Chapter 754: I Hate That Ponytail of Yours!

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk unleashed his demonic qi.

SWOOOOOSH!

Immense demonic energy surged toward everyone standing before him. The Four Dark Blood Bladesmen couldn't withstand it directly. They wrapped themselves in their blood-cloaks and retreated. The man in the iron mask raised his inner arts to confront the overwhelming force.

The demonic qi felt rough and powerful. Geom Mugeuk usually projected gentle energy, like the sea reflecting the sky, but this was different. This energy sent chills down their spines and made them shiver. A single thought arose in everyone's mind.

So this is demonic qi.

It was demonic qi so powerful it paralyzed them with fear.

Geom Mugeuk intended to wipe out everything before him with the Nine Calamities Demonic Art's Great Annihilation Stance. This would only end when one side was completely dead.

Can you truly block my Nine Calamities Demonic Art, which has reached complete mastery? You'll all sleep in your graves here! Then even more sensational rumors will spread like wildfire through the jianghu. So please leave now, Ak-hyung.

Everyone's gaze turned to Ak Gunhak.

Burdened by their stares, Ak Gunhak blinked and slowly began walking. He walked toward Geom Mugeuk, looking as if he truly intended to leave.

"What are you doing right now?" the Blade King asked in disbelief.

"Didn't he tell me to leave?"

The Blade King's expression hardened. He was annoyed, unable to tell if this was a joke or genuine. "You were on the Young Cult Leader's side from the beginning, weren't you? This whole situation was planned in advance."

"Can't you see the Young Cult Leader is genuinely angry? When someone like him gets mad, it's truly terrifying."

The Sword King walked toward Geom Mugeuk and his group again. He stopped in front of Geom Mugeuk. "Why are you so angry?"

"I can't stand insults to my parents, and the two people behind me are no different from parents to me."

The gazes of the two Demon Supremes deepened. They knew he wasn't just saying this to be polite.

Just when it seemed he might leave, the Sword King turned around again. He walked toward where the Sound King was.

"Calm down now, and just enjoy the music for the moment."

Geom Mugeuk had a premonition. He knew from the start that the man had no intention of leaving. If he were the type to leave when told, he wouldn't have come in the first place. "Ak-hyung, please move. I'm really angry."

"I know."

Despite knowing, the Sword King defiantly stood blocking the Sound King.

Standing behind him, the Sound King's gaze on Geom Mugeuk was colder than ever. He couldn't understand why Geom Mugeuk was angry. He was the one who was truly furious.

Who was it that mocked my music and ignored me?

The Sound King lifted his pipa as if to play it. "I didn't expect the Young Cult Leader to listen to my music so obediently."

"……"

The moment the Sound King plucked the pipa, a low, deep wave cut through the air.

"……"

The Black Demon Sword, thrust into the air, trembled violently.

It was a single, light, playful pluck, yet its power was immense. This wasn't ordinary enhanced qi. Just as sound is invisible, the incoming attack couldn't be seen. It had to be blocked by instinct. A single pluck of a finger was enough to know this was the pinnacle of sound arts.

"Did you say you'd protect them all? Let's see you try."

The Sound King plucked the stringless pipa again. For a moment, it felt as if the air itself would burst.

TWAAANG! BOOM!

This time, Geom Mugeuk blocked the attack in front of Ji Han with his sword. He'd moved in an instant to block the attack aimed at him.

This attack was even more powerful than the last. However, his relaxed expression revealed that he had yet to unleash his true strength.

"Isn't that a bit too strong for just plucking a pipa string? You should've been a woodcutter."

TWAAAANG! BOOM!

This time, he targeted the Evil Alliance martial artist. The Evil Alliance martial artist was a much greater master than Ji Han or Tae Su, but he wasn't skilled enough to block the Sound King's attack.

"……"

The Black Demon Sword vibrated in the air. The vibrations from the sound arts flowed through the sword, making his wrist tingle.

"As expected of the Young Cult Leader. Then, can you block this as well?"

Sensing an extraordinary attack was coming, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon prepared to step forward. However, the Flower Sword Supreme stopped him.

Her meaning was clear. They should leave it to Geom Mugeuk unless he asked for help.

TWARARANG!

This time, the sound arts flew toward three people simultaneously.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Geom Mugeuk appeared in front of all three at the same time and blocked the attacks.

At this incredible display of divine skill, the Sound King was actually pleased. "For our Young Cult Leader, I must play a very exciting piece."

Geom Mugeuk shouted at the Sword King. "Ak-hyung! Your little brother's gonna die at this rate! Please move!"

He knew it was an exaggeration, but was the Sword King really gonna keep blocking the way while they were being attacked so helplessly?

"Or is he perhaps your hidden son?" he squealed.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk saw it. The Sword King was forcing himself to hold back a laugh.

Yes, the Sword King was the same Sword King as before. That expression told him more than a hundred words could.

