novelraw Chapter 250 : Hyeonwol (2)
Chapter 250 : Hyeonwol (2)
Chapter 250: Hyeonwol (2)
Lim Gwan-hwa, the Warding Technique of the Five Elements Cult, and Yeong-hwa, one of the Ten Thrones of the Radiant Light Sect.
The relationship between the two had never been good. As residents of the Central Heavens Martial Realm, they had clashed several times, and each time, Yeong-hwa had suffered humiliation.
The only reason Yeong-hwa was still alive was due to Lim Gwan-hwa’s mercy—and because she belonged to the Radiant Light Sect.
Had she not been a part of that sect, she would have long since died at Lim Gwan-hwa’s hands.
"You filthy wench! Die! I said die!"
Completely different from the smirk she wore moments ago, Yeong-hwa now screamed in rage. Semi-transparent trees erupted from the ground, and vines blanketed the sky.
To an outsider, it may have seemed like she was using Wood Qi in a place where the Five Elements Qi was fading—but that wasn't the case. Lim Gwan-hwa, more than anyone, knew the truth.
‘Still as revolting as ever.’
The trees and vines Yeong-hwa summoned weren’t plants.
A closer look revealed they resembled human flesh and gave off faint pulses, like heartbeats. They were unidentifiable things in the shape of trees and vines.
Lim Gwan-hwa shrouded herself in wind and deflected every incoming attack. Each time she extended her hand, the sky-filled vines were severed, and the towering trees exploded apart.
“Go on, act all high and mighty again!”
As Yeong-hwa relentlessly unleashed her spell arts, Lim Gwan-hwa was slowly pushed back.
Yeong-hwa, being one of the Ten Thrones of the Radiant Light Sect, was never someone easy to handle. And Lim Gwan-hwa was in no shape for a proper fight.
Her injuries from the battle with the Lord of Lightning had not fully healed. Though she now wielded Wind rather than relying on the Five Elements Qi, she was still a martial artist who had mastered the elemental energy. She was merely faring slightly better than others in this Floating Stronghold created by Hyeonwol—but not enough to fight at her peak.
The enemy before her, the circumstances, all of it was unfavorable. She had no clear way to break through.
With the current power of the Five Elements Cult, it was difficult to contend with the Radiant Light Sect.
The hopeless situation brought to her mind Jang Woo-hyun and the Annihilation Brigade. Things never felt this stifling when she was with them.
When they were around, everything was resolved swiftly and decisively.
‘I’ve grown weak.’
When had she begun relying on the strength of others?
Shaking off thoughts of Jang Woo-hyun, Lim Gwan-hwa hardened her expression. Clenching her teeth, she summoned every ounce of her strength.
The wind surrounding her body took the shape of a giant. The giant swung its fist.
Boom!
A fierce back-and-forth exchange unfolded.
Neither the imperfect Lim Gwan-hwa nor Yeong-hwa could overpower the other.
Their battle showed no sign of ending soon.
But things were different elsewhere.
The Cult Leader facing Hyeonwol, and the Five Elements Cult fighting against the Radiant Light Sect—each side was being gradually pushed back.
The first to run into serious trouble was Cult Leader Seo Gyeong-mu, who was up against Hyeonwol.
“Cult Leader!”
A cry of alarm burst from Woo Il-do, who had been leading the subordinates.
Seo Gyeong-mu failed to block one of Hyeonwol’s attacks. With one shoulder torn off, he scowled and staggered backward.
It was a grievous wound. The delicate balance of power he had barely maintained tipped entirely to one side. Even Lim Gwan-hwa, in the midst of battle with Yeong-hwa, couldn’t help but glance in his direction.
Contrary to everyone’s tense expectations, the blue smoke that had relentlessly hounded Seo Gyeong-mu now stood still.
Hyeonwol halted and turned his head slightly. He smiled faintly and spoke.
“You’ve arrived.”
Was that the signal?
A powerful force surged in.
From beyond the distant clouds, a dragon with sky-blue scales pierced through and revealed itself.
At the same time, several figures leapt from the dragon’s neck and kicked off midair.
Three humans, one beastkin, and a monster.
Five figures approached the battlefield.
