Chapter 173
"Is everyone ready?!"
"Yes!"
"Yes! Chief!"
At the same time as the giant's thunderous shout, about 500 pirates shouted.
At that.
"Are you brats ready too?"
"Of course!"
"Chief! I'm confident!"
"Long live the Green Forest!"
This time, another giant and his subordinate bandits, not to be outdone by the pirates, shouted so loudly that their eardrums would burst.
These were none other than the people of the Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest and the Yangtze River Waterway Fortress.
The two who were leading the crowd were the King of the Green Forest, Jang Beon-pal, and the King of the Waterway, Jang Beon-ha.
"Kekeke. You thieves! Although we are beggars who live by plundering while being in the Black Path, we have lived by pretending to be human, by taking less from those who have nothing and more from those who have something. But those trashy brats called the White Lotus Cult, or whatever, have not only taken away all our notoriety, but are also committing dirty acts like human sacrifice!"
"Moreover, those brats have taken control of the Western Regions, one of the three major foreign powers, and are swallowing the Orthodox Path bit by bit. If we remain silent in this situation? In the near future, won't they surely point their swords at us?"
The Jang brothers shouted with a tragic voice to the nearly a thousand martial artists.
At that.
"Let's kill them, Chief!!"
"The descendants of the Blood Cult have not died and have appeared again to disturb the martial world!"
"Killing them cleanly is the best!"
The crowd shouted as if they were expressing a more excited feeling than the two chiefs.
Feeling their shouts and momentum in its entirety, Jang Beon-pal and Jang Beon-ha could smile.
'So-ah. I'm glad that this older brother can be of help to you. No! This is not an expedition just to be of help to you. This is a matter of the existence of the martial world, regardless of black, white, orthodox, or unorthodox... I will chew up all the demonic beasts sealed in Gansu!'
'To think that I, a pirate, am doing something for the public good. Kekeke. It will be a fun journey. Demonic beasts... I will crush their limbs with my broadsword!'
Although the King of the Green Forest and the King of the Waterway had such thoughts, in fact, the two were not thinking of the Gansu subjugation as an easy task.
How could the old masters, who had reigned as the king of the mountains and the king of the seas for over 70 years in the martial world, not know the danger of demonic beasts?
But the two, having entered the twilight of their lives, were clearly feeling a kind of responsibility and sense of mission to subjugate the public enemy with the active martial artists.
And that change of heart was due to their sworn brother, So-ah.
In fact, after becoming sworn brothers with So-ah, the two had minimized their plundering and at the same time, had forbidden any major harm or murder of civilians under any circumstances by the chief's direct order.
Thus, before he knew it, So-ah had come to exert a great influence not only on the Orthodox Path martial world, but on the entire martial world.
'Brother! Let's meet in Gansu!'
'We're coming, So-ah!'
The two each raised the great swords that symbolized the Green Forest and the Waterway high into the sky.
—Waaaaah!
—Long live the Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest!
—Long live the Yangtze River Waterway Fortress!
It was a moment when the thousand or so martial artists, like a wildfire, set out on their way to Gansu, emitting a momentum as if they would shatter the demonic beasts at any moment.
***
It was light.
The fluorescent light, which came out from the middle of the sky, as if it were a delusion that the heavenly gate was opening, was shot towards the Ghost Demon Jiangshis who were roaring like beasts...
The 80 or so Ghost Demon Jiangshis began to move their bodies to avoid the exploding light.
Among them, there were also zombies that exposed their bodies to the light.
At that, surprisingly, wasn't the surface of the Ghost Demon Jiangshis, which was known to be harder than steel, melting by the light?
Like a pile of snow melting in the sunlight.
'Yes! It's the divine ki that Brother Woo-chi showed me before!'
So-ah, at once, recognized that this spell was the ability that Jeon Woo-chi had shown at the Martial Alliance headquarters and his face brightened.
Just then.
Jeon Woo-chi, while embracing the crowd, shouted.
"Lady Myo-seon! I can't maintain the dazzling light for long. Hurry up and form a joint tactic formation with the masters of the Emei Sect and prepare for battle!"
At the voice, which was filled with urgency, Myo-seon also moved her body busily.
"Senior Sister! Junior Sisters! Hurry up and prepare the Demon-Subduing Dragon-Taming Formation!"
