CHAPTER 496: THE TEACHINGS (1)

The majestic mountain range unfolded before their eyes.

The ridgeline of Qingcheng Sect blended faintly with the clouds, and white mist gently embraced the mountain’s waist between the layered cliffs.

However, contrary to this auspicious scenery, fierce battles were raging everywhere.

Clang!Clang!

“Haah!”

“Ugh!”

Amidst the cries and groans, a scene of dozens of Taoists pushing and pulling unfolded.

“This can’t go on…!”

“Hold on just a little longer!”

It was a puzzling sight.

Taoists clad in Qingcheng Sect robes were on both sides.

The Taoists below were trying to ascend, while those above were desperately blocking them.

“Pull the formation back! Quickly!”

A middle-aged man shouted to the Taoists from the upper ranks.

Taoist Cheong Mu.

A warrior representing Qingcheng Sect, he was leading the fight against the surging strange beings at the forefront.

“Cheong Mu, my sajae. This isn’t right!”

Before his shout could even be conveyed, an old man appeared and urgently cried out.

Elder Cheong Kyung. A direct sahyung of Cheong Heo, he was in charge of the training hall of Third Training Hall, holding a high rank within Qingcheng.

“There are Taoists who haven’t reached here yet. We must buy them time to evacuate to a safe place.”

“Cheong Kyung, sahyung. If we fall here, not only their lives but Qingcheng itself will collapse!”

“Still, for the children, we need a bit more time…”

“Look over there!”

Taoist Cheong Mu pointed to one side with his hand.

At that moment, one of the Taoists forming the combined formation at the front line began to fall.

A defensive line created by no less than twelve elder-level members. A crack had formed in that line.

“It’s not the time to think about the disciples! We are at a crossroads between annihilation and survival!”

Cheong Mu and Cheong Kyung.

No, all the elders here knew it.

The first and second-class disciples who were scattered below and hadn’t yet joined here. As time passed, they too would mostly face death, unable to hold out. ꭆÃŊO͍𝐛Ę𐌔

Nevertheless, Taoist Cheong Mu had no choice but to be resolute.

If they couldn’t survive, saving them was impossible.

“Ah…”

To Cheong Kyung, the scene before him felt like hell.

Faces too familiar to call enemies.

Taoists who looked just like themselves were cutting each other down.

It was hard to even distinguish between the real and the fake.

‘How can such a thing happen in reality…’

It wasn’t just that they looked the same.

Their martial prowess, knowledge, and even their way of thinking were almost identical.

Thus, it took time to identify the identity of the sudden intruders, during which many casualties occurred.

The Qingcheng Sect was now in a serious crisis.

“What are you doing without retreating the formation!”

“Everyone, pull back the formation!”

In the end, Cheong Kyung had no choice but to agree with Taoist Cheong Mu’s shout.

Behind the elders fighting frantically, the elders in the second line began to intervene to rescue them.

“Aaah!”

It was at that moment.

An elder’s head flew off.

Typically, a defensive formation distributes internal qi to build a solid defense.

No matter how high the level of martial prowess, it can’t be easily penetrated because of this.

But someone had broken through it.

“As expected…”

The one who could break the defensive formation alone. The one who wielded the absolute martial art’s sword force between the sword qi.

It was Cheong Mu.

The appearance of a being in the form of Cheong Mu, yet not Cheong Mu himself.

“It seems today might be the last.”

Cheong Mu stared at the one who bore his exact likeness.

The one who had vanished for some time appeared at this critical moment.

“Taoist Cheong Mu. There’s no need to respond to the provocation.”

“That’s right. It would be wise to step back and regain strength…”

The elders around tried to dissuade him, but Cheong Mu shook his head firmly.

“No. If we don’t kill him, it’s just a matter of time before we can’t protect the Qingcheng Sect.”

He intended to retreat the ranks, but this time he stepped forward.

Yet no one could stop him this time.

