Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 355
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 355
Fwoooosh!
The pale smoke gradually settled.
Two figures came into view. One stood, the other sat.
“Dokgo Myeong, you bastard…”
The one standing was none other than Jimeol Magoon.
But in that instant.
Gush!
Blood poured from Jimeol Magoon’s mouth.
“I was faster, I was faster… Cough! How… I definitely succeeded with the Absorption Technique…”
The cascading blood flowed past lips and jaw crusted with dried blood.
Downward, ever downward the blood streamed, soon drenching his chest.
Thud thud!
There was a deep sword wound carved like a ravine. Blood poured forth in an endless waterfall.
“Yes, you were faster.”
Dokgo Myeong opened his mouth. His voice was calm despite his severely cracked lips.
“But how exactly…”
“I was prepared to die. But it seems you were trying to live.”
Clang!
Dokgo Myeong drove his Hyeonchul Blade into the ground to support himself.
“You who screamed so desperately for death, yet clung to life in your final moment.”
“…!”
Dokgo Myeong slowly straightened his knees, his waist, his neck, and rose to stare at Jimeol Magoon.
In contrast, Jimeol Magoon, who had been standing tall, crumbled to the ground.
Kuuuung!
The fall of the great evil that had lurked beneath the surface shook the earth itself. It was the sound of one of the Jeongheol Sect’s two Demon Generals collapsing, the Demon Army that had thrown the martial world into chaos.
‘This cannot be…”
Jimeol Magoon gazed at the sky with dimming eyes, still denying the situation.
‘I reached him first…”
Trying to live? Yes, that may have slowed him down.
But he had definitely succeeded with the Absorption Technique.
‘Yet in that moment, something strange moved within him and tore me to shreds in reverse.’
That power was not the Heavenly Soul Orb he boasted of so much.
It was a far more sinister and violent force.
Almost like his own…”
Dokgo Myeong opened his mouth once more.
“Jimeol Magoon. I ask you one final time.”
“…What is it?”
“What exactly is the Patcheon Army? And Muyong Tae… what is he truly?”
“You ask me for answers… Cough! You?”
“You don’t have much time left anyway. Stop clinging to this mortal realm and speak your final words before you go.”
That strange sense of déjà vu I felt from the martial techniques described in the documents sent from the main family.
The sense of incongruity I felt from the contents personally written by Saheon Sect Leader.
“Northern Ming Divine Art. Such a technique isn’t created simply by combining multiple martial arts. Especially not by mixing the martial philosophy of the Namgung Family with that of the Moyong Family—there’s no way such a monstrosity could emerge.”
“….”
“What exactly were you Jeongheol disciples testing through the Moyong Family and Muyong Tae?”
Drip, drip.
The blood spilled by Jimeol Magoon pooled on the ground, forming a puddle.
He, who had been staring blankly at the sky, burst into laughter.
“Truly… to entrust the great cause of our sect to such a person… ahhh….”
A long breath escaped—whether an exclamation or a sigh, it was impossible to tell.
In the next moment, his hazy eyes gazing up at Dokgo Myeong suddenly gleamed with clarity.
“How could one ignorant upon this earth comprehend the will of Heaven above…? Indeed, it is only natural not to know.”
“…?”
“How can you move forward looking only ahead, without knowing the source of such formidable power, nor your own destiny…?”
His voice carried a note of envy.
“The martial world should welcome us with open arms… yet to fall to these unenlightened ones… I too am merely….”
“What are you saying? Speak clearly.”
It was then.
Jimeol Magoon’s eyes, which had turned skyward once more, suddenly widened.
“Ah, Musaeng Nomosu. So the answer was not from those upon the earth, but from Heaven descending….”
Light flashed once more in Jimeol Magoon’s eyes.
Was it the final clarity before death? Or something else entirely?
“Heaven did not abandon me. There was indeed a greater purpose in all this. I should have released my afflictions far sooner….”
Jimeol Magoon smiled brightly.
It was such a gentle smile that one could hardly believe it came from someone on the very brink of death.
And in that moment.
“…!”
Dokgo Myeong’s body suddenly froze.
* * *
The Left Army’s assault upon the Patcheon Army was nothing short of overwhelming.
The thousands-strong main force of the Patcheon Army was torn to shreds, and before long, was literally being crushed.
“The formation has collapsed! Third Group, disperse into martial units and push back the enemy!”
“The front line of the Second Group is visible! They’ve completely broken through!”
The momentum the Patcheon Army had regained with the appearance of the Heavenly Kings did not last long. The battle situation now solidified into the Left Army launching a one-sided offensive while the Patcheon Army was helplessly pushed back.
“Die! You mad bastards!”
“It’s not over yet! The Heavenly Kings will grant us victory…!”
“Those Heavenly Kings aren’t even visible now—what nonsense!”
Clang, clang, clang!
Now the Patcheon Army had completely lost any semblance of coordinated movement, with only fragmented small units continuing their futile resistance.
With just another half day of effort, I could annihilate them without losses.
Yet even in such a situation, the Cheonma Sect did not loosen their grip on vigilance.
