Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Meteor Sword
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Overwhelming shockwaves began sweeping through the Starpoint Sect's camp like a storm.
Countless objects and buildings were crushed into powder in an instant, their fragments scattering like falling leaves.
It was an unbelievable feat of human power—a range attack akin to a natural disaster.
Baek Hyun instinctively realized it.
The source of this unidentified attack was one of the 'Monstrous Beings'.
'Damn it, I kept the upper dantian's output too low, so my reaction was delayed!!'
Just as Baek Hyun belatedly opened his upper dantian to locate the attacker...
-Rustle!!
A swarm of venomous insects burst from the forest, lunging at Baek Hyun.
These were far faster and larger than ordinary venomous bugs, with a menacing appearance.
-Roar!!
In the end, Baek Hyun had no choice but to halt opening his upper dantian and deal with the charging insects.
Using the Solar Body's yang energy, he incinerated them one by one as they approached, urgently asking,
"Damn it, is this the Southern Barbarian bastards' method!?"
"These are venomous creatures handled by one of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace's wings, the Poison Valley. They're inherently troublesome with their tenacious lifespans and potent venom compared to regular poisons, but..."
This number... it's quite dangerous.
-Splash!!!
Like a crashing wave, an enormous horde of venomous creatures from all directions began overwhelming the Starpoint Sect's camp.
Baek Hyun felt his mind reeling at the overwhelming sight.
For the Starpoint Sect, whose martial arts were specialized for one-on-one combat, this was a nightmare scenario.
He could hold out by radiating yang energy in all directions.
But the laborers thrown into chaos by the previous attack, and the other disciples—they couldn't handle this sheer number of venomous creatures.
Even if he and the other disciples blocked as many as possible, there would be massive casualties.
At this rate, it would be total annihilation.
"To see this many venomous creatures swarming... it seems the Vice Palace Lord has come personally. Good thing I stayed behind."
Unlike Baek Hyun, who panicked momentarily in the face of the unmanageable situation, Mok Yeon calmly advanced toward the overwhelming swarm.
"Elder..."
"I was planning to teach you the theory slowly, but since it's come to this, watch closely. It won't hurt to learn by example."
-Shuuu...
Mok Yeon's sword traced a fluid, flowing trajectory through the air.
Dazzling fine particles erupted from his blade, dyeing the surroundings in ecstatic hues like a starry night sky.
Only then did Baek Hyun recall it.
The nickname of Starpoint Sect's second strongest expert, Mok Yeon.
Meteor Sword.
No flowery words were needed to explain why he bore that title.
Just as no explanation is required to affirm that the sun is the sun and the moon is the moon.
His sword was the falling starlight itself.
Myriad Star Rain Sword
Ten thousand starlights pour down like rain.
The new pinnacle sword art added to Starpoint after the remake, symbolizing Meteor Sword Mok Yeon.
Among Starpoint's myriad martial arts, it boasted the absolute highest learning difficulty, its power truly spine-chilling.
-Kwarungkwang!!!!!!
The starlight, now spread wide enough to engulf the entire wave of approaching venomous creatures, plummeted all at once, shredding them apart.
Innumerable stars danced gracefully along Mok Yeon's sword path, weaving magnificent destruction.
The overwhelming spectacle resembled an orchestra moving in perfect unison under a conductor's baton.
'I knew roughly what it was, but I never imagined this level of power...'
Baek Hyun couldn't hide his shock at Mok Yeon massacring the horde single-handedly.
Myriad Star Rain Sword.
Starpoint's ultimate supreme martial art, pushing the essence of 'compression' to its absolute limit.
By freely manipulating thousands of ultra-compressed sword energies, it excelled not only in one-on-one but also in one-versus-many battles.
Paradoxically, despite maximizing compression, it was more ornate than any Starpoint sword art.
'To split and control sword energy to that degree... he's insane.'
Even destruction was beautiful.
It rivaled the famed beauty of the Huashan Plum Blossom Sword Art.
This was likely the ideal the founder who created Vast Cold Moon Shadow Step had envisioned.
'No, this isn't the time for such admiration.'
The enemies were right in front of them in this real battle.
What could be more pathetic than standing there dumbfounded?
"Elder! I'll join with all my meager strength! Please command us!"
"........."
"...Elder?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I have this habit of zoning out when I concentrate... Sigh, what did you say just now?"
"........."
At that moment, Baek Hyun's thoughts froze.
-Slash!!
