NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 121
Chapter 121: The Moment of Resolve (3)
“Whoa?!”
“Hmm? What’s the matter?”
“Hehe, it’s nothing, elder. Just a sting on my back.”
“Ha-ha, did an insect bite you?”
“Seems like it.”
Yeon Ji-Pyeong rubbed his back, precisely below the nape of his neck.
‘What’s this? An actual insect?’
It felt like something sharp had pricked him.
He was concerned but decided to ignore it. Now was not the time to worry about an insect bite.
“Hmm, shall we take it out now?”
Shiiing!
As the cold mountain breeze blew, the red-hot surface of the sword gradually darkened.
Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s mouth gaped open.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
The old man burst into laughter.
“Haven’t you seen this several times already?”
“Still! Ah, it’s hot.”
“Step back.”
The elder plunged the heated sword into a giant water jar.
Shiiiiing!
In an instant, a pale white smoke spread throughout the area.
The heat and humidity were intense. The water that filled the jar boiled over in a flash.
“Ha-ha, just one more hammering should do it.”
“Wow.”
“Is it that fascinating?”
“Yes! It’s incredibly fascinating. I want to try making one myself.”
It was a rather presumptuous statement, but the old man chuckled heartily. Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s bold voice was filled with innocence. That’s what captivated the old man’s heart.
“If you’re thinking of seriously entering the path of a craftsman, come to me anytime. I’ll hone your fundamentals.”
“Hehe, I think that might be a bit too much for me.”
“Ha-ha-ha!”
“By the way, it’s really incredible. I had no idea so much effort went into making a single sword.”
The old man said cheerfully.
“Whatever the endeavor in this world, without dedication, it’s hard to achieve good results. Isn’t it the same with martial arts?”
“That’s right.”
“So take good care of it. It will be your companion, helping you overcome the rough waves of life ahead.”
“Of course! I still can’t believe I’m receiving a sword from you, elder. I’m still so young.”
“Pfft! You rascal, just as a craftsman does not consider age, neither should a warrior. If one is worthy to wield a sword, they should. You are more than qualified to receive my sword.”
“Hehe.”
“It’s a sword made from pure steel, free from any impurities. Its power will vary depending on how much you cherish it.”
“…”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“…”
“Ji-Pyeong?”
Yeon Ji-Pyeong turned his head to look at the opposite mountain peak, his eyes deepening.
The elder was inwardly surprised.
A subtle aura swirled in those clear, deep eyes. It was a look Yeon Ji-Pyeong had never shown before.
‘Truly the eyes of a swordsman.’
After a moment, Yeon Ji-Pyeong turned his head back.
“I’m sorry. I must have felt something wrong.”
“Ha-ha-ha.”
“What’s next? I can’t wait to see the next step!”
“We’ll hammer it once more. This should be the last time.”
Bang! Dang!
The sound of the hammer striking metal rang out clearly.
The sound was so majestic, it could be mistaken for the drums of a battlefield.
* * *
With a thunderous roar, the mighty Dragon Axe cleaved through the air, splitting two assassins in half in a single, devastating blow.
Boom!
The Dragon Axe was not retrieved; it remained where it was swung, while a left punch, swift and precise, shattered the skull of another assassin standing afar.
One axe swing, one punch, and three lives were extinguished.
Whoosh!
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes sparkled with a fierce light.
As soon as three assassins fell, the front line retreated to regroup—a wise move.
‘Impressive.’
Assassins forming battle formations?
To those familiar with the martial world, it might seem laughable, but the assassins’ formation held a different kind of threat—a threat born of their very nature.
Pop-pop-pop-pop!
Sparks seemed to fly in the empty air.
‘What the…’
The assassins advanced in a horizontal formation.
Their speed was not remarkable, but the real problem lay in the forces behind them.
Assassins excel at both suppressing and exaggerating their killing intent. They can amplify and converge, condense and release at will.
Two hundred specialized assassins each emitted a chaotic killing intent, enough to make the sight dizzying.
