The Weight of the Heavens
Swoosh!
A piercing shriek tore through the air.
It was a strike so blisteringly fast that it seemed impossible for a blade of such immense mass. The heavy sword hurtled straight toward the crown of Dokgo Jin's head.
Dokgo Jin's gaze deepened.
This was no ordinary heavy weapon swung with brute force. It was propelled by the explosive acceleration of muscles honed to their absolute limits.
A savage, unrelenting stroke.
Attempting to meet such momentum head-on would be pure folly. Rather than drawing his blade, Dokgo Jin twisted his torso with supple grace and stepped back half a pace.
Crash!
The ground where he had stood an instant before split wide, carved open by a massive trench. Stone fragments sprayed violently in every direction, but Neung Wi-gwan was far from finished.
"Hah!"
Neung Wi-gwan harnessed the violent recoil of his sword embedding into the earth. His solid waist whipped around like a spinning top, and the heavy blade tore free from the ground to lash out in a devastating horizontal arc.
Whuuung!
The oppressive weight of the strike felt as though an iron pillar were sweeping across the ring. The displaced air surged forward in a suffocating wave, giving the illusion that the entire courtyard had been hurled forward at once. There was nowhere left to retreat.
If that is how it must be.
Extinction cleared its scabbard.
The pure white blade flashed, striking the flank of the incoming greatsword at the exact point where its kinetic leverage was weakest.
Clang!
Sparks erupted into the air alongside the shrieking resonance of clashing steel. The tip of Dokgo Jin's sword skated along the length of Neung Wi-gwan's blade, subtly nudging its ferocious trajectory off-course.
Whoosh!
The heavy sword whistled through empty air, missing Dokgo Jin's robes by a hair's breadth. Dokgo Jin immediately moved to slip inside his opponent's guard. Yet, before he could close the distance, the heavy tip pivoted with fluid precision, slicing across the very opening Dokgo Jin intended to exploit.
Dokgo Jin adjusted his footwork in a flash, drifting away to avoid the crushing follow-up. But Neung Wi-gwan gave him no room to breathe. With every swing, the momentum compounding within the massive blade drove it faster and faster.
Thud! Bang! Crash!
Downwards, upwards, diagonally—a relentless barrage of simple yet overwhelmingly destructive combinations. Each time the heavy sword fell, Dokgo Jin danced upon the fluid currents of Nine Nether Trackless. Like running water parting around boulders, he deflected, parried, and probed for weaknesses in the tempest.
So this is the caliber of a vice-commander from Holy Sword Heaven, Dokgo Jin mused in silent admiration.
He is undeniably stronger than Vice-Commander Yoo.
While Yoo Seol-ah ranked on the weaker side among the Northern Heavenly Alliance's vice-commanders, Neung Wi-gwan's skill was clearly a step above ordinary squad seconds. Wielders of heavy swords were typically prone to wide, ponderous swings that left glaring openings. Neung Wi-gwan defied that convention. His strikes were both crushing and swift, executed without the slightest hesitation. The continuous, rotating momentum that hounded Dokgo Jin resembled an unstoppable, runaway wagon wheel.
The spectating young martial artists gasped in stunned disbelief.
"He can swing a heavy sword that massive at such speeds?"
"Forget the sword! What kind of monster is this Dokgo Jin to deflect every single blow?!"
Neung Wi-gwan's eyes burned with cold intensity as he pressed the assault.
Deflecting them? If only it were that simple.
Every strike he drove forward with bone-shattering force seemed to lose its power the instant it met Dokgo Jin's blade, sliding away as if striking a mountain of down feathers. Worse still, his opponent consistently turned that deflected momentum into counter-opportunities. More than once during the flurry, a sudden chill of mortal danger had crept up Neung Wi-gwan's spine. Had he hesitated for a fraction of a heartbeat, a fatal counterattack would have put him on the defensive.
"Hup!"
With a resounding shout, Neung Wi-gwan unleashed a sweeping blow that forced Dokgo Jin to leap backward, creating distance.
