Chapter 162: Journey on the Lake (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 162: Journey on the Lake (4)
Slash!
Fierce sword strikes, unleashed by a veteran of the Heavenly Sword Hall, rained down horizontally and vertically.
Not only were the demonic practitioners blocking his path sliced apart, but the trees on both sides were also chopped into several pieces.
"Their numbers are growing."
Letting out a soft sigh, the Heavenly Sword Hall veteran gripped his sword tighter.
He spread his senses in all directions. The Demonic Qi he could detect within his range was steadily increasing.
Considering the sheer number of enemies they had to face, he had to conserve his strength with extreme care.
"How are the Second Clouds?"
"They're all still holding up! Only light injuries… but the real trouble starts now."
"To think the Fourth Battle Unit would suddenly appear. I wonder if the Hall Master is alright."
Separated from Lee Se-ha by the Fourth Battle Unit, the Heavenly Sword Hall had avoided reckless clashes, constantly moving to buy time.
However, there was a clear limit to that strategy. They eventually found themselves cornered on Mount Tangmun.
Although they had repeatedly hit and run across the mountain, it wasn't enough to escape the Fourth Battle Unit's slowly but surely tightening encirclement.
Since they were at a clear disadvantage in numbers and strength, they wanted to avoid a head-on collision if possible. But judging by how the Fourth Battle Unit had occupied every direction, that no longer seemed feasible.
With all escape routes cut off, the only thing the Heavenly Sword Hall could do was catch their breath for a brief moment and prepare for the next battle.
Is this already our fifth clash? It seems we must wage a true life-or-death battle from here on.
Exhaling a hot breath, the Heavenly Sword Hall veteran looked at the surrounding Clouds with worried eyes.
The Battle Units of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult.
The individual capabilities of the demonic practitioners belonging to these units were half a step, or even a full step, above those of the Cult-Protecting Guards.
Yet, the number of practitioners in a single Battle Unit was comparable to two or three of the Cult-Protecting Guards' martial units combined.
While there were differences in martial power and numbers, the greatest distinction lay in the nature of these forces.
To put it simply, the Four Great Battle Groups were the sword of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult, while the Nine Cult-Protecting Guards were its shield.
As the word "Guard" in their name suggested, the Nine Cult-Protecting Guards were primarily tasked with defending the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult Headquarters or maintaining order in the surrounding areas.
In contrast, the Four Great Battle Groups ranged far across the Jianghu, flaunting the Cult's martial might to the world.
Naturally, the practitioners of the Four Great Battle Groups were far more violent and bellicose than those of the Cult-Protecting Guards.
"Deploy the formation!"
At the veteran's sudden command, the Heavenly Sword Hall deployed the Great Derivation Sword Formation. At that exact moment, demonic practitioners poured out from the surrounding trees and thickets.
"Slippery rats."
"Running away and testing the waters over and over… how boring."
"We'll bury you all together in one nice, cozy spot."
Unleashing a sinister, murderous aura, the demonic practitioners rushed in from all sides.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Sword Hall had deployed the Great Derivation Sword Formation on high ground, allowing them to utilize the geographical advantage of the hill.
Clang! Clang! Crash!
Even seeing the smoothly deployed Great Derivation Sword Formation, the demonic practitioners charged without a moment's hesitation.
It was like violent waves crashing against a coastal seawall.
The faces of some Clouds stiffened at the heavy blows relentlessly rained down by the practitioners. Feeling the extraordinary force surging through their swords, they grew tense in spite of themselves.
"Stay calm and focus on maintaining the formation!"
"The Hall Master will definitely return. Hold the line!"
"Third Clouds, look out for the Second Clouds!"
The flagbearer and other veterans actively encouraged the surrounding Clouds. Boosting morale was essential in a battle like this.
I don't know how long we can hold out.
In truth, they didn't even know if Lee Se-ha was safe, let alone if she could return.
Even though the overall situation was desperate, the veterans of the Heavenly Sword Hall firmly believed in her.
Their Hall Master was not someone who would fall easily.
She would find her way back to them, no matter what.
