Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 525

Clang! Clang!

The sword came down fast, meeting the Executioner’s dark hand in the air.

The sword, thin and strong, bent sharply as if it might snap. The shaking sword tip showed the huge power of the attack.

Crack! Crunch!

Power from the sword tore into the Executioner’s hand. Bits of flesh flew off like dust.

“You!”

Kaaaaah!

The Executioner’s face twisted in rage, and he unleashed power from his other hand. Dark energy spun around, making a swirling shape, and rushed towards Chung Myung.

Chung Myung’s eyebrow twitched for a moment. Then, his left hand, the one not holding the sword, opened wide.

Red energy flowed from his shaking fingers, crashing right into the Executioner’s attack.

Kaaang!

An explosion ripped through the air, sending pieces of energy flying everywhere.

The Executioner twisted his lips slightly, a sneer playing on them, as if he had expected this level of attack.

But then…

Whoosh!

The Executioner snapped his head back, almost breaking his neck.

As pieces of energy flew everywhere, a blue energy, different from the red, suddenly shot out and just touched the Executioner’s face.

‘F-Fast…’

Thwack!

Before he could finish the thought, another burst of energy hit his shoulder.

“You baaaaastard!”

Pain shot through his shoulder, and the enraged Executioner twisted his face and swung his dark hand like a storm.

It was a terrifying show of power and speed.

If it hit someone, they would be completely destroyed.

Yet, Chung Myung didn’t seem worried at all.

Through the swirling energy, the sword, covered in red energy, struck fiercely.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Moving faster than the eye could see, Chung Myung stabbed at the Executioner’s wrist again and again.

His feet kept the right distance between them, and his stance was steady. His shoulders were light, and the sword in his hand moved easily.

This was perfect sword fighting, just as Mount Hua taught.

And then…

Chung Myung’s cold eyes, showing no feeling, watched the Executioner’s attacks closely.

He found the smallest openings in the storm of energy and pushed his sword in without stopping.

Clang! Clang!

“Th-!”

The Executioner bit his lip without meaning to.

He couldn’t help it. The sword, avoiding his black hand, kept stabbing at his wrist.

The flesh, made harder than steel by demonic energy, was being cut away like mud, and blood poured out.

‘Just what is this guy…?’

It didn’t make sense.

How could anyone push a sword so well through the energy pouring down like a waterfall?

Openings?

Of course, there would be openings. His fighting couldn’t be perfect.

But being able to hit those openings was something else.

It was so brave to push his sword right into the swirling energy that could destroy a person with a touch.

And he was so calm, controlling the sword perfectly.

And that wasn’t all.

Just now, this guy had used two types of energy almost at the same time.

Even if it was energy from the same group, it would work differently.

But to switch from one energy to another in a flash and use them one after the other? Even the Executioner couldn’t do that.

Also, this guy was still using his sword well. It was too precise.

Even if he wasn’t someone who could split his mind in two to do two things at once, how could he do this?

“Khaaah!”

The Executioner screamed as the sword scraped against bone in his wrist. Then, the energy he used began to cover Chung Myung’s body.

Whoosh!

But then, Chung Myung’s sword bent easily and pushed the energy away.

The sword gently pushed the energy to the side, changing its path. The energy twisted away and just missed Chung Myung.

Kaaaang!

The energy hit the ground behind Chung Myung and exploded. The blast of air made Chung Myung’s long hair fly up. But his eyes stayed dark and focused.

The Executioner was very surprised.

He was amazed Chung Myung had turned away all the energy. But even more amazing was that Chung Myung showed no excitement at all.

‘Just what is this guy?’

How could he be so calm?

This calm was impossible unless he was a very old fighter who had seen hundreds of battles, or a monster of war who lived through years of fighting.

But this unbelievable calmness was coming from a young man who looked only about twenty years old.

‘…I must kill him.’

Definitely. I have to do whatever it takes.

If they didn’t stop him now, this man would become a huge problem for their group later.

“Now I understand… You killed Seol Cheon-sang.”

The Executioner said quietly, his eyes twisted.

Those other two, Yeo Sahon and Han, weren’t strong enough to beat Seol Cheon-sang on their own.

He had been confused, but now he understood. This young man was the reason Seol Cheon-sang was defeated.

“You will die here. You will never return alive.”

“Ah, that bastard?”

Chung Myung smirked and flicked his sword.

“When did you Demonic Sect people start talking so much? Have you been relaxing in the North Sea for too long? You’ve become weak.”

“…What?”

“Stop talking and fight me now.”

The Executioner’s eyes turned red with anger.

“You…!”

The Mount Hua disciples smiled gently.

“That’s Chung Myung.”

“Hearing him joke around even in this fight shows it’s really him.”

“He never changes.”

But they were relieved. They had been worried, watching his back, and now they could relax.

The fact that he could joke around even in this fight showed how confident he was.

Yoon Jong frowned as he watched Chung Myung.

“By the way, Sasuk.”

“Hmm?”

“…Hey, Sasuk, doesn’t that Law Enforcement Disciple look much stronger than Seolcheon Sang, even just by looking at him?”

“Saying he’s only twice as strong is not enough.”

He looks at least several times stronger.

“But Chung Myung looks calmer than before. Could the medicine from the Ice Palace really be that strong?”

“Impossible.”

Baek Cheon shook his head with a resolute expression.

They, too, had experienced the effects of the spiritual pill, but one pill couldn’t make a person this drastically stronger. In the first place, the spiritual pill enhances internal energy, not the strength of one’s sword.

