Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Dispatch to Heaven-Ascending Pavilion (5)
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#070: Dispatch to Heaven-Ascending Pavilion (5)
A great saber, brimming with blade energy, aimed for Yang Gang’s neck.
*CRASH!*
He barely managed to block it, avoiding injury, but the force of the blow sent him slamming into a massive tree.
It wasn't painful, though.
In fact, he was enjoying it.
‘How long has it been since I’ve fought like this?’
Yes, it had been five years.
Five years since the Young Lord was killed in an ambush.
After that, three years in the Thunder Prison.
Then, pardoned and stuck in the Outer Hall for two years.
There was that time he'd crushed the Ten Demon Alliance's Gansu branch, but that was an exception.
He couldn't use his full power because he had to hide his martial arts.
After so long, exerting his full strength felt refreshing.
“Heheheh.”
“Are you mocking me?!”
The giant, having caught up in an instant, roared and swung his saber.
It was another strike, just like the last, saturated with blade energy.
There was no room to escape.
He had no choice but to block it.
*CLANG!*
Yang Gang’s iron mace met the blade head-on.
“Nngh!”
The impact was immense.
It felt like his arm would be torn off, but he held on.
His innate physical strength made it possible.
“You bastard!”
His attack blocked, the giant charged, ramming his body forward.
He intended to close the distance and end it.
However.
He wasn't alone.
Behind Yang Gang was the reliable support of Dang Pal.
A dagger, shot like a lightning bolt, flew toward the giant's chest.
The giant gritted his teeth.
He had been forced to retreat by the same attack several times. He couldn't back down again.
He raised his protective energy and swung his arm at the dagger.
*Thud. Thud.*
The daggers sank deep into his forearm.
The pain was beyond imagination, and a groan escaped his lips.
“Gah!”
He then let out a fierce cry and lunged toward Yang Gang.
He was determined to finish this.
Yang Gang clenched his jaw and met the charge.
*Thump.*
As the two massive figures collided, the ground seemed to shake.
*POW.*
Yang Gang’s mace struck the giant’s shoulder.
*SQUELCH!*
Thrown off course by the blow, the giant's saber grazed Yang Gang's thigh.
“……!”
Realizing he hadn't ended it in one move, the giant paled and tried to retreat.
He anticipated a volley of daggers to follow immediately.
However.
*Thwip. Thwip.*
Dang Pal was only throwing daggers at his subordinates, paying him no mind.
Just then, Yang Gang provoked him, his voice laced with amusement.
“You’re caught.”
The giant had fallen right into his trap.
“What are you talking about?!”
*SWOOSH!*
Enraged, the giant swung his saber with all his might.
But.
*Clink.*
His eyes widened as the strike was blocked with surprising ease.
“Have you ever heard the rumor that all of the Dang Clan’s hidden weapons are coated with Energy-Scattering Poison?”
“Don’t tell me……!”
He looked down at the two daggers embedded in his forearm.
“We can settle this unfinished business in hell.”
*Thwack.*
***
*CRACK!*
A wave of red axe energy swept through the area.
“Hup!”
I sucked in a breath and combined the War King Step with the Flying Heavenly Wind.
*BOOM.*
With a burst of acceleration, I narrowly dodged the storm of blade energy.
*Crack. Crunch.*
With dazzling footwork, I put distance between myself and the old man.
“You’ve got some fancy footwork.”
“You’re not as skilled as I thought, old man. Is it your age?”
“And quite the mouth on you.”
“I get that a lot.”
“By the way, are you sure you can afford to waste time like this? Those young ones who just left must be in danger.”
The Nine Dragons Mountain Range was now practically the heart of enemy territory, and there were three injured among them.
It was obvious they would be in danger if I didn't catch up quickly.
However.
“How long do you think it’ll take to snap an old geezer’s neck?”
The old man before me was a master of a higher caliber.
One who could rival Baek Jung-cheon.
Turning my back on such an expert was tantamount to offering up my life.
“Do you know who I am?”
“I’ve heard there’s an old man in the Ten Demon Alliance’s Killing Sect who wields twin axes like a demon.”
“Heheheh, you see correctly. I am Jo Gwang, the Twin Axe Killing Demon, Third Elder of the Killing Sect.”
