Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
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"Why are you so confident?"
"Even Master Lee Gwang and Jin So-cheong, geniuses who rank second to none in the Central Plains, couldn't master it. I can't even imagine what conditions you'd need to fulfill."
"That's something we can only know by trying."
"Fine, fine~ Let's give it a shot~"
For about an hour, I received the key movements and oral formula of the Extinction Shadow Step from Geuk Ho. The formula wasn't all that long, so after hearing it three or four times, I had it memorized in my head. After reciting the final part of the Extinction Shadow Step's formula, Geuk Ho said,
"There, done! Now all that's left is to execute the Extinction Shadow Step according to the formula."
"Is that really it? It's too simple for a secret technique."
Geuk Ho replied curtly.
"Who knows. Everyone said the same thing, but no one could master it."
With a sliver of doubt, I tried executing the Extinction Shadow Step just as Geuk Ho described. But true to his words, it didn't work at all. In fact, it even disrupted the flow of my Thunder Shadow Step. I'd barely taken two steps, and it already looked like a cripple trying to dance.
I'd followed the formula exactly, yet something was off.
What kind of martial art is this?
As I wore a confused expression, Geuk Ho said,
"Master's back."
The three who had gone to negotiate with the Han Family Clan had returned. But their expressions weren't good, so I sensed something had gone wrong. Mang Ryang muttered with a devastated look.
"It's no good..."
"It was hopeless from the start. Let's relocate the base."
"Sigh..."
From what Mang Ryang told me, they had managed to enter the Han Family Clan and speak with House Lord Han Baek-ryeong. However, Han Baek-ryeong had flatly stated that it was separate from the debts of his ancestors and demanded a [treasure] that would satisfy him. Of course, there was no way they possessed anything worthy of the man who controlled the world's greatest wealth, so they had come back empty-handed.
Mang Ryang said to me bitterly,
"We'll have to take comfort in the fact that Lee Gwang held back his anger there. If he'd clashed with the Fire God Style on the spot, it really would have been over."
"Then where do you plan to move the base?"
Mang Ryang looked around and said,
"To Changryeong Valley."
"Changryeong Valley?"
"There's another patron of the Semi-Heaven Alliance waiting there."
We packed our things and headed toward Changryeong Valley. It was quite a distance from Luoyang, making it hard to move discreetly. But by stuffing all the miscellaneous baggage into the Mokgap, we managed to travel with just the people, and after three days of good camouflage, everyone successfully escaped Luoyang.
Even as we left Luoyang, though, an uneasy feeling lingered with me. Somehow, with this force, we might have been able to storm the imperial throne and get good results, but the circumstances weren't cooperating, leaving me feeling chased out.
It was when we were almost at Changryeong Valley. After half a day more, we'd reach the entrance. In the mountains there, the Semi-Heaven Alliance and Thunder God Style experts were resting.
I asked Mang Ryang,
"Isn't Changryeong Valley the place where you get a gold ingot if you answer three questions correctly?"
"That's right. It's also a hidden martial force."
"What kind of person is the Lord of Changryeong Valley?"
"The Lord of Changryeong Valley's original title is Ghost Valley Scholar, one of the greatest strategists in the martial world."
"Ghost Valley Scholar. Why would someone like that help us?"
The answer that followed surprised me a little.
"Because he's my uncle."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Mang Ryang gave a wry smile.
"Families like ours have been in the brains business for generations. It's inevitable."
Ghost Valley Scholar is Mang Ryang's uncle!
As I probed deeper out of curiosity,
Rumble...
Rumble...
"......?!"
The warriors resting in the shade of the trees were startled to see five whirlwinds surging across the plains like waves. They all jumped up, grabbed their weapons, and prepared to flee. Whirlwinds of that scale could be deadly if caught in them.
But right then, a terrifying lion's roar shook heaven and earth.
[ Hahaha! I've come to finish off the remnants of the Thunder God Style!!]
Something was flying through the air at the center of one whirlwind. It was astonishing that a mere human could ride such a whirlwind unfazed, but soon I recognized the voice and despaired.
