Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1262

Thud!

Each footfall sent a jolt up his legs and into his chest.

Perhaps that was why his chest felt ready to burst.

‘Faster!’

His feet pounded the earth, but his body felt slow.

The battlefield wasn’t far. Normally, he could have reached it quickly. But now, he couldn’t close the gap, no matter how hard he ran.

Was he weaker? No, that wasn’t it.

Gwak Hwan-so knew it wasn’t his lack of speed, but their superior speed. He was running with more focus than usual, but their abilities were on a different level.

‘Damn it!’

Gwak Hwan-so pushed off the ground harder.

“S-Senior Brother!”

A desperate cry came from behind, but he didn’t slow down.

‘This is!’

Wham!

Gwak Hwan-so shot forward even faster.

‘This is Hainan!’

The Mount Hua Sect might be stronger. The Namgung or Tang families might be stronger.

But this was a war to defend Hainan Island, and nothing else mattered.

Even if the Hainan Sect was weaker, they had to fight and not let others take all the glory.

However, the Cheonwoo Alliance disciples were already fighting the enemy and didn’t notice Gwak Hwan-so’s feelings. They pushed back the Maninbang with great force.

It seemed like the Cheonwoo Alliance wanted to win so much that they would make the Hainan Sect look weak and unimportant.

“Aaaaargh!”

Gwak Hwan-so roared, his chest about to burst, and charged forward. The elders, including Geum Yang-baek, felt the same and shot towards the enemies like arrows.

‘Faster!’

Like a panther stalking its prey, Gwak Hwan-so leaped towards the Maninbang, who were surprised.

“This is Hainan Island! You bastards!”

Whoosh!

Gwak Hwan-so used the Hainan Sect’s unique martial art, Jangpung Parang Gyeombeop, which was like a raging wave. The wave-like sword energy from his sword quickly swept over the Changgui squad.

“U-uh!”

Maybe the Maninbang were surprised by so many new fighters, or maybe they were still weak from fighting the Cheonwoo Alliance. They tried to fight back, but Gwak Hwan-so’s sword swept them away.

“Aaaaargh!”

Red blood spurted from the deep cuts. At the same time, Gwak Hwan-so’s chest felt hot.

Blood!

As a Hainan disciple, he was supposed to be righteous. But he had wanted to spill the blood of these villains for so long. He had wished to punish them with his sword.

Thud!

Gwak Hwan-so stepped forward and roared.

“Drive out all the evil invaders who have trespassed on Hainan! Don’t fall behind the Cheonwoo Alliance!”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

Gwak Hwan-so charged ahead. He now knew what it meant to feel his blood boiling.

‘This is real combat!’

He realized something new. He had never cut down a person before.

As a disciple of the Hainan Sect, he had learned martial arts his whole life. It might seem strange that this was his first time killing someone.

But until now, the Hainan disciples had never had to fight for their lives. There were rarely any fights on Hainan Island. And because Hainan was an island, there were few chances to go on adventures.

Now, his first real fight was against the Maninbang of the Four Evil Alliances! It was sure to be exciting.

Gwak Hwan-so gripped his sword tightly.

Tales of Mount Hua’s adventures reached even Hainan. Gwak Hwan-so knew how amazing they were.

Whenever he heard such news, he felt proud and competitive. He wanted to fight enemies like those of Mount Hua one day.

That wish was coming true today.

‘I can do it too!’

Gwak Hwan-so gritted his teeth and charged forward like lightning.

“Taaah!”

He swung his sword fiercely.

He felt the earth beneath his feet.

He felt internal energy filling his body.

He felt the sword hilt in his palm!

And above all, he felt a sense of unity!

He felt like he and his sword were working together perfectly.

His sword plunged towards the head of a Changgui squad member, who was confused.

Clang!

Gwak Hwan-so cried out as pain shot through his wrist.

His sword was blocked by a large blade. Despite his full-force strike, the Changgui squad member’s blade blocked his sword like a solid wall.

