Chapter 180: Lifting the Golden Seal (2)

"Why isn’t Young Master Yong coming! If he were here, those bastards would be nothing but bloody pulp by now!"

As Jeong Suji muttered, Jeong Minji shook her head.

'Young Master Yong isn't in a normal state right now. His qi seems unstable. If he forces it, he might fall into qi deviation. I... I have to help him.'

Having made up her mind, Jeong Minji spoke to Jeong Suji.

"Suji, release my seal!"

"Unnie!"

"There’s no time. These aren’t ordinary foes. They’re assassins, specializing in ambushes, but their martial arts are also exceptional. If this goes on, we’re all going to die!"

Boom!

Once again, one of the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect was swept away by Heaven-Cleaving Saber Gu Hyeong’s overwhelming force and hurled into the air before crashing down.

Fortunately, they hadn’t died outright, but it seemed they'd suffered internal injuries, as they kept collapsing while trying to stand.

The Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect weren’t the type to be defeated so easily.

They had become warriors not to be underestimated after learning martial arts from Yong Hwarin, yet they were being blown around like falling leaves.

They could no longer stand idly by.

Even if Yong Hwarin’s physical condition wasn’t optimal, his participation in battle would turn the tide in their favor.

'We just have to endure until he arrives.'

Jeong Minji gritted her teeth and glared at Heaven-Cleaving Saber Gu Hyeong.

Jeong Suji also realized how dire the situation was and shut her eyes tightly.

'Unnie never wanted to completely release her seal in front of Young Master Yong.'

Jeong Suji quickly pressed several vital points on Jeong Minji’s back.

While the seal was being broken, Jeong Daji stepped forward to protect her sister from incoming enemies.

"Uuugh!"

A groan escaped through Jeong Minji’s clenched teeth.

She then pressed several vital points on her chest and abdomen by herself.

The moment her seal was fully undone, heat burst out in every direction.

"Uaaaaargh!"

Jeong Minji’s body let out an inhuman scream, whether in agony or fury, as her form turned a crimson hue.

"So the Vermilion Bird Great Burning Heaven Art has finally been unleashed."

Jeong Daji muttered in a trembling voice.

Seeing Jeong Minji in such a monstrous state, one of the assassins shouted,

"Activate the Black Kill Formation!"

Sensing the dangerous aura, the assassins formed into groups of five and charged toward Jeong Minji.

Though they wanted to aid their sister, Jeong Suji and Jeong Daji were forced to protect the trembling Seok Unjeong, who was groaning due to the Moon Yin Energy, and the oblivious Bukri Sogun.

Some of the assassins were still targeting Bukri Sogun, so Jeong Suji and Jeong Daji were locked in a frantic fight.

Jeong Daji called out to her sister.

"Unnie, shouldn’t we release our seal as well?"

The momentum of the assassins was so intense that annihilation seemed inevitable if they didn’t.

"Hold on, Young Master Yong who entered the forest hasn’t come yet. And Unnie alone will be enough."

Jeong Suji knew that their eldest sister Jeong Minji had mastered the Vermilion Bird Great Burning Heaven Art more perfectly than anyone.

As five assassins approached and unleashed their swords, Jeong Minji kicked off the ground and shot into the air.

At that moment, her body seemed to blaze with surging red energy.

It was a mirage formed by Jeong Minji’s energy manifesting like Protective Energy.

Jeong Minji slashed downward with her sword at the five assassins rushing up from below.

From her sword, five streams of fire exploded toward the assassins.

"It’s an illusion! Don’t be fooled!"

The fact that a woman had mastered a Heat Yang Art to the extent of creating flames with her qi was unheard of even in ancient sword chronicles.

For a woman to master a Heat Yang Art to that degree was believed to be impossible.

Women were inherently born with strong yin-based innate qi. While they could train in Yin Cold Arts or Ice techniques, to practice Heat Yang Arts was to court death.

That was why the assassins assumed the fire Jeong Minji had unleashed was a technique imbued with illusion art.

Two of the assassins blocked the flames with their swords.

But the others, thinking the flames were illusions and failing to defend, were instantly engulfed in fire.

"Kuaaaaaaagh!"

Three assassins writhed in pain as they burned alive.

