Dark Sky Full Moon.
The low-hanging black full moon swept lightly across the men in black as they charged forward.
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!
A succession of explosive impacts rang out, scattering blood and flesh through the air.
Cheon Woojin's gaze swept swiftly from left to right.
Half of the men who had charged at him had already fallen back.
Even with Woojin deliberately restraining his strength, these men in black were far beyond anything the young martial artists could hope to handle.
"W-what?"
Song Yiyeon let out a hollow laugh at the spectacle that had unfolded in the blink of an eye.
The martial arts of the attackers were remarkably advanced. Even at his best, he could probably handle only two or three of them on his own.
And there were nearly twenty such men.
He had expected a difficult battle, even with Zhuge Lin and Cheon Woojin fighting alongside them.
But he had been wrong.
In the time it took a martial artist to draw a single breath, five men in black lay sprawled on the ground, their heads smashed beyond recognition.
Song Yiyeon hadn't even been able to follow what happened.
Something black had flashed past his eyes, and then blood had erupted into the air.
He stared blankly at Cheon Woojin.
Even if I fought him with everything I had, I'd lose. Without question.
Ever since boarding the boat bound for the Martial Alliance, Song Yiyeon had never once revealed his full strength.
He had even deliberately held back during the individual assessments.
His reason was simple: he had wanted to be assigned to the same team as Cheon Woojin.
Deep down, Song Yiyeon possessed more confidence in his martial arts than anyone else.
He firmly believed that there were few young martial artists in the world capable of standing against him if he fought at full strength.
Yet a single strike from Cheon Woojin had revealed an insurmountable wall before him.
A wall so impossibly high that he could never hope to scale it, no matter what methods he employed.
He couldn't even see where it ended.
Naturally, Zhuge Lin was every bit as astonished as Song Yiyeon.
Unlike the other young martial artists, who could only stand there blinking in bewilderment, the two of them possessed enough skill to appreciate just how extraordinary that strike had been.
Meanwhile, the men in black exchanged uneasy glances.
In truth, neither Song Yiyeon nor Zhuge Lin was as shocked as the attackers themselves.
They had expected nothing more than a simple matter of eliminating a group of Martial Alliance applicants and the foolish instructor accompanying them.
Leader, that man is a master beyond our ability to handle.
The man addressed as their leader wholeheartedly agreed with his subordinate's transmitted message.
That single strike had told him everything he needed to know.
He couldn't begin to fathom the depths of Cheon Woojin's martial arts, but one thing was certain.
They were no match for him.
The leader slowly assessed their circumstances.
An unfathomable master and a woman from the Zhuge family.
The situation was far from favorable.
Fortunately, however, those two were burdened with a group of inexperienced young martial artists.
If he exploited that weakness properly, escaping this place should still be possible.
Target the young martial artists. Sever their ankles to keep them from moving, then take them hostage.
The leader transmitted his orders, and the men in black silently passed the instructions among themselves.
It was at that moment.
Whoosh.
Cheon Woojin moved the Crescent Moon Staff into position before the young martial artists.
As though shielding them.
The men in black narrowed their eyes.
They hadn't made their move yet.
And yet Cheon Woojin had already acted, almost as if he had overheard their secret communication.
Just as uncertainty began to flicker in their eyes—
"Deputy Commander."
"Huh? Uh...?"
Caught off guard, Zhuge Lin responded with an informal exclamation before she could stop herself.
Cheon Woojin, of course, paid it no mind.
He had spent the last few moments gauging the martial abilities of both the attackers and the young martial artists.
Having reached his conclusion, he continued calmly.
"Young Hero Song, Deputy Commander, please protect the others. It seems these men intend to escape by targeting them."
Shing!
Without the slightest hesitation, Song Yiyeon drew his sword and took up a protective position in front of the other candidates.
Zhuge Lin promptly moved to cover the opposite side.
The attackers were certainly skilled, but if Song Yiyeon and Zhuge Lin avoided direct confrontation and concentrated solely on defense, they should be able to hold them off long enough.
With that concern settled, Cheon Woojin felt considerably more at ease.
He gave the Crescent Moon Staff a light swing through the air.
Whoosh!
Despite the casual movement, the staff cut through the air with a deep, heavy sound.
A chill ran down the spines of the men in black, even though the swing hadn't been directed at any of them.
Their gazes met Cheon Woojin's.
No one spoke.
The tension in the air grew as taut as a fully drawn bowstring.
Rustle.
The faint sound of a footstep came from one of the men in black.
Cheon Woojin's eyes immediately turned toward him.
"The first one to run dies first."
The man who had been preparing to flee froze where he stood.
The attackers exchanged glances once more.
They had only just encountered Cheon Woojin, yet their instincts told them something unmistakable.
This was a man who would carry out his threat without hesitation.
In the end, only one option remained.
As the men in black silently looked to one another, the corners of Cheon Woojin's mouth curled into a faint smile.
"Attack!"
At their leader's shout, the dozen or so remaining attackers surrounding him charged forward simultaneously.
Black flashes streaked past the young martial artists and their instructors.
