Chapter 471: Unbelievable Words
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In an instant, the Southern Heaven Division personnel were internally shaken.
Gazes trembling like great waves.
Invisible shockwaves continuously pounding against each of their hearts.
Even the Commander was no exception.
‘What…!’
Without realizing it, the hand gripping his sword hilt tightened with force.
At the same time, disbelief upon disbelief chained through his mind.
He had heard words he couldn’t believe.
The entire force of Eastern Heaven Division that headed to the Shiwan Mountains had been annihilated…
However, that disbelief didn’t last long.
It couldn’t be helped.
The young guest retainers, whom he knew to have accompanied Cheol Ryu-heun, had all revealed themselves here.
Moreover, the top-secret name “Heaven Emperor Society” had just been mentioned.
The Commander felt as if his heart was sinking coldly.
He cried out inwardly.
‘Damn it, something has gone terribly wrong!’
The reactions of the Generals and subordinates gathered around him were the same.
At last, everyone clearly realized something.
This place was a trap that had been thoroughly prepared in advance.
That’s right.
It meant they had perfectly predicted the Southern Heaven Division’s surprise attack from the very beginning.
Of course, the one who orchestrated it must be Cheol Ryu-heun.
He had already demonstrated outstanding skill in rallying the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions like an alliance through the Sun and Moon Demon Cult annihilation operation.
The current situation was in the same vein as that time.
However, if there was one difference, it was that even the powerful forces of the frontier Jianghu had joined this time.
Either way, it was a scene that made one newly appreciate Cheol Ryu-heun’s remarkable ability.
That presented a new question.
It was only natural.
The Blood Demon Cult and Potala Palace had been longtime rivals.
So why were they gathered here together?
Had they made a dramatic reconciliation to settle their longstanding conflict?
Anyway, one thing was clear.
Cheol Ryu-heun had intervened between the Blood Demon Cult and Potala Palace.
Amidst all this, the Commander cried out inwardly again.
‘Hmph! This is absurd! No matter how outstanding Cheol Ryu-heun’s qualifications are, how…!’
Questions repeatedly assailed his mind.
The mastermind behind all this was nowhere to be seen.
Cheol Ryu-heun himself, that is.
Could there be some other reason?
For the Commander, that felt even more ominous.
At that moment.
Rumble rumble… Rumble rumble… Rumble rumble…
The atmosphere of the training grounds generated fierce vibrations.
It was because the forces on the White Peak Sword Sect’s side were each fully circulating their internal energy.
The air grew heavy, as if a massive stone mountain was collapsing.
The power of those blocking the main gate behind the Southern Heaven Division was transmitted as an invisible wind.
Clear Daoist energy and brilliant Buddhist energy were mixed into it.
It was a phenomenon harmonized by the energies of the Daoist’s of Mount Hua Sect’s Sect Master, Mount Hua Sword Paragon Zu Won; Mount Huang Sect’s Sect Master, Immortal Daoqing; Kongtong Sect’s Sect Master, Jeongsu-ja; and the Buddhist Emei Sect’s Abbot, Great Master Myeonggyeong, among others.
Among them, the bearing of Immortal Ten Ultimate Martial Saint Immortal Muhyeon, representing the Wudang Sect, and White Cloud Sword Duke Taoist Cheon Mu, representing Mount Heng Sect, was distinctly unique and overwhelming.
Suddenly, a yellow thunderbolt flickered along with a fierce thunderclap.
Flash… Crack… !
Following that, a sharp sound struck everyone’s ears.
Crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle…
Energy like lightning dancing chaotically along the blade.
That gloriously renowned figure among the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan Province, the second duke, Thunder Cloud Sword Duke Wei Ji-am, had manifested this power through his immense internal energy.
However, it was somehow different from the existing Full-Body Thunder Lightning Sword.
That was because a pure white light had suddenly mixed and intertwined with the yellow-flickering lightning.
That power came from mastering the lost ultimate technique of a past Orthodox Path hegemon.
Hundred Lightning Sword God Kang Yun.
Seven hundred fifty years ago, he was the owner of the Divine Martial Sword and the unrivaled powerhouse in martial history who had first devised the essence of lightning-attribute sword arts.
His lifetime martial achievements and majesty rode on Wei Ji-am’s domineering spirit.
