WOOOONG. WOOOOONG.

The Yeon Clan Divine Core gave off a low cry.

After he finished nearly four shichen of regulating his breathing and circulating power, the Yeon Clan Divine Core reacted. The healing of his internal injuries was reaching its final stage.

“It’s morning already.”

He had stayed awake all night, but he did not feel tired at all. The Four Spirit Qi, now carrying momentum, had activated his internal organs and swept away his fatigue.

Yeon Hojeong rose from his seat and headed straight for the Evil-Smiting Corps’ training ground.

As he drew near the training ground, he heard Mookbi’s booming voice.

“North! Kill!”

Chiriring. Chiririring. HWAAAAAAK!

The wind screamed under the weapon arts of the fifty troops, each brimming with Killing Intent.

Each of them used different martial arts, yet astonishingly, the unity of the formation itself was tremendous.

Mookbi shouted again.

“West! Pressure!”

HOOOOOOONG! KURURURUNG!

All of the troops shifted direction quickly and naturally.

This, too, was remarkable. Their footwork differed. Their skill differed. Their Inner Qi differed. Yet even in the instant they changed direction and swung their weapons, they moved as though they were one body.

Through training pushed to the limit, they were showing an ideal rhythm. They had yet to use it in real combat, but their group-combat ability seemed to have risen by at least twice what it had been.

When did they get that far?

Yeon Hojeong could not hide his inward surprise.

He had heard that several of the Je Gal Clan’s highest-grade formations had been dismantled, their fundamentals combined and modified to suit the Evil-Smiting Corps.

But even if the formations had been altered to make them easier to learn, considering the time involved and the gap in ability among the members, their achievement was absurdly fast.

“Center!”

CHWAAAAAK!

The Evil-Smiting Corps, which had been sweeping across all directions for some time, instantly formed ranks at the center of the training ground. Their movements were natural and clean.

Yeon Hojeong smiled and approached the training ground.

Mookbi smacked her lips.

“You’re here?”

“Yeah.”

“You show up right when it’s over.”

“So I did. Not that I planned it.”

“Hmph.”

Yeon Hojeong looked at the Evil-Smiting Corps.

Several of the troops looked at him with pleased eyes. But none of them opened their mouths. The formation master had not ordered them to disperse.

Mookbi shouted.

“Dismiss.”

As though they had been waiting for the word, the troops relaxed their stances.

“Commander!”

“Whoa! Hasn’t it been way too long?”

“Where have you been playing around all this time?!”

“I’m going to forget what your face looks like. Seriously, I’m going to forget.”

The troops each came up to Yeon Hojeong, expressing their delight in their own way.

They were subordinates he truly had not seen in a long time. A bright smile filled Yeon Hojeong’s face for the first time in a while.

“Sorry. I should always be with you, but one thing after another came up.”

They had grumbled as a joke, and when someone responded like this, people usually became embarrassed.

Usually.

“Obviously you should be! You forgot your responsibilities!”

“Come on, you must have been eating something good behind our backs. Look at how much weight you’ve put on.”

“Were you going around beating up weaklings or something? You’re glowing.”

They did not get embarrassed. They pushed it even further. Seeing the troops like that only made Yeon Hojeong feel better.

“You bastards. Do you know how busy I’ve been, getting dragged here and there? I had more than one or two things to settle—huh?”

Yeon Hojeong blinked.

“What? Why is that guy here?”

At the edge of the training ground, Gangryang stood leaning against the stone wall. He smiled and waved.

Okcheong said, “He has been taking turns having sword duels with us. Brother Gang’s swordsmanship is astonishing. Thanks to him, it has been a great help to us. And of course, to him as well.”

“Oh, sword duels?”

Yeon Hojeong’s smile deepened.

Good kid.

He found a way to grow on his own. That was far more important than talent.

Just then, Mookbi cut in.

“You’ve been neglecting your duties quite a bit, so how about showing us what you look like as commander, even now?”

“I should.”

“Right now.”

“Right now? How?”

The troops smiled meaningfully.

Mookbi shouted.

“Center!”

PABABABAK!

The Evil-Smiting Corps moved to the edge of the training ground and formed a formation.

They were not lined up in perfectly matched ranks and files. At a glance, the arrangement looked almost loose, natural enough to seem sloppy.

But the quality of their presence was different.

HOOOOOOONG.

The cold mountain wind seemed to heat up in an instant.

Yeon Hojeong looked at Mookbi.

Mookbi drew up the corner of her mouth and smiled.

“For our first real test, there’s no opponent better than you, Commander. Humor us.”

In the end, Yeon Hojeong let out a quiet laugh too.

“You’re impossible.”

He stepped onto the training ground and stood opposite the Evil-Smiting Corps. The training ground itself was so wide that the distance between them was a full twenty zhang.

