Chapter 436: How Did He Know

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Chapter 436 – How Did He Know?

Abruptly.

PAT…

Eun Yi-bi, carrying Ya Baek-ji on her back, headed toward Gun Mu-ak’s side like the wind.

‘First his condition……!’

She soon laid Ya Baek-ji down beside him and reached out her hand toward Gun Mu-ak.

Thus, a slender jade hand grasping the pulse point.

She was in the midst of attempting diagnosis using energy work.

Before long, a strange light rose in Eun Yi-bi’s pupils.

‘Ah! as expected……’

It was admiration for Cheol Ryu-heun.

Gun Mu-ak’s internal injuries had already been completely healed.

Moreover, the energy in his body also flowed stably as usual.

Good.

If left like this, he would soon awaken.

Both Gun Mu-ak and Ya Baek-ji.

Until then, it was only right for her to guard their side.

She had no choice but to be tied down here.

Yet her heart was fighting alongside the party over there.

Meanwhile.

Xianyu Ershan, who had been pushed back after receiving the flying sword technique, wore a calm expression.

There was no sign of surprise.

Despite the fact that Wang-ryu had just received a tremendous shockwave and flown so far away that he completely vanished from sight.

He was certainly different from ordinary martial artists.

For his commander whom he served to become like that, yet to firmly maintain composure… he was no ordinary person.

For him, it was a natural thing.

Why.

Because he knew Wang-ryu’s armor and that person’s martial power well.

Had that been achieved purely through Cheol Ryu-heun’s internal power alone, he would have been surprised.

But it wasn’t so.

That Wang-ryu was swept away by the tremendous shockwave and sent flying was the effect of the soul-body fragment being destroyed.

In other words, it was because the soul-body fragment exploded from the immense protective defensive energy that the mysterious armor had reflexively released.

Though merely a fragment, it had still originated from the otherworldly Demon God.

So naturally, the rebounding force from the shockwave generated by the powerful explosion was at a transcendent level……

Xianyu Ershan thought.

That it only turned out that way because it was Wang-ryu.

Indeed.

Had it been anyone else, the moment the power contained in that fragment was destroyed and exploded, they would have been cleanly erased like dust swept by the wind.

Of course, there were parts where he marveled at Cheol Ryu-heun’s abilities too.

Above all, earlier, he had withstood the soul-body’s forceful absorbing power and bounced it back, hadn’t he?

That was a spectacle that attested to his being a warrior of even higher caliber than Heuk Ma-yung and Gun Mu-ak.

Yet something felt amiss.

The point that the soul-body had ignored the power of Wang-ryu, who had approached closely earlier……

It seemed rather to be fixated on Cheol Ryu-heun’s body.

Why was that?

Could it be that Cheol Ryu-heun’s body exceeded even Wang-ryu’s?

Suddenly, someone’s thunderous voice burst out.

“This lord shall deal with him! Everyone, please take care of finishing off the remnants!”

The one who made the bold cry was Namgung Sang-rin.

Also.

The one he referred to as “him” was Xianyu Ershan.

Namgung Sang-rin moved, leading the guest retainers.

Along with that, the remaining party fiercely pressed the remaining enemy group.

Seeing that scene, Xianyu Ershan turned his body around.

‘Those ones are still spirited!’

Indeed, the faces of the guest retainers rapidly approaching him were full of vigor and vitality.

When had each of them suppressed their internal injuries?

Yet the aftereffects would be difficult to erase.

Because the impact that Wang-ryu’s heavy internal power had caused must be considerable.

At any rate, there was no longer any need for engagement.

Now there was only one thing left to do.

To quickly escape and go see Wang-ryu.

PANG!

The moment Xianyu Ershan, having explosively released internal energy through his Bubbling Well points, was about to sprint.

SSWAESSWAENG!

A sword that had suddenly arrived before his eyes let out a sharp sound.

It was Cui Lan’s surprise sword stroke, having approached at some point using covert infiltration technique.

Fast.

Sharp.

A drenching ascending internal power was laden with killing intent too.

It was the essence of Death God Sword Art, the authentic transmission of Heavenly Distant Death God Mu-yeon, who had been second only to Heaven-Striding Sword Sovereign Beom-gyu in the past… a supreme art of assassination that maximized the essence of lightning-fast simplicity.

