Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1710

The cliff, which had been burning hot like lava, suddenly became freezing cold. Everyone was too shocked to understand what they were seeing.

Finally, the screams of the Sun Palace protectors broke the silence.

“Palace Lord!”

The protectors, who had been staring blankly at Jin-pyung as he collapsed as if slammed into the ground, snapped to their senses and desperately rushed towards him, screaming.

“What, what are you doing! Protect the Palace Lord!”

The protectors, their energy burning hot and wild, like angry fire, surrounded the Sun Palace Lord.

“Palace Lord, are you alright? Palace Lord!”

“Ugh, ugh…….”

His breathing was faint, but he was not yet dead. The protectors desperately poured their energy into the Sun Palace Lord’s body. They had to keep him alive somehow!

Meanwhile, Jo-geol, who had been blankly watching this, flinched and quickly turned his head.

“Sasuk!”

As if his scream were a signal, Baek-cheon, who had been standing tall, collapsed on the spot.

Plop!

Jo-geol stared, eyes wide with disbelief. *No… no, it can’t be…*

Baek-cheon’s clothes were burned away to his shoulders. His arms were like burnt wood, black and red, and the air smelled sharply of smoke and singed hair.

“Ugh…” A low groan escaped Baek-cheon’s lips.

Seeing his friend in such a terrible state, Jo-geol’s body shook. He tried to run to Baek-cheon, but his legs felt like lead. He stumbled and fell hard onto the rough ground, scraping his hands. He didn’t even feel the pain. His heart was already racing towards Baek-cheon, but his body wouldn’t obey.

“This…!” Jo-geol gasped, his voice choked.

Gritting his teeth, he clawed at the earth, dirt digging under his fingernails. He tried to push himself up, to move, but his muscles were locked, useless. He couldn’t even twitch.

“You, you damn it! Damn it…….”

Just as he was feebly muttering curses in his desperation, someone’s loud shout rang out.

“Protect the Senior Brother!”

It was Baek-sang.

“The Azure Dragon Squad, gather the injured, and the White Tiger Squad, protect the disciples of the Wudang Sect! The enemy’s attack has collapsed, so we will escape this place immediately!”

“Yes!”

As soon as the order was given, someone rushed towards Jo-geol. Jo-geol, who was watching the scene while collapsed, muttered.

“…Gwak-hwi.”

“Damn it! Do you have three lives, Senior Brother? What on earth are you thinking!”

Gwak-hwi grabbed Jo-geol almost by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away. Jo-geol said urgently.

“Before, before me, Sasuk first…….”

“Ah, your mouth is still alive until the end!”

Gwak-hwi didn’t even pretend to listen and carried Jo-geol on his back. The other Azure Dragon Squad members, who had arrived by now, also carried Yoon-jong and Yoo I-seol, who had collapsed from exhaustion, on their backs.

“Senior Brother!”

Baek-sang, who had rushed towards Baek-cheon first, hesitated just as he was about to carry Baek-cheon on his back. He couldn’t help it.

“Ugh…….”

He couldn’t bring himself to touch him.

His arms looked so burned, like they might break apart if touched. No, perhaps they had already burned to the core and would crumble.

But was any other part of him alright other than his arms? Frankly, it didn’t seem like there was a single intact part.

He couldn’t understand how he was still alive in this state.

Gritting his teeth.

‘Stubborn fool! Why did you have to take all of that!’

Baek-sang reached out his trembling hand and carefully lifted Baek-cheon as gently as possible. He gritted his teeth as he looked around, his heart feeling as if it would burst with despair.

“White Tiger Squad.”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

The White Tiger Squad of Mount Hua, who had gathered the disciples of the Wudang Sect and slung them over their shoulders, were already standing guard on Baek-sang’s left and right. Even before he called them.

“Do not let a single one of them, any attack…… touch Senior Brother’s body.”

At the almost solemn order, the gazes of the Mount Hua White Tiger Squad members turned to Baek-cheon, who was held in Baek-sang’s arms. The moment they saw Baek-cheon, who had become so horribly disfigured in order to save everyone, a chilling aura flickered in the eyes of the Mount Hua swordsmen.

