Chapter 322
Chapter 322
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 322
Chapter Title: The Duel on the Moonlit Plain
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The duel between Bu Eun-seol and Cheon-geom had the entire martial world in an uproar.
The rising star representing the Demonic Path clashing with the disciple of the Orthodox Path's greatest swordsman?
There hadn't been a duel this exciting in the martial world for the past decade.
The area around Mount Taejeong was already a sea of people, teeming with countless martial artists and merchants who had set up stalls.
Even masters who had long since retired from the martial world flocked to Seokgwang Plain to witness this fight.
Ahead of the great duel, the Demonic Cult had opened its vault of spiritual medicines for Bu Eun-seol and provided him with various forms of support.
Cheon-geom, however, had spat insulting words at the head of the Inspection Hall and left the Murim Alliance of his own accord.
Because of this, not only was he receiving no support whatsoever, but even his master, the Sword Sovereign, had not stepped forward.
“He acted so shamefully, of course the Murim Alliance won't support him.”
“Indeed. Even his master, the Sword Sovereign, isn't getting involved, is he?”
“I heard most people are going just to watch him lose.”
Normally, a duel like this was a matter of pride for both the Demonic and Orthodox Paths.
But Cheon-geom, far from receiving support, was not even being cheered on. He was preparing for the duel alone.
Even an inspector of the Murim Alliance would not have received such treatment if he were to fight a third-rate master from the Unorthodox Faction.
“He’s reaping what he sowed.”
People everywhere clicked their tongues.
Cheon-geom had made far too many mistakes. In particular, his disregard for the common people and his exploitation of them were difficult to forgive.
Therefore, not a single person was cheering for him, and even the members of the Orthodox Path were turning their backs on him…
This duel was as good as lost before it even began.
But before the duel, another problem arose.
Seokgwang Plain was so packed with people that there was hardly any room to stand, to the point where it would interfere with the duel.
This time, it was Bu Eun-seol who took the initiative and conveyed his intentions to the Murim Alliance.
“How about we divide the visiting spectators into Demonic and Orthodox Path members and limit each side to three hundred people?”
He then added another remark.
“There should be no complaints if the leaders of my cult and the Murim Alliance are allowed to observe without being part of the lottery.”
Too many people could lead to accidents, and unexpected incidents could occur during the duel.
The Murim Alliance could not hide its bewilderment.
They had been shamed multiple times because of Cheon-geom and had been ignoring this duel, having lost all interest.
And now the heir of the Demonic Path was stepping forward, concerned for the safety of the martial artists?
“Truly… worthy of the Demonic Path's heir.”
As this rumor spread, the martial artists once again sang Bu Eun-seol’s praises.
In the end, the Murim Alliance immediately sent people to work with the Demonic Cult to devise a way to control the number of people on Seokgwang Plain.
This was partly because Bu Eun-seol had made the proposal politely, laying out his reasons point by point… but what if they refused and something unfortunate happened?
The blame could fall on the Murim Alliance.
“Under the joint supervision of this Alliance and the Demonic Cult, we will fairly select three hundred spectators from each side by lottery!”
The martial artists were disappointed, but they could not object.
If tens of thousands of people were to crowd Seokgwang Plain, the duel might not even take place.
The Murim Alliance and the Demonic Cult each selected three hundred spectators through a lottery.
“One hundred thousand nyang for a spectator’s pass! Witness a once-in-a-lifetime duel between masters of the Orthodox and Demonic Paths!”
But then something strange happened.
Some of those who were lucky enough to get a spectator's pass were reselling them at absurd prices.
“Hand over the pass!”
Furthermore, some masters from the Unorthodox and Dark Factions attacked those rumored to have passes and stole them.
As such incidents happened repeatedly, the Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance finally issued a stern warning.
“We will reissue the spectator passes through another lottery. They will be required to have precise signatures, and theft and resale will be prohibited. Anyone who violates this will face the combined wrath of the Orthodox and Demonic Paths!”
Ultimately, the lottery was held again, and three hundred people from each side were reselected.
And as this duel of the century drew near, the Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance began to monitor Seokgwang Plain strictly.
They had to prevent any unfortunate incidents caused by people sneaking in.
After these trials and tribulations, the night of the duel finally arrived.
