Chapter 19: Azure River Sect (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 19: Azure River Sect (2)
“Haha, you crazy prick. Let a man speak, you little shit.”
The interior of the Sect Leader’s Hall plunged into a silence so profound it felt as if a mass silencing spell had been cast.
After a fierce staring contest with Seo-jun, the Sect Leader’s bulging eyes widened further. His face flushed a deep, mottled red before he finally roared.
“Such insolence! How dare you wag your tongue so recklessly in my presence!”
“Oh, for real? You want to go? Huh? You want a piece of this?!”
As Seo-jun raised his hand, the Sect Leader seemed to catch the spark. He bolted upright from his seat, his clenched fists trembling with sheer fury.
“Hey, old man. You seem to have a lot of complaints. Don’t act like such a beta; why don’t we just settle this with a fight?”
Beta…? Chun-bong tilted her head at the unfamiliar term, but the Sect Leader was in no state to process such nuances.
“Fine! Very well! If you insist on choosing the bitter dregs over the welcoming cup, I shall oblige you!”
Cheong-un, who had been frozen in a daze until then, finally snapped out of it. His face contorted into a demonic scowl.
“Sect Leader, there is no need for you to step in! I will personally punish this arrogant brat!”
“Enough! If I stay my hand after hearing such insults, I will have no face left as the leader of this sect!”
“But Sect Leader!”
It was like watching a well-rehearsed play. Seo-jun watched with genuine admiration and nudged Chun-bong in the ribs.
“They’re really putting on a show, aren’t they? They could just fight, but they have to do this whole song and dance instead.”
“Um… well, yeah.”
“What’s with that reaction?”
“Nothing. Just… yeah.”
Chun-bong nodded, finding the entire situation beyond absurd, and let out a long sigh.
“Sigh… anyway, be careful. For a sect of this size, the leader should at least be at the Peak Realm.”
He couldn't possibly be at the Super Peak Realm. If a martial artist of that caliber existed in these backwaters, word would have already spread.
While finding a Peak Realm martial artist out here was surprising, it was still within the realm of possibility.
“Peak Realm? I’ll eat him for breakfast.”
“…Now I’m getting worried. Should I take over?”
“Uh-uh. Little sister, you just stay here and watch.”
Seo-jun chuckled and stepped forward.
By then, the two men seemed to have reached a conclusion. The Sect Leader drew a sword that had been resting behind his chair.
“Brat! Follow me!”
“Old man! No!” Seo-jun mocked, dramatically mimicking Cheong-un.
“…You truly must be mad!”
“No, I’m no—! Ack!”
“Please, let’s stop the bullshit. Okay? Please. I feel like I’m going to die of embarrassment, Oppa.”
Chun-bong had actually gone as far as calling him 'Oppa.' She was truly desperate.
Sensing that things would get ugly if he pushed her any further, Seo-jun rubbed his side and nodded obediently.
“Fine, let’s go.”
* * *
The Sect Leader led them to the sect’s martial arts arena.
While it wasn't exactly massive, it had everything a proper training ground needed.
The Azure River Sect was certainly large for one located out in the provinces. And a large sect usually meant a high probability of a strong leader.
Chun-bong tightened her lips, trying to hide her worry.
‘Even if he loses, it shouldn’t be a disaster, but…’
This wasn't some Black Path den; he wasn't likely to be killed. If things got truly dire, she could just reveal her identity as Geum Hee to stop the fight.
“He just loves making extra work for himself.”
Chun-bong sighed as she watched the two martial artists face off: the furious Sect Leader and the smirking Seo-jun.
Seeing how much he seemed to be enjoying himself, a sudden doubt crossed her mind.
‘Is he doing this on purpose?’
Seo-jun was by no means stupid. He seemed a bit dense at times, but he wasn't a fool. In fact, he had a rather cunning side to him.
In the first place, it was impossible to achieve greatness in martial arts if one was truly dim-witted.
