Chapter 314
Chapter 314
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 314
Chapter Title: Out of Seclusion
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"Junior Brother!"
As soon as Cheonhwi appeared, no one was happier to see him than Cheonhyang.
She had been swinging her wooden sword, but the moment she spotted him, a bright smile lit up her face, and she immediately moved.
Her training robes fluttered lightly just as she was about to unleash her Dark Fragrance Step.
Thud.
But Cheonhwi moved first.
The hem of his black-red training robes swayed faintly, and then his figure flickered, slicing through the air in an instant.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
Like a phantom crossing space, Cheonhwi landed lightly in the center of the training ground.
It was silent.
No sound, no energy waves.
It was the pinnacle Flying Immortal Step.
Appearing so suddenly in the middle of the space, Cheonhwi slowly turned his head.
His eyes, faintly glowing red, captured each person around him as clearly as dewdrops.
Everyone stared at him in a daze.
"Perfect timing. You're all gathered."
A low voice flowed out.
Cheonhyang was the first to snap out of it.
"Junior Brother! Why did you go into seclusion?"
As she retracted her Dark Fragrance Step and blurted out the question burning in her mind, Hogwanggae and Danri Gwancheon began to regain their senses one by one.
"Martial Uncle!"
"Division Leader! Are you alright?"
"We were worried since you hadn't come out. Is your body okay?"
The Annihilation Squad and Flame Spirit Group mixed together, surrounding Cheonhwi with joyful welcomes.
Nearly sixty people in total.
Cheonhwi let their voices from all directions flow in one ear and out the other as he opened his mouth.
"You've kept up with your training, right? You didn't slack off just because I was gone...?"
"How could we skip training?"
"Not a single day missed."
"We've trained hard!"
Answers came immediately to his question.
Ambition burned in their eyes.
Those gathered here had witnessed Cheonhwi's greatness firsthand.
His overwhelming martial prowess.
That's why they pushed themselves in training.
To stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
To be of use.
"Good eyes."
Cheonhwi read their gazes, smiled faintly, lifted Flower Moon from his side—still in its sheath—and spoke.
"Shall we check your progress, then?"
"Check?"
As everyone looked puzzled at his words.
Swipe—
Cheonhwi extended his right index finger toward them and crooked it, beckoning.
A provocative gesture.
With that, he twisted his lips and said,
"Come at me."
For a moment, most froze.
They understood his intent.
A spar.
Cheonhwi wanted to gauge their training results through a spar.
Meanwhile, as the Annihilation Squad and Flame Spirit Group hesitated briefly.
Tat!
Someone shot forward like an arrow.
It was Cheonhyang.
From the moment Cheonhwi spoke, she had charged without hesitation.
No second thoughts.
A spar with a master was a fated opportunity.
Especially with a peerless expert like Cheonhwi—it was an irreplaceable boon.
How could she pass it up?
'It's been a while since I sparred with Junior Brother.'
A faint smile played on her lips as Plum Blossom Qi Art's energy slowly spread.
Sunset hues bloomed across her sweat-soaked training robes.
Having reached the pinnacle, her Plum Blossom Qi Art fully unleashed, it began to glow.
'If I hold back even a little, I'm done for.'
She recalled her past spar with Cheonhwi at Mount Hua Sect and tensed.
She had to go all out.
Otherwise, she'd just get one-sidedly thrashed.
She guided her energy downward.
The Plum Blossom inner energy racing vigorously through her Governor Vessel like a heartbeat finally reached the Yongquan acupoint at the sole of her foot.
Bang!
Her pant leg exploded.
The pinnacle Dark Fragrance Step unfolded.
Her figure blurred.
At the blinding speed of the Dark Fragrance Step, her shadow stretched long.
A midwinter chill sliced across faces like a sharpened blade.
The distance to Cheonhwi closed rapidly.
Ten zhang, nine zhang, seven zhang, four zhang, one zhang.
And right before him!
Thud!
Cheonhyang stomped her true stance.
From her planted foot, web-like energy waves spread in all directions.
