Chapter 83
Support for the Akan Branch (3)
Iron War Camp
One of the Eight Great Heterodox Powers that held significant influence throughout Jiangxi Province.
A major unorthodox sect that specialized in battlefield martial arts—martial techniques whose power increased as more practitioners fought together.
Perhaps because of their military-like culture, they displayed terrifying strength in large-scale battles and sect wars.
Clank!
Every synchronized step taken by the Iron War Camp warriors produced a heavy metallic sound.
The source was their arms—or more precisely, the unusual gauntlets they wore.
Covering everything from their fists to below their elbows, the gauntlets were fitted with long rectangular iron plates.
The edges of those plates had been sharpened into blades that could be used offensively when needed.
When the plates on both arms were brought together, they formed a small shield.
It was the Iron War Camp's signature weapon:
Fist Shields.
"Annoying bastards. They never move separately."
"Even at the minimum, they travel in groups of ten."
Watching the Iron War Camp warriors advancing along the Sun Moon Demonic Cult's right flank, Heo Il smiled faintly.
"The Sun Moon Demonic Cult and the Iron War Camp. We're in for quite a bit of trouble."
Looking toward Namgung Jun and Man Yewon, who were encountering the Iron War Camp for the first time, Heo Il continued.
"Unlike ordinary martial artists, those fellows always move as a group. Their martial arts and weapons were designed specifically for collective combat. Because of that, they possess a tremendous advantage in battles like this."
The alcohol seemed to have worn off somewhat, and Heo Il raised his flask to his lips again.
"Be especially careful if you try to meet them head-on with heavy sword techniques. They're very capable of counterattacking. Of course, Young Hero Namgung will probably manage on his own."
"What? My Great Wind Sword Art has already reached the stage of completion. Thin iron plates like those—"
Man Yewon grumbled quietly, but Heo Il ignored her completely.
Meanwhile, the veterans of the Heavenly Sword Hall who formed the core of the formation carefully observed both the Sun Moon Demonic Cult and the Iron War Camp.
"Judging by their movements, it's obvious they've reached some sort of understanding."
"So we're surrounded again."
"How do we break out of this?"
The final question was directed at Lee Seha.
Watching the two enemy forces gradually close in, Lee Seha suddenly shouted,
"Deploy!"
With Lee Seha's stamping step as the signal, the Great Convergence Sword Formation began to move.
"The chances of the Sun Moon Demonic Cult and the Iron War Camp executing a perfectly coordinated joint attack are extremely low. We'll use the subtle gap between them as our path."
Lee Seha's calm voice spread throughout the formation.
The Great Convergence Sword Formation received both enemy forces at once.
Without favoring either side.
"Crush them from both directions!"
"We have overwhelming numerical superiority! Advance steadily!"
The shouts of the unorthodox forces echoed from both sides.
Even so, the Great Convergence Sword Formation never stopped.
To the left, crimson and blue demonic qi writhed together grotesquely.
To the right, dozens of Fist Shields formed an iron wall.
Clang!
Kang! Kang! Kang!
Heavy metallic impacts exploded from every direction.
Though the sounds seemed similar, the results were completely different.
The Sun Moon Demonic Cult, having already lost many experts, was being swept aside helplessly.
The Iron War Camp, however, remained at full strength.
Furthermore, the Fist Shield—a unique weapon that combined the strengths of both shield and gauntlet—allowed them to withstand the continuous sword strikes of the formation far more effectively.
Boom!
After stopping one rotation of the Great Convergence Sword Formation, the Iron War Camp warriors stomped forward and unleashed their unified qi.
Iron Horse Wall-Bearing Art.
A battlefield martial art practiced by every warrior of the Iron War Camp.
Its true power only emerged when at least ten users gathered together.
However, the more participants there were, the more dramatically its strength increased.
Rumors claimed that when two hundred warriors activated the Iron Horse Wall-Bearing Art simultaneously, its force rivaled the barbaric charges of the northern martial world.
"Maintain pressure. Advance three steps."
The order came from the Fifty-Man Commander leading the Iron War Camp warriors.
Immediately, the warriors advanced in unison, pushing their Fist Shields forward like a moving wall.
Clank.
The unified qi of the Iron Horse Wall-Bearing Art infused the shield wall.
The Great Convergence Sword Formation, which had been preparing to surge forward, slowed for the first time.
The Iron War Camp did not miss that opening.
From every direction, the pressure of the advancing shield wall crashed forward like a tidal wave.
The Iron War Camp intended to use the Sun Moon Demonic Cult as one side of a vice and completely crush the Great Convergence Sword Formation between them.
If we lose momentum at the outset, we'll be crushed outright.
Having accurately assessed the battlefield, Lee Seha made his decision immediately.
"Heavy Momentum!"
Namgung Jun had not merely corrected the flaws of the Great Convergence Sword Formation.
The Great Convergence Sword Art possessed enough versatility to encompass multiple styles and groups simultaneously.
It was too valuable to be limited to the simple role of combining qi and increasing the power of group combat like ordinary formations.
For that reason, Namgung Jun had developed numerous methods to maximize the sword art's potential.
Heavy Momentum was one of them.
At Lee Seha's command, the formation's axis and positions shifted instantly.
Taking positions at Lee Seha's sides were Namgung Jun, Gong Junam, and the other swordsmen who specialized in heavy sword techniques.
Centered around Lee Seha, they simultaneously unleashed the heavy-sword forms of the Great Convergence Sword Art.
The powerful strikes, all released in the same direction, were amplified even further by the mysteries of the formation itself.
KWAAAAAK!
The overwhelming force of the Great Convergence Sword Formation plowed through the front ranks, forcing even the powerful warriors of the Iron War Camp backward.
The unexpected might of the attack caused many of them to stagger.
Even those who managed to maintain their footing were shocked.
Their Fist Shields were dented.
Some had even been crushed inward.
To suffer such damage from a single collision was extraordinarily rare.
"What?!"
"There was no intelligence saying the Heavenly Sword Hall possessed a formation like this!"
"First line! Fall back!"
Yet even while the Iron War Camp hesitated, the Great Convergence Sword Formation continued to evolve.
Swift Momentum.
Flowing Momentum.
Phantom Momentum.
The formation changed endlessly according to Lee Seha's commands.
And with every transformation came an entirely different sword force.
Confusion filled the eyes of their enemies.
Whenever they began adapting to one style of attack, a completely different sword force emerged.
Neither the Sun Moon Demonic Cult nor the Iron War Camp could properly respond to such an unpredictable formation.
Meanwhile, the Great Convergence Sword Formation continued advancing, tearing apart the thick encirclement.
"Now!"
"Attack here!"
Both enemy factions possessed sharp-eyed experts who attempted to exploit what appeared to be openings in the formation.
It was futile.
The moment they approached a visible gap, sword strikes greeted them from three different directions.
Every weakness visible within the improved Great Convergence Sword Formation was a death trap deliberately designed by Namgung Jun.
No problems.
After observing the battlefield, Namgung Jun became certain.
First the Sun Moon Demonic Cult.
Then the Iron War Camp.
No matter how elite the Heavenly Sword Hall was, the disparity in numbers should have made this an extremely difficult battle.
Furthermore, they were fighting while surrounded with Mount Okhwa at their backs.
Under normal circumstances, the Heavenly Sword Hall should have been at a severe disadvantage.
Yet the improved Great Convergence Sword Formation had completely changed the battlefield.
The ability to freely transition between offense and defense.
The numerous sword forces that maximized the strengths of the Great Convergence Sword Art.
The formation now looked entirely different from its previous incarnation.
This was exactly what Namgung Jun had envisioned.
Boom!
"Aaargh!"
"It's not a swift sword—it's a heavy sword! Damn it! Angle the Fist Shields sideways!"
Even the Iron War Camp, which had seemed as solid as an iron wall, began to waver dangerously.
Lee Seha was directing Namgung Jun's improved formation perfectly.
The encirclement formed by the Sun Moon Demonic Cult and the Iron War Camp—built on overwhelming numbers—was beginning to collapse.
Yet Lee Seha remained unsatisfied.
At this rate, they would break through the encirclement without difficulty.
However, the Heavenly Sword Hall was currently protecting the survivors of the Akan Branch.
They needed something more decisive.
"Jun."
"Yes, Master."
Lee Seha's voice was low.
Amid the screams and clashing steel of the battlefield, it could easily have been drowned out.
Yet despite the distance between them, Namgung Jun heard his master's call clearly.
"There should be a commander directing the Iron War Camp. Go bring me his head."
Namgung Jun did not hesitate.
"It won't take long."
Naturally, he stepped out of the Great Convergence Sword Formation.
BOOOOM!
Wrapped in the sword wind of the Heavenly Wind Sword Art, Namgung Jun charged alone into the Iron War Camp's ranks.
***
The man commanding fifty Iron War Camp warriors bore the title:
Fifty-Man Commander.
The middle-aged officer absentmindedly touched the embroidered Fifty stitched onto his uniform.
He had started as an ordinary warrior.
Then he became a Ten-Man Commander.
Then a Thirty-Man Commander.
Eventually, he had risen to become a Fifty-Man Commander.
He had fought through countless battlefields while leading subordinates.
Yet he had never seen a sword formation as alive as this one.
Moreover, the Great Convergence Sword Formation of the Heavenly Sword Hall was already documented in Iron War Camp intelligence records.
Perhaps that was why it felt even more unsettling.
The formation before him looked nothing like the one described in those reports.
"It's become a liability instead."
The Fifty-Man Commander glanced toward the Sun Moon Demonic Cult.
The Bright Cult Guards who should have been commanding the cultists were all dead.
Without a proper chain of command, the cultists could only throw themselves forward blindly, interfering with the Iron War Camp's movements.
Frankly, it might have been easier to face the Heavenly Sword Hall alone.
Our chances of victory are dropping by the moment.
The original plan had been simple.
Use overwhelming numbers to crush the ordinary members of the Heavenly Sword Hall.
Then join forces with the Bright Cult Guards to kill Lee Seha.
The entire foundation of that plan had collapsed.
This battle was becoming meaningless.
Even if they won, the casualties would be severe.
Yet if the information stolen by the Akan Branch reached the Changcheon Society, he would never escape punishment from his superiors.
Every choice led to disaster.
As the Fifty-Man Commander pondered for a brief moment—
The Great Convergence Sword Formation changed once again.
BOOM!
Whenever the formation shifted, Iron War Camp warriors attempted to exploit perceived openings.
But every opening was a trap.
Only those who broke formation to attack ended up losing their lives.
If this were the original Great Convergence Sword Formation, we wouldn't be suffering like this. It's become something completely different.
Surrounded by both the Sun Moon Demonic Cult and the Iron War Camp, yet executing such flawless transformations.
Originally, the Great Convergence Sword Formation had merely been a minimal group-combat arrangement.
Unlike halls such as Gwangsi Hall or Seonghong Hall, the Heavenly Sword Hall specialized in individual combat.
Yet now everything had changed.
The enemy formation rapidly collapsed.
KRAAAAASH!
The unified qi of the Iron Horse Wall-Bearing Art shattered.
Which was no different from saying the Iron War Camp's formation had collapsed.
At that moment—
Several Heavenly Sword Hall swordsmen burst out from the Great Convergence Sword Formation, opening a path.
Coming for me?
Feeling a presence charging directly toward him, the Fifty-Man Commander immediately raised his Fist Shields.
"You're the one."
The voice had already arrived within arm's reach.
It sounded impossibly young.
The Fifty-Man Commander looked up.
Clear, flawless eyes met his gaze.
Yet they were not merely clear.
Blue lightning flowed around them in circular arcs.
"You—!"
The Fifty-Man Commander swung both fists.
At that very instant—
Lightning erupted from the waist of the young swordsman twisting through the air.
It was far fiercer and bluer than the lightning reflected in his eyes.
Slash!
Everything happened in a single instant.
The Fifty-Man Commander's head fell from his shoulders.