In the distance, Sado Cheonju strode forward, his spear resting casually on his shoulder.

The fierce energy radiating from Sado Cheonju was enough to send the surrounding demons sprawling to the ground, their bodies riddled with gaping holes as if pierced by an invisible spear.

A few demons attempted to charge at him, but they barely managed three steps before their bodies were torn apart, blood gushing from dozens of newly formed holes.

Witnessing this, Jin Amma frowned and barked an order.

“Fall back! Get as far away from here as possible!”

“Yes, sir!”

At Jin Amma’s command, the demons retreated en masse, like water receding from the shore.

Through the parting crowd, Sado Cheonju approached leisurely, unperturbed.

“Cheonju, what brings you here?”

“What brings me here? Do I need a reason to stand here? Such arrogance.”

Jin Amma clamped his mouth shut at Cheonju’s mocking tone.

“Where is the Lord? Sending only his subordinates ahead… Is he boasting about hiding his strength all this time?”

“Perhaps we should discuss this after dealing with the Fist King?”

As Jin Amma glanced at the Fist King, Cheonju’s gaze followed.

Despite the hostility of two formidable masters directed at him, the Fist King merely clenched his fists and laughed.

“Whether it’s a duel or a joint attack, it doesn’t matter. Come at me.”

The Fist King’s muscles gleamed with a heavy aura, growing more imposing by the moment, granting him an overwhelming presence like a towering mountain.

Even faced with the Fist King’s formidable aura, Jin Amma smirked.

‘With Guan Ya Cheonju here, we can handle the Fist King. If it were just me, the outcome would be uncertain. Perhaps even unfavorable. This is advantageous.’

As Jin Amma finished his calculations, a dark brown energy burst from the spear resting on Sado Cheonju’s shoulder.

The spear, aimed directly at Jin Amma, pierced through the air with terrifying speed. Startled, Jin Amma moved his hands as if to grasp the void.

With a fierce gust of wind, Jin Amma was pushed back, maintaining his stance to block the spear.

Dispersing the energy from Sado Cheonju’s spear, Jin Amma shouted.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Sado Cheonju sneered at the indignant Jin Amma.

“Old fool. That expression is dull. Did you really think I’d team up with you to take down that muscle-bound fool? What gave you such confidence?”

“We’ve allied with Sado Cheonju before, haven’t we?”

“And what of it? Has the side effect of your dark arts reached your brain?”

“So, you’re saying you’ll side with the orthodox sects?”

Sado Cheonju’s lips curled into a wide grin as he glanced between the Fist King and Jin Amma. He widened his grip on the spear and swung it broadly.

“Orthodox or unorthodox, come at me together! That would be entertaining!”

The massive spear energy unleashed from the diagonal swing engulfed both the Fist King and Jin Amma.

Boom!

As five waves of spear energy surged like a tide, the Fist King and Jin Amma each countered to neutralize the attack.

Feeling the immense impact coursing through his hands, Jin Amma intensified his dark energy.

‘As rumored, he’s impossible to reason with. Wasting a perfect opportunity to easily kill a master like this?’

Having anticipated an alliance with Sado Cheonju, Jin Amma now found himself standing shoulder to shoulder with the Fist King, letting out a dry laugh.

There was no time for words between them as they fended off the relentless spear strikes. Jin Amma frantically slashed through the air with his hands, tearing apart the spear attacks.

The Fist King was no different.

He unleashed a barrage of punches, shattering the spear energies that targeted his vital points.

Watching the two masters desperately fend off his attacks, Sado Cheonju twisted his waist with a grin.

“Who knows? Maybe I’ll be so moved by your desperate teamwork that I’ll spare the last one standing.”

Cheonju wielded his spear with sweeping and thrusting motions, pressing both masters simultaneously.

Crash!

As Cheonju’s spear strikes continued, the ground and stone walls around them were scarred with long, ominous marks.

