You Really Staked Your Life!
‘Bandits?’
Ya Ri and the others wore strange expressions.
‘Bandits?’
Yuk Ban-jang stared at Yeop Hyeon’s face for a long moment as well.
“Haha, what? Does it sound weird?”
The looks they gave Yeop Hyeon grew even stranger.
A bandit mercenary group. The term did feel a bit off somehow. Still, no one seemed to mind too much.
“Fine, then. We’ll go with that, like you said.”
With Yuk Ban-jang raising no objections, their name was thus decided.
Yuk Ban-jang silently gazed at Yeop Hyeon’s face, wondering what he might be thinking.
Their trust in Yeop Hyeon ran that deep. And Yeop Hyeon trusted Yuk Ban-jang and the rest quite a bit too.
They hadn’t known each other long, but they were already comrades who had crossed the threshold of life and death together.
At that moment, the transmission stone in Yeop Hyeon’s bosom vibrated, and a voice rang out.
“Be careful!”
‘Be careful?’
Yeop Hyeon’s eyebrows shot up as he opened his mouth to reply—when a man slowly stepped forward from among the mounted soldiers.
The man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, wore black training robes. Strikingly, the hair below his ears was snow-white. One arm hung behind his back while his other hand gripped a single sword.
The blade was about three cheok long and two finger-widths wide. A faint sheen emanated from its edge.
Sword Cultivator!
Ha Hudo narrowed his eyes the instant he saw the man’s face. A grave light flickered in his gaze.
This was Yuk Hyeon-cheon, ranked fourth in Qingzhou’s Mubang.
Like Yeop Hyeon, he too was a Sword Master.
As Yuk Hyeon-cheon strode toward Yeop Hyeon and the others, Ha Hudo suddenly shouted at him.
“You can’t take them all alone!”
“So… you’re saying we should wait for the rest to arrive?”
Ha Hudo furrowed his brow at Yuk Hyeon-cheon’s words.
Just then, Yuk Hyeon-cheon resumed his steps toward Yeop Hyeon and the group.
Finally standing before Yeop Hyeon, Yuk Hyeon-cheon stared at him and bellowed.
“Let’s have a go!”
He was challenging him to a one-on-one duel.
Yeop Hyeon replied.
“Your side hasn’t all arrived yet, have they?”
Yuk Hyeon-cheon met Yeop Hyeon’s eyes squarely.
“I came here to clash with you.”
Yeop Hyeon nodded lightly and stepped forward toward Yuk Hyeon-cheon.
Right then, Yuk Hyeon-cheon’s figure blurred—and a streak of sword light shot toward Yeop Hyeon’s brow.
No one could tell when it had been unleashed, but its speed was tremendous.
Yet the sword light never reached Yeop Hyeon’s brow.
Because Yeop Hyeon’s sword had moved.
Boom—!
Yeop Hyeon and Yuk Hyeon-cheon each staggered back several steps.
The distance between them was now about twenty zhang. The ground between them had cracked like a massive spiderweb from that single exchange.
In the ensuing silence, Yuk Hyeon-cheon advanced slowly toward Yeop Hyeon, long sword in one hand. With every step, his blade vibrated fiercely. The sword intent and sword momentum radiating from him began to swirl more intensely. By the time he closed to within ten zhang, it had grown unimaginably powerful!
At the same time, the earth within fifty zhang around him began to fracture.
Such sword intent and momentum marked a realm beyond Penetrating Nether Realm—verging on Divine Fusion Realm.
And its power was still building.
Ya Ri and the others’ faces grew increasingly grim as they watched.
A Sword Master.
The man before them, Yuk Hyeon-cheon, was the real deal—no hype, no exaggeration.
Qingzhou might not compare to Jungto Sinju, but it still harbored no small number of geniuses.
Ya Ri and the rest turned to Yeop Hyeon with worried glances.
