His muscles strained.
The pain made him want to scream, but Chung Myung’s eyes burned with a crazy fire.
Th-this……
Blood vessels popped in Gwangwoo’s eyes.
He was furious that someone so small was fighting him with such strength. It was humiliating for Gwangwoo, who was known for his incredible power.
How dare you!
He used all his strength, mixing his powerful body with his inner energy to push down harder.
Huuuuh! Haaah!
Zzzzzing.
Chung Myung’s legs slid back. His upper body bent backward like a bow, unable to withstand the force.
It seemed like even Chung Myung couldn’t beat Gwangwoo, the man who had taken over the Green Forest with his strength.
One.
Snap!
Blood vessels burst in Chung Myung’s eyes as he gritted his teeth, turning them red.
Kroooooh.
Chung Myung focused his inner energy, the pure power inside him, and it rushed through his hurting body, giving him new strength.
Aaaaargh!
Chung Myung’s upper body sprang forward, pushing Gwangwoo away.
Boom!
They both stumbled backward.
Zzzzzing!
This time, Chung Myung managed to stay standing.
Hoo!
Chung Myung breathed steadily, his face serious. Gwangwoo, on the other hand, looked completely shocked.
……
Gwangwoo stared at Chung Myung, then looked down at his guandao.
The blade, more like an axe, was chipped and broken.
A divine sword… it had to be. Only a magical sword could survive such a powerful blow without breaking.
But even a magical sword needs someone strong to use it. If Gwangwoo’s strength had been too much, Chung Myung’s wrist would have broken, even if the sword held up.
But Chung Myung held that thin sword and withstood his power. He didn’t just endure it; he pushed back.
How could this be…?
He had never been pushed back by strength before.
Even famous strongmen were like children to him. No one dared to challenge him with strength.
But Chung Myung was standing his ground. Gwangwoo couldn’t believe it.
So, you think you’re strong, huh?
Chung Myung smirked and stepped forward.
He massaged his sword hand, showing that it hurt to face Gwangwoo. But he still looked confident.
I have a bit of a bad temper, so seeing people show off like that really annoys me.
……
Gwangwoo’s face turned cold.
He realized that when he got too angry, he started to think clearly again.
Hoo.
He breathed out and stared at Chung Myung, his eyes empty.
Aura surged from his guandao, growing longer than a person’s height.
I want to chop off your head and stick it on a stick… but I won’t.
Oh?
I’ll crush you completely, leaving not a single piece of flesh! Haaah!
Gwangwoo charged at Chung Myung again.
The aura around his blade felt incredibly powerful.
He moved faster than anyone would expect for someone so big, closing the distance in a flash. The blade swung towards Chung Myung’s head.
Chung Myung quickly raised his sword to block it.
Kawaaaang!
The force was so strong that it felt like it would break the plum blossom sword. But Gwangwoo didn’t stop there.
Clang! Clang! Kawaaaang!
He kept attacking, trying to crush Chung Myung with brute force.
It’s hard to put so much power into one strike, and even harder to keep doing it over and over.
This wasn’t just about skill.
His body was naturally strong.
He recovered from each strike and hit down with even more force. He was using his instincts and the strength of his body to do something that usually took years of training.
This is bad!
Even Chung Myung was impressed by the power.
Every time the blade came down, his arms shook and his feet dug into the ground.
Kuuuuuung!
The ground under Chung Myung started to break. The earth couldn’t handle the force and cracked.
Gwangwoo attacked relentlessly, giving Chung Myung no chance to breathe.
It was an attack that showed why he was called Gwangwoo.
Haaah!
Gwangwoo shouted and struck down again.
Kawaaaaaang!
The sound was like the sky falling apart. Chung Myung was thrown backward like a cannonball.
Crack.
Chung Myung rolled on the ground, then flipped back to his feet. Blood trickled from his lips. The strikes had shaken him badly.
……Huh.
He laughed weakly, then groaned in pain.
What’s with this brute force?
He had met many strong fighters in his two lives, some stronger than Gwangwoo.
But Gwangwoo was different. His simple attacks were incredibly powerful because of his strength.