“Manager Geum. The Patcheon Army will never surrender. We must crush them completely!”
“I saw it too. I’ll dispatch the Cheonma Sect, Manager Namgung!”
“Yes! Understood!”
Moryong Sohgyo took command of the Third Group from the front lines, while Geum Seok-du, his voice hoarse from exertion, bellowed commands with perfect control over his forces.
“Un-rang! We must support the left flank!”
“Yes! First Unit! We follow you, Manager!”
The Cheonma Sect broke formation and charged forward.
In that instant, Geum Seok-du suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and threw himself to the ground.
Whoosh!
A hidden blade thrown by a Patcheon Army soldier who had been feigning death sliced through the empty air. His eyes widened in shock as the blade missed.
Thud!
A martial artist from the Third Group nearby dispatched the enemy and rushed to Geum Seok-du’s side.
“Are you alright!”
“Y-yes, I’m fine! Don’t worry about me—focus on annihilating the enemy! The First Army is waiting for us!”
“Ah, of course! The managers of the Cheonma Sect truly are different!”
The martial artist marveled, but in truth, Geum Seok-du was merely struggling to maintain his composure.
‘Ugh! I’ve aged ten years! That was definitely my ancestors protecting me. How many times is this now? How did I end up in such an unlucky situation…!’
Despite all the changes he’d undergone, Geum Seok-du was naturally timid at heart.
This blood-soaked battlefield was precisely the place he despised most.
But what could he do? Without him, there was no one else who could lead the army as Dokgo Myeong would wish in his stead.
Besides, he hated the thought of merely watching his family fight from the rear—it was as unbearable as death itself.
‘So I must hurry toward the First Army!’
Honestly, he cared nothing for the First Army’s casualties or achievements. His only concern was for the Third and Fourth Units stationed there, and for Dokgo Myeong who had charged ahead.
So he had to annihilate the enemy as quickly as possible and end this battle.
‘Yes, just focus on that! We’ve already won—the Captain will handle everything!’
Then, a resonant voice reached Geum Seok-du’s ears. It was the Martial Arts Alliance Leader commanding the Second Group.
“I am the Martial Arts Alliance Leader commanding the Second Group! Who is commanding the Third Group now!”
The Second Group, which had been blocking the front, finally began their advance, and the front lines became entangled with the Third Group.
“I am! I am commanding it!”
“The Jimeol Magoon is nowhere to be seen!”
“Our manager is currently rescuing him! The Jimeol Magoon entrusted military command to the Cheonma Sect Leader, and I subsequently received command of the Third Group from the Cheonma Sect Leader!”
In truth, Geum Seok-du taking command was absurd.
He was not even a direct descendant—merely a martial artist belonging to one unit, and only a manager at that.
The Martial Arts Alliance Leader could easily have raised objections.
But instead, his face flushed with excitement as he cried out.
“Then that valiant advance of the Third Group is your achievement! I watched your Cheonma Sect’s exploits clearly from afar!”
Amid the sound of weapons clashing from all directions, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader gazed at the Cheonma Sect managers with gleaming eyes.
‘These ones will stand at the very forefront of the main family in this era!’
Geum Seok-du darted in all directions, commanding the Third Group.
Namgung Sohwa led the Cheonma Sect, fighting with unwavering resolve.
Even Ye-hwa supported their forces with her divine archery of tremendous power.
Witnessing the struggles of these young warriors, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader felt the flames in his chest—which he thought had long extinguished—reignite with fierce intensity.
“The Third Group has suffered heavy casualties. Please fall back for now! The Second Group shall take the vanguard!”
“We are grateful for your support!”
“Let us combine our strength and annihilate the enemy as swiftly as possible, then rush to support the First Group!”
“We share your sentiment! Let us make haste!”
Thus, Geum Seok-du finally managed to relinquish his burden of responsibility and breathe a sigh of relief.
With the Second Group joining the Third Group, the end was now in sight.
‘If nothing goes wrong from here, it’s over! There are no more variables!’
As long as the members of the Cheonma Sect with the First Group remained intact, that was all that mattered.
But why did he feel so…
‘…uneasy?’
Ever since Dokgo Myeong and Hoa had rushed out together, Geum Seok-du could not shake the anxiety that had persisted within him.
That was when it happened.
“Manager Geum!”
“Ye-hwa! What of the Jimeol Magoon?”
“His injuries are severe! We must show him to a physician at once!”
“Yes, fall back to the rear. Quickly…”
“That’s not the problem!”
Ye-hwa suddenly cried out sharply. It was an urgent tone rarely heard from her.
“The enemy…!”
“…?”
“The enemy appears to be approaching!”
“Enemy? What enemy? The Patcheon Army is all dead, and the First Group is now…”
In that instant, Geum Seok-du felt every hair on his body stand on end.
Trembling seized him.
Beyond his hands shaking, his entire body quivered, and cold sweat poured down like rain.
‘This… this is…’
It was entirely different from when he had sensed Jimeol Magoon’s trap.
