Chapter 180
Chapter 180
“Kwaaaagh!!”
Demonic Practitioners exuding ominous Demonic Energy screamed like beasts as they charged toward Namgung Cheon.
Sssaeaeaeak-!!
However, before they could even reach Namgung Cheon, countless fine needles embedded themselves into the bodies of the Demonic Practitioners. The needles pierced through their eyes and reached the brain, and the deadly poison smeared on them instantly poisoned the Demonic Practitioners.
“Kuhuk!”
Under the influence of the poison, the Demonic Practitioners vomited blood from their mouths. Seeing them writhing in agony, Tang Gunhyeon grinned and spoke.
“You lot will die from this poison too. The Elders made this one with full determination!”
Paaang-!
From Tang Gunhyeon’s hand unfolded the technique of the Twelve Throwing Knives, a symbol of the Tang Clan.
Tang Gunhyeon’s throwing knives, which pierced through the heads of exactly five people, contained powerful rotational force. The heads of the Demonic Practitioners exploded from that terrifying rotation, but what was even more frightening was something else.
True to the title of King of Hidden Weapons, Tang Gunhyeon controlled the direction of the knives with nothing but their rotational force and made them return to his hand.
Tang Gunhyeon’s feat, which was close to a Divine Technique, did not end there. On this battlefield that deserved to be called a living hell, the hidden weapons of the Tang Clan—including Tang Gunhyeon—demonstrated tremendous effectiveness.
Merely throwing hidden weapons from the rear caused the Demonic Practitioners, whose vision had narrowed in the chaos, to be repeatedly struck by needles coated in deadly poison.
Most collapsed and died shortly after being poisoned, but quite a few endured.
However, even they had their movements drastically slowed, and the swords of the Swordsmen mercilessly cut them down.
At this rate, it felt as though victory would be overwhelming.
The battle appeared that easy.
Yet, it might have been obvious—battle conditions always changed.
Kwaaaang-!
Demonic Practitioners who still possessed reason and the ability to act on it began immediately targeting the Tang Clan’s Martial Artists. They unleashed Fist Energy and Sword Qi, and occasionally among the Demonic Practitioners appeared experts of the Transformation Realm who began slaughtering the Tang Clan’s Martial Artists.
Among them, there was one who caused an especially great commotion.
KWAANG-!!!
A thunderous explosion rang out, so loud that it momentarily numbed the ears, and several Tang Clan Martial Artists died.
Seeing the corpses of allies with shattered heads and spilled entrails, Tang Gunhyeon spat out rage and curses.
“You bastard!! I’ll melt your bones and flesh!”
Tang Gunhyeon’s throwing knife shot toward the glabella of a Demonic Practitioner faster than sound.
KWAANG-!!!
“…!”
Although it was not a full-power strike, astonishingly, the Demonic Practitioner caught Tang Gunhyeon’s throwing knife. His palm was torn open by the force contained in the knife, yet the fact remained that he had caught it.
At the shocking sight, Tang Gunhyeon silently gasped and instinctively fired fine needles.
The Demonic Practitioner observed the needles flying toward his shoulder and heart, grinned, and violently swung his hand toward the air.
Hwaak!!
The wind pressure scattered the needles that had been flying toward him in all directions. The hidden weapons personally managed by Tang Gunhyeon flew everywhere, striking both enemies and allies alike.
Fortunately, anticipating such a situation, this time he had fired needles coated with Dissipating Skill Poison.
Dissipating Skill Poison had no special effect other than restricting the movement of Internal Energy.
Of course, it was very unfortunate for the Martial Artists who were struck by Tang Gunhyeon’s needles and poisoned by Dissipating Skill Poison, but it was far better than being poisoned by the new deadly poison developed by the Tang Clan.
That poison was powerful enough that even Demonic Practitioners would find it difficult to endure.
At that moment, the Demonic Practitioner whose torn palm had regenerated in an instant revealed a ferocious aura and spoke.
“As expected of the one called the King of Hidden Weapons. I, Dokgo Jicheon—one of the Twelve Demons—will be your opponent.”
