Chapter 339: As I Heard. (2)
For the Heukya Palace Lord, finding the target was no difficult task.
At best, they were at the Apex.
If not that, it was a place filled with those who remained between first-rate and second-rate.
The Sword Empress and the Blue Sea First Sword, who were at least threatening, would be handled by Taeju and the Dark King, or so it was said.
All he had to do was find Dokbong and bring her back.
The black aura Taeju had prepared.
Gradually covered the formation laid upon Mount Tai, forming a single space.
‘Just what is that power.’
The Heukya Palace Lord looked at the aura slowly covering the sky and expressed his doubts.
It appeared similar to the aura he possessed, yet.
It was clearly quite different from the authority bestowed by ‘Heaven.’
‘So that power seems to be countering something.’
Since the place where they were causing trouble was Henan.
It was a location with the Martial Arts Alliance and Shaolin nearby.
Since if they acted rashly, those groups might come rushing in.
He had judged it to be quite a dangerous matter, yet.
Taeju had told him not to worry about this.
Apparently.
That something resembling a formation currently being deployed.
Seemed to be resolving that process.
‘Then what remains is.’
Keeping the instructors stationed all around restrained.
Taeju’s subordinates had stepped forward to handle this part.
Even to the Heukya Palace Lord, who had been called Sama Oje.
It was an extremely turbid and unpleasant aura.
‘The Black Dragon Troop….’
The martial artists of the Demonic Path who had vanished into the past and were treated as dead.
In fact, they were the very Gale Sword of that era.
He had heard that they had all been slain by the current Sword Lord.
For some reason, not only Taeju.
But even the martial artists of the current Black Dragon Troop were alive.
The Heukya Palace Lord gazed upon them, then.
‘There is no need to concern myself.’
Quietly turned his head.
That was not what he needed to worry about now.
He simply had to finish the matter quickly.
And return to Heaven.
That was his sole objective.
It was a request from Taeju, upon whom he relied.
Because he had heard that even the Dark King would be participating.
That was why he had gone out of his way to move.
Of course, there was some curiosity as well.
Though he knew Taeju’s objective to some extent.
The reason he specifically wanted the Dokbong of the Tang Clan.
He was somewhat curious about that. Though he hadn’t asked directly, of course.
Before long, the black formation filled the sky.
“Let us depart.”
The one beside the Palace Lord spoke.
The Palace Lord frowned upon hearing those words.
“How dare you give me orders.”
Clicking his tongue once.
The Palace Lord stood upon the cliff and threw himself down into the thicket.
Soon after, he spread his energy senses.
The energy senses unleashed by a martial artist who had reached the Transformation Realm covered nearly the entire mountain.
Since it was energy senses that spread out violently.
Had the Sword Empress or the Blue Sea First Sword been within it, they would have noticed immediately.
However.
They were not here.
Even if they were.
They likely wouldn’t be in a situation to move their bodies easily.
Recalling that, the Palace Lord gradually expanded his energy senses.
‘Found her.’
As expected, he was able to find the target without difficulty.
Hair with a deep green hue could be seen between the trees.
The faint poisonous energy contained within her body made it known that this girl was of the Tang Clan’s bloodline.
Her level was not very high.
To the extent that the Palace Lord could kill her in the blink of an eye if he wished.
The Heukya Palace Lord’s physical body rode the wind, transforming into a form of energy and vanishing.
Reaching the target was instantaneous.
Before reaching out his hand.
He thought once more.
‘Did they say to bring her back unharmed?’
He thought they had said as long as she was alive.
Just in case….
‘First.’
The young expert moving alongside Dokbong was an eyesore.
He could tell by her attire and the energy contained in her body.
She seemed to be of the Peng Family’s bloodline.
There were a few people to be careful of when dealing with this, but.
That girl did not seem to be among them.
In that case.
It would be better to kill her and take Dokbong with ease.
In the unfolding situation.
While the Tang Clan girl was looking around here and there with her eyes.
The Palace Lord quietly gathered his energy and sharpened it.
With the intent to pierce her head and kill her instantly.
Kreee—.
The energy that began to rotate.
Following the Palace Lord’s hand gesture.
