Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Defeating the Soaring Heaven Sword Dragon
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Crack!
Nangong Jingyeong, struck flat across the face with the sword's side, went flying before tumbling across the training ground floor.
"Wh-what!"
"Young Master Jingyeong!"
Amid the clamor of shouts, Nangong Jingyeong staggered to his feet from where he had been rolling on the ground.
'Pretty tough, huh?'
Cheonhwi watched as he rose immediately.
"You bastard...!"
Nangong Jingyeong bellowed furiously.
His shout, unleashed with full force, made the air tremble and the training ground shake, as streams of internal energy surged from his entire body.
The internal energy of the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art rose up, and a blue aura began to swirl around his whole form.
"Th-that's Heavenly Thunder Qi!"
"Heavenly Thunder Qi?"
"He mastered the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art!"
The retainers of the Nangong family widened their eyes upon recognizing the aura emanating from Nangong Jingyeong.
The Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art was the most difficult cultivation method to master even among those of the Nangong family.
"They said Young Master Jingyeong's talent was on par with the eldest young master's, with little difference."
As some swallowed hard,
"You've got some solid durability, huh?"
Cheonhwi muttered nonchalantly, slinging his sword over his shoulder, heedless of their fuss.
He had held back some, but if it had been Jeokgeom or Seollan taking that hit, they would have blacked out on the spot.
"Durability is solid... Pfft!"
Cheonhwi burst into laughter upon seeing Nangong Jingyeong's face as he finally lifted his head late.
The handsome youth worthy of being called a fine young man was gone, replaced by a monster with his right cheek and lips swollen black and blue.
"Are you mocking me right now?"
Nangong Jingyeong trembled with rage.
"How could I not laugh at that sight?"
Cheonhwi kindly pointed at his face.
Flustered, Nangong Jingyeong hurriedly raised his sword and used it as a mirror to check.
"M-my face!"
Veins bulged on his forehead.
Not content with his cheek and jaw swollen, it had even sagged down.
Gnashing his teeth, he raised his sword.
"Fine, I admit I underestimated you for a moment."
Nangong Jingyeong held his sword high.
"But things will be different now!"
Nangong Jingyeong unleashed his internal energy explosively.
In that instant, a bluish energy began to frost over the blade.
But that was not the end.
The energy, scattering like unraveling threads, soon wrapped around the blade like silken threads before radiating a tremendous power from it.
"Th-that's!"
"Sword qi...!"
The faces of the Nangong family's retainers lit up like blooming flowers.
The sword qi he displayed was not faint or hazy—it was perfectly clear sword qi.
The fact that Nangong Jingyeong, who had been first-rate not long ago, had manifested such vivid sword qi meant...
"Young Master Jingyeong has reached the peak realm!"
The Nangong retainers buzzed with excitement.
And in contrast, shadows fell over the faces of the Plum Blossom Sword Guards.
"Is that what talent means?"
"Such clear sword qi at that young age..."
Some even felt despair.
Seeing the vividly blooming sword qi, sweat beaded on Hyeonjin's forehead.
He had heard ear-splitting rumors about the Soaring Heaven Sword Dragon.
The greatest martial prodigy among the Five Dragons and Seven Peaks.
The twin suns of the Nangong family, and so on.
He had thought him an extraordinary genius amid all the flowery praise.
But to reach the peak realm at that age!
Hyeonjin bit his upper lip hard, then abruptly turned his head and placed a hand on his waist.
"If the Soaring Heaven Sword Dragon cuts down Cheonhwi..."
The Plum Blossom Sword Guards, who had been tense at Hyeonjin's words, flinched and swallowed hard.
"Don't worry about anything else and move."
In that moment.
Thud!
Nangong Jingyeong stamped the ground fiercely.
Displaying even more vigorous movement than before, he closed the distance to Cheonhwi.
At the same time, swords whipped in from all directions.
"Take this!"
The force behind them was so strong that Cheonhwi's hair and robes billowed back, unable to withstand the wind pressure.
"Nice breeze."
