Chapter 167: That Bastard's About to Cause Major Trouble
After mocking Imok, Yeop Hyeon raised his hand and pointed to the right.
Shhk-!
At that, a sword gleam erupted from a spot twenty-odd zhang to his right.
Srash-!
With a chilling sound, another dozen or so Cho Kingdom soldiers lost their lives.
Imok, watching from midair, fixed his gaze on Yeop Hyeon and slowly clenched his fists.
As Yeop Hyeon extended his right hand, the Spirit Water Sword returned to his grasp. By now, the situation with the Black Flame Cavalry had calmed considerably. Over a hundred of them surrounded the twelve golden-armored warriors in layers, but the golden-armored men's defensive prowess was so formidable that not a single finger could touch them.
Thus, they could only glare at each other in endless standoff, unable to do anything decisive.
With the Black Flame Cavalry tied down, it meant Yeop Hyeon was free to move.
Now, it was time for the slaughter.
Yeop Hyeon began beheading every Cho Kingdom general he spotted. Soon enough, not a single commander issuing orders to the Cho forces remained in the field.
Naturally, the Cho Kingdom troops plunged into chaos in an instant.
Right then, a thunderous trumpet blast echoed across the sky from somewhere.
The Black Flame Cavalry battling the golden-armored warriors halted and wheeled their mounts to retreat.
"Everyone, withdraw!"
Imok's face darkened as he shouted toward a certain direction.
"Stop!"
At the same moment, the trumpet fell silent, and the Black Flame Cavalry froze in place.
Imok whipped his head around, glaring at Yeop Hyeon with murderous eyes. In that instant, a savage aura erupted explosively from his body.
Yeop Hyeon grinned.
"Planning to step in yourself this time? Come on, then—give it your best shot!"
Imok stared at Yeop Hyeon's face for a long moment before breaking into a smile himself.
"If I don't kill you, neither I nor Changmok Academy will ever find peace."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Imok's palm strike descended toward Yeop Hyeon.
He was truly committing now.
Yeop Hyeon's expression darkened sharply. Just then, Cheok Bal-eon, who had been standing to the side, flashed in front of him like lightning and spread her arms wide. A black shield crackling with electricity materialized, blocking the path before Yeop Hyeon and Cheok Bal-eon.
As Imok's palm was about to land, a single bolt of powerful thunder-light burst from the shield. But Imok's strike ignored it entirely and slammed into the pair.
Boom-!
The shield shattered into pieces, sending Yeop Hyeon and Cheok Bal-eon hurtling hundreds of zhang backward to crash brutally into the ground. The spot where they landed spiderwebbed with cracks across a radius of hundreds of zhang.
Yeop Hyeon spat up blood as he lay on the ground. His entire body felt like it was being torn apart.
He shook off the daze, rose, and scooped the still-fallen Cheok Bal-eon into his arms. Blood poured endlessly not just from her mouth but from all seven orifices.
In that instant, Yeop Hyeon's mind went blank white.
Cheok Bal-eon tried to speak, her lips parting weakly, but each time, blood gushed from her throat, silencing her.
With trembling hands, Yeop Hyeon wiped the blood from her lips, his voice shaking too.
"Why'd you do something so stupid? That guy's in the Myriad Laws Realm or higher!"
Cheok Bal-eon met his eyes. Another spurt of blood erupted from her mouth. Her chest was already soaked red. The energy emanating from her body grew fainter by the second.
A single blow from someone beyond the Myriad Laws Realm was utterly terrifying.
Yeop Hyeon clutched her tightly, his own body shuddering.
Seeing his anguish, Cheok Bal-eon reached out a trembling hand toward his face. But it soon lost strength and dropped limply.
Gang Gu and Mu Yun Qi, approaching them, took in the dire scene and were left speechless.
Meanwhile, Imok ceased his attacks and began scanning his surroundings warily.
He still couldn't forget that sword immortal in mourning garb.
He had been resolute in killing his foe moments ago, but now unease gnawed at him.
Yet as time passed since he had made his move with no sign of the sword immortal, Imok grew puzzled.
Finally, he relaxed his tension and burst into mad laughter.
"She's not coming! Haha! She's not coming!"
Imok suddenly turned to Yeop Hyeon, his face half-mad with glee.
"You've been bluffing all this time, haven't you? Relying on a tiger's might like a fox! Your master couldn't come for some reason, but you fooled me anyway!"
Yeop Hyeon gently laid the cradled Cheok Bal-eon on the ground.
"Sorry..."
He began walking slowly toward Imok.
Cheok Bal-eon reached weakly toward him, but her hand fell to the dirt. Her eyes slowly closed.
Yeop Hyeon's eyes were eerily serene as he advanced, fists clenched tight.
Imok grinned ferociously.
"You want to kill me, right?"
Yeop Hyeon placed a hand on his chest and murmured.
"Kill this bastard, and I'll find the second Dochik to free you from the tower."
The silence hung heavy—then Yeop Hyeon's entire body began trembling violently. His eyes snapped open, revealing two pupils that hadn't been there before.
