LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 112
Chapter 112: “I Knew This Would Happen”
Countless men vaulted over the walls of the Black Iron Workshop.
They were all individuals who had consumed the Blood Pill, triggering an explosive surge of their latent strength.
Their numbers weren’t particularly large—only about a hundred.
However, far more men were stationed outside the Black Iron Workshop, lying in wait.
For the foreseeable future, they intended to completely block both access to and escape from the Black Iron Workshop.
Among the hundred men who crossed the walls, five stood out due to their distinct attire.
Unlike the others, these five seemed incredibly relaxed.
“Hah, it seems you’ve cluttered up the place with all sorts of nonsense while I wasn’t looking,” the eldest of them muttered disapprovingly.
The speaker was an elderly man with a head full of silver hair. His face was deeply lined with wrinkles, yet his body was packed with bulging muscles, so much so that his appearance defied his apparent age.
Stripped to the waist as if flaunting his muscular physique, one would never guess he was an old man based solely on his body.
Around the elderly man stood four much younger individuals, appearing no older than twenty. Their eyes, however, were disturbingly lifeless, blackened with death-like stillness.
“Say something, for heaven’s sake. You’re not mute,” the old man urged.
But the four remained silent, their lips sealed tight, walking in grim silence.
Surrounding them, the other hundred men moved in sync, exuding killing intent from every pore of their bodies.
These men had recently ingested a special, newly developed variant of the Blood Pill.
Because the formula had been developed so recently, only a limited quantity was available—barely enough to distribute among a hundred individuals.
One of the younger men approached the old man.
“All you need to do is focus on dealing with Byeok Taesan. The rest of us will handle everything else.”
A glimmer of wickedness flashed in the old man’s eyes.
“I’ve heard there are plenty of pretty girls near Byeok Taesan. Don’t lay a hand on them. Keep them safe. I’ll savor them one by one later.”
“As you wish,” the man replied with a nod before turning around.
He was about to issue instructions to the subordinates surrounding him when suddenly, a black orb fell to the ground with a thud.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thick black smoke billowed out, shrouding the area in an instant.
The man sneered at the sight.
“Hah. Do you still think this will work on us?” he scoffed.
Hearing his words, the old man chuckled and waved his hand casually.
Whooosh!
A fierce gust swept through, scattering the black smoke into the sky.
Surprisingly, not a single one of the men who had consumed the Blood Pill showed signs of losing control.
“Well, well. You’ve already improved the formula in such a short time? Impressive. I’m growing more curious about who’s behind this,” the old man remarked with genuine interest.
As the figure of Byeok Taesan slowly emerged from the distance, the man’s expression stiffened.
“Byeok Taesan…”
Byeok Taesan didn’t respond to the man’s words. Instead, his gaze fixed on the five distinct figures standing behind him.
He then scanned his surroundings.
“The numbers are a bit high…” he muttered to himself before stepping forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, the heads of ten men nearest to Byeok Taesan exploded.
He took another step forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Another ten heads burst apart.
The man leading the group widened his eyes in sheer disbelief. He couldn’t even comprehend what was happening, let alone respond to it.
There was only one thing he could do.
“Scatter!” he shouted, retreating swiftly to put distance between himself and Byeok Taesan.
Meanwhile, Byeok Taesan took yet another step forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As expected, ten more heads burst apart.
His gaze swept over the scattering remnants of the group.
Roughly sixty men were left.
“Well, I suppose that’s manageable,” Byeok Taesan murmured, eyeing the remaining men.
Then his eyes locked onto the old man, gleaming with interest.
“Well, you’re not bad,” Byeok Taesan remarked.
The old man let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Hah! Are you talking to me?”
“You know as well as I do that the four beside you are just trash,” Byeok Taesan replied, implying that they weren’t even worth addressing.
“So you think I’m ‘not bad,’ huh? It’s been at least forty years since I last heard anyone say that,” the old man said, shaking his head in mock amusement.
With those words, the old man’s aura exploded forth.
BOOM!
The force of his energy rippled outward, prompting the four younger men to frown and step back slightly. They feared the turbulence might disrupt their internal energy and affect their performance in the upcoming battle.
But Byeok Taesan didn’t spare them a single glance. His gaze remained fixed on the old man as he asked a question.
“That name couldn’t have gone unnoticed… And seeing that face, it seems we’ve never met either…”
The old man chuckled softly.
“If I tell you, would you even recognize it?”
Instead of revealing his identity, the old man began by introducing the nicknames of the four men nearby.
“These guys are the Bloodletting Demon Swords. Ever heard of them?”
Byeok Taesan shook his head.
“First I’m hearing of it.”
