Chapter 1802. If It Must Be Carried (2)

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Kuuuuung!

Fists collided violently in midair.

The immense force of impact drove Hye Yeon far backward, blood spurting from his lips.

Even Hye Yeon, hailed as one of the greatest prodigies in the martial world, could not withstand the vast ocean-like energy before him.

"Ugh!"

Yet the Sun Palace Lord was the one who roared furiously, seemingly about to explode.

"You bald brat!"

With a bellow that threatened to shatter eardrums, the Sun Palace Lord charged at Hye Yeon once more, his feet pounding against the ground. However, Lee Songbaek stepped in to block his path.

The Sun Palace Lord's face contorted in rage.

"Move aside, you insignificant wretch!"

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

Three surging waves of energy came crashing down, but Lee Songbaek managed to block them with his sword. His sword bent dangerously under the pressure of each strike, seemingly on the verge of snapping, yet he successfully deflected all three attacks.

Barely catching his breath, another wave of force surged toward him.

Kwaang!

Lee Songbaek spat out blood.

"You mosquito-like pest!"

The Sun Palace Lord's eyes bulged with fury as he pressed down on Lee Songbaek's sword. Not only his inner strength but even his raw physical power far exceeded Songbaek's.

And that wasn't the end of it.

Ssshhhhh! 

White smoke rose from Lee Songbaek's hands gripping the overheated sword. The searing energy embedded in the attack had turned his sword as red-hot as molten steel, filling the air with the stench of burning flesh.

Grit.

Lee Songbaek bit down on his lip, enduring the excruciating pain as his palm fused with the hilt of his sword. The agony was like nothing he had ever felt, far worse than being slashed or struck.

Compared to himself, his opponent was overwhelmingly strong. 

'But…. I can fight!'

Had he widened the distance, there would have been no way to withstand the colossal energy. But by closing the gap this much, even the Sun Palace Lord could not unleash his full power, enabling him to hold on somehow.

His body twisted as though it would shatter with each blow, and his flesh burned under the searing heat. Yet the mere fact that he could still fight was all that mattered.

'Hold on.'

He didn't need to defeat his opponent. He only need to hold on. To fail even this would dishonor his sword, the sword of Zhongnan.

"Haaaahhh!"

Pouring all his strength into his sword, Lee Songbaek managed to push the Sun Palace Lord back. The mighty lord stumbled, his face flushed with anger.

"This…!"

At that moment, Namgung Dowi leaped high into the air, his sword slashing down with tremendous force. The sword, gleaming with white energy, collided with the Sun Palace Lord's hand.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaang!

Both Lee Songbaek and Hye Yeon were sent tumbling backward, unable to withstand the sudden shockwave.

"Ugh!"

Namgung Dowi's situation wasn't particularly any better. Though he was the one who launched the attack, he was also the one who ended up being thrown back. He was sent flying nearly three zhangs into the air before crashing down to the ground.

[Tl note: 3 zhang = 10 meter]

Thud!

Namgung Dowi's outstretched hand twitched briefly in mid-air. But it was only for a moment, he quickly rose to his feet as if the pain had never fazed him.

Hye Yeon and Lee Songbaek did the same. Like a pack of jackals cornering a tiger, their eyes gleamed as they closed in on the Sun Palace Lord once more, showing no signs of exhaustion. 

Creak!

The Sun Palace Lord's face twisted with fury. No it would be more accurate to say that it was more than fury, it was pure hatred. 

"You… you wretched brats!"

This couldn't be happening.

How could he, the Sun Palace Lord, struggle against such insignificant amateurs?

The title of Sun Palace Lord demanded both nobility and strength. It was a position that symbolized supremacy in both power and dignity.

These puny fighters should have been crushed long ago. By all logic, it should already have been over. And yet…

Flaaash!

Suddenly, Lee Songbaek's sword shot forward like lightning.

It was a completely unexpected strike from someone who had never once attacked until now. Its sheer unpredictability made it all the more effective.

The Sun Palace Lord, caught off guard, was forced to dodge by leaning his head back.

