"Ugh!"
The face of Sun Palace Elder Seong Ryang twisted horribly.
'What are these people?'
His small eyes flickered faintly. This can't be happening. This shouldn't be possible.
Their martial art, originally, is Heatwave Art, a technique that burns people. As human beings, they are bound to feel aversion and fear when faced with a blazing fire.
Even those with unbreakable beliefs, ruthless murderers, or any skilled fighter would inevitably shrink back when confronted with the heat of the Heatwave Art. Due to the nature of the technique, even if one blocks the strength of the attack itself, it is impossible to avoid the accompanying heat.
No matter how wildly they struggle, the result is always a charred body. So they should retreat. That is not only natural but also the common-sense reaction.
But these lunatics are completely ignoring that common sense.
"Damn it! It's hot!"
With a curse, the red-hot sword tip flew at Seong Ryang's face. Though he was screaming in agony and his face was a mess, the sword strike itself was calm and collected.
'How can this be?'
He thought it would be enough to just block them.
If they just managed to handle the exhausted ones appropriately, the cliff would collapse on its own, and they could escape through the prepared path.
But how did it come to this?
"Ahhhhhhh!"
They were even being pushed back. The chaos around him was palpable. Especially those with less experience were unable to demonstrate their skills due to the urgency.
He always scoffed at such situations, but now the Sun Palace was the one being driven into such chaos.
'Mount Hua.' Even Seong Ryang's body stiffened at their momentum.
"Get out of the way, you bastard!"
'Danger....'
Seong Ryang involuntarily took a step back when he saw the curly-haired young man charging at him with gleaming eyes. He was overwhelmed, even before their skills clashed.
At that very moment.
"You disgraceful wretch!"
"Ugh!"
Seong Ryang's eyes widened.
He slowly turned around, stiff as a statue. What he saw was not the owner of the voice, but a massive sun blazing as if it would engulf the world.
'No, it can't be!'
Boom!
The scorching heat wave engulfed Seong Ryang. His body melted in an instant, turning black as it burned.
"What, what is this!"
"Get out of the way!"
In the sudden explosion of formidable heat, Yoon Jong hurriedly grabbed Jo Gul and rolled them together into one.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
The agonizing scream that followed instantly froze the fierce battlefield. Within the blazing crimson flames, a blackened body writhed and flailed as if dancing.
"That's...."
It was a scene too horrific to be described with mere words.
As the flames subsided a moment later, the charred body of Seong Ryang collapsed to the ground.
Crumble.
Everyone stared blankly at the sight of a human body turning to ashes. Then they shifted their gaze to the figure walking out from behind the ashes that had once been Seong Ryang.
"Palace Lord!"
"What a pathetic bunch. How far are you planning to disgrace me?"
The Sun Palace Lord Jin Pyeong spat out his words, gritting his teeth in anger. His eyes blazed like fire.
"Mount Hua? To such lowly ones!"
From the entire body of the Sun Palace Lord, the Heatwave Art surged like molten lava.
"Come. I'll send you to hell myself!"
The guardian of the final gate to the exit of hell let out a mighty roar.
"Palace Lord?"
Jo Gul's voice came out in a daze.
"It seems he is the Palace Lord of the Southern Sea Sun Palace."
"That person?"
Jo Gul asked back in disbelief, his face twisting in horror.
"Isn't this too unfair? Our So Baek is so small and cute, but why is that person...?"
"What nonsense are you talking about! You idiot!"
Yoon Jong rebuked Jo Gul and kept his tense eyes on the Sun Palace Lord. Though it was ridiculous to think such thoughts after berating Jo Gul, inwardly he found a bit of sense in his nonsensical words.
'Like a blazing sun.'
The heat emanating from the Sun Palace Lord seemed capable of burning even the clothes of Yoon Jong, who stood far away. Could the Heatwave Art demonstrate such power at its peak?
Yoon Jong felt his body stiffen with tension.
At a glance, he appeared to be just a noble middle-aged man. Someone who might enjoy a leisurely life in a separate palace.
In short, he wasn't a figure who could overwhelm onlookers with his mere appearance, like the Black Dragon King.
But the tremendous and fearsome energy emanating from his body rendered his ordinary appearance meaningless.
'Why now....'
