The Regressor of Mount Hua-Chapter 349. To Die for a Cause (2)

Just like the description claimed, this truly was the pinnacle of nature formation methods and the peak of martial arts.

"I mean, considering you had this hidden away, was there really a need to retreat?!"

Peng Junping swung his sword with enthusiasm, his voice brimming with excitement.

As expected of an elder of the Martial Alliance, he showed off the skills of one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven.

When he imbued his arms, thick like logs, with strength, his muscles swelled greatly, showing off his brute strength.

As befitting his honest and cheerful personality, he pushed away the numerous sabers around him, not stopping even as the enemy tried to pile on him, cutting through their flesh with ease.

"You from the Peng Family, control your hot-blooded personality!"

Huang Gou warned Peng Junping as he watched him acting arrogantly.

"How can I stay still when the enemy can't even move? To think we still have the upper hand even with such a large difference in numbers!"

Peng Junping chortled vigorously.

There was some truth to what he said.

If it's only to this degree, then it's worth a try.

I was nervous because they were called the Dark Heavens Association, but this is nothing.

We have that incredible Eight War Formation Seals that we had never even known about, and there are even two of the Six Empyrean Overlords here, so there shouldn't be a problem.

Come to think of it, aren't the people gathered here the best of the Martial Alliance, or even the entirety of the Righteous Faction murim?

Maybe we were too scared?

Lord Strategist is truly humble. He's underestimated us too much.

There were quite a few who agreed with Peng Junping's words.

While they weren't afraid of the Dark Heavens Army, they had been a little nervous after hearing that their enemy's martial skills were no ordinary thing.

However, now that they actually fought them, things were going more smoothly than they had thought.

No.

However, the Heavenly Strategist had different thoughts.

And it was not just Zhuge Xiang. Several others began to feel uncomfortable and soon recognized the source of their anxiety.

The number of people who entered is smaller than I thought.

The enemy army had seemed numerous when they first broke through the gates, but as time passed, their numbers felt far less than expected.

Eventually, the number of fallen vanguard troops passed a thousand, but that was all.

That wasn't because the enemies were tenacious and kept surviving, but because the number of vanguard troops had been small to begin with.

More concerning was the absence of the enemy's experts—those so formidable that their names would be whispered instinctively whenever they appeared.

They read our hand.

Zhuge Xiang frowned.

No, that much was obvious. Since Tang Mingren knew about the Eight War Formation Seals, there was no way that he wouldn't have passed that knowledge to the Association.

Tang Mingren had been a part of the Martial Alliance's top-secret Black Shadow Division and had been the de facto leader along with the Poison King.

As the principles and operations of the Eight War Formation Seals were under the authority of the Zhuge Family, he wasn't privy to the minute details. However, he knew the general idea.

Still, even if you do know, you won't be able to do anything about it.

There were three different methods of destroying the Eight War Formation Seals.

The first was to destroy the Eight War Formation Seals from the outside without entering it.

In that case, the formation itself would be lost, but as long as the Martial Alliance forces retreated in time, that would be the end of it. ƒreewebɳovel.com

The second was to forcefully navigate the maze of constantly shifting paths and reach the central palace where Zhuge Xiang was stationed.

If the formation master was killed, the Eight War Formation Seals would cease to function.

The third and final method was to keep pressing forward with overwhelming numbers until the Martial Alliance grew exhausted.

In that scenario, Zhuge Xiang had planned to delay them as long as possible and then order a retreat once his forces could no longer hold.

In theory, each option was overwhelmingly in the Martial Alliance's favor.

Are they planning on destroying the Eight War Formation Seals from the outside?

Possibly due to the internal chaos, the enemy forces had stopped coming in after the vanguard.

Judging by the situation, it appeared they had decided to avoid needless casualties and attack the formation from the outside instead.

It was not a bad tactic.

They would miss the chance to eliminate all five thousand troops but could still dispatch a pursuit force to catch those who retreated slowly.

But something felt off.

The situation is unfolding too easily.

There was nothing visibly wrong. Zhuge Xiang’s rational judgment told him he was simply overthinking.

Yet something continued to gnaw at the back of his mind.

Uncertainties like this, such as intuition, were one of the things that should be avoided by a Strategist.

They clouded judgment.

And that applied even more to Zhuge Xiang, who was a scholar rather than a martial artist.

What is it?

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His heartbeat quickened. A cold chill ran down his spine. His body trembled slightly.

Even amid his internal struggle, the operation of the Eight War Formation Seals remained flawless. He was, indeed, a Strategist sent from the heavens.

Even though things are going this way...

At the very moment his anxiety peaked, a voice suddenly echoed through the ears of Zhuge Xiang and the two thousand warriors..

"As expected of the nature formation that the Martial Alliance and the Zhuge Family hides behind when things get desperate. To be honest, I am impressed."

"...!"

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Whether it was coincidence or not, a middle-aged warrior stepped through the southern main gate from the direction of the central palace.

