With a noise reminiscent of something breaking, blood began to spill.
Kwang!
For a moment, Heo Gong, who had fallen to the floor, looked up at the sky. One side of the sky was slowly turning red.
He didnt immediately grasp the situation he was in. Why was he suddenly lying down, staring at the sky?
Did I fall? How?
For a moment, his memory seemed all jumbled up. The strange sensation of his body floating in the air was replaced by a terrible pain in his left eye a few moments later.
Ugh.
Thats when he remembered Chung Myungs elbow striking his eye.
Throb!
My eye
Seeing out of it was nearly impossible because all the veins had burst. Even without looking in a mirror, he was certain of it. Perhaps the eyelids had swollen to the point where he could barely open the eye.
But no matter how severe the injury and how extreme the pain, it paled in comparison to the fatigue and mental exhaustion he was now feeling.
Crack.
Heo Gongs nails scratched the ground.
He somehow managed to force his body, which was shaking and trembling, to move, even with broken feet.
From the start
The goosebumps covering his body didnt subside.
The boys sword seemed to suddenly grow in length. But such a thing was impossible. A sword made of iron could never stretch like that.
There was just one explanation.
I was tricked.
Typically, a skilled swordsman looks for weak points in their opponent during battle. Therefore, the range and interval of Chung Myungs attacks that he had in mind were naturally estimated and assumed.
And the principle behind this deceptive attack from Chung Myung was quite simple.
Firstly, slightly fold the outstretched hand and adjust the distance between the sword movements. This created a gap in Heo Gongs mind, making him confident that Chung Myungs attacks could never reach him.
And then, the interval changed in an instant, very calmly and naturally.
From Heo Gongs perspective, it seemed as if the sword had suddenly grown longer.
If one thought about it, it was not a huge deal.
But, was it possible to execute such a seemingly insignificant maneuver so perfectly that even an elder like Heo Gong didnt realize its a feint, while the real, lethal attack followed closely behind?
Well, lets assume it was possible.
However, its strange to introduce a gap in the successive attacks against an opponent you were facing for the first time. Even a slight misjudgment by just an inch could result in torn flesh and broken bones. So why would this young man take such a risk?
Insane.
This wasnt a matter of logic but of recklessness.
This strategy became more effective the more skilled the opponent was and the quicker they caught on to Chung Myungs swordsmanship.
Its a plan that relied on trusting the opponent, which was absurd.
Cough!
His body shuddered with a sick feeling coursing through the stomach.
The scene unfolded vividly before the eyes. Chung Myung, who wielded his sword and was controlling Heo Gong, then released the sword.
That was the essence of Wudangs swordsmanship.
You
As he stood and grasped the sword, he saw Chung Myung staring at him.
His eyes were terrifyingly cold, devoid of any emotion. If it werent for the blood around his lips and those cold eyes, one might have mistaken him for a drawing or portrait, not a real person
Do not laugh! You brat!
Heo Gong released a growling voice, filled with anger.
How dare you attack Wudang with trickery?
This was a disgrace to them.
Its no different than their most important person being struck by a fist or someone who had used a spear all their life being defeated by a novice wielding a spear for the first time.
This
Being struck by the youngest of the Mount Hua disciples was an unbearable humiliation for someone who had devoted more time to mastering the sword of Wudang.
On purpose!
Biting down hard on his teeth, one tooth cracked.
And the eyes that were gazing at the sky turned red as if they were beholding the enemies of Buddha. Yet, Chung Myung, the center of all attention, remained unfazed.
The tip of Chung Myungs sword slowly scratched the ground.
Kakakag!
The sound made everyone flinch.
Because I need to let someone know.
Eukkk!
Chung Myung hit the ground and rushed at Heo Gong.
Tsk!
Heo Gong clenched his teeth. He couldnt understand what this child was even mumbling about, but in the end, he knew what he had to do.
If I get captured, I will lose.
This was close range, and Heo Gong had to admit that there was no chance of winning in a fight where both fighters had exposed their skills and bared their teeth wide.
He didnt know why, but this young man seemed to be good at such fights as if he had been through them a thousand times now.
And if he stepped into that, defeat was certain.
If one wanted to win, one needed to drag their opponent into something they were familiar with.
He no longer cared about Chung Myungs age or skills. Now, facing a being unlike any he had encountered before, he had to become different from his former self.
Bang!
Heo Gongs foot kicked the ground.
Backwards, not forwards.
Retreating in the face of an enemy was something he had never experienced before. It was almost the first time he had used footwork with the purpose of escaping an opponents attack, rather than employing Wudangs unique technique, which is smooth and flowing.
Now wasnt the time to consider what was right or wrong.
All he had to do was dodge the opponents sword and unfold his own.
The qi vanished from his sword. The slash was limited to the foot alone.
Ahhh!
As he retreated, an enormous sword qi exploded from the tip of the sword. It was as if the sea, enraged, brought up a typhoon, pushing the violent waves onto the shore and then pulling them back.
Kwaaak!
At the same time, the boys right arm moved with a white hue. The sight of this blue sword qi and this pure white qi swirling together felt so majestic and violent that it was reminiscent of a huge tsunami.
But Heo Gong saw.
A dazzling sword was revealed through that tsunami, soaring over three feet.
Chaaak!
The tsunami split the world in half. Chung Myung, holding the sword in reverse, leaped out like lightning at Heo Gong and cut through the sword qi.
Kwaaang!
The sword, raised up in instinct, blocked Chung Myungs sword, too close to the nose.
Eummm!
His left hand, which was unfolding the Breaking Sky arts towards Chung Myungs side, went numb, and Chung Myung managed to neutralize it by using his body weight to push upwards.
Euk.
Wheeeik!
Countless red flowers began to bloom overhead in the air.
Flower.
Seeing the flowers in full bloom, threatening to cover the entire sky, Heo Gong swung his sword in panicked response.
But.
This
No water could endlessly surge into the sky.
Even Heo Gong wasnt aware of it. His sword, which followed the movement, lost its power the moment it went against nature.
T-this
Red petals danced gracefully around through the sword qi of Heo Gong.
They leaped over, burrowed into, and shook.
Slash!
His shoulder was cut, and blood poured out.
Slash! Slash!
The flesh on his thighs cracked, and black spots appeared on the side.
Ahhhh!
Wgeikkk!
Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of flower petals fell at once, ruthlessly sweeping away the fragile body of a human.