Episode 498

The Great Tree Dies and Sprouts (2)

“Huff! Huff!”

 

Namgung Yeon-hwa’s breath carried a faint scent of blood.

 

Her body was already battered, and the fierce fighting had left her gasping for air.  With her existing wounds still unhealed and new injuries added on top, she was beginning to resemble a blood-soaked demon.

 

Had the situation been less dire, she would have fought while stealing moments of rest. But the precarious battlefield gave her no such luxury.

 

Initially, the battle had been evenly matched.

 

The Heavenly Justice Alliance held the advantage in numbers. With the Thousand Kingdom School, Sky High Castle, the Martial Sword Troupe, Dragon Heaven Valley, and numerous other sects joining forces, the Alliance’s military strength was formidable.

 

Even the Celestial Demon Troupe had been taken aback at first. However, as the battle dragged on, they realised that, despite its impressive appearance, the Heavenly Justice Alliance’s strength was full of holes.

 

It seemed that with so many different sects allied together, the chain of command was not unified, and each sect acted as it pleased.

 

At least the Thousand Kingdom School, Sky High Castle, Dragon Heaven Valley and the Mad Martial Sect followed Lim So-bo’s orders, and there were no apparent weaknesses in their ranks.

 

The problem lay with the smaller, medium and minor sects, as well as the martial artists who had joined individually.

 

Blinded by the desire to achieve merit, they acted recklessly. If their actions only resulted in their own isolation, it wouldn’t have been a major issue, but the problem was that their actions disrupted the formations Lim So-bo had painstakingly built.

 

The Celestial Demon Troupe did not miss these openings.

 

They focused their attacks on areas where the formations were disrupted by allies, causing significant losses for the Heavenly Justice Alliance.

 

In order to prevent further losses, martial artists such as Namgung Yeon-hwa had to become more active, which inevitably increased their workload.

 

Sweat dripped from her forehead into her eyes.

 

Unconsciously, Namgoon Yeon-hwa wiped her eyes with her sleeve to clear the sweat away.

 

But a martial artist from the Celestial Demon Troupe seized that moment to attack her. By the time Namgung Yeon-hwa realized her mistake and tried to counter, the opponent’s sword was already almost at her chest.

 

‘Is this the end?’

 

Namgung Yeon-hwa tightly shut her eyes.

 

Sthuck!

 

The gruesome sound of a sword piercing flesh echoed. But she felt no pain.

 

‘What?’

 

 

Namgung Yeon-hwa cautiously opened her eyes.  The martial artist from the Celestial Demon Troupe stood frozen with his sword extended towards her, while a blade protruded from the top of his skull.

 

Someone had ambushed the  Celestial Demon Troupe martial artist from behind.

 

Thud!

 

As the martial artist’s body collapsed, the person who had been behind him revealed himself.

 

A look of joy appeared on Namgung Yeon-hwa’s face.

 

“Unnie!”

 

“Be careful.”

 

The martial artist who saved Namgoon Yeon-hwa was none other than Han So-cheon.

 

She had silently approached the Celestial Demon Troupe martial artist from behind and ambushed him.

 

Han So-cheon moved throughout the battlefield in this way, saving Heavenly Justice Alliance martial artists in dire situations. However, her strength had its limits.

 

The place where she displayed her greatest prowess was the battlefield shrouded in darkness, not a large-scale chaotic battle like this in broad daylight.

 

The tide of the battle had already shifted to the Celestial Demon Troupe.

 

Her strength alone was insufficient to change the overall situation.

 

“Gwaaahk!”

 

“Ueek!”

 

Heavenly Justice Alliance martial artists were dying everywhere.

 

The collapse of the western front was particularly severe. This area was mostly populated by smaller sects, and already half of them were dead, with the rest on the verge of annihilation.

 

“Ugh!”

 

“This can’t be!”

 

Their faces were filled with terror.

 

The fear of possible death consumed their reason, making their movements frantic. This led to desertion and the collapse of their battle lines.

 

“Kill them all!”

 

“Victory is ours!”

