Chapter 106
Chapter 106
True Education (2)
Se-woon and the others emerged from the room and began navigating through the labyrinthine corridors.
Watching the junior elites sharpen their senses, wary that he might harm Namgung Baek, Se-woon chuckled silently behind his mask.
'It worked perfectly.'
In truth, he had deliberately played the villain to create this atmosphere.
A common enemy naturally unites allies.
At that moment, Yoo Jin-hak's final words flashed vividly in Se-woon's mind.
"After I'm gone, please watch over the rising tides who will lead the next generation."
That was why Se-woon had gathered them all here—to recruit them as members of a covert combat unit.
A unit whose existence was known only to Yoo Jin-hak within the Murim Alliance. A unit dedicated to gathering intelligence on the Blood Cult and eliminating them from the shadows.
No one in the Murim Alliance, except the Alliance Leader, could issue orders to them. If evidence linking someone to the Blood Cult was confirmed, they had the authority to execute on sight.
And this unit, with Se-woon as its leader, was named by Yoo Jin-hak himself:
Cheoncheon Unit (齊天隊).
Just as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven had aided the Tang Monk in bringing peace to the world, this unit was meant to bring peace to the martial world.
'......I never thought I'd inherit this name.'
Se-woon was stunned when he heard the name.
In his past life, the Blood Cult had feared and relentlessly sought to exterminate one unit above all others—the Cheoncheon Unit.
Moreover, the leader of that unit back then had been none other than—
'The Sword Star, Namgung Baek.'
The very same Namgung Baek standing before him now.
Namgung Baek, who had rebelled against Namgung Myung—the man who fractured the Murim Alliance—and left his family to serve under Yoo Jin-hak, leading the Cheoncheon Unit. Through life-and-death missions, he had risen to become one of the era's greatest swordsmen.
But after Yoo Jin-hak's assassination, he led the Cheoncheon Unit in secret operations before eventually forming a new organization with like-minded individuals.
'That organization was the Anti-Blood Alliance.'
The Anti-Blood Alliance was led by three leaders:
The Sword Queen, Do Ha-young.
The Heavenly Battle Beggar, Jang So-pyeong.
And the third—
The Thunder Wheel Sword Star, Namgung Baek.
Knowing his character, Se-woon had recommended Namgung Baek as one of the unit's members.
Se-woon had full authority over personnel decisions for the Cheoncheon Unit.
Even Yoo Jin-hak couldn't hide his surprise—clearly, he hadn't expected this choice. But he supported Se-woon's decision.
Se-woon glanced subtly at Namgung Baek's expression.
His face, now unmasked, was clouded with deep contemplation.
It wasn't hard to guess his current state.
Raising a sword against one's own father was no easy resolve.
For a moment, even Se-woon felt a pang of sympathy.
'But I can't afford to be lenient.'
He steeled himself.
In the coming war against the Blood Cult, such emotions would be a luxury.
Se-woon intended to show them firsthand the cold, brutal reality they would soon face.
Thud.
Right on cue, they arrived at their destination.
"......What is this place?"
Su-rin blinked rapidly as she took in the surroundings.
A completely different space unfolded before them.
At its center stood a massive training platform, but what was astonishing was that the entire space—walls, ceiling, and floor—was surrounded by water gates.
At a glance, it was clearly designed for combat training.
The water gates acted as shock absorbers and soundproofing, ensuring no impact or noise would escape outside.
As they gaped at the unfamiliar sight—
Thud. Thud.
"......!"
"!!"
Their eyes widened like lanterns.
Se-woon was already striding up onto the platform without hesitation.
The moment their gazes locked onto him, Se-woon reached behind his back—
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed through the space.
A four-foot (~120 cm) iron club, previously concealed by his cloak, was now fully revealed.
Everyone froze in shock.
They had assumed he was purely a fist fighter due to his crippled arm, but now a blunt weapon had appeared out of nowhere.
"A rabid dog only responds to a club."
Se-woon slammed the club's tip against the platform, his tone brimming with arrogance.
His demeanor, indistinguishable from a rogue of the unorthodox factions, made the junior elites exhale sharply.
'He's sticking to that attitude till the end.'
'......Just why did the Alliance Leader appoint someone so lacking in basic courtesy as our commander?'
Though it was the Alliance Leader's solemn decree, the more they looked at Se-woon, the more they felt their anger might erupt into a fatal rage.
Among them, Ha-young—who had managed to keep her composure—spoke up.
"Hah... Then, Senior, we'll discuss the order in which we'll face you and inform you afterward."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Huh?"
Se-woon's abrupt response left Ha-young bewildered.
"Stop wasting my time and come at me all at once."
"!!"
Now, everyone was stunned.
There wasn't a hint of deceit in Se-woon's voice.
Jang So-pyeong, incredulous, spoke up.
"You're saying you'll fight all of us simultaneously?"
"Does that phrase have another meaning?"
"No, but if that's the case, at least let that guy over there join us—"
"That brat only knows how to kill with his sword. Though, if you're eager to die early, be my guest."
"!!"
When Jang So-pyeong pointed at Moo Myung, who stood silently to the side, Se-woon cut him off immediately.
