Chapter 173: Battle-Axe Breaker (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: Battle-Axe Breaker (2)
“Bwahahaha!”
Throwing his head back, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor burst into a booming laugh, genuinely amused.
His eyes gleamed with a savage light as he stared at Namgung Jun.
“What a shame. Why is there no one in the Great-Axe Green Forest with half your audacity?”
The Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor rested his exceptionally massive axe on his shoulder and licked his lips.
The bandits of the Great-Axe Green Forest were known for favoring large axes, but the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor's weapon was twice the size of any they used.
The Mountain-Ringing Axe. It was famous as his cherished weapon. Its bizarre size was striking enough, but its weight was said to be so immense that an ordinary martial artist would struggle just to lift it.
Hefting the Mountain-Ringing Axe effortlessly with one hand, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor scanned the three Hall Masters one by one and bared his yellow teeth.
“You’ve made me curious. If I hang your corpses up nicely, will the Azure Heaven Association Leader himself come for me next?”
“Just try it!”
Boom!
It was Kang Gok, of course, who signaled the start of the deathmatch.
Despite his round, obese frame, Kang Gok’s movements were far swifter than expected. With every step, his body bounced like a ball as he charged, his form stretching with an elastic momentum.
“A body like a fat old merchant… amusing!”
Chuckling, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor swung the Mountain-Ringing Axe. However, he aimed the flat of the axe toward Kang Gok, not the blade.
Because the Mountain-Ringing Axe itself was so massive, it felt less like an axe and more like a small wall hurtling forward.
Clang! Clang!
Kang Gok spun in mid-air, putting his entire body’s momentum into a series of strikes. He hammered his twin axes against the flat of the Mountain-Ringing Axe, but it didn’t budge an inch.
Instead, the colossal force behind the Mountain-Ringing Axe restricted his movements, and the pressure crushing down on him stole his breath.
It feels like being crushed by a living, moving fortress wall.
Overpowered, Kang Gok was flung to the side, still locked in his swinging posture as the Mountain-Ringing Axe pushed him away.
Though his charge had been halted, Kang Gok didn't just take the blow passively. He channeled his internal energy into the twin axes pressed against the flat of the Mountain-Ringing Axe and pulled with all his might.
Infused with Kang Gok's internal energy, the three axes stuck together, showing no sign of separating.
Just as the Mountain-Ringing Axe faltered for a brief moment.
Before anyone realized it, a sinister red glow appeared behind the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor.
Having already taken a position at the emperor’s back, Hyeokri Yu gripped his twin swords in a reverse hold and thrust them forcefully toward his opponent’s shoulders.
Before Hyeokri Yu could even fully extend his arms, the sole of the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s boot shot toward his abdomen.
He had kicked backward without even turning his head.
Bam!
Hyeokri Yu’s back arched violently as he was sent flying. Even though he had deflected as much of the force as possible using the Inverted Bat Traverse and his Protective Astral Qi, the impact that slammed into his gut was extraordinary.
Despite his stomach churning, Hyeokri Yu’s twin swords moved relentlessly, stabbing and slashing at the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s thighs and ankles five times.
Of course, they were blocked by the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s Protective Astral Qi, sending green sparks flying with each impact.
Having repelled the onslaught of two Hall Masters in an instant, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s eyes twitched.
A faint water mist had risen on his left flank.
Executing the Thousand-Li Lake Journey, Namgung Jun precisely exploited the opening created by his two seniors.
The right hand holding the Mountain-Ringing Axe, the left foot that had just kicked—
This was the moment to strike, while the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor was in the middle of his assault.
Swish!
Held low, the Eternal Righteous Sword swept sharply upward, aiming for the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s left ribs.
Under the influence of the Butterfly Metamorphosis of Mystic Time, Namgung Jun perceived that brief moment as if it were stretched out impossibly long.
Within Namgung Jun's altered perception, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor moved even faster than before.
Unleashing a thick wave of qi, the emperor broke free from Kang Gok's restraint. His left foot was already back in position as he swung the Mountain-Ringing Axe toward Namgung Jun.
Although Namgung Jun had clearly seized the initiative, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor was already counterattacking from a fully prepared stance.
His senses operated on a completely different level from the three Hall Masters.
As I expected.
It was a reaction worthy of a Peerless Expert. Having achieved the Five Qis Converging at the Origin and communed with Natural Qi, his mastery over the Butterfly Metamorphosis of Mystic Time and Heart Spirit Qi Transformation would have deepened significantly.
Having personally felt the gap between the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown and the Five Qis Converging at the Origin in his past life, Namgung Jun had anticipated this.
Clang!
After deflecting the Eternal Righteous Sword head-on, the Mountain-Ringing Axe spun and angled sharply, targeting the flat of the sword’s blade.
It was a follow-up strike clearly meant to shatter the blade.
Despite having almost no time to react, Namgung Jun deflected the Mountain-Ringing Axe by subtly adjusting his grip and the angle of his elbow.
