Chapter 594: And You've Never Even Raised a Child

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Everyone, exit through the door we open."

The Fist King and his subordinates knew. They understood that the door the Fist Demon spoke of was the gate to hell. The Fist King Jang Hu did not become angry. Instead, a mysterious smile touched his lips.

"If it's a door you're opening, I'd gladly go."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Fist King's subordinates, who were positioned on all sides, launched themselves forward and gathered together.

They were raised as killing machines, and their momentum was the very embodiment of killing intent. There were over thirty of them.

The Fist Demon, who had been staring intently at their menacing aura, glanced at Lee Ahn. The Fist Demon's gaze seemed to ask, "Will you give it a try?"

Lee Ahn did not agree without thinking.

Her gaze shifted to the enemies. She then asked herself a question.

Are you ready to leap into that killing intent right now?

At an important moment in life, or during a crisis, one should not leave a decision to impulsive emotions. There were others who would answer that question for her.

The first to respond was the Soaring Sky Sword Art, which she had completely mastered.

[Have you forgotten what kind of martial arts you have learned?]

The next to answer was the Sun Moon Sword in her hand.

"……"

The Sun Moon Sword hummed softly. Through constant communion since she received it, the sword now recognized her as its true master.

The last to answer was her own effort.

[Everything in the world may betray you, but effort never does.]

The past days when she had sacrificed sleep to train flashed through her mind.

Finally, Lee Ahn answered her father's question.

"I will do it."

It was not an emotional, impulsive response, but an answer born from her entire life.

At Lee Ahn's careful reply, the Fist Demon gave a silent nod.

The Flower Sword Supreme tried to predict the outcome of this fight.

Could Lee Ahn really win?

The answer did not come to her immediately. If she saw this fight as a close one, then the Fist Demon must feel the same way.

That was how she knew. The one who was more nervous and afraid at this moment was not Lee Ahn, but the Fist Demon. She could only imagine the great storm of emotions that must be raging behind his blunt, fearsome face.

So win, Lee Ahn. If for no other reason, then for your father.

And savor the moment a martial artist becomes truly strong. The moment you defeat an opponent you thought you couldn't beat is far greater than defeating a hundred people weaker than you!

Lee Ahn walked forward with her back held perfectly straight.

The taut tension grew as if it would explode. They were fighting a beauty who could be called the world's number one, but they had no room to enjoy this unique experience.

Because the aura Lee Ahn exuded was extraordinary, they raised their own momentum even more fiercely.

CHAANG.

Lee Ahn drew her sword with a clean motion. This was the first time she had faced fist-art users, and a large group of them at that.

The moment the straight blade of the Sun Moon Sword glinted in the sunlight!

She rushed toward her enemies. When fighting multiple opponents, the natural tactic is to avoid being surrounded.

However, Lee Ahn caught them off guard by launching herself right into their center.

SHIIIIK.

The moment she landed, she spun, and blood sprayed from the tip of her sword. Everyone moved so quickly it was impossible to tell whose blood it was.

Faster than the fists flying from all directions, Lee Ahn lunged, thrusting her sword at the enemy in front of her.

SHWIIK!

Just as the opponent twisted his body and threw a punch, her body spun in the opposite direction. Her target changed in an instant.

PUK!

Lee Ahn stabbed the enemy rushing at her from behind and then pushed forward. Even as he was dying, the man gripped her blade with his gauntleted hand.

CHWAAAAAK!

Lee Ahn's sword sliced sideways through his torso and then beheaded an enemy charging from the side.

SEOGEOK!

The sharpness of the Sun Moon Sword cut not only through human bone but also through the gauntlets he wore.

As Lee Ahn wreaked havoc in the middle of the enemy formation, both advantages and disadvantages arose.

The disadvantage was having to face enemies rushing from all sides, but the advantage was that her opponents couldn't recklessly unleash their enhanced qi.

What if over thirty men unleashed their enhanced qi to attack her all at once?

Not only would that be difficult to dodge, but getting hit even once would give all of their enhanced qi a chance to pour down on her.

That was also why she hadn't unleashed the techniques of the Soaring Sky Sword Art from the very beginning. She had judged that it would be disadvantageous if the fight became a battle of enhanced qi and inner arts.

But what if she was in the middle of her enemies?

SHWAAAAEK!

