Chapter 163
The Death Shadow Demonic Monarch and the last two Warship Captains chased after the Great Namgung Familys Namgung Ho, whose movement art was comparatively weaker than his martial arts. Nevertheless, Namgung Ho was an Absolute-Realm master. He was fundamentally fast enough to make it impossible for the two Warship Captains to catch up to him despite trying their hardest.
Unlike them, however, the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch swiftly caught up to him using the Invincible Swift Phantom, one of the Invincible Clans strongest movement arts. As soon as he did, he used an Invincible Death Soul Sword Art technique against Namgung Ho, raining down Gimlet-like sword qi on his back like arrows.
In response, Namgung Ho quickly rolled to the side, evading the Death Shadow Demonic Monarchs sword qi. He then immediately stood back up and tried to use his movement art again. However, before he could, the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch stood in his way.
A renowned martial arts master of the Great Namgung Family trying to run away makes for quite the memorable scene.
Do you not know that among the Thirty-Six Stratagems[1], fleeing is best? Since ancient times, running away has always been the best course of action when one is in a disadvantageous situation. Thats why I see no reason for me to be ashamed of running away now. However, now that everything has come to this, I will put an end to your life instead, Namgung Ho arrogantly said.
Well, I think the results will be the other way around.
No. I am more than enough to kill you for as long as you are alone, Namgung Ho confidently said. As soon as he was done, he thrust his sword toward the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch, causing a violently whirling Divine Wind vajra qi to rampage toward him.
Finding the situation ridiculous, the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch swung his sword in response. A gimlet-like vajra qi penetrated through the Divine Wind vajra qi and burrowed toward Namgung Ho.
Startled, Namgung Ho evaded the gimlet-like vajra qi. He then tried to counterattack, but the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch was faster, having already sent another gimlet-like vajra qi to devour him. Namgung Ho mustered internal energy as fast as he could and unleashed a bigger and more violent wave of Divine Wind vajra qi.
The vajra qis clashed head-on, their fragments scattering in all directions and destroying their surroundings. The shockwave from the collision pushed back Namgung Ho and the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch, but they immediately charged at each other and fired vajra qi again. The two fought with all their might, their vajra qis causing deafening roars whenever they collided and shattered. The longer their battle lasted, the more their surroundings were devastated by the vajra qi fragments.
They could not care about collateral damages, however. Their skills were neck and neck, making it unlikely for either to emerge victorious. Nevertheless, only Namgung Ho felt a sense of urgency, while the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch remained relaxed. They both knew full well that the two Warship Captains chasing after Namgung Ho would soon reach them and join the battle. Once they arrived, Namgung Ho would not be able to prevent them from ganging up on him.
The two Warship Captains were as strong as Absolute-Realm masters. If they helped the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch, Namgung Ho would be overwhelmed. However, he could not just avoid the Death Shadow Demonic Monarchs offense and run away again either. The only way for him to survive would be to end this battle before the two Warship Captains could reach them.
Unfortunately, the Death Shadow Demonic Monarchs skills did not fall behind Namgung Hos skills at all. Even if Namgung Ho fought with all his might, he still would not be able to instantly kill the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch. Moreover, if he forced his way through, he could find himself in danger due to a counterattack.
Should I prepare to die with this bastard?
If Namgung Ho would not survive anyway, he thought it would be better for the sake of murim to take one of the Nine Celestial Demons Sects Demonic Monarchs with him instead of dying alone. It would also be less mortifying.
Solidifying his will, Namgung Ho prepared to execute the One Divine Wind, which allowed the user to attack the opponent directly by using their body as a sword. The moment it collided with the opponent, everything in its way would be devastated. However, the impact would physically break the user down as a consequence of using their body as a medium for the powerful swirling wind. It was a double-edged technique for both its user and target.
Prepared to die, Namgung Ho was about to unleash the One Divine Wind. However, before he could, an invisible energy went past him and pierced the Death Shadow Demonic Monarchs head. The impact blasted the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch to the side, causing him to crash to the ground.
!
