Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: The Heavenly General Twenty-Four Formation
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In that moment, not only Bu Eun-seol's party but also Namgung Se-a found their gazes fixed, as if mesmerized by a pair of beautiful eyes.
“Then let us be on our way.”
Only when the Young Palace Lord's voice reached them did Namgung Se-a come to her senses and nod.
The Shin-nyeo-gung's Zixia Grotto.
A massive underground cavern located within the Shin-nyeo-gung's main palace, it was originally a place where secret manuals were passed down and stored through generations.
However, as dampness increasingly filled the space, it was sealed off. The Palace Lord of the Shin-nyeo-gung later reinstalled the Heavenly General Twenty-Four Formation here.
*Clomp, clomp.*
After descending the underground passage for some time, a massive iron gate finally came into view.
Namgung Se-a touched several carvings on the iron gate, and with a grinding sound, it soon swung open.
“This place is...”
Namgung Un's eyes widened as he stared inside the gate.
The floor of the stone chamber, lit by torches on all sides, was covered in a dense grid of lines, making it resemble a giant chessboard.
And standing there were twenty-four colossal bronze statues, each appearing to be over eight feet tall.
“What is all this?”
To Namgung Un's question, Namgung Se-a replied in a low voice.
“This is the Heavenly General Twenty-Four Formation. If you can break through those twenty-four heavenly generals and exit into the chamber on the other side, you will have passed the test.”
As a prodigy of the Namgung family, Namgung Un had achieved a certain level of mastery not only in swordsmanship but also in formations.
He wore a grave expression as he observed the positions in which the heavenly generals stood.
Traces of traps were visible everywhere, as well as illusionary formations designed to shake the human spirit.
“This... is truly a formation one must risk their life for.”
“You can still give up now.”
The veiled Young Palace Lord spoke.
“This formation can never be passed alone. It requires at least two masters well-versed in formations to break it.”
“Even so, I will give it a try.”
Namgung Un took a deep breath.
He may have lacked experience in the martial world, but he was not lacking in swordsmanship or the study of formations.
“May I start first?”
Namgung Un grinned at Bu Eun-seol.
His calculation was that even if he failed, seeing the formation in action beforehand would be helpful to the other.
*‘So he isn’t just a simple ruffian.’*
Realizing Namgung Un's consideration, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“Then, I'm going in!”
Namgung Un drew the Golden Needle Sword from his waist and slowly entered the Heavenly General Twenty-Four Formation.
“Ugh.”
The moment he stepped into the formation, Namgung Un's expression twisted.
As soon as he entered, he felt an unpleasant sensation relentlessly burrowing into his mind.
*Fwoosh!*
In that instant, a nearby heavenly general swung the greatsword it held.
It wasn't just a statue; it was a bronze figure that could move like a person via some mechanism.
“Kuh.”
But distracted by the sensation in his head, his evasive maneuver was a fraction too slow.
*Shnk!*
The greatsword, narrowly missing him, grazed his back.
*‘I almost died.’*
Heaving an inward sigh of relief, he surveyed the heavenly generals positioned around him.
*‘What the Young Palace Lord said was true.’*
Dozens of formations were layered on top of each other, and the Gates of Life were staunchly guarded by the heavenly generals. What's more, with every move, the formation shifted chaotically like a constellation.
*‘It's impossible.’*
Unable to find a way to break the formation no matter how he looked, he gathered all his internal energy and infused it into his Golden Needle Sword.
*‘At this rate, I’ll just have to destroy all the heavenly generals with my sword!’*
*Vwooom!*
As true energy flowed to the tip of the Golden Needle Sword, a low hum resonated from the blade.
“Hah!”
With a sharp cry, Namgung Un powerfully slashed at the heavenly general standing before him.
*Kooong!*
But with a dull thud, as if striking a boulder, the heavenly general was merely pushed back a single step.
“What?”
He had used a technique that could shatter even a vajra bronze figure in a single blow. Yet it was only pushed back one step?
*‘It can withstand my family’s sword art?’*
In truth, the heavenly general hadn't been destroyed because, caught in the formation's illusion, his sword had missed its mark.
But unaware of this, Namgung Un shouted with a look of humiliation.
“The sword of the Namgung family can destroy anything!”
Doubling his internal energy, he once again unleashed the Azure Sky Flying Swallow Sword.
