Chapter 496: Chapter 496

Dan Woo-hyun was heading to a place quite far from Zhoushan. But if asked if it was outside Zhejiang, that wasn’t the case either.

In fact, there were only two places that could emit such an aura.

One was Mount Putuo, adjacent to the Zhoushan Archipelago, but it was so close it could be seen clearly from Zhoushan, and since it emitted a bizarre energy, it didn’t seem likely the Heavenly Martial Emperor was hiding there.

Then where could it be?

That place was Mount Tianmu.

There were no villages nearby, let alone people coming and going.

The reason was that Mount Tianmu was originally extremely rugged, and it was famous for anyone who entered getting lost, wandering, and eventually becoming a corpse.

If asked if this was a recent phenomenon, it was not.

Even a thousand years ago, when Dan Woo-hyun was actively moving around the Central Plains, Mount Tianmu was one of the places people avoided.

Considering the level of martial artists present back then was vastly superior to now, it was a phenomenon that shouldn’t have been possible.

Dan Woo-hyun himself had passed by the vicinity but never climbed Mount Tianmu itself, because unknown energies could be felt from it.

At the time, he did not know the exact nature of that energy.

But Dan Woo-hyun, who had perfectly grasped the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s aura in the Zhoushan Archipelago, realized that although faint, that very same aura flowed through Mount Tianmu.

Why hadn’t anyone noticed the energy here?

The Heavenly Martial Emperor’s aura was so subtle that to anyone else, it seemed like naturally flowing nature qi, and outwardly, this place just appeared to be a mountain with rugged terrain.

Furthermore, although Mount Tianmu was somewhat famous in Zhejiang, looking at the entire Central Plains, it was nothing special, so rumors stopped at Zhejiang, and even if one heard them, nothing particularly noteworthy happened.

If anyone knew of the existence of this place, it would probably only be the Nine-Tailed Fox.

But Miho didn’t want Dan Woo-hyun and the Heavenly Martial Emperor to clash, so it was highly likely she kept her mouth shut.

Dan Woo-hyun stood in front of Mount Tianmu.

He merely stood there, yet he felt a tingling sensation that made even his fine hairs stand on end.

This was something only Dan Woo-hyun could perceive.

Because he had mastered the Heavenly One Harmonious Art, which could contain all energies of the Five Elements, he was able to grasp and feel the faint flow of the momentum.

Dan Woo-hyun cracked his joints, loosening up his body.

He had to prepare himself just to enter.

Since he didn’t know what kind of enemy awaited, a sense of tension was visible on his face, unlike before.

“It’s not much different from before…”

Dan Woo-hyun thought so and nodded.

He slowly suppressed the long-absent mental tension and swallowed his breath.

Eventually, having calmed his mind and body, he gazed at Mount Tianmu.

His gaze was sharper than ever.

As if bringing out the Heavenly Murder Star that had disappeared long ago, sharp momentum swirled around him, and the sword in his hand let out a resonating hum.

“Then let’s slowly go see his face.”

Spitting out those words, Dan Woo-hyun took a step forward.

He didn’t know where the enemy was hiding.

But he had certainty.

Everything would guide him.

That belief soon turned into reality, as a faint wind blew and began to lead Dan Woo-hyun’s steps.

He climbed the winding mountain.

At the same time, he felt presences from all directions.

He had experienced this feeling once before.

“Like master, like disciple… They’re doing the exact same thing.”

The gazes he felt while climbing Mount Changbai.

What could be felt from all directions was unmistakable hostility.

Yet Dan Woo-hyun didn’t stop. Stopping in such a place wasn’t what a man should do, and the title of Martial God wasn’t given for nothing.

He intended to cut down everything in front of him.

Rustle!

He heard the sound of movement.

It was a sound so soft that an ordinary person would never hear it.

But to Dan Woo-hyun, it sounded as vivid as if it were ringing right under his nose, and he realized it meant the opponents intended to attack.

“I’ve come to kill your master. I don’t plan on just taking the head… so anyone who wants to die, step forward.”

Dan Woo-hyun warned them like that and stepped forward even more unhesitatingly, simultaneously releasing his momentum.

As the unique power of the Martial God flowed out and spread in all directions, the world filled with his strength, making even the air feel taut.

‘If you step closer, I will cut you down.’

‘If you approach, I will kill you.’

If you want to die, step out at any time.

As those warning-filled energies spread madly, it created a situation where no one dared to attack easily.

For Dan Woo-hyun, it didn’t matter either way.

If the opponents were scared and didn’t attack, it would save him trouble, and if they charged fearlessly, he would cut them down.

Because he would kill anyone blocking his path.

Slash!

Eventually, his sword reached out.

As expected, there were those who approached.

Whether they had no fear or were in a position where they had to follow orders, from the moment he decided to cut them, none of that mattered.

He killed.

He killed whatever came.

Today, he had made up his mind to kill everything before his eyes, and with Dan Woo-hyun’s nature, reversing that was absolutely impossible.

