Return of the Mount Hua Sect

A warrior was a peculiar being.

Even though they knew the enemy was aiming for their head and baring their vicious teeth, they were distracted by the confrontation between the warriors.

They didn’t dare to look away, but their focus wasn’t on the enemy in front of them but on the distant victory.

The same was true for the disciples of Mount Hua and the Blood Hounds.

However, the Blood Hounds realized what was happening before anyone else.

‘What?’

‘These people?’

When did this happen?

Kakakaka!

The extended saber bounced back. Of course, this was common in a battle, but something felt different.

Those who directly wielded the sword couldn’t help but notice it because the rebound force felt from the opponent’s sword was so different.

‘Just what changed…?’

A moment ago, the disciples of Mount Hua were running like beasts. No, it would be better to say they were possessed by wild cats.

But those rough and messy sword movements became heavier, solid and stronger.

‘Is this possible in the middle of a fight?’

Of course, swords could change at any time. Unless martial arts were strictly followed, the sword was bound to change throughout life.

But from the moment one entered a battle, the sword’s nature changed, and that too in a short period?

It was absurd.

Pat!

A Blood Hound gritted his teeth and pushed his saber faster. The disciples of Mount Hua, who were previously adamant about speed in swinging their swords, were now being accurate with their movements.

Right. This resembled the sword of Chung Myung, who was going against Go Hong.

‘These damned brats!’

Of course, they couldn’t be compared to Chung Myung. The abyss of the sword was frightening. However, even though the depth of it was shallow, it began to resemble the sword of Chung Myung.

‘They are training with us in front of them?’

The Blood Hound’s face contorted at this.

Why wouldn’t he be angry?

At that moment, the disciples of Mount Hua were learning the sword. He didn’t seem like one to have such feelings, but the moment he saw the children acting like children, his nature changed.

‘How dare these people!’

Goosebumps rose on his body.

Martial arts was something they built up.

No matter how young the children were, they must have accumulated several years of training and experience through hardships.

The warriors lived on the foundation they built. Twisting and changing that foundation was scary, even for those who learned and tried to redefine martial arts.

But was it this easy?

‘No, it wasn’t that.’

It wasn’t a question of reasoning anymore. This was a trust on par with blindness. It came from the hopeless belief that this direction could never be wrong and that this change couldn’t be bad for them.

‘These insane people.’

Those in front had no doubt that those fighting behind them would handle the attacks, and those following them accepted the teachings without hesitation right in the midst of the battle.

Was there any other sect in the world that would do something this insane?

Kakang!

No matter how hard one tried, the attacks were being blocked.

Until mere moments ago, they managed to pierce the defense and even wound the disciples of Mount Hua, but now, as if they were going against an iron wall, they hadn’t been able to pierce that foundation.

Like Chung Myung blocking the stormy blade of Go Hong, the disciples of Mount Hua, too, were firmly blocking their opponent.

And.

Paaat!

A sword extended out in an instant and cut through the side of the panicked Blood Hound.

“Ts!”

It felt like the sword had moved twice as fast now. But the Blood Hound knew that it wasn’t that the sword was faster.

But that the disciple’s defense had turned into a perfect offense.

As defense became possible, those who regained their composure managed to see more chances.

Of course, they understood it intellectually, but none of it made sense to them. How could they comprehend and manage that during a fight? Especially when the opponent’s strength was twice their own number?

“This trash!”

He screamed at the top of his lungs and thrust his sword, but the response he received was not the same as before.

The disciple of Mount Hua, who raised his voice even louder as if refusing to be defeated, lightly struck the sword and stared directly at the opponent.

Those eyes began to increasingly oppress the Blood Hound.

Eyes without a hint of doubt. The kind of gaze that only those confident in their path could possess.

The swords of the Blood Hound lost confidence at this and turned dull.

‘Lower.’

‘Do not lose focus now.’

‘Do not be fooled by that flashy movement.’

It wasn’t something that could be solved by running around frantically.

Why had they forgotten?

In the end, martial arts only held value when centered. Even though expanding might be beneficial, it must be heavy and burdensome.

Inspired by victory and intoxicated with growth, they momentarily forgot the true purpose of Mount Hua’s sword, even though they had heard it repeatedly.

A single sword conveyed more than a thousand words. The faces of the Mount Hua disciples, who were watching Chung Myung’s sword from the corner of their eyes, were extremely cautious.

Thung.

The ground on which Baek Cheon stood shook.

The heavily swung sword struck down the flying three swords, then changed direction for a moment and flew in without hesitation, covering the Blood Hounds with numerous plum blossoms.

“Ackkkk!”

Defend heavily, attack sharply.

‘This is it!’

Something that seemed elusive was now resting at their fingertips.

Every time one moved forward, they had to look back at the basics. This was a simple fact that everyone should know. However, it was a characteristic of martial arts that not everyone could master.

‘Who was I trying to teach!’

Embarrassment overwhelmed him.

Though he was still a learner, he had looked down on the other disciples because he was slightly ahead. He believed he could impart the numerous things he had learned.

But at that moment, Baek Cheon realized once again. Above everything else, the priority was self-improvement. For any reason, straying from this path was not an option.

Paaat!

