Chapter 122
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Battle Against the Heavenly Remnant Twin Evils
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Indeed, the martial prowess of the Heavenly Remnant Twin Evils was formidable. Though it was a surprise attack, they had neutralized an Ice Sword Brigade member in a single strike.
“Hahaha!”
The Heavenly Killer Axe swung his massive greataxe once more.
Whooosh!
Thud thud thud!
Three warriors from the White Troops unit went flying at once. They had each tried to defend with their weapons, but it was utterly useless.
“Kekeke, you're all too weak!”
As the Heavenly Killer Axe prepared to rampage like a mad beast again, a single spear shot toward him at terrifying speed.
Screeech!
“What the hell?”
The Heavenly Killer Axe swung his enormous axe to bat away the spear tip. Considering the weapon's size, it was an astonishingly agile motion.
Claaaang!
“...!”
But the force imbued in the spear far exceeded his expectations.
Unable to fully dissipate it, the Heavenly Killer Axe stumbled back two steps.
“You're mine.”
The spear's owner was none other than Dong Ho-won.
“...You cocky little brat.”
A thick axe qi gathered along the Heavenly Killer Axe's greataxe.
“Die!”
Whooosh!
As the axe moved, crescent-shaped sword qi formed and hurtled straight toward Dong Ho-won.
“...”
Dong Ho-won's eyes gleamed sharply.
‘Impressive, as expected.’
Hummm!
His spear tip quivered faintly before thrusting forward like lightning.
‘Falling Petal Ten Thousand Lakes!’
Fwaaaah!
Vivid spear qi erupted along his weapon.
Splaaat!
The axe qi and spear qi clashed head-on in midair.
KABOOOM!
With an enormous explosion, the two closed the distance and collided.
Boom!
At that moment, Eom Mu-hwi was blocking the other of the Heavenly Remnant Twin Evils, the Residual Blood Sword.
The Residual Blood Sword was a slender man who wielded two short daggers.
“I see. So you're the North Sea Hand Tiger.”
“That's right.”
The Residual Blood Sword licked the blade of one of his daggers. The edge sliced his tongue, staining it with blood.
“Kekeke. Soon, I'll have your blood on it too.”
“It won't be that easy.”
“Hmph!”
Flash!
In that instant, the Residual Blood Sword's form seemed to teleport right in front of Eom Mu-hwi's nose.
“...!”
It was the Residual Blood Sword's movement technique, Instant Shadow Step, which covered short distances at blinding speed. The daggers in both his hands slashed in fiercely.
But Eom Mu-hwi didn't panic in the slightest. He simply moved his hands.
Clang!
Even as his bare hands met the daggers, a sharp metallic ring echoed. It was thanks to the Soul-Hooking Hand qi gathered on Eom Mu-hwi's palms.
As the daggers locked with his hands, the Residual Blood Sword spoke.
“Ho, you use some unusual qi.”
A faint smile tugged at Eom Mu-hwi's lips.
“It's just as powerful.”
Rumble!
His hands began to slowly push back the Residual Blood Sword's daggers.
“...!”
The Residual Blood Sword's eyes widened.
“You bastard!”
His pride wounded, he had no choice but to retreat. As he fell back, his body spun ferociously.
Following that motion, his two daggers flew in at horrifying speed.
Shoooosh!
Clang clang clang clang!
Pushed back by the Residual Blood Sword's momentum, Eom Mu-hwi blocked the daggers with his hands again and retreated.
“How's that, you bastard!”
Having seized the initiative, the Residual Blood Sword pressed his ferocious assault.
Pa pa pa pa!
“...”
But Eom Mu-hwi remained calm. He swiftly widened the gap, evading the onslaught.
“Dream on!”
Thus, the Residual Blood Sword chased while Eom Mu-hwi retreated, repeating the pattern.
Watching their duel from afar, Seol Hwa-un nodded.
‘Good response.’
There was no need to meet the enemy's momentum head-on.
