Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 643

Paaah!

Using the force of the colliding swords, Chung Myung jumped back and landed on the ground.

He lowered his stance slightly, straightened his back, and looked up.

Blood trickled from the tip of his sword.

Hukong gasped. Taking Chung Myung’s sword attack directly had hurt him badly. Wounds covered his body.

“Kuhh….”

He staggered, barely managing to stay standing.

“Yes, that’s right,” Chung Myung muttered, nodding.

A Wudang elder?

He hadn’t even thought much of him.

‘How long has it been?’

How many years had passed since he was reborn? How much had he experienced?

He was sorry, but he didn’t have time to waste here. He needed to surpass his past self to face the Heavenly Demon.

He was pushing his Hwasan disciples hard, but he was pushing himself even harder.

He trained his body and mind to their limits, enduring grueling training ever since he became aware of the Heavenly Demon’s existence.

To regain his past self, and ultimately, to surpass it.

Chung Myung was the only one who truly understood the Heavenly Demon.

How could anyone else know what that meant?

Could they understand the terror of knowing he was the only one who could face the Heavenly Demon, who would try to take over the world again?

No, he didn’t expect them to understand.

That burden was his alone.

Chung Myung didn’t expect much from others.

But at least…

“You’ve been living in a greenhouse,” Chung Myung said, his voice sharp. “Too protected. You need to step into the real world.”

“……”

“If you can’t, the reality you’ll face will be ten times worse than this.”

Hukong gasped.

He didn’t understand what Chung Myung was saying. All he knew was one thing.

‘He’s strong.’

Hukong’s sword couldn’t reach Chung Myung.

It was obvious. Despair filled him.

‘I’m losing?’

A Wudang elder losing to a third-generation Hwasan disciple?

“That can’t be.”

His heart raced, and blood poured from his wounds. He ignored them and took another step toward Chung Myung.

“I am… I am Hukong of Wudang!”

“I know, you don’t need to repeat it.”

“I won’t lose! I will never lose!”

Kwaaaa!

Hukong’s sword drew a large circle.

Chung Myung knew what that circle meant.

‘The Wisdom Sword!’

Wudang’s best sword art. It was said to contain the principles of the universe. Wudang was proud of this martial art.

The same sword technique could be different depending on who used it.

The Tai Chi Wisdom Sword that Mugak had used and the one Hukong was using were very different. Just by drawing a circle, the air changed, and pressure weighed down on everyone.

Oooooong!

The broken stone fragments floated into the air.

The sword seemed to defy nature. It was both order and disorder, containing both yin and yang, like the concept of Tai Chi, a balance of harmony.

Black sword energy burned like fire, and white sword energy flowed like water.

It contained two properties within one sword.

Only masters who had reached a high level called ‘Twofold Intent’ could even try this. That was why it was Wudang’s best sword and one of the finest martial arts in the world.

The black and white sword energies twisted and turned, chasing each other. The swirling energy drew the shape of Tai Chi.

Oooooong!

The pressure absorbed all the surrounding energy and released it.

“Step back!”

“Move back now!”

Baek Cheon screamed. Even he had to move back because the sword energy was dangerous.

He drew his sword and released his energy to ease the pressure.

‘Damn it.’

The words ‘power of a prestigious clan’ made him annoyed.

Just when he thought it was over, there was more to come.

‘We’ve come this far, and there’s still this much power left?’

It was amazing.

But Baek Cheon knew that Chung Myung had forced Hukong, the Wudang elder, to show his true strength.

Chung Myung’s hair stood on end. His clothes fluttered, and the area around him seemed to rise into the sky. But Chung Myung stood firm, like a stone statue. He stared at the sword energy.

Baek Cheon gripped his sword tightly.

He could feel the pressure even from where he was, so he couldn’t imagine how much Chung Myung was feeling.

But.

‘There’s no way he’ll lose!’

That monster wouldn’t lose with just this much.

As if responding to Baek Cheon’s thoughts, Chung Myung slowly raised his sword.

Black and white mixed, and the power pressed down on Chung Myung as if to tear him apart. Chung Myung narrowed his eyes.

