Book 21 Chapter 17

The golden dawn shines

-Birthright

The stone flew from Yan Bi's hand like an arrow, hitting Bai Xiaochun squarely in the empty right eye.

Keeeeeeeeee!

Enraged, Bai Xiaochun let out a terrifying roar and whipped his head around, red blood dripping from his eyeless eye, and his remaining red pupil glared straight at Yeomdo, burning with hostility.

"Oops!

Yun Bi broke out in a cold sweat. His hand had moved of its own accord, but touching Bai Qiao in this situation was a huge mistake. He glanced over and saw that Lin had turned into a stone pillar behind him.

At that moment, Bai Qiao suddenly leaped into the sky. It was such a powerful leap that it wouldn't be out of place to say he soared.

"Blood, dodge!"

Yan Bi picked up Lin and quickly flew to the side. In one swift motion, the gills of the Bai Xiaochun that had flown up landed on the spot where Lin had just been. The ground cracked, and dirt kicked up as the tree next to him tilted at the roots. If he hadn't dodged immediately, he would have been crushed before he could be swallowed.

"Rin, are you okay?"

Looking back at Lin for a moment, Bai Qiao stomped the ground again.

"Ugh!"

Yun Bi wrapped his arms around Lin in a panic, not expecting a man of his size to be so nimble in the bushes and attack in quick succession.

"Ouch!!!"

A pitiful scream came out of nowhere. Without a moment to think about it, Yunbi launched herself backward. He shoved Rin into a rocky crevice in the bushes, then raced forward again.

Yun Fei stood on the border of the clearing and the bush. The dense foliage was still a bit more favorable for blocking Bai Xiaochun's attacks, but if she wanted to protect Lin, she'd have to fight her way through.

"ugh……."

Yun Bi struggled to suppress his cursing as he looked at Bai Qiao. It wasn't just because the number of Bai Ning on the ground had eventually doubled. It was because he saw the sentry's head and right arm sticking out of Bai Kyo's gaping maw.

It wasn't until he saw the flute on the ground that Yun Bi realized why Bai Qiao hadn't attacked them immediately. Perhaps the moment the flute was blown, the guard had been killed by Bai Xiaochun instead. While he was getting Lin to safety, Bai Qiao had been eating people. His father, Bai Ning, who had encouraged him to take the risk, had probably lost his life in the process.

The one-eyed Bai Xiaochun glared mockingly at Yunfei with one eye, completely consuming the guard. A quick calculation flashed through Yun Che's mind.

"You've made contact, right? Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

But before the Yeonbi could do its thing, the Jets were flying.

Boom!

With a heavy wind noise, Bai Xiaochun's tail, as long as an adult's waist, flew at Yunfei like a whip. Yan Bi stiffened as she tried to dodge with her body. Any further backward movement would put Lin in danger.

Yun Fei hastily crossed his hands and brought them to the short circuit. He was going to catch Bai Xiaochun's tail with his whole body as it flew up from below.

"Crack!"

Yunbi's body soared into the air like a broken kite.

"Yeonbi!"

Rin's screams erupted from the back.

Something resembling a smile tugged at the corners of Bai Xiaochun's mouth. Bai Xiaochun was already halfway to becoming a demon. His special move, a reversal that had killed countless enemies, was a proud tail kick that could snap a beautiful tree in a single blow. If only she could speak, she would have shouted out a plausible name for this move every time she used it," Bai Xiaochun licked the corner of her mouth with her red tongue.

This time, however, the prey was quite persistent.

Fuel, who was about to get his back impaled on a branch, suddenly flipped his sentence, kicking the tree and falling to the ground.

Kwagagak!

He landed in an imperfect position, sending up a cloud of dirt. One of Yunbi's knees was now bent.

"Ew!"

Yunbi spat out a handful of blood from her mouth.

'Even though I've thrown myself at it, I still can't quite get it out.

I felt like I was about to be gutted. If it weren't for the puppet's strength, they would have been a mess in his stomach. Fortunately, his hands had been trained with lightning water, and the blow hadn't done much to his arms.

"Well, I'll just have to hang in there!