As time passed, the foe would tire, putting them at an advantage.
‘Lucky we found them so quickly.’
It had been worth convincing the sub-branch leader of the Poison Wine Pavilion.
“I heard those mad dogs, the Heavenly Remnant Twin Evils, are heading this way. I suspect the Blood Sword Legion summoned them.”
Thanks to that, they had obtained crucial information in advance.
Seol Hwa-un had ordered Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi to monitor the situation and engage the Twin Evils immediately upon their arrival.
This minimized allied casualties and allowed them to intercept the enemies.
‘Eom Mu-hwi, Dong Ho-won. Tough opponents, but I believe you two can win.’
Combined with their Central Plains expedition experience, their growth over the past two years was acknowledged by everyone in the North Sea Ice Palace.
“...”
At that moment, sensing something, Seol Hwa-un shifted his gaze.
‘He's finally here.’
The master radiating an overwhelming presence, the Blood Sword Legion, had appeared inside the Poison Wine Pavilion sub-branch.
Emerging suddenly, he smirked.
“Kept you waiting?”
“I wondered when you'd show.”
“I've heard endlessly about your incredible martial arts. Setting aside revenge, I was quite curious.”
“That one punch must have left you wanting more.”
“Of course.”
Seol Hwa-un quietly released his qi.
Boom!
A heavy resonance spread in all directions.
“...”
The Blood Sword Legion's face stiffened slightly.
‘Damn, that wasn't even his full power back then.’
Seol Hwa-un glanced around briefly.
“Busy, so let's make this quick.”
The sub-branch warriors were fighting valiantly, but the disparity in strength was too vast. The longer it dragged on, the worse it would get.
Shing!
The Blood Sword Legion drew his signature blade, the Red Death Sword—a demonic sword with a faint blood-red glow.
Seol Hwa-un lightly thrust out his fist.
Whoosh!
But the result was anything but light. Condensed fist wind extended from his punch.
Paaaang!
It was the North Sea Wind God Fist, debuting here in the Central Plains for the first time.
‘Such a heavy fist wind!’
The first form, North Sea Wind Wall, unleashed in an extremely narrow range.
Yet it was still large enough to engulf the Blood Sword Legion's entire body.
“Hmph!”
Startled for a moment, the Blood Sword Legion sneered and brought down his Red Death Sword in a wide arc.
Slaaaash!
The fist wind was cleaved in two. But immediately after, the second form of the North Sea Wind God Fist, Coiling Wind Wave, came flying.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Two massive fist qi surged chaotically toward the Blood Sword Legion.
“...!”
His pupils trembled. The trajectory was impossible to predict.
‘Damn, I misjudged.’
Swordsmen generally had far greater reach than fist fighters.
Thus, the Blood Sword Legion had assumed Seol Hwa-un would close in to attack.
Yet he mocked that notion by striking first with ranged fist qi from a distance.
‘But I am the Blood Sword Legion.’
Blood-red sword qi gathered on his blade. It didn't stop there—it sharpened further, forming a crimson sword gang over two cheok long.
It was the Blood Sword Gang that countless martial artists feared and called by name, unique to the Blood Sword Legion.
“...”
He took a large step forward. As if waiting, the Coiling Wind Wave's fist qi bore down.
“Hah!”
Kaboom!!
The fist qi shattered powerlessly against the Blood Sword Gang. In that instant, the Blood Sword Legion's eyes widened slightly.
“...!”
Seol Hwa-un's form was already right in front of him.
“Let's see the might of that Blood Sword Gang.”
Fwaaaah!
His fist, cloaked in vivid fist gang, descended toward the Blood Sword Legion.
“...!”
The Blood Sword Legion felt as if a giant hammer was about to crush him.
‘Not a chance!’
Screeech!
The blood-red Red Death Sword clashed against the fist gang.
KABOOM!
The impact hurled both figures backward.
“You bastard!”