....
...
!
..
Shot toward Paeng Ahui without hesitation.
She would probably greet death without even being able to react properly.
The moment he thought that.
“Ah-hui!”
‘What?’
An unexpected event occurred.
Dokbong, whom he thought wouldn’t notice.
Suddenly moved to shield the young expert beside her.
P—k!
Thanks to the Heukya Palace Lord hurriedly twisting his hand to change direction, he fortunately prevented the target from dying.
“So... Soyeol!”
“Hrrrk...”
Dokbong suffered a severe injury to her arm.
Though Paeng Ahui was filled with confusion at the sudden situation.
Even so, stopping the bleeding came first.
The Heukya Palace Lord, watching that.
Tak.
Took full form and appeared before Dang Soyeol.
“Girl.”
At the low voice that reached her.
Paeng Ahui flinched in surprise and sent her gaze toward the Heukya Palace Lord.
“How did you notice? It should have been beyond your level.”
At the Heukya Palace Lord’s question, Dang Soyeol moved her head to look at him.
“...Wh-who are you....”
“That is not something you need to know.”
Her eyes were filled with terror.
She seemed to have immediately realized the gap between herself and the Heukya Palace Lord.
The Heukya Palace Lord was quite curious.
How had she noticed his presence?
She was at a crude level that at best might touch first-rate.
“You are the Dokbong of the Tang Clan.”
At the Palace Lord’s question, Dang Soyeol gulped.
“I will not ask twice.”
At the silence, the Palace Lord once again created energy at his fingertips.
He aimed not at Dang Soyeol, but at Paeng Ahui. Because he judged that would be more effective.
Paeng Ahui, seeing that, trembled slightly.
Then Dang Soyeol urgently answered.
“You already... know, do you not. Why is this revered senior doing this to us?”
“Is it because you are of a prestigious house’s blood? You have honey smeared all over your mouth.”
‘Revered senior,’ indeed.
As was the case with most righteous faction bastards, she still had a silver tongue.
That made him dislike her even more.
Tzak.
As if there were nothing more to hear.
The Heukya Palace Lord took a step closer to Dang Soyeol.
At this, Paeng Ahui tried to protect Dang Soyeol by embracing her body, which she had been stopping the bleeding of.
It was a meaningless resistance.
“We do not have much time. It would be best if you did not resist, if possible. I detest troublesome things.”
As black thorns once again appeared around the Palace Lord.
This time, Paeng Ahui embraced Dang Soyeol. As if she would take the hit in her stead.
Truly a passionate friendship.
Though if she died, it would only grow cold.
The Heukya Palace Lord brushed Paeng Ahui aside like that.
The moment he was about to disappear with Dang Soyeol.
Abruptly.
He suddenly halted his steps.
And sent his gaze across the thicket.
“A familiar energy.”
He felt that a guest was coming.
How had they noticed him? He had hidden his energy rather thoroughly to avoid being disturbed.
He could feel someone quickly approaching this way.
It was a clear thunder qi.
‘There are two of them.’
The Heukya Palace Lord took the thorns he had prepared to shoot at Paeng Ahui.
And shot them in the direction the energy was felt.
Phew-phew-phew!
As the thorns quickly flew to target the opponent.
The approaching figure threw one person aside and swung a sword to knock away the thorns.
‘Hoo.’
Not a bad judgment.
Furthermore, she seemed to possess the level to back up such a judgment.
A more condensed energy took form and flew in.
The moment the heavy energy dug in.
Crack-!
The thunder qi collided with the energy, and a savage sound spread.
For an instant, the energies clashed and created a sonic boom.
Shhhhk-!
The energy split and subsided.
He had cut through the energy of a martial artist who had reached the Transformation Realm.
‘Remarkable.’
It was a sincere compliment.
Before long, the owner of the thunder qi appeared beyond the thicket.
...As expected.
The Heukya Palace Lord, having confirmed her face, spoke.
“I said it was a familiar energy. So it was the Sword King’s whelp.”
The child of the era’s Sword King.
And also a girl he had once seen before.
“It seems you have business with me.”
The woman who appeared.
Tightly tied up her white hair and pointed her sword tip at the Heukya Palace Lord.
