Chapter 364

Then Dam-gok, having caught his breath, intervened making it two against one. Though Namgung Geol wasn’t greatly pushed back while facing both opponents, his attacks were constantly blocked by Dam-woon with little effect.

“Here too!”

Im Yi-eon joined in and deployed Swallow Brave Slanted Cliff Sword. Like a swift swallow, Im Yi-eon’s sword slashed at Dam-woon’s legs. Dam-woon suffered a slight sword wound on his knee and limped back.

But Im Yi-eon couldn’t continue her attack either. She had to watch Mu-gak’s reactions in case he suddenly intervened.

Namgung Geol immediately went in and stabbed at Dam-woon’s abdomen. Dam-woon deployed Iron Shirt to block.

Scrape!

Namgung Geol’s sword tip pierced Dam-woon’s outer clothing and went in about an inch. Though Dam-woon wasn’t seriously wounded, his inadequacy in directly facing Namgung Geol was revealed.

Dam-gok shoulder-charged Namgung Geol’s side. Namgung Geol pressed on Dam-gok’s shoulder while spinning his body back to disperse the force. Im Yi-eon kicked the back of Dam-gok’s knee as he appeared alone after Dam-woon briefly withdrew.

Thump! Dam-gok’s leg staggered and his balance collapsed. Im Yi-eon turned her body, balanced on one foot and extended her back foot. Using mandarin duck kick technique that rotated body and leg together in reverse, she struck Dam-gok’s chin.

Crack.

Dam-gok’s neck turned sideways. For an ordinary person, this would have been enough to knock them unconscious or shatter their jaw, but Arhat monk Dam-gok, whose neck was twice as thick as normal people, only staggered briefly without losing consciousness.

Meanwhile, Namgung Geol who had retreated and returned slashed Dam-gok’s shoulder. Blood spurted from the shoulder that couldn’t deploy Iron Shirt in time.

Namgung Geol aimed simultaneously at the blood vessels behind Dam-gok’s ear and neck with Heaven Sky New Sword. Im Yi-eon prepared Swallow Brave Slanted Cliff Sword right behind.

Then Mu-gak shouted.

“Mental Karma!”

Power entered the eyes of Dam-gok, who had been staggering back with weakened legs and wounded shoulder.

“Uoooooh!”

Dam-gok and Dam-woon slapped their own bald heads with their palms. Then they came pressing forward with Iron Head technique in turn.

At Dam-gok’s and Dam-woon’s sudden charge, Namgung Geol retreated half a step to create distance for attack.

Then Namgung Geol’s and Im Yi-eon’s swords became entangled.

Clang!

Im Yi-eon had been about to circle around to strike Dam-woon from behind. Dam-woon’s charge path had been extremely ambiguous.

For a moment, Namgung Geol’s and Im Yi-eon’s gazes met.

Sure enough.

A shadow immediately fell over them.

Namgung Geol and Im Yi-eon threw their bodies left and right.

The Vajra monk holding Mu-gak came down into the empty space then returned again.

Soon Dam-gok pressed forward to Namgung Geol’s front.

Namgung Geol struck Dam-gok’s back of the head with his sword handle. Dam-gok forcefully raised his head and struck away the sword handle with his crown. Namgung Geol’s hand bounced off the hard skull of Iron Head technique. Namgung Geol used that rebound force to turn his body while retreating, then swept his sword straight up diagonally from below.

A semicircular sword energy shot out as if to cut Dam-gok in half. Dam-gok bent his waist backward to avoid the sword energy.

Swish!

The tip of his clothing was cut off.

Dam-gok turned his body while swinging his massive cleaver horizontally.

Im Yi-eon blocked Dam-gok’s front and deflected the cleaver with her sword. Dam-gok again rammed Im Yi-eon’s solar plexus with Iron Head technique.

Im Yi-eon laid her body sideways and bent her back foot forward, striking Dam-gok’s nape and ear with her heel. It was a mandarin duck kick filled with internal energy, not to be ignored.

Thud thud!

Dam-gok’s earlobe tore and bled, while blood also burst from his opposite ear canal.

Whii- ing!

