Chapter 1701
I’ve just realized. (1)
Tang Gunak looked at Jo Geol with an incredulous expression.
‘Even in the midst of this…’
The young swordsman, lost in the trance of battle, emitted a sword aura so intense it seemed to render everything around him colorless. Only he stood out, vibrant and radiant.
His opponents were the elite of the Sun Palace, including elders considered the peak of the sect’s power.
Given this context, calling it astonishing felt inadequate – it was more accurately absurd.
‘Is he breaking through another wall in the midst of this fierce battle?’
Splitting such powerful hot yang energy would have been impossible for Jo Geol before.
This was growth that defied common sense.
‘No, it’s not just Jo Geol.’
Tang Gunak observed Hwasan’s swordsmen clashing head-on with the Sun Palace. They were relentlessly pushing back one of the Five Outer Palaces, the Southern Sea Sun Palace.
At that moment, the flying dagger in Tang Gunak’s hand shot out with terrifying speed.
Thud!
The dagger, moving too fast to be seen, embedded itself at the feet of Cheon Myeon Susa.
Cheon Myeon Susa, who had been looking for a chance to escape during Tang Gunak’s momentary distraction, grimaced in frustration.
“I told you, you’re not going anywhere.”
“You damn bastard…”
Blood flowed from multiple wounds on Cheon Myeon Susa’s body, each a chilling mark from Tang Gunak’s flying daggers.
But in truth, Tang Gunak’s condition wasn’t much better. His clothes were torn and ragged, and the skin visible through the gaps was bruised and blackened.
Cheon Myeon Susa’s eyes were bloodshot with rage.
“You… damn bastard! Are you really going to keep holding me back until the end?”
Even as he spoke, Cheon Myeon Susa’s gaze kept darting to the edge of the cliff. While it was important to keep an eye on Tang Gunak, the fear that a deafening explosion might erupt at any moment, causing the ground to collapse, loomed larger.
“Are you really going to throw your life away for the likes of them? You, the Poison King of Gangho? The head of the Tang clan?”
“The likes of them…”
A bitter smile played on Tang Gunak’s lips.
“They might not even be thirty yet.”
“What…?”
“No, most of them haven’t even reached thirty. And yet, they’re fighting on equal footing with the elite of the Sun Palace, one of the Five Outer Palaces.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Aren’t you curious?”
Tang Gunak’s eyes turned infinitely serious.
“What they might become if they continue to grow, and what they might achieve?”
“Spare me your nonsense…”
Cheon Myeon Susa spat out a string of curses, throwing caution and decorum to the wind.
He understood that Hwasan was remarkable. So what? What mattered most to him now was his own life, not the future of Hwasan.
But there was no way to escape the current situation.
Tang Gunak’s flying daggers were faster than Cheon Myeon Susa’s martial arts. If he attempted a hasty escape, a dagger would likely strike him in the back.
And overpowering Tang Gunak wasn’t feasible either. To properly confront with him, Cheon Myeon Susa would need to significantly prolong that fight. Would the cliff hold that long?
“Step aside, Poison King! Do you really want us both to die?”
“We’ll see.”
The dagger in Tang Gunak’s hand began to spin slowly.
“It doesn’t seem like it will take that long.”
The calm demeanor in Tang Gunak’s eyes suddenly became fierce.
A much younger colleague had shown him a sight he thought he’d never see again, so he couldn’t allow himself to speak weakly.
He might not be able to lead the charge, but at the very least, he could watch over their backs, preserving his dignity as an elder.
“Are you really the Poison King Tang Gunak I know of?”
“…”
“Have you gone mad, drunk on the fervor of these young ones? Your foolish actions will bring ruin to the Tang clan. What kind of insane head of a family risks their life for a sect that isn’t even theirs?”
At those words, Tang Gunak let out a low chuckle.
A blatant attempt at provocation. Under normal circumstances, Cheon Myeon Susa would never resort to such a low-level taunt. It was clear that Cheon Myeon Susa was desperate, so Tang Gunak could simply ignore it
However, Tang Gunak felt compelled to say this now.
“I am somewhat concerned, though.”
“What?”
Tang Gunak’s gaze shifted toward the cliff. A strange light flickered briefly in his eyes.
“I’m not the only one around here without a plan.”
A short sigh escaped Tang Gunak’s lips.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Haaaaaaap!”
Lee Songbaek released a heavy white sword energy. It seemed as though he would not leave even a trace of his inner strength behind.
Wooooong!
As if resonating with his will, the sword let out a cry. The emitted sword energy shot across the face of the cliff.
“You brat…!”
The Sun Palace warriors, seeing the surging sword energy, burst with intense murderous intent. How dare these bastards swing their swords at the Sun Palace?
Fwaaah!
Soon, the orange hot yang energy clashed head-on with the incoming sword energy. The dense and heavy sword energy and the blazing force tangled in the air, creating a massive explosion.
Kuuuuung!
The aftermath sent Lee Songbaek’s body helplessly flying back. It was the force released by many, not just one. There was no way Lee Songbaek could withstand it alone.
However, before his body completely fell from the cliff, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him up. Lee Songbaek’s eyes widened.
“S-Sahyeong!”
“Stop doing such reckless things!”
Jin Geumryong shouted coldly, gritting his teeth.
“Don’t engage them head-on! They are…”
“Sahyeong! Above!”
Jin Geumryong abruptly stopped speaking and looked up. Right before his eyes, a cascade of orange fiery flames was pouring down.
At that very moment, Jin Geumryong’s eyes widened.
Wooooong!