There was nowhere to retreat, but it was also dangerous to play defense.

'I'm sure there are some techniques that could be useful, even if they're incomplete. Then I remembered my master's prescription for times like these: …….'

"Unfinished, to say nothing of your accomplishments! By the way, apprentice, I don't know where you've been eating, but you've gotten a lot better over the past year."

I'm sure you started out saying something like this, but as a disciple's achievements increase, you usually think, "Oh, this guy has been practicing the Bone Chain God hard," right?

"Do you really want me to make you a Bone Shattering God? You've picked up all sorts of things, and yet you're still in the Boundary of Night, this master can't help but lament his disciple's incompetence."

I don't want to give you a creepy look when I say this.

"In any case, this master will extend the same grace as Hahai and give you the most important prescription at this point."

Ah, yes. The Master's prescription, delivered with a glow.

"Don't mess with a guy who's even a little bit strong."

Chorus!

He stretched out his arms, and eight vidos were held in his hands.

"A fool's liver swells with skill, but a fool's head is always the first to fall. If you have to bump into him, run like hell!"

"Damn it, I can't get away already!

Again, there was no prescription.

At this point, you're left with no choice but to go all out against the enemy in a life-or-death battle.

Flying sword misunderstanding.

A chapter in the Book of Superlatives.

Thunderstorm (八雷亂舞).

Eight streaks of light stretched out from Yun Che's sleeve and flew toward Bai Xiaochun in a dazzling array of colors, but Bai Xiaochun stood still, as if mocking the dozens of changes that had taken place.

Pachachang!

Yanbian's brilliant technique, shattered by the absurdly powerful and ignorant Scales, has come to naught. The purpose of the weeds was to disrupt the opponent's vision so that they could neither dodge nor block an attack. It was a pointless waste of power in the face of an opponent who was only too happy to oblige.

Baekyo flicked his tongue at Yeonbi as if he were trying to get a high.

"Okay, so you've recently learned that…….

I figured that would be enough to win, even if it was incomplete.

Flying sword misunderstanding.

Chapter of the Luminous Clouds.

Lingguang River Valley (雷光流河曲).

Yan Fei's ten fingers moved in a frenzied manner, as if an excited musician was playing gold. Ten bolts of lightning shot out from his fingertips and flew at Bai Xiaochun like living creatures. The lightning bolts struck Bai Xiaochun's body again and bounced back, but that was already expected.

Yunfei's fingers once again ran over the brain dead. The lightning bolt that had bounced off with the slightest movement changed trajectory once more and shot out.

"I'll take ten shots and there's not a tree I don't hit!

However, Bai Xiaochun did not fall after being struck ten times. The ten bolts of lightning struck and bounced back, gradually weakening in power.

"If so!

Even creatures with the toughest scales have weaknesses. Eyes, for example, and a mouth.

Their targets were modified to the eyes and mouth. But Bai Xiaochun was ready for this, and the five swords aimed at his eyes bounced off his eyelids and head in all directions. The remaining five aimed at the mouth were even worse. Three of them bounced off, and two were unexpectedly caught in Angdamun's teeth.

How many beasts of prey have been turned into side dishes by these techniques, against whom they have never worked. It was a humiliation like no other.

"Listen up, don't get yourself in trouble and then regret it."

At this point, I have to admit, I'm reminded of my mentor's advice.

"Skill without strength is mere finesse, and I prophesy, if you don't cultivate strength in advance, the day will come when your finesse will get the better of you."

Indeed, it was.

I found it deeply offensive that he made such an ominous statement in such a matter-of-fact way, only to have it come together so nicely.

'It's a shame, because I've been working on my strength since then…….'

Most terrifying of all, the Master's prophecy was the result of a moment-by-moment calculation of the variables of reality. How could anyone but a fool dismiss the future as inevitable if they stayed the same?

No matter how dizzying Bidou's flying was, it was clear that Bai Qiao had the upper hand. If he stopped attacking for even a moment, she would pounce. It was clear that this was going to be an increasingly unfavorable battle of strength.

"No way, I can't let this snake charmer get away with this!

