Chapter 153
Vroooom!
The blood wheel hurtled fiercely toward Sun Woo-jin, intent on tearing him apart.
At that moment, Sun Woo-jin’s divine form sprang up and moved with the lightness of the wind, narrowly evading the attack.
There was no need to clash head-on since no warriors from the Sun family were behind him.
But, naturally, the assault didn’t end there.
Right behind the blood wheel, the enraged Chuk Ho-tak was charging in.
“Die already!”
Swoosh!
His Ying Claw descended like a hawk swooping on its prey, aiming straight for Sun Woo-jin.
The strike was as fast and fierce as a meteor.
Yet, just as his Ying Claw was about to rip Sun Woo-jin apart, Sun Woo-jin scattered like fluttering petals.
Whoosh!
Once again, he unleashed the Heavenly Wind Flower Petal technique.
“Hmph! The same trick!”
Chuk Ho-tak sneered, responding exactly as before.
He caught the returning blood wheel and swept away Sun Woo-jin’s afterimage.
Swish!
Within the melting afterimage, like snowflakes dissolving on water, Chuk Ho-tak’s eyes flashed with a savage light as he pinpointed Sun Woo-jin’s true form evading the blood wheel.
“It’s over!”
Leaping into the air, Chuk Ho-tak launched a fierce assault on Sun Woo-jin.
Blood Ying Demon Claw, First Strike.
Heavenly Bird Blaze.
Whoooosh!
His Ying Claw exploded, covering the sky like a volcanic eruption.
This was Chuk Ho-tak’s ultimate technique, Blood Ying Demon Claw, a net that completely ensnared his enemy.
His determination to finish this once and for all was unmistakable.
The overwhelming spectacle of Chuk Ho-tak’s attack blotting out Sun Woo-jin’s figure caused the Sun family warriors to involuntarily groan.
“Whoa, no way!”
“This can’t be happening.”
Floating in midair, Sun Woo-jin had no choice but to meet the oncoming storm head-on, swinging his sword against the tempest of attacks.
“Hoooop!”
Swoosh!
Chuk Ho-tak smirked bitterly as he watched his opponent charge straight at him.
No matter what Sun Woo-jin tried, he couldn’t escape the Heavenly Bird Blaze technique that surrounded him from all sides.
But then—
Sun Woo-jin’s Thirteen Swords, Fifteenth Strike.
Form is emptiness.
Flare!
“!”
Chuk Ho-tak’s eyes widened in shock.
Suddenly, Sun Woo-jin’s sword split into hundreds, even thousands of blades, colliding with his Ying Claw.
Not illusory swords, but real blades, each radiating sharp, fierce energy—an unimaginable counterattack for Chuk Ho-tak.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sun Woo-jin’s sword shadows and Chuk Ho-tak’s Ying Claw clashed simultaneously in a chaotic storm.
Chuk Ho-tak gritted his teeth.
Unbelievable things were unfolding before his eyes.
Though each Ying Claw was far stronger than a single sword shadow, the sheer number of Sun Woo-jin’s blades overwhelmed them.
Even as one Ying Claw destroyed several sword shadows, there simply weren’t enough to keep up.
“This is impossible! Arrgh!”
Desperately, Chuk Ho-tak pushed his technique to its final stage.
It was unthinkable that someone like him, at the peak of his power, could be overwhelmed by a mere opponent.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
But moments later, a hollow expression crossed his face.
Ultimately, his Ying Claws couldn’t handle the overwhelming number of sword shadows and were all destroyed.
“This can’t be.”
His face twisted in frustration as he hastily gathered his energy and shouted.
The remaining sword shadows were closing in on him.
“Arrgh!”
Flare!
Suddenly, a crimson aura burst from his body, forming a thick protective barrier.
A defensive energy shield.
Chuk Ho-tak gritted his teeth in a grimace.
Wasting his inner strength on a lowly opponent like this was a blow to his pride.
Still, he tried to rationalize it.
