Chapter 342
Chapter 342
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 342
Chapter Title: Crisis (2)
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Blue Eagle Demon Blade Dong Ja-ryang.
He was the highest-ranking among the Blood Demon's followers deployed to the enemy lines. That meant he enjoyed Jo Yun's utmost trust and possessed martial prowess to match.
However, his excessively cruel disposition made him an object of fear even among the Blood Demon's followers.
“Tch. The interlopers have arrived.”
At Dong Ja-ryang's words, Yi Hwan turned around.
People were emerging through the forest. The first to enter Yi Hwan's eyes was Yi Tae-ji.
‘He followed us?’
No, they couldn't have come from that direction.
Their gazes clashed across the empty air.
“Long time no see?”
“…….”
Yi Hwan ignored Yi Tae-ji's greeting and scanned the people approaching to his left and right. When he spotted Ak Kun-hwa, his eyes darkened.
‘I landed a solid blow...’
He had struck the chest dead-on. An attack infused with enough power to kill instantly.
Yet not only was he alive—he looked utterly unharmed, which was all the more astonishing.
“Why? Surprised I'm alive?”
“A little.”
“A little? Then I'll make you plenty surprised from here on out. Ptui!”
Fwoosh!
Powerful demonic energy erupted from Ak Kun-hwa's entire body.
Yi Hwan turned to the Zhao Kingdom warriors, including the general, and said,
“You'll need to fight with the resolve to die.”
“Yes, Great Prince!”
Even in a situation where enemies had surrounded them front and back, they showed not the slightest intimidation.
This was fortunate, but in truth, the situation was extremely dire.
The auras emanating from those blocking the front and rear were far from ordinary. Several in particular exuded presences so overwhelming that their martial prowess was impossible to gauge.
Dong Ja-ryang called out lowly toward Do Geom and the others.
“Hey, you lot—guard the escape route properly. Don't butt in recklessly. If even one slips past, you're done for.”
Do Geom, who had already anticipated Dong Ja-ryang acting this way, simply shrugged.
But Ak Kun-hwa and Yi Tae-ji were different.
Staring straight at Dong Ja-ryang, Yi Tae-ji said,
“I'll be the one to take that bastard's head.”
“Who...”
“Yi Tae-ji.”
“Ah! The exiled prince Yi Tae-ji!”
Blatant mockery. There was no way Dong Ja-ryang didn't know who Yi Tae-ji was.
Undeterred, Yi Tae-ji added,
“Yield him to me, and I'll reward you handsomely later.”
Smirk.
Dong Ja-ryang's lips curled upward. At that exact moment, a beam of light detached from Yi Hwan's body and plummeted behind Dong Ja-ryang.
Thud!
“Urk!”
“Gah!”
Three yellow-robes collapsed, blood gushing from their heads. Five beams had fallen, but two had missed their mark.
Dong Ja-ryang's eyes narrowed thinly. They soon flickered with murderous intent.
“You've mastered some bizarre sorcery.”
“Enough chatter—shall we get started?”
“Fine. I'll indulge you.”
Fwoosh!
Powerful demonic energy surged around Dong Ja-ryang. At that signal, the yellow-robes advanced from left and right.
[Assess the situation—if it turns sour, pull back.]
[Don't worry about me. Focus, Captain.]
[This is close to the Zhao Kingdom army camp. Even if we hold them off, reinforcements will swarm in soon. If anything happens to you here, the Yeon Kingdom will be shaken.]
[Noted.]
Yi Hwan gave that reply, but Kim Mu-gwan was gravely worried. He knew full well that Yi Hwan was not one to simply retreat.
* * *
‘A crisis.’
Yi Hwan had already acknowledged the gravity of the situation. Individually, the enemies overwhelmingly outmatched them.
Escaping alive on his own would not be difficult. But he could not abandon the Qin Kingdom warriors and soldiers to die here.
No matter what, these men had fought alongside him from the enemy lines all the way here, through battle after battle. They had trusted him absolutely and followed him—he could not turn his back on them.
‘Even if it means unleashing all my power, I'll save them. And to do that, eliminate their leader first.’
Yi Hwan lowered his sword tip.
Sizzle.
Sword energy flowed along the blade.
It was nothing more than an ordinary stance. Dong Ja-ryang and everyone else saw it that way.
Right then, Yi Hwan vanished like a snuffed flame. Dust billowed where he had stood, but already a streak of light had erupted before Dong Ja-ryang.
“......!”
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Dong Ja-ryang spat a heavy groan and flew backward. He had succeeded in blocking the split-second attack, but the impact exceeded his expectations, and he couldn't fully withstand it.
Still, Yi Hwan knew. The blow just now had not inflicted a fatal wound on Dong Ja-ryang.
Whoosh!
Without giving even a moment's breather, Yi Hwan shot after him.
However, the yellow-robes rushed in to block between them.
Light flared from Yi Hwan's body.
Flash!
Screech!
“Argh!”
“Gurk!”
Holes burst open in the chests of two yellow-robes. As they collapsed, they obstructed the path of the others.
Seizing that opening, Yi Hwan unleashed another strike toward Dong Ja-ryang.
Dong Ja-ryang, who had just stabilized his stance mid-air and was descending—he swatted at Yi Hwan's sword hurtling right to his face.
Boom!
“Kuh!”
Dong Ja-ryang was once more repelled like a gnat.
In the clash of experts who had reached the Absolute Realm, yielding the first strike created a gap this vast.
Rustle!
Dong Ja-ryang crashed through the forest.
It was then, as Yi Hwan moved to pursue him once more.
Screech!
Yi Hwan twisted his body left to evade a sharp burst of energy flying at his back. The energy bored a hole through a tree and dissipated.