The old man frowned.
“What the hell? You’re just some ignorant brat, huh? Don’t even know the Bloodletting Demon Swords?”
“Should I?”
Byeok Taesan let out a soft chuckle and continued.
“Not like I’ll need to, anyway.”
The old man grinned slyly.
“Why? Because we’ll all die soon anyway? Then why are you curious about my identity? Aren’t you going to kill me too?”
“Depending on who’s behind you, I might figure something out. So, who are you?”
“I’m Ma Jeong-wan.”
“Ma Jeong-wan?”
Byeok Taesan tilted his head. It was a name he had heard before.
“Ah, Ma Jeong-wan! The First Blade Demon!”
The old man, Ma Jeong-wan, widened his eyes in surprise.
“What’s this? Do you know me? That’s unexpected.”
“Of course I do. Weren’t you one of the Ten Great Masters in the past? I can’t believe you’re still alive. You’ve lived long.”
Ma Jeong-wan made a bewildered expression.
“Ha! You little brat, watch your mouth.”
“Maybe.”
Byeok Taesan smirked faintly as he spoke.
Who was the younger one here, really?
“Well, nice to meet you anyway. Although this will likely be our final encounter.”
Byeok Taesan smiled slyly as he looked at Ma Jeong-wan.
“I just hope you’re more of a challenge than Geok Yangdu, or whoever he was.”
At the mention of Geok Yangdu, Ma Jeong-wan’s eyes flashed with interest.
“I heard you defeated Geok Yangdu. But did you really beat him alone?”
Byeok Taesan gave a sly smile.
“You can all come at me together.”
“Crazy bastard. That’ll just make it hurt more when you lose.”
Ma Jeong-wan strode toward Byeok Taesan, and white energy began to coalesce around his fists. The energy spread across his entire body, forming a thin, protective layer.
The white energy on his fists grew denser, making it look as though he were wearing white gauntlets.
Boom!
The ground beneath Ma Jeong-wan shattered as his body shot forward like a thunderbolt.
Whoooosh!
Ma Jeong-wan’s fist targeted Byeok Taesan’s nose with explosive force, the surrounding energy swirling and thrashing wildly in its wake.
Even if the initial strike missed, the chaotic energy would pull the target into its range.
Of course, Byeok Taesan simply tilted his head slightly to dodge the attack.
The energy that tried to envelop him dissipated like a gentle spring breeze.
“Look at this guy.”
Ma Jeong-wan’s eyes narrowed as he unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Byeok Taesan deftly evaded the attacks, his movements as light as a feather. In the meantime, he caught a glimpse of the four men behind him beginning to move.
They unsheathed their swords, their actions precise and swift, like assassins.
Their target was obvious.
They intended to exploit the openings naturally created by Ma Jeong-wan’s aggressive attacks on Byeok Taesan.
Ma Jeong-wan, pretending not to notice their movements, continued his fierce assault.
“How long do you plan to dodge like a coward? Fight me like a man!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ma Jeong-wan’s punches grew faster and heavier, the energy around him surging and scattering in turbulent waves.
Byeok Taesan continued to evade gracefully, his movements deliberate. The four men had now closed in, their swords aiming to strike at his unguarded back.
At that moment, Byeok Taesan’s eyes gleamed coldly.
Thunk!
Byeok Taesan lightly parried Ma Jeong-wan’s punch with his hand.
Slice!
One of the swords pierced through Ma Jeong-wan’s outstretched arm.
Byeok Taesan spun his body, closing the distance between himself and Ma Jeong-wan.
Slam!
He grabbed Ma Jeong-wan by the collar and yanked him sharply, reversing their positions.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The remaining three swords plunged into Ma Jeong-wan’s body.
Byeok Taesan lightly pushed Ma Jeong-wan.
Thud!
Ma Jeong-wan’s chest caved in, and he was hurled backward.
In the spot Ma Jeong-wan had occupied just moments ago, Byeok Taesan stepped forward without hesitation.
He now stood directly in the middle of the four sword-wielding men.
Smack!
With a motion as simple as brushing off his hands, he struck two men, shattering their hearts instantly.
Then, as he lightly floated upward, he delivered swift kicks.
Crunch!
The hearts of the remaining two men were also destroyed.
From where he had been slammed into the wall, Ma Jeong-wan’s face filled with horror.
The movements of Byeok Taesan he had just witnessed were far too fast, precise, and powerful for him to even dream of replicating.
It was as if every step of the fight had been meticulously calculated from the start.
“Urgh…”
Ma Jeong-wan forced himself to try to stand. Several of his ribs had been shattered, but he was still alive.
As long as he wasn’t dead, he could keep fighting.
