Chapter 267 : Because We Are Adults

Ju Baek and Yi Changsu knew well how to deal with Kang Cheon, who used flying sword techniques.

Not giving him distance.

And for this, the two pressed Kang Cheon from the front and back so that their movements would not overlap.

Thanks to that, Kang Cheon, who could not widen the distance, was forced to use his flying swords like swords.

Even though he was a master who had surpassed the super-peak level and was called one of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains, he could not fight with a sword against Yi Changsu, who had dedicated his entire life to the sword.

Moreover, it was not easy to have a close-quarters fight with the fist artist, Ju Baek.

Nevertheless, the reason Kang Cheon could fight against the two masters was thanks to the blue flame that had bloomed in his eyes.

Heavenly Eye.

It was originally an eye technique for seeing wider and farther, but his Heavenly Eye was accurately seeing through the movements of the two masters who were closing in from all directions.

However.

‘It’s getting blurry.’

The blue light of the Heavenly Eye was gradually becoming blurry.

It meant that he no longer had enough internal energy to maintain the eye technique.

Like a dying torch.

“Hoo-woo.”

Kang Cheon inhaled and stared at the approaching Ju Baek from the front.

He took the first move to buy time for Yi Changsu.

Ju Baek’s two fists threw punches in succession, and a total of eight punches came thrusting like spearheads, aiming for Kang Cheon’s main vital points.

At this, Kang Cheon threw one flying sword above his head and rushed forward, holding the other flying sword.

—Hey! Chicken feet.

—What? Chicken feet!? If I’m chicken feet, then are you pig’s feet?

—You, you survived even after robbing the White Moon Divine Lord’s report? How did a guy like you survive?

Not so long ago, Kang Cheon was curious about the secret of Bieunggaek, who had survived even from the ruthless blade of the White Moon Divine Lord.

At that, Bieunggaek’s nose instantly became high, and he snorted with a disdainful face and said.

—That’s because I was one step faster than the White Moon Divine Lord.

—One step?

Bieunggaek smiled, nodded his head, and then personally showed his footwork.

The footwork that had made him the Shadowless Ghost was strange.

—How do you do it?

As Kang Cheon asked with curiosity at his mysterious movements, which moved like a ghost, Bieunggaek said.

—For free?

—Forget it. Cut it out. What would I do with a thief’s footwork?

—You’re the one who asked, and now you’re being a dick. Now, look. I’ll show you just once.

Bieunggaek, who had said this, stepped on his footwork at a very slow speed and smiled broadly.

—The secret is…

“You step twice.”

Kang Cheon, who had finished his reminiscence and had returned to the present, flicked his right foot on the ground twice.

It shouldn’t be too slow or too fast.

He takes the elasticity he got from the first step and decides the direction with the second step.

The explanation was simple, but it was a dangerous method that could break his ankle or toes if he was not careful.

But Kang Cheon did it.

Seuk—!

As Kang Cheon disappeared from in front of his eyes, Yi Changsu shouted at the flustered Ju Baek.

“Behind you!”

Ju Baek was greatly surprised and looked back.

Behind him, Kang Cheon was aiming the last flying sword he had from the front.

“Don’t even think about it!”

Ju Baek, who had taken a defensive posture like an iron wall by putting his two fists together, gritted his teeth.

‘I’ll block, and Yi Changsu will cut!’

He wouldn’t be able to block it completely, but it didn’t matter.

As long as he didn’t die, it was clear that Yi Changsu would cut Kang Cheon.

‘We won! Ten Flying Blood Ghost!’

The moment Ju Baek was sure of victory, Kang Cheon’s voice came out from between his open lips.

“Nothingness Sword.”

‘Nothingness Sword?’

The moment Ju Baek, who had instinctively felt the danger, was about to say something, the flying sword that had left Kang Cheon’s hand came at him.

It pierced through the iron wall-like defense and came straight.

“Avoid…”

With these last words, Ju Baek’s heart was pierced.

