Chapter 104: The Title of Number One Under Heaven (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 104: The Title of Number One Under Heaven (1)
His martial prowess was not just overwhelming; it was wondrous. The two disciples could not hide their sheer astonishment.
It was no exaggeration to call him inhuman; the martial prowess of the Lesser Sword Immortal, So Woon-hwi, transcended imagination.
Every time he swung his sword, dozens of trees were cleaved apart, and the ground caving in beneath his fists and kicks was a common occurrence.
Baek Hyang-muk had considered the blackened Fake Lee Jung-gyeom a monster while fighting him.
However...
‘The real monster is right there.’
With this level of martial prowess, he felt as though the man could easily handle a thousand—no, ten thousand men—on his own. And those wouldn't be mere commoners, but martial artists.
Looking at the Fake Lee Jung-gyeom, whose body was being crushed and shredded despite his desperate struggles to escape So Woon-hwi’s grasp, one almost felt pity for him.
‘...His growth rate is nonsensical.’
He hadn't been this powerful when Baek Hyang-muk first saw him. Though he was more outstanding than other young experts, he had lacked experience and enlightenment—so much so that Baek Hyang-muk had even offered him guidance.
Now, it seemed the roles were reversed; Baek Hyang-muk was the one who needed to learn.
‘Is the shadow of the Sword Immortal truly this vast?’
He wasn't even the Sword Immortal himself, but merely the disciple of a disciple, yet he was this strong. If the disciple of the Sword Immortal’s successor was at this level, Baek Hyang-muk even wondered if the successor who had faced him before might not have been using his full strength.
[Master.]
Lee Jung-gyeom sent a message via Sound Transmission.
[What is it?]
[Brother So—no, the Lesser Sword Immortal’s nonsensical prowess aside... that hair, dyed red as blood, is surely...]
[It is as you suspect. It is because he has mastered the Blood Heaven Great Achievement Art.]
Lee Jung-gyeom’s eyes widened at those words.
He was well aware that his master, Baek Hyang-muk, had mastered the Blood Heaven Great Achievement Art, as that fact had already spread throughout the entire martial world. But for the Lesser Sword Immortal, So Woon-hwi, to have mastered it as well...
[Could it be?]
[Just listen.]
Because of the Golden Emperor’s attempt to recruit him, Baek Hyang-muk knew the fact that the Lesser Sword Immortal and the Blood Demon were the same person. However, his disciple, Lee Jung-gyeom, had no way of knowing.
Thus, Baek Hyang-muk briefly explained the events he had experienced. After learning the whole truth, Lee Jung-gyeom could not contain his shock.
[Ha! For Brother So to be both the successor of the Sword Immortal and the Blood Demon...]
[Keep this fact to yourself.]
Baek Hyang-muk hadn't intended to reveal it, given the promise he had made, if So Woon-hwi hadn't shown that form right before their eyes. However, he decided to inform his disciple to ensure Lee Jung-gyeom would keep his mouth shut.
‘He must be very surprised.’
Baek Hyang-muk himself had been stunned when he first learned the truth. So Woon-hwi was becoming the new hero and symbol of the Orthodox Faction. Moreover, had he not just become a candidate for the position of Alliance Leader?
To discover that such a man’s hidden identity was the Blood Demon had been staggering.
Seeing Lee Jung-gyeom’s immense shock, Baek Hyang-muk sent another transmission.
[Are you very surprised?]
At his question, Lee Jung-gyeom hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.
[...Actually, there is something I haven't told you, Master.]
Baek Hyang-muk countered.
[Something you haven't told me?]
[I liked him, so I intended to keep quiet as long as it didn't cause trouble for Peerless Fortress, but...]
[Peerless Fortress? What do you mean by that?]
Baek Hyang-muk was puzzled by the sudden mention of Peerless Fortress. Lee Jung-gyeom continued.
[...Do you remember when you sent me to take the exam for the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect?]
[I sent you myself; how could I not remember?]
He had sent Lee Jung-gyeom to that exam to smooth over relations with Peerless Fortress. He couldn't understand why this was being brought up now.
[Why are you mentioning this?]
[Didn't I tell you then that a man named Ha Un had become the Young Sect Leader?]
[Yes, you did.]
He remembered it clearly. He recalled that the biological son of the Merciless Wind God, Jin Seong-baek, had suddenly appeared and taken the position.
But then, completely unexpected words tumbled from Lee Jung-gyeom’s mouth.
[I didn't say it then, but Ha Un is Brother So—the Lesser Sword Immortal, So Woon-hwi.]
