Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 347

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 347
The Pacheonggun was composed of the Four Heavenly Kings, who were the leaders of each of the four great divisions, the Natchal Kings who served as their practical representatives, Natchals of Great Naja rank, and common soldiers at the bottom.
However, within the Eastern Heavenly Division existed one who possessed authority comparable to the Four Heavenly Kings.
A candidate for the position of Heavenly King who had failed in the refinement of divine martial arts—the Great Naja.
“Is the Left Army pursuing us?”
“Yes, they are in pursuit.”
“Too slow. We accelerate further.”
“But we were ordered to maintain distance from the enemy….”
“If we pull away, those fools will panic and close the gap faster. Make that known.”
“Yes. Understood, Great Naja.”
In the absence of the Heavenly Kings, only the Great Naja could lead the Pacheonggun. It took but an instant for his orders to cascade down to the entire force.
Boom boom boom boom!
The Pacheonggun in their gray armor simultaneously increased their pace.
No intermediate commanders were needed in this situation. The way they moved as one body was so perfectly coordinated it resembled a swarm of bees or ants.
“There! Beyond that hill you see ahead. Once we pass the hill, a narrow passage awaits—shaped like a bottle neck, constricted in the middle.”
“What is the distance to the enemy?”
“It continues to narrow.”
“Good. We pass through as planned, seal it off, and the moment the signal comes, we reverse and slaughter every last one of them.”
Tssss tssss!
An ominous aura spread from the Great Naja’s entire body.
The vital energies of the surrounding Pacheonggun soldiers and Natchals resonated with that aura, raising a fierce military spirit.
Thus the Pacheonggun rushed swiftly toward their objective.
Just as the final hill came into view.
Whoooosh!
Suddenly, an ominous aura swept in along with a mountain wind.
The Great Naja shouted urgently.
“Ambush! All units, assume battle formation!”
“All units, battle formation! Draw weapons!”
In an instant, the aura of the Pacheonggun transformed.
And at that moment, a figure appeared from beyond the hill.
‘A master! And an extraordinary one at that!’
Threatening energy surged forth in waves.
Behind that master, a small unit was hurling themselves forward as if in support.
Shing!
The Great Naja drew a broad and lengthy general’s sword and shouted.
“Eastern Heaven, follow me! I will pierce through these enemies blocking the path of our main force in one breath!”
Boom boom boom boom boom!
The demonic Natchals of the Eastern Heaven charged forward in unison with the command.
“Reveal your name! What manner of wretch are you!”
In that instant, a black robe fluttered.
The Great Naja’s eyes widened.
‘That spear technique… could it be?’
The assailant, Dokgo Myeong, did not answer.
I simply grasped the two Hyeonchul swords I had prepared in advance, one in each hand, and fully deployed my Cheonoe Spirit Formation.
Uuuuung! Kwaaaaaang!
The front line crumbled under the slashes of my two Hyeonchul swords.
Could that even be called a slash? The soldiers of Dongcheon’s army, who had been rushing forward as if swept away by a raging river, tumbled and scattered in all directions.
‘A monster…!’
Did such a realm of martial arts exist in this world?
“Dokgo Myeong! Your opponent is me!”
The Great Naja’s shock was brief before he roared out.
If left unchecked, he would inflict catastrophic damage in mere moments. The Great Naja immediately rushed toward me.
Kwaaang!
“Kugh!”
A groan burst from the Great Naja’s mouth as he collided with me.
The tremendous sword force shook his wrists and elbow joints. Had he not gripped his blade firmly, his hands would have been torn apart by the impact.
“Cheonma Sect Leader! Why are you here!”
“And what brings you all rushing about in such haste? Have you hidden away some treasure somewhere?”
Whoosh!
My dual Hyeonchul swords came crashing down.
“Kuh!”
Clang! Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
Countless attacks poured forth, and even the Great Naja himself wondered how he was managing to block them.
Impossibly fast. At such speed, one would expect the power to diminish, yet that speed translated entirely into destructive force.
‘I must turn the momentum to my side. If I yield the initiative to this one’s martial arts, it will become unstoppable!’
Indeed, the Great Naja possessed the discernment befitting a commander of soldiers. He quickly identified the weakness in my newly developing martial techniques.
“Kraaaah!”
Kwang!
The Great Naja suddenly unleashed a powerful strike with all his might.
Screeeech!
I was pushed backward, sliding across the ground.
The Great Naja immediately shifted his footwork to the side and thrust his blade forward.
Kwaaang!
My body wavered. The Great Naja’s eyes gleamed.
‘I’ve got him!’
Just as he was about to follow up with the next strike, the Great Naja saw my eyes beyond the scattering explosions.
Shiver!
A chill ran down his spine at the brilliant gaze in my eyes, bearing no trace of internal injury.
‘This one is unharmed!’
The Great Naja chose a retreating footwork instead of an advancing one.
Whoosh! Crash!
Wind erupted before my eyes.
The Hyeonchul Twin Blades. They were wielded with power no different from before.