Sword qi swirled from her blade. The enemies couldn't easily fire their enhanced qi for fear of hitting their allies, but she was different.

Without looking at the result of the swirling sword qi, she slid toward the opposite side. She didn't check how many were injured or killed by her attack.

As if moving according to a predetermined sequence, there was no hesitation in any of her actions.

PAPAPAPAK!

Through the spraying blood, the glint of Lee Ahn's sword flashed menacingly.

An arm that had aimed for her head was severed. The fist of another who flew in for revenge only cut through empty air. Lee Ahn was already rushing toward another enemy.

PAAANG! PAANG!

Fists flew from all directions like iron cannonballs.

Her figure weaved between the fists. She fought with the determination not to be hit even once. The moment she took a solid blow, it could all be over.

One of the enemies charged in, trying to tackle her and bring her down.

PUK! PUK! PUK!

Stabbing his chest repeatedly, she twisted her body as if to throw him backward.

An attack flying at her from behind struck the corpse instead.

This time, they rushed from both sides. They thought that if they could just grab her and take her down, it would be over. It was a ridiculous strategy against a master like Lee Ahn, but they too were masters who could project fist energy.

As if playing tag, she used her movement arts to slip between them.

Every time her sword embroidered the air, flesh was cut and blood splattered.

Lee Ahn was truly fast and strong. Fighting in a trance-like state, she wasn't even aware of how well she was doing.

Rather, what troubled her most wasn't the fists, but the blood. The blood splattering in all directions. Her greatest fear was that the blood splashing on her face would get into her eyes.

It was a worry she had never had before experiencing a fight like this.

As the number of enemies dwindled, her fight began to get harder. The enemies who had been pushing with numbers now formed a proper formation to fight.

KWANG! KWAAAANG!

And now, the enemies also began to unleash their fist energy. The enhanced qi projected from their fists poured toward her. They no longer cared if their allies were behind her.

KWANG! KWAAAANG!

The enhanced qi they fired collided with each other. They intended to crush Lee Ahn between their streams of energy.

"……"

Taking one hit, her body was pushed back. If her protective enhanced qi had been even a little late, the force would have shattered her internal organs. The survivors were the stronger ones. And because they were strong, they had survived.

Her inner arts were also gradually depleting. With this much inner arts, she was confident she could face anyone. However, it wasn't enough to kill all thirty-some of the Fist King's subordinates, who were even wearing gauntlets.

PWAAAAK!

Covered in blood, Lee Ahn fought frantically. She rolled on the ground, dodging the flying fists.

Like a tenacious fighter who would grab a stone if she fell, she rolled on the ground and slashed at their ankles.

PAAAAAA!

She plunged her sword into the chest of a fallen enemy. When she pulled it out, blood gushed like a fountain.

She had become a person completely drenched in blood. There was no elegance in this fight. It was a true battle, filled only with the killing intent to murder one another.

Neither the Fist Demon's side nor the Fist King's side interfered in the fight. As Lee Ahn grew more exhausted, the Flower Sword Supreme became even more tense than the Fist Demon.

The Flower Sword Supreme looked at the Fist Demon.

He's incredible.

He must be several times more worried than I am. He's probably holding back because he wants Lee Ahn to overcome this fight on her own.

She thought that if it were her, she wouldn't have been able to just watch.

How can you endure this so well when you've never even raised a child?

A young man with red bandages glanced at the Fist King. His eyes seemed to ask if he should step in, seeing as all the subordinates were dying, but the Fist King showed no reaction.

The Fist King did not regret the deaths of his subordinates at all. His gaze was like, 'If you're the kind of trash that can't even kill a single girl like that, then you might as well all die!'

Of the two masters who had followed the red-bandaged man, the one holding a sword to his chest frowned.

It was a way of fighting he would never choose. Just watching his subordinates die? He couldn't understand it.

Is this fight a joke? Is life a joke? They should have all rushed in together to create a chaotic melee. That way, they would have maintained their numerical advantage.

Now, only the sound of Lee Ahn's ragged breaths echoed in the area.

"Hah, hah, hah."

Finally, the scene came into Lee Ahn's view. The surroundings were a complete sea of blood, and all the other enemies lay fallen as corpses. She couldn't even remember how she had killed them.

Now, only four enemies remained.

Those four were confident of their victory.

