Master, Have You Arrived? (193/2199)
In the hushed arena, every eye was fixed on Yeop Hyeon.
Was he truly planning to take on the entire Changmok Academy single-handedly?
Meanwhile, atop a massive tree near the mountainside, a woman sat barefoot on a branch, swinging her legs idly.
A faint smile played on her lips.
"That's right, that's how it should be! A true man needs that kind of spirit!"
Behind her stood a woman in armor, silently gazing down at Yeop Hyeon.
The woman suddenly turned and asked,
"A-jwa, what do you think of that man's swordsmanship compared to yours?"
The armored woman bowed her head and said nothing.
The questioner chuckled lightly and turned her attention back to the scene below. Twirling a lock of her hair around her finger, she murmured,
"Everyone calls Yeop Hyeon the youngest Sword Lord in Qingzhou, but in truth, that title belongs to you, A-jwa. And yet here you are, standing guard by my side—what an injustice!"
The armored woman looked flustered and dropped to one knee.
"My liege, I, A-jwa, will follow you forever!"
"Hahaha! Rise, rise. Let's watch this entertaining play together and see how the curtain falls!"
With those words, she turned her gaze downward again, a subtle smile flickering on her face.
At the confrontation between Yeop Hyeon and Changmok Academy.
Yeop Hyeon gripped his sword, glaring at the academy's warriors.
At that moment, one of Changmok Academy's elders stepped forward and addressed him.
"Yeop Hyeon, isn't this enough? Do you really have to see it through to the end?"
"Enough...?"
Yeop Hyeon's lips curled slightly.
"That's what I should be saying. How many times have you tried to kill me? Can you even count?"
"Well..."
"Spare me the nonsense. Today, either I die here, or you do. We'll settle it once and for all!"
With that, Yeop Hyeon shot forward.
The Changmok Academy students, their faces grim, charged at him in unison.
It was one Sword Lord against a thousand from Changmok Academy.
As the clash erupted for real, the crowd gasped in shock.
A thousand warriors!
Every student from Changmok Academy was a genius from their region.
Selected from the mighty Daeun Empire, no less.
Whatever the outcome, in this moment, the spectators couldn't help but admire Yeop Hyeon.
They were awed by his audacity in facing a thousand alone.
Yeop Hyeon's Spirit Water Sword flashed ceaselessly. Each time, one or more students crumpled.
No matter how elite Changmok Academy's forces were, they fell far short of withstanding his single stroke.
But it was grueling for Yeop Hyeon too. For every one who fell, another filled the gap instantly. Outnumbered, wounds began accumulating on his body. Only the protection of his Pure Intent Sword Intent kept him from grievous injury.
He didn't want to use the golden effigies here.
He had about a million spirit stones left—barely enough for one activation. He needed to save them for an emergency, until the very end.
Kill!
Like a wolf starved for slaughter, Yeop Hyeon hacked through them madly. In no time, fifty or sixty corpses littered the ground.
Meanwhile, Changmok Academy's Myriad Laws Realm experts could only stand frozen, watching their students drop like autumn leaves.
No one in the world was ignorant of the Sword Immortal backing Yeop Hyeon. And once that figure appeared, there would be no mercy.
The sword embedded in Hoyeon Hall and the severed head proved it.
Infuriating!
That thought burned in every Myriad Laws expert's mind. If they intervened, they could dispatch Yeop Hyeon with ease.
But they couldn't join the fray. If things continued, the academy's students might all perish.
Changmok Academy would become a hollow shell.
Thud!
Just then, Yeop Hyeon's form flew back a dozen zhang. Regaining his footing, he faced a dozen students charging with bloodshot eyes.
His eyes snapped open.
Whoosh!
Two streaks of sword light shot out, felling the dozen in an instant. But as many more swarmed in.
Yeop Hyeon wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and leaped skyward, sword raised.
Kill!
In that moment, his mind was consumed by one thought: slaughter everyone before him.
Then, a black-clad figure crept up behind him. Yeop Hyeon spun, slashing.
Slash!
The assassin was bisected, blood spraying as he collapsed.
But another appeared at his back.
Pierce!
A dagger flew toward his nape. His Pure Intent Sword Intent blocked it, but the impact stung. Icy killing intent targeted his vitals from all sides.
Clank!
The sword armor on his back opened, unleashing seven swords like bolts of light.
Boom!
A deafening explosion hurled six black-clad foes dozens of zhang away.
They rose swiftly and charged again.
As Yeop Hyeon moved to meet them, a small shadow flickered at the edge of his vision.
His eyes widened.
Cheok Bal-soyo!
