Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: The Fall of the Divine Brush Wanderer
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Cheonhwi bit his lower lip as he drew the weapon from his side.
It was a razor-thin dao.
The dao shook cleanly in response to his hand movements, emitting a clear ring.
Seeing it, Cheonhwi opened his mouth.
"Huh? I thought since you were called Divine Brush, you'd use brush techniques, but no."
Cheonhwi readjusted his grip on his sword and pointed the tip at him.
Taat!
The Divine Brush Wanderer charged forward.
Closing the distance with Eagle Claw Rush, he swung the dao with all his might.
The dao in his hand bent dramatically as if it might snap, vibrating intensely.
Kaang!
Sparks flew, and the Divine Brush Wanderer's body holding the dao was flung backward.
Kwaduduk—
The Divine Brush Wanderer tried to land by digging in with his feet, but the impact kept pushing him back, plowing up the ground as he slid.
Deep furrows formed between his brows.
It was the Sound Wailing Dao infused with the power of his Linkage Divine Art.
Yet it had been shattered so futilely.
"......I must kill him before he grows any further."
The Divine Brush Wanderer's eyes grew icy cold.
He absolutely could not be left alive.
If allowed to grow like this, he would become a massive obstacle to their plans—it was plain as day.
As he began to draw up his internal energy...
Paat!
He vanished in an instant.
More precisely, his astonishingly fast footwork created the illusion of disappearance.
It was likely one of the top movement techniques in the entire martial world.
'He's fast.'
But Cheonhwi saw it clearly.
He tracked his movements, the direction of his footsteps.
Cheonhwi swung his sword to the left.
Chaeng!
Sharp sparks erupted.
The Divine Brush Wanderer, now revealed, spread his empty left hand wide.
And unleashed a palm strike.
Seuk—
But Cheonhwi simply tilted his head aside to dodge the palm wind, grinning.
It was an incredible reaction speed.
'He blocked that......'
The Divine Brush Wanderer's eyebrows twitched.
It had been an attack exploiting a split-second opening, yet the opponent evaded it effortlessly.
'This isn't someone I can beat easily.'
Judging his chances slim like this, the Divine Brush Wanderer channeled internal energy into the dao.
He had to reveal everything.
Even the techniques he had never used while wearing the guise of the Divine Brush Wanderer.
Burur—
Suddenly, the dao trembled finely.
Then, soon...
Wuuung!
A deafening roar exploded.
"Hm?"
Cheonhwi's eyes turned to the dao.
The Divine Brush Wanderer was using his internal energy to vibrate the dao, producing sound.
With extreme precision.
'Sound art?'
The Divine Brush Wanderer took a large step forward.
Jjeok!
Cracks split the air as the dao traced a trajectory through the void.
It was a beautiful arc befitting his moniker, Divine Brush.
Kaaaang!
The shockwave engulfed the surroundings.
The Divine Brush Wanderer's eyebrows twitched again.
He had mixed in sound art with the attack, yet the opponent seemed unfazed.
'He protected his eardrums with internal energy.'
As he watched Cheonhwi calmly block the continuous sound assaults...
"Kuk!"
A groan came from elsewhere instead.
Cheon Igae, clutching his ears, glared at the Divine Brush Wanderer with a furrowed brow.
"Y-You despicable coward......"
"In a battle for survival, where is there room for fairness?"
The Divine Brush Wanderer replied calmly.
The dead are losers, and only the survivors are true victors.
At that moment, Cheonhwi's mouth opened.
"True. Victory is all that matters. History doesn't remember the losers, no matter how dirty or cowardly the means. But you know what?"
Cheonhwi bared his pearly white teeth.
"When you throw away all scruples to win by any means and still lose, it makes you look even more pathetic."
No sooner had the words left his mouth...
Paaat!
The Divine Brush Wanderer's vision was suddenly filled with Cheonhwi's form rapidly enlarging.
No, Cheonhwi was closing in.
"......!"
The Divine Brush Wanderer swallowed hard.
Swaeaeak!
Chills raced up his spine at the footwork that shrank space in an instant.
'Does Mount Hua Sect have footwork like this?!'
Numerous Mount Hua footwork techniques flashed through his mind, then vanished.
None matched this.
