Chapter 379: White Heavenly Sword (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 379: White Heavenly Sword (3)
Shock was the first thing Moyong Tae felt as he watched the young man’s rising flames.
…So it’s true. He has reached the Fusion Realm.
After witnessing the Lesser King of Hell prove himself, a flicker of jealousy ignited within Moyong Tae’s heart.
Competitiveness was ingrained in the very soul of every martial artist.
Confronted with such staggering talent, Moyong Tae’s envy burned all the brighter.
Though he had long since abandoned the sword, he had once been a genius in his own right, and the embers of that pride still smoldered within him.
This youth had achieved the Fusion Realm before even turning twenty.
To call him ‘talented’ was a gross understatement.
Many had labeled the Lesser King of Hell a monster, the brightest star of his generation.
Yet, such claims were difficult to fully believe without seeing it firsthand.
Now, watching Gu Yangcheon, Moyong Tae felt an involuntary gulp catch in his throat.
…I see.
Having witnessed it with his own eyes, he conceded the point without resistance.
Moyong Tae was now certain.
The young man before him was destined to become a future Zenith.
He was the brightest star of this era. Feeling the scorching heat that radiated from Gu Yangcheon’s very being, Moyong Tae admitted to himself that this youth would one day stand at the very center of the martial world.
However,
That doesn’t mean I have to like him.
Even if Gu Yangcheon was fated for greatness, that meant nothing to Moyong Tae.
To him, only one thing mattered: his daughter.
\- …I greet the Lord of the Moyong Clan as a blood relative of Shanxi’s Gu Clan.
Gu Yangcheon repeated the same formal words he had spoken before.
It’s too late.
But the timing was all wrong.
He should have said this the first time he was asked.
Over the past few days, Moyong Tae had spent time with Moyong Hi-ah, and every other sentence from her lips had been about Gu Yangcheon.
\- Master Gu, he—
\- Hey father, you know that Master Gu—
\- This is something Master Gu likes—
…
Hearing his daughter speak with such radiant brightness, Moyong Tae felt as if his heart were being torn in two.
The daughter he had raised so preciously was now smiling so happily because of some no-name bastard.
How could that possibly sit well with him?
Even though Gu Yangcheon was the only one who could save her, Moyong Tae found it nearly impossible to suppress his simmering anger.
In the end, it was his daughter who had calmed him.
\- …Please don’t hate Master Gu so much. Could you please give him one chance?
Moyong Tae didn’t believe for a second that he would ever view Gu Yangcheon favorably, but Moyong Hi-ah was asking her father for something for the first time in her life.
She had never asked for anything before.
She had always hated the thought of being a burden to the clan because of her condition, enduring her pain in silence, never letting it show.
So when she made this request, her expression so pitiful and pleading, it struck Moyong Tae to his very core.
He had to go see Gu Yangcheon for himself.
Just what are you?
Moyong Tae needed to understand what kind of man Gu Yangcheon was, to have stolen his most precious treasure.
He had to see with his own eyes just how extraordinary this youth was.
Even if Gu Yangcheon had refused to give his name and backed down, Moyong Tae would not have taken Moyong Hi-ah back to the clan.
Only Gu Yangcheon knew how to treat her condition.
Moyong Tae didn’t understand how the bastard’s fiery energy could possibly help his daughter, but he was certain it was the only way; even the legendary Immortal Healer had been unable to devise a cure.
Because of that, he would not gamble with his daughter’s life.
Still, a refusal would have given him a definitive answer.
It would have meant that once Gu Yangcheon cured Moyong Hi-ah, he intended to sever all ties with her.
But Gu Yangcheon had stated his name in the end.
This fact did not please Moyong Tae.
If he hadn’t given his name…
Moreover, Gu Yangcheon seemed to understand the weight behind Moyong Tae’s demand.
Yet, he had not only given his name but had the audacity to challenge Moyong Tae to a duel.
…I don’t like this, either.
None of this would be happening if not for his daughter’s plea to give Gu Yangcheon a chance.
He had to swallow his anger.
Suppress it.
For now, his task was to teach this bastard a lesson.
Moyong Tae also needed an answer from him.
He had to determine what this man was capable of, and whether he held any genuine regard for his daughter in his heart.
Moyong Tae was determined to find out.
As Gu Yangcheon charged toward him, Moyong Tae moved, his sword gleaming with a cold, bright light.
This Sword Force could only come from a swordsman who had transcended his limits.
Gu Yangcheon closed the distance, his body wreathed in raging flames.
He’s extremely fast.
Moyong Tae’s eyes widened slightly.
