Chapter 790: This Is Only The Beginning

TL: FoodieMonster007

Lee Ahn walked along the lakeside with Ji Han.

Despite the late hour, the area was crowded. People strolled slowly around the lake's perimeter, where rows of peddlers sold their goods. Vendors offered alcohol, snacks, and fireworks.

The peaceful scene only made Lee Ahn more anxious.

Ji Han said cautiously, "This may sound strange, but I smell something ominous."

He drew the air in deeply. He had been focusing on the scents for a while, trusting his nose more than his eyes.

"There's a scent I can't quite describe. It's mixed with a strong metallic smell."

Lee Ahn looked around but saw no unusual changes in her surroundings. However, being unable to see a crisis meant it could be that much more dangerous.

"It's just a feeling, but…"

"That feeling, I trust it."

Lee Ahn let out a long whistle, and a nearby Ghost Shadow Squad martial artist responded with a bird call. The signal was relayed through a song before turning back into a whistle. This was the prearranged warning to prepare for danger.

In the distance, Lee Ahn saw Cha Yiran and the Third Division members glance in her direction. The scattered Ghost Shadow Squad martial artists had all tensed inwardly at her warning.

Just then, a brilliant golden radiance erupted from the middle of the distant lake.

Lee Ahn instantly realized what it was. "It's the Demonic Buddha!"

The light, which had been spreading in all directions, now focused on a single point. The Demonic Buddha and the Drunken Demon were actually breaking through a barrier, but she was too far away to see exactly what they were doing.

She could only feel with certainty that something was happening, so she gazed past the shining light toward the Ship of Fortune.

Young Cult Leader! If the Demonic Buddha had to reveal himself with such a brilliant light, something must have happened inside the Ship of Fortune. Don't let yourself get even a single scratch!

She sincerely prayed that Geom Mugeuk would emerge safely.

At that very moment, her instinct for danger flared. Without hesitation, she threw herself at Ji Han, and the two tumbled to the ground.

SWISH SWISH!

Steel needles shot through the spot where she and Ji Han had just stood. The needles' speed and power proved they were not thrown by a person.

As she sprang to her feet, a whistle was already in her mouth.

PWEEET!

The moment the emergency signal echoed, the enemy's full-scale attack began.

Before Lee Ahn could even identify the attackers, an orb flew toward her.

WHOOSH! BANG!

A cloud of smoke billowed from the orb.

As her vision was obscured, Lee Ahn felt an intense killing intent from beyond the smoke.

SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH!

A barrage of hidden weapons fired indiscriminately from beyond the smoke.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!

She drew her sword and deflected the incoming hidden weapons. Their speed made them difficult to block even with clear sight, but her vision was now obscured.

Ordinarily, she would have had to leap away to dodge, or leaped up and blocked them from outside the smoke. However, if she did that, the Ghost Shadow Squad martial artists and the ordinary citizens behind her would all be killed.

This enemy didn't care about the lives of others. No, perhaps they were even using that to their advantage.

Soon, the smoke cleared, and a man and a woman who had been strolling behind Lee Ahn stared in shock, having fallen on their butts. They looked completely bewildered, not understanding what had just happened.

Lee Ahn was no longer where she had been standing.

"Gurgle."

A sword was embedded in the chest of a man who had been on the other side of the smoke.

Lee Ahn's wrist still throbbed from deflecting the hidden weapons, and now she understood why the attack had been so powerful.

Attached to the right arm of the man she had stabbed was a cylindrical steel hidden weapons launcher. Even at a glance, it was a weapon of immense power.

The man died with a look of disbelief. He had thought that at such a close range, she wouldn't be able to block the attack even without the smoke, yet she had deflected every single hidden weapon from within it.

She blocked the Certain Kill Bomb from inside a smoke screen?

What he did not know was that Lee Ahn had deflected not only the hidden weapons aimed at her, but also all the ones headed for other targets.

This was the skill of a woman who had achieved complete mastery of the Soaring Sky Sword Art and yet continued to train endlessly.

"Watch out!" Ji Han shouted, as another man charging in from a different direction aimed a hidden weapon at Lee Ahn.

Thankfully, before he could fire the Certain Kill Bomb, his throat was slit.

SHIIIIING! SPURT!

The man collapsed, spewing blood. Cha Yiran was revealed standing behind him.

Cha Yiran nodded in response to Lee Ahn's grateful glance. As an assassin, she possessed extensive knowledge of hidden weapons, and had recognized the hidden weapon at a single glance.

"It's the Certain Kill Bomb, a hidden weapon from the Divine Mechanical Engineering Sect with terrifying power despite being easy to carry and use."

About fifty years ago, the Divine Mechanical Engineering Sect was famous for its mechanical devices and hidden weapons. The hidden weapons and mechanical devices they created were so exceptional that there was hardly anyone in the jianghu who didn't know of them. The Murim Alliance even purchased their devices to install in their own headquarters.

