Chapter 412: The Elite Advance
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The voice thrown out disinterestedly seemed to newly ignite the fighting spirit and resolve of the personnel assembled in the yard.
Directly in front of Cheol Ryu-heun.
Namgung Sang-rin, standing there, caressed the hilt of the Heaven Reliance Sword, the famed blade of ancient times, with a determined expression.
“Finally… the time has come.”
Having murmured that quietly as if reciting, power unconsciously entered his grip.
In that state, Hae Su-yeon and Cui Lan exchanged glances.
So did Seol Pan-gyo and Mae Yak-bang.
Thus, the entire group of guest retainers exchanged gazes one by one.
Though no words passed between them, their hearts were connected as one.
Everyone felt that.
The others who had gathered together were the same.
All the martial talents of the Orthodox and Unorthodox paths exchanged glances and steeled themselves to display indomitable fighting spirit.
Of course, the two talents from the military as well, Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae.
“Now that dawn has actually broken, my heart feels like it’s going to burst.”
At Namgung Heon-rin’s quiet voice, Jeon Kwae nodded his head.
“Me too. I’ve carried out large and small missions, but… this is my first time in a battle like this.”
“Hut… Is this indirectly experiencing the feeling of the Grand Commandery’s Supreme Generals?”
The Grand Commandery that Namgung Heon-rin spoke of meant precisely the highest military, the so-called Five Armies Grand Commandery.
The true pinnacle of imperial military administration, composed of five commands… Center, Left, Right, Front, and Rear… led by the Grand General, the renowned general and military official representing the nation….
The Supreme Generals of the Five Armies Grand Commandery were experienced in large-scale battles.
That was only natural.
The Imperial Guard that Namgung Heon-rin belonged to was a special operations organization that operated secretly by imperial command, whereas the Five Armies Grand Commandery was an official military that carried out battlefield missions.
Hearing Namgung Heon-rin’s words, Jeon Kwae shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s a bit different.”
Then he slightly indicated Cheol Ryu-heun with a glance.
“Even the world’s Grand Commandery… probably wouldn’t know what it feels like to fight alongside that person.”
Namgung Heon-rin smiled again.
“Hut. Yes, well…”
At that moment, his elder brother Namgung Sang-rin’s Sound Transmission was heard.
Words in which brotherly concern was clearly felt.
Namgung Heon-rin also responded with Sound Transmission Mind-to-Mind.
Meanwhile, Mun-bin was looking around.
‘In just a few days, he saved this many people. Honestly, even seeing it with my own two eyes, it’s a situation I can’t believe.’
This yard was too cramped for all those here to occupy.
As if to prove that, countless personnel formed ranks around it.
Some were on rocks, some were in trees. Some were looking at the yard from atop the roof, ears attentive.
At that time.
SEUK.
A beautiful woman who had taken position beside Mun-bin took his hand.
It was Heavenly Flower Tower’s Tower Master, White Dream Beauty Lady Gongse Dan-yeong.
“Don’t get hurt. Absolutely.”
At her low, soft voice, Mun-bin drew a small smile.
“Don’t worry. The Ink Divine Robe that Miss gave me is protecting me.”
“Still, if an unforeseen crisis strikes, don’t push too hard.”
“You’re one to talk, Miss… be careful when you fight. I have no intention of becoming a bachelor.”
“Oh my, what… You can say such things now?”
“Why, did you think I’d be clueless forever?”
With those words, Mun-bin smiled and gripped Gongse Dan-yeong’s hand more tightly.
The Unorthodox martial talents standing nearby also exchanged words.
“Whew… My hands are sweating.”
A man wearing blue clothes embroidered with a jackal on the left shoulder and a wolf on the right.
It was Violent Wolf Blade of Wolf Fang Saber Sect.
When he rubbed his palms against his clothes, a man beside him pointed with a chin gesture toward his head and spoke.
“Hey, it’s not just your hands… your head too? It’s all shiny from sweat.”
It was Divine Fist Saber Master On-ga of Standing Saber Sect.
Jong-pyeong, having flared up, scowled.
“No, that’s…”
“Ah, whoops. It’s because you’re bald, I see. Sorry. I mistook it.”
“Should I take care of you before I fight the enemy!”
“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. It’s a form of inspiration tactics, inspiration tactics. So you channel that anger at the enemy.”
“KEK… Inspiration tactics, my foot!”
At that moment, another young man released a voice in a calm tone.
“He has a point. The target for venting anger is the enemy currently gathered out there, the Heaven Emperor Society gang. However, it would be proper to maintain that anger as coolly as possible.”
It was a voice with a strange power in it.
One that made the listener calm their heart.
