Chapter 349

Chapter 349 – I'm Not Weak Enough to Be Manipulated (3)

The Tai Chi Sword was simple.

Drawing a large Tai Chi pattern in the air was the entirety of the technique. But within it contained all the mysteries of the Wudang Sect's swordsmanship.

Continuous and unbroken, endlessly connected…

When the heart moves, the body follows…

All under heaven in one's palm, soon having the world in the palm of one's hand.

Whoooosh!

Tremendous energy that seemed to crush all of Wudang Mountain surged toward Dam Ho.

"Ohh!"

"Su-such swordsmanship…"

The Wudang Sect Taoists cheered at the swordsmanship's majesty that dominated heaven and earth, while the heroes watched spellbound.

The Tai Chi Sword that Taoist Cheong-wol deployed was truly perfect.

At least it appeared so to the heroes' eyes. But not to Dam Ho.

Taoist Cheong-wol's Tai Chi Sword certainly possessed overwhelming majesty. But that was all.

The technique was upright like that deployed by a martial arts instructor, without the slightest disorder. It was merely martial arts properly learned under a good teacher's guidance in a training ground or practice room, containing no traces of any fierceness or contemplation.

Dam Ho launched his body toward Taoist Cheong-wol at the center of the Tai Chi.

At that moment, a massive tangible sword suddenly rose from the center of the Tai Chi. It was sword energy concentrating Taoist Cheong-wol's accumulated power.

The massive sword energy struck down at Dam Ho like a heavenly god's sword.

Hum!

At that moment, Dam Ho's body trembled minutely.

It was the Shield, a unique defensive internal energy technique of the Solitary Path style.

Added to the Shield was the mystery of the Golden Scarab, created by imitating a beetle's round body.

Immediately after, the sword energy and Dam Ho's body collided.

Clang!

People saw Dam Ho's body split vertically in half. The massive sword energy struck the earth with force enough to bisect Dam Ho's body.

Crack!

A huge crack formed in the bluestone-paved training ground floor, and the entire area shook as if an earthquake had occurred. It was truly terrifying power.

But the expression of Taoist Cheong-wol, who had deployed the sword energy, wasn't very good. Though he didn't know how it appeared to others, he who deployed the sword knew.

That his confident sword strike had missed.

He had certainly deployed his swordsmanship orthodoxly. But the moment it struck Dam Ho's body, minute trembling and curves caused the striking point to become subtly disordered. As a result, his sword energy glanced diagonally past Dam Ho and struck the earth directly.

'Deflecting sword energy? Such a technique…'

Taoist Cheong-wol's beard fluttered and his pupils shook. He hurriedly withdrew his sword and tried to deploy the Tai Chi Sword's defensive form.

Tai Chi was both the beginning and end of the Tai Chi Sword. The defensive form also started with drawing Tai Chi patterns.

Taoist Cheong-wol's body rotated gracefully, creating a Tai Chi pattern.

Clang!

"Kek!"

However, before he could even create half the Tai Chi pattern, Dam Ho's strike exploded on his sword.

It was a strike of the Single Yang Strike.

The Single Yang Strike didn't possess intense power like the Shattering Palm Strike or Single Shattering Wall. But the punch extending like a whip curved at mysterious angles, creating unpredictable trajectories.

Swish swish swish!

Dam Ho continuously launched Single Yang Strikes.

Taoist Cheong-wol's arms moved frantically. He didn't dare use powerful techniques and responded improvisationally. Because of this, his movements became greatly unstable.

Finally, Taoist Cheong-wol couldn't endure and retreated backward. He intended to retreat once, regulate his breathing, and seek another opportunity.

But as much as he retreated, Dam Ho approached.

The fist that had been lightly clenched to deploy Single Yang Strikes suddenly changed as if gripping a stone.

Triple Strike Cannon Shadow Fist, the Demon Cult's supreme technique obtained when imprisoned in the Heavenly Gold Demon Prison.

Boom boom boom!

