Light Novel: Volume 19 Episode 9
Manhwa: N/A
The Wind Saint had lived his life with nothing but pride.
Even in the most desperate situations, he had never once bowed his head or asked others for help.
He would rather die by impaling himself with a sword than bow his head and kill his pride.
If it had only been his own life on the line, he wouldn’t have asked Pyo-wol for help. But because Nam Shin-woo’s life was also at stake, he swallowed his pride and pleaded with Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol thought it was unexpected.
He had not expected the Wind Saint to have this much affection for Nam Shin-woo.
The same was true for Nam Shin-woo.
The desperation on his face as he looked at the Wind Saint was palpable.
Pyo-wol stepped in front of the Wind Saint without a second thought.
Baek Ho-gyeong looked at Pyo-wol with eyes full of rage.
“It would be better if you didn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll regret it.”
“I’m already living in a sea of regrets. One more doesn’t make a difference.”
“Do you know who that guy is?”
“He’s the Wind Saint, isn’t he?”
“The guy’s name is Jang Cheonsa.”
“So what?”
“You really don’t know. Haha! This is really something…”
Baek Ho-gyeong made a face as if he couldn’t believe it.
A sneer naturally tugged at the corners of his mouth, as if saying ‘you don’t even know this?
Pyo-wol did not like Baek Ho-gyeong’s attitude.
He didn’t like him to begin with, so his disdainful look annoyed him even more.
Pyo-wol walked towards Baek Ho-gyeong.
The mocking expression on Baek Ho-gyeong’s face disappeared at Pyo-wol’s silent footsteps, like that of a thieving cat.
A master can gauge the level of their opponent just by observing their movements.
Just by Pyo-wol’s steps alone, Baek Ho-gyeong could assess the nature of Pyo-wol’s martial arts and his level of skill.
Baek Ho-gyeong spoke once more,
“This is your last warning. If you back off now, I’ll pretend this never happened. Make the right choice, and don’t regret it.”
“……”
Pyo-wol didn’t reply.
Baek Ho-gyeong’s face grew cold.
It was because he realized that his offer was not taken seriously at all and had fallen on deaf ears.
This was the first time in his life that he had been so completely ignored. And so, his anger flared up even more.
While his chest was aflame with rising heat, his mind remained calm.
Despite his anger, his mind recognized that Pyo-wol was a formidable opponent.
Pyo-wol’s power was still intact, while he had expended more than half of his own, fighting the Wind Saint.
Regardless of their original martial prowess, he was at a disadvantage.
And as time passed, the situation would only become increasingly unfavorable.
‘Settle this quickly.’
His thoughts were brief, and his actions were swift.
Swish!
Baek Ho-gyeong unleashed the ultimate move of the White Lotus Palm, known as the White Lotus Filled Sky.2
In an instant, countless dazzling white lotuses bloomed in the night sky.
The petals of the white lotuses fluttered as if scattered by the wind, and then they rained down on Pyo-wol.
It was similar in form to the Tang clan’s legendary secret technique, Heavenly Flower Rain,2 and its power was equally formidable.
Whoooosh!
The petal-shaped qi pierced through Pyo-wol.
“Tch!”
Baek Ho-gyeong’s expression twisted for a moment.
That was because the form of Pyo-wol, who had been pierced by the qi, disappeared like a mirage.
‘Afterimage?’
In the next second, he felt Pyo-wol’s presence behind him.
Using Demon Shadow Exchange, Pyo-wol deceived Baek Ho-gyeong’s senses and moved to his back.
Swoosh!
Three strands of Soul-Reaping Thread targeted Baek Ho-gyeong’s throat like venomous snakes. But Baek Ho-gyeong was not an absolute master for nothing.
In an instant, a protective barrier made of qi surrounded him.
Blocked by the protective qi, the Soul-Reaping Thread lost its power and bounced aside.
“Rargh!”
Baek Ho-gyeong lunged at Pyo-wol, deploying his White Lotus Palm.
The White Lotus Palm contained enough destructive power that could reduce anything to nothing in a single strike.
Baek Ho-gyeong was confident that he could render Pyo-wol incapacitated in a single blow.
The White Lotus Palm was a martial art designed to destroy the human body.
Its power could even shred a wall of steel several inches thick.