Xianyu Ershan’s judgment in response was also outstanding.

A slightly twisting, lowering upper body in a flash.

He didn’t bother to parry but nimbly sidestepped and let it flow past him behind.

Making it graze past his left cheek by a hair’s breadth.

Thus, Cui Lan’s sword point futilely stabbed the air.

PEOK!

Xianyu Ershan thrust his shoulder out forcefully from his lowered stance.

Cui Lan, struck in the side, let out a sharp groan.

“Heuk!”

Xianyu Ershan sprinted forward again, but already someone’s follow-up sword strokes were fiercely rushing in.

Looking again, it wasn’t just one.

Sword forces were rapidly pressing in from left and right.

SSWAENG, SSWAESSWAENG… !

Two swords only sliced the air as well.

Xianyu Ershan had at some point kicked off the ground and leaped high.

Spinning gently in a somersault.

At that moment Cui Lan appeared in the air behind.

She had already followed and risen.

SYUKAAAAAK!

It was a movement that exquisitely penetrated the opponent’s movements.

In an instant.

PAPANG… HWIRILRIT!

Xianyu Ershan amazingly turned another somersault in the air and leaped even higher.

As the sword only sliced the wind, Cui Lan inwardly clicked her tongue.

‘Such movement……!’

It was truly remarkable light-body work.

To explosively release internal energy through his Bubbling Well points in mid-air, generate a wave in the atmosphere, and execute a follow-up movement.

As Xianyu Ershan, having rotated forward thus, landed on the ground.

KWAAAAAAAAAAAA… !

A grand sword energy charged from behind like a long waterfall laid flat.

It was Namgung Sang-rin’s sword energy, bearing the spirit of the azure sky.

It was an offensive that precisely exploited the gap in his motion.

This is hard to avoid!

Xianyu Ershan’s body reacted even faster than that thought.

Turning around like a ray of light and thrusting out his sword.

JJEOGEOEOONG… KWAHAAAANG!

With the great sound, Xianyu Ershan’s body swayed precariously.

CHWAHWAHWAHWA, CHWAHWAHWAHWA… !

Having approached from the side at some point, colorful shimmer resembling flower petals spewed out profusely and descended upon his form.

At that moment, Xianyu Ershan spun in place.

‘How dare!’

Along with it, the large and round shadows of the blade scattered outward.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG… !

He had dramatically executed a sword barrier and succeeded in defending again.

From then on, the guest retainers’ hand techniques flew in one after another like meshing gears.

SSWAENG… SYUSYUT… CHWAAAAAT… !

Xianyu Ershan evaded all of it at the last moment.

It looked precarious at a glance, but it was movement that drew maximum efficiency from minimum motion.

It was remarkable skill.

Agility that inspired admiration.

A sneer formed at the corner of such Xianyu Ershan’s mouth.

‘Hut, it’s certain those ones are all not in top form!’

The series of combined attacks was powerful indeed, but their internal power had clearly deteriorated compared to when he first saw them here.

Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon, and the others were also thinking about their opponent while continuously unleashing fierce hand techniques.

He was skillfully evading the offensive of five people.

Seeing that made them realize.

That he was most likely a warrior with abundant experience in group combat.

Was he a warrior of the bloody battlefield rather than a mere martial artist?

That’s right.

He was certainly one who had honed his martial arts while overcoming countless mortal dangers and hardships.

Setting aside his martial prowess, just looking at those movements optimized for survival.

The chaotic duel passed twenty exchanges in an instant.

‘Hmph! even if they’re not in top form, subduing them is difficult! if more time is delayed here, I’ll be in trouble too!’

Having judged so, Xianyu Ershan released decisive pinnacle internal power and simultaneously shot sword energy in multiple directions.

KAKAKAKAKANG… PEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG… !

The guest retainers all retreated about three or four paces in unison by the rebounding force of the exchange.

Having finally secured space to escape, Xianyu Ershan kicked off the ground and advanced.

PAPAPAPAPAK… !

A sprint that was truly like a ray of light.

His crossing legs couldn’t even be seen.

The moment he had thus instantly covered a distance of three jang, a white light-emitting object came charging from the front.

PAAAAAAAAAAA…

Without even time to react.

‘Eok!’

Startled Xianyu Ershan raised his sword and immediately.

JJEONG… KWAHAAAANG!

