Chapter 167:………………………………….

The World’s Greatest Late-Stage Expert (2)

“You bastard…!”

Namgung Mu-hwi clenched his teeth as he received Pyeongha’s punch.

The swordsmanship of the Namgung Clan pursues dominance and overwhelming force.

He had swung his sword with full power, intending to blow away the opponent’s fist entirely—yet all he managed to do was stop it.

“How dare you…!”

Rumble—
Crack, crack!

As Namgung Mu-hwi shouted in fury and swelled his sword energy, Pyeongha’s fist aura began to split apart with a shrill sound.

That fist aura had never been cut apart by anyone except the Black Heaven Four Monsters. At this rate, it felt as though it would soon split in two entirely.

Realizing he couldn’t continue clashing like this, Pyeongha struck Namgung Mu-hwi’s sword aside first.

Claaang!
Boom!

Deflecting the sword, Pyeongha lashed out with a kick toward his opponent’s thigh.

That kick had made everyone it struck stagger—but Namgung Mu-hwi endured it by raising his protective qi.

At the same time, he lifted his sword overhead.

Then—

Thud!

A crushing weight began pressing down on Pyeongha’s entire body.

The Emperor Sword Form of the Namgung Clan.

With each descent of the blade, the sword pressure intensified, sealing the opponent’s movements.

It was the symbol of Namgung martial arts—breaking through its own weakness of pursuing only straightforward, overwhelming strength by facing it head-on.

At that moment—

Craaaang!

Just as the Emperor Sword Form unfolded, Pyeongha immediately unleashed Shock-Empty Fist.

With a thunderous crash, Namgung Mu-hwi’s chin snapped upward, and the pressure pinning Pyeongha faltered for an instant.

Not missing the chance, Pyeongha slipped out of the Emperor Sword Form’s domain and fired off a barrage of fist auras from a distance.

Pa-pa-pa-pa!
Boom! Boom!

The fist auras poured down at blinding speed.

Namgung Mu-hwi unfolded sword energy that left behind a trail of blue flames, blocking every incoming strike.

Not stopping there, he spun once and brought his sword down vertically with all his might.

The instant Pyeongha saw the sword aura flash like lightning along the blade, he kicked off the ground and leapt away.

Swoosh!
Boooom!

The sword aura shot forward like a bolt of lightning and exploded upon the arena floor where Pyeongha had just stood.

It was the manifestation of the Heavenly Thunder Sword Technique—the very technique that had subdued the Saint of Wudang.

In an instant, Namgung Mu-hwi amplified his sword aura to a terrifying size and unleashed it again.

Swoooosh!
BOOM! BOOM!

Even the Wudang sword that pursued yielding to overcome strength had failed to deflect this blade.

Knowing how dangerous it was to face it head-on, Pyeongha pushed the footwork he had learned from Baekryeong to its limits, evading like a ghost across the arena.

Realizing it was difficult to strike him with sword aura alone, Namgung Mu-hwi ceased projecting it and centered the blade before his body.

“…Your footwork is quick. Like a monkey.”

“Just my feet?”

Paht!
Craaaang!

At those words, Pyeongha immediately launched Shock-Empty Fist.

But this time, anticipating it, Namgung Mu-hwi guarded his abdomen with the flat of his blade.

“Tch, falling for such an obvious trick…!”

Boom!
Drip.

He had blocked the first strike—but almost simultaneously, a second Shock-Empty Fist slammed into his face, forcing him back a step.

When he slowly lifted his head, a thin line of blood ran from his mouth.

“…You sure? Just my feet?”

Pyeongha’s teasing provocation.

Namgung Mu-hwi showed no reaction.

He merely wiped the blood from his lips and glared at Pyeongha with naked killing intent.

“…I was foolish.”

Shhh—

“To think I’d try to enjoy myself against an insect.”

As if vowing never to be struck by Shock-Empty Fist again, Namgung Mu-hwi raised protective qi over his entire body and lowered his stance, ready to charge.

Unlike before, even the air felt cold against Pyeongha’s skin.

He lowered his own stance, eyes locked on his opponent, ready to respond to any movement.

Namgung Mu-hwi kicked off the ground with a shout.

