Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 76

– The Emperor’s Sword – [77]

Extending sword energy from a blade is no simple feat. It requires at least three cycles of internal energy cultivation to even mimic, and achieving this level is enough to be considered a first-rate master. In truth, encountering such a master in the martial world is rare. However, organizations like the Martial Alliance or the Demonic Cult, with their strong ties to various sects, often have top masters present, making it relatively easier to witness sword energy wielders.

The individuals currently blocking the Great Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult were emitting sword energy at least a foot long, indicating they possessed at least 200 years of internal energy. These were masters capable of slicing through metal as easily as tofu. Yet, Yul-geuk was charging at them with his bare body.

Clang

Clang

What was this strange sound? Their swords, brimming with sword energy, had clearly struck his bare skin, yet sparks flew, and they were repelled. It was truly unbelievable. However, they couldn’t just stand there in awe. The people behind them thrust their swords at Yul-geuk again. At the very least, they thought, even if they couldn’t defeat this strange fellow, they could stop him.

Thud

“Ugh!”

“Guh!”

They were sent flying backward, along with their beloved swords. Upon closer inspection, a hazy mist was swirling around Yul-geuk’s body, and it seemed to envelop him more tightly each time a sword struck him. Yul-geuk didn’t stop his momentum and waved his hand towards the last five people. They were already unleashing their sword energy, striking him simultaneously, and naturally collided with Yul-geuk’s palm force.

Wham!

A deafening sound that seemed to shake the heavens and earth erupted, and the swords shattered into pieces.

“Ugh…”

“Cough…”

“Hack…”

The sounds echoed as if they were competing to see who could scream the most… elegantly(?). In no time, Yul-geuk had passed through them and reached within striking distance of the Great Sect Leader. Yul-geuk’s hand reached out, and the Great Sect Leader floated into the air. Simultaneously, the bodies of the five mysterious figures that Yul-geuk had passed through were torn to pieces. It was the power of the Nine Yin Manual’s martial arts at work. The people in the hall, who had only known him as a fool, were now secretly cheering him on as he displayed such astonishing power.

“Wow, he’s good.”

“Amazing. How can he do that?”

“As expected of someone under the Great Lord, he’s different.”

Their eyes quickly followed the moment when the Great Sect Leader’s palm and Yul-geuk’s palm came into contact. They were all on edge, as if missing even a single moment would leave them with eternal regret.

Wham!

“Ugh!”

Who screamed? Who was repelled? Their only concern was that. Their lives depended on the outcome, so their interest was immense. Yul-geuk had taken a step back, and the Great Sect Leader was sent flying backward, barely managing to regain his balance by knocking over a chair.

“Yay! The Great Sect Leader is nothing!”

“Awesome!”

The Mad Demon also looked at Yul-geuk with surprised eyes. He didn’t know how Yul-geuk had not lost his internal energy, but he was inexplicably happy that Yul-geuk was stronger than he had thought. At that level, he wouldn’t be easily defeated. Maybe, just maybe, he could kill them all, as Yul-geuk had said.

The Great Sect Leader stared at the monster in front of him. He still couldn’t believe it.

“Damn it… What a disgrace!”

He drew the sword that was hanging at his waist. The blade was red, undoubtedly a precious sword. He tossed the scabbard aside and gripped the hilt with both hands.

“I was careless. Let’s try this again…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. The monster in front of him had attacked again. From the opponent’s palm, which was thrust forward, a palm force like a pillar of cloud surged out like a whirlwind. Even before it reached him, a chill ran through him, indicating it was an extreme yin martial art [Yin energy is associated with cold, darkness, and passivity in traditional Chinese philosophy].

“Take this! You fiend! Soul-Reaping Flame Sword!”

Red flames erupted from his sword. It was the same sword technique that the Soul-Reaping Flame Dragon, one of the Four Dragons, had used in the martial arts competition in Muchang. However, the flames now were even more intense.

When the two different energies collided, an unusual sound of impact occurred.

Wham!

Wham! Wham!

They clashed continuously, but neither gained the upper hand.

