Chapter 626

“Whew!”

Soma took a deep breath.

Ahead stood the formidable martial artists of Guryongsalmak and the Blood Demon Corps.

Their formation was in disarray.

There was nothing organized or cohesive about them.

It seemed as if the orders were not being relayed properly.

Soma knew the reason.

“Brother!”

It was clear that Pyo Wol had interfered.

While the exact method was unknown, Pyo Wol had disrupted the command system of the Grand Heavenly Net. That’s why they seemed so disoriented.

Pyo Wol had asked Soma to wait and return in half a day. By then, he said, the situation would have shifted significantly.

And so, Soma gritted his teeth and waited.

He had been ambushed by the martial artists sent by So Yeowol.

Despite facing a significant force, they all fell to Soma.

Having defeated them, Soma still waited.

He suppressed the urge to rush to Pyo Wol’s aid and waited until the appointed time. And now, the time had come.

It was Soma’s turn to move.

From the opposite side, Hong Ye-seol, now allied with the Black Sect’s assassins, was making her move.

Their involvement had shaken the Grand Heavenly Net.

It wasn’t just Hong Ye-seol.

Hwangbo Chiseung, the One-Armed Fist King, Nam Shin-woo, Thunder Eye, and Death Shadow had also joined the fray.

Guryongsalmak, the Blood Demon Corps, and the martial artists sent by the Golden Heavenly Hall had been so focused on Pyo Wol that they had neglected the external enemies, and they were paying the price.

Now it was Soma’s turn.

“Charge!”

With a powerful shout, Soma lunged at the martial artists of Guryongsalmak.

From his palm emanated a radiant beam, forming the shape of a long sword.

He had manifested a sword aura.

Swish!

The sword aura sliced through the foes blocking his way.

He was like a massive tidal wave, sweeping away the Martial Artists of Guryongsalmak.

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

Swallowed by the colossal wave that was Soma, the Martial Artists screamed.

The Grand Heavenly Net shook with Soma’s involvement.

The Grand Heavenly Net, being different from the usual ones, was solely designed to target Pyo Wol. It was vulnerable to external threats.

Moreover, Pyo Wol cunningly disrupted the Grand Heavenly Net’s command structure.

By eliminating the watchers using the Ten-Li Voice Transmission technique, he caused internal chaos.

This alone gave Soma and Hong Ye-seol ample opportunity.

They knew how to exploit an enemy’s weakness for maximum impact.

Having traveled with Pyo Wol for so long, they naturally acquired this ability.

Pyo Wol was a master in such strategies.

“Ha!”

Unleashing his full power, Soma swung his sword aura.

With a chilling slashing sound, about ten Martial Artists were cut down.

“Ah!”

“shit!”

Cries of despair erupted among Guryongsalmak’s Martial Artists.

No matter how elite they were, they were powerless in front of a Martial Artist like Soma who had reached the absolute realm.

Soma’s rise to power to the absolute realm was an unpredictable event

It was so unexpected that there was no way to prepare for it.

Soma exhibited unparalleled martial prowess.

Each swing of his sword claimed several lives.

“shit! We can’t handle him alone.”

“We need backup.”

Regular Martial Artists were no match, and rushing in was futile against him.

To face a martial artist at the pinnacle, one needed another at the same peak. Only then would the balance be achieved.

There were surely hidden experts in Guryongsalmak. However, they were all gathered around Pyo Wol.

There was no one here to stop Soma.

Soma raged like a crazed wolf.

＊＊＊

So Yeowol’s graceful face distorted in ugliness.

Song Cheonwoo asked, his voice filled with concern.

“So Yeowol! What’s wrong?”

“My commands aren’t getting through.”

“You mean the command system has collapsed?”

“It seems so.”

“How could this happen?”

“That’s what I’m wondering.”

Her Grand Heavenly Net was undeniably flawless.

With the martial artists from the Golden Heavenly Hall, she pressured Pyo Wol and planned to eliminate them using the Blood Demon Corps and the Guryongsalmak martial artists.

The plan had been reviewed dozens of times, and she was confident that there were no loopholes.

What she was most proud of was the real-time command system.

Deploying watchers trained in the Ten-Li Voice Transmission technique, she thought the communication system was impeccable.

Thanks to these individuals, So Yeowol could perfectly control the grand heavenly net.

She believed she had a complete read on Pyo Wol’s moves. And for a while, she did.

Everything was under her control, and Pyo Wol was cornered. But then, suddenly, chaos ensued.

Her commands weren’t reaching the martial artists of Guryongsalmak, and the reports to her also abruptly stopped.

