Chapter 393: Shadow of the Yin God (7)
Xiao Fang’s face completely stiffened.
Half-blood. It was the word she hated the most.
It wasn’t just her. All the seeds of the god whose blood vessels flowed with contaminated blood hated that word. No, beyond hating it, they despised it.
However, Xiao Fang couldn’t easily get angry.
‘This bastard……’
The word half-blood. And the close-quarters combat ability that destroyed the trajectory of the Blood-Drinking Palm even before it could be unraveled.
‘Don’t tell me, he knows me?’
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled coldly.
“Why? Are you surprised?”
“……You.”
“You’ve achieved great success in the Blood Drinking Demonic Qi. No, have you not achieved great success yet? Anyway, you’ve learned it to a surprising level.”
“How do you know the Blood Drinking Demonic Qi……?”
“Since your Blood Drinking Demonic Qi has reached the realm, will you be receiving the Yin Desolation Art soon too? Hmm, that’s a bit disappointing.”
“……!!”
Xiao Fang’s face turned pale.
“H-How do you know that?”
The Blood Drinking Demonic Qi belonged to a considerably special martial art even in the Evil Lust Cult.
It wasn’t because of its power or difficulty. It was because of the background of how the Blood Drinking Demonic Qi was born and its unique history.
The Blood Drinking Demonic Qi was a martial art that branched off from the Cult-Protecting Divine Art cultivated by the Evil Lust Cult Leader for generations.
Of course, it wasn’t a developed form. Rather, it was closer to a regressed form, and naturally, its power and difficulty were downgraded compared to the Cult-Protecting Divine Art.
The surprising thing was that not just anyone could learn the Blood Drinking Demonic Qi. Those who first cultivated the Blood Drinking Demonic Qi always suffered from qi deviation right as they passed the middle part, and lost their lives or became madmen just like that.
Because of that, the number of people who learned the Blood Drinking Demonic Qi and survived was only a very small number. And surprisingly, all of that very small number of people were blood relatives of the Cult Leader.
It is a martial art where bloodline is valued over talent. It is said there are various martial arts under heaven and on earth, but martial arts that ride on bloodline can be counted on one’s fingers.
The Blood Drinking Demonic Qi was exactly such a martial art. In other words, only those mixed with the blood of the Evil Lust Cult Leader could cultivate the Blood Drinking Demonic Qi.
In the current Evil Lust Cult, there were a total of ten people who had cultivated the Blood Drinking Demonic Qi.
And all ten of them were illegitimate children, not the legitimate lineage of the Evil Lust Cult Leader.
“Anyway, you came well. Since it turned out like this, I will definitely catch you right here.”
Chiriririring!
Yeon Ho-jeong, who connected the Flood Dragon Chain wrapped around his upper body with the Crazy Dragon Axe in a single breath, spun the Crazy Dragon Axe above his head.
Buwoong! Buwuwoong! Buaaaang!
It was a terrifying sight.
The Crazy Dragon Axe connected to the Flood Dragon Chain was spinning at a tremendous speed above Yeon Ho-jeong’s head. Even before the strength and elasticity of the Flood Dragon Chain bearing that weight, Yeon Ho-jeong’s arm strength handling it so lightly looked even more amazing.
But even that shockingly amazing sight couldn’t give Xiao Fang any inspiration.
Xiao Fang shouted abruptly.
“I asked how you know so well about the main cult!”
Yeon Ho-jeong once again smiled coldly.
“Listen to it in the netherworld, Half-blood.”
“……This son of a bitch!”
Boom!
Xiao Fang charged at a tremendous speed.
She had even forgotten the fact that the opponent completely saw through the trajectory of her Blood-Drinking Palm. The fierce anger that came after the shock had completely made her lose her reason.
“Die!”
Xiao Fang threw a palm strike.
Boom!
As soon as the Blood-Drinking Palm was shot out, a single iron arrow extinguished it.
It was the Nine Dragons Archery shot out with all her might. The strike of Muk Bi, who instantaneously poured out her full strength, had enough power to sufficiently offset about one hit of the Blood-Drinking Palm.
And at that time, Yeon Ho-jeong swung the Crazy Dragon Axe.
Buwooooooowwoong!!
The Crazy Dragon Axe swung while tearing the air accurately aimed at Xiao Fang’s waist.
Even though he grabbed and swung the Flood Dragon Chain, he could accurately embed the axe blade of the Crazy Dragon Axe in the desired location. It wasn’t just simply strong and fast; when it came to the delicate operation of weapons, Yeon Ho-jeong’s ability was peerless.
