Chapter 535: Even If I Have To Die Here! (5)

Throb!

A burning ache surged in his chest.

The countenance of the high priest twisted slowly.

Accustomed to constant agony, he wouldn't flinch even if his flesh was sliced or his bones were crushed.

But the pain he experienced in his chest was unlike any physical pain. It was a suppressed agony that originated from a much deeper source.

The bloodshot eyes of the high priest remained fixated on Chung Myung, who was standing before him.

'Plum Blossom Sword Saint?'

It wasn't even amusing.

How could that man even compare to the Plum Blossom Sword Saint?

Who exactly was the Plum Blossom Sword Saint?

He was acknowledged as the primary adversary of their formidable sect.

The remains of those slain by his blade and the river of blood. The Plum Blossom Sword Saint was a demonic figure who must have his flesh and bones pulverized into powder and consumed.

It was an abominable and repugnant matter, leaving him no alternative but to concede.

It wasn't only the former high priest who had been killed during the Great War. The Plum Blossom Sword Saint single-handedly took down more than half of the sect.

Even the former high priest, who was a formidable warrior back then, couldn't compare to him. It was the Plum Blossom Sword Saint who defeated him and elevated the current high priest to his current prestigious position at such a young age.

However...

Seeing that weakling associate himself with Plum Blossom Sword Saint, whom he feared? How was this possible unless he'd gone mad?

Crack.

The high priest clenched his teeth.

"You can't die with dignity."

He stared at Chung Myung with a murderous gaze, like a dog growling. Normally, he would have laughed at such words.

But now, inexplicably, there was no laughter. The unknown terror made him laugh.

'Am I really being cautious of a swordsman like him?'

He couldn't comprehend it.

'Even if he's a swordsman from Mount Hua, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint and this boy are as different as night and day. So why...'

But in that instant.

Step.

Chung Myung calmly approached the high priest.

As soon as the high priest laid eyes on him, cold eyes filled with determination, sword hanging low in his hand, his face contorted in horror.

The Plum Blossom Sword Saint's form as he approached in the past was similar to that. The high priest felt a sense of déjà vu, which he didn't feel from the other disciples of Mount Hua.

And another throbbing pain struck him.

The high priest tried to ignore the pain in his chest and gritted his teeth.

"How dare you talk like that in front of me!"

Shaking off the confusion in his head, he let out demonic qi. But at that moment, a desperate scream came from behind.

"High priest!"

"It is dangerous! Please preserve the body!"

"You need to think of the plan!"

The face of the high priest distorted to the point of not caring about the desperate screams.

Normally, no, even just moments ago, he wouldn't have ignored the words they said.

Leaving the rest to clean up, he would have gone back to the cave. But he couldn't do it now.

He didn't want to, but in the end, he had to admit it. That man was dangerous.

That meant he had to deal with this man on his own.

Thud!

The high priest stomped intensely, causing fragments of the broken ground to float into the air.

"Ahhh!"

He stretched out one hand in front of him, accompanied by a gurgling sound. Fragments of the rising rocks started moving toward Chung Myung like assassin needles. Upon seeing them flying towards him, Chung Myung smiled.

"So much control!"

Although many years had passed, the high priests remained unchanged. It was naive to think that an attack like this would be successful.

Chung Myung leaped towards the scattering rock fragments.

Paaat!

His body extended, leaving behind an illusion. Then, without hesitation, he seized the small opening between the fragments and swiftly charged forward.

"YOUUUUUUU!"

The high priest unleashed an explosive surge of demonic qi with both hands as though the gates of hell had opened from within him.

"DIEEEEE!"

The unified demonic qi burst forth from his hands, taking the form of a fearsome beast.

He used the Dark Slaying Demon Palm's Demon Hand Annihilation technique.

With its mouth wide open in a roar, the black beast charged towards Chung Myung. It was truly a sight to behold.

It was nearly impossible for Chung Myung to counter such overwhelming power by his strength alone.

But.

Sjjj.

