Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 376

The saber tore through the air.

Just looking at the saber made your muscles tighten. It was that powerful.

This was not an ordinary attack.

The saber glowed red and became a wild, fast storm of attacks.

Clang! Clang!

Claaang!

Each time he blocked the saber, Baek Cheon’s plum blossom sword bent as if it would break.

The immense force behind each strike of the saber seemed ready to crush not only the sword but also the wrist holding it.

“Ugh!”

A groan escaped Baek Cheon’s lips before he could stop it.

Red Death Saber, Yeop Pyeong, was unlike any enemy he had faced before.

Strength?

Of course, he was strong.

Come to think of it, even Jin Geum-ryong might not be a match for this man.

But what was bothering Baek Cheon now wasn’t the opponent’s strength.

It was the fierce intent to kill, the determination to destroy his opponent with each swing of the saber.

Each strike of the saber aimed for the vital points of the body.

The relentless attacks, each able to cause a fatal wound with just a scratch, was something Baek Cheon had never felt before.

He bit his lip tightly.

He felt his mental strength weakening quickly. He hadn’t even used his body much, yet his back was already covered in cold sweat, and the hand holding his sword was shaking slightly.

‘This is real combat!’

Fighting someone with clear murderous intent was very different from sparring. Just facing him was using up his mental strength, and the saber strikes, which normally wouldn’t be so scary, made his heart sink.

Clang!

Baek Cheon’s plum blossom sword bent greatly once more.

Screeeeeech!

The sword, bent as far as it could go, screamed in protest. If the Tang family hadn’t specially made it for the Hwasan Sect, it would have broken long ago.

“Where’s that famous Hwasan confidence now, boy? Gone already?”

Baek Cheon’s jaw clenched so tight his teeth ached. *Confidence?* he thought bitterly. *This isn’t confidence, it’s survival.*

Bang!

A deafening **CRACK!** like thunder ripped through the air as sword met saber.

At the same time, Baek Cheon’s body slid backward.

Blood trickled from Baek Cheon’s lips as he failed to withstand the force of the saber. He tasted blood and fear.

In any of the sparring matches he had fought until now, his opponent might have eased up upon seeing his condition.

But Red Death Saber, Yeop Pyeong, swung his saber even more fiercely the moment he saw Baek Cheon show weakness.

‘Damn it!’

Baek Cheon clenched his teeth and swung his sword head-on.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Each time the sword and saber crashed together in the air, powerful shockwaves spread out. And as the crashes continued, the blade of the plum blossom sword began to chip and dent.

The Peng family’s sabers are heavy. But Yeop Pyeong’s saber was different. It was fast and powerful, like he wanted to destroy Baek Cheon completely.

“Talking with your mouth!”

Wham!

“Anyone can yap!”

Wham!

“But!”

Whaaaaaam!

Baek Cheon’s body was sent flying like an arrow. After bouncing several times, he crashed to the ground with a look of utter dismay, hastily raising his head.

“Gasp!”

At that moment, he saw Yeop Pyeong leaping into the air, bringing his saber down.

Baek Cheon didn’t even have time to groan as he rolled across the ground.

Whaaaaaaaaaam!

The moment Yeop Pyeong’s saber struck the ground where he had been, it shattered the earth.

With a single strike, he had created a massive crater in the ground, easily large enough to bury several people. The shattered earth smoked.

Yeop Pyeong clicked his tongue as if displeased and looked down at Baek Cheon.

“My, my, for such an esteemed Taoist priest to be rolling around on the ground like that, the world will surely laugh.”

“⋯⋯.”

Instead of retorting, Baek Cheon abruptly stood up and assumed a stance.

‘That was close.’

If he had been a fraction of a second slower in raising his head and seeing his opponent, he would now be split in two, facing the King of the Underworld.

The dust clinging to his face mixed with the flowing sweat, dripping down his chin.

“Ptooey!”

Yeop Pyeong spat on the ground and casually swayed his neck from side to side.

“The Jianghu is a place to prove yourself with skill. It’s not a place for mouthy brats like you to flap your gums.”

His tone hadn’t changed much.

And his posture hadn’t changed much either.

But now, Yeop Pyeong’s words felt much heavier, piercing Baek Cheon’s ears.

