Chapter 246: I Will Become the World's Greatest Swordsman.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 246: I Will Become the World's Greatest Swordsman.
Swirl—
As the dust settled, a single silhouette began to emerge.
Gulp.
Countless onlookers within the grounds swallowed hard, their eyes fixed on that one spot. Soon, their expressions shifted into pure shock.
The outcome was entirely unexpected.
The one standing tall in the center of the clearing was not Un-jeok-ja, but Sun-woo.
They rubbed their eyes repeatedly, unable to believe what they were seeing. Yet, no matter how many times they blinked, Sun-woo remained the one left standing.
Finally, the reality set in.
Un-jeok-ja had lost.
They turned their gazes, searching for Un-jeok-ja. They found him soon enough—crumpled pathetically on the ground, having been sent rolling through the dirt.
The numerous disciples of Qingcheng watched the scene with devastated eyes. This was their senior uncle, the man who had stepped forward, even at the cost of his own reputation, to restore the honor of their sect. Seeing him sprawled out so unsightly was a sight they were entirely unaccustomed to, and it cut them to the heart.
The title Un-jeok-ja held—the First Sword of Qingcheng—was not merely a testament to his individual martial prowess. To the disciples, that title was their pride and their ultimate goal.
And yet, that very man had lost.
And he had lost miserably.
A profound sense of psychological shock and deprivation began to wash over them.
How much time had passed?
Twitch, twitch.
Un-jeok-ja’s body began to stir.
"Cough! Hack!"
Shortly after, he spat out a mouthful of blood-streaked phlegm. He had sustained internal injuries from the collision with Sun-woo’s Sword Ring.
Ptui.
Un-jeok-ja spat the bloody discharge onto the ground. His throat felt like it was on fire, but he forced himself to ignore the sensation.
Thud.
His hand moved, quickly bracing against the earth. Using that support, he slowly pushed himself upright.
Clatter.
As he stood, the thick layer of dust and debris clinging to his clothes fell away in clumps. Un-jeok-ja paid it no mind as he straightened his back completely.
"You should put your sword away now. I believe you’ve had quite enough dirt in your eyes."
Sun-woo spoke as he watched him. Though there was a hint of a jest in his words, it was a genuine suggestion to end the fight.
"You... have you reached that realm?"
Un-jeok-ja stared at him with wide, trembling eyes.
"I simply had an enlightenment," Sun-woo replied calmly.
"How could..."
Un-jeok-ja was struck with horror. How could someone so young reach the absolute state known as the Transcendent Realm?
What kind of level was the Transcendent Realm? It was a supreme height reached by fewer than ten people in the entire Central Plains.
Incredulity clouded his vision. He had spent forty years of his life dedicated solely to the sword to barely achieve this state. Yet, this man had already stepped into it at the mere Age of Thirty.
A whirlwind of conflicting emotions began to surge within his chest.
The first was jealousy. How could someone so young reach such a height? He was envious.
The next was a sense of inferiority. His pride stung at the overwhelming martial power and talent of a man who had just surpassed him, even though he himself had only recently entered the Transcendent Realm.
Finally, there was shame. He had charged in, accepting all the dishonor that came with it. And yet, he had been sent rolling pathetically by a single strike from the man before him—right in front of all the Qingcheng disciples.
He felt an unbearable, indelible disgrace rising within him.
"Grrrgh...!"
Rage boiled over.
He, the man hailed as the First Sword of Qingcheng, had been defeated. And by a junior who was young enough to be a third-generation disciple.
The fury was enough to make his head spin, and his heart began to fluctuate wildly. Who was he? Since the day he entered the Qingcheng Sect, he had been a standout, always occupying the top position.
And yet, he had lost. Even after reaching the absolute state of the Transcendent Realm, he had lost.
A toxic sense of defeat and inferiority began to coat his entire being. Soon, those dark emotions took control of his body.
"I haven't lost yet!!!!!!"
He suddenly exploded with all his remaining energy. His Blue Cloud Red Sunset Qi began to warp, mixing with his murderous aura into a complex, volatile power.
"AAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!"
