Chapter 80: Hua Ran (6)
ASuJGrade 1 youkais[mfn]Youkai = Monster; Japanese term. They’re using a term that’s different from demonic beast.[/mfn] were like a disaster – a materialized form of catastrophe that always led to immense destruction even when a bunch of warriors and sages were to group up against them.FzdsHrG
Y5jnE– Rip! Rippp!dRxTci
jD6EeGd– Kaduk! Crunch!iXGr9v
E5rThat was why Kang Ryun was deeply touched by the scene in front of him. It wasn’t an overstatement to say that he was moved by it.hFaXC
uVxIn front of him was a Yaksha ripping a Grade 1 youkai to pieces as if it was a toy.3HdQd1
csFThat was the greatest monster created by his younger brother, one who was praised for being a genius spiritualist. Kang Ryun was baffled by his ridiculous idea of turning a living human into a jiangshi, and wasn’t expecting him to actually create such a wondrous thing.LZV5
JnG『Brother. We must retrieve Ran’s consciousness. I really need your help for this.』cbf
mVONUThe reason he visited was because of the letter he received from his brother but after seeing the Yaksha, Kang Ryun realized just how foolish and irrational that request of his younger brother was.wd0T
yWNMGiving up on such a remarkable weapon!? Giving up on that tool? How could he give up on that unprecedented power just because of one little girl?NsF
DAQQA jiangshi that was barely 1-year-old was shredding a Grade 1 youkai into pieces. That Yaksha was definitely the seed of a heavenly disaster! It was one of the wonders of the world that had the potential to evolve into a ‘Hou’ after building enough Karma by being covered by the blood and flesh of others!OmuRAlb
xHi8Thinking of that future possibility made Kang Ryun’s eyes flicker with greed.iziP
FyIbSfbA mighty youkai that has been told down in legends; the Great Youkai, that can contend even against the almighty dragons.Ni2Z
EJ3FJQThe desire to make that into his was what compelled Kang Ryun to carry out that long and thorough plan, which was finally close to being finished in this foreign land.UOa
v4hCe“Finally, we have reached the highlight of the festival! The final round of the group event will begin very soon!”y2I6iY
MgvbaSitting in the commentary seat, Professor Edgar shouted, as the crowd reacted with a cheer. The individual and the doubles events had all been completed the day before and the festival was due to end after this group event.34D
TbBLN3– Clomp clomp!HGj
Ru3dd9Kang Ryun turned after hearing the clomping sound of high-heels and saw Senior Professor Josephine of Merkarva Academy.4PEVKZ
uVIix8“Professor Kang Ryun. Are you finished with your preparations?”E7Xq
1W1E“I have just finished modifying them.”ZRFNa
iDTn6EJosephine turned to the right. Next to Kang Ryun was a pattern drawn using the blood of a beast and at the center of that pattern were a bunch of stones with talismans.LAF
anL3O“Are they the articles for this group event?”0ikOE5I
JtNY1a“That is correct. They should have already been checked by Merkarva though.”ynKkqy
u2wuoA“Yes you are right, but I am not good with formations you see.”djvx
w4OPlacing special articles in designated places, a formation required the articulate use of mana and positioning to create a partially different dimension.V5bqJ
Ix9aQz“Let me check one more time; the formation that will be used for this group event is the Eight Gates Formation, yes?”A3fS0iE
cAghUtf“Yes. It is a formation where eight gates go through an endless cycle of change to mesmerize the ones locked inside it. They must find the right path inside the bewildering Eight Gates and arrive at the center to retrieve the symbol.”5msvY
1RzHAfter sharing a few more words, Kang Ryun headed to the waiting room and was met by his disciple, Sa Jinhyuk.FZQKwK
KyKdxN“Where is the item?”RVYArZg
