Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1670. There Will Be a Future (5)
Editor: Hoamz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Kwareureureuk!
Another massive boulder falls.
Kwaaaaang! Kwaaaaang!
Although originally a near-vertical cliff, it being a mountain means it inevitably has a slight incline. With each collision of rock against the cliff, a deafening roar as if the sky were collapsing resonated throughout the mountain.
"Dodgeeee!"
With screams that seemed to tear their throats, those climbing the cliff scattered in all directions in a hurry.
It was an attack they should have grown used to by now, yet the results created by those tumbling boulders were even more horrific than before.
“Aaaaaaah!”
Those swept up were smashed into lumps of flesh and flung into the air, and even those not directly struck lost their balance from the vibration and fell to their deaths.
Even knowing an attack was coming, no amount of shouting was of any use.
The Evil Tyrant Alliance martial artists were already halfway up the cliff. With terribly many people clinging to this steep cliff, do they all really possess the ability to run along the cliff avoiding falling rock masses?
If so, Evil Tyrant Alliance would have conquered the world and then some a long time ago.
Given the situation, there was no avoiding the fact that every time a boulder fell, dozens of lives were snuffed out with terrifying ease.
It was fortunate that it was night. If it had been bright daylight, they would clearly see the White Face Rock dyed crimson with the Evil Tyrant Alliance martial artists' blood and flesh pieces.
“S- Squad Leader! This is really…!”
“Shut your mouth. Don’t say another word.”
Meaningless sacrifice. Reckless advance.
Who wouldn't know the words that would follow? Similar words had already swirled through his head several times.
But whether this operation had meaning was not for them to judge.
Those who judged whether this dog's work has meaning were all below the cliff. One person in particular.
If 'he' judges it meaningful, even if everyone clinging to this cliff dies, they must climb the cliff. Because that's Evil Tyrant Alliance's way.
So rather than thinking such meaningless thoughts….
The man's eyes turned to the top of the cliff.
So much rock had been cut away that the upper portion of the cliff no longer resembled its original shape. Bloodshot veins rose in his eyes.
"That... damn bastard!"
Just how overflowing with internal strength did one have to be to keep carrying out this crazy act?
"Climb! Don't stop until you've chewed the flesh and bones of that dog-like bastard!"
A voice filled with intense hatred echoed loudly through the cliff shrouded in darkness.
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
The hand gripping the sword trembled like an aspen tree.
Heo Gong's entire body was drenched in sweat. The single sword strike that cut through rock. A sword strike worthy of praise even if performed just once, Heo Gong was now unleashing it nearly a dozen times.
“Sa... Sasuk!”
The Mu generation who had been guarding his back just in case shouted with deathly pale faces.
Anyone could clearly see that Heo Gong was pushed to his limit, but no one dared to take his place. Not even the elders of the Heo generation could bring themselves to attempt it.
If what they had learned was something like Namgung’s sword or Peng Family’s blade, perhaps it would be different, but unleashing such a devastating slash with Wudang’s sword, which emphasizes balance and harmony, was truly a miraculous feat.
Even if someone stronger than Heo Gong were standing here, they would not be able to deliver such a strike.
Udeudeuk.
The bones in Heo Gong's hand gripping the Pine-Patterned Ancient Sword made a dull sound. He bit his lips and stared at the edge of the cliff again.
"S- Sasuk! Please really stop now!"
"We will go down the cliff! We can deal with those bastards even on the cliff top!"
Despite the dissuasion from his sorrowful sajils, Heo Gong only added strength to the grip of the hand holding the sword silently.
This place absolutely cannot be yielded.
At this very moment, his sahyungs were staking even their lives to block those climbing the slope. The screams and dying gasps of someone can be heard vividly even here.
He knew exactly how they felt as they staked their lives. If this place were breached... their deaths would be in vain.
If the center were breached, Wudang would absolutely not be able to withstand their overwhelming numbers.
So ultimately, they would have to stop them directly on the cliff top. But that will surely involve sacrifice, and no matter how much they have mastered Cloud Treading Steps, fighting from above a cliff is not easy unless they were birds.