One day, the sect was suddenly annihilated. The Murim Alliance launched a large-scale investigation, but they were never able to find out why or by whom they were destroyed.

"The masterminds behind this must have annihilated the Divine Mechanical Engineering Sect and stolen their technology," Lee Ahn surmised.

Cha Yiran nodded in agreement. "It seems so. Though… if they are truly using the Divine Mechanical Engineering Sect's technology, then the Certain Kill Bomb is only the beginning."

A look of worry crossed her face.

The Demonic Army stood by, their wagons hidden in a nearby forest.

Jang Ho had carried out countless operations, but he had never been this tense. The Young Cult Leader's presence, along with an operation involving Lee Ahn and several Demon Supremes, was the likely cause.

Just then, a whistle sounded from outside the forest.

PWEEET!

The Demonic Army reacted instantly to the emergency whistle.

"We move out now!" Jang Ho commanded.

The waiting Demonic Army members charged out all at once, Jang Ho at their head.

The moment he was about to exit the forest, though, he felt an indescribable unease.

"Halt!" he roared, screeching to a halt.

The Demonic Army members following him also stopped in unison.

Soon, Jang Ho understood the source of the unsettling feeling. The peddlers' carts at the entrance now faced them, even though to do business, they should have been facing the crowded lakeside instead.

In that fleeting moment of tension and silence, something rose from the carts so naturally and silently that Jang Ho initially felt nothing was wrong.

An iron pillar shot up from the center of each cart. On top of each pillar, a large iron cylinder bristling with dozens of holes aimed at them. Hidden weapon launchers revealed themselves from all four wagons in unison.

"Take cover!"

The moment Jang Ho's shout rang out, hidden weapons fired from all the carts at once.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHK!

The ones who fired the hidden weapons were not martial artists. To avoid blowing their cover, the Dark Palace had used subordinates who possessed no inner arts but had trained for a long time by posing as actual peddlers.

The speed and power of these weapons were incomparable to the portable Certain Kill Bomb used earlier.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!

Jang Ho retreated, deflecting the hidden weapons with his sword. Even though he had fully infused his sword with inner qi, his wrist ached as if it would break.

Fortunately, because he had noticed and reacted quickly, the Demonic Army members following him were able to hide behind trees.

He would not just take the attack lying down.

SHWIIIIING!

As he retreated, Jang Ho unleashed a fierce stream of sword qi.

KAAAAANG!

Unfortunately, an iron plate, impervious to sword qi, had already risen to protect the enemy firing the hidden weapons. Unless he could fire his sword qi precisely through the small peephole the enemy was using, he could not kill them.

With hidden weapons raining down, it was impossible to aim his sword qi with such precision.

Finally, a subordinate from the Demonic Army skilled in hidden weapons and mechanisms recognized what was being fired from the carts.

"It's the Divine Mechanical Engineering Sect's Tempest Rapid-Fire Cannon!"

Jang Ho's expression hardened. He did not know the details about the Divine Mechanical Engineering Sect, but he knew one thing for certain—their outstanding technology was still the stuff of legends.

In the meantime, a new cart arrived, twice the size of the others. It was the large cart that had been selling noodles up ahead. The old man operating it was also a subordinate of the Dark Palace who had not learned martial arts.

The hidden weapons loaded on that cart were much larger than the previous ones.

"It's the Heavenly Punishment Death Cannon!" the knowledgeable subordinate yelled urgently.

Jang Ho could tell from the man's urgent voice that this weapon was far more dangerous than the previous one.

FWOOOOSH!

A steel bolt, slower but incomparably larger and more powerful than before, was fired.

CRASH! CRUNCH!

The tree he was hiding behind shattered from the projectile's immense power.

"Back! Get back!"

Jang Ho and the Demonic Army retreated again.

FWOOSH! KRAKOOM!

The ground was torn up and shrapnel flew, but they retreated calmly, walking backward. They knew from long experience that getting agitated in a situation like this would get them all killed.

While this happened at the front, the Demonic Army members at the rear climbed onto their wagons. It was not to move the wagons, nor was it to escape.

KACHAK!

The first Demonic Army member to board operated a device inside the wagon.

KLANG, KLANG, KLANG, KLANG.

Lines appeared on the wagon's walls with a metallic sound.

The Demonic Army members inside pulled handles attached to the walls.

CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK.

The wagon walls separated into several large pieces. Surprisingly, the pieces were large shields, designed to serve as wagon walls normally and shields in an emergency.

Even the letters and pictures painted on the wagon's exterior were drawn to form their own distinct designs when turned into shields.

These were the tactical shields of the Demonic Army, used for combat in emergencies.

The walls of the parked wagons were all disassembled, and the Demonic Army members rushed out with the shields. They were giant shields, large enough for two of their large bodies to stand side-by-side.