At Myo-seon's shout, the disciples of the Emei Sect all formed the Demon-Subduing Dragon-Taming Formation, the best joint tactic of their main mountain.
Although they had been captivated by the life-and-death battle between So-ah and No Yeong-myeong and had been in a daze, as martial artists who had repeated their training for a long time, they were able to form the Demon-Subduing Dragon-Taming Formation without a single mistake or error.
"Wow! Both our Brother Woo-chi and Myo-seon. They're both the best, the best!"
So-ah, even in the midst of his busyness, was impressed by the tiger-like movements of the two and gave them a thumbs-up.
But his own condition was like a lamp in front of the wind.
Cold sweat flowed down So-ah's back like rain.
Moreover, the blue-green eye light and the reddish skin tone, which were the characteristic phenomena of the awakened state, had disappeared without a trace, and he had a pale face without a single drop of blood.
'So-ah's condition is serious. He won't be able to last long like that!'
Jeon Woo-chi realized that So-ah was in a critical condition.
But that did not mean that he could treat him right away.
The opponent was the Ghost Demon Jiangshi.
No matter how much there were the disciples of the Emei Sect and Myo-seon, who had opened her Conception and Governor Vessels through the Sunflower Manual, it would be difficult to handle them without So-ah.
Therefore.
"Mysterious Heaven Supreme Emperor... please annihilate the wicked things of the human world, protect the harmony and order of heaven and earth, and bless the spirits of all the good people who stand on this land..."
Jeon Woo-chi, with his two eyes closed, began to utter an unknown sound to the empty air.
Furthermore, he raised his accumulated magical power to the fullest, and at that, a noble and lofty aura that was hard to describe in words was being embodied through a white light.
'Brother Woo-chi...'
'Sir Jeon Woo-chi...'
In an instant, So-ah and Myo-seon mysteriously scanned Jeon Woo-chi's body with their widened eyes.
And...
"[email protected]#$%%^&*"
Once again, the unknown dialects that flowed from Jeon Woo-chi's mouth.
As soon as that strange language engulfed the surroundings, So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi.
And all the disciples of the Emei Sect who had formed the Demon-Subduing Dragon-Taming Formation, sensed a rapid change in their bodies.
'W-What is this?'
'Suddenly, I feel a force welling up in my body!'
'My internal energy... is suddenly increasing like a mountain?!'
That's right.
This spell was a kind of blessing prayer, and although it was temporary, it had the effect of dramatically increasing the internal energy, physical ability, and furthermore, the sensory ability of everyone in the room.
And the person who was enjoying the effect of this blessing prayer the most was none other than So-ah.
Although So-ah was in a state where he seemed to be about to collapse at any moment, as soon as the spell was unfolded, he realized that his body was getting better.
"Brother Woo-chi..."
The gazes of So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi met.
Words were not necessary.
Because even without speaking, the intentions of the two were directed at the same place.
'There's no time, So-ah.'
'I know, brother. Let's risk our lives and have a blast!'
Just in time, the light that was shining from the sky was gradually fading.
In the eyes of the zombies, who were restlessly grinding their menacing fangs in the dark shadow, a blood light flashed.
"Come on, you already dead bastards! I'll kill you one more time!"
So-ah flew towards that dark shadow, scattering afterimages.
***
So-ah, who had recovered his strength with Jeon Woo-chi's blessing prayer, showed a great performance that was worthy of the word 'unstoppable'.
Every time he threw a fist, a kick, or a palm, two or three Ghost Demon Jiangshis could not escape the terrible fate of being crushed, and the killing power of the High Mountain Eight Walls (shoulder strike) and the Iron Head Art (headbutt) was needless to say, and among them, the zombies that were struck by them had their heads completely crushed and became a handful of lonely souls.
But.
"Kya-a-a-a-ak!"
The situation of the disciples of the Emei Sect was not good.
Although the Demon-Subduing Dragon-Taming Formation was as solid as an iron fortress and did not easily show any gaps, since the difference in ability between the Ghost Demon Jiangshis and the people was so great, the blessing prayer could not possibly fill that gap.
Seeing her senior and junior sisters fall, Myo-seon operated the Sunflower Manual, which had not yet been perfectly mastered, with all her strength.
