Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Overflowing Confidence
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“An overconfident bastard.”
“An overconfident bastard.”
The Black and White Killing Ghosts looked down at Cheonhwi.
Since they had set foot in the jianghu, no one had ever openly declared that they would kill them.
Who were they?
They were now called the Black and White Killing Ghosts, but they had once been the Yin-Yang Twin Demons who dominated the jianghu.
Yet here was a mere youth in his twenties claiming he would kill them. From their perspective, it wasn't even worth a scoff.
Kwak!
The two simultaneously tightened their grips, yanking the sword and saber from the floor.
Shattered stone fragments scattered, and the massive sword and saber returned to their hands.
The exact same stance as when first seen.
However, the atmosphere had changed.
Sharp, heavy, and ferocious.
Feeling the pressure slowly bearing down on him, a glint appeared in Cheonhwi's eyes.
'Not bad?'
The internal energy emanating from the two elders was among the thickest and heaviest he had encountered so far.
'On par with the elders... or perhaps slightly superior?'
As Cheonhwi gauged their skills, which exceeded his expectations, he drew his sword.
The moment the White Lotus Sword was revealed.
Whoooong—
The Black and White Killing Ghosts targeted Cheonhwi's flanks.
The crudely swung sword and saber whipped up fierce gusts of wind, aiming for Cheonhwi, who held his sword defenselessly.
“Impatient.”
Cheonhwi's eyes flashed as he whispered.
Kagang!
'What sword is that!'
'What in the world!'
The Black and White Killing Ghosts were startled.
The techniques they had unleashed were the White Yin Ghost Saber and Black Yang Killing Sword.
Not at full power, but these were heavy saber and sword strikes that could claim the life of any average master in a single blow.
Yet upon clashing with Cheonhwi's sword, both weapons were repelled backward.
As the Black and White Killing Ghosts swiftly regained control of their sword and saber, their hands still trembled from the shock, and their eyes hardened.
It was tremendous rebound gang qi.
Even more astonishing was that he had unleashed it in an instant.
Of course, they could perform rebound gang qi as well, but they couldn't guarantee they could do it in such a split second.
'An expert.'
'An expert...!'
Sensing the danger, the two instinctively circulated their internal energy.
Black-and-white sword qi and saber qi rose from their sword and saber.
'Yin and yang?'
Interest flickered in Cheonhwi's eyes.
Unlike their identical appearances, the internal arts they cultivated were polar opposites.
Black and white, yin and yang.
The moment he saw the contrasting energies infuse their sword and saber.
Whoooong—
Black-and-white gales swirled around the sword and saber.
It was a strike as swift as lightning.
The speed was incomparable to their previous two attacks.
The saber and sword blades reached point-blank range, stabbing at his vital points.
Swaeack!
Yet Cheonhwi remained composed.
He simply swung his sword toward the oncoming sword and saber.
Cheeeeng!
The air exploded.
The sword and saber were blocked by Cheonhwi's sword and repelled once more. But this time, it didn't end there.
Following the rebounding weapons, the Black and White Killing Ghosts spun a full rotation.
Whirlic—
With internal energy, strength, and rotational force combined, the sword and saber whipped around at speeds too fast to follow, unleashing slashing attacks.
Six slashes tore through the air like the claws of a beast.
Pabababak!
Cheonhwi steadily gazed at the six slashes that left no room for escape.
To the untrained eye, he appeared frozen in the face of the slashes, but Cheonhwi sensed a discrepancy in their sword and saber forms.
'Sword and saber with opposing yin and yang energies... yet so similar?'
After briefly analyzing their technique, Cheonhwi realized why they were so alike and let out a smirk.
'And I thought it was something impressive.'
He raised his sword to meet their slashes.
Kakakakang!
Fast and heavy.
But that was all.
Kwaaaang!
Cheonhwi infused even greater internal energy than theirs, shattering the slashes in a single strike.
Strength against strength, ferocity against ferocity.
That was his way.
The immense shockwave spread through the hall, shaking it as if an earthquake had struck.
“Keuk!”
“Hup!”
The Black and White Killing Ghosts staggered from the impact.
Cheonhwi stared at the two clutching their chests and suppressing their internal injuries, muttering.
“Disappointing. I watched thinking there was something remarkable, but it's just one technique split in two.”
The Black and White Killing Ghosts' eyes widened.
The fact that their internal arts had originally been one was known only to them and their master.
Yet he had figured it out after just a few clashes? It was absurd.
As they dismissed it as luck or a probe, Cheonhwi's lips moved again.
“Yin and yang... so it must have been a technique embodying Taiji principles.”
His words struck home, and the Black and White Killing Ghosts clamped their mouths shut.
He had seen through everything.
The original technique they were meant to cultivate was the Mixed Origin Taiji Art, a supreme heart method and internal art.
However, their talents fell short for cultivating the Mixed Origin Taiji Art, so their master had divided it into two internal arts.
