Chapter 1705
I’ve just realized. (5)
A terrifying heat burst forth from the hand that lashed out as if in a seizure.
It was the essence of Southern Sea Sun Palace, a martial art so unmatched that there was no other sect to rival it – Divine Sun Palm [태양신장(太陽神掌)], executed at its peak by the Sun Palace Lord.
In that instant, the blooming plum blossoms that had flared up as if by some agreement clung to both hands of the Sun Palace Lord, throwing themselves to choke the flames before they could spread.
“This…!”
Of course, the Plum Blossom Sword Technique wasn’t made of real petals, and the Divine Sun Palm wasn’t real flames. So such a situation wouldn’t actually occur.
However, it did succeed in momentarily delaying the release of the Divine Sun Palm.
In that brief opening, Baek Cheon’s sword thrust forward.
Baek Cheon’s sword flew towards the face of the Sun Palace Lord.
It was a feeble sword despite the force behind it. It lacked the swiftness to pierce through the enemy in a single strike, and it offered no unpredictable variations to confuse the opponent.
But at the moment when that lacking sword harmonized with the scattering Plum Blossom Sword Technique, it transformed into a lethal move that even the Sun Palace Lord had to gasp at.
“Ugh!”
The Sun Palace Lord swiftly raised his hand to block Baek Cheon’s sword, abandoning the release of the Divine Sun Palm.
Clang!
The moment hand and sword collided, a metallic sound exploded as if to tear the eardrums apart. A sneer briefly flickered at the corner of Palace Lord’s lips.
‘Foolish brat!’
Although the Divine Sun Palm had not been released, the internal energy channeled into it hadn’t dissipated.
Sure enough, Baek Cheon, who had struck the Palace Lord’s hand infused with immense internal energy, suddenly coughed up blood.
“Get away…”
Flash!
But at that moment, Baek Cheon’s sword suddenly split into dozens of blades, all of which rained down on the Sun Palace Lord’s entire body. Even in a situation where the foreign internal injury had invaded as deep as his dantian, he instead intensified his attack.
The Palace Lord’s eyes widened at this utterly reckless act.
Clang! Clang!
In an instant, the Sun Palace Lord’s movements became chaotic.
Under normal circumstances, she could easily have blocked such a sloppy series of attacks, but his face gradually twisted with confusion.
‘This madman!’
Just a moment. If he could create a momentary opening, this madman’s body would melt away, leaving nothing but a small pool of blood. At such a close distance, there was no way to avoid his energy, nor any way to escape the heat of the Divine Sun Palm.
And this wretch surely knew that too.
Despite this, he pressed in close, swinging his sword without the slightest hesitation, as if he had already resigned himself to death.
Clang!
Hand and sword collided repeatedly.
With each clash, the Sun Palace Lord’s face grew more contorted, and the towering pride that once pierced the heavens was relentlessly crushed.
Boom!
The Sun Palace Lord, letting out a furious roar, struck Baek Cheon’s exposed chest with a powerful palm strike, sending his sword flying with a single blow.
Buzzing akin to the sound of thousands of bees taking flight at once, the blinding golden energy surged into Baek Cheon’s chest.
Flash!
Three swords swiftly flew towards him, but they weren’t enough to completely block the Divine Sun Palm.
Then, suddenly.
A deep, resonant sound, one that could be described as auspicious, rose near Baek Cheon’s side. It wasn’t the dazzling golden light of the Divine Sun Palm, but a gentle, subtle glow – Buddha’s Light.
Boom!
The Divine Sun Palm collided head-on with the Prajñā Divine Palm [반야신장(般若神掌)*] that had burst forth from Baek Cheon’s side. The ultimate spear, capable of melting anything it touched, clashed with a shield imbued with the wisdom of the Buddha, embracing all things.
Moments later, a resonant sound like that of dozens of giant bells ringing simultaneously echoed through the air.
The Sun Palace Lord clearly saw it.
Crack!
