Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 386
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Episode 386
I have made up my mind, now I must go forward (1)
Lim So-bo’s eyes widened.
The man everyone had thought to be an insurmountable wall was crumbling.
So Gun-myeong, his shoulders and waist deeply wounded, had dropped to one knee. He gritted his teeth, trying to rise again, but his injuries were too severe.
Without immediate treatment, his life would be at risk
So Gun-myeong clenched his jaw against the excruciating pain. His eyes were bloodshot, and his jaw trembled from the agony.
“Lord So!”
The martial artists of the Green Forest Seven and the Heavenly Wind Corps stared in disbelief.
The legendary So Gun-myeong had been neutralized in just three seconds.
“Save Lord So!”
“Everyone, attack the Sura Blade!”
The martial artists rushed to So Gun-myeong’s aid.
If So Gun-myeong were to die, Sky High Castle would lose its sole heir.
The downfall of Sky High Castle without its heir was painfully obvious.
Thus, they charged at Lee Gwak with desperate fury.
Cheol Gwang-woo and Cheon Wol did their best to block them, but they couldn’t stop the entire Heavenly Wind Corps.
Whoosh!
At that moment, Lee Gwak raised his Star Soul in a reverse grip towards the sky.
The blade, saturated with Lee Gwak’s qi, trembled violently before he slammed it down into the earth.
BOOM!
The moment Star Soul struck the ground, the air exploded, and the earth upheaved.
Blade-like winds howled in all directions, and shattered fragments of the ground turned into deadly projectiles, devastating the area.
“Gahk!”
“Ugh!”
The martial artists who had rushed to save So Gun-myeong collapsed with agonized screams.
Some were deeply slashed by the razor winds, while others were knocked unconscious by the stone shards that flew like hidden weapons.
In an instant, over fifty members of the Heavenly Wind Corps were incapacitated, sprawled across the ground.
“……”
Those fortunate enough to avoid the catastrophe froze in place.
Stunned by the unbelievable sight, they could only blink in silence.
A perfect circle of destruction, dozens of yards in radius, had formed around Lee Gwak.
Only because Lee Gwak had held back did So Gun-myeong survive. But even he was caught in the blast and left on the ground in a pitiful state.
The Green Forest Seven and the Heavenly Wind Corps stared at Lee Gwak with faces drained of fighting spirit.
To them, Lee Gwak no longer seemed human.
Shhhhk!
Lee Gwak sheathed his blade.
Even as Star Soul disappeared into its scabbard, none of the martial artists dared to attack him.
Their spirits had already been broken.
Lee Gwak turned to Lim So-bo.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh?”
Confused by his sudden words, Lim So-bo blinked.
Lee Gwak’s gaze was fixed on Mount Okhwa.
“Are we heading to the Sky High Castle now?”
“Yes.”
“But is that really necessary…?”
“A clean ending leaves no regrets. For whatever reason you left the Sky High Castle, it’s best to get a definitive answer from Master Po.”
“But there’s no way the Lord will give permission…”
“That’s exactly why we must make it definitive. To leave no room for disputes.”
At Lee Gwak’s resolute reply, Lim So-bo’s pupils wavered.
Even if they left now, no one would dare say a word.
Lim So-bo hadn’t betrayed the Sky High Castle—she was never truly one of them to begin with.
Though whispers might spread, no one would condemn her. Yet Lee Gwak insisted on taking the harder path.
Honestly, Lim So-bo wanted to stop him. But she didn’t.
‘Yes! This is him. Even when the path is difficult, he doesn’t turn back. He doesn’t take shortcuts—he pushes forward with unwavering determination.’
This was the man she had chosen to serve.
His first decision as her lord.
She didn’t want to hold him back from the start. And she wanted to see it—
How Lee Gwak would face Po Cheon Wol, an absolute ruler of the Jianghu.
“Let’s go!”
Lim So-bo nodded eagerly.
Lee Gwak smiled faintly and stepped toward Mount Okhwa.
Lim So-bo and Lee Gwak’s group followed behind.
“Huh? What?”
The martial artists of the Heavenly Wind Corps stared in disbelief.
The man who should have been fleeing was instead heading straight for the Sky High Castle.
To their common sense, this was incomprehensible.
Lee Gwak’s actions were beyond unconventional.
“Quick, send a messenger pigeon to the castle!”
“We must inform them that he’s coming!”
Too afraid to stop Lee Gwak, the Heavenly Wind Corps hurriedly released messenger pigeons.
Only then did they turn their attention to the unconscious So Gun-myeong.
As they frantically tended to his grievous wounds, Lee Gwak, Lim So-bo, and the others left Zangshu behind and ascended Mount Okhwa.
The path up Mount Okhwa was treacherous. But befitting the home of one of the Seven Great Sects, the mountain road was well-maintained.
Lee Gwak strolled leisurely, as if on a sightseeing trip, taking in the scenery. His demeanor shocked Lim So-bo.
Even the greatest masters would tense up when entering enemy territory, yet Lee Gwak showed no such signs.
‘Just who is he?’
She knew Lee Gwak was already a towering figure in the martial world. But his unshakable composure made her realize he was even greater than she had imagined.
“There it is.”
Cheon Wol, walking ahead, pointed at a massive gate.
A towering structure, five jang high and over ten jang wide, bore the plaque: Sky High Castle.
The headquarters of the Green Forest, one of the Seven Great Sects, stood before them.
Lim So-bo gazed at the Sky High Castle with nervous eyes.
Just two hours ago, she had walked out of this place on her own. Now, she was returning—willingly.
Lee Gwak, sensing her hesitation, smiled reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”
“Yes!”
Lee Gwak strode toward the gate without hesitation.
