His fingertips felt like they were being crushed.

No, it wasnt just his fingers.

His entire body screamed in pain as if a heavy bell had been placed on his arms and shoulders.

The sword qi hadnt yet reached the tip of Yoon Jongs sword.

It was indeed a force that had to be referred to as terrifying, and it was so fearsome that just a glance was enough to instill fear in him.

Entirely different.

Though strong, he couldnt be compared with the High Priest of the Demonic Sect. The power that man wielded was so potent that calling him a walking disaster wasnt an exaggeration.

But if there was something else

I will have to endure this alone.

The fight was different when Chung Myung was there. This was a battle where Baek Cheon, Yu Yiseol, and Jo Gul couldnt support him.

Both victory and defeat rested solely on Yoon Jongs shoulders.

Which is why I cannot lose now.

Wooooo!

The internal qi from his dantian began to circulate through his body along with his qi and blood. Since the day he took the additional pill and elixirs, Yoon Jong has made a constant effort to increase his internal qi.

The fruits of those efforts were now at the tip of his sword.

Chaaak!

The moment the surge of sword qi met his sword tip, it split to the left and right.

Tsk!

A groan escaped Yoon Jongs mouth. It felt like his arm could break at any moment.

He felt like he was standing in the middle of a flowing river, swinging his sword to cut through the incoming water. Such a feat was impossible to begin with, but now he had to make the impossible possible.

What would Jo Gul have done?

There was nothing to think about. As he had demonstrated a moment ago, Jo Gul would have dodged it and then, like some flying squirrel, stabbed his sword into his opponents body.

Yoon Jong didnt possess the knack for seizing the gap in movement and attacking by risking his body.

Woah!

Crack!

The sound of bones being crushed. His sword felt heavy as if new metal rocks had been attached.

What would Sasuk have done?

Well, it was quite obvious.

Baek Cheon wouldnt have done anything odd. He would have rushed ahead and pierced through the sword qi flowing like a river. He would have clashed against it with his own strength and moved ahead.

Right, like a hero in a story.

But Yoon Jong didnt have such strength, nor was he a genius.

Cough!

Something felt hot in his throat.

It seemed like something inside couldnt resist the pressure and began to bleed. The fishy smell of blood filled his nose.

I dont have it.

Yoon Jongs eyes sank.

If it were Yu Yiseol, this kind of sword qi wouldnt have even touched her. She was bold enough to avoid it and clear her path simultaneously.

Chung Myung? If that bastard were here, he would have crushed everything and broken the head of the opponent with the sheath.

But Yoon Jong couldnt do that.

Such dazzling talent.

Yoon Jongs gaze slowly returned. It was difficult to absorb the rushing qi, but he couldnt look back now. He didnt know how to ignore the third-class disciples who were looking up to him now with pride.

So what about me?

There was no talent, so would he sit down and watch as the geniuses ran wild?

How amusing.

I!

He gritted his teeth and cheered for himself.

HAVE MY OWN WAY!

Humans could not stop a waterfall, nor could they stop a rushing river. And so, in Baek Cheons eyes, Yoon Jong was in a dangerous situation.

He had been looking at Yoon Jong with a stern look, but the moment he was about to step forward, Chung Myung stretched his arms out and held him back.

Baek Cheon flinched and turned around.

Just keep an eye on him, you genius brat.

All this time, Chung Myungs eyes had never left Yoon Jong. Baek Cheon felt frustrated and shouted.

Arent you being reckless now! To face that thing head-on

Sasuk can do it, but not sahyung?

Why are you doing this!

Because you think like this.

Baek Cheon fell silent.

In fact, he knew it in his head. He would have faced it head-on if he had been on the stage because that was the surest way to win.

But

Have I been looking down on Yoon Jong?

Chung Myung glanced at Baek Cheons face and smiled.

You shouldnt look so serious over a joke.

Because it is natural to have such thoughts. It is a burden for sahyung.

Then why?

But you see, about Yoon Jong sahyung.

Chung Myung spoke calmly as he looked at Yoon Jong, who was now swept away by the sword qi and could not be seen.

He is the one who carries the most burden.

Baek Cheon thought for a moment and then asked with a stern look.

Why does it have to be like that? Cant the others help? It isnt that I dont get what you said, but this is

No. Sasuk is the one who doesnt get it.

Chung Myung shook his head.

Sasuk is the one who makes the name of Mount Hua known to the world. He is the one who should shine the brightest.

I

But sasuks sword cannot continue.

The reason was simple.

Baek Cheon was a genius.

It didnt have to be talent shining brightly to make the world tremblejust talent a bit ahead of others. That alone pushed others down.

But cant I help?

Right.

Can those over there fully understand and follow sasuks sword?

Baek Cheons gaze returned to where Chung Myung was standing. The third-class disciples were all looking at Yoon Jong with an earnest look.

And Baek Cheon couldnt answer back.

He had been constantly training the second and third-class disciples. But in the end, it was just basics, physical strength, and sparring; no proper sword skills were taught.

