Chapter 107
A narrow canyon surrounded by sheer cliffs.
The sky appeared as nothing more than a narrow strip, and even the moonlight could barely penetrate.
It was, in every sense, a natural prison from which it was difficult to escape once entered.
Into this place, three rising stars of the unorthodox sects leaped. Kang Ryong was the first to enter.
"You said you wanted a one-on-one duel, but how far are you planning to just keep running?!"
Kang Ryong's roar reverberated powerfully along the cliffs. His face was filled with anger.
Sweat poured from his massive frame like rain.
He had expended quite a bit of his internal energy while chasing after Jaseong.
No matter how excellent the Twin Dragon Clan's secret body movement, Dragon Soaring Heaven Step, was, it could not compare to Shadowless Divine Thief's Shadowless Body Technique.
Thus, not only Kang Ryong, but Heuk Muguk and Dokgo Yeon were also gasping for breath.
"As expected of a Dark Path bastard! You're a master at running away!"
Kang Ryong yelled again in frustration.
At that moment—
Chuk—
Jaseong, who had been running through the narrow canyon, suddenly came to a halt.
"This should be far enough," he said, glancing around.
Only then did Kang Ryong's lips curl into an excited grin.
"Kuh kuh kuh! The rat has finally stopped running! So you finally feel like fighting?!"
Kang Ryong clashed his metal gloves together with a resounding pang! pang! and shouted.
But at that moment, Heuk Muguk stepped in front of him.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Kang Ryong. Didn't we agree that I'd go first?"
"Hmph! Why should I listen to the likes of you, you perverted bastard! Go suck at your mother's breast and come back!"
"... It seems I'll have to cut you down first, Kang Ryong. Save myself the trouble of digging two graves."
Heuk Muguk and Kang Ryong's harmony remained as poor as ever.
Watching them radiate murderous intent at each other, Jaseong inwardly smirked.
'What ridiculous fools. Well, if the two of them fight and weaken each other, that only works to my advantage.'
Regrettably, such a thing did not occur. Instead, Dokgo Yeon stepped forward once more.
"Are we going to annihilate each other fighting amongst ourselves? And why are we so insistent on one-on-one fights when there's no one watching us here?"
"What?"
"If the three of us join forces and cripple the Association Leader, we can just seize the Tianxia Association afterward."
Dokgo Yeon said, fixing her eyes on Jaseong. At her words, the squabbling Heuk Muguk and Kang Ryong turned their attention to Jaseong.
'She steps up again.'
Whether they attacked one-on-one or together, Jaseong didn't care. He had already made thorough preparations.
[Gu Janghu. Lee Rin. Come out.]
Jaseong sent a sound transmission. At that moment—
Tak! Tak! Tak! Chuk! Chuk!
From between the rocks in the narrow canyon, Jaseong's allies appeared.
Gu Janghu—wearing a black-horned mask, and Lee Rin—with a white-horned mask.
The moment they appeared, the faces of Heuk Muguk, Kang Ryong, and Dokgo Yeon hardened.
"Who are those bastards?"
Kang Ryong asked, frowning.
"... It was a trap,"
Dokgo Yeon's eyes narrowed.
As she had said, this was indeed Jaseong's scheme.
First, impersonate the Association Leader of the Tianxia Association to break the alliance of Poison Valley, Black Star Sect, and Twin Dragon Clan.
Second, use the Shadowless Body Technique to lure only Dokgo Yeon, Heuk Muguk, and Kang Ryong away.
Third, once they were isolated, finish them off as swiftly as possible—with Lee Rin and Gu Janghu.
Jaseong had made full use of the local geography information obtained from the Tianxia Association's executives.
Because the number of enemies was greater, he had chosen this narrow canyon that favored a small but elite group.
The entrance to the canyon was being blocked by the North Sea Ice Palace's guardians.
So even if the experts of Poison Valley, Black Star Sect, and Twin Dragon Clan followed, they wouldn't be able to break through easily.
Furthermore, the Hao Sect's Ansun branch's warriors were planned to provide support with bows.
In other words, a perfect grave had been prepared to deal with the successors of the three unorthodox sects.