If he had trained in the strongest martial arts schools, he would have been unstoppable.
Chung Myung, shaking his sore wrist, stood up straight and looked at Gwangwoo calmly.
Keuh.
Gwangwoo breathed heavily, ready to attack again.
Youuu!
Kwaaaang!
He kicked off the ground, sending dirt flying. Gwangwoo used the force to charge forward like lightning.
Aaaaargh!
He unleashed a dozen strikes in a heartbeat. It was a wild, chaotic flurry, but the power made it incredibly effective.
He covered up any mistakes in his attacks with his powerful aura, and he was even ready to get hurt himself if it meant hitting Chung Myung.
It was a brutal, aggressive style, focused only on power, ignoring defense – a style that some might call ‘demonic’ in its ruthlessness.
No one in their right mind would try to withstand that storm of power.
That…!
The Mount Hua disciples stopped fighting the Bloodclad Warriors to watch Gwangwoo’s attack.
They didn’t need to be experts to see how dangerous it was.
And Chung Myung was standing in front of that storm, his sword like a lonely tree on a cliff.
Es-escape…!
Baek Sang looked at Baek Cheon in a panic. But Baek Cheon was focused on fighting the Bloodclad Warriors.
So were Yuisul, Jo Gul, Yoon Jong, and Tang Soso.
None of them were watching Chung Myung.
It was as if they knew he couldn’t be beaten by that.
……
Baek Sang was stunned by their trust. He looked back at Chung Myung.
Hoo.
Gwangwoo’s aura grew stronger, becoming a destructive typhoon.
Aaaaargh!
Ch-Chief!
The aura swept away even the bandits who hadn’t retreated, turning them into pieces of flesh. Gwangwoo seemed blinded by rage.
His power was greater than anyone had expected.
He wanted to kill his opponent with overwhelming power and speed.
It was a truly demonic style of swordsmanship.
Chung Myung watched the storm of blades and calmly moved his feet.
He spread his legs naturally.
He held his sword lightly in both hands.
He shifted his feet, taking a basic, balanced stance – the starting point for all Mount Hua sword moves. Chung Myung’s eyes grew dark and serious.
Twitch.
The Five Swords of Mount Hua, who hadn’t been watching Chung Myung, all looked at him at once.
What is it?
It’s different from usual?
The energy was different.
It wasn’t the quick, sharp energy that Chung Myung usually showed. It felt heavy and powerful, like Hae Yeon’s energy.
Chung Myung’s back seemed to absorb their attention.
Hoo.
Chung Myung took another breath and looked at his sword.
For a swordsman, a sword is just a tool. But it allows them to do incredible things.
The sword can be quick, flashy, heavy, or like the wind.
So, what kind of sword should he show his disciples now?
Eun-geom had already said it.
Like a plum blossom that grows from strong roots, his sword fighting came from a place of inner strength and rightness.
At that moment, the storm of blades crashed down on Chung Myung.
Chung Myung Dojang!
Im Sobyung screamed. Chung Myung’s sword moved.
It was a very slow movement.
Thwoom.
It only moved a little bit.
But when the aura hit the sword, it bounced off.
Thwoooom!
More powerful auras flew in, but Chung Myung’s sword pushed them back.
A giant tree doesn’t shake in a storm.
Behind the beautiful plum blossoms, there must be strength and stability.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Chung Myung’s simple swordsmanship became faster.
As the aura increased, Chung Myung’s sword also sped up.
His lower body didn’t move at all. It was as if he had become rooted to the ground.
For Chung Myung, true swordsmanship was about more than just skill. It was about having a strong and good heart.
This was the real heart of Mount Hua style, now shown in his sword.
What is it?
Gohong gritted his teeth.
His swordsmanship was incredibly fast and powerful.
But Chung Myung didn’t fall.
He was pushed back, but he didn’t lose his balance. No matter how much Gohong attacked, he wouldn’t budge.
Is this what it feels like to hit a boulder?
This can’t be!
Gohong’s eyes turned red.
Aaaaaaargh!
He roared and unleashed all his energy, adding even more power to his blade. He would strike harder and cut deeper.
Gohong’s blade swirled towards Chung Myung with incredible force.