ER02nH“It is here sir.”8rXNI
UKQ1d2Jinhyuk replied while tapping on a saisen[mfn]Saisen box = a box for saisen, which is money offered to the gods or bodhisattvas in Japan.[/mfn] box with the symbol of a dragon that was so large that it could contain a whole person inside it.KvA0wS2
33d“Open it.”zjQaQ
7a88– Creak!5tgEiPr
oo6He opened the box and inside was Hua Ran crouching like a newborn baby. Light reflected off of her eyes but the soulless red eyes showed not a single response.IE4U4o
3PdDaO2“Good. It’s still there.”UrvC
YpVzE0lKang Ryun indifferently closed the box. Inside the box that turned dark once again, Hua Ran was still tightly clasping on a small piece of wood.o112
W7u4“Let’s go.”C06rlW8
Ux1ErXYSa Jinhyuk carried the saisen box behind his shoulder. Even though he wasn’t among the participants of the group event, he was able to attend with Professor Kang Ryun under the excuse of being his assistant.kUyc
cDsAfter reaching the center of the festival arena, Jinhyuk placed down the saisen box.r6I3
BHTf3a“Good! I believe everything has now been prepared. Everyone; please come in!”IiAKvI5
3P6FIProfessor Edgar said in the commentary seat as the participants of the group event entered the arena one by one.eU7Ib
TWTKang Yuhua’s Group 1, Group 3; and Merkarva’s Group A and Group D – there should be 16 participants but that won’t be the case anymore because Group D should have been disqualified. Because after all, Korin Lork, the leader of Group D should have long become food for the demonic beasts.ZYvxX0m
Pi3vkHe had gone ‘missing’ and he had also been disqualified from the doubles event yesterday for not making it there in time. That won’t be much different for the group event either.kb4HmWj
PXJm“Hoh. Finally, Big Sister is… coming?”wvFKDnB
cVUsKang Yuhua was walking into the arena under the cheers of the Purple Hawk students but the disgruntled look on Yuhua’s face puzzled Jinhyuk.m5rYeK
O1xxDvBut soon, he realized why.7agG
JxTZ9The boy with the sparkling silver spear and the unique wild appearance of his, who had been showing off an incredible presence the whole time over the group event, was also entering the stage.FdMgc
rz7mFU0“This is our moment of victory! I shall lead you personally to the gates of Valhalla! You shall shine with me forever!!”hyMH
BbDsr“Immortan Lork! Immortan Lork!”SIAVl
gHL2JH9“Immortan Lork! Immortan Lork!”mXN
fITsAA4“…That madman. He’s still alive.”GZJ1
VuhSEz1Korin Lork entered the stage with the passionate cries of the bandits before giving a ferocious smile in front of Kang Ryun.l2e65uF
jZv“…”BYdu
CIFPqKlSeeing that, Kang Ryun didn’t say anything. He had no idea how Korin returned alive but he would be paying for his actions soon anyway.8jMvV5
ASw“The test will now begin. I am sure you have heard the contents already.”QIRiW
KlyOKYHowever, Kang Ryun couldn’t help but find him annoying – even Kang Ryun had to admit that Korin Lork had an extraordinary presence to him.EDtzEvq
Tu8Af1– Flick!3Re
f25SUBRHis fan opened at a rapid speed as the arena immediately started to shift.YKT
cmV❰Eight Formation Drawings – Eight Gates Formation❱m1x
wyKzThat flick of his fan trembled the ground. The articles placed all around in the cardinal and ordinal directions as well as the yellow dragon in the middle heeded to his call.spha54
0PHBYik– Kugugugugung!!pZNgA29
qa3“H, huhh?”a6d6T24
QQ4“T, the ground is cracking open!”1DgNx
z42USomething enormous was soaring up from the crack created in the ground. Even though the students had already experienced the mysterious nature of formations, they were still baffled by how it could shift the actual ground itself.slfJ
6tdZyPI“Hoh~.”ank
l51MHMAHowever, Korin was still full of leisure, and seeing that, Kang Ryun scoffed.M4G