Jang Woo-hyun leapt off Yong Seo-hee, who had taken the form of a dragon, and kicked off the air. A streak of light, he crossed the sky with Tongpung Daeseong, Seo Ryeom, Mak Ya-wol, and Maeng Ye-ju following close behind.
Each of them had unleashed their full strength to disrupt the flow of battle.
Including Maeng Ye-ju, who had only recently entered the Infinite Realm, five masters of that level now suddenly descended upon the battlefield.
Jang Woo-hyun extended his will and swung his sword.
Transcendental Sword.
A sword capable of striking from afar, ignoring distance.
The blue smoke surrounding Hyeonwol burst apart, shielding him from the attack. Unflinching, Hyeonwol met Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes. A smile still lingered on his face, as if he were looking at an old friend.
Crack!
As Jang Woo-hyun stepped forward with force, the air cracked. In return, he gained explosive speed and appeared right in front of Hyeonwol.
The blue smoke blocked their path. Jang Woo-hyun drew Black Wilds Sword.
Whoosh!
Black smoke erupted violently from the blade. Emotions traveled through the hilt and into his hand.
Rage, sorrow, resentment, pain. Suppressing the flood of negativity, Jang Woo-hyun swung his sword.
Slice!
The blue smoke that had withstood Seo Gyeong-mu’s assaults for so long was severed in one stroke.
An unforeseen turn.
Hyeonwol’s eyes widened. But before he could react, Jang Woo-hyun sliced him vertically.
From crown to groin.
Hyeonwol’s body was split in two.
Strangely, a smile still remained on his face.
As Jang Woo-hyun clashed with Hyeonwol—
The other four, having sensed something, made for the nearby Floating Stronghold.
“Oh! Jackpot!”
Seo Ryeom, who arrived near Lim Gwan-hwa, spotted Yeong-hwa and grinned with delight.
With Hyeonwol gone, the last remaining member of the Ten Thrones had appeared. No wonder he was pleased—he finally had a proper opponent.
Seo Ryeom laughed as he stood before Lim Gwan-hwa.
“What’s going on here? The energy around here feels off.”
Though not a Five Elements Qi user, Seo Ryeom and the others had noticed something was wrong in the vicinity.
“We have to retreat.”
Instead of answering his question, Lim Gwan-hwa said something else. The unease in her chest had grown stronger.
She had clearly heard what Hyeonwol had said when he first noticed Jang Woo-hyun and the others arriving.
—You’ve arrived.
It gave her the same eerie feeling as when the Unified Guardian had appeared. It was as if Hyeonwol had been waiting for Jang Woo-hyun to come.
The Annihilation Brigade had arrived right on time, and for that she was grateful—but staying here was dangerous.
“We just got here and now you're saying to retreat? What are you talking about?”
“This place is dangerous. Who knows what Hyeonwol had prepared. We must leave quickly.”
The shift in Lim Gwan-hwa’s demeanor was serious. Seo Ryeom realized she had sensed something he hadn’t and chose to follow her judgment.
“Understood. Let’s get out of here. But since I’m here already, I’ll take care of that first.”
Of course, he’d take care of the fight first—then retreat.
“We need to get out of here as fast as possible.”
“We won’t be going anywhere unless that one lets us,” Seo Ryeom replied, pointing at Yeong-hwa. Just as he said, even if they wanted to flee, the fierce gaze Yeong-hwa shot at them made it clear—she wouldn't let them escape easily.
“Oh, and I was planning to smash that thing while I’m at it.”
Even in Seo Ryeom’s eyes, the massive spell formation etched across the Floating Stronghold looked dangerous. Of course he had no intention of leaving it untouched.
With a grin, Seo Ryeom vanished from his spot—then suddenly reappeared at Yeong-hwa’s side, stabbing his sword forward.
The sword aimed for her throat, triggering her defensive spell technique. But Seo Ryeom’s real target wasn’t Yeong-hwa from the start.
Boom!
Though it was a thrust, it carried tremendous force.
It wasn’t sharp, but blunt and heavy. The blow sent Yeong-hwa flying backward.
With her knocked away, Seo Ryeom turned his attention to the spell formation.
“You little rat!”
Yeong-hwa immediately cast a spell. Dozens of trees erupted around the formation, forming a dense forest.
But they couldn’t stop Seo Ryeom. Each swing of his sword shattered the forest apart.