"Do you think we'll be wiped out like last time?!" the middle-aged Cloud currently serving as the Heavenly Sword Hall's flagbearer roared in fury.
Among all the Clouds present, he had been with the Heavenly Sword Hall the longest, having survived even when the Second Battle Unit had brought the hall to the brink of dissolution.
Desperately executing the ultimate techniques of the Great Derivation Sword Technique, the flagbearer vowed that he would never let the Heavenly Sword Hall be swept away by a Battle Unit again.
"Hmph. All talk."
"Look at the situation. Do you really think you bastards can walk away from this alive?"
Easily deflecting the flagbearer's sword, the demonic practitioners targeted the gaps in the formation.
Although the Great Derivation Sword Formation, improved by Namgung Jun and Lee Se-ha, was far sturdier than before, it was not a flawless joint attack formation entirely devoid of weaknesses.
This was especially true when the formation was deployed with a mix of new recruits whose martial achievements were still lacking.
Persistently hammering at the Great Derivation Sword Formation, the demonic practitioners focused their attacks on a young Second Cloud who seemed flustered.
"You first."
Boom!
Just as a practitioner was about to slash the neck of the pushed-back Second Cloud, his upper body suddenly exploded.
An exceptionally thick and dark blast of Sword Qi. One could tell at a glance that it carried an immensely powerful Sword Force.
Glancing at the incredibly familiar form of the sword wind, the eyes of the Heavenly Sword Hall members widened.
Immediately after, a familiar voice drifted down gently into the center of the Great Derivation Sword Formation.
"Seniors. Are you tired already?"
A man landed lightly in the very center of the formation.
Raising his sword high, he kicked up a mist of water droplets around his feet.
"The youngest! No, Hall Master!"
"A Hall Master has indeed arrived. Though it's a different one."
"What does that matter? Such a welcome face has come to our aid."
Whoosh!
Namgung Jun's mere appearance shifted the momentum of the Heavenly Sword Hall. They moved beyond simple defense and began to plot a counterattack.
Watching the flow of the Great Derivation Sword Formation, Namgung Jun naturally took command.
"Advance toward the northwest. Shift to the middle stance and open a path."
Boom!
It was Namgung Jun who stood at the vanguard of the Great Derivation Sword Formation.
The Eternal Righteous Sword, shrouded in blue mist, slashed freely, unleashing consecutive waves of dense sword wind.
"The Azure Star Sword?"
"Is it reinforcements from the Azure Heaven Association?!"
"Damn it. Of all times."
The practitioners of the Fourth Battle Unit hesitated for a moment in confusion, but they did not hesitate to block the path of Namgung Jun and the Heavenly Sword Hall.
"In the end, you're just a human too!"
"Let's see if you can handle all of us!"
"A supreme expert isn't invincible!"
Clearing a path at the front, the corners of Namgung Jun's mouth curled up.
"They should be arriving about now."
Even while engaged in battle, he had been extending his senses widely across Mount Tangmun.
At the outer edges of his perception, Namgung Jun detected new presences entering the area.
These deeply familiar and reassuring presences exuded the flawlessly pure Qi Waves of the Azure Firmament Martial Canon.
Slash!
Slicing open the chest of a demonic practitioner who charged fearlessly, Namgung Jun channeled his internal energy into his throat.
His voice, laden with internal energy, reverberated across Mount Tangmun.
[Azure Firmament Hall. Show off your martial might to your heart's content.]
Having received their Hall Master's command, the Azure Firmament Hall began to move in earnest, their bodies fully enveloped in sky-blue Qi Waves.
* * *
Crash!
The face of the Fourth Battle Unit practitioner who blocked Gong Jun-am's downward-slashing greatsword turned pale.
The iron staff he had used to block the heavy strike had instantly bent into the shape of the letter ‘L’.
"What?!"
The iron staff was crafted to be solid and heavy, and he had infused it fully with his internal energy. It should have been difficult to even scratch it with an ordinary attack.
Yet, it had been ruined so easily, leaving him utterly bewildered.
Whoosh!
Without a moment's delay, Gong Jun-am raised his greatsword and severed the neck of the practitioner holding the ruined staff.
Thud!
