Cheongmyeong raised his head with a determined expression.

His tightly clenched jaw tilted slightly upward.

A little more.

And a little more. "......"

Only after stretching his neck to the brink of breaking could Cheongmyeong gaze at the place he desired.

A sheer cliff.

So endlessly high that its peak was hidden in the mist, the terrifying cliff filled Cheongmyeong's vision. "...... Crazy bastard."

A hollow laugh escaped his lips.

The people living on the volcano called this cliff the Broken Heart Cliff.

Among the Five Great Mountains, the volcano was known for its ruggedness, and the most perilous cliff was this Broken Heart Cliff.

And in the midst of this dangerous cliff was the place Cheongmyeong was now seeking.

Among the many secret places of the volcano, this was the most hidden.

A place known only to a select few, even among the few.

"Well, it's just me who doesn't know."

In the center of this cliff was a small cave that could not be found without climbing directly.

Due to its danger, the practice of lightness skills was forbidden for disciples.

However, Cheongmyeong, being the kind of person who felt compelled to do what he was told not to, often enjoyed practicing lightness skills at the Broken Heart Cliff.

By chance, he discovered the small cave halfway up the cliff and had since used it as his private hideout.

"It was quite helpful."

For example, drinking alcohol while avoiding the gaze of the sect leader, or sneaking a bite of meat while evading the sect leader's eyes, or taking a nap while dodging the sect leader's watchful eyes...

"Sect leader."

Why did you spare me? You should have just killed me.

Now that the roles were reversed, Cheongmyeong understood why the sect leader always exploded in anger whenever he saw him.

If he were in the sect leader's position, he would have killed him.

But now, Cheongmyeong felt a strong desire to beat up his former self without even needing to switch places.

"No, that crazy bastard..."

It felt like his neck would snap.

A sane person would never think of using the middle of such a cliff as a dwelling.

Only someone as crazy as Cheongmyeong could do such a thing.

And the consequences of that were now fully borne by the current Cheongmyeong.

If he were the legendary Plum Blossom Sword Master, he could have scaled such a cliff with just a few running jumps, but as the third disciple of the volcano, climbing this cliff was impossible.

Why is it called the Broken Heart Cliff? There was no place to step or hold on to.

The cliff was so smooth that just looking at it would make one feel refreshed.

This cliff had always been like this.

It was not because Cheongmyeong had carved it flat in case someone else discovered the cave. "...... I really went too far."

To feel murderous intent towards his former self.

Who in the world would have such an experience? "Hoo."

Taking a deep breath, Cheongmyeong looked up at the cliff again with resolute eyes.

"Still, I'm going!" There was no turning back.

If someone were to ask why he was climbing the cliff, Cheongmyeong would answer, "There's a treasure up there! Damn it!" If his memory served him right, the Plum Blossom Elixir and the Snow Plum Elixir were right in that cave! Because that was where Cheongmyeong had hidden the elixirs he had stashed away for hangover relief. 'I really had no sense.' No matter how much he was in a bind, it was still a treasure, yet he had hidden it in a cave for hangover relief.

It was not something a sane person would do.

But thanks to that, the current Cheongmyeong had also gained an opportunity.

Cheongmyeong, with a determined expression, turned to face the cliff and strode toward the forest on the opposite side.

"Hooouuu."

Cheongmyeong took a deep breath.

"No matter how I think about it, this is crazy."

Cheongmyeong was now standing at the top of the Broken Heart Cliff.

He had circled back up to the opposite ridge.

In his hands was a long rope made of vines.

No matter how he thought about it, climbing up from below to the cave was impossible.

Climbing that smooth cliff was daunting, and the height was simply too much.

It was a cliff too harsh for a mere child like Cheongmyeong to climb.

But what if he descended from above? It would be much easier than climbing up from below.

The only problem was...

"It's about ten times more dangerous."

Glancing down, Cheongmyeong swallowed hard without realizing it.

The ground was not visible.

All he could see was the sheer cliff and the mist hanging in between.

He quietly stepped back.

And clutched his heart.

"Ah, damn. My heart's racing."

It used to be a place he strolled through like a garden, but now it felt like the entrance to hell.

How many people could think of descending here with just a rope while sober? But in this world, there are things one does out of desire and things one does out of necessity.

This was clearly the latter.

"I might die once, or twice... No, I will definitely die twice."

Cheongmyeong firmly tied the rope he held to a nearby rock.

This rope was his lifeline.

After pulling the tied rope several times to check, he took a deep breath and stood at the edge of the cliff.

"Hah."

Saving the volcano sect is really tough.

Why should I risk my life for this? "Damn it!" Cursing under his breath, Cheongmyeong boldly began to descend the cliff.

Climbing down the smooth cliff was no easy task.

It was hard to find even a finger's worth of space to grip.

Cheongmyeong relied on the tiniest crevice, and when there was none, he used the Absorption Technique to stick to the wall.

After struggling for a while, curses naturally spilled from Cheongmyeong's mouth.

"Ah! Damn it! If I had known it would be like this, I should have at least learned Wall Climbing!" He had thought of it as a mere skill, but now he regretted not having learned it.

Just then, a crack! The small rock he had stepped on crumbled and fell below.

Tap.

Cheongmyeong stared blankly at the falling rock.

The stone bounced off the cliff and plunged into the thick clouds.

And after a while...

Thud! "...... Wow."

It takes that long to fall to the ground from here.

If he fell, there would be no body left.

Really.

After shaking his body once, Cheongmyeong swallowed hard.

He, the Plum Blossom Sword Master, had not feared the Heavenly Demon, but that was when the opponent was the Heavenly Demon.