 

Like water bursting through a dam, Celestial Demon Troupe martial artists poured in. The martial artists from the minor sects were too busy fleeing in panic to think about holding their position.

 

If this continued, it was clear that the other fronts would collapse as well.

 

‘I have to stop it!’

 

Han So-cheon gritted her teeth and leaped towards the area where the minor sect martial artists were. She knew she couldn’t change the tide alone, but she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

 

Swish!

 

Her sword beheaded a Celestial Demon Troupe martial artist.

 

“Damn that wench…”

“An assassin?”

 

The Celestial Demon Troupe martial artists launched a combined assault on Han So-cheon.

 

Han So-cheon moved with graceful agility as she attacked them.

 

Dozens of corpses were piled at her feet; they had been killed in an instant.

 

But by then, she too was bleeding from several wounds. She leaned on her sword like a cane, barely standing. And yet, more enemies advanced.

 

They were all martial artists clad in black armor – the Phantom Armored Cavalry.

 

Once the direct subordinates of Jin Gwang-hon, commander of the Celestial Demon Troupe’s cavalry, they had often served alongside Gwan Il-hyeon.

 

They had been largely neglected as punishment for failing to prevent Gwan Il-hyeon’s death.

 

The Phantom Armored Cavalry held a deep grudge against Lee Gwak, who had killed Gwan Il-hyeon, and they sought to vent their anger on Han So-cheon, knowing she was Lee Gwak’s wife.

 

“We’ll kill you to avenge the Young Master!”

 

They surrounded Han So-cheon, radiating ferocious killing intent.

 

Han So-cheon thought that perhaps this spot would become her grave today.

 

That’s how fearsome the momentum of the Phantom Armored Cavalry was. However, Han So-cheon had no intention of retreating.

 

If she retreated here, it would only place a heavier burden on Lee Gwak.

 

‘I will not retreat, even if it means death.’

 

Han So-cheon bit her lip until it bled.

 

Kwaaaah!

 

The Phantom Armored Cavalry charged at full force.

 

Han So-cheon braced herself to meet them head-on.

 

Shiiiaaak!

 

Suddenly, a chilling wind swept through the front lines.

 

“Guhk!”

 

“Argh!”

 

Like reeds cut by a scythe, the leading horsemen were cleaved in two.

 

Han So-cheon’s eyes widened.

 

A beautiful middle-aged woman had cut down the front line of the charging Phantom Armored Cavalry. And she was someone Han So-cheon knew well.

 

“Unnie!”

 

“Are you alright?”

 

The middle-aged beauty was none other than the “Unrivaled Lone Sword”, Ja Seol Gyeong.

 

One of the Eight Great Martial Artists and the strongest swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect had appeared on the battlefield.

 

Ja Seol-gyeong was accompanied by her disciple, Hong Chae-yeon, as well as other martial artists from the Mount Hua Sect.

 

And that was not all.

 

The Wudang Sect had also joined the battle alongside Mount Hua.

 

At the appearance of this unexpected force, Han So-cheon’s pupils shook.

 

Ja Seol-gyeong spoke with a gentle smile.

 

“Sorry, I’m late. Convincing those stubborn men took some time.”

 

“Thank you, unnie!”

 

“Save your thanks for after the war. For now, focus only on victory.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Han So-cheon nodded firmly.

 

Ja Seol-gyeong glanced at her, then turned to her disciples.

 

“Show these demons that there’s no place for them in the Jianghu!”

 

“Waaah!”

 

The Mount Hua disciples roared and charged at the Celestial Demon Troupe, the Wudang Sect following close behind.

 

“Ugh! This can’t be!”

 

“Even Mount Hua and Wudang have joined the fight?”

 

Despair washed over the faces of the Celestial Demon Troupe warriors.

 

Following the participation of Mount Hua and Wudang, the tide of the battle changed dramatically.

 

The Alliance regained courage and drew on its newfound strength to counterattack. Meanwhile, the Celestial Demon Troupe faltered under the crushing blow to their morale.

 

The word “defeat” began to surface in the minds of the Celestial Demon Troupe martial artists.