Before anyone noticed, about twenty warriors in identical attire stood spread out behind him, gripping their swords.
They were the elite experts among the Advancing Lightning Sword Corps, the core force of the Thunderbolt Sect.
Their splendid appearance made their leader Wei Ji-am’s overwhelming might stand out even more.
It was the same for Seol Hu-ryong on the opposite side.
Six hundred sixty years ago, the true transmission of Thousand Hand Sword Saint Deung-hae, owner of the Divine Martial Sword and the one who established the realm of Six Extremes Return to Origin for the first time in martial history, was manifested through his sword.
The blue and white currents enveloping the blade were precisely that.
And behind him, about twenty upper-tier swordsmen from the Cheongpo Corps, a subordinate organization of the Azure Heaven Sword Sect, each displayed their imposing appearances.
At that moment, there was one person muttering as if reciting words of unknown meaning.
A person with a gaunt body as if he hadn’t even had a bowl of rice porridge.
He was an exotic monk in his eighties, draped in a yellow-brown dharma robe.
His face was full of wrinkles and his bones protruded so much that he looked like a living skeleton, but he was someone no one could treat carelessly.
He was none other than Dalu, the current preeminent Buddhist martial arts master of the frontier Jianghu and the highest-ranking monk of Potala Palace… The Chief Teaching Lama.
Those who know, know.
Though Dalu had entered the path as a Lama monk at the relatively late age of thirty, his enlightenment was extraordinary, and by the age of forty, he had been appointed as Chief Teaching Lama.
His rate of growth was the fastest after the first Dalai Lama.
As soon as Chief Teaching Lama Dalu finished his muttering, the group of Lama monks under him quietly assumed their stances.
It was a posture to deploy the Arayujia Formation, famous as Potala Palace’s unique combined attack formation.
That formation is actually regarded as the highest and strongest formation in Buddhist martial arts, comparable to Shaolin Temple’s Hundred Eight Arhat Formation.
Not to be outdone, the disciples of White Peak Sword Sect also assumed their stances in unison.
The circular formation of the Mountain Martial Assembly.
Each member was emitting sharp killing intent.
Yet that was harmonized quite exquisitely, making it appear as one.
It was the spirit and majesty of White Cliff achieving the wonder of perfect unity.
Not even a momentary movement showed any gap.
That’s right.
Everyone was displaying just how hard they had trained and polished their skills all this time.
Following that, Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon, Seol Pan-gyo, and Mae Yak-bang also drew their swords and raised the internal power within their bodies.
They had already far surpassed a certain level of realm.
Calling them martial geniuses would actually be an insult.
All four had risen so steeply in martial prowess that even the praise of “supreme first-rate” or “pinnacle” would be insufficient.
The allied forces who felt their spirit inwardly marveled without cease.
Seeing the guest retainers, one understood exactly what kind of bearing the phrase “a crane among chickens” referred to.
To that fiercely surging spirit was added the formless energy released by the two great White Peaks.
Yeop Hweon and Hyeop Mu-geuk.
Pure white, magnificent mountain ranges rose as twins.
For some reason, it was suffocating.
The formless aura that the two emitted while circulating their internal energy felt exactly like that.
Amidst all this, the demonic sky dyed in blood finally revealed its power.
Boom… Boom… Crack crack… Crack crack…!
The trembling of the atmosphere and the ground grew even fiercer.
It was due to the internal power of the current Blood Demon Cult Leader, Blood Rain Demon Lord Gi Cheon-geuk.
What’s more.
Drip… Drip drip… Drip…
Blood droplets fell like rain where he stood.
It was a bizarre phenomenon caused by operating a large amount of his unique demonic energy, symbolizing the terrifying sobriquet Blood Rain Demon Lord.
Truly the bearing of a superhuman who commands the Demonic Path Jianghu in name and reality.
When had they appeared? Beside him stood a blood-red group with eyes flashing, spread out.
In total about forty people, the upper-tier powerhouses and elite demonic soldiers of the Blood Demon Cult.
The wondrous presence of Gi Cheon-geuk, harmonized with that group, made the entire Southern Heaven Division flinch.
Was it because of the power he emitted?
Everyone felt a metallic taste in their mouths as if they had swallowed blood.
In that instant.
