Return of the Mount Hua Sect

“Those despicable dogs!”

Chung Myung gripped the window frame as if he could leap down at any moment. However, Baek Cheon and Yu Yiseol quickly seized his arms from either side.

Chung Myung turned his head and glanced at Baek Cheon.

“What do you think you’re doing? Let go.”

“No.”

Baek Cheon replied curtly, causing Chung Myung to look at him with a puzzled expression.

“What do you mean by ‘no’?”

Baek Cheon furrowed his brow.

“Weren’t you about to rush over there just now?”

“I’m not an idiot. Why would I?”

Chung Myung grabbed the wooden frame again but then took a step back. The way he licked his lips indicated he still had some reservations, but he didn’t push it.

Jo Gul, observing this, whispered to Yoon Jong.

“Why is he complying so easily?”

“Exactly, it’s quite unusual.”

If it were the usual Chung Myung, he would have easily brushed off Baek Cheon and Yu Yiseol and leaped out of the window immediately.

Meanwhile, Baek Cheon, who had been peering out the window, furrowed his brow.

“Samae. Are there enemies?”

“Maybe a hundred, at most. I can spot 50.”

“Right…”

Baek Cheon didn’t think it was much different from what he already knew. The Ice Palace alone housed over 1,000 warriors. Even with excluding the weak and injured from their previous fight, there should still be around 500 capable fighters.

Even if it was against the Demonic Sect, it seemed unlikely that 500 would struggle against a mere 50.

“For now, let’s watch. No matter how insane the sect is, they can’t conquer the Ice Palace with just 50 men.”

Upon hearing this, Chung Myung smiled, causing Baek Cheon to frown.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Sasuk.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know why I’m not jumping out?”

“Because you don’t have a sword?”

“…”

Surprised by the words, Chung Myung patted his waist.

Oh my!

He almost jumped out without a sword!

Well… the reason he didn’t run straight there wasn’t because of the sword. It was just a sword. He could just steal one from the warriors down there.

But.

“Watch now.”

“… uh?”

“How are these bastards going to come? It’s probably very different from what Sasuk thinks.”

“…”

This was when the expression of Baek Cheon turned serious.

“Well, I was thinking about it. It would be better to see it with our own eyes than to blindly crash into them.”

Clack.

Chung Myung retrieved a pill from the jade box in his hand and tossed it into his mouth without hesitation.

“I’ll be cultivating for a while, so don’t leave until I wake. Stay put.”

“… you’re going to cultivate now?”

“It won’t take too long.”

Chung Myung’s eyes flickered with a hint of darkness.

“In the meantime, keep an eye on them. See why they’re known as the Demonic Sect.”

After speaking, he went to the center of the room and sat cross-legged. Before closing his eyes, he looked at Seol So-Baek.

“Take a good look at it all now. This is the North Sea. And this is what you are dealing with.”

With that, Chung Myung closed his eyes.

The disciples of Mount Hua watched in disbelief as Chung Myung began his cultivation. Jo Gul and Yoon Jong whispered to each other.

“…he is really doing it.”

“He must have a huge plan or not much thought at all….”

“The latter seems better, right?”

“First, watch your mouth, Gul. Didn’t you do the same in the past?”

“…”

Meanwhile, Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung. Surely, Chung Myung could cultivate if he believed in their safety, but…

‘I suppose it can be said that he is in a rush to obtain and digest the pill for cultivation.’

He couldn’t comprehend or sense it if that was the case.

The Demonic Sect had arrived, but Chung Myung’s words seemed to indicate that the number of Ice Palace warriors would have no effect on the outcome.

Tang Soso snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Sasuk.”

“… Right.”

Baek Cheon turned around with a determined expression.

The disciples of Mount Hua and Hae Yeon all hurried to the window. They could clearly see the black figure on the wall.

“Let’s witness them. How formidable these Demonic Sect people are.”

And as tension began to rise, they fixated their gaze on the wall.

The high priest cast a cold look upon the ice palace warriors assembling beneath the wall.

“They’re nothing but a mere swarm of ants.”

Similar to invasive and rushing ants, the warriors of the Ice Palace were pouring out.

Despite their undeniable strength in numbers, they seemed unperturbed by the impending war.

“Are there people from the Central Plains among them?”

The high priest couldn’t spot anyone wearing distinctive attire.

“We need to find the ice crystals, so focus on finding people from the Central Plains. Don’t kill them. Keep them alive.”

“You mean we shouldn’t injure them?”

“It’s sufficient as long as they survive.”

“Got it!”

The high priest shook his head and said,

“Let’s reveal to those who have forgotten the sect’s power how illusory their peace was!”

“Absolutely!”

In a chilling response, the Demonic Sect, stationed at the top of the palace wall, promptly descended.

A smile formed at the corners of the high priest’s mouth.

Yo Sa-Heon, who ran out of the palace, was shocked watching the group of people dropping from the wall.

“Demonic Sect!”

He recognized them instantly. It was inevitable. When he was working in the mines, he encountered the Demonic Sect many times, and they always wore the same clothes.

Around fifty? No, a little more than that?

“Just with this number?”

His face turned red.

If they tried to hold the wall and talk, he was willing to respond. However, coming down from the wall with only this few people was disrespectful to the Ice Palace.

With an angry expression, he shouted.

“Listen, everyone!”

“Yes!”

