This is the Old Murim Formation (3)
Daeyeon Geomdan switched their offense to an all-out assault. Led by Captain Namgung Pil, it was a single-point breakthrough. If they couldn't block this, all their plans up to now would go up in smoke.
Daeyeon Geomdan's intent was easy to read. 'Simple. And straightforward.' Their target was me alone. Just the pressure they exuded made my skin prickle.
I didn't even have time to think before I shouted.
"Monk Grandpa and Daegalbak Uncles 30 through 40, forward!"
The optimal force on our side to counter sword auras. The fallback of having Monk Grandpa block it alone was an option, but I couldn't do that. Because over there. One of the monsters we'd trapped was rampaging.
'As long as Elder Namgung Cheon is there, I can't gamble.'
One kaksu... 'That's just plain cheating.'
I shot Elder Namgung Cheon a look that said I was done for. One kaksu was impossible. Half a kaksu? 'No way.' A quarter? 'Maybe, by the skin of my teeth!'
That must be the time I had left. So I needed to thin out the enemy numbers with this one move.
That's when I spotted Big Brother Namgung Jung in my line of sight. He was smiling. 'That confident? Or does he trust these guys?' His eyes seemed to say as much to me. Smiling in the middle of this warzone. I wanted to stand next to him and just watch comfortably too.
"Bald Grandpa! How many moves can you hold out for?"
Mujikja answered immediately. "Two's my limit. Anything more, and I'd die before I could!"
"What if you're willing to die?"
"You little shit!"
I'm not that heartless. 'Two's the max, then...!' I nodded. That would be enough.
"Deploy the First Nahajin!"
At that moment, Daegalbak Uncles 1 through 18 scattered from around the vice captain. The vice captain and Daeyeon Geomdan members floundered, suddenly deprived of their target.
Seeing that, Captain Namgung Pil bellowed. "What are you doing? Now! Attack the youngest young master!"
'Tch!' That's why I hate smart guys. The vice captain's side quickly regrouped and charged.
Still, I'd bought the time I needed. "The 5 Daegalbak Uncles who took hits excluded, the remaining 13—all of you, hit the rear! Fail, and prepare for a Daegalbak!"
The 13 Daegalbak felt a phantom sting on the backs of their heads as they unleashed everything they had.
Gu Ryong Pak Jinmu soared into the air. Flanking him were those who had once been dragons of the martial world.
The aura pouring from Daeyeon Geomdan felt like their whole bodies had been brined in salt. Their mouths were parched, sweat long since dried up from exhaustion. It was agonizing, torturous. They wanted to bolt out right then and chug water.
But Pak Jinmu was grinning. All the other Daegalbak wore the same expression. Because they were overflowing with emotion.
'Give it your all, or prepare for a Daegalbak?' The funniest thing in the world. They'd lived dreaming only of this day. The day they'd get to smack a Namgung Daegalbak good!
Pak Jinmu drew up every ounce of his inner energy. 'Shatter it.' The wall that had blocked him from past to present. The great name of Namgung!
'Falling Moon Sword Method Secret Technique: Moonlight.' A moonblade plummeted from the sky. One after another, the Daegalbak's lifetime-honed secret arts rained down like arrows.
'Secret Technique: Nine Phantom Kill.' Nine darts painted the heavens.
'Secret Technique: Thousand Hands.' Nearly a thousand palm shadows filled the air.
'Secret Technique: Pluck Leaf Flying Flower.' Flower-petal hidden weapons rained from all directions.
'Secret Technique: Light-Splitting Sword.' Thrusts like beams of light unfolded.
'Secret Technique: Demon-Subduing Sword Method.' Hollow energy that slays demons.
'Secret Technique: Seventy-Two Wave Sword Method.' Seventy-two relentless forms echoing Cheongseong's indomitable spirit, unstoppable once unleashed.
'Secret Technique: Sun-Shooting Sword Method.' Jeomcheong's fastest blade...
Unfolded.
Namgung Pil felt every hair on his body stand on end. 'No, those are!' Attacks from behind he couldn't ignore.
Namgung Pil hesitated for a split second. 'Pull back to the vice captain and block the rear?' If they withdrew, no worries about the rear. But pulling back now might mean no second chance to target the youngest young master.
Namgung Pil decided. 'Break through.' Ignore the rear attacks. Breakthrough first! The vice captain and others would grab the kid in the meantime.
"Keep going like this. Don't look back!"
At that command, the members who'd been glancing rearward steadied themselves. This clash was spear versus spear. Fail to pierce, and you're pierced!
The crowd's unrest grew. Most who'd sensed Namgung Daeso's defeat murmured in shock. Daeyeon Geomdan's assault was impossible to block. Abandoning defense entirely to throw everyone into attack—if this worked, Daeyeon Geomdan would suffer fatal losses.
The problem was whether they could hold off the monster Namgung Cheon until the strategy succeeded.
The leadership watched the arena with pity. 'This is the end.''Two years since the year-end evaluation. Showing this much growth is a miracle. But surpassing this limit is impossible.'