Creaaak!
As if waiting for him, the massive gate groaned open.
Behind it stood thousands of martial artists, their killing intent pressing down like an invisible force.
“Damn bastards!”
Even Cheol Gwang-woo frowned, struggling to resist the suffocating pressure.
Lim So-bo and Cheon Wol were no different.
Though familiar with the Sky High Castle’s might, facing it as an enemy was overwhelming.
The only reason they could stand firm was because Lee Gwak neutralized most of the oppressive aura.
Lee Gwak recalled a verse from the Eight Sects Sword Art:
‘Even in the fiercest storm, an unyielding will is enough.’
With unwavering resolve, his heart remained steady.
Lee Gwak stepped through the gate and into the Sky High Castle.
“Hmph!”
“Is that Lee Gwak?”
The murmurs came from the Sky High Castle martial artists.
Lee Gwak, unfazed, continued forward. The sheer force of his presence made the martial artists instinctively part ways.
“Ah!”
“Ugh!”
Lim So-bo and Cheon Wol gasped at the unbelievable sight.
“Brother’s majesty reaches the heavens! Keh-keh!”
Cheol Gwang-woo followed Lee Gwak excitedly.
Ascending the mountain, he realized—
His place was by Lee Gwak’s side.
He loved Bang Ye-in and would stay with her, but in battle, he belonged with Lee Gwak.
Then—
“Halt!”
“How dare you cause havoc in the Sky High Castle!”
Two men blocked Lee Gwak’s path, their voices thunderous.
Both were towering figures, exuding fierce auras.
Lim So-bo recognized them and sent a sound transmission to Lee Gwak.
—The Lords of the Conqueror’s Division and the Warhorse Division, Yuk San-il and Yang Cheon.
Among the six main divisions of the Sky High Castle, these two were the largest and most powerful.
Their leaders naturally possessed immense martial prowess.
Normally, they remained in their respective divisions. But upon hearing of Po Cheon-wol’s injury, they had rushed to the head quarters to prepare for any crisis.
Yuk San-il and Yang Cheon’s faces were stiff as iron masks.
They were both supreme masters—men who could dominate entire regions if they ventured into the Jianghu.
They answered to no one but Po Cheon-wol himself.
But now they were tense.
Despite their efforts to hide it, their muscles were rigid, and every hair stood on end.
And the reason was the man before them.
Even in the midst of thousands of martial artists, his calm appearance unsettled them.
Yuk San-il clenched his fists and spoke.
“I am Yuk San-il, Lord of the Conqueror’s Division. For what reason has master Lee Gwak come unannounced to the Sky High Castle? We sent no invitation.”
“Must one wait for an invitation to visit the Sky High Castle? Is its threshold so high?”
“Do you mean to disrespect the Sky High Castle?”
“If you take it that way, so be it.”
“Hmph!”
Yuk San-il suppressed his anger.
Had anyone else spoken like this, he would have slaughtered them on the spot. But this was Lee Gwak.
A man considered equal to the leaders of the Seven Great Sects—some even ranked him above them.
With thousands of martial artists present, they could certainly kill Lee Gwak.
But the cost to the Sky High Castle would be unimaginable.
Thus, Yuk San-il forced himself to remain composed.
But the world rarely bent to one’s will.
“You bastard!”
Yang Cheon, Lord of the Warhorse Division, lost his temper and lunged at Lee Gwak.
His palms unleashed devastating force.
“No, don’t!”
Yuk San-il shouted too late—Yang Cheon was already upon Lee Gwak.
Sssshhk!
A chilling sound split the air.
Yang Cheon’s palm qi was cleanly severed, like silk being cut by scissors.
Thud!
Before anyone could react, Lee Gwak’s blade pierced Yang Cheon’s shoulder.
Yang Cheon grabbed the blade, trying to pull it out—
BOOM!
An explosion erupted inside his body.
The energy of the Eight Snakes Art, channeled through the blade, detonated within him.
Even the legendary swordmaster Go Geom-wol had suffered grave injuries from this technique. A mere division leader stood no chance.
“Gahk!”
Yang Cheon vomited blood and collapsed.
“Lord Yang!”
Yuk San-il caught him hastily.
He was still alive, but his breathing was ragged—without immediate treatment, he would die.
“Take Lord Yang away, now!”
“Yes!”
Subordinates rushed to carry Yang Cheon off.
Yuk San-il stood and glared at Yi Gwak.
“Was such brutality necessary?”
“He struck first.”
“What do you want from us?”
“To meet Lord Po.”
“The Lord? For what reason?”
“To speak with him and formally take So-bo away.”
“Take Lady So?”
Yuk San-il’s eyes flickered toward Lim So-bo.
Now he understood—she was the cause of this chaos.
Yuk San-il had been one of the few people sympathetic to Lim So-bo’s plight. He believed that with more authority, she could usher in a golden age for the Sky High Castle.
He had even argued this to Po Cheon-wol and the other division leaders, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Eventually, he had given up.
Now, he looked at Lim So-bo with regret. But she ignored him.
No matter his intentions, he had done nothing for her. She owed him no sympathy.
Yuk San-il closed his eyes.
‘So this is how it ends. I knew this day would come—but why now?’
In turbulent times, talent was invaluable.
Losing a genius like Lim So-bo was a devastating blow.
Then—
“Who dares cause chaos in my domain?”
With a voice like rolling thunder, a martial artist with formidable presence descended upon the martial artists of Sky High Castle.
The old man with a fierce appearance reminiscent of a hawk was none other than the Green Forest Great Emperor, Po Cheon-wol.
His eyes burned with killing intent.
“So it’s you…Lee Gwak, the rising star.”
