Chapter 92: If You Want to Escape, Leave Your Head Behind!
Yeop Hyeon had no reason whatsoever to let Gam Samsip go. If he spared him by some chance, the man might one day return for revenge.
Yeop Hyeon wasn't foolish enough to take that risk.
Throughout his life, he had never entrusted his survival to anyone else.
If an enemy touched him, no matter who they were, he would strike them down with everything he had.
That was the unyielding conviction that sustained him to this day.
The white-robed elder, who had witnessed Gam Samsip's gruesome death, glared at Yeop Hyeon with a twisted face, as if he wanted to devour him whole.
Gam Samsip! Who was he?
He was the greatest genius nurtured by the Daeun Empire's Changmok Academy!
Not only in the Daeun Empire but across the entire Changmok Academy network, expectations for him had been sky-high. And most crucially, Gam Samsip was a direct disciple personally raised by the white-robed elder.
To have his cherished disciple slaughtered so brutally right before his eyes...
As the elder ground his teeth and lunged toward Yeop Hyeon, Ji Yuan Zhang casually swung his fist into the empty air.
In that instant, the space around the elder began to warp.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash that echoed through the secret realm, the elder's form was hurled dozens of zhang away.
Scrambling to steady himself, the elder wiped the blood from his lips and glared at Ji Yuan Zhang, who was gulping down his liquor. Disbelief was etched clearly in the elder's eyes.
He wasn't at the peak of the Myriad Laws Realm, but he was still a master who had reached that stage. For such a powerhouse to be sent tumbling by a drunken lout without even landing a single blow!
'He's no match for me!'
That was the elder's conclusion. He wasn't afraid of the man at all. After all, the mighty Daeun Empire's Changmok Academy stood behind him!
Though not the main branch, the Changmok Academy in Qingzhou was one of the strongest academies around. Even when considering all forces across Qingzhou, it ranked among the very top.
With such a powerhouse at his back, what did he have to fear?
The white-robed elder shot a murderous glare at Ji Yuan Zhang before turning his head toward Yeop Hyeon.
"You... you worthless brat... Let's see how long you can keep hiding behind others..."
With those words, the elder vanished from the spot.
Ji Yuan Zhang stared at the place where he had stood for a moment, then turned to Yeop Hyeon.
"Don't push yourself too hard!"
With that, the dean disappeared from the arena.
Yeop Hyeon turned his head toward Gang Gu. Her face bore a deep knife wound, and blood was seeping from her abdomen.
Gripping his Spirit Water Sword tighter, Yeop Hyeon locked eyes on the shadowy assassin she had been fighting. At that exact moment, the man met his gaze and blurred, attempting to flee.
'Trying to run?'
"If you want to escape, leave your head behind!"
Yeop Hyeon roared in fury and shot forward. At the same time, the Spirit Water Sword in his hand streaked toward the assassin like a bolt of lightning.
The man dodged frantically, and the sword sliced through empty air.
Right then, a black shadow flickered behind Yeop Hyeon. A chilling energy targeted the nape of his neck.
Yeop Hyeon scowled and ducked forward just in time, barely evading the strike.
In that instant, the Spirit Water Sword hurtled back toward the assassin.
The man swiftly retreated backward.
At the same moment, a golden flying dagger shot from behind him, aiming for his back.
The man's form twitched, leaving an afterimage as he reappeared over ten zhang away in a blink.
It was an utterly bizarre movement technique.
Everyone watching was baffled by the shadow assassin's incomprehensible maneuvers.
Even Mu Yun Qi, who had just witnessed the scene, paled instantly. His own speed was nothing to scoff at, but this opponent moved like a ghost!
Just then, the shadow assassin's form began to blur further, as if preparing to flee.
In that split second, the Spirit Water Sword soared into the sky.
A single sword strike infused with sword intent!
It was too fast to follow with the naked eye.
The assassin blocked it with his flying dagger. As the Spirit Water Sword clashed against it, he used the rebound force to retreat even faster.
Mu Yun Qi, watching this, curled his lips in a smirk and vanished from his spot. Moments later, two chilling energies pierced the assassin's flanks!
Flying daggers!
Clang! Clang!
The assassin whipped his dagger around, knocking both away in an instant.
Right then, a flash of sword light erupted from his body.
Slash!
Finally, the assassin's form halted in place.
The next moment, astonishingly, his body began to dissolve into mist like fog.
From within that mist, a single drop of blood shot out, burrowing into Yeop Hyeon's chest.
Yeop Hyeon looked down at his chest and saw a fresh red dot where there hadn't been one before.
"What the hell is this?"
He grimaced in disgust.
At that moment, Geom So-wang spoke up.
"The Blood Soul Pursuit Order. It's a mark passed down among shadow assassins. From now on, you're the enemy of the entire shadow network. Assassins will come for your head relentlessly."
