Chapter 434: Jumping In
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Cheol Ryu-heun held the Gan Jiang diagonally and let fall a bland voice.
“Black Sky Demon Eyes, is it? Your last desperate struggle?”
Thereupon Gun Mu-ak, no, the soul-body fragment that had separated from the Demon God, wore an even deeper smile.
“HU, arrogant…… acting as if you’ve already won.”
“What I just displayed was merely showing that I possess such a trick as well.”
Gun Mu-ak nodded in understanding.
“YES…… I know.”
He had grasped the meaning contained in those words.
That even without deliberately combining pinnacle internal power multiple times, you can easily subdue me……
In other words, it also meant Cheol Ryu-heun’s pure martial arts level alone was overwhelming.
Furthermore, it was also a warning that even if he used his trump card Black Sky Demon Eyes to the fullest, he would ultimately lose.
Soon, Gun Mu-ak, having erased his smile, flashed his dark eyes.
“How arrogant!”
Even before his shout had ended, his form shot out rapidly.
HUK…
Gun Mu-ak, having closed the gap with speed that outpaced even the sound of the wind, swung his sword powerfully.
SYUKAAAAAK!
From left to right.
Along with it, a pitch-black wave of demonic energy rose greatly.
It wasn’t merely raging fiercely.
Along with the wave, a fierce vortex was also accompanying it.
KWAAAAAAAAAAAAA… !
It was the technique ‘Demon Scripture Spiral Vortex Heaven’ that maximizes destructive power through tremendous rotational force by focusing solely on the essence of strong offense rather than defense.
On top of that, a massive amount of internal power despite risking the worsening of internal injuries.
The air had become thin in an instant.
An indescribable pressure blanketed this heaven and earth.
It felt as if Gun Mu-ak’s pitch-black sword force extending outward would mercilessly destroy the entire vast Shiwan Mountains.
To that extent, in terms of the momentary force and speed of swirling energy, among Heavenly Demon Divine Art techniques, Demon Scripture Spiral Vortex Heaven was by far the foremost.
Befitting an extreme offensive technique that thoroughly excluded defensive elements.
Gun Mu-ak calculated the aftermath in that shorter-than-light moment.
That fellow will break through!
Without fail, he will parry this and charge in head-on!
Come!
You owner of a mysteriously unfathomable body!
Indeed.
Demon Scripture Spiral Vortex Heaven was a feint executed from the outset in anticipation of Cheol Ryu-heun’s counterattack and breakthrough.
For close-range fighting.
He wanted him to come right up close to him.
That was why the enormous consumption of internal power wasn’t a waste at all.
Because.
His true hidden agenda was the Black Sky Demon Eyes.
That was why he had intended for close combat.
The closer the distance, the stronger the Black Sky Demon Eyes becomes.
As expected.
KWAHAAANG… KWAHAAAANG… !
As fierce explosive sounds rang out simultaneously, the Demon Scripture Spiral Vortex Heaven scattered in all directions.
HUK…
Cheol Ryu-heun charged through, breaking through the thick dust and shimmer.
In a flash, energy explosively released from Gun Mu-ak’s dark eyes.
On top of maximum internal power, the brain force of the upper dantian was added.
He loaded the dark demonic soul.
The so-called Black Sky Demon Eyes, the supreme eye technique of Heavenly Demon Cult belonging to the mind’s eye school, was executed to its pinnacle.
Its essence was extremely vicious.
The powerful demonic power released through the eyes penetrates into the opponent’s body, seals the consciousness of the upper dantian, and then triggers a chain reaction of bodily ruptures.
However.
Gun Mu-ak did not intend to go all the way and would only bind the consciousness.
Of course.
Because the ultimate goal was the unprecedented body the other possessed.
The body must not be harmed.
Therefore, only the mental faculties must be attacked.
It would take some time.
Because Cheol Ryu-heun’s soul would be as solid as an iron wall.
If he was a warrior who displayed such phenomenal martial power, the parts related to his mental mechanism would also be exceptional.
Yet he believed he could somehow suppress him.
That was close to certainty.
No.
He was certain.
After all, could not the demonic power wielded by the upper dantian of Gun Mu-ak, fused with the soul-body, sufficiently achieve it?
Yet.
CHYUCHYUCHYUCHYUCHYU……
Two streaks of light were visible, rushing straight forward in collision.
A red light like flames.
Mixed feelings of brightness and darkness.
It was a ray of light that was difficult to describe, making one feel even a divine force.
