Choo Gyeom, a transcendent warrior of the Black Lotus direct combat unit, wielded an unusual weapon—a massive scythe.
Fighting against an unfamiliar weapon was always tricky. Choo Gyeom was a proven warrior who had defeated other transcendent warriors in the past.
On top of that, he was skilled in naval combat, making him the obvious choice to guard their ship. Meanwhile, the other two transcendent warriors led their subordinates into positions within Hangzhou.
The Black Lotus forces didn’t have any grand ambitions of conquering Zhejiang Province. Their plan was simply to create chaos for a while and then retreat by sea.
"Which bastard...!"
But then the ship was destroyed. And there was no way Choo Gyeom could raise the sunken vessel from the sea.
In simple terms, their retreat route was gone.
Now, the only options left were retreating overland through the territory of the orthodox factions or commandeering another ship.
Water-walking? Sure, it was possible to sprint over the water’s surface, but covering that kind of distance?
That was the kind of suicidal idiocy only a fool would attempt.
To make things worse, every other ship had already been destroyed. Even the smaller lifeboats onboard had been smashed to pieces moments ago.
In short, they were screwed.
Choo Gyeom was furious, his anger boiling over to the point of madness.
"I’ll kill you all!"
Running across the sea, Choo Gyeom arrived at the harbor and leaped high into the air, his scythe aimed at the smirking man standing there.
As he brought the scythe down, the man spread his arms wide.
"Welcome."
At the same time, the ground rumbled. Boom! As if an earthquake had struck, the harbor shook, and massive stone pillars erupted from the earth.
The man easily dodged the descending scythe and slammed his foot into Choo Gyeom’s back.
"Grrk…!"
Choo Gyeom’s body hit the ground and rolled.
Perched on one of the newly risen stone pillars, Seo-jun looked down at him and said, "Fight. If you win, I’ll let you go."
Choo Gyeom glanced around, his gaze landing on a woman holding a massive sword, her eyes filled with caution.
"You’ll regret this."
His eyes roved shamelessly over her chest as he licked his lips.
"I’ll rape her right in front of you and—"
Wham! Choo Gyeom’s head slammed into the ground.
Seo-jun, standing on top of him, tapped the back of his head with his foot.
"Watch your mouth, alright?"
After encouraging Namgung Sua with a quiet “You got this,” Seo-jun returned to his perch atop a stone pillar.
Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called out, "Alright, start!"
And so, the inevitable deathmatch began.
Seo-jun sat on the stone pillar, watching the duel between Namgung Sua and Choo Gyeom.
The area was surrounded by an enchantment, ensuring Choo Gyeom couldn’t escape.
If Namgung Sua were in any real danger, Seo-jun’s heightened senses were already prepared to intervene.
Nothing happening at this level was beyond his control.
"Watch carefully, Chun-bong."
"I am."
Chun-bong’s large eyes were wide open, fixed on the duel.
Seo-jun resisted the urge to pull her into his arms and pinch her cheeks, focusing instead on the fight.
Choo Gyeom was the first to move, gripping the end of his massive scythe and swinging it in a long arc.
The weapon’s range was incredible due to its size. Namgung Sua calmly channeled her internal energy as the scythe descended.
"Lightning on the blade."
Speaking aloud gave form to her intent. Her focus materialized, infusing her sword with energy that bloomed like a star.
Crackle!
A streak of lightning shot skyward, glowing with an intense brilliance.
Choo Gyeom’s eyes widened. The energy itself was unrefined, but the sheer volume of internal power was overwhelming.
"What the hell is this…!"
Clang! The scythe bounced off Namgung Sua’s greatsword. Choo Gyeom used the force of the impact to spin midair, accelerating the scythe’s next swing.
"Die!"
The scythe hurtled toward Namgung Sua. She raised her sword to block, and Choo Gyeom sneered.
"Foolish girl!"
His slightly bent arm straightened, pushing the scythe further. While the greatsword blocked the shaft of the scythe, its curved blade extended toward Namgung Sua.
"Ugh…!"
Startled, Namgung Sua quickly raised her sword, deflecting the scythe upward.
But momentum was against her now.
Choo Gyeom flipped through the air, bringing the scythe down in a deadly arc.
Namgung Sua tried to block again, but—
BOOM!
Choo Gyeom’s head slammed into the ground.
"When did I tell you it was okay to insult people? Calling someone a ‘foolish girl’? What, did all those blows to the head make you stupid?"
Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun patted Namgung Sua on the shoulder.
"Good work. For your first time, that was excellent. Take a break."
"Thanks."
Namgung Sua kissed Seo-jun on the cheek before leaping back onto the stone pillar.
"Alright, next up! Chun-bong!"
Chun-bong hopped down from the pillar.
"You better get ready."
She kicked Choo Gyeom’s side hard, forcing him to his feet.
"You son of a…!"
Choo Gyeom swung his scythe in a sudden, spinning attack aimed at Seo-jun. The blade arced toward Seo-jun’s chest.