"So, in simple terms, they're just saying they'll get revenge, right?"
"You don't seem to grasp how terrifying the shadow network is... They're not foes you can handle!"
Yeop Hyeon clapped his hands together.
"Ah-ha! Scary bunch, huh? So what? Should I just stick out my neck and wait?"
"......"
Yeop Hyeon let out a small sigh and shook his head.
"They came at me first, trying to kill me, so I killed them. And now they want revenge for that? Life sure is exhausting... so damn tiring..."
He turned his head. Among the initial attackers, eight or nine survivors caught his eye.
They flinched at his gaze and bolted to flee.
"Kill them all. What's a few more enemies? It's no different from now."
With those words, Yeop Hyeon charged. Mu Yun Qi followed right behind.
Mu Yun Qi and the others were already seething with rage. They had barely survived multiple near-death brushes against hordes of foes.
With Yin Gap-nam, Gam Samsip, and the shadow assassin dead, the remnants posed no threat to Yeop Hyeon.
The arena quickly turned from a battlefield into a slaughterhouse.
Watching Yeop Hyeon carve through them like a madman, Geom So-wang muttered to himself.
"Are they trying to make enemies of every major power in the world?"
Gong Cheongseong, standing beside him, replied.
"Even without killing them, Yeop Hyeon would have become their enemy. If his backing is weak, anyone would trample him. But with a solid force behind him, they'd kneel and apologize no matter what he does."
Gong Cheongseong looked at Geom So-wang and continued.
"If your sword clan backed him, do you think today would have happened?"
"Hmph! I know all that without your preaching! And don't worry. I'll fight fair and square, and even if I lose, my clan won't get involved!"
"Hahaha! I just hope you don't end up as their pawn!"
Geom So-wang silently tilted his head toward the sky.
He knew this was all part of some scheme to corner Yeop Hyeon.
Still, having come this far, he couldn't leave without throwing a punch!
By the time they finished talking, the battle was nearly over.
Only one man remained alive in the arena, one arm severed and gone. He hadn't fled—no, he couldn't flee!
He was neither faster than Yeop Hyeon's sword nor nimbler than Mu Yun Qi.
Clutching his mangled stump, the lone survivor shouted at Yeop Hyeon.
"Do you even know who you've killed today!?"
Yeop Hyeon shook his head silently.
"Hahaha! Everyone you killed was a prized fighter from the top powers in Qingzhou! Soon, they'll all come for you. Watch from hell as I die a gruesome de—"
Slash!
The man couldn't finish his dying words, pierced through by Yeop Hyeon's blade.
Yeop Hyeon stepped right up to the slumped corpse.
"Sorry, you talked too much..."
As he withdrew his sword, blood spurted from the man's forehead.
Yeop Hyeon walked toward Mu Yun Qi and the others. They were all covered in wounds large and small. Bai Ze's chest bore a massive gash exposing bone, his right arm dislocated.
Yeop Hyeon pulled a Golden Wound Pill from his bottle and offered it.
Bai Ze shook his head.
"For external martial artists like me, these wounds make our bodies stronger. I don't need pills."
Mu Yun Qi chimed in with a grin.
"Heh heh, stronger from getting beat? I'll help toughen you up sometime!"
Bai Ze glared, and Mu Yun Qi backed away a couple steps.
Then Yeop Hyeon produced the silver armor from Yin Gap-nam. It was a mid-grade Mingjie treasure. Though damaged by his sword, repaired it would fetch a fine price.
He held it out to Bai Ze.
"Good stuff. It'll help protect you."
Bai Ze could tell at a glance it was valuable and waved it off.
"Wearing that would hinder my training. I really don't need it..."
"Then give it to me!"
Mu Yun Qi snatched it from Yeop Hyeon's hand.
"I don't train external arts!"
Seeing Yeop Hyeon's serious face, Mu Yun Qi smiled coyly.
"Come on, Brother Yeop! No, big bro! Gimme, gimme! I really don't wanna die..."
"Haha, fine! Take it!"
Truth be told, Yeop Hyeon had intended it for Mu Yun Qi from the start. Lacking external training, Mu Yun Qi was vulnerable in close combat. Yeop Hyeon had a sturdy body and could summon Earth Battle Armor if needed, so he didn't require it.
Mu Yun Qi examined the silver armor gleefully, unable to stop grinning.
"Bro! You're the best! Love you!"
"......"
Just then, Yeop Hyeon and the others turned toward a spot. Not far away, an elder and a black-robed warrior had been watching them unnoticed.
Everyone recognized the elder.
I Hyeon-chang, dean of Changmok Academy!
I Hyeon-chang looked at Yeop Hyeon and spoke.
"Congratulations. You've made enemies of dozens of major powers! Hahaha!"
His manic laughter filled the arena.