‘Damn it, that guy isn’t giving me any room, so I can’t use the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword… What kind of guy is he?’

He was desperate. He was confident that he had experienced thousands of martial arts matches, but the opponent in front of him was someone who defied all common sense. He didn’t use any refined techniques, but simply emitted a hazy, extreme yin energy from his palm. However, its power was so extreme that even a slight graze would tear his clothes apart. If he let his guard down for even a moment, he would be turned into a piece of ice without being able to do anything. In the end, all he could do was use the Soul-Reaping Sword, which he could deploy relatively quickly, and occasionally release palm force. He couldn’t even attempt his most confident secret weapon, the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword.

“Die!”

The fiend only shouted those words and swung his palm. His movements were so fast that his vision blurred. Even though time was passing, the fiend attacked relentlessly without a moment’s rest.

The fiend was truly a monster who never tired.

‘Alright, it’s come to this. There’s no other way.’

Thud!

With another clash, he took a step back and watched the opponent approach. He held the sword in his right hand and put his left hand inside his robe. The fiend, as expected, attacked with the same crude method he had seen countless times. He was extremely cautious, thinking that even a graze would mean death.

“You fiend, now you die!”

The Great Sect Leader’s sword emitted flames and collided with the Nine Yin Demonic Palm, and his left hand, which had been inside his robe, came out and flicked something.

“Ugh!”

For the first time, Yul-geuk groaned and stepped back, looking down at his body. His entire body was covered in small needles.

“Hahaha, even if you have the skills of a dragon, you won’t survive. Those are the Corpse Poison Soul-Reaping Needles…”

The Great Sect Leader, who was speaking with a triumphant smile, paused and opened his mouth in surprise. Look at what Yul-geuk was doing. He was nonchalantly plucking the needles, gathering them in one hand, and applying force. Then, when he opened his hand, something rolled out of his palm. It was a lump of ice. He had frozen the needles all at once. Then, he rubbed the spots where the needles had pierced his body and looked at the Great Sect Leader.

“You fiend, die!”

He shouted the same words he had heard countless times and attacked with both hands.

“What, what kind of guy is this?”

He retreated instinctively, missed the opportunity to attack, retreated because he didn’t dare to counterattack… He kept retreating. He was now pushed to the lower part of the hall, circling around the hall. It was as if he was putting on a show to let everyone see him more clearly.

When Yul-geuk’s Nine Yin Demonic Palm approached the Great Sect Leader, he barely managed to unleash the Soul-Reaping Sword and retreated. This had happened dozens of times already, and even the onlookers were starting to get bored. The person being attacked might be desperate, but the onlookers were hoping for a quick resolution. In the end, because he fled downwards, some of the Blood Demon Heaven’s subordinates who were blocking the entrance were killed… It was truly pathetic.

The strategist sent a telepathic message to the Demonic Eye Commander.

[It doesn’t seem like it will end easily. Demonic Eye Commander, kill those people.]

[What?]

[Don’t you understand? The Lord’s order has already been given, so there’s no need to keep them alive any longer. Anyway, it seems like we’ll have to deal with that monster for a while longer…]

[Understood.]

The Demonic Eye Commander was dressed in gray night clothes, with only his eyes showing. He approached the people in the hall. The Mad Demon and the Shadowless Demon were secretly watching them, so they realized what their actions meant.

“Yul-geuk!”

As the Mad Demon’s voice rang out, Yul-geuk’s form, which had been going berserk, stopped as if it were a lie. He turned towards the direction of the sound.

“Mad Demon Brother! What’s wrong?”

It seemed he wasn’t completely out of his mind yet. As Yul-geuk looked this way, the Demonic Eye Commander, who was approaching the people in the hall, also stopped at the same time, and in the meantime, the Great Sect Leader, Hyuk Woo-jong, was catching his breath.

‘A brainless fool.’

That was the Great Sect Leader’s honest feeling when looking at Yul-geuk. He was an opponent he didn’t want to fight if he could help it. He had never encountered a guy who attacked so relentlessly. Even if he left the Demonic Venerable Hall and escaped from the land of Akyang, it seemed like that guy would relentlessly follow him.