It was the eye light released by Cheol Ryu-heun, the divine energy from the era of the Divine Martial Sword.
Thus, the two streaks of light met as one and contested their strength.
KUKUKUKUKU, KUKUKUKUKU……
From the colliding space, along with the vibrating atmosphere, shimmer spread.
Additionally, the ground where the two faced each other also split and burst with great trembling.
DEUDEUDEUDEUDEU, DEUDEUDEUDEUDEU…… JJEOJJEOJJEOJJEO, JJEOJJEOJJEOJJEO……!
As if attesting to the collision of heavy powers.
Gun Mu-ak instinctively knew.
That the eye light Cheol Ryu-heun released was also a martial art of the mind’s eye school, in the same vein as Black Sky Demon Eyes.
For now, their powers were roughly equal.
Thereupon Gun Mu-ak let out a desperate shout.
“Let’s see how strong that mental power is!”
Not to be outdone, Cheol Ryu-heun countered.
“There’s nothing to test.”
The red eye light charged straight forward along with his nonchalant words.
Distorting the pitch-black eye light.
CHYUCHYUCHYUCHYUCHYU… PAPAPAPAPA… !
Gun Mu-ak’s complexion turned pale.
‘Euuek!’
He was being pushed back.
By the power contained in Cheol Ryu-heun’s eye light.
In a flash.
HWAAAAAK!
Cheol Ryu-heun’s divine energy, released even more fiercely, swallowed up the Black Sky Demon Eyes in an instant.
Thus, the two men’s eyes connected by red rays of light alone.
“Did you think you’d win if you had a staring contest with me?”
The moment Cheol Ryu-heun spoke gruffly.
“Kkeu…… uek……!”
Gun Mu-ak trembled with a pained expression.
His mind was becoming paralyzed.
By the divine energy penetrating into his upper dantian, his brain.
At that moment, a heart-stopping voice reached his ears.
“For a mere fragment to presume to act up. I shall draw you out of his body and destroy you like this.”
No sooner had Cheol Ryu-heun’s words ended than his divine energy became even larger and brighter.
FLASH… HWAAAAAK… !
Around the same time.
The remaining enemy gang was heading toward annihilation.
Shin So-sul and Zhuge Bi, having completed the sealing formation, also joined that fight to lend their strength.
Defeat was a predetermined outcome.
Since the moment the highest leadership had already perished in battle, the scales of victory had tilted sharply.
When Zhuge Bi deployed a natural illusion formation using the mysteries of the Eight Trigrams, gusting wind and countless falling leaves confused the vision of the enemy camp.
HWIIIIIIIING, HWIIIIIIIING… PARARARARAK, PARARARARAK!
Thereupon the Wood Chamber Master, Fire Chamber Master, and Earth Chamber Master connected their spiritual energy, staking their lives, and deployed a high-level summoning art that transcended each one’s limits.
SEUSEUSEUT, SEUSEUSEUSUT…
Strange phantasmal beasts appeared along with grayish-white mist.
“Kahaaak!”
A giant body whose head was missing roared fiercely, swinging an iron axe and shield in both hands.
It was Xingtian (??).
A monster with eyes on its left and right breasts and a mouth in its navel.
A full ten of them had revealed themselves.
Yet suddenly, from one side.
HUWAAAK…… KKUKUKUNG!
Cloud-like smoke spread, and a shadow even larger than Xingtian appeared and let out a cry.
“Keuhaaak, keuhaaaaak!”
A body that appeared to be a pure-white tiger with nine heads resembling human faces… just looking at it made one’s legs weak.
It was Kaiming Beast (???), the phantom beast and guardian deity from folk legend said to reside in Kunlun beyond the mortal realm.
It was precisely Shin So-sul’s doing.
“Destroy them!”
At Shin So-sul’s shout, the Kaiming Beast let out a spine-chilling strange cry and began fighting the Xingtians.
Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon, and the other party members also launched fierce continuous offensives to wrap things up.
In that midst, in the shrubbery not far behind where the fight was taking place.
Two people were crouching there in hiding.
They were Black Tortoise Divine General Wang-ryu of Heaven Emperor Society and his subordinate Vice General Xianyu Ershan.
Simultaneously with Xianyu Ershan’s answer, Wang-ryu executed violent movement.
Both feet kicking off the ground.
KKWANG!
A force that shook not only the shrubbery but also the surrounding ground.
Xianyu Ershan also moved, sticking close behind him.
The ground JJEOJEOJEOK! ruptured along their path.
