Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 303

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

Chapter 303
Despite the vast, open plains that seemed to lead anywhere, there was nowhere to go.
Behind them lay a broad river.
Before them, the enemy’s pursuit force.
On both flanks, reinforcements from the Jeongheol Sect.
They were utterly surrounded.
“Dokgo Myeong!”
Seo Jung-baek, the foremost master of the Elder Council commanding the allied forces, cried out urgently.
“Make haste to the ferry! We’ve prepared boats—get as many people across the river as possible!”
Even Seo Jung-baek, renowned as a peerless master capable of standing alone against a thousand, could think of nothing but escape in such circumstances.
Moryong Sohgyo asked frantically.
“The main force! Do you know where the main force is?”
Seo Jung-baek shook his head with a grave expression.
“We haven’t received word from them for quite some time. It appears the enemy has cut off our lines of communication in between.”
“That… that can’t be…!”
“Right now, we must worry about escaping this place rather than a main force that may or may not arrive!”
“Understood!”
Dokgo Myeong shouted without hesitation.
“All units, execute full reversal! Keep the wounded on the inside and head for the ferry! Move quickly!”
“Reverse formation! Turn around! Now!”
“Hurry, move faster!”
That was when it happened.
“They’re coming!”
Ye-hwa cried out.
At her shout, her eyes bloodshot as she surveyed the battlefield, Dokgo Myeong spun around in alarm.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-boom!
Ten martial artists leaped from their horses, launching themselves through the air. Each one appeared to possess at least mid-to-high captain-level strength.
And at the center of these warriors, an old man came charging.
“The Bloodfiend…”
Thus Dokgo Myeong recognized who the enemy commander was.
“Dok! Go! Myeong!”
Each syllable was spat out with relentless killing intent.
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh and clicked his tongue.
“Damn it, ten captain-level fighters and one Cheonma-level? Isn’t this pushing it a bit far?”
Dokgo Myeong quickly turned and shouted.
“Run faster! Can’t you see the ferry over there! If we just cross that, we can survive!”
“Yes!!”
“Squeeze out whatever innate energy you have and run! Even if you die, die on the boat!”
“Jeon Myeong!”
In truth, I couldn’t tell if we would survive or not.
The enemy are no fools—they won’t simply stand idle while our forces board the vessels. Besides, even if we’ve prepared a few small boats, there’s no way everyone can fit aboard them all.
But hope and hopelessness are not the same thing, are they?
Even a false hope, if it pushes people forward one more step, is worth giving.
“The ferry! I see the boats!”
“Wounded first! Don’t wait for orders—board immediately!”
“Once everyone’s aboard, depart at once! Row! If you can swim, swim! Just cross the river!”
It seemed as though a path to salvation had opened.
Waaaaaah!
Clang! Clang-clang-clang!
Metallic sounds erupted from the left flank.
The Cheonma Sect’s pursuit force had finally collided with our formation.
Dokgo Myeong shouted.
“Moyong, strategist!”
“This is dire. At this pace, not even half our forces will board.”
Moryong Sohgyo answered with a twisted expression.
Enemy forces surged forward like a tidal wave.
Though Seo Jung-baek’s main force had carved a narrow opening, we remained surrounded on all sides.
Moryong Sohgyo bit her lip.
“Even if everyone boards, we won’t shake them easily. Time… we simply don’t have enough time.”
“How much would be sufficient?”
“If we could only hold back the Black Bloodfiend and his reinforcements…!”
Who among us could possibly stand against the enemy’s fresh forces charging in at full strength?
Moreover, I couldn’t even be certain that would be enough. Once we set sail, without sufficient speed, they’d catch us in no time—it was as clear as day.
Suddenly, Dokgo Myeong smiled wickedly.
“Right, so there’s no way forward at this moment?”
Moryong Sohgyo’s eyes widened.
That smile.
Just seeing it inspired the belief that somehow, everything would work out.
‘Does he have some method even in this situation?’
Dokgo Myeong turned his head and spoke in a measured tone.
“Captain Seo Jung-baek.”
“Speak!”
“I entrust the front to you. Since it was originally your unit, I trust you’ll command it well. Board swiftly and escape. Once you’ve completely crossed the river, you’ll be in our territory—the enemy won’t dare pursue so easily.”
“…?!”
“If you would, load our Cheonma Sect first. These are the soldiers we’ve brought back alive through hardship, so they deserve at least that much consideration, wouldn’t you say?”
Seo Jung-baek, who had been listening quietly, started in surprise.
