Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Demolishing Tai Mountain Iron Fist
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A moment later, the shock from the clash with Tai Mountain Iron Fist caused the wall to collapse completely.
Kugugu—
The disciples of the Hegemon Sect, who had been stunned by the shocking outcome, snapped to attention at the loud noise and moved in perfect unison.
"S-Squad Leader!"
"Are you alright?!"
While they rushed to dig out Tai Mountain Iron Fist from beneath the rubble...
"……."
The Plum Blossom Sword Guards, excluding Jeokgeom and Seollan, stared at Cheonhwi with expressions that blurred the line between dream and reality.
It was martial prowess so extraordinary it left them dumbfounded.
Of course, the skills he had displayed five years ago at the Five Mountains Conference were shocking too, but this was on an entirely different level.
"It's not even comparable to back then."
"……What kind of martial arts is this?"
"No wonder our junior brothers and sisters swoon at every word from Senior Brother Cheonhwi."
Unlike the astonished group, Jeokgeom and Seollan—who had been grinning broadly since Cheonhwi's appearance—muttered calmly.
"As expected of Senior Uncle."
"As expected of Senior Uncle."
Saying the exact same words, the two exchanged glances, let out small laughs, and nodded.
"……!"
Then, Jeokgeom's eyes widened enormously as he looked past Seollan's shoulder.
"Senior Brother?"
Seollan called out in confusion at the sudden change in Jeokgeom's expression.
Tat!
Jeokgeom kicked off the ground fiercely.
Even deploying the energy-intensive Leaf-Sweeping Leg Art, he shot past her. Seollan twisted her head to follow.
And she understood why.
At the edge of her vision, Jeokgeom was embracing a man and woman tightly.
"Family……."
A wry smile tugged at her lips as she watched the heartwarming scene.
At that moment, an odd sound rang out.
Plip plop—
The collapsed wall shuddered violently, and Tai Mountain Iron Fist emerged.
The Hegemon Squad members who had been clearing the stones stared at the seemingly unharmed Tai Mountain Iron Fist, sighing in relief with a 'Of course he'd be fine.'
"Kuh."
Tai Mountain Iron Fist let out a short groan and clutched his abdomen, where he had suffered internal injuries.
"S-Squad Leader!"
"A-Are you okay?"
As the disciples rushed to support him frantically, Tai Mountain Iron Fist raised a massive hand the size of a pot lid to stop them.
He looked fine at first glance, but Cheonhwi's Inner Weight Hand Technique had shaken his organs thoroughly, leaving him in poor condition internally.
Crack—
Veins bulged on his forehead—whether from enduring pain or exertion—as he forced out words with difficulty.
"I'm…… fine."
Grinding his teeth, he hastily gathered all the internal energy of the Tai Mountain Void Art.
Perhaps thanks to forcibly suppressing his injuries with qi, his complexion eased somewhat, though his expression remained stiff.
'To end up like this from just one strike.'
Now stabilized, he glared at Cheonhwi.
Just one fist.
But from that alone, he—a master who had reached the pinnacle of fist arts—could gauge how strong the young Daoist was.
Deep wrinkles formed on his brow.
'An enemy we cannot afford to underestimate.'
Meanwhile, Cheonhwi glanced at Tai Mountain Iron Fist and those gathered around him.
'This guy's really the squad leader?'
Cheonhwi tilted his head.
For someone called squad leader, Tai Mountain Iron Fist's presence and skill were laughably weak.
In his eyes, the man was no better than the subordinates around him.
"Who the hell are you?"
Tai Mountain Iron Fist called out then.
"Me?"
Cheonhwi smirked and retorted, shaking the sleeve emblazoned with a red plum blossom.
"Can't you see this? Or are you too ignorant to recognize it?"
Tai Mountain Iron Fist's face flushed beet red.
He was already boiling with rage from being defeated by this young Daoist, and now he was being openly mocked. His insides churned with fury.
"F-For a Mount Hua Sect Daoist to be such a brat!"
Cheonhwi watched him tremble and speak, then stopped shaking his sleeve.
"Oh, so you do know."
Crunch!
Far from calming, his face grew even redder at the continued mockery.
"You bastard!"
Unable to contain his rage any longer, he bellowed and stomped the ground with a loud thud.
"Everyone, form up!"
His lion's roar thundered.
"Yes, sir!"
The Hegemon Sect disciples—no, the Hegemon Squad members—scattered in all directions, forming a circle.
'Yeah, do something.'
Cheonhwi waited for their next move.
Soon, the squad members surrounding him exuded thick killing intent and assumed their stances.
Cheonhwi's eyes narrowed.
The atmosphere and presence had sharpened dramatically from before, but...
'I had hopes, but what a letdown.'
Disappointment seeped in.
He hadn't even hoped for something like Sword Demon Formation or Plum Blossom Sword Array.
He just wanted opponents worth a bit of effort, but this fell short.
'Wasted my time waiting.'
Cheonhwi's expression cooled.
But to others, his demeanor appeared differently.
'Heh, he's frozen under the pressure of the Hegemon Formation!'
Tai Mountain Iron Fist's stiff face relaxed.