 

It was then.

 

BZZZZZZZT!

 

A terrifying wave of qi swept across the battlefield.

 

The martial artists, locked in fierce combat, momentarily stopped their movements and looked towards the center of the battlefield. The source of the horrifying qi wave.

 

There, two men were clashing their weapons:

 

Lee Gwak and Go Geom-wol.

 

Mesmerised, the martial artists stopped fighting and stared at the duel between the two men.

 

Jiiiing!

 

Blade and Sword cried out.

 

Lee Gwak and Go Geom-wol had their blade and sword locked together.

 

It was simply a contest of raw power between the weapons.

Yet the sound coming from the weapons grew louder and louder, sweeping across the battlefield.

 

“Kkeuk!”

 

“My… my ears…!”

 

Those with weaker internal energy covered their ears and writhed in pain.

 

Despite covering their ears, the terrifying sound waves still pierced their eardrums and shook their brains to the core.

 

Their heads rang, and the world seemed to spin.

 

Martial artists who couldn’t endure it lost their balance and fell to the ground, thrashing about. The number of people writhing on the ground quickly surpassed several hundred.

 

“Dammit! Fall back!”

 

“If we stay close, we’ll be torn apart!”

 

Those with stronger internal energy supported their comrades and pulled back. They were already a hundred zhang away from where Lee Gwak and Go Geom-wol were clashing, but they still watched the two with uneasy expressions, unable to feel at ease.

 

KAAANG!

 

Lee Gwak and Go Geom-wol clashed their weapons once more.

 

They didn’t even use any specific techniques.

 

They simply wielded their weapons with all their might, relying solely on their internal energy.

 

Griiiin!

 

Their weapons rang like howling beasts, and their palms vibrated.

 

In those two exchanges, they gauged each other’s strength.

 

A faint smile curled on Go Geom-wol’s lips.

 

He couldn’t help but admire Lee Gwak.

 

“To think he’s this strong…”

 

Through their locked blades, he could sense a power almost equal to his own.

 

Lee Gwak was an opponent who demanded his full strength.

 

Goosebumps spread across his skin.

 

A strange sensation that if he didn’t give his all, or if he made even a slight mistake, he could die.

 

 

 

A sense of crisis overwhelmed him, causing all the nerves in his body to tighten like drawn bowstrings. This extreme tension awoke the dormant peripheral nerves throughout his body.

 

Go Geom-wol’s sword thrusts towards Lee Gwak’s vital points.

 

It was an attack so fast the eye couldn’t perceive it. The simple thrust tore through the air, generating explosive sounds.

 

Boom!

 

It was the sound of speed surpassing sound itself.

 

Relying on instinct, Lee Gwak blocked Go Geom-wol’s attack.

 

The clash of Go Geom-wol’s sword and Lee Gwak’s blade produced another metallic clang and shockwave.

 

Lee Gwak staggered back, his heels digging deep furrows in the ground until he sank ankle-deep into the earth.

 

His body tingled with numbness.

 

If his internal energy had been even slightly weaker, this single strike would have paralysed his entire body, rendering him immobile.

 

Lee Gwak circulated his Eight Snakes Art and swung his blade.

 

Although the sword was designed for thrusting, the blade was optimised for slashing.

 

It was a pure slash, without any variations: Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies.

 

Claaaaang!

 

Go Geom-wol’s body shook.

 

This time, it was Go Geom-wol who received the massive impact all over his body.

 

It felt as if he had been hit by a giant hammer. However, just like Lee Gwak, Go Geom-wol freed himself from the shock by simply circulating his internal energy once.

 

Fluttering his long sleeves, Go Geom-wol rushed at Lee Gwak.  Lee Gwak, in turn, unleashed his Revolving Steps at full force and advanced.

 

Cla-cla-cla-clang!

 

Sword and blade clashed again and again.

 

Sparks flew, and shockwaves erupted.

 

Rumble!

 

The earth split and writhed as though screaming in pain.

 

Amidst the chaos, Lee Gwak and Go Geom-wol clashed relentlessly.