Chapter 278

With a cluster of sword energy gathering at the tip of Elder Bok-cheon’s sword, it suddenly burst forth, shooting blade energy over ten zhang.

Wind and Cloud Sword!

Jin Ja-gang immediately dropped down. Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Myowol stopped their fight and leapt into the air.

Screeeeaaach!

The sword energy of the Wind and Cloud Sword split the sky and earth horizontally.

But Baek Li-jung did not dodge, raising his Heavenly Vermillion Blade to meet the Wind and Cloud Sword.

Clink clink clink!

The Wind and Cloud Sword’s energy rushed forward and clashed against the Heavenly Vermillion Blade. Baek Li-jung placed one hand on the blade guard and added internal energy.

Bang!

The Wind and Cloud Sword’s energy shattered in midair and Elder Bok-cheon’s sword broke as well. Being an ordinary sword, it could not withstand the combined internal energies of the two.

Jin Ja-gang picked up the sword carried by a corpse and threw it at Elder Bok-cheon while simultaneously throwing poison needles at Baek Li-jung with his left hand. Baek Li-jung tried to interfere with Elder Bok-cheon’s sword grab but could not ignore the poison needles. Having been hit once before, Baek Li-jung knew how vicious Jin Ja-gang’s poison was.

Elder Bok-cheon managed to safely grab the sword and launched another offensive against Baek Li-jung.

Myowol blocked Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s blade while simultaneously striking Elder Bok-cheon’s ribs with her other hand. Elder Bok-cheon blocked Myowol’s palm with his foot and using the rebound force leapt, performing a somersault and raining down sword energy over Baek Li-jung’s head. The sword energy fell like a torrent.

Baek Li-jung swung the Heavenly Vermillion Blade with one hand, spreading a semi-circular shield of sword energy. The energy swept away the incoming sword attacks and then he raised his left hand upwards.

Rumble.

Thunder sounded.

Elder Bok-cheon suspected the Thunder Wind Formation and hurriedly twisted his body to alter the trajectory.

Soon massive palm force erupted from Baek Li-jung’s left hand. Elder Bok-cheon avoided facing the Thunder Wind Formation directly but his right leg was grazed.

Crunch!

His clothes were torn and muscles twisted. Elder Bok-cheon struck the ground with his palm and barely landed on his left foot. As his center of balance faltered, Baek Li-jung stabbed him with three swords.

Knowing he could not properly block with strength, Elder Bok-cheon tried to slip Baek Li-jung’s sword away with the Plum Blossom Grafting technique. But Baek Li-jung’s Heavenly Vermillion Blade vibrated rapidly, rejecting Elder Bok-cheon’s technique. Elder Bok-cheon’s sword struck the Heavenly Vermillion Blade and broke again. Then Baek Li-jung’s three swords split into six and then nine swords targeting Elder Bok-cheon’s vital points.

Elder Bok-cheon gritted his teeth and resolved to die with him. He gave up defense and stabbed Baek Li-jung’s heart with the broken sword.

Thud!

Sword energy protruded from Elder Bok-cheon’s back. The broken sword did not reach Baek Li-jung’s heart but was caught between Baek Li-jung’s fingers.

“Ugh…”

A deflated groan escaped from Elder Bok-cheon’s mouth.

“Now you should go to your senior brother’s side?”

Baek Li-jung spoke in a grim tone as he looked down at Elder Bok-cheon.

Elder Bok-cheon gritted his teeth and threw a strike at Baek Li-jung. Baek Li-jung pulled out the Heavenly Vermillion Blade from Elder Bok-cheon’s chest and hastily retreated.

Jin Ja-gang rushed toward Baek Li-jung to help Elder Bok-cheon.

Myowol glanced sideways, then leaped to block Jin Ja-gang’s path. Dan Ryeong-gyeong put full weight into her blade and slashed heavily.

“Move aside!”

Myowol struck down from above to below, driving Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s thrown blade into the ground.

Bang!

Dan Ryeong-gyeong tried to leap over Myowol, but Myowol used swift footwork to block Dan Ryeong-gyeong as well. Dan Ryeong-gyeong kicked Myowol several times with Chain Kicks. Myowol raised a dust storm and evaded them all.

When Jin Ja-gang tried to pass, she shook off Dan Ryeong-gyeong and again blocked Jin Ja-gang’s path. The meaning was clear: if he couldn’t get through her, he couldn’t reach Elder Bok-cheon. Dan Ryeong-gyeong had no choice but to attack Myowol. However, with Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s one arm, it wasn’t easy to break through the defense that Myowol’s two hands deployed.

