Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1055

A storm of black demonic energy roared, like a thousand tormented souls. Strong winds ripped apart the ground. Trees were pulled from the earth and thrown into the storm. The storm grew bigger, swallowing broken buildings and dust that smelled of burnt metal and decay. It spread out in every direction, and the air vibrated with dark power.

Terror froze Baek Cheon’s blood. He stared at the astonishing sight, fear taking root in his eyes.

‘Th-this is…’

It was, quite literally, a storm. Something no human could create… No, something no human should create!

An ominous black current swept away and crushed everything, tearing the world to shreds.

Dark energy pushed down on him, squeezing his throat. He felt like he couldn’t breathe or even move.

Before that overwhelming power, Baek Cheon’s existence was insignificant.

‘This is the real Bishop…’

He understood. He had no choice but to understand.

Why people in Kangho avoided the name ‘Bishop’. It was a taboo word. The Immortals had hidden the Demonic Sect’s cursed name so well, they didn’t even want to think about it.

And he also understood why Chung Myung had said that the Bishop of the Northern Sea was nothing more than a half-wit.

The real Bishop tore the earth with demonic energy and made the sky weep. It was unlike any realm of martial arts he had ever imagined, something that could only be described as destructive. His heart felt like it was about to break. He remembered facing a horde of bandits with Chung Myung, swords flashing, fear a distant thing. This was different.

Even Baek Cheon, who had faced many dangers with Chung Myung and his sword, wanted to give up when he saw the Bishop.

He had always been confident that no matter what situation he faced, his heart would never be broken. But now he had to realize, with bitter clarity, just how arrogant he had been.

How powerless was human will before this terrifying force that seemed to engulf the entire world?

“Ugh…”

“Uh… Ugh…”

Even Hong Gyeon was retreating. The hunting dogs, who would have accepted even being torn to shreds with a smile if it was Jang Il-So’s command, were retreating before their master. No, it would be more accurate to say they were running away. They simply didn’t have the courage to turn their backs on the Bishop.

They were not afraid of death. But surely there were things in the world more frightening than death?

Hong Gyeon’s infamous reputation was now tarnished by his weak appearance, but Baek Cheon could not laugh at them. No, he couldn’t. He, too, was using all his mental strength to keep his feet from faltering.

Grind.

His tightly clenched lower lip tore, and blood flowed. The swirling wind scattered the blood in droplets into the air.

“Ugh…”

Even so, Baek Cheon endured.

Because he had already experienced it once. Because he knew to some extent how inhuman the Bishops were.

But for those who were encountering the existence of the Bishop for the first time, the sight unfolding before their eyes was even more shocking. It was a disaster that could not be fully described with the single word ‘despair’.

“Ah…”

Namgung Dowi unconsciously stepped back. His eyes darted around, as if struck by lightning.

‘How can…?’

How could something like that exist in the world?

He was still just a young lord, used to respect, not terror like this. He was the eldest son of the Namgung family and would become the head of the Namgung Clan. Therefore, he was already more than familiar with the existence of the strong who ruled the world. But this Bishop was different from the strong he had known until now.

“How can…”

Different. Different from the heads of the Five Great Families who commanded the world. Different from the leaders of the Nine Great Sects who looked down upon the world.

He had never felt such a great power even from the absolute masters of the previous generation who had turned their backs on the world after possessing even greater power than them. It was that despairing of a power.

Naturally, a thought came to mind. This is not something that humans can handle. This is…

“Ugh…”

Someone grabbed Namgung Dowi’s shoulders from left and right as he unconsciously retreated. Startled, he turned around and muttered.

“Y-Yoon Jong Dojang… Jo Gul Dojang…”

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong were gripping his shoulders painfully. So that he could no longer retreat.

“Don’t… don’t back down, Young Lord,” his voice shaking slightly.

“Endure.”

Namgung Dowi’s eyes wavered at those firm words.

Endure? How? How could they say such a thing after seeing that? If they were truly seeing the same sight as him, how could they utter such words?

‘Aren’t you afraid?’

Even after seeing that? Even now, Namgung Dowi felt like his mind, before his body, was about to collapse. His soul and spirit screamed, wanting to escape, to break free. *’How can I survive this?’* he thought.

Or were they telling him to accept the coming death as a matter of course while silently enduring here?

‘I can’t do it!’

Namgung Dowi, who was about to shout with bloodshot eyes, suddenly closed his mouth. What calmed him was… the slight trembling felt in Yoon Jong’s hand gripping his shoulder.

Namgung Dowi flinched and looked at Yoon Jong.

‘He’s trembling?’

His gaze slowly went down. Yoon Jong’s legs were trembling as if they would break at any moment. Yoon Jong’s knuckles were white as he gripped Namgung Dowi’s shoulder.

A groan escaped from Namgung Dowi’s mouth.

‘How can…?’

They were afraid, but they weren’t just being stubborn either.

They were trembling.

Come to think of it, it was only natural. They were also human, so how could they not be afraid? They, too, like Namgung Dowi. No, perhaps they were feeling even more fear than Namgung Dowi.

