Chapter 246
Chapter 246
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 246
Chapter Title: Book 7. Mount Hua Drowns in Blood, the Fist Demon Walks the Bloody Path (3)
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Whoooosh!
The Hundred Battles Victory Flag whipped toward Cheon Okyeong's head.
The massive flag, large enough to wrap around two grown men, paired with its iron staff, was more lethal than any weapon. Yet it fell short of wounding a master of Cheon Okyeong's caliber.
Cheon Okyeong casually shifted his body, evading Cho Yeonun's strike. Cho Yeonun charged at him madly, but couldn't even graze a single thread of his robes.
Cho Yeonun's eyes were bloodshot red, and crimson blood stained his chest through the gaps in his robes. Even so, he rampaged on as if oblivious to the pain.
The agony of his heart had devoured the pain of his flesh. For now, he felt no torment and thrashed like a madman, but soon enough, he'd collapse from exhaustion.
Cheon Okyeong peered into Cho Yeonun's eyes, red with grief.
He sensed the pain of Gut-Wrenching Despair.
The very torment Cho Yeonun had so desperately craved. Yet achieving that goal brought no satisfaction—strangely, it left him uneasy.
He'd thought seeing Cho Yeonun's despairing face would ease his heart even a little, but it only made him feel more stifled.
*Pathetic.*
Cheon Okyeong shook his head and retreated.
The mood was ruined. Grappling with Cho Yeonun any further didn't suit his temperament.
A man stepped in to fill Cheon Okyeong's place. He thrust his long spear like lightning.
Boom!
The clash of the Hundred Battles Victory Flag and spear erupted in a thunderous explosion. Cho Yeonun couldn't withstand the rebound and staggered back six or seven steps. Deep footprints scarred the ground where he'd retreated.
"Kid, you're mine."
The man, still in his spear-thrusting stance, spoke. His name was Dan Hosang, known in the Demonic Cult as the Invincible Spear.
A warrior unmatched when wielding his spear, he too was one of the Seven Great Evils.
Rage filled his eyes—not toward Cho Yeonun, but the Hundred Battles Victory Flag he held. Any Demonic Cultist would feel the same.
Dan Hosang glanced briefly at Cheon Okyeong. Though he'd claimed Cho Yeonun, he couldn't fight without Cheon Okyeong's permission.
Cheon Okyeong nodded, granting Dan Hosang's request. The battle was now out of his hands.
"Hoo."
Cheon Okyeong let out a quiet sigh and turned. Sword Immortal Hyeongeom approached him.
"Old man, you are truly ruthless."
"I showed an unsightly side. I pretended to be detached from worldly desires, but in the end, I'm just another man bound by them."
Self-loathing filled Cheon Okyeong's face.
"Drive out the Demonic Cultists!"
"Trample Mount Hua!"
Even at that moment, Mount Hua Sect disciples and Demonic Cultists clashed fiercely.
A chaotic melee indiscriminate of friend or foe unfolded, with countless lives already lost. The pure lands of Mount Hua were dyed red with spilled blood.
Mount Hua's sect leader, Sword Immortal Hyeoncheon, dueled intensely with Mad Demon Hall Lord Hwang Ryeol, while the other elders instinctively matched against foes of similar caliber.
All raged in a blood frenzy.
It was a world where men became demons. The scene vividly demonstrated how terrifying humans could become once their humanity numbed.
Amid it all, only Cheon Okyeong and Sword Immortal Hyeongeom remained calm. At least outwardly. Yet an invisible tension stretched taut between them.
Even in Cheon Okyeong's eyes, mad enough to ignore the world, Sword Immortal Hyeongeom's prowess seemed extraordinary. The immortal felt the same.
*He's on a different level from any warrior I've faced.*
Nerves pulled tight, muscles tensed across his body. Rigidity climbed his spine, stiffening even his nape.
It was the first such tension since his fight with Damho. That thought suddenly brought Damho to mind.
*He's doing well, I hope?*
Heh.
A smile crept unbidden onto his face. He found himself amusing. Until moments ago, he'd seen Damho as an archenemy, yet in this crisis, recalling him was absurdly funny.
Cheon Okyeong asked,
"What is so amusing?"
"Just that my lifelong struggles suddenly seem ridiculous."