Despair surged over him, leaving him at a loss for words.
They had to open that path. To survive, they must.
But the wall standing in their way was too high and thick. Moreover, they had to climb it in a hurry, which made it even harder.
'We need to find another way....'
While Yoon Jong was lost in thought, someone suddenly soared above him.
"Sa-go!"
He instinctively shouted.
While he was contemplating, Yoo Iseol acted. Her body darted towards the Sun Palace Lord like a fierce falcon.
"That's reckless, Sa-go! Now...."
"A―mi―ta―bul!"
At that moment, a loud roar burst out beside Jo Gul.
Bang!
With a sound like a massive whip cracking, Hye Yeon's Hundred Steps Divine Fist flew at the Sun Palace Lord at an incredible speed. It was a strike focused more on speed than power, filled with the intent to support Yoo Iseol.
From the front, the Hundred Steps Divine Fist of Shaolin's rare talent flew towards the Sun Palace Lord, and from above, Mount Hua's most lethal blade aimed for his neck.
Anyone would feel threatened in such a situation.
However, the Southern Sea Sun Palace Lord didn't even bat an eye.
"Such a petty trick!"
With a burst, the overwhelming heat of Yang Qi exploded from the Southern Sea Sun Palace Lord's hands.
'What is that?'
Yoon Jong's eyes widened.
The energy radiating from the Southern Sea Sun Palace Lord's hands turned from orange to golden. It soon surged like waves, covering his entire front.
Wooooong!
The power of Hye Yeon's Hundred Step Divine Fist could not penetrate that heat and dissipated. Yoo Iseol, swinging her sword with all her might against the incoming energy, was thrown back by the repulsive force.
"Sahyung!"
Tak.
Landing on one knee, blood dripped from Yoo Iseol's lips.
"Sahyung! Are you alright?"
"...I'm fine."
They had only exchanged a single blow, yet her hair ends were singed, and blood flowed from her mouth.
In just one strike.
"Unbelievable... such energy."
"Ugh...."
Yoon Jong's eyes trembled slightly.
'Is that really possible?'
All those they had faced so far were formidable.
The power behind the Black Dragon King's sword was unimaginably strong, and the speed of the Thousand-Faced Gentleman was untraceable.
Jang Ilso's very presence made everyone shrink back, and even recalling the sword of the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion Master sent shivers down their spines.
But this was a different kind of 'strength.'
What kind of immense energy could dominate such an area with just a wave of energy? This was an absolute shield. A burning shield that incinerated anyone who approached.
Hye Yeon spoke with a groan.
"The Southern Sea Sun Palace Lords... are said to be royalty for generations. They monopolize countless elixirs with their royal power and the Palace Lord's authority."
Jo Gul turned sharply to Hye Yeon as if it was nonsense.
"Does consuming elixirs like meals make that possible? Chung Myung said that beyond a certain point, elixirs are meaningless."
"That's probably true. Generally."
"Huh?"
"If there is more water than the vessel, it overflows. But... he was born to be the Palace Lord. Naturally, his vessel was probably crafted from birth."
"Damn this world. I should have been born into a rich family."
"...You shouldn't be saying that, idiot."
"And what about you, monk? Weren't you cherished by the wealthy Shaolin?"
"Well, I was a street orphan...."
"Yeah, sorry. I'm always the bad guy."
Just as Yoon Jong was about to smack him on the back of the head out of exasperation.
"Dodge!"
At Yoo Iseol's brief shout, everyone leapt to the sides. Almost simultaneously, golden energy struck where they had been standing.
Woooooong!
There was no explosion. The energy didn't destroy the surroundings; it melted them. The ground where they had stood turned red and then blackened.
"...Oh my god."
Jo Gul's mouth hung open in astonishment.
In that short moment, the ground had burned. What would happen if a person took that heat directly? Even if they surrounded their body with internal energy, could a human's flesh and blood withstand that?
"You have no manners."
The Southern Sea Sun Palace Lord glared at them with furrowed brows.
"To dare exchange jokes in my presence."
His eyes were as arrogant as if he stood in the heavens.
Yet, to Jo Gul's eyes, that arrogance didn't seem out of place. It looked natural.
"Oh, this must be my commoner mindset. A slave mentality to the bone."