The moment the hand that extended from Baek Cheon’s side collided with his Divine Sun Palm, he witnessed it ripen as if it were boiling over.
Yet, that hand neither retreated nor hesitated for even a moment.
It simply stood firm, blocking the onslaught directed at Baek Cheon.
Flash!
Baek Cheon was surely in no better condition than the owner of that burning hand. In fact, his situation was likely even more dire.
Yet, Baek Cheon’s sword surged towards the Sun Palace Lord once again at an incredible speed. He had seized the small gap created by the clash between the Divine Sun Palm and the Prajñã Divine Palm, exploiting it with precise timing. The tip of his sword aimed directly at the center of the Sun Palace Lord’s face, moving with the swiftness of a venomous snake ready to strike.
The Palace Lord, startled, quickly jerked his head to the side. But in that brief instant, the sword slashed across his face, sending blood spraying into the air.
The searing pain from the red-hot blade slicing through his face was intense, not only on the surface but also inside his mouth.
Bloodshot fury began to swell in the Sun Palace Lord’s eyes.
“Ahhhh! You filthy wretch, how dare you!”
Boom!
He swung his hand with terrifying force.
It was as if a small sun was engulfing his body, yet Baek Cheon did not flinch. He relentlessly targeted only Sun Palace Lord’s face, completely disregarding any defense.
The one who intercepted that overwhelming force was a young swordsman with curly hair.
His sword, infused with powerful sword energy, blocked the attack horizontally.
Rumble!
It was as if he was using his sword to fend off the fangs of a furious, roaring beast. As the young swordsman struggled and was pushed back, a hand glowing with a greenish hue struck the back of his sword.
Boom!
It was Yoon Jong’s Bamboo Leaf Hand. As he struck the back of Jo Geol’s sword with all his might.
Sizzle!
The hand in contact with the sword began to burn, releasing a pungent odor. Yoon Jong gritted his teeth, pouring even more internal energy into his hand.
“Haaaap!”
“This…!”
Just as the Sun Palace Lord was about to overwhelm them both and turn them into charcoal, dozens of plum blossoms suddenly bloomed above his head. It was Yu Iseol.
Startled, he jerked his body back. His hair was sliced by the fierce sword energy, scattering in all directions.
Slice!
Once again, a sharp pain surged across his face. Before he could even register the pain, Baek Cheon’s sword was now aimed at his neck. Simultaneously, Hye Yeon’s Prajñā Divine Fist flew at his chest from a dangerously close range.
“Ahhhhh!”
The scorching heat of yang energy erupted in all directions. Not in the form of a palm strike, but as a burst of inner strength, it enveloped everyone around him.
Just as Jo Geol widened his eyes in shock, a familiar back appeared in front of him.
Boom!
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
The Sun Palace Lord staggered back, step after step.
“Ugh…”
Drip.
Blood flowed from the wound etched on his forehead, seeping into his eyes, tinting the world around him in a crimson hue.
“Sasuk!”
“Damn it, why did you do that!”
Forcing his eyes open, Baek Cheon could see Jo Geol and Yoon Jong supporting him from either side. White steam continuously rose from Baek Cheon’s body, which had directly confronted the scorching heat of the hot yang energy.
Thud.
At that moment, Baek Cheon’s hand, now so red it had turned nearly black, gripped Jo Geol’s shoulder with great effort. He struggled to lift his upper body, which kept crumbling as his strength waned.
A chill ran down the Sun Palace Lord’s spine as his eyes met Baek Cheon’s. Despite the fact that Baek Cheon’s eyes were swollen and barely open due to the burns, the gaze that pierced through him was nothing short of terrifying.
On top of that, the swordsmen of Hwasan, who had been assessing Baek Cheon’s condition, were now glaring at the Sun Palace Lord with murderous intent.
The fear that had been present in their eyes just moments ago was now completely gone.
Throb.
The wound on his forehead screamed in pain. His cheek had been deeply slashed, leaving a wound that extended inside his mouth, where thick blood continued to pool.
