Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 300

Eyes. Cold eyes, like ice, stared at Lee Song-baek.

The moment his eyes met that gaze, Lee Song-baek felt a sensation he had never experienced before, sending shivers down his spine.

It was as if a very sharp dagger was pressed against his heart.

‘What on earth…?’

He thought he knew enough about the kind of person he was facing.

But the moment he saw that attack and those chilling eyes, Lee Song-baek’s idea of who Chung Myung was changed completely.

‘Perhaps I didn’t know this person at all?’

Crack!

“Ugh!”

Chung Myung pushed harder with his sword. Lee Song-baek’s back bent sharply, and he groaned in pain.

“What do you say you want to do?”

The chilling voice reached Lee Song-baek.

“It’s easy to talk, but doing it is different. What can someone like you really do?”

Wham!

Chung Myung moved his wrist a little and pushed the swords apart strongly. Lee Song-baek was sent flying backward like a leaf caught in a storm.

Thud!

Crashing to the ground, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to rise. Shivers ran down his spine.

Lifting his head, he saw Chung Myung flicking the blood from his sword and walking towards him. Lee Song-baek bit his lip without realizing it.

‘No one else could look so cold.’

Chung Myung opened his mouth, his eyes lowered.

“Swinging a sword ten thousand times a day. That’s not too hard.”

A slow pace.

“But the world isn’t the same every day. Sometimes there are storms, sometimes blizzards, and some days you meet someone like me. Will you still be able to swing your sword after that day?”

“……”

Lee Song-baek pointed his sword at Chung Myung.

“With words…”

Chung Myung’s sword came crashing down once more with terrible force.

Kooooooong!

Lee Song-baek raised his sword to block Chung Myung’s downward strike, and he groaned.

“There’s nothing I can’t do.”

Kwaaaaaaang!

Chung Myung’s sword fell towards Lee Song-baek again. The sword seemed to bend as if it would break, and his bones screamed in agony.

The hand gripping the sword was torn, blood pouring out, and his tightly clenched lips burst, leaving a bitter, metallic taste in his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot and red.

Chung Myung stared down at him. He had no expression.

His face was blank, so unlike his usual self, seemed to freeze Lee Song-baek’s very soul.

Then, Chung Myung detached the swords that were locked together and stepped back slightly. He then thrust his sword towards Lee Song-baek again.

A precise movement, perfectly controlled.

It was a sword strike delivered as if in practice, but Lee Song-baek’s impression of that sword was entirely different.

‘What!’

Lee Song-baek desperately twisted his body.

Whizz!

Chung Myung’s sword narrowly passed by the side of his neck. Even though it was a thrust with the scabbard still on, the wind pressure alone tore the skin of his neck, scattering droplets of red blood.

‘How on earth?’

The last thing Lee Song-baek saw was Chung Myung stepping back and assuming an upper stance. And then, what he saw next was the sword that had already reached right in front of his neck.

There was no middle ground.

No. No!

His sword skill was perfect. Every move was so smooth and fast, it looked like one instant.

Perfection.

That which he must pursue.

‘Am I this far behind?’

Lee Song-baek’s body began to tremble.

Setting a goal is not difficult. And striving towards that goal until your body is crushed is also not too hard.

What is truly difficult is realizing the distance to a distant goal and not being crushed by its weight.

Lee Song-baek, having seen with his own eyes the goal he had to pursue, was shocked by how far he still had to go.

“Distractions.”

Wham!

In the moment of weakness, Chung Myung’s sword pierced into his unguarded side.

Crack!

With the shock of his ribs breaking completely, Lee Song-baek spat out blood. And like a stone thrown by a child, he was thrown against the sparring stage, bouncing off it.

“Ugh.”

Thud!

Lying flat, he clutched at the stage. Fresh blood flowed from his nose and mouth. Trembling.

But even so, Lee Song-baek rose to his feet.

“Enduring with willpower alone, no matter how difficult it is?”

Chung Myung sneered.

“If that were so easy, wouldn’t everyone in the world be a master? Get up. Show me. Prove you deserve to even say the word ‘perfection.’”

Lee Song-baek raised his sword.

His knees buckled, and the hand holding the sword trembled uncontrollably, but Lee Song-baek somehow managed to assume the upper stance.

“Ha… Haaa!”

He roared and charged towards Chung Myung. His sword simultaneously created ten sword shadows, aiming for Chung Myung’s vital points all over his body.

