The man who came out of the main gate, the Paewang Sect Lord, glared at the young Daoist who was treating him disrespectfully, but then flinched at the surrounding sight.
‘What is this?’
Around the young Daoist, those wearing the uniform of the Paewang Sect were either groaning or fallen in miserable states.
While hurrying to check on them—
“……!”
The Paewang Sect Lord's expression drastically changed.
The ones fallen around that young Daoist bastard were the Paejung Unit members and the Blood Slayer Blade Guest.
His mind raced.
The Blood Slayer Blade Guest was a supreme master ranked within the top five even within the Paewang Sect.
Yet he had fallen in less than a quarter of an hour.
Along with the Paejung Unit members.
‘That means that young brat is at least a supreme master!’
Around the time the Paewang Sect Lord was racking his brain.
Ssik—
Cheonhwi, who had been staring, tore his mouth into a grin.
Revealing his pearly white teeth in the darkness, he looked at the Paewang Sect Lord and spoke.
“Are you the Sect Lord?”
The Paewang Sect Lord's eyebrows shot up.
At the disrespect from a brat who looked much younger than him, killing intent billowed from the Paewang Sect Lord's body, and his uniform swelled greatly.
“You little brat!”
Who was he?
A master counted on one hand within Shaanxi Province, and the Zhuanlundao (Turning Wheel Blade) who had made a name for himself even under heaven.
Moreover, he was the Sect Lord of the Paewang Sect, which had been rapidly expanding its power recently.
“Did you do this?”
“Who else do you think did it? If your eyes aren't just knotholes, you should know.”
Seeing Cheonhwi looking at him with a disdainful expression and speaking like that, the Paewang Sect Lord's forehead furrowed, and his veins bulged.
“How dare you, do you know where this—”
He, who was glaring and shouting, paused.
Belatedly, the young Daoist's attire began to enter his field of vision.
An ink-black Daoist robe like the darkness and sporadically revealed blood-red patterns.
Especially when he saw the chaotic patterns engraved on the sleeves, his eyes widened.
‘Plum, plum blossoms?’
The Paewang Sect Lord erupted in bewilderment.
A Daoist robe with plum blossoms engraved on the sleeves existed in only one place under heaven.
‘C-Could it be that the Cold-faced Dao Ghost and the Paegyeong Unit failed their mission!’
As he was thinking and biting his lip—
“Master!”
“Sect Lord!”
A hundred martial artists appeared by his side and knelt simultaneously.
They were the Paechendan (Hegemon Heaven Unit), the last of the three martial units of the Paewang Sect.
The Paewang Sect Lord looked down at the young man at the very front and shouted in fury.
“What have you been doing until this disaster broke out!”
“I, I apologize.”
At the furious Paewang Sect Lord's yelling, the young man, the Paewang Sect's eldest disciple and the leader of the Paechendan, So Jeong-myeong, trembled finely all over.
Afterward, he urgently bowed his head.
“I will hurry and clean this up.”
The Paewang Sect Lord glared at the back of So Jeong-myeong's head as he bowed and thought.
‘This brat's skills are far inferior to the Blood Slayer Blade Guest, but his combined attacks with the Paechendan members are the best in our sect.’
The Paewang Sect Lord laughed inwardly.
So Jeong-myeong was a disciple he had taken in, but he had no emotions like even a sliver of affection.
To him, So Jeong-myeong was just a weapon.
Nothing more, nothing less.
‘It seems there's no chance of winning at all, but I should be able to gauge the opponent's skill.’
Having finished all his calculations, he spoke.
“Then what are you doing without dealing with it quickly.”
“As you command!”
As the Paewang Sect Lord commanded with a cold gaze, So Jeong-myeong and the Paechendan shouted thunderously and straightened their bent knees and waists.
Then So Jeong-myeong glared at Cheonhwi.
“What are you again?”
“You insolent brat! Not only do you dare to run amok in our sect, but to use such a tone with my master! I will fix your brains!”
At So Jeong-myeong's energetic shout, the expressions of the Paewang Sect disciples brightened.
“The Leader of the Paechendan has stepped forward!”
“If it's the Paechendan, even that brat……!”
Receiving the cheers and trust-filled gazes of the Paewang Sect disciples, So Jeong-myeong's shoulders naturally straightened, and his nose rose high.
‘Hehehe, if I show my prowess here, the position of the next Sect Lord is mine.’
As he laughed inwardly and was about to draw his sword—
‘I wonder if this will be a post-meal exercise, who knows.’
Cheonhwi, who was watching his actions, surveyed the lineup of those surrounding him.
Two hundred terrified Paewang Sect disciples and one hundred martial artists ready to attack.
That was all the presence he had felt.