“You talk too mu—!”
Before Tang Gunhyeon could finish his words, Dokgo Jicheon had already arrived before him and unleashed a full-powered strike.
Thud-!
A short but massive sound rang out. Though it appeared to be a simple straight punch, Dokgo Jicheon’s strike had reached a level Tang Gunhyeon could not even comprehend.
Barely blocking Dokgo Jicheon’s fist right in front of Tang Gunhyeon’s face, Namgung Cheon let out a faint laugh.
The moment his instincts sounded the alarm of danger, he had moved his body immediately. If he had been even slightly slower, Dokgo Jicheon’s fist would have struck Tang Gunhyeon’s face.
And if that fist had landed on Tang Gunhyeon, it would not have ended with a minor injury.
Namgung Cheon wiped cold sweat from his brow and spoke.
“Gunhyeon.”
Tang Gunhyeon, who had snapped out of the Revolving Lantern phenomenon, immediately attacked Dokgo Jicheon with a Poison Palm. Dokgo Jicheon casually blocked the poison with Demonic Energy, stepped back a few paces, and said,
“You brats are stronger than I expected. Two of you should make for some fun.”
Despite the dismissive tone, Namgung Cheon and Tang Gunhyeon could say nothing and simply bit their lips.
Tang Gunhyeon had not even properly perceived Dokgo Jicheon’s movements.
But something even more serious was—
Tang Gunhyeon lowered his gaze slightly and looked at Namgung Cheon’s trembling wrist.
It had been only a single strike.
Yet that meteor-like blow had placed strain on the wrist of Namgung Cheon, who was far stronger than him.
Namgung Cheon also seemed to notice the shock in his wrist, as the strength in his hand loosened slightly.
Watching this with delight, Dokgo Jicheon chuckled.
“If you won’t come, then I will.”
The muscles of Dokgo Jicheon’s calves began to swell as he prepared to stomp forward.
At that moment—
A chilling sensation struck.
Dokgo Jicheon suddenly felt as though the sharp fangs of a tiger had sunk into his throat.
KWAANG-!
Gathering all the strength in his calves, Dokgo Jicheon hurled his body backward. It happened so quickly that no one but Namgung Cheon and Tang Gunhyeon saw what occurred.
As Tang Gunhyeon frowned in confusion, a gentle laugh sounded behind them.
“Hoho, it seems this opponent is still a little too much for the young juniors of the Martial World.”
Han Yonghu, with a slightly longer-than-average saber hanging at his waist, walked toward Dokgo Jicheon and spoke.
“Has it been thirty years?”
“About that.”
At Han Yonghu’s question, Dokgo Jicheon rubbed his chilled neck with his palm.
“You still enjoy tormenting juniors, don’t you, Lone Hound.”
“Has your Sword Draw improved since then? I hope you can show skills worthy of the title Blade Draw Emperor.”
“Hoho, I gained a realization recently. I won’t disappoint.”
Han Yonghu slightly drew back his left leg and shifted the center of his body onto his right.
Then he pulled the saber out by the length of a thumb joint.
Unlike usual, a cold Killing Intent flowed from him.
“I wonder whether you can even enter this.”
“What do you mean?”
Chiiiik!
At that moment, everyone within ten zhang centered on Han Yonghu—including Namgung Cheon and Tang Gunhyeon—froze.
It felt as though a blade was touching their necks.
Move even slightly and the head would fall.
It was an instinct.
The survival instinct possessed by all living beings screamed at them not to move even a finger.
Yet in the center of it all, someone clapped and burst into mad laughter.
“Ha ha, hahahaha!!”
Dokgo Jicheon, filled with ecstasy, shouted.
“Ten zhang! Ten zhang! The distance of your Sword Draw! The distance your blade reaches has expanded to ten zhang!!”
Though he was amazed, Dokgo Jicheon’s joy made him seem strangely unfitting as an enemy. He looked more like an old friend.
Ignoring Han Yonghu’s cold smile, Dokgo Jicheon said,
“How far do I have to walk before you move? Just how close must I get before you think you can kill me?!”
