Chapter 95: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (46)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (46)
"Young Master Jin, will you tell me now? How did you know this formation existed?"
At Seo Ryeo-hwa's question, I looked at her for a moment before speaking.
"I learned of it by chance. I once saw a record of this formation in an old book."
She seemed to mull over my words, remaining silent for a moment before nodding.
"In that case, could you share what you know about the formation?"
I was about to answer, but at that moment, the air around us began to change strangely.
'So it begins.'
I quickly grabbed Seo Ryeo-hwa's hand. The original work said that as long as we were in physical contact, we wouldn't be separated.
A faint mist swirled around us, and the image of the cave was erased. What spread out before us was a training ground.
Then, from the darkness, a single illusion slowly appeared. It looked like an ordinary martial artist, painted entirely in black. The illusion silently raised its sword.
"What is this...?"
"It's begun."
Before I could even finish, the illusion swung its sword. It was a basic sword technique, its skill no more than third-rate.
I easily parried the illusion's attack. With a single strike, the illusion vanished like smoke. But a second shadow soon appeared, its skill seemingly a level higher than the first.
"This is a place that tests your martial prowess. Stronger opponents will keep appearing."
The second shadow's sword cut through the air. Its skill was around the early second-rate level. I lightly parried its blade and countered.
-Clang!
The shadow blocked my strike, but it couldn't dodge the second attack that immediately followed.
The next opponent appeared right away. This time, I could feel the aura of a first-rate master. A faint sword aura rose from the blade in its hand.
'So it's starting for real now.'
I gripped my sword tightly and took my stance. Sword aura cut through the air as it flew toward me.
-Swoosh!
The illusion's skill was on a different level from the previous opponents, but for me, who had reached the Peak Level, it was still not enough. The trajectory of its sword seemed to move in slow motion.
-Clang!
After lightly parrying the attack, I immediately followed up with a counter. The shadow of the first-rate master couldn't even withstand three exchanges before my sword and vanished like smoke.
"You said this was a stage to test one's martial skill, right?"
Seo Ryeo-hwa asked as she watched the fight.
"Yes. But this is only the beginning."
The next shadow appeared. It looked completely different from the others.
It was an illusion that looked as if my own form had been painted with black ink. The illusion held its sword in the exact same stance as me.
'It's proceeding just like in the original work.'
The shadow charged immediately. Its swordsmanship was identical to my own. It was like my reflection had jumped out of a mirror to fight me.
-Clang! Crash!
Sparks flew as our swords clashed. Its movements were a perfect match for mine, and even the balance of power was identical.
The light exchange instantly intensified. The shadow executed the same sword techniques I used, and it aimed for the same openings I did, at the exact same time.
Seo Ryeo-hwa took a step back, watching our battle.
I swung my sword even faster. But the shadow read my attacks perfectly and responded in kind. In fact, its counters grew sharper and sharper.
-Crash!
A powerful blow broke my footing. The shadow's sword moved faster and faster.
-Clang! Crash! Clang!
Amidst the continuous exchanges, the illusion's sword began to gain the upper hand. Even while perfectly mimicking my swordsmanship, it somehow felt like it was one step ahead.
'How can it overwhelm me while using my own swordsmanship?'
With every clash of our blades, the illusion's attacks grew stronger. As if it had grasped all my weaknesses and habits, its sword precisely targeted my openings.
'Tch….'
I was gradually pushed back as I defended against the shadow's relentless attacks.
-Swoosh!
Sword aura cut through the air. It was a form I often used, but it looked even sharper coming from the illusion's hand.
-Clang! Crash! Clang!
My breathing grew ragged amidst the flurry of exchanges. My opponent, however, continued its assault, never seeming to tire.
'A shadow created by the formation... does it have no physical limits?'
Every time I changed my form, the illusion responded perfectly. It moved as if it already knew my next move.
The illusion's sword moved like lightning. My own blade blocked the attack, but I couldn't completely evade the second strike that followed.
My clothes tore as the blade grazed my shoulder. Seizing the momentary opening, the shadow's sword flew toward my neck.
I barely managed to twist my head away, but in that instant, the illusion's foot slammed into my chest.
-Thud!
I fell to the floor, and the shadow's sword touched my neck. The match was decided.
As soon as it confirmed its victory, the shadow dissipated like smoke.
I slowly got back to my feet.
"Young Master Jin, are you all right?"
Seo Ryeo-hwa approached, her face filled with concern.
"Yes. The illusion... was stronger than I expected."
"A battle against oneself is always the most difficult," Seo Ryeo-hwa said with a gentle smile.
"More importantly, Young Master Jin, is this the end of the first trial?"
I shook my head at her question.
"We can't move on until we completely pass the first trial. Sword Empress, would you like to give it a try?"
Seo Ryeo-hwa pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes. I'm exhausted, but I'll give it a try."
