Crack!

His muscles twisted and tore.

His mouth opened suddenly in pain as if his body was being crushed. But the eyes of Chung Myung shone through this and were close to madness without even a flutter.

This

Go Hongs eyes were also bloodshot.

It was shocking that a small guy, whose body wasnt even half his size, was fighting back with such strength. An even more humiliating situation was that there was a kid who was on par with Go Hong, who was known to be exceptionally strong.

How dare you!

Go Hongs entire body trembled as he pressed down on Chung Myung.

The natural strength of his body, mixed with internal qi, was truly terrifying.

Hmmm! Ahhhh!

Jik.

Chung Myungs back foot, which served as the axis, was gradually pushed back. At the same time, his upper body, unable to handle the force, was pushed back, and his waist was bent like a bow.

No matter how strong Chung Myung was, it was as if he shouldnt be competing with Go Hong, who managed to take over Green Forest with his strength alone.

But.

Crack.

As Chung Myung gritted his teeth, the blood vessels in his eyes were clear and the whites were turning red.

Woong!

Eventually, the internal qi, which had been dormant in the dantian, rose from his dantian like a dragon rising from a deep slumber, which went around the body.

His internal qi, created by absorbing the purest of the qi in the world, infused new qi into the body, which twisted and screamed.

Ahhhh!

Chung Myungs upper body, which had been tilted back, bounced forward like a spring and pushed Go Hong at once.

Swish!

The two bodies bounced back and were pushed back.

Chiik!

But, this time, they succeeded in holding their balance by dragging themselves along the ground instead of falling down.

Huuh!

Unlike Chung Myung, who slowly took a breath with a stern face, Go Hong couldnt even think about hiding the tough effect on his body.

Go Hong, who had been staring blankly at Chung Myung, looked down at his weapon. His scimitar, more akin to an axe than a sword, had already lost its sharpness and appeared unsightly.

A divine sword?

Indeed, if a sword didnt break against a heavy weapon like this, it must be a divine weapon.

However, divine weapons were used by the most skilled individuals. If his strength and endurance surpassed the boys, even if he possessed a divine weapon, his wrist should have at least been broken.

Yet, this boy managed to stand tall, holding that thin sword. No, he didnt just hold on but pushed back.

How could this be

He had never been overpowered by someone elses strength.

Even renowned warriors seemed like children before him. There was no one in the Green Forest, or anywhere else, who could challenge him like this.

But this little boy was now fighting against him without retreating an inch. It was something he couldnt believe, even as he witnessed it with his own eyes, and something he couldnt comprehend despite experiencing it.

It seems you have quite a bit of confidence in your strength.

Chung Myung smiled and took a step forward. The pressure of confronting Go Hong head-on was greater than he had anticipated.

He continually massaged the wrist holding the sword, but his expression remained relaxed.

I have a bad personality, so when I see you displaying such arrogance, it upsets me.

All expressions drained from Go Hongs face.

For the first time, he understood that when people become too angry, they stop shouting.

Euk.

He let out a short exhale of breath and stared at Chung Myung with emotionless eyes.

Blade qi rose from the scimitar. At first, the blade qi wasnt enough to cover the blade, but it soon began to gush out, extending longer than a persons height.

I really want to behead you and impale your head on a pole, but I guess I wont.

Ho?

I will crush your entire body, leaving not a single piece of flesh behind! Haaap!

Go Hong charged at Chung Myung with terrifying force.

The blade qi that rose from his sword spun around with a frightening intensity.

Despite his large size, he moved with a speed that defied logic, instantly closing the distance. His blade whizzed past Chung Myungs head.

Chung Myung swiftly raised his sword to block.

Kwaaang!

The impact was so immense that the Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom sword, made of cold iron, initially twisted. But Go Hongs attack did not end there.

Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!

The onslaught continued.

The aim was not to slice but to obliterate the opponents body with sheer force.

Applying such tremendous force with a single blow was challenging. It was even more difficult to apply all of ones strength in subsequent attacks.

This was not something that could be achieved merely through martial arts.

The body itself was inherently different.

Recover the force from a strike with an even stronger force. Skills that could only be mastered through countless harsh situations were accomplished solely through instinct.

This!

Chung Myung was so overwhelmed that he was at a loss for words.

Every time the blade fell on him, it felt as though his arms would snap and his feet would sink into the ground.

Before Chung Myungs body could crumble, the ground beneath him began to crack. As the ground broke, it could not withstand the pressure and bounced up.

A relentless barrage of attacks left no room for respite.

It was an onslaught that made one understand why Go Hong was so formidable.

Ahhhhhh!

Go Hong let out another roar and brought his blade down.

Kwaaaang!

At that moment, a sound like the sky falling echoed around them, and Chung Myungs body was launched back like a cannonball.

Kwakwak.

After rolling on the ground a few times, Chung Myung flipped over and resumed his stance. Blood dripped from his lips. His body felt rattled by the successive attacks.

Huh.

He laughed before he could groan in pain.

Why had I been this ignorant?

Indeed, he had lived two lives; among the warriors he had encountered, many were stronger than Go Hong.