“I wonder if a quarter-hour will be enough.”
Cheonhwi, who spat out terrifying words contrary to his indifferent expression, pulled his jaw.
Whiik!
The Paechendan members rushing in like a swarm of ants were swinging their swords at Cheonhwi.
“No matter how much of a master you are, you won't be able to escape this combined formation!”
The moment they were about to execute the combined attack.
Jubeok—
Cheonhwi took a step forward, and those rushing in felt a shock in their chests.
“Keoheok!”
Dozens of people flew backward.
“W-what is this……”
So Jeong-myeong was expressing his astonishment at the sight of the Paechendan members flying away like autumn leaves even before executing the combined attack, when—
Peok!
He felt pain in his chest.
And that was his end.
“……!”
The Paewang Sect Lord's eyes shook as he saw So Jeong-myeong fall with his chest shattered.
‘W-with a single strike?’
Cold sweat flowed down his forehead.
Right now, except for him, it seemed no one else had seen the situation just now as everyone was feeling bewildered, but he had witnessed it clearly.
The dozens of palm shadows that appeared and then disappeared.
‘Since when did the Huashan Sect have such a brat……’
The Paewang Sect Lord's mouth went completely dry.
“S-spare me…… keok.”
Even during that time, Cheonhwi was dealing with them one by one.
The Paechendan members who had charged so aggressively became cold corpses and lay fallen, and the few who survived stood rigidly, not even daring to think of running away.
It was precisely because of Cheonhwi's presence.
“Then……”
Cheonhwi moved his head left and right.
Heumchik!
For a moment, the Paewang Sect disciples turned their heads to avoid his gaze, but—
“Are there about a hundred left now?”
Cheonhwi took them all into his eyes.
Taat.
Soon he lightly stamped his foot, and immediately after, a one-sided massacre occurred.
“S-Sect Lord!”
“Help us!”
The Paewang Sect disciples hurriedly fled toward the Paewang Sect Lord, asking for help.
“……Stop.”
Only then did the Paewang Sect Lord step forward.
He drew the blade he was wearing at his waist and glared at Cheonhwi approaching him.
Seureureung—
The blade had a somewhat unique shape.
The blade was much wider than a normal blade, but its length was about six inches shorter.
The Paewang Sect Lord, resting the blade on his shoulder, let out a low voice.
“You are quite skilled.”
Cheonhwi, who had been making an expression as if looking at bugs, smacked his lips with a face that said he had finally met someone a little more human-like.
“At least as a Sect Lord in name, it seems you have eyes to see differently from the other brats?”
“Why is a Daoist of the Huashan Sect attacking our sect?”
Cheonhwi let out a smirk.
His intention was too obvious.
“Why? Should I pretend not to know?”
“……”
The Paewang Sect Lord's eyes sank deeply.
As expected, he had come to the Paewang Sect knowing all the circumstances.
“Is there something you want?”
“What? Something I want? Not really…… Ah! There is one.”
Cheonhwi, who was speaking as if it wasn't even worth thinking about, suddenly seemed to recall something, changed what he was saying, and curled the corners of his mouth.
“What is it? I will try to grant it, so let's just pass over this incident……”
The Paewang Sect Lord asked to appease him, but it didn't take long for him to realize that choice was a miscalculation.
Cheonhwi's gaze turned cold in an instant.
“Your neck.”
“……So negotiations have broken down.”
Feeling that appeasement was impossible, the Paewang Sect Lord instantly erupted his internal energy.
“Stating the obvious.”
Cheonhwi's sneer deepened.
The Paewang Sect Lord's eyebrows twitched.
He felt a slight surge of anger, but quickly suppressed it, and scanned Cheonhwi and his surroundings in detail with cold pupils before asking.
“It seems you came alone.”
“I think I need to take back what I said earlier. Your eyes seem to be decorations too.”
Cheonhwi looked at the Paewang Sect Lord with a pathetic gaze and added.
“Then I'm alone. Who else would be here?”
A smile lingered around the Paewang Sect Lord's mouth as he listened to his answer.
“Yes, so you are alone.”
At his smile, Cheonhwi also smiled back.
“Why? Do you think you can kill me if I'm alone?”
“More than enough.”
The Paewang Sect Lord's smile was completely erased.
Hwaaak!
Thick internal energy spreading in all directions.
His eyes flashed as he drew up the internal energy of the Zhuanlunxingong (Turning Wheel Heart Art), which he had been taught in his childhood by an unnamed defrocked monk.
‘The odds of winning are more than seven out of ten.’
He calculated the odds coldly.
The opponent in front of him was certainly an amazing master, but he was confident he could win.
Because he believed in the internal power of the Zhuanlunxingong and the Zhuanlundao Fa (Turning Wheel Blade Art), which were his title and his ultimate technique that made him a master counted on one hand within Shaanxi.