‘!!!’
Baek Hyang-muk was beyond surprised; he was utterly aghast. He could hardly process what his disciple was saying.
[What do you mean? So Woon-hwi is Ha Un?]
[...As you know, Master, even before I learned martial arts, my sensitivity to energy was acute, allowing me to distinguish others' energy by sense.]
He knew that. That was why he had taken him as a disciple.
[When I saw Ha Un back then, his energy was subtly different from how it was during the Successor's Martial Discussion, but as the exam progressed, I became certain it was him.]
[Why did you not speak of this?]
At Baek Hyang-muk’s prodding, Lee Jung-gyeom scratched his head.
[...I liked him.]
[You liked him, so you hid it from your master?]
For a moment, Baek Hyang-muk felt a headache coming on. Then again, it was almost comical to scold him for this now. Even after Lee Jung-gyeom remembered being possessed by the Brilliant Star of the Calamity Slaughter Sword, had he not hidden his past slaughters out of sheer remorse?
[This was not something to be hidden.]
[I apologize. It wasn't just that I liked him; I figured that since he was from the Yikyang So family, there must have been a reason for him to hide his identity while seeking out the Merciless Wind God.]
In the end, it really meant he had hidden it because he liked the man. Baek Hyang-muk had worried because his disciple rarely interacted with others, but to think the one person he had formed a bond of loyalty with was So Woon-hwi... it was absurd.
[I didn't intend to hide it forever. I planned to ask Brother So for help if a situation arose where we clashed with Peerless Fortress.]
[To think you're only telling me such an important thing now.]
Baek Hyang-muk clicked his tongue. The truth Lee Jung-gyeom had revealed was enough to shake the entire martial world.
‘How could this be... Ha!’
Baek Hyang-muk was speechless. It was no exaggeration to say the current martial world was divided among three major powers. The Martial Alliance, the Blood Cult, and Peerless Fortress had been maintaining a balance, but ridiculously, a single person occupied the heart of all three.
If the Lesser Sword Immortal, So Woon-hwi, became the leader of the Martial Alliance, he would effectively be the head of all three major powers.
‘The Golden Emperor isn't the problem here, is he?’
The entire core power of the martial world was about to fall into the hands of a single man. What even the Golden Emperor couldn't achieve while hiding in the shadows, So Woon-hwi was on the verge of accomplishing.
To the grave-looking Baek Hyang-muk, Lee Jung-gyeom spoke again.
[And there is one more thing I must tell you.]
[...What is it now?]
[I only just realized this, but the energy of the successor of the Sword Immortal you mentioned earlier—the one who acted as the Golden-Eyed Man—is very similar to Brother So’s energy over there.]
[What?]
Baek Hyang-muk’s eyes went wide at those words.
Crunch!
“Aaaaaagh!”
He certainly had a tenacious life force. Though not as much as Seobok, his body continued to regenerate even as I sliced and crushed it. Of course, since I made him like this every time he regenerated, he must be in agony.
What do you mean, "quite something"? Do you know how much pain I was in when those needles were driven into my pressure points? I’m just returning that pain in full.
Since he must clearly know the gap between us now, I suppose I should wrap this up.
Leaving only his head and the upper part of his torso intact, I drove the Namcheon Iron Sword into the man’s heart and spoke.
Thud!
“Ugh...”
“What is your true identity?”
At my question, the man looked at me with a pained expression.
“Ju... kill me.”
“I will. But only after I hear the truth from your mouth.”
The man stared at me as if he were appalled. You’re quite something yourself, keeping your mouth shut even in this state.
However, I had guessed something earlier when Baek Hyang-muk provoked him.
“How did you manage to plant a Spirit Fragment into the Calamity Slaughter Sword?”
At my question, the man’s face stiffened. As expected, this was the key point.
At first, not knowing he was a fake Lee Jung-gyeom, I thought he had been possessed by the Spirit Fragment of the Calamity Slaughter Sword and tried to absorb it with Heavenly Authority. But there was no Spirit Fragment inside him where there should have been one.
“In a human body, the Soul and the Spirit Fragment maintain a balance. But your body lacked that.”
“.........”
“Which means you put your Spirit Fragment into the Calamity Slaughter Sword.”
The man’s pupils trembled slightly. It seemed my guess was somewhat correct. I continued to voice my suspicions.
“You said it was about three hundred years ago... what is your relationship with Zizangjeong?”
“.......”
“If the Golden Emperor knew about the Fuse, he would have figured out my identity long ago. But he didn't. That means you must be an acquaintance of Zizangjeong or related to him in some way.”
