Chapter 102
The Association Leader spoke again.
"Your energy also feels quite off. How were you able to so easily subdue the Blood Cult's infiltrators with only the martial arts skills of rank-and-file officers?"
The Association Leader's eyes flashed sharply.
Although Jaseong and Gu Janghu had gotten rid of the Blood Cult's spies, instead of praising their achievements, the leader regarded them with a suspicious gaze.
[... Preparing a fake Association Leader in case of emergency, and such meticulous nature...]
[That's probably how he became the head of the giant Dark Path, the Tianxia Association.]
While Gu Janghu and Jaseong exchanged a secret transmission, the Association Leader pressed Jaseong for an answer.
"Why are you not answering?"
Jaseong paused to deliberate. What kind of lie could he make up this time in order to avoid the leader's suspicion?
'No, I've had enough of this.'
After a moment, Jaseong made a decision.
[Gu Janghu. Let's drop the act now.]
[Huh...?]
Jaseong pulled something from his pocket. It was a small cylinder tinged with red.
Fwoosh—!
When Jaseong pulled the string attached to the bottom of the red cylinder, a signal flare shot into the night sky.
BOOM!
With a deafening sound, a red firework soared into the dark, rapidly spreading a crimson hue across the darkness as it exploded with a thunderous crack.
That light was a signal.
A call for Lee Rin and the North Sea Ice Palace protectors, who were waiting around the Guangwon area in Sichuan Province, as well as the experts of the Hao Sect.
Is this not too sudden? No, this was the ideal moment.
The real Leader of the Tianxia Association, whom everyone had been searching for, had finally appeared.
And if they missed the chance now, who knew when they'd meet again?
So, at this very moment, Jaseong needed to capture him with all his might, not keep up the charade.
[Gu Janghu. It might take at least one or two shijin for reinforcements to arrive. Think you can hold out until then?]
Gu Janghu gave a wry grin.
[That's a question with only one possible answer, right? Of course, I have to hold out.]
Both of them drew their weapons with a smooth swish—.
Seeing this, the Association Leader's eyes twitched.
"What are you doing? Are you both spies as well?!"
The leader growled under his breath, his voice thick with both rage and murderous intent.
He was already annoyed by the chief strategist's betrayal and the Blood Cult's ambush, but now more spies had appeared.
"What are you all standing there for? Capture them!"
The Association Leader's voice rang out like a thunderclap.
Instantly, about a hundred rank-and-file officers all drew their swords and charged.
Three black-grade officers also rushed toward Jaseong and Gu Janghu.
It felt as if a massive wave was crashing down upon them. In front of it, Gu Janghu quickly sent a secret transmission.
[Branch chief. I'll go first.]
Gu Janghu drew out all the hidden throwing weapons from within his clothing.
Then—
"Thousand-Handed Soul-Shattering Dart!"
Gu Janghu spun rapidly, flinging throwing weapons in all directions.
Each of those projectiles was charged with the full force of Gu Janghu's ten-star internal power.
"What the hell...!"
The rank-and-file officers quickly raised their swords to defend themselves.
Yet Gu Janghu's projectiles curved sharply as if they were alive, piercing right through their defenses.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
In one fell swoop, over a dozen rank-and-file officers coughed up blood and collapsed.
They were simply outmatched to withstand the ultimate move of the Killing Valley.
Watching this, Jaseong gripped the sword hilt tightly.
'There's a gap, easy to break through now.'
Jaseong activated the Samadhi Eyes. Energy gaps emanating from the officers became visible.
Immediately, he slipped through one such gap in their energy. Unleashing the Heaven Evading Phantom Step—swish! swish!—he created a dozen afterimages.
"W-what is that?!"
The lead officer reflexively swung his sword. But he only sliced through illusions.
Confusion filled the enemies' eyes. In that instant, the real Jaseong was at the heart of the enemy formation, readying his finishing blow.
'Heaven Evading Flash Sword—Eight Move: Silent Shock Thunder'
Jaseong's Sword Ki sliced through the air, triggering a brilliant flash.
Then: BAMMMM!!!!!—an ear-splitting explosion rang out, like thunder following lightning.
"Wha—?!"
"Guh?!"
At the sudden blast, dozens of nearby officers instinctively grabbed their ears.