Unable to bear the sight, their fellow assassins cut them down without hesitation.

As Jeong Minji landed on the ground, she kicked off again and slashed at the remaining two assassins.

Fwoosh!

One of the assassins’ sleeves caught fire from blocking her sword.

He stepped back and tried to pat out the flames with his left hand.

But instead, the fire spread to his hand and quickly engulfed his entire body.

"Aaaaargh!"

It was a flame of qi that could not be extinguished so easily.

Heaven-Cleaving Saber Gu Hyeong twitched his eyebrows at Jeong Minji’s bizarre martial art and stomped the ground with both feet.

Boom!

Gu Hyeong’s figure shot straight toward Jeong Minji.

Seeing Heaven-Cleaving Saber Gu Hyeong charging toward her, Jeong Minji also stomped her foot.

Boom!

The two clashed midair and then crashed to the ground together.

Thud! Thud!

The moment they landed, they collided again on the ground.

The qi waves they emitted made their bodies tremble.

Soon after, the victor and loser became clear.

Jeong Minji coughed up blood and collapsed to her knees.

No matter how much she had cultivated the Vermilion Bird Great Burning Heaven Art passed down in her clan, it was too much to withstand power exceeding three Jiazi.

Despite the overwhelming difference in internal force, holding her ground against Heaven-Cleaving Saber Gu Hyeong was an impressive feat.

It was only possible because the Vermilion Bird Great Burning Heaven Art was a divine art.

If the necessary internal power were properly cultivated, it was said that even the legendary Vermilion Bird would manifest through this martial art.

However, few knew of this art.

As Gu Hyeong approached to sever her head, Jeong Minji gave a faint smile.

"Looks like I’ve done my part."

Behind him, Yong Hwarin was seen flying in.

Jeong Minji had been buying time for Yong Hwarin to eliminate the assassins in the forest and return.

She believed that once Yong Hwarin came back, he would stop Heaven-Cleaving Saber Gu Hyeong.

Gu Hyeong, who had been walking toward Jeong Minji, halted and turned around.

He could not ignore the massive energy approaching from behind.

"That level of power!"

He grimaced, watching Yong Hwarin unleash a force nearly equal to his own.

Meanwhile, Jeong Suji and Jeong Daji evacuated Jeong Minji to a safe place.

Once the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect had freed themselves from Gu Hyeong, they began to move independently and fight the assassins.

The Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect were seething with killing intent.

Pouring out all their strength and disregarding their own lives, they began to take down the assassins one by one.

As they attacked even more ferociously than the assassins themselves, the assassins became flustered.

During that time, the guards of the Namgung Clan reorganized and launched a counterattack.

What was astonishing was that whenever Namgung Yoo scattered something into the air at just the right time, the approaching assassins collapsed one by one.

Namgung Yoo was fulfilling her role more than adequately.

Two assassins charged at Jeong Daji.

Jeong Daji had been guarding Bukri Sogun, and the assassins kept attacking endlessly.

As she blocked an assassin running toward Bukri Sogun, another assassin silently approached from behind and aimed at her back.

Jeong Daji, focused on her sister Jeong Minji’s condition, didn’t notice the one sneaking up behind her.

'Damn it!'

Feeling the chill of death in that instant, Jeong Daji chose not to worry about her back and instead intercepted the assassin targeting Bukri Sogun.

If she turned around to fight the one behind her, not only she but Bukri Sogun would be in danger.

In that moment, the assassin rushing from behind suddenly fell forward, slamming his face into the ground mid-charge.

Jeong Daji realized that Mu Iso had fired a large needle and killed the assassin, and she nodded in thanks.

Just then, another assassin aiming for Bukri Sogun swept his sword low.

Ping!

As Jeong Daji tried to leap away with Bukri Sogun in her arms, Mu Iso accurately launched another large needle, allowing her to dive into the assassin’s space.

When the assassin raised his sword to block the incoming needle, Jeong Daji thrust her sword into the open space.

Thuk!

Jeong Daji’s sword sank into the assassin’s chest.

"Keuk!"

As she pulled her sword free, blood spurted out like a fountain.

"Amazing."