His sword pierced the heart of the Blood Hound.

It wasn’t the mouth that led people but their actions. And teaching wasn’t about logic but about the sword.

Chung Myung was demonstrating that at that moment.

The other Five Swords seemed to share Baek Cheon’s sentiment, so they swung their swords with more determination.

‘Now…!’

Baek Cheon dashed towards the shocked Blood Hound like a flash of light.

“You people aren’t our opponents at all!”

The disciples of Mount Hua, who were resolute and cautious, responded to their voices with their swords.

Kwaaaak!

Amidst the storm of Blade Qi, Chung Myung appeared serene.

Regardless of its many purposes and ideologies, a sword was just a sword. All one could do was swing, stab, and counterattack.

Kwaaang!

His sword, flying in a straight line, lightly struck the side of the blade that fell like a thunderbolt towards the head.

Kakang!

Then, with a sharp sound, the blade shot out at an incredible speed.

It flew straight toward Chung Myung’s side again, but it missed the slender sword, and even when it quickly stabbed again, it hit the blade with a sharp movement and was pushed away.

Chung Myung blocked all the flying attacks with minimal movement and no unnecessary action.

“Euk….”

Sweat poured down from Go Hong’s entire body like rain. His dantian felt like it was being stabbed with a needle, and his heart felt like it would explode.

The repeated hits, made while he was barely breathing, severely depleted the stamina of his blade.

Still, he couldn’t stop.

The moment this path stopped, defeat would be certain. Having exhausted all his stamina and strength, he would never be able to launch an attack like this again.

So, he had to somehow win this match with a series of attacks.

A sweet smell escaped his mouth. The blood vessels in his body were bursting, unable to handle the pressure of blood flowing twice as fast as usual.

Blood dripped down his nose, but before it could fall, it evaporated due to the wind pressure and the heat.

‘Fall down… please fall! Just fall down!’

However, no matter how much he wielded the blade and struggled, the opponent in front of him continued to maintain his position.

He perfectly parried the incoming attack with an eerie look in his eyes.

Goosebumps ran all over Go Hong’s body.

This was fear.

‘Why!’

His muscles began to tear.

‘Why aren’t you falling down!’

His weak knees buckled, and his strength drained away.

“Why!!!”

Go Hong, who had poured every last drop of his qi into the blade, finally delivered a full hit. It was such a perfect strike that one wondered if he had ever struck a blow like this in his entire blade teachings.

His mind, body, and internal qi became one. After a moment of silence, the sword struck like a storm.

“Haahhhhhhh!”

The final blow, which risked everything, fell with a ferocious force as if it was going to cut Chung Myung in two.

And at that moment.

Chung Myung’s force, which had so far calmly met the attack, changed.

Wheik!

A fierceness that seemed to burn the skin surged out. Chung Myung had the most eerie smile on his face as he lunged ahead to attack.

Wooong!

As if in response to his intention, the Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword moved, and dozens of hundreds of red plum blossoms soon began to bloom.

‘What?’

Go Hong’s blade, which had the power to split the land, fell into this plum forest.

Kakakakakakak!

The petals were torn and crushed as they touched the sword. From the beginning, it seemed impossible for the delicate and light plum blossom sword qi to block Go Hong’s attack.

However.

Newly blooming plum blossoms filled the void left by the fallen ones.

The 24 Movement Plum Blossom Sword Technique, Plum Blossom Slow and Gradual, was in action.

No matter how strong Go Hong’s blade was, it couldn’t crush all hundred thousand blooming plum blossoms.

The enhanced iron, harder than the normal one, began to slowly chip away. The blade, which seemed as if it would collapse the mountain below, quickly lost its force and got buried and twisted among the blooming plum blossoms.

Paaat!

Soon, the flow of the soaring plum blossoms wrapped around Go Hong’s blade.

Kaaang!

His blade was cut in half while it was still in the air.

Paaat!

Amid the fluttering plum blossoms, Chung Myung appeared like an illusion. With cold eyes, he plunged into Go Hong’s chest.

Eukk!

An extremely frightening sound spread through the battlefield.

Go Hong slowly looked down at his chest. The pure white blade was stuck almost to the handle where his heart would be. He felt fortunate that he couldn’t see the blade sticking out of his back.

“Cough!”

Thud.

His body, as sturdy as a steel tower, shook.

With each difficult step he took backward, the blade of the sword was slowly being pulled out, and red blood poured out.

“This… this cannot be….”

Blood began to flow back through his mouth. When Go Hong opened his mouth to say something, it poured out, leaving a red trail.

“This cannot be… it is clear… Mount Hua is… below me… as opponents…”

Go Hong’s words couldn’t continue any longer.

His mouth was always open, but he could no longer make any sound.

Chung Myung watched quietly and approached him without saying a word. Go Hong’s voice, as if he was dying at any moment, could be heard faintly.

“… I… I….”

Paaat!

Slash!

Soon, Go Hong’s severed head soared into the air. The headless body stumbled and fell to the ground like an old, rotten tree.

Thud!

Chung Myung gazed at the fallen Go Hong indifferently and spoke softly.

“For those who don’t work hard, talent is a luxury.”

It wouldn’t be a bad thing since he had learned that lesson with his life on the line.