Chapter 207
Chapter 207
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: Clash (3)
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The fiercest battle raging on this battlefield right now was between Neung So Hwa and Yagul Jae. But the most desperate fight belonged to Cheol Woo.
Yi Geuk, the Right Elder of the Blood Fiend Sect, was one of the top three masters in the sect—a man with pride so fierce that he would even refuse to learn the Blood Sea Demon Lord's martial arts from Yagul Jae. Of course, that was only possible because of his unshakeable confidence in the Asura Sword Art, a unique technique passed down through a single successor.
Cheol Woo had known from the start that Yi Geuk would be a tough opponent. That didn't mean he planned to back down, though. There was no better chance to test his recent breakthroughs. That's why he'd stubbornly pushed past Sima Geon's attempts to stop him.
Now, half a ke (about fifteen minutes) into the fight, he regretted his decision for the first time.
'Damn it, if you were gonna stop me, you should've done it all the way!'
Cheol Woo's glare shot toward Sima Geon, as if the man were to blame for an innocent arrow.
His disheveled hair was matted with his own blood and dust, a tangled mess. His clothes had long since been reduced to rags. Most shocking of all, his body—boasting Diamond Indestructibility—was covered in wounds large and small. This meant even his Ink Gang Asura Qi, honed to the extreme, couldn't fully withstand Yi Geuk's onslaught.
Yi Geuk was just as stunned as the flustered Cheol Woo.
He hadn't dreamed his attacks would fail to pierce mere human flesh. True, unlike the others whose skin he couldn't even scratch, he'd inflicted real damage here and there. But compared to the ferocity of his assault, those wounds were little more than a drop in the ocean.
"It's not over yet."
Yi Geuk advanced on Cheol Woo, who was breathing raggedly.
"Bring it on, old man! I don't plan on going down easy either."
Cheol Woo thumped his chest with his fist, roaring defiantly.
A streak of light flashed from Yi Geuk's hand.
A swift sword strike rivaling the Blood Sea Demon Lord's Light Flash Sword.
Having fallen for the same attack countless times, Cheol Woo was ready.
He knew from experience there was no perfect way to dodge the blade entirely.
Yi Geuk's swift sword cut through even Ink Gang Asura Qi with its blinding speed and power. In the process, Yi Geuk exposed himself to the qi rebound, but its weakened force did little damage.
Cheol Woo thrust his fist toward the incoming sword.
The blade veered slightly, grazing his arm and aiming for his nape.
Cheol Woo didn't pull back his fist. Instead, he twisted his torso to evade the strike targeting his neck.
Yi Geuk's sword sliced into Cheol Woo's shoulder instead.
Though the cut landed, Yi Geuk's expression soured. For anyone else, it would've severed the arm clean off—but for Cheol Woo, it was just a shallow gash splitting the flesh. Worse, the counterattack he'd traded his shoulder for came barreling in threateningly.
Yi Geuk retracted his sword from Cheol Woo's shoulder and blocked the fist.
Boom!
The fierce clash sent Yi Geuk staggering. Cheol Woo had thrown his punch with full power, while Yi Geuk had hastily withdrawn his sword and couldn't commit fully.
Cheol Woo pressed the advantage, unleashing a barrage of punches.
Woooong!
A heavy vibrational hum accompanied the fist aura hurtling toward Yi Geuk.
Yi Geuk fluidly spun his sword, deflecting the ferocious incoming strike.
A flawless Redirecting Sword technique.
It was a stark contrast to the extreme swift sword he'd wielded moments before.
Cheol Woo's fist auras repeatedly targeted Yi Geuk's life, but he deflected them all without much strain.
Having blocked Cheol Woo's assault, Yi Geuk launched his counter.
His once-fluid sword turned sharp and swift as a predator's claw, lunging at Cheol Woo.
Cheol Woo didn't retreat.
Enveloping himself in Ink Gang Asura Qi as naturally as breathing, he unleashed Tyrant Sixteen Fists to meet Yi Geuk's onslaught.
Strength against strength.
Their overwhelming power evoked the image of a dragon and tiger locked in mortal combat.
The sky seemed to crumble, the earth to quake.
Dragon twisters—said to appear only in legends—engulfed them, laying waste to the surroundings.
Yi Geuk, chaining ultimate techniques of the Asura Sword Art, fought like the King of Hell himself had descended—utterly terrifying.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Asura Sword Art's power pierced even Ink Gang Asura Qi, leaving searing marks on Cheol Woo's body.
Grinding his teeth through the agony, Cheol Woo countered with consecutive Soaring Heaven Three Strikes.
"Hah!"
With a mighty shout, Yi Geuk leaped into the air and unleashed the Asura Sword Art's ultimate: Asura Manifestation.
Ink-black sword aura poured from his blade, as if poised to shatter the world.
The aura splintered into dozens, hundreds of strands, raining down like a meteor shower on Cheol Woo.
Block it, or die.
Cheol Woo sensed the crisis instinctively.
Thud!
Stepping forward sent tremors through the earth.
Rumble rumble rumble!
A massive vibration radiated from Cheol Woo.
"Hraaaah!"
Roaring from deep in his dantian, he thrust his fist skyward.
A fist aura blazing brighter than the sun soared up, clashing head-on with the descending ink-black strands.
Kaboom kaboom boom!
Explosions like a volcano erupting unleashed a colossal storm.
