Chapter 412

Chapter 412 – Standing Alone Before the Storm (3)

Dam Ho resembled a blood person.

His entire body was dyed red with blood, and wounds like fish gills were opening their mouths all over his body. That he could still stand upright with such wounds was wondrous enough to feel miraculous.

"You truly are our cult's greatest enemy, Fist Demon. But your tenacious life ends today. This place will be your grave."

Nam Hyeon-so pointed at the ground with his finger. However, Dam Ho's gaze was directed not at him but at Yo Sa-ran.

"Grr!"

A humiliated light appeared on Nam Hyeon-so's face. Because he thought Dam Ho was ignoring him.

Indeed, Dam Ho was ignoring Nam Hyeon-so. Because there was someone stronger than him in this place. She was precisely Yo Sa-ran.

Originally, the strong don't easily reveal themselves or become excited. One who maintains cool reason under any circumstances and prepares for the future could be called a true strong person.

Dam Ho and Yo Sa-ran's gazes met in mid-air.

Yo Sa-ran had killed so many people that she earned the epithet Blood Wheel Witch. She was someone who instilled fear in others, not someone who feared anyone. Even fellow Demon Cult martial artists feared and avoided her.

For the first time today, she thought someone was frightening. It was because of the gaze in Dam Ho's eyes looking at her.

In those deep and heavy eyes, human emotions didn't exist. That he could erase human emotions so perfectly was surprising.

'He truly deserves to be called our cult's greatest enemy.'

Her skin tingled, and strength naturally entered her hands.

Her body was sensing danger first and reacting.

This had never happened before. At least not since she had earned the epithet Blood Wheel Witch.

Yo Sa-ran had thought that someday a time would come when she would have to stake everything and fight. And now she strongly felt that time was precisely now.

Yo Sa-ran opened her mouth.

"I am the Divine Cult's Military Commander Yo Sa-ran…"

BOOM!

At that moment an explosion erupted and Yo Sa-ran's body flew backward. Dam Ho had launched Shattering Star Punch.

Yo Sa-ran's face contorted as she flew backward. It was a surprise attack without warning or sign. Fortunately, she blocked Dam Ho's attack with her palm wrapped in sword energy, but her light body was flying more than ten zhang backward.

More than surprised, she was astounded.

She hadn't expected that a master with Dam Ho's level of fame would launch a surprise attack without even exchanging names. It was beyond surprising to the point of absurdity.

Swoosh!

Dam Ho, who had instantly sent Yo Sa-ran flying, charged toward Nam Hyeon-so.

"Wh-what?"

At the sight of Dam Ho charging without warning, Nam Hyeon-so backed away in shock. Dam Ho followed such Nam Hyeon-so.

His target had been Nam Hyeon-so from the beginning.

Everything was in an unfavorable situation.

He was wounded and exhausted. Meanwhile, the enemies were intact, and especially Nam Hyeon-so had hundreds of subordinates.

Nothing would be more inefficient than fighting Nam Hyeon-so after facing all his subordinates.

Strike the head and the rest will collapse on its own. That was Dam Ho's thinking.

Subordinates who were nearby stepped forward to save Nam Hyeon-so. They launched palm force at Dam Ho.

"Stop!"

"How dare!"

Three or four sharp palm forces flew toward Dam Ho.

They were powerful enough to shatter boulders. If hit directly, even Dam Ho couldn't guarantee his life or death. But Dam Ho didn't avoid the palm forces.

His back curved roundly.

He had deployed Golden Tortoise Posture, created by observing beetles.

Thud thud thud!

The palm forces that struck Dam Ho's body glanced off the round body. Thanks to this, the shock was reduced by more than half. Even so, it was true that his internal organs were shaken by shock that would have instantly killed any ordinary martial artist.

His insides churned and blood rose up his esophagus, but Dam Ho deployed Charging Step without changing his expression.

His target was Nam Hyeon-so alone.

He completely ignored everything else.

"This crazy bastard!"

Nam Hyeon-so realized Dam Ho's intention and became enraged.

He hadn't expected Dam Ho to ignore his subordinates and target only him.

"Did I look that easy to you?"

Shwing!

Sharp palm force erupted from his hand.

It was Universe Shattering Palm, a life-taking absolute technique.

Universe Shattering Palm was a palm technique that used penetrating force to destroy not the opponent's exterior but interior. Universe Shattering Palm had enough lethal power to instantly incapacitate even Muk Il-gwang, who was guarding Hwang Hye-ryeong, with one strike.

Suddenly Dam Ho's body vibrated at tremendous speed invisible to the eye. He had deployed Shield, an ultra-vibration protective technique.

Whoosh!

Universe Shattering Palm couldn't penetrate the Shield and dispersed.

At the unexpected scene, Nam Hyeon-so hesitated momentarily. In that gap, Dam Ho charged in.

BOOM!

Shattering Star Punch exploded.

But Nam Hyeon-so was also an absolute master; he instinctively deployed defensive techniques to deflect Dam Ho's attack.

Thud!

At that moment Single Yang Strike erupted.

Nam Hyeon-so allowed a hit from Dam Ho's fist that penetrated with an unexpected trajectory. Fortunately, he raised protective energy so the shock wasn't great, but instead his body's balance collapsed.

CRASH!

Dam Ho's foot pierced Nam Hyeon-so's torso. It was Charging Kick, the unique kicking technique of Solitary Flow.

The kicking technique with the power of a charge shook Nam Hyeon-so's insides completely. Even protective sword energy couldn't block all that shock.

"Gack!"

Nam Hyeon-so vomited blood. His face had become gaunt and pale.

"Damn it!"

"This demon-like…"

Subordinates poured all kinds of attacks to separate Dam Ho from Nam Hyeon-so. But Dam Ho ignored their attacks.

What he trusted was Solitary Path and his extremely trained body.

Hum!

The ultra-vibration technique Shield neutralized most attacks. But he was inevitably exposed to sword attacks. A blade wounded his back, and a sharp sword pierced his side.

Blood surged up from inside and filled his mouth. Dam Ho spat out the blood he held in his mouth.

Pfft!

Nam Hyeon-so, who was instantly covered in blood, hastily wiped his eyes with his sleeve. That was his fatal mistake.

BOOM!

Dam Ho headbutted his forehead.

His brain shook from the intense shock and his body wavered. The protective energy that had been surrounding his body had disappeared without a trace.

"Gaaaah!"

Nam Hyeon-so, who momentarily lost his vision, launched Universe Shattering Palm indiscriminately. Over ten palm forces flew toward Dam Ho in succession. Since the attack was launched at close range, it was impossible for Dam Ho to avoid them all. And Dam Ho had no intention of avoiding the attacks either.

He neutralized what he could with Shield and endured the rest with his body.

His forehead burst open and his nose bone collapsed. Blood soaked his chest, and thrilling pain spread throughout his body along his spine.

But in exchange for that price, Dam Ho could grasp Nam Hyeon-so's neck. His two hands firmly squeezed Nam Hyeon-so's neck.

"Gack!"

With a groan, his body was pulled up into the air.

The dizzying floating sensation of his two legs leaving the ground assaulted Nam Hyeon-so. And he felt his head and legs reversing.

CRASH!

Nam Hyeon-so's body was slammed upside down into the ground.

Using the earth itself as a weapon, a brutal attack – it was Earth Heaven Strike.

Thud!

Nam Hyeon-so, whose legs had been flailing in the air, collapsed. That was the end of Divine Fire Hall Leader Nam Hyeon-so.

"……"

Silence came to the darkened earth.

The eyes of Divine Fire Hall martial artists were shaking with disbelief at the unbelievable scene.

Nam Hyeon-so wasn't someone who should die so easily. No, he was someone who shouldn't die like that.

Divine Fire Hall led by Nam Hyeon-so was core strength even in the inner circle, and his martial arts were great enough not to fall behind the Seven Great Demon Persons. Moreover, his personality was cold and his calculations were fast, so no one wanted to cross him. Therefore, even the Four Great Military Commanders and Seven Great Demons couldn't treat him carelessly and respected him.

That such a person was dead, slammed face-down on the ground in such an unseemly manner, made them feel not just shock but even cognitive dissonance.

"Ha!"

Yo Sa-ran made an expression of being dumbfounded while looking at the brutally dead Nam Hyeon-so.

The time it took from using Shattering Star Punch to bounce Yo Sa-ran from the battlefield to killing Nam Hyeon-so was truly just a moment.

All this tragedy had occurred in a brief moment when Yo Sa-ran couldn't react.