Honestly, if he was determined to kill, he could easily kill the Sound King even with the Sword King blocking the way. He just had to use the Nine Calamities Demonic Art's Human Destroying Stance on the Sound King.

Could the Sword King really block the attack of the four demonic spirits from the north, south, east, and west, now that the art had reached complete mastery?

Besides, even without the Human Destroying Stance, there were other methods.

What if I brought the Soul Slicing Demonic Strike down on all of their heads?

Nevertheless, the only reason he didn't kill him was because of the Sword King. Because he had faith in his friend.

Is Ak-hyung really a rigid person? Is he really a frustrating person? No. He's smarter and more relaxed than anyone. When a person like that acts so frustratingly, there has to be a good reason.

He hadn't sent him a single word via telepathy, but he was speaking with his actions.

I will not kill the Sound King.

The fact that Ak Gunhak wasn't explaining the reason must also mean he had his own difficult circumstances.

Suddenly, the Flower Sword Supreme stepped forward. "Young Cult Leader, please leave this to me."

Geom Mugeuk looked at her. Since she stepped forward on her own, he couldn't say no. It wasn't as if she had come forward without knowing his relationship with the Sword King.

Now, this fight was their fight.

"Yes, I'll leave it to you, Sword Supreme." Geom Mugeuk glanced at the Sword King. "Ak-hyung, you're in big trouble now. You should've moved when I told you to. Our Sword Supreme has stepped up."

Even though the Flower Sword Supreme had stepped forward, the Sword King remained standing silently.

Geom Mugeuk gave a cold warning to the Sound King, who was behind the Sword King. "If you interfere in this fight and try to attack the Sword Supreme, you'll really die. Not even Ak-hyung can stop me from doing that. I may talk a lot of nonsense, making it hard to tell what's genuine, but I don't joke about matters of life and death. The moment you lift a single finger, you're dead."

The Sound King looked at Geom Mugeuk with a peculiar gaze, then smiled and replied, "I have no intention of interfering."

The Sound King completely removed his hands from the pipa and tucked it into his belt.

The Flower Sword Supreme stood facing the Sword King. Most expected her to be polite to him, considering his relationship with Geom Mugeuk, but she wasn't like that at all.

"Move," she demanded.

When they first met, they'd at least exchanged a light greeting with a clasped hands greeting, but now the Flower Sword Supreme was acting coldly.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon smiled faintly. Hah! Looks like I'm not the only one living while suppressing a bad temper?

The Sword King, who'd been staring at her silently, responded in kind. "No."

As if she'd expected it, the Flower Sword Supreme nodded. "This is what I hate. The fact that you have this kind of connection with the Young Cult Leader, your bare feet, and that stupid ponytail of yours!"

The Young Cult Leader must've fallen for that unique charm, which is hard to find in anyone else.

The Sword King tapped his tightly bound hair with his hand. "I can't give this up, you know?"

Geom Mugeuk interjected, "He's saying he can give me up!"

The Flower Sword Supreme calmed her heart. She didn't see this as a fight with someone the Young Cult Leader knew. This was a fight against an enemy trying to protect the mastermind.

"The more I look at you, the more dangerous you seem."

Just seeing him block the way in a situation like this proved it. His relationship with the Young Cult Leader was their own business. Right now, she was looking at him as the Demon Supreme, the Flower Sword Supreme.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon silently nodded. He felt the same way. If he could, he would've wanted to step forward himself. However, just as he'd engaged in a duel of blade arts with that master wielding twin blades, this fight was hers.

The problem was that the barefoot man felt even stronger than the one he'd crossed blades with earlier.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at Geom Mugeuk. The Young Cult Leader was the one who knew the most about this barefoot man.

Is it okay to let these two fight like this? Why aren't you stopping them? …Alright, if you trust him, then I must trust him too.

Regardless, since it concerned the Flower Sword Supreme, he couldn't help but feel anxious.

A cold chill flowed between the Flower Sword Supreme and the Sword King. The tension was as taut as it had been between the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Blade King. No, it was even more intense.

The Flower Sword Supreme already knew how strong the man before her was, having heard it from Geom Mugeuk. A life-or-death battle with such a strong opponent was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The two rushed toward each other.

CLAAANG!

The moment their swords met, the Flower Sword Supreme felt the infinite power contained within her opponent's blade. He seemed as light as the wind.

His sword is heavy.

His sword was as heavy as if Mount Tai were crashing down. This wasn't a matter of how much inner qi was infused into it.

Facing her opponent up close gave her a completely different impression of him from the man who had joked around with Geom Mugeuk.

SWOOSH!

Parrying the Flower Sword Supreme's sword, the Sword King counterattacked.

WHOOSH!

In an instant, a blade flashed past her eyes, jolting her senses to the maximum. Had she dodged a moment too late, she would have been blinded.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!

