I'm sorry, guys. I shouldn't have went off without notice. I've said it before but I'm in the middle of writing my thesis for college. It didn't go well, it's all on me obviously. Again, I've said it before that I might skip updating for some days, but I went too long at it. I counted the dates and I believe I owe you guys 39 chapters. I will pay it back ASAP and do some mass release to make up for it. I'm very sorry for the long wait, IN the middle of this arc, no less.
Owed Chapter : 29
Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1749. Consider this me venting (4)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Hwaaaaaak!
The blood cultist's eyes flew wide open as if they would tear.
The place where his enemy had clearly existed just moments ago was instantly covered with red petals.
'Illusion technique? Or illusion sword?'
Either way, it was equally astonishing.
The Blood Cultist's misshapen blade that had hesitated briefly swung again. Even more intensely than before.
It was a bizarre display of sword energy. But at a glance, the energy contained within wasn't that remarkable. Even if hiding their appearance with that bizarre sword energy, the person behind it wouldn't disappear, so just cutting through the sword energy and all would be enough.
"Die!"
But at that moment, the red flower petals covering Yoon Jong burst outward in all directions like a raging storm.
Pahaaaak!
'What?'
Before they could even react, the sword energy that struck pierced through the bodies of the blood cultists.
Sogeok! Sogeok! Sogeok!
The blood cultists were swept by the storm of petals and flung backward.
Their bodies were as tough as rubber. Those bodies that even swords barely penetrated were pierced with ease by the thin, petal-like sword energy.
Teoeong! Teong!
Those struck slammed into the earth and tumbled across the ground.
"...Huu."
Yoon Jong straightened his lowered posture once more. Though his breathing wasn't labored, sweat poured like rain down his forehead.
Though it had been a powerful strike, it was only a single move, yet a sense of exhaustion as if about to collapse from exhaustion dominated his body. As if something inside him had been completely drained.
"Heu..."
Just then, the voice of a fallen blood cultist echoed.
“You damn bastard. Showing off petty tricks.”
Those with pitch-black holes punctured all over their bodies were rising again as if it were nothing.
“….”
Yoon Jong's eyes suddenly grew grim. Between the pitch-black holes, those problematic tentacles were squirming.
‘Is it a failure?’
He couldn't tell. He himself couldn't even define exactly what he had done.
"Not bad for a final struggle."
The blood cultist facing Yoon Jong wiped his mouth with his sleeve. The tentacles writhing in the hole in his cheek instinctively churned Yoon Jong's stomach.
“But in the end, you are all merely unbelievers.”
Though the wounds hadn't even fully healed yet, the blood cultists who had risen began to approach again as if pressuring Yoon Jong. Their sheer indifference toward the holes drilled through their flesh tightened around Yoon Jong’s heart suffocatingly.
"Insignificant creatures who haven't received the cult's grace cannot overcome us. Regret that you did not convert to the cult sooner..."
The blood cultist, who had been spouting greasy nonsense, suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
“….”
He wasn't the only one. Those who had been narrowing the distance to surround Yoon Jong stopped in unison.
'What?'
Confusion lingered in Yoon Jong's eyes. But in the blood cultists' eyes, an even greater confusion swirled.
"What the... Uuk! Uwaaaaaak!"
The blood cultist in the center clutched his chest and fell to his knees. And from his mouth, he spewed out pitch-black dead blood that seemed like a bowlful.
"Th- This...? Ugh!"
Vomiting blood once more, the blood cultist stared at his own body in horror. His healing flesh began to bleed once more. The wounds rapidly worsened as if reversing the miracles they had shown until now.
"The, the cult's blessing?"
The blood cultist’s eyes shook as widely as they possibly could.
"Th- This is impossible!"
Perhaps more shocking than the fact that his life was in danger from opening wounds was that the tentacles that had been protecting him no longer moved. The Blood Cultist's hands trembled like aspen leaves.
"You bastard! What did you... Uwaaaaak!"
The blood cultist vomited thick black blood again.
"Huuk! Huuk! Huuk!"
The blood cultist who gasped for breath looked at Yoon Jong again. In his eyes, a fear that hadn't been there before now rose strongly.
Conflict flickered in the blood cultist's gaze before he bit his lip hard.
"Retreat."
“Huh? But….”
“Retreat!”
The blood cultists nodded.
Those who glared at Yoon Jong with hateful eyes slowly stepped backward, then soon turned around and began to rapidly distance themselves.
"Stop…!"
Yoon Jong reflexively started to give chase but came to a sudden halt to steady his breathing.
'Stay calm.'
If they could no longer regenerate, they weren't that difficult opponents. Even Yoon Jong alone could probably handle them. However, it was too hasty to judge that they had completely lost that bizarre ability.
Moreover, he hadn't come here to defeat enemies, had he?
"Hoo..."
Taking a deep breath, Yoon Jong looked at his sword. A sword no different from usual. But something clearly different from before had lingered in that sword.
'No. It's not different.'
Though he didn't yet fully understand what Immortal Energy was, it was clear that power had already resided within him.
Seureureung.
Yoon Jong slid his sword back into its sheath. Now wasn’t the time to be sorting through complex thoughts.
“Are you all alright?”
“Uh... Ah! Yes!”
Those who had only watched the battle due to injuries nodded vigorously at Yoon Jong's words.
"Are you alright, Dojang?"
"Though I look too disheveled to be called alright... it doesn't seem to be a big problem."
The Heavenly Comrade Alliance members' heads slowly nodded.
“I should look after your injuries, but unfortunately, I don't think we have the luxury for that right now. It may be difficult, but it seems there are no more enemies here, so head up the mountain and join the reinforcement."
"Yes. Dojang... N- No, Vice Hall Leader! Then what about Vice Hall Leader?"
“I must go support other areas.”
