Return of the Mount Hua Sect

“Huak!”

Han Yi-Myung was taken aback, completely unaware of the emptiness in the air.

There was a particular protocol to follow in warfare.

Upon spotting the enemy, those in command and tactician roles would reassess their strategies and deliver a rousing speech to boost the soldiers’ morale.

Once all preparations were in order, launching a genuine attack was the natural course of action. In war, lives were inevitably taken in the exchange.

No matter how much they are warriors who live on knives, they need to prepare themselves before a life-and-death fight.

But Chung Myung completely disregarded this fundamental process.

He charged toward the Demonic Sect people without any indication, instruction, or necessity.

As soon as Han Yi-Myung laid eyes on this, he felt his hair turn white.

‘W-what is going on?’

As a result, he was speechless and unsure of how to react.

But at that very moment.

“Everyone!”

Seol So-Baek, observing the situation by Han Yi-Myung’s side, called out in a clear voice.

“Strike! Don’t let the enemy reach our camp!”

Upon hearing these words, one of the entranced individuals suddenly snapped out of it.

“The camp?”

They swiftly sprang into action. The adversaries were emerging from a cave at this moment. In other words, they were all gathered in one place.

If your opponents emerged from the cave and advanced their numerical advantage would mean nothing if prevented from attacking. And hadn’t they experienced this before?

‘Foolish!’

Han Yi-Myung bit his lip, realizing it only then.

“Attack! Immediately! ATTACKKKKK!”

The disciples of Mount Hua were already following Chung Myung with alarming swiftness. Chung Myung, who had leaped to the forefront, charged forward, striking the unprepared demons.

“Attack! Come on, attack! We need to keep the momentum going!”

Han Yi-Myung’s voice was filled with annoyance and anger, impossible to hide.

‘Damn it!’

Han Yi-Myung looked back. The Ice Palace warriors were confused by the sudden change in attack orders and were taken aback.

Even the captains, who were supposed to lead the troops, were uncertain and couldn’t control the Ice Palace warriors, who were in shock.

Why wasn’t the Ice Palace adapting to this sudden change?

It was Chung Myung who spoke nonsense in normal instances. However, once he stepped onto the battlefield, even chasing after him became difficult.

‘But why?’

At that moment,

Chang!

Seol So-Baek pulled out the sword from his waist with a determined look.

‘Huh?!’

“Everyone, turn around!”

Then, without hesitation, they ran forward. As their young Palace Lord ran first, the others had to follow at the same speed without another thought.

“Ohhhh!”

“Follow the Palace Lord!”

“Defeat those Demonic Sect people!”

Han Yi-Myung was shocked as he stood there, blankly staring at Seol So-Baek, with the Ice Palace warriors following him.

There was no plan, troops, or formation as they moved. It was a chaotic fight. However, the force of their movement was clearly different from before.

Just when did that child…?

Han Yi-Myung couldn’t take his eyes off the child, the son of the former royal family.

But he raised him as if he were his own son. The sight of the boy, calling him ‘father’ with wide eyes, was deeply touching.

This only made the situation more peculiar. When did this young and small child grow up to become the leader of the Ice Palace?

And in such a short period of time?

Han Yi-Myung clenched his teeth and sprinted forward with all his strength.

‘I must not be defeated!’

Watching Chung Myung attack the Demonic Sect people and Seol So-Baek running straight towards him, he gripped his sword tightly.

Paaaat!

Chung Myung’s sword continued to cleave through everything.

Chaaak!

The Demonic Sect member, who had lost an arm, twisted his face like a demon and swung his other hand.

But…

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Before he even touched Chung Myung’s body, his wrist, upper arm, and sides were slashed, exposing flesh.

“Ugh…”

The demon, obstructing his internal flow of qi, moaned and attempted to strike Chung Myung. However, this time, Chung Myung’s sword was even faster.

Puak! Puak!

A series of twelve stabs.

No matter its speed, the attack appeared to synchronize with ten sword forms, penetrating the demon’s body. Instantly, holes materialized as the demon was impaled, and blood gushed forth.

Puaaaak!