“‘I am’ this, ‘I am’ that… That’s the problem with you people. You’re just a criminal organization, but your pride is too damn high. If you strutted around like this back home, you’d get a one-way ticket to prison for organized crime.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but it has been over thirty years since I first entered the martial world. A clumsy attempt at provocation won't work on me.”
“By the way, does your dear father in the afterlife know you’re running around like this at your age?”
“Heh heh, I buried him with my own hands, so I’m sure he’d understand.”
Wow, this guy was a true demon lord.
“Then what about the disciple who left his worthless master behind and went to hell?”
“……What did you say?”
“The Soul-Reaving Killer Axe, wasn't it? The one whose head I crushed with my fist.”
“So it was you!”
It was a good thing I’d looked through the Martial World Registry.
It mentioned that this old man was the Soul-Reaving Killer Axe’s master.
Thanks to that, I could execute the perfect provocation.
“You bastard!”
“My, my, I thought you said provocation wouldn't work on—whoa!”
*SWOOSH!*
It seemed to have worked a little too well.
*THUD.*
I unleashed the War King Step I had prepared in advance.
Jo Gwang’s great axe smashed nothing but the innocent ground.
“I’ll tear you to pieces!”
His anger still not sated, he activated a movement technique and pursued me.
“……!”
His burst of speed was incredible.
*THUD.*
I had to use the War King Step again.
A crimson wave of axe energy devastated the spot where I had just been standing.
What followed was much the same.
Jo Gwang chased me, swinging his large twin axes.
I used the Flying Heavenly Wind and the War King Step to stay out of his range.
This continued for a quarter of an hour.
“Got you!”
His axe fell with perfect timing.
Aimed right for the top of my head.
*BOOM!*
But I had no intention of being a sitting duck.
I had been prepared from the start to get caught once.
I had also considered how I would react when it happened.
*STOMP.*
As I slammed my foot down, I felt a tremendous repulsive force.
I used that force and my War King’s Energy to unleash internal power.
*Rumble, CRASH!*
With a sound like a grenade exploding, the great axe was sent flying.
It was the most powerful Explosive Death Force I had unleashed today.
My counterattack didn't end there.
The Ultimate Death Force I unleashed next shot toward Jo Gwang’s waist.
“Kuh!”
But my opponent had two axes.
He slammed down his other axe, wreathed in axe energy, and detonated the Ultimate Death Force.
At the same time, the other axe came flying horizontally at my head.
“Hup!”
*SWOOSH!*
I managed to duck and avoid it, but a chill ran from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
‘I almost died!’
I had nearly gotten my head split open by an axe that wasn't even imbued with internal energy.
A sudden, chilling fear shot up my spine, and a cold sweat broke out.
In my urgency, I tried to create distance immediately, but.
*Whirl. Whirl. Whirl.*
Jo Gwang’s axe swings didn't stop.
On the contrary, he began to swing his axes with even greater speed.
I managed to dodge the first few.
‘He’ll get me eventually.’
With each swing, Jo Gwang’s axes were getting faster.
I had to break his rhythm at some point.
*Crackle. Sizzle.*
My mind reached its peak, and my body moved.
The War King’s Energy surged, and my body followed.
Thus, the War King's Thirteen Strikes erupted.
No matter how fast his axe swings were, they couldn't be faster than the bare-handed fists of the War King's Thirteen Strikes.
*BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM.*
Fists imbued with force began to parry the incoming axes.
“Hup!”
*KABOOM!*
In the midst of it all, I mixed in an Explosive Death Force, detonating it in front of Jo Gwang.
“Urgh.”
Shaken by the impact, he created distance, his eyes narrowing in surprise as he asked.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-one.”
“You’re someone who cannot be left alive.”
To his classic villainous line.
“Your disciple was also someone who couldn't be left alive, so I smashed his head in for him.”
“I will tear you limb from limb.”
I quietly pushed his berserk button again.
***
The battle was over.
Yang Gang, Dang Pal, and Dang Jin-hyeong, known as the Three Freaks of the Dang Clan, had slaughtered all the wolf-like enemies.
The First Squad members stared at them, dumbfounded.
They weren't in the same squad, but they had been comrades for two years.
