Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1298. Is there a place to rest on this earth? (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Swaaaa!
The entire forest shook violently.
The branches stretch in all directions collided with each other and create a sound that resembled crashing waves. Amidst this, the group of people wearing blood-red martial robes poured out of the bush and began to rush forward at an incredible speed.
Baek Cheon's face stiffened in an instant.
'They’re different!'
His senses, his fingertips, and his instincts were shouting at him. These guys are on a whole other level than the guys who blocked their way so far.
Only one word surfaced in his mind.
'Evil Tyrant Alliance!'
Baek Cheon shouted loudly without another thought.
"Hold the front!"
It was unclear whom the order was for, but there were those who immediately responded with certainty and precision.
As soon as Baek Cheon command landed, Jo-Gol, Yoon Jong, Yoo Iseol, and Tang Soso rushed forward like beams of light to the vanguard.
"Come on, you bastards!"
Jo Gul shouted roughly as if he would not be pressured by their momentum. However, the two eyes that appeared above the mask covering his face were chillingly cold and calm.
Paaaat!
The thin swords (세검(細劍)) of the blood-red group sliced through the air like venomous snakes towards Jo-Gol like a poisonous snake.
The attack was so fast that even Jo-Gol, who specialized in swift sword, stopped breathing for a moment.
Kaang!
Jo-Gol raised his plum blossom sword and parried the thin swords with a single strike.
The eyes of the blood-red martial artist flickered ominously for a moment. He immediately slowed his charging speed slightly.
Jo-Gol was slightly taken aback.
'What?'
The question was answered before it formed in his mind. The blood-red martial artist who had slowed his momentum matched pace with other blood-red martial artists joining from behind and charged at Jo-Gol again.
Three of them. Just a single sword exchange was enough to gauge the opponent’s skill and match the number of fighters needed for the hunt.
Swaaaat!
Thin swords as thin as fingers continuously targeted Jo-Gol's body.
The fine swords were as fast as they were thin, and it wasn’t easy to defend against them. This was because it requires a lot of precision to deflect them. Of course, their characteristic limited the strength behind them. Thus, they couldn't be considered particularly threatening weapons.
However, the situation changed completely when the number of these fine swords reached three.
“Ugh!”
Jo-Gol swung his sword repeatedly to strike away the incoming thin swords.
His original strength was offensive. He utilized his rapid and decisive strikes to overwhelm the enemy. But in this situation, he couldn’t fully unleash his skills.
Kang! Kaang! Kagang!
Like interlocking gears, the three fine swords flew toward Jo-Gol one after the other. Every time he deflected one and tried to counterattack, another sword would fly toward his vital points.
Deflecting them wasn’t difficult. Avoiding them wasn’t impossible either.
But he didn't dare attempt to find an opening for counterattack. The moment he clumsily shifted to offense, one of those swords would pierce his body. The sword that was coated in poison so deadly that it would darken the blade itself!
'These, these bastards!'
Jo-Gol had never been afraid of fighting against numbers before.
He had always fought against greater numbers. While sparring might be different, in real combat he had always wielded his sword against large numbers. So he believed his swordsmanship had developed to match that.
But these….
'Damn it! They're so good!'
It wasn’t just about numbers.
The enemies he had faced before had merely outnumbered him. Even if he faced two at once, the difficulty would only double.
But these enemies were different. Their sword movements ingeniously complemented each other. It was an absurd analogy, but it felt as though several arms were attacking at once, each wielding a sword, working in perfect sync and continuously launching a flurry of strikes.
Jo-Gol understood clearly. There was a world of difference between simply fighting multiple opponents and fighting those trained in precise combination techniques.
Paaat!
Jo-Gol's head suddenly jerked sharply to the side.
A sharp thin sword narrowly missed his cheek. But the sword was quickly withdrawn before it could even fully pass Jo-Gol’s face.
‘This bastard!’
Sparks flew from Jo-Gol's eyes.
It wasn't struck with full force. The sword wouldn't have been so easy to withdraw otherwise. This meant they had held back when thrusting their swords.
Jo-Gol knew what that indicated. If they had reserved some power, they could have easily swung the sword sideways to slash his face.
But they just withdrew their swords. This was a strategy to gradually wear him down even if it took longer.
As expected, the cold and calculating look in the blood-red martial artist’s eyes after retracting his sword was colder than ever.
A chill ran down Jo-Gol’s spine.
The fear of being hunted.
The dread of being cornered and pushed toward traps laid by hunters engulfed Jo-Gol for the first time.
‘Am I...’
He distorted his face horribly.
"Am I look like some little rabbit, you fucking dogs!"
Paaaaat!
Jo-Gol's sword split into fragments and burst into red plum blossom petals. No, it tried to.
But right at that moment.
Taaaaaaaang!
A sudden bewilderment clouded Jo-Gol’s face. Just as his sword was about to split magnificently, one of the blood-red martial artists in front charged in at once and struck his sword with great force.
'What?'
A heavy impact transmitted through his wrist. The force broke the budding transformation of his sword.
Jo-Gol and the blood-red martial artist locked eyes in midair.
Shwaeaeaeaek!
Two swords surged simultaneously seeking Jo-Gol. Jo-Gol, in panic, pulled back his sword and tried to retreat, but the blood-red martial artist’s sword emitted a terrifying pull and drew Jo-Gol’s sword toward it.
