Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Rage
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-Rumble...!
Innumerable branches and leaves blanketed the sky in the dense depths of the mountains.
A massive tremor echoed through these remote mountains, forever cut off from human hands and shrouded in eerie silence.
It was the sound of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace marshaling its full might toward Starpoint Mountain.
Normally, even a massive advance by martial forces would be quiet, as most members were warriors versed in lightness skills.
But the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was different.
-Kieeeek!!
-Krrrng!! Grng!!
-Grroooaaar-!!
The warriors of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace each tamed and rode their own spiritual beasts.
Like nomads mounted on horseback, they surged through the thick forest at breakneck speed atop their beasts.
Hundreds of monstrous beings charging as one—it was a grand spectacle that perfectly evoked the "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
Yet no one else witnessed this bizarre procession.
For one, the location was a remote mountain range.
"Vice Palace Master, once we exit the forest, there'll be scant cover. Charging en masse could prove dangerous."
"Then scatter here and take separate paths."
A few scouting teams with highly mobile spiritual beasts had thoroughly scouted the advance route ahead of time, guiding the Palace to the most deserted areas possible.
This massive raid was a surprise attack, after all. Speed was crucial, but stealth was equally vital, so they opted for longer but utterly unpeopled routes.
"All war chiefs, scatter and lead your brothers! Advance on Starpoint Mountain at your discretion, but never forget our goal and plan!!"
With the Palace Master absent, Vice Palace Master Meng Sa—now the de facto leader—amplified his voice with internal energy.
The war chiefs, heeding his words, instantly split into dozens of small groups as per the prearranged plan and dispersed.
Not only the warriors but also dozens of tightly sealed jars hung from the backs of the swiftly scattering beasts.
These were jars of horrific lethal poisons, used to unleash venomous creatures bred in the Poison Valley.
They had brought every last one nurtured there for this day alone, numbering in the hundreds.
The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace's strategy was straightforward.
First, the warriors split into dozens of teams and infiltrate Starpoint Mountain covertly.
Once they encircled the Starpoint Sect headquarters from all sides, release the venomous creatures en masse to swiftly exterminate the pitiful remnants left on the main peak.
Meanwhile, scour the entire mountain to locate the hidden Demon Subduing Hall.
To crush any potential resistance, the main force—including Vice Palace Master Meng Sa, Poison Valley Chief Tak Mu, and others—would storm the headquarters and ensure no loose ends.
A full-force, all-encompassing ambush and search operation.
With most of its power drawn away, leaving Starpoint Sect a defenseless shell, it was a merciless plan they could never withstand.
Or so it should have been.
'The signal... it got through properly, right?'
Meng Yeon, riding Haru through the forest like the other warriors, pondered.
Baek Hyun's countermeasure to the Beast Palace's massive raid was disarmingly simple.
'Don't move first, or they'll get suspicious. Just signal when you set out. That's when Starpoint Sect will return.'
'What? It'll be too late by then.'
'No, it won't. We're much faster than you.'
'Ah...'
A surprise attack could negate even vast disparities in force.
But if the enemy anticipated it, that advantage turned into a double-edged sword in an instant.
Baek Hyun chose to let the raid proceed without preemptive interference, leveraging information superiority to lure the enemy into a single path and counterstrike.
Though departing later, Starpoint Sect could take the shortest route back—unlike the Beast Palace forces taking circuitous back paths.
And with their superior speed, Starpoint Sect would arrive far sooner.
Anticipating the raid already meant Starpoint Sect had effectively won round one.
But significant risks remained.
'You sure this'll work? You're letting Falunsha executives and their forces into the headquarters. Even rushing back to prepare, there won't be much time...'
'...It's risky, no doubt. But we have no choice. Time's too tight from the start, and if we don't catch them here, we can't salvage the situation.
Maybe there's a better way with more thought, but this is the limit of my brainpower.'
For now, this was the best they could do.
Neither Baek Hyun nor Meng Yeon was Zhuge Liang.
They lacked both the wisdom for a superior strategy and the time to devise one.
Having scraped together the best plan possible, all that remained was to charge ahead with everything they had.
"A historic day. Today, we leap from the Starpoint gateway to soar as dragons."
A giant atop a massive lizard-like spiritual beast resembling a dinosaur flashed a savage grin.
It was Poison Valley Chief Tak Mu, his body clad in tough scales like his beast, the Silent Scale Lizard.
His wounds from Radiant Sword still marred his flesh vividly, yet he grinned ear to ear, thrilled by the moment.
"We should have ended this long ago, but the grand undertaking dragged on far too long. The Palace Master bears some blame for that.
He's truly worthy of respect... but his temperament ill suits leading us."