It was as if a massive beast was roaring… No, it was like the legendary dragon roaring, as the sound of Blue Dragon’s Roar [창룡후(蒼龍吼)] echoed, and a blue energy surged above the heads of the two men.
The orange energy clashed with the blue energy. It was as if a blue dragon was leaping into the burning flames.
Kwaaaang!
The blue energy blocked the hot yang energy flying towards Jin Geumryong.
“Haaap!”
Immediately, a white sword energy shot from behind them. The sword energy shattered the scattered fragments of the hot yang energy.
“Beggars Sect Leader?”
“S-Sect Leader?”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae silently passed by the two. Soon, an angry shout struck their ears.
“You foolish brats!”
The two were in disbelief. They never expected Jongli Gok to climb the cliff himself.
The look in Jongli Gok’s eyes as he glared at his disciples was so fierce that even Jin Geumryong flinched.
And for a good reason. The two had climbed the cliff without the permission of their Sect Leader. By the rules, they could be executed for insubordination without any right to complain.
Jongli Gok coldly glared at them and shouted.
“Jin Geumryong! Lee Songbaek!”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
The two replied with stern expressions. However, an unexpected response came.
“I’ll deal with your punishment later.”
“…Huh?”
“First, we take care of the enemies! Follow me!”
Without waiting for a response, Jongli Gok soared up. Jin Geumryong and Lee Songbaek stared at each other in a daze, then quickly propelled themselves off the cliff, following Jongli Gok on either side.
Once again, hot yang energy rained down from above. Though it hadn’t even touched them yet, the intense heat felt as if it would burn their entire bodies.
Jongli Gok’s eyes emitted a brilliant blue light.
“How dare you!”
Swaeeeeek!
His sword slashed through the air.
Dozens of sword shadows rapidly multiplied into hundreds. The densely fired sword shadows soon formed a massive wall made entirely of swords.
Lee Songbaek’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Neither the incoming energy nor the scorching heat that seemed ready to consume their bodies could penetrate Jongli Gok’s sword wall. The orange flames crashed and receded like waves hitting a cliff rising from the shoreline, spraying foam as they broke and retreated.
‘Is this…?’
The Thirty-Six Swords Under the Heaven [천하삼십육검(天下三十六劍)].
According to Chung Myung, it is the most perfect defensive sword, an unshakable sword rooted like a great tree.
The essence of the Thirty-Six Swords Under the Heaven was being displayed through Jongli Gok’s hands.
Lee Songbaek’s eyes trembled slightly.
His sword was heavy. No, to be precise, he wanted it to become heavy.
Since the sword of Jongnam aimed to become a flower, he believed his sword needed to become a firm root.
But now, Jongli Gok was teaching him with his sword.
To be exact, everything Jongnam’s ancestors had achieved over countless years, embodied in Jongli Gok’s sword, was being passed on to Lee Songbaek.
About being ‘unbiased.’
It was not as heavy as Lee Songbaek’s. Nor was it as light as Jin Geumryong’s sword. It had no distinct characteristics, but precisely because of that, it was not biased.
Perhaps this is what they mean by perfection.
‘No, that’s not all.’
Even while releasing such a formidable sword, Jongli Gok’s body did not waver. The speed of his movements didn’t slow at all. Even as he ascended the steep cliff, seemingly with just the tips of his toes.
At that moment, Lee Songbaek turned pale and shouted.
“Sect Leader, ahead…!”
Through the blazing yang energy, something dark was flying towards them.
It was undoubtedly the same thing that had left Namgung Dowi in a critical condition just moments before.
Kwaaaang!
With no time to react, an explosion went off right in front of them. Jin Geumryong and Lee Songbaek instinctively clung to the cliff and ducked.
But that was all.
Though they felt the tremor, there was no transmission of wind pressure or impact. What the two saw as they looked up in surprise was the unyielding back of Jongli Gok and the sword wall he was manifesting, not budging an inch, like an iron wall.
‘That kind of explosion…?’
It was a realm of a different caliber. The martial prowess of Jongli Gok, which Lee Songbaek thought he already knew, struck him with immense impact.
At that moment, Jongli Gok shouted.
“What are you doing? Come!”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
Just as Lee Songbaek and Jin Geumryong were about to leap forward again, two more explosives flew toward them from above.
Even Jongli Gok gritted his teeth momentarily this time.
“Enough of these tricks.”
But then, something appeared before them like a ghost and swatted the flying explosives away, sending them far from the cliff.
Kwaaaang! Kwaaaaang!
The explosions erupted in the air like fireworks.
“Pung Yeong Shin Gae!”
“Retired Sect Leader!”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s body, who had dealt with the incoming explosives without hesitation, stretched out like an arrow. Not to be outdone, Jongli Gok retracted his sword and surged forward.
“Those bastards!”
Boom!
Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s energy soon exploded against the chest of a Sun Palace warrior clinging to the cliff. With a series of strikes that severed his opponent’s breath entirely, Pung Yeong Shin Gae pulled out an explosive deeply embedded in the cliff.
“You filthy rat, where do you think you’re going!”
In anger at the interference with their plan, sun warrior tried to unleash his energy, but a cold sword aura pierced his neck.
“Gah…”
The man clutched his throat and glared at Jongli Gok with a horribly distorted face.
“You blame us… hmm?”
An inexplicable smile flickered in the eyes of the man bleeding from his pierced neck. It was truly a malicious aura.
Just as Jongli Gok sensed that something was wrong.
Fwoooosh!
The body of the Sun Palace warrior was suddenly engulfed in flames.
“What the…!”
Soon, his body caused a massive explosion that shook the entire cliff.
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