“You dodged that?”
Dokgo Myeong spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and grinned wickedly.
Rumble!
A thick barrier of inner energy began gathering at the struck flank.
Gathering meant it had been pierced through.
But Dokgo Myeong’s barrier was not merely inner energy.
‘That robe!’
The Dragon Scale Robe of the Jeolse Divine—the absolute martial treasure that enabled Dokgo Myeong’s reckless fighting style.
Crack!
In an instant, Dokgo Myeong charged forward with a surprise attack.
Boom! Crash!
Dongcheon Wang flicked away the left blade.
But even if one strike was blocked, the Hyeonchul Blade was now two swords.
Thud!
Unable to block the second strike, his upper body snapped backward.
‘His leg strength has grown even more formidable.’
With each swing, the layered sword waves accumulated, and the enlightenment of the Wuji Heavenly Wave Scripture was now woven into every movement.
Moreover, Dokgo Myeong was not merely contending with the Great Naja.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Crash! Splinter!
Dokgo Myeong stamped his foot and swung his twin blades without even looking.
“Ugh!”
“Gasp!”
Three soldiers from Dongcheon’s army who were trying to slip away from the flank met their end.
Leaving the Great Naja behind, Dokgo Myeong charged at the Pacheonggun soldiers.
Boom! Crash!
With thunderous sounds, the soldiers fell helplessly.
Clear fury blazed in the Great Naja’s eyes.
“…You!”
To have the leisure to pay attention elsewhere while facing him—there was no greater humiliation.
“Wretch! I’ll end you!”
He roared and unleashed the sword force of the Dongcheon Divine Blade.
A single strike aimed at Dokgo Myeong’s back.
But at that moment.
Screech! Boom!
A blue true energy approached at terrifying speed and wedged itself between the two.
“Remember that I just saved your life!”
“I let you have it knowing you’d come anyway.”
“Either way!”
Namgung Sohwa had joined the fray.
She planted her feet firmly.
Kwang!
The ground erupted with explosive force.
Her raven-black hair billowed wildly as a brilliant blue blade aura burst forth with her draw.
It was the Heavenly Sword of Unobstructed Creation—a sword path that could no longer be called an incomplete technique.
Kwang-kwang!
The Great Naja’s attack was blocked amid the deafening crash.
“Woman! Don’t interfere!”
“If you don’t want to get beaten by this woman, shut your mouth!”
Whoosh! Clang-clang-clang-clang!
Two blades tangled, scattering countless sparks.
Screech!
A section of Namgung Sohwa’s black-scaled armor shattered. She was clearly a step behind in terms of matched strength.
Yet something was peculiar.
It seemed like I could crush her in a single move, but her center of gravity was so perfectly balanced that breaking through wasn’t easy.
Moreover.
“Cheonma Sect! Target the neck and heart! Even if you strike the arms or legs, assume it will move and press the advantage!”
“Don’t let your guard down! Follow my lead!”
The Cheonma Sect disciples had joined in, and Dokgo Myeong, having left the Great Naja to Namgung Sohwa, had already plunged into our formation and was sweeping through Pacheonggun’s ranks.
The Great Naja shouted urgently.
“Spread the wings and encircle them! The enemies are few in number!”
It was a timely command.
In an instant, Pacheonggun’s front lines, shaken by Dokgo Myeong and the Cheonma Sect disciples, spread wide to both sides and began surrounding the enemy.
“Great Naja, we shall join the battle. We cannot miss this golden opportunity.”
“We will assist.”
And at that moment, the subordinate Natchals positioned throughout the formation joined in as well.
“…A combined assault.”
Namgung Sohwa’s expression grew slightly troubled.
Regardless, the Great Naja charged at Namgung Sohwa alongside three Natchals.
Boom! Bang!
Namgung Sohwa’s blade wavered under the killing edge of the Dongcheon Ten Swords—the Pillar of Heaven technique—wielded with full force.
Immediately after, the Natchals burst forth from left and right, their combined assault driving her back step by step.
“Ugh!”
Drip.
Blood trickled from the corner of Namgung Sohwa’s mouth.
Boom-boom-boom!
As the full battle unfolded, the Cheonma Sect disciples began losing ground rapidly. The chaos from the initial collision lasted barely a moment.
No, with merely dozens of soldiers managing to disrupt the military discipline of this massive army, even for a moment, one could say it was quite an impressive feat.
“It’s true—without Ak and Mu-baek, the attacks lack their usual force.”
Dokgo Myeong deflected two swords flying at him head-on as he spoke.
“This is enough! Sohwa! Fall back!”
Then he laughed sharply and shouted.
“Cheonma Sect! Retreat!”
“…?!”
“Full reversal! Withdraw all forces from the front lines!”
The moment Dokgo Myeong bellowed the command, the Cheonma Sect Disciples unleashed a barrage of sword energy simultaneously, creating distance before launching themselves off the ground.
The Great Naja roared.
“Who dares show their back without permission!”
“That would be me, naturally.”
“…!”
