Jim Geum Ryong's eyes widened.
This was because the body of the enemy he was facing suddenly began to turn bright red. Simultaneously, an orange flame erupted as if it were burning intensely.
There was no need to think about it. Jim Geum Ryong, who instinctively sensed what was about to happen in front of him, reflexively pushed off the cliff face and tried to move forward.
"We must stop it…."
But before his will could translate into action, Jong Rigok, who was engaged in battle with the enemy in front of him, violently changed direction and pressed down on Jim Geum Ryong. There was no time to resist.
"Get down!"
BOOM!
The ensuing terrifying explosion swept Jong Rigok, Jim Geum Ryong, and Lee Songbaek backward.
A dreadful groan escaped from Jim Geum Ryong's mouth.
The pressure pouring down on his body felt as if it would crush and tear his flesh apart at any moment.
'What the…!'
This wasn't the power of a typical explosive. The Sun Palace disciples, wrapped in their blazing art, caused an unimaginable explosion, as if they themselves had become massive bombs.
The pain from his body being crushed was excruciating, but what truly tormented Jim Geum Ryong was the horrific sight in front of him that he couldn't look away from.
Woooom!
Soon, another Sun Palace disciple's body began to be engulfed in the deadly blazing art.
One, two, and then another…!
BOOM!
As the explosions continued in succession, a massive shockwave swept across the cliff. Blood spurted out of Jim Geum Ryong's mouth.
"Stop…"
Their goal had not been achieved yet.
But if all the Sun Palace disciples clinging to the cliff threw their lives away and caused such explosions... could this cliff really remain intact?
Absolutely not!
"Stop it, you bastards!"
"Geum Ryong!"
As Jim Geum Ryong started to convulse, Jong Rigok grabbed him and pressed him against the cliff. But Jim Geum Ryong didn't even glance at Jong Rigok, who was gripping his shoulder as if to break it. He just reached out towards the enemies engulfed in flames.
BOOM! BOOM!
Even at this moment, the explosions continued.
The shock, which no mere human body could withstand, kept crashing over them.
A milky-white protective energy spread from Jong Rigok's body, enveloping Jim Geum Ryong and Lee Songbaek. Lee Songbaek's eyes widened.
"Sect Leader!"
BOOM!
The cliff shook once more. To those hanging on, it felt like an unprecedented earthquake was shaking the entire land.
Crack!
Jim Geum Ryong's fingertips instinctively dug into the cliff. But in the face of these immense explosions and tremors, it was a futile resistance.
Thud!
Each time the cliff shook, their bodies bounced. Jim Geum Ryong gripped the cliff with all his strength, trying to hold on.
'No.'
He had already sustained deep internal injuries. Blood was gushing back up.
But even amidst this, Jim Geum Ryong's gaze was fixed on the enemies over Jong Rigok's shoulder.
Another Sun Palace disciple's body was turning crimson. Jim Geum Ryong bit his lip and, in an instant, leaped over Jong Rigok like a flash of light.
"Geum Ryong!"
As he passed beyond the protective energy Jong Rigok had deployed, a formidable heat and pressure awaited Jim Geum Ryong.
"Hiyaaah!"
He swung his arm with all his might, causing the veins in his body to bulge. The sword that left his hand pierced through the raised blazing art and lodged in the neck of the Sun Palace disciple.
Crunch!
"Ugh…"
The blazing art, which had been burning intensely, extinguished weakly like a candle with its wick spent. Simultaneously, the body of the Sun Palace disciple began to fall.
"It's not over yet!"
Jim Geum Ryong roared fiercely like a lion.
But that roar was completely drowned out by the successive huge explosions.
BOOM!
Another Sun Palace disciple exploded. To be precise, the explosives hidden in his body did.
With the explosives in their chests detonating, there was no way to hope for survival. However, there was no hesitation in the movements of the Sun Palace disciples who were committing suicide.
Internally, they might be hesitating, but their bodies followed the orders thoroughly without the slightest hesitation.
"Stop! Stop them!"
Somewhere, Namgung Dowi's desperate scream was heard.
People who came to their senses started to throw their swords and unleash their energy at the Sun Palace disciples who were raising their blazing art.
Realistically, it was impossible to stop them all. Everyone there knew that.
But they had to reduce the number of those committing suicide, to prevent the entire cliff from collapsing.
"Hiyaaah!"
Swish!
A wildly spinning sword flew towards the Sun Palace disciples, who were burning with orange flames. Considering the skills of the Sun Palace disciples occupying the cliff, there was no way they would be hit by such hastily thrown flying swords.
However.
Crack!
The sword, piercing through the raised blazing art, easily lodged itself in the body of a Sun Palace disciple. The following burst of energy struck another Sun Palace disciple, slamming him into the cliff face.
"Ugh!"
The Sun Palace disciple, stuck in the cliff, spat out blood. Blood flowed like a waterfall from the mouth of another Sun Palace disciple, whose body was pierced by a sword. The spilled blood couldn't withstand the intense heat around it and turned into red steam, dissipating into the air.
'Done…'
Hope flashed across Jim Geum Ryong's eyes and Namgung Dowi's face.
Yes. It couldn't be easy to raise such powerful blazing art. Naturally, they would be in a defenceless state during that moment, making them vulnerable to attacks from all around.
