“…”

It felt as if the blood in his entire body had suddenly turned cold.

Baek Cheon, who was watching, found himself forgetting to breathe.

‘This…’

A place where Chung Myung rose.

The view of an elder of Wudang.

“Phew…”

Only then did he exhale lightly.

He was tired of watching Chung Myung fight. However, this was the first time he had seen Chung Myung fight so fervently against an opponent who allowed him to fully showcase his skills, one after another.

‘This is what a real swordsman is.’

There was no artistic fight like he had imagined.

What was visible was a truly grueling struggle, so intense it couldn’t even be described as bloody anymore.

“Sasuk…”

“…Yes.”

Jo Gul also seemed to be in shock, his voice turning quiet.

Was he strong?

That kind of question was nice to ask.

Was there anyone here who didn’t know how strong Chung Myung was? There was no one who would find it strange if he fought on equal footing with a Wudang elder, at least none of the Five Swords of Mount Hua would consider it odd.

But it was how extreme Chung Myung was fighting that made them so nervous that they couldn’t even exhale in peace.

Equally matching someone who was undoubtedly strong

Baek Cheon clearly witnessed at this moment how to use the most basic things, which anyone in martial arts would know, in execution.

He didn’t miss even the slightest skill, executing each move as if gambling with his life, and once he had a chance to win, he was relentlessly pushing the opponent without resting even for a moment, to secure that win.

This was the martial arts he knew, but still, it felt so unfamiliar to him. No, maybe it wasn’t something he knew at all.

‘Can we fight like this?’

Baek Cheon realized this once again.

What did it mean to say that learning martial arts wasn’t everything?

What would be the result if the current Baek Cheon fought equally against Chung Myung?

He probably wouldn’t even last 20 seconds before ending up like minced meat. Even if he fought not just with Chung Myung, who was strong now, but with a Chung Myung of the same strength as Baek Cheon.

Even if he had the strength to withstand the sword, he lacked the talent to deal with the improvisations. At this point, it wasn’t just Chung Myung’s amazing swordsmanship that was shocking. Still, the fact that Heo Gong could withstand so much was astonishing.

His blood circulated twice as fast, and his mouth felt dry.

Except for Chung Myung, all the Five Swords now looked lost. In particular, Yu Yiseol, who usually maintains a cold expression, now had a shocked look.

‘The others…’

Baek Cheon glanced back.

If the Five Swords, who had been observing Chung Myung’s growth and actions all this time, were this shocked, then what about the other disciples?

Sure enough, the other Mount Hua disciples were all staring at the stage with looks of disbelief.

“That…”

Some bit their mouths, and others seemed to want to say something, but in the end, they remained silent.

‘Right.’

Of course, they probably don’t even understand what’s happening on the stage. Even Baek Cheon only catches glimpses of it at times. But there are things one can sense even without fully grasping them.

“Oh my…”

“Chung Myung is…”

Seeing them unable to finish their sentences, Baek Cheon pondered for a moment.

‘Should I tell them?’

What was happening in front of them, and what the difference was?

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

Sometimes, experiencing and feeling something is better than understanding it through detailed explanations.

And above all…

‘I don’t want to distract them.’

This might be a bit selfish.

Chung Myung was out there trying to show things to the disciples of Mount Hua. If he decided to step in, the attention might shift to him.

And Baek Cheon didn’t want to do that now.

As a swordsman holding the sword, he couldn’t let this go.

‘Show us more.’

How high and strong he was.

How high was the place they needed to reach?

Baek Cheon clenched his fist so tightly that it turned white.

Mu Jin suddenly felt a pain in his hand and looked down.

Drip.

There was blood dripping down from his fists, which were clenched so tightly that they turned white.

His fingernails dug into his palms and tore the flesh. If the wound had been bleeding enough, he would have noticed it long ago, but he hadn’t until now.

Mu Jin, who looked at his hand, looked up at the stage again.

‘Revenge?’

He couldn’t even laugh at this.

‘Can I even get revenge?’

Against him? Against Chung Myung?

‘What was I even looking at until now?’

It was naturally expected that Chung Myung would get stronger. And considering his age and talent, it was natural for his growth to be amazing.

But he thought it wouldn’t be a problem for him. Considering the nature of Wudang’s martial arts, he thought even if he couldn’t take down Chung Myung right away, he could do it in a matter of time.

Looking at the spar in front of him, Mu Jin was forced to realize how vain and delusional he was.

‘On par with an elder…’

No, no…

If he was going to look objectively, they weren’t on par; it was Chung Myung with the upper hand. If he wasn’t a disciple of Wudang, he wouldn’t be worried about this.

But was this possible?

Of course, there were monsters in the world and also geniuses beyond common sense. But even so, it was difficult to imagine that a young disciple of Mount Hua would have an advantage over an elder of Wudang.

Mu Jin turned his head without realizing it.

He was curious about Heo Sanja. If he could look, then he could tell whether Heo Gong was actually going against Chung Myung or if he was really being pushed.

But he soon regretted seeing it.

“…”

He had never seen it before.

The expression Heo Sanja had…

Heo Sanja wasn’t someone who could easily hide his emotions. There had been countless times when embarrassment and frustration were clearly visible on his face. Still, he had never seen such an expression before.

That…

‘Is it fear then?’