B9THPThe four gods; the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermillion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West and the Black Tortoise of the North. In the middle of them all was the Yellow Dragon.MgjY6
etZKang Ryun was the only one who knew how to reverse the formation; even Yuhua and Jinhyuk were clueless.Se3k
YAAF“Begin.”R1ay
498The deployed formation altered the arena as it divided all the participants. Making the inside of the formation into another world, Kang Ryun added the rules he wanted.PpbLP
SM4l0fyEverything was over as soon as he activated the formation.YcjdjKz
IK0No matter what Korin Lork was planning on doing, the completion of the ‘Great Evil’ was already inevitable.RBH1qO
Tfq0EKr—————!!BiD2fD4
hWAAt the central platform of the deployed formation were Kang Ryun, Yuhua, and Jinhyuk.Embw
wXsaT“I will now start the ritual for separating Ran from Hua. Yuhua and Hyuk – protect the Black Tortoise of the North.”XtXR4fx
zdnKD“Is it okay to leave all the other ones unprotected?”TNsy3Gl
abOc2“The Black Tortoise is the most important symbol of this formation. As long as that is protected, it will not matter even if everything else is to be broken.”EOGVXt
FlR“Okay sir.”ALydVXE
1fuJinhyuk couldn’t seem to hide his expectation, and seemed overwhelmed by emotions after finally reaching this moment. Yuhua was the same – she carefully raised a request to her uncle.Ulbs
8r22G“Uncle… Please. I will leave Ran in your hands.”Ve8
xGAIn order to regain her family that she lost 3 years ago, Yuhua put everything she had on the line.GkE
KK8P27“Don’t worry.”bZkbBO
kR0Yuhua felt a peace of mind after hearing that directly from Kang Ryun, who was also Ran’s uncle, and calmly headed north.20YG6m
T7uxPQSeeing how desperate the two of them were…8pzH
WqP“Kuhuhuhu, idiots. Although they’re my family… each and every one of them is so foolish and naive.”xA1LUE
2gVHe couldn’t help but scoff at them.WR7Twr
MXBpFwBoth Kang Yuhua and Kang Yu were way too ignorant of how priceless this was.lAeePr
NPhcTVThat was why she would be doomed to the same future as Kang Yu, his foolish and stupid brother.1K1c
aXG………WdL0wLI
wnppA……ZH9jT
aGo…nNHGp
I2I“Huh? What happened to the broadcast video?”iZiy6QJ
EMVSg“What? Why aren’t the screens showing anything?”weXM
frQ“Umm… I believe there were too many mana ripples at the activation of the formation, which was what affected the video-sending tools inside the formation.”SGziZ
WrMX0“Damn it! What kind of newbie mistake is that!”QUZcnm
fRM7After forming a different world inside, the formation severed every connection it had with the outside world and imprisoned its prey.GCAaI
eBDhb****xsJc
KeMMThe world modified by the formation was slowly becoming a different world.1j62
Nt1HFour guardian deities and the yellow dragon. The yellow dragon, sitting in the middle of the 4 guardians, symbolized the emperor and the trespassers of the formation of the 5 gods were the rebels.bzY
BaP47SRight now, the world inside the formation was under an imaginary civil war with stone warriors actively fighting against their enemies. They were the imperial military, whereas the participating students of the group event were the rebels.DTL73
ch1KNDespite being attacked by countless stone warriors from all around, the students were still under the impression that this was a part of the test.5W5pj9D
ITrh“Uahhk…! I, isn’t this too much?!”iRy6
muVkkI“This is completely different from last time! What is wrong with these guys?”QXB8L3
2SwLark and Jaeger shouted in confusion while breaking the stone warriors. They had heard about this beforehand, but the stone warriors were still a lot more powerful than expected.u7k
6FYES“Ugh, where are the others?”tUEv
G0H8P“I don’t know! I don’t see Korin nor Alicia!”afu
YGRNSnRKorin had told them to destroy as many articles of the formation as possible but…osgDm