It was because of the massive internal power the two emitted during their movement.
The sudden appearance thus startled the party.
“Eut!”
“No!”
“Those two are……?”
Wang-ryu, having leaped out of the shrubbery, swung the iron sword in his right hand horizontally and blood sprayed.
PUHAAK, PUHAAAAK… !
With one sword move, fourth-batch Soul-Snatching Ghost-Becoming Bodies Outstanding Image Sword Wanderer Hwang Ji-hwan of Xu Superior Martial Sect and Burning Blood Swordsman Don Dae-deok, Guild Master of Chungmun Sword Guild, met their deaths.
Their upper and lower bodies separated in the literal blink of an eye.
It was a hand movement as if merely sweeping away something obstructing his path.
Yet the sword force released from it was truly fearsome.
Too fast to even feel, and a sword stroke as heavy as if countless boulders had poured down.
Everyone had looks that couldn’t understand what was happening.
Who is that person? Perhaps a hidden ally?
The moment everyone harbored the same question.
“That’s him! the one who was targeting me……!”
At Shin So-sul’s shout, the expressions of the party changed rapidly.
At that moment, Xianyu Ershan scattered a horizontal sword stroke.
UDEUDEUK… PUHAAK… !
Someone’s waist was cut through, bones and all.
It was the Earth Chamber Master.
‘Eoeok!’
The Wood Chamber Master and Fire Chamber Master nearby frantically scattered left and right in shock.
Both people’s minds went blank at the intrusion of Wang-ryu and Xianyu Ershan.
‘This can’t be……!’
‘Why is one of the Four Divine Generals here……!’
Xianyu Ershan manipulated his sword again.
KKAGANG… PEOPEONG!
With metallic and explosive sounds, one figure was sent bouncing backward.
Black Cloud Young Master Hwa-seong of Heavenly Star Martial Hall, who had slammed his back into the ground, let out a pained sound.
“Keok……”
A thin stream of blood was seeping through his lips.
His blood and energy had been shaken by the heavy power of the sword stroke.
It was amazing.
That Hwa-seong, an outstanding martial talent of the Unorthodox Jianghu and even strengthened through Cheol Ryu-heun’s arrangement, suffered internal injuries from a simple blow.
Wang-ryu’s power was even more shocking.
KKWAKWAKWANG… !
The moment he heard Shin So-sul’s shout, the two who had attacked him were sent flying far away like leaves swept up in the wind.
They were Seol Pan-gyo and Mae Yak-bang.
The expressions of the two, having forcibly stopped their bodies, were anything but good.
“Uek……”
“Kuheuut……”
They barely avoided internal injuries.
But the impact lodged in their bodies was too great.
“So you were an enemy after all!”
Along with a thunderous roar, a large shadow rushed toward Wang-ryu.
It was Meng Wang.
Having raised his internal power to its pinnacle, he rapidly thrust the Venomous Antler Spur.
JJEOGEOEOEOONG!
With the metallic sound, his thick forearm was swept back.
From Wang-ryu’s countering sword strike.
He almost had his wrist and elbow bones broken too.
For him who prided himself on having the world’s greatest arm strength, it was a terrifying level of impact.
At that moment, Wang-ryu’s iron sword moved.
SYUKAAAAAK… !
A sword stroke aimed at the center of his chest.
Sword manipulation boasting extreme speed, short enough to call even a flash too long.
In that moment, Meng Wang instinctively felt.
That death was approaching.
That his Elephant Skin Great Iron Bone was useless before Wang-ryu’s sword force.
Right then.
HUUUUUUUUUNG… !
A sharp sword point cleaved through the air.
Cui Lan had appeared at some point and swiftly pulled Meng Wang’s body away to evade.
Immediately after, the combined attacks of Mun-bin, Namgung Sang-rin, and Hae Su-yeon were deployed.
However.
UDEUDEUK… KWAHAAAANG!
When Wang-ryu stomped, vast formless energy spread and pushed all three back.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG……!
Mun-bin, Namgung Sang-rin, and Hae Su-yeon… phenomenal internal power that repelled in one stroke all three famous warriors who had even surpassed the renowned masters of the Orthodox and Unorthodox paths.
Having seen that display, the party was too shocked for words.
Wang-ryu’s gaze was already directed toward Cheol Ryu-heun.
It finally came into his eyes.
The pitch-black forearm of the Demon God that had exited Gun Mu-ak’s body.
KKWANG!
Wang-ryu, having kicked off the ground, sprinted like lightning.