Mookbi asked, “What about Mad Dragon?”

“Are you trying to get the kids killed?”

CHWAAAAAK!

A dark-gray iron chain flowed out from inside Yeon Hojeong’s sleeve.

“I’ll use this.”

“You’re going to lose.”

“If I get beaten, then that means I’m lacking. Even if this is a duel like real combat, I can’t go around taking the kids’ arms and legs off.”

“How considerate. I heard you broke the arm of that Shaolin monk, whatever his name was.”

“I didn’t cut his arm off. So, when are we starting?”

Mookbi laughed.

“East! Momentum.”

SHRAAAANG!

The troops each drew their weapons.

Their eyes changed in an instant.

“...”

Yeon Hojeong’s expression grew serious as well.

Look at these brats.

The eyes of the troops glaring at him were filled with fighting spirit and pressure. Beyond that, not a single emotion could be seen.

They were not excited, nor had they relaxed. The instant the formation was deployed, they would face the enemy strictly according to the formation.

That was how they had been trained.

“Good.”

Step.

Yeon Hojeong lowered his stance.

“Very good.”

Mookbi spoke in a cold voice.

“Direct offensive posture.”

PAAAAAK!

The moment Mookbi’s order fell, the fifty soldiers of the Evil-Smiting Corps charged at Yeon Hojeong all at once.

Yeon Hojeong, who had been about to charge to meet them, was startled for an instant.

WOOOOOOONG!

Invisible energy seeped into every part of his body, seeming to tighten little by little around his bones, blood vessels, and muscles.

The formation pressure is...?!

It was strong.

Simply by forming a formation and charging forward, they unleashed an incredible spirit. And that spirit soon became formless True Qi, creating a pressure that bound the opponent’s body.

Their weapons were not their only means of attack. Their positions, and the momentum they released with one heart and one will, were another weapon.

There was no room to go easy on them, and no time to worry about appearances.

WHIIIIIIIING!

The Yeon Clan Divine Core rotated at a terrifying speed and unleashed immense True Qi.

HOOOOOOONG!

White Tiger Qi, released with the momentum of the Yeon Clan Divine Core and Dragon-Embrace Divine Art behind it, roared fiercely.

Grrrrrrooooooowl!

It was as if an enormous tiger, large as a house, had deliberately roared somewhere in the distance. The cry of the tiger king spread past the training ground and out dozens of zhang around it, raising a shiver.

Yeon Hojeong stepped forward powerfully.

THUMP!

Along with that powerful single step, his left palm faced forward. It was the Yeon Clan’s secret Reverse Dragon Palm.

Reverse Dragon Palm was superb as an attack, but its true worth appeared when used as a counter.

Even so, Yeon Hojeong used Reverse Dragon Palm because he judged the formation pressure itself to be an attack. And his judgment was correct.

KURURURUNG!

The formation pressure and palm force collided, releasing an enormous explosion.

It was louder than thunder. Under the intense impact, the Evil-Smiting Corps’ charge slowed slightly, and Yeon Hojeong was pushed three steps back.

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes blazed.

What incredible power.

It was the qi wave poured out by fifty Peak masters acting as one. They had not even launched a physical attack, yet his Reverse Dragon Palm, which he had used with a fair amount of force, had been pushed back without displaying much power.

If their momentum alone was like this, how strong would they be when their actual weapons clashed?

HWARURURUK!

The pure-white gale turned into crimson flame in an instant.

At the same time, Yeon Hojeong’s body moved at tremendous speed.

PAAAAANG!

He advanced, stirring up red-white flame. It was Blood-Wing Sweeping Heaven of the Vermilion Bird Art.

The formation’s pressure was so strong that he could not achieve his previous speed, but he was still lightning fast. Yeon Hojeong drove into the front of the Evil-Smiting Corps in an instant.

He swung his fist powerfully. His footwork was Vermilion Bird, while his fist art was the White Tiger’s Tiger King’s Nine-Wall Breaker.

At the front, Yeoguk swung a sword with cold precision.

JJEOOOOOEONG!

Ghk!

Yeon Hojeong’s body staggered hard.

What the hell is this?!

It was frightening power.

A fierce pain remained in the fist wrapped with Flood Dragon Chain. Even though that fist had been armed with Dragon-Embrace Divine Art and White Tiger Qi!

Yeon Hojeong’s body spun fiercely.

PAPAPAPAPANG!

It was a kicking art meant to check five troops at once. Rather than a real-combat brawling kick, it was the freely formed Azure Dragon Art, Azure Dragon Crossing the Sea.

But—

PUH-PUH-POONG!

Yeon Hojeong’s body was flung backward.

The troops’ power was simply too strong. If he had gritted his teeth and put force into it, he could have kicked two of them in the chest, but that would have ended in bruises at most. In exchange, his own body would have been carved with blade wounds.

