Chapter 241: Un-jeok-ja, Takes Up the Sword-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 241: Un-jeok-ja, Takes Up the Sword-2
Boom!
Boom!
Seol-hyang’s golden Astral Qi and Un-jeok-ja’s blue Astral Qi collided, unleashing a series of thunderous explosions.
Boom!
With every clash of their blades, a massive roar and shockwave rippled through the air.
Boom!
Once again, Seol-hyang’s sword met Un-jeok-ja’s.
"Ugh!"
A groan escaped Seol-hyang’s lips despite herself. She could feel the formidable weight of the sword force surging through her blade.
"You are strong."
Un-jeok-ja’s voice reached her from just ahead.
"It seems you have already moved past the initial stages."
His voice carried a hint of genuine admiration. Although he had charged at her to reclaim his honor, as a pure martial artist and a senior, he couldn't help but marvel at her talent.
To reach the Peak Mid-Stage at barely twenty years of age... Was this not the same level of achievement as Yang Tae-san, the Orthodox Faction's ultimate weapon who had mastered all the techniques of the Nine Sects twenty years ago?
He marveled again and again at this future absolute master with such transcendental talent.
Meanwhile, Seol-hyang frowned at his words. She didn't even have the luxury to respond, yet he was handling her with such ease? Was the gap between the Mid-Stage and the Upper Stage truly this vast?
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
"Hah!"
Clang!
She poured more strength into her sword, parrying Un-jeok-ja’s blade away. Immediately, she lunged for his chest, which was momentarily exposed.
Un-jeok-ja felt the sword slicing toward his chest.
"Hmph!"
He snorted at her attack and simply thrust his palm forward.
Boom!
His palm collided with her sword, sending out a massive shockwave along with a deafening roar.
Skid!
"Ugh..."
Unable to withstand the shockwave, Seol-hyang was pushed back.
"......How?"
She stared at Un-jeok-ja, her eyes filled with confusion. She had clearly swung a sword wreathed in Astral Qi. How could he parry that with mere palm force?
"The Nine Rivers Heavenly Wind Palm boasts enough power to deflect even Astral Qi techniques."
Un-jeok-ja answered her question calmly. He had unleashed the Nine Rivers Heavenly Wind Palm, a secret palm technique of the Qingcheng Sect, against her incoming blade. Among all the palm techniques in Qingcheng, it was considered the absolute best in terms of raw power. Deflecting something like Astral Qi was no difficult feat for it.
"Impressive."
The praise escaped her lips. Though they were fighting as enemies, her words held the reverence of a junior toward a senior who had achieved a higher realm. To simultaneously wield Astral Qi and a palm technique powerful enough to block it was something that still felt far out of reach for her.
It was the moment she truly felt the gap between herself and the Peak Upper Stage.
"Now, if you understand the difference in our levels, why not do as I say? Even if you are a child of transcendental talent, you cannot defeat me."
Un-jeok-ja spoke to her as if giving advice, his expression calm. His words were the truth. Even if Seol-hyang was a master of the Peak Mid-Stage, defeating Un-jeok-ja was an impossibility.
The difference in their realms was one thing, but the difference in experience could not be ignored. He was a man who had spent nearly forty years doing nothing but delving into the way of the sword, facing countless swordsmen in direct combat. There was no way he would lose to Seol-hyang, who had lived less than half his life.
Perhaps things would be different in the future, but for now, it was impossible.
"I don't know about that. Don't you have to see a fight through to the end to know who wins and loses?"
Seol-hyang coolly ignored his words and raised her sword. In truth, she knew. She knew she fell short of Un-jeok-ja in every aspect.
Strength.
Swordsmanship.
Adaptability.
Footwork.
There wasn't a single area where she held the advantage. When she fought Sun-woo, the realm had been so distantly high that it didn't feel real, but fighting Un-jeok-ja—a master just one step above her—made the reality stark.
Even though it was only one step, the difference in their mastery was staggering. He truly was a supreme master on the verge of the Transcendent Realm.
She raised her sword once more. Even against a master with such a massive gap between them, she couldn't give up. She couldn't let things go his way.
