Chapter 302: Could Not Even Extend a Fist
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Hoyeon City, located in the southern part of the Stone Heart Realm.
It was one of the numerous Rank 6 Immortal Cities possessed by the human race, and a place where Clear Flow Grass, a Rank 6 cultivation resource, was steadily produced.
Although it was not as important as a city where Void Refinement-grade spiritual objects were produced periodically, it could be said to be a decent place to live comfortably.
One could say it was a perfect place for a leisurely life.
Hoyeon City, which was originally coveted by numerous Void Refinement stage cultivators, had before long become a place no one desired.
‘I thought it would be safe for at least several thousand years, but for us to already be pushed back this far…’
The Castellan of Hoyeon City, whose complexion could not be called good even as a figure of speech, let out a deep sigh.
In fact, in terms of the entire Stone Heart Realm, Hoyeon City was located on the southern outskirts.
This meant it was close to the Bright Blood Great Valley, which could be considered the border, but it was still somewhat ambiguous to call it the absolute front line directly facing the Asuras.
A feeling of being neither the front nor the rear?
However, that was no longer the case; now, no matter what anyone said, Hoyeon City was the absolute front line.
The front line, which was constantly pushed back, had before long reached Hoyeon City, and it had reached a point where the Asuras would invade at every opportunity.
‘Damn Asura bastards.’
Having barely become a Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord, only enjoying life should have been left. Why did they have to start a war at this of all times and make him suffer?
“Sigh…”
Swallowing the vulgar words that rushed up to his throat, the Castellan of Hoyeon City closed his eyes.
Since he did not know when the Asuras would invade again, he had to concentrate on recovering his dharma power.
Although the situation was bad, he did not want to give up Hoyeon City, which had been passed down through his family for generations.
Just as he was composing his mind and body to regain his perfect condition.
Bwooooo…!
His brow furrowed at the sound of a horn blowing faintly from the distance.
‘They have come again.’
There was not even time to be annoyed.
Heading straight to the city wall, the beautiful lady who was already out there greeted him with a light nod.
Looking slightly tired, she was an early Void Refinement stage cultivator named Dam Woo-seon, a reinforcement dispatched to defend Hoyeon City.
“Fairy Dam. How much of your dharma power have you recovered?”
“I have recovered about seventy percent.”
“Hmm… Similar to me.”
Nodding his head, the Castellan of Hoyeon City turned his gaze beyond the horizon.
Observing the sky that was beginning to be dyed pitch black, he could spot an Asura man flying along with hundreds of warships.
“Un-gyeom.”
At the same moment he quietly muttered the name of the enemy who had tormented him for the past half year, Un-gyeom, who was in the center of the fleet, vanished like an illusion.
Boom!!
Un-gyeom, appearing as if teleporting, swung his fist, and the city wall where the arrays were installed vibrated frantically.
‘Damn it. He has become even faster than last time.’
A lament slipped out at the absurd speed.
He had merely kicked the air and swung his fist, but it was so fast that he missed the intermediate process.
It was not good. This was all due to the continuously ongoing battles.
Unlike him, who was busy trying to recover his consumed dharma power, Un-gyeom, a body tempering cultivator, grew stronger as time went by.
He gritted his teeth as he looked at the city wall shaking as if it would collapse from a single fist strike.
“No you don’t!”
Injecting dharma power into his Natal Magic Treasure, the Clear Flow Endless Gourd, blue waves poured out endlessly from the deep blue gourd.
Rumble, rumble!
The water that poured out frantically formed a sea in an instant, surging forward while drawing a giant vortex.
Just as the blue tidal wave soaring high into the sky was about to crush Un-gyeom, Un-gyeom, snorting as if it were pathetic, swung his fist, and
Boom!
Along with the sound of a bursting shockwave, the tidal wave that overthrew heaven and earth lost its momentum and dispersed.
This was because the massive power contained in his fist generated a gale, which became a barrier and pushed away the pouring sea.
Rumble…!
The fist wind, which still had residual power even after bursting the tidal wave, struck the city wall, and an ominous vibration rang.