The Fist King endured with his Iron Mountain Stance, while Jin Amma twisted his body in mid-air to evade the spear attacks.

“Fist King! We need to join forces!”

Despite Jin Amma’s shout from above, the Fist King remained silent, focusing on his relentless punches.

‘I can’t trust that snake, so I’ll fight as if I’m alone.’

With his thoughts clear, the Fist King’s aura grew even more solid and unyielding. Amplifying his Iron Mountain Stance to its peak, he tensed his thighs and launched himself forward, overturning the ground beneath him.

Iron Flying Body.

As the Fist King crouched and executed his Iron Flying Body, a circular shockwave erupted around him.

Seeing the massive force approaching like a flying boulder, Cheonju laughed and thrust his spear.

The spear aimed for the Fist King’s forehead, but he countered with a powerful punch from his waist.

A straightforward punch focused solely on power, devoid of any finesse. The storm of spear energy dissipated in an instant before the pure force of the punch.

Crack!

The sound of paper tearing echoed as the clashing fist and spear trembled. The immense shockwaves were absorbed by both the Fist King and Cheonju.

The ground beneath them caved in, splitting apart in all directions.

“Fist King! Your punches are even better than the Conqueror’s!”

“Third Seat. We’ve never had the chance to face off before.”

The Fist King twisted his fist, deflecting the spear shaft aside and closing the distance. Cheonju bent his spear sharply, swinging it like a staff to strike the Fist King’s waist.

Thud!

A sound like breaking bones echoed, but the Fist King didn’t flinch, closing the gap further and unleashing a heavy punch.

As Cheonju spun the spear shaft to dissipate the punch’s force, Jin Amma, from behind, sharpened his nails and unleashed a deadly technique.

Withered Lotus Dark Slash.

The black trails drawn by his ten fingers overlapped, forming a surface.

The densely layered energy spread outward, resembling a fully bloomed lotus.

The intricate web of energy was enough to shred even the protective aura surrounding Cheonju.

Without turning, Cheonju thrust his right hand backward, meeting the energy with his spear. As he sidestepped, he gripped the spear’s middle with both hands and swung it wide.

The rapidly spinning spear formed a circular shape, striking both the Fist King and Jin Amma, forcing them back.

Yet the spear’s rotation didn’t cease, accelerating into a massive black-brown whirlwind.

Black Smoke Pillar Wind.

The enormous whirlwind, capable of swallowing a four-story pavilion, swept over the Fist King and Jin Amma.

It even devoured the surrounding cliffs before finally dissipating.

“Cough!”

Jin Amma, deeply embedded in the cliff, coughed up a mouthful of blood, while the Fist King wiped the blood trickling down his forehead and launched a punch at Cheonju.

“Good!”

Cheonju, exhilarated by the Fist King’s relentless spirit, laughed and filled the air with hundreds of spear shadows.

Despite Cheonju’s swift techniques filling the space, the Fist King merely flexed his muscles, channeling his power into his heavy punches.

“Hah!”

The air shattered under the force of his punches. With each strike, Cheonju’s lingering shadows were cleanly erased.

A spear emerged from the shadows, targeting the Fist King’s heart, but he caught the spearhead and shaft with both hands.

The battle shifted to a contest of inner strength, with Cheonju and the Fist King pouring their energy into the struggle.

‘I misjudged. The Grand Protector should have been here instead of me.’

After coughing up blood a couple of times, Jin Amma felt slightly relieved and observed the battle between the Fist King and Cheonju from his position in the cliff.

Despite facing Cheonju, the Fist King showed no signs of faltering.

‘At this rate, I’ll be the one to die.’

Having made his decision, Jin Amma leaped from the cliff, charging toward the two masters.

Cheonju, while pushing back the Fist King’s energy, prepared to counter Jin Amma’s surprise attack with his right hand.

But Jin Amma’s attack was a feint. He suddenly flipped his body and struck the Fist King’s chest with a palm.

“Ugh!”

