Chapter 813: Stick Out Your Neck, You Bastard! (3)

 

From above, a rain of boiling oil poured down, while from below, a constant barrage of black arrows soared upward.

Shaolin monks unleashed golden auras, moving along the cliff like dragons, and Wudang's swordmasters created a barrier of blades that coated the cliff in a shining white.

‘What in the world…?’

Baek Cheon’s eyes trembled.

Though he knew he should stay calm in the midst of battle, anyone who witnessed this sight could hardly blame him for faltering.

Not only Baek Cheon and the disciples of Mount Hua, but even the warriors of Ten Thousand Houses—who were their opponents—couldn’t look away.

It was a scene that went beyond overwhelming.

Power and strategy.

Righteousness and wickedness.

Every element that defined the battlefields of the martial world clashed violently here. As Jang Il-so had declared, there was no loyalty, no honor here.

All that existed was the unrelenting desire to kill one’s enemy and a fierce instinct to survive no matter the cost.

The stench of boiling oil, the sharp scent of blood, the acrid smell of gunpowder, and an indescribable foul odor all mingled, creating a nauseating atmosphere.

‘This is war…’

It felt as if something thick and oppressive clung to his body, making it hard to breathe, as though his mind was fogged over.

Though Baek Cheon had followed Chung Myung through numerous battles, and his skills were still growing, his experience was anything but shallow.

Yet this battlefield was unlike anything he had ever seen.

The scale of the power clashing was different, and the intensity of the malice was on a whole other level. Above all, the pure hatred unleashed between the sides was staggering.

"Climb! Keep climbing!"

The Shaolin and Wudang disciples, their eyes bloodshot with fury, gritted their teeth and clambered up the cliff. Even as the boiling oil seared their skin, they pressed onward.

Seeing this, the fighters of the Unorthodox Factions intensified their efforts, pouring the oil faster than before.

But now it wasn’t only oil.

As the orthodox sects climbed higher, the attackers—without waiting for orders—began hurling rocks down and infusing boulders with inner energy before tossing them over.

Thud!

A rock that slipped past the sword barrier struck a monk climbing the cliff, smashing into his forehead.

Blood trickled down his face as the monk, momentarily dazed, glared upward.

"You… demons!"

His face contorted into something more akin to a fiend than a monk. He clung to a jutting rock on the cliff and resumed his climb, his face devoid of compassion or serenity—only malice remained.

‘This is true war!’

When people’s lives are on the line, their true nature is laid bare.

This battlefield was where humanity’s raw nature was displayed. Here, there was no room for the righteousness or loyalty they had once loudly proclaimed.

‘No, that’s not quite right!’

Not yet. This wasn’t a true martial artist’s battlefield.

"Senior Brother!"

"Yes."

Yoon Jong, his voice tight with emotion, shouted as if he shared Baek Cheon’s thoughts.

They had seen this before on countless occasions. This was just the beginning. The true battle for martial artists started when…

"They’re moving!"

With Jo Gul’s shout, Namgung Hwang and Heo Do-jin began ascending the cliff at breakneck speed, closely followed by Beopgye, who led Shaolin’s elders upward like a dragon ascending.

Baek Cheon looked up, his eyes searching for one person.

"Stick out your neck, you bastard!"

With a resounding shout, Chung Myung dashed up the cliff like a venomous snake. At last, he was truly on the move.

‘This is it!’

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

Until now, this had been more of a soldier’s battle than a martial artist’s. But the line between soldiers and martial artists was drawn by one decisive factor.

Absolute masters.

Those who could turn the tide of battle with a single sword stroke or change the terrain with a single fist.

The outcome of this battlefield would be decided by the movements of these absolute masters.

‘Chung Myung!’

Chung Myung’s figure was visible, darting up the cliff as fighters from Ten Thousand Houses leaped down to intercept him.

The moment he saw this, Baek Cheon’s mouth moved faster than his mind.

"Senior Brothers!"

"Yes!"

"We’ll cover this area!"

Without hesitation, Baek Cheon swung his sword toward a Ten Thousand Houses fighter ahead of him and roared.

"Yi Seol! Yoon Jong! Jo Gul!"

"Yes."

"Got it, Senior Brother!"

"I’m ready!"

"What about me?" Tang Soso’s urgent voice cut in, and Baek Cheon responded without missing a beat.

"Tang Soso, stay with the main force! Don’t let a single one of them die!"

"Understood!"

"Let’s go! We’re supporting Chung Myung!"

"Yes!"

Baek Cheon and his team leapt off the cliff without hesitation.

Descending rapidly, Baek Cheon planted his toes against the cliff face.

Sizzle!

Just as his speed slowed momentarily—

Whoosh!

Baek Cheon kicked off the cliff, rocketing forward at high speed.

"Go on, Senior Brother!"

"Take this! We’re the Mount Hua Sect!"

The synchronized movement of the Five Swords surging up the cliff sent a wave of cheers through the Mount Hua ranks.

In terms of movement techniques, many others might surpass them. But on a cliff, it was a different story. Which sect could train their disciples to maneuver on cliffs so effortlessly?

"This cliff is nothing compared to Mount Hua!"

Baek Cheon ran effortlessly up the slippery cliff, closing in on Chung Myung.

A Ten Thousand Houses warrior was descending directly toward Chung Myung, but it was too late for Chung Myung to intercept.

But there was no need to worry. There was someone here with a movement skill far beyond comparison.

"Junior Sister!"

"Yes."

At that moment, Yu Yiseol, who was behind Baek Cheon, kicked off the cliff face. Without slowing his speed, Baek Cheon extended his sword forward.