Thud!
“Your opponent is me, Yi Hwan.”
Yi Tae-ji landed.
Yi Hwan had no choice but to abandon Dong Ja-ryang and slowly turn toward Yi Tae-ji.
“Charge!”
“Hold them!”
Crunch!
Battle erupted between both sides.
Yet Yi Hwan and Yi Tae-ji stared at each other as if standing in entirely separate spaces.
Hummm.
Yi Tae-ji's sword began to resonate. Aiming it at Yi Hwan, he said coldly,
“I've prayed to the heavens time and again for a day like this to come. Today, right here, I'll kill you and deliver your head to him.”
“If that's your plan, shouldn't you have used Hellfire Blaze from the start? Though of course, you'd best abandon the delusion that it'd make your dream come true.”
“......!”
Yi Tae-ji flinched.
“Surprised?”
Whoosh!
This time too, the first strike belonged to Yi Hwan.
However, his target was not Yi Tae-ji, but Dong Ja-ryang, who was just steadying himself and turning around.
“You mad...”
Bloodlust flared in Dong Ja-ryang's eyes.
Having bought time to compose himself thanks to Yi Tae-ji stepping in, he swung his saber at Yi Hwan charging like lightning.
Sword and saber collided, unleashing an explosion.
KABOOM!
“......!”
Dong Ja-ryang was hurled back yet again.
The shocks from the surprise attack and second strike had massively influenced the outcome of this third clash.
Crash!
Dong Ja-ryang's face contorted grotesquely as he slammed mercilessly into a massive tree.
At that moment, Yi Tae-ji targeted Yi Hwan's back. Dong Ja-ryang shouted toward him.
“Stay out of it! Yi Tae-ji!”
KABOOM!
Yi Hwan and Yi Tae-ji clashed.
Rumble!
To avoid the ensuing shockwave, Dong Ja-ryang hurriedly crouched low.
BOOM! RUMBLE!
RUMBLE-RUMBLE!
In the blink of an eye, Yi Hwan and Yi Tae-ji exchanged three volleys. Unlike Yi Tae-ji, who could focus entirely on Yi Hwan, Yi Hwan had to divide his attention to Dong Ja-ryang as well, preventing him from committing his full power.
Dong Ja-ryang spoke again.
“I said back off, Yi Tae-ji.”
“Is merit worth more than your life? No—pride, perhaps?”
“None of your concern.”
Dong Ja-ryang cracked his neck this way and that as he stepped forward.
Seeing Dong Ja-ryang like this, Yi Hwan was inwardly startled.
Though he'd blocked every attack, Yi Hwan had thought the damage would leave him unable to properly brace. Yet Dong Ja-ryang's clothes were merely torn in spots from the impacts—his eyes burned even fiercer.
“One word from me, and I can make your life—and your mother's—a living hell. So don't make me repeat myself, Yi Tae-ji.”
“......”
What was he thinking?
Yi Tae-ji fell back. As Dong Ja-ryang advanced, he raised the saber in his grip and aimed it at Yi Hwan.
Smirk.
“Your sneaky ambush nearly did me in. But what now? Feels like you just blew your one irreplaceable shot.”
Hummm!
As Dong Ja-ryang drew up his qi, his saber seemed steeped in blood, its blade turning a deep crimson.
It was a divine artifact and demon weapon that had never known defeat to anyone save Jo Yun.
“I'll kill you, you dog bastard.”
Fwoosh!
* * *
‘I was careless.’
Do Geom was inwardly aghast.
Right now, he was locked in one-on-one combat with Park Ji-mun. After their initial exchange, he'd thought he could crush him without issue.
But that was a complete miscalculation, a delusion. With each ensuing clash, Park Ji-mun's great saber unleashed ever greater destructive force.
What shocked Do Geom even more was that Park Ji-mun's breathing remained as steady as at the start.
On the other hand, Park Ji-mun was just as astonished.
Do Geom was hands-down the strongest foe he'd properly crossed blades with since arriving in the Central Plains. Amid the fierce exchanges, he showed flawless offense and defense, without a single opening.
“A pity for one of your talent to waste away as a mere bodyguard.”
“A pity for one of your talent to waste away as a villain's dog.”
The two assumed their stances once more.
It was then.
Boom!
“Uwaaak!”
A scream erupted from the left. The blue-robe battling Kim Mu-gwan was spewing blood as he flew through the air.
“......!”
Do Geom's eyes widened to their limit.
That blue-robe was his comrade, a considerable expert. Do Geom hadn't even imagined he could be defeated so swiftly.
‘With bare hands against that guy...’
Do Geom's widened eyes refused to leave Kim Mu-gwan.
Seeing this, Park Ji-mun grinned.
“No spare moment to get distracted, is there?”
Whoosh!
The great saber cleaved through the air and descended.
Do Geom fell back while striking the falling great saber's side.
Boom!
Rustle!
Dust billowed as Do Geom was pushed rearward.
Park Ji-mun unleashed a barrage of attacks on the off-balance Do Geom.
BOOM-RUMBLE!
Four clashes followed in an instant.
Having been pushed back once, Do Geom found no chance to counterattack and could only scramble in defense.
Boom!
“......!”
Yet another powerful collision shredded Do Geom's robe in places, exposing bare flesh. In clashes between experts, a single mistake like this often led to an irreversible crisis.
‘This is...’
Do Geom's face twisted hideously.
Even the exact same impact felt vastly different for the attacker versus the one pushed back on the defensive.
Let alone against an expert of Park Ji-mun's caliber—reversing the situation was virtually impossible.
Flash!
Park Ji-mun's great saber erupted in brilliant light.
“Now off to hell with you.”