Chapter 23
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Sun-Piercing Sword Demonstration
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"Hah! You're going to demonstrate the Sun-Piercing Sword?"
"What in the world is that kid...!"
Excited murmurs spread through the room!
With those calm parting words, Gwang-il strode confidently out of the chamber.
The heavy silence that had weighed down the Sect Leader's chamber vanished without a trace in the aftermath of his bold move.
What rushed in to fill the void was nothing but uncontrollable chaos and uproar.
"Truly...?"
"Does Gwang-il really possess such astonishing talent?"
"Even gaining some fateful encounter can't possibly elevate one's martial prowess to that extent..."
It stemmed not just from the exquisite skill Gwang-il had already displayed, but also from his undeniable accomplishments in the proxy battle—achievements no one could refute.
It was impossible to dismiss it as mere youthful bravado or empty boasting when he'd shown so much in such a short time.
"Well, just look at how he subdued the Venom Dragon Captain, a master of the Supreme Poison Realm..."
"Subduing him alive is far harder than killing him outright—that's common sense, isn't it?"
"And they say he utterly crushed the entire Venom Dragon Squad under his command to boot..."
Such feats could never occur without exceptional skill.
Naturally, the consensus among the First-Generation Disciples began tilting toward trusting Gwang-il's confidence.
"Heh, what an unbelievable turn of events!"
"At just over thirty, he's broken through to the transcendent realm. I figured he'd have acquired fitting martial arts, but to think he'd mastered two forms of the Sun-Piercing Sword!"
Even though he hadn't proven anything yet.
The suspicions that had bloomed arbitrarily were now, absurdly enough, transforming just as arbitrarily into solid trust.
"Th-this...! Have you all lost your minds?!"
For Gwan-jong, who had no idea what was going on and had suddenly received his brother's urgent message to actively support Gwang-il, this was an infuriating spectacle.
"Just a year ago, he was barely a second-rate nobody! And now you're saying that after a single year in secluded training, he's mastered two forms of the Sun-Piercing Sword? How does that even make sense?!"
His voice rose in a torrent of malice, as if he couldn't tolerate the current positive sentiment.
It was proof of how cornered Gwan-jong felt mentally—he'd even forgotten this was the Sect Leader's chamber.
'No way that punk Gwang-il is really...?'
What did that brazen, confident stride out the door truly mean?
There was only one possible answer, forcing Gwan-jong to desperately suppress the rising anxiety churning within him.
"Is the Sun-Piercing Sword some ordinary sword art? It's the world's supreme swordsmanship, composed entirely of techniques worthy of being called the best under heaven! How could a mere Third-Generation Disciple accomplish what even our Senior Brothers couldn't? And in just one year, at his tender age?!"
"Hmm..."
"That's a perfectly reasonable point."
"But doesn't his sheer confidence speak volumes?"
"Jumping from peak realm to transcendent in a single year already defies all common sense, doesn't it?"
"Th-that's...!"
The general consensus wavered momentarily, heads tilting, before snapping right back.
Unable to bear it, Gwan-jong opened his mouth to unleash another tirade—
Only for a chilling, frostbitten remark to strike the back of his head like a slap.
"Gwan-jong, you look like you desperately want Gwang-il to be lying so you can watch him crash and burn."
"S-Senior Brother?!"
The one approaching with heavy, deliberate steps was none other than Gwan-ho—one of the most favorable toward Gwang-il among the current First-Generation Disciples of Point Cang.
His sturdy frame and piercing, icy gaze belied his seventy-plus years, evoking images of Guan Yu from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Gwan-ho unleashed another icy glare at Gwan-jong, who had unwittingly clamped his mouth shut in intimidation, and murmured softly.
"You, who haven't fully mastered even a single aspect of the Sun-Piercing Sword despite your age, dare speak of it so lightly?"
"S-Senior Brother!"
"There are plenty among the Second-Generation, including Tong-cheon, who've perfected at least one strike."
"Urk!"
"A guy who's neglected martial training his whole life for petty gains, now suddenly feigning such zeal. Especially hoping the disciple inheriting our Founding Ancestor's legacy will fail spectacularly."
"That's too much! Don't make baseless assumptions!"
Gwan-jong shouted hysterically, as if breaking free from invisible bonds, rejecting the onslaught of pressure and words.
Of course, Gwan-ho hadn't laid any tangible restraint on him, so the sight of Gwan-jong flailing full-force was rather comical.
"...Pathetic fool."
"Y-you...!"
"Tsk tsk!"
Gwan-ho shook his head disdainfully and walked away, as if he couldn't be bothered to continue.