‘Maybe the bastard just likes fighting.’
Just as that thought occurred to her, Cheong-un’s voice rang out.
“Begin!”
The duel had started.
The disciples of the Azure River Sect had gathered nearby. Standing among them, Chun-bong watched the duel with wide, unblinking eyes.
Flash—!
Seo-jun took the initiative. He lunged toward the Sect Leader, firing off his specialty: Finger Pellets.
The Sect Leader was visibly caught off guard by the attack.
“Finger Pellets? How can a brat like him—!”
Because Seo-jun was so adept at manipulating his Qi, it was difficult to gauge his exact stage. It was highly likely the Sect Leader hadn't even realized Seo-jun had reached the Peak Realm.
This momentary fluster was the perfect opening.
Sensing the gap, Seo-jun swung his sword down, coating the blade in a murky golden Sword Qi.
Rumble—!
The sword surged forward with the momentum of a wild river. Yet, the Sect Leader standing in its path remained unexpectedly calm.
Wuuuung—!
His sword let out a clear vibration.
Accompanied by the resounding Sword Song, the Sect Leader’s blade flowed smoothly to meet the attack.
Like two rivers merging into one, the Sect Leader wrapped his blade around Seo-jun’s and seamlessly diverted the kinetic force downward.
“Mmm…”
This isn't good.
Chun-bong’s brow furrowed.
After parrying the strike, the Sect Leader’s smooth flow vanished, instantly replaced by a violent onslaught that began to pressure Seo-jun.
Seo-jun swung his sword with one hand and fired Finger Pellets with the other, but he was steadily being pushed back.
It was an inevitable gap. The difference in their swordsmanship was simply too great.
If anything, it was a miracle that Seo-jun was putting up such a good fight.
But just because it was expected didn't mean she could easily accept it.
Chun-bong bit her lip.
So what if nothing bad happens if he loses? I can’t stand to see him lose.
“Oppa…! Do your best…!”
If you lose after I’ve gone this far, you’re dead meat, Lee Seo-jun.
* * *
The swords whirled.
The Sect Leader’s swordsmanship was incredibly natural.
At times it was soft; at others, fierce.
Like the currents of a river changing a thousand times under wind and rain, those aquatic shifts were perfectly imbued within a mere piece of metal.
“Where has your bravado gone? Wag your tongue again!”
The sword poured down like a waterfall, aiming straight for Seo-jun's head.
Seo-jun fired a Finger Pellet with his left hand while deliberately loosening his grip on the sword in his right.
Flowing Clouds Blue Heaven.
Blade met blade, and with a subtle movement, the crashing force naturally flowed downward.
He managed to parry the strike using a form from the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword.
‘Naturalness, huh…’
Seo-jun realized something.
That was likely the true intent of the Clear Flow Sword.
Or perhaps it wasn't the Clear Flow Sword at all, but a higher-tier technique.
As he continued to observe the Sect Leader's movements, a profound realization dawned on him.
‘The martial art forms a single world.’
Rain falls from the sky, and the wind blows. The river changes a thousand times in response, mist rises from the banks, and dew forms on the grass.
Coincidentally, it felt similar to the Primordial Unity Divine Art. And it likely wasn't much different from the Yellow Cloud Divine Art, either.
‘Forming a single world.’
Every profound martial art he had seen so far was exactly like that.
Even the Three Talents Sword Art was the same. It sought to form a world by harmonizing Heaven, Earth, and Man.
Perhaps that was the ultimate destination that all martial arts pursued.
The concept he had only vaguely sensed before now sublimated into true enlightenment.
The Mental Imagery of the Yellow Cloud Divine Art: a golden sunset and clouds flowing leisurely beneath it. Was it not the responsibility of each individual practitioner to paint the rest of the world within that image?
“Oppa…! Do your best…!”
Just then, he heard Chun-bong’s cheer.
