One Strike Later, I Am Invincible!
‘Dao Soldiers?’
Yeop Hyeon turned his head to look at Neung Han.
“What are Dao Soldiers? Are they pretty strong?”
“Haha… strong… incredibly so……”
Neung Han looked up at the twenty warriors still descending from the sky.
“In Jungto Sinju, Dao Soldiers refer to the absolute elite of a faction’s forces. They’re typically deployed for group battles or to handle shadowy operations. Those guys are the very best, handpicked from tens of thousands!”
Yeop Hyeon nodded slightly as he gazed at the twenty Dao Soldiers coming down from the heavens.
He could already sense their terrifying auras with his entire body.
They possessed foundations remarkably solid even for Divine Fusion Realm experts, radiating intense pressure from head to toe.
This kind of energy couldn’t be forged through mere training.
It was a realm only achievable through countless killings.
They were true killing machines.
Chang Mok Academy’s really staking everything on this!
Yeop Hyeon suddenly dismounted Black Wolf and strode toward the Dao Soldiers. Luk Ban-jang carefully tucked the military provisions into her bosom and fell in step beside him.
Neung Han and the others followed behind them.
Twelve bandits advanced fearlessly toward the twenty Dao Soldiers.
There wasn’t a speck of fear in their eyes.
A massive black greatsword had appeared in the expressionless Yeop Hyeon’s hand as he walked. His entire body was already gathering earth force, as always.
Wherever the great black sword dragged, the ground cracked deeply.
Beside him, Luk Ban-jang clenched her bare fists, her form gradually fading into transparency.
When the distance between them was still about ten-odd zhang, Yeop Hyeon suddenly shot into the sky. The great black sword trembled violently, resounding with sword cries that echoed through heaven and earth.
At that moment, a fire horse leaped vigorously toward Yeop Hyeon. The Dao Soldier riding it gripped a black spear.
The great black sword fell.
Simultaneously, the black spear thrust up to meet it.
Boom!
The clash of spear and sword unleashed a thunderous roar that shook the heavens and earth, like a bolt of lightning. The Dao Soldier tumbled to the ground with his mount. Yeop Hyeon’s sword didn’t stop, plummeting straight toward the foe as if to cleave the earth in two.
Right then, another Dao Soldier appeared before him, thrusting his spear like lightning.
Boom!
Yeop Hyeon swiftly pulled back his greatsword, barely blocking the strike.
But in that instant, a black shadow slammed into the Dao Soldier, sending him crashing to the ground.
The shadow was none other than Luk Ban-jang.
She shouted at Yeop Hyeon.
“To be big bro, you gotta take at least five, right?”
“Five’s nothing!”
Yeop Hyeon smirked.
“Then you’ll have to call me big sis?”
Luk Ban-jang held up one finger.
“Ten!”
Yeop Hyeon threw his head back and burst into mad laughter.
“Hahaha! Deal!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Yeop Hyeon charged at the enemy. Battle intent and sword intent swirled wildly within him before fusing into one in an instant. The great black sword in his hand vibrated fiercely, spewing forth brilliant sword light.
One Sword Determines Life and Death!
It was a single strike combining battle intent, sword intent, and the might of earth force.
The eight Dao Soldiers directly in front of Yeop Hyeon paled the moment they saw his sword. They swiftly aligned in a row, linking their spears into a single line. Their powers surged forth like a tidal wave, concentrating entirely on the lead Dao Soldier’s spear.
Eight-Man Combined Strike!
The momentum exploding from the spear tip vacuumed the space for dozens of zhang around it.
Then, Yeop Hyeon’s sword met the spear tip.
Boom!
The spear shattered against the great black sword, sending the eight Dao Soldiers flying back over ten zhang in a frenzy. Blood trickled from the mouths of the Dao Soldiers, who barely managed to steady themselves.
Yeop Hyeon was also flung back to his original spot. A thin stream of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
He hadn’t yielded against eight at once.
Watching from afar, Mok Hyeon-cheong appeared calm on the surface but seethed with rage inside.
These Dao Soldiers were the elite unit handpicked and formed by Chang Mok Academy.
Yet Yeop Hyeon alone had held off eight of them!
Has there ever been such a freakish monster?
Making Yeop Hyeon an enemy was undoubtedly the worst decision Chang Mok Academy had made in centuries. But there was no turning back now.
With so many of their experts already sacrificed, how could they bow to him? Even if they did, Chang Mok Academy’s reputation would plummet to the depths.
Still, he couldn’t allow them to lower their heads.
At that moment, several ghostly shadows appeared abruptly amid the ongoing clash.
As they did, Luk Ban-jang, who had appeared before the shadows, slammed her palm toward the ground.
Boom!
The earth split, unleashing a surge of tremendous force. The ghostly shadows staggered back. Ya Ri and the others rushed in, encircling Yeop Hyeon and Luk Ban-jang.
Assassins!
Ya Ri and the rest scanned their surroundings with vigilant eyes.
They figured they could handle Dao Soldiers. But assassins were different. A moment’s carelessness, and these pests would sever their throats.
Back-to-back with Luk Ban-jang, Neung Han wiped blood from his mouth and said,
“Those just now didn’t seem like Amgye Dao Soldiers. The real Amgye Dao Soldiers are either still on their way or lying in wait for an opening.”
Yeop Hyeon shouted at Luk Ban-jang.
“Protect the brothers from the assassins! I’ll handle the Dao Soldiers!”
