Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 177

The scene before them was, in a word, devastation.

“……”

Namgoong Mu-jin’s face was a mask of indescribable emotions.

Shock, awe, reverence—a mix of countless feelings.

“This is…”

He had heard the stories.

He had acknowledged them.

But seeing it firsthand was always different.

“The….”

Blood Demon, Heavenly Demon, True Demon.

The master of all demons, hence, the ‘Maju’ [Demon Lord].

That power was now unfolding before his very eyes.

Namgoong Mu-jin, who had reached the profound realm and was slated to lead the Namgoong family and even take the position of the Heavenly Assembly’s leader.

A martial artist gains enlightenment simply by watching a fight between those of higher skill.

However, if the gap is too great, there is nothing to see.

Gulp.

Namgoong Mu-jin saw nothing in this fight.

Skill level?

It wasn’t about that.

‘Slaughter.’

Lee Ro-woon didn’t show any specific techniques or principles; he simply butchered the enemies.

“Kuaaak!”

“Don’t fall back…!”

“Aaaagh!”

The Namgoong family, known for their unyielding will.

“Stop….”

Namgoong Mu-jin simply murmured, watching the scene unfold before him.

“Stop….”

It wasn’t a plea directed at Lee Ro-woon, who was fighting the Namgoong family.

“Stop it!”

It was a cry towards the Namgoong family, who, without knowing their opponent, were rushing in like moths to a flame.

Pools of blood erupting.

The Namgoong family being swept away within them.

Splish.

Forward, and forward again.

“……”

Before long, the battlefield had fallen into a deep silence.

“L-Lord.”

A member of the Azure Dragon Unit called out to Namgoong Mu-jin.

“Lord!”

Only then could Namgoong Mu-jin regain his senses.

The sense of reality was so distant that it felt like a dream.

But what was even more surprising was the voice of the unit member that followed.

“They’re alive!”

“……?”

“The Namgoong family’s martial artists are alive!”

Namgoong Mu-jin’s eyes moved rapidly.

The figures of the Namgoong family members, collapsed in the pools of blood.

He expanded his senses, focusing all his attention on his hearing.

Thump!

They were beating.

“They’re… alive?”

Though their limbs were twisted and covered in blood, the hearts of the Namgoong family’s martial artists were still beating.

They were in terrible shape, but with the Namgoong family’s resources, they could be restored to their original state.

That was why.

Gulp.

Namgoong Mu-jin’s steps stopped completely, as if nailed to the ground.

Swoosh.

He looked at Lee Ro-woon.

“Hoo.”

Even after facing so many, his breathing hadn’t faltered much.

‘Just what…’

Killing and subduing.

‘Just what kind of monster is he?’

No matter what anyone said, the former was much easier.

To subdue this many martial artists and players without killing them.

‘Even the family head can’t do it.’

Even Namgoong Chun, the great martial artist of the Namgoong family, couldn’t do it.

“It’s quiet now.”

Lee Ro-woon said after fully catching his breath.

“As expected of the Blood Demon!”

“Hmph. There’s nothing left to do.”

Namgoong Mu-jin and the Azure Dragon Unit members.

“……Huh.”

Everyone except the Mooyong family accepted the situation too easily.

That made it even more surreal.

“Let’s go now.”

Lee Ro-woon moved ahead.

The others began to follow him.

Namgoong Mu-jin also finally took a heavy step forward.

The path was open, and the family’s martial artists had survived.

But Namgoong Mu-jin’s expression didn’t ease.

“Lord.”

“It’s dangerous.”

Namgoong Mu-jin muttered to himself.

His eyes were completely fixed on Lee Ro-woon.

“It’s too dangerous.”

It wasn’t that he was afraid of Lee Ro-woon’s immense power.

Rather.

“At this rate….”

Lee Ro-woon, set as the adversary within the Azure Sky Unrestrained Sword Formation.

He was worried about the internal energy he must have lost while rampaging like this.

There was proof.

At first, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see Lee Ro-woon’s bottom, but now he could see it faintly.

But there was an atmosphere that prevented him from saying anything.

Namgoong Mu-jin, who had been at the forefront of the battle, knew that breaking this momentum and morale was too dangerous.