Cheonhwi lightly shifted his feet while admiring the new swordsmanship.
Whoosh—
Cheonhwi's figure vanished in an instant, reappearing behind Nangong Jingyeong.
"...!"
Nangong Jingyeong's eyes shook as he lost track of Cheonhwi's movement in that split second.
Cheonhwi's movements now were exquisite.
He seemed to be on the left, then suddenly on the right; he approached only to instantly pull back far away.
'He mastered an advanced footwork technique!'
The footwork Cheonhwi displayed was the Seven Stars Step, which any Mount Hua Sect disciple could learn upon entry.
Cheonhwi mouthed words as he watched Nangong Jingyeong struggle to track him with his eyes.
"Much better than that Lightning Flash Thirteen whatever from earlier."
Nangong Jingyeong ground his teeth.
"You seem pretty relaxed."
"Relaxed? Sure am."
Cheonhwi replied casually.
"By the way, what's the name of that martial art?"
"...The Vast Sky Carefree Sword Art!"
"Ah! So that's the Vast Sky Carefree Sword Art."
No wonder it looked familiar.
The Vast Sky Carefree Sword Art was the Nangong family's pride, and he had seen it performed several times in his previous life.
'But it's a bit different.'
His interest piqued.
The Vast Sky Carefree Sword Art from before had felt lofty and overflowing with power, but the one unfolding now was heavy and ferocious.
'Gotta see how it's changed.'
Cheonhwi flicked his sword and said,
"Then show it properly this time. Not half-assed like before."
Crackle!
At the provocation—unintended or not—Nangong Jingyeong's rationality snapped.
His eyes rolled back as he drew up all his internal energy and raised his sword.
The high-held sword embraced a clear sky while harboring intense azure thunder qi.
"That thunder qi..."
"...Soaring Heaven Flying Thunder!"
Some Nangong elders who recognized the sword stance he was about to unleash shot to their feet.
It was one of the ultimate techniques of the Vast Sky Carefree Sword Art, the strongest strike that destroyed everything.
For someone Nangong Jingyeong's age to perform it was nearly impossible.
"Young Master Jingyeong's talent was this great!"
"Unbelievable..."
Hyeonjin and the Plum Blossom Sword Guards sensed ill omens from their reactions.
"Intervene!"
Following Hyeonjin's order, the Plum Blossom Sword Guards drew their swords and charged into the training ground.
"Hwi!"
"Cheonhwi!"
But before they could, Nangong Jingyeong's sword slashed down, and a fierce bolt of lightning struck.
Rumble!
Thunder qi flashed in Nangong Jingyeong's eyes.
"I'll finish you!"
Looking down at Cheonhwi with a triumphant face, he grinned in victory.
'I'll knock you out just enough not to die!'
As the vivid image of Cheonhwi vomiting blood and collapsing filled his mind,
"Tch. Won't learn much from this."
He froze at the unexpected voice.
Cheonhwi, who should have been cowed by the Soaring Heaven Flying Thunder, was looking at him with disappointment.
"Didn't expect such lacking skill."
Cheonhwi couldn't hide his letdown.
This was too weak—way too weak.
It was embarrassing to even compare to the Vast Sky Carefree Sword Art he had seen in his previous life.
'Can't properly gauge a technique with post-generation skill levels, huh.'
He casually raised his sword as if stirring.
In that instant, his sword curved to clash against the lightning descending from the sky.
Crackle-crack!
The azure lightning draped across the blue sky split in half and vanished.
"I-impossible! The Soaring Heaven Flying Thunder!"
"Now to end it."
Cheonhwi charged at Nangong Jingyeong.
Thud!
With a sound like leather bursting, Nangong Jingyeong's body floated up before flying away.
"Young Master Jingyeong!"
A middle-aged man sitting nearby caught Nangong Jingyeong, who flew out of the training ground without even a scream.
"Gasp! Y-young Master Jingyeong! Are you alright?!"
As the middle-aged man panicked at the sight of Nangong Jingyeong's eyes rolled back,
"Qu-quick, to the physician!"
