The Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists exchanged silent glances. Tang So-yeol’s attitude was rude and arrogant, but the Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists, who had repeatedly flailed about with vague desperation, found Tang So-yeol’s overconfidence rather pleasing.
There was nothing to be done.
It was impossible to break through.
The despair seeped into their minds, as the thick partition was robust and reinforced.
After pounding on it, they found that the solid door was filled with metal, and whether it was high-quality iron or precious metals mixed in, it was difficult to leave even a scratch on the door.
The result of their effort was merely a part of the barrier being scraped and torn.
Yet, they had a time constraint to break through this barrier before water filled inside.
Their spirits had already been shattered long ago.
They were just fighting against reality.
In such a situation, Tang So-yeol emerged with an extraordinary appearance.
“…I will follow your words.”
“I will too.”
The Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists decided to stake their last hope on Tang So-yeol.
“That’s good.”
Nodding, Tang So-yeol placed a hand on the partition and slowly began to sense the metal’s pulse.
The massive barrier. As Tang So-yeol felt the pulse of all the metals that made up that barrier, a clear image of its manufacturing process began to take shape in his mind.
This gigantic, heavy iron door, which looked overwhelming, was undoubtedly forged in this underground.
The precise cutting of thick rock and ridges meant it had to have been constructed right here.
They would have framed the door with steel and then built the mold to support this massive partition.
Whoosh!!
A hot furnace fluttered into Tang So-yeol’s mind.
Just how big could a furnace operate underground? As that thought crossed his mind, he shook his head.
The size of the furnace didn’t matter. After all, the person had to carry the molten iron.
After restoring the entire process of this barrier’s manufacture in his head, Tang So-yeol saw the structure as nothing more than a rag stitched together.
When casting molten iron to create a mold, what do you do with the pieces that don’t turn out right?
You melt them down.
Instead of the hassle of recasting and reinforcing it, the reason to melt it back down and create anew was that it wouldn’t be wholly made of a single metal.
This iron door was exactly like that.
How much molten iron could fit in a furnace or crucible allowed here in this deep underground? Even using all the furnaces, how much molten iron could be poured at once?
It was an absurdly small amount compared to the size of the massive iron door.
So this mold must have been filled dozens, if not hundreds, of times in total.
Therefore, this barrier contained hundreds of ‘connections.’
Tang So-yeol thought as he identified the hundreds of connections on the barrier.
If he could successfully penetrate these connections, he could break this barrier.
With a dagger, Tang So-yeol scratched four spots on the wall and turned around.
“Each of you, take one spot and hit there.”
“Understood.”
The four began banging on the door under Tang So-yeol’s command.
Of course, the process wasn’t smooth.
“Feel as if you’re pushing your Qi deeper into the door.”
“…What on earth does that feel like?”
Even now, Tang So-yeol struggled to articulate the sensations he experienced.
However, could Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists be anything less than that? Slowly, they began to understand Tang So-yeol’s intent through his desperate gestures and explanations, and soon their efforts bore fruit.
Boom! Boom!
Crack!
As they continued striking, a crack finally appeared in the barrier.
“Wow…!”
“There’s a crack in the barrier!”
The visible results delighted the Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists, but Tang So-yeol’s brow was heavily furrowed.
‘At this rate… it will be too late.’
Tang So-yeol bit his lip.
‘We lack strength.’
They had pried into the cracks, but they’d only managed to scratch the surface.
They still needed to hit the connections on the other side and deeper into the barrier, but currently, the strength of the Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists couldn’t penetrate even to the opposite side.
It was clear that before they could chip away at it methodically, the barrier would fill up with water.
Could they get help from inside?
If those trapped inside could hit the connections, the speed of their work would double.
Tang So-yeol shook his head.
That was practically impossible.
Even with precise markings, managing the Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists to hit the connections wouldn’t be easy. How could they accurately attack the pulse while barely communicating with those on the inside?
Tang So-yeol pored over the barrier, pondering how to breach it in time.
How should he break this barrier within the time constraints?
The Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists, who had been cheering, fell silent at the serious expression on Tang So-yeol’s face as he contemplated.
Suddenly, there was a commotion from the inside.
Bang! Thud! Bang!
“Isn’t anyone out there?! Are you telling me there’s no one?!”
“Calm down!”
“Calm down? It’s gone quiet out there; they must have left us behind and fled!”
Hearing those voices, Tang So-yeol let out a small sigh. It seemed anxiety was creeping into those trapped inside.