While he was worrying and pondering.

“We’ve arrived.”

They were able to reach the Tokyo Tower, which could be called the core of the Azure Sky Unrestrained Sword Formation.

Swish.

The Namgoong family’s elites, standing upright like statues, holding their swords, stepped back to clear the path.

In the center.

“Family Head…!”

Namgoong Chun was looking at them with sunken eyes.

“You’re late, Maju.”

***

“……”

Lee Ro-woon and Namgoong Chun were looking at each other.

As if they were the only two in a large open space, they were solely focused on each other.

“Family Head-!”

It was Namgoong Mu-jin who broke the silence.

Namgoong Mu-jin shouted as if rebuking him.

“Please stop now!”

Only then did Namgoong Chun’s gaze turn to Namgoong Mu-jin.

Twitch.

Everyone, including Namgoong Mu-jin, trembled at that gaze.

“Stop now….”

A gaze devoid of any emotion.

It felt as if everything would be sucked into it.

For a moment, Namgoong Mu-jin, as if terrified, raised his voice again.

“Is this truly for the sake of the Namgoong…!”

Namgoong Mu-jin shouted.

Drop, drop.

Blood was falling in front of him.

Lee Ro-woon’s hand, as if holding something, was dripping blood.

“……Family Head.”

It was Namgoong Chun.

From afar, he had drawn Namgoong Muhon [Namgoong Family Sword] and swung it, and Namgoong Mu-jin couldn’t even react to the sword energy that poured out.

Trickle.

He would have died if not for Lee Ro-woon.

-Mu-jin.

He was a strict father.

As the head of the great Namgoong family, he was always a strict father when dealing with his son, Namgoong Mu-jin.

-Mu-jin.

Even so, there was a hint of warmth and affection.

“Family Head-!”

But not now.

The warmth in his gaze, the will hidden in his coldness, none of it could be felt.

“I wondered why the Namgoong family was doing such a stupid thing.”

Lee Ro-woon said, opening the fist he had been clenching.

The long cut on his palm slowly began to heal.

“Seeing it myself, it’s clear now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your father.”

Lee Ro-woon said, looking directly at Namgoong Chun.

“He’s being controlled.”

“……!”

“To put it simply, it’s called Soul Subjugation.”

“That’s absurd!”

Namgoong Mu-jin shouted in surprise.

Soul Subjugation, a type of dark magic that interferes with the soul to control a person.

It was said that the Heavenly Demon Cult’s Soul Subjugation could easily control even first-rate martial artists.

“He’s the head of the Namgoong family!”

The target was none other than Namgoong Chun.

The head of the Namgoong family, a master of the Life and Death Realm.

“So what?”

Namgoong Mu-jin closed his mouth at Lee Ro-woon’s words.

“Do you think that’s just some ordinary Soul Subjugation? No one here can feel it, can they?”

“……”

“That kind of thing….”

Smirk.

A languid smile spread across Lee Ro-woon’s lips.

“At least, it’s a Duke-level….”

Clang!

Sparks flew in front of Lee Ro-woon’s eyes.

“Kuh!”

“Kuh!”

“A-Are you alright?”

Ha Se-min, Lee Yong-jin, and Kang Eun-ha.

The sound of their fists, swords, and blades clashing as they blocked something.

Namgoong Chun, who had changed his stance once again.

He had swung his sword.

“A demon.”

Not a martial artist tainted by demonic energy.

“A demon of Gehenna [Hell].”

In other words.

“It’s the work of a demon.”

“That’s…!”

Namgoong Mu-jin looked at Namgoong Chun.

He couldn’t believe it.

His father, the greatest master of the Silver Order, was being controlled by a demon.

“It’s not just your father.”

Lee Ro-woon reached out and scattered the sword energy of Namgoong Chun that Kang Eun-ha and the others were blocking.

“Everyone here has been affected.”

Except for a few that Namgoong Chun had managed to exclude, including Namgoong Mu-jin, everyone else.

It was then.

Swoosh.

Like a ripple on a lake, Namgoong Chun’s figure became blurry.

Clang!

The gauntlets of blood that surged from Lee Ro-woon’s crossed arms.

They were blocking Namgoong Chun’s Namgoong Muhon.