And for good reason—it was Flying Heaven Steps.
"Uk!"
The Divine Brush Wanderer hurriedly drew up his Linkage Divine Art energy and poured it into the dao.
The limply curved dao stiffened, extending strands of blade aura.
He swung the dao widely.
It was Linkage Divine Dao.
Jjeojeok!
The sharp blade aura not only tore the air but also split the ground.
It was a saber art of tremendous power.
The very technique that had felled countless demonic experts.
But his opponent was Cheonhwi.
Cheonhwi laughed as the blade aura flew at him like it would cleave him in two.
Then he met it head-on.
Jjeok!
The blade aura was brutally crushed by Cheonhwi's swung heavy sword, crumbling slowly.
"......!"
The Divine Brush Wanderer's eyes widened in shock.
'Where did he......'
Cheonhwi, who had just swung his sword, had vanished from his sight.
"Looking the wrong way?"
As he hurriedly turned at the voice from the side...
Peok!
"Kuheok!"
His body bent sharply sideways.
Cheonhwi had kicked his side. It was a proper Small Leaf Leg Technique, strong enough to crack ribs.
"Kuk!"
The Divine Brush Wanderer groaned as excruciating pain spread like a net.
His bones shattered, organs twisting in agony.
But he couldn't compose himself.
"Heup!"
Instinctively, he swung the dao from below upward.
Jjeojeojeong!
Sword and dao clashed.
"Kukeuk!"
The Divine Brush Wanderer staggered back.
He had barely blocked, but his internals were more wrecked than ever.
'Where did this monster come from......'
As he tried to steady himself...
"No need to see more."
Cheonhwi infused internal energy into his sword.
In an instant, thread-like energy extended from the blade in multiple strands, transforming into plum blossoms that fully bloomed.
"Sword flowers......!"
Horror crossed the Divine Brush Wanderer's face.
He had seen Mount Hua's sword flowers a few times before.
But this was different.
Clearly the same sword flowers, yet impossible to call them equal.
'Such vivid, red plum blossoms.'
His gaze fixed on the beautiful plum blossoms floating around Cheonhwi.
Dozens of them emanated life-like vitality, scattering petals.
It was an breathtakingly beautiful sight.
As he was entranced...
Swik—
Cheonhwi raised his sword high.
The moment the tip pointed to the sky, a faint breeze tickled his nose.
As the plum blossoms bloomed from the sword began to dance in the swaying wind...
Swaeaeak!
The sword slashed downward.
The first form of the Seven Ultimate Plum Blossom Sword.
Wind Heaven Plum Blossom Dance.
Plum blossoms blanketed the sky.
'N-No!'
The Divine Brush Wanderer desperately raised his dao.
Internal injuries, agony—none of that filled his mind now.
Only one thought.
He had to block those plum blossoms!
Ignoring his worsening injuries, he drew up all his internal energy and swung the dao vigorously left and right.
A fierce storm raged.
The storm from the dao seemed to devour and scatter the plum blossoms.
But...
No matter the storm, eradicating every last one was impossible. Exactly one plum blossom slowly descended.
And the moment that single plum blossom collided with the dao that birthed the storm...
Paat!
The plum blossom vanished in a flash.
Simultaneously, the raging storm quieted, and soon even the wind ceased.
"This can't be......"
The Divine Brush Wanderer let his dao droop limply, staring in dazed disbelief.
It felt like a dream.
'No, maybe it really is a dream...... At his age, displaying such swordsmanship......'
He denied reality.
But it didn't last.
The cold, harsh reality he sought to avoid arrived.
Pit—
His crown split in half.
Then his robes tore, shallow cuts etching across his entire body.
Pusyushuk—
Masses of blood sprayed in all directions.
The Divine Brush Wanderer looked down at his body.
Blood poured like waterfalls from his arms, chest, shoulders—no, his entire body.
His vision reddened.
"Ah......"
A blood-soaked sky filled his eyes.
Kung!
His collapsing body was a gruesome sight.
Mangled all over by the sword flowers of Wind Heaven Plum Blossom Dance, drenched in blood.
Not dead yet, but his life flame had nearly burned out.
"The Divine Brush Wanderer defeated so easily......"
