Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1670

A deep rumble shook the ground. High above, another massive boulder broke free and plummeted down the cliff face.

*Wham!* The first rock slammed into the white stone, sending vibrations through the climbers’ hands. *Wham!* A second boulder followed, crashing down with a sound like thunder.

The cliff was almost straight up, a wall of rock reaching for the night sky. But even this near-vertical face had a slight slope, like all mountains. Each time a boulder hit, a deafening roar echoed across the gorge, making it sound as if the very sky was falling apart.

“Get out of the way, raaaah!”

Screams tore through the air as those climbing the cliff scattered, breathless.

It was an attack they should have gotten used to, but the tumbling boulders were causing even more horrific damage than before.

“Aaaaargh!”

Those caught in the path were smashed into bloody pulps and flung into the air. Others lost their balance from the shaking and fell to their deaths.

Even knowing an attack was coming, shouting didn’t help.

The Four Seas Allied Demonic Association disciples were halfway up the cliff. Many clung to the steep cliff, but could they all outrun the falling rocks?

If they could, the Four Seas Allied Demonic Association would have conquered the world long ago.

Each time a rock fell, dozens of lives were lost easily.

It was lucky it was night. If it had been daylight, the white rock would have been stained red with the blood and flesh of the Four Seas Allied Demonic Association disciples.

“L-Leader! This is…!”

“Shut up! Don’t say a word!”

‘This is a pointless sacrifice. They are rushing forward without thinking.’

He had thought this many times already.

However, they couldn’t decide if this attack had any meaning. Only those below the cliff could judge this madness, especially their leader.

If their leader thought it was important, then everyone clinging to this cliff had to climb it, even if they died. That was the way of the Four Seas Allied Demonic Association.

So, instead of thinking about such pointless things…

The man looked up. The upper part of the cliff had been carved away so much that it looked different. His eyes were bloodshot.

“That blasted bastard!”

He wondered, how much energy did he have to keep throwing rocks like that?

“Climb! Don’t stop until you’re chewing on that dog’s flesh and blood!”

A voice full of anger echoed through the dark gorge.

“Hoo… Hoo… Hoo!”

The hand holding the sword trembled like an aspen leaf.

Hukong was covered in sweat. He was striking the rock with his sword. Even one strike would be amazing, but Hukong was doing it many times.

“S… Senior Uncle!”

The Muja generation disciples, guarding his back, cried out, looking pale.

It was clear that Hukong was at his limit, but no one dared to take his place. Not even the Huja generation elders could do what he was doing.

If they had mastered the Namgung Clan’s swordsmanship or the Peng Clan’s saber techniques, it might have been different. But Hukong was using the Wudang sword, which was about balance and harmony, to unleash such powerful strikes. It was truly amazing.

Even someone stronger than Hukong couldn’t unleash such strikes. It was so hard to do what Hukong was doing.

Crack.

The knuckles of Hukong’s hand, holding the Songmun Ancient Sword, made a dull sound. He bit his lip and looked at the cliff’s edge again.

“S-Senior Uncle! Please, stop now!”

“We’ll go down the cliff! We can face those bastards from above!”

Despite his disciples’ sad pleas, Hukong tightened his grip on the sword without a word.

This place must not be given up.

His martial brothers were risking their lives to stop those climbing the slopes. He could clearly hear the screams and death cries of those falling.

He knew what they were risking their lives for. If this place was broken through, their deaths would be useless.

If the center was opened, Wudang would never be able to withstand their large numbers.

So, they had to stop them directly from the cliff. But that would involve sacrifices. Even with the Jeunjon Peak skill mastered, fighting on the cliff was hard unless you were a bird.

Hukong didn’t want to put his disciples in danger yet.

“Aaaaargh!”

Hukong’s sword shone with a bright white light again.

As long as his dantian didn’t burst, he had to swing his sword again to stop them.

Swoosh!

The crescent-shaped sword energy flew, carving the cliff face. A massive boulder was cut off and fell.

“Oh… Oh!”

The Four Seas Allied Demonic Association disciples clinging to the cliff saw despair as the falling rocks came one after another, slightly faster than before.

“Y-You goddamn bastards!”

Just as they were about to curse and scream, someone lightly passed them, soaring upward, and charged towards the massive boulder falling with terrifying force, as if to cover the sky.

“W-What?”

Everyone was stunned by this reckless action.

Fwoooosh!

A white palm image, so pure it was almost transparent, covered the sky. There were so many hand shadows!

Countless hand shadows, each unique, struck the falling rock.

Boom!

The impacts happened quickly, sounding like one huge roar.

Soon, the boulder’s path was changed. It was pushed away from the cliff.

“Hold on tight!”

The massive rock, weighing ten thousand pounds, barely missed the backs of the Four Seas Allied Demonic Association disciples clinging to the cliff.

Wham!

A moment later, a huge explosion-like sound came from below the cliff.

The rock that had been tormenting those on the cliff had finally fallen and could no longer roll down.

In this amazing situation, the Four Seas Allied Demonic Association disciples looked at the one who had soared up. Some were shocked.