Byeok Taesan cast a brief glance at Ma Jeong-wan before approaching the four fallen men.
With a flick of his Soul Augmenting Demonic Art, he grasped the escaping spirits.
The four spirits were caught within Byeok Taesan’s grasp and dissolved into dark, malevolent energy under the effects of the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.
“As I thought. I knew it.”
These men were the same kind as the Four Monsters of the Great East or the Mad Blood Trio Demons he had encountered before.
They had used a bizarre technique to attach foreign spirits to their bodies.
From the moment he saw them, he had felt an uncanny sense of discord.
That was why he had intentionally drawn them into the fight.
To capture their spirits, it was necessary to kill them all at once without any interference.
And the battle had gone precisely as planned.
Now their spirits were burned away, and Ma Jeong-wan had been crushed in the process.
Watching the dark energy dissipate from his hand, Byeok Taesan turned his gaze toward Ma Jeong-wan.
Ma Jeong-wan was staggering forward, his face twisted in pain. A pale white energy flared around his body like a blazing fire.
The internal injuries he had sustained were so severe that he could no longer control his internal energy, which was leaking uncontrollably.
Byeok Taesan began walking purposefully toward Ma Jeong-wan.
The plan had succeeded, and now it was time to finish things.
Ma Jeong-wan threw a fist engulfed in white flames.
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan murmured, “As you wish.”
He struck Ma Jeong-wan’s fist with a single blow.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the white flames scattered in all directions.
Ma Jeong-wan’s body began to collapse, starting from his fist and crumbling rapidly.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
By the time it was over, Ma Jeong-wan’s corpse was so mangled it was unrecognizable. It had smashed through the ground and even toppled part of the surrounding wall.
“What’s with all the talk about being a man?”
Byeok Taesan chuckled softly, then turned his gaze toward the training hall where his companions were.
Though the structures and walls obstructed his view, he could still sense what was happening in that direction.
“Well… it’s manageable.”
With that muttered remark, Byeok Taesan pulled out a Black Pearl from his pocket.
Before coming here, he had obtained a substantial number of Black Pearls from the Heavenly Divine Healer.
Byeok Taesan began walking along the wall, occasionally tossing the Black Pearls.
Each time, screams and chaos erupted from outside.
“Ugh, this is filthy work.”
The Needle Master spat to the side in irritation.
Only about sixty enemies had rushed at them.
However, each one was overwhelmingly strong and vicious.
It wasn’t impossible to deal with them, but their coordinated attacks made it challenging.
The attackers were highly skilled in collaborative assault tactics.
Ten attendants were struggling with everything they had to fend off the enemy’s attacks.
They didn’t even dare to counterattack.
Just holding their ground was already an immense effort.
Fighting alongside the attendants were the Hao Clan Scouts, who were using their bodies as shields to protect them.
So far, none of the attendants had been injured. While part of that was due to their improved skills, it was mostly thanks to the Hao Clan Scouts.
Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon were moving freely, striking at the enemy.
Having recently mastered new techniques—the True Thunder Sword and the Lotus Blossom Sword—their combined attacks were exponentially more powerful.
Of course, for this to work, their synchronization was critical.
And right now, their teamwork was impeccable.
Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon were disrupting the enemy’s formation with fierce, thunder-infused attacks.
The Heavenly Divine Healer and True Thunder Sword Master oversaw the overall situation, filling in gaps and covering weaknesses with their experience.
Lastly, the Needle Master was expending all his strength and skill, simultaneously killing enemies and protecting the group.
He was handling two roles on his own.
“Damn it! Why are these bastards so tough?!”
Cursing nonstop, the Needle Master spat needles, threw punches, and kicked relentlessly.
If the enemies here had consumed the unmodified Blood Pill, the battle would have ended long ago without even needing the Black Pearls.
The Needle Master was undoubtedly the most significant contributor to their success so far.
Amidst the chaos, the Heavenly Divine Healer’s voice reached his ears.
“At this rate, we might not just survive—we might actually win.”
“Shut up, you bastard!”
“Why are you so grumpy?”
“Because I’m tired! Don’t talk to me!”
The Heavenly Divine Healer chuckled.
“I was just trying to cheer you up. Isn’t it motivating to hear that?”
The Needle Master unleashed a volley of needles and yelled, “I said shut up!”
“See? You’re energized now.”
“Arrrgh!”
Seeing the Needle Master practically bursting with rage-fueled strength, the Heavenly Divine Healer wisely decided to stay quiet.
He made a mental note to flee the moment the battle ended.
Meanwhile, the number of enemies gradually decreased.
The midnight assault was nearing its conclusion.