Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Neung-hyeong-eo-geom
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At Wu Hak's words, Bu Eun-seol raised an eyebrow.
“How can one block a sword technique without first understanding its forms?”
“Of course, under normal circumstances, one would naturally have to grasp the forms before they could be countered.”
Wu Hak smiled faintly.
“However, there is a way to block a sword technique even without knowing how it will unfold.”
Pausing for a moment, he cleared his throat and spoke.
“What if there was a sword art that reacted solely to killing intent? Wouldn’t it be able to respond to any form?”
Killing intent. It was a concept easy to speak of, but it was not visible to the eye, nor was it clearly defined.
After a moment of deep thought, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“Wouldn’t it be better to create a sword style of ultimate speed instead?”
What if your opponent’s sword art was so superior you couldn’t possibly face it?
Then you could simply kill them before they even had a chance to use it.
“Of course, that is not a bad idea. But a swift sword has a fatal flaw.”
“A flaw, you say…”
“Swordsmen with extensive experience in the martial world are always wary and on guard against sudden, swift techniques. Not only that, but if a swift strike fails, one could instead suffer a fatal blow from the enemy.”
He was right.
A swift sword pursued a speed so extreme that even martial arts masters with exceptional reflexes couldn't perceive it.
Because one had to pour all their strength into a single strike, failure would leave a massive opening.
Wasn’t it true that in the process of learning the Peerless Lightning Strike Style, the killing sword of Cheon Un-gwang that utilized the essence of the Extreme Swift Flash, one could even lose a finger?
“I assure you, if you learn the sword art we are passing down, you will be able to defend against any sword form.”
“What use is it if it can only defend?”
“It has its use.”
A light of conviction flashed in Wu Hak’s eyes.
“If you can endure tenaciously, an opportunity to seize victory will surely arise.”
Bu Eun-seol’s expression turned peculiar.
In the end, Wu Hak was offering to teach him a sword art for surviving against an enemy stronger than himself.
‘A rather absurd sword art.’
He had sought someone born with innate killing intent, so I thought he would pass down some incredible killing sword.
But it was merely a sword art for defense?
As if reading Bu Eun-seol’s thoughts, Wu Hak gave a bitter smile.
“To learn this sword art, one must first sense and control the killing intent inherent in their body. That is why we sought someone with a great deal of it from birth.”
“Are you saying killing intent can be controlled?”
“Of course. Killing intent is connected to human emotions. In other words, like an internal energy cultivation method, it can be freely controlled through a specific art.”
Wu Hak spoke with a powerful voice.
“When a person harbors killing intent, their body becomes more forceful. If they perform a sword art in that state, the very nature of their moves changes.”
“But if the body is dominated by killing intent, doesn’t that cause unnecessary tension and slow one down?”
“A precise point. However, if you learn the secret I have devised, you can integrate this emotion of killing intent with lightning-fast reflexes.”
“A secret, you say…”
“I have named it the Art of Wind and Cloud's Creation.”
As Bu Eun-seol listened to Wu Hak’s explanation, his eyes gradually widened.
Wind and Cloud's Creation. The changes of the wind and clouds are difficult to predict.
The wind can push the clouds away to brighten the world, and at times, it can cover the sky with clouds, darkening it.
The mysterious art named the Art of Wind and Cloud's Creation contained the profound principles for governing the unpredictable and uncontrollable thing called killing intent.
“I will now recite the oral incantation, so memorize it.”
Wu Hak said in a low voice.
“If you learn this secret art, you will soon be able to freely control the killing intent inherent in your body.”
The incantation of the Art of Wind and Cloud's Creation was only fifteen hundred characters long.
But the content within it shattered the existing framework of martial arts, explaining an entirely new concept.
“I will recite it once more, so remember it well.”
“No need. I’ve memorized it.”
“You memorized it all in one go?”
When Bu Eun-seol nodded, Wu Hak couldn't hide his surprise.
‘A peerless prodigy.’
His expression turning subtle, he tapped the floor a few times with his right foot.
With a rumbling sound, a small door appeared in the right wall.
