Power, and the Wall (8)
“What did you say?”
Yang Cheon asked with a look of utter disbelief.
“They’re fighting? Still?”
“That is correct.”
Even Baek Seo’s face looked unusually sour.
Yang Cheon let out a hollow laugh.
“It’s only been five days since he was appointed as special adjutant. Are you telling me that Yeon Hojeong bastard has been holding Hwang Danju hostage and fighting a thousand cavalrymen for five straight days?”
“To be precise, it has been three days. The nine hundred members of the Iron Cavalry Unit who had left for training all returned after two days. They have formed ranks and are attempting to rescue Commander Hwang.”
Yang Cheon was genuinely speechless.
“He’s holding out for three days against a full thousand troops?”
“Yes.”
“Just how?”
Yeon Hojeong’s martial prowess was incredible. Even within the headquarters of the Black Dragon Department, if one were to exclude Yang Cheon himself, it would be difficult to find anyone who could stand against him.
Even so, the Dragon Fang Iron Cavalry was the strongest force in the Black Dragon Department. Moreover, there were a thousand of them. Against any ordinary minor sect, they could crush the opposition through sheer power alone in less than half a shichen without needing any particular strategy.
“Several of the Twelve Earthly Branches witnessed the scene, but they said it was impossible to describe. So I went to see it myself…”
Baek Seo shook his head slowly.
“He is using martial arts, strategy, and tactics moment by moment to face all one thousand cavalrymen head-on.”
“Hah!”
Yang Cheon clicked his tongue in amazement.
“Is that even possible?”
Of course, it was possible for Yang Cheon.
The strong of the Holy Thirteen Seats were beings beyond ordinary human common sense. Yang Cheon himself was an absolute expert proudly listed among them. If he set his mind to it, he could annihilate the Iron Cavalry without needing any special strategy or tactics.
But Yeon Hojeong was different.
The Iron Cavalry was not an opponent that someone who had not yet reached the Limitless realm—or even someone who had reached it but had not yet properly cultivated their own power—could easily handle.
In particular, the Iron Cavalry’s formation techniques were perfect in both offense and defense, making them formidable against both small elite groups and large forces alike.
“This is not something we can simply overlook. I need to see it for myself.”
“This is still far from enough!”
Kwaaaaaang!
The iron spear thrust forward carried an overwhelming amount of inner energy.
It was nothing more than a violent stab with a spear held in one hand, yet the explosive force blazing around the spearhead surpassed imagination.
Papapapang!
With a single ferocious thrust, more than ten Iron Cavalry members were sent flying backward.
They had long since abandoned horsemanship.
A mounted rider possessed ten times the power of a regular infantryman. A trained warhorse was a beast in itself, and its charging power was so immense that even a martial expert would find it difficult to withstand.
But when the opponent reached Yeon Hojeong’s level, the story changed completely.
Yeon Hojeong’s reflexes and the subtlety of his movement techniques stood at the very peak of the Central Plains. No matter how many riders charged at him, he would avoid collision entirely and send only the warriors flying. The perfect timing of his techniques had reached a point where even the world-renowned Iron Cavalry could not endure it.
In the end, they gave up on their horses and faced him in close-quarters combat.
It was the correct decision. If they had stubbornly continued with cavalry charges, they would have only injured their own mounts without properly draining his stamina.
The problem was that even in close combat, it was proving nearly impossible to deal with Yeon Hojeong.
Shiiiiiiiing!
A single casual swing of the spear created a chilling gust of wind that split the ground apart.
Thud!
Three charging members were bounced back on the spot.
They were lucky it had been pure force released from the spear shaft. Had it been the cutting wind unleashed from the spearhead, all three would have lost two or three limbs.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whooooosh!
His wrist twisted, and the spear shaft spun with terrifying speed.
“Charge!”
Pabababak!
Thirty members formed a formation and charged forward.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.
Paaaaang!
Faster than their charge, flames erupted from both of Yeon Hojeong’s hands.
Pubububuk!
The seven members at the front couldn’t even scream. They simply vomited blood as they flew back, already unconscious. They even obstructed the vision and movement of the members behind them.
It was a merciless club technique delivered through the butt of the spear rather than the blade. Though it wasn’t the edge, the speed at which he had infused power would have punched holes through their bodies had he truly intended to kill.
