Chapter 419

The four masters attacked without rest. Palm force, axes, and fire chaotically decorated the deck.

During the melee, Master Haewol snapped off a piece of lumber made from the ship’s railing. He held the lumber like a sword and naturally lowered it down, taking a sword stance. Though short and blunt for a sword, he didn’t particularly mind.

Fire Flame Master’s heavy flag flew in. Master Haewol received the flag that seemed like it would crumble at the slightest touch with the lumber.

ROOOM!

The iron flag that flew in making a thunderous sound touched the lumber but made no sound at all. Master Haewol spun the tip of the lumber in a circle. The iron flag swayed and its direction turned.

Fire Flame Master’s arm, gripping the iron flag tightly, twisted unable to bear the weight. Fire Flame Master’s joints made cracking sounds. It was the combination of using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds and the softness of Taiji sword.

Fire Flame Master endured with enough force to make his face red. The iron flag barely stopped without being driven into the deck.

The hook-nosed old man, Myriad Enlightened Master, stabbed Master Haewol’s back with a long skewer that had hooks like a fishing hook. It was a cruel weapon where if pierced and penetrated, the organs would get caught on the hooks and be pulled out when yanked.

Master Haewol flicked all five fingers backward without looking.

Pop pop pop!

Five finger winds scattered chaotically in different trajectories rather than uniform paths. Though it was meant as a threat to prevent close approach, there was no choice but to retreat to avoid the finger winds bouncing in all directions. Of course, even that alone prevented Master Haewol from pursuing Fire Flame Master, so Myriad Enlightened Master had played his role.

Vanishing Master leaped up stepping on the sail and scattered palm force. Palm force poured down like hail over Master Haewol’s head. Master Haewol casually tapped the lumber into the air.

BANG, CRASH BANG BANG!

All the pouring palm forces were hit by the lumber and deflected to the sides. The deck was smashed and holes were punched through.

Earth Store Master’s two axes flew in spinning and in sequence. Master Haewol raised the lumber to strike down the axes. But the moment they touched the axes, Master Haewol’s internal energy in the lumber disappeared like mist.

SNAP!

The lumber was cut as is and shattered, and the axe grazed right past Master Haewol’s neck.

SLASH!

A very small wound appeared. Following that, another axe charged toward his chest. Master Haewol abandoned the lumber and gathered both hands to draw a circle in front of his chest. While drawing the circle, Master Haewol’s internal energy created a net of countless circles in front of his chest.

But again, the moment the axe entered Master Haewol’s range, the net Master Haewol had created disappeared without a trace.

Master Haewol immediately leaped up into the air to avoid the axe. It was definitely a strange weapon that neutralized internal energy. Even protective energy wouldn’t be able to deflect those axes. If he charged trusting in protective energy, he would be split by the axes as is.

Master Haewol collided with the veiled woman Vanishing Master floating in the air. Vanishing Master’s palms poured down countless times toward below. Numerous explosions occurred in the air.

But Master Haewol avoided all explosions and leaped as many as three times in the air.

“Urgh!”

Vanishing Master’s eyes opened wide. Master Haewol had already leaped up behind Vanishing Master, above her. Vanishing Master turned her waist and unleashed twin palms. Master Haewol kicked Vanishing Master’s legs.

Vanishing Master’s body spun sideways in the air. All of Vanishing Master’s twin palms went in wrong directions. Master Haewol stepped down on Vanishing Master’s back with his foot and used thousand-pound drop to strengthen his body. If they fell to the deck like this, Master Haewol’s foot pressing on her back would shatter Vanishing Master’s spine.

Myriad Enlightened Master attacked the side of the falling Master Haewol with his skewer to help Vanishing Master. Master Haewol rather untied his belt and wrapped the skewer. The hooks attached upside down on the skewer rather made the belt get firmly caught.

When Master Haewol yanked momentarily, Myriad Enlightened Master was pulled along. He could just let go, but couldn’t do so voluntarily. Master Haewol had deployed advanced pressure point techniques to restrain Myriad Enlightened Master in the blink of an eye. Myriad Enlightened Master kicked at Master Haewol while being dragged, but Master Haewol wrapped Myriad Enlightened Master’s feet and neck simultaneously with the remaining belt. Myriad Enlightened Master’s face quickly turned white from strangulation.

