I’ve just realized. (4)

Yoon Jong’s eyes wavered.

“Sasuk…?”

He began to doubt whether Baek Cheon was in his right mind.

The enemy was overwhelmingly powerful.

While martial artist’s skill isn’t solely determined by internal energy, the Sun Palace Lord’s power was unlike anything they had ever faced.

And yet, Baek Cheon intended to face him? In his current state, unable to wield even half of his usual strength?

“Uh…”

Jo Geol, almost unconsciously, reached out towards Baek Cheon’s back. It felt as though Baek Cheon’s body might melt away at any moment.

But despite everyone’s concerns, Baek Cheon stood firm. Like a lone ancient pine tree rooted on the edge of a cliff.

Jo Geol, who had intended to step forward with him, hesitated for a moment. The heat pushing forward from the front made his body instinctively shrink back.

That made Baek Cheon’s stance all the more astonishing.

How could he step forward?

In a situation where even the fearless swordsmen of Hwasan, who had charged into countless battlefields without hesitation, now found themselves unable to advance, how could Baek Cheon take such a stand?

A swirl of complex emotions filled Jo Geol’s gaze as he looked at Baek Cheon.

Jo Geol blankly watched that back, so endlessly confident yet so perilously fragile.

It was unbearably hot.

It felt as though his skin was boiling. Every breath he took made his lungs feel as if they were burning, a searing pain overwhelming him.

He wanted to retreat, to step back from the unbearable heat and pressure.

He knew. Even if he retreated now, no one would blame him. In fact, they might even praise him for making a wise decision.

But Baek Cheon did not retreat.

Even if he melted away completely, leaving not a single strand of hair behind, he had no intention of backing down.

Anyone can speak bold words. Anyone can boast with a sense of self-importance. But the truly difficult thing is to uphold those words, to carry through with what one has declared.

He pressed his toes into the ground – not to advance, but to avoid stepping back. He tightened his grip on his sword – not to strike down the enemy, but to ensure that he did not falter.

This was a different kind of battle from any Baek Cheon had fought before.

Everything was trembling. His hands gripping the sword, his legs supporting his body, even his strong physique, and his long hair – all were shaking.

But only his eyes remained steady, locked directly on the Sun Palace Lord in front of him.

The Sun Palace Lord couldn’t hide his astonishment.

“…Are you saying that you intend to stop me?”

This was something strange that Sun Palace Lord Jin Pyeong had never experienced before.

Of course, there had been arrogant fools who dared to oppose him. There would always be those who didn’t know their place.

But no one had ever faced him so directly. They might talk of resistance when he wasn’t around, but in his presence, they would prostrate themselves and tremble in fear.

Even those who were called powerful warriors, heroes, or perhaps even beacons of hope to others – all had acted the same.

Yet here was a lowly man from the vast Central Plains standing proudly before him. This was different from Jang Ilso. The look in this man’s eyes was something the Sun Palace Lord had never encountered before.

“You look like you might pass out at any moment.”

It was obvious at a glance.

This man was not in a normal state. It wasn’t just that he was weak.

Once, he must have been much stronger than this. But now, all that remained in that body were the remnants of his once splendid glory.

“And yet, you still refuse to back down?”

A bitter laugh escaped the Sun Palace Lord’s lips.

But even in that moment, he didn’t miss what was happening. He noticed that those who had been retreating, intimidated by his power, had stopped in their tracks as soon as this man stepped forward.

It was absurd.

No one believed that this man could actually stop the Sun Palace Lord. No one expected that a crippled person could defeat him.

And yet, they had ceased their retreat. Even though nothing had truly changed, it was as if something had.

That detail grated on the nerves of the Sun Palace Lord Jin Pyeong. His eyes blazed with golden fury.

“How dare a lowly creature defy me!”

Woooom!

The scorching energy of Hot Yang Qigong shot from his hands, slicing through the air straight towards Baek Cheon.

The Sun Palace Lord was certain. He believed that this force would either turn the man into a charred husk or shatter that feigned boldness, leaving him to grovel on the ground.

But the scene that unfolded moments later was far from what he expected.

There was a faint sound, like something rustling, which gradually grew louder. Then, from the tip of Baek Cheon’s sword, a crimson sword aura began to bloom.

‘…A flower?’

The aura resembled delicate flower petals. It wasn’t even fully formed. The petals were incomplete, fragmented, like withered and broken leaves.

Was he seriously trying to block this with such a weak sword?

Even if that sword was intact, that fragile aura couldn’t possibly withstand the Sun Palace Lord’s overwhelming force. With petals so fragile they hadn’t even fully bloomed – or worse, had already withered – what could he hope to achieve?

Woooom!

As expected, the petals disintegrated the moment they touched the scorching energy of Hot Yang Qigong, vanishing without a trace.

But then… they bloomed again.

And again. Over and over. Again and again.

The Sun Palace Lord’s eyes widened slightly. The scattered petals were forming a vast forest of plum blossoms.

‘A sword like this exists?’

To him, it was a sword technique as bizarre as it was unsettling.

But so what?

“You insolent fool!”

The Sun Palace Lord intensified his energy, pouring even more power into the force he unleashed. The overwhelming energy collided directly with Baek Cheon’s plum blossom forest, obliterating it entirely.

Kwooooom!

The crimson sword aura was engulfed in flames. The Sun Palace Lord smirked as he looked at the now-quiet space where the sword energy had been.

But then his eyes widened in shock.

Baek Cheon was still standing there.

He hadn’t been reduced to a charred husk, nor was he writhing pathetically on the ground.

“You wretch…”

Of course, it wasn’t that the Sun Palace Lord’s energy had no effect.

