Chapter 428: Rulers of the Battlefield
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The light of fury dwelt in Heuk Ma-yung’s two eyes.
‘You……!’
Eye light flickering sharp as sword energy.
His gaze toward Cheol Ryu-heun, who had soared with the horse, seemed to be hurling countless blades.
Naked killing intent swirled in his grayish-white pupils.
An uncontrollable emotion surged up.
In that midst, the battle between the two camps began, creating noise.
CHAECHAECHAENG…… PEOPEOPEOPONG…… JJEOJEOJEONG…… KKWAGWAGWANG…… KUKUKUKUNG…… URURUREUNG……!
The meadow instantly transformed into a chaotic pandemonium.
People and people, poison creatures and poison creatures, all mixed together.
It was truly a space of chaos where fresh blood, explosions, and screams ran rampant.
Now no one could avoid it.
This arena where some would live and some would die.
It was an all-or-nothing bloody battle with the fate of life and death at stake.
Snake-Robed Hwa-rang, standing behind, ground his teeth with a PPADEUK!
‘To find the hidden location this quickly……!’
At that time, Snake-Robed Hwa-nong sent a hand signal as she moved toward the fierce battlefield.
Then the reserve force of Forbidden Soul Ghost Thing that had been lurking in the forest all surged out at once.
PAPAPAPA… PAPAPAPAPA… !
The first, second, and third batch personnel of incomplete experimental subjects born solely through the Heretic Cult’s sorcery.
Additionally, the approximately twenty of the fourth Generation created through harmonizing the unique abilities of the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan also followed behind.
All of them were comprised of famous warriors from the Jianghu, including Outstanding Image Sword Wanderer Hwang Ji-hwan, the Sect Master of Xu Superior Martial Sect, and Burning Blood Swordsman Don Dae-deok, the Guild Master of Chungmun Sword Guild.
Meanwhile.
Cheol Ryu-heun, who had been hovering in the air riding Divine Wind, drew Zhuge Bi ahead toward him with soft formless energy.
It was the power of Attracting Objects Through the Air, operated through eye movement alone.
Zhuge Bi’s form, thus guided, took position behind Shin So-sul.
Following that, Cheol Ryu-heun released the reins and stood upright on the saddle.
“Help Bi to completely block all escape routes.”
It meant to roam the four directions with Divine Wind and spread a barrier.
Like a prison with no exit.
It was possible.
No.
That was a natural thing, and an even more solid net of barriers would be created than one might think.
If it was the combination of Shin So-sul, who had ascended to this era’s greatest sorcery master, and Zhuge Bi, the owner of the Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body whose body itself was the ultimate formation.
“Yes, understood!”
Shin So-sul, having answered in a powerful voice, swiftly grasped Divine Wind’s reins in place of Cheol Ryu-heun.
Simultaneously.
PAT.
Cheol Ryu-heun, having kicked off the saddle, headed downward.
A lightness technique falling from a dizzying height in the air, flowing like a feather riding the wind.
SEUSEUK, SEUK, SEUSEUK……
His two feet moved lightly, stepping along an invisible downward path without hesitation.
Thereupon, Shin So-sul and Zhuge Bi let out exclamations of admiration as if competing.
“HEO…… To see that in reality……!”
“WOW! Truly a divine being, Sect Master Cheol is……”
Treading Empty Air.
Also called Walking on the Void.
In martial history, only about ten-odd people had executed this.
Cheol Ryu-heun was in the midst of proving his transcendent abilities and divine prowess through Treading Empty Air.
All of a sudden.
PADAKPADAK, PADAKPADAK, PADAKPADAK… PIPIT, PIPIT, PIPIT… !
A blood-chilling sound of wingbeats noisily struck his ears.
Pitch-black, massive masses were approaching from two directions.
Swiftly, violently, and chaotically.
An attack by a swarm of poison creatures.
The two massed groups each targeted Divine Wind and Cheol Ryu-heun, flying at them in disorder.
While successively emitting unpleasant sounds.
“Chwicheop!”
“Jjirik, jjirik!”
“Jjiririk!”
“Cheop!”
That was the frenzied cries of bat swarms.
Precisely, it was the attack of the bloodsucking bats famous as native poison creatures of the Shiwan Mountains.
It was impossible to count how many there were.
There were so many it felt like a black, massive cloud was rushing in.
In a flash.
BUUUUUUUNG, BUUUUUUUNG, BUUUUUUUNG……!
Another massive cloud approached.
That thing approaching rapidly was swarms of tens of thousands of bees.
The size was as big as a human fist, the body was blue like the sky, and the wings were red as if soaked in blood.
That’s right.