“Stay still! Didn’t I say we need to break through the wall rather than create unnecessary panic?!”
“What?!”
In the midst of the raised voices, Tang So-yeol realized the people inside were brainstorming on their own. No wonder it had been quiet – instead of breaking the barrier, they were looking for another way out.
“We need to break this barrier NOW! Whether it’s a sword technique, a formation, or whatever!”
Tang So-yeol grasped his hammer and struck the barrier with all his might.
Bang!!
Could the heavy vibration be felt from the inside?
Suddenly, the fighting quieted.
“Ho Cheon-an, it’s me.”
“…Master?”
Hearing Ho Cheon-an’s response, Tang So-yeol recalled the voice that had just come from inside.
“Right, we have to do something.”
A clear answer. Organized principles. A neat solution. Essential virtues to pursue as a master, but in this situation, what did that even matter?
“Pass Dokgo I-seol’s belt through the hole.”
“…Master?”
Just like the barrier, which was plastered with molten metal.
Even if it was a jumbled mess or reliant on luck or chance, it was crucial to destroy this barrier.
“I will become the center of the formation and execute the Five Elements Array.”
Tang So-yeol resolved to make this absurd gambit work.
* *
Tang So-yeol waited for the belt to pass through the hole in the barrier, pondering.
It was an instinctive thought but not a bad plan at all.
Once connected through the formation, he could perfectly control both the inside and the outside.
While thinking this, the belt finally came through the gap in the barrier.
Snap.
Receiving the belt passed by a Hwa-gyeong Martial Artist, Tang So-yeol immediately smashed the array that controlled the output of the formation.
In a situation where the thick barrier had to connect to the formation, it wouldn’t need to be restrained; it could only be heightened.
‘If I’m not careful, my head will burst.’
Smiling at the broken formation, Tang So-yeol wondered if he had finally lost his mind.
Though it could lead to a grim outcome, he didn’t mind sharing fate with those inside.
“Master, are you sure?”
“I don’t know. I’m just doing it.”
The answer came after a moment.
“Thank you.”
Wearing the array belt, Tang So-yeol ignored Ho Cheon-an’s worried comments, getting close to the barrier. Though he had never participated in the formation training, his understanding of it was by no means lacking. He had watched the practice ad nauseam and learned how to handle the formations from Seo Mun-yeon for maintenance.
As those thoughts crossed his mind, Tang So-yeol couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘Even I think this sounds ridiculous.’
If merely having some knowledge about formations made it easy to deploy them, who would bother sweating through training?
“I’m at the center of the barrier, at Dokgo I-seol’s position, so you all must position yourselves correctly.”
“We’re ready.”
Nevertheless, at this moment, he had to succeed, even if it meant relying on a belief he’d usually scoff at.
“Activate!”
Zzzzzzzzz!!!!
The removal of the control mechanism immediately opened Tang So-yeol’s mind. At that moment, he felt a sharp pain like a needle piercing his head.
Snap!
Clenching his teeth, Tang So-yeol did not hesitate and spread his Qi all around. Being at a lower level than his companions, the barrier obstructed any chance of connecting, so without such reckless exertion, it would be impossible to link through the Heart-mind Technique.
How long did he endure the throbbing pain while expanding his Qi?
Finally, Tang So-yeol caught the familiar threads of energy.
Ho Cheon-an. Yeo Il-ye. Hyeok Gi-rin. And the Black Cat.
Thin strands of energy intertwined. As he connected with the Five Elements Array and his companions, he thought to himself, ‘Damn it.’
Tang So-yeol cursed inwardly. It wasn’t just that he was fully open and feeling twice as sensitive; the thoughts and currents of Qi from his companions began flooding in.
His peak body shrieked just from following the flow of energy exhibited by his companions, and his already overworked mind was battered by their thoughts.
And at that moment.
The companions, led by Ho Cheon-an, also moaned lightly.
Tang So-yeol, who always carried a smoking habit, would scowl at the slightest need for a break. It was easy to see he was quite the chain-smoker.
Yet now, connected with Tang So-yeol, Ho Cheon-an and the others realized he was anything but just a habitual smoker.
The deluge of countless bits of information from the formation rushed in.
Even in this brief moment of connection, it felt close to overload; they couldn’t begin to imagine what Tang So-yeol was enduring daily surrounded by such information.
To Tang So-yeol, cigarettes weren’t just a habit; they were painkillers for his throbbing head from processing information pouring in from all directions.
With a better understanding of Tang So-yeol, his companions hastily raised their weapons.
