I Want to Kill Anyone!
'They're setting up ambushes, yet he wants to go outside the city walls?'
Neung Han and the others stared at Yeop Hyeon with expressions of utter disbelief.
In response, Yeop Hyeon flashed a ferocious grin.
"I'll break through right in front of them, bold as brass. Let's see if they can stop me."
Neung Han gaped at him, stunned, before asking, "Uh... Yeop-hyung, sorry to say this, but have you lost your mind?"
"Hahaha! Either I go mad or I die—what's the difference? Don't worry. If we die, I'll be the first to go!"
Yeop Hyeon thrust his hand high and bellowed.
"Let's move out!"
Neung Han and the rest exchanged glances before following Yeop Hyeon out of the city gates. They settled in a circle on an open patch of ground beyond the walls, each swallowing a Divine Fusion Pill before sitting cross-legged in meditation.
Yeop Hyeon and Yuk Ban Jang stood guard beside them.
Yeop Hyeon plunged the Spirit Water Sword into the earth and scanned the surroundings, roaring, "Come on, forget about hiding—charge me if you dare! Hurry up and try to kill me!"
Riiiing!
The sword's resonant hum echoed through heaven and earth.
In the silent darkness.
Yeop Hyeon gripped the Spirit Water Sword, standing protectively in front of Neung Han and the others. A faint, chilling sword glow emanated from his blade.
His imposing figure seemed to taunt the enemy: Come at me anytime.
It was a domineering aura that could pierce the heavens.
Meanwhile, Yuk Ban Jang stood beside him, eyes gently closed as if a monk deep in meditation.
Snoooore...
It wasn't meditation. She was asleep.
Up on the city walls, Gang Gu and a group of soldiers watched them. Gang Gu's gaze lingered on Yeop Hyeon for a long while. Suddenly, she smiled.
Her smile was shy yet radiant, like a single flower blooming at dawn.
At this hour, the moon hung in the sky, but its light didn't reach the ground below the walls—the shadows were so deep you could barely make out shapes. This pitch-black darkness was perfect hunting ground for assassins.
To killers, shadows were like wings on a tiger.
Yet the area below remained eerily still. No one appeared.
Because it was too suspicious.
When martial artists attempted a realm breakthrough, they usually chose isolated spots or heavily guarded areas. But here they were, out in the open on a wide-empty field, completely exposed without even escorts. It defied all logic.
Every abnormality had a reason.
And so, time slipped by uneventfully.
Under the moonlight, Neung Han and the others focused solely on piercing the realm.
Trusting Yeop Hyeon and Yuk Ban Jang completely, they felt no fear.
That's when Yeop Hyeon swung his right hand, slashing the Spirit Water Sword through the air. A streak of sword light pierced the darkness, revealing several assassins lurking within.
But they showed no intent to attack. Perhaps wary after Yeop Hyeon had effortlessly slain one of their own the day before, they hung back cautiously.
Yeop Hyeon sheathed his sword and approached Yuk Ban Jang. She was standing on both feet, but her head drooped, and even snoring could be heard.
With a grave expression, Yeop Hyeon shook her shoulder.
"How can you sleep at a time like this?!"
But Yuk Ban Jang refused to wake.
Yeop Hyeon was speechless. It was beyond belief.
Resigned, he returned to his post.
Moments later, bored, Yeop Hyeon suddenly began practicing his sword forms.
Thrust, upward slash, horizontal cut, downward stab...
Basic moves, nothing fancy—but in his hands, the sword was anything but ordinary.
He was a Sword Master, after all. Yeop Hyeon possessed profound understanding and unshakable confidence in his blade.
Especially One Sword Determines Life and Death!
It was a sword dao conviction.
The belief that one strike would surely kill.
What audacity! What arrogance!
If a sword cultivator lacked faith in himself, his blade couldn't even nick a hair. Confidence was the essence of the sword dao itself.
This realization relaxed his body. Just then, the Spirit Water Sword trembled violently, slipping from his grasp and soaring into the sky!
As all eyes turned to it, the sword blazed with brilliant light, climbing endlessly.
A sword cultivator's will was transmitted to his blade.
Thus, Yeop Hyeon's enlightenment naturally influenced the Spirit Water Sword.
Sword cultivator!
The soldiers on the walls cheered wildly at the sight of the sword tearing through the dark.
This was Kanguk's sword cultivator.
Gang Gu watched the Spirit Water Sword with a glint in her eyes.
Yeop Hyeon extended his palm. The sword plummeted like lightning, slowing at the last moment to settle gently into his hand.
Gripping it firmly, he scanned the surroundings and roared like a beast.
"Come on out, anyone! Let's fight!"
His shout met only silence—no movement anywhere.
Yeop Hyeon pointed his sword tip into the shadows.
"Let's have a go! I'm itching to kill someone right now!"
"......"
The area outside the city remained deathly quiet.