She thought she had incapacitated Pyo Wol, but instead, she found herself blinded and deafened.

“It’s clear he slipped out of the reed field. He must have covertly taken out our observers.”

“No way…”

Taking a moment, So Yeowol assessed the situation.

Over two hours had passed since she initiated the assault.

Given Pyo Wol’s capabilities, he could have learned a lot in that time.

She spoke to Song Cheonwoo,

“We need to move. He’s coming for us.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“He’s likely tracing back our communications, killing our watchers. If we stay, he’ll surely attack. We need to move and restore the net.”

“Understood.”

He trusted her judgment more than his own.

However, they couldn’t move recklessly. The core of the Grand Heavenly Net was So Yeowol and the watchers skilled in the Ten-Li Voice Transmission technique.

She communicated with the remaining watchers.

—”Everyone, change positions. Proceed to phase two.”

She wasn’t sure how many were still alive. But even with just a few alive, they could possibly turn the situation around.

Then, a report came in.

“Lady! Unknown martial artists are attacking the perimeters of our network!”

So Yeowol frowned, ”

What do you mean? Does he have allies?”

“It’s not just one or two. The network’s outer layer is crumbling like a sandcastle.”

“Even with Guryongsalmak’s elites mobilized?”

“Yes… Their strength seems immense.”

So Yeowol’s face grew graver.

“That cunning man must have prepared for this.”

She chided herself for realizing this too late.

But she wondered, when did he sense the impending danger and plan a counter-strategy?

She instructed Song Cheonwoo,

“Head to the perimeter and assess and manage the situation.”

“But leaving you alone…”

“I’m not the priority right now. If we don’t act, our entire network will collapse. Then it’s over for us.”

Even in this dire situation, So Yeowol remained calm.

Her eyes and voice were still cold.

Song Cheonwoo briefly met So Yeowol’s eyes and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll be back soon. Stay safe.”

“Have you forgotten? I’m So Yeowol.”

“Right! You are So Yeowol.”

Song Cheonwoo chuckled. Although she rarely took direct action, So Yeowol’s martial prowess and techniques were second to none, even surpassing his in stealth and potency. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to lead and control so many in the underground cave.

“I’ll return shortly.”

Song Cheonwoo took off, heading to the outskirts alone.

Watching his fading silhouette, So Yeowol soon ordered her subordinates,

“We should also move.”

“Yes!”

They hurried away.

The Grand Heavenly Net was like a massive organism, similar to schools of fish banding together to fend off predators. However, the Grand Heavenly Net was comprised of highly trained martial artists, not mere fish. They might waver momentarily, but their vigor would soon restore.

So Yeowol believed this.

As she moved to the next location with her subordinates, a messenger sent a telepathic message.

—”There’s someone approaching… Ahh!”

A watcher’s message was abruptly interrupted by a scream, and then silence.

Chills ran down So Yeowol’s spine.

“He’s close.”

The telepathic communication indicated the lookout was within ten miles. This meant Pyo Wol, their enemy, was nearing.

“Pyo Wol has breached the last line of defense. Evacuate quickly…”

The message ceased again, signaling Pyo Wol’s closer approach.

There was coldness in So Yeowol’s eyes.

“Pyo Wol!”

Her arch-enemy was fast approaching, faster than she could ever imagine.

She had to decide now.

“Stop him here. Buy me some time to escape.”

“Understood!”

Her subordinates replied in unison.

Despite many skilled martial artists around, none detected Pyo Wol’s stealthy advance. His mastery in stealth techniques was unparalleled.

‘Pyo Wol, you devilish…’

She was well-versed in the art of stealth herself and understood the depth of Pyo Wol’s skill.

If he had such a skill, he could’ve easily evaded their pursuit from the very beginning. Instead, he brazenly showed himself, drawing everyone’s attention.

So Yeowol, Song Cheonwoo, the Blood Demon Corps, Golden Heavenly Hall, and the martial artists of Guryongsalmak; all were fixated on Pyo Wol.

And while they were fixated on him, he covertly directed his men to attack the periphery of the Grand Heavenly Net.

She could sense his determination to see this through to the end.

‘Have I fallen into his trap?’

Reluctantly, she admitted her strategic defeat to Pyo Wol.

Suddenly, a sharp sound resonated.

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

Her subordinates fell, a tiny hole pierced in their foreheads.

The mark of the Soul-Reaping Thread.

Rising beyond the fallen was a dark shadow.

It was Pyo Wol.

The Reaper had appeared even before So Yeowol could flee.