novelraw Chapter 234 : Chapter 234
Chapter 234 : Chapter 234
Chapter 234. Final Battle (4)
It was an enormous surge of Enhanced Qi.
Unfortunately, the Beggars’ Sect disciples who had been closest to the Grand Elder were swept away.
“AAAAARGH!!”
Amid the chaos of screams, the Grand Elder once again swung both blades through the air.
Just as before, two massive streams of Enhanced Qi erupted from the blades.
But this time, instead of the sounds of slicing and screaming, thunderous explosions rang out repeatedly.
BOOM!!!
Thirty-six beggars had taken their positions and blocked the Grand Elder’s attack.
Then something strange happened.
“Amitabha.”
The thirty-six beggars who had blocked the attack chanted the Buddha’s name at the same time.
Some even had blood flowing from their mouths, likely from the internal injuries they had suffered while blocking the attack.
Moreover, all thirty-six of them had shaved heads despite being dressed as beggars.
Seeing this, the Grand Elder sneered and raised his blades again.
“Let us see how long you can endure!!”
Just as the Grand Elder was about to swing—
Crimson energy suddenly shot toward him from both sides.
“Tch.”
The Grand Elder spun his twin blades and formed a barrier of energy.
PATPATPAT!
While the sounds echoed, another thirty-six beggars appeared on both sides, each occupying a position.
In the blink of an eye, a massive formation surrounded the Grand Elder.
A total of one hundred and eight.
Three groups of thirty-six had formed a large circular formation around him.
Although they looked like beggars, every one of them had a shaved head.
And as if it were only natural, they all chanted.
“Amitabha.”
They were Shaolin Arhat monks disguised as Beggars’ Sect members.
This had been planned from the beginning.
Thanks to Jin Yuseong, they had roughly grasped the strength of the Demonic Cult.
To face the Cult Leader—their greatest master—Jin Yuseong, the Beggars’ Sect Leader, and the Shaolin Abbot had decided to attack together.
However, there was still one monster remaining.
The Grand Elder.
The ones assigned to deal with him were these Shaolin Arhat monks.
Using Shaolin’s greatest formation, known as the strongest formation of the Central Plains.
The One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation.
For that reason, the Shaolin monks had disguised themselves as beggars to hide their identities.
All for the moment when the Grand Elder stepped forward.
As soon as the one hundred and eight Arhat monks took their positions, their energies began to resonate.
A heavy aura spread across the battlefield.
It began pressing down on the Grand Elder trapped in the center of the formation.
Facing the Grand Elder who was suppressed by the overwhelming aura created by the One Hundred and Eight Arhats, an old monk spoke.
“Amitabha. Because of you, far too many people have lost their lives.”
It was Master Gongcheon, the one leading the formation.
“If you are willing to cripple your own dantian and repent even now, we shall spare your life in accordance with the precept against killing. How about spending the rest of your life reflecting on your sins in the Repentance Hall of our temple?”
A sinister smile spread across the Grand Elder’s lips.
“What fault is there in devouring worms that have no meaning even if they live?”
At that moment, a black, viscous energy began to seep from his body.
“Should they not be grateful instead? Those worms became nourishment. The nourishment for us chosen ones to ascend to the heavens.”
An immense demonic aura surged outward, pushing back the heavy energy of the Arhat Formation.
He might have been inferior to the Cult Leader, but within the True Bright Cult, the Grand Elder had practiced demonic arts longer than anyone.
For decades he had practiced demonic techniques while devouring countless lives.
Even after accumulating such an immense amount of demonic energy, he had not gone mad.
He was a monster.
At the Grand Elder’s refusal, Master Gongcheon let out a sigh.
“Amitabha.”
It was a sigh mixed with complicated emotions—and relief.
‘I see that even this monk has not yet freed himself from worldly attachments.’
He had offered the proposal only out of adherence to Buddhist law.
In truth, Gongcheon had no desire to capture that man alive.
