Chapter 52 The Great Namman War (4)

Chapter 52: The Great Namman War (4)

Namcheon Palace Lord, Blood Mountain Lord Choo Cheol-oh.

His nickname, meaning he built a mountain of blood through slaughter, suited him well. When his gaze fell upon him, his entire body shivered.

‘Oh my…’

No matter how he looked at him, he couldn’t gauge this opponent.

What’s more, wasn’t the opponent even doped up?

Sure enough.

“If I’d known it would be like this… I should have come looking for you sooner…”

His language ability was severely impaired from the doping, and he spoke haltingly.

With every word he uttered, a surge of aura overflowed around him.

“Kk.”

Overwhelmed by the aura, a groan escaped me unconsciously.

The Black Coral warriors seemed to feel the same, letting out low growls as they drew up their qi.

Bukgung Baek looked up at him, letting out his characteristic sneer as he asked.

“Why is a warrior who covets the world so utterly broken?”

“Does… it seem… I am broken?”

“Seriously.”

“That… is not the case. I have crossed the wall and touched… the heavens.”

“Bullshit. How can martial arts you can’t even control yourself possibly reach the heavens?”

“I’ll… prove it.”

With those words, Chu Cheol-o’s fighting spirit erupted explosively.

Kiiieek!

The hundred or so madmen blocking the way between him and us let out a bloodcurdling scream and charged toward us.

Clang.

The curtain rose on the final stage as North Palace White’s black hand smashed the head of the enemy at the forefront.

With North Palace White leading the charge, I and the Black Mountain Tigers rushed toward the enemies. The enemies, their eyes bloodshot, drew their weapons to meet us.

And so the clash began.

The sword of the Black Mountain Tiger leader, who had charged ahead, flew like lightning.

Thwack!

A bold move, throwing the sword.

It pierced the chest of the monster across the way.

“Gah!”

The opponent didn’t stop, charging even more madly.

It was an unbelievable phenomenon, but the Black Coral Chief calmly drew his sword and shouted, proving the saying “veteran of a hundred battles” wasn’t for nothing.

“Maintain distance and engage!”

Throwing the sword seemed intended to gauge the enemy.

Heeding Heuksanhoju’s warning, everyone calmly engaged the foes.

Clang clang.

Blocking the flying swords.

Swish!

Maintaining distance, they unleashed sword energy, slicing through the enemies’ bodies.

But.

“Kyeh!”

The creatures, seemingly immune to pain, only charged forward with even more frenzied screams.

Worse still, some even breathed life into their severed limbs to wield them.

If hell existed, this would be the sight of it.

“Fuck.”

The curse erupted involuntarily from within.

But standing by and watching wasn’t an option.

Jin Gak, brimming with the power of the former king, turned the earth upside down.

Kwoong, crackle.

Like a bolt of lightning, it shot forward, unleashing the entire opening attack of the Jeonwang Sipsamtu onto the chest of the creature at the very front.

Crunch.

After nine punches, it succeeded in shattering the ribcage.

Given that the creature belonged to the primate category, it should have been a fatal blow.

“Kraaah!”

He didn’t die.

Instead, he swung his straight sword in a completely unexpected direction.

“······!”

Swish.

I tilted my head back to dodge, but a handful of my bangs were sliced off.

My hairstyle ruined in an instant, I quickly unfolded the Jeonwangbo to create distance.

‘Seriously, is that even possible?’

Scanning ahead, I saw the creature’s shattered chest and its dangling arm.

It must have dislocated its shoulder to create an angle for the sword swing.

I wasn’t the only one experiencing this.

“Guh.”

“Kuhm.”

The Black Coral warriors, caught off guard by the unexpected attack, began sustaining wounds and retreating one by one.

The attack, born from movements imperceptible to human eyes, had pierced their defenses.

“……Damn it.”

What the hell was I supposed to do now?

I resented Baek, who had suddenly dragged me here.

Thwack!

The Black Coral Lord’s sword shot out, severing an enemy’s neck.

Thirty Black Snakes followed him, charging the enemies once more.

