Chapter 39
The Extreme Evil Laughing Demon.
He was one of the Absolute Great Evils, among the Five strongest and most wicked Great Demonic Masters who had terrorized the martial world decades ago.
He was a legendary serial killer who murdered people without any reason, simply based on his mood at any given moment.
Whether it was a child, an elderly person, or a pregnant woman, he would kill indiscriminately anyone who caught his eye.
Moreover, his methods of killing always varied.
But there was one commonality in his methods - he always made sure his victims died as painfully and slowly as possible.
The Extreme Evil Laughing Demon enjoyed watching humans suffer.
Eventually, after countless evil deeds and murders, he became public enemy number one in the martial world.
His last known murder was killing the young youngest daughter of the Namgung Family and the sister of the Demonic Alliance Leader on the same day.
It's unknown how those two happened to be in the same place that day, but they both met a horrific end at the hands of the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon.
This incident truly demonstrated his ruthlessness in killing without discrimination.
Though the Emperor Sword of the Namgung Family and the Demonic Alliance Leader, who had lost their beloved family members, swore to the heavens that they would tear him to pieces, he was never caught and eventually vanished completely.
And now, after several decades, he had revealed himself here.
O Chae-mu simply couldn't understand how the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon could be here.
In truth, the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon had been wandering deep in the mountains for a long time, entering bandit lairs he came across, using them to do all sorts of dirty work from behind the scenes, and then killing them all when they were no longer useful before disappearing again.
In any case, O Chae-mu felt his luck couldn't possibly be any worse.
He had come to eliminate bandits, only to encounter such a Great Demonic Master.
*Damn it.*
Until the moment he had proudly beheaded the bandit leader, he never imagined something like this would happen.
With the appearance of the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon, the situation had taken a turn for the worst.
Right now, his top priority was to somehow save as many of his comrades as possible and return to the Peng Family.
"Is everyone alright?!" O Chae-mu shouted with difficulty, enduring the pain that felt like his body had been shattered to pieces.
The White Wolf Unit members sprawled around groaned and nodded weakly in response.
Fortunately, it seemed no one's life was in immediate danger yet.
But it was only a matter of time.
The lives of everyone here now hung on the whims of that demonic master.
*What should I do?*
Though O Chae-mu prided himself on having been through thick and thin, he couldn't predict whether they would survive or die when faced with such an overwhelming enemy.
In a situation like this, luck would play a crucial role - no, even more than that.
"My, I'm in quite a good mood today. To think my toys would come to me of their own accord," the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon cackled gleefully.
He was thoroughly enjoying the thought of how he would kill all the White Wolf Unit members.
Meanwhile,
"Urgh..."
"We... we need to escape. As far away from that monster as possible..."
"Otherwise that crazy old man will kill us all. Every last one of us."
To the bandits, the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon was terror incarnate. Recalling their fellow bandits who had died horrifically at his hands, they lived in constant fear that they too might meet such an end at any moment.
They could no longer endure the mental strain.
*Eek!*
One of them threw down his weapon and began to flee in a frenzy.
Once one started running, the rest of the bandits followed suit, fleeing madly.
But,
"Oh my, that won't do. We've built up such a rapport, you know," the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon grinned, then flicked his fingers in rapid succession.
*Tung tung tung.*
Soon, all the fleeing bandits had their heads pierced by the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon's Flicking Finger Technique and died.
Seeing dozens of heads explode before their eyes was an utterly horrific and chilling scene.
It was truly a one-sided and terrifying massacre.
It was then that,
"Uooooh!"
Gu Tae-san, who had briefly lost consciousness, got to his feet.
"Oh? You're as tough as you look. The likes of you are perfect for playing with. Good, very good. Hehehe."
"Shut up, you crazy old man!"
Gu Tae-san charged at the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon, his eyes blazing, ignoring the ominous look directed at him.
"Restrain yourself! Tae-san!" O Chae-mu shouted urgently, but Gu Tae-san had already swung his greatsword at the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon.
"Hehehe, that's right. I quite like that temperament of yours too."
*Pabababak!*
The Extreme Evil Laughing Demon's Flicking Finger Technique instantly pierced through Gu Tae-san's thighs, arms, and shoulders.
"Kuuuurgh!"
The power of the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon's technique was enough to easily penetrate Gu Tae-san's thick muscles.
But for some reason, he didn't kill Gu Tae-san outright.
It was clear he intended to toy with him like a plaything before finally killing him with the greatest pain possible.
He planned to do the same with all the White Wolf Unit members here.
Seeing this, O Chae-mu clenched his fists, trembling.
"How many!"
"Hmm?"
"Just how many people have you killed like that?"
"Well, I'm not sure. I stopped counting after it passed a thousand. But if I had to estimate, it would be at least..."
The Extreme Evil Laughing Demon tilted his head, then straightened it again.
"Over ten thousand, I suppose. Usually more ordinary children and women who don't know martial arts than martial artists. Hehehe. Those are more fun to kill, you see."
"You... you piece of trash...!"
Fire blazed in O Chae-mu's eyes.
He wanted to kill him. This human scum.
But he knew better than anyone that he lacked the power to do so.
Hadn't he already been utterly devastated by a single attack?
"What's the matter?"
The Extreme Evil Laughing Demon smirked with great satisfaction as he watched O Chae-mu trembling all over.
"Are you angry? Hmm? Hehehe."
