Chapter 459

Chapter 459 – Troubled Times Create Heroes (3)

The stranger's left shoulder hung swollen and dangling. It was dislocated.

"Impossible…"

So Bo-won couldn't believe the situation unfolding before her eyes.

The stranger wasn't simply strong in martial arts. His body had already achieved Indestructible Vajra Body.

Like the hardest diamond under heaven, a body that absolutely wouldn't crumble, thus called Indestructible Vajra.

If it seemed easily crumbled or broken, it could never have been called Indestructible Vajra.

Until now no martial artist had wounded or harmed the stranger's body. Yet for the first time, Dam Ho had inflicted great damage on the stranger's body.

"Who exactly is that person?"

So Bo-won looked at Dam Ho with disbelieving eyes.

Blood flowed from Dam Ho's side. Because he'd allowed one strike in exchange for dislocating the stranger's shoulder. Broken ribs protruded through torn flesh. Yet Dam Ho showed no pained expression whatsoever.

"Kreuuu!"

The stranger grabbed his dangling shoulder with his good hand.

Ppudeudeuk!

And forcibly snapped it back in place. An ordinary person would have groaned in pain, but the stranger rather exploded with ferocity.

An ordinary person would have been terrified by the stranger's appearance. His overwhelming energy waves and killing intent were sufficient to make viewers feel fear. But Dam Ho was the exception.

Kkadeudeuk!

He pressed his side with his right palm. Then the protruding rib found its place. Tremendous pain struck, but Dam Ho rather twisted up his lips.

Smiling.

Everyone froze at Dam Ho's smiling appearance.

It was the first moment he showed human aspect, but rather made people terrified.

He didn't know the stranger's identity. But his martial prowess was sufficient to make Dam Ho's heart race.

He'd walked a blood path no one else could dare imagine. The blood stench never left his body, and death never ceased for a day.

His martial arts grew stronger daily, but conversely his nerves grew increasingly numb. The emotions ordinary humans should naturally have gradually wore away, and ordinary stimuli couldn't make him feel any crisis.

The stranger of unknown identity wasn't just ferocious but strong. More than any martial artist Dam Ho had faced until now.

Simply strong martial arts alone couldn't make Dam Ho's heart race this violently. Something the stranger possessed stimulated Dam Ho's nerves.

Right now Dam Ho felt crisis. His heart beat several times faster than usual supplying blood throughout his body. His nerves sharpened and senses rose to their peak. He could vividly feel even an ant crawling on the ground far away. Such feeling was truly rare. So he felt good.

This intense sensation made him realize he was alive.

Dam Ho moved steps toward the stranger. The stranger also walked toward him.

Kuuuu!

Massive energies collided generating intense energy waves. So Bo-won and Gi San-wol were pushed back by the energy waves.

So Bo-won bit her lips hard until they bled. Because she couldn't believe it. Though she knew Dam Ho was strong, the fact he could show such intense fighting spirit and presence against the stranger shocked her.

Kwang!

That moment Dam Ho and the stranger clashed.

Fists struck fists, flesh tore away. Blood splattered and air burst.

An impossibly vicious fight unfolded that couldn't be called human combat.

Advancing with Charging Step, attacking with Shattering Star Strike. Five Finger Rock Breaking Energy stamped spiral-shaped energy like a seal on the stranger's chest, and Single Sun Strike bounced his head.

Kwang! Kwang!

The stranger's fist exploded on Dam Ho's side and his knee stabbed his abdomen.

They didn't use Energy Force or Fist Energy as if by agreement. Though using Energy Force would be several times more powerful by power alone.

The two showed the most primal form of fighting.

At least since the martial world formed and martial arts systematized, absolute level martial artists had never fought this way even once. At least as far as So Bo-won knew.

The absolute master fights she knew weren't this violent and barbaric. She'd despised this style of fighting. But this time she couldn't.

Because she knew how sublime martial principles the two's seemingly barbaric exchanges actually contained.

Even martial artists who'd reached the absolute level with freely flowing internal energy needed some time to deploy Energy Force. To ordinary people just an instant, and to absolute masters like So Bo-won not very long either. But Dam Ho wouldn't deploy Energy Force techniques to shorten even that brief time. The same was true for the stranger.

The two's fighting appearances somehow resembled each other.

The way they threw their whole bodies fighting without fearing injury, and moves pursuing efficiency extremely.

"Brother!"

Bang Jin-bo and the Namgung brothers who arrived belatedly couldn't help being shocked seeing Dam Ho fight.

Kwang!

Dam Ho's head bounced backward as blood splattered everywhere. The stranger's knee strike hit his head.

Though receiving a shock that would have killed an ordinary person instantly, Dam Ho regained balance and consciousness in an instant.

Chwahwak!

Rather, acceleration built in the direction his head bounced. He'd rotated on his left foot as axis.

Kwajikkeun!

This time Dam Ho's knee strike embedded in the stranger's side.

The feeling of the stranger's ribs completely shattering transmitted vividly through his knee. But even amid that, the stranger brought down his hand blade on Dam Ho's shoulder.

Kwajik!

Dam Ho's face contorted. Because his shoulder muscle bundle tore away. His left shoulder drooped instantly. But he still had his right arm.

Kwang!

Shattering Star Strike exploded at close range.

The stranger retreated thudding backward with his chest deeply caved in. Black blood flowed through the stranger's lips.

Black blood that only flowed when organs ruptured, not simple internal injury. Yet still the stranger didn't collapse, standing firm looking at Dam Ho.