Even if he wasted some energy, he was confident he could handle this guy.
But just as Sun Woo-jin’s sword shadows were about to strike the shield—
Fsssh!
The solid sword shadows suddenly dissolved into illusory blades, vanishing before impact.
Chuk Ho-tak couldn’t understand why.
Sun Woo-jin had switched from “Form is emptiness” to “Emptiness is form” at precisely the right moment.
“What?!”
This new move stunned Chuk Ho-tak even more.
It was a technique he had never seen before, leaving him utterly confused.
Then, without releasing energy outward, Sun Woo-jin gathered it all at once and thrust his sword forward.
A strike like a ray of light—the One Instant, One Sword technique.
Swoosh!
Just like he had done earlier against No Jo-song, the Blood-Sucking Demon Tiger, he tried to pierce through the shield.
But—
Thud!
The attempt failed.
Chuk Ho-tak’s defensive energy was on a whole different level from No Jo-song’s.
Sun Woo-jin’s sword couldn’t penetrate the shield and bounced back.
And as the powerful rebound sent Sun Woo-jin flying backward, at the worst possible moment, the blood wheel charged fiercely toward his back.
Vroooom!
Chuk Ho-tak’s eyes flashed.
This time, unlike before, the direction and timing were perfect.
He could already see the blood wheel slicing through Sun Woo-jin’s waist.
The Sun family warriors gasped in alarm.
“No!”
“Third Young Master, watch your back!”
But just as the blood wheel seemed about to sever Sun Woo-jin’s waist, his body twisted backward softly, like petals blown by the wind, as if he had anticipated the attack.
It looked as if the blood wheel’s wind pressure had pushed him aside.
Then, flipping backward with grace, Sun Woo-jin climbed atop the blood wheel and kicked its central axis precisely.
Thud!
“!”
Chuk Ho-tak was horrified.
Sun Woo-jin had accelerated the blood wheel using his footwork.
The blood wheel, now rapidly speeding, was flying straight at Chuk Ho-tak.
Vroooom!
The force was overwhelming.
Even Chuk Ho-tak doubted he could withstand such momentum.
“Ugh!”
He had no choice but to leap aside to avoid it.
The absurd situation of having to dodge his own weapon infuriated him.
His teeth ground in frustration.
Gnash!
But as he vaulted over the blood wheel, Chuk Ho-tak realized this wasn’t just a matter of anger.
“!”
Screeeech!
Right before his eyes, a massive violet phoenix made of energy descended.
Sun Woo-jin’s Thirteen Swords, Fourteenth Strike: Phoenix Manifestation.
Chuk Ho-tak gritted his teeth and caught it with both hands.
“Tricks!”
Crash!
“Ugh!”
Even for someone at his peak, this was a powerful attack.
The phoenix’s fierce energy pushed his body backward.
“Arrgh!”
He concentrated his energy into both hands.
With a grunt, his Ying Claw finally tore through the phoenix’s head.
Shraaak!
Whoosh!
The violet phoenix shattered and vanished.
Breathing heavily, Chuk Ho-tak tried to steady himself after the close call.
But Sun Woo-jin’s assault wasn’t over.
Behind the vanished phoenix, Sun Woo-jin was flying like a streak of light.
His fastest attack—the One Instant, One Sword.
Swoosh!
“Gah!”
Just as Chuk Ho-tak was catching his breath, the perfectly timed surprise strike hit.
He realized he couldn’t block this one.
With no other choice, he unleashed his energy with his whole body.
“Arrgh!”
Flare!
Once again, a crimson barrier enveloped him.
But Sun Woo-jin’s lightning-fast thrust couldn’t pierce the shield and bounced back.
Chuk Ho-tak exhaled sharply.
“Huff!”
His inner strength was nearly depleted.
If he used the shield two or three more times, he’d be completely drained.
Still, he wasn’t too worried.
His opponent’s final attack had failed, and now it was his turn.
After every crisis comes opportunity.
He had endured the assault, but his opponent likely couldn’t.