"Damn it! Why here of all places!!"
"Baek Woong! What's going on?! Do you know who that is?"
"That's the Wind God Style's Dharma Protector Lion!"
Boom!
The massive whirlwind summoned by the Wind God Style's Dharma Protector Lion slammed into the mountain. Astonishingly, trees were uprooted by the thousands, as if the mountain's skin had been scraped off, flying into the sky.
"Whoaaa!"
It was no force humans could withstand. Over thirty percent of the warriors were sent flying, swimming through the air. Those caught directly in the whirlwind's path had their bodies torn apart, dying instantly.
Lee Gwang, now in full battle readiness, spat flames from his eyes.
"You bastard! To appear before me, Dragon Flying Heaven!!"
The Wind God Style's Dharma Protector Lion, called Dragon Flying Heaven, crossed his arms in midair, laughing heartily as he shouted the Six Harmonies Battle Formation.
[ Uhahaha... The brat from back then has grown quite a bit... Enjoying being a leader in the Central Plains?]
"Shut your mouth. I'll deal with you!!"
Lee Gwang's body shot forward like a beam of light, and Dragon Flying Heaven drew his saber in response. Moments later, I saw Lee Gwang unleash Thunder Duke Annihilation as if to pierce the Wind God Style Dharma Protector Lion Dragon Flying Heaven's heart, while from Dragon Flying Heaven's saber, the Wind God Style's ultimate technique Divine Wind arose, spewing forth a terrifying illusion.
Right after the clash of peerless masters, the world turned blinding white. Then, belatedly, the aftershock spread across heaven and earth.
Boom!!
The rotation of Thunder Duke Annihilation pierced through the gale like a blaze, rapidly breaching Dragon Flying Heaven's defense. Seeing Lee Gwang's spear charging with ferocious momentum, Dragon Flying Heaven gathered energy into his saber. The wind saber aura, condensed to the point of looking pitch black, clashed with Thunder Duke Annihilation once more.
Boom
"Urk...!!"
Watching their duel from relatively close range, I thought,
'As expected, the Wind God Style's main art is saber technique. Impressive.'
Fist techniques seemed secondary. Indeed, when fighting Wol Yo's guardian, the Wind God Style Dharma Protector Lion Dragon Flying Heaven had used the Heavenly Spirit Pill to deploy wind saber aura. Now, he seemed to recognize Lee Gwang as a worthy opponent.
I said to Jin So-cheong, who was watching beside me,
"Senior Brother! Can't we do something?"
"...It's impossible. It's too dangerous to intervene now. If I jump in recklessly, Master will definitely be put at risk."
Jin So-cheong seemed even more eager to join, biting his lip until it bled. He muttered dazedly,
"Why did he charge in there...? He'll just take losses from a superior foe."
"Then we just watch until it's settled?"
"Don't worry, junior brother. I'll find a way to help Master. For now, take the others and evacuate."
"Got it."
Anyone below Lee Gwang or Jin So-cheong's level would only get in the way. I gathered Mang Ryang and the others to move away from the epicenter of the battle. Behind us, deafening explosions devoured heaven and earth as the storm raged, but I tried to ignore it.
Miho, following me, spoke in spirit tongue with annoyance.
[ Is that the one who killed me in my past life?]
"Yeah."
[ I doubt there's anywhere to flee from a monster like that.]
"...No need to worry about that."
Soon, we ran into elite Imperial Guards and Imperial Shadow Troops blocking our retreat. The Imperial Guards had brought what seemed like their entire remaining force—about five squads—while the Imperial Shadow Troops numbered around five thousand. The clash of weapons echoed fiercely through the mountains.
Clang!
Clang!
"Die!"
"Raaah!!"
The Semi-Heaven Alliance experts weren't pushovers; despite the overwhelming numerical disadvantage, they were holding on somehow. As I leaped into the fray, aiming to send enemies flying with a single internal energy strike,
Boom
"You were the brat who cut off my leg, right? Heh heh heh."
A man in a silver mask blocked my attack with a sinister smile. In an instant, he parried my internal energy-infused sword strike with a circular fist. Astonishingly, despite taking it head-on, he didn't retreat a single step—proof of his immense internal energy or defensive power matching my attack.