If this dragging contest continues, I will be the one at a disadvantage.
Catching his breath, Neung Wi-gwan spoke in a low, disciplined rumble. "Remarkable. It has been a long time since anyone blunted my Rock Breaking Turning Sword so effortlessly."
"Has it?" Dokgo Jin replied evenly.
"However, you will find this next strike impossible to evade."
Slowly, deliberately, Neung Wi-gwan raised his broad weapon high overhead. In doing so, his entire frame was left completely unguarded, yet his posture remained rock-steady. It was an open dare, practically begging Dokgo Jin to strike at the void.
A blatant provocation.
Dokgo Jin knew that if he lunged forward right now, Neung Wi-gwan would be caught in a disastrous position regardless of his confidence. In a mortal duel, striking an exposed opponent was the obvious choice. Yet Neung Wi-gwan had proclaimed aloud that his next attack could not be dodged. If Dokgo Jin struck before the technique was ready, the surrounding crowd would brand him a coward who lacked the courage to face the move head-on.
Very well. I will indulge you.
Dokgo Jin lowered Extinction to his side and calmly waited for the blow to manifest.
Seeing this, Neung Wi-gwan rejoiced inwardly.
Hook, line, and sinker!
The technique he was preparing was devastatingly powerful, but its primary flaw was the significant opening required to build up its kinetic energy. Neung Wi-gwan had resorted to a somewhat underhanded verbal taunt solely to buy himself the necessary time.
The air surrounding the heavy sword began to warp and groan. Dense, golden sword qi condensed along the wide steel, whipping up a violent vortex that sucked in the surrounding dust and loose grit. This was no simple rotation; it was a ferocious tempest poised to shred the very space around it. Veins pulsed across Neung Wi-gwan's bloodshot eyes.
From this distance, no one alive can take this head-on!
Rock Crushing Great Rotation
Boom!
Neung Wi-gwan's body spun forward like an iron juggernaut, hurtling toward Dokgo Jin. Golden sword qi spiraled in a ravenous whirlwind that devoured the atmosphere, unleashing a catastrophic storm capable of grinding a mountain of solid rock to dust.
"Look out!" someone in the crowd cried.
Even from a safe distance, the young disciples recoiled in instinctive terror.
In that razor's edge of an instant, the light in Dokgo Jin's eyes froze into utter stillness.
It was undeniably an exceptional technique, one worthy of Neung Wi-gwan's pride. But in the grand scheme of true martial supremacy, it fell far short.
Allow me to show you that there is always a heaven beyond the heavens.
In an instant, Dokgo Jin's pupils dissolved into the murky, bottomless black of an unfathomable abyss.
Sssss.
From the depths of his dantian, where it had lain coiled, the frost-chilled Ink Flame Qi of the Nine Nether Dark Sky Scripture surged into Extinction. The immaculate white steel turned pitch-black, as though drenched in absolute night.
Dokgo Jin used no flashy footwork, no elaborate katas. Facing the roaring golden hurricane, he simply swung the black-clad Extinction downward in a clean, indifferent cleave.
It was the plainest of movements, yet the result defied all reason.
Rumble!
There was no sharp explosion of steel on steel. Instead, a dull, subterranean tremor rippled outward, shaking the training grounds as if the world itself were sinking into the earth.
The moment Extinction collided with the heavy blade, Neung Wi-gwan felt the sickening sensation that his sword had not crashed into an iron wall, but plunged into a bottomless quagmire.
Hummmm…
The ferocious golden storm suffocated the very instant it touched Extinction, crushed beneath an incomprehensible mass. The terrifying rotational force and explosive acceleration dissolved into utter irrelevance before this absolute, crushing weight.
What… what is this?!
Neung Wi-gwan's eyes flared with bursting capillaries. The full might of his ultimate technique could not bear the abyssal gravity laden within Extinction, and the kinetic backlash began to violently surge backward into his own body.
Skrreeeech!
"Kuh-ak!"