There was no fear or hesitation in his footsteps. Rather, he carried himself with majesty.

Peng Junping, as expected from his hot-blooded nature, was about to shout, 'Who is this bastard?' but stopped himself. His expression turned grim.

The joy and excitement from just moments ago had completely vanished.

And it was not only him.

The entire battlefield, once filled with the clash of steel and cries of war, fell silent, as though frozen in time.

"Would you move aside?"

Breaking the silence, the leader of the Righteous Faction stepped forward alone from the rear.

The Taiji Sword, Yun Guang.

The gentleness usually found in his gaze was gone.

Only a cold sharpness remained—like the edge of a finely honed blade.

"It was a good decision to send the vanguard and experiment as Blessed Existence said. The Martial Alliance's Eight War Formation Seals is truly worthy of its reputation."

"Dark Heavens Association Lord..." Yun Guang muttered, his beard twitching.

There was little room to be surprised. All the martial artists in this place also intuitively guessed that the middle-aged warrior was the Dark Heavens Association Lord.

There were few people in the world who could overwhelm the two thousand warriors simply by showing up.

"Yes."

The Master of the Dark Heavens smiled arrogantly.

"I am the Lord of the Dark Heavens, the conqueror of the murim, and the Strongest Being Under the Heavens. It's a pleasure to meet you, leader of the Righteous Faction."

He lifted his head slightly and looked down at the audience with a proud and lofty gaze. The kind of arrogance that only the absolute could display was written clearly across his face.

However, no one said anything about his attitude.

It didn't look strange, but rather felt extremely natural.

The warriors felt a sense of oppression that overwhelmed their surroundings and forced them to bow down.

Sweat dripped down their foreheads.

W-what the hell? What is this?

For him to be this oppressive...

Anyone who had not cultivated, or was only a Third Class warrior, would have knelt down and prostrated themselves long ago.

The pressure was so overwhelming that they thought the Absolute Master of the Evil Valley, the Domination God Monarch, would not have been able to emit this kind of force.

This was a monster who possessed the spirit of an intelligence master, the oppressive presence of a leader, and the strength of a warrior.

While an Absolute Master usually seemed like an ordinary person and kept their power restrained to mislead enemies, there was no such grace from the Dark Heavens Association Lord.

It was not that he could not suppress his power, he simply acted as if there was no need to.

"Unlike the normal nature formation, it's not just a high-level hallucination, but amazingly, it actually distorts space. While I've heard that not only martial arts, but also nature formations can break through the path and manifest when it reaches the peak, but I didn't actually think it could reach this level."

The martial artists wore expressions of confusion.

It was a natural reaction since they didn't know about the Manifestation of One's Path.

"Martial Alliance Leader, Taiji Sword Yun Guang."

Yun Guang stepped forward slightly so he would not block Zhuge Xiang’s view.

"The enemy of the murim, Dark Heavens Association Lord. May I ask you a question?"

"My tolerance is broad, so feel free to ask anything."

"Why are you doing this?"

"The conquest of the murim? You ask such a strange question."

The Dark Heavens Association Lord slowly drew his sword from his waist.

"With a name like the Taiji Sword, what do you think a swordsman would do if a sword was placed in their hands? It's the same thing."

The Dark Heavens Association Lord's movements caused tension to spread around him.

However, eventually, their stiff bodies slowly relaxed.

"If you ask someone who is about to climb a mountain why they want to climb a mountain, they will answer that it is because the mountain is there."

The Dark Heavens Association Lord's eyes shone brightly.

"People always rule over someone and are ruled over by someone. In the process, small disputes and wars at the country level occur. That is history, and it is a fact."

"Really?"

There was anger in Yun Guang's voice.

"I'm the Sect Master of the Wudang Sect, are you trying to teach me about the Dao? If that's the case, then stop there. Just listening to your story filled with contradictions and hypocrisy is unpleasant."

The Dark Heavens Association Lord snorted arrogantly.

"You call it a conflict of ideologies and beliefs, but objectively speaking, it's nothing more than excuses and nonsense that can be heard anywhere. Whether it's the imperial government or the murim, in the end, it's just fighting for the benefit of individuals and groups."

The Dark Heavens Association Lord coldly sneered.

"You bastaaaaard!!"

Yun Guang's shout resonated loudly.

"So is that your paltry reason? Is that it? That's all you have?"

The Taiji Sword's beard trembled.

"Some of those who follow you wish for the murim to change for a better world!"

He spoke of those who had turned their backs on the Righteous and Evil Alliance to join the Dark Heavens Association. Though their methods were wrong, their intentions had not been evil.

The murim had long judged people based on family background and cultivation.

Many had grown weary of the corruption among the elite and wished for change.

They had betrayed the current murim because they believed it was distorted.

"Not only have you committed countless massacres because of your greed, but you have also trampled on and deceived the hopes of your followers with lies and ridicule!"

"I like the sight of a wise elder who is said to have awakened to the truth of Daoism being swayed by the seven emotions."