7hpThey were only 2, fighting against hundreds of stone warriors. The only conclusion they could think of was their own defeat.qkQ
TxfpuvD– Kung! Kung!pf7ph
9euwkYzIt was then. Jaeger and Lark widened their eyes. While they were in the middle of trying to destroy the stone warriors, a giant suddenly appeared from a distance as it then started trampling its way towards them.NgqVsV
Pl5hpi“Wait wait wait. What the hell is that?”H0P1TbS
n2ayZfF“I, I don’t know!”HjOfh
5MDSiOThe giant stone warrior was the stone centurion. It was as strong as a semi-Grade 1 demonic beast inside the formation but…8cT8UXJ
bpWCAQ– Woof!0628
hPyZlA dog suddenly penetrated through it in the blink of an eye.8XquZs
3xL– Kaaaoooo!!lx7aF
P2QThe red dog rampaged and destroyed every section of the stone giant. That torrent of violence was an overkill no matter how they saw it.9cXKO5K
S87QqUAfter that, the red beast crushed all the nearby stone warriors, and each of its swings demolished everything nearby including the walls and the ground.ARp
CrbM“Ugek…”Nqz
htQ84It was no surprise that even Jaeger was appalled by it. That was no longer even an ally – it was just a catastrophe that destroyed everything nearby.eBT
hPcsk“Bend down!”UpUV
BfXbiA familiar voice reached their ears. Knowing how the owner of that voice was another person who was far from the realms of common sense, the two of them quickly threw themselves onto the ground.EQmhFJ
uNb1– Kururung! Kwagang!!GJMFHVj
HURFollowing that was a squall; or rather, a hail. Arrows of ice fell from the sky and wiped out an entire section of stone warriors.LoYPB
EJmCb1“Are you guys okay?”uvsigMR
tX2“S, Senior Marie.”p6i
pLoThe one who literally wiped hundreds of stone warriors off the face of the ground was Marie Dunareff; the Alliance-approved semi-Unique Grade mage and an unofficial Unique Grade vampire.OGZ
hOE“It’s dangerous so be careful! Doggo, let’s go!”QDEx
nhi“Woof!”4FYF
wVxMDYMarie started advancing while literally deleting the hordes of stone warriors. She probably got requested by Korin to destroy the stone giants and the articles.yO8
LqyKwFThere was no doubt that anything would be destroyed as long as she went there; Jaeger and Lark gulped while seeing her back.LDu
Mgll5pu“Aiya~. So that’s the person we somehow beat, huh?”VhVX
06OI“It’s our lifetime achievement…”iNGySy
WwuUDbAs alpha men who fought for glory and honor, they had something to brag about for the rest of their life.g9To
0LeA0O****mV4
23iaCvOut of the four guardian deities, the Black Tortoise of the North was in the most special position. From times immemorial, it was the job of the Black Tortoise to protect the emperor in the middle. Because it was always standing behind the emperor, it was at a position where it could both protect and attack the emperor at any given moment.K55OKEv
IfQP3PThat was why the Black Tortoise of the North was always very important.Yw29sA
u57ifovNorthern True Martial Heavenly Highest Deity.[mfn]北極眞武玄天上帝 = Northern True Martial Heavenly Highest Deity; apparently another name for Black Tortoise.[/mfn]br0M
Cgf55oFor a long time, the sages had been calling this Black Tortoise with the name, Heavenly Highest Deity and had been honoring it as a martial god.VFkKLSQ
7D7mJnThat was why the best method to deal with formations that had the four guardian deities as the basis was to attack from the North. It was because the Black Tortoise of the North was the guardian deity of the Yellow Dragon of the center, who could also pierce the heart of the emperor with a dagger at any time.wxKosT8
Wqw2oI“You came straight here without even losing your bearings. You… how do you know everything?”CHVdYU
dmpoRTv“…That was very fast.”VVsLRD