Then looked at Dang Soyeol, who was leaning against the rock panting.
“It’s been a while. You and I have met before.”
She was a face he had seen. In the main palace of Heukya, which had been scheduled to be abandoned long ago.
She had been with the child of the Yeomgui.
“You know me?”
The Heukya Palace Lord recalled that time and asked Namgung Bia.
She nodded.
“...I know.”
“And yet you draw your sword.”
It was a sort of complaint.
Perhaps she looked down on him, considering him a mere whelp like that.
Feeling the gap, yet drawing her sword against him.
“Do I look pathetic?”
“ ”
“If not that, perhaps you remember the sight of me being pushed back by the Yeomgui, and thus look down on me.”
The black energy surging from his toes.
Transformed into a sharp form.
He felt as though he was being ignored by a mere young expert.
“This Heukya Palace Lord, you see.”
A sneer rose.
He had intended to take only the Dokbong, but this was the Namgung Clan—the clan of the Sword King.
Meaning she was the daughter of that fool with that cursed tongue.
Not bad.
He had a certain debt to the Sword King as well.
Recalling that thought.
The Palace Lord spoke to Namgung Bia.
“If you had just ignored me and passed by... You might have lived, you foolish....”
“...It was you?”
“What?”
“...The one who made that child like that....”
“You mean the Dokbong? Yes, I—.”
Shwook-!
The moment the Heukya Palace Lord answered, a gleaming sharp energy appeared before his eyes.
Because Namgung Bia had erupted with thunder qi and swung her sword.
Crack-!
Defending with his energy, the Heukya Palace Lord assessed Namgung Bia.
Because the internal energy pushing in was at an extraordinary level.
‘A level ill-befitting her age.’
As if his earlier praise had not been a mistake.
Namgung Bia’s level was a realm that could not be dreamed of at her age.
Clang-! Crack.
The sword tip, which had cut through the energy, twisted its direction to evade the blocking energy.
Once the sword was blocked.
It immediately turned down a different sword path and dug in.
‘Huh.’
Such judgment was astonishing.
Furthermore.
Every movement line was steeped in killing intent.
He could feel a clear determination to kill.
It was a decisiveness impossible to feel from a mere young expert.
And a savagery even more impossible to feel from a righteous faction martial artist.
Having succeeded in digging in once.
Immediately, a heavy presence bound the Heukya Palace Lord’s feet.
‘So it is the Sovereign Sword Form.’
The Namgung Clan’s secret art, said to be passed down only to direct bloodline descendants.
Because it boasted a massive quantity and extreme difficulty in applying internal energy.
It was said to be not easy to use lightly.
Yet that young girl was using it all too easily.
Inside it, thunder qi burst out and dominated the surroundings.
Furthermore, her sword was calm yet swiftly swung.
To the point where even the Heukya Palace Lord of the world revealed his admiration.
‘The Sword King has born something absurd.’
Just what was her realm?
It seemed she had already surpassed the Apex.
It was distinctly felt that her energy senses and vision had crossed a wall.
Perhaps she had stepped into the Refined Apex. It seemed she had reached that far.
‘A monster.’
At an age barely past twenty.
Reaching the Refined Apex.
Meant it was a level bestowed by Heaven through talent.
The sword paths pouring down, dividing into tens of branches.
Blocking them with his energy, the Heukya Palace Lord thought.
‘I must eliminate her.’
At that level, he had to kill her now.
He could see she would become an obstacle to his Heaven in the future.
Kwaaang-!
The branches of thunder qi divided again and again, increasing in number.
The internal energy contained in the sword took on a solid form.
It was Sword Gang.
Though she moved so quickly and splendidly, her footsteps were silent.
Meaning her footwork was also perfect.
Evasively dodging the energy erupting from the Palace Lord from all directions.
Namgung Bia continued to swing her sword.
It was a situation where a mere graze would be dangerous.
There was no hesitation whatsoever.
Once she cut to make a path.
Srrrack-!
She extended her thunder qi to widen the path.
She increased her speed with the internal energy wrapped around her body.
As if to prove that the swordsmanship she had trained until now was no lie.