As Gwan-jong glared murderously at his retreating back, Sect Leader Gwan-hae's indifferent voice drifted in slowly.
"We can verify it soon enough. Don't stir up confusion with unnecessary words."
"E-even you, Sect Leader Brother...!"
"If you keep this up and Gwang-il proves his words true, how will you handle the humiliation afterward?"
"?!"
A dilemma he'd never considered.
Gwan-hae brushed past the stunned Gwan-jong and exited the chamber with the others.
Left behind in the now-empty Sect Leader's chamber were just two people.
Gwan-jong, seething with extreme confusion and rage at the unexpected turn...
And...
"You utter moron...!"
"...!"
The Yun Merchant Leader, his blood kin.
"I warned you explicitly! How could you pull such a stupid stunt?!"
"B-Brother?!"
"From here on out, whatever happens, the Yun Merchants have nothing to do with you. Understand?"
"Brother! What do you...!"
"Do you understand?!"
"!"
A thunderous roar erupted involuntarily from the Point Cang Sect Leader's chamber.
Startled by his own outburst, the Yun Merchant Leader clamped his mouth shut, but his eyes burned with undisguised murderous intent.
"You don't even know what Gwang-il really is...! You idiot!"
"......"
"Hoo..."
He let out a long, frustrated sigh and stormed out brusquely.
Gwan-jong, faced with that overtly irritated demeanor, grew even more baffled by the unfolding situation.
"What in the...!"
What was going on here?!
Unable to comprehend the circumstances surrounding him, he sank deeper into turmoil.
'Might as well reveal my full power now and solidify my position for good.'
Meanwhile, Gwang-il had walked all the way to the large training ground, deliberately far from the Sect Leader's chamber. He took in the Second-Generation Senior Uncles and Third-Generation Junior Brothers eyeing him with curiosity.
Since things had come to this, he aimed to prevent similar controversies in the future.
By publicly demonstrating his prowess.
This went beyond merely gaining a fateful encounter and transcendent might—it was a different matter altogether.
'To freely offer pointers in the future, this might actually be the better way.'
Advising Second-Generation Disciples—his master's peers—on the Sun-Piercing Sword was normally unthinkable.
But if his own mastery far surpassed theirs?
Then he could offer tailored guidance and instruction without issue.
'The sect's hierarchy is all twisted up, which is a real mess.'
What could he do?
With the Beast Palace's massive invasion looming.
It was only natural to think petty etiquette could wait.
Especially now that even the Sichuan Tang Clan had bared its fangs.
'I can just credit everything to the Founding Ancestor, and it'll all work out.'
How did a thirty-something reach transcendent realm in just a year of seclusion?
The Founding Ancestor blessed him.
How did he master two of the eight Sun-Piercing Sword forms in that time?
Again, thanks to the Founding Ancestor's grace.
'Who in the sect would dare question that?'
Once he proved his skill irrefutably, it was done.
They'd only marvel at the Founding Ancestor's boundless mercy in nurturing a young Third-Generation Disciple to such heights in so short a time.
'Even if it's not a fraction of my past life's true power...'
Still, flawlessly executing the four Sun-Piercing Sword forms he had mastered before should be no problem.
The power might fall short, but that was inevitable.
And if someone gained enlightenment from it? That would be ideal.
'Gwan-jong's malice turning into a blessing—how ironic.'
Life really comes down to mindset, Gwang-il thought with a smirk.
As he stood in the center of the training ground, calmly organizing his thoughts—
He spotted the First-Generation elders pouring out and offered a crisp, respectful fist salute toward them.
"I came to this training ground hoping to prevent such debates from arising again and to let my achievements benefit my fellow sect members."
"Mm."
"So, with the Sect Leader's permission, I wish to fully reveal my progress to everyone."
"Proceed. I shall watch with great pleasure."
He'd been silently observing with that intent from the start.
Gwang-il's confident demeanor—despite being his direct-line great-granddisciple—eased Gwan-hae's lingering concerns sparked by Gwan-jong's words.
'Gwang-il wouldn't spout nonsense without cause.'
Honestly, even he found it hard to believe a thirty-something had mastered two Sun-Piercing Sword forms.
'Like he said, maybe I've been stuck in my own well too.'
Gwang-il had already proven miracles like the Founding Ancestor's fateful encounter and transcendent prowess—things hard to credit.
'I'll know soon enough just by watching.'
For now, all he could do was watch with quiet faith.
And at that very moment—
Whoosh!
"Hm!"
"Hah!"
A terrifying sword intent, fierce enough to shrivel the blood of any onlooker, erupted from Gwang-il's entire body. He stood resolute amid a dozen yards of empty space on all sides.