Chapter 103: Heaven-Reliant Sword Lord (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103: Heaven-Reliant Sword Lord (1)
In a single instant, Namgung Jun drew his sword and slaughtered five Demonic Practitioners.
It was the first form of the Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders: Single Flash.
The sword path that felled five in a single breath was astonishing enough, but the crackle of lightning and roar of thunder that filled the valley also restricted the movements of the remaining Demonic Practitioners.
His gamble of expending extra internal energy to boost the technique’s power had paid off.
As he looked down at the Demonic Practitioners, Namgung Jun subtly extended his senses backward, his thoughts on Suyeon Village.
'I hope they noticed something was wrong from that flash and thunder just now.'
He had tried to create a variable, but it wasn't that simple.
Meanwhile, the Demonic Practitioners approached, their guards raised.
"A young age and blue Thunder Qi. It's you. The runaway with the Nine Yin Severed Meridian."
The middle-aged Demonic Practitioner scanned Namgung Jun from head to toe, a smirk playing on his lips.
'The Sword-Wailing Demon's dying words weren't a lie.'
Although he realized that information about him had definitely reached the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult, Namgung Jun remained unfazed.
It was something he had to face sooner or later.
In his current situation, it was a minor issue at best.
"The Fifth Young Master will be pleased to see you. Capture him alive."
The middle-aged Demonic Practitioner's next words were directed at his subordinates.
The Demonic Practitioners moved, their Demonic Qi flaring to life.
They weren't just advancing blindly; they were moving into formation to surround him.
'A sword formation?'
He could feel the Demonic Qi of the practitioners weaving into a single, cohesive flow—the telltale sign of a sword formation.
With the Demonic Qi of over thirty individuals coalescing, they generated a formidable and ominous pressure.
Thud!
Leaning forward, Namgung Jun stomped the ground and shot forward like an arrow, his sword leading the way.
He had no intention of waiting for them. Staring blankly as a sword formation unfolded was a mistake even a novice would avoid.
Splat!
Reaching the front line of the Demonic Practitioners in an instant, Namgung Jun slashed upward.
As his blade tore from a Demonic Practitioner's chest up through his shoulder, the others converged, aiming their weapons at Namgung Jun all at once.
Two Demonic Practitioners instantly flanked his left and right, aiming for his underarm and flank with remarkable speed.
"Activate the formation!"
Weapons thrust forward with murderous intent, targeting a total of nine directions.
Among them was a ruthless strike, using the body of their fallen comrade as cover.
Splash!
The moment Namgung Jun's leather boots touched the stream, the water’s surface rippled and was instantly dyed a deep blue.
A blue flash raced across the water, streaking back and forth incessantly.
Clang-clang-clang!
Shards of shattered steel rained down into the indigo-tinged water, followed by splashes of crimson as blood spilled like paint.
The valley stream grew turbid with these iron petals.
"Phew."
The Eternal Righteous Sword, having shattered all their weapons by seamlessly linking one sword path to another, tilted diagonally.
His grip on the hilt was more relaxed than ever.
It was only natural. The sword dance he had witnessed in Suyeon Village was still fresh in his mind.
'They are somewhat trained. Are they a unified martial force?'
Even without the sword formation pooling their strength, these Demonic Practitioners were of a high caliber.
Nevertheless, Namgung Jun did not hesitate to plunge deep into their ranks.
As Namgung Jun penetrated their defenses, the Demonic Practitioners immediately shifted positions to block his retreat.
They intended to wear him down from the very center of the sword formation.
'Very tight.'
Yet, Namgung Jun, trapped inside the formation, remained unconcerned.
He didn't bother trying to decipher the formation's secrets to disrupt its flow, as he normally would. Instead, he simply swung his sword, following the whims of his heart.
Swish!
His sleeves, embroidered with clouds, fluttered freely, and his leather boots, soaked in the valley water, glided smoothly as if on ice.
All the while, Namgung Jun's sword danced with wild vitality.
He wasn't executing any specific sword technique. He simply swung his blade as he pleased, yet the nature of each strike transformed with every movement.