It flowed smoothly.
And within that smoothness, sharpness naturally permeated.
Shhhk-!
She cut through another wave of energy.
Then the path to reach the Palace Lord was completely open.
Namgung Bia, seeing that, charged while filling her sword with energy.
The target was the neck.
“Your level is certainly extraordinary compared to the others.”
The sword imbued with thunder qi was reaching the Palace Lord.
“But that is all.”
Crack-!
Energy suddenly bursting forth.
Struck Namgung Bia’s flank.
“Kugh...!”
Tang!
Under the crashing impact.
Namgung Bia floated into the air and flew back, landing precariously on the ground.
Correcting her posture, she raised her internal energy.
But there was no time to rest.
Because the Heukya Palace Lord’s attacks immediately began to pour down.
“Even in that situation, you blocked your abdomen with internal energy. Simply astonishing.”
As if his earlier attack had been a joke.
Attacks rained down without a sliver of opening.
Kugugugung-!
So quickly were they applied that marks formed on the ground and dirt dust billowed up everywhere.
“The prowess with which you judge each and every moment is also remarkable. Had the circumstances been right, I would have earnestly invited you to come under me.”
He meant it.
Those with such talent were not common in the Central Plains.
To the point where he would want to place a restriction on her even by force and keep her beside him.
Such was the level that aroused his greed, but.
“The timing is not right, so it cannot be helped.”
The Palace Lord also had to exert a fair amount of strength because her level was too high to toy with indefinitely.
The fortunate thing was.
That he had discovered her early and could eliminate her quickly.
Not a bad harvest for coming to retrieve only Dokbong.
The energy that had been applied for so long like that.
The Heukya Palace Lord stopped with a gesture.
Thinking this much was enough.
Reaching the Apex at that age was simply astonishing, but.
Even so, it was merely the Apex.
The difference between an Apex martial artist and one who had reached the Transformation Realm was stark.
Thinking that this much would have been the end.
The moment he tried to condense his energy to finish up.
Piercing through the thick dust rising up.
Hwoook-!
A sword strike gathered into a single point flew toward the Heukya Palace Lord’s neck.
Shhk.
Soon, blood spurted profusely.
It was blood from the Heukya Palace Lord’s neck.
For that reason, the attack seemed to have succeeded, but.
“This wench....”
Unfortunately, it had not succeeded.
The sword strike that flew in was strong and fast, but.
The Heukya Palace Lord’s energy protected and blocked it.
Leaving only a wound near his neck.
It could not inflict a fatal wound.
Even so.
The Palace Lord had to look with greatly surprised eyes.
...Ah.
Where he looked.
There were traces of an immense attack.
Namgung Bia, who had blocked her body by wrapping internal energy around herself in the center of it.
Was bleeding and looking this way.
What her eyes held was regret.
Looking into those eyes, the Heukya Palace Lord truly had to swallow his surprise.
‘Was this her aim from the start?’
Realizing from the start that she was no match.
Luring him, the Heukya Palace Lord, into letting his guard down.
Meaning she had aimed for the earlier strike.
If so.
She was a truly fearsome girl.
Because she had endured that agony while aiming for this single strike.
From the moment she first charged in.
Had everything been planned?
“You really must die here.”
Beyond surprise, he was almost exasperated.
The Palace Lord had thought so earlier, but now he was convinced once more.
That girl truly had to be killed right here and now.
It seemed Namgung Bia could endure no longer either.
Her center collapsed, and she slumped down with a thud.
She seemed to have wagered much to succeed in this strike.
The Palace Lord soon approached the collapsed Namgung Bia.
To avoid future trouble, he had to kill her and remove her here.
Holding such intent.
The moment he fully raised his internal energy.
Swish.
A sharp sound came from the direction of Dokbong.
Wondering what was happening, the Heukya Palace Lord shifted his gaze.
“...!”
At the scene unfolding there.
He had to swallow a hollow breath.
“What... what do you think you’re doing.”
Dang Soyeol, who had been leaning against the rock to catch her breath.
Suddenly stabbed her own thigh with a dagger and pulled it out.
Then held it to her own neck.
With eyes blazing intensely.