Flustered, Yeong-hwa tried casting another spell—but Lim Gwan-hwa struck, disrupting the activation.
Boom!
An invisible barrier blocked Seo Ryeom’s strike. Even as his attacks were deflected, he didn’t falter and kept swinging his sword. If once wasn’t enough, he would just keep repeating until it was.
Once. Twice. Thrice. And then too many to count.
Boom! Boom!
The invisible barrier began to crack and break.
A bit more and he could’ve destroyed the formation—if not for the blue smoke suddenly flying at him.
Seo Ryeom slashed through the smoke charging at him and widened the distance. At the same time, he unleashed a slash toward where the attack had come from.
Boom!
The clumped blue smoke burst apart, revealing a man behind it.
Seo Ryeom’s face contorted at the sight.
A man wearing a white mask and robes marked with a full moon.
Someone who shouldn’t be here. There was only one person in the Radiant Light Sect who dressed like that.
“Hyeonwol?”
The man who should’ve been fighting Jang Woo-hyun was now standing in front of him.
‘That’s not a projection.’
From the energy he felt, this was no mere projection. If it were, his earlier attack would’ve cut it down with ease.
Boom!
A distant explosion echoed from another Floating Stronghold.
Even with an enemy before him, Seo Ryeom turned his head with unease. From afar, he could see blue smoke spreading from another Floating Stronghold.
Elsewhere, a man in white robes and a full-moon mask was blocking the path of the arriving allies.
Meanwhile...
“Heh heh heh…”
From crown to groin. Hyeonwol, whose body had been split in half, was laughing.
“So… you’ve obtained that sword?”
From the severed cross-section, dark crimson blood gushed out—and his body rapidly reassembled itself.
Before long, there were two Hyeonwols.
“You’re still as relentless as ever.”
Hyeonwol remembered the Black Wilds Sword. A sword like that wasn’t something you came across often. It was unforgettable—the same blade used by the one who once sought him out for vengeance.
“Jang Woo-hyun of the Cheonrin Sword Alliance.”
Though Hyeonwol called out to him, Jang Woo-hyun didn’t answer. He simply stared with indifferent eyes. Hyeonwol felt something was off.
‘What is he…?’
He had been cut.
For Jang Woo-hyun, cutting an opponent wasn’t just about slicing them apart. His ability severed what was unseen—it shattered the origin.
It was a power that exceeded even the “Severance” used by Infinite Realm masters.
Because of it, he could cut through spell formations themselves. Those struck by his blade—no matter how strong their regeneration or resurrection might be—couldn’t recover easily.
Just moments ago, Jang Woo-hyun had properly cut Hyeonwol.
He had shattered his origin—he had died. And yet, Hyeonwol didn’t die. Instead, he reassembled his body and multiplied.
It made no sense.
“Adversary of the True Immortals. Enemy of the Ascension Cult. A pleasure to meet you. I am the new Sect Leader of the Radiant Light Sect—Hyeon—”
Slice.
Jang Woo-hyun didn’t wait for the end of the introduction. He severed the Hyeonwol to his right, beheading him. Then instantly sliced the one on the left in half.
‘I cut it again.’
He had clearly severed the origin. Death was certain.
But then, atop the headless Hyeonwol’s neck, a new face regenerated. Beneath the flying head, a body reformed rapidly.
Same for the left—whose torso had been cleaved. It too regenerated.
Now there were four Hyeonwols.
Jang Woo-hyun didn’t stop. He continued swinging his sword without pause.
Arms flew off, bodies split apart, heads were sliced away.
Each time, Hyeonwol’s body regenerated just as quickly. For every one that was cut, another appeared. Before long, there were dozens.
Each time he cut, Jang Woo-hyun knew the target had died.
It wasn’t a misperception. He felt it with certainty.
After repeating it enough times, he understood the truth of the situation.
His grip on the Black Wilds Sword tightened. Responding to his emotion, black smoke erupted from the blade.
“How many lives… have you sacrificed?”
Within Hyeonwol, countless lives resided.
As expected, he was no different from a cultivator who led many to death.
It wasn’t a delusion. Every time Jang Woo-hyun cut down a Hyeonwol—someone died.
But it wasn’t Hyeonwol who died—it was the stolen lives within him that perished in his place.