They naturally greeted each other in passing and sometimes even shared drinks.
Of course, they had also been on the receiving end of lectures disguised as senior advice.
Through all this, the First Squad members had judged them to be the epitome of Outer Hall warriors.
When they drank, they drank with more passion than anyone; when they were scolded, they wore expressions of utter boredom; and during group training, they were always the first to try and sneak away.
To think those three were such powerful masters.
Powerful enough to kill a peak master who had reached the state of blade energy manifestation.
Yang Gang spoke to the bewildered crowd.
“There were circumstances. We didn't mean to deceive you, so please don't be too upset.”
Woo Je-jun replied with difficulty.
He was one of the people who had nagged these three the most.
“Please… our squad leader…”
A squad member next to him tore a piece of his own clothing and bandaged Woo Je-jun's side. But the wound was deep, and blood continued to flow unabated.
Yang Gang looked down at Woo Je-jun and said.
“Don't worry. I'll bring him back soon.”
With those words, the three of them immediately took off.
Everyone on the scene turned to look at Yu So-pyeong, who had been left alone.
Their eyes seemed to ask, *So, what about you?*
He gave an awkward smile and said.
“I am but an honest man……”
Meanwhile, the Three Freaks of the Dang Clan, who had gone to find Jin Mujeon, soon spotted approaching squad members.
Their wretched state seemed to tell the tale of the fierce battle they had endured.
Dang Jin-hyeong, who was in the lead, approached them and asked.
“Have you seen our squad leader?”
Jeon Gwang, who looked ready to collapse at any moment, pointed back the way he had come and said.
“……He is fighting the enemy leader.”
“Got it. If you walk for about a quarter of an hour, you’ll find the others. It won’t be completely safe there either, but for now, stick close to them.”
The three took off again, finding Jin Mujeon a quarter of an hour later.
Overjoyed, Yang Gang was about to run toward him, but then.
“Run, you bastards!”
Behind Jin Mujeon’s terrified shout, an enraged beast was giving chase.
***
A blazing axe aura crashed down where I had been a moment ago.
*KABOOM! BOOM!*
The explosion, twice as powerful as my Explosive Death Force, incinerated the surrounding air.
The searing heat on the back of my neck confirmed that it had grazed me.
“Shit!”
“Die!”
Perhaps because I had spammed his berserk button, Jo Gwang had entered a perfect berserker mode, relentlessly unleashing his aura.
*FWOOSH!*
Another massive wave of axe aura fell behind me.
‘I can’t dodge this one!’
For a split second, the image of death flashed through my mind.
Should I trust the Dragon Scale Armor?
No. I can’t bet my life on a gamble like that.
“Nngh!”
Having made up my mind, I poured force into my legs as they dug into the ground.
It was something I was trying for the first time.
I detonated an Explosive Death Force with my feet.
*BOOM!*
An immense repulsive force wrapped around my body and launched me into the air.
*CRACK!*
Searing heat washed over the back of my head as the ground below began to crack like a drought-stricken field.
If that had hit me, I would have been dead for sure.
‘Dragon Scale Armor, my ass.’
Still, I had succeeded in creating distance.
All that was left was to run.
Waiting for Jo Gwang to run out of energy was my only path to survival.
If there was one thing I was confident in, it was my speed.
I once again felt a sense of gratitude toward the Fortress Lord for teaching me the Flying Heavenly Wind.
My surroundings began to blur, and in an instant, I had successfully escaped Jo Gwang’s range.
“You baaastard!”
Behind me, Jo Gwang gave chase, emitting a terrifying aura.
It was an aura like that of the King of Hell himself.
I kept running, using the Flying Heavenly Wind and the War King Step.
If I stopped for even a moment, I would die.
Of course, there was still hope.
No matter how vast one's internal energy was, as long as one was human, they couldn't unleash their aura endlessly.
That was why the Lord of the Southern Heaven Palace, who died at Bukgung Baek's hands, had tried to absorb demonic energy to overcome the limits of his internal energy.
‘When his energy runs out, I’ll strike back.’
As I created distance and dodged Jo Gwang's attacks.
‘Huh?’
I could see three of my former Seventeenth Squad members in the distance.
“Run, you bastards!”