*Kwaang! Poong!*
In an instant, stone fragments and dust clouds erupted from the chamber floor.
But despite his full-powered assault, the heavenly generals stood tall, completely unmoved.
“Get a hold of yourself! Your sword isn't hitting them at all!”
As Heuk-pyo, who was watching from a distance, shouted, Namgung Se-a shook her head.
“It's no use. Once you're inside the formation, you can't hear anything.”
“Dammit!”
Stabbing his Golden Needle Sword into the chamber floor, Namgung Un bit his lip.
*‘There’s no way this Golden Needle Sword can’t break a single statue made of iron. I must be under the influence of this formation.’*
After a moment of thought, he used a common sword technique instead of the Azure Sky Flying Swallow Sword and struck at a heavenly general.
But with another *kooong*, the heavenly general remained standing tall.
*‘Even a light strike makes that sound?’*
Only then did Namgung Un realize his sword hadn't been hitting the heavenly general at all, and his eyes flashed.
*‘Come to think of it, I don’t need to fight these heavenly generals. I just need to get to the other side.’*
As he regained his composure, strength seemed to surge within him once more.
Changing his strategy, he began to execute his footwork repeatedly, moving forward while evading the heavenly generals.
*Fwoosh!*
But this method was not easy either.
The attacks of the twenty-four heavenly generals were flawlessly precise, and the formations on the floor shifted constantly.
If he had decided to focus solely on defense, it might have been different, but trying to advance while evading attacks meant that taking a single step took more than a quarter of an hour.
*‘Dammit! Dammit!’*
More than half an hour had already passed, yet Namgung Un hadn't even made it halfway through the Heavenly General Twenty-Four Formation.
The bigger problem was that Namgung Un's stamina and internal energy were gradually depleting.
*‘Because of the illusions, I can’t get a sense of where or how those greatswords will come at me.’*
Continuously executing his footwork, Namgung Un felt his once razor-sharp senses slowly dulling.
On top of that, the floor was constantly shifting chaotically, making it difficult to even stand still.
Greatsword attacks coming from nowhere. The stone floor spinning endlessly. It was so dizzying that Namgung Un felt nauseous just standing still.
*Fwoong! Pat!*
As he dodged a greatsword aimed at his head, another massive greatsword exploited the opening and grazed his shoulder.
“Keuk!”
Once his stance broke, Namgung Un's footwork began to tangle.
By the time it took to drink a cup of tea, his body was becoming soaked in blood.
“Stop!”
Just then, the Young Palace Lord took out the Young Palace Lord's Token from her robes and spoke in a pained voice.
“Have it stop.”
“Understood.”
Namgung Se-a took the token and hurriedly inserted it into a slot on one side of the chamber.
With a rumbling sound, the chaotically spinning floor came to a halt, and the greatsword-wielding heavenly generals also slowly stopped moving.
“Hah... Hah...”
Standing in the middle of the stone chamber, Namgung Un gasped for breath.
If the formation hadn't been stopped, his body would have been torn to pieces by the greatswords within a quarter of an hour.
“Sir. Are you alright?”
Heuk-pyo, who had been standing next to Bu Eun-seol, quickly moved to support him, but Namgung Un waved his sleeve.
“I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about.”
Though he said so, his steps were unsteady, and his complexion was deathly pale.
As he exited, Namgung Se-a spoke in a cold voice.
“You reckless fool.”
Glancing at the Young Palace Lord's Token embedded in the wall, she said to Namgung Un in a low voice.
“Know that you live by the grace of the Young Palace Lord.”
Hearing this, Namgung Un pushed away from Heuk-pyo's support and struggled to cup his hands.
“Thank you for your consideration. Haha.”
“It was nothing.”
As the Young Palace Lord gave a slight bow, Namgung Un staggered again.
Namgung Se-a spoke to the maids standing behind the Young Palace Lord.
“Guide him to the Hall of Medicine.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
When Heuk-pyo tried to support him again, Namgung Un waved him off.
“Don't worry about me. Stay by Young Master Seol's side.”
Then, he looked at Bu Eun-seol with an embarrassed expression.
“I ended up in this state due to my lack of skill, but I hope that you, Young Master Seol, will surely pass.”
Namgung Un's speech and actions were flippant, but he was a man with a big heart and a fiery spirit.