“Die already!”
Chuk Ho-tak’s eyes flashed as he prepared to counterattack.
Then, suddenly, he caught sight of Sun Woo-jin’s face, grinning coldly.
And strangely, his eyes weren’t on him—they were looking behind him.
A chill ran down Chuk Ho-tak’s neck.
He hastily shouted and released his energy.
“Arrgh!”
Flare!
Instinctively, he formed his protective shield.
And that decision saved his life.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
From behind, the Second Strike of the Wild Frenzy Witch, So Nan-so, slammed into his shield.
So Nan-so had quickly recovered from her injuries using the elixir Sun Woo-jin had secretly given her earlier.
Chuk Ho-tak shouted in shock.
“So Nan-so! You—”
He felt his inner strength drain again.
And it wasn’t over.
Having caught him off guard, So Nan-so relentlessly pounded Chuk Ho-tak’s back with her Second Strike and bow.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chuk Ho-tak gritted his teeth.
The situation was the exact opposite of when he had just taken down So Nan-so.
He could feel his internal energy draining rapidly, and panic was creeping into his heart.
“Grrr! You bitch!”
With great effort, Chuk Ho-tak twisted his body to release his protective talisman and tried to block So Nan-so’s attack.
But at that very moment, something else crashed down on him.
Whoooosh!
“!”
It was his own Blood Wheel.
Sun Woo-jin had accelerated the Blood Wheel once again, and it was bearing down on him.
Chuk Ho-tak’s face contorted in agony, twisted beyond recognition.
“You bastard!”
Unable to release his protective talisman in time, Chuk Ho-tak had no choice but to take the combined assault of the Blood Wheel and So Nan-so’s attack directly on his talisman.
A massive shockwave slammed into his defense from both sides.
Kraaaash!
The impact exceeded the limits of what Chuk Ho-tak’s talisman could withstand.
“Cough!”
Crack!
The talisman shattered under the strain, and blood suddenly burst from Chuk Ho-tak’s mouth.
Now completely exposed, So Nan-so and Sun Woo-jin launched their final, deadly strikes from opposite sides.
“Die, Chuk Ho-tak!”
“This is the end!”
Thud!
Pierce!
As Sun Woo-jin’s sword pierced through Chuk Ho-tak’s back, So Nan-so’s second strike severed his head.
Chuk Ho-tak’s shattered skull exploded outward like a fountain of blood and bone fragments.
With his heart pierced and his head gone, he collapsed to his knees, utterly defeated.
Thud!
It was over.
The once invincible Chuk Ho-tak—the supreme master of the Blood Sect who had drained the life force of countless righteous sect warriors through his ruthless skill and cunning—had met a pitiful end.
As Chuk Ho-tak knelt, headless and broken, So Nan-so staggered and fell to her knees as well.
“Ugh!”
Blood welled up in her mouth too.
She had pushed herself too hard before her internal injuries had fully healed.
Then, suddenly, Sun Woo-jin began swinging his sword wildly like a storm.
He was attacking the corpse of the fallen Chuk Ho-tak.
“Ughhh!”
Slash!
Startled, So Nan-so looked up just in time to see Chuk Ho-tak’s body torn into dozens, then hundreds of pieces.
Blood and flesh rained down like a torrential storm, splattering the space around them.
So Nan-so could only stare in horror at Sun Woo-jin.
He looked back at her with wild, glassy eyes filled with madness—and a cold, twisted smile.
“What did you say?! Are you kidding me right now?!”
In a building within the Sichuan Sect’s capital, Chengdu, Hong Sa Geom-ryong On Je-ung was shouting at a subordinate who was bowing before him.
“We already paid the full advance! And now you’re telling me all contact with the Sichuan Assassins has been cut off? What kind of nonsense is that?!”
The subordinate kept his head low and answered cautiously.
“W-we tried everything to make contact, sir… but the usual channels, and even alternative routes, have all vanished. It’s as if they never existed.”
“What?! So those bastards took my money and ran?!”