Two violet pupils!
The moment Yeop Hyeon opened his eyes, his aura exploded outward, surging to match Imok's level in an instant.
Feeling it, Imok muttered in disbelief.
"N-No way..."
He knew of secret arts that could temporarily boost one's realm somewhere in the world, but jumping multiple stages at once was impossible.
Yet Yeop Hyeon had leaped three realms in a single breath.
It defied all reason.
But the Yeop Hyeon before him was undeniable.
Imok had been shocked by Yeop Hyeon countless times that day alone. This one was pure terror.
The awakened 'Yeop Hyeon' stepped slowly toward Imok. The ground quaked with each footfall, and the aura pouring from him grew endlessly stronger.
Imok laughed like a madman.
"Already beyond the Myriad Laws Realm? Lies! Even jokes have limits!"
With those words, he pointed a finger at Yeop Hyeon.
The space before Yeop Hyeon rippled violently, and a massive finger materialized.
The tremendous power infused in it warped the space ahead instantly.
Then Yeop Hyeon's right hand curved into a beast's claw, slashing forward like lightning.
Splurch-!
With a shattering sound, the giant finger crumbled to nothing.
Imok's pupils dilated as he stammered in a trembling voice.
"H-How... Impossible... How could you surpass the Myriad Laws Realm..."
Yeop Hyeon flashed an eerie smile—not remotely human. The soldiers felt chills ripple down their spines.
Suddenly, he took a step and vanished.
It was less speed than teleportation.
Imok's face twisted in shock as he thrust his fist forward. The space before him shook wildly.
At the Myriad Laws Realm, one could distort all things. Beyond that, one could borrow power from them. Imok had amplified his strength with spatial force.
Martial artists called this realm the Law Realm!
Law Dominion—commanding the world's myriad laws!
His fist held enough power to topple a city.
Yet it was effortlessly caught in Yeop Hyeon's claw.
Seeing his fist gripped, Imok's mind reeled.
A fierce force exploded from Imok's fist. But it remained trapped.
Yeop Hyeon twisted the captured fist.
Crack!
Imok's arm snapped, blood spraying.
He tried to retreat in horror, but Yeop Hyeon's hand was suddenly at his throat.
Yeop Hyeon hoisted him into the air by the neck, then slammed him headfirst into the ground upside down.
Splut!
His head buried halfway with a watermelon-bursting sound.
Yeop Hyeon stomped down hard.
Squelch-!
Imok's head sank completely out of sight. His protruding body convulsed violently, like rigor mortis.
Yeop Hyeon eyed him coldly, then seized his legs and tore him in two from the groin outward.
Riiip-!
A horrifying sound echoed as Imok's body split.
Everyone's spines crawled at the sight.
A Law Realm expert torn in half.
Yeop Hyeon slowly turned his head. Soldiers who met his gaze stumbled back frantically; some legs buckled, unable to stand.
Suddenly, he looked skyward. A 'hunger' gleamed in his eyes.
Freedom! How long had it been since he last tasted it?
He closed his eyes slowly.
How much time passed? Abruptly, he swung his claws toward the Black Flame Cavalry.
Boom-!
The entire force collapsed. Moments later, blood trickled from under their helmets. All hundred-plus Black Flame Cavalry were dead.
Their gear remained largely intact.
Yeop Hyeon turned to Cheok Bal-eon. Pointing at her, a streak of blue light plunged into her body.
Right then, his body shuddered, and a faint shadow peeled from him, soaring skyward. The phantom—Heo Yeong—ascended high into the clouds and vanished.
Simultaneously, Yeop Hyeon collapsed. The violet pupils were gone without a trace.
Moments later, he stirred and rose slowly.
'The second-floor entity is gone.'
Yeop Hyeon realized it had taken a Dochik and left. But it would return. A single Dochik's power couldn't sustain it long in the world.
Moreover, its true body remained on the second floor of the Gyeok Ok Tower, so it had no choice but to come back.
The worry was that it wasn't some benevolent being. Perhaps a madman. It had shown killing intent toward Yeop Hyeon multiple times already.
It hadn't killed him only because it feared the Heavenly Maiden and the tower's power. Otherwise, Yeop Hyeon would have died by its hand a hundred times over.
'Uneasy... Somehow, it feels like that bastard's going to cause big trouble...'
Yeop Hyeon shook his head to dispel thoughts of the departed entity. Staggering forward, Gang Gu rushed to support his arm.
Yeop Hyeon looked at her.
"Leave this to me. Go handle the fleeing Cho remnants."
With the Black Flame Cavalry annihilated, the Cho cavalry scattered in panic. The Dark Crow Dao Soldiers had also fled, their auras gone.
In a slightly weak voice, Yeop Hyeon continued.
"This is the perfect moment to crush their main force while they're fleeing in terror! Miss this, and they'll rearm, dragging Kanguk back into trouble. Don't worry about me—go chase them down!"
Gang Gu nodded.
"Take care!"
With that, she gathered the remaining able-bodied troops and pursued the retreating enemy.