Unlike Cheonju, the Fist King couldn’t afford to be distracted, and he took the full brunt of Jin Amma’s palm strike.

Even as he absorbed the blow, the Fist King trembled but stood firm, prompting Jin Amma to raise his hand again.

“You’re annoyingly tough. Fist King, you must die.”

Jinamma remembered the words Sado Cheonju had spoken at the start of the battle. He was determined to kill the King of Fists and survive.

“Interesting.”

As the scene he had envisioned unfolded, Sado Cheonju watched with keen interest. He eased the pressure of his internal energy on the King of Fists, giving him a chance to counterattack.

‘Let’s see how this plays out.’

Just as Jinamma aimed to pierce the King of Fists’ heart with his spear, the King clenched his fist, but he was a breath too slow. In that tense moment, Sado Cheonju suddenly looked up at the sky.

As Jinamma’s hand was about to touch the King of Fists, a violet flash descended vertically from the heavens.

“What the—!”

Jinamma stared in disbelief at the black sword that had pierced his palm from above.

“How disgraceful for so-called masters.”

Descending from the sky, his robe fluttering like plum blossoms, was Muhwi. He glanced between Sado Cheonju and Jinamma, then gripped the sword that had impaled Jinamma’s hand.

Jinamma tried to pull away, but the sword’s energy was absorbing his internal power, making it impossible to free himself.

“Argh!”

With no other choice, Jinamma severed his own wrist with a swift chop and retreated.

Thud!

“You rat.”

Muhwi immediately pursued the fleeing Jinamma.

“Mount Hua Sword Saint!”

Sado Cheonju laughed and swung his spear at Muhwi, who didn’t back down, instead unleashing a flurry of sword energy at Jinamma. Jinamma gritted his teeth and fought back.

Muhwi found himself facing both Sado Cheonju and Jinamma simultaneously.

Clang! Clang!

Swords, spears, and spears clashed in a chaotic dance. Waves of spear and sword energy collided, and the sharp auras shook the surroundings.

“Hahaha!”

Sado Cheonju increased the power and speed of his spear, impressed by Muhwi’s ability to parry his attacks. Muhwi responded by showcasing even more intricate techniques with his sword.

“Ugh!”

Caught in the middle, Jinamma struggled to defend himself with one arm.

The sword, imbued with a fierce wind, traced a half-circle before splitting into dozens of arcs.

A storm of violet petals surged forward, enveloping Sado Cheonju and Jinamma.

Sado Cheonju read the tangled sword paths and tore through them with his spear. Jinamma barely managed to avoid a fatal blow, his body shielded by his protective energy, as he unleashed his spear.

Despite the odd alliance between Sado Cheonju and Jinamma, Muhwi showed no signs of being overwhelmed.

“Impressive.”

Sado Cheonju’s lips curled into a peculiar smile as he watched Muhwi.

Muhwi’s sleeves flared wildly as his sword trembled, carving out dozens of sword paths.

These paths branched and multiplied, soon numbering in the hundreds.

Plum Blossom Blooming.

Countless plum blossoms filled the air, their vibrant colors and fragrant sword aura overwhelming Jinamma.

Suddenly, Jinamma felt a searing heat in his abdomen. He looked down to see a spearhead protruding, emitting a dark, reddish light.

Blood trickled from his mouth as he turned his head to see Sado Cheonju grinning.

“You’re in the way. Time to disappear.”

With a twist of his wrist, Sado Cheonju’s spear tore through Jinamma, scattering his body in a violent burst.

Wiping the blood from his face, Sado Cheonju turned to Muhwi with a chilling smile.

“Now, shall we have some fun?”

Sado Cheonju shook the blood from his spear and assumed a fighting stance.

“Warriors should match their skills with equals.”

Muhwi twisted his sword diagonally, ready to respond.

“Then you shouldn’t be fighting me.”

Sado Cheonju answered Muhwi’s taunt by thrusting his spear forward.