The Silent Shock Thunder, the eight-move of the Heaven Evading Flash Sword, created soundwaves with Sword Ki that numb a target's auditory nerves.
All struck by it temporarily lost their hearing and sense of balance, with those weaker in internal power even coughing up blood.
As proof, dozens of officers stood frozen with pain from the piercing in their ears.
Jaseong didn't miss the chance, unleashing a barrage like a thunderstorm.
'Heaven Evading Flash Sword—Third Move: Hundred Descending Calamities'
A rapid, repeated slash as if lightning struck a hundred times.
Against it, the officers fell like autumn leaves with a loud thud! thud! Blood quickly stained Jaseong's path.
At times when Jaseong and Gu Janghu's stamina waned, they would swallow a Azure Spirit Pill, regaining their strength. Thanks to this, they managed to fight well despite overwhelming odds.
But unfortunately, their resistance wouldn't last forever.
"Stop, you brat!"
The three black-grade officers leapt up, breaking through Jaseong's sword techniques.
Their martial arts varied—one swung a massive great blade, creating a force of blade energy; another wielded twin swords in a dazzling storm of thrusts; the last swung a huge iron mace at Jaseong's head.
"Hmph!"
Jaseong used the Shadowless Body Technique to leap into the air.
From above, he parried all three officers' attacks with a flick and clash! of his sword.
"?!"
The three black-grade officers widened their eyes at how easily their coordinated strike was deflected.
But for those who knew Jaseong, this was expected.
Wasn't he the one who, in the battle for the Seven-Star Cloud Blade, had defeated the orthodox dragon of the Zhongnan Sect, Yun-hyeon and Yun-hak, all by himself?
So, it was Jaseong who, single-handedly, drove back the three black-grade officers.
Clangclangclangclangclang!
Under his onslaught, the three black-grade officers suffered increasing wounds all over.
Even when they barely blocked his blows, their robes and skin were sliced by the wind of his sword.
Moreover, with the Samadhi Eyes activated, Jaseong repeatedly pierced their openings. The officers simply lost their rhythm.
Watching this, the Tianxia Association Leader finally moved.
"Black Heaven Annihilation Spear!"
The leader's weapon was a massive spear, its tip swirling with fierce true ki.
Fwoosh! Boom!!
With a ripping sound, the giant spear wreathed in true ki shot toward Jaseong.
Startled by the ferocity of the attack, Jaseong hurriedly pulled his sword back from pressing the black-grade officers.
He then used the Heaven Evading Flash Sword's defensive technique, the Heaven Evading Counterstroke, to block the strike.
KAAANG!!!!
A harsh metallic sound rang through the entire forest.
For the first time since the battle started, Jaseong's body was hurled backward with a sliding sound.
'His power is immense... Thank goodness I have the Samadhi Eyes activated. Otherwise, my body would have been skewered.'
Just as the headquarters' intel warned, the Association Leader's martial arts were on par with an Evil Path Association Elder.
But to the leader, Jaseong's reaction was even more surprising.
"To be fighting three black-grade officers and still notice and block even my surprise attack... sharp senses for a brat."
The leader's surprise was warranted. The sneak attack just now would have been hard for even a late-stage peak expert to sense.
"I don't know whose spy you are, but how about it."
"?"
"Why not join our Tianxia Association? If you accept, I promise you power and riches beyond imagination."
With the Tianxia Association's wealth, he could enjoy glory and luxury for a lifetime. But Jaseong only smirked, a mocking laugh on his lips.
"Why would a tiger crawl under a dog?"
"What...?"
"If you hand over the Association Leader's position, maybe I'll consider joining the Tianxia Association."
"...!"
Fury burned in the leader's eyes.
In contrast, Jaseong lowered his gaze, cold and contemplative.
'Should I use the Celestial Gate Opening Art here?'
It was a thought, considering the Association Leader Gun Hanmaek's internal power was no joke.
But the downside to the Celestial Gate Opening Art was its short duration.
Using it would burn through his internal energy like snow melting in sunlight.
And with at least another shijin to go before reinforcements arrived, what if he took down the leader but was left suffering from the art's aftereffects?
He could be overwhelmed by the remaining dozens of Tianxia Association officers.
'I already used up both Azure Spirit Pills with Gu Janghu... For now, I should save the Celestial Gate Opening Art. I'll have to rely on the Samadhi Eyes and my own martial arts.'