Despite the risk of losing their lives, no fear could be seen in their eyes.

Instead, some of them charged forward with deep, resonant laughter.

“Oh man…”

If those guys move like that, I have to follow, right?

I immediately detonated the Zhen Wang Qi.

Crackle.

As heat haze-like energy flared from my body, I cast the Zhen Wang Bo.

I leaped toward the one whose sternum had just shattered from my attack.

Thwack.

He swung his sword, shrouded in deep crimson sword energy, with great force.

I didn’t block the blade falling toward my shoulder; I simply stepped into it.

Kwaaang.

After all, I had the Dragon Scale Armor and the Bo-ui.

The sword energy that pierced through the Bo-ui struck the Dragon Scale Armor.

I felt the shockwave reverberate through my insides.

Crunch. Thud.

I succeeded in driving my fist into the bastard’s neck and ripping it out.

The moment I avenged my severed bangs, I delivered a low kick aimed at the lower body of the enemy behind me.

Crack. Squeak.

The enemy, his leg torn clean off, let out a bloodcurdling scream and thrust his palm strike toward my chest.

Again, I didn’t block it.

Thud.

“Guh.”

Even if I suffered some internal injuries, eliminating one more enemy faster was the better gain.

Crackle. BOOM!

The Exploding Palm, unleashed with all my might, erupted.

It not only shattered the body of the struck enemy into pieces but also completely obliterated everything within a radius of one zhang.

The first time I had ever unleashed my full power since realizing the Zhenwang Qi.

A refreshing sensation washed over him, as if his chest had been cleared.

It felt like he could fight all day long.

Before, his inner energy would have been insufficient, but not now.

The madly raging Zhenwangqi replenished his energy in real time.

When he first awakened the Zhenwangqi, North Palace Baek had said something.

He’d only pushed him up one step.

Considering his blunt nature, he probably wasn’t wrong.

Then.

‘What if I climb two steps, three steps?’

What could I possibly do if I reached the pinnacle, if I ascended to the realm of enlightenment?

Heh.

A laugh escaped me uncontrollably.

Suddenly, fighting enemies began to feel enjoyable.

It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced since learning martial arts.

As if sensing my mood, Jeon Wang-gi began rampaging even more madly. I charged toward the enemies once more.

Crackle. Swoosh!

The Extreme Sword Light erupted like lightning, cleaving five bodies in two.

Then, nearby enemies let out grotesque cries as they swung their swords and daggers.

“Kiiyaat!”

“Krrr.”

Thud. Splash.

Pain surged up as my forearm and thigh split open.

But I wasn’t afraid.

Instead, my fighting spirit toward the enemy only surged higher.

I grabbed the enemy’s neck with the Samyang Sword and wrenched it right out.

I stomped on his leg, breaking it, then drove a fist into his skull, smashing it open.

Thud. Splash.

Ignoring the swords and blades thrusting in from all sides, I pierced the heart area of the one directly before me.

Splash!

Hot blood splattered across my face.

“Huh huh.”

A laugh burst out uncontrollably.

Turning around, I saw the Black Coral warriors following the path I had cleared.

Swinging their swords—heavy and light, fast and slow.

Seeing their blades, a small old man came to mind.

“Kee-hya!”

I turned my head directly toward the approaching enemies.

Focusing without spreading my energy made my body feel infinitely heavy.

In that state, I thrust my fist forward.

Thud.

It pierced straight through the enemy’s chest.

This time, I spread my energy widely.

My body felt as light as a feather.

Stepping out with the Zhenwangbo, I instantly felt a different sense of speed than before.

‘Kekekek, this feels good!’

Overwhelming joy surged through him.

It was because he had discovered the potential of the Zhenwang style.

Attacks grew even stronger.

Movements became even faster.

It didn’t matter if the enemies felt no pain.

He could simply kill them in one strike.

He advanced like this for about an hour.

“Kwaa······.”

POW!

With the last one’s head exploding, the battlefield of the small fry ended.

Now, only the fight between North Palace Lord Baek and South Heaven Palace Lord remained.

