Chapter 453 : Life-and-Death Struggle with the Masters of the Three Demonic Heavens (1)
Chapter 453: Life-and-Death Struggle with the Masters of the Three Demonic Heavens (1)
Mungyeom looked at Yong Hwarin, the greatest headache of Blood Demon Castle and its top assassination target, and said,
"Though this meeting was unintentional, I’ve long planned to cut off your head and stake it as a warning. I just didn’t expect that day to come so soon."
Yong Hwarin replied with a disinterested tone.
"I'm in a hurry, so let's save the small talk."
"That smug mouth of yours won’t last much longer."
Mungyeom drew his sword and hurled it toward Yong Hwarin.
The blade flew through the air, infused with nascent qi.
Yong Hwarin tensed inwardly at the qi unleashed without even a hint of preparation.
‘As expected, these old monsters who’ve rolled through the jianghu for ages have formidable internal energy.’
Yong Hwarin had no intention of dragging the fight out.
The longer the fight went, the greater the advantage Mungyeom would have due to his superior experience.
Yong Hwarin charged forward, trusting in his Sangmo’s Hard Qi.
Mungyeom smirked as he watched Yong Hwarin rush in recklessly.
‘No matter how exceptional a prodigy he may be, a rookie is still a rookie. Does he think I’ll even blink at such a head-on charge?’
He thought Yong Hwarin was trying to seize the initiative by forcing a direct confrontation.
Otherwise, there was no reason to charge in so foolishly.
Mungyeom flicked his fingers.
The sword that had been flying toward Yong Hwarin curved and came crashing down toward the crown of his head.
At the same time, Mungyeom dashed forward.
His plan was to strike from an angle as Yong Hwarin tilted his head to block the sword and sever his throat.
Mungyeom preferred to kill by slicing or snapping a person’s neck.
Yong Hwarin tossed the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword upward and advanced using martial arts techniques.
Clang!
The White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword knocked Mungyeom’s sword aside, and Mungyeom responded by casting the Dual-Willed Sword.
Yong Hwarin countered with the Dual-Willed Sword as well.
Above Yong Hwarin’s head, two swords clashed midair, each targeting the other's master.
Yong Hwarin unleashed Fighting Dragon Fist with full force to prevent Mungyeom from diverting his attention.
As the powerful fist technique drilled in, Mungyeom had no choice but to confront Yong Hwarin’s fists directly.
As a result, Mungyeom’s Dual-Willed Sword gradually lost strength.
The Dual-Willed Sword was a technique where one drew streams of qi from the Crown Point, held the sword, and used the Laogong Point in the palms to manipulate qi from the Crown Point to control the sword.
Thus, to perform it, both hands had to remain free—but as Mungyeom had to fend off Yong Hwarin’s fists, he could no longer fully control his sword, weakening its effectiveness.
Then Yong Hwarin attacked with his right hand while casting Dual-Willed Sword with his left, and Mungyeom flinched in shock.
Yong Hwarin was using Dual-Mind Inner Art to perform two absolute techniques simultaneously.
Mungyeom tried to retreat, but it was already too late.
The White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword seized the opening created by the faltering Dual-Willed Sword and plunged straight into the top of Mungyeom’s head.
Squelch!
As Mungyeom found himself falling victim to the very method he’d intended to use on Yong Hwarin, he let out a hollow laugh.
"Kuhuhuhuh!"
The deeper the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword pierced into his body, the more violently Mungyeom trembled.
Unaware that Yong Hwarin could manipulate the Dual-Willed Sword so freely, Mungyeom had been caught off-guard by the Dual-Mind Inner Art, Yong Hwarin’s hidden trump card.
Knowing too little about Yong Hwarin had been his fatal mistake.
Yong Hwarin stepped forward and pulled the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword from Mungyeom’s head.
Rip!
Only then did blood gush out of Mungyeom’s crown like a fountain.
He stretched out his hand as if to catch the downpour of his own blood in his palm and slowly collapsed backward.
Yong Hwarin paused to observe the ongoing battle, trying to decide whether to attack Sandok or Sohyeon first.
But it was impossible to choose—both were mercilessly overwhelming the young prodigies.
One false move and heads would fly. His kin were in grave danger.
