Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Suicide Squad (4)
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#102 Suicide Squad (4)
The cultists of the Killing Sect, who had charged in so gallantly, felt something was amiss not long after they began their ascent of Mount Diancang.
They found no trace of defenders, not even scouts.
They wondered if the Diancang Branch had been abandoned, but that couldn't be right.
It might be different if the numbers were similar, but with such a vast disparity, retaking the mountain would be incredibly difficult once lost.
Then why?
Such thoughts clouded their minds.
An offering for the Blood God!
The chant of the Blood Sect cultists from behind only added to their confusion.
“Do not advance rashly.”
“Proceed with caution and check for traps!”
At their superiors’ commands, the Killing Sect cultists advanced slowly, scanning for traps.
Four hours passed like this.
They had already passed the mountain’s entrance and were nearing the midway point.
*Swish.*
Something began to fall from the sky.
Hardened by real combat, they reflexively batted the objects away.
Then.
*Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop.*
The pouches burst, scattering fine powder everywhere.
They were poison bombs.
“Gaaah!”
“Aargh!”
The poison dust spread in an instant, and the area descended into chaos.
“Damn it!”
The Killing Sect officers shouted in horror at the gruesome sight.
“Hold your breath and charge!”
The right move would have been to retreat and assess the situation, but there was no room to fall back.
Over a thousand cultists were pushing up from behind them.
Knowing this, the cultists gritted their teeth and ran forward as ordered.
*Sizzle.*
“Guuuh…”
“Ugh!”
The bodies of the cultists doused in the poison powder began to melt.
Those who inhaled it coughed up black clots of blood.
It was a horrific scene.
The faces of the cultists who ran past them turned ashen.
They were men who lived with the constant expectation of death, but fear welled up as they faced such a futile end without any chance to fight back.
And so, they pushed forward. They had to at least cross blades with the enemy before they died.
It was then, after breaking through the falling poison bombs, that they reached an open area on the mountainside.
There, they came face to face with the warriors of the Nine Dragons Fortress, waiting for them.
* * *
“Now!”
At the Black Dragon Hall Master’s shout, fifteen Silver Dragon Hall escorts formed a shield wall.
*Thud, thud, thud, thud.*
Large ironwood shields formed a barrier like a turtle’s shell, and from between them, five-foot-long short iron spears jutted out like a porcupine’s quills.
The enraged members of the Ten Demon Alliance charged, heedless of death.
“Kill them!”
“Waaaaah-!”
*Crash. Crack.*
And so, the clash began.
Just as the enemy’s attacks were blocked by the ironwood shields.
*Stab, stab, stab.*
Iron spears shot out from the gaps in the shields, ending the enemies’ lives.
Immediately, weapons imbued with powerful ki flew from the enemy ranks.
They had enough force to shatter the shields.
The masters of the Ten Demon Alliance had made their move.
However.
The Silver Dragon Hall escorts holding them back were all peak masters themselves.
*Boom!*
Sharp spear energy erupted, blowing up the incoming weapons and tearing through the enemies’ bodies.
That wasn't all.
As planned, the defenders unleashed their most powerful attacks on the enemy.
*Stab! Thud!*
Overwhelmed by the fierce momentum, the several hundred members of the Ten Demon Alliance who had reached the midway point were brought to a halt.
“Leave the path! Just get past them!”
When a middle-aged warrior shouted, they began to spread out, leaving the path.
They intended to ignore the shield wall and continue up the mountain.
But.
*Slash!*
“You’ll have to offer your necks to pass!”
The Silver Dragon Hall was not alone on the battlefield.
Warriors from the Black, Gold, and White Dragon Halls spread out to block them.
As they unleashed brutal sword energy to cleave through their foes, the voice of Dang Seong, the Venom Net Chief, rang out.
“Green Dragon Hall, move to the rear and support our comrades!”
Twenty warriors clad in green robes appeared as if from nowhere, instantly revealing themselves and unleashing a storm of hidden weapons at the enemy’s openings.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack. Splat!*
As if that attack were a signal, an all-out battle erupted in an instant.
Having brought the elite of each hall, the warriors of the Nine Dragons Fortress each fought like a hundred men.
It was enough to create a bottleneck on the single path.
“Let's go!”
The warriors of the Gray Dragon Hall, occupying the highest ground, did not miss their chance.
Flexing their characteristic muscles, they hurled boulders the size of human heads down the slope.
*Crash! Thump!*
“Gah!”
There were only a few ways to block the incoming boulders.