Heo Gong didn't want to drive his sajils into danger yet.
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"
Heo Gong's sword emits white light once more.
As long as his dantian hadn't burst, he must swing the sword one more time to block their advance.
Chwaaaak!
The crescent-shaped sword energy that flew relentlessly shaved the cliff diagonally. The massive rock was cut. It slid and fell down once more.
"Uh... Uhhh!"
At the falling rocks that followed at a slightly faster pace than before, pitch black despair filled the eyes of Evil Tyrant Alliance martial artists clinging to the cliff.
"Y- You dog-like bastards!"
Just as they spat curses and were about to hurl themselves forward again in rage,
“Tsk, tsk. It’s painful to watch.”
Someone lightly overtook those attached at the front and surged upward, then amazingly surged toward the front of the massive rock falling with fearsome momentum that seemed to cover the sky.
“W- What?”
At the reckless and foolish action, everyone had their gazes stolen and exclaimed.
Paaaaaaaat!
A white palm shadow, so white it seemed almost transparent, instantly covered the sky. Beyond ten to a hundred, and beyond!
Literally 'innumerable' hand shadows, each performing a different movement, struck the falling rock.
Kuuuung!
So many impacts rang out in such a brief instant that they sounded like a single massive boom.
Soon, the direction of the rock mass falling along the cliff face twisted. It had detached from the cliff and was greatly pushed away.
"Stick close!"
The rock mass weighing a few thousand kilograms narrowly brushed past the backs of Evil Tyrant Alliance martial artists clinging to the cliff.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
A moment later, a sound like a huge explosion was heard from below the cliff.
This means that the rock that had been terribly tormenting those clinging to the cliff could no longer roll down the cliff and fell.
In this miracle-like situation, Evil Tyrant Alliance martial artists instinctively cast their gazes toward him who had surged up. And some opened their eyes wide in disbelief at the situation.
"S- Sect Leader!"
"Thousand-Faced Water Snake!"
Thousand-Faced Water Snake, standing with his hands clasped behind his back as if the cliff were level ground, paid no heed to the shouts coming from behind and only narrowing his eyes to gaze at the top of the cliff.
Although he had lightly twisted the rock's path, he couldn't help but feel awe toward someone who kept severing such massive boulders.
“I don't recall there being a swordsman of this caliber before….”
The one he had clashed with at the Yangtze River in the past was Shaolin's Bop Kye. But he was no longer of this world.
Moreover, Wudang's Heo Do Jin-in, who had stood on equal footing with the Ten Thousand Gold Great Master back then, was not someone who used such sword strikes.
That meant there was another swordsman atop that cliff. Someone who might be comparable to, or even greater than, Heo Do Jin-in.
If it were a member of the Heo generation, they would have already shown their strength at the Yangtze River, so this implies a rising star who reached such a level during the few years of seclusion.
“…Indeed, as expected of Moodang. One cannot fathom its depth.”
Before the glory of one generation even fades, others spread that fame to the world. That was perhaps the most frightening aspect of Righteous Sects that distinguished them from Evil Sects.
An advantage that Evil Sects, uninterested in nurturing juniors, could never have.
Hao Sect Leader. A strange smile appeared on Thousand-Faced Gentleman Dam Yeohae's face.
Originally, he hadn't intended to step to the forefront in this battle. But if such sacrifices must be made, especially with the majority of those paying the sacrifice being disciples of the Hao Sect, the story changes.
And also…
For an instant, a chilling killing intent surfaced on the youthful face of Dam Yeohae.
"If it's a young Imoogi..."
He had obtained sufficient lessons regarding this, both from Evil Sects and Righteous Sects.
If you leave an Imoogi be just because you can handle it now, it will someday return as a monster that can tear you apart with just the tip of its claw.
“This time, I should cut off its breath for sure before it becomes a dragon.”
Paaaaat!
He shot up along the cliff like a single streak of lightning.
Truly fearsome speed!
As his lightness art, called the Evil Sects Foremost, unfolded to its extreme, the afterimage (잔영(殘影)) of Thousand-Faced Gentleman looked as if it were splitting the white cliff like a streak of blue lightning.