The reason?

On the surface, it was because there was Un Geom and Chung Myung for Mount Hua.

And Baek Cheon knew it deep down. It was a lie. He couldnt teach them properly. Because having basic talent and understanding something is different.

It is the same with sahyung, sago, and even Jo Gul sahyung. I can only ask myself why they cant do something that easy. I cannot, for the life of me, understand how people born with normal talent learn how to use a sword.

So you just endure?

Right, to be precise, dont be influenced.

Chung Myung said it with a cold voice.

The martial arts of a sect should be made for those who cannot understand it. Martial arts, which only geniuses can learn, will eventually be lost.

Sects are not places to bring in geniuses. Places that make normal ones strong are those which can be called prestigious sects, and only such places will survive in history.

The most important thing in a sect wasnt nurturing geniuses but nurturing normal people who entered the sect with no talent.

The current Mount Hua was horrifyingly deformed. In order to improve the skills and reputation in a short duration, Chung Myung focused on improving the skills of the Five Swords of Mount Hua.

It was natural to make talented people stronger, but there was a reaction to it.

Is there anyone among them who has the will to defeat sasuk?

No, because they would think that they were born differently from him.

Baek Cheon, Yu Yiseol, and Jo Gul were the ideal geniuses for them. The method of growth was different.

And the person who provided hope for such people is Yoon Jong.

One of the Five Swords without any talent. A person who came through the tough journey with the other Five Swords, even without possessing any talent.

A normal person doesnt shine brightly and just fulfills the role by persevering.

And so

He shines brighter than anyone else.

The answer to how to make up for the lack of talent was right there. There was a guide for those who felt lacking and low. Those who made the name of a sect shine were geniuses, but those who lead the sect shouldnt be geniuses.

Sect leaders must be the ones who lead people.

A person who became a sect leader must be someone who leads people.

The reason was that even though Chung Myung was strong in the past, no one in Mount Hua tried to make him the sect leader.

That was Chung Muns place.

The long list of sect leaders for sects was filled by those who served as the guideposts for those who wanted to follow.

Do you know what the biggest drawback in Yoon Jong sahyung is?

I dont.

He knows it all too well.

What does that mean?

Instead of answering, Chung Myung looked at Yoon Jong.

He knows it all so well that there isnt much he has to know.

Yoon Jong already knew it. That only he could show the other sajaes. And his defeat would be the defeat of the sajaes.

The burden on his shoulders was heavier than what Baek Cheon had, who carried the name of Mount Hua.

Endure it.

Chung Myungs eyes showed a hint of pity.

This was something that Chung Myung couldnt solve or help. Because it was something that Chung Myung never had to do.

This was something Yoon Jong would have to figure out on his own.

Dont worry.

At that time, Jo Gul, who had been silently watching Yoon Jong, spoke.

Sahyung will not lose.

The one who knew Yoon Jong the best was Jo Gul, the one staring with unwavering eyes.

It isnt like sahyung isnt worthy of it.

He knew that these words didnt come without reason; it was blind faith. And for now, Chung Myung wanted to believe those words.

Instead of fighting against something strong, one should let it go or avoid it.

But everyone knows that is easier said than done.

That was something only those with strength could choose. But Yoon Jong was desperate now.

But.

I can endure as much as I can.

His feet should grip the ground more firmly than the roots of a giant tree, and his lower body should support him firmly. He kept his back straight, maintained the force drawn from the ground, and tried to relax his body slowly.

Like a tree, a plum tree blooming on Mount Hua.

That is what it is.

And then he realized it again.

What was the basic form the teachers emphasized once? The one form that Chung Myung hit them to maintain?

Taoist.

A Taoist resembled nature.

If one simply followed the teachings of those who lead, at some point, one would become a tree, a part of nature.

This was the teaching that Mount Hua had accumulated over hundreds of years. That voice conveyed it to the disciples.

I know.

The sahyung and sajaes were watching his back.

But there was no way that something good would happen just because they were watching and giving him cheers. Will is will, and strength is strength.

This was a fight he had to endure alone.

Crack.

His little finger, which was firmly pressed to his sword handle, ended up twisting at an odd angle. The pressure his body was feeling was crushing it.

What will I say to them?

There was nothing.

It was difficult to handle anything alone. What could he even teach his sajaes now?

He continued to struggle with everything.

Desperately, he mustered up every last drop of qi! Even if a typhoon raged and swept the mountain, the roots embedded in the land continued to spread endlessly, even if the branches broke and the flowers were torn.

That was how trees lived.

How many trees were there in the plum forest? Viewed in isolation, they werent beautiful and didnt produce the most beautiful flowers either. But when they all came together and bloomed at the same time, the mountain turned red, and finally, it created a sight everyone craved.

Crack.

Even his ring finger was broken and twisted.

Although intense pain was felt, Yoon Jongs expression didnt change at all.

Endure.

And finally

Light red plum blossoms started to bloom quietly from the tips of the branches, which seemed as though they would break during the typhoon.