“You made a name for yourself as a rising star and got a bit too cocky, it seems. It’s an adult’s job to deflate that ego. Be careful. I’m going to put a hole in that puffed-up chest of yours. Heh heh.”

Being relaxed when you are not skilled is just being careless. But being relaxed when you ARE skilled shows you are in control.

‘Composure, is it?’

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

To be so in control with him right in front of him?

It felt like swallowing a burning ember, his insides ablaze.

Seeing the light blazing in his eyes, wounded pride, Yeop Pyeong amusedly slashed the air once more with his saber.

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he closed the distance again, trying to cut Baek Cheon’s head.

Whaaaam!

Blood gushed from Baek Cheon’s mouth.

The power in the saber strike hurt him badly inside. His knees buckled, and the bones throughout his body screamed in agony.

At this rate, he felt like his entire body would be crushed to death even before he could fully take the saber strike.

‘He’s strong.’

Stronger than he had imagined.

Red Death Saber, Yeop Pyeong.

He had heard the name many times, but he had thought that he wouldn’t be much different from Jin Geum-ryong. Jin Geum-ryong was also a famous rising star, known throughout the land.

But it was different.

Baek Cheon could now feel it clearly. The difference between those who had earned their fame through skill alone and the rising stars.

There was no doubt that rising stars were only being judged for their potential.

“Where did all that spirit go!”

Wham!

Again, the saber strike fell with great force.

Crack!

The plum blossom sword was half-destroyed, bending as if it would break at any moment. Despair filled Baek Cheon’s eyes for a moment.

‘Cheong…’

Baek Cheon’s body twitched and shook as he tried to turn his head to look behind him.

And at that moment…

Wham!

A fast sword strike, moving at a speed completely different from anything before, quickly came towards Yeop Pyeong’s face as he was about to bring down his saber.

“Ugh!”

Startled, Yeop Pyeong quickly pulled his head back.

But because the change in speed was so sudden, a red line appeared on his cheek.

Quickly taking a couple of steps back to create distance, he touched the wound on his cheek with an angry look.

“This bastard⋯⋯.”

His eyes, glaring at Baek Cheon, were full of rage.

‘Hmm?’

But the moment Baek Cheon slightly raised his lowered head, Yeop Pyeong’s face subtly hardened.

Baek Cheon’s eyes looked different than before, sunken deeply. And crimson blood streamed down from his mouth.

“Huh?”

It wasn’t blood rising from his stomach. Yeop Pyeong quickly realized that it was blood from biting his tongue.

In a moment of crisis, Baek Cheon had bitten his tongue to clear his head and successfully launched a clean counterattack.

‘Well, well?’

Now, Baek Cheon’s face was completely that of a swordsman. The steady gaze made him appear even more like a true swordsman.

Something had changed.

But Yeop Pyeong had no way of knowing where that change had come from.

Thinking that it would be a bit more interesting, he tightened his grip on the saber. And he stepped down with energy.

‘I am an idiot.’

Meanwhile, Baek Cheon stared at Yeop Pyeong with sunken eyes.

‘Why did I try to look back?’

Because my fellow disciples are behind me?

Because I was afraid?

“No.”

Because Chung Myung is watching.

‘Idiot.’

He stepped forward confidently, puffing out his chest, ignoring all advice.

But secretly, he thought Chung Myung would help if things got too dangerous. He felt safe knowing Chung Myung was there.

Everything Yeop Pyeong said was true. Baek Cheon was just a beginner, relying on Hwasan and Chung Myung for support.

So, when he sensed danger, his first thought was to call for Chung Myung.

The realization filled Baek Cheon with fury.

‘Can I even call myself the Great Disciple of Hwasan after this?’

How dare he act so important?

Don’t panic. Go back to basics. Lower your stance.

‘How well you swaggered.’

He felt like he was acting important, but he couldn’t even do basic things right.

He was ashamed.

But…

‘Not yet.’

Baek Cheon’s eyes narrowed.

Chung Myung had said that everyone makes mistakes. It’s important to try not to make mistakes, but it’s more important to learn from them.

His opponent was strong, using a powerful martial art.

It would be useless to fight brute force with brute force.

The Hwasan sword style he learned was not about brute force.