His already formidable aura began to grow even more massive and violent. Un-jeok-ja had only one thought: to wash away this humiliation and disgrace, he had to break the man in front of him.
Vroooooom—
His indigo Astral Qi deepened in color until it began to turn pitch black.
"Qingcheng! Does! Not! Lose!!!"
With his roar, the blackened Astral Qi erupted from his blade.
"Hmph!"
Exposed to that aura, Sun-woo let out an involuntary groan. It was a murderous intent so foul it reminded him of the Poison Demon, an Elder of the Demonic Cult.
Sun-woo could tell immediately. Un-jeok-ja was no longer in his right mind.
"A Heart Demon," Sun-woo whispered softly as he watched him.
Indeed. Un-jeok-ja had fallen into a Heart Demon.
Every person harbors a 'demon' deep within their heart. Whether it be a high priest who has preached the Buddhist law all his life or a Taoist who has spent a lifetime cultivating the Way, none are exempt. Usually, people remain unaware of its existence, but for a martial artist who has reached a high realm, it can manifest.
Un-jeok-ja had fallen prey to it now. Having just reached the absolute realm, his mind had become unstable due to the toxic sense of defeat and inferiority he felt toward Sun-woo.
"KRAAAAAAAH!"
Un-jeok-ja let out a bloodthirsty shriek at Sun-woo.
Shuaaaaa—
A chilling murderous aura spread across the entire central clearing. He raised his blackened sword high.
Whoosh—
He swung it straight at Sun-woo. The blackened Astral Qi flew toward him. Sun-woo quickly manifested his Protective Qi to deflect the strike.
BOOM!
"Ugh."
Sun-woo frowned as he took the impact. The sensation coming from the black Astral Qi was utterly repulsive. It was an energy of slaughter and destruction.
Sun-woo recognized this power. It was the same energy held by the Poison Demon, who had once driven him to the brink of death. Un-jeok-ja’s inferiority and sense of defeat had manifested as slaughter and destruction upon his blade.
"Un-jeok-ja! Get a hold of yourself!" Sun-woo shouted loudly.
He realized the situation was becoming dangerous. A Heart Demon was like a sickness of the soul. If not resolved in time, it would grow until it produced irreversible consequences.
To Sun-woo, Un-jeok-ja’s state looked incredibly perilous. For a supreme sword art containing the essence of the blue sky to be tainted by destruction and slaughter—and an energy identical to that of a Demonic Cultist, no less. If left alone, the Central Plains Murim would be forced to face a horrific sword demon.
"Don't... you dare... COMMAND ME!!!!!"
Hearing Sun-woo’s voice, Un-jeok-ja let out a murderous roar. He hated everything about Sun-woo.
His appearance.
His personality.
His way of speaking.
His martial arts.
There wasn't a single thing he liked. He hated the very fact that the man was breathing. And now, that man was giving him orders? To him? There was no way he wouldn't lash out.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!!!"
Massive waves of black Astral Qi manifested around Un-jeok-ja’s sword. Their scale was no less impressive than his previous attack.
"KRAAAAAAAH!"
The black Astral Qi condensed at the tip of his sword in an instant.
"I will show you the majesty of the Blue Cloud Red Sunset Sword!!!!!"
With a scream-like shout, a black sphere formed at the tip of Un-jeok-ja’s blade. This time, it wasn't a distorted shape, but a perfect sphere.
Sun-woo realized it. Unlike the previous incomplete attempt, the sphere Un-jeok-ja had formed through his Heart Demon was a complete Sword Ring.
"I am the First Sword of Qingcheng!!!"
Un-jeok-ja roared, his eyes bloodshot and a cruel smile plastered on his face. He looked completely insane.
Seeing this, Sun-woo slowly raised his own sword. He understood that Un-jeok-ja was too far gone for words to reach him.
"Whew."
Sun-woo took a deep breath. He began to operate his Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art to its absolute limit.
The internal energy in his Dantian surged, enveloping his entire body. That energy then gathered rapidly into his sword.