Intense punches like firing cannons were deployed three times in succession.

"Gasp!"

Taoist Cheong-wol's body shook greatly.

The intense impact shook his interior. From the shock of his organs being stirred, he nearly dropped his sword.

'This can't be!'

Taoist Cheong-wol couldn't help but be shocked.

The martial arts Dam Ho deployed were all just fundamentals of the Solitary Path style. He hadn't even deployed techniques with truly great power. Yet he was gradually neutralizing Taoist Cheong-wol.

Like a cat playing with a mouse.

For Taoist Cheong-wol, it was an unbearably humiliating situation.

He never thought that he, the Wudang Sect's leader and supreme figure, would be so helplessly overwhelmed.

For Taoist Cheong-wol, it was a nightmare moment. And his nightmare wasn't over yet.

Bang!

Dam Ho's foot struck his side powerfully.

It was the Charging Kick, standing at the pinnacle of Solitary Path style leg techniques.

Though he hurriedly deployed protective energy to defend, the impact penetrated his entire body through his side.

"Krek!"

Taoist Cheong-wol coughed blood and retreated three zhang. His complexion was pallid.

In his shaking pupils, Dam Ho's figure charging forward with black hair flowing was reflected.

It seemed like a massive beast charging with huge fangs bared.

His hair stood on end and fear suddenly struck.

He had never experienced such a thing even once.

There were many, many swords to fight for him.

Nearby was Taoist Cheong-heo, Hubei's Greatest Sword, and far away were even the Wudang Sect's lay disciples. There was no situation where he would substantially need to draw his sword and fight. And if a situation arose where someone of the Wudang Sect leader's level needed to draw his sword and fight directly, it would only be when the Wudang Sect had completely fallen or was cornered.

And now Taoist Cheong-wol was extremely cornered.

Whoosh!

Suddenly the air changed.

The feeling that all the air had become needles pricking his skin, as if the entire world showed hostility toward him.

'It's coming.'

Goosebumps arose all over his body.

Taoist Cheong-wol bit his lips hard and tried to deploy the Tai Chi Sword's supreme technique, Tai Chi Fills the Universe. But his sword was blocked by Dam Ho's fist from the beginning.

Boom boom boom boom!

And a storm struck.

Six Harmonies Blood Mountains and Rivers, the Solitary Path style's finale that launched twenty-four consecutive strikes in a single breath, was deployed.

Strike by strike accumulated. And Taoist Cheong-wol's body collapsed.

Clang!

When the fifth punch exploded, the sword he held shattered like glass and scattered in all directions.

Bang!

With the sixth punch hitting his temple, Taoist Cheong-wol's head snapped back. The black pupils disappeared from his eyes, leaving only whites. His consciousness had flown from the intense impact.

His body was collapsing helplessly.

Though it would be reasonable to stop here, Dam Ho didn't easily let Taoist Cheong-wol fall. His seventh consecutive strike flew to sever Taoist Cheong-wol's breathing.

"Sect Leader!"

"Stop! You demon."

Unable to bear watching, the Wudang Sect's elders threw themselves forward.

Whatever the sect leader's will to fight honorably, they first had to save him.

Swish swish swish!

The swordsmanship of five Wudang Sect elders poured toward Dam Ho all at once. At that moment, fierce air currents arose and swirled around Dam Ho's body.

He had deployed the Violent Demon Energy.

Boom boom boom boom!

Fierce violent energy swept the area and exploded outward.

"Aaaaah!"

"Ugh!"

With screams, the elders who had attacked Dam Ho were flung away. The sight of the elders writhing on the ground covered in blood was utterly miserable.

"Elders!"

"Won't you stop?"

"Kill him!"

Seeing the sect leader followed by even the elders being defeated, the Wudang Sect disciples' eyes rolled back. They forgot their previous fear and all charged toward Dam Ho at once.

Seeing such Wudang Sect disciples, the heroes wore expressions of despair.