The Dark Heavens Association Lord slightly bent his knees.

"Since it seems like this conversation won't end... I'll come to you, then."

Clang!

Suddenly, something like cognitive dissonance occurred.

Zhuge Xiang let out a shocked gasp.

"Huh?"

His body was in the air. Something had knocked him upward.

When he came to his senses, Yun Guang’s sword was held horizontally in front of him, and beyond it, the Dark Heavens Association Lord stood laughing ominously.

He could not grasp what had happened.

Right after the Association Lord had finished speaking, Zhuge Xiang blinked. And in the moment his eyes opened again, the Association Lord was already in front of Yun Guang, extending his sword.

He also did not know when Yun Guang had moved, but the swordmaster had laid his sword horizontally to block the Dark Heavens Association Lord's blow.

How?

But still, his body was thrown into the air. The fan in his hand slipped and fell.

Zhuge Xiang wracked his extraordinary brain to make sense of the situation.

A shockwave.

The sword had not touched him.

However, since his body had floated upward on its own without his consent, it meant he had been struck by a shockwave.

Zhuge Xiang was shocked that the shockwave had passed through and hit him with such force that it sent his body flying—even though one of the Six Empyrean Overlords had blocked the attack.

Still, his thoughts turned to the intent behind the Dark Heavens Association Lord’s strike.

He was targeting me, not the Alliance Leader.

This wasn't just about destroying the Eight War Formation Seals formation method.

Unlike his predecessors, the new Martial Alliance Leader lacked experience as an Alliance Leader, and was also clumsy in politics and strategy.

In other words, the Dark Heavens Association Lord must have realized that if he, the Strategist, were to fall here, the center would naturally collapse.

This is dangerous.

It wasn't just his martial arts that were scary. The Association Lord's judgment was also terrifying.

He's quick-witted, and although he may seem arrogant on the outside, he never underestimated us or let his guard down... he's the same type of person as the Sword God.

The great thing about the Sword God, Zhou Xuchuan, was that he never let his guard down despite possessing an absurd level of cultivation. He also possessed an excellent mind for strategy and judgment.

This was a monster beyond reason. A hard-working genius who naturally made one question whether such a person could truly exist.

If my guess is right, the Dark Heavens Association Lord did not come here to fight two thousand people all by himself.

It had been questionable from the start.

After sending in the vanguard, he had entered alone.

Dark Heavens Association Lord, you truly are terrifying.

Though silent, they had all been overwhelmed by his presence. Everyone must have thought the man was insane.

Even if his cultivation was unmatched, a single man could not fight against the two thousand elite warriors of the Righteous Faction murim alone.

But—

"A tra—ugh!"

Zhuge Xiang began to speak but blood spilled from his mouth.

Thud.

Fortunately, he did not fall far. Someone had caught him from behind, softening the impact.

However, the shockwave from the Dark Heavens Association Lord’s sword strike was even more absurd than he had expected.

His internal organs ached, and his ribs hurt.

"Lord Strategist!"

"Lord Strategist, are you okay?!"

Shouts echoed all around.

"Cough, cough!"

Zhuge Xiang wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve and raised his right hand, signaling the others to maintain the Eight War Formation Seals.

Fortunately, although the soldiers and warriors were momentarily shaken, they continued to faithfully perform their roles.

"I... am fine... more than that, this... this is a trap."

"A trap?"

Zhuge Xiang swallowed the rising blood, cleared his throat, and answered.

"The retreating force is in danger. At least three to five thousand troops, likely led by Tang Mingren or Blessed Existence, should already be sweeping the area for our retreat path."

"As expected of the Heavenly Strategist."

Zhuge Xiang’s figure was reflected in the dark eyes of the Dark Heavens Association Lord.

What should we do?

This was truly a desperate crisis.

Judging from the number of forces that were aiming for the Eight War Formation Seals, it was clear that half of the enemy forces were stationed behind them.

In this situation, they wouldn't be able to retreat with the main force as well as Yun Guang.

The moment they tried, the five thousand troops behind them would rush over.

As for the rest, they were most likely searching the area around them.

The Dark Heavens Association hadn't used their ignorant numbers to attack.

"What should we do..." he muttered absentmindedly in frustration.

Someone passed by him.

"Retreat with the main force and chase after the pursuit party."

Zhuge Xiang's eyes widened.

The one passing by appeared to be a tall boy. To be exact, he looked like someone right on the verge of adulthood.

"...?"

Beyond the Taiji Sword, the Dark Heavens Association Lord’s eyes widened. Then he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha. What's with that look, Juvenile Fist Emperor?"

It was Jing Bai, the Absolute Master who had reversed time.

"I heard that you didn't have much time left, so it seems it was true. Or did your stubbornness finally give in?"

"This old elder will handle the Dark Heavens Association Lord.

"If you grow even a little more, you won't be fit to be called the Juvenile Fist Emperor."

A deep smile spread across the corners of the Dark Heavens Association Lord’s mouth.