Then, he had instinctively grasped that it was a scheme laid by the opponent and felt a sense of crisis. But now…
‘The feeling of being unable to escape a trap that has already been sprung.’
Blood vessels bulged in Geum Seok-du’s eyes.
There was one thing they had overlooked—something so massive that he could not fathom why they had forgotten it.
“No!”
Geum Seok-du let out a scream.
* * *
At that very moment.
At the frontmost line of the Dokgo Family’s main force, which had pushed back the enemy’s flank and was now engaged in fierce combat in Sohung.
Thud-thud-thud!
Wisps of pale smoke drifted across a space so devastated that one could scarcely believe it had been wrought by human combat.
“Cough!”
From within the enormous crater gouged into the ground, Dokgo Un-hak spewed blood.
“Muyong Tae… you truly possess swordsmanship worthy of confidence.”
Geom Wang Dokgo Un-hak bore hideous sword wounds across his shoulder and abdomen.
“…”
Yet the Moyong Family Patriarch Muyong Tae facing him showed no visible wounds of consequence.
Only half of his blackened blade had snapped clean away, and his complexion had turned deathly pale.
Dokgo Un-hak glared at him and spoke with a growl.
“But do you possess the right to speak of divine technique and perfected mastery? Combined assault at the final moment… does this not shame you as a swordsman?”
Dokgo Un-hak’s gaze turned toward Muyong Tae’s side.
There stood Mumeong, the Jeokcheongseomdae Master, his right ear and arm severed.
In that final clash.
Mumeong had suddenly appeared from nowhere, pulling Muyong Tae backward while offering one arm as the price for inflicting a wound upon Dokgo Un-hak’s abdomen.
“It was not my intention.”
“A pathetic excuse.”
Dokgo Un-hak straightened his waist.
Then, without warning, he burst into hearty laughter, his eyes blazing with light.
“But this is the Main Family’s victory.”
Soon the dust cleared, revealing the surrounding landscape.
“Waaaaaaaa!”
“Drive back the enemies!”
“Victory is within reach!”
The elite forces of the Dokgo Family surged forward like a tidal wave.
The victor of this fierce battle was ultimately the Dokgo Family.
“I was deceived.”
Muyong Tae muttered.
Dokgo Un-hak sneered at him.
“You placed your faith in them?”
“I had no faith. I merely believed they would not abandon me.”
“That is faith. Your eyes have been blinded by gazing into darkness for too long. A Family Patriarch is a fool beyond measure.”
The reason the Moyong Family’s forces suffered such a pathetic defeat.
It was none other than the promised reinforcements from the Jeongheol Sect that never arrived.
“The Grand General and the Jeongheol disciples… they abandoned you and the Moyong Family.”
Dokgo Un-hak’s words pierced Muyong Tae like a sharpened blade.
It was true.
The Grand General and the Jeongheol Sect reinforcements he commanded, whom he had believed would surely appear, showed not even a trace.
‘Now that I think of it, they only ever hinted at their presence, never showing themselves once since the war began.’
He had only witnessed traces of movement near the main camp.
But why had I believed he would send reinforcements?
“….”
Muyong Tae gazed at something with eyes as dark and inscrutable as the void itself.
Flap!
The Moyong Family’s banner lay torn and trampled into rags, while the Dokgo Family’s black dragon flag fluttered as if it might ascend to the heavens at any moment.
Yet witnessing this sight, Muyong Tae felt nothing. He could not even recall what final emotion had set his blood ablaze.
His heart was as hollow and empty as his eyes.
“I shall return to the family.”
Muyong Tae turned away.
He could have finished Dokgo Un-hak, but he felt no need to do so.
“Do you think I will let you go?”
Dokgo Un-hak asked, but Muyong Tae merely glanced at him before launching himself off the ground in an instant.
Whoosh!
In the place where Muyong Tae had departed.
Someone came rushing urgently.
“Outer Hall Master!”
“…I am the Chairman. Not the Outer Hall Master.”
“I, such rudeness….”
“Cough! Cough! This accursed… In a life-or-death duel after so long, my blood burned so fiercely I failed to guard against a sneak attack. What a pathetic state I, Dokgo Un-hak, have fallen into.”
Dokgo Un-hak laughed bitterly while clutching his abdomen, from which blood was slowly seeping.
“Allow me to support you! Please, lean on me!”
“Before that.”
Grip!
Dokgo Un-hak grasped the arm reaching to support him with rough strength and spoke.
“Order all forces to move westward immediately!”
“Westward, you say?”
“The Grand General and the Jeongheol Disciples have headed in that direction!”
* * *
A man of the Seonpung Dogo.
Long beard, eyes brimming with profundity, silver-streaked hair fluttering in the wind.
Lightly.
As if a celestial immortal had descended from the heavens to the mortal realm, he descended gracefully through the sky and touched his feet to the ground.
How could one forget that face.
“Grand General…!”
Dokgo Myeong called out to him.
The foremost of the Samdae Magoon and the master of the Left and Right Magoon.
The one whom the Jeongheol Disciples revered to the heavens—the Heavenly Immortal Demon Venerable.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————