"Third Young Master of Twin Dragon Clan. I'll be your opponent," said Gu Janghu with the black-horn mask, sliding out his twin swords and approaching Kang Ryong.
As he did so, he recalled his crushing defeat at Kang Ryong's hands during the Dark Path Duel Banquet, and sharpened his blade for revenge.
"Then I'll take this side,"
Lee Rin, in the white-horn mask, stood in front of Dokgo Yeon. A cold chill rose from her blade.
That left only Heuk Muguk, head disciple of Black Star Sect and heir to the Sword Demon's legacy. Naturally, Jaseong became his opponent.
"So the true prey is mine after all,"
Heuk Muguk said, flicking his tongue as he drew his sword.
Its blade glimmered blood-red.
It was the Demon Blood Sword, rumored to have drunk the blood of over a thousand experts and passed down in the Black Star Sect for generations.
Seeing this, Jaseong also drew his weapon—the sword left as the last gift by his elder brother and sister-in-law.
Then he asked, "I heard they call you the heir to the Sword Demon."
"That's right. Heh heh. I am none other than 'Heavenly Swift Sword Ghost' Heuk Muguk,"
Heuk Muguk announced proudly.
But Jaseong's expression remained unimpressed.
"I was expecting a bit more, but it seems it was all just empty talk."
"What...?"
"The Sword Demon I saw wasn't a loudmouth like you."
Jaseong coldly retorted as he activated the Samadhi Eyes.
Suaa—
The world began to slow.
At the same time, the black sword intent that Heuk Muguk exuded became visible.
True to his reputation as heir to the Sword Demon, his intent enveloped more than ten paces around him.
Among all whom Jaseong had faced so far, Heuk Muguk ranked among the higher-rank fighters.
But Jaseong remained unfazed and took a stance.
"After today, you'll never again bear the Sword Demon's name."
* * *
Thus began the battle between Jaseong's group and the next rulers of the unorthodox sects.
The narrow canyon brimmed with suffocating tension as three pairs clashed.
"My opponent is the Association Leader! Who allowed some nobody like you to butt in?!"
Kang Ryong's furious expression radiated murderous intent.
Tuduk! Tuduk!
His swelling muscles began to take on a grayish hue.
Black veins rose beneath his skin, and a tremendous energy burst forth from his body.
It was the effect of the Infinite Black Emperor Fist, passed down only among the Twin Dragon Clan's bloodline.
Feeling that wild energy, Gu Janghu took a deep breath.
Facing Kang Ryong, memories of the Dark Path Duel Banquet kept surfacing.
At that time, even with half a dozen attacking together, they could not handle even a single Kang Ryong.
'... All I could do then was evade. I couldn't even dream of counterattacking... But can I really defeat that monster this time?'
The memory of defeat ached like an old scar. An intensity stronger than ever wrapped around him.
But Gu Janghu gripped the hilt of his swords tightly, shaking off the memory.
'... I am different from who I was back then.'
Gu Janghu summoned internal power from his dantian. Hot inner ki rose up his spine.
Unfortunately, that energy could not match Kang Ryong's ferocious aura.
But his sharp fighting spirit surpassed even Kang Ryong's.
"... Peak?"
Kang Ryong's eyes twitched.
As a supreme expert himself, he instantly recognized that Gu Janghu was also at the peak.
"There's another supreme expert in Tianxia Association besides the Association Leader?"
It was only natural for Kang Ryong to be surprised.
Supreme experts were not common in the martial world.
And to think such a one existed in the very heart of the Dark Path!
"......"
Gu Janghu didn't bother answering.
Instead, he focused his true ki into his legs and bent his waist like a bow.
Then—
Tung! Shuaaak!
Gu Janghu's movement shot forward like an arrow from a bow.
It was the Bow Spirit Spring-Shadow technique he had learned in Killing Valley.
Blending it with Shadowless Divine Thief's Shadowless Body Technique, his speed became truly tremendous.
"?!"
At Gu Janghu's astonishing speed, Kang Ryong quickly crossed his arms in a defensive stance.
