Almighty God of War - Chapter 61

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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061

The thirty-li path from the wild mountain to the bay that served as Cheonhaebang’s base was truly a series of treacherous terrain that would make one’s tongue wag in disbelief.

It was a natural fortress-like stronghold that even Murim warriors would hesitate to set foot in.

Sheer cliffs stretched endlessly, and as they entered the forest zone, swamplands spread out everywhere.

Whenever the wind blew, snake-like writhing roots would ensnare their ankles, and poisonous creatures swarmed about.

It was easy to understand why there were no Cheonhaebang guards stationed nearby.

However, as they drew closer to the bay, the presence of hidden enemies increased, and the crudely but effectively built watchtowers became denser.

The group faced several precarious crises where they nearly got discovered.

Each time, Guyang Cheongang would change direction or stop the group one step ahead, as if he had foreseen everything.

Based on real-time data from Akasha, he slipped through the enemies’ surveillance network like a ghost without a single error.

However, he was completely unaware of what Jupyo and Du Jeongkwang, who were following behind him, were thinking.

To them, Guyang Cheongang’s appearance was a mystery itself, and the look of astonishment never left their faces.

Du Jeongkwang’s gaze deepened.

‘Is this… even possible? Young Master Guyang sees through the enemy positions as clearly as if he had eyes on top of his head. Even for supreme masters, the range of presence detection rarely exceeds ten zhang… Could it be that this young man has reached the Transformation Realm? That can’t be…’

Meanwhile, Jupyo’s thoughts were somewhat different.

His eyes held reverence that went beyond astonishment.

‘In Gangho, there have been masters of Sound Listening Art who could hear sounds dozens of zhang away and determine opponents’ positions, and masters of Ki Sensing who could detect enemies through the flow of qi. But the Young Master’s realm is different from that… He’s neither listening to sounds nor feeling qi.’

His gaze deepened.

‘The Young Master simply ‘knows.’ Like looking down at the ground from the sky, he already knows all the traps and enemy positions and is merely walking that path. A monster has been born in the Guyang Family Estate…’

The two veteran masters silently followed behind Guyang Cheongang without saying a word.

After a while, they arrived at the shade of a hill overlooking the bay and hid themselves.

And at the sight that unfolded before their eyes, Jupyo and Du Jeongkwang unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

That place was a natural fortress.

Inside the massive bay surrounded by high cliffs like a folding screen, dozens of large and small ships were densely anchored on the calm water surface.

The most eye-catching was the large warship in the center.

On the towering mast, a flag with a black dragon painted on a red background fluttered ominously.

Around it, small single-masted sailboats and oar-powered assault boats gathered like chicks following their mother.

The sight of dozens of masts standing densely packed was like a bizarre forest growing on water.

On the shore, hundreds of crudely built wooden houses were clustered together like an anthill, with a particularly large and splendid hall positioned at the center.

Noisy shouts and screams, along with the nauseating stench of blood, faintly reached the hill where they were hiding on the wind.

This was the den of the pirate group Cheonhaebang that had made all of Payang tremble in fear.

Guyang Cheongang, hidden in the shade of the hill, looked at Du Jeongkwang and spoke quietly.

“Elder Master, Master and I will handle rescuing the people. Please take care of another task.”

Du Jeongkwang said with a hardened expression.

“That won’t do. How can I be left out of that task? And the enemy numbers around five hundred. Surely two of you alone would be overwhelmed.”

“That’s not the case. Rather than explaining why Master and I are sufficient, it would be faster to show you through action rather than words. Elder Master, please excuse me for a moment.”

Guyang Cheongang grasped Du Jeongkwang’s hand.

Du Jeongkwang’s eyebrows twitched as he immediately understood the meaning behind that action.

A contest of internal energy.

This young upstart had dared to challenge him, someone who had lived his entire life in Gangho’s blade winds, to a test of strength.

‘The young master is too arrogant.’

He inwardly scoffed and drew up his power to lightly shake off Guyang Cheongang’s hand.

But he failed.

Guyang Cheongang’s hand gripping his didn’t budge even slightly, like Mount Tai.

“Mmm…!”

His pride wounded, Du Jeongkwang drew up his full internal energy.

However, his powerful internal energy was absorbed without a trace into his opponent’s palm and disappeared, like a cup of tea poured into a vast ocean.

His opponent’s internal energy wasn’t simply strong.

It was the abyss itself, embracing everything and nullifying everything.

Du Jeongkwang’s complexion changed.

To think he, whose internal energy reached one cycle of sixty years, was being overpowered.

It was an unbelievable result.

He had never imagined that Guyang Cheongang’s internal energy would be this profound.

But the reality was somewhat different from what he thought.

Guyang Cheongang’s internal energy wasn’t much different from Du Jeongkwang’s.

Yet he gained the upper hand thanks to the mysteries of the Transcendent Impermanence Divine Art.

He had drawn in Du Jeongkwang’s internal energy with the Absorption Formula, then scattered it with the Dispersion Formula.

Jupyo, watching from the side, was also inwardly unable to contain his amazement.