As if asking when he'd raged so fiercely, the stranger looked quietly at Dam Ho. An appearance as if madness had been deleted instantly.

"Fist… Demon."

For the first time his mouth opened and a voice like scraping metal flowed out.

At his sudden change, Dam Ho briefly looked at him.

"I… still… awakening…"

His words continued haltingly. Though his voice was too rough and low to understand well, Dam Ho tried listening carefully.

That was when.

"No!"

Suddenly a rough voice rang out. Jeok Gyeong-cheon had escaped the illusion and shouted. Then life disappeared again from the stranger's pupils that had been finding focus somewhat. Jeok Gyeong-cheon's voice had reawakened the sorcery deployed on him.

"Uuu!"

The stranger showed a confused expression briefly then soon ran madly in one direction.

"Krut!"

Jeok Gyeong-cheon panicked following the stranger. Dam Ho was already outside his concern. His mind held only thoughts of controlling the stranger.

Jeok Gyeong-cheon was in a confused state as much as the stranger. Because Gi San-wol's magic had made him revive the memories he least wanted to recall. But he had no leisure to collect himself. Controlling the stranger was more important than his confusion.

The two disappeared from Dam Ho's sight instantly. But Dam Ho couldn't chase them. Because So Bo-won remained checking Dam Ho.

So Bo-won was also a famous master of the previous generation. An opponent he couldn't dare take lightly.

Dam Ho opened his mouth for the first time.

"Will you block me?"

"Sorry."

"Then move aside."

"I cannot."

The moment So Bo-won refused, Dam Ho rushed at her. The usual Charging Step.

"Ah!"

At Dam Ho's brutish attack charging like a battering ram, So Bo-won unknowingly let out an exclamation. But she didn't panic. Because she'd expected this might happen.

Kwang!

So Bo-won's palm and Dam Ho's elbow clashed. So Bo-won's body flew backward lightly. Trying to escape crisis using Dam Ho's force at the moment of collision.

Chwahwak!

Then intense attraction generated from Dam Ho's body pulling her body. At the unexpected situation, So Bo-won's complexion turned ashen.

Kwaaang!

Shattering Star Strike exploded.

"Keheok!"

So Bo-won flew backward spraying blood. Dam Ho chased her.

Dam Ho's appearance flying low across the ground didn't look at all like someone seriously wounded.

Through black hair flying like a lion's mane, fierce pupils showed. Those eyes filled with killing intent were more frightening than any eyes So Bo-won had seen until now.

Unknowingly trying to defend, she suddenly released her strength for some reason. An faint smile even appeared on her previously hardened face.

Instantly noticing her intent, Dam Ho released force from his fist but was already too late. His fist like an iron lump had already made a large hole in So Bo-won's abdomen.

So Bo-won flew backward nearly twenty zhang crashing into a large boulder.

"Kkulleok!"

She coughed up blood. Crumbled organ pieces mixed in the blood.

Dam Ho approached So Bo-won. Kneeling on one knee, he met So Bo-won's gaze and asked.

"Why did you do that?"

"Just… because I'm tired."

So Bo-won answered in a powerless voice. Death's shadow already fell thick on her face.

Shattering Star Strike that had killed numerous masters until now. Having received such vicious attack with relaxed strength, no possibility of survival existed for her.

Though a large hole pierced her lower abdomen, she felt no pain. Rather she thought she felt relieved.

"I wandered in darkness too long. Not knowing it was the wrong choice."

"…"

"I've finally made the right choice. I can finally be comfortable."

"Not yet."

At Dam Ho's words, So Bo-won barely lifted her clouding eyes to look.

Though suffering serious wounds from clashing with the stranger making movement difficult, no wavering existed in Dam Ho's eyes. Those heavy eyes pressured So Bo-won's chest.

"You… want to confirm who the Cult Leader is?"

Dam Ho nodded silently. Then a faint smile appeared at So Bo-won's lips.

"You have many similar aspects to him. Even that blind obsession of never looking around once setting a goal. He is the 'him' you think."

"…"

"That… is… Ah! Him…"

So Bo-won's voice faded then became completely inaudible. Her breath stopped as is.

Dam Ho looked at So Bo-won for a long time without moving like a stone statue.

She was smiling.

So Bo-won hadn't smiled much while alive. Only in death did she finally show a free smile.

She truly looked free.

"Huu!"

Bang Jin-bo watching from afar let out a low sigh. His chest felt heavy though he'd only seen her a few times at Shaolin Temple. He didn't dare approach Dam Ho, just watching from afar.

When Dam Ho stood up.

"My lord!"

Gi San-wol approached. His face was flushed red.

"I apologize. I lost them."

He was returning from tracking the stranger and Jeok Gyeong-cheon instead of Dam Ho. He'd tracked Jeok Gyeong-cheon and others with his best effort but eventually had to give up when his internal energy ran out.

Gi San-wol showed a bitter expression seeing dead So Bo-won.

"At least she was the only person there with human aspects, yet it ended like this. Huu!"

No resentment or dark emotions toward So Bo-won dwelled in Gi San-wol's voice.

Dam Ho's gaze went toward Gi San-wol.

Receiving his gaze head-on, Gi San-wol flinched. It would be better if he said something, but regrettably Dam Ho only looked without saying anything.

"My lord?"

"Are you ready to talk now?"

His voice heavily pressed down on Gi San-wol's shoulders.