In an instant, Yeon Hojeong disrupted their formation and leaped into their midst with a powerful stomp.
It was like a mountain tiger charging into a pack of wounded wild dogs. Every time Yeon Hojeong’s body spun, the spear strikes shooting in all directions tore into their shoulders, thighs, and sides.
“Kugh!”
“Hup!”
Iron Cavalry members flew in every direction.
Not a single one could even touch the hem of Yeon Hojeong’s clothes. Even for the world-famous Iron Cavalry, the sudden collapse of their formation combined with Yeon Hojeong’s perfectly timed exploitation of openings made it impossible to keep up.
Yeon Hojeong smiled as he looked around.
“Is this all you’ve got?”
Hundreds of Iron Cavalry members hesitated.
This was the edge of a cliff. The higher they climbed, the narrower the path became. At most, only about fifty could attack at once.
That wasn’t a major problem. The Iron Cavalry were strong and skilled in group tactics. Even an ordinary supreme peak expert could be handled comfortably by sending only half a battalion.
But the opponent was Yeon Hojeong.
He had already reached the end of the supreme peak realm, and his instantaneous judgment and reflexes were among the best in the world. Not only did he take full advantage of the terrain, but his stamina—excluding internal energy—was so exceptional that it didn’t fall far behind even the Holy Thirteen Seats.
The cliff that Yeon Hojeong was guarding had truly become an impenetrable fortress.
“Incredible.”
From a distant ridge overlooking the gorge, Baek Seo clicked his tongue as he watched the standoff between Yeon Hojeong and the Iron Cavalry.
“No matter how many times I see it, his skill is truly remarkable. Not a single one of those one-against-a-hundred Iron Cavalry members has managed to touch the special adjutant’s clothes.”
“Hmm.”
Yang Cheon stroked his chin.
“Yeon Hojeong is certainly strong. But that’s not all there is to it.”
“Pardon?”
“Terrain advantage, unique reflexes, top-tier practical combat ability that no one knows where he acquired, absurd stamina, and instantaneous explosive power. There isn’t a single ordinary aspect about him.”
Upon hearing Yang Cheon’s words, Baek Seo inwardly shook his head.
Reflexes, ultimate combat sense, endurance that allowed him to fight a thousand warriors without even breathing hard, and explosive power that matched that endurance.
Any one of those traits, if properly cultivated, could turn someone into a supreme expert. Yet Yeon Hojeong possessed all of them.
He truly is a monster.
Yang Cheon scratched his head.
“But what’s truly amazing is that bastard’s killing intent.”
“Pardon?”
“Watch closely.”
Paaaaah!
Waiting any longer would yield no answer. Following the orders of each unit’s commanders, five squads of about ten members each—drawn from different battalions—formed formations and charged.
Five completely different formations attacked simultaneously. No matter how strong Yeon Hojeong was, he couldn’t block them all alone.
It was then.
Flash!
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.
In that instant, the ten members of the leftmost squad flinched.
Pububububuk!
That momentary hesitation was more than enough time to decide victory or defeat between experts.
Using incredible footwork, Yeon Hojeong took down six members of the left formation, then used springy steps to push back the forty members charging from the side.
“Uaaaaah!”
Kwaaaaang!
The White Tiger Dominating Steps exploded repeatedly, sending Iron Cavalry members collapsing in droves.
They charged with long spears held horizontally, yet none could stop Yeon Hojeong’s power.
Even when they tried to split his head with short spears or military blades, he twisted his upper body in the blink of an eye and dodged them all. The flexibility was hard to believe even after seeing it.
It felt like they were fighting a ghost rather than a person. The faces of the unit commanders and members were filled with horror.
Paaaang!
Not only did he completely shatter the formation, he simultaneously kicked, stepped on, and struck them, knocking out another twenty members.
At this point, calling him human felt like a stretch. It was as if a massive siege ram had come to life and was battling the Iron Cavalry.
“Huuup!”
Yeon Hojeong, who had retreated, caught his breath.
No matter how strong he was, there was no way he wouldn’t get tired facing so many opponents.
But then—
Woooooooong!
The Yeon Family Divine Elixir, condensed to its absolute limit, spun and spread a massive amount of true energy throughout his limbs.
