Chapter 161
Chapter 161
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: Life-and-Death Declaration
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To welcome the Black Dao forces, three secret strategies had been prepared.
All of them fulfilled their roles perfectly, successfully slashing the enemy's numbers by a huge margin.
But.
In truth, viewed objectively, the gap in overall strength was still heavily tilted against them.
It had no choice but to be that way.
From the start, the enemy had held a three- or fourfold superiority in both quantity and quality.
It's said that defense holds three times the advantage over offense.
They had maximized that edge, and as a result, morale was surging sky-high, letting them fight on even terms in the current situation.
'In the end, the martial world... only pure power grants victory.'
Pure power. Martial force alone.
Thus, the final card Baek Yang-hui played had to be martial force.
'Otherwise, they wouldn't earn the recognition of the world.'
What was the reason for facing the Black Dao scum head-on with their current forces, despite knowing the disadvantage?
The greatest was to prove the Baek Clan's qualifications.
To proclaim to the entire world that they possessed the strength to call themselves a Great Clan, even without aid from the Namgung Clan or Tang Clan.
'In that sense... a victory won through stratagems is bound to lose its shine.'
Overcoming numerical inferiority with formations, linked arrays, and the power of sound assassins to claim victory?
It would prove they possessed brilliant tactics.
The world would praise the Baek Clan's strategies as rivaling the Zhuge family's.
However.
They still wouldn't grant the Baek Clan the title of Great Clan.
To become a Great Clan that contended for supremacy in the world, above all else, they had to prove their power.
"Let's go! Today, the main house claims the title of Great Clan!"
The finale had to be pure martial might.
They had to crush the main house's enemies with the main house's own martial prowess.
"Wooooaaah!"
Adu charged forward like a bear that had conquered an entire mountain.
The brilliant blaze of fiery light erupting from his entire body repelled the Black Dao fighters' approach, carving open a broad path worthy of the name.
Of course, the Black Dao scum tried to close it again.
"Young master! Advance!"
"Brother! Leave the rear to us!"
Yeo Un-hyeok and Chui-dal, the master-disciple pair who had held back like Adu, whipped out twenty strands of heavenly silken threads.
Hidden Shadow Silk Binding. Circulating Stream Leaf Binding.
Like a single gust of wind enfolding leaves, the twenty threads whipped up a storm that barred all approaches.
And so, the path Adu had forged was guarded by the two warriors of Divine Throw Earth Pulse.
Still, it wasn't enough.
"Now it's my turn! All Reformed Evils, follow me!"
Gu-ak, who had fought harder than anyone at the vanguard.
Now called the leader of the One-Day One-Hero Reformed Evils, he unleashed axe energy with his twin axes.
"Begone, you Black Dao bastards!"
To block a wave, a dike is needed.
Those who had once been Black Dao but were purified white by the Baek Clan's will now stood to block the Black Dao.
Thus, a dike formed along the path Adu carved and Divine Throw Earth Pulse maintained.
"Go, little brother!"
At the absolute foremost of the foremost vanguard.
A needle-like formation piercing straight toward the enemy's leadership.
No one would be surprised if someone died there at any moment.
But Baek Yang-hui didn't hesitate.
He raced along the path without looking back.
-Kiyaaaa!
Gripping only a single sword that wailed with intent!
'I trust them!'
Everything they'd built since defying time was the current Baek Clan.
He trusted without doubt.
He simply ran and ran, eyes fixed on the Hyeongsan Yinblood ahead.
"Adu!"
"Yeah! Woooaaah! Hundred Paces Divine Fist!"
He leaped onto Adu's shoulder.
Together with the fist wind sweeping away the Black Dao ahead.
And so he arrived.
Right before the Hyeongsan Yinblood.
Baek Yang-hui smirked and elegantly raised his sword.
"Baek Clan's eldest young master, Baek Yang-hui! The Soaring Sword Dragon challenges Hyeongsan Sect Leader Hyeongsan Yinblood to a life-and-death duel!"
A lion's roar that thundered across the battlefield.
For a brief moment, everyone forgot to swing their swords and blades.
In other words, everyone present recognized the life-and-death challenge.
'No backing out now, you bastard.'
"Laugh. The enemy's leader made a stupid call. Victory is right in front of you."
"......"
Instead of words, Hyeongsan Yinblood glared with bloodshot eyes.
"Baek Yang-hui... you bastard...! How dare you, how dare you!"
"Refuse if you want. Here I am, the enemy's leader right in front of you. Just order your underlings to kill me, and it's your win."
A chilling grind echoed from Hyeongsan Yinblood's jaw.
Baek Yang-hui laughed once more at the sight.
"Too embarrassing to do it, right?"
Black Dao fighters have no pride.
They swarm like dogs against even a lone powerhouse. That's the Black Dao way.
But.
Even Black Dao have one thing they must never lose.
Their face.
In other words, their qualification as leader.
A sixteen-year-old brat challenging a geezer who'd eaten his fill of years to a one-on-one life-and-death duel.
Common sense dictated it was practically suicide alongside his entire clan.
'But refuse and gang up with your underlings?'
Then he'd have to step down as Hyeongsan Sect Leader.
In the Black Dao, a leader who can't prove dominance is just tasty prey.
"Won't refuse? Then let's fight!"
Irrational, but that's the martial world.
The realm of those who live by a single blade.
Wars or whatever, it all boils down to proving one's martial might in the end—a forest of slaughtering swords.
"A guy who barely survived by igniting your latent power dares pull this crap?"
The battle resumed.