Surprised, Namgung Ho turned his head to where the invisible energy came from, finding a black-masked manthe Specter Slayer Kingpointing a sword at the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch, who died before he could even do anything about it. The Specter Slayer King had already killed the two Warship Captains as well.
First of all, I would like to thank you for saving my life, but who are you? Namgung Ho asked, wary of the Specter Slayer King.
Although the Specter Slayer King killed the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch, it was hard for Namgung Ho to let down his guard due to the aura of death that the Specter Slayer King emanated.
Pass your gratitude to Young Patriarch Baek Mu-Gun. I came here at his request. The Specter Slayer King smiled bitterly when he noticed Namgung Hos wariness.
Young Patriarch Baek? Namgung Ho asked in surprise.
Ask him if you want to know more. Ill be leaving now.
Having no intention to chat, the Specter Slayer King immediately left the area.
Hmm, he is probably an assassin, Namgung Ho murmured as he watched the Specter Slayer King quickly disappear. Only the Three Great Slayer Kings could possess that level of skill.
Is Young Patriarch Baek connected to the Three Great Slayer Kings?
Despite his curiosity about the relationship between Mu-Gun and the Specter Slayer King, he could not get answers to that right now.
I wonder what happened to the others.
Namgung Ho worried about the safety of the other Absolute-Realm masters. If he could, he wanted to go and help. However, they scattered off in different directions, and quite some time had passed. Even if he went now, he would likely already be too late. Worse, he could find himself in danger again. After pondering about what to do, Namgung Ho decided to head to Qingzhou first.
Meanwhile, the three outlaw groups martial arts masters managed to catch and kill three of the four other Absolute-Realm masters that they were chasing, namely Namgung Hae, Huangfu Suk, and Peng Mun-Ho. Moreover, their martial artists also managed to kill over half of the three families forces.
Fortunately, the Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills effects expired, causing the three outlaw groups martial artists to fall to the ground. Otherwise, the three families forces would have been completely wiped out. The martial artists and Absolute-Realm masters who survived gathered near Qingzhou. Sorrow was evident on the faces of the Absolute-Realm masters. Not only did the enemy manage to kill half of their forces, but they also lost five of the Absolute-Realm masters.
It was far too painful. They could only take comfort in the fact that the Nine Celestial Demons Sects Death Shadow Demonic Monarch and those who consumed Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills all died.
If we learned about the existence of the Soul-Burning Invincibility Pill a little sooner, we would have been able to avoid all these losses Huangfu Jian said with regret.
There is no point regretting what has already happened. Isnt revenge more important now? Qiankun Heavenly Sabermaster Peng Mun-Hyuk commented.
You want to attack the Qingdao Sects surviving members?
Do you plan to just leave them alone? Arent we stronger than what remains of their forces?
The enemy only had the Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulin and Changjiang Waterway Alliances three Absolute-Realm masters and the Qingdao Sects Upper-Peak-Realm masters left. Even if they took the Higher Demons, the followers of the Death Shadow Demonic Monarch, into consideration, the three families forces and five Absolute-Realm masters should be more than enough to overpower them.
If the Qingdao Sects surviving members consume Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills as well, we will lose the rest of our forces, which we barely managed to save, Namgung Hwang said in disagreement.
If they had more, then why did they not consume them earlier? If they did, they could have wiped us out. They probably do not have enough pills for the Qingdao Sect as well, Mun-Hyuk countered.
We cant just decide based on that. If the Nine Celestial Demons Sect wants to destroy not only the three families forces but also the entire Great Huangfu Family, then they will have to save some Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills for later.
The Qingdao Sects forces are far too weak to accomplish that. Even if they consumed Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills, they would still have trouble destroying the Great Huangfu Family. Moreover, I doubt they will take the pill now that they know doing so would eventually kill them. If I were the Nine Celestial Demons Sect, I would have made them consume it before they learned about that.
The Qiankun Heavenly Sabermaster has a point. Even though the Qingdao Sect and the three outlaw groups are under the Nine Celestial Demons Sects control, I doubt they are loyal enough to them to willingly give up their lives. The most plausible reason why only the three outlaw groups martial artists were given Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills is that they could not produce enough for the Qingdao Sect as well, Huangfu Jian commented.