"Hmph."
Hearing her response, Un-jeok-ja charged. His swift sword flew toward her.
Boom!
She barely managed to raise her sword and block his strike. The collision of their Astral Qi rang out with a roar.
Whoosh!
As soon as his sword was blocked, he withdrew it and immediately slashed toward her arm.
Boom!
Seol-hyang managed to block him again, but only by a hair's breadth.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Un-jeok-ja’s sword began to rain down on her relentlessly. With every strike, she could do nothing but barely maintain her defense. She couldn't even dream of finding an opening for a counterattack.
Un-jeok-ja’s sword was so fast it was difficult for the eyes to even perceive.
Clash!
"Agh!"
A groan escaped her. Un-jeok-ja’s sword had grazed her left arm. She had managed to shift its trajectory at the last second, but she hadn't been able to block it perfectly.
She quickly lashed out with her leg, kicking Un-jeok-ja away.
Thud!
Struck squarely in the torso, Un-jeok-ja was forced to retreat.
"Huff... huff... huff."
Having finally gained some distance, Seol-hyang looked at her left arm. Blood was streaming down from the wound.
Tap, tap, tap.
She pressed several acupoints to stop the bleeding. Then, she raised her sword again and pointed it at Un-jeok-ja.
"Why not give up? You cannot defeat me."
Un-jeok-ja clicked his tongue as he spoke. How could she be so foolish? All she had to do was give the Qingcheng Sect a bit of face here; why was she being so stubborn?
"Didn't I tell you? You don't know until you try."
In the face of his rebuke, Seol-hyang replied with a defiant expression.
"Foolish girl."
Un-jeok-ja shook his head as he looked at her. Then, he raised his sword and took a new stance.
Vroooooom!
Soon, a massive amount of energy began to swirl around his blade.
Gulp.
Seeing this, Seol-hyang reflexively swallowed hard. Even at a glance, she could feel an ominous energy radiating through her entire body.
Whew.
She let out a silent sigh. The thought of clashing with Un-jeok-ja again already filled her with dread. His sword was so fast and powerful it was beyond visual perception. At this rate, she would end up with a hole through her body.
`It can't be helped.`
Having made up her mind, Seol-hyang slowly closed her eyes. Her master’s face—and his warning to keep this a secret—flashed through her mind, but she didn't care. Secret or not, she had to be alive to keep it.
"What are you doing?"
Un-jeok-ja’s voice called out from ahead.
"As you can see, I've closed my eyes."
She replied with a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Have you given up in despair?"
"No, I intend to face you like this."
She shook her head as she spoke.
"Do you wish to die?"
"No."
"Or are you making light of me?"
"It's not that either."
"Then why are you acting with such reckless bravado?"
Un-jeok-ja asked, unable to understand. What she was doing was pure bravado. To a martial artist, sight was an element so vital it couldn't be traded for anything. Victory or defeat was often decided by who could perceive a movement first.
And yet, she had closed those vital eyes? Especially against a master of a higher stage? It was nothing but reckless.
"It's not bravado. It's the best move I can make."
Still with her eyes tightly shut, she spoke in a firm tone.
"Do not resent my sword for being heartless."
Un-jeok-ja shook his head and spoke.
Step.
Then, he kicked off the ground and lunged forward.
Swish!
His figure shot forward like a bolt of lightning, cutting through the wind. It was the Squirrel Light-footwork, the profound movement technique of the Qingcheng Sect.
In an instant, Un-jeok-ja reached Seol-hyang and swung his sword. He was aiming for her left arm.
Swoosh!
Un-jeok-ja’s sword flew straight toward Seol-hyang’s left arm.
`It's over!`
Un-jeok-ja felt the premonition of victory.
Clang!
But then, something completely unexpected happened. His sword was effortlessly blocked by Seol-hyang’s blade.
`What?!`
Un-jeok-ja’s eyes widened in shock. Something impossible had just occurred. That last attack was the fastest he could muster. He had gathered all his internal energy to execute the Squirrel Light-footwork, a peerless movement technique. It was not an attack that could be blocked by someone with their eyes closed.