Myowol sneered and struck Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s empty shoulder with her palm.

Thud!

Dan Ryeong-gyeong staggered.

Then Myowol turned her head, but Jin Ja-gang was nowhere to be seen. She concentrated her hearing but couldn’t even detect breathing.

“…!”

With her left eye blind, Myowol’s left side was a blind spot. Unconsciously, she turned her head. Jin Ja-gang was silently waiting on Myowol’s left side. Feeling something strange, Myowol tried to dodge with footwork but abruptly stopped when she felt a sharp sensation wrapping around her left leg.

At the same time, she immediately raised her leg. The Soul Seizing Thread tightened and wrapped around where her shin had been, grazing past.

Jin Ja-gang blocked Myowol’s footwork while simultaneously circling behind her. Jin Ja-gang wrapped his arm around Myowol’s neck from behind and choked her.

Myowol realized that Jin Ja-gang had become much faster and stronger than before. She tensed her neck to resist while raising her hands to grab Jin Ja-gang’s hair. Jin Ja-gang turned his head to avoid Myowol’s hands.

Jin Ja-gang concentrated all his strength into his left arm. The power of the Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art from the four dikes was certainly not weak. The heavy force of the left turbid energy strongly pressed against Myowol’s jaw and neck.

“Kugh. Kughh.”

Myowol’s face turned red and saliva flowed from her mouth. Her single eye became bloodshot and filled with tears.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong ran over and stabbed Myowol’s solar plexus with her fingertip. While her neck was being held, Myowol raised her legs and wrapped both legs around Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s arm. Myowol forcefully twisted her waist and threw Dan Ryeong-gyeong away. Since Dan Ryeong-gyeong had one arm, she couldn’t perform a proper breakfall. She bounced twice on the ground before rolling to her feet.

Still, Jin Ja-gang didn’t fall off. Myowol’s face had now turned completely red. She dropped her Non-Killing Sword and wildly waved both hands behind her back, searching for Jin Ja-gang’s head.

Jin Ja-gang pulled his head back as far as possible. Myowol grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s back of the head with one hand and pressed Jin Ja-gang’s left eye with her other thumb. She intended to make him one-eyed like herself!

Dan Ryeong-gyeong ran over and struck Myowol’s abdomen with her fist.

Bang! Bang!

Myowol endured with only her protective energy but didn’t give up pressing Jin Ja-gang’s eye. It was a vicious obsession. Jin Ja-gang squeezed his eyes shut and endured, but his eyelid gradually bulged and his eye began to protrude.

Jin Ja-gang bit the tip of his right little finger. He drew out poison fluid and brought it to Myowol’s mouth. Myowol desperately kept her mouth shut and resisted.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong continued striking Myowol’s abdomen and solar plexus.

Thud! Thud!

Due to Myowol’s deep internal energy, Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s fists also hurt from the rebound. However, no matter how much Myowol endured with protective energy, there had to be a limit.

Crack.

One of Myowol’s ribs broke from Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s attack, and the strength left Myowol’s hand that was pressing Jin Ja-gang’s eye. The moment Myowol took her hand off Jin Ja-gang’s eye to block Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s attack, Jin Ja-gang sharply twisted Myowol’s jaw.

Crack!

Myowol’s neck snapped to the side.

But the moment her neck snapped, Myowol grabbed her own neck and twisted it back the other way to restore it.

Crack!

Jin Ja-gang was horrified and tried to stab a poison needle into Myowol’s neck. Myowol swung her elbow backward to strike Jin Ja-gang’s head. Jin Ja-gang blocked with his forearm. But in that moment, Myowol escaped from Jin Ja-gang’s restraint.

“Kraaaaaah!”

With her face red and even her eyes bloodshot, Myowol’s roaring appearance was like that of a demon.

Baek Li-jung held the Heavenly Vermillion Blade in his right hand and continued pressing Elder Bok-cheon.

Wheeze. Wheeze.

Air-leaking sounds came from Elder Bok-cheon. With his lungs pierced, blood spurted from his mouth with each breath. Moreover, with his sword broken, it was difficult to properly face the Heavenly Vermillion Blade.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong was about to attack Myowol but saw that Elder Bok-cheon was in more urgent danger and ran toward Elder Bok-cheon while holding Myowol’s Non-Killing Sword.

Baek Li-jung held his sword finger in his left hand to deal with Dan Ryeong-gyeong. Clear sword energy about a foot long protruded from his sword finger.

“Haah!”

