Chapter 496

Chapter 496 – Heavenly Evil's Wind Blows Fiercely (3)

"Let go of me!"

Taoist Hyeon-so struggled.

If Cho Yeon-woon and Myeong-gyeong hadn't held him from the side, he couldn't have contained his anger and would have rushed at Ho Cheon-myeong.

Then Geom Yul-cheon blocked Taoist Hyeon-so's way and said.

"Don't be fooled by that one's three-inch tongue any longer, Taoist Hyeon-so. Making you excited so you can't make cool-headed judgments is that one's aim. You must calm down."

Geom Yul-cheon protected Taoist Hyeon-so from Ho Cheon-myeong's intense energy waves and gaze. Then Taoist Hyeon-so gradually found stability.

Ho Cheon-myeong's gaze and Geom Yul-cheon's gaze met in midair.

"We meet again, child."

"This time you won't be able to flee easily like before, senior."

"This time I too have no intention of retreating. Because my long dream will be fulfilled here."

"How unfortunate. I don't know what dream it is, but you won't see it fulfilled. You will die right here today."

"You are certainly a rare talent in this world. With that much, being arrogant enough is fine. However, when arrogance is too excessive, it becomes poison. You seem confident in the martial art in the sacred object you learned, but that is no use to me."

Instantly Geom Yul-cheon's eye area trembled. Then Ho Cheon-myeong's smile deepened.

"Why don't you believe it?"

At his whisper, Geom Yul-cheon's expression hardened further. If Eum Yu-kyung hadn't grabbed his wrist then, Geom Yul-cheon couldn't have contained his anger and would have rushed at Ho Cheon-myeong.

"It's a provocation strategy."

"I… know."

"You absolutely must not fall for it."

"I know."

Only after Geom Yul-cheon answered twice did Eum Yu-kyung let go of his hand.

Ho Cheon-myeong's gaze turned toward Eum Yu-kyung.

"A wise child. I've been watching you carefully from before too."

"I'm honored."

"You're a child worthy enough of that value."

Ho Cheon-myeong looked at her with such warm eyes, as if viewing his own granddaughter. Eum Yu-kyung not only felt burdened by such Ho Cheon-myeong's gaze but felt frightened.

Eum Yu-kyung saw an empty sky in Ho Cheon-myeong's eyes. In the sky spread out vastly without a single cloud, nothing existed.

Not even the emotions and desires humans should naturally have. That's why while frightening, she also couldn't understand.

How someone with no desires could plan and execute such fearsome conspiracy against the entire world.

Because of Ho Cheon-myeong alone, the world dyed with blood. Countless people beyond counting shed blood, and death energy filled the entire world.

Of course humans' ugly desires were rooted at the foundation, but digging a bit deeper to the origin, Ho Cheon-myeong existed at the center.

By Eum Yu-kyung's common sense, it was something utterly incomprehensible. That's why she was curious. What purpose Ho Cheon-myeong committed such things for, and built such an altar for. And what the phenomenon occurring on the altar was.

But one thing she could know for certain. That when the phenomenon occurring on the altar now ended, something terrible would happen.

She carefully asked.

"Can't you change your mind even now?"

"What do you mean? That?"

Ho Cheon-myeong's gaze turned toward the altar. Now Cheok Gwan-hyeol was swaying precariously as if his soul had completely left.

Ho Cheon-myeong shook his head.

"That can't be done. To turn it into nothing with your single word, the effort I've poured in is too immense."

"What exactly do you gain by going this far?"

"You'll naturally know soon."

"But…"

"You talk too much. Your master didn't talk as much as you."

When he mentioned her master, Eum Yu-kyung's complexion hardened.

Because before coming here, she'd heard the story that her master Dan Un-hyang had died being ambushed while attacking Cheok Gwan-hyeol.

Though she'd thought it didn't matter since their master-disciple relationship remained in name only, she felt pain as if her chest was tearing.

Ho Cheon-myeong's words became daggers mercilessly stabbing her painful parts. Eum Yu-kyung's complexion paled white and couldn't continue speaking, and Ho Cheon-myeong watched such her with an amused expression.

