Chapter 9
Chun-yo gently pushed Baek Sang-ah, who was standing beside him, a little backward.
“Step back.”
“Sir, there are too many opponents over there…”
“You asked me before how strong I am, right? I’ll show you the answer.”
At Chun-yo’s words, Baek Sang-ah nodded and took a few steps back. In that state, Chun-yo stepped forward. The fan-shaped encirclement of enemies was gradually closing in.
The enemies radiated a vicious aura, but Chun-yo’s steps toward them were unhesitant.
As he neared the front line…
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Swish!
One of the nearest enemies thrust a staff violently toward him, aiming for his face.
In an instant, Chun-yo twisted his head.
Swish.
The staff narrowly grazed the side of his face, and Chun-yo’s fist moved.
Pow!
His punch struck squarely into the enemy’s abdomen. The man’s body floated into the air before crashing to the ground. The staff he had been holding soared and then fell.
Snap!
Chun-yo grabbed the spinning staff midair and swung it lightly.
Whoosh, whoosh.
“I’m not confident with staff techniques.”
“Hyaaah!”
At that moment, Chun-yo glanced at the rushing enemy. His hand moved—so fast that the opponent couldn’t even follow with their eyes—and a piercing strike drove into the man’s solar plexus.
Kaboom!
The mid-level opponent was sent flying, tumbling mercilessly to the side.
Chun-yo muttered as he lightly shook the staff:
“Better than bare hands, I guess.”
At that moment, Abbot Hyun-mu shouted.
“Stop attacking one by one! Attack together!”
Upon the command, the enemies who had been charging individually began to coordinate their steps simultaneously.
Chun-yo planted the staff into the ground and watched the advancing mid-level enemies.
“I’ll get bored waiting. Then I’ll go first this time.”
With those words, Chun-yo pushed off the ground and dashed to one side. His speed was like lightning.
Pababababat!
The staff in his hand swung wildly as he charged.
An enemy barely blocked Chun-yo’s staff, but another seized the gap beside him. As the opponent dove low, Chun-yo’s free hand moved.
Clutch!
He grabbed the enemy’s head tightly, freezing their body as if it had turned to stone.
“Ughhh!”
The enemy poured all their strength into the attack, but their face merely reddened—they could not take a single step toward Chun-yo.
Chun-yo spoke briefly:
“You think you can reach me like this?”
“Hyaah!”
Perhaps realizing brute force wouldn’t work, the enemy threw two punches. Chun-yo twisted their head and flipped it around in the air.
Whirl.
As the opponent spun in midair, Chun-yo’s foot struck.
Bang!
The spinning enemy was sent flying.
At that moment, five more mid-level enemies simultaneously leaped and struck downward with their staffs. Chun-yo lifted his own staff in response.
Crack!
The staffs, filled with internal energy, unleashed tremendous destructive force.
However…
Chun-yo, receiving all five strikes at once, stood perfectly upright, holding the staff with a single hand.
His gaze shifted slightly.
“This is impossible… this won’t be enough.”
Whoooosh!
A fierce wind surged from the staff, swirling around the area.
Chun-yo lowered his body, channeling the wind into the staff.
“You won’t even touch the hem of my clothes.”
Fwaaang!
He shot forward. The staff in his hand moved horizontally, and the wind spiraling around it swept across the enemies.
Kaboom!
Dozens of mid-level enemies were sent flying, most seemingly unconscious.
Chun-yo slowly straightened as the remaining enemies, intimidated by his presence, involuntarily stepped back.
Hesitant steps.
Chun-yo watched them, standing tall.
Then Hyun-mu shouted:
“Do not retreat! We will form the Great Heavenly Steel Array around me!”
Shaken by Hyun-mu’s command, the enemies regained composure. They took positions with Hyun-mu as the apex of the formation.
Fwaaang!
The energy from their staffs surged into the air as a violent wind. The encircled enemies, spinning and attacking, showed no easy gaps this time.
The Great Heavenly Steel Array.
It was the ultimate formation of Daewoon Temple.
Relentless successive attacks would force any enemy caught inside to kneel.
Whoosh!
A staff flew from behind. Chun-yo blocked it. Then three more staffs came at him from different directions—head, chest, and ankle.
Chun-yo twisted to avoid a strike to the head, deflected the chest strike, and blocked the ankle thrust by positioning his staff vertically.
Attacks came from the other side simultaneously.
Pabababat!
Chun-yo stepped back, moving the staff with precision.
As he intercepted the furious attacks, Hyun-mu charged from the front. A fierce aura radiated from Hyun-mu’s palms.
Fwaaang!
Bang!
An explosion enveloped Chun-yo as more than ten staffs pierced the center of the blast.
Pabababak!
Through the rising dust, Chun-yo, having dodged and avoided every piercing and smashing attack, landed on the planted staffs. Standing high, he gazed down at those below.
Startled, they tried to retrieve their staffs quickly, but…
Pabababat!
Chun-yo kicked the staffs with lightning speed. They spun violently, striking back at those holding them.
Thud!
They were thrown to the ground from the blow to their chests.
“Ugh.”
Chun-yo surveyed the fallen, coughing up blood, then his gaze landed on the only remaining enemy—Hyun-mu.
“Looks like only the abbot is left.”
“Not over yet.”
Hyun-mu waved his hands, and a white light surged from his palms.
Vrrrr.
A low humming sound filled the air.
Chun-yo casually tossed his staff aside. He, too, channeled energy into his hands.
Flarrr.
Hot flames engulfed his palms. Hyun-mu launched himself into the air.
“Hyaaah!”
Closing the distance instantly, Hyun-mu charged. Chun-yo pushed off the ground and ran forward, extending his hand without hesitation toward Hyun-mu’s palms.
Their hands collided.
Kuwoong!
A heavy shockwave radiated outward. Flames from Chun-yo’s hand spread to Hyun-mu’s.
Pabababak!
Blood sprayed as Hyun-mu’s body crashed to the ground. His palms were charred black, and his clothing was burning up to his shoulders.
Luckily, Chun-yo had restrained his power; otherwise, Hyun-mu would have been engulfed completely.
Even so, anyone could tell that the injury was minor. Chun-yo had spared them, leaving no fatalities. Most were merely unconscious or immobilized.
Chun-yo’s mastery overwhelmed his opponents even while showing mercy.
Hyun-mu, lying on the ground, let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha… hahahaha!”
Chun-yo approached, extending a hand. Hyun-mu grasped it and rose. His injured hand throbbed painfully, causing him to wince.
Chun-yo said:
“I think the results are clear now. Do you still refuse to return my sword?”
Hyun-mu looked at Chun-yo quietly, his eyes filled with complexity.
Finally, he spoke:
“There is still something I have not told the master. The previous abbot left one final message.”
“What remains to be said?”
“The abbot said: You must stop him. But… we cannot stop him.”
The late Abbot Cheong-wol had instructed his disciples to stop Chun-yo. Yet even then, they knew that Daewoon Temple’s power could not.
“Follow me.”
With that, Hyun-mu moved.
Chun-yo looked at Baek Sang-ah behind him and said:
“Let’s go, kid.”
Hearing his call, Baek Sang-ah quickly approached, gazing up at Chun-yo.
Chun-yo spoke to her:
“Why are you staring like that?”
“Sir, you’re really strong.”
“I told you. There are only two people in the world who could beat me.”
“Actually, just one.”
She pointed to herself as she spoke.
“The one inside here will never return. You’ll protect them, right, sir?”
“…Yes.”
The Demon King Hyeolmulin. If he awakens, Baek Sang-ah would be in grave danger. Chun-yo would never allow such a thing to happen.