One had to either deflect them with internal arts or slice them with sword or saber energy.
The problem was.
No matter how many masters the Ten Demon Alliance had, not every member was skilled enough to stop a boulder.
The heads of the enemies, packed tightly together, were crushed in an instant.
But I couldn't relax.
Our opponent was the Ten Demon Alliance, which boasted countless masters and ten thousand demonic practitioners.
There was no way the battle would proceed this easily.
If I had to put it in perspective, we'd barely solved the first question on a long test.
What do I mean by that?
I mean this is just the beginning.
‘Where are you?’
I focused my eyes, scanning the battlefield.
It was about time for the real masters to appear.
Sure enough.
“The Blood God desires blood!”
“The Blood God desires blood!”
A group of warriors from among the enemy ranks soared into the air, swatting away boulders, then leaped off their allies’ heads to fly swiftly toward us.
Clad in blood-red robes, they radiated a disgusting, malevolent energy.
They were the ones called the Blood Sect.
“Brother Dan!”
“I know.”
As Dan Un responded, a group of swordsmen drew their blades.
They were peak swordsmen who exuded an aura as imposing as a great mountain.
These were the warriors of the Blue Dragon Hall, whose individual martial prowess was said to be the strongest in the Nine Dragons Fortress, alongside the Black Dragon Hall.
*Thump.*
I was the first to charge out.
With the Dragon Scale Armor, I had the lowest risk of injury.
In my first real battle in a long time, my War King's Ki rampaged wildly.
A storm of force energy burst from my body, spreading out in all directions like a black magnetic field.
And.
*Craaaash!*
The Explosive Death Force, unleashed with all my might, detonated in the heart of the enemy formation, crushing the members of the Ten Demon Alliance.
The eyes of the demonic practitioners widened in shock as they witnessed their comrades being turned into little more than pulp.
“Surprised? You came here to kill, so you should have been prepared to die.”
*Whoosh.*
Then, a gravitational pull originating from the blast's epicenter rooted the enemies to the spot.
And falling upon their heads was a torrent of blue sword energy.
*Craaaash!*
Dan Un’s Blue Cloud Red River Sword erupted, turning the surrounding enemies into bloody messes.
*Slash. Slash!*
The sharp Blue Wind Sword Arts unleashed by the Blue Dragon Hall warriors bisected their foes.
A circular clearing instantly formed around us.
*Slaaash!*
Just as I was finishing off the rest with Ultimate Death Force, the Blood Sect group flew toward us.
“Draw the enemy’s blood and offer it as a sacrifice to the Blood God!”
*Shaaaa.*
As they chanted, a sinister red energy washed over us.
It was a sticky ki that pressed down on the body.
I had experienced this malevolent energy before, during the fight with the Southern Heaven Palace.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
The warriors of the Blue Dragon Hall swung their swords relentlessly.
The sword energy, imbued with the unique demon-quelling aura of the Daoist arts, cut through the red malevolent energy.
And.
“Hah!”
*Stab!*
Dan Un’s sword moved like a beam of light, slitting the throat of a Blood Sect member.
It was the Blue Wind Sword Arts, perfected to its zenith.
And so, the clash began.
*Thwack! Slash!*
Palm strikes formed of blood-red malevolent energy and azure sword ki exploded in all directions.
Dan Un shot like an arrow toward an old man who appeared to be the strongest among them.
Of course, the busiest person was me.
Why?
Because the War King Arts are most effective in a chaotic melee.
Turning to stand behind the Blue Dragon Hall, I saw enemies charging with their weapons raised.
*Pow. Splat!*
I smashed one of their heads with a force-infused fist, causing it to explode.
*Splat.*
Brain matter splattered, obscuring my vision.
“Die!”
I felt a heavy, murderous intent aimed at my side.
However.
*Clang. Crack.*
The attack was blocked by my Dragon Scale Armor, producing only a resonant clang without causing me any impact.
Instead, it was the attacker’s hand that broke.
“…!”
*Pow! Crack.*
I drove a kick into the neck of the stunned enemy.
Like a figurine detached from its glue, the man’s head separated as his body flew away.
The enemies surrounding me began to radiate an intense killing intent.
It seemed they were planning to attack all at once.
Sure enough.
A barrage of attacks rained down on me.
Swords, sabers, spears, fists, and lances.
Seeing the various weapons, all imbued with intense demonic energy…
*Grin.*
I couldn't suppress a smile, my excitement rising from my first real battle in a long time.
Mind, Ki, and Body as One.
As my spirit stirred, my War King's Ki raged, making its presence known.