‘No….’

Gwak Hwan-so looked into the eyes of the Changgui squad member. He saw bloodshot eyes and felt his own blood cooling.

The Changgui squad member chuckled.

“This little brat….”

Wham!

Gwak Hwan-so stumbled backward. Dark red blood streamed down from his torn hand.

But he had no time to feel the pain. The angry Changgui squad member charged at him.

“You scoundrel!”

Wham!

Gwak Hwan-so’s body was thrown back as he blocked the attack. His right arm felt crushed. He suffered internal injuries, and blood filled his throat.

‘S-Strong….’

Unbelievably strong. He couldn’t believe these were the same people who had been swept away moments ago.

‘Why?’

Gwak Hwan-so realized his mistake.

The reason they had seemed weak was because the Cheonwoo Alliance disciples were stronger. In reality, these were the Maninbang members of the Four Evil Alliances, who were feared by everyone.

Normally, Gwak Hwan-so could never have faced them alone.

His first strike had worked because they were distracted. If he faced them head-on, he would never win.

‘I-I made such a mistake….’

But it was too late for regrets.

“Die!”

Before he could regret his mistake, the Changgui squad member’s blade flew towards his chest.

“Kugh!”

Clang!

Gwak Hwan-so twisted his sword and blocked the blade. His sword deflected the attack. But his sword was knocked away.

The Changgui squad member’s blade flew towards his neck.

“S-Senior Brother! Noooo….”

Time seemed to slow down.

Lee Ja-yang’s scream stretched out. The blade seemed to be approaching slowly.

‘Ah….’

Gwak Hwan-so was also slowed down. He couldn’t avoid the blade.

‘Damn it….’

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he saw something.

‘A sword?’

A white sword flew in and blocked the blade aimed at his neck.

But it seemed useless. A heavy blade should be stronger than a slender sword.

However, what happened next broke all expectations.

Clang!

The sword twisted and deflected the blade’s force. At the same time, the sword energy sent the heavy blade flying backward like paper.

‘What?’

Gwak Hwan-so saw the Changgui squad member’s face twist. His wrist twitched, showing he felt the same pain Gwak Hwan-so had felt.

The sword didn’t stop there.

Whoosh!

The white sword drew a strange path in the air. It seemed straight but also curved, sharp but also soft.

The Changgui squad member twisted his neck to avoid the sword.

Swish.

The blade grazed his neck. Gwak Hwan-so saw the skin splitting and blood spurting.

‘He dodged….’

Gwak Hwan-so’s eyes widened.

The sword stopped and then moved backward twice as fast.

Gwak Hwan-so saw it then.

The sword cut off the Changgui squad member’s neck.

Thwack!

The Changgui squad member’s face showed surprise, then despair, and then terror.

Plop.

Blood spurted from his neck and seeped into the white sand.

Gwak Hwan-so was speechless. He had goosebumps.

‘This is… their skill.’

He had seen and felt the difference between the Cheonwoo Alliance members and himself.

How many people knew that the man had been struck by the second sword, not the first?

If Gwak Hwan-so hadn’t felt time slow down, he would have thought the first strike had killed him. If he checked the body, he would have wondered why there were two wounds.

He realized that true skill was hidden in moments that ordinary people didn’t notice.

“Are you alright?”

“…Yes? Ah…. Yes!”

Gwak Hwan-so looked up and saw a handsome man in a white hero’s robe.

“Ah….”

“You are not fighting alone! You are fighting with your fellow disciples. This is not Gwak Hwan-so’s fight, but the Hainan Sect’s war.”

Gwak Hwan-so nodded, and the man nodded back.

“Then….”

The man turned around. Baek Cheon flicked his sword, shaking off the blood, and said,

“Let’s go seize the ship.”

“…Yes!”

Gwak Hwan-so stared at Baek Cheon’s back, gritted his teeth, and shouted,