Kang Sogun

Jungrang's sword poured out sword light like a meteor shower. The Heavenly Star Sixty-Four Forms flowed gracefully like flowing stars, embroidering the sky.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"Kuh!"

The saber forces that had been sweeping over Jungrang's body were repelled at once, and the Dark Heaven Brigade members hastily retreated.

Holes were pierced in the arms and shoulders of the Dark Heaven Brigade members as if a meteor had passed through.

Jungrang stood like a stone statue, holding his sword. He savored the essence he had just grasped, which seemed to be within reach and yet not.

"You had a move. You're quite something!"

Heukgwi gestured with his head as if his subordinates' injuries were no big deal.

Then, this time, four men ran out.

"Hoo!"

Jungrang let out a regretful sigh. He had gained an insight, but he had no time to engrave it.

To think that death would approach the moment he entered the true path of martial arts.

A martial artist's insight is something that one cannot know when or at what moment it will come. It was regrettable because he could not guarantee that he would be able to obtain it again.

This time, Jungrang's sword became disordered before even ten exchanges had passed.

It wasn't just because the number of Dark Heaven Brigade members had increased to four. Even though it was the same Heavenly Star Sixty-Four Forms, it was more strenuous than when he had unfolded it while enveloped in insight.

Jungrang tried hard to recall what he had just realized, but he could not ignore the flashing sabers in front of him.

Thwack!

In the end, the saber of an Dark Heaven Brigade member grazed Jungrang's side.

'Ah!'

Jungrang lamented inwardly as he felt his energy scattering.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Jungrang swung his sword in all directions and pushed back the Dark Heaven Brigade members.

The Dark Heaven Brigade members, noticing that Jungrang had already lost his composure, pressed on with leisure.

The four circled Jungrang's front, back, left, and right like they were toying with an injured prey.

Just then, a low voice was heard.

"The sky is empty, but where do the stars come from and where do they disappear? Is emptiness really empty? Is disappearance really disappearance?"

Kang Sogun muttered as if to himself.

The low mumble, which was barely audible, echoed in Jungrang's mind like thunder.

"!"

In an instant, a stream of clear energy rose from Jungrang's dantian and ascended through his Du Mai.

Jungrang's mind became clear.

The surrounding objects came into view at a glance.

The sabers flying towards him, the demonic faces of the Dark Heaven Brigade members, Yeon Hwasim and Kang Sogun watching him, and even Heukgwi.

Strangely, he could see everything.

It was as if the objects were frozen.

Smirk.

Jungrang smiled without realizing it.

A hot heat swirled in his chest.

The moment the clear energy that had risen through his Du Mai reached his Baihui, it felt as if he had heard a pop.

At the same time, it felt as if a large hole had been pierced in the top of his head.

The clear energy pierced through his Baihui and soared into the sky, and an unknown cold energy poured in through his Baihui.

At the same time, the major acupoints all over his body heated up as if they were on fire.

The cold energy that poured down from the sky and the hot energy that had been heated up from the major acupoints all over his body met and swirled.

Jungrang slowly shook his sword.

Boom!

With an explosion that sounded as if a thunderbolt had struck, the Dark Heaven Brigade members, who had been like a pack of hyenas toying with their prey, were sent tumbling.

Everything had happened in an instant.

Yeon Hwasim also could not close her mouth.

Jungrang's martial arts were beyond her imagination.

'Was the Heavenly Star Sixty-Four Forms this kind of martial art?'

She had learned the Heavenly Star Sixty-Four Forms instead of the Heaven Returning Twelve Sabers, which had been passed down in the Yeon family for generations.

It was because the Heaven Returning Twelve Sabers, which required physical strength, was not suitable for a woman to master.

However, she had not known that the Heavenly Star Sixty-Four Forms was such a powerful sword art.

Even after shaking off the Dark Heaven Brigade members, Jungrang closed his eyes and did not move.

He was savoring the essence he had just obtained.

To Heukgwi, that appearance seemed arrogant.

"Strike!"

Heukgwi shouted, waving his hand as if in a frenzy.

The remaining Dark Heaven Brigade members shot up.

It was as if a pack of wolves were charging.

Jungrang jumped towards the group.

It was difficult to control the yin and cold energy that was rushing in from the sky through the top of his head. At the same time, his blood vessels heated up even more.

He could not endure without releasing the two swirling energies.

A light like a meteor splitting the night sky poured out from the sword of Jungrang, who had entrusted his body to the energy.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Dark Heaven Brigade members deflected the illusion of meteors pouring towards them and poured out their sinister saber forces towards Jungrang.