Yu Yiseol rotated in mid-air, landing on the flat of Baek Cheon’s blade. As soon as her feet touched his sword, Baek Cheon slashed forward, launching Yu Yiseol forward at high speed.

Whoosh!

Yu Yiseol shot through the air, gliding along the cliff like a swallow.

"Dieee!"

The Ten Thousand Houses fighters above Chung Myung swung their swords, intending to drag him down with them.

But Chung Myung didn’t even glance at them, keeping his focus forward.

"This brat!"

Feeling ignored, they funneled even more energy into their blades. At that instant—

Swoosh!

Yu Yiseol spun in mid-air, unleashing a vivid crimson sword aura that slashed through the Ten Thousand Houses fighters targeting Chung Myung.

"What!"

Caught off guard, the fighters recoiled. One of them managed to block the incoming sword energy with his blade, but by then, Chung Myung had already passed them and continued his ascent.

"This wench!"

A Ten Thousand Houses fighter swung his sword at Yu Yiseol, who swiftly kicked off the cliff, launching herself over their heads and darting forward.

"W-what?"

The Ten Thousand Houses fighters’ eyes widened.

‘On this cliff?’

Leaping over someone’s head wasn’t that remarkable, but to move that quickly, faster than the eye could follow, was something they’d seen only rarely, if ever.

And this was a cliff!

Clang! Clang-clang!

In desperation, they buried their blades into the cliff to stop themselves from falling. While they managed to steady themselves, by then, Chung Myung and Yu Yiseol had already passed them.

"Ch-chase them…!"

"Where do you think you’re going, you bastards!"

At that moment, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul, racing up from below, charged at them with overwhelming momentum.

The Ten Thousand Houses fighters’ eyes bulged.

"N-no…!"

Slash!

Barely clinging to the cliff, the fighters had no chance to respond to the sudden attack from behind. Those in the lead were pierced and fell, their blood spraying as they plummeted. Those further back abandoned the fight and leapt down to escape.

In mere moments, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul cleared away the Ten Thousand Houses fighters and shouted ahead toward Baek Cheon, who was already moving forward.

"We’re right behind you!"

"Understood!"

Baek Cheon clenched his teeth and pressed forward. Ahead of him, he saw Chung Myung racing up the cliff, with Yu Yiseol following closely behind like a protective shadow.

"Don’t let Chung Myung be stopped!"

Responding to his shout, a surge of energy rose from below, striking just above Chung Myung’s head.

Hye Yeon was also perfectly supporting their movements.

"Th-those guys…"

The disciples from the other sects climbing the cliff gawked in disbelief.

They had heard the tales of Mount Hua’s Five Swords. But they had assumed that they were merely second- and third-generation disciples.

Yet here they were, sprinting up the cliff as if it were flat ground, bounding over rocky outcrops like squirrels. Performing acrobatics on a sheer cliff? That was madness.

Who could pull off such feats without ten lives to spare?

Jin Hyun gritted his teeth.

‘Damn it, the Plum Blossom Sword…!’

When he had first seen Baek Cheon at the Songdo Hall, the gap between them hadn’t seemed insurmountable.

But now, Baek Cheon displayed a level of mastery that Jin Hyun could barely comprehend. While Jin Hyun was struggling to climb the cliff, Baek Cheon soared like a hawk.

‘How did he get so far ahead of me?’

His eyes burned with frustration.

But whatever he felt was nothing compared to Namgung Dowi’s feelings.

"You…!"

Staring at Chung Myung, Namgung Dowi felt his entire body surge with rage, unaware that he had bitten his lip hard enough to draw blood.

"The Divine Dragon of Mount Hua!"

Chung Myung was indeed like a divine dragon, navigating the cliff. Meanwhile, despite his title as the ‘Single Sword Dragon,’ Dowi was left clinging to the cliff, unable to match him.

"Arghhhh!"

With a cry of frustration, Namgung Dowi recklessly climbed the cliff.

"Dowi, stay calm!"

"It’s dangerous!"

His elders called out in alarm, but Namgung Dowi wanted to scream back.

‘Dangerous?’

Did they mean only he was in danger?

When disciples from a sect far smaller than Namgung were dominating the battlefield, how could he merely worry about his own safety?

"The Heavenly Sword Guard, follow me! We’re covering the Patriarch!"

"Yes!"

The younger warriors of the Namgung family replied with voices full of determination. Though they didn’t say it, their eyes burned with resolve. It was clear they shared Namgung Dowi’s thoughts.

"Mount Hua will not outshine us! Accept the risks and increase your speed!"

The Namgung family fighters accelerated their climb, tangling with Wudang’s forces as they moved up.

Then—

Whoosh!

"Haahhh!"

Namgung Hwang surged upward from the cliff, leaping like a dragon.

‘These youngsters!’

He had witnessed Mount Hua’s prowess with his own eyes.

When warriors half his age risked their lives with such valor, how could he, the leader of a great family, hold back?

"Jang Il-sooo!"

Namgung Hwang swung his sword, cutting through a massive glob of boiling oil, just as he was about to reach the top of the cliff.

"A brat like you is daring to act up!"

The cliff face, high as the heavens, was suddenly cast in shadow.

Like the rising of a dark sun.

‘Bl-Black Dragon…’

"Take this!"

The Black Dragon King’s crescent blade swung down in a single motion, releasing an inky-black aura like a waterfall.

Boom!

The Black Dragon King’s aura tore through the cliff like the spear of a god, hurtling straight toward Namgung Hwang.