The person who had released that voice was precisely Crushing Mountain Single Sword Beon-sa, the martial talent that Broken Mountain Sword Manor prided themselves on.
Jong-pyeong, as if it never happened, answered while wearing a smile.
“Yes, that’s correct. Young Master Beon’s words are a hundred times right. Rather than anger that flares up like a firecracker for an instant, anger maintained coolly is more fearsome… Anyway, I will channel all this fury toward the enemy.”
The reason his attitude softened was simple.
Because Beon-sa was someone he was more grateful to than anyone.
During the fight against the Sun Moon Demonic Cult, he had been able to escape a moment when his life was in danger thanks to his help.
Also, that incident was virtually a turning point in his life.
It had become an opportunity to reflect on his own faults of acting arrogantly as a famous rising star.
That is, Beon-sa was no different from a benefactor who made him realize he was a frog in a well.
Perhaps sensing that heart, Beon-sa nodded with a warm smile as well.
“I look forward to Young Master Jong’s performance. No, I believe without doubt that you’ll be very active.”
“Hahaha, just hearing that makes me feel good.”
There was a man quietly watching those two.
He was an entirely black-clad young man.
Bronze skin, bulging muscular physique, bold features… a black-clothed swordsman with a heroic bearing like the exemplar of a great man.
It was Black Cloud Young Master Hwa-seong, a first-rate swordsmanship genius from Heavenly Star Martial Hall, one of the prominent Unorthodox martial powers.
Some praised him thus.
That Hwa-seong was a great figure who would eventually surpass Black Silk Sword Sovereign Wei Ta-gong, his master who held the highest rank among the Hubei Six Polar Stars.
Such was the praise he received, yet now he was inwardly greatly admiring Beon-sa, who until now had been evaluated as below himself.
‘He has an even more mature atmosphere. It was originally his nature, but… through his connection with Sect Master Cheol, the feeling is that everything… his mindset, martial prowess, and more… has improved to a superhuman realm.’
Hwa-seong had already keenly felt it.
That he had surpassed himself.
Also, that unless he worked desperately from now on, that gap would widen even faster.
Although his personal martial prowess had remarkably strengthened through Cheol Ryu-heun’s arrangement, was that only his case?
All the martial talents of both camps here had leaped to lofty heights along with great enlightenment.
In truth, there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t a competitor.
However.
Perhaps Beon-sa had no regard for Hwa-seong himself.
After all, a higher goal was standing right there in this yard.
Dark Hall’s new pillar. Dark Fragrance Sword Mun-bin, that is.
A peerless martial artist who, since the great battle with the Sun Moon Demonic Cult, was even mentioned as the strongest of the entire Jiangnan Unorthodox Jianghu.
But even such a one was hard to praise as standing alone at the absolutely preeminent level among young masters.
Why?
Because there were the young guest retainers of White Peak Sword Sect.
Among them, two were especially remarkable.
Namgung Sang-rin and Hae Su-yeon, who had recently even obtained the sobriquets Azure Heaven Sword Dragon and Heaven-Summoning Sword Phoenix, were certainly at least equal to Mun-bin or at a level surpassing it.
No.
He was certain.
In all likelihood, it was martial power surpassing even Mun-bin’s.
Setting aside their dazzling deeds at the Sun Moon Demonic Cult previously, just thinking about what Cheol Ryu-heun had said until now made it only natural.
Was that all?
Cui Lan, who had inherited legendary great assassin Head-Severing Yama Seop-pyo’s deadly sword, had also attained Ten Thousand Poisons Impervious body and even Ten Complete Anti-Poison Steel Body, reaching martial prowess surmised to be close to those two.
Furthermore, what about the ability of Celestial Wind Sword Youth Ximen Yue, who wasn’t here, truly called a genius among geniuses…
Most likely, he too possessed power on par with Namgung Sang-rin and Hae Su-yeon, who had set foot in the realm of the superhuman.
Having thus reviewed the true colors of all the White Peak Sword Sect guest retainers, Hwa-seong soon let out an inner laugh.
‘Hut… As they say, mountains beyond mountains. Isn’t that fellow over there having similar thoughts to me?’
He suddenly turned his head and looked at someone.
A young martial monk with dharma robes draped on his body.
It was Central Peak Morning Star Hyo-gak, the one chosen and raised directly by Shaolin Temple’s current Abbot Won-gong Master as his principal disciple and special operative disciple.
At some point, he had come to be evaluated as the reincarnation of Enlightened Monk Gak-jin, the mainstay of Shaolin Monastery during the Blood God Dominion Era two hundred years ago.
However, even he would keenly feel that the idiom “mountains beyond mountains” held true before the White Peak Sword Sect guest retainers.