The axe blade and the flat of the sword scraped past one another with hair's-breadth precision.
Screeech!
A long trail of sparks erupted as the axe blade rippled the very air.
The blade of the Eternal Righteous Sword vibrated violently. Namgung Jun thrust his sword backward to disperse the shock that had surged into it.
The force of the axe slicing through the air was so heavy and blunt that if he hadn't executed his sword technique at the perfect moment, the blade would have undoubtedly shattered.
“Oh? Quite the intuitive reaction.”
Having missed his mark, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s grin widened. A vivid murderous intent spread across his thick, twisted lips.
“Just as I thought. You’re a little different.”
The Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s gaze slowly shifted from Namgung Jun.
Before he knew it, Hyeokri Yu and Kang Gok had taken up positions behind and to his left.
As if refusing to give them even a moment’s pause, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor swung the Mountain-Ringing Axe in a wide arc, targeting the Hall Masters first.
Crash!
In an instant, the Mountain-Ringing Axe drew a massive circle, striking all three Hall Masters. Its speed was so immense that the three of them, who barely managed to react, were pushed back almost simultaneously.
The Abandoned-Ridge Dew-Casting Axe.
Whoosh!
The axe technique, which fully utilized the weapon's destructive power, whipped up a heavy, sharp wind that tore the surroundings to shreds.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Having parried over thirty axe strikes in an instant, a cloud-like wave of qi erupted around Namgung Jun's entire body. The Cloud Mantle Embracing Sorrowful Thunder protecting him had been shaken violently.
Even though he blocked the attacks themselves, the power was so immense that the Cloud Mantle Embracing Sorrowful Thunder had to work overtime to disperse the residual shock.
However, the terrifying aspect of the Abandoned-Ridge Dew-Casting Axe wasn't just the monstrous power behind each strike.
It’s incredibly fast. It strikes in an instant, like falling morning dew.
True to its name, each swing of the axe boasted terrifying speed. Even within a supreme expert's altered perception, the axe rushed in so fiercely that its blurry afterimages made it difficult to react.
His wrists throbbed as if they would shatter at any moment, but Namgung Jun did not stop swinging his sword.
He struck down from the side to deflect the Mountain-Ringing Axe as it tried to tear into Kang Gok’s shoulder, then countered the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s subsequent punch with the Heavenly Thunder Palm Technique.
As Namgung Jun was pushed back, his sleeves fluttered precariously.
Thud!
Namgung Jun’s body shuddered as he blocked the Mountain-Ringing Axe from cleaving his crown. The ground beneath his feet caved in, unable to bear the weight.
Shaking off the impact with the Heaven-Pillar Resolute Advance Movement Art, Namgung Jun’s sword sliced fiercely through the air in a counterattack.
However, the Mountain-Ringing Axe was already unleashing over a dozen afterimages. It was a speed that even the swift sword of the Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique could not easily match.
Thus, Hyeokri Yu’s Dark Waters Twin Dance, with its soft and fluid variations, compensated for Namgung Jun’s slightly lagging sword speed.
While fending off the intertwining attacks of all three masters, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor swung his left fist violently, striking Kang Gok in the flank.
“Cough!”
Kang Gok’s Protective Astral Qi crumpled pitifully under the fist strike.
Suppressing his pain, he swung his axe to disrupt the trajectory of the Abandoned-Ridge Dew-Casting Axe, his lips stained red with blood.
Although it was Kang Gok who had been injured, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor frowned in displeasure.
Though it was a bare-handed strike, it was a blow delivered with enough force to rupture his organs and kill him. Yet Kang Gok had defiantly endured it.
“You endured that? I knew you’d mastered some trivial protective art, but still…”
Though his internal organs were rattled and blood welled up in his throat, Kang Gok did not stop executing the Majestic Shattering Assault Axe. If his attacks stopped, his two comrades would be in even greater danger.
Whoosh!
Kang Gok sprang up from his knees and waist, twisting his body to the side. The Mountain-Ringing Axe grazed past his left ear by a hair’s breadth. Had his reaction been even slightly delayed, a portion of his head would have been blown apart.
He’s incredibly agile for that massive frame.
Despite his mounting injuries, Kang Gok did not back down.
Out of the three Hall Masters, he was the one who had to take the lead and absorb the attacks. His protective art, the Iron Boar Black Sphere Art, increased the density and elasticity of his intentionally bulked-up flesh. On top of that, he had the double layer of the Crushing Hall's Protective Astral Qi.
Among the Hall Masters present, he was the one who could withstand the most punishment.
“Hyaaaah!”
Letting out a wild roar, Kang Gok charged forward once more.
Clang!
As the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor relentlessly pressed his offensive, the Mountain-Ringing Axe was suddenly deflected. His form was abruptly interrupted, and his eyebrows twitched.