Unlike his trembling body, the blue sword energy was very bright and sharp.

One.

“Clumsy.”

Chung Myung did not falter, parrying each of those sword shadows one by one. His feet, planted on the ground, did not move an inch, and his straight back remained unwavering. All that moved were his loosely relaxed shoulders and the sword that extended and retracted with utmost precision.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Lee Song-baek’s sword was pushed back.

Chung Myung’s sword was swung mercilessly at his chest, which was exposed as his shoulder opened up.

Kooong!

Lee Song-baek spat out blood once more and was sent flying into the air.

By this point, the faces of the spectators were filled with astonishment.

“S-shouldn’t they stop it?”

“He’s… no match for him.”

“I-it’s already over, why isn’t the referee stopping it? He’s going to die!”

“How on earth did that guy make it this far?”

Now, it wasn’t about who was better. Chung Myung was just much stronger from the beginning. This fight wasn’t even a fair match anymore.

“He’s… he’s getting up again.”

“Is he crazy? Why is he getting up?”

“……”

The spectators all stared blankly at Lee Song-baek as he rose to his feet.

His wrist was so swollen that it had lost its definition between his hand and arm, and the blood flowing from his mouth stained his chest red.

He, who had seemed so neat and refined, was now messy, looking like a half-dead man.

There was no chance of victory for anyone to see.

But still, Lee Song-baek rose to his feet and assumed the upper stance again.

And at that moment.

Swoosh.

Lee Song-baek’s sword moved as naturally as flowing water, slashing diagonally across the air.

Whoosh!

The blue sword energy from his sword brushed past Chung Myung’s side and became embedded in the corner of the stage.

Scratch!

The corner of the stage, made of solid bluestone, was cleanly cut off as if a sharp knife had sliced through a radish.

Kwaaaa!

Lee Song-baek’s sword energy, not losing its momentum even after cutting through the stage, dug into the ground right in front of the audience seats, leaving a deep scar.

Thud!

The bluestone, larger than a person, which had soared into the air, plummeted to the ground.

“……”

The spectators simultaneously lost their words.

Hundreds of sparring matches had taken place here, but such a thing had never happened before.

Many strong fighters had shown their best skills here, but no one had ever damaged the stage like this before. No one had ever even scratched it, let alone cut it!

“Th-that…”

Someone opened their mouth but then quickly shut it again.

They had realized it too, that this Lee Song-baek was not weak at all.

No, perhaps he was one of the strongest among those who had come up to the stage so far.

Then what was the amazing thing happening before their eyes?

Yet, even amidst this great noise and excitement, Chung Myung merely stared at Lee Song-baek with lowered eyes.

“I don’t know much about the Jongnam sword style.”

Even if he did, he’d only know a little bit.

Chung Myung knows his limits. He knows what he’s good at and what he’s not.

Jongnam can’t learn the true spirit of Mount Hua swords, no matter how hard they try. In the same way, even if Chung Myung studies the Thirty-Six Swords of the World very carefully, he can’t understand the real spirit of Jongnam swords.

That was entirely Lee Song-baek’s responsibility.

Chung Myung could only do one thing: ask and be sure.

‘Are you capable of walking this path?’

Maybe his path was even harder than the one Chung Myung had to walk.

Was Lee Song-baek truly talented enough to walk that path?

Sszzt.

Chung Myung moved his feet softly, following the footwork.

He didn’t need fancy moves or to think about Mount Hua’s teachings right now.

He was simply becoming a mountain, standing in Lee Song-baek’s way.

Clang!

Lee Song-baek’s sword blocked Chung Myung’s attack.

It wasn’t the weak defense from before. This time, his sword was strong and firm against Chung Myung.

‘Insufficient.’

But it wasn’t enough.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Chung Myung attacked again and again, like flowing water.

As soon as he pulled back the sword from the first strike, he aimed for the waist. When that was blocked, he quickly moved to attack the ankle.

The sword aimed at the ankle suddenly changed direction, stabbing at his side. After blocking another attack, he slashed at the chest.

He kept going.

In the end, a sword was about thrusting, blocking, and swinging.

When those three things connected perfectly, the sword became a form, and the form became a law.

That was swordplay.

A sword that started simple became a certain shape and then a stance.

It was like watching a sword evolve.

But the result was never simple.

Chung Myung’s attacks came like a storm, threatening to overwhelm Lee Song-baek.

