Chapter 482

Chapter 482 – Staking Everything on a War Without Retreat (1)

As if mocking people's expectations that the standoff would be quite long, war suddenly broke out two days later. And at noon when the sun was at its zenith.

Boom!

When they first heard that sound, Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists who had been standing guard thought they were hearing things.

Boooom!

But when the heavy noise reverberated once more, they realized it wasn't an auditory hallucination and watched the front. In their eyes, they saw Demon Cult's martial artists walking toward Blue Sky Alliance while covering the earth in black.

The noise they heard was the sound of footsteps as the Demon Cult's martial artists marched. Because so many were walking, even the earth was rumbling from their footsteps.

They couldn't even count how many there were. Everywhere they looked was black. From this side of the earth to the plains on the other side, all were covered with Demon Cult's martial artists.

Ignoring even the basics of strategy, they were walking toward Blue Sky Alliance in a disorderly manner. Some walked with a swagger, others moved their steps while exuding killing intent.

Without aligning rows or columns, walking however they pleased, their appearance showed no trace of any strategy or military tactics. They had given complete autonomy to each individual martial artist.

It was a warfare method possible because they possessed such overwhelming power and force. Sang Han-cheon trusted the Demon Cult's strength that much, and indeed it was true.

Sang Han-cheon's order was only one.

"Sweep away Blue Sky Alliance that blocks the Divine Cult's glory."

The Demon Cult's martial artists advanced following his order as if enchanted.

They moved their steps while muttering the Demon Cult's mantra.

"Burning this body to offer to the Venerable One, guide me to eternal life. In this life and the next, this body belongs to the Venerable One. Death is not the end but guidance to a new life and a beginning, so even if I offer and burn everything to become ash, I will become a grain of wheat for the Divine Cult."

Wooooong!

Not just one or two people, but when martial artists numerous enough to cover the earth in black muttered the same mantra with one voice, even the atmosphere was affected and hummed.

Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists who saw that made disgusted expressions. The madness emanating from the Demon Cult martial artists affected them too.

Even before properly fighting, Blue Sky Alliance's morale broke first. The mantra they recited had power like Buddhism's lion's roar, shaking spirits mercilessly.

"What do we do?"

"How do we deal with them?"

Just half a moment ago, Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists who had been burning with fighting spirit looked at each other. No fighting spirit could be found on their faces.

That's when it happened.

"Amitabha! Even if demons run rampant and speak vain words, if only my mind is firm, there will be no shaking. If my mind stands upright, all under Heaven stands upright, and if all under Heaven stands upright, there will be no place for the demonic path to set foot on this land."

Suddenly a resonant voice was heard, awakening Blue Sky Alliance martial artists' spirits that had been growing dim.

"Amitabha!"

Following that, monks' lion's roars shook Blue Sky Alliance.

So Cheon and the Yama Monks revealed themselves atop the walls.

The lion's roar that Shaolin's monks unleashed with one heart protected Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists from the Demon Cult's mantra. Only then could Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists escape from the demons in their hearts.

Led by So Cheon and the Yama Monks, Blue Sky Alliance's leadership successively revealed themselves atop the walls.

Cho Yeon-woon bit his lips hard while watching the Demon Cult's martial artists swarming like ants. Though he had been somewhat prepared, the enemy's numbers were far greater than expected.

"Phew!"

Cho Yeon-woon took a deep breath for a moment. Then his slightly shrinking spirit regained its original clarity.

He looked left and right.

Bang Jin-bo, Hae So-wol, Cheong-un, So Cheon, the Seventeen-Member Suicide Squad, Hainan Sect's martial artists, Qingcheng Sect and Emei Sect's martial artists, and countless other martial artists besides were arrayed on the walls.

All their expressions were hardened beyond measure. Though they prided themselves on having gone through all trials and tribulations in the martial world, this was the first time experiencing a battle where such great forces were mobilized.