‘Monster of a fellow.’
He had tried to seize an opportunity to inflict an injury, but as expected, it did not work.
Giving up entirely on the idea of counterattacking, the Castellan of Hoyeon City changed his stance, deciding to focus solely on suppressing the opponent’s movements.
He shook the sea poured out by his Natal Magic Treasure to generate waves.
Crash, crash!
Instead of a giant tidal wave that could swallow a mountain in one breath, he formed a siege network with small waves about the height of a person.
Sure enough, this method was effective.
Un-gyeom’s brow furrowed as he struck away the waves that pushed in by the thousands in a single moment.
The very moment his feet were tied, the beautiful lady who was chanting dharma spells by his side stretched out her finger to point at Un-gyeom, and
Rumble…
Yellow lightning flickered in the dark clouds that had covered the sky before anyone realized.
In an instant, the world was filled with light.
This was because a giant lightning sphere that popped out of the dark clouds fell like a meteorite.
At the joint attack of the two Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lords, a strange light flashed in Un-gyeom’s eyes.
“Keuha!”
Letting out a short shout, he thrust his fist toward the lightning sphere, and
…………………!
A roar that human ears could not possibly hear tore heaven and earth apart.
‘Ugh.’
A groan slipped out of him as he tried to block the raging shockwave to protect the city wall.
Urgent efforts to stabilize the city wall, which vibrated and hummed from the aftermath alone, caused the shockwave to die down, and only then was it visible.
The Asura, standing completely fine even after his skin split apart and became covered in blood.
“…”
His fingertips trembled in spite of himself.
The gaze staring blankly in this direction was incredibly chilling.
Just as he swallowed his dry saliva, Un-gyeom, giving a quiet warning, departed leading the fleet.
“The next time will be the end. If you wish to save your life, it would be best to surrender peacefully.”
Looking at his departing figure, he bit his lip.
‘Damn it…’
Judging by how he was covered in blood, he seemed to have suffered a significant injury, but he did not dare to pursue him.
For if he fought the Asura head-on without the city wall, he might truly die.
The Castellan of Hoyeon City, who had been staring at the empty sky after the Asura fleet departed, turned his gaze.
He observed the low-realm cultivators who had been struggling to maintain the arrays installed on the city wall, and everyone’s complexion was dark.
It could not be helped since everyone was feeling firsthand that the war situation was not very good.
“…Since we have inflicted an injury on him, it will be quiet for the time being. Take turns resting to replenish your dharma power and repair the damaged arrays.”
“Yes!”
After issuing orders to his subordinates, he approached Dam Woo-seon, who had looked deeply troubled for some time.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah…”
Parting her lips as if she had something to say, she laughed awkwardly and then shook her head.
“The city wall did not even collapse, so what problem could there be? I am merely exhausted from unleashing the lightning dao secret art.”
His brow furrowed on its own at the sight of her trying to return to her cave dwelling to rest.
If he left her alone when her thoughts seemed so complicated, it felt as though a major disaster would surely occur.
Her help was absolutely necessary to defend Hoyeon City. It was better to address it clearly.
Spanning a barrier with his dharma power to prevent others from eavesdropping, he spoke.
“Did what Un-gyeom said at the end happen to weigh on your mind?”
“…”
That the next time would be the end, so they should surrender if they wanted to save their lives?
It was a truly arrogant statement.
It was not something a body tempering cultivator equivalent to the early Void Refinement stage, whose realm was the same as theirs, should utter.
However, what made his mind uneasy was that Un-gyeom had never made such a threat even once until now.
“Fairy Dam. Do you know what happens if one surrenders to the Asuras?”
“Well. There are rumors that they treat surrendering ones as laborers, but it is hard to believe. Since those in the Soul Formation stage pose no threat, they might be used as laborers, but how could they possibly leave Void Refinement stage cultivators alone?”
“Correct. For a Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord to surrender, they must swear an oath while their dharma power and soul are completely suppressed.”
“An oath?”
“It is not just any oath. I heard that one must declare before the Blood Night Divine Statue, a Rank 7 divine treasure, that they will not hostilely oppose the Asuras for a thousand years.”
