‘Cough!’
[If the Array Formation attack succeeds, that guy’s response will change. They must have realized that Surahana-hanjin could be a threat.]
One of the practitioners, Orha, kept moving his feet, recalling Ho Cheon-an’s words.
Ho Cheon-an’s warning was not wrong.
The aura emanating from the Black Armored Dragon’s attacks was different from before.
The Black Armored Dragon, which had regarded the practitioners as mere nuisances radiating light, seemed to have determined after being attacked that they were enemies threatening its life, so its attacks had become fiercer.
“Whoa!”
Upon seeing a practitioner fall, Sudalcha yelled.
“Cover the Nightlight!”
Instinctively, as the practitioner grabbed the Nightlight and rolled, Orha threw his own Nightlight, which was hanging around his neck, next to the fallen practitioner.
[In a crisis, use the Nightlight to disrupt its senses.]
Crash!!
The tail of the Black Armored Dragon, which was identifying the practitioners’ positions based on the light, struck the ground where the Nightlight had fallen instead of hitting the practitioners.
Swish!!!
With a huge swing of its tail, a chain of iron wrapped around it like a ghost! The practitioners cheered at the presence of the chain that had opened a way out for them.
“Such ghostly control!”
“I never thought that movement would be such a nuisance during practice!”
Despite cheering, the practitioners’ faces didn’t show much brightness. They had thrown the Nightlight to overcome the crisis, but it was more like stopping a big loss with a small one.
The fewer Nightlights there were, the more concentrated the attacks would be on those holding them, making it impossible to avoid a tougher situation.
“Concentrate more!”
“Hold on!!”
However, the practitioners did not retreat and continually drew the Black Armored Dragon’s attention.
Swish!!!
Once again, Tang Do-yeon’s iron chains sliced through the air, but this time, they didn’t yield any meaningful results. The Black Armored Dragon, aware of the chains binding its body, easily evaded them.
“Lead its attacks!”
“Create openings so the chains can bind it!”
To create opportunities for Tang Do-yeon to wrap the chains, they had to lure the attacks.
The same precarious scenes unfolded repeatedly.
To save the endangered practitioners, Nightlights were thrown, and Tang Do-yeon desperately swung the chains.
Three Nightlights shattered, and two chains managed to bind.
Ho Cheon-an bit his lip.
‘Not good…!’
The more Nightlights shattered, the less useful they became. The Black Armored Dragon wouldn’t be fooled by the same trick repeatedly. As the Nightlights dwindled, the deception would inevitably become crude, significantly increasing the risk.
On the other hand, Tang Do-yeon was rapidly getting worn out. He was persistently swinging the chains in response to the Black Armored Dragon’s unpredictable movements. Tang Do-yeon had long exceeded the number of swings Ho Cheon-an had estimated.
“This isn’t looking good. I must step in.”
Ho Cheon-an, biting his lip, turned his head. Miss Yeo Il-ye was preparing a spear while connecting the chains.
“No way!”
Ho Cheon-an shook his head firmly. Miss Yeo Il-ye’s purpose in what she was doing was clear. She planned to stab the spear attached to the chained weapon directly into the Black Armored Dragon’s body.
“Miss Yeo Il-ye has a role already assigned!”
“Hehe, it’s alright.”
“It’s not alright! You dare to think of inserting a spear while the entity is rampaging! You don’t have to invite risk…!”
Miss Yeo Il-ye smiled lightly. Ho Cheon-an was speechless before her refreshing smile, like a breeze.
“To be honest, I followed to repay a kindness, but I haven’t been much help. Tang So-yeol created magical devices, and Tang Do-yeon skillfully drove the cart through the rough mountains, and Black Cat did magic and healed Sara. But I felt I didn’t have any significant role.”
“No…”
“Thus, when it was suggested we hunt the entity, I was thrilled. But soon after, I was disappointed. Tang So-yeol made tools, and Tang Do-yeon played irreplaceable roles while my purpose seemed like something only I could do.”
“That too is important…!”
