Chapter 139. The Last Passage

The Alliance Leader cut off the rising momentum of chaos, worried that the Black Sky Demon or the Sword Saint might start an all-out war.

"I will break through the front. The Sword Saint and the Black Sky Demon take the left and right. Master Muso and Four Seasons Hall Lord, cover the rear so the others can focus on retreat. The rest, fill in the gaps whenever they appear."

Even from afar, the Red Blood Hall Lord seemed to hear him and let out a short laugh. It was a reaction of disbelief.

He turned to the subordinate standing behind him and asked,

"Do I need to stay here?"

"No, we are enough."

"A prey that luckily fell into our hands. Do not let a single one escape."

"Yes."

The Alliance Leader immediately sprang forward. Then, to protect the Red Blood Hall Lord, more than ten Blood Blood Sect members rushed at the Alliance Leader all at once.

Blocked, the Alliance Leader raised his arm.

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwag.

No movement of the sword was seen, but the grass overturned and the earth turned black.

Yet the elite of the Red Blood Hall did not suffer a major blow.

Eudeuk, eudeudeuk.

The torn flesh quickly healed, and twisted bones were set back in place. They raised their internal energy and charged at the Alliance Leader.

While the Alliance Leader dealt with the Blood Sect members swarming like gnats, the Red Blood Hall Lord slipped past him.

"See you again."

In an instant, his figure was gone from sight, already far away.

The Red Blood Hall Lord looked as though he had lost all reason, like a bandit robbed of his cherished treasure.

At that moment, the Four Seasons Hall Lord urged the dazed Zhuge Cheon-yu.

"There is no time to waste!"

She snapped out of it and began to run.

The group did not make the foolish move of chasing the Red Blood Hall Lord but instead ran toward the opening the Alliance Leader had created.

Kwaaaang.

The Alliance Leader rampaged greatly. His exaggerated movements resembled a fisherman driving fish to one side. He lured the Blood Sect while creating a path of retreat.

The Black Sky Demon and the Sword Saint understood the Alliance Leader's command to take the left and right. It meant to protect those with weaker martial arts so they would not fall behind.

At the front, the elite of the Tang Clan blocked the way.

But there was something the Alliance Leader had overlooked.

Unlike those at the Trial of Union, the Blood Sect members here were not weak.

Kwaang.

"Ugh!"

A young man of the Zhuge Clan hastily slowed down.

A gigantic Blood Sect member, who had appeared without notice, thrust a halberd at him.

Kwaang.

The Black Sky Demon threw a flying dagger and shouted.

"Run instead of shrinking back!"

The Blood Sect member quickly pulled his body away from the flying dagger.

The flying dagger pierced through the Blood Sect member's body, but could not be retrieved.

The Black Sky Demon muttered with a heart bleeding tears.

"Already lacking, such a waste."

Because he was mindful of the children while running, he could not throw the hidden weapons freely.

The Black Sky Demon carefully launched the few remaining Tang Hak's darts. He threw them only when an enemy blocked the path.

Kwaang. Bang.

The sound of Sword Saint's sword clashing against a halberd rang from the left side.

Had their target been the Sword Saint, he would have swiftly cut them down. But instead, they evaded the Sword Saint's attacks and persistently aimed at the young martial artists.

They assumed, given the nature of the orthodox sects, that these people would never abandon their much younger disciples.

At the rear, Master Muso and the Four Seasons Hall Lord did not lend a hand and instead focused on the retreat. If they left their posts, the rear would collapse.

Faintly, a new energy was felt from behind.

Master Muso glanced at the Four Seasons Hall Lord with a stern face.

Wrinkles formed between the Hall Lord's brows. Since he sensed it, he surely could not have missed it either.

It was not internal energy or presence.

Rather, it was the opposite.

Something that erased even the natural flow of energy, as though pressed down by gravity.

Judging by the inability to gauge its distance, it was someone very far away—yet its presence was of a different class.

'... Blood Demon?'

Master Muso looked toward the Alliance Leader.

Because the Blood Sect members pursued relentlessly, even with their limbs cut off, the Alliance Leader was forced to be separated from the group.

Master Muso, knowing he had to guard the rear, still sent a sword energy in that direction. The crimson-curved sword energy reached behind a Blood Blood Sect member—

Kwaaaang.

