Chapter 92
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Tyrant Dragon's Demand
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Umun Hye pressed even closer to Dan Hyeong-u's side. Mustering her courage, she asked the Tyrant Dragon directly.
"Why on earth are you so obsessed with the Heavenly Fragment? I just can't understand why the great Tyrant Dragon would fixate on something as trivial as a mere weapon."
The Tyrant Dragon turned to look at Umun Hye in response to her words. His eyes widened slightly.
Since entering the rear garden, he had focused solely on Dan Hyeong-u and the Heavenly Fragment, paying her no attention whatsoever. Of course, he knew she was there, but he hadn't even thought to give her a proper glance.
Now that he saw her, though, he was utterly stunned. The Tyrant Dragon clamped his mouth shut at her beauty. Come to think of it, she was a woman he had seen before. He had spotted her the first time he met Dan Hyeong-u, and even inside the Righteous Heaven Alliance. But he hadn't truly looked at her then.
"Beautiful."
The words slipped out unbidden. For an ordinary person, it might have been an embarrassing moment, but the Tyrant Dragon felt no such qualms. He had no intention of hiding his thoughts.
"You asked why I obsess over a mere weapon?"
His voice was remarkably gentle. Umun Hye, caught off guard by his sudden shift, nodded without thinking.
"It's to perfect my martial arts. Only the Heavenly Fragment can take the Tyrant Sword Sect's techniques to their ultimate peak. The Heavenly Fragment belongs to the Tyrant Sword Sect."
Umun Hye's eyes widened at his words. She turned to glance at Yeom Hye-mi, who had stopped her training and was staring at the Tyrant Dragon with a dazed expression.
The Tyrant Dragon extended his hand toward Yeom Hye-mi.
"Hand it over."
Faced with his brazen demand, Yeom Hye-mi took a step back. Clutching the Heavenly Fragment tightly to her chest, she shook her head. Though overwhelmed by his presence and unable to speak, she couldn't bring herself to give it up.
What she had just experienced was truly astonishing. The thrilling surge of lightning piercing through her body, the exhilarating rush of that irresistible power coursing uncontrollably through her veins—it had dominated her entirely. And it hadn't hurt at all.
Yeom Hye-mi was the granddaughter of the Sword King. Naturally, whenever her body strained, the Sword King would infuse her with his inner energy. But that had been pure agony for her, nothing less.
Because her energy flow ran in reverse, the pathways were extremely fragile. Her weak meridians reacted sensitively to external forces, and those reactions brought her nothing but pain.
For such a girl, the sensation of foreign energy rampaging freely inside her was nothing short of miraculous. Thanks to what had just happened, her entire body felt refreshingly light, as if she could float away. It was a feeling she had never experienced in her life.
The Tyrant Dragon's face twisted at Yeom Hye-mi's reaction.
"That doesn't belong to you. It belongs to our Tyrant Sword Sect."
Despite his forceful claim, Yeom Hye-mi looked desperately toward Dan Hyeong-u, her eyes pleading.
"The Heavenly Fragment was made by the Heavenly Qi Master. How can you be so sure it helps the Tyrant Sword Sect? I still don't understand."
Umun Hye stepped forward again. The Tyrant Dragon turned to her, his eyes lighting up. A smile formed naturally on his lips.
"The Heavenly Qi Master created the Heavenly Fragment precisely because of the Tyrant Sword Sect. To be more accurate, his hand touched the Tyrant Sword Sect's martial arts. Do you understand now?"
Umun Hye couldn't hide her shocked expression. She knew the Heavenly Qi Master was remarkable, but she never imagined he had meddled even in the Tyrant Sword Sect's techniques.
Of course, he probably hadn't created them from scratch but merely refined existing ones—still, an incredible feat.
"That's truly astonishing."
The smile on the Tyrant Dragon's lips deepened.
"I want you."
He said it without hesitation. Umun Hye's eyes went wide. The Tyrant Dragon was of the same generation as the Sword King, well over eighty years old. The thought of such a grandfatherly figure desiring her sent chills down her spine.
Umun Hye shuddered and slipped slightly behind Dan Hyeong-u.
"I'm sorry, but I've already given my body and heart to Young Master Dan."
In truth, she hadn't given them yet—she had merely resolved to—but such a minor distinction didn't matter. In any case, her words struck a nerve with the Tyrant Dragon.
"You underestimate the power of the Tyrant Sword Sect far too much. Do you think that boy can protect you?"
"Of course."
Umun Hye answered without a moment's hesitation, lightly clinging to Dan Hyeong-u's arm. Dan Hyeong-u continued staring at the Tyrant Dragon with an expressionless face.
