Chapter 388: Pure White Light Beam
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KWAKWANG, KWANG, KWAKWANG… HWARUREUK, HWAREUK, HWARUREUK…
The roar of chain explosions.
The green flame fire that had clumped together scattered as it soared into the sky.
CHEOLKEOK, CHEOLKEOK, CHEOLKEOK, CHEOLKEOK…
The Zhejiang Son Family personnel, led by Young Sword King Son Ja-ryong, sheathed their swords.
They had completely annihilated the enemies who had been trapped in the illusion formation that Zhuge Bi had manipulated.
SUK.
Son Ja-ryong, having quietly turned his head, spoke with a heavy expression.
“Final situation report.”
At that, a family martial artist approached his side.
“Yes. The wounded total thirty-four. And ten… are dead. The bodies of the deceased have been recovered.”
Son Ja-ryong gritted his teeth upon hearing those words.
‘Hateful, I will never forgive them!’
Still, if there was anything fortunate, it was this.
If Zhuge Bi hadn’t displayed outstanding skill, the number of casualties would probably have increased.
At that time.
Someone’s hand rested on Son Ja-ryong’s shoulder.
“It’s regrettable, but what’s already happened can’t be helped.”
It was Zhuge Bi.
“True.”
Son Ja-ryong lightly patted his hand.
Then he continued in a quiet voice.
“I will definitely repay this debt of blood. A hundred times, a thousand times. And I will definitely seize the Divine Martial Sword.”
“Of course. I too will cooperate with all my might. So that their deaths are not in vain…”
But suddenly.
Flinch.
Zhuge Bi’s expression subtly hardened.
‘…!’
He had sensed something.
Simultaneously, it seemed Son Ja-ryong had detected the same thing.
‘Mm?’
Son Ja-ryong tilted his head and spoke while examining the surroundings.
“Bi, excellent. Not content with altering the formation, you’ve completely destroyed it?”
It was as he said.
The energy of the formation that had been positioned here had vanished cleanly.
Following that, Son Ja-ryong gave orders to the family personnel.
“Just as well. Let’s stay and rest here. When night comes, we’ll move again then.”
“Yes! Family Lord!”
Immediately after the Zhejiang Son Family martial artists answered in unison.
“It wasn’t me.”
When Zhuge Bi spoke in a whisper, Son Ja-ryong looked at his face.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m saying it wasn’t something I did. The formation’s power… dissipated on its own.”
“…!”
“Something seems amiss.”
“Hmm, so the formation’s activation has a time restriction…”
“That can’t be. It’s merely that the enemy’s sorcery arts were added to a natural formation that has existed since time immemorial.”
“Meaning, the complete dissipation of the formation itself is impossible?”
“Right. It’s an absolute order established by great nature. Changes in mystical application are possible, but beyond that is excessive.”
At Zhuge Bi’s words, Son Ja-ryong’s expression also hardened.
“Hmm… what’s the cause? Did the Heretic Cult create new arts? For instance, artificially absorbing and using the energy of formations existing within the Shiwan Mountains…”
“I don’t know, even the Heretic Cult… this is… anyway, even I can’t readily guess.”
“If there were some existence rivaling that of great nature, would it be possible?”
“For example, like divine beings of realms transcending the human world, such as the Celestial Father, the Underworld, other worlds?”
“Yes. Well, things like that. It seems like an excessive thought though.”
“Somehow, I feel like what that bizarre woman said might be a clue…”
When Zhuge Bi trailed off, Son Ja-ryong recalled those words.
“Darkness can be created, night can dwell anywhere… that’s what she prattled on about.”
“Right. It could be the drawing of the power here to use in summoning night. Anyway, it’s clearly a phenomenon connected to the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan and Heretic Cult. We’ll need to be careful going forward.”
“Yes, I’ll keep it in mind. Let’s rest for now. At night, we’ll likely encounter more enemies.”
With those words, Son Ja-ryong headed toward a rock on the side to sit comfortably and rest.
Zhuge Bi, who had been walking along with him, suddenly turned his gaze.
To the void in the distance.
Then he murmured inwardly.
‘What was that just now?’
He had briefly sensed something unknown earlier.
As if something from far, far away was writhing greatly, he didn’t know what…
He didn’t know.