That's when it happened.

"Old man, you really destroy people with your mouth. Did you stuff a rag in your mouth? How are all the words you spout so filthy?"

A blunt voice stimulated Ho Cheon-myeong's ears. Ho Cheon-myeong's gaze turned toward the voice's owner.

"Drunken Cloud Dragon, or is it now Azure Dragon Divine Hero? You're also one of the juniors I've been watching carefully."

"Who's whose junior? I've never had a senior like you, so don't run your mouth carelessly."

"Hmm! I heard your eloquence was considerable, and indeed it's impressive. Well, since your leg is inconvenient, your eloquence should at least be good."

Where Ho Cheon-myeong's gaze directed was Cho Yeon-woon's leg. With the prosthetic leg that always supported Cho Yeon-woon now broken, he stood precariously on one leg.

"Hmph! Did you contribute anything to my inconvenient leg?"

Cho Yeon-woon lightly snorted.

He wasn't ashamed of having one leg cut off. Though he hadn't become Blue Sky Alliance's leader by his own will, the experience as leader had made his spirit even firmer.

Though his possessed martial arts couldn't compare to Ho Cheon-myeong's, his will and mental strength never fell behind. Even facing the unmanageable huge enemy Ho Cheon-myeong, Cho Yeon-woon's eyes never broke.

That appearance seemed very impressive to Ho Cheon-myeong.

"Certainly you are definitely a late-blooming vessel. If you keep growing like this, you'll surely become a great vessel."

"Hearing that kind of talk from the old man isn't pleasing at all. Only your mouth alive spewing insults…"

Instantly Ho Cheon-myeong's eyes turned cold.

Though his mind cultivation was deeper than anyone's, Cho Yeon-woon's insults were considerably stimulating his nerves.

Cho Yeon-woon put the finishing touch in a clear voice.

"A swan is white without bathing daily, and a crow is black without applying soot daily."

Words from Zhuangzi's Outer Chapters metaphorically expressing that essence doesn't change in any circumstance.

At Cho Yeon-woon's words comparing himself to a crow, strange light rippled in Ho Cheon-myeong's eyes. This time Cho Yeon-woon's words became a dagger sharply gouging his chest.

"I should cut off that wicked tongue of yours first."

The moment Ho Cheon-myeong's cold voice echoed, the area's air changed.

"Kut!"

At crisis sense like pricking his forehead with needles, Cho Yeon-woon hurriedly moved away. Instantly with a 'scritch' sound, a deep sword mark was carved where he'd been standing until now.

It was an attack accomplished without sound or sign.

By a hair's breadth having dodged Ho Cheon-myeong's attack, cold sweat ran down Cho Yeon-woon's spine. If dodging had been slightly slower, not just his tongue but his body would have been cut in two.

Goosebumps rose all over his body and crisis sense struck. Because he now realized what kind of opponent he'd provoked.

Silently Ho Cheon-myeong's second attack struck again. It was fast enough that Cho Yeon-woon who'd lost his prosthetic leg couldn't even dare try dodging.

Kwang!

Cho Yeon-woon's body jerked. But pain wasn't felt. Because Geom Yul-cheon had blocked the attack instead.

Geom Yul-cheon had already calmed his mind's agitation and recovered a cool-headed expression.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!"

Cho Yeon-woon answered while drawing his sword from his waist. It was a sword he'd picked up when climbing here. Probably a sword used by a dead Zhongnan Sect disciple.

Cho Yeon-woon placed the sword against his severed leg and tightly bound it with leather straps. Using the sword as support instead of a prosthetic leg.

Puberbung!

Meanwhile Ho Cheon-myeong's consecutive attacks came in, but Geom Yul-cheon blocked them all. Lightning already flickered on Geom Yul-cheon's entire body.

It wasn't only Geom Yul-cheon. Myeong-gyeong, Eum Yu-kyung, and Bang Jin-bo had also already drawn weapons and joined the great battle.

Only Taoist Hyeon-so was watching the scene while receiving Mount Hua Sect martial artists' protection.