The sight of enemies walking slowly while covering the earth in black was frightening beyond horrifying. On top of that, their reciting mantras with one voice was enough to multiply their fear.

At least because So Cheon and the Yama Monks deployed lion's roars to offset their mantras, fighting spirit couldn't be broken further.

They turned their gaze back to the battlefield.

They saw the Three Great Army Commanders and Seven Great Demon Lords walking at the front. The tremendous momentum rising from their entire bodies was vividly transmitted even to this distant place.

Even Neung Cheon-wol, who had long reigned as the southern hegemon as Hainan Sect's Sect Leader, couldn't loosen his hardened expression. This kind of war was his first time too. No, he had never even imagined it before.

His body stiffened slightly and his spine became rigid. His body was tensing up first.

'Today I really must stake my life.'

When Neung Cheon-wol was sighing like that.

"Hahaha!"

Suddenly Cho Yeon-woon burst into loud laughter.

His laughter imbued with internal energy echoed clearly throughout Blue Sky Alliance's sky.

At first everyone thought he'd gone mad. Because Blue Sky Alliance's Alliance Leader who should lead everyone suddenly burst into wild laughter. But as his laughter continued, martial artists felt their hearts strangely becoming relieved.

Everyone's gazes naturally gathered on Cho Yeon-woon.

At that moment, Cho Yeon-woon abruptly stopped laughing and said in a loud voice.

"There really are disgustingly many. Unprecedented and unrepeatable, probably a battle of such tremendous scale will never exist again in the martial world. Do you understand? This is an unprecedented great battle in martial history. Today's great battle will be recorded in martial history and eternally passed down to later generations. How heart-stirring is this? I will fight them at the very front today. Even if I die doing so, I'll decorate the very first chapter of martial history."

Cho Yeon-woon's voice strangely stirred people's hearts.

People felt their hearts pounding without realizing it.

To martial artists living in the world called the martial world, there was no more heart-stirring phrase than being recorded in martial history.

"After today, will such a great battle exist again? Will there be opportunities later to fight enemies swarming like ants like that? Only today. After today's great battle, no one in later generations will experience such a battle."

Kuuuuu!

Tremendous momentum rose from Cho Yeon-woon's entire body.

By his momentum, the large flag inscribed with "Blue Sky Alliance" beside him fluttered madly.

Cho Yeon-woon pulled out the Blue Sky Alliance flag. His appearance holding the huge flag several times a person's height looked as imposing as a heavenly general.

Swiiish!

Cho Yeon-woon threw the flag he was holding with all his might toward the center of the Demon Cult martial artists swarming like ants.

Kwaang!

The huge flag was deeply planted in the middle of the enemy camp and fluttered vigorously.

Blue Sky Alliance.

Those three characters shook people's hearts.

Cho Yeon-woon leaped off the walls shouting.

"Today I will become martial history."

Then he immediately ran toward the Demon Cult's martial artists swarming this way. At his back charging alone toward the enemy camp, Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists got excited.

The first to follow him was precisely So Cheon.

"Amitabha! This humble monk will also become martial history."

"Uhaha! The Alliance Leader set fire to my chest. Good! Let me try getting my name on martial history too."

"I'll take the seat next to the Alliance Leader."

The Seventeen-Member Suicide Squad followed behind.

That was merely the beginning.

Like a levee breaking, martial artists standing atop the walls all leaped down at once and followed Cho Yeon-woon.

"Waaaaa!"

"Let's drive out the Demon Cult from this land."

"We have our Alliance Leader."

Heaven and earth shook at their shouts.

Watching that scene, Hainan Sect's Sect Leader Neung Cheon-wol sighed quietly and drew his sword.

"That young Alliance Leader sets fire to this old man's chest. So-wol, I think I know why you didn't return to Hainan Sect and stayed here."

"Master!"

"Let's go! Let us also try getting our names on martial history."

"Yes!"

Hae So-wol answered vigorously.

Neung Cheon-wol and Hae So-wol leaped off the walls almost simultaneously. Hainan Sect's martial artists followed behind.

