Ju Seongseok, startled out of his wits, snatched the iron mace from his waist and swung it down with all his might.

Kwaa-aang—!!

The Heavenshaking Spiritblade, meeting it in midair, was knocked off course, and Ju Seongseok narrowly escaped with his life—cold sweat rolling down his brow.

Never mind the name Seol Unhwi; Ju Seongseok knew full well what the man had done.

And knowing that, he had told himself he wasn’t facing just some ordinary Martial Realm master. But confronting him in person—it wasn’t just that. This was a monster.

The speed Unhwi had just shown was far beyond anything he had imagined.

Ju Seongseok swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Yet strangely, there was a gleam in his eyes.

“…You arrogant bastard… Do you know what I just felt?”

“Do I need to?”

“You do.”

Ju Seongseok sprang forward, bringing his mace down in a crushing arc.

Cheongbong Iron-Mountain Palm.

The moment his arm muscles moved, Unhwi already knew.

The angle with which he raised the mace, the rotation of the shoulder, the placement of the foot—everything was clear.

With precise timing, Unhwi struck at the weapon’s center of gravity with the Heavenshaking Spiritblade.

Kwaa-aang—!!

Even so, Unhwi was driven back across the ground. Ju Seongseok, convinced of his superior strength, bellowed:

“Because I feel like I can take you on, you ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) dog-fucked bastard!”

In that instant, the Heavenshaking Spiritblade flashed, tracing a gleaming arc.

Sseae-aek—!

Ju Seongseok twisted just enough for it to skim past him.

His mind whirled.

A sudden strike—but easier to evade than expected. A feint, then.

And then—

Ju Seongseok’s qi burst forth explosively. From his right hand surged a force like a towering mountain, and when he swung the mace, the ground split, the force rushing toward Unhwi.

It was a full-powered strike from a master of the Harmonization Realm—yet Unhwi’s expression remained serene.

Like the still surface of a lake.

He lifted his sword horizontally and swept it through the air. The motion was simple—so simple it became mysterious.

Absolute Ice Phantom Sword.

From his blade erupted not light, but a distortion. The warped air collided with Ju Seongseok’s mace, and in the instant their forces met, the surroundings froze with a crackling sound, cold flooding every corner.

“…What the hell is this…?”

A flicker of shock crossed Ju Seongseok’s face.

When the wave of dirt he had hurled froze solid in midair—well, anyone would be startled.

And in that brief moment, a thought lodged in his mind.

He’d heard of the Absolute Ice Phantom Sword, but that it could freeze the surroundings—that was news to him…

His eyes gleamed.

Without hesitation, he kicked back.

Unhwi’s foot swept through the space where his head had been just a heartbeat earlier.

And he saw them—Unhwi’s eyes, turned pure white.

The Heaven’s Snow Momentum—without question.

Two techniques, fused into one.

…This insane bastard. He really is a monster.

Retreating with all his might had been the right choice—but he’d moved too hastily, throwing off his balance.

Unfortunately, Unhwi wasn’t the sort of man to let such an opening slip.

He moved like the wind, the Heavenshaking Spiritblade plunging toward Ju Seongseok’s neck.

“Hhrgh—”

Ju Seongseok barely twisted away from the strike, but his shoulder was split open. Blood streamed down his silk robe.

“W–wait…”

In his eyes, anger warred with fear.

He had thought it would be a fair match. He was wrong.

This man—was something else entirely.

This was dangerous. Lowering his stance, he gathered his qi once more.

Cheongbong Eighteen Hammers.

The iron mace began to move as though alive, a single swing producing eighteen afterimages that closed on Unhwi from all directions.

It was Ju Seongseok’s most powerful technique—and the distinct demonic energy in it, he thought, would unnerve Unhwi and turn the tide.

But the eyes that faced him shone like the night sky.

Heaven’s Snow Momentum.

All eighteen afterimages froze in the air.

“Wh–what…?”

Unhwi didn’t waste the opening.

Shoving aside the frozen fragments, his hand shot forward and clamped around Ju Seongseok’s throat.

“Urgh…!”

Ju Seongseok thrashed, but he could not break free from that grip. His face reddened; with every passing moment, he felt himself shrinking.

“‘Take you on,’ you said?”

“…Th–that’s…”

“I can feel the Thousand-Hand Thunder Qi of the Thunder-Lightning Demon Cult in you. Come to think of it, Jeong Do-cheon was just as arrogantly overconfident as you.”

“How… how do you know his name…?”

A cold light flashed in Unhwi’s eyes.

“You don’t need to know.”

Ju Seongseok struggled desperately. His right hand reached toward his waist for another weapon—a hidden dagger.

But nothing escaped Unhwi’s gaze. The Spiritblade moved like lightning, severing his wrist.

Seogeok—!

“Aaagh—! Aaaghhh—!”

“They say the strong see the weak’s movements, the wise see the strong’s intent…”

His fingers tightened.

“And the enlightened see the emptiness in it all.”

