'Now!'

A tiny gap, like the eye of a needle.

The only path to life.

Baek Sowol did not miss the opportunity that might be her only one.

Her hand gripped the sword more firmly than ever before.

'What is needed now is.'

A single, decisive strike.

Just one sword.

The ferocious internal energy dormant in Baek Sowol's body ran wild and imbued the sword.

Then, it was released as the sword was drawn.

The sword, rampaging like a beast, grazed Namgung Jehyun's neck.

Slice.

A very small cutting sound.

As soon as the cutting sound echoed, Namgung Jehyun, who had stepped back, wiped his neck.

A very small amount of blood was on his hand.

It was a faint, faint scratch.

But it was the first wound he had received since the battle began.

"Unpleasant."

Feeling displeasure at being wounded, Namgung Jehyun turned his gaze towards Baek Sowol.

"Ugh!!"

Baek Sowol was pursuing the retreating Namgung Jehyun and swinging her sword in succession.

She looked like a single, fierce wolf.

"No. A stray dog, perhaps."

Namgung Jehyun lightly twisted his body and dodged Baek Sowol's sword.

Baek Sowol's sword continued to fly towards Namgung Jehyun, but he was able to dodge them all by lightly twisting his body.

Baek Sowol's sword was by no means dull.

Each one was a sharp sword aiming for a single strike.

But to Namgung Jehyun, who had already reached a distant realm, it was just the futile struggle of a commoner.

"Ugly."

Namgung Jehyun lightly parried Baek Sowol's sword.

Although it looked as if he were brushing off dirt from his body, the parried Baek Sowol vomited blood and barely maintained her posture without collapsing.

"Let's end this."

Once again, Namgung Jehyun's sword fell upon Baek Sowol's head.

The sword of a king, which would pierce and crush everything, no matter what obstacles there were, fell upon Baek Sowol's head.

Baek Sowol gritted her teeth.

Forcibly moving her body, which felt as if it would be crushed at any moment, she swung her sword towards Namgung Jehyun.

The result seemed obvious.

To anyone's eyes, Baek Sowol was on the verge of being split in two.

Clang!

A sword intervened between them.

"This time..."

The one who had intervened was Zhang Sanfeng.

"I'm not late!!"

Unlike before, since the distance was considerably narrowed, he was able to intervene without being late.

Zhang Sanfeng's sword gently wrapped around Namgung Jehyun's sword.

Although Namgung Jehyun's sword was not completely deflected by the flow, which was like the Taiji, it delayed the time it would reach Baek Sowol.

"Kuaaaaaaah!!"

With a roar close to a scream from Baek Sowol, the Baekcheol Cheongju glinted.

Slice.

Once again, a shallow cutting sound was heard.

Namgung Jehyun frowned and wiped his neck.

He saw blood again.

Moreover, Baek Sowol had cut the exact same spot as before.

Namgung Jehyun felt a severe displeasure.

The king-like presence contained within him erupted in all directions.

"Keuk!!"

Zhang Sanfeng, who was already on the verge of exhaustion, knelt, and Baek Sowol gritted her teeth and endured, trying not to collapse, but that was all.

Clutching her legs, which were trembling like crazy, crushed by the pressure, Baek Sowol gritted her teeth.

She was in a state where it was difficult to even move, let alone swing her sword.

'Was he holding back until now!!'

While being crushed by the energy, Baek Sowol gritted her teeth and glared at Namgung Jehyun.

Thud.

Namgung Jehyun slowly approached Baek Sowol.

That step, filled with leisure and arrogance, was like the step of a king.

---

"Miss, is this how I do it?"

Hyunjun Hyun, who was helping Tang Yuhwa take care of the patients, asked carefully, watching her face.

Although Tang Yuhwa had no expression, for some reason, she seemed to be filled with irritation.

Watching Tang Yuhwa's face, Hyunjun Hyun examined the patient he had treated.

The splint he had applied and the cloth he had wrapped to stop the bleeding were a mess.

Come to think of it, even Hyunjun Hyun himself thought that he didn't have much dexterity except when handling a bow or a sword.

"Just go."

In the end, Tang Yuhwa's order to leave was given, and Hyunjun Hyun stood up with a bitter smile.

'An old man like me can't even perform a simple treatment.'

Perhaps because he had failed to reach enlightenment just before due to his old body, Hyunjun Hyun was in a darker state than usual.

"Then this old man will look around."

Having received the order to leave from Tang Yuhwa, Hyunjun Hyun picked up a suitable sword that had fallen nearby and walked around.