“You have rejected the Buddha’s final mercy. Fall into hell!”
As he shouted, Master Gongcheon had already taken a stance.
“Activate!”
At his command, the one hundred and eight Arhat monks moved in perfect unison.
Some of them strangely adopted the same posture as Gongcheon.
They thrust their palms forward.
Their energies resonated together, condensing in the air.
The gathered power formed the shape of a gigantic golden hand and slammed down toward the Grand Elder’s head.
The Grand Elder hurriedly raised his twin blades.
The massive black surge of Enhanced Qi from his blades collided with the enormous Buddha Palm.
BOOM!!
Dust exploded into the air.
The Grand Elder gritted his teeth.
His aged body felt as though every muscle and bone was being crushed.
He twisted the trajectory of his blades.
BOOM!!
Another explosion echoed as the Grand Elder’s body was thrown to the left.
No.
He had intentionally leaped in that direction.
In an instant, the distance closed.
With a shout, he swung his left blade toward the nearest Arhat monk.
“HAAAH!!”
“Amitabha.”
At the monk’s chant, the surrounding aura gathered around him.
The monk threw a punch, forming a golden fist aura.
It was an attack far beyond the monk’s own level.
The power of the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation.
BOOM!
The moment the blade and the fist aura collided—
The Grand Elder swung his right blade.
Not toward the monk exchanging blows with him.
But toward another monk standing slightly farther away.
The energy flow of the formation shook.
Once again, power gathered toward that direction.
“HAAH!”
The monk hurriedly swung his arm, deflecting the incoming black surge.
Meanwhile, the Grand Elder had already leaped toward another monk.
He did not obsess over breaking through a single point.
‘There are no openings anyway.’
The One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation was a vast and sturdy prison.
But openings could be created.
‘The bigger and stronger something is, the more easily it collapses from a tiny crack!’
Instead of focusing on one point, he shook the entire formation.
Streams of Enhanced Qi burst endlessly from his twin blades, flying in all directions.
Each time, the Arhat monks leaped and shifted their positions.
With every movement, the flow of energy within the formation trembled.
The Arhats’ combined energy condensed and blocked the Grand Elder’s attacks.
“Amitabha!”
At times, the formation’s immense power pressed down on him in return.
The one hundred and eight monks moved like a single organism.
It was only natural.
They had trained in this formation together for decades.
But no matter how perfectly they moved, perfection was impossible.
After all, one hundred and eight people were moving simultaneously.
As the Grand Elder rampaged everywhere, tiny errors began to appear.
“Ugh.”
Blood flowed from the Grand Elder’s mouth.
Internal injuries accumulated.
But he did not care.
‘Soon.’
He could feel the formation’s energy gradually destabilizing.
BOOM!!
Another explosion echoed as the Grand Elder leaped to the right.
Then the opportunity he had been waiting for finally appeared.
“Cough!”
One Arhat monk vomited blood violently.
He had failed to withstand the impact.
At that moment, the flow of the formation’s energy was briefly cut off.
But the Arhat monks did not panic.
They had anticipated such situations.
The monks simultaneously unleashed punches, palm strikes, and kicks into the air.
Although these were not techniques empowered by the formation, dozens of fist auras and palm winds surged through the air.
They were merely buying time to restore the formation.
The Grand Elder saw through it immediately.
“HAAAH!!”
Ignoring defense completely, he swung both blades toward the broken position.
Fist auras and palm winds struck his body.
He quickly covered his body with demonic energy.
PATPATPAT!
“Urk!”
The hastily formed barrier was not enough.
Though he protected his vital points, his entire body bruised and blood surged from his mouth.
Yet the Grand Elder smiled.
“Heh heh heh.”
Over a dozen Arhat monks lay rolling on the ground.
Their bodies split in half.
The One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation had collapsed.
“What are you doing?!”
At Gongcheon’s shout, the Arhat monks immediately began moving again.
