Chapter- 33 (Abandoned Disciple of Heavenly Demon)

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Episode 33: Breakthrough (6)

“Huh!”

When Sage Heo Woon tried to step back, he felt pain in his thigh and eventually had to turn his body.

As a result, he was unable to completely avoid Jin Myeong’s sword and was forced to get stabbed in the left shoulder.

“You dodged it well.”

“…You are so arrogant.”

It could have ended like that because Sage Heo Woon turned his body and stuck out his left shoulder.

If it hadn’t been for that, Jin Myeong’s sword would have pierced his neck.

Although Jin Myeong’s sword technique was very simple, it was burdensome for Sage Heo who could not properly exert his strength to defend himself against the attacks.

However, since Sage Heo Woon was so skilled in swordsmanship, he continued to block Jin Myeong’s attacks.

‘It doesn’t penetrate well. It was definitely different when I was swinging a sword alone and in real combat.’

‘In particular, it was not easy to break through the defences of a master like Sage Heo Woon. Despite being him injured like that.’

The opponent suffered injuries to both his left thigh and left shoulder.

Although the Sage Heo, who was unable to properly exert his strength, stumbled every time he blocked Jin Myeong’s attacks, he was somehow able to block Jin Myeong’s attacks.

In that case, we had to break through the Sage Heo’s defences.

‘Faster. At a speed so fast that the opponent can’t catch up.’

‘Stronger. With such a force that the attack cannot be blocked.’

‘More elaborately. Even in a real fight, I must swing it with perfect movements as I was practicing.’

‘Faster, stronger, and more perfect.’

Jin Myeong continued to swing his sword, recalling in his head the movements he had read about in the Martial Art Book of the Ashura Sword Form and the movements he had been practicing.

Even though the appearance of the Sage Heo Woon in front of Jin Myeong was gradually becoming blurry, he did not notice it.

“Hmm?”

The body of Sage Heo Woon, who had been blocking the attack, shook violently. And Jin Myeong used the recoil of the blocked attack to rotate his body and swing his sword.

‘Gap!’

Although Jin Myeong applied strong force by rotating his body, the movement became larger.

Sage Heo Woon blocked Jin Myeong’s sword aiming his neck, then took advantage of the opening to stab Jin Myeong with his sword.

Bang!

Jin Myeong easily knocked away Sage Heo Woon’s sword that was poking at his neck.

‘What?’

Jin Myeong quickly approached Sage Heo Woon, who had a surprised expression on his face, and continued to swing his sword.

‘Huh! Wasn’t it the sloppy swordsmanship just a little while ago. What on earth did he do in that short time?’

Sage Heo Woon could see that Jin Myeong’s movements were becoming increasingly sophisticated.

‘Since he wasn’t swinging it roughly, he was able to apply the power properly. It’s definitely weird.’

‘It’s strange that he had suddenly become so skilled in swordsmanship, but he had also become extremely quiet.

‘Was he always this quiet? Wasn’t he kept nagging and getting on my nerves? Hmm, Why?”

Sage Heo Woon, who had been feeling strange, could see Jin Myeong’s eyes open.

‘What? I thought he had lost focus, but if that was the case, he wouldn’t have been able to push me so hard.’

‘Enlightenment?’

‘That usually happen sometimes, during training, when you swing your sword, you enter the world of the enlightenment.’

Sage Heo Woon’s also experienced this during his cultivation.

‘Could it be that he fell enlightenment during the fight?’

However, Sage Heo Woon would never think that Jin Myeong would enter the world of the enlightenment not during training but while fighting, and especially while fighting against a Sage like himself.

‘No way……. usually, when you enter the enlightenment, you get a lot of luck.’

After gaining enlightenment, Sage Heo Woon, the internal energy had greatly increased. But, in Jin Myeong’s case it seemed like his swordsmanship was becoming more refined.

“Bastard!”

Sage Heo Woon did not want Jin Myeong to obtain a chance. Even now, it is a skill that would make the 15 divine dragons of the Orthodox Alliance feel frustrated.

‘This bastard wants to become stronger, using me as training partner?’

Sage Heo Woon had no intention of letting it go.

“Hmm?”

Jin Myeong flinched at Sage Heo Woon’s shout.

‘What happened?’

Jin Myeong just thought he had to swing his sword faster, stronger, and more perfectly. But his memory is vague from the middle onwards.

‘Why did it get more messed up?’

There were more wounds on Sage Heo Woon’s body than when Jin Myeong had seen him a moment ago. He still couldn’t figure out why.

‘Could it be Shin Ye-hyang?’