The pure-white mass of light struck the blade.

Xianyu Ershan was pushed back, sliding on the ground by that tremendous force.

JIIIIIIIIIIK… JIIIIIIIIIIIK…

Footprints deeply etched into the ground like poles.

A pang!

Xianyu Ershan felt pain inside his chest and frowned.

‘Kkeut!’

It was a sign of internal injuries.

What was bound to burst had finally burst.

He had actually been accumulating the impact inside his body while exchanging blows with the five guest retainers of White Peak Sword Sect, who boasted exceptional martial prowess.

The ambush just inflicted had adversely affected that suppression using high internal power.

JURURUK.

A thin stream of blood seeping through his lips.

Then Xianyu Ershan threw his gaze forward.

The true identity of the light that had struck him.

It was Divine Wind, wrapped in white radiance.

‘That horse again……! Keuk…… did I take this matter too lightly!’

There was no more leisure for thoughts.

SYUSYUSYUSYUSYUSYU… !

Because Divine Wind had charged fiercely again.

Too fast to dodge.

Counterattack was the only option.

When the swung sword collided with Divine Wind’s charging head.

JJEOGEOEOONG… KWAHAAAANG!

“Keuk!”

Having let out a short groan, Xianyu Ershan flew a full three jang’s distance.

HWIIIK… TEOTEONG!

The moment Xianyu Ershan barely caught his balance and stepped on the ground.

ULKEOK!

Suddenly, an unfamiliar energy surged inside his body, shaking his major meridians.

That made him cough up blood again.

HUDUDUK.

Drops of fresh blood wetting the ground.

‘This is……!’

Xianyu Ershan belatedly realized the inside story.

That the unfamiliar energy that had welled up inside his body was Cheol Ryu-heun’s power.

It had covertly penetrated into his body and then reacted to external impact.

When he had defended against the flying sword technique earlier……

He did not know.

That the energy in question was Immortal Wandering Sword Energy, the pinnacle sword art of Immortalist school martial arts created by Martial Immortal Dongbang Ya.

Right then.

-You’ve conveniently come closer.

A Sound Transmission burst from behind him.

With a start.

Xianyu Ershan instinctively spun his form around.

Thereupon, the figure of one person came into his eyes.

A distance of about ten paces.

There stood the supreme being of the Demonic Path who dreamed of the Heavenly Demon’s second coming in this era.

It was Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor Gun Mu-ak.

He who had regained consciousness at some point spoke, radiating terrifying bearing like a demon god of darkness.

“So you too are a dog of the Heaven Emperor Society?”

At that sound, transparent wavering arose in Xianyu Ershan’s pupils.

‘What! no, how does he know the name of our organization……?’

Regardless, Gun Mu-ak spoke again with his original nonchalant expression.

“Having faced this seat, there is no escape route.”

At the same time, a rectangular dark curtain appeared.

CHWAHWAHWAHWA, CHWAHWAHWAHWA……

And two people were trapped inside it.

A space completely isolated from the outside.

It was Heavenly Demon Black Soul Coffin.

Tremendous pressure constrained Xianyu Ershan’s entire body.

‘Ut! still…… strong Indeed!’

He endured even the worsened internal injuries and raised his internal power to its limit.

Due to its aftermath, the Heavenly Demon Black Soul Coffin trembled faintly.

DEUDEU…… DEUDEUDEUDEU……

But that was all.

Not a single crack occurred.

In that midst, Gun Mu-ak stepped forward.

“Until the soul of one side is absorbed or destroyed, this does not end. Go ahead and struggle with all your might.”

* * *

“Hssss, Huuu.”

A quiet sound of inhaling and exhaling.

Having regulated his breathing thus, Black Tortoise Divine General Wang-ryu lightly brushed off the dust from his armor.

‘Hu, to reverse-use the powerful function of the Black Tortoise iron Armor……’

This place was a forest almost a hundred jang away from that battlefield.

He had flown that far.

Yet Wang-ryu’s leisurely expression was unchanged.

Also.

The Black Tortoise Iron Armor draped on his body was intact.

Right at that moment.

SEUSUT.

A single shadow appeared like a ghost in Wang-ryu’s field of vision ahead.

It was Cheol Ryu-heun.

He then spoke, throwing a bland gaze.

“You’re a Four Divine General, right?”