Chapter 208
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Persuasion (1)
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Swaaang, puwaaaang!
The spots gouged deep by the shockwaves froze over white. Traces of the clash littered the area. The scorching desert had cooled under the chill. The battle's remnants lingered on. The fierce fight raged without end.
Sssrrrrk!
A woman glided across the desert sands like they were slick ice. She unleashed waves of icy sword energy, holding off the men draped in black robes.
Kukukukuku!
Corpses littered the surroundings.
She grinned toward those she'd slain. Unlike her innocent expression, her condition was far from good. Her clothes hung in tatters, barely covering her private areas. To make matters worse, internal injuries hampered her movements.
Chaeng, chaengchaeng!
Sword light flashed as she deflected the surging weapons. No openings for counterattacks appeared. These black-robed men were leagues beyond those who'd fallen to her blade.
Most of the dead had been crippled by her ice arts, unable to perform at full strength. These foes, however, repelled the cold with their internal energy and inflicted wounds in return. Pushed back bit by bit, the fight turned one-sided.
Kukuku!
Yet she couldn't underestimate their coordinated assault.
The moment they thought her cornered, she turned the tables. Losing her reason, she pushed her ice arts to the limit. No one could scorn the madness of a woman who disregarded her own life.
Even in this non-winter desert, she summoned frost.
Thuaaaang, swaaaak!
The sword strikes raining from the sky were each devastating.
They hurriedly fell back.
At the same time, a sandstorm swept in, engulfing the area.
Whiiiiiing!
Of all things, a sandstorm.
Though they pierced the swept space with sword beams, they failed to achieve their goal.
"Seeing the fourth one fall, she's clearly no ordinary bitch."
"That wench we could devour a thousand times and still not sate our rage!"
They were Yagul Gun, the Second Death of the Black Wind Pirates—nightmare of the desert's Five Deaths—and Yagul Mong, the Third Death. Under First Death's orders, they'd set out to capture the woman. But they'd only racked up losses without success.
"Not to Blood Heaven, and we can't let that disciple of his snatch her."
"Watch your tongue. It's not time to antagonize Blood Palace yet."
The desert folk might rank Red Wind Pirates alongside them, but they resented it. Without Blood Palace backing Red Wind, they would've wiped them out long ago.
"Fine, I get it! Enough nagging."
"As you say, we need to seize the wench first. That way, we show we're superior to Red Wind Pirates."
The situation had devolved into a contest for supremacy in the desert.
Blood Palace had lost their fourth, wounding their pride. For honor's sake, they were desperate to capture the Frost Witch.
Yagul Gun didn't like this setup.
It felt fishy, somehow.
'Why isn't he stepping up front?'
It was like they'd tossed out bait and were watching to see what happened. An uneasy feeling gnawed at him.
The pursuit of the Frost Witch dragged on for another five days. There had been gains. No longer did they chase haphazardly like before. The mystery of why tracking was hardest at twilight, when light and shadow intertwined, was revealed.
"So that's how it is."
A natural barrier formed then—the whole world drowned in darkness, making distinction impossible. The Frost Witch had used it as her hideout to evade them.
Capturing the instinctive hit-and-run Frost Witch wasn't easy. That's why Red Wind Pirates had laced her drinking water with yulmil incense.
Yulmil incense was a drug mixed from desert rat secretions and special herbs. Trained desert rats tracked the scent in reverse.
"Worth the effort to grind it up."
Third Young Master Cheol Jasin's sly smile made Red Wind Pirates' leader, Blood Lion Yonggang, twitch with irritation. He'd lost a hundred men just tracking the Frost Witch.
Though Red Wind enjoyed Blood Palace's protection, this treatment grated. Especially Third Young Master's attitude, like he was taming them, provoked him.
"What are you waiting for? Go avenge our brothers!"
"As you command."
Cheol Jasin just smirked at Yonggang's blazing glare. He bore Blood Heaven's orders and led Blood Palace's elite assassins. Black Wind Pirates were mere bandits, no matter their "desert nightmare" title.
'Know your place if you don't.'
This went beyond capturing the Frost Witch. It was about solidifying Blood Palace's position and reminding dissenters who ruled.
Desert's nightmare.
Red Wind and Black Wind Pirates had the Frost Witch surrounded in layers. Eight hundred men at least. They'd suffered hundreds of casualties to her, but their elites remained.
It was only a matter of time. She was human, after all. Her stamina would soon give out.
But things didn't go as planned.
As time passed, the witch bared her fangs, unleashing transcendent ice arts. She seemed on the verge of collapse, yet subduing her proved difficult. The extreme yin power in her ice arts froze flesh on mere graze.
"Was this your scheme?"
"That doesn't matter."
First Death Yagul Je, commander of Black Wind's Five Deaths, snarled at Red Wind's bloodied lion, Yonggang. Friction predated Red Wind's Blood Palace allegiance. It had only worsened since.
What irked Yagul Je was how Red Wind had toyed with them in the chase, sacrificing underlings to lure him and his brothers.
"First to subdue her claims her. Deal?"
"Fine. But don't think it'll go your way. The wench is our sacrifice for our brothers' souls."
Yagul Je and Yonggang eyed each other hostilely but avoided folly. Infighting before capture helped no one.