Finally, the last sword pierced through its heart.

“Kuk….”

Even as he felt the eerie sensation of a sword cutting through his heart, the demon didn’t stop.

He stretched out his limp arm and still tried to grab Chung Myung by the throat.

Chung Myung slowly mumbled.

“… surely…”

Crack!

The sword twisted mercilessly at his heart.

“Cough!”

And this time, blood came from his mouth.

“There must be something amazing within you. To see how desperate you act.”

“… H-heavenly….”

Paaat!

Chung Myung thrust his sword through the demon’s heart and lifted it up as if ripping off its upper body. With a nonchalant expression, he continued forward.

Blood sprayed into the air, showering his body. If someone unaware of the situation had seen this, they might have mistaken Chung Myung for a member of the Demonic Sect.

That was how brutal his hands appeared.

Nevertheless, this gruesome sight severely demoralized his foes and boosted the morale of his followers.

“Charge forward!”

Baek Cheon shouted, his voice booming as he pushed through the demons. Suddenly, the enemies’ swords emitted black air, making them appear more ominous than ever.

“Amitabha!”

Hae Yeon’s fists followed suit, exerting the same powerful force.

His fiery punch targeted the Demonic Sect members who were occupied with defending against the Plum Blossom Sword.

Kwaang!

With a massive explosion, the people from the Demonic Sect coughed up blood and were sent flying backward. The attack was more than enough to bring down their entire bodies. Hae Yeon simply stared ahead, wide-eyed, and bit his lip.

‘Who else will go to hell if not me?’

It was unacceptable for a practitioner of the Buddha’s way to commit murder. That was why he had been restraining his strength so his opponent wouldn’t die. However, that train of thought was nothing but arrogance in this situation.

“Step back!”

Wooong!

Hae Yeon’s body emanated with a golden energy.

As he executed the Seventy-Two Forms of Martial Arts, he utilized the Supreme Force, gritting his teeth and relentlessly launching attacks at the members of the Demonic Sect.

The white terrain was bathed in a radiant golden glow.

“I am not someone who requires protection.”

By refraining from killing now, the responsibility would fall upon someone else to bear and take more lives.

If he said selfish things even while watching the bloodied people in front of him, it would be the same as turning a blind eye to the sins of others that he had avoided taking on.

“A-MI-TH-AB-HA!”

Hae Yeon shouted his dislike, letting his voice resound across the mountain as he stretched both hands outward. The force and power emanating from his hands poured into the people of the Demonic Sect, visible even in the darkness.

Woooong!

The deafening roar echoed through the air, causing those struck by the attack to spew blood and collapse to the ground.

The entire area trembled as if an event of great magnitude had occurred beneath it.

“Wow, damn! Seriously! I should’ve joined Shaolin!”

“That vulgar tongue of yours, Jo Gul!”

“No, sahyung. Can you believe what you’re seeing? It’s absurd… ugh! How can someone strike their own junior with a sword!”

“I can! So watch your words! I beg you!”

Chuckling, Jo Gul deftly dodged Yoon Jong’s sword, gracefully leaping over a couple of Demonic Sect members. Their eyes gleamed with an eerie intensity.

Papapapk!

In no time, numerous forms of swords materialized above the heads of the Demonic Sect members.

“Akk!”

“This guy!”

Some couldn’t evade the attack, while others managed to narrowly escape. And then…

“DIEEEE!”

The dreadfully black-stained hand of a Demonic Sect member swung towards Jo Gul.

However, the hand he used was blocked by the sword tip, which suddenly moved before the demon’s hand could even get close to Jo Gul.

Kakang!

Yoon Jong extended his sword to protect Jo Gul and spoke with cold eyes.

“Didn’t I tell you not to act out so suddenly?”

“We should do that much with these people.”

“The enemy is the Demonic sect.”

“I know!”

Yoon Jong, who had been silent for a second, smiled and said,

“Right, let’s see if you die.”

And, with clenched teeth, he started supporting Jo Gul’s back and fought fiercely.

Chung Myung, observing the scene from the corner of his eye, pondered while swinging his sword.