"Is that so?"
"This chit-chat has gone on too long. We're not in a position for casual talk."
"If you tried to retreat now, I'd naturally let you go, wouldn't I?"
"Would you, old man, simply let them go if the Demonic Cult's headquarters were trampled?"
"Of course not."
Cheon Okyeong shook his head with a bitter smile.
He'd come to avenge his disciple by finding Cho Yeonun, but it entangled Mount Hua and the Demonic Cult in karma once more. Such cycles of enmity never ended—once entwined, they could never be severed.
"Hoo."
Shing!
As Cheon Okyeong sighed, Sword Immortal Hyeongeom drew his sword. Forged by a master artisan famed in Harmony Realm, it wasn't a divine blade piercing the heavens, but its sturdiness defied description.
Sword Immortal Hyeongeom, sword in hand, resembled a finely honed blade himself. Cheon Okyeong nodded and picked up an iron sword lying nearby.
He didn't care if it belonged to a Mount Hua disciple or Demonic Cult warrior. As long as it was sturdy enough to withstand his inner energy, it sufficed.
Cheon Okyeong said,
"You are the first warrior in decades to make me draw my true sword."
"That's an honor."
"I will give my all."
Sword Immortal Hyeongeom smiled faintly at Cheon Okyeong's words.
Gazing at him, the immortal understood why he'd endured such grueling training all these years.
*I must surpass him for Mount Hua to endure.*
Mount Hua was his everything. Thus, he fought for it.
Sword Immortal Hyeongeom gripped his sword tighter.
Their gazes met briefly in the air.
Deep, serene eyes peering into each other's souls.
Clang!
Without precedence, they charged simultaneously.
Craaang!
They collided.
A sharp sword cry echoed across the battlefield.
"Ha!"
Sword Immortal Hyeongeom's blade traced a single line through the air.
One-Character Wisdom Sword.
The pinnacle of Mount Hua's hundreds of techniques, an inscrutable sword art, unfolded toward Cheon Okyeong.
Whoosh!
Air sliced, space severed.
Even in a strike lethal to any ordinary man, Cheon Okyeong remained unflustered.
Battle Sword Style.
A practical sword art born and perfected on the battlefield flowed from his hand.
Shiiiing!
Their swords clashed in midair.
***
Boom! Thud thud thud!
Explosions rang out as Deung Cheonso's body was repeatedly pushed back. Deep footprints marked his retreats.
Deung Cheonso's hair was disheveled. Fierce eyes blazed through the tangled strands.
"You bastard!"
Deung Cheonso growled.
His sword arm buzzed entirely from the impact of clashing with Damho.
Damho, who'd repelled him with a single blow, now faced Jin Hyewon without pause.
Swish!
Jin Hyewon's sash danced wildly through the air.
The multicolored sash moved dazzlingly, disrupting Damho's vision.
It coiled, whipped, struck—the sash's uses were endless. And Jin Hyewon wielded it better than anyone.
Immense power converged in the sash.
Kwaang!
The snaking sash slammed the ground, cratering it massively. Had Damho not dodged, he'd have taken heavy damage.
"How long do you think you can keep dodging?"
Jin Hyewon snarled venomously, lashing her sash.
"You bastard!"
Deung Cheonso joined in.
Shiiiik!
His sword spewed sword energy repeatedly.
Deung Cheonso's sword beams pierced the gaps created by the sash.
Unintended, yet their combined assault perfectly complemented each weaknesses, pressuring Damho relentlessly.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted continuously, air churning.
The cliff where the three fought lay shattered and ruined.
A flicker of alarm crossed Jin Hyewon's eyes.
Two of the Seven Great Evils, each capable of shaking the world alone, attacked together yet couldn't secure clear dominance. Damho's prowess was that formidable.
*Did he carry over his past life's achievements intact? How can this kid's power be this great?*
Deung Cheonso gnashed his teeth.
One of his two swords was riddled with cracks. Forged by the world's finest smith, it shouldn't break like this. Yet it teetered on the brink from clashing with Damho.
He exchanged glances with Jin Hyewon. No words passed, but they understood each other.
"Haat!"
Deung Cheonso roared, hurling his sword like lightning.
Craaang!