A few Dark Heaven Brigade members immediately aimed for Yeon Hwasim.

No one charged towards Kang Sogun.

"That bastard has internal injuries and is on the verge of death. We just need to subdue the two from the Three Blade Sect."

Heukgwi had informed his subordinates of the information he had received, and his subordinates had faithfully followed.

Even without those words, they did not feel the need to attack Kang Sogun, who had a pale complexion and seemed about to fall from his horse at any moment.

A chaotic battle ensued.

Yeon Hwasim was quickly pushed into a defensive position.

She was busy avoiding the flying sabers.

If the Dark Heaven Brigade members had not received the order to capture her alive, she would have already been dead.

Jungrang, who had gained an insight, swung his sword in a state of self-forgetfulness. In the process, he did not even realize Yeon Hwasim's danger.

Clang!

Yeon Hwasim's treasured sword clashed with a ruthless saber and broke.

The moment an Dark Heaven Brigade member reached out to press Yeon Hwasim's major acupoint, a tremendous wave of energy rushed in from somewhere.

The Dark Heaven Brigade member quickly withdrew his hand and pulled back.

Swish!

A saber, filled with extreme energy, grazed the Dark Heaven Brigade member and flew, embedding itself in the ground.

The trembling saber was a rare treasured saber.

"Stop!"

A group of cavalry galloped like the wind.

The man in the lead was the Three Blade Sect Master, Yeon Seongyeol.

"Father!"

Yeon Hwasim was startled to see Yeon Seongyeol and ran over.

Yeon Seongyeol got off his horse and met Yeon Hwasim.

"Heuk!"

As soon as Yeon Hwasim was in her father's arms, tears burst out without her realizing it.

She was Yeon Hwasim, who had grown up as a treasured jewel. After experiencing a life-threatening crisis and humiliation for the first time in her life, tears naturally burst out when she saw her father.

"Don't worry. Father is here."

Yeon Seongyeol patted his daughter's back.

Yeon Hwasim, who had come to her senses, quickly wiped her tears and looked at the people who had gathered.

The familiar warriors were the elites of the Three Blade Sect, the Fire Heaven Brigade.

"Are you the Heavenly Martial Faction's Dark Heaven Brigade?"

Yeon Seongyeol stepped forward and asked Heukgwi. Yeon Seongyeol had looked into the Heavenly Martial Faction quite a bit. He already knew of the Heavenly Martial Faction's despicable method of having the Dark Heaven Brigade infiltrate first and commit a massacre, followed by the Heaven's Mandate Brigade sweeping through.

"It is an honor that the renowned Three Blade Sect Master Yeon recognizes our brigade."

Heukgwi answered sarcastically.

Although they were slightly outnumbered because a few were injured, he was confident that he could wipe them all out.

Jungrang had fought surprisingly well, but the Dark Heaven Brigade warriors were warriors who had been worn out in real battles.

"The Dark Heaven Brigade leaves nothing behind! Wipe them out!"

Heukgwi leaped from his horse's back and shot up into the sky.

Heukgwi, who had leaped thirty feet high, flew like a wild goose descending on a riverbank.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A meteor hammer flew from Heukgwi's hand.

At its end was Yeon Seongyeol.

"Alright! Come on!"

Yeon Seongyeol drew the saber that was embedded in the ground and struck Heukgwi's meteor hammer.

Boom!

An explosion erupted.

Heukgwi's meteor hammer was repelled by the fierce saber wave.

Heukgwi's eyes widened.

'As expected of the Three Blade Sect Master.'

He had tried to capture the Three Blade Sect Master in one go and raise his morale, but he had failed.

Heukgwi wrapped the opposite meteor hammer, spun it, and aimed for Yeon Seongyeol's head.

"Strike!"

The Dark Heaven Brigade and the Fire Heaven Brigade clashed.

Saber light flashed, and fragments of energy split the air.

On the peaceful autumn main road, a massacre of life and death unfolded in an instant.

'How can this be!'

Even while fighting Yeon Seongyeol, Heukgwi did not lose sight of the surrounding situation.

The Three Blade Sect's elite Fire Heaven Brigade was strong. The Dark Heaven Brigade, the killing demons of the Heavenly Martial Faction, was being pushed back.

'This can't be. Are these guys the Blood Saber Brigade?'

Heukgwi, who had always believed that the only military force that could face the Dark Heaven Brigade was the Blood Saber Brigade of the Dragon Slaying Society, one of the Four Great Powers, could not believe it.

