Chapter 410

Chapter 410 – Standing Alone Before the Storm (1)

Go Seol-cheon's eyelids trembled.

As Dam Ho had expected, he was hiding in a concealed place, aiming his bow at Dam Ho. However, he couldn't carelessly release the bowstring.

Dam Ho was a destroyer.

Everything that came within reach of his fist was being shattered. Human forms and weapons lost their original appearance and crumbled.

"Truly remarkable. The epithet Fist Demon wasn't false after all."

Dozens of Blood Light Stream archers lost their lives to his fists. They were all people Go Seol-cheon had devoted his heart and soul to raising. But he didn't feel it was a waste of their deaths.

Using them as sacrifices, he had been able to grasp Dam Ho's true strength and weaknesses to some extent.

Dam Ho could never be killed by ordinary methods. Especially not in chaotic battles like this one.

Dam Ho was strong in close combat.

He was particularly specialized in chaotic battles like the current one. A radius of three zhang around him was like a land of death.

To face Dam Ho, one needed either martial arts of a similar level or a martial artist with equivalent martial power. Those of lesser skill could never stop Dam Ho.

"Still, we can inflict wounds."

Go Seol-cheon grinned.

He never believed those people could do anything to Dam Ho. Their purpose was exactly one thing – to exhaust Dam Ho's strength and inflict even the slightest wounds.

It would be difficult to inflict serious wounds with their martial power. But nail-sized cuts and small abrasions, when accumulated, would gradually eat away at his stamina without him realizing it. And by the time he noticed this fact, everything would be over.

Go Seol-cheon withdrew the arrow he had nocked to his bowstring. This wasn't his battlefield. His battlefield was located a bit deeper, in a much more advantageous place.

***

"What did you just say?"

"I said forces have been withdrawn to Anhui Province. Important forces from Blood Light Stream, one of the Thirteen Branches, have also moved to Anhui Province."

"You mean Go Seol-cheon has moved?"

"That's right."

"That bastard finally…"

Dark killing intent rose in Black Wing Death King Jin Do-hwi's eyes.

He had clearly warned Nam Hyeon-so.

Not to mess with Dam Ho. Yet Nam Hyeon-so ignored his warning and even drew in Blood Light Stream, one of the Thirteen Branches. It was clearly an act of disrespecting him.

"But…"

Seeing Jin Do-hwi's anger, his subordinate hesitated.

"What else?"

"Commander Yo hasn't returned yet."

"Yo Sa-ran?"

Jin Do-hwi's eyelids trembled.

He could understand the Thirteen Branches. They were merely tributaries, not the mainstream of the Demon Cult. They often moved based on profit and loss rather than blind loyalty. But Yo Sa-ran was one of the Demon Cult's Four Great Military Commanders.

She was the mainstream of the Demon Cult and a loyal subordinate of the Cult Leader. The fact that such a person hadn't returned and was tied up in Anhui Province because of Nam Hyeon-so was incomprehensible.

"Why is she?"

His Demon Dragon Blood Robe fluttered greatly as if representing his anger.

Whatever the reason, Yo Sa-ran shouldn't remain in Anhui Province. She should have already returned to headquarters.

Jin Do-hwi stood up.

The place he headed to was precisely the residence of Military Advisor Sang Han-cheon.

Sang Han-cheon looked at Jin Do-hwi with doubtful eyes.

Jin Do-hwi and the other Black and White Lion Kings were directly under the Cult Leader. They listened to no one's words except the Cult Leader's commands. Therefore, Sang Han-cheon had no choice but to be cautious in dealing with them.

"What brings you here?"

"I came to inform you of something."

"Please tell me."

"It's about Branch Leader Nam."

"You mean Nam Hyeon-so who was sent to destroy the Namgung Family?"

"That's right. He seems about to cause a big problem."

Sang Han-cheon's expression hardened. The Jin Do-hwi he knew was never someone who would speak nonsense.