Kuuuung!

Taking advantage of the unbalanced body, Hye Yeon immediately charged forward.

Thump! Thump! Thuung!Thwack! Thwack! Thud!

His attacks were precise and devastating, as if straight from the Shaolin manual. His Arhat Fist technique targeted every vulnerable point on the Sun Palace Lord's body.

'What is it with these kids from Central Plains?'

The Sun Palace Lord deflected his fists.

Hye Yeon's closely shaved head and the nine burn marks etched upon it were clearly visible. With just a moment's opening, he could strike Hye Yeon down. His young monk's head would crumble like tofu.

He must have known this too, yet he charged fearlessly into his range.

'Does he think he has two lives to spare?'

The Sun Palace Lord swung his fist toward Hye Yeon's head.

But before it could connect, Namgung Dowi's sword once again came hurtling toward his neck.

"Whoaaaa!"

The Sun Palace Lord let out an animalistic roar, a sound utterly devoid of dignity, a stark contrast to his usual self.

It was proof of how enraged he was.

"You insolent brats!"

Kwaaang!

He paid no mind to his own hand as he swung his sword with force. The red Extreme Yang Qi that had gathered in his fist exploded like a bomb, scattering deadly heat and force in all directions.

The sheer intensity of the energy was enough to sear flesh and melt bones just by being near it. Yet, not one of the three opponents retreated. There wasn't even a moment of hesitation.

Sizzle!

The stench of burning flesh filled the air. Had such a stench felt so nauseating to the Sun Palace Lord before?

These three individuals seemed to have no intention of retreating. Instead, they were thrusting their necks toward their own demise.

A short while ago, the Sun Palace Lord might have laughed heartily at such audacity. But at this moment, their forms overlapped with others in his mind.

Those who had inflicted a humiliating defeat upon him. The accursed swordsmen with plum blossoms carved on their chests.

"Grrr…"

The Sun Palace Lord's face distorted like an evil spirit as he recalled the memories he wanted to erase even by burning them with a soldering iron.

"Whoaaahh!"

He poured his internal energy into the strike, or rather, he attempted to. But in that moment, Namgung Dowi's sword came slashing down once more, striking his shoulder like a bolt of lightning.

Kagagak!

The body infused with immense internal energy, was able to block even the sword. However, there was no way to prevent the deep scars left on the skin.

"Ugh!"

The Sun Palace Lord flinched and retreated, but quickly grounded himself with a resounding stomp. As expected, Hye Yeon seized the momentary wobble, flipping his body and delivering twelve consecutive kicks aimed at the Sun Palace Lord's head.

Thud!

Hye Yeon's foot clashed with the Sun Palace Lord's forearm. The twelve rapid collisions, completed in the blink of an eye, reverberated as though they were a single, tremendous strike.

The hairpin lodged in the Sun Palace Lord's hair broke, sending loose strands flying. His ornate robe tore, revealing a reddened and swollen forearm.

"You insolent braaat!"

Almost losing his composure, the Sun Palace Lord unleashed a surge of energy toward Hye Yeon's solar plexus, who was still mid-air. Predictably, Lee Songbaek leaped forward to intervene.

Kwaaaaang!

Lee Songbaek was flung backward alongside his sword, tumbling several times with Hye Yeon before managing to steady himself by driving his sword into the ground.

Wasting no time, the Sun Palace Lord slammed his foot into the ground and lunged forward again, determined to end them before they could recover.

But a gaunt figure suddenly threw himself in the way, ramming his shoulder into the Sun Palace Lord's torso.

Crash!

When their bodies collided, Namgung Dowi spat blood and was hurled backward with great force.

The impact forced even the Sun Palace Lord to halt his pursuit.

Speechless, the Sun Palace Lord stared at the three before him. All three were lying in a pitiful state. But he couldn't stop any of them from breathing.

Soon enough, they rose again, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He had already seen this sight numerous times and would likely see it many more.

Their bodies were scorched and swollen, bleeding profusely. Yet their expressions hadn't changed from the first moment they had faced him.

