Chapter 107
Chapter 107
True Education (3)
The Houkai disciple, Jang So-pyeong, was bewildered.
The moment the Masked Man assumed his stance, Jang had charged forward like lightning—yet the instant he took his first step, he could feel his speed rapidly diminishing in real time.
Swoosh—!
"...My movements have slowed because of this Yin energy!"
The vicious Yin-Cold Energy emanating from his opponent was stiffening his body and dulling his senses. Now he understood why his master had always complained about how troublesome it was to fight practitioners of ice-based martial arts.
"I need to push my energy even higher!"
He tried to draw out more of the Houkai sect's secret technique, the Drunken Eight Immortals Technique—but...
What the—?
It was futile.
The Masked Man's Yin energy mocked his efforts, surging deeper into his meridians. The Drunken Eight Immortals Technique could barely resist, offering only the faintest opposition.
A quick glance to the side made his eyes tremble slightly.
"It's not just me."
Peng Dae-ho and Do Ye-cheon, who had charged alongside him, wore expressions no different from his own. And though he couldn't turn to look, the same likely applied to the six fighters behind him.
"...But we can't stop here!"
A surge of fighting spirit rose in Jang So-pyeong's eyes.
Look—the enemy ahead seemed to sense their predicament, growing even more arrogant. How could he not be furious?
With every breath, the frigid air mixed in, making it hard to inhale properly. Gritting his teeth, he endured and poured his energy into his twin palms.
Swoosh—!
CRACK!
The inner energy erupting from his dantian surged forth with overwhelming force, transforming into a miniature storm in his palms.
This was his trump card—the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, his most powerful martial art.
Its destructive power rivaled that of a master at the Hua Realm.
Whoosh—!
"Ghk!"
But such overwhelming force came at a cost—it drained his internal energy and physical strength far beyond what his current level could sustain.
A double-edged sword.
Under normal circumstances, using this technique as an opening move would be far too reckless. But right now, it was their best shot.
["Rather than dragging this out, we must pour everything into a single strike!"]
["Understood, So-pyeong!"]
["Got it!"]
The Houkai disciples communicated swiftly through Sound Transmission, synchronizing their attack.
SHWING!
First, the six warriors positioned themselves in the Six Directions Formation, launching simultaneous assaults.
["Now—NOW!!"]
Avoiding only the Masked Man's fatal weak points, they unleashed their full power in a single, coordinated strike.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed as if lightning had struck.
Jang So-pyeong's twin palms surged upward, his Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms aiming to shatter the enemy's ribs.
CRACK!
Meanwhile, Peng Dae-ho's blade flashed like lightning from the opposite side—his Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade, its entangled blade threads gleaming ominously.
From the left came Nam Mu-jin's swift sword, while from the right, Peng So-hye thrust forward with a fist imbued with explosive force.
In the same instant, Do Ha-young spun behind the enemy, his sword dancing in a dazzling display of the Stormwind Sword Technique.
WHOOSH!
Finally, Namgung Baek struck the decisive blow—his Boundless Sky Sword Method, infused with thunderous energy, forming a lightning blade that sealed the assault.
CRACK!
The six warriors' disparate techniques merged into a single, overwhelming torrent.
Though they had never trained together, their coordination was near flawless.
...The only problem?
"!!"
"Tch!"
It didn't work on the Masked Man at all.
He didn't even bother blocking each attack individually.
CLANG!
WHOOM!
Instead, he simply spun a massive battle-axe—one so large it resembled half a man's torso—effortlessly with one hand.
As if mocking their efforts, he made no attempt to counterattack—only defending.
Yet, with eerie precision, the spinning axe intercepted every single one of their strikes.
CLINK-CLINK-CLINK!
Suddenly, the crescent-shaped blade expanded, unleashing an unexpected force along its trajectory.
"...!!"
"Wh-what?!"
The weapon-wielding Houkai disciples' eyes widened in shock.
CLANG!
CLINK!
The moment their weapons touched the frozen axe blade, they became immobile—no matter how much strength they exerted, their arms wouldn't budge.
It was as if the Masked Man's axe had magnetized their weapons, pulling them in like a Suction Technique.
CLINK!
Then, frost began creeping over their weapons, turning them pure white.
If this continued, their weapons would freeze solid and be ripped away entirely.
"This is bad!!"
"We—we need to pull back NOW!"
Realizing the danger, the Houkai disciples burned even more energy than they had in their initial assault, desperately retreating—
"Ghk!"
"...!"
But not all succeeded.
Only Peng So-hye and Nam Mu-jin remained trapped.
Peng So-hye's right hand was completely stuck to the axe blade—her wrist frozen solid from panic-induced hesitation.
Meanwhile, Nam Mu-jin, having poured all his strength into his South Sea Thirty-Six Swords technique, found it impossible to withdraw his sword in time.