Xiao Fang attacking, Muk Bi crushing the palm force, and Yeon Ho-jeong’s strike aiming at that opening reaching two cun in front of Xiao Fang’s flank… it was truly just a split second.
Buaaang!
The Crazy Dragon Axe cut across the empty air. Xiao Fang had dodged the slash.
Even though she moved in a straight line at that fast speed, she dodged the Crazy Dragon Axe with an astonishing bodily movement. She had the skill to be confident in her martial arts.
Xiao Fang, who laid her body in the air, threw a Blood-Drinking Palm towards the crown of Yeon Ho-jeong’s head.
Boom!
The palm force that brushed past Yeon Ho-jeong’s shoulder blade exploded the earth.
Instantly, Xiao Fang’s feet scattered into over ten and aimed at Yeon Ho-jeong’s upper body.
Chiririririring!
If Xiao Fang’s bodily movements had reached a divine technique, Yeon Ho-jeong’s coping ability was astonishment itself.
Pulling the Flood Dragon Chain taut while putting his body weight on the weight of the Crazy Dragon Axe to block the pouring kicking techniques, he was striking away those fast attacks one by one.
It was a terrifying reflex nerve. Whether bare-handed, holding a long weapon, or a heavy weapon, Yeon Ho-jeong’s close-quarters combat skill had reached the peak of the Central Plains.
Tuwuwoong!
However, even Yeon Ho-jeong under heaven couldn’t help but receive shock from the kicking techniques poured out in succession. He responded perfectly to the speed and trajectory, but he couldn’t help but be pushed back in the fundamental strength of internal energy.
At that time, a surprising thing happened.
Kwaang!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s body, which was bouncing backward, stopped just like that. The Crazy Dragon Axe stuck into the ground and acted as a weight.
Xiao Fang’s eyes wavered.
She had already leaned her left hand backward. It was to unfold the Blood Trace Leading Pond of the Blood-Drinking Palm.
‘He doesn’t step back? Is it intentional?!’
The technique of the Blood Trace Leading Pond was a technique whose true power came out only when a certain distance was opened from the opponent. It couldn’t be easily used in close-quarters combat, but if the distance was opened, it could be manifested the fastest and sharpest, so masters of the Blood-Drinking Palm favored the Blood Trace Leading Pond.
But Yeon Ho-jeong stopped while bouncing back. In that state, the opened distance was too ambiguous.
Xiao Fang faltered for a moment.
At that time, Muk Bi pulled the bowstring of the Red Lotus Bow.
Piyuuuuwoong!
The iron arrow shot at a terrifying speed cut across space. It was exactly towards Xiao Fang’s heart.
Xiao Fang, who was about to attack Yeon Ho-jeong, threw a palm strike towards the iron arrow.
Peo-eong!
The iron arrow whose path was bent entered the forest and caused an explosion, and at the same time, Yeon Ho-jeong’s Red Flame Six Killing Hand was swung towards Xiao Fang.
It was too timely to dodge. Xiao Fang’s eyes changed suddenly.
‘Damn it!’
She couldn’t be certain if he was truly destroying the Blood-Drinking Palm. But putting everything aside, the opponent’s attacking method of reading the opening on this side and attacking was excessively outstanding.
‘What is this crazy bastard!’
He was completely dominating the battle.
This was something possible only by hammering into the body the enlightenment based on innate talent as well as immeasurable actual combat experience.
And that was naturally impossible.
It was hard to be born with such talent from the beginning, but even with such talent, surviving in countless actual combats until this level of reaction was embedded in the body was as hard as picking a star from the sky. The reason is, winning against the weak is easy, but surviving in actual combat against the strong is extremely difficult.
Did this bastard, this crazy bastard holding that axe, survive all those actual combats and gain an ability like this?
Boom!
The firepower of the Red Flame Six Killing Hand blew Xiao Fang’s body three zhang backwards.
‘……!!’
Xiao Fang’s expression changed once more.
‘Why was it delayed?!’
The reaction of the Blood Drinking Demonic Qi felt a beat slower than usual. It wasn’t like that at first, but slowly, the more she operated her true qi, the slower it seemed to become.
Offensive techniques and defensive techniques were not manifesting at the accurate beat. It was something Xiao Fang was experiencing for the first time.
Sarak!
Xiao Fang, who landed on the ground, quickly checked her insides.
‘There is no problem?’
It wasn’t that she suffered internal injuries or there was a breakdown in her true qi. It was the same as usual.
But why is it like this? Why does the reaction keep getting slower?
“Where are you looking?”
Paa-ah-ah-ah-ang!
Two sharp streams of sword qi brushed past Xiao Fang’s collar.
Two shots of sword qi flying from the rear, it was precisely Ok-cheong and Yeo-guk.