But, it seemed nonsensical to suggest that an elder of Wudang was feeling fear. No matter how strong Chung Myung was, it’s improbable that he could intimidate someone whom the other elders of Wudang could not deal with.

But… what if Heo Sanja wasn’t reacting to Chung Myung as he was now but to the potential he saw in Chung Myung’s future? Then, wouldn’t it be possible for him to feel scared?

“…Heo Gong.”

His name escaped Heo Sanja’s lips like a groan.

Following that, Mu Jin’s gaze also shifted to the stage. Dressed in the robe of Wudang and wielding his sword, Heo Gong approached Chung Myung.

Throb! Throb!

His feet felt hot as if he were walking on flames.

The pain was akin to his feet being constantly stabbed with iron skewers, and for a moment, he even felt dizzy. However, he didn’t even consider checking the wounds.

Because the beast that had bitten his foot was now drawing closer.

A gait that was as silent as a whisper, as if approaching prey while holding one’s breath. Heo Gong painfully realized that he had become the prey.

‘This is me?’

Prey?

Heo Gong, an elder of Wudang?

The tip of his sword trembled, and it felt as though his blood had turned cold.

Yet, the pain in both feet forced him to restrain himself from unleashing his anger.

Could this be described as a mystery?

It wasn’t a long fight, but that brief encounter had taken too much from Heo Gong.

The wounds on his feet weren’t old. Even if his feet were crushed, he could still stand on them. It didn’t matter if they were collided with or distorted. Because the Taiji arts, one of the most stable internal qi arts in the world, were now healing his injuries.

But there was nothing he could do about these trembling fingers. They showed no signs of calming down.

‘It doesn’t feel like I’m fighting a person.’

It felt like he was going against a beast he had barely stopped from killing. It felt like the sharp fangs of the beast were slowly inching closer.

And if he had snapped, the fangs, called a sword, would definitely plunge into his throat and rip an artery out. And all of this wasn’t letting him calm down.

As the cold sweat began to drip down to the child, Chung Myung said,

“It is because you are nervous. Can you even hold your sword properly?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Heo Gong bit his lips.

They matched well. But unlike Heo Gong, whose body felt stiff with fear, this young man felt calm.

In some ways, this was more humiliating than being pushed back. Heo Gong had been training his entire life to become the best swordsman out there. And now, he was losing his confident mindset to this young man?

Clench.

Heo Gong gritted his teeth, raised the sword to shoulder height, and pulled it slightly. Soon, the sword was aimed at Chung Myung. It was an expression of the will that there was no need for words.

Chung Myung smiled. He could even tell what Heo Gong was thinking without an answer.

‘If something like a mindset changes like this, then no one would go through any hardships.’

Heo Gong was strong.

And his guess was that no other elder in Wudang could take this boy down. Considering this, his talent had to be real, and his attitude towards the sword didn’t seem bad.

Of course, he couldn’t be compared with the past elders of Wudang, but he was someone definitely worth being acknowledged.

The solidity of his sword was due to the basics, strength management, and, above all, the hard work he did without resting, and that was something that could surely be traced back to Seol Chun-seong of the Ice Palace.

But.

Heo Gong was weak.

Chung Myung just displayed that.

This was a sword that he completed alone.

Heo Gong has probably never put his life at risk while fighting against someone. He may have gone through tough times in life and won them, too, but he never stood tall in the face of a life-and-death battle.

Talent, effort, time—even with all of them, Heo Gong was someone who was secured and protected like a delicate flower within the sect.

“So sick of this.”

Wheik.

Chung Myung mumbled lightly, turning the sword and holding it; he slightly lowered his stance.

Soon, his blood-soaked teeth were visible again.

“It looks like I am the one who needs to teach you a lesson.”

Chung Myung’s feet touched the ground.

Kwak!

A sound so loud that it was hard to believe a human body made it. And Chung Myung moved like lightning.

Heo Gong gritted his teeth.

‘Calmly…’

Chung Myung smiled like a demon and stabbed the sword at Heo Gong.

A stab that was not complex. An attack that wasn’t tough to block. Naturally, Heo Gong raised his sword to stop it.

That moment.

Kwaang!

“Kuak!”

Before his sword could be stopped by Heo Gong, the tip of Chung Myung’s sword pierced through the blade of Heo Gong and pushed it.

Heo Gong looked so embarrassed at this.

‘I-it moved?’

The distance was still far for the sword to arrive. If his hand hadn’t moved on instinct, his throat would have been pierced.

It seemed like this sword had turned twice the length of itself. But he had no time to think.

Paaay! Paaat!

This was because successive stabs were aimed at his entire body.

“Ahhh!”

Heo Gong, who let out a shout, struck Chung Myung’s sword.

But!

Chaaang!

Crack!

Chung Myung, who jumped up, threw all his weight and hit Heo Gong. Although he was able to block it in time, the blow was so strong that he heard the sound of bone cracking in his wrist.

Kakakak!

“You know that?”

“…”

As Chung Myung spoke, Heo Gong was shocked.

‘To be free to talk…’

“Blocking isn’t all, kid.”

At that moment, Chung Myung’s hand, which was holding the sword, went down; naturally, the direction of the tip of the sword was aimed upwards.

Kwang!

And with one hit, he pushed Heo Gong’s sword out.

‘What?’

It was a hit that perfectly used strength to push the sword up.

‘Wudang’s…’

Chung Myung’s elbow struck Heo Gong in midair.