“There is no need to talk! Those who invaded the Ice Palace without permission with their muddy feet will have to pay the price! Capture them all alive! Those who fight back can be killed!”

“Yes!”

The warriors of the Ice Palace answered loudly.

Strategy? Plan?

They all seemed unnecessary.

Any plan became meaningless when the difference in numbers was too great. Overwhelming force was enough to subdue them.

Furthermore, because these people openly leaped from the wall, all the warriors of Ice Palace could clearly see that there weren’t many enemies.

‘I don’t know who is in command, but he is truly foolish.’

Yo Sa-Heon couldn’t help but consider that perhaps everyone was too fixated on the name of the Demonic Sect.

In the past, on the day of the previous palace lord’s death, the palace was taken over unexpectedly, leaving him powerless. If he had been able to mobilize all of the Ice Palace’s power like he can now, the outcome would have been different.

As he considered this, his anger rose once again, and Yo Sa-Heon shouted.

“Today, we will avenge the former Lord! Bring those wicked people to their knees!”

Upon hearing these words, the warriors in white robes marched fearlessly ahead.

It seemed like an avalanche was cascading down from the snowy mountain, as the number of people was quite similar.

Yo Sa-Heon had no doubt that their men would easily defeat the Demonic Sect with this force.

The warriors of the Ice Palace at the front let out a thunderous roar. The cheers and high spirits of those behind them were so strong that even those who hadn’t experienced it would be swept up in the energy.

The warriors of the Ice Palace thrust their swords at the Demonic Sect members who had just landed on the ground. Their swords were filled with confidence.

“Die, you evil ones!”

“You wicked people!”

Dozens of swords flew at the same time towards the bodies of the people, and then…

“Hmm?”

The one in the lead noticed it. The Demonic Sect members didn’t react even after seeing the swords. Instead, they smiled.

Slashhh!

The sound of cloth being ripped echoed as a dagger pierced through it.

“…”

The body of the man who had rushed to the front froze.

‘What is this feeling…’

A strange feeling of displeasure flooded in, turning into nausea. Something welled up in their stomach, and soon, their entire body began to undergo the most hellish form of pain.

“Kua….”

But they couldn’t even scream as their body was suddenly marked with five lines.

Paaat!

First, their chest, then their stomach, thigh, and ankles. Cut down like wood, their body began to spurt out blood, painting the North Sea red.

Stillness descended upon them.

The energetic march suddenly halted.

Those who had surfed forward with energy suddenly stopped in their tracks.

Recalling the scene from a moment ago, their minds spun. They, too, had trained in martial arts. They knew they might have to sacrifice their lives on the battlefield.

There were levels of cruelty and extremes that shouldn’t exist. If one saw their opponent as a fellow human being, then killing them in this manner was not permissible.

Thud!

The dismembered body parts dropped to the ground.

The hand, separated from the body, trembled, and the wide-open eyes of the deceased expressed disbelief.

“…”

The silence was so clear that even the sound of breathing could be heard across the land. The stillness was shattered by the sound of bones shifting in the hands of the Demonic sect members.

Crack.

Their hands, concealed beneath their black garments, made a chilling noise.

Srrng.

A dark aura started emanating from the sword as claw-like energy extended over an inch from their fingertips.

“Kill them all.”

The people of the Demonic Sect immediately rushed at the warriors of Ice Palace, resembling wolves preying on sheep.

Their eyes, stained with red, appeared eerie as they released smoke from their mouths and chanted like a haunting melody.

“The Second Coming of Heavenly Demon! The Second Coming of Heavenly Demon! We are eternally favored!”

Kwaaang!

It was more akin to a massacre than a mere conflict.

The demonic claws ruthlessly ripped their bodies apart.

Kaaang!

There was no way to halt them.

If they raised their swords to block, the sword would split their bodies, and even the invading qi tore through their bodies.

It was clearly an unrefined attack, with no elaborate technique aiming at the opponent’s weak points. There were no flashy moves.

Just swings, smashes, and crushes.

However, no one could effectively block the attacks.

Kwaaaak!

The sight of them blocking their body with a hand wrapped in black demonic qi and slicing throats made the hearts of their prey quiver.

A half-crushed body would twitch there, and then blood would expel itself, soaring into the air.

But the Demonic Sect didn’t stop there. Their prey’s body, which hadn’t collapsed, could be called corpses as the claws were thrust in again.

Chaaak!

Finally, the body was torn apart as the demon moved, to the left and right.

Eyes that gleamed with a red light, filled with madness and killing intent.

Their mouths were wide open as if they were enjoying this chaos.

The demons, covered in the Ice Palace warriors’ blood, turned black instantly and took all in front of them down. The Ice Palace warriors who couldn’t escape this were torn to pieces as if stuck inside a rotating blade.

At that moment, the atmosphere changed completely.

“Huh…”

Their mouths fell open, helpless.

Their knees staggered and buckled, and their body began to tremble.

And.

“Haaaaa!”

It had been a long time since they lost the ability to have rational thoughts.

In the face of incomprehensible fear, the warriors of Ice Palace started running and screaming, something they had never done before.

“Uhhhhhhh!”

“ACKKKK!”

No, it was more like wailing than screaming. A meaningless howl that their bodies released in terror.

The members of the Demonic Sect pursued them relentlessly. Their demonic claws began leaving their mark upon the white snow.