“If you go through there, you will reach the place where Elder Seok is. Learn the sword art there.”
“Understood.”
As Bu Eun-seol turned, Wu Hak’s expression darkened.
“I hope I’m not making the same mistake again.”
He narrowed his eyes, watching the spot where Bu Eun-seol had departed.
“To think he possesses the same talent as that demon.”
The demon who not only had an excellent memory but also showed a talent for the sword superior to anyone else.
Bu Eun-seol possessed a terrifying talent that was no different from that demon’s.
Bu Eun-seol slowly walked toward the open door.
After walking for a while along a winding path, he heard the sound of water along with a distant light.
When he finally reached the end of the path, he found himself in an artificial cavern, with a small waterfall cascading from the dizzyingly high ceiling.
And there, on a rock far from the waterfall, sat Seok Song, perfectly composed.
“Why have you come here so soon?”
As Seok Song frowned, Bu Eun-seol replied.
“I was told to come here, so I came.”
“Does that mean you have already memorized the incantation?”
When Bu Eun-seol nodded, a glint appeared in Seok Song’s eyes.
“I see.”
Rising from his spot, he spoke calmly.
“The sword art I will teach you is called Neung-hyeong-eo-geom. It can block any sword form that contains killing intent.”
A flash sparked in Seok Song’s eyes.
“Even if it is a subconscious state that one is not aware of.”
A sword art that could defend against killing strikes unleashed from the subconscious. Had such a sword art ever existed in the history of the martial world?
For the sake of revenge, Seok Song and Wu Hak had created a sword art designed to survive an enemy’s attack, no matter what.
*Shing.*
Seok Song slowly drew the treasured sword from his waist and spoke.
“From now on, I will pass down to you the Neung-hyeong-eo-geom, which reacts to killing intent and malice.”
As Seok Song drew his sword, a chilling killing intent began to rise from his body.
“If you master the Art of Wind and Cloud's Creation, you can control your inner killing intent like this.”
He used the Art of Wind and Cloud's Creation to draw out his inherent killing intent.
However, since he wasn't born with much of it, the amount was not that great.
“But the brilliance of this secret art is not just in controlling one's own killing intent, but also in sensing the killing intent of others.”
Taking a long strip of cloth from his waist, he blindfolded himself, then relaxed his hands and said.
“After stirring your killing intent with the Art of Wind and Cloud's Creation, draw your sword and attack me.”
“With a sword?”
Blindfolded, Seok Song’s lips curled into a confident smile.
“Strike me when I least expect it, with the sword form you are most confident in—so much so that you think I cannot possibly block it.”
“Very well.”
Bu Eun-seol moved behind the blindfolded Seok Song.
Then, using the incantation for “Holding Fury, Accumulating Resentment” from the Art of Wind and Cloud's Creation, he raised his killing intent.
*Flash!*
With a brilliant gleam, Bu Eun-seol unleashed a lightning-fast strike, stabbing toward Seok Song’s back.
The technique was so swift, and the distance so close, that Seok Song seemed certain to be pierced through the back.
*Clang!*
But with a clear metallic ring, Seok Song’s sword was somehow already blocking the attack behind his back.
It wasn't that Seok Song had moved his body; it was as if the sword itself had sprung out in reaction to the killing intent.
“This is… Neung-hyeong-eo-geom.”
As Bu Eun-seol let out a breath of admiration, Seok Song removed his blindfold, a proud smile on his face.
“What do you think?”
“It is magnificent.”
It was admiration without a hint of falsehood.
“I will now pass down the Neung-hyeong-eo-geom to you.”
Sheathing the sword he held, Seok Song spoke in a voice filled with anguish.
“In the future, you must use this sword art to execute that demon.”
***
On the mountainside of Mt. Geumjeong.
A secretly installed door began to move slowly.
*Grrrind.*
With a rusty groan, the door opened, revealing a dark space within.
*Thud, thud.*
With the sound of soft footsteps, a black shadow slowly emerged from inside.
He was tall, with handsome features clearly visible even from a distance, and on his back, he carried a sword that shimmered with an inky light.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
“That took quite a while.”
