Collision of Swords
The Sword King felt the surging energy rising from Namgung Yurin's body and inwardly sighed in admiration.
"Just as they said, how far has she come in such a short time?"
It had been several months since he had passed on the Emperor's Sword Form to his granddaughter.
If she had not been lazy in her training, development was only natural.
Yet Namgung Yurin had long since surpassed the level of a mere Peak Master.
Apart from the minor gaps caused by an immature foundation, there was nothing to fault.
Of course, he would have to watch closely to see if any opening would appear in the exchange of blades.
"You've been diligent with your training. But do you truly believe you can defeat me with that?"
"Long or short, we shall see."
Unlike the slight change in her expression when she had said she would defeat him earlier, Namgung Yurin's face remained calm.
He wondered what preparation she had made.
"Good. I will yield the first move."
"Then I won't decline."
The Sword King drew up his energy and smiled faintly.
"If you can."
Namgung Yurin looked at her grandfather and gripped the sword hilt tightly.
She did not really like her grandfather.
A respected warrior in the martial world, he simply was not warm toward family.
This was the complete opposite of her compassionate nature.
The reason this match had been arranged was to help her brother and Juyeon, yet the moment it began, those feelings surfaced.
"If I can even borrow Yuseong-nim's power, I want to flatten Grandfather's pride."
Grandfather had tormented her and Juyeon for nearly ten years.
'There is also my own fault for not being able to execute that final strike...'
Still.
If he had not treated his own words as lies even once in his life, or even if he had pretended to believe her and comforted them, she and Juyeon would have endured far less pain.
'I can do it.'
It was time to burn her resolve once more.
The Sword King raised his energy to the fullest.
'...Huh?'
Namgung Yurin felt something strange.
Even though Grandfather stood still with his sword in hand, a suffocating pressure began to squeeze her body.
It felt as if she had fallen into a swamp.
She forced herself to take a step forward, clenching her teeth.
The pressure only grew stronger, and even the killing intent that followed pierced through her.
It felt as if she could barely move her own body.
'This is the true Emperor's Sword Form of a Grandmaster...!'
This was the realm she had always aimed to reach.
It was different from the demonstration he had given her when passing on the Emperor's Sword Form.
The genuine pressure was far more terrifying than she had imagined.
When a Grandmaster reached the Emperor's Sword Form, it was said that opponents of vastly different skill could be forced to kneel simply by the pressure without swinging a blade.
Of course Grandfather had reached that realm.
It was only natural that a mere Peak Master would struggle to free himself from such pressure.
Sweat poured from the hand gripping the hilt, and her chest felt tight.
'Can I really clash swords with Grandfather in the later stages of the Emperor's Sword Form? He's been a Grandmaster for tens of years...'
Instead of the advantage she had calculated, self-doubt began to creep in.
*Thump-thump-thump.*
Her heartbeat sounded louder than usual.
'Maybe I should give up now?'
The weak thought rose.
In any ordinary situation, she would have already lost here.
Taking a step was difficult, and without real conviction, she could not properly clash swords.
Her internal energy also refused to obey.
Namgung Yurin's eyes trembled as she desperately scanned the surroundings.
Her father met her gaze.
Her brother met her gaze.
"... "
Nothing improved.
The pressure continued to squeeze her.
Finally.
Namgung Yurin locked eyes with one person standing outside the training grounds.
'... Yuseong-nim?'
He stood with a calm expression, utterly without suspicion.
With his back turned to her.
The shattered self-confidence that had been thrown into the abyss below the cliff felt slightly restored.
Though she could not hear it, he seemed to be saying,
'You're able to.'
Her grip on the hilt tightened even as she unconsciously relaxed it.
Ignoring the sweat that had soaked through, she gripped the hilt tightly.
Yuseong gave a small nod.
Seeing that, her heartbeat unexpectedly slowed to normal, and the suffocating feeling in her chest gradually eased.
'Yes, I'm not alone right now.'
He had done his best for this match.
His presence within her body was proof.
He had told her he believed in her victory.
She could not abandon the fight without even swinging the sword properly.
'With Yuseong-nim, I can do it!'
The body that had been flailing like a drowning person in a swamp now followed her will.
Stepping out of the slimy swamp, she once again raised her internal energy.
The weak thought vanished, and her will straightened. Her internal energy flowed according to the Emperor's Sword Form's circulation route, pushing back against the Sword King's pressure.
Finally.
She succeeded in completely regaining control of her body.
At that moment.