They knew.

In the absence of the sect leader, the battle between the two would decide the fate of Qingcheng.

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Chaoyang Cave.

This place, where the ancestors of the Qingcheng Sect are honored, had a deep and wide cave as one went further in.

In the past, many warriors trained in seclusion here, with spacious areas scattered throughout.

“It will be safe here.”

Hyuk Kin cautiously entered, surveying the surroundings.

In one corner of a space large enough for a dozen people sat an old man.

In his fading eyes, the dwindling time of life was palpable.

“I told you to let me die in peace…”

“Please don’t say that. It’s too early to give up. The Qingcheng swordsmen will surely find a solution.”

Cheong Heo silently lowered his head.

A saint had predicted the world would turn upside down, and Qingcheng made its own preparations.

But no one foresaw such a disaster.

Who could have imagined beings identical to themselves would appear and disrupt the sect?

As a result, before realizing their true identity, we had already suffered significant damage.

“Still, aren’t we rather lucky?”

“What do you mean?”

“Our residence is far from the main base, so we could at least escape like this, couldn’t we?”

“That is only our luck. For Qingcheng, it will be an even greater misfortune.”

“What..?”

“Doesn’t it mean that those who look just like us are still roaming the main sect?”

“Ah…”

Hyuk Jin was at a loss for words.

When disaster struck Qingcheng, they encountered the enemies relatively late.

Thanks to that, they had time to flee, but others didn’t even have that chance.

Moreover, enemies who looked just like them would be stirring up the sect, and their comrades might mistake them for the real ones and suffer greatly.

“Furthermore, they possess the same intelligence and knowledge as us. It means they know the secret places of Qingcheng just as well as we do.”

“If that’s the case…”

“It will take time, but eventually, they will find us.”

Hyuk Jin’s shoulders drooped.

They had hidden in Chaoyang Cave, but they couldn’t keep running forever, nor could they confront them head-on.

In such a situation, a sense of helplessness overwhelmed him, feeling he could do nothing.

“Don’t worry too much, Jin.”

Cheong Heo spoke gently, as if understanding his disciple’s heart.

“No matter who comes, Master won’t be easily defeated. Even if it’s someone who looks like me.”

“Could you possibly win?”

“They may have copied everything from me, but there are limits to that. The enlightenment of martial arts is about choosing one path among many. It’s a difficult training because it’s about finding a solution, not the correct answer.”

Recently, Taoist Cheong Heo has reached the state of Supreme State and beyond through enlightenment.

His words carried weight.

Even during the martial arts competition held by the three great sects, didn’t he personally step in to teach the victorious Kunlun Sect a profound lesson?

“Master, you are truly amazing. As long as you are here, even this crisis can be… Master?”

In the middle of the conversation, Cheong Heo suddenly stopped responding.

Hyuk Jin was startled and raised his voice.

“Master! Master! Surely you are not…”

“Quiet. I’m not dead yet, you fool!”

Cheong Heo, who had his head lowered, opened his eyes again.

Hyuk Jin let out a deep sigh of relief at the sight.

“I thought you had passed away, Master…”

“Hmm. Didn’t I say I still have at least a month left?”

Cheong Heo slowly stood up from his seat.

After briefly surveying the surroundings, he spoke.

“No. Perhaps, it might be today.”

“What?! What do you mean…?”

“They are coming.”

Hyuk Jin’s eyes widened.

Just as he thought, ‘How did they find this place?’ he heard footsteps near his ears.

“Gasp!”

Silhouettes began to appear one by one at the cave entrance.

Among them were those who looked exactly like themselves.

“See? I told you they would be here!”

It was Hyuk Jin.

The one who spoke first had the same appearance as him.

“Well done, Hyuk Jin.”

The one responding was none other than someone who looked like Cheong Heo.

What was even more striking was that, unlike the real Taoist Cheong Heo, this one was full of vigor.