‘What a fool….’

This wasn’t the Wisdom Sword.

A sword swung in anger, no matter how strong, couldn’t beat a properly used Threefold Sword Technique.

A swordsman must stay calm. The moment he loses his cool, he loses the fight.

Chung Myung’s sword moved with determination. A sharp, red sword energy burst out.

It wasn’t that different from what he had shown before. Compared to Hukong, who had used the Wisdom Sword, Chung Myung seemed to be repeating himself.

But this was enough for Chung Myung.

‘Is there an even bigger mountain beyond the mountain?’

What a ridiculous thing to say.

If you want to stop your opponent, don’t build another wall behind the wall. Build a wall that can never be crossed.

This sword was a flower, a mountain, a forest, and a wall.

Twenty-Four Stance Plum Blossom Sword Technique, Plum Shadow Creates a River.

Thousands of plum blossoms formed a river.

It was a river of plum blossoms, as if a cliff covered in flowers had suddenly bloomed, petals falling like rain to fill a flowing river. The air filled with their faint, sweet scent.

The flowers flowed gently.

It was different from Hukong’s sword, which moved violently, losing its grace. Chung Myung’s sword kept the dignity that the Wudang disciples had shown at first.

Kwaaaaang!

Two dragons of black and white fought in a river of flower petals. It was a storm of energy that seemed to burst the river.

But.

No matter how strong the force, it couldn’t stop the river. Even if it pushed the water away, it flowed back and filled the space.

Kwaaaaaaaa!

Plum petals seeped under the energy. Softly, without resisting, they turned and flowed.

‘Th, this is….’

Hukong’s eyes widened.

‘How can this….’

It was beautiful.

The flower petals brushed against the dragons and rushed toward him. A word he had heard long ago came to mind.

– I don’t know what you’re trying to see. But if you only want strength without a purpose, you will lose your sword.

‘S, Sifu….’

Not Hudo Jin-in, but his master, who was now dead, had said those words.

Why did he remember that now?

His sword energy flowed along the path of the plum blossoms.

‘Sifu…. I….’

The river of plum blossoms brushed past Hukong’s sword energy and embraced him.

Wheeeee!

The flower petals spun around him and rose into the sky.

Hukong stared at the sky.

The plum petals scattered and faded away, as if they had never been there.

“……”

Hukong slowly lowered his head.

Everything had disappeared.

Neither the Tai Chi sword energy nor Chung Myung’s plum blossom sword energy was there.

All that was left was Chung Myung, lowering his sword and staring at him.

“……”

Hukong stared at Chung Myung, his mouth shut tight.

After a long silence, he asked, his voice clear.

“Can I ask you something?”

“As much as you want.”

He was calm as he asked.

“Why did I lose?”

Chung Myung met his gaze and answered.

“Because you forgot.”

“……”

“Whether it’s a sword or a person….”

Chung Myung paused before continuing.

“There’s something you must never forget. The moment you forgot the heart you had when you first held a sword, you had already lost.”

“……”

His gaze turned toward Hwasan, toward Un-gum, who was still unconscious.

“Your sword couldn’t teach anything even to your own disciples. But my teacher’s sword taught them, even though they are from a different sect.”

“……”

“I didn’t win.”

Chung Myung said.

“You couldn’t feel anything even after seeing that sword. You were already dead as a swordsman.”

Hukong looked at Un-gum.

“The… sharpness of the sword isn’t everything.”

“You understand well.”

Hukong nodded.

Swish.

He slowly slid his sword into its scabbard.

His hands trembled.

“I… learned well.”

Clack!

Chung Myung slid the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword into its scabbard and accepted his greeting.

“I learned well.”

The two bowed to each other. When Chung Myung raised his head, Hukong collapsed.

Thud.

The sound of his body spread in all directions.

“……”

The world was silent.

The third-generation disciple of Hwasan had defeated the elder of Wudang.

Everyone was speechless.

In that silence, Chung Myung spoke to Heosanja.

“This sparring match is….”

“……”

“Hwasan’s victory.”

He smiled.

“Thanks to you, I learned very well.”

Heosanja’s teeth broke.