Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 87

Encounter with the Black Mist (3)

Novel-Martial Artist Lee Gwak

Boom!

With a loud explosion, the third barrier broke.And the Black Ghost Mist Squad appeared.

Their appearance was indescribable.

Their clothes were torn here and there, and bloodstains were visible. They had sustained considerable injuries while passing through the barrier.

“Heh heh!”

He let out a dry laugh.

He was furious that he had been delayed by a mere barrier, wasting a precious day.

Creak!

He tore off the black cloth that had covered his face. A lifeless, tree-like skin and a gaunt face were revealed. His pupils, almost entirely black, made him look even more alien.

His name was Yul Cheon Ak, the leader of the Black Ghost Mist Squad.

“I can’t take it anymore.”

His voice was filled with killing intent.

He was too proud to get involved in something as trivial as a base system, so he stayed put. However, he couldn’t tell how much more time would be wasted if he left it to his subordinates as it was

The formation laid out by Lim Sobo was excellent. And they took even more time because they had to be careful of traps.

As a result, he was later than the time he promised to take Lim Sobo. The fact that he couldn’t fulfill his promise infuriated him further.

Swoosh!

Yul Cheon Ak drew his sword for the first time.

It was no longer the time to worry about pride.

“Hmph! I will destroy everything.”

Woong!

His sword trembled, emitting a wailing sound.

This was because of the enormous qi that was instantly infused into it.

“Chaa!”

Yul Cheon Ak swung his sword towards the formation.

Flying Sword Myriad Slash.

It was his most ultimate move.

An enormous qi surged like a tidal wave, engulfing the formation.

Boom!

A huge explosion occurred as the Flying Sword Myriad Slash collided with the barrier.

The ground shook as if there was an earthquake, and trees were swept away in the aftermath.

“Huu, huu!”

Yul Cheon Ak, having expended a tremendous amount of energy in an instant, gasped for breath.

In Yul Cheon Ak’s glittering eyes, the devastated land was visible.

The formation created by Lim Sobo had been completely annihilated by Yul Cheon Ak’s Flying Sword Myriad Slash.

Despite the overwhelming sense of emptiness that followed, Yul Cheon Ak was unconcerned.

With the fourth formation gone, only the final one remained.

“Sweep them away.”

At his command, the Black Ghost Mist Squad simultaneously launched themselves towards the last formation. Yul Cheon Ak also straightened his waist and slowly began to walk.

Although he was temporarily drained of energy, this amount of energy could be recovered quickly.

Yul Cheon Ak confidently stepped into the dark veil.

Woong!

Suddenly, a ringing filled his ears.

It was a phenomenon occurring as the last formation was activated. Perhaps because it was the last, he felt resistance of a different dimension than before. However, Yul Cheon Ak didn’t care.

The four formations he had already penetrated were no easy feats. It would just take a little more time, but it was not a problem.

The Black Ghost Mist Squad who had entered the formation first were not visible. The pitch-black veil obscured the view.

Yet, Yul Cheon Ak was not worried. Although invisible to the eye, they were surely nearby. Having mastered the Heart and Spirit Unity Technique, they would certainly be able to pass through the last formation. Just as they had done before.

Yul Cheon Ak muttered to himself.

“Lucky bitch. If only I hadn’t been ordered to capture her alive, I would have torn her to shreds.”

“Who gave such an order?”

“……”

The voice sounded too sudden. It was so sudden that Yul Cheon Ak, who had nothing to fear in the world, was startled into silence.

Yul Cheon Ak slowly turned in the direction of the voice. But all he could see was still the pitch-black darkness.

“Who are you?”

Yul Cheon Ak growled like a beast. Then, the darkness parted and a figure appeared.

A man covered in a brown martial robe, it was Lee Gwak.

Yul Cheon Ak’s eyes glinted with killing intent at his appearance.

“So, you were with Lim Sobo.”

Though he had seen Lee Gwak from a distance, he hadn’t paid much attention to him at that time.

Lee Gwak quietly looked at Yul Cheon Ak.

Yul Cheon Ak’s qi was fierce and gloomy, like a wild beast. It was an energy that Lee Gwak had never felt in the Jade Heaven Alliance.

“Who from the Celestial Demon Troupe ordered the kidnapping of Sobo?”

“Celestial Demon Troupe?”