As if waiting, the Blood Blood Sect member twisted his body and charged this way, and the sword energy moved toward the Alliance Leader.

The Alliance Leader easily destroyed Master Muso's sword energy, but a fleeting gap appeared.

Not missing the moment, a Blood Blood Sect member approached the rear.

As Master Muso tried to leave his position, the Four Seasons Hall Lord shouted.

"Toaist Master Muso!"

He spoke while staring straight ahead.

"Do not create an opening! What matters is bringing everyone to the gate. Guard your position so that the moment the Alliance Leader opens the gate, we can cross without delay."

He seemed to believe that the Alliance Leader could take the lead whenever he wished.

Master Muso did not trust the Alliance Leader to that extent, but as the Hall Lord said, he kept his position.

Only the Alliance Leader could open the gate to the Central Plains.

The Alliance Leader surely knew this, but seeing him blocking the enemies from behind meant they were not his match.

The Alliance Leader was wary only of the weakest in the group falling behind. He was obsessively fixated on the survival of all. Therefore, Master Muso could not help but follow his thinking.

Even at this moment, the force rushing from a far distance drew closer.

Then, Zhuge In-hwi's eyes narrowed.

'The direction of the wind has changed.'

Something was sucking in the air like a vortex, distorting the wind.

'A formation?'

It seemed that ahead lay the gate leading to the Central Plains.

Zhuge In-hwi's face darkened as he gauged the intervals of the twisted wind.

For it was far too wide in scope to be merely the distortion of a closed gate.

Realizing the reason, Zhuge In-hwi cried out urgently,

"Alliance Leader!"

Kwaang.

With a roar, the Alliance Leader's presence drew close in an instant.

Master Muso sent out sword energy at the enemy chasing the Alliance Leader. This time, even Zhuge In-hwi did not block it.

The Alliance Leader instantly passed the Tang Clan's elites and ran far ahead.

Soon, Blood Sect members appeared atop the hill.

It seemed the second wave that had followed the Red Blood Hall Lord had now arrived.

They halted their steps and set their halberds. Seeing their comrades chase after the Central Plains people, they quickly decided to block the path.

The Alliance Leader increased his speed and shouted,

"Do not stop!"

As if intent on facing them alone, the Alliance Leader charged straight at them. But the Blood Sect members scattered in all directions like dandelion seeds.

The Blood Sect members struck away the flying daggers, blocked sword energy with their hands, and pushed into the center. As their comrades had done, they aimed to tear apart the weak within.

In that instant, a sharp halberd rushed toward Zhuge Cheon-yu.

The Four Seasons Hall Lord, for the first time, left his position.

Kwaang.

He blocked the sharp halberd with an iron thread and then stood before Zhuge Cheon-yu.

"The gate they entered through is open. I do not know how much time is left, but the Alliance Leader said at most half a quarter—it will not be long."

The Hall Lord spoke quickly.

"Run ahead first. You must cross before the gate closes."

It seemed the Hall Lord intended to send her ahead first.

"Ah, y-yes!"

Zhuge Cheon-yu did not slow her pace, but neither could she run in front. Seeing this, the Hall Lord, impatient, pulled her arm.

"Brother!"

Startled, Zhuge Cheon-yu called him "brother" for the first time in years instead of "Hall Lord!"

But Zhuge In-hwi said nothing and simply slung her over his shoulder as he ran.

Thanks to the disruption in the Blood Sect members' formation, many gaps opened. Even Zhuge Cheon-yu could now see the gate with her own eyes.

Fortunately, the gate had not yet closed.

It was when they reached a zhang (10.5 feet ) away.

As strength entered the Hall Lord's arm, Zhuge Cheon-yu, realizing what he intended to do, widened her eyes.

"Ah, no. Wait a moment..!"

But the third brother was not someone who would warmly listen to his younger sister's words.

The Hall Lord quickly threw her into the gate. The gate was already closing.

Zhuge Cheon-yu shouted something, but her voice could not be heard because the gate was already shut.

The Hall Lord immediately turned his body and went back to where the Blood Sect members were rampaging.

The Tang Clan elites, having exhausted their hidden weapons, were fighting with daggers, and those guarding the left, right, and rear focused on driving away the rampaging Blood Blood Sect members.

Now, there was no one left running.

Because they had stopped, the Blood Demon's energy closed in at a terrifying speed.