With every unpredictable slash, blood erupted from all sides.
'Unfettered.'
Namgung Jun wasn't just breaking their sword formation; he was embodying the enlightenment he had received in Suyeon Village.
"Ugh!"
"Unit Three, fall back! Unit Two, respond!"
"The leader of Unit Two has fallen! The command is...!"
One by one, the panicking Demonic Practitioners collapsed, their heads severed by flashes of blue light.
The unpredictable momentum of his sword pressed down on them with an unbearable weight.
Even so, the Demonic Practitioners did not spare their lives, fighting desperately to maintain the sword formation and pressure Namgung Jun.
However, even the unified power of the formation was far too inadequate to suppress him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Thud!
The frantic sounds of clashing metal and heavy impacts belonged entirely to the Demonic Practitioners.
Amidst their frantic movements, Namgung Jun moved with lofty grace.
'The absolute peak of the Peak Stage. This is within our Cult's expectations. But something is different.'
Standing twenty paces away, the middle-aged Demonic Practitioner's eyes twitched as he watched Namgung Jun dismantle the sword formation.
The Demonic Practitioners before him were the hands and feet painstakingly raised by the Fifth Young Master of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult himself. Once deployed, their sword formation was powerful enough to overwhelm a Supreme Expert.
Yet, Namgung Jun showed not a single shred of vulnerability.
'It's as if he's performing a sword dance at a banquet…'
As he watched Namgung Jun's ever-changing swordplay, the middle-aged Demonic Practitioner held his sword low.
'I must aim for the right opening.'
If they clashed head-on, he knew he might be a step behind. But if he waited until Namgung Jun exhausted his strength against the formation, an opportunity would surely arise.
The middle-aged Demonic Practitioner planned to bide his time and launch a sudden ambush.
He expected a few more Demonic Practitioners to be sacrificed in the process, but he didn't care.
As long as they could subdue Namgung Jun, that was enough.
"Mmm."
A low groan escaped the middle-aged Demonic Practitioner's lips as he observed the battlefield.
He couldn't help it.
The sword formation was collapsing far too quickly. At this rate, not even the minimum number of people required to maintain it would remain.
'Before it's too late!'
The middle-aged Demonic Practitioner slowly and stealthily circulated his internal energy.
Just as the Demonic Qi spreading through his body reached its peak, and he mapped out a straight path toward Namgung Jun—
Boom!
The remaining Demonic Practitioners were swallowed by a blue flash.
It happened in an instant.
A thick beam of blue light erupted from within the formation, leaving a long trail as it shot forward. The streak of lightning transformed into a human figure as it closed the distance in an instant.
Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders.
Thirteenth Form: Single Lightning Thunderclap.
Thwack!
The middle-aged Demonic Practitioner couldn't react. The attack was so fast that the most he could do was twitch the fingers gripping his weapon.
His eyelids slowly lifted.
Before his blue-tinted vision could even fully return, it was dyed crimson.
Even though he couldn't see clearly, the middle-aged Demonic Practitioner instinctively knew.
What was obscuring his vision was a fountain of blood spurting from his own split chest.
"Gurgle..."
The middle-aged Demonic Practitioner collapsed forward, his hand clutching the sword wound slicing across his chest.
"If you wanted to launch an ambush, you should have at least hidden your murderous intent."
Namgung Jun stood still. He had shattered the sword formation and slain its leader with a single, full-power ultimate technique.
Although he had eliminated all the enemies before him, his heated body showed no signs of cooling down.
He rapidly circulated the internal energies of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula and the Spear King Azure Aura, pushing his body to recover as quickly as possible.
The battle was not over.
Though they were not yet in sight, he could feel countless presences swarming the valley.
"Like insects."
The presences within his perception multiplied endlessly, like insects hatching from their eggs. There was no point in even trying to count them.
Namgung Jun stood tall, his sword planted in the ground, and caught his breath.
By the time he had taken about seven deep breaths, the bushes in front of him rustled.
The Demonic Practitioners revealed themselves without hesitation.