At Lee Gwak’s probing words, Yul Cheon Ak’s eyebrows twitched.

Yul Cheon Ak seemed irritated by the implication, and Lee Gwak tilted his head in confusion.

‘Is he implying it wasn’t the Celestial Demon Troupe?’

But Lee Gwak couldn’t continue his thoughts.

Yul Cheon Ak’s killing intent was swelling up like a snowball.

“You should have handed over the girl and run away. I don’t know what guts brought you before me, but that’s your biggest mistake.”

He approached Lee Gwak.

Already irritated by the formation that hindered him, Yul Cheon Ak intended to vent his accumulated anger by brutally killing Lee Gwak.

He had recovered some of the energy he had expended in destroying the fourth formation, so his stride was unfaltering.

“Hu!”

Lee Gwak let out a soft sigh.

He didn’t know the true identity of Yul Cheon Ak, but he was sure of one thing – he was a great master. An incredibly powerful one.

Kuku!

The formation, painstakingly created by Lim Sobo, was trembling, about to break under his fierce energy.

It was a terrifying sight, enough to make one’s flesh crawl, but strangely enough, Lee Gwak felt no fear. Perhaps that’s why his face was so calm, which only fuelled Yul Cheon Ak’s anger.

“Die!”

Chuhwahak!

Yul Cheon Ak’s sword cut through the air, unleashing a sharp sword qi.

Yul Cheon Ak intended to sever Lee Gwak’s legs with this single move. Next would be his arms, and finally, his head.

Kaang!

However, the sound that followed was not that of flesh being cut but a clear metallic clang.

Yul Cheon Ak’s eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak had drawn his sword, blocking Yul Cheon Ak’s sword qi.

“You?”

Woong!

Lee Gwak’s blade answered in his stead.

As the harsh sound of the sword echoed through the formation, Yul Cheon Ak’s face turned ferocious, resembling a malevolent deity.

His face and aura were frightening enough to make one’s heart sink, but there was no sign of intimidation on Lee Gwak’s face.

Lee Gwak stepped towards Yul Cheon Ak.

One step, then another.

Even the slightest touch of a small stone or a blade of grass was vividly felt under his feet.

Despite his senses being affected by the formation, Lee Gwak was keenly aware of the terrain around him.

‘This is my first battlefield.’

It was Lim Sobo who showed him this place, but it was Lee Gwak who made the choice.

His first fight, chosen by his own will, to battle in this chosen battlefield.

Yul Cheon Ak’s strength was felt through the air, touching his skin. The goosebumps on his skin did not calm down easily. Yet, he did not feel fear.

Perhaps it was because he had already fought a strong opponent like the Dark Emissary, or maybe it was the spar with Mo Yong Shin.

Lee Gwak thought it didn’t matter.

At this moment, his heart longed for the fight.

A martial artist.

One who proves his will through strength.

Lee Gwak was aware that he was a martial artist..

“I’ll kill you.”

With a roar, Yul Cheon Ak charged at him.

Yul Cheon Ak swooped down on Lee Gwak like dark clouds rolling in.

In an instant, Lee Gwak’s blade cut through the air.

A dazzling sword light flashed.

Kakakang!

Lee Gwak’s blade clashed fiercely with Yul Cheon Ak’s.

Yul Cheon Ak’s sword was fierce and savage. Each time he swung his sword, a dark energy surged over Lee Gwak. It was like a black dragon opening its maw to engulf its prey.

Black Dragon Devouring Sword.

It was Yul Cheon Ak’s sword technique.

The Black Dragon Devouring Sword, true to its name, boasted ferocious power. Its killing intent was so strong that those who learned it in the past became feared assassins.

As the mastery of Black Dragon Devouring Sword increased, the demonic energy invaded the brain, turning practitioners into demons. That’s why no one wanted to learn it, and it had been lost in practice, but Yul Cheon Ak had mastered it to an extreme level.

Kuuu!

Each time Yul Cheon Ak unleashed the Black Dragon Devouring Sword, the air around became wildly turbulent, as if a black dragon was roaring.

The formation trembled violently under the struggle of the black dragon. If Yul Cheon Ak was left unchecked, the last formation protecting Lim Sobo and the 13th squad would be devastatingly destroyed.

Kuk!

Lee Gwak gripped his blade tighter, and then a thunderbolt sparked at the tip of his blade.

