A new hole appeared on the Sword Wall—a small one, about the size of two fists, distinct from the original marks left by the Great Martial Emperor’s strike. Unlike the original, which pierced clean through, this mark didn’t reveal the other side; it simply faded, indicating the sword’s energy dissipated before reaching full force.

The Gongdong Sect martial artists were slightly disappointed. They had heard that, in Shaolin, heaven and earth turned upside down and that at Mount Hwasan, qi petals blossomed like whirlwinds. Yet, all Cheong’s strike seemed to produce was a direct, unadorned beam of sword energy without …