The two swords instantly accelerated. There was no probing exchange. From the very beginning, their swords moved at top speed, flashes of light glinting in the air.

Those other than Geom Mugeuk, the Demon Supremes, the Sound King, and the Blade King couldn't follow the speed with their eyes.

Flashes of light exploded in all directions like fireworks. The trajectories and afterimages of the swords piled up, creating a single painting, as if bamboo swayed in the wind while plum blossoms bloomed in the dead of winter.

The ones who could properly appreciate the painting were Geom Mugeuk, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, the Sound King, and the Blade King. Still, though they watched the same scene, each felt a different impression according to their own skill and personality.

The sword lines were sometimes thin, and sometimes thick, as if drawn with bold brush strokes of ink.

The empty space was no less interesting. In the empty space they created, there were opportunities for counterattacks and surprise strikes. The empty space was both an opportunity and the greatest danger. To misuse it meant immediate defeat and death.

Each time a new sword line filled the empty space, the two faced a moment between life and death.

The Flower Sword Supreme was taken aback.

This man's sword is the real deal.

Her treasured sword, the One Flower Sword, couldn't break that old iron sword.

Yet, the moment she truly acknowledged her opponent, she felt something awakening in her heart.

I will win!

Their fight was both elegant and fierce. Moves where a single mistake would lead to death were exchanged, but they didn't fear them.

There wasn't even a chance to use their unique martial arts. The moment one tried to unleash a grand technique, an arm or a neck would be severed.

The onlookers held their breath. The chance to witness a sword duel between masters who'd reached such a level came maybe once or twice in a lifetime. That was why everyone watched the fight without even blinking. If they blinked, the two would've already exchanged another move.

The Sword King was surprised. He hadn't known the Flower Sword Supreme could fight this well.

At first, when he saw Geom Mugeuk permit this fight, he thought it was a sign for him to teach her a lesson.

He didn't give me permission to fight her only for her sake!

Geom Mugeuk was also offering him an opportunity to learn and grow through this fight.

You and your schemes! You knew it'd become such a terrifying fight, yet you pushed your precious Demon Supreme into it. Just how far does your trust in me go?

That was why, for the Sword King, this fight was also a fight with Geom Mugeuk. His opponent was pushing him with a skill that allowed for no holding back, yet he had to hold back.

He exerted the utmost concentration. It was the first time since he'd picked up a sword that he'd fought with his entire being.

SWOOOOSH!

The area of the fight gradually expanded. The two exchanged blows as they passed in front of Geom Mugeuk, and then past the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon glared fiercely at the Sword King, but the latter had no leeway to meet his gaze.

The remaining four people stood like dolls with their eyes shut tight. With flashes of sword light erupting beside them, a single careless move meant death.

Amazingly, despite this incredible fight, the two swordmasters didn't harm anyone around them. However, the same couldn't be said for their surroundings.

SHIIIIING!

Hundreds of sword marks scarred the walls, and part of the ceiling had collapsed.

This was despite them not yet using full-fledged sword qi or enhanced sword qi. That was how fiercely the two fought.

Sword fought sword, will fought will, and the entire lives of two people fought.

The Flower Sword Supreme instinctively felt that she was growing through this fight. It was different from when she dueled with Geom Mugeuk.

This fight was real. She attacked with the intent to sever her opponent's arm, and she was prepared to have her own arm cut off.

At some point, she fell into a state of selflessness.

Gradually, the sound of swords clashing subsided, and the surroundings began to grow quiet. Everything started to move in slow motion.

"……"

A single drop of blood rose into the air. It was impossible to tell who it belonged to.

In this moment, the Flower Sword Supreme felt time slow down. A single drop of blood remained suspended in the air, and she saw her own face reflected in that blood.

Am I hallucinating? Am I really seeing this? Or have I already been cut?

SPLAAAT!

Her face, reflected in the blood, split in two.

The next moment, time returned to its normal speed, and a sound was heard.

SHIIIIING!

A sudden silence fell.

The Flower Sword Supreme's body was twisted to the side. One of her shoulders was soaked in blood. Just like her reflection in the droplet of blood, she might have been sliced in half if she failed to dodge, but she survived.

"……"

At the same time, the Sword King's bangs floated to the ground, and a faint red line appeared on his forehead. Fortunately, it was only a skin-deep wound.

The Flower Sword Supreme and the Sword King looked at each other. They couldn't hide the deep emotion in their eyes. Would they ever meet such a great opponent again in their lives?

It was a situation where one might expect a polite clasped hands greeting and words of a fight well fought. A situation where one might say it was the best fight of their lives.

"I just can't take it anymore…" the Flower Sword Supreme muttered.

The Sword King expected the Flower Sword Supreme to say she couldn't fight anymore because of her injury, but that wasn't it.

She was declaring that she couldn't stand it anymore because she was angry and frustrated.

"I absolutely have to cut off that damned ponytail today!" she screamed.