"Hmph!"
The Tyrant Dragon snorted derisively and glared at Dan Hyeong-u. He knew full well how strong Dan Hyeong-u was, having experienced it firsthand. That was why he had brought the might of the Tyrant Sword Sect and the Righteous Heaven Alliance.
He believed it would be enough to subdue Dan Hyeong-u. Even if not, it didn't matter—as long as he stalled for time, he could seize the Heavenly Fragment in the chaos.
And once he had it, no one could defeat him. He would become the undisputed greatest in the world.
Dan Hyeong-u was already aware of the multitude of people gathering around the inn. They had concealed their presence, but they couldn't escape his senses.
"This is your last chance. Hand over the Heavenly Fragment. Unless you all want to die."
The Tyrant Dragon's words shook the rear garden. At the same moment, the door burst open.
"I can't stand to hear any more of this. So, what do you intend to do with my granddaughter?"
The Sword King slowly emerged from the room, speaking as he walked. The Tyrant Dragon's eyes widened briefly in surprise at his words, but he soon nodded.
"So she's the Sword King's granddaughter."
Now he understood why such an unremarkable girl had the Heavenly Fragment. For Dan Hyeong-u, trading it for the Sword King was a fine deal. Of course, the reality was entirely different, but that's how it appeared to the Tyrant Dragon.
Behind the Sword King, the Sword Demon and the rest of the group revealed themselves. They might not help much against the Tyrant Dragon himself, but they could certainly handle the riffraff swarming the inn.
"Do you intend to make an enemy of the Righteous Heaven Alliance?"
The Tyrant Dragon asked with a sneer. The Alliance's power was immense. Even with the Sword King and Sword Demon combined, they couldn't match it. To properly oppose the Alliance, one would need to mobilize something like the Heavenly Demon Fortress. Otherwise, it was like an egg striking a rock.
"The Righteous Heaven Alliance must be quite idle. The Demonic Alliance is no pushover either."
"Hmph, the Demonic Alliance is beneath notice."
With that, the Tyrant Dragon glared at Yeom Hye-mi again. She took another step back. He chuckled softly and raised his hand. At that signal, the warriors who had been hiding beyond the walls, suppressing their presence, leaped into the air all at once.
In an instant, they surrounded the rear garden. Each one's eyes brimmed with vigor, and their auras were extraordinary. Moreover, there were over a hundred of them.
The Sword King and Sword Demon's expressions shifted slightly. Among them were several experts who looked far from ordinary.
"You've truly come prepared. Is this truly the will of the Righteous Heaven Alliance?"
The Sword King stepped forward with a grave look, his aura rising steadily. But the Tyrant Dragon didn't flinch, nor did any of the warriors in the garden.
The group's faces darkened. Even for a master like Dan Hyeong-u, escaping unscathed seemed difficult now. These foes were leagues above the Demonic Alliance and Greenwoods experts who had ambushed the Sword King before.
"So this is the power of the Righteous Heaven Alliance."
Tang Ho-gwan muttered with a sigh, and a confident smile spread across the Tyrant Dragon's face.
The warriors he had brought today were from the Heaven-Shaking Squad and the Sky-Breaking Squad, along with the elite of the Tyrant Sword Sect. No matter what happened, victory was assured.
Two men among those encircling the garden approached the Tyrant Dragon and bowed slightly in greeting. He nodded grandly in return. They were the leaders of the Heaven-Shaking Squad and Sky-Breaking Squad.
"Subdue them. Kill anyone who resists."
At the Tyrant Dragon's command, the two leaders hesitated with troubled expressions, not moving rashly.
"We came at Elder Pae's orders, but... this is somewhat difficult."
The Heaven-Shaking leader's words made the Tyrant Dragon's eyebrows shoot up.
"What nonsense is this?!"
He bellowed, but the leader remained unflinched.
"The Righteous Heaven Alliance is the pillar of the orthodox sects. It is not so frivolous as to move for an elder's personal affairs."
The leader's bold declaration made the Tyrant Dragon tremble violently.
"Personal affairs? How is seeking the Heavenly Fragment merely my own business? It's the path to making the Righteous Heaven Alliance far stronger!"
"The Alliance is not so weak that it must rely on a mere blade."
The Tyrant Dragon's fury mounted, his aura swelling with it.
"Are you truly refusing to obey me?!"
"If it's a just command, we will stake our lives on it."
The Heaven-Shaking leader bowed deeply. The Tyrant Dragon's gaze wavered. The man was no weakling. How shocked he had been upon first seeing him.
The three squad leaders of the Righteous Heaven Alliance were strong enough to rival the Ten Great Masters.
