Martial Artist Lee Gwak - Chapter 7: The Turning Point of Fate Comes Without Warning (1)

Light Novel: Volume 1 Chapter 7

Manhwa: Chapter 9-11

Episode 3. The Turning Point of Fate Comes Without Warning (1)

At the Celestial Demon Union, Gwan Il-hyeon was called the Blood Wheel Demon Sword.¹ Like his nickname, his sword boasted murderous power capable of spraying and scattering blood, like a revolving cartwheel.

Up until now, there was no one he failed to kill once he deployed his sword technique. That’s why everyone feared him, for once he unleashed his sword, it was sure to take someone’s life.

He was a being who instilled fear in everyone, never a being who felt fear of someone else. That’s why he thought he was incapable of feeling fear.

But now that he had come face-to-face with the Lunatic Pugilist, he realized how greatly wrong he was.

He was not someone incapable of feeling fear. It was just that he had simply been lucky enough not to meet a being that could instill such fear in him.

The Lunatic Pugilist sprinted like a blind wild boar. In his path stood martial artists from various sects who had come as support.

It was clear that if the Lunatic Pugilist were to charge into them as he was, unimaginable damage would occur.

“Stop!”

“Block him!”

The masters from the Dragon Sky Valley and the Zealous Justice School rushed in to stop the Lunatic Pugilist.

Kwaaaa!

With a single gesture of his hand, over ten martial artists were crushed beyond recognition.

They weren’t even given the chance to scream.

Even though they were masters dispatched from the Dragon Sky Valley.

The fate of the Zealous Justice School’s experts was even more tragic.

Splatter!

Their flesh and blood fell like rain as if they were ground by an invisible giant millstone.

“Stop, old man!”

Yuk Hyeon charged towards the Lunatic Pugilist together with the Bloodcloaked Death God Battalion.

The power behind their charge could easily crush an average sect in an instant. Especially since Yuk Hyeon’s blade had a clear, intense energy surrounding it.

It was a blade qi.

Behind him, the four hundred blades of the Bloodcloaked Death God Battalion also had a red aura surrounding their swords. It was a sight so overwhelming that it made one’s head spin just by looking at it.

Anyone who stood in front of this kind of power would surely be shaken to the core or be paralyzed with fear. However, such common sense did not apply to the Lunatic Pugilist.

Kwaaaaa!

The Lunatic Pugilist swung his blade.

In an instant, the earth and the heavens rumbled, and the atmosphere shook madly before spewing out great winds. The winds turned into blades, slashing at Yuk Hyeon and the Bloodcloaked Death God Battalion.

The blade, which had blade qi around it, cut off Yuk Hyeon cleanly.

Yuk Hyeon’s eyes widened in disbelief at the phenomenon that unfolded before his eyes. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, his body split into two, like a sliced fish.

Following Yuk Hyeon, the bodies of about a hundred elite Bloodcloaked Death God Battalion members in the front also collapsed. They, just like Yuk Hyeon, were split in two.

The scene was so terrifying that the remaining Bloodcloaked Death God Battalion froze in place. They couldn’t find it in them to believe what had just happened.

“Crazy!”

Someone murmured.

The leader of the Bloodcloaked Death God Battalion had died.

They should have naturally sought revenge with their lives on the line, but they couldn’t.

This insane monster in front of them was far beyond their common sense.

“Heuuuuh!”

A groan like a beast’s cry escaped the lips of the Lunatic Pugilist.

Whether it was due to a momentary exhaustion from using up a massive amount of qi in an instant, or just a sound he let out out of habit, just hearing his breath made everyone freeze in terror.

Blood-red mists emanated from the entire body of the Lunatic Pugilist. This was because he had evaporated the blood he was covered in. His appearance was closer to a demon god than a human.

The Lunatic Pugilist turned his gaze towards Gwan Il-hyeon and the Black Armored Cavalry, who stood frozen to one side.

How should one describe the look in his eyes, visible between his stark white strands of hair?

Madness clearly reigned, but there was also a strange sense of emptiness in his eyes.

Gwan Il-hyeon had never seen such an expression before. However, he had no time to ponder deeply.

Because the Lunatic Pugilist was charging at him.

“Damn it!”

“Everyone, attack!”

Gwan Il-hyeon unleashed his martial arts with all his might, and the Black Armored Cavalry joined him.

Over a hundred horsemen united, forming a cavalry charge.

Forming a wedge-shaped formation, the entire Black Armored Cavalry was enveloped in red qi. The qi emanating from each individual resonated and synchronized to form one gigantic aura.

