The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 455

The Silent Barrage of Blood

Only after witnessing the dense spray of blood left in the air did they realize that Dan Akseon had thrown a projectile.

Thwack.

It was then that the projectile, which had mercilessly slashed through their ranks, embedded itself in a tree trunk.

“……!”

The Changlang Troop’s faces were etched with horror as they identified the projectile.

It was a small stone, commonly found anywhere.

But they couldn’t afford to back down here.

Allowing distance would only lead to their deaths.

Ignoring its power, they had no way to evade the unseen projectiles.

“Push forward!”

At their leader’s command, the Changlang Troop gritted their teeth and charged towards Dan Akseon.

The plan was to overwhelm him with sheer force.

Even as they did, two more men sprayed blood and collapsed to the ground.

Still, they managed to achieve their goal.

Despite the sacrifices, they had successfully closed the distance with Dan Akseon.

Shriek.

A halberd sliced through the air, piercing Dan Akseon.

However, the man who wielded the weapon couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

He hadn’t felt the impact that should have traveled through his hand.

He belatedly realized he had struck an afterimage, but by then, his opponent had vanished from sight.

Sensing something was amiss, he quickly retreated.

It was then that a chill ran down his spine, as if he had been doused in ice water.

His eyes darted around, and he froze.

He met an icy gaze at point-blank range.

He swung his spear to create distance, but it was too late; the Black Dragon was already lifting his chin.

Crack.

A small sound.

But the result was anything but insignificant.

Not only did it shatter his jaw, but it also obliterated more than half of his face.

Horror and fear.

These were the last emotions he felt alive.

“…….”

Watching from afar, Ak Jin couldn’t close his gaping mouth.

The sight of the Changlang Troop, whom he had trusted, dying before his eyes was profoundly shocking.

The opponent had thrown a projectile, wielded the Black Peak, and taken lives in the blink of an eye.

Yet, the one responsible for the gruesome deaths showed no signs of agitation.

He merely scanned for his next target with cold eyes.

Ak Jin finally realized that he was facing a master of unparalleled skill, the likes of which he might never see again in his life.

A massive wave crashed down on Dan Akseon.

Some twenty members of the Changlang Troop, who had surrounded Dan Akseon, unleashed their attacks simultaneously.

The overwhelming pressure, worthy of being called an army, posed a threat that even Dan Akseon couldn’t ignore.

Despite this, Dan Akseon stood firm, casting a defiant gaze.

Whoosh!

Seven spears flew towards Dan Akseon’s back and waist at once.

In that instant, Dan Akseon’s shoulder flickered like a shadow.

Clatter!

The spearheads struck the ground, scattering dirt and stone fragments in all directions.

Warriors from the Changlang Troop followed up, wielding short weapons, mainly daggers, to fill any gaps.

It was a flawless combined assault that completely blocked all avenues of escape.

No master, no matter how skilled, could withstand such a comprehensive attack.

At least, that’s what they believed.

It was then, amidst the swirling sword energy and thick dust, that a dark flash appeared.

Bang!

The figures of three or four men blocking Dan Akseon’s path instantly turned into a bloody mess, soaring through the dust.

They flew like kites with severed strings, spraying blood for over ten yards.

They were no longer recognizable as living human beings.

The same was true for those who had launched the initial attack, aiming for Dan Akseon’s back.

Most of them had their chests or waists crushed as they flew and collapsed, while others had their heads caved in, making their faces unrecognizable.

But even this was nothing compared to those who had been pulverized beyond recognition.

As a breeze blew through, the air filled with a thick, acrid stench of blood.

“……!”

No one spoke.

The initial momentum had vanished, and they could only stare at Dan Akseon with eyes filled with horror and fear.

Most of the Changlang Troop were proud of their skills.

That was why they reigned as a terror in the Jang River [Yangtze River] region.

Yet, no one had clearly seen how the enemy before them had taken the lives of their comrades.

Even Ak Jin, who had watched the entire situation from afar, had only glimpsed a fleeting dark trail.

Then, Dan Akseon slowly raised his head and looked around.

Suddenly, everything became quiet.

A voice colder than the frozen air echoed through the area.

“I didn’t endure those hellish times just for this pathetic Jianghu [Martial Arts World].”

Nearly half of the Changlang Troop still surrounded Dan Akseon.

But no one dared to speak or move.

Despite their numerical advantage, they were overwhelmed by the presence of one man.

Dan Akseon’s chilling gaze swept over them.

It was a gaze so ruthless that it sent shivers down their spines.

The Changlang Troop flinched and stepped back in unison, confronted by something terrifying beyond that gaze.

In that instant.

A vivid aura surged from the Black Dragon in Dan Akseon’s hand.

Boom!

A sudden explosion erupted.

Each time the Black Dragon slashed through the air, the surrounding atmosphere distorted, and lightning-like sparks flashed.

It was the phenomenon created by the compressed air being torn apart.

The warriors of the Changlang Troop, facing this head-on, widened their eyes as if they were about to burst.

Thwack!

“Kugh!”

Screams mingled with a thick spray of blood in the air.

The space within ten yards of Dan Akseon was already under his complete control.

Against opponents who had already lost their will to fight, there was no need for even a single stance.

Each time the dark arc drawn by the Black Dragon cut through the Changlang Troop, a gruesome death followed.

The terrifying power of a single strike.

A slight tremor ran through the eyes of Ak Jin, who was watching from afar.

The Changlang Troop he knew was skilled in group combat.

Yet, it had taken them only a few breaths to become guests of the afterlife.

The sight of the Jang River Alliance’s elite being helplessly destroyed by a single man was unbelievable, even as he witnessed it.

