An Earth-Shattering Reversal
"What the hell is that?!"
Everyone in the plaza stared in stunned horror. Not a soul had imagined Yeop Pung possessed such a terrifying trump card. That streak of black light — judging by the speed of its charge alone — was unmistakably at the Spirit Realm.
"Urgh…"
The impact shattered Sa Cheonseong's organs. He vomited up chunks of blood-soaked flesh, his appearance utterly wretched. And this was only the beginning.
"Die!"
Heukgu was furious. He had always behaved like a gentle lamb — but the moment he saw, from a distance, Yeop Pung being trampled under Sa Cheonseong's heel, a colossal rage boiled up from the depths of his chest.
Heukgu had lived with Yeop Pung for little more than two months, yet the young man was no mere master to him. He was family. Whenever Heukgu ate, Yeop Pung always set out a separate bowl just for him. Whenever Heukgu nodded off late at night while copying out a dictionary, he would invariably wake in the warmth of Yeop Pung's own bed. And when Yeop Pung unstintingly shared the Nakryeong Root he himself so carefully rationed, Heukgu had felt the truth of the young man's heart. To a creature that had spent long years as a wandering field rat in the remote corners of Mount Tianyun, Yeop Pung was a being nothing in the world could replace.
"You dare torment my master? Die!"
A hiss of splitting air — and a black flash punched through Sa Cheonseong's chest and burst out his back. For all that Sa Cheonseong was a master approaching the Spirit Realm, before Heukgu he was nothing but an insect.
"Die! Die! I said die!"
Heukgu whirled through the air and detonated his black Profound Qi a second time. Around Sa Cheonseong it was as if a black whirlwind of death itself had begun to blow.
A whirlwind of black death roared around Sa Cheonseong. Every time Heukgu's razor claws whispered past, horrific wounds were carved into his flesh — strikes more terrifying than any blade.
"Gaaaaaah!"
Sa Cheonseong could not even resist. He simply wailed, wretched and broken.
The plaza went dead as a grave. Everyone had expected Sa Cheonseong's victory — but Yeop Pung's unforeseen trump card had overturned the entire tide of battle.
"Stop… Stop this instant!"
From the viewing stand above, a deathly pale Naeng Chu shouted in desperation.
But before the cry had even finished leaving his mouth, Heukgu launched his final strike at Sa Cheonseong's throat. A wet crack rang out, and Sa Cheonseong's neck bones were severed clean through.
Yeop Pung snatched up the Black Frost Sword from where it had fallen. The blade moved with a dragon's sleek grace, soaring upward to pierce Sa Cheonseong's head as it arced through the air. Yeop Pung raised the sword with every ounce of his strength and roared.
The plaza erupted in a single thunderous cheer. Some two hundred Cheonun Sect disciples on the mountainside screamed until their throats tore. The disciples down in the plaza itself could not contain their excitement, leaping and bounding where they stood. They did not even see the murderous glares of the Cheonbong Army soldiers. They had forgotten that today was supposed to be the day the Cheonun Sect's name was humiliatingly rewritten. They were drunk on nothing but the joy of victory.
"Yeop Pung, you did it!"
"The Cheonun Sect is eternal!"
On the mountainside, Han Un gripped the flagpole so hard he never even noticed it was about to snap, weeping tears of joy like a child. Wang Maeng, Mo Soo-mi, Yo Yeong-chun — every last soul of the Cheonun Sect was overcome, pulling one another into fierce embraces as the tears ran down their faces.
Up in the viewing stand, Ha Chung clutched his belly and howled with laughter.
"Hahaha! Now that's satisfying! Truly satisfying! Yeop Pung, you little bastard — I liked you from the start! The pride of the Cheonun Sect, just as I thought!"
That was when Naeng Chu's voice exploded in a roar of pure rage.
"Ha Chung! What the hell do you think you're doing? The Cheonun Sect no longer exists in this world!"
"Shut your damn mouth!"
Ha Chung raised his blade and pointed at Yeop Pung, who stood gazing up at the sky.
"Take a good look! As long as a disciple like that lives, the Cheonun Sect will never fall!"
"Hmph. Is that so?"
Murder flashed in Naeng Chu's eyes as he stretched a hand toward Yeop Pung.
"Then I'll kill him right in front of you! Let's see whether your Cheonun Sect still refuses to die after that!"
A long spear burst from Naeng Chu's grip and hurtled toward Yeop Pung.
"Naeng Chu, you dare—!"
