"Sasuk!"
"Yes, I felt it too!"
Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.
Even in this chaos, he could feel it.
Someone was fighting down there, beneath that cliff!
'Everyone!'
They had climbed that cliff.
The most dangerous place in the world right now, which could collapse at any moment, all to save them.
Baek Cheon's hand trembled faintly.
If it was Mount Hua, they would have climbed the cliff without hesitation.
But precisely because of that, he knew how much determination and resolve such an action required.
"Shall we join them?"
Baek Cheon glanced back at the question.
If they returned to the top of the cliff, they could join those who had climbed and fight together with them, the most trustworthy comrades.
"No!"
But his judgment was quick.
Mount Hua was currently accompanied by Wudang. Heading back to the middle of the cliff, which could collapse at any moment, with them was not a good choice.
Moreover, it was not what those who had climbed the cliff to protect Mount Hua and Wudang wanted.
"Forward! Do not waste the time they have bought us!"
"Yes!"
Bang!
The swordsmen of Mount Hua shot forward ahead of Baek Cheon. Their backs showed no hesitation.
Baek Cheon clenched his fist tightly without realizing it.
'We are not alone.'
He always thought that Mount Hua had to take the lead and clear the path because it was Mount Hua. That was the kind of sect Mount Hua was.
But that wasn't all.
As he ran forward, it felt as if his Sahyungs were pushing him from behind, and now the leaders of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance were protecting the backs of the leading members of Mount Hua.
"Somehow…"
Gripping Mujin tightly, Baek Cheon swung his sword with all his might.
"I feel energized!"
He wasn't the only one who felt this way.
Even the swordsmen of Mount Hua, who were clearing the path with their swords, seemed to have a lighter step compared to before. Just knowing that someone was guarding their backs made their swords feel much lighter.
But the situation was still far from easy.
"Amitabha! Move aside, benefactor!"
At Hye Yeon's shout, Baek Cheon instinctively twisted his body to the side.
"Ooooooooh!"
Immediately, a tremendous force brushed past him, missing by a hair's breadth.
Hye Yeon's signature move, a massive fist-like force carved from gold, crushed the enemies blocking their path, clearing the way.
"Go!"
"I'm going!"
Blue light shot from Jo Gul's eyes.
'These guys are nothing!'
The true enemy Mount Hua needed to defeat was blocking the path leading to the summit. It would undoubtedly be Ho Gakmyung's ultimate plan.
Indeed, even at a glance, their momentum was extraordinary.
But looking at it another way...!
"It means we just need to break through those guys!"
Boom!
Jo Gul stomped the ground with all his strength.
Swish!
He charged forward like a streak of light.
The startled enemy's face brushed past his collar, and the sword swung reflexively grazed the top of Jo Gul's head, cutting a few strands of his hair.
The energy that burned his skin, the pressure of the wind hitting his face.
In this intensely vivid sensation, everything about Jo Gul became even sharper.
Slash! Slash!
The sword, swung without waste, cleanly cut the vital points of those it touched. The wounds were so perfect that they didn't even leave scars.
By the time the enemies realized they had been cut by Jo Gul, their wounds opened, and blood gushed out.
Jo Gul moved forward, further forward.
'Faster!'
He could go.
'Stronger!'
It can be done.
The sword becomes Jo Gul, and Jo Gul becomes the sword. Separated, yet connected. As it was meant to be.
Unity.
Beyond speed, beyond strength, that sword became Jo Gul's will, or perhaps Jo Gul became the sword's will.
"Arrogant...!"
Boom!
At that moment, immense fiery energy engulfed Jo Gul's vision.
An explosive fiery force, like a sudden wildfire or scorching heatwave, seemed ready to incinerate Jo Gul instantly.
"Jo Gul!"
Yoon Jong, who couldn't keep up with Jo Gul's speed, screamed. It was impossible for a human body to withstand that terrible blaze...!
But at that moment.
Swish!
The fiery blaze suddenly split in half. It wasn't cut. It split as if it had been that way from the beginning.
'What?'
Yoon Jong's eyes widened.
Soon.
Jo Gul's sword, which pierced through the fiery energy, embedded itself in the neck of the old man at the front.
Crunch!
"Guh..."
Indescribable shock filled the old man's eyes.
"Urgh..."
The sword tip protruded from the back of his neck.
But the old man couldn't see the sword piercing his neck. All he could see was the cold expression of the swordsman who had stabbed him.
"I've always been a bit arrogant."
"Guh..."
Swish!
The sword was pulled out in one swift motion, and the old man's body fell backward.
Thud!
Jo Gul, gripping his sword firmly again, shot a thunderous sword aura at the elders of the Southern Sea Sun Palace, who were still in shock and unable to regain their composure.
Hey y'all, a friendly reminder: don't post spoilers in the comments. It's cool to read ahead and all, but don't ruin it for ME. I like to see how the story plays out as I translate it. It takes the fun of it for me and maybe even some others reading as well. I will delete them, but I just don't want them there in the first place. Temptation is a sin ya know lol. Please and Thank You.
P.S
Y'all wouldn't be happy if I told y'all *Character Name* died/spoiling the end of the arc knowing its a few chapters away, would you? So don't do it to me.
(No, This isn't a spoiler. I have no idea if anyone is going to die yet. I haven't translated it. XD)