Even for him, a genius when it came to the sword, it had taken a full month to learn Neung-hyeong-eo-geom.
“Young Master!”
Just then, with a clear voice, a black shadow descended from a large tree. It was Heuk-pyo, dressed in night gear.
But Heuk-pyo’s face, as he hurried over, was drenched in sweat.
While waiting for Bu Eun-seol, he had been diligently practicing his movement techniques without a single day of rest.
“Hmm.”
Bu Eun-seol looked at the approaching Heuk-pyo and nodded.
In that time, his body had become nimbler, and his eyes were filled with confidence.
“It seems you’ve made some progress.”
Bu Eun-seol’s extrasensory perception, honed by his deep mastery of the Beast Arts, covered a radius of about fifty paces.
Despite that, he had only been able to sense Heuk-pyo’s presence at around thirty paces.
“It’s not yet at a satisfactory level, but… I think I’m about thirty percent of the way there.”
“Thirty percent.”
The movement technique Bu Eun-seol had given Heuk-pyo was a combination of the secret concealment arts he had mastered during his year with the Nine Kills Squad and Geuk-sok-mu-yeong.
Of course, it couldn't compare to Nang-ya-gak's ultimate movement technique, Geuk-sok-mu-yeong, but its speed and stealth could be considered a world-class skill. Yet he had reached thirty percent mastery in less than three months?
‘A little faster than I expected.’
But Bu Eun-seol wasn't particularly surprised.
A small, nimble frame, abnormally long legs, and elastic muscles. Heuk-pyo's body had the ideal conditions for performing extreme lightness techniques.
He had given him the manual because he had guessed from the start that Heuk-pyo had a natural talent for lightness arts.
“Continue to strive for more.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Have all the members of the Cheon-geom-hoe left?”
As Bu Eun-seol surveyed the empty surroundings, Heuk-pyo nodded.
“Yes. They started clearing out the furniture a month ago, and the remaining people left for somewhere else.”
Heuk-pyo asked Bu Eun-seol with an excited face.
“A member of the Cheon-geom-hoe said that you were the only one to receive their sword art.”
Grinning broadly, he said in a low voice.
“Young Master, you are the successor of Nang-ya-gak, and now you have even learned the legendary sword art of the Cheon-geom-hoe… You must be truly invincible!”
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“Martial arts are not something where adding one makes two.”
Neung-hyeong-eo-geom was on a completely different plane from the countless sword arts scattered throughout the martial world.
In terms of function, it could be considered more of an esoteric art like the Beast Arts than a sword art.
“Then, what do you think of the Cheon-geom-hoe's sword art, Young Master?”
In truth, Heuk-pyo had little interest in sword arts.
But he asked because he knew Bu Eun-seol had mastered it deeply and enjoyed discussing it.
“Hmm.”
As Heuk-pyo expected, Bu Eun-seol’s eyes lit up, and he spoke in a low voice.
“While this one pursues the ultimate martial path, the Cheon-geom-hoe’s sword art aims for survival in battles against absolute masters. There is no intersection between them, so for now… I cannot evaluate it.”
During his journey through the martial world, Bu Eun-seol was continuously witnessing new realms of martial arts.
But because he pursued a realm so lofty that others couldn't even imagine it, he himself didn't feel the changes within.
“First, let’s get out of here.”
Bu Eun-seol lightly kicked off the ground and shouted.
“Follow me.”
*Swoosh!*
As he executed his movement technique, his body seemed to stretch like a rubber band, launching him thirty paces away in an instant.
“W-Wait for me, Young Master!”
Flustered, Heuk-pyo unleashed his movement technique with all his might.
*Thwack!*
Heuk-pyo's small body, clad in night gear, spun like an arrow, creating a vortex as it shot forward.
*Swoooosh! Shaaaa!*
The two streaks of shadow, their sounds of passage suppressed, instantly left Mt. Geumjeong behind.
‘What on earth is happening!’
Heuk-pyo was using his movement technique with every ounce of his strength.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't catch up to Bu Eun-seol's retreating figure, which was speeding far ahead.