For the Dark Heaven Brigade to be pushed back like this by the military force of the Three Blade Sect, which was nothing more than a small faction.

"Where are you looking!"

Yeon Seongyeol roared and then struck down twelve sabers in a row.

A fierce saber qi poured down on Heukgwi like a shower of rain.

Heukgwi fiercely spun his meteor hammer to block the saber qi, but it was not enough.

Thwack! Thwack!

The saber qi hit Heukgwi's chest repeatedly.

"Huh?"

Yeon Seongyeol hesitated for a moment. He had clearly been hit by the saber qi, but Heukgwi was fine.

A black treasured armor was visible through Heukgwi's clothes.

"Keuk."

Heukgwi swallowed the blood that gushed up, wiped the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, and let out a strange laugh.

"Hehehe. Sect Master Yeon. The Heaven Returning Twelve Sabers are indeed amazing. But it seems your energy is running low. Aren't you getting old?"

Heukgwi began to spin his meteor hammer, calming his turbulent internal energy.

"Amazing. I didn't know the martial prowess of a mere brigade leader would be this much."

Yeon Seongyeol smiled bitterly.

"Hehehe. I am only the Amcheon First Team Leader. In our faction, there are plenty of bastards more demonic than me."

Heukgwi stopped talking and threw his meteor hammer.

One shot towards Yeon Seongyeol's face, and the other spun around and attacked from the rear.

"Not a chance."

Yeon Seongyeol struck down the incoming meteor hammer with his saber filled with internal energy, then rolled on the ground and thrust at Heukgwi's lower abdomen.

"You're caught!"

Heukgwi wrapped the meteor hammer that had been repelled by the saber and struck down.

It was a technique as fast as lightning.

The move where one meteor hammer attacked from behind and the other struck down from the air was Heukgwi's proud Heaven and Earth Annihilation.

"...?"

At the moment of crisis, Yeon Seongyeol's body moved to the side as if pushed. The movement was as natural as a reed being pushed by the wind.

Then, Yeon Seongyeol fiercely shook his saber from side to side.

A fierce saber qi rushed at Heukgwi's entire body.

"Kuh!"

Blood burst from various places on Heukgwi's lower body.

Although Heukgwi occupied the first seat of the notorious Dark Heaven Brigade, it was revealed that he was somewhat inferior to the master of a sect.

As Heukgwi gritted his teeth, a cloud of dust came into view in the distance.

Heukgwi's eyes flashed.

"Kehehe. The Heaven's Mandate Brigade is coming. Today, the Three Blade Sect will be erased from the martial world."

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The approaching men and horses were indeed the Heaven's Mandate Brigade.

The Fire Heaven Brigade, which had gained the upper hand, was flustered, and the Dark Heaven Brigade, which had been on the defensive, regained its spirit.

"Hold on a little longer! Reinforcements are coming!"

Heukgwi shouted.

"Form the Heaven Returning Chain Formation!"

Yeon Seongyeol, seeing that the approaching enemy group was large, shouted to the Fire Heaven Brigade.

The Fire Heaven Brigade gathered. Three men became a team, and each team formed a circle again.

***

Wu Wonsong met his subordinates who had run through the land route after leaving Yuncheng Port.

He was enraged to hear the report that his subordinates who had been chasing Jang Mugang's party seemed to have been defeated.

"I will kill those bastards with my own hands."

He was Wu Wonsong, who had come running, gritting his teeth.

Seeing the Fire Heaven Brigade forming a formation, he looked back and shouted.

"Form a two-line formation and charge straight ahead. Follow me!"

Wu Wonsong took the lead and drew his crescent moon saber.

The way he held the reins with one hand and held the crescent moon saber forward with the other while running was like a military general.

The Dark Heaven Brigade scattered to the sides and made way.

The Fire Heaven Brigade Commander, Cho Jihang, glared at the approaching Heaven's Mandate Brigade.

Wu Wonsong was running at the head, and his momentum was very fierce. The momentum of the Heaven's Mandate Brigade, which was following behind, using lightness skill, was also menacing.

As the Heaven's Mandate Brigade approached, Cho Jihang raised his saber and shouted.

"Move the formation!"

The circular formation rotated.

Clang!

The sound of weapons clashing was loud as the charging Heaven's Mandate Brigade and the rotating Fire Heaven Brigade clashed.

"Smash the formation first!"

Wu Wonsong shouted as he swung his crescent moon saber widely.

(End of Chapter)