They attempted to fill the opening.
But the Grand Elder would not allow it.
“So this is the so-called strongest formation in the Central Plains?!”
Shouting while spitting blood, the Grand Elder leaped forward.
CRUNCH!
Arhat monks were cut apart by his twin blades.
The Shaolin monks who still maintained intact formation positions hurriedly moved.
The One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation was structured in layers.
Six monks formed one unit.
Six units formed a Thirty-Six Formation.
Three Thirty-Six Formations combined to create the One Hundred and Eight.
The intact Thirty-Six Formation fiercely resisted, sending energy crashing down upon the Grand Elder again.
But he ignored it.
Even as internal injuries worsened and pain crushed his entire body, he continued slaughtering the monks.
The massive prison collapsed rapidly.
SLASH.
“AAAAARGH!”
Soon, more than forty Arhat monks lay on the ground.
In exchange, the Grand Elder’s entire body was drenched in blood and his robes had become rags.
“I will kill every last one of you! I will devour your bodies and celebrate a feast of blood!!”
Roaring, the Grand Elder charged toward Gongcheon.
The One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation had completely collapsed.
Gongcheon hurriedly unleashed a Buddha Palm.
But the golden energy he released shattered instantly.
The Grand Elder’s blade swung toward Gongcheon’s neck—
CLANG!!
A sword suddenly intervened and blocked the blade.
At the same moment, something sprang out from the Grand Elder’s side.
A sword emerging silently from a place where nothing had been felt.
But the Grand Elder had already anticipated it.
He swung his remaining blade and deflected the attack.
Choyeon was sent flying backward from the clash.
At that moment, gray lightning rained down upon the Grand Elder.
“Tch.”
With an irritated expression, the Grand Elder stepped back to avoid the lightning.
Seizing the opportunity, Baek Hyang—who had rescued Gongcheon—stepped back while supporting him.
“We will handle him now.”
“But—”
“The number of Demonic Cult disciples has decreased significantly. Please eliminate the remaining ones together with the Arhat monks.”
While Baek Hyang and Gongcheon exchanged a brief conversation—
“HAHAHA!! At last, a battle with a supreme master!!!”
Hwangbo Ak charged happily toward the Grand Elder.
BOOM!!
He was instantly blasted away.
Black Enhanced Qi rained down toward the flying Hwangbo Ak.
“What are you doing, you idiot Hwangbo!!”
Paeng Daecheol hurriedly swung his blade to protect him.
“Urgh.”
They had only exchanged a single move.
Yet blood already surged from Paeng Daecheol’s mouth.
Baek Hyang hurriedly stepped forward to assist.
There was no time to persuade Gongcheon further.
To save the endangered Paeng Daecheol, Baek Hyang swung her sword urgently.
Gongcheon, who had been watching the scene for a moment, turned his head.
Baek Hyang was right.
The number of Demonic Cult disciples had decreased greatly.
Allied corpses lay scattered here and there, but the enemy losses were greater.
It was probably thanks to their efforts.
Gongcheon turned again to look at those confronting the Grand Elder.
If he joined them now, he would only hinder them.
Just as they had not interfered with the Arhat Formation earlier.
After making his decision, Gongcheon issued a command.
“Eliminate the Demonic Cult disciples!!”
The Arhat monks rushed toward the remaining cultists.
Meanwhile, Gongcheon quietly gave another order to several monks.
—Prepare to deploy the Thirty-Six Formation in case of emergency.
If the worst happened and those fighting the Grand Elder were defeated, they would have to step in again.
At that moment, the Grand Elder roared furiously.
“You wretched insects dare!!”
The bodies of cult disciples lay scattered everywhere.
He had only realized it now because he had been fully occupied fighting the Arhat Formation.
“You are the ones responsible for this!!”
Shouting as though coughing blood, the Grand Elder—looking like a demon from hell—thrust both blades toward Baek Hyang.