“.......What are you talking about?”
“Don't play dumb.”
Squelch!
“Aaaagh!”
As I twisted the sword as if gouging him, the man writhed in pain.
“Anyone who knows about the Fuse must be a Taoist related to him. Who are you?”
At my question, the man’s face trembled violently. He was incredibly tight-lipped.
This man was definitely related to Zizangjeong. But back then, the eight masters had personally crippled the martial arts of the Taoists who followed Zizangjeong, erased their memories, and sent them out of the Fuse.
That’s impossible. Their timeline is further in the future than this. The eight masters' techniques wouldn't just break, but even if they regained their memories, they would never meet in this current time period.
Then who exactly is he?
Back then, Zizangjeong hadn't just been beheaded; his body had been completely incinerated. There was no way he could have survived.
“Ha... ha... kill me. There is... nothing... you can... find out...”
“You think there’s nothing?”
With those words, I looked away from him and gestured behind me. About twenty zhang away stood the real Lee Jung-gyeom along with Baek Hyang-muk. The man’s eyes widened at the sight.
“If you won't open your mouth, I’ll just have to examine the Spirit Fragment remaining inside Lee Jung-gyeom.”
You didn't think of that, did you? Even without you, I had a way to find out.
Watching me smirk, the man shouted as if overcome with resentment.
“As expected, you won't be satisfied until you’ve stolen everything from others. Why did my entire being... to someone like you...”
The agitated man was about to say something. It was at that very moment.
Vwooom!
The space in front of me distorted, and someone suddenly appeared and slit the Fake Lee Jung-gyeom’s throat.
Slash!
“Gah!”
It happened so suddenly that there was no time to block it.
‘Damn it!’
I swung the Namcheon Iron Sword toward the figure. The person leaped back, evading my strike. It was a man wearing a mask and a bamboo hat, and he had dodged my sword with ease.
Even though I had deactivated the Blood Demon transformation and the Adaptation of Thunder Energy, to dodge my strike so easily...
Crackle!
I immediately reactivated the Blood Demon form and the Adaptation of Thunder Energy. I was about to thrust my sword at him, but the space distorted again, and the man, who was leaping backward, was sucked in and vanished.
I couldn't hide my bewilderment at the sight.
‘Ground Shrinking Technique?’
Ground Shrinking Technique. This was undoubtedly it. It was a method that could only be performed by reaching a level of Dao where one could move by folding space itself. It was one of the things I hadn't learned because I hadn't entered the priesthood to cultivate the Dao. This was a high-level Dao technique possible only for those who had cultivated as much as the eight masters.
My shock was brief, and my thoughts turned elsewhere.
‘He killed him to shut him up. The next target is...’
There was no time to think further. I immediately shot toward the master and disciple.
Flash!
Due to my incredible Lightness Skill, the surroundings felt as if they had stopped. When performing Lightness Skill while using the Adaptation of Thunder Energy, the speed is beyond imagination.
In the slowly flowing time, I saw the space behind the real Lee Jung-gyeom distort, and the masked man in the bamboo hat appeared. Lee Jung-gyeom and Baek Hyang-muk were slowly turning their heads.
However, the masked man’s sword was faster. It was already about to reach Lee Jung-gyeom’s neck.
‘Wind Shadow Light Divine Step!’
Zap!
In an instant, I accelerated even further, and my figure reached them.
‘!!!’
The eyes of the mysterious man, visible through the gaps in his mask, widened.
“Where do you think you’re aiming!”
As I swept my hand, the bodies of Baek Hyang-muk and Lee Jung-gyeom, who were moving slowly, were flung aside by my profound True Qi.
Boom!
“Whoaaa!”
“Whaaaat issss thiiiiis...”
As they were cleared away and space opened up, I thrust my sword toward the man without hesitation. Flustered, the man desperately leaped back and tried to use the Ground Shrinking Technique. The space distorted, and his body was sucked in.
However, the red lightning strike carried by my sword was sucked in at the same time.
Crackle! Vwoom!
As if nothing had happened, the man vanished. The slowly flowing time accelerated back to normal.
Thud!
Baek Hyang-muk, who had been flung away, corrected his posture with a fall-break and shouted at me.
“W-What was that just now?”
I don't know either. But he’s someone who can use the Ground Shrinking Technique.
I looked at the tip of the Namcheon Iron Sword, which was trembling from the aftereffects of the red lightning. My strike had definitely reached him.
A deep valley about two hundred li away.
As the space distorted...
KABOOM!