Dam-gok’s pupils shook as he knelt on one knee.

Dam-woon from behind pressed all the way in and rammed Im Yi-eon’s ribs from the side.

Crack!

Though Iron Head technique pushed through her protective energy and made cracking sounds from her ribs, Im Yi-eon only grimaced briefly before kicking Dam-woon’s knee. The already sword-wounded knee bent with an unpleasant sound.

As Dam-woon fell forward, Im Yi-eon immediately grabbed Dam-woon’s robe collar and pulled while thrusting her sword up from below. At this rate, the sword would pierce diagonally from Dam-woon’s neck through to his back skull.

Dam-woon’s eyes opened wide.

Suddenly Mu-gak shouted.

“Three Wheels!”

Im Yi-eon and Namgung Geol flinched.

The remaining three Arhat monks all charged out simultaneously. Two of them drew staffs similar to their height, attached sharp spear points to the ends to make spears, while one held two short clubs studded with spikes.

If the three surrounded her, Im Yi-eon would be disadvantaged. Im Yi-eon kicked Dam-woon away and retreated to prevent being surrounded.

Then Dam-gok stood up and blocked behind. Im Yi-eon’s back bumped into Dam-gok’s chest. Dam-gok gripped Im Yi-eon’s shoulders and head with both hands. Dam-gok, whose build was twice as large as Im Yi-eon’s, pressed down as if crushing a ball with his hands.

Im Yi-eon’s neck gradually bent toward her shoulder making cracking sounds. Her feet gradually lifted off the ground as her body was raised, and blood flowed from the corner of her lips. Im Yi-eon stretched out her feet, bringing her toes over her shoulder to kick Dam-gok’s eyes behind her.

Smack! Dam-gok staggered after being hit in the eye. Blood vessels in his eye burst making it blood-red, and the area around his eye socket swelled up.

“I’ll strike his back, so be careful!”

Namgung Geol warned Dam-gok while swinging his sword at Dam-gok’s back.

But Dam-gok ignored the warning and didn’t even turn his head.

Clang clang! Clang clang!

Sparks flew from his back surrounded by Iron Shirt. Namgung Geol continuously swung his sword without rest. Heaven Sky New Sword’s energy broke through Iron Shirt, cutting it piece by piece.

Meanwhile, Im Yi-eon spun her sword within her palm. Then gripping the sword in reverse, she precisely stabbed the acupoint on Dam-gok’s wrist that was pressing her head. Dam-gok’s hand stiffened and lost strength.

Dam-gok rammed Im Yi-eon’s head from above like driving a nail with Iron Head technique. Im Yi-eon once again kicked Dam-gok’s nose behind her with mandarin duck kick. Dam-gok dodged his head while lifting and throwing Im Yi-eon backward.

Namgung Geol stopped his attack and raised his sword upward. Im Yi-eon did a somersault with sword tip pointing down, precisely matching Namgung Geol’s sword tip to form a straight line. Then with help from the sword’s slight bending elasticity, she safely landed behind.

Meanwhile, the two Arhat monks with spears attacked. They consecutively stabbed at feet and ankles from both sides with their spears.

Tap tap tap, tap tap!

Namgung Geol and Im Yi-eon hopped around avoiding the spear points. The spear points thudded into the floor following them. Rather than direct attacks, these were movements to trap them inside the formation.

“Do you think we’ll let you do as you please?”

Im Yi-eon snorted and stuck her sword diagonally into the floor to block a spear point.

Clang!

The Arhat monk glared at Im Yi-eon with raised eyes. Im Yi-eon stepped on the spear shaft and ran to kick the Arhat monk’s chin. The Arhat monk kicked up the spear shaft to stand it upright. Im Yi-eon grabbed the rising spear shaft and spun around while swinging her sword at the Arhat monk.

Clang clang clang! Clang!

The Arhat monk lost his spear and deployed Iron Shirt while frantically retreating.

At that moment, Im Yi-eon suddenly stopped her attack and rolled sideways.

A Vajra monk appeared to attack Im Yi-eon but stopped and returned. The sight of Mu-gak’s thin arm emerging from the Vajra monk’s embrace then withdrawing was chilling.

