Chapter 181
Chapter 181
When Kang Chowon spat out dark red blood, Namgung Cheon made a decision in an instant and shot forward. Charging at lightning-like speed, Namgung Cheon thrust his sword while revealing a face twisted like that of a vicious ghost.
Kwaaaang—!!
Namgung Cheon’s sword slashed horizontally, producing a sound as though the air itself had exploded. However, Gundo, who had sensed Namgung Cheon’s presence, evaded the incoming blade with a grotesque motion that no human body should have been capable of.
He bent his upper body to the left and folded his legs inward to avoid the sword. In that instant, Gundo’s flexible body suddenly sprang away as if rebounding.
Just as Gundo’s fist, empowered by the momentum of straightening his bent knee, was about to dig into Namgung Cheon’s flank—
Paaang—!
Tang Gunhyeon’s Throwing Knife pierced straight through the advancing fist of Gundo. The Throwing Knife possessed enough power to penetrate his fist completely.
In the brief moment when Gundo’s body stiffened from the sudden attack, Kang Chowon unleashed a sword form to sever Gundo’s neck.
However, even that was avoided as Gundo slipped away with a bizarre motion as if his body were writhing like a snake, then spun his body with such force that an ordinary person’s spine would have snapped.
Kwaang—!
The punch created through that rotation was far stronger than expected, and Kang Chowon and Namgung Cheon were both pushed backward by Gundo’s attack.
Namgung Cheon thought that they could not afford to give their opponent any breathing room. He had heard it from Youngho before.
A powerful mutant created through the Demonic Cult’s special experiments.
He knew that the number of bodily mechanisms that allowed the creature to move was more than twice that of a normal person.
‘Then we simply must not give him time to reorganize!’
If the three of them pressed him together like this, it should be possible. Having finished his thought, Namgung Cheon immediately tried to launch himself toward Gundo.
“Don’t!”
At that moment, Kang Chowon spat out the blood lingering in her throat onto the ground and spoke.
“Imperial Sword, please help my brother!”
At Kang Chowon’s desperate plea, Namgung Cheon momentarily stopped and searched for Kang Hosan. Then he realized why Kang Chowon had asked him to help Kang Hosan instead of herself.
The place where Kang Hosan was located was somewhere that none other than Namgung Cheon himself had to go.
When he hesitated between Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon, urgency filled Kang Chowon’s expression.
As Namgung Cheon’s conflict deepened, Tang Gunhyeon, noticing it, slapped him on the back.
Smack—!
“What the…!”
“I’ll protect your future beloved no matter what happens, so go.”
Tang Gunhyeon’s judgment was accurate. Right now, it was better for Tang Gunhyeon to remain here than Namgung Cheon.
Even though she was injured, Kang Chowon was still a Swordsman on par with Namgung Cheon. Combined with Tang Gunhyeon’s Hidden Weapons techniques, they should be able to buy enough time.
Namgung Cheon lightly bit his lower lip and said,
“……I leave it to you.”
“Sure.”
After saying that, Namgung Cheon headed toward the unit led by Kang Hosan to engage in a fierce battle with another of the Twelve Demons.
Tang Gunhyeon spoke to Gundo, who was staring at him with an extremely expressionless face.
“You’re quite the beauty. If you smiled a little, anyone would fall for you.”
Though the words were clearly directed at Gundo, it was Kang Chowon who answered.
“Stop talking nonsense and get ready.”
“You should worry about yourself. I heard from the Divine Physician that your injuries still haven’t fully healed, yet you joined the battle.”
“I can endure this much.”
“You’re bleeding from your mouth though.”
“…….”
“And your complexion looks terribly pale.”
Tang Gunhyeon glanced at Kang Chowon, who stared silently at Gundo, and smirked.
“Anyway, I’ll assist you as much as I can until my strength runs out—”
“No.”
“Pardon?”
Kang Chowon suddenly cut him off. Speaking clearly, emphasizing each word as if she would not repeat herself, she said,
“I’ll be the one assisting. You drive your Throwing Knife into that Demonic Practitioner’s neck.”
Tang Gunhyeon immediately understood Kang Chowon’s intention.