But something about Go Hong felt distinctly different. Even a simple technique, which shouldnt have been significant, held tremendous strength in his hands as if it were the best technique.

If you had been born into the Peng family, you would have crushed the heads of Shaolin.

Chung Myung shook his numb wrist and looked at Go Hong calmly.

Kueh.

Go Hong exhaled heavily as if he were preparing to attack again at any moment.

You!!

Kwang!

The earth seemed to rise when his foot hit the ground. Go Hong used that recoil to advance swiftly.

AHHHH!

Dozens of attacks occurred in the blink of an eye. There were no set rules or paths. It was just wild swings of the weapon and a desperate struggle to survive, but its power was enough to change the course of the battle.

His clumsy movements were filled with his qi. He ignored the gaps that were still not filled, as he was willing to sacrifice his flesh to cut down his opponents bones.

It was a clear demonstration of what the Forces of Evil were like.

No sane person would consider enduring this storm of blade qi with their human body.

That!

The disciples of Mount Hua, who were fighting against the Blood Hounds, held their breath as they watched this storm of qi unleashed by Go Hong.

No knowledge or experience in martial arts was necessary to understand that scene. If one had eyes and a brain to process it, they would understand how dangerous it was.

And in front of that storm, Chung Myung stood holding his sword like a lone plum tree on a cliff.

A-avoid it!

Baek Sang was shocked and glanced at Baek Cheon. However, Baek Cheon was too engrossed in battling the Blood Hounds to pay attention to Chung Myung.

It wasnt just Baek Cheon.

Yu Yiseol, Jo Gul, Yoon Jong, and Tang Soso.

None of those who had previously fought alongside Chung Myung were paying him any mind.

They seemed to believe that there was no way Chung Myung would be hit by that attack.

Baek Sang was genuinely taken aback by the trust these people placed in Chung Myung and turned to look at him.

Phew.

Go Hongs blade qi was growing more and more, transforming into a tornado.

Ahhhhh!

L-leader!

The blade qi, which was slowly expanding to the sides, was gradually sweeping away the bandits who couldnt retreat. They were shredded to bits. It seemed as though he couldnt see his surroundings due to the blood rushing to his head.

However, from another perspective, it meant that the power of his blade was so immense that it extended to a range that even those with experience couldnt handle.

It crushed and killed the opponent with sheer force.

A method worthy of being recognized as Forces of Evil.

Chung Myung, who was silently watching this storm approach, moved his feet without a word.

His legs were spread apart.

The sword was held with both hands.

It was a stance that represented the ultimate teachings of the Mount Hua sword. Chung Myungs eyes were calm and focused.

And then he flinched.

At that moment, the Five Swords of Mount Hua, who hadnt paid much attention to Chung Myung until then, turned their gaze towards him.

What is it?

So different from usual?

His aura was different.

It wasnt the sharp and laid-back look that Chung Myung usually had. To be more precise, it was similar to the overwhelming weight that Hae Yeon usually displayed.

Chung Myungs back was completely capturing their attention.

Phew.

Chung Myung took another short breath and looked at the sword in his hand.

A sword was the best tool for a swordsman when practicing sword techniques. By holding it, a swordsman had the ability to expand his possibilities.

The sword could sometimes be sharp, flashy, heavy, and sometimes work like the wind.

Then.

What sword should he show to Mount Huas disciples now?

Un Geom had already spoken all of this.

Plum blossoms adorned the ends of the branches, but the root was what made them bloom. The root was firmly in the ground and established the necessary items for its growth.

It was then that the swirling blade qi was coming towards Chung Myung.

Taoist Chung Myungggg!

The moment Im So-Byeongs scream rang out, Chung Myungs sword moved.

Too slow.

Tung.

Just half an inch or so.

But at that moment, the rushing blade qi hit the sword and bounced back.

Tung!

One after another, the strongest blade qi rushed, but they were all being pushed back by the sword of Chung Myung.

Giant trees that were rooted in the land wouldnt shake in the face of storms.

And behind the mesmerizing plum blossoms, there had to be strength of the trees roots.

Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!

Chung Myungs precise sword attack turned faster.

As the blade qi increased, the speed of Chung Myungs sword movement increased to match.

Meanwhile, Chung Myungs lower body didnt move. It was as if it was rooted down.

What was important were the right intentions.

Even though the tip of the sword might be flashy, the one wielding it had to be straight.

Now, at the tip of Chung Myungs sword, the true intentions and lessons of Mount Huas sword lay.

What is that?

Go Hong thought.

His blade was the most renowned. And the qi around it was enough to crush down a mountain.

But this small sword in front wasnt falling?

Even though he was pushed and fell down and bent again, there was no disturbance in those feet that stepped on the ground or the back. No matter how many times one hit him again and again, he wasnt being pushed even by an inch.

Was this what it felt like to strike a rock that would last for 10,000 years?

This cant be!

Go Hongs eyes turned red, as if they would bleed.

Ahhhhh!

He burst into laughter and infused more qi. If it couldnt be destroyed with this, then he would add more.

After extracting every last bit of qi from his body, he swung his blade at Chung Myungs face, who seemed to want to swallow the world.