Lined up behind them were the first-class disciples of the Qingcheng Sect.

“Now that the real one is here, you fakes must disappear.”

“Please handle it quickly and go up. Our sahyungs and masters are dying.”

The one who responded to the fake Cheong Heo’s words was surprisingly Seok Jeong, a renowned warrior of Qingcheng.

It seemed that one of the representatives of Qingcheng had come to this place.

“Hyuk Jin, listen carefully.”

“Master…”

Cheong Heo spoke to Hyuk Jin with an aged face.

“I’ll buy some time, so you must escape from here.”

“No! I will fight too.”

“You fool! Then who will pass on the martial arts of Qingcheng to the next kids?”

Hyuk Jin couldn’t answer Cheong Heo’s stern rebuke.

He knew better than anyone that he wouldn’t be of help in this situation.

But it was hard to accept that he had to leave his master, who was risking his life to fight.

“Oh, is an old man in poor health stepping forward?”

When the fake Cheong Heo spoke mockingly, Seok Jeong stepped forward.

“Master, I will handle him myself.”

“No. Though my innate qi is depleted, I have reached enlightenment. It is right for me to face him directly.”

Seok Jeong nodded, and the fake Hyuk Jin added.

“Then I will take care of that fake trying to escape.”

“Good idea.”

As the group stepped back, only the two Cheong Heo’s remained in the narrow cave.

The aged Cheong Heo opened his mouth.

“This is a good opportunity to see how well you can imitate humans.”

“The old man who is about to die talks a lot. From now on, I will be the master of this place. With your martial arts that were stuck in a corner, I will add new techniques and lead the Qingcheng Sect to greater heights.”

“Indeed, a mystical being. It even knows the inner thoughts of the Qingcheng people.”

The conversation ended there.

Srrrng—

A mysterious aura emanated from the swords of the two old men.

From Cheong Heo’s sword, a breeze-like qi flowed, and the same aura swirled from the fake old man’s sword.

“Ugh. Ugh…”

At that moment, Cheong Heo’s body staggered.

Even summoning qi was a struggle for him.

“Looks like the match is decided before the fight even begins.”

“Silence. Come at me quickly.”

“Heh heh. Not yet. I haven’t shown you all my power.”

Sssssk.

At that moment, the aura of the old man resembling Cheong Heo grew stronger.

The breeze clinging to the blade turned into a fierce force, and a tingling electric charge seeped through it.

“No way…”

Cheong Heo’s brow furrowed as he watched.

He knew what that qi was.

The ultimate secret of the Clear Wind Sword Technique.

A martial art that blends softness, strength, and absolute destructive power into one. The opponent was perfectly embodying the power he had recently realized.

“To think it can mimic even that… It’s truly the end.”

Cheong Heo, who was merely kindling a weak flame, felt disheartened.

He no longer had the strength to counter that power.

He barely had the strength to stand in the first place.

“The Qingcheng Sect isn’t cowardly. For Hyuk Jin’s sake…”

Yet, Cheong Heo did not retreat.

With the small breeze he managed to muster, he resolved to show the pride of the Qingcheng Sect.

“Come.”

“…Die!”

With a shout, the fake old man charged.

A mystical scene unfolded before Cheong Heo, who prepared to face him.

Saaa————

A bright light engulfed everything around.

It started with the fake Cheong Heo in front of him and spread to the surrounding figures.

“What is this…”

Hyuk Jin’s eyes also saw it.

The beings that suddenly vanished with the light.

The one who looked like him, and the one resembling his master, disappeared in the blink of an eye.

‘What is this?’

However, there was one who did not disappear amidst all that.

Out of about ten enemies, only one.

He alone did not vanish.

It was Seok Jeong, who had been quietly observing from behind.

“You, perhaps…”

As Hyuk Jin’s bewildered gaze turned to him.

Cheong Heo, for some reason, recognized it immediately.

“Could it be, you were among them!”