Which was precisely why.
Tak Mu emphasized those words, slowly opening his mouth again.
"If even the Three Clans' might fails to rouse the Palace Master, why not have you, Meng Sa, inherit the throne?"
Meng Sa's face twisted ferociously at those words, having listened silently until now.
"Tak Mu, are you begging to die?"
Meng Sa answered without hesitation, radiating intense killing intent.
Several of his solitary venomous beasts reacted, baring stingers at Tak Mu.
A faint toxic miasma wafted on the breeze.
A chilling killing intent, like giant insects crawling over the skin.
Yet Tak Mu met Meng Sa's dread aura head-on without flinching and pressed on.
"Why so serious? Young Master Yeon's talents are miraculous, but he's still a child. You temporarily assuming the Palace Master role would be... for the best in many ways."
"Don't muddy the succession with your petty ambitions. Even if my brother falls, the next Palace Master will be Yeon."
"Heh, right. You're that kind of man. Understood—consider my words a slip of the tongue."
Meng Yeon swallowed hard, watching the two wage a fierce war of nerves even on the eve of battle.
One of them was likely the Falunsha executive who had orchestrated and manipulated this entire situation.
Someone capable of swaying the entire Beast Palace's opinion would wield considerable power and influence even among the southern barbarians.
No signs of their true colors yet, but if the plan started unraveling, the Falunsha cadre would surely reveal themselves.
That would be her moment to act.
'When it happens, activate the special reward immediately.'
A trump card she hadn't even used against Baek Hyun.
Meng Yeon readied herself to deploy it at any second.
How much time passed in this tense atmosphere as they pressed on?
Finally, the main force—gathered Beast Palace leadership—reached the Starpoint Sect headquarters.
Spotting the pristine mountain gate, Tak Mu scoffed and bellowed.
"Ha! While we've huddled in hovels since the Great War of Righteous and Demonic, those bastards preen like immortals in their grand halls!!
Brothers!! Shatter that pathetic gate first!!!"
"""Yes!!"""
The southern warriors, charging at full speed, moved to smash the gate and storm in—
-Whoosh-!!
A sudden gale engulfed the vanguard warriors and their beasts.
-Schiiiing-!!!!
The next instant, the valiant chargers were diced into dozens of chunks.
It was the sole slashing technique from the Starpoint Sect, specialists in thrusting—the anomalous sword art.
Flesh and gore from the warriors and beasts trying to breach the gate were shredded and scattered everywhere.
The southern warriors, recognizing the Whirlwind Flowless Sword at a glance, halted their advance, their earlier bravado evaporating as they gulped dryly.
It symbolized the most terrifying man in Starpoint Sect.
"Heh, no wonder you kept running like a cockroach so desperately."
So this was your filthy scheme.
A face like a murderous demon god.
Killing intent too savage for any Taoist.
His mere appearance overwhelmed countless warriors and beasts.
Starpoint Sect's arrowhead, ever at the vanguard slaying world-troubling villains. The exalted executioner walking the path of slaughter for salvation.
Gale Wind Sword, Mok Jin.
Bloodstained single-edged blade in hand, he alone barred the horde of southern warriors and beasts before the Starpoint gate.
"Starpoint receives no visitors today."
The southern momentum faltered momentarily at his eerie visage.
"Kuh... Kuhahaha! Gale Wind Sword seeks his grave! You sniffed it out and rushed back alone, eh?
But even you can't block us all by yourself!!"
Tak Mu bellowed a hearty laugh instead, urging his Silent Scale Lizard toward Mok Jin.
Yet Mok Jin showed no reaction even as Tak Mu's spear neared.
He merely pointed skyward with a finger, opening his mouth pityingly.
"When did I say I was alone?"
-Craaaack-!!!
In that instant, overwhelming heat and blinding light repelled the charging Tak Mu and lizard.
The Sun.
It was a brilliantly shining sun.
No—a sun-like arrow.
No—an arrow slaying the sun.
No—simply...
"...To think Hyun's words were true."
Simply a man.
A man in the form of the arrow that slays the sun.
Starpoint Sect's pinnacle, ascending as the sun through nothing but pure-cultivated internal energy and martial prowess, without aid of innate constitution.
One of the Ten Great Masters Under Heaven.
Radiant Sword, Mok Heon.
He sighed deeply and continued slowly.
"I'll give you one last chance. Bow your heads and repent your evils thus far, and I'll hear your circumstances and grievances.
But if you cannot..."
A vein throbbed faintly on Mok Heon's ever-calm brow.
"...You will bear the wrath of me not as a Taoist, but as a warrior."
The fury of a warrior at the supreme realm crushed every being present.