“This is a pain in the ass.”

* * *

Clang! Bang! Clang!

Explosions occurred one after another.

Swoosh.

Namgoong Chun was simply swinging his sword leisurely.

Clang!

Lee Ro-woon, who was hit by it, was staggering.

“Blood Demon!”

“True Demon-!”

“Maju!”

Others called out to Lee Ro-woon urgently and tried to move.

Swoosh.

But they weren’t even allowed to approach, as Namgoong Chun’s sword moved.

Blood seeped out from the torn front of his clothes.

“You’re not my match.”

Lee Ro-woon’s languid eyes gradually narrowed.

Lee Ro-woon’s figure became blurry.

At the same time, Namgoong Chun’s figure became blurry.

Clang!

All that could be seen were sparks.

“Kuh.”

And only Lee Ro-woon staggering.

Flower Realm, Profound Realm.

Rankers, High Rankers.

Those who were known as skilled individuals who could face guilds alone and lead the battlefield.

Clang!

Even with their eyes, there was nothing they could see.

“This kind of fight…!”

It was that kind of fight.

A fight between those who had broken through the firmly established walls and moved forward.

Clang!

A fight between monsters.

“No.”

Kang Eun-ha’s eyes began to emit a dark red glow.

Lee Ro-woon had told her not to interfere, but it was not a situation where she could do so.

Whoosh!

She released the restrictions even though permission hadn’t been given.

Within the thick blood mist, tears of blood began to flow down Kang Eun-ha’s face.

Then, she could see it faintly.

Namgoong Chun’s shoulder moving slightly.

Kang Eun-ha’s reaction was immediate.

She jumped in.

Clang!

And blocked it.

The price was immediate and devastating.

Swoosh.

A diagonal line across her shoulder.

“Kuhhh!”

Kang Eun-ha’s shoulder was half-severed and dangling.

If Lee Ro-woon hadn’t been blocking in front of her, Kang Eun-ha would have lost her shoulder at that moment.

Even though Kang Eun-ha had reached the Black Blood and used the power to break through her limits, that was the best she could do.

“What are you doing? I told you not to interfere.”

Lee Ro-woon’s voice was even and calm.

“But!”

Kang Eun-ha quickly pressed on the pressure points of her shoulder to stop the bleeding and shouted.

“Blood Demon-nim!”

Kang Eun-ha was the one most strongly connected to Lee Ro-woon.

That was why she could feel it.

She couldn’t say it out loud in front of the enemy, but.

‘You’re at your limit!’

She shouted with her eyes, with her intent.

Lee Ro-woon, who had opened the way, had literally swept through the Namgoong family’s martial artists and players to open the path.

As a result, Lee Ro-woon, whose internal energy had been drained by the Azure Sky Unrestrained Sword Formation.

‘I know that the Blood Demon’s internal energy has bottomed out!’

His internal energy was hitting rock bottom.

An empty dantian.

Hadn’t she been seeing the proof of it?

The way he was staggering, unable to even counterattack Namgoong Chun’s attacks.

“We are not burdens.”

Kang Eun-ha said, gripping her blade with her arm, which had already fully recovered.

“We are expendables.”

“……”

“Use us to create a moment of opportunity against the Blood Demon’s enemy.”

Namgoong Chun disappeared.

Clang!

Kang Eun-ha’s blade blocked Namgoong Chun’s sword strike for the first time.

“Cough!”

But she coughed up blood along with the shock that twisted her insides.

Without even thinking of wiping the blood flowing from her mouth, Kang Eun-ha spoke again.

“Don’t protect us. As the Blood Demon first intended.”

Goooo!

She unleashed everything.

Following the Blood Demon Energy….

Whoosh!

Even the Heavenly Demon Energy.

“Just consider us as expendables.”

It was the moment Kang Eun-ha was about to take a step.

Thud!

A dizzying shock was felt on the back of her neck, and Kang Eun-ha’s body tilted.

Namgoong Muhon was diagonally drawn in the spot where Kang Eun-ha had just been standing.

“Y-Your… Blood Demon-nim.”

At the end of it was Lee Ro-woon.

Namgoong Muhon was embedded in Lee Ro-woon’s chest, having cut through it.