A moment later, the wall collapsed from the impact of colliding with Taesan Il-gwon.
Rumble—
The Paewangmun disciples, who had been stunned by the shocking result, belatedly came to their senses at the loud noise and moved in perfect order.
"L-Lord!"
"Are you alright!"
As they tried to pull out Taesan Il-gwon from under the collapsed wall...
"……."
The Plum Blossom Sword Guards, except for Jeok-geom and Seol-ran, looked at Cheon-hwi with expressions as if they couldn't tell whether this was a dream or reality.
It was martial prowess outstanding enough to make one lose their mind.
Of course, the martial prowess displayed at the Five Peaks Assembly five years ago was also shocking, but this was a shock of an entirely different caliber compared to then.
"It's incomparable to back then."
"……Such martial prowess."
"This is why our junior brother and sister would instantly obey Third Martial Uncle Cheon-hwi's words."
Unlike their startled companions, Jeok-geom and Seol-ran, who had been smiling contentedly since Cheon-hwi appeared, muttered nonchalantly.
"As expected of Third Martial Uncle."
"As expected of Third Martial Uncle indeed."
The two, saying the same thing, looked at each other with small smiles and nodded.
"……!"
At that moment, Jeok-geom's eyes looking over Seol-ran's shoulder grew infinitely wide.
"Senior Brother?"
As Seol-ran, watching Jeok-geom's expression change in an instant, called out in confusion—
Tap!
Jeok-geom roughly kicked off the ground.
Even employing the Sweeping Leaf Leg Technique (掃葉腿法), which consumed significant internal energy, to follow after Jeok-geom as he passed her, Seol-ran snapped her head around.
And she could understand the reason.
At the edge of her vision, Jeok-geom and two people—a man and a woman—were embracing each other tightly.
"Family……."
A bitter smile naturally crept onto her lips as she watched Jeok-geom's harmonious appearance.
At that moment, a discordant sound was heard.
Thud, thud—
The collapsed wall stirred greatly, and Taesan Il-gwon revealed himself.
The moment the Paegyeongdan members clearing the stones were looking at Taesan Il-gwon who appeared unharmed and feeling relieved, thinking 'as expected'—
"Kuh."
Taesan Il-gwon let out a short groan and clutched his abdomen where he had suffered internal injuries.
"L-Lord!"
"A-Are you alright?"
As a Paewangmun disciple hurriedly approached to support him, Taesan Il-gwon raised his pot-lid-sized massive hand to stop them.
He looked fine at first glance, but due to Cheon-hwi's Internal Family Heavy Hand Technique (內家重手法), his internal organs had been thoroughly shaken, leaving him in a poor state internally.
Throb—
Taesan Il-gwon, with veins bulging on his forehead as if suppressing pain, struggled to open his mouth.
"I'm... fine."
Gritting his teeth, he urgently drew up all of Taesan Gong's (泰山空) internal energy.
Perhaps thanks to forcefully suppressing his internal injuries with internal energy, his complexion became somewhat more relaxed, but his expression remained rigid.
'To think this much damage from just one strike.'
Having stabilized himself, he glared at Cheon-hwi.
Just one punch.
But with that alone, for him who had already reached the pinnacle of the fist, he could tell just how strong that young Taoist was.
Deep wrinkles formed on his forehead.
'He is an opponent I must never let my guard down against.'
Around that time, Cheon-hwi was looking at Taesan Il-gwon and those standing around him.
'Is that guy really the Lord?'
Cheon-hwi tilted his head.
For someone to be called Lord, Taesan Il-gwon's presence and skill were far too insignificant.
In his eyes, even compared to those standing beside him, they were all the same.
"Who are you?"
At that moment, Taesan Il-gwon spoke to him.
"Me?"
Cheon-hwi chuckled as he asked back, then shook his sleeve with red plum blossoms embroidered on it.
"Can't you see this? Or are you so ignorant that you wouldn't know even after seeing it?"
Taesan Il-gwon's face turned beet red.
He was already furious about being struck by a young Taoist, and now being openly mocked, he was so angry he felt like he would explode.
"F-For such a brat to be a Taoist of the Huashan Sect!"
Cheon-hwi looked at Taesan Il-gwon speaking while trembling with rage, then stopped shaking his hand.
"What, so you do know."
Creak!
Far from stopping, with the continued mockery, Taesan Il-gwon's face turned even redder.
"You wretchhhh!"
Unable to contain his anger any longer, he stomped his foot heavily with a thud.
"Everyone, form ranks!"
He let out a resounding lion's roar.
"Yes, sir!"
The Paewangmun disciples—no, the Paegyeongdan members—who shouted with powerful voices scattered in all directions and formed a circle.
'Yes, try doing something at least.'
Cheon-hwi waited for their next move.
The Paegyeongdan members surrounding him soon exuded thick killing intent and took their opening stances.
Cheon-hwi's eyes narrowed.
He could feel that the atmosphere and energy had become much sharper than before, but......
'I had expectations, but this is disappointing.'
Cheon-hwi felt the momentum fading.
He hadn't even hoped for something like the Sword Demon Formation (劍魔陣) or the Plum Blossom Sword Formation (梅花劍陣).
He just wanted it to be somewhat worth his while to face them, but this didn't even reach that level.
'I waited for nothing.'
Cheon-hwi's expression grew cold with disappointment.
However, such behavior was reflected differently to others.
'Hehe, he's unable to move under the pressure of the Hegemony Formation (覇景陣)!'
Taesan Il-gwon's rigid face loosened.
No matter how much of a master one is, numbers always prevail.
"No matter how much of a master you are, you will never escape the Paegyeong Formation!"
At Taesan Il-gwon's shout dripping with confidence, the Paegyeongdan members' morale rose.
"Everyone, attack!"