Never in his life had he experienced pain of this kind.
The Palace Lord was overwhelmed with confusion.
No, more precisely, he didn’t want to acknowledge what he was feeling at that moment. The emotion he was now experiencing was something he had never faced before, and he was reluctant to admit its presence.
This was not an emotion that the Sun Palace Lord, someone of his stature, should feel towards these insignificant worms.
“My Lord!”
But the moment he heard the voice of the approaching Guardian, the Palace Lord instinctively shouted out.
“Send the signal!”
The Guardian was visibly shocked.
“M-My Lord? But it’s not time yet-”
“Send it, now! Right this instant!”
“A-As you command!”
The Guardian hurriedly pulled something from his robes and aimed it towards the cliff.
Jo Geol and Yoon Jong exchanged puzzled glances, and suddenly, Baek Cheon, who seemed on the verge of death, forced his eyes open and shouted hoarsely.
“Stop him! Now!”
“What?”
Bang!
But it was already too late.
From the small cylindrical device the Guardian aimed at the cliff, something bright red shot out, streaking past Hwasan swordsmen and soaring to the edge of the cliff.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Ooooooooh!”
Namgung Myeong let out a thunderous battle cry as he swung his sword with all his might.
Namgung clan, despite its fame, was often critiqued for having subpar footwork techniques. But even in this precarious situation, the sword energy Namgung Myeong unleashed was undeniably powerful.
The sword strike and the hot yang energy hurtled towards each other, on the verge of colliding.
The enemy’s skill was formidable, not to be underestimated. However, those gathered here were not just any warriors – they were the elite, handpicked from the most influential martial arts sects in Gangho, specifically chosen by Cheonumaeng.
No matter the location, this was not a force that a single sect could easily contend with.
Boom!
The sword energy exploded, sweeping through the enemy. Seeing this, Namgung Myeong bit his lip hard.
‘I can do this!’
Whatever the enemy’s objective here, it was clear that they could be dealt with before their preparations were complete. If they could continue to disrupt them like this, it might even be possible to cut down all those hanging from the cliff.
If that could be achieved, everyone who had thrown themselves into this battle, and even the swordsmen of Hwasan atop the cliff, might survive.
Of course, the grueling battle Hwasan was facing above was another matter entirely…
‘If only things continue this way.’
But at that moment, something strange caught Namgung Myeong’s eye as he looked up.
A bright red line began to streak across the horizon where White-Faced Cliff met the sky, like a small, crimson comet cutting through the night.
‘What is that?’
Before Namgung Myeong could even try to guess its nature, it exploded in midair.
Boom!
A burst of red light spread out in all directions.
It wasn’t an explosive meant to harm anyone. It was loud and bright, but it lacked the force to injure. Just a loud, flashy…
“A signal flare?”
No, it would be more accurate to call it a beacon, something meant to signal others.
Everyone on the cliff saw what Namgung Myeong saw. They all looked around, puzzled and on edge, trying to decipher the meaning behind the signal sent to the cliff. What could it possibly indicate in this situation?
But their confusion was quickly dispelled.
Namgung Myeong witnessed another scene: the faces of the sun warriors, upon seeing the signal, took on a look of grim determination that was difficult to describe.
‘No, it can’t be…’
There was no time to ponder further. The sun warrior closest to him suddenly erupted in vivid, crimson flames.
The moment Namgung Myeong grasped the meaning of this horrifying act, he moved without a second thought.
Thud!
He immediately reached out, grabbing Namgung Dowi, who was behind him, and with all his strength, he pushed off the cliff.
A pained voice, barely more than a groan, escaped from Namgung Dowi.
“N-No…”
Whoosh!
The bodies of the sun warriors, one after another, were rapidly consumed by the flames.
Namgung Dowi’s groan turned into a desperate scream.
“Nooooooooooooo!”
Boom!
The bodies of the burning sun warriors began to explode in succession, like a series of massive fireworks signaling the end of this battle.
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