Stamping hard on the ground as he charged toward the demonic practitioners, there was a faint trace of urgency in Gong Jun-am's swordplay.
The Heavenly Sword Hall.
Although he had transferred to the Azure Firmament Hall to follow Namgung Jun, his affection for the Heavenly Sword Hall remained in a corner of his heart.
Moreover, had he not commanded the Heavenly Sword Hall as its flagbearer for a considerable time, bearing a sense of responsibility?
With the Heavenly Sword Hall in danger, it was only natural that his hands and feet moved with frantic haste.
His worry grew even deeper considering that the largest portion of the Azure Firmament Hall's initial members had been drafted from the Heavenly Sword Hall.
Although Gong Jun-am's expression was as dry and emotionless as ever, a clear trace of anxiety lingered in his slightly furrowed brow.
"Haa!"
Having gulped down a mouthful of alcohol, Heo Il's longsword also accelerated rapidly. He scattered fierce sword light in all directions, forcing the opposing practitioners to spill blood before they could even react.
Every time veins bulged on his scar-covered right hand as he unleashed his swift sword, the scars scattered across his skin seemed to writhe as if alive.
The same went for Man Ye-won and Yu Geun-su.
Thinking of their former comrades in the Heavenly Sword Hall, they swung their swords desperately to forge ahead as quickly as possible.
The other members of the Azure Firmament Hall knew this well.
However, they did not stop them.
Instead, they tightened their defense around them, focusing entirely on assisting so that the Clouds from the Heavenly Sword Hall would not be injured by stray blades.
For there was no one who did not understand the heart that cared for and worried over comrades.
"I will guard Senior Gong's flank."
Drawing out a long stretch of Sword Qi from the Baekseon Sword Technique, Baekri Cheong swung his sword wide in a middle stance, blocking the approach of the practitioners trying to target Gong Jun-am's side.
"Hey, Heo Il! Let's go together!"
Samyeop called out to Heo Il in his usual friendly voice. Catching up to Heo Il's swift sword with agile movements, he unleashed consecutive leg and palm strikes beside him, lending power to the swift sword attacks.
Bam!
The mouth of a practitioner who had just withstood the joint attack of Yu Geun-su and Man Ye-won and was about to counterattack fell wide open.
His breath was instantly cut short by a massive fist that suddenly slammed into his left chest.
"Keep your hands off our Second Clouds."
It was Jang Mun-hyeok, who had delivered a straight punch that instantly caved in the practitioner's chest.
It was indeed a fist power worthy of a disciple who had inherited the Iron Tower Hall Master's exclusive martial arts.
United under the Azure Firmament Martial Canon, the Azure Firmament Hall protected one another as they pierced through the Fourth Battle Unit's formation.
However, the Fourth Battle Unit showed no intention of easily giving way.
On the contrary, they aggressively threw their bodies forward, attempting to forcefully halt the Azure Firmament Hall's fierce charge.
"Are these bastards the eleventh hall of the Azure Heaven Association?!"
"They are certainly strong for a newly formed martial group."
"Die!"
Tring!
A few Fourth Battle Unit practitioners let out roars infused with internal energy, but they were instantly drowned out by the sharp, echoing sound of a zither.
Sa Yeon-u's fingers plucked the strings with dazzling speed.
The sound wave qi, which had originally served to boost the Qi Waves of the Azure Firmament Martial Canon, now did the opposite—absorbing the Azure Firmament Hall's Qi Waves to swell in size.
Twang!
Overlaid with the Azure Firmament Hall's Qi Waves, the far more powerful sound wave qi spread across a wide area, enveloping the Fourth Battle Unit.
A vast cloud of dust rose from the surrounding forest.
"Ugh!"
"Protect your ears!"
Exposed to the sound wave qi, numerous practitioners stumbled, blood trickling from their ears.
While the sound wave qi alone was not enough to defeat them, it was more than sufficient to cause light internal injuries and impair their hearing.
Thanks to this, the momentum of the Fourth Battle Unit was temporarily dampened.
"Now! Open a path to the north!" Sa Yeon-u shouted while panting, having boldly used a massive amount of internal energy to execute her ultimate technique.
