Chapter 264
Chapter 264
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 264
Chapter Title: Noble Person (1)
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Drops of blood seeped from the wound, gathering at my command.
Once they formed a small sphere,
my master spoke up.
"You're pondering how to elevate your own achievements. Trying to strengthen your blood arts?" 'You're a mind reader? Oh, right, you really are.'
– ? '?'
Teasing my master ended there.
I asked him.
'How did you know? You're not familiar with this school of arts, are you?'
– I'm no expert on defensive arts, but don't I know you, Yong-un? You were elected student council president today... yet instead of touching food or drink, you're manipulating blood droplets. I can't help but think you're more worried about tomorrow than savoring today's victory. In response to my question, my master calmly explained, even praising me.
– The attitude of never settling and constantly seeking ways to grow stronger is certainly praiseworthy... But the last words trailed off.
Immediately, a stern tone followed.
– But why blood arts of all things? Have you already forgotten the experience of hitting a wall by relying on them? You mustn't repeat the same mistake by choosing the seemingly easy path. At those words, I shook my head without a moment's hesitation.
'I'm not choosing blood arts because it's the easy path. I haven't forgotten the experience of hitting a wall by relying on them either.'
– Then? 'I recalled something you once told me.'
My master fell silent for a moment.
He seemed to be pondering which words I meant.
I gave the answer right away.
'You said that even that was just a process. Thinking back on it, I realized I might be overly fixated on not using one of my strengths.'
– … 'So I decided to try it. Not because it's easy. Contemplating the Peak Realm felt like drifting alone on a vast ocean, so I thought I'd try anything I could do right now. Is my disciple wrong?'
It was then that my master burst into hearty laughter.
– Hah hah hum. That's exactly it. '...? Weren't you about to scold me?'
– I was just checking your mindset. There's no royal road on that path. Back when I was striving to surpass the Peak Realm, I tried everything imaginable. 'Hard to picture.'
– I balanced a jar on my head while moving, placed a cup of tea on my sword blade... I tried all sorts of things. 'Guess I'll have to try those too.'
– The key is mindset. A warrior's desire to grow stronger can turn to impatience in an instant. You must guard against that, confronting your strengths, weaknesses, and obsessions repeatedly. In time, harmony between sword, body, energy, and nature will come to you. 'I'll keep that in mind.'
Responding to my master's advice, I dismantled the blood orb strand by strand and wrapped it around Regret.
Then I began swinging through the forms of the Heaven-Splitting Swordsmanship.
Sssak! Sssaak!
Sssaak!
At some point, I sensed a presence and stopped, turning my head.
There stood Professor Nosam, who had said he might be late to the banquet due to a professors' meeting.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Professor? The banquet hall is in the building behind us."
"I know. I just came from there."
"Huh."
"What's with that 'huh'?"
"It's just surprising you'd skip the feast, Professor. Cheon Jang-ho couldn't have eaten all the food and drinks already, right?"
"Even someone like me skips out occasionally. But you're the host of the banquet—what are you doing out here? You said you went to practice swordplay, and sure enough, you're swinging your sword. Aren't you happy about being elected?"
"Of course I am. But wasn't the whole point of establishing the student council to deal with the turbulent world? Practicing swordplay naturally led me to think I need to hone my skills to protect myself."
"You're already a genius without precedent, Yong-un. They call you the world's greatest of the later generation—aren't you being too impatient?"
"It's the world's greatest 'later generation' talent. Demonic Cultists or Black Path scum won't attack me holding back to match my level, so I see it as an empty title."
At my words, Professor Nosam nodded.
"You have a point."
"And it's not impatience. I was just in the middle of experimenting with applying my sorcery to martial arts."
Then he said this.
"Mind sparring with me a bit?"
...A spar with Professor Nosam.
It seemed like a good idea.
Professor Nosam was a Peak Realm master.
The absolute expert I aimed for, and an opponent I could move against without pressure in various ways.
Hard to find better conditions.
"I'd be grateful."
I nodded, and the professor rolled up his sleeves and stepped down into the training ground.
"How intense should I go?"
"Fight without holding back."
"No holding back?"
"Within reason. I'm not saying to kill me."
"I get that much, you rascal."
"You trust me so solidly, so just in case. Please take good care of me."
"Very well!"
As soon as Professor Nosam finished speaking, he kicked off the ground and unleashed a palm strike.
Kwarung!
I kicked off in the opposite direction from the professor.
The time gap from the directional difference.
Thanks to it, I swung Regret to slightly deflect the incoming palm strike.
Kwang!!!
But Professor Nosam's attack was just beginning.
"Excellent!"
Transformed into a storm of wild fury, Professor Nosam poured out palm strikes like a downpour.
Sssak! Sssak! Sssak!
Sssaak!
Dozens of strikes in an instant.
I stepped nimbly to counter.
But I failed to perfectly block them all.
Some strikes were too fast for my current level to even track.
