“If you’ve come this far, you must know where this is…?”

“The Hao Faction Shaanxi branch?”

“It’s amazing that you’ve found that out. Then don’t you have any idea who I am?”

Cheon Mubaeck tilted his head. His expression was quite strange. It was a gaze as if he were looking at a foolish person, as if asking something obvious.

At that gaze, Im Hong felt something well up inside him.

“You don’t have dementia, do you? Are you older than you look?”

“This son of a bitch.”

“You’re the branch master, aren’t you? If you’re a branch master, your curses should be fundamentally thick.”

“…”

Im Hong shut his mouth.

No matter how much of a lower class the Hao Faction was, the reason why they had survived as a sect of the righteous and unorthodox in the martial world was clear.

If you don’t have basic martial power, you can be swept away at any time in the martial world.

Moreover, the Hao Faction deals with information. Selling information means turning someone into an enemy. Would the martial power of such a Hao Faction be ordinary?

At least Im Hong was confident that he was at the level of the Star-Gazing Sword.

In fact, in today’s fight, although he had received the help of the mechanism trap, wasn’t it thanks to his martial power that he had made the three retreat?

‘The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero…’

Im Hong shut his mouth and glared at Cheon Mubaeck with a heavy gaze.

‘Although the rumors of the martial world are not everything, a rumor doesn’t spread for no reason.’

The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero.

The title of ‘hero’ was attached. It was not a title that was easily attached. Then it must mean that he is a just and true hero.

He would not be a person who would put up such a fuss. On the contrary, isn’t the current action a useless action that turns the Hao Faction into an enemy?

Im Hong also eventually drew his sword.

The moment the opponent drew his sword, it was irreversible in the martial world.

“I’ll have to check if the rumor of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero is true. From the Hao Faction’s point of view, the actual skill of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero is quite expensive information. Because the number of people from the unorthodox sects who want that information will gradually increase.”

Cheon Mubaeck let Im Hong’s words flow in one ear and out the other, and scanned him from top to bottom.

‘Hmm. For that little waiter brat, he’s grown up quite well.’

Well, he’s much more lacking than I thought.

But he felt a quite solid and deep internal energy.

The weakness of the Hao Faction was that the level of their internal energy cultivation method was low.

But even so, the depth that was felt now showed that Im Hong had gone through quite a painful training.

If he was at that level, he had quite a bit of skill. Of course, recalling the skills of the branch masters he had seen in his past life, it was not that great of a level.

‘Well, just because your internal energy is profound doesn’t mean you’re good at fighting.’

Cheon Mubaeck shrugged his shoulders.

“Alright. If I win, you’ll hand that over. The treasure map.”

Im Hong let out a hollow laugh.

“Then what if I win?”

“Isn’t what you want my information?”

“The information of a new master who has appeared in the martial world is quite good information. In addition to that, kneel before a senior in the martial world for today’s incident, bow your waist, and apologize. If you have done something wrong to someone or have caused trouble, you should apologize.”

“Well, that much.”

Cheon Mubaeck said as if it were nothing.

“Because the result is already decided.”

Im Hong’s face turned red.

Hearing such words from a much younger junior, a deep annoyance welled up from within.

“Your words are very sharp.”

“My sword skills are even sharper.”

A faint smoke rose from the tip of Im Hong’s sword.

The sword body heated up.

At least one generation, no, perhaps it could be seen as two generations.

‘Even one generation is a huge difference in the martial world.’

The difference in generation, that is, the difference in time, is directly related to the difference in skill in the martial world more than one might think.

Accumulating internal energy inevitably required time.

Of course, there was a way to get ahead quickly with internal energy through elixirs, but the experience of the martial world and the experience of fighting were different.

‘The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero, in fact, it’s hard to believe.’

No matter how much Im Hong looked at the report, he did not believe all of it.

The rumor that he had fought and won against the strange enemies that even the Great Master Hyeryang, Master Muso, and Cheonghyeonjin could not face, and had saved Shaolin.

Not all of it would be true.

Of course, his skill had been proven to some extent. Because at least the rumor would not have spread in vain.

