Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: The Time for Tempering (2)
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As I charged forward like a madman, Yin Xia Lian let out a sharp yelp.
"Yin Ha-seong! Manager Go! Use your wings! Wu So-rung! Tail!"
What kind of coordinated formation announces to the enemy how it'll operate? Still, no one could call Yin Xia Lian's response wrong.
'Good call.'
For a coordinated formation to unfold, the smallest units forming it each had to contribute their martial prowess.
And that prowess started with footwork—the very first step.
But the Azure Bamboo Hall disciples had frozen, their legs rooted to the ground by the pressure of my aura and the sight of Jeong Hyeon and Gyeong-ryong hyung following behind.
Shashaak—
At Yin Xia Lian's shout, however, Yin Ha-seong, Go Wan-san, and Wu So-rung took their first steps.
It was a small step, but a big one.
Sashasashaak—
And for good reason.
Over the past ten days of chasing, they'd ingrained the back of the person ahead into their bones. Now, as those backs moved, the other disciples followed the remembered directions and motions, and the Azure Bamboo Hall's Colored Sparrow Formation began its clumsy wing-flap.
So yes, it was a solid response.
Anyway.
Thanks to Yin Xia Lian's quick thinking, Yin Ha-seong and Go Wan-san's swords overlapped to block my strike.
Kang!!!!!!!
The backlash sent them flying left and right, and sharp White Lotus Swords immediately stabbed into the gap.
Saeak! Saeak!
Saaeak!!
Charging straight ahead would've turned me into a pincushion, but it wasn't flawless.
'They lack conviction.'
They moved by body memory, but the thrusting swords lacked certainty.
So if this were a real battlefield, and these Azure Bamboo Hall disciples were foes I had to cut down?
If I deflected their swords with my all while slashing thighs with Regret?
'It'd shatter them nine times out of ten, probably.'
But that wouldn't benefit me or Azure Bamboo Hall.
I'd told that Wu So-rung kid no mercy.
But that didn't mean I'd crush them indiscriminately.
Half the reason for those words was to first see how our disciples responded.
The other half? If Azure Bamboo Hall could properly deploy the Colored Sparrow Formation, I wanted to test its power as a sword tester.
"Fall back."
To boost their confidence and give them time to fully form the Colored Sparrow Formation, I decided to pull back here.
I lightly deflected the incoming swords.
Chaeng! Chacha chaeng!
Then I kicked off the ground backward, widening the distance from the Azure Bamboo Hall disciples.
Pat!
At my action,
Ha-seong was the first to speak, staring alternately at his sword and mine.
"...Did I just block Yong-un hyungnim's sword...? Am I stronger than I thought?"
...Should I have at least given him a scratch on the thigh? The thought flashed through my mind,
but Yin Xia Lian, standing nearby, pinched his side for me.
"Ack!"
"Snap out of it! Young Master Eon went easy on you!"
Ha-seong blurted it out like a leaky bucket,
but plenty of others had probably thought the same.
Thanks to him getting pinched as the representative, those who had similarly spaced out gripped their swords tighter.
Shashaak—
The energy returned to the Colored Sparrow Formation, which had just taken its baby steps and briefly loosened in surprise at its own motion.
Was the sight that impressive?
-Disciple.
'Yes?'
-Your hyung... looks like he's tearing up again?
Gyeong-ryong hyung's eyes welled up once more.
It wasn't incomprehensible.
But now wasn't the time.
I quickly sent him a transmission.
[Again? Did that guy's pollen get in your eyes?]
[...Ahem. Seems like it.]
[Shake it off and let's go back in. You have to strike iron while it's hot, right?]
At my words, Gyeong-ryong hyung cleared his throat, locked down his tear glands with a "Khum!", and nodded firmly.
[Let's!]
[Yes. We'll enter from the same direction as before, then immediately reverse to check if they can pivot.]
After conveying the hit-and-run to Gyeong-ryong hyung, I sent similar instructions to Jeong Hyeon.
I regripped Regret and kicked off the ground again.
Chaejak refers to the peacock.
Even reading the original manual, I'd wondered why a bird formation was named after a peacock of all things—not some raptor.
Even composing it myself, I'd secretly thought the same.
Chaeng! Chachaeng!
For good reason.
To me, the Colored Sparrow Formation exuded clumsiness rather than the splendor a peacock evoked.
So I'd figured the manual's creator just liked peacocks.
'But seeing it like this, it does resemble one.'
Facing it as the enemy now, I understood the name.
'If you think of the patterns on those flashy tail feathers as eyes...'
It matched perfectly with what Commander Maeng called the "tail"—the reserves' role.
While the wings blocked the front and flanks, the tail circled watchfully, feeding info to core operator Yin Xia Lian.
'Not sure if wild peacocks use their tails to smack predators beyond displays.'
Anyway.
Acting as the formation's core in my stead, Yin Xia Lian was effectively using the tail-role disciples to block our attacks.
"Incoming! Left wing, fold into the center! Tails, stick to the right wing!"
For example.