Cheok Bal-soyo grinned cutely.
"Sword cultivator, your horse!"
Yeop Hyeon blinked in confusion and looked where her finger pointed—a black flame steed stood ready.
Before he could speak, her hammer swung.
Thud!
A Changmok student's head exploded.
Cheok Bal-soyo glanced around, spat on the ground with a scowl.
"Ganging up on one person like this—you should be ashamed!"
She hefted her hammer high and slammed it down.
Boom!
The ground quaked, flinging thirty nearby students away.
Yeop Hyeon grabbed her sleeve urgently and whispered,
"What are you doing here?"
Meeting his gaze, she replied,
"Helping you, obviously!"
"This is my fight. You don't need to get involved."
She pondered briefly, then said,
"My father always said a real man values loyalty above all. Loyalty—what is it? Well... you know, right? It's super important. Yeah?"
"..."
She leaned in close, face serious.
"I'm pretty loyal, right?"
Yeop Hyeon gave a wry smile.
"Soyo, these are from Changmok Academy and the Shadow Realm—major powers even in Jungto Sinju. If you get mixed up in this, your family could suffer!"
She waved it off.
"Doesn't matter. My dad's super strong, my uncle's super strong too! And my third uncle's no slouch!"
As Yeop Hyeon opened his mouth to retort, she patted his shoulder and cut in.
"Dad also said a warrior dies for those who recognize him. I don't wanna die, but fighting's fine."
She aimed her hammer at the surrounding warriors.
"I'm Cheok Bal-soyo. My dad's super strong. Uncle too. Third uncle's pretty tough. But I'm no weak kid relying on family. Even if I lose, I won't tell Dad. Unless he decides to avenge me himself."
"..."
Yeop Hyeon shook his head helplessly and shot toward the mountain.
Her words trailed after.
"Like I said, my dad's really strong!"
She dashed up after him.
The Changmok warriors grimaced but dared not block them.
Not even the Myriad Laws experts.
Thus, Yeop Hyeon and Cheok Bal-soyo reached Changmok Academy unhindered. Passing several halls, they arrived at Hoyeon Hall.
Yeop Hyeon looked up. There, embedded in the plaque: a green sword—and a head impaled on it.
Tree Leaf Sword!
He smiled faintly, leaped, and seized it.
The blade in his hand was ice-cold.
Pulling it free, he descended slowly.
Then he frowned.
The sword held nothing special.
Just a bundle of leaves shaped like a blade.
What's going on? Wasn't this a divine weapon?
A wave of emptiness washed over him.
No energy emanated from it. He could craft an identical one in moments.
Yeop Hyeon stood dazed, clutching the leaf sword.
Frozen like stone.
Changmok students arrived but kept their distance, wary.
Cheok Bal-soyo menaced them with her hammer, eyes fierce.
Moments later, Yeop Hyeon burst into mad laughter, like a lunatic.
"I get it!"
Cheok Bal-soyo blinked her big eyes.
"Get what?"
"Hahaha! I understand what Master was trying to tell me! If a person's strong enough, even a twig can shatter heaven and earth! It's the person that's fundamental!"
In that instant, the Tree Leaf Sword in his hand dissolved into a streak of sword light, soaring skyward and vanishing beyond the clouds.
Meanwhile, in a forest of Jiang Kingdom, barren branches suddenly sprouted leaves.
With the sword gone, Yeop Hyeon felt warmth in his heart. His master hadn't just taught swordsmanship, but the truths of the world.
Snapping from reverie, he eyed the horde of approaching students, about to strike—then turned to Cheok Bal-soyo.
"Soyo, head that way to their treasury. Grab anything valuable."
She blinked.
"Really? But that feels kinda bad..."
He opened his mouth to explain, but she was already bolting off.
Didn't she say she felt bad?
"Yeop Hyeon!"
A Myriad Laws expert bellowed at the stunned Yeop Hyeon.
"To humiliate us like this...!"
"Yeah! Humiliation!"
Yeop Hyeon's sword tip swung toward the shouting expert.
"Hate it? Then come at me!"
The expert seethed, nearly vomiting blood.
He roared to the others,
"I can't take this anymore! Better mutual destruction than this shame! What's there to fear in death?"
"Mutual destruction!"
The cry ignited the students into frenzy. The remaining Myriad Laws experts exchanged glances, resolve in their eyes.
"Kill him!"
With the shout, every Changmok warrior—elders, students, all—charged Yeop Hyeon, lives on the line.
Just then, Yeop Hyeon looked up abruptly and murmured,
"Master, have you arrived?"
In that instant, the entire Changmok Academy froze in place, unmoving.