“What are you saying now?”
“You know full well what I’m saying.”
“…”
Seo Jung-baek stared blankly at Dokgo Myeong for a moment, then nodded heavily.
“I wish you fortune in battle.”
*Snap.*
Seo Jung-baek executed a crisp military salute, while Dokgo Myeong let out a soft chuckle and returned a casual fist salute.
Soon after, Dokgo Myeong turned his body around.
“Captain?”
“Captain!”
The Managers called out to Dokgo Myeong in alarm.
In that instant, Moryong Sohgyo urgently seized Dokgo Myeong’s collar.
“You cannot!”
Dokgo Myeong gently brushed away Moryong Sohgyo’s arm.
“It’s fine.”
“No…!”
Dokgo Myeong took a step forward. He walked against the current, opposite to everyone else.
A path opened on both sides of him.
In the eyes of the Dokgo Family martial artists watching him walk, hot emotion welled up.
Now, not just the Cheonma Sect but everyone understood.
Dokgo Myeong was never one to stand behind, and they all knew what it meant when he turned to face the rear.
“Seok-du.”
“Yes.”
*Crunch.*
Dokgo Myeong bound his right hand and the Hyeonchul Sword tightly with bandages, then turned to face Geum Seok-du.
“When I’m gone, you take command.”
“…!”
“Lead the Cheonma Sect alongside Ye-hwa and Commander Moyong. Let’s do this well. Understood?”
At his casual words, Geum Seok-du spoke with a trembling voice.
“Jeon Myeong.”
Dokgo Myeong nodded once and resumed his steps.
*Scrape, scrape.*
Was the weight of the Hyeonchul Sword already too much to bear? The blade’s tip dragged across the ground, carving a long furrow.
Sluggish gait, wavering breath, pallid complexion.
Clearly no longer in a state to fight, yet an inexplicable aura of presence radiated from Dokgo Myeong’s entire being.
*Whooom.*
With each step his feet touched the earth, the air trembled as if ripples spread across still water.
That vibration traveled through the confused allied formation, spreading ever outward until it reached the enemy lines.
*Thud.*
The rear of the Dokgo Family forces.
A group that seemed ready to unleash a barrage at any moment came to a halt.
“How convenient. You walk out on your own.”
“….”
“At last we meet again like this. How delightful, Dokgo Myeong.”
There stood the Black Bloodfiend and ten Captains. They had abandoned their subordinates and pursued at full speed.
“Yes, it’s been a long time.”
“Do you know how much I’ve longed to see you? Lying in that sickbed, I waited and waited for this day, my heart gnawed by bitterness. Tsk, tsk!”
The Black Bloodfiend laughed once, his eyes gleaming with malice.
“But… it seems I’ll be able to capture you far more easily than I anticipated.”
“Try if you can. But first, remember how many of your disciples fell to my hands because they grew careless.”
Dokgo Myeong raised his Hyeonchul Sword in a straight line, pointing it directly at the Black Bloodfiend.
The Black Bloodfiend’s eyebrows twitched.
“Even with your head severed, your mouth still moves, doesn’t it?”
The Black Bloodfiend raised his dark hand.
The Captains stepped forward in unison.
“I could only gather ten in the rush, but this should be sufficient. Now then…”
The Black Bloodfiend lowered his hand.
“Attack.”
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
The Captains charged forward as one.
“Krraaah!”
“Where do you think you’re going!”
And three figures burst forward before Dokgo Myeong could move.
Namgung Sohwa, Cheolmu-baek, and Dokgo Ak became three streaks of light, extending outward.
Clang!
The three of them crossed paths, swinging swords and axes in a deadly dance.
Three against ten—a desperate fight.
Despite being outnumbered more than threefold and utterly exhausted, they refused to yield easily.
‘I must buy the Captain as much time as possible.’
‘I don’t need to defeat or kill all of them. I just need to buy time for him to escape!’
The three shared the same thought.
Dokgo Myeong had already reached his limit.
If the Black Bloodfiend intervened, Dokgo Myeong would have no choice but to engage. Before that moment came, they had to buy time so he could conserve every ounce of strength.
Clang! Clash-clash-clash!
The metallic cacophony rang out deafeningly.
In an instant, Namgung Sohwa planted her feet firmly and thrust her sword forward with tremendous force.
“Haaah!”
Clang-clang-clang!
Three swords flew back from the impact. Immediately, Namgung Sohwa pressed her back against Cheolmu-baek’s and spun, switching positions.