Yeop Hyeon’s expression, however, remained utterly serene. His Spirit Water Sword lay still in his hand, without the slightest tremor.
Now the distance between Yuk Hyeon-cheon and Yeop Hyeon was a mere one zhang!
The aura raging from Yuk Hyeon-cheon’s body was overwhelming.
As everyone held their breath, Yuk Hyeon-cheon thrust his sword first.
His sword had already reached the boundary between Divine Fusion Realm and Myriad Laws Realm.
Yeop Hyeon responded in kind, extending his own blade.
Though Yeop Hyeon had cultivated the Invincible Sword Body Art, the strike before him surpassed what his Spirit Water Sword could fully handle.
Even so, Yeop Hyeon chose to meet it head-on. For Yuk Hyeon-cheon’s sword commanded enough respect to demand it.
One Sword Determines Life and Death!
Yeop Hyeon unleashed his ultimate technique with full power.
Their swords took starkly different forms. Yuk Hyeon-cheon’s built gradually to an explosive climax, while Yeop Hyeon’s erupted from the start like a volcano, pouring everything forth.
Thus, the two disparate swords clashed directly.
Boom—!
Their figures parted, and countless sword qi erupted like a storm in all directions, shredding everything around them in an instant.
Sword scars marred Yuk Hyeon-cheon’s entire body, fresh blood flowing freely. His right arm in particular hung in tatters, nearly severed.
Yeop Hyeon had taken wounds too, but compared to Yuk Hyeon-cheon, he was practically unscathed.
His resilient flesh had withstood the enemy’s sword qi.
That exchange was Yeop Hyeon’s flawless victory.
Yuk Hyeon-cheon raised his head toward Yeop Hyeon.
In that instant, Yeop Hyeon’s sword was already at his throat.
“I’ve lost.”
Without a hint of hesitation, Yuk Hyeon-cheon slowly closed his eyes.
But Yeop Hyeon didn’t swing. He sheathed his blade and turned back toward Yuk Ban-jang and the others.
Yuk Hyeon-cheon slowly opened his eyes and stared at Yeop Hyeon.
“Why…?”
Yeop Hyeon halted his steps.
“You could’ve waited for the rest and attacked together, but you chose a one-on-one fight. I respect that—so this duel ends here.”
With that, Yeop Hyeon mounted Black Wolf.
Yuk Hyeon-cheon watched him in silence for a long while. Just then, an elder appeared before him.
A Myriad Laws Realm powerhouse.
The elder cupped his fists toward Yeop Hyeon.
“We are grateful for your mercy. The Yuk family will not forget this grace!”
The elder flicked his sleeve, sending ten jade vials flying toward Yeop Hyeon.
“Hm?”
As Yeop Hyeon blinked in confusion, the elder spoke again.
“Each contains ten Golden Wound Pills. Consider it a modest token from the Yuk family.”
‘Golden Wound Pills?’
Yeop Hyeon’s face lit up. What they needed most right now were trauma-healing elixirs.
Yeop Hyeon distributed the ten white jade vials to Ya Ri and the others. Only then did he realize he and Yuk Ban-jang were short.
Scratching his head, Yeop Hyeon called out to the elder.
“Um… sorry about this… but we’re a bit short on Golden Wound Pills. Could you maybe spare two more…?”
The elder’s lip twitched slightly as he extended his hand toward Yeop Hyeon. Two more jade vials flew over.
“Oh, you didn’t have to…”
Yeop Hyeon said the words, but snatched the vials like a hawk.
The elder couldn’t hold back a chuckle and shook his head. Yeop Hyeon was nothing like the rumors.
Pushing the thought aside, the elder cupped his fists once more toward Yeop Hyeon, then departed with Yuk Hyeon-cheon.
At that moment, Yuk Hyeon-cheon turned back and shouted.
“I won’t forget the life debt I owe you this time!”
With those words, they vanished from the arena.
Peace returned to the arena once more.