Of course, needless to say, the battle situation was in their favor. Within an instant, they could annihilate the Blood Sect members.

But the Blood Demon would arrive before that instant.

It was impossible to evacuate everyone.

Rather than helping to annihilate the Blood Sect members, it seemed better to smuggle people out one by one while the others blocked the enemies, allowing as many as possible to escape.

Zhuge In-hwi shouted urgently,

"Alliance Leader, please open the gate!"

Better to have even one more survive than to face total annihilation.

The Alliance Leader seemed to understand this intent but appeared conflicted.

"Alliance Leader!"

Even though no figure was yet visible, the Blood Demon's presence was felt as if it were brushing against their faces.

At the Hall Lord's urging, the Alliance Leader finally pushed aside the Blood Sect members and rushed toward the entrance. In an instant, he arrived at the formation's position and opened the gate.

Saaaah.

Zhuge In-hwi went straight to the Tang Clan Head.

"I will move the Young Lord first. Tang Clan Head, please protect the others."

"I entrust them to you."

The Tang Clan Head immediately handed Tang Hak to the Hall Lord.

Without even seeming to have time to answer, the Hall Lord carried him and ran straight to the entrance. Seeing Zhuge Cheon-yu standing beyond the entrance, he trusted her and threw Tang Hak to her.

With the Tang Clan Head now participating at the rear, the gaps disappeared.

Meanwhile, Zhuge In-hwi carried the remaining martial artists of the Zhuge Clan on his back and threw them outside.

"H-Hall Lord, I can walk... Ugh!"

It was not because he was showing favoritism toward his clan that he moved the Zhuge children first.

On the contrary—it was because the Tang Clan Head and Tang Min stuck close to Tang So-hwa and focused only on protecting her, leaving these children in danger.

When the gate closed, the Alliance Leader stopped fighting the Blood Sect members and opened the gate again. This time, even before the Hall Lord could ask. It seemed he judged the Hall Lord's method to be correct.

The problem was, it was not only the Alliance Leader who thought so.

"Hall Lord, thank you... Uwaaagh!"

At the very moment, the Four Seasons Hall Lord tried to lift the last young man of the Zhuge Clan, five hands pierced into his back. Daejeong, a martial artist, cried out in shock, but Zhuge In-hwi ignored it and slung him onto his back.

Kwaaaang.

The Sword Saint cut down the Blood Sect member he was facing and protected the Hall Lord's back.

Zhuge In-hwi's gaze lingered briefly on the person standing beside him.

The woman holding a messenger bird had an expression devoid of emotion.

The Hall Lord adjusted the half-fainted Daejeong on his back and spoke quietly.

"Wait."

She gave a small nod.

She seemed to have no particular complaint about not being taken out first.

Since it was because of her that this mess happened, it would be difficult for her to say anything.

'So there are Tang Clan people with conscience.'

As Zhuge In-hwi rushed toward the gate, an unconscionable voice came from behind.

"No, Hall Lord! Who did you come to save? You should have evacuated her first! I was going to stay quiet, but aren't you being too blatant, only looking after the Zhuge Clan?"

It was the Black Sky Demon's furious voice.

He didn't just rage. The Black Sky Demon rushed toward Tang So-hwa, shouting.

"You too, get on at once!"

Without waiting for Tang So-hwa's reply, he slung her over his shoulder and said,

"Now let's retreat!"

A strange energy was felt right at hand.

It wasn't only the Central Plains people who sensed it. The Blood Sect members also grew tense and rampaged even more violently.

As if on cue, they swarmed toward the Black Sky Demon.

Instead of meeting them head-on with a dagger, the Black Sky Demon dodged the halberds and ran. His qinggong was so fast that the surroundings blurred from sight.

Kwaang. Kwa-gwag. Kwaaaang.

Sharp hands flew in succession, piercing the ground. With the attacks pouring down relentlessly, it was difficult to control his pace.

Kwaaaang.

When a halberd was thrust toward Tang So-hwa's head, the Black Sky Demon twisted his body excessively and ended up dropping her. He hurriedly reached out, but due to momentum, Tang So-hwa was quickly flung away.

Ta-ap.

Landing on the ground, Tang So-hwa immediately pulled her body back.

Kwaang.

One of the Blood Sect members chasing the Black Sky Demon pounced straight at her.

Tang So-hwa threw the flying dagger she was holding.

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