*Step, step.*
Under the bright moonlight, the first to arrive was Bu Eun-seol.
Bu Eun-seol was dressed in a gray martial arts uniform, with the Ice Soul Sword hanging at his waist.
“Ooh.”
A gasp of admiration rippled through the martial artists as they watched Bu Eun-seol stop in the center of Seokgwang Plain.
Bu Eun-seol's features, revealed in the moonlight, were truly like those of a celestial being who had descended to earth.
Despite his fame that echoed throughout the martial world, he had always moved about discreetly, so his appearance was not well known.
“He is far stronger than the rumors suggest.”
Gasps of awe also escaped from some of the masters.
It was said he had risen to the position of advisor to the Four Gods and Seven Kings, but he had rarely displayed his martial prowess publicly.
Among some martial artists, rumors still circulated that Bu Eun-seol's skills were overestimated.
This might have been because, even after becoming the heir to the Demonic Cult, he had shown more of a strategist's side than overwhelming martial might.
But after seeing Bu Eun-seol’s presence firsthand, many masters realized that his true power was more than enough to place him among the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
*Step, step.*
About half an hour later, a large man ascended Seokgwang Plain.
A smile played on his lips, and his large eyes sparkled.
At first glance, he looked like an innocent young man, but a strange madness flowed in his eyes.
It was Cheon-geom.
His presence was formidable, but no one among the martial artists gasped in awe.
Instead, only murmurs like, ‘He looks as strange as the rumors say,’ could be heard.
For the next-generation grandmaster who had made a name for himself as the Jeonggeum-sinan, this was a truly pathetic reception.
“Hehehe.”
Despite sensing this atmosphere, Cheon-geom burst into laughter.
“Shall we begin?”
As he spoke, his eyes gleaming,
*Shing.*
Bu Eun-seol immediately drew the Ice Soul Sword.
Sparks flew as their gazes met in mid-air.
No words were needed.
*Fwoosh!*
A cold chill emanated from the Ice Soul Sword, reflecting the moonlight, and a bone-chilling wind spread in all directions.
“A fine sword.”
Cheon-geom spoke with a smile.
“Your last sword seemed good too. Do you use many different swords?”
He spoke in a friendly manner, as if to show he was at ease.
“Well, a little chat should be fine, right? One of us is going to die soon anyway.”
“I, the Commander,”
Bu Eun-seol, raising the Ice Soul Sword, replied coldly.
“do not converse with the dead.”
In that instant, a spark ignited in Cheon-geom’s madness-filled eyes.
“Good.”
*Clank.*
Cheon-geom drew the greatsword from his back. He then split it into two and held one in each hand.
“I’ll face you right away with the Ten Thousand Forms, One Style.”
Ten Thousand Forms, One Style.
This sword style, created by the Sword Sovereign in his later years, not only encompassed all the sword techniques of the Orthodox Path,
but its power and the variations of its moves also changed completely depending on the user's enlightenment, internal energy, and type of weapon.
Cheon-geom intended to use his divine strength to maximize the power of the Ten Thousand Forms, One Style with his two greatswords.
*Swish!*
The greatsword in his left hand thrust toward Bu Eun-seol’s neck, while the one in his right hand swung in an arc, slashing diagonally at Bu Eun-seol’s torso.
But the distance was too great for the moves to reach Bu Eun-seol.
It was the opening stance of the Ten Thousand Forms, One Style.
Cheon-geom was showing his Orthodox Path side and observing decorum in front of the large crowd.
‘Still scheming.’
A corner of Bu Eun-seol’s mouth lifted as he saw Cheon-geom use the opening stance.
Cheon-geom was not the type to use such formalities in a fight.
He must have been conscious of the spectators.
As if to prove it, along with the madness in Cheon-geom's eyes, an intense obsession with life was burning.
‘As I thought…’
Bu Eun-seol was once again reminded.
Cheon-geom was an insane man full of greed. And the madness that lay beneath it all was another name for arrogance.
*Chik!*
Bu Eun-seol swiftly thrust the Ice Soul Sword at Cheon-geom’s neck.
In that moment, it was as if heaven and earth had stopped moving, and all surrounding motion had ceased.
This move was similar to the Meteor Chasing the Moon Style, but the variations in the sword's momentum were unpredictable.