Fortunately, since it was a little far from the Shaolin main camp, there were no martial artists wandering around.

Hyunjun Hyun moved his feet more boldly.

And so, Hyunjun Hyun, who had walked to the vicinity of the main gate of Shaolin Temple, discovered a familiar back.

Namgung Jehyun.

The person who could be called the culprit of the current situation.

'Judging by the presence I feel, he has surpassed that friend Shinseung and this old man!'

Hyunjun Hyun admired Namgung Jehyun's presence, which could be felt just from his back.

At the same time, he discovered the young martial artists near him who were on the verge of death.

'Hah, were Junior Zhang and that young lady blocking him?'

Hyunjun Hyun admired the extraordinary presence of Baek Sowol and Zhang Sanfeng.

Unlike his admiration for Namgung Jehyun, it was an admiration as if looking at fresh, growing sprouts.

At the same time, he felt pity at the sight of them, who looked as if they would die at any moment.

'That there is no one to lead these young people now. It is truly pitiful.'

Hyunjun Hyun, who was sighing in pity.

At that moment, a small desire arose in his mind-image.

'If there is no one to lead them now.'

A very small desire compared to the enlightenment from before.

But it was like a sprout with numerous possibilities.

'I see. I see why this old man is here.'

The young martial artists certainly exuded an extraordinary presence that did not match their age.

But they were still sprouts that had just begun to bud.

'Although this old man does not have the capacity to lead them.'

It was a time when they still needed someone's care and protection.

'The role of this old man must be about the eaves.'

Then he slowly approached Namgung Jehyun.

"Jehyun, stop tormenting the innocent young people and play with this old man."

At Hyunjun Hyun's words, Namgung Jehyun slowly turned around.

"Master Hyun."

Showing a slightly surprised look, Namgung Jehyun sheathed his sword and politely performed a fist-and-palm salute.

"It has been a long time."

It was not sarcasm or disregard, but contained a sincere respect for the old martial artist who had steadfastly walked his own path for a long time.

Namgung Jehyun had once received teachings on the sword from Hyunjun Hyun a long time ago.

Although Hyunjun Hyun had not drawn his sword even then, his teachings contained a deep enlightenment befitting his fame.

"Are you drawing your sword today?"

"It seems today is the day this old man's life ends."

Namgung Jehyun was able to hear the reason why he did not draw his sword from Hyunjun Hyun himself.

When Hyunjun Hyun was still a child who knew nothing, he had been caught up in the Samcheon incident.

When he was just trembling helplessly, unable to do anything, a martial artist in a white robe appeared and defeated the Samcheon.

Overwhelming martial prowess, but a noble white back from which no killing intent could be felt.

Fascinated by that sight, Hyunjun Hyun wanted to become like him.

He held a sword and went to numerous battlefields.

Because of that, he was even given the title of Sword God.

But he had seen too much blood.

He had cut down too many lives.

He had joined the army and had cut down countless innocent people as well.

At that time, he had thought it was justice, but in the end, what remained was only futility, regret, and the thick smell of blood.

That day, Hyunjun Hyun abandoned his sword.

He decided not to draw his sword until the day he died.

He opened a small inn and waited for the day he would die, day by day.

Although he had decided to hold a sword again after his meeting with Baek Yoonjun, he could not easily draw it.

'But I drew it.'

But after coming to Mount Song, he had drawn his sword by Tang Yuhwa's side.

At that time, he didn't know how he had been able to draw the sword.

But after hearing Tang Yuhwa's words and seeing the current situation with his own eyes.

Screech.

He drew his sword with his own will, for certain.

Seeing Hyunjun Hyun draw his sword, Namgung Jehyun's presence changed.

"I will witness it."

At the same time as Namgung Jehyun took a ready stance, Hyunjun Hyun slowly pulled back the hand holding the sword.

It was the only moment his sword retreated.

"I am Namgung Jehyun, the current Alliance Leader of the martial arts world."

"I am Hyunjun Hyun, the Sword God of Diancang."

A very short confrontation.

The moment a single breath was exchanged.

"I'm coming."

"Come."

Hyunjun Hyun's sword was shot.

His figure was shot towards Namgung Jehyun.

Namgung Jehyun raised his sword a breath later.

Although it was a breath late, it was enough time for a king.

The king's sword fell towards the shot sword of Diancang.

The shot sword of Diancang advanced quickly like a shot arrow, but.

Crack.

The king's sword crushed even such an arrow.

Namgung Jehyun's sword pierced Hyunjun Hyun's shoulder and then cut down.

Hyunjun Hyun's body was split from shoulder to waist, becoming tattered, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

"It seems the time has come for the Sword God's sword to fall."

