Clash of Life and Death Between Dragon and Tiger
Cho Ji-myeong knew all too well that he had little time left. Now that they were surrounded, the longer the battle dragged on, the more the Black Wolf Unit's casualties would multiply exponentially.
In the end, the only way out was to break through.
But the one blocking his path was none other than Mount Kunlun Sect's Invincible Sword, Han Chu-gwang.
Not an easy opponent.
Yet a faint smile formed on Cho Ji-myeong's dark face, which soon deepened into a grim and resolute grin.
He raised his Azure Dragon Halberd high toward the sky and roared:
"My Black Wolf Unit! Do not panic just because you've fallen into a trap! Stand firm beside your comrades with all your might! We've fought our way out of far worse situations before. Trust me! I will carve us a path of survival—until then, do not die!"
His confident cry, filled with internal energy, swept across the battlefield like a storm.
The wavering eyes of the Black Wolf Unit regained stability, their gaze shining once again. Their shaken hearts quickly returned to calm as if nothing had happened.
"Waaahhhh!"
The Black Wolf Unit roared. The rear of their marching formation, which seemed on the verge of collapse, now launched a fierce counterattack. Several officers and veterans in the middle shook off the confusion and began calmly issuing orders again.
"Fall back slowly while blocking them. Counterattack, but don't advance!"
"Hold the line! Get the wounded inside!"
"The Commander will soon cut off the Invincible Sword's head and open a path! Stay calm!"
"We are the Black Wolf Unit!"
Clang! Clang!
Ferocious clashes erupted from all directions.
Cheon Ryu-yeong clicked his tongue and furrowed his brow. With a sigh, he murmured,
"Commander of the Black Wolf Unit… truly a fine general."
In the worst of situations, few generals could raise their troops' morale with just one shout. That required not only the general's own skill but also the absolute trust of their subordinates.
Yet even so, Cheon Ryu-yeong had no doubt that the Black Wolf Unit would still fall. The commander's encouragement had only delayed their collapse.
No matter how much the rear guard of the Chuhaengjin formation pushed their potential to the limit, the difference in skill could not be overcome overnight. If the weakest warriors of the Black Wolf Unit faced the most elite warriors of the Dokgo Clan, the outcome was already determined.
Right now, the Black Wolf Unit was like a grasshopper.
Even if a predator gnawed at its body from behind, the grasshopper focused only on eating the food in front of it.
The Black Wolf Unit had no choice but to charge forward—they were trapped in a dead end.
A Kunlun Sect disciple, who had just returned from delivering a message, overheard Cheon Ryu-yeong praising Cho Ji-myeong and spoke up:
"Why say such things about the enemy commander?"
"Enemy, you say… Yes, I suppose they've become my enemies now."
Cheon Ryu-yeong sighed inwardly, letting out a smile that seemed somehow hollow.
Half a day ago, he and the Demonic Cult had nothing to do with each other. But now, it was certain he'd be marked for assassination by them.
"Tch. This is troublesome."
To be marked by the strongest and largest sect of the Demonic Path—the Demonic Cult.
If he now tried to explain that he had only gotten involved by accident, helping slightly out of gratitude for a hundred taels of silver, would the cultists believe him?
Not in the slightest.
Even if the Black Wolf Unit here were annihilated, the cultists would still uncover his identity. They had the means to do so. And then… they would come to kill him.
Cheon Ryu-yeong now realized he had no choice but to live within the martial world. To evade the schemes of both the Demonic Cult and the Black Heaven Lotus, he needed the defensive wall of the orthodox sects.
A bitter laugh escaped him.
In the urgency of the ongoing battle, he had almost forgotten about his own predicament.
"My future… has been decided without me even realizing it. In just half a day."
The Martial World of Blades and Swords (Dosan Geomsu).
It was a place that did not suit him at all.
Like anyone else, he had sometimes envied martial artists' stamina and thought of learning martial arts. But he had never once dreamed of becoming a renowned swordsman.
Only now did Dokgo Clan's leader's earlier words truly sink in—he had been advising Cheon Ryu-yeong to face the changes in his fate. Yet Cheon Ryu-yeong had dismissed it as the fatalism of the privileged.
"The martial world… the martial world… haaa…"
He stared blankly at the duel between the Invincible Sword and the Black Wolf Commander, only to feel a piercing gaze.
Turning toward the source, he saw Dokgo Seol among the Xuanwu Unit warriors who had just arrived in front of him.
With her hair now untied, her feminine appearance was fully revealed. She looked at him with a curious expression, and as soon as their eyes met, she spoke, as if she had been waiting:
"How were you able to instantly recognize the Black Wolf Commander's habits?"
Some members of the Xuanwu Unit tore their eyes away from the life-and-death duel between the Invincible Sword and the Black Wolf Commander to look at Cheon Ryu-yeong.
