Chapter 6

Song Chaeji was dumbfounded by the scene unfolding before her eyes.

‘What? What’s going on here?’

Her rationality couldn’t keep up with reality.

If Namgung Woo were in danger, Song Chaeji was ready to abandon her last shred of hesitation and save him, even if it meant admitting defeat. She kept her eyes wide open, watching intently for any moment she might need to intervene to prevent a disaster.

But even with her focus on her observation technique, she couldn’t fully grasp Namgung Woo’s movements.

She couldn’t help but be shocked.

How could someone she thought was an ordinary civilian turn out to be a supreme master? It was a story so unbelievable that even the wildest rumors in the martial world wouldn’t dare to claim.

In truth, Song Chaeji hadn’t examined Namgung Woo closely when he was lying down.

His complexion wasn’t bad, his body temperature was normal, and his breathing was steady, so she had assumed he was just a drunkard who had passed out after drinking.

If she had sensed even the slightest trace of martial arts training, she would have checked his pulse to feel his energy, but there had been nothing.

‘That means…’

He was in the realm of a supreme master.

A level so high that even martial artists who were peeking at the peak couldn’t dare to estimate.

That’s why neither Song Chaeji nor the martial artists of the Black Bear Faction had noticed that Namgung Woo had trained in martial arts.

‘Was that a punch earlier? I couldn’t even see it… And what was that step? A footwork technique? Or just a simple step…?’

The martial arts Namgung Woo displayed were beyond what Song Chaeji’s observation technique could comprehend.

But Song Chaeji was a martial artist.

A late-blooming prodigy, talented enough to approach the peak at the young age of 20. Naturally, her curiosity and desire to explore martial arts were immense.

The moment she witnessed martial arts of such a high level, Song Chaeji was completely absorbed, replaying the sequence of events in her mind without a moment’s rest.

The outcome of the martial duel? It had already slipped from her hands and even from her thoughts.

How could a supreme master like him possibly lose in a place like Pyeongyo County?

Even if the leader of the Black Bear Faction, a renowned peak master, were to step forward, would he last more than three seconds? At the very least, he was at the edge of the peak, if not a supreme peak master.

A martial duel with the remnants of the Black Path, who hadn’t even reached the peak, was destined to end in Namgung Woo’s victory.

The Black Bear Faction knew this too, which is why they hesitated and avoided Namgung Woo’s gaze as he looked for his next opponent.

“What’s wrong? Not coming at me anymore?”

Namgung Woo was pleased with this situation.

The freedom of movement here was different from the rigid atmosphere of the Chasing Deer Murim.

The sensation of handling internal energy brought a high he had never experienced before.

A thrill he had never felt before filled Namgung Woo’s mind.

In this moment, even the thoughts of his original world, which had constantly occupied a corner of his mind, didn’t surface.

He just wanted to know more.

How to handle internal energy, how to move his body, how to use martial arts.

While Namgung Woo was lost in reflection, savoring his recent movements, Pung Hyo’s mind was racing.

‘Footwork, fist techniques… all top-notch. But the impact wasn’t that strong.’

Namgung Woo had carefully controlled his internal energy to avoid killing anyone, but Pung Hyo interpreted the situation in the most favorable way for himself.

‘If it were a real master’s proper strike, Jung-eon’s organs would have burst, and he would have vomited blood. If he’s mainly trained in external techniques… there might still be a chance.’

Why had external techniques fallen behind internal energy techniques?

No matter how much one trained in external techniques, unless they reached a supreme level, they could suffer significant damage from a single internal energy strike.

Of course, judging someone’s martial arts based on just one move was foolish. If Pung Hyo had been in his right mind, he wouldn’t have made such a rash judgment.

But Pung Hyo’s mind wasn’t in a normal state. He had ambitiously taken on this task, and even though the Hangsan Faction had lost its status as a major faction, it still had a history and was considered prestigious. He couldn’t back down now.

If he returned after tarnishing the Black Bear Faction’s reputation, the faction leader would surely have his head.

‘In that case…’

Rather than making a rational decision, Pung Hyo threw his fate to the wind, clinging to a vague hope.

“Everyone, attack at once! His internal energy is nothing special! If we injure him with internal energy strikes, we can win!”