A massive centipede pierced through the myriad starlights, aiming for Baek Hyun's head.
Even in his stunned state, Baek Hyun swiftly detected it and tried to coat his sword with sword energy, but...
-Rip!!
Faster still, Mok Yeon's dispersed compressed sword energies converged in an instant, tearing the giant centipede into unrecognizable shreds.
"That's a High Venom. Far more powerful than regular venomous creatures. And only one person in Poison Valley can control them..."
At that moment, a man slowly emerged from the forest whence the venomous creatures poured.
A dark-skinned man with vacant, hollow eyes, riding a scorpion far larger than a human like a palanquin, staring at Mok Yeon.
Baek Hyun immediately recognized him.
The younger brother of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace Lord Meng Liao, the head of Poison Valley who commanded myriad venomous creatures, and the palace's de facto second-in-command.
Meng Sa.
"I thought Radiant Sword would be at the forefront... I didn't expect Meteor Sword to be at the rear."
Meng Sa stroked the head of the massive python beside him as he spoke.
Besides the giant scorpion he rode, all manner of 'High Venoms' guarded his side.
Palm-sized hornets, centipedes larger than humans, toad-like boulders, spiders bigger than elephants.
Dozens of visually repulsive venomous creatures awaited his command, eyes glinting.
"If this is unexpected, why not retreat now? If you leave, I'll specially spare your life."
"No, no, I can't do that. I've brought a good chunk of the main force already... Retreating here would be a huge loss."
-Snap!
With those words, Meng Sa flicked his finger, and dozens of Southern Barbarian Beast Palace warriors hidden among the venomous creatures charged toward the Starpoint Sect's camp.
Aiming to distract Meteor Sword by targeting non-combatants and inflict damage on Starpoint.
"Using such petty tricks—do you think our Starpoint Sect looks that easy?"
Mok Yeon raised one hand in response, and the remaining Starpoint disciples, having regrouped from the chaos, lined up behind him.
"Starpoint disciples, exterminate these vile foes and protect our people!!"
"""Yes! Elder!!"""
With that, the Starpoint disciples charged to confront the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace warriors.
Baek Hyun moved to follow them against the intruders, but...
"Baek Hyun, stay out of it."
"Pardon? But they've invaded the camp..."
"I'm not telling you not to fight. Remember that initial powerful attack? Among the High Venoms Meng Sa controls, none can unleash such a wide-area strike like that one."
Which means someone else is responsible.
"That attack luckily hit an empty area with minimal damage, but if it lands on a crowded spot, it's over.
Find it and stop it at all costs."
Finally grasping Mok Yeon's intent, Baek Hyun immediately deployed Azure Hawk Seven Forms and dashed toward the attack's origin.
Some venomous creatures blocked his path, but most burned to death from his immense yang energy before reaching him.
Breaking through the encirclement in a flash, Baek Hyun opened his upper dantian to search for the attacker.
"Ha, you're quite close, aren't you?"
It didn't take long to find the source.
Even without the upper dantian, something immensely powerful revealed its overwhelming presence from above.
-Rumble...
Its mere existence churned the surrounding air.
The pressure forced one's head to bow just by looking.
Approaching made the air heavy, suffocating.
His survival instincts, which had saved his life countless times, blared nonstop warnings.
Was this how a rabbit felt facing a predator?
Yet Baek Hyun pressed on.
Suppressing instinctual fear, he followed the upper dantian's guidance with hurried steps.
And soon, he confronted it.
"What? Starpoint Sect? That guy went there, so how'd you get here?"
A girl with dark skin like other Southern Barbarians, her wild yet alluring features brimming with beastly vitality.
And atop her, a 'winged tiger' gliding in the air.
Baek Hyun forced a smile against the crushing pressure, speaking.
"So... this is one of the 'Ten Great Ferocious Beasts'?"
Its fur was blacker than storm clouds.
Beneath thick fur lay powerful muscles, with lightning visibly writhing like tendons over its skin.
Each flap of its massive wings—larger than a normal tiger's body—sucked in surrounding winds, then expelled them explosively, sending thunder-like vibrations crawling across the ground.
Its face was tiger-shaped, but its eyes gleamed with chilling golden lightning, and each breath twisted dark whirlwinds around its body.
Baek Hyun was certain.
This was the source of that overwhelming attack.
Rank 8
Qiongqi
A natural disaster in the form of a living creature breathed before Baek Hyun's eyes.