The Sun Palace Lord's hands began trembling uncontrollably.

It wasn't fear. It was the sheer intensity of his rage, so immense that it was difficult to contain. The fury boiling within him felt as if it would sear his mind.

"Me... to be brought to this level by these..."

The Extreme Yang Qi surged like molten lava from the Sun Palace Lord's body.

Watching him, Hye Yeon muttered calmly.

"Amitabha. Sijus, can you continue?"

"If we stop, we'll die. Do we have a choice?"

"I'll be the first to fall if it comes to that, so there's no need to ask."

Hye Yeon smiled faintly.

'What a strange feeling.'

Sometimes… No, often, he found himself confused about which sect he belonged to. Though he was undoubtedly a disciple of Shaolin, he felt more at ease with the disciples of Mount Hua. With them, he experienced a serenity he never found in Shaolin.

Yet at this moment, he came to a realization.

'It's not about affiliation.'

If their goals align and their intentions are the same, affiliation becomes trivial.

Though Namgung's descendant, someone he once regarded with caution, stood beside him, and even the swordsman of Zhongnan, someone he had rarely spoken to, they fought together now without a shred of doubt, trusting each other with their lives. 

"Amitabha."

Hye Yeon half-closed his eyes.

'I thought I had shed it, but was that merely a facade?'

Realizing this was enough.

At that moment, Namgung Dowi swung his sword sharply and spoke.

"However, I can't hold on for much longer. My internal energy is about to run out."

"What a coincidence. I was about to say the same."

Though they had chosen close combat to minimize energy depletion, resisting the Extreme Yang Qi was no simple task. Especially while protecting Lee Songbaek, they were depleting their reserves at twice the rate.

Still, there was no room for complaints. Without Lee Songbaek, they wouldn't have lasted this long.

"Then...?"

"Yes."

Namgung Dowi nodded deeply.

"We have to settle this now."

"....Amitabha. Do we have a chance of winning?"

"Well...."

That would mean no.

Hye Yeon's judgment wasn't far off. If this were their first encounter with the Sun Palace Lord, they might have had a chance. He would surely have been caught off guard. But unfortunately, that one moment of complacency had already been exploited by the Five Swords of Mount Hua.

"Then we have only one option. From now on, From now on, we must be different from who we were before."

Hye Yeon's words made Namgung Dowi chuckle softly.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's nothing. It's just... what you said reminds me of someone else I know, though only the tone is different."

".....I'm not that bad."

"Sure. Let's go with that."

Namgung Dowi smiled softly. Even Hye Yeon found it to be a truly charming smile.

"When this battle is over, let's have a drink together. No, the three of us."

"....Can monks drink alcohol?"

Startled, Lee Songbaek asked. Hye Yeon responded sheepishly.

"A Monk cannot drink alcohol. But grain tea... that might be acceptable."

"....Grain tea is alcohol, isn't it?"

"W-well, technically, it's different. It's tea!"

"....."

While Lee Songbaek was speechless, Namgung Dowi, who had been giggling, slowly lowered his sword. His gaze remained steady.

'This is daunting.'

That Extreme Yang Qi felt as though it would incinerate him at any moment. Yet he had to confront and overcome it.

If things continued as they were, it would be impossible.

'In the end, I must surpass myself.'

A daunting task. Yet it didn't feel entirely insurmountable.

After all, he had the support of these remarkable comrades—individuals unmatched anywhere.

'Weight and stillness.'

Shaolin's essence and Zhongnan's serenity stood beside him now. If he could infuse even a fraction of their mastery into his sword....

At that very moment, as Namgung Dowi grasped a fleeting epiphany—

Whoosh!

An overwhelming surge of scorching energy erupted, taking advantage of his distracted state.

"Siju!"

"Sogaju-nim!" [young lord]

In an instant, Namgung Dowi's eyes snapped open.

A ferocious storm of Blazing Yang Qi Art threatened to engulf the entire world, and in mere moments, it enveloped Namgung Dowi completely. [tl note: yeol-yang-gi-gong 열양기공]