“Kill those bastards first.”

As the Mad Demon pointed at the strategist and the Demonic Eye Commander, the Demonic Eye Commander flinched and took a step back, and the strategist, Je Gal-cho Hong, turned her pretty face red with fear. It seemed that they both knew that even the Great Sect Leader couldn’t protect them from that monster, so their desperation was immense.

“Kill them first?”

“Yes. They’re trying to kill this brother.”

“Really?… Okay.”

He answered nonchalantly and looked at the Great Sect Leader.

“You, wait here. I’ll kill you after I come back…”

“Hahahaha, to think I would be in this situation.”

Yul-geuk approached the two people as if he was annoyed.

“You fiend! Where do you think you’re going?”

The Great Sect Leader stabbed Yul-geuk with his sword from behind. Then, Yul-geuk swung his hand back, releasing palm force, and using the rebounding force, he instantly approached the two people. The two, in desperation, fled towards the Great Sect Leader, and Yul-geuk chased after them again. It was truly a bizarre scene. They were clearly making serious(?) movements to take each other’s lives, but why did the onlookers find it so funny? In the end, the strategist and the Demonic Eye Commander, who had safely(!) escaped behind the Great Sect Leader, breathed a sigh of relief.

However, it was just an illusion. Soon, Yul-geuk’s reckless attack began. At first, it seemed like they were fighting on equal terms, but soon, he was busy retreating. Because of that, the lives of the two people hiding behind him were in even more danger. If they were unlucky, they would lose their lives. They couldn’t predict which direction the Great Sect Leader would flee.

The Demonic Eye Commander took advantage of the clash between the two and tried to slip out from behind the Great Sect Leader. And as expected, that brainless monster was trying to kill him first. Why did he give such an order and bring this danger upon himself? He wanted to curse the strategist. At this moment, the Great Sect Leader was also lamenting his own situation.

‘That fool. He should have used the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword when he had the chance earlier…’

Truly, he felt pathetic even to himself. At this rate, there seemed to be no way to avoid his death. Sometimes, he was even tempted to just give up and die, which showed how terrifying the monster’s persistence was.

‘Right. There was that method. Have the Demonic Eye Commander draw his attention again, and in the meantime…’

[Listen carefully. Draw his attention again. In the meantime, I will unleash the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword.]

This was clearly an order to go and die. The Demonic Eye Commander immediately replied to the Great Sect Leader through telepathy.

[No, I refuse. I cannot willingly put myself in such danger when I know I will die.]

It was a truly absurd answer.

[Hey, you idiot! At this rate, we’ll all die!]

[Alright… I understand.]

[Now! Get out there!]

The Demonic Eye Commander dashed to the side with all his might, and soon, Yul-geuk followed to kill him.

It was at that moment. An unusual change began to be detected in the Great Sect Leader’s sword. He supported the sword with his left palm under the hilt and raised the blade straight into the air. After some time, black mist began to flow from his sword and spread across the floor. It was the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword, one of the three great demonic arts of the Blood Demon Heavenly Sect that Talmyeong Hwaryong had used. The soldier behind the Great Sect Leader sighed in relief.

“Ah, now it’s done.”

She was relieved. She knew how powerful the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword was. Once, in Muchang, Jang Do-il, the disciple of the Great Sect Leader, had been defeated by a man who claimed to be a subordinate of the Jade Faced Divine Dragon, but that man had not fully grasped the true essence of the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword. However, the Lord in front of her was a far superior master than Jang Do-il. Moreover, he had shown an obsession with this sword technique, to the point that it was no exaggeration to say that he had only mastered the Blood Demon Annihilation Sword. Therefore, he would be more than enough to defeat that madman.

Meanwhile, the Demonic Eye Commander, who had dashed to the side, was busy running for his life. Knowing that it was impossible to face him with his own skills, he relied on his quick movements to escape. Although the Jonma Hall was quite large, why did it feel so small today? Yul-geuk, who had been following him, suddenly stopped in place and slowly cornered him to one side. He seemed ready to unleash his power at any moment, making it difficult to escape. Facing him directly and slowly approaching, it was not easy to take a step anywhere.

