Dance of Ice, Flame, and Blade
It began with Han Seo-yeon.
Engulfed in fury over the deaths of her subordinates, she shot forward faster than anyone, swinging her sword heavy with biting cold.
Her blade froze everything around it.
The enemies knew well how vicious the Ice Palace's chill could be, dodging her strikes with nimble movements.
But the cold she unleashed far exceeded their expectations.
Those touched by her sword froze solid and shattered; even those who avoided it found their movements dulled by the pervasive frost.
Screeeeech!
Charging in right behind her was Woo-gang.
His spear pierced through the slowed foes.
Whoosh!
The moment it impaled them, flames erupted across their bodies.
Woo-gang pressed the assault in that state, sweeping his spear in a wide arc. The approaching enemies leaped into the air all at once, evading his attack.
Awaiting them above the oppressive cold and heat pressing from the front was the Sword King's razor-sharp blade.
Shiiiing! Shiiiing!
The Sword King's sword whipped through the air too fast to follow.
Its extension and retraction defied imagination in speed.
His strikes were swift, precise, and backed by tremendous power—leaving the incoming foes utterly helpless.
From behind, Cheon Ok-jin-in, the Plum Blossom Sword Disciples, and the Tang Family warriors watched tensely, but they gradually lost themselves in awe.
The trio at the Peak realm was demonstrating in stark clarity what happened when they went all-out against enemies.
Pop! Pop!
At that moment, the enemies' movements shifted.
They fell back briefly to regroup before charging again.
Han Seo-yeon and Woo-gang met them head-on simultaneously.
Han Seo-yeon advanced further, unleashing her frost, while the flames Woo-gang spewed from behind engulfed them.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
But the enemies' altered movements were razor-sharp.
By constantly shifting positions, they caused Han Seo-yeon's cold and Woo-gang's fire to cancel each other out.
Individually, their attacks seemed impossible to block, but combining the two energies drastically reduced their effectiveness.
They had quickly analyzed each assault's traits and adapted with swift judgment.
It was a change possible only because of their exceptional individual skills.
Bursting through the diminished strikes, the enemies surged forward.
Precise and lethal.
Their flawless, machine-like coordination wove together seamlessly.
Roar!
Woo-gang swung his spear.
Blasting flames to block their approach, he unleashed the Wind-Chasing Nine Illusions Step to its limit.
Even the enemies' heightened agility couldn't keep up.
On the contrary, Woo-gang weaved through their ranks, skewering them like kebabs.
Not to be outdone, Han Seo-yeon sharpened the edge of her relentless swordplay.
Reducing her frost output, she amplified her forms' power to counter their changes.
Thanks to the pair rampaging freely through the enemy lines, even the Sword King now had nothing to do.
Slash!
Screeeeech! Thunk! Boom!
Han Seo-yeon's sword danced, and Woo-gang's spear belched fire.
The enemies had adapted with quick thinking, but Woo-gang and Han Seo-yeon's responses were equally superb.
As if they'd been syncing for years.
In the end, the foes failed to break through again and retreated.
Yet their battle spirit wasn't broken.
On the contrary, the murderous glint piercing through their masks burned even fiercer.
Then, Han Seo-yeon glanced sidelong at Woo-gang.
Suddenly, she summoned a surge of cold and blasted it forward.
Crackle!
The moisture in the air froze into ice crystals.
Roar!
Then, an immense blaze erupted from Woo-gang's spear, melting Han Seo-yeon's crystals.
The ice turned to water and instantly to steam, blanketing the area in thick white fog.
With visibility blocked.
The enemies struggled to distinguish friend from foe amid the dense, mist-like vapor drifting in the air.
Then, an overwhelming aura surged from the front—followed by a sudden crimson blaze.
Seizing the moment their sight was obscured, Woo-gang had channeled his Hyeoncheon Yeolhwa Singong qi to the max. Flames shot along his thrust spear.
It resembled the final strike he'd unleashed that night against the fake Ak So-cheon.
The inferno swept through, parting the steam forcefully and engulfing the enemies.
Some managed to dodge swiftly, but most were consumed by the rampaging flames.
Screeeeech!
Shwick!
Those who escaped Woo-gang's blaze fell to Han Seo-yeon and the Sword King.
The pair brushed past Woo-gang in a flash, felling foes as if in competition.
Thud!
Woo-gang slammed his spear's tip into the ground, gasping raggedly.
It's tough.
Against the fake Ak So-cheon, his emotions had boiled over, numbing the strain.
After calming down, he'd only felt mild fatigue.
But now, his body felt leaden, as if every ounce of strength had drained away.
Without the spear, his legs might have buckled.
At least the Hyeoncheon Yeolhwa Singong was rapidly replenishing his depleted qi.
"Hoo…."