With those words, he soared toward Chang Mok Academy’s Dao Soldiers, great black sword in hand.
“Sis, help Yeop bro! We’ll watch ourselves!”
Yeop Hyeon, now facing the Dao Soldiers, suddenly widened his eyes.
Whoosh!
Two beams of sword light shot from his eyes.
The two Dao Soldiers directly ahead were struck by the sword light and hurled dozens of zhang away. As they hit the ground, Yeop Hyeon’s great black sword was already descending on their heads.
Then, five or six Dao Soldiers blocked his path, thrusting their spears simultaneously—all aimed at his vital points.
But those five spears never touched Yeop Hyeon’s body.
Earth Battle Armor!
The golden chainmail hidden beneath his outer robes blocked their attacks.
Seeing their sure-kill strikes thwarted by the Earth Battle Armor, the five Dao Soldiers’ faces filled with panic. Right then, a sword flew in, severing one of their necks.
The remaining four Dao Soldiers frantically retreated over ten zhang, staring at Yeop Hyeon with fear.
Standing in place, Yeop Hyeon gazed at them impassively. In truth, that previous strike had not only dented his Earth Battle Armor but also shaken his body.
With his current power, he could only draw out thirty percent of the Dao Token’s force. This level of Earth Battle Armor couldn’t perfectly block attacks infused with a Divine Fusion Realm expert’s full might.
Meanwhile, the Dao Soldiers staring at Yeop Hyeon had stiffened faces as well. They couldn’t believe he’d taken their spear strikes to his vitals unscathed—and even decapitated one of their comrades.
Right then, Yeop Hyeon launched forward again. The Dao Soldiers’ expressions flickered, but they didn’t retreat, charging at him instead.
Yeop Hyeon now wielded the Spirit Water Sword instead of the great black sword.
The great black sword boasted immense destructive power but lacked agility.
With the Spirit Water Sword in hand, Yeop Hyeon’s movements became markedly swifter than before. He darted through the five or six Dao Soldiers in a flash, unleashing a barrage of sword light.
Soon, Yeop Hyeon and the Dao Soldiers were locked in a fierce melee with no quarter given.
Meanwhile, Ya Ri and the others faced the other Dao Soldiers from the opposite side.
Luk Ban-jang held back, staying vigilant for the assassins lurking in the shadows.
Excluding Yeop Hyeon, she was the only one who could handle Amgye’s assassins. If even she moved against the Dao Soldiers, who knew when or where the assassins might strike at Neung Han and the others.
It was twelve against nineteen.
The battle soon reached a stalemate.
Meanwhile, atop an endless mountain range, a flock of azure eagles soared along the ridgeline. Each had a wingspan of over ten zhang.
These azure eagles exuded Penetrating Nether Realm auras.
The lead one was a massive twenty-zhang beast. Its eyes gleamed like razor-sharp blades, and each flap of its enormous wings generated massive air currents.
A man in his twenties stood boldly at the front of the giant azure eagle, his long sideburns a distinctive feature.
He turned back and bellowed,
“Did you all skip meals or what? Pick up the pace!”
He faced forward again, muttering gruffly.
“Chang Mok Academy, Amgye…… If anything’s happened to my little brother, you’re all dead meat!”
In another mountain range near the capital, a massive wolf raced along the path. Nearly twice the size of a full-grown cow, the giant wolf rampaged wildly, shattering rocks and trees to pave a flat trail.
The man riding its back glared fiercely ahead and roared,
“Damn it, that useless bastard Neung Han! Every fight, you get your ass kicked…… You’re a disgrace to our Neung family! I’ll kill you myself before anyone else gets the chance!”
On a massive river flowing toward the capital’s Imperial City, a woman in azure robes skimmed across the water.
A sinister smile played on Cheong Sam-nyeo’s lips.
“Luk Ban-jang… my cute little darling… When this is over, you’ll come with me nice and quiet. Or pay a hundred million taels for summoning a Yo Yeolbang warrior… hehe……”
Back at the mountain range where Yeop Hyeon and the others clashed.
Mok Hyeon-cheong, who had been glaring piercingly at Yeop Hyeon, raised his right hand high before slamming it down.
A thousand capital medium cavalry charged toward Yeop Hyeon and his group. Simultaneously, thirty Divine Fusion Realm experts leaped out from all directions. Not content with that, assassin shadows flickered near Yeop Hyeon and the others once more.
“Hahaha!”
Right then, a booming laugh shook the battlefield.
“Who’s this Yeop Hyeon bastard? I’ve come for his head!”
He was O Yeop, ranked third in Qingzhou’s Mubang.
Mok Hyeon-cheong’s face brightened.
Warriors poured in from all sides—these were all bounty hunters after Yeop Hyeon’s head.
They had held back until now but seized the moment Chang Mok Academy launched their assault.
Seeing the enemy move, Yeop Hyeon’s expression turned ferocious as he shouted at Luk Ban-jang.
“Buy me just one strike’s worth of time! After that, I’ll be invincible!”
With those words, he summoned the great black sword and, without giving anyone a chance to stop him, plunged it straight into his own body.
Thud!
In an instant, the great black sword transformed into a surge of immense power that poured into Yeop Hyeon’s body. His aura exploded in strength at an astonishing rate, and the Spirit Water Sword reacted violently, unleashing its sharp energy freely.
“Protect Yeop bro!”
At Neung Han’s cry, eleven warriors tightly encircled Yeop Hyeon.