Chapter 71

As the rising sun began to illuminate the cliffs of Mount Wudang, the training ground, surrounded by the elders and disciples of Wudang, was filled with a solemn energy.

In the center stood Taewoon, holding a spear, facing Pung Jin, who stood frozen with a sharp gaze, his sword half-drawn.

“Come. Or do you need more time to think?”

In truth, regardless of the circumstances, the people of Wudang were quite interested in Taewoon.

Part of it was due to his connection with Yerin, and part of it was a desire to see what a martial artist from outside the sect wanted from one of Wudang’s most promising talents.

Similarly, Taewoon was interested in the skills of Pung Jin, the next elder of Wudang, known to the world as the Ten Thousand Li True Sword.

‘I heard Pung Jin is an expert at the Transcendent Peak level. I wonder just how skilled he is.’

Taewoon had already become accustomed to fighting martial artists after clashing with countless enemies in the ‘Heavenly Secret Manual’ Theater, but he had never faced an expert from a steadfast sect like Wudang.

Thus stood the two men, driven by different motives and purposes.

Taewoon decided to face Pung Jin using only the spear techniques he had honed, while Pung Jin looked for an opportunity to seize victory in one stroke through the renowned sword arts of Wudang.

‘Now!’

First, Taewoon’s sharp spear strike drew an explosive straight line, as if to pierce Pung Jin’s chest at any moment.

Rather than retreating, Pung Jin closed the distance with footsteps as light as a feather.

Seeing this, the Wudang elders nodded, as it was exactly as they expected. They were well aware of his daring combat style.

“Aggressive, yet steadfast. It won’t be easy to find a gap between the two.”

Pung Jin was a man who had made a name for himself early on as the Ten Thousand Li True Sword and was considered one of the most talented individuals within the sect in his mid-forties.

Suddenly, Pung Jin’s sword leaped up, leaving afterimages like a shimmering wind, blurring Taewoon’s vision.

Simultaneously, movements signaling the start of the Flowing Cloud Body Technique followed, and the spectators gasped at Pung Jin’s footsteps, which seemed to float on the wind like a distant cloud.

“I shall show you the essence of the Taecheng Wind and Thunder Sword.”

Pung Jin stepped with his left foot and leaped slightly, pouring the internal energy condensed at the tip of his sword toward Taewoon.

As the blade sliced through the air, a fierce intensity, like a raging storm, shook the atmosphere. It felt as if swirling winds and howling thunder were taking shape from the empty air, penetrating his consciousness.

“…!”

Taewoon reacted agilely to the sharp sword Qi cutting toward his chest.

Since there were too many eyes around to summon the branches of Barata, he had no choice but to cope using only his unique senses.

As the blade attacked in a trajectory resembling a storm, Taewoon blocked it with a concise motion and then flowed it to the side, maintaining a defensive posture.

‘The blade is heavy!’

With just a few exchanges, Taewoon couldn’t help but realize that Pung Jin was by no means an easy opponent.

After about ten exchanges, Taewoon steadied his breathing so as not to be overwhelmed by Pung Jin’s intense aura.

“Whew.”

Every time Pung Jin’s refined internal energy sent a tingling sensation through his body, memories of the formidable foes he had faced until now flashed through his mind.

Taewoon had originally intended to face Pung Jin using only the spear techniques he had learned.

However, keeping up with Pung Jin’s Flowing Cloud Body Technique was harder than expected, and the movements like wild wind and thunder possessed a power beyond mere flashiness.

Every time Pung Jin’s posture shifted as he leisurely withdrew his sword, Taewoon felt an intense pressure.

A sword tip that aimed for the torso with a speed that could not be easily blocked, yet was as fluid as if entrusting one’s body to the wind.

In the moments when the spear and sword pierced toward each other, a heavy vibration left its mark, traveling through the bones and joints of both men.

After about twenty exchanges, Pung Jin and Taewoon stepped back to catch their breath and began to stare intensely into each other’s eyes.

“I thought it wouldn’t be difficult… but it seems you are truly proficient in spear arts.”

“I, too, have come to view Wudang’s swordsmanship in a new light.”

Exchanging glances, the two resumed their clash without a single inch of concession, as if no further words were needed.

Amidst the swirling sword Qi, Taewoon’s spear achieved effective defense and counterattacks with simple movements. He had not yet used most of his abilities, but it seemed a victory would not be decided this way.

Soon, as Pung Jin showed signs of closing the distance again, Taewoon’s eyes flashed, and he summoned a red mask into his hand.

As the mask covered Taewoon’s face, those watching felt a short but distinct sense of dissonance.

Refined magical power reacted to Taewoon’s will, making the air momentarily still as if time had stopped.

Pung Jin, who was about to thrust his sword, also narrowed his eyes and heightened his tension at the unusual atmosphere.

【Condition Fulfilled】

【Cinema Skill: The Red Man】

“What… is that?”

While the Wudang disciples whispered in confusion, Taewoon’s spear, wrapped in red magical power, began to violently carve through the ground.

Following that, the spear refracted at an explosive speed, digging into Pung Jin’s opening.

“…I’ll end this now.”

Taewoon twisted his body about half a turn as if leaping in mid-air, thrusting the powerful tip of the spear upward from the ground.

Pung Jin tried to quickly lower his sword to defend, but Taewoon’s movement had already exceeded Pung Jin’s predictions.

The distraction provided by the Flowing Cloud Body Technique could no longer deceive Taewoon’s eyes.

Moving like a single flash of light, Taewoon delivered a decisive blow aimed at Pung Jin’s flank.