‘So I have to know for sure.’

Perhaps this was an opportunity for Im Hong.

The title of Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero was gradually spreading in the martial world.

As soon as Shaolin had lifted its seclusion, a tragic incident had occurred, and the appearance of a successor who had been active there.

There would be many people who were curious about him. Im Hong grasped the value of the information about Cheon Mubaeck.

‘I don’t feel any internal energy. Then does it mean that he has more internal energy than me?’

Unless he had consistently undergone body modification and had taken elixirs from a young age in some prestigious family, it would be impossible.

‘I can’t get a feel for it at all.’

Just by looking at the opponent, he could guess their skill to some extent, but he could not see it at all.

It was as if he were surrounded by fog, and his vision was dark.

No, on the contrary, now the flaws were too clearly visible.

The posture of slightly lowering the sword.

The flaw was so clearly visible that he was confident that he could stab a knife into his abdomen in one go.

Of course, if it were Im Hong, he should have stabbed without hesitation.

He was a person of the righteous and unorthodox. He was far from a fair and square person. On the contrary, at a time when such a bet was on the line, and if the opponent’s rumored skill was real, he had no intention of going easy on him.

But he could not.

Bulging muscles? A dantian full of internal energy?

It was not just with those things that he judged the opponent.

The atmosphere that was exuded in just one gesture, one footstep.

Although he seemed to be moving without a care, there was ‘martial arts’ (武) in it. So Im Hong did not move rashly. No, he could not.

At that, Cheon Mubaeck said.

“Hmm. I waited on purpose, but you’re not attacking first?”

“…On purpose?”

“Even if I openly open a space, you’re not coming, which means you’re yielding the first attack to a junior in the martial world, right?”

“Arrogant!”

It was the moment Im Hong shouted.

Sak!

With the sound of clothes brushing against the wind, Im Hong moved instinctively.

Jjeojeong!

“…”

The first thing that the five senses reacted to was the pain felt in the wrist, and the second was the sight.

He had held his sword upright and had barely blocked Cheon Mubaeck’s sword right in front of his nose.

Jureuk!

But a stream of blood flowed down from his forehead.

The moment he had blocked the sword, his skin had been cut by the pouring sword wind.

‘It was fast!’

Although he had already raised his internal energy and had even heated up the sword body.

He had not been able to properly respond to the opponent’s speed.

Moreover, the opponent had not even taken a proper stance.

Was he careless?

No. That was not possible. Im Hong had been serious about the fight.

But Cheon Mubaeck’s speed was much faster than he had expected.

Im Hong said in a heavy, sunken voice.

“I am Im Hong, the Shaanxi branch master of the Hao Faction. My title is Dark Dawn. I will fight with all my might.”

Im Hong held his sword upright and stretched it out.

Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes flashed.

Uuung!

Im Hong’s sword body vibrated and vibrated again. The gathered internal qi was sprayed into countless sword qi.

Cheon Mubaeck raised his sword and immediately recognized what it was.

‘It’s the Exposed Sword.’

Like sprinkling alcohol on the gangsters who were causing a ruckus at an inn.

The sword qi that poured out from the sword was sprayed widely and quickly like dewdrops.

Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes narrowed.

‘Eum. The power is weaker than I thought.’

Cheon Mubaeck’s sword slowly moved. The sword body heated up as if it were heated in a fire.

Uuuung!

The sword that was heating up like a sword that had just come out of a blacksmith’s furnace.

Cheon Mubaeck did not bother to show the Ghost Crying Light Cliff.

If he was at the level of the Shaanxi branch master, he would recognize it. Was there a need to hand over the information that he was a descendant of the Azure Sky Sword God to the Hao Faction?

Soon, Cheon Mubaeck’s sword was swung at a speed that was invisible to the eye.

Im Hong’s sword qi, which was being sprayed into countless dewdrops, was shattered like a water droplet bursting.

Only then did Im Hong understand Cheon Mubaeck’s action and was shocked.

‘He’s breaking them one by one?’

Is that possible?

“This crazy!”

Im Hong’s tearing scream cut through the empty air.

Fast. Swift. Quick.