I just needed to find an opening to strike at South Heaven Palace Lord from behind.

Thump-thump.

For some reason, my excitement wouldn’t subside.

Instead, murderous intent surged up, making me want to burst out right now.

“Krah…”

The voice burst out uncontrollably.

It was like those who had lost their minds and charged at us moments ago.

In that instant, I realized something was terribly wrong.

And it seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt it.

Thud.

The Black Mountain Ho immediately backed away when they saw I hadn’t retracted my killing intent.

Then came the deep voice of the Black Coral Lord.

[Calm your energy!]

Following his advice, I desperately tried to quell the Zhenqi.

But.

Crackle. Crack.

Perhaps because I’d raised the Zhenqi with laissez-faire neglect all this time, it wouldn’t listen at all.

This is why you shouldn’t just indulge everything when raising something.

“Guh…”

Thud.

The energy began to surge violently, as if it might erupt at any moment.

Seeing my precarious state, Black Coral’s telepathic voice reached me again.

[If you can’t subdue it, then release it!]

With that, the Black Corals leaped toward the Southern Heavenly Palace Lord.

I too unfolded the Zhenwangbao and pursued them.

* * *

Bukgungbaek watched Chu Cheol-o, who was half-mad and wildly wielding his sword.

He wasn’t a close friend.

They were merely acquaintances who had met a few times through their fathers’ connections.

Yet, Bukgungbaek liked him.

His bold personality and lofty ambition to place the world beneath his feet suited his own masculine nature well.

For such a man to now stand before him like this, hand to hand.

A hint of sadness even stirred within him.

But his own feelings were irrelevant now.

If he failed to defeat Chu Cheol-o before him, it would be Bukgung Baek himself who would die.

The fiery sword blade aimed for his lower body.

Zzzzzz.

A frenzied cutting force sliced through the earth near this field.

Having dodged the attack, Bukgung Baek began to unfold his vision.

The moment he stepped into the true stance, he shot forward at lightning speed.

Pffffffff.

He extended his palm strike with full force.

But Choo Cheol-oh was also a peerless master of the highest caliber.

Moreover, he had even obtained the power of deceit through forbidden arts.

A crimson sword qi surged, striking away Bukgung Baek’s sword qi.

Kwaaang! Pashh.

A massive shockwave erupted, sending dust and earth flying.

Chu Cheol-o’s sword sliced through the dust and earth, moving once more.

Whoosh!

A powerful gust of wind swept through, instantly clearing the dust.

The two faced each other once more.

Chu Cheol-o stood his sword, a smile tinged with intense killing intent playing on his lips.

Bukgung Baek, showing no sign of letting his guard down, assumed his sword stance.

And then.

Their figures shot towards each other.

The crimson sword energy and black qi collided, erupting with a thunderous roar.

Crash.

Unable to withstand the shockwaves unleashed by their fierce clash, the pavilions collapsed with a deafening crash.

Lethal energy burst forth with enough power to send anyone to the next world if struck even once.

And the one forced back in that clash was…

Swoosh!

It was Bukgung Baek.

Though he had extinguished his opponent’s sword energy, he hadn’t blocked the force channeled within it, resulting in a severe wound that split his lower abdomen.

“Guh.”

Bukgung Baek coughed up blood, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

“Didn’t you say… you’d reach the heavens…?”

Chu Cheol-o was seen grinning with a thick, viscous smile.

“You’re still far from it.”

Bukgung Baek summoned his vital energy once more.

Though he had sustained injuries bordering on critical, he had not lost his fighting spirit.

Defeat? It was possible.

Death? He was prepared for it at any moment.

The most terrifying thing was becoming aware of himself fleeing.

The two clashed violently once more.

Within twenty seconds, Bukgung Baek began to be pushed back.

CRASH.

Unable to withstand the might of the Dao Strike, he was sent flying backward.

“Ha!”

Chu Cheol-o extended his vision to pursue him.

At that critical moment.

Bukgung Baek saw it.

The Black Mountain Horns and the Jinmu Strike, flying toward him like lightning.

CRASH!