Dark and Light Martial Emperor

Chapter 181

Fate

Boom!

Pasaruk, who was flung backward, had a look of shock in his eyes.

‘What the hell is this guy?!’

Swish!

Moyong Woo lightly kicked off the ground, quickly closing the distance. Though his speed wasn’t particularly fast, it was strangely difficult to counter.

Buzz! Bang!

It was heavy.

Even though Pasaruk had raised his defensive energy from the Su Mi Inverted Buddha Art to its fullest, the force was so overwhelming that his waist bent backward.

“You bastard!”

A massive fist, glowing with a red light, ignited the air as it targeted Moyong Woo’s head.

It was fast and sharp. Pasaruk, who was taller by a head and whose entire body was armored with muscles pushed beyond their limits, executed his martial arts with astonishing flexibility and speed.

But that was all.

The martial arts of Moyong Woo, who had focused his full attention on his opponent, were on a completely different level than before.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Pasaruk’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The punch infused with the power of the Buddha’s Peak Divine Fist was instantly deflected upward. The overlapping force that pressed in disrupted the path of his fist.

Crack!

Pasaruk’s face twisted in pain.

‘Damn it.’

A sharp pain surged in his abdomen from the sweeping kick.

Even though he had forged a body impervious to blades and swords, he felt pain? This meant that the opponent’s offensive power surpassed his own defensive capabilities.

“You bastard!”

It was a betrayal of his body, which he believed would never be broken by anyone less than a high-level master of the Nine Great Schools or the Six Great Clans.

Pasaruk forcefully stomped forward.

Boom!

The ground shook violently.

Moyong Woo’s eyes flashed.

Swish!

Dodging the approaching vibrations, Moyong Woo leaped into the air, gripping the Tangma Greatsword with both hands.

‘Slash.’

Flash!

The heavy blade brushed past Pasaruk’s shoulder.

It was a sword strike meant to take his head off in one blow. Pasaruk’s extraordinary evasive abilities shone at that moment.

‘He’s got it under control.’

On the surface, his body seemed endlessly cumbersome.

But in reality, it was entirely different. The strength that came from his well-developed muscles was immense, his joints were as flexible as those of any top master in the Central Plains, and his swift movements were as agile as a swallow.

Though he was the leader of a band of marauders that preyed on the blood of the common people, his martial arts training was exceptional. His body and martial arts demonstrated a remarkable harmony of strength and flexibility.

Clang!

Moyong Woo blocked the onslaught of Pasaruk’s fists with the broad side of his greatsword.

A true martial artist knows the precise timing of attack, evasion, and defense.

One step further, a master can execute two or even three techniques simultaneously. They can evade and attack in a single breath.

Pasaruk was such a master.

This was why he could easily defeat an armed opponent with his bare hands.

‘But…’

Whoosh!

Moyong Woo’s figure appeared at Pasaruk’s rear left.

Panic flashed across Pasaruk’s face.

‘That’s all.’

Boom!

“Ugh!”

Pasaruk staggered.

He somehow managed to turn and unleash a fist strike, but Moyong Woo’s Tangma Greatsword carried the weight of a mountain.

Swish!

Moyong Woo closed the distance, swinging his sword at an incredible speed.

Swish, swish, swish!

“Ugh!”

Dozens of sword wounds appeared all over Pasaruk’s body.

Once again, the attack only cut through his flesh. It didn’t penetrate the muscles or sever the bones.

But Pasaruk realized something.

‘It’s getting deeper?!’

The sword wounds were slightly deeper.

As he recoiled in shock, trying to retreat, the greatsword extended and plunged into his pectoral muscle.

“Ugh!”

Clang!

Pasaruk struck the greatsword away with his fist and hunched his upper body.

Drip, drip.

Pasaruk’s eyes wavered.

This time, the sword strike cut through flesh and sliced into muscle. Though Pasaruk quickly used his energy to constrict the muscle and stop the bleeding, a significant amount of blood had already spurted out in an instant.

“I’m starting to get used to this.”

Pasaruk looked at Moyong Woo.

Flash!

Moyong Woo approached, emitting a blue energy that evoked the sky, his terrifying eyes glowing.