Pung Hyo drew his blade and charged forward.

A forward footwork technique designed to break the opponent’s defense. Pung Hyo had no confidence in dodging that step. Even if they attacked together, the first one to charge would end up tasting Namgung Woo’s fist, just like Park Jung-eon had.

Pung Hyo had no intention of volunteering for that role. Even in this situation, he was looking out for his own safety, a very Black Path-like way of thinking.

Namgung Woo, seeing through his intentions, let out a hollow laugh.

A joint attack? Even better. He hadn’t been satisfied with just one opponent anyway.

‘It’s just a matter of changing the order.’

Namgung Woo’s form blurred.

No one here could follow the profound rhythm of his Infinite Steps. A Black Bear Faction martial artist who had left his defenses open had Namgung Woo’s fist planted squarely in his face.

Crack!

The sound of teeth breaking and blood splattering filled the air.

Four had charged in. While one was taken out by Namgung Woo’s hand, the remaining three thrust their blades toward him.

But faster than that, three streams of energy shot out from Namgung Woo’s dantian. The energy of the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art, extending from the Lower Dantian’s Qi Sea Point, was like a bolt of lightning.

Namgung Woo shifted his position using the Infinite Steps. Two blades narrowly missed his body. To those who didn’t know martial arts, it was an unbelievable feat.

But to Namgung Woo, it felt entirely natural.

‘Too slow.’

To his eyes, all movements seemed slow.

Only Namgung Woo’s body moved freely in this sluggishly flowing world.

Thud!

Namgung Woo’s backhand struck the side of a blade that hadn’t been dodged in time. The Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy gathered in his hand erupted with a flash, traveling up the blade.

“Ah!”

With a single scream, Pung Hyo dropped his blade. The pain wasn’t severe, but the tingling sensation caused his grip to loosen involuntarily.

“Thunder Qi! Be careful…!”

Pung Hyo urgently shouted, realizing the nature of the energy that had disabled his hand. But before he could finish, Namgung Woo’s next strike effortlessly incapacitated the remaining two Black Bear Faction martial artists.

Pung Hyo couldn’t close his mouth as he watched his two subordinates collapse helplessly under Namgung Woo’s simple, precise strikes, which even his observation technique couldn’t follow.

Regret flooded in too late.

This was a fight they couldn’t win from the start. They should have just retreated. They should have…

“Pick it up.”

“…Huh?”

Pung Hyo made a dumbfounded sound at Namgung Woo’s sudden command.

“Your, your blade. Pick it up.”

Pung Hyo, still dazed, reached for the blade he had dropped. His arm trembled. The Thunder Qi hadn’t been that strong, and Pung Hyo, being a top-tier martial artist on the verge of the peak, had regained some strength in his grip. Yet, the blade he picked up wobbled and fell from his hand.

The faint clang of metal sounded hollow.

“P-please, spare me….”

Pung Hyo gave up on picking up the blade. Instead, he buried his head and begged for mercy.

At this sight, the onlookers, who had been holding their breath while watching the fight between Namgung Woo and the Black Bear Faction martial artists, finally exhaled.

“Good heavens….”

“An incredible master…!”

“To defeat Pung Hyo of the Black Bear Faction so easily….”

Namgung Woo, now hearing the murmurs around him, coughed awkwardly as his excitement began to fade.

‘I got too carried away.’

He had been so absorbed in wanting to display his martial arts that he acted without thinking.

If he had wanted to be safer, he could have been. He could have just released the deep energy stored in his dantian all at once.

There was no need to narrowly dodge blades and engage in close combat.

‘I’m in no position to tell Song Chaeji she’s consumed by emotions.’

He, too, had failed to control his excitement. Perhaps he had been releasing the stress of being thrown into an unfamiliar world.

Outwardly, he maintained a calm demeanor, but his mind was a tangled mess of thoughts.

Who wouldn’t be? Even with such immense power, suddenly losing the world he had lived in was no small matter.

But Namgung Woo had the rationality to prioritize. Why he had ended up here and how he could return were questions he couldn’t answer yet.

‘Let’s finish this first.’

After a brief moment of reflection, Namgung Woo spoke to Pung Hyo.

“Lead the way. I need to visit the Black Bear Faction.”