Maybe they could stop it. Maybe…
But at that moment.
"Ugh…"
The Sun Palace disciple, impaled on the cliff by a sword, trembled all over and looked down. As soon as their eyes met, Jim Geum Ryong's heart sank.
Anger, malice, resentment, hatred, and…
'Fear?'
The moment Jim Geum Ryong read the deep fear in the enemy's eyes, he instinctively knew what was about to happen next.
BOOM! BOOM!
An immense flash obstructed his vision. The explosion swept the cliff. The chain explosions that began hit and hit the cliff again as if to crush everything around them.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Ugh!"
Unknown people screamed and wailed. In the midst of the hellish noise, a massive roar covered all sounds.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Before one explosion could end, another one would erupt.
"Ahhhh!"
"Geum Ryong!"
"Sahyung!"
Lee Songbaek desperately reached out and grabbed the retreating Jim Geum Ryong.
"Hold on tight…"
The impact was enormous, like someone striking a huge bell right in front of them. The continuous explosions left no room to breathe, dulling all senses and making it hard even to continue speaking.
Lee Songbaek gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on Jim Geum Ryong.
KABOOM!
Then, as if waiting for it, a massive explosion swept over the cliff, incomparable to anything before.
"Aaaargh!"
Even Lee Songbaek couldn't help but scream. It felt like something enormous was sweeping and tearing through his entire body.
Bzzzzzooooom!
The world turned upside down. The sky and the ground flipped, everything in the world lost its balance and shook violently.
The phrase "losing one's soul" must have been made for moments like this.
Unable to withstand the pressure and shock, blood gushed out from the seven orifices (holes in body) of Lee Songbaek and Jim Geum Ryong. Despite Jong Rigok's desperate attempts to protect them, they were helpless against the pressure of the explosion right in front of them.
Boom!
To make matters worse, rocks started falling from the cliff.
"Ugh…"
Hanging on the cliff, Lee Songbaek spat out a mouthful of blood. But there was nothing he could do but cling on firmly and wait for the shaking to subside.
'Please!'
Lee Songbaek gritted his teeth.
'Please!'
He forced his eyes open, which kept wanting to close. He had to endure. He must!
Perhaps his desperate wish reached the heavens.
The intense shaking slowly began to subside.
"Huff…"
Barely managing to lift his head, Lee Songbaek looked up.
"Oh…"
A moment later, a dazed groan escaped his lips.
Gone.
The Sun Palace swordsmen who had tormented them so fiercely, the Evil Tyrant Alliance members who had clung on so tenaciously, and even…
"The… cliff…"
Lee Songbaek's eyes trembled violently.
The spot where the Sun Palace swordsmen had repeatedly self-destructed was now hollowed out as if something massive had dug it out.
His hands began to tremble uncontrollably at this horrifying sight.
It was then.
"Cough!"
"Le... Leader!"
Jong Rigok, who had been holding on, swayed as if he were about to lose consciousness. Lee Songbaek hurriedly grabbed him in alarm.
"Leader! Are you alright?"
"I… am fine."
Lee Songbaek's body felt like it was about to shatter, but it couldn't compare to Jong Rigok, who had taken the brunt of the shock while standing in front of them.
If it hadn't been for Jong Rigok, Jim Geum Ryong and Lee Songbaek would have already been scattered like minced meat below the cliff.
"Is it… over?"
Jim Geum Ryong's dazed voice reached Lee Songbaek's ears. The voice that had always been so confident and arrogant was now completely drained of energy.
"Sahyung."
"Is it really over?"
Doubt filled Jim Geum Ryong's eyes.
Could it really be…
Crrrack!
It was right then. The massive noise echoed in their ears.
Jim Geum Ryong's face hardened as he stared in the direction of the sound.
Crrrack!
The eerie noise, causing immense fear… wasn't it the sound of something cracking?
Jim Geum Ryong quickly surveyed the cliff. The spot that had hollowed out from the explosion, the remaining rock hanging like an eave above it.
A brief moment of ominous silence passed.
Crrrack!
Like a lightning bolt striking the cliff, cracks began to rapidly form.
"No…"
Despair flooded into Jim Geum Ryong's eyes.
"S-sahyung! We need to get out of here."
"N-no! The cliff!"
"Come on, Jim Geum Ryong! Now!"
Jong Rigok grabbed his shoulder and pulled him strongly. Jim Geum Ryong resisted fiercely.
"Damn it, no! My brother is up there on the cliff!"
"I said come!"
Gritting his teeth, Jong Rigok restrained Jim Geum Ryong and started running horizontally along the cliff.
Even in that chaos, Jim Geum Ryong's gaze was fixed solely on the rapidly cracking cliff.
'No… Please…!'
But his desperate wish was in vain.
Rumble!
The cracked cliff roared. A cloud of white dust rose like mist from the cracks.
Jong Rigok shouted, his voice echoing across the cliff.
"It's collapsing! Run, now! Immediately!"
Rumble!
Being dragged along, Jim Geum Ryong saw it. The sight of the massive cliff collapsing over their heads.
'Dong Ryong.'
Utter despair enveloped his powerless body.
Unavoidable despair was raining down in the name of collapse.