Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Namgung So-yeon vs. Namgung Yeol (2)
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When comparing the skills of Namgung So-yeon and Namgung Yeol, her older brother naturally had the advantage.
He had trained for longer and the martial arts he had been taught were far superior.
Namgung Yeol also possessed a better natural physique, so in truth, Namgung So-yeon had no chance of victory.
The warriors of the Namgung Clan surrounding the two siblings did not expect their young master to lose in the slightest.
As if to prove this, Namgung Yeol’s fierce blade shot toward So-yeon.
*Swish—*
Unlike her fight with Im Jeoksan, the Red Fan Lord, a blade of unbelievable speed rushed toward her. Greatly surprised, So-yeon hastily twisted her body to evade it.
*Slice.*
The collar of her clothes was lightly cut.
Had she been even a fraction of a second slower, her arm would have been severely injured.
Only then did So-yeon truly grasp her situation. She imbued her demonic sword with sword energy and executed the Azure Sky Sword Art.
A dominant and powerful sword strike descended, pressuring Namgung Yeol.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
Im Jeoksan had struggled greatly to receive her blade, but Namgung Yeol showed no such signs.
Rather than blocking her sword, it felt more like he was gauging the extent of So-yeon’s skill.
“Hyaaaah!”
She deployed her forms, launching additional strikes to press Namgung Yeol even harder.
But no matter how she swung her sword, Namgung Yeol’s expression remained unchanged.
As if everything was within his expectations, he remained calm and assessed his sister’s abilities.
He was calculating just how much force he needed to use to subdue So-yeon without seriously injuring her.
After several exchanges, Namgung Yeol finished his analysis. His blue eyes flashed as he swung his sword wide, casting So-yeon aside.
*Whoosh—*
As the blue sword energy left an afterimage, tracing an arc, So-yeon quickly retreated to dodge.
She had instinctively realized she could never block her brother’s sword with her own strength.
Namgung Yeol slowly approached So-yeon, who had created some distance.
“Your skills are more impressive than I thought.”
Just then, Namgung Yeol’s form flickered and vanished in an instant.
“However.”
*Swiiish—*
So-yeon quickly turned toward the direction of the attack and deployed a sword barrier.
*Claaaang!*
A harsh metallic screech echoed as sparks flew.
*K-k-k-k-k-krak!*
Beyond the sword barrier, the light in Namgung Yeol’s eyes blazed fiercely like a blue will-o’-wisp.
The internal energy circulating violently within him was leaking out through his gaze.
“With skills like that, you can’t survive in the martial world! It’s a place teeming with masters far more skilled than us!”
He used the exact same Azure Sky Sword Art that So-yeon had used to corner his sister.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
A sword more dominant and more powerful than his sister’s struck down relentlessly, hammering her sword barrier.
Thanks to the demonic sword’s outstanding durability, she was barely holding on, but having already lost the initiative, her actions had become extremely passive.
[If this keeps up, you’ll be crushed.]
“K-kugh!”
She knew that all too well, but she had no viable options.
“You can barely withstand this, so how in the world did you plan to face the masters of the martial world?! Huh?!”
He shouted, his face contorted in a scowl as if lecturing his younger sister.
“I understand everything. Your craving for martial arts! Your craving for freedom! But you haven’t thought about the responsibilities that come with them at all!”
He executed the forms of the Azure Sky Sword Art, fiercely pressuring So-yeon.
Striking down, advancing, striking down, advancing—he repeated the pattern, driving her into a corner.
“The martial world isn’t as easy as you think! This level of skill is nowhere near enough!”
The reason he was so intent on keeping his sister at home was none other than his own experience.
There was a time when, as the eldest son of the Namgung Clan, his confidence had soared to the heavens.
But starting with the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, he met various masters and experienced defeat.
If not for the name Namgung, he might have died long ago.
These experiences dealt a great blow to his pride and self-esteem.
In particular, there was one person who had brought Namgung Yeol the greatest despair and shock.
It was the one known as the ‘Sword Demon’ among the Seven Demons of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
He still hadn’t forgotten the moment he happened to cross paths with the Sword Demon in the Central Plains and crossed swords with him.
He still hadn’t forgotten the despair of having every single one of his attacks rendered useless, of feeling like he was being played with in the palm of someone’s hand.
His title of Sword Dragon, his reputation as a promising rising star of the Namgung Clan—none of it meant anything before that demon.
He had intended to defeat a public enemy of the martial world and become a hero, but instead, his spirit had been broken.
Utterly shattered, he had barely escaped with his life, fleeing disgracefully.
Born as the eldest son of the great Namgung Clan, having consumed numerous elixirs and learned secret martial arts, he despaired upon meeting a wall he could not overcome.
For this reason, he could not let his sister go into the dangerous martial world alone, which was why he tried to keep her bound to the clan.
“Even if you go out there, nothing will change!”
“How can you know that without trying?!”
But So-yeon, too, had the blood of the Namgung Clan flowing through her veins.
She was not one to easily yield to another’s words.
She unleashed the Great Extension Sword Art, a technique symbolic of the Namgung Clan.
—A sword that pierces heaven and earth, a single stroke that governs all creation.
A firm and linear sword art, yet one that did not stop at mere simplicity, incorporating strategic positioning and responses—the Great Extension Sword Art was a must-learn for any Namgung warrior.
Of course, she had trained in this sword art for a long time as well, allowing her to execute its forms with precision.
“First Form, Great Extension Shadow Sever!”
—The sword of Namgung that severs even shadows, leaving nowhere to hide.
She fully understood the characteristics of the sword art: offense-oriented rather than defensive, driving the opponent back with continuous pressure and waves of sword force rather than a single killing blow.