Unbelievable.

Yeon Hojeong was truly shocked.

They can gather qi of different qualities into one and amplify it just by ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) training in one formation?

Even in his days as the Dark Emperor, he had never experienced a formation like this.

Of course, it was not a formation suited for a battlefield where screams and flesh flew everywhere. They might somehow be able to stop two hundred, no, even three hundred enemies, but beyond that, its usefulness would inevitably drop.

However, in a one-against-many fight, the story was different.

Mookbi shouted.

“Cleave!”

FLASH!

The gleams of blades and swords cut through the air.

Yeon Hojeong’s body scattered like smoke.

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

Dozens of blade and sword marks appeared on the floor of the training ground.

Considering each troop’s original skill, the power was absurd. They were amplifying one another’s True Qi and maximizing the power of their explosive force.

This is no joke.

CHWAAAAAK!

Yeon Hojeong floated high in the air, and at some point, Flood Dragon Chain was held long in his hand.

Mookbi shouted.

“Heaven Charge!”

FLASH!

Dozens of sword qi and more than ten fist-winds poured toward Yeon Hojeong. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Yeon Hojeong spun Flood Dragon Chain rapidly.

PUH-PUH-POONG!

Sword qi and fist-wind shattered and scattered like fireworks against the defensive barrier of Flood Dragon Chain, which rotated at tremendous speed.

Damn it!

A thick vein bulged on Yeon Hojeong’s forehead.

He had wrung out the power of Dragon-Embrace Divine Art to block it, yet the impact still traveled through his entire upper body. Even if their power had been added together, the density of his Inner Qi was different, so he should not have had much trouble blocking it. Instead, his whole body ached as if it were bruised.

WHOOOOOOOSH!

A pure-white gale rose over Yeon Hojeong’s entire body. He had drawn White Tiger Qi to its peak.

“Now I’m really coming.”

BOOOOOM!

Yeon Hojeong’s body dropped at a terrifying speed.

KWAAAAANG!

It was a Thousand-Pound Drop powerful enough to shake the entire floor of the training ground.

After descending to the ground in one breath, he swung Flood Dragon Chain again.

PUH-PUH-POONG! JJEOOOOOEONG!

Flood Dragon Chain was strong.

He lashed it out in all directions as though swinging a whip, and the air exploded before it even reached the point of impact. Its speed and power exceeded imagination.

And yet it was blocked.

Chiriring! JJEOOOEONG! JJEOJEOJEOJEONG!

The Peak sword arts of Mount Hua Sect, Kunlun Sect, and Wudang Sect first blocked the shockwaves from Flood Dragon Chain.

HOOOOOOONG! PUH-PUH-POONG!

Yeon Hojeong’s body shook. He had been struck by palm force and fist-wind that slipped through the opening.

They had only grazed him, but the impact was significant. The attacks were so precise that if his reaction speed had been even slightly slower, his three dantians might have been shaken.

Amazing.

As Yeon Hojeong attacked the Evil-Smiting Corps with Flood Dragon Chain and dynamic fists and feet, a rare joy rose on his face.

In such a short time, they actually made it this far...!

It was then.

KAKAKANG!!

It was a chilling sound. Something had broken through the circular defense of Flood Dragon Chain.

Startled, Yeon Hojeong turned around.

The Demon-Subduing Spear of Song Yeonggyeong, said to possess the greatest skill among the Emei Sect’s lay disciples and the finest real-combat spear art of Emei Sect, flew in like a flash of lightning and aimed for his throat.

It was too late to dodge. Yeon Hojeong’s arms bent like snakes and wound around the spear.

Immense explosive force burst from his two hands.

BOOOOOM! THUD!

In the process of deflecting the spear, he was struck in the back by three bursts of fist-wind.

Ulk!

After coughing up blood once, Yeon Hojeong stepped into White Tiger Monarch-Step.

KWAAAAANG!

“Ghk!”

“W-what the—!”

Yeon Hojeong hurled five troops away with a ferocious advance, then quickly reached the edge of the training ground.

“HOOF.”

Yeon Hojeong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

His expression gradually filled with rapture.

“This is good!”

Mookbi, who had been watching the training ground from a distance with a smile, suddenly stiffened.

Huh?

Her extremely trained eyes caught Yeon Hojeong’s gaze.

What is that?

His eyes were gradually being dyed in pitch-black darkness.

It was a gaze she had never once seen from him before, a gaze that carried terrifying madness.

...!!

In that instant, Mookbi felt goosebumps rise all over her body. The qi Yeon Hojeong was releasing was gradually taking on Killing Intent.

“Come at me, you bastards!”

PABABAK!

The Evil-Smiting Corps charged again at terrifying speed.

Before she knew it, Mookbi shouted.

“Stop!!”

Yeon Hojeong’s fist pierced through the air.

KURURURUNG!