Cute kid.
He couldn't afford to get trashed when she was cheering for him so earnestly.
Clang—!
With a broad smirk, Seo-jun struck the incoming sword away and leaped back.
The Sect Leader, pushed back slightly by the recoil, stared at his vibrating sword before speaking.
“I knew it. It’s similar to the Clear Flow Sword, but it isn't it.”
“What are you talking about, old man?”
“That’s enough. This is sufficient for a duel.”
The Sect Leader looked intently at Seo-jun.
“Anyone can see your martial arts belong to a prestigious Righteous Faction, not the Black Path. You didn't steal the Clear Flow Sword, either. Is there any reason to continue this fight?”
“Aha, so you provoked me from the start just to see if I was using the Clear Flow Sword?”
“Why don't you drop the act as well? There’s no need to pretend to be so foul-mouthed. Or is there a reason you’re masquerading as someone from the Black Path?”
The Sect Leader shook his head and sheathed his sword.
“Stop this and reveal the name of your sect. It doesn't seem like a nameless place, and there’s no reason to escalate this further.”
“Hey, old man.”
Seo-jun raised his sword. A clear golden light shimmered on the blade, beginning to flow like a river.
It was Yellow Cloud Descending from Heaven, originally a form of the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword.
Seo-jun took the form he was using for the very first time and modified it to his whim, seamlessly mixing in the Sect Leader’s swordsmanship he had just observed.
Softly. But with a fierce, devastating end.
“Who said you could decide when the fight is over?!”
Seo-jun lunged. The Sect Leader’s eyebrows twitched as he hurriedly drew his sword and swung it in response.
BOOM────────!!
With a thunderous explosion, a massive cloud of dust erupted around them.
The Sect Leader’s eyes widened as he felt his hands trembling from the impact.
“What in the…”
“Now I think I get it.”
His understanding of the Yellow Cloud Divine Art had deepened. But the enlightenment didn't stop there; it cascaded into a profound understanding of martial arts as a whole.
Primordial Unity Divine Art.
The martial art he had created himself began to pulse with vibrant life.
‘The river flows violently, and the sky cycles through darkness and light. I thought I had created a world, but it was merely a model.’
It had been nothing more than a painting without a soul.
But now that he understood, a fresh breeze blew through Seo-jun’s Mental Imagery.
A single wind, a thousand changes; impossible to grasp (一風千化 不可執).
Gliding his feet across the ground, he moved smoothly to the Sect Leader’s flank.
The Sect Leader tried to entangle their blades to force a close-quarters struggle, but Seo-jun simply flicked his sword upward, effortlessly shaking him off.
Wind and rain, ten thousand variations; impossible to defend (風雨萬變 不可禦).
He hung the sky upon his upturned sword tip. The heavens, pulled down by the blade, began to rage like a tempest of wind and rain.
As their swords clashed and Seo-jun’s movements became increasingly erratic and unpredictable, the Sect Leader finally let out a gasp of awe.
“How…! You’ve perfectly captured my sword?”
Perfectly? No. His sword had merely colored a tiny fraction of the Mental Imagery.
Seo-jun smiled brightly and swung his sword like a madman.
Day and night. River and wind. Rain and clouds.
He breathed life into the fragments of his Mental Imagery, which had now grown rich and vibrant.
It was still unrefined. But one day, when all these concepts moved as a single living entity, the Primordial Unity Divine Art would be complete.
“Hey, old man, consider it an honor. You’re about to be the first person to get hit by the first form of the Primordial Unity Divine Art.”
Seo-jun’s eyes flashed.
He had found his direction. The Primordial Unity Divine Art was a martial art he had built himself. There was no need to be obsessed with the sword.
And so, he decided. The Primordial Unity Divine Art was a Qi Art.
The sword was merely the brush used to paint it.
“Primordial Unity (混元).”
A murky, viscous Sword Qi completely enveloped the blade.