Jin Do-hwi told Sang Han-cheon that Nam Hyeon-so was targeting Dam Ho. At this, Sang Han-cheon's gaze sank deeply.

"Black Wing Death King's warning rather ignited fire in his heart."

"I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention."

Jin Do-hwi apologized for his rashness. At this, Sang Han-cheon's expression softened somewhat.

Since Jin Do-hwi, whose pride reached the heavens, was apologizing to this extent, he had no need to be sharp.

"Not at all. No one could have expected Branch Leader Nam would react that way."

"What should we do? Should I rush there right now and bring back Nam Hyeon-so?"

"Even if you rushed to Anhui Province right now, it would take at least five days. It's already too late."

"Then do we just watch Branch Leader Nam cause trouble?"

"We have no choice. It's realistically impossible to physically restrain him now. Instead, when he returns, I'll certainly punish him severely."

"His surviving return would mean he killed the Fist Demon. Yet you'd still punish him severely?"

"Merit and fault are separate matters. The existence of subordinates who don't listen to their superiors only disrupts our sect's discipline. Even if he returns after killing the Fist Demon, I'll impose the maximum sentence."

"What kind?"

"I'll impose the Thousand Fragment Soul Prohibition Punishment."

"Hmm!"

Jin Do-hwi nodded, seemingly pleased with Sang Han-cheon's answer.

The Thousand Fragment Soul Prohibition Punishment was one of the most severe punishments in the Demon Cult. Only serious criminals or traitors of the Demon Cult received this punishment.

The very fact that he decided to execute the Thousand Fragment Soul Prohibition Punishment was proof that Sang Han-cheon was extremely angry.

Though Sang Han-cheon rarely showed emotions normally, once angry, he would display frighteningly ruthless aspects. There were no exceptions even if the target was his close aide or loyal retainer of the Demon Cult.

Jin Do-hwi's gaze turned toward the rosewood table in front of Sang Han-cheon. More precisely, to the numerous documents placed on the table.

"What are those?"

"Information sent from all over Hubei Province."

"You're working hard."

"It's work I must naturally do. It's not really hardship."

Though he spoke casually, his insides were boiling. Nam Hyeon-so's recklessness and rash courage were disrupting the plans he was drawing.

***

Drip drip!

Fresh blood that flowed along Dam Ho's fist fell to the ground. The blood dyed the earth red.

Behind him, ravens were singing songs of death.

The ravens that had gathered so blackly that the sky couldn't be seen were continuously emitting unpleasant cries at this untimely feast.

Even at the chilling cries that seemed to gnaw at souls from the very bottom, Dam Ho didn't blink an eye.

What remained on the bloody path he had walked was only someone's death.

Corpses piled up like mountains, and the blood they shed flowed like rivers. It was a horrific sight too terrible to witness with open eyes. All of it was a tragedy caused by Dam Ho alone.

They were all martial artists from Anhui Province mobilized for the heavenly net. When the Namgung Family's prestige was strong, they had sided with them, and when the Demon Cult gained dominance, they again clung to the Demon Cult.

Justice or pride didn't exist for them.

They were only interested in clinging to the powerful to enjoy glory. If they had thought even a little about the future of the martial world, they would never have participated in the heavenly net.

Therefore, Dam Ho felt no guilt about killing them.

The martial world was a place where if you didn't kill, you would be killed. Taking responsibility for one's own chosen actions was also one's own burden.

They had pointed swords at Dam Ho to kill him, and Dam Ho pointed his fists at them to survive.

This was the result.

Dam Ho moved forward.

The net of killing intent that still bound him remained intact.

They were merely martial artists from sects cooperating with the Demon Cult. The Demon Cult's true strength hadn't been consumed yet.

The real fight was starting now.

The fight they wanted was also starting now.

They were already fully prepared. The incredibly tight net of killing intent testified to this fact.

Dam Ho's gaze sank even deeper.