The enemy soldiers remained still, while Yeop Hyeon and his group took the Golden Wound Pills to tend their wounds. They needed to restore themselves to peak condition for the battle ahead.
Thus, both sides tacitly waited for their reinforcements.
Neunghan approached Yeop Hyeon.
“Brother Yeop, what if their reinforcements arrive first?”
Ya Ri and the others’ faces paled sharply at his words. If the enemy’s aid came first, things would turn dire.
No—they’d be hopeless.
Yuk Ban-jang said nothing, her expression blank.
Yeop Hyeon chuckled lightly.
“What do you mean, what? We fight, obviously. Or should we surrender?”
‘Surrender?’
“Hahahahaha!”
“Ehehehehe!”
Laughter echoed through the arena. Surrender was the last thing on their minds. As Yeop Hyeon said, fighting was their only option.
His single quip swept away their worries.
If the enemy attacked, they’d strike back. Simple as that.
Yeop Hyeon urged Black Wolf toward the mounted soldiers.
The cavalry tensed, and the nearby archers nocked arrows.
Yeop Hyeon crooked a finger at Ha Hudo.
“Come out. Let’s have a go.”
Another one-on-one challenge.
All eyes in the arena turned to Ha Hudo.
He glared murderously at Yeop Hyeon but said nothing.
With no response, Yeop Hyeon stuck out his thumb and pointed it downward at the ground.
“Coward!”
As Yeop Hyeon turned to leave, Ha Hudo suddenly drew his blade and charged.
Yeop Hyeon stopped and faced him—when a middle-aged man appeared, blocking Ha Hudo’s path.
It was Mak Cheong-hyeon, dean of Changmok Academy.
Mak Cheong-hyeon stared into Ha Hudo’s eyes and said quietly.
“Stand down.”
Ha Hudo replied in a low voice.
“You know what retreating now means, Master.”
Ignoring Yeop Hyeon’s taunt would surely invite a heart demon.
Mak Cheong-hyeon fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“Or admit defeat!”
‘Admit defeat!?’
Doing so would leave no regrets, warding off any heart demon.
Ha Hudo shouted.
“I can’t do that!”
Disappointment flashed in Mak Cheong-hyeon’s eyes.
“How can you break through if you don’t even know your limits!”
With those words, Mak Cheong-hyeon vanished from the spot.
Ha Hudo alone remained, gripping his sword with a darkened face.
Finally, as Yeop Hyeon mounted Black Wolf, Ha Hudo yelled.
“I admit defeat!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than his long saber trembled violently. A massive aura exploded from his entire body.
A realm breakthrough.
Mak Cheong-hyeon reappeared before Ha Hudo. Admiration and joy mingled in his eyes as he watched his disciple ascend.
Ha Hudo stared at him in bewilderment.
“Why…?”
Mak Cheong-hyeon smiled.
“Knowing yourself is paramount. Let’s return to the academy first!”
Ha Hudo glanced at Yeop Hyeon, seeming hesitant as if he had more to say.
Mak Cheong-hyeon shook his head.
“Someone else will handle this. Go on.”
Ha Hudo nodded and departed the arena.
As Ha Hudo vanished, Mak Cheong-hyeon turned to Yeop Hyeon.
“Ready?”
Yeop Hyeon grinned widely.
“Come at me!”
Mak Cheong-hyeon nodded. In an instant, he thrust his right hand skyward. A thick tome emerged from his palm, riding the wind high into the air.
In the hush that followed, the book unfurled—and stairs of light extended from within, touching the ground.
Moments later, twenty warriors descended the stairs, mounted on flame-wreathed fire horses.
All were Divine Fusion Realm experts.
And the steeds, shrouded in dense flames, rivaled Penetrating Nether Realm!
Neunghan, at Yeop Hyeon’s side, paled and muttered.
“Dao Soldiers… Changmok Academy’s Guardian Dao Soldiers… They’ve truly staked their lives on this…”