Yeonbi is a bitter pill to swallow.

Day in and day out, cooking, dressing up, scrounging for money, chopping firewood with sweaty hands, doing laundry with that damned ignorant bat, running up and down rugged mountain peaks in search of cold water, wearing bracelets and anklets… What have I been putting up with all these years?

I'm weak, and I've been trying to get stronger and stronger, but a humiliating crisis like this, in a place like this, can't happen!

"I can't spend the rest of my life working under that damn master!

Yeonbi finally made a decision.

"Eh, let's hang them all at once!

Tudu tudu tudu!

All four bracelets I was wearing fell off.

"No power! This is a restraint, a protection. Remember that. If you release it and use your power, your body, which is still growing, will not be able to withstand it."

I knew that. But at this rate, I'd just melt in Bai Xiaochun's belly. He had no choice. He stepped back, only to find the Thousand Roads Cliffs welcoming him with open arms.

A non-lethal sword, solitary mind method.

Righteousness of the spirit (靈絲心訣).

Trigger.

Morning Star (黎明闡眼).

Just as the darkness faded into the dawn, the black shadows were quickly lifted from Yanbian's eyes, which were like a sepulchre. His golden eyes shone like the morning sun.

The scattered strands of his mind were gathered into a single thread, twisted into a single strand like thread on a spinning wheel, the tip of which was sharpened like the point of an awl. The concentrated mind commanded the nerves and muscles of the entire body with absolute control. Potential that the average human would never use in a lifetime was being awakened from the depths of oblivion.

Chorus!

Only two non-lightning bolts, one in each hand, were caught in Yunbi's hands.

The problem wasn't numbers, it was penetration. I needed absolute, pure power to penetrate those hard scales. Yeonbi eliminated all variation and began to gather the scattered forces into a single stream.

Flying sword misunderstanding.

Chapter of the Sword Lightning Death.

Oblique (衝角).

Now that Consulship has been triggered, you only have one chance. There are no second chances.

He thought of all sorts of hateful things. The axe that abused his shoulder, the ignorant clothespin, the tiresome necklace that cost him nothing but a penny, and a host of other horrible things. Behind him, the ultimate culprit, his master, grinned sinisterly. Yun Fei had replaced the Master in the seat of the Hundred Teachers, and he was deeply, deeply angry.

"Twin Thunderbolts!"

The essence of all power was condensed into the two swords. Every muscle in his body, centered on his left hand, squeezed to the limit.

Ssshhhhhhhhhh!

Like lightning falling from the sky, a bolt of brain electricity shot toward Bai Xiaochun's brow at a terrifying speed.

"Boom!"

Fuel groaned at the muscle-tearing impact. The control of his mind was exceeding the endurance of his body, but he was prepared for this much recoil.

Bai Xiaochun swung his tail wildly at the lightning bolt, but this time he was not spared. The sword flew at breakneck speed, piercing through the white scales and embedding itself in Bai Xiaochun's body.

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

Bai Kyo's tongue clucked in agony, and he flinched. Her gaping maw was still open.

The opportunity he'd been waiting for had arrived. Yeonbi's eyes flashed gold and he fired a second lightning bolt.

"Garrat!"

The blow with all his might became a single stroke of electricity that was sucked into Bai Xiaochun's mouth.

Kaaaaaahhh!!!

Bai Xiaochun twitched, letting out a strange sound from the depths of her gaping mouth. Not wanting to follow in her mother's footsteps, Yeonbi immediately flew backwards to avoid it.

I heard a dull crash in front of me. I felt the slightest vibration of the ground through my knees.

'Is he down…….'

Your eyes flutter shut as you relax. The taut cords of nerves loosened, and bones and muscles throughout his body screamed and creaked. Some seemed to have already ruptured. The Yeonbi slumped to the floor.

It was a short battle, less than half an hour at most, and if it had lasted longer, there would not have been a bone in my body.

"Hey, Yeonbi, are you okay?"

Lin, who had been hiding in the rocks, rushed up from behind. Yun Fei blinked, coming to his senses. His eyes had already returned to their normal color.