From the start, in battles between martial artists, tall walls were nothing more or less than barriers dividing territory.

The huge plain between Blue Sky Alliance and the Demon Cult's earthen fortress was the battlefield. The scene of well over tens of thousands of martial artists clashing on the huge plain was truly spectacular.

A tremendous amount of dust rose and covered the sun, and from within it came martial artists' desperate screams and shouts.

"Uaaaa!"

"Die!"

Someone screamed while swinging a sword, and a martial artist with poison in his eyes gritted his teeth and blocked his sword.

Sparks flew and blood spurted from someone's body. The blood splattered here and there stuck to a martial artist fighting nearby. The martial artist swung his blade with all his might without even realizing it.

Whoosh!

Powerful blade wind swept through and someone lost their life again.

The heat surging from within his body radiated, instantly drying the sweat that had been pouring like rain.

"Huff! Huff!"

Though barely half a moment had passed since they began fighting in earnest, he was gasping for breath. Yet he couldn't stop for a moment to rest.

It was a chaotic battle where tens of thousands of martial artists tangled together. Even distinguishing friend from foe wasn't easy. He couldn't even predict who among those fighting right next to him would win. At least if allies won, he could rest a bit, but if enemies won, they would definitely try to take his life.

In an instant, hundreds of martial artists were swept away. Countless died without even reading their opponent's level.

Representative were those who died attacking Eun Du-gwang, the Hall Master of Cloud Dragon Hall, one of the Demon Cult's inner courts. Eun Du-gwang looked ordinary in appearance.

Just from his looks, he didn't look at all like someone leading a thousand peak masters. Because of that, especially many Blue Sky Alliance martial artists targeted him and attacked. But the price was horrific death.

Splatter!

Blood flew in all directions as over ten Blue Sky Alliance martial artists turned into chunks of flesh and poured everywhere. At that horrific sight, nearby martial artists hesitated. Only then did they recognize their opponent's level was different.

"Uugh!"

"How are we supposed to fight such a person? I can't. I can't do it."

Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists shuddered and retreated. Eun Du-gwang smiled coldly watching such martial artists.

"Huhu! You can come as you please, but to leave, you must leave your lives."

Eun Du-gwang's fearsome killing intent spread like a net and squeezed Blue Sky Alliance martial artists' bodies so they couldn't move.

"All die! Blue Sky Alliance's foot soldiers."

Swiiish!

Eun Du-gwang swung his huge demon-slaying blade toward Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists. He intended to cut off all Blue Sky Alliance martial artists' heads.

That's when it happened.

"Amitabha!"

With a resonant voice, intense palm force wedged between Eun Du-gwang and Blue Sky Alliance martial artists.

Kwaaang!

As the demon-slaying blade and palm force collided, an explosion burst forth.

"Who are you?"

Eun Du-gwang's eyebrows shot up as he looked for the interloper. Before him appeared a monk wearing a red robe. Eun Du-gwang recognized the monk's identity at once.

"So Cheon! If you barely survived, you should hide and barely carry on your sect's name, where do you think you are to crawl out?"

"How can this humble monk stay still when the Demon Cult is alive and well. Even if I fall into hellfire and suffer eons of pain because of the killing precepts I break today, I'll never regret it."

"Huhu! Even so, you're just remnants of a destroyed sect."

Whoosh!

Eun Du-gwang kicked the ground and swung his demon-slaying blade.

The huge demon-slaying blade flew to So Cheon's nose in an instant. An ordinary martial artist would have been struck without even perceiving it, but So Cheon was different.

Chaaang!

At his palm strike, the huge demon-slaying blade bounced back. Following that, So Cheon's dazzling counterattack began.

Signaled by the two's clash, the Yama Monks and Cloud Dragon Hall's demon followers clashed.

"Amitabha! Send all demons to hell."

"How dare! Where do mere monks think they're showing off?"

Kwaaang!

As Buddhist staffs and blades or swords clashed, sparks flew everywhere.

