Chapter 182: The Emperor's Heavenly Thunder (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 182: The Emperor's Heavenly Thunder (1)
A group of Daoists carrying swords approached Namgung Jun.
Richly embroidered on the sleeves of their black Daoist robes were red plum blossoms. They were disciples of the Mount Hua Sect, one of the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects.
Among them was a face Namgung Jun recognized.
"Young Hero Namgung?"
"Daoist Yeong-il."
He was genuinely happy to see Yeong-il, with whom he had crossed swords at the Mount Song Gathering.
His skills have improved significantly. He must have gained some enlightenment after the gathering.
Yeong-il appeared to have trained relentlessly, as he was now on the verge of reaching the realm of Three Flowers Gather at the Crown. Since Namgung Jun had found him to be a rather likable person, he was truly pleased by Yeong-il's progress.
"Ah. These are my sect's martial uncles."
At Yeong-il's introduction, one of the first-generation disciples of the Mount Hua Sect, who had been observing Namgung Jun from behind, stepped forward.
"I am Sun-hyeon, a first-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect."
"I am Namgung Jun, the Azure Firmament Hall Master of the Azure Heaven Association."
"I have heard great things about the Azure Firmament Hall Master's recent exploits. Not just myself, but all the disciples of our sect have been inspired by your deeds."
Sun-hyeon, looking at Namgung Jun with clear eyes, glanced at their surroundings. The charred, blackened village seemed to weigh heavily on his mind.
"We are pursuing the Wandering Hero. Is Hall Master Namgung here for the same reason?"
"I have already slain him."
Namgung Jun led the Mount Hua Sect disciples over to the Wandering Hero's corpse. Seeing the man's severed head rolling in a pool of blood, Sun-hyeon let out a soft gasp.
"Ah. It seems Hall Master Namgung has done our work for us."
"Whatever else one might say about the Wandering Hero, his martial arts lived up to his reputation. Yet, it seems he stood no chance against the Azure Star Sword."
"Hmph! A bastard who ran wild without a shred of honor or responsibility has finally met his end."
As the Mount Hua Sect disciples expressed their gratitude one by one, Namgung Jun returned the gesture. "I heard the Mount Hua Sect is in a dire situation holding off the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult, and that is why the Wandering Hero and his subordinates were able to run rampant in southern Shaanxi Province."
"What would be the point of stopping the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult if we ignored the suffering of the common people? It is true that the war is going poorly, but we could not simply leave the Wandering Hero to his devices. That is why we came."
Sun-hyeon clicked his tongue as he looked around.
"We came as fast as we could, but it seems we were already too late. I shudder to think what would have happened if Hall Master Namgung had not been here…"
Namgung Jun looked at Sun-hyeon and the other Mount Hua disciples.
At least the Mount Hua Sect is fulfilling its duty as a member of the Righteous Faction.
They were also the only ones among the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects who had actively tried to cooperate with the Three Sects and One Gang. Unlike the others he had encountered, the Mount Hua Sect did not abandon its responsibilities. He couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for them, seeing how they squeezed out every last bit of strength to protect the common people, despite their own unfavorable situation.
It was obvious at a glance that they were people who did not turn away from the responsibilities their swords carried.
After a moment of deliberation, Namgung Jun asked Sun-hyeon, "How is the war in the north?"
"Hmm. The situation is not easy. The succession struggle within the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult is reaching its climax, and everyone is scrambling to accumulate achievements. Shaanxi Province is one of their targets."
He’d heard the Jongnam Sect, their allies, had suffered heavy losses and sealed their gates. If so, the Mount Hua Sect was now holding off the advance of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult all on its own. They were managing for now, but there was no telling when they might collapse.
My mission in Shaanxi Province is over, but…
As a Hall Master, he had the authority to act independently.
"May I offer my assistance?"
"If Hall Master Namgung lends us his strength, it will be an incredible relief."
At the unexpected offer, not only Sun-hyeon and Yeong-il but all the Mount Hua Sect disciples beamed with bright smiles.
"Will you head straight to the battlefield in northern Shaanxi?"
"First, we must prioritize preventing the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult from committing such atrocities elsewhere."
Namgung Jun shook his head and explained his plan. Sun-hyeon immediately nodded in agreement. After discussing the matter at length, Namgung Jun and Sun-hyeon parted ways, heading in different directions.
* * *
Crash!
"Kugh!"
"Get out of the way!"
A massive wave of sword energy, glowing with an exceptionally deep azure light, swept forward in a straight line. The demonic practitioners were swept away helplessly, unable to resist the straightforward attack.