The speed was unexpected.
However, Moyong Tae prided himself on never lagging behind anyone in speed.
His sword slashed through the air.
He aimed the tip directly for Gu Yangcheon’s chest.
Holding back as a senior? Such a concept had no place here.
This fight was about his daughter. No father would gamble with his daughter’s future.
That was Moyong Tae’s conviction.
The moment Gu Yangcheon entered his range, Moyong Tae’s sword flashed.
Gu Yangcheon’s brow furrowed at the sight of the incoming blade.
Swish-!
He twisted his body at the last moment, narrowly evading the strike.
A glowing arc of energy lingered in the air where the sword had passed.
Swoosh-!
The trees behind Gu Yangcheon shuddered and began to topple, cleanly severed by the Sword Force that had barely missed him.
Gu Yangcheon didn’t bother looking back; he knew a single moment of distraction meant death.
Instead, he stepped forward, closing the distance once more.
He stomped hard on the ground, using the impact as a springboard for his next attack.
Twisting his waist, he gathered Qi into his fist, waiting until it was fully charged before unleashing a powerful strike.
Fiery Fangs of the Beast.
Blaze-!
Flames shaped like a ferocious beast coiled around Moyong Tae before surging past him.
Seeing this, Gu Yangcheon immediately glanced to his side.
Turning his head, he caught sight of a sword blade already swinging toward him.
It meant Moyong Tae had never been touched by the flames in the first place.
Gu Yangcheon swung his Qi-enhanced fist.
Clang-!
His fist met the sword blade, deflecting it away with a sharp metallic ring.
Moyong Tae hadn’t expected such a bold counter.
He punched the blade?
Deflecting a sword strike with a bare fist was a rare, almost reckless tactic.
Given that the sword was infused with Qi, a single misjudgment could have cost him his hand, or his life.
Yet, Gu Yangcheon had swung his fist without a hint of hesitation.
This bastard…
Moyong Tae found himself reassessing the young man.
Gu Yangcheon moved with the instinct of a seasoned veteran.
But he was far too young to have accumulated such real combat experience.
Could it all be sheer, innate talent?
Moyong Tae’s gaze sharpened.
Though he hadn’t intended to fight seriously, he now began to wonder just how far he would need to go.
He felt his heart beat faster.
After just a few exchanges, his instincts were screaming that Gu Yangcheon was a genuinely threatening opponent.
Then,
Pow-! Gu Yangcheon spotted an opening and drove his fist toward Moyong Tae.
But the punch seemed slower, more telegraphed than before.
Is it a feint?
Moyong Tae considered severing the arm then and there, but hesitated.
The feint was almost too obvious.
Then,
Blaze-!
Flames erupted from Gu Yangcheon’s fist, flooding Moyong Tae’s vision with searing light.
A follow-up to the feint?
These pointless tricks won’t…!
Moyong Tae kept his senses fanned out, swiftly swinging his sword to disperse the wall of flames.
He immediately locked onto Gu Yangcheon’s position again.
But in that brief moment, Gu Yangcheon had already created distance, and something new hovered above his palm.
A large, brilliantly glowing sphere of fire.
…That is.
Moyong Tae gulped.
His instincts screamed at him, every muscle tensing as he sensed the immense, volatile Qi radiating from the sphere.
It was dangerous.
Profoundly dangerous.
Cgkkk-
Moyong Tae instantly channeled his Qi, concentrating it into his sword.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Gu Yangcheon hurled the Flaming Sphere. The massive orb of fire shot forward, radiating intense heat in all directions.
Moyong Tae swung his sword, now sheathed in a radiant, pure white Qi.
He knew dodging would be wiser, but he could not afford to retreat.
He had to meet it head-on.
The Righteous Dragon Follows the Sword.
The Righteous Dragon Accompanies the Talented.
The signature sword art of the Moyong Clan gleamed from his blade as it charged forth to meet Gu Yangcheon’s Flaming Sphere.
Claaang-!
“…What?”
To his astonishment, Moyong Tae’s Sword Force, blazing with white light, sliced cleanly through the sphere.
He blinked in confusion.
Based on the sheer power he had felt emanating from it, the sphere should not have been so easily bisected.
Boom-! Blaaze-!
The sphere exploded mid-air, sending waves of heat and wind outward, but the force was weaker than he had anticipated.
Something was wrong.
Just as Moyong Tae sensed the discrepancy, he felt a sudden presence.
“Shoot…!”
It was Gu Yangcheon.
Gu Yangcheon had used the explosion as cover and was now right in front of him, fist already striking out.
