abcnovels
Chapter 420
Chapter 420
Chapter 420 – First Realm (2)
“I apologize, my lord. This subordinate’s skills were not enough against that person.”
‘My lord?’
The Bright Blade King Son Yun’s eyes widened.
Did he just say ‘my lord’?
For a moment, he doubted his own ears.
Although they had been fighting a monster-like enemy that required combined attacks, Ji-oe was a peerless expert called the Mad Swordsman, obsessed with swords.
‘…That can’t be.’
Most martial artists are said to be obsessed with martial arts, but they were nothing compared to Ji-oe.
Ji-oe spent nearly half his life as a guest in Spiritual Sword Sanctuary to defeat Ou Cheon-mu, the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, who was one of the Six Heavens, no, now called the Seven Heavens, considered the pinnacle of the current martial arts world.
How could someone who would dedicate his life to breaking someone’s sword enter under another person?
But then,
-Pak!
Mok Gyeong-un pulled out the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword that was stuck in the ground and said:
“Sword Demon.”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s call, a glint appeared in the eyes of the Sword Demon Ji-oe, who was paying his respects.
Not only the way he was called, but somehow the atmosphere had changed quite a bit.
Mok Gyeong-un had always spoken respectfully to everyone, whether he meant it or not, but now he was exuding the aura of a great master.
‘…Now that he’s brought down the Heaven and Earth Society, talking about subjugation and such, is he really going to walk the path of reign?’
Well, there was nothing wrong with that.
He was, after all, this Ji-oe’s lord.
It would be better for him too if he climbed to a place where no one else could easily reach.
Ji-oe clasped his hands and answered:
“Yes, my lord.”
“Rescue that woman over there.”
Where Mok Gyeong-un’s gaze fell.
There lay Wi So-yeon, the youngest disciple of the Heaven and Earth Society Leader, unconscious as if dead.
The Sword Demon Ji-oe slightly bowed his head and answered:
“I accept the order.”
Just as he was about to take a step,
“Wait!”
The Bright Blade King Son Yun hastily called out, trying to stop him.
At this, the Sword Demon Ji-oe looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Son Yun looked back and forth between Gi Ok-ryeon, the daughter of Sun Rock Valley Master Gi Hae who had fallen on her bottom, and the Sword Demon Ji-oe with an incomprehensible expression and said:
“Haa… Haa… Where are the other reinforcements?”
To this question, Gi Ok-ryeon answered as if embarrassed:
“The reinforcements…”
Sent immediately by the Sword Demon Ji-oe after witnessing her father’s death up close, she had been unable to do anything except think about bringing Mok Gyeong-un.
Moreover, when she went to the main square, it was in even more chaos than here, so it was even more so.
“Bright Blade King. That place didn’t have the capacity to call for reinforcements…”
“How can you say that now… Cough, cough…”
Having received a serious injury with his abdomen pierced through, Son Yun couldn’t properly maintain his posture.
-Kung!
Finally kneeling on one knee, he looked at Ji-oe and said:
“Rescuing the young miss is important, but if we don’t deal with that monster-like person, everything will be for naught.”
To this, Ji-oe shrugged his shoulders and said:
“Look here. You seem to be misunderstanding something, but do you think there are reinforcements beyond this?”
“Haa… What are you saying right now?”
The Bright Blade King Son Yun seemed frustrated and expressed irritation even in the midst of his pain.
He knew that Mok Gyeong-un had rapidly grown stronger through the Corpse Blood Valley closing ceremony, and had even heard about it through his disciples.
However, the large man before his eyes, Kang Yeom, was literally a monster.
Honestly, it seemed impossible to subdue him one-on-one without the Society Leader, one of the Seven Heavens, stepping in.
Yet did they think Mok Gyeong-un alone would be of great help?
The Bright Blade King Son Yun said to Gi Ok-ryeon:
“Go back and request reinforcements. And you, Mok Gyeong-un, join Master Ji-oe in a combined attack against that person. I will soon… Keuuk…”
Son Yun tried to rise but staggered.
The wound had opened further due to Kang Yeom twisting the sword, causing severe bleeding.
It was at that moment.
-Ta-ta-ta-ta-tak!
Mok Gyeong-un struck his acupoints, sealing the bleeding points.