When Huangfu Jian insisted on fighting the Qingdao Sect as well, Namgung Hwang stared at Namgung Ho with a perplexed look.
What do you think, Brother?
I also doubt they are planning to use the Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills for a separate occasion. Furthermore, the Sovereign Elderthe Heavenly Divine Fist Deity of the Seven Saintsis with the Great Huangfu Family. Even if the Demonic Monarch was still alive, they would have still had difficulties destroying the Great Huangfu Family with their current forces. If they had more Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills lying around, they would have chosen to use them to ensure the annihilation of the three families forces rather than saving them to attack the Great Huangfu Family, the results of which would have been unpredictable even if they consumed the pills, Namgung Ho replied.
I feel the same way as well. If they had more Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills, they would have used it when they were chasing us. Leaving us alive would make it impossible to attack our sect, Huangfu Gang added.
Hmm, I find it suspicious that the Qingdao Sects remaining forces havent retreated yet, though. If they really dont have any Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills left, wouldnt it be best for them to hurry and retreat? Namgung Hwang asked.
Retreating now would be no different from admitting that they do not have any Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills left. They are deliberately holding out and waiting for us to retreat first, Huangfu Jian answered.
Good point. Namgung Hwang nodded.
Either way, if we let the remaining forces of the Qingdao Sect escape now, they will certainly cause more trouble in the future. We have to deal with them properly this time. In consideration of the three families images as well, we should not step down now.
The Absolute-Realm masters all agreed with Mun-Hyuk. Although they could not rule out the possibility that the Qingdao Sects surviving members still had Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills, they concluded that it would be best to force them to use those pills now. If they left them alone, the Qingdao Sects surviving members could use the Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills to attack the Great Huangfu Family and cause more damage.
The three families Absolute-Realm masters immediately took action. Although their earlier defeat dampened their forces morale and martial artists now feared the Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills, they still attacked the Qingdao Sects forces without hesitation.
Meanwhile, the three Absolute-Realm masters at the Qingdao Sects campsite, namely Lulin Heavenly King Jang Sah-Myung, Changjiang Dragon King Sim Cheon, and Changjiang Shark King Ga Jin-Ok, took command of the Qingdao Sects martial artists on behalf of Ha Qingdao Sect Young Patriarch Hu-Gon. Hu-Gon and the Qingdao Sects strongest martial arts masters, the Qingdao Five Swordmasters, were forced to yield to the three Absolute-Realm masters martial prowess.
The Qingdao Sect needed the three Absolute-Realm masters power to guarantee their survival, while the Absolute-Realm masters required new forces to command now that all their elite subordinates were dead. However, none of this would matter if they failed to escape from the three families.
Although the three families forces had been reduced to half, they still had more than enough power to annihilate what remained of the Qingdao Sect. The three outlaw groups Absolute-Realm masters initially intended to flee to Black Spirit Island before the three families forces attacked, but if they did, the three families would have chased them down. Hence, they waited instead.
They were hoping that the three families forces would retreat out of fear that they still had more Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills. However, they were not so lucky. After assuming battle formation, their enemies immediately advanced toward the Qingdao Sects campsite. The outlaw groups Absolute Realm masters immediately ordered the Qingdao Sects martial artists to retreat, then broke off from the formation and ran away on their own.
If they stayed with the Qingdao Sects forces, the three families martial arts masters would have eventually killed them. Hence, they chose to abandon the Qingdao Sect and guarantee their survival instead. Their plan was wicked, but they had always been that way.
Realizing that the Absolute-Realm masters were nowhere to be found, Hu-Gon gritted his teeth. The Absolute-Realm masters shamelessly abandoned the Qingdao Sect as soon as the situation became unfavorable to them.
Hu-Gon could not help but resent the Nine Celestial Demons Sect as well for leaving them in this situation and playing dumb instead of taking responsibility.
If Hu-Gon knew this would happen, he would not have followed the Nine Celestial Demons Sect. However, there was no use regretting things now. He had no time to waste on unnecessary matters. All he could do now was prioritize escaping the three families pursuit.
1. The Thirty-Six Stratagems is a Chinese essay that illustrates a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and civil interaction.
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