Pyo-wol did not avoid Baek Ho-gyeong’s White Lotus Palm, but instead threw a punch of his own straight at it.
It was a fierce clash.
Baek Ho-gyeong’s hand collided with Pyo-wol’s fist in mid-air.
Bang!
With an explosive sound, both individuals were sent flying backward.
“Keugh!”
Baek Ho-gyeong grunted as he regained his balance.
He had been pushed back about ten paces from where the initial collision took place.
This was the first time he had suffered such a loss in a head-to-head clash since mastering the White Lotus Palm.
The hand that had collided with Pyo-wol’s fist hurt as if it were crushed.
It was impossible for a hand trained in the White Lotus Palm to actually crumble. However, it was true that he had received enough of an impact to feel pain.
‘What about him?’
Baek Ho-gyeong’s eyes flashed as he searched for Pyo-wol. But there was no sign of Pyo-wol anywhere at all.
‘Did he fall?’
Baek Ho-gyeong thought that was unlikely.
Pyo-wol must have also received a blow, but he was not the type to fall from just that.
If he were such an easy opponent, he wouldn’t have earned the nickname ‘Reaper.’ Pyo-wol was as tenacious as a wolf and as lethal as a venomous snake, so there was no way such a being would back down and retreat just from this much damage.
Ssssh!
At that moment, a fine ripping sound echoed from right beside him.
Baek Ho-gyeong unleashed his White Lotus Palm towards the side.
Thud!
At that instant, a thread-like surge of qi struck his palm.
The subtly condensed qi passed through his palm and flew straight to his forehead.
“Keugh!”
Baek Ho-gyeong gritted his teeth and swung his hand outward. The Snake Qi Thread narrowly missed his carotid artery.
He then saw Pyo-wol holding the Snake Qi Thread beyond the palm of his hand.
An exceptionally white face, features more beautiful than a woman’s, and a streak of red light flickering in his black pupils that stood out even in the darkness.
His appearance truly matched his nickname, ‘Reaper.’
If there really was a Grim Reaper, he would look exactly like Pyo-wol. However, Baek Ho-gyeong didn’t have the luxury of admiring Pyo-wol’s appearance for long.
Pyo-wol was a foe he had to defeat at all costs.
An opponent worth fighting to the death.
“Chaah!”
Baek Ho-gyeong roared as he unleashed a series of attacks.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
The air tore apart, and the ground exploded.
It was a fearsome power, to say the least.
However, Pyo-wol narrowly avoided all the attacks that he unleashed.
Chaaaah!
Keeping his body low to the ground, Pyo-wol charged forward.
The sight of Pyo-wol running, just like a venomous snake zigzagging its way, was terrifying.
The combination of his Snake Steps together with the darkness, and his black blood-red robes made it difficult to discern his form.
If it wasn’t for the faint red glow shining intermittently from the darkness, it would have been impossible to pinpoint Pyo-wol’s movements.
Bang! Crash!
The darkness was torn apart again and again by Baek Ho-gyeong’s White Lotus Palm. However, none of his attacks accurately struck Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol was like a ghost.
Even Baek Ho-gyeong, renowned throughout the Jianghu, felt a chill down his spine at Pyo-wol’s movements.
Ssssh!
The Snake Qi Thread pierced through the darkness.
The fact that he could condense his qi into a thread like this was amazing. If Pyo-wol hadn’t been his enemy, he would have taken the time to sincerely admire him.
Baek Ho-gyeong felt the need to use the hidden technique he had kept in reserve until now.
Tsssss!
The air in the vicinity changed.
A tremendous weight pressed down on the air, as if the sky was collapsing.
Breathing became as difficult as if one had fallen into a swamp.
Baek Ho-gyeong’s aura was so great that even an absolute master like Pyo-wol felt the pressure.
Open Sky Shadowless Fist.3
It was another martial arts technique he had mastered.
It was a legendary technique that had been practiced by the Black Martial Empress4 in ancient times.
Having learned and practiced the technique for many years, its power was bound to be extraordinary.
“Chyaat! Heaven Crushing Pressure!”
Baek Ho-gyeong shouted loudly as he executed the pinnacle of the Open Sky Shadowless Fist against Pyo-wol.
Kwaaaaaa!
Instantly, an immense pressure descended upon Pyo-wol.
It was as if the heavens themselves were falling upon the earth, crushing him.