‘Ah, I’m definitely going to die now. I shouldn’t have listened to that damned Lord… Tch, does he think I don’t know that he’s making me do this because he has feelings for the soldier?’

Pshhh!

Yul-geuk crouched down, instantly closing the distance, and then flicked his hand. The Demonic Eye Commander, realizing that he was already within the range of his power no matter where he fled, spread his hands wide as if he could not die such a meaningless death. His power touched the monster’s white aura and silently vanished, and it immediately covered his vision. He felt a chill down his spine. That was the end. With his hands still outstretched, the Demonic Eye Commander turned into a block of ice, and then gradually began to crack and crumble to the floor.

“Hehe, I killed one.”

Yul-geuk turned around, smiled at the Mad Demon, and then immediately leaped towards the Great Sect Leader.

“Huh?”

Yul-geuk tilted his head. In front of him, there was no black smoke flowing or gathering, and above it, a sword tip was sticking out. It was swaying along with the mist as if a paper boat had been folded and floated on water, and with each movement, it created several to dozens of illusions. The more he focused, the more severe the hallucinations became, making it impossible to tell which one was real. Gradually, their numbers rapidly increased until they filled his vision.

“Yul-geuk. Be careful. Don’t hesitate and strike the gathered mist.”

The Mad Demon Lord knew the power of that sword technique well, having faced it once before. If he were in normal condition, he could have easily dealt with it, but as he was now, he could not even defeat the soldier, Je Gal Cho-hong. Despite the Mad Demon Lord’s words, Yul-geuk only tilted his head, looking at it with curiosity.

“Hehehe, now I will kill you!”

The voice was clearly the confident voice of the Great Sect Leader. At that moment, a strange light appeared on Yul-geuk’s face.

“Ah, you were hiding there. Die.”

From Yul-geuk’s hand, the Nine Yin True Energy poured out once again! Then, the sword tips floating in the air instantly scattered in all directions, overlapping in multiple layers and separating again into hundreds of forms. The power that Yul-geuk had unleashed was already buried in the change and had vanished without a sound. Yul-geuk looked down at his palm as if something was strange.

“That’s strange? Why isn’t there any sound?”

It was strange that there was no sound when something should have collided. Even though the sword tips were slowly approaching, Yul-geuk stood there blankly, not moving.

The Mad Demon Lord was anxious. He was a stronger master than Talmyeong Hwaryong, whom he had faced before, but he did not think he was someone he could not handle. The problem was that Yul-geuk did not know how to use his abilities. He was only launching overly straightforward attacks, so he was not achieving much effect compared to his abilities.

He wanted to enlighten him, but there was no way because Yul-geuk’s intelligence level was low.

“Hehehe, your antics end here. Don’t expect any more luck.”

Pshhh!

He thought he saw something flash for a moment, but Yul-geuk’s upper body was already torn open.

“Agh… It hurts.”

Blood flowed down. Yul-geuk looked at it and instinctively reached out with his hand. White frost formed on his hand, and when he removed it, the wound had healed. It was the very technique that had made Pa Cheon exclaim in admiration. It was difficult to inflict a wound, but even if a wound was inflicted, it would heal quickly…

“Oh, how can that be?”

“How can such a thing happen?”

Exclamations of admiration burst out from the people in the hall without them realizing it.

“He’s truly a monster. He’s someone who shouldn’t be left alive.”

The sword tips began to move again.

Pshhh!

The moment he felt them move, they flashed brightly. Dozens of sword tips were fired at once like a flood and then retreated.

Yul-geuk was in pain from the wounds. He felt pain just like anyone else. Wounds had appeared without him having any time to react. This time, it did not stop there. It seemed that the sword tips were moving again. Yul-geuk glared at the sword tips with wide eyes.

Pshhh!

Instinctively, Yul-geuk twisted his body. He felt a pure white sword energy slash across his upper body in a cross shape. He twisted his body, rotated, and flipped his hand.

Clang!

Pshhh!

