I hurled thunder qi into Dokhaeng’s face. It was a blatant attack, like raking five fingers through the air.

Maybe it was the deafening sound that made it more dramatic.

When Dokhaeng evaded the thunder qi with ease, the five streaks instead struck the subordinates clustered around Scholar Chu Myeong.

“Gyaaaah!”

As five or six of them convulsed and screamed grotesquely—

The Drunk cut down their arms and necks as he moved forward. Meanwhile, Dokhaeng lunged at me, indifferent to the deaths of his comrades.

A man of tenacity.

In contrast, I kept my field of vision wide.

I tracked the Lecher detonating cold energy mid-air and noted the Drunk’s sword swings as he advanced.

Even then, Dokhaeng’s eyes remained fixed on me like a predator.

Suddenly, the Lecher was repelled by someone’s internal force but regained his stance.

Another explosion erupted from the Drunk’s direction.

The old man who had guided us earlier was now attacking the Lecher, and Scholar Chu Myeong watched while barking out orders like a general to his troops.

In the midst of all this, Dokhaeng’s sword came darting toward my neck and chest, but I deflected it precisely with my wooden sword.

His attacks were too fast for me to counterattack.

Should I use the Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance?

Should I unleash Thunder Dragon Ascension?

Strangely, today I felt the urge to keep fighting with the sword alone.

When I blocked Dokhaeng’s sword cleanly, his left palm flew toward me. I deflected it with Ice Energy and grabbed hold of his hand. With our palms stuck together by the cold, he wouldn’t be able to shake me off so easily.

Suddenly, Dokhaeng used a suicidal technique.

"...!"