Completely Overwhelming (2)
I figured as much.
Han Cheong-un smirked as he watched Mount Hua's first-generation disciples step forward, despite their reluctant expressions.
Given their position, it would be difficult for them to refuse an order from Hyeon-myeong.
Unless they were prepared to throw away their status as disciples of the Mount Hua Sect, what choice did they have?
He had expected them to step up.
The only problem was...
It'll get annoying if she gets involved too.
He really didn't want Baek Su-ah to intervene.
Her skill was one thing, but he simply didn't want to cross blades with someone who had once risked her life to fight at his command. But...
"Baek Su-ah! You step forward as well!"
Hyeon-myeong barked the order at Baek Su-ah, who was standing idly in the back.
Han Cheong-un sighed.
There was no helping it now.
An elder of Mount Hua had issued a direct command. What disciple could openly refuse that?
None.
"I refuse."
See? They can't ref—
"Huh?"
Han Cheong-un wore a dumbfounded expression, and the others looked no different.
Hyeon-myeong, who had issued the command, looked as if he had misheard.
But Baek Su-ah clearly reiterated her stance.
"I cannot follow your orders, Elder."
The moment he heard those words, vivid anger flared across Hyeon-myeong's face.
"Baek Su-ah! How dare you defy an elder of your own sect?!"
"I judged that the Sect Leader's orders must take precedence over yours, Elder."
"That is not for you to judge! I am the representative of Mount Hua, leading this group under the Sect Leader's orders!"
"I cannot accept that."
"You have lost your mind."
A massive surge of energy began to boil within Hyeon-myeong.
He looked ready to strike Baek Su-ah down at any second. But...
"Elder. I hold the Zaha Divine Sword in my hand right now."
Hyeon-myeong flinched.
Baek Su-ah continued calmly.
"The Zaha Divine Sword is the sacred relic of our Mount Hua. When a member of Mount Hua holds this sword, they represent the sect's authority."
"Grr... You really..."
"As the current wielder of the Zaha Divine Sword, I cannot obey your instructions, Elder. However, if you still insist on ordering me around..."
Baek Su-ah took a step forward.
"Why don't you try enforcing it with your strength?"
Everyone inside the secret cave gaped in unison.
So, right now...
What exactly was happening?
"Did a first-generation disciple of Mount Hua just challenge a Mount Hua elder to a fight?"
Tang Jin summarized it perfectly.
Yes. That was exactly what happened.
But was "challenge" the right word for this?
"Insubordination" or "sacrilege" seemed far more appropriate.
Hyeon-myeong also seemed more dumbfounded than angry at first. And then...
"You... How dare you..."
Ah, he was definitely furious now.
Hyeon-myeong reached for his sword.
Baek Su-ah also placed her hand on her hilt, showing no intention of backing down. Just as a historic act of insubordination was about to unfold within the Mount Hua Sect...
"Let's keep to the order of events, shall we?"
Han Cheong-un casually stepped between the two.
It was an incredibly dangerous move, but his steps were so nonchalant that the two could only twitch their shoulders in surprise.
He spoke from between them.
"Wasn't the plan for Hero Yoon and me to fight first?"
At those words, Yoon Sang stepped forward.
"Elder. We can punish Junior Sister's insolence later."
"Mmm..."
"We shouldn't show our sect's internal strife in front of outsiders."
"Ugh..."
He was right.
Rather than Hyeon-myeong stepping in himself, it would look much better for Yoon Sang to subdue Han Cheong-un.
"Fine. I will leave it to you."
"Thank you."
Yoon Sang bowed politely and faced Han Cheong-un.
"Forgive the delay."
"It's fine. You guys have it rough, after all."
...
Yoon Sang felt a pang of sorrow at that pitying look, unable to deny his miserable situation.
Drawing his sword, he said,
"Let us settle this in a one-on-one duel."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"If you are reluctant, Young Master Tang behind you may join as well."
Han Cheong-un chuckled at Yoon Sang's words.
Ah, he's serious.
He genuinely believed he could handle Han Cheong-un alone—even with Tang Jin thrown into the mix.
Well, it made sense for him to think that way.
A first-generation disciple of Mount Hua was at a stage where their martial skills were reaching maturity.
They were transitioning out of the "rising star" category and starting to be treated as the actual core strength of the sect.