Now Cheolmu-baek faced enemies with wide openings exposed.
By then, his iron axe was already swinging with a tremendous roar.
Boom!
“Cough!”
One Captain threw himself into the path of the blow, minimizing the damage.
He caught one, but as Cheolmu-baek swung his axe in a wide arc, an opening appeared and another enemy rushed at him.
“Move!”
This time, Dokgo Ak slashed his sword from Cheolmu-baek’s flank.
The blade of the Dokgo Family’s Eight Heavenly Divine Technique and Single Yang Divine Sword cleaved through all the blood acupoints.
Crash!
The two captains who had been waiting for an opening staggered backward.
“Gasp, huff!”
“The flank! Again!”
Clang!
Namgung Sohwa deflected the opponent’s blade and shouted.
The movements of the three flowed together as smoothly as water.
How many times had they fought together like this?
It mattered little that they had mastered martial arts of different natures. The three of them faced the captains without hesitation, even as they seemed to be pushed back.
But just as two hands cannot hold back a wave, three people could not stop all ten captains.
Whoosh!
With the three managers backing against each other, four captains charged toward Dokgo Myeong.
“Hah!”
Dokgo Myeong began to move his steel sword.
Boom!
As he deflected one curved blade, hidden weapons flew in from the side.
Some he blocked with the Silver Han Wall, others he evaded with the Thousand Net Flowing Step.
Whoosh!
Two spears thrust toward both his flanks.
A perfectly coordinated attack. Impossible to evade.
“Hah!”
Boom! Crack!
Dokgo Myeong stamped his foot and swung his steel sword in a great arc.
Clang clang clang clang!
All the weapons that had been striking down were deflected away, giving him a moment of breathing room.
Dokgo Myeong’s steel sword began to move again.
Clang! Clang clang!
The two captains in front were pushed back.
Dokgo Myeong rushed forward, smoothly pushing off the ground, his entire body flashing with the white radiance of the Hui Cheon Technique.
“…!”
The captain about to swing his spear was startled as Dokgo Myeong approached right before his eyes.
Whether his strength had waned or not, the trajectory of Dokgo Myeong’s attacks was clearly visible.
Yet it only appeared visible. No matter how he tried to respond, he felt he could not block it.
And that moment of hesitation cost him his life.
Crash!
The captain with his sternum caved in collapsed, spitting blood.
Crack!
Dokgo Myeong stomped on the opponent’s neck, ensuring death, then opened his mouth.
“One down.”
Everyone held their breath.
The captains faltered at the piercing aura emanating from his low, gravelly voice.
‘Does he think they still won’t come?’
The Black Bloodfiend remained motionless, having sent only the captains forward.
Was he being cautious even with a fish already caught? Or did he plan to let his guard down before capturing them completely?
‘It doesn’t matter.’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed.
They had come as far as they could come anyway.
Now he simply had to continue doing his absolute best.
Dokgo Myeong began swinging his steel sword once more.
Boom!
In that instant, one captain was suddenly hurled through the air and crashed to the ground.
His vision darkened for a moment, then as consciousness returned, a blade was already rushing toward his face.
Slash! Crack!
He thrust his forearm wrapped in dragon scales forward to avoid being cut. Yet an ominous sound came from his forearm—strangely, he felt no pain.
No, now that he thought about it, he couldn’t feel the surrounding sounds either, let alone pain.
Dokgo Myeong was consumed in a state of oblivion, absorbed entirely in swinging his heavy steel sword.
“….”
As every limit of his vital energy was reached, he could only focus on executing martial arts with minimal movement.
As he continued swinging, an intense mental image gradually carved itself into his mind. The points, lines, and surfaces that all his martial techniques had drawn thus far began mixing together in every direction.
Then at some moment, the attacks of the captains thrusting in from all sides suddenly became crystal clear to his eyes.
A strange thought suddenly occurred to him.
‘Why do they have so much excess?’
Martial arts were not meant to be executed that way.
The essence of martial arts was ultimately not about executing techniques perfectly, but about perfectly defeating one’s opponent, was it not?
Then shouldn’t it be done like this instead?
Whoosh!
Dokgo Myeong drove his foot deep into the ground.
Immediately after, a strike entirely different from all before was unleashed.
Shatter!
“…!”
“Ugh!”
Three captains flew through the air without a chance to react, tumbling across the ground.
Dokgo Myeong let out a short exclamation, then fixed his gaze on the Black Bloodfiend who had remained still all this time.
“It seems today is not the day I die, Black Bloodfiend.”

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