Just half a day before, they had gathered in orderly fashion under the banner of protecting martial world justice. Until then, they had been filled with hope that by joining forces, they could drive out the Demon Cult.

But the training ground had been transformed into a scene of carnage by Dam Ho alone. Nowhere here could hope or order be found.

It was a tragedy created by Dam Ho alone.

Despair and anger simultaneously arose in their hearts. It was the moment when defiance sprouted seeds in their hearts.

"Let's kill him."

"Fist Demon! You madman."

Countless heroes joined the Wudang Sect's actions.

An incalculably enormous number of martial artists surged forward like a tsunami. Dam Ho stood blankly watching this sight.

The hostility, desperation, and anger of countless people was vividly transmitted through the air to his skin.

The training ground had already transformed into a cauldron of chaos.

Suddenly the corners of Dam Ho's mouth curved upward.

Because Dam Ho rarely revealed human emotions, his smile felt all the more eerie.

It was the scene he had so desired.

The raw martial world honestly revealing its emotions.

Here existed no calculation or pretense.

The sight of martial artists staking everything on a single sword and burning their reason in anger was even majestic. But that didn't mean he had any intention of going easy.

Boom boom boom!

Again violent energy swirled around him. In that state, Dam Ho was about to launch his body toward the Wudang Sect Taoists and heroes.

That's when it happened.

"Everyone stop."

Whoosh!

With a shout that rang throughout Wudang Mountain, tremendous sword energy crossed between Dam Ho and the heroes.

"Gasp!"

"Mm!"

The movement of heroes surging like a tsunami toward Dam Ho stopped completely. It was because of the line that separated them from Dam Ho.

A long line crossing the training ground. The line continuing like a scar on the earth was enough to cool the heated hearts of the Wudang Sect Taoists and heroes.

"Everyone calm down."

Then an elderly Taoist with an immortal's bearing descended between them.

"Gr-Granduncle?"

"It's Taoist Cheong-heo."

People recognized him and murmured.

As they said, the elderly Taoist was precisely Taoist Cheong-heo, called Hubei's Greatest Sword.

He stood blocking between the heroes and Dam Ho with a bitter expression.

He could see the sect leader and elders fallen at Dam Ho's feet. Though he didn't like them, they were still senior brothers who had shared joys and sorrows with him for decades.

Seeing such people fallen after being defeated by Dam Ho made him inevitably uncomfortable. But he was more level-headed than anyone here.

He could clearly assess the situation and had the reason to make cool-headed judgments.

He spoke to Dam Ho.

"That's enough."

"……"

"Though shameless… this is a request. Please stop here."

Taoist Cheong-heo's voice naturally trembled.

He knew.

That Dam Ho's fighting spirit had not yet subsided.

That Fist Demon wearing black hair and black robes was a monster who endlessly desired struggle.

Fight, and fight again…

A monster who could only prove his existence value through struggle alone.

When on the same side, more reliable than anyone, but when an enemy, an existence that inevitably became a disaster.

Taoist Cheong-heo had realized this fact three years ago and had continuously warned the Wudang Sect. But the Wudang Sect leadership including Taoist Cheong-wol ignored his warnings, and as a result, they paid such an enormous price.

Taoist Cheong-heo shouted at the hesitating Wudang Sect disciples.

"What are you doing? Quickly attend to the sect leader and elders. Make them take healing pills."

"Yes? Yes!"

The Wudang Sect Taoists, whose minds snapped alert at Taoist Cheong-heo's roar, hurriedly supported Taoist Cheong-wol and others. The fighting spirit and madness that had dominated them just moments before had already disappeared.

Dam Ho's brow furrowed slightly.

In conclusion, Taoist Cheong-heo's appearance could prevent damage to the Wudang Sect and heroes. But it was distant from the situation Dam Ho desired. So he couldn't help being dissatisfied, but Dam Ho's interest had also disappeared.

"Come with me. There are people I definitely want to show you."

Taoist Cheong-heo extended his hand to such Dam Ho.