It exploded right before Damho's face. Dozens of razor shards scattered everywhere, each a deadly projectile assailing him.
It happened too fast for evasion. And Jin Hyewon seized the opening with her attack. A flawless pincer.
In that desperate moment, a surge of potent energy swirled around Damho's body.
Pakakang!
Exploding Demon Force, akin to cycling qi like in Body Protection Realm.
The incoming shards pulverized into dust, and Jin Hyewon's sash shredded apart.
"Kuh!"
"Huh!"
Gasps escaped them both. Damho's reaction surpassed their imaginations.
Shwick!
Air parted.
Damho dashed through the gap.
Boom!
"Kyaaak!"
An explosion rang out, followed by Jin Hyewon's shrill scream.
Her body flew backward. Damho's Smashing Fist had struck true. Fortunately, she'd channeled energy into her arms to block, avoiding severe internal injury.
But the shock was so great her heart pounded wildly, ears ringing, movements faltering briefly.
Damho exploited that split-second gap.
His palm pressed against Jin Hyewon's back. He aimed to unleash Five Finger Mountain Split.
"No chance."
In that instant, Deung Cheonso swung at Damho's back.
Unleashing it on Jin Hyewon meant taking Deung Cheonso's strike. Any normal person would retreat or dodge to protect themselves. But Damho was no ordinary man.
Without hesitation, Damho executed Five Finger Mountain Split.
Shwick!
"Kyaaak!"
Jin Hyewon's back spiraled open, vomiting blood. In exchange, Damho took Deung Cheonso's blow.
Puk!
The blade pierced flesh.
The icy cold edge cutting through skin felt vivid. One more inch, and his organs would sever. Deung Cheonso pressed harder.
Clunk!
But his sword halted, unable to penetrate further—like jammed between boulders.
In that fleeting instant, Damho's muscles clamped the blade with immense force, a miracle from his極限-honed body.
"What?"
Stunned by this unprecedented feat, Deung Cheonso's eyes widened. So shocked he released his grip on the hilt.
With the sword still in his back, Damho smashed Jin Hyewon's flank.
Kwachik!
"Cuk!"
Her side ribs caved entirely, forcing her to spew blood.
Even amid the dizzying shock, Jin Hyewon rallied her energy and struck back at Damho.
Boom!
Her Yellow Jade Demon Hand palm struck Damho's chest. The jolt shook him, blood trickling from his mouth.
Damho suffered no light injury. Yet his eyes showed no change. He seemed a monster insensate to pain.
Then, a smile curled Damho's lips. His bloodstained teeth gleamed in a grin as chilling as midwinter's gale.
The smile of an emotionless being terrified Jin Hyewon more.
"Ugh!"
"Stop!"
She uttered a fearful groan, while Deung Cheonso charged to save her.
In that moment, Damho's arms seized Jin Hyewon's nape.
"Cuk!"
The crushing grip choked her, drawing an involuntary scream-like moan.
Whoosh!
A dizzying sense of lift followed. Her legs left the ground, body soaring through the air.
Kwaang!
Earth Shatter Strike detonated.
Jin Hyewon tumbled, body convulsing. She'd barely turned her head to save it from shattering, but her right shoulder crumbled entirely, rendering her arm useless.
Damho straddled her fallen form.
"Aa!"
Meeting his eyes, Jin Hyewon let slip a moan laced with terror. She was afraid. In her fifty years, never so terrified.
In Damho's pitch-black eyes, she saw her death.
"Sp-Spare..."
"You venomous bitch!"
Deung Cheonso, arriving late, swung his remaining sword at Damho's neck, aiming to decapitate.
Kukwagak!
In that instant, explosive force enveloped Damho. Exploding Demon Force erupted.
"Kyaaak!"
Jin Hyewon, pinned beneath, was shredded by the blast. Her lovely face tore away, raw flesh exposed. But soon her head and torso exploded, leaving no trace.
"Kuh!"
Deung Cheonso was caught too.
Regaining his senses, shielded by his protective energy, Jin Hyewon no longer existed in the world. Only chunks presumed to be her remains littered the ground.
Deung Cheonso shouted,
"You demonic bastard!"
Damho wiped blood from his mouth and rose. Deung Cheonso's sword remained embedded in his back.