Chapter 108
Chapter 108
True Education (4)
'This... is the true Blue Plum Blossom!'
Se-woon couldn't help but marvel at the breathtaking sight of the azure plum blossoms blooming gloriously before his eyes.
For a fleeting moment, he even forgot they were in the midst of a martial duel.
The difference between what he saw now and what he had witnessed when he first awakened Do Ye-cheon's potential at the Martial Alliance was like night and day.
Of course, part of it was due to the genuine fighting spirit imbued within the blade—the sheer willpower condensed at its tip had transformed entirely.
'It seems he's gained many realizations since that day.'
After their violent encounter during the Gaebong Blood Incident, Ye-cheon must have trained with even greater fervor. The regret of not being able to unleash his full strength in that desperate situation must have weighed heavily on him.
Se-woon could sense the relentless determination in his opponent's sword—the resolve to reclaim all the years lost wandering aimlessly.
But admiration could only last so long.
'As much as I respect it, I can't just stand here and take it.'
Whoosh—
The sweet fragrance of plum blossoms tickled his nose as his vision, which had seemed sluggish, rapidly returned to normal.
Crack!
Swoosh—
And within the mesmerizing beauty of the sword-formed plum blossoms, hidden blades of ruthless intent revealed themselves.
'The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique!'
Se-woon instantly recognized the sword technique being unleashed.
It bore striking similarities to the forms he had seen in his past life, when Do Ye-cheon was known as the Heavenly Slaughter Sword Demon.
The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique was the very essence of Mount Hua's martial legacy.
Its profound complexity made it nearly impossible to master without exceptional talent and comprehension.
But for those who qualified, the technique unleashed devastating sword strikes like the ones raining down now.
Crunch!
Se-woon tightened his grip on the axe handle, channeling more power into his stance.
The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique was the pinnacle of illusory artistry.
Unlike the superficial flashiness of other mediocre illusionary sword techniques in the martial world—which relied solely on deception to land fatal blows—
Mount Hua's swordplay was like a master's brushstroke across the heavens.
Mount Hua's illusions transformed into reality.
Rumble—
The unique Blue Plum Blossoms Ye-cheon had newly crafted carried the force of a raging storm within each petal.
Yet Se-woon felt no fear.
He had already devised the perfect countermeasure.
'Sometimes, the best offense is a solid defense.'
Whoosh—
The Divine Poison Energy, fused with the Yin-Cold Energy of the Ice Soul Divine Art, surged violently through his limbs.
'Got him!'
Jang So-pyeong and the other junior elites instinctively sensed victory as they watched the Blue Plum Blossoms bloom magnificently in the air.
The five martial artists, who had poured all their strength into this assault, took a step back.
Of course, their hearts urged them to rush forward and aid Ye-cheon—but they couldn't.
'We'd only end up being a hindrance.'
Numbers didn't always guarantee success.
When martial artists who had reached the Flower Realm clashed, those below their level risked becoming obstacles if they recklessly intervened.
Though bitter to admit, it was the truth.
Battles between Flower Realm experts always carried immense repercussions.
Even if it was a spar, without prior coordination, disaster could strike.
And right now, the Blue Plum Blossoms embroidering the air seemed poised to deliver devastation solely to the masked man.
'But when did Ye-cheon refine his martial arts to this extent?'
The junior elites gasped at the flawless execution of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
The sight of the Blue Plum Blossoms—never before seen in their lifetimes—was breathtakingly beautiful, yet the destructive force hidden within was equally awe-inspiring.
Now they understood why Ye-cheon had requested those few moments.
Swoosh—
Whoooosh—
Finally, countless azure petals cascaded down upon the masked man like a torrential downpour.
'Ah!'
'......Magnificent!'
This must be what the legendary "Heavenly Flower Rain" of the Sichuan Tang Family looked like when unleashed in its full glory.
Just as they were certain their opponent—who had dismissed them so arrogantly—would finally be dealt a crushing blow—
Whoooosh—
'Huh?'
'...?!'
An utterly unexpected turn of events unfolded before their eyes.
Swish—
Swoosh—
Following the trajectory of the massive axe, an afterimage flickered like a mirage.
The masked man, just like Ye-cheon, had begun wielding his axe with the profound artistry of illusions.
Given the nature of the axe as a heavy weapon, mastering illusory techniques should have been near impossible—
Swoosh—
Yet the masked man proved it wasn't impossible, merely difficult, as he fluidly painted his own masterpiece—
A blizzard of savage snowstorms raging across a frozen wasteland.
Clang!
Clink!
The surging Blue Plum Blossoms were completely intercepted by the masked man's snowstorm.
True to his promise of three moves, the masked man neither harmed nor subdued Ye-cheon.
At this moment, his sole target was the Blue Plum Blossoms themselves.
'—!!'
A look of shock flashed in Ye-cheon's eyes.
Whoooosh—
The petals, caught in the blizzard's currents, were violently redirected.
Swoooosh—
Crack!
Instead of striking the masked man, the deflected blossoms rained down upon the junior elites like a meteor shower.