Even so, they were enduring the existence of the Bishop without taking a single step back from that spot.

“Don’t leave behind….”

Grind.

Yoon Jong bit his lip tightly as he spoke.

“…the memory of running away, Young Lord… Even for your sake!”

Namgung Dowi’s jaw trembled.

Forcibly turning his gaze, he saw Chung Myung’s back in the lead.

Even Namgung Dowi, who was standing in the back, felt his will being twisted. Then how much was Chung Myung, who was facing the Bishop head-on, enduring?

‘Dojang….’

Clenching his fist tightly, Namgung Dowi’s fingernails dug into his palm.

Crack.

Gritting his teeth as if they would break, he planted his feet firmly on the ground.

The courage to fight back? He still didn’t have it. If that demon rushed towards him, Namgung Dowi’s will might collapse in an instant.

But…

‘No matter how pathetic I am.’

With someone enduring like that in front of him, how could he turn his back and run away?

With bloodshot eyes, he gripped the sword in his hand as if it would break.

“Even if I can’t be… of help…”

A blood-soaked voice leaked from Namgung Dowi’s throat.

“…at least I will die with you.”

Only then did the strength leave the hands that were holding his shoulders. But Namgung Dowi didn’t even notice that fact, and he stared intently at Chung Myung’s back.

‘Dojang, please!’

That gaze was filled with utmost desperation. It resembled the gaze that someone in the distant past had sent to that back. That gaze pushed Chung Myung’s back.

The terrible demonic energy, which would tear the skin and devastate the insides just by touching it, swept around at an incredible speed.

Facing the explosively spreading demonic energy head-on, Chung Myung bared his teeth.

“So…”

A laugh leaked out for no reason.

‘I was dealing with something like that?’

A hollow laugh came out whenever his fingertips felt like they were about to be crushed.

“This is just…”

A snickering voice leaked through Chung Myung’s lips, which were twisted in a sneer.

“I was a madman too.”

This power… it was a twisted echo of something he knew, something buried deep within himself. It was demonic energy that he had already experienced countless times. But as they say, things look different depending on where you stand? The existence of the Bishop as seen from the lofty position of the past and the existence of the Bishop as seen from a place incomparably lower than that were worlds apart.

He felt an overwhelmingly despairing power. At the same time, a fighting spirit began to boil in Chung Myung’s eyes.

‘The difference in power….’

He bared his teeth like a roaring beast.

“A mere Bishop is spouting nonsense.”

A thick killing intent began to sharpen Chung Myung’s spirit. At that time, he heard a muttering voice from the side.

“…It’s chilling.”

Jang Il-So’s eyes, usually bright with amusement, were now sharp and cold, like ice. Jang Il-So’s robe fluttered madly in the blowing wind. But Jang Il-So was standing still, taking the onrushing demonic energy head-on.

He quietly raised his hand and stroked his face.

“As expected, the world is wide. To think that such guys were clearly existing.”

Chung Myung smirked.

“Why? Are you scared?”

“Scared?”

Jang Il-So turned his head to Chung Myung, who was standing next to him. His long eyes drew a curve as if he was amused.

“You’re a bad child. You have to fix the habit of saying things you don’t mean.”

“You’re not one to talk, you madman.”

“Hee hee hee!”

Jang Il-So laughed cheerfully. Even in the midst of that, his eyes flashed with a blue light. Even with an absolute adversary right in front of him, his wickedness was not diminished in the slightest.

“It’s definitely something that deviated from my calculations. And I don’t really like variables.”

His face, smiling brightly, was overflowing with eeriness.

“If a variable that cannot be used arises, it must be removed. Whatever it is.”

“…I don’t particularly want to agree with you.”

Chung Myung, who turned his sword and grabbed it in reverse, smirked.

“I agree with that opinion.”

Jang Il-So’s eerily shining eyes and Chung Myung’s coldly boiling eyes crossed each other in the air.

“Then let’s check it out.”

Jang Il-So snapped his hand down, slowly lowering his hand. And spreading out both hands, he took a step forward towards the terribly raging demonic energy.

“How sharp the wonderful knife I prepared will be.”

“Don’t get in the way, you moronic bastard.”

Chung Myung lunged forward too, who was hanging down his sword, also took a step forward.

Chung Myung in red and Jang Il-So in black moved forward, keeping a distance between them. Two figures, one in black and one in red, kept a distance from each other as they moved forward. Towards the black storm that seemed to swallow the world.

The two incompatible people, who could never walk the same path, were now looking at the same place at this moment.

The sound of Chung Myung’s sword scraping the floor and the sound of Jang Il-So’s rings rubbing against each other rang out at the same time.

As if they had promised, the two kicked off the ground and threw themselves into the raging storm of demonic energy in an instant.

Chung Myung’s sword, which spewed out the Extreme of Purple Haze Divine Art, emitted a red glow. And Jang Il-So’s hands, which had raised as much Azure Flame Demonic Art as possible, blazed blue.

Two streaks of red and blue light rushed towards the darkest place in the world.