They understood that merely connecting with the flow of the Five Elements Array placed enormous pressure on Tang So-yeol.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Ho Cheon-an and his companions shared Tang So-yeol’s knowledge and sense as they struck in unison at the connections of the iron door.
Crack!
With a single attack, they produced what the Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists had achieved over countless attempts.
Tang So-yeol nodded.
While the Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists moved as accurately as they could under his guidance, there was a fundamental difference. They couldn’t precisely see and feel the pulse.
While the Hwa-gyeong were hitting without real precision, Ho Cheon-an and his companions understood the pulse entirely, delivering the necessary impact perfectly. Thus, their results were incomparable.
‘At this rate, we can do it.’
Receiving Tang So-yeol’s resolve, Ho Cheon-an and his companions began striking the barrier’s connections while Tang So-yeol maintained the formation, observing the changes in the connections and issuing commands to the Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
Slowly, cracks started appearing in the barrier.
Tang So-yeol urgently catalogued the barrier’s internal structure and constantly calculated how to strike at the connections.
Drip!
‘A nosebleed?’
It was natural to expect disturbances when he was overworking his brain.
As that thought crossed his mind, he wiped the trickling blood and stared at the barrier.
Boom! Bang! Boom!!
The tumult from inside rang out, and Tang So-yeol felt a splitting headache while a smile crept across his face.
‘How clever you guys are.’
Currently, countless people were banging on the barrier from inside. Their strikes were precisely hitting the pulse.
Boom!
Ho Cheon-an swung his sword, precisely striking the connection. He then quickly moved back.
“I’ll leave this spot to you!”
“Understood!”
Filling the gap was another expert from the Martial Forest Alliance.
While directing others to strike the connections was similar for both Tang So-yeol and Ho Cheon-an, there was a critical difference.
That was the demonstration.
Tang So-yeol could perceive the connections but had no way to explain how to hit them accurately.
However, Ho Cheon-an could wield his sword to show exactly how to strike.
Among those trapped inside, many capable, renowned experts were present.
Under Ho Cheon-an’s guidance, those adept at mimicking his example were already in the double-digits.
Bang! Boom!
Crack! Crack!
“There’s a visible crack!”
“Put in more power!”
As the barrier grew increasingly fissured, both the outside Hwa-gyeong Martial Artists and the faces of the trapped investigative team lit up, but an urgency filled the expressions of Ho Cheon-an and his companions.
They could sense Tang So-yeol’s condition was deteriorating.
‘Calm down! You aren’t dying!’
Tang So-yeol, uncertain himself, grasped the cracks in the barrier through his wavering consciousness.
In his mind’s eye, a circle took shape.
The cracks made by the connections they had struck would create a hole in the barrier.
‘Here.’
Just as he pinched the exact pulse point, Ho Cheon-an’s sword struck it.
Perhaps exhausted, Ho Cheon-an, who had previously directed the Qi perfectly, was now unable to control the pressure as it scattered into the water and sank back into him.
Tang So-yeol felt that situation and couldn’t help but smile.
It was a comedy to see oneself overloaded by the very energy one produced; what a story this would be for years to come.
‘Here.’
Next, it was Hyeok Gi-rin who hit the pulse.
Soaking from head to toe, he was as wet as could be, but Tang So-yeol was certain Hyeok Gi-rin was crying.
Hopefully, he could scratch that swollen cheek to his heart’s content.
In his slowly fading consciousness, such thoughts crossed Tang So-yeol’s mind.
‘Here.’
If he struck a few more connections, the cracks in the barrier would spiral out of control.
Would he hold out until then?
‘Here.’
As he pondered if he had precisely identified the pulse, a distinct vibration registered.
Was it the excessive pressure caused by Yeo Il-ye?
Even though he knew he had to exert power at the last moment, it was troubling how emotional he got.
He seemed like someone who could take on the entire universe but was nonetheless soft-hearted.
‘Well, at least I’ve regained some clarity; I can’t blame anyone too much.’
Crack!
Feeling the expanding fissures, Tang So-yeol finished his last calculations.
A crack forming was sufficient to break through the barrier.
‘So, now hit it with everything you’ve got.’
In a situation where he couldn’t tell if he was even conscious, a smile crept to Tang So-yeol’s face.
He could feel the massive pulse of Qi resonating from outside the barrier.
It’s over.
As the new energy from Tang So-yeol crumbled away.
Kaboom!!!
Explosively, a hole burst open in the barrier, and water flooded out.
