Chapter 456

Chapter 456 – They Live According to Their Desires (3)

When someone shines, someone else loses their light.

When Cho Yeon-woon gained the alias Azure Dragon Divine Hero emerging as the martial world's new star, Martial Alliance Leader Nam Cheon-san lost much of the authority he'd barely maintained.

"Kuuk!"

Nam Cheon-san was alone in his room savoring solitude. Normally countless people would have been by his side. But right now not even a single ant came near him.

The Martial Alliance leadership also knew. The fact that Nam Cheon-san was a setting sun.

Though he'd barely managed to maintain the position of Alliance Leader, without authority and dignity, Nam Cheon-san no longer gave people firm belief.

"How did it come to this."

He'd originally never greatly obsessed over worldly power. Even obtaining the tremendous alias Divine Spear, he'd stayed a step back from the martial world for that reason.

Yet one day he became the Martial Alliance's leader. From the martial world's periphery, he'd reached the center in one bound.

It felt like dreaming. The Martial Alliance Leader was tremendous honor anyone who practiced martial arts would dream of once. Nam Cheon-san got drunk on the honor the Martial Alliance Leader's position gave.

Like a sweet dream. At his single word, martial heroes followed in perfect unison, and heads of great sects who he couldn't dare look straight at before watched his moods.

Was this power's strength? From then he unknowingly became drunk on power. So he checked Military Strategist Namgung Chang, and anxiously worried to protect the handful of power he had. Then he fell for Jeok Gyeong-cheon's enticement bringing in previous generation martial artists. And built a solid castle. An impregnable fortress that would never collapse.

"But it was all a castle on sand."

Castles without solid foundations were bound to collapse. Right now Nam Cheon-san's state was exactly that.

Nam Cheon-san drained the wine cup he held. Hard liquor flowed down his throat. His throat burning hot felt like it was on fire.

"Damn it!"

He hated being alone.

When staying a step back from the martial world, he'd known how to enjoy solitude, but now he couldn't bear loneliness.

"You think I'll collapse like this? I'll definitely reclaim the Alliance Leader's authority. I'll lead countless heroes defeating demon cultists. Thus make the name Nam Cheon-san remain forever in martial world history."

"No, you won't have that opportunity."

That moment a familiar voice echoed through the room. Instantly Nam Cheon-san felt his hair stand on end.

Clearly only he was in this room. Naturally no one else could be here. If someone had come here, he'd surely have received a report. If they'd come through proper procedures that is.

That meant the voice's owner had entered here through abnormal methods. And he hadn't noticed until someone entered the room.

Thud!

"Who's there?"

He slammed his wine cup on the table standing up. Then ahead appeared someone familiar.

Nam Cheon-san's beard bristled. Unconcealed rage rose in his eyes.

"Jeok Gyeong-cheon!"

The being he could chew to the bone without relieving his anger, precisely Heavenly Sword King Jeok Gyeong-cheon. That cursed one who'd made him organize the Suicide Squad plunging him into hell stood brazenly before him.

Jeok Gyeong-cheon clicked his tongue.

"Huh! You don't even call me senior anymore?"

"How dare you come here? What is this place that you'd shamelessly show that face?"

"Why, is this someplace I can't come?"

"Shut up!"

An angry shout instantly burst from Nam Cheon-san's mouth. In his raging appearance, not a trace of respect for a senior could be found.

At such appearance, Jeok Gyeong-cheon clicked his tongue.

"Tsk! You're narrower-minded than you look."

"How could you? How much I trusted you."

"I cherished you too. So didn't I spare no advice?"

"Didn't you take responsibility for the Suicide Squad?"

"I did! So didn't I send my colleagues along?"

"Then why did it become this way? Those young talents were nearly annihilated."

"I did my best but it wasn't enough."

"What?"

"Simply put, it was force majeure. Even I couldn't help what happened there."

Jeok Gyeong-cheon replied nonchalantly. That appearance blew away Nam Cheon-san's barely maintained reason.

"You bastard!"

Nam Cheon-san rushed at Jeok Gyeong-cheon.

Before he knew it, a silver spear was in his hands. The cherished weapon that earned him the alias Divine Spear.

Chwararak!

Instantly his spear split into dozens. The ultimate technique called Phantom Spear.

Befitting the Martial Alliance Leader, his spear technique was powerful. No gap to dodge appeared, and Jeok Gyeong-cheon didn't seem inclined to dodge.

In an instant Nam Cheon-san's spear reached right before Jeok Gyeong-cheon's nose. Still Jeok Gyeong-cheon didn't move. Because he didn't need to.

Kaang!

"Kuuk!"

Nam Cheon-san's spear bounced away, and there a strange figure wearing black bamboo hat and blood cloak suddenly appeared like a mirage.

"Wh-what?"

Nam Cheon-san's expression twisted.

Blood flowed from the hand gripping the spear. The tiger's mouth had torn from the shock of the stranger deflecting the spear.

The palm gripping the spear still tingled from how intense the shock was.

From behind the stranger, Jeok Gyeong-cheon smiled.

"Nightmare."

"Nightmare?"

"Everyone's nightmare."

Instantly the stranger charged toward Nam Cheon-san.

Strange heat waves rose from the stranger's entire body.

"Kuuk!"

Nam Cheon-san deployed spear technique in alarm.

Kuwaaang!

With a roar, the Alliance Leader's residence where Nam Cheon-san stayed collapsed.

A storm swept through the Martial Alliance.

"Wh-what?"

"What is it?"

Martial artists near the Alliance Leader's residence were shocked by the sudden chaos.