Every one of them was heading straight for Cheon Woojin.
After all, if they could kill him, neither the Zhuge woman nor the young martial artists would pose much of a threat.
"Y-Young Hero Cheon!"
Someone cried out urgently.
More than a dozen men in black were converging on a single point with terrifying speed.
And standing at the center of their assault was Cheon Woojin.
Yet he hadn't taken so much as a step.
To the onlookers, his position seemed perilously vulnerable.
More than a dozen straight swords thrust toward him, intent on tearing his body apart.
Cheon Woojin calmly swung the Crescent Moon Staff.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
Hundreds of exchanges erupted in an instant.
The attackers' straight swords couldn't leave even the faintest scratch on the Crescent Moon Staff.
Cheon Woojin tracked every blade coming at him, never losing sight of a single one.
Those he could evade, he evaded.
Those he couldn't easily avoid, he blocked.
Nevertheless, small cuts gradually began appearing across his body.
And whenever an opening presented itself, Cheon Woojin thrust the Crescent Moon Staff without fail.
Thwack!
Each time his staff connected, another part of an attacker's body burst apart.
To anyone watching, the battle appeared remarkably even.
But deep down, the men in black had already reached a firm conclusion.
We can win.
The young man's martial arts were astonishing for someone of his apparent age.
Indeed, if the battle dragged on, there was a considerable chance they would eventually be defeated.
But they possessed a hidden trump card.
Tiger Hunt Black Flash.
A black flash that hunted tigers.
True to its name, it was a coordinated attack formation designed to tear even a master apart in a single instant.
Prepare the formation.
At the leader's transmitted command, the expressions in the attackers' eyes changed.
They began gradually gathering their internal energy in preparation for one decisive assault.
Throughout the process, however, they took great care not to reveal anything outwardly.
The most important element of Tiger Hunt Black Flash was the sudden, explosive increase in their collective power.
The technique depended on catching a master completely off guard.
As the relentless sword attacks continued, Cheon Woojin paused for a brief moment to draw a deep breath.
The highly trained men in black did not overlook that fleeting opportunity.
He's getting tired.
Convinced that the moment had come, the leader transmitted another command.
Execute the formation!
In the next instant, the attacker at the very front accelerated to a speed incomparably greater than before.
His pitch-black straight sword shot toward Cheon Woojin's heart.
And following his lead, more than a dozen straight swords converged, seemingly tearing Cheon Woojin's entire body to pieces.
At least, that was what everyone believed had happened.
...There's no resistance.
The foremost attacker was certain his blade had struck.
Yet he had felt neither flesh nor bone beneath its edge.
Only then did they realize that their swords were cutting through empty air.
The figure they had believed to be Cheon Woojin blurred for an instant.
Then it vanished.
The attackers' eyes darted rapidly from side to side.
In the space of a heartbeat, they searched their surroundings.
But Cheon Woojin was nowhere to be seen.
If that was the case, there was only one place he could be.
These men were accomplished martial artists in their own right.
Almost simultaneously, they snapped their heads upward and tightened their grips on their swords.
Just as they had suspected, Cheon Woojin was descending from above.
But seeing an attack and being able to respond to it were two entirely different matters.
As the men in black braced themselves, Cheon Woojin dropped toward them with the Crescent Moon Staff raised high overhead.
For a brief instant, triumphant smiles appeared on their faces.
There was nothing easier to strike than a martial artist suspended in midair.
Unless, of course, that martial artist was a master capable of walking through the air itself.
But Cheon Woojin had no need for such a technique.
CRASH!
The Crescent Moon Staff came crashing down with tremendous force.
Before its overwhelming weight, the attackers' slender black swords shattered like brittle leaves.
Their eyes widened.
They tried to retreat, but—
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
The Crescent Moon Staff was a step faster.
One after another, their heads and shoulders were crushed.
Blood scattered in every direction as Cheon Woojin landed among the fallen men.
Looking down at them, he spoke in a low voice.
"Was that Tiger Hunt Black Flash you just used?"
The five men in black who had barely survived drew sharp breaths.
They had never imagined that a mere applicant to the Martial Alliance would know the name of their secret formation.
Cheon Woojin carefully examined the energy emanating from them.
Something about it felt familiar.
It's strangely similar to Black Master's.
And Tiger Hunt Black Flash was a formation he had heard of before.
His master had once told him about it.
The Dark Heavenly Son.
A towering figure of the previous generation, responsible for producing countless notorious villains.
Tiger Hunt Black Flash was a coordinated attack formation devised by the Dark Heavenly Son's own disciples.
Its purpose had been to kill their master.
Of course, it was a futile attempt. The Dark Heavenly Son wasn't someone who could be killed so easily.
Cheon Woojin could still vividly remember the unusually bitter smile that had appeared on Black Master's face when he spoke of the incident.
Then these men must be villains serving one of Black Master's fellow disciples.
While Cheon Woojin was lost in thought, Zhuge Lin approached him.
"Young Hero Cheon, may we tie these men up first?"
After all, they had interfered with an official Martial Alliance examination.
Naturally, they ought to be arrested.