Thud, thud…
Gal Jung-heon took steps forward and stood at the very front.
“Are you still holding back your power?”
The moment he spoke in a heavy voice.
Whoosh… !
One of the Generals was dragged to stand before Gal Jung-heon by a powerful suction force.
Empty Air Object Seizing.
It was a tremendous power that prevented even a single finger from moving.
Immediately after.
Squelch… Splurt!
A chilling sound of clothes and flesh being pierced rang out.
It was the sound of the Demon-Devouring Sword piercing through the General’s upper body.
At the same time, hungry ghosts rapidly gnawed at his entire body.
Crunch crunch, crunch crunch, crunch crunch… !
Just hearing it made one’s hair stand on end and goosebumps rise.
And so, the General became white bones in an instant, emitting only a foul stench.
Truly a horrific end.
A stillness settled over the scene.
Gal Jung-heon crushed the bones that had fallen to the ground underfoot and issued a warning.
“Generals of the Southern Heaven Division, activate your gu poison. If you’re going to die anyway, shouldn’t you at least put up a fight?”
At that moment, a Young General-rank warrior of the Southern Heaven Division charged forward.
But.
Splurt… !
The Demon-Devouring Sword thrust by the waiting Gal Jung-heon pierced through his side.
A body ruthlessly skewered and dangling as if on a spit.
At that moment, strange light gathered in both of Gal Jung-heon’s pupils.
Dark and eerie light.
The Young General who met that gaze let out agonizing screams.
“Gaaah, gaaahhhh…!”
He thrashed about wildly while still impaled on the sword.
He was being rapidly devoured by the power emitted from those eyes.
Not the outside of his body, but the inside.
This was the wondrous use of the Soul Devouring Eye that Gal Jung-heon had mastered.
They say that once caught in its power, not only the body but even the spirit is devoured.
As the Young General’s death drew near.
Bulge…
Suddenly his entire body swelled and exploded.
Boom… Whoosh… !
A great fire burst out from inside his body.
The explosion of gu poison.
However, those green flames died down in an instant.
It was due to the pressure of the formless energy that Gal Jung-heon had released.
‘As expected…!’
The Commander of the Southern Heaven Division intuitively understood.
That Gal Jung-heon’s martial prowess had clearly entered a transcendent realm.
His appearance had changed to that of someone in their mid-to-late thirties.
That meant he had additionally achieved Rejuvenation.
If they didn’t activate their gu poison to increase their power as they had been told, fighting would be difficult.
But there was something he still didn’t realize.
The fact that through the opportunity Cheol Ryu-heun had granted in the past, Gal Jung-heon had even achieved the Nature Harmony Realm.
‘This isn’t a problem that can be solved just by worrying about Gi Cheon-geuk!’
Having judged thus, the Commander gave a hand signal meaning for the other General-level personnel to activate their gu poison.
At that moment.
Gal Jung-heon, having withdrawn his Soul Devouring Eye, spoke with a proud gesture of his chin.
“You probably don’t know. That even Wang-ryu, called the strongest force within the Heaven Emperor Society, the Black Tortoise Divine General, died in battle fighting Sect Master Cheol in the Shiwan Mountains.”
At those words, the entire Southern Heaven Division felt their consciousness grow distant.
Today, they kept hearing words they couldn’t believe.
This was the first they’d heard of it.
The Black Tortoise Divine General Wang-ryu had gone to the Shiwan Mountains… And furthermore died in battle against Cheol Ryu-heun?
At this point, they couldn’t tell what was truth and what was false.
The General-level personnel, seized by a sense of crisis, activated the gu poison that would bring death.
Upon doing so, they felt the energy flowing through their bodies grow remarkably stronger.
Amidst that, Gal Jung-heon’s voice continued.
“Even if you died and came back to life, you could never even guess Sect Master Cheol’s true abilities.”
He had already heard the shocking secret history of Cheol Ryu-heun through Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon, and others.
-I, Cheol Ryu-heun, am the Divine Martial Sword.
‘Ha. Truly…’
Having smiled silently, Gal Jung-heon circulated his internal energy to its peak and flashed his eyes.
In response, the Demon-Devouring Sword vibrated, reacting to its master’s immense energy.
“Come, then! You hounds of the vile Heaven Emperor Society Lord!”