‘It must be quite serious.’
He had never expected Kang Chowon to hold back like this. Perhaps because she had fought despite the internal injuries she suffered in her battle against Cheon Muback, her complexion looked even paler than usual.
Tang Gunhyeon sighed deeply as if he had no choice.
“Then please match your support with my Throwing Knife.”
“I’ve never tried it before, but I’ll do it. Don’t worry. If I fail, I die—and you die too.”
“Well, that’s reassuring!”
At the same moment Tang Gunhyeon’s Throwing Knife shot forward, Gundo charged toward Kang Chowon.
“Damn it! Send Jongsu to the Fifth Unit! Hurry!”
“Mo Yong Clan or Mount Hua! We need Swordsmen who specialize in swift swords!!”
Myeongnyang and Zhuge Lianhua constantly altered their strategies in accordance with the ever-changing tide of battle.
Because two exceptional geniuses were combining their strength and giving their all, the existence known as the Demon Brain could not overwhelm them completely. However, as expected, the one slightly ahead was the Demon Brain.
As fellow strategists, Myeongnyang and Zhuge Lianhua could only admire and be shocked by the monstrous judgment of the Demon Brain.
“The First Unit is being held by the Murim Alliance Leader!”
“The Tang Clan says they’re running low on poison!”
“The Murim Alliance Leader is holding the line, so stop panicking and deliver it quickly!”
Zhuge Lianhua shouted angrily at those acting helpless.
“No, you’re supposed to handle things like this yourselves! If supplies are lacking, of course you should deliver them!”
Perhaps the difference between them and the Demon Brain lay in these small wastes of time. In the first place, the Demonic Cult had brought no supplies, so they did not need to spend time deciding on distribution.
“Chief Strategist! The Seventh Unit’s line is breaking!”
At the desperate cry, Zhuge Lianhua and Myeongnyang’s faces turned pale.
“What about available troops? Where are the soldiers who can support the Seventh Unit?!”
“E-everyone else is already occupied…”
As the man trailed off, Zhuge Lianhua and Myeongnyang’s expressions darkened rapidly.
“Asura Squad.”
At that moment, Youngho, who had been silently watching the battlefield, spoke.
At his single word, everyone nearby turned their gaze toward him.
Youngho swept his cold eyes across the battlefield and said,
“Asura Squad Leader Hyeokong, step forward.”
Hyeokong approached Youngho, knelt on one knee, and offered a salute.
“Give your command.”
“Your destination is the Seventh Unit. It appears that place is in danger. And your objective is not merely defense.”
Youngho continued speaking without even glancing at Hyeokong.
“Fulfill your role as my sword.”
“Yes, sir!”
Youngho’s sword. The meaning of those words was simple.
Hyeokong turned to the squad members who had already formed ranks in perfect order.
“The Commander has told us to become his sword. That does not mean merely holding the line.”
Hyeokong looked at each squad member with eyes shining ominously.
“Break through. Offer your lives and hearts as sacrifice and push the front forward!”
After reaching the State of Transformation, Hyeokong possessed a martial presence incomparable to before.
At Hyeokong’s command, warm yet firm, every squad member swiftly drew their swords.
Hyeokong also raised his sword. The swords of the Asura Squad contained a proper amount of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron.
Although they were not perfect Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Swords like those of Kang Hosan or Horyeung, the blades bestowed by Youngho were far sturdier and sharper than most famous swords.
The chilling blade aura of the swords seemed to represent the will of the Asura Squad.
Hyeokong spoke with a firm voice filled with conviction.
“Advance.”
At that moment, the figures of the Asura Squad members vanished.
The talents personally cultivated by Youngho leapt into the battlefield to repay the grace they had received from him.
As soon as they departed, the strategists once again began moving busily. Youngho ignored the noisy commands and muttered quietly as if speaking to himself.
“Black Shadow.”
Youngho’s shadow rippled as if answering his words.
Youngho spoke to the presence he felt within the shadow.
“Today, create your title. Do not think of returning until you become the Killing King.”
Black Shadow, who had believed he would spend his entire life operating from within Youngho’s shadow, slowly revealed himself. Like Hyeokong earlier, he knelt on one knee and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Yes, sir.”
