Chapter 213
Chapter 213
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 213
Chapter Title: Demon Extermination War (6)
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A languid expression and a relaxed posture.
And a simple saber strike, devoid of saber aura, let alone saber force.
However, my opponent was Yin Bu-yeong, the Lord of the Saber Sect.
If I underestimated him, I'd be on a one-way trip to hell... no, heaven.
Without letting my guard down, I unleashed my War Dragon Ki at maximum output.
*Kwoooosh. Shhhk.*
Yin Bu-yeong's saber sliced through the neck of my War Dragon Ki with ease.
“Hah!”
My eyes widened at the unbelievable reality before me.
‘Mind and saber as one!’
The godlike saber strike slashed straight at my abdomen.
*Shhhk!*
I was lucky.
Without the Dragon Scale Armor, my body would have been split in two.
Of course, I wasn't completely unscathed.
“Keuk.”
His saber had cut through the Dragon Scale Armor and grazed my side.
A searing pain shot through me, and I knew I was screwed.
It wasn't a deep wound, but fighting a master a level above me while injured was like fighting with both hands tied behind my back.
Of course, that didn't mean I would just stand here and die.
I had to do something.
*Woooong.*
A small sphere formed in my palm, generating a powerful gravitational pull.
As I extended my hand, the sphere, which had been absorbing everything around it, exploded with a tremendous roar.
*KABOOM!*
It was Explosive Death Force ver. 2, the same technique that had taken down the old man from the Sword Sect in a single blow.
Yin Bu-yeong, with a curious expression, simply sliced it in half.
“……!”
The wound in my abdomen prevented me from unleashing its full power.
“What a curious martial art.”
“It's a divine art that'll send you to hell.”
*Pfft.*
“To act so composed when your life is on the line. Your courage is commendable.”
“We'll see whose life is on the line when this is over.”
He launched another relaxed saber strike.
I had anticipated this.
*Thump.*
I quickly used the War King Step to get out of the way.
War isn't fought alone, after all.
*Whoooosh!*
Like a lightning bolt, Yuk Hak appeared, swinging a deep blue glaive at his head.
The massive saber, heavy as a mountain, split into nine, targeting Yin Bu-yeong's entire body.
It was his signature technique, the Nine-Severing Divine Saber, a divine art he found in the imperial palace's martial repository.
Just as the powerful strike was about to reach his head.
“Hah!”
Yin Bu-yeong vanished without a trace.
“Tsk!”
I didn't even need to think.
He would be aiming for me.
I immediately tried to use the War King Step to move away, but…
*Shhhk.*
His saber came nonchalantly for my neck.
Unleashing my War Dragon Ki would only repeat what just happened.
*Grit.*
I used Phantom Shift to rush behind him.
The distance of a single fist.
My plan was to drag him into close combat and turn the tables.
“Not bad…!”
*Pang!*
Just before he could turn, I unleashed the full force of the War King Thirteen Strikes upon his entire body.
*Crack. Crunch. Pow.*
The strongest fighting style a human could perform slammed into his body.
That wasn't all.
*BAM! Shhhk!*
I even used a Battle Lord Arrow, aiming for the back of his head, while simultaneously slashing at his legs with the Ultimate Death Force.
“Kgh.”
It was effective.
A slight opening created while he blocked the Ultimate Death Force and the Battle Lord Arrow allowed me to land the first fist of the Thirteen Strikes.
Thanks to that, Yin Bu-yeong let out a groan and retreated.
He staggered back, spitting a stream of blood from his mouth, indicating an internal injury.
‘As I thought.’
A flawless master doesn't exist in this world. Everyone has a weakness.
And since Yin Bu-yeong's saber style was so elegant, I deliberately dragged him into a brawl.
I figured he wouldn't be used to it.
Well, that didn't mean I had won completely.
*Drip.*
After dozens of exchanges, my shoulder and thigh were cut, and the blade had even grazed my neck.
Yuk Hak's saber descended toward Yin Bu-yeong's head.
*KWAANG!*
“Protect the Sect Lord!”
Seeing him on the defensive, the demons started to swarm in.
“Where do you think you're going!”
*Shhhhhk!*
I unleashed the Ultimate Death Force with all my might, slicing the front line of enemies in half, then used the War King Step to hold them back.
“Hoo.”
I caught my breath and watched the two fight.
Yuk Hak relentlessly swung his glaive, imbued with powerful ki, while Yin Bu-yeong dodged and counterattacked.
If this continued, Yuk Hak would lose.
Internal energy is finite, after all.
“You rat, I'll tear you into a thousand pieces!”
The proof was that the power in Yuk Hak's saber was gradually fading.
The long gashes all over his body were an added bonus.
There was another problem.
The overall battle situation was not good.
With Yuk Hak occupied, the breakthrough power of the Iron-Blooded Nine Roads had plummeted.
Despite the Road Masters fighting their hardest, our allies had started to die.
I grew anxious.
‘I have to kill him as quickly as possible.’
That's the only way to minimize our casualties.
I have a newly developed weapon.
I haven't just been idling away in Hanzhong.
It's just that it takes nearly a minute to prepare, and even then, the success rate is only fifty percent, so I haven't been able to use it in a real fight.
*Crackle. Sizzle.*
I drew upon all my remaining War Dragon Ki and focused my mind.
All the force in my body gathered at my fingertips, forming a small mass.
Releasing this sharply was the Ultimate Death Force, but I added one more step to the process.
Extreme compression.
I would gather and gather it, honing it to be sharper than anything else.
Each second felt like an eternity.
*Psssss.*
Finally, with all preparations complete, I swiped my hand.
…….
It clearly left my fingertips, but there was no sound, no presence.
That's because the force had been refined to be extremely thin.
However, if successfully manifested, it would display a lethality that defied common sense.