Kang Ryong's metal gloves and Gu Janghu's twin swords collided, erupting in sparks.
Now, it was Kang Ryong's turn.
He unleashed the Imperial Thunder, the ultimate move of the Infinite Black Emperor Fist.
Shushushushushuk!!!!
A barrage of punches filled with monstrous power.
But Gu Janghu deftly dodged the blows—swish, swash, flowing like water.
Then, he countered with twin sword techniques from Killing Valley, exchanging attacks with Kang Ryong.
Kakakang! Chaechaechaechaechaechaeng!!!
The relentless clashing of Gu Janghu's twin swords and Kang Ryong's metal gloves.
Harsh metallic sounds scattered sparks in all directions.
'It's different from before...! Now I have a chance against Kang Ryong!'
Every exchange teetered on the edge of life and death, yet Gu Janghu found himself gradually forgetting his initial tension, lost in exhilaration.
He was matching blows with Kang Ryong's Infinite Black Emperor Fist, something he hadn't dared contemplate before.
In truth, Jaseong's excessively rapid growth only made Gu Janghu seem average; in reality, Gu Janghu was a monster in his own right.
Especially after meeting Jaseong, his martial talent had exploded.
Thanks to the elixir Meridian-Clearing Powder that Jaseong had created with Heaven Evading Alchemy, his body's blocked meridians had opened.
This greatly improved his mastery of Killing Valley's martial arts.
He received guidance from North Sea Ice Palace's guardians, attained enlightenment, and surpassed the peak realm.
As a result, he outpaced the growth of even the next rulers of the unorthodox sects—like now.
'Thousand-Handed Soul-Shattering Dart!'
In the heat of the battle, Gu Janghu executed a backward aerial flip and hurled a slew of dark weapons.
It was the Hidden Weapon Art of Killing Valley perfected only after reaching the peak, the Thousand-Handed Soul-Shattering Dart.
Dozens of dark weapons, charged with enhanced energy, flew directly for Kang Ryong's blind spots and vital points.
Syuak! Shuak! Syuak! Shuak! Shuak! Shuak! Shuak! Shuak! Shuak!
Naturally, Kang Ryong's eyes widened.
To face such a supreme hidden weapon technique at point-blank range—how many in the martial world could block this?
"Infinite Black Emperor Fist ultimate move, Imperial Thunder!"
Kang Ryong immediately unleashed the ultimate move of Infinite Black Emperor Fist, famously shown once during the Dark Path Duel Banquet.
Chwarurururuk!!!
Kang Ryong began spinning as he unleashed a storm of punches in all directions.
That monstrous rotation explosively amplified his power, deflecting each of Gu Janghu's hidden weapons.
Chaechaechaechaeng!!
"Hmph! You dare show off cheap tricks in front of me?!"
At this point, it looked as though Kang Ryong had completely repelled Gu Janghu's Thousand-Handed Soul-Shattering Dart.
But when Kang Ryong's rotation stopped as the Imperial Thunder finished—
Chuaaak!!
Suddenly, blood spurted from Kang Ryong's side.
Without Kang Ryong realizing it, Gu Janghu had already circled around to his flank using the silent footwork unique to assassins.
"Khk?!"
A shocked groan escaped Kang Ryong's lips.
He had never dreamed that another killing strike could await right after a supreme hidden weapon technique.
"You and your shallow tricks!!"
Ignoring the wound in his side, the enraged Kang Ryong charged at Gu Janghu with all his might, throwing punch after punch.
Gu Janghu met him head-on, brandishing both blades.
Kakakakakakakang!!!!!
Two supreme experts fighting on even ground.
Since Kang Ryong had been slashed at his side, Gu Janghu had the advantage.
But one could not be certain Gu Janghu would win.
As befitted a renowned madman of the unorthodox sects, Kang Ryong only became more frenzied at the sight of his own blood.
His power grew fiercer by the moment, and his blows tore at Gu Janghu's robe.
Just then, while the two were locked in heated exchange—
"Need some help?"
A voice came from beside Kang Ryong and Gu Janghu.
When they hurriedly turned, there stood Jaseong, holding a blood-dripping sword.