‘Perhaps due to their youth, they appear different each day.’

They had transformed so significantly that they couldn’t be compared to when he initially brought them to the North Sea. With every life-and-death battle they went through, their swords grew sharper, and so did their strength.

Now, it was practically futile to label them as just trained warriors.

Yu Yiseol and Tang Soso united as a team, effortlessly overpowering their opponents with astonishing speed. Yu Yiseol took the lead, with Tang Soso by her side, filling in any gaps in their defense.

“These despicable bastards!”

The Demonic Sect members fixated their gaze on Hae Yeon’s relentless assaults, which blended seamlessly with the attacks made by the disciples of Mount Hua.

However…

“Absolutely not.”

Paaaat!

The head of Chung Myung’s opponent was slashed by his sword. Blood splattered all around, causing the attention of those who were after Hae Yeon to shift to Chung Myung. This brought a wicked smile to Chung Myung’s face.

“Feeling slightly let down?”

He tightly held the sword in reverse and started running like a famished wolf. Simultaneously, the warriors of Ice Palace, who had passed Seol So-Baek, surged forward like white waves and clashed head-on with the adversaries.

“Take them all down!”

“There are many more of us! Don’t give up!”

“If we don’t defeat them, the future of the North Sea is doomed! Leave no one alive in here!”

Inspired by Mount Hua’s bravery, the Ice Palace warriors swung their swords recklessly.

They had witnessed a victory already. They understood the excessive damage and their limited involvement, but a victory was a victory.

Furthermore, the number of demons they had to handle now was much smaller. Therefore, there was no reason to act the same way as in the past. And most importantly, didn’t they still retain the spirit of wanting to crush the enemy?

“Show them the might of the Ice Palace!”

“OHHHHHH!”

Their strength lay in numbers.

The Demonic Sect members, positioned narrowly in front of the cave, were quickly surrounded by the Ice Palace warriors. Their cramped formation grew even narrower, making it difficult for them to move freely.

A ghastly shiver escaped Chung Myung’s gaze as he observed the scene.

‘So clumsy and unkempt.’

The more he battled them, the more he became convinced.

The stubbornness and cruelty they once possessed still lingered, but their strength had diminished. This applied to both their power and their approach.

The name they knew was ‘Heavenly Demon’.

Ultimately, their very existence posed a challenge.

Without the presence of the Heavenly Demon, the Demonic Sect would be nothing more than an extremist faction. While it undeniably instilled fear in onlookers, truth be told, there were numerous sects of this nature in the Central Plains.

However, the moment the Heavenly Demon joined this group, the Demonic Sect would become the deadliest martial arts sect that shook the entire land.

There was neither fear nor loss for those who worshiped a living god. The people in front of him might be called humans, but the moment the Heavenly Demon was resurrected, they ceased to exist as such.

‘So…!’

Paaaat!

Chung Myung’s sword struck down the opponents before him.

“Get out of the way.”

It was right in front of him.

Judging from the actions of these people, something must be happening inside the cave.

“Dieee!”

At that moment, a person from the Demonic Sect rushed in with wide eyes. Chung Myung forcefully thrust the sword deep into their exposed hand.

“Kuaaaal!”

The Plum Blossom Sword, emitting a dark fragrance, moved forward and tore off the arm.

“Kuaaak!”

Confronted with immense pain, the Demonic Sect fighter couldn’t help but scream, a sound that no one could ignore.

Paaat!

Chung Myung, showing mercy by swiftly severing his opponent’s neck to minimize their suffering, advanced toward the cave, his eyes filled with determination.

“Get out.”

The blood of his fallen adversaries trickled down his face.

Amidst the bloodstains, his eyes shone with a fierce, deadly intent.

“Or everyone will perish within these walls.”

Wheik.

Chung Myung firmly grasped his weapon and charged forward. Without hesitation, he impaled his foe through the heart and sprinted towards the cave, using the body as a shield.

“HAAHHHH!”

Witnessing Chung Myung charging forward without hesitation, the bloodshot eyes of the Demonic Sect members screamed with a voice that didn’t seem of this world.