If That Were A Human. (1)

“Run faster! More!”

Geum Yang-Baek swallowed the lump of blood rising in his throat and shoved the elders forward.

Those who had devoted decades of life to martial arts learning were struggling even to keep pace with their disciples.

‘What kind of vicious poison is this…’

Poisons are naturally dangerous.

But for those who have reached a certain level, they are not that terrifying.

No matter the poison, if one can govern their body they can expel it.

This was common knowledge in the murim world, a theory they all knew well.

But on this hellish battlefield, none of that familiar knowledge held true.

Even if one could control poison with internal qi, who on a battlefield fighting with all their might could preserve their full internal qi?

Moreover, with enemies screaming and blades flying, when would there be time to circulate one’s qi?

Unless they had reached the Enhanced Moving realm that allows practicing while running, but in Southern Island no one had reached that level.

The Enhanced Moving realm isn’t entered simply by increasing martial power.

“Gurgle!”

“Elder Lee!”

Geum Yang-Baek quickly grabbed the collapsing elder’s shoulder.

If he hadn’t held him up, the elder would have fallen and never risen again.

“Are you all right?”

“I-I’m fine… gurgle!”

Black blood surged again from Elder Lee’s mouth.

When the poison circulates, violent movement worsens the poisoning.

But they had no other choice now.

They had to endure it all and just run.

Geum Yang-Baek gritted his teeth.

How many of them would actually survive the poison?

If enemies swarmed them in this state, could they even swing a sword properly?

Kaaang!

At that moment, a sharp sound like metal being scraped rang out.

Turning hurriedly, they saw a blade spin and soar into the air.

And beside it, a person’s head shot up with it.

’ Mount Hua’s Sword Saint!’

Chung Myung stood like an iron wall, stopping those who charged like starving beasts.

Paaaat!

The thrust sword sliced sharply at the inside of an elbow.

The blade, losing control from the strike, slipped from the hand and shot into the air.

The sword that half-severed the opponent’s arm plunged straight into the heart of a Ten Thousand People Clan warrior.

“Guh…”

Kwaduk!

The embedded sword spun.

Before he could even realize he wasn’t dead, before he could try to muster strength to act, the spinning blade severed all his vital channels and shattered his insides.

A killing sword that allowed no chance of counterattack.

There was no waste in Chung Myung’s sword movement.

Yet at the same time, Chung Myung’s sword was horrifyingly extravagant.

From the perspective of martial learning, actions like stabbing, cutting off an arm, and then twisting out a blade plunged into the heart are utterly useless flourishes.

If the ideal is to strike the enemy’s vital point quickly and accurately, Chung Myung’s sword was completely removed from that ideal.

Yet paradoxically, that useless extravagance made Chung Myung’s sword supremely effective.

A sword technique found in no Mount Hua manual, used only by Chung Myung, was ruthlessly cutting down the approaching foes.

“Huaaah!”

But the Ten Thousand People Clan warriors were no pushovers either.

Even though those who approached the Mount Hua’s Sword Saint were becoming mere struggling spirits, the Ten Thousand People Clan’s light-footed charge showed not a hint of hesitation.

Kwaduk!

One pierced through the chest suddenly drove the Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword embedded in his ribcage back down.

Bang!

It was to be sure madness.

The embedded sword couldn’t bear the weight of the blade and sagged downwards.

Of course the wound was so severe that even Great Immortal Dara couldn’t save him; his entrails were severed instantly.

It was almost self-harm, but in return Chung Myung’s sword froze for a moment.

Then the charging Ten Thousand People Clan warriors stomped the ground as if to shatter their legs.

“Dieeeee!”

No explanation was needed for what it meant when a swordsman’s blade was locked down.

But Chung Myung’s response exceeded their expectations.

Paaaat!

Chung Myung drove the downward-pointing sword into the ground with that same momentum.

Kwaak!

The moment the sword pierced through and stuck into the earth, Chung Myung’s left hand shot out like lightning in speed and struck the sword’s hilt.

Kwaaang!

The sword’s hilt struck like a bomb launched at close range, flinging the Ten Thousand People Clan warrior before him.

Those charging from behind flinched for an instant.

Dodge? Or push through?

No, whatever they decided made no difference.

Because from the moment they faltered, their fate was already decided.

Taaang!

A sound like a tightly drawn wooden bow snapping rang out as a greenish tensile force struck the Ten Thousand People Clan warriors one after another.

Bamboo Leaf Hand.

An energetic tension that, uncharacteristic of Mount Hua’s focus on change and illusion, emphasized speed and power.

The utterly practical tension halted the charging men.

Whoosh.

Chung Myung immediately kicked up the sword stuck in the ground and caught it in midair.

And he thrust it out again.

Paaaat!

As the sword flew at terrifying speed, one Ten Thousand People Clan warrior reflexively swung his blade to deflect it.

No, he intended to chop it down.

But at that moment.

Sudden stop!

The blade that had been flying at impossible speed, unbelievably, came to a stop right there.

‘What?’

The Ten Thousand People Clan warrior’s eyes widened as he prepared to swing his blade.

‘It, it stopped…’

But the blade, already swung with all his might, could no longer be stopped.

