Another powerful roar resounded through the valley.

*Kwagwagw.a.n.g!*

He then witnessed an incredible sight.

The two precipices on both sides on his side were beginning to crumble, collapsing inwards to their centers.

*Kwagwagw.a.n.g!*

A thick cloud of dust was rising not long after.

A few moments later, when the cloud of dust had settled, the managerial leader of the Black Snake Sect was met with yet another startling sight.

A stack of rocks that would be difficult to climb over were in front of them, blocking their path.

The managerial leader addressed a warrior next to him, "Hey, slap my cheek."

"I can't do that! How could I dare to slap your cheek, Daeju-nim!"

"Shut up, and slap me!"

*Jak!*

The managerial leader's face turned as he was slapped. He was able to feel the pain.

"d.a.m.n it!"

He realized that he hadn't been dreaming.

***

Yun Hseong's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wh-what on earth happened here?"

The other teachers, as well as Yun Hseong, all looked perplexed.

They weren't confused at the fact that the ravine in front of them had collapsed, blocking their path ahead. It was because they didn't even notice the ravine collapsing.

There was something else that Yun Hseong was taken aback at. There was a difference in the Snaketail Valley that he had known in the past, and the present Snaketail Valley. From what he could remember, if one crossed through the crooked path, and went just a little further, the end of the Snaketail Valley could be seen, but currently, as they had gone further, the path simply continued instead of ending.

A telepathic message entered Yun Hseong's mind.

-Yun Seonsaeng, please stop for a while!

It was undoubtedly the voice of Kang-hyuk. He could also faintly feel Kang-hyuk's energy.

After placing Kang-hyuk's energetic location, Yun Hseong sent him a response.

-Did you say you want us to stop?

-Yes.

At the confirmation, Yun Hseong raised his hand, indicating for the whole group to stop.

"We will be resting for a while!"

"Understood."

Ok Hae-mi left to inform the other teachers. Another telepathic message entered Yun Hseong's mind not long after.

-I need to talk to you, turn backwards on the path. You must come alone.

-Okay.

Excusing himself, Yun Hseong did as Kang-hyuk had instructed, and walked back on the path.

As he walked back, he found Kang-hyuk waiting for him.

"Kang Seonsaeng! What on earth happened that you even sent me a telepathic message?"

Kang-hyuk spoke, "More importantly, haven't you noticed that something's a little odd?"

"...!"

Yun Hseong flinched. It was as Kang-hyuk had said.

"It's meant to come to the end of the path, but the path keeps going on."

"...exactly."

"Rather than talking about it, I think it'd be better to go and look at it in person."

Kang-hyuk grabbed onto Yun Hseong's arm, then stamped his foot.

*Tat!*

Within moments, their bodies were soaring into the air.

"Huh!?"

Yun Hseong's face had turned pale. It could only be seen as a natural response to being suddenly hurtled into the sky.

Not to mention the fact that he was now floating in the air.

"I-is this the Treading Air technique?"

"It is."

Yun Hseong was astonished once again.

The Treading Air technique was one that had only been heard of in legends. He wasn't just seeing the technique in action, but was actually experiencing it.

"That's not what's important right now. Look down there."

"...?"

Yun Hseong's eyes became wide as he looked down.

"Th-that!"

The entrance and exit of the Snaketail Valley were blocked with rocks, and confined in the middle were the students.

*Swoop!*

Kang-hyuk flew down to Snaketail Valley.

"Ho-how did this happen?"

As Yun Hseong relaxed his legs, he flopped down onto the floor.

He had just realized what was about to happen as a result of his single decision.

"Th-the rocks that have blocked the path….."

"I blocked the path."

Yun Hseong knew that if Kang-hyuk hadn't taken any action, there would have been a horrifying conclusion. So horrifying that he couldn't even bear to think about it.

"Those men are warriors, sent by the Black Snake Sect."

It was only after Kang-hyuk had given Cho Soh a severe beating with his attendance book that he was able to hear of the details of their operation.

He then rushed straight to Snaketail Valley.

Yun Hseong spoke up carefully, "About the continuing path that I saw, what is it?"

"I used the power of an artifact that can bring about illusions."

Kang-hyuk took a small bead out of his sleeve. A bluish light shone out of the bead.

"It can't be…. I-is it the Illusion Bead?"

"It is."

Yun Hseong swallowed a sigh.

He had guessed unbelievingly, but his guess had turned out to be the truth. The Illusion Bead was an artifact that showed a particular image of choice to a particular target of choice.

Yun Hseong suddenly became curious.

"Kang Seonsaeng."

He stood up, and spoke, "What is your true intention behind this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you showing me all of this, and not holding back?"

Kang-hyuk replied, "It's because I think of you as a trustworthy person."

"...?"

Kang-hyuk continued.

"I also am aware of the troubles of a leader. He who leads must be fully aware of all circ.u.mstances so that they can be dealt with properly."

"...."

"I'm covering up your mistakes, and for this, I need your help too. Is that answer sufficient?"

Yun Hseong nodded.

"I understand, but how are we going to resolve the situation? What are we going to do if those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds try to climb over the rocks to harm the students?"

Kang-hyuk answered; "You don't need to worry about that. I'll deal with them. Yun Seonsaeng, all of you can just leave through that cave."

As Kang-hyuk pointed towards a cave, Yun Hseong looked puzzled.

It was a cave he had never seen before.

"There was a cave there?"

"There's always been a cave there."

Kang-hyuk didn't explain any further.

It was a cave that Kang-hyuk had excavated himself around fifty years ago for an operation.

After the operation had ended, he had hidden the cave with an energy technique, and had only removed the technique so that the students could use it.

