The soil and rocks that were forming the ground became visible as we were falling.
The distance to the ground was roughly between 50 to 100 feet. I couldn’t accurately gauge the distance, but it felt deep enough that with a little effort, we could return to the battlefield.
Where we were falling into was a pit.
It was simply about 100 feet deep and extremely wide.
Realizing that the actions of the Mosan Sect Taoists had not caused a natural disaster, but rather set an artificial trap, I managed to regain some composure.
“Use your lightness skill!”
With Hyeok Gi-rin’s nearly frantic suggestion, everyone simultaneously activated their lightness skills.
For ordinary people, falling from a height of 10 feet would easily lead to injury, but my group consisted of Peak Experts who could easily perform the rare skills to lighten their bodies.
Of course, that didn’t mean we would be safe falling unprotected from a height of 100 feet.
Who in the world has experienced falling from a height of 100 feet due to ground collapse?
Despite being thrown into chaos, we quickly coordinated our actions thanks to Six Star Chen, who was leading us.
“Let’s stick to the wall!”
The word ‘wall’ caught my attention and I glanced at a bracelet I hadn’t used in ages.
Qichae.
After acquiring it, I had thought it would be useful for breaking through traps during the divine beast hunts, and it had been lying dormant since then after I showcased my maneuverability against Hyeok Gi-rin back in my Yongji Maeng days.
“Grab my hand!”
As Six Star Chen’s presence was still flowing, my companions quickly kicked off the falling rocks around us to gather towards me.
Miss Yeo Il-ye took my hand, and the others lined up behind her.
Swoosh!!
With a mighty throw, Qichae shot toward the rock wall.
The moment its ring embedded into the rock through dozens of feet, immense pressure clamped down on my arm, pulling me closer to the wall in a graceful arc.
Crash!
The rock wall couldn’t withstand the pressure and shattered, allowing Qichae’s ring to slip free, but I had anticipated this much. I retrieved Qichae and shot it into the rock wall again.
Boom!!
As expected, the rock wall collapsed under the force, but by then, we had generated enough momentum to reach the rock.
The pressure on my left hand disappeared.
The group, letting go of each other, began to embed their weapons into the wall.
I did the same with my Great Sword, and our falling speed noticeably decreased.
Crash!!!
At that moment, something flew toward us.
It was Blood Bullet.
“Spread out!”
However, the attack from Blood Bullet was a tad late. We had already slowed our descent using Qichae’s strength and once embedded our weapons into the wall, we had regained enough maneuverability.
As the group evaded Blood Bullets using their own skills.
Shwoooom!!
The black serpent fell nearby, colliding with the ground first, followed by Blood Ancestor on top of the serpent’s head. The serpent thrashed violently, but its movements seemed more surprised than pained.
Even though it was 100 feet high, considering its massive size and sturdy body, that height wasn’t all that dangerous for the black serpent.
The real threat of falling rocks tumbled down before us, raising a cloud of dust.
The dust shot up, covering the ground so thickly that it was hard to see.
We landed amid that dirt.
Once we touched down, we could no longer see the enormous body of the black serpent.
The ground was a complete mess due to the falling soil and rocks. It looked nothing like an underground floor; it resembled a treacherous mountain area.
We hid our bodies against a massive terrain feature.
In this unfavorable terrain without any visibility, we couldn’t confront Blood Ancestor and the black serpent.
“To think you possessed such an item, you truly are one hell of a lucky fellow.”
Blood Ancestor spoke.
It was in stark contrast to how silent he had been during the long battle before falling into the trap.
“If you hadn’t had that item, I could have easily taken your head off.”
“Is that so?”
Crash!!
As soon as I countered, a Blood Bullet flew at me. However, it didn’t hit me as I had hidden behind the enormous rock.
Given the situation, it was obvious why he was trying to engage me in conversation. He was attempting to pinpoint my location.
In a situation where thick dust obscured everything and the terrain features were unrecognizable, even a high-level expert wouldn’t be able to locate me with just their instincts.
