A Night of Ruin
Deep night, after the sun had completely vanished beyond the western mountains.
Traveling at night was dangerous enough once the sun went down.
How much more so when traveling by boat?
And what if a thick river mist rolled in, narrowing an already limited field of vision even further?
To call it suicide or self-harm would not be an exaggeration.
Creak...!
Yet, a single rowboat was currently cutting through the mist, drawing closer to Geukrak Island.
So that is Geukrak Island.
Whoosh! Splash...!
The waves battering the sides of the boat were fierce.
But even though Jeok-un stood on the violently rocking gunwale, he was as calm as if he were standing on flat ground.
The map did its job.
His ability to approach Geukrak Island was partly due to completely suppressing his own presence and that of the boat. However, the map Moyong Geon had given him also played a crucial role.
One might ask why a grand map was necessary just to cross a river. But to approach Geukrak Island safely, a map was absolutely essential.
The river was not as wide as the Yangtze, but it was not narrow enough to cross in a single bound either. Thus, a boat was required to reach the island's shores.
The problem was that Geukrak Island and the surrounding reefs created violent whirlpools. It was because of this natural barrier that a water fortress had been built on Geukrak Island in the first place. It was also the reason why the Martial Alliance had secretly drawn up a map of the waters around the island.
Without it, approaching the island would have been an incredibly tedious task.
Of course, even without the map, it wouldn't have been impossible.
But it's a good thing I got through without getting a single drop of water on me.
If they had wandered around aimlessly, a naval battle would have been unavoidable. Thanks to the map Moyong Geon had provided, they had avoided such trouble.
Of course, if I had obtained the second divine weapon, a naval battle wouldn't have posed any problem at all.
One of the Seven Divine Weapons sleeping in Poyang Lake of Jiangxi was deeply connected to 'water'. Once this matter was resolved, he naturally intended to head to Poyang Lake to retrieve it.
The reason he had come to Tongseong County first instead of Poyang Lake was his confidence that he could complete this mission even without the divine weapon.
I should wrap this up quickly and go find it. It's been a while, so I almost miss it...
While Jeok-un was deciding his next move,
"Pant, pant...!"
A rough panting sound came from behind him.
The source of the heavy breathing was Jang Bo-heum. Unlike Jeok-un, who stood leisurely on the gunwale, Jang Bo-heum had to row for his life. Having to steer through a vortex of bizarre rocks and whirlpools with nothing but his oars, it was no exaggeration to say he looked ten years older.
Indeed, Jang Bo-heum's arms trembled violently, his face looking worn and aged.
"Tsk. Groaning like that after just a bit of rowing," Jeok-un said, shaking his head in disapproval.
But to Jang Bo-heum, those words were incredibly unfair.
"Ugh... I-I really feel like... I'm going to d-die!"
As mentioned, Jang Bo-heum was solely responsible for the rowing. While Jeok-un was confident in his martial arts and had experienced many such battlefields in his past life, Jang Bo-heum had never experienced anything like this.
If the boat slipped even slightly due to the whirlpools and reefs...
I'd definitely be a dead man...
This was the terrifying nature of naval warfare.
If one was not skilled in water combat, even a master of the Transformation Realm or higher could be taken down by a mere peak-level expert. Therefore, falling into the water had to be avoided at all costs. Jang Bo-heum had to concentrate until his arms cramped and steam practically rose from his head to avoid the whirlpools and swells. Otherwise, just as he feared, he would have truly been a dead man.
"Stop whining and pull yourself together. We'll be encountering the enemy soon," Jeok-un warned.
"Gasp! Y-Yes, sir!"
Leaving behind that brief warning, Jeok-un looked at Geukrak Island, which was gradually growing larger. It was not a very large island. But because of that, its defenses were incredibly tight.
The main fortress sat at the edge of a sheer cliff, surrounded by defensive lines arranged in concentric circles. To use a metaphor, it was shaped like a clam shell. If the shore was the opening, the main fortress was the hinge. It was truly a natural stronghold. One could tell just by looking at it why it had remained an impregnable fortress that had never fallen.
"W-What should we do? To l-land, we absolutely have to pass those warships," Jang Bo-heum stammered.
Thanks to the map Moyong Geon had given them, they had somehow managed to approach the island's shore, but the real problem started now. The dock was packed with vessels belonging to the Geukrak Island water fortress and the Black Hegemony Castle branch. Other than that, as mentioned before, the island's structure made it difficult to approach. Except for the dock, almost the entire perimeter consisted of sheer cliffs.