Jin Myeong thought Shin Ye-hyang was helping him, but she still seemed preoccupied with fighting Gok Jeon.

‘She’s fighting well.’

Even when facing one of the best martial artists, an elder from prominent sect in the Central Plains, she was actually pushing him back.

“Then shall we start again?” asked Jin Myeong, before rushing towards Sage Heo Woon and swung his sword.

‘What? The sword seems faster’, Jin Myeong was surprised. He felt that, he can move sword more easily than before. In fact, the sword was moving exactly as he thought.

‘Then…….’ Jin Myeong immediately swung his sword at Sage Heo Woon and began to corner him.

‘I think stabbing will work this time.’

Perhaps because Sage Heo was tired, he kept showing weaknesses whenever he defended.

Jin Myeong struck Sage Heo Woon’s sword hard.

“Ugh!”

Then, the body of the Sage Heo Woon’s opened wide. Jin Myeong stabbed the sword again. The target was the neck of the Sage Heo.

Bang!

But Jin Myeong’s body was immediately pushed back.

“Tsk. That’s why I was trying to handle it quickly.”

Jin Myeong clicked his tongue as he looked at Sage Heo Woon who had surprised expression on his face.

The one who struck down Jin Myeong’s sword was not Sage Heo Woon. It was a sword that flew in from somewhere.

‘It arrived sooner than I thought.’

From the moment Jin Myeong came to his senses, he felt people approaching this place. And he also knew that they were not members of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

“Thank you for keeping the situation in your hands.”

“Tsk.”

Although he didn’t think much of it, Jin Myeong smiled and looked at the old Taoist monk who had come between him and the Sage Heo Woon.

“I never thought that the Kunlun’s Sect Master would make a move himself.”

“Heh heh.”

The old Taoist monk stroking his beard with a kind smile was none other than Sage Xu Sheng, the head of the Kunlun sect.

“You know the main Sage.”

“There’s no way I wouldn’t know.”

Since he had learned about the Central Plains from Yang Jeon before leaving for the Central Plains, he was able to recognize Sage Xu Sheng immediately after seeing him.

“I never thought that even the chieftain of Kunlun would move.”

“Haha, no. I just came to stop our sect’s Taoist.”

“Well, I don’t know if that’s true.”

Jin Myeong did not believe Sage Xu’s words, and asked back, “is it possible for the Kunlun Sect to lead and move its disciples without the permission of the leader?”

Sage Xu Sheng wanted to say was that this incident had nothing to do with his own will.

“Haha. How could that be? It just happened when I was away for a moment.”

“Do you think, I am a fool?”

Jin Myeong clicked his tongue as he watched Sage Xu Sheng continue to act indifferently. Hearing Jin Myeong, Sage Xu Sheong’s eyebrows twitched, but he managed to maintain kind smile on his face.

“So why did you come here in person? Are you saying we should end it like this?”

“Haha. This little guy has quite temper.”

“Are you still being polite in this situation? It’s not like I have the decency to be polite to my enemy.”

“Your words are short, but your tongue is long and smooth.”

Sage Xu Sheong narrowed his eyes and looked at Jin Myeong. The aura flowing from him began to pressure Jin Myeong.

‘That guy is more annoying than me.’

Jin Myeong whole body felt tingly from the aura of Sage Xu Sheng. It was even worse than what he felt from Sage Heo Woon.

“Huh. Now I know why that guy tried to kill you before Laughing Blood Demon.”

Seeing Jin Myeong being so calm while receiving his aura from the front, Sage Xu Sheng could understand why Gok Yang was determined to kill Jin Myeong.

However, Jin Myeong thought that he could withstand the this much pressure, as he already faced oppressing aura of Heavenly Demon or Mad Demon.

“So, what are we going to do now? Let’s just end it like this?”

“Haha. That can’t be.”

At Jin Myeong’s words, Sage Xu Sheong shook his head.

“No matter how young they are, they are indeed promising young warriors of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Not a single one died.”

The warriors of the Heavenly Demon Sect who had received the mission and came to the Central Plains were not a bunch of idiots.

“Most of them were the children and disciples of the elders, that is, successors who would become the next elders.”

“It meant that each and every one of them possessed outstanding martial arts skills.

Compared to that, many of Kunlun’s disciples died.”

Of course, it was not the case that the disciples who could be said to be truly important in Kunlun died.

Most of them were second and third generation disciples.

“So?”

“You have to take responsibility for that.”

“Wasn’t it Kunlun who attacked first?”

“No. The cause of this was the Heavenly Demon Sect.”

