Those at the front lines fought and attempted to flee.
Yet there was no way to retreat. Now constricted from the valiant charge, the formation left them no opportunity to escape.
“Ackk! Move! Get the hell out! You fucking bastard!”
“I told you to leave!”
Terrified, they saw nothing. Clutching onto their comrades’ shoulders, they shoved them towards the Demonic Sect and trampled over them to escape.
Those who aimed to flee.
Those who stood in their way.
The ones who fled in terror.
Previously moving flawlessly towards their goal, the army suddenly devolved into chaos and quickly became entangled.
“C-calm down! Regain your composure! What are you all doing!”
“Don’t look back! D-don’t! Damn it!”
The people nearby shouted frantically, trying to bring order to the situation, but were unsuccessful in quelling the fear that had already consumed some.
“I-I told you to move, you idiots!”
“Ackkk!”
The fighters tightly gripped their weapons, forcefully repelling their panicking comrades. They even resorted to using the sharp edge of their swords against their allies.
What a chaotic situation!
There was no other way to describe it.
The sight before their eyes filled them with an overwhelming sense of fear, and that fear spread like a disease. Even those at the back who couldn’t see the gruesome scene firsthand were terrified and paralyzed by the fear their comrades experienced.
Unable to decide their next move, the nails of the Demonic Sect members dug into their flesh, causing immense pain.
Kakakag!
A person’s entire body was split and torn with a single move.
Even if they wanted to, they couldn’t match these demons. However, they turned around, and the result was obvious.
The demons’ eyes were filled with madness. They showed no hesitation as they started killing those who had their backs turned.
Their constant chants and low-tone mumbling only increased the fear of the Ice Palace Warriors.
“He-heheik!”
The warrior of the Ice Palace sat down in that very spot. The black hand pierced through his chest, pulling out his heart.
Silence filled the air.
As his heart was pulled, blood gushed and soaked his face.
“Ah... ah... ah....”
It was well-known that those who wield the sword were always prepared to die.
He had always lived his life preparing for his own death. Yet, the death unfolding before his eyes made him truly understand what he was losing.
Silence lingered.
The pants of those who witnessed it were soaked.
These individuals were not human.
Humans were incapable of such acts. It was impossible to kill so savagely unless one was an Asura.
“Hu... hu... uh...”
Puak!
For better or worse, the warrior didn’t endure the fear for much longer. A person whose head has been crushed cannot experience fear.
Having decapitated the Ice Palace warrior, the demon chuckled at the others who struggled to breathe. As soon as they caught sight of the bloodstained teeth, the Ice Palace warriors recoiled in terror.
“Second coming of the Heavenly Demon...”
The small chant could be heard even if they didn’t want to.
“Second coming...”
The demon gingerly touched his face. The unfamiliar act of wiping away the blood or applying it to his face.
The Ice Palace troops couldn’t comprehend this gesture. This act was alien to them.
Fear of the unknown.
“There is no room for nonbelievers to exist and breathe. Our mission is to cleanse the land where the great one will descend.”
The members of the Demonic Sect declared this in front of everyone, their presence overwhelming as they rushed towards the warriors of the Ice Palace.
Yo Sa-Heon’s eyes trembled at the sight before him. Positioned at the tail end of the battle line, he couldn’t make out what was happening up ahead.
Yet, he could sense the chaos. It was impossible to ignore.
The troops of the Ice Palace, clad in pure white, charged forward like waves crashing onto a beach.
But as soon as the white wave collided with the Demonic Sect, a storm of dark red erupted. The motion of the blood transformed the once-white waves into a sea of red.
“This... this...”
His trembling beard and the chilling flow of blood signified his shock.
Ten times more men?
Nothing but a trick of the mind. It held no significance, at least for now.
The Demonic Sect member ran his hand through the blood flowing from the stomach wound, observing the thick crimson on his fingertips.
The demon, who had been watching, slowly confirmed the red blood and stared ahead with an expressionless face. Then, he started slaughtering the Ice Palace warriors at an increasingly rapid pace, just as he had before getting wounded.
Getting hurt made no difference. He remained the same, with red blood coursing through his veins.
This brought despair to the Ice Palace.
It collapsed.
The dark clouds brought by the demons stained the once pristine white palace black.
“....”
No one could speak easily. The disciples of Mount Hua looked out the window with stiff expressions, their tense breathing the only sound filling the room.
Tuk.
Sweat dripped from Baek Cheon’s chin. And he wasn’t the only one.
He had been confident in facing countless challenges, but he had never seen such a hell. The faces of the disciples of Mount Hua were pale as paper.
“...s-sasuk.”
“...”
When Tang Soso spoke first, Baek Cheon bit his lip in silence.
‘Is this the Demonic Sect...’
Now he understood.
What did Chung Myung mean by his words?
He was certain that he would not have understood without seeing it for himself. It was only natural that he couldn’t comprehend unless he experienced it.
‘That thing cannot be a mere human.’
It had nothing to do with strength or weakness.
Even with the Demonic Sect’s superior martial arts skills, which were capable of slaying their enemies with a myriad of attacks, a human’s terrified heart remained unaffected.
Chung Myung had always referred to the demons as deranged.
There was no fault in that statement. Well, not exactly, as he didn’t express it accurately.
“Amitabha... Amitabha, amitabha...!”
Hae Yeon started chanting, a mixture of anger, distress, and astonishment.
His face was pale, his eyes tightly closed.
“How... how can a human...!”
Yoon Jong also gritted his teeth.
“Sahyung, calm down.”
Jo Gul attempted to calm Yoon Jong by grabbing him by the shoulder. However, Yoon Jong’s anger didn’t dissipate easily.
“... a person cannot be like that. People shouldn’t be like this!”
Nevertheless, the number of Ice Palace warriors joining the battle continued to rise.
There were only about 50 of the demons.
This insignificant number of demons trampled on them, devastating the land of Ice Palace once filled with snow.
Only now could they clearly understand why the Justice faction, and not just that, but the Five Palaces had to unite to stop the Demonic Sect.
Why did Chung Myung become angry upon hearing the name of the Demonic Sect?
The screams of those fleeing in terror. The sounds of bodies being torn apart.
How could this not be a sound coming from hell?
“Amitabha.”
Hae Yeon also expressed his distress.
“The one thing that shouldn’t happen is this kind of hell on earth. It shouldn’t happen. This is...”
He tried to say more, but he remained silent. It was hard to control the overwhelming emotions.
“Sahyung.”
Just then, Yu Yiseol spoke up.
“Let’s dismantle it.”
“...”
Exactly. It was evident even to Baek Cheon. The warriors of Ice Palace had lost their fighting spirit.
“What do we do?”
At Tang Soso’s question, Baek Cheon turned his head and glanced at Chung Myung.
“Is it time yet?”
Right. It had only been mere moments since Chung Myung began his cultivation.
“... a little more. Let’s wait a little longer.”
Baek Cheon clenched his teeth. From the top of the wall, a figure could be seen leaping.
A battlefield devoid of anything but blood and death.
A man in a black, blood-soaked robe walked with a light step as if treading upon a ground stained crimson with corpses and blood.