Moments later, Woo-gang lifted his head with a deep breath.
Han Seo-yeon and the Sword King were finishing up, having felled most of the enemies.
Some were trying to slip away in the chaos.
Screeeeech!
Woo-gang's eyes flashed as he hurled his spear with all his might.
Discarding one's weapon was unthinkable.
The onlookers gasped in shock.
Thunk! Thunk! Boom!
The spear pierced two enemies at once before slamming into the ground, too heavy to stay aloft.
Blood from their instant deaths pooled widely around it.
Step, step, step.
Woo-gang approached slowly and yanked out his spear.
Then he peeled off the mask from one impaled foe.
A stranger's unfamiliar face appeared, as expected.
Younger than he'd imagined, Woo-gang frowned slightly.
Older than junior disciples, but far too youthful for a battle-hardened veteran.
"Are these really from Crouching Dragon Valley?"
"Hard to say. This fight has only muddied the waters more. Were they truly this weak back when they terrorized us, or are they still recovering and not yet at full strength?"
The Sword King muttered.
Crouching Dragon Valley's emergence in the Central Plains was over a century ago.
After their sudden disappearance, the martial world had advanced relentlessly.
If their power remained frozen in that era, this outcome made sense.
But this can't be their true might.
Otherwise, their legend wouldn't endure to this day.
"Either way, I can retire in peace now. You two are incredible."
Woo-gang just smiled at the Sword King's jest.
Han Seo-yeon, however, stared grimly at the badly mangled corpses of her Ice Palace warriors.
She'd wanted to give them a proper funeral, but the decomposition weighed on her with guilt.
"We'll handle recovering the Ice Palace warriors' bodies."
Cheon Ok-jin-in approached and offered.
They'd come to escort but done nothing.
One could say Woo-gang, Han Seo-yeon, and the Sword King handled it all, leaving no opening—but Cheon Ok-jin-in judged coldly.
Had they rushed in first, they might all be dead.
The trio's overwhelming prowess only made the enemies seem weak; their movements and strikes packed real power.
Felling them unscathed was the trio's feat.
Is this what they mean by 'beyond the heavens'?
Cheon Ok-jin-in mused inwardly.
"What'll you do?"
The Sword King asked Han Seo-yeon.
She'd been fixated on her fallen comrades but turned to Cheon Ok-jin-in and bowed her head.
"I'd be grateful. Some Ice Palace members remain in the Central Plains. I'll inform them, so once the rites are done, please send the bodies north via them."
"Consider it done."
"Planning to stick around?"
Han Seo-yeon nodded at the Sword King's question.
"Things have escalated. The Ice Palace can't back out now. We'll pursue their identity to the end."
"Hm…."
The Sword King nodded.
The Ice Palace, already driven by clear purpose, now had another.
"Then you'll be in good hands. You alright?"
"Yes. It's a bit taxing."
Woo-gang answered honestly when the Sword King eyed his lingering fatigue.
"I felt it then too—that final form consumes too much qi. It lands flawlessly, but against someone resistant, it'd leave me wide open."
"I know. Best to hold off for now."
"Right. Blindly overwhelming with power isn't always best. Know when to ration it."
"Yes."
Woo-gang had gleaned much from this clash already.
Real combat differed vastly from spars or training.
"The carriage alright?"
Woo-gang asked Dang Cheon-yong.
"With you three holding the line so solidly? Not a speck of dust. No worries."
Dang Cheon-yong replied with a faint, bittersweet smile.
Renowned in the Tang Family for poison mastery, he was still a warrior at heart.
He knew his martial skills lagged, but the gap felt hollowing.
Even he couldn't escape a warrior's pride.
"We'll leave the cleanup to you and head out. Oh, and…."
The Sword King turned to leave but glanced back at Cheon Ok-jin-in.
"Tell your sect leader straight: He nearly got his disciples killed with pointless pride and stubbornness. A true leader knows when to bend. Make sure he gets that."
Cheon Ok-jin-in managed an awkward smile at the blunt reprimand.
His mind raced to soften the words.
The Sword King saw through it.
"Don't twist it. Repeat every syllable. That's how Cheon Hwa-jin-in will learn. If he snaps at you, say I'll visit later—tell him myself."
"Uh, yes, sir."
Cheon Ok-jin-in replied stiffly as the Sword King sheathed his blade.
Soon, the carriage carrying the trio and Ak So-cheon departed.
"How about detouring to Ye Mountain for a hot spring soak?"
"We've delayed enough with these incidents. No time."
"You young ones are fine, but my bones ache! Got swept up in your energy and overdid it—I'm dying here."
Cheon Ok-jin-in and the Plum Blossom Sword Disciples began cleanup, bemused by the trio's banter—so casual after a life-or-death brawl.