Even trying to slow time through focus was useless.
The professor's movements remained fast even as all else slowed.
Sssaak!!
One missed strike was blocked because I'd mastered Anti-Dragon Palm and predicted its path.
Pung!!!
Sssaak!!
But the simultaneous follow-up palm was unavoidable.
'!'
Normally, it would've broken several ribs.
But this spar was purely for training.
The professor retracted his step just before his fist touched me.
Pat!
In the midst of the fierce exchange, I finally exhaled the breath I'd held.
"Hoo."
The professor asked me.
"A genius is a genius. At your age, I was still fumbling around, but you... However, did you actually use that technique you mentioned? I couldn't tell."
"Planning to from now on."
With that, I channeled internal energy into the blood ring engraved in my upper dantian.
'The ways I've used blood arts so far: as a substitute for qi reinforcement, or shaping changes by applying blood golem creation.'
But from this moment, I intended to use an entirely different method.
'Combine Heaven-Splitting Divine Art with blood arts, circulating it through my meridians.'
It wasn't an absurd idea.
In the original story, there were those who operated martial arts this way.
'Startling Heaven Blood Demon.'
They were the demons of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Blood King Division.
It was a demonic art even they avoided due to losing reason near its peak, but its power was undeniable—the protagonist's party struggled against it.
'But that's because their core mantra derived from a knockoff branched from the Heaven-Splitting Sword Sect. Using the pure version, my situation's different.'
And that's not all.
I had special mental strength.
Plus ample internal energy from past opportunities, and robust meridians from relentless training.
'Not sure how long I can sustain it, but the blood arts won't escape my control.'
With that thought, I pushed Heaven-Splitting energy into the blood ring.
The energy passing through transformed under blood arts influence, racing through my meridians at double the speed.
Thump thump-
Feeling my heart beat faster than before, I stared at Professor Nosam.
"You..."
The professor noticed my changed aura and tried to say something.
But this time, I kicked off first.
Pat-
Seeing me, he closed his mouth and charged.
But the Professor Nosam from moments ago, who seemed impossible to handle, was gone.
My heart's accelerated beat outpaced him.
Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk!
I thrust Regret like lightning.
The professor hurriedly retreated, unleashing palm strikes.
Pung! Pung! Pung pung!
Kwaaang!
One step. One step.
How long until Professor Nosam retreated to the edge of the training ground?
"!"
Suddenly, a numb fatigue hit my limbs' muscles.
Overload from movements beyond my level.
This spar wasn't about victory anyway.
I stopped my sword stance and stepped back.
Catching my ragged breath, I called out to Professor Nosam.
"Haa. Haa. Haaak. How long was I doing that?"
"How long? How should I know?! I was busy struggling not to get skewered! What the hell was that just now?"
"...Long story to explain... Guess we time it again then?"
It was then Yin Xia Lian's voice came.
"About half a gak."
Turning, I saw the Eon siblings.
They must've come out at the fighting noises.
"Half a gak?"
"Yes. Exactly half a gak since Young Master Eon charged."
Hearing Yin Xia Lian, I sat cross-legged.
"So that's my current limit? I'll have to ramp up training intensity from now on."
It was really a vow to myself.
But the Eon siblings misunderstood, gasping in shock.
"Eek."
"...Here? No way, right Ha-yeon?"
"No. That's really no."
"He's lost it."
"O-Original Celestial Venerable."
"He's my blood brother, but..."
"Not human, right? Brother Yong-un isn't human."
"......"
"...Qingzhu Pavilion really isn't a place to settle. Can't even pee like this."
"Cheon Jang-ho. But Yong-un's student council president now—doesn't that make it meaningless?"
"...Oh. Yeah?"
"Idiot."
Come to think of it, maybe they weren't wrong.
'Yeah, can't just ramp up alone, can I?'
I grinned and entered meditative breathing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ My official term as student council president began next year.
But as the inaugural one, and with the world in turmoil, the four dorms agreed to cooperate for a stable launch this year too.
To that end, we prepared the student council room in advance and planned activities accordingly.
A few days later, on the day of the plaque unveiling ceremony.
The Murim Alliance Leader visited the Righteous Martial Academy.
"In these chaotic times, it's heartening that the four dorm students have united their will and elected a representative for the academy."
Nominally to celebrate the student council's launch at the unveiling.
"The seniors of the jianghu must feel much. This Gong Sun sees the bright future of murim. With the Righteous Martial Academy so solid, stability in the world isn't far off."
But he seemed to have other business with me; after the ceremony, he sent a transmission.
[Yong-un, what's your remaining schedule?] [First official meeting with the dorm leaders.] [I have matters with the professors too, so let's meet separately after.] [Something up?] [Not a big deal. Remember our talk in Huseong? You said present goods if giving something?] [Ah, you had something in mind...] [Not an item. A person.] [A person?] [Yes. Not an ordinary one, so brace yourself.] [Not ordinary...] [Someone from the imperial family.]