“Ha, of course, I understand that it’s an important role.”
Woooshhhh!
Yeo Il-ye’s internal power began to surge.
She thought about how long it had been since she had opened her internal power at full capacity. It hadn’t happened once since she became acquainted with Ho Cheon-an.
Even in the airless cavern, her clothes began to flutter fiercely.
Peak Stage. No, even in Hwa-gyeong, such vast internal power was hard to find a comparison.
“To be honest, I felt a bit hurt. Kindness.”
“…What do you mean?”
“It seems you underestimate me. Thinking back, it might be my fault. I never fully demonstrated my abilities in front of Honorable Person; I merely hoped for acknowledgment without striving for it.”
Hwaahhhh!!
Yeo Il-ye leaned back, as if drawn by a bowstring.
“So from now on, I will show you.”
With the speed of an arrow released from a bow, Yeo Il-ye shot forth.
Swishhhhh!!!
Trailing behind was a heavy iron chain scraping against the ground, sparking as it flew. Yeo Il-ye, closing in on the Black Armored Dragon in one leap, propelled herself upward.
Jumping vertically, Yeo Il-ye flipped her body in mid-air, planting her feet against the cavern ceiling made by the Black Armored Dragon gnawing through the rocks.
‘This is definitely risky.’
While she had confidently proclaimed to Ho Cheon-an, the inherent dangers didn’t vanish. She could risk being stuck by the spear or the implications that came with it. What creature would just sit still while being impaled?
Of course, she would flail desperately, and once Yeo Il-ye inserted the spear, she would soon be in danger.
However.
‘If I keep going like this, someone will end up dead or injured.’
As the Nightlights dwindled, the burden on the practitioners holding them increased. Tang Do-yeon felt overwhelmingly exhausted as he swung the chains.
No matter how perfect the plan was, there were always hiccups in practice.
‘Still, we should be able to make it if all goes well.’
Ho Cheon-an’s plan was well-structured and adaptable to various variables. The only issue was that the real-world situation was not as favorable as he had predicted. There would be some damage but not enough for total failure.
But would Ho Cheon-an blame himself even if they succeeded?
Thinking of Ho Cheon-an’s expression, Yeo Il-ye smirked and rallied all her internal power.
“I don’t like that.”
Boom!!
Kicking off the ceiling, Yeo Il-ye split her internal energy into two parts.
Swoosh!!
One was for the protective energy enveloping her body!
And the other was the technique known as the Heavy Ground Pull.
‘This is working!’
Yeo Il-ye chuckled. She believed she could do it, but realizing it was truly working was astonishing.
The practitioners gaped in amazement.
A torrent of blue light descended from the ceiling like a thunderbolt, colliding directly with the Black Armored Dragon!
In that moment, Yeo Il-ye distinctly saw it. A moment where the spear’s clash marked a line on the armor of the Black Armored Dragon as it struck, embedding itself within.
Crash!!
The Black Armored Dragon convulsed, opening its mouth. Though silent, it looked like it was screaming in agony.
The spear was embedded!
Immediately following the Black Armored Dragon’s violent thrashing, Yeo Il-ye was thrown back. Ho Cheon-an stretched out, soaring through the air towards Yeo Il-ye. With a last-minute jump before she hit the ground, he caught her, rolling across the floor.
“Haah!!”
Separately, Tang Do-yeon seized the opportunity and swung the chains with all his might. His arms felt as if they would break, and his internal power was running low, but he had no time to complain while others were risking their lives to bind the chains.
Thus, the number of chains wrapped around the Black Armored Dragon totaled seven.
Before moving to the next chain, Tang Do-yeon followed the two. While Yeo Il-ye might have been oblivious, seeing Ho Cheon-an immediately raise his upper body marked Tang Do-yeon’s move toward the next chain.
“Miss Yeo Il-ye! Are you alright?”
“Cough, I’m fine. I have no injuries; it was just a moment where my flow of Qi was interrupted because I used too much internal power at once.”
