Chapter 1675
Isn’t this the situation you were hoping for? (5)
Palm shadows cover the world completely.
It feels like being left alone on the vast ocean during a storm. The moment you are engulfed by the giant tidal wave looming overhead, your life will be cut short without a chance to react.
An overwhelming sense of despair.
However, Heo Gong stood firmly in the midst of the terrifying scene, trying to calm his wavering mind.
‘It’s an illusion.’
Illusion ultimately deceives and confuses people. No matter how impressive an illusion itself is, it can never harm a person.
What he must do is find the real venomous fangs lurking within this horrifying illusion, waiting to strike.
In some ways, it may not be a difficult task.
The martial arts of Wudang are the way of the Just Sects that destroys all wicked things in the world. It is in perfect opposition to the martial arts of the Evil Path.
Bang!
Indeed, the Pine Crest Sword he extended accurately struck the hand of Cheon Myeon Susa hidden within numerous illusions.
But that hand, frighteningly quickly, spewed out countless illusions again as soon as it was pushed back. Just as water quickly fills the spot even if a giant rock falls into a lake.
An endless cycle.
His sword can pierce through the reality amid the falsehoods, and his eyes can find the one truth among countless lies.
However, the problem is that this doesn’t lead to victory in a single confrontation.
If he loses track of the reality within the countless illusions even once, the impact will accumulate directly on Heo Gong’s body.
Bam!
Just like now.
Grit.
Heo Gong bit his lip until it bled.
Out of dozens of attacks, he only missed the enemy’s true form once. The missed hand struck his chest and pushed in a thick malicious energy.
He wondered if being burned with a branding iron on his chest could be this painful.
But more than the pain, what tormented Heo Gong was the fatigue from this endless cycle… No, it was an emotion that should be called ‘fear.’
Bam!
Did the momentary shake mess with his reason?
The illusions he missed consecutively struck his shoulder and thigh in rapid succession.
“Ugh!”
Heo Gong involuntarily staggered back a step. Even though he knew that the more he retreated, the more room for movement the enemies on the cliff gained.
The pain surging from the struck areas was persistent but ‘weak.’
No matter how refined Heo Gong’s protective inner strength was, it was impossible to be unharmed when hit directly by the force from a master of such caliber.
However, the areas that were hit were not critical, as if he had been struck during a spar.
This meant that even the force, which should be considered real, carried almost no power. If an attack without power is called an illusion, what should an attack with barely any power be called?
How should one distinguish between falsehood and reality?
Heo Gong was caught in that very gap right now, in the ambiguous distinction between truth and falsehood, reality and illusion.
“You seem frustrated.”
At that moment, the swirling force vanished as if washed away, revealing the composed figure of Cheon Myeon Susa with his hands leisurely clasped behind his back.
To others, he might appear arrogant, but to Heo Gong, it looked entirely different. It was an action stemming from meticulousness, hiding even the slightest trace of the small wounds engraved on his hands amidst the exchange of attacks.
The thoroughness of it sent a chill down Heo Gong’s chest.
“Impressive swordsmanship. I acknowledge it. As expected of Wudang.”
“…”
“But… you’ve been in the mountains for too long.”
Grit.
Heo Gong ground his teeth and asked,
“Don’t you intend to engage in a fair fight?”
“Is there any fairer fight than this? I exploit the enemy’s weaknesses with my strengths. I will secure victory by any means necessary. That is what I call fairness.”
“…”
“You should be pleased. My dedication to this extent means I acknowledge you.”
Heo Gong took a short, deep breath.
If this were truly a fair contest fought one-on-one, Heo Gong wouldn’t be in a hurry. But this isn’t such a contest. He must quickly drive him away from here and stop those climbing the cliff.
From the start, the balance had tipped towards him. Does Heo Gong have the ability to tilt the scales back in his favor now?
Heo Gong gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly.
‘No. It’s not about whether I can do it. I must do it!’
In the past, he would have shaken his head, thinking it was a difficult task. It would have been foolish to act recklessly with insufficient ability and invite disaster. But now Heo Gong knows. There are things in the world that must be done, even if one’s ability is lacking.
He only regrets not realizing this fact a little sooner.
Swish.
Heo Gong’s foot moved slowly forward. Seeing this, Cheon Myeon Susa narrowed his eyes.
“You’re quite impatient.”
For Cheon Myeon Susa, there was nothing wrong with having a leisurely conversation like this. If he joined forces with those climbing the cliff, he could easily finish off Heo Gong without much effort.
But Heo Gong’s position would be entirely opposite.
“Are you planning to repeat this meaningless act? You should have realized by now that your swordsmanship cannot penetrate my force, shouldn’t you?”
At those words, Heo Gong chuckled.
He wasn’t wrong. Wudang’s skill is orthodox in itself, a solid swordsmanship that waits for the opponent’s real mistake without being reckless. Even if he has the ability to grasp reality at once, if the opponent isn’t in a hurry, he might not lose, but he would have to prolong the time.
However…
“I realized something else.”
In that unforgettable spar.
Whoosh!
Heo Gong kicked off the ground and rushed toward Cheon Myeon Susa.
“It’s not the swordsmanship that matters!”
Boom!
At that moment, an explosive wave of energy erupted in front of Cheon Myeon Susa. The sight was so overwhelming that it could have blurred his vision. However, unlike his previous responses, Heo Gong swung his sword widely behind his head.
Then he struck down.
Slash!
