Guangwuliang gazed at the scene with a somewhat dazed expression.
His Demon Emperor's Sky-Splitting Hand had been executed with perfect precision. The hand forces that erupted from his hands had sealed off every gap around Wei Yan-ho's body without a single opening.
The black light of Guangwuliang's hand force descended toward the earth.
When the sun floats in the sky, light dominates the world, but once the sun crosses the western mountains, nothing can resist the darkness.
Just as all things submit to the darkness that descends upon a world where the sun has disappeared, Wei Yan-ho's body was being swallowed by darkness.
It was then that the anomaly began.
'Light?'
Guangwuliang's eyes wavered.
Light.
The light that was difficult to even perceive when the sun illuminated the world was now revealing its existence more clearly and intensely than anything else in a world surrounded by darkness.
Rays of light burst forth from between the darkness Guangwuliang had created. The rays of light that erupted as if heralding the dawn gradually increased in brightness, then began pushing away all the darkness.
'Is this an illusion?'
The sight was truly majestic. Like an untimely sun rising in the deep night, the dazzling light Wei Yan-ho had revealed swallowed Guangwuliang's darkness and brilliantly illuminated the entire world.
Guangwuliang's body trembled at this other realm of martial arts he had never once imagined.
But soon Guangwuliang had no choice but to face reality.
The destination of the light that illuminated the world was none other than himself.
Realizing that countless rays of light were pouring toward him, Guangwuliang tried to dodge.
'Dodge?'
Guangwuliang realized.
'Where should I dodge to?'
How could one dodge light that filled the entire world?
How was one supposed to block it?
Only then realizing how absurd Wei Yan-ho's sword was, Guangwuliang clenched his teeth tightly.
"I am Guangwuliang!"
Guangwuliang, screaming at the top of his lungs, wildly swung both hands.
From his hands, ghostly wailing that made one's chest shiver just from hearing it echoed forth, and his entire body began to be covered in ghostly flames.
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!"
Blue flames erupted along Guangwuliang's outstretched arms.
Truly a strike using all his strength.
However, in a world being covered by light, those flames were pitifully weak.
Seeing his ghostly flames being covered and extinguished by the dazzling lights, Guangwuliang let out a hollow laugh.
"Damn it!"
Then Wei Yan-ho's radiance covered even Guangwuliang's body.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
An explosive sound shook the world.
"…What the hell is that?"
Wei Jeong-han looked at the space covered in light as if dumbfounded.
"Well…"
Wei San-ho's reaction was similar.
Even Wei San-ho, who always showed complete support for Wei Yan-ho, seemed to find this scene difficult to understand.
"It seems stronger than last time?"
Realizing that Wei Jeong-han's "last time" referred to the duel with Gwon-geuk, Wei San-ho nodded.
"He's in his prime growing period."
"…No, is this something that can be explained as a growing period?"
"Yan-ho hasn't even been experiencing real combat for a full year yet."
"Ah…"
"Because he was already so strong, I thought he had already mastered everything, but if Yan-ho had simply finished his preparations and emerged from the cave, and is now in the process of internalizing what he's learned, then growing stronger at a rate beyond common sense wouldn't be strange."
"Is that so?"
Wei Jeong-han spoke in a dubious tone.
"Now I can't even joke around. If I took a playful hit, I'd fly all the way to Sichuan."
"He's not that lacking in filial piety."
"Really?"
Wei San-ho didn't answer.
"…"
Baek Geom-yeong's pupils shook.
'What the hell is that?'
The hand gripping his sword was trembling.
'Just how much stronger is he going to get!'
He already knew painfully well that Wei Yan-ho was strong. But he had grown stronger too. Since he had grasped the edge of the sword he thought he could never reach, he believed he could be equal to Wei Yan-ho.
But as much as he had grown stronger, no, even more than that, Wei Yan-ho was becoming stronger.
'Why did Heaven send me down and then also send down Wei Yan-ho?'
The anxiety that he might have to chase only Wei Yan-ho's coattails for this entire generation was shaking him.
"No."
Baek Geom-yeong clenched his teeth tightly.
'The Ten Thousand Swords is invincible. I just haven't grasped the true meaning of the Ten Thousand Swords yet.'
He was confident that in terms of martial arts level, he would never be inferior to anything in the world. No, not just inferior—if only he could bloom the true Ten Thousand Swords at his sword tip, all martial arts in the world would have to kneel at his feet.
'So for now, I'll endure and wait.'
Though he barely managed to calm his mind, Baek Geom-yeong's feelings as he watched the blazing light were far from comfortable.
His tightly bitten lips and trembling fists spoke for his heart.
"No, isn't that a bit too much?"
"…No matter what, there's an age difference, isn't this a bit severe?"
The Dark King and Do-wan sighed as they watched the bursting light. The battle had stopped at some point. Even the Demon Cult members who had been pouncing on them like beasts now let their arms hang loose and stared blankly at the scene.
'They say that martial arts reaching its peak looks like it's not martial arts at all.'
It felt like watching an opera.
The sight of Wei Yan-ho's radiance defeating the darkness Guangwuliang had created was a spectacle they couldn't see anywhere else.
Of course, their eyes saw more than that.
"He was holding back."
"Quite a lot, it seems."