Yi Geuk's assault pierced the tempest, pressing on.
Cheol Woo swallowed the blood surging to his throat and threw another punch.
Boom!
The thunderous clash hurled Cheol Woo's form backward helplessly.
Yi Geuk's strike had pierced even the rebound of Ink Gang Asura Qi—blood sprayed from wounds across his body.
With victory firmly in hand, Yi Geuk attacked relentlessly, without pause for breath.
Cheol Woo fought back with fists of his own, but their power had visibly waned.
"Damn it all!"
Cheol Woo, pushed back endlessly, could no longer contain his boiling rage.
He clenched his teeth until they bled.
He accepted defeat against a superior foe. But losing in such an ugly manner? No.
Cheol Woo's eyes changed. His aura shifted.
A technique blending Soaring Heaven Three Strikes with the essence of Great Power Demon Lord's Heaven-Shattering Nine Walls Fist.
Still incomplete, unfamiliar to his body—he'd never dared attempt it. But when executed properly, its power was something he trusted implicitly.
'No choice but to try.'
It was his last shot anyway. He'd regret nothing if he gave it everything.
Woooong!
A dazzling fist aura erupted toward Yi Geuk.
It looked the same as before, but compressed and refined several layers deeper.
Its power defied imagination.
Sensing the unnatural shift in Cheol Woo's aura, Yi Geuk unleashed the Asura Sword Art's final ultimate—Asura Heaven Breaker—a move he rarely used due to its massive inner force drain.
Kaboom kaboom boom!
A clash beyond compare in intensity.
An overwhelming force that devastated a dozen zhang radius!
No one could predict the outcome until the soaring dust settled.
Moments later, as the dust cleared, the stark result emerged.
"Shit!"
Cheol Woo slumped to the ground, his body a mangled wreck.
His shattered Ink Gang Asura Qi could no longer protect him.
Drenched head to toe in blood, he barely looked human.
Yi Geuk, standing about five zhang away, fared relatively better than Cheol Woo—but his state was still wretched.
His shoulder hung limp, bones likely pulverized, twitching beyond his control. Crimson blood streamed from his mouth.
Yet his face showed no joy in victory. Only pain, shock, and fury.
Yi Geuk's gaze slowly drifted downward.
A sword protruded from his chest.
In pouring his all into the duel with Cheol Woo, he'd failed to notice the fatal strike.
Cough!
Yi Geuk's body shuddered violently as black blood sprayed from his mouth.
"My regrets."
Sima Geon stood before him, face impassive, continuing.
"I couldn't just let that kid die."
Cheol Woo's already grim face twisted further.
Yi Geuk turned his head without a word.
"Cul...t... Lord..."
His eyes captured Yagul Jae relentlessly pressing Neung So Hwa one last time before his head lolled lifelessly.
Sima Geon exhaled shortly and withdrew the Heavenly Demon Sword piercing Yi Geuk's body.
"You okay?"
"Like hell I am."
Cheol Woo hauled himself up, wiping blood from his face and shaking his head.
"That guy was strong enough to make me sick of it. Even the North Heaven Sword Demon back then wasn't this bad."
"A little later, and you'd be dead."
"I know. I really thought I was done for. Damn, if you're gonna help, why not sooner?"
"I was going to, but when I saw that technique you were about to pull at the end, I held back a bit longer."
"Oh, that."
Cheol Woo let out an embarrassed chuckle.
"I gave it a shot, but it's still too much for me."
"Still, a bit more work and you could complete it. Even unfinished, the power was insane. Against anyone but that old man, it would've worked for sure."
Cheol Woo's face lit up at Sima Geon's praise.
"Y-yeah?"
"Yeah. Keep at it."
"Heh heh heh! You bet."
Cheol Woo nodded in satisfaction, then whipped his head around at a sudden clash nearby.
"Things are heating up over there too."
He sighed watching Neung So Hwa struggle on. She was holding her own, but anyone could see Yagul Jae had the edge.
"Shouldn't we help?"
"She's fine for now. He's strong, sure, but Lady Neung's grown beyond compare too."
"The boss ain't right in the head. Saying that after seeing me like this."
"You first over her. That's what she wanted."
The last words were too quiet for Cheol Woo to hear.
Sima Geon recalled Neung So Hwa's transmission after she'd challenged Yagul Jae, then turned.
The sword warriors of Sword Pavilion and Blood Spirits led by Yagul Hon were locked in a slaughter beyond words—utterly brutal.
Individually, Sword Pavilion's swordsmen outclassed the Blood Spirits. With veteran elders joining in droves, the gap widened.
But the aftermath of fighting the First Elder's minions lingered, and they were outnumbered.
Above all, Yagul Hon leading the Blood Spirits was formidable enough to make Sword Pavilion elders yield a step. After Hwang Ye fell and Seo Yo Ryeong retreated gravely wounded, no one could match him properly. Multiple assailants barely held him in check.
"Gotta take that lunatic down first."
Cheol Woo pointed at the rampaging Yagul Hon.
"Yeah. Think you can move?"
"Well enough. Not enough to lose to those guys."
Cheol Woo grinned, nodding at the Blood Spirits.
Decision made, the pair plunged into the fray without hesitation.
Sima Geon headed for Yagul Hon, while Cheol Woo veered toward the battlefield's outer edge from the center. There, amid the wounded withdrawn, was Jin Lim.