Ha Chung flung himself forward to shield Yeop Pung, but it was already too late. Yeop Pung felt the shadow of death settle over him.
This is enough…!
A calm smile touched Yeop Pung's lips. The moment he had set foot in this place, he had known in his bones that today was the day he was meant to die. But what he had shown here was enough. The roar that had shaken Mount Tianyun would live forever in every heart that had heard it.
The Cheonun Sect lives. I have no regrets!
Yeop Pung hurled Sa Cheonseong's severed head to the ground and gripped the Black Frost Sword tight in both hands. Even if this was a fight he was destined to lose, he had no intention of dying easily for the Cheonbong Army.
I'll take you with me!
The instant Yeop Pung steeled himself for death and prepared to charge, a languid voice drifted in from beside him.
"Kill whom? Just rest easy, child."
"Huh?"
Warm Profound Qi wrapped around Yeop Pung's body and pushed him gently back. Then a shadow vast as a mountain stepped in front of him.
A withered, desiccated hand reached into the empty air and plucked Naeng Chu's spear from its flight as easily as picking fruit. The same hand tossed the weapon to the ground as if discarding trash.
"Lee Sujol! You dare stand in my way? Do you want to die?!"
Naeng Chu snarled, trembling with fury.
"Heh heh. Commander Naeng Chu. What Yeop Pung just displayed was a fair and honorable victory that no one present can deny. I ask that you think this through once more."
Lee Sujol regarded Naeng Chu with a quiet smile.
"Shut your mouth!"
Naeng Chu had already decided he would offer a blood rite of Yeop Pung's blood upon the plaque of the Cheonwoon Martial Academy.
"If you don't want this old man dead along with him, get out of my way this instant!"
But Lee Sujol only drew himself up, chest proud, and spoke with unshakable calm.
Silence crashed over the plaza.
"What did you say?"
Naeng Chu's pupils shook violently. From Lee Sujol he felt a pressure no man should be able to approach. Instinct screaming danger, he snatched toward the spatial pouch at his side for the blue whistle — but strength drained from his entire body, and he collapsed bonelessly into his chair.
"What's happening?"
Cold sweat poured down Naeng Chu's face. Then, all at once, he thought of the man standing behind him. He wrenched his head around and stared at Han Buri with eyes full of stunned horror.
"Han Buri, you…!"
Han Buri smiled.
"Commander Naeng Chu. Whatever is the matter?"
Han Buri rose slowly from his seat. The smile vanished from his face, and an overwhelming aura erupted from him, crushing everything around it.
The smile died on Han Buri's face. A presence vast enough to crush the air itself poured from him, drowning the viewing stand in a pressure that belonged to no mere collaborator.
"What?"
Even Yeop Pung could not hide his shock.
It can't be…!
He had never dreamed Han Buri would betray Naeng Chu like this. This was a reversal that could shake heaven and earth.
Lee Sujol turned a gaze of ice upon Naeng Chu and the Cheonbong Army soldiers who had already drawn their weapons. His voice swelled, growing thunderous, until it rolled across the whole of Cheonun Peak.
"Junior Brother Han. You've suffered much."
From a distance, Han Buri bowed his head to Lee Sujol, the rims of his eyes turning red. He stepped forward, crushed Naeng Chu's fallen whistle beneath his heel, and smiled with deep satisfaction.
Lee Sujol slowly took command of the Gyeongcheon Sword and rose into the sky. With every gaze in the plaza locked upon him and Yeop Pung, he roared in a voice that filled the heavens.
Disciples of the Cheonun Sect, hear me! In this world there is only one Cheonun Sect! Lee Mujin of Bongsang has dared to invade our Cheonun Sect and tear down its very foundations! Today, I, Lee Sujol, shall drive out and cut down every last traitor who has turned against Cheonun!
The instant Lee Sujol's cry ended, two streams of sword qi burst from his hands and lanced toward the high pavilion of the Cheonun Sect.
The first stream of sword qi shattered the plaque that read Cheonwoon Martial Academy into a thousand pieces — and every soul who watched felt their chest go light with savage satisfaction. The second stream severed every last rope that had bound the Cheonun Sect plaque. The three characters blazed once more with brilliant light.
The massive plaque began to fall from the air. In that sliver of an instant, a figure shot upward like lightning, caught the signboard, and set it firmly back upon the pavilion.
Maeng Chang-haeng stood there with a great wine jug in his hand, tipping it back in a hearty swallow. Then he planted himself proudly atop the pavilion, threw back his head, and roared with laughter.