It seemed that no matter which way he dodged or what stance he took, that sharp demonic sword would pierce Cheon-geom’s neck.
“So this is the height of the Demonic Soul Commander’s swordsmanship!”
Gasps of admiration burst from some of the martial artists on Seokgwang Plain.
With this one move, Bu Eun-seol had transformed a simple sword technique into a world-shaking one mid-execution.
It was like creating a new universe from a state of chaos filled with darkness.
With this single move, Bu Eun-seol announced that his martial prowess had entered the Supreme Heaven Realm.
*Chaang!*
Sparks flew from the Ice Soul Sword, its form previously indistinct and shrouded in a cold chill.
Cheon-geom had struck the tip of the Ice Soul Sword in the blink of an eye.
*Thud.*
At that moment, Cheon-geom frowned and took a step back.
Bu Eun-seol’s level of internal energy was higher, but Cheon-geom possessed innate divine strength.
His fearsome physical power and regenerative ability compensated for the gap in their internal energy levels to some extent.
“A unique sword.”
Cheon-geom smiled leisurely.
“But the spectators must be disappointed. They won't be able to easily discern the variations of your moves.”
As its name suggested, the Ice Soul not only emitted a cold chill but also blurred its form like mist when it reflected the moonlight.
In other words, it was a demonic sword that made it impossible to predict its path and techniques.
“Quite the clever trick you’ve got there!”
Cheon-geom shouted briefly and once again unleashed the Ten Thousand Forms, One Style.
*Whoosh!*
With just a single slash through the air, it transformed into thirty-two streams of sword ki that enveloped Bu Eun-seol’s body.
He had unraveled the Ten Thousand Forms, One Style with the principles of the Whirling Wind Sword, infusing thirty-two different sword techniques into the wind and unleashing them all at once.
*Clang-clang-clang!*
The Ice Soul Sword and the heavy greatswords clashed dozens of times, producing clear metallic sounds.
Sparks flew in the air with each clash of their sword styles, and the distance between the two men gradually narrowed.
*Ch-ch-ch-chik!*
Finally, their weapons came so close that they could almost touch each other's faces.
“Amazing. You are truly amazing.”
Cheon-geom looked at Bu Eun-seol with excited eyes.
Bu Eun-seol, who did not flinch even when he poured all his energy and life force into his attacks, staring back at him like a sheet of ice.
The sight of his brilliant adversary felt ecstatic to Cheon-geom.
“Entertain me a little more!”
Cheon-geom swung the greatsword in his left hand in a strange way.
The blade condensed to an extreme degree, and like a flurry of strikes at close range, it tore at Bu Eun-seol's entire body.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang!*
A loud metallic sound echoed as the swords clashed repeatedly.
Cheon-geom's Ten Thousand Forms, One Style not only transcended the limitations of weapons but could also unleash any sword technique he desired.
*Pow! Pow!*
Bu Eun-seol quickly unleashed a series of Demonic Fist Manifestation Styles with his left hand, pushing Cheon-geom back.
*Shik.*
As Cheon-geom was pushed back about three steps, Bu Eun-seol once again poured forth the Formless Celestial Flow Style with his Ice Soul Sword.
*Kwoong! Kwoong!*
This time, the ground shook with every clash of their swords.
Bu Eun-seol was using heavy sword techniques to exploit Cheon-geom’s openings.
Despite using heavy sword styles that required immense internal energy, Bu Eun-seol’s expression was nonchalant.
There was not even a hint that he was pouring out his full power.
“Your internal energy is incredible!”
In fact, this tactic of overwhelming with power was a method Cheon-geom himself favored.
But when Bu Eun-seol used this method to pressure him, Cheon-geom was so happy he could have drooled.
“Good, very good!”
As Bu Eun-seol’s martial prowess proved even stronger than expected, Cheon-geom’s momentum became even sharper.
In all his time learning swordsmanship, he had never gone all out except when facing his master, the Sword Sovereign.
But now that Bu Eun-seol was pressuring him with such ease, he was so happy he didn't know what to do.
“Now, I’m getting serious!”
Cheon-geom unraveled the Ten Thousand Forms, One Style into the Scattered Sword technique.
The massive greatswords then split left and right, creating hundreds of shadows like the hands of a thousand-armed buddha.