Im Yi-eon gritted her teeth.

“How annoying.”

Namgung Geol, not to be outdone by Im Yi-eon, cleverly used footwork to confuse the Arhat monk who was stabbing at his feet with the spear. The Arhat monk leaped up and spun his spear in a large circle, striking Namgung Geol’s shoulder with the shaft. When Namgung Geol twisted his waist to dodge, the spear shaft smashed the floor.

Crash!

Namgung Geol placed his sword against the spear shaft and ran while pushing the sword with both hands. The spear shaft was sliced thin like peeling bark. If he kept holding the shaft, the Arhat monk’s hands would be cut too.

The Arhat monk struck the spear shaft down to the floor with his opposite forearm. Namgung Geol kicked the shaft back up to prevent his sword from coming free. While doing so, he swung his sword trying to stab the Arhat’s philtrum. The Arhat monk twisted and pressed down the shaft again, making Namgung Geol’s sword get pressed down together. Namgung Geol rotated his body and leaped up just slightly about a span, kicking the Arhat monk’s chest with his back foot. The Arhat monk lowered his head to receive Namgung Geol’s kick with his head.

Thump thump! The Arhat monk was pushed back smoothly. A red footprint remained on his head.

The Arhat monk gritted his teeth and slapped his own head repeatedly, actually burning with fighting spirit.

“Take it.”

Namgung Geol kicked the fallen spear shaft back to the Arhat monk. The Arhat monk caught the spear, peeled off the bark of the long-cut shaft, and gripped the spear.

The Arhat monk with two clubs charged at Namgung Geol. Like beating laundry with a paddle, the Arhat monk continuously brought down his clubs without rest.

Namgung Geol smoothly deployed sword techniques, tapping away the clubs.

Tap tap tap, tap tap tap tap!

It was truly admirable force distribution. The Arhat monk’s strength was gradually deflected, unable to properly strike the sword with his clubs. Namgung Geol slightly shifted his body and swept his leg.

The Arhat monk flailed and walked unsteadily like a tired horse losing strength.

Namgung Geol didn’t follow but turned his head to confirm Mu-gak was in place. Mu-gak hadn’t moved.

Only after reaching almost to the wall did the Arhat monk stop and glare at Namgung Geol with fiery eyes.

But one of the young men by that wall saw the Arhat monk’s back turned and, perhaps harboring resentment, quietly picked up a blade. Since Namgung Geol had too easily tapped away the clubs, he seemed to think the Arhat monk before him wasn’t as formidable as expected.

Before Namgung Geol could stop him, the young man swung his blade at the Arhat monk’s nape. The nape was somewhere both Iron Head technique and Iron Shirt couldn’t protect.

“Die!”

The Arhat monk turned around like lightning while swinging his club. The young man tried to deflect the club with his blade like Namgung Geol had and strike the Arhat monk’s neck again.

But the Arhat monk’s club shattered the young man’s blade and embedded straight into the young man’s cheekbone.

Crash!

The shattered blade fragments flew off spinning and fell.

“Uh… uh…?”

The young man looked bewildered with the club embedded in his cheekbone. The Arhat monk twisted out the embedded club and quickly struck the young man’s head twice with both hands.

Thud thud! The young man’s skull caved in and burst. The young man collapsed and died.

“Tsk tsk.”

Namgung Geol clicked his tongue as if pitying him.

Though the sword seemed advantageous in length, clubs were unexpectedly troublesome to face with a sword. If the sword face was hit, the sword would break, and if the blade hit the embedded spikes, it would chip.

Moreover, no matter how much the Arhat monks were struggling against Namgung Geol and Im Yi-eon, they were originally at a level incomparable to the young men!

Other young men near the dead youth sat cowering, then scooted backward and fled sideways.

Namgung Geol caught his breath briefly while assessing the situation.

The Arhat monks themselves weren’t major obstacles. But Mu-gak became an obstacle by intervening periodically. Mu-gak was overcoming his physical disadvantages by creating walls.

So to face Mu-gak more easily, they ultimately had to defeat and overcome the Arhat monks blocking the front. And even the Vajra monk behind who hadn’t yet intervened.