NcQOn the north of the formation near the article of the Black Tortoise, Sa Jinhyuk and Kang Yuhua had to stand off against the rebels.93V4O
CcS67N“Mr. Korin… Is it really going to be okay with just the two of us? Shouldn’t we call Senior Marie…”XdyltT
uwCmY“I’m telling you, it’s fine. Senior Marie needs to break all the remaining 3 for us.”UTPx
DgwtAlicia Arden and Korin Lork arrived after defeating the stone warriors with ease.gxHyKYb
y2amdBc‘This is weird. How did they arrive here so fast through the illusions of the Eight Gates?’b4t2gm0
ddjIk‘Uncle’s Eight Gates got solved already? Is that even possible?’ZpXo854
U258HUaJinhyuk and Yuhua couldn’t believe that the formation of the strongest formation expert of the east, Kang Ryun, had been breached this easily.Mw7F
N8b7pNBut their doubt was justified. The Eight Gates Illusionary Formation had mazes, layers of fog and stone warriors placed inside with the paths having the ability to change in 365 different ways.e1tRk
tGi4lEven a formation prodigy would have trouble leaving one after entering it and yet…7qgUBkq
m6A0“A ceramic pot with an Azure Dragon, a necklace made with the fangs of a White Tiger, a painting of the Vermillion Bird, and a carapace with a painting of the Black Tortoise; out of these, you bought two very recently, right?”iOAYS
N0pT8“You… How did you…?”KjI
j5OrrwThey originally didn’t need to buy any articles for the Eight Gates Formation, but they had to once the articles that they were trying to smuggle without reporting to Merkarva Academy had been stolen by mounted bandits.wlwfh
1B9s5SItems with drawings of symbolic creatures and special materials might have been common in the east, but here, they were very rare.wqISW
UQYThat was why it was hard for them to look for similar ones again but…xu5wR
d3l4“Don’t tell me…!”Pjn
XhXkzMg“That’s correct! I was that mounted bandit.”SEhX
JR001“You bastard…!”EPns
DT3FeIRYuhua and Jinhyuk glared at Korin Lork with burning eyes.lH6k3W
UEO“I see. So even the Brite Corporation…”jCdqx
kPEb8x“That was also from me. It was way too perfect of a timing for them to appear, wasn’t it?”n3UJk
CPyu1Z“…”iWYhjN
zNNk3qRYuhua gasped. If it was he who had stolen the smuggled articles and sold similar ones… then it was natural that he would have done something to the articles in secret.tAA1n8
dMdmk2“I added some tracking runes to the articles. It would have been hard to detect those because of the innate mana within them.”25TcE
s6w4An ancient letter of the past that was hard to even see these days – it would have been hard for them to find a tiny letter of that language system.14QNA
CpC“They did us dirty, Big Sister.”UK4CzXx
zFvf“…Shut up, Hyuk.”Aqzv3
tfXjAs expected, even the gentle and kind student council president of Purple Hawk gritted her teeth after being played this hard.40Ah
7Gygu“That doesn’t change anything. We will protect the Black Tortoise.”9LKI
ttI“Simple is the best.”JlIgyB
H6S6yYuhua and Jinhyuk readied themselves for battle as Korin and Alicia stepped forward in response.OzG7
Goh7“Alicia. You deal with Kang Yuhua.”TDVl
j2Q“…Honestly, I am not very confident though.”G9QYF1
l50SZE“They are idiots who can’t even look after their own belongings. I’m sure you will beat them in no time.”r9u
ON2g4n“…”utIT
fVuAOE“…”dbWIoH
Co8EThe two glared back with a cold gaze after being provoked. Alicia was flustered by the coldness of their eyes.PyIWOrK
NEfhc“Umm, M, Mr. Korin… I… don’t think… a provocation like that is very good.”vgIUZ1C
fim“Ohh~. Look, look. They’re mad. By the way, Yuhua is about two times stronger than you, so good luck surviving.”heXP
7iWnaI“Mr. Korin?!”PCsP
UWT****JLkaXjS
ezQhThe leg and the spear crashed into each other.N7yS0