Dust belatedly billowed outward.
And at that moment.
'Now!'
Maintaining her speed, Cheonhyang dragged her wooden sword perilously close to the ground, then swung it upward.
The wooden sword, carrying the momentum of the Dark Fragrance Step, blurred and vanished.
Leaving only a streak of pure white light.
It was pinnacle swift sword.
The crescent slash split the surrounding air, unleashing a roar.
Like a beast's howl.
"Such swift swordplay!"
Hogwanggae's eyes widened.
This was the first time he'd seen Cheonhyang unleash her full martial arts.
And her skill far exceeded his expectations.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
'At that level, she's even above Danri Gwancheon...'
He glanced sideways.
Danri Gwancheon beside him was equally shocked, eyes bulging.
Not just them.
The entire Annihilation Squad watching was stunned by Cheonhyang's prowess.
Meanwhile, Cheonhyang felt her sword hand trembling faintly and gritted her teeth.
The Plum Blossom Falling Shadow that followed her pinnacle Dark Fragrance Step exceeded her current limits.
But she couldn't stop.
One technique.
She had to settle it with one.
"Looks like you've trained hard."
Cheonhwi murmured, eyes lowered.
Her swift sword approached his chin, yet he stood tall and unmoved.
And just as the sword neared.
Swipe—
His extended right hand vanished.
No, it moved so fast it created the illusion of disappearance.
Soon, his right hand thrust out toward the wooden sword aiming for his chin and.
Clack.
Caught the blade between thumb and index finger.
And at that instant.
Whoosh!
A fierce wind erupted between them.
Cheonhyang's sweat-damp hair flew upward, her robes billowing dramatically.
The residual force of her swing.
"Hup!"
The onlookers raised arms to shield faces from the raging energy storm.
Their eyes quivered faintly.
It was an intense shockwave.
Meaning it wasn't ordinary swift sword.
But that swift sword was caught in the hand of Cheonhwi, who hadn't moved a step.
With just thumb and index finger, no less.
"Bare-Hand Blade Catch..."
Hogwanggae murmured through clenched teeth.
A feat rarely seen.
Usually only against an untrained person's sword.
Yet Cheonhwi had just demonstrated it.
Against Cheonhyang's swift sword.
The implication was clear.
The gap between Cheonhwi and Cheonhyang was as vast as between an untrained novice and a pinnacle expert.
'No, even greater?'
Hogwanggae shook his head.
It was a wooden sword Cheonhyang swung.
Normally, such a forceful strike would shatter it from the residual power.
But look.
The wooden sword was intact.
Meaning he'd fully dissipated the force.
'Beyond measure.'
He shook his head.
Cheonhwi was already in a realm he couldn't fathom.
"My best move..."
Seeing her wooden sword caught in just two fingers, Cheonhyang sighed.
The attack from her diligent daily training was utterly futile.
It felt hollow.
"Good sword strike."
Cheonhwi praised her, looking on.
"Huh?"
Cheonhyang looked at him in surprise.
She'd never heard praise from him before.
She'd thought he didn't know how.
Praise?
"But a bit lacking. If you planned Plum Blossom Falling Shadow here, you should've grasped the flow better."
As he spoke, Cheonhwi smoothly drew the wooden sword out.
"...!"
Cheonhyang stared in shock.
She gripped it tightly.
Yet it slipped free effortlessly, without resistance.
Naturally, like no sensation at all.
As if she'd been wide-eyed while her nose was sliced.
Regardless of her surprise, Cheonhwi let the wooden sword droop and said,
"Like this."
And as the sword tip touched the ground.
Thud.
He lightly stepped forward with his right foot.
But the result was anything but light.
Energy waves burst from under his sole, scattering like petals.
The pinnacle Dark Fragrance Step in harmony.
"Eyes wide open. Watch closely."
With those words, his sleeve billowed.
The wooden sword began to move.
The tip, touching the ground, rode the extended energy waves upward.
The same path as Cheonhyang's swing.
To others, it looked no different.
'This is...'
But Cheonhyang knew.