Since the giant Earth Store Master also had two people caught by Master Haewol, he couldn’t throw axes and charged directly. Simultaneously Fire Flame Master also stabbed burning energy toward Master Haewol floating in the air.

Master Haewol kicked Vanishing Master’s foot, making the kicked foot kick Earth Store Master’s groin. When Earth Store Master pulled his legs together to protect his groin, Master Haewol extended his left hand and hooked Earth Store Master’s nostrils with his index and middle fingers, pulling. Earth Store Master’s head tilted back and his head was pulled along. He ended up in a posture where he couldn’t swing axes.

After wrapping Earth Store Master’s neck with one leg, he simultaneously shook Myriad Enlightened Master’s body with his right hand, making Myriad Enlightened Master’s skewer catch on Fire Flame Master’s flag. Fire Flame Master moved left and right trying to pull out the flag, but it wouldn’t come off because the skewer’s hooks were caught. When Master Haewol pulled Myriad Enlightened Master forcefully, Fire Flame Master was also dragged along as a bonus.

Five people became entangled and clumped together. Of course, the other four had their bodies restrained by one person and couldn’t move with their own strength.

It became a bizarre scene like a giant ball clumped together in the air.

The ball of people spun round and round. Like a top, the speed gradually increased, and at the moment it crashed to the deck, four people were flung in all directions.

BANG! CRASH! SMASH!

Demon Cult’s four masters bounced like lightning and were embedded in the ship. Either punched through salt sacks or half-buried in the floor after smashing through the deck!

“Urgh.”

“Ugh…”

The four masters groaned unable to move properly, having been pushed by such strong force. Vanishing Master, who had been caught from the very beginning, was embedded in the platform wall with no blood left in her face, even trembling in her arms.

Master Haewol floated about an inch above the deck then lightly descended. A dusty wind arose from under his feet and was pushed out in all directions.

WHOOOOSH.

A giant Taiji-shaped wind.

Great Taiji Unity…

The highest level of Wudang Sect’s Taiji martial arts.

But then.

Lightning fell on Master Haewol’s head.

The chair on the platform was empty.

ZZZZZZAP!

Blue Enlightened lightning poured down as if real lightning had fallen from the sky. Master Haewol lightly pushed the deck with his toes to lift his body. He fluttered lightly like dandelion seeds and deflected the lightning.

The tremendously powerful lightning fragments scattered and made countless holes throughout Master Haewol’s clothes. Master Haewol’s clothes burned and dozens of smoke streams rose.

CRACKLE.

The lightning split half of the transport ship. Showing blackened burn marks, the ship’s internal hull was completely exposed. The bow and stern split left and right and separated.

Bubble bubble, the river water touched by lightning boiled up and produced tremendous amounts of steam. The sailors who had jumped into the water had already died instantly when the lightning fell and soon floated up.

HISSSSSS.

Steam rose so thick that eyes couldn’t be opened and it was hot enough to cook flesh.

In the scene where even one step ahead was hard to see, Master Haewol was almost back-to-back with Thunder Emperor Ga Mu-ru.

It was possible to be back-to-back because Ga Mu-ru was in a posture of kneeling and striking his sword downward.

HISSSS…

Ga Mu-ru opened his mouth in the steam.

“You’ve been at it too long… Haewol.”

Master Haewol, wrapped in smoke with dozens of holes burned in his clothes, answered coldly without looking back.

“Don’t covet and go back. There’s no place for you to take.”

Ga Mu-ru harbored a faint smile on his stern face.

Master Haewol kicked Ga Mu-ru with his back foot. Ga Mu-ru didn’t dodge and struck Master Haewol’s temple with his elbow.

CRACK!

Ga Mu-ru’s ribs broke and Master Haewol’s foot was embedded, while Ga Mu-ru’s elbow also hit Master Haewol’s temple. Master Haewol’s head swayed like grass and instantly dissipated the force in the elbow. Ga Mu-ru immediately bounced off and fell into the river water.

SPLASH!