It was the appearance of Ghost Cloud Great Bees, rare poison creatures as well as spirit creatures famous as natural predators of bloodsucking bats.
The bloodsucking bats that had been flying toward Divine Wind and Cheol Ryu-heun cried out noisily.
It was a panicked reaction before deadly natural enemies.
The Ghost Cloud Great Bee swarms fiercely pounced upon the startled, scattering bloodsucking bats, stabbing their venomous stingers wildly.
At that moment, over a hundred dark-blue hawks came flying and joined in.
They were Venomous Dusk Horned Hawks, poison creatures within the Shiwan Mountains.
SYUSYUSYUSYUSYU, SYUSYUSYUSYUSYU……!
When the Venomous Dusk Horned Hawks swept through the air spewing murky poison mist, the Ghost Cloud Great Bee swarms became bewildered.
Facing head-on those Venomous Dusk Horned Hawks with their fierce wingbeats and beaks was beyond each one’s strength.
At that moment.
SHWISHWISHWI, SHWISHWISHWI…
Sounds sharply slicing through the wind burst out in a row.
“Ppyaaek!”
“Ppyaaeaek!”
Screams of Venomous Dusk Horned Hawks were heard here and there.
Some had their wings cut off, some had their eyes gouged, and others had their bodies torn.
It was because of the beaks and talons of blood-red hawks that had appeared from somewhere.
The group fiercely attacking the Venomous Dusk Horned Hawks was the Red Earth Poison Eagles, poison creatures of Southern Forest.
In the meantime, Cheol Ryu-heun went further down and Divine Wind went further away.
At the same time, on the ground’s battlefield, the smell of blood was spreading.
PEOK, PEOPEOK… !
With dull sounds, two enemies tumbled on the ground.
Having been struck by the Great Mercy Crouching Tiger Fist that the Emei Sect boasted.
It was precisely the work of Sichuan Gold Great Pillar Han-sol.
He, having retracted his left fist, spun his body toward an enemy rushing from behind and rapidly thrust out the sword in his right hand.
JJEOJJEONG… PEOPEONG!
Sword energy spewed from the blade’s tip exploded.
“Kekek!”
The enemy sent flying by the heavy impact bared hideous fangs and groaned.
It was because one of his shoulders had been completely destroyed.
It was the thrusting technique of Golden Peak Thirty-Six Sword.
On top of that, he had loaded more than sixty percent of his power into it too.
But Han-sol was not satisfied with just the shoulder and kicked off the ground.
Thus he consecutively executed the Golden Peak Thirty-Six Sword techniques and cut off the breath of the wounded enemy.
Immediately after, swords pierced the chests of the two enemies who had fallen earlier.
BUUK, BUUUK… KKWADEUK, KKWADEUDUK!
With their chest bones mercilessly shattered, the two enemies also died instantly.
The two men who had rapidly worked their swords in concert with Han-sol’s exploits were Small Pure Spirit Hero Geon-ram of Mount Tai Sect and Seven Yin Sword Jing-hyeon of Kongtong Sect.
Not to be outdone, Prosperous Flower Sword Son Im Kang Yu-yu of Mount Hua Sect and Shadowless Swift Guest Pa-pyeong of Mount Huang Sect also demonstrated advanced martial prowess while striking down the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan group.
Also.
On another battlefield not far away, the hand techniques of three outstanding martial talents stood out.
Three people moving rapidly in a reverse character (?) formation while executing combined attacks.
They were Three Absolutes Azure Crane Chang-woon of Wudang Sect, Buddha Crown Martial Flower Myo Jeong-mun of Potala Temple, and Central Peak Morning Star Hyo-gak of Shaolin Temple.
Those three did not spare their sects’ specialized techniques from the outset.
Especially Hyo-gak, befitting his status as the principal disciple and special duty disciple of Shaolin Temple, the great peak of the Jianghu, demonstrated truly diverse supreme martial arts.
Starting with Dharma’s Three Swords, the origin of sword arts, he showed Arhat Sword Technique, Bodhi Jade Heaven Seal, Hundred-Step Diamond Fist, Counter-Zen Hand, Great Strength Demon-Subduing Palm, Guanyin Eighteen Kicks, Buddha Shadow Lotus Steps, and more……
Truly, both hands and feet moved ceaselessly.
Baek Lim of Mount Heng Sect was also demonstrating advanced martial prowess while perfectly executing his sect’s sword path specialized techniques.
On the Unorthodox side, the exploits were equally splendid.
