C1665 - Wherever You Are (5)
Crack!
A crowd of people ascended the smooth white wall, like a polished sheet.
"Climb! Climb!"
A fierce shout pierced the eardrums. The resonant cry, sounding like the drum of a battlefield, shook the heart.
"Huff! Huff!"
One of the climbers, with hands dug into the wall, reflexively looked down. The height made his legs go numb.
"Ah..."
At that moment, fear reflected in his eyes.
The steep cliff and the crowd of people climbing it. The grotesque scene made even the hearts of the warriors of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, accustomed to life-and-death situations, shrink.
"Climb!"
"No, don’t push... Aaaaah!"
One of them lost his balance from the push from below and slid down the cliff wall, falling.
"Aaaaaaah!"
"Aaaaaah!"
Similar screams echoed everywhere.
The Evil Faction is a place where anyone who can wield a weapon is recruited.
It was impossible for people with different levels of martial arts skills to climb at the same speed.
"Move!"
"Aaaaaaah!"
Moreover, risking their lives to climb the cliff, there was no time to consider others' circumstances. Those left behind were pushed down, and those who couldn't climb were kicked. They only looked up and continued climbing the cliff.
The reason they were climbing the cliff this way was only one.
"It's coming!"
Whoosh!
The flames that had been pushed back rushed again with the wind, covering the cliff.
Those who could repel the flames with their internal power survived, but the fate of those without that ability was obvious.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Someone, with a face engulfed in flames, collapsed and fell from the cliff.
Even without the swords of Wudang touching them, the casualties kept increasing. A reckless attack resulting in useless sacrifices. From a military strategy perspective, it could be considered the worst possible move.
However, the pressure this strategy exerted on Wudang was unimaginable.
"They're coming!"
A hell of fire and a crowd of people advancing from it.
It was like seeing demons from hell ascending to the earth. Perhaps they were more terrifying than the demons themselves, as their malice was directed exclusively at Wudang.
"Stay calm!"
However, Wudang had a clear advantage. They had already experienced the cliff climbing once.
"Drop it!"
"Yes!"
Crash!
Those at the edge of the cliff kicked down a large pile of accumulated rocks.
It was a simple tactic, hard to believe it was used by martial artists.
But Wudang, who had experienced this once, knew painfully well that for those climbing the cliff, this tactic was more dangerous than any famous sword.
Crash!
The rocks hit the cliff surface, shattering into sharp pieces, destroying the rocky outcrops. A growing rain of rocks fell on the heads of the Evil Faction members clinging to the cliff.
"Aaaaaah!"
Climbing a cliff means one hand must always be on the wall. Those who hadn't reached the level of protecting their bodies with their internal power could only rely on their trained bodies, but the human body cannot withstand rocks falling with acceleration.
Paf! Paf!
"Aaaaaah!"
"Aaaaaah!"
Flesh tore and bones broke instantly.
The accelerated rocks didn't stop with one victim; they swept through everyone below.
"This...!"
Boom!
Someone destroyed a large rock with a hurried blow. At the same time, an enraged voice echoed.
"Idiots! Instead of screaming, destroy the rocks. Screaming won't make you dodge the rocks! Damn it!"
The burly Janghan, shouting forcefully, grabbed the ankle of the person in front.
"Move! Useless!"
"Aaaaaah!"
Ruthlessly throwing those in the way, Janghan continued climbing. And he launched numerous attacks towards the falling rocks.
Crash! Crash!
The falling rocks were shattered by Janghan's attacks. Not only Janghan but others at the front began destroying the rocks with their weapons.
"Climb! Climb now! There's no other way out. If you don't want to burn here, climb and survive."
"Climb now!"
It was a quick and smart reaction.
Although their martial skills were not equal to those of the righteous sects, the warriors of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, who had been through countless battles, knew better than anyone what to do to survive. Only those who understood this survived.
This was one of the greatest strengths of the Evil Tyrant Alliance on an irregular battlefield.
"Drop it!"
Once again, a pile of rocks fell brutally down the cliff.
Crash!
"Destroy them!"
But this time, the rocks couldn't sweep the martial artists of the Evil Tyrant Alliance as the rocks were repelled by anticipated attacks.
Finally, they had adapted and gotten used to this attack.
"Sasu!"
The Wudang disciples, somewhat bewildered by the failure of their tactic, looked at Heo Gong. Heo Gong clicked his tongue briefly.
If they had had the time and conditions to prepare hot oil and explosives as in the past, they could have easily handled these people. But, unfortunately, Wudang didn't have the time or conditions that Jang Ilso had in the past to prepare for this situation.
The rocks were a limited measure in terms of the damage they could cause.
The only thing they could do now would be to throw logs, but how could those men who destroyed rocks fall to simple logs?
"Even the Evil Faction has tricks?"
Heo Gong looked down from the cliff with eyes full of life. Then he turned around and walked to the edge of the cliff.
"The next move..."
"Not necessary."