"Oooh… that was a bit of a stretch, but I'm okay. What about you, Rin?"

A throaty pain ran through his limbs, but he gritted his teeth and held on.

"That's fine."

Lin was pale and exhausted, unable to cry or laugh. The trees blocked Lin's view from the rocky outcropping where she was hiding. With her back to him, she couldn't see exactly how he'd knocked her down.

But the grown-ups could tell the important stuff from the outlines and movements. Yunbi had been blown away by the tail, Bai Ning was dead, and the guard had been eaten.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to go back, so you all have to go to……."

Tears formed in Lin's eyes. She felt as if the terrible disaster was all her fault.

"You're so nice, Rin. If it were me, I'd be mad at you for throwing that rock. I'm sorry."

Yeonbi smiled bitterly.

"I thought you were trying to save her."

"Yes, but… Oh, come to think of it, I wonder if the little white ducks are okay. Should I come with you, now that the white church is down?"

The Yeonbi grunted and slowly pulled itself up. For a moment, I thought I was going to choke.

Yunbi brought the entire nest down, watching the stars twinkle before her eyes. Looking into the nest, Lin's eyes filled with tears again.

Only one of them was waiting for them inside the lily's nest. The other three were all helpless and losing warmth. Yunfei sighed bitterly.

"I was so desperate that……."

The one that was barely twitching was also precarious enough that I wouldn't be surprised if it died at any moment; if I left it alone, it would go cold in less than a day.

"It's going to be hard, but we're going to have to take him and raise him, right?"

Lin nodded hastily. She laid the straw from the nest on a handkerchief and gently wrapped the young bird in it.

"Well, good luck with that, I'm sure you'll be able to raise Lean."

"Lol, me?"

As she nonchalantly took the wrapped bird from Yanbi, Rin panicked.

"Sure. It's risky for me to take it on, I'll have to keep her warm for a while, and I'm away from home every day making money."

"That, that……."

"There's only one person I can trust, Lin, and don't you want to see her grow up to be just like her mom and dad, Baek Nyeung, and cut through the sky in style?"

"……."

Lin looked to the side where the two lilies were separated. Her heart sank and she remembered the image of the lily in the sky.

"Okay, but the Yeonbi, can we… can we bury it?"

Yeonbi was a liability. I was so overexerted that my hands and feet were now shaking. I could barely stand, but at least people were arriving.

"Except for one guy, of course."

"What?"

Yeonbi smirked at Lin, who wondered what he was talking about.

"I mean him, because he's big and ignorant and the cause of this tragedy."

As I grumbled and glanced behind me, I could feel Bai Xiaochun's empty scales twitching slightly.

"What? No way!"

Suddenly, Bai Xiaochun's eyes flashed open and he leapt to his feet. Apparently, she had been awake since earlier, waiting for her last chance.

Tsk tsk……!

Bai Xiaochun flew out, making a grotesque sound like he had been punctured in the gut.

"Huh, dodge!"

I quickly shoved Lin away. I saw Rin fall backwards.

Quack!

His back burned for a moment. Bai Xiaochun's poisonous teeth had scratched my back. He felt a searing pain, and his body instantly went numb.

'毒(毒)…….'

The Yeonbi mentality was quickly becoming paralyzed.

'My master said that the poison of the white religion is hard to find an antidote for…….'

-Yeonbi, Yeonbi!

A faint sobbing voice came from somewhere.

-Crack!!!

As I plummeted into the abyss, I heard the screams of Yeonbi becoming more and more distant.

'Oh, it's Lean's scream. Come on, you have to wake up…….'

But you can't feel your hands or feet. Even the sound of my heart is fading.

-You idiot, stop being so stupid!

I can hear my master's curses from the bottom of the abyss.

"Shut up, you're swearing at a soon-to-be-dead disciple!

I wish I had a better defense, but I'm already speechless. I can't even think straight anymore.

With my mind racing, Yeonbi was the last thing on my mind.

'Oh, if I'm ever reborn, I'm going to make sure to kill it.'

The total darkness ate away at Yeonbi's mind and body.