Chapter 445

Chapter 445 – Avici Hell Opens (2)

Red mist was spouting from Nam Hak's entire body like fog. ​

"Blood?" ​

Smelling the thick blood scent, Bang Jin-bo cried out in alarm. ​

The red mist was precisely Nam Hak's blood vaporized. As evidence, Nam Hak's entire body emitting the mist was rapidly shriveling. His appearance instantly transforming like a mummy was utterly horrifying. ​

"What?" ​

The Namgung brothers were terrified at a sight they'd never seen in their lives. ​

Wooong! ​

The red mist and evil energy resonated, then suddenly a black space appeared before Dam Ho. The black space that appeared instantly swallowed Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo without time to react. ​

Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo disappeared from the world, and the black space closed its mouth like a beast's maw. Then Ghost Demon's figure melted like candle wax. He too was an illusion, not his true body. ​

The real Ghost Demon stood not near Dam Ho but atop Mount Tianzhong's peak. ​

Shape-Shifting Soul Transfer Technique. ​

A sorcery technique transmitting one's words and will through an illusion rather than the true body. ​

One of the secret techniques from the now-vanished Soreeum Temple, its internal energy consumption was so extreme that even knowing it, deploying it wasn't easy. ​

Even Ghost Demon would be exhausted and bedridden for three or four days after deploying it once, Shape-Shifting Soul Transfer required that much concentration and tremendous internal energy. So Ghost Demon normally avoided using it. Nevertheless, he specifically deployed Shape-Shifting Soul Transfer precisely because of Dam Ho. ​

As he honestly admitted, he lacked confidence to face Dam Ho with true martial force. Dam Ho was too violent and possessed terrifying martial power to confront directly. So instead of direct confrontation, he deployed Shape-Shifting Soul Transfer to appear before Dam Ho. ​

Thousand Soul Evil Energy rippled like fog centered on where Dam Ho had been below the mountain. Thousand Soul Evil Energy wasn't energy one or two people's efforts could create. ​

Throughout Mount Tianzhong area now, over a hundred Soul Sorcerers were deployed. Soul Sorcerers resembled Taoist spell casters. The only difference was that while spell casters learned orthodox Taoist techniques, Soul Sorcerers learned evil sorcery. ​

Raising Soul Sorcerers was several times harder than orthodox spell casters. Because mastering evil sorcery to supreme levels was that difficult. For that reason, Soul Sorcerers weren't numerous even within Heavenly Evil Cult. A hundred meant nearly all of them. ​

Ghost Demon had mobilized all such precious forces. All because of Dam Ho. ​

Dam Ho was too burdensome to face with martial force alone. Just examining the faces of those who'd fallen under his fists proved that. ​

Regardless of Martial Alliance, Demon Cult, or Heavenly Evil Cult, those with the strongest martial arts from each faction had all fallen. ​

Neither traps nor absolute masters worked on him. ​

Dam Ho's fighting spirit rising to clash head-on through any adversity frightened many. At least confronting him directly was too burdensome for them too. ​

One wrong move and they might burn down the entire thatched cottage trying to catch one bedbug. So Ghost Demon mobilized Soul Sorcerers. ​

Soul Sorcerers were those who learned only evil sorcery professionally. ​

Evil sorcery was literally evil techniques. ​

Unlike spell casters who accumulated Taoist power or used mantras, Soul Sorcerers accumulated and utilized energy from yin energy emitted by the dead or blood. Therefore, whenever Soul Sorcerers emerged throughout history, chaos came to the world. ​

Traditional Taoism had always viewed Soul Sorcerers as heretical and exterminated them. Therefore Soul Sorcerers had never properly matured. Being so rare, little was known about what power Soul Sorcerers wielded when properly mastering techniques. ​

Even Ghost Demon was the same. When the Leader first ordered raising Soul Sorcerers, he didn't properly understand the intent. But after raising Soul Sorcerers and their achievements rising somewhat, he could understand the Leader's will. ​

One or two Soul Sorcerers didn't demonstrate great power. But when over ten gathered to deploy sorcery, power increased exponentially like a snowball. Ghost Demon gradually increased the number of Soul Sorcerers deploying the same sorcery. ​

Ten, twenty, and when increased to a hundred, a strange phenomenon occurred. Evil energy condensed beyond limits collided with natural energy, creating resonance. ​

Until then, he'd just accepted it. But then there was a martial artist bleeding nearby. Suddenly his blood vaporized and a gap occurred. ​

A black space appearing out of nowhere as if space was cut by a sword. Heavenly Evil Cult called it the "Gap." ​

The Gap was isolated from everything. ​

From space, time, and even light. ​

And once trapped in the Gap, escaping was impossible. ​

They'd once tried capturing and inserting a Central Plains master as a test. Though a renowned martial artist in Central Plains, he ultimately couldn't escape. ​

Same for the Soul Sorcerer who entered the Gap out of curiosity. ​

A space impossible to escape once entered. ​

An incomprehensible domain created only when at least a hundred Soul Sorcerers deployed sorcery. ​

Thereafter, Heavenly Evil Cult called that place Avici Hell. ​

Once Avici Hell was deployed, Soul Sorcerers had to be bedridden for at least a year. A year just to recover the body, and several times longer to regain original ability. That burdensome was the sorcery called Avici Hell. ​

Heavenly Evil Cult had kept Avici Hell as a trump card. ​

That trump card kept for when cornered beyond retreat, with nowhere left to fall back, was used to imprison Dam Ho. ​

"Ooom!" ​

Even at this moment, over a hundred Soul Sorcerers scattered throughout Mount Tianzhong concentrated on deploying Avici Hell. ​

Their cheeks were sunken, and sweat poured like rain from their entire bodies. ​

The Soul Sorcerers had sacrificed Nam Hak to open Avici Hell and also imprisoned Dam Ho. Without Nam Hak being with Dam Ho's group, imprisoning Dam Ho in Avici Hell would have been impossible. ​

Ghost Demon thought it fortunate everything went as intended. ​

Mobilizing Soul Sorcerers kept as a trump card was quite burdensome for him too. Because it went against the Leader's will. ​

"Avici Hell is a space isolated from the world. You'll never escape. Rot there eternally. Fist Demon!" ​

The fog covering Ghost Demon's face rippled. ​

A smile from the satisfaction of eliminating the Fist Demon. ​

***

The space they thought would be filled only with pitch-black darkness was actually closer to gray. Sky, ground, everything entering vision was ashen. ​

In the gray space extending almost infinitely, Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo stood in the center. ​

Bang Jin-bo blinked. ​

His pupils couldn't focus properly. Vision was blurry, and tinnitus rang endlessly in his ears. ​

His sense of balance scattered, making even standing properly difficult. The Namgung brothers actually couldn't stand up, sitting collapsed on the ground. ​

Bang Jin-bo was only enduring because he'd mastered Five Elements Gentleman Technique to the great achievement realm; otherwise he'd have collapsed like the Namgung brothers long ago. ​

Everything was chaotic. Fortunately, as time passed, his mind organized and the tinnitus subsided. Bang Jin-bo had adapted to the current situation. ​

Only then did Bang Jin-bo look at Dam Ho. ​

From the moment entering this unknown space, Dam Ho hadn't moved like becoming a statue. ​

He was equally confused. But one difference from Bang Jin-bo was maintaining cold rationality throughout. ​

'A type of barrier?' ​

Dam Ho perceived the situation thus. ​

Though not knowing the exact principle or method, he'd heard some formations occasionally created spaces disconnected from the world this way. ​

Dam Ho thought this space was also created by such methods. ​

An alien space. Everything entering vision was ashen, and even time's flow wasn't felt. ​

A perfect world of silence where everything stopped. ​

Dam Ho suddenly raised his fist and struck the ground. A blow containing Mountain-Breaking Punch's power. Force capable of pulverizing house-sized boulders collided with the ground. ​

Boom! ​

Instantly intense waves spread and the entire space rippled. And Dam Ho was thrown back. Tremendous counterforce had occurred from the ground. ​

"Brother!" ​

Bang Jin-bo rushed to Dam Ho in surprise. But Dam Ho raised his hand to stop Bang Jin-bo from approaching. ​

Dam Ho deployed Mountain-Breaking Punch once more. ​

Boom! ​

This time too, Dam Ho was thrown back with counterforce. Fortunately this time Dam Ho was prepared, not falling back disgracefully. ​

Now he knew for certain. ​

This world repelled shock equally to what was transmitted. With the same force. Meaning counterforce returned equal to the force Dam Ho applied. ​

Only then did Dam Ho realize this place differed from ordinary barriers. At least by his common sense, it shouldn't exist. ​

Bang Jin-bo who'd been watching approached cautiously. ​

"Brother! Are you okay?" ​

"I'm fine." ​

"What on earth is this place? Mount Tianzhong, right?" ​

Bang Jin-bo's cautiously asking voice contained his anxious state of mind. ​

If this place was truly an environment created by formations, calling it Mount Tianzhong would be correct. Because even if formations changed environments drastically, they didn't change location itself. ​

Dam Ho didn't answer. No, couldn't answer. Even he couldn't clearly define what kind of place this was. ​

Senses were strangely disturbed, and hunger wasn't felt. As if time had stopped. ​

Dam Ho's eyes sank deeply. ​

Such a place couldn't be normal. But he didn't think escaping was impossible. ​

Methods to pass through any difficulty always existed. As long as rationality wasn't lost, a method could be found. ​

The key was maintaining cold reason. ​

What Dam Ho did best. ​

"We will definitely escape this place." ​

His voice echoed through the ashen world. ​