Master is Coming
The old man's heavy words made the people of Canglan Academy grasp his intentions.
The Great Yun Changmok Academy had sent the boy along to have him kill Yeop Hyeon and gain fame in the process. And if that happened, Changmok Academy would be free from accusations of a strong power bullying the weak.
Even if the boy lost, it wouldn't be a big deal. The old man would kill Yeop Hyeon anyway, and Changmok Academy could instill fear in the forces of Qingzhou.
Yeop Hyeon looked to Ji Yuan Zhang for his opinion. The dean shouted.
"Begin!"
Without wasting words, Yeop Hyeon flew straight toward the boy.
The boy charged at Yeop Hyeon just as swiftly.
Boom!
With a massive crash, both figures slid back to their original spots. The marble slabs beneath their feet had already shattered into pieces.
The boy glared at Yeop Hyeon and stomped his right foot down hard.
Thud!
A tremendous force surged up from beneath Yeop Hyeon's feet, shoving his body back a dozen zhang.
Not stopping there, the boy shot forward like a starving lion, closing the dozen zhang in an instant and thrusting out his foot.
His kick tore through the air with a hazy golden net, slicing sharply toward Yeop Hyeon.
Yeop Hyeon's eyes widened as he drove his right fist straight forward.
Yeop Hyeon's fist overflowed with powerful battle intent.
Boom!
Struck squarely by Yeop Hyeon's fist, the boy flew back toward the old man, crashing into the ground and carving out a massive crater.
The boy emerged from the debris, glaring at Yeop Hyeon as he wiped blood from his mouth.
"Martial Dao Grandmaster..."
"Martial Dao Grandmaster?"
Mu Yun Qi and the other two were stunned by the words. They knew Yeop Hyeon had awakened battle intent, but they hadn't imagined he'd reached Martial Dao Grandmaster.
Just recently, he hadn't been one. Come to think of it, that single punch just now had the might worthy of a Martial Dao Grandmaster.
A punch infused with battle intent, carrying the power of a supreme weapon!
Yeop Hyeon clenched his fist with an expressionless face, his intent clear: focus on the fight, not words.
Whoosh!
In that moment, the boy's figure vanished, reappearing right in front of Yeop Hyeon.
Yeop Hyeon punched straight ahead with a bored expression.
Boom!
Hit dead-on again, the boy flew limply back to the old man's side, creating another crater.
As the boy scrambled up for another attack, the old man blocked his path.
"That's enough."
The boy shot the old man a look mixed with anger and frustration.
"He's not your opponent!"
But the boy still wore a twisted expression, refusing to accept it. And who could blame him? He'd never been so thoroughly crushed by someone at the same realm before.
The old man fixed the boy with a cold gaze.
"Confidence is good, but when it exceeds its bounds, it's mere foolishness. Do you not understand why I brought you here? To show you how many powerhouses exist in this world!"
Only then, as the old man grew angry, did the boy show fear and retreat behind him. But his eyes still flashed toward Yeop Hyeon.
The old man turned to Yeop Hyeon.
"Now I see why Changmok Academy of Jiang Kingdom pays such a steep price to kill you. A child like you must be nipped in the bud before he grows!"
With those words, he thrust his hand toward Yeop Hyeon.
A colossal energy appeared above Yeop Hyeon's head, crushing down on him. Yeop Hyeon felt a pressure that could pulverize him at any moment.
Yeop Hyeon narrowed his eyes at the old man. Not a trace of fear lingered in them.
His opponent was beyond him. But that was no reason to feel fear.
Battle!
A strand of battle intent swirled around Yeop Hyeon. But it scattered instantly before the old man's power.
The gap in their realms was something nothing could bridge.
At that moment, Ji Yuan Zhang stepped in front of Yeop Hyeon and casually waved his hand. A tremendous energy surged from his sleeve like ocean waves crashing forth.
Boom!
The clash of the two mighty energies unleashed a massive shockwave that tore through the arena, shattering nearby buildings and the ground.
Ji Yuan Zhang pressed his hand down lightly, and the raging energy in the arena calmed instantly.
The old man eyed Ji Yuan Zhang.
"To destroy Canglan Academy, I suppose we start by eliminating you!"
The old man's figure vanished from the spot.
Ji Yuan Zhang was currently the strongest warrior in Canglan Academy. If he fell, the rest would bid farewell to the world in the blink of an eye.
Ji Yuan Zhang raised his left hand and gently pushed backward. In an instant, Yeop Hyeon and his group were shoved a hundred zhang away. At the same time, Ji Yuan Zhang's voice echoed in their minds.
"Seize the chance and escape!"
Escape?
Yeop Hyeon glanced at Ji Yuan Zhang, who was about to clash with the enemy.
Rationally, fleeing was the best choice right now.
They all knew it, but deep down, they couldn't make that choice.
They could already sense the heavenly net and earthly web enveloping the Canglan Academy grounds. Against foes so determined to annihilate them, escape was impossible.
Flee and bide their time for revenge?
That was exactly what the enemy aimed to prevent!
Right then, I Hyeon-chang appeared before Yeop Hyeon. Beside him stood the black-robed warrior from before.
I Hyeon-chang glanced at Ji Yuan Zhang in the midst of battle, then turned to Yeop Hyeon.
