Book 11 Chapter 18

[Lightning Strike Valley]

- A blood wind blows in the fog

Lightning Strike Valley

Lightning Strike Land: Land of Lightning Strikes

These were seven letters carved into a boundary stone that had weathered storms for decades.

"Whee-yoo!"

Jang Hong whistled a light tune.

"Wow! What a magnificent view."

Hyo Ryong exclaimed in awe at the grand harmony of nature unfolding before his eyes.

"This must be the place called Lightning Strike Valley, where lightning is said to have split the earth. It truly lives up to its name."

It was a massive gorge located on the border of Hubei and Shaanxi provinces. Towering cliffs, in a harmony that could only be described as natural, faced each other in a tense standoff. And between them, a moderate amount of fog, not enough to obscure vision, moved with the wind like a living creature. This made the spectacular scenery of the gorge appear even more mysterious. The width of the gorge seemed to be less than thirty meters, and its height was immeasurable. Above, white mists, whether fog or clouds, created a dense cloud cover, making it difficult to gauge its height.

"If we were attacked in a place like this, we wouldn't even be able to recover our bones."

Namgung Sang lacked the mental余裕 to enjoy such a natural wonder.

"Stop with the ominous talk."

No Hak grumbled. He seemed to be of the enjoyment-preferring faction. He clearly didn't want to associate with worry-preferring types like Namgung Sang. He didn't want his words to come true.

"The fog is thick today!"

"It's never been this foggy before…"

Bing Geom furrowed his brow slightly. He had passed through here several times before, but never had the fog been so dense. His intuition was not good. Bing Geom was starting to feel uneasy. Yeom Do, walking along as if he had no worries in the world, whistling and humming, was particularly irritating.

'Is that guy not thinking at all?'

Even if the children are all happy and carefree, the leader must worry. Yet, his mental age is the same as the children's… It felt pathetic, as if he had to bear three times the hardship.

'Stupid idiot!'

He felt he wouldn't be satisfied unless he cursed him profusely in his mind.

'He'll never learn unless he's ambushed at a time like this! Maybe his death would be a blessing to all…'

It was at that very moment that Bing Geom thought this.

"Ugh!"

The one who let out a groan was Luk Ki Han.

"What's wrong?"

Bing Geom asked urgently. His nerves were extremely frayed now, so he reacted sensitively to even the slightest sound. Luk Ki Han's ashen face was as pale as someone poisoned. As a result, his usual greasy impression was significantly diminished.

"You don't look well. Is something wrong?"

Then, a secret telepathic message reached Bing Geom's ears.

[This matter must absolutely not be known to anyone else.]

[Understood!]

Bing Geom also replied cautiously via telepathy.

[Ah, it seems the fish I ate this morning disagreed with me.]

Luk Ki Han's face was filled with embarrassment. He looked like someone confessing an enormous secret. Then again, he was the type of person who believed that, regardless of what he was like inside, he had to appear clean and tidy to others.

[I thought it was something else…]

Bing Geom's tense expression returned to its usual stoic demeanor. What was such a big deal that it required telepathy?

[Hurry and go!]

Luk Ki Han, feigning composure, moved away down the path they had come. He clearly didn't want to lose face in front of the many inn guests. It seemed his principle was to always be presentable in front of the inn guests. He probably thought it was a sin punishable by heaven to let women know that a handsome man like himself needed to use the latrine. While his assumptions were one thing, Bing Geom had no obligation to indulge in someone else's delusion.

At the summit of the gorge, piercing through the cloud cover, the setting sun in the west cast a twilight glow, dyeing the white clouds a deep red. As the setting sun cast long shadows on the mountains, a line of faint black figures stretched out above both sides of the gorge. They were now watching the Heavenly Martial Academy delegation below, suppressing their presence and concealing their killing intent.

"The 1st to the 12th teams have all been deployed."