That was the essence of the Heaven Crushing Pressure.
Crack!
The rocks and boulders within the area of the Heaven Crushing Pressure were crushed under the tremendous force.
Dust filled the air as the rocks were reduced to rubble.
At the center of it all was Pyo-wol.
“Die!”
Baek Ho-gyeong’s lion’s roar echoed throughout the area.
He even utilized a mysterious skill called Potential Amplification Technique.5
It was a dangerous technique that could extract one’s hidden potential in an instant, but doing so came with extremely severe aftereffects.
It was a frightening technique that could turn one into a cripple if used incorrectly.
Even the Black Martial Empress, who had created the Potential Amplification Technique, became a cripple after using this method. She then conducted extensive research to significantly reduce the side effects of the Potential Amplification Technique. Although it was not possible to completely escape the aftereffects, at least it prevented one from becoming a cripple.
The pressure bearing down on Pyo-wol intensified.
It was like being crushed by a giant mountain.
Pyo-wol stood frozen in place, unable to move a single step.
Seeing this, Baek Ho-gyeong smiled coldly.
It was worth the risk.
It was then.
His gaze caught sight of something on Pyo-wol’s hand.
A strand of Snake Qi Thread extended from Pyo-wol’s hand, but the direction it was headed was strange.
It extended in a direction away from where Baek Ho-gyeong stood.
‘Could it be that he couldn’t fully unleash it due to the pressure?’
Baek Ho-gyeong momentarily thought, but he soon denied the idea.
“The Pyo-wol he knew was not someone who would be unable to use his techniques under just this amount of pressure. If that was the case, then there must be some other motive for doing so.
Baek Ho-gyeong channeled energy into his eyes and followed the direction of the Snake Qi Thread that had extended from Pyo-wol’s hand.
The Snake Qi Thread continued to extend outward.
The threads of qi had woven around him tightly like a spider’s web.
‘What?’
At that moment, a chilling sensation ran down his spine, and an overwhelming sense of danger engulfed him.
Snap!
Just then, Pyo-wol suddenly pulled his hand.
Thunk!
The web of qi that had been surrounding Baek Ho-gyeong tightened immediately.
It was the Spider Silver Net.
Pyo-wol had secretly deployed the Spider Silver Net, encircling Baek Ho-gyeong with it.
“Argh!”
Baek Ho-gyeong quickly unleashed a protective barrier and pushed himself into an empty space.
The recoil from deploying the Heaven Crushing Pressure and the Potential Amplification Technique surged through him.
His internal organs and head throbbed, but he didn’t stop. He mustered all his strength and soared through the air.
“Kraaaah!”
Barely escaping the Spider Silver Net, Baek Ho-gyeong emitted a desperate cry.
It was a narrow escape. His left forearm was severed, and he received deep cuts on his side and shoulder.
The Spider Silver Net had sliced even through his protective barrier.
Despite the excruciating pain, Baek Ho-gyeong quickly got to his feet.
He knew that if he lay down here in pain, it would be the end.
He urgently picked up his severed arm and leaped backward.
Only when he landed on a tall tree, more than fifty meters away from Pyo-wol, did he glance back, glaring.
“You! I won’t forget today’s events!”
He didn’t wait for Pyo-wol to answer. He just flew off into the darkness and disappeared.
Pyo-wol turned to Do Yeonsan and Eunyo and said,
“You two, take care of the Wind Saint.”
“Brother?”
Pyo-wol immediately flew off and chased after Baek Ho-gyeong.
He would never leave a loose thread behind.
Even an insignificant enemy could become a great enemy if left alone. What more for an absolute master like Baek Ho-gyeong.
So, Pyo-wol had to end it while he could.
That was Pyo-wol’s temperament.
In the blink of an eye, Pyo-wol disappeared in the direction Baek Ho-gyeong had gone.
“U, Uh…”
The Wind Saint’s mouth dropped open at the sight.
He had heard rumors about Pyo-wol’s tenacity, but he had no idea it was to this extent.
His determination was beyond imagination.
If one were to become Pyo-wol’s enemy, it would be impossible for them to sleep soundly at night.
“How absurd…”
The Wind Saint muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Then, Nam Shin-woo rushed over to the Wind Saint.
“Master, are you okay?”
LUNACAVE
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