It was hard to describe with any word. The internal energy that Cheon Mubaeck’s upper dantian was pouring out as it pulsed like crazy made the tip of the sword sharper and faster.

The tip of the sword was thrust in all directions.

The tiny droplets were shattered one by one.

It was an amazing thing. To think that he was shattering all the countless spread and pouring sword qi with an invisible hand movement!

The Exposed Sword that Im Hong had poured out with all his might was brutally shattered.

“Keuk!”

Cheon Mubae-ck’s sword struck Im Hong’s sword in one go.

Jjeojeojeok!

At the powerful internal energy that was pouring down the sword body, Im Hong felt a severe pain as if his whole body would be shattered.

On the one hand, he was thrilled.

‘How can it be so fast and sharp!’

The moment the sword was shattered, Im Hong could not overcome the shock and fell back.

In his eyes, he saw Cheon Mubaeck’s narrowed brow.

“I’ll ask you one thing.”

“…?”

“What is your skill level in Shaanxi?”

“In Shaanxi, I’m within the top two hands…”

Cheon Mubaeck snorted as if he were dumbfounded.

“Don’t bullshit me. You’re within the top ten fingers with that level? Why are you lying?”

Lying?

Im Hong was wronged. No, what do you mean, lying?

There’s no way I’m lying…

Of course, he couldn’t be within the top ten fingers, but at least he was at that level.

But Cheon Mubaeck approached with a face that seemed angry for some reason.

“You’re lying? You need to be beaten.”

* * *

A fist came down.

Im Hong dodged.

But he could not avoid the following kick.

After being hit a few times, the pain of his internal organs being twisted poured out. It hurt so much that tears came out.

Once again, a fist poured down.

This time, he rolled on the ground, throwing away all his dignity with the technique of a rolling log.

But he could not avoid it.

Blue bruises appeared on his body.

Im Hong had attempted a few counterattacks, but he was repeatedly blocked by Cheon Mubaeck and was beaten even more.

“Ha!”

Cheon Mubaeck let out a sigh.

He looked at the messy Im Hong.

“No. Where did you put the Shadow Insight Sword and not use it?”

“H-How did you…!”

Cheon Mubaeck sighed.

The things that had been vague in his mind were cleared up.

‘Shit. The level of the orthodox sects has gone to shit.’

It was something he had felt from before.

The Great Master Hyeryang of Shaolin, Master Muso, and the Mount Hua Sect Guardian Sword, Cheonghyeonjin.

All three were masters, but they did not meet the level that Cheon Mubaeck was thinking of.

In his previous life, if it were the abbot of Shaolin and the head of the Arhat Hall, they were the top masters even in the entire martial world.

The swordsman of Mount Hua Sect who received the title of Guardian Sword was also at that level.

But the level that Cheon Mubaeck had personally felt was much lower.

And now Im Hong was also like that.

Not bad, but much more lacking than the masters of the Hao Faction in his previous life. The level of the Exposed Sword was also.

And he had not even used the Shadow Insight Sword, the strongest ultimate technique of the Hao Faction.

Cheon Mubae-ck recalled a forgotten memory.

‘Well, after I asked the Hao Faction Master to track something for the Heavenly Demon bastard, there was no contact… was it cut off without being able to teach?’

Cheon Mubaeck was disheartened.

The level of the orthodox martial world had significantly lowered due to the aftereffects of the righteous-demonic war 40 years ago.

‘The problem is that if you look at the Blood Demon Sect or the Blood Ghost Valley guys, those guys are quite good.’

At least from what Cheon Mubaeck felt, the balance was off.

As the masters of the orthodox sects were wiped out during the righteous-demonic war, the level of the orthodox sects had significantly lowered.

This was why they had not been able to do anything even when the Blood Demon Sect was causing a commotion and the Blood Ghost Valley was working in the dark.

‘Well. This is getting to be a headache.’

Cheon Mubaeck scratched his head and looked at Im Hong.

“Alright. Let’s talk first.”

“…”

A look of bewilderment was on Im Hong’s face.

He raised his aching head and looked into Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes.

Talk?

…After beating me up like this?

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep