Chapter 492: The Falling Horde
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The feeling of heaven and earth growing heavy.
It was a space encroached upon by terror and silence.
The personnel within were shaken by the oppressive force of the black absolute formation that had sealed the Central Heaven Tower fortress from the outside, and by the power of the Soaring Through Air Controlling Energy that Cheol Ryu-heun had unleashed.
In an instant, Pa Ga-wi gazed at the iron sphere floating high in the sky.
‘A divine artifact imbued with Heavenly Demon power!’
He didn’t know what type of object it was.
In any case, even if he gathered his power and leaped, it was too far to reach.
Even shooting a long sword energy would be impossible.
To get there.
Unless he had learned a flying technique that allowed him to fly freely like a bird.
Pa Ga-wi soon withdrew his gaze and emitted an eye full of wariness.
‘The ones trapped are not him but us…’
Cheol Ryu-heun’s words were probably not hollow.
‘We must break through that dark formation somehow! And report news about Cheol Ryu-heun to the main headquarters.’
Having shouted inwardly thus, he clenched his fist around the sword hilt.
If this place was sealed off, it would be a problem.
Because the Central Heaven Tower was the core location managing all communication networks among the five units…
That’s right.
If this place was sacked… No, if it fell… Everything would be thrown into disarray.
In a flash.
Rumble rumble, rumble rumble… Drrr drrr, drrr drrr…
The atmosphere and ground generated intense vibrations.
Following that.
Crack, cra-crack, crack…
Here and there, the floor cracked and burst like a turtle’s shell, screaming in agony.
The rapidly expanding fissures.
It was precisely because of the power of the terrifying formless energy that Cheol Ryu-heun was radiating from his body.
The encirclement momentarily flinched and stepped back to escape the range.
Yet they still maintained formation.
Despite forty or fifty Deaf-Mutes having been annihilated in an instant, they were taking combat-ready stances.
Pa Ga-wi soon commanded.
-Everyone, activate your hidden power.
His telepathic voice reverberated throughout the area.
Immediately after.
Rumble rumble, rumble, rumble rumble…
The vibrations of the atmosphere and ground intensified further.
It was the effect of the Central Heaven Tower force numbering a full eight hundred operating internal power while also activating their internal isolated poisons.
However.
There was no explosion phenomenon among the Young General-rank and middle General-rank personnel.
Only the internal power of all executive staff rapidly increased.
In truth, the attributes of the isolated poison supplied to the Central Heaven Tower were special.
In other words, it was different from the Eastern Heaven Division, Southern Heaven Division, Western Heaven Division, and North Heaven Division.
It was isolated poison with attributes that rapidly increased one’s internal power without staking one’s life.
Pa Ga-wi threw off his bamboo hat and drew his sword.
Did that serve as some kind of signal?
Shk…
A Young General-rank swordsman in the formation behind Cheol Ryu-heun pushed his body forward.
One step ahead.
At the same time, ten others moved together.
Shk, shk…
Deaf-Mutes wearing blood red cloaks and gripping swords.
Thus, eleven people including the Young General-rank assumed sword-drawing stances for a rear ambush.
“Strike!”
At the Young General-rank’s command, the personnel charged forward swiftly.
Shooting forward like the wind.
Though it was an attack from the rear, it was too straightforward.
A simple and crude combined attack that didn’t consider the gap in martial prowess.
Overconfidence in the internal power amplified by activating gu poison, no doubt.
But if Cheol Ryu-heun simply drew his sword straight in that direction, they would die instantly.
Sure enough.
Shukaaak… !
Right after the sound of sharply cutting through air horizontally.
Chuhaaak, chuaak, chuhaaak… !
The Deaf-Mute group including the minor-rank all died instantly with their waists severed.
By the massive sword energy of the Mo Ye Sword that Cheol Ryu-heun had swung.
Splash splash splash… Thud thud thud…
Blood and several corpses tumbled across the ground.
Seeing that, the Grand General’s gaze sank deep like an abyss.
“Indeed.”
He confirmed once again that this was not an opponent who could be fought by just fielding numbers.
Whether it was martial prowess capable of killing Black Tortoise Divine General Wang-ryu was uncertain, but…
‘Cheol Ryu-heun’s aim is plain as day. To ascertain our main headquarters’ location and the Lord’s identity!’
-You… How did you find out?
-Well, that brilliant Black Tortoise Divine General Wang-ryu fellow taught me. Strictly speaking, the secrets were revealed after I beat him half to death. You just need to understand it that way.
-You’re saying… You killed the Black Tortoise Divine General?
-Yeah.
Just as Pa Ga-wi recalled those words he couldn’t readily believe.
Shk.
Cheol Ryu-heun, having quietly turned around, spoke in an apathetic voice.
“Testing the waters clumsily? Want me to kill you first?”
At that moment, Pa Ga-wi rapidly retreated and once again sent out his telepathic voice.
-Very well! Let’s play hide and seek! Everyone, act according to the pre-trained emergency operation!
At his command, about eight hundred people scattered in all eight directions and disappeared.
But Cheol Ryu-heun was at ease.
The reason was simple.
Hadn’t he said it earlier?
That they would die whether they attacked or tried to run.
This meant they could not break through the formation by any means.
No, there was one escape method.
The life of the caster, Cheol Ryu-heun.
That’s right.
If they killed him, the artificially created formation would naturally be released.
A principle shared with Gun Mu-ak’s supreme technique, the Heavenly Demon Black Soul Coffin.
Step, step, step, step…
Cheol Ryu-heun, who had been walking, loudly sent a Thousand-Li Telepathic Voice.
-Go ahead and hide yourselves well.
The moment his words ended.
Kwahang!
Cheol Ryu-heun kicked off the ground and advanced like a beam of light.
Movement that compressed distance at a wondrous speed.
Thus he caught up to one group from behind.
About a dozen people mixed with Young General-ranks and Deaf-Mutes.
Flutter…
Cheol Ryu-heun’s robes flapped as he stomped the ground hard with one foot.
Kwaoong!
From the point where deep fissures formed, explosively released crimson demonic energy swept away the enemies ahead like a giant wave.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa… Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa… !
Thus, those dozen or so vanished without a trace.
That wasn’t all.
Buildings on the same line were also ruthlessly destroyed by the wave of blood-colored demonic energy.
And those who had been lying in ambush inside them as well…
Rumble rumble rumble, rumble rumble rumble…
As five or six buildings collapsed in a row like powder.
Pa pa pa pa, pa pa pa pa… !
Six figures sprang up from beyond the walls on either side.
Young General-ranks attacking from both directions.
It was a surprise offensive targeting all the vital points of his body.
The six as one, one as six.
Just from the leap and ensuing combined attack, the level was high.
But Cheol Ryu-heun’s martial prowess was in a different class.
Without even waving his hands, he tightly bound the bodies of all six in mid-air.
“Kuh…!”
“Guh…!”
“Ugh, ughh…!”
All the Young General-ranks wore strained expressions while flailing their limbs.
That was the last movement of their lives.
Pupupupupuk… !
Dark reddish demonic currents reminiscent of fresh blood shot out long from Cheol Ryu-heun’s body and pierced through the chests of all six minor-ranks.
It was Blood God Mu-wol’s Blood Stream Divine Demon Art, executed in conjunction with powerful object manipulation.
To be precise, it was a technique called Blood Demon Violent Line… Which displayed the subtlety of freely releasing long-weapon-shaped demonic energy at will, convenient for close-range surprise attacks.
Thud, thud, thud…
The Young General-ranks whose lives had been cut short fell to the ground.
Just then.
Swish swish swish swish swish swish… !
From behind, sword energy accompanied by heavy wind pressure came rushing in.
It was a surprise attack combining the sword forces of five Young General-ranks.
Yet Cheol Ryu-heun showed no reaction.
Instead.
Hwaaak… !
A circular black demonic energy bulged out largely behind his back.
It resembled a human face.
Like a demon god of a dark world.
Puheoong!
When the human-faced form of black demonic energy collided with the combined sword energies and exploded.
“Uugk!”
“Kuk!”
“Aaak!”
The Young General-ranks who had let out cries flew backward.
The Heavenly Demon Steel Soul Barrier, a type of protective rebound technique.
It was a sublime technique within the Heavenly Demon Divine Art that blocked external attacks and protected the body through internal power operation with reflective and elastic properties.
Shortly after, about a dozen Deaf-Mutes flew in continuously.
But it was futile struggling.
Kwakwang… !
Cheol Ryu-heun’s fierce stomp exploded with demonic energy.
Kuaaaat, kuaaaat… !
A tidal wave of demonic energy made of blood swallowed up every last one of the dozen Deaf-Mutes.
It was Blood Demon Reign Steps… A stomp supreme technique exclusive to Blood God Mu-wol that was comparable to the Heavenly Demon’s Heavenly Demon World-Destroying Step.
Pa pa pa pa, pa pa pa pa pa… !
A gang mixed with Young General-ranks and Deaf-Mutes flew in again.
A charge from two directions.
This time, the Gan Jiang and Mo Ye Sword spat out Heavenly Demon Gravity Stars to annihilate the enemies.
No, they literally erased them cleanly.
Without leaving the slightest trace.
At that moment, four Middle General rapidly approached.
Front, back, left, right… It was an excellent small-scale combined assault formation with layer upon layer of sword energies flying.
But it didn’t work on Cheol Ryu-heun.
Kwaaaaaaaa…
Truly tremendous Heavenly Demon Gravity Stars blocked all four directions while sucking in the enemies.
Crack, crackle, crack…
Not only the layer upon layer of flying sword energies but even the casters’ bodies turned to powder.
A demonic power of darkness that forcefully drew opponents in, crushed them to death, smashed and burst them, and furthermore, ground them to powder and erased them entirely.
Having dealt with one group thus, Cheol Ryu-heun leisurely walked forward.
Enemies determined to die continued their surprise attacks, but the results were the same.
They all simply lost their lives in reverse.
Having slaughtered all the newly appearing enemies, Cheol Ryu-heun smiled inwardly.
‘Ha. He’s sacrificing his subordinates to buy time while absorbing their power. I came knowing everything already, yet he keeps doing such transparent tricks.’
* * *
At that time, Pa Ga-wi, who had taken refuge in a northern pavilion within the Central Heaven Tower fortress, asked.
“Did the two go that way?”
Thereupon, the Second Great General beside him gave a slight nod.
“Yes. The Seventeenth Great General and Eighteenth Great General went to check on Eul Sa-jeok’s current condition.”
“Good, understood.”
Pa Ga-wi nodded in return and said while turning his gaze.
“Prepare.”
At those words, about seventy Middle General-rank personnel knelt on the wooden floor.
Following that, sixteen Great General-rank figures including Grand General Pa Ga-wi positioned themselves at the front.
“I will remember your sacrifice forever.”
Immediately after, all the Middle General-rank executives answered in solemn tones.
“Yes.”
Pa Ga-wi then placed his hand on one middle-rank’s crown and executed some kind of bizarre energy technique.
Shwee shwee shwee, shwee shwee shwee…
Murky-colored currents wrapped around the mid-rank’s body like a whirlwind.
“Gah… Gah…”
When the middle-rank let out a groan, his entire body shriveled in the blink of an eye, turning him into something like a mummy.
As if his internal power and life force had been absorbed by Pa Ga-wi…
Thus, the remaining Great Generals also executed the same technique, making the middle-ranks die one after another.
Thud, thud, thud…
The corpses of middle-ranks who had changed into something like withered trees collapsed.
Heh.
Pa Ga-wi, who had smiled, spoke in a low voice.
“Hoho. When our main unit’s executive staff use the Star-Absorbing Great Art like this… They even surpass the Special Detached Three Armies’ leadership. Cheol Ryu-heun, I will definitely exterminate you. With this gu poison that has no limits…”
* * *
The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Great General’s… Who were the lowest ranked among the Central Heaven Tower’s Great General-level and close friends with each other… Found Eul Sa-jeok unconscious with internal injuries in a southern miniature garden.
“Hmm, so he was sprawled out in a place like this.”
“This guy really has rotten luck too. To be the first one caught…”
At that moment, loud sounds echoed continuously from far away.
-Popong… Kwakwang… Rumble… Crack… Boom… Kugung…!
It was the roaring of facilities being indiscriminately destroyed by Cheol Ryu-heun’s massive internal power.
“Come, let’s move him quickly. That bastard is rampaging more by the minute.”
“Right.”
Just as the two Great Generals grabbed the unconscious Eul Sa-jeok.
Clunk!
Suddenly, both hands were forcibly attached to Eul Sa-jeok’s body.
“Huh!”
“What’s this…!”
The startled Seventeenth and Eighteenth Great Generals each put strength into both hands.
But it was no use.
The suction force was too powerful.
To a degree that surpassed even the internal power level of Great General-rank.
Just then.
Shwee shwee shwee, shwee shwee shwee…
From the unconscious Eul Sa-jeok’s body, whirlwind-like currents quickly spewed out and tightly wrapped around the bodies of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Great Generals.
“Aaaah…!”
“Gugh…!”
Thus, the two Great Generals had their internal power and life force futilely absorbed by Eul Sa-jeok and met their deaths.