C1709. That’s it. (4)
The eyes filled with astonishment and the half-closed eyes of Jo Gul met at such a close distance that they almost touched.
"Ku..."
The Leader of the Sun Palace grasped tightly the sword embedded in his chest. Blood gushed from the wound, flowing down the blade and over his hand.
Only two inches short. That strike had not completely pierced through his body. It was not lethal enough to take his life.
However, no one would have thought this would happen. That sword should not be there.
The searing pain in his chest was the only proof that this was real.
"This..."
Crack!
The Leader of the Sun Palace applied force, and the Plum Blossom Sword screamed. The blood running down the blade turned into red vapor, unable to withstand the heat emanating from the leader’s hand.
And then...
BOOM!
The left hand of the Leader of the Sun Palace, charged with formidable energy, swung toward Jo Gul's side. Jo Gul, in his trance-like state, had no intention of dodging it.
At that moment, Yoon Jong unleashed his sword with all his might. Hundreds of sword shadows filled the air. Although they had not fully formed into plum blossoms, the sword shadows managed to deflect the leader’s strike aimed at Jo Gul.
BOOM!
Splash!
When the sword shadows and the leader’s energy collided, blood spurted from Yoon Jong's mouth. It felt as though his internal organs were being shattered by the impact. It was an overwhelming force.
However, the tip of Yoon Jong’s sword did not move an inch. If he faltered, Jo Gul would die. Therefore, Yoon Jong could not afford to waver.
"Arrgh!"
Instead, he screamed with all his might, spitting blood. The sword shadows he had created began to bloom into a single flower. It was a strike that gave everything.
The steel flowers that bloomed, facing the incoming storm of heat, managed to repel the energy of the Leader of the Sun Palace for a brief moment.
"Haaaa!"
And then, a golden glow struck the left hand of the Leader of the Sun Palace.
BOOM!
The sound echoed as if striking a giant bell. The power of the strike did not end with just one.
BOOM! BOOM!
The consecutive blows, delivered with all their might, impacted the Leader of the Sun Palace.
Hye Yeon. The prodigy raised with all of Shaolin’s effort, was giving everything he had at that moment. All for a single purpose.
"Amitabha!"
Before he could finish his battle cry, Hye Yeon’s attacks continued relentlessly.
The scorching energy of the Leader of the Sun Palace, which had reached its peak, began to diminish under the combination of steel flowers and golden glow.
"Damn it!"
The Leader of the Sun Palace roared in fury.
The wounds on his body, his momentary weakness shown, the reality of being outdone by these insignificant enemies, all made him lose his reason.
"Haaaaargh!"
His roar echoed like a beast’s, filled with fury and madness. It did not fit his status; it sounded more like an animal’s howl.
Golden, brilliant energy erupted from his hands. It was as if he was throwing all the wealth in the world, crushing with its brilliance.
The intention to destroy all who stood before him, even if it meant exhausting all his energy, became palpable.
BOOM!
The sword embedded in his chest, Jo Gul, Yoon Jong resisting with all his might, Hye Yeon striking desperately... Everything seemed on the verge of being swept away by the golden energy about to explode.
Just when despair was about to fill everyone’s eyes.
FLASH!
Like a bomb about to explode, someone leaped like lightning into the midst of the condensed energy. Through the storm of energy, swords, and blows, and the heat emitted by the Leader of the Sun Palace.
BUZZ!
The tip of a red-stained sword moved forward slowly but determinedly toward the neck of the Leader of the Sun Palace.
Yoon Jong’s eyes widened at the incredible sight. He realized who was holding the sword, receiving all that energy with his body.
‘Sasuk?’
He would die.
His heart sank. Not even an intact body could withstand that energy. Facing it with a wounded body? It would be more likely to survive biting one’s tongue.
But Yoon Jong could do nothing. If he loosened his sword, Baek Cheon, Jo Gul, Hye Yeon, and he himself would turn to ash in an instant.
No, ultimately, they would all die.
CRASH!
Energy against energy, clashing and screaming. Amidst that horrific noise, Baek Cheon’s footsteps resonated clearly as he advanced.
SIZZLE!
Flesh burned and melted. Baek Cheon’s hand, holding the sword, began to disintegrate.
‘No, no...’
SIZZLE!
But even at that moment, Baek Cheon advanced slowly, pointing the sword directly at the neck of the Leader of the Sun Palace.
That sword would not stop. Yoon Jong sensed it.
Even if his body burned and disintegrated completely, that sword would not stop until it pierced the neck of the Leader of the Sun Palace.