Namgung Yu, Namgung Soomyung, and Pang Giyok were locked in a fierce battle with Sandok, while Jeong Minji and Mo Biyoung were barely holding back Sohyeon.
Jeong Minji and Mo Biyoung had higher achievements than the others, which was why they had taken on Sohyeon.
Especially Jeong Minji, who wielded the Vermilion Wings and Tail Feathers technique, giving them a slim chance to face Sohyeon.
But that was all.
They were barely holding on—and if time dragged on, they would surely be killed by either Sohyeon or Sandok. The situation was perilously dire.
In truth, the two masters of the Three Demonic Heavens were also visibly irritated.
They had expected an easy slaughter but now seethed at the prodigies who were managing to fend them off.
As Yong Hwarin was deciding which side to aid first, someone suddenly crossed the I River.
He soared off the water’s surface and struck down with his sword at Sohyeon of Valley of Hidden Darkness, who had been fighting Jeong Minji and Mo Biyoung.
Yong Hwarin breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the man.
‘He’s here.’
Myeong Gujeong attacked Sohyeon and shouted,
"Young Master Yong! Leave this side to me!"
Yong Hwarin met his gaze and immediately charged toward Sandok.
The person Yong Hwarin had sent a letter to via Baekseom was Myeong Gujeong at the Wuhak Bookstore.
At this moment, he was the most trustworthy master who could support him.
Yong Hwarin had considered asking for help from Heavenly Sword Hero or Namgung Bi, but felt reassured knowing they remained at the Heavenly Central Sect.
Those absolute masters had to stay there in case anything happened.
That’s why he had called for Myeong Gujeong.
Moreover, as the successor of Gun Cheonbo, it was Myeong Gujeong’s duty to uncover the true enemy behind the scenes.
The moment Myeong Gujeong engaged Sohyeon, Mo Biyoung and Jeong Minji were able to catch their breath.
As soon as he received Yong Hwarin’s letter, Myeong Gujeong dropped everything and rushed to the Yongmun Stone Cave.
Realizing the tide was turning against him, Sohyeon sent a telepathic message to Sandok.
—Brother San, try to exhaust that Yong brat’s qi as much as possible. You’re the one with the highest internal energy among us, right? If you can just drain his qi, I have a secret technique that’ll finish him off!
Sandok nodded upon receiving the message.
If they took down Yong Hwarin, the rest wouldn’t be a problem.
But that one target was no easy prey.
So when Yong Hwarin initiated the Dual-Willed Sword, Sandok moved in for close combat.
Yong Hwarin countered with his fist.
Sandok immediately extended both hands to block the punch and infused his own qi.
Yong Hwarin didn’t hesitate. Since Sandok had turned the battle into a contest of internal energy, he responded in kind by raising his power.
‘So he thinks his internal energy is stronger than mine? Fine, let’s see if your strength can overcome my Tai Chi Dantian!’
Yong Hwarin amplified his qi through his Tai Chi Dantian.
The qi surged forth, surpassing even that of the Four Gaps, and poured into Sandok’s body.
Sandok groaned as he struggled to endure the immense pressure from Yong Hwarin’s Four Gaps-level qi.
‘Impossible…’
Qi was entering through his right hand and flowing out through his left.
Yong Hwarin was using Dual-Mind Inner Art to circulate qi through his Tai Chi Dantian, spinning Sandok’s qi using the dual forces of Yin and Yang.
As Sandok’s own energy blended with Yong Hwarin’s, he found himself in an absurd situation—unable to control his qi even though it was his own.
‘I have to break away from him—!’
Sandok tried to pull his hands away, fearing that if this continued, all his internal energy would be absorbed by Yong Hwarin.
However, his hands wouldn’t separate, as if they had become one with Yong Hwarin’s.
‘What is this? Don’t tell me… my internal energy has merged with his and now I can’t separate from him?’
If that wasn’t the case, there was no other reason why his hands felt rooted and immovable.
“You seem to want to let go.”
Seeing Yong Hwarin speaking mid-contest of internal energy, Sandok fell into despair beyond mere shock.
If he could talk while receiving power equivalent to that of Four Gaps and a half, then it could only mean his internal energy was greater than Sandok’s.
‘The internal energy of Five Gaps…’
When the surprise was too great, one could only be dumbfounded.
