Chapter 163. Storm (3)
Chongqing.
One of western China’s representative cities, and part of the region that had once been known as Bashu.
The headquarters of the White Forest Alliance, representative of the Orthodox Faction, was located here.
But after returning to headquarters following the suspension of the Orthodox-Unorthodox War, the White Forest Alliance executives were now in shock.
They had received news that the forward base in Hubei Province, which bordered Chongqing, had been annihilated.
“You’re saying one man wiped out the entire New Wudang Sect? Is that really true?”
“Is there no footage from the scene?”
“Who would have been filming in a situation like that?”
“Couldn’t the report be exaggerated? The New Wudang Sect is extremely strong. Is it really possible for one person to destroy them?”
“Even the Alliance Leader couldn’t do something like that.”
“Either way, we need accurate information.”
The White Forest Alliance executives had already been feeling uneasy lately.
The Constellations who had previously sponsored them while urging them to unify China had suddenly changed their stance.
Some had completely stopped contacting them.
Others had even terminated their contracts outright.
With that already happening, this unexpected disaster naturally left them rattled.
“If only the Alliance Leader were here at a time like this...”
“He’s negotiating with the Black Dragon Society in Shanghai.”
“But now that something like this has happened, he’ll probably return soon.”
“Right. Until then, let’s reinforce the defenses here and hold out.”
“There still hasn’t been any movement from Hubei?”
“After wiping out the forward base, apparently nothing else happened...”
“Not just that unknown man. Pandemonium’s legions aren’t moving either?”
“What are they planning? Why are they so quiet?”
“Maybe that unknown man... can’t move again immediately?”
“Hmm. Perhaps after using his power once, he needs to rest for several days?”
“He might be some kind of secret weapon developed by Pandemonium...”
Even while discussing the matter with grim expressions, the White Forest Alliance executives still had a little room to breathe.
Although Chongqing bordered Hubei Province, the White Forest Alliance headquarters was still quite far from the destroyed forward base.
China’s administrative regions were enormous.
There was no way Pandemonium could attack all the way here immediately.
That belief gave them some reassurance.
But...
that belief collapsed in an instant.
“What?!”
BOOM! BOOOOM!
The headquarters building shook violently with a series of explosions.
“An earthquake?”
“No, this is...!”
“An attack!!”
Screams rang out without pause.
Realizing that someone was attacking the White Forest Alliance headquarters, the executives hurriedly grabbed their weapons and rushed outside.
“Damn it, of all days...!”
A violent storm was raging outside.
Through the fierce wind and rain, strong enough to make it difficult to keep their eyes open, the executives saw countless bodies lying on the ground.
And standing calmly before them...
was a single man.
“Who the hell are you?!”
“State your affiliation!”
Until that moment, the executives still held on to a little hope.
Perhaps he was an attacker from some Unorthodox organization that held a grudge against the White Forest Alliance.
Or maybe he was an Orthodox Contractor furious over the decision to join hands with the Unorthodox Faction.
Those possibilities still existed.
But that hope soon disappeared.
“Did you not hear the news?”
“What?”
“The news that the forward base in Hubei Province was annihilated.”
"...!"
Hearing that cold voice...
the executives finally understood.
This man was the secret weapon of Pandemonium who had destroyed the New Wudang Sect at the forward base.
“Why are you so surprised?”
The man looked at them indifferently.
“Didn’t you humans do the same thing repeatedly in the Eastern Region Second Command?”
“Infiltrating deep into enemy territory and striking directly at the heart of their forces.”
Was he referring to what Kang Yujin and his group had done in Korea?
If so...
had this man infiltrated all the way into central Chongqing to destroy the White Forest Alliance headquarters in the same manner?
“F-Form the formation...!”
There was no reason to hesitate.
The White Forest Alliance executives decided to use their strongest collective combat technique.
The White Forest Arhat Formation.
It had been developed specifically to fight absolute monsters like Jin Gahui of the Black Dragon Society.
“Hmm. So you have a technique like this.”
The man looked relaxed even while surrounded by dozens of experts activating the formation together.
“The last few years have been productive for you.”
The earth trembled.
Violent energy raged through the surroundings.
Yet the man stood perfectly still, as though enjoying nothing more than a gentle breeze.
“Haaat!”
“Haaap!”
With flawless timing, the White Forest Alliance executives attacked him together.
It was a coordinated technique they believed could kill even Jin Gahui if he were properly trapped inside it.
BOOOOM!
But the ones who fell...
were the White Forest Alliance executives.
The man swung one arm once.
That alone generated an enormous burst of force.
Countless Contractors coughed up blood and rolled across the ground.
[A Great Blessing descends from Bang Mokha’s contracted Constellation, ‘Prodigy with Three Heads and Six Arms.’]
[All of Bang Mokha’s stats increase greatly for 5 minutes.]
[A Great Blessing descends from Jin Gayeok’s contracted Constellation, ‘Flower-Tattooed Monk.’]
[All of Jin Gayeok’s stats increase greatly for 5 minutes.]
[A Great Blessing descends from Pan Subaek’s contracted Constellation, ‘Grand Preceptor of the Golden Whip.’]
[All of Pan Subaek’s stats increase greatly for 5 minutes.]
[A Great Blessing descends from Sa Jeongpyeong’s contracted Constellation, ‘Naval Commander Holding a Pitchfork.’]
[All of Sa Jeongpyeong’s stats increase greatly for 5 minutes.]
[A Great Blessing descends from Ju Seongtae’s contracted Constellation, ‘Golden and Silver Children.’]
[All of Ju Seongtae’s stats increase greatly for 5 minutes.]
At that moment...
Blessings descended from their Constellations all at once.
Even Constellations who normally avoided granting high-grade Blessings gave their Contractors the highest level they could provide.
Strengthened by those Blessings, several Contractors rose with determined expressions.
The formation had collapsed.
But they had not lost yet.
Some pulled out hidden weapons they had kept in reserve.
Others manifested their Constellation Armaments.
“Attack!”
“Risk your lives!”
They charged through the storm, prepared to die.
First...
the Fire-Tipped Spear, Constellation Armament of the A-rank Constellation ‘Prodigy with Three Heads and Six Arms,’ Nata, erupted with flames.
But the man merely waved one hand.
Every flame was blown away.
Then the Supreme Treasure Gold-Banded Rake of the A-rank Constellation ‘Naval Commander Holding a Pitchfork,’ Zhu Bajie, came crashing down.
The rake weighed more than five thousand jin.
Yet the man casually knocked it aside.
“Haaap!”
“Haaaaat!”
Desperate attacks continued one after another.
But not a single one reached him.
“Despair is finally starting to appear on your faces.”
"...!"
Everyone sucked in a breath at the man’s cold voice.
“I’ve seen enough.”
“So this is the strength of the White Forest Alliance.”
“I heard you were considered the strongest of the Contractor organizations.”
He gave them a faint, contemptuous look.
“I expected you to be better than the New Wudang Sect.”
“You’re nothing special.”
“Y-You bastard...!”
One executive lost control of himself and charged.
A moment later...
his head burst apart and his body collapsed to the ground.
“I’ve gathered enough data.”
“Continuing this fight would only waste time.”
“W-Who the hell are you?!”
“What are you to possess this kind of strength?!”
The man lifted one corner of his mouth into a smile.
“What meaning would there be in telling people who are about to die?”
"...!"
