Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1706

The air was thick with the smell of sweat and steel. Jin Geum-ryong fought with all his strength, his sword clashing against his enemy’s. Suddenly, he saw it – a terrifying change. The enemy soldier’s body began to glow, turning a furious red. Orange flames burst out from him, like a sudden explosion of sunlight.

Jin Geum-ryong’s eyes widened in alarm. He didn’t need to think; instinct took over. He knew, deep in his bones, what was about to happen. Without thinking, he pushed hard against the rough cliff wall with his feet, trying to jump forward, to get closer.

“I have to stop them…”

But before he could act, Jongri Gok, who had been fighting the enemy in front of him, suddenly changed direction. He crashed into Jin Geum-ryong, pinning him down. There wasn’t even a chance to resist.

“Get down!”

Kwaaaang!

The terrifying explosion swept Jongri Gok, Jin Geum-ryong, and Lee Song-baek away, sending them flying backward.

A dreadful groan escaped Jin Geum-ryong’s lips.

The pressure on his entire body felt like it would crush him and tear him apart.

‘What…!’

This wasn’t the power of an ordinary explosive. Jin Geum-ryong understood. The enemy soldiers were using a terrible power. They were setting themselves on fire with Scorching Yang energy. Then, they exploded like huge bombs, causing terrible explosions.

The pain of his body being crushed was awful, but something else tormented Jin Geum-ryong even more: the horrific sight he couldn’t ignore.

Wooooong!

Soon, another enemy soldier’s body was burning with the deadly Scorching Yang energy.

One, two, and then another…!

Kwaaaang!

As explosions erupted one after another, another massive shockwave swept across the cliff. Jin Geum-ryong coughed up blood.

“Stop…”

They hadn’t achieved their goal yet.

But if all the Solar Palace disciples clinging to the cliff sacrificed themselves to cause explosions this big, could the cliff really remain intact?

Absolutely not!

“Stop them, you monsters!”

“Geum-ryong!”

Jin Geum-ryong began to struggle. Jongri Gok grabbed him and pinned him against the cliff face as if to bury him there. But Jin Geum-ryong didn’t even glance at Jongri Gok, who was gripping his shoulder tightly. He simply stretched out his hand towards the enemies engulfed in flames.

Kwaaaang!

Kwaaaang!

The force was huge. No human could stand against it. It crashed down on them again and again.

A milky white protective aura came from Jongri Gok’s body, covering Jin Geum-ryong and Lee Song-baek. Lee Song-baek’s eyes widened.

“Master!”

Kwaaaang!

The cliff shook again. To those holding on, it felt like a huge earthquake was shaking the entire land.

Crack!

Jin Geum-ryong’s fingertips dug into the cliff without thinking. But against this massive explosion and shaking, it was useless.

Boom!

Each time the cliff shook, his body bounced. Jin Geum-ryong clung to the cliff with all his might, as if his bones would shatter.

‘No.’

He had already suffered deep internal injuries. Blood gurgled up his throat.

But even in all this, Jin Geum-ryong’s gaze was fixed on the enemies beyond Jongri Gok’s shoulder.

He saw another Solar Palace disciple’s body turning crimson red. Jin Geum-ryong gritted his teeth and, in a flash, shook off Jongri Gok and leaped forward.

“Geum-ryong!”

As he stepped beyond Jongri Gok’s protective aura, terrible heat and pressure crashed down on Jin Geum-ryong as if they had been waiting for him.

“Taaah!”

He swung his arm with all his might, his veins bulging. The sword, leaving his hand, pierced through the Scorching Yang energy and lodged itself in the Solar Palace disciple’s neck.

Thwack!

“Kkeureuk…”

The blazing Scorching Yang energy died down like a candle running out of wax. At the same time, the Solar Palace disciple’s body began to fall.

“Not yet! It’s not over yet!”

Jin Geum-ryong roared fiercely like a lion.

But that roar was completely drowned out by the massive explosions that erupted one after another.

Kwaaaang!

Another Solar Palace disciple exploded. Or rather, the explosives hidden in his body did.

With explosives inside their bodies, there was no chance of surviving. Yet, the Solar Palace disciples showed no hesitation as they committed suicide attacks.

They might be afraid inside, but their bodies were following orders without question.

“Stop them! Stop them!”

Namgung Dowi’s desperate cry came from somewhere.

Those who regained their senses then threw their swords and used their energy like madmen against the Solar Palace disciples who were burning with orange light.

Realistically, they couldn’t stop them all. Everyone knew that was impossible.

But they had to reduce the number of those who would self-destruct, so that the cliff wouldn’t collapse completely.

“Aaargh!”

Whoosh!

A spinning sword flew towards the Solar Palace disciples who were burning with orange light. Given the skills of the Solar Palace disciples on the cliff, they shouldn’t be defeated by a thrown sword.

But…

Clang clang clang!

The sword pierced through the Scorching Yang energy and lodged itself in the Solar Palace disciple’s body. The energy struck another Solar Palace disciple, smashing him against the cliff face.

“Keuh!”