In that instant, Chung Myung's sword traced a gentle arc through the air, avoiding the flying fragments. It wasn't overly swift or flawlessly executed.

It simply felt effortless.

Beyond mere form and technique, beyond comprehension and practice, a sword that sought to embody nature itself.

Shhh.

A powerless sword found its way to the beast's head.

And...

Paaaat!

The weak sword, made of mere iron, effortlessly cleaved the beast's head in two, the beast that was meant to consume the world.

This deafening cry echoed as though it intended to shatter eardrums.

In a flash, the demon was separated from Chung Myung and charged towards the valley behind him.

Kwaaaang!

Rumbleee!

The colossal stone mountain valley crumbled, boulders cascading down. The clash between the two had escalated beyond anything one could deem ordinary.

Chung Myung, who swiftly blocked the high priest's powerful attack, continued charging forward without hesitation. His face remained completely devoid of emotion.

The high priest clenched his teeth in frustration.

The pain intensified, threatening to ravage his whole body, starting from his chest. The demonic energy that had been forcefully extracted now liquefied the frozen scars on his body, causing them to thaw.

But the high priest was incapable of tending to his wounds anymore. Chung Myung's cold gaze prevented him from taking any other action.

It was evident that he was merely a child. In a seemingly peaceful world, the battles they had experienced must have been reminiscent of child's play. So, why did he possess eyes that mirrored those of a devil who resided on the battlefield?

Those eyes felt uncannily familiar.

Upon locking gazes with Chung Myung, an indescribable sensation surged from within.

"Ahhhhh!"

The high priest screamed and charged at Chung Myung with demonic qi, resembling a scream.

"I'll crush you to death."

He now wielded a massive amount of demonic qi, capable of demolishing a mountain. That hand carrying the qi lunged towards Chung Myung.

Swish!

Chung Myung's sword swiftly moved to the high priest's elbow at that moment.

Kakang!

A smirk formed on the high priest's lips in an instant.

"What a foolish move."

No matter how swiftly he wielded the sword, it could not harm his body, for his adversary was but a child.

It was an error no child would have made.

Believing he had overestimated his opponent, the high priest exerted greater force in the hand that swung the sword. His intent was to shatter Chung Myung's head. However, at that very moment...

Paaaat! Paaaat!

Chung Myung's sword pierced the very same spot on the elbow twice as swiftly as before.

Kakang!

One! Two! Once again!

In this fleeting moment, he couldn't even catch his breath, being attacked dozens of times simultaneously without making a single mistake.

Swish!

Wounds started to appear.

No matter how much he guarded his body with demonic qi, it was still just a body. He couldn't withstand being stabbed multiple times. The muscle inside the high priest's elbow was severed, causing his arm to twist naturally as his hand aimed for Chung Myung.

The force barely grazed Chung Myung's head before crashing into the ground.

Kwaaang!

An enormous explosion erupted, sending shattered boulders soaring into the air.

Undeterred, Chung Myung pressed onward, delving deeper into the fray.

While conventional wisdom dictated that a swordsman maintain distance from their opponent and a fist-fighter close the gap, Chung Myung paid no heed, instead hurling himself into the high priest's embrace and twirling his body with astonishing speed.

Kang! Kakakang!

In a cramped space devoid of ample swinging room for a sword.

Yet, Chung Myung kept the sword close to his body and wielded it by pivoting his whole body, not just his arm. His blade cleaved through the high priest's flesh.

Crimson streaks marred the high priest's body.

"YOUUUUUUUU!"

The high priest bellowed while lunging a fist forward. But before the strike made contact, Chung Myung's eyes gleamed.

Chung Myung slapped the wrist of the high priest as he rolled the sword handle.

Kwaaang!

Thanks to that, the hand holding the demonic sword was slightly pushed aside, brushing through Chung Myung's body and cutting through the air.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

In that small moment, Chung Myung's blade cut the high priest's body repeatedly.