Yeon Hojeong’s expression turned as cold as a slab of ice.
‘This could be considered the elite.’
He had once faced the Blue Wolves sent by a prestigious family.
But they were only half as capable. They prided themselves on being experts in murder, but their power began with unsettling the opponent’s psyche.
That too was a formidable power, but it was not focused. It was so scattered that with a steady heart and an efficient strategy, they could be easily countered.
These assassins were different.
Pop-pop-pop-pop!
Hidden weapons launched by the rear ranks arced through the air, each no larger than a fingernail, yet numbering in the hundreds.
Yeon Hojeong took a powerful step forward.
Crash!
Leaves piled on the ground rose into the air, and the horizontal formation in front wavered slightly.
Wham!
Charging forward with the White Tiger’s Dominance Step, Yeon Hojeong immediately executed the Mighty King’s Impenetrable Stance.
Whoosh! Thud!
Two managed to dodge, but three did not. A spray of crimson blood adorned the sky.
Then, Yeon Hojeong saw the assassins in front bringing long tubes to their mouths.
Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop!
Dozens of poisoned darts were shot at Yeon Hojeong.
Bang!
Thanks to his refined movement technique, evasion was effortless. Yeon Hojeong, soaring high, spotted the assassins lined up in the rear.
‘So many.’
The difference between seeing them from afar and up close was significant.
A swarm of assassins glared at him, each drawing their weapon. It was a chilling sight.
‘What a situation…’
Who sent these assassins? Where did they come from?
Such questions were cast aside.
Facing the collective assault technique, the Siege of Assassins, Yeon Hojeong felt the instincts of his hidden identity as the Black Abyss Lord stir within him.
Wham!
Yeon Hojeong descended at an incredible speed.
It was the technique of the Thousand-Weight Plummet, using internal energy to increase one’s weight—a sophisticated feat of inner strength.
Astonishingly, Yeon Hojeong landed behind the horizontal formation.
Right in the midst of the assassins.
Crash!
Wielding a massive axe, the imposing figure descended to the ground, unleashing a storm-like ferocious attack.
Rip-rip-rip!
About ten assassins surrounding Yeon Hojeong were torn to shreds.
The power was tremendous.
Yeon Hojeong had awakened the killing intent of the Black Abyss Lord, adding it to his unique martial arts prowess. Whether in a one-on-one duel or a chaotic melee, no one could stop him now.
“Uaaah!”
Thud! Thud!
The massive Dragon Axe, weighing over eighty pounds, moved horizontally and vertically, tearing the assassins’ bodies apart like rags.
Whoo-whoo-whoo!
The blue energy of the Azure Dragon fortified his body, and the martial arts of the Great Western Emperor, the White Tiger, swept away the assassins.
The attacks were so fast and powerful that the assassins’ bodies were indiscriminately shattered. In a brief moment, more than forty had perished.
Pop-pop-pop!
Of course, the assassins did not stand idly by.
The target, Yeon Hojeong, possessed skills beyond imagination, but in the end, he was just a beast trapped within their midst.
The assassins swung their weapons.
Swoosh!
Attacks flew from all directions—front, back, left, right.
There was no space to dodge. If he took to the air, the assassins waiting for that moment would shoot their hidden weapons.
‘How interesting.’
Both the Dragon Axe in his right hand and the fist of his left were concentrated with the energy of the White Tiger.
Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo!
Spinning, he unleashed a whirlwind of energy, causing most of the assassins’ attacks to miss their mark.
Swoosh! Slash!
Several cuts appeared on Yeon Hojeong’s body.
They were not deep, but the problem was the poison on the blades. Assassins always coat their weapons with poison. While expensive lethal poisons were a stretch, paralytic poison was a must.
The assassins’ eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
They had him.
Just one wound was enough. The potent paralytic poison would dull the opponent’s movements.
They had no doubt about it.
Crash!
A fearsome aura of red fire energy created a terrifying wave of force.