Upon receiving the report from Hyeol Geom, Hyeok Cheol nodded. His gaze was fixed on the Heavenly Martial Academy delegation, like a hawk eyeing its prey from the sky.

'They said they would definitely pass through here. The information was correct.'

"What about the 10th squad leader, Hyeol Swe?"

"All preparations are complete."

"What about the 9th squad leader, Hyeol Gung?"

"We are awaiting your command."

"And you?"

"My sword is ready to drink blood at any time," Hyeol Geom replied confidently.

The Twelve Blood Squads were divided by their squad number according to their assigned missions. This was because their own squad had a designated meaning. Fundamentally, the smaller the squad number, the more they were the ones who carried out direct attacks. They were the core offensive players. The 1st squad was called the Hyeol Geom Squad, and its leader was named Hyeol Geom. His original name was irrelevant. They specialized in sword techniques with intense killing intent. The leader of the 2nd squad, Hyeol Do, and his squad excelled at cruel saber techniques. The leader of the 3rd squad, Hyeol Chang, specialized in spears.

As the numbers decreased, each squad was responsible for direct attacks with weapons of different characteristics, while as the numbers increased, they were responsible for rear support, long-range fire, pursuit, encirclement, and various special techniques. Therefore, squads with larger numbers carried heavier and more diverse equipment. And the double-digit squads operated in groups of three, such as one person from the 10th, one from the 11th, and one from the 12th, supporting and coordinating with each other. Especially the 10th squad carried the heaviest burdens among the Twelve Blood Squads. These burdens looked like thick, solid wheels, and only the Twelve Blood Squad members knew what was inside. This was because everyone who had seen the contents had died. Since the dead couldn't speak, no one outside the Twelve Blood Squads knew what was inside.

The name of the 9th squad was the Hyeol Gung Squad, and as the name suggests, they possessed the most fearsome archery skills in the martial world. The leader of the 9th squad, Hyeol Gung, was now staring intently at his target. The prey had a very distinctive physical characteristic of red hair and a red beard, making it easy to distinguish from the group. His mission was to prioritize sniping the most bothersome and troublesome individual. He took out a reddish arrow from his quiver and placed it on the red string. The arrow was named Hyeol Ma Jeon, an arrow nicknamed "cursed demon." Only he in this place could use both the Hyeol Ma Gung and the Hyeol Ma Jeon simultaneously. The unfortunate part was that he couldn't shoot two such peak experts at once. It wasn't impossible, but the success rate was slim. So, he decided to take one, and then the other. It took only a blink of an eye to shoot one and load the next. He slowly drew the string of the Hyeol Ma Gung. His arrow had never missed its mark in the past 30 years.

"What about those three?" Hyeok Cheol asked.

"They are waiting for their turn."

"Good!"

The preparations were perfect. Hyeok Cheol raised his hand as a signal. A red flag was raised from Hyeol Geom's hand.

"Hiss!"

A sharp piercing sound tore through the air, echoing through the gorge.

'Hit!'

The 9th squad leader, Hyeol Gung, clenched his fist inwardly. He felt something penetrating; it was undeniable. But…

'What is it?'

It was a product of instinct. Yeom Do needed a moment of contemplation to realize why he had stepped one pace to the side.

"Whoosh!"

A gust of wind, sharp as an awl, brushed past his cheek.

"Thud!"

A liquid, the same color as his hair, flowed from Yeom Do's cheek. Yeom Do raised his left hand and touched the wound on his face. His gaze turned to where the arrow had been. There was no arrow there. Only a single dot remained.

"Master! Are you alright?"

Sensing the anomaly, several guards rushed over. The arrow was not visible. The powerfully fired arrow, from tip to feathered tail, had been completely buried in the ground. How strong was it to exert such power… Tension flowed across people's faces. As Yeom Do extended his hand downward to the ground, the earth split, and the arrow sprang out. Without hesitation, the arrow, floating gently, was caught in Yeom Do's grasp. It was excellent reception energy. The arrow was blood-red, and its tip was slightly curved like a fishhook. It was a vilely designed object, made so that once it pierced flesh, it couldn't be removed without cutting the flesh. Of course, with this much power, it seemed it would just pass through a person. Yeom Do soon realized this. He had never seen it himself, but he had heard rumors.