"If we a-abandon the boat and dive into the water..." Jang Bo-heum suggested various ideas.
None of them involved a frontal breakthrough. Naturally. They weren't facing fishing boats or small rowboats that could barely carry a person. Several ships comparable to warships were anchored there. There was no way they could break through that head-on.
"But if we do that... no, if we lose the boat, we won't be able to escape..." Jang Bo-heum began to ramble, clearly feeling the immense pressure of the situation.
"S-Still, approaching as stealthily and quietly as possible would be..."
"What kind of nonsense are you babbling about?" Jeok-un interrupted.
"...Pardon?"
The gaze Jeok-un directed at Jang Bo-heum was more serious than anything the man had ever seen before.
What is with that look...? Jang Bo-heum couldn't help but swallow hard.
And for good reason—Jeok-un's gaze right now was that of an absolute ruler who had once led the Evil Hegemony Alliance and dominated the world.
"Squad Leader of the Ghost Dream Squad, do you know the very first thing you must do in war?"
"...I do not know," Jang Bo-heum replied.
At Jang Bo-heum's answer, Jeok-un smiled chillingly.
"Cutting off the enemy's retreat."
Sring...!
Jeok-un drew both of his swords. Then, standing precariously at the very edge of the gunwale as if he might fall at any moment, he glared at the harbor of Geukrak Island.
Il-cheon and Wol-ha, the two divine swords.
The moment he drew both divine swords simultaneously, the energies of Yin and Yang flooded Jeok-un's body.
The energies raged wildly, like a mother bear that had lost her cub. They literally ran amok inside his body, making one wonder if they could even be controlled.
I can do it.
There was only one entity that could calm the frantic rampage of the Yin-Yang energy and put a leash on it. It was the Heaven-Dominating Divine Qi, which had integrated the Great Heavenly Star Divine Art.
Wrooooom...!
The Heaven-Dominating Divine Qi, which had reached the fourth stage, began to surge from his dantian. From the Laogong, Yongquan, Baihui, and Huiyin acupoints—all the pathways leading outward—the Heaven-Dominating Divine Qi began to swirl.
"W-What is that?"
An immediate reaction came from the docks as they sensed Jeok-un's energy.
"Over there! Over there, on the river!"
"Who is it?"
"An enemy! It's an enemy! Sound the alarm!"
The bandits of Geukrak Island, noticing the formidable energy, fell into a chaotic frenzy, but Jeok-un paid them no mind.
Awaken, Covetous Wolf.
He simply awakened the star within him.
The power of the Covetous Wolf, awakening for the first time, possessed the ability to amplify his own power. But this time, it would not stop at mere amplification. He now possessed the enlightenment shown to him by Dok-go Cheon.
Old man, I'll make good use of this from now on.
Whenever he had shared drinks with Dok-go Cheon, their conversation always turned to martial arts. After talking for hours, Jeok-un had gained enlightenment. Its origin was the final strike Dok-go Cheon had shown him.
Ultimate Technique: Heavenly Lion Shatters Heaven
Even the path of supremacy can contain softness.
The ultimate technique Dok-go Cheon had shown him had long since become his own.
In accordance with his essence and intent, the Heaven-Dominating Divine Qi roared loudly. The Yang energy of Il-cheon and the Yin energy of Wol-ha began to run wild in response.
Finally, the moment his massive power reached its peak, Jeok-un leaped high from the small boat.
The only place you bastards can escape to is hell.
With that thought, he unleashed a sword strike toward the warships from midair.
Incomplete Ultimate Technique: Heaven-Shattering Galaxy
An intense wave of qi, as if to cleave the very sky, swept over the docks. Under an unprecedented momentum that threatened to sweep everything away, the anchored ships, large and small, began to shatter completely.
"W-What on earth is this?!"
Deng Ping, the youngest of the Five Heads of the Ghostly Sea, known as the Three Illusionary Arrows, cried out in panic.
It was as if a meteor had fallen; not a single boat remained intact. He couldn't tell if he was dreaming or awake. However, the pungent scent of blood filling his nose insisted that this was a stark reality.