"Impressive. You do indeed possess the minimal skill required for a spar."
Grandfather praised her and properly took up his stance.
Namgung Yurin smiled faintly.
Although no swords had clashed, Namgung Yuhyeon had already realized what was happening.
Grandfather had unleashed the Emperor's Sword Form to suppress his little sister, and his sister had perfectly resisted it.
When she had asked him to show the proper Emperor's Sword Form during his training, he had demonstrated it once.
'Grandfather's Emperor's Sword Form is not something a mere Peak Master can resist. At least a Transcendental Master must reach that level to have any freedom of movement...'
It was truly remarkable willpower.
While she had been standing still, or rather retreating, her brother had advanced brilliantly.
The time wasted by his stagnation after the accident with Juyeon was painful to watch.
If he had not wasted that time, the brother with extraordinary talent would be even more outstanding now...
Together with Juyeon's situation, Namgung Yuhyeon felt anew how much Grandfather was to blame.
If only he had properly comforted his son's wounds then...
'Win, Yurin. I want to make Grandfather regret it.'
Namgung Yurin felt the presence Yuseong had left within her body.
A powerful force that seemed able to do anything.
Was this the innate divine energy that people of the North Sea Paeng Clan were said to possess?
As she bent her knees, the surging power swelled her thighs.
At the same time, pushing out her true energy through the Vital Points, she stomped the training ground floor.
The and skills Yuseong had opened worked together, and like a shooting star, Namgung Yurin's figure rushed toward the Sword King.
Natural sword qi naturally rose on her blade.
A glint of admiration appeared in Grandfather's eyes.
Though surprised by the speed faster than expected, he calmly lifted his sword to block the path.
Sword qi also rose on his blade.
Even if she had become a Peak Master and her physical abilities had improved, it was only natural that she could not match Grandfather, who had already undergone bone reconstitution.
'This is not the end.'
She had not expected to deliver a meaningful blow with ordinary methods.
Since she had planted the idea of using sword qi, it was time to show the real preparation.
It had been on her mind since the moment she had asked for Yuseong's help.
Namgung Yurin decided to use the secret technique she had raised to its peak the moment she had died months ago.
Unless one was a Grandmaster, the entire body would collapse, and it would only be possible for a moment by accepting death.
But...
Before the match, Yuseong had said to her while applying saliva all over her body in the lodging.
- Now that the duration has increased, I can hold out a bit longer. Still, it must end as quickly as possible.
No other feeling was felt except for the saliva points pricked here and there.
But seeing his satisfied expression, he seemed to have finished.
'I still don't understand how that's possible. But since it's Yuseong-nim, it must be true.'
Namgung Yurin did not doubt a single word of Yuseong's.
She circulated her energy according to the later stages of the Emperor's Sword Form.
A wild energy difficult to control surged from the depths of her dantian.
This was as far as Namgung Yurin understood.
But.
'Because it's the second time, it feels clearer than last time.'
It was as if a ferocious dragon was galloping, and the energy spread with the momentum of tearing open every blood vessel.
As the energy permeated every blood vessel in her body, carving into muscles and marrow like claws, her body shook with the pain of being torn apart.
But.
The pain soon transformed into a tremendous resonance.
This resonance bound soul and body together, forcibly knocking on the door beyond consciousness.
Boom-boom!
Even though she had not knocked several times, the door opened.
Brilliant blue light burst forth from beyond the door and poured into her consciousness.
'Ah...!'
Along with a cool, refreshing feeling, lightning-like enlightenment struck her brain.
As if someone had handed her a lantern in the darkness, she naturally understood the principle that had been difficult to comprehend.
Even if the realization that vanished like a mirage the moment she stopped circulating her internal energy,
At this moment, she felt she could do anything.
She guided the sword with clearer realization than the first time.
The vast blood channels on the verge of tearing apart from the traces of the ferocious dragon passing through.
As the internal energy flowing through those channels seeped into the sword,
*Ziiik-!*
Blue sword qi burst forth alongside thunder on the blue-covered sword.
Although it was not a complete realization and internal energy was insufficient, the sword qi was still sword qi.
It allowed Namgung Yurin to clash swords even with a Grandmaster.
Muscles swelled as if about to tear, and her body transformed as if bone reconstitution had been achieved.
With the body that had received Yuseong's divine arts, she unleashed her stance.
With the speed that even a Peak Master could not display even after death, she rushed toward Grandfather's chest.
As if challenging her to show her best, the Sword King's eyes, which had been preparing to defend leisurely, turned in shock.