"Hyeol Ma Jeon…" Yeom Do muttered.

"Why has that cursed demonic weapon, which plunged the martial world into a blood wind a hundred years ago, appeared now?" A warning of impending danger, along with a sense of unease, sent a shiver through his entire body. At that moment, Im Seong Jin approached and asked, "What on earth is this thing?" How could this ignorant fool not know something that even I, who am ignorant of academics, know! Yeom Do erupted in anger. "You ignorant fools! What were you studying in your martial arts history classes?" He bellowed. "Regarding the Hyeol Ma Gung and Hyeol Ma Jeon, they are one of the Ten Great Demonic Weapons that swept the martial world in blood during the Great Tribulation Blood Era a hundred years ago. Due to their terrifying speed, they can never be caught, and the only way to evade them is to dodge. They are called hunters who never miss their prey, and surviving this arrow is considered an immense miraculous escape…" Yeom Do suddenly fell silent. The other guards were also silent. Yeom Do and Bi Ryu Yeon's eyes met. "Damn it!" This was no time for leisurely conversation. "Danger! Everyone, defensive formation!"

"Swish, swish, swish!"

At that moment, a rain of arrows poured down from the sky like a downpour.

"Fire in unison!"

Hyeol Gung, too flustered by the fact that his arrow, which boasted a "one arrow, one death" reputation, had missed, missed the golden opportunity to give the order for a mass firing. Hyeol Gung's confidence was pegged to the signal of Yeom Do's heart gushing blood. He had never dreamed it would miss. The representatives of the Heavenly Martial Academy dramatically showed that they were not chosen as representatives of the Hundred Schools merely because they were handsome or well-connected. They all drew their weapons resolutely and deflected the arrows raining down on them. The arrows were heavy, imbued with internal energy.

'They're not ordinary fellows!' Even as he marveled, Yeom Do was shattering dozens of arrows simultaneously with his saber. The arrows flying towards Yeom Do turned into small pieces of wood and scattered around.

"Kugh!"

"Aargh!"

As the arrows continued to pour down relentlessly, someone was finally injured. One of the guards, who had failed to evade one of the arrows in the deluge, had his thigh pierced. Yeom Do recalled that he seemed to be a graduate of the Jongnam Sect. He didn't remember his name well… Enraged, Yeom Do shouted, "Hey, you worm! You got injured in the thigh from a mere ambush? Do you want to die by my hand? Are you even a member of the Heavenly Martial Academy delegation like this? You'll be a candidate for life!" How dare they attack the delegation I lead! Yeom Do's anger blazed like the fires of hell. As if to cool that inferno, another barrage of arrows rained down upon him.

True Crimson Seventeen Flames Sword Flame Qi

Ultimate Skill: Violent Flame Umbrella

Yeom Do's beloved saber, Hong Yeom, glowed once again, casting a giant red umbrella in the air.

"Master, it was indeed a good decision to leave him there." Namgung Sang said, diligently deflecting the arrows being shot from all directions. Leaving Yi Song Hak there at that time was a brilliant choice. "Indeed. If he were here, it would have been difficult to protect him! Especially since he's still unconscious…" Bing Geom couldn't help but agree with Namgung Sang's opinion. What made Bing Geom feel like a master was that, while others struggled to deflect the arrows, he casually swatted them away as if chasing away flies. "It's fortunate that place was on our path. It will safely protect him." "We can only hope the Jungyang Escort Agency people do a good job." "They will have done a good job." Namgung Sang replied, deflecting an arrow flying towards the back of his head without even looking. The fact that the Jungyang Escort Agency was not here was also a great fortune. If they were here now, the escort would never reach its destination.