The Great Sect Leader was persistent. Attacks continued to erupt, and large wounds appeared all over Yul-geuk’s body. Because the flesh was tearing apart before it could even heal, his upper body was already soaked in blood. Yul-geuk, who was constantly retreating, looked pitiful. He had the ability but did not know how to use it, which made the onlookers feel sorry for him.

“Hehehe, now I’ll cut off your head. I wonder if you’ll still be alive even after your head is cut off.”

The Mad Demon Lord had given up all hope. Yul-geuk was stronger than that guy. But it was useless because he did not know how to use that strength. Yul-geuk’s simple attacks were only effective against those who were much weaker than him, and if they were similar or not too far apart, he was more likely to be defeated.

‘Damned Dae Chu-gwang! You foolish man. To be caught by such a trick, can you even call yourself the second-in-command of the Heavenly Demon Sect?’

He was heartbroken. He cursed his own helplessness. He cursed himself for having to watch Yul-geuk die. Until now, no one in the martial world had ever made him exert his full power. If he were to exert his full power, how many people in the entire martial world, except for Pa Cheon, could withstand him? He blamed his own recklessness for being caught in an ambush so easily despite having such strong martial arts, but it was no use. Even if Pa Cheon had experienced such difficulties, would he believe it?

It would be the same for Mu Young-jon. Soon, the Heavenly Demon Sect would appear in the martial world, and he would be able to chastise the martial world with his 11 brothers… Everything was gone.

“Hehehe, die.”

“Agh!”

“Gasp!”

“Ugh!”

Screams were coming from not just one person but several at the same time? It was clearly not Yul-geuk’s. The eyes of the crowd all turned to where the sounds were coming from. It was the entrance. The subordinates of the Blood Demon Heavenly Sect who had been guarding the entrance were now scattered and lying in disarray. And two people were entering through that entrance!

The Mad Demon Lord’s face was filled with emotion, and his eyes were bloodshot. The first person to shout was surprisingly Yul-geuk.

“Captain!”

It was a moment. The Great Sect Leader’s sword tip emitted light and went to strike Yul-geuk’s neck, who was distracted. But at that moment, there was a movement twice as fast as that light.

People only thought that something had flashed before their eyes at that moment. One of the two people entering the entrance had disappeared from there. And he was unbelievably holding the sword that was aimed at Yul-geuk’s neck with his bare hand.

“The games end here. A fool who doesn’t know when he’s going to die has no value in living.”

It was clearly an illogical statement. The person who said those words was a real(?) monster with red hair, a blue face, and white eyes. Just by seeing Yul-geuk’s fear as he looked at him right in front of him, it seemed to be a clear fact.

“Your Excellency!”

“Great Lord! You are safe.”

“Great Lord.”

The people in the hall all knelt down. Their voices trembled faintly. They had trembled with fear before, but the trembling now was definitely not of that kind.

“You’re all alive. I’m so grateful that you’re alive…”

A wave of emotion swept through the Jonma Hall.

“Pa Cheon, what should we do with this guy?”

The black mist had completely cleared, and the Heavenly Demon was now holding the Great Sect Leader by the collar, who was writhing. He was limp, but his mind seemed clear. Pa Cheon stood up the people who were kneeling on the floor of the Jonma Hall one by one. Then, he walked through them and picked up the fallen Tae Sa-ui and sat him down.

“Bring that guy here.”

Yul-geuk stood next to the Heavenly Demon, looking at his face with a shrunken posture. When Yul-geuk stared at him, the Heavenly Demon, feeling awkward, said,

“What are you looking at?”

Yul-geuk quickly lowered his head. And when he raised his head again, the monster was gone.

He was already in front of the captain, throwing the slippery guy down. Yul-geuk looked at the woman in front of him. When no one paid attention to him, Je Gal Cho-hong was at a loss as to what to do, but then she met Yul-geuk’s eyes as he looked at her. Yul-geuk said to her,

“What are you looking at?”

Je Gal Cho-hong walked towards the Great Lord without anyone telling her to. And she quietly knelt down.

The wise woman realized that everything had gone wrong. Now, even her life was in the hands of that man. Once she gave up everything, she felt so at ease. She even thought that it might be okay to die now.