*Crackle. Sizzle.*
War Dragon Ki.
The protective aura that had clashed with the Purple Mist Ki from the Righteous Path Alliance now enveloped my body, beginning to devour the enemy attacks.
*Crack. Crunch.*
It didn't just consume them.
*Whoosh.*
It devoured the incoming enemy internal energy, growing in size.
*Craaaash!*
Then it exploded, unleashing a powerful force energy.
The enemies caught in the blast were torn to shreds.
“Ugh!”
The enemies turned and fled in terror.
It seemed they had finally realized I was not on a level they could handle.
Of course, I’m not the kind of amateur who lets someone live just because they show me their back.
“Running is useless, you bastards!”
*Paang!*
I slammed the War King's Thirteen Strikes, imbued with Explosive Death Force, into their backs.
*Boom!*
A small explosion echoed, and bodies with holes blown through their hearts collapsed.
*Slit!*
Without pause, I unleashed Ultimate Death Force, slicing four men in half at the waist.
Fountains of blood erupted, drenching the surroundings.
“Kill him! We have to kill him to live!”
A scream of desperation burst from one of them.
“Uwaaah!”
“Die!”
As if jolted back to their senses by the shout, the enemies raised their weapons and swung at me.
A chaotic melee.
A battle of unknown duration.
Anyone else would have had to conserve their internal energy, but…
That doesn't apply to the War King Arts.
The More You Move, The Stronger You Get. The More You Fight, The Stronger You Get.
The longer I fight, the stronger I become.
“Hup!”
*Thud.*
I took a flying scythe with my body.
*Crack.*
I immediately reached out and snapped the man’s neck.
*Slice.*
At the same time, I infused a kick with the force of Ultimate Death Force and shattered the windpipe of the man next to him.
*Thud, thud.*
Weapons flew at me simultaneously.
Each one was filled with such killing intent that I could feel their resolve to kill in a single blow.
But.
*Crackle.*
A black magnetic field spread out on its own, as if it had a will of its own, and blocked them all.
*Grin.*
“Die, you bastards!”
*Slaaaaaaash!*
As I swiped my hands left and right, pure ki gathered to form a massive blade.
The blade of ki extended on its own, spreading in all directions, and sliced through the waists of every enemy around me.
“Hah, hah…”
Ultimate Death Force, unleashed with all my strength.
It was an inherently powerful attack, but this was the first time I had ever used it with such desperation.
And the result was extremely satisfying.
With a single attack, I had killed dozens of members of the Ten Demon Alliance at once.
“……”
The battlefield fell silent for a moment, so shocking was its power.
Of course, I couldn't let my guard down.
I’ll say it again: our enemy is the Ten Demon Alliance, which boasts a cloud of masters and a force of ten thousand.
I never know when some ridiculously powerful master might pop out of nowhere… and as if on cue.
“Kekeke, the young pup knows how to enjoy the taste of blood.”
A chillingly powerful ki descended upon me from above.
“…!”
My War Dragon Ki shot out to counter the attack.
*Rumble, rumble, rumble.*
The black War Dragon Ki and the crimson demonic ki collided, lighting up the sky.
*Booooom.*
The two energies annihilated each other, and an old man in a red robe landed lightly on the ground.
A pair of thin twin sabers were stuck in the ground on either side of him.
It was the Blood Sect master Dan Un had been fighting.
His appearance here meant that idiot Dan Un had let him get away.
“Who is your master?”
“Who knows? I don’t remember raising one.”
“Kekeke, you insolent brat. I wonder if you can maintain that arrogance in the blood realm.”
This is a total disaster…
I acted calm on the outside, but inwardly, I was frantic.
We were currently in the heart of the enemy camp.
We had to accomplish our goal and get out as quickly as possible to guarantee our safety.
‘You said you were confident!’
If you’re going to have a rotten personality, you should at least be good at fighting.
That Dan Un is truly useless.
I have no choice.
What’s done is done. I have to handle this myself.
“You look like you're one step away from soiling yourself. Why not just curl up in a corner somewhere instead of coming all this way?”
*Swoosh! Slash.*
“…!”
The moment I threw out the trash talk, a saber’s energy grazed my cheek.
It was so fast, comparable to the Sunlight Sword that Baek Jung-cheon used, that my War Dragon Ki couldn't even react.
If I hadn't instinctively tilted my head back, I would have spent the rest of my life without a cheek.
“Old man? You look like you have high blood pressure. Maybe you should calm down…”
Wow, I’m in deep shit.