The enemy's weapons could not fire continuously. They had to take turns reloading.

The moment the most powerful weapon, the Heavenly Punishment Death Cannon, paused to reload its bolt, Jang Ho gave his command, "FIRE!"

The Demonic Army members from the rear charged forward with their shields raised.

Their first target was the Heavenly Punishment Death Cannon, which even the shields could not block.

The Tempest Rapid-Fire Cannon unleashed a volley to protect it.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!

The barrage of hidden weapons hammered against the shields. However, two Demonic Army members pushed forward, raising their qi to the limit. Other Demonic Army members ran close behind them. A dozen men clung to a single shield.

The shields were not made of ordinary metal. They were the pinnacle of the smithy's technology, specially crafted for the Demonic Army.

As they pushed forward, the Demonic Army members holding the shields at the front staggered from the powerful impacts. Other Demonic Army members from behind swapped places with them and pushed on.

The faces of those firing the hidden weapons filled with bewilderment. They had never expected the Demonic Army to use shields, let alone bulldoze their way forward.

"Hurry! Reload!"

The Heavenly Punishment Death Cannon's hidden weapon was reloaded.

FWOOOOOM! KRA-BOOM!

The Heavenly Punishment Death Cannon struck the lead shield. Unable to withstand the force, the Demonic Army members were pushed back. The two men holding the shield vomited blood.

The Demonic Army members behind them took their place holding the shield, and the injured were moved to the rear. Their shields did not break, and their fighting spirit could not be doused.

Before the second shot could be fired, Jang Ho leaped over the shields and soared into the air.

The fast-firing Tempest Rapid-Fire Cannons all aimed at the sky, targeting him. The Heavenly Punishment Death Cannon also instinctively aimed for him.

SHK SHK SHK SHK SHK SHK SHK!

Jang Ho deflected the incoming attacks by swinging his sword in mid-air. Blocking in the air was twice as difficult and risked his life, but he bravely became the bait. Fortunately, the Heavenly Punishment Death Cannon was slow for its power, so he could dodge it.

The Demonic Army did not miss that moment. The shield wall opened, and the Demonic Army members charged out from within.

SHWAAAAAAAA!

Their huge bodies charged forward at an insane speed. By the time the startled enemies aimed at them again, they had already arrived.

CRASH!

The Demonic Army members slammed their bodies directly into the carts. At the same time, Jang Ho also swooped down from the air and thrust his sword through the hole in the iron plate.

THWUMP!

The man behind it was pierced through the face and collapsed.

A cart that had not yet been attacked spun around, but a Demonic Army warrior who arrived right after, shield in hand, charged straight at it.

CRAAASH!

The cart was smashed and overturned. Just as the martial artist who had been using the hidden weapons stood up, the massive shield struck him.

THWACK!

His entire body shattered, and he tumbled to the ground. The last thing he saw were the large characters for 'Demonic Army (魔軍)' painted on the shield.

The Demonic Army swept through the area like a storm. Just as they were catching their breath, they heard the continuous sound of something being launched from a distance.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP THUMP.

Dozens of iron balls, each the size of an adult's fist, flew toward the Demonic Army's position in an arc.

Jang Ho shouted, "Deploy the Turtle Shell iron wall Formation!"

The next moment, the Demonic Army members with shields all gathered around Jang Ho.

CHK-CHK-CHK-CHK-CHK-CHK-CHK-CHK!

They used the shields to block all sides and even the ceiling, forming a turtle's shell.

BOOM! KRA-BOOM! BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!

The iron balls exploded in mid-air.

PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING!

Hundreds of smaller iron pellets burst out in all directions at incredible speed.

The powerfully flying pellets hammered against the shields. Because the pellets were so small and flew with such force, they would have been difficult to block without the shields. Moreover, more iron balls were continuously flying in.

The Demonic Army members infused their shields with qi to block the assault. The shields vibrated as if they would shatter at any moment.

BOOM! BOOM! KRA-BOOM! KRA-BOOM!

Jang Ho also infused qi into the ceiling shields along with the other Demonic Army members.

His heart grew anxious. He truly never imagined that enemies armed with the hidden weapons and mechanisms of the Divine Mechanical Engineering Sect would be waiting for them here.

What if this attack was unleashed on the Ghost Shadow Squad?

Even for the Demonic Army, with their tactical shields, this attack was not easy to block. The Ghost Shadow Squad would suffer immense casualties.

Knowing Lee Ahn's personality, she would try to protect her subordinates no matter what, and even she could end up in a dangerous situation. That could not be allowed to happen.

If Lee Ahn were to die or get injured, how could I possibly face the Young Cult Leader in the future?

"We will protect the Ghost Shadow Squad. Charge forward in this formation!"

The Demonic Army began to move quickly, maintaining the Turtle Shell iron wall Formation while enduring the explosions.

It was the strongest and fastest turtle in the world.