So-yeon’s sword glowed blue, wreathed in sword energy, and then shot toward Namgung Yeol.
Namgung Yeol, who knew this sword art well, hastily used the same technique to block it.
*Claaang!*
An attack is consumed and nullified by a stronger attack.
If it was the same technique, Namgung Yeol held the advantage.
However, he had overlooked one fact.
While he had been learning various sword arts, So-yeon had been single-mindedly mastering only a few.
When the same technique is used, raw power alone does not decide the victor.
What is more important is the refinement of the technique.
In that regard, So-yeon was superior to Namgung Yeol.
*Pang!*
As Namgung Yeol’s blade was deflected and his posture broke, So-yeon advanced and unleashed her next form.
“Second Form! Great Extension Celestial Net!”
—A net cast down from the heavens, who can escape it?
Her blade wove countless threads of sword energy, forming layered sword lines like a net.
There was no direction to escape.
Faced with the oppressive swordsmanship that pressed down as if to envelop him, Namgung Yeol’s face twisted as he deployed a sword barrier.
*K-k-k-k-krak!*
Afterimages of sword energy scraped across the barrier, creating a harsh, grating sound.
He, too, had learned the Namgung sword arts and knew it well.
The sword of Namgung grows fiercer the more one tries to block it.
One cannot break the Namgung sword by simply cowering and defending.
‘Kugh, there’s no way I’m losing to my sister in terms of skill.’
He could not accept that his own skill was inferior to his sister’s.
He similarly unleashed the same form, trying to pressure his sister.
His blue sword energy formed layered sword lines and descended upon So-yeon.
But she was already executing the next form.
“Third Form, Great Extension Mountain Tremor.”
She poured all her body’s internal energy into a single, devastatingly powerful sword strike, drawing a straight line.
*Fwoooosh—*
This form, centered on destructive power, was a suppressive technique designed to shatter obstacles and defenses in a single blow and press the advantage.
Depending on the user’s spirit, a sword wind could even arise along the blade’s path, breaking the opponent’s balance.
Naturally, So-yeon, whose mastery of the technique was superb, accomplished this perfectly.
*Clang!*
Namgung Yeol’s attack was broken, and he was pushed back by So-yeon.
He hastily tried to counter with his next form, but he could not keep up with the speed of So-yeon’s sword art.
“Fourth Form, Great Extension Revolving Wheel.”
—Where the sword revolves, life and death entwine.
Using herself as an axis, she spun, unleashing her sword force in all directions.
However, she focused the path of her rotation to strike Namgung Yeol.
It was a mix of dominant and powerful sword strikes, so its speed should not have been fast, yet her Great Extension Revolving Wheel relentlessly battered Namgung Yeol, pressing him back.
*Kang! Kang! Kang! K-krak! Kang! K-krak!*
Realizing he had completely lost the initiative, Namgung Yeol tried to retreat to break free, but it was useless.
She had already completed her stance for the next form.
“Final Form, Great Extension Supremacy.”
—There is no royal road. There is only the supreme path of Namgung to break the foe.
The frontal flash of sword energy she unleashed spread wide like a wall, completely suppressing and breaking Namgung Yeol’s aura.
An azure wall materialized before him, crushing him with an intangible force.
The surrounding air grew heavy, and the ground where he stood began to sink.
“K-kugh…”
So-yeon continued to pour her internal energy into the attack, pressuring Namgung Yeol.
Seeing this, he had no choice but to admit it.
‘Fine. I have to admit that you are superior to me when it comes to the basic sword arts. But…!’
*K-thoom—*
He forcefully planted his legs, enduring So-yeon’s energy, and stood firm.
“Kuaaaargh!”
He let out a roar and explosively unleashed his internal energy, pushing So-yeon’s force away.
*Paaat—*
Pushed back by the force, So-yeon briefly retreated but intended to unleash her sword art again to press him.
*Thump—*
The moment she leaped forward to swing her sword,
Namgung Yeol focused his mind on his sword, pouring his very soul into it.
The secret martial art passed down only to the direct male heirs of the Namgung Clan, the Single Sword of the Solitary Soul.
Like all Namgung sword arts, it was not flashy, but the spirit and internal energy contained in a single strike followed the sword’s wave to mercilessly crush the enemy.
—First Form of the Single Sword of the Solitary Soul, Azure Sky's Dominance.
As he silently executed the form, slowly raising his sword to strike down from above, an immense amount of internal energy swirled around his body.
An overwhelming sword that crushes the opponent with its sheer presence before the attack even lands.
Seeing his stance, Namgung So-yeon instantly recognized the sword art.
‘Is that the Single Sword of the Solitary Soul?! Is he really trying to kill me?!’
Greatly shocked, she hastily retreated.
The moment So-yeon fell back, Namgung Yeol brought his sword down with enough force to split the sky. An afterimage of the sword energy remained as a flash, emitting a blue light.
*Kra-kooooom!*
An immense wave of energy shot out in a straight line toward So-yeon.
Startled by the threatening aura, So-yeon quickly twisted her body to the side, evading the sword’s path.
But the attack was only just beginning.
Namgung Yeol stared at So-yeon, his eyes glowing ominously.
“So-yeon, I acknowledge you. I was originally planning to go easy on you, but from now on, I will use my techniques to their fullest. If you want to give up, now is your only chance.”
His tone had changed drastically.
He now intended to face So-yeon with his all.
Seeing her brother like this, So-yeon swallowed dryly and replied.
“I can’t back down either.”
As if quite pleased by her attitude, the demonic sword spoke.
[A good stance. I quite like it.]
Hearing his sister’s reply, Namgung Yeol gave a small nod and opened his mouth.
“Yes, I knew you would say that. But I am the same as you.”
And with that, he leaped forward fiercely, his sword imbued with a blue light.