Eleven Daeyeon Geomdan members, led by the vice captain, poured their attacks on Namgung Daeso. 'A shame. Two more years, and he might've handled that assault.' The situation would've flipped completely. 'It's over.'
Kwakakakakakang!
Ilseon Dosa wore a frustrated look. "Damn! Turning at the last second!"
The front barrier was breached. But the enemy had overextended too. Namgung Pil escaped Nahajin, but couldn't immediately strike Namgung Daeso.
Ilseon Dosa swiftly gathered the Daegalbak unhit by that last blow and blocked Namgung Pil and Daeyeon Geomdan's path. For a fleeting moment, he glanced at Namgung Daeso. 'Can he hold that?'
The eleven attackers were all peak experts. The vice captain among them was super peak. No matter who looked, it was disadvantageous. No, nonsensical. Namgung Daeso had only properly started martial arts two years ago. Everyone watching would predict his defeat.
'Kekeke.' Ilseon Dosa would've thought the same without prior knowledge.
I took my first step. The first attack grazed my side. The sword hadn't even touched me, but it stung like a cut. Wait, was it cut? No time to check as I stepped into the next.
Second and third attacks stabbed at my thighs in succession. Tadak. I kicked off the ground in place and leaped. Thuk! Thuk! The swords that missed their mark gouged the earth. I used them as footholds to leap higher.
Three swords targeted my upper body. In midair, I twisted my body grotesquely to evade. Sguk. One grazed me. Charak. Blood splattered the floor. 'Damn! A graze?'
I clutched the wound. No time to visually confirm. Fortunately shallow. I quickly sealed the acupoint, then checked front and back. Three from the front, one from behind—attacking simultaneously. 'Can't dodge them all.'
I drew my sword. Evaded the two from front. Deflected the remaining one. 'Cough!' My energy faltered. Blood trickled from my mouth. Internal injury. But I'd precisely deflected it.
The deflected sword now headed for the rear attacker. I swiftly pulled out from between them. They panicked, desperately withdrawing blades aimed at each other. In the process, they clutched their chests—internal injuries too?
"Haa, haa, haa."
As I panted roughly, I locked eyes on the last one remaining. His face was full of shock. "Insane. Even for direct lineage, dodging all that. But that's the end."
The vice captain's foot blurred, and he appeared right before me. Overwhelming speed! He brought his sword down. Simple, but equally fast and powerful. I moved to dodge swiftly.
And in that instant. My legs buckled, body swaying. Seeing the youngest young master stumble, the vice captain was certain. 'Won. He must've overdone it earlier.'
Namgung Jung thought it was over. The kid had done better than expected. This performance alone would completely change evaluations of him. 'Strange.' But a corner of his mind remained uneasy. Probably because of the kid's eyes—still not dead. 'But why?' His skill wasn't enough to dodge a super peak's strike. 'Ah, arrogance.' That overconfidence every warrior experiences once. Thinking you're special, different. Most martial artists pay with their lives. In that sense, the kid was lucky. He had backup—no dying from this arrogance. Having a rear guard was irreplaceable fortune for a martial artist.
Namgung Jung turned fully away from the arena. No point watching more.
Then. Cheers erupted from the stands.
"Woooah!"
"No way!"
"He's crazy!"
Even the renowned elders, who'd watched silently till now, chimed in. "Insane..." "Is that really a human like me..." "What was I doing at that age?"
Namgung Jung sensed something off. 'What? What happened?' Even Namgung's leadership added their voices. "That movement..." "Impressive." "Remarkable."
Namgung Jung whipped around. "Haa, haa, haa, haa."
Namgung Jung's eyes widened impossibly. Namgung Daeso stood on the arena floor. Not unscathed—one arm soaked in blood from the vice captain's sword. His legs trembled, barely holding him up. Kang! He stabbed his sword into the ground to steady himself.
"H-how?"
Namgung Jung shifted to the vice captain. He stared at his own sword in equal shock. Whatever happened, Namgung Jung yelled instantly. "What are you doing? Attack!"
Realizing his mistake, the vice captain sheathed his blade and charged Namgung Daeso. 'No idea how he survived that strike, but now it's truly over.'
Namgung Daeso stared at the ground, gasping, even as the attack came. Then.
"Amitabha. You held up well."
An old man appeared between Namgung Daeso and the vice captain. He thrust out his only arm. 'No, that's!'
The vice captain poured all his energy into his sword against the incoming fist. Jjangkang!
Ilseon Dosa's fist snapped the vice captain's sword. It didn't stop, driving straight into his torso. The vice captain spewed blood and flew out of bounds.
Silence blanketed the Central Sparring Arena for a moment. Then an annoying voice pierced it.
"Ah, damn! Took you long enough. Nearly died there."
"Amitabha. Saved your ass and that's your thanks? How many more smacks to fix that attitude?"
"Hey~ Be nicer with your words. That's why you got kicked out."
"Amitabha..."
Then. Kwakwakwakwakwang!
Mujikja hurtled through the air. His robes were in tatters. "Can't do more."
Namgung Daeso looked where Mujikja had been. Finally, Elder Namgung Cheon had broken free of the formation.
Sigh... Cross one river, and a massive mountain looms ahead.