Because Shaolin Temple's monks intervened in time, Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists gained a moment to catch their breath. But not a single person sat down to rest. As soon as they caught their breath, they jumped into the battlefield looking for opponents matching their level.

It was a harsh battle where falling back meant losing everything. Because falling back left only death and destruction, everyone did their best.

Hainan Sect's martial artists led by Neung Cheon-wol were the same. As if venting frustrations from being trapped on Hainan Island, they truly deployed sword techniques with all their might.

Thanks to that, Hae So-wol freely roamed the battlefield, freed from the pressure of having to lead Hainan Sect's martial artists. The one who appeared before her was Blood Wheel Witch Yo Sa-ran, one of the Three Great Army Commanders.

At Yo Sa-ran's appearance, Hae So-wol's complexion hardened stiffly.

Hae So-wol knew well the Three Great Army Commanders' reputation. Excluding the Black and White Lions or the Cult Protection Circle's old monsters, the Three Great Army Commanders were precisely the Demon Cult's actual supreme masters.

Being the Demon Cult's supreme masters wasn't different from being supreme throughout the entire martial world. In the past, Hae So-wol wouldn't have dared lift her head to look at her. But going through harsh trials, Hae So-wol had also grown tremendously.

They weren't martial arts leisurely cultivated in a safe training room. They were martial arts learned through the body by experiencing countless real battles. Thanks to that, her sword had now established its own school.

"Phew!"

Hae So-wol steadied her breathing and calmly looked at Yo Sa-ran. As if such a Hae So-wol was unexpected, Yo Sa-ran's eyes gleamed.

"They say Sea Flower is the greatest female swordsman among the martial world's juniors, and it seems that rumor is true."

"You overpraise me, Commander Yo."

"We're not in a position to leisurely converse. It would be best to do your utmost, junior."

"Of course."

Hae So-wol raised her sword and aimed at Yo Sa-ran.

There was no reason to shrink just because her opponent was one of the Demon Cult's commanders. Hae So-wol believed in herself.

Kakakang!

The two's battle was so fierce that nearby martial artists hurriedly retreated, creating a void.

Within the void, the two fully displayed their martial prowess.

'Good!'

Glancing at Hae So-wol fighting well against Yo Sa-ran, Cho Yeon-woon clenched his fist tightly.

Though just a glimpse, Hae So-wol didn't seem like she'd be easily pushed back. Against an absolute master like Yo Sa-ran, that much was tremendous performance. It wasn't only Hae So-wol. Blue Sky Alliance's masters were fighting evenly against the Demon Cult's masters without yielding an inch.

Today was merely the opening battle.

The moment they fell back in this battle, they would never be able to recover their broken momentum.

Holding on without falling back was important.

'I will definitely hold on.'

Cho Yeon-woon bit his teeth tightly.

He became a single azure dragon and displayed his might.

Many died in that day's great battle.

Combining Blue Sky Alliance and the Demon Cult, there were thousands of casualties. The corpses of the dead piled up like mountains, and the blood they shed flowed becoming rivers.

The earth was dyed red, and crows sang at an unexpected feast. The scent of blood spread everywhere under Heaven riding the wind, and people trembled in fear.

In the end, that day Blue Sky Alliance repelled the Demon Cult's first invasion.

When the Demon Cult, which had been pushing with human wave tactics, also had more casualties than expected, they eventually temporarily withdrew their forces and reorganized their strength.

Blue Sky Alliance proposed a temporary ceasefire and offered to collect the corpses strewn across the plain, but the Demon Cult flatly refused. In the end, the corpses on the plain rotted while becoming beasts' food.

At that unbearable sight, Blue Sky Alliance's many martial artists wept loudly. Because those who couldn't rest even in death were all their martial brothers and acquaintances.

"I will never forgive them."

"I will never breathe under the same sky as the Demon Cult. Whether I die or they die, we go to the end."

They ground their teeth and burned their hatred toward the Demon Cult.