“M-Master!”

“Thousand-Faced Examiner!”

The Thousand-Faced Examiner stood with his hands behind his back as if the cliff were level ground. He didn’t even look at the shouts from behind, but narrowed his eyes and stared at the top of the cliff.

Although he had changed the boulder’s path, he was in awe of the one who kept carving out such massive rocks.

“I don’t remember there being such a swordsman before…”

The one he had fought in the Yangtze River was the Shaolin’s Dharma Master, but he was no longer alive.

Also, Wudang’s Heodojinin, who had faced the Man-Geun Daebu, didn’t use such sword strikes.

That meant there was another swordsman on that cliff, one who might be as good as or better than Heodo.

If it were a Huja generation member, they would have shown their strength in the Yangtze River. So, there was a junior who had reached this level during the years of seclusion.

“…Indeed, it must be Wudang. Its depth is deep.”

Even before the heroes of today are gone, new heroes are appearing to become famous. That was the most terrifying thing about a prestigious traditional sect, which made it different from the Demonic Association.

The Demonic Association didn’t care about training juniors, so they could never have this advantage.

Hao Moon Master. A strange smile appeared on the face of the Thousand-Faced Examiner, Dam Yeohae.

He didn’t plan to be on the front lines in this battle. But if sacrifices had to be made, especially if most of those sacrificing were disciples of the Hao Moon, things changed.

And also…

A chilling murderous intent flashed across Dam Yeohae’s young face.

“If it’s a young dragon…”

He had learned enough lessons about this over the years, both in the Demonic Association and in the traditional sects.

If you leave a young dragon alone, thinking you can handle it now, it will become a monster that can destroy you.

“This time, I must stop it before it becomes a dragon.”

Fwoooosh!

He shot up the cliff like lightning.

It was truly terrifying speed!

The Thousand-Faced Examiner used his amazing lightness skill, the best in the Demonic Association. He moved so fast, it looked like a blue thunderbolt was splitting the white cliff.

Fwoooosh!

‘I have to stop him!’

Hukong saw this from the top of the cliff and widened his eyes. He had to stop that man from climbing up here at all costs.

But right now, he…!

“Stop him!”

Before Hukong could speak, the Muja generation disciples guarding his back threw themselves down the cliff.

“W-What are you doing!”

“We’ll take care of it, Senior Uncle!”

Hukong reached out, but it was no use. His disciples had already begun running down the cliff.

“You can’t come up here! You evil fiend of the Demonic Association!”

“Don’t let him reach Senior Uncle! Defend him with your lives!”

The Wudang swordsmen were determined.

It was good that they had a chance to step forward and use their swords. It was more painful to watch Hukong struggle alone from behind.

“Youuuu!”

The one who jumped down first ran down the cliff and swung his sword at the Thousand-Faced Examiner.

A clear, blue sword energy surged towards the Thousand-Faced Examiner, carrying a firm resolve.

To the surprise of even the one who swung the sword, it struck the Thousand-Faced Examiner directly.

‘Huh?’

Soon, the Thousand-Faced Examiner’s body scattered like mist.

“Clumsy.”

Thud!

Before he could feel the emptiness from the sword cutting through the air, the Thousand-Faced Examiner’s hand struck the Wudang swordsman’s side.

A palm strike launched at maximum speed simply to push him away. It was a force that even the eye could not follow.

“Ugh!”

No sooner had the Thousand-Faced Examiner knocked a Wudang disciple off the cliff than countless sword energies poured down upon him.

Swoosh!

White, black, and blue.

It was like a storm of sword energy. It was a sight that could make one’s hair stand on end, but the Thousand-Faced Examiner stepped through the pouring sword energies.

Whirr! Whirr!

The sword energy cut through the air.

So fast you couldn’t even blink, the Thousand-Faced Examiner moved more than ten times. It was a lightness skill of terrifying speed, as if lightning were striking in a storm. The extreme speed amazed even those who had dedicated their lives to swordsmanship.

Fwoooosh!

The Thousand-Faced Examiner broke through as if the pouring sword energy had been nothing more than an illusion and soared higher.

He was exceptional, rising to his current position among the Hao Moon disciples.

If not for the genius Jang Ilso, he would have been famous in the Jianghu.

“S-Stop…”

Those who had jumped down with determination turned around with despair. They saw the Thousand-Faced Examiner moving upwards, showing his back. They also saw him creating dozens of palm shadows in the air again.

But.

Craaaash!

A moment later, a deafening explosion echoed, and the Thousand-Faced Examiner’s hands stopped in mid-air.

“Not bad.”

Among the palm shadows, the sword found the only real entity and was swung.

The Thousand-Faced Examiner smiled strangely as he pushed back the hand that had collided with the sword.

“What’s your name?”

“Hukong.”

“I am called the Thousand-Faced Examiner. Remember it, for I am the one who will take your life.”

At the tip of the towering white rock, the Thousand-Faced Examiner’s hand and Hukong’s sword met.

The hand of a giant who grasped the past, and the sword of a warrior who must move towards the future.