The yin-attuned White Yin Zhi Art.
The yang-attuned Black Yang Zhi Art.
But now that their master was dead, only they knew of it.
Seeing their reaction—no reply, just glaring with sealed lips—Cheonhwi confirmed his guess was correct.
“No wonder you don't even know what the original technique was. Time to end this.”
A chilling declaration, and overwhelming spirit flowed from Cheonhwi's entire body, binding the two.
For an instant, they faltered and stepped back.
It was the first time they had felt such intense spirit.
Not even from their master or the White Lion God—an utterly overwhelming presence...
Tok—
“...!”
“...!”
The Black and White Killing Ghosts snapped to their senses at the feel of the wall against their backs and exchanged glances.
No words were spoken, but they knew each other's feelings.
The emotion they had desperately tried to forget.
Defeat.
The惨 memory of their defeat to the White Lion God resurfaced, twisting their faces into demonic rage.
They were extremely furious.
Not at Cheonhwi ahead of them, but at themselves for cowering preemptively once again.
Kugugu—
Surrendering to rage, their internal energies erupted. So fierce that the hall shook and dust fell from the ceiling.
Cheonhwi indifferently raised his sword.
Kwang!
The Black and White Killing Ghosts stomped the floor.
Leaving clear footprints, they cleaved the air like arrows with ferocious speed.
Soft and nimble movements belying their massive builds.
It boasted peerless speed and flexibility—the very steps that had earned them infamy with the Mixed Origin Flight technique.
Whiiik—
Unleashing Mixed Origin Flight, they closed the distance to Cheonhwi and swung their weapons simultaneously.
Whoooong!
Flames surged from the sword, while chilling ice formed on the saber.
Extreme yang and yin pushed to their limits.
The Black and White Killing Ghosts' joint assault emanated a fierce, heavy aura capable of felling any foe in an instant.
The swift footwork combined with heavy sword and saber forms swung as if to split White Ghost Castle itself, clashing against Cheonhwi's sword.
Kwaaaang!
White Ghost Castle shook violently.
“Geuk!”
“Keuk!”
The Black and White Killing Ghosts vomited blood and staggered back.
'J-just now... sword control?!'
'Impossible! Sword control at that age is out of the question!'
As they clutched their injured abdomens and gritted their teeth with the same thought.
Ssss—
A shadow fell over their vision as they stared at the floor, heads bowed.
They urgently lifted their heads from their bent postures and met the eyes of Cheonhwi standing before them.
His downward gaze was utterly indifferent.
Staring into those netherworld eyes, Cheonhwi's body suddenly tilted.
Himg—
'Attack?!'
'Must block...!'
Regaining their senses, the two tried to move their hands to block Cheonhwi's attack.
But something was off.
They tried to exert force into their hands, but instead, strength drained from their entire bodies. No—sensation itself was vanishing.
As if sinking into an eternal nightmare.
With that, they slowly realized.
It wasn't Cheonhwi's body tilting—it was their own line of sight.
Pushuk—
The Black and White Killing Ghosts' heads thudded to the floor, eyes wide open, and fountains of blood sprayed wildly from their severed necks.
A spectacular display of blood geysers shooting to the ceiling.
Even headless, the corpses stood rigidly in place, as if overcome with profound grief.
Cheonhwi passed by them and walked forward.
Despite the commotion, the door remained tightly shut.
He placed his hand on the door and pushed.
Kiiik—
As light seeped through the widening gap and the interior began to reveal itself.
“So the Black and White Killing Ghosts have fallen.”
A voice came from beyond the door.
A deeply chilling voice.
He looked up ahead.
Beneath the luminous pearl, atop an ornate jade throne, a man clad head to toe in pure white slouched while looking down.
“Impressive. In this castle, no one but this lord could withstand their joint assault.”
Cheonhwi slowly approached him and asked.
“White Lion God?”
By the time he finished speaking while walking, he had reached the stairs.
“...Younger than I expected.”
The man slouched on the throne slowly lowered his gaze.
His eyes moved slyly, like a viper eyeing prey, fixing on Cheonhwi at the base of the stairs.
“A Taoist from Mount Hua Sect.”
The White Lion God eyed Cheonhwi up and down suspiciously for a moment before frowning with one brow and parting his red lips.
“So it was Mount Hua Sect behind my subordinates' severed communications.”
“You still have some wits about you.”
At Cheonhwi's response, the White Lion God's face took on a look of realization, and his eyes began to turn pure white.
“I see you possess surprising skill. But you're still young. You know who I am, yet you come alone. Don't you value your life...”
As his whispering pupils deepened.
“Why so talkative?”
Cheonhwi, who had silently listened until now, cut him off.
It wasn't worth hearing, nor was that why he had come all this way.
“Do you think I came all the way here just to chat with you?”
With that, Cheonhwi drew his sword.
“No more words. Come at me.”