In his eyes, Han Cheong-un was a kid who hadn't even reached adulthood, and Tang Jin was just a young man who looked like a typical rising star.
To him, Tang Jin was probably just a troublemaker of the Tang Family, far inferior to those who held the titles of Dragons or Phoenixes. But...
"Hero Yoon Sang."
"Speak."
"Stop talking nonsense and have the other three join you."
Yoon Sang's brow twitched at Han Cheong-un's words.
What did he just hear...?
"Are you—"
In that instant.
Before Yoon Sang could argue, he instinctively took a step back.
Han Cheong-un's aura had shifted.
Yoon Sang widened the distance between them without even realizing it.
Looking down at his arms, he saw goosebumps breaking out.
Han Cheong-un spoke.
"You know, no matter how many times I say I'm the Sect Leader of the Extreme Dao Sect, none of you seem to treat me like one..."
Han Cheong-un slowly walked forward, lowering the spear from his shoulder to point it diagonally at his opponent, taking his stance.
His body relaxed, his center of gravity sinking slightly.
Glaring at the four first-generation disciples of Mount Hua, Han Cheong-un said,
"I'll show you this time."
As if to prove he wasn't joking, a subtle yet heavy pressure began to radiate from his body.
Sensing the shift, Yoon Sang resolved to take this seriously and corrected his stance—
"Huh?"
Boom!
In the next instant.
Yoon Sang lost track of Han Cheong-un's movement.
He only felt the image of Han Cheong-un in his vision suddenly expand.
Then, he felt an impact as if he had been struck by a galloping horse.
"Ugh..."
Fortunately, he had managed to block it with his sword.
But honestly, it was pure luck.
He didn't even know what hit him; his sword, held at his center, had simply blocked the attack on its own.
Still, Yoon Sang was a first-generation disciple of Mount Hua.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he stabilized his stance and glared forward.
Even if he had lost the initiative, the fight wasn't—
Huh?
There was nothing.
Finding no opponent in front of him to fight, Yoon Sang's mind momentarily blanked.
What jolted his consciousness back to reality was...
"Do you still think you can handle me alone?"
Han Cheong-un's voice, coming from behind him.
Yoon Sang's body went cold.
His back was completely exposed.
A first-generation disciple of Mount Hua, completely outmaneuvered by a boy who hadn't even reached adulthood.
It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say he was already dead. But...
"I'll give you a chance. All of you, come at me together."
Han Cheong-un gave him a chance.
It was as if a senior of much higher standing was instructing a foolish junior.
Even though the intention was clear, Yoon Sang didn't feel angry.
Setting aside age and sect, purely looking at skill...
He has the right.
Standing and the prestige of a sect.
While those were considered forms of power and skill in the Jianghu, they were ultimately nothing more than secondary factors.
Regardless of orthodox or unorthodox, a martial artist's true strength lay in their individual martial prowess.
Seeing that Yoon Sang couldn't handle him alone, the other first-generation disciples drew their swords and stepped forward.
"You were the one who suggested it."
"Do not resent us."
On the way here, the Mount Hua disciples had kept their distance, treating Han Cheong-un with indifference.
But at this moment, they treated him as the Sect Leader of a sect.
Or perhaps, it was simply the respect and awe directed toward someone stronger than themselves.
And Han Cheong-un...
"Good."
Curving his lips slightly, he extended one hand forward and held the spear diagonally behind his back with the other, taking his stance. And then...
"Come."
The moment the word left his mouth, the four first-generation disciples of Mount Hua lunged at Han Cheong-un simultaneously.
Rumble...
It felt as if spring had suddenly arrived inside the narrow, dark cave.
The Plum Blossom Sword Qi unleashed by the four swordsmen filled the cramped space.
It was truly a dazzling array of a hundred blooming flowers.
Sword Qi so beautiful it could entrance anyone overflowed in all directions.
People often thought Mount Hua's swordplay was an illusionary style focused solely on flashiness.
That wasn't entirely wrong.
Indeed, Mount Hua's sword pursued the pinnacle of change and illusion. But...
Every single one of those plum blossom petals is a lethal blade of Qi.
It didn't just focus on illusions.
Hidden within each of those seemingly light, fluttering plum blossom petals was a deadly power.