Despite knowing Blood Ancestor’s intentions, I spoke up to warn my companions.
To be cautious of Blood Ancestor’s ambush.
Fortunately, it seemed my companions understood my warning, as Blood Ancestor’s presence grew fainter.
A brief silence fell.
Perhaps Blood Ancestor was searching for us. So he had silenced his presence and stopped talking.
I recalled the substantial size of the black serpent and clicked my tongue inwardly. With how massive it was, did it make sense for it to move without causing any sound at all?
As small rocks tumbled down and sounds of battle faintly echoed, I realized I couldn’t let this continue. Blood Ancestor spoke again.
“Ha ha! To think you would activate a trap just to catch me. How absurd…”
Indeed.
We had evaded a trap at a low cost.
If a formation team had defeated a divine entity, what would their next target have been?
Of course, it would have been Blood Ancestor and the black serpent.
What would have happened if the trap had been set off after dragging the formation team into it?
I had Qichae, and Six Star Chen had a small formation with him, which allowed us to land without taking damage due to that one Qichae; otherwise, a regular formation team would have suffered immense losses.
Would the formation team have been able to exert their full strength scattered and fallen in these treacherous grounds, after having received serious injuries and being disoriented? Blood Ancestor would have easily taken care of them.
Such an opportunity had been missed.
For Blood Ancestor, it was a combination of unfortunate events.
Who would have thought a high-level martial artist could be defeated by the Heavenly Demon?
I thought Miss Wi Seorye was impressive enough to withstand Gu Mo-seol, and yet here we were.
Gu Mo-seol’s defeat was an unforeseen setback for Blood Ancestor, and in a bid to cover that setback, he reluctantly triggered the trap.
While the outcome might not have met expectations, he was aiming to dispose of me swiftly and turn the tide of the battle back to his favor.
However, the fact that he had set a trap that harmed me and my companions was probably quite frustrating for Blood Ancestor.
Of course.
The current situation was too dire to worry about Blood Ancestor’s frustrations.
Despite everything, we were still the ones caught in the trap.
“How long do you plan to hide like a rat?”
I cautiously distanced myself while approximating Blood Ancestor’s position from the sound of his voice.
What could be the reason Blood Ancestor kept talking to me?
In this deep pit, where not even a breeze stirred and the dust refused to settle, it was spacious enough to fit an entire sports stadium.
Even if the black serpent could move silently, it would still find it tough to move fast without producing sound.
Blood Ancestor didn’t have the luxury of time, as he paced slowly, searching through the wide pit.
With the trap activated, we found ourselves unable to receive help from Wi Ji-cheon; conversely, that meant Wi Ji-cheon could afford to divert resources elsewhere.
If he didn’t eliminate us quickly, the situation would turn against him.
“When I came here for revenge for my daughter, that guy, and his children, isn’t that the reason?”
…So he’s trying to provoke me to ascertain my position.
Knowing that, I still responded.
“Of course.”
In the end, if Blood Ancestor quietly searched for us, someone among my companions would eventually be discovered.
When that ‘when’ would be, no one could know.
Rather than gamble with my companions’ lives, it was a much wiser decision to take the risk myself.
I anticipated an attack and moved, but surprisingly, Blood Ancestor didn’t shoot any Blood Bullets.
“Ha ha… Do you still believe you can succeed in this situation? It’s only a matter of time before you die.”
It was indeed a very dangerous predicament.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was a life-or-death crisis.
“Do you believe that Heavenly Demon Wi Ji-cheon would continue to uphold his loyalty even after your death? Ha ha! Such expectations are too high.”
“That won’t happen. I will defeat you.”
Blood Ancestor merely laughed without responding.
That laughter made me feel uneasy. What Blood Ancestor needed most right now was time. Putting on a show would only add to his disadvantages.
And in the next moment, I realized why Blood Ancestor seemed so composed.
Woosh-
A gust of wind started blowing from within the pit.