‘This can’t be… When the Young Master faced me at the tavern in Gugang, it wasn’t to this extent. What I saw then was merely the tip of the iceberg.’

Guyang Cheongang slowly withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened and spoke to the shocked Du Jeongkwang.

“Elder Master, will you now follow my words?”

His voice carried an irresistible weight.

Du Jeongkwang stared at him blankly for a moment, then responded with a bitter smile.

“…I’ll do as you say. But who exactly are you, Young Master? No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem to be Elder Brother Ju’s disciple?”

His manner of speech had also changed from informal to semi-respectful.

Guyang Cheongang thought there was no longer any need to hide his identity and slowly removed his human skin face mask.

Under the dim dawn light, his original appearance, beautiful as a sculpture, was revealed.

“I am the eldest son of the Guyang Family Estate, Guyang Cheongang.”

“…!”

At words he never could have imagined, Du Jeongkwang’s mouth fell wide open.

Guyang Cheongang spoke to him in a respectful tone.

“I’ll explain the detailed circumstances after this matter is concluded. Right now, we must focus on rescuing the people.”

Du Jeongkwang, his surprise subsiding, nodded with a stern expression.

“If that’s the Young Master’s will, so be it. What exactly is the task I must perform?”

“While Elder Master Ju and I infiltrate their den to rescue the hostages and cause a disturbance, please infiltrate their dock and secure the fastest ship available.”

“Hmm…”

“And you must disable as many of the remaining ships as possible to make them inoperable. If you fail to secure our escape route, it will be difficult for us to leave this island alive.”

Realizing he hadn’t been excluded but rather assigned the most crucial mission that would determine the operation’s success or failure, Du Jeongkwang’s gaze intensified.

“Understood. I’ll stake this old man’s life on completing it.”

Guyang Cheongang gestured toward the Golden King and said.

“Go with Golden Brother. He’s a spirit beast who not only understands human speech but has the strength to crush rocks and tear metal with his bare hands, so he’ll be of great help.”

“Ah…!”

“Follow Golden Brother’s guidance when working. His Ki Sensing surpasses even that of supreme masters.”

Du Jeongkwang looked at the Golden King perched on Guyang Cheongang’s shoulder with surprised eyes.

Guyang Cheongang spoke to the Golden King.

“Golden Brother, follow this elder and help him. You can do it, right?”

The Golden King readily nodded his head.

Being a spirit beast who understood human speech, he realized this wasn’t the atmosphere for throwing tantrums.

Du Jeongkwang, with the Golden King leading the way, quickly disappeared from sight.

Guyang Cheongang gave Jupyo a meaningful look.

“Let’s go, Elder Master.”

The two men began moving stealthily and swiftly.

Their body movement advanced soundlessly like ghosts toward the heart of Cheonhaebang’s den.

Though Akasha’s assistance was available, it was hardly necessary.

While the island’s coastal security was extremely tight, surprisingly, the internal security leading to the headquarters was much more lax in comparison.

As if all the forces were concentrated elsewhere.

Feeling the nauseating stench of blood that pierced their noses growing stronger, the expressions of Guyang Cheongang and Jupyo hardened terrifyingly.

The horrible screams heard from afar were also gradually growing louder.

The two men reached the highest ground of the lair.

It was a small forest surrounded by massive trees like giant walls, making it impossible to see inside.

But the moment they saw those trees, clear anger flashed across the faces of Guyang Cheongang and Jupyo.

Corpses hung from every thick branch like laundry strung up in rows.

Their number reached roughly forty to fifty people.

The emaciated corpses were stained all over with dried black blood, and beneath them, pools of blood had formed on the ground in various spots.

Guyang Cheongang suppressed his boiling rage and asked.

“Elder Master Ju, are pirates… originally this cruel?”

“…No.”

Jupyo’s voice that followed was rough, as if mixed with iron filings.

“Pirates are cruel, but this… this is not a scene that can simply be called cruel. Forty years ago, even in places occupied by those Demonic Cult bastards, I never saw such a brutal sight. Those bastards aren’t pirates—they’re demons risen from hell.”

Guyang Cheongang and Jupyo left the horrific corpses hanging from the trees behind them and approached the source of the screams even more stealthily and swiftly.

The closer they got to the center, the stronger the nauseating stench of blood became, and the desperate screams pierced their ears like awls.

“Aaaahhh-!!!”

“Please… save me…!!”

“Kraaagh!”

The pleading screams of women, the death throes of men filled with pain, and rough breathing full of desire and maniacal laughter that seemed to mock it all were mixed together.

Strangely, there wasn’t a single guard inside the forest.

The two men soon understood the reason.

This hellish commotion itself was the most perfect security that prevented anyone from daring to approach.

The two men arrived at the entrance to the clearing densely surrounded by trees, from which the sounds were flowing.

Guyang Cheongang and Jupyo exchanged glances, then silently leaped up onto the nearest massive tree.

Through the leaves, they could see the scene unfolding in the clearing.

At that moment, bloodshot eyes and chilling killing intent appeared simultaneously in both men’s eyes.

That place was a living portrait of hell that could not be expressed in human language.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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