Thus, Han Cheong-un did not underestimate the attack and responded to each one.
Dodging, parrying, deflecting...
Han Cheong-un's spear moved without rest, securing a space of his own that the Plum Blossom Sword Qi could not penetrate.
The martial theory of the Eight Trigrams began with establishing a definitive domain centered around oneself.
No matter who the enemy was, the grand premise was to stand one's ground without retreating.
"Hup!"
Matching the dazzling attacks of the plum blossom swordsmen, Han Cheong-un's spear moved even faster.
While the swordsmen's attacks were flashy, Han Cheong-un's spear seemed to embody the peak of precision and simplicity.
Linking basic movements of thrusting, parrying, and blocking at high speed, Han Cheong-un firmly held his ground against the onslaught of the four swordsmen. In fact...
"Ugh..."
"Ah..."
Han Cheong-un's counterattacks, flashing like lightning here and there, were threatening enough to put the Mount Hua disciples on the defensive.
The battle was far from a tight balance.
Han Cheong-un clearly held the upper hand.
Even while facing four first-generation disciples of Mount Hua at once.
Thud!
"Gah!"
"Yoon Hong!"
Yoon Sang was horrified.
One of his junior brothers had finally taken a blow to the solar plexus and was sent flying backward.
A strike aimed at a split-second opening had landed cleanly.
"How dare you..."
Yoon Sang gritted his teeth.
Since blood had been drawn from a disciple of Mount Hua, it was no longer time to hold back.
He leaped high into the air and charged straight at Han Cheong-un.
Plum Blossoms Falling from the Sky
Instantly, Yoon Sang's body hurtled toward Han Cheong-un like a meteor falling from the heavens.
Han Cheong-un glanced at the attack.
Throwing a deciding move? Good decision.
It was an attack launched with utter disregard for his own safety.
Trying to block it would inevitably lead to a clash of raw strength against strength.
The problem was that the other Mount Hua swordsmen would never miss the split-second opening created by such a clash.
A strike thrown with the hope of a collective victory, using himself as bait.
Indeed, this was slightly troublesome.
Just a tiny bit, though.
"Fuuu..."
Han Cheong-un exhaled slowly, organizing his Qi. And then...
Force of Mount Tai
Boom!
He met the attack head-on, clashing strength against strength.
"Ugh..."
Yoon Sang frowned at the numbness tingling in his fingertips. Although he had clearly thrust at his opponent, the sensation felt as if he had struck a colossal boulder that had stood for a thousand years.
But it was fine.
Even if his attack failed to yield results...
"Now!"
"Take this!"
...his other two junior brothers would do their part.
A surprise attack targeting the opening of an opponent locked in a clash of raw power.
Normally, this was something a disciple of a prestigious orthodox sect should never do, but this was a real battle, not a friendly sparring match.
You can resent us for being ruthless, but—huh?!
Yoon Sang was suddenly taken aback.
The energy within Han Cheong-un, who had been locked in a clash of strength with him, suddenly vanished.
The very nature of Han Cheong-un's Qi had changed.
Shifting from a solid, unyielding rock to the calm, still waters of a lake. And then...
Thud! Thud!
Immediately after, the attacks of the two junior brothers pierced Han Cheong-un.
Or rather, it only appeared that way.
Han Cheong-un's figure, which had rippled like a disturbance on the surface of a lake, returned to normal in an instant.
Their attacks had missed completely, and Han Cheong-un was already preparing his counterattack.
The strike that followed could not be described as fast or slow.
It was simply a terrifyingly smooth strike.
A perfectly refined thrust with absolutely no wasted movement.
It was an attack that was clearly visible, yet offered no point of reference to react to. As a result...
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Three thrusts lightly tapped the throats of Yoon Sang and the other two disciples before retracting.
Had they been pushed even a fraction of an inch further, their throats would have been pierced, but he had stayed his hand.
...
...
A heavy silence fell over the cave.
The one to break the silence was Yoon Sang.
"What is the name of this technique?"
"Celestial Eight Trigrams Spear: Shadow of the Water Moon."
Yoon Sang nodded and sheathed his sword.
"It was an exquisite move. And..."
He clasped his hands in a formal bow toward Han Cheong-un.
"It is our defeat, Sect Leader Han."