The moment I saw that wind, I recalled the Mosan Sect Taoists who had bestowed a headwind upon us before the clash began.
While it wasn’t a particularly strong wind, the dust enclosed in the pit began to rush out, clearing the area quickly.
The thick dust that had obscured everything just moments ago became thin almost instantly.
The black serpent, finding no need to hide any longer, rose up, and the companions who had been covered in suitable debris appeared with puzzled expressions.
Only then did I realize that Blood Ancestor’s actions were aimed at scattering us.
Blood Ancestor had plopped himself right in the center of the pit, and we were scattered everywhere.
And above Blood Ancestor’s head, numerous Blood Bullets were hovering.
“Alright then, give it your best shot.”
“Honorable Person!”
“Senior!”
With almost desperate cries from my companions, Blood Ancestor’s Blood Bullets fired, and the black serpent swung its tail toward me.
Immediately, I activated the Seven Thunder Defense Technique and navigated through the treacherous terrain.
Boom!!
The black serpent’s tail smashed the exact spot where I had been standing moments earlier. I quickly expanded the Truth of Trust while dodging the Blood Bullets that came flying toward me and barely managed to evade the black serpent’s tail as it swung low.
It was truly a hair’s breadth away.
Thanks to the tail getting caught on some terrain features, I survived.
Before I could even catch my breath, Blood Ancestor’s Blood Bullets rained down like pellets.
Now, he seemed fully intent on deciding the match, uncaring even as the blood seemed to be pooling.
With an ocean of blood bullets crowding my vision, I gritted my teeth and deployed my techniques.
I couldn’t find any openings to dodge them, so I had no choice but to escape the attack range entirely.
Accelerating with Six Spirit Blossoming, I hurled myself against a massive rock.
Crash!!
As the Blood Bullets embedded into the boulder, I thought I had narrowly survived.
But then, pain shot up my calf.
In the end, a Blood Bullet had hit me in the leg.
I had thought the thick rock would withstand the attack, but perhaps the thin part had been penetrated somehow.
“Yongji Maeng!”
“No!”
With my companion’s scream, the tail fell mercilessly. I was in an angle where the rock was shielding me, but I struck the ground hard with my arms and uninjured leg.
There was no way the battered boulder could hold against that colossal tail of the black serpent.
Boom!!
I narrowly avoided a direct hit, but the debris from the shattered rock rained down on me. I barely activated my protective talisman, but pain wracked my entire body.
Rolling on the ground, I struggled to rise, but after being battered with rocks all over my body, I found it hard to breathe and control my limbs.
When I finally managed to get my upper body up, I caught glimpses of my companions rushing toward me with anxious expressions, caught up in the black serpent’s tail’s swings, along with the triumphant grin of Blood Ancestor as he readied to unleash more Blood Bullets.
In that moment, I managed to drag my Great Sword closer to me, but I had no faith that I could do anything.
I had exploded my inner strength to use my lightness skill and my protective talisman.
It was a life-or-death situation, so I had to draw upon all my strength.
As a result, my body felt entirely spent.
Even if an ordinary martial artist could pump themselves back up quickly with enough strength, I was trained in bursting out my energy all at once, so I had to take a beat to recharge while my energy awaited replenishment.
My flimsy sword wouldn’t stand a chance against the Blood Bullets.
Would I die here?
That thought crept into my mind.
Szzziiiip!!
At that moment, a sound resembling Seo Gong’s cry echoed somewhere.
Could it be Seo Gong sensing our peril and coming down to help? Yet even if he returned to his original form, he would still be far too weak to contend with the black serpent.
I thought that he might not arrive in time but perhaps my companions would be alright.
Just as I had that thought, a shadow fell across Blood Ancestor’s face.
No.
A colossal shadow completely enveloped the area, including Blood Ancestor. Even he flinched and looked up.
I too glanced toward the sky.
Szzzzziiiiiing!!
From above, Seo Gong had swollen to an insane size and was plummeting down!