It was an attack she would normally block or dodge while snorting, but her collar was cut. It was also because she couldn’t concentrate on the battle, but it was because her true qi reaction was continuing to slow down even at this moment.
When Xiao Fang, distorting her face, was about to attempt an attack on Ok-cheong and Yeo-guk.
Huk!
Yeon Ho-jeong, holding the Flood Dragon Chain with one hand and lifting the Crazy Dragon Axe with the other, revealed himself in the empty air.
Kwaaang! Jjeojeojeojeojeok!
The Crazy Dragon Axe split the earth.
A merciless strike, an axe swing containing the Vermilion Bird Fire Qi. Xiao Fang, who dodged the Crazy Dragon Axe with all her might, glared at Yeon Ho-jeong.
“You……!”
Chiririririring!
The Flood Dragon Chain wriggled like a snake and tried to wrap around Xiao Fang’s upper body.
‘Eek!’
Boom!
Xiao Fang, who stepped back while bursting the Blood-Drinking Palm, felt her back become hot for an instant. She had already been pushed back to the burning forest.
Huk!
At that time, a stream of cool air came into her nose along with the hot air. In a space where all directions should be hot, surprisingly cool air had come in.
At that moment, Xiao Fang realized.
‘A formation?!’
That’s right. It was a formation. The reason her true qi reaction was slowing down and her physical strength was gradually decreasing was all because of the formation.
The reason she could smell the cool air was the result of the formation’s own deception being shaken by Yeon Ho-jeong’s strike just before, allowing external air to instantaneously leak in.
However, Xiao Fang couldn’t believe it.
‘Nonsense!’
Are you saying he predicted she would accurately come to this place and unfolded the formation? No matter how much of a genius in strategy and tactics, that couldn’t be.
Then it means they unfolded the formation with just the four people visible to the eyes, but where in the world is there such a formation!
At that time, Yeon Ho-jeong’s cool voice was heard.
“His words were right. He said it would be easier to respond if you panic because you’d have many thoughts.”
“W-What did you say?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled. It was an evil-looking smile.
“You can’t escape from here.”
Boom!
Xiao Fang’s body bounced to the side.
When Yeon Ho-jeong drew her attention, Muk Bi launched a strike with the Formless Arrow. It was a good thing she defended instantaneously; otherwise, her head would have flown off.
That wasn’t the end.
Saa-ah-ah-ah-ak!
A feast of sword qi narrowing down like a net. Ok-cheong and Yeo-guk had participated in the battle in earnest.
Xiao Fang’s both hands swung dizzily.
Pabababababak!
Cobweb-like sword wounds appeared on both of her forearms. It was natural that all her sleeves were torn.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s foot cut across the empty air.
Thwack!
“Keok!”
It was the first scream.
She crossed both arms to block it, but the shock of the kicking technique shook her entire internal organs. Blood burst out from Xiao Fang’s nose and mouth.
“I will end it now.”
Buwoooong! Kwaang!
Xiao Fang moved her body like crazy.
Her physical strength dropped at a frightening speed. It was because she suffered internal injuries. In addition, the reaction speed of her true qi was also noticeably slowing down.
Boom! Snap!
“Keu-ak!”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s close-quarters combat had no mercy.
Her right arm broke from the swung axe handle. If she hadn’t blocked it, all the bones in her right upper body would have shattered.
Xiao Fang’s eyes became bloodshot.
As her right arm bone broke on top of internal injuries, her pride bowed its head and her survival instinct rose to the surface.
‘I must step back!’
She couldn’t concentrate on the battle. Moreover, her physical condition was gradually heading towards the worst.
At that time, Yeon Ho-jeong shouted.
“This bitch, she’s trying to run away! Catch her unconditionally…… Keu-euk!”
Suddenly, Yeon Ho-jeong raised his left shoulder and knelt down.
Xiao Fang, who was puzzled by the unexpected abnormal behavior, cheered for a moment.
‘Blood-Drinking Palm!’
The Blood-Drinking Palm that brushed past his shoulder blade during the melee.
She thought she failed, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. The hidden force that penetrated into his body seemed to have finally caused an abnormality.
A small hole appeared in the huge net. Now there was nothing holding her back.
Paa-ah-ah-ah-ang!
Xiao Fang, who dashed out at a terrifying speed, broke through Ok-cheong and Yeo-guk with power and advanced. She suffered more sword wounds in the process, but that wasn’t what was important right now.
Papapapang!
How urgent was she; Xiao Fang’s figure disappeared from view in the blink of an eye.
Seureureuk.
Yeon Ho-jeong got up from his seat with a calm face.
“Don’t follow her. Let her go.”