2zOXlj8Without even the time for a breather, the silver spear and the leg were shot at their opponents. It was a desperate battle with neither pauses nor intervals. They were as vigorous as the boiling steam that threatened to burn the opponent even at the cost of turning themselves into gas.ym86r
JS7mII“…Uhk!”ir2Gq
BMYZIt was definitely Sa Jinhyuk who was being pushed back in that fight. The silver spear was eccentrically fast and was becoming even faster over time. Each and every one of those menacing attacks were suppressing the area around Sa Jinhyuk and limiting his movement.yMQ8
Yfl5aBa❰Eight Trigrams Spearmanship: Double-headed Serpent❱2fRctF
5gVGM“Kuhk…?!”ElB
F8hPCKdThe pointy stab of the spear was aiming at the center. The moment Sa Jinhyuk tried to defend himself from the stab, Korin’s hands twisted and suddenly changed the direction of the spear.AtWPrd
QwMrIt then led to another sharp stab that aimed at his vitals, but Jinhyuk rotated his body like the turbulent waves and dodged it.zIZ5Bp
ecbR4Ominous Snake: Secret Arts—ptPFR
g91That was when Jinhyuk’s eyes stopped in bewilderment.WBJNv
YxU9skThe spear was pulled back faster than Jinhyuk could re-stabilize his posture after the dodge… and was now speeding at a speed that was incomparably faster than the previous stabs.n5uPJi
P16Qv—Distorted March7cC
PNRWyJinhyuk swung his leg in response but it was flung away like it was nothing. Even his left leg that was firmly rooted on the ground wobbled as his body turned numb.mNQ
Daf“Huu…”aXQCX
fSEIxDAn agonized sigh left his mouth. Even though he was confident in his dynamic vision and reflex skills, Korin’s spear was difficult for him to see through.CwU9eOv
KTLHe couldn’t help but lament after being pushed back by the incomprehensible 2-strike and 3-strike combos of the divine spear. The owner of the spear gazed at him like a predator looking at its prey.ABoK
QEfv9rJ“A bit different from before, right? I couldn’t use everything I had back then, you see.”Gmf
7Yp7P“…You mean you were going easy on me or something?”tlka
W0iFLg“No. This is not something I can use that often either. I can’t even get any support against you, so I’m going full-on from the start.”onCwk
tlok8eYHis spearmanship and his strength were on completely different levels from before – the identity of that jump in power was the Sixth Style, Shura, that Korin was using. It was the final resort of the Sixth Style that consumed a tremendous amount of aura in exchange for power and speed.Iakz
oxF9HIt was thus normal for even Jinhyuk, a Grade 1 Knight, to be pushed back due to that ability.gjwHKP
NFHZe“Sorry, but I can’t waste my time going against someone like you either. So—”fITSy
cUwl8Korin’s body suddenly vanished from his sight. Like a black leopard pouncing after a short preparation, he easily and naturally disappeared from his sight before reappearing with a daring frontal stab.hZe16
WFWA– Flinch!Nh7D84
UbekY2It was a bold attack that took advantage of Jinhyuk’s breathing pace. Korin skillfully aimed for the moment between his breaths; his most volatile moment.iCm
IGUSThe only reason Jinhyuk was able to respond to that in time, although barely, was because of his innate instincts that allowed him to notice that cold killing intent.E28A
E4bHi—gwccl
HrSThe sharp silver spear gleamed and flickered before Jinhyuk as his eyes desperately alerted the brain of the incoming danger.CTFgup
bWB7fS– Swish!G9yoq
Kr915Jinhyuk barely dodged it as the stab grazed past his cheeks. His excessive dodge messed up his posture, and taking advantage of that gap, Korin trampled down with his right foot.Ng2eCjK
XGpJ4– Kajik!KVHc
LAToF6Korin literally trampled on Jinhyuk’s chest. On his shadow-cast face, his crimson eyes were gazing down at Jinhyuk.xI9X
mAKjr2“It’ll be over in no time.”IZtO1
YrmThe spear in his right arm pierced down. Right before Jinhyuk was about to be impaled by the spear, he kicked Korin’s back with his right foot.xpOgF