‘Focus on the tips of my toes.’

His big toes pressed firmly against the ground.

‘Lower the stance, ready to react at any moment.’

He lowered his legs a little more.

‘Keep the back straight.’

The hand holding the sword loosened slightly.

“The sword is…”

His focus made him speak his thoughts.

“The sword is endlessly free.”

Swish.

Without thinking, his sword moved into the Six Harmony Sword’s starting stance, a middle guard.

“You scoundreeeeel!”

Yeop Pyeong saw the change in Baek Cheon and charged with fury, not giving him time to finish his stance.

Yeop Pyeong’s face contorted into a demonic mask of rage, power exploded from his body like fire, and his sword glowed with streaks of crimson energy. He looked like a monster from hell, charging with a terrifying roar.

But Baek Cheon didn’t move.

Whoosh!

When the sword came at his waist, Baek Cheon used his Plum Blossom Sword to meet it. He didn’t fight against the force, but gently guided the enemy sword upwards.

Yeop Pyeong’s sword missed Baek Cheon’s head, slicing through his headscarf.

Sliiiice.

The headscarf fell apart, and Baek Cheon’s hair scattered. His eyes shone coldly through the mess.

Wham!

His sword, after pushing aside the enemy’s, slashed through the air like light.

Yeop Pyeong’s face hardened as a dozen thrusts came at him quickly.

“You!”

KABOOM!

The wild swing was so powerful it made a deafening CRACK! The air itself seemed to tear apart, even though his blade missed Baek Cheon by inches.

Baek Cheon’s sword shadows disappeared in the blast.

But Baek Cheon had already moved away from Yeop Pyeong.

Thrust.

Wham!

Again.

Wham!

“Eek!”

Neck, stomach, and groin.

Yeop Pyeong’s face twisted as the sword aimed for his weak spots, probing with short strikes.

He took a step back and glared at Baek Cheon, realizing something.

He suddenly remembered a key lesson. ‘A swordsman fighting a master should never create space!’

And then…

Shhhhhhh.

Baek Cheon’s sword began to draw a plum blossom, seizing the chance.

Yeop Pyeong roared and charged.

He knew that a sword master should never be allowed to draw a plum blossom.

But time had made even Yeop Pyeong make a mistake.

Suddenly, he saw red plum blossoms everywhere.

Even Yeop Pyeong, who had fought many times, was amazed by the image of plum blossoms made of sword energy.

But he couldn’t be distracted.

“Chaaaaaa!”

Yeop Pyeong’s sword glowed blood-red.

He would destroy the plum blossom with force, putting all his strength into the sword.

“Dieeeeeeee!”

KABOOOOOM!

Yeop Pyeong’s blood-red energy crashed into the plum blossoms.

The plum blossoms and Yeop Pyeong’s energy collided in a deafening explosion.

“Get down!”

“Bloody hell!”

Energy and sword pieces flew everywhere. The Crimson Brigade and the Hwasan disciples ran for cover.

But Yeop Pyeong’s eyes were fixed on Baek Cheon.

‘Where is he?’

He stared at where Baek Cheon should be.

And then…

Wham!

A sharp sword energy flew from the plum blossoms towards Yeop Pyeong’s neck.

“I knew it, you little whelp!”

Yeop Pyeong blocked the sword energy and blasted energy in the direction it came from.

Wham! Wham! Wham!

“Swooooooosh!”

Yeop Pyeong’s energy destroyed the plum blossoms and slammed into the ground, shaking the world. The ground broke, sending shockwaves everywhere.

‘He’s dead.’

Yeop Pyeong smirked.

If he had stayed there, he couldn’t have dodged this attack. Blocking or not, it would have been the same – disaster. There was no way such a young pup could survive this much power.

Yeop Pyeong was sure he had won.

‘What…?’

His eyes widened.

Only a sword lay on the ground.

The Plum Blossom Sword that Baek Cheon had been using.

But Baek Cheon’s body was gone.

‘Wh-where?’

Then…

Thud.

A footstep sounded behind Yeop Pyeong.

Yeop Pyeong turned, eyes wide with shock.

Baek Cheon was right there, spitting blood. His fist was buried in Yeop Pyeong’s waist.