The wrinkles around his eyes, which had already been creased with constant laughter, deepened even further.
As O Chae-mu glared at the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon with bulging eyes, one idea occurred to him.
Yes, this was the only way.
They couldn't die so pathetically like this.
O Chae-mu took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly, then snapped them open.
He shouted with a voice infused with internal energy:
"White Wolf Unit, all of you get up!"
At his voice, all the White Wolf Unit members' bodies twitched.
But it looked incredibly difficult for them.
He knew. He knew their condition was far from good. But even knowing it was unreasonable, he had to give the order.
They had to try one last move before being helplessly and miserably killed.
Soon, all the White Wolf Unit members barely managed to get to their feet at O Chae-mu's voice.
"Urgh."
Even Gu Tae-san, whose body was already covered in blood, was the same.
O Chae-mu then shouted loudly:
"Prepare the Five Rings Blade Formation!"
There was no other way.
The power that could double the strength of the White Wolf Unit.
In fact, they had only recently begun training in the Five Rings Blade Formation.
Until now, they had mainly fought individually, but they realized they needed a contingency plan for when faced with an overwhelming enemy.
But they never expected that day to come so quickly.
Regrettably, though it wasn't yet perfect, this was their only option now.
*Tadadadadak.*
All the White Wolf Unit members gathered in one place to prepare the Five Rings Blade Formation.
Though they groaned involuntarily from the excruciating pain with every movement, having already taken such heavy damage, they had no choice but to push through.
There would be no second chance.
This was their final, desperate move that would determine whether they lived or died.
"Hehehe, that's right. Try everything you can."
He even let go of Gu Tae-san who was right in front of him.
Then he thoroughly mocked the White Wolf Unit as they prepared for their do-or-die attempt.
"This venerable one quite enjoys watching ants desperately struggling to survive."
"Ignore that nonsense and focus!" O Chae-mu shouted, glaring at the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon who was trying to disturb their concentration.
"We will kill this villain here with our own hands! Without fail!"
At O Chae-mu's words, all the White Wolf Unit members' eyes blazed as they mustered every ounce of their strength.
Though their bodies were creaking, they bit their lips until they bled, desperately holding on with all their might.
"Unfold the Five Rings Blade Formation!"
At O Chae-mu's cry, all the White Wolf Unit members quickly surrounded the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon.
Then they began to deploy their combined formation with practiced movements.
The Five Rings Blade Formation, which they had prepared for a day like today, finally revealed itself.
*Whoosh!*
Fierce energy rapidly closed in on the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon from all directions.
Though their bodies were battered, the White Wolf Unit was executing the Five Rings Blade Formation even more brilliantly than in practice, driven by sheer will to win.
Soon, an enormous energy coalesced and shot towards the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon.
*Kuuuuuung!*
The Extreme Evil Laughing Demon raised an eyebrow as he alternately looked at the White Wolf Unit unleashing the Five Rings Blade Formation with all their might and the force hurtling towards him.
"Oh? The momentum is quite fierce. Hehehe. However."
The Extreme Evil Laughing Demon extended one hand towards the approaching energy.
"No matter how much strength ants gather, it's still just that."
*Kwagagagagagak.*
The Five Rings Blade Formation, unleashed with all their might, was pathetically blocked by the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon's single hand.
Their final, desperate attempt was about to end without any result.
The Extreme Evil Laughing Demon slowly began to clench his fist, intending to completely annihilate that energy.
But at that moment,
*Whooosh!*
A massive killing intent suddenly appeared out of nowhere and approached the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon.
It was so terrifying that even the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon had never felt anything like it before.
As the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon flinched involuntarily, his attention momentarily diverted by that energy,
"Now's our chance!"
"Uooooooooh!"
At O Chae-mu's shout, all the White Wolf Unit members, including Gu Tae-san, poured out every last bit of their remaining strength.
Soon, the second burst of energy they fired merged with the energy that had been dissipating in the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon's hand, greatly amplifying its power.
*Kuuuuuung!*
"Hmm? No, you bastards!"
For just an instant.
In that split second when his attention wavered, the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon's balance was disrupted, and the second attack of the Five Rings Blade Formation struck him squarely.
*Kwaaaaang!*
The Extreme Evil Laughing Demon was sent flying as a massive explosion occurred.
"Huff. Huff. Huff."
"Did... did we do it?!"
The dust kicked up by the explosion obscured their vision.
Everyone swallowed nervously, waiting for the dust to settle.
But then, a shadow appeared amidst the dust, and someone slowly walked forward.
As they confirmed the identity of that shadow, despair spread across the faces of O Chae-mu and everyone else.
It was the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon. Without a single scratch.
"You damn bastards."
A stream of curses flowed from the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon's mouth.
He raised his palm, which had become damp.
There was clearly blood on it, though not much.
He had been wounded by that attack earlier.
It had been far too long since he'd received such an injury.
His irritation surged.
How dare these insects.
His face, which always wore a smile, briefly contorted like an evil spirit before returning to normal.
*Tung tung tung.*
In an instant, Flicking Finger Techniques of incredible speed were fired at the White Wolf Unit members.
"Kuuurgh!"
"Kaaah!"
"Kuheeeok!"
Flicking Finger Techniques of a completely different caliber from before ravaged the White Wolf Unit.
It was the Striking Kill Finger, the unique martial art of the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon that had made the entire martial world tremble in fear.