Before their eyes the massive Alliance Leader's residence was collapsing. Dust rose high into the sky, and broken fragments flew everywhere. And someone covered in blood was thrown out.

"Gasp! Alliance Leader!"

"This can't be!"

People recognized the bloodied person was precisely Martial Alliance Leader Nam Cheon-san. Having lost consciousness, Nam Cheon-san's breath was so faint it seemed it would stop any moment.

"Wake up, Alliance Leader!"

"Alliance Leader!"

Martial artists held him but he couldn't regain consciousness and hung limply. His right hand that held the spear was broken dangling, and his chest was deeply caved in as if struck by a huge iron hammer.

"Inside."

"What happened?"

Martial artists who noticed the Alliance Leader residence's change rushed inside.

Among them was Cho Yeon-woon.

With superhuman eyesight, Cho Yeon-woon spotted two figures flying behind the collapsed residence ruins. He instinctively realized they were the culprits who'd made Nam Cheon-san this way.

"Stop!"

Cho Yeon-woon passed Nam Cheon-san flying toward them.

"Drunken Cloud Dragon, or is it Azure Dragon Divine Hero?"

Jeok Gyeong-cheon clicked his tongue.

He hadn't expected Cho Yeon-woon to come running at this point. Cho Yeon-woon rushing at fearsome speed showed extraordinary momentum. In that brief time, Cho Yeon-woon had grown into an absolute master even he couldn't lightly regard.

He instinctively knew he couldn't shake off Cho Yeon-woon.

"No choice."

He gave the stranger a look. Then the stranger changed direction rushing toward Cho Yeon-woon.

Kwaaaa!

Energy force swirled from the stranger's entire body.

Like a storm of energy force. At the stranger's unexpected martial prowess, Cho Yeon-woon's eyes widened. But he didn't dodge. That much Cho Yeon-woon trusted his two fists.

The ultimate moves of Eight Desolations Divine Fist unfolded.

"Chyaat!"

Kwaang!

Energy force clashed with energy force.

From the repulsion Cho Yeon-woon's body was pushed back. But only briefly, soon he kicked the ground about to rush at the stranger. Unprecedented tremendous force still writhed in his body.

That was when.

The stranger suddenly changed direction glaring at one place. Instantly Cho Yeon-woon's pupils shook.

"Don't tell me?"

Where the stranger looked stood bloodied Nam Cheon-san and Martial Alliance martial artists caring for him. The stranger threw a punch toward them. Then fist force flew toward the martial artists.

If left alone, all would lose their lives.

"Damn!"

Without hesitation Cho Yeon-woon flew toward them. Having moved before them instantly, Cho Yeon-woon used all his might to strike away the fist force the stranger threw with his fist.

Kwaang!

Energy force exploded right before his nose. But Cho Yeon-woon wasn't injured at all. Because he'd deployed protective energy force shielding himself and the Martial Alliance's martial artists.

"Ah!"

"Kuuk!"

The martial artists who witnessed the energy force explosion up close lost strength in their legs sitting down. Cho Yeon-woon asked them.

"Are you alright?"

"We're, we're fine. Thank you for protecting us."

They gave thanks, but Cho Yeon-woon's expression didn't relax. Because while he blocked the energy force, the stranger and companion had vanished.

"Damn it!"

Cho Yeon-woon's face crumpled miserably.

Though a brief moment, he'd clearly seen with both eyes. The face of the companion beside the stranger. He was definitely Heavenly Sword King Jeok Gyeong-cheon.

"Alliance Leader!"

"Kheuk!"

That moment wails burst from the Martial Alliance martial artists. Because Nam Cheon-san held in their arms had finally died. Though recently Nam Cheon-san's authority had hit rock bottom, he was still the Martial Alliance Leader. The shock his death gave wasn't ordinary.

"Amitabha! How did this happen?"

"What on earth!"

Belatedly masters of Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance came running. But all they could see was the collapsed Alliance Leader residence and Nam Cheon-san's corpse.

A tragic light appeared on Shaolin Temple's abbot Gwang-cheon's face. He hurriedly approached Cho Yeon-woon.

"Amitabha! How did this happen? Who on earth killed Alliance Leader Nam?"

"The Heavenly Sword King."

"Hero Jeok?"

"That's right."

"You didn't see wrong?"

"I saw clearly with my own eyes."

"Amitabha! How could this be!"

Shock appeared on Gwang-cheon's face. None other than Cho Yeon-woon's words. He had no choice but to believe.

"Why on earth would he kill the Alliance Leader?"

Cho Yeon-woon didn't answer. Because he was absorbed in other thoughts.

'That stranger definitely didn't use full power.'

His whole body still tingled.

Because of the opponent's monstrous strength. Others didn't know, but having clashed directly, he felt the stranger's strength deeper than anyone in his bones.

A monster he couldn't guarantee victory against even fighting again.

Cho Yeon-woon bit his teeth hard.

The situation already wasn't good, and with the Alliance Leader's death it would surely get even worse.

Cho Yeon-woon's worry soon became reality. Nam Cheon-san's death couldn't be hidden. Because there were too many witnesses.

When Nam Cheon-san's death became known, the Martial Alliance and Shaolin Temple's morale hit rock bottom.

Since it happened inside the Martial Alliance supposedly built as an impregnable fortress, it was an even bigger shock to them.

Because of this, emergency meetings were held daily at the Martial Alliance and Shaolin Temple. But no clear solutions emerged.

With Nam Cheon-san's death as turning point, the world became even more chaotic.

The troubled times that historians would later record as the Blood Sky Great War were rushing toward their climax like this.