Ling Yun-bi, the unit leader, wiped the sweat from his brow and added to her question:
"I too am curious. Thanks to you, we were able to deal with the Black Wolf Commander more easily…"
Ling Yun-bi trailed off, unsure if he could really claim it had been "easy."
The Black Wolf Commander had shortened his grip on the halberd to increase power and had even predicted the direction of their attacks. Yet even in a brief clash, Ling Yun-bi had found himself struggling.
Cheon Ryu-yeong scratched the back of his head, about to say that he had simply noticed from careful observation—but then one of the Xuanwu warriors watching the front shouted in alarm, drawing everyone's attention forward.
"Lord Han is in danger!"
Cheon Ryu-yeong's expression hardened as he focused on the tense situation ahead.
Whooosh!
Cho Ji-myeong's Azure Dragon Halberd tore through the air like a mad beast, aiming for Han Chu-gwang. Abandoning defense entirely, his frenzied offense was riddled with openings.
Yet Han Chu-gwang could not easily exploit those gaps.
The Black Wolf Commander's ferocious aura screamed that he didn't care if they both died—a deadly "mutual destruction" intent that even the Invincible Sword could not take lightly.
Still, Han Chu-gwang's expression remained calm. It was Cho Ji-myeong's side that was pressed for time, not his.
"The longer this drags on, the more desperate the Black Wolf Commander will become. If I wait, the perfect opportunity will come."
Han Chu-gwang deflected or evaded Cho Ji-myeong's relentless strikes, biding his time for the inevitable decisive opening.
Then Cho Ji-myeong suddenly stepped forward. Bloodshot eyes glaring, he thrust out his chest as if daring Han Chu-gwang to strike, his halberd pulled back behind him.
It was a provocation.
A faint crease appeared between Han Chu-gwang's brows.
At last, the perfect opening he had awaited—the one the time-pressed commander had revealed.
The problem was, it was intentional. A trap that screamed, "I'll give my flesh if I can crush your bones."
Cheon Ryu-yeong had advised delaying the duel as much as possible to minimize allied casualties. But for a warrior, ignoring such a provocation was unthinkable.
In truth, Han Chu-gwang wanted a fair fight—he had no desire to strike at a cornered opponent. As Cheon Ryu-yeong had said, he had been delaying to reduce his subordinates' losses. But now, it was time for the decisive clash.
Taihe Dragon-Slaying Sword (Taihe Toolongjian).
A Kunlun Sect ultimate technique said to be able to kill even legendary dragons.
Han Chu-gwang filled his sword with qi and swung it toward the approaching Cho Ji-myeong.
Shuaaah!
The blade cut through the wind—five streaks of blue sword qi burst from its tip, enveloping Cho Ji-myeong's body.
Papat-papat-pat!
The sharp sword qi sliced through his solid upper body, and five fountains of blood erupted into the air.
"…!"
Ripples spread in Han Chu-gwang's eyes.
No matter how determined the Black Wolf Commander was to die, no one could have imagined that he would take a sword energy he could have easily avoided directly to the body.
The unbearable pain must have pierced through his entire being—yet the Black Wolf Commander didn't let out so much as a groan.
In that instant, Cho Ji-myeong's chin lifted slightly.
Whooosh!
From behind his back, the Azure Dragon Halberd whipped forward in a fierce arc.
Claaang!
Han Chu-gwang's longsword and Cho Ji-myeong's halberd clashed, scattering sparks in every direction.
"Kh…!"
Han Chu-gwang let out a grunt without realizing it. Over the course of his rise to the pinnacle, he had faced countless masters—some possessed deep and profound internal strength, others monstrous raw power.
But without a doubt, this strike from the Black Wolf Commander carried the greatest force he had ever received. The sensation of his muscles and bones twisting under the impact stole the breath from his lungs.
Scrraape!
The Azure Dragon Halberd slid down the blade of his sword toward the ground. Han Chu-gwang twisted his weapon, trying to knock the halberd away.
But… it wouldn't come free. Cho Ji-myeong drove the halberd forward with all his might, stepping in with one long stride.
Shuk!
With a short tearing sound, the halberd slashed across Han Chu-gwang's abdomen. Had he not been wearing armor, the blow might have been crippling. Even so, it was no mere scratch—blood welled from between the cracks of his split armor.
Flap-flap-flap!
Han Chu-gwang's figure blurred, his footwork churning the earth. The Cloud Dragon's Eight Great Forms—a dazzling Kunlun sword movement—unfolded across the ground. His speed and unpredictability were such that the halberd could no longer keep up.
In fact, Han Chu-gwang, who had seemed to be retreating, suddenly surged forward like a storm, swinging his sword.
The Cloud Dragon's Eight Great Forms, combined with the Taihe Dragon-Slaying Sword.
This time, Cho Ji-myeong's eyes flickered in unease. It was almost impossible to read where the next strike would land.
Clang!
He blocked it.
But Han Chu-gwang struck again, his sword howling.