"Don't panic!"

"Stay calm!"

As he warned his companions who were fighting hard here and there, Bing Geom quickly caught several incoming arrows with his hands. For him, it was not a particularly difficult feat. Perhaps that was why he wanted to increase the difficulty of the trick. As Bing Geom's hands shot out like lightning, about ten arrows flew back towards their owners in ten different directions.

"Kuaaaak!"

Nine splashes of blood erupted above the gorge.

"Did I miss one?" Can he tell even from this distance? It's a realm beyond the imagination of ordinary humans. "Lucky bastard," Bing Geom muttered to himself and again caught the incoming arrows. Seeing Bing Geom's near-magical skill, the representatives, without exception, began to imitate his trick.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Suddenly, over a hundred arrows flew back towards their owners. However, since they didn't have Bing Geom's accuracy, the enemy's damage wasn't as great as expected. Still, it was commendable for breaking the enemy's initial assault. As proof, the arrow rain that had been pouring down like a deluge had now turned into a drizzle.

"Beware of the returned arrows! Don't stop firing! Maintain formation!" Hyeol Gung's mouth felt parched. The ambush was more effective than expected. To think they would catch and throw back arrows… He was bewildered by the unexpected counterattack. It was shameful for a squad of archers to be defeated by humans armed only with arrows. If this continued, the damage would gradually increase.

"You bastards! Die!" Hyeol Gung simultaneously held nine red arrows in his right hand and placed one of them on the string. This was the preparatory work for showcasing his ultimate technique.

Blood Calamity Demon Bow Secret Skill: Nine Palace Consecutive Shot

Blood Night Nine Stars

'Go!'

A single Hyeol Ma Jeon left the string. The arrow, accompanied by a grand shout, was surprisingly slow. However, its slowness became a problem. Normally, an arrow traveling at such a slow speed would follow a parabolic trajectory. But this arrow was flying straight. Instead of speed, the arrow rotated at a terrifying speed. The fog seemed to be sucked into the rotation of the Hyeol Ma Jeon. Where the arrow was flying straight, Bing Geom was, and in front of him was Na Ye Rin, wielding her sword, emitting a cold, frost-like sword light. For the arrow to reach Bing Geom, it had to pass through Na Ye Rin. Feeling the threatening killing intent, Bing Geom's gaze turned to the culprit. Na Ye Rin's gaze also followed the chilling arrow buried in the swirling fog. At that moment, a shadow blocked Na Ye Rin's vision. It was a man's back.

"Ryu Yeon!"

At that moment, Na Ye Rin felt as if she had seen Bi Ryu Yeon's fleeting smile. However, his gaze was already fixed on the Hyeol Ma Jeon without a trace of fear. The fog swirled in a bizarre spiral combination.

"Dodge!" Yeom Do shouted urgently. Arrows suddenly sprang out from various parts of the slowly approaching fog vortex. The center of the fog vortex was a kind of smoke screen. Nine arrows flew out consecutively with a time delay. It was a desperate attack filled with killing intent.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

"Pak, pak, pak!"

Eight consecutive arrows struck Bi Ryu Yeon's body. Bi Ryu Yeon didn't move a single step. And the slowest arrow, the one that had created the fog vortex, struck Bi Ryu Yeon's body.

"BOOM!"

A terrifying roar, like a volcanic eruption, echoed. The surrounding air violently churned, creating a fierce gale. For a moment, the surroundings fell silent. In this moment, even the unique climatic phenomenon of arrow rain pouring from the sky ceased. People's gazes were all fixed on the center of the thick dust cloud.

"Haaak!" Yeom Do's eyes widened like saucers. He had to rub his eyes furiously at the voice he heard shortly after. What he saw was an unbelievable sight.