He knew.

No matter how strong he was, he alone couldn't kill all the martial artists mobilized for the heavenly net. His internal energy would gradually be depleted in endless fighting, and small wounds would accumulate until his stamina hit rock bottom.

That's what they wanted. Indeed, according to their intentions, countless small wounds had appeared on Dam Ho's body, and his stamina was also gradually decreasing.

If things continued this way, it would certainly go as they wanted. If Dam Ho moved according to their intentions, that is.

Thump!

Suddenly Dam Ho kicked the ground.

Unlike before, he began running forward.

Crash!

A large tree was shattered. The Demon Cult martial artist hiding behind it couldn't even scream before being knocked backward.

His entire body was gruesomely crushed as if it had struck a huge boulder.

"Gurgle!"

He seemed to cough up blood foam, then died just like that.

Even until his breath stopped, he didn't know. How he was dying. What method Dam Ho had used to attack.

It was Charging Step.

A footwork technique created to destroy castle walls, advancing only in a straight line.

The simplest yet most tremendously destructive footwork technique in the world.

The footwork technique that maximized power when combined with Shattering Star Punch- Dam Ho was deploying it like lightness skill.

Crash!

Every time Dam Ho deployed Charging Step, everything blocking his path was destroyed.

Large boulders, massive trees, and people hiding in concealment.

"Wh-what?"

"Dodge!"

The Demon Cult martial artists hiding in various places scattered in all directions like grasshoppers in surprise. But before even half of them could escape, the storm named Dam Ho struck.

Boom!

"Gack!"

"Cough!"

Dozens of martial artists were flung in all directions as if struck by lightning.

Arms and legs were grotesquely broken, necks turned sideways. When they fell to the ground, the vitality of the living no longer existed in their bodies.

Crash crash crash!

Where Dam Ho passed, a straight path was created. Countless deaths piled up on that path.

"That demon-like bastard!"

"Damn it! Shoot arrows."

The Blood Light Stream archers who had been hiding and waiting for opportunities also faced the nightmare called Dam Ho.

Swish swish swish!

Dozens of arrows were shot at Dam Ho.

Instantly, black air currents swirled around Dam Ho's entire body like a storm. It was Violent Demon Energy.

Charging Step with Shattering Star Punch, and Violent Demon Energy added on top.

Dam Ho's figure disappeared, leaving only a black storm.

The arrows shot by the archers were swept up by the black storm and bounced off in all directions. The archer's most lethal weapon was instantly neutralized.

They no longer had weapons to attack Dam Ho with. Dam Ho struck them directly in their defenseless state.

Crash!

The forest shook.

The ravens enjoying their feast all flew up at once, blackening the sky. Beasts ran along mountain paths with rolled-back eyes.

They could no longer bear the killing intent Dam Ho emitted, the smell of death that had descended upon the forest. They ran and flew desperately to get away from where Dam Ho was.

Thud thud thud!

The forest was shaking.

It was vibrations created by the storm called Dam Ho.

Those ominous vibrations ominously stimulated the hearts of everyone composing the heavenly net.

"What the hell?"

Whoosh!

At that moment Dam Ho appeared, breaking through the bushes.

Dam Ho's figure wasn't visible, hidden by the black violent winds swirling like a storm. But everyone saw it.

Dam Ho's cold gaze, the blackly rippling dark eyes.

Though it should normally be invisible, it was strangely clearly visible.

The moment those eyes pierced their hearts, darkness came.

Thump!

Dozens of corpses fell behind Dam Ho.

Dozens of masters from Divine Fire Hall who had been waiting on Nam Hyeon-so's orders lost their lives so futilely.

"Ch-chase him!"

"We must stop him!"

The martial artists from the area belatedly rushed to chase Dam Ho, but his figure had already disappeared and was no longer visible.

That place was where those who formed the center of the heavenly net were gathered.

"No!"

Someone's scream-like voice scattered futilely.