Namgung Jun had intervened, disrupting the trajectory of the Mountain-Ringing Axe and dismantling the attack.
Seeing his junior display such innate talent against a Peerless Expert, Kang Gok couldn't help but laugh.
See? For every blow I take, he repays them just like that.
Swish!
Exploiting the opening Namgung Jun created, Hyeokri Yu unleashed the ultimate technique of the Dark Waters Twin Dance.
The Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s body faltered under two massive sword strikes that looked as if they had dragged down crescent moons. The attack didn't pierce his Protective Astral Qi, but it succeeded in causing visible damage. If that spot were targeted again, the barrier would undoubtedly shatter.
And now.
Namgung Jun had already initiated his ultimate technique. He hadn't waited to see the opening Hyeokri Yu created before swinging his sword. Trusting Hyeokri Yu, he had executed it a breath earlier to deny the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor any chance to restore his Protective Astral Qi.
It was a level of coordination that could never be achieved without absolute mutual trust.
Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique.
Flashing Thunder.
Shrouding his entire body in an indigo mist, Namgung Jun threw himself forward. He became a blue flash of light, passing through the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor as if piercing right through him.
The Eternal Righteous Sword precisely penetrated the opening Hyeokri Yu had created. Not stopping there, Namgung Jun unleashed the sword strike's Qi Wave, slamming it deep into the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor's body using a technique of the Internal Heavy Hand Technique.
In effect, he had delivered two attacks with a single sword strike.
Slash!
The Protective Astral Qi, once as solid as a mountain, cracked open. A long spray of blood erupted from the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s torso, from his upper abdomen down to his waist.
However, Namgung Jun did not escape unscathed. Having managed to react to the speed of Flashing Thunder, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor had struck Namgung Jun’s shoulder with a Hand Blade. While it didn’t stop the execution of Flashing Thunder, it was enough to leave Namgung Jun’s left shoulder dangling limply.
Had it not been for the Cloud Mantle Embracing Sorrowful Thunder, his shoulder would have been completely shattered.
“That actually stung!”
Yet, even with the deep gash across his chest, the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor stomped on the ground and raised the Mountain-Ringing Axe high. Despite the far-from-shallow injury, he lunged forward, attempting to cleave Hyeokri Yu in half.
Although Hyeokri Yu hastily pulled back, the axe lightly grazed his shoulder. Even so, a dark red stain rapidly spread across his robes as if he had taken a direct hit.
Namgung Jun didn't ask if he was alright.
Instead of wasting time on questions, he stepped in front of Hyeokri Yu and thrust his Heavy Sword forward. Assisting him, Kang Gok leaped above the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor’s shoulders, aiming for his neck.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Boom!
With everyone wounded and spilling blood, the life-and-death battle between the four martial artists showed no signs of stopping.
This brat. The more I look at him, the more astonishing he is.
The Eternal Righteous Sword was holding its ground against the Mountain-Ringing Axe head-on. Although the sword blade trembled violently, the emperor could feel it gradually pushing back his own weapon.
Though Namgung Jun was adept at utilizing various sword momentums, his Heavy Sword was particularly threatening. Indeed, in the areas where Namgung Jun's Heavy Sword had landed, shattered fragments of Protective Astral Qi now fluttered in the air.
By the time they had exchanged over two hundred blows, the once-lofty summit of Mount Munbong had caved in, its terrain changing by the second. Wildly tangled waves of qi surged in all directions like a tempest, shaking the entire mountainside.
Even while throwing themselves into this self-made natural disaster, the three Hall Masters refused to retreat. With the same resolute eyes they’d had at the start, they fought on, their cloud-embroidered sleeves fluttering.
“Hahaha!”
The Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor burst into a mad laugh at their resolute demeanor.
“How long has it been since I last bled? You’re admirable bastards. For that, I’ll give you a reward!”
An ominous halo of light began to gather on the Mountain-Ringing Axe. A starlight blending green and ash-gray emerged.
“Astral Qi!”
When internal energy, Natural Qi, and intent become one through peerless enlightenment, a new star reflecting the exact color of the Peerless Expert rises in the universe.
This was Astral Qi. Namgung Jun knew what it represented: the starlight shed by that new star, a power that could twist the laws of the universe and manifest desired phenomena.
“It’s coming.”
Kang Gok and Hyeokri Yu immediately realized what the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor was preparing.
Manifested Astral Qi.
A single ultimate technique containing the Astral Qi woven through the power of the Star-Congealing Astral Transformation.
In the Jianghu, it was also known as a Peerless Expert's Signature Technique.
The two Hall Masters moved to protect Namgung Jun, who would be facing a Peerless Expert's Manifested Astral Qi for the first time.
Step.
However, Namgung Jun did not stand by and accept his seniors' protection.
He walked past Hyeokri Yu and Kang Gok, his steps filled with steadfast resolve.
“I will cut it down.”
He leveled the Eternal Righteous Sword, its tip aimed directly at the starlight.