In case of danger, Kang-hyuk thoroughly examined the cave, and after his examination had declared it safe.

"You should leave here now, and wait for me at the entrance of the cave. I'll lead the way."

Any remaining anxiety within Yun Hseong had now disappeared.

It was an anxiety caused by the fact that he had no idea what the cave was connected to.

"Okay."

Yun Hseong was now aware of exactly what he had to do. As he watched Kang-hyuk, who was already in movement, he took a deep breath in. He then gave energy to his fists.

"Phew!"

He had to pull himself together.

He had to complete his task of taking the students back safely, and this was a task he had to accomplish even if his own life was at stake.

***

After his meeting with Yun Hseong, Kang-hyuk stood on a precipice, looking down at the Black Snake Sect warriors below.

It was obvious that they were perplexed.

He closed his eyes momentarily.

Kang-hyuk didn't like the Snaketail Valley much. It brought up memories for him that he didn't particularly wish to recall.

There had been a managerial leader who accompanied Kang-hyuk on this particular operation before he became the Clan Leader.

The man was quite a foolish fellow. It was owing to his actions that he had almost lost all of his men in Snaketail Valley.

In a frantic last effort, and with a resolve to kill, he had slain the enemies.

As a result, he had been able to save his men, but Kang-hyuk himself had been severely wounded.

He thought that he was going to die.

He still remembered the tear-filled eyes of his men who were tightly binding his wounds.

His life had only been spared thanks to his consumption of Ho-sung's secret medicine, but it did have a problem…..

"d.a.m.n it."

The taste of the medicine was so awful, that even recalling it made him nauseous.

Kang-hyuk's face contorted as he remembered.

"I can't believe I ate that medicine willingly!"

The fact that he had to personally consume the medicine was more annoying to him than the fact that his men and himself had almost died.

For a number of reasons, the Snaketail Valley wasn't a pleasant place to Kang-hyuk.

Kang-hyuk took a silver key out of his sleeve. It was the key to his warehouse.

He opened his first warehouse.

It was the warehouse where he stored all kinds of weapons and artefacts.

Kang-hyuk entered, and headed for the location within the warehouse where the weapons were stored.

Whilst Kang-hyuk's most commonly used weapon was the sword, this didn't mean he was unskilled with other weapons.

He used it simply because it was easy to kill with it.

After he achieved the highest level of cultivation, Kang-hyuk didn't really need to utilize weapons.

It wasn't difficult for him to slay his enemies bare-handed, or with the use of a weapon.

But his men were concerned seeing Kang-hyuk go out to fight weaponless, and gifted him a sword. Therefore, he had no choice but to accept their gift, and from then on, carried the sword wherever he went.

That sword was currently lying in his residence at the Academy.

*Hwak!*

As Kang-hyuk entered his armoury, he felt a refreshing breeze, along with the sound of wind blowing.

The source of that wind was a sword that sat in the armoury, placed on a pedestal.

Wind G.o.d Sword.

It was a sword that he had obtained by strange fate, and it had gone through situations of life and death with Kang-hyuk.

The last time that he had utilized the sword was eight years earlier, at an occasion before he had retired.

*Hwi-eung!*

The clear breeze of the Wind G.o.d Sword could only be felt by its owner.

Kang-hyuk could feel the complaints of the sword from the sound of its breeze.

"Oho! I'll find you a good owner, but until then, you'll have to hang in there."

*Hwi-i-ing-*

"Why can't I just take you outside? Tsk tsk, I don't know if there'll even be an opportunity for me to use you, but even if one arises, it won't be easy."

*Hwi-eu-eung-*

"Why? Why are you even asking? If I used you sincerely, half of the central districts of Moorim would fly away! Sorry, but you'll have to wait a little longer."

Kang-hyuk consoled the Wind G.o.d Sword, and moved once more.

He then picked up a weapon, and left the warehouse.

He looked at the weapon in his right hand. The weapon was a bow, but it was no ordinary bow.

The bow was engraved with its name- Heavenly Explosion Bow.

Kang-hyuk murmured to himself as he held the bow.

"It's been quite a while since I've last used this Heavenly Explosion Bow."

He stamped the ground with his foot, and flew up into the air.

*Shyu-euk!*

He stopped when he had gotten quite high up the sky.

He then pulled his bowstring taut, directing it towards the still perplexed Black Snake Sect warriors.

*Pi-eung!*

The moment that the arrow lodged into the s.p.a.ce where the Black Snake Sect warriors were…

*Peo-ong!*

Along with the initial explosion, thousands of smaller bombs scattered around everywhere, causing a chain reaction of explosions.

*Po-po-po-peok!*

A single arrow had the power of a thunderbolt. Kang-hyuk didn't just have a single arrow.

Kang-hyuk fired dozens of arrows successively, and with the immense force of each arrow, the Black Snake Sect warriors were knocked down.

The managerial leader of the sect was baffled by the situation.

'Wh-what, what on earth is happening…'

If it wasn't enough that arrows were firing out from the sky, the arrows were also causing explosions.

In the midst of the chaos, a warrior plopped down onto the floor.

"It-it's a punishment from the heavens! The heavens must be punishing us!"

"The heavens are punishing us with arrows!"

"Arghhh! Please spare us! We have done wrong!"

Some of the warriors were frantically begging, and some were trying to escape. But out of all of the warriors, half had already died.

"What do you mean heavenly punishment?! Get up right now!"

But the situation was already beyond control.

*Syu-euk!*

An arrow shot from the skies lodged into the managerial leader's head, went through his body, and then lodged into the ground.

*Peo-ong!*

With the explosion, the managerial leader's body was blasted into fragments.

His end was in vain.