Even if it was the same death, he would prefer to avoid falling from a cliff.

Just imagine dying here and going to the afterlife.

How would his brothers in arms view him, having ended his second chance at life with a fall? He would be demoted from a hero who killed the Heavenly Demon to the world's greatest fool.

That was absolutely unacceptable.

"Ugh."

Cheongmyeong began to move his hands quickly.

At first, it felt a bit awkward, but after a few repetitions, he moved like a lizard clinging to the wall, skillfully descending the cliff. 'It should be down there.' As he descended, Cheongmyeong frowned.

There was a massive crack in the middle of the cliff. 'Going inside is impossible.' It meant he had to jump down...

"Hoo."

Taking a deep breath, Cheongmyeong looked down with determined eyes.

"I am the Plum Blossom Sword Master!" I can't be scared of this! He boldly threw himself downwards.

As he felt his body lift slightly, the cliff rushed towards him.

"Uracha!" At the right moment, he reached out and grabbed a protruding rock.

Cheongmyeong, dangling from the cliff, shouted, "Ugh, my heart's racing!" But thanks to that, he had covered quite a distance...

Thud.

"Huh?" Cheongmyeong's head shot up.

In his eyes, the rock he was holding came into view.

"No way?" Crack! "......"

No, come on...

Can't you lend me a hand? Have some conscience! Crack! The rock broke in an instant, and Cheongmyeong's body began to fall.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiii!" Cheongmyeong flailed his arms and legs in mid-air. 'If I fall from here?' He would die.

The outcome was too certain to reconsider. 'Die?' Die? This Cheongmyeong? Just then, a thud! Suddenly, he felt a strong impact at his waist, and Cheongmyeong's body floated into the air.

"Huh?" A swaying rope came into his view. 'That's right!' Thud! Thud! After bouncing a couple of times, the movement finally slowed.

Hanging from the rope, Cheongmyeong sighed deeply.

And a moment later, he burst into a refreshing laugh.

"Indeed, one must be prepared!" If he hadn't tied the rope, he would have been dead for sure.

Although he was unsure if the vine rope would hold, it seemed to be enough to support his small body.

Cheongmyeong glanced around. 'There it is!' His eyes sparkled.

Not far from where he was hanging, he saw a bulging part.

Below was the hideout he used to frequent.

He roughly gauged the length of the rope, and it seemed to fit perfectly! "Hoo. The heavens are helping me."

Cheongmyeong took a deep breath and gripped the rope.

First, he had to stick to that cliff.

To do that, he needed to build momentum...

"Ugh!" Cheongmyeong began to swing his body.

At first, the rope didn't move at all, but as he continued to swing, it gradually began to sway back and forth. 'Now, align the angle just right.' Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Cheongmyeong's body, hanging from the rope, swung away from the cliff and then rushed back repeatedly.

The distance grew larger, and he got closer to the cliff.

"Uracha!" He reached out to grab the cliff, but the rock was so smooth that he couldn't grip it in one go.

"Once more!" Cheongmyeong kicked off the cliff and propelled his body backward.

Now, if he got close again, he could...

Crack! "Huh?" Cheongmyeong's head shot up like lightning.

And his gaze precisely found the part he wanted.

A vine was half-broken and precariously hanging.

"No way."

Normally, at times like this, one would hold on until reaching the cliff, but the rope would break...

Crack! "......"

Is there a way!

Aaaah!

"With the momentum he had built, Cheongmyeong's body fell downwards."

Hiiiiiiii!

I'm going to die! I'm really going to die!

"Thanks to the momentum, he was able to get close to the cliff. Drawing on all his strength, Cheongmyeong plunged his hand into the cliff. Crack! With a cheerful sound, his bones broke, and Cheongmyeong's body fell rapidly."

Aaaah! Crazy!

"The weight combined with speed was too much for his wrist to handle. Desperately, Cheongmyeong thrust his other hand into the cliff. Crack! But the result was the same."

Ah, what!

It's not like I'm a reed, why are my bones breaking so easily! This damn body!

"If he wanted to survive, he needed to cooperate! Cheongmyeong flailed his arms and legs desperately. It looked like he was swimming in mid-air, but somehow it seemed to help him get closer to the cliff."

Haaah!

"If his hands wouldn't work, then he would use his whole body! Cheongmyeong clung to the cliff like a frog. With his two feet scraping against the cliff, he wrapped his arms around it instead of using his broken hands."

Aaaah! It's hot!

Ah, it's hot!

"His whole body felt the friction and the intense heat. But it was somewhat effective. His falling speed had significantly decreased. Now, if he could just find a protruding part! Cheongmyeong looked down with a satisfied smile. There couldn't possibly be a protruding part here. This was the Broken Heart Cliff. But it seemed that fate had other plans, as he discovered a much better spot. A place far safer than any protruding rock."

Hoo.

It's solid ground.

"It was solid ground. The fall was instantaneous. The moment Cheongmyeong laughed, his body slammed into the ground. Boom!"

Kugh.

"The impact sent him soaring into the air before crashing back down. Thud! Dust flew everywhere. Covered in swirling dust, Cheongmyeong's entire body trembled."

I... survived.

"Thanks to clinging to the cliff and slowing down, he avoided instant death. But it seemed his entire body was shattered. There wasn't a single place that didn't hurt."

Ugh.

"After struggling for a while, Cheongmyeong finally managed to rise and glared at the cliff with bloodshot eyes."......

No matter what, I will climb this damn cliff!" Crack.

Ah.

My jaw dropped.