No further words were necessary. Black Shadow immediately hid within the shadow again and moved away.
Having given all his commands, Youngho had been measuring time ever since the war began.
Youngho’s gaze was always fixed in a single direction.
It was as if he had no room to look anywhere else, his expression tense.
If others saw Youngho now, they would say he was far more tense than usual. His face was that rigid.
Just as Myeongnyang was about to speak to him—
“The time has come.”
A voice as cold as frost slipped from Youngho’s lips.
Kwaaaaaa—!!
As if there was no longer any need to hold back, Youngho began drawing out the fighting spirit of his entire body.
He did not forget to keep the energy contained within his body so that his allies would not be harmed.
Yet even so, those who felt Youngho’s fighting spirit felt the hairs all over their bodies stand on end.
Step. Step.
Youngho began to walk slowly, staring in only one direction.
He simply walked forward.
His steps, filled with certainty as if he had a clear destination, somehow tightened the minds and bodies of those around him.
Soon, Youngho arrived at the center of the battlefield.
And he continued walking. Slowly. So slowly that the anger and hatred contained within him could be felt naturally.
The Demonic Cultists did not touch Youngho. The Heavenly Demon had ordered them not to.
Likewise, his allies did not interfere with him either.
The aura flowing from Youngho felt so unusual that it seemed something might go terribly wrong if they approached him.
The sight of a young man walking through a battlefield strewn with organs and blood spilling from corpses was utterly alien.
Yet astonishingly, with every step Youngho took, both enemies and allies quietly parted to make way.
And this astonishing phenomenon was occurring directly before Youngho as well.
An ominous and unsettling demonic energy began rising from a body like a shimmering haze.
He looked like the great evil spirit from the past that had nearly defeated Buddha himself.
From the overwhelming and terrifying presence of the Heavenly Demon, there was even a faint sense of sacredness.
At last, Youngho and the Heavenly Demon faced each other.
Separated by roughly twenty Zhang, the two Absolute Beings exchanged gazes.
One looked forward to the upcoming battle with a gaze filled with exhilaration and pleasure.
The other stared with hatred, rage, and despair—a sticky negativity so dense it seemed impossible for a single person to contain.
After observing each other briefly, the two spoke simultaneously.
“Muyeon.”
“Pungwol.”
—Deploy the formation.
At that single command, red and blue translucent barriers suddenly enveloped their respective allies, excluding Youngho and the Heavenly Demon.
Although the colors were slightly different, the effects of the formations were nearly identical.
Those who gained the protective Hardened Force created by the formation were momentarily bewildered, but soon turned their attention back to the two figures.
Youngho spoke first.
“How long do you intend to delay?”
“It’s fine now. I suppose I was too excited.”
Just as when they first met three Shijin earlier, the two assumed their stances again.
Youngho pointed the tip of his sword toward the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon stretched both arms forward, opening his palms toward Youngho.
Wooooong—!
As if the world itself responded to the strange actions of the two, the air began to vibrate.
As the peculiar Resonating Sound spread, not only the Demonic Cult but also the Alliance martial artists stared blankly at Youngho.
Soon, a massive sphere of energy began forming above the Heavenly Demon’s palms.
At first it was Hardened Force, but as time passed, the energy within the sphere began transforming into something entirely different.
It compressed and compressed further.
To a degree of compression that even masters of the State of Transformation could not imitate.
The same was true for Youngho.
Although slightly slower than the Heavenly Demon, energy began gathering at the tip of Youngho’s sword.
Soon forming a Sword Ring, Youngho asked the Heavenly Demon,
“Is it starting now?”
“Yes. Let us ignite the fireworks that announce the festival.”
With those words, both released the energy they had gathered to their limits.
In the instant of blinding light that followed—
A thunderous roar echoed across the world.
Kuwaaaaaang—!!!
The violent light stung the eyes, forcing them to close for a moment.
When people opened their eyes again, they looked around in stunned disbelief as though they had witnessed something impossible.
The mountain where the Demonic Cult and the Alliance had been fighting just moments earlier had vanished without a trace.