Amid those swinging blades infused with their wills.
Baek Yang-hui and Hyeongsan Yinblood exchanged words.
"Yeah. I dared. So fight me. Call your underlings if it gets bad."
He'd pierced like a needle led by Adu to reach Hyeongsan Yinblood at the center of the Black Dao formation.
In other words, the formation's balance now favored Baek Yang-hui.
Thus, Hyeongsan Yinblood had to prove himself.
"Fine. Brat, I'll show you there's always a heaven above heaven."
'Even if I ignite my latent power... I have to crush him in one go.'
"Doubt you can. To me, there's only one heaven."
Baek Yang-hui's form stretched long.
Ghostly Heaven Step, invented a decade ago and now at its pinnacle.
Stacking swiftness and speed with each step, he swung his sword.
Kagagagang!
"Not a chance!"
Even clashing steel against flesh produced a metallic ring.
The hands of Hyeongsan Yinblood, a water arts master, held the power to crush iron on their own.
"I don't know how you recovered your perfect core energy so soon, but today is your funeral!"
Hyeongsan Yinblood's hand slithered in following profound principles.
A sinister Black Dao technique, but the insight within couldn't be dismissed.
But.
'Insight? Please. You're just a Peak Realm scrub.'
-Kiyaaaa!
"Hey, old man. Let this kid ask something. Of the three insights, have you grasped even one?"
"Shut up!"
Kagagang!
"I knew it when I asked. You haven't, have you?"
Hyeongsan Yinblood's temples bulged.
The bastard was pissed.
'It's weird. By his past life, he should've grasped one or two by now.'
During their previous clash, he'd only matched him after igniting latent power.
The guy was undoubtedly top-tier Peak Realm in strength.
But it fell short.
The Hyeongsan Yinblood of his past life wasn't this level.
That meant in the remaining five years, he'd gain insights at an absurd pace.
'Doesn't matter. Not now.'
"Looks like this senior needs to teach you a lesson."
"I said shut up!"
As if rebelling against Hyeongsan Yinblood's shout, Baek Yang-hui's sword began to wail.
-Kiyaaaa!
-Kiyaaaa!
As if it had a will of its own.
'Vital Intent Qi.'
What is Vital Intent Qi?
Simply put, it's this.
You know those scenes in popular tales about the martial world?
The protagonist eats a spirit pill, passes out, and his energy moves on its own to refine his body.
'In other words, making energy move by itself.'
By itself—let's think about motion.
All moving things require one essential element.
Will.
A human whose mind shatters and loses will becomes an idiot, unable to live.
Conversely, to move—whether human or energy—one must possess will.
Vital Intent Qi.
Energy that lives and moves, bearing will.
'The first condition for energy to hold will... is spirituality.'
Here, spirituality means.
Thought and mind-image.
-Kiyaaaaa!
Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, fourth stance: White Feather Crushes the Ding Star.
Divine variation initial: Heavenly Wing Crushes the Peak.
A single slash bearing down with momentum to cleave from sky to earth.
A divine variation infused even with Sword Immortal insight.
Hyeongsan Yinblood's face twisted.
Even for him, who had trained martial arts for over sixty years, Heavenly Wing Crushes the Peak held an unbearable force.
"Kaaaaah!"
He'd aimed to cleave from crown to groin, but the guy dodged—even rotten fish has its strength.
'Well, this is plenty.'
Staring at the arm flopping on the ground, he curled his lip.
"A water arts guy loses an arm? I'll wait—go pick it up and stick it back on."
"You bastard! Youuuu!"
Hyeongsan Yinblood spat fury.
"How! How could a brat like you!"
Just months ago, this kid hadn't been his match.
He'd overwhelmed him briefly, but the kid had ignited his latent power.
Yet in a single exchange.
One clash, and his arm was severed.
An uncatchable gap had opened.
"Impossible! This can't be!"
No matter sword energy in the strike, piercing decades-tempered flesh wrapped in protective energy was impossible.
Unless the energy gained life and form.
"Vital Intent Qi isn't something you grasp in months!"
"It is, for the world's greatest martial prodigy."
Shall we keep playing?
"G-Get lost!"
As Baek Yang-hui lunged again, terror flickered across Hyeongsan Yinblood's face.
He flailed his remaining arm wildly, and his guards piled in with a joint assault.
"Knew it. Seol-ha!"
-Yes, senior brother!
A telepathic message from afar. At the same time, musical notes rang out.
Diring! Diriring!
Celestial tones unfit for a battlefield strewn with blood and flesh.
"Kaaaaah!"
"Kuh!"
The melody harmed the Black Dao scum and even struck Baek Yang-hui.
In that instant, the sword in his hand began wailing madly.
-Kiyaaaaa!
Diring! Diring!
The hawk's cry harmonized with the beautiful melody.
The notes merged with the cry and blasted toward the enemy.
Linked formation: Jade Sound Births Eagle Cry!
'It's your senior brothers' linked formation, you bastards!'
One of Seong-cheol's abilities: amplification.
Sound meets sound and resonates.
Resonance is amplification—a colossal force unbelievable for two Peak experts' link swept the front.
"Kaaaaah!"
"Kaaak!"
As blood and flesh chunks filled the air.
He stepped Ghostly Heaven Step once more.
Suddenly, Baek Yang-hui stood before the fleeing Hyeongsan Yinblood.
"S-Spare...!"
"It's over, bastard."
The white hawk swung its wings.
Every firmly rooted feather bore the sharpness of a sword.
Sgeung-!
A thin line traced across Hyeongsan Yinblood's throat.