Chapter 153: Kicking a Man When He’s Down (2)
Before the Sichuan Tang Clan fell, there was a saying passed down among the martial artists of Sichuan.
Anyone who brought harm to the Tang Clan—leave Sichuan without looking back.
It was a warning to beware of the Tang Clan’s cruelty, for they would repay a grudge with an even more vicious vengeance.
But to the First Disciples of the Qingcheng Sect, that saying had always sounded absurd since childhood.
‘Pfft, if you offend a Tang, you should flee the province imdiately?’
‘Even in the old days, people sure exaggerated.’
‘Those worm-like bastards, as if they could—’
Even back in their childhood, the Sichuan Tang Clan had already been on the decline. They had never once witnessed that old saying co to life.
But now—
“Urgh!!”
“Th-these lunatics!”
The First Disciples were tasting firsthand the terrifying cruelty of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Shweee!
At that mont, an ear-splitting sound tore through the air.
One of the disciples at the front shouted.
“They’re coming!!”
“Everyone, block above!!”
When the First Disciples hastily raised their heads—
Crossbows, throwing needles, poisoned darts, arrows…
They saw a black rainstorm of hidden weapons darkening the sky.
The disciples swung their sword qi–coated blades, striking away the barrage.
Clang!
Puk!
“Gah! Khuk!”
“Arghh!! Damn it all!!”
But they couldn’t block everything.
There were simply too many. Even when deflecting them, the altered trajectories often struck their own allies.
Screams of agony erupted all around.
Moreover, the terrain was entirely in the Tang Clan’s favor.
In front of them lay a swamp that had already swallowed their comrades. Dense foliage obscured vision on all sides. And retreating backward was—
‘Even more dangerous—the hidden weapons from behind would be lethal…!’
It was already difficult to block visible attacks. Any strike from their blind spot would spell disaster.
Thud.
Another disciple collapsed lifelessly.
Only ten remained.
The First Disciples’ nerves were fraying.
‘There are far too many hidden weapons! Those who pretended to be wounded earlier were only feigning weakness!’
Yet, even now, the Tang Clan warriors did not step forward or reveal themselves.
They remained perfectly hidden, not exposing even a glimpse of their strength.
Their intent was clear—they would not suffer a single scratch.
Shweee!
Then, another whistling sound tore through the air as sothing flew toward them again.
The Qingcheng Sect disciples reflexively swung their swords.
But the first to see what had been thrown opened his eyes wide in horror.
“N-no, don’t!!”
“Don’t let them break—!!”
This ti, the objects weren’t hidden weapons.
Crash!
Shatter!
Glass vials burst open, releasing a spreading cloud of dark green poison gas above their heads.
“Grrkh!”
“Ghhhk! Khuk!”
Several disciples clutched their throats, convulsing and collapsing onto the ground.
Just as they had gotten used to deflecting projectiles, the Tang Clan had switched tactics—throwing poison instead.
Even so, the Tang warriors still didn’t show themselves.
It was pure, unrelenting malice.
All of this was because of that bastard.
The disciples, filled with hatred and killing intent, glared not at their enemies—but at one man.
“Urgh! You filthy barbarian insect!”
It was Ma Geollyun, still unable to subdue even a single warrior of the Beast Palace.
He couldn’t understand.
Why was a warrior of the Beast Palace here in the Sichuan Tang Clan?
But Ma Geollyun had no ti to ponder that question.
Swish!
A chilling gust brushed past his ear. Ma Geollyun instinctively ducked.
In that instant, Naless’s fist grazed the top of his head.
A few strands of hair, sliced clean by the air pressure, scattered through the air.
“Khk!”
“Central Plains man—you’re like a rat!”
Ma Geollyun flinched and stumbled backward. Naless advanced relentlessly, throwing another punch.
Whooosh!
A piercing shockwave roared through the air following Naless’s strike.
Ma Geollyun gritted his teeth through the pain in his leg and twisted his body to swing his sword.
Once more, the Qingcheng Sect’s signature Seventy-Two Linked Sword Technique unfolded.
Clang!
Kwaaang!
Bare fists t the sword surrounded by sword energy.
Ordinarily, a bare fist should’ve been severed instantly—but—
‘A strike without any qi reinforcent?!’
Instead, Ma Geollyun was the one who felt a numbing shock, as if electrocuted.
Naless’s combat style was identical to that of the Beast Palace.
His ability to mimic any martial art after seeing it once applied even to the external arts of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
Naless rampaged like a mad beast, his fists and kicks raining down like a storm.
Ma Geollyun groaned, barely blocking the relentless flurry.
“Stand still! I’ll crush your skull properly!”
“Shut your mouth, barbarian scum!!”
“Haha, says the fool who can’t even handle a barbarian!”
“?!?!”
Naless’s skill at taunting and provoking—sharpened after spending ti with Sewoon—shone brilliantly.
Ma Geollyun could no longer contain his rage.
But even so, he could only feel wronged.
‘This is absurd. How could a barbarian from the Beast Palace overpower soone like , a Supre Peak Master?!’
Having broken through the wall of the Supre Peak Realm, he had gained imnse confidence—
a baseless conviction that no one could stand against him anymore.
Yet now, to be overwheld not by a master of the Demonic Alliance but by a re savage from the southern lands—
his pride was crushed so utterly that he could no longer think straight.