‘My immediate goal is you.’
With that thought, Hwa-seong scanned the figures of the new dragons from the Nine Great Sects.
Three Absolutes Azure Crane Chang-woon, Wudang’s youngest senior swordsman within the Tai Chi Sword Assembly; Buddha Crown Martial Flower Myo Jeong-mun of Potala Temple, called the flower of the Jianghu bloomed upon Buddha’s crown; Prosperous Flower Sword Son Im Kang-yu of Mount Hua Sect; Shadowless Swift Guest Pa-pyeong of Mount Huang Sect; Seven Yin Sword Jing-hyeon of Kongtong Sect; Shu Gold Great Pillar Han-sol of Emei Sect; Small Pure Spirit Hero Geon-ram of Mount Tai Sect…
Everyone seemed to give the feeling that the imposing aura from when he first saw them had become even stronger and more intense now.
Just as Cheol Ryu-heun had guaranteed, all the new dragons had been reborn as warriors on par with the Nine Great Sects’ sect masters.
Most of all, the most surprising was Mount Heng Sect’s Baek Lim’s rapid development.
After all, until before, he had just been living as an unremarkable disciple with no presence whatsoever.
Honestly, Hwa-seong hadn’t even known there was such a young man in Mount Heng Sect.
‘And those sisters are equally remarkable…’
He briefly looked at Stone Piercing Sword Maiden Murong Seol and Embroidery Piercing Sword Maiden Murong Song of the Murong Family.
Another famous martial talent who could not be easily ignored was standing beside them.
It was Tiger Step Saber Young Master Peng Ya-hwi, the eldest son of the Hebei Peng Family Lord.
Yesterday evening, Cheol Ryu-heun had performed a special great technique to increase his martial power.
As a result, his intangible imposing aura had changed to feel heavier than before.
It truly felt like facing a giant tiger.
‘Truly a place where all manner of dragons and tigers are running rampant.’
He thought once more.
About the true meaning of that expression, “mountains beyond mountains.”
Having withdrawn his gaze, Hwa-seong placed his hand on his sword hilt and resolved.
‘Yes, once this battle is over, I must request special training from my master. At an intensity rivaling real combat… The troubled times are just beginning. If so, I too must become stronger. At least enough to properly protect our Hall with my own power…’
Cheol Ryu-heun then confirmed the final roster of elite personnel who would participate in battle.
The martial talents including the five guest retainers, and in addition, famous warriors of the Orthodox and Unorthodox martial worlds.
Iron Blood Martial Alliance Leader Sword Wheel Crown Prince Gwi Je-shin, Solar Sword Castle Master Solar Sun Great Lord Beop-yeol, Chrysanthemum Martial Hall’s Chrysanthemum Fragrance Sword Matriarch Byeok Song-ha, Hebei Peng Family Lord Northern Heavens Saber Venerable Peng Cheon-jin, Dokgo Sword Family Lord New Province Sword Saint Dokgo In-wang, Nine Tiger Blade Gang Master Chopping Wave Saber Tiger Ji Jang-jong, and others… it was a truly splendid and unparalleled force composition.
In addition.
Meng Wang, the Hegemon of Poison Paramount of the frontier Southern Forest’s South Embrace Poison Palace, and his elite forces, along with Heavenly Demon Cult’s Demon Heaven Left Attendant Small-Face Bell Demoness Eun Yi-bi, Demon Heaven Right Attendant Delusional Seductive Demoness Ya Baek-ji, and even Great Prelate Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor Gun Mu-ak….
The remaining personnel would stand by safely inside the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation as planned.
Cheol Ryu-heun, taking the lead, opened his mouth expressionlessly.
“I will first seize the initiative. As a signal to begin.”
The procession following behind him said nothing.
Hearts pounding, blood quietly heating up throughout their bodies.
The tension that arrived ahead of the impending battle instead gave the feeling of clearing the mind.
Their hearts were hot.
But.
Their heads were cold.
That’s right.
They were completely ready to fight.
Cool-headedness resided within the fighting spirit that was close to excitement.
Each person’s eye-light spoke in place of their lips.
That they would display their martial power to their heart’s content, that they would show no mercy, that they would not lose their reason.
Thus, Cheol Ryu-heun’s party arrived at the eastern side of the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation.
A cliff blocking their view.
The moment Cheol Ryu-heun approached closely.
FLASH!
Mystical light burst from his entire body.
Immediately after, a large cave appeared ahead.
Thus, the hidden passage of the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation opened.
SEUREUREUNG…
Cheol Ryu-heun, having immediately drawn the Gan Jiang, sprinted forward like a flash of light and sent out a Sound Transmission.
-Charge.