Not only was the incoming sword energy incredibly fast, but even when they managed to react and counter, the attack didn't dissipate. Instead, their own weapons shattered.
It was unleashed from such a great distance that they couldn't even identify their attacker. With no way to pinpoint their opponent, the sword energy blowing in from all directions brought immense terror and pressure upon the demonic practitioners.
Even as it ground down and crushed every demonic practitioner it touched, the sword energy followed a trajectory that miraculously minimized damage to the surroundings.
"Is that most of them?"
Walking toward the village, Namgung Jun swung his sword again, unleashing more waves of sword energy to slay the remaining stragglers.
"Are you alright?"
"Ah… I-I am fine, sir."
Namgung Jun helped a fallen villager to his feet and surveyed the area. The village was in ruins from the demonic practitioners' raid, but fortunately, he had arrived in time to keep the casualties to a minimum.
He checked on the commoners and provided basic first aid for their wounds. His medical knowledge was shallow, but what he had learned during his days as a Second Cloud was still proving useful.
"Ah! You are a chivalrous hero of the Azure Heaven Association!"
"We're saved!"
"Thank you so much for helping us… My father almost…"
The commoners, who had initially been wary of the sword-carrying stranger, finally relaxed upon seeing his bamboo hat and the cloud embroidery on his sleeves.
Noting that the young children were gathered in one place, Namgung Jun asked, "Did the demonic practitioners say anything while they were gathering the children?"
"Something about presenting them to the Bright Mirror Master who would arrive soon? I think that's what I heard. They kept shouting it while ransacking the village, so I remember it clearly."
"Bright Mirror Master…"
Namgung Jun nodded and smiled.
"Evacuate to the southwest. That direction will be safe."
"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much."
Only after confirming that the villagers had gathered their things and were quickly leaving did Namgung Jun move on.
He had decided to assist the Mount Hua Sect by focusing on evacuating the unprotected commoners to safety. While confronting the forces of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult was important, he believed that reducing casualties among the scattered villagers was the priority. He had drawn his sword to protect, and he needed to be clear about his priorities.
The Mount Hua Sect had readily agreed, handing him a map marked with villages and providing him with the fastest routes and evacuation paths. Thanks to their help, Namgung Jun was able to efficiently assist the evacuations, even on his own.
Whoosh!
With every step he took, the wave of Qi flowing from his body transformed endlessly. At times, it flashed as potent Thunder Qi; at others, it flowed gently like sky-blue silk. Sometimes, it would alternate between the two, lingering in a state somewhere in between.
Even while traveling from village to village to save people, Namgung Jun was simultaneously focused on composing a new heart method.
He had been standing in the center of a village with his eyes closed for about an hour when a voice rang out.
"You! Who are you?!"
A middle-aged man landed in front of him.
Namgung Jun stared intently at the man's face, then nodded.
"A face from our association's wanted posters… I see. Are you the Tenth Mirror Master?"
"You know who I am, yet you remain so relaxed?"
The Tenth Mirror Master's eyes narrowed as he scanned Namgung Jun from head to toe. Only then did he notice the four cloud embroideries on his sleeves.
"A Fourth Cloud of the Azure Heaven Association?"
The Tenth Mirror Master's face gradually stiffened. A Fourth Cloud in indigo martial robes, and at such a young age.
It would be stranger if he couldn't deduce Namgung Jun's identity.
"The Azure Star Sword!"
"You've suffered internal injuries. Since you're fighting the Mount Hua Sect, did you intend to use the Star-Absorbing Great Art on young boys and girls to recover quickly?"
Instead of replying, the Tenth Mirror Master immediately retreated.
"Damn it!"
He fled at once, pushing his lightness skill to its absolute limit.
Even at my peak, I would stand no chance against him. One would need to be at least the Third Mirror Master to even trade blows with the Azure Star Sword.
For someone like him, who ranked near the bottom among the Bright Mirror Masters, facing Namgung Jun alone was suicide.
Whoosh!
The Tenth Mirror Master's greatest specialty was his lightness skill. He was confident he could shake off even a supreme expert one or two levels above him. He ran for his life without looking back, the scenery blurring past as wind whipped fiercely against his face.
"In the past, I might have lost you."
The Tenth Mirror Master's eyes widened.
A wave of Qi, like a spreading mist, appeared right beside him. Through the azure mist, an even deeper indigo haze flowed.
"But now, I have learned a rather decent lightness skill myself."
Having caught up to the Tenth Mirror Master in an instant, Namgung Jun thrust his sword straight to the side—a strike from the Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique aimed to take his head in a single blow.