After light probing, if we targeted the left wing's sector in earnest?
Shashaak—
The left wing would lightning-fold into the formation's core.
"Rotate! Rotate!!"
The tail would attach to the right wing, forming an elongated encirclement to squeeze our trio like a snack.
Chaeng! Chacha chaeng!
Yin Xia Lian was directing quite competently.
As the Azure Bamboo Hall disciples gained confidence in their formation,
it was starting to get tough facing three at a time.
'This is how it's supposed to be.'
A true coordinated formation, when properly executed by experts, wielded power from one-against-ten to one-against-a-hundred.
'A way for the few to rival the many.'
But here, we were the fewer side, holding back lethal moves, turning it into a classic outnumbered fight.
Feeling the need for a breather, I signaled retreat.
But I wasn't the only one sensing the strain—Jeong Hyeon transmitted to me.
[Whew. Wudang's Azure Purity Sword Formation and Supreme Ultimate Sword Formation are excellent too, but this Colored Sparrow has an eerie edge that chills the spine. Anyway, shouldn't we rotate who plays the opposing force?]
[Why? Can't let just you take the beating?]
[Whoa, Primordial Heavenly Lord. How could a Daoist think that? It's just that inside and outside feel completely different.]
I teased him because his reaction was fun.
Truth was, I agreed.
I nodded,
and Gyeong-ryong hyung chimed in.
[Whew. We've checked four of the five directions Commander Maeng-taeseong taught us, right? What's the plan? Test the last one too?]
Exactly.
The Colored Sparrow needed at least five for minimum deployment, offering five attack vectors.
We'd deliberately avoided one so far.
'Where Yin Xia Lian is.'
Her skill was just starting to produce sword mirage.
If I'd aimed to neutralize her first, it would've been over instantly—the formation would've lost cohesion without its core.
But we weren't competing; we were training.
Dividing winner and loser like that missed the point.
'The goal is experiencing the formation from both sides.'
So we'd intentionally spared Yin Xia Lian.
'In a way, we handicapped ourselves.'
Now that their Colored Sparrow looked convincingly real, it was time to play that spared move.
[Let's do it.]
Gyeong-ryong hyung asked about our opposing formation.
[Wedge then?]
Wedge was a simple triangular spearhead.
Great for piercing thick defenses,
but meaningless with just three.
I shook my head.
[Each take one face—hit all three sides at once.]
[Better?]
[Yes. Yin Xia Lian wouldn't expect three to crazy-attack three faces simultaneously.]
[True.]
[She'll brace for wedge expecting that, so let's go reverse—full non-lethal assault mindset.]
Decision made, I directed Gyeong-ryong hyung to the left flank, Jeong Hyeon to the right.
I took the front and charged.
"Let's go."
Of course, no intention of tipping them off.
For starters, we feinted wedge with a triangle charge.
"They're coming again! Wedge! Front wings forward! Thicken the front!"
As expected, Yin Xia Lian pushed her wing-role disciples ahead.
"And the tail..."
But at my signal, Gyeong-ryong hyung and Jeong Hyeon split left and right.
Panic flashed in Yin Xia Lian's command voice.
But she decided swiftly.
"Tail to front too! Surround Young Master Eon! Surround Young Master Eon!"
Bold move, abandoning her safety to capture me.
Smart judgment.
Even with Gyeong-ryong hyung's higher status, I was clearly the leader.
Mobilize all to snag the leader first and claim victory? Solid.
'Adapting what I showed at Northern Deer Bandit Lair to this situation?'
Impressive.
But admiration aside, the fight was separate.
'But for that smart, impressive call to pay off, they have to catch me first.'
I twisted my lips upward, wrapping Regret in mirage.
No holding back here.
'Not just no—can't afford half-measures.'
Practice or not, real swords clashed.
Surrounded like this, no room for a moment's lapse.
That was when.
As I steeled myself, White Lotus Swords from all five directions stabbed in unison.
Saaeak!
Saaeaeeaak!!
Stay dazed, and I'd be a pincushion in seconds—life-or-death pinch.
But escape wasn't impossible.
In the stretching time, I calmly lowered my stance.
Raised Regret diagonally to shield overhead.
Swords poured onto Regret, stacking like umbrella ribs.
Cha- chachachachaeng!!!!!
A sword forest centered on Regret.
Any average warrior would've buckled under the weight of multiple forces and inner energies.
"Kuh."
But my training held—my legs endured that instant.
Using it as a springboard, I unleashed Heaven-Splitting energy through Regret.
Then fully raised the diagonal Regret.
Kang!!!!!!!!!!
The Azure Bamboo Hall disciples atop Regret flew off in all directions.
With over a hundred disciples encircling in formation,
the gaps filled instantly.
Another crisis hit.
But it was doable.
Sae- ae- aea eak—
Time, which usually stretched like taffy when I wielded my sword, today nearly halted.
'I can see the flying dust motes.'
Extreme focus effect?
Who knew.
But.
A path through this thousand-layer sword forest... just might be visible.