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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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-Bang!
The heavy doors shuddered.
The direction was clear: the main gate of the Black Heaven Cult, the same gate Heavenly Demon and Inho had walked through a few days ago.
“Call all units to the main gate. It seems they intend to force their way in.”
The security chief blew his whistle at the Head Administrator’s command.
-Bang!
The other defense units responded to the signal and converged on the main gate.
The Black Heaven Cult forces formed a U-shape around the entrance.
‘I shouldn’t have let my guard down.’
Regret gnawed at the Head Administrator.
He had been so confident in the treacherous mountain terrain, the impenetrable formations, and his own martial arts skills that it made him arrogant.
It was his mistake to send all the elite forces away to attack the Martial Arts Alliance.
‘What if I had made a different choice?’
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Regrets were for the dead. He needed to focus on the present.
“Prepare for battle. Don’t let the enemy lay a finger on the Young Cult Leader. Even if it costs you your lives.”
“Yes, sir!”
Men and women alike raised their weapons and roared their assent.
Though their individual strength might be lacking, their combined fighting spirit rivaled that of a Transcendence expert.
-Crack!
The reinforced gates splintered and shattered, and figures clad in blue poured through, forming ranks.
The Head Administrator bit his lip as he observed their disciplined formation.
‘How many can I take down?’
If it had been just the eighteen members of the Azure Dragon Unit, he could have stopped them before they even set foot inside the Cult.
But the presence of that one exceptionally strong individual had thrown all his calculations off.
What if, while he was occupied with the Azure Dragon Unit, that individual went after the Young Cult Leader?
This unforeseen circumstance threatened to unravel all his carefully laid plans.
Someone stepped forward from the enemy ranks.
He sensed the aura of a Transcendence expert. Most likely the leader of the Azure Dragon Unit.
“It’s been a while, Poison Demon.”
“I don’t recall sending you an invitation. Such a late-night visit is rather rude.”
The Head Administrator responded, his eyes scanning the enemy’s movements. The middle-aged man chuckled.
“Hmph, a Demonic Cult rat pretending to be civilized.”
“I consider myself far more civilized than you.”
The Head Administrator smiled, his voice dripping with sarcasm, and the man’s aura flared.
“You bastard!”
“I believe we’ve exhausted all pleasantries. Come on in.”
The Head Administrator flicked his wrist, sending a gust of wind that slapped the man across the face.
It wasn’t a lethal attack, but it was enough to snap the man’s head back.
It was a small provocation, but it might give them a slight edge in the upcoming battle.
“Attack! Slaughter these Demonic Cult scum!”
“Yes, sir!”
At the Azure Dragon Unit leader’s command, they charged.
“They dare set foot on Black Heaven Cult grounds! Don’t let a single one escape!”
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The two forces clashed.
The Azure Dragon Unit, with their superior organization, targeted the Cult members’ weaknesses, while the Cult members fought back with grim determination.
Countless blows were exchanged, and the first to fall were the ordinary Cult members, their cultivation levels too low to withstand the onslaught.
“Aaah!”
“Ugh…”
They died with screams and groans, their bodies were trampled underfoot as the other Cult members pressed forward.
They fought to protect the Black Heaven Cult, the place that had taken them in, given them a home when the rest of the world had cast them aside.
They fought with their weapons, and when those were lost, they fought with their bare hands, their nails and teeth.
They fought with missing limbs, crawling and clawing their way towards the enemy.
They fought until their heads were severed from their bodies.
The Azure Dragon Unit members were horrified by their relentless ferocity, their complete disregard for death.
“How can such demons exist?”
Li Hang, the leader of the Azure Dragon Unit, murmured, his face pale with shock.
-Wham!
The Head Administrator’s kick aimed for Li Hang’s head, but he blocked it with his arm.
A sharp pain shot through his arm, and he glared at the Head Administrator.
“You call this noble devotion ‘demonic’?” the Head Administrator said, his voice laced with scorn.
He shifted his stance, preparing for another attack.
Li Hang gritted his teeth.
“I heard you were on your deathbed. You seem quite lively today.”
He had heard that the Poison Demon had retired due to failing health.
But the man before him was far from weak.
His sharp, precise movements sent a chill down Li Hang’s spine.
“My health may be failing, but I’m not weak enough to lose to you,” the Head Administrator muttered, his fists flying.
“Tch!”
Li Hang clicked his tongue and retreated, whistling.
The Head Administrator tried to pursue him, but four Azure Dragon Unit members blocked his path.
“Stop him! We can’t waste time here.”
Li Hang retreated from the battlefield, taking five other members with him. The Head Administrator tried to follow.
“Don’t let him escape!”
But the Azure Dragon Unit members held him back.
‘Damn it… I’m trapped.’
Fortunately, they weren’t heading towards the Young Cult Leader’s quarters. They were headed towards the Heavenly Demon Palace.
Perhaps they couldn’t sense the Young Cult Leader’s presence since he had no internal energy.
But if he let them go, they might discover the hidden shelter.
He hesitated. Should he use his poison techniques?
There were still many Cult members alive. Could he unleash his poison without harming them?
His hand trembled with indecision.
“Head Administrator.”
A soft voice called out to him. He turned and saw Mae-hwa standing behind him.
Their eyes met.
Her face was expressionless as always.
“We’re alright.”
“Mae-hwa…”
“I understand your hesitation, but many have already died. If this continues, we’ll all be killed.”
He knew she was right. Their losses were mounting.
“Head Administrator! Do it!”
A Cult member, with his stomach impaled by a sword, lay dying on the ground.
“It’s alright!”
A servant, barely holding her own against the attackers, shouted.
“Our lives belong to the Cult Leader and the Young Cult Leader!”
A Cult member, coughing up blood, roared.
Mae-hwa stepped closer.
“We are all indebted to the Cult Leader. She took us in when we were outcasts, abandoned by the world.”
“When we joined the Black Heaven Cult, the Cult Leader said, ‘I will take you in, since you have pledged your loyalty. But from this day forward, your lives are mine.’”
“I haven’t forgotten my vow. So… Head Administrator…”
“But how…?”
He looked at her, his eyes filled with uncertainty.
Mae-hwa smiled.
“You must. You have to protect the Young Cult Leader.”
With that, she charged forward.
She weaved through the Azure Dragon Unit members, her slender blade disrupting their formation.
But her advantage was short-lived.
The Azure Dragon Unit members recovered quickly, and she was soon overwhelmed.
“Mae-hwa!”
-We’re… alright.
Mae-hwa lay on the ground, blood pooling around her, her lips moving silently.
So much blood had been spilled.
The Cult’s numbers had dwindled, now almost equal to the Azure Dragon Unit’s.
The Head Administrator attacked relentlessly, but they avoided direct confrontation, focusing on holding him back.
Tears streamed down Jegal Hwi’s face as he gritted his teeth.
*Grind*
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
“I’m… sorry… everyone.”
To whom was he apologizing?
His words dissipated like smoke.
“Secret Technique.”
He unleashed his suppressed internal energy, circulating it throughout his body.
His veins pulsed, filled to the brim with power, and the poison he had stored in his dantian spread through his limbs.
“Poison Wave.”
An unnatural grey mist enveloped the Black Heaven Cult.
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[T/N: Damn… the onion ninjas are at it again.]
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I’m not crying, you are !!!