Vqf6d2“Mhmm…”SuQLcZ
VLi1ocIt was a kick from an unstable position, and was thus less effective than planned, but created enough gap for Jinhyuk to escape. After desperately escaping from that predicament, he wiped the blood flowing down his cheeks.3p8H
h0E‘Should I try to buy time?’JggUR6
WRAHe wasn’t sure what trickery Korin was using, but his strength had taken a massive leap compared to the one he had in the forest. It was probably a skill that required a large sum of aura for a momentary enhancement. Even if he couldn’t beat him, Jinhyuk thought that Yuhua should be done in a breeze and that she would be coming to his help as long as he could buy some time.L9sp
RacWx“Kang Yuhua can’t help you,” said Korin.8q3
huU3Klc“What?”d047JhT
Zp1Am“If it’s just a simple duel, she’s half-assed and clumsy, but when it comes to a fight for life and death, Alicia Arden…hRFh78
HUYMYis a real ‘fiend’.”3urLePC
SyFGLGQ– Kuhk!WCLyozQ
B2pDjSThat was when a groan echoed from behind. Hearing the rushed voice of his martial sister which he had never heard before, he subconsciously turned around.KaFxxI
jBKInstant Slash, Advancing Fang, Reverse Kill, Soaring Heavens, Lightning.92OJLki
N67rXGThe Demon-Slaying Sword raged on the double-sided sword of the sword fairy. The one carrying out the attacks was so relentless and fierce that it reminded one more of a fiend than a human.Oz7gH4
DcpyC7B“Big Sister… is being pushed back?”zsAYC
zzSApUnfolding there was a beautiful combination of sword moves. Even Yuhua, who was praised as the Sword Lord, couldn’t do anything but focus on defense the whole time.QX1
5cZ4zfeFiend.unpOMfu
2D3dSx6It gave Jinhyuk the illusion that he was looking at the Sword Fiend. Drenched in sweat, Yuhua took a large leap to the back.dSBp
fN23Korin and Alicia began a stand-off against Jinhyuk and Yuhua.PtHRe
fGC“Haa…”OknQ
eW7YN2hAlicia focused on limiting her breath to the bare minimum. Her eyes were solely focused on Yuhua and her extreme concentration made her lips turn crooked as if she was an evil villain.aT43h
p0Q97She was smiling.CsON6
8D7cX9Despite the fight for life and death with her own life on the line, the Sword Fiend was instead floating a crooked smile on her lips.i7Z
1f7gaU2“We’ll finish it in one strike… I guess she can’t even hear me.”l4qtOm
e99oCanceling Shura, Korin tightened his grip on the spear. What did that mean? Alicia was the only one who knew what that meant apart from him in this place, but even Alicia was completely indulged in her own world that she couldn’t even spare him a glance.VfxU
AF5RnzM“They’re coming. Hyuk.”wVhvjCB
CO4sG“…I know.”QfcAd9G
bD4Realizing that their next move would be the finisher, Yuhua and Jinhyuk each prepared their strongest moves.r02c
Q0LGTheir bodies were the first to shoot across the ground. Jinhyuk accelerated using his fastest and strongest skill.mfx77Ax
xBWva0k❰Storming Wheels Final Move: Trampling Kick of Destruction❱FxpJ
HOkvfiAt the same time, Yuhua also used the strongest move of her Void Dragon Slaying Swordsmanship.2QlK
ZX0❰Dragon Slaying Swordsmanship, 7th Form: Light Dragon Slayer❱ywZ9Bie
UDB4zTheir attacks marched forward but their targets, Alicia and Korin, were calm and still as if nothing was happening in front of them.FKV3
YhPgInK————————7vBG
wNPwFrom utmost concentration came tranquility and calmness.tGTIscI
ZKJutaThe world stopped.OGy
ondz14In this place, even the strongest of storms lost its vigor and even the thunderous roars lost their sounds. It was a blessing that was only permitted to the ones that were aware of this place; a silence permitted only to the ones with preposterous talents.HOPF3Qu
VZZTrampling Warhound, Sa Jinhyuk. Sword Lord Kang Yuhua.2kUmQ46