A strangled cry tore from Neung Wi-gwan's throat. The muscles in his arms twisted under agonizing strain, and the web between his thumb and forefinger tore open, spraying blood. Dokgo Jin's sword was not merely heavy—it pressed down with the suffocating, dreadful weight of all Nine Nether hells combined.
Thud!
With a heavy thud, Neung Wi-gwan's knee slammed into the granite pavers. The dense stone beneath him fractured in a sprawling web of fissures. Crushed beneath the invisible mountain looming over his head, he could not draw a single breath of air.
I… I cannot hold this…
Just as despair took root and Neung Wi-gwan's spirit broke—
Tap.
The crushing pressure vanished as abruptly as a dream. Along with it, the terrifying internal force channeled through the steel dissipated without a trace.
"Let us end it here."
Before Neung Wi-gwan could comprehend what had happened, Dokgo Jin had already lowered Extinction and stepped back, his expression as serene as still water.
Neung Wi-gwan gasped raggedly for breath, his trembling eyes looking up at the young swordsman. The heavy sword gripped in his bloodied hand shook like an aspen in a gale.
To think there was a master of the heavy sword who outstripped me by this much…!
Had Dokgo Jin not shown mercy at the final moment, Neung Wi-gwan's arm would have been permanently mangled, and his weapon shattered into scrap. It was an absolute, undeniable defeat.
Neung Wi-gwan staggered to his feet. With a complicated gaze, he returned the heavy sword to the sheath across his back, then bowed deeply with clasped hands.
"I concede defeat."
"It was a fine match," Dokgo Jin replied courteously.
Though the contest was settled, a suffocating silence hung over the training grounds. Even the breeze seemed to hold its breath.
No one dared break the quiet. The watching young prodigies and the previously haughty martial artists of Holy Sword Heaven stood frozen, mouths agape, unable to process the spectacle before their eyes. A vice squad leader of the Heavenly Gang Corps—the pride of Holy Sword Heaven—had been thoroughly crushed in his own domain of heavy swordsmanship.
"…Incredible," the Leader of the 2nd Heaven Squad finally wheezed, breaking the spell.
He knew Neung Wi-gwan's capabilities better than anyone. In terms of pure martial prowess, Neung was the strongest vice-commander in their ranks, capable of holding his own against most full squad leaders. Yet that very man had been overwhelmed from start to finish.
He claims to be from the Iron Soul Unit? How could a monster of this level be a mere rank-and-file member?!
Of course, the allegiance could not be a lie; the squad leader knew who Yeom Baek and Yoo Seol-ah were. The Northern Heavenly Alliance was hiding a terrifying anomaly all along…
On the opposite side of the ring, Squad Leader Woo was grinning so broadly his smile threatened to reach his ears.
To think he would win with such decisive dominance… Woo studied Dokgo Jin with renewed astonishment. The Dragon Tiger Plaque Master is truly something else.
Composing his expression with some effort, Squad Leader Woo turned to the 2nd Heaven Squad Leader. "That was an impressive spar."
The Holy Sword Heaven squad leader replied through gritted teeth, "The Northern Heavenly Alliance truly lives up to its reputation. I had no idea such a formidable young expert existed in your ranks. You have broadened my horizons today."
Amid the crowd, Dokgo Jin's companions were no less astounded.
"Whoa…" Mok Woo-jeon murmured, shaking his head in admiration. "I had no clue our Dragon Tiger Plaque Master was a heavy sword specialist! That was incredible!"
"Do you truly believe that is all there was to it?" Tang Pung-yeong said coolly from his side.
Mok Woo-jeon blinked. "Eh?"
"Until that final blow, his movements were centered entirely on fast sword techniques. In short, he is not a swordsman restricted to heavy blades."
"Is that so?"
"The Dragon Tiger Plaque Master was proving a point to Neung Wi-gwan: that he could surpass him even in the man's own specialty."
"Oh-ho."
"It was an absolute, flawless victory."
Even as he spoke, Tang Pung-yeong's narrowed eyes remained glued to Dokgo Jin's hand.
That was no ordinary heavy sword.