“I’ve finally gotten used to your toughness.”

Pasaruk’s face twisted.

Gotten used to? Could he now cut what he couldn’t before just by getting used to it?

“I was trying to finish this off quickly, you brat…!”

At that moment—

Boom! Boom!

“Arghhhh!”

“R-run away!”

“Leader! Leader!”

“Boss! We need to escape!”

Rumble!

Pasaruk’s eyes widened in shock.

The wall connecting the inner and outer camps had collapsed, and his subordinates were flooding in.

They weren’t escaping. They had been driven back all the way here, unable to withstand the overwhelming power of the enemy.

Whoosh!

Beyond the retreating subordinates, someone radiating explosive energy emerged.

Boom! Boom!

It was like autumn leaves falling in the wind.

As the dark gray chains wriggled, the heads of the marauders were torn off, and when the black and white Dragon Shape Great Axes swept through, bodies were shattered into pieces.

No one could stop the rampage of this three-headed, six-armed monster. The murderous aura of the one massacring the marauders was surging like flames.

The term War God wouldn’t do him justice. And behind this War God, another figure moved through the air as if flying, drawing a bowstring—an archer of unparalleled skill.

“…What the…”

Pasaruk’s pupils trembled.

“What is that lunatic?!”

At that moment, Moyong Woo spoke.

“He’s the leader of the Myeolsagun.”

“What?”

“He is the commander of the Myeolsagun and the eldest son of the Yeon family, known by the nickname ‘Bok Mountain Tiger General,’ the greatest young martial artist in the Central Plains. And…”

Moyong Woo adjusted his grip on the Tangma Greatsword.

“He’s my younger brother.”

Boom!

The veins on Pasaruk’s forehead bulged.

“Grrr!”

The force was terrifying.

Moyong Woo, having witnessed Yeon Hojeong’s frenzied performance, seemed to have his fighting spirit ignited as well. Although Pasaruk crossed his arms to block the sword strike, Moyong Woo’s overwhelming strength was pushing him back further.

Drip.

The greatsword gradually dug into his muscles.

‘No!’

Pasaruk fully grasped the situation he was in.

‘I’m going to lose.’

Losing wasn’t the issue. The real problem was that he could actually die like this.

‘Escape!’

For Pasaruk, there was no such thing as honor or pride. Just as Moyong Woo had said, survival was always his highest priority.

And it wasn’t just him. Every person who lived under the banner of a marauder thought the same way.

Pasaruk shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Everyone scatter…!!”

Thud!

“Argh!”

Pasaruk dropped to his knees. An invisible arrow had struck his back.

It was a qi arrow—Muyeongtan. It had been launched in fury by Mok Bi, who had been slaughtering the marauders from dozens of meters away.

Had it been a Cheoljeon instead of a Muyeongtan, his life would have been ended right then. Pasaruk could consider himself incredibly fortunate.

Crack!

Blood sprayed from Pasaruk’s mouth. Moyong Woo’s knee had slammed into his jaw.

Boom! Boom!

Moyong Woo’s eyes gleamed.

He had intended to take Pasaruk’s head off in one strike, but even then, the tenacious opponent had managed to block the sword strike with his fists. He was a persistent one.

Of course, it wasn’t without result.

Slash!

Pasaruk’s left index, middle, and ring fingers were severed.

“Grrr!”

Boom! Slash!

Pasaruk threw his body to the left. Moyong Woo’s sword slashed across his back, but somehow, he managed to escape.

Moyong Woo’s eyes gleamed.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

At that moment—

Clang!

A chain shot through the blood-soaked air, wrapping around Pasaruk’s neck.

“Gah!”

A terrifying killing intent radiated from Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.

“Come here.”

Clang!

The Gyoryong Chain tightened, lifting Pasaruk into the air.

Flash!

Moyong Woo’s greatsword struck like a bolt of lightning.

Slash!

It was an impressive response.

Even as Pasaruk was being choked by the chain and flown into the air, he twisted his body to evade Moyong Woo’s lightning-quick sword strike. Although his back suffered a serious wound, he managed to avoid being sliced in half.

