Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: The Berserker's Dance
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Entering the office, Jeong Cheon looked at Dam Yu-yeon and let out a deep sigh.
“I came because I heard you’d handled the three-hundred-thousand-nyang commission… but it seems something else occurred.”
His hearing was exceptional; he must have heard the entire conversation from outside the door.
“Young Master Seol. I apologize.”
Jeong Cheon respectfully clasped his hands together and bowed to Bu Eun-seol.
“The Master of Su-gyeong Hall has made a grave error. Allow me to apologize on her behalf.”
“I don’t need an apology.”
“I thought as much.”
Jeong Cheon smiled and nodded.
“I understand. Then, let’s go outside.”
“Brother Cheon!”
Dam Yu-yeon stepped in front of him.
“The Divine Physician told you not to use your martial arts for three years! If you draw upon your internal energy so forcefully again…”
“Hall Master… no, Yeon-ah.”
Jeong Cheon offered her a faint, gentle smile.
“This brother of yours will not have another episode. Rest assured.”
‘Episode?’
Just as Bu Eun-seol’s eyes flashed with curiosity, Jeong Cheon smiled, pointed to the door, and spoke.
“Now, shall we have a match?”
Near the southeastern part of Jeok-cheon-mak-ji.
The reeds, reflecting the crimson sunset, looked as if they were stained with blood.
A desolate wind had just swept through the reed field, where Bu Eun-seol and Jeong Cheon now stood facing each other.
“You are a peculiar one.”
Jeong Cheon reached out, feeling the wind with his fingertips, and slowly spoke.
“To think there’s a martial artist like you even in this day and age.”
He chuckled at Bu Eun-seol’s confused expression.
“Someone who burns as brightly and freely as a flame.”
Jeong Cheon smiled warmly.
“Flames are beautiful, but they don’t last long. Only their brilliant light remains briefly in memory.”
“We all pursue different paths.”
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“There are also those who live their entire lives just to burn with that brilliant light.”
“That may be so. But I could never live like that.”
Straightening his back, Jeong Cheon looked down at Bu Eun-seol with an admiring expression.
“You’ve advanced another step in that short time. Your presence is even more imposing than when I first saw you.”
It was likely due to the duel with Ja Mo-chang.
After all, grasping even a single, minor martial principle can be enough to elevate one’s realm.
*Shing.*
Jeong Cheon drew the long sword from his waist.
Jeong Cheon was not only very tall but also had long limbs. And the sword he drew was also very slender and long.
‘It seems about a foot longer than Seo Mun-gyeong’s Deformed Sword.’
Jeong Cheon’s sword was very similar to the one wielded by Seo Mun-gyeong at the Martial Tournament. But the aura emanating from his body was completely different.
If Seo Mun-gyeong seemed like he would cut down anything that came near him, Jeong Cheon seemed like he would suck everything around him into darkness.
“Are you ready?”
Jeong Cheon said with a relaxed expression, his sword pointed casually toward the ground.
“You may attack first.”
Bu Eun-seol did not refuse and drew his Muk-geom.
Jeong Cheon was a master of the highest caliber; a single moment of carelessness would be fatal.
*Shing.*
As he infused the drawn Muk-geom with his inner energy, the rust coating flaked away, revealing a mystical, inky luminescence.
Jeong Cheon nodded upon seeing the Muk-geom.
“A fine sword.”
“Be careful!”
*Flash!*
With a brilliant flash, the Muk-geom was at Jeong Cheon’s throat.
“A splendid technique.”
But Jeong Cheon retreated swiftly, as if he had predicted the move.
At the same time, a chilling sword energy erupted from his blade, scything through the surrounding reeds.
*Swish!*
A thin line of light flashed past, and a trickle of crimson blood ran down Bu Eun-seol’s cheek.
Since entering the martial world, it was the first time he had been wounded in the opening exchange.
*Whoosh!*
Before Bu Eun-seol could counter, Jeong Cheon’s sword spun through the air, thrusting for his throat once more.
Bu Eun-seol dodged with ease, but Jeong Cheon’s sword pursued him like a phantom.
“Kuh!”
As Bu Eun-seol moved to his left, Jeong Cheon’s sharp sword suddenly shot out as if it had been waiting, matching his evasive maneuver.
It was as if the sword had appeared out of thin air, ignoring the constraints of distance.
‘So this is the Cho-geom-rang’s practical swordsmanship.’
If Bu Eun-seol hadn’t learned the Ya-su-do, his throat would have been pierced by this single move.
‘If I just keep dodging, I’ll die.’