Sage Xu Sheng continued to emphasize that Kunlun had a just cause. He wants to deal with the young warriors of the Heavenly Demon Sect, but he wants to avoid war with the Heavenly Demon Sect.

“It seems like it would be difficult for Kunlun to face the Heavenly Demon Sect alone?”

“I admit it.”

Although the Heavenly Demon Sect was clearly a single force, it was on par with the Orthodox Alliance in terms of strength.

Even if Kunlun was one of the old sects, it would not be able to avoid destruction if it went to war with the Heavenly Demon Sect.

“If that’s the case, then why don’t you just start?”

“Haha. That’s right. It would get off to a pointless war.”

Most of the demons of the Heavenly Demon Sect were at a level that did not deviate significantly from his expectations.

Three people, excluding Mok Ja-kyung, Shin Ye-hyang, and Jin Myeong. The Kunlun Sect’s plan failed because these three were stronger than they thought.

“Then you don’t plan on letting it go like this?”

“Haha. As I said before, shouldn’t we honour the souls of our dead disciples?”

‘Of course, I expected it’, thought Jin Myeong.

“So how about giving up your head? If you give up your head, I will spare everyone else’s life.”

“The strongest person is not me, but Mok Ja-gyeong. Why are you after my life?”

“Heh heh. Well. Let’s just say that you’re the more dangerous.”

Sage Xu Sheng raised his sword toward Jin Myeong. But in the end, he failed to attack Jin Myeong.

It was because of the sound of footsteps coming from afar.

“You’re lucky.”

“I guess I’m not destined to die here. It’s a shame.”

Sage Xu Sheng sighed, with smile he and Jin Myeong turned their head towards the person approaching them.

“I never thought I would see Commander of Shadow Demon like this.”

Commander Neung Byeok-mun returned, followed by some of his soldiers.

“I heard you were the first to leave, but did you bring the others with you?”

As soon as the Gongdong Sect and Kunlun Sect appeared, Neung Byeok-mun was the first to escape.

“But it doesn’t look that great, so I don’t know why you came back.”

It seemed as if the Neung Byeok-mun had brought in people from somewhere, but there weren’t many of them.

As Sage Xu Sheng said, it seemed as if the Neung Byeok-mun had come back to throw away the life he had just saved.

“That’s impossible.”

Neung Byeok-mun took something out of his bosom.

“Hmm. That is…….”

“This is a letter I received from our sect.”

“…….”

‘That’s ridiculous.’

Even if Neung Byeok-mun had passed through here and sent the letter right away, it would have been normal if it hadn’t yet reached Heavenly Demon Sect.

“It’s true. I sent it before I left Cheonghae.”

The place to receive the reply was the Gansu branch. Now, Lingbi Gate has visited the Gansu branch.

“In short, I sent a letter saying that the Kunlun faction would attack us, and I received a reply.”

“…….”

“It seems the elders are very angry that their successors are being targeted.”

If there are one or two elders, Orthodox Alliance could have ignore them. But if all the elders move, it’s a different story.

“And it seems like the Vice-Sect Leader might move too.”

“Do you think I’d be scared by something like that?”

“Then why don’t you just kill us all here? I don’t know who will welcome Sect Leader Xu when he returns.”

If Kunlun Sect kill them all right now, they might win. But when they return to sect, they will be greeted by empty ruins.

“If you do that, who among the alliance would welcome the remanent of Kunlun sect? Who would accept Sect Leader and his disciples who have lost their sect?”

“If you’re not careful, you could become the target of the Heavenly Demon Sect. And seriously, are you really going to trust those cowards from the Orthodox Alliance?”

“…….”

Sage Xu Sheng did not answer the question at Neung Byeok-mun. It wasn’t because he agreed with the statement that members of Orthodox Alliance are coward.

‘Even if I go to the Orthodox Alliance, I won’t be treated the same way as I am now.’

There is no way that the Orthodox Alliance would treat the defeated soldiers like Commander Neung had mentioned.

“So, how about we step aside now?”

“Many of my sect’s disciples have died.”

“I don’t think it’s enough to say a lot?”

If someone listen to what Sage Xu Sheng said, it seems like more than a hundred of his disciples died, but in reality, even if you combine Gongdong and Kunlun, less than fifty disciples would have died.

Of course, it was inevitable that the pride of the Heavenly Demon Sect would be hurt as they were unable to kill a single person and only their disciples had died.

“Phew.”

“Sect Leader Xu…….”

Although Sage Heo Woon called, Sage Xu Sheng just sighed and shook his head.

“This disciple’s plan ultimately failed.”

 

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