Chapter 87: I've Arrived!
The sword read the black-robed man's thoughts.
As the Spirit Water Sword resonated with his words, a faintly wicked smile curled at Yeop Hyeon's lips.
Yeop Hyeon shifted his gaze, and a man appeared.
The man wore a pure white robe embroidered with four plum blossoms.
Yeop Hyeon and the man stared at each other in silence.
Neither could make the first move lightly. The one who lunged first might seize the initiative, but they could also expose a fatal opening.
The standoff dragged on like that—until, in that instant, Yeop Hyeon moved first.
One of the most essential virtues for a sword cultivator was unwavering faith in oneself.
And to unleash One Sword Determines Life and Death, that faith was paramount.
The absolute belief that my sword will surely kill my foe!
A single thread of sword momentum erupted toward the man.
The man's pupils shrank as the overwhelming aura engulfed his body.
What tremendous sword momentum...
In that moment, the man slowly closed his eyes.
A ferocious surge of energy exploded from his body, blocking Yeop Hyeon's sword momentum.
It was the signature aura of a Penetrating Nether Realm expert, infused with an enigmatic realm of intent!
Dragon-tiger clash!
Their auras clashed without yielding an inch—right then, the man thrust out both hands.
"Mountains and Rivers Howl!"
Shiiiii—!
The river behind Yeop Hyeon coalesced into a roaring torrent and surged toward him. At the same time, countless stones and pebbles rose from beneath the man's feet, shooting like arrows!
Right then, a ear-splitting sword cry tore through the arena.
Tzzt—!
A streak of sword light pierced through the barrage of pebbles.
Yeop Hyeon's figure vanished, reappearing behind the man.
The oncoming water jet and stones lost their momentum and plummeted to the ground.
Silence returned.
A thin trickle of blood dripped from between the man's brows. Disbelief filled his face.
"Sword... You're no ordinary great sword cultivator..."
With those final words, the man was no longer of this world.
Yeop Hyeon extended his hand calmly. The Spirit Water Sword flew back into his grasp, a sword belt dangling from its tip.
He tossed the belt into the Gyeok Ok Tower and moved on.
Sometime later, a man and a woman appeared where Yeop Hyeon had left.
The man was a hulking giant with a massive saber strapped to his back and a vivid knife scar on his cheek. The petite woman had several whips coiled behind her head and dual short sabers at her waist.
The woman's gaze fell on the white-robed corpse.
"Snow and plum blossoms... It has to be Chu Kingdom's Snow Plum Young Master. To think the divine prodigy of Chu—who reached the Penetrating Nether Realm before twenty and comprehended the quintessence of Mountains and Rivers Realm—would fall here..."
She turned to the man.
"Brother, Yeop Hyeon hasn't entered the rankings yet, but he's more than qualified. We should give up!"
The man closed his eyes and murmured lowly.
"Kill him, and we'll make our names known across the world—not to mention the massive reward. With that, we siblings can end our vagabond life and revive our clan. We can't miss this chance!"
"But Yeop Hyeon is beyond us!"
"Hah! If two aren't enough, we'll ally with others! Let's go!"
The man strode forward.
The petite woman sighed at the corpse underfoot but soon chased after him.
Yeop Hyeon was crossing the river at breakneck speed. His expression looked urgent, as if pursued by something.
Uncertain of Yeop Ryeong's situation, he had no choice but to hurry.
His mind held only one thought: find Yeop Ryeong. His eyes burned fiercer.
Beyond the river lay a vast swamp. Detouring would take too long. Yeop Hyeon stood at the swamp's edge, scanning his surroundings.
Countless logs floated in the murk, seemingly drifted from the nearby jungle.
Then, the Spirit Water Sword left his hand and shot into the jungle.
Boom—!
A shadow burst from the foliage, pursued by the sword like lightning.
Puk—!
The warrior, retreating frantically, realized too late his foot had sunk into the swamp. Trapped in the sticky mud, he cried out to Yeop Hyeon.
"S-spare...!"
Slash—!
The warrior became fodder for the Spirit Water Sword.
The same scene repeated. Yeop Hyeon unleashed the sword at any hint of suspicion, piling up corpses. By the time he'd crossed half the swamp, bodies littered his wake.
They weren't weaklings. It was just that the Spirit Water Sword's remote swordsmanship was too overwhelming for ambushes.
A frontal assault by numbers would have troubled Yeop Hyeon. Their petty tricks led to piecemeal defeat—all because they underestimated his vigilance.