"You persistent bitch. Your inner arts have finally run out."

Their faces were weary. When this fight started, they could never have imagined it would come down to just the four of them.

"Surely you're not hoping for help now, are you?"

Lee Ahn's ragged breathing subsided.

"That's right. My inner arts are all gone."

A single, meaningful phrase was added.

"Except for just enough to unleash one last technique."

The next moment, the Sun Moon Sword rose to float before her chest.

CHWAREUREUK.

In an instant, the Sun Moon Sword began to split.

Four streams of sword qi took the shape of the Sun Moon Sword.

The Seventh Form of the Soaring Sky Sword Art, the Ominous Sky Strike.

SHWAAAAAAAA!

The sword qi shot out like light in four directions, piercing through their hearts.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

The joy of victory was fleeting.

The man who had been holding a sword to his chest launched a surprise attack. His target was Lee Ahn.

If this young wench is this strong…

He couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult the fight against the Demon Supremes would be. That's why he intended to eliminate the woman before him and then face the next battle.

SHWIIING.

The sword he had been holding to his chest was now in his hand, flying toward Lee Ahn's neck.

Lee Ahn had no inner arts left in her body. And without inner arts, the man's attack was too fast to block.

At that very moment.

HWIK!

A short gust of wind was heard, like blowing out a candle.

A single flash of sword light cut through the air.

SEOGEOK.

Lee Ahn saw it. The sword of the man who was about to cut her had stopped in mid-air.

A red diagonal line began to appear on the man's face, extending past his chin and down his body.

JIIIIK.

The man's body began to shift along the red line.

SEUREUREUK.

His body began to slide apart along the diagonal cut.

Was it because he was cut too quickly, or too sharply? Not even blood emerged from the severed surface.

Only when the two halves of his body fell to the ground did blood finally gush out.

Beyond the spraying blood, the back of a person could be seen.

The one who had rushed in as fast as light and cut him down was none other than the Flower Sword Supreme.

From the tip of the One Flower Sword in her hand.

TOK.

A single drop of blood trickled down.

Her sword felt as if it were alive. The sharp energy flowing along the blade was like the cold breath exhaled by the sword itself.

When she extended her hand, the Sun Moon Sword, which had been embedded in a distant wall, flew toward her via telekinesis.

Taking the sword, the Flower Sword Supreme handed the Sun Moon Sword to Lee Ahn.

"That was a magnificent fight."

The Flower Sword Supreme knew. This fight had become an opportunity for Lee Ahn to grow once more. An opportunity for a fight like this would not come easily, even if she wandered the Central Plains for her entire life searching for villains.

Lee Ahn, soaked in blood from head to toe, respectfully accepted the sword. At the Sword Supreme's words calling it a magnificent fight, her eyes welled up with tears.

After fighting so well… I can't cry! There are still enemies left!

"I will never forget the grace of you saving my life. Thank you."

She shouldn't have looked back.

The moment her eyes met with the Fist Demon's, who was standing behind her, the tears she had been holding back began to fall. The moment she saw her father's face looking at her, she couldn't hold it in any longer. Regardless of whether enemies remained, regardless of whether she looked weak, she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down.

They were tears of joy for not having betrayed her father's faith in her.

The Fist Demon silently nodded. He said nothing, but for Lee Ahn, that was enough.

Because she could feel the deep affection contained in her father's nod with her entire being.

A brief silence fell over the place.

The Fist King was staring in their direction with an expressionless face, his thoughts unreadable.

The next person to step forward was the Ghost Blade. As he walked forward, he looked at the fallen man's corpse and said.

"He wasn't someone who would die so anticlimactically."

The Ghost Blade stared at the Flower Sword Supreme and asked.

"Do you know who it is you just killed?"

At his question, the Flower Sword Supreme slowly turned her body toward him.

A cold yet elegant aura flowed from her body.

If the Sword King's aura, which he had previously shown to Geom Mugeuk, was like hundreds or thousands of sword blades filling the air, the Flower Sword Supreme's aura was the opposite.

A single sword.

The feeling of that lonely sword being aimed right at you.

That was the aura of the Flower Sword Supreme.

"I have no interest in who he was."

The Flower Sword Supreme said calmly, gazing at her opponent with those lonely yet deep eyes.

"So don't you go on and on about who you are, either."