‘I’ve spent a lifetime cultivating my strength to reach Four Gaps and a half. Neither Brother Sohyeon nor Brother Mungyeom could match my internal energy. So how can this young brat surpass me?!’
Amid his disbelief, sudden searing pain shot through his elbows, and he looked down.
The sensation of tearing at his elbows wasn’t just a feeling—it was actually happening.
Rrrriiip!
As Yong Hwarin released his hands, Sandok’s arms, unable to withstand it, began ripping from the elbow down.
“No!”
Watching his elbows split apart and the white of his bones revealed was a truly horrifying experience.
Though he had tortured countless others to death, Sandok had never imagined he would suffer such a fate himself. When both elbows were torn off, he nearly fainted.
“Aaaaaargh!”
He screamed, forgetting all dignity as Cult Leader of the Holy Heaven Cult.
Eventually, his qi and blood twisted and ruptured, and Sandok collapsed mid-scream, defeated by his own backlash.
Sohyeon, witnessing how pitifully Sandok had fallen, couldn’t hide his dismay.
Who was Sandok, after all?
He was the Cult Leader of the Holy Heaven Cult, what the orthodox sects called the Demonic Cult.
Who would believe it if they heard he died after his qi channels were twisted in a contest of internal energy with Yong Hwarin?
But it was the reality.
Sandok hadn’t died because he was incompetent, nor had Mungyeom perished because he was lacking.
Only now could Sohyeon accept that Yong Hwarin was so exceptional, they were no match for him.
As Sandok fell, Jeong Minji, Mo Biyoung, and Myeong Gujeong also stepped back for a moment.
They did so to protect Yong Hwarin in case he had suffered any internal injuries during the internal energy contest.
Now that he had finally found a moment to breathe, Sohyeon looked toward the Martial Flower Lord.
The Martial Flower Lord spoke with a nervous expression.
“Just stall for a little while longer.”
Understanding her intent, Sohyeon gave a subtle nod. He deliberately didn’t speak to avoid revealing the tension in his voice.
He feared hearing how much he was trembling.
Sohyeon slowly stepped forward and spoke.
“The title ‘Heavenly Sword Hero Yong Hwarin’ resounds through the jianghu for good reason.”
With admiration, Sohyeon glared at Yong Hwarin.
Sohyeon, the Valley Leader of Valley of Hidden Darkness, was a martial artist who had fully mastered Sound of Spirit-Flowing Energy.
Sound of Spirit-Flowing Energy was a technique similar to one practiced by Myeolhwa, a subordinate of the Second Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
So Yonghwa had also used this martial art to analyze her opponent’s qi and choose a weapon advantageous against them.
When this martial art reached its peak, it was believed to be at least at the level of the Time-Space Realm.
On top of that, his internal energy was strong, which meant he was at least in the Boundary of the Upper World.
The fact that he was able to hold back Myeong Gujeong proved that Sohyeon’s level was indeed beyond the Upper World.
One could not afford to be careless when fighting such a master.
The secret techniques they unleashed always defied expectations. If one let their guard down, even a martial artist of a higher level could be caught off guard.
“I didn’t expect I’d have to use my final secret technique on such a young junior.”
Sohyeon assumed a prepared stance.
Upon hearing those words, a memory from Yong Hwarin’s past life suddenly surfaced in his mind.
‘Wait… during the Great Martial Battle of Moon and Orthodoxy, there was an incident where five elders from various sects of the Murim Alliance were killed in a single day by Sohyeon, causing a huge stir. There were survivors, but the ones who died were absolute masters from Wudang, Shaolin, and Mount Hua. To preserve their honor, it was kept quiet. That’s why the method Sohyeon used to kill them was never revealed to the public. Only key figures in the Alliance knew. I remember there being a lot of rumors about how Sohyeon did it.’
Given that, Sohyeon’s secret technique was surely something that even absolute masters had never anticipated.
It might very well be an attack that even Yong Hwarin himself could not predict.
Right now, the gap in martial arts between the two of them was no more than the thickness of a sheet of paper.
So Yong Hwarin couldn’t afford to let down his guard.
If Sohyeon used the same method that had killed five elders from prestigious sects in his previous life, Yong Hwarin wasn’t sure he could stop it.
After all, those five weren’t people inferior to himself.