Stepping on the debris of the shattered ships, a mysterious figure landed on the island. He was slaughtering the forces of Black Hegemony Castle gathered on Geukrak Island. Yes, it was a slaughter. A single individual was massacring the entire force gathered on Geukrak Island by order of the Castle Lord.
"Crazy bastard..."
Deng Ping spat out a curse under his breath and focused his night vision to discern the intruder's identity. Even if they had to fight, he needed to accurately identify the opponent first.
He looks to be around twenty... and his weapons are dual swords...?
A young-looking master wielding dual swords. That destructive martial prowess was surely...
The Illusion-Shattering Mad Wolf?
No way. His target shouldn't have been Geukrak Island, but the Tongseong County branch of the Martial Alliance. Yet, his subordinates were currently dying at the youth's hands. Every time the dual swords crossed, arms, legs, and heads flew into the air at random.
"Aaargh!"
"M-My arm...!"
"S-Spare me...! Urgh!"
Screams, shrieks, and groans erupted from all directions. Like humans facing an irresistible natural disaster, the subordinates were brutally crushed upon colliding with the catastrophe named Jeok-un. They were broken, shattered, and severed, looking like dolls crudely pieced together from scraps of wood. The sight of dozens of souls being sent to the afterlife with a single swing of his sword was an unrealistic scene, unbelievable no matter how many times one witnessed it.
"M-Monster...!"
At this rate, the first line of defense at the shore would collapse, and the second line would be breached in an instant.
"A-Aaargh...!"
"R-Run away!"
However, the members of the Geukrak Island branch were already in a panic, stumbling backward.
"There is only one enemy! Kill him now!"
As one of the Five Heads of the Ghostly Sea and an executive, Deng Ping could not just stand by and watch. He personally cut down a fleeing subordinate to restore discipline and try to reform the ranks, but...
Crash!
Against the overwhelming pressure of a disaster rather than a human, running wild like a literal monster, all his efforts were in vain. Who would dare stand in the way of a momentum capable of facing ten thousand men alone?
S-So it was true that he killed Dang Maeng...
He had thought the rumors were distorted or exaggerated. But there was no exaggeration, no distortion. That bastard had struck the Martial Alliance, and now he had come to strike Geukrak Island. The enemy striking the Martial Alliance was not out of personal greed.
Big Brother's words were absolute bullshit.
That guy was simply a calamity, a natural disaster. An existence that would destroy everything until he got what he wanted.
The moment Deng Ping shuddered in fear, his eyes met Jeok-un's.
Deng Ping recoiled in shock and took a step back, but...
Whoosh!
"So you were there," Jeok-un said.
How had the youth singled him out? He stopped his slaughter and rushed straight toward him.
"B-Block him! Block him!" Deng Ping shrieked in terror.
He didn't just shout; he grabbed whatever was within reach and threw it at Jeok-un. They were mostly the subordinates standing next to him, though he didn't expect them to actually stop the monster.
J-Just a moment...!
A tiny fraction of time was enough. The brief moment he needed to show why he was called the Three Illusionary Arrows.
Perhaps because of the subordinates thrown in his path, Jeok-un's pace slowed slightly. In that brief window, Deng Ping completed all his preparations.
"Die!"
Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!
A rain of arrows poured down like a torrential storm. They were not just fast; some were rapid, some were slightly delayed, and some were even imbued with internal energy to make them silent. The title of Three Illusionary Arrows had not been earned for nothing.
However.
"Mere parlor tricks," Jeok-un dismissed, closing the distance in an instant.
He then demonstrated a martial feat that made the arrows look like child's play. Closing the distance in a single step, he sliced through every single arrow flying toward him.
Ting-ting!
The quiver was empty, only the bowstring snapping.
W-What...?!
The moment Deng Ping gasped in disbelief at the incredible reality, a sharp slash echoed.
Slash! Rip!
"Aaargh!"
He was cut by Jeok-un's sword. His face was sliced open, and the arm that had held the bowstring rolled on the ground.
Jeok-un stepped on Deng Ping's chest, pressing down firmly as he asked, "Where are the Snow Soul Gauntlets?"
"G-Gurgle..."
Bloody foam bubbled from his mouth. Seeing this, Jeok-un realized his mistake.
"Ah, I sliced his mouth."
Despite facing such a gruesome sight, there was no emotion in Jeok-un's eyes. There was only regret that he couldn't get the information despite killing an executive.
"Die, then."
Slice!
Deng Ping's head fell from his shoulders.