However, since Cheon Woojin was the one who had subdued them, Zhuge Lin thought it appropriate to ask his permission before proceeding.
When he nodded, Zhuge Lin, Song Yiyeon, and the other young martial artists finally sprang into action.
Even so, everyone still seemed somewhat dazed.
The battle they had just witnessed refused to leave their minds.
Zhuge Lin, whose martial arts were the most advanced among those present, was especially shaken.
He might actually be stronger than the Commander...
As she sealed the pressure points of the surviving men and bound their limbs, Zhuge Lin stole another glance at Cheon Woojin.
She had been curious about him from the beginning.
But there was a difference between the curiosity she had felt before and what she felt now.
Previously, it had been little more than an interest in an unusual young martial artist.
Now, she genuinely wanted to know who he was.
There was simply no way Cheon Woojin could be an ordinary young talent.
During her years of service in the Martial Alliance, Zhuge Lin had encountered countless promising martial artists hailed as geniuses.
Yet Cheon Woojin belonged to an entirely different class.
Without meaning to, she found herself recalling the legends surrounding Alliance Leader Beili Tian.
Stories she had only ever heard from others.
Meanwhile, the surviving attackers, whose fighting spirit had long since been shattered, submitted obediently as their captors bound them.
Cheon Woojin quietly wiped the blood from the Crescent Moon Staff.
Although it was only a weapon, it was also a keepsake left behind by his master.
He couldn't treat it carelessly.
If these men belong to the lineage of the Dark Heavenly Son, they have no reason to wander around small villages committing such crude acts of villainy.
The villains who had inherited the Dark Heavenly Son's legacy had already carved their names into the history of the martial world.
Why, then, would their disciples stoop to assaulting women and murdering men in insignificant villages?
There must be some other justification behind their actions.
Having grown up under Black Master, Cheon Woojin possessed a remarkably deep understanding of how villains thought.
And that understanding left him convinced that there was more to this incident than met the eye.
Besides, they were waiting for us before we even arrived.
That means there's a strong possibility someone inside the Martial Alliance leaked information...
A particular face surfaced in his mind.
Gu Jinseok.
The man who had behaved so recklessly toward him without the slightest fear.
But would a young martial artist of the Orthodox Path really go so far as to do something like this?
Cheon Woojin considered the possibility for a long moment before finally shaking his head.
"I'll find out."
Zhuge Lin seemed to have noticed the same suspicious circumstances.
As expected of someone from the renowned Zhuge family, she had already begun questioning the captured men in black using her own methods.
Unfortunately, none of them showed the slightest intention of talking.
Zhuge Lin selected one of the prisoners and began interrogating him through the torture methods officially prescribed by the Martial Alliance.
"K-keugh..."
The man groaned in pain.
Nevertheless, he stubbornly refused to open his mouth.
Zhuge Lin might have been the youngest Deputy Commander in the Martial Alliance, but she was still a young martial artist who had yet to reach thirty.
She had little experience with torture.
Moreover, the Martial Alliance maintained regulations requiring interrogations conducted in the field to employ relatively humane methods.
Of course, that restraint applied only while the prisoners remained here.
If they continued refusing to speak, they would eventually be transferred to a Martial Alliance institution authorized to conduct more severe interrogations.
And there, they would be subjected to brutal torture.
But Cheon Woojin had no intention of waiting that long.
Without saying a word, he walked toward the prisoners.
His approach drew everyone's attention.
Even Zhuge Lin, who had been occupied with the interrogation, stopped what she was doing and looked up at him.
"Which one of you is the leader?"
One of the men in black raised his hand.
Cheon Woojin studied the faces of the other prisoners before nodding.
The man who had raised his hand possessed the highest level of martial arts among them, and his bearing was noticeably more composed.
He certainly seemed to be their leader.
Cheon Woojin gave the Crescent Moon Staff a light swing.
Thwack!
One of the prisoners' heads burst apart.
Everyone stared at Cheon Woojin in horror.
But he paid their reactions no attention whatsoever.
Keeping his eyes on the leader's face, Cheon Woojin swung the Crescent Moon Staff again.
Thwack!
Another man's head burst open.
Cheon Woojin then walked slowly toward the leader, the bloodstained Crescent Moon Staff hanging loosely from his hand.
Blood dripped from its tip.
The man in black looked from Cheon Woojin to the staff and back again.
A terrible fear began creeping into his heart.
At any moment, that dark iron staff might descend upon his own head and crush it into pieces.
Cheon Woojin recalled the methods Black Master had used when torturing his enemies.
Then, in a quiet voice, he spoke.
"Two left. You're next."
The leader turned to look at the two remaining subordinates sitting beside him.
The meaning was unmistakable.
Once those two were dead, Cheon Woojin would kill him as well.
Cheon Woojin continued.
"Tell me something I want to hear."
"..."
The man in black pressed his lips tightly together.
A very brief silence followed.
Then, without the slightest hesitation or reluctance, Cheon Woojin swung the Crescent Moon Staff.
Thwack!
Another man in black collapsed to the ground, his head smashed apart.
"One left."