His survival instinct was terrifying. His ability to read his enemy’s murderous intent was beyond comprehension.

“Aaaaah!”

Boom!

Pasaruk slammed his feet into the ground and yanked on the Gyoryong Chain. With his natural divine strength, combined with the Su Mi Inverted Buddha Art pushed to its limit, and the added desperation of facing death, he unleashed an unimaginable power.

But this time, his opponent was simply too strong.

Buzz!

The Gyoryong Chain was imbued with the Vermilion Bird energy of Fire Heaven.

“Huff!”

Boom!

Pasaruk’s body was once again lifted into the air.

‘W-what?!’

Despite pulling with explosive force, he was still being dragged back to his opponent. Even more shocking was that his opponent was pulling him in with just one hand!

Pasaruk’s pupils dilated.

A monster, covered in blood and glaring at him with murderous eyes, stood before him.

“Aaaargh!”

Thud!

Pasaruk’s legs were severed below the knees.

Boom!

Legless, Pasaruk crashed to the ground.

Yeon Hojeong stepped on Pasaruk’s face.

Thud!

Pasaruk’s nose broke, and his teeth flew out. His right cheekbone was shattered, caving in.

Pasaruk’s trembling body went limp. He had fainted.

Yeon Hojeong looked at Moyong Woo.

Just a glance was enough to understand what the other wanted. Moyong Woo shouted loudly.

“Everyone, stop!”

Boom! Boom!

His voice reverberated throughout the area. It was as loud as Pasaruk’s own booming voice, reminiscent of sound techniques.

“You’ve lost! Drop your weapons immediately!”

Fear spread across the marauders’ faces.

Beside Moyong Woo, Yeon Hojeong held Pasaruk by the back of the neck, glaring at them with murderous intent.

Shivers ran down their spines!

The remaining members of Heilangdan trembled in fear.

A monster had suddenly appeared, wielding axes and causing an enormous number of casualties. Despite this, he didn’t seem to tire, and now, still holding their leader aloft, he glared at them with a deadly energy emanating from his body.

His gaze and energy conveyed a clear message.

Surrender, or die.

Clang! Clang!

One by one, the marauders began dropping their weapons.

As simple as they were, their morale soared when things were in their favor, but once it broke, it shattered beyond repair. Their greatest strength had turned into their worst weakness in that moment.

It was the limit of being a marauder. For those who prioritized survival above all else, fighting to the death was not an option.

Moyong Woo sighed.

‘Is it over?’

At that moment, his gaze turned to Yeon Hojeong.

Yeon Hojeong slowly shook his head. The killing intent in his eyes flared even more intensely.

Moyong Woo’s face showed surprise.

‘You want to kill them?’

‘Yes.’

‘They’ve already surrendered. There’s no need to kill them…’

‘It’ll be even easier to deal with them now that they’ve dropped their weapons.’

‘…!’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll bear the burden of this evil deed.’

As Moyong Woo stood there, bewildered, he suddenly noticed the formation of the Myeolsagun and the Tangma Army.

“…!!”

When had it happened?

The Tangma Army and Myeolsagun had subtly encircled Heilangdan. The formation was perfect for an ambush.

In an instant, Moyong Woo realized.

‘Yeonja?!’

That’s right.

The moment Yeon Hojeong entered the battlefield, he had been considering not just the enemy’s annihilation, but also minimizing the losses on their side.

That was why he hadn’t broken through and completely crushed the enemy in one go. Doing so would have resulted in more enemy deaths, but it would have also undoubtedly increased their own casualties.

Flashing from the east to the west, Yeon Hojeong had concentrated his forces. Unknowingly, the Tangma Army and Myeolsagun had formed an encircling formation around Heilangdan.

Crash!

Yeon Hojeong casually tossed Pasaruk aside and glared at the marauders.

And it wasn’t just him.

Unlike the Tangma Army, who had relaxed, thinking the battle was over, the eyes of the entire Myeolsagun were still sharp, much like Yeon Hojeong’s. They had been through countless situations like this.

Yeon Hojeong spoke coldly.

“I command the Myeolsagun.”

Shhh…

A dense killing aura spread out like fog.

“Send them off cleanly.”