She had to.
The upward-rising sword motion flowed as one.
Dark Fragrance Step and Plum Blossom Sword Art.
Different techniques seamlessly connected, tracing the sword path as if always one.
'Swinging it like this...'
As her mind cleared suddenly.
'Huh?!'
The following strike startled her.
The rising wooden sword didn't stop.
In a blink, as it neared her chin, she frantically rolled her eyes to look at Cheonhwi.
And urgently signaled with her eyes.
'N-no way, right?'
Reading it, Cheonhwi smiled.
'N-now I get it!'
Her marrow chilled at the smile, pleading desperately with her eyes, but.
'You understand better after taking it.'
Cheonhwi replied calmly with his eyes.
'Junior Brother!'
Cheonhyang's face drained of color as the sword completed its arc.
Crack!
Her body launched upward.
She flew nearly a zhang through the air before crashing down.
Thud!
Dust rose from the ground.
She twitched faintly then went limp.
Knocked out.
"......"
Silence fell for a moment.
The Annihilation Squad broke into cold sweats.
Cheonhyang had collapsed.
Yet Cheonhwi had struck the downed leader without mercy, knocking her out.
They glanced at the Flame Spirit Group.
And were puzzled.
Despite their leader Cheonhyang fallen, the Flame Spirit Group chatted calmly.
"Haven't seen this in a while."
"Martial Uncle shows no mercy, as expected."
An attitude that seemed familiar.
Then, slinging the wooden sword over his shoulder, Cheonhwi crooked his index finger again and said,
"What are you waiting for? Next one."
No sooner had he spoken than the Flame Spirit Group exchanged glances and formed ranks.
With Cheonhwi like this, avoidance was impossible.
"Better than the Annihilation Squad."
Cheonhwi eyed the still-wary Annihilation Squad intently, tapping his shoulder with the wooden sword.
Meeting that gaze, chills ran up their spines.
'Did we mess up?'
'Should one of us have gone first?'
As they realized their mistake too late.
Swipe—
Cheonhwi withdrew his gaze from the Annihilation Squad and looked at the poised Flame Spirit Group.
"You first? Or should I come?"
At his question, the Flame Spirit Group immediately unleashed their movement techniques and charged at Cheonhwi.
* * *
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A group hurried toward the hall where the Annihilation Squad resided.
"Is it true he's ended his seclusion?"
At the question from Iron Guard Sword, an elder of Heavenly Center Sword Sect, Seolgeom smiled faintly from the lead.
"Yes."
Iron Guard Sword's eyes deepened.
Not just him.
"Amitabha. Finally, we meet."
"The benefactor of our sect..."
"Plum Blossom Divine Sword..."
Shaolin's Wonjong Daesa, Emei's Soyeon Samin, and Kunlun's Gokpyeong, following alongside, had deepened gazes as well.
How long did they walk?
Soon, their destination hall came into view.
"That place..."
Seolgeom pointed with his folded fan but stopped mid-sentence.
Due to the sudden sounds.
Thwack! Thud!
"Arghhh!"
"S-stop!"
"Mercy... Gah!"
Sounds like pounding flesh mixed with screams made them flinch as they approached.
"...!"
"Enemies...?!"
Startled, they paused briefly before dashing forward urgently.
They flung open the gate, which lacked even a plaque, and entered.
The moment they did, they froze solid.
"Tsk tsk, get up quick. Opportunities like this don't come often, you know?"
A young Daoist in distinctive black-red robes swung a wooden sword, each swing booming like a drum as warriors collapsed.
Not one or two.
Dozens lay on the ground, groaning thickly.
"What in the world..."
"What's going on..."
As Wonjong Daesa and the group stared blankly at the scene.
"Young hero!"
Late-arriving Seolgeom shouted loudly.
"Such a boon doesn't come... Huh?"
Cheonhwi, scolding fallen Danri Gwancheon, turned at the urgent call piercing his ear.
Spotting Seolgeom, he waved lightly in casual greeting, unfitting the scene.
"Long time no see."