Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Wrapping Up (2)
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Merciless.
Having killed countless people, he felt no hesitation, no mercy, in unleashing a killing blow.
Ha Jin-ak sensed these things from the Crow's broadsword.
He watched as the Crow's blade split the moon and swung toward the crown of his head.
Ha Jin-ak's eyes turned the color of plum blossoms. A sense of fulfillment filled his inner being, vast enough to form an ocean.
The internal energy drawn from Mount Hua's dragon vein coursed through Ha Jin-ak's dantian and flowed like a raging torrent through his meridians.
Soon, a hazy aura rose from Ha Jin-ak's palms, freely embroidering the air.
He intended to block the broadsword before it struck his head, using an aura forged from his Purple Mist True Qi.
The Crow couldn't help but frown upon seeing Ha Jin-ak's aura.
'Incredible.'
Having seen countless masters over a thousand years, the Crow's surprise was all the greater.
Of course, that didn't mean it was overwhelming.
Beneath the Crow's mask, a sneer deepened.
*Caw, cawwww...!*
The cry of a crow echoed as black demonic qi faintly spread from his shoulder blades.
The nauseating stench from the demonic qi made Ha Jin-ak’s expression crack for a moment.
Wondering if this was one of the Eight Evils that Bai Duanxian, Ouyang Jue, and Liu Zhangming had repeatedly warned him about, Ha Jin-ak's grip on his sword turned white.
The demonic qi, now materialized into a wedge shape, shot down toward Ha Jin-ak.
*Clang, Roooar—!*
A tremendous sound erupted as Ha Jin-ak's Purple Mist Aura clashed with the demonic qi.
But strangely, the roar was swallowed into the Crow's chest. The talisman drawn by the Heaven-Bearing Asura was taking effect.
'Is that it?'
Ha Jin-ak's Adam's apple bobbed.
The versatility of this sorcery, unlike anything he had ever seen, felt both mysterious and fearsome.
'I should have been a little friendlier with the Omniscient One.'
As always, regret comes too late.
Ha Jin-ak let out a hollow laugh, recalling the Omniscient One's sullen face. But the teeth he bared grew sharper.
*Fwoosh...*
Ha Jin-ak stirred his Purple Mist True Qi once more and swung his sword. The resonance of his muscles colliding set his body in motion and elevated his spirit.
The martial arts Ha Jin-ak had cultivated until now became a martial soul, flaring into a greater flame to oppose the Crow's demonic qi.
*Fwoosh!*
As the flames grew to more than twice his height, the Crow's expression hardened.
The fire, which he thought would extinguish with a blast of demonic qi, spread like a cloud before repeatedly condensing.
'So this is the Fire Cloud Red Mist Sword.'
He had thought this was just a promising junior warrior that Jeok Sa-goeng had his eye on, but it turned out to be not a wildcat, but a tiger the size of a house.
The Crow drew his broadsword back and struck down again.
Though it looked like a simple downward strike, it was an exquisite blend of demonic qi and his own martial arts.
Failure to block meant certain death.
The broadsword, swinging like a guillotine, had reached a state of absolute finality.
It was the Black Dragon's favorite tactic among the Eight Evils, and also the most suitable method for concealing one's identity.
"...Hoo."
Seeing this, Ha Jin-ak realized the Crow had no intention of revealing his true martial arts.
Thinking about it calmly, it was only natural.
The Crow was one of the Eight Evils, operating in the shadows of the martial world. If his identity were revealed, he would become a public enemy.
It wouldn't be worth it to be exposed while being blocked midway, without even having killed Ouyang Jue and Jeok Sa-goeng.
But it was also an act of disrespect toward Ha Jin-ak.
"Arrogant."
Ha Jin-ak's presence instantly grew heavier, more submerged.
Soon, an aura of a different color coated the sword in his hand.
A violet hue, brighter than the color of plum blossoms. A color that was dazzling to behold, yet the temperature it emanated was even hotter than that of the plum blossom aura.
*Thump.*
The moment Ha Jin-ak kicked off the ground, the Crow moved as well. The violet aura and the demonic qi clashed, a repeating pattern of burning and repelling one another.
It was only natural that the ground they stood on began to melt.
*Rumble, ruuumble...!*
Just before the dissolving ground caused them to tumble down the stairs, the two warriors distanced themselves and faced off.