It was then that Moyong Tae realized the truth.
From the moment Gu Yangcheon had blocked his vision, every move had been leading to this precise instant.
Hah.
Monster… He’s truly a monster.
Even though he hadn’t gone all out, Moyong Tae was speechless that he had been outmaneuvered by a mere youth.
How could such a bastard exist in this generation? Awe warred with his frustration.
Acting purely on instinct, Moyong Tae raised his sword to defend.
Crack-! The defensive barrier he formed shattered the instant Gu Yangcheon’s fist connected.
It was clear the fist was packed with devastating Qi.
Clang-! The fist then slammed directly into the sword’s flat.
Moyong Tae strained to deflect the blow, but the force was overwhelming; he was lifted off his feet, unable to fully absorb the impact.
He was sent flying backward, propelled through the air for several meters.
“Ugh.”
Clack-! He stabbed his sword into the ground, skidding backward until he finally slowed to a stop.
The moment he steadied himself, he fixed his gaze on Gu Yangcheon, readying for the next exchange.
But Gu Yangcheon hadn’t moved an inch. He stood perfectly still at the exact spot from which he had struck.
Seeing this, Moyong Tae’s frown deepened, his brows knitting together.
Is he waiting for me?
It appeared Gu Yangcheon was deliberately allowing Moyong Tae to regain his footing.
To be humiliated like this by the bastard who stole my daughter…
Moyong Tae’s spirit ignited into a roaring blaze.
He exhaled sharply, his voice cutting through the tension as he spoke to Gu Yangcheon.
“I’m sorry.”
Gu Yangcheon flinched at the unexpected apology.
“What are you saying all of a sudden…?”
“I underestimated you. I did not take this fight seriously. For that, I offer my apology.”
Moyong Tae had held back, viewing Gu Yangcheon as an inferior. Now, he offered his apology as one martial artist to another.
“You are strong, Young Expert. Therefore, I will take this seriously from now on.”
“Wait, you really don’t have to… How about we just consider this my defeat and—“
Crack.
Whether Moyong Tae heard him or not, he raised his sword, resuming a perfect battle stance.
His Qi erupted outwards, flooding the surroundings with immense pressure.
“…Shit.”
Gu Yangcheon bit his lip as he felt the terrifying intensity of Moyong Tae’s Qi.
It felt completely different from before. On an entirely different level.
He realized, with dawning horror, that Moyong Tae truly had been treating him lightly until now.
I’m fucked.
This was not how things were supposed to go.
Gu Yangcheon frowned deeply. He had thought all he needed to do was prove his sincerity to the White Heavenly Sword.
Moyong Tae’s reaction only left him more perplexed.
What do I do? He’s really going to go all out now.
If not for the Qi shielding his body, the razor-sharp energy emanating from the White Heavenly Sword would have already shredded his clothes to ribbons.
The pressure was that immense.
…Maybe it’s not too late to run.
He felt the urge to flee, but one look at Moyong Tae’s expression told him it was not an option.
Do I really have to do this?
Just as Gu Yangcheon began to despair at the thought of a real, life-and-death fight against the White Heavenly Sword,
Thud…
He immediately snapped his head toward the source of a heavy, oppressive presence that had suddenly manifested.
Someone had appeared in the midst of their clash.
Then,
Swoooosh-!
The newcomer released their Qi.
In an instant, both Gu Yangcheon’s flames and the White Heavenly Sword’s sharp aura were utterly suppressed.
“…Ugh.”
Gu Yangcheon flinched as the overwhelming pressure washed over him.
It was hot.
Scorchingly hot, even for him, a master of Gu Flame Wheel Art.
Yet, the Gu Flame Wheel Art within his body began to resonate wildly with this overpowering Qi that was smothering his own flames.
It was understandable.
This sudden, invasive heat was identical in nature to the power he wielded.
The only difference was that its intensity far exceeded his own, easily dominating his flames.
The man who had suppressed them both fixed his gaze on Moyong Tae, whose sword was still drawn.
Clad in red robes that billowed in the heated wind, his searing presence continued to expand outward.
“White Heavenly Sword.”
“…!”
In a deep, commanding voice that brooked no disobedience, he called out to Moyong Tae.
Gu Yangcheon could see it clearly.
The man’s expression was etched with a clear, burning anger, an emotion rarely seen on his typically impassive face.
Startled by the man’s sudden appearance, Moyong Tae froze as Gu Cheolun glared at him and spoke.
“What are you doing?”
The moment Gu Cheolun finished speaking, his black hair ignited, transforming into a fiery, blazing crimson.