Along with this, Mok Gyeong-un pulled out Kang Yeom’s crude sword that was stuck in his abdomen.
-Puk!
“Keup!”
The Bright Blade King Son Yun couldn’t hide his bewilderment for a moment.
In a situation where the wound couldn’t be treated, suddenly pulling out the sword would leave no way to stop the bleeding.
“Kuuu… You!”
Could this guy be trying to kill him?
But then Mok Gyeong-un placed his palm on his wound area, and with his other hand formed a hand seal.
Then,
-Chi-i-i-i!
The wound area became hot.
“Keuuup!”
Although Son Yun was someone who could easily endure considerable pain, this seemed hard to bear as he twisted his body, grabbed Mok Gyeong-un’s shoulder, and let out a groan.
But soon, Mok Gyeong-un pushed him away.
-Pak!
Son Yun staggered and sat down on the ground ungracefully.
Mok Gyeong-un looked down at him with an expressionless gaze and said nonchalantly:
“Thanks to you, I was able to come here, so I’ll let you keep your life.”
“What?”
Son Yun, sitting on the ground, looked at his abdomen.
It seemed like he had cauterized the wound area with an energy similar to the Hot Yang Energy, but with just that level of simple treatment…
“This is?”
Son Yun’s eyes widened.
This was because the wound area had already healed.
What exactly did he do?
As he was marveling at this strange phenomenon, he saw the Sword Demon Ji-oe smirk and then launch his body towards the masked individuals guarding Wi So-yeon.
“Ji-Ji-oe…”
We shouldn’t disperse our forces, how…
It was then.
Mok Gyeong-un stomped on the ground.
-Kwang!
At that moment, the ground split and a wave-like ripple spread through the air, and then about 80% of the twenty or so masked individuals surrounding them clutched their chests and coughed up blood.
“Keuwaek!”
“Kek!”
The masked individuals who were coughing up blood and suffering in agony collapsed to the ground.
The Bright Blade King Son Yun’s pupils shook at this sight.
For a moment, something flashed through his mind.
[The Heavenly Demon’s Domineering Steps?]
[Yes, they say it’s called that because it brought down the Shaolin’s Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation in a single step.]
[A single step…]
It was an anecdote that was hard to believe even after hearing it.
He was someone who remembered the Society Leader’s prime, even though he was now suffering from illness.
Could even that Society Leader bring down the Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation, said to be one of Shaolin’s strongest forces, with a single step?
No, no matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible.
But seeing supreme experts with power beyond the peak falling while clutching their chests from a single stomp right before his eyes, he couldn’t help but be amazed.
“You…”
It was at that moment.
-Seureuk!
Mok Gyeong-un’s figure, which had been right in front of him, blurred and then disappeared.
Where had he disappeared to? Suddenly, Mok Gyeong-un had approached right in front of Kang Yeom, who had spread his body backwards.
This monster hadn’t moved more than two or three steps despite all their combined attacks.
But then,
-Chwak!
The moment Mok Gyeong-un swung the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword, Kang Yeom moved his large body, using a body-lightening technique to try and create distance backwards.
How could such a monster be trying to avoid what seemed to be a simple sword swing?
As he was wondering,
-Chwa-chwa-chwa-chwa-chwak!
The air split in the direction Mok Gyeong-un had swung his sword, and then the walls and building debris behind were cut in a straight line.
The sword energy continued to split, making it impossible to tell how far it reached.
Gi Ok-ryeon, the daughter of Sun Rock Valley Master Gi Hae, was also gaping at this sight.
[That person will become even stronger.]
[Even now, he’s surpassing the level of the Five Tigers, who could be called the pinnacle of the society’s later-generation disciples. How much stronger can he become beyond this?]
[Well, I really can’t gauge it.]
[Is it to that extent?]
[That’s right. That’s why I’ve been thinking this lately.]
[What is it?]
[…I think that person is a vessel that neither I, nor anyone else, can contain.]
[Surely you don’t mean to include the Society Leader?]
[With apologies to Master, to be honest… Yes, I do.]
At that time, she had just replied, “Wow, really?” to humor her, but deep down in a corner of her heart, she had thought that even though he had defeated brother Woo whom she liked, he was still just a hostage of the righteous path, so he would soon lose his life to the growing number of enemies.
However, seeing this sight, she simply couldn’t close her mouth.