Twisting his body diagonally to evade, Bu Eun-seol unleashed a stream of sword energy from his Muk-geom.
*Clang!*
As the Muk-geom and the precious sword clashed, a bone-chilling sword energy spread in all directions.
As the swords met, the internal energy infused in their weapons clung together like magnets, beginning a contest of strength.
“...!”
In that moment, Jeong Cheon’s eyes widened slightly.
Surprisingly, Bu Eun-seol’s internal energy was a perfect match for his own, not yielding an inch.
“Your internal energy is quite formidable.”
Exclaiming in admiration, Jeong Cheon pushed back the Muk-geom and once again deployed his sword technique.
With just a single thrust, the thirty-foot space around Bu Eun-seol filled with a menacing sword energy.
Its speed was so incredibly fast that there was no room to dodge.
*Clang!*
Once again, the Muk-geom and the precious sword clashed.
Sparks flew, and this time Bu Eun-seol took a step back. The force behind the precious sword was even stronger than before.
‘He’s strong.’
Every time their swords clashed, the fine hairs on his body stood on end.
Jeong Cheon was truly strong.
So strong that he couldn't predict victory even if he poured out everything he had.
*Fwoosh!*
A pure white light poured from Jeong Cheon’s sword.
The sword energy, extending as if dancing gracefully, wrapped around Bu Eun-seol from all directions.
*Ping!*
However, as Bu Eun-seol swung his Muk-geom behind his back and angled the blade, the torrent of sword energy scattered.
He had executed the Cheon-pae-geom-geuk-se, a stance that disrupted an opponent's techniques and internal energy through aura and posture alone.
“The Geuk-se stance, is it?”
Jeong Cheon laughed softly and swung his sword again.
“But a technique like that puts you at a disadvantage in the initial exchange.”
Lightly shaking off the pressure of the Cheon-pae-geom-geuk-se, Jeong Cheon unleashed twenty-five streams of sword energy in a single breath.
As the glittering white flashes spun and surrounded him, Bu Eun-seol thrust his Muk-geom forward with all his might.
*Flash!*
A dazzling radiance poured out, and a mass of light from the Muk-geom instantly annihilated Jeong Cheon’s sword energy.
He had used Cheon Un-gwang’s Jeon-roe-mu-ssang-ssik.
“A tremendous killing sword.”
Jeong Cheon grinned and once again let his sword hang towards the ground.
“How about we start getting serious now?”
He already knew.
He knew that Bu Eun-seol was hiding his true skill, intentionally taking a defensive stance to observe his swordsmanship.
“I’m getting eager to see your swordsmanship as well.”
“Very well.”
A brilliant sword energy poured from Bu Eun-seol’s Muk-geom.
He executed the Mu-sang-cheon-ryu, which contained the essence of all the sword arts he had ever learned.
*Shwooo!*
The Muk-geom, having powerfully drawn in the surrounding air, shot out a single ray of light.
*Clang!*
Blue sparks flew in the air, and Jeong Cheon’s body was pushed back thirty feet.
“It’s like a combination of a fast sword and a heavy sword.”
Jeong Cheon’s brief exclamation of admiration was cut short.
*Vrrrr.*
The tip of the Muk-geom, having been repelled in mid-air, trembled, and a black light created a whirlwind that wrapped around Jeong Cheon’s body.
*Fsssh!*
Caught in the wind mixed with black light, Jeong Cheon’s clothes were torn to shreds, and he was pushed back another thirty feet.
*Drip.*
This time, crimson blood flowed from Jeong Cheon’s cheek.
Bu Eun-seol could have cut his chest and side, but he had aimed for his cheek, as if to repay the earlier wound.
“Hoo hoo hoo.”
Staring at the blood flowing from his cheek, Jeong Cheon let out a low laugh.
Simultaneously, a dark red haze began to rise in his once calm eyes.
“I don’t know how long it’s been.”
Straightening his body, Jeong Cheon slung his sword over his shoulder and grinned, baring his canines.
“Since I’ve used my swordsmanship with all my might!”
With a sharp cry, Jeong Cheon’s body became a streak of red cloud and rushed towards Bu Eun-seol.
*Chwa-ra-rak!*
Sword energies, spreading out like the ribs of a wide-open fan, surrounded Bu Eun-seol’s body.
The speed was so fast that Bu Eun-seol couldn’t find an opportunity to dodge and began to parry the blows directly.
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*
As the Muk-geom and the precious sword clashed, sparks flew in all directions.
“Hahahaha!”
Jeong Cheon let out a roaring laugh and swung his sword rapidly.
His usual gentle demeanor had vanished without a trace, replaced by a red-hot demon swinging a sword like a madman.