“A Rank 7 divine treasure…”
Dam Woo-seon’s brow furrowed.
To swear an oath in a suppressed state was to completely place one’s life in another’s hands.
Furthermore, how could they rashly swear when they did not know what effects might be hidden in the Blood Night Divine Statue? It was absolutely out of the question.
“On top of that, they must offer a large amount of cultivation resources every ten years, so they cannot live comfortably either. This is information I obtained from a reliable source.”
“Ha. They are truly outrageous.”
Looking at her scowling, he lowered his voice.
“Rather than surrendering to the Asuras, it is better to abandon the city and retreat.”
“That is…”
Seeing her hesitate, he quickly continued speaking.
“If Fairy Dam and I combine our strength, we should be able to depart safely even if the city wall collapses. Therefore, please do your best at least until the city wall collapses.”
“…Do not worry too much. I also have a reason why I must defend Hoyeon City by all means.”
“Hmm.”
“I will go rest now.”
Looking at Dam Woo-seon heading toward her cave dwelling, he clicked his tongue inwardly.
This was because he could feel a sense of relief from her attitude, believing she would not lose her life even in the worst-case scenario.
That very sense of relief was the reason why the human race was being pushed back in the war.
He knew all of this, but there was no particular solution.
‘I am not in a position to talk about others.’
In fact, he was the same. He believed that no matter how the situation unfolded, he would not die.
If by some chance the city wall collapsed, he would escape immediately, and if even that failed, he would surrender.
“…”
Looking down at his subordinates who were repairing the arrays according to his orders, the Castellan of Hoyeon City let out a sigh.
Returning to his cave dwelling, he sat cross-legged.
What he, the strongest expert in the city, had to do now was to recover his dharma power.
Forcing himself to ignore the anxiety that rose stealthily, he concentrated on his cultivation method for a long time.
Before he knew it, his dantian was full.
‘…How strange.’
It was too quiet.
Since Un-gyeom, who was an Asura and a body tempering cultivator, recovered from most injuries in a day or two, he used to raid whenever there was an opportunity.
Yet for it to be quiet for nearly a week already…
He had a bad feeling. Although it was a leisure he had obtained after a long time, it made him even more anxious.
‘This will not do.’
Unable to feel at ease at all, he went around the city wall reinforcing the arrays, and contacted other cities to request reinforcements.
In that manner, until more than a week passed and a month went by, the Asuras remained quiet.
One day, while he sent subordinates to monitor their movements.
“Castellan! They, their fleet is forming up!”
Even before the subordinate’s urgent report could finish, Bwooooo…! Resounding from beyond the horizon, the sound of a horn pressed down heavily on his mind and body.
Heading straight to the city wall, he saw the fleet advancing openly.
“Ah.”
He realized the moment he saw it. Why they had been quiet for a month, and what had changed.
The Asura man standing with his arms crossed in the center of the fleet.
Un-gyeom’s appearance was the same as usual, but the aura he exuded was different.
“The mid Void Refinement stage…?”
Not only Dam Woo-seon beside him but also the Castellan of Hoyeon City turned pale.
He had been difficult to deal with even when he was at the early Void Refinement stage, and now he had reached the mid stage.
Just what was he supposed to do in this situation?
Even before he could think of a countermeasure, Flash! Un-gyeom, who was in the center of the fleet, vanished, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared in the sky above Hoyeon City, looking down arrogantly.
“I will ask for the last time. Will you surrender?”
“…”
In an instant, numerous thoughts brushed past.
He did not want to lose the Rank 6 Immortal City passed down through his family for generations in this manner.
At least, he could not surrender without even fighting.
Yet was the result not obvious? Was there any need to invite danger upon himself?
No, the opponent had just broken through a minor boundary, so he would be vulnerable to internal injuries. If he targeted that gap…
Just as he was swept by all sorts of thoughts and could not make a choice, Un-gyeom did not wait. Ending with a calm tone, he extended his fist, and
Boom!
The city wall collapsed with futile simplicity.