Ju Seongseok tried to wrench away with his remaining hand, but Unhwi’s arm didn’t budge. He had already been diminished beyond recovery.

“S–spare me… spare me…”

“Your arrogance left you blind to everything.”

“Khk… hrrgh…”

“I don’t know for what purpose the Celestial Daoist drew me into this game—but the game he made will crack.”

“…Khgh…”

“I just felt like saying so.”

Tuduk—!

Ju Seongseok’s neck snapped clean.

“Keep that in mind.”

He tossed the corpse aside and turned away.

His movements were light and elegant, as though nothing at all had happened.

He looked around.

While he had been handling Ju Seongseok, Chief Seong must have gone all out; the area was already cleared.

The bandits’ iron armor, steel greaves—none of it mattered.

An Entering-God Realm master like Chief Seong could tear them apart barehanded.

Chief Seong approached.

“Are you unharmed, young master?”

From Bingbaekhyeop to here, Unhwi had focused solely on recovering. To be precise, there was still some minor discomfort, but all his injuries had healed.

Unhwi nodded and said:

“Let’s move.”

It seemed they would make it in time for the appointment after all.

***

Cheonsu Mountain, Cheonui Peak—site of the Cheonui Alliance headquarters, Cheonui Hall.

Upon arriving, Unhwi paused.

A massive red-and-white tiled roof soared toward the sky, hundreds of stone pillars supporting the majestic hall. The presence of Cheonui Hall embodied the stature of the Cheonui Alliance as the greatest organization in the martial world.

“Let us go in, young master,” Chief Seong said.

They slowly climbed the steps.

With every rise on the broad marble staircase, the view of Cheonsu Mountain spread beneath them—other peaks shrouded in clouds forming a folding screen around Cheonui Peak.

The grand wooden doors of Cheonui Hall opened, and Unhwi and Chief Seong stepped inside.

In that instant, all sound stopped.

Dozens of martial artists turned their heads in unison.

When their eyes fell on Unhwi, their gazes changed.

Some looked in surprise, some in wariness, others in curiosity.

Snow Mountain Demon Lord, Seol Unhwi.

Even under the weight of so many stares, Unhwi walked forward with a calm expression.

His steps were light and graceful, the whisper of his black robe brushing the floor the only sound in the hall.

Wu Hwangseok of the Sooncheon Sword Sect unconsciously leaned forward. Even among masters of the Martial Realm, this man was exceptional.

A genius who had reached that realm at seventeen. A strategist who could humble Vice Alliance Lord Jegal Yeonghyeon of the Martial Alliance, a negotiator who had obtained one of the Ten Great Swords from Kang Cheonwoo of the Sichuan Alliance with a single conversation, and a Go player who had defeated the martial sovereign Celestial Daoist.

His name was already shaking the entire Central Plains.

Hwa Muryeong of the Hon Do Ma Yeomgung smiled faintly.

How much blood had those eyes beneath the pale ash hair seen? How many lives had brushed past those hands?

He’d fit far better with us than with the Everlasting Snow Palace, she thought.

Then Jang Icheong of the Ihwa Sword Heaven Sect tightened his grip on the armrest.

Even as the highest-ranked master among the delegation, in the Heaven-Human Realm, he felt an odd tension from Unhwi.

Before departing for the Cheonui Alliance, one of his sect’s elders had told him:

—Brother Jang, remember this. You’re going there for the Alliance’s reconstruction, but that’s not the real goal.

—Seol Unhwi of the Everlasting Snow Palace. Your first priority is to put a leash on his neck. If that’s impossible, then kill him without fail.

—Don’t worry about the aftermath. I trust you.

Jang Icheong’s gaze was fixed entirely on Seol Unhwi.

In the young man’s stride, he felt something beyond the Martial Realm—as though he were facing someone on a higher plane.

…This will be interesting.

He didn’t think the rumors were exaggerated. This one was definitely special.

And facing someone like that would, in any form, be exciting. His heart was already stirring.

No one dared to speak. Simply by walking forward, Unhwi sent ripples through Cheonui Hall.

The man seated at the center of the hall rose slowly—a middle-aged man with neatly groomed beard and deep-set eyes: Mae Wuidong.

“Young Lord Seol Unhwi of the Everlasting Snow Palace has arrived.”

Unhwi cupped his fist and bowed.

“I greet Vice Alliance Lord Mae Wuidong of the Cheonui Alliance.”

“Heh heh… That’s enough. Though it seems you’re a bit late… I take it much happened along the way?”

With a slight bow of his head, Unhwi replied:

“My apologies. I was delayed by taking in the beautiful scenery of the Cheonui Alliance.”

“Hahaha… I appreciate the sentiment. Welcome, and I’m glad you arrived safely.”

Unhwi gave a small nod and went to the last empty seat, settling into it with a light thud.

Chief Seong took his place behind him. In that brief moment, he noticed a small slip of paper laid in front of Unhwi.

It looked as though each person had one before them. What could it be?

His question was Unhwi’s as well.

Unhwi picked it up and checked inside.

It contained only a single word—

Seongjakju.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep