Chapter 228: The Pinch
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The Sun Demon Assembly’s Vice Society Leader gripped the Crescent Moon Blade and emitted his characteristic demonic energy.
Dark and thick heat haze spreading outside his body.
The blade also trembled finely as if responding to it.
JIIIING-
True to his rank as the Sun Demon Assembly’s second-in-command demonic person, it was a threatening formless aura.
His subordinate personnel also brought forth demonic energy of the same type as his through their fully elevated internal power.
“You’re looking down on me too much.”
The Vice Society Leader spoke those words while lightly caressing his side with his left hand.
He suddenly felt the pain in the wound area he’d suffered last night intensifying.
The very person who had etched a blood line onto his body.
Head-Severing Yama.
That legendary great assassin who had made a brilliant appearance by killing and eliminating King of Strange Blades Bul Bi, one of the previous generation’s Thirteen Seats of the World…
Seeing his face appear before him again, his side somehow felt even more painful.
Seop Pyo, meeting that gaze, spoke quietly.
“Do you think it was carelessness?”
If he hadn’t been fighting Ye Woon-rang at that time, would his surprise slash have failed to land?
That’s what he was asking.
The Vice Society Leader flashed his eyes and replied boldly.
“Why don’t you try again.”
Immediately after, when he sent a hand signal.
PAT, PAPAP-
The roughly thirty Sun Demon Assembly members who had moved quickly formed a circular formation and stood.
A stance of resolve to confront the encirclement head-on.
At that moment.
The surrounding air became heavy.
No.
It somehow felt that way.
As if a heavy boulder had transformed into formless energy and was falling from the void…
The reason was simple.
It was the effect of Thunder Cloud Sword Duke further elevating his internal power.
CHICHIT, CHIT, CHICHIT-!
A spine-chilling sound burst forth.
Flashing lights.
A yellow lightning-like current enveloped Wei Ji-am.
It was a sight as if lightning was striking.
It was the characteristic current of the Thunder Light Boundless Sea Mind Technique, the internal energy mental cultivation method said to be transmitted only to the successive Sect Leader of the Thunder Lightning Sect.
The sword in his hand was the same.
Along the slender blade, lightning flashed and revealed its presence.
The lightning current that continuously moved in abrupt, irregular zigzag patterns played thunder sounds.
URUREUREUNG, URUREUREUNG…
The spot where Wei Ji-am stood had at some point become distorted and transparent-looking.
It was a phenomenon created by his overwhelming aura.
An object of reverence, the incarnation of thunder was here.
That wasn’t all.
The thirteen elite swordsmen of the Thunder Court Sword Squad, the core force under the Thunder Lightning Sect, also armed themselves with formless sharp energy and delivered pressure.
Their respective auras converged and warped the space.
Adding to that.
SHIVER.
Someone’s spine-chilling force touched the ki sense of the Vice Society Leader and others while swirling.
It was Seop Pyo’s killing intent.
That was truly terrifying.
As if proving he was the previous generation’s greatest assassin, it was a level that overwhelmed opponents with invisible force alone.
He was on a different level from ordinary first-rate martial artists.
The fighting spirit and killing intent released by a supreme master from an assassin background…
Seop Pyo, who had aimed his blade tip forward, lit up his eyes.
“I hear you are tight-lipped. So I’ll cut you all down. Since you won’t tell us anything anyway…”
The moment his words ended.
PEOPEOPEOPEONG, PEOPEOPEOPEONG-
The smoke sphere bombs in possession of the Sun Demon Assembly members exploded in succession.
A tactic to block visibility.
Amid the thick black smoke rising, Wei Ji-am and all Thunder Sword Brigade members gripped their swords and charged in together.
In the space that had transformed as if covered by dark clouds, yellow light beams flashed.
URUREUNG- KWAKWANG-!
That was the sword energy of thunder and lightning flickering, symbolizing the supreme sword study Lightning God Thunder Cry Sword that Wei Ji-am had mastered.
Meanwhile, Seop Pyo.
‘There he is.’
After precisely grasping the Vice Society Leader’s presence, he deployed Space Concealment Stealth Technique, the supreme movement stealth technique.
SEUSSEUT.
Thus, his form was instantly absorbed and vanished into the space filled with black fog.
* * *
To the east.
Sun Demon Assembly’s Society Leader and Hungry Wolf Blade Demon Jinjo Jeok-je clashed, and a melee between the two forces began.
SSWAESSWAENG, SSWAESSWAESSWAENG- SYUSYUK, SYUSYUSYUK-!
Sharp piercing sounds cutting through the wind continuously burst forth.