His previously somewhat pale complexion returned to normal in an instant. His breathing quickly stabilized, and the sweat flowing down his body evaporated almost immediately.
Yeon Hojeong grinned and shouted.
“Is that all you can do?! Come at me again!”
His voice rang out with tremendous dignity and a chilling killing intent.
It was the roar of a predator that sent shivers down the listeners’ spines. Yet the sheer audacity of standing alone with a spear against hundreds of Iron Cavalry members made him look truly magnificent.
Any martial artist would have had their blood boil at such a sight. The fact that he was actually accomplishing it made it even more extraordinary.
Yang Cheon chuckled.
“He wasn’t at this level before… So that’s how it is.”
“Pardon?”
“It seems he gained some enlightenment. His true energy is far more solidly condensed than before. The energy clumped together like a core has improved both in quantity and quality.”
Baek Seo’s eyes trembled.
He knew just how difficult it was to gain even a single enlightenment at Yeon Hojeong’s level.
Yet in just a few months, he had entered another new realm. At this point, even the word “monster” felt insufficient to describe him.
“But no matter how much of a genius he is, fully assimilating such enlightenment takes time. So, what would be the best training to assimilate that enlightenment?”
“……”
“Real combat.”
“……!”
“Right now, that bastard is using the Iron Cavalry to completely internalize his newly elevated martial arts. As time passes, his energy manipulation is becoming more refined and proficient.”
“Hah…”
“Especially that killing intent. It’s incredible. He draws the energy condensed in his core straight up to his upper dantian and spreads it as killing intent. It’s more than worthy of being called a true technique.”
Yang Cheon burst into hollow laughter.
“Even that killing intent is refined. He shoots it precisely at the targets and ranges he wants, completely sealing their movements. And he’s doing it in real combat where a single mistake could cost him his life.”
“……”
“This is impossible without incredible boldness, regardless of talent or experience. I knew he had a heart of steel, but I never imagined he would go so far as to engage in training this insane.”
Baek Seo shook his head.
“From my perspective, it doesn’t look like madness. He is completely dominating them…”
“It is madness. He’s not just training himself.”
“Pardon?”
Yang Cheon pointed at the Iron Cavalry with his chin.
“Look.”
Baek Seo turned his gaze that way.
Kurrrrrrrung!
No matter how impenetrable a fortress, the Iron Cavalry would not simply retreat like this.
Once again, fifty members formed a formation and charged. Behind them, secondary waiting forces also moved in formation. There were ten such large formations—five hundred men in total—rushing toward Yeon Hojeong.
But they were not all.
At some point, about a hundred Iron Cavalry members had vanished like ghosts and were now scaling the cliffs on both sides, moving toward Yeon Hojeong’s rear. The location where the unconscious Hwang Seok-tae, Pae Yul, and Kang Liang were.
“The prideful Iron Cavalry, the ones who had been blindly charging in a daze, have finally started using their heads.”
“Does that mean…?!”
“Exactly.”
Yang Cheon smiled.
“He’s training them. Not just himself, but the Iron Cavalry as well. After all, when has the Iron Cavalry ever had to devise tactics to capture a single expert or rescue a kidnapped superior?”
“……!”
“I was curious how he would handle his initiation rite, but it turns out he’s single-handedly enduring the initiation of a thousand men.”
Baek Seo let out a sigh of admiration.
“His caliber is on another level.”
“That’s why I want to make him mine. Setting aside his martial power, a vessel like that isn’t something just anyone can possess.”
Yang Cheon smiled and turned around.
“Let’s go. By the looks of it, this should be over in two days.”
Yang Cheon’s prediction was spot on.
The battle between Yeon Hojeong and the Iron Cavalry ended exactly two days later.
Surprisingly, not a single member of the Iron Cavalry had died during that time. Most suffered moderate to severe injuries, but there were zero fatalities.
On the other hand, toward the very end of the fight, Yeon Hojeong had sustained injuries close to severe. Yet his spirit still overflowed with vigor.
That day, all one thousand members of the Iron Cavalry bowed their heads before Yeon Hojeong. It was a sincere expression of respect toward a true powerhouse.
Yeon Hojeong accepted their greeting with a smile—then promptly fainted.