Chapter 150
Chapter 150: Power Leveling (3)
"One variable."
He muttered lowly and turned his head to look at Yeon Yeong-ha once more.
Her black and haughty eyes were looking down at him from that distant, high place. In that state, she was sliding and flying over quite naturally. Seeing that her speed was gradually increasing, she was one step away from being completely reborn as an Extreme Yin Star of Heavenly Calamity body.
"Not yet... Not yet. I need more variables."
Dong Bong-soo turned his head toward Deungseon Pavilion again and began running quickly.
Whoosh—
Just a few steps. Dong Bong-soo finally entered Deungseon Pavilion.
A wicked smile was still formed on his face.
Seeing him like that, someone quietly let slip a word. Since the surrounding Jiangshi had already dried up, it was quiet except for the screams heard from afar.
"Blood Immortal... Descent..."
That someone's words "Blood Immortal Descent" quietly encroached around Deungseon Pavilion and Deungseon Hall.
"Blood Immortal, is it? I quite like it. Though I don't care much for the word 'Descent'."
He wasn't an existence who had descended from heaven.
Heaven or such was neither his concern nor was it even a real thing—just an illusion.
He was himself and...
Dong Bong-soo.
"..."
Hyeoncheon Jinin was making a stiff expression while looking at Dong Bong-soo.
His head alternately looked between Dong Bong-soo and Yeon Yeong-ha, who was slowly flying down onto the hill from behind.
Behind him stood Demon Subduing Hall Lord Ja Do-un, Evil Conquering Hall Lord Lee Hyeon-gung, Manmu Hall Lord No Cheon, and others, standing at attention while waiting only for the attack command. Additionally, thousands of survivors who had fled toward Deungseon Hall to somehow preserve their lives were also watching Dong Bong-soo and Yeon Yeong-ha with tense expressions.
Among the three military strategists of the Murim Alliance, Zhuge Yang and Sima Saui, excluding Namgung Hye, were also standing on either side of Hyeoncheon Jinin.
Zhuge Yang let his words slip in a voice as stiffly rigid as his expression.
"...Alliance Leader... That bastard swept away the Jiangshi we were having difficulty holding back with just one move."
Even while he was speaking, Dong Bong-soo was steadily walking over.
Hyeoncheon Jinin looked at him and responded to Zhuge Yang.
"I also have eyes... I watched everything you all saw."
"...What happened to the forces we prepared? Why hasn't Corps Leader Eul Ji come?"
Sima Saui, who had been standing to the right of Hyeoncheon Jinin, spoke. But he was already guessing.
All the forces surrounding the Murim Alliance.
The Four Direction Divine Squads including the Azure Dragon Squad, Vermillion Bird Squad, Black Tortoise Squad, and White Tiger Squad.
The Three Halls of Demon Subduing Hall, Evil Conquering Hall, and Black Breaking Hall.
The Martial Protection Forest Guard and Martial World Protection Corps.
The reason all of them were still not visible was obvious. They simply hadn't confirmed it with their eyes.
"...Those two haven't finished their fight yet. For now, we'll have to hope that the Chosen One of the Extreme Yin Star of Heavenly Calamity following from behind subdues the descendant of the Heavenly Demon."
"But that bastard has already closed in!"
"...I know. There's nowhere left to retreat."
Hyeoncheon Jinin's words were correct. Behind Deungseon Hall was a castle wall. And beyond that...
Countless Martial Jiangshi were swarming. The moment they jumped down over the castle wall, it was clear they would become prey for the Jiangshi.
'The preparations were perfect though...'
He had prepared thoroughly.
Although the direct target of preparation was the Extreme Yin Star of Heavenly Calamity, he had believed they could capture even a Great Demonic God if one came.
'A legend... Who knew legends would be this terrifying...'
It wasn't that he had underestimated.
He had done almost every preparation possible. Though he hadn't summoned all the Secret Service Lords, he had gathered most of the available forces.
Nevertheless, looking at how things were going now, it seemed to have failed. No, it had failed. Completely at that...
Failed.
He knew nothing about the enemy.
The enemy was invincible alone, yet hadn't even appeared alone.
Just when had she created a Jiangshi battle group of this magnitude?
A Jiangshi battle group of that size would have required preparation for at least decades, perhaps even hundreds of years. Since the Extreme Yin Star of Heavenly Calamity's age wouldn't be that much, it certainly meant some force had waited for her descent and committed the deed at just the right time.
Which force was it?
Heavenly Demon Castle? Hall of Gathering Evil? Or perhaps Mubon?
'But now, what use is knowing such things?'
Thud-thud-thud-bang!
Gyaaaaaaaa—!
Dong Bong-soo was rushing toward this side like mad.
The experts waiting around were being cut down like radishes.
Tap.
Dong Bong-soo appeared before him, eliminating the distance in one bound.
Just how was such a Movement Technique possible?
He was impressed. Simply impressed.
But nevertheless...
"I shouldn't have sent Great Master Seungchan..."
He didn't want to die. Though he could no longer decide that himself.
Thud.
Hyeoncheon Jinin's head was cut off just like that.
Light poured out from Dong Bong-soo's body.
Not just once, but several times...
Finally, a large variable sufficient to overturn the entire situation had occurred.
[Second Class Change Quest: Reclusive Eccentric, Public Enemy of the Martial World]
Tester-exclusive second class.
Quest Completion Condition: Achieve 100 Kills of enemies Lv. 40 or above.
Current Quest Completion (Completed/Total): 0 / 100
***
Hwang Chung-min was the vice-leader of Geojing Society, a medium-small sect in Hainan.