Gripping his blade, he looked at Cheonhwi, who was standing still in front of him, and harbored a smile.
‘He's being pressured by the internal power of the Zhuanlunxingong.’
But did he know?
That Cheonhwi was not frozen.
That he was just standing still because he didn't even feel the worth to use advanced martial arts.
‘Still, as a Sect Lord in name, he's a bit better than the other brats.’
Cheonhwi examined the Paewang Sect Lord's aura.
Certainly, the amount and quality of his internal energy were completely different from his subordinates.
‘At this level, his internal energy is definitely superior to that guy from the Bipaeng Merchant Group.’
His internal energy, which slightly exceeded that of the Cold-faced Dao Ghost, the highest master he had seen since making his debut in the murim, was puffing up his uniform.
Then, perhaps because his internal energy was contained in his blade, the color of the blade's body began to change.
It was exactly Blade Qi.
“I will kill you.”
The Paewang Sect Lord immediately kicked the ground.
Closing the distance with Cheonhwi in an instant, he raised his blade diagonally and then slashed.
The Blade Qi transformed into Blade Wind.
Sweaeaek!
It generated a massive vortex.
It was the Zhuanlunshan (Turning Wheel Flash), the fastest and most agile technique in the Zhuanlun Blade Art.
Seeing the Blade Wind approaching while swallowing the surrounding air, Cheonhwi raised his palm.
In that fleeting moment, just as the Paewang Sect Lord was smiling victoriously at the sight of the pure white palm.
Kaang!
Sparks flew.
“……!”
The Paewang Sect Lord's two eyes grew as large as if they would pop out. The pure white palm was lightly gripping the blade covered in Blade Qi.
“T-the Zhuanlunshan……”
“Zhuanlunshan?”
The corners of Cheonhwi's eyes curved.
“It's too grand compared to its power, isn't it?”
“You bastard!”
The Paewang Sect Lord gnashed his lips.
After that, he poured out all his internal energy once again, stepped forward, and swung his blade.
Hwik—
Cheonhwi twisted his waist and avoided it.
However, the Paewang Sect Lord, who had already expected him to dodge, was about to bend his blade and execute the Zhuanlungongchan (Turning Wheel Air Slash) when—
Chaeng!
Cheonhwi's palm struck the body of the blade.
“Keok!”
The Paewang Sect Lord's face contorted at the heavy energy rising from the hand holding the blade.
But that was not the end.
Cheonhwi snatched the hand holding the blade and instantly snapped his wrist.
Tududuk!
The hand bent in a bizarre direction.
“Keuaaak!”
The Paewang Sect Lord, who was thrashing in pain, eventually dropped the blade he had been gripping tightly.
Tuk—
At the consecutive attacks that happened in the blink of an eye, the Paewang Sect Lord clutched his twisted wrist and groaned.
“How did you counter the Zhuanlungongchan with bare hands……”
“What technique? It's just a hand gesture.”
Cheonhwi said nonchalantly.
However, the face of the person hearing those words, the Paewang Sect Lord, was engulfed in shock.
“J-just a hand gesture?”
“Using an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken…… Ah. You're not even a chicken.”
At Cheonhwi's disdainful tone, the Paewang Sect Lord's face, whose pride was cracked, crumpled like paper.
But he couldn't say anything.
Because he had felt the difference in their skills bone-deep from the single exchange they had just shared.
‘I absolutely cannot win.’
The thought that he had a seven out of ten chance before facing him vanished as if washed away.
Looking at Cheonhwi with a face deep in defeat, he searched for a way to survive and mentioned the sect that had helped him.
“B-Behind me is the Baekgwiseong.”
“I already know that.”
“You know!?”
At the curt answer, the Paewang Sect Lord was appalled.
“A-and yet you do this?”
“Speak straight. You messed with us first, so this disaster happened.”
“I-if you kill me, the Baekgwiseong won't leave you alone.”
“How?”
“No matter how much you're from the Huashan Sect, the Baekgwiseong will use their power to kill you……”
“Really? That sounds fun?”
At the tone of him rather smiling and welcoming it, the Paewang Sect Lord panicked and shouted.
“Y-you madman!”
“Madman. That's quite an affectionate word. But do you know?”
Cheonhwi infused his palm with internal energy.
“Everyone who spat those words in front of me has died.”
Instantly, his uniform swelled greatly, and then—
Peong!
An explosive sound erupted.
Following that, he spilled his internal organs and black blood from his mouth, and then lost the light in his pupils.
“Wait right there for a bit.”
Cheonhwi stared at him dying and added words that would help his eternal rest.
“Because I'll send them along with you.”