Not just Mu Iso, but even the members of the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect who had been knocked down by Gu Hyeong were lying prone and firing large needles using Dragon Scale Finger to assist their comrades.

Using Tanjeegong in their injured state was dangerous, yet they were prepared to die, and this inspired Jeong Daji's fighting spirit.

Moreover, seeing such determination from the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect, the guards of the Namgung Clan also threw themselves into battle without regard for their own safety, cornering the assassins.

Heaven-Cleaving Saber Gu Hyeong didn’t even give Yong Hwarin a chance to speak. Let alone yielding the first strike out of seniority, he charged in immediately and slashed his blade.

There was no reason for an assassin to offer the first move.

Whoosh!

Gu Hyeong’s saber strike, containing immense experience, came flying.

Unable to block this single strike, imbued with nearly three Jiazi of internal power, even the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect had been blown away in just one move.

But Yong Hwarin was already a martial artist who had reached the Time-Space Realm.

Dodging Gu Hyeong’s saber strike, he closed the distance.

"Impressive!"

Gu Hyeong exclaimed in admiration as Yong Hwarin smoothly avoided the saber strike and closed in.

When sword and saber clashed, the heavier saber had the advantage.

Moreover, if one's internal force was greater, wielding a saber produced significantly superior destructive power, making it best to avoid weapon clashes when facing someone using saber techniques.

Knowing this and choosing to evade made young Yong Hwarin seem all the more remarkable.

However, Gu Hyeong, determined to cut Yong Hwarin down in a single blow, focused on executing intricate techniques.

‘I’ll force you to take my saber strike head-on!’

As he pressed in on Yong Hwarin, he suddenly stepped back and approached Wi Sook, who was lying on the ground.

Wi Sook, while collapsed, had been firing large needles using Dragon Scale Finger to strike down assassins.

As Heaven-Cleaving Saber Gu Hyeong approached, Wi Sook quickly changed direction and fired a large needle without hesitation.

Ping!

But Gu Hyeong blocked the large needle with ease.

The Three Demonic Absolutes possessed martial prowess rivaling that of Murim’s core strength within the orthodox factions.

For such a master, the large needles fired by the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect were not difficult to deflect.

Yong Hwarin fired a large needle using Dragon Scale Finger, intending to draw Gu Hyeong’s attention back to himself.

“Khk!”

However, immediately after launching the large needle, a searing pain like a red-hot iron pressing into his Dantian surged through him.

Using Tai Chi Dantian, the Self-Revolving Inner Qi continuously stimulated the Yin Dantian, preventing the activation of Tai Chi Dantian and only increasing the pain.

He hadn’t expected that the long-neglected Self-Revolving Inner Qi would hinder him in such a critical moment.

‘There’s no sign the Self-Revolving Inner Qi will stabilize. This is bad.’

He couldn't keep dodging Heaven-Cleaving Saber’s attacks forever.

He didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if he had to block a saber strike in his current condition.

When Gu Hyeong raised his saber to cut down Wi Sook, Yong Hwarin launched a large needle infused with three Jiazi of internal force.

He excluded the Yin Dantian and operated his qi using only the Yang Dantian.

Now that the Self-Revolving Inner Qi was active, the most effective approach was to confront him with Dragon Scale Finger.

Piiiiing!

The long hum of the launched large needle pierced the air, and Gu Hyeong redirected his saber mid-swing, just before it fell upon Wi Sook’s head, to deflect the needle.

Claaang!

A sound like a small bell ringing echoed from Gu Hyeong’s saber.

Seeing his beloved weapon vibrating endlessly in his hand, Gu Hyeong narrowed his eyes.

‘That one must die.’

Yong Hwarin retrieved five large needles and placed them across his index and middle fingers.

Though he had never fired five large needles at once with Dragon Scale Finger, he expected the effect to be tremendous.

Pipipipiping!

As five flashes of light shot from Yong Hwarin’s fingers, Gu Hyeong gathered all his internal force into his saber and swung.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each needle forced him a step back.

Yong Hwarin continued launching large needles, binding Gu Hyeong in place so he couldn’t attempt anything else.

Clenching his teeth in frustration, Gu Hyeong seethed.

‘To think I’m being pushed back by mere hidden weapons.’

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