When Baek Li-jung used the Heavenly Blade Divine Sword with a kiai, the sword energy from his sword finger became much deeper and more intense in color. Even when it collided with Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s Non-Killing Sword, the sword energy didn’t break.

Baek Li-jung turned his head left and right, simultaneously facing both opponents. Yet there were no gaps in his hand movements. Rather, it was Elder Bok-cheon and Dan Ryeong-gyeong who were being pushed back. Since Dan Ryeong-gyeong had to take care of Elder Bok-cheon while fighting, she couldn’t make deep attacks against Baek Li-jung.

However, Baek Li-jung’s eyes weren’t focused only on the two of them. His eyes occasionally surveyed the situation.

The Zhuge family warriors were scattering in all directions to escape. If they completely descended the mountain and reached villages or met Martial Alliance reinforcements, things would become troublesome.

Mang Ryo had killed up to three Zhuge family warriors, but with the Evil Sect members and Qingcheng Sect persistently clinging to him, it didn’t look like he could easily kill more. No, it looked like he was deliberately wasting time even though he could do it.

Baek Li-jung didn’t deliberate for long. While it would be clean to kill Dan Ryeong-gyeong now, considering the future, it might be better not to kill her. The Shandong Evil Sect was good prey for Baek Li-jung to reclaim his position.

The same went for Elder Bok-cheon.

However, one was different.

Poison Dragon.

The one who had become entangled in a bitter enmity due to the Hundred Flowers Valley Annihilation incident and had ultimately killed his beloved adopted son.

He had emerged in the martial world less than two years ago and was already fighting almost evenly with Demonic Nun Myowol. Even now, when he didn’t seem to have properly learned martial arts, he was already an obstacle. If left alone, there was no telling how much he would grow. Sprouts must be trampled before they grow.

And most of all, what displeased him most was that this one had provided the cause for Mang Ryo’s involvement.

‘I will kill you.’

Baek Li-jung suddenly kicked off the ground and broke away from Elder Bok-cheon and Dan Ryeong-gyeong. In the moment Elder Bok-cheon and Dan Ryeong-gyeong realized something was wrong, Baek Li-jung flew behind Jin Ja-gang.

“Be careful!”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong shouted while chasing after Baek Li-jung.

To kill Jin Ja-gang for certain, Baek Li-jung transferred the Heavenly Vermillion Blade to his left hand, concentrated internal energy in his right palm, and raised his hand.

Jin Ja-gang was fighting Myowol with Grappling Technique, holding poison needles between his index and middle fingers. However, it wasn’t easy from the very beginning of the Touch-Link-Follow technique when hands meet palm to palm. Myowol, being a master, knew exactly how to counter the Touch-Link-Follow technique.

Pull-Guide-Drop-Empty-Combine!

Whenever Jin Ja-gang barely managed to make contact, she immediately separated, and at the moment he tried to attach, she pushed and dropped him. She appropriately applied and released force while breaking the Touch-Link-Follow technique at the right moments. She prevented Jin Ja-gang from moving from Touch to Link. Only when it continued from Touch to Link could Jin Ja-gang read Myowol’s movements with Follow, but that wasn’t happening.

However, thanks to this, Jin Ja-gang awakened to new Grappling counter-techniques through Myowol. Fighting against opponents far superior to oneself was of great help, even when it was a matter of life and death.

Jin Ja-gang desperately tried to read Myowol’s Grappling Technique. The internal energy of the Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art’s Fourth Light filling his entire body awakened all his senses to the maximum. The sensation of every single hair began to gradually read Myowol’s techniques. Though he didn’t know the formula of Pull-Guide-Drop-Empty-Combine, he felt the mysteries of the Grappling Technique that Myowol used.

Myowol’s eyes twisted. Myowol, a renowned master of Mount Emei, couldn’t fail to understand the current situation. The time Jin Ja-gang spent pressing hands with her gradually increased. At some point, Jin Ja-gang was using Neither-Lose-Nor-Resist, the counter-technique to Pull-Guide-Drop-Empty-Combine.

Myowol was in a very bad mood. Only crazy people would be happy when someone they want to kill is improving their skills while fighting them!

Myowol ground her teeth and moved her hands even faster.

Then suddenly, Baek Li-jung appeared from behind Jin Ja-gang.

“Die.”

Baek Li-jung spoke with bone-chilling coldness and struck down at Jin Ja-gang’s head with his palm.

Sensing the killing intent, Jin Ja-gang turned to look at Baek Li-jung and reflexively extended his hands to meet him.