This was war.

Dan Woo-hyun and the Heavenly Martial Emperor.

As it was a battlefield of killing or being killed, Dan Woo-hyun also risked his life.

Slash! Slash!

He wordlessly swung his blade and advanced. Who the approaching people were, or what they did, such things were not even of interest to him.

He cut them all.

“Aaaargh!”

“Keugh!”

Only death screams echoed out.

For those blocking his path, regardless of who they were, it was a single strike that certainly took their lives.

Slash!

He slashed the neck of an attacker and moved sideways, drawing his sword again.

Those with severed necks and slashed chests fell over, spraying blood, and at the same time, sword winds and sword ki surged from all directions, pressuring Dan Woo-hyun.

Swoosh!

But it didn’t hit.

Strong power was definitely behind them, but as if something was protecting Dan Woo-hyun, the sword ki scattered and the sword winds brushed past.

That bizarre phenomenon continued without stopping.

What wrapped around Dan Woo-hyun was the wind.

No one could pierce that barrier made of wind.

Slash!

He cut, stabbed, snapped necks, and shattered chests.

He couldn’t even count how many corpses had piled up.

Given the considerable number of people guarding Mount Tianmu, it seemed like a mountain could be made of those corpses.

Splash!

Moreover, blood burst out and drenched the ground, so wouldn’t the saying ‘forming a river of blood’ be appropriate?

Dan Woo-hyun didn’t hesitate.

Furthermore, he didn’t even feel guilt.

His eyes, filled with murderous intent, seemed to have already reverted to the Martial God of old, becoming a slaughtering demon who only thought of carnage.

Just then, Dan Woo-hyun, who had been looking at those swarming from all sides, grinned.

He slowly raised his sword and swung it.

Boom!

* * *

Boom!

The ground shook.

It was as if an earthquake had occurred, but the two men knew well enough that it wasn’t a natural disaster.

This sound was artificial.

The Heavenly Martial Emperor, who had been meditating, slowly opened his eyes.

At the same time, Ryu Tae-seo sprang up from his seat.

“B… Brother?”

“It ended up like this after all…”

The momentum began to be felt.

The energy that had been concealed until now abruptly exploded, wrapping around all of Mount Tianmu.

There was no way they wouldn’t know.

This energy was unmistakably the Martial God’s momentum.

It was rough enough to bring to mind the time when he was most vicious.

The Heavenly Martial Emperor let out a dumbfounded chuckle upon feeling it.

To think it would come to this.

He hadn’t expected it at all.

Cheon Mugwang, Nam Jureon, and Yoo Baek.

Those three had defied massive odds and resurrected the Martial God, Dan Woo-hyun.

He unconsciously frowned.

‘Now even a seal won’t be able to stop him…’

Without the Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal, the Martial God couldn’t be sealed.

He was someone who already had a record of breaking through a standard seal and escaping.

It was obvious he would break out again, and as a result, the worst outcome where the Heavenly Martial Emperor alone exhausted all his strength would occur.

Having reached that thought, the Heavenly Martial Emperor smirked.

Since things had come to this, only one move remained for him.

Someone had to die.

Whether it would be the Martial God or the Heavenly Martial Emperor himself was unknown, but in the current situation, it was clearly the best course of action.

“Welcome him.”

“Yes, Brother.”

At the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s words, Ryu Tae-seo nodded.

Hearing the calm words, he moved without hesitation and prepared. Although facing the world-renowned Dan Woo-hyun meant risking his life, Ryu Tae-seo didn’t possess an ounce of hesitation.

It might have been due to Ryu Tae-seo’s blind faith that he had to follow whatever came out of the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s mouth.

Rising calmly from his seat, he grasped the sword hanging on the wall.

How long had it been since he last touched it?

The feel of the sword in his grip was quite unfamiliar.

“Then… stay healthy, Brother.”

“Haha, why are you saying your goodbyes? We will see each other again soon, so don’t say such things.”

“Hahaha, understood. I will go and return.”

Ryu Tae-seo gave a short bow and turned his back.

Even while receiving the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s gaze from behind, he never looked back. He was a man who had already braced himself for everything.

Why would such a man look back?

He opened the door and went outside.

Click!

At the same time the sound of the door closing rang in his ears, Ryu Tae-seo let out a small sigh and slowly began to walk forward.

“The Martial God…”

He knew well that the man was strong, but Ryu Tae-seo was no lesser.

No matter what the situation became, since the Heavenly Martial Emperor had told him to return alive, he would absolutely follow that.

Therefore, he wouldn’t die, and he would definitely kill the Martial God.

That resolve gathered in his eyes, giving off a sharp gleam.

Eventually, Ryu Tae-seo, who had been walking for a while, stopped in his tracks.

In the dark night, a figure revealed itself, parting the bushes.

Covered in red blood, his appearance was just like a beast.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Ryu Tae-seo smirked as he looked at the Martial God.

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