‘Fast!’
Bu Eun-seol drew upon his true power and once again unfolded his sword art.
*Clang, clang, clang!*
The tip of the Muk-geom was precisely striking down the tip of the thrusting sword.
Unable to resolve the sword moves for a moment, Bu Eun-seol had applied the techniques of Hwan-gwi-bon-ju to his own swordplay.
“Got you!”
The moment the Muk-geom deflected the sword move, Jeong Cheon closed the distance until his face was almost touching Bu Eun-seol’s.
*Sh-sh-sh-shk!*
Simultaneously, Jeong Cheon’s long sword seemed to condense, and an uncountable number of sword energies poured out in all directions.
‘Disordered Sword?’
Now he saw it. Jeong Cheon’s true skill was the Disordered Sword, a sword art that seals off all of an enemy’s escape routes and attacks at extremely close range.
‘A completely unexpected sword art!’
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip as the sharp Disordered Sword techniques washed over him like a tidal wave.
Because Jeong Cheon used such a long sword, he had never expected him to use the Disordered Sword.
*P-p-p-pt!*
Jeong Cheon’s blade became even more condensed, and his moves grew faster. The distance had now narrowed to less than six paces.
Moreover, Jeong Cheon’s gentle eyes were now blazing like charcoal embers.
“You’re holding up quite well!”
The bloodshot whites of his eyes and his red pupils, overflowing with killing intent, made him look like a wild beast.
*Fsssh!*
Bu Eun-seol’s clothes were torn to rags, and blood splattered.
No matter how he tried to deploy the Mu-sang-cheon-ryu, Jeong Cheon’s Disordered Sword enveloped him from all sides, giving him no opening.
Not only that, but his sword seemed to have the sole purpose of taking Bu Eun-seol’s life, unleashing only cruel, killing moves.
—Don’t worry. I won’t have another episode.
Only then could Bu Eun-seol understand the meaning of what Jeong Cheon had said to Dam Yu-yeon.
‘He’s exploding his latent killing intent to increase the power of his Disordered Sword.’
Jeong Cheon was unfolding a unique Disordered Sword style that used killing intent to push his physical abilities to their limit.
And such a method could, if mishandled, turn one into a madman who has lost all reason.
‘In that case!’
Biting his lip, Bu Eun-seol suddenly opened the hand gripping his Muk-geom and closed his eyes.
*Clang, clang, clang!*
Then, the Muk-geom began to leap and dance, starting to unravel Jeong Cheon’s unstoppable sword moves one by one. The Neung-hyeong-eo-geom, a strange sword art that responds to killing intent, had been executed.
*Chara-rang!*
As his Disordered Sword, which had been cutting down Bu Eun-seol’s body with unstoppable momentum, was repeatedly blocked, an even denser killing intent flowed from Jeong Cheon.
“How dare you block my school’s Disordered Sword!”
As Jeong Cheon swung his sword, the pupils of his eyes had rolled back to show the whites, and killing intent dripped from him.
His face, covered in killing intent, was so changed that his former appearance was completely unrecognizable.
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*
Bu Eun-seol unfolded the Neung-hyeong-eo-geom with all his might.
If he made the slightest mistake, his body of flesh and blood would be torn to pieces by the Disordered Sword.
“Kuhahaha!”
Meanwhile, Jeong Cheon’s killing intent amplified further, and his sword moves became even faster.
But Bu Eun-seol’s eyes grew colder and calmer.
He had seen through it: the faster Jeong Cheon’s Disordered Sword became, the more powerful it grew, the less he could control it, and the precision of his moves gradually declined.
This was an insight he had gained while facing Ja Mo-chang.
‘At this rate, I can see it.’
As the Disordered Sword’s moves, which had held a certain profundity, shifted to pure speed, their subtlety vanished, and the path of the sword began to become visible.
Neung-hyeong-eo-geom.
This technique, which allowed him to somehow endure the attacks of a superior opponent, had created a sliver of an opportunity for Bu Eun-seol.
‘Here I go!’
Bu Eun-seol, who had been unfolding the Neung-hyeong-eo-geom, drew upon his true power and once again executed the Mu-sang-cheon-ryu.
And he unfolded a sword move he had never used before with all his strength.
‘Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin!’
The fifth form of Mu-sang-cheon-ryu.
He unleashed Man-geom-gwi-jong, the fifth form—a practical combat technique that mimicked the sword forms of others.
*Shaaa!*
Hundreds of streams of sword energy spread out from the Muk-geom, scattering in all directions and crashing against Jeong Cheon’s Disordered Sword.