The Third Technique of the Eight Sects Sword Art, Shadowless Strike.

Lee Gwak charged.

The blade, adorned with thunderbolts, shot towards the maw of the black dragon.

Kwaang!

“Kup!”

With a loud explosion, Yul Cheon Ak let out a stifled groan.

The black dragon was blocked, incurring the recoil directly onto his body.

Lee Gwak’s blade, which had been fiercely tearing through the dark energy, underwent a transformation. A red aura appeared, and then it shot forward like a cannon.

It was his Fourth Technique, Blood Dragon’s Roar.

Kukwakwagak!

The black dragon and the red dragon collided.

“Bastard!”

Yul Cheon Ak’s eyes flared with red fury.

Until he arrived here, he had taken things lightly.

He thought the only obstacles were Myriad Merchant Troupe’s Stealth Sword Squad, but the Jade Heaven Alliance’s Outer Hall…

He hadn’t even considered the Outer Hall. He thought of them as a ragtag group. So, he believed that eliminating the Stealth Sword Squad would clear all obstacles.

Probably anyone else would have thought the same.

But Lee Gwak was no mere unexpected factor.

His martial prowess was unbelievably great.

Jjireureu!

Yul Cheon Ak’s skin had been trembling for a while. Lee Gwak’s aura cutting through the air was just as intimidating.

“To think someone like you was hiding in the Outer Hall. Unbelievable.”

Yul Cheon Ak shouted, drawing even more qi.

Instead of responding, Lee Gwak swung his blade.

After the spar with Mo Yong Shin, Lee Gwak’s skills had improved significantly. And now, Lee Gwak was demonstrating his abilities to the fullest.

While employing the Eight Sects Sword Art, his body was hot with exertion, but his mind was cold and calculated.

He drew a picture in his head. A picture of the Eight Sects Sword Art, not just mechanically executing each technique, but linking them together in a sequence.

“Seventh strike!”

Lee Gwak bit his lip.

Blood gushed out as his flesh was torn apart, but he felt no pain. He was so deeply immersed in the fight that minor pain was unnoticeable.

Yul Cheon Ak unleashed a new technique of the Black Dragon Devouring Sword.

It was as if a black dragon was raging wildly.

At that moment, Lee Gwak moved.

Swoosh!

It was a simple thrust without any fancy moves. However, it was a critical strike that preempted and blocked the path of the Black Dragon Devouring Sword.

“First strike!”

Caught off guard by the unexpected strike, Yul Cheon Ak staggered.

Lee Gwak, utilizing the Cloud Stride Art, moved to Yul Cheon Ak’s side and executed the first technique of the Sun Splitting Sword Art.

That was the second strike.

Then, a straightforward horizontal slash followed.

“Third strike!”

Simple, yet its speed was beyond Yul Cheon Ak’s imagination.

Thud!

Yul Cheon Ak was sent reeling backwards.

Chasing after the retreating Yul Cheon Ak, Lee Gwak charged with the Shadowless Strike that he had initially executed.

“Fourth strike!”

In an instant, flames of fury rose in Yul Cheon Ak’s eyes, realizing he had been swept up in Lee Gwak’s rhythm.

“You!”

He attempted to unleash the most powerful technique of the Black Dragon Devouring Sword. But Lee Gwak did not let him.

Swoosh!

The meteor hammer wrapped around his left hand shot out like a venomous snake, coiling around Yul Cheon Ak’s ankle.

This was up to the fifth strike as Lee Gwak had envisioned.

Yul Cheon Ak, entangled by the meteor hammer, was thrown into the air.

Startled by the unexpected use of the meteor hammer, Yul Cheon Ak hurriedly tried to free himself and regain balance.

At that moment, Lee Gwak moved like a ghost behind him and attacked. He executed the Shadowy Assassinate.

This was the sixth strike.

“Damn!”

Yul Cheon Ak counterattacked. However, in trying to block the Shadowy Assassinate, a critical vulnerability was exposed in his defense.

Swoosh!

Lee Gwak’s sword marked a point.

It was the first technique of the Eight Sects Sword Art, Mountain Splitting Slash.

The straight-thrust sword, like piercing through a mountain, skewered Yul Cheon Ak’s neck.

The picture he had visualized in his mind unfolded before his eyes.

He had turned imagination into reality.

Lee Gwak muttered as he retracted his sword.

“Seventh strike!”