"Hiyah! This seems to be quite an expensive item?" That incredibly nonchalant voice! It was a voice that didn't seem to belong in the midst of a battlefield where life and death hung by a thread. At this moment of life and death, the owner of the still vibrant voice was none other than Bi Ryu Yeon, who had just seemed like he was about to become a porcupine of arrows. Na Ye Rin's stiffened face melted away like ice in the spring thaw. She let out a sigh of relief and clutched her chest. As she sighed with relief, Na Ye Rin suddenly paused. She realized how tense she had been just moments ago, and how relieved she was now. This was clear proof that her actions were being influenced by Bi Ryu Yeon's actions. Na Ye Rin gazed at the man who had surprised her so much with her clear, deep eyes. She felt like she was losing out.

'What's that now?'

"One, two, three, four… nine!" There were clearly nine. Yeom Do recalculated, checking if his calculation was wrong. There were definitely nine. He knew he wasn't brilliant, but he could still count numbers below ten without a problem. In that dusty pit, Bi Ryu Yeon held one of the nine arrows in his hand, turning it over and fiddling with it. There wasn't a speck of dust on the arrow, so it clearly wasn't pulled from the ground. It was impossible for such a distinct red arrow full of killing intent to suddenly appear out of nowhere. Therefore, there was only one conclusion. 'How could he do that! Catching it with bare hands is nearly impossible!' He wasn't the only one who was shocked. Bing Geom and Go Yak Do also stopped what they were doing for a moment and looked at Bi Ryu Yeon.

'What trick did he use?' Most people concluded that. Otherwise, there was no other explanation. No matter how many times they looked, the nine arrows flying in succession with different time intervals were clearly the legendary archery skill, Gu Gong Yeon Hwan Sa. However, as if to dismiss such legendary fame and bloody rumors, Bi Ryu Yeon was holding the Hyeol Ma Jeon, turning it around and looking pleased with himself.

'As expected, a monster is still a monster, isn't he?' Not only Yeom Do but everyone else stared at Bi Ryu Yeon with incredulous eyes.

"Since I received it, I should return it, right?" Unable to bear to part with it, Bi Ryu Yeon picked up an arrow stuck in the ground. His gaze turned towards the direction of the owner of the nine arrows. What was he looking at?

"Poof!" In an instant, there was nothing in his hand. A streak of lightning tore through the air and soared.

"Kwak!" A dying scream echoed from beyond the fog!

"Thud!" The blood-red Hyeol Ma Gung fell to the ground. That day, the 9th squad of the Twelve Blood Squads lost its leader.

"The ambush's effect is less than expected. To have no fatalities despite shooting like that. Furthermore, the resistance is fierce." Hyeol Geom said, looking at the broken arrows scattered everywhere and the arrows flying back at frightening speed. "Even so, they are representatives of the Hundred Schools. I would be disappointed if they were harmed by this level of attack," Hyeok Cheol said with an air of foreknowledge. "Arrows are enough to tie their feet. Deploy the second wave!"

"Understood!" Hyeol Geom raised a blue flag.

"Second wave deployed!" The members of the 10th squad, led by Hyeol Swe, took out the round wheel-like burdens on their backs. When they unwrapped the cloth covering the wheels, chains were revealed, coiled inside. They drove metal rods into the ground and fitted the wheels in the center. The rods were designed to be foldable in the middle, allowing the angle of the wheels to be adjusted as desired. They installed the wheels at a slight angle. Each of the 10th squad members held the starting end of a chain that emerged from a wheel in their right hand. The chains were very dark and had a deep color. They were clearly not made of ordinary iron. They took out short spears from their waists and attached them to the ends of the chains. The spearheads had six blades and were uniquely curved inward.

"Iron Chain Soul Sealing Formation! Activate!"

"Charrr!" With the signal, dozens of wheels connected to dozens of iron rods began to spin furiously with a loud noise.

"Kwakwakwak!" Black iron chains, fired from regular intervals on the left and right gorges, struck the ground with a loud roar. Although the spearheads at the end of the iron chains looked terrifying, they were not enough to injure people. However, as the iron chains from all directions formed a web to the left and right, the representatives found it difficult to advance or retreat.