Baek Cheon’s sword glowed red-hot, as if it had been pulled from a furnace, and his hand, which clutched the hilt, was so badly burned that his skin adhered to the handle.

The sleeve of his robe was singed and tattered, his arm covered in burns. It was clear at a glance that his condition was dire.

The ends of his hair were scorched, and his left cheek and jaw were blistered from burns.

The Sun Palace Lord’s energy had certainly inflicted significant punishment on the insolent man standing before him. But precisely because of that, his rage only grew hotter.

He hasn’t backed down? Even after being reduced to this state?

Despite the grievous wounds covering his body, Baek Cheon’s eyes were exactly the same as when he first faced the Sun Palace Lord. Even as blood dripped from his mouth, his gaze remained fixed, unyielding.

“You…!”

A surge of fury erupted within the Sun Palace Lord.

“How dare you defy me like this!”

Kwooooom!

A terrifying force erupted from the Sun Palace Lord, this time he intended to reduce Baek Cheon to nothing more than charcoal. The searing energy of Hot Yang Qigong surged forward, brimming with power.

As Baek Cheon gripped his sword tightly with his half-melted hand. 

“You madman!”

“Damn it!”

Two figures leaped in front of him. Including the one above and the one supporting him from behind, that made four… perhaps even more.

“Aaaaahhhh!”

Jo Geol, Yoon Jong, and Yu Iseol’s swords unleashed crimson sword energy.

“Ooooooh!”

Hye Yeon, who had been supporting Baek Cheon’s shoulders, unleashed his own power, which harmonized with the scattered petals, crashing directly against the Sun Palace Lord’s fiery onslaught.

Kwooooom!

The unbearable heat exploded in all directions.

Their bodies were searing hot in an instant, but the four who encircled Baek Cheon like a protective barrier did not retreat a single step.

“Guh…”

A strained groan finally escaped from Yoon Jong’s lips, despite his efforts to suppress it.

‘To think he was enduring this alone…’

It felt as though every liquid in his body was boiling. Sweat evaporated into steam almost as soon as it appeared, unable to withstand the blistering heat.

“Aaaaahhhh!”

But he gritted his teeth and instead pushed harder, shouting as he poured everything into his sword strike.

Boom!

The Sun Palace Lord’s force scattered, dissipating into the air. Yoon Jong’s knees buckled under the strain of having withstood such a brutal strike.

“Ugh!”

He slammed his sword into the ground to steady himself against the sudden loss of strength. Gritting his teeth, he turned to Baek Cheon.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“…”

“You’re already in bad shape – what are you planning to do?”

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“…You’re here.”

Yoon Jong’s eyes trembled, speechless at Baek Cheon’s words.

But his surprise quickly transformed into something more intense – fury.

It wasn’t anger at Baek Cheon’s recklessness.

It was anger at himself for not stepping forward first, for daring to think he could surpass Baek Cheon.

“What if something really happens to you…?”

“I’ve just realized.”

Baek Cheon tightened his grip with his battered hand and raised his sword once more, pointing it directly at the Sun Palace Lord. Despite his comrades rushing to defend him, there was not the slightest hint that he intended to step back from the front line.

“If I retreat here, then I’m nothing more than a man of empty words.”

Yoon Jong’s wavering gaze suddenly became cold and sharp. The murderous intent reflected in his eyes was now fully directed at the Sun Palace Lord.

Thump.

Whether they understood his resolve or whether they all shared the same determination, Jo Geol and Yu Iseol stepped up beside Yoon Jong, their swords also pointed at the Sun Palace Lord.

Yoon Jong, eyes locked on their formidable opponent, spoke with cold resolve.

“Jo Geol.”

“Yes, Sahyeong.”

“We kill him and clear the path.”

Jo Geol didn’t respond with words – none were needed. His heart pounded with a fierce desire to charge forward and strike.

Seeing the determined faces of Hwasan’s swordsmen, the Sun Palace Lord’s expression twisted in fury.

‘These bastards…’

Just moments ago, they were searching for a way to escape, and now they bared their teeth at him like predators, as if they were facing an enemy they could not coexist with under the same sky.

‘Remnants…’

The man standing before him was nothing more than the remnants of a once-great warrior, burnt out and left with mere scraps. And yet…

‘Is there still a spark within him?’

A spark that could reignite into something greater?

“You… worthless fools dare!”

The Sun Palace Lord’s voice was laced with seething anger. The fury that had been simmering within him now overflowed uncontrollably. Even these insects dared to defy him…

Fwoosh!

But his anger could not fully erupt. Before his voice could echo across the battlefield, the searing swords of Hwasan’s disciples surged forward.

“Break through!”

Like arrows fired from a fully drawn bow, the swordsmen of Hwasan charged forward, embodying the force of dozens of arrows in their assault. Their strike was infused with a mixture of self-reproach, shame, fury, and unyielding resolve.

There was no need for words to convey their shared purpose. They simply ran, charging headlong into the flames that the one who stood before them had already begun to forge.

Clang!

The Sun Palace Lord’s hand deflected Jo Geol’s sword with a sharp impact.

“You…!”

Rustle!

In that instant, hundreds of plum blossom petals drawn by Yoon Jong and Yu Iseol enveloped the Sun Palace Lord’s entire body.

“These wretches!”

Fwoosh!

Just as the Sun Palace Lord gritted his teeth, preparing to break free, the petals before his eyes shifted. And through that narrow opening, someone lunged straight at him.

‘You…?’

Baek Cheon’s face, half-scorched from burns, rushed towards him. Despite the wounds and the dire situation, Baek Cheon’s unwavering gaze hadn’t changed at all. 

Seeing that resolute gaze, the Sun Palace Lord’s rage finally erupted like a volcano.

“Aaaaaargh!”