KKAKAKAKANG- JJEOJEOJEONG-!
Metallic sounds of countless hidden weapons and blades fiercely colliding.
The forty-odd Sun Demon Assembly members utilized their specialty lightness technique to occupy all directions while executing strong pressure offensives.
Everyone thoroughly avoided close combat while maintaining fixed distances.
SSWAESSWAENG, SSWAESSWAESSWAENG, SSWAESSWAENG-!
Amid the rain of hidden weapons pouring down, one Jackal Fang Squad member collapsed.
“UGH!”
Fortunately, he avoided vital points.
But quite a lot of blood flowed.
It was because several small holes had formed in his arms and legs.
Two other squad members immediately covered the wounded one and wildly swung their curved blades.
TITITITING, TITITITING-!
Hidden weapons being deflected after striking the blade bodies.
At that moment, a saberman with extraordinary bearing shouted loudly.
“Calm down! Their hidden weapons aren’t infinite either!”
Simultaneously, when he drew a rapid trajectory with his curved blade, a powerful saber energy was fired.
It targeted the demonic person who had wounded his comrade.
CHYUHAAK-!
Before the saber energy that had crossed the gap, the Sun Demon Assembly member screamed.
“KKEUHAAK!”
His left arm had been severed.
The one who had employed the fierce and powerful saber energy was none other than Vice Sect Leader of Jackal Wolf Blade Sect, Piaoshi Blade Eom Baek-seung.
As the sect’s second-in-command, his blade work was swift and dominating.
CHYUHAK, CHYUHAHAK, CHYUHAK-!
Due to the saber energy continuously rushing in, that Sun Demon Assembly member died miserably with his limbs severed.
But refusing to be outdone.
PAPAPAPAPA-!
Jinjo Jeok-je, who had executed Fierce Wolf Step, targeted one Sun Demon Assembly member and slashed down with his Azure Wolf Blade.
A ferocious blade stance as if a giant wolf was lunging forward with its maw wide open.
SYUAAAAAAAAA-!
Heavy internal power was loaded.
Vicious killing intent flowed from the blade.
The energy jutting out jaggedly along the curved blade body was terrifying.
This was the moment when Great Wolf Severing Teeth Blade, one of the four ultimate techniques of the Flying Wolf Blade Technique, displayed its overwhelming might.
CHYUUUUUUUUT- BUUUUUUUUK!
With an unpleasant sound, that Sun Demon Assembly member met his death, split from head to crotch.
The enemies around startled and flinched at that fierce momentum.
In an instant.
HUUWOONG-
A single figure rapidly charged toward Jinjo Jeok-je’s front.
KKAAAAAANG- PEOEOEOEONG-!
The Crescent Moon Blade and curved blade collided, playing an explosive sound.
‘UGH!’
Jinjo Jeok-je retreated five or six steps, pushed by the rebound force.
His chest somehow felt heavy.
It was an inexplicable stuffy feeling.
It was the effect of directly receiving dark demonic energy that had slightly agitated his blood and qi.
“To deflect that, you do live up to your name. Any other person would surely have sustained internal injuries.”
The perpetrator of the heavy ambush offensive was the Society Leader of Sun Demon Assembly.
Jinjo Jeok-je held his Azure Wolf Blade straight before his chest and thought.
‘It’s too soon…!’
Originally, the plan wasn’t to battle here.
They needed to go a bit more to the east.
That way, they would slaughter him with the cooperation of the ambushed personnel.
But as the Society Leader suddenly stopped moving and counterattacked, this place had transformed into a battlefield.
A fierce offensive and defensive battle.
An evenly matched contest.
No.
They were being pushed back little by little.
The Sun Demon Assembly’s combined attack technique of maintaining distance while employing hidden weapon arts was extremely troublesome to counter.
But Jinjo Jeok-je wore a faint smile.
Why?
Because he believed.
Those allies who heard the commotion would arrive soon.
The Society Leader emitted thick demonic energy while flashing his eyes.
“Did you think we’d leave empty-handed? We must at least behead you to have face to meet that person…”
HWIRIRIRIRIRIK-
A rushing wind sound was heard, and then a certain black figure appeared in the middle of the battlefield.
KWAKWANG!
Following that, the shockwave of a heavy stomp swept in all directions.
PAT.
The black figure who had kicked off the ground moved like a ray of light to the left side.
A sword crossing the air.
SSYOAAAAAAAAT-!
A crescent-shaped sword energy accompanied by eerie ghost energy instantly bisected three Sun Demon Assembly members.
PUHAAK, PUHAAAAAK…!
Like a giant ghost swinging a scythe.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
The startled Sun Demon Assembly members all moved their hands.
SSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAENG- SSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAENG- SSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAENG-!
Countless hidden weapons rushed toward the black figure like a tidal wave.
It was a wave offensive as if pouring out all their remaining hidden weapons.
At that moment.
HWIRIRIK-
When the black figure pulled his robe forward to cover his body, the countless hidden weapons just bounced off and fell to the ground.
HUDUDUDUDUK, HUDUDUDUDUK, HUDUDUDUDUK…
Was it an invulnerable robe impervious to blades?
In an instant, the Society Leader’s complexion changed drastically.
He had seen the large goblin pattern embroidered on the opponent’s pitch-black back.
‘Could it be…?’
The name of one of the Ten Great Heavenly Weapons passed through his mind.
At that moment, cyan-green flames exploded from the figure’s robe.
Simultaneously.
SEUREUREUREUREU, SEUREUREUREUREU-
The hidden weapons that had been rushing toward him floated suspended around him as if caught by invisible hands – a wondrous sight.
The light of astonishment swirled in the Society Leader’s eyes.
‘Ink God Robe!’
A divine artifact that was one of the Ten Great Heavenly Weapons.
That’s right.
The black figure’s identity was Dark Hall Master, Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin.
The cyan-green flames were the Phosphorus Fire Energy, one of the divine abilities of Ink God Robe, operated through the absorption formula to protect its owner.
PAPAP-
When Mun Bin swiftly swept back the Ink God Robe and extended his left hand, the surrounding hidden weapons changed direction and flew toward their original owners.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOK, PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEOK-!
More than ten Sun Demon Assembly members departed this world in a horrific state, their entire bodies pierced like beehives.
Immediately after.
Mun Bin swiftly attacked the Society Leader head-on.
JJEOEOEONG- KKWAAAAANG!
‘EUUEUK!’
From that heavy sword power, the Society Leader had to retreat a full one zhang.
And when Mun Bin thrust out his sword tip again.
HWAAAAAAAAK-
Purple flames created by the Ink God Robe were released along the blade.
Sword energy accompanied by ghost energy transformed into flames.
It was a tremendous, terrifying current in the shape of a giant goblin.
Thus, the ghost-scale energy transformed into sword energy struck the Society Leader’s front.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG-!
The Society Leader, engulfed in heat haze, was pushed back again.
The martial prowess of Mun Bin, who had awakened True Ink Heaven Meridians and achieved the divine abilities of the Ink God Robe, was truly fearsome.
Soon, turning his head, he shouted.
“Strike!”
Then from all directions, more than twenty swordsmen flew in.
They were Gwang Ryo, the Nine Springs Swordsman, the Squad Commander of the First Squad of the Dark Sword Squad, and his subordinate members.
As the morale-boosted Jackal Fang Squad attacked together, Jinjo Jeok-je smiled again.
‘The enemy is now annihilated. Before the terrifying power of that young hero who leads Dark Hall.’
* * *
The pursuit battle in the western forest.
PUHAAK!
A Sun Demon Assembly member’s torso was bisected.
Every time Cheol Ryu-heun swung the Gan jiang Sword in his right hand, enemies became corpses.
They were already on the verge of total annihilation.
Survivors numbered only five at most.
They too were running like mad without looking back.
It was a struggle to survive somehow.
When they had thus opened up a distance of more than ten zhang.
PAK!
Cheol Ryu-heun, having kicked off the ground, instantly caught up behind them and lashed out with his sword.
PEOGEOEOK!
A sword that pierced through one person’s back.
It wasn’t the end.
Cheol Ryu-heun skewered the other three in succession while keeping the first one impaled on his blade.
PEOGEOK, PEOGEGEOK, PEOGEOK!
Now only one remained.
First Seat.
His retreating figure was captured far ahead.
Cheol Ryu-heun expressionlessly injected true energy into the blade.
PEOPEONG-!
When the four corpses skewered like kabobs exploded all at once, their flesh scattered while spraying blood.
Following that.
PAK!
Cheol Ryu-heun, having stomped his foot, advanced while splitting the wind.
In just the time it took to draw a few breaths, he had caught up that distant distance.
The instant First Seat, who had detected the changed wind sound, spun his form in shock, an explosion burst.
KKWAUUUUUUWOONG!
First Seat, who had flown backward like a leaf swept by wind, slammed into an old tree with a KUNG! before collapsing to the ground as if slumping.
“KKEU-HEO… UH…”
Struck by a shock he had never experienced in his life, he could barely breathe.
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun approached him and spoke in an indifferent voice.
“Since you’re the type who’d keep your mouth shut until death anyway, I’ll look inside your head instead.”