No matter how skilled, numbers always prevailed.
"No matter how much of an expert you are, you won't escape the Hegemon Formation!"
His confident shout boosted the squad's morale.
"Attack!"
With momentum surging, he commanded.
Tat! Tat!
The squad members charged from all sides as if they were one body.
Cheonhwi scanned them thoroughly.
Swords, sabers, fists, and palms assailed him.
Their weapons and unique techniques varied wildly, yet they moved in perfect unity.
Swish—
Cheonhwi raised his index finger.
Not drawing his sword, but simply lifting his finger—the squad members' faces twisted in cold sneers.
But they didn't know.
That this was their death sentence.
Flash!
Crimson light illuminated the surroundings, and beautiful plum blossoms bloomed vibrantly in all directions.
A breathtakingly gorgeous sight.
But the result was gruesome.
Thud—thud—
Cold corpses with holes pierced through their foreheads tumbled to the ground from every side.
"That was...!"
Gok Gayeong, who had been reuniting with Jeokgeom, widened her eyes and stared ahead.
'That's it! That crimson light from his finger had pierced through the Cold-Faced Ghost!'
Jeokgeom, watching beside her, was equally shocked.
"Wh-What the hell was that……."
For five years, he had served Cheonhwi and thought he knew him well.
But that was a mistake.
'Did Mount Hua Sect have a finger technique like that?'
Jeokgeom recalled the technique.
The plum blossom blooming with crimson light from the index finger was beautiful, yet brutal.
'When did he learn something like that...?'
He steadied his pounding heart.
And it wasn't just today; he could never even dream of keeping up with Cheonhwi normally.
He had thought his talent exceptional after being personally chosen by his master.
But meeting Cheonhwi taught him the truth.
Compared to Cheonhwi, his own talent was but a firefly before the sun.
'As expected of Senior Uncle.'
As Jeokgeom nodded in acceptance...
"……!"
The rest of the Plum Blossom Sword Guards were bewildered by the finger technique Cheonhwi had just unleashed.
Stunned by the unfamiliar martial art, they soon turned to Seollan, who might know something.
"J-Junior Sister, what was that?"
"Did our sect have a finger technique like that?"
"Do you know, Junior Sister?"
Seollan shook her head at her senior brothers' questions.
"I don't know either."
Her mouth went dry.
'He took out opponents who gave us trouble without even blinking.'
Like the others, her heart felt like it would burst from shock.
'The Cheonhwi Senior Uncle we've seen so far wasn't everything. How far does it go?'
Even deeper respect shone in her eyes as she gazed at him.
Then.
Whoosh!
Cheonhwi's figure vanished.
"……!"
The charging squad members' eyes bulged at his sudden disappearance.
Screeech!
A sharp sound tearing through the air echoed from behind them.
Bang!
Their waists bent like sickles.
Appearing and vanishing like a mirage, Cheonhwi wove through them, claiming their lives one by one.
"Th-The Hegemon Formation……."
Tai Mountain Iron Fist's jaw dropped.
The Hegemon Formation amplified the squad members' qi and pressured the foe.
'Breaking it through sheer force...'
Chills ran down his spine.
Could he himself shatter the Hegemon Formation by force?
He shook his head.
He possessed a decade's worth of internal energy, but the formation involved over fifty men.
"At this rate……."
Realizing he and his squad were being cornered, Tai Mountain Iron Fist hastily gathered his qi.
He glared at Cheonhwi massacring his men, waiting for an opening.
'Only one strike chance!'
His eyes narrowed.
There was only one way left.
His sole ultimate technique that earned him the moniker Tai Mountain Iron Fist: Heavenly True Fist.
As he concentrated all his qi into his fist and observed Cheonhwi...
'Now!'
The moment he saw Cheonhwi grab a squad member's throat, he kicked off the ground.
And thrust his right fist forward.
Hwoooong!
A fierce gale arose.
Following it, the massive shadow of the Heavenly True Fist surged toward Cheonhwi like a wave.
"Took you long enough."
Cheonhwi glanced at him, waved his hand.
Bang!
The air between them exploded.
"……!"
Tai Mountain Iron Fist's jaw dropped again.
His full-power Heavenly True Fist dissipated mid-air from a mere gesture.
"Th-This can't be……."
Cheonhwi reached out as the shocked man gaped, seizing his throat.
"Gurk!"
Tai Mountain Iron Fist clawed at Cheonhwi's right hand with both of his, desperate to escape.
"Khk! Gah!"
Cheonhwi tilted his head at the bulging arm veins and whispered.
"Why are all these guys so frail?"
"……!"
Tai Mountain Iron Fist's eyes bulged.
What nonsense was that?
'Frail? You're just too strong!'
"Mmph! Mmph!"
But his thoughts couldn't become words, choked by the iron grip.
"Not even worth the effort."
Cheonhwi gazed indifferently at the struggling man and tightened his grip.
Crack crack—
His neck bones shattered, and he perished.
Cheonhwi flung the lifeless body with its soulless eyes aside.
It flew three zhang and landed amid the squad members.
Gulp—
They stared at Tai Mountain Iron Fist's tongue-lolling corpse and fell silent.