And yet, his attack had been stopped cold. By Seol-hyang, who still had her eyes closed. This meant she had perceived his sword without the use of sight.
`That's impossible!`
Un-jeok-ja shook his head quickly to clear his thoughts. It made no sense. How could she perceive an incoming sword with her eyes closed? They say the sense of hearing becomes extremely developed in the blind, but she wasn't blind. Even if she were, she shouldn't have been able to block his sword so easily.
Whoosh!
Un-jeok-ja swung his sword again. This time, a significant amount of internal energy was infused into the blade.
Clang!
But his sword was blocked effortlessly once more.
Clang!
Refusing to accept it, Un-jeok-ja swung his sword even faster, and Seol-hyang began to parry his strikes without any apparent difficulty.
Un-jeok-ja frowned and leaped back to create distance.
"How is this happening?"
He spoke while staring at her. What strange sorcery was she using to block his sword with her eyes closed?
"I can hear everything."
Seol-hyang replied in a calm tone.
"What!?"
"When I close my eyes, I can hear it all. The Sound of All Things. The breath of people, the breath of the wind, the breath of the sword... everything."
She continued, her eyes still closed.
"Do you really think that makes any sense!"
Un-jeok-ja shouted. What kind of nonsense was this? The Sound of All Things? How could a human possibly hear such a thing? Un-jeok-ja dismissed her words as gibberish.
"What can I do? I was born this way."
Seol-hyang replied calmly. Calling it the "Sound of All Things" felt a bit cringeworthy, but there was no other way to describe it. She simply heard it all. Even the most minute sound.
That was how she could avoid Un-jeok-ja’s sword. The sound of his footsteps growing louder, the sound of the wind radiating from his sword, even the sound of his fluctuating internal energy. There was nothing she couldn't avoid.
Un-jeok-ja stared at her as she stood there silently with her eyes closed.
"It seems I underestimated you too much."
He finally spoke, his voice slow. Un-jeok-ja reflected on his actions. Until now, he had only seen her as a junior whose manners needed correcting. He hadn't viewed her as an equal opponent.
And so, he repented. He repented for not giving his all.
"Be glad. You are worthy."
Vroooooom!
A terrifyingly heavy aura began to spread around him.
"Ugh."
Exposed to that aura, Seol-hyang groaned involuntarily. It was an aura so dense and heavy it couldn't even be compared to what he had shown before.
"Worthy of seeing the Blue Cloud Red Sunset Sword."
With those final words, the dense, heavy energy gathered into his sword. As time passed, the blue energy concentrated in the blade began to deepen in intensity.
After a few moments, his sword, now saturated with energy, began to emit a brilliant blue light. The light was so bright that Seol-hyang’s Peerless Golden Light Qi seemed pale in comparison.
Gulp.
Seol-hyang reflexively swallowed. Though she couldn't see it clearly with her eyes closed, she could feel it. She could feel the massive amount of internal energy swirling around Un-jeok-ja.
She couldn't help but feel tense.
`Can I block it?`
She felt a surge of worry. Perceiving an attack and being able to block it were two different things. There were attacks that one could not stop even if they knew they were coming.
Whew.
She sighed inwardly. Worrying was useless. She had drawn her sword, and she had to take responsibility for it.
She pushed her Peerless Golden Light Divine Art to its absolute limit. A massive amount of Peerless Golden Light Qi began to shimmer around her body. Soon, the golden light began to wrap around her sword in layers.
Before long, a brilliant golden Sword Astral was formed.
Seol-hyang took her stance. She pushed her hearing to its ultimate limit, preparing for Un-jeok-ja’s attack.
Thump, thump, thump.
She could feel her heart beating violently. But she didn't care. Right now, she had to focus on every sound Un-jeok-ja made, more than the sound of her own heart.
Snap!
And soon, she heard it. The sound of him kicking off the ground.
Whoosh!
Then came the sound of a body cutting through the air.
Ten paces... seven paces... four paces... one pace!
She swung her sword.
KABOOM!
A moment later, a massive explosion echoed through the central plaza.