Cutting in two with one stroke of a sword [일도양단(一刀兩斷)]. The swirling black and white aura from his sword spun like a vortex as it unleashed.
Cheon Myeon Susa’s force, which spread like a white veil over the world, shattered as if it had been an illusion upon contact with that formidable sword energy.
Heo Gong didn’t distinguish between reality and illusion. If he destroyed both, distinguishing them would be meaningless in the first place.
The Taiji Wisdom Sword [태극혜검(太極慧劍)], said to contain all the wisdom and harmony of the world, was unleashed so violently that it seemed as if it were a demonic sword.
“What?”
Even Cheon Myeon Susa was startled by the ferocious momentum, letting out a surprised cry as he jumped back. Heo Gong seized this opportunity and pushed off the empty air, pursuing Cheon Myeon Susa relentlessly.
Thud! Thud!
The lingering remnants of force that hadn’t fully dissipated struck his body, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t force with true strength behind it from the start.
“I won’t let you escape.”
The sword extended again like a flash of lightning. In an instant, Cheon Myeon Susa, whose eyes had turned cold and calm, vanished from the spot as if sinking away.
He was known as the greatest martial artist of the evil path and possessed the fastest foot techniques among them. His reputation was evidently not unfounded, as Heo Gong’s eyes could not track his movements no matter how hard he tried.
But Heo Gong was not to be underestimated.
Whoosh!
He swiftly changed the direction of his sword and slashed upward at the empty space above his head.
Slice.
He felt nothing, but the unmistakable sound of his sword cutting through something echoed clearly in his ears.
Thud!
At the same time, a sharp pain surged from his back.
It was inevitable that an opening would appear as he forced his body to twist. Moreover, capturing him without the resolve to suffer an injury from the start was impossible.
“Hyaaaah!”
Heo Gong expelled even the blood that welled up in his mouth with a shout as he raised his sword high. The two intense energies converged at the tip of his sword, and the sword blade came crashing down.
Boom!
The tremendous force shattered the surface of the rock and surged outward. It even uprooted several pine trees growing behind the cliff before it crashed into the mountainside and finally stopped. A massive scar was left in its wake.
“Huff!”
Rough breaths escaped from Heo Gong’s mouth.
After a moment, Cheon Myeon Susa appeared, landing on the ground. His eyes were dark and brooding.
He glanced down to see a small wound on his calf. It appeared superficial, like a scratch, but it had cut at least half a chi into his muscle.
The hands of Cheon Myeon Susa, which were clasped behind his back, twitched slightly.
A wound on the leg is different from one on the hand. While his hands were tools for mocking his opponents, his legs were essential for survival. They were akin to a lifeline.
And just moments ago, that lifeline had been injured.
“I didn’t know Wudang was such a violent sect.”
As Cheon Myeon Susa murmured, Heo Gong took a deep breath.
This wasn’t the typical use of Wudang martial arts. Such unconventional techniques consumed more than double the usual internal energy. Twisting the already energy-intensive Wisdom Sword in this manner was akin to madness.
Sure enough, even with just two swings, his shoulders were shaking. Moreover, this went against the principles Wudang’s sword pursued.
But Heo Gong knew something else too.
“A sword is just a sword.”
“Hmm?”
“What matters is that I am a Taoist of Wudang, not how I wield the sword.”
Heo Gong’s face, which had been panting, twisted into a strange expression that seemed part smile, part irritation.
“There was someone who wielded a sword akin to one of the Evil Sect… yet was more of a Taoist than anyone.”
“…”
“A sword is nothing more than a tool to carry out my will. If I had to use the same sword in every situation, I would only be someone being led by that sword.”
“Perhaps you should preach your sword philosophy to your disciples. Ah, that is, if any of them remain after this war.”
“It seems you’ve realized that killing me won’t be easy, judging by your words.”
“…Your tongue has become a bit sharper.”
Cheon Myeon Susa chuckled. Heo Gong gripped his sword again.
There was no need to lament his grievances. If he didn’t fight the way his opponent wanted, he could lead the battle his way. That detestable person would surely say such a thing.
It’s a funny thing.
Reaching the highest state of swordsmanship is closely tied to disregarding the sword more than anyone else.
“Things that reach their limit will eventually reverse [물극필반(物極必反)].”
Heo Gong gripped his sword even tighter.
He wasn’t sure if it was the right choice. But he was certain that being dragged along like this was the wrong choice.
He had to try something. Not just sit back and await a helpless defeat!
“I will…”
Heo Gong was about to kick off the ground and charge again when Cheon Myeon Susa glanced to the side and spoke.
“It seems… it’s not a situation you can handle on your own.”
“What?”
Soon, Heo Gong could see it clearly with his own eyes.
His disciples, who had gone to block the slope, were now coming back up to this place.
“Sasuk!”
“We can’t hold them off any longer!”
Heo Gong’s eyes widened to their limits.
Seeing them exhausted and injured, climbing back up to White-Faced Cliff and trying to regroup somehow, seemed utterly futile.
To give up that slope? Against so many enemies? Did they know what it meant to abandon it?
Countless thoughts swirled in his mind, but there was nothing Heo Gong could do now. The determination that had filled his eyes ebbed away like the tide, replaced by a sense of hopelessness. His gaze turned back to Cheon Myeon Susa.
Cheon Myeon Susa spoke kindly, yet maintaining a mocking expression.
“This is what war is.”
“…”
“It’s about time to end this. I won’t bother remembering your name, so die in vain.”
Finally, an undeniable despair settled on Heo Gong’s face.
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