Unable to accept the mutual standoff, the Blood Sword Legion closed in instantly and thrust his sword.
Screeech!
Seol Hwa-un countered without yielding, extending his fist.
The fist gang and sword gang collided once more.
Boom!
Shooosh!
Fwaaaah!
The Blood Sword Legion's crimson trails intertwined wildly with Seol Hwa-un's pure white ones.
Each clash produced deafening explosions.
Kwa kwa boom!
As the even exchange continued, faint surprise flickered in the Blood Sword Legion's eyes.
‘Fist gang that matches my Blood Sword Gang.’
He had thought only a fist demon could rival him with fist gang.
He never imagined some kid not yet thirty could block it.
‘Why is this bastard so strong!’
Perhaps sensing his rage.
The Blood Sword Gang deepened.
“Die!”
The Red Death Sword swept horizontally in a massive arc.
Fwaaaaaah!
A sharp, intense slash that seemed to rend space itself.
‘Just as rumored, a swordsmanship brimming with killing intent.’
Seol Hwa-un elevated his inner energy further. His fist gang sharpened and grew larger.
Hummm!
Pure white chill concentrated on his fist.
‘Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist, Third Form.’
Seol Hwa-un's fist thrust forward.
‘Myriad Snow Assault Break!’
A far more vivid and massive fist shadow than any before extended forth, clashing with the Red Death Sword.
Kwaaaaah BOOM!
Rumble rumble!
The explosion shook the earth.
“Urk!”
The Blood Sword Legion felt a shock like his palms might tear off, forcing him back.
Barely keeping hold of his sword was a small mercy.
‘Such a fist strike...!’
It was a fist technique laden with an entirely different level of weight.
Flash!
But Seol Hwa-un's assault wasn't over.
Before the Blood Sword Legion could fully steady himself, another fist strike flew in.
Paaang!
The Blood Sword Legion's face twisted involuntarily.
‘Damn it.’
Kwaaaaah BOOM!!
“Gahk!”
The Blood Sword Legion's form skidded backward. He barely blocked with the Red Death Sword, but internal injuries were unavoidable.
“...”
Fortunately for him, no further attacks followed.
The Blood Sword Legion wiped blood from his mouth.
“Not as impressive as I thought.”
At Seol Hwa-un's words, the Blood Sword Legion's face hardened rigidly.
“If I had time, we could play longer, but no choice. Time to end this.”
“What?”
Seol Hwa-un's form charged at terrifying speed.
Pa pa pa!
A speed on another level entirely. The Blood Sword Legion's eyes widened on their own.
‘He had this much reserve left?’
Whoosh!
Seol Hwa-un's fist was already at his face.
“...!”
Boom!
“Groan!”
He barely raised protective qi to defend, but couldn't fully absorb the impact.
As he staggered, Seol Hwa-un's fist strikes flew again.
Shooosh!
Three fist shadows targeted his head, chest, and lower abdomen simultaneously.
Unbeknownst to the Blood Sword Legion, this was the Elder Council's newly reinterpreted Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist—Three Layers Pressure Fist.
Not limited to a single point, it could now divide into three separate strikes for dispersed attacks.
“...!”
In utter disadvantage, the Blood Sword Legion hesitated.
‘To think he's this strong... No helping it.’
In that moment, a dark crimson light flickered in his eyes.
Kwa kwa boom!
Deafening explosions rang out in succession. Shockingly, the one pushed back was Seol Hwa-un, the attacker.
Even he found it bewildering.
‘How...?’
“You've forced me to use this. Consider it a compliment.”
The Red Death Sword now shimmered with a sword gang darker than before—jet-black crimson.
Tsss tsss!
Moreover, the Blood Sword Legion exuded an entirely different aura than previously.
“...”
Seol Hwa-un's eyes changed.
‘That’s...’
“Now that you've seen it, I have no choice but to kill you.”
Flash!
With those words, the Blood Sword Legion's form vanished like smoke.