He should have abandoned it and retreated, but in his stubbornness, he tried to force it free—only for his hand to freeze to the blade as well.
The two could barely regain their bearings.
The extreme cold was seeping into their bodies through their weapons.
Then—
THUD!
WHOOSH!
The spinning axe blade suddenly detached and flew off, still following its trajectory.
"KYAAH!"
"HRRK!"
CRASH!
Peng So-hye and Nam Mu-jin, still stuck to the frozen blade, were sent flying out of bounds with pitiful groans.
"So-hye!"
"Mu-jin!"
The two lay sprawled on the ground, their clothes covered in dust.
The impact had knocked them unconscious.
The frozen blade, now devoid of energy, quickly melted away.
Drip... drip...
A chilling silence settled over the arena.
An outcome none had anticipated.
The remaining Houkai disciples stood frozen, unable to even think of continuing their assault.
The Masked Man shook his head at them in disapproval.
"Arrogant fools. Did you really think you were in any position to hold back against me?"
"...!!"
Though his face was hidden, the scorn in his voice was palpable.
Rage burned in their expressions.
They wanted to retort—Who uses lethal techniques in a sparring match?—but before they could, the Masked Man spoke again.
"One move—gone."
"!!"
Their minds snapped back to focus.
Just like that, the first of the three moves the Masked Man had promised to concede had been wasted.
CLINK!
As a new icy blade formed on the enemy's weapon—
["...At this rate, we'll have to chain the second and third moves together."]
["Then the final move—"]
["I—I'm ready! My preparations are complete!!"]
The last voice, brimming with energy, belonged to Soo-rin.
Relief flashed across the Houkai disciples' faces.
Truthfully, Soo-rin's martial prowess was the weakest among them.
But she possessed a power beyond martial arts—one that might now prove most effective.
The divine arts of the Divine Maiden Sect.
WHOOSH!
Her wing-like sleeves had turned crimson like autumn leaves.
Spiritual energy rose from her upper dantian, radiating intense heat from her entire body.
Just as everyone was struggling against the oppressive cold, they felt the warmth and sighed in relief—
"By the decree of the heavens—Flowing Fire, Manifest!"
Soo-rin clasped her hands together, completing the incantation.
WHOOSH!
BOOM!
Her sleeves flared out as a colossal pillar of fire erupted toward the Masked Man.
Simultaneously, the other Houkai disciples moved swiftly, adding their own attacks.
SLASH!
CRACK!
Palm strikes, blade winds, sword energies, and hidden techniques—
Every long-range attack they could muster filled the air like a meteor shower.
With the Masked Man unable to counterattack for three moves, they expected him to struggle evading—
BOOM!
CRASH!
"!!"
"...!"
Suddenly, the Masked Man raised his right foot and stomped down.
The arena floor split like drought-stricken earth, fissures spreading in dozens of directions.
CRUMBLE!
BOOM!
As if an earthquake had struck, the ground twisted violently—stone walls erupting in layers before him.
Every single one of the Houkai disciples' attacks crashed uselessly against the barriers.
HISS!
The pillar of fire, in particular, dissipated pathetically against the icy shield covering the walls.
No—worse yet—
CRACK!
BOOM!
Unable to withstand the sudden temperature shift, the massive stone walls shattered—sending debris flying back at the Houkai disciples.
The others reacted instantly, using their finest footwork to dodge the incoming boulders—
WHOOSH!
THUD!
"Ghk—!"
But Soo-rin wasn't fast enough.
A boulder the size of a human head slammed into her abdomen, forcing her to one knee with a pained gasp.
THUD!
Tang Se-rin rushed forward in alarm, shielding her—
"Damn it."
Soo-rin's face was pale, unable to rise.
The impact had struck a vulnerable point—her spiritual energy was disrupted, making further combat impossible.
That made three casualties already.
And the enemy hadn't even properly counterattacked yet.
"But we still have one last move left!"
Just as the remaining Houkai disciples steeled themselves—
WHOOSH!
SLASH!
Amid the debris obscuring the Masked Man's vision, a single swordsman shot forward like a beam of light.
SHING!
HUM!
Do Ye-cheon's blade glowed with an auspicious radiance.
The reason he hadn't participated in the second move—
"Give me the time between the second and third moves. I'll prepare my strongest strike."
As a Hua Realm expert, he had asked for this brief window to unleash his ultimate technique.
WHOOSH!
SLASH!
A razor-sharp sword aura extended from his blade.
In the next instant, the new sword technique he had perfected under Se-woon's guidance unfolded.
Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique
Sixteenth Move
Plum Blossoms Scatter
Azure plum blossoms—symbolizing endurance and hope—bloomed endlessly in the sky, their petals carrying the hue of the heavens.