Chapter 820: Our Boys Are a Bit Rough (5)

 

BOOOOM!

The cliffside exploded, with shards of rock scattering in all directions. The impact shook the entire cliff as though it might collapse at any moment.

"Aaaahhh!"

"We're falling! Aaaahh!"

The disciples of the Nine Great Sects clinging to the cliff screamed, clutching onto the wildly shaking rock face like sailors in a storm-tossed ship.

Some had already lost their grip, unable to withstand the shock, and were plummeting into the abyss below.

But no one dared to reach out or try to save them. A greater disaster loomed.

Rumble! Rrrumble! Rumble!

"Th-that...!"

Jin Hyun's eyes widened in terror.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the cliff where Jang Il-so and Chung Myung had plunged into it.

"It's... it's collapsing..."

Rrrumble!

Everyone held their breath.

The massive upper section of the cliff began to tilt, slowly slipping downward.

It was larger than any hall, a colossal rock sliding off the cliff. The sight made every hair stand on end, and a shiver ran down their spines. Every fiber of their bodies screamed to flee.

The rock tilted forward, casting a long, dark shadow across the cliff and blocking out the sun.

Rrrrummble!

As the rock began to fall, everyone cried out in horror.

"Get out of the way!"

"Aaaaah!"

It was a scream born of instinct, not reason.

"Stop ittt!"

The elders from each sect leapt forward, their faces drained of color, charging toward the falling rock.

If that rock rolled down, at least thirty percent of the disciples clinging to the cliff would be killed instantly. They hadn’t clawed their way up here to witness such devastation.

Sword energy, blade force, ki, and martial energy.

White, blue, and yellow auras poured out, all aimed at the descending rock.

Boom! Booooom!

The enormous rock began to crumble under the relentless attacks. But breaking up a boulder that large in such a short time was virtually impossible.

"Move aside!"

Namgung Hwang and a Shaolin monk known as Beopgye stepped forward, shouting at the top of their lungs.

Namgung Hwang’s sword shone like a white sun.

With all his inner power concentrated through the supreme technique Chang-gung Mu-ae, he poured every last bit of it into his blade.

Empyrean Sword Style – Emperor Manifest.

"Haaaah!"

Namgung Hwang roared as he swung his sword with all his might.

An enormous sword force, almost unbelievable as a product of human strength, shot from the tip of his blade and struck the falling rock.

BOOOOM!

As the white sword force embedded halfway into the rock, Beopgye surged upward below him.

“Amitabha!”

He crossed his legs in mid-air, and blinding golden light radiated from his entire body.

The light took shape, forming an enormous golden Buddha around Beopgye.

"It's... the Great Prajna Power!"

"The elder... he used the Great Prajna Power!"

Even as the Shaolin disciples gasped in awe, Beopgye let out a deep, resonant chant. The massive golden figure surrounding him launched itself at the falling rock.

KUUUUUUUNG!

With a deafening crash, the boulder came to a sudden halt in midair, its momentum halted.

Crrrack! Crrack-crack-crack!

Cracks spread from the bottom of the rock, wrapping around it completely. And then...

BOOOOM!

The rock shattered into pieces, raining down in a storm of debris. Boulders, ranging from the size of a person to entire buildings, fell from above, adding a new layer of terror to the chaos.

"Unleash the formation!"

"Yes!"

The Wudang elders, who had been waiting, traced circles in the air. White and black sword energies intertwined, forming a series of rough taiji symbols that filled the sky.

The Shaolin and Namgung disciples didn’t just stand by either.

Shaolin's martial force and Namgung's dominating sword energy blasted apart the falling rocks, splitting and shattering them.

"Haaaah!"

They poured every ounce of their strength into it.

If they suffered heavy losses here, making it to the top of the cliff would be futile. Everyone understood this, so no one held anything back.

Smack!

A rock struck Jin Hyun's head, splitting it open, and blood trickled down his face.

"Huu..."

Fear filled Jin Hyun's eyes.

Where was he? What was he even doing here?

When he looked up, he couldn’t even see the light anymore. All he could see was the sky darkened by the falling rocks and the deadly martial energies crashing against them.

"Aaaah!"

"Help!"

Even as he watched, people struck by the rain of rocks fell helplessly, plummeting below. Tears mixed with blood, staining Jin Hyun's face as if he were crying blood.

"This... this..."

His teeth ground together, his lips splitting open as blood seeped out.

"What the hell is this? You bastards!"

The frustration was unbearable.

He thought that if he mastered the sword and the martial arts, he could conquer anything in Kangho. He believed that life and death would be decided by his skill alone.

But it was just naive arrogance.

On the battlefield, there were demons. Demons that consumed everything, indiscriminately devouring the lives of those swept up in the war.

The brothers falling below had not even had the chance to swing their swords properly.

In the face of the overwhelming malice coating this cliff, all the martial arts they had cultivated over a lifetime seemed meaningless.

And it wasn’t just them.

"Aaaah!"

"Save me!"

The unorthodox warriors on the cliff were also caught up in the collapse, falling one after another.

These were enemies, people he should hate more than anyone else.

But as his eyes met those of a plummeting Maninbang disciple, Jin Hyun reflexively squeezed his eyes shut.

In this battlefield, human life was worth less than a penny. A place where one couldn't die as a human was exactly what a battlefield was.

"Climb up!"

Namgung Hwang's voice boomed like thunder.

"This is your last chance! Climb! Climb up now! If we’re attacked again, we won’t survive! Climb! Nowww!"

Crunch!

Instinctively, Jin Hyun’s hand gripped the cliffside.

Up.

Yes, up.

If he wanted to die as a person, he had to claw his way up this cliff.

With bloodshot eyes and gritted teeth, Jin Hyun clenched his jaw.