A portion of the valley was completely obliterated by the sword strike carrying red lightning. As if a natural disaster had occurred, the valley was destroyed, and the water that had been flowing like a torrent splashed in all directions and flooded the area.
Rumble!
In that place, a black shadow hurriedly pulled something out. It was none other than the masked man in the bamboo hat. Except for his upper torso above the chest, his body had been completely blown away by the strike.
“Are you alright, Lord Noejangjo?”
At the shadow’s question, the masked man coughed up blood and spoke.
“Cough... cough... T-That brat’s power far exceeded my expectations.”
At his words, the shadow looked at the destroyed valley and clicked his tongue.
“Is this truly the power of a human?”
The masked man was also appalled. He hadn't expected an attack of such power to penetrate the Ground Shrinking Technique. Thanks to that, his body was in this state, and he wouldn't be able to move for several hours.
‘I should have killed him.’
It was too late. By the time his body recovered enough to use the Ground Shrinking Technique again, the successor of the Sword Immortal would have already absorbed the Spirit Fragment.
The masked man spoke to the shadow holding him.
“We must hasten the plan.”
Baek Hyang-muk, having regained his composure, asked me in a bewildered voice.
“What on earth was that just now? The space suddenly distorted...”
“I don't know either.”
There was no reason to tell him about the Ground Shrinking Technique. More importantly, I had to hurry and absorb the Spirit Fragment from the real Lee Jung-gyeom.
“Brother Lee.”
At my call, Lee Jung-gyeom answered somewhat unnaturally.
“Brother So.”
What was this? I felt a subtle awkwardness. Was he afraid after seeing my martial prowess? I didn't think he was that kind of person.
For now, I had to put out the urgent fire.
“Brother Lee. I will remove the sword’s evil intent immediately on behalf of your master. Come here.”
Then, Baek Hyang-muk approached me and spoke seriously.
“You don't have to keep acting. Are you not the successor of the Sword Immortal?”
‘!?’
I stopped in my tracks as I was heading toward Lee Jung-gyeom. How did he figure that out? I played dumb for the moment.
“What are you talking about?”
At my words, Baek Hyang-muk shook his head and said, “The fact that ‘that man’ impersonated you within the Martial Alliance even though the Lesser Sword Immortal was there, and the fact that you were here when I came to find Jung-gyeom... it was all suspicious.”
“........”
So he was certain because of that? The interval had been too short compared to before.
“I think there’s a misunderstanding.”
Then, Lee Jung-gyeom spoke to me.
“I will call you Brother So for now. My Qi sense is several times more sensitive than others, so I can accurately distinguish a person’s energy.”
“Distinguish energy?”
It was similar to observing others through the Golden Eye. Was he that sensitive to Qi? Wait, then could it be...
As I was wondering, Lee Jung-gyeom continued.
“I know that Brother So is not only the successor of the Sword Immortal but also Ha Un, the Young Sect Leader of Peerless Fortress.”
‘Ha...’
For a moment, I was speechless. To think all my identities would be discovered by someone like this. I hadn't expected this situation.
Baek Hyang-muk spoke to me with a grave face.
“Successor of the Sword Immortal, what is your true purpose? You said you stepped forward to stop the ambition of the man called the Golden Emperor, but if things are like this, this old man cannot see the difference between you and him.”
“The difference, you say...”
“Is it not so? If you even become the Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance, it means the three major powers leading the current martial world will fall into the hands of a single person—you.”
He looked at me as if he were worried about that. It was as if this was the one thing he could not tolerate.
“Even so, can you truly say you are acting for the justice of the martial world as the successor of the Sword Immortal?”
He asked as if testing my honor. I took a long breath.
“Whew.”
Then I spoke to Baek Hyang-muk.
“When did I ever say I was executing the Golden Emperor for the sake of justice?”
“What?”
“His goal back when he sat on the Imperial Throne was the extermination of the martial world. The reason he hid in the shadows and didn't step forward until now was because he was afraid I would reappear.”
He already knew that. Baek Hyang-muk frowned and argued back.
“Even so, for the entire martial world to fall into the hands of one person...”
“Is there any reason it shouldn't?”
At my words, the eyes of both Baek Hyang-muk and Lee Jung-gyeom trembled. Baek Hyang-muk, with a tense face, gathered his energy and spoke to me.
“Though I have stepped down from the position of Alliance Leader, I once sacrificed this body for the Orthodox Faction. How can I just watch as all that power is grasped by a single person?”
I smirked at him and spoke in a meaningful voice.
“Isn't it better than unifying the world by wiping out the Orthodox Faction?”
‘!!!’