Seo-jun calmly raised a hand.
Hum.
The scythe’s blade stopped at his fingertip, its energy dissipating instantly. The weapon was powerless against him, unable even to leave a scratch.
"Shall we try this again?"
Choo Gyeom’s eyes darted nervously under Seo-jun’s piercing gaze.
"I’ll… I’ll do my best."
"Good boy."
With a loud thwack, Seo-jun kicked Choo Gyeom in the rear, sending him stumbling forward. Seo-jun then climbed back onto his pillar.
"Alright, let’s begin!"
Round two, start!
*
Chun-bong faced her opponent, her mind calm as a single droplet fell into its stillness. Plink. The ripple spread, and silvery starlight danced on her blade.
Whoosh!
Chun-bong thought carefully. A direct confrontation was still too risky. While her internal energy surpassed her opponent's, clashing their auras repeatedly would wear her down.
She summoned the dragon embedded in her martial intent. The coiled dragon raised its head.
Chun-bong’s Art.
As she called out the name of her technique, the Seo-jun residing in the recesses of her mind casually mounted the dragon’s head.
Tap, tap! Seo-jun drummed his fingers on the dragon’s head, making the beast grimace. But that was all. Exhaling through its nostrils, the dragon silently imbued itself into Chun-bong’s blade.
The meaning was simple—Chun-bong’s Art and Azure Cloud Art had finally achieved harmony.
“Hoo…”
Warm breath escaped Chun-bong’s lips, her eyes gleaming with silvery light. Her upper dantian responded, brushing against the faint remnants of sword intent within her body.
Sensing a shift, Choo Gyeom charged. Swoosh! His scythe swung low in a wide arc.
Chun-bong leaped, landing lightly on the flat of the blade before vaulting into the air.
Thud!
Soaring high, Chun-bong flipped mid-air, the sky beneath her feet as she plunged her sword downward.
The trembling tip of her blade traced countless variations as it descended upon Choo Gyeom.
“Hmph…!”
Gritting his teeth, Choo Gyeom raised his scythe to intercept the strike.
Swish!
The scythe cut through empty air as Chun-bong’s form scattered like an illusion, reappearing on his left.
“What the hell kind of bullsh—urk!”
Snapping his mouth shut, Choo Gyeom swung his scythe in a sweeping arc. Whoom! Without a moment’s pause, the continuous swing carved through everything around him.
“Tsk…”
Clicking her tongue, Chun-bong quickly retreated, focusing intently. One decisive thrust. Following the incomplete traces of sword intent within her, she struck.
Slash!
The sword shot forward like a bolt, piercing through an opening.
The blade neared Choo Gyeom’s chest when—
Clang!
The scythe’s blade and shaft trapped her sword mid-thrust. With a twist, Choo Gyeom sent her weapon flying.
Whoosh!
“Huh…?”
Chun-bong watched in stunned disbelief as her sword spun high into the air.
Sensing a shift in the flow, Choo Gyeom didn’t follow up with an attack. Instead, he stole a glance at Seo-jun, gauging his reaction.
“Did I… pass?”
“Congratulations,” Seo-jun said, clapping.
“Your life’s been extended. Now, onto round three.”
Choo Gyeom’s lips twitched in frustration.
The sparring continued for an astonishing 21 rounds.
Considering how the duration of each round had steadily increased, it was clear that Choo Gyeom had been fighting with every ounce of his strength.
“A diligent fellow.”
Seo-jun thought, impressed, as he turned his attention to the faint but growing presence nearby.
The harbor was the Black Lotus forces’ only viable escape route. Naturally, a prolonged battle would eventually draw their attention.
“One transcendent and about a dozen peak-level warriors,” Seo-jun mused, smiling as blue lightning crackled between his fingers.
Crackle! The vivid blue current coalesced at his fingertip.
Guided by instinct, he reshaped Heavenly Thunderstorm. Flicking his finger, he sent a bolt of compressed lightning shooting toward the distant group.
Fweeeeee!
The sharp whistle of the projectile was followed by a brilliant explosion just before it reached its target.
Boom!
Blades of thin energy erupted in all directions, taking the form of crackling lightning.
Each shard of condensed energy, numbering in the hundreds, shot outward like the shrapnel from a grenade, shredding everything in its path.
“Aaaahhh…!”
Screams overlapped as one figure emerged from the chaos—a transcendent warrior.
However, something was off.
“What the…”
The man was running away.
Caught off guard, Seo-jun quickly glanced back at Choo Gyeom.
Exhausted and panting heavily, Choo Gyeom finally fell to Namgung Sua’s blade, his neck severed after 21 grueling rounds.
“Well done.”
Leaving a quiet compliment that Choo Gyeom would never hear, Seo-jun stood up.
“I’ll go fetch tomorrow’s training dummy.”
With those parting words, he vanished.
Yeo Woon-jeok stared blankly at the spot Seo-jun had occupied.
“What in the world is he…”
His body trembled as his mind tried to process what he had just witnessed.