cnatrainingtips Chapter 172 : Chapter 172
Chapter 172 : Chapter 172
Chapter 172 The Chase (5)
"Damn it. The one following us is too fast."
As Chu Myeong-hwa, who was running while glancing back, spoke, Jaun frowned and nodded.
"It's a guy with a colossal demonic energy, the likes of which I've never encountered before. At this rate..."
"Could it be, one of the Seven Demons? How else could he possess such an aura..."
The Poison King also looked back with a frustrated expression.
─ BOOM!
Following a faint shockwave, a part of the forest literally vanished.
Someone was destroying everything in their path and rushing towards them at an incredible speed.
Though they were too far to properly identify the energy, its power could be fully felt.
"How much further?"
"We can leave Sichuan in about half a Sijin, but..."
"...At this rate, we'll be caught."
Chu Myeong-hwa looked at the Tang Clan warriors running ahead with a frustrated expression. The Poison King, who had been running silently beside them, spoke with a firm expression.
"There's no other choice. I will stay behind to buy some time."
"I will stay too."
As soon as the Poison King finished speaking, Tang Il-bi also stepped forward, but Jaun shook his head.
"No. For now, let's focus on getting out of Sichuan's borders at full speed. Ensuring the safe evacuation of the Tang Clan is the most important thing right now. When the Demonic Cult begins a large-scale, all-out war, they will surely use the Poison Demon to strike across the Central Plains first. The only ones who can block the Poison Demon's poison arts are the people of the Tang Clan."
Hearing Jaun's words, the Poison King frowned in thought for a moment before slowly nodding.
"I understand. If that's the case, we must somehow survive here. If we have about half a Sijin left, then there is a way to increase our speed for that time. It will strain our bodies, but everyone should be able to endure it."
Tang Hun, who understood the meaning behind the Poison King's words, nodded with a resolute expression, turned around, and shouted loudly towards the front.
"All warriors of the Tang Clan, take the Gu-myeong Pill!"
Hearing Tang Hun's words, the Tang Clan warriors, with firm expressions, took out pills from their bosoms and threw them into their mouths.
"Those with insufficient internal energy, run even if you have to carry them on your backs! Half a Sijin, we only need to go for half a Sijin! Grit your teeth and endure!"
The Tang Clan warriors who had swallowed the pills supported each other firmly and began to increase their speed.
A thick green energy spread around the bodies of the Tang Clan warriors who were clustered together.
"This is...?"
Jaun, who confirmed the strange energy contained in the spreading green mist, widened his eyes and turned his head to look at the Poison King.
"The Gu-myeong Pill. It's a pill that draws out one's remaining latent potential. It's a last resort used when facing death because it's followed by excruciating pain. Since they've taken the Gu-myeong Pill, all the Tang Clan warriors will be able to draw out all their remaining latent potential for about half a Sijin."
The bearded man, who confirmed the resolve of the Tang Clan warriors, snorted and clenched his fists with a determined expression.
A fierce wind energy began to spread from his body, which was soaked in sweat.
─ WHOOSH
The bearded man's hair, which had already turned completely white, fluttered in all directions.
The Tang Clan warriors, who were watching the bearded man standing firmly at the front, renewed their resolve once again.
As everyone poured their utmost effort, the speed of the main unit began to increase little by little.
─ THUD THUD THUD
For a while, the party ran at full speed in silence.
Groans of exhaustion came from all over, and a heat haze rose around them from the heat emitted by the bodies of the warriors who had reached their limits.
Jaun, who was following at the very rear with his senses widened, slowly turned his head back.
'Already this close... Much faster than I thought.'
Even though the party was running with all their might, the loud shockwaves echoing from behind were gradually getting closer.
─ BOOM!
Another huge shockwave erupted.
Jaun estimated the distance to the shockwave and bit his lip tightly.
'With this kind of speed, is it really one of the Seven Demons? The Seven Demons have moved faster than I thought.'
The distance had now narrowed to the point where he could identify the energy, so Jaun widened his senses greatly and carefully scanned the pursuer's energy.
Jaun, who had discovered a pattern within the colossal demonic energy being emitted, nodded his head.
'This martial art... is definitely the Fist Demon's unique martial art. Judging by the size of the energy, the pursuer is the Fist Demon himself. Then it's only natural that the distance isn't widening.'
No matter how much they borrowed the power of the Gu-myeong Pill and the wind's energy, the pursuer was a member of the Seven Demons who had reached the absolute realm.
Jaun focused his energy on his eyes and looked back. Not too far away, trees and rocks were constantly flying in all directions.
The figure of the pursuer, who was running in a straight line while destroying everything in his path, was now quite close.
Jaun quickly calculated the remaining distance.
'At this rate... getting caught is unavoidable.'
Jaun looked back once at the Tang Clan warriors who were running with exhausted expressions.
'We just need to hold out until the border of Sichuan... but can the Tang Clan warriors last until then?'
Whether the completely exhausted Tang Clan warriors could cross the Sichuan border or not was the key to victory in this matter.
Even though the Demonic Cult had practically declared war on the Central Plains, he didn't think the Fist Demon would enter the Sado Alliance's territory alone.
The Demonic Cult would surely need time to reorganize after conquering Sichuan.
The Fist Demon's range of independent action would undoubtedly be limited to the Sichuan region.
Jaun raised his head again and looked at the backs of the Tang Clan warriors. The legs of most of them, whose strength had given out, were staggering from side to side.
'It won't be easy. In that case... in the end, someone has to buy time.'
Jaun widened his senses further and looked back. Even after extending his senses quite far, the only one chasing the main unit was the Fist Demon.
'Hmm. In that case, this might actually be a good thing. With one of the Seven Demons separated like this, it will be much easier to deal with him.'