Enveloped in a crimson glow, Yeon Hojeong’s form accelerated like a bolt of lightning.
Boom! Crash!
It was the thunderous charge of Heavenly Slaughter. The blazing Vermilion Bird energy, with the extreme speed of Blood Wing Soaring Heaven, obliterated an entire flank of the formation.
Slash!
The exploding flesh and the net of blood weaving through the sky looked surreal.
The assassins’ attacks left multiple wounds on Yeon Hojeong, but he seemed inexhaustible. In fact, as time passed, his movements became even more vigorous.
Then, one of the assassins in the rear shouted.
“Disperse!”
Whoosh!
The assassins scattered at a terrifying speed.
They abandoned their Siege of Assassins technique and retreated. The melee was too much; Yeon Hojeong’s skills were far too superior.
“Huff!”
Yeon Hojeong, gasping for breath, resembled a general who had single-handedly broken through an army and survived. His body was riddled with hidden weapons, and he had suffered a dozen sword wounds.
Roar!
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Yeon Hojeong’s aura erupted like a mighty dragon’s windstorm.
The leader of the assassins, Saguk, was taken aback.
‘How can he be so strong?!’
It wasn’t even a favorable terrain, and yet, by plunging into the midst of the assassins for a head-on confrontation, he had eliminated nearly seventy of them in a brief moment.
The sight was so astonishing that even Saguk delayed the order to disperse. It was a testament to how impressive Yeon Hojeong’s martial arts were.
‘Was I really ordered to deploy the Siege of Assassins against such a monstrous opponent? This is madness.’
As Saguk was grinding his teeth internally, Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“I don’t expect you to tell me willingly, but I must ask. Ptooey!”
Spitting out blood-stained saliva, Yeon Hojeong glared at Saguk with eyes full of killing intent.
Saguk flinched.
“Who sent you?”
It was a startling question.
He had heard questions like ‘Who are you?’, ‘Where did you come from?’, ‘Why are you trying to kill me?’, but ‘Who sent you?’ was new.
To Yeon Hojeong, such events must have been common. In other words, he was a master of facing assassins, having experienced countless such situations.
Saguk opened his mouth.
“Where did the girl who was with you go?”
“What do you plan to do with that information?”
“…Well, it doesn’t matter.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes twinkled.
‘It was me after all.’
These men were only after him. He had suspected as much, but now he was certain he was the target.
‘Wait for me, Mokbi.’
Mokbi wasn’t as far away as Saguk thought.
‘You must wait for my signal. You need to stay thoroughly hidden.’
Facing the Siege of Assassins, a frontal breakthrough was reckless.
But he chose that recklessness. It was due to a sense of unease that nagged at the back of his mind.
Then, Saguk’s eyes gleamed.
At the same time, Yeon Hojeong’s fist swung backward.
Thump!
A white fist energy, like a whirlwind, blew an assassin’s head clean off. It was the assassin who had tried to exploit an opening to shoot a poisoned dart at Yeon Hojeong’s back.
Saguk cursed under his breath.
‘Damn it, no one said he was this strong!’
He was a monster in every aspect—martial arts, senses, combat skills.
‘This won’t do. I’ll have to retreat and observe the situation, then target him with a night assassination.’
After all, the goal was just to kill him. He had been asked to deploy the Siege of Assassins, but with things having come to this point, there was no other choice.
Saguk raised his hand and shouted.
“Retreat to the base of the mountain! We’ll attack again at night…”
Thump!
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.
Saguk’s vision blurred, and he collapsed. A round hole was pierced through his chest.
“If you’ve accepted a commission, you ought to follow through. Especially after being paid.”
Behind the rear ranks of the assassins.
A blurry shadow strolled forward leisurely.
‘Yes, it was him.’
There was no time to devise tactics, but the reason he had used himself as bait and engaged in a head-on battle was right there.
“But… well, it seems it’s no longer feasible.”
Yeon Hojeong asked.
“Is it you?”
The middle-aged man, Mong-ui, nodded.
“Yes, it’s me.”