Chapter 298
Chapter 298
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 298
Chapter Title: Dawn Assault
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Daybreak had arrived.
The thick darkness blanketing the world retreated layer by layer before the faint sunlight spreading outward, gradually dyeing the world in light.
It was dawn.
The shimmering sunlight of dawn draped over the early morning sky, and the world, lost in long slumber, began to stir awake bit by bit.
The city of Guizhou, stronghold of the Gu Clan, was also rousing from sleep, preparing to start a new day.
And the room on the second floor of the Spring Breeze Inn had long since begun its day.
"In the main headquarters of the Immortal Heaven Cult, five of the Thirteen Lions remain."
Heavenly Power Divine Disciple Yukwon spoke as he eyed each of the four seated around the round table.
"Hm? That's surprisingly few."
Cheonhwi tilted his head.
He had heard they were the close aides who served the Immortal Heaven Cult Leader at his side.
Yet there were only five?
'Did something happen?'
Yukwon, seeing Cheonhwi's puzzled look, relayed the information passed on by the Military Strategist.
"Five of the Thirteen Lions are at branch offices, and one is out on a mission. Two more are staying with the Evil-Black Alliance in place of the Immortal Heaven Cult Leader."
Ah, so that was it.
Cheonhwi nodded in understanding right away.
By all accounts, the Immortal Heaven Cult had uncountable followers scattered across the world.
Even conservatively, at least tens of thousands.
With that many branches worldwide, they needed people to manage them.
And the Immortal Heaven Cult Leader would have dispatched his most trusted experts, the Thirteen Lions, as his close aides to oversee those branches.
'If I were the cult leader, I'd send subordinates to the Evil-Black Alliance instead of going myself.'
As a former leader of his own cult, Cheonhwi could understand the Immortal Heaven Cult Leader's mindset.
"Then our chances of success in this mission have just gone up."
Spear of Piercing Heaven Ki Junghak fiddled with the spear in his hand as he spoke.
"It still won't be easy."
Go Youngnak said gravely, his face tense.
"Indeed."
Yukwon agreed with a serious nod.
No matter that fewer than half the Thirteen Lions remained, they were still supreme experts.
Not just any experts, either.
A few of them possessed skills worthy of leading a great sect.
"Even if only five of the Thirteen Lions are left, the number of Immortal Heaven acolytes hasn't changed. At least two hundred, conservatively. And the followers stationed at the main headquarters outnumber them overwhelmingly..."
Yukwon clicked his tongue and muttered.
In truth, their numbers alone were intimidating, but the Immortal Heaven Cult's true terror lay not in their techniques or their headcount.
It was their blind faith.
They would hesitate at nothing to uphold the cult's doctrines.
Even death—they were the type to throw away their lives without a second thought, and they were everywhere.
That was truly frightening.
Pushing those thoughts aside for now, Yukwon continued.
"We won't be able to hold the main force for long. At most an hour— that's the limit."
He said with a cold expression.
Turning it into a battle of attrition would only disadvantage them.
p>This was Jiangnan, the domain of the unorthodox.
And the war would erupt right in the heart of Guizhou, where the Immortal Heaven Cult had taken root.
They had to finish it as quickly as possible.
"There will be heavy sacrifices."
"It won't be easy."
"We must take the Immortal Heaven Cult Leader's life before the sacrifices grow too great."
As the three let out low groans,
"Take a look at this for a moment."
Yukwon cut through their worries, pulling out a scroll.
He unfurled the tightly rolled parchment with a flick onto the table.
The paper spread open in an instant.
A map was drawn upon it.
"Is this perhaps the Immortal Heaven Cult's...?"
"When did you get something like this...?"
"It's so detailed."
The three men's eyes gleamed.
Cheonhwi also peered closely at the map.
'Pretty detailed.'
It marked not just the halls and buildings, but who occupied each room—thorough intel.
Easy to grasp positions at a glance.
'They've been preparing this for a while.'
This wasn't slapped together overnight. Clearly years of effort.
'Of course. Peace? What peace.'