Cheonhwi, watching the crowd swarm around Nangong Jingyeong, tilted his head at Hyeonjin, who had now mounted the training ground.
"Why'd you come up here?"
"To... to protect you..."
The flustered Hyeonjin stammered.
"Huh? Me?"
Cheonhwi furrowed his brows.
What? Protect me?
"You went and did something unnecessary."
Hyeonjin shut his mouth like a mute who had eaten honey.
"Anyway."
Cheonhwi whipped his head around.
Then, staring fixedly at Nangong In seated in the stands, he twisted his lips.
"Is this enough?"
Nangong In glared silently.
Cheonhwi met his gaze, lowering his eyes as if to say, What now?
What are you gonna do about it?
Mockery glinted in his eyes.
He had already spoken the words.
Telling him to take responsibility.
And through the spar, he had demonstrated his power and more than shouldered that responsibility.
'Gonna back out now?'
He had explained the weight of words himself, yet refuse to acknowledge it?
It was like spitting in his own face.
Especially for the head of the Nangong family—it would be hard to show his face anywhere.
'You gotta bear the weight of your own words.'
Recalling what Nangong In had said to him, Cheonhwi twisted his lips further.
"Need more if that's not enough?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Upon arriving at the annex, the group slumped their shoulders and sighed as tension melted away all at once.
"Phew. Thought my heart was gonna drop out."
"Exactly, senior brother. My chest is still pounding."
The Plum Blossom Sword Guards exchanged glances, stroking their startled hearts.
"But it's astonishing. Who knew Cheonhwi had such prowess."
At someone's quiet remark, the Plum Blossom Sword Guards' eyes sharpened like hawks before turning to Cheonhwi trailing behind.
"Junior brother!"
"When did you learn such martial arts?"
"You should've said if you were this strong."
Words poured out like rapid fire.
As Cheonhwi narrowed his brows at the barrage stinging his ears,
"Everyone, restrain yourselves."
Hyeonjin immediately spoke sternly.
"Can't you see Cheonhwi hates it?"
Only then did the Plum Blossom Sword Guards notice Cheonhwi's expression and sheepishly scratched their heads.
"Hahaha. But it's amazing."
Having calmed their excitement with words, Hyeonjin beamed at Cheonhwi.
"I heard you were receiving direct instruction from Senior Brother Hyeondo, but I had no idea your skill was this high."
It was misinformation, but Cheonhwi, too lazy to correct it, stayed silent.
And that silence fueled misunderstanding.
'He was secretly raising Cheonhwi for our sect's future.'
Hyeondo had just felled the White Ghost Castle Lord and earned the moniker Hua Mountain Divine Sword, sparking respect where there was none.
Now, having cultivated Cheonhwi into such an expert, that respect swelled boundlessly.
'Who'd have thought our hot-blooded, martial-obsessed senior brother would change...'
Recalling Hyeondo's past vividly, Hyeonjin felt a fresh wave of emotion.
"Hahaha. You're our sect's great fortune!"
"Exactly!"
"It's all thanks to the benevolence of the Heavenly Venerable watching over our sect."
The Plum Blossom Sword Guards, sharing Hyeonjin's thoughts, nodded vigorously in agreement.
As the excited group made a racket for a moment,
"More importantly, let's unpack first."
Hyeonjin, who had been laughing heartily, wiped the smile from his face.
"Looks like we'll have to stay at the Nangong family longer than planned."
"Pardon?"
"How long?"
"They said at least four days to verify the corpses."
"Four days?"
"And that's the minimum..."
Deep sighs echoed everywhere.
They were guests, sure, but this was enemy territory—the Nangong family.
On top of that, the unpleasant spar between Cheonhwi and the Soaring Heaven Sword Dragon had occurred.
The Nangong family wouldn't view their visit kindly.
"Sigh."
"No helping it."
But what could they do?
It was already decided.
As the Plum Blossom Sword Guards dragged their slumped bodies to unpack,
Swoosh—
One slipped away quietly.
Cheonhwi.
'When else would I get to tour the Nangong family if not now?'