"I will survive."

No matter what it takes, no matter how.

Smack!

Another rock struck his head, but he didn’t even blink this time.

He only gripped the cliff harder, climbing upward with every ounce of strength left in him.

 

“Chung Myung...”

Baek Cheon’s voice trembled uncontrollably. His gaze, cast downward, was lost, as if he were searching for something unreachable.

The area they had been fighting in moments ago had vanished without a trace, collapsing under the impact of Chung Myung and Jang Il-so’s clash.

Pandemonium.

A hellish scene unfolded below. But the horrific sight didn’t even register in Baek Cheon's mind.

"Ch-Chung Myung..."

The cliff had collapsed.

Then what about Chung Myung, who had plunged into the depths below?

‘No, no...’

Baek Cheon, looking down with frantic eyes, shouted urgently.

"Damn it! I’m going down!"

"Master!"

As Baek Cheon prepared to leap, Jo Gul grabbed him.

"Let go! Damn you!"

"Now's not the time! The cliff could collapse again!"

"So what?!"

"You’ll die! I’m saying you’ll die!"

"And so what if I do, damn it! Let go!"

Baek Cheon swung his arm and struck Jo Gul hard, his head snapping to the side. But Jo Gul’s grip didn’t waver.

"Calm down, Master!"

Yoon Jong rushed over, joining Jo Gul to hold Baek Cheon back.

"Calm...?"

Baek Cheon's eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

Seeing the rage in his eyes, Yoon Jong bit his lip before shouting firmly.

"You're not the only one in pain, Master! But we need to stay calm. That bastard isn't one to die easily, is he?"

"..."

"Let’s just... assess the situation first..."

Yoon Jong trailed off under Baek Cheon’s intense glare.

Yoon Jong understood too.

It was blind faith, really. No matter how strong Chung Myung was, if he got caught up in a rockslide like that, survival was unlikely.

‘You bastard!’

Thud. Thud.

Just then, someone approached the edge of the cliff with unhurried steps.

"Sago!"

"Oh, no, what's that madwoman doing now?!"

Unfazed, Yoo I-seol moved forward, preparing to jump down.

Rumble!

The ground shook, halting her steps as she looked down.

Rumble!

"..."

Staring at the ground, Yoo I-seol took a step back.

BOOOM!

The spot she had been standing on erupted as a figure shot up from below. Yoo I-seol grabbed the hand that appeared and quickly pulled him up.

"Chung Myung!"

"Chung Myung! You bastard!"

The remaining Five Swords screamed as they ran toward Chung Myung, who had burst from the ground.

"This... damn..."

The word “wrecked” was an understatement.

Emerging from the ground, Chung Myung looked less like a person and more like a battered corpse.

His face was crisscrossed with cuts, covered in blood, his shirt torn to shreds, exposing bruised and swollen skin beneath.

Baek Cheon grabbed Chung Myung by the shoulders.

"Ch-Chung Myung! Are you alright?"

"..."

"Someone! Call Soso...!"

Chung Myung, barely opening his eyes, whispered.

"Master."

"Yes, Chung Myung..."

"Step aside."

Chung Myung pushed Baek Cheon away and, despite his half-conscious state, steadied himself with his sword and took a stumbling step forward.

"Chung Myung..."

Baek Cheon fell silent.

He saw the murderous intent blazing in Chung Myung’s eyes, a look that defied death itself.

But that wasn’t the only reason Baek Cheon went silent.

That fierce gleam in Chung Myung’s eyes could mean only one thing.

‘No way...’

BOOOOOM!

The ground in front of them exploded.

Rock and earth shot up like an inverted waterfall, causing the cliff to tremble as though it might collapse again.

A voice, oddly clear despite the dust and rubble, reached Baek Cheon's ears, gripping his heart.

"This... this..."

As the dust settled, a figure emerged.

The man’s hair was loose, blowing in the wind like a lion's mane. His once-neat hair now whipped around in wild disarray.

But even in this state, his aura remained unshaken, and his untamed presence now felt like a savage beast's roar.

Rip.

The man tore away the remains of his ruined clothes, revealing a torso covered in countless scars.

"..."

Baek Cheon held his breath.

‘What is he...?’

Jang Il-so.

A very different Jang Il-so smiled, his blood-soaked teeth bared, his eyes flickering with wild insanity.

"Do you have any idea..."

A growl escaped his lips, like a wounded beast.

"...how long it’s been since someone brought me this much pleasure?"

Baek Cheon instinctively stepped in front of Chung Myung, shielding him. But the sword in his hand trembled uncontrollably.

This man was massive.

The fear twisting his soul was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Yet, he didn’t back down.

At that moment, Chung Myung placed a hand on Baek Cheon's shoulder, stepping forward.

"Chung Myung..."

Baek Cheon wanted to stop him but found no words.

Could he protect him?

Could he really protect Chung Myung from Jang Il-so?

"Tch!"

Chung Myung spat out a mouthful of blood, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, gripping his sword.

“You seem mistaken."

Jang Il-so fixed him with a cold stare, his eyes glinting with malice.

“This hasn't even started yet. This isn’t even what I’d call a fight."

“...”

Chung Myung’s sword pointed at Jang Il-so.

Though he looked utterly drained, the sword in his hand trembled. But the gaze of its wielder was as cold and still as an icy cavern in the Northern Sea.

“I’ll show you what a real fight looks like, you brat.”

"Hah... heh... hahahaha..."

A low laugh escaped Jang Il-so, growing louder and louder until it became a booming roar that echoed across the space.

"Kahahahahahaha! Hahahahahaha!"

The laughter, filled with madness, seemed to seize the Five Swords' hearts and shake them to the core.