He didn't get a chance to block the opponent's frontal attack. Regardless of the attack's strength, if it didn't make contact with the body, it might as well not exist.

All it took was a slight redirection. The opponent's strength helped Chung Myung.

The Moving Flowers technique was pushed to its limits.

The high priest's eyes were bloodshot.

"This...!"

In that instant, Chung Myung's sword plunged into the chest.

Kakang!

At the same time, the high priest flinched, his eyes shining.

Kwaang!

The Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword stabbed him in the chest one after another.

The ice on the chest, which had firmly blocked Chung Myung's sword, was now shaking with each attack.

"Ahhhhhh!"

At that moment, the high priest screamed and spread his hands wide open. Demonic qi erupted from his body like an explosion and swept around him in a frenzy.

Swept away by the storm of qi, Chung Myung coughed up blood and pushed back. Meanwhile, he remained focused on attacking the high priest's chest with his sword.

Kwaaaka!

Finally, Chung Myung's body was thrown far back by the force of the qi storm.

But...

Round and round, he went.

Shortly after, Chung Myung flipped over and landed on the ground. Red blood dripped from his lips, but his eyes remained as cold as they were when they first met.

Chachka!

Then, as he heard an ominous sound that pierced his ears, the high priest slowly looked down and noticed a large crack in the ice tightly covering the chest.

"..."

In just a brief moment, enough to take a few breaths, the battles that had come and gone had taken a massive toll. A cold sweat ran down the high priest's back.

'What the hell is that man...'

Of course, he was still weak.

His accomplishments were meager, and his past paled in comparison to that of the high priest. So, how could someone fight with such ferocity?

To the extent of endangering his own life.

"...I confess."

He didn't understand why those words of acceptance escaped his lips.

10 years? 50 years? No, perhaps even 100 years?

But even in his current state, he couldn't deny it.

"You are formidable..."

"Enough."

Chung Myung wore a displeased expression.

"Because I don't have a physical form for you to judge."

The high priest's eyes trembled violently.

"...even that arrogance doesn't faze me. You're impressive."

"But that's it. Do you honestly believe that you, gasping for breath, can go head-to-head with me in this brief skirmish?"

Chung Myung remained silent.

He wasn't mistaken. His body was already drenched in sweat. Even a single strike would shatter it.

Maintaining concentration until the end in such an offensive manner wasn't easy, even for him. Of course, he attacked more, but it was also he who lost more strength.

"You are a weakling. I am giving you compliments. But the results won't change."

"I am weak..."

Chung Myung pondered over it and laughed.

"That is right. I am weak."

Compared to the Plum Blossom Sword Saint of the past, the current Chung Myung was definitely a weak being.

But.

"But what about it?"

"... what?"

"Like I said, I may not be weak, but..."

Chung Myung's lips curved into a smile.

"I don't have to be strong to win. Because I am not alone."

Kukukukuk.

The sound of a sword scraping the floor echoed as someone approached from behind Chung Myung.

"...."

For the first time, the high priest felt as if his head was about to split apart as he entered the battle. The disciples of Mount Hua, who had believed they had already been defeated, began to gather behind Chung Myung.

Their eyes remained unchanged, even as blood dripped from their mouths and noses.

It appeared as if they were unfazed by their battered and near-collapsing bodies.

Their intense gaze was filled with a fiery fighting spirit towards the high priest.

Baek Cheon.

Yu Yiseol.

Yoon Jong.

Jo Gul.

Tang Soso.

And even Hae Yeon.

Not a single person wavered, and everyone stood firmly behind Chung Myung.

Chung Myung never glanced backward, yet he seemed aware of the entire situation. He exposed it and spoke,

"Listen, you ghost from the past."

"This is Mount Hua."

Chung Myung's sword spun in the air before landing in his hand.

"Observe closely with your eyes. Witness the blooming of the plum blossom on Mount Hua!"

Once again, the tip of Chung Myung's sword traced the shape of plum blossoms.

Small, extremely small.

But plum blossoms were never known for their size.