Riding the momentum, Taesan Il-gwon commanded.
Tap! Tap!
The Paegyeongdan members rushed in simultaneously from all directions as if they were one body.
Cheon-hwi scanned them all over.
Swords, sabers, fists, and palms rushing at him.
The weapons and unique martial arts they possessed were diverse, yet unified.
Swipe—
Cheon-hwi, who had been watching, raised his index finger.
Cold sneers crept onto the faces of the Paegyeongdan members as they saw his behavior of suddenly raising his index finger instead of drawing his sword.
But they didn't know.
That it was their death sentence.
Flash!
Red light illuminated the surroundings, and beautiful plum blossoms bloomed fully in all directions.
A sight beautiful enough to make one lose their mind.
But the result it brought was brutal.
Thud— Thud—
Cold corpses with holes in their foreheads tumbled to the ground from all directions.
"That's...!"
Go Gye-yeong, who had been reuniting with Jeok-geom, widened his eyes and looked ahead.
'That's it! That was the red light emitted from the index finger that pierced through the Cold-Faced Blade Ghost!'
Jeok-geom, who was watching from the side, was also horrified.
"W-What in the world is that……."
He had thought he knew Cheon-hwi well after serving him for five years.
But that was a miscalculation.
'Did the Huashan Sect have such a finger technique?'
Jeok-geom recalled the finger technique from just now.
The plum blossoms that bloomed along with the red light from the index finger were beautiful, yet cruel.
'Since when did he have such a martial art…….'
Jeok-geom calmed his startled heart.
Was this only today? Normally, he wouldn't even think of trying to keep up with Cheon-hwi.
He had thought his talent was outstanding after being personally chosen by their Master, but after meeting Cheon-hwi, he realized—
That compared to Cheon-hwi, his talent was no different from a firefly before the sun.
'As expected of Third Martial Uncle.'
While Jeok-geom was coming to terms with it.
"……!"
The rest of the Plum Blossom Sword Guards were bewildered by the finger technique Cheon-hwi had just displayed.
Startled by the martial art they were seeing for the first time in their lives, they immediately turned to Seol-ran, who might know about this situation, and asked.
"J-Junior Sister. What is that?"
"Did our sect have such a finger technique?"
"Do you know, Junior Sister?"
Seol-ran shook her head at the questions from her senior brothers.
"I don't know either."
Her mouth went completely dry.
'He disposed of all the opponents we were struggling with before even blinking.'
Like the other Plum Blossom Sword Guards, she was so shocked that her heart felt like it would burst.
'Third Martial Uncle Cheon-hwi that we've seen all this time wasn't everything. Where does it end?'
Her eyes looking at Cheon-hwi held respect deeper than before.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
Cheon-hwi's figure vanished.
"……!"
The charging Paegyeongdan members glared as Cheon-hwi's figure suddenly disappeared.
Swish!
Following that, a sharp sound of air being ripped apart came from behind them.
Crack!
Their waists snapped like sickles.
Cheon-hwi, repeatedly appearing and disappearing like a mirage, weaved between them and reaped their lives.
"T-The Paegyeong Formation……."
Taesan Il-gwon's jaw dropped.
The Paegyeong Formation was a battle formation that amplified the internal energy of its members and pressured the enemy.
'To break through that with sheer force…….'
Chills ran down his spine.
Could even he break through the Paegyeong Formation with force?
He shook his head from side to side.
Even though Taesan Il-gwon possessed internal energy of one gap (一甲子), more than fifty members were executing the Paegyeong Formation.
"If things continue like this……."
Realizing that he and the Paegyeongdan were being pushed into a corner, Taesan Il-gwon urgently drew up his internal energy.
He then glared at Cheon-hwi, who was slaughtering the Paegyeongdan members, and waited for an opening.
'There's only one chance for a single strike!'
His eyes narrowed to half-mast.
Now there was only one method.
The only way was to use his sole ultimate technique, Heaven's Truth Fist (天眞拳), the technique that had earned him the title of Taesan Il-gwon in the past.
Having gathered all his internal energy into his fist, he observed Cheon-hwi for a moment.
'Now!'
As soon as he saw Cheon-hwi grabbing a Paegyeongdan member by the neck, he kicked off the ground immediately.
Along with that, he thrust out his right fist.
Whooooosh!
A fierce storm erupted.
Following that, as the massive shadow of the Heaven's Truth Fist surged toward Cheon-hwi like a wave—
"I was wondering when you'd come."
Cheon-hwi looked at him and waved his hand.
Crack!
The air between them burst.
"……!"
Taesan Il-gwon's jaw dropped.
The Heaven's Truth Fist executed at full power was neutralized and vanished mid-way by a mere hand gesture.
"I-Impossible……."
Looking at the horrified Taesan Il-gwon, Cheon-hwi reached out and grabbed his throat.
"Kek!"
Taesan Il-gwon gripped Cheon-hwi's right hand with both hands, desperately trying to break free.
"Ka-hack!"
Cheon-hwi looked at his forearm with veins bulging, tilted his head, and whispered.
"Why are these kids so weak?"
"……!"
Taesan Il-gwon glared with both eyes wide open.
How could those words make any sense?
'Weak? You're the one who's strong!'
"Mmph! Mmph!"
But his thoughts couldn't be voiced due to the hand gripping his throat.
"Not even worth getting excited over."
Cheon-hwi looked coldly at the struggling Taesan Il-gwon and applied force to his hand.
Crack, crack—
His neck bones shattered, and he died instantly.
Looking at Taesan Il-gwon's eyes from which the soul had departed, Cheon-hwi tossed him to the side.
The corpse flew a distance of three zhang and landed among the Paegyeongdan members.
Gulp—
They lost their words looking at Taesan Il-gwon's corpse, dead with his tongue hanging out.