Seeing the Crow's state, Ha Jin-ak smiled faintly.
"You won't be able to use that sword anymore, will you?"
At his words, the Crow turned his head to look down at his broadsword.
He had brought the broadsword said to be made by Taotie, only for it to be caught in Ha Jin-ak's swordsmanship and half-melted.
The Crow clicked his tongue forcefully and threw the broadsword at Ha Jin-ak.
*Clang!*
As Ha Jin-ak casually parried it, the Crow made a look of disgust.
A fleeting thought crossed his mind that it was a good thing he wore a mask.
'If I'd come bare-faced out of some pointless bravado, I would have been exposed.'
Thinking this, the Crow opened his mouth.
"A pity. It seems your life is about to be cut short today."
"That's not for you to decide."
Ha Jin-ak pointed a finger to the sky, then tapped his own chest.
"That is for me and the heavens to decide."
At those words, the Crow burst into cheerful laughter.
"Ha, hahaha...! What an amusing fellow you are!"
"It won't be so amusing once that mask comes off, will it?"
As Ha Jin-ak revealed his strong hostility, the Crow shrugged.
"If you can."
"...You bastard!"
*Papapat.*
The two warriors clashed atop the stairs, where the stones had been completely shattered.
The violet aura, saturated with heat, and the demonic qi collided, each invading the other's domain.
Every time the fists and sword cloaked in those auras met, a massive shockwave echoed through Mount Hua.
If anyone were to witness this, they would call it a battle of superhumans.
Noticing the moon gradually rising higher, the Crow showed his displeasure.
"You're persistent!"
In that moment, the demonic qi pressing down on Ha Jin-ak instantly condensed into the Crow's fist, forming a ring.
A direct clash would shatter the sword, no matter how protected it was by aura.
Ha Jin-ak hastily created distance and retracted his sword. His muscles ached from suddenly throwing his shoulder back.
But it couldn't be helped.
Unlike the Crow, who seemed to have some skill in fist techniques, he himself only knew swordsmanship.
The demonic ring forged by the Crow narrowly missed the sword and dispersed.
However, Ha Jin-ak could not rejoice.
*Crack!*
A twisted sound was heard as the sword shattered into pieces in an instant, and the demonic qi, thick with a foul stench, shot out like hidden weapons.
The speed was immense, and the area covered by the projectiles was wide.
Ha Jin-ak immediately deployed his protective aura, but he could not escape unscathed.
"...Keuk!"
The hidden weapons pierced his robes, stabbed his organs, and pressed against a corner of his neck.
What was worse, they weren't passing through but lodging themselves inside, aggravating his internal injuries.
It felt like thorns growing from within.
Ha Jin-ak tried to burn away the demonic qi by strongly igniting his fire qi, but that too was not easy.
His body would not be able to withstand such intense heat.
Seeing the crimson blood flowing over Ha Jin-ak's lips, the Crow was confident of his victory.
"This seems to be the end."
"..."
Ha Jin-ak ground his teeth. The pain felt like it was scraping the inside of his head, but he endured it.
It was more bearable than when the explosives had burned him.
Above all, he couldn't let his sect brothers above him be in danger.
If that happened, Ouyang Jue's act of saving him would lose its meaning.
A faint breath escaped Ha Jin-ak's lips.
"Not yet, it's not over yet..."
"To still be conscious after taking my Spirit-Rotting Demonic Ring... truly impressive."
*Squish, squish.*
Stepping on the stairs that had turned to mud, the Crow raised his hand-blade.
"But now, it is the end."
At those words, Ha Jin-ak looked up at the sky one last time.
The moon was already high in the sky.
Just then.
"Stop!"
At the sudden voice, the Crow lifted his head.
There stood Ouyang Jue and Jeok Sa-goeng, his original targets.
"...Oh?"
Seeing them, the Crow reflexively checked inside his robe and let out a sigh.
The talisman drawn by the Heaven-Bearing Asura had failed to withstand Ha Jin-ak's Purple Mist Aura and had turned to ash.
'No wonder the noise when I shattered the sword was particularly loud.'
It was a shame he couldn't execute his perfect plan. Soon, masters from the Mount Hua Sect, including Bai Duanxian, would be rushing this way.
So before that, Ha Jin-ak must die.
The Crow's eyes changed as his hand-blade swung, drawing a line.
