Chapter 208
Chapter 208
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Tower of Blood and Tears (1)
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The War Dragon Corps' assault began at the precise moment the surprise attack on Manchu failed. The Heavenly Justice Alliance's Council Faction, moving in secret to aid the Blood Cult, was thrown into utter chaos by the unforeseen onslaught but swiftly regrouped their ranks.
A cacophony of war cries, shouts, curses, and the clash of weapons shook Phoenix Mountain to its core.
Flesh tore open and bones shattered.
The blood they shed dyed the surroundings crimson.
The battle had raged for about fifteen minutes when the initially even matchup began tilting in favor of the War Dragon Corps.
Though outnumbered, the men who had come to Phoenix Mountain were the cream of the crop even among the War Dragon Corps' elites, and their forces had swelled dramatically with the arrival of Sima Geon and his group.
So Surin's exploits, in particular, were unparalleled.
Deputy Leader Hyeong Jong and most of the council's leadership had fallen to her blade. Had she not cut them down, even the gathered elites would have struggled to hold against them.
While Naoejin's, Manchu's, and Gwuyu's performances were remarkable, the one matching So Surin blow for blow was Black Wolf.
Whether due to his overwhelming bulk and combat prowess or the primal human fear of beasts, the council warriors facing Black Wolf couldn't bring their full strength to bear before collapsing.
"Just where in the hell did everything go so wrong?!"
Council Leader Dong Baek-un bellowed in frustration at the darkening battlefield.
In a mere fifteen minutes, seventy percent of the forces mobilized to strike Sword Pavilion had vanished.
Most of the corpses littering the ground were his own subordinates, while the enemy's numbers seemed pitifully few.
"W-We have to retreat."
Do Eul-cheon, who had barely survived charging So Surin only to lose his left eye and arm, grabbed Dong Baek-un's sleeve and pleaded. Blood dripped steadily from his sunken socket, but he hadn't even thought to staunch it.
"It's too late."
Dong Baek-un shook his head weakly and pointed behind them.
"The path of retreat has already been sealed."
"Ah!"
A belated sigh escaped Do Eul-cheon's lips as he confirmed it.
"Even if we escape alive, there's nowhere to return to."
With their identities exposed to the Zhuge Clan and the Beggars' Clan, going back to the Heavenly Justice Alliance was impossible. While questions would arise about the council's ties to the Blood Cult, they had to prevent the entire alliance from being branded as such at all costs.
The retreat cut off, no escape in sight—this was the worst possible scenario.
Gritting his teeth, Dong Baek-un turned to his wounded subordinates and roared.
"If we're doomed to die anyway, let's drag at least one more bastard down with us!"
Without waiting for a reply, Dong Baek-un launched himself forward.
Do Eul-cheon stuffed a rag into his ruined eye and raised his sword high.
"Charge! Attack!"
At Do Eul-cheon's cry, even the wounded dragged their battered bodies after him.
The council's final counterattack began in this desperate do-or-die moment.
Judging there was no way back, the council warriors pressed the War Dragon Corps relentlessly, heedless of mutual destruction.
As the War Dragon Corps faltered under the storm-like momentum, So Surin furrowed her brow.
"Black Wolf!"
At her call, Black Wolf—who had been catching his breath—hurtled his massive frame forward.
Black Wolf's forepaw obliterated the head of the first man charging ahead.
A sword flew toward Black Wolf, but he twisted his body effortlessly to evade it, then sank his jaws into the attacker's arm.
"Die! Die!"
The man whose arm was clamped screamed in agony, pounding Black Wolf's head madly with his free hand.
Black Wolf took no real damage. Instead, his feral rage exploded, mauling the man even more savagely.
The bitten arm tore free, and a swipe from Black Wolf's paw ripped a massive chunk from the man's side.
Though the vanguard fell to Black Wolf, the council's advance didn't halt.
So Surin, blocking their path, crossed her arms and unleashed a palm strike. A fierce surge of energy erupted from her hands.
The Dark Moon Palm Technique at its zenith.
The palm force radiating from both hands swept through the council warriors with devastating power.
Fearsome as the force was, what truly terrified them was the poisonous aura emanating from her entire body.
Until now, she had restrained herself to avoid harming allies. But with the enemy charging in a suicidal frenzy, there was no need to hold back—and the War Dragon Corps had already withdrawn after her warning.
"Gaaah!"
"Argh!"
Horrific screams poured from the council warriors clashing with So Surin.
In a single strike, most of their last-ditch forces were obliterated. At least half died on the spot, while the rest succumbed one by one to the poison she unleashed.
"You monstrous bitch! Die!"
Dong Baek-un leaped to a phenomenal height, swinging his sword down at So Surin.
So Surin merely extended her left hand, pointing at him without fanfare.
A low whoosh followed, and countless bolts of lightning streaked toward Dong Baek-un.
"Guh!"
Dong Baek-un toppled emptily, never even grasping what had struck him.
"Impressive."
So Surin gazed at the small ink tube in her hand.
It was a simplified version of the Tang Clan's famed top-ten hidden weapons, the Thunderbolt Needles ranking ninth. While its lethality and destructive power fell short, it was still a weapon beyond reproach anywhere.
"I'll have to give him a proper thank-you next time we meet."
So Surin smiled faintly, recalling Dang Cheon-hwa casually tossing her the tube with a dismissive wave.