Jaun slowly loosened his shoulders, checked his body, and felt the rapidly approaching momentum of the Fist Demon again.
'The border of Sichuan is just ahead. There are no other pursuers besides the Fist Demon, so there's no need to conserve my strength. In that case... I'll have to make him regret this reckless pursuit.'
Jaun, who had decided to face the Fist Demon, came forward and approached Pan Bing-yeong, who was breaking through the wind's resistance with the bearded man.
"Are there any Sado Alliance hideouts in Chongqing?"
"Yes. There's one on the outskirts."
"Then we should head there immediately. Let the Tang Clan warriors rest there, send a carrier pigeon to the Sado Alliance, and wait for support."
"But the pursuit is still..."
Pan Bing-yeong stopped speaking and looked at Jaun. Realizing what he was thinking, Pan Bing-yeong's eyes widened as she looked at him. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
After a moment of thought, Pan Bing-yeong spoke.
"I... will trust you, Young Master. I will hide the Tang Clan people well in the hideout and contact the Sado Alliance so that support can come quickly, so you must return before it's too late."
Pan Bing-yeong had realized that now that the Demonic Cult had started an all-out war, she could no longer just look for safe methods.
Having watched Jaun all this time, she had come to fully understand how great his power was and what he was capable of against the demons. Her eyes now held a strong faith in Jaun that was different from before.
"...Give them a good punch. How dare a mere demon follow us here alone, not knowing who you are, Young Master?"
Jaun, who let out a chuckle at Pan Bing-yeong's newfound solid faith, squeezed her shoulder once and let go.
"Thank you. I'll catch up before long."
Pan Bing-yeong, who was staring at Jaun, nodded and began to focus on running again.
As Jaun slowed down, the bearded man and Pan Bing-yeong moved farther away.
The Poison King, who had come up beside him, spoke to Jaun.
"...I'm counting on you."
The Poison King, who had heard their conversation and understood the situation, bowed deeply as he ran past Jaun. After him, the Tang Clan warriors expressed their gratitude as they passed by Jaun.
"Thank you."
"Thank you, great hero."
"This favor... we will never forget it."
After all the Tang Clan warriors had passed, Chu Myeong-hwa, who was guarding the rear, came up beside Jaun.
"Are you planning to go alone?"
"Yes. It's much easier to move alone."
"Don't overdo it, and get out if you have to. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Since the Demonic Cult has basically declared an all-out war with the entire Central Plains, I will inform the Sado Alliance of this situation as soon as possible. I'll go on ahead, so follow me before it's too late."
Chu Myeong-hwa increased her speed and ran forward with the two from the Five Evils.
Jaun, who had confirmed that the entire party had gone ahead, took a deep breath and stopped in his tracks.
─ BOOM!
─ BOOM!
After the party had all run off, a quiet silence descended. Jaun, who was feeling the shockwaves that were getting closer, breaking the silence, slowly drew the Mangru Blood Sword.
'Hooooo.'
Jaun, who had drawn his sword, calmed his breathing and began to concentrate fully on the Mangru Blood Sword.
From the hilt to the sharp blade.
Jaun, who had carefully pictured everything about the Mangru Blood Sword in his mind, closed his eyes and began to gradually unify his consciousness with the sword.
As Jaun focused his consciousness, the sound of the wind brushing past him became clear. Then, the sound of leaves rustling against each other and the sound of branches shaking became loud in his ears, before completely subsiding.
Jaun, who had fully concentrated his mind on the sword, could no longer hear any sound.
Jaun, who had honed all his momentum as sharply as a blade, began to draw up his demonic energy.
─ THUMP
The demonic energy, amplified through the Reverse Heaven Asura Art, shook his entire body strongly.
Jaun, who was feeling the energy spreading from his dantian to his middle dantian and then throughout his body, slowly opened his eyes.
─ BOOM!
An explosion erupted from a close distance and a fierce shockwave poured out, but to Jaun's ears, all the sounds were faint, as if they were ringing from a distant place.
Jaun, who had become one with the sword, raised it. And at that moment, a huge demonic energy erupted from his body.
─ SWISH
The energy, created in a state where he was not even aware of when the sword was swung, what energy it contained, or what martial art he used, was in the form of a thin, long thread.
The energy, which contained a tremendous sharpness that seemed to cut through even the air, was shot towards the place where the explosion had rung out.
***
─ PIIING
A subtle sense of incongruity struck the five senses of the Fist Demon, who was running forward like a madman.
A drop of sweat suddenly fell from the forehead of the Fist Demon, who had raised his fist to clear the obstacles in front of him.
'Hmm?'
And at that moment, the Fist Demon, who felt goosebumps all over his body, hurriedly stopped and thrust his fist forward with all his might.
─ SHWIIING
Goosebumps rose on the Fist Demon's body as he confirmed that his own fist energy, which was shooting forward with a huge force, was being cut in half.
'...This is!?'
The pale-faced Fist Demon threw himself to the ground. The moment his body touched the ground, blood spurted from his back.
─ SWISH
The sword energy, which had lightly grazed the back of the Fist Demon who had thrown himself to the ground, passed through and cut a huge rock next to him.
─ THUD
The Fist Demon's hurriedly thrown body bounced off the ground and floated into the air. The Fist Demon, who quickly brushed off his dirt-covered body, spun in the air to get into position and then stopped.
Behind the Fist Demon, who slowly turned around with a distorted face, the rock that had been split in half slid down and fell to the ground.
─ THUD
The Fist Demon, who confirmed the cut surface of the rock, gritted his teeth.
"...The one who has reached the pinnacle of the sword. He is here."
A huge energy began to radiate from the Fist Demon's body in streams.