Though the Geojing Society wasn't a particularly large sect, it was a sect that conducted itself quite well in that region. When it came to Martial World groups, there was somewhat of an advantage just from that alone, plus the fact that there were no suitable groups around to check Geojing Society played a part.
Was it because of that?
Hwang Chung-min's shoulders also had plenty of foam piled on them.
At least until he came to this place.
From the moment he set foot in the Murim Alliance, that foam on his shoulders began to wash away little by little. It couldn't be helped. There were people stronger than him lined up in rows here.
Those passing by his side, those chattering behind, the numerous competitors blocking the front. Not one of them was easy to deal with.
In a way, it was natural.
Ten thousand miles east and west, ten thousand miles north and south. The Central Plains are vast. Beyond imagination.
A small fish doesn't know it's just one tiny microorganism in the vast ocean until it leaves the coast. The fish eventually flows into the great sea when it becomes curious about the outside world.
Just like Hwang Chung-min now.
Even so...
"Th-that... that bastard... what the hell is he? Experts and Jiangshi are being cut down indiscriminately...!"
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
He had no desire to see crocodiles or sharks. No, he wanted to see them, but not this close. Especially not when that creature's teeth were pointing this way.
Setting aside the first encounter, those large and sharp teeth...
He was afraid. For the first time in his life, he imagined death. His whole body trembled.
Because death is fearful to everyone.
Hwang Chung-min had hidden inside Deungseon Hall from the moment the Blood Immortal flew to the hill below Deungseon Pavilion. Nevertheless, the trembling wouldn't stop.
The Blood Immortal, who had been visible far away, eliminated the distance in an instant and appeared before the Murim Alliance Leader.
Tap.
The Murim Alliance Leader's neck was cut with one sword strike.
Had he let his guard down? Or had he given up?
Anyway, the Alliance Leader apparently wasn't particularly different from the other bastards.
His body trembled more and became more fearful.
Fwish— Thud, Thwack!
"Hiiiiik—!"
The severed head of the Murim Alliance Leader flew over and fell in front of Hwang Chung-min's feet. A loud sound like a watermelon bursting in midsummer rang out. Too naturally, the white beard and white eyebrows covering the lower part of the Murim Alliance Leader's head were dyed bright red.
Whoosh—
Following that, dazzling light poured into Deungseon Hall several times.
Was it welcoming the ascension of a new Murim Alliance Leader following these deceased portraits?
As if...
That was merely a prelude to the Blood Immortal's Descent.
Swish—, shing, clang!
Along with the sound of various weapons being drawn,
The experts around attacked Dong Bong-soo, who had killed Hyeoncheon Jinin, all at once.
"This crazy bastard!"
"How dare you do this to the Alliance Leader! You!"
"This bastard!"
"I won't forgive you!"
"Die!"
First No Cheon, next Sima Saui, then Zhuge Yang, and finally Ja Do-un and Lee Hyeon-gung extended their killing techniques.
Every single one of them was an absolute master who had achieved supremacy in their base regions. None were to be easily dismissed.
However, the opponent...
Was not human.
GOOOONG—, clang-clang-clang.
Sword fragments protruding from the torn areas of Dong Bong-soo's left shoulder and right knee blocked No Cheon's spear and Sima Saui's brush that came flying first, respectively. The spear and brush each lost their targets and stopped, blocked by shoulder and knee.
Dong Bong-soo raised his left hand to grab the middle shaft of No Cheon's stopped spear and flicked it outward to the side.
Huuuung—
As a result, the spear flicked to Dong Bong-soo's left side and collided with Zhuge Yang's iron fan that was entering to target his left flank.
Rrrrip—
The ribs of the iron fan were torn apart at once. The fan's ribs were made by twisting dozens of layers of Heavenly Silkworm Thread, but it was useless. No Cheon's spear was sharp enough to tear through it.
Now all that remained were Ja Do-un's axe and Lee Hyeon-gung's saber flying in to target his back.
Swish.
Dong Bong-soo withdrew backward like lightning.
His rear entered completely within the range of the axe and saber.
Axe on the left, saber on the right.
At this rate, he would be chopped by the axe and sliced by the saber, splitting in two. With the added force of Dong Bong-soo withdrawing backward, if he summoned Sword Fragments to block like before, his torso would be cut off along with the Sword Fragment scraps.
At this moment!
Corpses suddenly protruded around his body.
Thud-thud-thud-thud. Splat-splat-splat.
The corpses were cut into chunks by the axe and saber.
"Wh-what!? Guh!"
"What corpses! Hrk!"
However, that was only their misconception. Those were corpses, but not just corpses.
Jiangshi—precisely Jiangshi used as living shields.
The hands of the Jiangshi chopped into pieces by the axe and saber roughly grabbed Lee Hyeon-gung's lower body and Ja Do-un's neck, respectively. A moment's misconception and panic had created a small opening.
"Huh...!"
Had he used that opening?
Without knowing when he had entered, Dong Bong-soo was standing between the two. The moment they felt his merciless eyes become slightly cross-eyed, looking at one on each side,
Sword Fragments rose again from Dong Bong-soo's left shoulder and right knee. At the same time, his shoulder shrugged and his knee lifted sharply.
Thwack, thwack.
Shoulder strike and knee strike.
One Sword Fragment in Ja Do-un's lower jaw, one Sword Fragment in Lee Hyeon-gung's testicles. Both Sword Fragments had penetrated even the severed Jiangshi's hands.
"Two."
Extremely bright rays of light burst forth from Dong Bong-soo's body once again.