In an instant, Pung Jin’s Taecheng Wind and Thunder Sword aimed for Taewoon’s chest with a thunderous roar, and Taewoon, refusing to back down, poured even more strength into the spear in his hand.

The moment the sword and spear collided, a metallic clang that struck the eardrums rang out, and the aura scattered dust in all directions, creating a thick cloud of earth.

As they passed each other and the hazy dust settled, Taewoon was seen lightly lifting his spear in the center of the training ground, while Pung Jin was half-kneeling, catching his breath.

Though the sword had not fallen from Pung Jin’s hand, everyone could tell that his aura had already been overwhelmed by Taewoon.

“….”

Pung Jin looked up, recognized his condition, and remained silent for a moment. Then, he slowly stood up and bowed politely to Taewoon.

“I admit defeat. For a moment, my sword could not keep up with your spear. It is hard to believe… but I have no choice but to accept it.”

Hearing this, Taewoon withdrew the mask and smiled silently.

Through this duel, Taewoon also felt he had experienced a great deal.

Although he had fought countless battles in the Heavenly Secret Manual Theater, he realized that the martial arts wielded by an expert of the orthodox Martial World were by no means trivial.

“Did Senior Pung Jin… lose?”

“It’s hard to believe. How can someone of that age possess such divine authority…”

The members of Wudang surrounding them began to comment one by one on the result of the martial duel.

Some muttered, ‘What on earth is that martial art?’, while others clenched their ten fingers, revealing their inner turmoil.

Watching this, Pung Jin caught his breath and declared the result of the duel once more in a subdued voice.

“I have seen enough of your skill. Regarding this matter, I shall no longer raise any objections.”

Thus ended the short yet long martial duel, and Taewoon brought his hands together to greet Pung Jin.

Despite losing to someone much younger, Pung Jin not only accepted the result gracefully but also praised Taewoon’s skill with a calm demeanor.

“…It seems that any further interference would only make this look unsightly.”

“Haha, the world is wide, but I’ve never seen such martial arts before. Taewoon, was it? He is an interesting man.”

The experts of Wudang knew Taewoon was no ordinary person, but they hadn’t imagined he would secure such a clean victory against Pung Jin.

As silence fell over the training ground, Taewoon carefully walked away, facing the bewildered gazes of the Wudang disciples.

In the midst of it, Yerin’s smile seemed to express both satisfaction and relief.

“Then… I will be on my way. Take care.”

Eventually, Taewoon and Yerin left Mount Wudang behind and hurried toward ‘Mount Bongryeong,’ as they had heard from Hwang Gae.

After the duel with Pung Jin, the disciples and elders of the Wudang Sect watched the two closely, but there was no way for the Wudang side to forcibly hold them back any longer.

Since most of the Wudang experts, including Pung Jin, recognized Taewoon’s skill, they merely urged them to ensure they did not bring any disgrace to Wudang.

“Actually, some of them didn’t seem to view us favorably.”

“Well… does it matter? I don’t think we’ll have any reason to return to Wudang in this cycle anyway.”

Ultimately, Taewoon and Yerin wrapped up the chaotic events at Wudang and moved toward their next destination.

On the way to Mount Bongryeong, they faced repeated interference from rugged terrain, beasts, and bandits, but these did not pose a great threat to them.

Taewoon easily drove off the enemies using the experience he had gained through escort missions, and Yerin simply used it as an opportunity for training, showcasing the sword arts she had honed at Wudang.

“Whew.”

“No matter how I look at it, this must be the place…”

After a journey of about three weeks, the two finally discovered a giant crater located deep within Mount Bongryeong.

It was the crater where the traces of the ‘star that fell from the sky’ remained, as Hwang Gae had described, but the first impression was somewhat ordinary.

“It’s not as grand as I thought it would be,” Yerin said cautiously, looking down.

“Still, with such an alien shape, it’s definitely not a naturally occurring trace.”

Taewoon examined the ground with soft eyes.

The texture of the surrounding rocks and soil was tangled like fragments, so it didn’t feel like a trace created artificially by someone, but the way the ground was overturned was too strange to be a natural landform.

“Shall we go down first?”

Perhaps because much time had passed, weeds and moss covered various parts of the crater.

Nothing else immediately caught the eye, and it seemed difficult to find any other clues besides the confirmation that something had collided violently in the past.

After scanning the inside of the crater, Yerin and Taewoon tried to find any possible clues by clearing away piles of dirt and rocks.

“Ugh… is it just a crater after all?” Yerin sighed in disappointment.

“We can’t conclude that Mr. Hwang Gae was bluffing. In any case, we won’t know until we meet the person involved in the rumors.”

The two stayed nearby for a long time, but in the end, they found nothing remarkable.

The traces of mountain animals that had messed up the surroundings only made their feelings more complicated.

“It’s too disappointing to just go back like this…”

“True. But there are no other leads.”

At that moment, a thought suddenly crossed Taewoon’s mind. It was the ‘Fortuitous Encounter’ obtained through the ‘A Handful of Blessing’ special privilege.

“Should I give it a try? A lot of time has passed since I entered the Theater, and if I don’t use it now, I don’t know when the right time will come.”

“Ah! That existed. There might actually be a possibility.”

However, activating this blindly also carried risks.

This was because a fortuitous encounter does not always provide only sweet fruit; sometimes it brings unexpected incidents or even greater dangers.

‘But… right now, I have no choice but to bet on that.’

Taewoon soon made up his mind. In the middle of the desolate crater, he steadied his breath and manifested his will to activate the blessing.

【A Handful of Blessing has been activated!】

【The band of fate begins to rotate!】