Baek-sang’s sharp gaze was already fixed on the Sun Palace disciples who were blocking the way.

In this situation, further words were meaningless.

Rumble! The cliff groaned and cracked, a deep rumble that shook the ground.

Amidst the sound of the cliff collapsing, Baek-sang’s voice exploded.

“Break through! Right now!”

“Yes!”

The disciples of Mount Hua simultaneously drew their Plum Blossom Swords and charged forward.

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Gu, Palace Lord! Protect the Palace Lord first!”

“But if we do that, those guys will……. The orders……!”

“Damn it! What orders when the Palace Lord is in danger! Who dares to give orders to the Sun Palace!”

Like a dam breaking, the Sun Palace’s defenses were completely gone. Once Jin-pyung fell, nothing could stop the chaos.

Because their leader, Sun Palace Lord Jin-pyung, was defeated, the Sun Palace fell apart very easily.

The Sun Palace disciples retreated in disarray. They couldn’t even dare to face the Mount Hua swordsmen, who were filled with such murderous intent.

“Get out of the way! Before I kill you all!”

Baek-sang screamed and swung his sword. It was not a sword to kill the enemy, but simply a sword to threaten them.

It was merely a threat, like a back-alley thug swinging his sword in anger, but it was enough for now. Because the Sun Palace disciples were also lost and confused.

“Kkeueok…….”

Sun Palace Lord Jin-pyung, surrounded by the protectors, saw the scene with his blurred vision and struggled to raise his trembling hand.

The protectors were horrified and tried to stop him.

“Palace Lord!”

“Palace Lord, you mustn’t overexert yourself! Your internal injuries are severe.”

“Th, those guys……. Cough!” The black blood stained his white robes, a sign of his ruined pride.

The Sun Palace Lord, who was about to give an order, vomited black, dead blood like a waterfall.

“Energy! Pour more energy into him! Immediately!”

“Yes!”

What the Sun Palace Lord caught in his blurred vision was the figure of Baek-cheon being carried on Baek-sang’s back. Judging by his appearance alone, he was no different from a corpse, but in any case, that guy was now alive and escaping this place.

Of course, he might die as soon as he left this place, but the fact remains that the Sun Palace Lord failed to keep them tied to this cliff.

“Ugh, ugh…….”

Moreover, the scene that came into his eyes was not only this.

“Those damned barbarians deserve to be beaten to death!”

“You dare try to kill us?”

How could only Mount Hua have rushed in through the collapsed dam?

Following the path opened by Mount Hua, the remnants of the Four Faction Alliance charged in fiercely. They had been threatened with their lives, so they were angrier than ever. Becoming a torrent of muddy water roughened by a typhoon.

“Aaaargh!”

Swords from the Sword Pavilion went into the Solar Palace disciples as they ran away. These were the same people who were fighting with them against the Wudang Clan just a short time ago. Now, they were fighting each other like they hated each other.

The Solar Palace Lord’s body shook very hard. Then, it twisted. It looked like he was too weak to even shake anymore. He gave one last big shake and then went still.

Horrified protectors rushed to help the Solar Palace Lord.

“L-Lord!”

“Summon more protectors! We must save the Lord!”

“Lord!”

Leaving the Solar Palace behind, Baek Sang ran, pushing past the enemies. Where should he go? *Think! Think!* Where could he go to save them?

Orange flames danced on the mountain, reaching up like hungry fingers. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and burning wood, stinging his eyes and nose. Who knew how many enemies were still alive and chasing them?

And…

Even if he could find a safe place, getting through the fire and enemies, Baek Cheon would probably be dead.

‘No…’

At first, he thought if he could just get past the Solar Palace Lord, they might live. But things had changed. He couldn’t just run forward.

He needed to find a safe place *now* and help Baek Cheon. And the Five Swords needed help too!

His heart pounded in his chest like a drum. He felt cold sweat on his skin even though the mountain was burning. Where on this burning mountain could he find a safe place?

