qi and unleashed the seventh form of the Bright Sun Blade Art, Final Shattering Net of Oblivion.
-Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!
As he swung his blade, a blue blade aura surged like raging waves toward Gang Yeom.
It appeared simple, but carried an overwhelming domineering momentum.
Similarly, Ji Oe leaped into the air, ensuring Gang Yeom couldn’t evade, weaving a sword net of sword auras like a mesh to bind his movements.
‘Eight Swords!’
With transcendent blade and sword strikes assailing from front and back, Gang Yeom didn’t flinch.
Instead, he raised his crude blade overhead, then
-Slashhhh!
swung it, hooking the incoming sword net of sword auras from behind and redirecting it with a flowing technique toward Son Yun’s Final Shattering Net of Oblivion.
‘What?’
‘He redirected a sword strike made of qi?’
Ji Oe looked incredulous, halting his technique and trying to recall it.
But part of the unleashed sword net had already
-Clang clang clang clang clang!
collided with the blade momentum of Final Shattering Net of Oblivion, canceling each other out.
Though Final Shattering Net of Oblivion seemed stronger in sheer power, Ji Oe’s sword surpassed it in realm and internal energy, making it hard for Son Yun to withstand the backlash.
-Crash crash crash clang!
“Urk.”
He swung his blade to block the aftermath, but Son Yun’s body was pushed back.
As the repelled Son Yun came to a stop, he vomited a mouthful of blood.
“Urk.”
Son Yun’s complexion turned deathly pale.
‘As I thought.’
Son Yun glared at Gang Yeom.
Despite the opening he had created, Gang Yeom just stood there watching.
During a multi-person joint assault, it might be to watch for blind spots in incoming attacks from all sides, but not now.
Indeed, the enemy was conserving strength and buying time.
Planting his blade into the ground to steady himself, Son Yun shouted.
“What trickery is this?”
Gang Yeom, expressionless, crossed his arms behind his back with the crude blade in hand, and replied.
“Trickery?”
“Then what is this if not trickery? This is the great Heavenly Earth Society. No matter how strong you are, dragging this out only puts you at a disadvantage. What’s your scheme...”
“Hmph.”
Before he finished, Gang Yeom snorted.
What did that laugh mean?
As Son Yun puzzled, Gang Yeom slowly walked toward him and said.
“I must’ve been too obvious.”
“What?”
“Now I can afford to kill one more.”
“You bastard...”
-Boom!
Gang Yeom kicked off the ground, debris exploding upward as his figure instantly closed to within five paces of Myeongdo King Son Yun.
Son Yun, bracing himself with his blade stuck in the ground, hastily pulled it free to block, but
-Clang!
Gang Yeom’s crude blade cleaved Son Yun’s treasured broadsword Blazing Radiance in half and aimed to bisect him as well.
In that instant, Ji Oe flew at Gang Yeom’s back, thrusting his sword toward the man’s back and neck.
Gang Yeom spun his body in a flash, and
-Thud!
kicked Ji Oe’s right ribs with a leg technique.
-Crack!
“Gah!”
Sword Demon Ji Oe’s body was sent flying.
Thanks to Ji Oe, not only did he save his life, but with the opening created, Son Yun couldn’t miss the chance and stabbed at Gang Yeom’s back with his broken blade.
-Clang!
‘No?’
Son Yun’s eyes widened.
Even a broken blade should have pierced the back, yet it shattered completely as if blocked by something hard.
-Swish!
Gang Yeom turned his head slightly and muttered.
“Not bad, but we’re different from you.”
“What?”
In that moment, Gang Yeom’s crude blade pierced straight through Myeongdo King Son Yun’s abdomen.
-Pierce!
“Gah!”
“That’s enough. Rest now, human.”
-Thud!
Staggering, Son Yun gripped the enemy’s blade protruding from his body and the man’s wrist tightly.
Seeing this, Gang Yeom scoffed.
“This changes nothing. If I just twist the blade upward...”
“Do as you like. Cough cough... I don’t care how I die.”
“What?”
-Smile!
Myeongdo King Son Yun bared bloodstained teeth in a bright grin.
“It’s just futile struggling.”
That was the moment.
Ji Oe, who had been sent flying by Gang Yeom’s kick, was now hurtling toward him with a leap.
Gang Yeom’s lips curled slightly upward.
“Impressive. But...”
-Crack!
“Urk!”
Ignoring Son Yun’s desperate grip on his blade and wrist, Gang Yeom twisted his wrist in the direction of the blade, lifting it upward to cleave Son Yun’s upper body and head in half.
Sensing death, Son Yun gave a bitter smile.
‘Regrettable.’
Even against a monster, he wanted to take at least an arm, but it seemed this was the end.
Yet,
-Flinch!
As Gang Yeom raised the blade, he looked upward, then
-Whoosh!
released the blade from his grip and launched his body backward with all his might.
-Pierce!
In the spot he vacated, a sword thrust up from the ground.
Seeing the hilt, Myeongdo King Son Yun’s pupils trembled.
That sword was none other than the demon sword Ak Jeuk.
“Ak... Jeuk? Cough cough...”
Its owner was undoubtedly...
-Thud!
Someone landed lightly before him with a light step.
Carrying a woman at his waist, no less.
-Thud!
“Ugh!”
Releasing his hold, the woman fell butt-first to the ground.
The woman was Gi Ok-ryeon, daughter of Yangam Valley Lord Gi Hae, whom he had sent earlier to seek aid.
Come to think of it, Mad Sword Guest Ji Oe had suddenly mentioned someone with an odd name mid-battle, and he had wondered if he misheard.
But it was really this guy?
“You...”
“What a mess.”
“How are you...”
-Thud!
Ji Oe, who had been leaping forward, halted before Mok Kyung-un, staggering before kneeling on one knee and bowing.
“Haa... haa... My apologies, my lord. My skills fall short of his.”
‘My lord?’
The transcendent master Mad Sword Guest Ji Oe, who had reached the Flower Realm, was calling this guy his lord?