Perhaps due to their sheer numbers, their overall level of martial arts was not very high. There were no Bright Order Ranks in sight; they all appeared to be ordinary cult disciples.
'At a glance, there are easily over a hundred of them.'
However, Namgung Jun did not focus on the densely packed disciples.
His gaze went beyond the thick wall of bodies to several figures who emerged with leisurely steps.
Centered around a young noble, two old men followed, flanking him on either side.
The attire of the three latecomers was completely different from that of the ordinary cult disciples. Judging by the Qi Waves they exuded, they were clearly of high status within the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult.
"Left Guardian. What is the meaning of this? The ones you painstakingly raised are all dead."
"My apologies. I did not realize they were such incompetent fools."
"They were meant to be discarded anyway, but we lost them far too pointlessly."
As the Fifth Young Master lightly shook his head, the Left Guardian bowed his.
The Right Guardian, who had been standing silently, stared at Namgung Jun and spoke.
"The Qi Wave of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula... and judging by its appearance, that is definitely the Azure Star Sword."
"To think the boy with the Nine Yin Severed Meridian whom our Cult was searching for has already become such a swordsman."
The Fifth Young Master looked at Namgung Jun and then beyond the valley, letting out a chuckle.
"We came to disrupt the Heaven-Reliant Sword Lord's closed-door cultivation, but we've reaped an unexpected harvest."
At the Fifth Young Master's murmur, Namgung Jun pulled his sword from the ground and asked, "Disrupt the Heaven-Reliant Sword Lord's closed-door cultivation? With only this much force?"
Namgung Jun glared at the two Guardians the Fifth Young Master had brought.
They were certainly Supreme Experts who had achieved the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown, but he doubted their martial prowess was enough to contend with a Peerless Expert. The same applied even if they were supported by over a hundred ordinary cult disciples.
As if reading Namgung Jun's thoughts, the Fifth Young Master's eyes curved in an unpleasant smile.
"Force? They will not fight. They will burn down Suyeon Village, the hometown where the Heaven-Reliant Sword Lord was born and raised, and martyr themselves with it."
"What?"
"There are one hundred and thirty ordinary cult disciples here. If their martyrdom can disrupt a Peerless Expert's closed-door cultivation or inflict a psychological blow, isn't that an immense gain?"
The Fifth Young Master smiled as he looked at the disciples before him.
"They stood here voluntarily. They wish to burn their own bodies and sacrifice themselves for a sublime achievement."
"Your nonsense remains unchanged. You use bizarre doctrines to treat human lives like mere firewood."
Namgung Jun had no intention of exchanging any more words with the Fifth Young Master. There was no need; a wave of disgust washed over him, as if the very words were a defilement.
Just as Namgung Jun, holding the Eternal Righteous Sword, was about to step forward—
Whoosh!
His vision, which had been filled with the Demonic Practitioners of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult, shifted completely.
The back of a single man now occupied the absolute center of his view.
In the man's right hand was a familiar curved blade.
It was the ornate curved blade that the dancer of Suyeon Village had used in his sword dance.
"You are..."
"I am late. The Demonic Practitioners were crawling up from other directions as well."
The man's sleeves fluttered slightly, stirring a gentle breeze that pushed Namgung Jun back a step.
Come.
The dancer raised his left hand, and his powerful intent seemed to engrave itself upon all of creation. Though his lips never moved, every martial artist present heard his voice echo clearly in their minds.
Just as Namgung Jun registered the dancer's intent—
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted from the peak behind Suyeon Village, and something shot up into the sky. A hazy beam of light soared high into the heavens before plunging straight down.
Though the beam of light fell at an incredible speed, the dancer caught it with ease.
The longsword held in the dancer's left hand was a weapon Namgung Jun knew all too well. It was a sword he hadn't seen in a very long time, yet it felt incredibly familiar and intimate.
"The Heaven-Reliant Sword!"
"A rather satisfying reaction. Excellent!"
Smiling playfully, the dancer lowered the sword and blade held in his hands. As his robes fluttered like a cape, he stepped forward and spoke in a singsong voice:
"Behold the solo stage of the Heaven-Reliant Sword Lord."