The synchronized internal energy of a hundred people was focused on the man leading the charge. The destructive power was unimaginably immense.

On top of that, Gwan Il-hyeon’s attack was also added.

Kwakwakwa!

A storm of powerful energy raged.

The storm they created was no less than that of the Lunatic Pugilist. Yet, they felt uneasy.

In the brief moment of their attack on the Lunatic Pugilist, their hearts raced uncontrollably. They felt as if their hearts would jump out of their mouths.

The Lunatic Pugilist was an immeasurable entity.

Kaaaah!

The Lunatic Pugilist and the Black Armored Cavalry collided.

Gwan Il-hyeon, who was at the forefront, felt a tremendous amount of pressure on his entire body and so, he pushed himself harder.

He felt that if he could shake off and resist this pressure, he would be able to deliver a blow to the Lunatic Pugilist. And thus, he gave it his all. But he couldn’t shake off the pressure in the end.

Zzeeoong!

A sound like shattering glass echoed, followed by a massive shock that hit him.

“Keuh!”

With a desperate scream, Gwan Il-hyeon was sent flying backward.

It was the same with the Black Armored Cavalry.

Horses and men were thrown in all directions.

The once majestic horses had their legs broken like twigs, and their bellies torn with entrails spewing out, while the Black Armored Cavalry, who were riding them, lay disfigured, their armor shattered.

At the center of it all stood the Lunatic Pugilist.

Kuuu!

A whirl of energy swirled around the Lunatic Pugilist.

Only he stood tall and alone in this world.

Most of the martial artists who filled the open area had long since fled. Those who remained were collapsed on the ground, drained of strength. They stared at the Lunatic Pugilist with eyes filled with terror.

Even the Ten Great Supreme Masters and Eight Great Martial Artists, who could be considered the pinnacle of the current martial world, did not possess such martial prowess.

“Ah!”

Lee Gwak involuntarily let out a gasp.

He, too, was terrified and paralyzed in fear. But, while the rest of the warriors were on the ground, cowering and trembling, only he remained standing on two legs.

Even if his legs shook incessantly like aspen leaves and his whole body was drenched in cold sweat, he still stood.

He had no time to escape. The spot where the Lunatic Pugilist appeared was too close.

“Huehk!”

A ragged breath escaped from the lips of the Lunatic Pugilist. Madness still flickered in the eyes visible through his graying hair, and a reddish aura ceaselessly erupted above his shoulders.

Lee Gwak stared blankly at the Lunatic Pugilist’s form.

While he found the Lunatic Pugilist’s appearance madly terrifying, he also found it beautiful at the same time.

It was then.

The mad eyes of the Lunatic Pugilist fell on Lee Gwak.

His gaze, which contained a mixture of pure hostility and madness, did not seem human.

Just making eye contact with the Lunatic Pugilist made Lee Gwak feel as if his soul was being sucked away.

Lee Gwak clenched his fist tightly.

His nails dug into his palm, drawing blood. But he didn’t feel the pain. That’s how overwhelmed he was by the Lunatic Pugilist’s gaze.

It was then.

Suddenly, a glint of lucidity began to whirl in the Lunatic Pugilist’s mad, hostile eyes.

Lee Gwak watched as the madness in the Lunatic Pugilist’s eyes faded and focus returned, much like mist being blown away by the wind.

“Did I… lose my senses again? Heh!”

After regaining focus, the Lunatic Pugilist looked confused. However, he soon seemed to grasp the situation, biting his lips lightly.

His previously foggy mind began to clear up. He had regained his sanity. But the Lunatic Pugilist knew. He knew he didn’t have much time to maintain this state.

Once this fleeting moment passed, he’d be engulfed in madness again, seeking any target to unleash his bloodlust upon.

He had to leave this place before that happened.

Then, he felt someone’s intense gaze on him.

The Lunatic Pugilist sought out the owner of the gaze.

It was Lee Gwak.

He hadn’t averted his gaze from the Lunatic Pugilist all this time.

While everyone else had fallen, only Lee Gwak stood. That sight piqued the Lunatic Pugilist’s interest.

The Lunatic Pugilist began to approach Lee Gwak.

“Keuh!”

Blood trickled from Lee Gwak’s lips. He had simply met the Lunatic Pugilist’s gaze, and yet, he had sustained internal injuries.

His blood surged like crazy, and his eyes became bloodshot. It looked as if his bulging eyes would burst at any moment. Still, Lee Gwak did not avoid the Lunatic Pugilist’s gaze.

