Episode 624

“Woah…”

“As expected of sahyung.”

The Mount Hua disciples clenched their fists at the sight of Baek Cheon’s victory.

This spar was so different from the previous ones. Of course, the spars before ended with Mount Hua winning, but it was only because they successfully countered the opponent.

This means that the one who was pushing and attacking was Wudang, and this side was the one who managed to overcome the attacks of Wudang.

But now the atmosphere has changed.

Anyone could see that Baek Cheon controlled the spar’s outcome.

“Against Wudang…”

“… that is what.”

Everyone was shocked by Baek Cheon’s performance, but there were others whose mouths were truly wide.

“That…”

“No, that…”

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong’s surprise at the spar with Wudang was on a different level from just watching this.

‘He cut it?’

‘No, is that even possible?’

Cutting off sword qi was a small thing. All one had to do was refine and create a stronger sword qi than the opponent.

The problem was the features of the opponent’s sword.

“… to cut the water with a knife.”

“It doesn’t make sense…”

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong kept their eyes fixed on Baek Cheon and continued to laugh as if they were dumbfounded.

The sword qi of Wudang was like water. The source of that connection was the sword qi, which flowed continuously from the tip.

Think once.

Was there any way to cut off the flow of water?

Of course, you could cut it. Because the sword qi wasn’t steel. But water would come back together even when cut and struck back when you blocked it.

But now Baek Cheon had cut water. He cut it.

“… yah, Chung Myung.”

“Uh?”

“Is that going to happen?”

“Is there a reason for it not to?”

Jo Gul turned his head and looked at Chung Myung.

“I couldn’t?”

“Because it is sahyung.”

“Can he do it?”

“Because he is sasuk.”

“…”

Jo Gul clenched the sword, and Yoon Jong placed his hand on Jo Gul’s shoulder, shaking his head.

“Don’t. If you get hurt now, you’ll die.”

“…”

Chung Myung glanced at Jo Gul’s red face and smiled.

“Of course, one can’t cut water.”

“Right!”

“But is that water? That is sword qi.”

“…”

Chung Myung spoke harshly.

“Taoist martial arts are nothing more than an imitation of nature. If Mount Hua is about the flower, then Wudang is about flow. Wudang’s martial arts try to resemble unending water, but it cannot become perfect water. Of course, it might be possible, but if that were the case, he would be a great general and not a first-class disciple.”

“Of course, right….”

“In the end, the sword qi continued the flow by drastically reducing the speed at which qi and sword qi were used. No matter how perfectly it imitates water, there are bound to be subtle breaks within.”

Jo Gul’s eyes shook.

“Then he stuck the sword into that tiny gap?”

“Isn’t it simple?”

“… This brat. That is easy to say…”

Jo Gul trailed off from there and looked at Baek Cheon on the stage. Sticking the sword inside the sword qi was no different from understanding the opponent perfectly.

Trying something one wouldn’t even attempt against the sahyung and sajaes they normally sparred with, with someone they just met for the first time?

‘Is he sane?’

He could have been in huge trouble if there was a slight change. Even if one succeeded, the gain wasn’t much, and who would attempt something that had a higher danger from it? Wasn’t that foolish?

‘No, no.’

Jo Gul continued his thoughts, biting his lips.

Baek Cheon did that.

Being confident enough to not fail. The certainty of never making a mistake was something that Jo Gul wouldn’t have, but for Baek Cheon, it didn’t seem tough. This was the difference between Baek Cheon and Jo Gul.

The moment he realized the vast distance, his hands trembled. He knew, of course, that Baek Cheon was stronger, but he thought the gap had recently narrowed.

However, Baek Cheon proved that the distance, which was assumed to have been narrowed, hadn’t.

“….”

Jo Gul, unable to speak, heard Yoon Jong sigh.

“He truly is one who drives people to madness.”

“…”

“Right?”

Jo Gul silently nodded, sympathizing. It was a heavy reaction, uncharacteristic of both Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, who just shook his head.

‘It must be a bigger shock.’

For someone like Yoon Jong, Baek Cheon’s existence wasn’t that big of a deal. Well, he never dreamed of catching up with Baek Cheon in a short period.

But for Jo Gul, it’s different.

‘A diligent genius is like a demon who snatches hope away.’

Those who followed him felt like they were running a race where the finish line got farther and farther away. He was out of breath, legs shaking as if they would break, yet he wanted to get closer, but the finish line kept moving further away.

How could dealing with this despair be easy?

Yoon Jong watched Baek Cheon, who stood on the stage with a devoted look.

Anyway, the biggest shock right now was for Mu Ho.

“…”

In Mu Ho’s eyes were complex emotions that couldn’t be easily explained.

Despair? Frustration?

No.

Despair and frustration only appeared when one acknowledged what had happened before their eyes. But Mu Ho still hadn’t even properly understood the sight he had witnessed.

The sword qi he had worked so hard to acquire all his life was cut in a single move, like child’s play, and there was no way he could admit it.

“This…”

It was a mistake.

No, it was a coincidence. Maybe it was both. At the moment when he made a mistake, Baek Cheon’s sword pierced through.

He knew it was an odd idea, but he had no choice but to accept it. Because he was confused now as if he had reached a dead end.

At that moment.