That feeling was because of the change in the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation, that it had been transmitted to his Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body, which was harmonized as part of great nature.
* * *
A narrow forest path draped in thick shadows.
In that place where thin sunlight seeped in, a group could be seen.
About twenty men in brown martial uniforms, and about thirty men in gray blood-robed attire.
Forces of the Detached Three Army Corps and Eastern Heaven Division under the Heaven Emperor Society.
Among them, the blood-robed figure at the front scanned the surrounding ground with his eyes.
He was a martial artist at the Young General level, the lower tier of the Eastern Heaven Division’s cadre.
He soon turned his head backward and spoke quietly.
“There, the Hebei Peng Family gang’s footprints.”
It was a report toward the two leaders of the Detached Three Army Corps.
Those called Great Generals.
The rank just below Great General
The cadres of the Detached Three Army Corps were composed of martial artists from a previous era.
The two Great Generals were no exception either.
One was a famous Swordsman of Unorthodox origin named Mak-geum, who was once called by the sobriquet Faceless Evil Sword.
The other was of wanderer origin and had no name.
Instead, the sobriquet Thundering Heaven Thunder Guest was famous.
Both had once been active in the same era as Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon.
Though they hadn’t quite made it into the Jianghu Thirteen Seats, they were two who had boasted martial fame rivaling it, and now appeared here.
With the identity of Great General, a high position in the Detached Three Army Corps.
As time had passed, their martial prowess would have risen even further.
Faceless Evil Sword Mak-geum and Thundering Heaven Thunder Guest soon exchanged glances and conversed.
“An opportunity to capture a big fish.”
“Right. He must be quite exhausted by now. Let’s hurry and pursue.”
At that moment, someone’s voice was heard.
“Excessive greed is forbidden.”
Simultaneously, the gazes of all turned to the rear.
A person standing alone at a not-far distance.
At some point, he had leisurely clasped his hands behind his back.
A sense of pressure suddenly pressing in from all sides.
It was because of the formless Aura/Aura/bearing of the suddenly appearing person.
That alone was enough to know.
The loftiness of Internal energy level and hegemonic martial prowess…
The attribute was Demonic energy.
Having seen him, the Detached Three Army Corps and Eastern Heaven Division personnel showed utmost courtesy in unison, regardless of rank.
“Welcome.”
The identity of the one greeted was Nine Springs Demon Dragon Sang-jan, the Great General who oversaw the Detached Three Army Corps.
Befitting a legendary old demon head of one hundred forty years, he exuded an Aura/Aura/bearing that overwhelmed all under heaven just by standing there.
Sang-jan, walking closer step by step, spoke in a heavy voice.
“If the Nine Sects have Shaolin Temple, the Seven Families have the Peng Family. Do not carelessly overestimate your personal martial prowess.”
At that, the two Great Generals kowtowed with flustered expressions.
“Yes, yes sir!”
“Our apologies!”
Sang-jan, having soon stood nearby, spoke again.
“The direction they fled happens to be a dangerous forbidden area of the Shiwan Mountains.”
Thundering Heaven Thunder Guest quickly responded, gauging his mood.
“Yes, that’s right. It would be better to capture them before they enter. While they will die that way too, it would be a waste to just let them slip away like this…”
Sang-jan, having nodded his head, soon took the lead.
“Let’s go. This body will personally test the martial prowess of Peng Family Lord, said to rival Shaolin Abbot Won-gong. Then completely brainwash him and use him to attack the Cheol Ryu-heun gang. Using Heuk Ma-yung’s power. Huhut… it will be quite amusing.”
Thus, the party moving through the narrow path with Sang-jan.
Yet.
They failed to notice.
The pure white light beam that whisked past far to the side, over the forest hill.
The identity of the swift flash was Cheol Ryu-heun and Divine Wind.
* * *
“Huh! I-is all of that true?”
Red Wall Gate Master Yeon San-bak wore an astonished expression as he moved, following Chrysanthemum Martial Hall Master Byeok Song-ha.
Behind him, the dozen or so Red Wall Gate disciples were the same.
Because Byeok Song-ha had given them a summary of the inside story, including the enemy’s conspiracy, while traveling.
“Hut. Yes. It’s true. Currently, the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation is a refuge guaranteeing safety.”