Seeing that sight, Namgung Jehyun let out a sigh as if genuinely sorry.

"No."

But Hyunjun Hyun did not let go of his sword and his eyes were shining.

"Didn't I tell you again and again."

His body began to wither as if it were sucking in the energy of life.

"The sword of Diancang."

In exchange for that life energy, his eyes began to burn more fiercely than ever before.

"Never stops."

Hyunjun Hyun's figure began to advance as it was, even with his body torn.

Even the pain of his body collapsing could not stop his obsession.

It was no longer a sword strike, nor an arrow.

A flash of light.

A brilliant and fatal ray of light, bloomed at the last moment of life, pierced the great sun that was Namgung Jehyun.

"Keuk."

At the same time as Namgung Jehyun let out a groan, his side was gouged out in a semicircle.

And a part of Hyunjun Hyun's body, cut from the shoulder to a part of his side, flew into the air.

At the same time.

Kaboom!

Hyunjun Hyun's figure crashed into the wall of Shaolin and then collapsed.

Everything had happened in an instant, like a flash of light.

The king's sword was strong, but it could not block the momentary flash of light.

"Sword God, you advance without stopping even at the moment of death."

Namgung Jehyun politely performed a fist-and-palm salute towards the figure of Hyunjun Hyun, who had already ended his life far away.

By his side, a scene briefly flashed by.

The scene of a young Shinseung and Namgung Jehyun receiving teachings on the sword from Hyunjun Hyun in a shabby inn.

A very momentary old event passed by in an instant and then shattered and scattered.

Namgung Jehyun, who had paid his respects to that momentary scene, scanned the battlefield with glinting eyes.

Zhang Sanfeng had recovered in the meantime and were taking a ready stance towards him.

And near them, Baek Sowol was gritting her teeth and her eyes were glinting as if she would bite Namgung Jehyun at any moment.

On the other hand, Namgung Jehyun was in a state of being fatally wounded by the flash of light that was like Hyunjun Hyun's life.

Namgung Jehyun stealthily turned his gaze down the mountain.

It was quiet.

'That there is no signal yet. A problem must have occurred.'

The reason Namgung Jehyun had not finished off Zhang Sanfeng and Baek Sowol at once was to buy time.

Although he could have pushed through with force from the beginning.

'What I had to obtain was an unprecedented, perfect victory. Because of that, I had to be cautious.'

Since it was an important matter, he had been cautious.

But it seemed something had gone wrong somewhere.

'It can't be helped. Although it has deviated a little from the plan, the fact that it is advantageous has not changed, so I just have to move forward as it is.'

Namgung Jehyun put his hand in his bosom.

Then he took out what was in his hand and scattered it on the ground.

What was scattered on the ground were pieces of a stone tablet.

A part of the Wuhou Eight Gates Formation Diagram.

However, the pieces of the Wuhou Eight Gates Formation Diagram were not in their original form.

A strange red pattern was engraved on each of the pieces.

Namgung Jehyun, who had scattered the pieces of the Wuhou Eight Gates Formation Diagram on the ground, turned his body as it was.

At that, Baek Sowol, who had popped out from who knows where, brushed past him with her sword.

"Keuk!!"

Baek Sowol, whose attack had missed, twisted her body and stretched her sword towards Namgung Jehyun.

And at the same time, Zhang Sanfeng's sword attacked Namgung Jehyun from behind.

Confirming that, Namgung Jehyun laughed in futility.

"It's the end."

"Right!! It's the end!"

Hearing his words, Baek Sowol rushed at him, exuding an even fiercer presence.

At that moment.

"There is no hope for you."

At the same time as Namgung Jehyun's declaration, a blood-red energy wave shot up from the pieces scattered on the ground.

Kuuuuung-!

The entire Mount Song was dyed red.

"Huh?"

Baek Sowol's sword fell powerlessly to the ground.

As if from a bottomless jar, the internal energy in her dantian was scattering into the air.

'I can't... put in any strength.'

Her knees buckled.

Zhang Sanfeng was also barely holding on, using his sword as a cane, and his complexion was pale.

On the other hand, the wounds of Namgung Jehyun, who had been bleeding, were healing with a bizarre sound.

A sight as if all the surrounding energy had gathered in him.

He reigned as a king who could not be approached.

At the same time, a dark path of martial arts began to appear in front of Namgung Jehyun.

Beyond the transcendent level.

And at the very end of it.

Thump!

The king was frantically pounding on the huge and endless wall at the very end, beyond the transcendent level.

(End of Chapter)