Myeong-gyeong's sword sharply dug in, and Bang Jin-bo's chief blade split space. Geom Yul-cheon's lightning dyed the air white, and Cho Yeon-woon's Eight Desolations Divine Fist split space.

Not only Geom Yul-cheon and Cho Yeon-woon, but Myeong-gyeong and Eum Yu-kyung too could be called martial artists at the martial world's pinnacle. Adding even Bang Jin-bo though weak.

Five martial artists of the highest level were combining attacks. Yet not one person could touch even Ho Cheon-myeong's collar.

Ho Cheon-myeong was like a ghost.

Like a ghost that's visible but has no substance, he couldn't be caught.

Geom Yul-cheon shouted to Cho Yeon-woon.

"We'll attack him, so you destroy that altar."

"Got it!"

Cho Yeon-woon answered without hesitation.

His movement was even faster. He instantly left the battlefield and deployed lightness skill toward the altar.

Chwaak!

Though wearing a sword instead of a prosthetic leg, his movement was faster than wind. Cho Yeon-woon arrived below the altar in an instant. He tried to fly up onto the altar in one breath.

"Huh!"

Instantly Cho Yeon-woon's eyes widened. Because Ho Cheon-myeong had appeared before his eyes.

Kwang!

"Khehuk!"

At intense impact, Cho Yeon-woon bounced backward. Because Ho Cheon-myeong's strike had exploded on his chest.

Cho Yeon-woon rolled on the ground vomiting blood. At least because he momentarily drew up power to protect heart channels and organs, if his reaction had been even slightly slower, his breath would have stopped with this strike.

"Stop!"

Belatedly Geom Yul-cheon and others chased Ho Cheon-myeong and attacked. Bewildered expressions clearly showed on their faces.

Because Ho Cheon-myeong who'd been engaging with them suddenly disappeared from view then instantly moved before Cho Yeon-woon.

Both Geom Yul-cheon and Myeong-gyeong were masters who'd entered absolute realm, but couldn't figure out how Ho Cheon-myeong had moved.

"Chahap!"

Lightning extended from Geom Yul-cheon's entire body.

His appearance deploying thunder technique's ultimate moves while wearing lightning armor on his whole body was the Thunder God itself.

Bbajijik!

Where lightning swept through turned pitch black while raising acrid smoke. But his lightning couldn't cause any effect on Ho Cheon-myeong.

A translucent membrane instantly formed around Ho Cheon-myeong's body then disappeared while blocking Geom Yul-cheon's lightning.

Seogek!

"Kuk!"

Instantly Geom Yul-cheon let out a low groan. Because a deep cut wound suddenly appeared on his chest.

Geom Yul-cheon's pupils shook. Because he couldn't notice how the wound occurred or what technique hit him.

His senses having learned Heavenly Demon Divine Art reached their peak. He could detect even ants' movements within dozens of jang, yet not knowing how Ho Cheon-myeong attacked made him bewildered.

"Heoeuk!"

"Kuk!"

Screams burst out consecutively.

Eum Yu-kyung and Myeong-gyeong were consecutively wounded and retreated.

"Myeong-gyeong senior brother!"

At Myeong-gyeong spraying blood, Bang Jin-bo tried to run. But he couldn't go. Because Ho Cheon-myeong had already blocked his way.

"Ah!"

Turbulent waves rose in Bang Jin-bo's pupils.

Like an insurmountable huge wall stood there. A great wall that wouldn't collapse no matter what methods used or how he struggled. Still he had to struggle.

"Eeyaap!"

Bang Jin-bo deployed Plum Blossom Blade.

Dozens of plum blossoms bloomed in the air. Then Ho Cheon-myeong smiled.

"Splendid study. The foundation is solid! But the intensity is lacking. That's why such openings are visible."

Ho Cheon-myeong's hand curved like a snake and dug between the plum blossoms.

Pwang!

"Kheuk!"

Bang Jin-bo screamed and flew backward dozens of jang, crashing into a large tree trunk.

His chest felt like splitting so he couldn't breathe. Bang Jin-bo forcibly gasped for breath and raised his head. His eyes were completely bloodshot red as if blood would burst any moment.

