Chapter 180 – The Great War Begins (3)

At the sound of the living corpses’ footsteps, which held the power to shake one’s very soul, the warriors—all except Yong-hoon, who had been fighting fiercely—unconsciously took several steps back.

Their footsteps alone were enough to halt the breathless battle. They approached with a collective, swaying motion, like a single, massive organism.

The fifty-odd living corpses advanced, exuding a grotesque aura that seemed otherworldly. Everyone held their breath at the sight.

‘I’ve seen living corpses before. But for them to possess such power…’

Kang Yong-hoon had never thought them so powerful, not even when he had faced the iron corpses. But the living corpses before him now clearly possessed a power and aura on a completely different level.

Beings that were alive, yet not living. Beings that could never have been born into this world through normal means. Such were the living corpses.

“Everyone, fall back!”

Kang Yong-hoon shouted at the top of his lungs. He instinctively knew that the warriors of the True Dragon Sword Clan would be no match for them.

“But…”

One of the warriors tried to protest, but fell silent under Kang Yong-hoon’s glare.

“You cannot win against them. Go and call for reinforcements. Do you intend to defy an order from a direct descendant of the True Dragon Sword Clan?”

At Kang Yong-hoon’s command, the warriors of the Heavenly Sword Brigade and the Dragon Sword Brigade began to retreat.

Once they had all retreated, the fifty living corpses finally stopped, a mere thirty meters from Kang Yong-hoon. From among their ranks, a grotesque old man emerged.

“Kekeke, is this some futile attempt at glory, warrior of the Central Plains? From what I can see of your meager martial arts, you seem to have reached the Transformation Realm, but do you truly believe that is enough to stop my living corpses?”

There were fifty of them, these living corpses, each one said to be nearly unrivaled in the world. Yet, Yong-hoon stood with an expressionless face, his sword aimed forward.

Sensing his unwavering resolve not to flee, the grotesque old man sneered and spoke.

Though he created and controlled the living corpses, he was still a member of the Demonic Cult—a demon who pursued the principle of survival of the fittest. As such, he couldn’t help but acknowledge Kang Yong-hoon’s spirit.

“I am Gal Dok-cheon, the Demon of Life and Death, the one who governs the lives and deaths of mortals. Warrior of the Central Plains, what is your name! I will grant you the honor of knowing it before I kill you!”

“My name is Kang Yong-hoon! Of the True Dragon Sword Clan! Demon, neither you nor your cursed abominations shall govern my life and death!”

*Vwooooom!*

The sword aura coalesced around Kang Yong-hoon’s blade and shot forward. Extending thirty meters, it pierced through the ranks of the living corpses.

As Kang Yong-hoon swung his sword, the aura sliced through their bodies. The living corpses’ bodies were as tough as diamond, capable of withstanding the energy of peak masters, but that didn’t mean they could block the aura of a Profound Realm absolute.

*Shhhwwwiick!*

With Kang Yong-hoon’s surprise attack, ten of the fifty living corpses were sliced in two and collapsed to the ground.

But it was only a temporary phenomenon. The severed bodies of the living corpses instantly reattached themselves. Gal Dok-cheon, the Demon of Life and Death, laughed at the sight.

“Hoh? Your skill far exceeds my expectations, but it’s not enough to deal with the living corpses. They are invincible, undying beings. Now, have a taste of their true power. To be honest, these creatures are quite starved, having never tasted proper blood. Go!”

Before Gal Dok-cheon’s words had even faded, the fifty living corpses charged at Kang Yong-hoon. They moved in perfect unison, surrounding and pressuring him.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Kiyoooo!”

A single step sent a three-meter patch of earth flying. A single swing of an arm whipped up a gale. The living corpses, known to be at the pinnacle of demonic power, descended upon the lone Kang Yong-hoon.

One of the living corpses threw a punch at Yong-hoon. A massive, invisible shockwave swept through the area. A huge crater, fifteen meters in diameter, was gouged into the earth.

But Yong-hoon was no longer there. The living corpses scanned their surroundings for the vanished figure, but he was nowhere to be found.

“I wonder, can you lot show me a new path?”

At the sudden voice, the eyes of the living corpses turned to the sky. There, exuding a strange energy, stood Yong-hoon, treading on the air as if it were solid ground.

But the living corpses paid more attention to what was in his hand. Yong-hoon’s sword was now wreathed in an aura of blue flames.

“Tell me! You cursed abominations, returned from death! What can you show me!”

In a flash, the blue flames flickered, and the bodies of five living corpses were severed. This time, they did not regenerate. Yong-hoon landed lightly and smoothly on the ground, like a bird alighting on a branch.

“Kyaooooo!”

The remaining forty-five living corpses charged at Yong-hoon.

Yong-hoon, his face still an expressionless mask, glared at them and shot forward. The speed of the living corpses far exceeded the speed of sound, but Yong-hoon was even faster.

The blue flames flashed once more, cutting down the cursed abominations. The living corpses moved frantically to catch him, but they were no match for Yong-hoon, who had already fully absorbed the remaining insights of Kang Yu-hyeon.

Moreover, the most decisive factor was that Yong-hoon was growing stronger in the midst of battle.