"?!"
"Evade—evade!"
Panicked, the junior elites scrambled to dodge.
Even after being deflected, the petals retained their full destructive force—a direct hit could spell serious injury.
Yet amid the chaos—
'How is he...?'
For some reason, a peculiar realization dawned in Ha Yeong's eyes.
There was only one explanation.
The martial technique the opponent was executing felt eerily familiar to her.
But it was a technique he should never have been able to perform.
'......No way?'
Just as a wild suspicion formed in Ha Yeong's mind—
Do Ye-cheon's pupils trembled violently, as if shaken by an earthquake.
His trump card had failed spectacularly.
And now, seeing his comrades endangered by his own deflected sword energy, his composure shattered entirely.
'If this continues... I'll have to unleash the Heavenly Slaughter Star's power!'
Just as he prepared to resort to his last, sealed resort—
Thud!
"—!!"
A dull impact exploded against the back of his neck.
The sharp glint in Ye-cheon's eyes vanished instantly.
Thud.
His body crumpled to the ground.
"Hah... persistent little bastard."
Behind Ye-cheon's collapsed form stood the masked man, who had appeared in the blink of an eye.
Moving like lightning, he had struck Ye-cheon's nape with the blunt end of his axe handle, knocking him unconscious.
Just like that, the only Flower Realm expert among the junior elites had been subdued with terrifying ease.
The masked man casually set his axe aside and dusted off his hands, oozing nonchalance as if nothing had happened.
Then, his gaze shifted to the remaining five junior elites.
"Well then... the promised three moves are over."
"!!"
A chill ran down their spines at his words.
Instinctively, they all realized—
The predator had become the prey.
Crunch!
Whoosh—
In an instant, the masked man lunged forward with explosive speed.
The training hall's floor shattered beneath his charge.
"Everyone, be careful—!"
Peng Dae-ho roared as the enemy closed in like a whirlwind—
Snap!
"Too late."
"......!"
To their horror, the masked man was already within arm's reach.
Slash!
Without hesitation, Peng Dae-ho swung his saber—
Fwoosh—
But his blade only sliced through a fading afterimage.
'An afterimage?!'
It was the legendary Shifting Form Changing Position—a technique only achievable at the pinnacle of movement mastery.
Thud!
The last sound Peng Dae-ho heard was an eerie whistling of air.
The flat side of the crescent-shaped axe blade smashed into his abdomen with brutal force.
Boom!
A thunderous impact echoed as Peng Dae-ho's body was sent flying—
Roll—
Crash!
—before crashing into a distant wall, embedded in the rubble.
"!!"
"?!"
The remaining junior elites froze in horror.
Peng Dae-ho had been incapacitated in a single strike.
"Oh? Still have the luxury to worry about others in this situation?"
Seizing the moment, the masked man lunged at his next target—
Namgung Baek.
Crackle—
Namgung Baek's sword crackled with blue lightning as he prepared to strike—
Slash!
'What—?!'
The masked man suddenly reached out with his free hand and grabbed the blade mid-swing.
Zzzzt!
Of course, the lightning energy surged violently into the masked man's meridians—
"Pretty tingly, huh?"
"!!"
Yet he remained completely unfazed.
His hand, gripping the blade, had turned frost-white.
The moment Namgung Baek froze in shock—
Thud!
—another dull impact sent him collapsing to the ground.
Jang So-pyeong's perpetually narrowed eyes widened in disbelief.
'......That wasn't even his full strength earlier?'
The masked man's prowess now was on an entirely different level compared to when he had merely defended for three moves.
He had been holding back—at least thirty percent.
No, likely over fifty percent.
'Just who the hell is this guy?!'
Jang So-pyeong couldn't fathom which monstrous expert the Alliance Leader had brought in as their opponent.
The application of Yin-Cold Energy was unlike anything he had ever seen.
Even the ruler of the Northern Wastes, the Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace, might struggle to wield it with such mastery.
Thud.
Then, Tang Se-rin and Do Ha-yeong collapsed in quick succession.
Thud. Thud.
Step. Step.
"Now... only you remain."
The masked man strode toward Jang So-pyeong, stepping over the fallen forms of the junior elites.
An overwhelming aura radiated from him—like one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Buddhism.
Though their defeat was already certain, defiance still burned in Jang So-pyeong's eyes.
Hummm—
Whoooosh—
He forcibly drew upon every last drop of energy in his dantian, pushing past his limits.
A storm of inner energy raged around his palms.
"I like that fighting spirit in your eyes."
"Shut up!!"
Boom—
Jang So-pyeong charged forward, closing the distance in a single step before leaping into the air—
—and unleashing the Eighteen Dragon Palms directly at the masked man.
Yet the masked man didn't even bother to block.
Instead, he murmured softly:
"But I can't stand you looking at me like that."
The moment the words left his lips—
Crash!
A fist like a falling thunderbolt shot upward.
Jang So-pyeong's vision flipped upside down.
'Why... is the sky on the ground...?'
Then—darkness.
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