"What nonsense are you spouting, you idiot!"
"Ugh."
Jo Gul groaned.
"Palace Lord! They are mere lowly creatures. They're not worth your attention."
"We fear your noble body may be harmed! Please stay back!"
"We will handle this."
The guards who rushed to the Southern Sea Sun Palace Lord's side knelt and pleaded. But all they received was a cold stare and contempt.
"What do you think you can do?"
"P-Palace Lord."
"You pathetic fools. How much more do you need to disgrace me!"
As the Southern Sea Sun Palace Lord's fury poured out, the guards turned pale.
They served him closely and knew all too well. The Southern Sea Sun Palace Lord rarely showed such rage.
From his perspective, it was more than justified.
If this were Tibet, he would never have been humiliated by a mere commoner like Jang Ilso. He would never have had to take orders or bow his head.
But if he failed here?
The humiliation and disgrace from Jang Ilso would be unimaginable. The Southern Sea Sun Palace Lord, born to rule over others, could never accept such a situation.
So, even if he had to personally intervene, this mission—no, this proposal must succeed. For Tibet, for the Sun Palace, and most of all, for himself!
His golden robe fluttered violently, like it was struck by a typhoon.
"Stand back. Unless you wish to die!"
The guards scrambled to either side, terrified of the overwhelming heat. Staying near would turn them to ash.
Enveloped in immense heat from Yang Qi, the Southern Sea Sun Palace Lord began to walk toward the Mount Hua Sect. Not just to block them, but to incinerate them all with his own hands.
"Vulgar creatures. Rude... and ignorant of their place!"
The Mount Hua Sect swordsmen instinctively stepped back.
The heat was so intense that just facing it felt like it was stealing their very souls. Despite knowing they couldn't retreat, the primal fear and revulsion gripped their throats.
They knew that moving forward and opening a path was their only chance of survival. But if that path was covered in flames like the fires of hell, could they really leap in without hesitation?
Jo Gul clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw muscles bulged.
"What should we do, Sahyung?"
"Even I…."
"Thinking is your job, Sahyung! How do we handle someone like him?"
Yoon Jong bit his lower lip instead of replying.
"Is there no way?"
"There is."
No matter the opponent, there's always a way to fight. Chung Myung had taught them that. But...
"What is it?"
"Inner energy isn't infinite. It's eventually depleted. No matter how great his inner strength is, he can't keep emitting that kind of force indefinitely."
"So what?"
"Normally... we would have to drag this into a prolonged battle."
"That's crazy."
Jo Gul's face darkened instantly.
Yoon Jong's words were undeniable. It was indeed the most reliable strategy.
However, the Mount Hua Sect couldn't afford to drag things out. They were in a hurry.
There were weaknesses, but they couldn't exploit them. The world calls such an opponent invincible.
Jo Gul clenched his fist so tightly that his hand turned pale as he thought urgently.
"No, no. We have to find a way!"
He was the vanguard of Mount Hua Sect. No matter how difficult or challenging, he had to open a path. That was his role and his purpose.
But no method came to mind.
Facing that force would turn them to ashes. Their entire bodies would burn. What could they possibly do against such an enemy?
"Rather…."
Rather than that, would jumping off the cliff be a better option? Wouldn't that have a higher chance of survival than facing him?
Of course, he knew. The path they had cleared was long, and if they had to go back, the path ahead would be endlessly long.
But knocking on that wall of despair seemed...
Just as Jo Gul hesitated and glanced back,
'Huh?'
A scene caught his eye.
Someone stood facing the scorching heat head-on, without flinching. The back of the person blocking the Sun Sovereign's path remained resolute.
Jo Gul's ears caught that person's low voice as he stood frozen in place.
"Whether it's a thorny path or a pit of fire... I've been prepared for a long time."
"S…."
"The important thing is whether you can follow through."
The Mount Hua's Virtuous Sword was pointed at the Sun Sovereign.
The moment the heat from the sword aimed at his face, the Sun Sovereign's eyebrows twitched.
"Who are you?"
"Baek Cheon."
"S… Sasuk!"
Even in the heat that seemed to melt his body, Baek Cheon's eyes were cold and calm.
"I am the acting Sect Leader of Mount Hua Sect."