He didn’t know why, perhaps it was his own stubbornness, or maybe just his vain pride.

Up until now, he had always avoided other people’s eyes, especially after joining the Jade Heaven Alliance. He was afraid of causing trouble, so he avoided meeting anyone’s gaze.

He should have done the same now. His mind screamed to avoid the Lunatic Pugilist’s eyes, only then would he have the slightest chance of survival.

His opponent was an entity so disastrous that even the combined forces of the world’s four strongest factions couldn’t handle him. It was impossible to expect to survive in the presence of such a being.

The moment the Lunatic Pugilist so much as moved a finger, Lee Gwak would surely be crushed like an ant and die.

Lee Gwak accepted his death as a foregone conclusion.

It was impossible to run away from such a terrifying being.

But, he did not wish to look as pitiful and insignificant as an ant until his last breath.

Even if he was to die, he wanted to look directly into the Lunatic Pugilist’s eyes with dignity. So, he forced himself to meet the Lunatic Pugilist’s gaze.

The Lunatic Pugilist was still getting closer.

Suddenly, madness surged once more in the eyes of the Lunatic Pugilist, which had briefly held a glint of sanity. The entire place was engulfed with his ferocious aura once again.

Lee Gwak could hardly breathe.

His face turned deathly pale.

‘This is the end.’

Lee Gwak sensed his impending death.

In a way, he felt fortunate. Maybe dying at the hands of an absolute master like the Lunatic was more worth it than dying at the hands of a bunch of mediocre martial artists.

It was then.

As he waited to die, an unexpected voice reached his ears.

“Child!”

It was a raspy voice, like phlegm boiling in the throat.

“Yes?”

Lee Gwak momentarily forgot his fear and lifted his head to look at the Lunatic Pugilist.

“Once you adopt the habits of a dog, you’ll live as one forever. Don’t let the wolf inside you be tamed into a dog.”

For a moment, Lee Gwak felt as if he had been struck on the head with a sledgehammer. The shock hit his head, but the pain resonated in his chest.

Lee Gwak did not understand why the Lunatic Pugilist said such words.

What had the Lunatic Pugilist seen in his own eyes?

“Woooo!”

Suddenly, the Lunatic Pugilist unleashed a roar akin to that of a Blue Dragon.²

The moment the crazed dragon’s cry rang out, the martial artists in the clearing instantly lost consciousness.

Lee Gwak’s mind also went blank.

He had his teeth clenched as he lost consciousness.

* * *

The hunt for the Lunatic Pugilist ended in failure.

The Net of Heaven and Earth hadn’t even been fully deployed, and half of the elite martial artists mobilized to hunt down the Lunatic Pugilist had been ruthlessly slaughtered.

It was the first failure experienced by the Jade Heaven Alliance since it became the center of Jianghu, and it was the worst defeat the Celestial Demon Union has tasted in history.

Considering that even the elites from the Dragon Sky Valley and Zealous Justice School, two of the Ten Supremes, had even joined, there was no greater humiliation than this disgrace.

However, this fact was not made known to the world.

This was because both the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Celestial Demon Union, as well as Dragon Sky Valley and the Zealous Justice School, decided to bury the truth.

Like a natural disaster, the Lunatic Pugilist dealt a devastating blow to the four factions before mysteriously disappearing without a trace. The four factions did not dare to pursue the Lunatic Pugilist again.

The martial artists who had set out with great momentum and left the fortress returned to the Jade Heaven Alliance in a state of defeat. But it wasn’t just the martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance who returned.

SoundlessWind21’s Notes:

Here is also a list of changes or differences between the manhwa and the novel:

1. Black Chakra Demonic Sorcerer → Blood Wheel Demon Sword. This is Gwan Il-hyeon’s nickname.

Thank you for reading!

1. Blood Ring Demon Sword. Raws: 혈륜마도(血輪魔刀).
   • 血 xuè – blood
   • 輪 lún – wheel; disk; ring / steamship / to take turns; to rotate / classifier for big round objects: disk, or recurring events: round, turn
   • 魔 mó – (bound form) evil spirit; devil / (prefix) supernatural; magical
   • 刀 dāo – knife / blade / single-edged sword / cutlass 
2. Blue Dragon. Raws: 창룡음(蒼龍音).
   • 蒼龍 Cānglóng – Blue Dragon, other name of the Azure Dragon
   • 音 yīn – sound / noise / note (of musical scale) / tone / news / syllable / reading (phonetic value of a character)

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