From around Myo-seon's body, hundreds of strands of gang-ki stretched out and struck the zombies.
[Myo-seon-ah! The Ghost Demon Jiangshis have immortal bodies. Only! They die only when their heads are shattered to pieces, so only hit their heads!]
So-ah, while being greatly astonished by Myo-seon's martial prowess, did not spare his advice.
'The key to this fight is held by Myo-seon-ie. The blessing prayer won't last long. And the Ghost Demon Jiangshis are running wild without end, so depending on how much Myo-seon is active, it will be decided whether we live or die.'
So-ah analyzed the situation in the room that way.
At that, on the one hand, a strange feeling of elation also welled up.
Although Myo-seon was a martial talent with outstanding martial arts qualities, for So-ah, she was always imprinted as a weak friend that he wanted to protect.
In fact, since he had taught her martial arts at the academy, he must have recognized her as a disciple in a corner of his heart...
But at this moment, the thought that Myo-seon was responsible for his life and death made him feel a sense of the passage of time.
'Grandfather. Are you watching? It's not just me who has become strong. Myo-seon-ie will also have no rivals among her peers now.'
He was proud.
And he felt a new emotion.
Coincidentally, since he and his friend, Myo-seon, who had been taken in by the hands of the living Buddha grandfather, had both become the strongest late-stage masters of the Orthodox Path, it seemed that his heart was pounding even at this moment when his life was on the line.
"Aww!"
A house-sized lightning flashed from So-ah's one fist and burst the zombie's head.
The zombie that was struck was inevitably scattered its brains and died, but despite that, the zombies, as if they did not feel fear, continuously showed a menacing momentum towards So-ah and rushed at him.
"Alright, you die and I die. Come on, come on, you bastards!"
So-ah decided to enjoy the fight.
A situation where there was no answer even if he thought and calculated.
The number of zombies was remarkably large, and the effect of Jeon Woo-chi's blessing prayer was decreasing as time passed.
"Please!"
He slammed a tidal wave kick into the groin of the zombie that was thrusting its claws, and,
"Let's end it, you bastards!"
While slamming a heavenly punishment strike (elbow attack) into the lower jaw of the zombie that was rushing at him with its fangs bared,
The number of zombies gradually decreased as the Ten-Second Invincible Arts, which always landed the last one blow on the head, was unfolded.
But as time passed little by little...
By the time the fight had continued for one shichen.
"Phew... phew..."
"Gasp... gasp..."
"Hah..."
The living began to gradually get tired, and.
"I will... kill... I will kill... I will kill everything...!"
The momentum of the dead became even more ferocious.
To make matters worse, the effect of the blessing prayer was also disappearing...
'Ah...'
So-ah felt his whole body become languid.
His eyelids were like a thousand pounds, his two legs were as heavy as if they were stuck in a mudflat, and even his sea-like great internal energy was drying up like a dry towel.
'No... if I lose consciousness... I won't be able to get up again.'
So-ah displayed his indomitable will.
'I... have acquired infinite stamina!'
In fact, the fact that he had defeated No Yeong-myeong and had endured until now was nothing short of a miracle among miracles.
Regardless of the level of martial arts, anyone who had fought like this would have collapsed a long time ago.
But the essence and philosophy of the Ten-Second Invincible Arts.
Since So-ah had endured a training process that was harder than anyone else's under the banner of infinite stamina, that magnificent spirit was still the driving force that was making So-ah endure.
Just then.
Jeon Woo-chi threw dozens of talismans that he had in his waist pouch.
At that, flames ignited on those talismans and each created a sphere.
Simultaneously.
Jeon Woo-chi began to draw something in the air with the Heavenly Will Brush with a single stroke.
One stroke, one stroke, as the strokes of the Heavenly Will Brush cut through the air, that brushstroke became a picture, and.
'That's...?'
"The art of sorcery... the summoning of the Four Gods."
The moment a low incantation came out of Jeon Woo-chi's mouth.
In the room, the divine generals of Goguryeo, made of light.
The Four Gods of the Blue Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise descended and emitted the momentum of a rakshasa towards the zombies.
"Ah... our brother, the best."
At the same time, So-ah's consciousness also flickered out.
(End of Chapter)