Clang! Clang-clang-clang!
An exchange without even a breath to spare. The once relentless attacker, Cho Ji-myeong, now struggled to keep up with the Invincible Sword's blinding footwork and techniques. His swordplay was sharp and swift, feints becoming real strikes and real strikes turning into feints, each targeting Cho Ji-myeong's vital points.
Drip.
Blood trickled from the corner of Cho Ji-myeong's mouth. Han Chu-gwang, too, had blood at his lips and nostrils.
The two had forgotten everything else, locked entirely on each other.
If I don't kill him, I'll die.
If I die, my comrades will suffer catastrophic losses.
To win, and to live—they stared into each other's eyes, their bodies moving with feral intensity.
Their clothes were shredded by the violent currents of energy streaming from the other's weapon, droplets of blood spraying through the air.
Whiiish!
Whirlwinds sprang up around them as the fierce auras of two peak masters collided and erupted, sending the air in the area into wild turbulence.
It was truly a battle worthy of the name Dragon and Tiger Clashing. The watching Xuanwu Unit stood slack-jawed; in just a few dozen breaths, the fight had already exchanged dozens of moves, and most of them could only follow the afterimages.
Ling Yun-bi, the unit leader, let out a groan and shuddered.
He could now feel in his bones how terrifying the power of a peak master who ignored death could be. If the Black Wolf Commander had come at him like that earlier… how many moves could he have survived? The thought made a chill run down his spine.
Meanwhile, as the Black Wolf Commander slowly yielded ground to the Invincible Sword's assault, gaps began to appear in both sides' formations.
For the Black Wolf Commander, who could ill afford to retreat, this backward step threw the Black Wolf Unit's formation into disarray.
"Aaaargh!"
"Ugh…!"
Cries of pain and despair erupted among the Black Wolf Unit.
The Kunlun warriors fighting alongside Han Chu-gwang were equally unsettled. Their leader had broken through the front and plunged deep into enemy lines—if he was isolated, he could be in danger.
An elder of Kunlun shouted urgently:
"Follow the Invincible Sword inside! Push forward!"
The Kunlun warriors clenched their teeth.
The front ranks of the Chuhaengjin formation were all masters. Forcing their way through them was a gamble with their lives. Just fending off their frenzied, death-or-glory assaults was already taxing.
But the Invincible Sword was someone Kunlun had to protect to the very end. Without him, Kunlun might have already been forced to close its gates.
Just as they all prepared to charge, a cutting voice from behind froze their feet.
"Do not advance! Kunlun must hold the line!"
It was Cheon Ryu-yeong.
His frost-edged shout halted the Kunlun warriors' advance. At the same time, he turned and called to the Xuanwu Unit nearby:
"Send half of the Xuanwu Unit forward! Support Lord Han's rear and seal the gap!"
The Xuanwu Unit's role was to guard Cheon Ryu-yeong and serve as a reserve force for just such emergencies.
Ling Yun-bi nodded and ordered the First Squad Leader:
"Take the First and Second Squads."
The leader moved at once.
A perfect encirclement born of square, formation in depth, and crane-wing formation.
It might have seemed like the battle was already decided, but the tension at the front was at its peak. The Black Wolf Unit threw everything they had into breaking through.
They did not fear injury. Even with an arm severed, they swung their swords without pause.
They knew—their comrades and juniors in the rear were holding on, dying, trusting only in them.
And they believed—
The Black Wolf Commander might have been pushed back, but he would surge forward again!
Trusting in that, the Black Wolf Unit advanced step by step. Even with arms severed, sides split open, and legs cut, they pressed forward—like the grasshopper that kept moving no matter the danger behind.
Their fierce, death-defying resistance began to push back the orthodox forces' front line. But with the Xuanwu Unit reinforcing, the balance was restored.
Cheon Ryu-yeong felt almost as if he were fighting himself, his breath growing ragged, his thirst acute.
The Black Wolf Unit was clearly collapsing. But casualties on the orthodox side were also mounting faster than expected.
He took a deep breath, glanced briefly to the right-hand plain as he had before, then turned his eyes forward again.
And then—Cheon Ryu-yeong's eyes trembled. He quickly looked right again.
"…!"
Far off on the horizon, a black speck appeared. It was moving toward them at incredible speed, and it looked unmistakably human. But could a person really move that fast?
Cheon Ryu-yeong quickly called to Dokgo Seol, who stood before him.
"Lady Dokgo."
Still focused on the life-and-death battle between the Invincible Sword and the Black Wolf Commander, she replied,
"What is it?"
"That speck over there, on the right. That's a person, isn't it?"
Only then did Dokgo Seol turn her head. Her full lips parted slightly as she let out a soft sound.
"Mmm… yes. A person. But… who could possibly display such outrageous lightness skill?"
Cheon Ryu-yeong's eyes narrowed with a strange look.
"Surely… it isn't the Heavenly Demon Sword, is it?"