“Graaaah!!”
“……!”
Then, a sudden groan made Ma Geollyun glance to the side.
What—!
He was struck speechless.
‘O-only two left?!’
Of all the First Disciples he had brought, only two remained standing.
Because of the savage’s relentless assault that gave him no room to breathe, he hadn’t even noticed what was happening to his disciples.
‘At this rate, that bastard Successor will try to kill …!’
But Ma Geollyun felt not the slightest guilt for his subordinates’ deaths.
All he worried about was how the Successor might hold him accountable.
It was the very image of a beast in human skin.
“Hoho! Where do you think you’re looking, weakling of the Central Plains?!”
“……!!”
Naless, having sensed his distraction, lunged forward like a ghost.
Damn it all!
Ma Geollyun flinched in panic and raised his sword, but Naless had already reached him a step faster.
Shweee!
Crunch!
“Gkk!!”
Pivoting on his right foot, Naless spun his body and struck Ma Geollyun square in the mouth with his elbow like a hamr.
A sickening crack rang out as Ma Geollyun’s front teeth shattered.
The pain was so intense it nearly made him black out—
“Ughhh!!”
Shweee!
Realizing that if he allowed the follow-up strike, he wouldn’t survive, Ma Geollyun swung his sword in desperation.
A semicircular arc sliced through the air.
Swish!
The air along his sword path shimred in a sinister crimson light.
‘I’ll kill you!’
He hadn’t intended to use it yet, since he hadn’t mastered it, but in this dire mont, he had no choice.
The ultimate sword art of the current Qingcheng Sect, passed down to him when he beca the leading candidate for the next Sect Leader—
the First Move of the Red Mist Severing Light Sword.
Red Mist Severing Light Sword (赤霞絶光劍)
First Move – Rising Crimson Mist (赤霞分起)
Kwaaaang!
Nearly thirty percent of the imnse qi within Ma Geollyun’s dantian was sucked into his blade.
The sword split into dozens of overlapping lines, covering every possible angle of escape before striking down.
It was a refined technique far beyond the earlier Seventy-Two Linked Sword.
‘Fool.’
That’s how it would look to anyone who couldn’t properly read martial techniques.
Naless almost laughed out loud as he watched the fragnted sword strikes descend like a teor shower.
Though the amount of qi poured in was trendous, the form of the sword itself was crude beyond belief.
Just because a technique was stronger didn’t an it would always yield greater power.
Pah!
In an instant, Naless dashed straight into the midst of the sword strikes.
A martial art not yet fully one’s own would crumble like a sandcastle under even the smallest disturbance.
Shweee!
“……!!”
With a single, light step, Naless slipped through a gap that even Ma Geollyun himself didn’t realize existed.
The supposedly all-encompassing sword offensive collapsed into nothingness.
Baaang!
“Gkkhk!!”
Naless ramd his forehead into the man’s mouth once more.
Thud, thud, thud!
With a squealing noise like a pig being slaughtered, Ma Geollyun spewed blood and tumbled across the ground.
Beside the fallen man lay the corpse of the last of the First Disciples, who had just t his death.
…What the hell happened?
Dazed from the blow to his head, Ma Geollyun slowly regained consciousness—
and found himself staring into the lifeless eyes of his disciple, wide open in lingering resentnt.
“Hiik!”
As Ma Geollyun recoiled and struggled to stand, Naless mocked him again.
“Tsk tsk, what happens when you use a technique beyond your limits?”
“Y-you bastard!! I’ll k-kill you!!”
“Haha, that lisp suits you well. Makes you sound like the idiot you are.”
“Uwaaaah!!”
With all his teeth shattered, the air whistled through his mouth whenever he scread, making him sound ridiculous.
To be looked down upon by a re southern barbarian—
Ma Geollyun’s pride collapsed entirely, and he lost his sanity.
‘It doesn’t matter if they find out! I’ll kill them all anyway!’
At that mont, a conversation flashed through his mind—one from the day he t Do Hoemyeong.
After losing the position of Grand Disciple to Lee Hoseong and living as a cripple, Do Hoemyeong had appeared before him one day.
There, he had revealed the hidden power within Ma Geollyun that even he hadn’t known.
[……That star is a Dood Star (凶星)?! You an I was born under such an accursed fate……?]
[“Dood Star”? Not at all.]
[What do you an……?]
[A star’s destiny isn’t fixed so easily. Depending on the heroic nature of the one born beneath it, a Dood Star can transform into the most auspicious Lucky Star (福星).]
[O-oh!]
[But the ignorant masses often envy and slander the power that transcends their understanding. So—I’ve prepared sothing for you. This item will hide your strength from their eyes for a ti.]
Riiiip!
In that instant, Ma Geollyun tore off the Nan-hua headscarf (南華巾) wrapped around his forehead.
And at the sa ti—
Swaaah!
Kwa-ga-ga!
A ferocious, demonic aura unlike anything a Taoist should possess erupted from his entire body.
Feeling the fiery energy burning across his skin, Ma Geollyun let out a mad laugh.
“Kihahahaha!”
Just like Do Yecheon of the Mount Hua Sect whom Sewoon had once t—
One of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends (七十二地殺星), the Earthly Demon Star (地妖星), had awakened within him.
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