And not only did Yoon Jong feel it. The one who felt it most intensely was Jin Pyeong, the Leader of the Sun Palace, seeing the sword tip approaching him.
‘Why?’
Why would someone do this?
Anyway, his death was assured. So, wouldn’t it be better to die quickly rather than seek more pain?
Receiving the burning energy directly would cause such unbearable pain that one would wish for death. Even the death that followed would be marked by incomparable suffering in this world.
So why continue such madness?
As he watched Baek Cheon advance unhesitatingly, like a condemned man suffering in the hottest place of the blazing hell, the Leader of the Sun Palace felt an unknown emotion in his chest.
SIZZLE!
Through the energy about to explode, he saw a face distorted by pain.
Despite being covered in wounds and burns, Baek Cheon’s eyes showed not the slightest hesitation, like an enlightened monk.
The Leader of the Sun Palace felt his spirit slipping away. Although his power could surpass theirs, he could not withstand the ‘fortitude’ of these people.
As his spirit shrank, so did his energy. It became difficult to release his energy with the same force as before.
Baek Cheon’s eyes gradually closed.
There was no more pain. Only the will to advance remained. His body had surpassed its limits, and his mind had reached a place never before explored.
Each small but significant advance caused the leader’s heart, trapped like a cornered beast, to fill with fire.
"Aaaaargh!"
The Leader of the Sun Palace extended his hands with all his might.
When a rat is cornered, it bites even a cat, much more so if it is a beast as powerful as him.
FLASH!
The energy of the Leader of the Sun Palace, which was losing strength, suddenly expanded like a wildfire, heading straight for Baek Cheon.
Yoon Jong and Jo Gul screamed involuntarily.
At that moment, an arrow was shot down the path Baek Cheon had opened with his life.
SWISH!
With a sound like fabric tearing by a sharp sword, Yoo Iseol’s sword pierced through the flames, heading for the Leader of the Sun Palace’s forehead.
All of Yoo Iseol’s strength was concentrated in that sword. She left nothing out, putting everything into that single strike.
Yoo Iseol’s face, usually expressionless, now showed a fierce determination, even beyond desperation.
‘Please...’
The sword tip reached the Leader of the Sun Palace’s forehead, just as Yoo Iseol and everyone else had hoped.
But at that moment...
The Leader of the Sun Palace grasped Yoo Iseol’s sword with his hand. Though the sword was full of energy, the leader’s hand also suffered the consequences, with the blade penetrating his palm and breaking the bone.
Despite this, the leader did not release the sword.
‘Ah...’
Yoo Iseol’s eyes, which seemed unbreakable, trembled.
She had not reached him.
The strike she had staked everything on had missed by an inch.
She instinctively knew there would be no other opportunity for such a strike.
As Yoo Iseol faced despair, a shuddering scream arose from behind.
It was an unfamiliar voice, but the despair and determination in it were clear. By the time she realized, the voice was already in front of them.
An unknown figure appeared in the field of vision. Even at a glance, his stance emanated extreme desperation and ferocity.
The next thing everyone saw were the eyes of the Leader of the Sun Palace, filled with surprise, and his open mouth.
‘Thousand-Faced Gentleman?’
The palm of Thousand-Faced Gentleman, who had suddenly appeared, brutally sank into the chest of the Leader of the Sun Palace, right in the wound Jo Gul had opened.
SPLAT!
When the white hand struck his chest, the Leader of the Sun Palace spat blood and was thrown back.
All the Disciples of Mount Hua stood frozen. The situation was so unimaginable that their minds went blank.
"Ha... ha..."
Thousand-Faced Gentleman landed on the ground, breathing heavily. His face, covered in wounds, was distorted like that of a demon.
"What is this...?"
THUD!
Just as Jo Gul tried to say something, the fallen Leader of the Sun Palace struggled to rise. His eyes were filled with rage, and he seemed ready to devour Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
"This... this... What...? Damn..."
"Leader!"
Just as the Leader of the Sun Palace was about to explode with anger, he spat blood again.
"This... this..."
With one hand covering his mouth, he glared at Thousand-Faced Gentleman with eyes full of hatred. Just as his anger towards what should have been his ally reached its peak.
"Damn..."
His body stiffened like a dead tree and fell forward.
THUD!
The sound of the giant’s body hitting the ground resonated. The heat from the ground scorched his body, producing a sizzling sound.
Everyone was speechless.
Silence took hold of the place.
Amid that calm, Thousand-Faced Gentleman looked at his trembling hands and bit his lips.
"Damn it."
Then, he leapt over the Leader of the Sun Palace and rushed forward like the wind.
The last Guardian had fallen to the unexpected blade of an ally.