“This is absurd!”

Gal Dok-cheon, the Demon of Life and Death, watched Yong-hoon in utter astonishment. His movements grew smoother, his power more formidable.

Was he truly getting stronger as he fought? But more than that, Gal Dok-cheon’s attention was drawn to the blue sword appearing within the blue flames.

“A mind sword? That brat is a Profound Realm absolute! How can this be happening!”

Ordinary attacks were useless against the living corpses. Even if an attack landed, they would simply regenerate. But the ones struck by Yong-hoon’s mind sword could not regenerate; they crumbled into dust where they were cut and scattered on the wind.

“Kill him! You must kill him! He must not be left alive!”

Gal Dok-cheon, the Demon of Life and Death, waved his staff, and an even denser demonic energy began to pour from the bodies of the living corpses.

Wreathed in dense demonic energy, the living corpses relentlessly swung their weapons and fists, but they could never touch Yong-hoon. Instead, with every slash of his mind sword, another living corpse would disintegrate into dust.

“I may not be able to defeat my brother, but do you think I would fall to the likes of you!”

*Shhhwwwaaack!*

The blue mind sword erupted, radiating light in all directions. A curtain of blue light instantly enveloped the living corpses.

In the face of that immense power, the demonic energy vanished, and the bodies of the living corpses were instantly sliced apart by the light.

In the end, not a single one remained; all had turned to dust and scattered.

“Impossible! This must be a dream!”

His prized living corpses—fifty of them. Though more existed, these were all that Gal Dok-cheon had been given. To think that the living corpses, the product of hundreds of years of research, would be defeated so futilely!

Having lost everything in an instant, Gal Dok-cheon let out a desperate scream. He charged at Yong-hoon. But before he could reach him, his body was bisected by the mind sword.

“Hoo, is it over? You can come out now.”

Yong-hoon said, looking at the devastated land. But nothing emerged. Frowning, Yong-hoon moved his sword, and dozens of streams of sword energy struck the ground.

*CRASH! RUMBLE!*

The immense force created a large crater, but it was empty. A moment later, however, a beautiful woman emerged from the center of the crater. Her name was Eun Seol-rin.

“So my brother sent someone to watch me, just as I thought.”

Kang Yong-hoon, who remembered seeing Eun Seol-rin before, spoke as he looked at her. Eun Seol-rin responded with a bright smile.

“Yes. The patriarch ordered me to observe you, Master Yong-hoon. But for someone who has just reached the Profound Realm to wield a mind sword… it’s truly remarkable. I wonder if the patriarch will be a little surprised when he finds out?”

Eun Seol-rin expressed her admiration, but Kang Yong-hoon said nothing. A faint killing intent began to rise from his body, pressing down on her.

“Oh my? Do you think killing me will change anything? A mind sword is an incredible achievement, but you’re gravely mistaken if you think that’s enough to defeat the patriarch.”

[That goes without saying.]

*Shhhwaaa!*

Before Eun Seol-rin could finish speaking, a five-colored light shot out from her eyes. Within that light, a figure familiar to Yong-hoon appeared.

“Bro… ther…”

It was Kang Yu-jin.

***

Kang Yong-hoon realized that the Yu-jin before him was not a physical body, but an illusion. This phenomenon was possible because Yu-jin had applied the Psychic Eye he acquired by absorbing Kang Yu-hyeon’s soul, though Yong-hoon was unaware of this fact. Yu-jin simply smiled as he looked at him.

[I thought something was strange when you recovered from your internal injuries and reached a new realm. You may have had a fortuitous encounter, but your enlightenment shouldn’t have been enough to reach the Profound Realm. Now I understand. Did you accept the remnants of that ghost?]

At Yu-jin’s question, Yong-hoon gritted his teeth. He hadn’t expected to be found out so soon. But even if he knew, it wouldn’t change anything.

[So, what do you desire that makes you seek such power? Do you want the patriarch’s seat?]

“I have no interest in the patriarch’s seat. The only thing I want is to defeat you, brother. That is my one and only goal. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to accept father’s lingering will. It’s a shame this power isn’t one I gained on my own, but I have no regrets. If I didn’t do this, I would never be able to defeat you.”

As Kang Yong-hoon spoke, his eyes shone with determination. Yu-jin looked at him and nodded slightly.

[You have already lost to me twice. Know that this is the last chance I will give you. There will not be a fourth. Let’s see how much you grow during this war.]

*Fwoosh!*

With those final words, Yu-jin’s illusion vanished from before Yong-hoon. Eun Seol-rin’s eyes returned to normal. She bowed her head to Yong-hoon and disappeared into the shadows.

“Hoo.”

After Yu-jin’s illusion disappeared, Yong-hoon let out a sigh and looked down at his arm. His right arm, the one holding the sword, was trembling. For him, a master who had reached the Profound Realm, to be shaking was almost unheard of.

“To project such presence and pressure with a mere illusion… as expected of my brother. But I will never lose again. I will show him that I have not merely absorbed what father left behind. And on the day I show him, I will defeat him.”

Vowing this to himself, Kang Yong-hoon departed from the scene.