Pa-bat!

“Haaah!”

Swoosh!
Boom!

His sword swept horizontally through where Pyeongha’s head had been.

Though Pyeongha bent backward to evade, blue flames lingered where the blade had passed.

Immediately straightening, Pyeongha thrust his fingers toward the blue flames.

Clang!
BOOOOM!

Piercing through the fire, his strike hit the flat of Namgung Mu-hwi’s blade.

Grinding his teeth, Namgung Mu-hwi flared his sword aura even larger.

“How dare you!”

Craaaang!
Boom!

He knocked Pyeongha’s hand aside and unleashed three rapid thrusts.

But Pyeongha avoided all three with minimal movement.

Then he drove another kick into the opponent’s thigh.

Craaaang!

“Tch! Foolish!”

Boom!

With his protective qi thick around him, such attacks were easily endured.

Ignoring the blows, Namgung Mu-hwi began fully unleashing the Boundless Azure Sky Sword Art.

Boom! Boom!

His fierce blade slashed through where Pyeongha’s head had been, where his arms had been, where his legs had been.

But that was all.

Fast and strong, yet unbearably monotonous—his sword could not keep up with Pyeongha’s movements.

Just as Pyeongha found an opening—

Fwoooosh.

The scattered blue flames writhed as if alive and surged from all directions to engulf him.

Caught off guard at the crucial moment, Pyeongha halted his attack and stomped hard.

BOOM!

A semicircular shockwave burst outward from him, blowing away the blue flames.

The Myriad Annihilating Kick he had learned from Seokdu.

Having dispelled the flames, Pyeongha immediately threw a punch toward Namgung Mu-hwi.

Tiger-Slaying Fist, Seventh Form—
Shattering Tiger’s Maw.

A blue fist aura shaped like a roaring tiger surged forward.

Namgung Mu-hwi concentrated an enormous amount of sword aura onto his blade.

“Hraaah!”

BOOOOOOM!

Sword aura expanded large enough to cleave the tiger’s head in one stroke and collided with the tiger-shaped fist aura in a massive explosion.

Namgung Mu-hwi was pushed back nearly forty feet.

Pyeongha too was blown back about thirty feet before landing.

Screeech.
Tap.

“You bastard…!”

Emerging from the explosion, Namgung Mu-hwi appeared unharmed.

In fact, his sword aura was even larger, his protective qi thicker than before.

“…Huh?”

Watching the duel, So Tae swallowed dryly.

“This is… more even than I thought. Pyeongha—and that Namgung bastard…”

He had sparred countless times with Pyeongha growing up.

He’d been certain: whatever the Nine Sects or Five Great Clans were like, they wouldn’t surpass Pyeongha.

But after seeing Namgung Mu-hwi fight…

His thoughts had changed.

That overwhelming power.

The suffocating wall born from a vast gap in skill.

Maybe… maybe even Pyeongha couldn’t defeat him.

Yet now—

Both were exceeding his expectations.

Then—

“This brat… pulled an interesting trick.”

“Pardon?”

Gwangpae spoke unexpectedly.

Beside him, Black Leopard clicked his tongue.

“Work of the Heavenly Sword Emperor, no doubt. Kids grow strong these days, but that’s too much.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That isn’t his own power.”

Gwangpae crossed his arms.

“The Heavenly Sword Emperor… that greedy bastard actually shared his inner energy—even if it’s his blood.”

“Shared inner energy?!”

“Probably.”

“Probably? It’s obvious.”

Black Leopard added flatly.

“No matter how many elixirs you consume, you can’t have that size and purity of inner power at his age. In sheer quantity, he rivals elders of the Nine Sects. He just can’t control it properly.”

“If that’s true… doesn’t that mean Pyeongha will lose? How can he defeat someone who inherited the power of one of the Five Emperors?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Gwangpae shook his head firmly.

“He can’t use it perfectly anyway.”

And besides—

Even if he could—

‘Pyeongha has the power of the Sword God.’

The only question was how much of that power he could wield now.

Back in the arena—

“You’re impressive. Confident in your inner power, huh?”

“You think it’s only that?”

Namgung Mu-hwi leapt high into the air.