Yeop Hyeon flicked his hand lightly. The Spirit Water Sword turned into a streak of light and plunged deep into the ground. He strode a dozen paces into the darkness, spreading his arms wide.
"There—now I've got no sword! Still not coming?!"
Right then, a man emerged from the shadows.
He appeared to be in his thirties, clad in a black robe patterned with white. His features were handsome.
Approaching Yeop Hyeon, he looked up piercingly and spoke.
"Qingzhou's Mubang..."
In that instant, Yeop Hyeon vanished.
The man narrowed his eyes and leaped forward, thrusting out a palm. A surge of qi erupted from it.
But Yeop Hyeon's fist hurtled in.
A ferocious, unstoppable punch!
Boom!
Fist met palm, sending both men staggering back. The man halted after a few steps, glared at Yeop Hyeon, then blurred into afterimages as he charged.
Yeop Hyeon faced him calmly, slowly clenching his fist.
Cracks spiderwebbed under his feet, and his right sleeve shredded apart. His bulging arm was revealed.
In this breathless moment, Yeop Hyeon unleashed his punch.
Power and intent exploded like a volcano.
One Fist Explodes Your Head!
Splat!
Something shattered. The man flew back a dozen zhang, crashing down. As he stopped, the ground beneath him cracked, spiderwebbing out several zhang in seconds.
He wiped blood from his mouth and looked up at Yeop Hyeon.
"As expected of the Swordless Army... But..."
Yeop Hyeon kicked off and leaped. The man grimaced, retreating hastily. A massive crater exploded where he'd stood. Yeop Hyeon pressed on, kicking at him.
The wind pressure shredded the man's upper garments.
Daring no counter, he raised his arms to block.
Thud!
He soared a dozen zhang before hitting the ground. Yeop Hyeon pounced like a hunting tiger.
As he closed to half a zhang, Yeop Hyeon spun and punched behind him.
Crack!
A broken arrow fell at his feet. His body slid back a few paces, his punching fist torn and bleeding.
Turning, Yeop Hyeon saw someone in the shadows nocking another arrow at him.
The man behind seized the opening, retreating swiftly.
Yeop Hyeon reached out—the Spirit Water Sword yanked from the ground into his hand.
The rear man paled, trying to flee. But Yeop Hyeon was suddenly before him.
One Sword Determines Life and Death!
Seeing the strike, the man despaired. Refusing to die so pointlessly, he unleashed all his profound qi.
In that instant, he slapped out fiercely.
Earth-Tier Martial Technique!
The ground shattered around his feet.
No ordinary Divine Fusion Realm powerhouse—this was immense profound qi.
Then Yeop Hyeon's sword arrived.
Stab!
The Spirit Water Sword pierced his palm and arm. He tried to retreat, but Yeop Hyeon slashed horizontally.
Slash!
The man's head flew off in a spray of blood, vanishing into the dark. The air filled with the stench of gore.
Yeop Hyeon whirled, eyes flashing wide.
Whoosh!
Incoming arrows shattered against twin sword gleams.
Even then, Yeop Hyeon reached out, looting the storage ring from the corpse.
Inside: three top-grade spirit tablets, over a hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones, and seven million taels of gold.
An unexpected windfall.
Tucking it away, Yeop Hyeon glared into the darkness. He couldn't see them, but he sensed multiple archers aiming at him.
The Dark Shadow Society and Changmok Academy wouldn't back off tonight. Once Neung Han and the others reached Divine Fusion Realm, their position would worsen.
Yeop Hyeon knew this well. Perhaps even the Daeun Empire lurked here.
No choice but to fight.
He approached Yuk Ban Jang, who was still dozing—dead asleep, in fact.
Yeop Hyeon was at a loss.
How bold does her liver have to be!?
With the man's death, silence returned. Only the cold night wind lashed their faces.
Meanwhile, the auras surging from Neung Han and the others grew stronger. All at the peak of Penetrating Mystery Realm with solid foundations and talent, they'd breakthrough smoothly.
Of course, the real issue was surviving the process.
Yeop Hyeon gripped his Spirit Water Sword, watching them. Even if he died, he had to protect them!
Night passed, dawn approaching.
The darkest hour is before dawn!
Outside the city, darkness so thick you couldn't see your own hands engulfed everything.
Yeop Hyeon stood guard expressionlessly beside Neung Han and the rest. Yuk Ban Jang remained "in meditation."
Then, a faint presence leaked from the shadows.
Yeop Hyeon tugged Yuk Ban Jang's clothes.
"Big sis, wake up. They're coming now."
She swatted his hand away.
"Boss... one more order of pancakes... zzz."
Yeop Hyeon's face darkened more than the night.
Damn it, even sleep-talking!?
As presences gathered from all sides, Yeop Hyeon yanked her clothes urgently, whispering, "Customer, your pancakes are ready."
Yuk Ban Jang's eyes snapped open.
"......"