Chain-Breaking One Sword Beon-sa of Broken Mountain Sword Manor, White Dream Beauty Gongse Dan-yeong of Heavenly Flower Tower, Black Cloud Young Master Hwa-seong of Heavenly Star Martial Hall, Violent Wolf Blade of Wolf Fang Saber Sect, Divine Fist Saber Master On-ga of Standing Saber Sect……
Of course, the martial prowess of Dark Hall Master Dark Fragrance Sword Mun-bin, who had rapidly risen to become the foremost of the Jiangnan Unorthodox Jianghu, was by far the best.
He single-handedly took charge of one direction and swept away enemies, literally creating a path.
The hand techniques of Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae in a somewhat distant spot, and the Stone-Piercing Sword Lady Murong Seol and Embroidery-Piercing Sword Lady Murong Song sisters of the Murong Clan, were similarly outstanding.
Tiger Step Saber Young Master Peng Ya-hwi of Hebei Peng Family was inwardly impressed as he fought.
‘Impressive again upon re-viewing! Truly, not a single one falls short!’
But the most astonishing personnel were elsewhere.
The guest retainers of White Peak Sword Sect.
Namgung Sang-rin and Hae Su-yeon were like assault leaders.
Each time they swung their swords, clearings and paths were created.
Cui Lan moved here in a flash, there in a flash.
Like the breath of the Great King of Hell guiding enemies to the underworld.
Seol Pan-gyo and Mae Yak-bang were a matched pair of mandarin ducks.
One body, one heart.
Their combined attacks had not a single small flaw.
Around them, forces from South Embrace Poison Palace, led by Hegemon of Poison Paramount Meng Wang, exerted their might.
The exploits of Orthodox and Unorthodox warriors scattered here and there were no different.
In that midst.
KKWANG!
With a great roar, the ground shook.
KUAAAAAAAA, KUAAAAAAAA… !
Pitch-black demonic energy, transformed into a wave of flame, created a highway ahead.
Everything swept up in it was reduced to powder and vanished.
A shockwave from a stomp that pierced through the enemy camp.
It was Heavenly Demon World-Destroying Step.
Naturally, the caster was Gun Mu-ak.
It was overwhelming.
There seemed to be no one who could stand against that power.
JEOBEOKJEOBEOK……
Gun Mu-ak walked forward and extended the Demon God Sword straight ahead.
Then a massive dark space appeared.
Heavenly Demon Gravity Star.
Placing that before him like a shield, he advanced.
It was a relaxed posture.
By the power of Heavenly Demon Gravity Star, tens of enemies were annihilated.
Existences erased without a trace.
Gun Mu-ak was literally a demon god traversing the battlefield at will.
His target was one.
Heuk Ma-yung.
He was slowly walking toward where that one stood.
Expressionlessly annihilating the enemies blocking his path with Heavenly Demon Gravity Stars.
HWAEK!
Heuk Ma-yung, having turned his head, directed his gaze to the side.
Roughly three jang away.
There was a stone altar-shaped structure.
He was looking at Mo Dok-jae’s form lying on it.
‘At the very least, the Demon God’s soul-body fragment……!’
It was a blessing in disguise.
Since at least one of the Demon God’s arms had been transferred over.
Though small, it was sufficient to annihilate the intruders.
If they could somehow stabilize and awaken that power’s instability.
Divine Demon, or Demon God.
Wasn’t it a fragment of the soul-body of the absolute king who ruled the Demon Realm in another world?
With just one arm alone, earth-shaking martial prowess could be released.
Having thought that, Heuk Ma-yung shouted using Sound Transmission Mind-to-Mind.
The recipient of the Sound Transmission was Heretic Cult Master Snake-Robed Hwa-rang.
When Snake-Robed Hwa-rang immediately conveyed the order, the Five Palace Masters’ incantation changed.
Soon.
DEULSSEKDEULSSEOK.
Mo Dok-jae’s body trembled convulsively and bounced up and down.
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun reached the ground.
The exact center of where the bloody battle was taking place.
The Darkness-Craving Blood Clan charged at him, overcoming their fear.
Over one hundred in number.
At that moment.
KWAK!
When Cheol Ryu-heun drove the Gan Jiang into the ground and explosively radiated a blood-red shimmer in all directions.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPONG… PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG… TUTUTUTUTUTUTU… TUTUTUTUTUTUTUTU… !
The personnel who had been charging toward him, as well as some three hundred Darkness-Craving Blood Clan members nearby, all exploded at once and showered blood rain in all directions.
A fearsome technique that rapidly boiled the blood throughout the entire body, and not content with that, made the bodies explode completely.
The specialized technique that had repelled even the elite of Heavenly Demon Cult two hundred years ago…… It was Blood God Mu-wol’s Blood Demon Reigning Palm.