"What is this now! Are they trying to trap us here!" Yeom Do shouted irritably.

"Clang!" Mo Yong Hwi looked at his sword with disbelief. Even with maximum sword energy infused, it hadn't received even a scratch. What kind of material was it made of to be so hard? It was fortunate that his sword blade was not damaged.

"Hahaha, that iron chain is forged from ten thousand-year-old iron, so no sharpness can cut it!" Hyeok Cheol's lips curled into a wry smile.

"The enemies seem to want to tie our feet here," Bing Geom said, looking around at the web of iron chains stretched in all directions. Then Yeom Do grumbled dismissively, "Hmph! But iron chains are for sealing, after all! Such thin ropes can't bind our feet. Besides, they don't have any other effective means of attack yet!" In this state, it seemed they were incapable of any direct attacks other than arrow attacks.

"Deploy the Flying Chariot Wheel Formation!" Hyeok Cheol, who was observing the situation from above the gorge, ordered.

"Understood!" Hyeol Geom raised a yellow flag again.

"Charrr!" The sound of metal fiercely rotating and clashing echoed throughout the gorge.

"Wh-what is that?" No Hak and Dang Sam's eyes widened in panic. Along the dark iron chains stretched in all directions, bladed iron wheels were descending at terrifying speed. These beasts with sharp iron teeth rotated fiercely, searching for bloody prey. Moreover, the distance between the iron chains was narrow, making it difficult to defend or evade. Imagine dozens of iron wheels falling like a waterfall along dozens of iron chains! It would be terrifying even to imagine.

"Everyone, dodge!" Before Yeom Do's cry could even finish, the iron wheels, creating a fearsome wind, swept past his side. Yeom Do, who had dodged one, was startled by the cold gust approaching the back of his head and leaped into the air.

"Huk!" It was a close call. Another iron wheel, moving along the iron chain stretched on the opposite side, attacked with a time delay. The spacing of these iron chains was cleverly set so that the two iron wheels would not collide with each other.

"They're formidable!" Rain of arrows above, iron wheels below! It was impossible to avoid the dispersion of attention.

"Kuaak!"

"Aargh!" Several of their companions had already been injured by the teeth of the fiercely rotating iron wheels. Although not as much as before, arrows were still occasionally raining down from the sky.

'This is dangerous!' It was a remarkable occasion that Bing Geom and Yeom Do had the same thought at the same time. It was a moment when a solution had to be presented. Just then, one of the iron chains not far from Yeom Do swayed greatly. Bi Ryu Yeon lightly stepped onto it. However, it swayed greatly due to the weight of the Black Dragon Ring. Even on the violently swaying and shaking iron chains, like waves, Bi Ryu Yeon maintained his balance calmly.

'What is he planning?' Everyone's attention focused on Bi Ryu Yeon.

"Clang!" The iron chain swayed again, and Bi Ryu Yeon leaped.

Flying Thunder Gate Unique Movement Skill: Phoenix Dance Ultimate Skill: Phoenix Dance Ascending to Heaven

"Pabababaat!" Bi Ryu Yeon was ascending the gorge upside down along the iron chain. People's eyes widened. This was also the case for the Blood Demon Squad members guarding the iron chains from above the gorge.

"Hurry!" The 12th squad member quickly attached a Flying Chariot Wheel to the iron chain.

"Swaaaang!" The Flying Chariot Wheel, cutting through the air at terrifying speed with its spinning blades, shot down towards Bi Ryu Yeon.

"It's dangerous!" Na Ye Rin's face turned pale. At that moment, only one thought filled her mind. As she felt Bi Ryu Yeon was in danger, the icy mask on her face shattered, and Na Ye Rin cried out as if in despair, "Ryu Yeoon!"

[To be continued in Volume 12 of "Bi Raedo"]