"Looks like you truly have nowhere left to rely on. Then I suppose it's fine to kill you now?"
I Hyeon-chang's figure vanished.
He had rushed here the moment he sensed the massive influx of energy at Changmok Academy. Today was the perfect, once-in-a-lifetime chance to eliminate the great threat named Yeop Hyeon. He couldn't let it slip.
As Yeop Hyeon gritted his teeth to strike, a black shadow blocked his path.
Thud!
With a dull impact, I Hyeon-chang reappeared in his original spot.
The one who had blocked him was none other than Gu Lu-ju of Chwiseonru. Gang Wol-cheon soon appeared at his side as well.
Seeing the two, I Hyeon-chang ground his teeth.
"Gu Lu-ju, Gang Wol-cheon! Are you truly set on making enemies of Changmok Academy?"
Gu Lu-ju glanced at I Hyeon-chang, then turned to Yeop Hyeon.
"Young Master Yeop, all we can do is hold off these two in front of us. Beyond them, there are at least five or six Myriad Laws Realm powerhouses lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opening. And though I can't confirm with my eyes, there are surely assassins from the Dark Realm nearby as well..."
Yeop Hyeon spoke up.
"It's fine. Master is already on the way."
'Master!'
At the word "master" from Yeop Hyeon's mouth, Gu Lu-ju looked momentarily flustered before bursting into laughter at I Hyeon-chang.
"Hahaha! I Hyeon-chang, Changmok Academy has never shied from evil deeds and injustice. Today, on behalf of the entire Jiang Kingdom, Chwiseonru will eradicate your vile academy from the kingdom!"
With those words, Gu Lu-ju shot toward I Hyeon-chang.
Eradicate Changmok Academy on behalf of Jiang Kingdom?
I Hyeon-chang faltered at the provocation.
"Have you lost your mind!?"
As I Hyeon-chang roared in fury, Gu Lu-ju's palm was already at his face.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled through the arena as the two figures clashed and separated.
"What makes your Chwiseonru qualified to punish Changmok Academy? Have you lost your head!?"
"Why so much useless talk? Shut up and come at me!"
Gu Lu-ju charged at I Hyeon-chang again.
Confirming Gu Lu-ju's attitude, I Hyeon-chang decided to fight in earnest, no more words.
Kaboom!
Thunderous booms echoed endlessly around the two.
Meanwhile, Gang Wol-cheon fixed a murderous glare on the black-robed figure before him.
He and Gu Lu-ju had to be here no matter what.
If they hadn't come today, all their efforts so far would go to waste.
Gang Wol-cheon had bet on Yeop Hyeon. If Yeop Hyeon died, everything would be for naught—and he'd have to bear Changmok Academy's bloody vengeance alone!
The black-robed figure asked.
"Is that boy worth staking the fate of Jiang Kingdom's imperial family on?"
"Nonsense. This old man simply couldn't stand by Changmok Academy's injustice!"
With that, Gang Wol-cheon's figure vanished.
The black-robed figure left an afterimage and disappeared as well.
Yeop Hyeon and the Canglan Academy disciples watched the powerhouses clash from the side.
Yeop Hyeon turned to Mu Yun Qi and the other two.
"You three, leave this place!"
The three looked at him in shock.
'Leave?'
"Didn't you hear? Get out of here, all three of you!"
Mu Yun Qi asked cautiously.
"Brother Yeop, what do you mean?"
Yeop Hyeon gazed into the distance and sighed.
"No reason for all of us to die here!"
Yeop Hyeon judged the situation clearly. It seemed Canglan Academy's main branch had refused support. Ji Yuan Zhang alone couldn't handle all those foes.
The situation was already hopeless.
It was infuriating, but reality was just cruel. In the end, since he wasn't a Sword Immortal, there was no way to resolve this!
What could he do? The weak could only endure!
Yeop Hyeon etched this truth he'd realized so far even deeper into his heart.
The weak had no choice but to resign themselves, no matter how unjust.
Mu Yun Qi said angrily.
"You want us to abandon you and the dean and run? Is that something a person does? Fine, like you said, we'll die without doing anything. But better to die together!"
As Yeop Hyeon opened his mouth to reply, Mu Yun Qi cut him off.
"Canglan Academy is your home and mine too. Of course I don't want to die. But I don't want to live pathetically either! So let's fight together! And never tell me to run again! Hear it once more, and I might actually want to!"
Bai Ze spoke up.
"You've finally become a man."
Mu Yun Qi glared.
"What kinda math is that? I've always been a man!"
"Didn't know till now."
"..."
As Bai Ze and Mu Yun Qi bickered, Yeop Hyeon slowly closed his eyes and entered the Jieyu Tower.
"The one on the second floor... can we talk?"
"..."
No answer came, so Yeop Hyeon asked again.
"Don't you want to come out?"
Then, a sheet of paper floated out from the crack in the second-floor door. On it, several footprints connected to form a circle.
'What does this mean?'
Another sheet flew before his eyes. It too had a circle drawn just like the first. Yeop Hyeon noticed the subtle difference between the two and overlapped them.
A shape that looked like it was rolling forward appeared.
'What is this? Telling me to get lost?'
His expression darkening, Yeop Hyeon called out again.
"Hey, let's talk!"