As if recognizing Namgung Un's true character, Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
“Get some rest.”
And he slowly walked into the stone chamber.
“Young Master. Please don't overdo it.”
Heuk-pyo said worriedly, and Bu Eun-seol nodded.
“I know.”
*Shhh.*
At last, Bu Eun-seol entered the stone chamber where the Heavenly General Twenty-Four Formation was set.
The moment he stepped into the formation, unpleasant emotions relentlessly flooded his mind.
It was anger and regret he had long since forgotten.
*‘This feels unpleasant.’*
The minds of martial arts masters are extremely firm and are not easily swayed by trivial matters.
Yet, to cause such discomfort just by stepping into a formation... the Shin-nyeo-gung's formation was truly extraordinary.
*Shhh.*
As Bu Eun-seol regained his senses and took a step, a sharp greatsword swept past his cheek with a *fwoong*.
The situation was remarkably similar to when Namgung Un had first entered.
*‘So that’s how it is.’*
Recalling everything Namgung Un had experienced, Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed.
*‘A master who has learned the Azure Sky Flying Swallow Sword couldn't properly evade the simple attacks of the heavenly generals. In that case... this isn't a simple illusion.’*
The greatswords wielded by the heavenly generals were over two feet wide.
If such massive greatswords were swung as swiftly as chopsticks, there should have been a loud sound of displaced air and a strong gust of wind.
But the sound of the approaching greatswords was only a low hum. This meant that his current senses were also clearly being affected by the formation.
*‘The Ya-su-do...’*
As he drew upon the senses of the Ya-su-do, which he usually kept subtly suppressed, Bu Eun-seol's pupils dilated widely.
*Hwaak!*
Simultaneously, the power of his Mind's Eye of Insight activated, allowing him to clearly perceive the heavenly generals standing in the chamber and the movement of the floor.
*‘The heavenly generals weren’t the ones charging.’*
According to the senses of the Ya-su-do, the floor was moving chaotically, but the positions of the greatsword-wielding heavenly generals were firmly fixed to the ground.
However, under the formation's influence, one would lose their sense of direction and be made to walk toward where the heavenly generals stood.
*‘I just have to break through.’*
*Step.*
As he took another step, three greatswords lunged at Bu Eun-seol's body with a *fwoong*.
*‘I can’t rely on my sight.’*
The Heavenly General Twenty-Four Formation constantly showed subtle illusions, causing one to lose not only their sense of direction but also their sense of distance.
Closing his eyes completely, Bu Eun-seol used the senses of the Ya-su-do to evade the greatswords.
*Shk! Shk!*
Despite this, shallow cuts appeared on Bu Eun-seol's body.
“So this is what a proper formation is like.”
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had faced countless formations and broken them with ease.
That was because those formations had been deployed by humans, each with different levels of martial skill, body types, and personalities.
But the heavenly generals before him were bronze statues with perfectly identical movements, forms, and even power distribution.
On top of that, the floor was moving erratically. For the first time, Bu Eun-seol could not find a flaw in a formation.
*Fwoong!*
Taking another step forward, six greatswords now blocked his path of retreat, aiming for the vital points on his chest and back.
*Shk! Shk!*
Every time Bu Eun-seol took evasive action, cuts invariably appeared on his body.
“To evade properly, I must completely decipher the formation and time my movements to its shifts.”
He managed to evade the greatswords using the senses of the Ya-su-do, but the erratically moving floor made perfect evasion impossible.
“Interesting.”
A smile played on Bu Eun-seol's lips.
Facing an unknown enemy was, for him, a pleasure.
Even if he could decipher the formation, he would have chosen to face the heavenly generals and press forward anyway.
“I should learn about formations later.”
He had thought of formations as nothing more than meaningless parlor tricks.
But the Heavenly General Twenty-Four Formation completely shattered that prejudice.
*‘To think that bronze statues moving within a formation could use such strange techniques.’*
His interest piqued, Bu Eun-seol drew up his internal energy. He then extended both palms and unleashed a powerful palm strike.
*Wooooo!*
Then, a strange phenomenon occurred.
As he extended his hands, the bodies of the iron heavenly generals were pushed straight back.
*‘What was that?’*
Watching this, Namgung Se-a's eyes widened.
Bu Eun-seol hadn't used a palm technique; he had poured out pure internal energy, using the Repulsion Art.