The junior elites exchanged glances at the declaration.
[W-wait, is this for real? Even so, nine against one is...]
[Hmm, he is a master at the peak of the Flower Realm. From his perspective, this might be natural.]
[But... even if that's true, we have martial artists at the Flower Realm too.]
[If he insists, let's give it a try.]
In a life-or-death battle, they stood no chance against a Flower Realm master.
The gap between realms beyond the Flower Realm was absolute.
But in a sparring match, they had a fighting chance.
Leading them was Do Ye-cheon, who had just entered the Flower Realm, alongside several others who had reached the pinnacle of the Supreme Realm.
Moreover, with Su-rin of the Divine Maiden Sect wielding esoteric techniques and Tang Se-rin of the Sichuan Tang Clan specializing in poison and hidden weapons—
Their eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Their original goal had been to prove they weren't to be underestimated, even if they couldn't win.
But now, it seemed they might actually teach this arrogant bastard a lesson.
Just as their fighting spirit ignited—
"Fine. As your senior, I'll grant you the courtesy of the Three Moves."
"......!!"
Se-woon dropped another bombshell.
Granting the Three Moves was an act reserved for seniors who held overwhelming superiority over their juniors—a teaching gesture.
It meant he would only defend, without counterattacking, for the first three moves of their assault.
Grind.
Jang So-pyeong gritted his teeth audibly before stepping onto the platform first.
"We appreciate your generosity. We'll repay it properly."
One by one, all nine ascended the platform.
Shing!
Clang!
The junior elites drew their weapons.
Simultaneously, the nine moved in flawless unison, forming a battle formation.
[I'll take the vanguard.]
[I'll assist, So-pyeong.]
[I'll provide support from the rear!]
[Be wary of the poison mist.]
Vanguard: Jang So-pyeong, Peng Dae-ho, Do Ye-cheon.
Midline: Nam Moo-jin, Namgung Baek, Do Ha-young.
Rear: Seo Su-rin, Peng So-hye, Tang Se-rin.
Though they had never trained together, each instinctively knew their role.
It was only natural.
Every one of them was the Murim Alliance's finest elite, backed by the full support of the Nine Schools and Seven Great Families.
Crackle!
Though not a formal formation, the extraordinary aura of nine warriors intertwined, shaking the surroundings.
But Se-woon—
"I'll say this only once."
—stood unfazed against the pressure that would unsettle even renowned masters.
"—If you don't want to die, come at me with everything from the first move."
"!!"
He faced the tidal wave of energy head-on.
Whoosh!
Rumble!
A ferocious power began radiating from Se-woon's entire body.
It was the same energy he had used to shatter the water wall earlier.
Since he couldn't use Reverse Heaven Energy against them, he had refined the Divine Poison Energy, removing most of its toxicity and leaving only its sinister essence before blending it with his innate Qi.
Thus, while its nature leaned closest to unorthodox martial arts, traces of orthodox purity remained.
Crack!
Se-woon tightened his grip on the club.
Divine Poison Energy surged from his dantian, rapidly flowing into the weapon.
Truthfully, Se-woon was at a severe disadvantage for this fight.
With Tang Se-rin watching, he couldn't use any of the Sichuan Tang Clan's techniques.
Since everyone knew his primary weapon, he couldn't use the Heavenly Web.
With Su-rin present, he couldn't employ the Divine Maiden Sect's martial arts.
And since he wasn't trying to kill them, the One-Point Kill technique was off-limits.
Thus—
'Sigh... I didn't want to use this power because it reminds me of that crazy woman...'
—Se-woon unsealed a martial art he had kept locked away.
The divine technique he had received in exchange for giving Xue Yi Lang a Divine Artifact.
Crackle!
The four-foot club in Se-woon's hand was instantly encased in white frost.
Weighing a monstrous 80 geun (~50 kg), it was forged from the remnants of iron left after melting the Frozen Wheel.
As the weapon's hidden form gradually took shape, the junior elites' eyes bulged.
'......Th-that's not a club?!'
'That's—!!'
The power of the Ice White Divine Technique—a skill only the master of the Northern Ice Palace could wield—began merging with the Divine Poison Energy.
And simultaneously—
Crackle!
Shing!
A broad, crescent-shaped blade of ice sprouted from the club's upper half.
What Se-woon held wasn't a club.
It was an axe handle.
A great axe, the kind only a giant from legends might wield, revealed its true form.
'Even the Silver Moon Great Axe—said to be the Heavenly Demon's legacy—wouldn't be more beautiful than this Ice Axe.'
Thud.
Yet Se-woon lifted the frozen great axe with absurd ease.
The surreal sight left the junior elites momentarily dumbfounded.
But only for a moment.
Whoosh.
"......!!"
"!!"
The bone-chilling cold that enveloped the area snapped them back to their senses.
—If you don't want to die, come at me with everything from the first move.
Se-woon's final warning echoed in their minds.
'Within three moves...!'
'We have to bring him down!!'
Whoosh!
Bam!
In that instant, all nine charged at Se-woon with everything they had.
Chapter 107: The Tyrant of Sichuan