Heo Gong, who had turned around, drew his sword like lightning. A white aura rose from the sword.
Paaaaaah!
The crescent-shaped aura flew toward the ground.
Crack!
Then, it pierced the cliff surface and shot into the void. Everyone who saw it widened their eyes.
Then...
Crunch!
With a sound like something huge rubbing, the ground they had been standing on began to move slowly toward the cliff.
"That is..."
Crunch! Crunch!
The cut ground, now to be called a giant rock, increased its speed toward the cliff and then tilted.
The spectacle was so majestic that it left the Wudang disciples in awe. However, the impact they felt was nothing compared to what those below felt.
"Ah..."
The burly man leading the climb stopped suddenly and opened his mouth, stunned. A gigantic shadow began to cover his face, his eyes wide open.
A rock block so big that the word rock falls short.
That rock block, tilting from the cliff edge, made even Janghan, who had easily repelled the rock rain, feel desperate.
"That, that..."
Kurrrung!
The rock block began to fall, breaking the cliff edge.
Kurrrururururung!
With a roar like the sky collapsing, the rock fell with the intent to destroy the entire cliff.
"Dodge, dodge!"
In a situation where there was not the slightest chance of resistance, those hanging on the cliff began to scream and leap to the sides.
Boom! Boom!
The cliff broke, scattering fragments everywhere, and the rock block, to be called "fear," rolled, crushing and smashing the Evil Faction members like insects as they climbed the cliff.
Boom! Boom!
"Aaaaaaah!"
Those who could at least scream were in a relatively better situation. Those who couldn't move in time and were hit by the rock were crushed without even having time to scream.
Boom!
One of them, staggering from the force of a rock that passed just beside him, looked up with terrified eyes.
'How...?'
In the past, at the Yangtze River, they had to use explosives to create rock blocks of that size.
But the Wudang people up there had cut the cliff with a sword, not explosives.
Does that mean that the energy of that sword has the same power as thousands of explosives? How can someone do that?
'Wudang...'
Suddenly, he remembered what he had momentarily forgotten amidst the fire and madness.
The weight and oppression of the name "Wudang."
"Climb!"
The fierce shout of someone who had survived was heard again.
"If you stay, another rock will fall. If you want to live, climb faster, now!"
That shout had a definitive effect.
Staying there chewing on fear would only bring an obvious result. Everyone began to climb the cliff with more determination than before.
"If you want to live, climb. If you reach the top of the cliff, you can rip the necks of those bastards. Climb! Faster!"
Desperation, fear, and hatred mixed in their eyes as they looked toward the sky... No, toward the cliff edge that touched the sky.
"Sasuk!"
And at the end of that edge, Heo Gong, standing imposingly, received the hateful and furious gazes without changing his expression.
The Wudang disciples, looking at Heo Gong's back from behind, couldn't help but feel respect. The sword aura that Heo Gong had shown a moment ago was something they couldn't even dream of imitating.
Although Heo Gong was known as Wudang's greatest talent and genius, who would have imagined he had already reached this level? During the long period of seclusion, his sword had become incomparably sharper than before.
"Drop the rocks again."
"Yes, Sasuk!"
The Wudang disciples, filled with courage, moved in unison.
With Heo Gong, they could win. They could destroy those hateful enemies.
That was the thought filling everyone's hearts at that moment.
"Climb, damn it! To those who are afraid, I will cut your necks myself! Climb now...!"
The man below, shouting until his neck turned red and encouraging his subordinates, suddenly bit his lips.
Those who were already climbing the cliff had no other choice, but those who had not yet adhered to the cliff did.
Since the enormous rock fell, those who hadn't started climbing were retreating little by little. Despite having decapitated some as an example, this continued to happen.
If things continued like this, it wouldn’t be them who were the problem, but his own neck would fly first. He had to do something, but the scene he had just witnessed was so shocking that his words and sword had little effect.
"Move now, damn it...!"
As he was about to curse again, a chill ran down his spine, and he turned sharply. The flames burning on either side parted slightly.
Fwhoosh.
Finally, a person appeared, walking slowly.
"Commander!"
"Salute the Commander!"
Ho Gakmyung, the Demon of the Venomous Mind, looked at the cliff with cold eyes, ignoring their greetings. He observed the damaged cliff and the traces of the enormous rock below.
"So, they have their tricks."
"Commander, if we continue attacking the cliff, the casualties will be too great."
"And then?"
"What?"
"And then?"
The officer who had started to speak shuddered and quickly bowed his head. He couldn't bear Ho Gakmyung's cold gaze.
Looking at the cliff without emotion, Ho Gakmyung spoke again.
"Regardless of the casualties. Keep pushing."
"Yes, Commander!"
Ho Gakmyung's indifferent gaze turned to the lone figure standing on the cliff.
His eyes met Heo Gong's across the cliff.
Ho Gakmyung murmured, as if speaking to himself.
"Today, here... we will erase the name of Wudang."
It was an irrevocable declaration.