Suddenly a whitish object quickly approached through the steam on the deck.

SWOOSH! The steam split soundlessly.

Heaven Vermillion Sword cut toward Master Haewol’s neck. It was secretive but crude. Master Haewol leaned his body to the side and shot finger wind forward. A frustrated groan burst out.

Master Haewol shot forward like an arrow and grabbed Baek Li-jung’s throat. No, he thought it was Baek Li-jung but it wasn’t Baek Li-jung.

Even Master Haewol was momentarily bewildered.

“Who are you?”

It was one of the unorthodox sect masters.

He was holding Heaven Vermillion Sword.

Master Haewol was a Taoist with high mental cultivation and it was just an instant, but the current situation was enough to cause confusion.

RUMBLE!

Behind the unorthodox sect master, Baek Li-jung’s Thunderous Song Palm blazed with an ear-splitting roar.

The Thunderous Song Palm tore the unorthodox sect master holding Heaven Vermillion Sword to shreds and poured toward Master Haewol.

Master Haewol was momentarily greatly enraged.

“A righteous sect member to the end!”

Master Haewol didn’t leisurely deflect the Thunderous Song Palm but struck one palm from the front to suppress it with force. Master Haewol’s palm overwhelmed the Thunderous Song Palm.

BOOOOM!

The Thunderous Song Palm exploded and Baek Li-jung rather received backlash. Baek Li-jung was hit by the returned Thunderous Song Palm and Master Haewol’s Wudang Cotton Palm, staggered, then knelt down.

COUGH!

As Baek Li-jung vomited blood, Master Haewol shouted simultaneously.

“You bastard!”

Master Haewol’s hand emitted blue energy and rose toward the sky. Master Haewol’s eyes harbored killing intent.

At that moment.

PRICK.

Master Haewol looked down at his foot. A needle was sticking up from the top of his foot.

It had come up through the deck planks from below and pierced Master Haewol’s sole.

When he moved his foot, one eyeball was visible through the gap between deck planks.

“Hehehe. Ehehehe.”

It was Mang Ryo’s single eye. Mang Ryo, stuck to the ceiling of the lower cabin, looked up through the gap between deck planks and said.

“This isn’t a shoddy poison like last time. It’s one of the three great fatal poisons that King of Hell gave directly, so it won’t be defective either, right? Hehehe.”

Master Haewol’s brow furrowed deeply. Had everything been planned from when Baek Li-jung told Mang Ryo to stay out of the way!

“These bastards…!”

When Master Haewol raised his foot to stomp, Mang Ryo fell from the ceiling of the lower cabin and ran away.

The top of his foot pierced by the poison needle was already becoming numb. Master Haewol spread his palm and extended it to the side. Heaven Vermillion Sword, which the unorthodox sect master had dropped when he died, was sucked into his hand.

Master Haewol swung Heaven Vermillion Sword toward his own foot without a moment’s hesitation. His foot top was cut vertically. Only the heel remained and the front disappeared.

Along with that, Ga Mu-ru, who had fallen into the water, leaped up and cut the gunwale and deck together with Master Haewol entirely.

SWOOOOSH!

From the transport ship that had been cut in half, another third was cut off and dropped.

Master Haewol staggered and swung Heaven Vermillion Sword to block. But the tremendous sword energy bounced off Heaven Vermillion Sword and scraped across Master Haewol’s chest. His chest split and a span-long wound appeared. Blood began flowing down steadily.

While Master Haewol held his chest and composed himself, the steam scattered and the broken hull revealed itself.

Demon Cult’s four masters got up, and the unorthodox sect masters also slowly prepared to approach. Baek Li-jung and Ga Mu-ru also raised their internal energy, revealing their will for full-scale offensive.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang was immersed in deep meditation.

Strangely, the deeper he went inward, the farther Jin Ja-gang’s consciousness moved from his body.

Though his eyes were closed, the surrounding scenery was perceived as if he were seeing directly with his eyes.

The earthy smell and grass smell that the hot summer heat gave off.

The sound of bees’ wingbeats, the subtle air waves caused by butterflies’ wings.

And…

The happy expressions of people surrounding Jin Ja-gang.