By then, Wi Hyeon-su had already dashed forward, carving through the practitioners with domineering saber strikes.
Clang!
Naturally, the Fourth Battle Unit practitioners were not about to give way easily. Instantly taking positions on both sides of Wi Hyeon-su, they swung their swords simultaneously.
Tilting his great saber diagonally, Wi Hyeon-su blocked both swords flying in from either side at once.
Despite the pressure, his face brightened.
"I see them over there."
Rumble!
A roaring sound echoed from deep within the forest.
Along with it, a blue radiance spread, refusing to dissipate easily as it shimmered like a glowing mist caught on the tree branches.
Thud!
It was the Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique of Namgung Jun, who stood at the vanguard of the Great Derivation Sword Formation.
The distance between the Heavenly Sword Hall and the Azure Firmament Hall had shrunk to almost nothing.
Finding themselves squeezed from both front and back as the distance closed, the Fourth Battle Unit practitioners moved cleverly.
They did not blindly try to prevent the two martial groups from merging.
'Since they've gotten this close, we can't stop them from joining forces. It's only a matter of time. If we try to force a blockade and get crushed from both sides, our casualties will only increase, and our formation will collapse entirely.'
'It's better to use the moment they merge to reorganize ourselves and settle this with a joint attack formation.'
'The Azure Firmament Hall and the Azure Star Sword have joined forces. Even so, we still hold the upper hand.'
Having exchanged their thoughts via voice transmission, the leaders of the Fourth Battle Unit retreated in unison.
Thanks to this, the Heavenly Sword Hall and the Azure Firmament Hall were able to merge with ease.
Facing each other, the members of the two halls did not exchange many words.
Since they were on a battlefield, they merely confirmed each other's safety with their eyes, but that alone was enough.
Though surrounded by enemies on all sides, they felt no fear.
They had comrades to guard their shoulders, and at their vanguard stood an incredibly powerful and dependable swordsman.
Flanking Namgung Jun on both sides, the Heavenly Sword Hall and the Azure Firmament Hall stood ready to charge the moment the command was given.
Namgung Jun looked around. It appeared the Fourth Battle Unit was also securing their own advantage.
Even without their Fourth Unit Leader, they are managing their forces quite cleverly. They must be well-accustomed to large-scale group battles.
Rather than making a reckless move, the Fourth Battle Unit was occupying favorable terrain to prepare their joint attack formation.
Watching them, Namgung Jun brought the Eternal Righteous Sword to a middle stance.
It is still far from enough. It is incomplete.
Namgung Jun recalled the technique of emitting sword pressure to suppress a specific area.
He still lacked the necessary principles and martial insight, and above all, he had not found a suitable intent to fill the core of this martial art.
It was a martial study far from completion.
Therefore, at this moment, it was nothing more than a mere technique rather than a proper martial art.
Yet, it could still produce a clear effect.
Namgung Jun recalled when he had used this technique to temporarily suppress the Seventh Young Lady's body.
The sword pressure had suppressed the Seventh Young Lady, who was an outstanding supreme expert.
And the Seventh Young Lady had shaken off that immense sword pressure using her own method of breaking it.
Recalling that sequence of events, he refined the principles in real-time.
Through the process of the Seventh Young Lady's escape, Namgung Jun had been able to identify flaws he hadn't previously noticed.
Thanks to that, this nameless technique could draw even closer to completion.
And now.
Namgung Jun looked at the Fourth Battle Unit practitioners surrounding them.
Although the strength of the Azure Firmament Hall and the Heavenly Sword Hall had steadily risen, the martial prowess of the Fourth Battle Unit was not to be underestimated, and they held a complete numerical advantage.
If the Fourth Battle Unit responded with a joint attack formation, they would have to suffer significant casualties even with his presence.
Thus, he needed a variable that could drastically shake the situation.
For now, it is a martial study that cannot even be named—no, it is merely a superior peerless technique. But it is enough to turn the tide.
Even if it was nothing more than a technique right now, through experiences like this, it would be endlessly refined until it eventually transformed into a complete, proper martial art.
Rumble!
Centered around the Eternal Righteous Sword, now suffused with a deep blue light, an immense sword pressure erupted.