"…Monster-like bastard."
The end of Wei Yan-ho's strength was completely unpredictable. How many days had it been since he was called the foremost among the later generation masters? In that short time, Wei Yan-ho had defeated the Dark King and earned the reputation of being a master under heaven. And now he was even breaking that reputation.
"What do we do now?"
"Pardon?"
"We made an enemy of a guy like that. No matter how I think about it, that bastard will be living it up until I die… How the hell do we deal with the aftermath?"
The Dark King's shoulders drooped.
"Damn bastards."
Once the situation was clearly understood, anger surged up. Why did they have to mess with a guy like that and drive the situation this far!
"…At this rate, we might have to beg the Demon Cult guys to do something about that bastard."
"Others are listening."
"Ugh."
The Dark King looked at the light Wei Yan-ho was emitting with gloomy eyes.
Where the light slowly faded, he stood upright.
No, perhaps "upright" wasn't the right word. Guangwuliang hadn't collapsed, but he was already spewing blood from all five orifices.
The flowing blood was soaking his front garment.
"Huh…"
A low groan flowed from Guangwuliang's mouth.
"You're strong."
Wei Yan-ho looked at Guangwuliang with wide eyes.
"Huh? You're alive?"
"That's not something befitting an Orthodox sect member to say."
"Actually, that's not my fault. I was originally the type who couldn't even kill an ant."
Though Wei Jeong-han objected from afar with 'It's not that you couldn't kill ants, you just didn't bother to lift a hand because it was troublesome,' Wei Yan-ho cleanly ignored Wei Jeong-han's words.
"But I happened to meet a heartless, evil old man, which led to this. That old man told me, 'You may not know if you don't act, but once you've drawn your sword, never hesitate. The mercy you show might take the lives of not you, but your family and friends.' It's quite a petty emotional argument, but it also seemed to be true."
"Kuk kuk kuk."
Guangwuliang's body swayed.
'I'm completely destroyed.'
His exterior wasn't in great shape either, but inside his body was at a horrible level.
'The sect's bishops would laugh if they saw this.'
He had come to the Central Plains with the grand intention of announcing the New Sect's revival to the Central Plains people, but to suffer such a crushing defeat to a young brat like this. At this point, it wasn't frustrating or unfair, it was absurd.
'This guy has the potential to become the sect's greatest enemy.'
He might not know about it now, but in just a few years, he'd be someone who could compete for the world's top position.
Moreover, unlike typical young Central Plains people, his methods were cruel, and his nature had vicious aspects.
Those stuffy Central Plains people who recite literature about how they should show mercy even to enemies, babbling about "Living Sword" and such, weren't frightening, but if a guy like this gained position as well, it would be terrible for the New Sect.
"You won. I acknowledge it. You may be proud. You are the first outsider to defeat Guangwuliang."
"I'll congratulate you on becoming one of the countless martial artists who lost to me."
"…Yes, you have the right to be arrogant. But…"
Guangwuliang's eyes glowed red.
"That will be what kills you. I acknowledge that you have the potential to become the sect's greatest obstacle."
"That's a compliment, right?"
"A compliment. Of course it's a compliment. I'll give you more compliments. You alone will be a greater enemy to the sect than everyone else here."
Wei Yan-ho tilted his head slightly.
'This, something about these words sounds ominous.'
"Therefore…"
Guangwuliang bared his teeth.
"Even if everyone here must die, I will kill you alone! Without fail!"
"Huh?"
Wei Yan-ho screamed in shock.
"No! Usually when a duel ends like this, shouldn't it conclude with 'It was a good match. I acknowledge you. So I'll withdraw for today'? All the stories I've heard until now were like that! Please maintain some standard format!"
"I don't know what stories you've heard, but that's complete nonsense. Finding a great enemy and just leaving them alone and withdrawing? That's not the New Sect's way."
Guangwuliang ground his teeth.
"I was defeated by you. But the New Sect hasn't been defeated here yet."
"Eh…"
Wei Yan-ho scratched his cheek.
Certainly, he had defeated Guangwuliang, but with the remaining forces, he couldn't be confident he could defeat all those Demon Cult bastards.
'Still, if I put in some effort, I think I could roughly handle them?'
Of course it would be troublesome, but it would be better than dying.
But Guangwuliang's response was completely different from his thoughts. Guangwuliang began proving why Demon Cult members were called madmen.
Guangwuliang looked around and shouted.
"Servants of the sect, listen!"
"Yes!"
The Demon Cult members all knelt on the spot in unison.
In the strange atmosphere felt from that action, no one thought to take advantage of this opportunity to attack.
"This is the one who will become the greatest obstacle to the sect's thousand-year glory! Kill him! Kill him by any means necessary! Don't spare your lives and kill him even if you sacrifice everything you have!"
"Yes!"
"Attack!"
As soon as Guangwuliang's words ended, the Demon Cult members scattered in all directions began rushing toward Wei Yan-ho in unison.
"No!"
Wei Yan-ho screamed toward the sky as if he would die of injustice.
"This shouldn't progress like this! What did I do so wrong that you're all desperate to catch and eat me!"
Wei Jeong-han quietly muttered as he watched the scene.
"…Cause and effect."
"Karma indeed."