The Solar Palace disciple, stuck in the cliff, vomited blood. Blood poured from the mouth of another Solar Palace disciple, whose sword stuck out from his back. The spilled blood turned into red vapor in the heat.

‘It’s working…’

A hint of hope flashed across Namgung Dowi’s face, and Jin Geum-ryong’s eyes.

That’s right. It couldn’t be easy to draw up Scorching Yang energy that produced such power. They would be defenseless at that moment, and open to attacks.

Maybe they could stop them. Maybe…

But that’s when it happened.

“Keu…heu…”

The Solar Palace disciple, pierced by the sword and pinned to the cliff, trembled and looked down. When his eyes met Jin Geum-ryong’s, Jin Geum-ryong’s heart sank.

Anger and hate, bitterness and resentment, and…

‘Fear…?’

The moment he saw the fear in the enemy’s eyes, Jin Geum-ryong knew what was about to happen.

Kwaaaang!

Kwaaaang!

An enormous flash of light blocked his vision. The explosion swept across the cliff. The explosions struck the cliff again and again, crushing everything.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

“Aaargh!”

People were screaming and crying. The desperate shouts were covered by the massive explosions.

Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaaang!

Before one explosion ended, another erupted.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

“Geum-ryong!”

“Sahyung!”

Lee Song-baek reached out and grabbed Jin Geum-ryong, who was being thrown backward.

“Hold on tight…”

The impact was huge, as if someone was hitting a giant bell right in front of his face. All his senses blurred due to the explosions, and it was hard to speak.

Lee Song-baek gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on Jin Geum-ryong.

Kwaaaang!

Then, as if it had been waiting, a massive explosion swept across the cliff.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

An unbearable scream burst from Lee Song-baek’s mouth. It felt as if something enormous was sweeping over his entire body and tearing it apart.

Wooooooooooooong!

The world turned upside down. Everything lost its balance and shook.

Wasn’t the expression ‘one’s soul leaving one’s body’ used for times like this?

Blood poured from Lee Song-baek and Jin Geum-ryong’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, unable to withstand the pressure. Even though Jongri Gok was protecting them, he was helpless against the explosion.

Thud!

To make matters worse, pieces of rock began to fall from the cliff.

“Keuh…”

Lee Song-baek, clinging to the cliff, vomited blood. But all he could do was hold on and wait for the shaking to stop.

‘Please!’

Lee Song-baek gritted his teeth.

‘Please!’

He struggled to keep his eyes open. He had to endure. He had to!

Had his wish reached the heavens?

The shaking slowly began to stop.

“Heok…”

Lee Song-baek barely managed to lift his head and look up.

“Uh…”

A dazed groan escaped his lips.

Gone.

The Solar Palace disciples, the soldiers of the Savage Tyrant Alliance, and even…

“The… the cliff…”

Lee Song-baek’s eyes trembled.

The area above, where the Solar Palace disciples had exploded, was hollowed out.

His hands began to tremble at this sight.

It was at that moment.

“Cough!”

“M-Master!”

Jongri Gok staggered as if he was about to lose consciousness. Lee Song-baek was startled and grabbed Jongri Gok.

“Master! Are you alright?”

“I’m… fine.”

Lee Song-baek felt like his body was being crushed, but it was nothing compared to Jongri Gok, who had stood in front of them and taken most of the impact.

If it hadn’t been for Jongri Gok, Jin Geum-ryong and Lee Song-baek would have been dead.

“Is it… over?”

Lee Song-baek heard Jin Geum-ryong’s dazed voice. The voice that had always been so confident was now weak.

“Sahyung.”

“Is this really the end?”

Doubt filled Jin Geum-ryong’s eyes.

Really, like this…

Crack!

It was at that moment. That massive noise reached his ears.

Jin Geum-ryong’s face hardened as he stared at the sound.

Crack!

This sound… wasn’t it the sound of something breaking?

Jin Geum-ryong looked at the cliff. Above the area that had been hollowed out, the remaining rock hung like an eave.

An silence lingered for a moment.

Crack!

Cracks began to form rapidly, as if lightning was striking the cliff.

“No…”

Despair washed over Jin Geum-ryong’s eyes.

“S-Sahyung! We have to get out of here!”

“N-No! The cliff!”

“Come here, Jin Geum-ryong! Now!”

Jongri Gok grabbed his shoulder and pulled him. Jin Geum-ryong resisted.

“Damn it, I can’t! My brother is on top of the cliff!”

“I said come here!”

Jongri Gok gritted his teeth, forced Jin Geum-ryong, and began to run along the cliff.

Even in the midst of all this, Jin Geum-ryong’s gaze was fixed on the cracking cliff.

‘No… Please…!’

But that wish was shattered.

Rumble!

The cracked cliff roared. A cloud of dust rose from the cracks.

Jongri Gok screamed, and the entire cliff echoed.

“It’s collapsing! Run away, now! Right now!”

Rumble!

Jin Geum-ryong saw the cliff collapsing over his head.

‘Dong-ryong.’

A sense of despair filled his body.

An unbearable despair was pouring down.