The confident expression had long vanished from his pale face.

A cold gaze that seemed to freeze his very soul.

Ak Jin’s body began to tremble uncontrollably as he met it.

But soon, Ak Jin, facing Dan Akseon closing the distance, panicked and darted away.

However, he collapsed to the ground before he could take more than a few steps.

Crack.

“Aaaargh!”

Ak Jin screamed, clutching his legs, which had been shattered below the knees.

But that was only for a moment.

“S-Spare me!”

Ak Jin, belatedly discovering Dan Akseon standing close by, pleaded with tears in his eyes.

But Dan Akseon’s gaze, looking down at him, was utterly cold.

“I will.”

At the unexpected words, Ak Jin’s face lit up for a moment.

But his face quickly turned ashen at Dan Akseon’s next words.

“Because death is too good for you.”

In this Jianghu [Martial Arts World], there were things more terrible than death.

Thud, thud, thud.

The wind strikes that Dan Akseon unleashed pierced Ak Jin’s vital points.

“Kugh!”

A groan that seemed to squeeze his lungs escaped Ak Jin’s mouth immediately afterward.

A dark, viscous energy traveled through his body’s meridians [energy channels], and then his entire inner energy began to run wild.

He hastily gathered his inner energy to resist, but the unprecedented energy, once allowed to penetrate, could not be shaken off.

Rather, the more he resisted, the more his energy channels twisted and his inner energy backfired.

Dan Akseon had treated several cases of Qi Deviation [a dangerous imbalance of internal energy].

Having studied and struggled with it for a long time, his understanding of its principles had reached an unparalleled level.

So, using that knowledge and experience, he was able to inflict Qi Deviation on an otherwise healthy opponent.

“You will be given plenty of time to atone. A living hell. Repent for your deeds within it.”

Ak Jin, who had been trembling, suddenly arched his back and let out a terrible scream.

“Kuaaaaaagh!”

The abyss of Yubu.

Like the wails of vengeful spirits suffering at its bottom, Ak Jin’s screams were utterly desperate.

By now, clear blue veins covered his forehead and neck like a spiderweb, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if blood would drip from them at any moment.

The other bandits turned pale at the gruesome sight.

They had charged at Dan Akseon following Ak Jin’s orders, but after witnessing the annihilation of the Changlang Troop, they couldn’t bring themselves to move.

Dan Akseon’s knife-like gaze turned to them.

“You have all crossed the line.”

“……!”

They were startled and turned around.

In the distance.

The deep fissure that Dan Akseon had created came into view.

Despair as gray as ash settled on their faces.

* * *

Dongting Lake was so vast that it had long been described as ‘Eight Hundred Li Dongting’ [a vast expanse of 800 Li, an ancient Chinese unit of distance].

As such, there were many islands, large and small, scattered throughout Dongting Lake.

In particular, Junshan Island was the largest of them all.

Located about two hours by boat from the Yueyang Tower pier, Junshan Island was a historic landmark, hailed as the ‘Pearl of Dongting Lake.’

Traces of ancient legends remained throughout the island, including the tomb of Emperor Shun’s queen, Qin Shi Huang’s Fengshan Seal [a ritual performed by emperors], and Emperor Wu of Han’s Jiuxiang Pavilion, and the tea fields cultivating Silver Needle Tea were also famous.

So, it had long been a popular destination for tourists, but in recent years, the entry of outsiders had been strictly prohibited.

This was because the Righteousness Stronghold, one of the water bandit camps in Dongting Lake, was located here.

The lake itself was like a giant moat, accessible only by boat, and the high wooden palisades and ramparts built everywhere made it difficult for outsiders to invade.

In addition, the Righteousness Stronghold, armed with cannons smuggled in by bribing government officials, was truly an impregnable fortress.

But it took only about two hours for such a Righteousness Stronghold to be captured.

The cannons were rendered useless by a single enemy who approached quickly via water-walking, and then the Hengshan Sect warriors who poured out of the ships that arrived one after another relentlessly stormed in.

Most of the Righteousness Stronghold’s main forces were out on land, and even they had been annihilated by Dan Akseon.

The water bandits of the Righteousness Stronghold collapsed helplessly without putting up a proper resistance.

Thanks to this, the process of finding Jo Maengbang’s youngest brother, whom he had asked for, was easier than expected.

Ak Jin, writhing in pain, had thoroughly revealed the structure of this Righteousness Stronghold and the uses of each building.

“Please move him carefully to the mainland.”

The Hengshan Sect warriors, carrying the unconscious Jo Maengjin on a stretcher, nodded at Dan Akseon’s words.

Jin Jo-woon approached Dan Akseon from behind, watching them.

“Wouldn’t it be better to burn this place to the ground?”

The Xiang River, which flows past Hengshan, passes through the Changsha area and flows into Dongting Lake, and Dongting Lake again passes through Yueyang and joins the Jang River.

As such, the Righteousness Stronghold located in Dongting Lake was one of the most important key points for the Jang River Alliance.

There was no way they would give up this place willingly.

They would probably try to reclaim it persistently and tenaciously.

But Dan Akseon shook his head.

Only when the palisades and ramparts were intact could a small number of people defend against a large number of enemies.

“As long as this place falls into the hands of the enemy, Sa Jong-ak will feel like this place is a thorn in his side.”

Jin Jo-woon nodded, finding it reasonable.

“Above all, they won’t have the leeway to pour their forces into this place right now.”

Jin Jo-woon, who had been puzzled for a moment, let out a soft exclamation at Dan Akseon’s explanation that followed.

“Because I will make it so.”