‘Even at this speed, I can't even keep up with the Young Master?’
Having read the movement technique manual Bu Eun-seol had given him, Heuk-pyo had become a master of movement who could cover a thousand li in half a day if he put his mind to it.
‘And it doesn't even look like the Young Master is using his full strength.’
Far in the distance, Bu Eun-seol, now just a black dot, was casually performing his movement technique with his hands clasped behind his back.
‘Ugh, ugh.’
After running at full tilt for about an hour, a tearing pain began to spread from his dantian.
“To execute a movement technique swiftly, you must not use your full internal energy.”
He had only lowered his head for a moment, but Bu Eun-seol, who had been shooting far ahead, was now right beside Heuk-pyo.
“Young Master, when did you come back…”
As he opened his mouth, his internal energy began to leak.
“Listen as you move.”
As Heuk-pyo panted for breath, Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
“The human body is not naturally meant to fly like a bird. A movement technique makes it possible… but that is also where the great difficulty lies.”
Bu Eun-seol continued with a solemn expression.
“An unfledged bird. The body of a person using a movement technique is like the feathers of a young bird that has not yet grown wings.”
Bu Eun-seol calmly explained the most important principle of movement techniques.
“In other words, you must not force yourself to run as if flapping your wings, but move flexibly and gently, like a fish slipping through a large net.”
Bu Eun-seol's voice, as he shot forward like an immortal with his hands behind his back, echoed in Heuk-pyo’s ears.
“Recall the internal energy method written in the manual. *The six roots are pure, a single step covers ten thousand li.* When your body becomes as soft and clear as a child’s, you can traverse ten thousand li in a single step.”
As Heuk-pyo listened intently to the explanation, his eyes suddenly widened.
Wasn't Bu Eun-seol speaking calmly while keeping pace with him, who was running at full speed?
*Thud.*
So surprised that his breath caught, Heuk-pyo stopped his movement technique and landed back on the ground.
“*Gasp. Gasp.*”
Bu Eun-seol stood before the panting Heuk-pyo and frowned.
“Utilizing a movement technique is the same as moving internal energy. Why have you not calmed your mind?”
“It’s just that…”
Heuk-pyo said with a dejected expression.
“How much internal energy were you using to perform your movement technique, Young Master?”
“Thirty percent.”
“You did that with only thirty percent of your power?”
Heuk-pyo jumped up as if his rear had been scorched by fire.
The speed they had just traveled at was faster than that of most peak masters.
‘Then just how profound is the Young Master’s internal energy?’
Just as Heuk-pyo blinked and was about to speak again,
“Wait.”
Bu Eun-seol put a finger to his lips.
At that moment,
*Chiiiing!*
A very faint metallic sound echoed from the distant sky.
The sound was so faint it could be described as the crawling of an ant.
But thanks to the Mind's Eye of the Void, the ability of the Beast Arts that could expand one's senses through vibrations, Bu Eun-seol could clearly perceive the metallic sound.
“They’re fighting.”
“Huh? Where?”
Heuk-pyo, who had heard nothing, blinked, and Bu Eun-seol said,
“Follow me.”
*Swoosh!*
Eun-seol lightly kicked off the ground and glided dozens of paces in an instant. The ancient movement technique, Geuk-sok-mu-yeong, had been unleashed.
“Wait up!”
*Taaat!*
Heuk-pyo pushed off the ground with all his might. He shot forward like a fired arrow, parting the air.
Although his speed was slightly less than Bu Eun-seol’s, his stable posture was no less than that of any master of lightness techniques.
*Swoooooosh!*
By the time the two streaks of shadow left Mt. Geumjeong and reached a wide field of reeds,
*Rustle.*
Bu Eun-seol had climbed a large tree overlooking the reed field.
*Chaeng! Pyupyupyupyu! Shushushu!*
In the reed field below, dozens of masters were showering a single man with hundreds of hidden weapons, like a swarm of bees.
‘Poisoned caltrops?’
The hidden weapons blanketing the reed field were none other than the signature weapon of the Dang Clan, the poisoned caltrops.