“Amitabha.”

Unexpectedly, the answer came from Hae Yeon.

“It is because we are safe.”

“Huh?”

Yoon Jong turned around as Hae Yeon opened his mouth with a stern face.

“If Sect Leader Seol had fought Chung Myung slowly and without rushing, beating him without getting hurt might have been easy. But if he had, some of us, surrounded by the Ice Palace elders and disciples, would have died or been severely injured.”

And the North Sea warriors led by Yeo Sahon would have been greatly harmed as well.

“Therefore, Chung Myung wanted to end the fight quickly, even if it meant taking injuries. But now, there’s no need to do that. So, he can slowly corner his opponent.”

A strange light flickered in Hae Yeon’s eyes as he spoke.

‘He changes his approach in many different ways.’

Finding the optimal path at every moment and defeating the opponent in the most perfect way. It was an incredibly ideal notion, but because it was ideal, no one in the world could fully put it into practice.

There were hundreds of paths to choose from, but what a person could do was limited.

This was something only Chung Myung could do.

If he wanted, he could explosively drive the opponent, or leisurely mock them.

Extreme composure and chilling ferocity. Who else could possess such unwavering resolve and execution at the same time?

‘It’s not that the sword is strong.’

Hae Yeon trembled slightly.

The reason he followed Chung Myung to Mount Hua was now fully apparent in that place.

It’s not that the sword is strong.

The person is strong.

If Chung Myung was merely someone with higher martial prowess, Hae Yeon would have chosen to refine himself, not bother following Chung Myung.

But the strength of a person cannot be honed alone.

Hae Yeon’s gaze became even more earnest as he watched Chung Myung.

“Amitabha. Chung Myung is that kind of person.”

It was that moment.

“What are you doing? Hey, are you sleeping? Attack, you imbecile. Are you saving your energy to dig your own grave? But will we even be able to salvage your corpse to bury?”

“⋯⋯.”

The Mount Hua disciples, seeing Chung Myung’s infuriating taunts, all turned back to look at Hae Yeon.

At that strange gaze, Hae Yeon unknowingly closed his eyes tightly.

“⋯⋯Amitabha.”

But even with Chung Myung’s provocation, the Law Enforcement Disciple’s eyes became even more cautious.

He could ignore the opponent’s shallow taunts. But the opponent’s sword was not something to be taken lightly.

This was not someone to be dealt with carelessly. That precise sword, firm stance, and unbelievable composure certainly surpassed ordinary levels.

‘Seolcheon Sang is not someone who can face him.’

Outwardly, Seolcheon Sang might seem twice as strong.

His internal energy and power were certainly superior to that Chung Myung fellow. But in the Law Enforcement Disciple’s view, even if Seolcheon Sang fought Chung Myung a thousand times, he would never win once.

It might be a very small difference.

But those swordsmen never give the opportunity to close that slight gap.

And…

‘That internal energy.’

It was incomprehensible, but whenever the demonic energy that should have crushed the opponent’s internal energy collided with that fellow’s internal energy, it flinched and retreated as if meeting its natural enemy.

This bizarre phenomenon, experienced for the first time, made the Law Enforcement Disciple even more cautious.

But…

Whirrrrr!

Soon, demonic energy swirled from the Law Enforcement Disciple’s entire body. Streams of red light shot from his eyes.

‘I’ll give up an arm.’

Instead, I’ll take his life and the Ice Jade!

“Kraaaah!”

A guttural roar ripped from the Law Enforcement Disciple’s throat, like a wild animal. Crimson demonic energy pulsed around him, making the air shimmer red. He launched himself forward, a blur of motion against the white snow. The ground crunched under his feet as he moved with terrifying speed.

Chung Myung’s eyes narrowed, just a fraction. ‘Hmm, not as simple as I thought,’ he mused for a split second. The Law Enforcement Disciple had changed tactics. Precision was gone, replaced by raw, brutal power. He wasn’t trying to win cleanly anymore; he was trying to destroy.

“Perfect!” Chung Myung grinned, a flash of white teeth in the stark landscape. “Now you’re talking! This is more like it!”

The sharp scrape of steel on frozen ground echoed as Chung Myung dragged his sword. He pushed off with explosive force, meeting the charging figure head-on. Whoosh!

Flutter!

Red plum blossoms began to bloom from the tip of his charging sword.

Soon, the Plum Blossom Wall technique from the Seven Plum Swords was deployed repeatedly, overlapping several times.

A wall of sword energy, like a net made of plum blossoms, was created in an instant, overlapping more than ten times, forming an incredibly solid barrier.

But.

Wham!

The Law Enforcement Disciple charged into the wall of plum blossoms that Chung Myung had erected without the slightest hesitation.

Scrape! Scrape! Scrape! Scrape! Scrape!

The body, covered in demonic energy and harder than steel, was instantly torn to shreds. His entire body was endlessly ripped and split, as if he had been covered in a net made of blades.

But these wounds meant nothing to him.

“Youuuuu!”

The Law Enforcement Disciple, covered in wounds, broke through the wall of plum blossoms and threw a fist towards Chung Myung.

Wham!

An enormous force, like a black waterfall pouring down, collided with Chung Myung’s sword. With a violent explosion, Chung Myung spat out blood and was thrown backward.

“I won’t let you escape!”

The Law Enforcement Disciple, having become a blood demon from the blood he had shed, shone with madness-filled eyes and charged towards Chung Myung, who was being thrown back, at the speed of light.