When Byeok Song-ha thus smiled brightly and spoke.
The Red Wall Gate party flinched in surprise and halted their movement.
Numerous presences rapidly approaching from the front.
There was no hostile killing intent.
However, since everyone was in a sensitive state, alertness arose first.
Byeok Song-ha, having likewise stopped, gently waved her hand.
“It’s alright. They’re allied forces. Who had been hiding here briefly…”
Before long, people emerged, pushing through the bushes.
Yeon San-bak recognized the three people at the front and his face beamed.
“Ah!”
Dokgo Sword Family Lord Divine Vermillion Sword Saint Dokgo In-wang, South Lake Sword Sect Master Great Lake Sword Elder Byeok Woo-ham, Nine Tiger Gang Chopping Wave Saber Tiger Ji Jang-jong
Behind them, the chrysanthemum-affiliated elite group Night Chrysanthemum Sword Squad could also be seen.
Also, about thirty Orthodox and Unorthodox martial artists who had evaded danger thanks to the rescue activity team were together as well.
Dokgo In-wang, having substituted a greeting with a look of gladness, soon looked at Byeok Song-ha and asked.
“Were the enemies shaken off?”
“Yes. All of them were trapped in the formation Sect Master Cheol arranged. Thanks to that, we easily shook them off.”
“Fortunate.”
At the moment Dokgo In-wang answered with a relieved expression.
-Kkwang… Kkwakwang… Kkung… Kkukkung…
-Kwahang… Kwahang… Urureung… Urureung…
Far away, the faint echoes of explosions and roars reverberated from different directions.
The distance was so great that the sounds were faint.
However, slight shockwaves and vibrations could be felt through the atmosphere.
Yeon San-bak murmured with a tense expression at being startled.
“That is…”
At that, Byeok Song-ha gazed at the distant void.
“It’s Southern Embrace Poison Palace and the Heavenly Demon Cult parties. It seems the collisions with enemies have intensified further.”
“But… is it alright not to help?”
At Yeon San-bak’s concern, Byeok Song-ha wore a faint smile.
“Of course. The martial prowess possessed by Palace Lord Meng and Grand Prelate Gun is truly formidable.”
In an instant, a small sound struck the ears of the crowd.
-Ohohoht!
It was a sudden laughter like a Secret Sound Transmission.
Following that.
SUK…
At a not-so-distant front, a nine cheok tall woman revealed herself.
Her movement was light as a feather and fast as lightning.
She was clad in black silk, and her body within was so exposed it was embarrassing to look at.
The expressions of Byeok Song-ha, Dokgo In-wang, and others who encountered the mysterious bizarre woman stiffened.
Everyone intuited.
The fact that the bizarre woman possessed tremendous power…
It was a truly terrifying and formidable manner.
Not only the formless Aura/Aura/bearing but the appearance was also threatening.
She was quite beautiful, but looking at her hazy pair of pupils made one shudder.
“Blood-Lust Seductive Ghost!”
At Byeok Song-ha’s short exclamation, the bizarre woman grinned.
Indeed.
It was Lust-Blood Seductive Ghost Hu-ra, one of the Three Spirits of the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan.
“Hu, do you know me? Well, you must have heard my description. From that impudent Heavenly Demon Cult Grand Prelate fellow…”
Hu-ra smacked her lips along with those words, then again let out a spine-chilling voice.
“I spotted you while passing by, so I should at least taste blood, shouldn’t I?”
She flicked her red, long tongue and ran her hands up her ample bosom while narrowing her eyes.
“There are delicious-looking ones and unappetizing-looking ones, but… I’ll just fairly drain the blood of everyone.”
At that moment, a large light beam descended from the sky above.
SYUUUUUUWOONG… KKWAGWAGWANG!
With a heavy sound shattering the ground, a person gripping horse reins revealed himself.
Silence instantly descended.
The protagonist who brought heavy stillness was precisely Cheol Ryu-heun.
At his appearance, the expressions of Byeok Song-ha, Dokgo In-wang and others brightened.
“Ah!”
“Sect Master Cheol!”
Cheol Ryu-heun, positioned in the center of the gap, looked at Hu-ra and threw out an indifferent voice.
“Pathetically going on about taste. When you’re the most unappetizing-looking one of all.”