Swoosh!
Terrified by the indigo mist tearing through the air, the Tenth Mirror Master twisted his body in a panic. Despite his incredible speed, he evaded the strike with a practiced ease. Seeing this, Namgung Jun realized the Tenth Mirror Master was a specialist in Lightness Movement Art.
However, it didn't matter.
The speed and movements of a supreme expert at the peak of Three Flowers Gather at the Crown were no longer an obstacle for Namgung Jun. After all, he now had his sights set on the realm of Five Qis Converging at the Origin.
Unleashing the Thousand-Li Lake Journey, Namgung Jun closed the small distance between them once more.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
They exchanged over a dozen blows in an instant. The Tenth Mirror Master did his best, but all he managed was to get the Protective Astral Qi over his shoulders cracked wide open. If he had been a moment slower, his right arm would have been severed.
"This is insane."
As the Tenth Mirror Master's lips trembled, he hardened his resolve to escape—
But Namgung Jun had no intention of dragging out the fight.
Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique.
Thunder Squall.
Rumble!
Dozens of lightning bolts instantly blocked off any path of escape. The indigo mist, surging wildly like a storm, scattered in all directions and struck down relentlessly.
The Tenth Mirror Master somehow managed to parry the first seven strikes, but after that, he could no longer react.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
His Protective Astral Qi gradually crumbled.
With a scream, sprays of blood erupted from all over his body.
"Kugh!"
With three puncture wounds in his thighs and ankles, the Tenth Mirror Master's legs trembled violently, but the Eternal Righteous Sword did not wait.
Swoosh!
Following the sword's curved path, the Tenth Mirror Master's head flew into the air.
"Hmm."
Though he had decapitated his foe without a lengthy exchange, Namgung Jun's expression was grim.
Was it stimulated?
During the exchange, he had parried the Tenth Mirror Master's Palm Force, and the Yin Cold Qi that had seeped inside caused his Nine Yin Severed Meridian to squirm. He had anticipated this, as his condition had become far more sensitive, but experiencing it firsthand was still quite bothersome.
The situation is far more precarious than I thought.
Feeling the urgent need for Qi Circulation, Namgung Jun immediately sought a secluded spot to meditate.
* * *
The Second Young Master of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult crumpled the paper in his hand.
"The Tenth Mirror Master was found dead?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Was he taken down by the Mount Hua Sect?"
"No, my lord."
The reporting subordinate pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from his robes.
"These are tracings of the sword wounds found on the Tenth Mirror Master's body. They resemble the Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique of the Azure Star Sword."
"The Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique?"
Taking the paper, the Second Young Master's eyes narrowed.
"He was in Shanxi Province until recently, so it wouldn't be strange for him to appear in Shaanxi Province. Is he supporting the Mount Hua Sect?"
"We have confirmed that the Azure Firmament Hall has already scattered throughout the Jianghu. If it is indeed the Azure Firmament Hall Master, he is likely acting alone or with a few Mount Hua Sect disciples."
Listening to the report, the Second Young Master shifted his gaze.
"What do you think we should do?"
Besides the Second Young Master, two others were listening: the Fifth Mirror Master and the Eighth Mirror Master, who were assisting him.
"If the Tenth Mirror Master was indeed killed by the Azure Star Sword, we must take action. If we let Namgung Jun return unharmed, the other successors will use this against us."
"The problem is that Namgung Jun's martial arts are truly formidable. He even has the experience of slaying the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor, albeit with help."
"But is the Second Young Master not already looking toward the Five Qis Converging at the Origin? You cannot be far behind Namgung Jun."
The Fifth Mirror Master flashed a murderous smile. "If the Second Young Master permits, I will also lend a hand."
The Eighth Mirror Master, who had been listening quietly, also agreed. "If the two of you launch a joint attack, you will easily be able to capture Namgung Jun."
"Hmm. It is a pity the Tenth Mirror Master died so pointlessly."
Calculating the odds in his head once more, the Second Young Master nodded.
"Our progress has been sluggish because the Mount Hua Sect's defense is quite solid. This seems like a decent opportunity. Eighth Mirror Master, continue to engage the Mount Hua Sect. Of course, you must ensure they do not notice the absence of myself and the Fifth Mirror Master."
"Do not worry. I will make sure the Mount Hua Sect cannot interfere."
Staring at the two Bright Mirror Masters, the Second Young Master fell into deep thought for a long moment before speaking.
"They say Namgung Jun possesses an outstanding sense of chivalry. Let us prepare a fine battlefield for him."