With this resolve, Jaseong gripped his sword hilt once more.
Still, he had another secret weapon up his sleeve.
Sss—
Next, Jaseong adopted a bizarre stance. He crouched low, sword held horizontally—like a beast poised to pounce.
'What kind of martial art is that?'
Both the Association Leader and the three black-grade officers eyed Jaseong's unusual stance warily.
In the next instant—
Swish!!
Jaseong's movement burst forward toward the leader.
Even without the Celestial Gate Opening Art, his speed was overwhelming for a peak expert.
Yet the Association Leader didn't panic and brought his spear up to defend.
"Hmph! That charge is far too straightforward!"
But right as the leader shouted,
Shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu!!
An astonishing sight unfolded.
Though Jaseong wielded only one sword, thrusts were launched simultaneously from twelve directions ahead.
It was as if twelve swordsmen struck at the same time—a supersonic thrusting technique.
This was the ultimate Heaven Evading Flash Sword move, the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword, learned directly from the executor of Heaven's Mandate, the Sword Demon.
'What is this...?!'
Panic flooded the leader's eyes.
The Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword was a secret art that simply could not be dodged once caught.
No matter where one tried to evade among the twelve directions, a sword tip would already be waiting there—unless one was far superior in level, there was no way to defend.
"Association Leader!"
A black-grade officer, panicked, jumped in front of the leader.
Taking Jaseong's ultimate move in his stead—splurt!—blood fountained from his chest.
"Urgh!"
The black-grade officer spat blood and collapsed.
Jaseong frowned. He may have taken care of a troublesome foe, but his target was the leader.
Keep repeating one ultimate move, and the enemy will learn to counter it.
He needed to end this quickly before they figured out a workaround.
Sss—
Jaseong once again crouched low, preparing the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword stance.
Charging at the leader, he unleashed twelve blades of Sword Aura at him.
Splat!
"Urgh!"
Once again, Jaseong's sword drew blood.
But it still wasn't the leader's blood.
Another black-grade officer blocked Jaseong's ultimate move with his own body.
While Jaseong's blade was still in motion after unleashing the technique, the leader stabbed forward with his spear.
"Furious Hero Piercing Strike!"
In that moment, Jaseong's shoulder burst open—splurt!
Blood gushed out.
After wielding the Shadow Annihilation Sword, there was always a brief opening, and the leader had thrust his spear deftly into it.
'... Even with the Samadhi Eyes, I couldn't dodge that counter.'
Jaseong grimaced. But things soon took a turn for the worse.
SWISH!
Having landed a counterattack, the leader charged at Jaseong.
Sticking to him and pouring out technique after technique, he prevented Jaseong from assuming the Shadow Annihilation Sword stance.
Clangclangclangclangclang!!!
Gun Hanmaek, who had weathered every hardship to become the leader of the Tianxia Association, needed only two tries to figure out the counter to the Shadow Annihilation Sword.
He saw that if he stuck close and pressed relentlessly, Jaseong couldn't even attempt the technique.
"I'll take care of this brat! You take down that assassin!"
The leader shouted to his last remaining black-grade officer.
Meanwhile, Gu Janghu was fighting a bloody battle, surrounded by dozens of rank-and-file officers.
With a black-grade officer joining the fray, his situation became even more desperate.
Clang! CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG!
High-pitched clashes of steel rang out from all directions.
Amid the chaos, Gu Janghu's anxious secret transmission came through.
[Branch chief! I'm reaching my limit! At this rate...!]
Hearing it, Jaseong clenched his teeth.
'... There's no other way. I have to use the Celestial Gate Opening Art.'
Once activated, the secret art lasted no more than a moment.
Afterward, he would be left utterly drained—but given the circumstances, there was no alternative.
'It's been about half a shijin of fighting since setting off the signal flare. Lee Rin and the Northern Sea guardians are hidden at the Guangwon entrance, so it'll take at least another half shijin for them to arrive. So... I'll open my gates and subdue the leader in one go. That's the only way...!'
Muttering silently to himself, Jaseong began to open his inner gates one by one.
But just as he was about to activate the Celestial Gate Opening Art—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Suddenly, fireworks erupted all around. At the same time, Jaseong's and Gu Janghu's eyes twitched.
'... Could it be...'