iFdwMz0In some ways, they were stronger than Korin Lork and Alicia Arden, but those that had been to the Domain even at least once, were in a different timeline to the average warriors.VODEv
ogJemThe sword left its scabbard.pIu
MufThe spear traveled forward.Isq7o
DHd6CSingular Sword of Arden: Domain SeverancetE0
NTQPzGOminous Snake: Extreme Artsiax
9G0Soaring Snake, Rearing Head of the Venomous Dragonmxuxqq
hUMsrThe magic sword and the demonic spear overwhelmed their two prey.vjG
S74Fb9****KdEsa
z4z1pYuhua and Jinhyuk weren’t dead. However, Alicia’s Demon-Slaying Sword and Korin’s Silver Spear respectively destroyed Yuhua’s double-edged sword and Jinhyuk’s prosthetic leg.jLb
om5j“Kuhk…!”2jN
hb6DIHDespite that, the two of them didn’t give up. Even though their defeat was already set in stone, they continued because their lifelong aspirations had nothing to do with the outcome of their fight.SrEC
hgc5qo“Let me tell you the truth.”MEK
dFB6FooIf not for Korin saying that to them, they would have proceeded on even if they had to crawl with their nails and teeth.ySvSf7
b04– Kajik!dj9wu6
btm1WOmKorin threw the spear as it destroyed the carapace with a painting of the Black Tortoise. When the crumbled pieces fell to the ground, it revealed something inside it.LSuNdM
iH0a7k“Huh?”HZL
7rHXrVYuhua, who was the most comprehensive when it came to formations out of the group, gasped in utter confusion.joev
3IEM0JCarapace with the Black Tortoise. Inside that was something symbolic that completely went against the nature of ‘Evil Extermination Formation’ which was supposed to consist of the four guardian deities.W8H2
dNMzJs9“…Taotie?”[mfn]Taotie: One of the 4 perils (4 monsters representing chaos): Taotie, Qiongqi, Taowu and Hundun. Originally it was Dochul because Taotie is called ‘Dochul’ in Korea.[/mfn]FjsAIin
jG0AQxA strange monster with the fangs of a tiger, horns of a ram, and the face of a boar. Taotie, one of the four perils in line with Qiongqi, Taowu and Hundun.qH8
MFtIn stark contrast to the four gods that symbolized order and protection, they were the four great monsters that were symbolic of chaos and destruction.KvDd
xH2u0Lz“Why… is there an armor with Taotie…?”nvLBM
zQbGa9Did Korin Lork do this? No; that can’t be. There was no way someone at his level could have done something so immaculate and besides, there was no way that Kang Ryun wouldn’t have noticed it as the one using these articles.ZN8hx
iYN1SV9“Kang Yuhua, Sa Jinhyuk. You guys must be thinking that this Evil Extermination Formation is to separate Hua from Ran’s body, but it’s the opposite.”PKRrw
01zThis wasn’t a ritual to separate Ran from Hua. It was the ritual to completely eradicate Ran and have Hua take complete control over the body.kIR8OM
Kd1jbv5“Kang Ryun wasn’t interested in Ran in the first place. From the very start, all he wanted was Hua.”oQV2jhb
Os5YG2y………BzXdXOf
9Pwf……GaZ
Ol9Ae2t…BG5
1VbslKeIn the middle platform where the ritual was taking place,jt4rkHI
aboKKang Ryun looked at the talisman on Hua. Yuhua and Jinhyuk must be thinking that it was a talisman to seal Hua but in fact…hlaQ
ElQ“Don’t blame your uncle too much, Ran. Small sacrifices are inevitable for the greater good.”Is6NC
agNCeIt was a talisman that sealed Ran and not Hua. Besides, the ultimate objective of this formation was the complete eradication of Ran.Cy3Rjm
g7l6cuU“Ao Guang, Ao Qin, Ao Run, Ao Shun!”[mfn]Dragon Kings of the four seas in China.[/mfn]4BdX
5687gEight Gates and four guardian deities – those were nothing but supplementary. The real one was the jiangshi locked in this saisen box.36TOx
zyJVK2“Accept it. Take the challenge. Accept the completion of the Black Dragon that shall steal the throne of the Yellow Dragon.”7Rgy
zYEVcxThe birth of ‘Hou’ was drawing near.fqBkVCx
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