In an instant, Dokgo Myeong, who had been far away, appeared right beside Namgung Sohwa and directly before the Great Naja’s face.
Hwaaaaak!
Namgung Sohwa and Dokgo Myeong swung their blades simultaneously.
“Hup!”
“Danger!”
The Great Naja and the Natchals hastily wielded their weapons in response.
Ching! Clang! Boom!
Namgung Sohwa’s blade and Dokgo Myeong’s left sword were parried.
But the right sword that slipped through swept horizontally across the entire front.
Boom boom boom!
That short blade devastated an area nearly three zhang wide. The tremendous inner force contained within the sword felt as though it amplified the weapon’s reach many times over.
Dokgo Myeong did not stop there.
“Sohwa!”
“Yes!”
Dokgo Myeong combined his twin swords back into a long blade.
Namgung Sohwa, as if she had anticipated this, immediately created distance from Dokgo Myeong.
Kuuuung!</
The heavy resonance that followed shook the air itself.
The Natchals staggered, feeling an inexplicable penetrating force as waves of true energy surged toward them.
Boom boom boom boom!
Dokgo Myeong wielding the Hyeonchul Sword.
Against attacks spreading in all directions, even coordinated assaults were meaningless.
Only the Great Naja could approach Dokgo Myeong, but after unleashing one final barrage of sword energy, he simply fled alongside Namgung Sohwa.
"You rat bastard…!"
Feeling toyed with, the Great Naja's face twisted like crumpled paper.
"Chase them! Right now!"
With that cry, Pacheonggun's forces rushed forward in unison.
Fortunately, the enemies' escape route seemed to align with their original destination. A smile played at the corners of the Great Naja's mouth.
But he failed to notice that this had been a stratagem to lure them in from the very beginning.
"Seok-du! Ye-hwa!"
The moment an unexpected shout rang out, countless figures emerged from the undergrowth on both flanks.
The Great Naja roared.
"Flanks! Ambush! Prepare yourselves!"
Whoosh! Screeeech!
White streaks of light cut through the air.
The Great Naja hastily swung his blade.
Claaang!
The sword bent as though it might snap, and the arrow's trajectory shattered, ricocheting toward the flank.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
One soldier fell dead.
Was this some kind of cannon? The power of the deflected arrow was too tremendous to believe.
Boom boom boom boom!
And starting with that volley, countless bolts rained down upon Pacheonggun's front lines.
The Great Naja shouted.
"Crossbows! Everyone prepare for ranged weapons!"
The Natchals swung their blades to deflect the arrows.
But then—
'What is that?!'
Behind the bolts came something that was not a bolt.
Sizzzzle!
The round object with its fuse burning was unmistakably a thunderbolt grenade. The fragile-looking bottles beside it surely contained poison.
The Great Naja shouted.
"Everyone release your inner energy!"
Immediately after that cry—
Kaboooom!
A violent explosion swept through the passage.
* * *
Whoooosh.
The poisonous smoke cleared, and the shockwave subsided.
The Great Naja opened his mouth urgently.
"Casualties?"
"Minimal, sir!"
The Great Naja nodded silently and gazed forward.
As expected, the Cheonma Sect had already widened the distance considerably.
"Determine how close the enemy's left flank has drawn."
"The enemy vanguard is now coming into view."
"The gap hasn't narrowed much. The battle hasn't lasted long enough."
If we had met them on open ground rather than in this narrow formation, we could have crushed them all.
"The Cheonma Sect will continue their hit-and-run tactics. The moment they appear, encircle and annihilate them. Issue that order."
"Yes!"
"Slow our advance. Maintain distance from the Left Army while moving cautiously, with all sides under watch."
He should not have done that.
It would have been better to accept casualties and ignore the Cheonma Sect.
"The Cheonma Sect! They've appeared again!"
Dokgo Myeong continuously slowed the Pacheonggun's advance, denying the Great Naja any moment to think.
Unfortunately, he lacked the eyes to read the larger strategy, and he never questioned why the Cheonma Sect kept appearing from the front. That became his fatal mistake.
* * *
At that same moment, Dokgo Gun received a carrier pigeon message from the Second and Third Groups.
"It's done."
Dokgo Hye asked.
"What does it say?"
"Preparations are complete."
The very instant the Pacheonggun slowed their advance.
"Form ranks quickly and gather your strength!"
The Second Group, having finally reached the end of the passage, seized the brief opportunity.
"Cut logs while we have time! Let's set up traps!"
The Third Group, having finished their ambush preparations, were now cutting logs to use as traps.
"Hurry! We just need to break through here! We're constructing the encirclement!"
And when the Pacheonggun arrived at the target point.
The Great Naja finally sensed something was wrong.
"…Why haven't the scouts returned?"
By the time he realized it, it was already too late.
The Soldiers blocked from behind, the Second Group from ahead, and the Third Group from the side.
"Now let's begin."
Dokgo Myeong's eyes gleamed as he spoke.
They were already nothing more than rats trapped in a cage.

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