Cheon Igae looked at him in disbelief, then shifted his gaze to the upright Cheonhwi.
The Divine Brush Wanderer was one of the top figures in Yunnan, a transcendent realm expert.
Yet he had felled him.
Without a single injury.
'Even if compared to the Jongnam Sword Star, I thought it was just flattery...... Apparently not.'
It was shocking.
Through history, had there ever been someone his age with such prowess?
'Even they couldn't. Maybe a secret disciple they raised......'
At that moment, a question from below echoed similar thoughts.
"......A disciple of the Eight Divine Martial Artists?"
The fallen Divine Brush Wanderer slightly turned his head to look at Cheonhwi.
"Eight Divine Martial Artists?"
Cheonhwi tilted his head at the familiar-sounding moniker and replied.
"No."
"Then how are you so strong without being their disciple......"
"Well."
The Divine Brush Wanderer's pupils shook. Then, with a meaningful glint, he slowly moved his bloodied lips.
"......What do you think of this martial world?"
His voice carried faint internal energy.
'What's he scheming now.'
As Cheonhwi stared silently...
"Don't listen to him!"
Cheon Igae hurriedly interjected.
But Cheonhwi ignored him and squatted down.
"It's the martial world. What's different?"
"No. The current martial world isn't the true martial world."
The Divine Brush Wanderer stated flatly.
"The martial world is where individuals fiercely compete, pitting their martial arts against each other. But with the Nine Provinces Three Tyrants rampant, enforcing endless peace—how can it be called the martial world?!"
"Oh, well said. I think the same."
Cheonhwi nodded emphatically at his lament.
"They could just fight. But no, maintaining balance this, demonic that. Tsk, all they do is watch each other. So unromantic."
The Divine Brush Wanderer's eyes lit up.
"You understand well. That's why I—no, we—seek to end the era of the Nine Provinces Three Tyrants and restore the true martial world. A martial world without colossal factions......"
He then made a proposal to Cheonhwi.
"You seem dissatisfied with the current martial world. Why not join us?"
"Me, with you?"
Cheonhwi pointed at himself and the Divine Brush Wanderer with his index finger.
"Yes."
The Divine Brush Wanderer nodded faintly.
'If someone who agrees like this joins......'
The Nine Heavens Convergence gathered those utterly fed up with the current martial world or burning for revenge against the Eight Divine Martial Artists.
With this youth, their plans could accelerate.
As he awaited the response eagerly...
"Nah, pass."
"Weren't you dissatisfied?"
"Doesn't mean I have to join you."
"......"
"If you're gonna do that, do it alone. Why form pointless factions."
"......That's impossible. How could one topple those colossal factions alone......"
Cheonhwi sneered.
"If you can pull that off, then that's the martial world and romance you talk about, right? What's the difference from the Nine Provinces Three Tyrants if you build up factions?"
"......"
Cheonhwi looked down at the silenced Divine Brush Wanderer after his sharp words.
"No more questions?"
Cheonhwi's eyes gleamed coldly.
"I've answered kindly, so now my turn. That sound art......"
At that instant.
The Divine Brush Wanderer's body began shuddering violently, blood pooling in the whites of his eyes.
His chest heaved upward dramatically, then he vomited a gush of blood.
"Oh? Look at this guy. Trying to die without answering."
Cheonhwi quickly moved his hands.
At a speed hard to follow, he struck pressure points...
But it was futile.
Blood tears streamed from his eyes, his face rapidly losing color.
"What a vicious bastard."
Seeing him foam at the mouth and convulse wildly, Cheonhwi clicked his tongue.
"Severing his meridians to suicide, ensuring pressure points do nothing."
A hollow laugh escaped at the viciousness.
Severing one's meridians inflicted incomparable agony for a martial artist.
'They say it's worse than burning to death, and he actually did it.'
As Cheonhwi watched him still trembling, not yet dead...
"Gr-Grand Elder!"
A loud shout accompanied someone rushing breathlessly into the Blood Dragon Gate.
A familiar face.
'Jin Gae?'
Jin Gae entered the Blood Dragon Gate, paling at the surrounding corpses.
"Wh-What are all these bodies......"
But momentarily, spotting Cheon Igae, he regained composure and shouted loudly.
"The joint operation has failed!"