The one bowing before him was no different. Even if the Tyrant Dragon fought with all his might, victory wasn't guaranteed.
The Tyrant Dragon turned to the Sword Demon, his eyes gleaming.
"In any case, you must carry out my orders. These are the Sword Demon's companions."
At the mention of "Sword Demon," the two leaders startled. The Tyrant Dragon smiled at their reactions.
"They might even be in league with the Heavenly Demon Fortress."
The Heaven-Shaking leader raised his head and met the Tyrant Dragon's eyes squarely.
"Are you certain?"
"Isn't the Sword Demon's presence proof enough? The rest are mere suspicions, but enough justification to apprehend them."
At his words, the two leaders turned to survey the group in the garden.
By their judgment, none seemed the type to ally with the Heavenly Demon Fortress. But they couldn't ignore the Tyrant Dragon's words, especially with this minimal justification.
"No choice, then. But our forces alone won't suffice. Elder, lend us your aid."
"Of course."
The Tyrant Dragon nodded eagerly, stepping forward without hiding his glee. He had planned to fight anyway.
If he could, he wanted to crush them all single-handedly. But that was impossible. His opponents included the Sword King, Sword Demon, and Dan Hyeong-u.
The others he might handle, but Dan Hyeong-u—who had overpowered him in one move—he had no desire to face. It was fear, that emotion. But the Tyrant Dragon would never admit to such a thing.
The two leaders scanned the group with stern faces. The auras emanating from the Sword King and Sword Demon were razor-sharp, slicing at the skin. This would be no easy battle.
The rest seemed unremarkable. Tang Ho-gwan gave a slightly odd vibe, but they dismissed it.
Their gazes shifted to Dan Hyeong-u. He gave an eerie feeling, but no real threat.
"You two handle him. He's formidable, so take care."
The leaders flinched at the Tyrant Dragon's words and looked at Dan Hyeong-u anew.
No matter how they saw it, he didn't look like a grandmaster. But if the Tyrant Dragon said so, it must be true. He never spoke idly.
Cautiously, the two positioned themselves in front of and behind Dan Hyeong-u. Umun Hye still clung to his side, and Yeom Hye-mi was behind him.
As the Sky-Breaking leader moved, Yeom Hye-mi instinctively drew closer to Dan Hyeong-u.
Dan Hyeong-u stood motionless. He didn't even need to look. His sharpened senses laid out the entire situation clearly. Even with eyes closed, it was vivid.
Seeing the leaders move, the Tyrant Dragon shifted subtly as well. No one could withstand their combined assault—not even him or the Alliance Leader, Heavenly Young. In his eyes, their Two-Man Sword Formation was invincible under heaven.
The Tyrant Sword Sect warriors moved in sync with him, inching toward Yeom Hye-mi's position. Their goal wasn't to fight the others but solely to seize the Heavenly Fragment.
Meanwhile, the Heaven-Shaking and Sky-Breaking Squad warriors unleashed their full auras on the rest. Their prowess lived up to their names.
Dan Hyeong-u, still unmoving, suddenly reached out and pulled Yeom Hye-mi to his side. Drawn by his touch, she stood beside Umun Hye. Fear filled her eyes.
Thread-like strands of qi extended from the two leaders' bodies, wrapping tightly around Dan Hyeong-u like coils.
As they drew their swords, similar energies flowed from the blades, enveloping him further. Then the leaders began to move.
Their sword formation was profoundly strange. It seemed full of gaps, but they vanished upon scrutiny; just when you thought they were gone, they reappeared, sowing confusion. Moreover, the fine qi-threads disrupted movement.
Caught in the midst, Umun Hye panicked greatly. It was an intricate, troublesome formation. Their movements were so seamlessly linked that targeting either seemed impossible.
She looked up at Dan Hyeong-u. If the Tyrant Dragon had ordered it so confidently, there must be something to it. Worry flickered in her eyes.
'Can he really handle this? Will he be okay against this formation?'
Outside the formation, fierce winds already raged. The Righteous Heaven Alliance warriors and Tyrant Dragon pressed in on the group. With Jegal Rin and Tang Mun-yeong outmatched, they faced great difficulty.
The outside was chaos, but inside the formation, it was utter silence. No sound penetrated at all.
'Gasp.'
Suddenly, Umun Hye felt suffocated. She realized the formation's true terror.
No air entered the formation. Breathing grew harder by the second. Glancing at Yeom Hye-mi, her face was turning deathly pale.
Umun Hye's frantic eyes sought Dan Hyeong-u. He stood in the same pose, same expression.
"Y-Young Master Dan..."