"Chief Commander!!"
The Imperial Guard Chief Commander said,
"This is your grave!!"
"You think I'm the same as before? Try this."
I charged at the Chief Commander with Thunder Shadow Step and attacked. He evaded with Phantom Shift, but I pressed on toward his real body, unleashing a barrage of sword flames.
Clang!
My sword and his fist sparked on impact. After exchanging a brief clash, the Chief Commander said in surprise,
"Hoh... Impressive... Truly impressive at your age."
The blade of Wol-a on his fist was slightly cracked.
As expected, the skill gap between me and the Chief Commander wasn't that vast. He was superior, but the difference was something I could bridge with strategy and strike power. Feeling strong odds of victory, I taunted him.
"If I behead you, I'll be even more impressive—so cooperate!"
"Haha, that's impossible."
As he blocked my sword, the Chief Commander's eyes turned red.
"I now possess invincible power and immortality..."
Boom!
Before he could finish, flames erupted across his body. Looking back, Miho had shifted to her half-human, half-fox form and secretly unleashed foxfire. The Chief Commander, blazing in blue flames, seemed beyond human recovery. Miho shouted coldly.
[ Hmph! Forget immortality—become well-roasted meat.]
Any normal human would die there. But as his body charred black, the Chief Commander laughed from within the inferno.
"Heh, heh heh, hahaha!!"
His skin peeled away like sweet potato skin. Then, crimson lines spiderwebbed across his flesh, and meaty lumps oozed from within.
"I have transcended humanity!!"
Gurgle
In an instant, the Chief Commander's flesh-buried form began expanding. Eventually, the [flesh mass] that had become the Chief Commander, half-floating in the sky, extended hundreds of tentacles. It lashed out with them to keep us at bay, then soared high into the clouds and vanished.
'What the hell?'
Suddenly turning bipedal and abandoning the battlefield—what?
Right then, I sensed Yeo Dongbin's phantom.
[ My incarnation, it's extremely dangerous now! That demon is preparing a mighty spell!]
'Why didn't you show last time?'
When I asked via consciousness, Yeo Dongbin replied.
[ It was an easy foe for you! You grow faster through real combat! But not this time! With your power, incarnation, there's a 100% chance of death!]
After a rough reply, Yeo Dongbin urgently shouted in my mind.
[ Thus, open your potential according to the second formula of Heavenly Escape Swordsmanship: Release!]
Formula: Release.
It involved opening some of the body's Eight Gates to create an environment where Sword Immortal Yeo Dongbin could exert more power. Feeling his urgency, I realized the Imperial Guard Chief Commander had become no ordinary demon.
' Opening all Eight Gates kills me.'
As I hesitated, Yeo Dongbin persuaded me.
[ No need for all. I'll open them sequentially.]
"Please!!"
I entrusted my body according to the Faith formula. At the same time, I readjusted my body to ease opening the Eight Gates.
Whummm
[ I've come to annihilate demonic arts!]
A divine aura flowed from my eyes. Yeo Dongbin, descending once more, rummaged through the Mokgap and pulled out the jade-green twin swords stored in a corner. He appraised them briefly, then exclaimed in admiration.
[ Twin Paired Swords of Emperor Shao Lie from the Three Kingdoms era!! Perfect.]
Seemingly better than the Yodo Muramasa for channeling power. Yeo Dongbin levitated the female sword near him with sword control arts and gripped the male sword in his right hand, assuming a starting stance. Treating the demon that had soared into the distant clouds as his foe, he held his sword and waited.
Then, he roared like lightning.
[ Hah!!]
Crack
Time seemed to stop. The female of the Twin Paired Swords positioned itself beneath his feet, and Yeo Dongbin rode the sword skyward. I was amazed that my body could do this, rocketing from the ground to above the clouds in the blink of an eye.
This was—the legendary Sword Flight Technique!