*Whirik! Whiriririk!*
Amazingly, even as he unleashed hundreds of streams of sword ki, the sound of them cutting through the air was not uniform.
Some spiraled in like a whirlwind, while others spread out wide like a net.
The Sword Sovereign’s swordsmanship was called a single style, but that was just a name.
It could endlessly unleash all the variations and techniques of swordsmanship without being bound by a set number of moves.
*Clang!*
A continuous metallic ringing echoed as the Ice Soul Sword and the greatswords clashed in mid-air.
Normally, in a fight between masters, it was rare for weapons to clash repeatedly.
But because these two were exchanging deadly blows with all their might at extremely close range, this phenomenon was occurring.
It was truly a clash of titans.
Even after more than a hundred exchanges, the fierce battle continued so evenly that it was impossible to predict the victor.
*Pat-pat!*
But the tide of the battle changed abruptly.
As they entered a close-quarters brawl, Cheon-geom's greatswords seemed to condense greatly, and began to pierce through Bu Eun-seol's sword defense.
The practical swordsmanship of Nang-ya-gak was a style that evolved to match the enemy.
But the Ten Thousand Forms, One Style was already a complete sword style acknowledged by the Orthodox Path.
The Formless Celestial Flow had not evolved fast enough during the fierce battle to a level where it could defeat the enemy.
In the end, Cheon-geom’s swordsmanship was overwhelming Bu Eun-seol’s Formless Celestial Flow.
*Flash!*
But as if he had been waiting for it, the moment Cheon-geom broke through his defense, Bu Eun-seol shot a short burst of sword light into the air.
Simultaneously, the Ice Soul Sword bent at an impossible angle and shot toward Cheon-geom’s neck.
The eighth style of the Formless Celestial Flow, which read all the enemy's moves to deliver an unavoidable counterattack.
Heaven's Lament was unleashed.
“Heup!”
But then, something incredible happened.
As the Ice Soul Sword thrust toward his neck, Cheon-geom suddenly spun his body intensely, creating a massive sword barrier.
The life-saving ultimate technique of the Ten Thousand Forms, One Style, Revolving Sword, Returning Heaven, was unleashed.
*Taaang!*
With a metallic sound that shook the heavens and the earth, Cheon-geom’s two greatswords clamped down on Bu Eun-seol’s Ice Soul Sword like a pair of chopsticks.
He had even blocked Heaven's Lament, Bu Eun-seol's ultimate counterattack and his greatest trump card.
“Hahaha!”
Cheon-geom bared his white teeth and laughed heartily.
“What now? You must have been aiming for that for a while.”
*Chaang!*
A blade-like sharpness flowed from Cheon-geom’s eyes as he pushed Bu Eun-seol away.
“What are you going to show me now?”
*Woooong!*
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol drew upon his internal energy.
A black haze began to rise from his entire body.
*Chik-chik!*
Simultaneously, black tendrils of true ki poured out like a spider's web, filling the gaps in his sword techniques and rushing toward Cheon-geom’s body.
“Ooh!”
“Is that the ultimate technique of the Demonic Cult's heir!”
Gasps of awe erupted from the watching martial artists.
Materializing true ki with internal energy was not that surprising.
But to manifest it so freely, reflecting the will of one's mind as if it were a living creature?
Such a martial art and fighting style was a new technique never before seen in the martial world.
‘Hehehe. You’re starting to show your hand.’
Cheon-geom was so happy he felt like dancing.
From their previous encounter, he knew that this technique was a trump card based on Bu Eun-seol's immense internal energy.
To unleash such a technique so early in the duel?
It showed his determination to kill him at all costs.
‘Well, it could also mean he has a lot more to show… but it doesn't matter what it is.’
The corners of Cheon-geom’s eyes curved into crescents.
‘Because this fight isn't about determining a winner and a loser.’
Bu Eun-seol’s intellect was certainly superior to his own.
He knew he had a slight edge in swordsmanship, but he also anticipated that he could not achieve a complete victory.
But Cheon-geom wore a triumphant expression.
‘Hehehe. No matter how smart you are, you could never have thought of this.’
A triumphant smile spread across his lips.
A madman has his own way of fighting.
Cheon-geom. From the very beginning, he had no intention of winning this fight against Bu Eun-seol.