And Yi Changsu, who was preparing to draw his sword behind him, was surprised by Kang Cheon’s flying sword, which had appeared after piercing Ju Baek, and swung his sword.

His sword, which was imbued with ki, cut Kang Cheon’s flying sword, but what was cut was Yi Changsu’s sword.

‘I didn’t even feel a touch.’

Although he didn’t even feel the blades touching, Kang Cheon’s Nothingness Sword had destroyed about half of Yi Changsu’s sword and was coming straight at him.

“Heup!!”

Yi Changsu, who had twisted his head with all his might, gritted his teeth as he felt his left ear being torn and disappearing.

‘If it weren’t for Ju Baek’s warning… I would have died!’

He was chilled to the bone when he realized that all of this was Kang Cheon’s scheme to kill Ju Baek and Yi Changsu by lining them up in a straight line.

‘Is this the Ten Flying Blood Ghost?’

But the trump card that Kang Cheon had prepared had missed.

“Now… it’s my turn.”

Yi Changsu passed the falling Ju Baek and thrust his sword at Kang Cheon.

The sword of Yi Changsu, which was advancing towards Kang Cheon after crossing the line of death, stopped in mid-air.

Blood dripped from the mouth of Yi Changsu, who had stopped with his sword stretched out.

“When… ah… was it then.”

Kang Cheon, who was facing Yi Changsu’s sword right in front of his Adam’s apple, shrugged his shoulders with difficulty.

“It was then.”

Yi Changsu recalled the flying sword that Kang Cheon had thrown above his head before the clash.

The flying sword from that time had pierced Yi Changsu’s back and had pierced his heart as well.

“It’s a pity…”

The half-sword ultimately could not reach Kang Cheon by the length of the missing blade.

Yi Changsu, whose breath had run out, knelt down and slowly lowered his head.

“Hoo… hoo… hoo… it was dangerous… I almost got scolded by Sohyun like chicken feet.”

Kang Cheon, who had lost most of his internal energy due to the backlash of using the Nothingness Sword, staggered and knelt on one knee.

Now he didn’t even have the strength to collect his flying swords.

Kang Cheon, who had closed his eyes, panting heavily, fumbled and pulled out the flying sword that had pierced Yi Changsu’s body.

“I can’t… sleep yet.”

***

Kaang—!!

The fight between Namgung Muhyeok and Masok was truly desperate.

Because it was a fight that could never be retreated from, the two martial artists swung their spears and swords, staring only at the front without avoiding or retreating.

Due to the sharp qi wave created by the blades, numerous cuts were engraved on the bodies of Namgung Muhyeok and Masok.

Under the feet of the two martial artists, the blood they had shed was collected.

“Hoo… hoo…”

“Haa… haa!”

“Why are you doing this?”

“What?”

Masok gripped his spear again and looked around the battlefield.

The martial artists in black and white were fighting, splattering blood and flesh, and stepping on corpses.

“Aren’t there more of you? Where have all the late-stage prospects that the righteous path was so proud of gone?”

“Late-stage prospects…”

As Masok had said, the martial artists from the 1st to the 7th units who had entered so far were all masters who had made a name for themselves in the martial world or were seasoned middle-aged martial artists.

The late-stage prospects that the righteous martial world had been raising were nowhere to be seen.

“Even an unsharpened blade would be useful. Why are you confronting them so recklessly?”

Masok couldn’t understand.

In fact, the heretic martial world and the Heretic Path's Alliance had put even young martial artists who were not yet of age into the battlefield early on.

Thanks to that, the martial artists in white were often counterattacked because they could not rashly use killing moves on the young martial artists.

“If you lack skill, you should at least use them as a shield. Isn’t that so?”

“…”

Just as one does not seek honor in war, it might have been right to not care about the means and methods for the sake of victory.

Because defeat in war was no different from the defeat of everything.

Nevertheless, the Martial Alliance did not put their late-stage prospects into the battlefield.

Not yet.

“Because we are adults.”

“What?”

“Because we are adults… shouldn’t we make a path for the children to advance? Even if that path… is a path where we have to die, get injured, and bleed.”