Just like now.
Yin Bu-yeong, who had been relentlessly pushing back Yuk Hak, swung his saber in alarm.
*Tuk.*
His saber instantly shattered and fell to the ground.
Yin Bu-yeong turned to look at me with a puzzled expression.
Sensing something was wrong, Yuk Hak also followed his gaze to me.
“What is this?”
“What do you think? It's your ticket to hell.”
“I asked for the name of the technique.”
“……I only recently mastered it, so it doesn't have a name yet.”
“In that case, may I name it?”
Naming the technique that killed him…
He's certainly an enemy with a sense of romance.
“What the hell are you talking about? Who are you to tell me what to do?”
Of course, that kind of thing doesn't work on me.
Hearing my reply, Yin Bu-yeong looked dumbfounded.
*Shwwaaak!*
A bloody diagonal line appeared on his body as it split in two.
For the death of the Lord of the Saber Sect, one of the pillars of the Ten Demon Alliance, it was far too anticlimactic.
***
The battle ended quickly.
There were many masters left in the enemy's detachment, but they couldn't stop Yuk Hak and me as we rushed around, shattering their formation.
Of course, our losses were also significant.
We had clashed head-on when even a perfectly prepared surprise attack would have been risky.
Naturally, the Road Masters who had lost their subordinates, as well as all the warriors, were furious.
Enraged, they poured all their energy into killing the enemy.
Even those who had lost the will to fight and begged for their lives.
They had vented their anger, but that wouldn't bring back the dead.
The War King Sect, which had entered the battlefield with seven hundred men, now numbered less than five hundred.
And even that number continued to dwindle.
The severely injured kept dying during our travels.
Applying wound ointment and wrapping bandages was the only treatment we could provide in our hurry.
Because of this, we grew anxious and began to ride quickly, forgoing reconnaissance.
We knew how dangerous the vibrations were for the severely wounded, but there was no other way.
We also had faith that these martial artists, who had trained their entire lives, would be able to endure a little longer.
*Hee-hing.*
Perhaps due to the fierce battles, the warhorses were not in good condition.
But we pressed on.
It was the only way to save even one more of our fallen comrades.
Because of this, Whitey and I frequently moved between the front and rear of the formation.
It wasn't exactly scouting, but it was to spot any enemy detachments that might appear.
And then.
We really did find the enemy.
Thirty demonic practitioners on warhorses.
They were likely sent to search when the detachment didn't return.
Their objective was clear.
To pinpoint our location.
Which meant…
“Damn it!”
If we let them go, we would run into another detachment from the Ten Demon Alliance.
Everyone in the War King Sect, including myself, chased them with all our might. We killed twenty-eight of them, but two got away.
They had split up in different directions to evade pursuit.
With the enemy sure to swarm us, we had no choice left.
“Ride!”
We had to sprint with everything we had.
The only silver lining was that we would soon cross the border of Shaanxi.
No matter how empty-headed those demons were, they wouldn't chase us that far without any preparation… or so I thought.
They were waiting for us right at the entrance to Shaanxi. And they were fully prepared.
They had even chosen the terrain well.
They had occupied the path between two cliffs—not too high, but not low either—making it difficult to go around.
“……”
A flood of regrets washed over me.
I had been too optimistic about the situation, content to stay in Hanzhong without expanding the War King Sect's power.
Worried only about Hanzhong's safety, I hadn't stationed a defense force at the Shaanxi border.
And in my haste, I had pushed for this campaign even though we weren't fully prepared.
In other words, I had underestimated the martial world.
Even though my grandfather's death had taught me that in the martial world, one must be wary of even a falling leaf.
‘You stupid, pathetic bastard.’
I looked around at our members, each one looking like a defeated soldier.
‘I might as well have killed them myself.’
And it wasn't just them.
What about Myo Hyang, to whom I'd just confessed my feelings?
What about Cheong So-so, whom I promised the Cheong Family Head I would protect no matter what?
What about Jeok Hwa-ran, who had been with me since our days in the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion?
And who would be responsible for the lives of the countless people living in Hanzhong?
*Grit.*
“War King Sect, raise your weapons!”
I shouted to everyone, gritting my teeth.
“I will clear the path. All of you, run to Hanzhong without looking back.”
“Sect Leader!”
“You can't, Sect Leader!”
“Brother! Let me do it instead!”
Yuk Hak and the others were shocked and protested.
I raised a hand to silence them and spoke softly.
“Old man, you must survive and protect Hanzhong. Please.”
“Old man? I'm not even sixty yet… I'll protect it for another thirty years.”
“The same goes for the rest of you. All of you, survive and protect Hanzhong.”
“Ah…”
Leaving the sighs of despair behind me, I faced forward.
‘Master, I'm going ahead. I suppose… we won't meet in the afterlife. You're probably going to hell. You should have lived a better life.’
I stroked Whitey's neck.
“I'm sorry. Let me ask you for one last favor. When we get to heaven, I'll treat you well.”
*Hee-hing. Snort. Snort.*
As if understanding my words, Whitey slowly moved forward.
“Sect Leader!”
“Brother!”
“Sect Leader Jin!”
I heard them calling me from behind, but I ignored them and charged forward.
However, my charge was stopped as soon as it began.
“No, please stop!”
The Road Masters had run up to block my path.
They were clearly trying to stop my sacrifice.
“Damn it! Didn't I tell you not to block my way!”
“N-no, that's not it. You need to look over there.”
“……”
Wu Je-jun pointed to the top of the cliff.
Following his finger, I saw nearly a thousand martial artists descending upon the demons.
“Warriors of the Righteous Path Alliance, annihilate the demonic path!”
It was reinforcements from the Righteous Path Alliance.
‘If you were coming, you could've come sooner…’