Han Yonghu had earned the title Blade Draw Emperor and served as Murim Alliance Leader not only because of his innate sense of justice but because his skill was extraordinary.
No matter how prestigious someone was, if their realm was low, they could never ascend to the position of Murim Alliance Leader.
Even if the Orthodox Sect did not strictly worship strength above all else, they were still Martial Artists.
No matter how strong one’s ideals were, if one lacked the strength to uphold them, they would not be acknowledged.
Han Yonghu had ultimately upheld—and even enforced—his ideals, cutting out all the festering corruption within the Murim Alliance.
And what Han Yonghu excelled at most was Sword Draw.
Not ordinary Sword Draw, but a peculiar technique that seemed as though it transcended space itself.
Han Yonghu’s Sword Draw could reach an opponent twenty steps away.
Its speed could bewilder even the greatest experts, and it was the reason he had survived until now.
Han Yonghu spoke to Dokgo Jicheon, who could not suppress his excitement.
“You seem to have grown stronger as well. Seeing how someone once said to be on par with the Right Guardian of the Demonic Cult has become this powerful makes me feel the passage of time.”
“I surpassed Ho Jagae long ago! So now—!!”
KWAANG-!
Dokgo Jicheon kicked off the ground powerfully, his body stretching forward like pulled taffy.
“Show me your Sword Draw—!”
Slash!
A flash erupted.
Something gleamed fiercely, and Dokgo Jicheon’s neck was severed.
More precisely, about one-third of it had been cut.
His body, sensing the threat for a fleeting instant, had refused to advance any further.
By the time he realized something was wrong, Han Yonghu’s Sword Draw had already been executed.
Overcome with a chilling sensation that spread through his entire body, Dokgo Jicheon immediately widened the distance. Having retreated more than six zhang away, he spoke through a blood-choked throat.
“One zhang….”
“Yes. The distance at which you will certainly die.”
Han Yonghu revealed chilling Killing Intent across his face as he spoke.
“Lone Hound, have you gained patience?”
Seeing cracks appear on Dokgo Jicheon’s face, Han Yonghu continued in a relieved tone.
“I happen to be a patient man. So… if you wish to kill the Martial Artists of the Tang Clan, you will first have to step over my corpse.”
Dokgo Jicheon’s face twisted violently.
Namgung Cheon and Tang Gunhyeon looked at Han Yonghu’s reliable back before turning away.
“Let’s go to where the Second Unit is.”
At Namgung Cheon’s words, Tang Gunhyeon nodded.
“Yes. It’s better to leave this place to the Alliance Leader.”
They understood.
Outside one zhang, perhaps it was different—but if Dokgo Jicheon ignored the distance between himself and Han Yonghu, he would die instantly.
Both instinctively sensed that Han Yonghu’s battle would be prolonged.
Thus they immediately moved toward where the Kang siblings, Kang Chowon and Kang Hosan, were.
Not long after arriving, they witnessed an absurd sight.
“Sword Demon!! Why are you here!!!”
“You’re charging in like a madman! Let’s have some fun then!!”
KWAANG! KWAAANG-!!
Leaving aside the explosive sounds like thunder, Namgung Cheon and Tang Gunhyeon were witnessing a natural disaster.
KUUUNG-!
When Sword Force and Fist Strike collided, the ground beneath their feet caved in, and a shockwave burst outward between them.
The waves produced not by Qi blasts but purely by colliding force shook the surroundings, uprooting trees and launching rocks into the sky.
Cheonung burst into mad laughter at the long-unfelt threat to his life.
“Hahahaha! Good! Was it Dan Hyeokse? You exceed my expectations!”
“You mere unbeliever!! Do not dishonor the grace bestowed by Him!!”
The terrain changed, and corpses unable to withstand the shockwaves were flung everywhere.
It was a brutal sight, but such things were inevitable in war.
Namgung Cheon and Tang Gunhyeon glanced briefly at their battle and realized there was no chance to interfere, so they ran again toward where they needed to go.
When they arrived, Kang Chowon—spitting stagnant blood—was glaring at Gundo.