As she stepped forward, a new illusion emerged from the darkness. This time, it wasn't an ordinary martial artist, but an illusion that looked exactly like Seo Ryeo-hwa.
The illusion, as if painted with black ink, seemed to be a perfect copy of her in every way. Even her sky-blue hair was dyed black.
'Hmm, so it can even copy the Transformation Realm?'
The formation's capabilities were far greater than I'd thought.
I took a step back to watch their duel.
Seo Ryeo-hwa was the first to raise her sword. A sword aura like moonlight emanated from her blade. The illusion mirrored her stance, emitting a sinister-feeling sword aura of its own.
'Is she planning to fight with just sword aura for now...?'
-Swoosh!
Seo Ryeo-hwa's sword cut through the air. A form from the Moon Shadow Sky Sword Dance unfolded from her blade. A cold sword aura, like moonlight, sliced through the air toward the illusion.
The illusion perfectly blocked her attack with the same martial art. Just as in my battle, the illusion was reading Seo Ryeo-hwa's every move.
Sparks flew as their two swords clashed. Seo Ryeo-hwa calmly observed the illusion's movements. Her eyes, surprisingly, held a hint of fascination.
Seo Ryeo-hwa swung her sword again. This time, an even more powerful sword aura flew through the air. As the illusion countered with the identical sword technique, a smile touched her lips.
The two streams of sword aura collided, unleashing immense force. The duel between masters of the Transformation Realm was on a completely different level from my battle with the illusion.
'She's definitely at the Transformation Realm... a different level from me.'
Unlike me, she was fighting on even terms with her illusion despite her exhausted body. The air vibrated each time Seo Ryeo-hwa's and the illusion's swords clashed.
Her sky-blue hair fluttered in the wind. The sword aura of the Moon Shadow Sky Sword Dance flew toward the illusion like moonlight, met by the illusion's sinister sword aura.
-Clang! Crash!
The duel between the two masters of the Transformation Realm grew more intense. But Seo Ryeo-hwa's gaze remained calm. She read the illusion's every move and responded with composure.
And then, Seo Ryeo-hwa made her move.
Sword Force erupted from her blade like an explosion.
The illusion countered by drawing up the same Sword Force. A sinister black energy collided with Seo Ryeo-hwa's Sword Force.
-Tzaaang!
The two Sword Forces clashed, causing a massive explosion. A shockwave vibrated through the area as thick smoke billowed up.
As the smoke slowly cleared, the result of the exchange was revealed. Seo Ryeo-hwa and the illusion were still facing each other, catching their breath.
After a brief standoff, Seo Ryeo-hwa withdrew her sword. Seeing she no longer intended to fight, the illusion vanished like smoke.
"Well fought, Sword Empress."
Seo Ryeo-hwa nodded at my words. Her breathing was heavy.
"A pity. If I were in perfect condition, I could have shown you a proper fight."
Her eyes held a mix of disappointment and enjoyment. It seemed she found the duel against herself interesting. However, it appeared she had withdrawn on her own due to battle fatigue and depleted internal energy.
"What should we do now?" Seo Ryeo-hwa asked. We had both failed to pass the first trial.
"We could try again, but..."
I looked around. Both Seo Ryeo-hwa and I were already exhausted.
"I think it would be best to rest for a while."
At my words, she thought for a moment before speaking.
"You still haven't explained the formation in detail. Can you tell me exactly what kind of formation this is?"
"First, let's sit down and talk."
We found a spot on one side of the training ground and sat down.
"I don't know the full details myself, but the Infinite Ring Bewildering Array is a formation composed of three stages. What we just experienced was the first stage, the Test of Martial Arts."
"The Test of Martial Arts... Why would it test the martial skill of intruders like us?"
"I'm not sure about that part either."
Seo Ryeo-hwa's eyes shone with curiosity.
"Then what kind of test is the next stage?"
As Seo Ryeo-hwa asked, I fell into thought for a moment. I had used the word 'stage,' but in truth, movement through the Infinite Ring Bewildering Array was random. Even I had no way of knowing what the next test would be.
'There's no need to tell her everything. In fact, I can use this opportunity to take Seo Ryeo-hwa.'
"I don't know the exact details. What I saw in the book was only fragmented information, so the specifics are a mystery."
"I see."
Seo Ryeo-hwa's gaze deepened.
"More importantly, Young Master Jin... do you think Wi Gwang also entered the formation?"
I nodded. A bastard that obsessed with Seo Ryeo-hwa would have definitely followed us.
"It's highly likely he entered the formation. However, he'll be in a different location from us, so the chances of meeting him are extremely low."
Seo Ryeo-hwa nodded at my words, relaxing slightly.
"That's a relief, at least. Still... resting is fine, but I wish we had something to eat."
I got up and looked at her.
"I'll take a look around and see if there's anything to eat here."
The original work definitely mentioned that there were Byeokgokdan inside this formation, but there was no explanation as to where exactly to find them.
'They have to be around here somewhere…'