Ho Cheon-an let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Miss Yeo Il-ye smiling. Though she had coughed lightly, there didn’t seem to be any visible wounds.
“Did you see? This Yeo Il-ye is capable of this much.”
“…I see. I’m sorry for not recognizing that sooner.”
Ho Cheon-an’s heart sank, but he concluded with just a deep sigh. There was no time to scold when the situation was urgent.
Yeo Il-ye chuckled at Ho Cheon-an’s expression, which clearly showed he was forcing himself to hold back.
“I feel like I’ve just started to repay that kindness.”
“That kindness, I think, has more than been repaid just by leading me to the Peak Stage. If it weren’t for Miss Yeo’s suggestions and explanations, I might still be stuck at a mediocre level. You’ve never once frowned while watching my training since then.”
“Hehe, could you really call that enough to repay the kindness?”
Ho Cheon-an shook his head at Yeo Il-ye’s stubbornness, and she smirked as she rose back to her feet. She wanted to remain in his arms, but there was still work to do.
Swish!!
Quickly, the eighth chain wrapped around.
The reason was simple.
“The creature’s movements have slowed!”
“It seems the spear took a hit!”
The spear that Yeo Il-ye had thrust in was interfering with the Black Armored Dragon’s movements. The other chains only restricted its mobility, but Yeo Il-ye’s spear had penetrated through the armor, directly stirring the insides, making it difficult to maneuver freely.
Moreover, there were already seven chains wrapped around it. No matter how agile the Black Armored Dragon was, it was becoming increasingly difficult for it to move.
Swish!!
The ninth and tenth chains were soon bound to the Black Armored Dragon.
“Everyone grab a chain and pull!!”
The practitioners forming pairs strained to pull the unyielded chains. Ho Cheon-an rushed to secure the chains in place, ensuring they bound the creature tightly.
Clank! Clank!!
The Black Armored Dragon had become something akin to a centipede caught in a spider’s web! It thrashed around, but its movements were more desperate than threatening.
“Finally… it’s over.”
Panting, Tang Do-yeon gasped for breath. Ho Cheon-an passed the last remaining chain over to Tang Do-yeon.
“Please.”
“Haah!!”
With the last of his internal power and strength, Tang Do-yeon swung the chains.
Swish!!
The shape of those chains appeared similar to something modern people might compare to.
Like a chainsaw blade.
Tang Do-yeon’s swing perfectly wrapped around the spot where Yeo Il-ye had embedded the spear.
Yeo Il-ye accepted the chains and pulled up her remaining internal power. Though she had spent much energy in the previous attack, the remaining power, a little over 30%, was more than enough.
“Haah!!”
Crunch!!
The blades began to dig little by little into the armor. With Yeo Il-ye’s vast internal power manifested as sheer strength alone, the blades started to gnaw at the armor as they moved.
Grinding her teeth, Yeo Il-ye pulled out all her strength. Breaking the armor was ultimately her role. Even if she managed to embed a spear, failing to fulfill her original role would be a reversal of her duties.
‘I must finish this… properly!’
Creeeak!!
As the blades released, countless sparks erupted off the armor.
Realizing that its armor was being ground away, the Black Armored Dragon thrashed desperately. The chains screamed as they shook. The spear they had just driven in bent precariously, and the trembling chains groaned.
“Now!!!”
At that pivotal moment, Yeo Il-ye put all her might into pulling the blades!
Creeeak!!
Radiating from the spear-impacted area, the armor of the Black Armored Dragon shattered into pieces.
“Asura’s form! Three Origin One Strike!”
Waiting for this moment, the practitioners formed the array as commanded by Sudalcha, channeling their Qi into him.
“Haah!”
Receiving the energy from twelve practitioners, Sudalcha unleashed a punch toward the exposed weakness.
Boom!!
Everyone in the cavern, witnessing the scene of the imposing body of the Black Armored Dragon being cleaved in two, paused in their tracks.
“It’s finished.”
The Spirit Beast Hunting that had been guarding the last material needed for Sara’s Nine Yin Absolute Pulse had come to an end.
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