“Come.”

Baek Cheon raised his sword and aimed it at him. His stance was unwavering. Only the air around Baek Cheon seemed to have settled down heavily. Mu Ho’s heart constantly shook, but Baek Cheon was as calm as a lake.

What Baek Cheon had said a little while back stuck in Mu Ho’s mind.

-You aren’t the only one observing the opponent’s sword.

He had said it clearly: Observe.

So, didn’t this mean that with just a couple of movements, this man had figured out Wudang’s sword and cut through his sword qi?

‘How can something like this even be possible?’

Mu Ho gritted his teeth.

‘A coincidence!’

He had never looked down on the person called Baek Cheon. He also had eyes and had watched everything that happened. Baek Cheon, who was clearly stronger than the disciples of Mount Hua who came before him, couldn’t be underestimated.

But understanding the features of Wudang’s sword and being able to swing the sword at the right moment is a different matter. If such a thing was possible all at once, how would it have been possible for Wudang to keep that in their teachings?

“…that is unsightly.”

Mu Ho tried not to display his shaking heart. And, desperately trying to calm his trembling sword, he aimed it at Baek Cheon.

No words were needed. He just glared at Baek Cheon with red eyes.

The moment Baek Cheon read the anger contained in those gazes, he couldn’t help but fall into a strange feeling.

‘So arrogant.’

He thought Mu Ho would be saddened.

Mu Ho acknowledged that Baek Cheon was better than him, and this arrogance might be out of place for a Wudang’s first-class disciple who recognized Mount Hua’s second-class disciple as stronger.

But Baek Cheon couldn’t let go of the thought that he was being arrogant.

Recognizing the opponent as stronger didn’t mean one humbles oneself.

Mu Ho acknowledged Baek Cheon’s strength, yet he still tried to push himself to be superior. He was convinced that no matter how strong someone is, they cannot overcome common sense and nature.

This was a clear display of arrogance and inexperience.

On the other hand, Baek Cheon was certain that the world was filled with monsters that defy common sense and geniuses that are beyond comprehension.

It highlighted how insignificant one could be at any given moment.

‘If I hadn’t had other experiences, I wouldn’t have known this either.’

He could never have understood this if he had remained within the confines of the Mount Hua sect, only engaging in familiar tournaments against the Southern Edge.

Traveling the world with Chung Myung taught Baek Cheon about the world’s harsh realities.

“Here I come.”

It was time for Wudang to also come to terms with their vulnerability.

Pat!

Baek Cheon kicked off the ground and charged at Mu Ho.

Mu Ho’s eyes widened. From the beginning, Baek Cheon’s strategy had been to close the distance. And now, Baek Cheon was once again narrowing the gap between them.

It was as if the difference in distance made no difference at all.

“This…!”

Angered, Mu Ho swung his sword violently, unleashing a chaotic waterfall of sword qi. Soon, Baek Cheon was enveloped in sword qi.

But at that moment.

Paaang!

A red line appeared amid the sword qi, which crashed like a wave with the sound of air being torn apart. Despite the dozens of sword qi attacks, Mu Ho, who had trained for endless hours in Wudang, managed to block the stabs with concise and efficient sword attacks.

‘No!’

Although Baek Cheon’s movement surprised him, Mu Ho knew that he would not be easily defeated if he could regain his composure.

Kang! Kang!

After dozens of stabs, the opponent will eventually need to catch their breath. If one can insert the sword in this gap, a defensive situation can be turned into an offensive one.

Kang!

If you only see the gap…

Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang!

Mu Ho, who barely regained his form, showed embarrassment again.

‘Why doesn’t it stop….’

Pat!

Baek Cheon’s sword, which couldn’t be blocked, had cut through right next to Mu Ho’s eyes in a split second. The sword, deviating slightly upwards, cut the tip of his ear.

Throb!

The vivid pain brought Mu Ho back to reality instantly.

‘Why isn’t he stopping?’

Applying such force to a single hit was more difficult than you might think. However, delivering such powerful thrusts continuously without stopping was dozens of times more challenging.

But now, Baek Cheon’s sword didn’t seem to be stopping. Countless stabs came at Mu Ho.

The uninterrupted sword qi, it is….

‘This guy!’

The moment his thoughts reached there, he felt lost. Then, as if not wanting to miss the chance, the stab came in, comparable to nothing less than a beam of light.

Kakak!

Although Mu Ho managed to block the sword at his neck by raising his own, the force of it wasn’t something that could be easily shrugged off to attack again.

The collision came, and Mu Ho’s body flew back like a cannon.

Thud! Crack!

His head hit the ground, and his floating body rolled across the stage several times. After repeatedly rolling on the ground, Mu Ho stopped; he had to grab the ground and scrape it as he stopped, his entire body trembling.

“Ughh!”

Soon, red blood came out of his mouth.

He was unable to overcome the force and suffered internal injuries. But Mu Ho looked up at Baek Cheon with trembling eyes as if the pain was nothing.

“You… that….”

“The Elder said it.”

Baek Cheon, with calm and uncaring eyes.

“It will be a good place to get to know each other’s swords.”

“…”

“So, I tried learning it. Wudang’s sword isn’t so bad.”

And then, Mu Ho heard the sound of something breaking within him.