Every step felt heavy, like he was sinking into the ground. It felt like the earth was falling apart and would swallow them all.

‘Who…’

He looked around wildly, but no one could tell him what to do.

Baek Cheon, Yoo Iseol… Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, and even Hae Yeon were not moving, like dead bodies.

Baek Sang had to do it.

If he didn’t, no one would. It wasn’t about them helping him; he had to save them.

Even now, Baek Cheon’s breath, which he could feel on his back, was getting weaker, like a candle going out.

“Senior Brother, Senior Brother!” Baek Sang’s voice was shaking as he called to Baek Cheon.

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’m going to get you safe, okay? Hold on! Just… just don’t die, please! Do you hear me, Senior Brother? *Huh?*”

There was no answer.

“Baek Sang, find somewhere, anywhere…” Baek Cheon whispered weakly.

“I know! I know, you little rascal!” Baek Sang bit his lip hard.

They needed a doctor. That meant he had to run down the mountain. He didn’t care if it was a burning hell or full of demons.

If that was the only way to save them, he would go to hell itself.

“Down the mountain…”

He made up his mind, held Baek Cheon tighter, and turned to go down when he heard a voice.

“Going down is dangerous!”

“Huh?”

He knew that voice. Baek Sang turned quickly.

Tang Gun-ak was suddenly there. Dried blood was on his lips, and his clothes were torn. He looked like he had fought a hard battle.

“Clan Lord!”

“Stay put!” Tang Gun-ak’s voice was firm and strong, even though he was hurt.

He understood right away. Baek Sang nodded fast. Just seeing Tang Gun-ak there was like seeing a lighthouse in a dark ocean.

“C-Clan Lord! Senior Brother! B-Baek Cheon, Senior Brother…!”

Tang Gun-ak looked at Baek Cheon with a serious face. His skin was burned red, and black in places. Even where the skin was cracked, there was no blood. Those strong arms… it looked bad. Tang Gun-ak closed his eyes for a moment.

Seeing Tang Gun-ak’s face, Baek Sang felt cold.

“Clan Lord… Senior Brother… Senior Brother will be okay, r-right…?”

Tang Gun-ak’s voice was sharp, but filled with worry. “‘Stop talking like that!’ he snapped. ‘We don’t have time! Every second matters if we want to save them!'”

“Yes, I understand!”

Tang Gun-ak bit his bloody lip.

“But… where do we go?”

“To a place where we can save lives.”

“Where is that?”

Just then, as Tang Gun-ak was thinking hard, a voice whispered in his ear.

“Up…”

“What?”

“Up… Above… Up above.”

Tang Gun-ak and Baek Sang looked up quickly.

In front of them was a steep mountain path, going up. At the top, old and grand buildings looked down on them.

The place the Wudang disciples were fighting to protect.

“…Wudang.”

“…”

“Indeed. There is nowhere else.”

Tang Gun-ak turned his gaze to the one who had given them this knowledge.

Heo Gong, still confused and being carried by a Mount Hua disciple, was pointing up firmly.

What safer place could there be on Wudang Mountain than the Wudang Sect itself? It was the best place on this mountain to get help.

“Let’s go! Quickly!”

“Yes, Clan Lord!”

Tang Gun-ak ran forward.

“Follow the Clan Lord!”

“Raaah!”

Instead of answers, loud shouts came from everywhere. The Mount Hua disciples ran up the steep Wudang Mountain like wild animals.

Faster, they used every bit of strength in their legs.

Soon after.

A sound like metal crashing against metal ripped through the air – CLANG! It was so loud it hurt his ears. Everyone stopped and turned back, even in this dangerous moment.

Crack! Crack!

The cliff where the Sword Pavilion disciples were still trying to get away…

Kraaaash!

With a huge roar, the whole cliff broke apart, fell down, and started to collapse. It was like a giant spear from the sky had hit the mountain.

Everyone sighed.

“Ah…”

The evil actions of people had broken Wudang Mountain, which had stood strong for thousands of years.