Then, Yeop Hyeon halted.
Danger!
He furrowed his brow.
Countless battles had honed his instincts to a razor's edge.
He scanned intently. The nearest log was about five zhang away. Another floated ten-odd zhang ahead. Jumping straight would leave him airborne too long.
If someone appears then...
He could fly with Soaring Flight, but not at full power here—exposing a weakness.
And if that log vanished mid-jump?
Death.
Retreat?
No easy option. The enemy had likely anticipated it, prepared for every direction.
After deliberation, Yeop Hyeon leaped toward the forward log. As he descended, it shattered— a shadow erupting from the depths below. The foe soared overhead and slammed down a mighty palm strike.
Lightning crackled from his palm.
With the log gone, Yeop Hyeon plummeted into the swamp—yet his face remained serene.
A sword gleam flashed beneath his feet.
The Spirit Water Sword appeared, catching his feet. Stabilized, Yeop Hyeon punched toward his foe.
Boom—!
The foe rocketed away amid a thunderous blast. The impact dunked Yeop Hyeon into the swamp, but the sword soon lifted him skyward.
Yeop Hyeon rode the sword away indifferently. Dozens of zhang distant, a man hovered in fury.
"Sword flight? What nonsense is this!"
Yeop Hyeon glanced back. The sword beneath him streaked like lightning toward the man.
The man twisted left in panic, but the sword agilely veered for his face.
Frowning, he unleashed a palm at the sword—lightning crackling once more!
Boom—!
Sword light and lightning tangled in a massive explosion.
But in that instant, Yeop Hyeon's figure materialized behind him!
The terrified man spun, hurling another palm. Lightning poured like waves.
Yet Yeop Hyeon, already close, threw the world's simplest punch!
The lightning vanished cleanly. The man's body crumpled and flew off.
A sword gleam shot toward him at blinding speed.
Pale-faced, the man twisted desperately in midair.
Slash—!
He barely saved his neck, but his right hand was severed.
The bloodied Spirit Water Sword looped back for his throat.
Then, an old man appeared from the distant sky, shouting urgently.
"Stop! We're done...!"
Shiiik—!
Before he finished, the sword struck.
The old man's face darkened rapidly.
"You... I'll kill you..."
As he lunged at Yeop Hyeon, a gourd plummeted from above. It writhed wildly, spilling liquor.
The startled elder crossed his arms before him. Space distorted bizarrely!
Myriad Laws Realm!
Liquor droplets froze midair, as if time halted. But soon, they pierced the distortion, raining down on the elder.
Boom... boom... boom... boom...!
Each drop exploded on impact, slamming the airborne elder downward wildly.
Half-submerged, he tried rising—only for someone to stomp his head.
It was Ji Yuan Zhang!
Ji Yuan Zhang pressed down hard, pinning him inescapably.
Gulping fiercely from the gourd, he bellowed,
"I've arrived!"
Yeop Hyeon turned and exited the arena.
Staring at his back, Ji Yuan Zhang's eyes reddened unusually.
"Master... This time, I'll protect my students from torment—just as you protected me..."
Emerging from the swamp, Yeop Hyeon sprinted madly.
Just now, Ji Yuan Zhang had told him: Yeop Ryeong was in a valley about a hundred li away, and Mu Yun Qi and the others were heading there too.
Ji Yuan Zhang wanted to rescue her himself, but I Hyeon-chang always blocked him.
Outside the secret realm.
I Hyeon-chang stared blankly at the entrance.
A black-robed figure approached.
"Dean, Chu's Snow Plum Young Master is dead, and it seems Thunderbolt Hand Li Tae fell too. Why didn't you act when Ji Yuan Zhang moved?"
I Hyeon-chang replied flatly.
"Li Tae bears the bloodline of Yue Kingdom's famed tiger clan. Today, they lost a cherished genius warrior and a Myriad Laws Realm powerhouse. Do you think they'll leave Yeop Hyeon and Canglan Academy alone?"
He gazed into the distance.
"Yeop Hyeon surely has some mighty backer or faction. Those inside are prodigies from every kingdom. The more he kills, the more targets he'll draw. Even Ji Yuan Zhang has limits protecting him... Eventually, his backer will emerge in his crisis. That's what I'm after!"
The black robe nodded.
"He's no ordinary fool, that's certain. Among the young generation, only An Ranxiu could match him... Better to nip such scum early."
I Hyeon-chang closed his eyes slowly.
"He's as good as dead."