The blade he had swung to stop the blade passed it and continued outward to the side.

All the world around him, including his own blade, violently moved, yet that sword alone remained fixed as if time itself had frozen.

And then.

Paaaat!

At that moment the frozen time began to flow again.

The suspended blade resumed at its original speed and plunged into the space the blade had just vacated.

It was an absurd situation where one could see everything clearly yet do nothing.

Amid all this, the Ten Thousand People Clan warrior etched Chung Myung’s cold gaze into his mind.

Kwaduk!

A searing sensation spread the moment the sword pierced the throat.

The sword that pierced straight through then drew horizontally, slicing another attacker’s throat at once.

The Ten Thousand People Clan’s assault did not stop even then.

One blade lunged at Chung Myung’s sword, another thrust toward his torso.

No matter that the Mount Hua’s Sword Saint was a peak swordsman, they thought if they could lock his blade’s movement they could somehow handle him.

Having felled countless opponents stronger than themselves in many fights, they knew what to do.

But Chung Myung was not an ordinary warrior they had faced before.

Instead of dodging the blade aimed at his blade, Chung Myung countered with an unhesitating fierce strike.

Kaaang!

With an ear-splitting metallic noise, the incoming blade was knocked back.

But seizing that opening, a blade emitting azure aura shot toward Chung Myung’s torso at terrifying speed.

Chung Myung leapt backward without hesitation, but retreating could not outpace the thrusting blade.

‘Got it…’

Just as the Ten Thousand People Clan warrior who thrust the blade prepared to cheer inwardly, the retreating Chung Myung quickly reached toward the blade nearly touching his chest.

Snap!

He grabbed the blade with his bare hand.

The warrior, startled enough that his heart seemed to leap into his throat, gaped without meaning to.

Grab it with his hand? A blade imbued with aura?

No matter how much martial aura was in his hand, if that were possible, who would ever carry a sword?

But there was no time to ponder further.

The freed sword flew at the Ten Thousand People Clan warrior’s throat at tremendous speed.

Screeeech!

There was likely no pain.

The Ten Thousand People Clan warrior’s head was cleanly severed in one strike; he flailed forward and collapsed.

Kwang!

Chung Myung kicked the corpse aside and thrust his sword forward immediately.

Kakang! Kang!

The sword quickly traversed between two blades that flew like a matched pair.

Like opening a door with both hands, he twisted the blades with his sword.

Then Chung Myung’s left hand emitted a series of crimson tensile energies.

The Plum Blossom Scattering Hands reached their peak.

The crimson-changed tension exploded repeatedly into the flank of the unbalanced Ten Thousand People Clan warrior.

“Aaaaaah!”

His ribs were utterly crushed and his dantian convulsed.

Struck directly by the Plum Blossom Scattering Hands, on the verge of inevitable death he mustered a final strength to swing his blade.

But at that moment, something flew in at light speed and lodged in his forehead.

Kwaduk!

“Ugh…”

A hidden dagger lodged in his brow, and he collapsed without even bringing his blade down.

As if he had anticipated the outcome, Chung Myung had already moved on to others, carving wind-holes through them.

Pook! Pook! Pook! Pook!

“Kyaaaah!”

Those whose throats or hearts were pierced died on the spot, but those wounded in the abdomen or shoulder clung to life and fought back.

Chung Myung’s sword remained extended, not yet retrieved.

Even if a blade flying from behind would sever his neck, they swung their blades determined to at least drive that strike in.

But regrettably, Chung Myung was not their only opponent.

Sseut!

A sword that had extended near Chung Myung’s flank slashed the charging man’s throat in an instant.

It was different from Chung Myung’s brutal swift sword.

Utterly smooth, yet simultaneously the deadliest blade technique.

Blood gushed like a waterfall from the neck whose carotid artery had been cleanly severed.

The whitish blade was stained red in an instant.

But Yu Yiseol, far from wavering, retrieved his sword as if nothing had happened.

And at that moment.

“Taoisttt!”

A cursed roar erupted from Tang Pae’s mouth.

He had spotted something flying over their heads.

True Heaven Bomb!

That cursed device, which had sent Tang Pae’s poison coursing back and poisoned all the Southern Island elders, was flying over Chung Myung’s head.

If it exploded, even Chung Myung… but in that instant Tang Pae saw something.

He saw countless red petals bloom like a vision, reaching out as if to greet the explosive and gently enveloping it.

“Ah…”

Taken by that dreamlike sight, Tang Pae momentarily forgot all reality and cried out in awe.

It was Chung Myung’s indifferent voice that snapped him back to reality.

“Sorry, but…”

Tang Pae’s gaze fixed on Chung Myung for an instant.

He could only see his back, but somehow he understood.

What expression Chung Myung now wore.

“I don’t accept gifts from the Evil Sect.”

Paaaat!

The explosive wrapped in plum petals bounced back at a speed many times greater than when it had flown in.

The Ten Thousand People Clan warriors, seeing the explosive fly over their heads, widened their eyes in shock.

Soon after.

Kwoaaang!

A massive explosion occurred.

The Ten Thousand People Clan warriors who had swarmed like ants were torn to shreds.