The speed was so fierce it left only a sound, and the demonic qi imbued in this attack easily surpassed that of the Spirit-Rotting Demonic Ring.
Just then, Ouyang Jue launched himself forward.
"Did I not tell you to stop!"
"...Hmph."
As Ouyang Jue's form cut through the air and drew near, the Crow twisted his hand-blade sideways as if he had been waiting.
"I knew you'd do this."
"N-No!"
Ha Jin-ak's urgent voice seemed to foreshadow Ouyang Jue's fate.
Even to Jeok Sa-goeng, the power the Crow possessed was beyond conventional limits.
The mere aftershocks of his martial arts shattered the mountain path and altered the flow of the surroundings.
Ouyang Jue frowned at the sight of the Crow. But he did not stop the swing of his Severing Manifestation.
It was not recklessness, but confidence.
The Severing Manifestation held that much power.
"This is the ultimate art of the Mount Tai Sword Gate that you all destroyed, the Light-Treading Thunder-Splitting Sword."
...*Crackle, bzzzzzt!*
The lightning qi, which he had condensed in a corner of his dantian while training in the Path Towards the Extreme of Light, surged through his entire body.
Freer than any other energy, the lightning qi did not stop there, instantly climbing up the blade of the Severing Manifestation and literally frying the surrounding demonic qi.
No matter how much Jeok Sang had lost his mind, the memory remained deep within him.
The memory that to defeat the Eight Evils, a countermeasure against demonic qi was necessary.
Ouyang Jue scattered the unique lightning qi of the Light-Treading Thunder-Splitting Sword and condensed Purple Mist Aura in his left palm.
The technique he unleashed with his left hand was the Heaven-Shaking Thunder Strike.
It was the ultimate art perfected by the former Divine Demon Fist, who was in hiding in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and an absolute in itself.
*Roooar, Booom...!*
The Heaven-Shaking Thunder Strike, condensed into a single point, incinerated the demonic ring, and the Light-Treading Thunder-Splitting Sword swung toward the Crow.
"...My goodness."
Seeing his signature technique neutralized, the Crow let out an involuntary gasp.
But it wasn't as if he had no way to escape.
*Swoooosh!*
Gathering the scattered demonic qi, the Crow immediately shot it toward the trajectory of the Light-Treading Thunder-Splitting Sword.
Of course, the hastily fired demonic qi couldn't block the sword and instantly melted away, and the Crow used that minuscule opening to turn his back.
But the Severing Manifestation did not miss its chance and followed him.
"Jue!"
Thinking he couldn't miss this opportunity, Ha Jin-ak roared.
*Slash!*
The Severing Manifestation sliced deeply into the Crow's back, tearing through his skin. A sudden spray of blood scattered onto the ruined pile of dirt.
Forcibly swallowing a groan, the Crow used his movement arts, and Ouyang Jue shouted.
"Did you think you could get away!"
Just as Ouyang Jue's foot kicked off the air and lightly stepped on a tree branch, Gwak Un-pae appeared behind him.
"Where did he go?"
"That way, Martial Uncle!"
Gwak Un-pae pushed his movement arts to the limit in the direction Ouyang Jue pointed.
As Gwak Un-pae's figure disappeared, Song Muk appeared.
"I apologize for our delay."
"Not at all. The hermitage where I reside was simply closer."
"...How is Jin-ak?"
At those words, Ouyang Jue recalled the demonic ring that had been shot at him.
The vicious energy that made one's blood and qi boil just by touching it had left a strong impression.
"Other than the internal injuries, he seems to be alright."
"That is a relief."
Song Muk sensed the fatigue on Ouyang Jue's face and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Elder Gwak and I will give chase. You should take Jin-ak and head up. The Sect Leader warned us to be wary of a staggered attack."
Indeed, he wasn't wrong.
If another of the Eight Evils or a different master appeared while they were chasing the Crow, it would cause an even bigger problem.
It was better to leave it to the Elders, who were in perfect condition.
Ouyang Jue nodded.
A moment later.
As Ouyang Jue ascended the stairs with Ha Jin-ak, he looked down at his own hand.
It was tingling, but it didn't hurt.
To think he could unleash the Light-Treading Thunder-Splitting Sword in an instant without much strain.
'Have I finally earned the right to face the Eight Evils?'
Seeing Bai Duanxian coming out to meet them, Ouyang Jue smiled faintly.