Merely a single fist strike.
“Ah…”
With that alone, the arrays shattered to pieces, and a large hole was pierced in the city wall.
The moment he saw that, he immediately soared into the sky and fled.
Dam Woo-seon, who had been watching for an opportunity beside him, was the same. Without anyone having to say it first, they raised their escape lights and fled.
The subordinates dying in countless numbers caught in the explosion weighed on his mind, but…
He did not hesitate. Just as he was fleeing with all his might, Thud! His spine was snapped by a stream of fist wind that dug into his flank, and his four limbs’ meridians were completely severed by the domineering energy that dug deep inside his body.
Bzzzzz…!
A ringing sound shook his brain. His mind was dyed pitch white by the intense pain.
‘Ugh…’
Through his vision distorted like a heat haze, he could see Dam Woo-seon grabbed by the scruff of her neck.
That she had failed to escape was the exact same.
“Agh, I will surrender!”
At the sight of Dam Woo-seon screaming urgently the moment her neck was caught, Un-gyeom did not hide his contemptuous gaze.
“That such garbage are of the same race as that man… I cannot believe it.”
At the sight of the Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lords suppressed in a single moment, the low-realm cultivators who had fortunately survived the commotion of the collapsing city wall all fell to their knees.
“Suppress them all and drag them away. Kill those who resist.”
“Yes!”
The Castellan of Hoyeon City, who had been watching that sight while thrown onto the dirt ground, hung his head low.
Looking at his subordinates who were starting to be suppressed one by one, there was nothing he could do. He could only wait for his turn, which would arrive soon.
However, why was it?
No matter how time passed, there was no Asura coming to suppress him.
Furthermore…
He did not know exactly when it started, but at some point, not a single sound could be heard.
It was so bizarrely silent that it was eerie.
At that strange phenomenon, he forced himself to hold onto his consciousness, which was about to fade.
Step… Step…
Regular footsteps broke the silence, and forcing his body, which did not even have any strength, to move, he raised his head.
At the same moment he pushed up his heavy, trembling eyelids, he realized the fact that everyone here was looking at a single person.
‘A sword cultivator…?’
Although he could not recognize who it was because his vision was blurred, the single sword hanging at the waist was exceptionally distinct.
The sword cultivator, who had walked slowly as if taking a stroll, looked around at the kneeling low-realm cultivators and spoke.
“An interesting sight.”
“You…”
The voice of Un-gyeom, the Asura who had collapsed the city wall single-handedly, trembled finely. Just like a beast facing a predator.
Just as he was becoming dazed at a sight he had never even imagined, the sword cultivator spoke.
“It has been a long time. Is it roughly a hundred years?”
“…Indeed. Ever since I missed you in the Bright Blood Great Valley, I knew a day like this would come.”
Un-gyeom, gritting his teeth so hard that a cracking sound rang, burst his own heart.
‘Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph?’
He could not understand it.
Just who in the world was that sword cultivator? For him to unleash the Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph, which he had not even used while facing both him and Dam Woo-seon simultaneously.
He was curious enough to forget the pain, but that curiosity did not last long.
Creeeeak!
His breath was choked by the vast aura that swept out from Un-gyeom.
It was absurd.
The Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph unleashed by a Void Refinement stage Asura was beyond anything he had heard in rumors.
If Un-gyeom, who had been attacking the city wall since half a year ago, had unleashed this secret art earlier, Hoyeon City would have collapsed without enduring even for a brief moment.
‘Ah…’
His heart felt tightened by the sweeping aura. Just as he was holding on with all his might to not faint, a metallic sound, light enough to be cheerful, cut through the air, and the clamor that had shaken heaven and earth vanished as if it were a lie.
Screeech.
Nothing in particular had changed.
The aura that had risen from the Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph vanished without a trace before he knew it, except for the fact that a blood-colored dot had appeared between the brows of Un-gyeom, who had his fist raised halfway.
“Ah.”
Simultaneously with a sigh that slipped from someone’s mouth, the light went out in the eyes of Un-gyeom, who could not even extend his fist properly.
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