They needed to overwhelm her quickly. Otherwise, it'd benefit only Blood Palace's Third Young Master.
Both warily guarded against that.
They acknowledged Blood Palace's might yet sought to prove their worth. Desert nightmares, untamed wolves—they took pride in it.
'Not to Blood Heaven, nor his disciple.'
'Third Young Master, don't think the world fits in your palm.'
They checked Cheol Jasin while respecting him somewhat. Without yulmil incense, they never would've found her lair.
His ruthless mind and decisive action were impressive. If he captured or killed her now, their sacrifices would yield nothing.
"Unleash Black Wind Blood Tribulation Formation."
"Activate Red Wind Soul-Extermination Formation."
The barren plain in the desert's heart was vast. Yet they'd missed her right under their noses. Dozens of brothers died each time. They had to avenge them by slaying the witch.
Pupupung!
The Frost Witch sprayed sword energy relentlessly, but holding off the elites of Red and Black Wind charging in formation overwhelmed her. Her ice crystal-eroded extreme yin chill, transcending limits, neared its end.
Kukukukuku!
Even amid the onslaught, she laughed. But her mad cackle lacked power.
Her ice crystal's spirit, the Ice Soul, had eroded her mind, forcing indiscriminate swordplay. As her energy waned, the Ice Soul sensed crisis. Yearning survival, it released the Sword Empress's soul from her consciousness realm.
Conscious and unconscious coexisted, but her strained body couldn't muster prior strength. It seemed mere death throes. She shook like leaves in wind on formation clashes.
Waver!
Yonggang and Yagul Je saw her ice arts weaken. Time to press. Her arts aside, the yin power forbade rash approach. Touch it, freeze; fail to dispel timely, regret forever.
"The bitch is tiring—press her!"
"She's ours. Don't give them an opening!"
At Yonggang and Yagul Je's shouts, the formation brothers' killing intent exploded. Hundreds felled by one woman. No revenge, no purpose.
Shifting from attrition via rotation to aggressive assault, they altered the formation's axis.
And then.
Shushushuk, swaaaaaak!
Holes riddled the brothers who'd advanced. Dozens froze in the ensuing icy sword gale.
"No!"
"Impossible!"
Shock burst from Yonggang and Yagul Je. Her ice arts had clearly weakened. They thought victory near. Reality opposed: more brothers fell.
'Ice arts weakened. What's that swordplay?'
'Not random sword energy.'
Unlike her reasonless frenzy, it was like unrefined arts taking shape, enlightenment dawning.
And perfecting rapidly.
'Can this happen?'
'She grew stronger in that time?'
Unbelievable, yet her sword intent perfected terrifyingly fast. Before, brute ice arts; now, ice arts infused with sword will.
'...Ice Sword Aura!'
'Damn it!'
It resembled sword waves, but ice-enhanced, more threatening. Unmastered internal energy suffered influence. Block ice arts, then subdue.
Now, condensed sword aura—not spreading waves. Its power was immense, as seen.
Swak!
Creaaack!
The formation split in two, brothers cleaved. Following icy sword barrage froze the area. Sun set, darkness fell, white spectacle unfolded.
Frost trailed the Frost Witch's path.
Between unconscious and conscious, her evolution for survival. Her blade unleashed Frost Heaven Sword Shadows, reversing the tide against pressing Red and Black Wind.
"...No!"
Third Death Yagul Mong was bisected by the Frost Witch's sword. His body halved.
Kwaduk!
Watching, Yagul Je's face twisted demonically. He couldn't forgive the slayer of his brother.
Black Spirit Soul-Severing Sword, Fourth Form: Black Soul Killing Thrust
Fueled by his brother's death, Yagul Je plunged to the formation's heart, thrusting at her blind spot. Extreme one-strike kill, soul-piercing malice tipped the blade.
Shushushushu, taang!
Force knit Yagul Je's brow. Counterforce rode the blade-tip, refining ice arts freezing the sword body.
"...Damn it!"
Blind spot became front. Frost Witch's footwork left afterimages. Unseen before.
Chachak!
Without brothers blocking via formation, she might've broken through.
Shaaaak!
Blood Lion Yonggang seized the chance.
Blood Demon Sword, Sixth Form: Blood Aroma Myriad Heavens
Blood saber energy wove densely, bloody scent blanketing the sky. Spiderweb saber net for escape. Absorbed ambient energies into concentrated blood shadow energy.
"Die!"
Yonggang exploited Yagul Je's gap. This strike would claim her as sacrifice.
Or so he thought.
Creaaack!
His sure-kill move chilled him as white radiance split and burst. Condensed blood shadow froze instantly. Had he not maxed Blood Cloud Step, he'd share Third Death's fate.
Jwaaaak!
Split left and right, ice arts detonated. Disaster-like cold winds swept; Red and Black Wind Pirates retreated. No one dared the frozen hellscape.
Pak!
Far from subduing, they'd awakened the witch.
This enraged Yonggang and Yagul Je. Unacceptable. Yet they didn't withdraw. Killing her or lifelong regret.
Swaaaaaa!
But the awakening Frost Witch's chill differed in quality. Frenzy seemed strong but bearable with internal energy shield.
Now, even internal energy couldn't fully block. Especially frost from her body layered misty walls, restricting movement.