With his hyper-attuned senses, Tang Pung-yeong had caught the bizarre ripple that briefly leaked from Dokgo Jin's blade. Though it had lasted for only a split second, the energy had felt unnervingly cold, sinister, and unfathomably deep.
Just what kind of martial art did he cultivate?
Namgung Ung tore through the estate grounds without looking back, his heart pounding against his ribs like a war drum. Though celebrated as a promising prodigy within the Namgung Clan, what he had just witnessed had thoroughly shaken him to his core.
"Hah, hah…!"
He sprinted deep into the clan's inner sanctum, bursting into the tranquil courtyard of the Cheongsim Pavilion.
Beneath the peaceful eaves of the wooden pavilion, a man sat leaning against the railing, quietly sipping tea. He looked to be barely a decade older than Namgung Ung, possessing a handsome face that was remarkably, almost unnaturally pale. His right sleeve hung limp and empty at his side.
It was Namgung I-hyeon, the youngest elder of the Namgung Clan and Namgung Ung's uncle.
"Uncle! U-Uncle!"
At the frantic shouting, Namgung I-hyeon set his teacup down and furrowed his brows. "You are being unusually noisy today, Ung. Catch your breath first."
"This is no time for composure! Uncle, do you… do you have any idea what I just saw?!"
Namgung Ung's breath hitched in his throat, but his excitement was uncontainable, spraying words in a rush. "A master from Holy Sword Heaven and an expert from the Northern Heavenly Alliance just went at it! It was utterly insane!"
Namgung I-hyeon's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that so? I heard the 2nd Heaven Squad of Holy Sword Heaven arrived, but the only people here from the Northern Heavenly Alliance should be the escort detail for the Cloud Sea Hall Master."
"That's them! From Holy Sword Heaven, a warrior named Neung Wi-gwan stepped up—"
"Neung Wi-gwan? Isn't he the vice squad leader of the 2nd Heaven Squad?"
Namgung Ung blinked in surprise. "He is? I didn't know that."
A soft, musical laugh escaped Namgung I-hyeon's lips. "Hahaha. I see what happened. He must have wanted to put on a show for you arrogant fledglings."
Namgung Ung flushed red. "W-Well, that's…"
"I can picture it without seeing it. So, Vice Squad Leader Neung won, naturally?"
Namgung Ung shook his head vigorously. "No! The warrior from the Northern Heavenly Alliance won!"
"Now that is unexpected. The Cloud Sea Hall Master's escort shouldn't have included anyone of full squad-leader caliber."
"When the match started, I was sure Neung Wi-gwan would win too! But… the other guy was an absolute monster!" Namgung Ung shuddered at the memory, the suffocating dread he had felt from the sidelines rushing back to him. "He effortlessly slipped past all of Neung Wi-gwan's fast, heavy strikes, and then at the very end… he used a heavy sword strike of his own to completely crush him into the dirt!"
Only then did Namgung I-hyeon's eyes widen a fraction. "He defeated him with a heavy sword? That is surprising indeed. Did the Northern Heavenly Alliance have a master of the heavy sword?"
"Where was he from again… Ah, they said he belongs to the Iron Soul Unit!"
Namgung I-hyeon tilted his head in thought, reaching to lift his teacup once more. The Iron Soul Unit under the White Tiger Banner… Aside from the Mountain Crushing Spear, there shouldn't be anyone of that caliber there.
"What was his name again… Right, they called him Dokgo Jin."
Clatter.
The porcelain lid rattled sharply against the cup. Namgung I-hyeon's hand froze in midair just inches from his lips. A strange, sharp light ignited in his usually detached eyes.
"What… did you just say?"
"Pardon? I said his name was Dokgo Jin."
"Dokgo… Jin…"
Namgung I-hyeon muttered the name beneath his breath, his pupils trembling violently.
No. It cannot be.
It was impossible. He had investigated it himself, confirmed the truth with his own eyes.
Yet if there is even the slightest, one-in-a-million chance…
Namgung I-hyeon sprang to his feet, knocking the stool back.
"Where is the Northern Heavenly Alliance's escort squad staying?!"