On Je-ung’s fury silenced the subordinate, who only bowed his head further.
He knew better than to say anything else—he suspected the same thing, and knew that arguing would only earn him a beating.
As expected, On Je-ung exploded in rage.
“Those damn bastards! How dare these assassins break their contracts and pull scams! Do they think they can just live in Sichuan after this? Filthy vermin!”
His anger boiled over, clouding his mind.
He couldn’t even imagine that the Sichuan Assassins had been wiped out by Sun Woo-jin.
“These vermin! Arrghhh!”
Crash! Bang! Smash!
Unable to contain his rage, On Je-ung began throwing objects wildly in every direction.
The subordinate cowered even more, and the others nearby shielded their faces with their arms, trying to protect themselves.
They all knew that if they dodged, his wrath would turn on them.
“You idiots! Useless trash!”
On Je-ung vented all his pent-up fury.
Lately, his reputation within the Tang family had hit rock bottom, and his betrothed, Tang Ye-eun, had disappeared without a trace—probably avoiding him on purpose.
He blamed it all on that damn Sun Woo-jin.
His only hope had been that the Sichuan Assassins would kill that bastard for him…
But now, even those assassins had vanished.
On Je-ung felt like he was losing his mind.
“Arrghhh!”
Suddenly, as he was throwing things around, On Je-ung stopped abruptly, panting.
His subordinates sighed in relief, thinking he was calming down faster than usual.
They were cautious not to meet his gaze, unsure if his anger had truly subsided.
But On Je-ung hadn’t stopped because he was calming down.
He simply couldn’t move.
Panicked, he twisted his body, trying to break free.
‘W-what’s happening?!’
No matter how hard he tried, his body wouldn’t budge.
Without any warning or sensation, his movements had frozen mid-throw.
On Je-ung screamed silently in his mind.
‘You bastards! Help me!’
But none of his subordinates could read his thoughts.
They all averted their eyes, unwilling to help.
No one could save him.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: maybe he’d been struck with a pressure point technique.
It was the only explanation.
But then he dismissed it.
‘No way… how could I be hit without feeling anything? And with my own men around?’
As he struggled helplessly, a low, sinister voice echoed in his ear.
On Je-ung jumped in shock, then was overcome with dread.
Not because of the voice’s eerie tone, but because of what it said.
‘Am Hyeol-hyang?!’
He swallowed hard.
He now understood why he was immobilized—and who had done this to him.
The king of all assassins, recognized as one of the top thirty-six stars of the assassin world.
Am Hyeol-hyang had come for him.
It could have been an imposter, but On Je-ung was certain it was the real deal.
Who else could have infiltrated the Sichuan Sect’s Yongdamhohyeol headquarters in broad daylight, and silently struck him down in a room full of his own men?
There was only one possibility: Am Hyeol-hyang.
The voice spoke again.
On Je-ung wondered how he could nod while paralyzed.
But to his surprise, he realized he could move his head.
It was strange—and terrifying.
He nodded vigorously.
The voice continued.
Again, despite feeling nothing, On Je-ung found himself able to move naturally after the command.
It was like a ghost’s work.
He hurriedly shouted to his men.
“G-get out! Now!”
His subordinates looked at him in shock.
But On Je-ung had no patience for their questions.
“I said get out! Can’t you hear me?!”
His roar sent them scrambling from the room.
They had no reason to refuse an order to leave.
Once the room was empty and silent, the eerie voice spoke again.
“You know my fee isn’t cheap, right?”
On Je-ung nodded quickly.
Am Hyeol-hyang was infamous for killing clients who balked at the price.
“Of course! I’ll pay whatever it takes!”
The voice seemed pleased.
“Good. Now, who do you want me to kill?”
On Je-ung swallowed hard, then slowly spoke the name of the man he most wanted dead.
“Sun Woo-jin. That bastard, Sun Woo-jin.”
In that moment, Sun Woo-jin became the target of the world’s greatest assassin, Am Hyeol-hyang.