Cheonhwi smirked.
Though the era of the Nine Provinces' Three Tyrants and Seven Evils was said to bring peace on the surface, fierce battles raged beneath.
The war between the Evil-Black Alliance and the Murim Alliance was merely gunpowder waiting to ignite, sooner or later.
"We'll head here."
With those words, Yukwon pointed with his index finger.
Toward the most open area of the Immortal Heaven Cult headquarters.
"Sir, won't going there guarantee we're spotted by the Immortal Heaven Cult?"
Ki Junghak asked, puzzled.
There were plenty of secluded spots.
Why choose the exposed one?
Yukwon shook his head.
"No, this is our only option."
"What do you...?"
"This is the weakest point in the Immortal Eternal Life Formation enveloping the Immortal Heaven Cult headquarters."
Ki Junghak, about to retort, widened his eyes in shock.
He wasn't alone.
The others, save Cheonhwi, showed stunned faces too.
"The weakest point?"
"How did you find that out?"
The Immortal Eternal Life Formation was the supreme barrier guarding the Immortal Heaven Cult headquarters for a century, hailed as the pinnacle of evil arts and formations.
Some even said the cult could root itself in Guizhou only because of this formation.
The revelation of its weakness stunned them all.
That was when Cheonhwi spoke indifferently.
"That's why it's a diversionary operation."
Immortal Eternal Life Formation or whatever—he didn't know the details, but he grasped the intent.
"We have to go through this obvious spot to draw all eyes. Only then can we infiltrate."
Yukwon nodded.
This passage was key.
Confronting the Immortal Heaven Cult Leader directly was paramount, after all.
"No retreat."
"It's do or die within that hour—kill the Cult Leader or be killed."
"Not just any diversion."
The three hardened their expressions.
They'd known striking the Cult Leader from behind was risky, but reality was harsher.
One chance only.
They had to sever his lifeline within that hour.
"What if the intel's wrong and more than five Lions show up?"
Ki Junghak asked cautiously.
The worst-case scenario.
Yukwon gave a wry smile.
"What can we do? Bad luck."
"......"
"We can only hope the Demonic Eradication Leader and Alliance Guard Leader draw out as many as possible."
Silence fell.
No other options, as he said.
As the three furrowed brows in complicated expressions during this no-retreat op,
"Simple. I like it."
A refreshing voice rang out.
From Cheonhwi.
Discarding his bored look, he wore a cold smile and continued.
"So we just kill the Immortal Heaven Cult Leader."
At his confident words, the four stared blankly before chuckling.
"The young hero's right."
"Yeah, just kill that bastard."
"Kill him, and it's over."
"Exactly."
Of course, easier said than done.
Their infiltration target was the Immortal Heaven Cult headquarters, and their mark the pinnacle expert renowned across the land.
The Immortal Heaven Cult Leader.
But what good was endless worry and head-scratching?
They'd accepted the mission; the plan was in motion.
No turning back.
Better to think simply, like Cheonhwi.
That was when.
"They're here."
Cheonhwi glanced out the window.
Beyond the wide-open window, over a thousand presences approached.
A tumultuous force like raging waves.
Not just Cheonhwi—all sensed the army and rose.
Weapons in hand.
Yukwon tied his saber sheath securely at his waist, eyes flashing.
"Let's go."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The vast estate of the Immortal Heaven Cult.
Before the main headquarters dominating all of Guizhou, warriors radiating pure auras stood in formation.
Demonic Eradication Unit, Alliance Guard Unit, and Extermination Unit.
The auras of over a thousand warriors unleashed a fierce momentum.
At that moment.
Creeeak—
The great gates swung open, and a figure in pristine white robes stepped out.
No particular presence emanated from the smiling middle-aged man.
He seemed like any ordinary scholar.
Yet the warriors' faces stiffened rigidly at the sight of him, unable to relax.
The middle-aged man smiled calmly even before this vast army.
Not just that.
Fiddling with his mustache as he approached, he soon clasped hands behind his back and spoke nonchalantly.