This was a monster who hadn’t allowed even a few steps of movement despite the combined attacks of her father Sun Rock Valley Master Gi Hae, the Mad Swordsman Ji-oe, the Bright Blade King Son Yun, and martial artists at the level of great hall masters.
To overwhelm such a monster?
Just how strong does one have to become to reach that level?
-Chwak!
‘This guy…’
Kang Yeom’s expression wasn’t good as he avoided Mok Gyeong-un’s sword.
Although it looked like he was swinging lightly, to his eyes, the sword energy carried on Mok Gyeong-un’s sword was at a level that could cut even a small mountain.
That’s why he was properly using his body-lightening technique for the first time in a while to avoid the sword.
What exactly is this guy’s identity?
Surely, according to that person’s words, the only one who could face him here was the Heaven and Earth Society Leader, who had inherited that person’s blood in terms of physical body.
But what is this strength?
Is this a variable that even that person couldn’t have predicted?
-Pat!
-Chwak!
At that moment, a sharp sword energy grazed his cheek and passed by.
As the skin on his cheek split, not red blood but a sticky blue blood flowed out.
Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes narrowed.
“…As expected, you’re not human.”
Even the Bright Blade King Son Yun, who had been watching this scene in surprise, frowned.
He had only thought that he was so strong that he had surpassed even the wall of walls, but had never considered him to be a non-human being.
But blue blood? What exactly is that?
-Seuk!
Kang Yeom of the First Realm wiped the blue blood flowing on his cheek with his sleeve.
Then his wound mark had already disappeared.
“Huu. You’ve only just managed to make a scratch, and you’re making such a fuss.”
“A fuss?”
“Still, you’re quite good. I thought I could avoid it, but… Indeed, human potential is beyond imagination.”
“Have you decided to stop pretending to wear a human skin?”
“I never said I was human from the start. I just fought at your level.”
-Kkwak!
At Kang Yeom’s words, the Bright Blade King Son Yun’s hand clenched.
He had noticed that this guy was stalling for time while keeping some strength in reserve, but hearing it from his own mouth like this, he couldn’t help but feel shame as a martial artist.
But amidst all this, what was even more surprising was Mok Gyeong-un’s martial prowess.
He was the very person who had brought this guy directly to the Heaven and Earth Society.
But back then, it would be no exaggeration to say he had barely learned any martial arts.
‘…Is this guy really the real monster?’
Nevertheless, in just half a year, he had reached an unbelievable realm.
It was unprecedented in the history of the martial arts world.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un pointed the tip of his sword at Kang Yeom, who was creating distance, and said:
“You’re like that half-white-haired woman. Circulating demonic energy and handling it like internal energy. Did you learn it from Three Eyes?”
‘!?’
At those words, Kang Yeom showed a change in expression for the first time.
‘What is this guy?’
Surely, the half-white-haired woman this person was referring to must be Chunchu of the First Realm like himself, and that Three Eyes must definitely be the Mok-gan.
The fact that he knows this means that that person’s small plan is progressing as planned, but how did someone with that level of martial prowess come here…
“It would be better not to wait.”
“What?”
“Ah. I guess you haven’t received instructions from your master yet?”
“What are you talking about…”
“Well, I suppose there wasn’t time to instruct the remaining subordinates to flee after attempting self-destruction, having just taken over a body.”
-Go-o-o-o-o-o-o!
As soon as Mok Gyeong-un’s words ended, an enormous killing intent erupted from Kang Yeom’s body along with heat energy.
The energy, on a completely different level from before, was enough to make everyone around momentarily look up in surprise.
Regardless, Kang Yeom glared fiercely at Mok Gyeong-un and said:
“It’s you. You were the one the Mok-gan talked about.”
-Wu-deuk! Wu-deuk!
As Kang Yeom’s shoulder muscles bulged, sharp scale-like things began to sprout from his skin…
-Chwak!
“Kek!”
-Seureuk! Tak!
At that moment, a black line appeared, and Mok Gyeong-un’s figure hazily appeared behind him and stopped, then sheathed the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword, dyed with black strong energy, in the scabbard at his waist.
-Chak!
Mok Gyeong-un, turning only his head, sneered at Kang Yeom, who was staggering with a hole pierced in the middle of his chest, and said:
“Surely you didn’t expect me to wait, did you?”