Paaaaat!
‘M- Must be stopepd!’
Heo Gong, seeing this from atop the cliff, widened his eyes. He must somehow prevent that man from reaching this place.
But for him now...!
“Stop him!”
Just then, before Heo Gong could even open his mouth, the Mu generation who had been guarding behind scattered their bodies below the cliff.
"Wh- What are you doing!"
"We'll handle it, Sasuk!"
Heo Gong reflexively reached out his hand but it was useless. His sajils had already begun rushing down the cliff.
"You shall not come up here! Evil Sects bastard!"
"Don't let him reach Sasuk! Defend this place with your lives!"
A cold resolve shone in the eyes of the Wudang swordsmen.
Yes, perhaps it was fortunate that they got this chance to step forward and swing their swords. It was more agonizing to watch Heo Gong struggle alone from behind.
"Bastaard!"
The one who had leapt down at the very front ran along the cliff and slashed his sword toward Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
Like a stream flowing through a deep mountain valley, blue and clear sword energy surged toward Thousand-Faced Gentleman while carrying firm resolve.
And to the surprise of even the one who swung the sword, it struck Thousand-Faced Gentleman’s body directly.
'Huh?'
Before long, Thousand-Faced Gentleman's body which had been split scattered like mist.
“Crude.”
Thump!
Before the Wudang swordsman could even feel the emptiness caused by the tip of his sword cutting through air, Thousand-Faced Gentleman's Hand Art (수공(手功)) struck the swordsman’s flank.
A palm force unleashed at maximum speed not to knock him down, but just to push him away. Because of that, it was a palm force too fast for the eyes to follow.
“Keuak!”
As soon as Thousand-Faced Gentleman, who had sent a Wudang disciple flying over the cliff so quickly, placed a foot on the cliff, countless sword energies poured toward him.
Swaeaeaeaeaek!
White, black, and blue.
It was literally like a storm made of sword energy. Though it was a sight to make one's bones tingle, Thousand-Faced Gentleman maintained his expressionless face and indifferently extended his foot amidst the pouring sword energy.
Hwiiiing! Hwiiiiiing!
Sword energy tore through the air.
In a time too short to even blink, Thousand-Faced Gentleman’s body changed position dozen times. It was a lightness art of formidable speed, like lightning striking in a storm. The extremity of that speed was so great that even those who had dedicated their lives to seeing the end of a sword were dumbfounded.
Paaaaat!
Thousand-Faced Gentleman, who broke through in an instant as if the pouring sword energy had been nothing but an illusion, surged up and further upward.
Until now, only the level of those facing him had been extraordinary, but he too had risen to his current position by standing out alone among Hao Sect disciples so numerous you could trip over them.
If not for the existence of the monster called Jang Ilso, he would have been fully qualified to proudly engrave his name in the history of Kangho.
“Sto- Stop him...”
Those who had leapt down with resolve turned their heads back with despair-filled faces at the unexpected situation. They saw Thousand-Faced Gentleman moving away above them, showing his back. They also saw his hand creating dozens of palm shadows in the air again.
However.
Kaaaaaaaang!
Shortly after, when an eardrum-tearing explosion rang out, Thousand-Faced Gentleman's hand stopped in midair.
"Quite capable."
Amid the dazzling multitude of palm shadows, a sword had perfectly found and struck the single real strike.
Pushing away the hand that clashed with that sword, Thousand-Faced Gentleman let out a strange smile.
“What is your name?”
“Heo Gong.”
“I am Thousand-Faced Gentleman. Remember it. I am the man who will take your life.”
At the edge of the towering White Face Rock, Thousand-Faced Gentleman's hand and Heo Gong's sword met.
The hand of a giant grasping the past, and the sword of a martial warrior (무부(武夫)) who must advance toward the future.
Consider supporting me by subscribing on Patreon for 5$. The Patreon membership for Mount Hua and Infinite Mage is the same. The benefit:
Advance chapters of Mount Hua : 76
Advance chapters of Magic Realm Convenience Store Worker : 144 Chapters
Advance chapters of Got a Gallery in the Wild : 10
Comments Box