"What brings the Murim Alliance warriors to our cult?"
His demeanor remained ever composed.
As if the army before him held no fear.
"Do you wish to join our cult?"
He slightly lifted his chin with the words.
A posture looking down on the lined-up Murim Alliance warriors.
Then.
"It's been a while."
A low voice echoed as the Demonic Eradication Leader suddenly appeared before the middle-aged man, where none had stood moments before.
Mysterious footwork.
The middle-aged man didn't lose his calm smile even at the abrupt appearance.
He even greeted him warmly.
"Indeed, it's been ages. Demonic Eradication Leader."
He said smoothly.
"Here to join our cult?"
"Do I seem like the type to join an evil cult?"
"Heh heh, you never know with the ways of the world."
The middle-aged man's eyes crinkled deeply.
And something strange happened.
Those watching him suddenly felt the world freeze—an illusion.
His bewitching pupils gleamed.
A faint dark thunder flashed in his pitch-black irises, soon shaking the world with its power.
"Hup!"
Hk!"
Several warriors behind the Demonic Eradication Leader clutched their chests, gasping for breath.
That was when.
Whoooosh!
Terrifying inner power surged from the Demonic Eradication Leader's body, flapping his robe.
"Trying to cast sorcery here?"
His voice sank.
Laced with subtle power.
"......Radiant Heaven Tyrant Energy."
The middle-aged man muttered, furrowing his brow at the aura enveloping him.
Radiant Heaven Tyrant Art.
A pure heart art said not to yield even to Shaolin techniques in exorcising evil spread everywhere.
"Luminous Lion."
Enveloped in Radiant Heaven Tyrant Energy, the Demonic Eradication Leader glared and spoke.
Addressing the man's position.
"Short on words."
The Immortal Heaven Cult's Fourth Dead One, Luminous Lion, frowned at the call.
Seeing this, the Demonic Eradication Leader drew his sword.
The blade reflected the gentle dawn light, gleaming beautifully.
"Today, the name Immortal Heaven Cult will vanish from history."
With those words, he unleashed his power.
Power waves split like spiderwebs, engulfing the Luminous Lion.
Smirk—
The Luminous Lion's lip curled.
He unclasped his hands, spreading his arms.
Amid ecstatic laughter.
"Hahaha!"
As he laughed, he slowly half-opened his eyes.
Dark lightning reflected in his glistening eyes struck down, his momentum exploding to swallow the surroundings.
An instant.
Vrrrrm—
A resonance emanated from his entire body.
Accompanied by chilling energy.
Krunch!
A massive roar echoed simultaneously.
The Demonic Eradication Leader's power waves were shredded by his momentum.
Dark Thunder Heaven Rumble Art.
The Luminous Lion, channeling the cult's sinister technique, twisted his lips even then.
The demonic charm flowing from his pure white smile drew people in.
Some were utterly dazed.
With the evil art of Soul-Capturing Heart-Destroying Smile that gripped souls and crushed minds, he spoke lowly.
"Clinging to vain hopes."
The power resonance burst outward.
Several Demonic Eradication members behind him staggered, eyes wide.
"What...!"
"He was hiding that momentum?"
Hard to believe it was the same man who'd shown no presence moments ago—this deep, majestic power.
"You never know with the ways of the world."
The Demonic Eradication Leader threw the Luminous Lion's words back at him and raised his sword high.
The Luminous Lion's laughter cut off.
A cold expression took over his face.
Staring silently at the Demonic Eradication Leader, he slowly parted his reddened lips.
Very slowly.
But infused with subtle power.
"Followers, punish these vermin who dare scorn our cult."
No sooner had the words ended than.
Whoosh!
Mad warriors in all-white robes poured from the headquarters.
In the blink of an eye.
The Demonic Eradication Leader eyed the surging Immortal Heaven followers and lowered his gaze.
As expected.
And proceeding as planned.
Soon, he drew a deep breath.
As his chest swelled fully, he expelled the held breath with a mighty roar.
"Exterminate all the evil cultists sowing chaos in the world!"