Vroooooom—
Astral Qi, incomparable to anything he had shown before, erupted forth. Sun-woo compressed that Qi again and again. Soon, a circular sphere of Astral Qi formed at the tip of his blade.
Having created his own Sword Ring, Sun-woo looked straight at Un-jeok-ja with steady eyes. He had a good idea of why the man had fallen into a Heart Demon. It was likely a combination of the pressure to restore Qingcheng’s honor and his own inferiority complex. Because he felt he couldn't overcome Sun-woo, the obstacle in his path, his twisted heart had manifested as a demon.
Sun-woo felt a pang of pity. Though he was a foolish man driven by stubbornness and jealousy, ultimately, everything he did stemmed from his devotion to his sect. He had chosen dishonor for the sake of his sect, and then clung to his pride. He felt inferior because he couldn't restore his sect's honor.
In the end, it all came from his love for Qingcheng. How could Sun-woo not feel pity? Though it was a twisted love, his single-minded devotion reached Sun-woo clearly.
And Sun-woo wanted to save him. Though the man had made foolish choices, that deep love for his sect moved Sun-woo’s heart.
Sun-woo slowly raised his sword and pointed it directly at Un-jeok-ja. He intended to crush him with a power so overwhelming that 'pathetic' wouldn't even begin to describe it. He would show him a gap so vast that even inferiority couldn't take root.
That was the only way to snap Un-jeok-ja out of his Heart Demon.
"I will become the World's Greatest Swordsman."
Sun-woo shouted with a calm expression, staring directly at Un-jeok-ja.
"The World's Greatest Swordsman!? You arrogant bastard!!!!!!!"
Un-jeok-ja was incensed. The World's Greatest Swordsman? What did he think that title meant?
The Central Plains was full of those who had founded their own schools of swordsmanship. From the Sword Emperor Yang Tae-san to the Heavenly Sword Empress Joo So-yang and the Plum Blossom Sword Emperor. And finally, the Absolute Martial God Lee Jae-won. With so many masters vying for the title, how could a brat who hadn't even reached thirty dare to utter such words?
"Don't make me laugh!!!!!!"
Un-jeok-ja swung his sword, launching the heavily compressed black Sword Ring.
Vroooom—
The energy within was so powerful that even the air around the Sword Ring began to warp. Sun-woo likewise swung his Sword Ring toward Un-jeok-ja.
BOOM! CRASH! ROAR!
A moment later, Sun-woo’s Sword Ring collided with Un-jeok-ja’s, triggering a massive explosion and a violent shockwave.
"AAAAAAAGH!!!!!"
Un-jeok-ja shrieked at the incredible impact traveling up his blade. It hurt. His wrists throbbed, and the skin on his palms peeled away, oozing blood.
But he did not let go of his sword. He wanted to win. He wanted to break the man before him with his Blue Cloud Red Sunset Sword.
Un-jeok-ja gripped his hilt even tighter. He focused every drop of internal energy from his Dantian to expand the Sword Ring. The black sphere at his sword's tip began to grow. What was once the size of a marble grew to the size of a human head.
"DIEEEE!!!!!!!"
He lunged with his sword, uttering words a Taoist disciple should never speak. Un-jeok-ja sensed victory. The size of his Sword Ring was already vastly superior. Sun-woo might be an unprecedented genius, but he was no match for this. He was sure he would win.
Crack.
Then, an alien sound echoed from somewhere.
Crack, crack, snap.
The strange sound grew louder and clearer. Un-jeok-ja felt a sense of confusion. What was that noise? He turned his gaze toward the source.
Crrack.
And then he knew. He knew exactly what that sound was.
It was the sound of something breaking. Specifically, the sword he was holding.
Crack!
Shatter—
The moment he realized the source of the sound, his sword completely disintegrated. Countless shards of the blade scattered into the air.
Un-jeok-ja stared at Sun-woo with a look of pure horror. How could his sword break? His Sword Ring had clearly been larger! How was this possible?
"For a man, power isn't everything. It's about technique."
Sun-woo spoke as he looked at the stunned Un-jeok-ja. Un-jeok-ja could only stare back at him, his mind a complete blank.