'Huh?'
Shwaeaeaeaek!
Just as the thin swords thrusting from both sides were about to dig into Jo-Gol’s body like venomous snake fangs.
Kaaaaaaang!
The incoming thin swords collided with a lightning-like sword strike that flying from behind and was deflected away. At the same time, someone grabbed Jo-Gol’s shoulder firmly.
"Don't get excited."
“Sa- Sasuk!”
Baek Cheon saved Jogeol from the brink and glared at the enemy as he spoke in a low voice. His face was slightly distorted.
“These guys… are experts.”
Baek Cheon's gaze was like one analyzing the enemy.
It was natural that Jo-Gol was taken aback. These enemies were different in nature from those Mount Hua had faced until now. They weren’t ones who relied on brute strength to overpower their enemies.
'And that sword strike just now...'
Baek Cheon's expression turned grave at the strike that had sealed off the sword technique Jo-Gol had tried to unleash.
Mount Hua's sword technique was meant to bewilder and shake its opponent. But that strike had precisely targeted the point where Mount Hua's sword would extend. Just as even the mightiest plum tree cannot bloom without branches, that strike had effectively cut off the branch before Jo-Gol’s flower could bloom.
Was it momentary wit?
'No.'
It was a strike that could only have been executed with prior analysis. They know Mount Hua well. They had studied how to deal with Mount Hua’s sword techniques when facing Mount Hua’s sword masters.
As expected, not just Jo-Gol but the others were also being held back.
“Ugh! These bastards!”
Tang Soso was stumbling backward.
Normally, she could have handled three enemies that clung to her. But this was the first time Mount Hua’s disciples had to face opponents who had mastered such well-executed combined tactics.
Moreover, they were all completely exhausted after coming this far.
Yoon Jong and Yoo Iseol were holding up better than the previous two due to their nature, but that was all. They weren't able to overwhelm their opponents.
The biggest problem was...
Baek Cheon's sharp gaze shifted toward the distance. Except for the blood-red martial artists engaged with Mount Hua disciples, the remaining were watching the situation intently with their swords lowered. And at their center, someone who clearly stood out was observing the battle situation indifferently before slowly raising his arm.
"Go."
The moment he gestured, those waiting rushed toward Hainan Sect disciples who were under Mount Hua's protection. Their speed was so formidable that it looked as if a red blood streak was appearing in mid-air.
Papapat.
A quiet rush without even a common battle cry.
Hainan Sect disciples at its end turned pale blue.
They didn't yet know how strong these enemies were because they haven't crossed swords yet. They didn’t have the experience or the sharp insight to gauge how formidable these opponents were in matter of moments.
But even so, it could be understood.
The prey recognizes the predator.
The reason a large deer flees from a tiny snake wasn't because it knows well the danger of its size and sharp venomous fangs. It was because its instinctive senses detect a threat.
The same was true for Hainan Sect disciples now.
The instincts that had never needed because they had lived without being threatened until now were screaming and revealing their presence, telling them to retreat immediately.
However, the speed at which the blood-red martial artist attacked was much faster than the disciples of Hainan Sect could follow their instincts.
Taaat!
One of the blood-red martial artists who rushed in without a battle cry thrust their thin sword with chilling sharpness.
"Keuk!"
Although cornered, Hainan Sect disciples were still elite martial artists of the prestigious Ten Great Sects. They weren't weak enough to be flustered by sword strikes like those shown against Mount Hua.
Hainan Sect sword swung like lightning and blocked the thin sword with ease. It had the momentum to split the thin blade in two with a single strike. It was a flawless counter against the sharp but lightweight thin sword.
However.
Kwaang!
The moment that delicate thin sword collided with the rough Hainan Sect sword, contrary to expectations, what erupted was a massive explosion.
Gwak Hwanso’s eyes bulged.
The swords of Hainan Sect disciples had actually been bounced back by the thin sword. Unbelievably.
'What…?'
Was the force behind those thin swords actually stronger than the swords swung with full force by Hainan Sect disciples?
No, that wasn't it!
Guo Hwanso’s eyes frantically examined the blood-red martial artist's wrists. They were definitely trembling. Moreover, their complexions had turned pale for a moment.
'Tho- Those bastards!'
They had anticipated it.
They had prepared for how Hainan Sect would fight them. That’s why, in a split second, they forcefully pushed their energy into their swords to withstand the blow.
An unconventional technique that defied common sense. However, the cost of that technique was revealed immediately.
Paaaat!
Puuk, puuk, puuk!
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
The blood-red martial artist's swords swiftly pierced the briefly flustered Hainan Sect disciples. They were so focused on pushing their opponent back that they were left scrambling when the unexpected happened. It was almost an inevitable result.
"N- No!"
Gwak Hwanso reached out in terror. If the first line had collapsed so quickly, everything would crumble before they could do anything...
Kwaaaaaang!
Then, a blinding terrible white light exploded alongside a thunderous roar. The charging blood-red martial artists were helplessly thrown back as if hit by cannonballs.
"Huh?"
"Back away!"
A man gracefully landed before them with a hardened expression. A sword master with features so handsome they almost appeared arrogant.
"I'll handle the front."
Namgung Dowi slowly raised his sword which was now glowing with white light. An aura like that of an emperor emanated from his entire body.
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