It was chilling.

In that brief moment, the human called Dam Ho had pushed Yo Sa-ran from the battlefield, concentrated attacks on only Nam Hyeon-so as his target, and ultimately cut off his life.

It was decisiveness and ruthless hand movements frightening enough.

Only then did she clearly understand why martial world people shunned and feared the Fist Demon.

The man before her had everything a martial artist needed.

Eyes that read situations instantly, action power that made situations favorable, and powerful martial force that made it possible, plus a resolute mindset that doesn't waver once decided. That persistence of certainly achieving what he targeted, and the combat sense that determines victory's direction in split-second moments.

Though Yo Sa-ran had seen countless martial artists, Dam Ho was the first like this. His persistence and ruthlessness were chilling enough to make her shudder.

The opponent was a beast.

A giant beast that devoured everything in the way.

"He killed the Hall Leader."

"Kill him!"

Belatedly, Divine Fire Hall martial artists rushed at Dam Ho. But their movements, having lost their leader before their eyes, felt powerless. And that was precisely what Dam Ho had intended.

Breaking morale by killing the leader before their eyes.

It was a simple but efficient method. But it was an extremely dangerous method that martial artists other than Dam Ho couldn't dare follow.

Yo Sa-ran's eyes turned cold.

Yo Sa-ran had stepped into the heavenly net Nam Hyeon-so created with a half-hearted mindset because of debt. If it was something that could be resolved at Nam Hyeon-so's level, she had absolutely no intention of stepping forward. But the moment she saw Nam Hyeon-so die, her mind changed.

If the monster called Dam Ho was left alive, how many Demon Cult martial artists would die at his hands was unpredictable.

CRASH!

Indeed, before her eyes, Divine Fire Hall martial artists were dying. Though they pursued different lines, she couldn't stand by and watch their deaths any longer.

Hiss!

Yo Sa-ran's sky-blue robe and hair began swaying freely. It was proof she was raising her energy.

Swoosh!

"Move aside!"

Her form stretched long and had already reached right before Dam Ho's nose.

Yo Sa-ran's snow-white hand struck Dam Ho's chest like lightning.

White Lightning Thunder Yin Hand.

This martial art created at the Little Thunder Sound Temple of the Western Regions had destructive power counted among the world's finest.

CRACK!

Dam Ho's body was flung backward.

It was also the first moment he had retreated in this fight.

It wasn't his will. It was because Yo Sa-ran's White Lightning Thunder Yin Hand was that destructive. As proof, Dam Ho's forearm that blocked White Lightning Thunder Yin Hand was swollen up.

Her handprint was deeply imprinted on his forearm. Muscles were ruptured and bones were broken.

It was the moment when Yo Sa-ran, who had instantly seized victory, was about to attack again.

CRACK!

Suddenly Yo Sa-ran's head was flung backward.

Her hair was disheveled and blood flowed from her forehead and nose.

In a split second, Dam Ho's knee had struck her temple. If she hadn't sensed danger and turned her head, this single strike would have smashed her head.

It was a terrifyingly dangerous moment.

Chills ran down her at Dam Ho's improvisation in counterattacking in that split second. But her reaction was also formidable.

Swish swish swish!

Yo Sa-ran stuck close to Dam Ho.

She had entered Dam Ho's range on her own. She was that confident in close-range combat.

Thud thud thud thud!

Hands entangled with hands and legs collided with legs.

Their movements were too fast to confirm with the naked eye.

Everything swept up in their full power was being destroyed.

Divine Fire Hall martial artists didn't dare try to join their fight and all retreated backward.

"Ah!"

"Mm!"

Groans naturally flowed from their mouths.

The life-and-death fight between Fist Demon and Blood Wheel Witch.

They were already earnestly praying for Blood Wheel Witch to win. The two people's fight gradually rushed toward its peak.

The sharp wind that whirled around them grew increasingly sharp until it finally swallowed everything.

That's when it happened.

"Huh?"

"What?"

Creak!

Suddenly Divine Fire Hall martial artists were pulled toward where the two were fighting. Tremendous attractive force occurred and was pulling them in.

Martial artists raised internal energy or deployed Thousand Pound Weight to resist the attractive force. Such people's faces were contorted in pain.

"What's happening…"

"What on earth?"

That's when it happened.

BOOM! ​