Rising above the cloud layer via Sword Flight Technique, there was no leisure to bask in the serene sunlight. Across the sea of clouds loomed the [former Chief Commander demon], billowing dark energy. Bereft of human reason, it endlessly extruded tentacles while gathering power. The surging purple aura confirmed it wielded far greater might than the malignant god's descendant I'd faced at sea.
Sword Immortal Yeo Dongbin glared at the demon Chief Commander from atop his sword. Then he said,
[ Vile one! Did you sell your soul to the bipedals for power? Forcibly tearing the dimensional boundary with Dark Heaven Village to draw dark power?]
Shickakak
The demon didn't answer. Instead, it extended tentacles hundreds of feet wide in all directions, then began spewing lightning and flames in succession. The massive waves of lightning and fire split the cloud sea instantly, flying endlessly. Their tremendous force proclaimed the demon Chief Commander as a being from a hellish dimension beyond.
[ Foolish tricks!]
Heavenly Escape Swordsmanship
Six Intents Holy Heaven Diagram
Cloud Formula
In an instant, thousands of illusory qi swords materialized around Yeo Dongbin. Pouring down like a cloud of light blades with immense density, they repelled the frontal lightning and fire waves. Transcending space-time, the male sword flew from Yeo Dongbin's hand, massively slashing the demon's foreleg.
Thud
But seeing the demon begin horrific regeneration at breakneck speed, Yeo Dongbin cried out in genuine fury.
[ You bastard!! You never intended to fight me from the start! Using the lives and souls of the wicked to open a gate from the human world to Dark Heaven Village?! A malignant god's scheme...!!]
Something's off.
[ I cannot forgive this!! Absolutely unforgivable!]
I felt Yeo Dongbin's emotions. Until now, though staunch and hot-blooded, he'd never lost a sage's dignity—but now he was excited. Beyond mere excitement, he was enraged to the point of madness. It meant the Fighting Immortal Yeo Dongbin had truly snapped.
Terrifying rage!
[ Haaaaah!!]
Yeo Dongbin suddenly began opening my body's Eight Gates. The first was already open, but from the second to the sixth, they burst open rapidly. The power emanating from Yeo Dongbin grew monstrously potent, soon manifesting a luminous jade orb in the air.
Dizzying.
All my power and life force felt sucked into the luminous jade. The sensation was all too familiar, leaving my mind blank. No—this was the dreadfully familiar premonition of death.
' Lord Yeo Dongbin! Wait! Just wait!!'
I cried desperately, but Yeo Dongbin ignored me, bellowing in colossal rage. Simultaneously, the automatically unfurled Great Raksha Annihilation Array forcibly opened all Eight Gates.
[ This is heaven's Fire Dragon!!]
Heavenly Escape Swordsmanship
Fire Dragon Summoning
Rumble
The luminous jade wasn't the attack itself. It shattered, and a colossal dragon burst through the rift, revealing itself across the heavens. The divine crimson dragon, formed of spirit body, glared at the demon Chief Commander ahead.
Something impossible for a mere human—direct summoning of heaven's top-tier divine beast!
It rivaled the phoenix summoning from Goryeo.
Whumm
Moments later, the Fire Dragon coiled its body, gathering divine power throughout. It charged, biting into the demon Chief Commander. As tentacles writhed in frenzy, blazing spirit flames erupted, triggering an unprecedented massive explosion.
Sound ceased.
The earth quaked.
Heaven and earth flipped.
Kaboom - !!!
The Fire Dragon's might! A true heavenly calamity.
The cloud sea vanished, and an explosion hundreds of feet wide scarred the sky like a brand. The demon Chief Commander was erased without trace. Though the demon was overwhelmingly vanquished, I couldn't rejoice in victory.
Falling.
"......"
Whoooosh
I wanted to use landing arts or protect my body with internal energy, but with all Eight Gates open by Yeo Dongbin, my internal energy was gone, and my body was shattering. Even a Great Raksha Immortal couldn't save me now.
A win, but what kind of victory is this?
' Aaaah... Fuck... How...'
Unbelievable to do all that and die like this.
"Yeo Dongbin, you son of a..."
Thud
The pain of the fall was but an instant.
That was my eleventh death.