“Adults…”

Masok still found it difficult to understand.

Was it because the environment they had lived in was different?

The goals that the righteous and heretic paths aimed for were too different.

“This too must be a pleasure.”

Masok raised his spear again.

“If we’ve rested enough, let’s start again. It seems it’s finished over there.”

As he had said, the battle between Kang Cheon and the two demon fiends, who were fighting not far from them, seemed to have ended.

‘Fortunately, he won.’

Namgung Muhyeok, who had realized that Kang Cheon had won and had survived, raised his sword, which was so damaged that its edge was dull, to his chest level.

“Let’s see the end too, Masok.”

“Fine. Golden Dragon Divine Sword.”

The two aimed their sword tip and spear tip at each other.

Although they were able to catch their breath with a short break, their bodies and internal energy had already reached their limits.

Now, what was left was perhaps just one swing.

‘I will put my all into it.’

Namgung Muhyeok and Masok advanced straight towards each other, as they had been doing until now.

There was no retreat.

As their distance got closer, the momentum emanating from their bodies became even stronger.

The shockwave created by the collision of the qi waves that the two had created shook the ground and tore through the air.

And finally.

The Golden Dragon Divine Sword and the Dragon Throwing Killing Fiend came into each other’s range.

“Heup!”

“Haap!”

The sword of the Golden Dragon and the spear of the Dragon Throwing Killing Evil, which had bet everything, stretched out towards each other.

Kwareureureung—!!!

A loud noise that seemed to tear the eardrums.

As Masok’s spear strongly pressed down on Namgung Muhyeok, Namgung Muhyeok’s two legs trembled and were gradually bent.

“Keuk!!”

Namgung Muhyeok, who had gritted his teeth and endured Masok’s strength, his eyes and his sword were dyed in a golden light.

Soon, a brilliant golden light emanated from his whole body.

“Keuhaaaaa!!”

Namgung Muhyeok swung his sword, exploding his internal energy.

A dazzling golden sword qi passed Masok and pierced the fourth gate he was blocking.

Kugugugung—!!

As the gate collapsed, Namgung Muhyeok knelt on both knees.

“Hoo-wook… hoo-woo…”

Saliva and blood mixed and flowed from his open mouth.

And in front of him, Masok, who was standing like a great general, raised his head and looked up at the sky.

“It’s beautiful…”

With these last words, Masok’s upper body was split in half and fell.

Next to Namgung Muhyeok, who had confirmed Masok’s death, Kang Cheon approached, staggering.

“Can you stand?”

“Give me… some time. It’s hard to even lift a finger right now.”

In fact, Namgung Muhyeok couldn’t even hold his sword.

Kang Cheon, who was looking at such a Namgung Muhyeok with a faint smile, said with a weak voice.

“It’s not… too late.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

What appeared after the fight was over was Cheon Yusin.

The 8th unit he was leading appeared with the 7th unit that had gone ahead.

“From now on, I will open the path, so you two rest for a while.”

“Even if you don’t say so… I was planning to.”

Cheon Yusin smiled faintly, entrusted Namgung Muhyeok and Kang Cheon to the martial artists who had come with him, and then stared at the front.

“One more.”

At the fourth gate, the martial artists of the Heretic Path's Alliance were densely blocking the path.

The number was so large that it was impossible to count.

Moreover, the momentum they were emitting was extremely sinister.

“Are you prepared?”

Cheongheo Jinren and Jeongu Satae, who had already had to go through a terrible fight on the way, nodded their heads with difficulty.

Their martial arts uniforms and swords were already soaked in thick blood.

“The Poison Sect has not appeared yet. Perhaps, the Poison Sect might be waiting for us beyond the fourth gate.”

“That’s what I was hoping for.”

Tang Hocheol said this and let his two hands hang down.

His poison-protecting hands, which had been trained with poison water and poison, were dyed black.

Cheon Yusin, who had confirmed this, held his sword with his left hand and passed the fourth gate that had been opened by Namgung Muhyeok.

“I will stand at the forefront.”

(End of Chapter)