In that storm of endless attacks, Lee Song-baek let go of himself.

‘I am….’

With blurry eyes, he stared at the swords coming toward him.

‘What am I standing here for?’

His body was past its limit. His side was numb. Even holding the sword was hard.

Victory?

He knew that was impossible.

Then why was he still standing? Wouldn’t it be easier to fall?

But even though his mind was confused, his sword moved on its own.

Thousands of times a day, the sword had been swung in wind, rain, and snow. Now, it defended against the enemy’s sword without him even thinking about it.

The sword filled the world and rained down.

But why be afraid?

The world had thirty-six directions. If he could block them all, no sword could touch him.

Lee Song-baek’s sword swept out, covering all thirty-six directions. Not too fast, not too slow.

The Proper Way.

The sword, filled with that, began to block perfectly.

Clang!

He blocked it.

Clang! Wham!

He blocked it again.

The world was scary and fast.

So, those who wanted to move forward had to protect themselves completely. His sword was a blocking sword, steady and firm.

The Thirty-Six Swords of the World.

The heart of the Chongnam sword technique, with hundreds of years of history, was now in Lee Song-baek’s hands.

Everyone watching was amazed.

The endless attacks, and the sword that stayed strong and blocked them all.

Baek Cheon clenched his fist.

The wound on his wrist opened a little, and blood came out, but he didn’t feel any pain.

‘An endless fight?’

It was like watching Mount Hua and Chongnam fighting to win.

That amazing sight caught everyone’s attention.

But it didn’t last long.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The one who wanted to break through and the one who blocked.

It couldn’t go on forever.

Chung Myung’s sword broke through Lee Song-baek’s defense and began to hit his body.

Lee Song-baek spat out blood and was thrown back.

Thud!

His body broken, he fell at the edge of the arena.

“Ah….”

The crowd bit their lips and stared at him.

Defeat.

A terrible defeat.

But who could criticize Lee Song-baek?

Everyone thought the fight was over and was ready to cheer for Lee Song-baek.

But Chung Myung didn’t lower his sword.

He kept it aimed at Lee Song-baek, who was on the ground.

Chung Myung watched him for a moment, his face unreadable.

Murmurs spread quickly.

“Surely… he’s not going to keep going?”

“Isn’t that too cruel? He’s already lost consciousness….”

Then…

Twitch.

Lee Song-baek’s finger moved slightly. Then, shaking, he pressed down on the ground.

“…….”

Everyone held their breath.

Lee Song-baek tried to push himself up, but fell back down. His broken arm couldn’t hold him.

Some people closed their eyes.

‘Stop it.’

‘Please, someone stop him.’

But Lee Song-baek didn’t stop.

He used his other arm to push himself up and pulled his legs up. He stumbled.

It was so quiet you could hear a needle drop.

Drip. Drip.

The sound of blood falling on the dusty ground was loud in the silence.

Lee Song-baek, barely standing, stared blankly at Chung Myung.

Then, he lifted his broken hand, gripped his sword, stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, and pointed the sword forward.

The Upper Stance.

The start of the Mount Hua sword and the Chongnam sword.

Everything returned to the beginning.

He was almost unconscious. But Lee Song-baek had stood up. His will, which had chosen the hard path of a swordsman, wouldn’t let him fall.

Chung Myung looked at him and nodded.

He spoke with respect.

“I am Chung Myung of Mount Hua. I challenge Lee Song-baek of Chongnam to a final duel.”

“…….”

There was no answer.

But it didn’t matter.

Chung Myung lowered his sword. It moved in a circle and pointed to the sky.

The Upper Stance.

Chung Myung’s sword, in the same stance as Lee Song-baek, rose high.

The One Sword.

The best One Sword he could do right now fell toward Lee Song-baek’s head.

Wham!

The air above the arena roared like a typhoon.

“…….”

The sword stopped right in front of Lee Song-baek’s forehead.

Chung Myung put his sword away and looked at Lee Song-baek.

Lee Song-baek was still standing, staring at him, even though he was unconscious.

‘Perhaps you have to walk an even more difficult path than I do.’

But….

Chung Myung clasped his fist to Lee Song-baek and said,

“I have learned well.”

Did he hear those words even unconscious?

Lee Song-baek’s body began to fall.

Chung Myung reached out and held him.

“You were excellent.”

He patted Lee Song-baek’s back.

Here.

The spirit of Chongnam was still alive.

Still.