"Heoeok, heoeok!"

Bang Jin-bo saw despair in Ho Cheon-myeong.

He saw an unclimbable mountain.

He saw Geom Yul-cheon and Cho Yeon-woon gritting teeth and rushing at Ho Cheon-myeong again.

Ho Cheon-myeong was handling the combined attack of the two people who could be called Blue Sky Alliance and Murim Alliance's supreme masters like a game.

Bang Jin-bo could know. That Ho Cheon-myeong hadn't shown full power yet. Even with Eum Yu-kyung joining the two people's combined attack, it was insufficient to draw out Ho Cheon-myeong's true real ability.

While facing three people, Ho Cheon-myeong's gaze was directed toward the altar.

Suddenly he muttered.

"Perhaps you can never understand. The solitude of one who exists alone at the peak."

"Stop that nonsense."

Cho Yeon-woon roared. Then Ho Cheon-myeong smiled brightly.

"To your eyes, the solitude I feel won't be visible. But he would know. He could understand my solitude."

"He?"

"Fist Demon! Only he barely has qualification to meet eyes with me at the same height. Compared to him, you all are far off."

"Stop talking nonsense, old man!"

Kwarrung!

At Cho Yeon-woon's strike, the earth turned over. But even such powerful attack couldn't inflict any damage on Ho Cheon-myeong.

Taoist Hyeon-so blankly watched that scene.

"How can a human… Is there truly no way to stop that one?"

Even he who didn't know much about martial arts could feel that Ho Cheon-myeong was toying with Cho Yeon-woon and others.

That's when it happened.

Ho Cheon-myeong drew his hand like a game.

Instantly Taoist Hyeon-so saw space twist. It seemed like the space maintaining this world was screaming.

Time and space were ravaged by the Time-Space Sword Ho Cheon-myeong deployed.

Kwaaang!

At that moment, an explosion on different dimension from before burst out. Tremendous pressure covered Taoist Hyeon-so as space was cut away.

Swept by the aftershock, Taoist Hyeon-so momentarily lost consciousness.

He didn't know how much time passed. Could have been an instant, or very long.

"Mmm!"

Taoist Hyeon-so barely opened his eyes with a low groan. The battlefield view entering such his eyes was truly miserable.

Geom Yul-cheon and Cho Yeon-woon were stuck in walls wriggling, and Eum Yu-kyung too was bleeding with a large wound on her shoulder.

'Jin-bo?'

He instinctively searched for Bang Jin-bo's whereabouts.

Turning his head with difficulty, Bang Jin-bo entered his eyes. Taoist Hyeon-so's voice trembled out by itself.

"Jin… bo!"

Bang Jin-bo didn't answer. No, he couldn't. Large holes were drilled in Bang Jin-bo's shoulder and flank. Bang Jin-bo tried to stop bleeding somehow by plugging the holes with his hands, but it was useless.

"Keu, keueu!"

It felt like his whole body was disintegrating.

If he opened his mouth, even the handful of internal energy barely protecting heart channels would scatter, so he had to barely swallow even groans.

Eum Yu-kyung and Myeong-gyeong too were equally miserable.

Both people were gasping for breath covered in blood. At least since most impact concentrated on Cho Yeon-woon and Geom Yul-cheon it ended at this level, if hit directly their breath would have stopped long ago.

At this moment what arose in their minds was despair.

They couldn't imagine how to bring down Ho Cheon-myeong. No hope or light was visible.

'Is it the end?'

'So emptily…'

When despair's energy hung on everyone's faces like that.

"Ah!"

Jong Ri-yeon who'd barely avoided disaster being far from the battlefield suddenly let out an exclamation.

Because a familiar walking sound reached her ears.

Seuruk! Kung!

At first she thought it was a mistake. But when the same footsteps sounded again, tears welled in her eyes.

Finally the man she'd been waiting for appeared.

Jong Ri-yeon's gaze turned where the footsteps came from.

He was climbing Mount Zhongnan.

Stamping the earth with one foot and dragging one foot.

Mount Zhongnan's wind savagely scratched his entire body.