With even Dong Baek-un falling so pointlessly, the battle was effectively over. But there were no prisoners—the council warriors fought to the last breath without a single surrender.
"Whew, what tenacious bastards."
The only idle figure amid the blood-soaked battlefield, Jegal Su—who had watched from a rock—dusted off his rear and stood.
"Haa! Haa!"
Though gasping raggedly, her eyes still burned with fierce battle lust.
Yagul Jae eyed Neung So-hwa's gaze and figured the fight would drag on a bit longer. He couldn't help but admire her inexhaustible fighting spirit.
"To keep going at this point... you're something else."
Neung So-hwa made no retort, instead angling her sword diagonally.
Whummm!
The blade trembled faintly before unleashing a resonant sword cry that vibrated the air itself.
Yagul Jae exhaled shortly, his face hardening as he poured power into his sword.
Even amid his fierce duel with Neung So-hwa, he had spotted Gu Yang-gyeong and the Protection Sect disciples falling to Sima Geon.
He had expected them to hold out longer despite the strain, but it happened far too quickly. The real issue started when I Geuk faced Cheol Woo instead of Sima Geon.
With the Sword Empress undefeated, freeing Sima Geon to move was a catastrophic blunder with lethal consequences.
'Time to end this.'
He had to dispatch the Sword Empress swiftly and turn to Sima Geon.
Sensing a completely different aura from Yagul Jae, Neung So-hwa instinctively swung her sword.
Shriiik!
A razor-sharp energy sliced through the air with a piercing whistle.
The Heavenly Flow Sword ultimate technique: Whirlwind Strike Stream.
Dozens of vortexes of sword qi spun forth from Neung So-hwa's blade.
Yagul Jae didn't evade.
There was no need. He had dominated their prior clashes.
The Brain Lightning Blood Sword ultimate technique: Blazing Flower unfolded.
Crimson flames erupted from his sword, engulfing the surrounding space.
Kaboom!
A thunderous collision rang out as the fierce blaze devoured Neung So-hwa's vortexes in one gulp.
The storm dwindled to a breeze before scattering harmlessly.
Confirming her attack futile, Neung So-hwa swung again.
Yagul Jae swiftly recovered his sword, igniting an explosive surge that propelled his sword gang straight at her.
Neung So-hwa moved her sword with calm precision.
A flow of qi from her blade wove a translucent sword veil around her.
Boom! Kaboom!
Successive impacts echoed.
The veil shuddered violently but held firm.
Seeing his strike yield nothing, Yagul Jae's expression grew sterner.
Just then, his head snapped around.
He caught sight of I Geuk, who had been savagely attacking Cheol Woo, losing his life to Sima Geon.
Yagul Jae's face twisted into a demonic snarl.
The worst had come to pass.
Losing Gu Yang-gyeong and now I Geuk was like having both wings severed.
No more hesitation.
Yagul Jae drew every ounce of his inner energy to its limit and swung.
A volcano erupted.
Enormous fireballs rained down like a meteor shower.
Flames surged forward like a tidal wave, brimming with world-scorching fury.
Recognizing this as the technique Yagul Jae had unleashed at the end against Sima Geon, Neung So-hwa's face hardened gravely.
Her sword veil began crumbling almost instantly under his onslaught.
Judging it insufficient, Neung So-hwa bit her lip and unleashed the final stance of the Heavenly Flow Sword: Meteor Extinction.
Whummm!
A majestic sword cry rang out, and amid the straining veil, a dazzling radiance erupted.
The light pierced the battering flames in an instant, streaking toward Yagul Jae like a beam.
It exploded into dozens, hundreds of rays, blooming into spectacular fireworks.
Neung So-hwa didn't believe this strike would fell him.
She had watched his duel with Sima Geon before, but the gulf between spectating and clashing firsthand was vast.
Yagul Jae wielded arts far mightier than she imagined, backed by irreplaceable experience.
Still, as her final gambit mustering every last scrap of inner energy, she hoped for some damage.
But his prowess exceeded her expectations. Though he sustained serious wounds across his body, the results fell far short of her hopes.
"Guh!"
From overexerting her depleted energy, a gush of blood sprayed from Neung So-hwa's mouth.
She had no leisure to tend her wounds.
Unlike her final blow, which he blocked with minimal harm, his assault continued to menace her.
The encroaching flames grazed her shoulder.
She staggered as blood fountained from the wound.
Whiiiish!
Yagul Jae's attacks cascaded like a torrent.
No time to staunch the flow; she twisted her body desperately.
Flames scorched past her nape by a hair's breadth.
Neung So-hwa dodged the endless blaze with frantic effort. But her energy-starved body grew leaden, while his onslaught intensified.
In the blink of an eye, her body was drenched in blood; mingled with her gore and flying dirt, her appearance was unrecognizable.
"Agh!"
Neung So-hwa, struggling to move, let out a sharp cry and faltered.
Blood poured like a waterfall from her side, clutched in both hands.
A grievous injury that could claim her life at any moment.
Judging it time to finish, Yagul Jae closed in for the kill.
"Halt!"
Seo Yo-ryeong, who had withdrawn due to wounds, led several Sword Pavilion disciples to block his path. Though not unscathed themselves, their resolve to die for the Sword Empress burned fierce, their momentum formidable.
"Pathetic."
A cold smile curled Yagul Jae's lips.
The smile turned to killing intent, directed at them.
In that moment of utter desperation, a distant scream halted his steps.
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