Yoon Jong lightly gripped his sword.
Being able to use Immortal Energy didn't mean everything had changed drastically. He couldn't yet use it freely at will, after all.
Nevertheless, he strangely felt a bit more confident. Perhaps because he had realized that something extraordinary already existed within him.
"Then."
“Be careful.”
"Thank you."
Yun Jong politely cupped his fists then launched his body. As his figure quickly disappeared, sighs simultaneously flowed from the mouths of those remaining.
"Are you okay?"
“Yes, Hyung-nim. But more importantly….”
The person who had been sitting collapsed pressed his hand on the long gash on his shoulder and let out a bitter smile.
'We were busy running away even with close to ten people.'
That person had single-handedly charged in and driven them all away. Someone who actually looked younger than them.
"Mount Hua's Five Swords. Yoon Jong..."
It was impossible not to know. One who held the position of vice hall leader of one of the five halls within Heavenly Comrade Alliance. If a member of the alliance didn't know him, they might as well be considered a spy for Evil Tyrant Alliance and have their head cut off.
But the Yoon Jong he knew, and the one the world spoke of, was someone who didn't particularly stand out in martial arts among Five Swords. He was thought to be someone just riding the coattails of Five Swords' fame through his seniority and martial arts.
'That person?'
A hollow laugh escaped him. It wasn't that he was riding their coattails. It was that the people around him were of such a level that someone like him simply didn't receive much attention.
"I feel like I've painfully realized how unreliable worldly rumors are."
“…I know what you mean.”
The sighing Heavenly Comrade Alliance members laboriously rose to their feet. Since the enemy might return, they had to join the reinforcement units as Yoon Jong had instructed.
"Let's go up."
"Yes."
As they started walking, one turned his head and glanced briefly toward where Yoon Jong had disappeared.
'But what was that?'
The last single sword strike he showed. Clearly a strange energy was contained in that sword. Something warm yet clear, and also... auspicious.
"What are you doing?"
"Coming."
Those who managed their injuries began to squeeze out strength and climb the mountain.
* * *
“Dammit! To hell with this!”
“Focus.”
“Aagh! It’s not as easy as it sounds!”
Jo-Gol spat out curses as he swung his sword fiercely.
Subduing wasn't blocking the enemy's attacks but making the enemy unable to attack. But these bastards didn't fear having their limbs cut off, nor having a sword pierce their hearts.
Subduing those guys so they couldn't move was easier said than done. With Jo-Gol’s current ability, it was something he could barely even attempt.
Nevertheless, the reason they could face them was.
Sogeok!
"Well done."
"What did I even do?"
No matter how clumsily Jo Geol held the enemies, it was thanks to Yoo Iseol's skill in accurately severing their necks from any position, at any time.
"Dodge."
"Shit!"
Sensing it was already too late, Jo-Gol rolled on the ground. Several misshapen blades were embedded where he'd pulled his body from.
'Damn bastards!'
If it were one enemy, they could easily handle it, but the bastards they had no way to stop except cutting off their necks in one blow were moving in groups.
Jo-Gol's back was already soaked with sweat. Though they could somehow manage now in this small-scale skirmish, just thinking about what would happen if such bastards were deployed on a proper battlefield was horrifying.
“Your breathing is ragged.”
"I know, damn it!"
Though saying that, Jo-Gol desperately steadied his breath himself. Compared to Yoo Iseol, whose breathing hadn't even faltered, he was becoming far too agitated.
"...You bastards dare!"
A crimson light surged from the blood cultists' eyes. It seemed the sight of their decapitated comrades had triggered their savage nature.
'Their skill isn't much.'
No, one couldn't say swordsmanship or blade techniques were all of skill. If that bizarre body of theirs could be considered a kind of 'internal strength art,' then their skill level should be rated as quite high.
"We'll tear you limb from limb!"
The bastards growled like beasts and approached. Though they looked as if they had lost their minds, there was a clear sense of caution in the way they closed the distance.
Knowing that a clumsy charge would cost them their heads, they seemed intent on lunging all at once.
‘Not good.’
Jo-Gol's eyes narrowed.
Those misshapen blades gouged out people's flesh just by mere graze. But this side had no choice but to swing their swords and sever the enemies' necks in one blow. If enemies pounced all at once, there would inevitably be some they couldn't process, and then those misshapen blades would tear their bodies to shreds.
‘If we just had one or two more people... coming with only the two of us was a mistake.’
If there had been a failure, it was that in their haste they hadn’t accurately grasped the enemy’s numbers and capabilities. However, now wasn't the time to discuss such things.
"Sago. Can we do it?"
"We'll just have to. Make it possible."
“…I thought I was the most carefree person in Mount Hua.”
Lately, he felt like his specialties were constantly being outdone by others.
"They're coming."
“Damn it!”
Jo-Gol poured his internal strength into his sword. Strong Sword (강검(强劍)) wasn't his main specialty, but to cut off those tough necks in one blow, this was the only method. Because his sword wasn't as fluid as Yoo Iseol's.
“Come! I’ll chop off all your heads!”
Just as Jo-Gol kicked off the ground to charge at the enemies.
Pahaaaat!
"Huh?"
"Hm?"
Countless plum blossom petals swept over their heads.
"Sa- Sahyung! It's useless! That kind of thing doesn't work...!"
Jo-Gol, spotting Yoon Jong who had suddenly leaped out before them, shouted urgently. Hadn't they already confirmed countless times that such swords didn't work on them?
But then.
"Keuaaaaak!"
“W- What’s this!”
The enemies, who had been building momentum to charge, collapsed on the spot while clutching their own bodies. They screamed terrible cries never heard from them before.
"...It works?"
Jo-Gol blinked his eyes stupidly seeing those detestable tentacles not rising from their bodies.
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